by Paul Cude
Changing from a hummingbird into a magpie in all but physical form, the ex-Crimson Guard went straight for the ring, relieving its current owner of it with his tiny little talons on the very first strike. Darting swiftly up, he knew he might get only a single pass at the necklace. Pumping his wings furiously, he tossed his head up, arched his neck and headed straight for the clasp with his still ringing beak. 'SNAP!' First time it came free and proceeded to tumble down the naga's brightly scaled chest. Punching through the air, Flash hooked onto it with his open beak and pulling a slow loop, pitched away, back in the direction of his friends and the ever present shield, leaving the dastardly naga tormented with pain, wondering what the hell had just happened. Immediately a new problem presented itself, one he hadn't foreseen. How on earth was he going to get the valuables back through the barrier? Seemingly with little choice, he reached out telepathically for anything familiar. Risky at best, particularly given the amount of power he was using to hold this form together, he could think of little alternative, especially knowing that he had to get to the king. Whilst the shield did dull the feel of the presences he would normally have recognised instantly, one amongst them stood out. YOYO! Skimming down a dark dragon's wing, raking its skin with his claws once or twice on the way, all the time holding tightly to the ring and the necklace, he reached out with his mind, giving everything he had to contact his friend.
"YOYO! YOYO!" he screamed, deep within himself.
Binding together a ruptured deltoid with what was left of his mana, the experienced healer slumped back against the wall, depleted and spent. Whatever happened now, he knew he'd play very little part. Mainly because of his age, it would be some time before the living magic within him replenished, and by then events would surely have played out. All he could do was lend a helping hand, guide others with his vast experience, and of course... pray. Not something he'd normally do, but of one thing he was certain, if ever a situation called for a prayer or two, then this was most certainly it. Closing his eyes, drawing a deep breath, it was then that he heard it over the cacophony of everything else going on. Subtle at first, barely even there, quickly it got louder. And that's when he recognised it. FLASH!
Sitting bolt upright, his eyes as wide open as they'd go, the experienced healer returned the call deep inside his head.
"FLASH?"
"I'm outside the shield Yoyo."
"I know youngster... I saw, a hummingbird, deeply impressive."
"There's no time for that now. I have items that will help you and Richie with your magic. You have to get her to open a gap in the shield... NOW!"
No sooner said than done, Yoyo bolted to his feet and bounded over to the young lacrosse playing dragon.
"You have to open up the same gap you did before for Flash!"
"WHAT?" bellowed Richie.
"He wants to give us something. It's important."
Deeply sceptical, and about to tell Yoyo what he could do with his request, it was then that she spotted him in all his hummingbird glory, twisting and turning, diving and gliding, swooping and darting in between all the magic that would have been instant death to a larger form. Immediately she siphoned more power from the dagger, focusing her concentration on maintaining the uniformity of the barrier but with one exception. In almost exactly the same place as she'd let him through, the tiniest of holes once again opened up. This time though, it was a lot more raggedy around the edges, shaped nothing like the uniform circle it had been before.
Not needing to be told twice, and with Yoyo shouting in his ear, he dive bombed the hole on exactly the approach that he needed to be. At the very last instant, he thrust the ring from around his feet, and with a flick of his delicate little neck, flipped the necklace to follow. Allowing himself just enough time to see both items land safely on the other side of the barrier, he watched as the gap closed, before wheeling tightly around and setting off in the direction of his monarch.
With Richie sweating nervously while continuing to power the shield, fully aware of just how much energy was, or in this case wasn't, left within the dagger, Yoyo scurried over to see what Flash had just delivered them. Picking the items up from the white, blast-stained marble floor, he could hardly believe his eyes when he realised exactly what they were. Hurrying back to the young lacrosse player, he approached her from behind, much to her surprise.
"Don't worry my dear, Flash has provided us with a temporary respite. That boy is always full of surprises."
And with that, he placed the necklace gently around Richie's neck and then locked the clasp in place.
The realisation of power struck her by surprise. It was as if she'd been cleansed, reborn almost, with her tiredness and fatigue banished, replaced by a clear head and refreshed muscles. Turning to smile at Yoyo, all the time continuing to power the shield, she watched hungrily as he slipped the laminium ring on one of his big fat fingers, the same power she'd just experienced washing over him. A nod from both was all it took for Yoyo to sprint back over to his injured charges, buoyed now by almost youthful exuberance.
She had it... a scorching hot beam of pure plasma that would melt the flesh from his bones instantly. Perfect! Relinquishing the rage she'd been holding in check, she took one last look at the being she hated most in this world and, pushing the disgust from her mind, conjured up the words in her head, preparing to put every last ounce of her will behind them. As her hatred boiled up through every atom in her body, a change occurred within her physical form, something she'd only experienced twice before. It started as a sensational tingle that massaged her entire scalp. After a few moments the massage turned into a coordinated kind of tugging, which in itself transformed into an all encompassing ecstasy. It had happened once again, and this time she didn't need a mirror to see the results. Tiny sharp-toothed serpents had replaced her long, flowing, brown locks, snapping and hissing, writhing uncontrollably. To her, it was rapture, bliss, pleasure personified. This was her crowning moment as queen, one that both she and the world would never forget.
