Dargonfire: Age of Legend

by LJ Davies

  I glanced between her and the others, and it was clear I wasn't the only one who didn't want to split up.

  Then what's the difference? Our levels of faith in them? I wondered, aware Risha was right. If we don't go now, it may be too late.

  "They can handle themselves," she added reassuringly.

  "You're right," I finally admitted, but not before sending a blast of fire into the oncoming horde, shattering the stairs.

  *

  It wasn't long before the two of us found a route to the higher levels. With the monsters distracted below, it was clear, just as Risha had suggested, and we soon emerged onto a small series of steps running around the square rim of the tower’s peak.

  "He has to be up there," I proposed, nodding at the platform.

  "I wouldn't doubt it," she added.

  Sheets of scaled hide and rough furs covered the metal-reinforced summit, while the scent of death and decay filled the air. Meanwhile, flares of toxic-green fire burst up from the temple far below, while silver flashes indicated that our forces still fought back.

  Even if we kill Balgore, what's to say they won't still be stuck in there with that thing?

  It was at that point I looked down at the flaming tower below us, the sight reminding me of the orkin mining structures back in Valcador. The centre was some kind of crude mechanism boring into a pit below the foundations, bearing the smouldering characteristics of something that could explode.

  If my time in Valcador taught me anything... I began to formulate an idea.

  "Stay close," I insisted, taking a cautious step up to the roof with Risha close behind.

  The unexpected sound of metal talons upon wood forced us to freeze. I listened intently as the sounds came closer, but I noticed something else – the footsteps were light and sharp, unlike those of any brutish warlord.

  "You're too late, little hatchlings," a silky feminine voice hissed.

  I glanced up at the snake-like form of the ebon dragoness coiling down from the rafters. The one Pyro had sent to guard the warlord.

  "Omisha, I presume?" I muttered.

  She smiled, flexing a forepaw as if to offer a patronising pat on the head.

  "I admire your eagerness to fulfil the master's great plan, but this is not where you're needed," she hissed, waving a wing as if to direct an ill-behaved chick to their nest.

  I narrowed my eyes, stepping forward without a hint of the fear her glowing eyes were clearly seeking.

  "Where's Balgore?" I demanded.

  She coiled back, raising a foreclaw to her muzzle in mock contemplation.

  "Let me think. Oh yes, he's at the switch on top of this tower, but I wouldn't worry; he'll be dead the moment it's triggered," she laughed.

  I fought not to allow my confusion to show, but nonetheless, she revelled in my perplexed emotions.

  "Couldn't your brave friends figure out what these towers are for? We don't want to take Dardien, we want it gone, and when these towers are activated." She raised a forepaw, clenching it tightly, "well, the hanging city shouldn't be too much trouble after that," she hissed, opening her paw and silently mouthing the word Boom.

  Wait... So these towers are supposed to explode!?

  I had no time to consider what she had said before she slammed into me with a speed that put Neera's to shame. Her claws raked at my armour and her fire caused my scars to burn red-hot. She had me pinned, but with a hiss Risha leapt up and wrapped all four claws about her neck, pulling her backwards.

  "That's my mate, you monster!" she declared, slashing at the traitor's wings with her tail blade.

  The ebon wing recoiled like a spring, and in her struggle, failed to notice that Risha was directing her toward the edge of the platform. Smashing through the row of spiked rails guarding the edge, she plummeted into the battle below, her tattered wings barely able to hold her as she flailed in the air. Risha leapt back beside me as I staggered to my paws and glanced at her in utter bewilderment, only to speak before she could quip.

  "Yes, yes, I know... You fight better than me anyway."

  Quickly moving on we scampered upwards, a large square platform greeted us, laden with piles of munitions and several cannons.

  That at least makes one part of my plan easier. However, in light of the new information I had to consider. I don't want to blow up the whole of Dardien doing this.

  Smoking chimneys and fires sat around the platform, while a tall spire draped in chains and slowly shifting machinery sat at the centre.

  That has to be the top of their drill?

