Legacy

15. A Dying Flame

Raina had wondered if her brother had been scared in his final moments. When he had given up his chance for freedom and a new life to save her, had he thought about what would happen to him? Had he regretted his decision as his life flashed before his eyes? These questions had haunted Raina since the last time she saw her brother. The echoes of his screams still would burst from the back of her mind, replaying in her head like a bad dream. Raina would stare at the ceiling throughout the night until the sun would rise over the mountains, the thoughts keeping her mind too occupied for sleep. Raina knew her brother well enough to know he would answer that of course he didn't regret his decision, that he hadn't thought twice about giving his life up for hers. It was the answer in his head that she wondered about, the thoughts and feelings he would never mention out loud. Because while no one would ever say it, everyone knew that it would have been better if Alex had survived instead of her. With this knowledge, there was one question that haunted Raina more than all the others: would she have done the same thing for him? Even in knowing that his life was more valuable, would she have given up everything to ensure his safety, or would she have run away as she always had?

Raina clutched Ari in her arms, gripping the dragon's spines as they hurtled towards the ground. The world spun around them, and the specks of the earth were quickly coming to meet them. The dragon roared and attempted to flap its wings to lessen the impact, but it could barely move due to the spear that had impaled its scaleless belly. The world seemed to travel in slow motion, and the air swirling around Raina had gone silent. Raina's fingernails were digging into her palms and she shut her eyes tight. She wrapped herself around Ari, who seemed to relax if only just a little bit.

"Hold on Ari," Raina said. "Everything is going to be fine."

Raina had half expected a smart remark saying that of course they weren't going to be fine, but surprisingly Ari remained silent. The little girl had just wrapped her tiny hand around Raina's and gripped it tight. It was just enough of a reassurance to give Raina the bravery to open her eyes again. She couldn't give up. She had people counting on her.

They were only seconds from hitting the trees below, and Raina knew they had to do everything possible to avoid a full-on impact with the ground. Luckily, the dragon was between the girls and the approaching earth, but it wouldn't be enough. Raina and Ari would have to jump off before they made impact and went hurtling forward at full force. That would be a risk in and of itself, but it was their best shot.

"On the count of three, we're going to jump."

Ari, her emerald eyes wide, gave Raina a bewildered look. "Are you crazy?"

"Only a little bit."

The little girl frowned but nodded her head with confidence.

Raina bit her lip. She really hoped that Ari was putting her trust in the right person. She gripped the little girl's hand tighter and watched as the ground came steadily closer.

Three.

They spiraled in midair, and Ari's fingers dug into Raina's arm. Raina gritted her teeth, and for a second her brother's face flickered across her mind.

Two.

The tips of the the trees rushed past them. Raina's hair blew around her face, blinding her view as she spotted the ground coming closer and closer. She took a deep breath and muttered some unintelligible words under her breath.

One.

"Now!" Raina and Ari jumped off the back of the dragon, curling up as they tumbled to the ground. The world blurred around them, the colors of the trees and the sky blurring together. Raina shut her eyes tight as her shoulder collided with the ground. The impact violently ripped the air from her chest, and Raina tumbled across the rough surface, rocks and dirt cutting into her skin. She let out a yelp as she ran face first into a tree, bringing her to abrupt halt. Raina felt to the group, and her vision blurred as the tree branches hanging above her merged together and then apart, vibrating as they did so. Her head exploded with pain, and Raina had to close her eyes until it had faded to a dull ache.