War of Dragons

by Andy Holland

  Same, pretty much, although they haven't touched the prisoners yet, but mine didn't have far to move. Come closer; we can form the ring now.

  John and Natan ambled forwards and the eight dragons formed a circle around the prisoners, looking up at the circling Blue Dragons.

  They've stopped attacking, Dinah observed. What are they up to?

  They've realised that their approach wasn't working, Theo replied. Fortunately, it took them a while to work that out, thanks to Natan's efforts at keeping them entertained.

  Very funny, Natan replied coldly. I think you'll find that I've killed at least fifty of them now.

  There are many more to come, Theo pointed out. Don't lose focus.

  Here they come! John warned the others. The Blues had all simultaneously dropped into a dive and thousands dragons were plummeting towards them at high speed.

  Any suggestions? Gideon asked nervously.

  Roast them, Theo replied. Don't tread on the prisoners. There's no point dodging—you'll be too slow.

  The Blues all approached from the same side, presumably to avoid crashing into one another. As soon as they were within a couple of hundred metres John and Natan let forth a powerful stream of flames into their midst. Scores dropped to the ground, unable to control and pull out of their dives while caught in the flames, but the others dodged the onslaught and reached their target, raking the three closest Teradons with their claws as they passed. They flew past the three and over the group to attack the Teradons on the other side and found them just as formidable. Theo waved his spiked tail in the air, catching several who spun out of control, crashing into the turf beyond the circle and kicking up grass and mud before rolling along the ground. None took off after landing or showed any sign of life. The prisoners cheered at this small victory, although most of the Blue Dragons flew past uninjured. However, the sheer futility of the approach was not lost on them and they did not try that approach again.

  Now what will they do? Gideon asked. That didn't work well for them.

  No, Barnabas replied quietly, and they know it. They'll think of something new now.

  Let them bring it on, Natan bragged as he stamped on some dying Blues that had fallen just outside of the circle. There's nothing they can do to us. He paused before asking, there isn't, is there?

  Have you never wondered why there are none of these dragons left? Barnabas asked. Of course we're vulnerable. The question is how long it takes them to work it out.

  They looked up at the Blue Dragons circling above them, who were shrieking menacingly, but making no move to repeat their failed diving attack. They were not that high, but out of the reach of their necks and their fire. Suddenly they all changed direction, each Blue Dragon flying away from them, spreading out from the centre of the camp.

  Ha, they're fleeing! Gideon declared happily. They know they can't beat us.

  You couldn't be more wrong, Barnabas replied. Look, they're not going far; they're all landing. I think they've worked out what to do next.

  The Blue Dragons were landing all around them, some still flying low as if searching for something. Eventually all of them landed and for a moment they were all still and eerily quiet. Then one shrieked and all the others joined in before all taking off as one, flying back towards the circle of Teradons and prisoners, their cries shattering the nerves of the prisoners cowering beneath the giant dragons.

  What were they doing? Natan asked nervously.

  No one replied; all of them were just watching the approaching horde. The Blue Dragons flew slowly and as they grew nearer John could see that each dragon was carrying something. They started circling as they neared, gradually gaining altitude, spiralling higher and higher above them.

  Don't move! Theo commanded. You can't dodge, but you'll crush the girls! Just look down to protect your eyes.

  The Blue Dragons all started dropping the objects they were carrying: rocks, small logs, pieces of rubbish from the campsite; anything they could find to bombard the giant dragons. The objects rained down on them, most too light and dropped from too low to cause any real damage, but a few that were heavy enough to be painful. John felt a few impacts from some of the larger objects.

  Ow! Natan cried out. That hurts! Objects bounced off their backs and although the prisoners were not the targets, many were caught by objects that missed the Teradons, or by those that bounced into the crowd. They were too tightly packed to move out of the way and their screams of pain and distress filled the air.

