Born of Fire: The Dawn of Legend

by Dreagen

  “What’s wrong, little savage?” the DraGon teased. “Where did that fighting spirit of yours disappear to?”

  Rex spit blood in his eye, causing the DraGon to lurch back. “How dare you!” the beast bellowed angrily. “I am going to grind your bones into dust!”

  Rex felt a great pressure pushing in on all sides. Oh no, he thought as he realized the DraGon was slowly squeezing him to death. He did not know how much more he could endure as the beast’s grip increased while rising higher and higher into the sky. Below, EeNox craned his neck to see Rex and raised an open hand, preparing to fire.

  “No, wait!” ShinGaru shouted. “You might hit Rex!”

  EeNox lowered his hand and clenched his teeth before looking all around. AnaSaya was tending to DiNiya, who was unconscious. How did this happen? he wondered. What am I supposed to do now?”

  Up at the main gates, VayRonx and VoRenna were stunned to see it encased in what looked to be ash with currents of blue fire wafting over it.

  “What is all this?” VayRonx asked, regarding the full height and width of the massive doors. Walking up to them, he proceeded to nudge it with his muzzle, when out of the shadowy wall came a snapping pair of jaws, startling him into stepping back. The shadowy teeth gnashed together several times before merging back into the rest of the black mass.

  “The sentinel clones,” replied VoRenna, stepping forward. “They’ve fused together and created a barrier around the gates themselves.”

  “But how does that make the damn doors impenetrable?”

  “Because they are fusing to it at an atomic level, thereby reinforcing it to a much greater degree—”

  “Very well, explain it to me later. Right now we need to find a way to get it open.”

  “Believe me, we’ve been trying.”

  VayRonx looked down and saw TarFor standing in front of a team of DyVorians and SaVarians. “You all look ready for war.”

  “What exactly would you call this?” TarFor replied.

  “Fair enough. How long has it been this way?” he said, motioning to the gates with his head.

  “About thirty minutes now. They all swarmed around it shortly after KyVina led most of the others out to fight them.”

  “Have you heard any word from her since the initial attack?”

  “Hey, KyVina!” TarFor bellowed towards the gate. “VayRonx has returned with the others!”

  “VayRonx, can you hear me?” came the muffled voice of KyVina from the other side.

  “Yes!” VayRonx called, relieved to hear her alive. “Are you all right?”

  “Yes, we’re fine. The sentinel clones broke off from the fight and swarmed the gates almost immediately after we came out. Is it true? Are we under attack from the inside?”

  “Yes, I’m afraid so.”

  “More clones?”

  “No, it is something far worse, I’m afraid,” he said, glancing back.

  There was a pause on her end for a moment before she asked, “The children…are they—”

  “They’re all safe. I left them in VyKia’s care back up in the mountains with explicit instruction to take them deeper into its heart.”

  KyVina breathed an audible sigh of relief. “That’s good. I smell VoRenna there with you. VoRenna, can you break the barrier on the gates?”

  The VyoNyvora who had been silently studying the barrier stepped up to it and said, “It’s possible, yes, but I do not possess enough power to forge the kind of energy my flame needs to destroy this level of concentrated blue flame.”

  “Let me try,” VayRonx said, powering his own flame. “NyRo was able to destroy the ones in the forest, so these should prove to be no challenge for me.”

  “No, wait,” VoRenna insisted. “There are far too many this time!”

  “She’s right,” came another muffled voice from beyond the gates.

  “NyRo, is that you?” VayRonx asked.

  “Yes. There was only a mere handful when I fought them in the forest, and even then it took almost everything I had to survive the bout. There’s a small army of them on these doors right now, and they react aggressively whenever we try to touch them.”

  VayRonx let out a loud roar of frustration, causing some of the dark shadowy mass on the gate to churn before becoming still once more. “There must be something you can do,” he pleaded, turning back to VoRenna.

  “Well, there is, but it will require me doing something that I know is the reason why LyVera did not attempt it.”