Dodging flame, electricity, pure unadulterated energy, ice, poison and in one poorly judged case, an ambush by a two headed serpent lying in wait, the hummingbird that embodied all that was Flash poured on as much speed as it dared in an effort to reach the sneaking assassin. Unfortunately the circuitous route he'd had to take in order to avoid all the obstacles and the highly volatile offensive magic had left him approaching from behind the trio of magic wielders. George, the king and Fredric spotted him all at the same time, even though the latter was torn apart by grief, kneeling on the floor, his face flooded with tears. Flash, however, could see exactly what they couldn't: their revenge fuelled assassin about to unleash whatever fresh hell she'd concocted on their very sorry arses, and from the looks of things, he wasn't going to get there in time. Having planned to put himself in between the very real threat and his king, throw up the most powerful shield he could and then attack with all his might, things, he knew, had just gone out of the window. Delicate little wings burning like the most potent form of lava, Flash gave it his all in one last attempt to gain as much speed as possible, before tucking in his feathery appendages and like an aerodynamic dart, he screamed through the air in a reckless attempt to achieve his goal. As his graceful little form parted the air like a bullet from a gun directly above the king's head, the words in his mind began unlocking the interchangeable bonds of his DNA, and as the change started to occur, all the time on the move, his consciousness tried very hard to line up the words to the mantra for his shield, knowing that he'd have almost no time at all to do exactly that.
Batting away a thick tendril of ice that a huge naga had attempted to swat him with, all the while crushing another's windpipe with an oddly worded spell that had suddenly come to him from far off in the past, out of nowhere a tiny blur of colour caught his eye. Readying yet another mantra, one that would throw a wicked electrical net over the threat, neutralising it forever, the presence of a strong arm gripping his calf forced him to re-eva
luate. Glancing down, he was surprised to find himself looking straight into the watery eyes of his best friend. Before he could utter even one word, Fredric spoke first.
"Don't! It's Flash."
George nodded, having only just realised himself. Simultaneously, the two of them turned, watching the ex-Crimson Guard fly overhead, wondering what the hell he was doing in a form like that, amongst all this chaos and mayhem. As they followed his flight, the tiniest movement of a brown cloaked figure in the background caught their eye, the nature and scale of the threat becoming utterly obvious instantly, but by then, it was far too late.
All he needed was the last little bit of DNA to lock into place... that's all. But for some reason or other, it seemed to be taking an age. In his original plan, he'd considered changing back into his dragon form, something he now knew was possible, and something that most certainly would have given him an edge. But it was all about time. Changing back into the larger form would have taken a few more moments, moments he no longer had. Willing the process to go faster, he fought off the impatience inside him, concentrating instead on readying the mantra for the shield that he needed to deflect away whatever vile magic the attacker had planned for Fredric, Vasuki and the king.
'Come on,' he thought, 'come on.'
Sickly yellow in colour, the pure energy being brought forth out of nowhere in front of her hands carried a vivid undertone of danger, and as the disgusting, corrupted magic within her obeyed her will without question, the spell that would lead to the death of her father was ready to be released. Revelling in the glory that was about to be hers, goosebumps racing up and down both arms, on the verge of near ecstasy, a small but noticeable smile setting off those purple lips, she let go, watching intently as the broad beam of death hunted down its target.
Both friends, freshly reunited, watched in horror as a dense shaft of energy lanced in their direction, one too broken to be of any use, the other, the king, caught off guard, unable to conjure up any suitable defence in time, both dragons knowing that this was it, their final hurrah, the very end for both of them. Deep down they wouldn't have had it any other way, but both regretted the lost time and not having the chance to catch up and get to know each other once again. Regret, sorrow, anguish and pain all ripped at their souls in one infinitesimal speck of time. That and the thought of having handed the world over to these despicable beings was a torture far worse than his time in Antarctica, Fredric thought, awaiting the end. They say that in the moment before death, your life flashes before your eyes, and that's what the two of them had anticipated. Reliving all their misdeeds, lies and in Fredric's case, the beings he'd had to kill, all supposedly in the name of peace and rightfulness, along with his supposed failure with his daughter. Not sure where it had all gone wrong or how it had come to this, even during his decades in the icy, Antarctic hell hole, he'd never been able to figure that out. For George, it would have been more the political untruths, a necessity in what he'd found himself caught up in. But he'd also sent dragons to their deaths... good dragons, honest dragons... beings that hadn't deserved to die and were just following the orders of their monarch. But here and now, they were wrong about all of that. Something did indeed flash before their eyes and it wasn't their past. Of course the flash was... FLASH!
