I hold a hand over my mouth in horror as Vladykar Eder’s purple-barbed whip snaps at Ward Mortimer. His right eye still drooping, the heavy-armored man steps to the side and uses his gleaming shield to deflect the whip. Still, he’s wearing down—the venom from Vladykar Eder’s Dragon Weapon is badly affecting Ward Mortimer.
Undabouclier, like his bonded human, is also struggling. The purple liquid goo that Velenosever breathes has seeped into the dark blue-plated dragon’s wounds, and Undabouclier favors his front left leg. Astralux is doing everything she can to keep Velenosever away from him, and narrowly avoids getting blasted by the orange dragon’s breath. Undabouclier swings the heavy bulb at the end of his tail, but Velenosever jumps over it, chuckling.
“Is that all you have?” Velenosever asks. “I thought this might actually be a challenge.”
“Why you little—” Astralux cuts herself off with a growl and lunges at Velenosever. I jerk in pain as Velenosever’s tail spine pierces her back right side.
“Thorn!” Vitegadium cries from beside me. The emerald green dragon flaps his wings, which makes me glad—his left wing is working again, albeit weakly. “Get out of there!”
I follow Vitegadium’s gaze. Ward Thorn’s right arm looks hideous, shredded and bleeding at his side. He still can’t get his right leg underneath him, though he’s crawling his way to where his short sword lies. Ward Mortimer is doing what he can to keep Vladykar Eder away, but even with his left arm sticking at an odd angle and held to his side, the Vladykar is keeping Ward Mortimer busy, and getting close to the fallen Ward.
“Stay here,” I tell Vitegadium. I sprint between the trees, nearly tripping on a rock as I reach it faster than I expect. Catching myself, I run to Ward Thorn.
“Get back,” Ward Thorn hisses.
“Give me your arm,” I say.
Ward Thorn scowls at me. “The battlefield is no place for an Amenylian.”
Undaunted, I grab Ward Thorn by his good arm and pull him up. I’m so much stronger with the bond that even with his right leg having gone limp, I’m able to get him onto his left leg. I wrap his left arm around my shoulder and guide him toward Vitegadium, bearing his weight as he drags his right leg along.
“We can’t leave Mortimer,” Ward Thorn says.
“Right behind you,” Ward Mortimer gasps, his speech slurred. The right side of his face is drooping as badly as Ward Thorn’s arm and leg. He stays between us and Vladykar Eder, however, who follows after him smugly, whistling like he was taking a leisure stroll through the forest at night. Which scares me even more.
Reaching Vitegadium, I set Ward Thorn against the dragon, who nuzzles him worriedly, and dump a water canteen over his arm. I start scraping the bits of purple liquid I see with the edge of a fist-sized rock. Ward Thorn grits his teeth but doesn’t protest it. Vitegadium whines at me.
“You have to go,” Ward Mortimer says.
Undabouclier and Astralux, who have separated from Velenosever, back up toward us, growling as Velenosever and Vladykar Eder close the distance.
“All done? Already?” Vladykar Eder asks. “Lochan and Pesokvglazu haven’t even arrived yet. Or our soldiers! They really wanted a show.”
“Ariadna help us,” Ward Thorn whispers.
Astralux looks at me, and I see a finality in her eyes. My heart leaps in fear, though I don’t know exactly why. Then Astralux looks at Ward Mortimer. “I will hold them off.”
“Astralux—” Undabouclier starts to say.
“—It’s my fault you all are in this predicament.” Astralux’s dark blue eyes fill with tears. “Go. And take care of Estelle for me.”
I gasp. “Astralux, no!”
Ward Mortimer starts to open his mouth. But then he ducks to the side as a volley of bolts land in the ground where he had been standing. I stare off to see Klevorian soldiers, bearing the Heidrich coat of arms on their cloaks, marching our way through the dark trees.
“You have to go,” Astralux says. “Now!” She nuzzles my shoulder briefly. “Estelle, I’m sorry.”
Just as I reach out to hug her, the beautiful dragon turns and charges at Velenosever. She changes directions at the last second and lashes her tail out at Vladykar Eder. The Vladykar ducks and cracks his whip at Astralux, missing by scant millimeters.
“Astralux!” Vitegadium says weakly.
