Chapter 14 Flawless Victory #2
So fucking worthless without your Shifter powers, aren’t you, Valerius! Jasper howled at him. If he dies does that damned Dragon die too?
Jasper, shut it! Landry snapped.
Landry and her brothers got off the rocks that they had been sitting on and were massing near the “mirror” with Jasper. The Humans First leader was stabbing a finger at what must have been his image in the “mirror”.
King Valerius! Landry cried. You’ve got to get out of the water! C’mon, you can do it!
He’s the one I pledged loyalty to? Fuck that! He’s nothing! He’s no one without being a Shifter! And that wasn’t based on merit! Jasper snarled.
Valerius frowned at his words. Since when had Jasper pledged loyalty to him? Then he realized that Caden had to be behind that. He imagined the White Dragon King got great pleasure in making Jasper say such a pledge.
He was a great warrior. That’s how he got his Spirit! Landry argued. Everyone knows that!
That was the official story. They didn’t know about his dead brother and his simple desire to destroy everyone and everything.
That was how he had lured Raziel to him.
Where was the rage that had motivated him back then?
The devil may care attitude? He had expected to die on the battlefield, but he hadn’t had Caden then.
A young man he loved with everything he was.
And he knew now that Raziel could not survive without him either.
People were depending on him. And he wasn’t going to let them down.
Look at him now! Jasper hooted. He’s so used to having preternatural powers that he’s gotten soft! He can’t handle being human!
Jasper was right. He had gotten soft. He had gotten weak. He had relied too long on Raziel. He had forgotten that it was the Dragon and not the man that made the difference. He had been with Raziel so long that he had thought of the Dragon’s strength as his own and not something borrowed.
Or gifted at great cost.
Valerius thought of Raziel always in that lair. He heaved himself out of the water and rolled onto his back. He breathed there deeply. His limbs shook. His wounds ached. But he used that as fuel. Pain as energy, as power.
He’s not been human in a long time, you idiot! He’s just getting used to it again! Landry defended him. You can do this, King Valerius! You can get to Caden!
He was so stupid that he didn’t even know about the Behemoth! That we had a wall in his goddamned city, Jasper pointed out. The Behemoth is going to destroy him. He’s weak.
You’re wrong! King Valerius, keep going! Landry cried.
Thank you, Landry, and you, too, Jasper, Valerius said as he got to his feet. You both said exactly what I needed to hear.
He heard them both gasp. They hadn’t realized he had been listening to all they had been saying.
He was darkly amused to see Jasper pale.
He was only a “big man” when he thought that there would be no consequences for him.
Not that Valerius could reach him quite yet and administer those consequences.
Honestly, even if he had Jasper in front of him he could have done little.
He was trembling, but his legs were firm beneath him.
He turned towards the tunnel that was just five feet away.
There was a sudden roar. It wasn’t blurred or distorted by water.
It was Vozyth. Her head was above the surface. He looked for Mephous.
The Green Dragon was wedged by one ruined wing that was stuck against the wall.
Green eyes looked up at Valerius for one moment.
And Valerius knew what Illarion was thinking, which was that he had failed to protect Valerius.
There was such despair in his gaze that Valerius wished for just Illarion’s sake that things would have turned out differently.
See! He’s going to die, Landry! Jasper sounded both happy and terrified.
No! NO! Landry screamed.
Valerius lifted his head. He saw plasma again bubble in the back of Vozyth’s throat.
He dove towards the tunnel, but he knew he was going to be too late.
He rolled into the tunnel. His shoulders and back struck the stone floor hard, but he kept rolling, thinking somehow he could roll far enough away from the searing, sticky plasma that would roast his flesh from his bones and then destroy those as well.
Caden, forgive me, Valerius thought. I love you.
He wanted those words to be imprinted in the lair.
He saw Landry with eyes wide and her hands covering her mouth.
One brother looked to be ripping his hair out in alarm.
The other curled in on himself. Jasper appeared like a man that was seeing what he’d always wished for and yet dreaded all the same.
Valerius felt a whoosh of hot air that preceded the plasma ball. He kept moving, crawling now on his belly, trying to get to his feet to run. He would keep trying to get away until he was ash.
But suddenly the tunnel went dark. The lights from the pool area were cut off. And there was no blast of purple light coming down the tunnel towards him. He dared glance over his shoulder. What he saw had him skidding to a halt.
