Ralem opened his mouth in a soundless scream, his eyes wide with terror. All he could see were the hungry flames gushing out from those massive jaws. Ralem watched in dumb fascination as the stream of fire widened, its fingers of flame twisting and churning. It was dangerously beautiful, the azure blue and almost holy shade of white, blinding and searing hot. He reached a hand forward, as if he could just fondle the silky ribbons of flame.

            BAM!

            Ralem’s head hit the stone road with a sickening crack. He lifted his blurry eyes to find Jaydon, his mouth moving but no sound coming out. Ralem blinked as the roar in his ears intensified, like he was nearing a waterfall. Jaydon started to wrap his arms around his Rider, but then he stopped and let lose a roar that showed all his teeth. In a split second, his wings were out, creating an instant shelter. White and blue flame instantly wrapped his body and wings in a flaming coat, wreathing his neck and setting his hair alight. He gnashed his teeth as he felt his skin start to burn, his eyeballs cooking in their sockets.

            “No!” Ralem snapped both wrists so that his palms faced the inferno. Responding to his mental call, Jaydon folded his wings as Ralem gathered the sluggish city air into one solid force, pushing the flames back. He advanced slowly, adding more momentum to the wind.

            For a second, Cahal’s eyes widened. Then they narrowed. His second fire valve opened on the base of his throat and he unleashed his hell flame.

            Ralem ground his teeth as the fire power doubled. Sinking to his knees, he felt a hot sweat bead on his forehead and drip into his eyes.

            He could see Jaydon next to him out of his peripheral vision, his mouth moving in a desperate plea. But Ralem’s mind could not even register the dragon’s mental touch as it succumbed to animal-like terror.

            Heat.

            That is all Ralem could think, feel, breathe. Flames devoured his invisible air shield like icing on a cake, keeping it at bay. But the air shield couldn’t stop the heat Ralem could see his outstretched fingers turn red, then black as wave after wave of searing heat blasted on his body. His tongue became a log in his dry mouth, the water evaporated off his very skin, his lungs turned into an oven. The air shield shivered and shrunk, the flames creeping closer and closer.

            And then it broke.

            In a flash, Jaydon tackled his Rider, wrapping his body around Ralem’s as his wings locked tightly over him like a mother hen on her chicks.

            The dam of fire was unleashed to pour across Jaydon’s wings and exposed back, licking every exposed surface, turning the air into acrid smoke.

            All Jaydon could do was stare into his Rider’s eyes as he burned. Face to face, so close he could feel Ralem’s heartbeat, like a scared rabbit against his own. Jaydon cradled Ralem’s head with his hands, those dull green eyes staring unblinkingly back at him. He could dully feel the pain striking his back like a burning fire brand, but even that was overshadowed by the terror. His Rider was burning up before his eyes.

            Jaydon hugged Ralem tighter, futilely hoping his own body would shield him from the intense heat.

            Ralem had stopped breathing. His charred lips were wrinkled and black, open to reveal his stark white teeth, flecked with ash. All Jaydon could smell was burning flesh and hair. “No. No no no,” he heard himself say. “Ralem, you’re not going to die! You won’t! We won’t! We’re going to survive this together. We’re a team, right?” Jaydon choked the last words out, his forehead pressed to Ralem’s.

            Ralem’s eyes stared at him, pleaded with him. He could feel Ralem say, I’m sorry. And then they stared past the clouds and sun and the stars.

            Jaydon slumped forward.

            Arianna watched in horror as Jaydon became a dragon torch. She could just barely make out his form from the fountain of fire. Cahal, by far the scariest dragon she had ever seen, had his neck arched almost directly over the defenseless Rider and dragon, his massive jaws open and the fire just going and going and going. Arianna dimly wondered if dragons ever run out of fire. She wanted to string her bow, to help, to do something, but she found that her limbs had forgotten how to move and she stood dumbstruck, staring at the massive red beast just like Drake was doing.

