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DraconicDespot — I'm coming
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Published: 2017-06-08 17:06:37 +0000 UTC; Views: 946; Favourites: 29; Downloads: 4
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Medicus had been flying for days, or was it hours? Eyes blurred, wings aching and the sun, like his strength, quickly fading.
"Where are you?" the blue dragon asked to the empty biting winds around him as he continued to fight the winds blowing across the mountains. His thoughts drifted to his patients, nowhere in his current sight range. The call had come in across the mountain range to where he was stationed. A scout detachment two dragons and at least six airmen grounded with injuries somewhere in the Stormwind plains in need of medical attention. Weather conditions even before Medicus had left, had made flying any human aircraft through the area impossible. The energetic young dragon had been too eager to fly out by himself grabbing his harness and supplies before flying out to find the injured party. Now nature seemed hell-bent on making it impossible for dragons as well and his energy was slowly being replaced by exasperation and fatigue.
"Blast it" Medicus growled in frustration using his free paw to adjust his medical harness.
Glancing around, he spotted a slim part between the two mountains he was struggling over. Far too big for one of the heavy-weight, long-range dragons but perhaps just big enough for a lightweight and riderless medic...
The danger of using the shortcut to pass between the two, was that while the gorge appeared passable from the entrance it could narrow restricting the dragons' wing movement to a point where flight became untenable and the dragon would be shredded by rocks as he plummeted to his death.
Looking up, the prospect of a full climb seemed to become more impossible as the weather got worse. "Damn it all. Either the air force loses a scout flight and medical officer or nothing today" snapping in his wings, the dragon dived headlong into the brutal wind currents to fall towards the gorge picking up speed rapidly.
The wind rushed furiously by his ears and stabbed at his eyes stinging them, even with his second eyelid closed as he approached the gorge. Getting a clearer look at the space, the dragon calculated whether his frame and wingspan could pass through the narrow gorge attempting to gauge his size and how much room he'd need for a viable wing-beat. Speeding towards the narrow space between the two monoliths now obscured by low clouds. Closer, now facing a granite wall with a single part, the gap taking up more of the dragons' vision. Now mere meters from the space, Medicus half-opened his wings to slow his descent, stinging eyes guiding the speeding dragon.
Seconds passed and the screaming of the wind fell to whispers as the dragon entered the gorge at a blistering pace. The confined space meant that the dragon could not slow his pace as there was no room for a dragons' wings to flare. Flying through the gorge, beating his wings where he could, the draconic medic flicked his eyes constantly from left to right, scanning for obstacles and using his tail as a stabiliser to avoid rock outcroppings. He didn't know how far through he was but the dragon could tell he was making good pace "better than flying through THAT hurricane" the dragon congratulated himself.
Minutes passed. One paw beginning to lose strength from white-knuckling his medical bag for hours, the dragon switched it over to his other paw, making sure his razor-like claws stayed clear of the leather.
White hot pain shot through the dragons' right wing as the membrane caught a rock. Grunting in pain and cursing himself for looking down at the bag rather than his flight path. A thought struck the dragon. "I had a least a meter each way" the dragon looked ahead and alarm filled the dragons' mind as the gorge noticeably began narrowing beginning to scratch and scrape the dragons' hide.
Trying not to panic the dragon looked above "got to get out of here!" but as Murphy's law would have it, the lips of the gorge had narrowed to the point where the dragon would be lucky if he could stick his head out, let alone fly out. Hot blood still streaming out of the wing-tear the dragon now had no room to beat his wings. Mind racing for a solution, the dragon sped deeper into the quickly closing trap he had flown so willingly into. Nearing panic, something pierces the darkness of the gorge...
A ray of sunlight, ahead of the dragon but nearly a hundred meters.
The fading light indicating an opening of some kind, Medicus pulled his wings further towards himself to avoid further injury willing his speed to carry him to the opening but tens of meters away by now before he lost too much height for his slim ray of hope to matter. The opening revealed as Medicus approached , the gap widened and the gorge lined with a different rock formation...shale. If the rock was thin enough, the medic would be able to escape his otherwise certain fate, in turn sealing the fates of those who provided the reason for his being here. "Either a broken neck here or further down, either way the scout party is doomed if I can't get this right" growled Medicus angling his scraped body towards the hole bleeding speed as well as blood, willing himself forward for the sake of those depending on him arriving.
Nearing the sunlight the dragon closed his eyes, pulled his hind legs towards his body and tried to shield his face with his free arm.
With the blasting of rock and dust the blue medic erupted from the gorge back into the piercing wind and catching his marked tail on the edge as the gorge made a final attempt at Medicus's life. Roaring with a mixture of pain and relief the dragon shook himself of rock and beat his wings climbing away from the black crevasse, a small trail of blood falling below.
The dragon had made it... "kinda" the dragon reminded himself.