Crackling into existence seemingly out of nowhere, directly in between the two best friends and Earth, the well built human form of the ex-Crimson Guard tumbled comically in the air as time slowed for everyone involved.
Finally it happened, that one last strand locking into place. But all was not well, and he didn't know why. Perhaps he'd been stuck as a hummingbird for too long or maybe he'd just used up too much magic. Either way he didn't know. What he did know was that his psyche was suffering from some kind of lag, and although he'd cast his defensive spell the very instant he could, his magic had yet to even start creating it. With his mind in disarray and the fatal magic heading his way, all he knew was that he was going to take a hit. Having sworn his life to his king there was no way in hell he'd let him down.
Eyes fully open, fists clenched, rapture rushing through her, no being on the planet had ever been as surprised as Earth when completely out of nowhere, Flash's physical human form popped into existence directly between her and the target of her malevolent revenge. Choking at what she'd just seen, and with the first wave of magic having already left her, biting bile rose from her stomach, scratching at the lining of her throat, as the storm of her anger unleashed the thunder and lightning throughout every atom of her body. They would pay. They would all PAY!
With nothing else to do but look on, both had accepted their fate with the decency and dignity that all great beings possess. Almost as surprised as their nemesis, Fredric's daughter, only twenty metres or so away, the pair's eyes not only widened, but lit up on seeing Flash touch down on the scorched, white marble between them and a terrifying death. As one, the two of them willed him to power his shield into being and give them one last chance at life.
Poised defiantly, legs one in front of the other, facing the formidable shaft of energy locked on his position, Flash fought off the instinct to dive out of the way, knowing that if it was just him, that's what he'd do in a heartbeat, but here and now that wasn't the case. Willing his magic to save him and bring the shield up all around him, he knew it would be close. But as every moment passed, the realisation that it wasn't going to happen became ever more real, and with that, terror's grip started to close in on him.
On the edge of madness, fuelled by fury, Earth lined up her next deadly attack, ready to relentlessly bombard the beings in front of her in an all out effort to kill the father she hated so much. It would be done, today, here and now. And if it wasn't, she'd die trying.
Moments, like a rising tide, cannot be held off, and this one had arrived with a vengeance. Striking him fully in the chest, the ex-Crimson Guard had no idea what hit him. Unbelievably though, and with his magical shield yet to make an appearance, he stood there, strong and defiant, his broken and bleeding body sopping up every last drop of the lethal magic intended for someone else, despite the damage it was causing him.
All everyone could do was look on. George and Fredric, Vasuki, who'd only just turned to face the threat, more than a little late to the party, Earth raging at the injustice of it all, and from behind the faraway shield on what seemed like another planet, Richie, Peter, Janice, Hook, Yoyo and his young assortment of outcasts, all dumbfounded, all incredibly proud of their friend's valiant sacrifice and bravery. There were no words to describe what they felt.
Everything that happened next, all took place at once. What remained of Flash's crumpled, charred and blood soaked body crashed to the marble, surrounded by tiny wisps of burnt smelling smoke. Instantly George commanded his magic to shield them from another attack, a green tinged energy barrier springing into existence that encompassed all three of them. Earth, lost in the deepest, darkest despair she'd ever known, went ballistic, hurling wave after wave of the most deadly magic in the direction of her father and the others. Richie's concentration faltered just for a moment, the flickering shield that protected them all almost disappearing into nothing. But a kind telepathic word from Yoyo stopped that from happening. Briefly he reminded her that Flash would have wanted them to survive, that he wouldn't have wanted his sacrifice to have been for nothing. This was enough for her to regain her composure. Peter, Janice, Hook and the other young dragons all stifled a cry on seeing his body drop to the floor, the pain of seeing the ex-Crimson Guard in that condition almost too much.
Knee joints on fire from having been prostrate for so long, face swamped by salty tears, the agony of it all tore right through him. Freed from the icy prison that had held him captive for decades, escaping oncoming madness by only a gnat's genital, this day was something he'd dreamed of, hoped for, fought for, clung on to for all that time. But the joy of being rescued had now turned to complete and utter horror, and he could see now that he was partly to blame. It didn't matter wh
ere he'd gone wrong... but what he did know was that she was his mess, and he should have sorted it out all that time ago. And so casting off the shroud of grief that had pinned him to the floor for so long, he delved into the laminium that criss-crossed his torso, filling every fibre of his being with power, charging every one of his finely tuned muscles, and delighted at being anywhere but that damned prison.
Desperate to go on the offensive, George ploughed all his magic into holding the shield protecting them all, as the unimaginable waves of wicked supernatural energy either deflected away or were harmlessly absorbed. Mind racing with thousands of calculations every second, he wondered where this young child had learnt the vicious incarnations she was now spouting in their direction, how long she could keep it up, and just how he'd get round to any sort of attack with this kind of intense bombardment. On that last point, he needn't have worried.