15. A Dying Flame


Raina had wondered if her brother had been scared in his final moments. When he had given up his chance for freedom and a new life to save her, had he thought about what would happen to him? Had he regretted his decision as his life flashed before his eyes? These questions had haunted Raina since the last time she saw her brother. The echoes of his screams still would burst from the back of her mind, replaying in her head like a bad dream. Raina would stare at the ceiling throughout the night until the sun would rise over the mountains, the thoughts keeping her mind too occupied for sleep. Raina knew her brother well enough to know he would answer that of course he didn't regret his decision, that he hadn't thought twice about giving his life up for hers. It was the answer in his head that she wondered about, the thoughts and feelings he would never mention out loud. Because while no one would ever say it, everyone knew that it would have been better if Alex had survived instead of her. With this knowledge, there was one question that haunted Raina more than all the others: would she have done the same thing for him? Even in knowing that his life was more valuable, would she have given up everything to ensure his safety, or would she have run away as she always had?





Raina clutched Ari in her arms, gripping the dragon's spines as they hurtled towards the ground. The world spun around them, and the specks of the earth were quickly coming to meet them. The dragon roared and attempted to flap its wings to lessen the impact, but it could barely move due to the spear that had impaled its scaleless belly. The world seemed to travel in slow motion, and the air swirling around Raina had gone silent. Raina's fingernails were digging into her palms and she shut her eyes tight. She wrapped herself around Ari, who seemed to relax if only just a little bit.

"Hold on Ari," Raina said. "Everything is going to be fine."

Raina had half expected a smart remark saying that of course they weren't going to be fine, but surprisingly Ari remained silent. The little girl had just wrapped her tiny hand around Raina's and gripped it tight. It was just enough of a reassurance to give Raina the bravery to open her eyes again. She couldn't give up. She had people counting on her.

They were only seconds from hitting the trees below, and Raina knew they had to do everything possible to avoid a full-on impact with the ground. Luckily, the dragon was between the girls and the approaching earth, but it wouldn't be enough. Raina and Ari would have to jump off before they made impact and went hurtling forward at full force. That would be a risk in and of itself, but it was their best shot.

"On the count of three, we're going to jump."

Ari, her emerald eyes wide, gave Raina a bewildered look. "Are you crazy?"

"Only a little bit."

The little girl frowned but nodded her head with confidence.

Raina bit her lip. She really hoped that Ari was putting her trust in the right person. She gripped the little girl's hand tighter and watched as the ground came steadily closer.

Three.

They spiraled in midair, and Ari's fingers dug into Raina's arm. Raina gritted her teeth, and for a second her brother's face flickered across her mind.

Two.

The tips of the the trees rushed past them. Raina's hair blew around her face, blinding her view as she spotted the ground coming closer and closer. She took a deep breath and muttered some unintelligible words under her breath.

One.

"Now!" Raina and Ari jumped off the back of the dragon, curling up as they tumbled to the ground. The world blurred around them, the colors of the trees and the sky blurring together. Raina shut her eyes tight as her shoulder collided with the ground. The impact violently ripped the air from her chest, and Raina tumbled across the rough surface, rocks and dirt cutting into her skin. She let out a yelp as she ran face first into a tree, bringing her to abrupt halt. Raina felt to the group, and her vision blurred as the tree branches hanging above her merged together and then apart, vibrating as they did so. Her head exploded with pain, and Raina had to close her eyes until it had faded to a dull ache.

Raina hesitates before opening her eyes. The sunlight caused pain to shoot through her head, but still Raina kept her eyes open. In fact, they widened because sunlight only meant one thing: they made it.

"Alright!" Raina laughed, the pain in her head quickly subsiding. "Didn't I tell you I'd get us out of there Ari?"

Raina's smile slowly dropped from her face. "Ari?"

Raina sat up, rubbing her shoulder. It was sore, and her head was still pulsing madly, but Raina quickly shook it off and glanced around the woods. Light filtered in from the canopy, warming Raina's skin. She had known nothing but the cold depths of the underground for who knows how long. She had never felt a greater sense of appreciation for the sun than she did in that moment.