            Cahal was a dragon of such ferocious power, that he could evoke fear into anyone’s hearts by just being in their presence. Almost all large or ancient dragons had this quality, but some more than others. Cahal was not as beautiful as Jaydon, but several times more terrifying. His teeth, jagged and protruding from his jaw even when he closed his mouth, stuck out at odd angles like the bristles on a poorly made hairbrush. Violet eyes shone from a blunt head, as opposed to Jaydon’s more slender, angular head. His horns, sprouting from his skull like Medusa’s snakes, curled and twisted. If Arianna wasn’t so scared she would have noticed the glittering gold adornments that laced some of these horns, or golden necklaces that dangled along with gold watches and beads. Deep orange sails started at where his head and neck connected and ran all the way down his tail, reaching seven feet tall in some places. And his talons, thicker than a man’s waist, dug into the stone road as he put more force into his fire, as if physical motion could unleash more flame.

            “Bloody guts!” Drake swore next to her. “That’s Cahal?”

            Arianna jumped back to reality at the sound of his shaking voice. She saw Jaydon had tackled Ralem and now was bravely fighting the inferno, his proud wings resisting the blaze. But then, he faltered and shook. And fell.

            “NO!” Arianna screamed so loud that Drake squeaked and turned into a little bat, and surprisingly enough, the flames sputtered.

            Cahal coughed, swinging his head as he inhaled his own smoke. It sounded like a woman had dared to tell him ‘no’! Was I hearing things? He thought to himself, flicking his tongue out. Then he saw the form of a human, one hand outstretched as if she were trying to punch him, the other drawn into her body. Cahal knew that she had a bow and arrow, aimed directly at him.

            He laughed lightly as he saw her form shake, the infrared pulse of her frantically beating heart intensifying. She was freezing up in fear. He took a step towards her, his eyes still closed, ‘seeing’ her with his forked tongue. “Ah, you have your little bow, little human? What are you going to do? Shoot me?”

            The woman’s body shifted, trying to find somewhere to aim. “I’m… I’m not afraid of you.”

            Cahal knew that voice. It scratched at his brain, but he just couldn’t put a talon on it! It frustrated him. He never forgot a voice. “You’re afraid of me.” He paused for a moment, his great horned head swinging so close that she could feel his burning breath and cringed. “Ah, but you are brave. Tell me your name, noble woman.”

             Arianna cleared her throat, mustering her most noble-sounding voice. “My name is the Crown Princess Arianna Ritaldi-Yvanna Lillian Shiron of the Grunde, the glittering isles of the south. And-”

            Cahal’s burning red eyes flashed open, the pitch pupils narrowing on her face. “Princess? Princess, what are you doing here?”

            Arianna faltered. Drake snuggled in her hair, shivering. “What- what do you mean?”

            Cahal laughed deeply. “Little Arianna- but you’re not so little anymore, are you? Look at you, all grown up. I remember when you were but knee high to a grasshopper, with those big blue eyes!”

            Arianna lowered her bow, “Do I know you?”

            Cahal bent down, still chuckling. And sliding down his back was the broad-shouldered Irish warrior, hair aflame and with a huge smile pulling at his braided beard. “Arianna! My wee pet! Tis been donkey’s years!” He pulled her shocked body into a big bear hug.

            Arianna detached herself awkwardly, staring at him. “The red warrior?”

            Alroy laughed heartily. “Yeh could call me that. So yeh remember me? Ah was a gran’ mucker wi’ yore father. Ah came to yer ninth birthday, if I mind correctly.” He slapped her back so heartily that she almost fell forward. “Do yeh still remember how to throw knives like I taught yeh? Yeh were the most deadly lass I ever trained.”

            “How could I forget?” Arianna said, trying to sound cheery but failing. “But I never knew you were a dragon Rider?”

            Alroy laughed. “Chucker yeh tinks people would respond well if ah did? Cahal is naw sweet pony, yeh know.”

            “Cahal? But I thought he was your brother?” then it dawned on her, “Oh. Oh my- he was a dragon the whole time?”

            Cahal nodded, his flashing teeth making Arianna flinch. “What are you doing here, Princess? You look terrible! Shouldn’t you be somewhere safe? Don’t you know a war is upon us?”

