The Last of the Dragons-Set 1

134

 Several Days Later

We were flying through the cool morning air after a less than satisfying sleep as the sun slowly started flooding the sky with light, blocking out the army of stars, commanded by the moon that dominated the sky at night. I had decided against spending the entire night resting after Lucy and her group hadn't been the easiest to keep calm and travel with. I squinted my eyes as the valley came into view up ahead.

"There it is." I said loudly.

"There's what?" Lucy asked.

"The valley. That's where we have lived for the past several years, and that's where we're taking you." I replied.

I looked up as several young dragons shadowed Doron as he descended towards the valley, calling out to announce his presence to those within it, letting them know to move aside and allow him to land. As Doron dropped into the valley, Lucy and the others looked around in awe at the army of dragons lining the valley walls. Doron set down with a ground shuttering thud as he cawed, sending echos through the valley. Magar quickly came to greet him as Veracon and Ragon landed behind him.

"Right. Try not to kill yourselves on the way down." I said as I slid down Doron's wing. 

I turned to watch as Doron and Magar reunited with each other, with Bailey close to Magar's side. She watched the two dragons for a moment before turning to come towards me. 

"Who are they?" Bailey asked as the others stumbled down the dragons wing.

"Apparently, they're our only hope now." I said as Lucy started towards us.

"Hi! My name is Lucy." She said as she held out her hand to Bailey.

"Bailey." She responded as she took Lucy's hand and shake it firmly.

Lucy turned back to her group briefly before I took her attention back.

"So, be a dear and explain the current situation to Bailey, will you?" I demanded as I prodded her forward.

Lucy gave me a nervous look, and remained silent.

"Fine, I'll do it myself." I exclaimed.

I took Bailey by the shoulder and took her off to the side.

"So, long story short, they're telling us that they've come from across the sea, where a generations long civil war has torn their home apart. They say there are nine groups fighting amongst each other for control of the land, and that they were slaves to one of them. If what they say is true, the king and his people were the weakest and most easily defeated of the original ten groups that took part. It appears as though the king and his people were driven here generations ago by the civil war because they couldn't fight against their enemies. If what they're told us is true, then we have an armada of ships circling the shore, looking for a place to come ashore. They have weapons that none of us have ever heard of before, and if they're people have more of them, which they claim to, we could be hopeless before this fight even begins." I said.

Bailey fell silent for a moment. The look on her face displayed disbelief and confusion as she took in what I had just told her.

"Wh-What do you mean? So the king was defeated on his homeland? And that's what drove him here? What force could possibly drive such a well organized and deadly military across the sea with such ease? And why would they come here?" Bailey exclaimed.

"That's my question as well. Tahli! Bring one of their weapons over!" 

Tahli pulled one of the guns from its straps and handed it to me.

"These things have far more power than any bow, and can pierce things thicker than any blade could ever hope to. While futile against the scales of a mature dragon, the younger ones could still fall to its power, and it can reach distances far greater than any catapult or long range bow could ever hope to see." I explained.

Bailey looked up to Lucy.

"Why are you here?" She asked.

"We escaped from our ship one night, and managed to evade those who pursued us. We have come to warn you, and help you defeat the enemy that will soon bestow itself upon you. They have untold numbers of these lethal weapons, and you and I both know you will need all the help you can get." Lucy replied.

"And how do we know you aren't actually here to kill us?" Bailey asked aggressively.

"We weren't sent here by anyone to kill you. We had no prior knowledge of your existence until we happened upon your dragons when our pursuers attacked them. Please, you have to trust us." 

"Trust you? Why in the world would we trust you?" Bailey exclaimed as she drew her blade and stepped towards Lucy. Doron and Magar hissed wildly as Bailey stepped confidently towards Lucy with her blade held up. Bailey put the blade to her throat and froze for a moment.

"Well?" She asked.

Lucy grunted nervously.

"Because we're your only chance."