Raina pushed herself to her feet, her legs shaking as she finally stood upright. The pain was easy to endure in the exhilaration of the moment, but the throbbing became worse by the second. It quickly came to Raina's attention that the forest around her was empty.

"Ari!" Raina called out as she frantically scanned her surroundings, her voice raspy and cracked. "Ari!"

No response. Raina could feel her heart thundering in her chest. What if something had happened?

Raina gulped. One of the strongest empires in the world was after her life, and now more bad people, who she had gone to for help, wanted her dead. Lance was missing in action, and Antonio...

Raina took a deep breath and trudged around the woods. The dirt had been indented from where Raina landed, the soft soil leaving a trail from where she had tumbled during her fall. There was no sign that another body had fallen anywhere nearby. Ari had jumped when she told her to, right?

The forest grew darker as Raina walked further in, the branches growing thicker above her. The bright sun of the day soon disappeared from sight, and the shadows grew logre and more sinister, as if they were reaching for the Raina's feet as she wandered through the forest. She narrowed her eyes, searching the area for some indication of a magic, feisty, raven-haired little girl, but Ari was nowhere to be seen.

Raina pushed through the bushes and tree limbs, suddenly halting at the sight before her. The trees in this part of the forest had been destroyed, splintered and broken all around. Debris laid all across the ground, varying from small limbs to thick oak trees. Many had been cracked in half as if they have been a thin twig, while some had even become twisted, barely resisting their end. A channel had been indented in the ground, and Raina's eyes followed its path down a steep slope.

Raina shuddered. Every instinct in her body told her to turn back, but she realized at that moment, her mind had never had that much sense.

She stepped forward.

Raina followed the trail of destruction before her, making sure her every movement was silent. Every muscle in her body was tense, ready to lash out at whatever had created the destruction. She gritted her teeth. The hair on the back of her neck rose, and her heart was beating rapidly. Thump. Thump. Thump. Raina's body trembled as she continued, hoping that her worst fear wouldn't be confirmed.

Raina jumped as a resounding cry broke the silence, the shrill shriek forcing Raina to stop in her tracks and thrust her hands over her ears. The call was terribly high-pitched and excruciatingly loud, and Raina wouldn't have been surprised if it echoed for miles. It wasn't just the sound itself that made it hard to listen to, but the desperation and fear heard in the shill cry. And if whatever creature that made that sound was upset...

Raina's hand flew to the holt of her sword as she broke into a run, the fear of being quiet completely vanishing from her mind. If the sound belonged to what Raina thought it did, then Ari might be in deep trouble.

Raina sprinted over the hill towards the sound, before halting in her tracks. Her mouth fell open in horror and her eyes widened. Panic rushed to her head, her breath catching in her chest at the sight before her. A deep crater had formed in the ground, the end of the path of destruction Raina had followed. Sharp claws laid limp on all sides of the indented ground as a formidable beast spread its blood red body inside of it, nearly lifeless. If it wasn't for its labored breathing and the slow rise and fall of its chest, Raina would have thought the dragon was dead.

Raina dove behind a thick tree trunk that had fallen in her path before taking another quick glance at the fire-breathing monster. Her hand shook as she pulled out the sword she stole from the soldier in the colosseum, her reflection on the blade staring back at her with wild, frightened eyes. She knelt low, every muscle in her body tensed. The world seemed to shift, to slow. Raina's blood pounded through her head, and her mind went blank, too engaged with the fear flickering in her eyes.

She circled around the tree trunk, heading to the sharp edge that had broken off. It was the closest she could get without being sensed by the dragon. Raina scanned its still form, her eyes finally resting on one place. She had to go for the belly. She had to kill it once and for all.

The girl took a deep breath, tightening her grip on the hilt of her sword. Her feet felt heavier, and it took more effort to move them forward. Her head pulsed, and Raina clenched her jaw. She felt herself rush forward, but it felt like she was in a dream and her body was moving by itself, leaving the safety of the tree behind. The world seemed to spin around her. She was too slow, every step taking more and more energy. Then Raina saw the beast sprawled across the ground in front of her and raised the sword in one swift movement to strike the beast. She froze.