  That's just the beginning, Barnabas said grimly. They'll try again, but with heavier items. At some point they'll work out that they can carry really heavy things between more than one dragon and will drop them from a lot higher.

  What? Gideon asked. They can't actually kill us, can they? What are we going to do?

  Shall we just transform into Golden Dragons? Natan asked. We can challenge them in the air.

  We do that and we can't protect these girls any more, Dinah replied. They'll have no chance.

  The Brown Dragons will come, Theo insisted. We just need to last a little longer.

  The Blue Dragons had all dispersed and were searching the ground again for more things to drop on them. Again, they waited till every dragon had landed and was ready to start their second bombing run before taking off, coordinating their effort marvellously. John would have admired the organisation, had he not been more focused on the fact that the Blue Dragons were trying to kill them.

  Here they come again, Natan said. We can't just stand here. They could kill us this time.

  No, they haven't found heavy enough objects, Theo said. But this could be very painful.

  And what, we're just going to stand here? Gideon asked.

  We must, Theo replied. We can’t just abandon these prisoners.

  Theo, Barnabas said, the prisoners will suffer worse than we will. Anything that misses us will hit them. We can't protect them from the air. They need to be under cover.

  There is no cover, Natan pointed out. The nearest trees are way over to the south. That's a long walk.

  Best start moving now then, Barnabas said. We have no idea how long the Browns will take, and these girls will have no chance if the Blues decided to target them instead of us. We have to get them to that forest.

  The Blue Dragons had gathered above them again and shrieked loudly as they released their assorted collection of debris. All the giant dragons looked down, bracing for the impact. Theo was right; they weren't heavy enough to really hurt them, but some were very painful, causing more than one of them to roar. The prisoners fared much worse, the deadly rain killing many of them. John felt them pressed against his legs, trying to hide underneath him, but there wasn't room for enough of them.

  The attack ended and the Blue Dragons dispersed again, preparing for another onslaught. John looked at his aching back and was relieved to see that his scales were undamaged. Not all of the other Teradon had been so lucky and he could see a rock lodged in Gideon's back. John looked at the forest. It would be a long walk to get there, but they had to do something. I think Barnabas is right. We need to do something. We won't have any prisoners left at this rate.

  Any suggestions, John? Dinah asked. If we all transform, they'll just go straight for the prisoners.

  The Blue Dragons had all landed and some were clearly trying to lift tree trunks, starting to select much heavier items.

  If we all transform, that is what would happen, Theo commented. But if it's just one of us—

  I'll do it, John volunteered. I've fought Blues in the air before. More than once.

  Agreed, Theo replied. Transform and tell the girls to start walking towards the forest. We will spread out a little, they're too tightly packed and can't avoid these rocks. We will walk with them and keep them surrounded. If we're moving we will all be harder to hit.

  If you say so, Theo, Barnabas replied. We're not going to be moving that fast. Especially escorting these girls. What will John do?

  I'll try and
stop the attacks, John replied. Seven of you should be enough to surround these girls.

  Before anyone could object, John began his transformation. The girls beneath him squealed and ran out of the way as he legs shrunk, bringing his body closer to the ground. Changing back was always quicker and moments later he found himself on the ground, staring up at the seven massive dragons and facing thousands of frightened girls. He walked towards them.

  "Listen to me!" he shouted. "The Brown Dragons are late and we don't know how long before they arrive. We need you to start walking. Walk towards those trees. Walk quickly. The trees will give you some cover and it'll be harder to hit you while you're moving."

  The girls all started talking and shouting at once, and John shook his head.

