The Lonely Dragon

Prologue.

The distance was all that mattered.

Running for one's life robbed you of all senses and heightened the urge to escape.

Stepping into the dark forest was disorientating to be almost blinded. All i could hear were the exhausted pantings of my companions who ran with me.

The sense of smell was sensitized, the loam in the earth and the decomposing leaves made the atmosphere close and thick.

The blackness nurtured a sense of claustrophobia inside you, even though the woodland stretched unbroken for miles. The narrow path, which was made uneven by knotted roots that crossed it, branched at intervals, making it harder to run making one's feet bruised and almost to the point of bleeding due to tripping on the roots and rocks that stuck outside the ground.

Looking beside me I saw the pained faces of my companions as they ran with all of their might. I need to slow "them" down somehow...to give them enough time to escape safely.

I became distracted by that one lingering thought.

Tripping on the roots that hid in the forest floor, an unbearable amount of pain shocked me, I looked to see a sharp piece of rock embedded in my hip, which I guess fractured the bone. resulting in blood draining out of my body and onto the floor.

Screaming in agonizing pain, one of my comrades knelt to see how bad my injury was, tears filled his eyes.

I knew I couldn't go on from this point on...so did they.

"Go!" I commanded them, "I will hold them off here, make sure you all survive!"

"No, there has to be a way for you to walk...." Ling Guang tried to lift me but the pain was too strong making me falter.

Looking at the other two standing beside Ling I begged them with my eyes, "Please go!" trying to fight the overwhelming feeling inside of me i barely kept it under control. I could tell how hard it was for them as well.

They then forced Ling to his feet and started to run again. He screamed in defiance as they dragged him farther and farther away from me, finally, he faced reality and ran as fast as he could. Leaving me all alone...

"It's all for the best...." I told myself. No, i had to convince myself that this was the only way possible for them to survive.

The darkness of the forest walls became heavy on me, as I watched the silhouettes of my closest companions getting smaller and smaller. I closed my eyes as I burned their image in my mind. Looking around I gathered my strength as I used the tree beside me as a crutch. Since my power can't heal anymore this left me with a disadvantage.

I closed my eyes once more....feeling the damp forest floor to even a mosquito flying about in the humid air...feeling everything.

Footsteps? Ten...no twenty....picturing the distance between me and the enemy I positioned myself steadily. Breathing out I tried to relax as the pain in my hip increased, opening my eyes my enemy was in front of me, about twenty feet away, seeing their faces my anger grew exceedingly to a boiling rage.

A white mist then enveloped me as crystals began to form from the dew in the thick air.

Crystals sharp as knives able to pierce flesh grew and grew in thin air, "You won't get past me!" i yelled at them.

The shards flew toward the men in front of me, as they activated their defense magic to try and stop the deadly crystals flying at them. Saying a few words i added more strength to the crystals, now able to pierce them fully. Screaming in pain some dropped to their knees as they gave up their last breath.