by Dreagen
“It’s no illusion,” said EeNox, standing back up.
“Is it not? What else would one call a false emotion brought forth by such a corrupt illusion of morality?”
“What the hell are you talking about? Who are you, damn it?”
“I think I know,” ShinGaru said cryptically. EeNox turned and gave him a look of surprise. Stepping forward, ShinGaru locked eyes with the DraGon. “It was you, wasn’t it? The sentinel clones, the CeraVora that tried to kill the others, and the DraGon made of fire back at the Spire. It was all you, wasn’t it?”
The DraGon’s lips curled back, revealing a frightening grin. “I did have some help.”
TolNy and the two girls in tow could now see the hot springs just up ahead. Picking up speed, he cleared the distance in a matter of seconds, reaching the entrance, where TemBol ran up to them with a look of shock and relief.
“You’re all right,” he said to the girls.
“Yes, thanks to TolNy here,” AnaSaya said.
“Well done, old friend,” TemBol said, looking over to the old DyVorian, who nodded in turn.
“The truth is, I would probably be dead right now had it not been for these two young ladies.”
“Either way, I’m glad the three of you made it.”
“What of the others from the northern end of the village? There were at least three-dozen children. Did they make it here all right?”
TemBol looked at him for a moment then at everything happening around him before returning to face him. “TolNy…you are the only one from the northern end I have seen since the attack.”
“But I sent everyone else ahead of me! There were almost a hundred of us! TemBol, my grandson, was among them!”
“I’m sorry, my friend, but…none of them have made it here…”
TolNy stood in silence, all the joy and hope he felt draining from his eyes, turning to ash like many of the dead around them. He took two steps back, stumbling on the last.
“TolNy, are you all right?”
The elderly DyVorian raised his tail, signaling for him to stop. He lowered himself, allowing for the two girls to climb off. Then in a voice of stern resolution, he told TemBol, “See to it that they get inside the springs and stay there.” With that, he turned and walked back into the chaos.
“Wait,” TemBol called out after him. “Where are you going?”
“To war, old friend. To war.”
DiNiya was now holding Rex up in her arms instead of just cradling him for comfort, as she had been initially. His condition had deteriorated faster than she had thought, and she now feared that her brother and ShinGaru would not make it back in time with the others. Barely conscious, Rex’s color had faded into a pale, anemic grey, and he had dark circles around his eyes, which were constantly forcing their way open halfway before falling shut. His mouth was dry and stained red with blood. “Stay with me, Rex,” she said, caressing the side of his face. “You’re stronger than this.”
“I think…you’re giving me…too much credit,” he replied in a way that implied it was now almost too difficult to speak.
“No way,” she said, smiling, glad at least to see he was still holding on enough to have his sense of cynicism. “I’ve seen you take everything we could throw at you since you arrived and throw it right back. Nothing stops you, Rex…remember?” His eyes had closed and this time did not reopen. The look on DiNiya’s face turned from one of worry to one of dread. “Rex!” she cried frantically as she shook him, but he did not move or awaken. Instead, he lay limp in her arms, completely unresponsive. “Rex, wake up! Please don’t do this to me!” Tears poured freely from her eyes and ran down her face. “Don’t leave me!”
Suddenly, as if her wish had come true, LyCora and AnaSaya appeared from around the corner. They both looked at DiNiya, who was already trying to force her tears back, before looking down at the pale lifeless form of Rex in her arms.
“What happened to him?” LyCora asked, dropping down next to them.
“He was badly hurt by one of those monsters,” DiNiya replied.
AnaSaya joined them on the floor and placed a hand on Rex’s chest. She closed her eyes and concentrated before they shot wide open with a look of shock. “He’s almost gone!”
“What do you mean?” DiNiya demanded.
“I mean he’s…”
“What she means is that we need to act fast if he’s going to stand any chance of making it,” LyCora declared. “AnaSaya, I’m going to need your help on this. You’re the only one who has the power to heal someone who’s this far gone, but even you’re going to need some help. DiNiya, I’m going to have to draw power from your flame as well to boost my healing abilities so it comes closer to matching AnaSaya’s. It’ll be like having two healers. Are you up for it?”
