Now, We Burn

Chapter 7 | Ember

Chapter 7
| Ember |

The sound of dragon roars cut through the air as Ember dashed through the woods, branches whipping her face and smoky air catching in her lungs.

From behind her, she heard cries from the gang's headquarters, as well as the clashing of metal and the flapping of leathery wings.

The thrill of fear and freedom coursed through her veins like wildfire.

Glancing up through the trees for dragons, Ember ran on. She had to get away -- far away from those harking gang crussers and their messed up plans for her and Eliza. If the dragons hadn't come, they would still be in the hands of those killers.

Ember's heart faltered. She skidded to a stop, falling hard to her knees, cold realization making her throat tight.

Eliza. She had completely forgotten about her sister. She had left her -- ran away without a second thought.

Shame overtook Ember as she sprang to her feet, only to fall back to her knees. What kind of sister left the only person she loved in the world? Only a filthy coward. She was no better than the gang; but she could still find her.

Ember raced back the way she had came, all the sounds she had tried to outrun coming back as she ran toward the gang, their darkly clothed figures and the blue-yellow dragonfire coming into sight. Ember left the cover of the trees, coughing in the thick smoke. Hot embers blew past her face as she started across the ruin that was the gang's fort, dread washing over her heart.

Destruction was everywhere. Gang members ran through the smoke, war cries bubbling from their throats and weapons in their hands. There were quite a few dragons hovering in the sky, and they swooped down, some snatching people off the ground, others spewing flame into the air and across the fiery landscape. Rubble and dead bodies littered the ground.

Ember swore, then without hesitation, plunged into the smoke-filled battle scene.

Someone ran past her, running through the flames and smoke.

"Eliza!" Ember cried, turning toward the figure, but it disappeared.

A loud roar deafened Ember and she ducked just as the yellow, scaly belly of a dragon came into view, flying directly over her.

"Harking hell," she gasped, staring as the dragon disappeared into the haze. Ember ran deeper into the smoke. "Eliza!" she yelled, her voice drowned out by another roar followed by the crackling of flame. Ember turned to see fire engulfing the remains of the tent behind her, the flames reaching out to her with angry tongues.

Ember ran, her heart thudding like there was no tomorrow. If she didn't find Eliza, she wouldn't want to live to see tomorrow.

"Eliza!" Ember called, coughing up the smoke that had pervaded her lungs.

"Eliza!"

From afar a figure stumbled out of the smoke billowing from what had been the main headquarters, their face blackened by soot and fire chasing in their footsteps.

"Eliza!" Ember cried, racing to the figure, ducking as another dragon swooped overhead. The figure turned. Instantly the slight smidgen of relief that had been creeping over her vanished, replaced with rage as she saw that the figure was none other than the grinning devil himself: Hugo.

For a moment across the destruction, their eyes met, before a smile curled over Hugo's lips and he started running straight toward her.

"Crussing dragon steep," Ember said through gritted teeth, every bone in her body ached to charge at Hugo, to grab his throat and choke the life out of him. But she couldn't, she had to find Eliza, if she wasn't dead yet.