The Final Storm (Part 3)

Falling to the Death

Ralem’s eyes snapped open. The first thing he felt was cold. Real cold. Then he realized that something was blowing on him. Was it Jaydon snoring? Everything was pitch black. It took him a second to recover his night vision. But when his eyes sparked to life he found something he’d rather not see.

It was a blunt object, grey and bulky, its surface shining dully from his eyes.

It was coming closer. Fast.

Ralem blinked. What?

No. He was coming closer to it!

He was falling.

Ralem said his prayers as the rock rose up to meet him, a pointy peak ready to impale him through the midsection. Then he remembered what Jaydon had told him just earlier that day; You are a FREAKING Rider! In a split second decision he thrust his hands before him and gathered all his energy to make a wind cushion. He was still going too fast. Sweat beaded between his pinched eyebrows and then was swept away by the wind. A dragonish roar erupted from deep within his chest and his eyes glowed like stars themselves. I’m not going to die today! He thought.

Ten feet, five feet, one foot…. Ralem found himself an inch away from the crest, one of the rocky protrusions almost touching the spot between his eyebrows. He looked at it cross-eyed for a minute before realizing he was floating still. Cautiously he moved until he was away from the rock.

BOOM.

An ear-blasting rumble shook the earth. Trees quaked dangerously and many sleeping birds took flight with raucous calls. There was the blast of something incredibly heavy crashing through the earth and suddenly Ralem went limp.

He was going to die after all.

Luckily though, being the most powerful man on earth, dying hadn’t been permanent yet. He woke again to the taste of mud in his mouth. Spitting it out and swearing as he stumbled to his feet, he took in the surroundings with glowing eyes.

The screaming moon above dictated that it was about three in the morning. Chirping crickets and croaking bullfrogs filled the summer night air with their mating songs. A wolf cried in the distance, sad and lonely. But everything was still. The waves of red grain swayed gently in a huge field, spreading as far as the eye could see, rolling hill after rolling hill. Behind him a small copse of trees stood silently, casting a deeper shadow over him.

There was something wrong.

Ralem knew it, but his mind seemed to be as sluggish as a snail. It was frustrating him immensely. Jaydon- what’s up? He thought on habit.

No reply.

Then Ralem remembered- Jaydon! His heart started pumping furiously in his chest. “Jaydon!” he screamed out loud and in his head. He’s got to be alive, he tried soothing himself, because I’m alive- he’s alive- right? Yes, he answered himself, I’ll find him and then we’ll fly home- or if that doesn’t work he could run home. He runs real fast. Everything is going to be okay. I just need to find him. Ralem climbed to the top of the rock and used his raptor vision to sweep across the field. A monstrous glittering green dragon would be hard to miss, right?

Wrong.

Ralem couldn’t see him anywhere. Just the stupid red grain. He had been trained to track by the master herself. He had never imagined he would be doing it to his dragon, though! But when his eyes swept to the left he saw something that even a tracker more amateur than himself can follow.

A massive trench was dug into the earth, mountains of dirt rising up on either side. On one side a smaller ditch stretched out, evidently made by a wing or a tail. Ralem grimaced. He had hit the ground hard. What if he was still in pain?! He had to get to him quick.