A sunken arena surrounded by rising boulders carved with seats is lit by green fire. The stands are filled with creatures of all different shapes, sizes, colors, and fierceness. One side of the stadium is waving red banners, the other side blue. In between the two sides sits a throne carved of stone and precious gems, with images of flaming beasts painted on every surface. The throne remains empty, a sign of lack of recent approval from the gods of the activities that occur here.
Red flames erupt on one end the the arena as a door opens and a beast emerges from the shadows of the space behind the door. Fans in red cheer as it enters the arena, the green light slowly revealing its features. Scales shimmer in the light as the long, thin body emerges. Four clawed feet grip the rocky ground as wings open and smoke is blown from its nostrils. Large red eyes glow amid golden scales, and its tail swipes around behind it, spikes threatening anyone who dares comes close. Beneath the smoking nostrils can be seen rows of glittering teeth, a sight that strikes fear in even the bravest of fighters.
Blue flames erupt from the other end of the arena, and now the blue side erupts into mayhem. A door opens, and the sound of something slithering across the rocks can be heard before any features can be seen. Like the first creature, this beast emerges with a long, thin body, its tail following along behind with the threat of striking anyone within reach. But this monster looks more like a giant serpent, and its beady eyes show that it is much older than its opponent. Venom drips from its teeth, and spectators lean back as the great creature turns its head to the side.
The first creature saunters towards the center of the arena, calling out to its opponent, “Ready for a little fight, you old-timer Drakon? Still got a little…fire left in you? Oh that’s right, you can’t breathe fire! Silly me. Ooooh, I better shield my eyes, otherwise you might BLIND me! Haha.”
The Drakon glares at his immature foe. “How DARE you disrespect your elder? Petty Dragon, all you can do is breathe fire and prance around with your little claws. I, a great Drakon, have been feared by mortals and immortals alike for eons more than you, and yes, I can kill you with a single look if I so choose. But why take all the fun out of the fight by ending it so soon?” The Dragon looks fearful for a moment before shaking it off and assuming a pose of attack.
“Bring it on, you old coot!”
Dragon and Drakon pause at each end of the arena, as if waiting for something. Then, a gong sounds from above, and each rushes toward the other, ready to attack. They meet in the middle, and in one fell swoop……
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This battle seems to occur in an arena, which makes me think that it’s a spectator sport. Is this the case? I couldn’t help but think about spectator fighting, such as gladiators and lions fighting in a Roman amphitheater, while reading this story. This is interesting event to consider: people gathering to watch two parties fight until one dies. Such barbarism really reveals the barbarity of man and his animal-like desires. The creation of stories where such things occur, even in fantasy, still reveals our animal-like desires that we keep only manifested in thoughts, I believe.
I thought your story was really well-written. And your descriptions were really nice too. I especially like the way you describe dragon with shimmering scales and glowing eyes. It is also interesting how you set up a battle rather than describing a physical confrontation; this certainly adds a certain depth to the post. And it’s really cool how you incorporate a dragon and a drakon. I tried looking up some stuff on the drakon because I don’t know too much about it. Could you elaborate a bit more the creature if possible? And could you also explain the title of the post since it left me a little baffled? Overall, great post!
Did these types of battles actually happen? This is going to sound funny, but this story made me think about the Imagine Dragons music video for Radioactive with the scary little animals battling it out in the ring. This also reminds me of the ancient Roman Colosseum where gladiators used to battle. I’ve always wondered what the atmosphere would have been like in arenas such as the Colosseum and the arena in this story with the Drakon and Dragon fighting. However, I would assume it’s pretty similar to being at a Philadelphia sporting event because Philly fans are absolutely crazy and out for blood most of the time. My money would be on the Drakon in this fight, though. One should never underestimate an older, wiser opponent. When I played field hockey in high school one of our volunteer coaches was in her mid-40s and she always used to play on the opposing team of our varsity team during inner-squad scrimmages. She is one of the best players I have ever seen and I can’t even imagine her talent at a younger age. In addition, I think younger competitors are blue (even though the dragon is red) because they don’t have experience and tend to be cocky a lot of the time. I hope your next post is a follow up because I would really love to know how this battle plays out!