The Brood Mother

“There weren’t always dragons in the Valley. Once the young adults of Asidea hunted lion lizards to gain their rank with the elders. Now we hunt dragonlings in this cold with creatures driven mad by the Brood Mother's mists.” Ada rolled her eyes at the melodramatic voice. Slowly, she sucked in a cold breath then glanced up at the thick mist twisting through the gnarled, white branches of a lone standing marrowic tree. It was best not to talk while hunting dragonlings, but they had been walking for hours without a sign of their quarry.

“You’re a bundle of joy this morning, Anon,” she whispered as she gripped the gnarled white bark and jumped onto a sloping upturned root. Her soft shoes and tight red and white camo suit made no noise as she landed softer than a cat.

“There used to be sunshine in the Valley," Anon answered solemnly as he stepped on a few dried red leaves before jumping up to follow. “I remember it because...”

“I'm a Sage,” Ada finished the sentence with him, mocking his tone of voice as she turned to face him, the cold mist lazily stroking her cheeks.

“How can you possibly remember?” She continued, careful to keep her voice down. “We were TWO years old when the dragons came.” Anon shrugged, his strange pale, green eyes gleaming in the mist.

“I am a Sage. I remember all,” he repeated almost reverently.

“You remember all… Except for complex fighting forms,” she responded with a snort, then turned on her heel to continue her walk along the gnarled tree root.

“I don't need to remember them, Ada. It’s your job to fight and it's my job to be smart. That's why they gave me the evacuation button and you a fancy knife. We make the perfect team for the Utava Hunt,” Anon answered calmly with a twinkle in his eyes. Ada's jaw tightened at the backhanded compliment as she jumped off the twisted root and landed softly on the ground. Of all the twins born eighteen years ago, she had to be the one that shared the womb with the most annoying keeper of all wisdom and knowledge. Being in the womb together meant they had to complete their coming-of-age hunt together. Lucky her.

“Just don't accidentally press the evac button at the first sign of a dragonling, Anon. I don't want to wait another five years to complete the hunt," she growled, her voice rising just a tad as she stepped around a smaller upturned root.

"You don't have to worry about me, just focus on remembering your complex fighting forms," Anon responded with a smirk as he reached up to scratch his scalp through the copious amount of tight curls atop his head. Ada let out a long breath of annoyance. They had trained together for the Utava Hunt day in and day out since they were five years old. That was three years extra of training their parents had paid for to help him find new ways under her skin.

SHRIEK! The sound echoed in the thick fog, vibrating through the mist like a plucked violin string. Ada instinctively dropped into a crouch, her heart picking up a pace and her eyes shining brightly. That sounded like...

“Shrikes,” Anon audibly finished her thought. “A dragonling may be close. We should be still and not give away our position.”

"Finally," she whispered as she swept her many dark braids over one shoulder with one hand and wrapped her fingers around the hilt of her blade with the other. The new leather pressed into her palm, filling her with excitement.

FLAP FLAP FLAP. The sound of a hundred beating wings hit her ears and an excited shiver rolled down her spine. Was it a dragonling causing a commotion? Forgetting Anon's instructions, she turned her head to look toward the noise. The mist above the trees was roiling with dark shapes like a pot set to boil. Hundreds of wings beat the air and black eyes shone like gemstones in the early morning light. At her movement, the birds swerved in their random pattern and congregated into a swirling dive, headed straight at them.

“You moved, didn’t you,” Anon sighed as he turned to give her a look.

“Doesn’t matter. I’m a Hunter. I can take on a few birds,” she answered confidently as she slid one foot back and shifted into an attack position.

“A few flesh-eating birds and possibly a dragonling,” Anon interjected dryly as he pulled the pair of high-tech, ornate goggles he always kept around his neck up onto his green eyes.