  “Right you are,” came the enormous sauropod’s voice from the other side.

  “What?” said TarFor. “You mean you could have opened this gate this entire time?”

  “Yes, but it would have rendered most of us on this end unable to fight once open.”

  “Would one of you please tell me just what it is you are talking about?” VayRonx asked, now clearly frustrated with the whole situation.

  “We all can feed our flames with those of others to make them stronger. That’s nothing unique.”

  “Either one of us can draw energy from the flames around us, amplifying our own like any of you, but with this, we will be drawing it into ourselves directly, which will greatly weaken those who we draw from. Had VyKia and the others been the ones to do it, they could have indeed gotten these gates open but would be lucky to even have their eyes open. Meaning no reinforcements—”

  “And turning them all into defenseless targets in the process,” VayRonx finished. “I see your point. But if you do it on your end, pulling from all of us on this side—”

  “I will be able to weaken the clones enough for them to get through.”

  “Do it.”

  Back in the center of the battle, high above the ground, Rex could hear what he knew were his ribs starting to fail under the immense pressure of the DraGon’s grip. He tried to unleash the fury he had always felt when put in confrontational situations, the very same he had only moments ago used to destroy the fiery incarnation of one of the very same creatures. However, to his horror, it was not there. Instead, he felt only pain, a great one that now dominated his senses and made them feel like they themselves were on fire. Don’t do it, he screamed to himself in his head. Don’t you dare! He had always denied those who would do him harm the satisfaction of hearing him cry out in pain. Always clenching it in his throat and holding it there until he managed to force it back down into the pit of his stomach while his mind detached from what was being inflicted on his body. This pain, however, was unlike any other he had ever felt. One that he feared was bringing him ever closer to the threshold of oblivion. At last he could bear it no longer and let out a loud cry of agony. The DraGon laughed triumphantly before letting out a shrill cry of victory.

  “Beautiful,” he said, tightening his grip. “More. I want to hear more!”

  Rex let out horrific howls of pain as he felt several of his ribs break and dig into his insides.

  “Ahh,” said the DraGon as he closed his eyes. “Yes, what an exquisite thing it is to feel something die in your grasp.”

  Rex strained his head upward and screamed to the stars, now mostly obscured by the thick smoke that rose up into the twilight. Is this it? Am I going to die? As if on cue, he received his answer in the form of a flash of green, which moved with lightning speed between him and the DraGon. To his great relief, the grip around his body disappeared and he fell limply towards the ground before being caught at the last second.

  Glancing over just in time, he saw the severed arm of the DraGon hit the ground two meters away, the opened end completely cauterized. Just then four CyTorians rushed in and attacked the two DraGons, who pulled up above the clouds with them in hot pursuit. Rex turned his head and saw that he was hanging by the scruff of his shirt in the jaws of a large cat. “TyRoas,” he said in haggard voice, finding even breathing a painful endeavor.

  TyRoas set him down and asked, “Are you all right?”

  “I think my ribs are broken,” Rex replied, wincing as he tried to stand up
straight but collapsing back down. TyRoas lowered his head and allowed Rex to lean on him as he helped him back up. “Thank you.”

  “I just don’t want to see one of these bastards killing you before we get to settle our little score.”

  Rex grinned. “Well, then, be sure to stay behind me so you don’t get yourself killed before you get the opportunity.”

  “Hah! Not a chance!”

  The others rushed over, and together formed a circle with their backs to each other. Rex looked around but did not see DiNiya. “Hey, EeNox, where’s your sister?”

  “Safe,” he replied.

  Rex looked at the battle raging all around them before turning back to him and asking, “Where the hell is safe around here?”

  “On his back,” EeNox said, pointing off to his right.

  Rex followed his finger and went wide-eyed at the sight of DiNiya clinging to TemBol’s back as he drove his horns through a DraGon’s neck, bringing it to the ground, where he then rose up on his hind legs and brought his front down on its skull.

