Rise of the Undead

Queen Ivy of the Forest Dragons

        “Well?” Leaf asked. “What do you think?”
        She sounded, Slash thought, entirely too proud about a little patch of forest. Slash was too tired to point out that this was an ordinary piece of woods, so she just said, “It's okay.”
        “Just okay?” Leaf sounded crestfallen. “Not impressive?” Before Slash could reply, the green dragoness leapt into the air. “Come on!”
        Slash glanced back at Thunder, incredulous. “I have to fly? Just where is this castle?”
        “Up,” Thunder said, which could mean either “The castle is up” or “You fly up”. Slash didn't know which, but she decided to assume the latter. She stretched her wings carefully, then looked up to where Leaf had perched on a branch to wait. Slash could see no way of flying without smashing into tree branches.
        There has to be another option, Slash thought. She glanced up at the trees, then at Leaf. Hmm . . .
        “Hurry up,” Thunder snapped. “Or we'll be stuck down here forever.”
        “I am certainly not going to even attempt to fly through that,” Slash said sharply, flicking her right wing up to gesture at the tree branches above.
        Leaf sighed. “It's not that hard. You just have to go carefully, and look up for a way through the branches,” she said.
        Slash dug her claws into the ground and crouched slightly. “No.”
        Thunder hissed. “This is ridiculous.”
        “What is ridiculous,” Slash said, “is that you actually think I will fly up. Because if I try, I will most certainly smash my head open on a branch and die. And then Ivy won't be able to interrogate me.”
        “Show some respect,” Leaf said. “Queen Ivy.”
        Slash ignored her.
        “Maybe I'll just have to carry you up,” Thunder growled.
        “You will not!” Slash cried. She calmed herself, then continued, “You will not lay a single claw on me. And if you try, I will rip your face off.” She actually didn't think she could do that, even if she were at full strength.
        Thunder clearly didn't think so either. He gave a snort of disgust. “Even Leaf could stop you right now.”
        “What do you mean, even Leaf?” the female forest dragon demanded, looking outraged.
        There was a pause as Leaf glared at Thunder, Thunder glared at Slash, and Slash glared at both of them.
        Finally Thunder growled. “Okay, then, rip my face off. I'm carrying you up whether you like it or not.” He stepped threateningly toward Slash, and she hurriedly backed up. Thunder kept coming, and she kept retreating. Or at least, she tried to. It got a little tougher when she ran into some brambles.
        “Ouch!” Slash dragged her tail out of the prickly bushes. While she was thus occupied, Thunder leapt forward and grabbed her shoulders, dragging her forward into the open clearing.
        Slash let out an outraged shriek and tried to claw at him. Her right talon connected with the side of Thunder's flank, and she dug in. Most dragons just scraped, but she knew how to deal the most damage. Her claws sank in, then she ripped downward with all her might.
        The forest dragon snarled and shoved Slash’s shoulders and head into the ground. Slash attempted to heave herself up, but was unable to move. A moment later Thunder’s weight and talons disappeared. Slash pulled herself up and looked around, but couldn’t see the green dragon.
        Then he landed on her. Slash yelped as his weight shoved her to the earth again. Then he started flying again, talons wrapped around Slash.
        “Let’s go,” Thunder told Leaf.
        “I shall bite your freaking head off,” Slash snarled, twisting in his grip. “I’ll rip your wings off and feed them to the sharks! I’ll tear your claws and teeth out, one-by-one. Then you’ll regret this!” A branch thwacked her side, tearing open an old wound. “By all the sharks, that hurt!” she snapped. “Be more careful!”
        Thunder’s response was, “Shut up.”
        “I hope you choke on a bone and die!” Slash hissed.
        “I hope you do too,” Thunder said, sounding bored.
        Slash growled, but her head was woozy. It was getting harder to think of insults, and she was almost too exhausted to speak. “I hope you’re eaten by a—by a—”
        “Zombie dragon?” Leaf offered.
        Slash’s head snapped up so quickly she smashed it into Thunder’s chest. He let out a growl, but she hardly noticed. She could almost see them, flesh falling off, wings ripped; could almost smell their rotten stench; could almost feel their deadly claws ripping into her.
        The water muddled with the red haze of blood . . .
        “No . . .” she whispered.
        The undead, many, too many . . .
        “Not this again . . .”
        Eyes glinting, dark and emotionless . . .
        Slash didn’t want to see what happened next. She screamed, hardly noticed it, and writhed in Thunder’s grip. No. No. No. Please, No.
        Then one leapt forward, claws outstretched . . .
        “NO!” Slash’s body tensed, her head thrown back, tail lashing. Then she fell unconscious.

        “Water dragon?”
        Slash groaned and covered her face with her talons.
        “Wake up, water dragon.”
        Mother . . . ?
        “Come on, water dragon. Queen Ivy is waiting.”
        No. Not her mother. Leaf. Slash remembered now. Everything. No. I don’t want to remember. Go away, please. She squeezed her eyes shut tighter.
        “Just kick her,” snarled a male voice.
        Thunder. Oh joy.
        “I’m not going to kick her!” Leaf said. “She’s injured. Water dragon, please wake up, or Queen Ivy will be mad.”
        “Queen Ivy can eat her own tail,” Slash growled. “I’m hungry and I ache all over. I’m not moving one inch until I’ve had a nice fish.”
        “Water dragon . . .” Leaf said.
        “Kick her,” Thunder suggested again. “I will, if you don’t want to.” Scales slithered over the ground. Slash couldn’t tell exactly what sort of ground from the sound, but it was definitely rough material.
        “Don’t touch me,” Slash hissed. She cracked one eye open to give him a glare from under her forearm.
        Thunder stopped. “Then get up.”
        Slash groaned softly, but opened her other eye and slowly pulled herself into a sitting position. She looked around.
        They were on a wooden platform, almost level with the treetops. Other platforms were sprinkled around. Some had walls and a roof. Others lacked the walls but had the roof. And still others were like Slash’s—just the platform. Green dragons were flying around. Slash now knew why they’d had to fly to the queen’s palace—it was in the trees.
        “Come on,” Thunder growled.
        Slash stood up. She almost fell but managed to get her balance. Thunder stomped to the edge of the platform. Slash followed, wondering why she wasn’t chained up. Leaf brought up the rear.
        Thunder spread his wings and glided down to a slightly lower platform. It was one with walls and a roof, and he landed on the balcony.
        Slash didn’t glide. She leapt to a large branch, digging in with her claws as to not fall, and then to the balcony. Leaf joined them a moment later. Thunder knocked on the door of the room.
        “Enter,” called a female voice.
        Leaf nudged Slash forward as Thunder opened the door. Slash stepped into the room. The two forest dragons followed, shutting the door behind them. It took Slash a moment to adjust to the dimness. Then she could see Queen Ivy of the forest dragons.
        The queen was large for a female, but not larger than Thunder. She was the color of emeralds, with wings shaped like oak leaves. The look in her dark eyes was intelligent and hard.
        “Ah, our mystery guest,” Queen Ivy said. “Welcome.”