The dragon’s weakest rider

9

The impact sent Eryx sliding across the training grounds before crashing into a stone pillar at the edge of the arena. Pain instantly surged in his body, his body squeezing in discomfort as he struggled to take in breaths.

Across the arena, laughter erupted instantly.

“Sill of me to have thought that he would last longer than one hit.”

“I have seen children put up better fights than him and his ridiculous excuse of a dragon, Ha-ha!”

Cael rolled his shoulders lazily, feeling a deep sense of pride and accomplishment.

“I was expecting at least a little… entertainment.”

His Stoneback Dragon stomped forward with slow, crushing steps. It’s heavy steps shooked the earth beneath it. Every breath it released came out a rings of hot steam.

The instructor nodded approvingly.

“Excellent balance,” he commented. “Your dragon’s physical foundation is solid.”

Cael smirked at the comment and gave a respectful nod. Everyone thought the battle was over and the instructor was just about to announce him the winner when Eryx suddenly pushed himself up with a knee.

His vision was blurry as he tried to regain his balance, blood dripped from the corner of his mouth onto the ground.

Unfortunately for him, he wasn’t only feeling his pain but the pain of his dragon. It burned through his chest sending another agony spiraling through his body.

He slowly turned and his dragon lay where it had landed, unmoving.

For a beat, Eryx thought it had died but those soulless black eyes opened making him exhaled a relieved sigh.

Grow!

The word echoed down the bond again. Eryx raised a confused brow at his dragon.

“Eryx Varyn, do you yield?!” The instructor asked with a scowl on his face.

Before Eryx could respond, Cael’s dragon charged once more at the skeletal dragon as it struggled to stand. The impact sent the creature rolling across the area.

Dust exploded upwards covering it for a moment. A sharp pain instantly struck Eryx’s ribs.

“Arghh!” He cried before collapsing to the floor again, holding his side.

Every injury the dragon suffered was intensifying inside him.

“You won’t survive another exchange!” The instructor announced, irritated with Eryx’s lack of compliance to yielding.

Eryx forced himself up, staggering as he did. His breathing had become haggard as he slowly looked towards where his dragon led, the Stoneback standing beside it.

A thought struck him instantly. His dragon was starving! He remembered the mocking words of one of the instructors.

“If your dragon was too weak to hunt then, it is not supposed to exist.”

The word returned again and this time, it was louder that Eryx had to cover his ears.

GROW!

The Stoneback charged forward again, it’s jaws were wide open enough to swallow half the smaller dragon or instead to incinerate it.

“No!” Eryx shouted, his eyes widening with fear.

At that instant, the skeletal dragon didn’t dodge, it leaped forward, attaching itself to the neck of the Stoneback.

The crowd laughed.

“What the hell is it trying to do?”

“Perhaps it’s trying to hide or give up by coaxing Cael’s dragon since it’s master is being stupid,” another said, bringing out another round of laughter.

Then—

CRUNCH!

The laughter stopped instantly as everyone looked at the dragons. The skeletal dragon had buried its teeth into the Stoneback’s shoulder!

The Stoneback roared violently, twisting, bucking and slamming itself against the ground and rocks trying to shake the creature off its body.

But the skeletal dragon didn’t let loose, instead, it held on tighter. Its black eyes began to glow, dark veins spreading beneath its paper-thin skin.

A pindrop silence spread across the arena as some turned to look at Cael, whose face had gone pale instantly.

“What’s going on?!”

The movements of the Stoneback gradually slowed. Its furious roars became weaker by the minute, its powerful limbs began trembling. Meanwhile, the skeletal dragon’s ribs were no longer visible as before. It’s dull scales darkened from faded gray into polished Obisidan.

Eryx froze. He could feel a sense of warmth, strength and energy pouring through the bond like a rushing river. His wounds were slowly healing like a refreshing breeze, his aching relaxed and his breathing steadied.

Whatever it’s dragon was doing was refreshing both not itself but also him.

Across the arena, panic erupted immediately the Stoneback fell to the floor.

“Separate them!”

The instructor rushed forward instantly but before he could reach them, the skeletal dragon released its bite and walked gracefully towards Eryx.

It still looked small but no longer weak as before. The Stoneback however, wasn’t in a good shape. Its once muscular body looked unbelievably thinner, its breathing became labored, it tried to stand but ended up falling back to the ground.

The arena fell into complete silence.

Cael stared at his dragon.

“No!” He ran towards it. “Get up!”

The Stoneback blinked at its master. A low steam cloud came out of its nose. It no longer possessed the strength it had before. The instructor immediately examined it, his expression changing by the second.

“There are no fatal wounds, no internal injuries and no broken bones,” he slowly looked toward Eryx’s dragon clearly confused. “Then where did its strength go?”

No one could answer that, they all looked at the skeletal dragon standing obediently by Eryx’s side. It’s eyes staring back at the crowd.

The instructor cleared a voice, staring at his students. “The winner of this round is…”

He inhaled a breath, trailing off as if the words itself sounded bitter.

“Eryx Varyn.”