A/N: Sorry that this took so long. Hope you enjoy it. Happy Holidays!
Chapter 17
Everything passed as if in slow motion. Eugene watched as the dragon's talons came within mere inches of his leg. Maximus let out a loud whinny as one of the talons gouged his hide. Then Eugene felt the water hitting him and he could feel how cold it was. He tried to gasp for air but found nothing but water. Slowly his mind slipped away and his thoughts turned to his wife and unborn child.
Merlin stood on his perch and watched the horror unfold beneath him on the bridge. He quickly removed his wand from his sleeve and cast a spell which propelled him to what remained of the damaged bridge. The job had been done and the dragon slain but now along with the Prince and his valiant steed, the magical creature plunged to the bottom of the ocean. Inside, Merlin cursed the fact that a dragon had to be killed. There were so few left but only those who knew what an asset they could be would mourn the loss of the creature. Plunging into the deep, cold water, Merlin searched for the heroic duo.
Admiral Oates released dinghies with men in an attempt to help but kept a watchful eye on the massive army which waited on the other side of the bridge. They had not moved and the remaining dragons had not fled as Merlin thought they would. Perhaps they were all waiting to see what happened next or maybe they were stunned by what had occurred, either way it wasn't looking good.
The Generals watched in horror as the Prince and his horse fell into the ocean but could do little to stop. They quickly ordered the archers to prepare to fire. The catapults and the men stationed at them, who were already at the ready, quivered as if in anticipation of what needed to be done. The enemy's path was partially cut off thanks to the dragon crashing through the bridge but that didn't mean they wouldn't try to form an assault.
"Look!" Someone shouted and all eyes that hadn't been looking at the enemy turned to the bridge where Merlin, who was now dripping wet, stood holding Eugene and trying to get back inside the gates. A few of the soldiers broke rank and rushed to help him. Once inside the gates, Merlin commanded,
"Stand back!" He cast a spell and the army looked at the Prince as he coughed and sputtered back to life.
"Medic!" General Webster shouted and quickly a doctor ran forward. As the doctor checked the former thief out, Webster turned to Merlin.
"Is the dragon dead? What of Maximus?" He asked.
"The dragon is dead and Maximus was whisked off to the boat. He's hurt but he'll survive," the wizard explained.
"Why do they hover?" Someone shouted out, pointing at the dragons. Merlin turned and looked at the remaining bunch. They were waiting for something, what he did not know but he got a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.
"Prepare yourselves! Malik has his claws into them more than I thought!" The wizard shouted. Quickly the men at the catapults put their hand on the levers. Merlin turned back toward the gates and using his magic opened the doors. The enemy still stood in its original place. Malik was not a timid man and Merlin knew that he had something up his sleeve and just as the wizard was about to yell for the catapults to fire, the dragons turned tail and left, their treaty with Mailk no longer valid. With a smirk, Merlin nodded to General DeWitt and the General nodded back. The order was given and the catapults opened fire on the enemy across the bridge.
To Be Continued…