The Hatchling

Carnal

He clung to my side like a leech as we entered the dining hall, but I got a small feeling it wasn't because he was shy. People watched us as we came in, including my own squad.

Yuri looked emotionless, Milo seemed solemn and sad, and Alric's face said nothing. Not quite like his green flaming eyes spoke. I could see disdain, anger, and disappointment brimming over his edges. In that quick moment of eye contact, he knocked his chair back and stormed over to me.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Alric spat, his words hitting me like acid. Pointing his finger at me, he continued before I could respond. "You're a joke, getting private training instead of trying to keep the playing field level. You're just pissed off because you ended up not being the best. That's it."

I bared my teeth in a carnal snarl and stepped forward aggressively. "I'm your leader now, you overprivileged punk. Shut your fat mouth before I shut it for you."

Alric sneered, "Oh I'm sure. If I recall, I was the one who was stronger. Now you're just feeling dejected because you're, in actuality, a poor excuse for a dragon."

I don't quite remember shifting. It was just instantaneous, happening within a blink. I lunged down, snapping my teeth as I tried to grab him, but he shifted before I could.

We both slammed into each other and sent every other occupant in the area scrambling for shelter. I felt bad for the staff here. This was the second time this had happened.

With one quick bite, I sank my teeth into his shoulder and dug down as hard as I possibly could. In retaliation, he returned the favor and slammed me up against the wall, ripping into my back leg with his teeth.

The pain I felt blossomed like a bloody flower, exploding up throughout my body like a tsunami. A guttural scream escaped my throat as I felt flesh tear like paper beneath his jaws. Black spots threatened my vision as the pain overwhelmed me.

In a last attempt, I spit fire at him, the cobalt warmth sputtering not-so-confidently from my mouth. The weak flame still scorched his side, forcing him to release me.

Again, I lunged, but he was ready. His talons sank through my collar's scales as if they were made of butter, and Alric then had me pinned.

More black spots. More blood. More pain.

Swinging my tail up, I felt the spines on its tip puncture his side, cracking ribs with it. His attention moved there and he attacked my tail, using the same crushing bite on another portion of me.

I had never expected him to be this powerful. I truly felt outmatched.

But I did not cease in my onslaught. My teeth found the back of his neck and the sound that came out of him satisfied me.

He scrabbled in my teeth, fraying and lacerating his skin more and more. The taste of blood didn't sicken me. It drove me.

I felt a primal need to enforce my dominance and to put Alric in his place.

As I have him more pain, his fighting weakened and he grew limp in my jaws. I could see him struggling to keep consciousness so, with one last shake, I wounded him further. His scream even ripped at me, nauseating my deepest gut.

Throwing him down, the adrenaline rushing through me slowed. My temporary high gone, I cod begin to feel the pain in the rest of me find its way back.

"Stay down," I groaned, struggling to speak.

My back leg buckled the next second, and I found myself toppling down to the ground. Something spattered up on my face as I pattered on the dark floors, and I realized, with fear, I was lying in a pool of my own blood.