Dawn of the Last Dragon Rider - Chapter 001 - A Mother's Commitment (Patreon)

Tomorrow. Tomorrow, she would escape or die, taking her child with her either way. She had been watching and waiting for this chance for months.

She watched her brown and copper-colored egg vibrate slightly as Stioks ran his hand along the top of it.

“You should be proud to know your child will be my dragon.  When it hatches, we will rule this kingdom and others all because of the power we share.”

Stioks’s face cracked as he smiled at Indyn, blood seeping from the small fissure that appeared when he smiled.  She saw the damage that she had done to him years ago when he captured her.  The left side of his face, scalp, and shoulder was burnt beyond all healing.  His bloodshot left eye contrasted sharply against the obsidian black section of his face as it tracked her.  He never wore his helmet when he came to torment her, more than happy to remind her that her best had not been enough to defeat him.

“Is your collar bothering you, Indyn?  I would take it off, but we both know I have not broken you enough to stay where you belong.  Yet...”

Shaking her neck, Indyn felt the rusty metal collar rub against her silver scales as the huge red metal chains attached to its sturdy loops scraped across the stone floor and connected to the stone walls of her prison.  The cave she was confined to had been carved out of the mountain, and a small window with bars was the only source of light in her cell.  The stone roof was intentionally low to prevent her from standing at her full height.

Indyn Released a bestial roar in Stioks face. She felt the rage and shame of knowing she had been pulled from the skies and imprisoned within the hole she was kept in, hoping she might birth an egg. If she could have, she would have engulfed him in flames, even if it would have cost her child its life, but her collar prevented it. It would have been a mercy and prevented a life of slavery.

Stiok’s chuckled at her futile display of rebellion.  He moved closer to Indyn when he saw the runes on the collar glowing. Standing a few feet from her muzzle, he turned the burnt side of his body to her and gently tapped the burnt part of his chin.

“I think you missed a spot around here,” Stioks added. He laughed at his own joke far too loudly.

“Try to enjoy your time off,”  he called as he left her prison cave.  “Juthom and I will return in a week and see if my newest addition is ready for the ceremony.”

Not long after torturing her with his presence, Indyn saw Juthom and Stioks ride to the east through her cell’s window.  Right behind him were the other three female dragons who worshiped Juthom, leaving the mountain for the feeding grounds.  Their complete devotion to Juthom allowed them freedom she would never be given.

They despised her for giving birth to an egg without having to be taken by Juthom.  For years, they had freely given themselves each time they were in heat.  He had ridden them across the skies, but thankfully, none of them had produced an egg.  They revered him because he was a black dragon and a powerful creature who was almost as old as she was.

It has to be the magic Stioks infects Jothum with.  That could be the only reason why they cannot seem to conceive.  That awful human reeked of death, and everything he did caused damage to the kingdom.

What fool of a man coops four female dragons together?  It was a wonder none of them had killed each other yet.

She knew Juthom and Stioks were headed out to ravage the countryside and make kings pay tribute of large caravans of food and wealth to his mountain.  Even with all they could ask for brought to their doorstep, Stioks and Juthom felt the need to terrorize the people.  Stioks and Juthom were the reason the kingdoms had hunted her kind for centuries.  Men like Stioks were the reason the world had hunted them.  The world had forgotten the age of Dragon Riders.  When men and dragons bled and died together to safeguard the innocent.

That fool was moving them all anyways.  He had a city built for them.  For years he had forced the two kingdoms to the east to construct a hall he felt was worthy of his power.  He said towers for each of us, but Indyn knew what they were.  Prisons.  They were captives that only had one purpose.  To bear an egg for him. A dragon he would bond with.

The three of them disappeared from her view. They would be gone for hours, gorging themselves, hoping against hope it would allow them to get pregnant when Juthom took them.

Finally, those three fools are gone.

Indyn unwrapped herself from her egg and struck the chain near her neck again with her last talon. She had been striking it for half a day, hitting the same spot every time.  Two talons were gone already, broken by the magic in the chain. But she could feel the link weakening.

When her last talon snapped off, she snarled in frustration. Testing the chain with her aching nub of a claw confirmed her suspicions. The link was almost broken. So close! It was now, or never if she would get away before the other three returned, and just like that, she would lose her only chance.  She strained against the chain, tugging with all of her might.  No one would call her weak, but this prison was built to hold her and her alone.

They had believed it was enough.

They had underestimated her will.

She struggled to breathe as the collar began to choke her.  Every ounce of strength she had surged through her back legs as she strained to break free of the chain.

It dug deep into her neck, cracking scales that most weapons could never hope to pierce.  Blood ran down the chain, but she felt the weakened link failing.

