by Eden Redd
The world moved in slow motion as Nate watched. The thick stream of lightning struck the frozen and not frozen crab monsters. It rippled and tore through them like a knife through butter. Armored and frozen bodies exploded as the stream of lightning cut through them. Nate could feel Shego resisting the urge to laugh as her lightning breath cut through them.
Another volley of spines filled the air and Shego beat her wings. She rose higher, cutting off the attack before taking another deep breath. Without hesitation, another stream of lightning blasted down. It moved with unfeeling power, blackening armored backs and blasting others open. Even at the great height, Nate could smell burning seafood as the lines of monsters were broken.
After Shego made her pass, Nate turned his head to see the large force of crab monsters was truly broken. Stragglers and others only lightly damaged continued their march. Many others barely moved, their armored bodies broken and many laying in pieces.
“Full, directed attacks are always more powerful,” Shego informed with a mental smirk.
Above the flaming waters, Norrah circled. She eyed the flames and surrounding waters to see if the symir would dare poke out its head. She readied her flame breath, but the only thing she could see or sense was the burning ocean.
“I don’t sense the symir,” Norrah informed them.
“They may have retreated,” Shego said with a confident edge.
“We still have some of those monsters marching toward the town. We should do another pass to finish them off,” Izzi added.
“Do it. I’ll watch for our slippery friend,” Norrah said.
Nate held on as Izzi and Shego turned and prepared for another pass directly in front of the crab monsters.
I feel useless just riding and watching. All three of them have so much power, I don’t know how a seer fits in with what they need. Those monsters below couldn’t stand up to two dragons, let alone three. I feel like a spectator to their combined power.
Izzi took the lead. The white dragon began her gliding descent as she took a deep breath. Blue eyes took in the stragglers moving toward the town in the distance. Shego and Nate were some distance behind, following the frost dragon.
Nate spread out his senses. Shego’s calm and powerful heartbeat filled his senses. Izzi’s heartbeat touched his senses, steady as a drum. Norrah’s heartbeat was next, beating with power and edges of worry.
Nate’s eyes half-closed as time slowed down. Wind caused his short hair to wave. His grip on the blue dragon was firm. Everything seemed to be falling into place. Hope glowed and it was quickly dashed on the rocks.
A row of heartbeats filled the jungle. Nate’s eyes slowly widened as the new hearts beat with dripping malice. Mana touched the area as time continued to slow. Izzi opened her mouth and blasted out a stream of freezing ice and mist. It struck the monsters as they continued to march to their deaths. Again, they slowed from the dragon breath attack. Many more stopped.
Izzi was just passing overhead and closing her mouth when mana touched her senses. She glanced to the side and immediately turned away as black shards filled the air. The white dragon brought her wings in and spun, making her body as thin as possible as magical shards shot past her.
Panic touched Shego and Nate’s minds. They watched in disbelief as Izzi spun through the storm of shards. When another volley came at them from the jungle floor on the right, dark power crawled along Shego’s entire body.
Nate’s eyes widened as a dark aura encircled him and Shego. The aura was thin, but it appeared as shards struck it and exploded. Shego’s entire form shuddered and steered away as the aura protected them.
“They are using dark sphere magic!” Shego mentally shouted.
Nate held on as Shego turned her back away from the attack to shield her seer with her body. Black explosions hit the aura along her belly and the blue dragon spun out of control.
Norrah turned toward Izzi dodging shards of black magic and Shego falling toward the surf. She flapped her leathery wings, propelling herself toward her friends when the flaming waters underneath her exploded.
The green dragon barely looked down as rows of sharp teeth gleamed in the firelight. The sea serpent was like an arrow, speeding up to the green dragon. Norrah turned her body to bank away when teeth clamped on her leg, engulfing it and biting hard.
