The Dragon Tails

Dragon Lord Flame (Pt. 6)

Flame pushed himself harder and harder until he was at the point of ripping his weak wing off. Even then he didn't slow down.

His jaw opened and clamped shut around Crystal's underjaw. The speed he'd picked up in those short seconds was enough to knock the she-dragon off her feet and ram onto her back, placing a nice bent in the sand and packed dirt beneath that.

Flame didn't let a second pass as he released her and shoved off. Then he was running on three legs toward the forest.

Crystal roared in outrage behind him and he felt her pursuit as the earth shook.

Finding the right tree was easy, Kati had hidden under it plenty of times whenever they played a game she called 'hide 'n seek.' Once the ocean had risen almost to the mountain base and the salt water had eaten away at the dirt between the roots of many of the trees. One in particular had roots so thick that there was only one entrance beneath them, and it was the perfect place to hide Kati, until he could dispose of Crystal.

They barely made.

He'd just shoved Kati inside when the blue she-dragon rammed into him and they tumbled, destroying foliage and smashing trees as they rolled. Teeth snapped and claws dug deep, tearing scales and scarring tough hides.

But again the situation rebelled against Crystal. She was a water dragon, the open air wasn't her only weakness, but the harsh earth was too.

The first sign of weakness was when two of her talons suddenly went flying from the muscles that sheathed them. She screamed violently at that. The second was when her newly mended wing crashed into a tree and completely ripped from her shoulder. Now she was disabled and in an abundant amount of pain, and Flame was quick to use the advantage.

He found purchase under her bleeding shoulder and his claws sunk deep into the flesh. Then his teeth grabbed under her jaw once more when she came around to bite him off.

Crystal was beaten.

But he didn't let go. He couldn't.

She was a threat to Kati: his human.

She was a threat to all humans.

And as protector of any who chose to sail near his island, Crystal had to be killed.

"Flame don't." The words were whispered amongst his murderous thoughts and he nearly didn't hear them. It was the voice that made him pause in completely ripping Crystal's head from her neck.

It was Kati's voice.

And she was speaking in his head. It sounded different in his head; airier and sweeter, it'd lost the toughness she usually spoke with.

He glanced around and found her standing far enough away to be safe, but still too close for his comfort, even with the threat under his command.

"Let The Eight judge whether she is to live or not. Don't put her blood on your fangs, she's not worth it."

Flame's nostrils flared. He didn't want to let go. She may have stopped struggling, but it didn't ease him at all, even with Kati in his line of sight.

Something creaked in the distance and Kati turned around to face Lady Coral as she pushed through the forest. The trees creaked as she walked through, parting them with her huge frame. The Eight were built heavier than all of their children, and even with Coral as the smallest of them all, she still stood taller than Flame could, and therefore Kati looked like a little ant compared to his aunt.

Flame didn't like seeing how small Kati was compared to his aunt, but Crystal was more of a threat than Coral, and so he settled for just watching, and every muscle tensing in anticipation.

Coral lowered her head to Kati in a greeting and in respect. Then she turned to look at Flame. Out of all his aunts, Coral's eyes were his least favorite. They held the oceans, and therefore whitecaps could always be seen pushing to and fro in her gaze. It unsettled him.

"Peace, Dragon Lord Flame." Coral spoke aloud, something only the sisters could do. "Crystal's wrongs have not been overlooked."

That took a little weight off his shoulders.

"She will be judged before The Eight, and sentenced to either death or Grimm."

Crystal stirred at those words, but Flame wasn't sure which one made her flinch more. Death and Grimm weren't much different from each other.

Slowly, so slowly, so that Crystal could feel every single wound, Flame released his grip and pulled his claws from her bleeding and broken body. She only groaned. She wasn't stupid enough to move while he still stood watch.

As he stepped back, relinquishing his command of her life to The Eight, Coral visibly relaxed. Flame understood her relief. He took after his mother in his ways of rebellion and quick temper, but today he pushed away that stubborn part of him and accepted the fate The Eight would deliver.

"Thank you, Flame."

He inclined his head in acceptance, but still said nothing. His gaze had moved downward to where his human had sat her back against a tree trunk and was crying silently.

Flame moved slowly, his body protesting with every jolt, until he stood over her. She held his gaze, like always. She was never fearful of him, and that was something he was grateful for. He dropped his head when she held out her hand. It was the first thing she did when she woke up after he saved her from the wreckage, and it was so familiar that he closed his eyes and pressed the soft spot of his nose against her small and warm hand.

"Thank you, Flame." She whispered, her voice so quiet even in his head. It was broken too. Scared of what had just happened. But the words meant she was relieved, and so he was happy to answer.

"You're welcome, Kati."

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