17. Dragon Fight
Dragon Fight
“What–what is that?” Natasha gasped as she raised a shaking hand towards the rising creature
“Not possible. Not…” Lawson breathed.
He lost the ability to speak and simply shook his head.
Grayson didn’t blame him. Though there were rumors of dragon-like creatures–one had supposedly even appeared at the Spire before when Daemon returned–few had ever seen one in life.
He hadn’t. But here was proof that they did exist, or, at least, had existed at some point.
That tail whipped back and forth, casting off water, muck and seaweed.
Lawson had to dodge a large, wet piece of it that slapped against the ground where he’d just been.
He crouched by Natasha’s side, teeth bared, prepared to shift, but frozen in his humanoid form by the shock of it all.
For her part, Natasha’s mouth was opened in an “O” of awe and wonder.
“Is it… alive or dead?” Dani whispered. “It feels both.”
She was right. Even as his shock and anger–disappointment, too–burned within him that she was a part of this, not to mention some other Ashyr Vampires, she, alone, felt the truth of this creature. There was life in the dead. Maybe it was his life, but no, there was more to it than that.
Anyone who thinks the Kaly play with dead things don’t understand them at all. Not at all, Grayson thought as his own wonder grew at what he was doing, what he was sensing.
“Is a Kaly Vampire doing this?” One of the other Ashyr cried.
Grayson recognized her. A very young fledgling of Marco’s.
Her name was Xandria. He had barely had a chance to know her before his death.
He hadn’t seen Marco in the future. Maybe he had died.
He likely had earned his Second Death in the War.
Dani had taken her under her wing. Or, at least, the Order had.
His mood darkened and the dragon lifted its head skyward and opened its maw as if to let out a roar. But it was silent.
“I don’t know, Xandria,” Dani breathed. “Why would they play with us this way?”
“Why would they not?” The other remaining Ashyr Vampire growled.
He was not recognizable to Grayson. A War Childe? Perhaps. Or perhaps a Childe of just one of his more far flung branches of his Bloodline. Yet he had taken great care to meet all of the fledglings at least once. Their loyalty to him had to be absolute.
Is Dani’s? She did not mention her role in the Order, he reminded himself. And I would have thought her clear as glass with me before all this.
Yet, he cautioned himself that they had hardly had a chance to talk. Speaking of the past had been low on the list of items that they’d had to discuss. Both of them had been more worried about the current enemies they had then to speak of the past.
And she has no love for Legion.
He had cautioned Ryder not to judge Natasha so harshly until he spoke to her. And to remember that this time had not caused anyone to cover themselves with glory. It would be the height of hypocrisy for him to not hear Dani out.
And even if her reasoning is bad? Shame can make people hide things. There must be a way back for these people. Even those that served the Sect of Dawn. If they wish to return, he thought.
Because despite their great powers, there were still more humans than them.
And the Sun was still their deadliest enemy.
Humans were clever. He had no doubt that they would figure out weapons that used sunlight to harm them.
It would be a delicate dance to hold the peace.
They needed all the allies they could get.
Still he found himself glaring at her. And the dragon did too.
But that did not deter his Childe. Dani stepped towards it as the dragon fully cleared the water.
Wings stretched wide. They still had a few tattered pieces of membrane on them.
It wasn’t black, but an iridescent red. Grayson imagined how this creature must have looked covered with glittering scales.
It would have been magnificent, beautiful, and deadly.
Very deadly, Grayson realized. I can feel its predatory nature even though it has long been gone. The remnant of its soul is… still here. Maybe the whole of it. I can feel it. I have to ask Caemorn about this.
But he pushed that thought away. This was just one of the many things he needed to ask Caemorn about. He needed to talk to Ryder, too, to truly understand the Weryn gift. But that had to wait. He needed all of his attention on what he was doing.
He was still in his bird form, which wasn’t straining him to hold.
But he could feel his own reserves of strength burning away as he funneled them into the dragon, which had a ravenous appetite.
Not to mention, he was using his Ashyr powers to keep it aloft.
While the remnants of the wings were impressive, they were just remnants.
There was nothing there to flap to get it into the air.
The Kaly power allowed the dragon to move on its own, just not fly.
At least not yet. He sensed something within it, within the Kaly power, that might allow him to trigger some abilities the dragon had once had or even greater ones.
