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     The returning flight back to the camp was uneventful, with only the cries of pain from Veracon and Magar filling the otherwise silent skies. My children had long since run dry of their tears as the camp came into view, but the cries of the many families of the lost young-lings would soon fill my ears. As we approached, thousands upon thousands of people came running out into the open field that stood at the camps perimeters. May flew past Doron at great speed, landing just in front of the growing crowd as the three larger Dragons came down from above. Doron easily set down in the long, soft grass-landing perhaps two-hundred feet from May and the crowd. But, Veracon and Magar continued to circle around over head-blood falling from the air as the two wounded beasts beat their damaged wings. Finally, Veracon stretched out his enormous legs and rapidly beat his wings as he came from the sky to land. But the dragon was seriously wounded. His injured wing rendered him unable to control his landing. With great clumsiness, Veracon's injured wing dropped into the ground from the pain-pulling the golden dragon firmly into the ground in a rather laughable crash that nearly threw Amy from his back.

"Are you okay?! I screamed to Amy, fearing that she had been hurt in the fighting.

But before I was able to hear a response, Magar came down next to Doron. Similar to Veracon, Magar's injured wing rendered her unstable-causing her to crash to the ground rather than land. As the dragon keeled over onto her front side from the impact, most everyone who sat atop her back was thrown dozens of feet into the air-though a few of the children were crushed by the creature as came down on the ground. I frantically looked through those who had been thrown clear for Bailey, and my heart nearly stopped beating when I saw her struggle back to her feet. Without hesitation, I dismounted Doron and ran to reunited with Amy and Bailey. As I held my children close, the three of us cried and cried and cried, mourning Tahli and Ragon's deaths. No words were spoken, only sobs and tears.

"My Queen!" Sir Ivan shouted as he and several guards came running.

I looked to him as he stopped just in front of me, shaking my head as he looked to the three dragons perched behind me.

"And its rider?" He asked hesitantly.

I again shook my head, prompting him to sigh as he turned to his guards.

"Take her children back to her quarters and see to it that a dozen maids tend to them endlessly." Sir Ivan ordered his men.

As the guards whisked away my children, with my consent of course, I turned back to Veracon and Doron as the two communicated. Veracon was severely wounded, blood riddling his bright golden scales.

"Will he survive?" Sir Ivan asked nervously.

I nodded.

"He'll be fine. Neither wound is deep enough to cause fatal damage, though he may struggle to fly properly for a time. The Purple Queen has suffered a similar wound, though not as serious." I replied.

"And the green dragon?" Sir Ivan asked, though he already knew the answer.

I sighed, looking down at the ground.

"Hit in the neck and killed. He was likely dead before he hit the ground, and his rider, probably crushed or at the very least killed in the crash." I replied.

Just as I finished my sentence, May flew to Magar's side as Doron also turned to her, leaving Veracon to suffer by his lonesome. Feeling pity for the creature, the four of us made our way over to the injured dragon. Amy walked up to her mount, placing her hand on his lower jaw as he slumped to the ground-exhausted from the fighting.

"He's torn from the death of his brother." I said softly as Veracon shook pulled the harpoon from his wing-the other having fallen from his leg as he crashed to the ground.

Amy looked back at us as her feet slugged through the blood soaked grass, with a clear look of worry on her face. I nodded my head as if to say that her dragon would be fine, though truthfully, I did not know to be true. As we watched the four surviving dragons interact with one another, my ears shifted to the sounds of families reuniting with their children, while many others mourned the failed return of their loved ones. 

"We lost a dragon, and a friend to save those children, yet many of them did not even survive to be rescued, and many more killed before being brought back. We used our five dragons for the first time-hoping to strike fear into our enemies... and yet... We return with only four." I said with a following sigh.



Hi All! Just thought I'd let you know that I have 2 new stories available on my profile page. "The Dragons of Lithia" and "The Lost Dragon" are both stories that you will certainly enjoy if you enjoy The Dragons Daughter! And obviously you do if you've made it this far! Enjoy all!

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