Miranda’s eyes fluttered open as Raiya cut her ropes away. She sat up when she saw the flame in front of her. Her eyes quickly shifted to Raiya and focused on the rip in her shirt. The little girl placed her hand on the rip and looked up into Raiya’s eyes.
Raiya flashed a reassuring smile across her lips, “I’m okay, honey. No one hurt me.”
Miranda frowned.
“It’s okay, look…” Raiya said as she pointed to the other side of the encampment. “Do you see our jeep? It’s parked over by those tents.”
Miranda nodded.
“Good. Go get in. Wait there, I’ll come get you in a little while.”
Miranda froze in place with a look concern.
“Miranda, sweetie, I promise I’ll be right there, but I have to make sure we can get away safely first. If you stay here, I’ll have to worry about you too!”
Miranda jumped off the table and ran off into the night. Raiya watched and waited until she was sure that the little girl was safe. There were still twenty or so canbans to deal with, any one of which could have stopped and grabbed her. Luckily, hey all appeared to be distracted by the creature that was attacking them under a veil of darkness. The distraction was all Raiya and her friends needed to escape.
As they began to slowly make their way into the darkness, Raiya noticed the reverend attempting to slink away. He was leaving his people to fend for themselves.
Raiya clenched her jaw and turned back, “Pathetic…”
Jagger stopped in his tracks and beckoned to her, “Raiya, we’ve got to go now. That dragon has the canbans distracted!”
“Go on.” Raiya growled. “I’ll be just fine.”
She marched toward the man, intent on ripping him apart. He turned in enough time to see her and pulled the dagger back out, “Well now, you’re looking to get payback? The lord sayeth, seek not revenge, lest you prepare your own grave as well.”
Raiya clenched her jaw, “I don’t know if there is anyone looking out for us or not… but if there is, I highly doubt you’re that one they want to deliver their message. You’re dead!”
Chapter 19
Jagger and Eric ran back towards the tent where they had been kept. Out of the corner of his eye, Jagger caught sight of his jeep. Apparently, some of the canbans knew how to drive and had taken it. Thankfully it didn’t appear as though they’d had a chance to remove anything of value. Miranda was already sitting in the back, waiting to go. Andy hopped into the front seat and started the car.
The engine roared as it came to life, but it was quickly overpowered the scream of burning canbans. Though it may not have seemed possible, the scene around them was now even more horrific.
Andy’s eyes darted around the darkness, “Where’s Raiya?”
Jagger shrugged, “She went hunting.”
“Hunting?” Eric scoffed. “She went after the dragon?”
“No… not the dragon…”
“Then what…?”
Raiya appeared before Eric could finish his question. She was covered in blood, but had a wide smile on her face.
“What happened to you?” Eric asked.
The look on Raiya’s face was one of extreme satisfaction as she raised her left arm. In her hand, was a severed limb, still dripping blood.
Andy grimaced, “Do I even want to know?”
“What?” Raiya asked, feigning surprise. “Hey if you’re going to cop a feel, it’s going to cost you.”
Eric smirked as he looked at Jagger, “Better watch yourself, buddy.”
“Shut up.” Jagger replied.
Raiya smiled as she wiped the blood from her face, “One more monster down.”
“Satisfied?” Jagger asked in an annoyed tone.
“Very much so. Come on, let’s get out of here before...”
In the darkness, Raiya could see the canbans fighting something very large. She squinted to see what it was. Another blast of flame illuminated the fight enough for her to see what they were dealing with, “Shit!”
“What is it?”
“That… it’s another dragon lord.”
“Is it…?”
Raiya shook her head, “No… it’s not my father… It’s big, but it’s not that big. Still… that thing is larger than any of the other dragon lords I’ve ever seen.”
Jagger and Raiya quickly jumped into the jeep. Jagger nodded as he hit the seat, “Floor it!”
