Iolaire twittered and gently nudged him again. Safe. Want you safe.
“I’m safe with you! With all of you!” Caden crossed his arms over his chest, feeling a bit like a child as he did so.
Iolaire hooted in a gentle, but firm manner that indicated Caden was to go home and be safe and wait for them. It would brook no argument!
“You almost sound like Raziel!” Caden protested.
Iolaire drew itself up to its full height. That only made it half as big as Raziel… on a good day… if Caden were being generous. But the White Dragon did a pretty good imitation of Raziel’s stern expression and narrowed eyes.
“I might be a little bit impressed here by your firmness, but I--”
Home. Safe. Please.
Caden’s shoulders slumped. It was “please” that had deflated his defiance. But not all saw that yet.
Xipil chuckled. You choose him, Iolaire. You must like his stubbornness.
Iolaire twittered softly as it looked at Caden then gazed towards the mountain. Caden’s shoulders slumped. “Okay, fine, I’ll go. Just… hurry, okay? I know how miserable it feels being without you and I’ve only had you for a little while. I can only imagine how the others are feeling.”
There were uneasy glances among all the Dragons. They clearly thought the same thing. He wondered specifically how Illarion was doing, being mortal and weak again. This would likely cause the Green Dragon King to have yet another complex. He truly didn’t need another, but it appeared he’d have earned this one.
We must do this now. No more delay, Raziel said and flapped its mighty wings, lifting its massive form above the ground.
The others did the same with Iolaire rising last. Caden blocked his eyes with his right forearm and squinted as dust and dirt from the crater’s rocky floor was thrown up by the force of those wings. He slowly began to fly backwards towards the mountain.
Seeing he was moving in the right direction--if slowly--the Dragons started off towards the Behemoth. Caden could glimpse its bulk lying in the far distance. Some of the heads appeared to be doing something, bobbing up and down, almost like feeding, but on what Caden couldn’t imagine. The whole crater was dead.
His attention quickly switched to the nine Dragons that were flying in a V-formation towards the Behemoth. His mouth opened in awe. This was how they mostly must have looked flying over the skies of Earth. Only Iolaire’s presence was different.
No wonder humanity gave up. I would if I saw that.
Raziel and Iolaire flew together as the point of the V with Mephous on the right and Zephyra on the left. Each Dragon seemed to glow with a different light. Red for Raziel. White for Iolaire. Green for Mephous. Golden orange for Xipil and so on, each color similar to their main power. It was as if they were gathering their powers to attack.
Caden stopped drifting back towards the mountain. The Dragons looked strong. But Raziel had looked strong before.
If something goes wrong here, I’m the only link they have with the material realm. If I leave, we won’t know...
He felt Iolaire’s mind next to his.
Iolaire? I’m not leaving. Not yet.
An alarmed twitter was his response. The white head swung around towards him.
I know! I’m worried, too, which is why I’m going to stay. Out of the way, but still here, Caden insisted.
Raziel’s head was turning around.
We need someone who can be a link with the material realm and that’s me since all of you are fighting, Caden quickly said.
While he was talking, Caden flew around the edge of the crater, keeping low so that the thrown-up rocks mostly obscured him.
Iolaire sent him an image of Raziel setting his butt on fire, herding Caden towards the mountain.
Yeah, yeah, I know. Raziel is mad. But I’m right about staying. I promise I’ll keep out of sight.
He landed silently behind a large grouping of boulders that was just opposite the Behemoth. He glanced up at the sky. The Dragons were suddenly obscured. It just looked like there was a thundercloud drifting over the crater, casting a dark shadow.
Zephyra’s gift. Cool, Caden thought as he crouched down low. The Behemoth will never see them coming!
