Seed of Life

by D.E.P.

One by one the three left, leaving the king to admire the green flames in the fireplace. The footsteps were heard until they silently disappeared behind the scales that bordered the wall of the secret room aboard the ship. The spirits continued moving the ship to its destination. The clouds were nicely spread out, producing a sea-like atmosphere in the sky. Invicta spoke secretly to the ground as a wide circle, about 20 feet in diameter, appeared. An orange light engraved itself until forming a circular shape large enough to allow three different warriors to fight at any given time.

  The three of them stood at different edges of the circle, a few feet apart from each other as they began gathering energy and preparing for the duel. With swords and daggers held at their sides, a small amount of shine was produced with the reflection of the surroundings. Sicarius, making certain both of her opponents were not using their special swords, stared at Invicta and Magni. Sicarius changed her serious look into an intense smile, her darkened eyes gleaming in mystery. The three of them slowly encircled the circle, not wanting to be the first to attack.

  “Ladies first,” said Invicta maliciously, forming a frown as a small smirk formed on his face.

  “Very well,” stated Sicarius, not giving Invicta time to breathe as she turned around once and slashed him with the diamond ditcher dragger just beneath his muscular chest. She slowly began making a slight spark against the armor, producing an exasperating screech too painful to the ear. Magni and Invicta had no armory covering their arms, only their beating chests. Sicarius quickly narrowed her eyes, forming wrinkles above her darkened pupils. Her mouth opened, exposing her sharp white teeth as they took the form of a disgusted expression.

  Invicta smiled as well as he took his chance of concur. He jumped high into the air, seemingly floating for a few seconds until landing behind Sicarius. His legs slammed against the splinted floor until regaining balance. Taking out his sword, he lanced out at Sicarius, only to hit the thin armory bordering her arms. It was thin as clothing, that armory. Sicarius turned around briskly, succeeding in kicking Invicta closer to the flaming border of the circle.

  Devastated, Sicarius turned to Magni, attempting to push him out of the glowing ring. Magni fell to his side. Being inches from the feet of Sicarius, he caused her to fall to her side as well. Magni rose up from the ground by pushing his legs into the air, quick to react to Invicta that was now in front of him.

  Invicta walked quickly to Magni, not wanting him to escape from his reach. Getting out a second sword, he formed an X above him, pointing it at Magni’s thick neck in a threatening manner. The shininess of the swords reflected the fear of Magni. Magni, not wanting to walk past the ring of flames, balanced himself to the orange curve as he leaned back to evade the spades aiming at his neck. Quickly rising onto the blades, he kicked off of them and landed behind Invicta with little effort.

  “Thought you could escape so easily?” asked Sicarius smiling evilly as she stared at Magni who landed in front of her.

  “It’s funny how you always smile, yet you do not seem happy,” laughed Magni as he lifted his sword and aimed for her underarm. Forming a serious expression, Sicarius knelt down and slid between Magni’s legs. Quick to take advantage of such a position, Sicarius lifted a silver twig that lay on the deck and wrapped it around Magni’s feet, causing him to fall along with her.

  “I cannot let you have all the fun!” yelled Invicta while aiming his swords at the underbelly of Sicarius. Reacting quickly, Sicarius kicked the arms, causing Invicta to spread them apart. Swiftly, Sicarius rolled towards Invicta. When standing, she held Invicta’s hands, bringing his swords into her clutches. With her elbows, she pushed into the hard armory that covered the broad strong chest of Invicta. Slowly he stumbled backwards with dismay.

  With only inches away from the flames that bordered the dueling circle, Magni slid between Sicarius’s legs and stood up swiftly in time to kick Invicta’s lower chest. Violently, Invicta fell behind the flames, hidden by the smoke produced by the fiery atmosphere. The fire had produced a nice glow on Invicta’s face, while his eyes widened and darkened in defeat. He looked upon his successor until finally disappearing into the shadows outside the flames.

