Azalus teetered on the bluff’s edge, warded sword wheeling for balance against the brilliant sky. The mountain beneath his feet offered no reprieve, a sheet of obsidian sleek as spilled oil.
Below him, the massive dragon shot up along the mirrored wall, its neck and talons extended. Slit reptilian eyes reflected the inferno erupting from its throat. The beast blasted through its own blaze, and its maw gaped, scorched shards of the last armsman wedged between rows of serrated teeth. In a heartbeat, chances of escape had dropped from doubtful to dismal.
Gaylen’s whip coiled around the vambrace shielding Azalus’s forearm, and he clasped it as his feet slipped into the heated air. His body slammed against the rock wall, and the dragon altered its flight to pick off the newly dangling prey.
“Dragon,” Azalus shouted to his fellow fugitive and pointed the tip of his sword at the ascending beast. Jade scales glimmered like sunlight on still water, and webbed wings beat with the snap of wind-caught sails. Beautiful and deadly.
Above him Gaylen hauled. “Reavers are closing.”
Suspended on the whip, Azalus kicked against the cliff’s sheer face. Gaylen heaved, and when Azalus reached the lip, he thrust his sword arm across the rock, fighting for leverage. Movement at the forest’s rim caught his eye. “Reavers. Behind you!”
Gaylen staggered. His face morphed into a fusion of disbelief and despair as his flesh yielded to their enemy’s iron bolts. The whip’s stock eased from his hand. Azalus slipped into the air.
The monstrous dragon’s throat yawned, jaw bones split, and fangs hyperextended. Azalus straightened, arms overhead, sword in a two-handed grip. The beast’s gullet stretched open, air drawn in for another explosion of fire. He speared between the teeth, slid over the forked tongue, and descended into darkness. The welling heat and sulfurous reek burned his lungs as he glided down the blackened throat. With a vengeful howl, he thrust the blade forward and carved as he fell. Steel sliced through flesh, thudded against bone, and blood gushed, dousing the rising flame.
Azalus’s careening descent ceased, or the dragon plummeted with him. He braced himself against the blood-slick wall, sword jammed deep between the vertebrae. The creature writhed and spasmed, and Azalus swallowed his gorge as they plunged toward the vale.
He woke with a gasp, disoriented, heart pounding. His body felt trampled, but nothing of his pain foreboded death. He gulped a breath and listened, willed his nerves to stillness. The dragon lay motionless, he lodged in its throat in a pool of congealed blood. Rising to a crouch, he yanked his sword free of the flesh, and with fingers tracing the throat’s charred wall, he staggered down the tunnel toward the light.
**
Thanks to Sue Vincent of The Daily Echo for another fun #writephoto prompt. Check out her site and join in the weekly fun.
Myths of the Mirror 
Wow! This is riveting, Diana; the force and power of your writing is intense and had me gripped as I immediately could picture the violent fight. A real sense of relief that he staggered towards the light at the end of the tunnel. As always, a brilliant take on Sue’s photo prompt. 😀❤️
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Annika. I haven’t been writing for a few weeks, so went a little wild with this one. It was a blast figuring out how to get Azalus inside the dragon’s throat. Have a great week, my friend. 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow that was so vividly gory, Diana! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha ha. My writing tends toward a bit of gore, Judy. But I swear I’m a nice person. It’s just where my imagination goes. 😀 Thanks for stopping by to read and have a great weekend.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I believe you Diana, and even if I didn’t I wouldn’t argue with you, as I am sure you could dream up some kind of hideous torture as punishment!!! 🙂
Have a wonderful weekend too ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
😀 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Simply amazing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks so much for the comment. The muse had a lot of fun with this. I’m glad you enjoyed the adventure 😀
LikeLike
Fantastically exciting!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks so much for the comment, Ed. I haven’t written much in the past couple months and decided to pull out the stops! Ha ha. Happy Friday. 🙂
LikeLike
Action packed fantasy! Love the way you have given a vivid picture through your writing. It’s like watching the movie.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks for the great comment, Bibhuti. For me, writing is just like watching a movie in my head and jotting down what I see and hear. I’m so glad you enjoyed this one! Happy Writing, my friend.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wonderful imagery, Diana.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks, Teri. It was great fun figuring out how to get a person down a dragon’s throat. Ha ha. Have a great day. Happy Reading.
