The War of the Isles

14. Charlie

We walked back into our guest house silently.  My wound was still hurting when a realisation struck me. 

The purpose of your life is to serve beings greater than you.

What about me? My purpose? My parents? Have I not had enough? I had spent the greater part of my life living for other people. And now, I was going to work for a man who I knew nothing about, just to improve his Dragonfighter Unit. 

My chest was aching as my thoughts floated over Christina. Her death had been needless. 

All of this was Dhara's fault. 

She had always taken me for granted. Try as I might, to help her. And now we were stuck here for a good time. Just when I thought that responsibility had finally shown her grace to Dhara. How could I be so stupid?

Dhara walked beside me. Her face was crimson, and her fists were balled tight as she swung them aggressively. She kept muttering something to herself, but it was inaudible. I knew that in a true Dhara fashion, she would burst into her room, slam the door and not speak with anyone until she cooled down.

After we reached our accommodation, that's exactly what she did. The sound of the door reverberated in the corridors. The king's guards looked confused. I looked at Leslie but she seemed distracted and irritated. For once, I did not blame her. She looked at one of the guards.

"Have some wine sent into my room. I could use a fucking break."

Wilson, Franz and Benji too entered their rooms albeit quietly. I was all alone. 

"Let me check on my dragons," I told a guard who was nearby. "I will return shortly."

I found my path towards the dragon hub. It was only about fifteen minutes away from the guest house. Most dragons were sleeping. 

Even the most professional dragon fighters do not dare to go to a dragon base during the night. A sleeping dragon, if accidentally woken up is capable of killing even the riders that they share an emotional bond with. But I knew my way around sleeping dragons better than most.

I walked towards the end of the Hub where the Forty-Second Dragons were sleeping. Tayan and Ghrahrel cuddled with each other, sleeping peacefully.  Mika was awake but looked drowsy. She must have woken to my smell getting stronger as I had made my way through the hub.

She brought his giant face over my head and sniffed it.  That was the dragon's love language.

"Only you care about me," I whispered. "Only you worry about me."

I sniffled a soft sob that I had been holding within.

"I am tired of being strong for her Mika, you know that. I love her, and I know that she cares for me, but for once, I want to live for myself. Be my own person. I want to be helped for a change Mika. Can you help me?"

Mika snorted gently. Her eyes showcased a sense of love and compassion. It was as if, she was trying to tell me that he was there for me. 

"Will you take me home?"

Her head turned gently towards her right hind leg. A giant iron chain was fitted into it. The Yahanbhagis had detained our dragons upon our arrival. Chaining them was an obvious thing that they would have done. 

How could I be so stupid?

Mika let out another gentle snort. She looked at me, looked at the chain, and looked back at me again with hope.

I immediately understood. 

I gestured for Mika to turn away from Ghahrel and Tayan's faces. I did not want them to toast us once they woke up. And yes, they would be woken up with a jitter.

I walked to the chain slowly and summoned the Divine Energy to my maximum capability. Mika's head loomed over mine. We both were ready. 

"Fire!"

I let out a burst of energy aiming for the chain. Mika breathed fire at the same time. It took a few seconds, but the chain melted. She was free.

I heard fires burst around me. All the dragons were now awake. I had to act quickly.

I climbed over Mika and realised that my saddle was missing. There was no time to retrieve it.

"FLY," I cried. 

Mika looked at me questioningly.

"Fly, Mika, I will hold on!"

I desperately grabbed her scales. My legs were free, but there was nothing that I could do to hold on. I had to hang against her.

She let out a huge roar as we ascended upwards. The scales were slippery but I held on for dear life. There was fire everywhere. Confused dragons roaring in anger.

As Mika took to the skies and flew westwards, I looked behind at Yahanbhag. The fires in the dragon hub were blazing rapidly. I heard bells ringing. The moon was shining above the city, its radiance complimenting the yellow flames from the hub.

I, Charlie Moller. A veteran of many Dragon battles, now making a run from the only life I had known. I was officially a deserter.

The Dragon King would now live for himself. Nobody belonged to him and he belonged to nobody.