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Dragon kind works to protect everyone, every species, every plant. They are the protectors of the world, constantly working to drive off the threat of Dark Magic. Some argue that it's a living, breathing thing. Others disagree.

--Dragon Proverb--

Chapter 5

The clouds were rolling in, and with them, a thick layer of fog. Visibility was low. Arlya flew overhead, still guiding me towards what she claims is a dragon clan. Part of me wanted to believe her, but what she did to me makes it hard. What made it harder was the fact that she was kind to me when we weren't arguing, when we argued it was over the most trivial things, sometimes I wondered why she rose to my bait in the first place. But her kindness made all the guilt I had over enslaving her rise to the surface again, the memories of her taking caring of me coming back. She was kind and I don't think anything could take that away from her, even after I enslaved her she was still kind, part of me wanted to free her, and get to know her more, maybe even become friends but I shoved that down remembering my past.

Thunder boomed overhead, its echo piercing the sky for miles.

"A storm is coming, we better find shelter," Arlya said as she landed on a low branch next to me.

"And why would we do that? It's just a storm," I asked, getting right up in front of her face, baring my teeth.

"I wanted to get to the clan as soon as possible, but stopping just for a stupid storm? Heh, I think not."

"This storm is going to get much worse, it's best if we find shelter. It wouldn't be a big deal if it were just a storm, but I have a bad feeling about this."

"We keep going. A stupid storm isn't going to stop me."

"This again? You're so stubborn, listen to me for once."

"Oh? Like the first time I listened to you, and you tortured me?

"Oh, that is it! You said it yourself that I have knowledge that you need right now, and for better or worse, that knowledge is telling me to take shelter. I'm not getting killed because of a Damn stubborn dragon!"

With a flap of wings, she tore a branch from the trunk of a tree and flung it at me. I let it hit me, knowing any damage would be reflected back at her thanks to the slave curse.

Roar!

"Hah, maybe now you'll think twice before doubting me!"

"My nose, what the hell!" I roared as a thin river of blood ran down the tip of my snout from my nose.

"Unless I make physical contact with you it won't take effect, you need my knowledge, without you wont survive a day,"

"Listening to you is what got me into this situation." We both turned to see a small paw-sized crater in the ground.

Lightning struck the ground just a few strides away, smoke rose from the paw-sized crater in the dirt, the scent of rust mixed with soil filled the air, its smell slightly burning my nose.

"You were talking about taking shelter? What did you have in mind?" I asked, my heart thundering inside my chest.

"There is a small cave nearby I spotted earlier before the clouds rolled in. We will head there and wait out the storm."

"Sounds good to me. Let's go."

I noticed she was no longer flying above the tree line, instead choosing to glide from branch to branch.

"Why aren't you flying higher?"

"It's a storm." came her response. She didn't bother to look back at all, entirely focused on moving forward.

"So? What does that have to do with flying?"

She stopped, perching on a low branch, and turned to look at me.

"You really know nothing about flying, do you?"

"My parents were killed before I had a chance to learn anything, so, sorry for being so naive," I told her, lashing my tail behind me._ "I swear, she knows my parents were killed, so why is she acting like this? "_

"Flying in a storm is a bad idea, just like earlier when the lightning struck the ground. It's more likely to hit you if you are flying in the sky, and no matter how strong you are, there is no coming back from getting struck by lightning. Even if you survived the initial strike, the fall would end you."

"Thanks for the tip," I told her, my scaled lips lifted slightly in a smirk. I imagined Draconus getting struck and dying of something so simple.

Over the last few days, having a slave was nice: for once, I wasn't hungry, though I was starting to get sick of the taste of rabbit. Sometimes harpy sounded really good, but I wasn't about to kill my only way to the dragon clan. Plus, every time she annoyed me, a single command was all it took to set her straight. I loved seeing her collide face first with a tree; it always made my day. I tried to ignore the guilt I felt at enslaving her and forcing her to hurt herself.

We kept silent most of the time, ignoring the other unless I needed food or entertainment. Flying into a tree is a great way to cheer me up or pass the time. And it's not like she didn't deserve it, I hate her for everything she did, just thinking about what she did filled me with fury, even so, why do I feel so guilty?

