Moordryd's Lullaby

Chapter 5: Races end & Broken souls

Lyra woke up in her bed at Connor's stables. She groaned and got out of bed slowly. "Morning..." She called when she entered the kitchen, Artha held out a cup of coffee and Lance sat another place for her to eat. "Thank you. I feel like I got ran over by a dragon stampede." Connor chuckled. "You took quite a bit out of yourself. Luckily the next race isn't for a couple days so you can regain your strength. But Brain and Parm are working on a new strategy as we speak." The day passed with Lyra resting and relaxing. When Moordryd came in he sat next to her and under the table clutched her hand tightly but gentle.

Lyra smiled at him and squeezed back. When they had finished dinner Lyra returned to bed it was exhausting using her energy as Connor was teaching her when the boys were out. Finally the day before the race she was up earlier then them stretching out and get her saddle ready. This race she was still riding Beau. But brain and Parm had switched gear and positions on them. Lyra was riding the jumping and dark room parts of the course. The boys were taking care of the rest. As they stood on the starting line Lyra watched Artha sprint off with Decepshun. She cheered him on as she waited for them to reach her, they would place first only on a slim point margin. By one point they beat the Army of the Dragon crew. Kit and Lyra shook hands as did Wolf and Artha, Ferryt and Moordryd. "This time you beat us. Don't think it will be so easy next time." Kit said and Lyra laughed. "It wasn't easy this time. See you when I'm recovered Kit Wong." They parted and Artha looked down.

"Cheer up Artha she'll be back on your crew in a couple weeks" Lyra said as they loaded everything and headed for the stables. The races passed with good showmanship and little interference from Word or anyone else. The Black dragon eyes and The Heart of the Dragon were both packed up but no one wanted to leave quite yet they were waiting for kit to return to her team. But when by lunch time that day she didn't return the teams decided it was time to go. "Hey Lyra?" The woman turned. "Yes Artha?" He scratched the back of his neck before speaking. "Will you still be racing in down city races?" She smiled. "We both will." He turned and waived to Brain who grinned at him. "See you Moordryd." She called out to the man and the girls began to move out. Brain called back. "Bye Cain! Bye Parm." Both girls waived to lance at the gate and headed for their upper city retreat before the next race. Neither were racing for academy they already were set to go. Being from upper city gave them privileges that they didn't want to rub in their friends faces. But as the days passed Kit did not return to the team.

Connor soon discovered why, Kit was dating Wulph and had joined the Army of the dragon as his Alpha female. She now had the backing of an entire crew but she had not removed the star from her uniform or wyldfyre. He told Artha she would be back when she was ready. The girls on the other hand were around a lot more Parm seemed to relax a bit with Brain around. The next race came and went Kit placing third to Artha and Moordryd. Both men had seen Lyra in the crowd and saw her cheer them on. Connor saw Word watching the young rider and knew his old friend was thinking about her mother.

Lyra was next to race in a mixed class race. Meaning it had upper and lower city riders. Brain was also set to race in this class. The two friends loved to race one another. When the race started Lyra swung wide and Brain went to the inside rail. Jumping and maneuvering easily through the other riders Lyra took out a few with Moordryd's whip. Brain used high power turning gear and her thrusters to leave riders in the dust. She had Parm's scanner plugged in and was monitoring the other racers as they made their way for the second lap. Cain watched Brain in awe his heart pounding. She had been nice to him and had come up with some awesome strategies to win the challenge. She listened to his ideas and if they were off didn't criticize him. He realized right then he had a crush on the Heart of the dragon crew member and a subtle flush crossed his cheeks.

The weeks went by quickly, both Brain and Lyra raced and Cain was at everyone. He didn't tell Moordryd where he was going but he knew his friend was keeping secrets too. It was a week later when the girls were on their way home, they were attacked.

