The Rise of Light (Book 3: Together Forever)

A Promise

Night's POV

I had watched Vera plummet onto that ship and I hadn't been able to do anything about it. I hadn't been able to save her from the fall, hadn't been able to move from my stunned position as the crew took her below deck.

As they raised their arrows to me and fired before we had reached the cloud cover. Before we had returned to the pit where we had been trapped for several days.

I had seen my Uncle and Falcon down below. I gazed fondly at Falcon's sleeping form before shaking my head, remembering that he wanted nothing to do with me.

We'd been here for several hours now. And we still hadn't attacked them. Personally, I hoped that he wouldn't. I couldn't see Falcon hurt. But on the other claw, I also knew that my Uncle could best him even if he was injured and not trying very hard. At least then we would be trapped again and unable to cause any more trouble.

I lurked in the shadows as I watched it pace back and forth. I frowned as I listened to it muttering.

'Need to attack him. But must get the other unconscious first. How?'

Before its eyes lit up. I watched as it gave me a small cut before coating its claws in the... green blood? What?

My blood shouldn't be green. It wasn't green when I stepped on that sharp rock earlier, either. So why is it green now?

I glanced down at myself and realized that if it turned around I would be spotted. I darted into a dark corner of my mind before going back to pondering why my claws were green. 

It leaped at my Uncle as I saw his ears perk up before rolling out of the way.

I felt my claws pierce his skin as he continued to roll. The Exterminator back up a couple of steps, satisfied. My Uncle staggered as he shook his head, his eyes were unfocused.

And before I could react it sliced his throat sending him falling to the ground.

"Good. Now, onto him..." He turned around only to find that Falcon was no longer there.

He frowned before searching around until an explosion sent us flying across the clearing.

Vera's POV

I was alone again. Tears rolled down my cheeks as the pain washed over me. True emotion, something I hadn't felt in a while pushed through me as I turned to the man standing in front of me.

I let the scales cover me as I readied a plasmablast.

This. Is going to hurt. I thought as I turned my hand to the chains on my wrist. As I released it a searing pain shot down my arm. I did the same thing to my other wrist and both of my ankles before the man in front of me recovered from shock.

He ran at me as I shot him with lightning.

I shook out my wrists and ankles from the burning pain that continued to flood my veins. And it sent me raging. Raging at the world for all of its injustices.

I stormed through the ship. Men tried to stop me but I sent my sword swinging. It sliced through them with ease as I finally made it to the deck where I saw King David standing.

I stood there, my scales shimmering in the sunlight. When he finally turned around and saw me standing there with a snarl on my face he said, "Seize her!"

The men all attacked me at once and I gave into my instincts as I set lightning exploding around me in a dome knocking them all over.

"Do you see now? Do you see what I am?" I asked him as I flared my wings. "I am Vera Haddock. Daughter of Delta Haddock. I am a dragoness. Not a human woman. And you will pay for what you have done to me."

"You'll have to best me first, Vera," he replied.

"Oh. I don't think that will be a problem. Because what you don't seem to understand is just how strong I am."

"Well, come at me then," he said as he got in a defensive stance. I merely rolled my eyes before running at him and at the last second I twirled to the side swinging my sword at his back. He barely had enough time to stop my blow. I immediately swung again, throwing even more strength and speed behind it. He managed to block it again. And I saw his eyes widen in shock.

He was unable to stop the next blow, though as I sent him to his knees. I kicked the sword out of his hands. 

I circled him. "Any last requests?" I demanded.

"Be quick about it," he stated.

"Oh, David... You don't deserve a quick death," I hissed at him. The men were starting to rise again and I smiled. "Let this be a lesson to you all," I stated loudly to them. I placed a hand on David's shoulder. The warmth growing in my hand indicating the blast that was ready to be fired. "Should you ever treat a woman as an object again... Beware of her wrath," I told them as he screamed in pain. I removed my hand and swung my sword, his screams, abruptly cut off. 

"Demon," one of the men spoke.

"No. Dragoness. And no-one. No-one. Gets on the bad side of a dragoness and lives to tell the tale," I replied.

I spread my wings as David fell to the ground.

Taking off into the sky as the men rushed to their dead king.

I landed at the edge of the Hidden World and broke down into tears. Feeling all of the pain I had felt from the past two weeks drown me under its weight.

I gripped the Earth hard as I calmed the flow of tears and turned towards the ocean. Maybe... The pain would stop. You wouldn't hurt anyone else. Those promises almost had me diving to the very depths of the ocean.

Yet... I had a promise to keep...

I would save Night and then... Then I could be free.