I reply while nodding my deep scarred and scaley head.
"That is true, dragons had many abilities, but that was before the mother dragon was murdered. After that in order to protect their knowledge and power from humans, all of the next generation of dragon had no power. I however am an exception. Caring very much for my kind I was by the side of each dragon that died and was bestowed with their powers out of gratitude for everything that I did for them. Now I am the last of my kind, and I still remember the faces and voices of those that I bid farewell to."

He nods as he continues to listen to the old wise dragon. "You seem to be very wise and filled with much knowledge, besides what you showed me, could you teach me some other things? Like how to fly well and straight? Because when I fly, I don't fly very well...I usually end up going in circles and then crashing to the ground," he says as he begins to blush. He flet ashamed that he couldn't fly very well. "I feel so stupid, I make a pathetic dragon..." he mutters to himself.

"I found out the hard way that I am not a good flyer...I smacked right into a large tree, trying to get away from men," he says. "I nearly broke a wing and an arm," he says with a sigh. He shoke his head and sighs again. "I'm a stupid idiot," he mutters to himself.

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I shake my head and slide him over to my side.
"No, you are not an idiot young one, you are like all hatchlings. Besides flying is difficult to begin with, you have to find the wind currents in the air and use them to your advantage. If I am able to wander freely than I shall teach you, but right now with these, I rattle the chains, I am useless."

He nods and smiles feeling a little better than he did before. "I guess I didn't have enough practice is all...I just need to practice when I have the time," he says. Then he looks at the dragon. "Why do you keep calling me hatching, I mean I am not offended or anything, I just want to know is all," he says. This was making him curious, he hand never been called anything but half-breed or an abomination. He stands up and streches. I wonder how the meeting is going...I hope they decide that he can be free he thinks. Then he sits back down. "I wonder what's going on at the meeting and what they have decided." he says to him.

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I shug my shoulders.
"I don't know, what's going on in there, but I do hope that they grant my wish, because my body is really sore, I say. As for me calling you hatchling, hatchling, you may not be a full dragon to everyone else, but to me you are and you are far younger than I am. Therefore it is only correct for me to call you hatchling, hatchling," I laugh.

Bane nods and laughs with the dragon. "Well, you're the first to ever say that, most dragons when they were all still alive considered me a pest or an abomination and would chase me away." he says with a sigh. Bane looks down at the floor. "Even human beings act like that, I guess there is a lot of things they don't understand about me, I think you do though," he says to him. Bane lets out another sigh, "When this dragon cursed me and I learned about why this happened...I understood why it did it and felt sorry for my father. Ya know if I was full dragon I would have done the same thing..." he says trailing off.

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I nod.
"You are lucky that is all that the dragon did. He could have done much worse. You see we were a very powerful species back them, but no longer. Now I am the last."

"Yeah, I agree...I once heard that there was this slayer that was cursed by another dragon. It slowly killed him, it turned his body to stone. I am glad that, that didn't happen to me," he says. "I guess I am greatful for what happened, because to me I get best of both worlds," he says. Bane then turns his head slightly, listening, a sound or sounds had caught his attention. He looks at Windrider, "I think someone is coming, I hear footsteps and talking," he says. Bane gets up and looks down the hall, he could see that there was shadows of men. He didn't know if it was the guild and the king or the king and the councilmen. So that he wouldn't be seen just incase, he went back into the room and tried to find a place to hide. If it is the council...I need a place to hide quick... he thinks.

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The guards on the walltop rush down and start to surround me.
Confused by this I tap the nearest man's shoulder, causing him to jump a little.

"Excuse me, but what is going on," I ask.

The guard shrugs.
"Don't know but we are to be ready to protect you at any time, no matter what. You are a treasure that we cannot afford to lose."

The sentries in the towers are ringing their bells and the guards within the prison rush out and form a defense at the gate. Archers fill the wall tops accompanied by armored swordsman. Wonder is on my face as I see how many people have poured out of the fortress. Last of all four groups of men wielding two-handed swords and no armor take their positions throughout the courtyard.

Several figures in red robes tipped with gold and surrounded by armed guards with the insignia of the king on their chests stop by the gate. The leader of the force of men are stationed here walks up to the gate, accompanied by his two captains, before open the spy slit.

