#reader death?

[cheerpunkqt]

Rise by Katy Perry

Character: Garrick Tavis

Type: Angst

Summary: All hell breaks loose, and reader is the last option. 

We’re so screwed. They shot our dragons out of the fucking air. We didn’t know they could do that. Giant nets wrap around many dragons. Most didn’t survive. The landing was harsh on a lot of dragons and riders. My arm has been crushed. Vito can’t stand. He’s breathing too hard. I can feel it all in my chest. It’s like the worst is just around the bend, and we cannot see it just yet. How bad is it? I ask softly, coming to stand in front of my green scaled friend. Vito’s eyes flash open, those storm born silver orbs duller than I’ve ever seen them. I’ll survive, Little Flame. My eyes flicker up to the net. A web? Something. I don’t know what it’s made of but it’s weakening Vito. It’s weakening all the dragons. 

“There’s only five of us left.” Imogen comments, stalking forward with a grim look. “I can’t get Glane out.” None of us seem to be able to get them out. My eyes flicker around at the carnage. There’s bodies. Blood. Screaming and grief. Our group held fifteen. Now there's only five. “The venin will be here soon.” I whisper, panic starting to set in. My hands shake, but I bounce on the balls of my feet to keep my mind distracted from the pain and carnage. They were all first years. Newbies. Three were griffin fliers. The rest had dragons. 

“I have one dagger. That’s it.” Imogen confirms. There’s only one metal alloy dagger in our group. I look down at my arm, shaking my head. Even if I had a dagger, I’d be useless with this arm. The air thrums with several pairs of wings. Not dragons, and not griffins. My jaw sets, my eyes rising to see three dark shadows swirling far above. Wyvern. “Got a plan?” Imogen asks, her pink hair filtering softly through the wind doubling over us. I don’t. There is no plan. I turn to the three first years left. Two haven’t gotten their signet yet. The one who has doesn’t know how to use it. How to conjure it forward. If we stay on the ground, it’s an easy kill for the Venin. 

“You three start working on a way to free the dragons.” I order, making sure they understand the urgency behind this. Imogen meets my eyes, a silent question behind them; Are we seriously going to die today? Nodding slowly, I thin my lips. I believe we will. Which means Garrick’s going to be pissed. We fought right before I left. He wanted us to wait, but Xaden ordered us to go. It’s not like we had a fucking say in the matter. 

I did not choose you to die. Vito growls, his form shuttering as he tries to stand. I can feel his anger. His pain. The helplessness and the fear. He tries to hide it all behind rage, but it trickles through like a poisonous spring. “I can’t shield us from the flames for long.” Imogen whispers, drawing my attention. What is she talking about? There’s nothing she can do about the flames. She meets my eyes, and there’s something locked behind them. A secret? Regret? I don’t know. We don’t have time. The wyvern is landing. One has landed behind us. One is landing in front of us. The last stays in the sky. “Just stay alive.” I mutter, because we cannot stand another loss in our already feeble group. 

Use your flames. Vito demands as though flames kill venin when it’s been proven that they don’t. Shaking my head, I glance at the wyvern. They’re not attacking yet. They’re just watching. Why? Imogen takes a deep breath. “I need time.” It’s not a question. It isn’t a demand. It’s what both of us have to do to keep everyone alive. Nodding slowly, I plant my feet and stare at the three giant creatures surrounding us. The dragons, those still breathing, roar and cry out. Helpless. Scared. Gods, Garrick and his group are right behind us. They’ll be here in a few minutes. Will we be corpses by then? Just another offering to Malek? 

You are the flame. You will stand, and you will protect the humans while they free us. Vito growls. Bossy. But my bonded all the same. My other half. Taking a deep breath, I straighten. I’ll try. The wyvern straightens, their giant jaws unhinging like a snake. To my left, there’s a blue glow. Blue flames. To my right, there’s an orange glow. I can’t see the one above. The blue flame will more than likely take a lot of my energy. Fuck, I’m gonna end up burning myself alive. Hopefully Garrick knows I’m sorry. Hopefully he won’t have to find my body. FOCUS! Vito booms just as the first flames flare. 

