by Dreagen
“Not tonight,” TolNy said as he drove his four tail spikes into the DraGon’s skull, causing his body to immediately fall limp.
“No,” the other DraGon cried mournfully as a lone tear ran down the side of his face.
AnaSaya watched in shock as the DraGon trapped in the roots let out saddened cries to the sky. “He’s grieving?” she said, surprised.
“LyCora, finish him,” TolNy shouted as he gave her some of his flame. LyCora allowed it to encompass her before it sank within her skin and melded into her own flame, which now pulsed with new life.
“No, wait!” the captive DraGon pleaded but was ignored, for with the extra boost of energy, LyCora turned her attention back on her quarry, and let out an anger-filled cry. The roots suddenly constricted, and there was a terrible snapping sound as bone splintered out and veins burst. As with the other, the DraGon’s body ceased to move within the roots, which had likewise stilled.
LyCora breathed heavily while AnaSaya just stared in stunned silence. She looked at the dead DraGon, whose eyes were frozen wide open as if in pain or from fear from the moment he realized he was going to die. One final tear ran down from the corner of his eye, down his face, and traveled down below, where it disappeared into the forest floor.
Suddenly, LyCora’s head whipped up to face AnaSaya, who saw rage in her eyes, and tried to speak, but was stopped by the former, who leapt to her feet and punched her hard across the face. AnaSaya fell to the ground and immediately placed a hand on her jaw. Pain swelled through the left side, but she had no time to even dwell on it for she found herself being forcefully pulled up by her collar, where she was confronted by those very same eyes.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” LyCora screamed. “Why didn’t you attack? Why did you just stand there?”
“I’m…I’m sorry,” AnaSaya stammered.
“You’re sorry? No…you wanted that thing to kill me, didn’t you?”
“No, you’re wrong!” AnaSaya insisted, shaking her head. “I just couldn’t!”
“Liar,” LyCora screamed viciously as she raised a flaming blue hand and prepared to fire, when two long tail spikes embedded themselves in the ground between the two girls, barely missing them. They both looked up as TolNy pulled his tail back up from between them and turned to face them.
“That’s enough,” he said, shifting his gaze between the two of them. “LyCora, losing your head like a fool, I know for a fact your mother taught you better than that. How disappointed she would be if she could see you now.”
LyCora lowered her eyes and looked away. AnaSaya, on the other hand, turned to TolNy with tears welling up in her eyes. “I didn’t want anything to happen to her, to anyone, but I…just couldn’t take his life. I know it seems wrong…but if I had I would have…”
“Your reasons are your own,” said TolNy, “but you may want to come to terms with them before this night is over. Come, the both of you. We need to regroup with everyone else.” He lowered his massive bulk close to the ground, signaling for them to climb on. AnaSaya turned back to LyCora, reaching out to touch her shoulder, but she had her hand promptly slapped away. Without saying a word or even so much as a glance in her direction, LyCora walked past her and silently climbed aboard TolNy, who once satisfied with her placement between his plates, turned his attention back to AnaSaya, who looked apprehensive about joining LyCora atop. “AnaSaya,” he said, “we need to go now.”
Nodding, AnaSaya took a deep breath and climbed up where she positioned herself several plates behind LyCora. Confident that both girls were secured, he mustered what little energy he had left and took off down the shallows of the river back to the center of the battle.
The entrance to the hot springs was crowded with parents trying to usher their children down inside its confines as quickly as possible. DiNiya, ShinGaru, and TemBol had been trying their best to corral the throngs of people making their way in the past hour, but were beginning to feel more than a little overwhelmed by the sheer scope of the task. The sounds of battle raging all around them would put people in a state of panic every time they made some headway in calming them down. Everywhere they turned, they were stricken by images of carnage and despair.
DiNiya turned to her left while helping an older woman along, and saw a boy younger than KenSito dragging his father, who hung lifeless in his arms, while crying. Not far on the other side was a small sauropod about half the size of a TarBoranx with large bite wounds on her back that were clearly slowing her down.
“This is a nightmare,” DiNiya said as she scanned the horrifying scene before them. “We have to do something.”
“And we are,” ShinGaru said, stepping beside her. “We need to continue to give these people cover so they can get down there.”
“That’s getting harder and harder to do with those things being able to fly,” she said, looking up at the sky.
“Tell me about it.”
The two of them turned and saw Rex and EeNox emerging out of the throngs of people.
“But if I can draw their fire on opposite ends,” Rex said, “we can hopefully clear a straight path right down the middle so people can get in here.”
“You two are all right!” DiNiya declared in relief. “I was worried.”
“Things are too chaotic out there,” EeNox explained. “There was nothing we could really do, so we decided to refocus our efforts here with you three.”
“Well, we could certainly use the help,” ShinGaru said with a nod of his head. “The number of people pouring in keeps increasing. We can barely keep up now, ourselves.”
“How many are down there now?” Rex asked.
“Well over a thousand, I’d say.”
“Damn, that’s getting tight,” Rex said, shaking his head. “How many more can those caverns hold?”
“Not many,” TemBol said as he strode over. “Good to see you boys still in one piece. Any news from the gates?”
