The Dracones

Once I realize that I do not recognize that roar, I tense. Something hard strikes my back just then. The force is enough to launch me several feet before I hit the ground, and skid toward the edge of the ledge.

“No!” I scream as I try to turn myself around. My body turns, slowing my progress, but it’s not enough. I grab hold of the cliff while my body yanks me down. I grunt as I try to support my weight. Rock is burrowing into my hands, drawing blood. The surface I’m holding is becoming slippery fast. I look up to see if I can catch sight of what is about to kill me. Just up above the gray rock and between the blue sky are two fighting red dragons. I’m guessing what had hit me was the tail of the Adversantem red dragon since I can see blood glinting on its spikes.

“Gracial!” I call when my hands start slipping. What I wouldn’t give for a foothold right now. My freshly sliced back is protesting the extra weight as my back skin molds together in the middle. This is certainly not helping me breathe better either. I try to pull myself up, but my soar arms give up. Why on earth did Trayvon make me practice my archery so much today? Though I have to admit it did come in handy.

I go for a second try. My hand slips some more when I go for an extra grip. Damn blood. I have to help Alienis. I have too. Plus, I really don’t feel like falling to my death. I swear this is actually how I’m going to die one of these days. Come on Kit. You can do it. My entire arm is trembling while sweat starts to become a problem and mixes in with my oozing blood. I give it one more pull. My arms drag me up while air stays trapped in my lungs.

When my head clears the rock, I catch sight of Trayvon jumping off of Gracial’s tail. I have no idea where the Adversantem’s red dragon went. His eyes widen when he looks over at the edge of the cliff.

“Kit!” Tray yells as he races over to me. Gracial takes off just then, diving toward the ground.

“Tray, help,” I grunt. My arms are violently shaking. I can feel blood on the back of my legs. The cuts on my palms are now deep gashes allowing the blood to flow freely down my arms. He grabs my arm the exact moment my arms quit on me. My arm slides out of his hand as my body falls to the earth. A hard yank and a sharp sting reassure me that he has indeed caught me. I look up and see relief on his face.

I smile up at him. Working together we pull myself up. I collapse on the ground. My breathing is heavy and stings with every movement my body makes. I swear my entire being is made of split nerves right now.

“What did you think you were doing over that cliff?” Trayvon shouts at me.

“Enjoying the view.” I snap back. “What did you think I was doing?” I wince when I feel pressure being applied to my back. “I was going for help when the Adversantem showed up. Alienis is in the cave. He’s hurt badly.”

“Not as bad as you,” Trayvon says as he touches my back again. “Where did you get this?”

“From the second grab that bloody red dragon made. Now get off your ass and check on Alienis.” I snap as I try to push myself up.

“Easy.” He says as he tries to push me back down. A hitched gasp escapes me when he touches my ribs. My arms give out on me without so much as an apology, forcing me onto the ground again.

Trayvon touches my ribs again, making me hiss. “What happened?”

“Please just check on Alienis,” I beg, giving up for the moment. My first dragon fight and I lost miserably. Then again, I’m the one that’s alive.

“He’s just resting. Dragons can heal themselves. They force themselves into some sort of trance and their bodies heal their injuries. Remove their toxins. Wipe away exhaustion. Heal their mental state. And so on. The Dracones can too, but it has to be learned. I’ll teach you when I know you’re here to stay.”

I bark a laugh and immediately regret it. “You know, I’m getting really sick of being kidnapped and almost killed.”

Trayvon chuckles. “I know. Now-” he shifts to his knees “how did you hurt your ribs?”

“The red dragon grabbed me while I was falling to the ground and squeezed a little too hard.” I sigh and then tell the entire story to Trayvon. “The Adversantem man said that they’re surrounding the mountain. We need to leave.” I force myself to my feet.

“What?” Trayvon demands and whistles loudly, making my ears ring. “When did he say that?”

“About a minute before I kicked him off that cliff.” My footing is shaky at best when I take another step. We hear a high-pitched gruff cry. Tray and I snap our heads up at the exact same moment. My response is automatic when I see a red dragon that is sure as night not Gracial flying toward us. I shove Trayvon onto the ground and swear as the red foot clasps around me once more. Dragon blood is on me now, mixing with mine. Trayvon is swearing and looking at the dragon with raw hatred. I’m trying to loosen the dragon’s grip since I can no longer breathe. Gracial is nearly setting me on fire as she blows fire at it as she flies off after us.

A dark voice enters my mind, leaving an algid feeling behind. “You killed my rider Dracones. Now I shall kill you.” The dragon loosens its grip like I wanted but also throws me. I scream out while sharp air attacks my exposed back. My body is twisting in the air while I try to find some way to control it. I do not like how every flip or twist I make I’m significantly closer to the ground. This is how I die.

On a flip something black covers my vision. I’m caught in a hard grasp as enraged shrieking fills the air. “I caught you little one. Just like I promised.” Alienis’s voice says in my mind. It’s shaky and a little weak, but it’s there. I breathe in relief. I hear a dying gurgle and feel something warm on my exposed head.

Alienis lands on the ground, slowly unfurling his claw to let me out of his grip. I stay in a ball for a minute, just relishing in the luxury that is a hard surface under you. I look up and see blood on Alienis, but it isn’t his. When I look up at the sky, I see Gracial slowly descending toward me, her jaw covered in blood. Fresh lacerations cover her body, mainly her chest. By her smirk I take it the fresh dragon blood on my head belongs to the newly dead red Adversantem dragon.

“Are you alright?” Alienis demands as he nuzzles my back. I yelp and jump when the rough scaly surface activates my pissed-off nerves.

