by Paul Cude
The king nodded appreciatively, knowing that he'd been let off the hook just a little.
"Before we go any further, I don't suppose there's any spare clothing that I could borrow, is there?"
"I think now that we know it's you, perhaps you'd better change back. In either form you'll intimidate everyone with your size," declared George.
Janice chuckled. Peter blushed. Everyone else just looked on.
Moments later, the gigantic silver dragon was back.
"Can I ask what's going on?" queried Flash.
"We were just wondering if Miss Rump here could guide us in a new direction," responded the king.
"She's certainly a capable leader and not afraid of making the big calls. Next to you of course, sire, I'd follow her into a fight, anytime, anywhere."
Surprised at such a ringing endorsement from the battle hardened ex-Crimson Guard, the king's estimation of the highly unconventional, spirited young dragon went up a notch or two.
"How do you suggest we proceed Miss Rump?" asked the king, as every being there looked on.
Taking her time, composing her thoughts, finally she came up with something they could all get behind.
"I'm sick and tired of hiding from these bastards. I think it's high time we taught them a lesson in not only manners, but in the evolutionary pecking order of things around here."
If they hadn't been sure about her qualities as a leader before, then that little line absolutely did the trick, buoying each and every one of them, including the king and Fredric. It was just what each of them needed to hear. Now all they had to do was implement it. Surely that couldn't be too hard, could it?
51 Captain Courageous
"Your concern is unwarranted," whispered Gee Tee. "There's still plenty of time for them to get it done. Above all, we have to be patient. If we try rushing in and Steel hasn't set off the mantra, the chances are we'll be overwhelmed, which will be the end of our little resistance, and of course us. Keep your head down and wait for my signal."
Deferring to the master mantra maker's wealth of experience, the dragon second in command, by the name of Rhombus, stalked silently back to his position amongst all the dismembered dragons they still hid amongst.
Pulling in a long, deep breath, ignoring the nausea inducing qualities of the smell as he did so, Gee Tee gave everything he had in an effort to maintain his outwardly calm facade. In truth, he felt anything but. The deed should already have been done he knew; they'd had plenty of time to reach the inner depths of the building, the control centre if you like, where the crystal node itself was secured. Something must have gone wrong, he thought... but what? And if that were the case, what the hell were they going to do about it now? Going storming in there when they're fully alert with a full contingent of defenders would only get everyone here killed, and so in his mind was not really an option. All he could think to do was stall his cohorts, wait, and hope that whatever was going on in the bowels of that building could be turned around to their advantage, and put the original plan back on track. Without Steel using that mantra and taking out those in the inner sanctum, they were without a doubt, an inclined plane wrapped helically around an axis... or in other words, SCREWED!
Both friends had thought it a terrifying experience infiltrating this base of operations and reaching so far inside the labyrinth, but anything they'd done previously paled in comparison with what was happening now. Previously ready to fight, both had been unable to manoeuvre themselves between Steel and the crystal node at the right time, and had now lost any advantage they may have had. That first unsuspecting vicious assault on the laminium ball captain had caught them all by surprise. After that... things were pretty much all over. Given how many nagas had slithered out of their hiding places in the darkened inner sanctum, both of them together stood absolutely no chance. Not without Steel and the mantra from Gee Tee only he possessed, that should, if used correctly, take down every being there. But they both knew the moment had passed, almost certainly never to present itself again. Too scared to acknowledge each other with even the slightest look, all they could do was watch as their friend continued to suffer the most brutal torture imaginable. Half an hour of cruel punches and kicks was how things had started, the two of them finding it hard to conceive how any being could have survived that, or whether there would be any point in continuing the violence. But their mindset was nothing like that of those around them. Having used their friend as a defenceless punch bag, the vicious dark dragons pulled him up off the ground and shackled him to the wall, where he was still currently restrained, the evil woman, 'Red', right at this very moment pulling off scales, one at a time, from the most sensitive areas of his newly reborn body. It was chilling for the two of them to watch, but they could do nothing else, not without giving the game away and in turn their true identities. The anguish and suffering they felt at being so helpless mirrored their friend's physical pain. Both thought the courage he showed in adversity was a testament to the true hero he really was, on and off the laminium field of play.
With Steel well and truly out of commission, being tortured beyond belief by the wicked red headed woman who clearly had no scruples, morals or decency, the mantra couldn't be cast, and the rescue effort by the others was doomed to fail. In short, their plan to take back the crystal node had failed spectacularly. There would be no help from the rest of the planet, no rescue, no rebellion. It was for all intents and purposes... OVER!
An overly ornate room inside the dragon council building opened out onto the courtyard that fed the bridge that had been magically rebuilt. Stuffed full of dark dragons and nagas eager to do Manson's bidding, both the courtyard and the room could hold no more creatures. They were full to capacity, with not even the slightest amount of room left, full of testosterone and beings vying to taste both victory and violence.