“We didn’t even make it that far,” Rex replied. “Half the road leading to it is blocked by debris and,” he swallowed hard and looked away, “bodies.”
TemBol regarded him with a solemn expression before giving a nod. “I see, well, we are glad you are not amongst them. Your presence here will be a help.”
“We need to do more than that,” EeNox said. “Those things are moving closer to this spot.”
“They’re following the masses, so as they start grouping here, they’ll eventually target this area.” As if on cue, there was a loud explosion that rocked them, and an enormous fireball rose into the sky. “You see! They’re almost here! I’ll act as a distraction while you get the rest of these people down into the caverns!”
“EeNox, that’s too dangerous and you know it,” DiNiya protested.
“Not to mention a two-man job,” Rex added.
“Well…yeah, but it’s not like we’ve got any better ideas.”
“I don’t know about better, but if I help out, the chances of this really bad idea failing will go down.”
“Thanks. Oh, and while we’re on it—no! You’re in no condition to fight, and you know it.”
Rex gritted his teeth as he glanced over to DiNiya out of the corner of his eye.
“What do you mean?” she asked. “Rex, what is he talking about?”
“Nothing,” he said dismissively. “He’s just trying to be a hero.”
“Oh, really?” EeNox said as he walked up to Rex and lightly punched him in the ribs.
Rex immediately lurched to the side and coughed up blood. “Ahh! Damn it, you asshole!”
“How do you expect to back me up in a fight when you can barely hold your insides together?”
“Rex! Why didn’t you say something?” DiNiya asked with a look of horror.
“Oh, he did,” EeNox explained, “just not to you.”
“Why? I mean, I don’t understand. Why wouldn’t you want me to know?”
“Because I knew you would just worry, like you are now,” Rex said shakily, rising
to his feet.
“Of course I’m worried! Just look at you!” She took in the sight of the young man in front of her: clothes tattered and his body covered in bruises and cuts. He looked like he should be dead, and yet there he stood, defiant and determined, with an unconquerable air to him. DiNiya turned her attention to EeNox, who was taken aback when she punched him hard in the arm.
“Hey!” he exclaimed, stumbling back. “What was that for?”
“For not telling me right away that he was so badly hurt!”
“What do you think I just did?”
TemBol, who had been keeping a watchful eye on the sky, decided to finally interject. “I will stand guard here while you three take refuge inside.”
“Not a chance,” argued EeNox.
“I’m not hiding,” Rex said, backing him up.
TemBol bellowed loudly, causing the others to jump in surprise. “Listen to me very carefully! This is not up for discussion! You will go inside and wait for all of this to be over! Do you understand?”
They stood in silence before DiNiya and ShinGaru placed a hand on EeNox’s and Rex’s shoulders and gently pulled them back to the entrance to the hot springs. “Come on,” DiNiya said in a somber tone. “There’s nothing more we can do here.”
With looks of anger and frustration, Rex and EeNox followed the others. Both boys were very much angered by the fact that they were being forced to flee, but most of all because they knew they were in fact not strong enough to do what they wished they could, with Rex’s condition being a glaring reminder of that truth.
Back at the gates, preparations had been made to destroy the sentinel clones that were swarming all over the doors and trapping KaNar’s primary defense outside. VayRonx, TyRoas, and the others on their side had agreed to increase VoRenna’s power by feeding her flame with theirs—a risky move, as none of them knew just how much energy it would require to give her an adequate amount.
“Are you sure about this?” she asked VayRonx. “I don’t know how much I will require, and too much could kill all of you.”
“If it is our lives you require to open these doors, then they are yours to take,” declared VayRonx.
“Indeed,” added TarFor. “It is an honor to die in the defense of one’s home. Our flames are yours to use, right down to the last spark.
She looked once more at VayRonx, who nodded, signaling it was time to begin. With a single pulse, her body ignited in blue flame. “All right, slowly start feeding your flames into me, but be careful not to give too much too soon, or you will die for certain.”
They all began pouring the energy of their flames into hers. At first it glowed with the different colors, but soon it normalized back into blue. Brighter and brighter it grew until it illuminated the entire cavern. VoRenna could feel the immense power surging through her. She had never tried something so risky, but her fear of it possibly failing was overshadowed by the glorious power that was growing within her. Never before had she felt anything so strong. It was as if she had the strength of dozens of others inside her, which filled her with an unprecedented sense of power. Yes, she thought. This power. The power that I…no, I must not forget why it has been given to me. She increased her concentration and focused the entirety of her flame on the shadowy mass on the gates, which let out eerie, shrill cries as a continuous stream of blue flame bombarded it. At first they only stirred slightly, but soon they began to move like a churning sea.
“It’s working,” VayRonx said. “Everyone, give her more!”
“No, wait—not too much!” VoRenna insisted, but her words were cut short as she felt like she had suddenly been lifted off the ground as the power that rushed through her rendered her unable to speak. Instead, she strained herself to keep control over this incredible force surging through her body. The clones were now clearly under duress as they began to disband and fall from the gate back into lifeless ash.
On the other side, KyVina and the others watched as the shadowy mass around the gate began to thin, until they could at last see the actual doors beneath. “LyVera, are you ready?” she called up to the enormous DoraMax who towered above them.
