The Flames of Dragons

by Josh VanBrakle

  Rondel vanished again, and an instant later she appeared in front of her daughter. “I should have told you this a long time ago,” she said. “I’m proud of you.”

  Minawë beamed, but she couldn’t waste words. “Iren needs five minutes.”

  Lightning Sight flicked down. “I see,” Rondel said, “and Shadeen will too. He needs cover.”

  “I can handle that.” Minawë gestured at the ground, and a small pine forest sprouted from the plains around Iren. Their dense needles shielded him from view.

  “Impressive,” Rondel said, but then she shoved Minawë. Fifty Shadow Knives cut through the space the pair had been floating in a second earlier.

  Minawë channeled some magic and created a wooden shield three feet thick that she put between her and Shadeen. Rondel flashed over to it.

  “This should give us a few seconds, anyway,” Minawë said.

  Beneath her sparking helm, Rondel’s face was grim. “I trust you have a plan for keeping Shadeen occupied?”

  Minawë nodded. “We should aim for whichever claw of his is holding the Darkness Dragon Sword. If we can knock it out of his grasp, he won’t be able to sustain his dragon form.”

  “Unfortunately that option’s out,” Rondel replied. “Feng must have told Shadeen that we used that strategy against him. The first thing Shadeen did when he saw me coming was swallow the Yaryozaki.”

  “Wonderful,” Minawë said, frowning. She thought a moment. “In that case our best option is to go after the other three dragon heads. Their armor doesn’t look as strong as Shadeen’s.”

  “Good idea. I can take Yukionna and Mizuchi. Can you handle Feng?”

  Minawë clutched Dendryl’s bow to her chest. Could she handle Feng? Her adopted mother had died fighting that beast. Aletas hadn’t even managed to wound him.

  No, Minawë wouldn’t let herself doubt. She could do it. What’s more, she knew how. It was time to see what this Dragoon form could do.

  “I can,” she said, “but I’ll need time just like Iren. He needs five minutes; I need two. Keep those dragons off me.”

  Rondel agreed, and the pair separated. Minawë’s wooden shield splintered as Mizuchi soaked it, Yukionna froze it, and Shadeen’s Shadow Knives shattered it.

  The attacks were wasted though, because neither mother nor daughter was behind the shield anymore. Minawë had dropped to the ground, while Rondel had resumed her lightning barrage.

  Minawë put a hand to the grass. She felt its power. She had done something like this in her fights against Azar and Hana, but the scale she planned now was beyond reckoning. More than a hundred miles separated her from Ziorsecth Forest, but that didn’t matter. That was the power she needed.

  Her magic shot into the ground, and the plants near Minawë knitted their roots together. They joined to their brethren west of them, who connected with those west of them, and so on across Lodia.

  Minawë felt their combined energy build. The line of joined plants reached Orcsthia, but that still wasn’t enough.

  Then a jolt of energy ripped through her, at least an equal to the Dragoon’s magic. Her plant network had reached Ziorsecth, and its shared root system now gave her access to tens of thousands of square miles of ancient trees.

  Above her, a gut-wrenching scream filled the air. Rondel had sent a ball of lightning into Mizuchi’s neck. The water carried the lightning throughout it, and the beast stopped moving.

  Rondel plunged into Mizuchi. A moment later she emerged, and as she did, the Water Dragon vanished into rain.

  Minawë smiled. Rondel had removed the Aqua Sapphire from Shadeen’s scales. Without that connection, Mizuchi couldn’t hold physical form.

  There was no time to celebrate. Minawë focused all the energy she had gathered on a single tree seedling at her feet. In seconds it transformed into a gigantic maple, the equal of any in Ziorsecth. Minawë rode up its boughs as it grew.

  The magic of innumerable plants coursed through the tree, and it shot skyward. Higher and higher it rose, until at last it stood a mile in the air. Wind whipped around Minawë like when she flew as an eagle, but she wasn’t flying. She sat atop a new, fully formed Heart of Ziorsecth.

  Rondel must have been watching her, because the Maantec paused in her flight to gape at Minawë. Shadeen halted as well, no doubt surprised by the enormous tree that had just sprouted from thin air.

