The Dracophage Skill Tree

Zayn could hear his heart beating in his ears. His senses, sharpened from years of combat and training, were at this moment sharper than they had ever been. He could sense every soul in the park, his mens and Sylvans, as they looked on in fear at the massive beast, their hearts and thoughts racing.

He had just jumped to avoid the dragons tail sweep and only just barely survived despite his ability…

At this point, he wasn exactly sure what the dragon was capable of, but he couldn help but feel that the first attack, the one that had ripped through Number 2 with extreme ease before he could even react, was only a warning.

Reality was already sinking in. There was no way he would be able to dodge another attack, even with his ability. He was going to die this night… unless a miracle happened.

The dragon flicked his tail sending a spray of red mist into the air and looked casually around. How far the apes have come while I have slumbered.

Zayn instantly seized the moment to escape.

Or at least he would have… But even as he had only just begun to step backwards the dragons saffron eyes shot toward him paralyzing him with fear. Whom quoth that thou should move, Tender-Man? Boomed his voice in Zayns head.

Zayn Clenched his jaw tight and his fist tighter. His first thought was, What the h#ll is a Tender-Man?! but he didn dwell long on that one. It was his second thought, This Lizard could kill me at any time! Yet he is toying with me! that really made his blood boil.

Even lizards play with with their food. Boomed the dragons voice again as a guttural sound from deep in the dragons breast chortled through the open night air.

Zayn was being mocked! The surprise of having his own mind read was quickly replaced by a bitter, seething rage.

Zayn had slain countless men over the course of his life. Even men that were stronger and wiser than him had fallen before his technique, prowess, and cunning. He had fought as a mercenary in foreign countries and brought villages, cities, and politicians to their knees. All who knew him, feared him and all who crossed or insulted him, with the exception of only a small few, got a bullet between the eyes as they stood or a knife in the throat as they slept.

And here was this overgrown lizard mocking him to his face, as though he was nothing.

Boys?! ” Called Zayn over his shoulder with a devious grin. ”I give you each one last command! ”

”SIR! ” replied his men in unison, already preparing their firearms.

Zayn, as fast as his body would allow, went into a full sprint toward Dragon-Zeff. ”Die with me! ” he said as he sprung into the air, flying towards his likely demise.

”Aye, Sir! ” Cried the men, as four of them open fired on the beast.

Number 6, now completely disinterested in Dr. Sylvan, leaned into the open van and produce two small **Gs which he proceeded to unload on the dragon with a great war cry.

Dr. Sylvan retreated into the bushes and threw him self down onto the ground as bullets began to strike the dragon and bounce harmlessly off of his tough hide, flying in all directions.

All this happened in a matter of seconds. All while Zayn was still in mid-flight, careening toward the dragons head, bullets flying past him on either side.

The dragon didn so much as blink in surprise, but over the sound of the gunshots his deep voice reverberated through everyones minds, Yes, apes. Die with honor!

One moment Zayn was in mid-flight, the *Prshh-Prshh* of his pistol sounding a death ballad. The next moment *Doom!*.

Something hit Zayn like a freight train on his left side sending him sailing through the air at break-neck speed.

*Crash* said the storefront wall of RedBobs as Zayns broken body rag-dolled through it, shattering it like a bullet through soft clay.

Dwaine, who had been standing at the front door for a few minutes peeking though the window at the horrifying scene that was unfolding in the park, let out a terrified yelp as glass exploded across the diner and Zayns gun smacked him cleanly on the nose, knocking him unconscious.

Meanwhile, Zayns men, seemingly undeterred by Zayns apparent demise, were still unloading their guns on the dragon.

The dragon, however, was completely unimpressed with them and equally unhurt.

At once, the dragon opened his maw wide and arched his neck, opening his chest to take in air, an eerie red light appearing in the back of his throat as a sound like a charging laser cannon filled the air. He dug his feet into the earth and then straightened his back, tail, and neck so that they formed a single line. A line pointed directly at Zayns men.

I suppose even the fastest rabbit hath a few fleas. He insulted as the sound emanating from his breast suddenly went up an octave.

All guns ceased fire.

Each man dropped their weapon, resigning himself to his sad fate. They all knew what dragons were most known for in the myths and stories…

Dr. Sylvan, who was still hiding behind a bush, knew as well.

He jumped to his feet and sprinted as fast as his old bones would allow toward a small pond that was just a few feet away. He covered his ears and threw himself forward into the pond with a strained cry, hitting the water just as the dragon belched a wave of burning light…

The wave, a wall of thick red plasma moving faster than sound, incinerated the men, bones and all, before they even had time to scream. Not even their van was left standing.

The subsequent conflagration formed a small crimson mushroom cloud on the park lawn that glowed hot for only a few moments then was gone, its heat and its light disappearing as quickly as they had appeared as though by magic, leaving only a billowing black pillar of smoke.

