Chapter Eighteen:

The chill of the air passed around me as I fell faster and faster to the ground. I shut my eyes as tears spilled out of my eyes and rose to the sky. I tried not to think much, but I said talking to Mom, if she could hear me, “I'm sorry, Mom I couldn't get you out of prison.” I gasped as I whimpered and began to sob, “I'm sorry that I couldn't do anything to keep the world safe. I'm sorry!” I held myself and curled up and held myself.

I was so caught up in myself I hardly heard a beat of feather wings. I cried, then the beat came closer I finally looked up and looked to the left and saw a a young man on a spotted pegesus. “Darren!” I shouted.
“Hold on!” He yelled.
“SSSCCCCCREEAAAAAAAWWWWWW!!!!”
I looked up and saw the Darkon coming down to me with speed. I looked at Darren again and he came closer then he suddenly dived down. “Wai-” I looked down and Darren had positioned himself under me and was rising to meet me in the middle. I prayed that this would work, I closed my eyes and waited.

A pause, it felt like time slowed down, I let myself relax. My arms slowly went up and my legs began to fly above my head. I felt the warmth of the Ace and Darren coming closer. I suddenly came into contact with Darren's arms and time instantly sped up and the next thing I knew I was in Darren's arms and we were flying.

The beat of Ace's wings were constant and rhythmic, and was somewhat comforting but Ace was breathing like an chaotic war horse, and I heard Darren's heartbeat and I was aware again of the danger. I opened my eyes and looked up and saw Darren drenched in sweat and his hair flying in the wind. He looked down at me and smiled slightly then it washed away.

I heard another horse's neigh (I guess that's what you call it) and I turned and saw Whisper coming for us, “Hold on!” She yelled.
SCCCRRRAWWWWWWW!!!!!
I looked behind and saw the Drakon coming at us with gathering speed. I turned and Whisper was close.
“Jump Hannah!” Whisper shouted.
“I have a morbid fear of falling!” I shouted.
“That was, random.” Darren replied.
I looked up to Darren and frowned, “I was talking to Whisper.”
Darren made a face as I turned back to Whisper, I sighed and quickly jumped blindly from Darren and Ace and began to fall, again...

“Knees apart! You goober!” Whisper yelled.
I quickly separated my knees and waited on Whisper.
I heard Whisper come up under me and then she caught me and I tighten my legs around her and I was back in this game. The Drakon came against me again, “WHAT DO YOU WANT WITH ME!?” I shouted. She hacked and gargled and I couldn't understand her.
“Whatever!” I shouted back, and took up my knife again, if I had it. I looked at my hand and then my head shot back to the moment when I was knocked off of Whisper my knife was knocked out my hand and...
“Oh snap!” I shouted.

I quickly improvised and drew a arrow from my quiver and handled the arrow like a miniature spear-tipped sword. The Drakon barred her ashy fangs at me her claws facing me, but I never made contact with her, neither did the Drakon. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a blur of black and, “Lilly?!” I shouted.

Lilly apparently didn't hear me, and then I saw a cloud that was green around her relaxed hand that was behind her and she seemed to ready herself for a strike. “Lilly!” I screamed. She didn't hear me as she was flying to the right side below the Drakon intending for a deadly strike. “Lilly!”

Lilly raised her hand forward and readied to hit the Drakon! The Drakon screaled, reeling, and flipping backwards in the sky.
“What was that?” Whisper asked.
The Drakon screamed in pain and turned her full attention to Lilly, who was now shimmering in green.
“Has she ever been able to do that?” I asked Whisper.
“No.”

I heard Darren shout, I turned my head and there was Darren with his arm raised with his knife. Lilly looked and yelled, “Darren NO! You'll get k-”
It was too late, Darren slashed at the Drakon but it phased through like the other times and then the Drakon retaliated and swung a claw at his face, and with a slash, I saw flesh come off and blood flew.
“DARREN!” I screamed as he fell backwards and his back hit Ace's backside. Ace whirled his head around and yelled, “Medic!”

The Drakon grinned and moved in for the kill, but Lilly had somehow fired a green shimmering cloud and got her attention and fired quickly to get the Drakon's complete attention. Whisper and I hurried to Darren and Ace's side. When we came up Darren groaned putting his hands to his face, blood already was seeping through his fingers.
“Darren let me see.” I said gently.
“No!” He shouted his grip around his face tightened, “Go! Help Lilly!”
I looked up and saw Lilly somehow furiously fighting with her green clouds.
“I, I, can't.” As much as I hated to admit it, I couldn't help, and I was afraid to with Lilly fighting the was she was I wasn't going to get in the middle of that, “I can help you. Now let me see.”
I gently pulled Darren's hands away and his face was sliced four times across his face, blood covered his face, and his lip was quivering.

“I wish I knew more about first aid.” I said coupled with a nervous chuckle.
“Stop the bleeding.” Darren groaned.
I nodded and looked at Darren's saddle bag and flipped through the medical bag and found gauze. In the background I heard the Drakon shrieking in pain as I held the gauze in my hand and pulled the fabric. I began wrapping Darren's face, he flinched as accidentally I touched the wounds. I made sure Darren was able to see out of one eye, his eyelashes were coated with blood and his eyes were bloodshot moving moving around quickly, I thought he was still in shock.
“Calm down Darren.” I said putting my gentle hand against his gauze covered cheek.
“I can't.” I thought I heard him mumble.

I felt a cool come over me and I put my palm against Darren's forehead, “Shhh. Peace be still.”
Darren took in a long breath and his eye closed and his head slowly fell against my bad shoulder I flinched, “Darren?”
He didn't answer I checked for a pulse and then I saw his breathing, like he was,
“He's sleeping!” Lilly cried out.

I turned my head and saw that the Drakon was gone, (gosh I wish I'd stop rhyming) and Lilly was coming up to us.
“What happened to the Drakon?” I asked.
“Magic is what kept it together and magic is what will destroy it.”
“Magic?” I asked.
Lilly nodded, “I think my godly parent is Hecate. She hasn't claimed me but I think she's it.”

The feather wings of all three pegesi were beating, I held Darren's head on my shoulder, I looked around for a second and then, “Let's land, start a fire, and tell me all about it.”

Notes