A Forgotten Love

Spilt Blood

Obitus whipped in the air, landing a blow on Veto's back. He hissed angrily and said "You are a bigger fool than I thought you were. Harboring a human and then leaving her to fend for herself. She stands no chance against my friends"

Obitus glanced down and saw that Esperanza was up against a crowd of pirates. But the look in her eyes and the way she held the dagger made Obitus' fear for her vanish. He turned away and launched himself at Veto. "She had more strength and heart than anyone I know. I have no worry for her"

Esperanza held the dagger low and thrust, felling another pirate. Her dagger was red with fresh blood and she was moving on instinct. She ducked as a heavy arm swung a long metal rod at her and nearly got a boot in the face. She straightened and thrust the dagger again, slicing through a neck down to the bone. The pile of bodies around her grew as she slayed more and more pirates. She found the time to glance up and Obitus and Veto. She couldn't tell who was winning but both dragons were spilling blood from multiple wounds. Then a face filled her vision and she resumed her stance in front of Obitus' hole.

Obitus was breathing heavy and he ached from not having to fight this hard in many decades. He gritted his teeth and slashed downwards with his claws opening part of Veto's neck. Veto roared and spun on his tail clamping down on Obitus' back leg. Pain blazed through his veins and overtook his mind. Falling... he thought dimly, and then an eruption of strength and age old power coursed through his body and set him to wrap his legs around Veto's neck and pull back. There was a snap and Veto's neck dropped, sending him to the ground. Obitus landed beside him, staring into Veto's face. His golden eye slid open and stared into Obitus' green one.

"It's too late you know" Veto said in a rough voice.

"To late for what?" Obitus snarled.

"She's already gone. See for yourself, Dragon of the Ages" Veto whispered, vehemence still in his last whisper.

Obitus drew back in confusion. Dragon of the Ages..? But his confusion was overridden by fear that gripped him and left him breathless. He spun around and stared with horror building in his eyes as he stared at the mound of bodies left behind in the wake of Esperanza. He scanned the mound, not finding her fragile body among them. Then he looked with growing desperation at the horizon where the pirate ship sailed away. As he watched it disappeared from sight and with it his last shred of hope. Then he heard a soft sound. He glanced down at his feet and saw Veto was laughing softly under his breath. Obitus slashed out blindly and in one stroke Veto's laugh became a gurgle and he lay still. Obitus swung his head back and stared, his body growing numb and his heart desolate.

Esperanza strained her neck backwards as she watched the horizon disappear from view. Then her head was pushed forwards and she was shoved against the mast of the ship where they tied her tightly. They stood in front of her conversing in a strange tongue. But as Esperanza listened she began to pick out words even though she didn't know this tongue. She couldn't even remember what tongue she spoke in now. But the way these pirates talked and looked at her it was like they knew she could understand them. She studied them through narrowed eyes. The more she listened to them; she realized that this tongue was royal sounding. The words they used were high class and their pitch was higher than she thought that they would've used. After watching and listening for a while she replied in their tongue, having become familiar with it quickly.

"Laat me gaan! (Let me go!)" She shouted. The pirates merely smiled and shook hands. One let out a cheer of sorts. Then, who she assumed was the leader who hadn't been on the beach in the fight knelt in front of her and said

"Je gaat naar huis met uw familie (You're going home to your family)" Esperanza stared at him.

"Geen familie (I don't have a family)" But the pirate only smiled and stood, while the others dispersed leaving only one to stand guard over her.

Obitus flapped his strong wings, flying over the ocean. He was already weakened by the fight with Veto, and was thoroughly exhausted after flying over the ocean for several hours, in search for Esperanza. So far he had found nothing in his search, but he barely had any hope that he could actually find the ship that took Esperanza away. Daylight turned to nighttime but still Obitus searched, not caring if he was flying so low to the ocean with exhaustion that with each wing beat, his wingtips touched the water, creating a spray of mist behind him. The half-moon showed him nothing except water and the clear night sky. Slowly as he flew, Obitus could feel his heart breaking into a million pieces. Then his sleep ridden eyes saw something on the horizon of the water. Heart racing he gained a little altitude and saw sails billowing in the wind. If dragons could smile, Obitus did as he flew steadily towards the ship until he was over it. He circled around it a few times, earning the alarmed cries of the sailors. He flew even closer to the ship and back winged gently, landing on the foredeck of the ship. Sailors rushed out, armed with swords and shouting to each other as they came up from below decks. Disappointment settled in his heart as he looked around the ship, realizing it was a merchant's ship, that the men were ordinary sailors and not pirates. As he moved to fly off the ship, he realized that he no longer had any energy left in himself to fly away and continue the search for Esperanza. He let himself crouch down on the deck of the ship and stare at the sailors. They stared back, their shouts having died away to rough whispers as though they knew that he was no longer a threat to them, as he made no move towards them. A sudden movement from his left brought his head snapping around as a boy plunged a syringe into his shoulder, injecting him with a clear liquid. Obitus felt fire rumbling at the back of his throat and was prepared to release it, but he felt a sudden heaviness in his limbs and his brain no longer commanded him. His legs slowly slid out from under him and his head rested down on a pile of sacks. The last thing that he saw was the boy's face looking down at him concernedly with startling green eyes like his own.