Thorn's Last Stand

The white dragon swooped down to the cave etched into the mountain. As he landed on the ledge, his body disappeared, replaced by the figure of a young man with scaly white wings. He approached the pedestal in the center of the cave, opening the satchel hanging from his shoulder and taking out an onyx egg.

A roar ripped through the air. The shifter turned around to see a black dragon descending upon the cave. He placed the egg back in his satchel and tucked the satchel behind the pedestal.

The black dragon turned into a young woman. She glared at the shifter and charged him.

“Where is he, Thorn?” she snarled. “Where is our son?”

“Out of your reach, Belladonna,” Thorn replied.

Belladonna hissed, exposing her fangs.

“How could you?” she said as her nails elongated into claws. “He is ours to raise, not theirs!”

“It is his destiny. He will save the world.”

“I don’t care about the world! I want my son!”

Belladonna swiped at Thorn, who dodged her strike with ease. She took another swipe at him. Again, Thorn dodged her claws.

“Please, my love, listen to reason,” Thorn said.

“Do not call me that! You have no right to call me that anymore.”

She managed to land a blow to Thorn’s chest, and he hissed in pain as his flesh smoldered.

“I am not the one who took the path of Darkness—”

“If the Teachers of Light did not want my only child, then I wouldn’t have needed to!”

Belladonna went to strike him again, but Thorn caught her arm and twisted it behind her. He wrapped his arm around her throat, stopping short of choking her.

“You lost that battle a long time ago. Please, come with me so that the Teachers may cleanse you.”

Belladonna ignored his pleas. When Thorn turned her, he had faced her toward the pedestal. Peeking out from behind it was the strap of Thorn’s satchel.

Without hesitation, Belladonna bit the arm wrapped around her throat, burying her fangs deep into the flesh. Thorn cried out and released Belladonna, who sprinted for the satchel.

Giving no mind to the venom spreading through his body, Thorn gave pursuit. He took wing and tackled her. Belladonna struggled beneath him. Thorn pinned her down, but seeing the determination in her dark eyes, he knew what he had to do.

Bearing his fangs, Thorn ripped into Belladonna’s throat. He looked away as his beloved took her last gurgling breath.

His eyesight blurred, though from tears or the venom, Thorn could not tell. His veins had grown black, and his temperature was rising. His body shook as he reached for the satchel.

Thorn pulled out the egg.

“Good luck, my son,” he whispered. “May you save us all.”

With the last of his strength, Thorn lifted the egg onto the pedestal. A bright light flashed, and the egg disappeared.

His task complete, Thorn took his last shuddering breath and collapsed beside his mate.

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Note: This story is a submission to the #highfantasychallenge brought to us by Matthew Fromm. For more information and to submit your own story, follow the link below.