Page 41 of Drakhana's Secret
Each and every one of us redoubles our efforts. I send as much energy as I can spare to the earth dragons on the ground. Just a final burst that I hope will carry them through to the culmination of this battle.
Then I catch Logan charging toward Gallant while he is on top of Rastus. I snap my head and capture his tail with my teeth. Logan screams in pain.
I whip my neck and bring him tumbling back onto the ground. I open the ground and bury him until only his head is showing. I could have killed him then and there and he knows it. Hopefully, this show of mercy will register with him and free him from his all-consuming hate for my people.
Meanwhile, Gallant dispatches Rastus with a significant gash on his side. The fire dragon is breathing heavily. There’s a nasty rasp to his breath.
I caution Gallant and convey to him that mercy might also be the best course of action in this scenario. We have them on the run. If we killed these mighty dragons then we are no better than they are.
We have defended our honor and pride. They have been defeated soundly. There is no need to be barbaric.
Gallant looks at me incredulously at first. He can’t believe that I would make such a request when we have them where we want them. I tell him through our psychic connection that killing them will not guarantee a stop to this war, but keeping them alive just might.
I don’t know what finally leads him to understand what I’m saying but he allows Rastus to gather what is remaining of his troops. In a show of solidarity, I do the same for Logan. I free him from his almost grave and he goes and ushers his warriors away.
Even if it seems like they are retreating, we remain vigilant. This could be just a ploy on their part and they could circle back and get us when we are not looking. We keep our guard up.
In fact, I still spy some fire and ice dragons on the ground still in combat with our brethren. I give a swift order to finish them off. If they can’t tell when they are beat then they will just keep coming back if they are left alive. That is one of the rules of engagement according to the ancient knowledge flowing through my veins.
I look on to the ice clan while Gallant looks on to the fire. We make sure that Rastus and Logan are indeed leaving. They are still lethal in their own right, and I respect that. I think Gallant does too.
Eventually, both clans finally accept that we—with only two battalions of dragons—are more powerful than an entire clan of them. The earth dragons have stood our ground and we have won. We are indeed the most powerful.
There is something so satisfying about watching an army leaving your territory. I remind my brethren not to show any arrogance. We won, but we should not rub their faces in it. That can only spark more animosity that we can no longer afford.
Branson! Arthur!I broadcast.Send your dragons into the city and dive out the last of the ice and fire drakhana there. I don’t want any of them left wandering the streets after all of this is over. San Francisco is ours and will remain ours.
Only earth dragons are left on the field once the sun begins to rise. The ice dragons disappear onto the horizon. The same goes for the fire dragons.
The rumblings the battle caused will surely be explained away as earthquakes, which the city is used to. The fire and ice will always be labeled as strange weather phenomena. Hopefully, this will be the last of that threat looming over our heads.
If fire and ice have not learned their lessons yet then we will be happy to meet them on the battlefield again in the future. This time there might not be any mercy to spare. If they are smart—which I’m truly hoping that they are—they will finally leave us alone. There is nothing here for them.
Gallant takes up a position beside me on the pillar I created. I move to make room for him. We maintain our larger forms until we are sure that all fire and ice dragons have completely left our territory. We don’t want any surprises.
It only really takes about an hour. News spreads fast about the loss. Without their comrades, the remaining fire and ice dragons surrender immediately and leave the city.
Only then do we let go of our larger forms and shed our dragons. I flatten the pillar to the ground because it will only raise questions. Then Gallant and I hug tightly.
“We did it,” I whisper into his ear.
“That we did,” he whispers back.
That is all we can say to each other as we are both absolutely exhausted. Not only are we battle weary, we are also injured. With our arms on each other’s shoulders, we walk side by side back to the warehouse where several medics are waiting for us.
The dragons who are still able roam the battle field to check on our brethren who might still be alive. We will celebrate later when we are sure that everyone has been saved. And indeed, warriors return with earth dragons clutched at their sides or carried.
All in all, when the numbers have been tallied and the names have been listed, we didn’t lose as many as we had initially estimated. We still mourn the loss, of course, but we also celebrate that they died for a just cause.
We, the earth dragons, have proven to the world that we are not only peace-loving. We too have teeth and are not afraid to bite when called upon to do so.
Twenty-Eight
Gallant
The battle was hard fought and hard won. There’s a sense of victory in the air among our warriors. Sapphire and I get patched up before we go and check on everyone else, and how the city is fairing.
Our injuries could have been worse. Thank the dragon gods that we were able to harness the powers of Mother Earth. We are better off than some of our brethren who need surgery and the resettling of bones.
