by Dreagen
Rex nodded and pulsed his flame. “You don’t have to tell me twice.” Together they charged forward and began leaping on the DraGons, biting and clawing savagely. Rex took a bite out of one DraGon’s cheek, leaving a large gaping wound, before leaping off and onto another, who he head-butted repeatedly until they dropped out of the sky. “Still think you can ignore me?” he roared furiously.
LyCora and EeNox raced through the city streets with three of the winged knights in hot pursuit, leaping and bounding to avoid flame attacks. “Hey, EeNox, give me a boost!” LyCora cried out. EeNox skidded to a halt and lowered his head, where she jumped on it and he pushed herself off with his help. She sailed up towards the DraGons, flying right past them and landing on the other side. At first EeNox stood lost as to what the purpose of that had been, when suddenly the DraGon in the middle dropped out of the sky and landed with a heavy thud. EeNox’s eyes went wide when he saw a huge open gash on the side of the DraGon’s neck armor. The other knight let out a final ragged gasp before his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he ceased to move.
LyCora ran back up to EeNox, who now regarded her with admiration. “That was incredible!”
“I was aiming for the one on the right,” she replied.
Enraged by the sight of their fallen comrade, the other two DraGons howled angrily and turned their attention back to his killer. EeNox leaned in to LyCora. “I don’t suppose they’ll shrug this off like they did when Rex killed that other one, do you?”
Fire began to burn from the mouths of both DraGons, who reared their heads back and prepared to fire. LyCora shook her head. “Doesn’t look like it.” Suddenly both DraGons were hit by three blasts from off to the right, which sent them both hurtling through two large rock towers. EeNox and LyCora whipped their heads in the direction of the blast and saw a group of DyVorians consisting of a PathoZarvora, AnkLovora, TyVoranx, and TarKoranx moving towards them.
“Well, it’s about time Bloodstone got proactive with its own defense!” EeNox exclaimed. “What took you all so long?”
“Funny you should ask,” said the PathoZarvora.
“How so?” LyCora asked.
“We were out searching the surrounding canyons for you.”
“Us?” EeNox asked, surprised. “Why?”
“We got word via a CyTorian from KaNar that ten children, two of which fit your descriptions, were on their way here, and that KaNar’s alpha wanted them found and detained until he himself arrived and personally retrieved them.”
EeNox swallowed loudly as he imagined just how furious VayRonx would be when he finally found them.
“Wait a minute,” LyCora interjected. “The message said ten children?”
The PathoZarvora nodded. “That’s correct. Five SaVarians and five DyVorians. However, we’ve only gotten reports that you and the other three DyVorians have been spotted.”
“Do you know where the SaVarians are?” asked the TarKoranx. “My nose picked you five up earlier this morning, but there was no sign of the others.”
“Did you leave with them or did they head off separately?” the PathoZarvora asked.
LyCora laughed inside her head. Clever way on VayRonx’s part of keeping the fact that the five SaVarians and DyVorians are one and the same by saying there were two groups roaming about. “To be honest we hadn’t even heard of them until just now,” she lied.
“Is that right?” he replied questioningly.
Suddenly there came the sound of rocks tumbling as one of the DraGons rose up shakily from the rubble. “If you’ll excuse me?” the PathoZarvora said as he burst into green flame, dropped into a perfect horizontal posture, and rammed his thick bony domed head into the DraGon’s chest, caving it in completely with a sickening crack. The large winged creature retched blood from his mouth before collapsing forward, dead. The dome-head warrior trotted back towards them, his skull soaked red with blood. “So, where are these other three DyVorians we heard about?”
AnaSaya and ShinGaru weaved in and out of buildings as they tried to outrun their pursuer, VoRon.
“In there!” ShinGaru said, motioning to the large stony tower that stood in the center of the city. The two of them darted inside and were surprised to see that it was a network of catwalks leading all the way to the top. Four large metal cylinders ran up from the bottom floor all the way up and out the top of the tower.
