The Dragon's Consort

Chapter 20

ZARA

TW: Intense Gore (Have fun kids)

Even though she couldn't see the slayer under their mask, she knew they smirked. Their crossbow was already readied with another bolt. They let it fly. It careened towards her. She dodged just in time. If she hadn't moved it would've gone through her eye.

She felt her dragon stir, begging to be set free. To fight. She tried focusing on shoving the feeling down into the depths where it belonged, but it fought her with everything it. She bit her tongue so hard it bled. The coppery taste only sent it into a frenzy.

Chaos erupted around her. The rest of the males must've heard the commotion and come to their aid. They were quickly consumed with bloodlust as they dove for the slayer. More dropped from the tree canopy, others marched in from the forest. It was a full scale attack. There were dozens upon dozens of slayers converging on them.

The males fought like feral animals, roaring and screaming as they razed the slayers' forces. Blood soaked the grass, stained the ground. Metal hissed against hard scales, claws met armor.

But the males wouldn't shift, not here. Not when shifting was so dangerous around Kev and Sephira. One wrong move and they could crush them under their heel without realizing it.

"Sarros!" Zurden growled, "find Kev and Sephira, and run."

She could only nod, barely able to process the command. She wanted to fight, to protect them, but she wasn't in control. Not in the slightest. Besides, Kev and Sephira weren't able to defend themselves, not against dragon slayers.

She took off running, headed for the shore, the last place they'd been. Legs carrying her as fast as they could. The adrenaline that flowed through her veins made the ache numb. Her breathing was quick and shallow, but she needed to get to them. She needed to save them.

As she passed through the tree line, she could see the soft sand of the river's edge was dyed red. She lurched forward only to see a slayer closing in on Kev. He was bleeding from his arm, his emerald green scales split and sizzling against a vicious black substance. The slayers no doubt coated their blades in dark magic.

Zara roared, diving for the figure. She her hands clasped around their weak neck, and quickly snapped it. Their head loosely rolled to the side as Zara stood with shaking hands.

She'd never killed anyone before. She had lost control. She couldn't take this back. But she knew couldn't sit and mourn, she had to save Kev, and find Sephira.

She spun around and grabbed Kev's face, checking it over for further injuries, "are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah. Mostly," he said, his eyes unable to look away from the body that laid still in the sand. She tore off part of her shirt and wiped the magic venom off his wounds. He winced, but let her clean the cut.

"Do you know where Sephira is?" she asked.

"They threw her in the river when she tried to protect me," he sputtered out.

"Sit," she ordered, and he obeyed.

She dove into the river, using her magic to reach out and find Sephira. She felt a presence floated further downstream, and willed the water to bring it to her.

Sephira was quickly pulled into her arms, and Zara finally resurfaced. She dragged the girl's limp body onto the shore. She growled, once again drawing on her powers, and pulled the water from her lungs. Sephira cough and sputtered in the sand. Her head was bleeding. She must've hit her head on a river rock when she was thrown in.