Daughter Of The Dragon / PUBLISHED

Chapter 18 - Missing

Taurus took off with ease and we were on our way. I refastened the belts around our luggage, tying them to the ice to keep them stable.

I lay back against him and sighed. I wasnt ready for any of this. It felt like I had only found out yesterday that I was a Princess. But, to be fair, since I had found out, I squashed it in the back of my mind for the most part, not wanting to face my reality.

"Are you sure you know the way back, Taurus?" I asked an hour into our flight.

"I was flying to your Kingdom centuries before you were even born," he replied. I smiled and stood up, stretching out my arm. Carefully, I walked up his back and long his neck and clambered over the ice and sat between his horns. Now, with my front row seat, I could see the miles of ocean stretched out before us.

"Your feet smell," Taurus grumbled at my legs dangling down his snout.

"They do not!" I said, offended that he could say so. He snorted and pulled a sour face, just to spite me. In return, I pulled up my legs and took off my shoes before stretching out again.

"You insufferable child," he said. He dipped low, allowing his face to break the surface of the water, soaking me in the process.

I gasped as we came back up, James yelling in the back after being disturbed from his nap.

"You tried to kill me!" He yelled as Soria warmed him.

"Sapphire was poisoning me," Taurus shot back.

"I hate you," I said as I wrung out my hair and shirt.

"I know," he replied with a small grin.

The rest of the flight was relatively quiet. James was idly flipping through some books between short naps and Soria stayed silently curled by his side.

Do not trust who does not speak.

"Taurus?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you trust Soria?" I asked, hoping he wouldnt get mad.

"I do, she is the closest I have ever been with any other dragon. My family were not easy to grow up with. I was disappointing to them. Soria didn't need me to be a great Ice Welder, a semi good one was just as fine as long as I told a good joke." He seemed wistful as he spoke.

I knew about his family, and how they had never really loved him. It was the main reason he used to hibernate outside of the Isles, to spend as much time away as he could. Then, when I came about, he had reason to stay away from them, opting to stay close by for the majority of my life.

I sat back, and digested the information. If Taurus trusted Soria, why shouldnt I? She had never done me any wrong anyway. In fact, I was the one who had hurt her. I pushed Erons haunting words aside, maybe it was meant for someone else.

"Hey, Taurus?"

"Yes, child?"

"Will you be part of my royal advisory?"

He chuckled at that, shaking his head.

"Whats the point of you having a group of people advising you when you'll just do what you want anyway?"

"Good point," I grinned and twisted around, laying upside down along his snout. With my distorted view of the world, I was at ease. Taurus and I may not have the greatest relationship, but I could trust him to never lie to me.

I dozed off for a while but was awoken by a loud roar. I sat up, grabbing on to whatever I could find as Taurus banked a hard left. I clambered over his head, stabilising myself between his horns.

"Whats going on?" I yelled.

"Rogues!" He growled.

"James! My bow!" I turned around to see James already up with my bow and his own. Taking up post beside me we armed ourselves.

A rogue shot up from the water. He was a water dragon, evident by the webs between his claws and the more fish like scales that covered his dark body. I let an arrow fly, as did James, and we clipped the leathery wings protruding from his back.

I reloaded just in time to around as a blast of heat seared my back. Soria burnt a small dragon to crisp, and I pressed myself against the ice. Her eyes blazed as she turned to me. She bared her teeth before whipping round and blasting a ball of fire at another dragon.

I turned away and shot more arrows at the rogue dragons. About 4 others blocked our path as Taurus did his best to outfly them. He twisted and turned, growing his ice around mine and James legs, keeping us in place as he went.

I shot a dragon in the throat just as his jaws came close to snapping Taurus' wings. He roared and fell with a mighty splash in the water below, no doubt sinking further still.

Just as quickly as the fight had begun, it was over. Two rogues were flying off in the opposite direction and for a second, I thought I saw a flash of red between their bodies.

Spining around, my suspicions were confirmed.

"Taurus!"

"Are you hurt?" He yelled, he was tired but still going strong. James came over and gripped my arm, checking over me intently even though a rogue hadn't gotten within 4 feet of me.

"They took Soria." Furious, Taurus spun round quickly.

"Hey!" James yelled as he fell backwards "people on board!"

"We need to get her!" Taurus yelled, starting off in the direction of the two escaped rogues.

"Taurus, we can't!" I yelled as I helped James up.

"My dragon," James said suddenly, his voice growing quiet. I felt a pang of guilt in my chest as I looked at the growing despair on his face. He ran back up to see over Taurus' head, but the rogues were already long gone.

"James, we'll find her, but-"

"You have a kingdom to get to, I know," he said with a heavy sigh. I wrapped my arms around his waist, and he wrapped his own around my shoulders, holding me close.

"Lets get home, and then we'll find her. Right, Taurus?" I asked, hoping for some backup.

"No. I shall drop you two off at the cave I found you. Then I will return to the Isles to get help and find Soria."

Taurus is so stubborn. But I am trying to show his soft side too. Do you think I have the balance right??

We are heading towards the Wattys at an alarmingly fast pace and it makes me nervous. Will be updating more often now.

See you soon,

Love, Orange

XxXx