DragonFire {Chapter 2}

Menewa fell, plummeting through the sky. See her mother and sister, dead for 14 years, killed when she was two, murdered by raiders. See her baby brother, also dead. See her Master Instructor, teaching the young Menne how to properly ride a newborn dragon hatching. See her dragon, Kihin, her joy, her soul, to whom she is connected.

Without me he'll die. What did he always say? Oh, yes. The battle isn't over till you say so.

What?

Survive, Menewa. If you don't survive, who will feed me? Don't test me, woman. And someone's going to need to remove the sword from my saddle. SO GET A MOVE ON! I COMMAND YOU TO SURVIVE! And with a jolt she awoke to find herself falling once more. She screamed for Kihin, but the air rushing past her ripped the cry from her mouth. The ground was approaching faster than she'd like it to, and she was about to hit the ground when the wind was knocked out of her. Branches scratched her face nd arms as she fell through a pine tree.

"Ouch! Owe! Gah! Uhugh! Ahh! No! Help! Eek! Ouch! OOMPH!" Menewa hit the ground, much worse for wear than she was ten minutes ago. Kihin's gonna be ticked. She checked herself over, groaning when she lightly pressed a cut on her thigh.

MENNE!!! WHERE ARE YOU!?!?!?

"HERE! HERE I AM! KIHIN! KIHIN, HELP!" Her voice echoed off the trees, and was still ringing when Kihin burst through the foliage, searching wildly for her.

Menne! Are you hurt? How did you survive?

"The branches broke my fall," she said, stroking his flank, "every single one of them." Then she saw the boy-man stranger emerge from the trees. "You." she gasped.

The young man advanced, his light smile back on his face. He looked at Menewa, lying on the ground with her open wounds and scratch-marks all over her face, and then at Kihin, protectively trying to cover Menewa with his tail even though he himself was wounded. He swung his sword experimental and winced as the pain from Menewa's sword cut shot through his arm from his shoulder.

"Ouch" he said, "That was quite a fight you put up, young woman!" His voice was light and lilting, flowing through the air like music. "I didn't expect you to survive my first blow...Most riders are too shocked at my riding technique to do more than gape at the onrushing death. I also didn't expect you to survive that fall. Or that your dragon would fight so dirty!" He grimaced in pain again, and his voice changed a bit, becoming lower and less musical

"You're a bit too surprising for my taste, woman...I suppose I'll have to finish you off." He seemed to waver for a bit, his smile slipping and a sadness coming into his eyes. He sighed "Decisions, decisions...."

Menewa looked from assessing her wounds in surprise "I thought you had already decided to kill me!"

"Of course I have!" said the man-boy-person. "It's all a question of how at this point..." And his smile came back, this time with a cruel twist to it. "Should I kill you myself, or have Kori finish you off?" he smiled at her.

"Whoa whoa whoa! Hold on a minute! Do you really expect an experienced Dragonrider to just sit here and wait to die?"" Menewa gaped in disbelief.

"Well... Yes! Yes, I believe I do! Anyway, even if you wanted to resist, you can't even stand! You just fell from a great height, and-"

"No thanks to you! might I add?" Menewa shot back.

" Yes, yes, but moving on, your dragon is also wounded. How do you expect to even compare to my skills when can't even walk, much less fight?"

" Trust me. I can. No worries." But she wasn’t so sure of herself, and the boy-man seemed to sense that.

He slid her rapier across the forest floor to him. "Nice blade. Sharp. Shiny. Light. Why the ornamentation, may I ask?"

She grimaced. "You can't." She stared at him. "You know, before you kill me, can you fulfill my last wish?" He glanced up from his perch next to Kori.

"Sure. Just because I like you." he smiled. "Spunk in a girl is nice." She almost gagged, but she went on.

"I'm only 16. I haven't been kissed would you mind if you... Ya know..." she let the question hang in the air. He looked at her again. There was something in his eyes that she couldn't place.

Regret? Contempt? Disgust? Fear? Joy? No! None of these. She looked harder, then saw it. A deep, unmistakable sadness, older than time. Who IS this man? She blinked, and blinked again when she saw him stand and slide her rapier into his belt. He walked over to her, still lying on the ground. He knelt, drawing his dagger, and pressed his lips softly to hers. Unbeknown to him, her hand snaked up and slowly drew her rapier from his belt, ever so soundlessly.

