Wonders in the Trees

Pinning my wings against my side, I dove into the encounter spot. Bursts of flame signaled me of the battle that raged on in the clearing. Dragons I vaguely remember from the lab were circling around a black spot on the ground, hissing furiously as they attacked.

The black spot grew clearer as I approached. I growled as I caught a whiff of the creature's scent, a strong smell of sour rotten cheese that somehow, using whatever pheromones that were in that creature's pungent body, urged me to sink my teeth into its hide and let its blood spill all over. Overcome with the sudden aggression, I could barely focus enough to dodge a streak of fire sent my way. A greenish dragon shot me an apologetic glance for her misshot and dived back into the firestorm that was the clearing.

From the corner of my red-tinted vision, I spotted Tasha diving in and taking a bite of the creature's neck. I followed, pushing myself forward and clashing my jaws around it's back. A metallic scent trickled up my nostrils, blood pooling in my mouth as I hung onto the thrashing creature like a leech. Letting go just in time to avoid what would have been one its fiercest bites if it had connected, I launched myself upwards.

I glanced back to see the damage I dealt. I hadn't particularly caused as much harm as I'd like to, its skin was clearly tougher than my usual prey. And yet, a deep crimson liquid gushed out of the gaping wound to the ground in a rapidly flowing stream, leaving a bloody trail.

I flung myself upwards with a wingbeat, narrowly avoiding as the creature whipped its tail at me. Focusing on the fresh coolness nestled deep within me, I inhaled sharply. The coolness turned freezing as it bubbled behind my throat. A silver smoke blasted the creature in its face, pinning it tightly to the ground in a thick layer of shining blue ice.

The green dragon whose aim was just a tad bit worse than my abysmal social skills barely hesitated before she spat out a fireball. The second the flame came in contact with the ice, it cracked open in a massive explosion. Bright blue sparks danced across the thrashing creature and every surface available, leaving behind a burnt crisp.

I laid backwards in the air, tucking wings close and sliding out of the radius. Pain blossomed in white hot waves across my blurred vision, it stabbed into my consciousness like needles piercing fresh skin. Damn! Still too close to the explosion.

My tail guided me away, gathering with the rest of the flock before diving back into the fray, barely dodging streaks of flame. Damn whoever's aim was so horrid I almost got hit thrice in two seconds!!!! I screeched in my mind. The creature swung its massive tail, narrowly avoiding me but giving me just enough time to land another hit onto its hide.

The sickening squish and crunching of bone nearby told me something I didn't want to know. Tasha's body leaned limply against the bark of a tree, her wing in the most unnatural position I've ever seen, clearly broken.

Fuck.

She was still conscious, barely, but there was scarlet blood steadily dripping down her torn wing steadily, with a large gash revealing something white that could have been bone. How- When did this happen?!

I rushed over to Tasha's side, covering her protectively with a wing while watching the green dragonet go in for a bite. The creature turned and tried to catch her, but stumbled and missed her belly, leaving only a slight scrape on her tail. Tears beaded to my eyes. I haven't known you for a long time, but please, please don't die.

I flinched as a bolt of blue energy struck the creature, a hiss escaped my mouth out of reflex. The dragon scattered into the trees in a flurry of fearful screeches, leaving me and Tasha alone at the mercy of the gun-armed Kymari guards that arrived unnoticed. My ear tufts twitched with a mix of anticipation and anger as a tall, skinny Kymari poked the creature with his energy weapon. At least that thing's dead!

Tasha shrieked, shaking and panting as a Kymari came to inspect us. My wings curled tightly around Tasha, careful to not harm her. As he crouched down, I growled, baring my teeth towards the possible threat. Silver smoke slipped from between my teeth and into the air.

"Easy" The Kymari whispered, with a calm and soft voice, but I could sense the tension in it.

"SHUT UP" I yelled, knowing full well he couldn't understand it. He took a step back, maybe from my pissed off expression or he understood the intent of my screechings. I wouldn't let you hurt my only connection in this world.

I growled and pinned my ear tufts to the back of my head when I felt Tasha trembling under my wings out of pure panic. I bit back the gust of cold air that longed to escape my throat. Uncontrollable toxic and cold gas wasn't something I'd want to reveal to the Kymari, especially if we would end up captured.

My ear tufts pinned against my head, wanting to show the Kymari I wasn't afraid of him. He stared at me for a split second with shock, but he blinked it away in the next. Tasha's panic seemed to peak as she shot open her wings to fly, knocking my wings away. She faltered and with a screech of desperate defiance, pain seemed to overwhelm her and plummeted to the ground, laying very, very, still.

The Kymari used this opening to reach forward and gently pick Tasha up, before reaching for me. I lunged, planting a vicious bite on his arm. With a smooth and practiced twist of his hand, I was in his hold. Every single touch on my scorched scales sent needles stabbing into my back as the Kymari held me tight in his arms.

I tried to blink out the overwhelming pain as it radiated from every cell that was in contact with the Kymari. My wings were furled around me, shielding the burnt scales, so pained I didn't realize that a can of tranquilizer just blasted in my face.

My head swam, cold tendrils of darkness pulling me down. My vision began to blur, and I could barely make out the outline of Kymari getting in an odd white sphere with me and Tasha in hand. Even with the bright light of the shuttle, my vision blackened and as we started flying, I fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. FUCK YOUUUUUUUU