49

992 51 0
                                    

     Doron flew for several minutes, before up ahead, I saw Ragon through the clouds flying back and forth. Moments later, I began to see the army traveling below. They looked like ants at the height we were flying at. Doron gave a flew hard flaps of his wings to catch up with Ragon. As Doron flew to Ragons side, Tahli looked over at me. I shook my head, and she looked down at Ragons back briefly, before looking back over to me. We dropped down to just above the ground, and observed the army as they galloped along the open terrain. Many thousands had died in the assault, but so many more never even got close to the front lines, that I couldn't see any difference in the amount of men. We flew for several hours, until finally, the cliff we had spent our last night before the assault sleeping above came into view. Doron and Ragon landed at the cliffs edge as the army settled below.

"You okay?" Tahli asked as she walked up to me.

"I'll be fine. That's what happens in war." I said in a bland tone.

Tahli said nothing more as she turned and walked back to Ragon. I walked to cliffs edge and looked down the sheer drop, momentarily considering jumping over the side to escape the situation I had put all these people in. But Doron once again seemed to sense what was going on, and nudged me back with his nose. 

"Don't worry. I'll be fine." I said to him.

He turned and crawled over to Ragon as he groaned. The two dragons brushed up against each other, both of them moaning and crying out, seemingly mourning the loss of Veracon and Micha. My heart broke at the sight and sound of such massive, terrifying animals crying out for their brother.

"They seem sad." Tahli said.

"Can you blame them?" I replied.

"No, I can't blame them. I just hope they're willing to fight again after that." She said.

"Perhaps we shouldn't use them to fight. Maybe we should give the whole idea up. Maybe we should let them go, and be free." I said.

Tahli looked at me like I had just said the most outlandish thing she'd ever heard.

"Are you insane? If we let them go off on their own they'll certainly be hunted down by the kings army and slaughtered." She replied with a sense of urgency.

"I'd rather they die free than captive members of a pointless military." I said.

Tahli gave me hugged, patted me on the back, turned, and walked back over to Ragon as he squirmed around like a dog trying to get comfortable to sleep. Doron came back to my side and dropped his head down beside me. I rubbed him behind one of his spikes just as I would a dog. He moaned as he slowly started to close his eyes. I laid up against his side and began to cry again. He briefly opened his eye and looked down at me as I sobbed, before falling back asleep. I didn't get much sleep that night. I remember seeing a star I didn't recognize, as if a new dragon had risen up to the sky.

"If you can hear me, i'm sorry." I said as I looked up at the stars.

I looked over the cliff to see the army sleeping under the star light. Doron shuffled slightly, which startled me. I debated with myself all night over whether or not I should give up the idea of Overthrowing the king or just giving the idea up and admitting defeat. I just hoped that whatever decision I made would be the right one.

The next morning, just as the sun was coming up, I was woken by the ground thumping violently for a moment, along with Tahli. I I turned over to See Doron a few dozen feet away with blood in his teeth, and a dead elk laying on the ground in front of him with another in his talons. Ragon landed just behind him with his own prize. I walked to Doron as he swallowed the second elk whole.

"I didn't even realize you two had gone off during the night."

Tahli reunited with Ragon as he enjoyed his breakfast, stroking the under side of his neck as he swallowed a small deer he had caught, before she walked over to me.

"Jess... Are you okay?" She asked.

"I've certainly been better." I replied.

"Jess.. I know you're tempted to drop the whole thing, but you and I both know that's not a good idea. Even if the dragons don't get killed after being freed, it's a safe bet that we, along with the entire army and their families would be either imprisoned or killed. We can try to do it without help, but if we use them, like, really use them, you know we can win. Veracon getting shot down was a freak accident. As long as we fly carefully, they wont get another." She said.

I didn't know what to say, so I just turned and walked away. Doron followed me as I wandered aimlessly away from the cliffs edge, just like a child follows his mother.

"I don't know what we're going to do." I said as He came around in front of me.

"For now, we do nothing. We don't run, we don't fight. We wait. I'm not willing to risk the two of you after what happened." I said.

I had never thought I would even see a living dragon, after I had, I never imagined that I would develop such a close bond with one, I just hoped I wouldn't regret it.

The Last of the Dragons-Set 1Where stories live. Discover now