"Who goes," the captain of the guard demands.

The answer is immediate.
"The Counicil of the Seven Kingdoms desires to see and speak with Prince Windrider," the escort of guards say.

The captain of the guard motions me forward I move over toward the door surrounded by my escort of forty-eight elite warriors. I look into the slit and flick my head back just in time as a small throwing knife dripping with a unknown venom flies toward me. "Sound the alarm, we're under attack!" The sentries ring their bells and the archers take their positions near the arrow slits along the wall top, in their tunnel. The forty-eight elite warriors remove my chains and stretch my limbs. Taken aback by their actions, I open my mouth to speak. Only to have one of them gently place a hand on my head.

"There isn't time for second thoughts, your highness, we don't yet know what we are against, but my heart is telling me that we might need you, before the day is out. I raise my hands and a white light glows around the defenders. The defenders nod and prepare to do battle.

The gate rattle and the archers flee from the walltops as terrible winged creatures with razor sharp talons and unearthly green eyes swoop down at them. "Harpies," the cry in fear as they leap off the battlements and onto the ground. The sentries however think that these are nothing to what is to come. The watchmen leap off just in time as giant clubs demolishes the watch towers. I know that craftsmanship immediately, giant made. Giants are attacking. Then hundred of hounds covered in crimson flames leap over the battlements and encircle me and my escort. "Hellhounds," the men cry as they prepare to do battle with the beast. Then enormous beings covered in flames with leathery wings and great big swords engage the champions, or the men wielding two-handed great swords. The captain of the guard deflects a blow from the nearest creature. "Demon lords, who the hell are these guys," he says as he kicks his opponent over and charges after him. The one guard that is watching the group outside dodges as a dozen fireballs fly toward him. Evil laughter flows and the succumbus mount the wall tops while the anti-paladins smash down the gate and engage the guards. As soon I see a spear-tipped tail I know what it that is attacking us. "They're succumbus, and their guards are anti-paladins," I cry. Then the clubs I saw from before erupt in flame. Fire giants are assaulting the fortress. A giant smashes through a wall and hundreds of lesser demons swarm through the gap. I launch my self off the ground and tackle the nearest giant. The giant discard his club demolishing a group of houses and seizes me around the chest, clamping his hands around my body and imprisoning my wings beneath his fingers.
"You're coming with us, Prince," the giant says. I shake me head and sink my teeth into his hand. The giant throws me against a wall and it crumbles on top of me. With a sickening crunch I fall to the ground unable to move. The giant then sweeps aside the rubble and scoops me up in his hand. I spew fire at him only to have him laugh as he reaches into his giant pocket and snaps a muzzle around my mouth. "Naughty little dragon prince, you should know better than that," a voice says. As I look below me, I freeze. The Mistress of the Succumbus's smiles as she sees the fear on my face. "Hello, Windrider, long time no see," she replies flicking her whip.

Bane was watching from inside the prison hidden from veiw. He was thinking of a plan, for he wanted to protect the dragon at all cost, not matter what the outcome was that happened to him. Gotta do something...gotta do something now... he thinks as he walks out of the prison. Right now he didn't care who or what saw him. His mind was set on one thing and that was to save Windrider. The gaint that had grabbed the dragon began to turn and walked out of the fortress. Bane lets out a dragon-like growl of frustration. Only, if only I could fly right... he thinks. Then something instictual takes over and he begins to flap his wings. As he begins to fly gracfully up, his skin began to heat up as if he had been dipped in hot lava. To his suprise, scales began to appear on his skin, but he still retained a humanoid form. What's going on? Is this part of my powers that are locked away inside? He was now up in the air. With a smirk on his face, he creates a fire ball and throws it at the giant. "Hey, Fathead...put my brother down" He says. He concidered when they were living all Dragons his brothers and sisters. They giant turns around and throws a club at him. Aww, crap! he thinks as he moves out of the way swiftly. He seen that lesser demons that could fly were coming after him. Really? Stupid demons...ugh... He kicks on in the face, causing it to spiral down and hit the ground with a hard thud. It laid there motionless. One done...dozens to go... He then began to set them on fire. Maybe if I try this it might work...or maybe I might end up killing or tiring myself out... He thinks.

