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Rhett's journey

Rhett walked painfully across the dyed red wall, his armour was non existent, he wore only a light leather uniform, rusted red with dried blood. Rhett walked along the corpse strewn wall, his whole body crying out in pain. It had been two days since the Empire attacked and the battle field was still littered with the dead and wounded. Rhett was still in pain from his hundreds of wounds on his legs and arms, but not just physical pain, something else was hurting inside him.

Rhett continued on his way walking slowly, the sun was up in the sky, warming his face. The breeze that found its way across the land was heavy with the sickening stench of decaying body's and burnt flesh. Every where he looked he saw sullen faces, as troops bandaged up, their swords nicked, their shields dented, moved around to find the wounded. Men without arms or legs were carried to the casualty tents, any empire soldier that could still walk was escorted to the prison camp under guard. Rhett stood aside as a stretcher was ran by with a bloody and torn figure on it, his face consorted in pain. Rhett was jolted to awareness by a roar of pain and a growl of fear that can only come from a dragon, Rhett heard yelling and he ran towards the voices, his legs burning, but he cared not, nothing mattered to him anymore. Rhett skidded to a stop at the edge of the wall and looked down, on the ground was what he was looking for, a golden dragon male by the looks of it, it was cowering by the wall, with a ring of Edoc'sil soldiers with weapons drawn blocking it in. Rhett sneered and walked away not caring to what would happen, but stopped in his tracks as he thought, "John would help" Rhett growled and spun around and ran towards the stairs jumping down them, blood now streaming down his legs from his cracked scabs.

Rhett reached the bottom of the stairs and jogged out, heading towards the golden dragon, The wall 100ft above him casts a shadow across the battle field, Rhett navigated his way through the mass of wounded men, with bandages dyed red covering there wounds, the camps were hectic as medics tried in vain to tend for all the wounded, Rhett did not bother to go the casualty station. He did not want to add the mass of body's. Rhett finally reached the ring of troops, all with tired annoyed and hateful expressions. Most of them were blooded and had dented armour. The group was facing the Dragon which towered above them. He was about 40ft high and 80ft long, his wings were cut and slashed. He was pressed up against the wall almost leaning on it covering something behind him. His expression was of fear, anger and pain all that seemed to mix in with his snarl. Rhett inspected the Dragon noticing that his golden scales where broken by many red gashes that leaked blood, his left back leg was off the ground. He had a great cut on it, Rhett could see the bone and knew that it had to be fixed. Rhett pushed his way through the crowd and to the front line, where he found a captain yelling at the dragon.

"Lay down on the ground dragon and you will not be harmed, we only want to help you." The Captain bellowed.

The dragon snarled and blew smoke into the Captains face, "You only want to kill us, what else would you do." His voice was rough and deep.

Rhett snarled and stepped forward, staring directly at the dragon. The dragon growled threateningly and lowered him self covering something under him. Spears were lower and shields raised as the Du Edoc'sil prepared to fight. Rhett slowly passed in front of the dragon, looking him over, and saw his wounded leg shaking. Rhett could hear the steady rasps as the dragon breathed, Rhett's ears picked up a small yelp from underneath the gold dragon, he squinted looking under him and saw a small green tail sticking out from under the gold dragon. Which was quickly covered up by him. He growled again and bared his fangs fiercely. Rhett stopped and looked at the dragon calmly,

"You look like you're in pain mate, we are only here to help and as long as you do us no harm, no will come to you or the hatchling."

"You will kill us all with out a second thought, you all smell like death." He snarled.

Rhett looked at the Captain and motioned him to lower his weapon, The Captain nodded and told everyone to lower their weapons. The soldiers did so but kept ready just in case. Rhett looked back at the dragon, "We are bonded by honour to make sure all living survivors have a chance to live, that means that we offer the Empires troops and the Dragons the same treatment we offer our own troops, your wounds are bad and if not cared for by our medics could get infected and you could die, and that hatchling will die faster if it is not cared for."

"Where are the rest of our ken?"

"They are in a section of camp all for themselves, as long as they do not attack or try to escape no harm will come to them, now please let at least the medics look at you and the hatchling."

