The Merkwood Chronicles

Chapter 25

Arthur ran off into the battle to see something fighting the dragon in the sky, shooting rays of fire, squawking violently. He jogged up to Headmistress Chase, whose eyes were fixed on the battle above.
"What's going on?" He questioned as his eyes too became fixated on what was happening against the dark grey backdrop of the sky.
"Mabel unlocked the pendant," the Headmistress said in disbelief, watching one of her most prized students do what had been part of the prophecy.
"Wait, the bird-"
"Phoenix-" Queen Thicket corrected as she hovered delicately over the headmistresses shoulder,
"That's Mabel?!" Arthur exclaimed, he wasn't entirely surprised, he had sensed that there was something else there.
The headmistress nodded her head, her eyes filled with pride.

"You are such an idiot, you know that?!" Florence laughed in relief at seeing her best friend alive, preparing a bandage to wrap a wounded part of her arm in, it had already been healed, but she knew what her best friend was like, that arm needed all the protection it could get to handle her adventures.
"I was being brave!" Evie groaned, having now completely come to her senses instead of the wobbly mess she had been when she first arrived.
"Brave, yes, but also incredibly stupid," Florence smiled back, just glad that she was here in one piece, where she could be watched over like a hawk.
"Isn't that why we're friends though?" Evie began again, as Florence held her hands over a wound that Evie had gotten on her right thigh, glowing golden and feeling warm on Evie's damaged skin, "I try to do the stupid things, and you try to stop me," the girl laughed, looking over at Florence who had been concentrating so intensely that Evie had thought that she had completely missed her witty comment. That was when Florence laughed, smiling wider than Evie had ever seen her smile, rocking back and forth at the truth Evie had spoken.
"Of course," Florence said once she had calmed down, helping her friend lay back down on the bed, making sure she was comfortable enough,
"Rest now, you'll feel better soon," She continued, as Evie closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. Florence stayed there for a moment, just to make sure she was okay, then she stood up and leant over her friend, giving her a quick kiss on the forehead before heading off to help another patient.

Mabel was swooping and dodging Nox's attacks with more grace than she was expecting. She would send blasts of her elemental abilities when he wasn't expecting, which must have created a grand spectacle for those watching from below. She tried to drive him further and further away from the Merkwood Academy building, but her plan wasn't working out as she had hoped, he just kept fighting back harder, and if anything they were moving closer to the school building. Mabel commanded vines to grow, reaching up from the ground below, and to restrict Nox by intertwining themselves around the dragon's hind legs, which made him buck up, showing off the injuries that Arthur had already inflicted beforehand.

It was then that Arthur truly saw his chance,
"MABEL!" he shouted, causing her to turn around and see her friend back safely on the battlefield below, she took note of him gesturing to his bow and it was suddenly as they read each other's minds. She nodded and he quickly and swiftly loaded an arrow onto his bow, aiming right for one of the places he had already penetrated the dragons hide before and as he ran forward as fast as his legs could carry him without giving out completely, he let the arrow fly.
It glided through the air, catching on fire as it went due to Mabel setting it for him from a blast that, to Nox, seemed to be accidentally off-course.

It was as if the entire world stopped spinning for that one moment, everyone holding their breaths tightly in their chests as the arrow flew through the air in slow motion, now glowing slightly because of the small flame, like a tiny star guiding their way to victory. Mabel hovered and watched as it glided past, closing her eyes tightly, waiting for something, anything, to happen.

The arrow struck the dragon, just slightly to the left of where it needed to be, and so bounced off the dragon's hide and fell, disappointingly to the ground, snapped in half, as if ashamed it could not succeed in its simple task. There were audible exhales that echoed all around the battlefield then. They thought that would be it, that they would win.

That was when Arthur let another arrow fly, he steadied his arm, inhaled, then exhaled, releasing it with more skill than he had the last time. This time he was sure he wouldn't miss. He had a duty for his friends, for his home and for the family that he had become estranged from, to do this. He had one job right now, and he was determined to do it right. He was determined that he wouldn't miss.

And he didn't.