Adapt Or Be Crushed (The Exceptional S. Beaufont Book 9)

by Sarah Noffke

  “I’m a married man!” Evan exclaimed over his shoulder. “Get off my butt, or my wife will tear you in two.”

  This did little good to dissuade the possessive succubus, but it made Evan feel marginally better as he felt the hot breath of the large bird as it called after him, sniping dangerously close to Coral’s tail. She snapped it through the air, trying to send the spikes at the end onto the simurgh’s head. However, the monster was surprisingly agile for its size and swerved to the left and right, avoiding the attacks.

  Evan knew that Coral was running out of steam. They’d been at this for a while now at top speed—even with the ocean aiding her, a dragon wasn’t good at long-term sprints. They were known for their endurance in long races or short spurts, but a constant chase would end a dragon sooner than almost anything else.

  From the corner of his vision, Evan saw Mahkah with his bow and arrow, trying to get a shot at the large target but apparently afraid that it would hit the dragon and rider. Mahkah was always careful, unwilling to shoot if he might hurt one of his mates. Evan usually liked that about the guy but with the simurgh breathing down his neck, he was grateful for his other, bolder friend.

  To Evan’s surprise and relief, none other than Wilder Thomson barreled in the simurgh’s direction with his sword above his head and a crazed look in his eyes, making a beeline straight for the monster. It didn’t take such a suicidal attempt seriously, and continued to race after Evan until it realized that Wilder wasn’t going to divert from his path.

  The crazy maniac planned to collide with the simurgh, since apparently that’s what it would take to get it off Evan and Coral.

  Chapter Sixty

  Mahkah Tomahawk knew that his friends were bold. Whereas he was patient and careful in battle, Evan and Wilder usually employed more of a surprise attack approach. Sophia often relied on something in between, using strategy along with something the enemy didn’t expect. Their different styles in battle had played well for them, but this was the first time that Mahkah worried they simply didn’t have what it would take to defeat not one, but two deadly and dangerous enemies.

  The eldest dragonrider sat atop Tala, the dragon impressively still as he hovered in the air, so as to not mess up Mahkah’s aim. However, no matter how still his dragon was or calm the air around them, it seemed impossible for him to get a good shot with the speed at which the simurgh flew as it darted after Evan.

  Mahkah closed one eye and followed the simurgh’s path, nearly getting dizzy from its speed. The arrow that he had nocked was enchanted, but still the dragonrider worried that it wouldn’t be enough to penetrate through the simurgh’s feathers. The creature most likely had a protective quality shielding it. There wasn’t much known about the birds.

  Centuries ago, they were much more prevalent, especially in the savannah where they had apparently been seen carrying off elephants to feast upon. That had been hard for Mahkah to imagine, but now studying the creature, he could totally see how that was possible.

  Although much of the folklore that surrounded the simurgh saw the creatures as benevolent, Mahkah knew that the modern incarnations of the birds were anything but. Many times the animals of the old world were enhanced using magic until they became corrupted and possessed by evil. That was the problem with too much magic. Everything was about balance. The original simurgh might have been a blessing to many lands, and left alone, they brought many fortunes. Then a magician came along, thinking they could make these animals better, but more wasn’t usually better—it was dangerous, and this was proof of that.

  Mahkah sucked in a low breath. When Evan had some distance on the simurgh, he released the arrow. It spiraled through the air and crossed the simurgh’s path a good distance after it passed. He wasn’t close to hitting the creature, and Evan was slowing down. Which meant they were running out of options.

  He pulled another arrow from his quiver and nocked it, again following the monster’s path. He hadn’t wanted to call it that before, feeling that was too strong a term for something like this. But he had to admit that it was exactly what the simurgh was. It might have once been good and represented good, however this monster was anything but.

  This simurgh was full of evil and it was the Dragon Elite’s job to take it down—hopefully before it ended them all.

