The gold dragon soared over the heads of the army, burning blue fire streaming from his open maw. He hummed in pleasure as the human screams reached his ear, but he knew there weren't as many as there should be. As he gained altitude and banked around, he peered over the mass of soldiers. Those that hadn't gotten a chance to prepare themselves were left in charred dust, but those that had were rising from where they had knelt on the ground, flipping their cloaks over their shoulders again. As he studied closer, he realized that he recognized the fabric of their cloaks.

Dragon skin.

He roared in fury. The skin below their scales was fire proof, as were the scales that covered it. The skin with scales attached would have been far too heavy for humans to use as covering, but after removing the scales, they were left with a lightweight, fireproof cloak. He didn't know how many dragons had lost their lives, Wildlings or not, to supply Draco's army with so many garments, but it infuriated him nonetheless.

The cloaks are made of dragon skin! Orion shouted through the clan link. They're fire proof.

Make sure your attacks are fast then, gentleman! Leo growled in response, the black dragon swooping past Orion to let out another stream of deep red flames down on the men. Each sweep of flame took a few humans, those that were too slow to get their cloaks over their heads, but the majority were trained for this, and they were expecting this sort of attack. They were dragons, of course they would attack from above.

The gold dragon heard the clicking of the javelin launcher again, his ears specifically listening for the noise, and he spun to find the source. He didn't hover, that would make him too easy a target, so he pumped his wings to bring him higher. They needed to take out as many of the launchers and catapults as they could. If the humans couldn't attack them while flying, the dragons would have an overwhelming advantage.

He peered around the immense battlefield. Dragons flew every which way, their formation upon their approach having been long forgotten. They were so greatly outnumbered, but they took out plenty of humans before the army could prepare. They were ready now, though, and fighting just as hard. The constant flashes of flame left the battlefield lit up in brilliant light. The soldiers could see them nearly as well as they could see the soldiers with how much light they were providing. That wasn't something they could worry about now. Their fire was their greatest weapon, even with the dragon skin cloaks, and they couldn't give it up yet. Gold bared his teeth as he continued to search for the javelin. He stayed in motion so they couldn't target him, but his eyes desperately searched for the source of the noise.

He spotted the javelin, but it wasn't pointed at him. It was pointed directly down the throat of an advancing dragon. He was one of Kellan's clan, one who didn't have a rider. Orion didn't recognize him, but he realized the dragon was a stupid one. He flew directly at the weapon, giving the shooter an easy target. The gold roared in warning as he watched the human prepare to launch.

Stop! he shouted, angling directly at his fellow dragon with the intention of knocking him out of the way, but even with his frantic flapping, he was too slow.

With nothing more than a quiet whoosh, the spear was flying through the air. The gold dragon watched in horror as the spear landed squarely between the other dragon's eyes, piercing the skull with a sickening crunch he could hear even above the sounds of dragons roaring and men shouting. The dead dragon didn't even have time to screech or roar in pain. He was dead in an instant. His body went limp in the air and plummeted toward the earth, landing hard enough for the ground to shake.

Both clans felt his loss through the link, and they roared in unison. It was the first dragon loss, and, though they knew there would be more, it was still hard to accept.

The gold dragon flew closer to the massive cross bow, more confident since it was in the process of being reloaded. He let loose another bellow as he dove at the killing device, fury fueling his bravery. He wouldn't waste his fire on it, although he still had plenty. Instead he chose to close his wings once he was directly above the launcher, the humans using it staring up at him in confusion. He dropped like a rock, landing squarely on top of the weapon and the two humans running it. The satisfying sound of splintering wood reached his ears and he rumbled proudly. One human was still alive beneath one of the dragons paws, his torso trapped between two razor claws. The man squirmed and screamed in terror, screamed for help from his comrades, but they all had better things to do than save one man. The gold dragon lowered his head toward the man, eyeing him closely, making sure he recognized the man behind the dragon's eyes. The man who was going to kill him.

