Chapter 6

Hadariel's skin burned from the desert sun. The fiery sphere hung overhead, tormenting the worn human with promises of setting him ablaze. He trudged along with pained wheezes, forced to shamble beside the magister's lithe looking horses. His hands were chained behind his back, the cool metal from his collar still clamped tightly around his neck. To his relief the heat seemed to not soak into it, one small blessing amidst the sea of curses. He was dripping sweat in large beads, counting each step as he took it within the shifting sand as it whipped by his ankles. His eyes had been covered, wrapped tightly by a sheet of off grey cloth.If he squinted hard enough against the bindings he could scarcely make out the dunes before him and the countless horses slowly making their way along.

How long they had been traveling he knew not. Honestly he had started to lose count, and when he had asked about it in a hoarse voice they had simply ignored him, just like most of his complaints or concerns.

His captors were uncaring of anything. When they were not whispering in hushed voices just out of ear shot they were prodding him with sharpened sticks to keep him moving. Even when he fell they didn't let up. They simply shoved the butts harder into his shoulder, shouting curses until he scrambled to his feet. How he hated them. How he regretted turning himself in. When he would resume his walk he would grit his teeth and wonder how his mother felt about his decision.

He had only seen her once during this time with little words being shared. There had been a brief, trembling hug. Tears lingering in her eyes as she looked him over. They had narrowed into anger filled glares as they looked to their captors. Hadariel could only imagine the things she was planning to do to them if she were every truly freed.

Armaros kept watch the entire time, his eyes hard and cold as his stare pierced them like a cold knife. The didn't say anything as Hadariel embraced his mother, but he could tell by a small smirk that this was just letting him know to behave. That they had someone to hurt if he did.

Each morning was met with bland tasting meals, some bread he was certain with swigs of warm water to swallow it down. The days were filled with long treks over the unforgiving sands until they laid down to rest during the cool nights.  It was not until one such evening that something different happened to their makeshift camp.

There had been a loud crack that disturbed their slumber. Hadariel himself bolting awake with a startled yell. He sleepily sat up, shaking his head as muffled cries soon turned into shouts of concern and worry. The teen stumbled to his feet, his chains pulling taught against his bindings magically connected to the sand.

“What's going on?" He shouted out, his words laced with a lingering fear as men screamed in return. His blood turned to ice when he got an answer, an inhuman screech that wrapped around him, sending a bolt of pain coursing through him like lightning. His legs buckled and shook as the teen dropped to his knees. He was left gasping for breath as humans cried out, and terrified whinnies filled the void. Hadariel fell backwards, scurrying backwards on his rear until his back was pressed against the edge of his tent, binding pulled taught as far as he was able.

The sounds only got stranger as insectile chittering radiated from all directions, drowning out the clang of metal and pain filled screams of the magisters meant to guard him. It was close, closer than anything else was in this moment. His hair stood on edge as he pulled his bindings tight. He wanted to shout, call for help, but he froze. That would only lead to whatever this thing was right to him. He could only whimper and squirm against his chains, dread ever consuming his thoughts. When he heard the rustling of chainmail and his tent open he breathed a sigh of relief, someone had come to help him.Even the chittering had stopped. He was going to be alright.

“Thank the gods." He said, surprised he was this happy to have one of his captors by his side. He reached out, expecting to find a man to help him, but instead he felt a warm fleshy substance. It coated his hands with a thin sheen of liquid, dripping down in long drops to the sand below. When he felt the familiar touch of chainmail he knew what was he was grabbing at. His hands were caressing the disembodied torso of one his captors.

It's..It's.His mind blanked for a moment before the revulsion set in. His whole body jerked, as his stomach threatened to release its contents to the world. He recoiled in horror, screaming in fright like a banshee as his heart thundered against his ribcage. It was in this moment it occurred to him that all the sounds of people fighting had begun to fade away, but the chittering sound had returned in full force. He felt alone, lost within a sea with nothing to cling to. He tugged uselessly against his bindings, recalling a tale about how spiders drank the innards of their prey. He froze as the sound that had filled him with fear was now but just mere feet from him.

He thrashed against the chains, his wrists aching from the effort as the smell of brimstone mixed with the offputting smell of a swamp hung heavy on the air. He fell slack, fight leaving him as he listened to his own shallow breaths and fluttering heart. Just like that poor soul in the story he was going to meet his end here. Unable to do anything as whatever monster was before him ate him. He whimpered as he almost felt the creature take a step, tentatively, almost like it was staring at him and unsure of what to do.

Hadariel prayed to the gods as the smell was inches from his face. He felt a small brush of hot air roll against his cheek as whatever monster before him let out a blood curdling hiss. He clenched his eyes like a vice through the blindfold, preparing himself for the pain. Hopefully it would be over quick.