  "Go!" he shouted. "Just go! Now!" The girls screamed and John turned around to see the Blue Dragons all taking off again, carrying much larger objects this time. John didn’t wait any longer and somersaulted backwards, landing as a Golden Dragon. He looked tiny compared to the others, but now he was mobile. He took off without delay, flying vertically upwards, hearing the gasps of amazement from the crowd below but unable to enjoy their admiration and needing to focus on the task ahead of him. The Blue Dragons were approaching, shrieking at him as he approached them. The tables were now turned; from being immobile and at their mercy, he was now the more nimble, the Blue Dragons restricted by their heavy loads. He flew directly into their midst, slashing at wings as he flew through them, and although they tried to reach him with their jaws and claws, he was far too fast for them and he left a trail of dragons dropping out of the sky. They were all too low to be killed by the fall and shrieked in rage from the ground, but were unable to take off again to attack him. The others all dropped their objects prematurely, abandoning their attempt to attack the Teradons to be able to focus on this new threat. John now faced a more challenging task, with the Blue Dragons focussed solely on him and unencumbered by their heavy cargo. He flew up quickly, ascending above them and turning to make short diving feints at the huge flock.

  But the Blue Dragons were disciplined and didn't panic or allow themselves to be drawn in. These troops were used to fighting Dark Brown, not Red Dragons, so they had experience in fighting smaller, faster foes. They flew in squads of seven and multiple squads now linked up to fly as larger units, tightly packed with no space for John to fly through. They flew straight towards him and try as he might, he couldn't pick off dragons from the edge of the group. They forced him higher and higher, further from the group, effectively containing him.

  Start moving, Theo said to the others. John has bought us a little time and we should use it. We need to start the prisoners moving towards those trees. Whatever happens, it will be harder for the Blue Dragons to get at them when they're in the forest.

  Theo and Dinah both lumbered forwards, moving south towards the forest. The prisoners didn't move at first, but Barnabas lowered his head and gently nudged those at the back. Faltering at first, the crowd started to move, those at the front cautiously heading towards Theo and Dinah, who shuffled forwards to encourage them to follow.

  This activity had not gone unnoticed. Several hundred dragons were concentrating on John, but the rest were free to go back to harassing the others and started a new set of tactics, ones which now seemed focussed on the prisoners. There were now threats from two quarters: from the air and now from the ground. The dragons who had fallen without being killed could not fly, but could run and began to circle their prey. There were about thirty of them and they spread out, surrounding the convoy. They stayed just out of reach, but played a game of cat and mouse, moving in closer whenever the Teradons were distracted, but hopping out of range whenever their giant opponents snapped at them. If they were ignored for too long, they would move close enough to send fireballs into the midst of the prisoners with devastating effectiveness. Unfortunately, it was hard to keep an eye on those on the ground, the ones in the air who were using similar tactics, and avoid accidentally treading on the prisoners. The aerial attackers were wary of the tails and heads of the Teradons, but would swoop down every now and then to try and reach the prisoners.

  Watch the ones on the ground, Gideon, Theo warned. They're getting too close!

  I know! Gideon replied. The ones in the air are trying to get close as well. There are too many to watch!

  Where's John? Natan asked frantically. He was meant to be stopping these attacks.

  They're no longer dropping rocks and trees on us, Theo pointed out. We just need to last a little longer.

  John could hear their conversation and saw their predicament but offered no reply, concentrating on his own problems. He managed to get ahead of the group of Blue Dragons chasing him and flew back to where the main body of Blue Dragons were harassing the convoy. As soon as he got close they all turned to face him and as before, a group of a couple of hundred started to pursue him, too tightly packed to allow him to pick them off.

  They're containing him, Dinah pointed out. He's too fast for them to catch but he can't do anything to them either. She lunged forwards just in time to catch a Blue Dragon by the wing as it daringly dived into the crowd of girls. She threw the body at one of the Blue Dragons on the ground, who narrowly avoided being hit.

  Look, Gideon called. They're going! They're all flying away.

  Many of the Blue Dragons were flying away, leaving the convoy, but at least a half were still swarming around them.

  Not all of them, Barnabas replied grimly. And the others will come back. They're going to bombard us again.

  Sure enough, half of the Blue Dragons had all landed behind them and were collecting the large objects they had dropped on them earlier.

