by C. K. Rieke
Gogenanth looked over to see Ezmerelda’s bottom jaw hanging open.
“There were children in there,” she said as a tear rolled down her dirt-stained face. “So many children... ”
“Come,” Gogenanth said, “we must help those we can. There are still many who need help.” He pulled at her sleeve this time as they ran down the alley, toward the dragon’s carnage.
Every time they seemed they were about to meet up with the trajectory of the dragon’s flight, it turned at the last minute in flight. It was as if it knew to avoid their paths aligning. But, Veranor was still leading them toward some sort of break in the city layout that would give them ample room to view the sky all around them and formulate a plan.
Lilaci held Kera’s hand as they ran together after Veranor, with Fewn behind, and Burr at the rear.
“So much death and destruction,” Kera said, breathing heavily. “I never imagined it would be like this. Even in the stories the Order told me. Words can’t describe this kind of... evil.”
“I fear this dragon isn’t like one from your old stories,” Lilaci said, washing her hand over her head with a sigh.
“This doesn’t seem like the same dragon we just fought,” Fewn said. “If the six dragons we fought were all like this one, there’s no way we would have survived.” She was nervously tapping her foot.
Lilaci didn’t admit it then, especially with Kera right there next to her, but she had to admit to herself that she fully agreed with her statement.
“It’s just up ahead,” Veranor said. “Ready your swords, the dragon appears to be arcing back toward us. Lilaci, are you ready?”
She didn’t respond verbally, but the raging, purple fire of the Sanzoral lit her eyes like wildfire. Lilaci saw the break in the clay structures up ahead, singed, blackened, and crumbling. Yet beyond them, she saw the light of an opening. As they ran out past the buildings they emerged into a giant, circular courtyard of dozens of small fountain pedestals and empty, scorched planters.
They saw the dragon immediately above the courtyard, flapping its mighty wings while hovering in place, its head snapped toward them at once. Lilaci saw the dragonfire building in its chest as it descended toward them faster than any winds she’d ever seen. Its neck curled back, and once its chest was fully expanded, its neck and head shot forward—its eyes glowing a hideous yellow.
“Get down!” Lilaci yelled, shoving Kera behind her.
The flames shot at them, and she could feel their heat well before they got near them.
“Sanzoral, I summon you to our aid; stronger than ever before. Give me the power to repel this devil, so that we may save this city!”
The Sanzoral responded, for when Lilaci flung her hands toward the oncoming inferno, a great storm of her own fire burst forth. Her violet flames erupted in two pillars of purple and white-hot fire at the dragon’s orange flames. The two fires collided in an explosion of flames unlike anyone in this lifetime had ever seen.
The red dragon with the sharp, sleek scales didn’t relent though. It had halted its descent and hovered in the air, flapping its wings down as it only seemed to grow angrier. Its long, scaly mouth opened wider, and the fire only coursed down with more heat and fury. The fire roared down relentlessly.
Lilaci let out a roar of her own. “It’s going to take more than that!” She pushed herself, taking two slow steps forward, the fire shooting in two long, circular infernos raged on, hotter and angrier than before. “Is that all you’ve got? I thought Dânoz sent you to destroy? Well, here I am! Still standing!”
The dragon stopped its breath, hovering in the air staring down at Lilaci as her fire was called back to her hands, still burning in wildfire, ready for her call. It gave no expression, it only stared menacingly at her. It was the same look a sandsnake gave its prey as it stalked it. A truly serpentine look; it’s deep, dark eyes still glowing that devilish yellow.
With a powerful flap of its wings that blew hot air through the roads and alleys beneath it, it flew to the left, all the while its eyes set upon Lilaci’s.
“It’s circling us,” Fewn said. “Keep your sword between it and us, and Lilaci, you ready for another of its attacks?”
Lilaci met the gaze of the beast as it continued its arc, with its wing pointed toward them dipping down slightly. She broke their stare and looked at her hands, still flowing with the fire of her magic. The Sanzoral is still strong—ready for battle. But then the pain began to creep in again, it was no pain caused by the magic she possessed. It was a deep, sharp pain in her hands, knuckles, and joints. Wrinkles were developing on the backs of her hands. Push through the pain. There will be time later to work through it. Right now, there is only you and the dragon.