But he did not have the skill or knowledge yet to attempt this. So his Ashyr power was needed.
“What does it want? It’s not attacking,” Natasha pointed out as one of her hands sought Lawson’s.
“Not yet,” Lawson grunted.
“It is angry,” Dani whispered and nearly retreated from that step she’d taken. Her right hand lifted to her chest and laid against her breast as if she was going to pray.
“Let it be angry. Let it attack. We will take it down!” Lawson’s eyes narrowed.
“How exactly would you do that?” Xandria scoffed. “Lions can’t fly, can they?”
“It will bat you away the moment you leap at it,” the male Ashyr snidely added.
“Then grab it with your Ashyr powers and bring it down to earth for us!” Natasha snapped.
She wasn’t wrong. If they all worked together, his creation wouldn’t survive long. He needed to encourage them to go away. Run away. Flee.
He doubted Legion would retreat. They were too single-minded about things and Ryder was a prize–or prey–they thought that they were entitled to have. But if he could thin out the crowd that would help.
And I don’t want to hurt Dani.
The long neck curled as the dragon regarded those who were on the island. Its head–filled with teeth the size and sharpness of razors–regarded the people. Blue-white eyes burned with menace.
“All right. If this is a Kaly joke or some kind of new creature… we can take it down!” Dani cried and he felt her power burn inside of her. “Xandria, Karn, help me bring it down!”
The two other Ashyr flanked her. Their hands fisted at their sides as they anchored themselves to the ground. The Mer weapon spun around towards him, too. He had no idea if it could affect the dead. But he wasn’t going to chance it.
It’s not their power they are using. It is mine, he reminded himself. These three are mine and they will obey me.
“Altogether, prepare to bring it to the shallows where our Weryn friends can rip it apart!” Dani commanded.
No, he said.
But he sent it over the bond he had with Dani.
She blinked and confusion clouded her features.
She had heard him. But it couldn’t be him.
Because he was dead. Though he could not communicate telepathically with the others, he reached for their powers.
The embers in their chests were like the one in his, only much smaller, and he closed a mental fist around them.
Xandria gasped and curled forward. She put a fist to her chest. “Ah! What’s happening?”
What is mine is only loaned to you, he sent. You will not use it here.
Dani spun around, looking about wildly. “Who–who is that?”
Karn was next to fall. He let out a groan and went down onto one knee. “My power! God, what’s wrong? I feel like someone is closing their hand over my heart!”
And in a way he was. If there was a physical part of them that contained the power, he had a hold of it.
Not exactly like Armageddon, but… yes, I see. I see so much more. Their souls. My power. I can… this is amazing. Kaly never said… No wonder they are so powerful, Grayson thought with wonder.
“What is wrong with you all?” Lawson growled. His nostrils flared. His fangs were even more apparent than before.
“Who are you?” Dani whispered. “Who–”
You will leave here, he said, not answering her. You will leave.
“Why should–”
You will LEAVE! Grayson sent.
Dani clutched her head and let out a pained moan. She nearly fell over. Blood came from her nose. She patted at her with her fingers and stared at the crimson with shock. Her head shot up again and she started to retreat.
“Where are you going?” Natasha cried.
“We need to…” Dani gulped as her eyes flickered everywhere. “We shouldn’t be here.”
“I can’t touch my power! What’s going on?” Xandria cried.
Karn started crawling away from the dragon on his hands and knees. “No way. Not staying. This is not… not good.”
“You cowards! What is happening here?” Lawson snarled.
He snapped at Karn as the Ashyr Vampire dragged himself past the Weryn Vampire. Karn didn’t even flinch. He was getting out of there.
“We need to leave,” Dani said as she still stared about her as if she expected a ghost.
Just go. Please go, he whispered.
Master?
Her voice reached him and it took all he had not to reach back. He loved her. Oh, how he loved her. But she hadn’t known about this in the future and he had no idea what letting her know now would do.
What if it makes her leave the Order? What if it makes her never do what she did here with the Mer? He wondered.
Without answering her directly, he softened his voice and sent, This is not a fight you should be a part of. They are not your allies.
Her gaze dropped to Legion who still hulked even over Ryder’s bear form. They had said nothing. They just stared at the dragon. Dani knew that they were bad news. Her skin crawled at their presence.
Think about the company you’re keeping, he added. This is not the way.