"You know it hurts, right? Flying into a tree, I mean."

"So? That's kind of the point."

"I wish you would stop. It really hurts--"

"Oh, does the little harpy need her parents?" I brought my paws up to my chest and mimicked a pouting puppy.

Arlya let out a loud sigh before continuing on in silence.

Thunder boomed overhead, it's sound reminiscent of that night that felt so long ago. Memories flashed unbidden through my mind I closed my eyes trying to keep the onslaught of memories at bay but it was all so futile: claws, teeth, eyes full of fury... but I also remembered their touch, the way they wrapped their wings around me at night before I fell asleep, when mother's tail would curl around me as we read together.

Those days were long gone, and I wished for them back even if they were fake, even if it all ended the same way again. I missed those times of being held close, of being loved. I missed being placed first being a priority in someone's life.

I had thought those days were back when Arlya was taking care of me. Still, later when Arlya betrayed me, it made me realize that those days were long gone, and I was on my own.

It wasn't much longer before the cave came into view, it's opening mostly obscured by the thick fog; if it wasn't for Arlya, I would have walked right past it. The cave was built into the side of a small mountain that sat alone in the forest.

"I'm going to go find some wood for a fire. The fire will keep the fog and hypothermia away from us for now." She turned and was about to take off before I spoke up.

"Have fun, don't get lost," I said with a smirk on my snout.

"Unlike you, I can find my own way back," she retorted before taking off and heading deeper into the forest.

Looking at the cave entrance again, I had a severe sense of déjà vu but couldn't figure out why.

The rain started falling from the ever-darkening clouds, Causing light plinking sounds as it collided with the leaves and shrubbery.

Before my scales got wet, I headed inside. I didn't really feel like getting soaked today.

Inside, the cave went deeper, branching off into other tunnels or rooms, which is what I imagined was an abandoned dragon's den since there was no scent that indicated otherwise. But the feeling of déjà vu never ended.

The fog started to leech into the cave, covering the ground in white mist. Its touch was like cold water running along my scales, sending a slight shiver down my body.

"I'm back with wood; mind setting it on fire for me?" Arlya said while dropping the wood in a heap on the ground.

A breath of air later and fire erupted from my maw, flowing over the wood and setting it alight. Its golden light streamed through the room and lit it up ever so slightly. Its warmth ran over my red scales and warmed them slightly. I hadn't even noticed I was cold until now.

Arlya was looking out at the forest at the entrance with an unwavering gaze.

"Why are you on edge?"

"Something about this storm feels wrong. Notice how the sky keeps getting darker even though it's midday? It seems like it's almost nighttime now. Not only that, but while I was getting wood, I noticed that the clouds only stretch for a few miles or so. My gut is nearly screaming at me to run, but there's nowhere to run to."

"What do you mean your gut is screaming at you?" I asked, my head tilting to the side.

"You ever get that feeling like something isn't right? Like you shouldn't be here?" She looked back, meeting my eyes while she talked, then turned back to the forest.

I thought back to the time when I entered the cave with the dark magic book, and now that I thought about it, something felt very wrong there.

"I do. Are you getting the same feeling about the storm, or something else?" I asked her.

"I'm unsure, just that something seems very off."

"Try to get some rest. Hopefully the storm will have cleared by tomorrow, and we can continue moving. Meanwhile, this place is big. I'm gonna go do some exploration."

"Stay safe." She said. Her eyes radiated kindness and worry making guilt float to the surface once again before I shoved it down. She doesn't like me does she? Even after I enslaved her? After I tortured her?

"I can handle myself." I retorted, anger lacing my voice. " her worry was misplaced, I am a dragon, I can take care of myself." but deep down her worry touched a part of my heart I was trying to forget.

I turned and headed deeper inside, the tunnel twisting and turning or branching off into others like a large tree with never-ending branches It kind of reminded me of a bigger version of home.

After a while with no light to guide my way to the deepest parts of the den, I turned back and headed for the warm confines of the fire. I found myself wishing yet again for my vision back, how I could see perfectly no matter how dark it got. I missed it.