  A thunderous gust of wind shook me from my thoughts, prompting me to look into the distant horizon at the gathering mass of clouds.

  The lack of Mordrakk telling me anything since the start of the battle made me feel uneasy, especially when I saw the gathering storm. In the same instant I observed several orkin guards abandon their cannons, rushing forward in an attempt to subdue us. Fortunately, they were no better than those who had preceded them, and when we finally finished them off, I looked back at Risha.

  "Come on, if he's not here, we still have to destroy this thing before they can use it," I prompted.

  The central mechanism whirred and rattled, as if it were winding up for its fatal blow. My guesswork was further corroborated when I saw what looked like a gigantic lever before a crude throne at its base, its handle wickedly forged from the same golden metal as my armour. There was no sign of Balgore, or the black dragoness.

  Maybe he doesn't want to sit on top of the explosives intended to kill him?

  "We need to ensure no one activates this thing, before we figure out how to destroy it!" I instructed.

  Risha nodded reluctantly, making her way over to the throne while I strode out onto the open platform. Making myself look as proud and confident as I could manage. Spreading my wings, I sent several blasts of magical fire into the air where they exploded amidst the gathering clouds.

  "Where are you? I'm here, come and get me!" I shouted as loud as I could, adding several more explosive bolts.

  We waited in strained anticipation; nothing but the low din of battle filling the air until a thunderous roar boomed. The whole platform shook as the silhouetted form of the wyvern-mounted warlord appeared. His vicious steed hissed and its dorsal spines rattled, while its rider let out a confident laugh.

  "I's been waitin' for this," he growled, waving his golden hammer.

  My wings flared wider, the arcane blades flashing to life as his mount dropped to the wooden platform with a tremendous thud. Risha watched from the throne, as if every part of her body was urging her not to stand idly by. Yet she knew what she had to do. As did I.

  "So have I, you filth."

  Chapter 14

  The Brazen Warlord

  I charged forward, drawing his attention away from Risha and the lever. His wyvern clumsily spread its wings, surging upward as it fumbled toward me. Without hesitation, I darted left toward one of the cannons. The confused beast swung round, its armoured neck far more agile than I anticipated, and before I knew it, my tail exploded with agony as its strong jaws crushed around my armour.

  It dragged me out from behind the cannon and threw me against a pile of scrap metal, my armour cushioning most of the impact. Balgore laughed, ushering the thing forward once more. I coiled back and blasted fire at the creature’s right wing, turning it into a tattered rag of burnt flesh. It let out an angry roar, lunging as I darted around its opposite flank, torching its other wing with another burst of flame.

  Let's see how tough you are when you can't fly! I thought, as it went from flailing in pain, to a fit of rage, sticking out its burnt right limb.

  The speed at which it moved the charred appendage caught me off guard, and I landed flat on my face when it knocked my legs out from under me.

  All the while Balgore bellowed a barrage of angry insults, continually forcing the wyvern forward. I staggered to my paws just as it swung round, its horns thumping into me like a battering ram. Nevertheles
s, I sank my claws deep into its putrid, scaly hide and slashed at its eyes with my wings, drawing great gashes across its golden armour.

  Whipping its serpentine neck around, the beast reared up and it was all I could do to hang on as I was dragged into the air with it. Inevitably thrown aside, crashing to the floor beside the throne.

  "Blaze, what are you doing? You can't fight him alone!" Risha shouted.

  Rising from the dent I'd made in the frail metal structure, I looked back at her.

  "No, but if he gets to that lever, everyone down in the city dies!"

  "Isn't this romantic," a mocking voice announced.

  I peered past Risha to see a dark shape materialise behind the throne, shadowy scales gleaming in the last beams of sunlight as distant thunder began to rumble.

  "It is such a shame I have to intrude!" Omisha announced, before she leapt at Risha.

  "Look out!" I called, coiling back.

  Before I could take a breath, Risha spun round, bringing the blade on her tail across the underside of the ebon wing.

  "Why, you are a bold little thing, aren't you?" the dark dragoness mused as their wing blades locked in a clattering parry.

