The first thing I recognized was the smell of blood, human blood. It assaulted my nose in an overwhelming tide as my vision slowly cleared up, and the fogginess in my mind started to clear up. My reaction was visceral and immediate, so I started sneezing to help clear my nostrils. After a few good sneezes, my nose cleared some of the blood out, or I got used to the smell.
Shaking my head, I looked around in confusion as I was currently at the bottom of a cliff, lying on my side; around me were multiple dismembered bodies and broken ballistae.
My eyes widen as I remember my mother being hurt. Quickly getting to my feet, I spread my wings but winced as a stinging pain came from my right wing. I see a hole in the thin membrane, likely from a spear. It would make flying harder, but I was determined to return to my mother.
Flapping twice as hard, I rose and oriented myself to get my bearings. Judging by the mountains around me, I was close to my mother's caves. Turning Southwest, I made my way back as quickly as possible while gritting my teeth in pain.
With each flap, my wing hurt more, but what was growing even quicker was my anxiety.
What happened to Mom?
This question plagued me as I approached her cave. The scene that greeted me looked like a hurricane had struck the entrance of her nest. Trees were knocked over, and stalactites were shattered and lying on their side. Blood and organs were spread everywhere in a haphazard scene that depicted a ferocious battle.
Did I do this?
A knot formed in my throat as I descended to land. Setting down carefully, I made my way to the opening in trepidation. Peering into the darkness, I was greeted by the sight of my mother, just as I had first seen her on my return. She was still hurt and trapped, but the rise and fall of her breathing told me she was alive.
Sighing in relief, I quickly approached her while checking to ensure no humans were still hidden in the cave. Reaching her side, I inspected her and noticed that the bleeding had stopped even though her scales were still missing. Sighing in relief. I walked around to see her face, which was furrowed as she slept. Her breath came out steadily and quietly. She was fine.
Releasing a breath I did not know I was holding, I sank onto my haunches in relief. Now that I had ensured my mom was okay, I had time to think about what had happened.
I have never in either of my lives blacked out like that. Not when I got into fights or when I got too deep into the bottle. The clarity of my mind in those situations was always something I had prided myself on, and so the new experience terrified me.
My first thought was the darkness inside me—the greed and rage I had been suppressing for years now. Usually, if I were lying around in my cave, I would only feel a tickle of those desires. However, living in Rivendell surrounded by beauty and opulence may have unknowingly increased the pressure.
Sighing, I let my mind wander to the bodies outside. I had never killed a human before. Yes, I was in the military in my previous life, but that was a cushy desk job that saw no combat. The advancement of technology had made mano-e-mano fighting obsolete.
Sensing movement, I snapped back into focus as my Mother awakened. Her eyes slowly opened and blinked in confusion before she surged up only to be stopped by her restraints.
Snapping and jerking in panic, I tried to calm her down as she instinctively lashed out around her.
"Mom! Mom! It's me! You're safe!"
After a while, she started to calm down as she seemed to register my words, spoken in Dragon Tongue. Finally, as I ran my claws down her scaled spine soothingly, she regained clarity.
"The humans… the humans came. I tried to… I tried, son, but they wouldn't stop," she whimpered.
My poor mom. She had probably tried so hard not to give into her pride and rage as a dragon but received nothing but violence instead.
Tears came to the corner of my eyes as I watched her internal struggle.
THESE HUMANS WOULD PAY!