Chapter 09

Bait

After everything I've learned, of course I should act as bait. The problem was that I didn't have any combat experience besides my first encounter with the Drezir.

Thena smirked a devilish smile, "that's right... We are gonna work you to the bone" a shiver went down my spine. Thena was only slightly older than me, maybe 2 or 4 years older. That doesn't seem like a big gap, but she was an adult and I was still a teenager... She didn't feel close to me in age at all in this moment.

"so uh what do I have to do?" I tried to stop my voice from cracking in fear.

Thena held her head up high with a proud look on her face, "you're riding with me again!" She pointed a thumb at her chest like it was obvious. Then I remembered how I had to hold on to her waist for dear life last time.

"oh, goody!" I faked an enthusiastic war cry, but I was far too scared to be a great pretender. Plus oh goody was as far away from a war cry as you could get.

The men laughed, Thena scowled. I probably hurt her pride with that one. "Look scorch face, you don't have to do anything. We are gonna ride fast and when the Drezir see you they'll forget about the kid below. Now, we don't have much time but this is the best opportunity we have to save that kid down there! So let's move people!"

The boat was quickly descending. I looked over the railing of the boat to get a glimpse of what was going on. The Drezir were riding down the road chasing someone. The scene felt all too familiar.

"hey kid, when we get down there, don't use your power. It's far too dangerous and you're still recovering. Since you're with me you won't get caught, got it?" Thena looked focused, we were on her horse now ready to get off the boat.

"hey Thena? How do we get off the bo-whoaaaaa!" Before I could finish, the horse leapt off the boat and started falling rapidly towards the ground.

Thena shouted with excitement,"hold on tight! Rapnir controls wind magic, that's why he's the fastest horse around!" We almost hit the ground, but then the horse neighed and started running on the air. Wind picked up and it felt like we were riding the wind. Instead of falling down, we were falling forward. I held on even tighter than last time.

"ease-up-kid! I-cant-breathe!" Thena was grunting out the words, I barely loosened my hands that were woven together around her waist. We almost hit the ground but then rapnir started to balance upright and face forward instead of straight down. We evened out and rapnirs feet touched the ground but we didn't lose any speed. The same wind was pushing our bodies forward faster and faster.

The Drezir were close now. Thena pulled back on the rains and slowed rapnir down, "hey ice heads! Look what I got!" She turned the horse sideways and started running away from the other kid who was riding a horse away from the drezir. I was now directly in the line of sight of every single Drezir.

I looked through the crowd of dark armored knights and found one who was dressed in village garments, "dad..." I whispered to myself. He was riding a horse made entirely of ice, his skin looked even more frostbitten than yesterday, his great sword was strapped to his back- still frozen. My heart ached as I saw him, so I turned and buried my face in thenas hair. Thankfully she didn't seem to mind.

Half of the Drezir started to chase us and then more members of the dawn brigade ambushed the remaining Drezir chasing the kid. We were getting further and further from the crew until it was just us and the Drezir. We were quick but rapnir magic started to go away, "what's wrong? Why did rapnir slow down?"

Rapnir started to breathe heavily and slowed even more than before, so much so that the Drezir were starting to catch up. A familiar wicked and gutteral voice called out to us, "uh oh! Looks like your horse isn't doing so well! Kekeke"

Thenas eyes widened, "poison!?" She patted rapnirs mane and whispered to it. Rapnir started to slow down even more, "good boy." She turned to me, "Torin, this isn't good. Someone poisoned rapnir before we got off the ship... We are going to have to get out of here Immediately."

I realized what she was saying, "there's a traitor in the dawn brigade?" I muttered. Suddenly, no where in the world felt safe anymore.

Rapnir stopped, we were a good bit away from the Drezir still but if we didn't do something soon then we'd be surrounded. Thena jumped off the horse and pulled me off almost aggressively, "I'm sorry but there is not time. You're just going to have to trust me." She smacked rapnirs back side and he started running with more vigor again.

"what are we going to do now!?" I started to panic. How could we possibly fight them especially if I can't use my power like she said.

Thena pulled out something from her backpack. It was glowing a yellow golden hue, agnir spoke up suddenly out of no where, "oooooooo a dragon kind!" I blurted it back out without thinking, "dragon kind?" Thena held the glowing stone to her chest and a pillar of light appeared where she was standing. If I hadn't immediately closed my eyes, I'd likely be blinded.

After the light died down in thenas place was a small golden dragon. Small in comparison to how large a dragon should be, she was still nearly 7 feet tall. Thena growled at me like she couldn't speak. I took that as a command and immediately hopped on her back. Agnir was extremely excited, "yes let me touch the dragon! Please!!!" I could feel my powers start to rise up again.

I held it in, "no agnir, my body can't take it!" She seemed disappointed as she smacked her lips. I have no idea what she was about to do to Thena but it didn't seem like a good idea to let her. Thena ran towards the Drezir and started to beat her large wings

Fwoom fwoom

We started to take flight.

And then her throat started to make a hissing sound.

Hisssssssss

Her throat enlarged at the cracks started glowing red. She oppened her mouth and hot fire erupted from her throat almost like lava as it spilled forward in front of her. On of the Drezir were completely melted and disintegrated. I assume that means there were 20 of them now, there was nothing left to revive from. The other 9 that were chasing us stopped and pulled back on their horses.

There was now a flaming wall between us and the Drezir. Thena turned towards the mountain close by and started to fly quickly. A bright light began to glow from Thena and she rose up towards the sun. The Drezir squinted and they lost sight of our position as we ascended towards the sun and the mountain.

It was quiet now. I silently rode the now golden dragon form of Thena, I noticed that some of the scales on her head had red tips. It seems even in dragon form she had red hair. I looked down into the valley, "this is amazing Thena! Do the others know about this?" Thena grunted but didn't reapond.

We started to descend onto the top of the mountain far from the valley. It would likely take an entire day just to climb up here on foot. We would be safe here. We landed and then as form immediately started to shimmer into particles of light. I quickly got off her back and then was her red haired self again, thankfully she kept her clothes. The golden stone lost its glow and she started to fall over. I quickly caught her.

"Thena? Thena!? Are you alright?" She was out, no response. The transformation must take a lot out of her. I laid her down gently on the mountain rock.

"agnir, what is a dragon kind? And why did you want to burn her?" I was slightly upset that agnir would even try to do something that sounded devious when Thena just saved my life.

"sorry about that, her power just looked so delicious!" Agnir sounded genuinely apologetic. "I guess I should probably explain a little bit about what I am, and what I do..." It seemed like she was acting sheepish again instead of her theatrical over the top self. She probably felt guilty about earlier.

"I eat dragon powers"