Imperial

Chapter 8

No longer were the humans chasing us within sight. As soon as the sun slipped beneath the horizon, they had dramatically slowed down; their vision was nowhere near as good as it was during the day. And their own dragons did not appear to be helping them any more than they had to. I was surprised to realise that my feelings of fury that I had held towards the pursuing dragons had started to morph into gratitude.

Taking advantage of that, we flew through the night – but not without consequences. My wings felt like they were holding up the loads of coal I used to haul. Even with them just spread out beside me, gliding on the wind, it was as though they were wrapped in large, metal chains, slowing me down. Nor was I the only one flagging – Soriak was gradually falling behind, and even Rutilus was leading us at a much slower pace.

"I think," I panted between rasps of air, "that we should find a place to rest. Preferably near water; but somewhere sheltered, out of sight." At this point of time, none of us had the strength to fight off the humans if they managed to catch up.

Rutilus turned his head towards me, his gold eyes glimmering with reluctance. But even he knew that all of us would struggle staying in the air for too much longer. Best off finding a place to rest now, while we could. "I think that is one - right down there, to the west," he roared over the wind, as he swept lower to inspect.

Following him, I could see what he meant. Across the forest, was a cliff. Perhaps there were all sorts of caves hidden beneath the rugged edges. Caves in which we could hide in, rest in. Surely the humans would not find us there?

Banking my wings, I pushed myself forward, needing to examine that cliff; needing to land soon. And fast. Now that I had announced that I was tired, it had somehow made it more real.

Not caring that I had overtaken Rutilus, I eagerly lead the way to the cave, ignoring the throbbing burn in my throat, and the growl of hunger in my stomach. Sleep, I needed sleep. Needed to rest; to recover.

Finally, after several moments of shooting towards it, the cliff loomed before me. Noticeably small, but at least several caves were spotted. But only one of them was big enough to fit the three of us.

Folding my wings, I veered down. Barely snapping them open in time, I landed on the ground with a jolt. My talons sank into the soil, and I could see the cave entrance right in front of me, tucked under a large overhanging rock.

Longingly, I stared at the cave. Utterly exhausted, I crouched down on the ground, head hanging low as I rasped for air. Both of my wings sagged beside me; I did not have the strength to fold them up as per normal. Beside me, I was vaguely aware of Rutilus and Soriak landing, and doing the same.

With one last wheeze, I summoned the strength to lumber into the cave. Each step was heavy, my body had passed its limit. This was something I was all too familiar with – just keeping on going, no matter how my body protested or failed. Grinding my teeth, I stepped forwards tentatively.

As I ventured further into the cave, the dirt vanished exposing the hard stone underneath. Darkness surrounded me, but not the uneasy gloominess in the Dragon Stables, but rather, soothing blackness that enveloped me. Darkness that would help keep me safe while I slept.

After a few more steps, the cavern opened up, easily big enough to hold the three of us. Barely glancing at the two dragons that had trailed me inside, I collapsed against the far stone wall. Stone was not comfortable, but after so many years in the Dragon Stables, I was used to it.

With a grunt, Soriak settled down beside me. In the gloom, her pale scales seemed to glow. Her eyes could not betray her exhaustion, but even they gleamed much brighter in the dark. "I could get used to this," she admitted with a yawn, blinking her bright blue eyes slowly.