Imp.1 Project: Drakaina #1.1 (a fan-fic)

Joro gripped his leg tightly as the woman turned monster that Rosenberg called “She-Drache” strained against her chains at the smell of his blood. Karl Elise looked at her in horror for long moments, but once it appeared she was not breaking her chains, he took off his belt and cinched it tightly around Joro’s leg as a tourniquet. Joro grunted at the pain, but managed to look at Karl and say, “Thanks, Boss.”

“I thought I told you to call me Karl,” Elise said calmly.

“Su-sure, Boss,” Joro stuttered weakly.

Karl looked at his guide as he slipped into shock, and then jerked his head up towards Rosenberg and Reitsch. “What have you done to her?” he seethed.

“The Fuhrer’s bidding, of course,” Rosenberg said smugly. “She is the first of an army!”

“An army?” Karl spat. “Is this your plan? Make creatures of bloodlust to set upon our enemies? Let them eat those who don’t bend to our will?”

“Eat them?” Rosenberg said with real distaste. “Don’t be ridiculous. She’s not made to fight. She’s made to hunt.”

“To ‘hunt’ what?” Karl asked.

Fraulein Reitsch gave a thin, dreadful smile, and answered, “Food, of course. We have a Devil’s Mouth to feed.”

Rosenberg nodded to his men. The men strode forward quickly and before Karl could get up to fight, one of them kicked him in the chest, knocking him on his back. Then they reached down, each one grabbing Karl under an arm, and jerked him roughly into a standing position. This roused Joro just enough to see what was going on, and as he protested weakly, they threw him over the edge into the pit.

“NO!” shouted Karl.

His scream was immediately followed by a hellish roar from the pit. The sound brought with it a foul wind that intensified the putrid smell emanating from within. Karl and Rosenberg gagged at the smell, and some of the soldiers wretched violently. Fraulein Reitsch vomited, and then passed out.

As the foul wind abated, Karl recovered himself. Looking at Rosenberg with fresh horror, he said, “What in hell have you done? How many of those monsters do you have down there?”

As if in answer, the ground shook momentarily. Then it shook again. Then again. Rosenberg laughed, and cried above the continuing thunderous noise, “Of those things? None. This is something bigger! This is something better!”

Just then a giant claw gripped the edge of the pit. Karl’s eyes widened in disbelief. Then another claw gripped the far side. Karl began to slide himself backwards, away from the pit, preparing to get up and run, but was stopped by a rifle that nudged into his back.

“For her,” shouted Rosenberg, pointing at the woman-turned-monster chained to the wall, “there would have only been need for a pit the size of a well! But this,” he hissed, sweeping his hand towards the Devil’s Mouth, “is for something much larger. That is a She-Drache,” he said pointing back to the transformed woman. “She’s meant to hunt… to feed him!” he shouted, throwing his arms wide as the head of the enormous creature emerged, two gigantic eyes taking in all as it rose out of the pit on a long, towering neck. “Behold the secret of the Devil’s Mouth! Behold the victory of the Reich! Behold… the DRACHENKÖNIG!”

Karl stared up at the massive creature in awe, mouth agape. He’d never seen a dragon in real life- never believed they existed- but here was one before him, crawling seemingly straight out of hell itself. Black scales dripping with the Eiter, equally black eyes reflecting the harsh spotlights of the camp, and it’s monstrous breaths coming with a low growl from somewhere deep within.

“Is it not magnificent?” Rosenberg shouted at Karl. This drew the attention of the Drachenkönig, and it’s massive head swung down until level with the German. The head alone was taller than the man. Rosenberg stared at the beast with a wild gleam in his eyes, and shouted, “You will be the glorious conquering arm of the Third Reich!”

The dragon roared in Rosenberg’s face, the wind of it knocking him over backwards and laying him out on the ground. As it roared, the Drachenkönig unfurled massive wings and shook it’s entire body, throwing the black Eiter dripping from its body in every direction, coating anyone that hadn’t already run. As he did so, the black scales were revealed to be more of a darker, deep purplish color- nearly black, but with a little more shine. “SILENCE!” the creature bellowed, raising his head back to his full stature. “Has man forgotten so soon how to address a king?”

“You will serve the Reich!” shouted Rosenberg defiantly as he stood. “It is we who have fed you these last few years, giving you back your strength!”

