Zartiyil’s P.O.V.
When we finally broke through the last cloud barrier I finally managed to see the land the humans lived in. They lived on the ground. But all the land was covered in a green blanket. Some of it had crops growing from the ground.
I loosened my grip on the reins to take a look down. There were humans there. They were tending to their crops as if it was a daily thing. Why is this? In my realm any grass or plant is practically worshipped. I had never seen much grass except for the hunting grounds and the sacred place.
A couple of the humans looked up at my fleet. They all looked like me! Sure their bodies weren’t finely muscled like mine. Nor did they have my sharp nails or dragon jewel eyes. But they did look like me. I was shocked when instead of cowering in fear they simply returned to work. That made no sense. Didn’t humans hate and fear dragons? Isn’t that why we are attacking?
I look to my left and spot a veteran warrior. He was a calm sky blue color and he was lacking an eye and a talon. But he had been there and seen it all.
“Ruthor, may I ask you a question?” I hollered at him through the roar of the wind.
“Ask away Princess.” His grumbled reply echoed back to me.
“Why is it the humans below aren’t cowering in fear? I thought all humans feared dragons…” I tailed off and sneaked a look back at the ground. A young human girl ran after a ball. She peered up and spotted us. Waving, she smiled a toothy grin and skipped off.
“It is because they do not fear us. They know we have not come to harm them. They are called the Outsiders of the human society. It is said they bred with elves and although they didn’t ride dragons back then. They made peace with them. When the war broke out they took no side, but in return the humans banished them.” Ruthor finished and made a banking turn to the back as the rotation continued.
Elves he said? I look a little harder at the ground. I spotted the little girl run back to hear spot dragging what seemed to be her mother behind her. She waved again and began to jump up and down. Her hair moved to show her long pointed ears that stood out. The mother smiled equally and waved back.
“Zarti, I would suggest that we focus more on our mission for now. Maybe later you can learn about the Outsiders. But for now we must fight.” Zralor voiced rumbled from beneath me.
He is right. And I hate when he is. Especially right now, in this exact situation. For I wanted nothing but to turn around now and head back home. To be flying with Zralor around the nest without a care in the world. No worries about if you’re going to be hurt. Or if some of the dragons your flying with right now will be flying with you on your way back.
“You are right…I need to focus…focus…focus…” I smacked myself a few times to wake myself up. I felt a strong gust of wind blow back and smack me in the face. So she decided to come after all.
A large blur zoomed past Zralor and I then took a sudden turn to meet with us. It was Medica. Medica was a medical dragoness. Hint the name. She was faster than the solider but couldn’t fight like them. Since she was born with no talons. Terrible for fighting but excellent to digging lodged objects from injured dragons after battle. Her scales were a light pink color and had this shimmer to them. She gave me a gentle gaze.
Medica and I go way back. When I first arrived here I caught a disease common for dragons. It was just a small cold, but I guess I was more affected by it due to not have adapted to the dragon lifestyles. Since my mama was away on a trip and Zralor was staying with a friend. Medica came and took care of me for seven moons straights.
“I can hear the wheel turning in your head, Zartiyil. Are you worried about the battle?” Her soft voice almost startled me. But I caught my composer before she noticed.
“I guess…”
“You guess? I believe I asked you a yes or no question. Has your time with me back then meant nothing?” She chuckled with a scolding tone.
“I’m sorry ma’am. Yes, I am really worried for this battle.” I admitted and looked down at Zralor’s golden head scales.
“That is acceptable. Even the most highly trained elite dragons get the pre-battle jitters. I can bet that that his and her Majesty along with your mother are feeling the same way. For no matter what others say you are the princess. Without you the kingdom has no heir. At least no direct heir.” Medica muttered while gliding circles around Zralor.
“I guess that makes sense. Whenever you went for a fly-along to your first battle were you scared?” I just hoped she would have time to answer before we reached the battle site.
“Yes very. But my mother was with me that time. She was also a medic dragon. I remember the battle clearly. It was the battle of Blood Canyon…” She trailed off and looked away.
Blood Canyon was written down in history as the bloodiest battles we have ever had with the humans. Over half of the fleet that attacked died. And the rest were severely injured. Those who survived were labeled as eternal elites. You could still see them relive the battles every day in their eyes.
