Monday, October 26, 2009

Haudfaug

Welcome to the first installment of Haudfaug, a serialized novel of fantastic proportions. The author, a student at SPHS, has chosen a pen name. We hope you enjoy the inaugural chapter of Haudfaug.

Haudfaug

by Sharpton

The trapped creature awoke to its small prison being brutally shattered by punches and blunt weapons. As the blows hit the shell, the blows also hit the prisoner. The walls slowly cracked, causing glass like shards to hit the captive.
Finally the jailed was able to break through, jumping out to look towards the hostile beings. Looking around, the infant dragon clearly saw five tall green-skinned humanoids approaching him cautiously with ropes.
The tallest one came at the newborn drake with an axe, chopping seemingly wildly. The bruised dragon dodged as much as it could. Suddenly, the brute landed a hit on the right shoulder.
The dragon winced for a moment. This fatal error gave the orc enough time to make a horizontal strike cutting the dragoon through the base of the wing, severing it.
The wyrmling rolled on its side in pain. Giving the other orcs enough time to tie him to the ground. The dragon laid there, slowly losing blood. He finally fainted.

He awoke later to see a campfire in the middle of the sleeping orcs. He took a closer look at his surroundings to see a large dragon, which seemed to be killed several hours ago, around it layed piles of precious gems and coins.
His inspection of his surroundings ended abruptly, when he heard the sound of footsteps coming from the entrance of the tunnel. Soon, entered a dark-robed man who snuck up to the orcs. He began a short incantation of words the dragon could not understand and fire burst out from around the short man. The sleeping orcs immediately engulfed, laid and let out horrible screams. As the orcs were dying the short man approached the dragon.
"I see you are trapped. I am here to help you." said the small humanoid. The wizard pulled out a knife, and started to cut away at the ropes.
By the time he cut into the last rope, the orcs were dead and crisp. The dragon tried to get up and fell over. The wizard seeing this pulled out a large tarp and shoved the dragon onto it. He then dragged the dragon towards the entrance. As he reached right outside the entrance of the cave and into a corridor, the wizard started to chant again.
"What are...” The dragon let out before he and the wizard were instantaneously in a brick building.
The worn wizard laid back, exhausted from dragging the large infant across the room and the energy used to kill the orcs.
"Who are you?" asked the dragon, wanting to know his savior.
"I am Nyarc the Merciful Wizard; I felt the call of my old companion, asking me to help protect it. I was too late to save your mother, but not too late to save your life." said the short wizard. The wizard summoned a servant kobold to get them food and drink. "How about you."
"I have just been born; I do not have a name. I woke up in my egg to being beaten and had my wings cut off by there brute." replied the dragon sullenly.
“From what I have read about dragons, they name themselves" answered the wizard. The dragon thought upon this question and finally let out an answer.
"Haudfaug."