The tires shrieked and squealed as the old truck pulled away from the burning tents. The fire and explosions quickly began to shrink as they made a quick getaway. The screams also quickly faded into silence.
Jagger turned away as the jeep sped off into the darkness, “Is everyone all right?”
Eric looked back from the front seat, “Yeah we’re good.”
Raiya looked back as the jeep continued to pull away “Sounds like the fight’s over.”
“I wonder who won.” Jagger quipped.
“It’s not funny Jagger! You know damn well who won and you know who they’ll be coming for next!”
“I know…”
Jagger didn’t even get a chance to respond when the sound of flapping wings appeared overhead, “Aw shit…”
The ground shook as a massive black wall appeared in the jeep’s headlights. Andy immediately hit the brakes, “Whoa!”
He pulled the wheel hard right. The jeep swerved as it slowed to a halt. A giant wall of flame appeared in front of them, blocking their escape.
There wasn’t enough time to turn around. The dragon would be too quick for that. Jagger grabbed the bolt gun out of the backseat, and turned it upwards towards the dragon that now appeared in front of them.
The dragon was right on top of them and looked down at jeep menacingly. They were mere inches away from his face. The heat of his breath almost matched that of the flame wall.
Jagger let out a deep sigh. If the beast decided to attack them, they were dead. There was no way out.
Raiya jumped in front of Jagger, intent on at least trying to block the dragon fire that she knew was coming. She knew it wouldn’t make any difference, but it was still better than doing nothing.
The red eyed dragon lord watched them for a few moments without moving. Jagger got tired of waiting and aimed his gun at the massive beast’s head. He was about to pull the trigger, when it finally began to speak, “Peace between us this night, young travelers.”
Raiya looked at it oddly, “Peace? Never thought I’d hear a dragon call a truce.”
“Yeah, especially when it just viciously massacred an entire colony of people.” Andy added.
The dragon scoffed, “People who were going to eat you. Those creatures earned their fate a hundred times over.”
“Even so…” Raiya replied.
“I would think you’d be more grateful after I saved your lives.”
“My gratitude is contingent on your next move.”
“Your skepticism is well met.” The dragon replied. “My name is Auirn. As a token of good will, I saved you from those… disgusting creatures that aren’t even fit to eat.”
Jagger stepped out of his jeep and looked up at Auirn, “Okay… you have our attention… what do you want?”
The dragon gently thrust its wings downward, propelling itself into the air. It quickly landed on the other side of the jeep, “To meet my niece.”
“Your niece?”
“Yes.” Auirn replied.
Raiya stepped forward, “So the red and black dragon lord… is your brother?”
“His name is Eutherys, and he is no ordinary dragon lord. Unlike the five of us, he leads our council.”
Raiya froze in place, “The Dragon’s Dread Lord? The rumors were true?”
Auirn nodded, “Yes… I believe that is what your stories call him.”
“My father… I don’t believe it.”
“You’ve seen him. Is it really so far beyond belief?”
“No, I guess not.” Raiya admitted. “So, we’ve met… now what? I suppose you’re
here to kill me?”
“That is what Eutherys decreed, yes.”
Jagger again raised the bolt gun, ready to shoot. Auirn looked at him with scorn, “I offered peace this night. I will not break such a vow of non-aggression until our business is concluded. You may rest easy, boy. I mean you no harm.”
“Then what do you want?” Jagger demanded.
The dragon lord lowered his eyes, “I need your help.”
Raiya wasn’t expecting that. A dragon asking for help from a human? It was next to impossible to believe. Even in distress, the younger dragons never begged for mercy or asked for help. They lashed out, even as they were about to die. They’d rather the humans kill them. So why now was a dragon lord asking for help? “Okay now you’ve got my attention. What exactly do you need help with?”
“Our people are dying.” Auirn replied.
“Yeah so?” Eric chimed in. “Your ‘people’ have been killing ours for over three decades. You’ve reduced our population from the billions down to scattered groups and desolate wanderers.”