            Arianna looked out of the corner of her eye at Jaydon, who hadn’t moved. Her stomach churned. Come on, come on, you’ve got to be okay, she thought frantically. Realizing that their only hope was for her to distract the fire dragon and his Rider, her dirty face smoothed into the ditsy look of a Princess. “Oh, it’s been horrible!” she cried, “I’ve been stranded for days- just look at me!” she gestured to her horribly torn and frayed dress. “My entourage- the wicked Vulnairians attacked us! They kept me prisoner here for simply ages!” She made her voice shake, which wasn’t hard because of her screaming ribs and aching legs. “And… oh I just can’t take it anymore!” She sniffled and wiped her face with her arm. Alroy looked genuinely concerned and caught her as she almost fell.

            “Lass- I,” he started to say.

            Arianna’s tears fell down her face. “Please great Rider, take me away! They’re coming for me!” She clawed at his armored chest, sobbing wildly. “Please!”

            Alroy looked a little bewildered by this sudden change of events. “Now, now, little lass. Cahal and I ken take you somewhere safe-”

            “You can? Oh thank you! It’s been a nightmare you know, and I just- I thought I wasn’t going to make it out alive-”

            “Hush now Princess. We’ll git yeh to safety.” Alroy helped her along as Cahal bent down, extending a leg. Arianna let him usher her up the dragons scaly side.

            She heard fluttering and then Drake’s voice tinkled in her ear. “What are you doing?” he squeaked, “Jaydon could be dead!”

            She flipped her hair, whiplashing little Drake. He backpedaled,, squeaking angrily. Ignoring him, she flashed a teary smile to Alroy as he eased her into the saddle, his arms enfolding her as he tightened his grip on the horn. “Don’t worry, lassie. Yer safe with Cahal an’ I.”

            “But, Jaydon-” Cahal rumbled, his eyes flashing as he swiveled his head to look at them.

            “But nothin’. Can’t yeh see their toast! This wee lass has been through so much. Tis only right that we escort her tah safety!” Alroy glared at his dragon as Arianna shook in his arms.

            Cahal turned his head back around. “As you wish,” he said softly, opening his wings. They were so large that they brushed the rooftops of the houses on either side. Arianna could feel the weight shift as the dragon prepared to lift off. What do I do now? She thought.

            Ralem blinked. It was snowing. He had never seen snow in his life, so he gazed in wonder as the little specks floated across his vision, settling on his lashes  and tickling his throat. He smelled something unpleasant, like the time that Aidan had tried to cook a rabbit with some fur still on. Yuck!

            Suddenly the background sharpened, once just a vague dark shape over him, now the grim form of Jaydon pressed to him. He could see Jaydon’s face, strained and black as if he had dabbed himself in war paint like the Araz tribes of the North. His eyes were closed tightly, his jaw set so that dimples stood out on his cheeks.

            Something about that look made Ralem nervous. He opened his mouth. “Garrangh?” he asked. His voice sounded rough and raw, like it was coming from a rusty wheel instead of his own mouth.

            Jaydon’s eyes shot open, pupils narrowing visibly on Ralem’s face. “Oh Ralem!” His voice broke, “When I turn  back, I’m going to chain you to my saddle and never let you out of my sight again!”

            “What? What are you talking about?” Ralem tried to say, but all that came out was strangled noises. He tried to move his arms to support his body, but froze when Jaydon’s face crumpled in pain. “Don’t… don’t move Rider,” he managed, “Just stay still. You’re going to okay, ok?”

            What? What happened? Ralem asked in his mind. Jaydon said nothing, but a crystalline tear leaked from his eyes and trailed down his ashen cheeks, just to drop splat on Ralem’s forehead.

            And that’s when he noticed. He didn’t feel the teardrop. He didn't feel the stones, blunt against his back. He didn’t feel Jaydon’s hand cradling the sides of his head. He couldn’t feel anything at all. Jaydon, why can’t I feel anything! Ralem thought frantically.

            Jaydon’s silence said it all.

            No! No, Jaydon! Don’t do this! Ralem yelled in his head, trying to move, but his arms seemed to be pinned to his sides. I can take the pain!

