The Last of the Dragons-Set 1

48

      I waited for a moment, and got no response. Veracon was moaning behind us as he laid on his side, his shoulder bleeding out on the ground with Doron and Ragon by his side, unable to do anything.

"Micha? MICHA?!" I begged as I shook her trying to get a response.

Tahli took a knee beside me, and placed her hand on my shoulder.

"Jess... There's nothing you can do." She said.

Just then, the men who had survived the poorly executed attack came back through the trees. They passed by and one by one, they stopped some distance away from the three of us, many of them injured in the fighting. 

I looked back down at Micha, who still hadn't moved since she fell from Veracons Back.

"Jess, we can't stay here. If we do, they'll come to finish us off. You know that." Tahli said.

"Bu-but Veracon can't fly, and Micha wont survive a move." I said while holding back tears as she lay unresponsive in my arms.

"We can't risk our two remaining dragons over the recovery of one. You know i'm right". Tahli said.

I didn't answer for a moment. Unsure of what to do. If I decided to wait for both Micha and Veracon to recover, I would be risking my other two dragons, along with the rest of my army. If I decided to leave, I would certainly loose one dragon, along with my own sister.

Just as I felt like giving up, I felt the urge to turn around, and when I did I saw Jonah walking up to me.

"Ma'am... I'm, I'm sorry."He said as he dropped to his knee once again, panting.

I said nothing, knowing if I did I would start crying uncontrollably. I looked up at him as he kept his head facing the ground.

"You may rise." I said through my quivering voice.

He stood up, brushed some dust off, then looked back up at me as I put Micha down and turned to face him.

"Ma'am, I'm very sorry to inform you, but many of the men seem to have lost faith in our ability to defeat the king. After seeing the dragon screech in pain and fall from the sky, most of them appear to be doubting the dragons ability to fight this war." He said.

I said nothing for a moment, thinking of a way out of the hopeless situation we had suddenly found our selves in.

"The dragons will win this war for us, whether or not they live to see it's end, I know not." I said.

I turned back to Micha, hoping to get some kind of response from her, which I never got. Jonah placed his hand on my shoulder, before I stood up and buried my face in his chest, sobbing beyond control.

"Please, please don't allow the other's to suffer the same fate. Give the order to retreat and save what remains." He said as he hugged me.

After several minutes of mourning, I managed to calm down, and regain my composer. Tahli took a knee beside Micha as I walked over to the dragons. Veracon was trying to stand on his wing, but the injury to his shoulder didn't allow it. Ragon nudged him with his snout in an effort to help him stand, but no such thing happened. Doron stood off to the side, his head hanging low, before looking down at me. He lowered his head to me as I reached out and placed my hand on his lower jaw. I silently shook my head as he locked eyes with me. He seemed to know what was being said, as he turned and crawled away as Ragon continued to probe Veracon in an effort to aid him. I walked around Veracon and over to Ragon.

"Ragon."

He turned his head to look down at me, but did nothing. Tahli came to my side and approached Ragon.

"Ragon, come." She said.

He lowered his wing for her to mount.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Jonah is right. We can't risk the other two dragons, or our own lives, along with our army. We must move. Now. I'm sorry." She said.

Ragon roared and screeched as he took off over the men as the stood off in the distance. I watched as those who were capable mounted their horse and followed Tahli and Ragon.

Jonah looked to the moving army, then back at me.

"Go. I'll catch up." I said.

He bowed and mounted his horse, turned, and joined the army as the galloped away, until all that was left was men to injured to continue on.

I picked Micha up and started back towards the dragons.

"I don't know if you can hear me, but you must know why I can't take you with me. There's nothing I can do to help you. You are my sister, and I love you, and you will be remembered."

I placed her on the ground beside Veracon under his wing. I walked to Veracons head, which dwarfed me several times over. I reached my hand out and ran it down one of the several large spikes, pointing backwards like spears. I came eye to eye with the dragon, his eye larger than my head. I stroked one of Veracons teeth, the size of a sword, sharp, white and smooth.

"How could a gorgeous beast like this be felled by one single arrow?" I asked myself.

I walked around to his other side, with Doron looking off in the opposite direction. The arrow still lodged in his shoulder. I walked through a pool of blood that had spouted from the wound, though it had all but stopped bleeding in the time since he was hit. I reached out, grabbed the arrow, and pulled with all my strength until the arrow came loose, causing me to fall backwards into the blood. Veracon shrieked in pain briefly before dropping his head back to the ground and moaned continuously. 

I walked back up to meet Veracon eye to eye.

"You have done well, dragon. You're name will not be forgotten. And the day that your assassins are brought to their knees, your name will be the last thing they hear before they meet their death. I leave you now with your rider, whom you fought bravely with. Your brothers will fight hard, and bring those who have dominated us to their knees. Thank you Veracon. I'm sorry."

I brushed my hand along his lower jaw before I turned to see Doron approaching me. He must have sensed my decision. Veracon raised his head and embraced with Doron as they both seemed to know what was happening. Veracons cries of pain and sorrow sent shivers down my back. I wanted to put him down myself, but I didn't have it in me to kill a dragon who had fought gallantly beside me.

"Doron. It's time to go."

Doron hesitated for a moment before turning to lower his wing for me to climb. I mounted Doron, and patted the back of his neck.

"Fly." I commanded.

Doron looked down at Veracon, still trying to stand, Micha under his one good wing, before he turned away, spread his wings and took off. I looked over Dorons side to see hundreds of men laying on the ground, many of them mortally wounded. I never looked back, but the sounds of Veracons cries made my heart sink. 

"Don't look back Doron." I said through my shaky voice.