“What now?” AnaSaya asked anxiously.
There came a rumbling as the big DraGon landed just outside. “This frivolous game of predator and prey is just that!” he yelled. “Muster whatever manner of courage you possess and face me properly in battle!”
“Head for the top,” ShinGaru said. “I’ve got an idea!”
“But then we’ll be trapped,” she replied worriedly.
“And I’m hoping he realizes the same thing. Come on!” The two of them ascended the crisscrossing catwalks as fast as they could until they reached the very top. ShinGaru glanced at the openings on all four sides where the large pipes curved outward. Peering out quickly, he saw that they were indeed open-ended and facing down towards the ground. “All right, listen carefully,” he said, turning back to AnaSaya. “The easiest way for him to kill us up here is to simply flood this entire tower with fire.”
“Then why are we in here?” AnaSaya asked frantically.
“Because it means we can use his power against him.”
“I’m not following.”
“I grow tired of toying with you lot!” VoRon called from outside.
“See those pipes?” ShinGaru asked, pointing to one of the long tubes rising from the floor. “They’re used for blowing flame through to send signals that can be seen from afar.”
“And your point is?” AnaSaya asked with an impatient look. While she respected ShinGaru’s intellect, she worried that his natural curiosity might prove to be a lethal hindrance in this case.
“I’ll take the two on this side while you take the two over there.”
AnaSaya watched, confused, as he slinked over to one of the long open funnels and coiled his body around the section that curved outward. Flexing the undulating muscles of his body, he bent the funnel downward, then moved over to the one next to it and repeated the process. AnaSaya’s eyes suddenly went wide as she understood just what it was he was doing. “That’s brilliant!” she exclaimed, rushing over to the two on her side and jumping up and down on the end section of the funnel until it too bent down, before doing the same to the other. “All done,” she said excitedly, leaping back inside. “What now?”
“Now we let him do the rest,” ShinGaru said as he snaked his way out of an opening towards the top of the tower and shot a fireball down on the DraGon’s head before sliding into the opening directly below and once again out of sight.
“Little pest,” VoRon roared up. “Is that your grand plan for defeating me?”
“Oh, no,” ShinGaru replied happily. “My plan is far more creative than that. Not to mention ironic,” he added thoughtfully.
“Enough,” VoRon shouted. “I’m ending this now!”
“That you are!” ShinGaru said to himself before whipping around to AnaSaya. “Get ready to jump!”
“Jump?” she repeated in surprise.
VoRon pushed out his chest, taking in a massive breath before releasing a torrent of flame at the base of the tower, which immediately rushed upward.
“Now!” ShinGaru cried. The two of them leaped out of one of the openings just as the wall of fire rocketed past them. ShinGaru reached out with his tail and grabbed AnaSaya, pulling her towards him. The two spun around just in time to see the flame being funneled through the pipes and fired back down onto VoRon, who looked up with wide-eyed horror before vanishing in a wave of his own flame.
“Quickly,” ShinGaru said. “Push your flame out in every direction as hard as you can!”
AnaSaya knew she had only seconds to act. She instantly remembered how she had created a barrier earlier and focused her energy on doing so o
nce again, only this time all around her. ShinGaru did the same, and soon their flames were merging into one another, encasing the two of them. They barely had the sphere of fire formed around them when they hit the ground, where it exploded outward, sending them sprawling out onto the ground. Slowly they rose to their feet and looked behind them to see the tower melting down into a heap of molten rock.
“We did it,” ShinGaru said with a sigh of relief.
“Thanks to you,” AnaSaya replied, turning to him and leaning her head against his.
“To be honest, I wasn’t sure that would even work,” he said with a laugh.
“Well, I’m glad that you didn’t tell me that before we jumped out of a fifty-story tower.” The two laughed, more out of nervous relief of still being alive than anything else. Then suddenly the mound of molten rock began to move. The two watched in horror as VoRon rose up like a great beast made of magma. His mouth parted, releasing an angry cry that sent ripples of terror through them. “H…how?” she stammered.
