That Fateful Day
The sun that was high in the sky was now sinking behind the horizon as night was beginning to fall. Running through the thick trees, Urzia was desperately trying to escape her pursuers. Tied around her body was a long wrap securely carrying a young dragonborn to her back. Voices were heard behind her and they were quickly closing in. She knew she couldn't outrun them for long, but Urzia was determined to lose her attackers any way she could. She spotted an opening in the brush when all of the sudden she was tripped by a bolas thrown from one of the mounted soldiers. The weights pulled her and her precious cargo sideways sending them tumbling down the side of the cliff.
A dead tree snagged the sling and the dragon child was flung into the air. In that moment the world slowed as she couldn't help but watch in fear as he harshly impacted the ground and slid toward the edge of the river. Urzia had regained her footing, having landed seconds after, and was quickly by his side.
"Inur! Can you hear me...?" She gently lifts him up by one of his shoulder and leans him on her arm. The young dragon slowly opened his eyes and spoke under labored breath.
"I want to go home..." She was silent as she looked into his broken eyes. Her heart sank. They couldn't. There was no home to go back to...
"They went this way!" A loud voice pierced the silence. "Hurry up and find them!"
Her heart raced in her chest knowing that they were running out of time. She knew what they would do if they were caught. He'd be taken away from her and who knows what kind of twisted things they would do. She wouldn't allow that to happen. She won't give them the satisfaction of a successful capture. She knew what had to be done.
"Inur..." The small dragonborn looked up at her with a weak stare as tears threatened to fall from her eyes. "I'm so sorry, but no matter what happens, I need you to know that I will always love you..."
A warm smile weakly tugged at his lips "I love you too, Momma..." Inur was then pulled close to Urzia's chest as she submerged herself beneath the water's surface. She had to do it at that moment. If she had waited any longer she wouldn't have had the heart to do so. Inur small claws instinctively attempted to scratch at her skin. All she could do was to hold him closer and ignore his futile attempts to escape.
Inur, forgive me... I'm so sorry...Please, understand... These apologies repeated in her head over and over hoping that he would somehow hear her thoughts. She only needed a few more moments... Just a few more moments...That was it.
All at once, everything stopped. His movement. His breathing. His heartbeat. His suffering.
Breaching for air, Urzia's lungs desperately gasping for air to little avail as she stared at the lifeless body beneath her and wailed. The sky was now turned to a deep shade of red, the sun almost non-existent on the horizon. Her body trembled uncontrollably as hot tears fell from her face and dripped into the flowing water. She was angry. Angry at the world. Angry at her attackers. Angry at her life. Herself.
In her haze she didn't notice the horde of footsteps and hoofbeats surrounding her, weapons aimed and ready to fire. "Enough running!"
She slowly looked up. Her eyes slit threateningly as a new anger bubbled within her. "Stay back!" She snarled.
The soldiers brushed off her threat and closed in on her. "Stop resisting! You're coming with us!"
Fueled by her emotions, she inhaled deep. "I said STAY AWAY FROM US!" A large torrent of cold breath was unleashed onto the crowd and they knocked down to the ground. While they were incapacitated she was thankful that the frozen cloud lingered long enough for her to make her escape.