Gods of Malcea ✔️

T H I R T Y - N I N E

"Sometimes when things are falling apart, they may actually be falling into place." 

-Xamdú

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Oraanu ran towards the land that had fallen from the sky. As he approached he saw many dragons off to the sides with dirt covering them and wounds bleeding out silver. He ran through the destroyed buildings looking around for the king before setting his attention back onto finding Ake. They were the only dragons with red hair, so he thought it would be easy. He continued to search around some more before stopping to catch his breath. 

Finding them right now was his number one priority, yet he helped dragons out of the wreckage and tried to find ones who were trapped under beams and stones. There was not much that could kill dragons, but a fall like this would kill even the mightiest of creatures. He looked up waiting for the dust to clear before looking around at his surroundings. He counted fifty-three dead so far. Already their bodies were turning into soil sprouting out grass and flowers as they passed. 

"Help me with the rest of them!" Oraanu shouted to the onlooking dragons who were not curled up or crying. 

There was a reason for why Mercy had put Isla high in the sky separating them from Malice's creatures.     They were hunted and killed by the hundreds by both humans and griffins. Oraanu knew all too well that they were afraid. 

As two of them came to help him, they lifted the beam off of a dragon. One of them picked him up and brought him off to the side along with the others. Who had done this? Why had they done this? These questions plagued his mind and filled him with the aching feeling of regret for leaving when he had. 

"Where is your king? Your princes and princesses?" Oraanu yelled but on deaf ears. Rain poured from the sky drowning out his words. They continued to look on in silence as Oraanu gathered them all together and quieted them down. In was in their right to panic and be fearful, but they had no time for that. He had to get the ones who were alive and well along with the injured far away from this place. However, was sending them to Gasa the only way? The humans... Oraanu shook his head. 

"North from here lays a city. You must go there for now. I need five or six dragons to stay behind and help me with the ones who may still be trapped inside." 

Everyone cleared a space as two dragons stepped forward. He recognized them instantly as prince Bjor and Demir. 

"You... you are alive," Oraanu breathed. "Then Ake and the rest?" 

Demir shook his head before Bjor spoke. "Dead or missing. Once the earth claims them there is no way of knowing what body laid to rest there." Blood was oozing from his head and arms. Scraps and gashes speckled Demir's. 

Oraanu wiped away the rain from his eyes looking at the princes with a keen eye. "These are your people. You must protect them at all costs. Do you hear me? You cannot be princes if you have no people left alive to call you such!" 

"We moved a few hundred to a town called Bahnasa before you have arrived. We are doing the best that we can!" Demir shouted before approaching him. "I will save them and I will and bring that wench to justice if she is not already dead."

"She is our sister, Demir," Bjor said as he grabbed his forearm, but Demir shook free of him. 

"She had killed our brothers and our sister! She killed hundreds of us!" Demir cried as angry tears mingled with the rain.  "She killed our father and as his first born it is a crime worthy of death," he rasped as he regained his lost composure causing Oraanu's eyes to widen.