“One, two, three!” With Ezmerelda’s counting, Gogenanth’s muscles in his arms, shoulders, and back tensed as he lifted with all his might. Holding up the wall of clay that had collapsed in the fighting, Ezmerelda rolled under the wall, disappearing from his sight. “Come, grab on. I’m here to help. Trust me. Come now, hurry.”
While Gogenanth struggled to keep the wall that weighed hundreds of pounds up to his knee level, Ezmerelda shuffled her head and shoulders out from underneath the wall and feigned a smile at him. She turned to her side, and heaved with her right arm, pushing a child half her size out from underneath the wall. Then she reached back and pulled out another child bigger than the last. Both the children both quickly rose to their feet and hugged each other sobbing.
“Hurry,” Gogenanth said, beads of sweat dripping from his chin and rolling down his neck.
“Two more,” she said. “Don’t drop that thing on me now,” she pulled up an adult woman from the darkness, “unless you want two of me.”
He laughed through the pain, “I don’t want two halves of you.”
“Come on,” Ezmerelda said, struggling as she pulled the last of the trapped people, a full-grown male. He shuffled to his feet, and she quickly rolled out from underneath the wall. “There!”
Gogenanth released his grip and the wall fell to the ground with a thud that shook beneath their feet and produced a plume of dust that rose all around them.
“Thank you!” the man and woman praised them, both of their faces were covered in dirt and ash with their wet eyes staring heavily into theirs. “I thought we were dead. You’ve saved us. You saved our children.”
“You’re not safe yet,” Ezmerelda said, her dark, tattooed hand touching the woman on the cheek. “Find shelter from the dragon. It continues to attack the city.”
“Where do we go? Where is safe?” the woman asked.
Ezmerelda gave a troubled look to Gogenanth, who sighed.
“Just try to find a place hidden from view,” Ezmerelda said to the woman. Both the children had looks of shock in their eyes.
“We are working on getting rid of the dragon,” Gogenanth said, clapping the dirt from his hands. “We just need some time.”
“And some luck,” Ezmerelda added. “Now, we must be off to help others. Find shelter.”
With that Gogenanth and Ezmerelda rushed off, listening for pleas for help that seemed to be coming from every nook and cranny of the city.
“There’s so many of them,” she said as they ran, her gaze shooting in all directions.
“One at a time,” he said. “Just take it one at a time.”
The great red dragon continued its stalking of the group as it circled high above. It seemed to be scanning them. Perhaps it remembers us? Does it remember the pain we inflicted upon its brethren? Its long tail slithered through the winds as its wings flapped slowly. Its head dipped, and it opened its huge mouth, filled with rows of sharp dragon teeth and let out a tremendous roar. Its long, slender tongue curled, as Kera lifted her hands up to her ears to block out the sound.
In the deafening dragon’s roar, the pain shot up from Lilaci’s hands to her elbows and shoulders. She never got burned herself by the fires of the Sanzoral, but it felt as if her arms were on fire now. Then, the violet
fires in her hands extinguished with two puffs of smoke, and she rubbed her hands together. All eyes shot on her.
“Lilaci,” Fewn said, leaning in to look at her hands, “what are you doing? The Sanzoral isn’t leaving you, right?”
“No, I’m fine,” she responded, still rubbing her hands, and holding them up close to her chin. “I just need a moment; my magic is still ready.”
However, the dragon didn’t seem to think that, and sensing an opportunity, it turned and descended to the ground. It landed with a loud thud, crushing a handful of the fountains as its arms and legs found the hard floor of dirt and sand. Its massive tail was making large swathes from side to side, easily blowing through the small structures behind it. With its head lowered, it let out a rippling, low growl.
It was only a couple of hundred yards out. If it were to let loose another burst of dragonfire, the fire would be upon them in seconds. Then, with another clap of its red, scaly wings, it rose to its hind legs, and let out another roar, this time directly into the air.
