The School of Dragon Riders [Dragon Riders #1]

Chapter 30 (edited)

Tanya's point of view

I was snatched from a dream by Snow's shout. I stood up, barely seeing anything in the darkness. I pulled out my sword and looked around. Armed people surrounded us. I looked to the side to see our dragons fighting theirs, but I couldn't make out which were which in the dark. My dragon wasn't injured so far.

We were greatly outnumbered. There were about twenty men in a circle around us. Fox made one of them kill himself, but before she had time to possess another one, one of them charged at her and she had to break her concentration to defend herself.

Jack was shooting them, but they had shields, so his arrows were deflected. I was positive that they were Shade's men. One of them charged at me and we started fighting. I was about to win, but more of them joined in and I had to block their attacks, almost failing more than once.

Fox had a dagger only, so she killed with her Element, but they were too close for her to do much.

Suddenly, dragon roared, and we all looked up to see Medea flying towards us on Areton. I was instantly filled with joy. She jumped down before he was even close to the ground, turning swiftly into a raven. She changed back to herself when she hit the ground, and she started summoning shadows and just killing everyone.

I moved my eyes away from her and started fighting. They were still strong, but with Medea, we could win. I felt a sword scratch my back, since I took off my armour before sleep. I doubled over in pain, and I was about to be hit again when Medea jumped in and deflected the blow. She took on my attackers and she got rid of them too quickly for a human. She seemed to have mastered controlling the Datonx side.

Seeing that the fight was over, I sat down. Medea was moving the bodies when she gasped, just as I was about to go hug her and thank her.

"Fox?" she said, looking at a body on the floor. Jack, Snow and I instantly ran towards her. Fox was lying on the ground with blood oozing from the wound on her stomach. Jack crouched behind her, but she repelled all of us with her mind, making us dizzy.

"It's too late. Find Shade...kill him. Medea... will help," she said. Then she closed her eyes. I crouched beside her and whispered her name, tears escaping my eyes. She told us about her past a few hours before.
Her dragon died when the accident happened. She even told us what the accident was, and Snow hated her for it. She always had a strong Mind Element. When she was in the first year, she lost control in anger and killed her mentor. She used a lot of her strength, and her dragon gave her his life so she wouldn't die from the strain.

She hated herself for it and lived in isolation since, but she refused to tell us anything about her family or her past.

"Fox..." I whispered, but she stopped breathing. I felt grief squeeze my heart. Jack was sitting down, head in hands, tears streaming down his face.

"It's my fault. I could have healed her," he said angrily. I was about to comfort him, but Medea was faster. She came to sit next to him, and told him something quietly. It didn't seem to work, so she kept talking until a small smile appeared on his face.

I looked back at Fox sadly. She lost so much, but at least she would be reunited with her dragon in the Realm of the dead.

"'We must bury her," Snow said. I forgot he was there. Considering he hated her, it was a strange thing for him to say.

Our attacker's dragon evaporated when they died, and our dragons didn't seem to be injured. It was sad; I've never killed anyone before. Well, I didn't kill anyone now either, Medea did, but I saw it happen.