The Dragon's Bride
Chapter 30

“Catori, your father--”

She pushed Rydstorm away when he tried to comfort her. “My father is dead.”

Fang let out a laugh. “Trust me when I say that the old man isn’t dead. It takes a lot to kill such an ancient dragon. Obviously, the youngling didn’t know that.”

Catori was about to tell him off until she heard her father coughing, then saw that the hole in his chest was closing fast. There was a gasp from him before he sat up with a laugh.

“Dad?”

Lucian gazed at her with almost vacant eyes. “My child, my sweet, sweet child. Sorry if I had you worried.” He got to his feet and stretched. “That was a workout, I have been out of shape for so long.” He groaned.

Catori hugged him without saying a word.

“Aww, my youngling, no need to cry. I’m not going anywhere for a long time.” He then turned his eyes to Rydstorm. “You did a good job, boy.”

At his words, Rydstorm got down on one knee and bowed his head to show his respect for Nightwing. His fellow dragons did the same.

“Long live Nightwing,” Fang said.

“Long live the king.” The others followed.

Lucian shook his head. “You all can get up. I have long since retired from the throne. It now belongs to my daughter and her mate. It was well deserved.”

Rydstorm nodded.

Catori looked around the place, now seeing all the damage they had caused. The already small population in Desolation had dropped drastically, with its citizens’ bodies lining the ground. With a few others, either fighting for their lives, or badly injured.

“What’s going to happen to this place now?” Catori asked.

“I rebuild. Desolation was mine in the first place and I have no problem sharing with the dragons.”

“Nah, we are comfortable in the mountains.” Fang said.

Rydstorm slapped him on the back of the head. “I think that is for my mate to decide.”

Catori shrugged. “I do like the mountains.”

Lucian nodded. “Very well. I can’t argue with you.”

“But what about them?” Catori pointed at the citizens that were still trying to make sense of their situation.

“They can stay. I’ll just have to explain to them what happened. If not, then I can always use manipulation on their minds. Let them forget about our existence. As for the town, it can double as a historical sight. Turn it into those Viking towns. That way they will have a lively hood and a job, and great income to develop this place.”

“You are planning to put their bones on display?” Fang laughed. “I love this guy, such a true hero. Shit, I was planning to take a few femurs back as keepsakes.”

“Halona!” Catori exclaimed, then ran off in the direction she saw her friend went.

“Halona!” She called out, hoping that she was ok and would hear her voice. “Halona!”

She stopped calling after hearing a little voice.

“Where are you?”

“Over here!”

Catori could hardly make out where the voice was coming from but gladly, she saw a hand sticking out from behind some rubble.

Catori rushed over to the hand and began to pull the large stones away that were blocking her friend in.

“Is it over?” Halona asked after Catori pulled away the last of the debris and ripped off the door.

Catori nodded at her. “It is, we won.”

“So what will happen to us now?” Halona asked, looking around. “Everything is destroyed.”

“That is all up to my father. He is the true chief of this place, so it’s best to hear what he has planned.”

Halona nodded. She ducked back inside the small alcove, then emerged with her mother.

“Oh, dear child, I’m glad you are alright. When Halona told me you were going to fight, it had me fretting.”

Catori smiled at the older woman.

Halona’s mother then dropped down on the ground with a heavy sigh.

“Never in life did I think dragons would be real, but I knew that something was up with those Stones. I never trusted Akara. He might have had everyone fooled, but not me.” She laughed, then sobbed. Grieving for the loss of her husband.

Halona told Catori that they should give her mother some time and allow her to cry.

While Catori was walking back to where her father was, Rydstorm stopped her and scooped her up in his arms.

“Amica Mea, my bride. I promise that after we finish with cleaning up here, we can go home.”

Catori reached up and kissed him passionately. “I love you.”

Rydstorm grinned down at her. “I love you too, Catori.”

They made their way over to where Lucian was burning the bodies of the humans who didn’t survive and skinning the dragons and wyvern.

“Dad, what the heck are you doing?”

“I’m sure you aren’t blind, and I am serious about making a museum. I can make a living off this, even sustain the village for a long time to come.” He responded.

Catori gave a smile, but it was more of a grimace.

They helped to clean up Desolation as best as they could, putting out fires on the buildings and trying to save what they could.

Lucian pulled Catori into a hug, then kissed the top of her forehead. “Stand tall.” He said as his fear well.

Catori happily walked the path back up to her new home beside Rydstorm.

“Well, who would have thought? Me a dragon, and I got to kick ass as well.″ She laughed.

Fang, who was walking behind them, laughed and clapped Catori on the back.

“You will make a perfect queen.”

Rydstorm gave him a dirty look. His second in command raised his hand in the air with another laugh.

When they got to the entrance, Rydstorm froze, then hurried off into the main area of the palace.

“Alice!” He was yelling.

Catori chased after him. So did Fang and Winona. The further they got, the more bodies they saw lining the hall.

“Alice,” Winona said, beginning to cry.

But when they got to the war room, they saw Alice there, tending to the wounds of an elderly woman.

″Oh, no… my… shit!” Fang gave out, then stopped in his tracks.

Catori glanced back at him, wondering what his problem was.

“Alice, what happened?” Rydstorm asked, taking her by the shoulder and shaking her.

“We were attacked. When you left, wyverns were let in. We were left unprotected, but...” she began to cry.

Winona knelt beside her little sister. “It is alright, you are alright now.”

Alice shook her head. “But I was weak, so many of them died and it took their crying for me to get brave and finally transform into my dragon, but even with that and the help of the nymphs, so many were still injured and lost their lives.”

“We don’t have that many deaths, your highness. You’re wise and protected us well. I have gone ahead, counting our loss. It is hardly over ten.” An old man in a grey robe said.

Rydstorm smiled down at his younger sister. “Alice, you did well, and you also got your dragon at the same time.”

Fang came over at that. He had a dazed look in his eyes as he dropped down before Alice and took her hand in his.

“Mate?” He said.

Alice looked up at him, her face went red.

“What?” Rydstorm and Winona said at the same time.

Alice seemed about to pass out.

“Isn’t Nita your mate?” Catori asked.

Alice began to cry again. “Nita.”

“No, don’t tell me she is dead,” Catori said.

Alice looked up at her with teary eyes. “I had to kill her. She was the one who let the wyverns in. She was one of them but did a spell to surpass who she truly was, she had us all fooled.”