“That was foolish. Do not repeat his mistake. I do not want further bloodshed,” Mordred told them.
“We have no need of them. D'rus has ordered them to be killed,” one of the drebs said.
“I am in charge here, not D'rus,” Mordred replied.
“D'rus also wants you dead,” The dreb said as the battlemages all started attacking Mordred.
The wizard deflected or blocked their attacks and returned his own. The fighting was intense, but Mordred was losing. He was an amazing wizard but could not stand against the attacks of the sheer number of dreb. No matter how many he killed, there were just too many and he was showing several wounds.
The ogres charged at Mordred and he was doing his best to avoid their attacks while fighting back. He managed to kill two of the ogres and several of the drebs in the space of a few seconds.
“What the hell?” Trish asked.
“I don't know but go with it. Hit them while they're distracted. Focus on the ogres and rhakshasa. Let Mordred and the drebs kill each other,” Xavier told everyone.
They concentrated their fire but were still badly outnumbered. One of the enhanced ogres started to charge them but was caught by Lumpy as he ran in from the entryway. Lumpy grabbed him in mid-run by his neck and spun the ogre around, snapping his neck.
The naga charged into the rhakshasa. Even though the rhakshasa were larger, the sisters fought as one and moved in perfect concert.
Mew was sneaking around the edge, behind the seats. She leaped at one of the drebs and before he could react, she used her long claws to slit his throat. The dreb gurgled and fell.
“Who are these people?” Michael asked.
“Don't you read reports? The ones from Vegas that Sebastian sent us the intel on. They're friends. The ogre in street clothes, the naga and strigoi are allies,” Xavier replied.
“How did they get here?” Trish asked.
“We brought them,” Sebastian said as he, Chelsea and Morgana calmly walked into the room.
Sebastian's staff glowed as he blasted a dreb. The creature died instantly. Chelsea leaped into a group of drebs and started swinging her mace. Morgana ran over to Alexander.
The new arrivals slowly started turning the tide in the fight as the ship started roaring.
“They're powering up the engines. They're taking off!” Michael yelled.
The ship rocked as it struggled to ascend through the earth covering it.
“We need to get out of here, now! I don't know how long until it breaks free,” Xavier yelled.
With the added reinforcements, they managed to cut down the remainder of the opposition. Mordred lay, still breathing, in the middle of the room. Everyone had some degree of injuries.
“There are more wounded than we can teleport. Let’s try to get to the escape shuttles,” Sebastian told them.
“No good,” Alexander told them, coughing blood. “They were all launched during the sinking of this ship and not replaced from what I saw on the tactical readouts.”
The metal panels on top of the room started to open. A large shadow passed over the room, blocking the sunlight for a moment as it did so.
“That was a dragon,” Morgana yelled.
It passed again, and red-orange scales could be seen.
“It's Absillion! He can get us out of here,” Morgana told them.
A moment later, the panels shattered downward as the dragon crashed down. A familiar dragon stood before them, but it was not Absillion, it was his daughter Asala. She was larger than when they last saw her.
“Asala? How? You're dead,” Sebastian said.
The dragon roared, and energy poured over the group, stunning them all. She grabbed Sebastian in one claw and Chelsea in the other and took off again. She squeezed them until they passed out. They were unable to resist, still reeling from the stun.
The group was recovering and watched through the open ceiling panel as she climbed higher. Doga, Trall, and Qaa could be seen coming towards Asala. Doga flew over her and grabbed her neck in his claws. As she did, Trall latched onto her tail with his powerful jaws and Qaa grabbed a wing in his claws.
Alexander forced himself up despite his injuries. He teleported onto Asala's back as she flew away. He took his blade and rammed it down, into her back.
She shook the dragons free, dropping Chelsea in the process. Qaa flew down and grabbed Chelsea as Asala turned and breathed on Doga. He flew through the blast and again tried to lock onto her neck. He did not use his breath or magic to avoid hurting Sebastian.