Climbing further into the air still, the dragon yet found more relief, Medicus had almost made it to the edge of the plains. The fading sun caught the dragons' green eyes as tension discharged from the young medics' body. "I'm still okay on the whole, flying hurts more than before and I'm gonna need a repainting when I get back" as the dragon noticed his RAF markings along his wings and tail damaged. "Recognisable but nowhere near the inspection standard" the dragon still glad that he had survived his shortcut.
Pausing to hover. The dragon readjusted his medical brassard and checked himself for serious bleeding. "I can still fly, that's a good sign, doesn't look like I'll bleed out. I'll take a closer look after the scout flight is stable and moving again...maybe one of the airmen can help me with this wing" as the dragon assessed his damaged wing and resigned himself to more hours of aching flight
The dragon took off again with renewed determination to find his charges before the sun set completely or his strength failed.
"Hold on, I'm coming"
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Thanks for dropping by, never done a story with a painting before. This piece started out as just a full-body dragon practice but then one thing led to another. The character just begged for some more explanation...he might reappear sometime, maybe with friends...and enemies.
If you're wondering, "Medicus" means "healer" in Latin which I found suiting for the draconic RAF officer. I chose to make him a medic as I've seen very few pieces where dragons form part of a military (barely hinted at in the story) alongside humans and I've never seen dragons portrayed in a healing or even support role. They're not all huge killing machines you know spare a thought for the little guys and gals who aren't as big as battleships.
Critiques always welcome! On the story, the art or, if you're feeling generous; both!
Keep being awesome!
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Comments: 17
pee uu pee uuu _________________________________________________________________________________*####
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NICE, I plan to also do a section on medics; but I must wonder, if anyone was wounded and then saw this, would they actually lay still?
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Thanks!
Yes, more medics.
You raise an excellent point. In today's world, a dragon, even if sporting medical insignia and flashing a medical license/certification would concern people (though personally, I'd be totally fine with it ).
In the world this piece and story take place in, dragons have integrated into the human world (or vice versa) to form a single functional society. I'd imagine the only people who'd have problems with a dragon medic would be those who are uncomfortable around dragons as a whole or when one of those battleship-sized dragons comes by and says it wants to give CPR even though your whole body is smaller than one of its claws.
Going forward, if I ever make more pieces in this kind of setting: Medical teams would be in pairs, a dragon and a rider. The dragon can help do all the big stuff (moving patients, working on large targets) and the rider can take care of more of the small and specific tasks (closing wounds, removing foreign objects) that the dragon may have trouble getting at.
Thanks for dropping by!
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any dragon to humanoid cpr would probably involve psionics or a bolt of static (like the 100 volt paddles).
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That would be really cool. Lightning breath attacks used to kickstart a heart rather than stop it. Though if moderation is possible, it could also probably work on another dragon of equal or lesser size than the attending. Suppose the dragon also had an affinity for electrical fields. If sensitive enough, a draconic medic could probably attain an accurate sense of pulse rate based on the hearts' action potentials.
That would also be a hilariously awesome scene. Dragon giving CPR and/or Dragon-powered AED. I'm adding that to the list, full credit to you for the idea when I get around to it.
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Have you read the Temeraire series of novels?
They are a series of 8 historical fiction novels exploring what would happen if the Napoleonic Wars had been fought in a third theatre of combat: Airborne, on the backs of Dragons!
But honestly, you've given me an idea for an alternate history series based in modern times, where intelligent Dragons serve alongside Humans and their modern jet aircraft, in all military branches, of all nations.
America, Britain, France, Spain, and all NATO countries. Most former Eastern-bloc countries would get Dragons as well (and be allied to, but not part of, NATO) but Russia, China, Vietnam and North Korea would not.
We'd need Draconic civilians too, but I think I can provide that.
I can see it now:
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The time: The near future.
The conflict: Angered by the alliance of most of the Eastern bloc to NATO instead of Russia and the former USSR, Vladimir Pootin and Pak Pong-ju, along with Xi Jinping and Tran Dai Quang declare war with the intent to forcibly make a new USSR out of the remains of the old, smashing any resistance they encounter along the way. Any who resist will find themselves assimilated right along with them.
To get to the rest of the new USSR forces, Vietnamese troops have to hack and slash their way through multiple neutral far-east countries. Of course they put up a fierce resistance, but are eventually conquered.
The UN, fiercely angered by both this and the oncoming war, boots Russia, China, Vietnam AND North Korea out completely and mobilizes for all-out war.
In the midst of this, Dragons of all sorts rear their heads, looking to join forces with the UN and avoid utter annihilation. After long discussions, the UN, who can use all the troops it can get at this point, agree. The Dragons get started in earnest, quickly showing that they're not just able warfighters; but also adept healers and medics.