DiNiya nodded vigorously. “I’ll do whatever it takes.”
“Hopefully, you have enough to give what it takes.”
“Why don’t we just both pull from her flame?” AnaSaya asked.
“Because having more than one person pull energy from another’s flame could easily kill them,” LyCora explained. “You’re easily the best healer in the village, so if one of us needs the added boost, it’s me. Now let’s do this before it’s too late.”
AnaSaya nodded and placed her hand back on Rex’s chest while LyCora took hold of DiNiya’s hand and placed her other on his chest next to AnaSaya’s.
“All right,” LyCora said. “Now, DiNiya, I know you can’t draw out your flame, but that doesn’t mean it’s not there. I need you to concentrate as hard as you can and look inward.”
DiNiya did as she was instructed and closed her eyes. Taking several deep breaths, she focused all of her concentration on looking deep within herself. She had mastered the art of meditation long ago in her attempts to awaken her flame, to no avail, though. Still, she had been successful in finding it, remembering the day very well. She had been atop her home at dusk, as she often was, and had been deep in meditative thought. Her focus had been gliding through her mind, searching for any sign of the red flame that had once burned within her. It had been a particularly torturous experience that day, for she had tapped into painful memories from her past. Ones she had tried to bury. Still, she knew that to find the power she had lost, she had to push through that which had taken it away—the pain of regret, her guilt. It was there, deep down in the abysmal pit of the darkest recesses of her mind, that she saw where the sleeping beast lay.
Now she made that same voyage through her scarred memories once again, to where she knew the only thing she could use to help save Rex resided. At last she found it, a faint red glow of something that was once a towering inferno. Carefully she reached out and touched it. It was there she thought she noticed something moving in the darkness behind it. Still there was no time to focus on anything but what was right in front of her. Her flame was warm, far from burning hot, but warm enough to reveal that it was indeed only dormant and not dead. Feeling the hint of life, she began to draw from its power. She felt it first in the tips of her fingers, then as it spread up through her hand before traveling up her arm, where it reached her shoulder and spread out beyond. She then held out her other hand in the darkness.
LyCora, who had been holding on tightly to DiNiya’s hand the entire time, suddenly felt a small surge of energy. Using her flame, she reached out and into DiNiya.
In the darkness, DiNiya saw a handmade of blue flame reach out of the shadows and take hers. DiNiya allowed the energy from her sleeping flame to travel through her and into LyCora, who began to pull it into hers vigorously from the moment of contact.
AnaSaya had been able to sense what was happening between the two girls from her connection to them through Rex. She also felt how hard they were trying to gather the energy needed to help their friend, the energy she knew she could muster, unlike them, without effort. Closing her eyes, she focused her flame so it began effortlessly flowing into Rex. A calming, almost intoxicating sensation swept over her as she
felt like a portion of herself was pouring into him. His flame, she thought, it’s so…pure. Her head tilted back as more and more of herself flowed into him, and his color began to slowly return.
LyCora could feel AnaSaya’s flame pouring like a raging river into Rex. Try as hard as she did, she could tell that the intense effort she was putting into healing was falling far short of what AnaSaya was capable of. She could feel her flame, drinking in as much as it could from DiNiya’s, joining with Rex’s, and his body, as it worked to repair the damage. However, his flame, even in his condition, was still not only incredibly powerful but defensive in nature. It fought back against her every time they touched, while AnaSaya’s was able to effortlessly wash over his, meeting no resistance. What is the real source of her power? LyCora wondered. How can someone so young vastly exceed healers three times her age? No matter, now is not the time for such inquiries. Regardless of how she was able to do it, she would probably be the determining factor of whether Rex lived or died.