Before this point, only a small number of the citizens who lived in the residential area on the far side of the park were aware that there was something happening just outside their homes. One highschooler who had been up late playing video games had even heard the shots that took down Zeff, but he had quickly dismissed the sounds as fireworks or something.

Nearly everyone had heard Zayns men unloading their weapons and the crash of Zayn bursting through the wall of RedBobs. And although three or four concerned citizens had called the police, they weren taken seriously. This was a nice neighborhood, after all, with no history of violence of any kind. The police had dispatched a lone officer who was still several minutes away, his police sirens disengaged.

But now, as the dragons breath exploded from his terrible maw with a deafening screech and hit the ground with such force that each window and glass and light bulb within 50 meters of the explosion shattered, even residents 3 miles away were awoken by the rumbling earthquake that followed.

Nearly every bedroom light of nearly every home within a mile turned on. Every single person living in the residential area next to the park jumped from their bed with a cry of terror.

That lone cop, soon to be joined by dozens more, engaged his sirens with trembling hands and floored the gas.

*****

Dr. Sylvan burst out of the pond with a loud gasp, his ears ringing. The water had only been a few feet deep, so when he had dove in with his hands on either side of his head, covering his ears, he had hit his elbows on the pond floor causing his head to violently jerk backward. Due to that and the fact that most of the lights in the park, and a few in the nearby residential area, had been shattered, it took him a second to find his bearings in the sudden darkness. But when he finally did get himself situated and chanced a glance upward his heart did a back-flip in his chest.

Directly above his head, not even eight feet away, staring down at him were two giant, glowing, yellow reptilian eyes. At the edge of the water, looming over him like a skyscraper, was the shadow of the dragon, as black as a moonless night.

Dr. Sylvan froze. He didn dare breath. He didn dare blink. His mind was completely blank.

He wanted to cry for help but the words wouldn come.

He could now see a few men standing in the doorways of their apartment buildings, stirred from their sleep by the terrible commotion. But their eyes were all focused on the other side of the park toward RedBobs, not on him, standing here in near pitch black with a dragon. No one would help him even if they could have seen him, anyway.

Be not afeared, little ape. Rang the dragons voice in Sylvans head, interrupting his frantic thoughts. He came closer so that the breath from his nostrils caused Sylvans raggedy, wet clothes to sway back and forth. ”In addition to granting thee a swift and painless passing, for awakening me, I shall also grant thee the honor of hearing mine name ere thy soul depart from this earth. ”

Sylvan began to shiver, not from the cold pond water, but from fear… and excitement. ”Your name— ” He began with a wry smile. ”—is Rutigorn, The Woeful… ”

Rutigorn pulled away at the mention of his name. How— he began. Then, he tilted his head to the side as though puzzled, and drew nearer to the doctor yet again, staring deep into his eyes.

Little did Dr. Sylvan know, all the while Rutigorn was seeing his thoughts, which, like bubbles from the deep, began floating to the surface of his mind. After another moment a low growl emanated from his chest sending ripples across the surface of the shallow pond water.

Prostrate thyself when you speak mine name, little ape… Commanded Rutigorn curtly.

The sirens were much louder now and getting louder by the second. If I could just stall for a minute— thought Sylvan, I might be able to—

I COMMAND THEE! BOW!! bellowed Rutigorn with a mental roar that was so savage that it shook Sylvan to his very core. The force of his thoughts blaring in Sylvans mind alone would have already been enough to bring Sylvan to his knees. The dreadful roar that accompanied the command, however, nearly concussed him. Only nearly.

Rutigorn purred with satisfaction as Sylvan fell to his knees, exhausted, the water splashing up to his chin. Yesssss. Rutigorn mused. Now, as promised, I shall—

He never finished the sentence as, without warning, thick smoke, thicker than before, began to rise from his scaly hide. His body slowly began to shrink and his neck retracted. His tail and wings began to dissolve as though they had been made of sea foam.

Dr. Sylvan, as before, could only look on in shock.

What?! Growled Rutigorn as his horns began to retreated into his skull and his scaly hide began to shift and transform, becoming thinner and lighter. How can this be?! Impossible! He growled again, his growl soon becoming a groan, and his groan soon becoming a baleful moan, until standing just there at the edge of the pond was the naked body of a whimpering, half-dead, barely-conscious, young man.

”Mr. Corad! ” Dr. Sylvan cried, tears welling up in his eyes.

Zeff didn speak, or rather, he couldn speak. He simply fell forward into the water with a loud splash.

Dr. Sylvan jumped after him, catching him by the shoulders and lifting him up to keep his head above the water as, across the street at RedBobs, the first police car arrived. ”We have to get outta here, boy… ” He whispered as he began dragging Zeffs body out of the water toward the nearest apartment complex.