Dark Heart

Dark Heart Deep night. The muted flashes of a battle cut through the sky, lighting the surroundingd for a breif second before vanishing. The battle seemed contained within a gigantic cloud. Cloud wrought in Dragonfire, in burning flesh and wing. A blue dragon soared high above the cloud, his flanks heaving and sweaty. Above him, his rider shifted her weight in the saddle as he levelled off, his body vertical, his wings straight. She wiped her blade clean and sheathed it before sweeping a gloved hand over her brow. ‘what is the count, skye?’ ’Enough, mistress’ her dragon replied with a toss of his head. It was she that had brought them out of the fighting and he was eager to get back into it. ‘enough to make their juniors wary of us’ ‘that is good’ there was a silence as her eyes swept the battle. ‘It is late, the enemy are tiring’ Her dragon knew where her eyes travelled, and turned to follow her gaze. ‘Are you ready, My love?’ he said, his voice impatient. The battle was almost over. They had won. She reigned him in as he straightened to fly again. ‘Something is not quite right’ She shook her head, a feeling of dread sweeping into her. It forced her to look behind her. ‘Skye........’ The dragon turned his head to a shadow that loomed over the smoke of the battle. A shadow that was deeper and darker than the night that surrounded it. The Blacks had come. The Dragon bristled, and let out a low growl. His rider pulled a horn from her back and sounded it once. A clear note split through the chaos of battle, and every Blue in earshot turned to answer. They powered upwards, banking hard towards them. ‘Form up!’ Barked the dragon, and they fell into formation behind them. The huge dragon levelled in the sky, flicking his long tail behind him he waited for the signal. At Alyssa’s command, they advanced. The blacks had not yet seen them, and they streaked above the acrid battle smoke as a unit. Skye was proud of his mistress then, she was about to lead them into victory, he was sure of it. She lowered herself into him, letting the air course across her back, letting her dragon be their eyes. She loved him, she trusted him. He knew the knot that formed in her stomach everytime they faced the enemy, he felt the adrenaline prickle her skin and sharpen her senses. She connected with him and it thrilled him. She unleashed her lance and raised it high. They had seen them.

By the time the Blacks had turned from the rest of the battle, they were already above them. They gave the command to dive, human and dragon voice calling out as one, and they hit the loose formation like a battering ram. Below them, a black dragon flipped, revealing razor sharp claws. Light cracked from Skye’s mouth..... molten electricity scattered acoross the body of the black as it toppled from the sky. Another one was on them in an instant. They pulled up, Skye’s rider instinctivly changing her grip on the reins so that he could flip, coming behind the dragon that had saught to blindside him. He spat fire again, bearing down with his claws on the rider, sat high between the dragons beating wings and her long, spiny neck. The black dragon banked, despite the shock running through his wings and skie’s claws swiped at thin air. His rider did not miss. Her lance pierced the armour of the rider as they slid past and he screamed. The black reared her head, feeling the pain of her rider, coming into contact with the sweeping back claws of skye. They sent dragon and rider tumbling from the battle, through layer on layer of fighting and onto the ravaged land some several hundred miles below them. Skye shrieked a victory call, banking sharply over he saught to join the battle once more. The turbulent air below made it hard on them to stay airborne, the fighting between the huge blues and their larger cousins was tightly packed. No sooner had they sent one from the battle, another emerged. ‘watch your flank!’ she yelled, knowing that all of her dragon’s senses were now funneled forwards. Her eyes caught the deep scars on his rear.. they had learned a harsh lesson that day..... Blacks. The only breed that faught solely for the Shadow realm. Their brooding prescence was enough to scatter even the most experianced of divisions but not the blues. They had once faught alongside their larger, darker brothers and were immune to the feeling of dread that went before them. It was vital that they were kept above the battle... defeated before they could strike their dread into the fighting below them. If the shadow realm wanted to expand their borders, it would not be this day, not after everything Alyssa and Skye had faught for that afternoon. They had driven the dark forces back to the foot of the shadow’s teeth, at the end of this day they would be victorious. She brought her horn to her lips again, and sounded a call that brought more blues to her. They streaked through the clouds, straight into the vaunrable underbellies of the black dragons. They were driven upwards, away from the rest that could not yet see them. Skye climbed higher, his wings beating powerfully. They had a black behind them. Desperate to gain an advantage, they sped upwards. Alyssa gritted her teeth, and tugged the reins, dragging the dragon into an upwards, diagonal bank that brought them sideways on. Using his wieght and momentum, Skye crashed into the black dragon, pushing his forelock into the other dragons ribs, causing it to scream and turn away. Alyssa felt the dread sweep through her as the black’s shadow crept past, and she lost her chance to strike at the rider. ‘easy now’ skye soothed, immune to what they called ‘dragonfear’

