Post by Ghost on May 7, 2015 6:57:12 GMT -5
The darkness of night, only broken by the glittering stars and ever watchful eye of the moon, lay like a protective barrier over Long Island Sound, lulling all the inhabitants into sleep. A spring breeze rustled the grass, trees and bushes, bearing whisper of warmer tides to come and a promise of new life. The huff and puff of two lone souls was the only sound that could be heard amongst the silence of the dormant life all around.
A man and a boy, the two lone ones were, but normal they were not, for they were not humans. The man was without legs, for in their stead was a pair of goat feet, brown with hints of gray. He wore no shoes nor pants, no clothes to speak of but leather straps around his upper body, a bow and arrow buckled to his back and a crown of rosemary atop his head. Black locks of curly hair, braided with dark ribbons the color of the sun at dawn and green orbs gazing distantly from an angular, old, weathered face, telling tales of battles long fought and tears since fallen.
The boy was but a dwarf in the shadow of the tall goat-man, small in stature, looking ever fragile, like glass. His hair was as as white as a ghost, seemingly glowing in the divine light of the moon. Only one brown eye was visible, the other hidden beneath a tuft of messy hair. Shrouding the boys features was a brown cape, reaching all the way to his ankles, fluttering slightly in the southern, spring breeze. The boy was tired, his stride slower than that of the goat-man's. His head dangled tiredly and his shoulders slumped, feet dragging behind him. The exhaustion was written on the boy's every features, yet nor he or the goat-man stopped.
“Come now lad, we are almost there!” the goat-man called over his broad and muscled shoulders, his eyes fixed forward, never once looking back, “The border is just up ahead, once we reach it, you may rest!”.
The boy did not answer, for he was far too tired for such a thing. He simply nodded, a hoarse wheeze of fatigue escaping his lips. His tired eyes was determinedly trained ahead, wavering ever slightly, but yet he would not stop, not until the goal of this journey had been reached.
The goat-man stopped few meters ahead, atop a hill, and waited for the boy to catch up. When the boy stopped in front of him, gasping slightly for breath, he pointed at a great pine tree beside him. “This is the wondrous tree that marks the entry to my home, and soon yours. Isn't she magnificent?” the goat-man's voice was filled with awe and wonder, and his eyes glowed with reverence.
The tree was enormously tall, it's branches spread out in spirals, seemingly arising from the same point. It's bark was dark brown, thick and scaly with a fragrant smell, the leaves a bright green turned dark in the night. On one of the lowest branches of the tree a golden fleece hung limply, glowing with an almost eerie glow.
But it wasn't the tree nor the fleece that the boy was staring at, for encircling it was a large dragon. It was snake-headed, with copper scales and bright yellow eyes, bat-like wings protruding from it's back and sharp claws and teeth clearly visible. The dragon's eyes were open and they were staring directly at the boy, it's pupils like pinpricks and it's nostrils flaring, hot breath ruffling the boy's hair.
“Is that...” the boy began, but he was interrupted, for the answer came before the question was even asked.
“Peleus the dragon. He guards the Golden Fleece, the tree and the border.” the goat-man looked at him and smiled briefly, before looking at the dragon again. “He is completely harmless unless you threaten the safety of the camp or the fleece”.
The boy nodded, a look of slight uncertainty upon his face, but the goat-man simply laughed and shook his head, amused “Come now, let us go”. He started walking, but then he stopped abruptly in his tracks, “It would seem a welcoming committee has arrived”. Lifting his hand, he pointed at an approaching form in the distance, too far away to be accurately made out. The boy squinted to try and see better as he addressed the one whom came towards them.
A man and a boy, the two lone ones were, but normal they were not, for they were not humans. The man was without legs, for in their stead was a pair of goat feet, brown with hints of gray. He wore no shoes nor pants, no clothes to speak of but leather straps around his upper body, a bow and arrow buckled to his back and a crown of rosemary atop his head. Black locks of curly hair, braided with dark ribbons the color of the sun at dawn and green orbs gazing distantly from an angular, old, weathered face, telling tales of battles long fought and tears since fallen.
The boy was but a dwarf in the shadow of the tall goat-man, small in stature, looking ever fragile, like glass. His hair was as as white as a ghost, seemingly glowing in the divine light of the moon. Only one brown eye was visible, the other hidden beneath a tuft of messy hair. Shrouding the boys features was a brown cape, reaching all the way to his ankles, fluttering slightly in the southern, spring breeze. The boy was tired, his stride slower than that of the goat-man's. His head dangled tiredly and his shoulders slumped, feet dragging behind him. The exhaustion was written on the boy's every features, yet nor he or the goat-man stopped.
“Come now lad, we are almost there!” the goat-man called over his broad and muscled shoulders, his eyes fixed forward, never once looking back, “The border is just up ahead, once we reach it, you may rest!”.
The boy did not answer, for he was far too tired for such a thing. He simply nodded, a hoarse wheeze of fatigue escaping his lips. His tired eyes was determinedly trained ahead, wavering ever slightly, but yet he would not stop, not until the goal of this journey had been reached.
The goat-man stopped few meters ahead, atop a hill, and waited for the boy to catch up. When the boy stopped in front of him, gasping slightly for breath, he pointed at a great pine tree beside him. “This is the wondrous tree that marks the entry to my home, and soon yours. Isn't she magnificent?” the goat-man's voice was filled with awe and wonder, and his eyes glowed with reverence.
The tree was enormously tall, it's branches spread out in spirals, seemingly arising from the same point. It's bark was dark brown, thick and scaly with a fragrant smell, the leaves a bright green turned dark in the night. On one of the lowest branches of the tree a golden fleece hung limply, glowing with an almost eerie glow.
But it wasn't the tree nor the fleece that the boy was staring at, for encircling it was a large dragon. It was snake-headed, with copper scales and bright yellow eyes, bat-like wings protruding from it's back and sharp claws and teeth clearly visible. The dragon's eyes were open and they were staring directly at the boy, it's pupils like pinpricks and it's nostrils flaring, hot breath ruffling the boy's hair.
“Is that...” the boy began, but he was interrupted, for the answer came before the question was even asked.
“Peleus the dragon. He guards the Golden Fleece, the tree and the border.” the goat-man looked at him and smiled briefly, before looking at the dragon again. “He is completely harmless unless you threaten the safety of the camp or the fleece”.
The boy nodded, a look of slight uncertainty upon his face, but the goat-man simply laughed and shook his head, amused “Come now, let us go”. He started walking, but then he stopped abruptly in his tracks, “It would seem a welcoming committee has arrived”. Lifting his hand, he pointed at an approaching form in the distance, too far away to be accurately made out. The boy squinted to try and see better as he addressed the one whom came towards them.
