Dragon’s Breath

Chapter Ten

My heart starts racing as I think back to the day Fafnir died.

***

    I sit on the edge of the mountain eagerly waiting for my brother. Today, we are flying out to the human capital city of Mimmgar to negotiate the terms of our peace treaty with the king. Although my father is against it, my brother is insistent upon ongoing. My father affirms that we should not meddle in the affairs of lesser beings. I trust my brother's judgment, though, and I am willing to accompany him.

    I feel a hand ruffle my hair.

    "Hey Ellie, you ready to go?" Fafnir asks.

    I stand looking into his violet eyes as a bright smile plays across my face.

    "Of course, I have looked forward to this for a long time,” I tell him.

    He smiles at me shaking his head, his long, dark blue hair swaying with it.

    He turns away from me stripping out of his clothes, and I follow suit. I watch in delight as my brother fazes, his body being consumed by electric blue flames. Once we are both in dragon form, we leave using the dark of night as our cover.

    I stare out ahead at the night sky where mistress moon looms casting her silvery glow upon my dark scales. The midnight air sings around me, the frigidness of it causing a chill to run through me.

    I follow behind Fafnir my wings beating against the rough winds. After hours of flight, they begin to ache and burn with the cramps of over-exertion. My breath comes out in shaky bouts. I am not yet used to flying for long periods.

    "Fafnir, could we take a break? I am starting to get tired?" I ask.

    He sighs almost playfully, "There is a large clearing up ahead we can stop there for a while."

    We land in the clearing, and I am filled with relief. I can finally relax my sore muscles. I lay down closing my eyes enjoying the silence for a few moments.

    "Hey, Faf why do you think father is so against us trying to make peace with the humans?" I question curiously.

    He sighs, "Father is old Ellie, and he is not ready for change. Not to mention that he is a proud dragon that refuses to acknowledge a race he deems to be much weaker,” Fafnir explains.

    "Humans are not like us, they are weaker. I support you wholeheartedly, but I want to know why you care so much about them?" I question.

    He shifts his body so he is facing me, "I was once like you and father underestimating humans. That was until I found my mate was human," he says softly.

    My eyes widen at his words, “W-What?” I gasp surprise.

     Fafnir does not respond but instead stands up, scanning his surroundings.

    "Do you sense something amiss?" I ask.

    His head snaps in my direction.

    "Humans. I can hear them hiding in the forest. This is way beyond their land boundaries. I am going to see what they here for," he says.

    Blue flames flash as he quickly fazes into his human form, and I do the same. I look up at him, and he places his hand on my head ruffling my hair gently.

    "Ellie, you stay here all right," he says while looking me over.

    "All right," I mutter.

    I watch as he walks away his blue hair fluttering behind his head. Soon he is completely out of sight consumed by the dark trees beyond the clearing. The longer Fafnir is gone the antsier I become. Several minutes go by and I hear nothing from him. Panic begins to rise within me, and my heart picks up. why has he not come back?

    Suddenly I hear his voice ring out from the trees, “Ellie RUN," Fafnir screams.

   Without a moment to lose I faze back into my dragon form and begin to fly out of the clearing. I cannot leave my brother alone here. Halting I turn back to where I last saw my brother to make sure he is okay. I see his blue scales emerging from the trees as he comes out. Fafnir roars loudly sending out a blast of electric blue flames into the forest. Oddly enough, the flames ricochet off the trees, and back onto my brother. He is engulfed in his own blue flames, as the smell of burning flesh hits my nose.

    Knowing that his own attacks are not working I cannot leave him alone. In an instant, I fly over to him.

    "Ellie what are you doing? Get out of here. I promise as soon as I am done here, I will catch up with you,” he urges me.

    But just as soon as the words leave his mouth large harpoons are shot out at us. I fly in front of Fafnir covering him from the attack. He is already hurt I cannot allow him to take any more damage. I roar in pain as the harpoons pierce through my thick scales hitting my back and wings.

    "Ellie!" He calls to me, but I barely hear him due to a ringing in my ears. My back and wings burn with pain, my head begins spinning as my vision goes blurry and the world around me becomes unfocused. Those harpoons must have been dipped in dragons bane. I start to lose strength and gravity begins to pull me back to the earth. I land roughly in the clearing, causing the harpoons to dig deeper into my body. I am consumed in a smoldering pain from the poison now running through my veins. I cannot tell for how long I have been lying on the ground as I fade in and out of consciousness.

    The last thing I hear before being consumed by darkness is a loud roar of pain from my brother and the shouts of many humans.

     "THE BEASTS HAVE FALLEN!" The humans yell in unison.

    I wake up with a pounding in my head. Plucking the harpoons from my back I faze into human form pain consuming my entire being. Looking down at myself I sigh in relief they must have thought I died in the crossfire.

    "Fafnir," I call out.

    Pulling myself from the ground I force myself forward limping into the forest to continue looking for my brother. As I walk farther into the shadowy forest, I see my brother whose now in human form laying in blood-soaked grass with harpoons surrounding him. There are puncture wounds covering the entirety of his burnt body.

    "Fafnir!" I cry running to him as fast as I can, tears welling up in my eyes.

    I throw myself down by his body and begin to shake him violently.

    "Fafnir... Fafnir please, please wake up! You cannot leave me...please do not leave me alone," I beg.

   My vision is fuzzy with tears as I cry out. Amidst my crying, I hear him groan. I lift my head from where it sits on his chest, I see his eyes open ever so slightly.

    "Fafnir," I whisper a smile beginning to form on my face.

    "You are alive, you are alive," I huff with relief.

    He smiles at me lifting a hand to ruffle my hair.

    "Ellie, I do not have much longer." He tells slowly.

     "No, if we leave now, I can get you back to the horde you will be okay," I plead with him.

    He heaves a heavy, wet sigh, his milky eyes glazed in a blanket of melancholy.

   "Ellie, listen to me. I will no longer be here to protect you, so listen to me. You must stay strong," he says.

    "No! You are lying! I do not believe you, please, please do not leave me. I will never forgive you if you leave me," I cry out.

     "I am truly sorry," he whispers.

    He closes his eyes, but I can tell he has just fallen asleep as his chest continues to heave slowly. if I hurry, I can save him. I attempt to lift his body, but I struggle still weakened by the blows of the harpoons. I scream, cry, and struggle to try and lift my brother up. Finally, my body gives out and I slump to the ground my back hitting against a tree. Grabbing a fist full of my hair I release an ear-piercing scream that echoes through the night. I Look at Fafnir, trying to take a final studious glance at him. I see his violet eyes fly open one final time, his chest heaving as he fights for air. I see everything flooding from him, the light leaves his eyes, the life in his chest expelled in one final breath as the thing that was once my brother relaxes going limp and falls into the grass with his bloody lips slightly parted.

    I crumble and begin to sob uncontrollably just staring at his lifeless body.

    After a while, I find that I have no more tears I just sit there against the tree my head pounding, and my eyes burning. I do not want to go back to the horde I hate it there, but I also do not want to go to Mimmgar I hate there, even more. Those human scum they lied to us, they killed my brother I hate them, I hate them more than I have hated anything in my entire life. Those humans are not even worth the dirt at my feet. One day I will make them pay for what they have done no matter how long it takes me.