My Life As A Salamander

The battlefield was in disarray after the chimera and I fought. The other mages and archers in the opposing side paled at my sheer size and the fact I just ate their leader whole. I turned my eyes toward the hoard which was dispersing faster than cosplayers after a sci-fi convention. Monsters fled in every direction and the mages tried to call them back into formations using their dismal amount of remaining will power while the archers were bucked off their rides.

I held out a hand toward them. The earth turned soft as all of them were suddenly suċkėd in up to their necks leaving their heads exposed. They struggled to break free but found the earth had already hardened like concrete. After they were all trapped I stepped forward letting my footsteps echo across the air and shake the ground. I saw many of the hoods shake in fear. But then an odd thing happened. Some stopped shaking and their heads fell to the side. I felt the elements and found no breathing or a heartbeat. (Odd. I didn't make them die of fright did I?) I thought. It was after three had done this that I realized what it was. Suicide by poison. I twisted my wrist and roots shot out of the ground prying the remaining mouths open. I shrank down to my normal 10 foot height and strode forward much faster. The roots dug around he teeth while the people gurgled and choked. It was only a moment later that they all found what they were looking for. A fake tooth in each mouth containing poison. They were placed in my hands and glistened against the sunlight. I nodded as a thoughtful frown went across my face. "You know... I always thought of myself as the type to be merciful. But you guys bring it to a whole different level of low to kill yourselves for some hag who's body and soul were shattered centuries ago." I grumbled.

I heard a shout from behind me. "Shut up you overgrown lizard! Mother is better than you by a hundred fold!" I turned to see who had spoken and saw a single elf with long pointy ears snarling at me as he struggled against the ground and roots binding him. I shrugged. "And what pray tell does she offer that I cant? Immortality? Freedom? Power? What could you possibly want so badly to side with a creature that picks on the weak and the innocent?" I self righteously asked with a ċȯċked eyebrow. I knew I wasn't as good as I portrayed. But I also know I wouldn't use the innocent for personal gain. It's not my style.

The man shook with anger. "CREATURE! SHE IS OUR MOTHER YOU CRETIN!" He shouted at me. Even with his body buried he was trying to get out but failing as he ground kept draggin him back in. I went and crouched in front of him. "She... is a monster." I said as I pulled out the gauntlets the chimera guy had used. "Do you guys know what these are?" I asked as I held them high in the air. Many hung their heads while others proudly faced me. "They are our key to killing you. No matter how many people it takes to do so." A hooded guy said. Another spoke up. "They are a masterpiece mother made to strike down god pretenders like you." I persed my lips a bit as my brows furrowed. "So you dont know." I said as I gently cuddled the gauntlets in my arms as I turned away. "These are Shadow gauntlets. A masterpiece of torture made for only your worst enemies. But it is not your enemies they hurt. But the person the gauntlets came from. And that in turn Grant's the gauntlets an incredible amount of power." I said as I turned toward them again. "This girls soul has been feeling nothing but pain and fear! Her suffering is what you claim to be from a loving mother! The torture of an innocent girl is what fuels this creation. And you call that fiend Mother despite that!? You are fools!" I roared.

The power of earth hoisted them all together into a boulder with their heads sticking out as I walked toward the group. "I want you to send a message. Tell that fiend I will be seeing her shortly. And that her kingdom will fall within the year." I said as I twisted my green arm. A great tree came out of the ground and wrapped around the boulder. It grew till it stood around 60 feet tall and 10 feet thick before bending backwards. "Have a nice flight." I growled with a snarl as I waved my arm again. The tree ġrȯȧnėd as the pressure it had built up was suddenly released. The people screeched in terror and shock as the boulder was sent rocketing through the air. Their cries echoed through the sky till they passed the closest mountain range. My fists trembled in rage as I tried my best to control my temper. Hargo approached and gently placed a hand on my hip. "Well done boyo. Now we need to fix up the missy before she's stuck like this permanently." He said pointing at the gauntlets.

I looked down and nodded as my temper began to cool and concern took its place. I couldn't fix this here. I needed a forge and tools to correct this horrible decision. I spread my wings wide. "You might want to get on Hargo. I'll need your help for this. I dont have as gentle a touch as you when it comes to these things." I said looking down at the gold dwarf. He nodded and climbed up between my shoulder blades. I crouched exploded into the air. My wings spread wide as I commanded the winds to increase my speed by gusting behind me and forming an aerodynamic shield at my front.