It was then a crack like a whip radiated through the air. The tent's cloth and sand around him getting thruashing violently away as if taken by a heavy breeze. Whatever that had been in the tent with him suddenly vanished, the air starting smell like dried sand once more. He burst out laughing as the dark shadow lingering over him faded. He didn't care if anything else heard him, he had been so damned lucky. For minutes he continued to laugh, until those sounds of disbelief turned into honest tears, just glad such a fright was over. Even when a magister grabbed him by the shoulder and asked him if he was alright he continued to cry. The man must have seen the previous guard from the tent because his voice had cracked, almost fearful that maybe it was Hadariel that done the deed.

The nights that followed that scare were spent with Armaros' within his tent. The man had him chained magically to the ground with nowhere to go. When Hadariel asked about the incident the man brushed off the question. Instead telling him it was all on a need to know basis. Just another one of those strange magical storms that plagued the desert through the years.

The teen scowled at such answers, his hatred for this man only intensifying with each passing night, the inner flame only getting stronger with each step he took the following days.

Despite the conditions the magisters did little to make this trip easier for them. That fact alone left the teen worried, almost wishing that whatever had found them that night had killed him. Perhaps it was trying to save him from whatever lay ahead of him? He luckily caught some magisters talking of the terrors that had beset them. Whatever it was it sounded terrible. It had six limbs, wicked scythes for slicing, and five burning red eyes that brimmed with an alien intelligence that sent tremors of fear through the spine. He learned nothing more than that however as Armaros soon swooped in to lash at the talkative guards. Without remorse the magister captain had sentenced them to twenty lashes each. To which Hadariel and the others were forced to watch hours later. Each crack of his captive's whips against the men's back bringing forth groans as their bodies twisted and jerked from the pain. In a way he felt sorry for them as he watched the blood drip down their exposed backs. When Armaros came back with the blindfold he had glared at him something awful, something the man had chuckled at.

“Remember what we hold above you child." The man sneered, wrapping the teen's head in it's tight bindings once more. So, with a heavy heart and heavier steps on the sand Hadariel was once more left in the dark as they continued such an arduous journey.

When each breath had begun to be a chore and the human's legs ached with a pain that lingered for hours did they finally come to a stop. Hadariel caught his breath in large gasps, not sure how his body was able to continue on in such a state. He nearly collapsed right there in the sand, his legs wobbling uncontrollably back and forth. Armaros grabbed firm his blindfold with his rough hands, ripping it off in one clean stroke. The teen shielded his eyes as the sun pierced his eyes like swords, making him instantly clench them to save himself the pain. He gritted his teeth until the pain passed and he started to blink away the shock and blinding light.

“Gaze upon this place boy." The man hissed, causing Hadariel to gaze upward from his sand covered boots.

His jaw dropped as they were before a gigantic wall of pristine stone. One that rose up from the sand like a towering monolith about three dragons in height. It looked sturdy and well made, large arcane runes engraved into the surface. It was the same color as the sand, almost looking as if they had formed it from the very ground it now stood. He felt so small staring up, getting a glance of several looming towers of darkened stone lined with dull metal. “What is this place?" He stammered, looking for a gate as the mounted men shifted and held fast their horses. No matter how much he traced the outer wall he could see now way to enter. How the magisters expected to get into a place was beyond him.

“This place is to be your new home." Armaros chuckled, waving his hand around in a loop. When he was finished there was a thunderous crack, as lines of glowing blue energy emerged on the wall of stone. It flowed and weaved across the brown surface, forming a wooden doorway large enough for three horses to enter side by side, glowing softly with magical light. The door cracked open with a loud hiss, a burst of cooler air rushing out to pleasing lick at Hadariel's cheek. He hated to admit that it was calling him forward, begging him to get just one more touch of that pleasing sensation.

“And it shall be so for the rest of your days." The man grabbed his chains, and with a ushering to his horse he was dragged inside to the waiting maw of this place. “Welcome to Glanchester."

**********

The smell of the desert sands wafted by Infinity's nose. Bit by bit the scorching heat that plagued her scales simmered away into the void. Her ears on the back of her head twitched, almost expecting to hear the shuffling sounds of tired horses.

Deserts? Blood?

She groaned as she felt cold stone beneath her paws. It was somewhat comforting as she squirmed against the floor with a twitching tail.

I'm in a cave..Not a desert.

When in her jostling movements she felt a metallic collar push against her it confirmed which was real. The object scrapped against the floor, bringing a sense of relief to her confusion filled mind. Despite the confusing images and events of the past few moments, she was free. The questions of this Hadariel and why she was seeing such things could be answered another day. For now she had a task to do. Her eyes snapped open as purpose came flooding to her mind. Purple scales and a malicious grin taunted at her senses. All four eyes trained on the exit to her brief prison, her other head's white scales catching in the periphery of her vision.