LikeLiked by 1 person
[…] D. Wallace Peach at Myths of the Mirror […]
LikeLiked by 1 person
So exciting each word had me racing to read the next. Excellent piece of writing Diana. 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks, Marje. I had a lot of fun with this one. The prompt could have gone in lots of directions. 😀 Have a wonderful weekend!
LikeLiked by 1 person
And you too Diana. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
OK, I admit to feeling a tiny bit of remorse for the dragon. Is that wrong? Sigh.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha ha. This wasn’t a very nice dragon, Jacqui, but you can feel however you want to feel. 😀 Thanks for stopping by to read and making me laugh. 😀
LikeLike
Oh!!! Diana, that is breathtaking. Hugs.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad you enjoyed it, Teagan. It was a hoot to write and figure out how to get a character down the dragon’s throat. 😀 Happy Writing!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You did a superb job.
LikeLiked by 1 person
[…] Continue reading: Tunnel #Writephoto […]
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dramatic and with great classical names!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks so much for reading. The names were out of the hat, but I kind of like them and may use them in something more substantial. We’ll see. I’m so glad you enjoyed the story. 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow! Talk about edge-of-the-seat action! Well done, Diana!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The muse was nudging me, Julie. She wanted to remind me how fun it is to write, and we decided to go over the top on this one. Happy editing!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow, that was a thrill-a-minute story, Diana. Azalus is one tough fighter. Great descriptions as always. 🙂 — Suzanne
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Suzanne. Yes, Azalus is resourceful, to be sure. Ha ha. He’s going to need some time to recover, I think. Have a great day, my friend. ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Loved this!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks so much, Judith. It’s one of the joys of writing fantasy – I get to go completely off the wall. I’m glad you enjoyed it. Happy Writing ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nice use of the dragon’s throat as the tunnel. I also liked the phrase “blood gushed, dousing the rising flame”. I didn’t occur to me that the dragon’s own blood could be used in this way.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Apparently it can. Ha ha. Who knew? Thanks for reading my little adventure. I had a lot of fun making this work though it remains somewhat implausible. 😀 Happy Writing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This was enthralling and exciting, Diana! It’s not everyday that we get a first-hand dive into a dragon’s throat head first, slicing and thrusting a sword! Thank you for this awesome piece of fantasy.
Now, just to prevent nightmares, I will close my cellphone up for the night and say, “There’s no such thing as dragons!” 🐲 🗡 🐉 Peace!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha ha. I hope you had a night of pleasant dreams, Robiin. No plummeting down dragon’s throats, or falling off cliffs, or getting roasted alive. (My poor characters). Thanks for the great comment, my friend. ❤
LikeLike
HOLY MOLY!!! What a masterful piece of writing. I am not sure I breathed once while reading this post. Absolutely. Brilliant. You are one heck of a writer!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Aww. Thanks for the sweet comment. I’m on a bit of a writing break and just had to let loose. I’m so glad I snagged your attention! Have a great day 😀
LikeLike
I loved this action-packed snippet. I was on the edge of my seat, it is a dangerous game that fighting dragons. I also loved the name, Azalus. Wonderful writing, Diana!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks for the great comment, Lana. I was in the mood for a little wild fun. Yes, dragons come in all varieties and this one was liked his dinner well-done. 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
A little wild fun never hurt anyone, unless they are dragon fighters 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh my gosh Diana, I was on pins and needles reading that! Well done, well done!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I started with the dragon’s charred esophagus (clearly what the photo was showing) and then needed to get the guy in there somehow. It was fun, Kathryn. So glad you enjoyed it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow, what an intense piece of flash fiction Diana! Your muse is in full gear. 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
The muse is chomping at the bit, Debby, and doing her best to get me back into writing. I told her to wait until September, But this was really fun to write. I love fantasy. The imagination is the limit. Thanks for reading! ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Always a treat Diana. You’ve been doing well so far sticking to your ‘relaxation’ plan. ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Trying!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow!! What a ride!!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks, Joanne. I had a lot of fun with this one. It’s not everyday that I dump a character down a dragons throat! 😀 Thanks for reading and have a great day ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
You too 🙂
I think the next time I walk through a dark tunnel, I’ll be thinking about Azalus 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are a real word artist D! It is always such a pleasure to read your blog!!! Thank you for sharing this wonderful post!!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi, Hector. I lost track of you somehow. Thanks so much for stopping by to read and for the lovely comment. I’ll be over to your place to catch up and see what happened. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you D! I was off the air for a while, but I am back. Thank you for visiting again!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
A superb adventure, Diana 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for the great prompt, Sue. There were so many ways to go with it – why not down a dragon’s throat? 😀
LikeLike
