ELEMENTAL DRAGONS ~ Dazzon's Awakening

The Weilder of Poison

I turned back towards the looming hole, clenching my jaw. I couldn't answer his question. Not truthfully anyway. I couldn't even imagine having come all this way...risking all our lives... for nothing. I shook my head, narrowing my vision as I clenched my talons, allowing them to seep into the dry dirt beneath us.

I was ready to face whatever lay in the shadows even just for a clue of where Glory might be.

I began to creep forward. Steve's head snapped up and tilted, confused. My eyes darted as a rock skittered across the ground beside me. Pushing up on the front claws, I swung around, teeth beared back towards the entrance we had come.

The dragons shrunk to the ground as if to dodge a ball of fire that had yet to escape my mouth.

"Don't kill us we're your friends!"

Sophie yelled, eyelids still firmly shut, protecting her vulnerable eyes. Steve had bounced up and stood in-between the two dragons and me, eyes searching my face, concerned.

I eased up, blinking away the adrenaline and managed a smile, curling my snout, relieved to see their now beaming faces before me.

"Girls."

I said, shaking my head.

"Should have known no Death Stare could stop you too."

They pushed out their chests proudly. Tara strutted forward bowing side to side.

"Thank you, thank you. All in a day's work."

A hearty rumble exploded from our chests and the tension broke for a second. It felt like we were back at the academy, joking around, oblivious to the war that was careening towards us, ready to turn our worlds upside down.

Steve bounced over to her and placed his head on hers, intertwining his tail with hers. He sighed, tightening his grip slightly before pulling back, gazing into her pupils. No one said anything. Nothing needed to be said. It was written on our faces and heavy in the silence.

I'm glad you're okay but this isn't over.

I turned away, looking into the tunnel before us.

"At-least there is four of us again."

I stated plainly, serious again.

I felt their presences as they fell into place beside be. As a single unit, we marched into the darkness.

I was comforted by the constant vibrations of our footfalls as they tapped the ground harmoniously. It distracted my eyes from the lack of light and the sense that we were entrapping ourselves by willingly moving further and further underground. Away from escape. Closer to danger. My instincts were screaming to run. We barely fit side by side in the tunnel, with Steve and Sophie's scales grinding across the coarse rock with each step. Our odds were dwindling and each step felt closer and closer to being our last. A warmth began to envelop me and grew stronger with every step.

My heart began to pound, blood thumping in my ears, drowning out my only comfort.

My teeth began to grind as I willed my heart to slow. The noise was deafening. I couldn't concentrate. I broke out of step and clawed at my ears, envisioning blood spurting  through my scales and seeping into my eyes before trailing the crevice between my lips until it was all I could taste. I screeched, frustrated, spitting out the blood and shaking it off my scales. My scales began to burn in the tracks I had created in my attempt to claw away the drumming. My head pounded and felt as if it would burst. I fell, welcoming the dirt and rolled, slumping in defeat against the jagged wall, eyes drawn tight, claws, penetrating my scales just below my ears, stopped only by my secondary horns.  

I felt the ground shake as a body fell beside me. A whimper followed as I felt them curl inwards. Another dropped and continued to rock whispering sweet nothings to themselves.