Arlya was on the ground sleeping when I got back, her back resting against the cold grey stone wall, her head slumped on her chest turned towards the fire, her wings sprawled out on either side of her.

I curled my claws in so they didn't hit the stone as hard and wake her, though it was very uncomfortable. It was only for a few steps before I laid down by the fire, its golden light reflecting off my dull red scales and illuminating slightly more of the cave. A ray of light hit Arlya in the face and before it woke her I shifted so it hit the wall behind her instead.

The sense of déjà vu grew this time. I couldn't shake it; something was very familiar here.

A roar echoed outside the cave, and instantly I knew the dragon behind it and it brought me back to the night my parents tried to kill me. The same roar echoed through the night as I made my escape, and then through the forest after my death.

I was on my paws in seconds.

"Arly--"

***

The night was calm. A small chamber deep inside the cave was illuminated by a large fire, behind it a small nest made of different objects from the forest brought in by the dragons who once inhabited this place. A single dragon lay curled around a ruby red egg inside the nest.

"Draconus, it's almost time. Have you found a way to avoid the curse?"

"Unfortunately not. The curse is far more intricate than I originally thought. It's taking more time."

"I see. Continue looking. Meanwhile, we must take care of this little brat until we can finally get rid of it."

"I may not have found a way to avoid the curse, but I have found a way to help us cope. The best part is, the hatchling will take the damage."

Draconus walked into the cave, laying eyes upon his red-scaled mate curled around the egg. He wished that were him--how he despised the unhatched dragon for stealing his mate, for taking his time with her from him.

"Do tell, my dear," she said, her tail parting from around the egg and beckoning Draconus further inside.

"Torture, specifically dark magic, if we set up a room with dark magic, we can torture him all we want, and he will never die, we just have to make sure enough blood is spilled before he dies; otherwise, the dark magic won't take effect."

"I do like this idea. Tell me more, my handsome dragon." She liked the idea as opposed to the other options, Killing the hatchling and triggering the curse to take effect and marking her with the hatchlings death scent, or actually having to take care of the whelp.

"Well, in theory, if we link our hatred to the torture, the dark magic will allow us to care for the childlike real parents at least until we need to torture him again, then the cycle starts again, and with my magic ability to manipulate memories it will be easy to keep the truth from him."

Her lips grew wide, revealing sharp pearly white teeth, obviously delighted with Draconus's effort.

Let's take a bet how long it will take to get rid of this little burden."

Her eyes became slits reveling in the idea from her mate.

"My Draconus, what an amazing idea. You go first."

"My dear Xolta, I would love to."

Her smile dropped into a scowl immediately at the mention of her name, fury emanating from every scale on her body.

"What did I say about using my name?"

"I'm sorry, my dear, it slipped."

"Names have power, if the wrong creature were to learn my name, with the proper knowledge they would have complete control over me, you would be wise to use an alias as well."

Draconus bowed in front of his mate in apology, his head touching the ground while his left-wing wrapped around his chest and a right paw curved over to his left.

"Continue with your brilliant idea, please," his mate said, her tail lashing behind the egg in annoyance.

Returning to his past position, Draconus made his bet.

"I bet four years before the little one is dead."

Xolta smirked, her eyes alight with deviousness.

"I bet eight years will pass before he's dead."

"And what are the spoils for the winner?" Draconus asked Xolta with a smirk of triumph on his snout.

"A single night for the winner," came Xolta's response. Her eyes alight with multiple emotions at once.

"I love that idea. Too bad I'm going to win." Draconus responded with a smirk of his own as he trotted over to his mate and laid beside her, their tails intertwined.

"Pride comes before a fall, don't say you're going to win. This is still far in the future. I think I'm going to win."

"Very well." Draconus slid his snout under his mates, their purring a semblance of contentment and a sign of their love for each other.

Crack!

A noise from the unhatched dragon distracted them both, making them both turn their heads to face the egg. They watched with rapt attention as pieces began falling away. A short while passed before the dragon crawled from it's dark prison only to enter into a new one, its red-scaled body melding well with its yellow underbelly. The mated pair named him Ymerc.

