by Ramy Vance
Alex turned to see what was wrong with him. The dragon was on his back, twitching violently and breathing heavily. “Chine! Chine!” Alex screamed as she ran to the dragon. “Are you—”
Chine loosed a heavy sigh and went limp.
Alex shook his shoulder, tears welling in her eyes, but it didn’t wake him. She watched his chest slowly stop rising. “Chine!”
Roy called to Alex. He was making his way out of the water, holding a body. It was Jim, all bloated and blue-green from rot, his eyes empty sockets that mud had collected in. As Roy struggled with Jim’s body, he tripped and fell forward. The corpse rolled in front of Alex.
Alex backed away. “It’s not real. It’s not real. None of this is real!”
Jim’s rotten hand grabbed Alex’s ankle and clawed its way up her leg as she screamed and tried to kick him off. “We’re all going to die, Alex,” he moaned. “We’re all going to die today!”
The spring’s water turned dark red and exploded upward like a tornado of blood. It was pulling Jim back into it, and he wasn’t letting go of Alex’s leg. She fell into the mud as Jim was dragged back into the water. “We’re all going to die, and it’s all your fault. All your fault. ALL YOUR FAULT!”
Jim was halfway into the blood lake now, his bony hands digging into Alex’s leg.
She knew that this was an illusion. That didn’t change the fact that she was trapped in it. She couldn’t shake the smell of Jim’s decaying flesh or the bloody water she was being pulled into. What if she died in one of these illusions? Would she wake up as from a dream, or would she die in the real world?
“ALL YOUR FAULT! ALL YOUR FAULT!”
“I know!” Alex screamed. “I know it will be!”
Jim stopped chanting and stared at Alex with a slack jaw.
Alex kicked the corpse in the face, breaking the skull in half. “I know it’ll be my fault. I accept that.”
The illusion disappeared. Alex was sitting in front of the spring, Roy and Chine drinking water at her side. She had no idea how long she’d been out. “Come on, we need to keep going.”
Roy could see the stress on Alex’s face, but he said nothing.
Alex climbed onto Chine’s back as they continued to make their way up the side of the mountain. She needed rest more than anything else. The attacks from Vardis had worn her down. Even though they weren’t real, they were draining, which must be Vardis’ goal. A war of attrition.
She couldn’t even take a quick nap. The dream world was just as dangerous as being awake, or maybe more so. The most she could do was let her body rest, close her eyes, and let herself drown in darkness for a little bit.
Chine and Roy cut up the side of the volcano, taking the most direct route possible. The dragon took point, cutting down any trees in their way with his claws, while Alex drifted in and out of sleep, trying to keep her eyes open and failing miserably.
Roy watched Alex fitfully trying to rest. “You think she’s going to be okay?”
Chine continued without breaking speed. I’m watching over her.
“I figured, but that’s not my question. Is she going to be okay?”
Chine sighed, emitting a plume of black smoke. Her mind is young. The sort of attacks she’s gone through with such regularity would have driven you insane. You’d be a slobbering, incoherent mess. She is not. This will not be what breaks Alex Bound. The fight ahead, though? I do not know if any of us will be okay.
Roy nodded as he jogged to catch up with the dragon. “Not worried about that. We take each fight as it comes. I just want to know if she’ll be okay until then.”
She is strong. She will survive.
Roy looked at Chine. “Hey, we’ve never talked before. Are you psychic or something?”
Chine raised one of his scaly brows.
“Never mind,” the mech rider muttered. “Stupid question.”
After another twenty minutes of hiking, they neared the summit. Chine stopped and jerked his shoulders to wake Alex up.
Alex slid off Chine’s back and landed on her feet in front of Roy. She was smiling.
Roy couldn’t help smiling back. “What’s got you looking so happy?”
Alex went over to the dragon and started to drain the draconic fluid from his claws. “Had a dream, a pretty good one. I snapped Vardis’ neck. It felt good, and I’m pretty sure Vardis wasn’t responsible for that vision. It was all mine.”
