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Mina skidded over to me, her tail wagging in the dirt. Her tongue hung out of her mouth, Darwin not that far behind her. Panting like an excited dog, the ground quaked with each excited bounce. Waving my arms, she slowed down. Skidding to a stop, my hand patted her snout. Snuggling into my hand, a bit of flames burned the hem of my usual wool dress. Patting it out, Darwin skipped up to me. Leaning forward, he slid an invitation into my hand. Opening the scarlet envelope, an official dragon treasure hunt had been announced. Reading it out loud, the two of them buzzed with excitement.
“You are cordially invited to a treasure hunt. I don’t know what to do with my hoard of treasure, so I am having a treasure hunt. I have scattered it all over the islands.” I read gleefully, Darwin crawling onto my shoulders. “Good luck. Love King Scarlet.” Wondering how he wrote it, Mina scooped me up. Sliding down her neck, her scales tore my tights off. Darwin leapt in front of me, my arm wrapping around his waist. Dackworth’s one eye opened up, his groggy yawn ringing in my ear. The chilly morning air nipped my cheeks, Mina taking off into the sky. Today was our day off while everyone gathered supplies, Mina was always happy to fly with just Darwin and me. Such days were precious gems.
“I am so happy to go out with you today.” Mina chirped cheerfully, floating through a couple of clouds. “Are you having fun, Darwin?” His laughter twinkled in the air, his white wool shirt tickling my neck. Ruffling his hair, the freedom in his eyes melting my heart. Other dragons of all types whizzed by us, the joy in the air feeling pure as the morning dew. Something felt off, arrows whistling past us. Yanking Mina back, the other dragons flew back towards their island. Mouthing a silent spell, balls of silver water protected them from getting hit. Leaping to my feet, the only one I didn’t see was King Scarlet. Scanning the water, my eyes squinted. A lone figure hovered above the water, his white robes almost looked like the foam on the waves. Raising a golden bow, another arrow ready to go. Who the hell was this? Steering Mina higher into the sky, a tortured howl captured my attention. The arrow narrowly missed us, a piece of my hair danced in front of my face. Touching my silver eye, a silver wolf bounced around my shoulder. Leaping off of my shoulder, the wolf waited patiently.
“Follow the wolf.” I ordered sternly, rubbing behind her ears. “We need to save King Scarlet. Let’s go.” Another arrow whizzed by my head, my eyes rolling. Darwin cried out the moment I jumped off, my feet aiming for the archer’s head. Untying Dackworth from my back, my fingers curled around my scythe. Mina started to attempt to catch me, my fingers snapping. A blast wind knocked Mina back, confusion dawning on both of their faces.
“Get Darwin to King Scarlet!” I barked hotly, Darwin seconds from leaping off of Mina’s back. “I said stay. Scarlet is going to die if you don’t save him.” Sitting back down, his eyes narrowed in my direction. Shock rounded my eyes, an arrow slamming into my shoulder. Wincing in pain, Darwin and Mina were already dots in the distance. Ripping the arrow out, a steady stream of curse words flooded from my lips. The wound sealed shut, my scythe blocking the next arrow. Silver water swirled underneath my feet, little balls of water preventing me from splashing into the water. Golden eyes glared at me, his bow aimed at my heart. His golden waves bounced around his shoulders, cream wings exploding from his back. His rapid rain of arrows prevented me from getting close to him, a frustrated growl pouring from his lips with each failed attempt. Something had to change, my hands clapping. Popping up behind him, my blade pressed against his neck. A wicked grin danced across my lips, his face paling.
“Might I ask who you are and why you are hunting down dragons? I have no problem killing you.” I threatened icily, my patience wearing thin. “Spill everything.” Shaking his head, a spare arrow spun in his palm. Swinging it towards my head, my free hand caught his wrist. Taking a deep breath, he didn’t need to know that I really didn’t want to kill him.
“I refuse to tell you a damn thing.” He growled through gritted teeth, cocking his head. “Just do it already. Never mind, I’ll do it.” Cupping my hand, his blood painted my face the moment he slit his own throat. My ears flattened, tears welling up in my eyes. His body decayed to a golden dust, my silver ball flickered. Cold water lashed at my skin, a wave knocking me around. Swirling around in the water, a glint of white caught my eyes. A bright smile curled on my lips, a long pearly white water dragon scooped me up. Her ocean blue eyes winked up at me, running my palms over her smooth scales did little to soothe my nerves.
“I need you to save our king. A hunter has hurt him.” She explained calmly, her soft voice proving to be as gentle as the waves. “You merely killed his assistant.” Swallowing the lump in my throat, a fresh batch of dread bubbled in my gut. A single tear slid down her cheeks, her love for her king proved refreshing. Petting her head, the waves kept soaking me. Awkward silence hung between us, storm clouds brewed over the island. Thunder cracked, the lightning illuminating the stormy skies. Dropping me off on tan sands, her ice blue tail disappeared into the darkening waves. Loose sand crunched underneath my feet, a silver wolf walked up to me. Its tail wagged, a rotten stench sickened me. Nudging for me to follow him, branches cracked with each step into the tropical jungle. No animals sang, the lack of noises scaring me. Crashing to a stop, a volcano towered over us. The wolf sprinted up the side of the mountain, my breathing growing heavier the higher we got. Struggling a bit, Dackworth chuckled under his breath.