She scanned around, not finding any trace of the woman that had bathed her scales and showed her a glimmer of comfort. Her heads shook as she fought off the vileness and fury she held within her heart for that purple bastard. Hopefully that human was alright, and her purple overlord had not decided to simply eat her for his trouble. If he did, it would just be another reason to see him dethroned from his lofty perch. With that thought bouncing around her mind she pushed herself to all fours, stretching out her limbs with a lingering growl. She made sure to snap both of her jaws, testing the other for its responsiveness. It seemed to be instantaneous, not a single delay or resistance to be found. She was in complete control of both of them. It looked like all the training with the lich had paid off. Her snout wrinkled at the mere thought that he gave her something useful.

She flicked her ears back as during her stretching she knocked over the metal bucket the woman had used to clean her. It went clattering to the floor, tipping over and dumping it's soapy content into a flowing puddle. Instinct took control of her claws, instantly having turning invisible as she slipped into the caverns stretched out before her.

The uneven paths rose and fell like a wriggling serpent, following a section that had seen the wear of paw pads and scratches of claws on its surface. She found a small trace of pine in the air, her scales tingling as she shifted her course and slunk through the dimly lit rocks towards the green dragon she called friend. She slowed to a crawl at several moments, stopping to blend into walls when she thought she was being followed or observed. She even reapplied the invisibility during these sections of anxiety. As the spell kept on reaching its time limit.

The crawling eventually gave way to more faster travel as the scent got stronger and stronger the longer she kept going. She was certain it was none other than the green dragon that lied to her. The one that had saved her from the wyverns, and the one that had returned Axton's pack to her in her moment of sadness.

Unless the purple dragon had a series of pine trees within his home. She grimly chuckled at the idea, already picturing many of the wooden things sprouting from the walls like spears.

That would be silly. She reminded to smack Lyyreth when they were free and safe. Though she did have to find him first.

She figured she was on the right track when the torches that had lined the cavern walls got scarcer and scarcer. The warm glows that had been a pleasant company now hardly dotting the stone at all. The continuing path was one of darkness. It was no problem for her keen eyes, but she imagined it was to dissuade others from getting this far.

The cavern rose up, breaking off into several directions, each one lined with a series of runes and marks that she did not recognize. She glared at them with a swaying tail, narrowing her eyes and cursing to herself. Why couldn't this brute simply use draconic? That would have made things much easier.

Just focus on his scent...And you'll find him.

She closed her eyes, focusing on the comforting words as she took in two sets of breaths. The scents here were somewhat confusing, all mixed together into a menagerie. She could identify the telltale smell of human lingering in the air like a cloud, mixed in with with the musky scent she identified as gryphon. It was when she folded her wings did she catch the scent she was looking for. Her eyes bolted open when she pushed all the others away, the strong scent of pine drifting off down the far left corridor. She could have warbled in joy but bit her tongues, there was a time for her small victories later. With a resounding snort she carried on across the stone.

She slunk or slithered across the remaining stone, curving with the carven until she saw the red-orange glow of torches. Like shining beacons they lit her way, guiding her to the final section of the humid cave around her. Even some stalagmites from the ceiling were slowly dripping droplets of water into smaller pools that littered the twisted and curved surfaces. She had to bite her tongues again before calling out for the green dragon. Who knows what else could be lurking nearby. Thankfully she squashed down the urge like a squirming bug.

Use your head. He doesn't need you caught...again..

She grabbed hold of a large stalagmite protruding from the floor like a giant tooth. She crouched low against the floor till her armored belly was dragging against the stone. Her twin heads slowly snaked around the rock, eyes scanning the wide cavern before her. Unlike the winding sections of uneven stone behind her, this was more like a dungeon seen in the stories that Axton had read to her.

The floor and walls were perfectly smooth, pressed down to be completely level with each other. They bore small cracks and lines from magical tampering, the caster seemingly not caring about aesthetics about this section of the cave. From the dark coal like surface sprouted long torches, flickering flames dancing away to an unknown beat. Along the cracked and scratched walls hung metallic devices with sharpened points and dried blood smeared all over their gleaming surfaces.

Infinity's paws twitched as she followed each curve. Phantom pain coursing through her scales the longer she stared them down. It was all she could to turn away from them, focusing instead on the strong scent of pine mixed with dragon. Despite it's thickness in the air the dragoness could not spot a single green scale of the so called viridian knight. Instead all that lay before her were metallic posts encrusted with rust and dark metal chains complete with manacles large enough to fit around draconic paws.