“Oh, I hope there's a dragonling,” Ada muttered loudly then pulled in a deep breath through her nose. The world oozed into slow motion and focus sharpened every sense as she folded her fingers into her palms, leaving one knuckle higher than the rest. Gooseflesh ran down her arms as she sucked in another breath and let loose the coil in her legs. The ground sprang away from her as she shot upward like a bullet. The next second her outstretched fist made contact. The lead shrike’s body crunched under her knuckle, nearly folding over her hand before shooting backward. A shiver ran down Ada’s spine at the sensation as she whirled in the air and brought up her leg in a lightning-quick kick. Her foot and leg made contact with several more of the attacking creatures, bones cracking beneath her blow. The birds she hadn't hit fluttered back in retreat, squawking angrily. A grin pulled at Ada's full lips as she landed on the ground, birds dropping all around her. Her dark eyes glinted as she glanced back at her brother. Anon was still crouched behind her, a placid look on his face even as a few birds dive-bombed his tight curls.

“And I didn’t even draw my blade,” she pointed out as she reached up to swipe a dribble of sweat from her curly hairline.

“But you’re bleeding,” he answered, a smirk lining his lips. Ada frowned as she looked at her dark hand to see a smear of deep red adorning her knuckles.

“Well...if there is a dragonling I'm officially the bait,” she answered, wiping the blood onto a red spot on her camo suit. Growl, click, click. The noise touched Ada’s ears just as a fresh burst of fridged mist swirled heavily through the flock of shrikes. Her muscles tightened at the sound and the grin returned to her lips.

"I'm definitely the bait," Ada whispered as she slowly pulled the gleaming knife from the gold embossed scabbard at her hip. The burning purple edge of the blade lit the swirling fog, the spotless metal reflecting the sparkle in her dark eyes.

Crunch. The sound of something moving through the dead leaves and twigs of the tree behind them gently caressed Ada's hearing. Exhilaration flooded her chest, the hairs on the back of her neck standing straight up on end. Every instinct told her to turn around, to face the predator but she ignored it. If she turned, their prey would simply move and try another angle. An angle she might not sense in the thick fog. No, she had their prey right where she wanted them. The world shrank to the sound of the creature's claws scraping softly against the trunk of the marrowic tree. Slowly and deliberately she raised her blade higher to reflect the space behind her and Anon, her warm breath fogging the metal. The shrikes still swarmed around them in panic, causing the fresh burst of fog to churn and twist into ghostly shapes.

FLASH! A blue-grey head plunged out of the heavy mists, razor-sharp teeth and glowing pale eyes reflecting in her blade. Ada sucked in a breath, bent backward, and shoved Anon to one side as the dragonling's maw snapped over them. Giddiness flooded her as she twisted her leg over her body, spun, then landed in an attack position. A hungry grin crawled its way on her lips as she stared at the dragonling. Its head was large, almost too large for its slender blue-grey body, and only a slight haze of mist emanated from its scales. It looked young, with wings not grown enough to support prolonged flight. Perfect, it would be unable to fly away once their attack began.

“My sister, smiling at a dragonling,” Anon commented wryly from beside her and Ada glanced to her left to see him pulling a cylindrically shaped object from his belt.

“I'm excited,” she answered, trying to wipe the smile from her mouth but not succeeding.

“You should focus,” Anon responded with a smile of his own as he twisted the center of the cylinder and glowing red rods shot out of both sides.

“So should you,” Ada answered as she turned back to their prey. The dragonling’s tail flicked from side to side as it weaved its head back and forth, its nostrils flaring with the smell of blood in the air. Ada adjusted her fingers on her knife’s hilt, took in a deep breath to focus, and sank a little lower into her attack position. The dragonling slinked onto the ground, its pale eyes glowing in the mist.

SNAP! Ada bounded to one side, and the dragonling's jaw clamped down on air. The beast let out a clicking growl at the miss as it pulled back. Ada risked a glance towards her brother to see he had rolled out of the way and was now crouched and ready to spring. A sense of familiarity born from hours of training together flooded her body as their gazes locked. She knew what plan he was thinking of using.

Without a second thought, the muscles in Ada’s legs coiled and then released, shooting her up into the air. The world spun in a flurry of muted colors as she flew over the dragonling’s body, the mist enfolding her like a cold blanket. In perfect sync with her leap, Anon slid forward on his knees and thrust his staff into the beast's pale belly. A zapping sound of electricity flowing through the glowing, red rods filled the cold air and the beast screamed as it rolled to one side. Knowing this would happen, Ada sliced down with her knife. The sensation of scales and flesh giving away to her blow traveled up her blade and into her hand as she sliced the beast open. Satisfaction filled her mind as she dropped to the ground in perfect control, the charm attached to one of her many dark braids tinkling merrily.