She leaped onto Chine’s back and anchored herself. “Let’s save the universe.”
Chapter Nine
As they flew, the air was thick with sulfur. It didn’t take long to reach the top.
The maw didn’t merely contain lava. There were sections of rock floating in it. They had to be constructs since there was no way anything natural could withstand the heat.
Alex felt like she was going to pass out until her uniform compensated for the heat. She looked at Roy, who was obviously struggling in his exo-suit. When he saw her worried face, he said, “Don’t worry, I’m still conserving power. I’m not going to faint on you. So, you think we got what it takes to end this?”
Alex wasn’t certain she did. Vardis had fought both Roy and her for the better part of the day. “We’re going to need reinforcements.”
“Already called them in, Team Boundless and more. All we have to do is survive for half an hour. You think that’s doable?”
Alex nodded. “There’s a reason he hasn’t activated the shard yet. He needs his strength to summon the kin. It’s not tech, it’s psychic. It must be. Same reason he didn’t go down the mountain to finish us off. He’s exhausted. That’s why he resorted to attacking me telepathically—to wear me down because he’s in the same state.
“Glad to finally get some good news.”
Chine banked around the volcano, coming in to land.
Alex could see Vardis. He was sitting on one of the stone platforms in the volcano’s throat. The alien’s legs were crossed as he meditated, the shard floating in front of him.
When Alex landed, she walked down the length of Chine’s back and drew her scythe. “Vardis! Let’s finish this!”
Vardis opened one of his eyes, bemused. He got to his feet, moving the shard behind him. “And here I was thinking you wouldn’t have the courage to face me again. Have you come to see how the Dark One finally meets his end?”
Alex twirled her scythe as she yawned. “The trash-talk is getting boring. Let’s get to it already.” She leaned forward, driving Chine at him.
Vardis seemed surprised by Alex’s straightforward attack but threw up a psychic shield at the last minute as Chine collided with him.
The two flew backward as Chine bit the shield, and Vardis’ eyes were wide with fear.
Alex decreased the strength of her anchor to Chine and ran down the dragon’s neck. She raised her scythe and swung it at Vardis, hitting his shield, which held up.
The alien stretched his arms out, exploding the shield into a psychic shockwave that knocked Alex and Chine away as Roy leaped off the dragon onto one of the platforms.
Once Vardis had space, he smiled sarcastically. “Who would have thought a nap would restore so much of your vigor?”
Alex rolled her shoulders, cracking her joints before stretching and touching her toes. “You wanted a fight, I wanted to make sure your last one was worth remembering.”
“Oh, it will be one for the books.”
Vardis vanished, reappearing right in front of Alex, on top of Chine. He formed a psychic ball in his hand and slammed it into her chest.
The force of the blast sent Alex skidding across the dragon’s back. She grabbed Chine’s tail and flipped herself back up. Then she dashed at Vardis, relying on her speed, and decked him in the face, knocking the alien to his knees.
Vardis didn’t even need to catch his breath. He reached out to his side and pulled Chine’s wing up with telekinesis.
Chine veered hard to the left, briefly losing control.
Alex’s anchor adjusted and pinned
her feet to Chine’s back as the dragon did a barrel roll, Vardis still pulling on the dragon’s wing.
Alex drew her plasma pistol and fired two shots as Vardis raised his hand to form a shield. That was enough to let Chine regain control of his wing and straighten out.
From below, Roy fired a giant plasma bolt at Vardis, who simply raised his hand and dispersed the attack.
Alex reached out telekinetically and pushed Vardis back a few feet. It was enough to surprise him, and that was all Alex needed. She tossed her scythe at the alien, who ducked the attack.
Before Vardis could regain his balance, Alex was in his face. She kicked him in the chest, which knocked the wind out of him, then brought her elbow down on Vardis’ neck.
He hit Chine’s back and rolled over, then swung his feet around and tripped Alex.
Now she could see Vardis’ plan: stay on Chine’s back and basically nullify the dragon. That also cut off how much Roy was able to help, greatly reducing his shots so he didn’t hit the dragon. It was a good plan, but Alex wasn’t going to let it stand.
