Chapter 3: Party Gone Wrong

I let out a choked scream as something slams into my back harshly, knocking my breath away and forcing me down to the ground where I feel the heat much more around me.

Flames burn brightly left, right, and just about everywhere. I even see them crawling their way up the table leg I land next to. Some lick at the tips of my clothes, too.

Screams of fear and agony ring out from many directions. I force my vision up, just in time to see my fellow people falling. One after the other. Coughing, I try to stand up, but my vision becomes spotted as the pain becomes unbearable. It shoots up my back and down to my legs, making me grit my teeth.

After mere seconds, my arms wobble, and before I know it, I’m slamming back down into the dirt and mud below.

My hands grip handfuls of dirt and grass as I struggle for my breath, chest heaving with my eyes wide open in panic. A loud thump echoes around me as my vision spins. I can’t seem to catch my breath! Why is that? The smoke? Or-or the pain?

I vaguely register someone screaming my name before everything goes black.

Maybe I should explain.

Let’s go back to where all the craziness begins.

***

Thyra and I are enjoying some roasted mutton when the ‘guests’ finally arrive, talking loudly as they barge in carrying crates of Velca, Mead, or Ale. Naturally, Thyra stands up to greet them with a grin and a warning glare directed at the beverages, before showing them over to the table. Also naturally, I stand up and assume my position at the fire pit, grabbing the poking stick I had selected earlier.

The noise level change is enough to shatter your ears! It went from small talk between two people to loud talking, joking, and laughing amongst about thirty almost-adult (some fully adult) males and females.

I poke the fire absentmindedly, resisting the urge to stab the stick into my ear to block out the noise.

I stay unnoticed by everyone—even Thyra, it seems, for about three hours.

A drunken girl suddenly falls over next to me, giggling and hiccuping all over the place.

Thyra soon appears at her side, heaving her up and pushing the drunk girl towards her boyfriend, before pointing to the exit. A few wines of protest later, the couple leave.

“See? Under control.” Thyra laughs slightly, glancing at me. I snort in response and point to a knife fight happening at the other side of the fire pit.

”Right.” I mutter sarcastically. Thyra rolls her eyes and pulls out her bow and arrow. She knocks an arrow, pulls back the drawstring, and fires the arrow. With deadly accuracy, the arrow whistles through the ear and blows the knife out of one guy’s hand, gaining the attention of both disputants.

“Out.” She glares at them. They glare at each other, before stomping out—probably to fight somewhere else. A handful of spectators follow, eager to see how it will turn out.

“Good shot.” I compliment my friend. She turns and smiles kindly at me.

“Thanks! I’ve been practising precision shots for a while now.” Thyra responds, before pointing at me, “Now, don’t just sit here alone! Grab a bite to eat, socialise!”

“Yes, mam,” I respond sarcastically. She grins playfully at me and nods, before walking off towards the abandoned arrow to collect it. I stand and walk towards the table, where about five other people are standing around, eating.

I make a grab for a roasted chicken leg when an odd sound gets my attention—making my hand freeze before my fingertips can touch the temping meat. I look up, intrigued by the strange humming sound. Thyra looks up as well from her position of crouching by the arrow, hand enclosing around it.

We make eye contact, sharing a curious and confused look. Both of us don’t know what the sound is, or where it’s coming from. A few murmurs ring out around me from the partygoers.

“What’s that sound?”

“Boy, I must be drunk.”

“Do I hear singing?”

“Incoming rain, maybe?”

“Is anyone else hearing that, or is it just in my head again?”

It’s clear that they don’t know what it is, either.

I shrug, looking at Thyra again, but she still doesn’t have any answers, shrugging back.

She stands up slowly and takes a step towards us…but she’s cut off by a different sound.

A loud, screeching roar echoes around the night sky around us, the humming sound much louder now. Except, now it’s hot humming. It’s thumping.

Thump, thump, thump, thump.

I keep my eyes locked with Thyra, and our eyes simultaneously widen in horror and realisation. Thyra goes to take another step, but she’s cut off by a bright beam of orange and yellow light.

We make eye contact again through the flames.

“DRAGON ATTACK!” We both scream. I feel for my sword on my belt, breath becoming shaky when my belt is empty. Where is my sword?! The people around us start panicking. The fire pit! I left it by the fire pit!

Another screaming roar has me clutching my ears and bending over slightly as my world literally shakes and blurs together before me. The ground is vibrating under my feet, and I look down to see a weird shadow. My eyebrows furrow, but when the shadow is getting bigger and bigger, I snap to action—quickly rolling out of the way of a giant claw—the entire paw is about the size of my torso. I stumble to my feet.

“TORE!” Thyra screams in worry, and I look over at her as I back up as fast as I can towards the fire pit. A giant mass is behind her, but she doesn’t seem to notice it. Gleaming teeth shine in the night air, and a red glow illuminates itself from behind them.

“THYRA! TURN AROUND!” I yell. She spins around without hesitation and slams her arrow into the outstretched mouth. I let a breath of relief out as the creature from hell stumbles back and coughs on its own smoke.

A deep growl comes from behind me, and I’m reminded of the creature that’s after me. I make a leap for my sword—resting against the stone. But hotness surrounds me, blocking my path.

The next thing I know, I hear a creak of wood from above. I glance up past the flames to see the beam that produces out from the side of the hut (Thyra hangs her meat to try out on it occasionally when it’s off-season and it won’t be stolen) cracking under the weight of another one of them.

My eyes widen as it snaps and falls down…right for me. I stumble to my feet, trying to get out of the way, but—

I let out a choked scream as something hard slams into my back, ripping through my clothes and right into my flesh. It pushes me right back down to the ground where I am amongst the flames again.

All I see and feel are flames. All around me. Pained screams echo around me, but I’m not sure if they’re mine or the others.

Gasping for breath, I force myself to look up…but all I see are people dropping as they try to fight off the dragons.

I have to try and help them!

Coughing, I try to push myself up with my arms, but my vision becomes spotted as pain scream through my body. It shoots up my back and down to my legs, making me grit my teeth.

After mere seconds, my arms wobble, and before I know it, I’m slamming back down into the dirt and mud below, huffing for air as I push my fingers through dirt and grass. My eyes are open wide as I struggle for my breath. The ground vibrates around me, my vision fading out and spinning.

Why can’t I breathe?!

My name being screamed is the last thing I hear before everything snaps to blackness.