When he drew away he was crying. "I'll regret this forever," he said raising his dagger high.

"Then don't do it," Menewa pleaded.

"Farewell. I hope you forgive me." And with that he closed his eyes and brought the dagger down hard. Menewa rolled away with a grunt of pain and stabbed with the rapier. The young man, halfway through his downward stroke, and blinded by his tears, screamed as the rapier stabbed into his side. The long, drawn out scream of pain echoed around the clearing, and was joined by Kori's roar.

Menewa looked up to see him fall, as if in slow motion. See his eyes, clouded with pain. See his smile, gone. See his face, twisted in pain and sadness. He hit the ground with a thud, and lay there, eyes closed. Kori rushed forward and Kihin sprang up to protect Menewa, but the ice dragon only ran to her master's side and looked down at his face. Menewa pulled herself forward, ignoring the fiery agony in every limb, and pressed her hand to his throat, feeling for a pulse.

It was there; weak and fluttering, but it was still there.

I think it is best to leave him here, intoned Kihin. We must seek medical attention! Menni? Menni!!!

But Menewa wasn't listening. She was thinking of the sadness in the young man's face as he stared at her, and the feel of his breath on her lips. She wanted, desperately needed to know who, or what, he was.

We're not leaving him.

What? You can't be serious, Menni!! We can't lug him along! And plus, he's an enemy!!! I think you must have taken a blow to the head, Menni my girl, was Kihin's incredulous reply.

I have to know who he is, and why he wanted to kill me! She rose to her feet and lurched over to him. We aren't better than him, Kihin. Everyone deserves to live. Kihin growled, but padded over to them.

Fine. You get on my back, and I'll carry him. Push me at all; woman, and I WILL drop him.

Cool it, Kihin. We'll be fine. She hoisted the boy-man onto the saddle with her, right in front of her. Kihin wasn't fond of that.

It's not ME I'm worried about. It's YOUR sanity.

KIHIN! I'm tired, hurt, and doing what I think is right!

He snorted, but lifted into the air and began the flight to the capital. Do we really have to go to Chouko? I don't like that place.

Why ever not, Menewa? Kihin was still angry, but Menewa chose to ignore it. Because of all of the flowers, Kihin. And the butterflies. That place smells too nice, and the people are just plain creepy. Always smiling and giving you wreaths and garlands and asking you to bless their babies. It's just plain weird! She glanced behind her out of habit and noticed Kori following them.

She obviously means no harm.

Kihin snorted and mumbled something about "... never know... those types... deadly... dagger in the back... never trust a dragon..."

The flight to Chouko was uneventful. Menewa drifted in and out of consciousness. The young man in front of her never stirred, and once or twice Menewa had to put her fingers to his throat to check his pulse.

We can't let him die...Fly faster Kihin! Urged Menewa. Kihin responded with a grunt that didn't sound very happy, but sped up anyways. Kori flew steadily behind them, never saying a word, and acting neither threatening nor friendly. Menewa didn't wonder that the ice dragon was following them. Dragons and their riders are bonded for life, and are bound by both love and magic to follow each other always. As long as the boy-man lived, Kori would be fine.

What will happen if Kori's rider dies?

There is no way to tell, was the grunted response from a still-angry Kihin. Some dragons die instantly, some go mad, and still others simply pine away. Menewa didn't reply, and they flew onward for a while in silence. And then, suddenly below them Menewa could see the fields upon fields of flowers that marked Chouko.

By this point the images in front of Menewa's eyes were beginning to spin and whirl, so she didn't see Kihin land, throwing up daisies and butterflies in a shower.

She didn't see the people rush up with wreaths and garlands who quickly dropped them when they saw the state Menewa and the others where in. Menewa didn't feel herself being lifted up and carried away, didn't see Kihin be led away as well, casting worried glances over his shoulder at her. All she remembered was that she couldn't let go of the young man's hand. Menewa fell into the deep darkness of sleep, and dreamed....