Chapter 4.2

After the event with Shruikan, Murtagh and I continue our journey. However after only a few days, I begin to be able to travel less and less each day. Taking more and more time to recover my strength. Murtagh doesn't know that Shruikan had intended to take me to the king so that the age of the Dragon Riders could begin again. I believe that he has done what the king wanted anyway. The only reason that I know that is because he allowed me to read his mind before he flew off. That might explain my sudden weakness.

"Finca?" Murtagh asks one day after I take about an hour to recover my strength.

Yes, what is it? I ask, weakly.

"Are you okay? You seem to be getting weaker with each day we travel."

He is very much right. I am far much weaker than I was when we started our journey.

I am just tired Murtagh that is all, I reply as I try to get to my feet.

I stand up for a second but then my limbs give way and I crash back onto the cool grass.

"Finca! Are you okay?" Murtagh cries as he rushes to my side, his black cloak flapping behind him.

I suppose I must tell you the truth now, I say.

"What truth?"

During our battle Shruikan decided to mate with me.

"Mate?" Murtagh asks, confused.

Yes, mate. You see he thinks I can begin the Dragon Riders again from the eggs that I will lay, I reply, closing my eyes slightly.

"What? When will you lay your eggs? How long does it take?"

To answer your questions. It takes about twelve months for the eggs to be completely formed. Then it usually takes from one to three hours for the eggs to be layed, depending on the number of eggs, I reply.

"Okay but how long will you still be weak?"

I don't know . . . I begin.

"You don't know?"

No, this is the first time I had weakness from mating with another dragon, I reply.

"How many times have you layed eggs and mated?"Murtagh asks as he crosses his arms.

I've mated only once and layed eggs twice but only two of the eight eggs survived. The others I suppose were either crushed or torn apart by other dragons, I reply.

"So this is the first time for weakness?" Murtagh asks just to make sure.

Yes, it is but I don't know why? It could be an aftereffect . . . I trail off.

"What's wrong?"

It could be my master's scar, I think to myself.

It's just something from when I was on my world struck me with an idea. You see, my master and I were attacked one day and the thing that attacked us left a huge scar on my master's back, I explain to Murtagh.

"Very well. Do you have the strength to go on?"

I don't think so. At least not for very long before I must rest again.

"All right well I suppose we could always stay here for the night anyway."

I close my eyes feeling somekind of strain on my energy. I snarl and try to stop it but to no use. I try to get to my feet but crash to the ground again.

Why is this happening to me? This is the first time, I think as I lay there in the grass.

As I lay there, I begin to sense that strange energy source is feeding off my strength. Wait that's it! Feeding. Of course! Why didn't I realize this before? It must be the young dragons embryos. But why would they do that? Is it possible that? . . . No, it can't be! It would have to drain my strength much more quickly if it was.