They will not break me! Indyn screamed in her mind.

Her back claws dug into the stone, creating deep furrows as she groaned.  She was so close, but the pain was worse than anything she had ever experienced.

Her gaze landed on the egg.  Inside the pit of her stomach, her rage roared from red- to white-hot, its fire fueled by a mother’s love for her first and only child.  With one last massive lunge, she gave everything she had left and drove her body across the room of her cave.

The link snapped, and Indyn crashed into the stone wall beside the gate, shaking the room and causing small rocks to pelt the floor. She lay there, almost motionless, as she tried to regain her breath.  Blood ran down her neck, painting her silver scales a rusty red.

She was not worried. She would heal in time.

It was over. Freedom was hers.

Joy filled her heart, replacing the rage, as she beheld her child, knowing they would escape this place.  Carefully she lifted her egg in her claws as she prepared to leave when a jolt of pain lanced through her hands where they touched the smooth bronze shell.

Something was wrong with her egg!

[ Identify ]

*****

Bronze Egg

Sex - Unknown

Ailments

Cursed - ???

*****

Oh no, no no. This can’t be?! She thought frantically as she stared first at that notification, then at her only child.

STIOKS!! She seethed, not daring to bellow her rage, worried she might attract unwanted attention.

Glancing outside, she checked to see if she could spot Juthom’s broodmares returning from the feeding ground. When she didn’t, she collected her mana and empowered a spell.

[You cast Dispel curse on [Bronze Egg]]

[ Dispel failed - this curse is too high level to remove ]

Flexing her neck, Indyn winced as the collar rubbed against her broken scales.  She sighed, knowing what she had to do.

[ You cast Transference on [Bronze Egg]]

[ Transference Complete ]

[ You are now cursed - Unable to heal]

[You are now cursed - you are being tracked ]

A scream escaped Indyn that was nothing compared to the fire that suddenly raged through her bones.  She felt weakened, and her body ached.  The effect of the curse was more than she had imagined!

Blinking back tears, she grasped her child in her talons.

We must go now, little one!

Ignoring the pain that wracked her body, she kicked the door with her back leg. The wooden door tore off its hinges and clattered into the massive hallway outside her prison. Together they moved into the hallway and toward the exit of the mountain that had been her prison for years.  They needed to escape now!

A day into their prison break, Indyn had noticed the three females miles behind her.  She glanced back as she had every so often and saw them as she had been slowly gliding below the clouds. She was trying to decide if she would trust her egg and her life with the Dragon Rider she had heard about in the West.

The curse!

Frustration filled her as she knew that plan would not be viable anymore.  If Stioks and Juthom attacked the Dragon Rider with these three, he would stand no chance at all.

She beat her wings and rose into the clouds, feeling the cool moisture across her scales as she climbed above them.  They would still be able to track her, but she needed to add some distance between her and them while she figured out her next move.

[ Activate Flight Burst ]

The wind buffeted against her as she surged forward.  Her skill launched her across the sky like a bolt of lightning.  Her talons gripped tightly around her child as she left a trail of clouds swirling in her wake.

What to do?  Where can I go?

Her egg moved slightly in her claws, and she rotated her head slightly as she streaked across the sky and gazed upon it.

I will find you somewhere safe!

By the second day of non-stop flying, fatigue was setting in, and Indyn felt the slow and steady trickle of blood that ran down her neck.  She had been cooped up in the mountain far too long, and the stamina she had once enjoyed when she roamed free was gone.

She knew where she needed to go and changed her direction, realizing the only hope her child had was a future without her.  The mountain range near Ebonmount would be the safest place for her child.  It had been home to dragons ages ago and was her only option now.

Checking behind her was a constant chore, and she had to drop below the cloud level to ensure she could spot her pursuers if they got near.  This plan would require everything she had, yet she still did not know if it would be enough.

A predatory smile still remained on her face as she glided across the sky.  Hundreds of years being up here had taught her how to fly as efficiently as possible.

Blast those three!

She knew this moment would come; changing direction allowed them to catch up. Sometime during the early morning, they had appeared miles behind her.  She had almost not seen them as they had climbed high into the sky, right below the clouds.  Against the red and orange colors of the sky, she had noticed that petty yellow female, Upi.  Her youth and size allowed her to close the distance faster than the other two.

Gazing down at the landscape, Idyn calculated the distance she was from where she needed to be.  She was almost a day from where she was headed.  Based on the lead she had now and the time she expected she would need, she would have to wait a while before using her flight skill again.