“Someone seems to not be used to higher elevation.” He teased sarcastically, my eyes narrowing. Knocking his eye against a rock, I simply shrugged as if I didn’t mean to do it. His attitude was pissing me off, my teeth gritting. Doing this while pregnant wasn’t helping, my tail twitching irritably. Relief turned to anger, rocks tumbled into a sea of molten lava. The silver wolf jumped over the edge.
“I always lived in fields, you idiot!” I snapped hotly, Darwin calling out for me halfway down the volcano. “How am I supposed to get down there?” Rolling my eyes, this wasn’t going to be fun. Examining the end of my scythe, a silver chain slid out the bottom. Swinging my scythe into the rock, I climbed over the edge. Sweat drenched my skin, the heat made the palms slick. Darwin poked his head out, wrapping his hands around the bottom. Scurrying down, lava was becoming my least favorite thing now. My breath hitched, the lava inches boiled from my tail. Why did danger have to follow me? Darwin yanked me in, a flash of worn leather darted in the corner of my eyes. Tugging on the chain, my scythe whipped into my palm. Blocking a golden dagger, long waves of dirty blonde obscured the hunter’s face. Bronze wings burst from his back, feathers drifted aimlessly. A gust of energy knocked me back, my eyes falling on a slumbering Scarlet. Plumes of smoke curled out of his nostrils, a wave of relief washed over me. A blur of white and bronze rushed at me, sparks snowing the moment our blades clashed violently. Darwin poked his head out from behind a rock, his fingers gripping the rock. Mina hovered in the sky, the heel of a brown boot kicking my jaw. Falling flat on my back, the breath was knocked out of me. His fingers snapped, a wave of gravity holding me down. Cursing to myself, the volcano rumbled to life.
“I don’t know who but you just woke up a volcano!” I protested bitterly, Scarlet stirring awake. “Undo your spell!” Shaking his head, a rush of hot air lashed my cheeks the moment he took off. The spell wore off, a sharp whistle sounded from my lips. Struggling to my feet, my arms wrapped around Darwin’s waist. Placing him on Mina, his lips parted in protest. My hands cupped his face, his lips pecking my forehead.
“I am going to ride Scarlet out.” I chirped cheerfully, my false smile not fooling him. “I will be right after you.” Kissing his forehead, tears welled up in his eyes. We only had a few minutes left before the lava would be flowing into the tunnel. Slapping her side, she took off into the sky. Sprinting to Scarlet’s side, his condition was worse than I thought. Tears welled up in my eyes, his guts steamed in a pile next to him. His life force was fading, my heart was shattering. Crouching down next to his eye, his breathing grew labored. The fumes caused my vision to blur, his clawed hand reaching for mine.
“I already have a new leader picked out.” He wheezed, his flame flickering dangerously. “Take one of my fangs to the island. They will know what to do. You need to get out of here, your majesty. You can’t die with me.” Tears streamed down my cheeks, my lips quivering. His quaking paw pat the top of my head, his other hand ripping out his fangs. Pressing it into my palm, he scooped me up. Shaking my head, a tortured wail escaped my lips the moment he tossed me into the air. Mina caught me, Darwin’s arms embracing me. Gritting my teeth, confusion dawned on their faces as I leapt off. Silver balls of water spun underneath my foot, Scarlet’s murderer floating in the distance. Charging at him, vines whipped in his direction. Cutting them down, his twisted grin angered me further. Slamming my fist into his jaw, the crack of jaw breaking matched the thunder in the sky. Hitting him over and over again, his lack of words threw me off. His energy was building, my fingers wrapping around his busted jaw. The tearing of his jaw frightened me, his head cocking with a creepy grin. His inky black eyes darkened into a frenzy of evil, wicked laughter exploding from his lips.
“I am going to kill you for your crime.” I sobbed brokenly, my tears soaking. Pulling out his dagger, he slit his own throat. His blood painted my face, my eyes twitched irritably. Blood poured from my eyes, my body beginning to quit on me. His body fell back, his hand wrapped around his fang. Taking me with him, shock rounded my eyes the moment he jammed a sleek black dagger into my throat. Choking on our blood, his grip loosened.
“We are the Holy Knights here to cleanse the land.” He wheezed, coughing up blood. His body decayed to bronze dust, my lips pressing into a thin line. Snatching the fangs before it fell, my body fell forward. Mina circled me in the sky, the heavy downpour smashing onto the island matching my inner emotions. A large explosion rattled the island, the lava spewing over the mouth. Mina caught me, Darwin clutching me close to his chest. His tears soaked my shoulders, thunderous roars breaking my heart into tiny pieces. My head bowed in shame, Mina hovered over the island. Flying down, she lowered her head. Hopping off her back, my boots dragged through the dirt. Getting down on one knee, the fang rested in my trembling palms. Darwin bowed down next to me, my fingers curling around the handle of the dagger in my neck. Ripping it out, the wound healed in seconds. One by one, they bowed in my direction. Did they think that I was their queen?
