Zanesa Dreadbane

"The scatterbrained female half-Dragon soldier. She appears human - yet her shadow is always that of her non-human parent's species."

(Note the mismatching buttons on her top. That's the best I could think of scatterbrained for this particular drawing.)

This is an entry to Seventh Sanctum's most recent contest, Fantasy Fusions ([link]). Her name is Zanesa Dreadbane and this is just part of her story.


Zanesa preferred to walk at night. That way, the truth could be hidden. She had become a soldier for this reason. She would mainly be alone, making rounds about the Ebony Castle.
It was quite ironic, really. Here she was, protecting the castle her very ancestors had terrorized. Zanesa scoffed to herself as she watched the sun begin to rise.
"Zanesa!" One of her fellow soldiers called out to her and she skittered over into the long shade of daybreak. "Zanesa, we're being attacked!"
"What?" She looked around her, not seeing anything out of the ordinary.
"In front, dimwit!" He pulled her behind him, dragging her at a run around the tall rock walls. "Dragons are approaching from the northwest."
"D-Dragons!?" Zanesa choked.
"Yes, dragons! The whole reason you signed up for this job was to see one, right? That's why half of us did. And now we're probably going to die at the hands of one." The man took Zanesa around the last corner and she saw that what he had been saying was true. Off in the distance, three large creatures were flying in their direction.
"I don't want to fight a dragon," Zanesa pleaded. "Just let me go back!"
"And die alone? I don't think so. You'll be betraying your king if you didn't fight until death to protect this place."
Zanesa whined and the man's grip increased around her glove, squeezing her wrist. "No running away now, hear?" He let her go and ran toward the cart full of crossbows and swords.
Zanesa glimpsed behind her and grumbled. She couldn't tell anyone that it was her grandparents and her father that were coming to check up on her. They always had worried too much for their own good. If they got shot in the eye, she wouldn't be the one to blame.
Shimmying into the bushes beside her, Zanesa dashed ahead toward the incoming sky beasts. Hopefully they would spot her before getting too close to the pointy objects pointing in their direction.
Several minutes passed and she wondered where they were when she felt a burst of air hit her back, almost knocking her off of her feet. Her helmet flew away several yards away and she jackknifed to see what was behind her.
Three large and majestic dragons landed in the trees just ahead. Zanesa sighed and started towards them, forgetting completely about her helmet.
"Hey, dad. Hey, grandma, grandpa." She smiled shyly. It always was a bit overwhelming when she was this close to them in their dragon forms.
Hello, dear child, her grandmother greeted her kindly. Is everything treating you well?
"Yes, very much so. I had forgotten that you were coming today."
Her father laughed. That's just like you, he commented.
Zanesa smiled and reached forwards to give her father's foreleg a big hug. "I missed you this past month."
I missed you as well, sweetie.
"But next time will you not freak out the soldiers, please?" Zanesa sighed. "It's too troublesome to try to convince them to not shoot at incoming dragons."
Her father gave her a toothy grin. But it's so fun to see them run around like little ants.
"Nope. Not when I'm one of them."
Yes, yes. Her grandfather trodded over to pat her on the head with a tip of his wing. But you know how we are.
Zanesa looked down at the single mark that grouped her with her family. The shadows of four dragons filtered through the trees.
Oh, well, She thought to herself. I love my family.