The Blue Blaze (Revised and Retold)

Chapter 12

I fly high in the sky, surveying the battlefield. The scene is pure carnage. Beowulf soldiers are covered head to toe in red, but it isn't blood—it's their entire uniform, crimson red. It makes it difficult to see who's injured and who isn't. Our soldiers look physically drained and weak; several of them are disarmed from their rifles and switch to their swords, swinging them carelessly like kids with toy weapons. The Beowulf soldiers only grin, running them through with their bayonets, the blades piercing out of my men's backs. It's a brutal sight. I cringe every time a soldier lets out his final scream before collapsing dead.

"We gotta turn this fight around, stat!" Keith shouts through the chaos.

"How do you suppose we do that? Our air support is nearly gone, and the men have been marching for days!" I call back to my rider, making evasive maneuvers as tanks lock onto me, trying to shoot me down like they did to the other dragons. Dodging their missiles, I unleash a barrage of water, shredding through their ranks, but it barely makes a dent. For every Beowulf soldier I bring down, ten more take their place. "They're like ants!"

Keith fires off a couple of rounds but suddenly lets out a pained scream. I whip my head back and see he's been shot square in the shoulder. His weight shifts, and I realize he's slipping off my back. I screech as a searing pain burns through my right wing membrane; glancing at it, I see a giant bloody hole where skin used to be. "I'm going down!" I shout. "Hold on!" Gravity feels ten times stronger as I crash into an empty space on the ground. Keith is no longer on me. Frantically, I scan the area and spot him ten feet ahead. He's standing, trying to run to me, but no matter how hard he pushes, he doesn't get any closer.

A Beowulf soldier rushes him from behind, bayonet poised. I try to call out and warn him, but no sound comes out—my mouth only opens helplessly. Keith lets out a pained shout as the bayonet drives through his back. "Keith!" I scream, trying to reach him, but I can't move. I can only watch as the sickening sound of bullet holes and blades tearing through his body fills the air, turning him into a pin cushion. The metallic scent of iron overwhelms my senses. With a tear in his eye and an outstretched hand toward me, Keith whispers, "You should've protected me..." before collapsing.

My eyes flood with tears, and I can only scream as the remaining Beowulf soldiers descend upon me, stabbing relentlessly as I meet the same fate as my friend.

"Keith!" I shoot up from my bedroll, my breath coming in ragged rasps. The bright lights of the building burn my eyes as I look around, trying to ground myself.

Keith stands beside me, concern in his eyes as he leans forward. "I'm right here, man."

The tension in my chest loosens, and a shaky breath escapes my lips. It's just a dream. I keep repeating it to myself, trying to let the words sink in.

He touches my arm, his voice steady and calm. "Is something wrong?"

"Not anymore." I meet his gaze, relief washing over me at the sight of him alive and well. Everything's great now.

Keith gives me a knowing look. "Bad dream?"

"Yeah. That's it. It was just a bad dream, nothing more, nothing less." But the nightmare still clings to my mind. Every time I blink, I see the image of Keith skewered and reaching out to me. I shake off the thought and change the subject. "Where am I?"

"Medical bay. After the nurses supplied the antidote to Sadreena's poison, you were out for a day."

"A day?" I stand up, accidentally unhooking and unplugging some equipment attached to me.

"Yeah," Keith replies casually. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think Sadreena was trying to kill you."

Why do I get the feeling that it wasn't an accident? "Why would she? I mean, she's a prick, but I don't think I've ever given her a reason to make an attempt on my life." I remember her expression during the match. "But the way she looked at me... it's like she wanted me to suffer."