The dragon's eyes narrowed as he looked at Rhett seeing if he was lying, he was not. He reached under him with his front paw and grabbed something from under him and pulled out a small green hatchling only two foot long, and held him by his chest. He growled at Rhett, "I will surrender to you only if you give me your blood that you aren't lying and that you do me a favour."

"It depends on what you mean by give you my blood, and on what favour."

The dragon whistled as pain, shot up from his leg, "Give me your word human."

"Yes you have my word and I have yours that you will go peacefully."

"Yes, now before I let them near, I need you to do something for me." With his tail he motioned Rhett forward, Rhett hesitated and walked forward until he was directly beside the dragon's paw, with the green hatchling sprawled under it.

The dragon whispered into Rhett's ear, "I am trusting you human, to be a man of your word, this hatching should not be here, I want you to take him to the camp and find his parents, if they are not dead that is."

Rhett looked down at the green dragon, cowering under his paw. Rhett knew he was now bound to honour the dragon's request. "Fine, I will but if I don't find the parents im giving him to some one that will take him." The gold dragon sighed relieved and fell to the ground, lying on his side. "Take him in, I give in." Rhett looked at the small green dragon and slowly bent down, he found the green dragon whimpering and shaking, his eyes full of water. The four medics ran past Rhett and to the Gold dragon, tending to his wounds. Rhett looked up to see the troops disperse, with only ten remaining. Rhett looked back down at the green dragon and whispered, "I going to find you parents okay don't be scared." Rhett hated to be all calm and caring for a dragon, but he had no choice, he reached out and picked up the green dragon in his arms.

Rhett stood up and turned around with the hatchling cradled in his arms, Rhett grunted as the dragon struggled, "hey! Cut it out your not helping." The hatchling growled and climbed from his arms and onto his back wrapping his tail around Rhett's waist and clinging on with his talons, letting his head rest on Rhett's shoulders. Rhett grunted again as the dragons talons dug into his shoulders and as the dragons weight was placed on his back. Rhett snarled and walked forward he could feel the dragons heart beat on his back and could hear the steady streams of air go in and out of his scaled nostrils. Rhett trudged towards the edge of the camp, he passed hundreds of troops laying or sitting by cook fires muttering to themselves with tired and shocked faces, no one paid any attention to the dragon on Rhett's back, "Good let's keep it that way." He muttered under his breath. As he neared the main casualty station that was just in front of the Dragons compound, he heard a familiar voice yell, "Rhett, are you alright?" Rhett spun around, getting a yelp in fear as the dragon held tight to hold on. Rhett saw Alex speed walking towards him, she was covered in blood, she looked tired, bags could be seen under her eyes, and she was still in full armour, her two swords shelved by her sides. She caught up to him, breathing hard and a worried expression on her face, Rhett said "I'm fine Alex I just have to deliver this dragon then I'm calling it a day."

"No you're not, look at you Rhett, you're covered in blood, and by the looks of it have only got minor attention for your wounds."

"I'm fine ALEX", Rhett said louder then he meant to.

She looked him over, and Rhett knew that she was looking for his wounds, "Good thing I changed into a new uniform." He thought too him self.

She walked up to him, they were eye to eye, the dragon on Rhett's back hid behind his head, "After your done with that hatchling, you will come to the dressing station, or else I will find you."
Rhett gulped "But it's only a scra-", she cut him off "Does it look like I give a shit if it's a scratch or not, I know what you and John went through." Rhett's heart panged with the matching of Johns name. He swivelled and speed walked away, the dragon bumping up in down on his back from Rhett sudden movement. Rhett heard Alex crack her knuckles before walking back towards the tent.