It seems as good a direction as any…and much better than some 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow, Diana, this is amazing writing. Your little break certainly got your creative juices flowing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I was feeling a little creatively starved, Robbie and decided to feast on this photo-prompt. It was great fun. Glad you enjoyed the adventure. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s amazing how much inspiration can come from a photo. Great story, Diana!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I haven’t written any fiction in a while and just had to do something a little wild, Kev. It was so fun trying to make it work. Thanks for the visit and I’m glad you enjoyed it. 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
I couldn’t tell, Diana and I always enjoy your posts. 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wonderful imagination…. a great, short story. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Iris. I had a blast pulling this together and figuring out how Azalus was going to end up falling down a dragon’s throat. Ha! Glad you enjoyed the adventure. 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
I certainly did… always enjoy some fun and fantasy, Diana! 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sliced flesh, gushing blood, flames of fire–your wonderful story has it all!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You pretty much summed up my writing style, Carrie. Ha ha. You’d never know I’m a pacifist. I just couldn’t resist going a little over the top on this one. Thanks for reading! 😀
LikeLike
Oh! I did enjoy 💜
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh good, Willow. Thanks for coming over to read. I love all the different stories that writers come up with from the same prompt. It’s fun to circle around and read them all. Happy Writing!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is isn’t I love to see what other people make of the prompt 💜
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ooh, nicely done. The battle was awesome, but this line was poetry:
“a sheet of obsidian sleek as spilled oil.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for stopping by to read, Mae. I haven’t written anything creative in a while and decided to go for it. A fun prompt. I’m glad you enjoyed it. 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dragons come as naturally into your stories as breeze around us…loved your poetic way of telling a gripping story Diana. Stay blessed!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It was a great photo prompt, Balroop, and I wanted to go off the wall a bit. Thanks for the lovely comment. Happy Writing, my friend. ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Monstrous! Loved it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks. I like the photo prompts, and I haven’t written any fiction for a while so this was especially fun. Glad you enjoyed it. 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
so talented you paint a vivid picture and a gory demise 😦
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad you enjoyed the little adventure. It was fun to work out how he was going to fall down the dragon’s throat! Not something that happens often. 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
JD Rowlings move over, you have a great creative talent 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I wish! Now that would be an adventure!
LikeLiked by 1 person
lol 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow. What a dynamic piece. You always go there, D. 💜
LikeLiked by 2 people
I haven’t been writing this summer, Van, so wanted to go a little wild here. It was great fun to get the creativity going again. Thanks for stopping by to read. ❤ ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wonderful writing, action-packed plot. 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Just a flash piece, Sebnem, but I tried to add a hint of a backstory. I decided to go a little wild with the prompt. 😀 Thanks for reading and Happy Writing!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s never good to swallow your gorge!
Great story
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha ha. I suppose he could have just chucked it up. Ha ha. It was just a little gorge. 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
You make everything so real 🤔😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
“…chances of escape had dropped from doubtful to dismal.” Great alliteration, great action writing. I’m out of breath!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It was fun to write, Pam. I’m out of practice with no writing for couple months and wanted to go a little over the top (or down the gullet). Happy Writing! ❤
LikeLiked by 2 people
You haven’t written in a couple of months?! I’m flummoxed, and of course would never have guessed it with this fun piece of flash fiction.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I was so tired after finishing the tetralogy, and I had no ideas in the hopper, and summers are nuts around here. I’ll start up again in September. 🙂
I did just finish painting the last illustration for a children’s book. Hopefully it will go off to agents next week. 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Fabulous! So you’re using an agent and deciding to not self-publish your children’s book? I’ll be interested to hear your reasons and the journey on this publishing path.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I was encouraged to give it a try, but don’t hold out tons of hope, Pam. If there’s no interest by October, I’ll self-publish on time for Halloween (a goal maybe).
LikeLiked by 1 person
Either way, it will be FABULOUS!! I’ll pre-order now. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
😀 😀
LikeLike
Great reading while enjoying morning coffee 🌿
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks. I like writing these crazy action scenes. Not very plausible, but fun. Enjoy your coffee and your day. 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
That certainly set my blood racing! Thank you for sharing. 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks. I like photo prompts and decided to go with a little adventure. Thanks so much for the follow. I’ll be over for a visit to your site soon. Have a great day and Happy Writing. 😀
LikeLike