Chapter 41
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
TYNAN
“How many of them are there?” Victor shouted.
“Too many,” Frid responded as we flew through the valley. The turned dragons rampaged all over the area, tearing up the structures and burning the crops.
My dragon body was stiff, because I was carrying the vessel filled with sacred water trying not to spill it while staying upright. Every time I took a sharp turn, the liquid splashed on me.
“I’m losing water.” Sol calmly interjected.
“This is not ideal,” I said.
“This better fucking work!” Hanoch sounded behind me.
“It will work!” Frid responded.
I turned my head, observing the dozens of warriors flying in formation. Each and every one of us carried some sacred water, and if we did it right, we could stop the invasion.
“There’s one!” Victor flew lower, positioning himself right above it, and released the vessel. But instead of it breaking on contact, it rolled off the monster’s head and fell.
“Shit!” Victor shouted.
“Move!” Frid tried to recreate the attack, but the infected dragon launched itself after Victor, who was too close to its powerful jaws.
Frid flew right above it and quickly landed on top of its back. Transforming, she smashed the bottle against its head. The monster growled and shook in the air, quickly falling to the ground.
“Frid!” Victor followed after her.
A sudden flash of pain made me lose my balance in the air. I was being carried sideways by a monster dragon who managed to plunge its teeth into me. I clenched my jaw, as a chunk of my flesh was torn from my bones.
“Ty!” Hanoch shouted.
“Keep going! Don’t stop.” I growled, rotating my body and breaking from the hold.
The monster and I fell to the ground, and the impact shocked every sense in my body.
A screeching noise sounded nearby and I forced myself to get up.
The dragon stepped closer, lowering its head, and I knew that I only had one chance to stop it.
With everything I had left, I shifted to my human form.
“Hey, ugly.” I picked up the bottle with the divine water that was lying on the ground.
The crawler dragon stepped closer, opening its bloodied jaws. I briefly looked at my shoulder seeing a deep, gaping wound. If not for the holy water, my destiny would have been decided, but I did not have time to dwell on it. My right arm dangled beside my hip, useless, too injured to move.
I clenched the bottle with my left hand.
The monster growled, spreading its wings.
Why is it hesitating? Why isn’t it attacking?
I stepped closer and the beast shrieked, moving its head from side to side. If I did not know any better, I would have thought that it was trying to communicate. But that was insane.
My head snapped up when another dragon landed beside it.
What the fuck!
The next moment, a massive wall of flames hit the place where I had just stood.
I ran through the field, clenching the bottle that had become my last hope as the fire licked the exposed parts of my skin.
With a turn of my head I confirmed that the next flash was coming, and I jumped forward, with everything I had, protecting the bottle in my hand.
Landing hard on my wounded arm, I yelped, almost blacking out from the excruciating pain that knew no bounds.
When my eyes opened, I could hardly see through the settling smoke. A few moments later, I realized that both creatures were circling me. The dragons did not intend to let me regroup.
How could the mindless beasts possibly strategize against me?
My chances of making it out alive were rapidly shrinking. I needed to act fast. With a grunt, I pushed myself up, but neither of the infected dragons moved closer.
Was it the bottle they were so afraid of? Could they sense what it was?
That was impossible. And yet, when I placed it on the ground, I immediately noticed the change in their behavior.
“You know what it is?” I asked, eyeing the dragon who was the closest to me. “I’m not holding it. Come and get me.”
The monster shook its head, screeching and took a step forward.
The other one did the same. I took a quick glance back, returning my gaze to the first dragon, who took another step.
For some reason, they did not want to burn me to a crisp, and I was alright with that.
One more step, and I dropped to my knees, picking up the bottle and threw it right at the monster’s face.
The explosion of liquid and glass coated its head, and for a moment, I thought that it did not work, because the beast just shook its head.
But it kept on shaking it, and then it started screeching.
Immediately, I rolled to the side as the second dragon snapped its jaws just inches away from me.
Since I no longer had the water, it was fully committed to get me.
My vision blurred from the impact of hitting the ground, and pain shot up my shoulder. I clenched my teeth and growled, getting on my feet just in time. The crawler dragon was near, but not close enough to strike.
“What are you waiting for?” I snarled.
The monster opened its massive jaws, extending its body toward me.
I twisted in the air, grabbing hold of the side of its head and pulled myself onto its back.
With one desperate motion, I unsheathed my knife and plunged it into its skull.
Pain exploded in my injured arm and I dropped on its back, losing consciousness.