VoRon rose up on his hind legs, clenched his fists, and began heating his flame. ShinGaru and AnaSaya watched as the rising temperature from within his body began heating the molten rock all over him to such a high degree that it ran off him almost like water. The two reeled back at the sight of the DraGon whose armor and skin was almost burned entirely off and much of his flesh exposed. His wings were fused to his back as well as other parts of his body.
“D…De…Death…to you…and…all you…hold dear!” he managed to stammer before letting out a sickeningly ragged growl.
“Run!” ShinGaru yelled. Not hesitating for a moment, AnaSaya turned and took off alongside him. They pushed their legs as hard as they could, despite still reeling from the fall. However, they were quickly given the motivation they needed when they felt the rapid thunderous footfalls of something large approaching quickly from behind. Braving a quick look behind them, they were frightened to see the undead-looking hulk of a DraGon bounding after them on all fours, pieces of melted rock and flesh falling off him as he powered forward.
“So what’s the plan now?” AnaSaya cried as she tried to push her legs harder and faster.
“Honestly, I didn’t think I would need one at this point!” ShinGaru replied, speeding up to keep pace with her. The two skidded as they rounded a corner just as VoRon did the same behind them, slamming into a large stone relief and bringing it crumbling down. The two continued to run, not knowing where they were going or how long they could outrun their pursuer. VoRon had recovered quickly and was already back in fast pursuit, hot on their heels and gaining ground. The two of them could now feel his murderously hot breath on their backs and knew that this chase would soon be at an end, one way or another.
Rex appeared just up ahead from around a corner, and before they had a chance to even react, he had raced passed them, jumped into the air, and slammed the top of his head forcefully into VoRon’s lower jaw. The DraGon doubled over, landing hard on his back with a thunderous impact.
Rex stood for a moment, breathing heavily before turning back to the pair who looked more surprised than anything to see him. “You two all right?” he asked, walking up to them.
ShinGaru nodded. “Yes, but we probably wouldn’t have been had you not shown up just now.”
“Well, thank yourselves for that. I wouldn’t have even known any of you were over here if it wasn’t for that tower in the middle of the city suddenly bursting into flame and melting down. I figured at least one of you had to be involved. By the way, which one of you did that?”
“You just said hello to him,” ShinGaru said, bemused. “In any case, thank you, Rex. I do believe you saved our lives.” Rex gave them a dismissive shake of his head.
“How very…presumptuous…of you,” came VoRon’s ragged voice.
The three of them looked back to see him rising to his feet, breathlessly. “How is he even alive?” Rex asked, looking disgusted by the sight of the horribly mutilated creature that had once been a proud and mighty knight.
“Stubborn, I suppose,” ShinGaru said, taking a tentative step backwards.
“Sounds like someone else I know,” said LyCora, who appeared from around the same corner along with EeNox and four other DyVorians.
“We were getting worried about you two,” AnaSaya said, relieved to see the two of them unharmed.
“And with some new friends,” ShinGaru added.
“My name is VeroSy,” said the dome-headed PathoZarvora, and he quickly introduced the AnkLovora, TyVoranx, and TarKoranx. “This is SarNo, KarVera, and RomaNar,” who all bowed their heads in turn. “And you three must be AnaSaya, ShinGaru, and Rex.”
“I see our reputation precedes us,” Rex said.
“That’s putting it lightly,” said RomaNar in a smooth female voice. “I imagine most of the hemisphere has heard of you five and the girl that was taken from your village by the DraGons, which was a startling revelation in and of itself.”
“Believe me, I know exactly what you mean.”
“Um, excuse me,” ShinGaru said, clearing his throat, “but aren’t we forgetting something?” The others turned and followed his gaze, startled by the reminder that they were in the presence of the DraGon, who stood transfixed, almost as if he was waiting patiently for them to remember he was there.
“Oh, yeah,” Rex said, turning back round to face his enemy.