The Drachenkönig swung its head downwards again, ramming Rosenberg, tumbling him over backwards for several yards. He sniffed the fallen Reitsch, snorted, and then his neck extended over the distance so that he was once again in Rosenberg’s face. “It is because of your offerings that you still live,” growled the dragon. Sniffing the air near Rosenberg, he snorted again. “You and your people reek of evil, and of magic that doesn’t belong to you.” Craning his head back a little, he gruffed, “I have no stomach for either. Begone while I am still in a generous mood.”

The soldiers all ran immediately. Rosenberg stared silently with a mixture of anger and fear. He opened his mouth to speak, but stayed silent when the Drachenkönig gave off a low growl. He stared for a few moments more, then gave in to his fear, scrambling to his feet and running down the road out of the camp, far behind his men.

Karl started scrambling backwards himself, preparing to follow when one of the dragon’s claws fell in front of him.

“Not you,” said the Drachenkönig. “You stay.”

Karl obeyed. As much out of curiosity as out of fear.

Climbing out of the pit until all four of its feet were on the ground, and only his tail hanging over the edge, the beast reached one claw backwards and sliced through the captive She-Drache’s chains as if they were paper. “Come here, child,” he said.

She obeyed, coming around to face him without fear. “These men created you with evil intent, but you have your own mind, and you have been given a gift,” said the Drachenkönig. “My power is now part of you, and no one with my power should ever serve evil. Instead, fight it,” he said with a growl, almost seeming to smile. The She-Drache definitely smiled. “I call you Drakaina, and I set you free to fight your enemies. Go.”

Drakaina nodded, and with a flap of her arms, she took to the skies. Drachenkönig looked on with satisfaction. Karl looked on in amazement.

Then they looked at each other. They were silent for a few moments, and the dragon king inclined his head to one side, studying Karl. Unsure what to think, or what to say, Karl very hesitantly said, “Your… majesty,” and bowed without taking his eyes off of the dragon. He felt ridiculous, but thought he should do something. “I am Karl Elise, at your service.”

The Drachenkönig was silent for a few moments more before saying, “Respect. That’s good. You do not smell like the others. That’s good as well, but I do not need you at my service. The ‘Eiter’ as that fool called it will not affect you the same as it has the others, but affect you it shall. Be sure that you use the gifts I have given you wisely.”

Karl nodded. “I will, your majesty. May I ask what gifts I have been given?”

The dragon seemed to chuckle, and said, “You may ask, but you will have to wait and see. Go. Live your life wisely. And if you should see Drakaina, be sure that you are on her side.”

It was Karl’s turn to incline his head at this odd statement, but he chose not to question it. Instead, he nodded, and said, “Your majesty. Thank you,” and with that he turned and walked away. Getting into a truck from the camp, he started it and drove away.

“You’re welcome,” the king said, watching him go. Then he said, “Why didn’t any of those other fools use the vehicles?” Snorting, Drachenkönig turned his head back towards the pit, and lifted his tail. Bringing it around, he looked at the unconscious Joro, held in a couple of coils and completely covered in the Eiter. “And what shall I do with you? Hm?” the dragon asked the limp form. “We’ll think of something, won’t we?”

With that, he unfurled his wings once again, and took to the skies. He circled the camp once, and then dove, breathing fire into the pit as he went, setting it ablaze to burn off the rest of the Eiter. Circling once again, he watched it burn, and satisfied, he flew away, Joro still in the coils of his tail.

Now behind him, the pit burned brightly. The heat brought Fraulein Reitsch around, and she crawled away from the pit as she stirred. She made a foul face and spit to try to get the taste of vomit from her mouth. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, and then gasped in horror. “No!” she cried weakly. Her hand was covered in tumors like those she had seen on the African woman, and they were spreading along her arms. “No! NO! NOOOOOOO!”

Story and characters owned by Chris Bishop, copyright 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022.

Thanks for stopping in! :^D

@impurestcheese, with much love. -cb

@cbishop: I did love it indeed, and while it was not how I imagined part two happening this is an equally brilliant concept, especially since Drakiana and Karl both appeared in the Amazons Prelude (well Karl had been shot and was in hospital but still). Thank you so much for this, and long live the king.

@impurestcheese: I remembered that she had shown up in Amazons, but didn't remember Karl. I honestly had no idea where you would go with part two, so I just went with an idea. That's why it's more about the dragon than Drakaina. Glad you liked it though. :)

@cbishop: Yeah thanks for that :-)