The powerful thrust of his great wings hurtled the dragon and his passenger swiftly across the Great Sea. The land of Middle Earth rapidly dwindled into the distance behind them. Now he had settled on his course, Súraumo was intent on reaching their destination as soon as possible. His stomach rumbled emptily, and he found the thought of a fat elf or three very appealing. Nevertheless the sun was high in the sky by the time there was any change in the seemingly endlessly bare ocean below them. There in the distance what appeared at first a mere speck on the horizon began to take form as an island. Súraumo's mouth began to water at the thought of his first decent meal in many days, and the steady beat of his wings grew more rapid in his eagerness to taste the flesh of a screaming elf and to hear their soft bones crunch as their blood spurted across his tongue. Soon, soon, the words beat a steady tattoo in his mind in rhythm to his wings. Soon..
The hours of flying over unbroken water had filled the balrog's mind with a nearly-paralyzing numbness. But now, on the horizon, a speck of land appeared. The geas flared with anticipation within his mind. This time he surrendered to it, for both he, and it, wanted to destroy this place.
Dominque Darkwatch feels the rush of the wind through her hair as she and Lu fly high over the sea. Lu's wings make long, even and easy strokes as they begin to approach Alqualonde. Dominque can see the Pearl castle glistening in the sun in the distance, and she urges Lu to gradually descend and make for the docks.
Lu gives a soft honk as she recognizes this place and glides easily down toward the water in the harbor. Dominque spies a figure standing among the swan ships and she gives a friendly wave. Down below, Nole is adjusting the ropes on the ships in the harbour. It is midday, and the swanships rock slowly in the water.
Nole looks up and sees a newcomer riding a swan. Nole smiles when he recognises Dominque and waves back to her. As she lands beside him, he helps her dismount the giant swan. The healer climbs off easily and unties her pack, letting it slide to the dock. She gives Lu a hug and whispers, "Go, and have fun with your other swan friends. I'll whistle when we're ready to leave." She then turns and grins to the ship captain, so happy to be in this peaceful place. "Vedui, Captain Nole!"
"Vedui," Nole replies, rather familiar with greetings from those across the sea. "It is good to see you, and welcome back to Alqualonde." He then asks curiously, "What brings you back here?"
Dominque Darkwatch feels a brief shadow form across her face as she thinks of the distance she has felt in her prayers to Nienna, but isn't sure how much to say at the moment. So she gives a slight smile. "Well, I wanted to check on the King to make sure he was well. I like to keep in touch with my patients to be sure they are getting on well."
Súraumo's head snakes back and forth on his long muscular neck as he surveys the island that lay before him. His single eye gleams in greedy anticipation as he notes the plump swans paddling peacefully in the harbour. By now his stomach is hollow with hunger. Elves could wait, he decides and tilts his wings to bring them in directly over the harbour. He smiles to himself. After all, while they are over the water the balrog is nothing but a helpless passenger, tied to the will of the dragon. He lets out a blood curdling roar as he draws close, startling the birds into panicked flight.
The Balrog roars in alarm as his mount plummets toward the dreaded water. In spite of his best efforts to hold on, he feels himself slipping slowly forward along the dragon's neck. "You stupid brute! What are you doing?" he shrieks, as he grabs tightly around the dragon's neck, pulling himself flat against the rush of wind.
Dominque Darkwatch hears a roar and looks to harbor, and her eyes widen in horror as she looks up into the sky. Nole hears the roar and instinctively looks overhead. The arrival of Dominque has distracted his attention from the skies above the harbour. Shocked, he sees horror above.
Súraumo snarls at the balrog, "Who is the stupid one who cannot recognise hunting when he sees it?" He snaps at the fleeing swans, eager to seize a bird and gobble it down. He snarls angrily as one bird ducks to the left just as he is about to close on it, safely disappearing from view on his blind side. By the time he snakes his head around to follow it with his good eye, it jinks again and is disappearing out to sea. His head snakes back to the right looking for more prey, and he snaps his jaws again as a frantic swan shoot up past his snout. He roars in frustation and pain, for not only did the swan escape but the desperate snap has brought his teeth down hard on the blackened, aching stumps in his mouth that he usually took such care to protect.