My body screamed through the air making any beasts close by run away in fright. A shockwave followed in my wake making grass and dust move in waves. Hargo held on to my shoulders as best as he could so he wouldn't fall off. I eventually had to stop to let him adjust and ready himself properly for the last half of the flight.

The 3 days it had taken to march to the mountain prairie where we did battle were hard. But flying back took 2 hours in comparison. It would have been more efficient in the long run if I had gone myself to the battle. But after Kyle had showed up with his soldiers it had been obvious that he and his people wanted to help as much as possible. I had left Kyle back at the plains to deal with the army while I had bigger fish to fry.

The woman trapped as a set of gauntlets.

These things were tricky. Taking a person's body and refining them into weapons or armor was a forbidden art among craftsmen. And extremely few even know how it is done. Mostly due to the knowledge being lost over time with any and all research having been burnt on site after discovery. Some churches related to dark gods believed turning themselves into a living weapon or armor was paying homage to their god. But this was different. This was torture of the cruelest order. Torture of the soul. And if we didn't do this right. I might very well have to construct a new body for her to live in. And that is because most people cant turn back to who they once were and ended up deformed pain crazed monsters.

The reason I needed Hargo's help was because he understood the body and materials better than anyone I knew. Even my thoroughly studied knowledge paled in comparison. He leaned forward and touched my neck catching my attention.

" We need to get her settled in a decent forge so it might be best to use yours. And we still have some demon metal around that could be useful for turning her back to normal. But the problem is we need to know who she is first." He shouted. I nodded as we swiftly descended upon the city. The dragon knights moved aside to allow us entry. I doubt they wouldn't have anyways due to me being a god and all.

I shot down to the castle and swooped in over to the stairs behind King Kyle's throne. Almost running down them Hargo demanded I let him down so he wouldn't smack his head into the ceiling. I grabbed his shirt collar and moved him to the floor. He patted himself off before running to get his tools. Meanwhile I moved over to the hearth and placed the gauntlets close to the flames. I heard a squeak from the gauntlets and gently patted them. "Dont worry. These won't hurt you. Just give us a moment to figure out how to help you." I said as soothingly as possible.

Kyle rushed over with arms full of tools. He pointed a couple small ingots of demon metal we had left from the most recent shipment. "Grab me a couple bars would you? And we need some ghost fire. Maybe even a touch of your Grace's pheonix fire could do the trick." I tapped his ċhėst with a glare. "Dont call me that." I growled and he chuckled. "You'll have to get used to it my friend. One way or another things go on." He said as he pulled out a pair of goggles and tongs. "Now young lady. If you can remember your form this will help alot. If not it'll complicate things thoroughly." Hargo said as he picked up the gauntlets with the tongs. As he moved her toward the demon metal we began to run some tests. I gave Hargo two candles lit with ghost fire and pheonix fire. He chuckled a bit when he saw the pheonix. It was the tiniest bird sitting at the top of he wick.

We eventually managed to get a system going with 2 squeaks was yes while 1 squeak meant no. "Do you remember who you are?" I asked. 2 squeaks answered me. "Are you from around here?" 1 squeak. The questions continued till we found out everything. She was from the Continent of Melra. A person of royal birth. I didnt get far enough along in my questions to ask what level of royal or if she still had family.

Hargo spoke up saying he was ready. What laid before him was a stone table with the outline of a person. And inside that outline was Molten demon metal mixed with every other metal and material we had. Even a Beast Crystal was in the ċhėst area. I gently handed over the lady (gauntlets) to him. He smiled confidently. "With this you'll be fixed in no time." He said with a nod. I saw the gauntlets shiver nervously. He turned around holding them above the Molten materials and unceremoniously dropped her in. I heard a scared squeak before a slow purr came from the metal.

The gauntlets were slowly melting into the "lava" as I will call it. Hargo began to chant in a strange tongue I hadn't heard before and everything began to glow. The lava began to shift and mold itself. Glyphs moved from the stones across the liquid surface and embedded themselves within. A body began to form as legs and arms filled their designed places. Fingers and toes made of gold shifted from the muck of metal. A nose and ruby lips and a high forehead formed. A long neck with a "fairly flat" ċhėst and broad shoulders. Her height was comparable to Sam's but was slightly taller by a foot. Soon the silver formed her hair and the shape of eyes came through. what felt like moments had actually been hours.

I threw a robe over her for her comfort and placed a goblet of water beside her. " Now. You should rest and get better. We'll talk when you're ready." I said as I walked away hiding my blushing face. (I have Sam. And she is what matters most to me..) I thought.