Rex found himself lying on his back in the void. At this point being here was no longer cause for alarm. He knew something must have happened to him on the outside to be pulled into the dark inner workings of his mind. After a moment, he pushed himself off the ground and onto his feet. Looking around, he made note of a peculiar red fog or mist that filled the empty expanse. He remembered that in the past EliCia had emerged from the darkness, but it was not her he was now scanning the emptiness for. Rex knew there was something menacing stalking the shadows, an unseen yet ever-present force, which watched always just out of sight. He knew he was here, he always was. He could even feel it from the outside. Although Rex never heard him, he always made his presence known—a burning in his gut, a pressure in his chest, even what almost at times sounded like a whisper in his head. One that almost sounded like a voice but always fell just short. Yes, the great shadowy beast was no doubt here, and watching him with burning intensity. “So what now?” he asked himself, looking around for any sign of a way out.
EeNox felt a deep instinctive fear swell up within him as the DraGon brought her long, narrow head down to his level and regarded him with large blue eyes that glowed with brilliant intensity.
“What do you mean you had some help?” he asked. “You can’t mean that CeraVora.”
The DraGon laughed. “Your kind, so easily deceived, so easy to hide that which will lead to your demise right in front of you. It almost makes me pity you.” She suddenly furrowed her brow and pushed her head forward, knocking him back down. “Almost.”
“Please,” said ShinGaru as he quickly moved between her and EeNox. “Whatever your quarrel with us may be, it cannot be worth all this senseless slaughter!”
The DraGon looked as if a wave of anger swept over her, and with a loud snap, spread her wings, which measured close to thirty meters across. She burst into blue flame and let out a loud wail, forcing ShinGaru back until he felt the edge of the cliff at his heels. Glancing back and seeing there was nowhere else to go, he returned his gaze forward and saw the beast folding her wings back once more.
“Tell me, boys,” she said in a now eerily calm voice. “Have you ever heard of any creature that burned with a red flame?”
EeNox stood up as he took in the question. “I’m not sure that I understand.”
The DraGon, not wasting a moment, grabbed him and brought him close to her face. “Do not toy with me, heretic creature! I know you have been harboring the one we seek! Tell me now, where is the TyRanx?”
“TyRanx?” EeNox repeated, squirming in the DraGon’s grip. “I don’t know what you’re talking about!”
“You lie!”
“I don’t!”
“He’s telling the truth,” ShinGaru interjected. “The TyRanx have been extinct for ten thousand years!”
The DraGon suddenly looked taken aback, as if his words had wounded her. “By the holy mother, so it truly has been that long.” She now spoke in a subdued tone, almost as if she forgot they were even there. “So he was right after all.” She shook her head and regained her focus as she bared her dagger-like teeth. “No matter, you two still try my patience. So this will be the last time I ask. Where is the one who commands the red flame? Where is the Doom Bringer?”
“Doom Bringer?” EeNox repeated before suddenly understanding. “Hold on…you’re talking about Rex!”
The DraGon’s eyes narrowed. “Rex? Tell me, boy, where is he?”
“Like I’d tell you,” EeNox said defiantly.
“Oh, but you will,” she said with a bemused laugh that sent a chill down his spine.
“You can tear my arms and legs off, but I still will never give him up! Do you hear me? I’ll never tell you a damn thing! Never!” EeNox spat in her face.
Without losing her temper this time, the DraGon simply said, “Well, young one, you’re right about the first part. As for the latter, you’ll discover just how vocal you can be when I decide to be persuasive.”
KyVina and the others had just reached the docks where the heart of the battle was raging and were mortified to see the level of devastation that had befallen their home. All around them lay the bodies of people they had seen every day, for most if not all of their lives.
“Why?” she asked stunned. “Why has this happened?”
“‘Why’ may not be the question we should be asking ourselves right now,” said NyRo, walking up beside her. “But rather how we can bring it to an end?”
KyVina looked up and scanned the sky, seeing the DraGons soaring this way and that way, swooping down every so often. The fast padding of paws was heard off to their right, and the two of them whipped their heads around to see TyRoas running up and stopping just short of them, panting heavily.
“TyRoas, are you all right?” TolNy asked his younger brother.
“I’m fine,” he replied.
“What’s happening?”
“We were attacked from above,” TyRoas explained while still trying to catch his breath. “There was no warning!”
