Chapter 35

A groan escaped the lips of the silvery blonde elf as he pushed himself unsteadily to his feet. As he did a sharp pain shot up his right arm and he looked down to examine it, only to find that it hung limply at his side. The fall must have dislocated it from the joint. He groaned, and grabbed the limp limb with his uninjured one and began to prepare himself for the coming pain. He quickly shoved the limb upwards and began to move the limb up and down rhythmically until a pop was heard. Vancir's mouth hung open from the pain, but he did not utter a sound, having experienced the sensation before.

He then turned, rubbing his sore injured arm, and for the first time took in the sight around him. The impact of the two dragons fall to the earth had created a crater at least ten feet deep and as wide as one of the smaller mediation gardens of Dras abr Shur'tugaler. Linora, his orange female dragon was laying sprawled out in the center of the crater, a number of bones sticking out of the membrane of her wings and a number of gashes down her side. For a moment he thought she had passed into the void, but he could still see her chest rising and following, and could still feel her presence, though it was weak.

Beside her lay Gastakv's bronze dragon Tellus on his side, a pool of blood trickling from beneath him. Vancir wanted so badly to go to Linora's aid, to look over her injuries and heal her. But he knew that, as she was still alive that she could wait for the moment, but Tellus seemed more in need of aid that he needed to do what he could for him. But he was also worried for Gastakv, for he could not find his fellow student within the crater.

As he staggered towards the bronze dragon he found the reason for his friends disappearance. He had fallen, and was now being crushed by his own dragon who could not move without injuring his rider further. Vancir dropped to his knees and began to inspect the Urgals injuries. Besides both of his legs which were buried underneath of his dragon he seemed to have been lucky, he could not find another injury upon his body.

And then he saw it, one of Tellus' neck spikes had pierced Gastakv's left arm above the elbow, causing the blood that he had seen to gush from the wound. His eyes widened for a moment, and his mind went blank. All the years of training, both with his brethren within the forest and then with his Masters as a Rider escaped him and he could only stare numbly at the wound.

Gastakv turned his bright yellow eyes, eyes that were full of pain, on his fellow student and snorted. The action caused a wave of pain to hit him, but he pushed it aside. "You're too soft Vancir."

Vancirs eyes widened as he looked down at the Urgal who was grinning up at him. "G-Garstakv! I- I don't know what to do. Are you okay?"

The Urgal snorted and turned his head to indicate his injured arm. "Its nothing, only a wound of the flesh." He grinned at his joke and the look of horror on his friends usually passive face. "You'll have to cut it off." He said, growing serious.

Vancir stared at him, then turned to look at the arm that continued to bleed. From the corner of his eyes he could see Tellus turn his head ever so slightly so as to watch them, but not enough to injure his rider further. Vancir, it is the only way for him to survive.

Vancir stared at the large dragon, the oldest of those of the students, and then nodded. Tellus' eyes softened then, and Vancir could feel the dragon's gratitude. I shall provide the strength needed to close the wound and cease the bleeding, but you will be the one to perform the act.

I-I understand Tellus. Tell me what to do. Vancir said as he pulled Hugin from its sheath. "I am sorry brother."

Gastakv snorted as he stared up at the smoke laced sky. "To think, that I am about to be struck by Knowledge."

Vancir allowed himself to smirk. "It had to happen at some point my friend." With that Vancir swung and felt as the sword met flesh. There was a small amount of resistence but he pushed further, and then he felt it as the sword hit the ground beneath them.

Quickly he dropped his sword, and with his right hand using the energy that Tellus was giving him placed his hand upon what was left of his arm and uttered "waise heill". He watched as the blood stopped pouring from the wound and the vessels that contained the urgals blood closed. When he was sure that the wound had closed he cried "Brisingr!" causing a ball of orange flame to immediately ignite within his palm and then he rested it upon what was left of Gastakv's left arm, cauterizing it. The smell of burning flesh made Vancir want to turn his head away, but he could not allow himself to. If Gatakv could deal with the pain that he was being put through, then the least he could do was deal with the smell.

Now that there was nothing keeping him connected to his dragon Tellus carefully began to make his way back to his feet, the remnants of his riders arm falling from his neck spike as he did so.

"Vancir, Gastakv! Are you okay?" Helen yelled as she ran towards them, her silver dragon Cantella remaining behind to defend them.

"Hellen, help me get Gastakv back upon his feet." Vancir said, turning to look at her. She nodded and rushed to their side. She took one side of the Urgal while Vancir took the other, and together they helped Gastakv back to his feet. He was unsteady at first, the world spinning around him as he attempted to regain his balance, but with the help of those he considered to be his family he succeeded in remaining on his feet.

Above them clapping could be heard, and then Cantella began to growl. The riders turned, Gastakv holding the stump that had been his arm, while Helen and Vancir Supported him. Each of their eyes narrowed as they took in the figure that stood above them, a sadistic smile covering the beings hood covered face, his eyes glowing blood red.

"Today, young riders, unless you submit to our rule, shall be your finale day upon this land." The dark rider said in a laugh as he glared down at them.

AN:

Just wanted to apologize for this one taking so long. Had some problems with my computer and my subscription for Word kind of ended so I had to wait till I could actually afford the new one. Ended up using another computer to write and upload this one, which to be honest was a little hard to do, mostly because I didnt want to do this to any of my characters. But, it needed to happen, neither could survive what happened to them unscathed, and it was between this or one had to die. And I preferred this out of the two. Only a couple of more chapters left, so stick with me, and again sorry for taking so long.