The Damsel and the Dragon

Chapter Four: The dragon's keep

Bastien's vision blurred as he was lifted higher and higher, out of the chamber and away from his friends. The dragon's powerful wings beat the air, carrying him towards an unknown destination. He could see the ground below rapidly shrinking as they flew towards the exit of the chamber.

Bastien's eyes strained to stay open as he was carried away by the dragon, the world below shrinking into a blur of colors and shapes. In the distant sky, he could see the shadow of the massive dragon's wings beating against the air.

The taste of fear and betrayal lingered on Bastien's tongue as he was carried away by the dragon, leaving behind his supposed friend Prince Laurent. He could also taste the salty tang of his own sweat as he gripped his sword tightly.

The dragon's powerful wings beat against the air, creating a deafening roar that drowned out all other sounds. Bastien's body jolted with each powerful beat of the dragon's wings, causing him to grip his sword tightly and hold on for dear life. His heart hammered against his chest, and he could feel the wind tearing at his hair and clothes.

Bastien's grip on his sword was tight, his fingers growing numb from the strain as the dragon's movements jostled him. The wind whipped against his skin, stinging as they rose higher into the sky.

And soon, the sky lightened for a few seconds, followed by the clouds' roar, waking Bastien from his terrified state.

"It's a nightmare! It has to be a nightmare. Please, God! Let me wake up!" He roused with just enough time to see the shape of its lair before the dragon brought him in.

The dragon swung haphazardly, fluttering its wings as if losing control.

Bastien thought the dragon was just toying with its food, with him, before the event, but no. There was something wrong with it. An otherwise swift and terrifying being was agitated, fluttering inside the cave, and then, it released its grasp on Bastien.

The dragon swung its front claws, trying to get to him.

It lost its grip.

The dragon roared.

Bastien fell into a pit, the dragon's roar echoed in his ears as he tumbled through the air, closer and closer to the darkness below. His sword slipped from his hand, lost in the chaos of his fall.

After countless hours flying in the dragon's claws, his whole body reek of pain. He couldn't hold on, no matter how much he wanted to. The last thing he saw was the dragon roaring, looking as distressed as he was, before he hit his head and everything went black.

"What was that?" Paul paced from one corner to the next. "How did this happen? A dragon came out of nowhere." he couldn't help but keep walking to burn away his energy, his anguish.

Elodie came out of the room where Laurent and Xavier were discussing something, Elodie walked slowly, but decisively toward him.

"I don't know," Elodie said, her voice shaking slightly. "But we have to focus on finding Bastien."

Paul stopped pacing and turned to face Elodie. "Yes, you're right. He could still be alive."

They both looked at each other, knowing what they had to do. They needed to find Bastien before it was too late.

"Laurent and my father are working on a plan," Elodie continued. "We need to trust them."

Paul nodded, feeling a sense of comfort in knowing that there was a plan in motion. But the worry for Bastien still gnawed at him.

He knew that they had to act quickly. They had to find Bastien before it was too late.

Bastien screamed like his life depended on it, but it really didn't. He was just exerting himself and wasting away the little energy he had left. He wanted to rid himself of the nightmare he found himself in, but he woke up in a strange place instead of his comfy and feathery bed.