Dominque Darkwatch has known and befriended many dragons in Sylvhara. However this huge creature had a passenger of flame that she she had only seen once before in an attack on her native lands. And the thought of creatures such as these in Alqualone horrified and angered her at the same time. Even more so now that she sees the dragon snapping at the swans, thankful Lu had sought sanctuary elsewhere. But her and Nole were not so lucky. She is frozen in place for a split second before she turns to Nole and and screams, "RUN!"
> Next
The hours of flying over unbroken water had filled the balrog's mind with a nearly-paralyzing numbness. But now, on the horizon, a speck of land appeared. The geas flared with anticipation within his mind. This time he surrendered to it, for both he, and it, wanted to destroy this place.
>>◊<<
Dominque Darkwatch feels the rush of the wind through her hair as she and Lu fly high over the sea. Lu's wings make long, even and easy strokes as they begin to approach Alqualonde. Dominque can see the Pearl castle glistening in the sun in the distance, and she urges Lu to gradually descend and make for the docks.
Lu gives a soft honk as she recognizes this place and glides easily down toward the water in the harbor. Dominque spies a figure standing among the swan ships and she gives a friendly wave. Down below, Nole is adjusting the ropes on the ships in the harbour. It is midday, and the swanships rock slowly in the water.
Nole looks up and sees a newcomer riding a swan. Nole smiles when he recognises Dominque and waves back to her. As she lands beside him, he helps her dismount the giant swan. The healer climbs off easily and unties her pack, letting it slide to the dock. She gives Lu a hug and whispers, "Go, and have fun with your other swan friends. I'll whistle when we're ready to leave." She then turns and grins to the ship captain, so happy to be in this peaceful place. "Vedui, Captain Nole!"
"Vedui," Nole replies, rather familiar with greetings from those across the sea. "It is good to see you, and welcome back to Alqualonde." He then asks curiously, "What brings you back here?"
Dominque Darkwatch feels a brief shadow form across her face as she thinks of the distance she has felt in her prayers to Nienna, but isn't sure how much to say at the moment. So she gives a slight smile. "Well, I wanted to check on the King to make sure he was well. I like to keep in touch with my patients to be sure they are getting on well."
 |
| Dominique and Nolë |
>>◊<<
Súraumo's head snakes back and forth on his long muscular neck as he surveys the island that lay before him. His single eye gleams in greedy anticipation as he notes the plump swans paddling peacefully in the harbour. By now his stomach is hollow with hunger. Elves could wait, he decides and tilts his wings to bring them in directly over the harbour. He smiles to himself. After all, while they are over the water the balrog is nothing but a helpless passenger, tied to the will of the dragon. He lets out a blood curdling roar as he draws close, startling the birds into panicked flight.
The Balrog roars in alarm as his mount plummets toward the dreaded water. In spite of his best efforts to hold on, he feels himself slipping slowly forward along the dragon's neck. "You stupid brute! What are you doing?" he shrieks, as he grabs tightly around the dragon's neck, pulling himself flat against the rush of wind.
Dominque Darkwatch hears a roar and looks to harbor, and her eyes widen in horror as she looks up into the sky. Nole hears the roar and instinctively looks overhead. The arrival of Dominque has distracted his attention from the skies above the harbour. Shocked, he sees horror above.
Súraumo snarls at the balrog, "Who is the stupid one who cannot recognise hunting when he sees it?" He snaps at the fleeing swans, eager to seize a bird and gobble it down. He snarls angrily as one bird ducks to the left just as he is about to close on it, safely disappearing from view on his blind side. By the time he snakes his head around to follow it with his good eye, it jinks again and is disappearing out to sea. His head snakes back to the right looking for more prey, and he snaps his jaws again as a frantic swan shoot up past his snout. He roars in frustation and pain, for not only did the swan escape but the desperate snap has brought his teeth down hard on the blackened, aching stumps in his mouth that he usually took such care to protect.
Dominque Darkwatch has known and befriended many dragons in Sylvhara. However this huge creature had a passenger of flame that she she had only seen once before in an attack on her native lands. And the thought of creatures such as these in Alqualone horrified and angered her at the same time. Even more so now that she sees the dragon snapping at the swans, thankful Lu had sought sanctuary elsewhere. But her and Nole were not so lucky. She is frozen in place for a split second before she turns to Nole and and screams, "RUN!"
> Next