It looks like he'd be here...She stepped slowly into the room, eyeing small splatters of crimson that dotted the surfaces around the posts. Not enough for a dragon of Lyyreth's size to be dead, but certainly injured. And it's all your fault. She whipped herself mentally with her next step. For being to trusting...Of course those mortals had been telling the truth. She padded to the blood, lowering her black scaled snout to sniff at the crimson goo. It was fresh, still gleaming like a small pond to the towering sun. Her eyes shifted up to the area's exit, wondering just where the green could have gone off to. She rose her head, settling down onto her haunches with her tail curled around her. Did you go to find me? Her ears pinned at her side as she pictured him injured, limping through the cave desperately searching for her.

“Infinity? Is that you?" Came a familiar voice, pulling her out of the cold that wrapped around her. It was almost a whisper on the air, but not beneath her fine hearing. A green head with sunflower eyes poked out from behind a stalagmite at the edge of the dungeon.

“Lyyreth!" She went to say, smiling as she leaped to her paws and bounded over. Though as she neared the green stepped out from the stone, revealing a blue scarf and and two non chipped horns. “Oh...it's you." She slowed to a slink, a sigh escaping her snout as her ears drooped.

“Good to see you too." The green snorted, padding closer with a swaying tail. His eyes looked past her to the dungeon, his snout wrinkling in good measure. “Is Lyyreth?..." His voice lowered, eyes widening in silent fear.

“No." She hissed, her spines drooping as the green dragon passed her. “He's only missing, we manage to elude that purple ass for the meantime. Lyyreth seems to be alive.." The dragoness bit her tongue, holding back that it was partially her fault. “Grozzo doesn't seem to want him dead for the moment. Something about being familiar with the mother that you two share." Her eyes narrowed as Cordenth glanced back to her, visibly wincing at the realization. “ Something we can discuss after this is done." She snarled, unable to resist as purple eyes came to mind, that voice whispering in her ears. When Cordenth's frills changed color she pushed passed him, following the scent of pine. “Though that doesn't mean he won't hurt him. He seemed quite eager to rip into my hide." She snorted, rolling her eyes. “Even if I think he wasn't good at it. I've endured much worse in my time."

“Grozzo? Rip into your hide? What happened to you two?" Corcenth snapped his head back, eyes brimming with questions. “I hadn't heard from you two in hours. I was beside myself with worry, so Amatae let me know of this servant entrance. Wasn't sure I could fit at first. Should have seen her face when I changed size." The green bounded after her as trotted through the dark cavern.

Infinity informed him of each detail as rocks shifted under paw. How they had been lead inside and offered food and drink, only for it to be poisoned. How with blurry eyes she had tried to stop Lyyreth from being attacked. To how Amatae was the purple's adopted daughter, very much like how Axton was to her.

“Dragon's bane." Cordenth muttered, closing the distance between the two. “That would have to be it. If you concentrated it into a potent enough dose it would knock you on you scales like that. I'm actually impressed it didn't kill you."

“Lucky for me it takes more than that.Yet another gift bestowed upon me by the lich." She snapped, a growl radiating in the back of her throat.

“And you just woke up here with him?" Cordenth slipped around a large rock worn away with scratches with large chunks missing.

“The bastard seemed more interested in breaking me in than anything else." She gagged, the purple's hungry stare making her stomach churn like an unruly sea. “When I get my claws on him...It won't be pretty." She leaped over a small area of sunken stone, briefly flapping her wings. “How about you? How was the town?"

“I convinced them to get that adventurer woman down. Even had several of the healers tending to her grievous wound. They might not be strong, but combined they had the power to seal the thing." The green dragon grinned, looking rather proud of himself. “While she rested I came here, hoping to find out what had happened to the two of you. Save you if I needed to."

“So play the big hero of the story?" She glanced back, offering him an amused smirk.

“If that's what I needed to be...I honestly had my fears of what I'd find in here. You have no idea how much a relief it is to see you alive and well."

That surprised her, the genuine look in his eyes that did not contain any lie. The green dragon did honestly want to see her alright. “We can all share hugs and happy moments when this is over then. Good to see you too." She snorted, stepping onto a crimson rug, the way before them looking vastly different than what came before.

Where the rest of the cavern had looked natural, like any cave that one could find in a mountain only bigger, this one looked crafted. The walls and ceiling while large enough for three dragons were smooth and lined with torches. The air smelled of sweet morning dew instead of the dampness that had permeated the rest of the cave. Even the air seemed warmer, almost soothing to her scales. The biggest difference were the decorations lining the walls. Paintings of all sorts, of vast rolling countrysides and castles, some of great flying dragons of all colors. She wrinkled her snouts as they passed a large golden framed one with a self portrait of the grinning purple tyrant. “Well...Isn't this different." She groaned, glancing to several scattered suits of burned armor that lined the walls. She lowered her heads to peer inside, noticing that they still had the charred skeletons of their previous wearers inside. “Tacky." She hissed, sticking out her tongues in disgust.

