Dragon Rider (#Wattys2016)

The Journey (Part 1)

Recap:

We left them there... Zodiac, and everyone else, Thea felt like crying as she said these words. Thea wondered if she hadn't told people they had the choice maybe everyone would be safe.

It was their decision, they would hate for you to take that from there. Remember Thea, they had just learnt about the loss of their rider or dragon. If anything it was best they sacrificed themselves, it stops them from going crazy. Storm told her.

You mean we're all of the dragons and dragon riders that are together? Storm hummed and IThea felt his sides vibrate with the sound.

Yes Thea, we are. Storm said, now close your eyes and sleep. We have another long journey ahead of us. With that said, Thea followed Storm's advice and slept.

End Recap

Storm's POV

I woke up as the sun shone down on me, not much was happening throughout the clearing, but I noticed some of the other dragons had gotten up. I lifted my wing away from Thea who grumbled and curled into a tighter ball, I smiled and stretched my wings before getting up.

Zenith moved as well, the blue-green dragon got up. I sighed sadly, it was a shame that Zenith's rider had decided to ignore his dragon and treat it like some dumb animal. Zenith, with all his kindness and love for his rider, had been sad enough to almost give up then. The moment he arrived in the clearing you could tell something was up with the blue-green dragon.

A few words was all it took for Zenith to give up the notion of giving up, however, Zenith wasn't the dragon he should be. It would take some time before Zenith and his rider made up and Zenith would act how a dragon should once more. I shook myself from my thoughts and looked up at the clear blue sky, my mind thought back to those who were currently missing the sky, those who had been left to die alone as a sacrifice for us to escape.

I opened my wings, feeling the need to take flight, but lowered them when I knew that there was much to do. My mind flickered back to Thessy and the others like her. The Thestral had told me that she would lead the others under our flight path and find us once more.

As if my thoughts had called her, a black object burst out of the trees. I stopped walked and stared at Thessy who had grown since I last saw her. The Thestral looked at me and reared back onto her hind legs before squealing, more animals of different shapes and size with different disfigures came out of the trees. I flapped my wings nervously and let out a small growl as the animals ran around.

A raccoon leapt between my legs and stood next to Zenith, it stood still for a moment before Zenith lowered his head and the odd animal climbed up.

I cast a look around the camp as people started waking up, the girls seemed wary of the creatures as their dragons greeted some while some of the boys met with each of their animals. A few seemed to be overjoyed at meeting their creatures, I returned my gaze to Thessy.

I opened my mind to her and she did the same to me, a picture of a town entered my mind, I cocked my head in question. Thessy rolled her eyes at me and snorted and then it all clicked, I nodded and Thessy turned and bounded towards Ademar.

I looked over at Thea who had now woken up as well, she stumbled over to me rubbing her eyes. I reached her and blew on her softly, who - or what - was that?

That was a helping hand, you can look into my memories to find out. I told Thea, she told me where there is a town, though. We are currently close to the edge of the forest where a town is near, the river to the north-west of us. Beyond that is the very edge of the forest and there should be a river there, walk along the river and when it heads north once more cut across the area there should be an abandoned town there. Thea nodded her head.