“I am,” LyVera replied, positioning herself in front of the gates.
“How long?”
“Their power is waning fast. Stand back!” In an impressive display of physics, she rose up on her hind legs and brought her two massive tree-size forelimbs down against the doors, which shook with a thunderous rattle.
The shadowy figures reacted aggressively, trying to retake the gates, but were incapable because of the now-overwhelming power that was consuming them. One by one they began to burn up and disappear within the torrent of blue flame that was continuously burning through them.
VoRenna glanced over to the others and saw that many of them were down on one knee, trying to hang on longer so they could keep giving her more power. VayRonx, although under extreme strain, still managed to stay on his feet, but even he could not last much longer. I have to end this now, she thought as she turned her attention back to the clones, which were also struggling to hold themselves together.
On the other side, KyVina called up to LyVera, “Again!”
LyVera leaned back and once again fell forward, bringing her immense weight down against the twin doors, which buckled slightly, this time under the force of the impact.
“Again!” VayRonx roared from the other side.
Again, she slammed down into the door, causing rocks to crumble and fall from above. The clones themselves were dropping quickly, dissolving into nothing in the wake of VoRenna’s enhanced power.
“LyVera,” VayRonx called out in a weakened voice as he dropped to one leg and bared his teeth. “AGAIN!”
The titanic DyVorian let out a long, deep wail as she came down full force against the doors one more time, causing them to come off their hinges and crash down.
With the last of his strength, VayRonx rose to his feet and unleashed a blast that blew the two huge doors into dozens of pieces, and saving everyone on his side that were too weak to run from being crushed. With that he collapsed to the ground, breathing laboriously.
From out of the smoke came two blue glowing eyes high above everything else, and LyVera emerged with thunderous footfalls. Seconds later, KyVina came running out from around her legs and stopped to crouch down next to her mate.
“VayRonx,” she called insistently. “Can you hear me?”
VayRonx opened his eyes slowly, raising his head slightly. “Ahh…good. It worked.”
“Don’t try to move,” she said, placing her head down on his, gently forcing it back down. “You’ve done enough, my love.”
“The others…you must get to…the others…” he trailed off as his eyes closed and he fell unconscious.
KyVina closed her eyes and nuzzled her mate before standing back up and looking at the others, who while still conscious, were in rough condition. Her head whipped around when she heard a voice call her name.
VoRenna walked up to her and gave her a slight bow. “KyVina, I’m glad to see you’ve made it.”
“Same to you. VoRenna, what’s happening?”
“The clones were just a diversion,” she replied, looking at the few ashy remnants scattered about. “The real battle is taking place inside KaNar.”
“But who is attacking us?”
“DraGons.”
KyVina’s eyes went wide.
“Damn it,” Rex said as he punched his fist against the wall of the cave, causing sediment to rain down on the four of them. “I can’t believe I’m hiding in some hole in the ground while those fucking things are burning this place to hell!”
“Tell me about it,” EeNox said. “We should be out there fighting, not hiding like cowards!”
“I know how you feel,” DiNiya said. “Believe me I do, but getting ourselves killed won’t help anyone.”
“She’s right,” ShinGaru said. “Good intentions and the will to fight won’t do anyone any good out there. Especially not
with you so injured, Rex.”
“I’m not afraid of dying,” Rex said stoically.
“I don’t believe that for a moment,” DiNiya countered.
Rex turned and looked at her, surprised that her words cut through him as deeply as they did. She was right, though; he was in fact afraid, terrified actually. Never once did he feel fearless when confronted with a fight in his youth, but he also never let it stop him from seeing one through. As he grew older, he no longer found himself in a position to fear anyone who challenged him. On Earth he had the strength of five men, the speed of an Olympic runner, and could quickly regenerate from any normal injury sustained in a fight. Humans had become little more than insects crawling beneath his feet, but here in this world there were many who could not only match his physical prowess, but also surpass it. It was for this reason that he now experienced a fear that he had not in some time. Still, if he hoped to grow in power to reclaim his position as a warrior without equal, he would have to face that which he feared. At last he looked at DiNiya and asked, “Do you think me a coward?”
“No,” she said, breathing a heavy sigh and looking at him with sympathetic eyes that immediately took him down several notches. “I just know what it’s like to feel powerless in a situation where all you want is to have the strength to make a difference like those around you.”
“DiNiya…we know what you’re getting at, and we’re sorry,” EeNox said, trying to ease the tension in the air. “But it’s not the same—”
“The hell it isn’t,” she snapped. “You have absolutely no idea what it’s like to feel weak when you’re surrounded by so many who are strong! At the end of the day wishing and crying for the strength you want won’t bring it, so you have to do whatever you can to be useful to the people you love, and if that means staying out of their way so you can live to help them when the smoke clears, then that’s what you do!” Rex and EeNox traded glances. “Rex, you can barely stand, and EeNox, you’re going to end up just like him or worse if you try to be a hero! Now both of you stay put and conserve what little strength you have left. We may still have to fight, and we’ll have a better chance of doing anything if we stick together. Got it?”