  Not forgetting of Sicarius, Magni soared in the air. Attempting to achieve a backwards flip, his armory followed his every movement. “Getting haughty?” asked Sicarius stealthily.

  “Of course not. There is one thing I can do, however,” stated Magni as he and Sicarius encircled around, planning their next move.

  “And what is that?” questioned Sicarius as she brushed her black hair back with her dagger.

  Retrieving two metal zars from his sides and spinning them at a high velocity, Magni threw the silver instruments to the ground. The zars, producing white sparks, caused Magni to ascend into the air at a high altitude. Quick in reacting, Magni brought out two long daggers as he came down at an angle towards Sicarius. His eyes glinted as he tasted the defeat of the prime assassin.

  With the ring that enabled her to respond faster than her opponent, Sicarius ran towards Magni, jumping to his altitude and struggling to push him to the ground. With her daggers blocking the attack, she scarcely evaded the two blades from reaching her neck. Both of them smiled in triumph as they neared the ground.

  “I’m not that easy to conquest,” whispered Sicarius, her eyes sparkling with the dancing flames. Sicarius, finding that her beauty was distracting her competitor, pushed his body off of her with her slender legs. Like a catapult, the legs caused Magni to soar into the air. Sicarius ran as fast as she could, her heart racing and her breath easing to exist. Before Magni could reach the ground, Sicarius spun around, kicking Magni aggressively on his back as she watched him fall from the curtain of blazes. Magni, frowning with defeat, stumbled behind the flaming circle, leaving Sicarius smiling in victory.

  The king had stayed in the room, sitting near the fireplace. Adjusting his posture, he kneeled by the vibrant blazes as he warmed his face and hands. “Angelus,” spoke Fortis. The flames spread out, revealing and forming what he wished to see— his wife.

  “Hello, my queen,”

  “Why is it you appear to stealthily?” asked Angelus.

  “Only when your king is not around, of course.”

  “I thought you were dead?” questioned the queen, turning her back towards the man with the drab voice. The man’s voice seemed much coarser than the king’s. Although the man’s face was not revealed, his cloak and his stubble chin were clearly shown. Angelus, perplexed, turned towards the man once again. She bit her reddened lips slightly. With her hair nicely curled and her skin seemingly moist, she seemed more energetic before the king’s departure.

  Remembering her kiss before the journey, the king stared at the scene in hatred, clenching his fists in anger and tightening his face in defeat. Fortis knew who the man was, a stealthy man that only wished to put defeat onto his land. This man was in fact a brother.

  “You know, you act as if you do not know me. I’m Furtim of course, the brother of that dreadful idiot you married,” a thin smile was revealed under the cloak.

  “How could I forget someone as stealthy as you?” asked the queen slyly as she walked slowly towards the man. “I hated you deeply until I found out you were dead. What a great joy spread throughout my body knowing such news. But yet here you are.”

  “Did you not say I was stealthy?” questioned Furtim as he spread his arms in the air while leaning his chest back slightly. It was not quite obvious if the strange man was attempting to impress the queen with his muscular chest or if it was part of the gesture.

  “It is quite obvious that I did. Still you are. How were you able to trespass my defenses?” asked Angelus, remembering the defense units she had ordered to protect the castle while her king was away.

  “You know my secret ways. Magic is the only answer, is it not?” stated Furtim in an apparent manner.

  “One of these days you will regret using such magic. Nothing is given so easily,” the queen said annoyingly, fi
nally realizing it after her fate was put into the jeopardy of a seed.

  “And why is that?” asked the strange man.

  “Because it is childish to believe magic will solve our problems!” yelled Angelus, backing up to a small chest of drawers as she placed a small dagger into her hands. She moved the small blade through her fingers, feeling the coldness wrapping around her skin. Hastily, she clutched the dagger as she walked towards Furtim. She spun around, trying to sink the sharp blade deep into his beating neck.

