Battle - Teaser from Story
We ran. I saw the waterfall, still a quarter of a mile off.
A shadow fell over us. I smelled metal and heard bells.
Vollys.
She landed before us, blocking our way.
She surveyed the fighting. "I prepared this welcome for you, little princess." The grass between her belly and front leg was staining red. She still bled from the wound I'd given her.
Cleo murmured, "A dragon! It's beautiful."
"Ah. This is the sister. Brave as my Willard. So sad that the sun will rise in seven minutes."
Her tail whipped around and snatched up Cleo and me.
"Home we go." She spread her wings. "Little one, as we fly, tell your sister farewell. I -"
Rhys soared by, pointing his baton. Her head became wrapped in cloud.
The cloud turned orange as she flamed.
An ogre threw a boulder at us and hit her tail.
It lifted. My head snapped back. The tail felled the ogre. My head snapped forwards. The tail slammed us into the ground. Pain shot up my legs. But the tail loosened its grip.
Cleo and I wriggled free. The scales scraped - tiny knives.
"Run, Cleo!"
I saw Vollys's claw, curled, underside up. I raised my sword, but Cleo stabbed first.
Vollys yelped.
I started towards Cleo.
Rhys sent more cloud.
Vollys flamed at him, trumpeting "All die before me!!"
Rhys stabbed her in the eye. She flamed again. His cloak caught. He fell from the sky.
I swerved, shouting to Cleo, "To the falls!" Cleo ran.
Vollys reared up, her eye streaming. I saw a black nostril, a fiery mouth opened.
"Run, Cleo!" I hurled my sword with all my strength - more than all my strength. Hurled my sword - into Vollys's throat.
She choked. No flame. She swayed. She was bleeding, bleeding.
Cleo raced towards the falls. Sun, don't rise!
Vollys toppled.
Her neck landed on my arm. I was trapped, staring into her huge face.
She gasped, "Mourn for me, little princess."
I struggled to free my arm.
"I would have mourned for you."
I puffed, "Move your neck and I will mourn."
A small bell. "Ah, little princess, you amuse me still."
She tried. A vein stood out in her neck. She shifted, a little. Enough.
Cleo! I saw a sword on the grass. Rhys's sword. I took it.
Vollys wheezed, "Mourn for..."
I heard her death rattle. Sun, don't rise! I ran around her corpse.
There was Cleo, trying to run while stabbing a gryphon. I sprinted towards her and saw the gryphon fall away. Its wing beat the ground once and was still. Cleo ran.
I ran too, fighting for breath. The falls roared in my ears. Cleo only had a few yards to go.
A tree trunk sailed over her head.
Sun, don't rise!
Huge hands circled my ribs. An ogre raised me to his chest. I heard his rock laugh. He squeezed. Pain made me scream.
Till my dying day I wish I hadn't screamed. Cleo heard me. She turned. She started running back for me.
"No! Go on!" I stabbed at the ogre's arms. He grunted but still held me.
The sun rose over the eastern peak. Cleo staggered. Golden rays spread across the valley. Cleo dropped, facedown.
I stabbed upward. The ogre shrieked and released me. I threw myself down at Cleo's side, gently rolled her over.
Her eyelids fluttered. "Addie?"
I could barely hear her.
"This was our finest day." She sighed, and her eyes closed.
"Cleo, don't die!!"
I stood up, wailing -
And a boulder smashed into my chest.
I collapsed.
I felt raindrops.
Then nothing.
Story is still in progress for all of you to read. :).