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.
“It seems a shame though to lose our advantage with the Behemoth,” Caden said. “But I suppose we can fight again another day?”
Raziel looked after the Behemoth again with a grunt.
We are losing a great advantage, Raziel said.
Iolaire twittered loudly and lightly touched Raziel’s still wounded wings.
“Iolaire has a point. We’re in no shape to really fight. And Valerius could be in real trouble. He and Illarion were going after the horde who had my body…” Caden’s voice dropped off and he put a hand against his chest.
Did the horde still have his body? Would going through the “mirror” in the lair simply have him and Iolaire among the horde? And what about Valerius and Illarion? Had they gotten hurt?
These wounds will keep us where we are! Raziel flapped those ragged wings and let out a wounded sound.