Norrah let out roar as the much larger sea serpent hung on her, teeth shattering emerald scales and stabbed into her flesh. Claws flashed across the sea serpent’s head. Scales were blasted off from Norrah’s strike and cut at the sensitive flesh under the serpent’s eye. The symir let go of Norrah’s leg and fell into the flaming waters below. Its large body hit the waters and blasted up seawater and foam into the air.
Dragon blood dripped from Norrah’s back leg as she continued to beat her wings to keep herself airborne. She rose in the air, watching for the sea serpent and glancing to her friends as they tried to outmaneuver the ambush.
Nate hung on for dear life as Shego slipped and turned through the air, trying to follow Izzi. The white dragon turned toward the sea and away from hidden attackers.
Water burst into the air as the symir reared up. Its maw opened at Norrah as she tried to flap higher into the sky, but there was no mist falling from it like before. A ball of dark energy formed feet from the sea serpent’s open mouth and surged with power.
Fear slammed into Nate and he lifted his head. He watched in stunned silence as a beam of black energy fired like a cannon. It cut through the air and punched a hole in one of Norrah’s wings.
The green dragon’s eyes widened at the sharp pain. The moment the beam vanished, Norrah turned and glided away.
The symir swiveled its head and caught the sight of the spinning white dragon. Its maw opened and another ball of darkness formed.
“Izzi!” Nate and Shego mentally shouted.
The white dragon stopped her spinning when black energy flashed. The beam crossed the distance instantly and struck the edge of her wing. The resulting explosion bent the white dragon’s wing at an odd angle. Izzi screeched in pain before the beam continued to burn across her damaged wing and struck her body.
Pain stabbed into Nate and Shego as they felt the attack. They watched in horror as Izzi’s body abruptly changed direction. The beam burned at her underside as she was hurtled deeper into the island. The black beam vanished and her body spun out of control.
Izzi fought against spinning, trying to extend her wings. She winced as her broken right wing would not respond. She managed to turn her head and for a brief instant, saw the inner lake and jungle forest before she crashed into it. Izzi tumbled, shattering and flattening trees with the bulk of her body. Pain surged along her body as she couldn’t stop herself. She bounced and sent sandy debris into the air with each one. With a heavy crash, she slid to a halt by the lake edge.
A painful moan escaped her mouth as she lay on her stomach. Scaly eyelids fluttered from the shock and damage. Izzi tried to get up, only for her legs to tremble and she fell on her stomach again.
Over the beach, Nate and Shego looked out to the lake in the middle of the island. They caught a glimpse of Izzi’s form and noticed her trying to get up. They turned their attention back to the flames and sea. In the distance, Norrah continued to hover high in the sky, blood dripping from her leg.
Nate and Shego looked down to the dark waters, the symir reared up and staring at them.
The sea serpent was larger than any ship Nate had seen on his adventures. Armored scales ran the length of its body. A razor-sharp fin stabbed out from the back of its head and a row of smaller fins ran down its back. Its head was half the size of the dragons and dripped with water and dark intent. Muted black, green and blue scales ran the length of its exposed serpent-like body.
Nate stared as he saw the intelligence behind its eyes. The monster was fully in control, knowing every action and reaction. It had plotted its attacks like a general overseeing an army. Its presence nearly glowed with hatred and power. Scale
s rippled down its body and it glowered in contempt.
Nate felt a deeper wave of fear, not from Norrah, but from Shego. The dragon flapped her wings as she stared at the sea serpent with shock, awe and a primal fear.
“Norrah… what do I do?” Shego’s mental voice trembled in fear.
Norrah didn’t respond as her leg hung uselessly under her and she used every bit of her strength to stay in the air.
“Norrah… what do I do?” Shego repeated as the fear stabbed deeper into her mind and heart.
The symir opened its mouth and another ball of darkness appeared within. Its eyes narrowed before a beam of darkness blasted out.
Eight
“MOVE!” Nate shouted.
Stunned fear washed away in a blink as the blue dragon dove. The black beam crossed the distance and missed the dragon by several feet. It powered on until it struck the jungle and disintegrated vegetation with dark power.