"No!" the human begged, lifting his arms to shield his face, but it did no good against the gold dragon's glistening teeth. He was dead in seconds, the gold dragon tossing the upper half of his body away from the lower half.

The torso landed near another human, drawing his attention.

"Aaron! No!" the soldier yelled in disbelief, spinning to look at Orion. "Monster!" He dropped his bow and arrow and drew his broadsword from the sheath at his hip. He advanced toward the gold dragon with little fear in his gaze. He wanted revenge.

The gold narrowed his eyes and lifted his lips in a snarl, turning to face the stupid human straight on. At the direct, intense stare of the massive dragon, the lone human hesitated and his grip on the sword faltered. A little fear leaked his eyes as he realized he was alone against the mighty dragon, but he shook his head slightly and adjusted his hands, swinging the sword toward his shoulder, ready to strike.

Orion stepped down off the carnage of the javelin launcher, leaving the legs of the first human behind, and stalked toward his challenger. His senses were on high alert, watching and listening all around him for any human who sought to beat him unfairly. The single human hesitated again as the gold dragon got closer, and the latter took full advantage of it. He pounced and landed directly on top of the man, beheading him before the human even realized what had happened.

Orion, his Alpha snarled, soaring above him once again. Get out of there.

Unable to disobey an order from his Alpha, the gold dragon leaped into the air once again.

He flew up to glide along next to the black dragon, who radiated anger and Alpha power. Does anyone have eyes on Draco? Leo's gruff voice filled their minds.

There was a unanimous "no" from the entire clan.

Perhaps we got him after the initial attack? Someone's voice offered.

No way, Kellan answered with a snarl. The humans would have reacted if their leader was dead. He's out there somewhere.

The clan was then distracted as another dragon was hit with a javelin.

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The blue dragon paced back and forth, staring in the direction of the battle. She could hear the roars of the dragons, faint as they were, and it worried her. She also sensed her mate's adrenaline and fury. He was fighting so hard. The bond was stronger in their dragon form, and she would get a glimpse of the battle every once in a while. She'd seen when the other dragon died, felt it through the clan connection. She'd also seen when her mate killed three men. She was proud of him for protecting their clan, knew he was strong and capable, that was why he was a good mate for them, but she knew Draco. She knew how ruthless he was, and she knew he was the only human who had ever scared her.

She let out a low whine and laid down, resting her head on her clawed feet. She wanted to go help her mate, to go fight by his side. Those dragons fighting were as much her clan as the ones who had stayed behind, and they needed her protection just as much. She glanced back toward the Village, where Nana was putting everyone to work. The fighting had been going on for a few hours, and there was no sign that it was going to stop anytime soon. The humans were well prepared, and the dragons had lost the element of surprise.

She rose to her feet again and trotted further from the Village, scanning the treeline for any signs of movement. Laura, Penelope, Fiona, and a few of the other strong females were placed along the perimeter of the Village so that nothing could sneak up on them. They all doubted the humans would dare trek that far into the territory, but they couldn't be too careful. They were also there in case any of their fighters came back and needed help getting to the infirmary. There were very few injured dragons, and those that were were able to keep fighting, but they had also lost seven dragons so far. She didn't know who, only that it wasn't Orion or anyone she cared for dearly, but their loss still pained her. They were dragons, and any dragon lives lost today were because of her. Because Draco discovered what she was, and therefore figured out that some dragons turned into humans and vice versa. Likely he would have figured it out eventually, Draco was a tenacious bastard, but that didn't change that she was the one who gave them away.

She sighed and walked slowly back to her original spot, staring at the Village. This was her family, everyone here and on the battlefield. She just wanted this to be over, so they could all live their lives in peace. She needed this to be over, but based on what she was getting from Orion, that wasn't going to be anytime soon. She had hoped that because the dragons were so much stronger than the humans in every way that they would just destroy them all. She should have known better. These were Draco's humans, and Draco would make sure his humans were nothing but the best. She should know. She still had the marks along her hide to prove it.

