Dragon Scales

Chapter 30

The earth shook. Fear ignited in the hunters and humans alike. Something was coming at them. Something big. Huge. “Evil...” Aresa groaned.

“Move out! Leiha, take Aresa and Inor somewhere safe! Thon, Mevin, Regorn, come with me, Dion, Xinor! Go right! Migor help Leiha!” Grenin commanded. Everybody quickly
obeyed.

Leiha struggled with Aresa. “You help Inor, I'll carry her.” Migor didn't want to waste any time, he wanted to get away from whatever was coming at them. He carefully picked Aresa up and Leiha guided Inor.

They moved as quickly as they could, their hearts drumming from fear.

They almost ran, adrenaline powering them on.

While Migor held Aresa in his arms, he felt a strange feeling as he looked down at her. She looked horrible, and Migor felt like he had to protect her. Migor stumbled over a root and
twisted his ankle. He fell on top of Aresa.

“Ow. What?” Aresa opened her eyes.

“I fell,” Migor quickly explained and pushed himself up, however the pain in his ankle intensified and he grimaced.

Leiha stopped, “Come on, hurry!”

“I can't walk.” Migor shook his head. Someone screamed, the noise echoing eerily through the trees, and Leiha
flinched.

“Go on without us”, Aresa spoke.

“If I leave you here, I leave you for death,” Leiha frowned.

“I am as good as dead already. It doesn't matter. Go!” Aresa said and closed her eyes.

“Take this. It belongs to you.” Leiha stepped forward and lay a little bag into Aresa's hand. Migor looked curiously at it.

“Thank you,” Aresa whispered, a sad smile on her lips. Leiha nodded, hesitated for a second, then she vanished into the trees, Inor leaning heavily on her.

Migor looked the way he assumed Grenin and the rest were.

He could faintly hear yells and then a deep roar. Migor looked down at Aresa.

“Sounds do travel weird in this wood. We haven't gone very far, and now it sounds like they're very far away.” Aresa didn't answer.

“Whatever that is, its going to kill them.” Migor shook his head and looked up again.

“No!” Aresa snapped, opening her eyes. “It can't kill them. It can't.”

“Really? Do you think they're invincible?” Migor lifted an eyebrow at her.

“No. It can kill them, but at least I hope it doesn't.” Aresa's voice was tired and filled with pain. “We need to go help them.”

“You're crazy. You can't move and I can't walk, there is no way we can help them.”

“Yes there is!” Aresa growled. She pushed herself into a sitting position. Migor watched her amazed.

Aresa looked at the little bag in her hand. She tried to open it, but the strings closing it were knotted tightly together.

“Here.” Migor gave her his knife. Aresa quickly cut the strings, then gave the knife back to Migor.

“Thank you for lending me my knife.” Migor grumbled. Aresa ignored him.

“What is in it?” Migor asked his curiosity overcoming him.

“I don't know, but it was supposed to help us,” Aresa answered. She opened the bag and carefully turned it upside down. A thin bracelet fell on her hand. It was made of small grey scales that where in an oval shape.