Dragons were amazing beasts, and even after all these years, Khaiya was in awe of them. Their power; their grace; their majesty. They could decimate entire villages if they wanted to, entire cities, even, and in the past she had heard it was true they did. And perhaps some rogue beasts still did today. They were timeless and ancient and wise, creatures of muscles and magic that few could kill--and that those that tried and failed rarely survived.
And yet all it took was one large tear to their wing, the only part of them that wasn't covered in armor-like scales, to bring them to their knees.
Or rather, crashing to the ground.
Khaiya didn't know what did it; she didn't see it happen. She was distracted that morning and fatigued from a poor night's sleep, and so she'd let herself close her eyes just to relieve them of their tired burning as she leaned forward in the saddle, the gentle rise and fall of Jasper beneath her rhythmically soothing, the rush of air around her muted by the helmet she wore. It was a lovely day, sunny and calm, and she wasn't even officially on duty today. She just needed to get out and do something, and a quick flight seemed perfect for that. Stretch Jasper's wings, cure her anxiousness...
Of course, that was exactly when it happened.
Jasper let out piercing roar full of pain and anger and his body jerked, his wings working harder to support his massive weight, and Khaiya's eyes snapped open as ever muscle went taut just in an effort to hold on and stay seated. She was strapped in for safety's sake, but she was in no hurry to test just how well those straps worked!
"Jasper! What is it?" she telepathed at him, her heart hammering away in her chest. They were losing altitude, his wings unable to keep him airborne no matter how he strained, his claws pawing at the air as though that would help keep them afloat.
"My left wing," he telepathed back, and that was when Khaiya twisted in her seat to look--and saw the gaping hole that was flinging blood with every beat. "It's...unstrap yourself, Khaiya."
"What?! Are you crazy?"
"We're going to fall," Jasper continued, and she could hear his breath coming out in bursts as he struggled to keep control, and she watched in horror as he aimed them toward a large patch of forest along the mountainside. "I can try to make this gentle, but if we crash...you need to be free. You'll have a better chance if you're thrown than if I crush you when we--dammit!"
His wing buckled then, giving out from under him, and they plummeted Her stomach dropped and though she'd practiced dives with Jasper before, she thought this time she might truly vomit, right into her damned helmet, because this was not a controlled dive like those. This was a rolling, chaotic fall as the world spun around them into a blur of color, the sheer force of gravity whipping Khaiya around like a ragdoll.
And then, abruptly, Khaiya was no longer staring up at the sky but instead the trees below as Jasper rolled, the trees that were growing closer by the second.
"The strap, Khaiya!" Jasper growled, and Khaiya grabbed at it with shaking hands that didn't want to obey her commands--and yanked it free. And then she was staring at the sky again as she struggled free of the stirrups--and let go.
It was the last thing she remembered before she hit the trees.
The sky was dark when Khaiya woke up, and she was surrounded by trees.
She was also incredibly sore. Everything ached, and she knew as she laid there that she was pretty lucky to be alive. That without her armor, without her helmet, she would surely be dead. That she'd probably be dead if she hadn't let go, because there was a chance Jasper would land belly up--and a chance he'd land on his back with her beneath him and--
...Shit. Jasper.
"Jasper!" she yelled, scrambling to her hands and knees and wincing as her bruised and cut body protested. She gasped, pain shooting through her side--she'd probably broken a rib or two--and clamped a hand to the spot as she sucked in air. Shit. Shit.
There was no answer.
"Jasper!" she tried again, this time sending it out along their link, but again there was only silence.
Silence, except for the eerie sounds of the woods around her, and the distant howl of a wolf.
Either he was out of range or...
No. She did not want to think of the other possibility. She'd know if that were the case...wouldn't she?
Reaching up, Khaiya took off her helmet and mopped her sweaty brow with a gloved hand. Okay. She just had to think smart about this. Stay calm and logical.