Rhett finally found the Dragon camp site, the dragon camp was a large rectangle running with the Kanata Wall, it was fenced off by a metal fence 12ft high covered in barbed wire, there were multiple wooded sheds hastily made as shelter for the dragon, smoke rose from the camp from a many bonfires. Rhett's nose got clogged by the smell of burnt flesh and wood, and the stench of too many dragons packed together. The camp was heavily guarded by both D.P. Dragons and Edoc'sil soldiers. Rhett walked toward the entrance, his back starting to ache from the dragon on it, whose very eyes were to only thing moving, Rhett painfully entered the Dragons camp and was immediately shown a sad sight. Dragons of all sizes, colour, and age, almost all of them wounded, Rhett slowly trudged onward taking in the sight, all around him as growls and grumbles from dragons that towered over him. Rhett saw a green dragon with out a tail, laying on the dirty, blood stained ground, eyes closed as a medic patched up the wound. Rhett tripped and fell face first to the ground as the green hatchling jumped of his back and ran forward squeaking, "Hey! Get back here." yelled Rhett, jumping to his feet and running after the hatchling. Rhett weaved left and right as he followed the hatchling, along an uncertain path, he dived to his left as he was nearly stepped on by a huge black dragon. Rhett cursed as he lost sight of the hatchling and stopped to find were he was. Rhett seemed to be in the middle of the camp, where four roads contacted and separated, a tall dark brown building was nestled by one corner.

A shadow was drawn over Rhett, he looked up to see a cut faced Adelaide standing before him, she did not look good, she had three scars on her face from Jynxy, one of them passing over her eye, closing it shut, her body was free of armour, and revealed many bruises and cuts on her green hide, she was limping lightly and her left wing was bent on a strange angle. Adelaide eyes were crusty from crying, but she hid her emotions well enough, she sniffed the air, and cringed her nose and exclaimed, "Rhett have you not been looked at yet, you smell of infected flesh and pain."

"Yes I have Adelaide, have you? Now can you tell me were a small green hatchling went off to?" He replied dryly.

"No you have not Rhett, don't lie to me, and yes I have." She growled.

Rhett avoided the first statement and continued "Really, did Alex look at you yet?"

"Humans medics can only go so far, and Dragons have our own medics, and the fact that we clean our wounds, you should get looked at Rhett."
Rhett snarled, "I don't need to get looked at, especially by a dragon, they can help themselves, now can you please tell me what way the hatchling went."

"We'll see about that." she mumbles, smiling slightly before adding, "He went that way." pointing left down a dirt road with her tail.

"Thank you." he exhales in a sarcastic tone, Rhett shakes his head and runs of in the directing, the pain in his legs screaming at him. Adelaide growled, and limped off towards the Dragons aid Centre.

At Rhett's guess, there must have been about 40 dragons here, most of them male and all hurt in some form, whether it was a broken limb, cut off wing, or loss of blood that forced them to stay. Rhett walked past a big wooden building that served as a shelter, in it was three male dragons chained to the ground as they struggled to get free, as guards tried vainly for them to settle down. Rhett covered his ears as a dragon roared loudly before going silent. Rhett looked desperately searching for the damn hatchling, Rhett suddenly heard a roar of delight behind the building, Rhett sprinted off and as he rounded the corner but was tripped by an extended brown tail. For the second time he fell flat on his face, he grunted and looked up, before him was the hatchling in the tight embrace of a brown female dragon, hugging her son dearly. Rhett winced and tried to stand up but found that his mind had gave up on him and pain flowed from his limbs. Rhett strained and managed to get up in a sitting position, the brown dragon whose only injury was a broken wing, looked up from her hatchling at Rhett and said in a sweet but tired tone, "Thank you very much soldier for returning my son," she looks him over and adds, "Are you hurt?". Rhett grunted and struggled to stand up. He wobbled over to the building and leaned against it. "I'm fine." He growls as he get dizzy, Rhett suddenly collapses on the ground blacking out.

Rhett was awoken by a sudden jab on his chest, he opened his eyes and nearly yelled out in fear, and the same brown dragon was leaning over him worried. "We should get you to your people soldier." She reached out with a claw. As Rhett's eyes widened in fear, he reached for his dagger.
"That won't be necessary." Rhett sighed, thinking he was saved, but he was wrong. A dark gray dragon caddied in the D.P. dragon armour walked over to them, Rhett looked hard at her chest plate and saw an engravement that read, Islay. The brown dragon backed off as she neared, Rhett started to get up but was slammed to the ground by Islay, her claw around his waist.
Islay snarled and growled in Rhett's ear, "You aren't going anywhere soldier, by the smell of it your wounds are infected and must be tended to right away."

"No!" Rhett yelled, his head starting to throb.

