Seven
It
was ironic, Justin thought, that he should be riding to certain doom with such
a huge grin on his face. He couldn't help it. He had to smile every time he
looked at JC. JC, of course, was not smiling. His face was, as usual, devoid of
_expression. Justin wondered how he could even sit on the horse. Justin had
pushed into him again and again, harder with each thrust, and JC had taken it
all. He had wrapped his long legs around Justin's waist, urging him on, his
long hair fanned out over the moss. Every time Justin got that mental picture,
he had to smile again.
“Look.”
Chris pointed at the tree line ahead of them, and they all stopped riding.
Waves of smoke rose from the darkness, and it was obvious that it wasn't from a
campfire. Justin swallowed deeply.
“The
dragon awaits us,” JC said suddenly. “His master has told him we are coming.”
Justin
looked at Lance. “So, now what?” He asked weakly.
Lance
looked at the others. “My magic can only protect us for a short time. The power
that controls the beast is stronger than anything I have ever felt.”
“The
master of the beast is angry. He is bitter and lonely,” JC said softly, looking
into the distance. As always, Justin was amazed at the elf's mental powers. He
sat on his horse, looking serenely at nothing, his long hair gently blowing in
the breeze. He knew that elves were supposed to be immortal, but even if HE had
been immortal, Justin would have been a bit scared of what was to come. JC
turned to look at Justin. “This will not be easy.”
“Of
course it won't, ya stupid elf,” Chris snapped. “We knew that from the
beginning. Elves…always sayin' what we already know.” He began to gallop ahead.
“Let's get this thing moving.”
“Kirkpatrick,
wait!” Lance cried, but Chris didn't stop. He waved his club over his head and
let out a war cry.
Justin
spurred on his horse and followed Chris. He couldn't let his friend go into
this alone. He yanked hard on the reins, however, as a creature came stalking
out of the forest. He looked up in disbelief. All this time, he had never
thought that there was REALLY a dragon at the end of their travels, but here it
was. Large and red and angry. It spit fire at a spot to Justin's left, and the
horse reared. Justin slid to the ground and the horse took off. He didn't blame
him.
He
felt JC at his side before he saw him. “Be not afraid, Warrior,” JC said. He
had his bow drawn and an arrow at the ready.
“Easy
for you to say…you can't die,” Justin almost snapped.
“Wounds
from a dragon do not heal easily,” JC replied calmly. “They fester and cause
great illness.”
“Illness
and death are two different things,” Justin said. JC aimed and let the arrow
fly. It hit the dragon in the shoulder, and the creature screamed with fury.
Justin heard Lance muttering behind him, and a beam of light shot from over
Justin's shoulder. The dragon flew back, but he was able to shake off the
wound.
Justin's
sword felt heavy in his hand, but he still took a mighty swing, aiming at the
foot of the beast. If he could just bring it down, they could attack it on the
ground. The dragon kicked its foot and sent Justin flying. He sat on the
ground, dazed for a moment. He watched with shock as Chris jumped on the
creature's foot, swinging his club at any part of it he could reach. The dragon
grew angrier, spitting fire and swiping at Chris. The dragon bent his head to
look at what was antagonizing it, and JC let another arrow fly. The dragon
batted at its eye, trying to dislodge the arrow. It lost its balance and began
to topple.
“Now!”
Lance yelled. The dragon crashed to the ground, and arrows, swords, beams of
light and clubs seemed to be flying everywhere. The dragon let out one last
scream, and was still.
They
stood panting for breath, watching the creature before them. It was indeed
dead. “It's…that's all?” Justin asked quietly. They turned to look at him. “I
mean, I thought we'd have to fight harder.”
“Your
fight is not finished.” A voice made them whirl around.
“By
all that's true and holy,” Lance whispered.
“Joey,”
Justin said, devastated.
Joey
stood before them, clad in black garments very similar to what Lance wore. He
walked over and looked at the dragon. “My pet,” he said unhappily, then turned
back to face them. “Who struck the fatal blow?”
Justin
wasn't sure, but he thought JC's arrow to the creature's heart had probably
done the trick. He wasn't about to say that, however. “Why?” Justin could only
ask. “Why have you done this?”
“My
fellow wizards betrayed me,” Joey said simply, turning to look at Lance. Lance
looked furious and shaken and totally shocked all at the same time. “You banded
together, did not include me…”
“That
is not true,” Lance insisted. “You were nowhere to be found when we had the
council. We would have called if…”
“No
more lies, wizard,” Joey interrupted. “Do not try to atone for your lies and
secrecy.” He looked at them all once more. “Who killed my pet?”
“I
did,” Justin said, quickly stepping in front of JC.
“You
did not!” JC gasped, for once losing his face of stone. “Timberlake…”
“It
was I,” Chris stepped forward. “Stabbed him in the chest, I did.”
“I
see an arrow through his heart,” Joey said almost absently. He seemed to float
on air, landing on the creature's chest. He turned to look at JC. “From the
look of it, an elf's arrow.” He raised his hand and let something loose.
“No!”
Justin yelled, stepping in front of JC once more. He gasped as electricity
flowed through him, jolting him back. JC caught him, and they both fell to the
ground.
“You
will pay for that!” Lance seemed to grow larger by the minute, but Justin
couldn't see him. Vision was slowly failing him.
“Timberlake…Warrior…”
JC gasped, moving to cradle Justin in his arms.
“Call
me…Justin…please…” Justin gasped. It was getting harder and harder to breathe.
“Justin…”
JC whispered, running a hand across Justin's pale face. “I knew one of us would
die…I never thought…” JC pulled Justin to his chest, and Justin's world went
black.