“I suppose he thinks it makes him intimidating." Cordenth's eyes followed the painting, narrowing as he stared at the purple's white teeth. “Rather full of himself isn't he?"

“Yea, real sweetheart." She snorted, “Makes me want to go right up to him and claw his smug snout."

“You think he's bad. You should have seen this red dragon by the name of Veledar. Now he was smug. Full of himself, considered himself to be a gift to the world."

“Sounds like an ass." She rolled her eyes, padding passed a room crowded with humans of all sizes adorned in tattered clothing and staring at Infinity with trembling hands. How terrified they looked. Each wide eyed face nearly broke her heart as she remembered that town with Nigel. And how she had been made to invoke fear into their souls.

“Lyyreth!" Cordenth suddenly exclaimed as a roar echoed through the caves. It sounded rather close, possibly down a few more corridors before getting drowned out by another one. That one shook the very cave, armor suits trembling as if in fear before collapsing in a clattering pile.

Fear tugged at her heart as they broke into a gallop. Claws scraped against the floor, easily ripping through any carpet that managed to get under paw. She tried to silence it's wicked whispers by telling herself he was going to be okay, but it didn't work. Her heart pounded away against her chest as she tried to will herself to go faster.

“Get down from there you whelp! I'd rather not have to injure you too badly, but if you force my claw I have no other choice!" Came Grozzo's growl, then his roar that sounded like a clap of thunder. The near deafening sound filling the air and making Infinity's ears pin against the back of her head. She had no idea what that was, but it didn't matter. It just meant that Lyyreth was still okay. That mere thought alone gave strength to her limbs.

Seconds seemed longer as they barrowled down the corridor, their tails bouncing along and catching any stray piece of furniture that lay before them. They even passed a pair of servants rearranging a painting, only for her tail to brush by it and slice the thing right across the middle.

Talons dug into the stone as they came a screeching halt, almost topping over themselves to avoid crashing into a series of crates and boxes stacked on one another around the corner. They were the tip of the iceberg r to a grand treasure room that spaned out before their eyes.

Racks of clothing hung on metal wires, connected to ornate and clean looking furniture made out of fine crafted wood. Grandfather clocks rested beside suits of armor still holding their weapons high in their hands, and unlike the ones in the hall these were polished silver, reflecting the torchlight that illuminated the place. Coins lay in stacks of glittering metal, with gems of all colors lost within their surfaces. Books lay stacked on their sides, all in a circular pattern that could fit a dragon within circumference. Infinity blinked slowly as she scanned out across the sizable room, almost imagining that she could fit ten wingspans of her own within this place. Her scales tingled with a slight feeling that all dragons shared within their blood. So much treasure before her, begging her to take it for her own.

“Curse you green whelp!" Grozzo's roar pulled her from her brief pause, the purple dragon crashing hard through a towering bookcase with a thunderous crack. Wood splintered and snapped below his bulk, flying in all directions as coins were sent flying as his tail thrashed about like a mad eel. He looked bigger than she had remembered, almost twice times her size as his powerful limbs pushed him back to all fours. “You will regret such actions!" The dragon flaring out his mighty wings with a ferocious snarl. His eyes trained on something out of sight. He must not have seen her and Cordenth for he lowered his stance and ignored them with a lingering hiss.

“You can't hide from me green dragon. I have been doing this for much longer than you." The dragon's eyes glowed red, dripping down magic as he pounced towards the rest of his vault, his mighty tail smacking aside a chest full of silver coins, scattering the little things with a crash.

Infinity gritted her teeth, spines flaring as she chased after Grozzo with a flap of her wings to gain distance, getting enough to regain sight of him. She flicked her forepaw, focusing on the raw power of lightning that she loved to use. She snarled as brilliant whitish blue electricity sprung forth around her paws, igniting the air with a lingering glow as it began curling and dancing across her scales as she eyed the purple as he bounded and pounced through his cave like he was chasing a rat. With narrowed eyes she let it fly, the arc of deadly magical fury sailing through the air and slamming into the unaware dragon in the span of a heart beat.

Grozzo turned at the last moment, the bolt striking him square in the neck and quickly spreading over the rest of his scales. It sparked and caressed him like a lover, circling his tail all the way to the tip. Though to her dismay he seemed unphased, not even a tremor of discomfort finding its way to his snout as he looked to her with utter amusement.

“Well….aren't you a fascinating catch." He eyed her heads, his own tilting to the side. “So many surprised about you my dear. I thought you'd just be another pretty face to adorn my lair, but you've really piqued my interest!" The purple snorted loudly, his eyes trained onto the form of a little brown bird fluttering overhead. With a crack and billowing purple smoke, Lyyreth formed out of thin air, landing on all fours and flaring his wings with bared teeth and a threatening hiss.

