Chapter thirty-nine
Moon
Thud. Thud. Thud. Moon could feel the blood rushing through her head; her heart beating, pushing blood through her aching body.
Thud. Thud. Thud. And Zappy was unconscious – Maybe dead.
Thud. Thud. Thud. She felt like she was looking through a very long tunnel, watching the battle around her as if she was someone else.
Thud. Thud. Thud. The last few minutes had passed in a blur, she had barely time to register what had happened. Obsidian had attacked; she had been pinned down, and then… Zappy was there.
Thud. Thud. Thud. And Zappy was unconscious – maybe dead.
Thud. Thud. Thud. And she had killed Obsidian. Her last family, slain by her claws. She looked down at her claws, stained with the blood of those she had killed, of her family.
Thud. Thud. Thud. Tears filled her red-flecked eye. She just wanted it to stop! The pain, the death, the war. She wanted to be safe. To be happy.
Thud. Thud. Thud. And Zappy was unconscious – maybe dead!
Thud. Thud. Thud. She felt lost, alone, scared. She felt like a tiny hatchling, only just out of the egg. Except this time Zappy wasn’t beside her.
“Well. Perhaps
now we can finish what is
long over due.”
The familiar voice dragged her mind back to reality, and she looked up, seeing Fang standing before her, the slightly smaller dragon’s wings spread menacingly, blood dripping from the wounds he had acquired in his fight with Zappy.
“Please Fang. Just stop it,” she whispered. “I don’t want to fight anymore. I never want to fight again.”
Her head was aching, and she was weak from blood loss. She just wanted to sleep. But she knew she couldn’t. If she closed her eye she would sleep – yes – but she would never wake again.
And Zappy was unconscious – maybe dead.
“Pathetic!” Fang snapped. “Come on Luna. Do what you were born to do. You are a
dragon after all.”
“My name is not Luna,” Moon hissed, swishing her tail. Finally she understood. This was one fight she couldn’t avoid. She had been putting it off for so long, but she knew that this was the finale fight. Either way, after this, the war would be over for her.
Fang noticed the change in her manner and smiled, baring his poisonous fangs.
They circled, their wings up and snarling. Each determined to win. As they did, groups of dragons around them began to stop fighting, slowing and turning to watch Moon and Fang. It was as if they could sense that this was the deciding fight.
“
Thousands of years of war, and its all down to me to bring peace. With another death,” Moon thought.
And Zappy was unconscious – maybe dead.
Suddenly, Fang lunged, and she couldn’t think of anything else but survival.
She dove to one side, narrowly avoiding his fangs and claws. Spinning, she lunged out, feeling her claws strike his scales.
With a growl, he leapt; dodging the flames she sent his way. He landed on her, pushing her to the ground.
Squirming, Moon snapped at his neck, trying to add to the wound Zappy had given him. But Fang pinned her down, snarling.
Narrowing her eye, Moon pushed up with her back legs, unbalancing him and giving her a chance to escape his grasp.
Both snarling, they separated. Moon was shocked at how quickly he had pinned her, despite his wounds. She realised that she was out of her depth. Fang was far better than her, and she was in a bad way. She had to end this quickly or she would be killed.
And Zappy was unconscious – maybe dead.
She had to win. If she didn’t all the deaths would be for nothing. Sunflower, Cobalt, Boulder, Goldey, Bloodfang, Tornado, Magma, Obsidian. And Zappy.
She wasn’t going to back down. She wasn’t going to let all the deaths be for nothing. She wasn’t going to let Cricket, Snow-Fang, Birch, or anyone else have to grow up in fear.
She snarled, angry now. She felt the bloodlust rising, but this time she welcomed it. This time she could use it. She would never let it control her again. She would win.
“Finish this Fang,” she snarled.
“Very well,” he hissed, and they met again.
This time she held her own for longer. She didn’t remember much, her head was still aching and the bloodlust clouded her vision. She remembered his black scales, her claws digging into his scales, pain.
She could feel herself gaining the upper wing, she was pushing him back. But then, time seemed to slow.
His cudlet came towards her, and she ducked, feeling it hissed over her head, just in front of her eyes. She scowled, leaping up and catching his tail in her claws. Snarling, Fang spun, flinging a talonful of mud into her good eye.
Moon staggered back, blinded. Shaking her head, she tried to dislodge the mud, but suddenly a weight was thrown against her, and she was pinned again. And this time Fang pinned her legs beside her body.
She lay there, blinded and helpless, about to die. And Zappy was unconscious – maybe dead.
“Finally!” Fang hissed, quiet enough for only her to hear. “Once you are dead, I shall become ruler of the Stormriders – thank you for removing Obsidian for me – and I shall wipe out the Sharpshooter scum.”
