The Last of the Dragons-Set 1

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      We approached what remained of the village from above and circled around over head, looking down from above at the destruction that clouded my vision below. I scanned the village for any signs of life, but came up short. There was an abundance of burning and collapsing buildings that once stood proudly against the brilliantly lit horizon, but now lay destroyed in the narrow streets navigating their way through the village.

"Down!"

Doron circled around the village one last time before landing at its edge, and allowing me to step to the ground once again. As I stepped out in front of Doron, with Bailey in my arms, Veracon and Ragon landed off to the side, with Tahli and Amy joining me moments later.

"What happened here?" Amy asked.

"I'm not sure. It couldn't be the same people who we attacked on the beach. They'd have had to pass us in order to get here before us." I said.

Just then, Temamo appeared from under Veracon's wing, with Jules walking out in front of her. Ionia and Belara appeared moments later, with Lucy and Micheal approaching behind Jules.

"What happened?" Jules asked.

"We aren't sure. We're going to check it out. You three stay here with Bailey. Her life is top priority. Understood?" I asked firmly.

The three of them nodded in submission, just as Magar landed opposite Doron's position and quickly turned her attention to Bailey as I set her down in the grass at Jule's feet.

"We'll be back." I said.

I firmly gripped my bow and started into the village, with Tahli and Amy at my side. I looked around at the destroyed buildings as we wandered through the streets. I didn't want to look down at the dead bodies that filled the streets, but I couldn't help but give in to my curiosity. Most of the bodies had several small holes in them around the chest and stomach area, though some bodies still had the familiar torn open stomachs with organs lying randomly in the streets. There were bodies laying in doorways of buildings that had clearly been burnt to the ground, as well as bodies with their heads blown to pieces. I looked across the body filled streets, and noticed one that was dressed in a familiar uniform. It was the uniform of the people from the ships who we fought on the beach.

"Well, I guess we know who's responsible for this." Tahli said as she rolled the soldiers body over with her foot.

The body had a blade sticking out from its throat, spilling blood out onto the road. I looked to the side and noticed the soldiers weapons, covered in blood. I went to pick it up, not being fazed by the cold, thick blood coating my hand. The weapon had a blade locked on to the front of it, seemingly fixed on to it to be used to stab enemies. 

"That's a little odd." Amy said.

"Yeah, it is, but we've got other things to think about." I said as I tossed the weapon to the ground and started up the street again.

The three of us walked shoulder to shoulder, our feet soaked in blood as it ran un-obstructed through the narrow streets. It seemed as though nobody could have survived, before I heard a faint cry off in the distance.

"Hush, do you both hear that?" I asked as I threw my hand up.

They both perked their heads up, listening for any abnormal sounds.

"I hear someone.... Crying." Amy exclaimed.

"As do I. It's coming from that way." Tahli added as she pointed up the street.

Without another word, we ran up the street. As I rounded a corner, I froze at the sight of a young woman with blood pouring from her stomach reaching her hand out towards me with tears streaming down her face.

"My God! What happened here?!" I asked frantically as I knelt down beside the young woman, taking her hand in mine.

"W-We go-o-o-t attack-k-ed.. Th-They ki-lled us a-l-l wi-th un-seen we-apon-s. My child-ren are in th-e hou-se... Pl-ease he-lp th-em.."

The young woman's head slowly slumped down towards her chest, her hand loosening its grip on mine, then slowly slipping down into the pool of her blood.

"She said she had children in the house... We've got to find them." I said.

The three of us slowly started into the house, which had been partially burnt down and destroyed. I looked around at the first room in the house, were a young man was laying in a pool of blood on the floor, his leg severed from his body and laying off to the side of his body. I prodded him with the tip of my bow, but it was clear that he was no longer alive.

"In here!" Amy shouted.

Tahli and I both turned to the sound of Amy's voice and quickly went to join her in a small room off to the left, around a corner. I walked in and was stopped in my tracks by one of the most disturbing sights I'd ever seen. In front of the three of us, were seven children of varying ages, all covered in blood and seemingly dead on the floor. Amy covered her mouth with her hand and stumbled back at the sight of the hideous mutilation these children had suffered. The oldest, a girl, had her two eyes torn from her head, leaving just a lifeless black void in place of them. She looked to be in her early teens. The the second oldest, a boy, had his throat torn open, with his tongue, and throat insides spilled out onto the floor in front of him. Two more girls, both seemed to be the same age, didn't have any gruesome mutilations done to them, but both seemed to be dead. Two of the other three children, who looked to be approaching the age of ten, simply had been shot several times in the head, altering their looks to be those of long dead corpses, and the third just seemed to have been hit in the head with a blunt object, caving his head in and killing him. I stood their in the doorway, with Tahli and Amy at my shoulders. I felt utterly defeated at what I was looking at, but as I turned away, I heard a shuffle behind me. I paused, and slowly turned around to face the group again, and when I did, I was greet with two sets of eyes looking up at me.

"Can you help us?"