Traitor

Family Matters

(Unedited. Sorry if this sucks!! I swear it will get better!)

Zach turned his head as he heard Caedmon scream. "JUZZIN!"

"Nosedive. Now." Zach barked, closing his eyes. Suddenly he was seeing the world through Terral's blue eyes. The trees were a dull grey, each leaf sharply defined. The short teenager falling at high speeds was a flash of darkness that swelled from his large overcoat that was spread like crow's wings from the wind's harsh blow.

Terral's wings folded to his sides halfway and he went into a nosedive, his long, slender forelegs reaching out, gecko-like fingers stretching out towards the boy. Zach pressed himself to Terral's back, making them more aerodynamic, his hair flying out of his blind eyes from the wind. He perched like a man on a race horse, sweat prickling his forehead. Come on come on...

Terral snagged the coat and gripped it in his paw, spreading his wings and immediately they shot back up into the sky. Justin was jerked up before his arms snapped towards Terral and he began to slide out of the coat.

"NO!" Zach barked and his hand snatched at the air, Terral's paw following his movements, trying to grab the boy before he fell.

It was too late. Justin fell through his fingers and into the forest below.

Suddenly there was a flash of purple.

A black comet raced through the sky, wings unfurled and tail swishing to guide him expertly over the air streams. His forelegs wrapped around Justin's middle before he flapped hard, muscles burning, tendons straining. His huge wingspan spread to its full extent, buoying them up into the sky.

"He's flying. He's flying," Zach whispered before yelling. "Caed- you're flying!"

Caedmon was panting too hard to reply, his wings flapping hard as he struggled to stay aloft. He gave a happy chirp, seeing the house poking out of the hilltop and swooping down for the landing. His wings shivered in exertion, his wing 'fingers' stretching and curving to catch as much wind as possible. He was struggling. 

Zach whooped. "Hey guys! Anyone out!?" He yelled down below. "Come out and see! Caedmon's flying!"

Alasie, who was sharpening a stick with a knife, looked up from her gnarled stump and her lips twitched. "Great. The traitor can fly," she murmured, twisting the stick in her fingers before feinting at throwing it at Caedmon. Then she stuck it into the earth with a grunt.

Caedmon flapped heavily to slow himself down, angling his body so that he could set Justin down carefully. He let him down a foot from the ground before hopping forwards, trotting to a stop in front of Alasie. He gave a big reptilian grin, his tail swishing side to side in excitement.

"If you're expecting praise from me, traitor, you're not getting it." Alasie said stiffly. "I always knew shadow dragons were yellow bellied cowards." She spat venomously at the dragon, who stepped backwards in shock. The little dragon had never had anyone speak rudely of him before.

"Oh don't be rude," Zach said as Terral landed gracefully in front of them. "They're back, and that's all that matters."

Alasie rolled her eyes. "If Darius wasn't his great Uncle, Justin would be dead, you know that right? That's what deserters get."

Zach gave her a look as Caedmon's eyes widened. "Don't talk like that. Darius wouldn't do that."

"Sure, keep on thinking that," she snorted and grabbed another stick to sharpen.

Zach went over and picked Justin up with a grunt. "Come on, Caed, don't listen to her." He said, heading back to the house.

"Dar-eye-us grrreat Unky?" Caedmon slowly pronounced as he padded after Zach.