by E. J. Krause
"Well, no duh. I didn't think you were here to fetch us for tea."
Andi's laughter exploded into his mind, but was almost immediately replaced by a yelp of pain. He looked over and saw the black dragon's jaw latched onto her neck. No! The guard charged, but Ben barely paid him any mind. He thrust out his shield and dark energy slammed into the assassin, knocking him back head over heels about twenty feet, where he landed in a heap. Ben then pushed more power out of his sword-hand at the dragon, forcing her to let go of Andi. She hissed at him, and spewed a stream of acid. He threw up both hands, and a magical barrier, like the ones he'd seen both Derian and the pirate captain create, blocked the acid from reaching him. Andi emptied her own acid sack, but the dragon dodged it and flew back to check on her mate.
"You okay?" he asked Andi.
"Yeah, fine, thanks to you. I do so love that healing power of yours."
"Good. Let's press this before they regroup." He vaulted onto her back and she accelerated right at them. Ben positioned himself to jump off and see how much damage his sword could do to a dragon, but before he could, the black dragon exploded forward and caught Andi in the chest with her shoulders, sending both he and Andi tumbling down to the rocky cavern floor. The dexterity he had received with the full binding kept injury at bay. He ended up with a few scrapes and bruises, but his healing factor patched those up right away. Andi's own natural agility, as well as her thick scales, kept her safe.
The black dragon's guard stood and hefted his sword, seemingly recovered from the punishment Ben's wave of magic had hit him with. Ben jumped onto Andi's back again and looked at the escape routes in the cavern.
"Andi, let's buy some time to figure out how to beat these two. Fly us out of here." Maybe they could even make it all the way out to get help from the Dragon Council, though if they were the ones who hired these two, it might prove to be a problem.
Andi zipped up through the nearest hole, which was a narrow tunnel like the first one they took to get inside that cavern. Unlike that one, though, this one grew smaller and ended. Uh-oh. The black dragon likely had a full blast of acid built back up.
*****
Andi shimmied Ben down her back and stood between him and danger. She couldn't see the black dragon yet, but heard her coming, and a spray of acid would be the first strike. Her only hope was a mix between her scales and Ben's powerful healing mojo. Of course, if Ben could put up another wall of force to block the nasty spit, that would be even better. Really, his unpredictable magic was their best chance to walk away from this mess, but they couldn't rely on that. If they could get through this, they really should find a way for him to learn to control it.
The black dragon flew into sight and landed, her mate perched on her back.
"I must say," she roared, "you two have impressed us both. You do have the makings of warriors worthy of the prophetic title. Unfortunately, we must end you before that comes to pass."
Andi didn't answer, nor did she bother to pass the message to Ben. She braced herself for the coming pain, and built her own acid up. Maybe she could win this quick-draw contest. Before either blasted out their liquid death, Ben's voice entered her mind.
"Wish them dead."
"What?"
"Don't think, just do it."
He put his arms around her neck, and she whispered, "Die," over and over as she stared at the dragon and her guard. The black dragon puffed up her cheeks, but before she could fire her breath weapon, she, along with her guard, crumpled to the rocky ground, dead. A small bit of acid burnt through her jaw and pooled smoking under her head.
Andi transformed into her human body and jumped into Ben's arms.
"What did we do?" Obviously she knew what had happened, but this dragon and her guard hadn't been a swarm of bugs or shadow demons. The assassins might be evil, but they were people. And, honestly, she had no clue Ben's powers would even work like that.
"We've done it before," he said, though she could hear the waver in his voice.
"But they weren't demons."
"I know," he said. "I thought I was going to use the force shield to block the acid, and then you could have spit back your own. Then the idea to simply snuff them out came to mind."
"And we did snuff them out. With a mere thought."
"Yeah." He let out a deep sigh and shook his head. "They were trying to hurt you, hurt me, kill us. When she cornered us back here, instead of being scared, it made me angry. But this time, instead of my rage erupting, it was like a cold, calculating decision to end them." He shuddered, and she hugged him tighter. "You were going to coat them with acid anyway, but this feels…"
"Different," she finished. "Does this mean we're closer to turning evil?"