As the third day stretched on and the sun started to set, Indyn knew the time to make her move had come.  The sun would block their view of her as she made her next move.

Fear not, little one. Mother has a plan.

[ Activate Flight Burst ]

Indyn’s wings felt weak.  Four days of constant flying combined with the stress of her flight skill was taking its toll.  She glanced down again and saw her small bronze egg nestled gently between her massive claws. She cherished these last few moments she had, caressing her child that was moving inside.  Soon she would have to abandon it.  Soon it would hatch, and she would rather die than let it fall into Stioks hands again.

Hold on, little one, Indyn thought as she crested over the top of the snow-capped mountain.

Growling to herself, Indyn admitted that bastard Stioks was no fool. The trap he set on the egg had cursed her, and she could not heal, plus the three females could follow her.  The cut on her neck had never healed. More blood flowed from it every day, weakening her even more.  Every second counted now before she bled to death.

Her eyes were heavy when she spied what she had been looking for.  For days she had flown here, knowing a quarry was located in the circle of mountains that dragons once claimed.  She hoped it would be refuge enough for her unborn child.

[ Flight Burst Expired ]

Indyn groaned and tucked her wings as she dove down the mountainside. Using her skill to widen her lead on the three dragons chasing her was draining her mana at an incredible rate. Soaring to the bottom of the quarry at night, she was unseen by the world.  No one saw her massive form blocking out the stars in the night sky.  There were only a few small lights off in the distance of the town that worked these rocks.

Stupid females for wanting a dragon like that for a mate.  Those young ones had no idea what it meant to be free.

Indyn had not seen them since yesterday evening.  She had used that skill multiple times to press a lead she knew she needed for this exact moment.  Everything was riding on it.

She had planned the details of her escape, but everything had gone sideways when she found herself cursed.  Now she had to follow this different path.  She would save her child even if it meant she would never see them hatch.

Lost in those thoughts, Indyn ignored the pain consuming her body, the darkness eating her from within.

Status, she thought.

*****

Indyn - Adult Female Dragon

Age - 247 years

Color - Silver

HP - 12,740/30,000

MP - 1358/5000

Ailments

Exhausted -  You are slowed and unable to regenerate mana

Cursed - Unable to heal while cursed

Cursed - You are being tracked

Bleeding

*****

Almost crashing as she landed, her wings flopped against her back.  This small break would be the only rest she would experience for days.

She found a spot off to the side of some large boulders and quickly dug a small hole in the hard-packed dirt. She needed a place that would work for what she had in mind. She carefully dug out a spot where stones would protect her child.  She made a little divot and gently set it in the hole she had created.

A massive toothy grin spread over Indyn’s muzzle as she drew on her mana again.  She had never used this spell even though she had learned it a century ago.  Now she knew it was time and would grant it to her child.  Her silver body glowed in the night as the light spread from her whole body to the tip of her nose.  She bent down and touched it against her egg, and the light left her and caused the egg to glow brightly for a moment before the area faded into darkness once more.

[ You cast Nemesis Transference on [Bronze Egg]]

[ Nemesis has been set to Stioks ]

Indyn sagged from the mana that she had expended but knew it would be well worth it for her child.  Both her child and anyone who managed to bond with them would be blessed if they ever fought that man.

Someone will find you.  Someone will help you! She thought as she pushed her will upon her child.  The bronze and brown egg twitched in reaction to the brush of her consciousness.  It understood its mother’s desire for it even while trapped within its shell.

Grow strong!

Covering her egg with a few larger rocks, she set one gently against the others.  If no one came and her child had to hatch without someone to bond with, it could escape by pushing the rock out.  In these woods, it would find game and be able to grow.

Moving a little from that spot, Indyn quickly grabbed a rock that matched the size of her egg and gently blew a small fire on it.  The rock turned a dark brown color, and she hoped it would work for what it needed it for.

Launching herself from the ground, she took off back into the sky.  Her wings ached as she struggled to gain height and started the climb to go away from her child.  Unable to beat them fast enough, she crashed into a few trees as she took off. Her body struggled to fly.  Indyn’s heart felt broken, but she knew this was better than the alternative.  No child of hers should be enslaved from birth.

As she slowly climbed into the night sky, Indian glanced at the shrinking landscape.  Trees, farms, and a village all filled her vision.  Up north, she saw the lights of the town called Ebonmount.  This was the place her child would call home.

Her eyes snapped open, and Indyn dove down as the fake egg she carried slipped through her talons.  She had fallen asleep for just a moment as the exhaustion of another day caught up with her.  Her heartbeat was weaker, and she felt cold.  The blood loss was taking a toll.  The ground was rushing toward her at an alarming rate, and she frantically snatched at the rock as it tumbled through the air.

