Dragon Tails Part Two

Chapter 5

Dri flapped her smaller wings faster to keep up with the other two dragons. Frok and his expandable wings flapped with ease and at great speeds while Tarlan flew comfortably behind him. Dri pushed herself to keep up. She knew she would soon start to fall back. With a large dragon grin she kept with Tarlan as he flew out in front and Frok dropped behind. Yes! Now he can see how good I am at flying.

The group flew over a collection of small mountains. Tarlan banked to the right then straightened out. Dri dropped her right wing immediately and followed his path. Did he see that! That was so cool!

Neil laid along her neck and moved closer to her left ear. “Stop looking back to him to see if he noticed, concentrate on your flying,” he hissed.

Dri crinkled her snout and flapped a little faster to gain a little more distance. She watched as Frok did the same, he gained more height then flapped harder and overtook the pair.

“I think he heard you,” Dri said. She felt Neil shift his weight between her shoulder blades. You should be embarrassed.

Neil set eyes on the mountain range for the first time in two years. His heart skipped a beat as he recognised the view of the land Tarlan introduced to him back when they first met. Home. A wide smile crept across his face. Ever since Dri was hatched, he’d dreamed of sharing this sight with her. To bring her back to where he grew up “Dri, this is it. This is my home!”

“Home?” Dri repeated. “Which village in yours? The big one by the sea?”

Neil strained his eyes but still couldn’t tell. It couldn’t be the big one by the sea. “No, it’s towards those hills,” he pointed to the dark patch.

“Oh,”

He caught the unsureness in her voice.

“Try twenty degrees East,” Captain Tylik called.

Neil’s cheeks grew hot as he looked East. There sat his small village so clear he could see it.

“That's it? I can see it!” Dri yelled.

With her actions and his stupidness, his cheeks begun to burn. We aren’t impressing them at all. A thought hit him. I don’t care, soon I’m going to shoot or run my sword through the orange monster's scales. His anger returned as the village came into view. He could almost see the smoke from the burnt out building rise into the air like it did when Kieetah and Itchum attacked. The heat of the red dragon's flames seemed to burn his skin once again, even the smell of burning timber and human flesh filled his nostrils. The image he imagined of his parents huddled together, unable to escape their home as it burnt down around them entered his mind. Their screams for his help along with the crackling of the fire deafened him. He never witnessed their deaths. He was too busy out wondering what all the noise was and left them to die. For that, he tortures himself every day since.

“Neil?” Dri called. Something’s wrong. She dropped back. “Neil answer me!”

She looked to Tarlan and Skeat as they kept flying. Can they noticed his stiffness and silence and tell me what’s happening? She could feel the elevated warmth of his body. His muscle trembled as sweat ran from his limbs to her scales. This isn’t safe!

“Tarlan!” she yelled then opened her wings to glide down.

She caught their attention. Tarlan spun around to follow her, Frok circling above. She could hear Tarlan and Skeat call her name but she couldn’t answer. She only had ears for Neil if he decided to talk. I have to get him to the ground.

Skeat held her harness tight as Tarlan dove down after Dri. “Neil!” she yelled. No answer, the human didn’t even react. Must be out of hearing range. She grabbed her radio and pressed the transmission button. “Neil?” He had to hear that! Still no reply.