The Dragon Hunter

Chapter Eight

I followed the men. One warrior in the front, one in the back, Becken next then me. Tyson on the side of me.

"So Vina-okay if I call you that?" Tyson started.

"I guess." I said with a shrug of my shoulders.

"Why'd you want to be a hunter?"

"My parents were killed by dragons." I tell him.

"Oh?" He replies.

"Yeah, I was very young."

"Yes, you were ,it's quite unfortunate."

"Wait, how did you know?" Tyson begins to blink his eyes and fidgets with his pin on his cape

"Well I mean I've heard the stories. It's not like I was there, that would be absurd. I've just met you." He kicked his horse and rode a little up ahead of me. Did he know something? I mused silently. Then I matched pace with the warrior. He scared me, but I had one question to ask

"Something wrong?" I turned towards the warrior. His helmet is bright in the sun.

"No sir, I just have a question." I replied smiling at him.

"What is it?"

"My friend, Beckens son, Tobin, he wishes to be-"

"Were here." Becken cut through our conversation as we arrived at the cliffs of Newham after going through several villages. The snowy village built into the cliffs now abandoned as the dragons made it their home. My butt ached from the rough ride and the non stop ride.

"We know the nest is somewhere in here." One of the warriors said.

"And once we do, what happens then?" Tyson asked

"Once we find it, we'll destroy them all!" Becken said, raising his bow. The warriors hopped off their horses, ther capes blowing in the wind. Their hands on their swords. Tyson hopped down and strapped on a sword and put his own bow onto his back. We all trudged through the snow, slipping and sliding as we went. We reached the top of the cliff and looked about, then a warrior pointed,

"There, just above the next ledge." We followed his finger, Becken used a telescope, there we saw the spiky end of a Slayer. We dropped down and crawled through the snow which sent shivers down my spine as it was so cold. I wish I'd brought my leather gloves with. Becken put his hand up and we stilled.

"Come on Hunter, this is your chance." He said softly as he met my eyes. With a glup, I made my way to jm. There, a few feet away was a dragon. My breath hitched and my fingers shook as I notched an arrow.

"Do you want me to hit it?"

"Don't be daft girl, of course I do."

"But won't it awaken the others?"

"And?" I sighed but aimed my arrow at the green colored dragon. Then I hit it, but just the paw, in my nervousness, I'd miss pointed the bow. It roared and we all backed away as it came towards us. A whoosh sounded above us and we saw a whole host of dragons above us

"Becken!? What do we do?" Tyson said nervously.

"Kill them all." As we ran for our horses, we fought each one, killing many. Soon I found myself face to face with the slayer. It's red scales shiny and it's yellow eyes burned with anger. I dodged some of his spikes he threw at me.Soon my back hit something hard. I felt the cliff right behind me, I was trapped! Everyone else was so engrossed in their own fight that they didn't see me. And if I shouted, it would just upset the dragon even more. I turned to look at it, it opened its mouth and a crackly white electricity started in his mouth, rising like bile. I threw my dagger and hit it in it's paw. It roared and spit electricity at me which hit me in the stomach. I fell to my knees. It lunged and threw me across the snow. Then pain slammed into my arm as it's poisonous spikes sdug into my arm. I notched an arrow but my nervous system began to fail from the poison I heard a cry from a warrior and soon a net was thrown over it. The dragon struggled, but it's scales began to burn off as the warrior had laced poison on it. Before closing my eyes, I saw it blow away to ashes.

Becken picked me up and I felt him carry me away, my body bounced as they ran. The roars of the dragons fading in my ears.

"Stay with me." I heard Becken whisper in my ear.

"Sir, we need to get out of here. There are more coming." Tyson's voice was urgent. I opened my eyes to see a dragon bearing down on us. I raised my arm and let an arrow fly, the dragon fell with thud. Becken looked down at me as I closed my eyes once more. I felt myself being lifted onto the horse and my head hit something solid. Then it was thump thump for a very long time until,

"What happened?" An angry voice sounded

"The dragons, we couldn't-"

"You told me you'd protect her."

"We tried Gavina, but there were too many." Gavina scoffed

"Give her to me." I felt myself being transferred and smaller arms wrapped around my body. Then slowly I felt my body sway as Gavina carried me into warmth and then set me down into softness.

"Here Gavina." I heard a shaky voice say

"Thank you Tobin." Then I felt coldness on my cheek, and tightness over my ribs as Gavina wrapped them. Then soft lips on my forehead as she kissed me. I heard a chair creak and then I let myself go.