“That I am." She smirked as Cordenth rushed to her side, his teeth exposed, frills twitching as his yellow eyes narrowed and muscles tensed, ready to attack.

Grozzo took a step back, keeping all three dragons in his sight. “Ah..So three dragons come to do away with me." He chuckled, tail swishing back and forth across the treasure. He only stopped with a sigh, “Emerald Lady. You send your children and this beautiful black dragoness to do your bidding. When I dispatch them I will see it you are punished for trying to get my daughter."

“She didn't send us you brute." Infinity growled, her black head's jaws snapping at the air. “You destroyed that caravan! Killed those people! I saw how your daughter talks about you! You terrify her to no end, and literally eat your servants!"

“Honestly, It was only a matter of time till someone came to put an end to this little thing you have going." Cordenth growled his eyes brimming with fire. “Some would say a quick death is too good for you."

“And you call yourselves dragons." Grozzo sighed, his eyes filling with disappointment. “What is this world coming to that my kind no longer sees itself above those wretched mortals." He bared his teeth, his eyes narrowing in kind. “You speak to me of such things, when that is my...nay...OUR right as dragons! We live for eternity if given the chance while they wither and die like weeds! Is that not proof alone who is the superior in this world?" He took a powerful step towards them, the ground almost shaking as the dark pools of his eyes glinted i the torchlight. “It is only logical that they should sacrifice everything so that we...The chosen species rules this place."

“You might want to look around then." Lyyreth snapped. “Dragon's don't exactly rule the world."

“And that is because of those little vermin Lyyreth. They breed and spread across this world to hunt our kind like a vast plague!  They drive us to near extinction, and you seek to treat them with mercy?" This is why we must push back with every ounce of our strength, lest they finally put an end to us for all time."

“Perhaps they wouldn't want to put an end to us if dragons like you didn't exist." Infinity countered, eyes trained on his tensing muscles. “Did you ever think to try treating them like equals?"

“Should one treat little insects the same as a dragon?" Grozzo chuckled in the back of his throat, “But you don't you." He sighed, casting them a withering glance. “Alas, you all are misguided little whelps. In time the one I serve could help you see the correct path. The one that we as dragons were meant. With those pitiful mortals you hold dear under claw."

“Like I'd ever want to be anything like you. I don't particularly like having them look to me with fear and mistrust." Icy blue eyes came to mind, and pleasing nights curled around Axton as he read to her. “I think time for talk is over you monster."

“Says the dragon with twin heads." He raised a scaly ridge, letting out a snort. “What dark magic did you have to weave in order to gain such a power?" Before she could offer her rebuttal Grozzo sprung at them like a coiled spring, his talons unsheathed and ready to rip into them.

Infinity and Cordenth scattered, leaping away before the purple could slice into their hides. She stayed just out of his reach and smacked aside his serpentine neck with a paw. He recovered more quickly than she would have liked and pounced on her, claws digging into sides like little needles. She rolled with him however, using the momentum to push the purple dragon off of her with the help of the green dragons that leaped to her side and offered their strength. She was left gasping as Grozzo crashed through a pile of coins, cursing out in some vile tongue that sounded like chittering insects.

“Do you even know who I work with?" Grozzo snarled, fresh blood dripping down from his snout. Like a thin river it traced his dull scales and splattered to the ground. “By taking claws against me you take claws against her. No one or dragon is foolish enough to do that whelps."

“You speak with a tongue as though I even care." Infinity snarled, crouching low as the green brothers spread out in opposite directions like wolves on the prowl. “But it's over today you ass. Humans and elves will no longer fear you."

“Such confidence! Such spirit!" Grozzo smiled, “When you are back in my clutches young one, it will be a pleasure to count you among my treasures! And don't think for a moment that will get you off the hook Lyyreth." The purple dragon flashed Lyyreth his teeth and ended it with a wink. “Green is my favorite color to have squirming beneath me."

“Stop your wagging tongue." Cordeth snarled, The two green dragons flicked their tails in unison, near identical copies springing from their bodies like phantoms. When they snarled and pounced, not two dragons lunged at the towering dragon, but eight dragons in all their snarling glory.

Grozzo snapped out with his jaws, catching one copy of the brothers with his teeth. The copy exploded into thousands of little lights as they sank their teeth into what they could. “Insects!" Grozzo snarled, lashing out with his claw and sending Cordenth flying away with a forceful strike. The scarf wearing dragon bounced off the ground with a groan, his copies all fading away in an instant.

