Dragon's Breath

✥ Chapter 5

 ✥ Chapter 5

"Righteo, in this new tribe we'll need new roles." Stem sat up, feeling proud he had been voted out for Leader. "Let's see..." He looked down at his dragons, Hurl, Cripple, Fall and Root, along with the newest member, Cripple's dragonet, Wasp. He blinked towards the dragon, feeling powerful. "I need to choose a Beta." He spoke, hoping he could choose a Beta that does exactly what he says. Hurl is very easy to command, but so is Fall. Fall's older though, so I'd choose Hurl. He can be bossed around.

As the dragons began shifting excitedly, he heard a yowl split the air.

"Humans!" Cripple screamed, picking up Wasp, flapping her wings up in the air.

Stem jamp off the rock, screaming "fight!" Oh no...

Trying to reach the end of the human fuzz, he sliced a few humans' heads off, but was still covered with smaller, more agile fellows who would not let go. "Argh!" He screamed, trying to flick the people away. After a while, Cripple came up and tore the small fuzzy light humans who sneezed and fell off, yabbering angrily.

"You need to be more careful," Cripple gasped, pointing at the long, bloody cut along his wings.

"Thank you. Cripple." Stem looked solemnly at her. "Now let's get back to fightin-'

Stem was cut off by a strange rumbling sound. Some growls and hisses still echoed through the cave as the dragons fought, eliminating many humans, but they still swarmed back. It seems as if hundreds of humans came, hiding from the dragons behind the tall, uneven rocks. Then, the sound stopped.

"Did we win?" Hurl whispered, looking weaker than ever. Stem looked at the dragon with pity in his eyes. He saw small, agonizing tears and cuts that joint and made larger, more life threatening cuts.

"I think so, look at the fleeing hum-" Marsh yowled, but jamp back when a long, large chain dropped right ahead of them, trapping them in this strange, human reeking steel prison.

After a good minute of dragons, restlessly padding around, while some dragons laid miserably, giving up hope.

"Stuck in our own home?" Fall retorted, hissing angrily at the bars as he tried to tear them away.

"Is everyone okay?" Hurl turned his head around, scanning the trapped dragons with a worried expression.

"We're fine." Branch retorted.

"No!" Wasp cried, jumping around with a smile.

He clearly doesn't understand what just happened. Stem sighed, grabbing him towards Cripple- his mother.

One by one, the humans squished in the cave, their small, hapless bodies could easily fit in between the gaps. They were grabbing long, sharp knives that seemed as if they could easily kill a dragon. Their yammering seemed non-stop, as a few of them held the knife bravely in front of Wasp. Stem could easily stomp on the small humans- their size was barely as tall as his chest. But Wasp, he was much much smaller.

Distracted, he felt more humans clinging on him. He shook some away, but they kept on coming back.

Abruptly,, a large hammering sound filled the caves as more dragons erupted. They broke through the weird wall like things the humans have made. Vine's recognizable grim smile was not there, instead worry flashed her eyes, looking for her brother. She cares about me? Stem thought, feeling a strange, sad-regret kind of feeling that he never felt before, as both Vine and Marsh saw him, jaws hanging worriedly.

"Go get them!!" He heard a younger female human speak, pointing at Stem.

"No. Not yet. Stand back." The older human responded, shoving her away and running away.

As the humans were distracted, Stem took a deep breath, and crashed into the high hanging of the steel wall. I could just pull it, and the walls would lift up! As the steel wall slowly lifted up, he could feel the unbelievable gazes of the dragons staring up at him. None spoke, but as the wall raised up, they all gave him a longing, grateful look, racing to the outer side, taking quick breaths of relief.

"Come back." He heard a whisper from Vine, his heart melting.

"I will." Stem muttered, hoping that Vine could hear him.

I would risk my life for them. For them all. Stem felt a strange peace surrounding him as he jumped off the steel hangings, trying not to wobble and fall off. Phew, it's still open! He did not realize the slow falling kreek of the steel walls as he padded slowly out. A few dragons came up to him, tears running down with relief.

But before he could come out, a loud snap- and the steel wall came crashing down on him.

He felt bones break, feeling dead already. As blood gushed all around him, he turned his head around, seeing the steel wall on top of hip. All he could see and smell was the terror of blood.

"STEM!" Dragons came running up, screaming in worry and grief. "Don't leave us. You can do this!" Marsh sighed, realizing how Stem could never come back again. "You saved our lives. All of our lives." She finally finished.

He used his last piece of strength to whisper out, "I think I finally realized what life means. I am happy I could help." He sighed. Voices became blurry, his gaze narrowed until it all went black.

✺✺

Epilogue

"It worked. I killed him." The grinning voice of a dragon whispered through Stem's ears, as he felt claws slice his body. "I KILLED HIM! I SET THE TRAP. I MADE IT WORK!"

Branch growled. Feeling more sure than ever, thinking as hard as he could with grief swallowing him. Maple was the one who killed my mother, my best friend and Stem.

"Branch," he heard a concerned whisper. "Who's going to be our leader now?" Root sat down, his expression looking as if a whip had hit him hard. It has, in a way nobody can explain... He risked his life for all of us.

"We're going back to the tribe." Branch announced, waving his tail to gather all the dragons. "We're going to find Eminence." My dear brother, you may have left us, but we will never leave you.

End of story!!! I had so much fun writing, I hope you liked reading too! <3