  Realizing her move before the act was completed, the man grabbed the queen’s wrists with his hands, wrapping around them with black torn gloves. Grabbing her blade, he threw it into the wooden floor without thought. The blade made a loud noise as it dug into the silver lumber, causing metal splinters to form. “Let us not commit the same mistake, my lady,” stated the man, pushing Angelus away from him. He took off his cloak, revealing red armory taking the form of his shoulders, chest, and legs. His long straight hair, black in color, spread around his head. His skin was pale, reemphasizing the dark color of his hair as it gleamed with his dark green eyes.

  “While you suppose I am here to kill you, I am here for other matters much more serene,” said Furtim after a long pause.

  “And how serene is it when I am involved? You are in no way allowed into my palace. Everything in this castle now stinks of you, something I loathe at this instant!” replied Angelus as her lips formed expressions of utter disgust.

  “Wait and see my lady, you will be mesmerized by what I have in store for this little kingdom of yours,” said the man in red, “If you do what I ask, there will be no harm. Do what I dislike, and you will see harm.” He grabbed the beautiful woman, caressing her cold face— cold with deep fury. Angelus, annoyed by the slightest touch from him, slapped his left cheek, causing a slight redness to rise to the surface.

  “Ah, now your face matches your armory. You will not last long here,” said the queen malevolently.

  “Of course it does. We will see about this theory of yours,” replied Furtim as he walked around the bold woman until being behind her. He grabbed her shoulders, bringing her dominatingly towards his astute body as he reached down and kissed her. Angelus struggled for a few seconds until she relaxed and clung to her enemy. “Now it matches your lips,” Furtim whispered wickedly into the ears of the one he dearly clutched.

  Fortis, not able to bear no more, yelled, “Finis!” in anger. The flames, as if reacting to the sudden anger shone through his voice, moved wildly back and forth as if erasing the history that had already been exposed to the king. Without further agony, the king felt a sudden movement beneath his feet. The flames, now quietly dancing before the king, seemed calm and tranquil, showing no sign of danger.

  The king gathered the velvet sack full of useful supplies and raced to the entrance, leaving the lava-scaled wall behind him and searching for his companions in despair. The deck was filled with smoke, only a small ring of fire was slightly visible where it was aloud. The king went through it only to find a blade coming near him. Having a standard spade at his side, he took it out to defend himself from the other blade that only a second ago would have sliced his throat.

  “Pardon me, my king,” yelled Sicarius over the loud noise of the ship. The ship rocked uncontrollably and the poles in which the sails were attached to failed to stay upright. Slowly they began to break halfway until falling onto the deck. A deep grey smoke prevented Fortis from looking at his surroundings.

  “Exalant!” he shouted over the shimmering of such an element. For a moment or two, the thick smoke failed to diminish. However, slowly the smoke glided out of the surface of the ship, failing to exist. Magni and Invicta were at opposite sides of the vessel, lying sprawled on the floor.

  “I thought dragons were extinct,” stated Magni quietly as Fortis and Sicarius approached him.

  “For centuries we have not seen them glide through our lands. Many believe they are in fact extinct,” replied the king, confused at the sudden remark. Magni contained glaring eyes within a serious face, showing no sign of being mischievous.

  “It is true, my king,” stated Invicta from the opposed side of the vessel, “Dragons once again roam the skies. One has just attacked our ship. It will surely come again,” answered Invicta calmly, still frowning in disbelief as he began standing.

  Sicarius looked up towards the distance, blocking the brightness with one of her diamond ditcher draggers. This produced a steady white shine on the silver piece of deadly art. The background of the light produced a warmness against her pale skin. In the distance she could vaguely see a dark silhouette of a small figure. The figure nearing the ship with every second that passed by became far more larger than anticipated.

  The king, noticing the dilemma of the situation, yelled out loud in dismay, “Set up the weapons on the sides, I will unleash the dragon from within the ship!” Quickly, though there were only four of them, they all began to assemble the weapons as they had done in the past.