***

I stood in the same room I hatched in, having forgotten all about Draconus outside.

The nest was in disrepair, but my eggshell was still there, cracked and broken.

I remembered it all, how I could know what happened before I crawled from my egg? I had no idea. But it seems they planned to get rid of me from before I even hatched.

Tears slowly rolled down my scales and fell to the floor, plinking on the stone like water falling from the sky to hit the ground.

My heart broke again, shattered like glass into countless pieces in my chest. I thought I was strong, I thought I could come back from everything that had been done to me, I thought for once maybe I could heal. I slumped to the ground in a pile of deflated dragon scales, tears flowing freely from my eyes, my chest heaving for air. All the guilt I had shoved deep down rose to the surface, I enslaved Arlya, and I feel so bad for it, I never should have enslaved her, even if it ended up killing me. in my will to survive I had become my parents, perhaps worse than them, I had taken someone's free will away from them and then forced her to torture herself. Then on top of that I discovered my parents had planned to kill me before I had even hatched.

"Ymerc? Are you ok?"

Arlya, of course, she'd show up now at my weakest moment.

"Ymerc? What happe-

"Arlya, I free you of your chains; you are no longer my slave."

Like a rope being cut, the tether tying us together was severed. No longer could I command her. No longer did she have to stay here.

"You're free...you...can go... now," I told her between sobs.

Her talons clicked on the stone before her wings rubbed my back.

"I may not have been able to do right by you before, but now I have the chance. What happened?"

I expected her to leave without a second thought, especially after what I did, enslaving her. It was so wrong, and I'm so sorry, but she didn't leave. Why?

"Leave. You have your freedom to leave."

"Don't push me away. No matter how hard you try, I'm not leaving."

"Why? I massacred your people. I enslaved you! I forced you to hurt yourself over and over, I deserve to be left here." I hung my head as shame consumed me, as everything I had done to her hit me like a tidal wave drowning me in guilt, shame and regret, I begged for something to deliver me from my past.

"I'm here, and I'm not leaving, yes you did some bad things, but my people, in short, deserved it. You weren't the first to be sacrificed, we killed so many for our deity and you weren't the first dragon either and when I said what kind of god kills its people they threatened to sacrifice me as well. My people, despite my protests, continued their sacrifices, we deserved what you did and even if you hadn't, I likely would have done the same thing myself, before I found you they drugged me and threatened to kill me since I was against the killings and if I didn't stop they would sacrifice me, I flew away lost in thought when I stumbled upon you.

I deserved my enslavement after I was forced to kill at a young age, the first life I took was a dragon not much older than you, he had strayed from his den, and when my tribe found him alone, they lured him back with the promise of helping him find his way home, instead that night they drugged him and forced me to take his life, I still remember how his eyes looked at me before they closed for the last time, after that they forced me to take life after life, the shame and guilt growing with every life I took, but after meeting you the guilt over killing that young dragon grew exponentially. and while you were healing Asclepius looked into your past and then proceeded to tell me, I've felt guilty about it sense, I used my enslavement as a way to pay for my guilt and shame.

I see. She always did act like she knew more than she let on.

"If you know my past, then you know I'm best left alone where I can't hurt anyone, and no one can hurt me, no one can or would care about me, that's an impossibility, so leave me be."

"I told you I'm not leaving, your my friend no matter how much you wish you weren't."

She continued stroking my back, the softness of her feathers wassomehow a comfort, or maybe it was just her presence, being there in my weakest moment.

"Why? Why won't you leave? I deserve death; I deserve everything that's happened and more!"

"Because you remind me of my brother! She blurted suddenly, tears starting to fill her eyes. He died years before I found you in the forest. Back when I was a chick in the nest, I had said things to him and never apologized to him for it. I'm not making the same mistake with you."

Twisting my neck, I looked her in the eyes. Tears were filling them, tears of remembrance.

"So you see? I'm not leaving you, especially when you need someone by your side, and it's clear you do."

