Scales looked at Blackhorn, who was giving him a grin. "Very well, Blackhorn. We shall take the duel over there." He stepped down from the plateau and followed the Monstrous Nightmare to the crystal area of the mountain center.
When he stood in place across Blackhorn, Scales looked at Flashwing, who was giving him a worried face — and Bright was staring in wonder at him.
As Blackhorn spoke, Scales turned his attention to the Nightmare. "The rules are simple. The fighters will be allowed to fight until he cannot hold any longer. If the fighter gives up, willingly, then he will be spared from death. We are not allowed to kill each other."
"Seems fair to me," Scales said shortly.
"And one last thing, the defeated dragon will be exiled from the colony, and to never return," concluded Blackhorn.
"I accept." Scales stood firmly on his paws.
From where he was, he could see Bright's staring eyes. Have no fear, young hatchling. I will not be defeated, nor exiled, Scales thought. He turned back his attention to Blackhorn, who was slowly creeping forward, his mouth full with a small fiery color between his teeth.
Scales braced himself. The fire was unleashed upon him. He spread his wings, flying above the flames and landed safely on the ground. Afterward, Scales sprinted toward Blackhorn, claws extended and raised.
A quick, swift slash cut across his eye, and Scales fell to the ground a few centimeters from Blackhorn, whose clawtipped wing was raised.
Scales shook his head, his left vision a blur. He looked to Blackhorn, seeing him charge with claws ready.
"Watch out!"
Someone called. Scales didn't know who, but he reacted and jumped away from Blackhorn's claws.
Scales looked at the dragons nearby. Everyone was staring at the human, surprised. Scales blinked. Did Bright just speak Dragonese?
Unable to look at the human for long, Scales jumped away from Blackhorn's attacking claws.
"You are so pathetically weak, Scales," growled Blackhorn. "I thought an Alpha should be strong, and powerful! But you…you are just a weak, cowardly Alpha who wished to find the Hidden World, didn't you?" He snarled, disgusted. "Well, why haven't we continued the search, then? Are you too soft and blind to see the reality now that the human came into our lives?"
Don't let his words get to you, reminded Scales to himself. He kept silent.
Blackhorn seemed to notice his silence. "Are you afraid, oh mighty Alpha? Afraid of losing someone so dear to you?"
Finally, Scales spoke. "I am not afraid," he growled. "I already lost someone dear to me. And I won't let it happen again."
Blackhorn grunted. "Again? Who would be precious to you, Alpha?"
Scales was unable to speak, he bent down, claws at the ready. "Let us continue, shall we?"
"Hmph," huffed Blackhorn. "My pleasure."
Scales watched on, as Blackhorn sprang forward. He rolled to the side, then clawed the Nightmare at his left eye. A roar of pain erupted from Blackhorn. Scales smiled, but his feet was swiped by Blackhorn's tail. He fell onto his side on the ground, groaning painfully.
"Are you about to be done?" asked Scales, his lips in a snarl.
"Never!" roared Blackhorn. "You will pay for hurting me!" He set his entire body on fire and moved forward at Scales.
Scales slapped his face with the tail. Then he held the coming clawtipped wing with his paw, surprising Blackhorn. The fiery Monstrous Nightmare roared loudly, sprung forward, and Scales rolled to the side. However, he was struck in the left eye by Blackhorn's claws, and he roared in pain.
"You are defending the human, aren't you?" asked Blackhorn venomously. "Why? Those humans has brought nothing but death upon our race. Why do you insist on letting him stay?"
Scales panted, inhaled for breath before he looked at Blackhorn. "It's because he is harmless. He hasn't done anything wrong to us, but despite that, you hate him for something he has not done."
"Dragons and humans will forever hate each other," stated Blackhorn. "No one will be able to live peacefully. Besides," he added, "I reckon to remember you hated him a year ago."
Scales growled. "Well then, shall I prove you wrong?"
"Go ahead and try, Alpha."
Scales roared and sprung forward, claws unsheathed. He clashed with Blackhorn, claws against claws. Blood began to color the brown, dirty ground as the two dragons continued fighting.
Scales heard a whimper, and in response, he was struck across his chest by a clawtipped wing. He stepped backward, holding the claw mark with a paw, groaning.
"You let yourself be distracted by the human," commented Blackhorn. "Haven't you learned that no one in a fight should feel distracted by someone so worthless on the sideline?"
Scales growled, intensely. "You'd be smart not to talk about Bright like that."
"Or what? You'd kill me on the spot?" asked Blackhorn. "I've heard stories about how enraged you were when humans killed your family!"
Scales roared furiously, and he sprung toward the Nightmare, clawing him across his long neck. Then he kicked him onto his back, pinning him to the ground and snarled.
"Go ahead, kill me," spoke Blackhorn. "Do it in front of everyone. Let them see how heartless you are with a fellow dragon!"
Scales bared his teeth, raising his paw in the air.
"Bright, wait!" Someone called.
Scales felt someone grab his leg. He stopped in his tracks, glancing down at Bright.
"Please, Alpha…do not kill…"
Scales's eyes softened. His paw lowered, and slowly, he rubbed the human on his back. He let go of Blackhorn, who crept away from him, eyes widen.
Scales saw Flashwing move forward from the crowd to him, while Bright sobbed.
"Me not wish you kill, Alpha…" whispered Bright.
Scales blinked. He looked at Blackhorn, the Monstrous Nightmare stood onto his clawtip wings and feet. "Get out of my sight, Blackhorn. You are exiled. I won the duel."
"Only because you let yourself get angry," reminded Blackhorn.
"Because of you!" Scales growled. "You do not speak about my family to me!"
Blackhorn snarled. Eventually a sigh escaped him, he turned to the entrance and left the dragons and the human.
Scales looked at Bright. "Thank you for bringing me back, Bright," he thanked him quietly.
Bright looked up, eyes tearful. He wiped his tears, nodding, before he was picked up by Flashwing.
"That was a very dangerous thing to do, son," scolded Flashwing as he went back to Penumbra with Bright on his head.
Scales turned to Aquawing, who ruffled her wings and shook her body. "Did I do the right thing?" he asked her, while the other dragons went back to their nests.
"Only time will tell, Alpha," was all Aquawing said.
Scales sighed, returning to the plateau and lay down on the surface of the rock, drifting off to sleep.