The dragons tale

Chapter 5: The Townsfolk.

Unconsciousness is bliss; there is no pain, no memory, but also there is no joy, no friendship and above all, no wind. The wind, my best friend and comrade when times got harsh. Always there, always constant. How could I leave that behind?

Agony was reaching up my wing as I came to. Although, it wasn't underneath me anymore. It was beside, crumpled up and uncomfortable, I must have got it out in my sleep. I tried to move it but something was restricting me, not just the pain. I tried to move my other wing but to the same avail. I flicked my eye open to see what was wrong.

"Aggggghhhhh! It's awake!" What is going on? I thought, struggling to focus my eye.

First thing I saw was the screaming woman faint and the huge crowd behind her swallow her up. Wait! Huge crowd? My mind was reeling, trying in vain to work out what was going on. Then with a snap it all fell back into place. The crash, the call for help, people shouting in the distance. My other eye pulled itself open to more screams. Another huge crowd lined the other side of the road. This wasn't huge it was massive, though the great crowd was silent now, the edges of my folded wings were the length of my head away from the nearest human. The air was still, holding its breath, ready for my next command.

I flicked my head from side to side as much as I could to see I had chains running all the way down the length of my wings to keep them by my side. A metal muzzle kept my jaws together and a chain from that held me to the floor. Stopping me from looking at my surroundings. My magic reserves were flat. I had nothing left at all, as helpless as a babe.

Of course, according to the humans, air dragons have been extinct for more than a millennia. Which means, either, they forgotten how to imprison an air dragon and all their scrolls have been destroyed or rotted. Or they have got better at imprisoning them. Just in case one happened to reappear. My money was on the foremost. I hoped against hope that they had forgotten all about my race.

I had heard some whispers of '"What is that?" "What type of dragon is that?"' So the foremost is the more likely. I hope, I wish. I'm surprised they recognised me as a dragon, as only me and Cerbrin have wings. Then again, Cerbrin hides his all the time, other dragons would get envious.

"It must be a water dragon that stole the secret of breathing the air from a earth dragon!" A scholar came up to me far too confidently. Ignorant creature. A dragons a dragon and if it wants to survive it will do everything in its power to survive, just like every living being. Anyway, earth dragons don't know the secret of breathing air. I do though, and I wouldn't tell any old water dragon that wanted it. Some secrets have to remain secrets.

"It will do us no harm." Just you wait and see about that mate. "As for those..." He gestured to my wings, searching for the word. "Abnormalities. They must be overly large flippers. That would explain the colour as well." The scholar told the crowds. I snarled overly loudly. How rude! Oh well, at least they don't remember what I really am. That means I could escape of they try to imprison me in fire, like they always do for water dragons. I can put the fire out, take away the oxygen no fire can burn without that. A gasp came from the crowd at my show of disapproval, and the scholar ran into the thong to hide from my wrath. Coward. All brains, no courage. I was so tempted to speak or make the air speak to them, but that would make them realise quicker what I was and I had no magic left. No I was going to hide the fact that I could speak and get out of here. I just had to wait and forget my pride.

Just then a great eagle flew overhead. As far as I could see without looking up it was big, even for an eagle. It's wingspan could fill this place; which I think is a town square not a street. The eagle cried, it's call echoing through the narrow streets.

"Beth!" I love being able to understand bird calls. I panicked then, if Cerbrin came down to land they would get him too. I couldn't get a message out to him, so I desperately thought; danger danger danger, don't come down I'm alright. Don't worry Cerbrin. Of course Cerbrin had a right to be worried, I was beyond terrified at this point. My fear was rapids in a river and I was swept up in it. The eagle turned and disappeared back into the forest that bordered the town. Shame was it wasn't Cerbrin's forest but that was too far.

***

Cerbrin choked back a sob. How could Beth have got into this situation? All his birds said was dragon, captured, blue, knocked down tree, noise, unconscious. Desperately he searched through many minds of the other nearby birds but all were along the same line. So he had disguised himself as an eagle to see what was going on. He wished he hadn't. Her broken wing had been too obvious even from that high up, a compound fracture, but not that serious as Beth didn't have blood to bleed. Small mercies.

The hundreds of horses had barely managed to pull Beth through the filthy streets. Cerbrin sighed, it would take hours to get the filth out from under her scales. Without any ground earth dragons to pull it out with magic.

"I have to land Sophie, I don't have the strength to carry on flying."

"Why?"

"Stupid question." Cerbrins tone was annoyed. Even the carmest creatures get annoyed after staying up all night and continuous stupid questions. Beth'd have stopped her from speaking if she were him, but then again that drains energy. Anyway, Cerbrin landed far away from the activity. He had hovered over a flat patch of ground and reformed his four legs out of his body to land on. Cerbrin landed without the same grace as Beth, well he wasn't as well designed for flight.