Sky battle

Dren let go of the reigns he used to guide his dragon in their flight and pushed hard with his legs, lifting him out of a sitting position and into a wide-legged stand. Carefully, but quickly, he lifted one leg after another to be placed on the center of his saddle, allowing him to stand upright and take a proper battle stance as he drew up his polearm from its secured place by where his left foot had just been. He and his dragon had practiced this maneuver many times, but this was the first time that they would be putting it to use in a real battle. That meant that there would be more obstacles, and more opportunities for his dragon to take a necessary but poorly timed turn, sending Dren tumbling to his death from the clouds.

The two circled back towards the enemy that they were fleeing from - another rider who was intent on having not one, but two dragons, and his eyes were set on one dragon in particular. It just so happened that that dragon was already taken.

Dren had to be exceedingly careful about how he wielded his unwieldy weapon, else the wind generated by their high speed would catch the flat of the blade and rip it out of his hands, which would not only leave Dren defenseless, but would most likely knock him off balance as well. To that end, he held the polearm behind him, angled so that the edge of the blade was directed into the wind, splitting the air rather than pushing it. Thanks to the thinness of his weapon of choice, he could swing it directly forward into the wind, and not lose any strength in doing so by having to fight against the current.

His dragon was angled to pass their pursuer on the left hand side. It was a risky tactic, as one wrong move meant that they would be captured and separated, but it was also one that gave them the advantage. Not because they somehow had a higher ground, but because it was such a risky and stupid move, no one would expect them to pull it off, much less have something ready to counter it. Dren could see the look in his pursuer's eyes that said he thought he had already won. He had no idea what was coming.

The other dragon lashed out at them, trying to take out one of their wings, but the pair was prepared. His dragon made a hard turn as Dren lashed forward, and his polearm stuck true into the opposite dragon's hide, cutting deep and drawing out a loud cry of pain. The dragon ripped away from them, taking the polearm with it, but Dren sat back down in his saddle satisfied. They watched as the pursuer tried to flee, but his dragon was weak, and tumbled down into a mountainside.

A weapon could be replaced. A dragon and a friend could not.