Alyssa shook her head, breathed deep and gripped the riens tightly. Skye wheeled away for another pass. Below her, she could see nothing but blues, and smiled. Skye levelled himself and flew straight for the advancing black, Blue flame streaking from his mouth. The black swerved, alyssa drew skye up for a split second, giving him the chance to bear his claws and shoot forward, catching the dragon on the shoulder as it swept past them again. He pulled the black into him, who screamed and thrashed with rage. Biting and tearing, alyssa felt them both begin to tumble. Skye drew his wings into his body, alyssa raised the lance and looked for an opening. None came. Air rushed past them as the dragons entwined, tumbling through the lower battle now alyssa’s heart started to race. ‘let go!’ she said, pulling up frantically ‘i cannot’ skye answered, shrieking and tearing at the black, but it held him fast. Spreading its wings at the last moment, the black rolled, swinging skye beneath it. Alyssa was helpless, she felt her saddle straps break, and the black was on her. It gripped the saddle and flung it from Skye’s back. The black tossed Skye from the air, hurtling him with such force he could barely open his wings before he hit the ground. He skidded, cutting a gigantic swathe through the trees, coming to rest harshly against the foot of the mountain. Darkness, silence embraced him. He shuddered and lay still. Daybreak brought victory, but they did not see it, on the ground amongst the fallen. Skye opened his eyes, grunting against the pain that shuddered through him, he tried to pull himself to his feet. He couldnt feel her. Suddenly, his own pain evaporated and he reached out for her. Nothing. Bringing himself up painfully onto his back legs he raised his head and barked. Nothing. Sadness filled him. Without the presence of his rider in his mind he suddenly felt lost, and alone. She must be here somewhere? Desperatly his mind tracked back. He felt the straps break, her memory of falling mingled with his own... they had fallen together, but not landed together. He looked back at the carnage behind him, and snapped at the carrion birds that had begun to call and circle him. His left side was sticky with blood, every breath pained him. He closed his eyes, steadied his breathing and tried again to call to her. The answer was faint, but it was there. His call, audiable this time mingled with those of so many other dragons who had lost riders that morning. Some mourned, he searched. Scanning the trees, his eyes fell across where she lay and his body shuddered with her pain. ‘alyssa, beloved!’ her dragon cried, thundering to the spot and pulling up just short of where she lay. He bent his head, shimmering into human form he knelt beside her, cradeling her head in his lap. She stirred, and the dragon was relieved to feel her in his mind again. She opened one eye, and he knew.

‘please’ he whispered. ‘don’t go’ The longing in her eyes almost broke his heart. She reached out for him as her sight faded, pain shuddered through her once again and she was gone. The strangled cry he gave raised heads across the desolate waste under the battlefield. In a heartbeat they were airborne, scattering carrion birds and other dragons. For a moment, skye did not know where he was going, nore did he care. But in his grief, he headed for home. He headed into the shadows teeth. The warmth had left her body when he landed, awkwardly and on two legs at the openeing of a large cave. Skye bowed his head, laying down his rider gently. He stepped into the dark. ‘Brother’ The black dragon which approached almost filled the cave opening. Deep red eyes blazed at Skye, framed by the absorbing darkness of the scales behind him, deeper than the blackness of all the shadows of the Shadows Teeth mountains. Skye stopped in his tracks, and bowed his head low. ‘........brother’ he answered, averting his eyes, submitting to the brother he had fled from so many years ago. The red eyes turned from the dragon, and onto Alyssa’s body. The black dragon began to laugh. Softly and first, but louder, and louder until it rocked the mountainside around them. ‘THIS?’ he scoffed ‘Have you brought me an offering, little brother?’ the dragon stared at his brother the blue intently. ‘no....’ he said after a while. ‘you haven’t?’ ‘bring her back’ skye begged. The black dragon snorted, and tossed his head ‘why should i?’ he said softly ‘becuase one day, you told me i would return to you, in devotion. You told me that love would bring me here’ skye turned his head to his rider. ‘and it has’ The dragon began to laugh again. Skye growled, depseration filling him he lunged for the larger dragon, but something held him back. The black moved forward, picking up the limp body of alyssa in his mouth, he turned without another word into the black dark of his cave. Outside, Skye waited. He paced, he flew in long slow circles around the mountain top but his brother did not come out. Three days he waited, not eating or sleeping until he heard movement within. A figue stood in the shadows, resplendant in black armour. Skye shook his head, disbelieving. ‘What have you DONE?’ he asked of his brother ‘what you asked me to do’ came the reply. ‘I brought her back....’ ‘no!’ Skye landed. ‘Alyssa!’ he cried, moving closer. She looked at him, but he could not feel her. Her eyes, where they had once been blue, were dark and dead. They

stared out at him, blackness as full and as deep as the cave behind her. She did not know him. ‘my lord’ she asked slowly, turning around to the footsteps behind her. ‘what have i done?’ The cry of grief let out by skye reverberated around the cave as the a human form emerged from the darkness to wrap an arm around the woman’s waist. They stood together, and watched skye streak away. The black dragon smiled as he turned and lead his new rider into the cave. ‘come’ he said ‘it is time i took a new rider..................’

From purest love, is evil wrought from brothers trust is darkness brought From smoke and death is she concieved Dark heart will ride whist love is grieved.