Rise of the Scaled Ones

Chapter 11

With her back pressed up against a tree and Derek hovering over her, a hungry, lust-filled look covering his face, Anjaleen knew she was really screwed. The knife pressed closer to her throat and she suppressed the urge to gulp.

Derek's cold black eyes narrowed as he pressed his body up against hers, "You thought you could escape me, huh? Thought you could run away, love? Well," He leaned in and nipped her neck, "you will never escape me."

She whimpered and dug her nails into the trunk of the tree. The bark pierced her fingers but she didn't care. Please stop, please stop, save me! But her silent pleading to Derek, the gods, to anyone went unanswered. She went limp in his arms, salty tears pricked her eyes and she shut them tight, but the tears still fell.

"Shh, love. No crying." Derek's thumb wiped her tears but he smiled like a shark, "No harm will come to you, darling."

She sobbed harder, shaking until the knife moved away from her throat.

"What do I need to do," Derek sighed, "To make you love me?" He cupped her him and traced imaginary patterns on her bare skin thanks to a tear caused by the rocks. "I could give you anything you want," he said, "I could give you a child."

She gasped and tried to writhe free but then the knife was back, "Yes," Derek laughed, "Right here I can give you a child! Right here in this forest!"

"No!" She screamed, "No!" She clawed at him with her nails, kicked at him, threw punches, even bit but he still pushed her to the ground. "Rhydian!" She screamed, "Rhydian, help me, please!"

A deafening roar echoed throughout the forest. The clearing went dark as a huge, black dragon descended upon them. It's blue eyes alight with fury and hate, it snatched derek up in it's talons and threw him to ground. She could hear bones snap in Derek's body and he screamed.

The dragon claws rained upon the Prince and blood flew. It stained the trees and ground and the dragon's scales.

The dragon opened its maw and she could see dragonfire make its way up the throat of the beast.

"Stop!" She cried over Derek's screams, "Stop it, Rhydian!" The dragon averted the flames at the last moment, but judging by the prince's howl of agony and the charred stub along his right arm, Rhydian's dragonfire had taken Derek's right hand.

Rhydian turned his large head toward her and crooned worriedly. He left Derek to writhe in pain and scream until he could no more to creep towards her.

She remembered extending her hand to touch his snout and his warm breath caressing her face. She remembered him speaking in his deep, dragon growl, "Do not worry, Anja," his forked tongue had brushed against her bloody cheek, "I will take you somewhere safe."

Then everything went dark. 

A/N: This is the shortest chapter of all of them! I'm getting sloppy... Oh, well! I will have some more for you all tomorrow, okay. Hold on until then, soldiers. 

~ Alex