  “Of course the weapons, but another dragon?” questioned Invicta slightly confused as he hurriedly ran to the middle of the ship in which lay a metal chain. Pulling the thin chain, the door on the deck opened upwards, revealing a staircase leading to the bottom of the vessel.

  “Of course,” smiled the king mysteriously, his skin seemingly burning with a renewed confidence, “Did I not tell you this ship was created in such medieval times?”

  The king, suddenly energetic and ready for such a challenge, returned to the small room with the scaled walls as the chandelier dangled above his head. Finding the small parchment in which contained the ancient language to operate the vessel, Fortis held it up towards the little light that consumed the room. Using his finger, he pointed out the incantation that would work well with such a situation as the one he was forced into. Smiling before reading aloud, he loudly spoke the powerful language of the land, “Evigilabit semel bestia de hyacintho Awake once more beast of blue.” The deck rumbled as if an earthquake were occurring, overturning the ship towards the right side in deep despair.

  “What is happening up here!” shouted Sicarius, her yell wrapping itself with the noise in the surroundings. The dragon, only a few hundred feet away, encircled the ship at a fast speed. The king waited patiently for the ship to work its magic even though time was scarce. Sicarius looked quickly at the king’s eyes and stared towards the front of the ship in disbelief as she saw the metallic head of the frightening dragon moving, its eyes opening and staring through her jittery soul.

  The dragon encircling the ship was the color of fire, with streaks of red and orange, a mixture of warmth but a connotation of death. Flying at the same velocity as the ship, the red dragon’s mouth opened, exposing thin and sharp white teeth, millions of them tightly packed in the long pathway leading to a hollow throat. The neck of the dragon swelled as fire came out of the throat, promptly covering the left side of the ship with long vibrating flames. The metal of the ship was enough to block the strong blazes from reaching the deck, but the metal began shattering with the high temperature.

  “We need the weapons!” yelled Sicarius at the immobile figure of the king. The king, ignoring the sudden outcry, was quickly distracted by the shadow over the vessel. Sicarius looked up, sinking herself into the power of the wings that covered the light around the ship. She quickly looked behind, realizing that the head was no longer where it once pertained. The blue metallic dragon was slightly smaller than the red dragon that was now underneath the vessel. “Oppugnare,” whispered the king aloud, so quietly that it was hardly considered a murmur.

  In the meantime Invicta and Magni ran down the small white staircase that lead to level ground, blue in color. Several ancient weapons lined the sides of the ship: cannons, arrows, acid, and zars. The zars, stacked in metal crates, stood at the corner of the room with only fragments of dust lining the shiny parts of the deadly weapons. Their shape was the same shape as the metal stars Magni had used to lift himself from the ground
. Yet, they were far more thicker and larger.

  “What should we use first?” asked Magni, staring at Invicta with glaring eyes. It was clear he found enjoyment.

  Both of them smiled impishly, viewing the long golden arrows placed against the wall. They adjusted the arrows into the huge automatic arrow machines and moved the viewer towards the red dragon that was now soaring high into the sky. Invicta pulled the trigger, releasing the long arrow as it flew like a shiny golden star aiming at the red target.

  The arrow, being half ways to the target, broke apart like a rocket, revealing several smaller arrows inside. Together, they crossed the sky like a flock of auralas nearing their nests. The arrows, regaining speed, suddenly sparkled with a renewed power as flames began encircling to the rhythm of the spinning weaponry. Slowly, they sunk into the hard coarse skin of the red lizard of the skies. The dragon stumbled as its wings and belly became soaked in a thin layer of its own blood.

  Regaining its height, the red dragon flapped its wings at a higher rate, trying to escape the reach of its revealed opponent— the blue dragon. The arrows, not having a lasting effect, broke off at the ends. Only the sharp pointers deep inside the red flesh shimmered under the rays of light. As if on cue, the blue metallic dragon reached up higher into the sky than its opponent. The sky became a battlefield between a red and blue sapphire as they battled simultaneously in the purple mine field.

