Kingdoms Falling

Chapter 12

Warning: fantasy violence/death

The group tensed. All around him, they were bracing for battle. Meadow clutched the remains of his glasses tightly and backed behind Hillock, ducking beneath the sand dragon's lashing tail. Armadillo grabbed him, pulling him behind her, shushing his protests with a wave of her wings. In the front of the group, Shadowwind raised his talons carefully while Bobcat moved into a fighting stance.

"You don't want to do this," Shadowwind tried to reason. "Thank about it. There are five of us. There's no scenario where you can defeat us all single-talonedly."

Lionfish growled, his eyes skimming each dragon over. What the lightning dragon was saying was true. One drake was no matched against five. It would be wise for him to let them go. Much less bloodshed for him. But, instead of doing the smart thing, he elected to do the very opposite. "Clever," he snarled, rising to his full height. "But your intimidation won't work on me. I didn't come alone, and I think you'll find my friends are more than adequate." He flicked his tail and figures appeared form around the sides of buildings and overhead.

"Meadow..." Armadillo hissed, taking a defensive step back.

"I know. I see them." 

That wasn't exactly true. He couldn't see the new arrivals, but he could sense the brimming fury radiating from them. Something about this doesn't feel right, he thought. It doesn't feel like they are thinking for themselves. Their movements, their actions, they're acting more like bees than dragons.

It's me they're trying to stop, he realized. They don't care about Shadowwind and the others. Twisterheart has convinced them that I am a threat. They're scared of me.  

His heart broke and he felt a compassion for his tribe that he had never experienced before.  Right now, they were just like any other dragon. Frightened, desperate to protect their world. They didn't understand that he was trying to help, that he was the good guy. All they saw was a dangerous prisoner and a  reckless traitor. 

"We should leave now," Hillock growled. "I don't know about ya, but to me, these odds just took a turn for the worst."

"We can't," Meadow argued. "There still aren't enough breathing devices. And mine is back in the caverns. One of us would have to stay behind to get it." Me. I'll stay. 

"Go with Shadowwind," he went on, taking the sand dragons' talons and pushing them toward the waterfall. "I'll hold them off until you've had time to get to safety." He felt energy tingling through his talons as he began to imagine just what course of action he would have to take. A quick strike to the closest dragon's stomach, a jab of his wings into another's eyes... 

"Absolutely not!" Bobcat snarled, falling back to join them as the sea dragons pressed in closer. They had not yet begun to attack, but by the looks on their faces, it wouldn't be too long before they began. "We came all this way to get you. We aren't going to leave you behind. Besides, Dillo won't allow it."

"I most certainly will not!" Armadillo agreed loudly. "We'll fight, and then we'll escape once we've shown your highly aggressive and super dumb tribe what happens when they attack our friend!"

"You are very noble, for a street urchin," Lionfish growled, interjecting into their conversation. "To be risking your life to save his miserable scales. But, sadly, my dear, now you all must die with him." He flicked an ear, silently addressing the warriors. "Kill them."

It was like a switch had suddenly been flipped. As the first dragon, a female, lunged for Hillock, the entire group reacted. Shadowwind dove to intercept, bowling the dragoness to the ground and vanishing into a growling, hissing mess. The sand dragons spread out around Meadow defensively, catching opponents in their talons almost immediately, lashing out and knocking them back with extreme skill and precision.