Yes! Go, guys!
Mephous spiraled down again with claws outstretched to take out yet another head. The wind-breather turned right towards the Green Dragon and prepared to send two of those terrible tornadoes right at Mephous. But it was Iolaire’s turn. Just as the wind-breather’s mouth opened, it was sealed shut by a blast of ice. It flailed about, trying to break the ice, but Mephous was there. The Green Dragon’s claws closed around the frozen head and ripped it off. Blood fountained into the air.
Great work, Iolaire! Four more! You can do it!
The White Dragon twittered happily over their bond. It was proud. And Caden was proud too of Iolaire, of all of the Dragons. They were all working together. And because of that, even Lana had managed to get to its feet again.
Xipil started shooting more magma down onto the ground around the Behemoth until it was surrounded by the stuff. Zephyra then sent a blast of scalding mist down that blinded and irritated the creature. Dark green waves of poison flowed too so that the Behemoth was lost beneath a sea of mist and poison and fire. The heads could not rise up above it. They were blind.
The Dragons, all except Lana, encircled the Behemoth. All of them hovered there. Then one by one they sent their magic down upon the Behemoth. Hellfire, ice, magma, acid, boiling water, golden lightning and more turned that patch of the crater into a blackened mass. Caden got up on top of the boulder as the onslaught slowed then stopped.
All of them waited to see what remained when the smoke and mist cleared. It slowly did and there on the ground, instead of one mangled body were seven. Seven Dragons. Burned. Bleeding. Headless. Seemingly beyond saving.
Caden lifted off from the rock and flew up between Raziel and Iolaire. He put a hand to his mouth as he looked down upon what might be the mates of the other dragons. But they had been imprisoned and turned into the enemy.
“We had no choice,” Caden whispered.
Yes, Raziel said.
“There was no other way to get them out,” Caden continued.
No, Raziel agreed.
“Iolaire, last time the Behemoth was destroyed, you were freed. That’ll happen again, right?” Caden gestured to the fallen bodies.
Iolaire twittered softly that this seemed different. Something was wrong.
Why was there no explosion? Zephyra asked.
“Yeah, that’s weird. There was a big one last time,” Caden said. “Hence the crater. Maybe… maybe you really defeated it this time? So no explosion?”
But that didn’t sit right with Caden. He realized then that if there had been an explosion he had likely been way too close to where it would have taken place.
Yes, foolish little dragon, Raziel said with narrowed eyes.
“Uhm, yeah, okay, so not the best idea. But you could have needed me,” Caden said defensively.
Iolaire twittered its love at him.
There are only seven Dragons here, Scylla pointed out.
“Yeah… wait… only seven? There should be eight with the Behemoth!” Caden cried then all the saliva dried up in his mouth. “It’s not here! That ugly bastard is not here! I mean unless it's tiny, but no, no, its head alone… where is it?”
If it is not here then there is only one place it can be, Xipil said.
Caden’s mouth opened as he understood. “Earth. High Reach. It’s going after Valerius and the others while we’re here.”
Waiting
“I am dying!” Illarion moaned and thrashed his head against the back of the couch.
“You are not dying.” Valerius closed his eyes and tried to hold himself very still.
“I am! You do not know what I feel!” Illarion groaned and flopped about again.
“You are not dying,” Valerius repeated.
His eyelids opened despite himself. He grimaced. Everything hurt. He swore he could feel himself aging, his individual cells dying just like Illarion was saying, but he knew that was just because he was unused to being mortal and human once more.
