When I could see again, we were at the edge of the human town. By now, the sun had disappeared, and they had started their evening meal. I could hear their tiny squeaks as they complained to each other.

But even as the mood seemed so lighthearted, I could see them preparing their ballistae. They were expecting us. Shadowscale swooped in a massive arc, his black and white speckled scales blending in with the star-spangled sky. He pulled his wings up, getting into position.

Dustwing also got into position, crawling up the nearest tree. Her Leaf Fire scales blended into the branches, obscuring her blue eyes. She didn't have The Camouflage, so she had to keep her eyes closed.

I looked around, hoping to find something white or silver since the ocean never seemed to work in my scales. Just as I was about to turn back in fear of giving us away, I spotted a wispy cloud, sprawling messily over the navy blue sky. I flew in, hovering inside it.

Shadowscale came up to me, as silent as an owl, his wingbeats muffled by the fat droplets in the cloud. Suddenly, he dove down, and just as he was about to hit the floor, he snapped his wings back open, drifting down slowly to the earth.

He flicked his long tail sharply, and I could see Dustwing threading silently through the trees like a jungle cat. She stopped at the centre of the town, where the Human Chief lived.

Shadowscale kept one eye on the quiet street as he slipped into a little pool at the end of the stretch of woodland. He emerged after a few seconds, his scales a cloudy grey. His Camouflage was very strong. He moved around the town square slowly, his pawsteps silent and his scales melting into the shadows.

I followed him, slipping into the cold water to make sure no one could see me. We follow the outskirts of the town, tensing whenever we heard the humans shouting. We circled around to Dustwing's tree, then I twitch my ear, the silent signal.

Dragons rained from the sky, wave after wave, hitting the humans with such force that the sky rang with the sounds of battle. I could see a Stardust Fire swoop down, wrecking any buildings in his path. I saw a Dusted Flame Fire diving and twisting in the air. I saw a Cloud Fire slamming herself down onto a troop of humans.

Humans of all shapes and sizes poured through the walls of the strongold. They scattered, attacking the dragons with crude depictions of swords and half decent arrows.

A group of about ten humans charged at Shadowscale, Dustwing and I. They shouted, lunging with their swords aimed at our throats. As soon as they came within range, I was lost in the red haze of battle.

The humans bunched together. Miraculously, none of them had been killed. They thrust forward with full force, sending soldiers from both sides crashing to the ground. In the midst of it, I heard a shriek of pain. I turned around and saw Shadowscale hurl himself in front of a Dusk Fire, the Human Chief bashing down a war hammer with all the strength he could muster.

I raced forwards, but Shadowscale was faster. He whipped the dragon away from the roaring Chief, then tripped the stupid creature. He lifted off, roaring into the night. The last few humans retreated to the stronghold. Three stayed behind, two of which were soon sent scurrying back.

The remaining human stood up, clearly very confident. It charged forward, headed straight for me, dodging all the attacks from the dragons. I retreated to the sky. I finally recognised the human. It was the Dragonwhisperer. He couldn't actually talk to dragons, but he could easily destroy them.

The Dragonwhisperer stopped as I took off, then pulled out his crossbow. He switched his sights to Shadowscale, aiming at his head.

"Shadowscale!" I roared.

He turned around at the sound of my voice, just as the Dragonwhisperer released the bolt. The world seemed to move in slow-motion. The crossbow bolt crossed over the heads of the dragons, and then lodges itself firmly into Shadowscale's tail fin. It ripped, sending Shadowscale plummeting into the ocean as the Dragonwhisperer turned around and fled back to the stronghold. Even he couldn't face a mob of grieving dragons.