Chapter 2
All For One
Caden nearly pumped a fist into the air and cheered as Iolaire sent flows of icy breath at all of the Behemoth’s heads.
The main head was fully encased in ice. Already, there were cracks forming all along the ice sarcophagus.
Caden flew well out of reach, going around the huge body to where Iolaire’s head came out of the massive form.
How do I get Iolaire out of there? How can I help?
Any time one of the other heads got too close, Iolaire would send a gout of ice at them and they’d rear back, trying to shake off the ice muzzles that would appear around their jaws, keeping them sealed shut.
Iolaire, I’m here. I’m here! What do we do?
He heard a soft twitter in his mind. The feeling of connection flooded Caden.
Iolaire was there, in him, surrounding him, joining with him.
Caden imagined Iolaire ripping its slender white form out of the Behemoth’s bulk.
He imagined the skin splitting and Iolaire sliding out of the interior, almost like being birthed.
He imagined pulling Iolaire out, drawing Iolaire to him, making his Spirit separate from the Behemoth.
And then a crack appeared where Iolaire’s head was attached to the body and strange fluid began to stream out.
There was no way that the Behemoth’s body could hold all of the Dragon forms so Iolaire was still separate, or this was just a visualization of the spiritual separation.
Yes! Yes, come, Iolaire! Come to me!
The crack lengthened and widened. He saw the tip of a white wing sticking out. Claws tore through the Behemoth’s skin, exposing more of Iolaire’s form. Screams of pain echoed from all of the other heads that weren’t frozen shut. They snapped at Iolaire. Caden distracted them.
“Hey, ugly! Hey, nasty! Over here!” Caden waved his arms wildly above his head.
The heads--maddened with pain--were easily distracted and went after Caden.
He flew like his life depended on it, slicing between them, so that the heads smashed into one another and were stunned for a moment.
They were so angry that they didn’t even attempt to use their powers, but if they had they would have sent them at each other.
The heads let out earth-shattering screams that had Caden curling into a ball, hands over his ears, head ringing.
Luckily, they were too distracted by their agony to snap at him as he had stopped flying.
The crack was now a split in the Behemoth’s back and Iolaire’s form, covered in fluid and all curled up, was revealed.
“IOLAIRE!”
Caden spread his arms wide as if to welcome Iolaire into the world again.
Iolaire’s head twisted around to see how far it had come.
That was the moment that the main head broke through the ice sarcophagus.
There was a tremendous crack and the ice slid off in sheets and fell to the ground with a crash.
Rage burned in those strange yellow eyes.
Uh oh…
“Iolaire, get ready to--”
That main head lunged towards Iolaire, jaws open wide, aiming at the White Dragon’s slender neck. One bite would sever Iolaire’s head from its body. Iolaire let out a terrified squeal and strove to crawl out of the Behemoth’s body, but its way was impeded by the slick fluid.
“No! Get away! You bastard!” Caden screamed as he swooped in close enough to smell that ophidian breath.
The Behemoth’s head turned so fast that Caden was nearly sucked between those jaws.
He backpedaled and was sure it would have looked hilarious if not for the fact that he was about to get cut in two.
There was another blast of ice from Iolaire, giving Caden those precious moments to fly out of reach.
But another head nearly chomped him. Only zigging instead of zagging got him out of range though his foot brushed against Dragon teeth and was slick with saliva.
Eweh.
The main head had redirected its efforts towards Iolaire.
It went again for that slender white neck.
Its teeth barely brushed the white scales.
Caden’s mouth opened in a scream, almost as if he felt Iolaire’s pain…
and then he felt something wet roll down his neck.
His hand went up to touch it. Iolaire was bleeding.
He was bleeding. He had felt Iolaire’s pain.
Because it was his pain. Because it was their pain.
We’re bound. It’s still there and growing back!
But that meant that if Iolaire was damaged, so was he!
Iolaire had managed to lean away from the Behemoth’s main head.
But just barely was it out of reach. The other heads were swarming towards Iolaire, herding it back towards the main head.
The main head grinned and cut him a look of triumph when Iolaire trilled in terror as it had nowhere to go but back within range.
“NO!” Caden screamed.
The main head’s jaws went to snap shut around Iolaire’s trembling throat, but then it stopped.
Those yellow eyes went blank with shock.
And then a black head rose up from behind.