"I'm afraid you have no choice, as you have turned down both times, offers of care, us dragon will have to tend to you now." she growled eyes stern, Rhett eyes watered in fear, he did not want to go through this. "What the hell are you going to do to me!" he yelled uncontrollably,
"Well Im going to clean you wounds, the saliva will get rid of the bacteria and the infection and if kept clean, will heal fast."

"Your not going to get that tongue of yours anywhere near me you beast!" He yanked out his knife and stabbed towards her head.

Islay grabbed the dagger in her teeth and yanked it from his hand, she twirled around him, and placed her front claws on his hands pinning them to the ground, Islay looked up at the brown female and yelled to her, "Help me restrain his legs." Rhett yelped as he was rendered immobile, his legs and arms now pinned to the ground, Rhett strained his muscles to get free but they would allow no movement. Rhett tired from the strain and only getting bloody furrows on his wrists and ankles. He went limp, breathing hard, sweat coating his body, stinging his cuts. Islay leaned forward and whispered, "I'm sorry Rhett, I know how much you hate dragons now, but you might die without immediate attention." Rhett grimed, as water filled his eyes, Islay carefully griped his shirt with her teeth and yanked it off, as the brown dragon did the same with his pants. Rhett blushed as he was left with only boxers on. He hissed in pain as air got to his cuts, every single one was infected and swollen. Islay grunted at his many cuts and wounds, she opened her maw and revealed her long dark purple tongue heavily coated in saliva, Rhett could feel her warm and moist breath on his chest. He watched as she slowly lowered her moist tongue to his torso. Rhett gasped as she slowly licked his chest, her barbed tongue was meant to tear of the hide of deer in a single sweep, and could not hurt dragon scales, but on human skin was delicate, she went slowly to avoid more damage. Rhett closed his eyes as they filled with water, as her tongue glided over his sensitive wounds, leaving a trail of warm saliva in its path. Rhett had to agree in the back of his mind that it was helping, already the places covered in dragon saliva dulled in pain and started to tingle. Rhett waited with his eyes closed the whole time as she continued to lick him with her strong and wet tongue. Soon his whole body was completely covered in her saliva, the sensation felt very weird to Rhett, his chest now getting cold in the cool air. After a few more minutes, he no longer felt the warm rough muscle on him. His whole body was sticky and wet, Rhett sniffed and regretted it, he was going to take a bath after this. Suddenly the pressure on his legs and wrist was taken away, Rhett slowly opened his eyes and saw Islay looking down at him. "Go soldier and return to your tent, and take a bath." Rhett's anger returned, he sat up fast and winced in pain as his wounds here still hurting just not as much. "Don't you ever do that again!" He yelled, and looked away and shivered.

"Well if you took help when it was given to you it would not have to be forced on you." She reached back and wrapped her tail around Rhett's waist and deposited him on her back, Rhett growled and shivered again, the saliva on his skin chilling him, Rhett sat there as she bought him to his tent and again wrapped her tail around him and placed him on the ground, "Now have a bath Rhett, tomorrow is the funeral for the men that gave there lives for us." With that she padded off leaving Rhett shivering. He took a bath, too tired and weak to do anything else, he fell asleep in his tent.

Rhett awoke when someone opened his tent, he opened his eyes only to see an empty flap and a pile of armour on the ground, reflecting the moon lights and the torches out side, Rhett rubbed the sleep from his eyes and got up and inspected the armour, it was his armour, fully repaired. Rhett grunted, "They fixed that fast." He shrugged and was about to go back to sleep when another man poked his head into the tent. "Put on your amour and weapons then follow me." The man removed his head from the tent, and slipped into the shadows. Rhett grunted in acknowledgement and painfully got dressed, slipping on his uniform and armour. Then sliding his two swords into place on his back, Rhett now fully equipped shuffled out of his tent.
The bright moon shined brightly in the clear night sky, it must have been an hour or so before dawn, the camp was silent except for the sound of heavy breathing from humans and dragons alike. Rhett looked around the darkened landscape, Captain Smith walked out from under a tree and motioned him to follow. Rhett followed his Captain as silently as he could, his wounds have healed greatly but were still hurting and stinging. The Captain led him towards the centre of the camp, Rhett could see a large red tent in front of them, it was the command tent. Rhett still tired, walked after the captain as he entered the red tent. The inside was well lit, in the centre of the tent was a table, with two war generals reading over pages upon pages of written information, and maps were also here and there, the Captain stopped in his tracks and saluted, Rhett did the same. The generals fell quiet and look towards them, one said in a familiar voice, "At ease gentlemen, please come." Rhett lowered his arm as Pety Officer Pertard motioned them forward, Rhett did so, confused on why he was here. Rhett stood along side Captain Smith and examined over the pages of paper, and realised what he was looking at, it was the killed in action forms.
Pety Officer Pertard, looked from one general to the other, he then spoke up, "Rhett I know you're confused on why you're here, the answer is simple, we need your opinion on what we do next." Rhett looked at him, "Why would you need my opinion?"