  “Its name is Kyanite,” stated the king to Sicarius as he looked at the sky. “She is quite the sight.”

  “Can I ride it?” asked Sicarius as she approached the side of the ship. She gripped the borders as she gazed into the skies.

  “You could certainly try,” replied Fortis perplexed by the sudden question. Still he smiled in awe nonetheless.

  Kyanite dived down to the red dragon that was a hundred feet below. Using its neck as a whip, it hit the red dragon, driving its horn into the thick surface below the head. The red dragon let out a deep wail, its cloudy eyes darkening in hatred as it moved its neck from side to side in dismay. The blue dragon let the neck slip into its opened jaws as they clutched the thickness with ease. Kyanite, losing grip of its enemy as the neck was slowly loosening from its clenched jaws, dropped the heavy body. For a few minutes it seemed as if the monstrous dragon was finally dead. But in reality, that fact in itself could not be possible in such a story.

  “The living horror!” cried out Sicarius as she saw two more heads grow out of the new wounds. No more thick purple blood was pouring. No more slimy shiny substance was falling from the heavens. A head. Two heads. Together, three heads controlled the massive body in the skies, a horrific sight indeed.

  When seeing the dragon fall below, Invicta and Magni stared in admiration, realizing the war between dragon and inhabitant was ended. They grabbed each other’s hands in a roman handshake, glad to triumph over the deadly beast. Magni, however, realized something was wrong. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted a movement. A second movement, as the heads of the red dragon grew to become three.

  “Quick we need more weaponry!” shouted Magni over the deep growl of the red dragon as it gained renewed strength.

  “Acquire the zars!” yelled Invicta as he himself gathered some large zars, pushing them vigorously onto a cart. He did this stealthily in hopes that they would kill such a beast as the one that roamed the skies. The zars were more than two feet in diameter, capable of puncturing a metal wall and thick enough to collapse it.

  “Four should do it!” yelled Magni as he gathered two more, taking them towards Invicta who was already releasing his first one. The zars, quite heavy, caused the veins stretched along Magni’s arm to pulsate into a steady bulge.

  The king and Sicarius continued looking at the skies as if hypnotized. The blue spirits to their side continued gliding the boat as if the events happening were meaningless to them. Their expression was bland, yet heroic as they continued with their task. Kyanite seemed to understand the matter as the king finally came to realize.

  “The red dragon is one of the few that enables itself to grow for every fatal wound that is produced around the head,” informed the king abruptly.

  “How might we kill this bloody beast?” asked Sicarius as she stared into the distance.

  “Its heart beats only to contain life. While its heads grow, the heart diminishes, unable to reproduce no more,” answered the king.

  Sicarius walked towards the right side of the ship, ready to fall down upon the blue gem. The king, understanding, quietly whispered a phrase, “Longe diffusus alis tuis irae Spread far your wings of wrath.” The abrupt enchantment caused Kyanite to swiftly fly high above the red dragon, abandoning the important task at hand. It dived down towards the back of the ship until finally leveling itself to the ships height and positioning itself for the fierce warrior to ride atop it.

  Sicarius looked back at the king. Her black armory enwrapped around her in a fashionable style, seemingly like a satin blouse. “I would have lent you one of the elemental swords, but a dragon that size needs to be stabbed in the heart. From what I remember in my early years of anatomy class, the heart could be seen from the throat of the dragon,” stated the king without the slightest smile forming across his rigid face.

  Jumping high onto the dragon’s back Sicarius snickered before asking, “Which head?” Before the king could respond, however, the blue dragon raced off to its opponent with Sicarius as a renewed weapon.

  “We need to release the zars now, Sicarius is approaching far too quickly. We need to wound the red dragon beforehand!” ordered Magi. Invicta released the star of destruction, aiming at the head. The zar spun around in the air, clearly a star of death. Gaining speed, the zar hit the thick neck on the far right, causing the other neck to move to the sudden blow. The eyes of the monstrous figure closed for the time being. Traumatized, it barely had enough time to react to the figure racing towards it.

