It is said that your life flashes before your eyes as you’re about to die. I haven’t had much of a life. I just stand transfixed as the world moves in slow motion. A massive stream of ethereal vapor gushes forth towards the station, hitting the shield. The shield shimmers with power. The substance spreads over it, coating it with a layer of glimmering silver.

  No shaking, no explosion. What the hell was that? Didn’t do anything—I’m an idiot! Space is empty. No atmosphere, no kinetic energy... and now, we are connected!

  A spark kindles deep within the dragon’s throat, turning the outside world into a sea of blue flames. A massive shock wave rattles the space station like a toddler shaking a toy. I barely manage to stay on my feet. Still the only one standing. It’d make a bad-ass epitaph, if anyone survived long enough to write me one. Not likely at this point, but nonetheless, I steady myself like a funambulist walking a tightrope instead of the solid metal of a station floor.

  If these are my last seconds in the universe, I'll spend them on my feet.

  In front of me, the station’s shield takes on a color I’ve never seen before, but it’s still holding nevertheless. The jaws of the creature are moving and a bone rattling vibration courses through the entire structure.

  “WHERE. IS. SHE! GIVE. HER. BACK!”

  Anger made physical. My body trembles, my nerves curl like strings lit on fire. The pain is beyond anything I can describe, and this time, I collapse for good. My head slams on the cold metal. A welcome distraction from the hellish torture.

  Slowly, the pain wanes till only the message remains. Where is she? Who is she? Wait—The dragon... spoke? But if not him, who else? Nowhere in the stories did it say dragons were sentient. Mindless monsters killing righteous human explorers with abandon. The floor around me is littered with corpses, but they were killed by our own knights.

  My body trembles in fear as I see the gigantic jaws open once more. Please no! I can't handle another word from the beast. Mercifully, a massive explosion engulfs it before it has a chance to speak. A light so bright the entire universe turns white in front of my eyes, save for the shape of the dragon casting a giant shadow across the station. When my sight returns, I can see swarms of bright, insect-like things landing on its scale armor.

  Those are... knights? They look tiny from over here, but now that I know what to look for, I see them. Can’t help but feel a strange sense of pride. Still hate their guts, but at the same time, they are out there, fighting a freaking dragon! Murderous assholes as they are, they are our murderous assholes and if they lose, we'll die too.

  The dragon is unfazed by the explosion. I look carefully for signs of damage. There aren't any. An explosion that would have pulverized a moon, that dragon should have been obliterated, but he doesn't even need to shake it off. He's just pissed. He turns to face an entire battleship fleet. They spread out, forming a perimeter around him. Clearly not their first time fighting a dragon. They know what they are doing.

  For a brief moment, the beast hesitates, before settling for a target and out comes another powerful stream of translucent plasma.

  Most battleships manage to avoid it just in time, but not all of them make it. Caught mid-maneuver, a ship goes dark instantly. EMP pulses? Through a shield? How does that even make sense? The plasma is cast ablaze, turning the starship into a flaming marshmallow. An explosion. Debris fly in all directions. A Merit Class XI and a 3,000 men crew, erased in an instant.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  None of this is possible, but physical reality appears to be staying very quiet in the presence of a dragon.

  To their credit, the remaining battleships continue their attacks unabated. None of their weapons seem to be doing anything, but they keep firing anyway. I don't get it. If the stories are true, our fleet's been fighting and killing dragons for centuries. But our weapons do nothing. These men are about as effective as children wielding peashooters.

  And what are the knights even doing? I turn my attention back to them. If we’re all about to die, at least I want to die knowing they are getting the worst of it. It certainly looks that way. Hundreds of them are floating aimlessly into space, tiny pinpricks of iridium littering the vast emptiness. However many more are still holding onto the dragon, locked in place by steel threads forming a gigantic web. Are they trying to capture the beast? The idea is ludicrous. Cables? It’s like a spider trying to catch an elephant in its web. Can’t be that. No one is that stupid—

  The answer comes as another flash sears through space, destroying yet another battleship. In the flare of light, I can see the scene clearly for the first time.

  The knights aren’t trying to bind the beast, they are drilling at the edges of the scales to get them loose! Battleships are just a distraction to keep the dragon occupied while “ground” troops tear out enough scales to create a weak spot!

  I scan the body of the beast. Several small scales are missing already, forming tiny dark patches of unprotected flesh. Doesn’t look like much, but something tells me this one-sided battle is about to turn around.

  They lose another three battleships before scoring the first hit on an unprotected area. This time, the dragon feels it. Panic. The dragon arches his gigantic head and shakes himself, twisting and bucking to dislodge the thousands of knights still drilling its armor away, but the cable webbing holds strong. Hundreds of knights are flung into space or crushed against the scales, but there are thousands more and they keep going as if nothing happened.

  Too little, too late. The scale-armor is no longer perfect and he didn’t even notice. Another hit lands on an unprotected area. The majestic creature contorts in pain, letting out another roar. I can feel his pain like a stab into my mind, a splinter worming its way into my brain.

  Impossible. The connection to the station is long severed, but the pain can’t be denied. I curl into a ball and clasp my head with both hands as if I could squash it away. Make it STOP! Nothing for it. I can see the battleships before me in such absurdly bright details. Pulsating lights and geometries I've never known before. They are dancing, always dodging just beyond my reach. Rage boils in me. It was all a trap and I fell for it like a hatchling!

  Arrogant bastards were ready for me and they are hunting! Me! I charge for the biggest one and tear into it with my claws. It evades with only a shallow cut while the other ships encircle me from behind and fire. Well, not this time! I’m ready for it and I dodge at the very last second, letting the energy bolts fly harmlessly above my tail. The thrall of the battle drives me to the brink. I haven't fought like that in... Kill. Kill them all. KILL---

  NO! Be smart, the battle is lost. It's time to retreat. I charge past my would-be victim and make for the nearest void gate. They are chasing me still and two large crafts appear in front of me to bar my route. Insignificant fools! Out of my way! My core is pulsing. What if those bastards get lucky? Through all the centuries, I could never believe they were a threat to one such as me. Others died, but they were weak. Am I weak? No, but I'm no fool either. I dive upside down under the enemy ships, raking their entrails with my claws. The jump point is right there and not one minute too soon.

  “Find her. Save her. Find her. Save her. Find her. Save her.”

  The mantra echoes as I dive in, head first, as more explosions rattle the exposed scales on my back and tail. I vanish.

  The voice fades as my mind blacks out into the void.