Artha and his team were packing up when Parm picked up a call from dragon city security. "Time for the dragon-booster!" He whispered to Artha and the man looked around and transformed into the super-hero. "Release the Dragon!" They took off to see a large group of riders and dragons fighting. He knew this was a pretty bad fight. He saw one of the Dragon-eye crew ride into the alley and from the look of his face he knew something was wrong. Cain couldn't believe it when he decided to take a short cut back to Moordryd's, when he saw the brawl. At first he thought it was an inner crew beat down. But he noticed they all had different crew symbols. He saw there were bloody lumps laying in the corner of the alley. He heard the dragon-booster get involved and the retreat of the attackers. Cain got down and walked towards the lump in the mud, he saw long dark hair and bruised flesh. He was carefully moving hair from the person's face when something fell out of the scraps of her shirt. Parm and Lance had gotten close enough to see it was a young woman, her clothes were torn to shreds. Her battered hide was covered in cuts, slices and bruising. The object that had drawn Cain's attention was on a flat silver chain about the woman's neck. On it rested a black dragon-eye, it was covered in blood and dripped it ominously. Artha was looking at the dragon lying further down the alley, it too was in very rough shape. It opened one silver eye and keened loudly. "Oh my gods..." Cain said as he examined the face carefully and recognized her. "Brain!" Lance yelled as he gently prodded the other bloody lump in the alley. Parm noticed the dragons and gasped this was brutal.

The woman didn't stir though Cain carefully picked her up out of the mud. "She needs a healer NOW!" He said and had his dragon mag him carefully to his saddle. Artha mag-ed Brain with him. They loaded the dragons into the transport they were lugging home after the race. They went to the clinic and the healers were aghast to see the shape the racers was in. Artha left as Dragon-booster and returned as himself. "What happened?" He was filled in and the group sat to wait. Artha stood and looked at the clear window that looked into the recovery room where the woman was wheeled. Seeing the now brilliant crimson-silver strands that had been braided to rest next to her, the reason she was familiar mentally slapped him. "Oh Magna-Draconus! Lyra!" Cain and the others looked at him. Parm jumped up, his data-pad alight.

Cain's eyes widened and he ducked outside quickly and made the vid-call. "Cain! Where are you? You late for your shift on guard duty!" One of the lower Dragon-eyes said as they answered the call. "Shut up Kyte and find Moordryd." He raised an eyebrow. "Hurry up! Its an emergency!" The man's eyes widened and he yelled for someone to go get the man. A minute or so later Moordryd sauntered onto the screen. "What's this about an emergency Cain?" The man's eyes were wide. "Moordryd, Its Lyra." The man before him gasped in shock. "What happened?" Cain lost his cool. "Moordryd! Lyra and Meeka were nearly killed in a brawl only a couple hours ago. She is laying in recovery in a drugged coma."

The man's silver eyes widened. "Tell me Cain, was she wearing a necklace?" Cain nodded. "Yeah, actually. I saw it covered in blood when I brought her in. It was a black dragon eye. On an flat silver chain, really pricy looking. Why?" He saw his friend was shaken badly, and his eyes were dull. "I'll be there soon." He asked which hospital and after finding out hung up. He called his father and explained what he could, The two Payne men went to the sterile building. A nurse at a desk saw the two enter and greeted them. "How can I help you?" Word spoke. "Lady Hiwatari's room." The Nurse's eyes narrowed. "You are the third person to ask for the Lady's room. Unless I see a reason to allow you entry. Out you will stay!" Moordryd thought of something and yanked his collar open and pulled something out. "Is this enough?"

His father and the Nurse gaped at seeing the pendant. The woman smiled. "Yes, young man that is more then enough to be admitted. The Lady is on the fourth floor. Room 413. No one should bother you, if anyone does you show them that and they will step aside." He nodded and they took the lift to the forth floor. A pair of guards stood to either side of the room's door. Before Moordryd could open his mouth the door opened and a woman with blue tipped black hair stepped out. Seeing the two she gasped. "Wow. You have to be Moordryd. Lyra told me all about you, is that your older brother?" The Payne men exchanged raised eyebrows. "No that is my father. Who are you?" The woman chuckled. "I'm Reece Meeka's mother. I have been watching over Lyra since she was small." She looked at the two guards.

"Let them in, Lyra will want him near her." The men nodded and stepped aside to admit them. The woman in question was resting in the bed hooked up to machines that beeped and clicked softly. Moordryd saw Cain sitting on a chair in the corner. "Yo." Moordryd waived and stepped up to the bed, she was bruised and battered but it was his Lyra. He also looked over to the bad his friend was sitting next to and saw Brain breathing shallowly. "What happened?" Word said and Cain started explaining. Reece sighed, after the story from Cain. Word nodded. "Well son, I have things to return to." Reece waived goodbye and the boys said it.