Chaos bloomed as Shego flapped her wings. The dragon’s eyes were wide as she darted through the sky. Nate clung to her, his gaze hard as he fought to stay on. Wind whipped at him as he looked down to the beach and surrounding waters.
Crab monsters emerged from the surf by the dozens. They marched onto the beach, thin, insect-like legs propelling them onto the sand and toward the jungle.
“They hid the rest of their force underwater. They were waiting for this moment,” Nate said.
A small voice touched Nate and Shego’s minds.
“I can sense others making their way to me. My wing is damaged and I cannot fly,” Izzi said weakly.
Shego continued to fly, keeping her slitted eyes on the symir as it watched them from the sea.
Nate glanced down to the beach and saw that the new force of crabs broke into two. Half began their march toward the town of Moon Cove. The other force marched into the jungle, directly for Izzi.
“They’re trying to divide and conquer us,” Nate said urgently.
The symir opened its mouth as darkness curled into a ball from within. It watched the blue and black dragon with the seer on its back, flying over the beach. It readied to unleash its dark power when something big crashed into it.
Norrah’s claws clamped onto the serpent’s head and dug into spaces between scales. The emerald green dragon opened her maw and blasted out green gas. An instant later, she ignited it.
Flames blasted onto the symir’s armored head. It screeched and whipped its head around, trying to dislodge the dragon. Norrah held on, blasting flames.
“Protect Izzi and the town,” Norrah said with a desperate edge across their minds.
Nate turned to the dark waters and watched Norrah as she grappled and blasted the large sea serpent. The two fought like mythical titans, each one trying to press the advantage. The symir roared as it continued to whip its head around. Norrah’s flames died as she held on. Her tail whipped around, spikes stabbing out at the end and slamming into the bulk of the symir. Spikes sparked as they glanced off armored scales and the green dragon from drawing her tail back and whipping it again. A spike jammed between scales and when the tail pulled back, sea serpent blood pumped from the wound.
A deep growl filled the area as Norrah used her claws to slash at the sea serpent. The symir’s power bloomed and with a roar, it whipped its head hard. Norrah lost her grip and was airborne. Despite the small hole in her wing, she managed to catch the wind and banked away.
Steam poured from the symir’s mouth before it blasted out a stream. The steam shot across the area and Norrah flew upwards. Steam struck the surrounding waters and the sea began to boil. The symir followed the green dragon, blasting out steam until it winked out. The monster dove under and began gulping down sea water.
Norrah flew higher and circled.
“Protect Izzi and the town!” Norrah commanded.
“We can’t leave your side,” Shego said with a sliver of fear.
“Go!” the Life Giver mentally shouted.
Nate looked over at the jungle as the crab monsters cut a swath through it. Pincers snipped trees in half or simply barreled through. They charged deeper into the island, their sights focused on the wounded frost dragon.
Calm resolve touched Nate amid the growing chaos. He pushed away Shego’s fear. He let go of Izzi’s pain. He embraced Norrah’s bravery. They were apart but their connection glowed like fiery embers. It snaked between their minds, hearts, and spirits. The power of his resolve touched all. Shego’s fear bled away. Izzi’s pain dimmed. Norrah’s bravery grew.
Nate touched Shego’s neck and she craned her head. She saw conviction in the seer’s eyes and her own fear was replaced with hope.
“Slow down the crabs marching for the town. I’ll save Izzi,” Nate said calmly.
“Nate, you can’t…” Shego was cut off.
“Fly low. I will protect Izzi with every bit of power I have,” Nate smiled.
Shego was about to protest until she felt Nate’s conviction. “I’ll slow them down and help you at the same time.”
The blue dragon dived for the beach. Her wings folded against her body as she shot down like a spear from heaven. Nate held on, the night wind flowing over him like an invisible stream. When they were about fifty feet from the sandy beach, Nate leapt up just enough for his feet to touch Shego’s back. He then bent his legs and launched himself into the air.
