Chapter 25: Fire and Stone

“A dragon? Are you sure?” Saffron exclaimed. Elric gave her a look.
“Well, it sure as hell wasn’t a bear. Yes, I am positive it is a dragon. Although, I was not aware that they had a dragon working for them,” he replied grimly.
“What can we do?” she asked, remembering how hard it was to stitch dragon hide back together. She couldn’t imagine it would be easy to kill a dragon.
“There is only one option,” he replied, resignedly. She shook her head.
“You can’t. You told me that no one can know. Plus, people still believe that dragons are evil. What will happen?” she asked, wringing her hands.
“If I don’t shift, many of my men will die. After they die, the dragon could turn its wrath onto the citizens of the country. I cannot let that happen. I will not let people die in my stead, due to my fear. To hell with the consequences. I am what I am.” He replied, passionately.
“Okay,” Saffron replied quietly. Elric paused.
“Okay? You have nothing else to add? You fight me on everything else but this you just take my word for it and that’s it?” he asked, surprised.
“As you said, you don’t have a choice. I suppose now is not the best time for me to leave for Avolire, so I will make myself useful in the surgery. I hope to see you on the other side,” she said with a smile. He shook his head.
“You are unlike anyone I have ever met,” he replied and gathered her into his arms.
“Remember that,” she replied and kissed him. “Oh, and Elric? Try not to get killed. I’d rather like to keep you around.” With that, she left the tent, fighting back the tears that threatened to fall.
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Elric saw the dragon swooping across the field, its black wings outstretched as it rode a current of air. It let out another resounding roar. He felt his own dragon’s answering call within him. It wasn’t time yet. He strode through his soldiers who parted at seeing their Prince and Captain pushing past them. He walked to the front of the line, where his soldiers stood ready, swords drawn. Behind them, the archers had their arrows notched, training on the soaring beast above them.
Wulfstan was waiting for him at the front. “This is an interesting development,” he said, his eyes following the beast.
“Indeed, it is,” Elric replied.
“I thought dragons were rare in these parts,” he gave Elric a knowing look. Elric snorted.
“Apparently not as rare as we imagined,” he replied. “Take care of her should anything happen,” he said and unstrapped his sword, handing it to his oldest friend.
“I swear it,” Wulfstan replied and clapped his arm across his chest. They gripped forearms. “If anything should happen, it has been an honor serving with you.”
“And you,” Elric replied giving his friend’s arm a squeeze before turning to look at the hundreds of soldiers that faced him.
“Today, we will fight the greatest enemy that we have yet faced. It is not the beast above us or the soldiers across the field. Today, we fight against greed and hatred. We fight for what is right and every man, woman, and child that lives in our country. We have the honor of protecting those who cannot protect themselves. I ask of you to raise your sword and arrows with me against an enemy who would burn our lands and ravage them for their selfish purposes. Are you with me?” Elric’s voice carried across the field. The soldiers, as one, raised their voices and their fists, declaring allegiance.
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Saffron felt tears spring to her eyes as she watched the incredible sight. Her heart swelled thinking of him. Even though she couldn’t see him from the surgery tent. “Be safe,” she whispered and blew her wish onto the wind.
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Elric took one last look at his men and gave Wulfstan a nod before running towards the dragon that was swooping down towards him. With a scream of rage, Elric reached into his being and let his dragon free.
Great golden wings burst from his back as gold scales slapped over one another, shifting from human to beast. With a great thrust of his wings, he was airborne and fully shifted. He roared again and climbed through the air towards the black dragon, waiting for him above.
The men below cried out in astonishment as they watched their Prince turn into a large, gilded dragon. They froze watching the aerial battle as the two beasts dove towards each other, their roars shaking the ground.
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Saffron was breathless as she watched Elric shift smoothly into his dragon form, his wings sweeping him towards the giant black dragon. This dragon was different than Elric’s form. She could swear that black smoke was drifting from its body, causing it to appear as if it were made from shadow.
“Dark magic,” she said quietly underneath her breath. Soon both beasts disappeared into the clouds above. Her heart clenched, the bells clanging loudly in her mind.
####
The black dragon’s talons raked across Elric’s side and he roared in pain, sending a plume of fire towards the beast. The enemy seemed to absorb the blow; its hide unaffected. Enraged, Elric dove for it, his teeth bared as he snapped towards its neck.
He felt his teeth bite into something…but it didn’t feel like flesh. It was hard as if it were made of stone. The acrid taste of sulfur coated his tongue. It couldn’t be…this was not a flesh and blood dragon, but one made from stone.
The black dragon turned its red eyes to look at Elric, but they were not eyes. Instead, they seemed to be rubies. He raked one of his talons across its face and it roared but was unscathed. How could he kill it if it would not even bleed?
He tucked his wings and dove beneath it. From here, he could see a small red pulsating light coming from the belly of this stone dragon, flashing like lightning through storm clouds. There! That had to be where its lifeforce was coming from. The black dragon had turned and was now diving for Elric’s soft throat.
He whipped his head away and felt the sharp teeth of the dragon drag across his throat. He cried out in pain and lashed the enemy dragon with his tail, pushing it away. They dove towards each other, thunder sounded as their bodies collided.
Elric twisted in the stone dragon’s grasp and raked his claws down the front of its body. Sparks flew from his talons as they carved deep gashes into its chest. Elric saw the faint glimmer of red pulsing beneath the surface. He just had to get to whatever that was.
With a burst of renewed strength, he grappled the stone dragon in his front legs and tucked his wings, letting their weight carry them into the ground. The wind whipped past them faster and faster as they plummeted.
Arrows sank into his flank as they flew above the Udril soldiers but still Elric kept his grasp on the dragon who wriggled beneath him. He felt his blood running freely as the ground rushed towards them. He couldn’t let go yet. Not until he was sure he could land safely.
The sharp hot pain of an arrow lodged into his foreleg and lost his grip on the dragon, which tumbled towards the dirt with a helpless roar. It crashed mightily into the ground, shattering into hundreds of pieces of sharp rock. A wave rippled through the ground, pushing dirt away from the grounded dragon. Elric felt his thoughts began to drift as more of his blood streamed from his many wounds.
He opened his wings to slow his descent and arrows ripped through the thin membrane. He cried out in pain and fell to the ground heavily. He raised his head and saw a large red stone beating as if a heart. He watched the beating slow and then stop as a soldier’s axe cleaved it in two. Blood ran thickly down his face and with one last heave, his eyes closed; his last thoughts were of Saffron.