After what felt like an eternity, the sound of pursuit faded behind us. We stopped just long enough for our sides to stop aching, then pressed onward. “What the hell happened back there?” I asked. “The Dragon King was hidden among the soldiers.” Liam said. “He got control of Scoots before I knew what was happening. He threatened to kill her if I didn’t surrender.” I was about to say something scathing, but swallowed my words before I spoke. Hadn’t I also just followed the Dragon King’s commands for a similar reason? “We all have something that we will submit for, whether we like it or not.” A minute later Thunder landed close to us, still holding on to Scoots. She was biting at the claws that restrained her, looking more crazed than dazed. It was almost pitiful to watch. I thought about the fact that Thunder was so much bigger than the dragons under the King’s control and an idea came to me. “I think when it comes to dragons, connection and understanding might be more important than domination. My bond with Thunder is strong and the Dragon King couldn’t control him. Scoots bonded with you. See if you can reach her through whatever power the Dragon King is using on her.” Liam seemed to come out of a daze himself, nodded, and approached Scoots. When she finally noticed, the blue dragon started hissing and snarling at him. Her small jaws clamped down on his right hand and he put his left over her snout, holding her in place. Blood dripped from his hand as he talked to Scoots, and gradually, the little blue dragon started to calm down. After a minute Scoots started struggling again, trying to get out of Thunder’s claws. I didn’t have time to be concerned before the red claws loosened. Scoots squirmed away from Thunder and into Liam’s lap, wrapping her tail around his waist. Whatever sway the Dragon King had held over the little blue dragon was gone. Liam held the little dragon close. He was quiet, but I could see his shoulders shaking. I understood. In less than a day he had lost his father, his home, and come close to losing his dragon and his life. It was a lot for anyone to come to terms with all at once. I nodded to Thunder who gave a soft huff and settled himself more comfortably on the ground next to Liam. I walked over and put a hand on Liam’s shoulder for a moment before walking into the trees. I did my best thinking alone. Once I was by myself, I took stock. My arm was still bleeding, so I tore a strip from my tunic to bind it. I went through my after-battle routine, moving and stretching to make sure my body still moved correctly. Beyond a few bruises and scrapes I had no other injuries. With no further wounds to deal with, my mind turned to the attack. I was angry. I picked up a stick and started swinging at the nearest tree. We could have held the keep and probably the town against the soldiers. Even if it had come to a siege we would have won in the end. But against the dragons we had had no choice but to flee. Anyone who fought the Dragon King would be annihilated as long as he had dragons under his command. They would have to be removed from the equation if we were to have any hope of defeating him.
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