“So this is how it ends,” Moon thought, the bloodlust draining. She blinked, not wanting to die blind. “
Of course, if I were to die in battle it would be by his claws.”
She suddenly was glad it was finished. There wasn’t much for her here anymore anyway. Zappy was gone, and she would be soon. Maybe then she could sleep. Sleep. Sleep was all she wanted right now.
“Moon!” the anguished cry suddenly pulled her back to reality. She blinked again, beginning to gain sight in her eye. She could see the form of Fang looming over her, looking in the direction of the shout.
Suddenly, a blur of dark green flashed across her vision, and Fang was thrown off her. She staggered to her feet, rubbing the mud out of her eye as she did. Turning, she saw Darkfire – already badly wounded from his fights – wrestling with Fang.
“Leave her alone!” he bellowed. Moon could only watch, still too weak to do anything but stand there.
Suddenly, Fang pushed himself into the air, leaving Darkfire on the ground. Fang’s hind leg was badly bleeding, and he was shaking his head as if he had hit it.
But Darkfire was in a much worse state. The tip of his tail was missing, and his neck was bleeding badly. Moon stared in horror, knowing no one could survive a wound like that.
“You’re next, Luna,” Fang snarled. Moon looked up at him, feeling numb. She looked back to Darkfire, his lifeblood seeping out onto the ground.
“No!” the cry almost broke Moon’s heart, it was so full of grief, anger and hate. “Darkfire! You killed him!”
A flash of gold shot through the sky, colliding with Fang. The two dragons fell to the ground, locked in mortal combat.
Moon could only hope Freedom would win, she knew she was too badly wounded to help. She staggered to Darkfire, wondering if she could help in any way.
“You saved my life,” she whispered, collapsing beside him. He blinked, smiling slightly. It was obvious he was in pain.
“I couldn’t let you die,” he croaked.
“You’ll be fine Darkfire,” Moon whispered, but she knew she was lying. There was no way he would get up again after a wound like that. “You’ll be fine.”
“No,” he whispered. “Oh Moon. I wish we could have spent more time together.” He groaned, closing his eyes. For a second, Moon thought she had lost him, but he opened them again.
“End the war,” he whispered.
“I will Darkfire. I will.”
“Moon. I don’t have much time.” There was fear in his eyes now, as if he wouldn’t have time to say what he needed to.
“Speak,” she said.
“I –,” he interrupted himself by coughing violently, and Moon was startled to see blood spewing out of his mouth.
“Speak,” she whispered again, gripping his claw. She would not leave him.
“I – I… I love you, Moon,” he breathed. “Always have.”
Moon didn’t say anything – she didn’t know what to. She just held his claw, trying to hold back tears. With a sigh, Darkfire closed his eyes and was gone.
Finally, Moon couldn’t hold back the tears anymore. She had lost so much, first Zappy, and now Darkfire. The tears ran down her snout, splashing on the mud under her paws.
A dragon landed beside her, shaking. Moon turned her head to see Freedom, fresh wounds from her fight with Fang bleeding.
“Fang?” she asked.
“Gone,” Freedom whispered, staring down at Darkfire.
As she spoke, Moon was aware of dragons leaving, flying after a small dark dragon in the sky. Fang was escaping, but she didn’t have the strength to follow. She turned back to Darkfire, draping a wing over Freedom.
The small Sharpshooter was shaking, tears flowing freely.
“He was all I had,” she whispered. “All I had. My only family.”
Moon nodded, sharing her friend’s anguish.
“Did – did he mention me?” she whispered. Moon hesitated, hearing the hope mixed with dread in Sharpshooter’s voice.
“No,” she said finally, not finding the words to say more. Freedom nodded, a swift jerking nod, then suddenly moved out from under Moon’s wing.
“I have to go. There’s nothing for me here,” she whispered, leaping into the sky.
Moon watched her go. Yet another friend lost. She swayed, glanced around the other dragons. They weren’t fighting any more. NoColours began flying down from the caves, bringing young dragons with them to help tend to the wounded. Moon caught a glimpse of two familiar dragons, Fluff and Buddy, flying with Beam – one of the NoColours.
Around her dragons began tending to their wounded, still wary of the other tribe, but not fighting anymore.
Moon caught sight of Flamer and Pebble, holding each other close and tightly, Cricket helping the NoColours with the wounded, and Glitter, finally moving from the body of her mate to comfort a young Stormrider.
“
Maybe there is hope for us,” she thought, swaying again. She could sleep now; there was no fear of death. She closed her eye, resting her head in the mud. The last thing she remembered before passing out was a wing draped over her, a familiar scent and a flash of bronze.
“I’m here Moon.”
by Ranger of the North » Thu Aug 04, 2016 3:44 pm 
my moon, my stars, my muse