The Aftermath: Russia, China, Vietnam and Korea have not only been subdued, but smashed, all without the need for nuclear war! Their lust for power extinguished, the West agrees to help rebuild the four great countries into powerhouses of peace.
The Dragons decide that their work there is done, but before they can return to hiding a brave Human steps forward. A representative of the UN, he tells the Dragon leader that as thanks, Dragons are welcome to form a country of their very own and the UN will immediately consider it sovereign territory. Gleefully they agree, bathing the sky with flame for miles around.
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What do you think?
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I have indeed read the Temeraire series, nice to meet a fellow reader.
Currently on Blood of Tyrants and dreading the ending of the series to be honest. It's such a unique idea and the dragons are so...human which is a testament to Noviks' abilities as an amazing author.
Maybe we can convince her to continue her series forwards into the 20th and 21st centuries huh?
There honestly needs to be more books/movies/videogames where dragons are major protagonists and major players of the world they inhabit.
But to your idea...
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I really like it to be honest! Where (like Temeraire) dragons are something that have existed alongside men for a long time and after many wars of independence the two species have integrated into forming one society. Dragons working on the development of aircraft, serving as scout units and aerial artillery in the first world war, frontline medics, aquatic dragons becoming instrumental in the development of naval warfare. Even smaller dragons only slightly larger than men, able to fight as conventional soldiers. Draconic civilians taking the sides of their respective nations headed by joint governments. This could go anywhere; a schism between the two species, a great war pushing two equal sides against one another, political tensions the list goes on!
OR
Dragons have always been an isolationist power free from the wars of men. However, with something as cataclysmic as the Cold War reaching a tipping point, they enter on the side of NATO or perhaps are similarly polarised by the differing sides of the Cold War. With the battles of the Cold War exhausting the resources of men, it seems the war is at a stalemate until the draconic powers enter seeking to close the war and have, for the majority entered the war on the side of NATO and the UN (with rogue elements entering on the side of the USSR) bringing with their own capable militaries great augmentations to Western military strength. A further two decades of fighting ensue until finally, the USSR (much like in our own timeline) is exhausted of resources and collapses overnight. The Cold War ends ushering the close of the 20th century.
However, the dragons are now engrained in the militaries, social structures and economies of the world. The dragons are offered the chance to remain so integrated within the world of men, they accept. Following the rebuilding of a world devastated by half a century of warfare between the two most powerful military powers in history, the world, now welcoming their draconic counterparts turns towards restructuring the world for two very different species to co-exist...but not without problems.
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I love it!
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The second one was more along the lines of my idea, but with a couple of twists:
1.) This takes place after the Cold War. long after. As in current day, June 10th, 2017.
2.) It gets based on a "what if" scenario: What if Pootin does the unthinkable and decides to forcibly re-establish the USSR and integrate its' Communist allies, China, North Korea, and Vietnam into it, essentially turning all of Asia into one big USSR, and thereby starting a (conventional) World War III?
3.) It uses real people. Vladimir Pootin is a Western mockery of Vladimir Putin, the current Russian president and an ex-KGB member who wants nothing more than to bring back the "Soviet glory days" of the Communist USSR's prime. Pak Pong-Ju is the current North Korean Premier. Xi Jinping is the current leader of China, and Tran Dai Quang is Vietnam's current leader.
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Ah, I see what you're getting at here. Present day...I guess we'll have to give the Dragons jetpacks or something to compete with jet technology, that'd be cool.
I'd probably eschew away from using real people (even if it's just a likeness) unless the whole thing was a political/social commentary (which can work as well) otherwise it runs the risk of becoming a slave to its base rather than becoming its own world and timeline.
To be completely honest, the real world's hard enough, why let it dominate our fantasies? A warmonger politician could very well be a great villain though.
I'd really love to see what you'd come up with if you (or anyone) do decide to write something using these ideas.
At most I'll probably keep doing a painting/drawing series with short stories developing to build a world as a whole but not as cohesively as a dedicated literature series.
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Oh, don't worry. I've already committed myself to a nice long series of Temeraire-style books with this idea.
Speaking of which... Do you do art requests or commissions? I might task you with creating some cover art or interior illustrations for the books!
If you accept them, would you mind a story-to-art trade? I'd make a chapter, trade it to you for proofreading, then evaluate the art you produced. If everything checks out OK; we can use them!
Of course, you'd be credited as the illustrator, and would get a percentage of the profit if the books are ever put on the open market; say 25%?
Also... no jetpacks needed. Just Dragon magic. That can get them to FTL speeds if need be.
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Well then, I'll be watching for those!
I'm pretty new around here, but sure, I'd happily work on such a project!
Sounds like a good deal
Ah, of course, I forgot about magic.
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Good on you! Well, time for me to get typing!
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Why thank you very much!
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You're welcome. ^^
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