  Rex cringed as the DraGon’s head was reduced to something that looked like a melon that had been smashed with a mallet. “Don’t suppose he has room for two?”

  “Not to be the negative one here, but do we actually have a plan, or have we just given up on life?” LyCora asked.

  Everyone looked at each other, then to Rex, who shrugged and said, “Kill more of them than they do us.”

  Everyone’s gaze shifted to EeNox, who looked mortified that he was being viewed as some last-ditch source of leadership. “What? Why ask me?”

  “You’ve never complained all the other times you’ve called the shots,” LyCora said. “So don’t start now that we’re actually asking you to.”

  EeNox was taken aback by the comment. Was he really doing what she claimed? He had always shied away from the burden of responsibility, feeling like it was better suited for someone who knew what he or she was doing. Still, whether he was the right one for the task or not, there was too much at stake to not try. If he failed, then they would just die anyway. “All right, I say we split into teams of two and help get as many people to shelter as we can.”

  “Good idea, but what shelter?” Rex asked.

  “The hot springs,” DiNiya said, riding up on TemBol.

  “Exactly,” EeNox exclaimed, pointing enthusiastically to his sister. “It’s far enough underground where people should be safe. These things seem to mostly stick to the air, so I doubt they’ll be able to get to anyone down there.”

  “You hope,” LyCora corrected.

  “Do you have a better idea?” DiNiya asked condescendingly.

  LyCora gave her a glare in turn, but conceded, replying simply, “No.”

  “Then it’s settled,” declared EeNox. “DiNiya, you and ShinGaru go to the entrance of the hot springs and usher everyone we bring to you inside.” DiNiya nodded, resigning to her fate of not being useful in any other manner. “TemBol, can you see that they get there safely?”

  “You have my word,” the three-horned DyVorian replied, snorting green flame from his nostrils.

  “I’ll keep running around and helping the injured,” said TyRoas.

  EeNox nodded in agreement. “Rex, you and I will stay here at ground zero, while LyCora and AnaSaya cover the northern end of town.”

  “No,” AnaSaya said to everyone’s surprise. “I want to stay here and help.”

  “But you are helping,” DiNiya said.

  “No, I mean this is where I can be of the best use. I’m a healer, so I should be where there are more people who need me.”

  “And what about the people trapped in the inner forest?” asked LyCora angrily. “Are they not worth saving because there are fewer of them?”

  “No, that’s not what I meant,” the other girl stammered. “I just wanted—”

  “Just leave the planning—and I can’t believe I’m saying this—to EeNox and follow our lead, understood?”

  AnaSaya looked disheartened but nodded in agreement. She had only meant that she wanted to try to help as many people at once as she could. Moreover, she wanted to prove she could actually be of help in a crisis. What bothered her most, though, was that they believed she would put the lives of the many over those of the few. She did not view the importance of life in terms of quantity but rather saw each individual as a grand whole unto itself. I just wanted to be useful.

  “All right, we’ll meet in front of the hot springs when this is all done,” EeNox said, looking to make sure there was nothing swooping down on them. “Be safe, everyone, and watch each other’s backs.” He watched as everyone took off in different directions before he noticed Rex crouching down. “Hey. You all right?” he asked, concerned.

  Rex coughed up blood, which splattered on the ground in front of him, before looking up and grinning, his teeth stained red with blood running from the corners of his mouth. “Mind keeping this from your sister until after the fight?” he asked, rising to his feet. “Assuming we don’t just die anyway.”

  EeNox placed a hand on Rex’s side. He smacked it away forcefully and gritted his teeth in an effort to not cry out. “Sorry ’bout that,” he said, forcing another grin, but this time looking far less sincere.

  “Damn it, Rex,” EeNox said, looking mortified. “Your ribs—almost all of them are broken!”

  “I feel a little lightheaded,” Rex said, breathing more heavily now.

  “Some of them must have punctured something inside when they broke.”