Infinity took to the air, carrying herself above the five dragon's with a mighty leap and bound. They kept the tyrant on his paws, making sure he was backing away from their agile strikes, while avoiding the purple's own powerful strikes. When an opening presented itself she let loose a fireball, smirking as the red-orange ball of death impacted the purple's scales with a brief, brilliant explosion. Though when the smoke cleared he was fine, not a single scorch mark to be found on his toughened scales.

“I think it's time you played with us darling!" Grozzo shouted out in glee, grabbing hold of Lyyreth's neck with a claw as he stared at Infinity with malicious intent. The green dragon flailed with lashing claws, slicing little lines in the purple's hide but otherwise useless.

The dragonesses wings suddenly bolted closed, held tight by an invisible force. Before she even had a moment to cry out in surprise she was sent crashing to the ground and scattering more treasure around her. She shook her heads as she pushed herself to all fours, not even getting a chance to flick her tail before something with the force of a stampeding rhino struck her in the side. Breath was forced from her lungs as pain lit up her side in fire. She was sent flying through several suits of full-plate, a bookcase that splintered before her, and finally crashing to a stop against a towering statue in the dragon's likeness.

What in...the world. She groaned, scarcely remembering what Amatae had mentioned about his telekinesis.

“I got him!" Cordenth shouted, his claws glowing a bright azure as he leaped at Grozzo and slashed a large gash at his shoulder, splattering crimson gore against the stone and forcing the large dragon to back away and drop Lyyreth from his clutches.

“Damned little wretch." The large dragon hissed, backing away with snarling teeth.

“Good one!' Infinity cried out, bounding over to the others, unhampered by the purple's magical tampering. “Now why isn't he effected by lightning or fire?" The question blurted from her maw as she and the others surrounded the cowering purple dragon.

“Purple dragons are not affected by lightning or fire." Lyyreth replied, growling as Grozzo chuckled in surprise.

“How could you not know that child? What other things have been kept from you? How much of your life was sheltered?"

“belana verenriit" He snarled, stomping his paws on the ground as they radiated a brilliant brown glow. When he reared up with flaring wings, the stone below their paws began to shift and change. Large shapes emerging from the ground like growing weeds.

“We have to keep him distracted!" She roared, leaping at him with bared teeth, only stopped as a stone shape jutted from the earth and slammed into her with the force of a giants punch. Infinity fell to the ground, gasping for breath that was brimmed with sparks of pain.

Just what I need. She groaned as the brothers weaved their way around the stones towards the hissing purple dragon. When she had pushed herself to all fours Lyyreth and Cordenth had unleashed combined cones of poisonous gas from their maws, bathing the purple dragon in a dark green cloud. The followed up, moving like mirrors of one another as they unleashed twin cones of swirling cold that wrapped around the purple like a snug coat.

Grozzo's wings batted against the air, easily parting the attack as his stone shapes began to shift into the form of humanoids with oversized stone fists. When he leaped at Cordenth with a chuckle, they sprung to life with jerking, slow movements.

Infinity leaped away from one such attack, the impact of it's stone limbs sending cracks through the floor in all directions. She weaved her way through the clumsy creatures, avoiding blow after blow as Cordenth was pinned to the ground under Grozzo's powerful paws.

“Oh no you don't." Infinity snarled, swallowing down the brief dread as it stabbed at her heart. She slammed her bulk into the smug dragon's side, joined by Lyyreth to once more sent the purple tyrant toppling over into his treasure. Before bounding away she managed to slice deep at the base of his neck, smearing copious amounts of blood over her paws. To her satisfaction the stone creations crumbled away as Grozzo crashed to the ground.

“Not so strong now are you." She grinned, casting a tired smile to her companions that took position beside her. They looked exhausted and worn, scratched with little cuts oozing blood beneath their scales. Breaths were coming large gasps, eyes still trained on the purple's claws.

“Mere...setback." Grozzo groaned, lashing out with his claws as they tried to press their attack further. “In the end it will all end the same. With me.." His paw smacked Cordenth across the snout, sending the dragon slamming into the ground. Before he could continue his assault Lyyreth's claws caught the underside of his jaw, forcing the dragon back.

“I don't think so." Infinity circled him, avoiding the wild thrash of his tail. She had to keep his attention divided, flank him if needed. She could already taste the victory that was almost at hand. “You're just a brutal tyrant, and those people out there deserve better. Dragons deserve better!" She leaped onto his back, claws digging into his membranes as she ripped into them like a knife through sheets. She bounded away as he went to thrash,  his talons scraping against her scales and nearly sending her toppling head over tail.

The cavern rocked around her with series of magical explosions that filled the air with thunderous crashes, and brilliant flashes of light as the dragons had at each other like a raging storm. Savage snarls sounded out as they ripped at each other, a cacophony of sounds mixed with the sound of breaking treasures. Infinity fared better than the others, already starting to feel her cuts resealing themselves as the combat continued.