Raziel’s jaws were clamped around the Behemoth’s throat, holding it in place.
The Behemoth’s head flew upwards in a scream as more of that strange liquid poured out between Raziel’s teeth.
“Iolaire! Now! Get out of there now! Raziel, hold it!” Caden cried.
With Raziel holding onto the Behemoth’s screaming central head, Iolaire clawed its way out of the Behemoth’s body, sliding out the final way, covered in that strange fluid almost as if being birthed.
Iolaire’s wings were too heavy with the liquid to fly and it could only drag itself along the crater’s floor.
Caden flew down so that he was even with Iolaire’s head. Blue eyes--now fully focused upon him--crinkled with love around the edges. Caden threw his arms around the beloved snout and kissed it again and again. This was the first time they had touched in a way.
“Iolaire! Oh, god, Iolaire!” Caden cried. “We have to move, baby, we’ve really got to move you.”
Iolaire tried to flap its wings to move itself away, but they folded towards its body with the weight of goo on them. The White Dragon attempted to run away, but the goo made its claws slick and it sprawled out on the ground.
Caden frantically looked back at Raziel and the Behemoth.
The Black Dragon still had the main head in its jaws.
The head’s eyes had rolled back a bit and its tongue was starting to loll out of between its teeth.
The other heads were frantic. They were letting out steady howls of pain, not just from the damage that Raziel was doing to the main head, but the opening in its body. The opening that was closing.
It’s healing, but it will be smaller, weaker than before.
“Iolaire, we need to get you up and cleaned and…” Caden babbled.
Iolaire was sending an icy mist over itself, freezing the goo, and then it shattered the frozen material which harmlessly fell off and shattered on the ground. Iolaire looked up at him with pleasure and desire for approval.
“Excellent! Keep going!” Caden urged.
There was a roar, but this time not from the Behemoth, but from Raziel.
He and Iolaire immediately looked back at the Black Dragon.
The other heads had finally gotten it together and sent a wave of their different powers at Raziel.
The Black Dragon lifted a wing, blocking the acid, fire, electricity and more.
If the attack had been more concerted it might have hurt the Black Dragon, but the Behemoth just wanted to get away.
The Behemoth was dragging its bulk as fast as it could away from Raziel. The Black Dragon sent a gout of flame after it, singing the opened back and causing a wail of pain from the retreating beast. Raziel flapped its own wings, but they were still ragged and wounded. It slumped.
“Raziel!” Caden cried in agony.
Iolaire quickly froze almost its entire body and then cracked all the foul frozen goo off of its body.
The two of them then hurried to Raziel’s side.
The Black Dragon made a soft, welcoming sound as soon as it saw them approaching.
Caden grabbed that big head again and kissed the Black Dragon over and over.
Raziel let out a puff of black smoke in amusement that had Caden gasping and moving back, waving a hand in front of his face.
“You big, beautiful Dragon! I was so worried! When you didn’t move…” Caden’s throat closed up.
Foolish, little dragon, none can defeat me… for long, Raziel answered and it appeared to smile.
It was a bit of a toothy smile, but it was a smile nonetheless.
Caden found himself laughing and then crying.
Tears flowed down his face and he had to bite on his right hand to stop the flow of hysterical crying.
Iolaire nuzzled his back. Raziel nuzzled his front.
Caden let out a burbling laugh again and touched both their snouts.
“Sorry, guys. I’m sort of hysterical, I think,” Caden snuffled.
That is acceptable considering… Raziel looked back towards the rapidly disappearing Behemoth. It still couldn’t fly, but then again, neither could Raziel. Not yet. Considering everything.
“What do we do?” Caden asked. “The Behemoth is really injured. I think we have a shot to… to uhm, oh, cute.”
For the first time in “real” life, he got to see Raziel and Iolaire press their foreheads together.
Their eyes slid partially shut and they both purred.
It was a calming, wonderful sound that had Caden feeling a little looser inside, a little warmer.
He smiled and felt tears falling down his face again.
But this time they were tears of happiness.
I wish Valerius could see this. Oh, my God, Valerius!
“Ah, guys, guys, I’m sorry to interrupt but there’s more at stake than the Behemoth. Valerius is--is mortal without you, Raziel,” Caden reminded the Black Dragon.
Valerius! Yes, my Valerius! I want to be back with him. I must be back with him! Raziel muttered.