He kissed the top of her head.
"I don't know."
Chapter 16
Andi carried the dragon's corpse, while Ben lugged the guard's.
"Sure, now you can't figure out a spell to make this easier," she said. They ran into no one on their way to the Dragon Council's chamber, but that suited him fine. Maybe they'd be able to discover who sent these two to kill them when they made their dramatic entrance. He'd be sure to watch them all, and Andi agreed it was a good plan.
Since the Stronghold had been built for dragons, the hallways and doors were all plenty big enough for Andi, even with the dead dragon on her back. They didn't talk much, both wrestling with what had happened, as well as the dead weight they carried. Did killing like that make them evil? It was a kill or be killed fight, and if it had ended with Andi coating the black dragon with acid, or him running the guard through with his sword, he wouldn't have thought twice about it. Something about wishing someone dead with your mind felt off, wrong, but was it any worse than a more physical way? Dead was dead. Andi didn't come up with a suitable answer, either.
Once they reached the Council chamber, they pushed the doors open and entered. Talk died at once as everyone watched him and Andi move towards the center of the room. The room was built like a moderate-sized theater, about as big as their school's auditorium, with the Dragon Council and their guards set up on the stage and a good number of empty seats in the audience. Andi's parents also sat on the stage, though they were facing the Council. Well, they had been. Now they stared in shock at he and Andi, like everyone else.
As they reached the center of the room, Ben saw nothing in anyone's expression that gave anything away. Nor did his powers offer any hints. He dropped the dead guard to the floor with a thud, and Andi did the same with the dragon before reverting to her human form.
"Please explain," Jonas said in a low voice. The acoustics in the room made it sound as if he were standing right next to them.
"Are you two okay?" Cassie called down. Lee's anxious face, as well as those of many council members and their guards, echoed the worry in her voice. Those that didn't show worry wore too much curiosity to be considered suspects.
"Better than these two," Ben muttered, while Andi called back, "Yeah, we're fine."
He wished Andi were still in her dragon form so he could find out if she saw anyone react strangely. Since they couldn't, he'd have to figure it out head-on. He glanced back at the dead, stepped forward, and let his growing anger fuel his next few words.
"Who sent them?"
"Answer him!" Andi yelled, her anger matching his. It gave him pause, as she was usually his calming influence.
Jonas stood, his eyes on the fallen dragon and her guard. "Those are Athena and Ares. You killed them?"
A murmur arose from the Dragon Council, and even Cassie and Lee shared a surprised whisper.
"They said they were sent here to kill us, but they wouldn't say by whom," Ben said. "And since they couldn't get in here without help that places blame on one or more people in this room." Andi had been almost positive that was how it worked, anyway.
This accusation brought an uproar from the Dragon Council and their guards. They shouted that Ben was out of order and argued amongst themselves. Ben and Andi st
ood back and again scanned everyone on stage to see if anyone acted peculiar. While this went on, Jonas, Cassie, and Lee stepped off the stage. Cassie and Lee hurried over to them and asked, in hushed tones, what had happened. Jonas wandered over to the two dead bodies, placed his hands on both of their heads, and closed his eyes.
"We were in the flying chamber," Andi told her parents, "about ready to check out the cave system when the two assassins came in. We knew they shouldn't be there, but we hoped they wouldn't bother us. Instead, they charged, and the dragon tried to douse us in acid."
"Andi made some exceptionally cool moves to keep us from getting burnt," Ben added. "Why did it freak everyone out when Jonas said their names? They weren't the real Greek gods, were they?" He meant it as a joke, but no one laughed.
"No," Lee said. "They are, or rather were, the two deadliest assassins amongst our kind. If someone wanted another dead, Athena and Ares never failed to get the job done."
"Guess that streak's over in a big, bad way," Cassie said. "How'd you ice 'em?"
"Cassandra, this is a serious discussion," Lee said, exasperation pouring out of his voice.
She shrugged. "Yeah, so? Remember when we met them in Vienna? Insufferable, pompous, spoiled brats. I'd be willing to bet not much had changed."