As Vardis stood back up, Alex ran at him and delivered a flying drop-kick that pushed Vardis to the edge of Chine’s back. Alex also pushed the alien telekinetically, sending him flying off.
Vardis caught himself in mid-air and rose, drawing his energy into a ball that he tossed at the dragon.
Alex pulled up on her anchor and yanked Chine into the air, and the blast flew past them. Then Alex leaned forward, driving the dragon at Vardis.
Chine launched an ether attack at Vardis, who swung to the right to avoid being caught in it. As he tried to reposition himself, Roy fired another massive plasma blast that hit him in the back.
The alien screamed as he turned to Roy. “Pathetic.”
Vardis rocketed at Roy, slamming into the rock in front of the human. He grabbed the mech rider by the throat and lifted him into the air.
Alex drove Chine toward Vardis, looking through her augment menu as quickly as possible to see what Chine had loaded. She launched flash-freeze grenades at the island Roy and Vardis were on.
Vardis raised his hand, stopping the grenades in mid-air and causing them to explode.
Alex hadn’t expected the trick to work on Vardis twice, which was why she was already sailing toward him, her scythe high above her head. She slashed through the wall of ice that had formed and kicked Vardis in the face.
Vardis stumbled back, but before Alex could attack again, he grabbed her head and sent a powerful telepathic attack screeching through it, causing her to shriek as pain ripped through her brain.
Disoriented, Alex stumbled back, nearing the edge of the slab she was on.
Chine swooped behind Alex and grasped her with one set of claws, reaching for Roy with the other.
Vardis stepped between Chine and Roy, raising his hand and stopping the dragon midway.
The dragon tried to force his way through Vardis’ power but couldn’t.
Roy took the opportunity to leap to an island farther away from Vardis and fired two shots that Vardis deflected easily.
Chine soared into the air, putting some space between him and Vardis as Alex composed herself.
The world stopped shaking, and she focused again. Alex looked down at her dragon anchor—another ten minutes before their reinforcements arrived.
Alex commed Team Boundless. “Hey, where are you guys?”
Jollies answered, “We’ve just come through the collider transport. We’re heading your way as fast as possible, and we’re bringing the big guns.”
“Thank God. I don’t know how much longer we’re going to be able to hold out.”
“Just keep fighting.”
A psychic blast rocketed toward Alex and she pulled Chine to the left, barely avoiding it.
Vardis seemed satisfied with pushing Alex and Chine back and turned his attention to Roy, who was still trying to put distance between him and Vardis. The alien flew at Roy, psychic blasts forming in both of his palms.
Roy braced for the impact and Vardis hit him hard, sending him into the wall of the volcano.
The alien grabbed Roy by the throat to keep him from falling into the lava. Vardis’ eyes were white and wild with crazed energy. He formed another psychic blast in one of his palms and slowly pushed it into Roy’s face.
Chine came in from the right and slashed Vardis across the side, which knocked him off the rider. As Roy fell, Chine scooped him up and flew away.
Alex disengaged her anchor enough to leap into Chine’s palm.
Roy was coughing up blood and his arm was broken, a piece of bone jutting from the exo-suit. Still, he was trying to get to his feet.
Alex rested her hand on Roy’s chest and held him down. “You need to sit this one out.”
Roy continued to try to stand, shaking his head adamantly. “I’m not leaving you to do this alone.”
Alex looked at Chine and pointed to the rim of the volcano. “I’m not alone. I’ve got my dragon.”
Chine placed Roy a little past the rim of the volcano, safely away from the lava leaking from cracks in the slope.
Vardis screamed with rage within the volcano.
Alex shouted in reply. “Don’t worry, we’re coming for you!”
Chine rose into the air and headed back into the volcano.
Vardis had descended into the heart of the volcano and was using his psychic powers to twist the lava to his desires. As Chine stormed toward him, the alien waved his hand and sent a glob of lava at Chine.
Brace yourself, Dustling.