  “Oh,” Rex replied, sounding underwhelmed.

  “Why the hell didn’t you say something? At the very least AnaSaya could have patched you up enough until we could have her look at you better!”

  “No time,” Rex answered, returning to his usual cool and resolute tone. “There are others who need her more. I can walk this off,” he said, taking a few steps forward.

  “The hell you can,” EeNox yelled angrily, grabbing him by the arm. “You’re going to get yourself killed like an idiot and leave the rest of us to—”

  “To what?” Rex growled as he quickly spun around, grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt, and lifted him just off his feet, ignoring the pain that was flaring up in his ribs. “Huh? What?”

  “To mourn you.”

  Rex just smiled and said, “Look around you, EeNox. No one else is running away because of a few bumps and bruises. Besides,” he added with the glow in his eyes brightening, “I’m not dead yet.” He released EeNox and gave him a hard pat on the back. “Let’s go.”

  EeNox looked at Rex with a moment of reluctant concern before nodding. Together they took off into the chaotic masses, not truly knowing what they would or even could do.

  High above, BaRone and KySer soared over KaNar, scanning for those who could benefit the most from the kind of support that could swoop down out of the sky.

  “I sincerely hope VoRenna and VayRonx can find a way to get those gates open,” KySer said, banking to the right to avoid a plume of smoke.

  “Have you spoken to any of them since they got trapped out there?” BaRone asked.

  “Yes. I was the one who first brought word to TarFor of what had happened. I offered to stay with them, but he and KyVina both agreed that we needed all aerial support on this side.”

  “Don’t tell me that crazy fool is on his feet!”

  “Are you kidding me? He was preparing for a battle royale minutes before I found you.”

  “I should have figured.”

  “You know TarFor. He’d rather get bitten in half than lay in bed while there’s a proper battle to be fought.”

  “Especially when it’s just outside his bedroom window,” BaRone added with a wry smile and shake of his head.

  Suddenly a ball of green fire rocketed past them and exploded on the ground below. The two of them looked up and saw a DraGon four times the size of KySer bearing down on them with murderous intent in her eyes.

  “Hard right!” BaRone cried. KySer did as he was told, tu
cking his wings under himself and banking quickly off to the side just as the DraGon rushed past them. Spreading his wings wide, KySer stopped himself in midair and, with a single flap, unleashed a wave of fire. The DraGon, however, saw the counterattack, and with an impressive display of power, spun to the point where she looked like a flaming disc, which cut right through the wave and continued on straight for them.

  “Hang on,” shouted KySer as he dove below her, barely missing being sliced in half, while BaRone clung for dear life as KySer sped, rose, dove and maneuvered through the forest canopy with the DraGon close behind, delighting in the chase. Firing one blast after another, she incinerated branches and entire chunks of the large trees.

  “Don’t tell me you were only planning on running,” she called out after them. “Turn and fight, heathens!” With a low growl and pulse of green, she smashed through the trunk of an enormous tree, causing it to collapse.

  BaRone risked a glance back and yelled to KySer, “Looks like this one has it in for us.”

  “Bit of the persistent type, isn’t she?” the CyTorian replied.

  “Not to mention eloquently spoken.”

  “BaRone, I can’t keep going at this pace! It won’t be long before she sinks her teeth into us!”

  The DraGon’s wings suddenly grew flaming extensions twice their normal length, and rather than dodging all the obstacles put forth by the trees, she cut straight through with a maniacal laugh that filled the air and sent chills down their spines.

  With another powerful push, KySer shot forward but could not keep her from closing the gap. “She’s too fast! We’re going to have stop her here or we’ll never make it back to the gates!”

  “Looks like the divide and conquer method is in order,” BaRone decided.

  “I was hoping you’d say that,” KySer replied, banking upward and redirecting himself to a head-on course with their pursuer.

  “So you’ve decided to fight after all,” the DraGon said delightedly. “Don’t disappoint me!”