            “I couldn’t take the pain from you when you were being tortured, but I can now. You’ve gone through enough, Rider. It’s my turn to bear the pain.” Jaydon’s voice was hoarse, his ashen face tearstreaked.

            What happened to me? Why can’t I move? Ralem cried, trying to crane his head to look down on himself.

            Jaydon’s thumbs pressed into his cheeks, forcing him back down. “Just look at me, okay? Look at my eyes. Just look into my eyes. Everything’s okay. I will heal you. I promise I will heal you!” His lower lip quivered as he said this and Ralem could tell that he was an inch away from passing out.

            “I’m going to heal you,” Jaydon repeated, sounding feverish. The balls of muscle under the tan skin of his bicep was shaking violently now. He took a shuttering breath before almost collapsing on top of Ralem, his eyes not leaving Ralem’s for a moment. The green of the iris was twitching, shining bright before spazzing out. “I’m going… to make you better.”

            “Urrangh!”  Ralem protested. Stop! It’s going to kill you!

            Jaydon’s eyes turned a steely green. “NO!” Jaydon poured his whole essence into it, watching as new flesh appeared from the ash, at first a bright red, then subsiding into an olive tan. Muscles bulged out of the burned skin before being covered by a blanket of stretching skin. Jaydon’s  conscious reached out, urging the body to Heal, the flesh to reconstruct, the blood to flow, and even the steady passage of air through his Rider’s lungs. Sweat beaded on his forehead, even though he wasn’t hot. He had never had to totally reconstruct a limb, build whole sets of bones in just seconds! Ralem had never been hurt this bad. It even hurt to look at him, with burned flesh showing on his cheeks, a couple teeth in full view from the lack of lips. The hair he had left was white like snow, and as Jaydon watched it fall off in patches. Jaydon tried not to watch. He could see the fragile look in his Rider’s eyes- he knew he was scared. Jaydon tried to be the strong one, tried to relay that they were doing just fine, but he was growing weaker by the second. His breath came out in shallow gasps, Ralem’s face starting to fade out as everything started to spin.

            Jaydon, I love you. Ralem’s voice came, like the beacon of hope for the weary sailor. Jaydon clung to the voice, fighting to stay awake. His muscles screamed in agony, his heart fluttering like a dying bird. Jaydon, let go. Let go.

            No! I won’t! Jaydon’s voice screamed back, defiant. I will never let go of you! I am your protector!

            Jaydon… Ralem’s voice soothed the dragon’s soul, rushing over his mind like the cool touch of healing balm. I will be fine. Let go. Jaydon felt Ralem reach out mentally, offering his own personal energy, the little that his charred body had to offer. Then his eyes fluttered closed and he faded.

            Jaydon saw Ralem’s eyes rolled back into his head, saw his body, hurt and torn, wracked with such horrible agony that the dragon had put on himself. But Jaydon felt something, something that surpassed even the heart wrenching pain, something that coursed through his veins like the hungry poison of a viper, something that fanned the flame within and rendered his eyes a perilous green. It was hatred.

            Overhead, the skies turned steadily deeper and deeper shades of grey, then black. The wind picked up, raking through the streets of the barren city, battering the great fire dragons wings as lightning flashed across the sky. Jaydon slowly unraveled himself from the burned body of his Rider, picking himself off the ground. Every part of his body groaned as he eased to his feet, before turning to glare at the scarlet dragon. Cahal had just powered into the sky and now was battling the winds to gain height. “NO!” Jaydon roared, gathering the winds in one giant force to force the dragon back to the earth. Cahal bellowed as he was knocked off balance, clumsily landing on all fours in front of Jaydon, his tail rendering a house to a pile of broken sticks. Then he spotted Jaydon and he swung his head around, his blazing mouth focusing on Jaydon’s stoic form.

            “No!” Jaydon yelled again, this time surprising Cahal into snapping his mouth closed. “How dare you do this to me, the King? You coward! Attacking my human because you didn’t want to face me!”