Chine folded his wings over his head, blocking the lava from getting to Alex while allowing his body to absorb the blow. He hit Vardis hard, knocking the alien down, and held him beneath his feet. Fool! I was born of fire!
Vardis smiled menacingly. “Oh, were you?” He gave a rage-filled scream and shattered the island that Chine held him under, covering himself in a thin psychic shield as he fell into the lava, Chine toppled after him as Alex scrambled to get off the dragon’s back.
Vardis pulled the closest islands into the lava as well, leaving Alex nowhere to go as the alien continued trying to pull Chine into the lava.
Chine, in a last-ditch effort, reached out of the lava and grabbed Alex. He flung her toward another island.
Alex hit the island and rolled across its surface, then drew her scythe, and slammed it into the stone to keep herself from going off the edge.
Vardis was already back in the air. He was pulling rocks from the side of the mountain and throwing them at Chine to keep the dragon from getting out of the lava.
Alex knew that even if Chine could handle being exposed to lava, he wasn’t a red dragon. The lava was going to eat through all his augments and eventually his skin as well.
Not knowing what else to do, Alex concentrated on a mental spear. She hurled it at Vardis, infusing it with every hurtful thing she could remember from his past.
Vardis grabbed his head and swayed to the side. It was enough to let Chine pull himself out of the lava and fly to Alex.
The dragon landed behind his rider and collapsed in a heap of flames. Alex ran to him, only briefly deterred by the flames. She took a deep breath and plunged through them to throw her arms around Chine’s neck. Hey, buddy, are you okay?
Chine groaned as he tried to lift his head. Just need a moment.
Alex looked at Chine’s claws and could see he was bleeding draconic fluid heavily. She plunged her anchor into the claw augment to draw out as much of his pain as possible.
The feeling was almost unbearable. The psychic link between Chine and Alex was strong enough that she felt all of his pain, coupled with the pain of absorbing the superheated fluid into the anchor.
But it wasn’t only going to the anchor. Alex felt the draconic fluid entering her blood.
A boulder smashed into the island Alex and Chine were on, nearly hitting the dragon in the head.
Vardis was floating above them with four boulders revolving around him, preparing
to launch another attack.
Alex drew her scythe and slashed one of the boulders as it flew at Chine. “Leave him alone! He’s done! Can’t you see that?”
Vardis cackled madly as he prepared to throw another boulder. “Is he?”
Behind Alex, Chine whimpered softly.
That sound was too much for Alex, and something in her snapped.
Her blood started to boil.
Everything went red, and Alex reached out with everything she had to pull Vardis to her.
Black flames erupted across Alex’s body as her blood metabolized the draconic fluid in her blood, boosting her energy exponentially.
Vardis was pulled to Alex, incapable of stopping her.
The alien hit the island face-first.
Alex, eyes burning pure black, grabbed him by the back of the neck and raised him into the air, then kicked him in the stomach with a combination of brute strength and telekinetic energy.
Vardis spit up blood as his eyes went wide with pain.
Alex slammed her bionic fist into the top of Vardis’ skull, smashing him into the ground. Then she climbed on top of him, blind with rage, and started punching him in the head. The air was filled with the sound of bones cracking.
Her fist blazed with black energy as it crashed down on Vardis’ head again and again.
Alex didn’t know how long she’d been striking him. She didn’t stop until she heard Chine’s voice in her head. They’re here. Reinforcements are here.
The flames disappeared and Alex ran to Chine, then leaped onto his back and attached her anchor. “Can you fly?”
Yes, Dustling.
Alex pulled up on her anchor, and Chine took off. A circle of riders ringed the rim of the volcano. All of Boundless was there, along with more than twenty mech riders, their weapons trained on Vardis.
Alex reached for the shard and pulled it to her, clutching it tightly under her arm as she and Chine got out of range. “Hit him with everything you got!” she shouted.
Boundless and the rest of the riders didn’t have to be told twice. They unloaded energy projectiles, breath attacks, and missiles at the alien.
Vardis weakly threw up a shield, but it did nothing.
