Free The Dragon's Distrust by Eva Weston

the
back. The Slayer rose and yanked his blade from Patryck’s body.
Patryck fell hard onto the ground and did not stir.
    Aristo roared a war cry that would
shame thunder as he leapt to each man and ripped off their heads
one by one. Fountains of blood erupted in the once calm glen as
Aristo sated his thirst for revenge.
    Tania ignored the warm blood pooling
around her feet and rushed to Patryck’s side. The red liquid
splashed along her calves and naked knees. She placed her head on
his chest. He wasn’t breathing, “Patryck,” she whispered as she
began to shake his arms, “Patryck!” Her actions and voice
intensified the more he did not respond until she was literally
shaking his eyes from his sockets and screaming more shrilly than
any Mountain Galdyr.
    Patryck remained limp in her arms,
“You’re immortal. You cannot die! You are water!” Tears leaked down
her face but she kept pleading with the dead body to wake, “Water
cannot be slain with a sword! Wake up!”
    But he did not rise and nor would he
rise ever again. Patryck was dead.
    Aristo heard her pleas and rushed to
her side. His scraped and bloodied hands felt for any sign of life
on this young dragon. All he felt was death. Patryck’s body had
already begun to chill. The warmth of life had left him.
    “And thus another arm of Polas has
taken my kin…”
    Aristo clutched Tania close to his
chest and held her tightly while she sobbed in his arms.
    The father of her child had just been
murdered and so she wept. It was a dry sob, one that had no water
but many tears. She couldn’t hear Aristo’s pounding heart against
her cheek while she hiccupped and choked on mucous. She couldn’t
hear the steady stream mingling with the thinning blood beneath her
trembling legs while she screamed. And she couldn’t remember the
joy of ever having Patryck near her. The sorrow had overcome her
and she was lost to despair.
    Aristo continued to pet her hair and
pelt her forehead with kisses but it was to no avail. She could not
feel anything other than complete and utter loss. She had claimed
Patryck and they had shared a bond. With his death, a part of her
died. A large piece of her heart shattered into a million pieces
and it would never be whole again. She barely even knew Patryck.
She wished she could have had more conversations with him or at
least knew his favorite color. But she knew nothing other than love
for him.
    Tania wiped her eyes and pulled away
from Aristo. She drew her face close to Patryck and planted a
tender kiss on his cold, purple lips. She lay on his lifeless body
for several moments until Aristo lifted her into his arms and
headed deeper into the forest leaving Patryck alone for the animals
to rend asunder.
    The further into the forest they went,
the more Tania cried “No!” She desperately wished to hold Patryck
more and she wished him a decent burial but Aristo would have none
of it. The flesh and blood would attract dangerous wild animals and
he could not risk her safety, not even to give a proper farewell to
Patryck.
    “We will say goodbye once we are back
in the Den. We will give him a send-off that will be told in
legends, I promise you,” Aristo responded, “You must remember, my
love, that he will always be with you. You are carrying his child.
You have a part of him.”
    Tania nodded and buried her face into
Aristo’s chest as the forest grew darker and the day turned into
night. She blamed herself for Patryck’s fate. She had felt the
sickness surround her and she knew bad things would follow. What
other bad things awaited her and those she loved the
most?

    The End
    To be continued in:
    THE DRAGON’S DESTINY, BOOK
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