I turned and spit fire into the room, illuminating the nest enough so she could see the remains of my egg. I decided to trust her, or perhaps I always have and just refused to admit it till now. I don't know what happened to her brother, but for some reason I remind her of him, maybe that's not a bad thing, she already considers me a friend so why don't I do the same for her? A moment later, the flames ended, casting the room in shadows once again.

"Is that an egg?" she asked.

I sat up, looking at where the egg lay covered in darkness. I trusted her, and I wanted to be friends with her, I was done being alone.

"It's my egg, and this is where I hatched. And also where I found out my parents planned to kill me even before I had hatched. What do you know?"

"I know your parents tortured you once or twice, I also know they tried to kill you, but you escaped, then another dragon who I guess was your father burned you alive, but you came back, which I'm still trying to figure out, that's when I found you."

She doesn't know it all. Looking her in the eyes, I recounted my story from the beginning, then I told her about this room and the moment I hatched.

"I'm so sorry, Ymerc, truly, no one should ever go through that; you're so young for a dragon, and you have gone through too much for your age."

A roar sounded from outside, echoing through the forest before bouncing off the walls in the cave, reminding me that Draconus was nearby, the roar was faint but I still heard it and it was clear from Arlya's reaction she heard it too

"Is that a dragon?" she asked. Clearly hearing it for the first time. I remembered one night when I tried to wake her in her nest, once she's asleep, hardly anything can wake her, I found that flames are the quickest way.

"That's Draconus. I know his roar. It's him."

"What?!"

"I don't know how he found me, but he did, and this storm is likely dark magic. It's why you're so on edge, my parents use a lot of it, so I don't doubt this storm is because of Draconus."

"We need to leave. The rain will cover our scent and tracks; as long as we stay hidden from the sky, he can't find us."

"What's the point?" I asked

"The point is to keep living; Ymerc come on, get up, we are leaving."

She pushed me with her wings, but I barely felt it.

"Ymerc, get up. We are leaving!"

"Make me!" I yelled back.

"Very well. You asked for it."

One of her talons reached up and plucked a scale from my body.

"I know a little bit of dark magic too. I can enslave you and make you come with me, don't make me do it."

I looked at my scale in her talon. Would she really do it?

A single claw pierced her skin, drawing blood and soaking the small scale in her blood.

"All I have to do is say the words, don't make me do it."

She doesn't care that much for me, to enslave me just to make me run from here? No, no one can care that much about me.

"Very well. To the spirits of darkness, accept my offering and chain this soul to mine, allo--"

"Fine, let's go," I said as I stood on my paws and walked out of the room, heading for the exit.

I heard my scale drop from her claws and collide with the stone. It sounded more like a rock-hitting rock.

"Good, let's get out of here. If your father--"

"Never call him my father." I interrupted her, anger blazing in my eyes as I looked at her, my lips lifted showing off my pointed teeth.

"Fine, Draconus, jeez. If Draconus is using dark magic of this scale, we just need to reach the edge of the dragon's territory, and we will be safe. Again, the clan is very strict with the usage of dark magic. If we can reach it, Draconus can't touch you."

"Fine, let's go."

I sprinted out of the den, Arlya flying close on my heels. The trees were dense, which meant great coverage from the sky. Even with amazing eyesight Draconus can't see through trees... I wasn't sure if dragons could see through objects or not and the thought worried me.

"Arlya, dragons can't see through objects, can they?"

"Ugh, depends, every dragon has an innate magical ability that is theirs alone, so it is possible that dragons can see through objects, but from what you told me, Draconus can manipulate memories, so it's safe to say he can't see us through the thick foliage."

My legs burned with the effort. It was hard to run this fast. My injuries limited my speed, but I could go faster than I could a few days ago. Death is a good influencer. It pushed my pace above my limits, the pain was there with each impact of the ground, echoing up my limbs like ripples in the water, but fear had my blood pumping fast enough I barely felt it.

As mile after mile passed, the sky began to lighten from dusk back to its standard afternoon color. We hadn't heard Draconus in over an hour which I took as a good sign.

"Arlya, how much further to the edge of their territory?"