“Yes…” Auirn admitted. “What you say is true… though I opposed the attack on humans and wanted to find a way to coexist, I carried out the Dread Lord’s will, as was expected of me. For that… I am truly sorry.”
“Easy to say now that you’re winning.”
“Eric!” Raiya scolded. “Stop it, let’s hear him out!”
Eric crossed his arms and turned his back, “Whatever.”
Raiya shook her head and turned back to Auirn, “So why this sudden stab at diplomacy? My father has tried to have me killed twice.”
“The council of lords have voted that eliminating you is a priority. This is why you’ve been under such a continuous attack. You were wise to head south.”
“Uh huh…”
Auirn sighed, “What is your name?”
“… Raiya.”
Auirn curled his neck back slightly. He appeared deep in thought as he looked away from the group, “Hmm…”
Finally, he turned back, “A fitting name for a dragonling. Eutherys may want you dead, but to me… you are a drakin, kin to drakeas-kind.”
“How did you find us?”
“Finding implies that I lost you. Since I learned of your existence, I have been watching you. Your fighting style, your skill in combat, and your actions lately have earned my respect.”
Raiya let out a deep sigh, “Auirn, you’re still not answering my question. Why are you here? What do you want?”
“Forgive me.” Auirn replied. “I don’t get to speak very often and I do enjoy it. My kind favors growls and… more physical forms of expression. It doesn’t befit us. I often find myself off track. I need your help.”
“So you said, what with?”
“Recently, I’ve noticed that our females have had a harder time producing young. Many eggs do not hatch. Some of those that do are either lame or extremely lethargic. They aren’t significant numbers, but when you factor in how rare such events used to be… it gives me pause. I believe your atmosphere is slowly poisoning us.” Auirn said softly.
“How?”
“The high nitrogen content… our bodies have not adjusted to it as well as we’d hoped. I’ve noticed a lot of my brethren becoming more and more weak. Several of the eggs I told you about… the fetuses were too weak and died in their shells.”
“It’s been thirty years.” Raiya replied. “This just started happening?”
“The difference in your atmosphere is somewhat small. The poisoning would take considerably time.”
“How long do you think you have?”
“Dragons are resilient creatures. It is difficult to say. It may be a hundred or several hundred years, but for a species that has a lifespan as long as ours, it’s not far off.”
“What do you want us to do?”
“Kill Eutherys.”
Raiya’s eyes narrowed, “You want us to kill your leader?”
“Yes… I have brought my concerns to him many times. I have tried to tell him that we are in danger, but he refuses to hear me. His mind has become too twisted and deranged by a lifetime of war. First, he led us during the war to save dragon kind on our world… now he leads us in our struggle for dominance here. At one time, he was a reasonable, honorable creature… you would have been proud to call ‘father.’ Sadly, that is not so anymore. He refuses his to see the problem at hand. When he does acknowledge me, his solution is simply to attempt to terraform the planet. How he plans to do this is beyond me.”
Auirn sighed, “It gives me no pleasure to ask this of you. The dragon council majorly shares my concern, but none of them will speak out against my brother. Out of respect, but more so out of fear, they support him. If he were to fall, I could call for a cessation of hostilities between our two peoples. In exchange for ending the violence, we’d ask for your assistance in getting off this planet.”
“Oh great… that should be easy.” Jagger said snidely.
“How could we help with that?” Raiya asked.
Andy stepped forward, “The United States at one time was able to launch rockets into outer space. We’ve kept that technology secured in an archive and even laid down the blueprints for massive colony ships in the event of an evacuation of Earth. We don’t have the manpower to build such ships anymore, but an end to the war could allow humanity to come together to build them. In theory, they should be large enough to support dragons.”
Raiya frowned, “This whole plan is pretty weak. You’re assuming that the council will support you and that humanity would accept such a deal.”
“True…” Auirn replied. “It is a long shot, but it is our best chance for survival… If either side refuses, we’ll all likely be dead in short order. Are you willing to help us?”