  Impressive as it was though, the tree was only the first step. Its sole purpose was to collect energy from all the other plants. Now Minawë would put that power to use.

  She retracted the Dragoon armor around her feet so they made direct contact with the Heart. Its strength coursed through her, and in concert with the Dragoon’s magic, it threatened to overwhelm her. Her body grew hot, like she was standing inches from Feng himself, but she ignored the pain.

  “Minawë,” Dendryl warned, “you will self-combust if you continue.”

  Minawë didn’t respond to the Forest Dragon. She didn’t care what happened to her. If they didn’t stop Shadeen here, she and everyone else on Raa would die anyway.

  A second scream rent the air, and Minawë saw Yukionna break apart into snow. Rondel had used the same weakness against lightning to paralyze the Ice Dragon and create an opening to remove the Frozen Pearl.

  That left only Shadeen and Feng, and Minawë was going to finish them both with one shot. Let Iren create his spell. Minawë loved the idea of him emerging from hiding only to find the Darkness Dragon already beaten.

  The magic was ready. Minawë raised her hands toward Feng, aiming for the spot where his neck joined Shadeen’s body. “I am the Forest Dragon Knight,” she said through gritted teeth. “I command the powers of life and death. And here, in this place, I command you to die!”

  A fifty-foot-wide beam of yellow light lanced from her hands. All the solar energy that every plant from here to Serona had gathered in the past day shot up the Heart of Ziorsecth, through Minawë’s body, and out at Feng and Shadeen.

  Neither dragon had time to dodge. The blast struck home.

  At first Shadeen’s armor resisted, but then Minawë heard the third scream of the battle. Feng dissolved into smoke as the scales holding the Burning Ruby cracked.

  Minawë kept up her effort. With Shadeen’s scales breached, she needed only a few more seconds to finish him.

  But the beam thinned, and then it died. The plants had more energy, but not even the Dragoon could handle any more of it.

  Minawë dropped to her knees. Her Dragoon armor vanished, and her wings retracted into her back. Gray tunnels formed around her vision.

  The last thing she saw before she blacked out was Shadeen. He was alive, and he was aiming his Darkness Dragon Flame right at her.

  * * *

  Rondel shielded her eyes from the glare of Minawë’s attack. It was like the sun itself. In both size and power, it far surpassed the beam Iren had created in Ziorsecth two years ago. In her wildest imaginings Rondel had never suspected her daughter could do something like that.

  As the beam ended though, Rondel’s astonishment turned to dismay. Feng had vanished, but Shadeen remained. The beam had amazing strength, but it was spread over too wide an area. That weakened its penetrating ability, and that had made the difference.

  Still, Shadeen hadn’t escaped unscathed. With Lightning Sight, Rondel spotted the wound just in front of the dragon’s right foreleg, the spot where the Burning Ruby had sat. In addition to the ruby, Shadeen had lost three scales there.

  Rondel might have used that information, but there wasn’t time. Shadeen had gathered enough magic to release his flame again, and Rondel knew where he would launch it. There was nothing she could do to stop the blast.

  But she wasn’t helpless. Even as Shadeen fired, Rondel flashed toward the Heart of Ziorsecth.

  Shadeen’s massive attack seemed to slow. Everything seemed to slow. Rondel had never moved this fast before. It was like riding a lightning bolt.

  She landed on the branch where Minawë
lay. The girl had lost her Dragoon form and passed out. Rondel scooped her up, and with a crack of thunder, she dashed away. Time slowed again, and she landed on the ground five miles west of the Heart.

  Rondel looked back just in time to see Yaryoka strike the tree. A mushroom cloud erupted, and a second later the shockwave struck her. Rondel was thrown to the ground, which was good considering how much wooden shrapnel flew over her. Even with her speed, she doubted she could have avoided it all.

  When the debris passed, Rondel stood. Panic took her. That blast could level a city; had it taken out Iren’s hiding spot as well?

  Lightning Sight pierced the distance, and Rondel breathed a sigh of relief. Shadeen had aimed Yaryoka too high, shooting to take out Minawë directly. The blast had incinerated the Heart, but the smaller pines had escaped with only cracked limbs. Iren, concealed by their boughs, should be safe.

