Chapter 27

 

Valka's POV
"So, Eret, do you want me to choose a dragon for you to ride?' I asked him.
'Actually, I've already got one.'
'Aldin, come here.' he called.
A large Deadly Nadder came walking up to Eret, and nuzzled his face. Then, it turned around, and squealed in delight when it saw me and Cloudjumper.
Jumper Of The Cloud! the Nadder gasped.
My name is Cloudjumper. he said haughtily- but he purred and nuzzled Aldin nonetheless.
And his mistress!
Aldin ran over to me, and promptly pounced, licking me all over with his forked dragon tongue.
I've heard so much about you, and Jumper Of The Cloud- I mean Cloudjumper!
I pushed him away, and growled slightly to tell him to stop.
What is it? Have I upset you? Aldin asked anxiously.
No, Aldin. But what is that on your scales?
Oh, that. he squawked sadly. Drago did that to me, for running away. But it doesn't hurt.
It looks like it does, Aldin. We'll need to take you to the Sanctuary to get it cleaned.
No! No! You can't!
Why not?
Because Drago said-
What did he say?
He said that... If I ever told anybody about what he did, he...he would give me more scars, and...and they would hurt a lot more.
How dare he... He won't. I won't let him.
Aldin looked at me as if I was crazy.
You- you can't stop him...You might get killed... And believe me, I should know. Some of the dragons got angry at him for giving them scars, and they...He killed them...
He pointed a wing to an assortment of dragon heads, covered with terrible scars.
I gasped in horror.
Don't worry, Aldin. We're going to avenge those poor dragons.

Chapter 27

 

Valka's POV
"So, erm, how do I ride Aldin?' Eret asked.
"I'll give you a crash course, because we don't have much time.'
Eret nodded, and got onto Aldin's back.
'Okay, just give him a little kick to tell him to start flying.'
Eret did as he was instructed.
'Wow. You're a natural.'
'I know.' Eret said smugly. 'Look, no hands!' He held onto Aldin with his knees alone, and waved at me.
I rolled my eyes again.
'Cloudjumper and I will be with you in a minute. I've just got to get the other dragons.'
But Eret had already gone, and I could hear his whoops of exhilaration on the winds.
'I'M THE BEST DRAGON FLYER IN THE WOOOORRRRRLLLLLLLLDDDDDDD!!!'
Eret's POV
As we got closer to Drago's ship, Aldin started to growl and whimper nervously.
I patted him reassuringly, although I couldn't understand what he was saying in dragon-talk.
Drago had told me about how he was building a ship, but nothing could have ever prepared me for how it actually looked.
A gigantic, metal warship, with terrible-looking weapons and dragon heads attached to the sides, complete with catapults, and net-launchers on deck.
"Do you like it, boy?' Drago asked me, casually releasing a net, to catch Aldin, as he spoke.

Chapter 28

 

Drago's POV
"Do you know what I do...to traitors?' I whispered menacingly to a barely conscious Eret, extending the claws on my dragon-hand, and putting them to his throat.
The boy made a strangled noise. I released my grip on him slightly, so he was not choking.
'I'll take that as a yes.'
'Now, boy, how would you like to die? You are lucky I am being so merciful.'
I removed my claws from his throat, and began sharpening them with a rock.
'I could rip your throat out with these-' I flexed my claws. '-Or, they could rip your throat out.' I gestured to the dragons who were sitting obediently in front of me.
'I have a better idea...But it will not be better for you...'
'I will rip your throat out, and feed it, and your body, to my dragons. That would be entertaining to watch. To see you being torn apart by these beasts- as I saw them do to my family...'
"LIAR! The dragons didn't kill your family- you did! MURDERER!'
'That's right, boy. I am a murderer. Well, I will be.'
I walked towards the boy, and placed my claws to his throat again.
'Any last words?' I sneered.
'LOOK!' the boy pointed to the sky.
'That will not put off your end- WHAT IN THE NAME OF THE GODS?!' I roared. I dropped the boy, and snarled in fury to the heavens.
'I have more important people to deal with than dragon trappers like you. Namely, a certain masked dragon rider...'