“It is a good idea, Dimwit.” Megdline smirked. “It’s only been a year, but you’ve endured and overcome impossible odds and with what those colorful dragons said earlier, it sounds like everything was a breeze to the approaching tempest you will be pivotal to. Heavy caution will see you through.”
“Victory favors the bold and the insane. Lucky for you I’m a bit of both.” He quipped.
“That I do not need reminding.” Megdline laughed and scooped the giant feline and draped him around her shoulders. Frill just purred.
Meeka climbed up first, followed by Tohka and as soon as they all settled Daku walked casually over to the cliff and leapt over and down before snapping his wings fully to catch the updraft caused by the sheer rock wall.
Cage though waited till Megdline flew away on her sunny flying board and continued to practice the new skills till he could do it without thinking. As of yet it hadn’t become second nature. He didn’t bother altering his robe into a wing-suit as he leapt off the cliff too, but he ran on the air, using raw, circulating mana shot from his feet. Each step was like taking fifty as the power sent downwards propelled him forwards. It wouldn’t work without physical movement like a rocket, more like a piston. His leg movements combined with mana shot him forward and it wasn’t easy maintaining a straight line. Requiring small tweaks to his form, Cage would correct mistakes. Twice he overcorrected and to fix the error he flipped midair and rotated back into position with a slam of both legs being instantly extended. His family watched with curiosity while Daku was silently scrutinizing. Through their mental connection Cage heard “Better.”
It was a safe arrival to the beach. The dragons in particular stared at Cage’s silent landing. The Utala tribe warmly welcomed the family and Chief Moril got things stared right away while Rena hugged her mothers. “Cage, you already know our new neighbors come home and Mox Shadowscales, but these five great elders have a dual purpose…”
“Let me guess, you are generals judging by your fierce appearances. You certainly don’t have the look of the other dragons merely interested in my and my mates’ unique circumstance as unbreakable spirit mates.” Cage said in Draconian.
If they were surprised he now spoke fluently, the five varied colored dragon females were good at disguising it. Like Rex Gralla, these were huge females with thick muscles and sized as large as males. Only their thinner, sharper spikes and softer facial features gave away their gender.
Mox replied in similar since their native language expressed much more. “Correct, but they are more than generals, if we shall adopt human military command for ours. These are the commanding generals for all soldiers of their respective colony. I will step aside so you may speak with Barbav, eldest general of Raliea and leader of the strongest and most numerous troops of any colony, here under direct orders of Rex Nattan, her colony leader.”
Barbav, a huge powder blue dragon stepped forward and focused intently in the smaller creature to say in draconian, since she didn’t associate with humans or know the other language “My Rex wishes me to test Rex Gralla’s estimation of your power. Simply seeing the mana flow around you is not enough for him or me for that matter. I will not follow a weak species, even if the Rare Ones say it must be done. I am second strongest of the Fire Mountains’ colony and fought at the nexus. If I find you not worthy I will take Ghosts Bane from you. It is no trinket and your entrance proves you have not mastered mana flow.”
The other dragons were beyond surprised at Barbav’s reasons and her cold demeanor, Mox especially as he growled “What is the meaning of this Barbrv? You have no authority to confiscate Ghosts Bane or challenge the warlock as he has not treaded on any laws we may enforce. I will not…”
“Sounds fun.” Cage eagerly interrupted. “I hope you can take what I can dish out, Barbav. I haven’t really let loose since I broke out and if Nattan wants to see what I’m capable of, you better be ready.” He looked to his confused looking people and changed back to the common language while grinning. “You all better stay here where it’s safe. Seems like I need to have some fun.”
Daku smirked “Cage, just don’t kill her. She underestimates you, but her prowess in battle is undisputed and her tactical analysis in the heat of combat is heavily relied upon. Do not kill her.”
Poli translated Daku’s words when the blue general ordered it and Barbav ‘s eyes narrowed dangerously.
