Chapter 31

 

Aldin's POV
Having regained consciousness, I started to walk towards Drago, ignoring the desperate shouts and pleads of Cloudjumper and his mistress.
I could not, however, ignore the voice of the Dark One, who had noticed me walking towards his master.
SURRENDER TO ME, LITTLE DRAGON.
No!
ARE YOU DEFYING ME?
Yes, Alpha, I am.
You are not my Alpha anymore, and he is not my master.
DISLOYALTY TO YOUR ALPHA, AND OUR MASTER, WILL BE PUNISHED.
As soon as he had said this, pain started to explode in my head.
The Alpha's song.
I waited for the darkness to take me, but it did not come.
I had resisted my Alpha.
"You have resisted my Bewilderbeast?!' Drago screamed, smiling in furious, twisted joy, as the razor-sharp, hooked end of his staff sliced into his Bewilderbeast's tough scales.
'But you will not be able to defy ME!!!'

Chapter 32

 

Valka's POV
"You...' Drago snarled. 'You did this...'
'Actually, no. It was Cloudjumper. They resisted your Bewilderbeast's power together. Oh, and you might want to look behind you...'
For, flying up to him, was Eret, riding Aldin.
Drago's POV
The Nadder had stopped flying now, and landed on the deck. I walked up to the boy, who was still seated on the dragon, and threw him onto the floor. I noted with satisfaction that the boy now had a black eye, from when I had whacked him with my dragon arm.
'You will get more than a black eye, boy, when I am finished with you.' I whispered.
The Nadder started to growl.
Do not hurt my master...
'Did you just...growl at me...? I hissed menacingly.
'Do you know what happens to dragons who growl at me?'
It continued to growl.
Valka's POV
Suddenly, Cloudjumper rushed to Aldin's side.
Do not harm him...For he is my dragon-brother now, and I will die for him...
'Really?!'
And before I could stop him, Drago had stabbed Aldin in the throat with the claws on his dragon hand.
NO!

Chapter 33

 

Eret's POV
"ALDIN!' I yelled.
I ran over to him, shaking and slapping his body, getting blood on my hands.
'Come on, wake up...WAKE UP!'
'VALKA! Please tell me, isn't there anything you can do for him?! Can't you heal him or something?! Please...?'
"The only thing that could help him now would be the King of the Dragon Sanctuary...But Cloudjumper and I are still trapped.'
'Here...Let me help you.' I offered, grabbing a weapon from the side of the ship, trying to ignore the sound of footsteps approaching, even though I knew who it was.
As soon as I had started cutting the bolas ropes, I felt claws raking across the back of my head. The weapon was pulled roughly from my grip, enough to hurt. I wondered if Drago had broken my wrist, or indeed, my hand.
"Do you see this blood on my claws, boy? There is a lot of blood on them, is there not?'
I nodded, terrified, but furious.
'This blood, is the blood of many people and dragons I have killed- murdered. There is your blood...'
'But you haven't killed me yet...'
'SILENCE!' he roared, pushing his claws closer up to my face.
'There is the blood of the Chieftains...' he chuckled.
'And there is the blood of the Nadder. Now, you might ask me, what is my reasoning for this?'
'Not really, because I don't really care, and even if I did, I couldn't, because you're kind of choking me right now.'
Drago's eyes narrowed dangerously.
I regretted what I had said immediately.
'I have killed many other people and dragons, but they were not important, so I cannot remember their names. And one of them, might have been your father.'
I gasped in sadness and fury.
He made no attempt to deny it.
'Would you like to hear my reasoning? My rule is that, someone has to fail or displease me first, before they are worthy of death. I do not go around killing people for fun, although, I must admit, it is. You have failed and displeased me today, boy, many times. Other bosses would have killed you the first time. But I am not like other bosses. I am merciful. So when I kill you, which will be soon, do not say I have not been fair.'
'Do you know what all of these people and dragons did before they were murdered? They begged me. They begged to be spared. Your father begged. The Nadder begged. They all begged, and so will you.'
'And, do you know, why I murder? To see them suffer, to beg, to plead, in their last moments...'
'YOU WILL PAY FOR THE SUFFERING YOU CAUSED MY FATHER AND ALDIN!'

Chapter 34

 

Eret's POV
I pulled myself to my feet, and ran at him, screaming.
Drago took his dragon hand out of his cape, and did the same.
He roared like a dragon, and slashed his claws at me.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! END HIM!' he commanded the dragons.
'You're a coward, Drago.'
'You dare call me coward, boy?! Nobody calls me a coward.'
'Using your dragons to help fight...I never thought the great Drago Bludvist would stoop to two against one...'
He roared again, and I narrowly missed his claws. One of the dragons, however, did not.
It fell to the floor, a terrible rip in it's wing.
Help me, master...
Several dragons flew to it, whimpering with concern.
'It is beyond help now. Leave it. Let it die. It deserves to, for it was foolish enough to get in the way of my claws. I will put it out of it's misery...'
Valka's POV
'You know, to kill it would be a terrible waste of a dragon. He would still be useful to you, Drago.'
A terrible grin came over his face.
'No. You will be useful to me.'