The Little Dragon

6

"So, where is Von?" Torren scratches the back of his neck.

I wince at the thought of where Naithar would keep someone he us breeding. "In the castle, or the volcano caverns. Close to him, hard to get to." We walk through the blue trees of the ether.

"Why bother? Why not kill him?" Grog shoves a branch to the side.

I lie with a tight jaw. "I don't know."

We walk in silence as darkness opens up before us and the trees meld into cold, dark stone. Our breath fogs the air as we walk, and there are puddles of water where the floor dips. I have to swallow hard to clear my ears from the pressure.

The tunnel opens up into a large clear space with a solid granite floor and a large glowing enchantment covering it and the massive archway. The two others do not stop. "Wait!" I hiss and grab for them. Torren stops and turns, Grog steps into the circle, and the front half of him swells and bursts all over the floor.

Torren backs up as the back half of the body crumples to the ground. "Shit." He leans against the wall. "Shit."

I warily step forwards. "This would, in theory, only let dragons in." I glance at Torren, who is gripping his chest and breathing spiratically. I grip his shoulders. "Deep breaths. Hold it, push it down, we don't have time for this right now."

He nods and grips his chest harder and his breathing evens.

I step in, and the spell darkens to a black. "Don't follow." I warn him.

He grabs his head and sits on the floor. "You stepped in on a guess!?" the panic attack takes him wholly as he stares at Grogs body.

I sigh and continue into the big room. At the end, is a kneeling body. I get closer and I see his form. His hair, the seams in the stitching. "Fuck." It's a doll.

As I am turning, the room's floor glows. I run to the archway, and slam into an invisible wall. "Fuck."

"Aethras." Torren stands up.

"Let me send you into the ether, before Naithar comes down here." I open a portal to the left of him.

"How do I get you out?" he steps forwards but eyes the ground with the still dead enchantment.

I wince. "Kill the enchanter that placed this. It wasn't Naithar, they would have to have elven blood. It has an energy limit, I might be able to get myself out. But you need to leave now. Ask for Garuda, and don't bargain things you cant immediately give." He stands there dumbfounded. "Go fuckwit! MOVE!"

He shakes himself and strides into the portal. "Fuck." I step back and take in the doorway now with a golden sheen. "All right. A mortal made this." I shift into my dragon form. I can out last a mortal.

My body coils with energy as I reel myself back, then slam all of me against the wall. The force shakes my teeth and grinds on my scales. I reel back, and slam into the wall. Over and over. My nose begins to bleed. THUD. My ears begin to ring. THUD. My forehead aches. THUD. Scales begin to fall. THUD. I scratch my own mane to pieces and hair floats around the room. THUD. Blood sprays the floor and walls. THUD. My vision blackens at the edges. THUD, CRACK.

I fall to the ground, as my vision blurs, in time to see the entire field shatter. I hear rushed footsteps on the stairs. "Too slow Naithar." He stumbles down the stairs and stops at the ground level, still in the tunnel. Too small a space to shift.

I fly up, and into the Ether.

"NO! CUNT!" echoes with his footsteps as the ether gate closes behind me.