  Chapter Sixty-One

  How are we going to get to Carl’s underside? Sophia asked, the first bit of fear entering her voice.

  Maybe we can get it to play fetch and roll over, Lunis joked.

  Usually Sophia found relief when her dragon made jokes in battle, but staring at a creature a hundred times bigger than them made the quip seem untimely.

  Seriously, Lunis, we don’t have a plan.

  We never have a plan for the most part and we’re still alive, he argued.

  That’s not making me feel much better since this battle could be our last. Sophia dared to look up at where the guys were intercepting attacks from simurgh. The large bird appeared to be schooling all three dragonriders in stealthy attacks as it streaked through the air, sent Evan on a chase, gave Mahkah no chance of shooting it and—

  “Wilder!” Sophia exclaimed as she watched her boyfriend and Simi race straight for the large bird. It didn’t seem to notice their approach, the beast’s attention on Evan who was no doubt taunting it into following him.

  He’ll be okay, Lunis lied.

  They both knew that there was little chance that any of them would be okay after this battle. There would be scars if any of them survived it.

  We have to help them, she argued and felt Lunis’ fire suddenly warm underneath her.

  We have our own problems, he stated, his voice tense.

  She whipped around. The leviathan had decided to make its move. Or rather, moves.

  It bolted forward, and its mouth widened as it roared. The creature blew sea water and monster saliva straight at them, which created a tropical storm of sorts.

  Sophia’s hair blew violently around her face from the attack. The wind that spilled from the monster’s lungs pushed Lunis back. The waters soared in high waves that licked at the dragon’s belly. Then the beast’s tentacles slapped the water and turned the once somewhat calm scene into total chaos.

  The standoff was over. It was time to fight.

  Chapter Sixty-Two

  If Wilder survived this and saved Evan, then he was going to regret it. There was no way that the younger dragonrider would ever shut up about it. For the rest of their hopefully long lives, he’d hold it over his head that he’d risked his life to save him. But there were some things worth enduring, and Wilder reasoned that he’d like the bragging rights of saying he was the one who defeated the giant bird—although it would undoubtedly have to be a team effort.

  The simurgh hadn’t turned when Wilder barreled in the bird’s direction on Simi. That must have been how much the creature detested Evan’s presence. It simply took over all else and made the beast want to end him first.

  I get it, Wilder thought with a laugh.

  Simi’s wings flapped furiously as she cut through the cold winds and made quick progress. They were only thirty yards away when the monster turned its attention to Wilder. Its black eyes widened at the oncoming attack. Most must not have been so bold as to race straight at something so large and menacing. Wilder usually had better sense, but desperate times apparently called him to do dumb things. He wondered then if Evan thought he was in perpetual desperate times and that was his excuse for all his bad decisions.

  The strategy had worked, Wilder realized with both relief and total horror. The simurgh had abandoned its pursuit of Evan and turned and hovered in the air, its attention solely on Wilder.

  With the bird finally still, Mahkah took his opportunity and fired several arrows. They all rebounded off the simurgh’s feathers, which were obviously protected by strange magic.

  “Thanks for that, mate,” Evan stated with relief as Coral halted in the air, probably to draw on her reserves. “I’m gonna
dart down to Cyprus and get a drink. There’s a great bar there I found on my last visit.”

  “Go help Sophia!” Wilder exclaimed while watching the beasty bird facing him. It moved methodically, but he knew that was about to change dramatically when the monster took off after him. Unlike Evan, Wilder had no intention of playing a game of chase with the creature. The only way to end things was with direct combat.

  “Sophia?” Evan asked breathlessly over the comm.

  “Evan!” Wilder yelled, suddenly feeling frantic with worry.

  “Oh, the one about to get eaten by the sea monster,” Evan said in a rush. “Why didn’t you say so?”

  Wilder noticed three things simultaneously. Evan darted into action as Coral plummeted toward the ocean where the leviathan was throwing an awful fit. Mahkah nocked another arrow on his bow. The simurgh shot forward and raced at Wilder as he and Simi closed the distance between it.

