"No!"
Lukas's scream shattered the forest, echoing out through the clear sky. His horse reared, kicking her forelegs in the air with a sharp whinny, and Lukas clutched at his saddle, straining to see what was happening. He saw the dragon right itself and lurch forward, shuddering through the air. As it plummeted from the sky it seemed almost to skip forward, abruptly vanishing from its position and appearing a short ways ahead. With a final desperate screech it surged forward, vanishing below the trees.
"No-- no!" He urged his horse forward, taking off at top speed toward the place it had vanished. No-- it couldn't be... Petra!
Never once did they slow their gallop until they plunged out into the open. The dragon's fall was marked by shattered trees and a deep trench in the ground. At the end of the trench lay the beast itself, still and motionless-- but Lukas saw quickly that it was still breathing, stunned but alive. Shakily he drew his bow, aiming at the dragon, and climbed down from the horse's back, inching his way closer.
As he approached, the dragon suddenly surged up from where it lay, wings flaring as it clambered to its feet. Lukas jumped backwards in alarm, shaky hands releasing the arrow too soon and sending it thudding harmlessly into the dirt at his feet. He quickly scrambled back, reaching for another-- only to find his quiver now empty, his arrows all wasted on the giant.
The dragon crouched low, purple eyes narrowed in suspicion as it surveyed him. He could see it was a young dragon, nowhere near its adult size, but large enough to pose a serious threat. It fanned its wings, opening its maw to hiss a warning, and Lukas could clearly see the jagged tear in its right wing where Jesse's arrow had struck home. At the edge of the clearing, the horse whinnied, stomping fearfully, and looked to Lukas for reassurance.
Lukas stood hesitantly, afraid any sudden move might trigger an attack, and began inching cautiously toward the trees again, circling slightly. He needed a chance to grab his sword-- without it, he'd be defenseless against any attack...
Never once did the dragon take its eyes off him, but after a few moments it shifted backwards, planting itself firmly and curling defensively around the edge of the crater. It made no move to attack, but kept its wings spread wide, opening its mouth to display dozens of razor-sharp teeth that Lukas knew could tear him to shreds in moments should it choose to attack. He sank back into the woods, trembling, but the dragon made no move to attack, defending its position.
He breathed deeply, trying to clear his head. It wasn't attacking-- it hadn't come for him. Was it trying to lure him in? Or was it afraid? He wasn't sure-- but it didn't seem about to move from its position. Nevertheless, he didn't dare turn his back on it-- lest it spring at him the moment he looked away. But he had to search the area... he had to find Petra...
Soren had told him dragons were intelligent, he recalled-- could this one understand speech? Maybe he could reason with it...
Cautiously, he inched forward again. The dragon locked immediately onto his movement and gave a long, low hiss, tail lashing dangerously.
"Easy, easy... it's okay," he murmured, stopping quickly to avoid provoking it further. "It's okay... if you're here in peace, then I am too..."
The dragon's eyes remained narrowed and it watched him warily, claws fully extended. It made no sound and gave no reply, simply watching-- waiting to see what he'd do?
"Please," he whispered, "I don't want to fight you. I'm just looking for my friend... she could need help! I have to find her... but I need to get past you..."
It watched him unblinkingly, distrust in its eyes.
He exhaled slowly. "Soren... Soren said you're smart, and... and I hope that means you understand me. Look, we... we think she was here with you, and... and if you're her friend, then I count you as a friend too..."
The dragon lashed its tail, giving a low growl of warning, but Lukas stood his ground. "Please-- I have to find her... she's my best friend, and... and I'd never forgive myself if anything happened to her..." His voice trembled slightly, and he lowered his gaze to the ground, letting out his breath. Who was he kidding? This would never work... and he knew that, on his own, armed with only a sword, he stood no chance against the dragon...
Then, slowly, the beast stepped back, and Lukas looked up in surprise at its movement. It retreated to the rim of the crater, revealing the still form within.
Lukas's eyes widened. "Petra!" he shouted, scrambling forward and rushing to her side. His stomach knotted as he neared her, beginning to fear the worst, but then a wave of relief washed over him as he caught the faint rise and fall of her chest. She didn't stir at his arrival, remaining unresponsive, but she was alive. He nearly sobbed with relief, kneeling at her side, and then slowly lifted his eyes to the dragon.
"You... you saved her," he whispered, and the dragon gave a soft rumble, lowering its head. "Soren was right about you..." Lukas shook his head, exhaling. "Thank you," he murmured, shakily getting to his feet. "But we need to get out of here. It's not safe-- we're too close--" He broke off suddenly as the ground shook beneath his feet. The dragon pinned its ears, baring its teeth, and immediately whirled to face the sound. With a sharp whinny Lukas's horse reared and bolted away into the woods, and Lukas felt his heart sink. The giant loomed up over them, no longer focused on the town but on them. It towered over the trees, staring down at them with hollow eyes.
Immediately the dragon darted around the crater rim, spreading its wings wide and hissing a threat, long tail lashing. Lukas knelt at Petra's side again, struggling to carry her without risking further harm. The giant gazed down at them vacantly, and then reached downward with one massive hand. Lukas flinched, bracing himself for the worst and trying to shield Petra as best he could-- but before the giant could reach them the dragon opened its maw. Purple fire spewed out, engulfing the giant in flame, and with a screech it stumbled back. Already weakened by the blasts from the canon, the flames devoured it in seconds, and it crumbled to a heap of ashes on the ground before them.
Panting, the dragon took a step back, and looked to Lukas questioningly. He let out his breath in a huge sigh of relief. "Thank you-- thank you..."
The dragon padded over to them, holding its injured wing out. Lukas bit his lip. "Petra needs help, and so do you," he murmured, eyeing the town. "But I don't think we could get you back there..." He shook his head. "We need to find some place safe for you two to shelter. Then I'll go back and get some potions..."
It dipped its head, giving a rumble of acceptance, and approached, laying down beside Petra. With some effort, Lukas managed to ease her onto the dragon's back and climbed on as well, gently supporting her. With a last look behind them, the dragon turned and loped off deeper into the woods.
***
"What just happened?" Olivia asked in amazement.
"I... I'm not sure," Jesse replied shakily, "But we need to find out..."
"Did that dragon kill the giant?" Axel questioned.
"That's impossible!" one of the townsfolk protested, "If anything, that dragon was probably helping the giant!"
Immediately a chorus of agreement rose up from the other townspeople.
"Alright, alright, calm down!" Jesse called above the din. "The Order will look into this! For now, return to your homes. You'd best stay inside tonight, until we get this sorted out..."
Grumbling, the crowd dispersed uneasily. Jesse exhaled slowly and put her bow away.
"What do we do now?" Axel asked, looking to her for guidance.
"We investigate," Jesse murmured. "The dragon went down-- but I doubt it's out. We need to find it and determine if it's a threat. If it is, we need to finish the job..."
"Jesse... it almost looked like that dragon had... a rider," Olivia said softly. "Am I the only one who saw that?"
"I saw it too," Jesse confirmed. "And that's... what worries me. We need to get to the bottom of this-- and quickly. But first off, we need to find Soren. If anyone knows about dragons-- or dragon riders-- it's him. Come on."