“Stay here.” I looked at Alina, before dropping altitude and closing in on the dragon.
“Tynan!” Alina shouted, but I was already too far.
As soon as I was close enough, I shifted and dropped straight onto the dragon’s back. Instead of pursuing its victim, the dragon struggled to shake me off. Its peeling neck twisted, revealing a milky white eye and black slime dripping from its sharp teeth. My dagger was ready when the monster rotated in the air, determined to throw me off. My feet slid and I grabbed the callused scales on the dragon's neck to keep my balance. Before the beast could do anything else, I plunged my knife into its body. The foul rotten smell filled my lungs and I could almost taste the rotten flesh in my mouth. I reached up with my second hand and unsheathed another knife. The only way to kill it was to pierce its brain but to get there I needed to get closer. With all the strength I had, I lifted myself up, grabbing the top of its head. The monster roared, but my knife was already slicing through its skull.
We were falling and I could not get my knife out. I had to detach from the body and shapeshift before we hit the ground. With all the energy I could muster, I shifted back, but I was already rolling on the ground. The shock of theimpact brought a piercing, buzzing sound to my ears and paralyzed me for a long moment. The light suddenly became unbearably bright, and I rolled on the ground clenching my head, realizing that the blow made me shift back into my human form. My vision turned blurry when I saw the copper scales of a dragon landing beside me.
“Tynan? Tynan?” Alina shouted, transforming.
“I’m good. I’m good.” I managed to say. “What about the woman and children?”
“They’re safe, I took them to one of the cellars,” she responded, while her hands roamed my chest and touched my head.
“We need to go.” I growled, getting up to my feet.
Alina nodded, her eyes burning into mine.
When we soared up into the sky, I looked toward the castle, but because of all the dust and smoke that was currently in the air, I could not distinguish where the monsters were.
“They’re by the entrance!” Alina shouted.
When I looked down, two dragons on the ground were ramming the door and the next moment, it failed. Screams filled the air.
“No!” Alina’s voice boomed in my head.
I advanced above the rooftops, avoiding a monster who had been perched on the roof by just mere inches. Alina shouted behind me.
The undead dragon launched itself in the air and nearly clipped my scales. It was too close and Alina was rightbehind me. I briefly landed on the stone roof and immediately took off to the side, hoping to get right behind the crawler dragon. But the monster proved smarter than I had expected. Instead of following the predictable path, it shifted its focus to Alina, who seemed like the easier target. I growled and followed both of them.
“Don’t worry. I’m right behind you.” I kept repeating as the monster was closing in on her. Again, I transformed and landed on its back between its wings. The dragon screeched and halted, almost tipping both of us over. With one motion, I unsheathed my knife and sunk it in its spine, but nothing happened, and I had to reach down to get a second blade off my belt.
The haze of smoke and fire blinded me for a moment as I reached up, avoiding the powerful jaws. This was not ideal. I could not see much, and between me and the beast, I was the most vulnerable. Suddenly, I saw a flash of copper and gold and my heart stopped in my chest. Alina landed on top of the dragon’s neck and lowered herself to its head.
“No!” I shouted.
Her skin rippled and turned translucent when she turned to her human form. The undead dragon took this opportunity to fly into the wall of the castle and all of us slid down to the hard stone surface of the unfinished roof. I sprang up to my feet, but Alina remained on the ground, wisps of hair, freed from her long braid swayed in the air.It was like a vision I had seen before, and I felt an absolute loss of control, as if I was watching another dream.
“Alina? Alina?” I crouched beside her, lifting up her torso.
“Wh-What ha-happened?” she stuttered.
“You got hit. We need to take shelter. Can you climb on my back?” I pressed my head into the side of her neck.
“Yes,” she mumbled.
Without further delay, I shifted back then stilled, feeling Alina’s hands clenching my neck, the weight of her body. My eyes peered into the smoke, not finding the monster that I was sure was still near.
I flew across the roof, and landed on one of the balconies. Swiftly changing back, I watched the sky as Alina opened the balcony door. As soon as we stepped through the threshold, a loud sound came from behind us, and I shoved Alina further into the room. The monster dragon crashed into me, sending me flying into the wall. Its decaying skin hung off the greyish flesh of its bloated belly. The stench of rot filled the space and the monster screeched.
“Run!” I shouted, but Alina only took out her dagger. “Go. Please!” I pleaded but the dragon already inhaled, preparing for the strike. In a matter of moments, I was beside her, shielding her with my body. The scorching hot flames thundered in the room, burning my back, my neck and exposed parts of my hands. I growled in pain.
“Behind you!” Alina screamed.
I unsheathed my knife, knowing full well that from this distance, I had no chance of getting to its brain. I had to get closer.
“I love you.” I said and detached myself from her, meeting the moon-like, empty eyes of the beast.
“No! Tynan, no!”