"At this speed, at least another day, maybe two." came her response from above.

I wasn't sure how long I could keep this speed up, but the fear of Draconus kept me moving.

Time passed swiftly, the clouds no longer pitch dark like tar, now more like real storm clouds, grey and dark blue.

"Arlya, stop, I need to rest." At the speed we had been traveling, my lungs nearly burst with the effort to breathe, my legs burned like fire.

She landed on a branch a ways above, looking forward and back to me as if unsure if a break could be spared. Finally, with a sigh, she gave in, her body relaxing on the branch. Her chest expanded and deflated quickly like mine, out of breath and exhausted.

"A few hours, then we continue on; Draconus could be following us."

"Agreed."

A tree nearby made for an excellent resting place. The leaves were dense enough that the rain barely fell through. Because of that, the dirt was relatively dry, which made it easier to get comfortable

Arlya was asleep before I was, her breathing falling into a rhythm. It took me a while to do the same, but eventually, exhaustion overtook me, and darkness rose up to claim my weary body.

***

A boom of thunder resonated overhead, startling me awake. A bolt of thunder struck the ground mere inches from where I lay. Above me, the clouds were once again dark like a midnight sky enshrouding everything in shadows.

"Arlya! Wake up, we have to move!"

She didn't hear me over the clapping of the rain.

"Arlya!"

Again no response.

Damn, sorry, but I have no other choice, don't hate me for this later.

A big breath in, and flames burst to life in my throat. A second later, I spewed them at Arlya, the sudden heat startled her awake, and she almost fell from the branch she was perched on.

"What the hell was that for!?"

I pointed a single claw to the sky, and she immediately grew worried.

"Ymerc, we are in dee-

A loud roar broke through the sky before tumbling away like rocks down a cliff.

"Run!" I roared.

My muscles ached from moving so fast so suddenly, but fear quickly overrode any pain I felt and turned it into energy.

"You're being tracked!" Arlya screamed down at me while maintaining her altitude.

"What do you mean I'm being tracked?" I said, trying to get air into my burning lungs.

"The storm, Draconus cast dark magic to ensure you were dead, but instead of leading him to your grave, it led him here, he now knows you're alive, and he's tracking you."

"How do you know this?" I asked her.

"I once experimented with dark magic to bring my dead brother back, because of this I know far more than I should."

Ymerc, you are in more danger than ever now, hurry!"

My element of surprise was no longer an option; instead, Draconus found me before I even had a chance. Damn him! I'd make him pay, there are so many ways I can hurt him, perhaps burn his eyes out? Or pull all of his claws out slowly and painfully?

"How much further?" I asked her, hoping it wouldn't be long, but my gut said otherwise.

"At least half a day."

If Draconus was tracking me, it wouldn't be long before he found me. I doubt I had even half a day left.

I picked up the pace with my legs burning and my lungs crying out for air. If I could decrease the time between the clan and me maybe I would have a chance of making it.

Another roar sounded, booming through the dark sky, silencing even the thunder.

"He's close. Keep running!" Arlya screeched. Her wings flapped harder, trying to stay aloft in the strong winds.

Again I burst forth, gaining even more momentum, my lungs screaming for air, my legs begging me for a rest, but I wasn't gonna stop now.

Another roar echoed through the woods, bouncing from tree to tree until it reached my ears making them twitch.

Draconus roared again, this time much closer than before, he was catching up, and there was nothing I could do about it.

I came to a halt, my paws skidding in the mud, splashing dirty water in front of me.

"Why are you stopping? Let's go!" Arlya said as she landed on a branch and waved her wing forwards.

"Arlya, he wants me, not you. He will catch up no matter how fast I move, get away while you still can, there's no sense in you losing your life too." I told her, my heart now ready for what awaited me next.

"I'm not leaving you, now come on, there's still a chance we might escape," she said, landing on a low branch in front of me.

I shook my scaled head.

"No point, Arlya, he will find me again and again, I refuse to live my life running, that's no life to live, and I won't drag you with me, now fly away before he finds me, there's no reason for you to die with me." I arched my neck in an S shape, bowing my head towards the ground in resignation.