Asala had no such restriction and roared at him, waves of telekinetic energy washing over the older dragon. The energy was interlaced with black waves of force. He shook and went down, crashing hard into the ground. Trall broke off his attack, being no match for her on his own. Asala flew off into the distance as the Qaa landed in the ship with Chelsea as Trall flew down to Doga to see if he was okay.
Alexander was still on Asala's back and stabbed her again. She roared in pain and rolled, throwing Alexander from her and sending the man falling. She turned and roared, waves of energy hitting him and propelling him down. Xavier and Trish tried to stop his fall but the energy forcing him down was too much for their own spells to overcome. Alexander hit the ground very hard and did not move. Trish and Xavier went to him with Boudicca joining them a moment later.
“Qaa, how is Asala alive? Why did she take Sebastian and attack you?” Morgana asked.
“We do not know. Absillion saw it in a divination and sent us. We disobeyed the orders of the monarchs to come here but Absillion felt it was worth risking their wrath,” Qaa replied.
“She's different. Wrong. That didn't feel like her. She didn't feel like anything,” Chelsea said as she regained bearing.
“She is lacking something you have,” Qaa replied to Chelsea.
“Her soul. We have her soul,” Chelsea replied.
“I believe that is why she feels different,” the dragon replied.
“She has Sebastian. I'm going after her. Is Doga alive? I'll need a ride,” Chelsea told Qaa.
“Trall is seeing to him now,” Qaa replied.
A moment later, Doga and Trall landed.
“Doga, let's go. We're going after her,” Chelsea ordered.
“I am injured, and we lost sight of her,” Doga replied.
Chelsea closed her eyes a moment.
“I can't feel Sebastian. He isn't dead. I would know. Somehow, she's keeping me from tracking him,” Chelsea said near panic as the ship lurched again.
Morgana put her hand on Chelsea's shoulder.
“She took him. I must have him back. I need to go after her, NOW!” Chelsea said in a mix of panic and fear as she fought back tears.
“We'll get him back. If she wanted either of you dead, she had the opportunity. She wanted you alive, so we have that on our side. Right now, we need to get everyone to safety,” Morgana told them.
Mordred pulled himself to his feet, bleeding badly. He tried to walk and immediately fell back down.
Morgana ran over to him.
“Mother, you were right. I don't have long. Alexander's blade was poisoned and made of dragon's ore. I'm dying. Will you grant a dying man's wish and let me die as your son and not your enemy?” he asked.
Morgana was crying as she cradled his head in her lap.
“My son. My dear son. You were never my enemy. I love you,” she said.
“I...” Mordred started to say and coughed. “I would like to speak to my sister.”
Chelsea walked over to him, no longer able to hold back her tears.
“Sister, would that I had time to make amends. Listen. The dragon. The drebs worship her. I did not know who she was until now. They have kept her identity hidden. They are at...” and Mordred said and coughed again drifting momentarily into unconsciousness.
Mordred's eyes glazed over. “I am told Atlantis was beautiful once.”
“Where? Where are they?” Chelsea asked Modred.
“A wo
rld where all are allied. That was the lie they told me I was working towards. It would have been a world where all were subjugated. A mother's love saved me,” he said as he pulled out the piece of leather.
“Where? Mordred, you must tell me! Where?” Chelsea asked again with urgency.
“My mother's love saved me,” he said as coughed one last time and his breathing stopped.
Morgana sobbed heavily as she reached down and closed his eyes, still cradling him and rocking back and forth.
Xavier went over to Alexander who was struggling to move but managed to open a comm.
“Alexander, we have to get you medical treatment,” Xavier told the badly wounded man.
“We can't help him,” Boudicca said as she and Trish tried to heal him. “He's too badly hurt.”
“I knew it was a suicide move but I thought I could end it. The drebs' training is Atlantean. I don't know who is teaching them, but they know the old ways,” Alexander said with blood running from his mouth and nose.
“It's Asala. She's somehow alive. She took Sebastian,” Xavier told him as he ran a medical scanner over Alexander.
Alexander ignored Xavier and spoke into the comm. His voice was forced and shallow and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth and flowed from both nostrils. He summoned what strength he had left and spoke.