  Chapter Sixty-Three

  The relief of not having to dart away from the pursuits of a crazed lunatic bird was instant for Evan. Then it was followed by total terror as he realized he was racing toward a huge angry sea serpent that was thrashing around in the ocean and making it their bitch.

  Salt water sprang up from the Mediterranean and made it seem like they were in a hurricane of sorts. But around the chaos, the coastal area was clear. They were in the storm. The monster was the eye of it.

  “Don’t worry, Pink Princess,” Evan called over the comm. “I’m coming to the rescue.”

  “Thanks, but I think worry is still going to be a part of the equation,” Sophia stated, breathless as she and Lunis darted around the many attacks unleashed by the leviathan as its tentacles whipped through the air. They were doing a surprisingly good job of avoiding getting hit, although like Evan trying to evade the simurgh, it was impossible to keep it up for too much longer.

  And the leviathan had surprising speed for being so large. The ends of its tentacles were tiny, like ropes, but grew in width closer to its body and created quite the effect on the water’s surface.

  As Evan approached, the monster caught sight of him and twisted in the air. Its mouth chopped at them, looking for a little appetizer, which was exactly what Coral and Evan would be for the gigantic monster.

  “I’m glad you’re here.” Sophia and Lunis rode to the creature’s backside.

  “I’m married,” Evan said dryly, always able to keep up the pretense, even in battle.

  She sighed, but still laughed over the comm. “We know how we need to defeat this monster.”

  “Cool, then I’ll just pop off to Cyprus, which isn’t far from here,” Evan replied, still racing toward the scene of chaos. “Awesome tiki bar, and I once met a waitress there who—”

  “You’re going to have to do it,” Sophia interrupted.

  Because no one ever taught her manners, Evan thought. “Continue.”

  “We’ll serve as the distraction,” Sophia stated with authority. “You need to get to Carl’s underside.”

  “Carl?”

  “This monster with a bad temper,” she explained.

  “Oh, he’s a total Carl.” Evan laughed. “And this underside?”

  “According to Lunis, it’s underwater,” Sophia stated. “He’s not sure what you’re looking for, but you’ll know it when you see it. Or more likely, Coral will.”

  “Oh good, so you can’t offer many specifics.” Evan swerved to the side as a tentacle tried to shake his hand—and by hand, he meant his face—right off.

  “Can you do it?” Sophia asked, hope in her voice.

  “Distract Carl,” Evan ordered. “I’ll go swimming with the fish.”

  Chapter Sixty-Four

  Shooting at the simurgh hadn’t worked, Mahkah realized with a rush of disappointment. He had suspected as much, but had held out hope.

  The dragonrider wasn’t out of options though. In battle, it was a series of eliminations. When one attack didn’t work, the warrior had to be agile enough to change their approach and hope that time was on their side.

  For Mahkah, time was running out.

  For Wilder, time was speeding by him.

  Racing away from the simurgh’s pursuit had been Evan’s attempt to stay alive. Shooting at the monster from a distance was another option. There were a few other attacks that Mahkah was considering. Racing straight at the giant simurgh hadn’t been one of them.

  The creature was massive and although Simi was a good-sized dragon, as she approached, she looked more and more like a small bird racing toward the zeppelin that had attacked the Gullington under Trin’s command. That airship had been huge. The dragons had kept their distance from it and shot fire from afar. Wilder had thrown all those cautious measures away and was now dangerously close to colliding with the gigantic bird.

  Mahkah almost wanted to shut his eyes and not witness what would happen next. He was powerless to help as Wilder neared the simurgh. Even if he enchanted the arrows, he couldn’t fire an attack with his friend so close to the bird. All Mahkah could do was watch. And watch he did, knowing that when the time presented itself…if it did, he would swoop in and help, hopefully before his friend got himself killed.