Lee rolled his eyes and let out a big sigh before speaking. "So how did you kill them?"
"Ben told me to…" She stopped and looked at him. He expected the blinding headache to strike next, but it wasn't necessary. Her emotions spoke the question loud and clear. Should we tell them? Should we tell anyone?
Ben shrugged and nodded. Her parents needed to know so they could advise them on how to handle the situation with the Dragon Council.
"Ben told you to what?" Lee asked, his eyes scanning both their faces.
"To wish them dead," Andi finished.
Ben wasn't sure what sort of reaction to expect, but he didn't think they'd get nothing. Cassie and Lee both looked at each other and nodded, though both their faces were ashen.
"Is this something the Council is going to want to hear?" Ben asked.
Before he got an answer, Jonas stood up and bellowed at the still-arguing members of the Dragon Council.
"Silence!" Once he had everyone's attention, he continued. "Timothy and Sasha's magic permeates these corpses. I find it curious now that they left in such a hurry."
Three of the Council members, Angus, Quinn, and Geoffrey, along with their guards, hurried out of the room. They'd find Timothy and Sasha and discover what had happened. Ben had to fight from following. He'd like to interrogate the two to see why they endangered him and his beautiful Alexandria.
The various council members argued and conversed again amongst themselves, but Jonas quieted them a second time. "We'll learn soon enough if Timothy and Sasha acted on their own accord, or if they were tricked or forced into allowing the assassins access to the Stronghold. Honestly, I don't like either option. In the time being, however, we may as well go over the reason we brought these four here." He motioned to Ben, Andi, Cassie, and Lee.
"How did they kill Athena and Ares?" one of the male council members called down. Ben thought it might have been Marcel, but he wasn't positive. It could have been one of the guards for all he knew.
Jonas glanced at Ben and Andi and then back to the Council. "That can wait until we find out the truth from Timothy and Sasha. For now we'll focus on the Demon of Dreams."
Ben let out a small sigh, and he sensed Andi do the same. He still wasn't sure if they wanted the Council to know the details of what had happened.
As the Council members and their guards settled back in to their chairs, he, Andi, and her parents followed Jonas up onto the stage. Servants rushed in and pulled the corpses out of the chamber. When they were gone, Jonas cleared his throat and started the meeting.
"I assume you four know the severity of the mission you will soon perform. This goes beyond our own existence as dragons and guards. This impacts the entire multiverse in ways that I don't wish to contemplate."
"We understand the importance," Lee said. "But why is this happening? Why is a rescue mission even necessary?"
"You know of the Nightmare Syndicate. They are in our minds because of past deeds, luckily rarely successful. Their goal is to bring evil to every realm of the multiverse."
"Yes, we knew they had to be involved when we were confronted by Shadow Spies and Warriors," Lee said. Ben didn't know much about the Nightmare Syndicate, but he could have Andi look them up later.
Jonas nodded at Ben and Andi. "From what we heard, those shadow creatures stood little chance against you two." This drew more murmurs from the Council. Ben held his head higher, while Andi ducked hers and blushed. She might be afraid of what the Council thought, but he wasn't.
Jonas continued. "Apparently the Nightmare Syndicate plans to bring their name to fruition by killing the Demon of Dreams and making horrible dreams the norm across the multiverse. Supposedly, on some realms, this could bring nightmares to life. It is a possibility on the mortal realm we call home. We don't wish to test this theory, which is why your mission is of the utmost of importance."
"This isn't a family matter," Ben said, "so why do we have to do it alone? Why not grab a huge army, overwhelm the Nightmare Syndicate, and rescue the demon?" He'd tried to ask Max when they'd been there for dinner, but hadn't quite understood the answer.
"That would be the ideal solution. After all, dragon laws make this easily accomplished. Unfortunately, two factors work against us. First, this is the demon Rico's mission. He discovered the Demon of Dreams had been captured, and those are politics we don't wish to break unless necessary. The second point, however, is more important. They're holding the demon in the Realm of Dreams, specifically where they are most comfortable, in the Realm of Nightmares."
