Damara sank into depression, her search for Faren having proved fruitless over the following days.
What if she drowned in the river? Damara sat beneath Swaine Bridge, neck deep in her sorrows, as Chasm dove for fish in the river nearby.
Should I ask him if he knows where Faren is? He could track her down, like he did to find me. But would that be best? She stared ahead, not sure of which was better for Faren- being lost all alone or taken back by Chasm to be with Damara.
Chasm flew up onto the bridge, leaving her sight.
He doesn’t even seem to care that she’s gone, Damara recognized. If he did he would have gone to find her already.
She buried her head in her knees.
Faren, she grieved. Yet another person I couldn’t save. Am I cursed?
“Where have you been?”
Damara was aroused from her miserable trance as she heard Chasm speak from above.
“Away,” Iris’ reply came, sounding vague and rather indifferent.
“Did you…” Chasm’s voice trailed off.
“Yes,” she answered. “I laid them at the foot of the duchess’ tree.”
Laid them? Damara’s eyes opened wide. Iris had a clutch!
“Then it’s time to strike the heart of the kingdom. It’s time to make way for our legacy.” There was pride in Chasm’s words.
‘The heart of the kingdom’? Does he mean the castle?!
“Human.”
Damara leapt to her feet in surprise and accidentally hit her head against the stone bridge. This was the first time Chasm had addressed her in a long time.
The dragon exposed his side to her, demanding, “Climb up.”
She grimaced, painfully reminded of how utterly powerless she was. Murderous, deceptive beast, she cursed him silently, stepping up to mount his back. What will your young grow up to be? Heartless like you and your pompous mate?
Damara was remarkably calm as he stalked out from under the bridge, spreading his wings.
Her breathing was steady as he flew with Iris right behind him, stopping to hover above the place where Veer lay, clearly mourning Hasten. The big, mahogany dragon lifted her solemn head. Heaving herself into the air, she joined them and the Strong Pack pointed their snouts towards the horizon, beginning their journey.
What about Faren? Damara worried as they left the ruins of Swaineford behind. She used her high vantage point to scan the ground below. At their speed, scruffy trees and smooth plains ran underneath them like a river of land. She saw flocks of goats and sheep grazing as the dragons’ shadows glided over them but not a single shepherd could be seen. Not a single human could be seen.
The Strong Pack soared onward, without glancing back, but something caught Damara’s eye. Nearly riding backwards as she twisted around, she had to stop herself from gasping. A dragon had slipped out from behind cover as soon as the Strong Pack passed over.
The spy! She recognized him immediately, seeing him lift his head to watch them fly away. Is he looking for me?
She faced forward again, fearful of bringing anyone’s attention to the Dragon Knight’s ally. Instead, she fiddled anxiously with her ring. Does he want to talk to me? Does he blame me for the Hooded Dragon’s death?
Fastening her eyes on where Chasm was headed, she creased her brow determinedly.
I have to know.
In the distance was what at first appeared to be a boulder. Damara straightened up for a better view.
The Wystilian castle! Is Chasm really going to attack?
As the Strong Pack soared on, her fears were confirmed. The dragons were headed straight for the castle, passing over populated towns in plain sight. Damara could see the peasants down below, pointing and crying out in alarm at the three big reptiles sailing above their heads.
Am I going to die? Damara trembled, envisioning flocks of arrows and thrusting spears, slicing swords and brutal axes. Again, she peered down at the ground far below. Would it be better if I just jumped?
No, she thought grimly. Chasm would catch me. He still wants me as protection.
Damara gritted her teeth and dug her nails into her thighs.
I don’t want to die!
As they came upon the castle, Damara could see people rushing to safety within its big stone walls. Warning bells struck the air, pealing relentlessly as though to cover up the screams of terrified people down below.
Damara couldn’t keep up with all the movements and writhing chaos below. She whipped her head from side to side, watching past Chasm’s flanks.
There was a loud crunk as the castle gate was dropped. However, the closed off entrance did nothing to deter the winged dragons, who effortlessly sailed over the heavy curtain wall.
She couldn’t tell where the first wave of arrows came from, speeding towards the Strong Pack like a swarm of livid bees. All three dragons split up, dodging the arrows in their own direction.
Iris landed in the courtyard, flicking her tail in aggravation. Armored soldiers rushed up to her and she backed away from their protruding spears, flinching.
Veer flew low overhead, unleashing flames on the archers that lined the castle walls. Damara’s heart leapt in fear as she considered the possibility that one of those archers might be her brother.
