Ride Alone

Prologue

"Good shot, Ranger!" Strider called. His brother grinned at him and slung his bow over his shoulder. Strider took out his dagger and pointed it a his brother. Ranger laughed and shot an arrow so it skimmed Strider's hair.

Some people had trouble believing the two were brothers. Strider was tall with dark brown messy hair. His eyes were the clearest of blue. He fought with a dagger in each hand. Strider was the type of person who hated enclosed spaces.

Ranger was equally tall but had shoulder-length blond hair. It was long enough to cover his green eyes and the scar across his nose. He liked open spaces but in a fix, he always looked for a cave or hollow. But Strider was two months younger.

Ranger lay down in the grass and put his arms behind his neck. Strider glanced around, pushing his daggers into little sheaths on either side of his belt. They were standing on a flat grassland. Over in the distance was a large forest- Out of bounds of Alarell Borders. In the distance was a cluster of brick buildings making up Alarell.

Ranger got up and picked up the hare he had shot and dropped it into has bag. Strider pulled a face. He hated killing animals unless it was necessary. Ranger suddenly stood up and climbed on a large rock, gazing behind them.

"Strider, duck." He said softly. Strider shielded his eyes and squinted into the setting sun. What was Ranger talking about? He glared harder and made out a purple-red dot. Moving closer.

"Strider, DUCK!" Ranger threw himself at his brother, knocking them both to the ground. A huge shape, like a purple bat, swooped over them so close they could feel the heat scorching from its scales.

"Is that what I think it is?" Muttered Strider as he watched the bat-thing explode a nearby tree into flames. Ranger nodded, grim faced.

"Yep. A Vylabor. The most dangerous dragon in the country." Ranger said through gritted teeth. The Vylabor wheeled, flapping its huge wings. The purple, red and black dragon roared as it flew back toward them.

"Maybe it hasn't seen us." Strider decided optimistically. The dragon had landed on a rock a good twenty meters away. But at the sound of Strider's voice it whipped its lizardy head toward them. With a loud roar, it set itself on fire and stood up.

"Yep, it's seen us." Ranger said. He leaped up and backed away a few steps, reaching for his bow and arrow. "Strider, just back away slowly okay?" he whispered, notching a bow.

Strider didn't stand up, but started crawling backward. Flames engulfed the dragon and it took off in a blaze of fury. But it simply hovered and the air and opened its mouth. It's throat got brighter and hotter. Strider stared, transfixed. The Vylabor reared up and Strider spotted a figure on its back.

The figure on the dragon's back moved, and Strider could see it was a person in Rebo-scale armor. Fireproof. The dragon opened its mouth again, and Strider could see flames rushing out of its mouth. The Vylabor was blowing fire. Straight at Strider.

"Strider run! We have to get back to Alarell!" Ranger yelled. Strider leaped up and ran to his brother, who was staring at the Vylabor in terror. Strider pulled on Ranger's arms and the two started running. They charged across the grasslands and leaped over rocks. Soon Alarell was only fifty meters away.

"There's a... Rider... on it's back." Strider puffed. Ranger swore and ran faster. Strider looked up and yelled. The dragon was above them blowing fire. Ranger swore again as he edged closer to Strider. They were trapped in a ring of fire.

Strider instinctively drew his daggers. Ranger suddenly pulled him down as a second Vylabor swooped over to the first. Like the other one, it had a fireproof rider.

Ranger scrambled up a dead tree to see over the wall of fire. He stared at the city in smouldering fury.

"There's ten of them! Ten! They're torching the city!" He shouted. Suddenly the tree burst into flame and he dropped down. Strider ran to his brother and helped him up. Ranger wiped some blood away from his head.

"The flames are getting nearer. We have to jump." shouted Strider of the roaring of the flames. Ranger bit his lip and nodded. Strider grabbed his brothers hand and the two of them charged at the wall of fire.

"AAAAAAAAAAH!" The leaped into the flames and completely disappeared in a burning orange haze. Then they appeared out the other side, covered in blood and burns. Ranger was barely conscious but he got up and sprinted to two panicked horses.

Strider lay on the ground coughing and gagging. He struggled up and loped lopsided to the horses. The brothers leaped on a horse each and charged off into the wilderness. They galloped up a steep hill and Ranger galloped down the other side.

Strider stopped at the top and looked back at his home. Ten purple dragons circled the city, blowing fire at the houses. The screams could still be heard. And Strider knew that these Vylabor carried riders from another city. They had torched his home and his family.

Strider glanced down and saw Ranger waiting for him. He reared up, and the horse kicked her hooves. Then they galloped down and followed Ranger. One day, Strider told himself. One day I will return.