Ben wasn't sure why this made any sort of difference, but the way Lee winced proved it was a big deal.
"I see you understand the problem, Leon," Jonas said. "Let me explain for our younger heroes." Andi's emotions proved she needed the explanation as much as him. "The Nightmare Syndicate placed the Demon of Dreams where he is for a reason. The Realm of Nightmares is a maze of sorts. The only way to get to the Demon of Dreams is through miniature realms that mirror your dreams, and they won't be the nice ones. Not always your worst nightmares, but nothing pleasant in any event. You'll be forced to go through four such mini-realms, one for each of you. If we sent in an army, you'd have to traverse as many of these realms as there were numbers of individuals in the army. For this reason, a small group is preferred. These may be dreams, but as I'm sure you've guessed, it'll be as real as it gets when you're in there, with all the dire consequences."
"That's his dramatic way of saying the place can kill you," his mate, Abigail, said. Her interjection brought out a few chuckles, including nervous ones from Ben and his group.
"Exactly. Thank you, dear. So that's why, even if we were in charge of this assault, we'd still choose you four to undertake it. The two of you, Leon and Cassandra, have always proven reliable on missions such as this." Andi's curiosity perked up at this statement, but she didn't interrupt. "And, despite your young age, Alexandria and Benjamin, you may be the most powerful of us all. When you two have a grasp on those powers, there is no doubt the prophecy will come to pass." He didn't add it, but Ben saw the plea to make the right choice behind his eyes.
"What I don't understand is why Rico has control of this operation," Cassie said.
"Rico and the Demon of Dreams had some sort of agreement to meet every century or so that they both upheld for multiple millennium. A couple hundred years ago, the Demon of Dreams didn't show up to their normal meeting. When the next one was due and the demon was again nowhere to be seen, Rico knew there was a problem. Using whatever methods he has, he discovered the Nightmare Syndicate had taken him."
"But the strange dreams started weeks ago," Cassie said. "How can this have been going on for centuries?"
"Turn
s out the Nightmare Syndicate found their plan not as easy to complete as they'd hoped. The Demon of Dreams didn't lose control once he was out of his element. The Nightmare Syndicate needed to find a ceremony, a ritual, to end the demon. And, luckily for everyone everywhere, they couldn't find it."
"But they have now," Lee said.
Jonas shook his head. "They're close, but they haven't done it yet. We believe the strange dreams have been a cry for help, but that's only one theory. Another is that they are so close that the rituals are affecting dreams already. Either way, it shows that we need to act now."
Andi stepped forward. When she'd been angry, speaking in front of the entire Dragon Council hadn't phased her, but now that she had her emotions under control, Ben felt how much courage she had to gather. With the grace she handled herself with, he had a feeling he alone knew this. "Why did Ben and I recover that statue of the demon for Rico? We could tell how important it was to him, but he never explained."
One of the Council members stood and stepped forward. Jonas smiled and moved aside, making room for her.
"Sarah is in a better position to answer that. She helped Rico research the statue."
The Council member, Sarah, stood where Jonas had been. Ben recognized her as the one friendly face when they visited the group who wanted to keep him and Andi under careful watch. She smiled, and something in the back of his mind told him she meant it.
"As Jonas said," Sarah started, "I helped Rico with that problem. It turns out that the Nightmare Syndicate put a spell on that statue when they hid it. With that statue, which is an excellent physical representation, by the way, in their possession, no one could find the real Demon of Dreams. We assumed that they believed their multiple guardians and traps were enough to keep anyone out." A sparkle flashed in her eyes as she looked at Ben and Andi. "You two proved that to be wrong." This brought murmurs from the Council, and Ben could tell some were positive and some simply nervous.
As soon as everyone calmed down, Sarah continued. "Once Rico had possession of the statue, we were able to start figuring out where the demon was. After that, it was a simple matter of finding the best way to mount a rescue mission. Since you've already secured the key and map, you four will do fine. That map will be your lifeline. Other than that, follow your strengths and hunches. Should you fail, what strange dreams everyone has thus far experienced will seem like nothing. As long as you four do what we all know you can, everything will turn out as it should."