Chasm hung in the sky, as though considering his options. Damara was guessing at his thoughts when a second wave of arrows caught them by surprise. She cried aloud as one grazed her left calf.
A few arrows tore through Chasm’s wings, but he flew on, banking around to avoid a third archer attack. Commoners pressed against the walls and shook the metal gate, panicking as they found no escape.
Ignited by Veer, archers fell from the walls, smashing into peasants directly below. Screams all conjoined into one loud commotion that pummeled Damara’s eardrums. It scattered her thoughts and senses.
Where is the Dragon Knight?! The question cut through her panic again and again. She stared around, praying to see the familiar sight of the knight on dragonback, coming to clear away all the horrors the Strong Pack inflicted.
But he was not there.
There was one scream, inhuman in nature, which pierced through all the others. Damara fastened her gaze on Iris below, who staggered with a spear shoved deep into her chest.
Chasm exclaimed something and dived towards his mate. The armed guards surrounding Iris held up their spears as Chasm swooped over them. He had no opening.
The magenta female continued to wail, tripping over the weapon lodged within her breast plates as soldiers advanced on her. Her hide was stained with the red of her own blood and she wheezed with jaws gaping wide open.
Then, stepping up from the crowd, one armored man thrust his spear through the roof of Iris’ yawping mouth, silencing her. The garish female slumped, head propped up by the stake in her mouth, slain.
Chasm roared, hitting ground as he landed before his dead mate, sliding a little out of control on the slick, bloody cobblestones.
The men braced themselves, their weapons extended.
Damara stared in horror at the sharp, metal tips.
Enraged, Chasm ducked his head and charged straight into the knot of soldiers. Damara cried aloud, clinging as close to his neck as she could, feeling the dragon trample men under his feet. The group split into two, one on either side of the dragon.
Chasm lunged forward as both groups simultaneously stabbed at him. Damara lurched, struggling to stay on top. Most men missed their mark, but the spear of one sliced through Chasm’s wing to strike the back of his skull. Chasm wrenched his head to the side, snapping the weapon off as blood oozed from the wound.
Thud! The courtyard shook as Veer’s corpse hit the ground, arrows sticking out of her eye sockets.
Chasm was alone.
Raving mad, he took to the air, darting erratically to avoid the assailing arrows. Damara scrabbled desperately to hold on but she slid around, flung against Chasm’s flank, secured only by the ropes which bound her to him. Blood rushed to her head hangi
ng just below the dragon’s belly plates. Her arms reached to pull herself up, but found nothing to grab.
The upside down world surged past her in a flurry. Eyes open wide, she saw the great curtain wall pass underneath, feeling how Chasm faltered and struggled to keep in the air.
Gasping, she folded herself upwards as the dragon skidded to the ground just outside the castle. With a violent jerk, he shook Damara loose from the ropes and she tumbled off, her cape fluttering like broken wings.
As soon as she was released, Chasm took to the air again, not nearly as weighed down but still wavering as he flew away. The shouts of men sounded above Damara and she scrambled to her feet, despite her burning leg.
Get away, get away! she willed herself, fleeing over the fields to leave the castle behind.
I’m their only target now!
In her mind, archers gathered on the castle walls, pointing bows and arrows meant for her. She didn’t look back to see as she ran, headed towards the cover of the forest.
Chasm was long gone, having disappeared from Damara’s view. She panted, passing a house where dogs barked and bound at her heels.
At last, the dogs left her and she staggered into the forest looming before her. The fall leaves crunched loudly beneath her burdened steps and she wheezed in exhaustion, the dust of trees rushing into her throat.
Coughing, she collapsed her weary body against a sturdy oak trunk. She winced, touching her calf with feeble fingers. As tears spilled from her lashes, she saw the blood slowly seeping out of the wound in her leg.
Clenching her teeth, she ripped a strip of cloth from her tattered dress and tied it tightly around her injured leg. She wept, pain and fatigue gnawing at her bones and wearing at her muscles.
Don’t let them find me, she prayed, eyelids drooping. All her energy spent, she slumped into the fiery leaves. I need to keep going!
Her body refused to move.
Hasten, Veer, Iris…they’re all dead. Everyone in the Strong Pack except Chasm is gone.
He underestimated the humans.
The thought brought the slightest of smiles to her lips.
There she lay, as rooted as the thickets that surrounded her, eyelids shutting like curtains to conceal the sideways world. The sounds of creaking wood and screeching birds was all she could hear. Eventually, she drifted off into sleep to dream of mysterious dancing lights and stamping feet.
Chapter 18