“Lilaci,” Kera said, grabbing at her pant leg, “I’m scared. I don’t know how we can kill that dragon.”
“I’ll take care of it,” Lilaci said, still meeting its gaze.
“It’s... it’s the curse isn’t it?” Kera asked in a soft voice.
“It’s nothing,” Lilaci said, glancing at Kera quickly, then returning her gaze to the glowing yellow eyes before them. The dragon was still perched up, it's head swaying. “It’s just a cramp.” Then she shook her hands and held them out before her. The purple flames erupted from them once again. They each let out a breath, as she’d noticed they’d all been holding it in until then.
“Fight through it,” Veranor said. “I have a plan to take down the dragon. But you have to fight through whatever it is, Lilaci. You are the key... and our only defense. You hear me? Fight through it!”
As much as Lilaci hated hearing orders from her old, hated mentor, she couldn’t brush off the feeling of confidence that it instilled in her.
There is no pain. It's only me and the dragon. Work through it. Do it for Kera.
Chapter Ten
Kera covered her ears again as the dragon let forth another roar. It rang through Lilaci’s mind like booming thunder, but she didn’t lose her focus. The dragon dropped to all fours once more, and with a couple of great strides, slunk toward them with its wings tucked into its body. Its maw hung open slightly, showing its yellowing rows of teeth.
“What’s your plan?” Burr asked to Veranor, with his sword held out swaying toward the dragon.
Veranor reached into his satchel at his side, rummaging through it with his gaze still firmly on the slowly approaching dragon. Then he pulled a length of reed from it. He sheathed his sword and put the reed up to his lips. He blew through it and began to finger the carved holes on the top of it. It was a melodic, somber tune that felt soothing, as if almost putting Lilaci in a trance. The dragon stopped its approach and cocked its head inquisitively.
“He’s calling Wrathwing,” Kera said. “That’s part of the plan.”
“The Aridon will provide us with strength,” Burr said approvingly with a grin. “It will at least provide us with a distraction, another target for the dragon.”
Veranor, blowing into the reed, produced one last sustained note, then drew it from his lips and put it back in his bag. He pulled his sword back in front of him.
“Is that all of your plan?” Lilaci asked. “An Aridon?”
“Wrathwing is strong, and fast,” Fewn said. “He’ll be an aid in his battle.”
“My plan is...” Veranor hesitated, “a bit riskier than that…”
“What do you mean?” Lilaci asked, her gaze shooting at the commander. Riskier? We need every advantage we can find in this fight. What does he mean by riskier?
“You just keep concentrated on our defenses,” he said. “I’ll deal with the rest. Kera?”
“Yes,” she said, looking over at him with a raised eyebrow.
“You remember how we tamed Wrathwing, correct?” he asked, and she nodded. “You remember how we called the Aridon on the chance there might be one because Herradax flew the skies of the Arr?”
“Yes,” she said, with a spark of inspiration. “We hoped there would be one Aridon, because there was one dragon... You think there may be more Aridons now?”
“Now that there are more dragons!” Fewn said.
“There’s a chance,” he said. “The question is, if they come, will they be allegiant to Kera? Or Wrathwing?”
“Or did we just make this battle even harder?” Lilaci added. “If they come for us, you may have made this battle impossible to win.”
“Hence,” he said, holding his sword firmly. “The risk.”
“We should raise the pillars of sand,” Burr said. “Bring Gogenanth and Ezmerelda back to our ranks.”
There was a momentary silence.
“Kera?” Lilaci asked.
Kera thought for another moment. “No, there are people dying who need their help. We will do this on our own. I believe the Aridons, if they come, may not be allegiant to me, but they will be to Wrathwing, and now he has a taste for dragonblood...”
“Look!” Fewn said, pointing to the southern sky.
“It must be Wrathwing.” Kera smiled.
Lilaci looked over and saw the silhouette of what looked like a great bird out in the distance, but she knew better.
“Is there only one?” Burr asked. “It’s difficult to see.”
