The First Dragon Riders

• Alyssa Wolfe, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2015

Stars shimmered on the underside of a dragon's wing, Crimson blood staining the membrane. The dragon lumbered forward, defending his injured wing at the body. He roared as he perceived the skull of another dragon and I felt a tear on my cheek as his pain enlarged, flourished. I know I have to keep sprinting, away from the hunters, their swords and guns. If I die, my mate passes, our species is extinct. We both were told to run, sent by my mother. She's gone now. If we don't keep going we're joining her. I grunt, signalling for my mate, Trigger, to pursue me.
It wasn't until we were enjoying a hurried rest, that I detected a knight's clatter of armour and stampede of guns, followed by an excited cheer. We had been discovered! The other dragons had been slain trying to protect us, because we were last years hatchlings, meaning we could survive on our own and were youngest. I leaped to my paws at the sound and roared to my mate, desperation in his eyes. My jaw set in defiance, we were going to have to fight our enemies and possibly be better than any dragon before us. I called out to the knights, who we could now clearly see.
"Hrar faidae dì songraler!" meaning; 'We will not surrender without a fight!'
I jumped forward, knocking over a few men with my arrow-headed tail. My wings spread out, and more people scattered back. I don't think they expected a fight, us being the last of our species and injured. I leaned down to pick up one of the humans, and I chose a shuddering child. I took mercy on him and bent over to place him on my back. Trigger watched in dismay as the Knights took my lack of attention as an opportunity and battered me with swords. It barely hurt, more like a tickle.
I felt a burning where the child was and a thought enclosed around my head, a command. I fought the urge to obey it, but failed and launched myself into the sky. I heard armour clatter near my ears and a shout ring out to all.
"Leave the dragons alone, for their race shall not be lost for our cowardly acts of so called courage!"
I watched in astonishment as weapons were dropped and the Knights began to bow. I cocked my head, my lungs still too young to carry enough air to fly any longer. I knew that also took my ability to breathe fire and retreated to Trigger.
"Hush, Lauren," he whispered. I nodded.
The King, the one who led the deadly Knights, stepped forward and did what looked like scold the young boy. I heard some important, key words, which my mind connected into a realisation. They wanted to use us to ride and patrol his land, to protect. He was the prince and his father had just agreed as a look of acceptance crossed the King's face.