  What are we going to do? Dinah asked frantically. They'll aim for the prisoners now and we can't shield them. They're going to kill them all!

  Theo looked around, watching the Blue Dragons flying low over his head and pausing to flick his tail at one on the ground who was getting too close. Just keep moving. Just a little longer.

  Theo! Barnabas called. Dinah has a point. We're running out of time here!

  Theo looked down at the dragons on the ground. They sensed the impending victory and were filled with confidence, becoming more persistent. He swiped at them again with his tail, but they merely backed out of range before approaching again immediately. One slashed at his head and he snapped at the empty air where it had been.

  Here they come! Barnabas warned. The Blue Dragons all took off as one, shrieking as they did, their soul-piercing sounds filling the air. They rose from the ground behind them, an angry blue cloud slowly drifting across the plain.

  Theo! Dinah cried desperately. What do we do?

  I don't know! he screamed in reply, the panic finally evident in his voice as the Blue Dragons approached, now high enough to bombard them and ready to move into position to attack. The ones that had been harrying them from above moved out of the way for the bombers, shrieking in glee as they did.

  Suddenly, and from the ground rather than from above, eight golden shapes whizzed past the convoy and into the flock of Blue Dragons. Unseen and unexpected, the new arrivals tore through the Blue Dragons, shredding wings, bodies and necks. The Blue Dragons abandoned their load, dropping it harmlessly behind the convoy in order to face this new threat.

  Reinforcements! Natan shouted jubilantly. Rather unwisely, Natan reared into his back legs, reaching higher into the air and snapped at the tail of a Blue Dragon, narrowly missing it. The thud of his feet hitting the ground reverberated through the plain.

  Here come the Browns! Gideon cried. Sure enough, the Golden Dragons had been just ahead of the Brown Dragons, who were now not far away and closing the distance between them and the camp very quickly. The prisoners went wild, cheering and screaming in delight.

  The Blue Dragons shrieked in rage, realising that they had no chance of overcoming such a large force and resorted to an all-out attack on the convoy. Every Blue Dragon attacked the prisoners and their
escorts at once, scores falling to the jaws and spiny armed tails of the Teradons, yet three slipped through to wreak havoc on the crowd.

  John followed them in, striking at their necks and heads as they landed. Two fell dead immediately, his claws finding their mark, but the third evaded him and was free to attack the prisoners. It swiped at the nearest girl, the terrible claws raking through her chest and killing her instantly. The Blue Dragon turned to the next girl and prepared to attack her. He leapt forwards and then snap! Theo's jaws closed on his body, clamping down hard, and the murderous creature went limp. Theo tossed him high in the air, landing far from the prisoners.

  This was to be the Blue Dragons' last assault as the Browns had finally arrived. The Blue Dragons didn't flee; they met the oncoming attackers head on. The sky filled with fighting dragons, thousands of Blues and Browns mingled with the occasional brightly coloured yellow and black Wasp Dragons and the more drab Sandy Dragons. This was not to be a short battle, despite the superior numbers of the invaders; it raged for thirty or forty minutes, dragons constantly falling from the sky and not only Blues.

  Theo continued to lead the prisoners on towards the shelter of the forest, although the battle was fought all over the plain and there was no avoiding the falling corpses. Every now and then a flash of gold passed overhead, but this was really a battle between the Browns and the Blues. The Browns soon learnt flying near to the Teradons was an excellent way to lose their pursuer, often permanently. Slowly, the rescuing force increased their advantage, with many more Blues dropping than Browns. As the casualties grew, the situation for the defenders became more and more desperate, but they still did not yield, fighting till the last dragon dropped from the sky.

  It is finished! Gul called to Theo and the others as he landed in the centre of their circle. We have won! He transformed in the midst of the prisoners, who rushed forwards to thank him.

  He's right, Theo told the others. It's safe to transform. Theo changed first, finding himself swarmed by grateful girls and looking rather confused and embarrassed by their affection.