The pair of biplanes twisted and dived to avoid the splash of fire. Machine guns clattered a response, and the sky filled with lead.

The sky was filled with death as dragons and men fought for supremacy. Leathery wings of dragons’ were torn to shreds by bullets. Planes disappeared from the sky in huge torrents of fire. Wing and tail of dragon and plane alike separated from their bodies and fell toward the ground below, followed soon by their former owners.

Drayden jerked his control stick, sending his plane twisted away from the grasping claws of a dragon. He looped around and pressed the firing button, spraying his opponent with death.

The dragon jerked and tumbled awkwardly away, no doubt mortally wounded. Drayden sighed. Though slow and clumsy in the air, dragon had scales that resisted most metal. Only with long, concentrated bursts could one kill one.

One the ground, squads of men ran through the burning shrubs to slay any surviving dragons and help any surviving biplane pilots. The war had gone on long, and it showed no sign of letting up.

A storm welled up in the distance, a huge maelstrom of winds and rain. The human pilots separated, diving towards the ground, a few planes remaining airborne to hold the dragons off. Drayden leapt from his cockpit and pulled his helmet off. As soon as the storm stopped the dragons would be back, but he would be ready.