            “The King?” Cahal snorted, “You are nothing but a mewling baby forest dragon! You’re Rider, look at him! He burns like dry wood. You lied to me! You told me you were our fire brothers, just to stab us in the back!”

            Jaydon snapped his wingspan open. “I am no forest dragon! I am Jaydon, the great Ventus Magnus Rex, the firstborn! The maker of storms, the tamer of winds! I am the weapon Lauri spoke of. I am the King of the skies and all that fly in it!” He gestured to the dimming sky.

            Cahal leaned his head down to stare the other dragon, face-to-face. “You foolish forest,” he rumbled. “You shall burn just like your Rider.”

            Drake appeared in his human form, his arms folded tightly as he stood in front of Jaydon. “If you flame, you’ll have to kill me first.”

            “So be it,” Cahal’s fire rushed up his throat, and Drake gulped as he felt as if he was looking into the gates of hell themselves.

            “Wait,” Alroy’s voice came, commanding from his dragon’s back.

            Ralem’s eyes fluttered open just in time to see Cahal towering over him, ready to flame. “Wait,” Alroy repeated, this time softer. Drawn to the voice, Ralem’s eyes moved only slightly to gaze upon Cahal’s back. Then he saw her! Cradled in the arms of the fire dragon Rider! His mouth cracked open, unleashing a vengeful “Urrrgnth!” that absolutely no one could hear. Frustrated that no one could hear him, he tried other means.

            “GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY PRINCESS!” Jaydon roared, although the words were not his own.

            “She is not your Princess!”

            “WELL SHE DEFINITELY ISN’T YOURS!” Jaydon roared. “Come on! Fight me like a dragon! Tooth and claw!” At this, his talons unsheathed, his teeth emerging from his lips. A shudder of pain shook his body visibly, but he ignored it.

            “EVERYBODY SHUT UP!” Everyone froze as Arianna’s voice rang out, shrill like a bell. She seemed surprised herself. “Just… shut up, okay?” she repeated, looking near to tears.

            Alroy tried to put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged him off. “Stop it, all of you!” she screamed. “You know what? I can’t take it anymore! I’ve had enough of this! I have spent a whole month searching for them, risking my neck, and getting tortured by cats!!! And you can’t just… you can’t just kill him now! He’s my betrothed!”

            The last sentence caused everyone to freeze. Ralem wanted to scream and run around singing the Hallelujah chorus and kiss her and just die of happiness. Instead, he just laid there like a burned sausage. Beside him, Drake whistled, turning to smile a large, fanged smile at him. “Hear that, Ralem? Haha, you’re getting married!” Ralem did not respond.

            Jaydon’s chest swelled before he let loose a tremendous roar of triumph.

            Cahal blinked. “Betrothed?”

            “Yes! Now let me down!” Arianna cried.

            Cahal leaned down awkwardly and Alroy helped her down. “I can’t believe it,” Alroy whispered. “You- de princess who wud never marry- engaged teh dat peasant?”

            “Yes,” Jaydon said fiercely, catching Arianna up in his arms, and holding her possessively. “Ah, princess, I knew that you’d be together from the start!” he said, his voice catching. Alroy stood awkwardly at their left, running a hand through his beard, trying to make some sense into this.

            “Be careful-” Arianna gasped, “-my ribs-”

            “Oh I’m sorry,” Jaydon’s hands unfolded from around her and settled on her shoulders. When he spoke again, his voice was tinged with the soft accent of Redfield. “Arianna- you just made me the happiest man in the world. I would hug you- but I’m stuck.”

            “Ralem?” Arianna asked.

            “Yeah. Sorry, I can’t talk so I’m speaking through Jaydon.” Jaydon’s eyes filled with happy tears and he smiled breathlessly. “I just,” he wiped a hair out of Arianna’s face and tucked it tenderly behind her ear. “ I want to kiss you right now.”

            “I hate to break the reunion, but we have some unanswered questions,” Cahal rumbled, his forked tongue flickering out from sabre-like teeth. “Like, for instance, why did you betray us?”

            Jaydon’s eyes never left Arianna’s but he answered in his own voice. “We never turned you in, I swear it upon my Rider’s life.”