SCREECH! The dragonling's call of agony echoed through the valley as it writhed in pain, splashing the ground with blood. Ada's brows flitted over her eyes in a frown as she looked at the cut. That blow should have killed the beast. She must have missed the main artery by mere centimeters. Frustration welled within her chest at the blunder but she pushed the feeling down as she twirled the knife in her hand. No matter, she would finish it off now. As if sensing her intent, the dragonling began mewling, a sad primal cry that echoed through the trees. Ada ignored it as she stalked forward, her gaze intently focused on her prey.

“Ada, you should kill it quickly, the mist is getting thicker,” Anon's voice barely reached her through the intense focus gluing her senses to the dragonling. She stepped to one side to avoid the creature's lashing tail, her eyes tracing the cut to find where her blade had gone astray. There it was. She gripped her knife as she tracked the mewling dragonling's movements, waiting for the perfect moment to pounce.

CRASH! The thunderous sound echoed through the writhing mists and the ground rattled beneath Ada’s feet. Ada’s gaze shot upward, her focus broken. The marrowic tree was shaking before a ginormous figure wreathed in fog. Two huge wings fluttered inward to settle against grey-blue scales sending a gust of fresh mist through the trees. Ada froze, all the blood draining from her face. That was no dragonling. That was a Brood Mother. At the realization, a cold sweat broke out on her forehead. What were they supposed to do if they encountered a Brood Mother? They had gone over this in training. Why couldn't she remember? Ada's blood hammered in her ears as she turned to look at Anon. He was a keeper of all knowledge, he would remember. The moment she met his terror-filled gaze she read the answer in his eyes. “Don’t move.” Too late. Ada’s heart slammed against her chest as she whipped her head back to look at the Brood Mother.

The dragon’s huge, pale eyes were fixed on her as it rose behind the marrowic tree, the mist rising from its body like a gossamer cloak. A second later it placed its front grasping talons on the pale trunk and pushed. The majestic trunk splintered into a thousand pieces as the top of the tree landed just behind the mewling dragonling, littering the wounded beast with fresh red leaves. Panic swelled within Ada's chest, freezing her muscles and turning her thinking into sludge. What was she supposed to do? What was she supposed to do?! Helpless terror locking her limbs, she watched the mother dragon mow over the freshly felled tree. Its pale gaze bored into hers, causing a fresh wave of terror-induced chills. Then it opened its cavernous maw. Heat radiated out from between the rows of gleaming yellow teeth, parting the mist and wilting the freshly fallen leaves.

“Ada!” The sound of her name reached her ears just as something barreled into her side. A second later the ground bit into her shoulder and hip. Her skin burned with the intense heat and the smell of singed hair filled her nose. Gasping to breathe in the super heated air she turned her head to see Anon laying beside her. He had just saved her life. The realization snapped her back into focus.

“The evac button!” She burst out just as the wave of heated breath subsided. The dragon's footsteps shook the earth again as it shifted to one side.

“Move!” Anon grunted as he sprang from the ground. Ada sucked in a regulating breath as she pushed herself up. Whoosh! The Brood Mother's tail came swinging around in a streaming trail of mist. Ada's muscles coiled and released, shooting her into the air. The world whirled as she spun gracefully over the sweep of the tail and landed in a crouch.

“Ahhhh!” Anon’s cry made Ada's heart quiver. Her head whipped up to see her twin crouching on the ground, holding his hand to his chest. His eyes were wide as he gazed in shock at something below the dragon. Ada followed his gaze to see the small black box of the evac button protruding from the earth near the Brood Mother’s talons. Ada’s heart slammed against her chest as she realized her brother had been trying to use it when the dragon's tail had hit his hand. She looked back at Anon and their gazes locked. A soundless conversation passed between them. Ada took in a deep shuddering breath, trying to focus.

