The Last of the Dragons-Set 1

200

  The Next Morning

"All of you up! Now! Or have you guts blown out!"

I shot to my feet from the ground, starving and sore to the sound of soldiers shouting and gunfire going off, followed by the screams of people cowering in fear. Bailey clung to my side as soon as she came to her feet, with Amy, Tahli and the others in the cage with us following. After a moment, the gunfire stopped as soldiers stepped forward and began to unlock the the cage doors, and prompted everyone to come out. 

"What's going on?" Bailey said quietly.

"I don't know, but no matter what, don't argue, and don't fight back. Whatever they want from you, do it. Even if your shoulder starts to hurt." I said.

Slowly, they began to line everyone up in, before going to discuss with each other. After a moment, they all turned around and faced us. After a moment of silence, one of the soldiers, with a slightly different uniform than the others stepped forward and started looking down the line of people. he had a much taller helmet that ended in a point, perhaps a foot tall, and several flashy pieces of metal, and a long green sash across his chest.

"He's one of the ones in charge. He gives them orders." The young man said in a whisper.

The soldier stepped forward and approached middle aged man standing just down the line from me. A sinister grin grew across his face, while a look of horror grew across the mans face. The soldier grabbed the man by his shirt and threw him to the ground before dragging him out far enough for a several of us to see. He pulled the man to his knees as another soldier came and forced the mans mouth open and grabbed hold of his tongue with a pair of grips. The lead soldier then pull a blade and cuts the mans tongue from his mouth as he screamed in paid before falling to the ground. He then plunged his blade into the mans chest and twisted it several times, then pulling it back out. The solider then turned and faced the line as the man collapsed and died on the ground behind him The soldier stood their for a moment before locking his eyes on the four of us, then began to walk towards us.

"Stay calm." I said softly.

He stopped in front of me and kept a very stern look.

"Should any of the four of you make a mistake, that will be your fate. You're lucky we left you alive. Your dragon wasn't so lucky. It's likely dying painfully as we speak. Now, get to work." He said before turning and walking away.

As he walked away, everyone in the line hurriedly started into the camp and started working. Sharpening weapons, tending to horses and soldiers, washing clothes and fixing damaged equipment.

"Whatever you do, don't stand around." One man said as he walked past us.

"Come on. Let's go help them." I said as I started towards some people sharpening weapons.

The four of us picked up blades and began working as a soldier walked past, eyeing us up and down.

"Why do they even use these if they have those guns?" Amy asked.

"Those guns run out of shots at some point. If that happens, they do need something to use just in case." One of the women responded.

"Janice! Janice!"

We all looked up to see a young girl running towards us with a small knife in her hand as one of the older women stood up.

"Lacey! Hello dear. Here, let me have it." The women said.

The young girl sat down with us as we continued working, shocking the four of us.

"They hold children here too?" I asked.

"Yes. And we aren't all there is. Most of their work force is slaves." Another one of the women said.

Janice finished off the blade the girl had brought her, just as a pair soldiers walked by. One of them motioned to give him the blade as he handed the other soldier his gun, before taking the blade. He examined it up and down, before smirking.

"Well, it could be better. Let's see how well it works." He said.

He suddenly lunged at the girl and grabbed her by her hair and pulled her towards him as she screamed and kicked, desperately tried to escape his grasp.

"Lacey! Let her go you bastard!" Janice said as she jumped to her feet.

But just as she stood up, the other soldier pulled his weapon to his shoulder and fired off a shot, hitting the Janice in the chest, knocking her back.

"Janice!" Lacey screamed as tears streamed down her face.

The soldier raised the knife above his head and brought it down onto the girls head, before pulling it to the side and stabbing it into the side of her neck, then tossing her to the ground as she gasped for air and flopped around like a fish out of water. The soldier then tossed me the bloody knife.

"Make it better. That won't do at all." He said as he laughed and walked off with his partner.

"Help her!" Bailey shouted as she ran to Lacey's side.

I stood over her as Lacey died in her arms, gushing blood from her head and neck as Bailey looked up at me with blood red eyes and tears streaming down her face.

"We've got to get out of here."

End of book 3

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