  Due to its immense weight, the red dragon failed to soar faster through the sky, trying to escape its opponent’s grasp. Moving the blue dragon’s neck as a steer, Sicarius was able to have the dragon glide next to the enemy. Carefully, Sicarius inched forward, balancing herself on the steady blue body until reaching and touching the side of the red dragon. Blindly, she felt around until she touched a small crater-like hole. The large shimmering wings that flapped to her right side pushed a steady gust of wind against her face.

  Her long fingers massaged the surface. It was sticky at first, a type of sludge that was slimy and slippery to the slightest touch. Yet it dried up, dissolving in the palm of her hand. She brought it up to her sight, realizing it was a thick warm liquid substance a deep purple in color. The sight of such a color made Sicarius thrive for more. Trying to contain herself, she abandoned her thoughts of hunger as she searched around the small hole until reaching the base of an unknown object. Moving her hands upward and following the different textures of the thin metal piece, she knew it was her objective to retrieve such an item.

  Pulling hard, Sicarius was able to recover the long arrow from its area on the dragon, as if destiny allowed. Holding it to the light to admire the bright flames that reflected off the weapon, Sicarius foresaw the pride turning to darkness. She soared from the safe haven of the back of the blue dragon, heading straight to the world beneath. The long wings of the red dragon, now flapping violently and gaining speed, knocked the fierce lady as it brutally raised the stiff wings. Violently, they hit the armory around the strong legs of the woman until she stumbled in her path.

  The king saw as Sicarius soared down the sky, the arrow in flames still intact in her right hand. As if time could no longer stand still for the blue dragon, it soared down below in an attempt of saving its rider. Sicarius looked at her left side in vain as she felt a deep dark figure approach her from behind. Thinking it was the red dragon, she quickly took out one of her daggers and held it in an attack position, soon realizing there was nothing to fear after all. Sicarius smiled, grabbing onto the dragon’s neck and slowly cr
awling towards the massive body in the center of the dragon. Slowly the tail moved, the tip having a thick layer of a silver metal.

  “Shoot another one!” ordered Magni, frowning in despair as Invicta released another zar into the sky. He watched as it soared once again to its target. The zar raced against the quiet wind until reaching the enormous feet neatly tucked below the red dragon’s immense body. As if annoyed by the sudden attacks, the dragon flew towards the ship. Abruptly, it flew upward towards the heavens once the ship blocked it from moving any further.

  Finally spotting the red dragon and realizing its tactics, Sicarius motioned Kyanite to fly quickly towards the gleaming red gem suspended above the vessel. Only a few hundred feet of distance lied between the red dragon and its avenger as Sicarius prepared her diamond ditcher draggers, sharpening the blades in an X-like position. She had suspended the arrow on her back until it could be used to pierce a stuttering heart.

  The bloodshot dragon breathed deep, letting out three flaming balls of fire, two heading towards the ship and one straight for Sicarius. Kyanite, scarcely missing the attack, swerved to the left, able to escape the bright glow of fire as it raced past. The blue dragon, promptly from the recent attack, reacted to the flames hitting the ship. The spheres of flames began enflaming the deck with vibrant red, orange, and yellow colors. The flames danced before the king.

  “Tollit ventus caeli,” said the king quietly as he maneuvered his hands around the long flames that nearly engulfed him. His eyes gleamed slightly, glowing in mysterious ways. A calm wind came towards the fire, sweeping the flames as if the blazes were merely scraps of ashes. The orange flames disappeared as they were elevated from beneath the ground and taken off of the ship within a few minutes. Promptly, the king’s eyes normalized as his strong body fell to the ground, exhausted by the sudden necessity of magic and the smoke that had eased his breathing.