“No, there are more,” Kera said, squinting into the bright sky with her hand over her eyes. “I see... Six! Six Aridons! They’re coming this way.”
“Lilaci!” Veranor yelled.
Lilaci’s gaze shot back to the dragon, whose insides were brimming with hot dragonfire already, and it lunged forward opening its tooth-filled maw directly at them. The dragonfire flew at them faster than a sandstorm. She drew her hands up before her and brought forth the full strength of the Sanzoral into them. Almost on its own, the Sanzoral rushed forth with a brilliant light, and its violet flames crashed into the orange-hot dragonfire with a boom that rippled through the air. The heatwave brushed over them, whipping their hair back behind their heads.
Lilaci’s arms and hands burned as she used every muscle in her body to push her flames forward. Sweat beaded on her forehead. The dragon’s head raised with an arc of its neck, as it spewed down the hot flames onto them, but Lilaci continued her own flames forward.
The beads of sweat now streaked down her face. Keep pushing! Don’t let up! She could feel the fire coursing from her chest to her shoulders, and she could feel the blood heat in her arms and muscles. The fire shot down the length of her arms, into her hands and out her fingertips. Keep it up! It will surely have to take a break soon; the dragon will have to...
As she was thinking that, the dragonfire stopped, and she dropped to a knee from exhaustion.
“Lilaci,” Kera said, pointing at the dragon. “Look!”
Lilaci’s gaze rose to find Wrathwing atop the dragon, its sleek, black-furred body of a massive lion with great, white-albatross wings biting and clawing into the dragon’s back. Another Aridon crashed onto its body from the sky; scraping and biting. Then another fell onto it ruthlessly with its teeth and claws flashing.
The red dragon was still fifty times the size of an Aridon, but they were injuring the dragon, if only slightly.
“It’s working,” Fewn said clapping her hands. Kera had a magical look in her eyes of glee. But as the three Aridons attacked the dragon, and they erupted into their own battle, something unexpected happened then; another Aridon landed, but not on the dragon, but just before the group. Its feral eyes fixed on them, and it growled menacingly, showing its yellow teeth. Another Aridon landed next to it, its eyes fixed on them as well. Behind, they could see the sixth Aridon land on the dragon, attacking. But the two Aridons before them split apart and took positions on either side of them.
“They’re surroun
ding us,” Burr said.
“Damn,” Veranor said, holding out his sword to the Aridon before him and looking over his shoulder at the other.
“This is never ending,” Ezmerelda said, her face covered in sand and dust. She had her arms under a young woman’s shoulders, and as Gogenanth heaved up a collapsed support beam off her legs, Ezmerelda pulled her out from being pinned. Ezmerelda ripped a sleeve off the crying woman and tied it around the top of her leg, to slow the bleeding in the leg.
“Keep your head about you,” Gogenanth said. “Let’s move on to the next.” He scanned the area, listening for the cries of help, which were many. They continued looking for those most in need, and closest. They were so caught up in the commotion within the city and had been growing so used to the sound of the great red dragon attacking the city that he forgot momentarily about his friends. His gaze then went to the sky, and not seeing a dragon, he was surprised to see an Aridon in the sky descending at great speed toward an open area up ahead.
“Where next?” Ezmerelda asked, laying the young woman on her back as she sobbed, calling out for someone they didn’t recognize.
“Let’s make our way toward the battle,” he said, watching as the Aridon disappeared beyond a clay wall between them. They both heard the snarling dragon up ahead, and the booming plumes of dragonfire. “We will aid those along the way that we can. I worry that Lilaci needs our help.”
They both rose and ran toward the battle, still looking at the piles of rubble at their feet for any signs of those in need.
“Lilaci?” Fewn said, her eyes darting between the two black-furred, white-winged Aridons on either side of their party, with Kera planted squarely in the middle between Lilaci and Fewn. “You’re formulating a plan, right?”
One Aridon growled at them, its head dipping low with its long, yellow teeth showing from its lion’s face. Then the other growled from the other side.
“They are readying an attack,” Burr said. “They’re going to come in quickly. Be ready!”