  "You have no idea!" Risha challenged, blasting a plume of fire into her opponent's face.

  The ebon wing hissed, but as Risha fell back Omisha swept her paws out from under her.

  "You focus on him, I'll take care of her," my blue companion instructed, jumping back to her paws with a snarl.

  Torn between helping her and tackling the warlord, I felt stunned. Fear and dread gripped me more than ever.

  No, not here, not now. I'm in the heart of battle. I have to focus!

  As I deliberated, the wyvern was busy battling with its tattered wings, much to Balgore's rage.

  "Having issues?" I taunted, prowling back towards him.

  "The only issues I's has is with you's!" he growled, slamming his hammer down on the wyvern’s head. "Go gets him, you's useless wretch!"

  The monster licked its bloodied lips, fixing its yellow eyes on me before it charged once more. I backed up against one of the cannons, craning my neck to face the pile of spiked orbs beside it. The beast’s mouth opened wide and I exhaled, jumping up from the explosion with a beat of my wings. The blast wave consumed the wyvern as both the cannon and its munitions exploded.

  How do you like that, you... I'd almost cleared its spiny back when a heavy golden mass swatted me.

  Balgore's crude hammer was more than a match for my armour, the force of its strike shattering bone and plates alike, and I crashed into the floor before rolling to a painful halt. All the while I could hear Risha battling Omisha, and a loud creaking through the tower as it shuddered. The explosion had shattered one of the main support beams, causing the whole thing to list. As it slowly shifted, the temple roof loomed into view.

  One more explosion like that and this whole thing's going to topple! I thought, locking eyes with my opponent.

  The wyvern swung round, its face and front half now matching its charred wings.

  How in the creators’ name is it still alive! The idea sickened me, yet as I thought, another fiery explosion lit up the sky behind Balgore, when the second tower came crashing down.

  Tarwin did it! Despite everything, I inwardly cheered as several armoured griffins bearing riders swooped away from the destruction. Two down, last one is on me!

  Balgore took one look at the flaming remnants, his face contorting as he growled and snorted a stream of green embers.

  "You's really are starting to anger me's, wyrm!" he roared.

  Coiling back, I blasted several bolts at the wyvern’s head, but despite scorching its scales, it was as if it didn't feel the pain anymore. In a flash, it swept out a bony wing and pinned me under its snout. I kicked up, pressing all four of my legs into its muzzle and letting my claws sink deep into its exposed hide. With all of my strength, I forced its mouth shut, very much aware that being eaten wasn't on my list of things to experience. All the while Balgore grinned down at me.

  "Little demon... No more's than a wyrm under my boot!"

  He should really learn to stop taunting! Despite the wyvern's newfound energy, it couldn't ignore the heat of my claws as they turned white-hot.

  With a shrill yelp, it reeled back, flames erupting from my armour and igniting the floor beneath me. Balgore's smile simply grew wider.

  "This is what's I's after, demon!" he declared loudly, lifting his hammer. "A reals good fight!"

  Suddenly, the sky let out a thunderous boom and arcs of lightning lanced through the dark air. With a stark flash, a purple bolt split the clouds, followed immediately by another as a light rain began to fall. I looked out over the distant plains as purple lightning strikes began to ignite fires and split the heavens open.

  This is no natural storm. I noted, as where lightning struck, it opened smouldering holes in the earth, their depths illuminated by more purple flames. Just like under the brazier back at the celebration!

  Balgore looked to the sky, seemingly far more angered by the interruption. In that moment, I took my chance and leapt onto the wyvern's head, running down its snaking neck toward him. He met me with a stone arm, wrapping his fingers around my wing, holding his grip for a few seconds until the heat forced him to let go and I brought a searing claw across his chest.

  His golden armour buckled and warped, but remained steadfast. The warlord took one look at it, and I recoiled, ready to fire. Before I knew it, his hammer slammed into my side. More of the wooden platform ignited as I rolled to a halt, the flames hissing in the growing rain.

  "I's sick of this, demon. I's goin’ to kills you's!" he bellowed.