  Chapter Sixty-Five

  Having Carl’s attention momentarily distracted by Evan and Coral racing in its direction was a welcome relief after having to dodge its many attacks. The splattering seawater and roar of the monster was enough to contend with, but having to dart away from its tentacles and snapping jaws made everything a lot more intense.

  However, Sophia recognized that they would have to act fast because the monster wouldn’t be distracted for long. This gave Sophia and Lunis enough time to get to the backside of the beast and plan a distraction, which hopefully worked to allow Evan the opportunity he needed to get into place…whenever that was.

  Lunis hadn’t been able to offer more on Carl’s vulnerable side—only that it was underwater. That, and as much of the leviathan as they saw above the surface, more stretched under the sea.

  Sophia didn’t know what kind of magic had created this beast, but she didn’t think the world would miss something so large and destructive. More perplexing was the question of where the monster came from. Hiding something this large or manifesting it would be complex. The leviathan’s presence brought up a lot more questions than it answered. But those would all have to wait.

  “Anytime you’re ready, Pink Princess,” Evan called. A rush of wind and splattering rain echoed in the comm.

  “I’m almost in place.” She steered Lunis around the monster’s backside, which was expansive. There were spikes and more tentacles on the back, like the creature preferred a multi-pronged approach.

  Thankfully, Carl didn’t have eyes in the back of its head and the tentacles moved with less precision, more like flags in the wind than enacting actual attacks. This gave Sophia and Lunis a chance to get into position, hovering in a place at the monster’s back that was less covered in thick spikes and appeared somewhat vulnerable.

  “We’re ready,” Sophia announced over the comm.

  “About time,” Evan huffed. “And thanks. Once we take the plunge, communications will end.”

  “Then stay safe and be fast,” Sophia responded with a strange fondness in her voice.

  “You got it boss,” Evan chirped.

  “And also,” Sophia added. “Don’t die.”

  “Roger that.”

  Chapter Sixty-Six

  Wilder had done a lot of crazy things in his two hundred years. Most of them didn’t matter because if something happened to him, he didn’t much care. But recently, things mattered more. His life meant more than it used to.

  The Dragon Elite had a purpose after several centuries of being stagnant. Wilder had the chance to save the world again and again for many years to come. More importantly than that, he had someone worth saving the world for. Even better, Sophia Beaufont didn’t need Wilder to save the world for her. In most cases, she would be right by his side and saving it wi
th him.

  It was that reason that made Wilder momentarily doubt his rash decision to race toward the giant bird and make himself more vulnerable than ever before.

  He felt Simi doubting his decision as well as they approached the monster, which opened its beak and screamed across the lone ten yards that divided them. The simurgh extended its talons as it righted itself in the air, its large wings flapping in the wind.

  Wilder smiled despite the rush of adrenaline seeking to steal his breath. We’re not out of options, he said to Simi in his head.

  He gathered his strength and lifted his hand into the air, although the force rushing at him would usually have required both hands for balance. He’d sheathed his sword, but only for the moment. There would be a time for that—if the next part didn’t kill him.

  Wilder sent out a shockwave of wind, and forced all his gathered energy combined with Simi’s elemental power at the simurgh. The gust hit the bird like a wall and made it tumble backward into a series of flips. Its neck jerked back at an odd angle and the creature lost height as it shrieked with real pain in its voice.

  Wilder would have felt bad for the monster if he hadn’t witnessed how cruel it could be if left unchecked. It was better for the world if they rid the Earth and its peaceful skies of such an unreasonable beast.

  The gust of wind sent the simurgh back several dozen yards, but it recovered too quickly, then flapped its wings and rose level with Wilder once more. Although its feathers were disheveled and its eyes flustered, the monster wasn’t harmed. It only appeared angrier, which would make the next part more interesting.

  Wilder had played his card. Now he couldn’t rely on his elemental power. It was time for brute force.