  Sicarius motioned the blue dragon close enough for it to bite the red dragon that was hovering above. Moving closer, Sicarius did not waste time in stabbing the two beating eyes on the left head. As a reaction, the other two heads lashed out at the attacker, missing her as Kyanite flew around the red lizard of the skies. Flying around once more, Kyanite approached the red dragon from behind as Sicarius jumped onto the hard rough skin. She steadied her balance as the scales of the dragon vibrated with the power instilled from the beating wings. She grabbed onto the one neck that unified all three necklines, feeling the dry scales that covered such a masterpiece. Sicarius tightened her grip around the circumference as the red dragon dove down as quickly as it could in an attempt to dispose of the light burden. Blades sharp as the stones down below slowly dug into the sides of the neckline without Sicarius’s knowledge.

  “Fire another!” cried out Magni in desperation, not noting that Sicarius was on the back of the rubicund dragon. Invicta, without questioning, let out another zar, aiming for not only the red dragon, but also its load clinging to its back.

  It did not take long for the zar to reach the red dragon. Within a second, the zar had hit the chest of the red beast, possibly breaking bones in the process. Sicarius felt a sudden hit, her body flying into the air. Luckily one hand clung to the blade that had sunk deep into the dragon’s neckline. The blade, as if defying Sicarius, loosened with the sudden burden of the newly instilled weight. At the brink of falling off, Sicarius forced her other arm to swing to the other side of the red dragon’s neck, escaping the grasp of gravity that would take her down below. The dragon leveled, seemingly motionless, except for the heavy raspy breathing and quiet moans of pain.

  With one last effort, Sicarius released her weapon from beneath the reddened skin. She climbed slowly on the middle neck, the primary and dominant of the three. Estimating where the dragon’s eyes would be, she dug the blade through the eyeballs of the dragon, releasing the blade quickly to pierce the others. The eyes were a scary sight. Purple blood began pouring outwards as if the eyes were nothing more than rotten grapes. As the dragon moved its head in agony, Sicarius once again found herself in a desperate situation.

  Sicarius, quicker than her opponent, slashed open the last two eyes of the dragon. Blind, the dragon was unable to rely on itself for survival. Before opening the huge jaws of the beast, Sicarius stabbed the thick neck that formed all three, twisting and forming a hole about six inches in diameter. The dragon lifted its heads in agony, swerving in its flight until regaining its strength. The dragon was able to heal at a quick rate, thus Sicarius needed to act swiftly before a new head formed. A slight pigment of purple blood splattered out onto the pale hand, burning and reddening the frail fingers where the stain was prominent. Reacting quickly, Sicarius wiped her irritated fingers on the sides of the dragon, eager to wipe the burning purple substance off her skin.

  Her right hand ached as she made facial expressions of agony. After a while of rejuvenating her strength, Sicarius very slowly opened one of the jaws of the dragon while clinging onto the long neck. The other two heads turned her way, feeling the enemy’s grasp. Sicarius, feeling the sight of the two heads despite their beating eyes being sliced through the middle, swiftly evaded the dragon’s head from knocking her down.

  The dragon, gaining energy due to a sudden anger, breathed out, attempting to engulf Sicarius with a thick cloud of flames. However, due to the large hole that was made, the flames leapt out like a cannon, failing to overpower Sicarius at the entrance of its mouth. The hole that had once been half a foot in diameter was now dwindling to less than five inches as a new neck slowly came to be. Quickly, with time ticking behind her ears, Sicarius sliced the cheeks of the middle head, placing her blade upwards into the crying mouth. The dragon attempted to close its jaws, having a sharp blade protruding its snout. The dragon was slowly dying. But dragons don’t die with a heart still beating.

  Without further delay, Sicarius raised her hand containing the flaming arrow, aiming at the beast.

  The king, finally awakening, looked before him, comprehending what was to be. Without rethinking the situation, the king hurried down beneath the deck, calling out to Invicta and Magni who were debating on releasing another weapon into the skies. “My friends, Sicarius is at the brink of killing the beast! We must escape for the dragon is close enough to the ship to destroy it.”

