The last of the Dragons-Set 2

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           The camp quickly erupted in screams and cries as families came running from all directions, many of them speaking of young children or teenagers who had either been kidnapped or killed in the otherwise futile attack. One woman ran up to me with her twelve year old daughter in her arms. The girls throat had been slit, and the woman was crying about a younger boy who had been stolen in the attack.

"What the hell? Why?!" I screamed as I looked around at the hundreds of people who had come from their tents.

"Hostages."

I turned around as Sir Ivan rode up on horseback, blood dripping down his left arm from a wound on his shoulder-clearly inflicted by either a sword or a large dagger. Sir Ivan nearly collapsed from his horse as he stopped in front of me, with blood all over his face and armor.

"What the fuck happened?!" I demanded.

He shook his head, then looked down at the ground at the sound of Doron Roaring off in the distance. I looked up in the direction from which we had come, and my blood ran ice cold when I witnessed Doron land at the top of the hill on which my quarters sat. Without a single word or moment of hesitation, I jumped back on my horse and took off towards the hill. The ride there seemed endless, my heart beating faster than I'd ever felt it beat before as the anticipation tormented my mind. Finally, as I reached the crest of the hill, I felt my heart drop so low that I was genuinely surprised that I didn't step on it as I dismounted my horse and walked towards the tents-Doron still hovering over them.

"What the hell happened...?" Amy asked as she clung to my shoulder.

I said nothing as I slowly stepped forward, trying my best to hold back my urge to scream. Every guard that was left to protect James and Jamie had been slaughtered, as well as four soldiers and one of their horses who had been brought down before making off with their targets. Swallowing my fears, I walked into my tent and gazed around the empty, barren tent-two guards with their throats slit laying where my two children had once slept. Amy, Tahli and Bailey followed me in, freezing in place upon the realization as to what had happened.

"I'm sure they won't hurt them." Amy said as she put her hands on my shoulder.

I was void of most emotions, only confusion and concern filled my normally energetic body. I slowly turned around and walked back outside as the sun slowly began to rise. Sir Ivan was riding up the hill just as I closed the drapes that covered the tent entrance-blood still covering his arm. He dismounted, and slowly made his way up to me-sorrow and fear on his face. He dropped to his knees and bowed his head as soon as he reached me.

"My Queen, I will see to it that every capable man and woman rides along with you and your dragon to bring your children home. I will lead the charge myself. Die if need be. I beg your forgiveness, and I offer my life in exchange for your agony.It would stand to make sense that those kidnapped in the raid were taken by our enemies with the intention to use them as potential hostages, possibly to force our hand into a surrender." He said with a clear fear in his voice.

I chuckled sarcastically, shaking my head in denial as I looked down at the ground.

"We take every man from every camp and village on this coast who is within a half days ride. We cannot afford to wait any longer than that." I replied, gritting my teeth together.

"No wait. We can't wait that long. Who knows how far they'll get in that time. Instead of summoning all those men, take the men in this camp, as well as me and Veracon." Amy said as she stepped forward.

"Oh to hell with it! We've yet to show those useless cunts we're fighting against. Let us show them what we can really do." Tahli said firmly.

I gave her a confused look, silently asking her with my eyes to verify.

"Let's take just a few thousand men, but we'll take all five dragons. It's time to strike true fear into our enemies." Tahli said with a sinister grin across her face.