Adrianna's Dragon

Chapter 29 First Strike

"Finally it's warm enough to swim!" Adrianna said as she lay on her rock sunning.

"I need to get back," Elodia said, "Teddi and I will fly the delta today."

"I skipped school today," Adrianna laughed, "so I could have time with you." She still lay on her rock while her sisters dressed.

"Put your cloths on Addie," Susan teased. Adrianna stood on her rock and looking at the horizon shading her eyes with her hand, shouted.

"Two dragons!" Immediately her medallion began to glow as did her sisters. Kaitlyn, who was at home, her little dragon Nihm off hunting, saw her necklace glow and called Sam, and he ran to fetch James. Their dragons also rose in the air appearing above the pond in defense. Gemma's medallion glowed and she simply got up from her seat at school and bolted her friends following. The imperial dragons were above them in an instant. The gunners fired their harpoons disabling four of the dragons before they could react. Two of the gunners managed to reload and sent Ruby crashing to the ground with a harpoon in each wing. The larger dragon seized Adrianna in one hand and Theodora and Elodia in the other. "Drown the spares!" the rider commanded and the dragon plunged them into the pond while Adrianna screamed kicking and biting the clawed hand that held her. "Kill the others the rider ordered." The smaller dragon swept the dragon riders with its tail preparing to incinerate them when down.

James and Sam arrived panting each carrying a shot gun. They fired at the riders of the smaller dragon and two fell from the dragon. The dragon rose quickly. Sam and James fired again striking the gunners on the larger dragon. The dragon released two of its victims and rose quickly and disappeared. Before the second dragon could escape Loki appeared in the sky and took the other dragons head in his mouth. Loki flipped taking the dragon in a barrel roll and used the long claws of his feet tore open the dragon's belly. He released the dragon and disengaged, he could smell the leakage of the float gas and breathed fire at the dragon as it burst into flame. The dragon bellowed in pain as it exploded in the same instant as it carried its rider into the void.

Gemma arrived panting with her friends and they plunged into the water and pulled Theodora and Elodia to the shore. Theodor sputtered then gasped and vomited the water she had swallowed. "This one's dead!" Stella said, pointing to Elodia. Eli and Walter had been in the clinic and came running when they heard the blast of the harpoons. They were joined by others who also came running. Gemma rolled Elodia on to her back and breathed into her mouth again and again without any response from her. Then screaming "ODIE!" in despair as she wept. "NO-O-O-O!" Gemma's hand began to glow blue, Stella and Geraldine held her as they also glowed blue and Gemma put her hands on Elodia's chest. Eli and Walter knelt at Elodia's side touching her as healers and witches joined forces. Gemma and her friends felt their lungs fill with cold fluid and their breath falter, they almost lost consciousness but held on unwilling to give up. Then Elodia took a breath, and then another as they continued to work. Slowly Elodia eyes fluttered then opened. She reached for Eli who held her tightly.

They looked around the pond at the results of the battle. All the dragon riders were down, but moving. The dragons crippled with harpoons still in their wings. Later their injuries would be treated. Two of the dragon riders had broken bones, two nearly drowned and one captured. The injuries they could mend, but the dragons were grounded until their wings could be healed.

The imperial dragon landed softly and released Adrianna, who took off running only to be netted by several men who were waiting. Some of the pellets from the shot gun blast had hit the rider and he slumped to the ground. "How did you mission go," an officer asked.

"All five dragons crippled, at least two riders dead."

"And the other imperial dragon?"

"No idea sir."

"Go get you wounds tended rider." Then turning his attention to Adrianna, "What do we have here? A little naked witch. What is your name girl?" Adrianna spit at him. "So feisty," he laughed, "We'll see how you do on the wheel of pain. Take her away." Several men roughly held her down as she was disentangled from the nets. Then her hands were tied together behind her back and a looped rope placed around her neck. The other end of the rope was tied to the saddle horn of the officer's horse and she was forced to parade naked through the River Gate of the Imperial City flanked by Imperial Guard as people screamed taunting her, striking her with knotted ropes, and spitting at her. They stopped in the forum and with her on display the emperor promised a quick end to the war and an assured win with the destruction of the witches. Her trial lasted only long enough for one question, "Are you a witch, girl?"

"I am!" Adrianna replied standing proud and unbroken.

"This woman will meet her death slowly on the wheel of pain in just two days. Her agony will be our amusement. She looks strong and fit," the emperor said as the crowd cheered and laughed at his remark. "We like our women strong and fit," the crowed continued to cheer. "Her death will be slow and entertaining." The crown roared with pleasure as she was marched to the prison. She continued receiving blows and spit until she was behind her cell doors. They left her hands tied as they shoved her into the cell. Adrianna huddled in the corner, her skin wet from spit and stinging sore from her beating from the knotted ropes. No one would rescue her this time. Sitting alone in the dark she wept for her valiant sisters, now dead, and for James, the man she loved.