Bane began to concentrate all his energy on the demons. With a smirk he lets go of the energy and a wave of fire hits them, incernerating them on contact. Well, that's it for those pesky demons...now to get Windrider. he thinks as he begins to fly around the giants head.

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The giant is unaffected by the flames as he himself is made of flame. Though as it hears Bane's voice it turns around and releases a torrent of flame forming a towering wall of fire around him. Then as the Mistress of the Succumbus wraps her magical whip around my body he lets go of me and walks through the gap in the wall before vanishing along with his brothern into the distance. She runs her sharp claws along my scales on my neck.

"You're so beautiful little Windrider, I should have taken you long ago. How foolish I was."

I look her in the eye.

"Now that you have me, will you leave these people alone. I can't bear to see anymore death."

The mistress laughs.

"Well then I suggest that you close those eyes of yours because we have no intention of stopping until this entire city is raised to the ground," she says.

I smash my tail into her body, knocking her away from me and shrugging off my pain, I dive into a swarm of helhounds. Then I feel something cold wrap around my neck and soon after that I am forced to the ground. I growls and spew fire at my handlers who only laugh and pull me closer to their mistress. The lady of hell smiles and strokes my chins with her claws.

"Naughty little prince, you are mine now, I decide what and when we do things. Your only job is to follow."

Bane looks at the scene, it was making him mad. 1. He was mad at himself and 2. That theses demons wanted to kill the only surviving dragon left. Ugh! This is gonna be harder than I thought it would be. he thinks. He flies up higher. There is gotta be something I can do, there is just gotta...I won't forgive myself if he dies... He thinks. He watches the scene before him, his mind racing. He didn't know what to do. Then it felt as though someone was controling him. A huge surge of power bang to grow within him and then all of a sudden he realsed a beam of white light and it hit the demons mistress. What is going on? I can't do this.... He thinks. Don't worry little one, we've got your back. A voice says to him. He looks over and sees two dragon spirits.

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The Succumbus Mistress swings me infront of her and I take the full blast of Bane's attack. I crumple to the ground and close my eyes as I fall into a deep sleep. The mistress hisses and vanishes along with the rest of her army. The army gather around me as I fall. The captain of the guard drapes a blanket over my battered body.

Bane let out a hiss as the blast hit the dragon. Stupid women and stupid me! How could I have done such a thing he says. He then runs over to the dragon and puts his hands on him. They begin to glow a red-hot looking color as he begins to heal him, he was determined to save him no matter what the cause was. Even if he had to use his own life-force to do it. Once he did all he could, he flew up into the sky. He needed to go cool off before he hurt someone. He goes into a near by forest and begins to punch trees.

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I wrap my tail around Bane and pull him to the ground. I cough up blood and wince in pain as I curl around the boy. Then I run my claws through his hair letting his tears fall against my chest.
"Shh, Bane, its alright," I say soothingly as I gently thrumm and rub my head against his.

Bane looks at the dragon. He couldn't speak, he was to busy crying. He raised his hands and began to try and heal him again. "You just can't die, you just can't...." he says between sobs as places his hands on the dragons body.

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The soldiers jump back as crystal that glows like starlight wraps around me and Bane. A gentle humming sound surrounds the area and lightning pours down from the sky, striking the crystal over and over.

Bane didn't know what to do, he looks around the crystal and then looks at Windrider. "What's going on? What's with the crystal?" he asks. Panic began to fill his voice, becuase he really didn't like tight spaces or being inclosed like this.

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"If you are afraid, touch the crystal and it will open for you, I studder through labored breaths. However if you want to remain beside me, I warn you this is only the beginning. As I am master of all five elements so must I be merged with them in magic. What you see before you is the beginning of the powerful regeneration process of the crystal that makes up my scales. Its so powerful that it could bring back the dead. This luckly will never happen for I and only I have the gift of this power. Therefore hatchling that is why I cannot die."

He looks at him, "Ok, I was just making sure that you are going to be alright," he says. Bane then looks at him again. "I'm sorry for what happened, it wasn't supposed to go that away," he says. Then he touches the crystal and steps out. He then goes and leans against a tree and waits.

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