“All hail the queen! All hail the queen!” The dragons of all colors chanted, my body trembling. “We will do as you wish.” Fresh tears poured from my eyes, my scythe clattering to the grass. Staring numbly into space, Darwin shook my shoulder. Mina nudged me with her head, her snout lower than everyone else’s. Stumbling to my feet, the fangs crashed to my feet
“I can’t.” I stammered nervously, my fingers playing with the hem of my dress. “I can’t do this. I just lost a friend, and I don’t know what’s going on. I can’t even live here. I have to go do th-” Mina stepped forward, picking up the fangs. Her tail wagged, dread bubbling away in my stomach.
“I have this.” She promised me sweetly, my heart knowing another goodbye was coming my way. “I will become the queen. You see, this lovely woman is already the queen of this realm. So I will stay here. I loved spending every minute with you, my dear Lottie. You know as well as I do that I have to step up. You taught me that much. Please respect my decision.” Brushing my lips against her head, this path was the right one. Taking a deep breath, the tears never stopped flowing.
“I love you with all of my heart.” I wept gloomily, my arms embracing her snout. “You will visit, right?” Darwin clung to my legs, all of this becoming too much. His wet eyes gazed up at me, my trembling fingers tying my scythe around my back. A train whistled in the distance, the deep sadness never leaving. Why couldn’t it go away?
“I understand your choice but I have to go.” I continued exhaustively, the train pulling up. “I am proud of you but I can’t handle any more sadness today. I am beyond my emotional limit.” Emmie didn’t even holler for me to climb aboard, Darwin helping me up. Mina smiled sadly, tears flooding from her eyes. Waving goodbye, my body slid down the wall. Burying my head into my knees, tortured wails bursting from my lips. Emmie crouched down to my level, his finger lifting up my chin. A sympathetic grin met mine, his gloved fingers wiping away my tears.
“Tough day?” He inquired gently, my ears flattening. “I can sit here next to you if you want. We don’t have to talk.” Smiling politely in his direction, he pecked me on the cheeks before running off. Hollow footsteps shuffled into the car, my heart fluttering at the sight of Boran in his usual blouse and pants. Leaping into his arms, his loving embrace did little to help me. Tears soaked his shoulders, my fingers grabbing his shirt.
“I heard that Mina had to stay behind.” He uttered numbly, the hurt showing in his eyes as well. “She can visit anytime. You don’t have to talk if you don’t want to. Just let it all out.” Rubbing my back, Emmie and Darwin watched on with concern. Nothing was helping, my emotions were at rock bottom. The desire to break something rising inside of me, my tail tucking in between my legs. Why did goodbyes have to hurt so much?
“I miss Mina!” I cried out drearily, embarrassment burning my cheeks. “I miss her already but I know she is where she needs to be. Why does it have to hurt so much! I am so sick of people dying because of me and my problems.” Boran lifted up my chin with his finger, his wet eyes meeting mine. His face was puffy from crying, his fingers wiping away my tears. No words needed to be said, the two of us sinking to the floor. Darwin rushed over, his lips pecking each of our cheeks.
“I may not have known her that well, or Scarlet for that matter but I miss her too.” He whispered sweetly, a tender blush rising on both of our cheeks. “I can’t stand seeing you so sad.” His own tears flowed from his eyes, my quaking fingers wiping them away. Squeezing in between us, his arms curled around our neck. Seeing him so busted shattered me, a tired sigh escaping my lips. Playing with the necklace the dragons had given me, the gift felt bittersweet. Darwin ran over to the corner to play with the toys, his smile never leaving his face. A rush of water dampened my legs, intense cramps jolted my body. Tears welled up in my eyes, a puddle pooling underneath me. Boran’s eyes fluttered at the warm water soaking his pants, his eyes turning towards me.
“Is the baby coming?” He stuttered nervously, clammy sweat drenching my skin. “I don’t know how to deliver a baby.” My vision blurred, a whimper leaving my lips. Emmie rushed in with a medical kit, his eyes falling on me. Motioning for Darwin to come over, a fever burned my cheeks. Sending him into the next car, another contraction jolted my body. A howl of pain escaped my lips. Emmie’s words faded in and out, the word push ringing in my ears every now and then. Blood mixed with the fluid, my hand seconds from crushing Boran’s hand. Howls flooded from my lips with each push, an immense pressure building in my hips. The head was crowning, Emmie cleaning up the child with a towel. A loud wail shattered the oppressive silence, tears of joy flooded from my face. Why didn’t I feel anything up to this point? That couldn’t be said right now. It felt like a train hit me, my vision blurring. Boran called my name, his words were the last thing I heard as darkness enveloped me.
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