Imperial

Chapter 20

Another week slipped by. To my frustration, I was still unable to control my fire; thus only having breathed it only two more times. Perhaps part of that was because Kronx insisted that we still spar, and fly.

With a sigh, I twisted around the mountains, enjoying the fresh air that rushed past. Much faster - I was much faster than I had been a few weeks ago, when I finally escaped the clutches of the humans. A few weeks, and I had already learned more than I had thought possible.

Nonetheless, Kronx still hadn't even mentioned anything else about our species.

Descending down below the clouds once more, I tucked my wings against my flank. Rocky ledges of nearly by mountains hastily approached as I plummeted down. But I was not worried, instead I waiting a few more moments before spreading my wings once more.

Picking up speed, I danced around the mountains, until they faded into smaller hills, covered in trees. Now I was so close to the forests, the trilling of birds songs was much louder and clearer.

Content, I soared high above the hills, listening in amusement as the birds cried out in fear as my shadow swept over them.

Suddenly, the forest went unearthly quiet. No more birds singing or screeching. Not even the soft groan as branches rustled in the wind. Just silence - as though the whole forest was holding its breath.

Confused, I slowly glanced around. Why had everything gone so quiet?

Across the sky, something glittered under the sunlight. Curious, I stared at the steadily growing shape in the sky. Another dragon?

Sure enough, I could make out the creature's shape soon enough. Covered in icy blue scales and two huge, leather wings, it did appear to be a dragon. It had similar sharp spines, and a long fleeting tail suited with a fully flared tail fin as the creature slowed to a halt - directly in front of me.

No. Not a dragon.

Unlike any other dragon I had seen before, the creature did not have four legs. Only two. Even its spines were sharper, more rigid. Which meant that this creature was... was a wyvern.

My blood went cold.

Back in Fehïrk, the other dragons had mentioned wyverns. Several of them had even recounted their first-hand experience, with what they had called a blood-thirsty monster. Creatures that could not be tamed or captured by humans. Simply too wild, and not fearing pain. Death.

I peered at the wyvern in front of me. Surely it was not a blood thirsty monster?

Two dark blue eyes stared back. Examining me carefully - as though pondering how easy a target I would be. How easy it would be to take me down.

Not liking the malicious glint in those dark blue eyes, I bared my fangs. Not daring to look away, I growled a warning. "Stay away. I'm not easy prey."

The wyvern sneered at me scornfully.

"What - you? You'd be dead before the battle even starts!" Even its hoarse, yet high-pitched voice sent shudders down my spine.

Heart hammering, I glared at the wyvern - trying to hide my fear. Never had I thought that I'd be fighting a wyvern, especially so soon after escaping the humans. And if we were to fight, the wyvern was right. I'd be dead in minutes. Training for weeks would not outdo the wyvern, for all his bloodthirstiness.

Perhaps I'd have better luck if I escaped. Tried to get to Kronx. Surely the ancient dragon would hear me screeching if I was closer to his den! Perhaps he'd even get to me faster, before I was killed.

I snarled at the wyvern. "That is not what I meant when I said easy prey."

Before it could respond, I whipped around. A powerful beat of my wings had me racing back towards the mountain range in which I had come. Not fast enough to catch up to Kronx if he was flying full speed, but perhaps just fast enough to escape the wyvern.

Behind me, the wyvern hissed in annoyance.

Narrowing my eyes, I focused on the mountains growing steadily closer. Desperately, my mind went over every flight lesson Kronx had given me. Remembering his advice, even after I had discovered my style of flight.

Steadily, my pace increased.

Yet no matter how hard I tried, the wyvern's freezing breath was always at my tail.

Tucking my wings against my flank, I screeched in triumph as I plummeted down, picking up speed. Another triumphant screech as I sailed past the first mountain, back into more familiar territory.

"Fool. Mountain air is cold," I heard the wyvern's piercing voice hiss behind me. "Wyverns thrive in cold."

From out of nowhere, the pale blue wyvern appeared above me, its talons scratching at my back. Not hard enough to pierce my scales, but enough to panic me. Alarmed, I screamed out, hoping that numerous mountains away, Kronx and Rutilus would hear.

Pumping my wings, I tried to push myself away from the wyvern, but to no avail. Talons raked against my scales, but strong jaws closed in around me long neck. No time to scream. Nor would I be able to fight back. Perhaps if I craned my head enough, I'd be able to breathe fire.

Narrowing my eyes, I squirmed desperately. Hoping to breathe fire, and scare off the wyvern. But no matter how much I tried, how much I focused on the flames or how hard I breathed, nothing worked.

Adrenaline shote through my veins. With a furious roar, I beat my wings - using the momentum to twist around and throw the wyvern off. Not caring that its sharp, black talons were now piercing my wings. Not caring that blood was gushing from where they wyvern had bitten me, nor the fact that the air was suddenly very, very cold.

In a rage, I turned on the wyvern, snapping and lashing at it. Ignoring the freezing cold liquid that it spat at me. Instead just focusing purely on the wyvern in front of me as I lashed out at it.

The wyvern cried out, suddenly barrelling into me. Its talons grabbed at my back, but its wings flared - slowing us down. Furiously, I snapped at him once more, only to tumble onto the ground with a grunt.

Utterly drained, I struggled to see the wyvern as it approached, its dark blue eyes fixated on me. A soft whine escaped my throat - all I could manage. I was exhausted. There was no way I could fight the wyvern, not to mention try to stand up.

"Be grateful that I slowed us down," the wyvern hissed at me, baring his bloodied fangs. "You could have broken more than a few bones on your wings."

Slowly, he approached, using his wings to help pull himself over me. 

Perhaps this was it. So soon after escaping, and I'd be killed. Kronx was right; there were things much more dangerous than humans in the wild. A lot more dangerous. 

The wyvern did not have to lay so much as a claw on me. I could feel my consciousness fading away, with each passing moment.

Suddenly, a deep, thunderous voice pierced the air. "You wouldn't happen to be attacking one of my dragons, now would you, Foruthe?"

And then the world went black.

*~*

1245 words

Whoop! Hope you enjoyed! 

Chapter 20 already! And yet, there is a lot more to go. Much more than the draft, if things go the way I plan them too. 

If you read the draft: Yes, I might have renamed Frost, and changed a few things about him. To give him a bit more depth which was never touched on in the draft. 

Please do vote + comment below! :)