The Last of the Dragons-Set 1

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      The dragons sat silently around the valley for several seconds, giving Nina time to recover from her tumble and come to her feet. She started towards Lucy, but was cut off by the young male dragon, who stepped out in front of her in order to stop her. He looked down at Nina once again, though this time with no visible aggression. Instead he seemed docile and receptive as he looked up to Doron. Doron gazed down at Nina briefly, before turning back to the young dragon and giving a single, shallow, but loud click. The young dragon turned back towards Nina and willingly lowered his head down to her as his body rested down on the ground, with his wings at his side. 

"Reach out!" I shouted.

"Shhhhh you're going to scare them again!" Amy exclaimed.

I chuckled.

"No I won't. He told them not to be afraid." I replied.

I watched excitedly as Nina slowly reached out her hand towards the young dragon, until finally, her hand came to rest on his scale covered snout. He then raised his head high up above Nina and spread his bright blue wings before letting out a hiss.

"Well done Nina! Well Done!" Lucy exclaimed excitedly.

Just as Lucy finished showing her excitement over Nina's accomplishment, the much smaller female dragon slowly approached her with her head held low to the ground, swaying back and forth looking over Lucy. She hesitated and started to step back for a moment, but Nina urged her not to silently with nothing more than hand gestures.

"Don't be scared! She won't hurt you!" Nina shouted.

The female was a duller shade of grey, white and black, yet still beautiful to look at as she approached Lucy. She tucked her wings in towards her sides and slowly crept towards the terrified young woman as she stood before the fabulous beast. Finally, the dragon bumped its head into Lucy's chest, knocking her to the ground. Any other predator would have torn Lucy apart, but not this dragon. This dragon understood Lucys intent, and rather than killing her, she decided to accept Lucys hopeful advance, and formed yet another seemingly unbreakable bond between dragon, and rider.

"That's it! Well done!" I shouted.

"Someone else now!" Tahli added.

Nina turned towards the group and motioned for one of them to step forward, and the one who called himself Micheal stepped forward. He walked past Nina and Lucy, towards a large group of dragons resting together in the bright sunlight. One by one they propped their heads up, and one of the larger females wasted no time rising to face him.

"Just hold your ground! Show her you aren't a coward! That may be all she needs!" I shouted.

The dragon did her best to intimidate the young man, flashing her wings, hissing and bearing her teeth, but none of these methods had any visible affect on him. He stood prominently in front of the dragon, showing no sign of fear as he stared death in the face. After a several long moments, the dragon stepped back and looked up at Doron, but he simply remained motionless as the young female, who was approaching Magars size despite the age difference, quickly submitted to Micheals outstretched hand, pressing up against it. Just as Micheal bonded with his dragon, one of the smaller ones, only just large enough to ride, excitedly approached the group and seemed to single out Sue. The young male dragon, for what ever reason, needed no show of bravery and instantly showed it felt bonded with sue as he pressed his comparably small head up against her side.

"That's something I haven't seen before." I exclaimed.

Brent eagerly stepped forward and started towards a large male, one of the largest in the valley, and stood down below his head without any real care for his life. The dragon hissed and showed his teeth in an attempt to frighten the young man, but Brent was not very wise and decided to taunt the dragon, rather than remain still. He shouted, jumped and threw his fists at the dragon, perhaps thinking he would come across as braver than the others, but the dragon didn't take Kindly to Brents aggressive moves. He stood up, spread his wings and shot fire at Brent, only missing him due to Brents quick reaction that took him to the side, saving his life.

"Stay still! Don't move!" 

"Brent don't move!"

"What are you doing? Stay still you idiot!"

"Everyone shut up!" I shouted.

The valley fell silent again, with only the chatter of young dragons resonating between its walls. Brent stumbled back to his feet, visibly shaken from the near death experience he had just escaped from. But this didn't deter him. He stepped back towards the dragon that had just tried to roast him, and stood confidently in front of him.

"I'm still here!" He shouted nervously.

The dragon turned back towards him and lowered his head with his teeth showing and his tongue hanging out to the side, the glands producing his fire seething toxic, biological liquids that humans couldn't hope to recreate. Brent reached his hand out in front of him, and without hesitation, placed it on the dragons snout. For a moment I expected to see Brent torn apart, but no such blood bath would befall him that day.

"Excellent!" I shouted.

Victor stepped forward, towards a mated pair sitting in the shade of an overhang of rock sticking out from the valley wall. The female huddled up against the wall, showing no interest in Victor, but the male came to face him, showing his teeth and spreading his wings to expose his sword size claws.

"Do it Victor!" Jules shouted.

Victor hesitated for a moment, before reaching out towards the young dragon, his white strips amidst his dull brown scales reflecting the suns light nearly as much as those of Magar. Victors hand slowly came to rest on the snout of the dragon.

"That's it." I said bluntly.

"And only two dead. That's lucky." Tahli added.

"Wait, look!" Amy cut in.

I looked towards the tree where Gordon had fallen. He was still moving, though not very much, and his left leg had been ripped apart by the dragon, hindering his ability to walk.

"Come on, let's see if there's anything we can do." I said.

I started down into the valley, as Lucy, Jules and the others followed, leaving their dragons where they stood. 

"Gordon? Gordon?!" Jules exclaimed as she knelt down beside Gordon.

"Move aside. Let Amy look him over." I said as I stepped up to Gordon.

Amy knelt down and looked him over a few times, checked his wounded leg, as well as tested his  ability to move and function properly. She turned back to me and silently shook her head before rising to her feet and backing away

"So be it." I said.

I drew my blade and knelt down in front of Gordon, then placed my blade to his throat to put him down.

"Wait."

Gordon slowly raised his hand up towards my blade, pushing it aside before looking up at me.

"I wish to be left to die in peace. Not put down by a measly blade." He uttered.

"If we leave you here, you will almost certainly fall prey to the dragons before any other cause puts you down." I said in reply.

He grunted.

"I'd much rather be torn apart by a flock of hungry dragons. Being silenced by a blade is no way for a man to die." He said.

"If that is your wish, then so be it." I said as I tucked my blade back into my belt and turned to exit the valley.

I turned back to see the others, including Amy standing around Gordon, with only Tahli by my side.

"Leave him. He's said his peace. You all have more important things to do." I shouted.

"And what would that be?" Jules asked as she turned towards me.

I said nothing, and simply turned to look over at the dragons, waiting patiently in the valley for those they are bonded with. 

"It's time." I said.