The Definer

Chapter 26

I kept running as far as my tired legs would take me. Once I couldn't breathe and my legs refused to move, I collapsed to the forest floor and cried. I cried about James and Dean and my mum. I cried about my friends and my future. The tears spilled endlessly down my cheeks and I sobbed loudly into the silent darkness.
"You finished?" Estelle asked as she appeared. "I cannot believe you did that. You stabbed him! Who does that to someone who has done nothing but protect you? You needed him as much as he needed you."
"He would have betrayed us!" I screamed back irrationally.
"And who told you that? Huh? The guy that killed your mother and kidnapped your boyfriend and you still had no hesitation believing him!" She yelled.
"Yeah but-"
"Don't even bother." She cut in. "At least he had the decency to tell me his amazing form of transport. You're welcome to follow but leave the tears behind please." She called as she walked off into the trees.

I climbed to my feet, wiped the tears from my eyes and brushed the leaves from my clothes and hair before hurrying after her. We walked through the trees for a while before Estelle stopped in a bright clearing. I think it was the one place in the whole forest where the sun managed to break through the the trees and the rain fell in perfect droplets. She whistled loudly into the air and then stepped back to under the shelter of the trees. Seconds later, a monstrous roar came from through the trees.
"What the hell was that?!" I shrieked.
"Our ride." She replied calmly.
A massive shadow now covered where we had just been and a wind so strong that it knocked me off my feet surrounded us. A creature landed on the grass. Two giant feet with enormous talons dug into the ground. It's rough scales shone a turquoise colour in the dim light. Two massive wings thumped as it waved them back and forward, creating a whirlwind so strong that the trees around were leaning over. Two dozen sharp, pointed razor teeth poked out of its gums and it looked down at us through two glassy yellow eyes, it's pupils straight like that of a snake. A long tail, as wide as a tree trunk lay heavily on the ground. The majestic creature let out one more roar into the air, followed by a breath of fire.

"Hello Max." Estelle said.
"A dragon? That's our ride?" I asked, climbing to my feet again.
"Is thisss the giiirl?" The dragon hissed in a thunderous voice, leaning down to catch a closer look. "The Definerrr?"
"Yep." Estelle answered quickly.
The mammoth creature bent on one knee and lowered his head further down so that his nostrils were flaring with heat right in front of my face.
"If you knew what she had just done, you would not be bowing to her." Estelle said and leaped up in a giant, inhuman leap onto the dragon's back.
I shot her a disapproving glare. Max lifted his head back up and in three thunderous steps, he turned so I was on his side and lowered his wing to the ground. I climbed up the rough scales until I reached his back where I positioned myself in front of Estelle.
"You readyyy?" He hissed. "Hold on."
"To what?!" I screamed but the flapping of his wind cut off my voice before it reached his ears.
I leaned forward and felt my hands around, trying to find something I could grip onto. I found one gap between his scales that I managed to hold but it was sharp and cutting my fingers. The dragon shot up vertically into the air, almost making me fall backwards into Estelle who sat comfortably behind me. I screamed as loud as I could as the dragon shot through the air.

Once he got above the clouds, he stopped flapping and straightened out. Up there, the sun shone straight onto us and Max's scales sparkled under the sun. Some were blue and some were green, the rest were right in between. I loosened my grip on his scales and looked at my hands one at a time, checking the lines of blood where my skin was torn apart.
"Get some rest." Estelle said. "This ride will probably still take a while."
"Estelle?" I asked.
"Yeah?"
"Was... Um... Was James alright?" I staggered.
"His leg was fine but he wasn't. I think you stabbed him harder in the heart than the leg." She replied softly.
"Do you think... Do you think that if I was... You know... Wrong and D was just tricking me... Do you... Do you think he'd forgive me?" I asked sadly.
"In heartbeat. He loves you a lot apparently. Not many guys lend you a dragon after you stab him in the leg."