My hand shoots up, my skin heating to an uncomfortable temperature. Don’t push yourself over the limit. But hold the line. Give Imogen and the first year's time. Hold out until Garrick gets here so he knows I’m sorry. Fire explodes from my palms, and wraps around my feet. I force my crushed arm up. Everything flashes white as I do. But if I don’t, we’re dead. The venin is taking its time. Agony ripples through my right sight, the flames fly to crash against the wyvern’s flames. As soon as my blue flames greet theirs, my feet skid against the hard rocky ground. It’s hot. Too hot. The flames are too close. Hopefully the first years have freed the dragons near the wyvern. The wyvern ahead hasn’t attacked. It just circles, watching. The flames all hiss, whispering that time is running out. And it is. Holding off two wyverns breathing fire is way past my damn limit. Already my blood boils and my lungs burn. My legs shake, the adrenaline and agony crushing close to consciousness. Darkness creeps in the corner of my vision. And Garrick flashes behind my eyes. The tears well up. My legs give out beneath me. But my arms stay up. My fire pushes against the wyverns, even as it grows difficult to draw a single breath. We’re going to die here. There’s no question about it anymore. Still, I give my flames all I can. Because if there’s even a chance of one of us surviving, it’s better than nothing. 

“Just a little more time!” Imogen screams past the raging inferno’s around us. Just a few more minutes. My lip trembles, the pain threatening to steal all consciousness. Just a few more minutes of this before I can rest or meet Malek. The flames are beginning to turn. The wyvern fire pushes closer, no matter how much I send out. My own skin steams and glows, the fire barely being contained under my skin. It rubs, hisses, and burns inside. It’s only a few minutes until I combust into flames. Until my own fire joins the Wyverns and turns on me. Fucking hell. Malek, if I must meet you soon please don’t take anyone else. Let my fire be enough. 

You will survive! Vito screams, pure panic and agony shredding his usually gruff voice. A bitter sound escapes me. It’s half a cry, and half a laugh. Smoke billows from me with every breath. My visions are beginning to tint. “Okay! Focus the flames above!” Imogen screams.

If I drop my walls, we’re all toast. But I trust Imogen enough to follow even with the doubt. I look up, a pure agonized scream tearing from me as the flames billow up like a giant mushroom cloud shielding us. The flames combust from my skin, just as I knew they would. It burns. The darkness crawls forward, and my lungs don’t bother rising. To my utter shock, more heat and flames than I’ve ever seen before joins my own. A single hazy glance around explains how. The dragons are free. Vito’s free. Thank the Gods. The dragons are breathing fire to reinforce my own. Drop it! Drop it NOW! Vito demands, but the wyvern only pushes closer. The Wyvern tries to fly through the flames. I expect them to break through. Instead, the Wyvern and its venin both disintegrate through the additional flames. The world collapses. My flames fall into little things that caress and wrap around me. Still burning. Still claiming. Still planning to send me to Malek. 

My vision grows distant, hazy, blurry, and darker. Breath, Little Flame. Vito pleads. His snout presses against my chest. It burns. It feels weights have been pressed against me. “Where is she!?” A loud but distant, demanding voice calls. The distant sound of heartbeats, or wings, beats across the land. The ground vibrates with it. Vito lets out an ear-splitting roar before collapsing down beside me. His head presses gently against my side. My lungs still refuse to work with me. A hand presses against my cheek, and it stings. My skin must still be hot. “Sweetheart.” Garrick. His voice cracks, his hand gently shaking my head. "Hey. Stay with me." My eyes, that had fallen close without conscious thought, slip open. He’s here. The tears rise, only to slip. He's really here. Time is fickle. The world tilts with Garrick's arms wrapping around me, drawing me closer, and Vito whines. “Don’t do this.” Garrick whispers, pleads, his voice distant as though he’s soaring high above. "Not after our argument. Not after what was said." His voice sounds choked and scorned, like steel against stone. I don’t want to leave, but Malek doesn’t wait for anyone. His hand wraps around mine, so I give him the last message I’m able to. Three squeezes; I love you. 

"I love you too." He presses his forehead to mine, and I feel his tears hit my all too heated skin. They hiss and dissolve. "I love you, sweetheart. So fucking much." His voice shakes, and my body jolts with every sob he tries to hold back.

The darkness seeps forward, claiming all sight. There’s screaming. I can feel my body being lifted. Garrick’s pleading, beautifully masculine voice is the last sound before everything falls silent. It seems Malek is done waiting. And I’m so tired of fighting.

(Do we want a part two???)

[cheerpunkqt]

Poison

Character: Ridoc Gamlyn

Type: Angst, Fluff

Summary: A walk changes everything.

“Come on, Pretty girl.” Ridoc. His voice is a melody to my ringing ears. Every breath is a fight. The rain drizzles, slow and calming. There’s no lightning. No shadows. No ice or even wind. It’s just the soft rain. “It’s just a little farther. Vito’s just on the hill.” He promises, his voice tight with restrained emotion and false humor. A cry rises, but it lodges in my throat. Violent shivers rack every muscle. It starts from my lower back, and travels up my spine to branch out. Poison. His body is warm against mine. He holds my arm over his shoulder, and his other hand tries to apply pressure to the arrow. 