            Alroy spoke up, “Princess, you said you were tortured by the cats. Why would they want you?”

            “They wanted me to get to Jaydon,” Arianna avoided Jaydon’s gaze. “They wanted to eat him just like they ate little Ellie.”

            “Ellie?” Alroy asked.

            “She was the little red dragon I saved in the forest- her mother was killed by the cats. Well, she followed me in the forest and they-” she cleared her throat- “They killed her. In front of me.”

            “Red?” Cahal snorted.

            “Red, just like you,” Arianna replied.

            Cahal’s eyes flashed scarlet.

            “What? Did you really think fire dragons were excluded from the cat’s menu?” Jaydon spat. “You should have thought of that before you made an alliance with them!”

            Smoke puffed faster and faster from Cahal’s huge nostrils, “I should have known the cats were behind this all! They were trying to kill you to get to me! Come, and we will destroy them, Rothai!”

            Alroy’s mouth twitched in an expression that only a Rider of a fire dragon would understand. He slapped Jaydon’s back, “Listen. oi must go. Yeh take care.” His scarlet-flickering eyes seemed to soften for a second. “I’m sorry, lad. Be safe. Take care of de Princess fer us.”

            On the ground, Ralem was stunned by this sudden turn of events. All he could do was stare widely, as useless as a wet noodle. One second, Cahal was trying to burn him to Hades (and he almost did too). The next second, he wanted to fly away and burn all the Felinus to Hades! It was then when he realized that Fire Dragons all have the same temper. Who wouldn’t, when you have fire smoldering in your belly? As he watched, Alroy mounted his dragon and instantly the dragon was up in the sky, the force of his wings making Arianna cower and Jaydon put a protective arm around her. Then they were gone.

            “Arianna- I’m hungry,” Jaydon said, unromantically. “I will be back soon, but can you protect Ralem when I’m gone? Drake?”

            “Um…. okay,” Arianna said, surprised at the sudden change of subject.

            “Got it!” Drake saluted him before crouching by Ralem with a hilariously predatory gaze.

            What are you doing? Ralem called after him, watching him break away from Arianna and march down the street.

            I’m starving, Jaydon replied as he turned a street corner and became lost to view.

            Always thinking about your food, huh? Leave me here like a… like a fried tuna?

            Jaydon did not reply.

            Arianna felt like just curling up on the stone road and falling asleep for a very long time. Just to rest her weary muscles and to get herself together… she stared at the skyline for a full minute, just expecting Cahal to come barreling from the clouds at any second. Cahal a dragon? She remembered when he would let her ‘ride’ on his broad shoulders around the castle. It was just all too much to take in. And then, Ralem.

            She was hesitant to even look at him fully. But helvetti, she had just announced she accepted him! She couldn’t just totally avoid him! She steeled herself and walked over to him.

            The stench hit her first. It was of scorched flesh, and burning hair. It swept through her lungs, raking her throat and frying her nose hairs. Then she took a good look at him and retched.

            Drake’s thin porcelain fingers curled around her shoulders reassuringly. “Are you okay?” he asked, his dark eyebrows pinched in worry. She smiled weakly at him. Somehow Drake’s familiar, slightly rounded face comforted her, with his large, childish eyes and spiky black hair.

            “I’m fine,” she whispered, wiping her mouth and trying not to gag again.

            “I know he looks a little rough right now, but you’ve got to look past that. Just look at his eyes. That’s what I do.”

            “Thanks, Drake,” she said breathily. This time breathing through her mouth, she turned around again. Forcing herself closer to the repulsive figure, she kneeled by his head and tried to focus on his eyes. But it was hard. His skin was black and sometimes she could glimpse of protruding bone or pulsing red muscle. Only his chest and most of his face were saved, the parts that Jaydon could cover with his body. His eyes were stark white against the black, and as Arianna looked into them, she felt her heart break.

            “Ungh,” the hideous noise escaped from his jaw and the corners of his lips twitched, as if he were trying to smile.

            “Oh, Ralem…” she shook her head, trying to think of something to say that would make him feel better. “You… you don’t have any hair.”