  For how much longer, though, was unknown. Rondel did a mental estimate. Three minutes had passed. Iren needed two more for Muryoka, assuming the slacker could even manage it.

  Rondel was his only chance. She had to keep Shadeen busy.

  Leaving Minawë at a hopefully safe distance from the battle, Rondel shot back, covering the five miles to Shadeen in an instant. The needles on the pines surrounding Iren still quivered from Yaryoka, but as Rondel flew past them, they seemed to pause in their vibrations.

  Rondel rose up to meet Shadeen face-to-face. The dragon roared in challenge, and Rondel responded with a lightning bolt to his eye socket.

  The shot didn’t faze him. The scales on the dragon’s face darkened, and a barrage of Shadow Knives launched from them toward Rondel.

  They were easy enough to dodge, but after experiencing them multiple times, Rondel had noticed a pattern. The number of knives Shadeen used against her increased every time he cast his spell. The monster wasn’t opposed to using his power, but he also had an intense pride. He wouldn’t use more magic against her than he had to.

  Rondel leapt across the sky, lightning arcing from her hands. Shadeen launched wave after wave of knives, but none of them kept up with Rondel’s speed.

  In her head Rondel counted down the seconds. It was almost time. She risked a glance away from Shadeen and toward the trees where Iren gathered his energy. Three . . . two . . . one . . .

  A white blur shot up from the pines. Rondel flashed over to Iren and appeared in front of him.

  Aside from his Dragoon form, the young man looked normal. No flames curled around him; no ball of fire was in his hand.

  “Where is it?” Rondel asked.

  Iren opened his left palm. “Here.”

  Rondel looked. Even with Lightning Sight she couldn’t see anything. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”

  “Don’t worry,” Iren said. “We do. We just need to know where to put it. We need a point-blank shot for it to work. Is Shadeen using Shadow Form?”

  “No,” Rondel said. “I think he believes he’s invincible, so there’s no reason for him to. As for where to hit him, Minawë wounded him just in front of his right foreleg.”

  “I’ll need cover.”

  “No problem.”

  Iren smiled. “Rondel, I’m glad we get to end this together.”

  Despite herself, Rondel returned his grin. “Me too,” she said. “Now enough sentimental rubbish. Let’s go.”

  The pair of them climbed together into the sky. Iren wasn’t as fast as Rondel, but she was surprised how well he kept up. His control over the Dragoon’s magic was beyond compare. Maybe that was because he had done it twice.

  Shadeen bellowed as they neared, and a curtain of Shadow Knives descended on them. Rondel flickered around it, while Iren let his Dragoon armor protect him. Divinion’s scales were immune to magic, so the knives dissipated across them.

  Rondel shot lightning bolts at Shadeen, but the dragon ignored her. He kept his gaze on Iren. Shadeen might believe himself invulnerable, but he knew not to underestimate Divinion.

  He also knew about the broken spot in his scales. As Iren neared Shadeen, the dragon twisted to keep his wound protected. At the same time, he slashed with his claws and fired beams of shadow from his mouth. Iren dodged them all, maneuvering with a precision that impressed even Rondel.

  At this rate though, Iren would have no chance of getting Muryoka into that wound. Worse, if he dropped the tiny attack, all their effort would be wasted. Rondel had to get Shadeen’s attention back on her.

  Time to give it everything, then. Rondel stretched the Liryometa above her head and channeled all the Dragoon’s magic into it. Lightning burst from it into the sky, and clouds formed above her. The sun vanished behind the brooding storm, and seconds later a torrential rain soaked all three combatants.

  Rondel fed more magic to the storm. It was like recreating the tempest over Serona, but Rondel kept this one centered on Shadeen.

  The air crackled. It would come soon.

  At last the lightning broke free. The bolts smashed into Shadeen, hundreds landing on him each second. Rondel screamed as she released every scrap of energy the Dragoon had left.

  Her wings flickered. She was out of time. Hoping the storm would last long enough, Rondel headed for the ground. It was up to Iren now.