"Why are you giving up? Get off your lazy ass, and let's go!"

Another roar sounded in the sky, bouncing through the clouds endlessly.

I shook my head again.

"Go, Arlya, I'm not fighting with you. He will be upon us in moments. You heard his roar. I'm gonna stay and face my death. I refuse to run any longer; I've been running for so very long, and I'm so sick of constantly running."

I waited a moment before looking up. The green feathered harpy I had come to know as Arlya was no longer there, hopefully flying away from here as fast as she could.

Now to await Draconus, the only thing I have now that I didn't have the day he killed me is my fire; he doesn't know I can breathe fire. Hopefully, I can surprise him with that and deal a few blows, however minor they may be.

I curled my tail around my paws in comfort. For some reason, I always felt most comfortable curled up. I might as well face my last moments as comfortably as I can.

Another roar sounded from directly above, just after lightning struck the ground next to me.

I see. The storm tells Draconus the vicinity I'm in, the lightning tells him my exact location. Hah, it was pointless from the start. I was never gonna escape that.

Looking above, I saw the one who killed me, the one who tortured me for eight long years, his eyes glistening unnaturally in the darkness, his scaled hide bright and healthy unlike my own.

Lightning flashed above us, illuminating the full power Draconus held, either by unnatural or natural means made no difference., his arms flexed with pure muscle, his teeth sharp enough to crush whole trees, and his wings strong enough to tear down entire forests. I was kidding myself when I ever thought I could defeat him and exact my revenge.

Folding his wings, he dropped through the trees, landing a few strides away, looking at me with the same eyes as the night he tried to kill me.

"Why aren't you dead?" his cold, lifeless voice reverberated from deep within his chest, carrying all the malice he had towards me.

Our eyes met, and I knew my time had come at last. Though I was resigned to die, I would make it hard to kill me. He was much bigger than I, so I would use my size and speed, and if worse came to worst, I had my dragon flames.

"Answer me, why aren't you dead!" he roared, fury lacing his voice the way lightning arcs through the sky.

"Because your flames are pathetic, you'd have a better chance at burning yourself than anyone or anything else."

His pupils turned to slits.

"I would consider your next words very carefully."

" for eight long years you tortured me, shattering both my mind and body, well now I think it's time someone shattered you!"

I jumped to my legs, sprinting as fast as I could towards Draconus.

"What can a little fly like you do?" he sneered.

"Quite a lot, actually!" I retorted

The one who wronged me for so long was directly in front of me now, death could wait as long as I hurt him however minor the wounds may be.

I jumped up and landed on his neck, digging my claws and teeth in as hard as I could.

Draconus roared in a fury.

A second later, and I released fire directly into the bleeding wounds I had created, burning the scales and boiling his blood.

Draconus roared in pain, his neck snapping towards the ground and throwing me off him.

"Dragon fire? You might be the youngest dragon in history to breathe fire. Too bad your gonna die here all alone!"

"What about me?" A green feathered harpy speared forth from the trees and scratched Draconus along his eyes, blinding him on one side. I took my chance and jumped on him again, aiming for his wings, but a slight shift in Draconus's stance had me landing on his tail. My teeth bit in, and blood flowed from the wound, spreading over my tongue.

I nearly gagged at the taste. It was like the berries shoved down my throat back at Arlya's nest.

I dug my claws in, scraping them down, trying to cause as much damage as I could before he recovered. Unfortunately, that didn't take long. Draconus moved his tail like a whip sending me sprawling through the air before smacking into the side of a tree.

My sight blurred, and when it came back, everything slowed down.

Arlya was diving down to attack Draconus again, she never caught the glint in his eye, but I did.

"Arlya, watch out!" I roared, hoping I had made it in time. Arlya glanced at me distracted when Draconus jumped up, snatching Arlya right out of the air and into his jaws, the snapping of bones breaking like glass filling the air. Arlya's last screeches pierced the dark night before Draconus bit down, separating her wings and legs from her main body and swallowing the rest of her.