She snarled quietly. That made her want revenge on those men even more. The blue dragon wanted to redeem herself and prove that she could beat them. She knew she could, and she would paint the ground with their blood.

That thought placated her as she marched up and down the treeline. She would get her chance.

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The gold dragon panted in exhaustion. There were still far to many humans left alive, and the dragons had stopped gaining ground. The longer the army had to get ready, the stronger they'd gotten. They all wore their fireproof armor, and the dragons were now being forced to fight on the ground, where their advantage was cut in half. In a large group of humans, the dragons simply couldn't move fast enough to evade all attacks.

Blood stained his gold scales as he glided over the battlefield, where more and more dragons were landing to fight. Those with riders continued to pick humans off from above, the dragon skin not doing nearly as much as metal armor would against the arrows. It helped, much like leather, but the archers were very good at what they did and found the chinks easily. It was the one place they still held the advantage.

The gold dragon caught his breath for a moment before reentering the fray. He wouldn't leave his clan alone for long. He took the opportunity to land on a large group of humans, squashing them beneath his immense weight, and taking some others out with his tail. It wasn't long before he was swarmed with more. They tried to form a circle around him, but he leaped over their heads to force them to follow. They did exactly as he expected, and he let loose another stream of flames. Satisfaction washed over him as he was faster than they. The humans didn't get a chance to cover themselves with their fire-proof cloaks and were left to the full heat of his fire. They crumbled to dust before his very eyes.

He didn't get time to bask in his pride before more humans advanced. They didn't stop coming, and he knew he wasn't the only one fighting his exhaustion. Every dragon was tired, every dragon was low on their fire reserves, and every dragon just wanted to finish this.

He winced as they lost another dragon. He felt his mate react as well. She was also in her dragon form, and she had been since the fighting started, and she'd felt every dragon die through the link, just as he had, but she also felt his pain, just as he felt hers. He hated that she was subjected to such feelings, but there was no way for him to stop it. Putting up a wall so early into their bond could ruin everything, and he knew she wouldn't listen if he tried to tell her to shift back to a human. At least then she would only feel things through him, not through the clan link.

Does anyone see Draco? he asked, taking flight again as the humans began to overwhelm him. If he waited any longer to retreat, there was a chance he wouldn't be able to take off at all. The king had yet to make an appearance, as had Henry, Hal's brother, but that didn't mean they weren't around.

No, Alpha, the clan answered. They had all been watching for the king, searching for him among the humans, but he was gone. Something about that bothered Orion greatly. Draco didn't seem like the type to miss out on watching things die.

He growled and turned to check on their humans, only to have his heart drop. They'd all been distracted by their own fighting; they hadn't noticed a large chunk of humans break off toward the trees, where the dragons' allies were far from hidden.

He roared and dove in that direction. He saw that the humans were ready, but that didn't mean that any of them needed to die. None of them needed to fight. The wind brushed past his scales as he flew as fast as he could toward his humans. He needed to be faster, just a little faster, but he wasn't fast enough to get there before the humans collided. He watched in horror as Jonathan led his men on a charge toward the massive group of Draco's. Jonathan and his men were still outnumbered, even by only this portion of the opposing army.

Jonathan somehow managed not to get killed as he and his horse collided with the front line, his men close behind.

The gold dragon began to open his mouth to let loose a jet of fire, but quickly closed it as he realized that the humans were far to meshed together. There was no way for him to hit only their enemies.

He did a fly by, having forgotten the fire idea. As he banked around, he knew his only choice was to join in the fighting. He dropped down in the middle of it, taking out as many of Draco's men as he could in the process.

"Orion!" Jonathan shouted. "Get out of here, we've got this under control!" The knight swung his sword and it sliced neatly through an enemy's chest. He parried another blow, still mounted on his stallion. The gold dragon simply rolled his eyes and swiped out a paw to knock two humans over and gut them. He wondered what went through their heads when they saw their own intestines spilling out on the ground.

He turned around and flicked his tail, knocking over four more men, who were quickly taken care of by Jonathan's soldiers. He began to turn again, but he'd let his guard down.