The sudden shift of riding the dragon turned to falling. Nate braced himself as his own power glowed from deep within. Legs bent, he struck the sandy beach and rolled into a ball. He rolled back onto his feet and into a run. The man turned and charged the wide path of destroyed trees, the monster crabs in the distance.
Shego’s wings flashed out and she caught the wind about twenty feet from the beach floor. She soared higher into the air as she glanced to the side to see Nate charging along the destroyed jungle.
Legs pumped as Nate’s body primed for battle. Thoughts were clear as his muscles burned with new energy. The crab monsters ahead continued their destructive charge through the jungle, not paying attention to the lone man following them.
Quick strikes and keep moving.
Nate clenched his jaw as he soon reached the rear of the armored force. His fingers curled into fists. The Seer was about to begin his attacks when a connection blazed bright from deep within his chest and energy snaked into his heart. It spread out, flowing into his head and limbs.
The Seer felt Shego in the distance. The blue dragon smiled as invisible energy crossed the distance between them. A dim sphere began to glow. It grew brighter and brighter next to Nate’s body sphere. The air crackled around him as the Air Sphere began to grow a degree at a time.
Nate felt the power expand within. Each degree felt like climbing one stair step at a time. When the sphere reached the fourth degree, energy glowed along Nate’s eyes and he smirked to himself.
Time to test this out.
Nate reached the rear of the crab monster force, bent his legs and made an impossible leap into the air. Energy arced along his closed fists and forearms. The air and body sphere spiraled around each other, working as one. For a brief moment, Nate floated over the hard carapaces of the monsters. When he targeted one, he came down with his fist pulled back.
Lightning surged around Nate’s fist as he slammed it down on the center of the thick shell.
Cracks webbed out from the center of the strike. Energy bloomed and exploded. Every drop of force stabbed down and shattered the giant monster’s back. Pieces of shell exploded upwards and a strange gurgling cry escaped the monster. Moving legs stuttered and a blink later, the monster crashed to the ground and Nate was already leaping into the air.
Nate’s smirk grew as he landed on another monster with a charged fist. He slammed it down and the shell shattered. Foul goo and pieces of shell shot into the air as the second monster crashed to the floor.
Nate leapt again, but he saw that his actions were being noticed. Several of the monsters slowed their advance. Oval bodies turned and pincers sla
shed or attempted to grab the hopping man. Nate’s body bent into a somersault, pincers missing him by inches. Energy arced along his arms and bare feet. The lone man spun in the air and slammed down an electrically charged heel. Small explosions rippled as Nate moved like a dynamo over the monsters. Each fist or heel dealt deadly damage as he jumped from one monster to the next.
The entire force slowed and many turned to the gurgling screams of their fellow creatures.
Nate’s eyes burned with blue and white energy as he kept his advantage. The speed and deadliness of his attacks caused the surrounding monsters to huddle together and attack as one. Nate jumped and spun. Legs and arms flashed out and he landed on the back of a large monster. Pincers reached for him and the man let out a primal shout.
Energy stabbed down from hands and feet into the monster he was on. The creature made a strange sound before it exploded into flying shards. Many pieces of shell and goo struck and splashed against fellow crabs. Distracted, the monsters didn’t see the split second where Nate was already airborne again and driving his fist into another one.
I feel light as air and deadly as a storm.
Nate moved with skill and finesse, striking down crab monsters. When he leapt off a dying one for another one, his senses glowed as something came for him. The man turned as he was falling, an arrow missing his throat by inches. Time seemed to slow down as Nate watched the arrow pass by him. When it cleared his space, his legs spun out and he landed on the ground.
Nate stood at the ready, surrounded by half of the remaining crab monsters. They clicked their pincers as their eye stalks focused their full attention on him. Beyond them, lizard people emerged from the surrounding jungle. Many of them were armed with swords, clubs, and maces. Others were armed with bows and notched arrows.
Energy arced along Nate as he slowly looked to every subek and crab monster gathered.
I have to converse my energy. This might be a long fight.