To Be Human

After the War

  He began firing on the capital and the slums. Then, with a beam of energy erupting from his throat, he began to raze the stone knights in the river along with boats. Bahamut didn't care what he was aiming at. To him, everyone was the enemy.

  Dropping from the airship, I flew toward the beast raising Hell. I knew I didn't stand a chance against him, but I had to do something.

  Bahamut fired my way as soon as he saw me, and I barely dodged the attack. I could feel the heat of it across my scales as it passed, however, I didn't stop.

  The greater dragon roared when I dug my claws into his scales. They were too strong for me to actually pierce, but it was enough to piss him off. Bahamut stopped firing on everything he could see and aimed for me instead. I was on his back to avoid the fire, biting and clawing to try and break through his thick armor.

  Bahamut flailed to try and get me, to do anything to tear me off of his back, but I was too small compared to him and able to avoid his claws. The dragon arched his back and my eyes went wide when I saw his long tail coming at me like a whip. I had to let go or take the hit and hope that alone didn't kill me.

  I let go. Spiraling through the air to pick up speed, I heard the loud crash behind me from Bahamut's tail hitting his back.

  However, his eyes were locked on me, and his throat bulged with a glowing light that rose to his jaws. I quickly spread my wings to catch air and go up for the heavens. Bahamut parted his massive jaws and fired a continuous beam. My wings beat as fast as they could just to stay ahead of the line of fire. I could feel the heat on my back, my tail especially, and kept flying.

  Twisting, I dove back behind Bahamut and assumed he would follow by turning his giant body. Instead, his gaze fell onto the massive dragon of stone and magick standing in the river. The dragon actually looked a bit like Nina until its head fired like a cannon.

  Bahamut's fire and the magick clashed in the air, and when I saw the great beast was losing the firefight, I felt my blood run cold.

  I had to move.

  I had to get away as quickly as I could or get caught in the bla-

~

  My skin felt as if it was on fire, and I forced my eyes to open. Massive black scales were falling all around me, looking even larger than before with me no longer in dragon form. The sky was an angry red, or was that just from the fire?

  The wind was rushing past my ears so loudly that I couldn't hear anything else. I couldn't move, my body hurt too much to. I was aware that I was currently plummeting to my death, but I couldn't bring myself to do anything. I was too weak to.

  Seeing Bahamut falling with me, his entire head and neck gone, I wanted to laugh because I knew my sister had something to do with it. I was angry with her for choosing to be with such a cruel king, but I couldn't help but be proud in that moment.

  That was when I noticed the tears drifting from my eyes.

  I should be nearing the ground soon.

  Closing my eyes, I didn't want to see the burning sky before I died. In my head, I thought of Azazel. I thought of us dancing in the dark street, walking with Mugaro through the slums, and holding each other as we fell asleep. I was going to die without getting to tell Azazel that I loved him.

  I heard screaming.

  Pleading and shouting for something, but I couldn't make out what it was over the wind.