  * * *

  Rondel continued to amaze Iren. She kept surpassing herself. Even after her retreat, the storm was doing her job for her. Shadeen roared in frustration against the lightning barrage, but the deafening thunder drowned out his cries.

  Yet through all the tempest’s fury, Shadeen kept up his twisting movements. He knew the storm was a diversion. Iren had spotted the wound Rondel had described three times already, but he couldn’t get close enough to strike it with Muryoka. The target was just too small. If only there were a bigger one!

  The dragon howled at the storm as it intensified. As he did, he turned his massive gullet toward Iren.

  Iren sighed. He knew what he had to do, and he wasn’t going to like it.

  Then again, Shadeen would like it a whole lot less.

  Iren flew toward the wound on Shadeen’s belly. The dragon needed to think that spot was still Iren’s target. He landed on the monster’s stomach and raised the Muryozaki in his right hand as if to strike. Shadeen twisted again, and Iren made a show of losing his balance. He hovered in midair.

  The dragon leveled with him, and the beast’s mouth opened. Yaryoka’s black sphere formed between his jaws.

  Now! Before he could fire!

  Iren flew forward, in control the entire time. He passed between the rows of eviscerating teeth and through the heart of the growing Yaryoka. His left hand touched the back of the dragon’s throat, and he spoke a single word.

  “Farewell.”

  * * *

  Rondel stood at the edge of the pine forest Minawë had created. Her Dragoon form had ended, and with it, she felt her magic disappear. Just like with Iren’s Dragoon form against Feng, the transformation had sealed it away. She couldn’t even use Lightning Sight to follow the battle. She could see the Darkness Dragon, but Iren was impossible to spot amid all the lightning.

  Then she shielded her eyes. Shadeen glowed from within. White light burst from between his scales. It shot into the storm and broke it apart, letting clear sun onto the battlefield.

  Rondel grinned. Iren had done it.

  A second later, though, the old Maantec’s smile turned to an open-mouthed cry of terror. Shadeen detonated. Muryoka’s energy exploded from his body, and Rondel was left momentarily blind. When the glare cleared, Shadeen was gone.

  And so was Iren.

  A spot of red, like a falling star, appeared in the distance. Rondel ran toward it, frustrated at how slowly she moved now. Sweat poured off her, but she kept running.

  She arrived just as Iren hit the ground. His impact threw up a cloud of debris.

  “Iren?” Rondel yelled as she neared the impact site. “Iren!”

  Coughing told her he was alive. Rondel stumbled her way into the crater the young man
had made on impact. “Iren!” she cried again.

  “Over here,” came the stifled response. Rondel followed the voice. At last she found him. He was still in his Dragoon armor, but his wings had vanished.

  Iren stood and shook all over. The dragonscale melted back into his skin. “It’s done,” he said.

  Rondel slapped him on the back. “I told you you could handle him!”

  “Ow!” Iren shouted. “Can we save the jumping around and celebrating for tomorrow?”

  Rondel smirked. “Sure, slacker. You’ve earned it.”

  They crawled out together from the crater, Iren leaning on Rondel’s shoulder for support. The dust had settled, and Iren gazed up at the clear sky. He whistled. “I can’t believe I walked away from that one. I’m glad that ended it.”

  “As am I,” a voice said from behind them.

  Rondel’s blood froze. She turned around. She was so shocked she dropped her dagger. It clattered against the ground.

  Melwar floated ten feet in the air.

  But he was more than Melwar. Dark scales wrapped around his body. Black, smoky wings smoldered behind him. His eyes burned with an inner yellow light.

  Iren gaped. “That’s impossible.”

  “I must express my gratitude,” Melwar said. “I stood no chance against Shadeen in a contest of wills, let alone against four dragons. Now I need not worry about them. Since you defeated Shadeen, I can take his magic without resistance. Thanks to you, I have become the Darkness Dragoon.”

  CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE

  Final Shot

  Iren trembled. If he and Rondel still had their Dragoon forms they might stand a chance. But like this, exhausted and without magic . . .

  Rondel knelt and picked up her dagger. Her hands didn’t shake. She must be as terrified as Iren, yet somehow she held firm. “It doesn’t matter what you’ve become,” she told Melwar. “I will carry out Okthora’s Law.”