Ward Mortimer ushers me toward Undabouclier, his face somber and his eyes full of tears. “Estelle, help me get Thorn on Undabouclier. Vitegadium, you have to stand.”
“We can’t leave Astralux!” Ward Thorn says.
“She’s sacrificing herself for us,” Ward Mortimer says, his voice choked with emotion. He grabs my arm and tugs, pulling me toward Ward Thorn, who leans against Undabouclier. “Don’t let that sacrifice be in vain.”
I stare from Ward Mortimer to Astralux, who snaps at Velenosever’s face and then runs under his breath weapon. Velenosever catches her along her back with his claws, and I lose my breath at the agonizing pain as Astralux staggers. Still Astralux fights, spinning to bite Velenosever in his front right leg hard enough that Vladykar Eder bares his strangely fanged teeth at her.
I turn and help Ward Thorn onto Undabouclier’s back, the Ward using his left arm to pull himself up the last meter. “Are you going to make it, Vite?” he asks worriedly.
Vitegadium staggers onto his feet, favoring his left front leg. “I think Estelle’s work helped. I should be alright to fly, at least.” He and Ward Thorn both glance at Astralux, looking anxious. “Oh, Astralux,” Vitegadium whimpers.
Ward Mortimer weakly pushes me toward Undabouclier. “We have to move. Now!”
My eyes fill with tears of pain and sorrow as Astralux gives a yelp of pain, Velenosoever biting her on her back left leg. She scratches and bites and swipes her spine-tipped tail across Velenosever’s face, but he shakes her, swiping his tail across her side, and pain enters me. Vladykar Eder, watching, laughs.
A fury fills my heart. I twist my arm, pulling loose of Ward Mortimer’s grasp, and run toward them.
“Estelle!” Ward Mortimer shouts. But there’s an agony in his voice, as if he knows exactly why I’m running toward Astralux.
I can’t help it. For as different as we are, Astralux feels like a part of my very being. She’s the only reason I’m still here, and still free. I can’t abandon her. I won’t abandon her. Ariadna help me, I will die before I abandon anyone ever again. Especially Astralux.
Vladykar Eder turns, watching me with a smug expression. “Going to burn me with your little magic, Estelle?”
I hold out my hands, summoning my magic. But instead of releasing right away, I hold in my power, feeling the energy rushing in my veins. It builds, collecting inside me. There’s a warmth at my core that feels comforting, like sitting beside a fire on a chilly day, and it’s growing stronger.
“What is this?” Vladykar Eder asks. “All out of power?” He snakes his whip back and forth at his side, watching me with his glittering purple eyes.
“Estelle!” Astralux gasps as Velenosever slams her into the ground. I tremble at our shared pain, struggling to concentrate on my building power. “Run!”
Still, I wait, focusing on the magic that flows through my veins. I hear a hum, but I’m not sure whether the sound is coming from somewhere nearby, from myself, or if I’m just imagining it. Now my energy feels startling hot. But not in a bad way. Just as if the rest of my body were freezing cold, and I stepped into a tub of hot water. I bask in it.
After a little longer, Vladykar Eder rolls his eyes. “I’m tired of waiting. I want to hear you scream.” He raises his arm, grinning. “As does Anieros.”
My arms trembling, I can’t hold in the power anymore. I release my energy with a shout—at Velenosever.
A sphere of fire, half a meter in diameter, its core blue while the outer flames are red, bursts from my hands. It explodes across Velenosever’s tail and the dragon gives a deep scream. He falls off of Astralux and staggers back, part of his tail completely gone, the scales closer to his body still alight with fire, boiling and melting as he shakes his stump of a tail in the air. Vladykar Eder, his eyes wide, his face twisted in pain, rushes toward Velenosever, drawing a water canteen from his side.
“Aid the Vladykars!” a Klevorian soldier exclaims.
“Thorn, get on Undabouclier!” Ward Mortimer shouts from behind me. “Astralux, Estelle, now is our chance, come on!”
Dazed, I stagger to the side and look over at Astralux. My bonded dragon is staring at me from where she lies. She manages to her feet, her eyes still wide. “Estelle!”
The air suddenly leaves my lungs—magic takes energy, and I feel as if I had sprinted for kilometers upon kilometers. I collapse as I gasp for air, fading into darkness.
Tamara Rivers 
Leave a comment