The Book Of Dragons

Chapter 10 part 3: In the heart

I felt Aoife's fear suddenly.

In the middle of my meeting with Commandress Cinder, I almost doubled over in fear. Something had happened to her. She was struck with fear, and so I was as well.

~*Spike? Spike, what's the matter?*~ Cinder had such a calm voice, always. She never gave in to fear, doubt, sadness, anything.
Aoife... Something is making her fearful. I feel it, our Bond...
~*You have a Dracobond with this girl?*~
Yes... She is afraid, very afraid. I must do something!
I straightened to my full height, concern still gripping me, and turned to face northwards. I knew how to find Aoife, I don't know how I knew, but I knew.
~*Let my men help you.*~
Two Skyclaw soldiers came forwards, one a pale blue and the other a scale of grey. I simply nodded to their presence, and took off.

The Skyclaws kept pace. They could easily outspeed me, but they let me lead. We flew north, over the treetops, covering the long distance as fast as we could. But it wasn't fast enough. I could feel my bond with Aoife slowly weakening, as if she was getting further away from me. Or perhaps she was slipping into unconsciousness... I had to find her, and fast.

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I struggled at first, but once Dusk broke the treetops, I stopped. A fall from this height could seriously injure me, even kill me. I looked up to the great beast carrying me through the sky. He stretched his neck away from me and held out his wings, gliding silently. Even the air rushing past him made barely any noise, it was the fact that I wasn't streamlined like Dusk was that made the wind feel cold as it swept by. Dusk flew north and I spotted the clearing where I had first met Spike. A moment of blind trust... The bond I had with him was special. I could almost sense his feelings, even over such a distance. Concern and fear. Fear stemming from my fear. The fear that only grew when Dusk shifted his wings and dipped to the left. Away from the clearing, towards a section of the forest that I had yet to enter. He ducked into the cover of the trees, swooping low under branches and over brambles. He was roughly following the thinning gravel path that had been laid down who knows how long ago. The paths that the hunters used by the dragons as well.. That explained quite a lot. Dusk knew we would come to the carpark, it's the centre of the forest. The centre, apparently, according to both humans and dragons.

The forest began to thin. I didn't notice at first, but suddenly there were solid streams of sunlight coming in through gaps in between branches and trunks rather than just between leaves. More space for Dusk to spread his wings. More space for an even bigger dragon to spread their wings. Eventually, we came to an opening.

A huge opening, open to the full sky, shadowed by the sun behind us. The ground suddenly became an outcropping, a cliff leading down a great distance. A rushing river ran below in a great meander, and there was a cliff equally as high on the opposite side of the river.

Dusk threw me down onto the ground, pinning me down once more. I was dangerously close to the edge of the cliff, not wanting to fall, I froze.
#//The Lord will see you now. Sly!\\# Dusk called for another dragon, hiding nearby. A grass green Snakespine dragon came rustling from the trees, landing silently.
(--Yes, Commander Dusk, sir?--)
This must have been Commander Sly, the leader of the Snakespines. He seemed a bit shaky, nervous even.
#//Tell Lord Sharp that I have the girl we spoke of.\\#
(--O-of course, sir.--) The green dragon took off, flying over the river to the opposing cliff. He flew towards an opening that I hadn't noticed before, and dissapeared into the darkness of the cave.

#//Now, girl. When Lord Sharp is present, you must be polite. He is easily angered, and...\\#
He trailed one of his talons up from my neck to under my chin, and gently lifted my head with it. The pointed end dug into my neck, I could feel it drawing blood.
#//We don't want that, now do we?\\#
Dusk released his grip on me, and I scrambled backwards. He was behind me again in a flash, blocking the way back to the path.
#//Stand. Lord Sharp approaches.\\#
I slowly stood as Dusk snapped to attention. Sly returned only moments later, to block my other side and surround me. The only opening of escape I had was the cliff, and to jump into the river below would be suicide.

My thoughts of escape were cut off, as a roar louder than any I had heard rang through the air. Within the mouth of the cave, I saw a huge shadow slowly coming closer.

Within an instant, a towering dragon the colour of blood stood before me.