Racing the Storm

Chapter 4

(Note for this chapter I skip over some details because it's part of a collab like the other ones, but later in the chapter it refocuses to just this story)

Thalia turned her gaze towards the students. Whatever they had been through sure did take a toll on them. Many were covered in blood and bruises, some even looked like they were going to crumble beneath their own weight.

Did the dragon do this? Or something else?

She slid off the beast, leaving Tuuka to hold the other one down for a moment. She approached one of the girls who caught her eye. Her hair was a fiery red and her skin looked like it was glowing.

She introduced herself to the girl and the group, her and some other students from Galagore, sat and made small talk for a few minutes. Thalia couldn't help but notice the tension between Kaira and the boy, Callum. She held a laugh back as Avis made plenty of comments to anger them both.

Dr. Corrington administered a sedative to the maroon dragon while the students were wrapped up in themselves. Tuuka removed himself from the dragon and sat beside it in the grass, quietly listening to the place around him. It smelled of blood and energy, and the air seemed smoky from the fires that the dragon had set. The air seemed to crackle in his ears, but not from electricity. The dragon grumbled quietly to himself, keeping an eye on his rider as she watched her friend dance against her will.

"Should we return it to Timber Creek on the way back?" Corrington asked.

"We should. It just seems like it was lost to me, probably freaked when its' rider was gone," Hastings shrugged.

Corrington had no other theories, so she had to agree with him. She looked to the students of the other academy and frowned.

"I think we should leave."

Hastings turned to her, sensing a sort of urgency in her voice. He crouched a little closer to her.

"What's bothering you?" He asks gently.

"Look at these kids. There's no way it was just the dragon, they'd be dead. Something led the dragon here," She answers.

Hastings went quiet, observing the children to see that she was right. If the dragon had managed to even get a hold on one of them there would be a lot more blood than there was currently. 

"I don't want to wait around for them to come back," Corrington added, voice so quiet Hastings barely caught it.

He put a hand comfortingly on the academics' shoulder, rubbing his thumb gently on her arm.

"I'll get the kids then," Hastings says as he removes his hand.

He looks up to see the two boys walking over to their dragons and mounting, "well I'll be damned. I never thought I'd see the day where you two didn't decide to goof off when you had the time."

Both boys laughed, Devon a more hearty, throw-your-head-back type while Noah's was lighter almost like he didn't even find it all that funny.

Hastings smiled and walked past them, stopping about halfway between the dragon and the girls.

"Thalia! Avis! We're leaving!" He shouted.

The two girls waved swiftly and rushed to their feet. Avis looked rather displeased while Thalia looked like something funny just happened.

"Wipe that smirk off your face before I cut your skin off," Avis growled.

Hastings froze not sure if he should do something about that, but before he could the tan girl had a response.