"Because we need to know whether you want to continue with the mission that the king has set for you, but before you answer let me explain what has put it in doubt."

Rhett's eyes glowed with anger, there was no way he was going to let the only way of getting revenge slip away.

"In the attack on the wall the Empire has left us a broken army, 17 000 dead, along with two members of your platoon."

"Two! Who else was killed?"

"Jink, his body was torn in half by a dragon." said Captain Smith

"Yes and John as you know, we also have 6 000 being taken away from the army due to missing limbs, and another 11 000 wounded some severely, and 450, missing, that only leaves 63 000 left for immediate combat, half of them with cuts and bruises."

"What does this have to do with our mission?"

"Everything, we are weak Rhett, we can not continue this war like this, we need a new strategy, and we need all the platoons and especially dragons as we can."

"But-"

"Even your mission is at stake because of our loss, your platoon is missing a valuable Corporal, and a good swords men, the D.P while having no deaths, have two dragon unable to fight, Adelaide with internal and external injuries, and Felco, without a right foreleg. . . what I'm asking you Rhett is, if you really think you can do this mission, your short two men, and most are wounded and tired, the dragons are down two as well, and again are wounded and tired. I think this mission is suicidal, you would be much more use to us if you stayed."

"This mission is the only damn way too win this war, I will not let Johns death be in vain." Rhett shouted in anger.

"Is that what this is about, revenge for one of you friends!?" Pertard face reddened in anger and frustration.

"No, it's so we have a fucken chance at winning this war!"

"What chance do you think you have Rhett really, to get from here to the mountains unhurt then walk far into dragon territory and kill the dragon king?"

"If done well, we can do it, we have a dragon guide, we have a spray that will mask our scent, and we have each other knowing that if we don't do this, we will lose the war."

"We don't even know if she is willing t-"

"She is Pertard, I have already spoken to her." one of the generals spoke up.

"Well what if I don't agree?" Pertard said crossing his arms.

Rhett smirked "So what, we have orders from the KING, they go over yours, now I have told my bloody opinion, anything else you want me to know?"

Petard clenched his fist, he sighed, realising he could not win, "Yes, tomorrow you leave, after the funerals that will take place in one hour, you leave when you feel like it....and good luck Rhett we are counting on you."

Rhett's heart dropped, without a word he left the tent. The sun was rising, soldiers were already up and moving to the parade area, Rhett sniffed and walked towards his Platoons standing grounds.

Every man that could make it was formed up on the parade area, thousands upon thousands, line on line, row on row of armoured soldiers stood tense and awake. No one moved, not a sound was heard as every thing stopped to stair as the sun raised. "ARMY, ATTENTION!" Rhett in step with the rest, stood at attention, his face emotionless, with a solid thud of countless boots, they watched as their flag was raised in front of the bright sun. "ARMY, SALUTE" as if they were all one being the raised their right hand and saluted the flag as trumpets played their mourning call, a single tear rolled down Rhett's face as he remembered John and all the great things they had done, he stared past the flag, the sun and into space as seconds became minutes and minutes, then hours as the Army remembered the 17 000 that gave their lives for them, as the last note sang from the trumpets, defined roars of pain, sorrow and loss, floated to Rhett's ear, as every Dragon, good or bad, mourned the dead and the dying, among those dragon, was Adelaide as she sang her own tune, deep and rich. Rhett lowered his arms as the dragons fell quiet, and a single thought entered his mind, he saw an image of Jynxy, with a sword sticking to her horns, he imagined her getting that image in his head. "John, I promise to avenge you, for me, for Adelaide I promise, you did not die in vain."