Cage this time unsheathed his sword and handed it over to Moril. “Hold onto this for me. I’ll be right back.” She took the blade as he created his black board to fly and rose to stare happily eye to eye with the blue female and spoke so she could understand. “We should change venue to somewhere more appropriate. If I let loose it would be dangerous. Let’s go to Dead River, near the Stronghold since there aren’t many beings who might get hit in the crossfire and be unable to be protected. Can I assume it’s still strictly under dragon control?”
“You can and it is agreed. It will be less destructive and hold fewer risks to life than elsewhere.” To the other dragons she said “We shall return momentarily.” and teleported from the island and flew all the way to the clear skies of the desolate land known as Dead River. Cage popped in five miles above the crater he uncapped and spotted Barbav several miles away, but before he could fly away twenty huge dragons Jumped around and surrounded him. A crimson dragon demanded he state his purpose and before Cage could respond Barbav’s roar had more than half turn their long and supple necks as she teleported closer to state “Leave us be. He does not trespass. It is the warlock, Commander Jassek.” She spoke to the red soldier. “We are about to hold challenge. It would be best if you leave us and stay away.” The one known as Jassek dipped his head to his general and just as fast as they surrounded Cage they disappeared and left them alone.
The two of them flew much higher and away from the Stronghold.
Barbav tried to suddenly catch Cage off guard with a sudden teleportation, but he was more than prepared and just as she came out she found herself right behind him, but was gripped by a magically created green hand that clenched her whole body, leaving out only her head and long tail. It’s creation was instant and when the moment of shock wore off she calmly said “I see surprise will not work and the power you used to bind me is sufficient enough to block my physical strength without crushing me and thereby activate my wards. But those like the human known as Zikon can predict my Jump points and block me from attack. How will you handle this?”
She sent a blast of cutting power, sending a dozen sharp blue lines which sliced through the green hand while slapping her wings and launching herself forward like a bullet. Great swords more than two hundred feet from tip to pommel suddenly appeared out of nowhere in both her hands and they were obviously real and not magically created. She struck, twisting her wrists to use the flat side of her swords to swat him like an annoying fly. But then she noticed his grin too late as her fifteen foot wide blade covered his appearance.
Deciding to test out his new skill he created a condensed ring of mana around his right and left shoulder, sensing the immense sword coming down on his head as a magic-breaker while the other was imbued with many spells and ready to retaliate the moment he tries to avoid the first. The ring slid down his right arm, gaining the properties to react to solid objects and was transferred to his left fist. With a smile on his face he aimed the condensed power not an inch from swatting and the power slammed into the sword like a car speeding against a bullet train, his mana being the locomotive. The magic breaker, unable to cut through pure energy rather than a spell, was ripped from Barbav’s grasp and sent over a mile straight up, but as she tried to attack him with her second blade he had vanished.
It was too late when her eyes picked up his immense energy and twisted her head around to find him flying not a foot off her back. Already had the ring of invisible power travel down his left arm, transfer to his right fist as it slammed down in a punch of magnitudes Barbav never felt before. With a roar of immense pain she fell
from the sky like a cannonball shot straight down.
Her wards blocked the power from hitting her physical body, but the force wasn’t absorbed, merely transferred. She knew if it would have been a direct hit, that much power would have split her in half without trying. Just the sudden acceleration caused the pain and her mass alone meant the speed she traveled was faster than she felt safely survivable.
Despite the pain she tried stopping herself, but her descent was too fast and she rolled too violently to find equilibrium. Pain and confusion made it impossible to recover and she screwed her bony eyelids shut in preparation for an inevitable and painful collision with the ground and hope her wards would offer protection.
“You can open your eyes now.” Came Cage’s smooth voice and blue eyes sprung open. “Don’t worry, I’ve got you. I’m making the air dense enough to support your weight. Your wards block me from levitating you directly.”
“But why… how?” She couldn’t mask her confusion.