  The ever-darkening clouds began to swirl and the wind blew wildly. It was as if the air itself was fleeing the storm as it consumed the last shreds of sunlight with another thunderous boom. I took one look at the molten holes the lightning had created and felt my blood run cold as the dark forms of winged beasts swarmed out like pitch-black rivers.

  Vulpomancers... There's so many of them!

  Moving like the writhing tentacles of one great beast, illuminated by flashes of purple lightning, they began to coil within the clouds. Another soul-tearing shriek burst from the sky as a purple light swirled into existence within the storm and the wind blew harder, rattling the tower to its foundations. I battled to keep my footing as the structure's gradual descent toward the battle-strewn ruins accelerated.

  Mordrakk laughed within my mind, before slipping away into the shadows amidst my thoughts. His time to act had finally come. Fear gripped me, and even Balgore appeared uneasy as the dark swarm began to gather, their shadows spreading across the snow-covered plains like a vast plague.

  I wonder if he realises who he's been serving all this time? I had to wonder, yet with a chilling war cry, he surged forward.

  His battered wyvern staggered, while I did my best to steady myself. Before he could get close to me the wooden frame splintered, metal supports twisted and wailed, lengths of taught chains snapping back like whips as they broke. I glanced back at Risha, to see her desperately avoiding Omisha's attacks. Every fibre of my being was telling me to help her, and yet I knew if either of our adversaries got to the lever, it was all over. A fresh burst of lightning illuminated a new form, and seconds later, a jet of red flames hit the ebon dragoness.

  Several bolts of green fire and shards of bone followed, as Boltock, Ember and Neera all appeared in the sky above Risha. Omisha’s face contorted with anger as they forced her back, her attention caught between them.

  "You seriously think you can best me?" she challenged, receiving a blast of blue fire for her trouble.

  "Try us!" Ember snapped as she landed with Boltock by his sister's side.

  "As you wish," Omisha growled, surging forward.

  I felt another urge to rush over, but the sound of a thundering charge met my ears, as did the shaking of the platform.

  "You's forgetting something, demon!" Balgore called out a
s his wyvern rammed into me.

  Once again, his mighty hammer swatted me aside. The moment I was tossed into the air, my instinct surged, and I darted back with a beat of my wings. Narrowly avoiding the wyvern's jaw, I landed as the beast twisted back, frantically shaking its charred head. Balgore roared, his words disappearing into a beastial chant as he tried to usher the wounded monster forward.

  That thing's almost spent, there's hardly any fight left in it. I noted, readily raking my claws across the wood with a flurry of sparks.

  Before either of us could charge again, the storm of wing beats drew closer and a dark cloud of vulpomancers swarmed overhead.

  "What's this?" Balgore demanded, locking eyes with Omisha.

  The ebon wing took a courteous glance at the swarm, her eyes passing between the warlord and I.

  "I believe your services are no longer required, nor are you," she informed Balgore with a condescending sympathy.

  His anger waned for a moment, the green fire in his eyes flaring. Omisha ignored him, focusing on her own adversaries as several vulpomancers appeared over the edge and set upon the warlord. The otherworldly spawn ravaged his wyvern with little more than a few strokes of their dark claws. It gave a sharp shriek before dropping, burying Balgore under its weight. I stared as the swarm passed on, before glancing back at the others and the black dragoness.

  "Now to see if this beast’s work is worthy," she stated, blasting a bolt of fire into my friends and forcing them back as she prowled toward the lever.

  I leapt forward, but before she could lay a talon upon the golden handle, it froze solid, just as a pair of ice blades tore through her wings. She crumbled into a heap of scales, floundering down the stairs before the throne. Boltock and Ember recovered and Neera swooped low as Omisha stood, rustling her torn limbs in frustration. Risha appeared at the top of the steps, ice blade levitating at her side.

  "You'll regret that!" Omisha hissed, leaning back like a deadly snake ready to strike.

  Risha stood firm, taking up the blade like a master would a spear.

  "Not as much as you'd regret pulling that lever," she challenged.