“Tell Samantha...contact...MMHQ.” Alexander paused a moment to catch his breath. He was fading fast. “Tell her to...activate the...Spear of Alexander...and contingency...Vanguard 1...they will...listen...company...hers now,” he said and coughed hard. The blood in his coughing was greater than before.
“Want to tell me what that was about?” asked Xavier.
His breathing had become very shallow and labored but Alexander did his best to speak. He was coughing up blood. “No... time to...explain...don't...have long.”
“What is the Spear of Alexander and contingency Vanguard 1?” asked Trish.
“Ask...Samantha...she will...find out,” Alexander told him as his breathing got shallower.
“I am... done. Leave my...body. Return Nefertiti...to Ra. He will want....to bury her. Find...Sebastian. Help...Chelsea...” Alexander told Xavier as he spasmed.
“We're going to get you to a doctor,” Xavier told him. “You'll be fine.”
“We are...warriors. Lies are...not our way. Go. Take...this,” Alexander said as he handed his blade to Xavier.
“I can't take your blade,” Xavier said to the dying man.
“Non...sense,” Alexander said as he convulsed. “I have...one last lesson...for the Vanguard. Your weapons...are your weakness. Your allies...are your strength. No one person...can win a war. Wars are won...by the soldiers. Fight well...my friend. Let me die...in peace,” Alexander told him.
“We can save you,” Xavier said adamantly.
“Go! I will...always...be with you...in spirit,” Alexander told them.
Xavier started to speak but Alexander wouldn't let him.
“I die...a good death. Leave...me,” Alexander told him.
Xavier nodded affirmative and walked away with the sword. He went over to Nefertiti's body and picked it up.
“Doga, Trall, Qaa, can you get us all to Camelot? There are too many to teleport and we need to get out of here before reinforcements arrive,” Chelsea asked between sobs.
“Of course,” Doga replied and lowered his head so several of them could climb on. The other two dragons did the same.
“Would you like me to carry the body?” Qaa asked as Xavier climbed on.
“No. I will deliver her and the news to Ra myself. She died under my command and it is my duty,” Xavier replied.
“We will find him. I promise you that,” Morgana said to Chelsea.
“I will find him. If I must kill every dreb on this planet, nothing will stand between us. I will kill them all,” Chelsea replied.
Chelsea stopped crying and screamed, her voice a mixture of anger and pain. As she did, blue flame poured from her body and she disappeared.
“Where did Chelsea go?” Michael asked Morgana.
“I don't know,” Morgana told him.
As they soared away, they saw the dreadnought slowly rising into the air. Trish looked at Boudicca. “I love you,” she said and jumped from the dragon.
Trish called on the wind and a fierce gale blew towards her. Membranes extended from her forming wings and she rode the currents towards the dreadnought. She came upon the rear of the craft where the two large engines were at. She moved faster and faster, changing her shape as she did so. Her skin hardened, and she grew, becoming a large arrowhead. She channeled more and more of the Weave through her. She started to glow then burst into flames. She hit one of the engines with tremendous force and it exploded, flames washing across the back of the ship. Trish was propelled out and away from the ship and plummeted to the ground, returning to her human form as she fell.
Boudicca screamed, “NOOOOOOO!” and jumped. She took the form of a large falcon and flew in the direction of Trish as the dragons continued to fly away.
“We have to go back for them!” Morgana yelled at Doga.
The dreadnought started firing plasma canons towards the dragons. They were at extreme range and the shots were not able to hit the agile dragons.
“No. That ship is damaged but intact and has more firepower than we can face. We must withdraw. We have injured that need treated and dead that need mourned and do not need our deaths to add to them. The earth-touched one was alive and the wild one will find her. We have to go so that we may live to fight another day,” Doga told Morgana.
The three dragons continued in the direction of Camelot as the dreadnought sluggishly turned towards the east. It was crippled but still aloft and mobile.
Xavier opened a comm to Bruce.
“Bruce, get General Morrison on the line. We have a big problem,” he said as the dreadnought faded into the distance.
The Vanguard Page 50