“Relax, Old Girl. Your body would have been broken beyond repair if I didn’t teleport below you and create one hell of an updraft to slow you enough that any instant collision with anything solid. Otherwise you would have went splat.” He slapped his hands together for effect. “The dizziness will abate shortly, but I cannot hope to stop your swords. The magic-breaker won’t work and the other likely only responds to you… as it tried shocking me when I sent a spell to keep it aloft.”
Her blue eyes narrowed and the blades reappeared his her grasp with a soft pop before vanishing completely, Cage assumed into an altered space like his pockets. “Apologies are in order.” Brabrav recovered quickly and took control of her levitation and Cage released his hold. They hovered in silence for a moment before she asked “How did you know my wards prevented raw mana from harming me? It is extremely dangerous, used the way you did.”
“Don’t apologies. It was fun fighting you. The way you twisted around when you pulled out your swords was like a cat righting itself before it hits the ground. I never expected such a move. I never saw a dragon use swords before and it was interesting. Usually its magic or claws. As for my attacks,” He raised a finger for making a point. “I’m still learning to walk on air by mana alone. Before I landed on the beach I saw one of my steps dispersing due to distance, but when it was barely noticeable I watched as your sapphires between your four horns sparkled along with all the other dragons’. It was the barest of flickers, but all eight of you had the same ward. My attack works best at extremely close range and loses its impact the further away the target is. To anyone else it would have felt like barely a breeze. But my attacks on your sword and your back required a bit more impact than anything I’ve ever attempted before, but right before I released my punch I pulled back some energy.”
“Why?” she asked as she healed minor internal bleeding.
“Because right before, I sensed the initial amount would have destroyed your wards and blown you completely apart. I put in so much I nearly blacked out. If I hadn’t weakened the strike, I would have killed you. Yes you are powerful, but against me…” he shook his head and left the rest unsaid.
“I sensed the power and the impact, but I do not believe your assessment. We shall see. I will make my strongest barrier. If you can destroy it I will believe all that has been spoken of you.”
Cage watched as the three large sapphires glowed with power as they flowed into Brabrav while she created a ten foot cube of a barrier with such a density and focus that her body shook from putting every part of her being into it. When she glanced, he knew she was ready and put everything into it as well. This time the air around them shook as he called forth his full power. By the look in her powder blue eyes she was taken back as he eclipsed hers. Instead of being invisible, the ring around his upper arm had a shadowy look as the technique was completed, transferred to another fist and it made a solid impact with her power.
There was a cracking sound or breaking of glass from the barrier underlying his a boom of thunder at point blank range. The air distorted and the cube was completely obliterated in an instant. Barbav roared out as she gripped her head in her hands as his power destroyed hers in the blink of an eye. The air trembled for nearly twenty seconds until it settled and during that time Cage had to teleport away for it was too much to fight against while absorbing some power from his stores to take the edge off. His companion had the same idea. Cage twisted a finger in an ear while saying “Glad we are where no one would get hurt. Damn, I can’t let loose very often.” He flicked the bit of wax.
“Indeed. We may return.”
“Okay!” He flew into his black portal and reappeared just outside the pillars, flew straight in, gave the password and sped straight for the beach. The blue dragon waited and used the special access he left open for what Megdline told Rex Gralla and other dragons who came when he was taken away. He landed effortlessly while ending the spell for his board and walked straight up to Moril as she offered his sword right back. He twirled it around his wrist before sheathing it fluidly over his shoulder.
Mox spoke to the only blue dragon in their company. “You are startled, Young One. General Barbav, what occurred?”
She hissed calmly to her only elder. “He bested me and is worthy of the responsibility the Rare Ones placed on his shoulders. I felt his power and have not felt the like since Rex Nattan unleashed his full mighty power. Should they ever do battle, mountains will crumble and the very fabric of reality will warp. Who will fly away victorious, I dare not contemplate. Because of his small size and affinity to battle, he overwhelmed me…” her gaze shifted. “White King Daku, I must apologize for thinking angrily at your words. I did underestimate him and I can assure you he most certainly could have killed me if he did not restrain himself.”