“Fine,” I say through a clenched jaw. “I’m never flying again.” Alienis and Gracial laugh in my head but I’m dead serious. “Where is Trayvon?” I ask to distract them. I know they mean well, but there is no such thing as a tender touch on a freshly perforated back.

“He’s coming here on foot. Trayvon is scouting the area.” Gracial informs me. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

I sigh. Dragons worry more than a new mother. “Positive. I still have a lot of adrenaline in my system so I’m not fully feeling my injuries.” I wince as I straighten my back. I’m going to be in so much pain when I’m fully relaxed. I touch along my back and grimace. There is a cut about a half-inch deep in my back. It thins out the higher it goes, but it still hurts.

“Good job killing that dragon Gracial,” I say as I smile up at her. She’s still looking at me like I’m going to drop dead in a millisecond. “Are you alright?” I ask when I get a close examination of her underbelly. Four-inch claw marks mark her shiny white belly. I can make out a couple of bite marks. There are burned scales on her chest and back. A fresh scar is across her nose. And I thought I was in pain.

Gracial snorts. “This is nothing new little one. These are minor injuries for a dragon. Fatal for a human.”

I roll my eyes. “No need to brag.” Alienis and Gracial bark a laugh. A sharp whistle splits the air, making Gracial and Alienis take off. They’re answering Trayvon’s call. Alienis already knows that I’m refusing to ride until I at least get that belt back on his saddle. I’m not falling for my near-death for the fourth time today, that is if you don’t count the cliff.

I sit down on a rotting log. Moss is covering it, so it gives a little padding from the hard surface. I raise my eyebrow when I realize something. The farther south you go the less vegetation you find. We must be close to the north. During my flights, I have figured out that the forest stops fifty miles after the border. If all I could see when riding Alienis was forest then I must be close to the border. If that is the case then I’m sure I could run, but not in the shape I am in. Especially because the Adversantem are in the forest.

I shift my weight while I stare at the soft brown/green earth. I wince when I feel like something has bitten me in my ribs. Slowly I raise my shirt, exposing my pale skin. I grimace at the brown and red pattern forming around them. It looks like ground meat. Gently I prod it, making a hiss escape my mouth when my body protests the abuse. The bruise is the entire length of my torso. No wonder it hurts to move. I can even make out the individual toes of the Adversantem’s dragon. Why didn’t he just crush me if he wanted to kill me? I sigh when I remember Trayvon’s explanation a few days ago when I was worried Alienis might crush me when we were practicing shooting from inside a dragon’s grip. It’s like holding an egg in your palm and trying to break it by squeezing it. You just can’t.

I lower my shirt and examine my palms. They are covered in blood and have very deep cuts from the rock. They’re stiff and nearly impossible to clench. When I stretch my hand, I feel the cuts lengthening. Looks like I’m not firing a bow for a while.

I hear thunder making me look up. Alienis and Gracial are beginning to land. Trayvon is holding onto Gracial’s leg. Blood is on his hair and skin. There is a deep cut on his forearm, but that is the worst of many. What happened to him? He jumps when Gracial is ten feet off the ground, making me wince when he hits the ground. That had to hurt.

“What happened to you?” I ask when he limps himself over.

Trayvon grins. “Got into a fight with a couple of Adversantem. Nothing as interesting as being tossed by dragons.” He winks at me. “But Alienis is going to have to carry you by his foot since we need to leave now.”

I groan. “I’m getting really sick of being treated as a ball.”

He chuckles. “I imagine you are.” Trayvon then straightens. “Now have you assessed your injuries?”

I sigh. I hate this part. “Badly damaged ribs, possibility of a few breaks. Several injured cuts on my hands. Bruised torso. Long cut on my back. And a highly heightened sense of fear of flying again. Can I please just walk?”

Trayvon chuckles and shakes his head. “Sorry, but giving the circumstances you should just fly with me. It wouldn’t be good for your body for Alienis to carry you. I know you refuse to fly without a belt now.” Gracial lands, making the ground shake. I lose my balance. Trayvon catches me while a low chuckle escapes his lips. I roll my eyes and mutter my thanks as I straighten.

Trayvon grabs my arm and leads me onto Gracial. He sits me in front of him and buckles us both in. Slowly Gracial rises for my benefit. Trayvon leans forward slightly to grab hold of the belt to tighten it but is careful of my back. I pull my hair back and twist it in a bun so not to smack his face with my hair. There is a jerk pulling us both down when Gracial pushes off of the ground. Trayvon’s head brushes my neck while he tries to avoid my back. I stiffen a little when we get a little higher. Trayvon sighs and wraps his arms around my waist to ease some of my discomfort. I grip his arm, so I’ll feel like I have less of a chance of falling.

When we make it back, I’m already half asleep and in torturous pain. Adrenaline has finally left my system. My back is as stiff as a board and my hands are more than likely going to remain clinging to Trayvon’s arm for eternity. It’s dark and the city is in slumber. My body is sweating, but I’m freezing.Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

“You okay?” Trayvon asks in a whisper so not to wake anyone.

For once I shake my head with chattering teeth. “I don’t feel so well.” My speech is a bit slurred, but I think he got the message.

“Okay. Just stay here until I get to the ground.” He slips out of the belt but keeps a hand on my shoulder. I try to force myself to stay upright but it’s a little difficult. However, I manage so he slides down to Gracial’s wing. On her outstretched wing, he unlatches the belt. Without the added pressure I fall off. Trayvon huffs as he catches me. There is worry in his sparkling dark red eyes. He touches my cheek the exact moment his eyes widen. Quickly he starts to run while I try to keep my worn body aware. I see the caring opening of the red ceiling before I meet blackness.