It seemed like it took forever for them to fall, but the impact sprayed blood everywhere, mingling with mud and turning it tar black.

My roar shook the night. A red haze filled my vision, staining everything a deep scarlet. A moment later and I was on his back, ripping and tearing anything I could reach. But it all ended so fast, his movements sped up drastically, like he was just toying with me all along.

Draconus shook his whole body, the force sending me spiraling towards the ground a ways away. A second later, a heavy paw squished me into the mud, covering my wings in bloodied Muck.

"You think that was enough to kill me? That poor harpy dying for nothing? How does it feel to know all your effort amounts to nothing? You are, after all, nothing," he hissed from between clenched teeth, his eyes like smooth obsidian.

I squirmed underneath his weight, trying to get free, trying to live another day, I couldn't let Arlya's death be in vain, I was no longer fighting for revenge alone, but for Arlya, for everything she has done for me.

"Squirm all you want, but you won't get away this time; I'm gonna make sure I finish the job; otherwise, Xolta won't be happy with me."

A single claw pierced my wing membranes. Slowly, he drew it downward, drawing more and more blood.

"If flying is so important to you, then that's the first thing I will take from you, ensuring that no matter what, you will never fly, even after you're dead!"

A second later, sharp teeth wrapped around my left-wing, and a swift jerk was all it took to tear my wing from my body.

My roar pierced the night, louder than the thunder that rumbled through the sky. I bit the paw holding me down, trying to make him remove his weight so I could flee, but it didn't do anything.

"How courageous, trying to fight back, let's hurry this along, shall we? I have a wonderful mate to get back to, and I don't want to keep her waiting."

The flapping of many wings pierced the dark sky before rows upon rows of flames shot forward and pelted Draconus. Elation filled my heart at finally hearing his pain, but it was all too late.

With my wing lying in a pool of blood next to me, blood loss was consuming me.

A dragon flew down and landed on Draconus and bit his neck.

Shadows filled the edges of my vision, weakness took over, my limbs sprawled on either side of me. My wing still lying in a pool of blood next to me.

I reached a single paw out, trying to reach it before death, but I never made it, and darkness swallowed me whole.

***

A bright light illuminated the landscape. When it dissipated, Draconus was gone, two dragons stood close by, looks of confusion in their eyes, three more dragons hovered in the air above.

"He used teleportation magic. He's long gone by now," spoke a sky-blue scaled dragon. Two pairs of horns protruded from his skull, fins went the length of his head down to his tail, eyes the color of sapphires, and his belly a slightly darker shade of blue.

"Ymithia, check the hatchling. The rest of you scout the area. If you find him, do not engage alone."

The blue dragon said to the group. As the others left, a dragon with bright red scales floated down, her eyes red like a ruby, her belly a deep scarlet, a single pair of horns protruding from her head.

She trotted over to Ymerc, his blood loss now severe, his wing torn straight from his body.

"He will live, his wing is in dire straits, but with quick actions, it shouldn't be impossible., but we must get him back quickly. I've never seen scars or wounds like this, poor thing."

"Very well, Thank you, Ymithia." the blue dragon bowed his head in respect.

"You're welcome, Cyndrilthel," she said back.

Carefully, she reached down and picked Ymerc up in her paws. Cyndrilthel took his torn wing, and with a mighty roar signaling the others to head home, they took off, flying as fast as the winds could carry them.

***

Draconus

A flash of light marked my arrival home. Xolta was more than happy to see me, her lips lifted in a draconic smile, her eyes alight with mischief. Dark magic had healed any wounds I had received from the earlier skirmish. Outnumbered and with my job done, I decided to head home.

"So the hatchling is truly dead then?" she asked, her tail curling around her paws.

"Indeed he is. We never have to worry about him again," I responded, a devilish smirk lighting my face.

"Besides, there's no way those wounds didn't kill him. Those pesky dragons arrived far too late to save him. Even if they did, he is now flightless. I took that away from him; he would be better off killing himself."

"Good, come here. It's about time we enjoyed a nice relaxing sleep without a hatchling to wake us up."

Our scales brushed against each other as I lay next to her, our tails twining together.

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