“Did the CyTorians not see them coming?” KyVina asked insistently.
“No! Well, not exactly, anyway. I heard reports from KySer and some of the others that said there was what looked like a storm moving in fast from the west, and then we were hit. Minutes later they started raining fire down on us.”
“A storm?” his brother repeated, looking back up to KyVina.
“The gold flames in their ranks, no doubt,” she said. “Enough of them at the proper altitude could have created one to conceal their approach.”
“In any case, you have no idea how happy I am to see you all,” TyRoas continued. “We haven’t been doing too well.”
“Have there been many casualties?” NyRo asked.
TyRoas looked all around them, then replied, “What do you think?”
The others glanced at each other with looks that indicated they realized that they were not on the winning side of this battle. KyVina knew she was not prepared to lead these warriors into battle. They had little to no understanding of whom or what they were fighting. Nothing but what VoRenna had told her: DraGons. The word had rung throughout her head when she had heard it. Of course, it was familiar to every adult and child of every race in EeNara. They were creatures from history that waged war against all EeNara ages ago. But they were defeated, she thought. No DraGon has been seen alive in years. She was suddenly snapped back to reality at the sound of NyRo calling her name. She blinked twice and shook her head before turning to look at him.
“You still with us?” he asked with a look of concern in his eyes.
“Yes…sorry. Everyone listen carefully! We need to drive these invaders out!”
“KyVina, we should try to take at least a few alive so we can find out who they are,” NyRo said.
“Agreed. Did everyone hear that? Each of you try to take one alive if you can, but if you feel the risk to your own life is too great to do so, do not hesitate to kill! Is that clear?” There was a loud eruption of roars and cries fr
om the group of warriors. “Now go! Fight for KaNar! Defend our home!”
The group dispersed through town in all directions, quickly changing the attack from a slaughter to an actual battle. Now everywhere one looked, they could see DyVorians and OroGon biting, clawing, and blasting DraGons, who in turn changed their tactics from one of fly-by assaults to full-on confrontation.
KyVina leaped into the air and clamped on to the tail of a DraGon trying to flee. Using her powerful jaws, she slammed the beast down to the ground hard with a ground-shaking thud, sending pieces of his armor flying off. The DraGon groaned as he tried to push himself to his feet, only to have his back crushed as she brought a foot down on his spine. The DraGon cried out before realizing that he felt no pain— nothing at all, in fact, for KyVina’s well-placed step had paralyzed him below the neck. She walked up in front of him, and with a swift motion of her head, tore off his. She allowed the taste of blood to wash over her tongue and coat the back of her throat. It was the taste of a fresh kill, and one which, being a TarBoranx, she savored. The sound of two other winged foes rushing her from behind pulled her from her brief moment of ecstasy and made her turn to face her next opponents.
The DraGons swooped down and separated, charging her from both sides. KyVina ducked at the last moment and grabbed the left one’s tail, swung him around forcefully, and slammed him into the other as hard as she could.
The two DraGons collapsed to the ground, but before either could have a chance to regain their stride, KyVina was on them, tearing off their wings, biting through their vertebrae, and burning their flesh to ash within their armor. She breathed heavily, now fully entrenched in battle. She could not stop; she had to continue: there were still more she had to fight, to kill. Her muscles flexed as adrenaline pumped into them in torrents. Her eyes began to glow just before she erupted into green flame once again.
Now she would take back her home and make those who would lay siege to it and her tribe, pay dearly. Still, NyRo’s words of needing to take some prisoners still rang true, and she knew despite her rage and hunger for retribution she had to exercise some restraint. Not always being able to give in to your desires was the price one paid to lead. It made what VayRonx did every day seem all the more incredible to her. They had known each other since they were children, and he had always been a pillar of strength to all those around him. Even the tribes who chose to live apart from cities and villages respected him, despite fearing him as one of the deadliest predators in all of the Northern Continent and even the world. VayRonx, please be strong now, my love, and wait for me. There was the cry of a child far off to her left, and without even a second thought, she took off in its direction.