Only a short way away, the corpses of two nagas were being fought over by half a dozen magical species as their de facto leaders, the ra-hoon, looked on in delight at those they'd co-opted by either force or submission. Having sent out hunting parties into every part of the strange, futuristic building, they now knew that these two were the last pair of stragglers. All the remaining beings were grouped together... they could taste the staggering build up of magic, the apprehension threatening to send them wild. But they were clever, cunning and above all... patient, something they knew served them well, time and time again. And so with a sea of dark yellow gnats flitting around the corridors, and the slavering asena taking huge chunks out of the nagas' giant tails, dripping blood across their brilliant bright blue manes, the ra-hoon started to plan the attack they knew would satisfy their lust for the magic they liked nothing more than to feed upon.
Against the backdrop of loud, methodical stomping, echoing up from far in the distance (emanating from the crazed rock demon haunting the lower floors), orders had been given and it was time for the assortment of mythical beings to move out. Malevolent, dark brown lizards scuttled along the walls on all fours, tasting the air with crackling, green bolts of vicious, forked lightning as they did so. Nifoloa buzzed as trios of pixiu whipped through the air around them, pulling tight turns in the confined spaces, blasting out superheated cones of fire in front of them. Bounding along the floor and walls, frightening looking scaled apes beat their chests in pleasure at the thrill of what was to come, one of them only able to use two arms instead of the usual four as the other two had been ripped off during a previous encounter. Rowdy two-headed eagles dive bombed the gnats, as slithering snakes in a writhing mass hissed hysterically. Over all this, the sound of the scorpion men crunching their pincers together moved them all along towards their ultimate targets, with the ra-hoon, who resembled unicorns, in the background, waiting for the perfect opportunity to harvest the magic they so desired.
52 An Abrupt End
Menacing, evil grins of sickening, ancient beasts out to do them harm, letting rip with a constant barrage of colourful, deadly magic surrounded the glistening, supern
atural shield they all found themselves sheltering beneath. Twisted nagas stood side by side with demonic, dark dragons, their provisional brothers in a perverted magical alliance, their only goal now to feast on the innards of the beings cowering behind the energy barrier, that at some point would run out of power. It was only a matter of when, not if.
Ignoring the murderous scowls of the cruel and vicious monsters baying for their blood, Fredric had at least managed to find a mantra in his extensive database which had silenced all the noise being made from the outside. No longer were they bombarded by the constant sound of explosions, unrecognisable magic, dragons stomping on top of the shield above them and the intimidating, blood curdling screams of individuals intent on doing them all harm. Unfortunately, neither he nor anyone else there had managed to turn the transparent barrier opaque so as to obscure everything happening on the other side. It would have helped stave off the fear a great deal if they had.
So far quite a few suggestions as to how they would go on the attack had been rejected, mainly because it meant individuals risking their lives instead of working together as a team, something they all seemed to think was the key to their survival. As they continued to rack their brains, Peter asked a question.
"Is there anything in the king's library that could be used to help? Any magical artefacts, antediluvian spells or antiquated mantras?" he added, knowing full well the library was stacked full of all these things, thanks to his unofficial visit, very much against procedure.
Both the king and Fredric shared a look that set them both thinking the same thing. Probably, they both thought, but there was simply no way to fly up to it in their current situation.
"Good thinking, my boy," quipped George, "but unless we can get up there unhindered it's probably not viable at this time. It could be worth considering later, particularly if we manage to strike a large enough blow to their force. Any sort of distraction may give one of us an opportunity to sneak up there and gather anything of use. I'll have a think about the most powerful things that should be rounded up and pass it out to everyone, then if the opportunity arises, anyone who's best placed can go forage."
Everyone nodded their agreement that it was the best idea they'd had so far.
"If only I had my ring or the trident," mused the king softly, from totally out of nowhere. And that thought led him to a forgotten question that would have consequences for nearly all of them. "Peter... where's Tank?"
Those three words caused reality to come crushing down on all of them like a ton of bricks, ripping away the young hockey playing dragon's fleeting smidgeon of happiness which he felt at being accompanied by the woman he loved, despite the desperate nature of the situation they both found themselves in. Immediately he turned towards Richie, who craned her neck right round to look at him. TANK!
'Oh my God,' she thought, realising that she hadn't seen him at all, having been so caught up in the rage and grief that had flooded her body in the aftermath of Tim's death. Scouring his memory, Peter couldn't recall at what point his friend had stopped being there. The last thing he could remember was seeing Tank tumbling end over end beside one of the soaring marble pillars that lined part of the private residence. After that... NOTHING!
Standing together atop a mountain of churned up, shiny, white marble, the would-be rulers of this wicked new world marvelled at the staggering amount of sheer luck their opposite numbers seemed to be availing themselves of, as the hulking silver dragon and the king of the nagas disappeared behind the temporary safety of the magical barrier the cowards all hid behind.
"Fluky bastards!" observed the queen in waiting.
"Quite so, quite so," agreed her psychotic other half, fingering the ring he'd appropriated from George.
"What's that you have there?"