            His eyes widened, darting back and forth. “Mungh?” he sounded horrified.

            Wow Arianna, way to go. She thought to herself, tell the poor guy he doesn’t have any hair.

            “It’ll grow back,” Drake said helpfully, rubbing Arianna on the back.

            “Yeah, yeah it will,” Arianna said, stroking his cheek. His eyes followed her movement and she could see him strain to move, then give up. They focused back on her as if apologizing.

            “Don’t look at me like that!” Arianna choked out. “You’re going to be fine. You’re going to heal like you always do and we will be together! You and me! I already told Lauri, you’re coming with me to Grunde! And you’re going to finally see the snow…” she felt her throat suddenly clog up as if she’d swallowed a ball. His eyes were just so big, as if he were begging her to  keep going. She tried to reach for his hand and suddenly let loose a yelp. Ralem’s eyes shot so wide she thought they would bug out of his head. “Uh, it’s fine. Everything’s okay,” she gulped, “Just, uh, look at me, okay?”

            Jaydon came back from his blood fest with a slightly drunken smile, his belly full and fire at its peak. He had just invaded a butcher’s shop, which had been mostly empty due to the demand for soldier’s rations but he’d made do. What was concerning was the lack of pain he was feeling. He’s going into shock, he thought. Ralem’s calls for Jaydon were getting more weaker and sporadic. It had started out with complete sentences like, “Jaydon, where are you going? Arianna’s talking to me and I can’t talk back! I need you!” and now it was more like random words such as , “Grunde” and “why?” and “wrong?”

            Jaydon picked up his speed, retracing his steps through the city. It was mostly empty. The men of age had been enlisted. All that was left was the elderly, the women, and the children. Most had fled in terror when they had heard the thunder of challenging dragons, others had run when they felt the small earthquake of a mature fire dragon landing in the middle of town.

            When he raced around the last corner, he found Arianna leaning over Ralem talking to him earnestly while Drake stood behind her, for once silent. “And I’m going to show you around and we can go hunting together. I know you and Jaydon will just love sledding. It’s so fun. You can go really fast,” she paused when she saw Jaydon crouch beside them.

            “Thanks for watching him,” Jaydon said before turning to Ralem. “Rider, you’re going into shock. I’m going to heal you, but you’re going to need to rest. I’m putting you to sleep, okay?”

            Ralem’s eyes concentrated on Jaydon’s. No. Talk to Arianna.

            “What do you want to say?”

            Ralem started breathing faster and faster, his chest fluttering. The pupils started to dilate, staring into space as his whole body started to shake. Arianna jumped back. “What’s wrong?!”

            Jaydon put a hand on his Rider’s chest. “Peace,” he said, and with that he thrust the power he had received from his recent food fest into his Rider’s body, while at the same time giving Ralem all his exhaustion. As the muscles started to reknit and the skin covered bone, Ralem’s eyes fluttered closed and he gave himself up to dreamless slumber.

            “He’s going to be fine,” Jaydon reassured Arianna, although it sounded like he was talking to himself.

            And suddenly he found Arianna’s head in his chest, her crying coming out in dry sobs. As Jaydon felt tears drip onto his chest he drew the Princess closer to himself. Drake turned into a bat and crawled into Arianna’s messy hair, hiding his little face in the waves. Jaydon knew that Ralem would want him to be strong for Arianna. But he couldn't help but let a silver tear fall as he ran his callused hands down Arianna’s back. “We’re going to be ok, Arianna,” he whispered into her ear, “This nightmare will be over soon.” He could feel her hands, clutching at his frayed shirt like she never wanted to let go. “I’m not going anywhere again. I’m going to stay here with you, okay?”

            She just sobbed. And sobbed. And sobbed. In his hair, Jaydon could also sense that Drake was shaking, his big ears pulled back. In truth, Jaydon felt like crying like the baby dragon that he was. Instead he curled his wings around the Princess, his gentle arms surrounding her in a protective embrace. “Everything will be okay,” he whispered again, “I’m here. I will always be here.” His voice cracked.

            And it started to rain.