Her claws wrapped around it, and she stretched her wings out to slow her descent and try and regain some altitude.

Focus, you fool!

She was angry with herself.  Being weak and falling asleep was not an option.  Her child deserved hope and a future, and it required her to push past her limits.

There was still another day before she could reach the final part of this plan.  She knew the others were gaining on her despite not seeing them today.  It was nearing nighttime, and surely they must be suffering as she was.  Even without a curse, they must be just as exhausted, Indyn made herself believe.

Her lungs were only allowing shallow breaths now.  Tomorrow afternoon would be all she needed to make it through.  Panting, she beat her wings and gained altitude.  Flying this low to the ground would not be good if she fell asleep again.

Pain wracked Indyn's weakened body as she roared in pain. A bolt of lightning from Upi struck her.

The fake egg in her talons almost fell from her grasp again.  She had not known that carrying this rock's weight in her weakened condition would slow her down this much.  Between it and her exhaustion, the three females had finally managed to catch up to her.

Even without that blasted yellow dragon, Upi, barely clipping her with a violent bolt of lightning, Indyn's body was at its limits, and she struggled to stay airborne and out of reach of the three female dragons. Early this morning, they had closed the distance so easily.

“Give up the egg!” Upi roared as she flew a few hundred meters behind Indyn.  “Surrender, and perhaps Juthom will let you live to see the hatching!”

Indyn ignored her and the other two.  Up ahead, just a few miles away, was what she had been dedicated to reaching this whole time.

The smoke from the volcano was billowing out.  Magma peaks never stopped churning lava down the mountainside.  No one lived here due to the poisonous clouds and the unforgiving terrain.  Here she would sacrifice herself for the freedom of her child.

[ Activate Flight Burst ]

[ Insufficient Mana ]

Indyn cursed.  She had used it this morning for a little more distance between her pursuers.  Her mana was gone, and she was at death's door.  The curse had let them track her, and the inability to heal had left her bleeding this entire time.  This chase would end one way or another very soon.

She beat her wings.  Over and over, ignoring how badly they ached, her will was the only thing keeping them moving.  They might catch her, but she would make sure it would cost at least one of them their life if they tried.

“After her!” bellowed Upi.  “Juthom will torture us if she gets away or something happens to that egg!”

“Let her die!  Then he will be all ours!” Vivines hissed.  The red dragon struggled to stay near Upi.  Her larger body prevented her from being as fast as the yellow dragon.  “We will fly her down and snatch the egg from her dead body!”

Upi fired off another shot of her lightning but narrowly missed as Indyn's body gave out momentarily, missing a beat of her wings from exhaustion.

“She will run out soon.  The curse has her,” Upi roared in exaltation.

Indyn’s body had no more to give. She was operating past her limit.  Her will to save her child was the only thing keeping her wings moving.  Her heart felt like it was going to explode in her chest.  She almost dropped the rock again as her talons felt unable to hold onto it. She struggled to re-secure the fake egg every time she flapped her wings.  If she dropped it now, they would realize she had tricked them and would search for the egg, her egg.  Indyn focused on one thing as she fought to stay in the air, knowing her child would be safe.

She was grateful to any gods that might have allowed Upi to miss her lightning shot.  Had Upi hit, she would be plummeting to the ground right now, and all this pain would have been for nothing.

She was just a single mile now from the edge of the volcano.  She could feel the heat from here.  The smoke in the air rose high into the sky and burnt her exhausted lungs.  She could taste her own blood with every breath.

Smiling, Indyn risked a glance back and saw the three female dragons were closer now, but they were too far to stop her now.  They did not realize what she was committed to.  Had they known, they would have run her down hours ago, no matter the cost.

Commitment to the point of self-sacrifice.  You three will never understand this, Indyn declared to herself.  This is what separated a true dragon from those mindless slaves that thought they had her.

She tucked her wings and dropped from the sky.  Angling herself, she dove toward the opening of the volcano.  She saw the molten lava as it bubbled and popped.  The red glow of extreme heat would kill any dragon after enough time.  It would be her resting place.

“What is she doing!” Vivines cried as she saw the angle Indyn suddenly took.

“Strike her down!” Upi called out, but she knew it was too late.

They were too far away, and Indyn was too close to the opening.

Indyn hit the magma with a blazing splash, and her body plunged deep beneath the molten rock.  Her mouth opened to scream from the pain, but hot molten lava rushed down her throat and scorched her from the inside, cutting off all sound.  As the last flicker of her life burnt out, her last thought was this:

Be free, my child! Live!