The Dragon Hunter

14

Nyx's head snapped up as the window exploded. Minx, two other dragons, a goose and a cat darted inside. He knew what they were going to do before they did it.

"No Minx, don't!"

Minx grabbed ahold of the first cage and ripped the door open as the other dragons did the same. I instantly the room exploded into chaos as the dragons broke free.

Minx landed on his shoulder as every dragon simultaneously launched themselves at Varistor's face. He screamed and stumbled out of view.

"Better lean forwards Nyx," She growled, scurrying across his body, breaking his bonds. He rubbed his wrist and slowly got to his feet. His head swam as he watched Minx leap across to where Quin was situated. Moments later the three of them were stumbling up a stone staircase, bursting out into what Nyx could only assume to be Varistor's house.

"We've got to go!" Minx snapped as they sprinted towards the front doors, dodging the swarm of dragons that screamed and formed a cloud, like starlings, as they searched for Varistor. Outside the orange glow of a fire was slowly rising up, smoke pouring from beneath the door. Nyx ripped off his jacket, tearing it into sections before thrusting one into Quin's face.

"Tie it around your mouth, it won't help much but it'll be better than nothing," he stated, tying his own length of fabric around his mouth and nose.

"You're too late!" Varistor screamed from somewhere within the cloud of howling dragons. "They're already on their way here!"

Nyx caught a glimpse of the man and his stomach flipped. Varistor's face had almost completely been torn off, clay and flesh still clinging to gleaming bone. But he was still smiling, what was left of his lips pulled back in a smirk.

"He has awoken and has sent his army to destroy what is left of the society. They will scatter like ants before him."

Nyx didn't need to hear anymore. He grabbed Quin's hand and together the two of them and Minx plunged outside.

~

Minx wanted to go back to Luna, but Nyx insisted they get Quin to safety first. Begrudgingly, she agreed, darting through the air above them. Around them house after house caught, going up in flames. But it wasn't the destruction that scared her; it was the lack of screams. Other than the crackling and splintering of wood it was completely silent.

Behind her Nyx yelped and her head snapped around just in time to see Charlie lay into him, kneeing him in the groin. He groaned and collapsed as Charlie brought her hands up to her mouth.

"Meden Nyx! I'm do sorry!" She gasped through her own strip of damp fabric, helping him clamber to his feet. "I thought you were one of them!"

"One of who?" He wheezed as they started to move again.

"Them. Just...just them. I'll explain later, it's just-" Charlie was cut off by and ear-piercing howl. Minx shot ahead into the square and her heart dropped.

A large wolf-like humanoid had the clutch bone pinned, it's jaw wide open as it screamed and barked, digging its claws into the lantern head. Minx watched in horror as the wolf yipped in triumph, slowly but surely ripping the Clutch bone's head in half. Blue fire erupted from the split, like a supernova it engulfed both creatures and the immediate area around it.

"Keep moving!" Charlie snapped, pushing past Minx and making a b-line for the gates. Nyx and Quin were hot on her heels but Minx didn't budge.

"We have to go back for the others!"

"Keep moving!" Someone screamed behind her.

Minx turned on the spot to see two large blurs sprinting through the smoke towards them. She blinked as the second grabbed her around the waist, dragging her towards the forest. She thrashed back and forth as they sprinted through the gates, trying fruitlessly to free herself from her holder's strong grip.

Minx continued to struggle as the path fell away to leave nothing but muted greens and browns and greys. She bashed her fists against her holder's arm.

"Let me go!" She howled. She was thrown to the floor, into the mud. She looked up to see that Nyx had pinned Mendax to a tree. Minx blinked. The two blurs had been Mendax and Winston.

Winston was lying on the floor beside Charlie, both of them breathing heavily, their clothes burnt and covered in soot. Quin was sitting on a tree stump quietly whimpering.

"Where did you get this?!" Nyx demanded, holding up a dripping, blackened scarf. Luna's scarf. "Where was she?"

"She's gone boy!" Mendax yelled back. "She told me to give this back to you before she- before she-" he swallowed. "She said she promised to give it back."

Nyx when as white as a sheet as he looked from Mendax to the scarf then back to Mendax. "I'm going back for her."

He turned to go but Nyx caught his arm, pulling him back. "Are you serious? That would be suicide! You really think she'd want you to run back there and get yourself killed?"

"How can I trust you?" Nyx screamed. "She wouldn't give in so easily! I know she wouldn't!"

"Well she did! She's gone child! Look at the scarf and tell me she could have gone through all that unscathed!"

Minx stared at the scarf, charred black in some places, the unmistakable brown of dried blood in others. She shook her head. "I'm going back."

Mendax frowned, sinking to the ground and placing his head in his hands. "Minx, we can't afford to lose anyone else."

"I'm a dragon. She's my tamer. I need to know. Besides, fire doesn't affect me," she snarled. She didn't wait for a response, she shot back towards the growing fire in the distance.

~

Luna was back in the field of poppies, only this time there was no skeletal dragon. Only the sky and the endless field of red. Slowly, she stepped forwards, listening to the wind whistle through the crimson petals, whispering incomprehensible gibberish.

"I was wondering when you would show up," a deep voice said behind her.

Luna turned to see a three headed dragon watching her with three pairs of eyes that changed colour each second, slowly fading into the next colour in a way that was almost hypnotising. Huge leathery jade wings were folded up against a lean, muscular body of the same colour, though some scales across its back were a subtle shade of turquoise that mixed seamlessly with the green.

"You're..." she stared at it. At him. "I don't understand, you were just the sky last time. You were..."

"Child, we have little time. My brother marches on Grey-Castle as we speak. He has infiltrated my house. He will undo all the work my hunter did," Meden sighed, starting to walk past her. His huge tail, as thick as a tree trunk, sending petals into the air, twirling around like snowflakes. "We have little time."

"I was burning, dying. How can I be here?" Luna chocked. Meden turned his left head back to face her, fixing her with his gaze.

"Because you are dead my child. Now come, we have much to discuss."

~

Hey! We're about halfway through the story now and I know I don't usually write author's notes, but I just want to thank you guys for 300 views! I hope you're enjoying the story so far. If you are, be sure to vote and comment who your favourite character is and what you think is going to happen next! Thanks once again, and I'll see you in the next part! XD