The darkness was from Mephous’ body covering the tunnel’s mouth so that no plasma had gotten to him. But that was not the surprise, not what had him staring in shock. Mephous had Vozyth’s head in his hands.
Except it wasn’t attached to her neck.
Mephous had ripped it off.
A rain of red sparks started to come off of the Ruby Dragon’s head as it started to break apart. The sparks gathered together and slowly streamed out of the other tunnel mouth, heading upwards, to the sky.
Mephous killed that Dragon, Landry murmured. I didn’t think you could do that.
While Valerius had seen Raziel do something similar to the Behemoth, none of them had ever, obviously, killed another Dragon in this world. Valerius had almost not thought it possible. Mephous and Valerius watched until the head had disappeared. Then Mephous turned and looked at Valerius.
Valerius had made his way down the tunnel. He stepped out onto the path. He extended a hand towards Mephous. The Green Dragon swam over to him. Its right wing was shredded, but already that was starting to heal. Mephous’ massive head was even with his body.
For the first time ever, Valerius reached over and touched Mephous.
The scales were warm and slick. He slowly ran his hands over them, not quite stroking Mephous, but connecting with it.
The Green Dragon’s eyes half closed and made a low sound that was almost a purr.
Valerius was shocked that his eyes stung with tears.
“You are… magnificent, Mephous,” Valerius murmured. “Thank you for saving me. Repeatedly.”
The Green Dragon preened, but then those green eyes searched him.
It drew in a deep breath. Valerius felt something running down the back of his leg.
It wasn’t water. He was still bleeding. Mephous’ eyes widened.
Then in a moment the Green Dragon was gone and a naked Illarion was treading water below him.
“I didn’t save you to have you bleed to death!” Illarion grumbled as he effortlessly pulled himself up onto the path.
Valerius had a momentary stab of jealousy at that easy movement.
I will have that back again, he promised himself.
“Do you know that your Dragon breath stinks?” Valerius asked.
Illarion let out a laugh. “Ah, I do not believe your insults now, Valerius. You looked at me with love.”
“What?!” Valerius glared at him.
“Brotherly love.” Illarion smirked as he dropped down on his haunches and inspected Valerius’ wound. “And you called me magnificent.”
“I--I called Mephous magnificent.”
“Same thing.” Illarion grinned.
“You are all right, too. But believe me that we are not our Dragons. Not completely,” Valerius said as he thought of his weakness now.
Illarion let out a hiss, ignoring Valerius’ words, secure in the fact that he and Mephous were one. “This isn’t healing. You’re not going to drop dead from it, but it looks infected or something. Vozyth must have had some poison on her claws.”
“My leg feels numb,” Valerius confessed.
“Can you still walk?” Illarion stood up. “I can carry you.”
“Fireman’s carry or bride over the threshold?” Valerius asked dryly.
Illarion stared at him before letting out a snort. “Bride for sure! But, in all seriousness, we should get a move on. If you can…”
“I can. If I have to, I will crawl,” Valerius said.
“Then let us go.”
Illarion turned to head into the tunnel. Valerius grasped his arm. Illarion looked back at him with a lifted eyebrow.
“Illarion… thank you,” Valerius said. “I would be dead without you. Many times over. I am grateful you are here with me.”
Illarion’s expression went blank for a second, which told Valerius he had struck something deep inside of the Green Dragon Shifter. A faint smile appeared on Illarion’s lips.
“When I tell this tale--and I will, repeatedly--you will repeat these sweet nothings for all to hear!” Illarion grinned.
“Of course,” Valerius deadpanned. “And I shall tell them of your bad breath as well, which I am convinced knocked Vozyth out before you ripped off her head.”
Illarion wagged a finger at him, clucking his amusement. They said nothing more though as they headed down the tunnel. They knew to keep quiet though surely the Behemoth--and the horde--must know what happened to Vozyth and that they were coming.
The tunnel was empty of the horde though there was still evidence of their crossing. And a humming sound was rising up from the tunnel. The tunnel sloped downwards and there appeared to be a flickering light at the far end. The humming had solidified into chanting.
“This does not sound good,” Illarion whispered.
Valerius, who was limping and bleeding, just gave a nod.
They crouched low and crept to the end of the tunnel, staying back from the light.
They didn’t have to worry though. The tunnel opened up into a huge cavern where stalactites hung from the ceiling high overhead and there was a raw, stone altar at the far wall.
Between them and this far wall was a sea of people. Hundreds of them. All chanting.
The horde.
And on the altar was a single, lithe figure.
Caden.