Work Text:
Jimmy looked nervously to the sky for the umpteenth time that night.
“Capt’n, if I may, it’s no good looking t’ the sky. If the enemy is comin’ they’ll all be on shadow-scales, and there ain’t no way you’ll see them comin’ in this light.”
Jimmy sighed. His lieutenant was right. There was no way to detect those damn dragons approaching. You wouldn’t even know it was there until you were flat on your back, eyes ringing as the camp exploded around you. The enemy had been getting bolder, attacking more and more caravans, creeping further behind the war lines. Their spies had reported that this camp would be next. His company was uncertain, but Jimmy was sure. This time, this time they would be waiting.
The wind shifted, blowing warm from the west and ruffling his hair.
Jimmy shared a look with his wide-eyed lieutenant. “They’re coming all right.” Then he shouted to his riders. “Saddle up! To the skies! When the enemy arrives... we will be waiting.”
--
Jimmy’s gryphon scree-ed as it dived at a cloud-scale. Scratching and clawing at its side, trying to unseat its rider. It was the signal the others had been waiting for, and his squad broke off formation to dive after their own scattering dragons.
The dragon retaliated with its lightning breath, and Jimmy nearly unseated himself in the roll to avoid it. He stabilised in the saddle again, and urged his gryphon forward to finish the dragon off.
The sky was quickly a mess of scales and feather, the air turbulent from the amount of flailing limbs. Dragons and gryphons alike were falling out of the sky, but they still held the numbers over the dragons. They could hold them off and minimise damage to their caravans. Let the enemy know they would not take these attacks lying down. Not any more.
Jimmy urged his gryphon higher, above the chaos, to survey the field.
He caught sight of two shadow-scales tangling with his lieutenant’s gryphon. “No!” he gasped. “Dive, dive!” he called, aiming down to snatch up one of the riders.
They missed. Barely. Talons scrapping off that stupid armour they wore that they couldn’t quite replicate. He pulled his gryphons in a wide bank, hoping for another swipe at one of the riders. But in the time it took for them to turn, the pair had finished off the gryphon, it and his lieutenant tumbled out of the air. Another friend down, he thought bitterly. Jimmy swerved another oncoming attack from a different shadow-scale, and lost sight of the rider he’d just tried to unseat.
An explosion went off somewhere. He ignored it and dove after the new aggressor. His gryphon landed heavy on the back of the dragon. Trapping the riding beneath their claws. The dragon tried and failed to retaliate. His gryphon dropped them before they both smashed into the ground, and the rider and dragon died with a horrible, unified scream. Revenge… almost.
Jimmy looked up scanning the skies above. The dragons were retreating… Most of them.
Jimmy watched as the rider he’d missed unseating earilier narrowly avoided tacking a crossbow bolt to the head… and tumble down the back of his dragon. He screamed as he fell, just like the others. They were pretty low already, the fall wouldn’t even kill him. The rider hit the trees, breaking branches and slowing their momentum. They got lucky. Really lucky.
Jimmy grinned. A riderless dragon was easy pickings. He was currently below it, but several more gryphons had also seen the fall and began corralling the dragon to the ground. A gryphon collided, claws scraping and beak biting, the dragon unable to get any air under its wings, was thrown to the ground and rolled several times, coming to rest not far from its rider.
Jimmy directed his gryphon to land, though he didn’t dismount, and heard the thumps of several more gryphons landing behind him.
The rider called out for their dragon, they sounded… in pain. The dragon limped over, nosing over the rider as they tried to stand, the dragon pushed them down, standing over them protectively. It was almost tender, caring. Jimmy quickly pushed that thought out of his head. Dragons were evil things who’s only want was destruction. They cared no more for their riders than to use them as tools. The dragon glared down the approaching gryphons, charging up a breath attack.
Jimmy held up a hand to halt his company’s approach.
“Call off your dragon.” He commanded.
“No.” Came the muffled response.
Looks like they would have to do this the hard way then.
“My name is Captain James Solidarity, commander of this company of gryphons. Let me tell you the facts... you have been downed in combat. Your squad is retreating, without you. You and your dragon are injured, and I do not like your chances of making the flight back home alive. You do, however, have my word that you will not be killed or injured further unless you do try an ill-conceived escape attempt, and are, as of this moment, a prisoner of war.” Having finished his spiel, Jimmy’s voice took on a more gentle tone. “Now, can I approach to assess your injuries?”
“Oka-” the rider’s response was cut off by his dragon growling at them. “Shady.” They reprimand, then much quieter “We hav’ t’.”
Jimmy dismounted and approached alone on foot, hands held out in front of him. He paused once he reached the dragon. It sniffed at him wearily, eyes narrow, then- lifted a foot and stepped back, giving him access to its rider.
They were laying flat on their back, their hood had fallen off, revealing stark white hair that almost glowed in the darkness, half pointed ears that marked them as half rather than full elf, and bright red eyes.
Jimmy squatted next to them. “Howdy there stranger, you can call me Jimmy.”
“’m Tango an’ tha’s Nightshade.” Slurring words, probably concussed.
“Need a hand standing?”
“Please.”
Jimmy carefully helped him to his feet. Tango rested one hand on his dragon for support and cradled the other close to his chest. Jimmy carefully wrapped an arm around for extra support when he saw Tango wince when trying to put weight on one leg.
Jimmy smiled to himself. Tango was kinda short.
“Shackle the dragon.” He commanded to his gathered men as he dragged Tango away.
“Wha- NO! Shady!” Tango thrashed in his grip, one arm reaching out for his dragon.
Jimmy heard Nightsh- the dragon roar behind them, and men shouting. The cry of a gryphon. But he didn’t turn to look, just continued to march Tango away.