“Over here! Over here!” Anon bellowed and Ada watched him twirl his staff through the air in a blaze of red. The Brood Mother turned her head to the sound, her pale eyes blazing with malice. The air trembled as the great beast leaned toward Anon and let out a guttural growl. Ada bounced on her toes as she watched the dragon’s legs shift away from the evac button. Ada took in another deep breath and dove. The cold emanating from the scales was such a contrast to the beast’s scorching breath that it stole the air from Ada’s lungs. Every part of her wanted to flee, but she would not. They had to get that box and get help. She was almost there!

“GAHHH!” Anon’s primal howl caused a shiver to dart down Ada’s spine. Her focus snapped. She turned her head towards her twin just in time to see the Brood Mother’s jaws clamp down on his staff and arm. Smoke and steam rose from Anon's stump as the dragon pulled back to swallow his arm and staff in one gulp. Anon slumped to his knees, folding in on himself. The Brood Mother let out a clicking sound that vibrated Ada's chest, then opened her maw to finish him off. Anger flooded Ada's chest. She would not lose her twin to this monster! Abandoning the button, she twisted toward the nearest leg and drove her knife into the scales.

Sparks showered out from where her blade made contact, but it did not pierce the hide. The Brood Mother took several rapid steps back, hissing like a snake. Crunch. The sound of shattering technology sounded like a gunshot. Ada froze, feeling as if someone had just punched her in the gut. That was their only way out.

MUEWWL! The dragonling let out a sudden high-pitched wail and the Brood Mother danced to one side to fully face her spawn. Ada gasped for breath as she tried to flip out of the way. Too late. White-hot pain shot up her right foot as it was caught under one tramping claw. The knife flew out of her hand as she was pulled under. The sound of crunching bones hit her ears and pain ripped through her. A scream tore from her throat as her leg shattered under the massive weight of the dragon. Tears began to stream down her dark cheeks as the dragon backed to face her, saliva streaming from its mouth. Ada hissed through her teeth, trying to not black out from the pain. Frantically she looked around for anything she could use to get away. A moment later, her eyes focused on the dragonling. The Brood Mother had turned away from them when it had cried out. Ada forced herself to breathe through the agony as she clawed through the dirt looking for something to throw. Her fingers scraped against a rock. Victory shot through her as she clutched it, twisted her body to one side, and sent it flying. Her aim was perfect. The projectile slammed into the dragonling's eye. The young dragon let out a screech of pain so loud it hurt Ada's ears. The Brood Mother turned to her spawn, growling deep in her throat as she lowered her head to inspect the damage. Ada ignored the two as she forced herself to flip onto her good knee. Pain shot up her leg, warning her not to move. She ignored it, sucking in the air to keep from passing out. Black dots swam across her vision as she crawled toward her brother. He still had not moved since the dragon had stolen his arm, but she could see he was breathing. Finally, after several seconds she reached her twin. Up close she could see that the dragon's blistering breath had cauterized what was left of his arm. Small miracles. Not daring to speak, she grasped his shirt and yanked herself to him. At the jostling, Anon looked up at her, his eyes full of shock. Ada's gaze bore into his, pouring her will to survive into his soul. Anon blinked, looked at her destroyed leg then back at her face. His green eyes cleared as their gazes locked. With an unsaid agreement, Anon slowly leaned forward and wrapped his only arm around Ada's waist. Ada bit her lip in the effort not to scream as he helped her to her feet. Slowly and agonizingly they turned and hobbled away from the Brood Mother and her screaming dragonling. Once the cold mists engulfed them, Ada risked a glance back. All she could see was the dragon's huge head sticking out of the mists, her blazing eyes glowing eerily in the morning light. She was staring right at them, but not moving. Ada's breath hiccuped, terror shooting through her mind and body. The Brood Mother met her gaze and let out a misty snort through her nostrils then vanished as she lowered her head to her mewling child. A shiver rolled down Ada's sweat-streaked spine. Had the Brood Mother just let them go or would the dragon come after them later? Ada took in a steep breath as she tightened her grip around Anon's waist. They would find out the answer to that question soon enough.