“Allow us,” said KarVera as he and the others raced forward, and before any of them could give warning, began mercilessly beating, goring, and tearing into VoRon.
Rex and the others watched as he tried to ignite his flame but was stopped each time by a hard blow to the base of the skull until he could seemingly no longer manage it. His immense bulk crumpled to the ground as the four warriors finished beating him into submission.
“This is our home, DraGon,” declared SarNo, “how dare you slaughter our families?”
“You must have forgotten how this all ended for you in the past,” VeroSy added.
“Don’t worry, heathen,” VoRon replied in a voice that was now barely audible. “I remember all too well.”
VeroSy regarded him for a moment before his attention was pulled away by the sound of a bellowing roar and a shockwave that told everyone that a powerful new combatant had entered the battlefield.
“Did you all recognize that flame?” EeNox asked.
“Oh, yeah,” Rex replied.
VayRonx roared up to the legion of DraGons that hovered above him. “Come forth and face me head on, you cowards! I promise it will be quick but painless…well…I make no promises I cannot keep.”
Standing not far from him were the others, all of which kept a close eye on the sky as DraGons took turns at mock charges.
“Not exactly subtle, are they?” NyRo said, watching one of the smaller green DraGons pass overhead and growling menacingly at them.
“Perhaps not, but the irony of the situation is that we wouldn’t have sensed their presence here in time had they not made such a big show of everything,” replied VyKia. “Still, I wish we could have arrived sooner to prevent more of the bloodshed.”
“Indeed,” her brother replied angrily, not taking his eyes off the same green DraGon who once again passed overhead, this time daring to come lower.
Aiming carefully, NyRo fired a blast from his mouth, which struck the knight square in the head and sent him crashing down. Not wasting a second, he raced forward, grabbed the DraGon by the neck, and using all his might, sunk his two massive canines through his jugular.
Another green DraGon raced down to avenge his fallen comrade only to be struck in midair on the side of the head by TarFor, who once on the ground wrapped his arms around the base of the DraGon’s head, and using all his strength, drove his fist into her temple. Immediately the lights in her eyes went out as she fell to the world below. “Ha,” he cried out, turning back up to the sky and waving his fist defiantly. “Who wants to be next?”
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say he w
as enjoying this,” VoRenna said.
“Well, I do, and believe me when I say he is,” VyKia replied.
The DraGons, now furious by the loss of two of their own, swooped low for an attack but pulled up once again when they saw dozens of the city’s citizens approaching, all of them looking furious beyond measure.
VorTak, who had only recently arrived on the scene and who had been hovering further up, cursed under his breath. “Damn it! This is getting out of hand! We weren’t supposed to even be here by now. Damn you, LemaRes! You just couldn’t let it go!” Someone calling out his name suddenly interrupted his thoughts. Looking over to his right, he saw one of the other knights approaching.
“Templar VorTak, sir, I just received word that Templar VoRon has been brought down by a small band of DyVorians near the center of the city!”
“What?” VorTak replied, startled by the notion that one of their strongest had been defeated in battle. “Is he alive?”
“We don’t know, but I heard from several eyewitnesses that he was severely wounded at the time he was last seen. Sir…they said it didn’t look good.”
“Damn it,” he hissed. “How the hell did this all go so wrong?” He considered running for a moment but then decided against it, thinking of what DayKar might do to him upon hearing that he fled the battle leaving his comrades behind. Looking back at the other DraGon, he ordered, “Take me to where he was last seen, now!”
“Yes, sir!” the other DraGon replied, and led him towards the center of the city where they saw the molten, still-glowing remains of what had once been Bloodstone’s signal tower.
“Damn it, you old fool,” VorTak grumbled. “I swear if you’ve gotten yourself killed…” They proceeded west, following signs of further destruction, when they came upon an unsettling sight. There lying motionless in a narrow street was the horribly mutilated body of VoRon, and standing in front of it was a group of DyVorians.