The Final Storm (Part 3)

Speared

Lauri felt as tense as a bowstring as a rousing cheer swept from the enemy lines, forcing the Barokian lines to retreat. Goliath had been slain and replacements were swarming out of hiding like ants spotting the hill.

            They were in a tight spot. The Vulnairians had the higher grounds and Fraylon was running out of steam. And to make things worse, another strange machine was being wheeled out of the treeline to hurl more missiles into the dwindling Barokian army. Lauri bit her lip. Baroke’s proud walls were coming closer and closer and if they didn’t act soon they would be cornered. The soldiers were all looking to her, astride her mighty dragon, waiting for her to give the soothing words of life, to give them a plan that would suddenly ensure their safety. But she had nothing, no words of wisdom or helpfulness. Her heart burned with one purpose, something that had been branded so many years ago that day when she hadn’t a care in the world. When they had taken him from her.

            She could vaguely hear Vali barking out orders, assuring the men of their victory, issuing out the defense formation they should take, but Lauri wasn’t into it. Her stormy eyes were focused on the distance, where a petite woman in a frilly dress was calmly sitting upon her carriage to watch the battle, a viper’s smile on her thin face. Lauri reached for her javelin, her face twisted in a savage snarl.

            Go. Now. I see her. Lauri hissed in her mind, startling Vali from her conversation with the General of the sixth infantry.

            Now is not the time, Rider. We need to be here with our troops-

            No! Vali, I am not going down without a fight. This is what we wanted, Vali! This is what we wanted. This is why we waged this rakk war, why we’ve been training and searching for all these years. Her! She spat, pointing a rigid finger in the Queen’s direction.

            No, Vali said softly. It was your aim, not mine.

            Lauri went rigid. Have you forgotten Tyrin? Is he lost in your memory? Have you forgotten how she brutally murdered him, then dragged his body away to stuff him in her precious game room? Remember that?  

            Vali’s eyes darkened. No.

            Then GO! Lauri urged, hefting her javelin. We kill her and we chop off the head of the beast!

            She is not the greatest enemy right now…. Vali thought, scanning the battlefield. The Felinus were nowhere to be found, but she couldn’t raise let her heart dare to hope that Jaydon’s freak lightning storm had sent them to hell.

            “As your Rider, I demand you to charge!” Lauri said violently, losing her temper. Vali roared as she knocked the butt of the javelin into her ribs, rearing to his hind legs, her front talonsraking the sky. When she thudded back to the ground, her eyes were full of dark fury. She streaked through the battlefield, not even noticing as barbed heads of weapons stuck from her sides and ribbed her webbed tail. She was a terror, a blue streak of madness. Soldiers hardly saw her coming before she ripped through them, her many rows of shark teeth shredding their armor and throwing them sky high.

            Except for the Queen. She smiled as she pulled down her infamous dragon lance, running her small hand down the side of the flat blade. Double sided, ragged like the teeth of a great beast, it was made of the melted scales of the silver dragons of the northeastern mountains. It was made to bring down fire wyrms, the ragged point was stained permanently red from the last dragon she had killed. She smiled at the memory and stepped delicately out of the carriage, raising it over her her head, watching the huge water dragon approach. She should have known this place was harboring dragons. It was a pleasant surprise, nonetheless. This one would make an excellent addition to her collection.

            Vali pounded closer, every step shaking the ground, her aqua eyes glowing like blue fire. Her whole body shivered as the bitter poison of hatred flowed through her veins, lending her limbs speed and her heart passion. Lauri’s braid flickered behind her as she raised her javelin with a horrible war cry escaping her mouth.

            The Queen raised her own, the jagged end pointing towards the unarmored spot right above her chest. She licked her lips, her arm pulling backwards like a spring.

            Ba bum ba bum Lauri could feel her heart in her throat. This was it, this was it at last. Revenge, bittersweet in her mouth. She laughed bitterly, before throwing the javelin straight to the Queen’s chest.

           Vali roared, her eyes growing wide as she saw the spear whistling towards her. She jumped sideways, rearing to her hind legs.

            A meaty thock and the Queen lay on her side, her eyes wide and glazed, one pale hand resting just above where the javelin had impaled her heart.

            Vali’s triumphant roar turned into a scream. Her eyes widened, time seeming to slow down. All Lauri could hear was her own heavy breathing as victory fled from her breast and was replaced with a wave of terror. Vali fell, in slow motion, kicking up dust, her webbed tail flailing. Her bones creaked as she fell hard onto the ground, rolling onto Lauri’s leg, pinning her to the ground.

            Lauri screamed and choked as she inhaled dirt. A man was lying next to her, his face a mess of blood, his eyes pure white against his skinless features. His scalp lay a few feet away. Lauri’s heart beat faster and faster as if it wanted to escape her chest. She wheezed, pulling at her leg, which she was sure was broken. She was stuck! Her fingers curled into crooked claws, tearing at the grass, raking at the ground. Her breath hitched in her throat as her eyes turned a dark shade of blue. “No! No! Vali!”

            Vali moaned, blinking in shock. She knew she was in trouble. They were half a mile into enemy lines, with no help anywhere to be found. The spear was sticking out of the underside of her right leg, the leg she had collapsed on. If no one got it out soon, she was sure to bleed to death. She had tried herself, but her rough paws just couldn’t grab something so thin and slick, which had just caused the wound to open further.

            A horn sounded, Vali saw men recover the Queen’s body, pulling her gently into the carriage. As her vision became fuzzy, she could barely see them taking out more dragon lances to end her life, stalking closer with stoic faces hiding the emotions within. Vali wasn’t ready to die. Her neck shot forward, she snatched the first man and shredded him. But another snuck past her guard, and he aimed his spear, steady and sure, out of reach of her jagged teeth.

            Vali’s eyes grew dim. Her time had come.