“I could really care less about the fate of your species… and it’s been made clear to me long ago that I’m not human either. That said, I planned on killing Eutherys anyway. I want his head for everything he’s done. This doesn’t change anything. For now, we have a shared interest. Once I have my father’s head, you can do what you want. Just don’t think for a minute that I’m willing to trust you.”
“That was the most I could hope for. You have my support. Anything I can do to help you… I will.”
Raiya nodded, “Fine… I need you to keep the dragons off my back. We’ve been on the run because wyverns and drakes seem to follow us.”
“I will make sure they are given false information on your movements.”
“Thanks… one other thing…”
“Yes?”
“I need to learn how to breathe fire.” Raiya replied.
Auirn looked puzzled, “Do you believe that you possess the ability? Such things take dragonlings years to master.”
“She’s already done it.” Jagger replied. “She used it against your brother.”
“Did she? Fascinating… –Show me your mouth.”
Raiya stepped forward and parted her jaws. The dragon lord brought his head down close to her, turned it to the side, and brought his left eye to level with her lips, “Hmm… lift up your tongue.”
Raiya did as she was asked. The dragon’s yellow eye darted up and down as it inspected her, “Yes, it does appear that you have the ability. Tell me, how did you use it on my brother?”
“He attacked me. As his flame hit, I just unleashed my own spray.”
“You used his flame against him… impressive.”
Auirn turned his head so that both eyes were looking at Raiya, “Try clicking your front teeth together.”
Raiya quickly snapped her jaws together. Nothing happened, “Hm… Try scraping your teeth together as you reopen your mouth.”
Raiya pressed her teeth together and slowly scraped the back of her front incisors against her lower teeth. A momentary spark lit up her mouth. The flash in the dragon’s eye surprised her.
“Is that?”
Auirn smiled, “Yes…”
The dragon backed away and dug his claws i
nto the ground, “Now, roll back your tongue and spray as you click your teeth together. Hit me with your best shot.”
Raiya curled her tongue back and tensed the muscles in the floor of her mouth. Clear liquid shot out, prompting her to quickly clench her teeth. As her jaws parted, a small fire appeared.
Jagger watched as the small flame puffed out in less than a second. Raiya frowned, “I can’t do it…”
“You can.” Auirn said in a stern voice. “Push harder and be faster with your teeth.”
Raiya glared at Auirn as she tensed the muscles even more. Her mouth snapped shut. Jagger heard a faint click as her mouth reopened.
Raiya was nearly blown off her feet by the massive fireball that shot from her lips. Auirn’s eyes went wide as the flame impacted on his hide, knocking him to the side. The flame broke on his scales and quickly vanished.
Auirn got back to his feet and smiled, “Well done! You are truly drakin!”
Raiya smiled faintly, “I… I did it… I can’t believe it.”
Auirn nodded, “You did well.”
“Am I ready?”
“To take on Eutherys? Hardly…”
Jagger stepped forward, “Then what do we need to do?”
“Eutherys still has the loyalty of the entire drakeas horde. You’ve proven yourselves formidable, but I can’t imagine that you could take on the thousands of dragons that stand between you and your father.”
“That’s true.” Raiya admitted. “We can’t possibly get through them all… Taking a few at a time is one thing, but not the entire horde.”
“We’ll find a way.” Jagger insisted.
Jagger’s words caught Auirn’s interest. He shifted his gaze from Raiya to Jagger. The dragon’s eyes shifted as he inspected his niece’s companion, “You… So, you are her protector then?”
Raiya looked at Jagger curiously as he stood eye to eye with her uncle. Jagger glanced at her momentarily before turning back to the massive dragon, “I am…”
She smiled as Auirn looked him over. The dragon huffed as he spoke, “Hmm… It is unlikely that even one with such a strong heart could protect her against such a force. Even so, I feel better about her chances now.”
Drakin: The Story of Raiya Page 23