Ava

3 - The Dragon

Ava blinked several times. She woke at dawn to the sound of Black’s footsteps, then she felt his boot prod to her side before she’s completely awake, rubbed her eyes and rose to her feet. Black was now standing by her side, a dagger in his hand, and it seemed like he was trying to sense something. They’ve been walking non-stop for a couple of days now and hadn’t spoken much. She tried to talk to Black a couple of times but he would just nod if it’s a ‘yes’ and shook his head for a ‘no’. Ava also tried asking what kind of a creature is he but he stayed quiet and said that he doesn’t know after a while. From time to time, he would also talk to her very shortly with just a few words with no follow ups. Ava wondered if it was actually a good decision to follow this man after all. But then ever since, she followed him quietly, her body had been pretty rested. She no longer had to run and hide for a couple of days and had a couple of hours sleep per day. Not to mention that Black’s hunting skills and cooking skills are so good she hadn’t felt hungry nor thirsty at all. That’s the consolation Ava got for following him. She was actually a bit annoyed but she couldn’t be more grateful.

“What are you really, Black?” Ava asked once more after they’ve filled their flasks from a spring which Black easily cracked to they can get the water inside.

“I don’t know.” He answered shortly.

“How come you don’t know?” Ava asked, insisting to get more information from her savior.

“I just woke up not knowing anything about me.” He answered and stood up after he finished drinking some fresh water. “Let’s go.”

“That’s so not fair. You know that I’m a Zmeu but I don’t know anything about you.” Ava blurted out which made his lips curl in amusement.

“I don’t know your name, woman. But you know mine.” He then replied, walking away.

“Only because Black’s not your real name. I’d tell you mine when I know yours.” Ava replied as she hurriedly followed him.

“Quiet and just stay here.” She heard him say as he started to walk to the right ever so lightly, not making a sound. Then he disappeared into the trees.

Was it a Peace Keeper? She thought. It had been days since she encountered one.

Ava also readied herself as she held on her dagger tightly, grateful she didn’t lose it the last time. It was a special dagger to protect her from the Peace Keepers, gifted to her by a witch she met in the North before she decided to join Eli.

A loud growl suddenly broke her trance and instinctively, she immediately ran towards it. The wind moaned this dawn as she speedily ran faster when another growl broke out, she was panting but she didn’t mind at all. Frogs trilled, crickets chirped and owls hooted from everywhere. Still following the sound, the forest finally gave a clearing where she saw an enormous dragon breathing fire towards Black.

A dragon! Ava screamed inside. After so many years, she finally sees a living dragon right in front of her eyes. So many questions swirled in her mind and excitement surge out.

Does that mean, there are more dragons alive?

Where are they?

Would this dragon know her parents?

All these years, she really thought dragons had become extinct. During the purge, they were the first ones out of all the magical creatures who were slaughtered to extinction. That was 20 years ago and from then on, no one’s ever seen a living dragon. After the dragons had fallen, the other magical creatures also didn’t stand a chance. All of them slaughtered into extinction. For the past 20 years, every magical creature was hunted like savages and rats by the Peace Keepers. Except for some who vowed their loyalty to ‘His Majesty’, the mastermind of the purge and the master of these so called guardians of the New Continent, a place where only humans are allowed and hybrids like her are rejected, only hunted for their magic.

“Black! NO!!!!” She called out when she saw Black attacked the dragon with his dagger, slashing it and making a huge cut on the dragon’s side, spilling its blood.

Why is he killing the dragon?

He can’t!

The dragon howled in pain and growled and breathed fire towards Black, but he was swift and landed safely behind it. He was about to attack it once more but Ava leaped in and pushed him to the side. She landed straight in front of the dragon with her dagger readied, panting.

“Step aside, woman.” Black said in a serious manner, his black eyes grew darker as he menacingly looked at the dragon behind her.

“No!” Ava yelled back. “I can’t allow you to kill the dragon! I won’t! You’d have to kill me instead!”

“Tsk.” Black scoffed as if her words were the most ridiculous thing he’s ever heard.

“As you know, I’m a Zmeu. And I –“ Ava started but was suddenly cut off when the dragon clawed her shirt and in a blink, she’s being lifted up in the air. “Ahhhhh!”

Black sighed out his frustration as his dark eyes followed the woman being dragged by the dragon.

“Sh*t!” He even blurted out upon smelling a very familiar scent of the woman’s flaming blood, his eyes growing darker as his teeth started to grow a fang, his finger nail growing longer and longer.

She must be wounded. He thought darkly as he swiftly jumped into the air and followed the flying dragon. The Peace Keepers would be here any minute now. I gotta be quick.

With that in mind, he flew faster. As soon as he catches up, his clawed his long and sharp finger nail that looked like steel and dart it directly at the dragon’s neck, before biting it with his fangs. The dragon howled in pain and clutches at Ava tightly.

“Ahhhh!” Ava yelled as she felt a sharp pain on her back, her flaming blood dripping as they flew, the claw stabbing her back.

No. She thought.

But in a swift motion, Black targeted the dragon’s chest and in another blink, his rapidly dashed his hand into it and pulled out the dragon’s heart. After it’s one last growl, the dragon then dropped Ava as it also began to fall. Hurriedly, he ducked down to catch her.

“Mama!!!” Ava shrieked as the bloodied body of her mother fell to the ground. “Oma Ida, my mama!!!”

The woman’s brown wavy hair sprawled over her face as she crumpled to the ground. Ava gasped in horror as she covered her mouth, hoping that her mother would move. But she remained motionless.

“Don’t look, dear child.” The old woman who’s holding her up said as she shifted, trying to block her view.

But the little girl’s far too stubborn to listen. She squirmed and twisted forcefully, trying to get out of the old woman’s grasped and she succeeded. In a blink of an eye, she was already falling down.

“NO!!” She heard her puffed with terror.

And she was falling, falling down.

“Sh*t!” Black cursed as soon as he saw how deep was the cut on her back and the flaming blood’s scent is making it hard for him to control his own thirst. And to add up, he started to sense the Peace Keepers swarming around the area.

Opening her eyes, Ava thought she was going to die but then she landed safely in the old woman’s arms.

“Thank you, Oma.” She said before searching for her mother through the chaos. “Mama!”

“Mama…” Ava blurted out as her head began to throb ever so painfully which made Black’s face crease but then he held her swiftly and flew faster, Peace Keepers were already on their feet following them.

He had seen hundreds of them the last time at the cliff but with all the flaming blood dropping and spreading the scent while flying, he’s sure there are thousands of them now. So he made sure to fly more swiftly and to spread the scent and confuse some of them. But then some already saw them and were now flying over the forest canopy, just a few meters behind. And so Black flew, they swooped, flew into the sky, looped and swooped again. He flew faster than he could but they also did.

They flew and the Peace keepers followed. They flew as arrows began to fire through sky, aflame, like comets across the dawn’s sky. The trees below began to burn despite the cold snow and smoke began to fill the whole area. The sun had started to rise.

Ava ran amidst the chaos and the fully armored soldiers noticed them, swarming over their way to surround them.

“Mama!” Ava called out once more.

“Mama…” Ava said once more before she finally passed out.

“Stay with me, woman.” Black said, holding unto her tightly as they flew.

***