Title; Under Pressure
Okay, I found out I couldn't write in the first person. So I won't anymore, because it reads weird. I'll go back to my regular style. And this is sort of a flashback to when Moordryd switched sides. And when he gets hurt.
"When
did the attack happen?" Phistus yelled at one of the smaller of his
crew. The man stook ap straighter and barked back.
"At about two
in the morning sir. The wraiths hit at midnight and the fight
continued until two. It was reported at..."
"That's all I
need! Any survivors?"
"We don't know sir. We haven't been
able to get to the site yet!" Another cried.
Phistus looked over
at Artha for a second and raised an eyebrow in question.
"Well
Dragon Booster? Should we see what happened?"
"Yeah." Artha
says softly.
"Have you seen what the wraith dragons have done
yet?" Phistus asked.
Artha shook his head and Phistus
sighed.
"This'll be bad then kid. The wraiths...they don't
go in to take prisoners. They go in to eat."
Artha shuddered
underneath the Dragon Booster armour.
"Who...who did they attack
last night?"
"From what we can gather, the Dragon Eyes that
weren't turned in the early days. It seems Word Payne doesn't
care for his own people anymore." Phistus' eyes turned to steel
and he turned to the others. "Get the dragons ready and move out!"
Beau
snorted and looked ahead unsurely, snorting every so often. Artha
petted his neck and looked around. Nothing but rubble anymore. Beau
suddenly balked and pulled away, whining.
"What's wrong
Beau?" Artha yelped as he was almost thrown off. Beau continued to
back away.
"Come on boy, we've gotta!" Artha growled, urging
him forward.
If only he had listened...
"Oh god..." One of
the others whispered.
What once may have been a dragon lay in
front of them, most of it's belly and chest simply...gone. It took
a few moments for Artha to realise that it's rider...part of it's
rider, still clung to it's back. Artha whimpered before he could
stop himself.
"I think I'm...gunna throw up..." He
whispered.
"I warned you." Phistus muttered. He looks back to
his men. "Search the place. I want to see if there's anything of
use."
"I thought we were looking for survivors."
Phistus
closed his eyes and sighed again. "There won't be any survivors.
There never is."
"Never..." Artha echoed.
"This isn't
racing or stealing Dragon Booster. This is war."
Artha closed
his eyes and bit his lip.
"But...why would they kill
everyone?"
"Because that's easiest. No traitors. No
spies."
Artha felt sick as they moved through the silent street.
One of the men broke off and ran over to another body.
"Sir,
this one's a wraith!"
"What!" Phistus yelled, running to
the man's side. The human body sprawled out across the street was
indeed a wraith. It still wore the headgear that had changed it. It's
dragon lay a few feet away, it's jaws hanging open in a silent
roar. "It is...my god it is...who could've killed it?"
"It's
still fresh sir. It can't have been dead for more than an
hour."
"Yes, but who could have done it..."
"Sir!"
One of the other men cries. "There's a dragon trapped in the
rubble here! And boy is she angry! I think her rider's down there
with her!"
Phistus jumped to his feet and rushed after him. For
someone to survive a wraith raid...
A black dragon swished her
tail behind her, hissing angrily from down a huge crag where the road
had collapsed. Artha's eyes widened in surprise.
"That's
Payne's dragon!"
"What? So it is...I don't think you
should be seeing this..." Phistus tried to turn him away.
"PAYNE!"
Artha yelled in shock.
Underneath Decepshun...was Moordryd. His
left leg was bent at an unnatural angle, and Artha could see part of
the bone poking out from under the skin. There were deep gashed down
it, almost like...a dragon had tried to pull it off.
"Get down
there! Now! He's still breathing!"
Artha
whimpered in sympathy as Phistus carried Moordryd out. He woke up as
Phistus accidentally jerked him.
"What? Where..."
"It's
okay Payne. You survived." Phistus murmured.
"The
others...where are they..."
"They...They..."Artha
whispered.
"They're all dead." Moordryd rasped. "The
wraiths...they ate them...oh god Swayy kept screaming...my leg
hurts..."
"It will." Phistus mumbled.
"Where's
'Cepshun?"
"She's fine." Artha smiled weakly. "Go to
sleep."
Moordryd closed his eyes and his head lolled back
against Phistus' chest. Artha bit his lip and looked up at the
older man.
"Will he be okay?"
"I've got no idea..."
Ooh, that was better than before! And I need a Beta! Please?
