Chapter 25: Chapter 24
Please look at the Creator's Thoughts section at the end of the chapter.
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The first thing I recognized was the smell of blood, human blood. It assaulted my nose in an overwhelming tide as my vision slowly cleared up, and the fogginess in my mind started to clear up. My reaction was visceral and immediate, so I started sneezing to help clear my nostrils. After a couple of good sneezes, my nose had cleared some of the blood out, or I had just gotten used to the smell.
Shaking my head, I looked around in confusion as I was currently at the bottom of a cliff, lying on my side; around me were multiple dismembered bodies and broken ballistae.
My eyes widen as I remember my mother being hurt. Quickly getting to my feet, I spread my wings but winced as a stinging pain came from my right wing. I see a hole in the thin membrane, likely from a spear. It would make flying harder, but I was determined to return to my mother.
Flapping twice as much, I rose in there and oriented myself to get my bearings. Judging by the mountains around me, I was relatively close to my mother's caves. Turning Southwest, I made my way back as quickly as I could while gritting my teeth in pain.
With each flap, my wing hurt more, but what was growing even quicker was my anxiety.
What happened to Mom?
This question plagued me as I approached her cave. The scene that greeted me looked like a hurricane had struck the entrance of her nest. Trees were knocked over, and stalactites were tipped on their siege. Blood and organs were spread everywhere in a haphazard scene that depicted a ferocious battle.
Did I do this?
A knot formed in my throat as I descended to land. Gaining my footing, I made my way to the opening in trepidation. Peering into the darkness, I was greeted by the sight of my mother, just as I had first seen her on my return. She was still hurt and trapped, but the rise and fall of her breathing told me she was alive.
Sighing in relief, I quickly made my way to her side while checking to ensure there were no humans still hidden in the cave. Reaching her side, I inspected her and noticed that even though her scales were still missing, the bleeding had stopped. Sighing in relief. I walked around to see her face, which was furrowed as she slept. Her breath came out steadily and quietly. She was fine.
I let out a breath I did not know I was holding and sank to my haunches in relief. Now that I had ensured my mom was okay, I had time to think about what happened.
I have never in either of my lives blacked out like that. Not when I got into fights or when I got too deep into the bottle. The clarity of my mind in those situations was always something I had prided myself on, and so the new experience terrified me.