The dragon hadn't moved, resigning itself to death and oblivion. A deep gash in its side gushed blood from the spear that had hit it while they were escaping Mal's grasp. The chain hanging from its neck had wrapped around its body, creating a new prison even in the beast's freedom. Its pupils had shrunk in fear, and the creature's breathing had quickened as it struggled to escape from its bindings.

It would be so easy, to kill it. It wouldn't be a bad thing. She would be saving it from suffering, from pain. Besides, Raina argued to herself, dragons were evil creatures. They had burned down towns and villages, kidnapped maidens, stolen precious treasures. Killed her family.

"I'm a knight," Raina muttered to herself. "This is what knights do. They kill dragons. I can do this."

Raina raised the sword above her head once more, holding the position for several seconds as she met the creature's eyes. She faltered. It looked so helpless, so scared. They widened flickering back and forth between the sword hovering above it and the face of the knight who swore to kill it. Raina tightened her grip and looked away. It had to be done.

"Stop!"

Raina screamed and barely missed Ari as she swept around, the tip of the blade pointing at the little girl's throat.

"You must be having a great day," Ari commented with her usual spunk, unfazed by Raina's violence. "By the way, you missed." She used a finger to push the tip of the sword to the side.

Raina placed a hand over her chest. "Oh Ari, thank goodness."

Ari crossed her arms. "What took you so long?"

Raina opened and closed her mouth, unsure of what to say. Ari rolled her eyes and wandered up next to the dragon, not showing a flicker of fear in what the creature could do to her. Raina's heart skipped a beat as she realized what she was about to do.

"Ari get away from there!" Raina bolted forward, dragging the little girl several feet away from the creature.

Ari pulled away, scowling at Raina. "It's not going to hurt me. It needs help!"

Raina bit her lip as she looked over the dragon. It certainly did need help. The spear from when it was hit in the air still stuck out of its side, and blood was oozing from the wound. The fall had probably been a great impact, and Raina was surprised to see it had survived that. Its ribs showed through its soft belly as if it had been starved for several days. Raina wasn't sure if there was anything they could do to help.

The dragon groaned in pain behind them, its amber eyes empty of hope. The creature seemed ready to accept death, and who was Raina to take that away? Maybe this creature did need their help, but dragons had caused many atrocities to humankind. They were beasts of fire, and Raina would never see them as anything else, not after what they did to her parents. Her kingdom

"It might be too late for it Ari," said Raina calmly.

Ari held her ground. "It helped us. Now we have to help it."

Raina met Ari's eyes glaring at her with defiance before glancing back at the dragon's body. A sickening feeling rushed over her as she remembered the creatures flying over Aragona, the heat of their flames closing in around the people as they tried to escape. What had happened that night was something she could never forgive, and yet, Raina couldn't help but keep her eyes locked onto the helpless creature.

"Fine," Raina mumbled. "We can stay until tomorrow morning, but after that, that beast is on its own. We can't risk Mal finding us out here, and Lance might be out there somewhere. We have to find him as soon as possible."

Ari's frown erupted into a toothy grin. She skipped back over to the dragon, her frizzy hair bouncing up and down. She kneeled beside the creature and whispered to it. This seemed to calm the dragon as its breathing slowed.

Raina met the creature's eyes again before quickly looking away. It would be dead by morning.

Woah am I actually updating? Are you sure you're not dreaming? Well, I'm not sure whether this is a dream or not because it is very very early in the morning here, and I might have lost some of my sanity.

So if you didn't notice, I made a new cover! It's been on my to do list for a long time along with this update, both of which I completed this week thank God.

Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I'm sorry if it was short, or do you guys like this length better? I'm never quite sure. Also wondering how you guys feel about naming chapters?

Also I know we haven't seen Lance in a while, so I promise he will be returning next chapter with our new friend Reggie :)

I'm basically rambling now, so if you have read this far bless your soul. I love interacting with all of the wonderful people on here, but A LOT has been going on. It's been hard to keep up. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and be safe!!

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