Chapter Text
Mel heard the screaming before she saw the creatures.
Trinity and Samira were yelling at Mel to run and Mel tried to remain calm as she left the servants quarters. The three girls ran down the stairs to the underground bunker that was used for these exact situations.
There were many servants running for that shelter and the girls did not only have to fear the creatures that would come for the women in the castle, but also fear the possibility of being trampled on by other fearful women seeking shelter.
The dragons that plagued their home village would target women only, the males and children were left alone, no one knew why. Whenever the monsters came, they would always leave with at least ten women, sometimes more.
It was getting worse as the winter months faded and spring approached.
This seemed to be a pattern that the dragons would follow every year.
The spring and summer months were the worst times of the year for women over the age of twenty one.
None of the women that were taken were ever seen again.
Mel always had a feeling that her time was coming. She kept this thought to herself but she knew deep down that her luck of avoiding capture was quickly running out.
The doors to the bunker were starting to close and their group was towards the back by the time they reached the underground shelter.
Samira tried to yell at the guards to keep the gate open as long as possible but they ignored her cries.
Mel heard three big thuds against the castle's walls and she felt true fear climb up her spine.
Trinity grabbed both girl's hands and tried to push their way to the front but there were just too many bodies fighting against them for the spot of protection.
Mel turned to look back and wished she hadn't.
Three dragons broke through the ceiling and landed only about 50 feet from the remaining women.
The guards pushed back any stragglers and fully shut the doors. There were about twenty women left and Trinity, Samira, and Mel were a part of that unlucky group.
Smaller dragons followed in from the same entrance and soon the women were corralled into the middle of the building.
Many of the women were crying and praying, Trinity was not a part of that majority. She held onto Mel and Samira and was staring down a female dragon.
The female dragon titled her head and almost seemed to smile at Trinity's reaction. Mel knew that didn't make any sense but none of this made any sense to her. Why were the dragons just targeting women? And why only women that were above the age of twenty one?
The female dragon moved as quickly as lightning and in one moment, Mel and Samira were holding onto Trinity, and the next, Trinity was pulled away from them by the dragon's tail.
Trinity yelled out many profanities and struggled against the dragon’s hold on her leg.
Samira yelled out for Trinity and Mel felt her skin pale in color.
The other two big dragons were male and their gaze fell on the two girls. Mel looked into the eyes of one of the beasts and his eyes were icy blue. Mel tried to avoid thinking about dragons as much as she could in a world where dragons ruled, but she never thought the eyes of a dragon would be so beautiful. Maybe she was losing her mind in her last moments but his eyes seem to track her every moment.
The other male dragon had his eyes set on Samira. Samira looked into his eyes and refused to cower in fear in front of the massive creature.
The two males moved with that same uncanny speed as the female dragon and Mel didn't even have time to scream before she was wrapped up in the dragon's tail.
Samira was wrapped up in a similar manner and the dragon that held her captive seemed to be the oldest dragon in this group. His dark scales near his head were beginning to fade into gray or white colors.
The dragon that had chosen Mel, had black scales that seemed to shine blue in the light.
Mel waited for the tears to start but nothing came out. She felt nothing at this moment, as if her body was shutting down or her fear was making her completely freeze up.
The remaining women were all taken up by dragons and the dragon that held Mel, roared a commanding noise and took off into the air. The dragons followed his lead and Mel watched in horror as the ground quickly became so far away.
She clung to the dragon's tail and looked over to see Samira and Trinity.
Samira fainted as soon as they left the ground, she was terribly afraid of heights.
Trinity struggled against the tail that was wrapped around her and Mel wished she wouldn't while they were so up high in the air.
Mel closed her eyes and prayed that whatever the dragons had planned for them was quick. If she was to be killed, it would be a quick and easy death, nothing drawn out.
Mel would have never expected what the dragons actually had planned for them.