In a lucky blow, a large broadsword found its way beneath his scales and deep into the skin were his neck met his shoulder. He roared in pain as the burning sensation reached his brain. He stumbled to the side, away from his attacker and faced him. The man seemed shocked to have landed such a blow on the massive dragon, but it didn't last long. The gold dragon leaned forward and tore him in half with his strong jaw. The sword was still embedded deeply in what was very nearly his neck, and he could put no weight on his front leg. He hobbled forward, attempting to take off to deal with his situation, when a set of hands landed on his side.

The gold dragon reacted instinctively, reaching around to snap at whoever dared to touch him near his wound. Surprisingly, it was the human he despised most in the world.

"Easy, Orion! Easy!" Jonathan demanded, reaching up to take hold of the hilt of the sword. Orion roared in pain as it began to twist in his wound, sending waves of agony shooting through him. "You have to stay still if I'm going to get this out!"

The gold dragon didn't want to trust this man, but had no choice. Jonathan was already tugging on the weapon again, but he couldn't get any leverage. It was stuck too deeply, and they were in the middle of a battle. Oddly enough, no one paid them any mind. His allies were keeping Draco's men busy. The gold dragon had to admit he was impressed.

"Damn!" Jonathan bellowed, tugging harder on the sword as the gold dragon let out another bellow of pain. The knight scrambled up his side, despite the blood covering his scales and dripping from his wound, in an attempt to get a different angle on the weapon.

"Die, monster!" A human yelled, rushing at them with a massive battleaxe, aimed directly for the gold dragon's neck. They were out of time, apparently.

The dragon spread his wings, clenched his jaw, and forced himself off the ground. His shoulder screamed out and his vision blurred slightly at the pain from propelling himself off the ground. His opened his wings and flapped in strong strokes until he was well above the battlefield.

At the sensation of something squeezing his sides, he was reminded that he wasn't alone. Jonathan was perched between his shoulder blades, somewhat distracted from the removal of the sword in the dragon's shoulder. The dragon himself couldn't believe that his nemesis sat on his back as a rider. If someone had told him a week ago that this would happen, he would have laughed in their face.

He gently banked around toward the trees. They needed to get the sword out of shoulder before he could shift back to a human. It's location would kill him if he shifted.

He landed less than gracefully, stumbling forward on his weak shoulder. Jonathan wasted no time in scrambling down to begin tugging at the sword again, which seemed to have been angered by the flight.

"What happened?" Hal asked, rushing forward. He had stayed behind, as a king should, with a few of the soldiers.

"Lucky shot," Jonathan stated with a grunt. "Do you all mind helping? Or shall we sit and stare at it?"

At his words, which sounded oddly like Jonathan didn't want Orion to die, the solider jumped forward to help work the sword free. With five strong men pulling at it, the steel slid free with a sickening squelch. Blood began to gush out after it, but the gold dragon put a stop to that by shifting.

Human Orion lay on the ground, staring up at the dark trees and holding a hand to his neck, where the wound transferred to his human body. It still bled, though far less severely. He looked up at Jonathan, trying to figure out what that had been about.

The knight held out a hand, and Orion took it, accepting the help to stand. He kept his grasp on Jonathan and squeezed it tighter. "Thank you."

The knight shrugged. "Skylar would never have forgiven me if I'd let you die."

Orion let a small smile pull at his mouth. "No she would not."

"Are you alright, son?" Hal asked, placing a hand on Orion's other shoulder.

Apparently fighting on the same side brought out the camaraderie in the humans. This was the nicest they'd been to him since they'd met.

"I'll live."

"We should get back out there," Jonathan stated, pulling out his sword again.

Orion nodded, preparing to shift again when a bolt of pure terror shot through him.

He winced and put a hand to his head, confused by the sensation. He wasn't afraid of the humans, at least not this afraid. Besides, this didn't feel like him...

He felt the blood rush from his face as realization dawned on him.

Skylar.

Skylar was in trouble.