Page 23 of Upon Buried Embers
“Hurry up!”
“Ow!” I’m yanked hard, a rough grip bruising my arm.
“There’s a clearing up ahead, we will not slow down—”
“Wild Dragon!” Someone shouts, and I’m pushed to the side, watching in horror as talons swoop down, picking up a cart ahead of us.
Screams penetrate the quiet, two people falling out of the cart as the horse attached tries to flee, dangling in the harness helplessly.
Oh no.
It’s lifted higher into the air and out of sight through the treetops as people scramble about.
“Get to the clearing!” Rohan shouts as my wide eyes stay on the grueling scene before me. “Drogonah!”
Everyone runs ahead, the squeals of a horse filling my ears. Then all of the sudden... it stops and blood rains down from above.
And then comes the fire.
It spews like lava upon the ground, the snow instantly melting. Shouts of alarm ring out and everyone scrambles for the clearing. Rohan barks more orders as he moves toward that fire, and I’m dragged along, being pulled by the rope.
He stops when he realizes and turns, face harsh as he lifts the axe high and I squeal, pulling away, but all he does is cut through the rope.
“Follow the others, and don’t youfuckingdare run.” He gets in my face. “Do you understand me?”
“Y-yes,” I gasp, and with one last glare, Rohan runs toward the fire, and my chest wheezes with fear as I look around me.
It’s…chaos.
Horses run, carts are being abandoned, and that fire…
It’s all burning, even the frozen trees, running along its branches as flames spread around us.
I get to my feet, only to be shoved down again by a fleeing man, who doesn’t even look back.
I get up again and begin to run with the others, looking back to make sure that fire isn’t near us. Another roar, and I spot a blue dragon landing ahead of us, I think it’s one of the Dragorie’s because it stands sentinel while the others go around.
I’m one of the last in the group that will reach it, and I have to pause and lean against a tree to catch my breath, my side aching. I’m not going to make it.
But then… Why am I trying?
I look from the clearing to where Rohan approaches the fire, axe in hand, standing tall and I take a breath.
He cut the rope, no one is paying attention to me.
I move around the tree and pause, waiting to be called out, to be shouted at and looked for, but nothing comes.
It’s now or never.
I run.
Eight
Rohan
Drogonah bites into the wild dragon’s neck, growling in displeasure that he dared encroach on what he considers his. Which is me, and by extension, my clan.
The wild dragon fights back, claws cutting into Drogonah and I growl, twirling the axe in my hand. I step up next to the fire, the flames barely heating my skin.
