Chapter 22-Again?

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I looked, startled, at the dragon. She was staring at the egg with such a sad look on her face.

"It'll be okay Pearl. We'll make sure the egg hatches. I won't let it die." She turned to me and I held her tightly.

"Thank you." She whispered.

"Come on, Ming. We have to go." Yuan pulled me away from the dragon and down the corridor. I stumbled for a minute, then regained my balance and ran ahead of her. I walked in halfway through a conversation.

"Will have to get his attention. It's the only way." That was definitely Haiko. There was a pause, then said "Don't be unreasonable. There's no-" He stopped as though someone had spoken. I then realised he must have been speaking with Ai. "Ailong, stop this. She has to go." There was a sudden roar, and I ran around the door to see Ai pinning Haiko to the ground.

"Ai, stop!" He looked up and ran at me, picking me up and running down the corridor. "What's going on?"

"They want to take you back to the Emperor! Then attack him, lead him to the Dragon's Lair."

"That's fine! I'll do it!"

"See, dragon! She'll do it!"

"No!" Ai roared. "No! You're not going back, she's not going back, you're not going back!" He ran into the stables and leapt into the air. For a split second I could see every dragon in the stable, and it couldn't see a single four-element dragon. Where were they? Yuan had told me they'd had them... Was she lying?

"Get her! She's a part of this plan." Men rushed to their dragons and followed us. Ai flew into the clouds and up above them. Then he dove down, flying straight to the ground, pulling up just before he hit it. The other dragons followed him down. Then he flew back up, and they followed again.

Ai burst through the clouds then dove again, closing his wings. The other dragons closed their too and when the last one had done so, Ai snapped his wings open and a gust of wind pushed him up and backwards. The other dragons didn't realise what had happened until it was too late, and we were up in the clouds, out of sight.

After a few minutes, Ai descended slowly to the ground below. He set me down and landed, then went off to begin making a hut while I foraged for food.

I heard a deep laugh from behind me. I spun to see Huang, about twenty paces away. I bolted, and he followed.

"Ai!" I screamed. "Ai! Huang's here!" Ai came running towards me, but a net came down upon him, trapping him. He roared and burnt through the net, then looked up at the guards who had thrown it down. They screamed and ran off. Then Ai ran towards me. But Huang got to me first. He grabbed my wrists and held them up behind my back.

"Come on, the Emperor wants to see you, Ming."

"Let me go, you bastard!" I screamed, kicking out at him. He just laughed.

"Let her go!" Ai screamed, running forward. A dark grey dragon swooped down and attacked him, dark gas flying into Ai's mouth and nostrils. He screamed wildly and fell to the ground, his eyes rolling up into his head.

"Ai!" I screamed, tears streaming down my cheeks.

"You like our death dragon? Luckily for you, we have healing dragons, too. But they're back at the palace. So, will you let your friend die?" I fell to my knees, shaking. "There's the good girl I know." Huang breathed into my ear. I wanted to hit him, but I knew if I did he'd let Ai die. "Now, relax. And drink this." He held out a little vial, which I took gingerly.

I put the bottle to my lips and swallowed. A strange feeling washed through me and my head began to swirl. Huang smiled as I swayed, then he knelt down and picked me up. As darkness swirled around me, he ran his finger gently over my forehead.

"Sleep well, beautiful. Sleep well."

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