Fire and Foe

Rivera Wilmington was wounded—not the kind of wound that left you bleeding on the outside. Though she was bleeding, her wounds ran deeper. She could feel her heart break with every passing moment as she stared at the faces of the four people she had once called her friends. If anything, she was surprised it had taken them this long to turn on her.

She had always known this day would come. The day her friends—her family—would no longer stand by her, too afraid of the chaos she brought into their lives. Heela, once a source of laughter, now offered only polite smiles and weary sighs. The midnight conversations and shared tears under the stars had dwindled to mere "good mornings" and "good nights."

Baldwick had grown distant, hiding behind a veil of busyness. Once her partner in intellectual pursuits and a steadfast guide in mastering her dragon's magic, he now kept his distance. His puns and clever remarks had gone silent, his once vibrant presence now a shadow of its former self.

Then there was Idera—her first and most cherished friend. Idera had not just drifted away; she had completely severed their bond. Their sisterhood had been replaced with icy indifference, and Rivera doubted Idera even remembered the way to their secret hideout anymore. Staring at her now, Rivera felt the sting of fresh tears she hadn't realized were falling.

And finally, Elflore—the elf with the notched left ear. If Rivera had been the fist of their group, Elflore had been the sword. She missed the days of sparring with him, of learning from his skill and precision. He had been the last to join their team but had fit so perfectly, it was as if he'd always been there.

They had been an elite team at Magium Academy—a family forged through trials and triumphs. Now, they stood against her, sent to hunt one of their own. Rivera almost smiled at the irony.

"How fitting," she said softly, though her voice carried in the still night air. Even the crickets seemed to pause. "They sent you instead of the others."

Elflore's voice was calm, as though trying to soothe a beast. "This doesn't have to be hard, Riv. We can end this peacefully. Please, understand."

"Riv?" Rivera let out a bitter laugh. "You still think it's okay to call me that? What were you promised for hunting me down?"

Idera stepped forward, her voice sharp. "Stop this, Rivera! Stop the running, the selfishness! We just want to kill the damn dragon. How many more have to die because of his outbursts? He's sick, Rivera. There's no place for a broken dragon. And no matter how many times you promise a cure, you don't have one. Just give him up!"

"It would kill me, Iddy," Rivera whispered, her voice breaking.

"No, it won't! You'll survive, Rivera. You're a fighter."

Rivera already knew how this would end. It would be her friends or her—one would walk away.

"I won't give him up," she said, a single tear sliding down her cheek.

Elflore's smirk was cruel. "We know. That's why we sent beasts to hunt him while we came for you. He's already being taken down as we speak."

Panic clawed at her chest. How had she not known?

"If you're wondering," Elflore continued, "Baldwick here temporarily severed your bond with your dragon's magic. Fascinating spellwork, isn't it?"

Rage surged through Rivera, washing away her pain. She gripped her swords. "You're all dead!"

The fight was a blur of lightning and steel. Rivera's speed, enhanced by what little dragon magic she could talk into, outmatched even Elflore's elven reflexes. Yet, as the battle raged, the severed bond with her dragon reconnected for a brief moment and the full force of his agony slammed into her. She fell to her knees, screaming as his pain consumed her. They were hurting her baby.

"Now!" Elflore's voice cut through the chaos, and the team surrounded her. Golden threads of magic began to weave a cage, their chants growing louder.

Rivera barely heard them. Her focus was on her dragon's voice in her mind.

"Goodbye, my river," Earthtipper's voice rang softly in Rivera's head through the mind link.

"I'm sorry," Rivera sobbed. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you."

"You did your best. I'm glad I bonded with you."

A surge of magic unlike anything Rivera had ever felt poured into her. Earthtipper's life force overflowed, shattering the cage of light that was being constructed around her and unleashing a devastating wave of energy. Rivera's roar echoed through the night, and then there was only darkness.