“High praise coming for you.” Daku raised his voice.
“I speak only the truth as I see it. When I am wrong, I admit so. In this, I am wrong. He is worthy of the warlock blade, Ghosts Bane.”
Cage returned to Common and said “Besides the test, Mox, state clearly why I have five top ranking dragon generals on my island. My chief tells me you will speak only to me as to why.” Moril, the seven elders and Rena stood at his side. All other children were away for the moment, but Sean gripped his spear tightly as he stood before Tohka and his other mothers.
Only Barbav looked for translation, which Ulon quietly supplied. Everyone else could understand Mox’s words. “I had not known Rex Nattan’s orders for challenge, Cage Two-legs. Maybe now, he will not doubt my mate… As to the generals’ arrival, two objectives will be met here before a decision is reached between our kinds and all will be decided by what these generals’ see. The primary task is to determine how non-mana casters will be of any use by uniting our species’. If these five do not see any genuine reason for partnership, we will keep to our laws and disappoint the Rare Ones. If it is proven there is reasons we do not yet see, we will rely on uniting. There is a bond we dragons created between the warlocks and griffins. It must be modified to protect the younger species, but it shall act much like what you two-legs’ innate special magic does when binding with another younger creature species. It is not the same, but it is close.”
“So if I can prove you all have been stubborn for eons, for no reason, you will bond with humans and thereby extend your natural immortality to those who do not and also a few more benefits Summoner and Familiar share. That is what you are trying to say correct?”
Only the five generals were genuinely surprised of his deductive reasoning’s. “Correct, Cage Two-legs. The spell that forever bound Griffin and Warlocks to bring an end to the old war was not lost, but if the generals’ agree and all comes to be beneficial, we will modify it so that if our two-legs dies or we do in the coming prediction, the other will survive. This revelation will not leave this island.”
“We agree. If others found out the depth of the discussion, every human would torment your kind into doing this, if they knew what you can do.” Chief
Moril said with a lone hand on her hip. “Especially those who fear dying will be desperate. You will not find one Utala afraid of death or aging. But it doesn’t mean we do not want it either. My people will keep this secret as we have always done. No outsider will know of this.” Heads bobbed in accepting their chief’s command.
“And I apparently didn’t hear a thing. Frill?” Megdline said off to the side. “Nope, not a word.” He yowled. She and Frill looked to one another and shrugged.
“Very well. As to the other situation, I and these three” Mox gestured to the beige, brown and dark yellow dragon generals. “are here to also learn about Tohka Two-leg’s bonding to you and your mates. Xamii is my also daughter and Blind Mountain general.” He gestured to the yellow dragon. “We four once worked many eon cycles ago with my mate’s sire on this very issue…”
“Hold on just a second.” Cage mumbled and shoved an arm down his pocket and retrieved a two inch thick book made from the bark of his home for the cover and the pages modified from its very leaves. “Here is a detailed report on everything from my perspective from the very moment I noticed Tohka on the Tribal Plains, every time she gave me a dirty look, the fight for me to become her man and even exactly how I made love to her all the way to the point she collapsed to her knees and I felt the sensation like being punched in the abdomen. The Rare Ones gave me the gift to speak and write in your language and I applied it. The original language I chose once that had thirty seven characters, but they modified that part of my mind so that I can now see and understand your six thousand four hundred and ninety one. I must say it is much more descriptive and precise than this one… Included inside are hundreds of hypotheses I’ve come up with. Go ahead and read through. It might answer some of your questions and save us many hours of time by sitting and talking.”
Mox gently levitated it off his hand and took hold, using magic to turn the small pages. “I will indeed go through this… all pages are full?”
Ascension of the Warlock (Book 4 of the Death Incarnate Saga) Page 47