Stay awake. Vito growls in warning, but he sounds so distant. So far away. Something crawls up my throat, and the world tilts. “No. You’re not allowed to die on my watch.” Ridoc grumbles, pulling my half collapsed body back. The arrow pierced a lung. Blood pools from my lips, dripping like the soft rain cooling my skin. Everything’s hazy. Blurred. The skies no longer look blue. They look green. Everything’s vibrant. 

“Not-” I try, but the words flee. Cough after choked cough escapes. Blood splatters against the earth, mixing with the puddles of rain. I can feel his ice. He freezes my wound, and tries to cool my skin. There was no one around. We were simply walking. We’re too far away to walk back to Tyrrendor. Which means Vito and Aotrom will more than likely be waiting. “-Trying to.” It’s a choked laugh, and partially a cry. Ridoc scoffs, but it doesn’t sound annoyed. It sounds playful, as though I’m not bleeding out and he isn’t trying to help me run from an enemy we can’t see. 

“Leave it to you to argue with me while we’re running for our lives.” He laughs quietly, but from the corner of my eye, I can see his eyes harden as he looks around. Good. He feels it too. Whoever attacked is watching. They’ve been following. There’s no logical reason for a flier or rider to attack. Not since we’re wearing our leathers and Tyrendor is practically made of riders. But if it were Venin, wouldn’t it have been drawn from the earth and killed that way? Nothing’s adding up. My ears pop, ringing louder. My eyes flutter, and legs try to give. Ridoc’s arms wrap quickly, and the world falls away. 

“Always knew you liked being carried.” He tries to joke. And it works. A pained, exhausted smile stretches. Being dropped or called too heavy has always been a fear of mine. And he knows it. So he always tried to carry me when he could. Usually, I’d decline or fight my way out of his grip. But there’s not enough energy or logical thought for that now. My body convulses. Iron and copper attack my taste buds, and blood coats my tongue. “Dammit, Pretty girl. I need you to keep those eyes open.” He whispers hurriedly, and his pace quickens. Vito wraps his soul around mine, as though trying to chain me to him. 

But Ridoc doesn’t make it far with us. Not with what’s been hunting us. A rageful, ear splitting roar echoes across the mountain. Another, more familiar one, joins in. Two dragons, preparing to fight for riders. The world darkens for a moment. It’s only for a moment. The sky is so beautiful from this angle. Vivid colors of green, blue, and pink swirl around one another. The clouds seem to fold together. The rain drops softly against heated skin. The poison. It’s working slowly, but surely. 

Check on the smartass. Vito growls, an order he knows I won’t deny. It’ll keep me awake. My head tilts to the side, mud coating my cheek and temple as I do. Ridoc lays clutching his stomach and thigh. Two arrows, broken feathered and wavering, protrude from him. Not good. Not good at all. I don’t hear his screams, but I can see his grimace. My eyes fall close. Only for a moment. But when they open again, Ridoc has crawled his way back to my side. He doesn’t lift me. He simply lays beside me, his hand wrapping in mine. 

“Didn’t think we’d die from an arrow, did ya.” He jokes, but it’s strained. An amused breath shutters past my all too shallow breaths. There’s no pain anymore. Just exhaustion. Just darkness clawing at the corner of my vision. I don’t feel the stone and wooden thing piercing my chest. The blood isn’t warm, but it isn’t freezing either. 

“Come here…” He whispers, slowly, carefully, moving my body so my head rests on his shoulder. The world tints red, and my eyes begin to sting. His thumb brushes away the tear, or the blood, I don’t know. There’s no air. Just blood. Blood coating my throat, tongue… Copper filling my nose, and dripping from it. There’s no sound anymore. Just vision. Ridoc’s shoulder shakes beneath my head. His hand settles in my hair, the other over my wound. Neither one of us are making it out of here. It's a peaceful realization. We don’t have to fight anymore. There’s no one around. Just us. Just a man who hides behind humor, and a woman who’s been head over boots for him since the moment she met him. FIGHT IT! Vito booms down the bond, but it’s so quiet. Like a whisper on the wind. Ridoc’s warmth wraps around me. The rain calms my heated skin and helps wash the blood away. My eyes don’t close, but the darkness takes all sight anyway. I never thought I’d die in the arms of the man I love… But I wouldn’t have it any other way either.