literature

[Advent] World Torn Apart

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I used to think I was invincible. Especially when my mother was the matriarch of one of the most powerful Flights humans had ever encountered in the Above.

As far as I was able to tell, we were greatly revered by the locals and their domestic drakes. Sometimes, we even saw humans leave us carcasses at the foot of our domain. They didn't seem to mind us taking these, as compared to their flocks of goats and sheep. My mother often said that they did that in hopes that some of my older siblings would be...placated

I remember having trouble understanding her meaning until I saw it happen with my own eyes. 

One night when my mother was once again hidden away in her nest with a new fledgling, with me confined to the passages nearby, I became aware of movement. My eldest brother's eyes flashed in the darkness, and I felt a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. When he finally moved on, he was followed by many. More dragons than I thought existed in the Flight at all. They ranged from my second-eldest twin siblings to a few cousins I had never spoken to before.

I didn't know what it meant, but I didn't like the feeling I was getting. So naturally, the minute they disappeared around the corner, I got up to follow them.

I learned that while domestic drakes respected us and left us alone, that was meaningless when compared to a betrayal from within the Flight itself.

My brother's distinct roar broke through the night, followed by a deafening scream. It echoed through the winding tunnels in the mountain and rattled my brain, effectively causing me to lose track of all sense of direction. Whoever that was that he employed, my brother was clever. He had made sure that no one loyal to my mother could find their way out in time.

Except he hadn't accounted for me.

Although I was disoriented, I was close enough to one of the exits that I was able to blunder out into the open. There was a terrifying moment where I thought I was going to plummet off the side of the mountain--then I reflexively dug my wing thumbs into the pockmarked stone. The abrupt stop swung me towards the rock face, where I kicked out with my hind legs and found a grip. 

Suddenly, I heard my mother screaming, and then something swooped into view and hit the back of my head, knocking me out almost instantly.

That night was the downfall of my mother's Flight. Although his team suffered losses as well, my brother himself was well enough to immediately take control of the stronghold. He exiled those who were not loyal to him, which technically also included me. The tattered remains of the Flight didn't find my hiding spot since they were concentrating their numbers on the higher levels. I stayed in a tunnel near the bottom, stealing the humans' "offerings" for the Flight until I recovered enough to flee. I refused to look for the bodies of the defeated.

As unfortunate as it sounds, such is the way of the wilderness, who favors only the strong.
534 words

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