  “But what about Sicarius?” asked Magni, concerned in leaving her at the jaws of the beast.

  “I have arranged for Kyanite to protect her. As of now we must jump,” said the king with only a slight hesitation. Still, he quickly said the words as to not be seen in a false suspicion.

  The three quickly gathered their supplies, jumping at the sudden movement of the skies. Thick clumps of dark purple liquid, evilly lurking above them, came down with a great swiftness. Looking behind as he jumped, the king saw the beautiful ship that had once been and what it was now about to become. The sudden events were too drastic for such a ship. Even if perhaps the red dragon was killed a few miles apart, the ship may have rotted inside with immense amount of flames. Although the flames did not rot the surface of the ship, what was beneath it was slowly decaying. Like termites, it surely made the massive artwork unstable. The blue spirits, still rowing with no interest in the events happening, would surely be able to escape death for a second time. The ship creaked as powder and dust filled the air. The king seemed to be relaxed as he stared down below as his feet neared the land. Invicta and Magni however, seemed anxious to escape such a drastic conclusion as they yelled at the king for deceiving them.

  “My king, please do something! If you have not noticed, we will die if you do not have a spell in mind. Cannot the dragon be called?” Invicta quickly said as saliva floated upward with each phrase.

  “No! The dragon cannot hold our weight,” said the king calmly.

  “What about magic?” asked Magni.

  Fortis smiled at the remark, remembering the queen’s advice. Quickly, he turned his smile into a deep frown of hatred. “My queen used to say that magic does not solve everything.”r />
  Invicta, noticing the sudden change of expression, became silent, not wanting to annoy the king further. Magni, noticing only a few hundred feet were below them, moved in agony as if his body had already impacted against the trees that were clearly seen on the grey ground.

  The king smiled all the more, as if content with such a choice. “Have faith,” he spoke at last.

  Invicta and Magni stared at the king in disbelief while the king offered them white grain that fell dreamily into their hands. Following the king’s movement, all three of them sprinkled the substance on the surface of their skin. They each held the powder below them, slowly having the grains fly on their bodies with the quick rubbing of their fingers.

  As if the powder refused to work, Invicta and Magni did not feel a difference at first. With only a short distance until landing, Invicta and Magni closed their eyes, believing it was the last few seconds of life. The king looked beyond the trees, dreading the thought of walking in the dreadful land he knew to be forbidden.

  At the last second it would seem as if the king, Invicta, and Magni were nearing a horrible death. The long trees, with sharp branches sticking upwards, surely showed no signs of mercy. But as if on cue, the powder reacted as it began elevating them from their death.

  Invicta and Magni, realizing they should have died a few seconds ago, opened their eyes, smiling for the death they evaded. They floated in the skies, walking upon the air until realizing the powder would eventually fail them. The silvery trees were decorated with blue colored leaves which appeared soft and moist.

  “Is there no choice but to walk through what I see below?” asked Magni as he peered into the dark atmosphere.

  “Unfortunately,” answered the king, “It would be unwise to turn back, these trees prevent one from returning from where they came from.”

  “Thank the heavens! How much longer?” asked Invicta a bit sarcastically, stretching his broad shoulders as his veins swelled with energy.

  “Your alive are you not?” yelled Magni in annoyance.

  “The distance can be from a hundred miles to thousands,” stated the king, “By ship through the skies it would have taken us a few short days. Now it will take much more.”

  “Cannot we find help some way?” asked Invicta in dismay, “Someone could ride the dragon and seek help for the rest.”

  “It is quite possible, as for magic, the air produced in this forest weakens our magical capabilities. Use them and it is quite possible one might die,” informed the king. The three had already carefully lowered themselves to the ground. The trees had scraped their sides, but the thick metal protected them from the formation of wounds.

  All three of them stood under the tall trees, staring at the bluish sand as they wondered about the events that had currently occurred.

  Chapter 6

  Through the Branches