"A magical trophy from the spoils of battle... the dragon king's ring, my love," announced Manson, not taking his eyes off his enemies for one second.
"Really..."
"For all the good it's worth. I was assured it provided the user with a near limitless supply of magic and some rather unique mantras from across the ages."
"And..."
"So far... absolutely nothing. It seems totally dormant. I've tried flooding it with my magic in an attempt to force my will upon it, I've tried to bond with it, pretend that I'm their new official king, which of course is pretty much the truth, and to prove to you just how desperate I've been to access all that knowledge and power, unbelievably, I've even... asked nicely. Two possibilities come to mind. I've been lied to, or it's tied directly to the king in ways that I can't begin to imagine. Either way, it's of little use now. Fancy rendering it useless for me?"
"It would be my absolute pleasure."
Faster than the eye could blink, Manson slipped off the ring and tossed it high up into the air. Unfurling her right index finger nonchalantly, Earth set the air on fire, dispensing a high voltage bolt of crackling, blue electrical energy, releasing so much power that what little hair Manson had left stood fully to attention, while the serpents entwined around Earth's head bathed in the spooky glow of the current. A fireworks display of supernatural sparks exploded high in the air above them both as the supposed magical band disappeared off into the ether.
"Nice shot!" remarked Manson, grinning inanely.
"I just imagined it was the dragon king himself. That was more than enough motivation."
"I know exactly what you mean, my dear. How about we take care of our problems once and for all... together?"
"That sounds positively... delightful!"
Reeling from the realisation that Tank hadn't been seen in any way, shape or form since almost the start of the battle, the sudden cessation of hostilities beyond their imposed new home caught them all off guard, as dark dragons and nagas alike all stood down, most turning their backs and retreating some distance.
"Something's going on," announced Hook.
"Perhaps they're going to surrender," piped up Janice hopefully.
Normally a glass half full kind of woman, their current situation offered the lacrosse playing superstar very little in the way of optimism, something that came through when she voiced her opinion.
"I very much doubt that. There's absolutely no reason for them to do so. They're up to something... I'd stake my life on it."
Not very wise words given the circumstances.
"Perhaps this is our chance to get to the library," offered up Peter.
George and Fredric shared one of their telling glances, and although nothing was said verbally, a whole conversation played out with just their eyes, as it did telepathically in their heads.
"I don't like this one bit. It reminds me of that siege in Burton," sighed Fredric.
"You just had to bring that up, didn't you?"
"It wasn't me who thought it was a brilliant idea to go up against thirty well armed thieves and bandits. Oh, it'll be alright, I remember you saying."
"It turned out okay in the end, didn't it?" defended George.
"Only because of lady luck. All things being equal, you should have died that day. I'm glad you didn't, but the outcome was never in your hands. You should have realised that before you went in."
"It was a lesson learned, that's how I look back on that day."
"And what does your experience tell us is happening out there now?"
"Nothing good, I'm afraid," replied the king.
"I concur."
"And..."
"We need to be ready to fight with everything we have," added Fredric seriously.
"I thought you were always ready to fight with everything you have."
"I am," his friend replied. "I'm talking about everyone else."
"I see. Do you want me to tell them?"
"It's probably better coming from you."
"So be it."
And with that, their private conversation was done.
Clearing his throat with a fiery roar to gain everyone's attention, George stood up to his full dragon height, the
eyes of everyone except Richie, Yoyo and a couple of injured personnel all upon him, waiting for whatever pronouncement he had to make.
"I think we can all agree that some kind of pivotal point has been reached somewhere outside. I don't know what it is or what they're going to do, but we need to be ready to respond with the full force of our fury and magic. Only that will do, only that will give us a chance and even that might not be enough. From behind this shield, while it's still intact and with enough power to keep us relatively safe, we need to go on the offensive. It might well be our only chance. So we'll have a look at what's playing out but you all, as a being, need to be ready to move on my command. Ready your magic, prepare to use it all in the most heinous of ways if need be. Now is not the point to be shy about using it, or have any regrets about mantras you may have or have not cast. If we survive, there will be no recriminations, no judgement... NOTHING! Today we do what we must to survive, all of us. I will say no more, other than: good luck. I'm proud to fight alongside each and every one of you, and yes... even those non-dragons amongst us. Don't forget, every living being on this planet is counting on us. If we don't succeed, the entire earth will become a breeding ground for evil, and its face will change forever. BE READY!"
Disappointed that he might never spend another day amongst the domain that he loved and had dreamed of returning to over the decades he'd been incarcerated, the goosebumps running up and down his arm were a sign to him of just how proud he was of his friend, and that he was exactly in the right place, at exactly the right time. One last stand in the fight to uphold good with his best friend right beside him was more than he could have hoped for in Antarctica, and so looking to make the beings outside the shield pay dearly for every drop of blood they'd shed, the founder of the Crimson Guards delved deep into his memory and found the deadliest, most dreadful and atrocious magic he could remember. In an instant it was primed and on the verge of being released.