Purple Dragon [REPUBLISHED]

Chapter 3: In the Morning

Elias was exhausted. His limbs ached, his head ached, and he was so tired.

He was in his large, spacious room, with the fire burning and crackling. Where was Mother? Amasya?

He sat up. Amasya! Was she all right?

Memories of the whole gruesome affair came flooding back to him. The screams, the blood, Amasya lying still on the ground. In a burst of power he didn't know he had, he had charged into the Branwenn and ripped its throat out.

He had seen Amasya's right leg twisted in an unnatural way, with a deep laceration that ripped open her flesh. He could see it was already infected and beyond repair. It would have to be amputated.

Elias stumbled up from his bed, wincing at the stiffness in his limbs, and hobbled over into the hallway.

A small green figure was crouched by his doorway.

"Sonia!" Elias hissed. "What are you doing here?"

Sonia whipped around and hugged her brother with tears in her eyes.

"Elias! I'm so glad you're alive! It was my fault. If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have to go back and get the herbs, and...and..."

"Hush, Sonia," Elias said firmly, stroking his little sister's cheek. "You did nothing wrong. And we'll be okay."

"But Amasya..." Sonia trailed off.
"Amasya is alive. So am I."

"Elias. Sonia," a cold voice said from the hallway. Father with Cade by his side.

The two dragonets immediately jumped to attention, and bowed.

"This incident," he said icily, "was incredibly unprofessional. You should never go wandering out by yourselves, much less gathering your own supplies! We have dragons below our station to do those things. I am appalled."

Elias bowed his head low, ashamed.

"Even so, I am disgusted by your sister. She has dishonored this family, and all of Keslin. We have been kept back at least a whole moon, and other legions will see us as weak and attack. Your sister," he raised his voice, "has doomed us!"

"She's done nothing wrong!" Elias cried. "It wasn't her fault!"

Bastian's eyes flashed. His snout wrinkled in disgust.

"Where has all this hero's loyalty come from?" he taunted. "I'll have to spend more time teaching you to obey." His voice was tinged with fury.

Elias gulped. He could practically feel the sting of the whip on his scales until he turned into a mindless, selfish dragon just like Cade. A pawn.

Not if he could help it.

"You will not speak to her. You will not look at her. You will not acknowledge her. She is beneath a Servant. She is a mistake." Father concluded. "Understand?"

"Y-yes Father," Sonia said, bowing. "At your service, Father."

"Elias?"

Memories of him and Amasya, his best friend, laughing and playing and sharing secrets scrolled through his head. Visions of her leg, her bright skin, the looks of disdain and fear she received...how could he just ignore her?

Because if you don't, you'll be the same as her.

Hating his father, Elias forced his body to bow low.

"At your service, Father."

...

Large tears began to roll down Amasya's cheeks as she began to sob.