I Swear I Saw a Dragon

There weren't always dragons in this valley. That's what the humans used to say anyway.

What they didn't know was that we have always been amongst them, living and coping like humans. We watched as the humans destroyed the world for an upper hand and a better life.

The dragons would have stayed in the shadows too had they not touched something that was meant to be untouchable. Something that should have stayed within the dragon's grasp but the humans must know the unknown.

What they grew up knowing would have stayed the same and the world as they knew it now would never have come to an end had they left that untouchable object alone.

So what was I, a proud drakaina doing so close with Humans.

It shouldn't be standing against all of the dragons that's for sure. I should be on their side, for the humans have done this world wrong and hurt us dragons in a way that can't be forgiven but the same could be said about the dragons. They have done me wrong. Taken something I will never get back. A never ending circle on both sides.

I have always said I was a drakaina of knowledge. Not of money value or of strength.

So here I was standing against the dragons and not just any dragons either. The king and queen of our kind. The strongest of the strong and by far the biggest.

"You truly dare to stand against us?" I could feel the pressure of their power together but I wasn't going to stand down. Just as they have lost I too have lost but so have the humans. This war between our kind will continue with losses on both sides. So long as those rein.

this is where my knowledge becomes my power. All those long hours deep in our crypts with all those lost pieces of information rotting down there untouched, unread. They now come into play.

"An eye for eye you said." I raised my head high, not daring to back down. Not only did I lose something, I had something to lose. And he was just behind me in this crowd of humans.

The king and queen growled, making the air rumble. They bared their fangs ready to fight. I stood back on my hind legs flaring out my black wings to their fullest length. "I, Lycia Ruthford, challenge the right to rule in the name of the ancients." They roared fiercely for they knew there was no going back on this. The challenge must be accepted or they must face the consequences of our ancient blood.

Their anger was chilling and I knew it was the simple fact that our rulers have tried for centuries to hide this fact to keep themselves above all without interrupturn of their rule. "Choose your fate!" I stood taller. The murmur of our people spread like wildfire as they looked on with confusion.

"Fine! Hatchling, we accept your challenge for the name of the ancients have been called." I stepped down to all four and lowered myself. This was a battle I had to focus everything on. I had to let my dragon self take over or I would perish and so would mankind.

I had one advantage over these two. While they were big and by far the biggest of our kind, they were slow, while I was small and still growing in my dragon form, and I had speed where they had strength. My mind ran through every possible scenario at full speed while remembering every war book that I've gotten my hands on.

As soon as they took a deep breath in ready to dragon breath, I flapped my wings once and jumped up taking flight. I was not about to stay still for them to use me as a practice target.

I shot up and then looked down, I would have to be quick and precise if I wanted this to work. I shot out a blast as I neared and kept on moving. Now the only down to this is once they shoot their blasts it's gonna cause some damage. So I need to get them up.

I flew in circles around them, ducking and diving, then stayed out of their reach, shooting blast after blast until finally I felt the first gust of wind and then the second. They were airborne. I needed to get them up higher than this.

I swerved up and down and side to side to avoid their sticky flames until we reached the clouds. While their blue scales may help them hide within these clouds the force of their wings flapping is going to push the clouds away as for my scales. It's gonna make it easier to spot me but I could still easily get out of this.

I had to get them separated. I dived down at a seconds notice and shot at the Queen in the eye while it roared in pain the king dived down after me. I turned sharply out of the way and back to were the Queen was, shooting shot after shot making her roar in pain. I shot another fireball after another until I knew the king was close and shot a blast off his direction with the queen right behind me. I ducked and dived just in time to avoid a large fireball from the king. I could feel the heat as it singed my scales but it was effective. The kings and queens' flames were special. It was sticky so if it touched any part of your body it spread, eating whatever it touched.

She became one massive ball of fire slamming into the king as they crashed down onto the earth. The king, enraged, swung his tail out catching me by the wing.

I roared in pain and came tumbling to the ground with them as the fire engulfed them both. I used my one good wing changing the course of my flight to avoid their flames. I was gonna crash and I was gonna crash hard.