Shadows and Hope: An Indoraptor Story ✓

Falling into Darkness

With a heavy heart, I bid my farewell to the dragons, their majestic presence etched into my memory.

The time had come for me to part ways, leaving behind Azurefeather's reassuring promise that echoed in my mind like a soothing melody: "You can return whenever you need to, Ripper. The forest will always be open to you." I clung to the hope that someday, when the turbulent times had settled, I would rediscover my path back to this enchanted place.

Red, ever pragmatic, distanced himself from me with a grunt. He cast a lingering glance at the colony of these magnificent creatures, who, in my optimistic dreams, might have become humanity's allies. Yet, Azurefeather's wisdom had made it clear that these dragons bore their own burdens and couldn't risk entangling with humans.

"Not again," I muttered, my heart heavy with longing.

"Stop dwelling on it," Red grumbled as we moved past the final border marker, embarking on a journey northward, where we hoped to find solitude devoid of human presence or any other living beings. I sighed, recognizing the wisdom in his words.

The remainder of our journey unfolded in silence, with Red and I exchanging thoughts telepathically. "You know," Red admitted after some time, his tail restlessly twitching, "I actually liked those dragons." I shot him an amused glance and asked, "Why didn't you ever express that to them?"

Red snorted. "Clearly, they didn't reciprocate the sentiment. Only Goldenfang and Azurefeather extended kindness toward us. Brambletail, on the other hand, was far from amiable." I nodded in agreement, acknowledging that though the younger dragons had gradually warmed up to us, fortune seldom favored us.

"Well," I suggested, changing the subject, "we should focus on finding a suitable place to spend the night. Right now, I don't want to dwell on the friends we've left behind. All I desire is some rest."

And so, sleep swiftly overtook me, though I would soon regret allowing it.

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Amidst the chaos of blood and screams, I found myself trapped in a nightmare.

"Oh, no need to fret," growled a sinister voice above me. The creature's face remained obscured, its scent unfamiliar, and its inhuman nature undeniable. "W—," I began to speak, only to be abruptly silenced as blood gushed from my jaws. The beast taunted me, snorting, "Can't even speak, Ripper? Where's the fearsome monster those humans have been raving about? Has your time with the dragons softened you?"

That insult struck a nerve.

No one could insult my forest friends and escape unpunished. "Grr... you should've stayed dead!" I snarled, launching an attack, and this time, my claws found their target. My talons met something both hard and unsettlingly soft and squishy. "GAH!" the creature yowled, writhing in agony as my claws tore into its flesh. A wave of revulsion washed over me as I witnessed the gruesome spectacle.

But then, massive talons yanked me away, hurling me into a tree. My vision dimmed briefly, but when it returned, darkness was already creeping in. I understood that I was awakening from this nightmarish ordeal.

"Oh no, Ripper, this is real. This is your destiny. Don't you remember?" a voice hissed, its teeth gleaming in the dim light. Finally, I recognized the creature—a skeletal figure with scales, Death personified in all its eerie grandeur. Its hooded eyes radiated a vivid, malevolent red glow, and its hooked claws relentlessly tore into me, offering no respite.

And just like that, Death claimed me once more, as it had weeks ago.

And I plummeted into the abyss.

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