Dragons: The Fall of the Crow Queen

Prologue

Two dragons sat at the top of a cliff, tails entwined. They stared into each other's midnight black eyes, and the love between them was as palpable as the heat rising from their scales, turned silver in the moonlight. The stars shone, giving them light as well as energy, and they thought they night was perfect. Nothing could possibly go wrong. Below them, in the cave, was their newborn dragonet, in the care of a nanny. So they had no worries, no responsibility, nothing to do but sit and stare at the moon.

"It's so peaceful out here," the female dragon breathed.

"I know, Skylla. If only it could last." A troubled look appeared on his face.

"What do you mean....they couldn't possibly....no, not here." Skylla looked at her mate. "They won't find us, Brocku. We are far enough away, aren't we?"

Brocku shifted on the rock, growling and hissing. "They always seem to find us. No matter where we run. But we have to try. Our son needs us." He lowered his gaze. "Now even more is at stake."

"Please, let's just enjoy this evening," Skylla pleaded. Because it might be our last. Skylla thought, but did not say aloud. She leaned on Brocku's shoulder, breathing in his familiar scent. Brocku hesitated the briefest second before leaning into her, twining his long neck around hers.

"Don't worry. Everything will be fine. We will live here until it's safe, and go back to our old den in the mountains, repile our treasure, raise more eggs. Things will be exactly like they were before." Brocku reassured his mate. A crow suddenly cawed, tearing across the sky like its tail was on fire. Soon a second followed, then a third, then a fourth, all crowing raucously.

"Oh no. They found us! How is that even possible?" Skylla eyes flicked back and forth, watching the flock of now around twenty crows fly around, others still joining. They were circling, closer, closer. Skylla screamed.

"We need to warn the nanny, find our son." Brocku yelled to be heard above the chaos.

"We can't. We can't. We're going to die!" Skylla panicked, snapping at the crows, flying in circles.

"We can do it. For our son. On the count of three, let's go together and break through the crows." This has to work, it just has to Brocku thought. He reached for his mates claws, and gripped it tightly. "We can do it." he repeated.

Skylla toke a deep breath. "Ok. I'll do it."

Brocku squeezed her claws again. They looked at each other, and Brocku silently counted. 1.... 2...... 3.....

"GO!"

The two dragons charged, slashing through the birds. The sound of snapping necks and agonized caws filled the air, and the ground they now walked on was covered in blood and dead bodies. Brocku heard a scream from his mate. Her risked a glance, opening his eyes. There was a bloody mess where his mate's left eye used to be. He closed his eyes quickly. "Keep going. We can make it!" Although dragons have very tough hides and armored scales, the crows beaks could easily fit in the cracks between scales, and knew all the weak spots. He felt the scales on his back being peeled backwards, and felt the prick of a thousand beaks, clamoring to peck him. Warm blood was spilling down his back, he didn't know how much of it was his and how much of it was the crow's.

Skylla was screaming in agony. Her socket hurt so much! But she thought of her sons face, the terrified nanny, and she kept going. She knew the moment she spread her wings the crows would be own them, reducing them to a bloody mess. They would have to be quick. "Brocku!" She called out. "We need to fly or we'll never get past them."