Chapter 15
Kate held fast to Vilka’s scaled back as they ascended into the heavens. The portal was a gleaming wound in the sky, one that called her back to Earth and yet she could not help the tears that streamed down her face and were blown away by the rushing winds.
Vilka was showing no hesitation in the face of what could easily be his end.
She could barely believe how brave he was, but she was trying to be just as brave.
The guilt weighing heavily on her heart made it difficult.
She wanted to crumble and beg and plea—though for what?
The great menace had to be contained and had to be battled.
There was no choice for Vilka, and there was no choice for her.
She would have to close what she had opened and she would have to leave the man she loved more fiercely than she had ever known it was possible to love to his fate.
With a dragon cry, Vilka broke through the portal and in one wing beat they passed from the dragon realm and into the human world.
They were high above New York City, the multitude of buildings laid out below them like a hyper-organized termite’s nest. What Vilka thought of it, she did not know for he had already spotted Avastias, circling the perimeter of Manhattan.
Helicopters were holding at a distance, fighter jets were likewise circling the great beast.
She was relieved to see that there did not seem to be much in the way of damage.
Perhaps Avastias thought the jets and helicopters were his vanguard, as the dragon legion had been.
Or mere flies, seeing as they were but specks against the creature’s leviathan frame.
He was casting a shadow that covered much of the city, blocking out the sun to those who thronged the streets and parks, watching the spectacle unfolding around them.
“Drop me on the tallest roof nearest the portal!” she yelled to Vilka. “We’ve got to get out of the sky quickly!”
Vilka circled down to a building a few miles below the portal, which hung very low over the city. Her plan to close it was going to work, she had no doubt of that. She already had the components ready in the backpack that had accompanied her throughout her adventures.
She slid from the dragon’s shoulders and Vilka transformed to his naked human form.
“I don’t think he’s done any damage,” she said. “I didn’t see any downed buildings or fires, or…”
“Avastias is likely confused,” Vilka said. “He will soon start to feed, his hunger must be growing. There is no time to waste.”
He took hold of Kate and pulled her close. Together they embraced against the city skyline.
“Is this going to be the last time I lay eyes on you?” He asked the question in a rough, rasping voice choked with emotion.
Kate tried to hold her emotions in check and failed. “I will come back to you, Vilka. I promise. We will find our way back to one another. We have to.”
“If you do return, I cannot promise you what you will return to,” Vilka said. “I will not lie to you, Kate, I may die doing this. If I can but tempt Avastias back to the dragon realm, I will have achieved my goal. Defeating him is a much more remote possibility.”
“Don’t die,” Kate said, her eyes filling with tears, which made him swim and go blurry and ruined what was going to be one of her last looks at him.
“I will try not to, I promise.” Vilka smiled sadly and pressed kisses to her tearstained cheeks and lips.
“I do love you,” she whispered. “Just, I want you to know that.”
“I love you too,” he said. “If you wish to come back to me, I will be waiting.”
She kissed him passionately, and then there was no time. Every second Vilka stayed on Earth he was risking capture or worse. Their arrival had almost certainly been observed by someone somewhere. The longer they waited, the more chance there was of everything going wrong.
She stood back and tried not to cry as Vilka took his dragon form. In the moment before he changed, he smiled at her, a handsome, sad, loving smile that would remain burned in her mind for years to come.
She watched him take off toward Avastias, held her breath and tried to focus on her own work as the helicopters and jets registered his presence.
Vilka was several times larger than any of them, but there was still some risk as he flew over them, his pure red form streaking across the sky.
He reached Avastias in less than a minute and discharged a plume of fire into the creature’s eye.
Avastias let out a roar that made the entire city shake.
Kate scrambled for the device she had created for the purpose of closing the portal, setting up as quickly as possible.
Vilka had already circled quickly and was flying back toward the portal at impressive speed.
The world eater had arced about more slowly, but was giving chase.
A couple of the jets followed in close formation, peeling off before hitting the portal as Vilka zipped through it, drawing the world eater in his wake.
In seconds, both dragons disappeared from the world, their massive forms melting through the tear in space and time.