“My mother fell that battle. She was trying to help a dragon who had a wing torn off when a human group used a chain to choke her to death. I was searching for said dragon’s missing wing. I found it and returned in time to watch that last drop of life slip from her eyes.” Medica looked down and her eyes darkened with a sad color.
“But the past is the past Medica! Because right now we are about to make history!” Zralor screamed out as I looked down. The site was enormous. It was like a kingdom. The middle of the site was a large heavily protected fortress with several towers. The area surrounding it was just a long series of villages.
This was it.
“My people! Today we shall attack the humans! Today we shall make history! I know that many of you think I am an unworthy leader and princess. But that doesn’t matter now! We are all here together. We will fly together. We will fight together! We may even die together! But most of all we will return home together!” I shouted to the battalion behind me.
Even though I knew many of the dragons disapproved me as their princess. They forgot at this moment. For they all broke into loud cheering roars.
“Attack my warriors! ATTACK!!!!” I screamed pointed at the large fortress. With several hundred roars they all began to dive bomb the fortress.
I held onto Zralor as he dived towards one of the towers with his talons extended. Suddenly I saw a large boulder be flung from that same tower.
“Boulders! Evasive maneuver Zralor! Now! Now! Now!” I ordered Zralor pulling on the harness. He did as I told him and barrel rolled from side to side to avoid the boulders.
“Hold on Zartiyil! I am going in for the catapults!” I nodded and held on as he flew up to one of them that had just flung a boulder at us. I heard him inhale deeply then let out a large burst of flames. He easily set the catapult on fire. But before he could react another boulder was flung from what seemed like nowhere.
He screeched and did a backflip in midair to avoid it. The sudden movement knocked me off balance and I hung from Zralor with only holding onto one of the chains.
“Zralor! I can’t hold on for much longer!” I screamed at him trying to draw his attention from the battle. He flung his head in the opposite direction and I was flung back onto his head. I reached and picked the other chain back up to regain my posture.
I looked up to see how the battle was going on to see nothing but flying boulders, fire, and pure madness. I looked to see Ruthor flying with a catapult in his talons. It looked as if he was going to drop it on a tower.
I meant to yell and cheer him on, but my words got caught in my throat as a flaming boulder soared and made contact with Ruthor. I could hear the crunching and sizzling sound even from my position. I watched as a kind, noble dragon fell deeper and deeper till his might body was nothing but a small dot.
Rage filled me to the top as I was washed over with such strong emotions. I could tell that Zralor felt the same way. I whipped the chains and sent Zralor fling to collide with a tower.
I turned and watched as the tower crumbled and fell to the same location that Ruthor fell. I had taken such a short moment of the pride I didn’t take notice of the flying chains from the catapult below us. They had boulders attached to the ends of them. They wrapped themselves on of Zralor’s wings. I felt as the wind turned and we began to fall.
I let go and began to crawly along the back of Zralor. Zralor used one wing to decrease the falling speed as I struggled to find the clasp of the chains. Maybe I can get them loose enough so they fall off and Zralor can get away. I refuse to let him die so soon! He should live! He will live!
My tiny fingers meddled with the chains till I heard them click. They began to slip off and fall. Before I could even blink Zralor spread back out his wing and soared to fly to the battle. Unlike Zralor, I was not so lucky.
I didn’t have anything to hold onto and I felt myself falling. I was extremely tired as I watched Zralor rise and I fall. Is this how I was meant to die?
I felt my life flash before my very eyes as the wind whipped my hair around my face. The brown blinded my vision.
I hope Zralor returns home a hero. Maybe after Uncle Zantor and his mate pass onto the after-life. Zralor will find a beautiful, young, and fertile mate. They will have many eggs together and they can live happily ever after. Probably they might even forget about me. Like my mama never ever lost a daughter.
My mama…the golden light of my life. I hope she just knows that I never wanted to die like this. I wanted to grow up and being queen. I would choose an heir when my lifetime was up. Like maybe Zralor’s child would be a good heir. Anybody related even distantly to my mama would make a marvelous queen. Too bad I won’t ever be able to see that happen.
At least I’m going to die for my people. A noble way to die. My father would be proud. That was the last thought before the light dimmed with the darkness surrounding my vision.
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