Grozzo despite his slowness was holding his own. His armored scales proving to be tough to inflict any lingering harm. Attacks that might have worked on other dragons were failing to injure him as he used his bulk and shear strength to keep the three dragons on their paws. When the raging purple lashed out it was with the force of a battering ram, his talons cutting into them like sharpened claymores. Fortunately they had been able to avoid his snapping teeth that seeked to catch one of them by the necks.

“Ummmmf." She collapsed as a paw struck her hard, her forelimb shooting out to catch herself with scraping stone. Her muscles lit on fire from the effort, stopping her uncontrolled tumbling.

“Enough!" Grozzo snarled, his bloodied form moving with an unnatural speed. He smacked Cordenth away with his tail, the green crashing through a rack of unmarked potions that shattered and broke before the dragon's bulk. The purple opened his maw, the air around him tingling like moments before lightning stuck, a slow hiss filling the air. His neck lit up a bright crimson, spreading to his wings in a great forks. Thunder clapped all around them, near deafening in it's intensity as red lightning poured from the dragon's teeth. Lyyreth tried to leap away but Grozzo caught him, bathing the brave dragon in a cackling hiss of electrical devastation.Lyyreth collapsed to the ground twitching, his body spasming and thrashing as he roared his pain with his eyes clenched shut.

“Lyyreth!" Infinity screamed, fear gnawing at her soul. She scrambled to charge the much larger dragon despite her burning muscles. She was feet from him, claws extended for his neck when the purple shifted his attention to her instead, and her vision went crimson. Like she was dipped into a vat of acid her body lit up in pain, the red sparks flowing all over her body and arching off to lick at the floor. She twitched to the ground, her back arching in spine tingling pain. She didn't  even realizing she was screaming from both of her maws. She coiled in on herself as her body rebelled, thrashing out in random directions as the pain encompassed all her being. It was white hot in it's intensity, all sound soon starting to fade away yet despite this she managed to open her white scaled maw and offer her reply.

From her snow white head came a beam of intense cold that misted in the air, racing towards her attacker. It slammed into his eye, the electricity vanishing as the dragon backed away, roaring out in agony. Grozzo stumbled, claws grabbing his snout where the beam had struck. The scales and his eye had been misted white, frozen in place from her desperate attack. She almost laughed to herself in grim satisfaction as he stared daggers at her with the remaining hate filled eye, his next step came with a threatening growl deep in his throat.

“You vile little wretch. I should have used more chains and bindings to hold you. I shall not mistake that again!"

“Like we'd give you the chance!" Cordenth pounced before she could move, teeth biting firmly into the purple dragon's neck. The green must have found a weak spot as blood started to flow around his snout as he violently thrashed his neck, forcing Grozzo to violently smack him away to the ground. Cordenth was sent tumbling away, coming to a stop with a pained groan.

The tyrant coughed, backing away from the gasping green as crimson rivers cascaded down his armored chest. “And..you." He gasped, his breaths almost coming in a wheezing cough as he slunk slowly towards her with trembling limbs.

Infinity forced herself to stand, trying to avoid him but she was too slow. His claws flashed out and caught her tail. His talons dug into her scales and held firm, avoiding her sharpened spines.

“Look at what you have done to my glorious face!" His jaws snapped at her, his eyes brimming with an aura of malevolent intent. “Oh how you're going to repay me."

“Doubt….it." She snapped at him as he positioned himself and placed his heavy paws on her wriggling necks. Her talons sliced at his armored limbs, drawing lines of bright red across his purple scales.

“I wonder...If I keep cutting your heads off will they keep regrowing back? My mind brims with the questions." His words were like poison, a pain in her ears as they pinned against the back of head.

“Why...don't you find out?" She tried to snarl through gasps for air, her vision starting to be bordered with a black haze. Her lungs burned, her limbs started to numb. The rest of her body starting go slack as stars danced before her eyes.

“That's it dear...shhhhh."

“Get off her!" Cordenth was once more to her side, snarling out as he sliced into her captor's side with glowing talons of the brightest cerulean. Like a knight from the mortal's stories of old.

“Graaaaah!" Grozzo released her with a pained hiss, “Why won't you just learn?" The purple dragon lashed out with a clenched claw, an invisible force soon slamming Cordenth to the ground and pinning the green dragon as if underneath an invisible boot.

Infinity coughed for air, mind racing as she hurried away as fast as she could. Cordenth's pained roars filled her ears as sweet air filled her lungs and brought calm to her wavering vision.

“I think the Emerald lady will have to settle for having one child from now on." He smirked as he started to trace a lingering green sigil in the air, covering the grown in a viridian glow. The purple dragon's voice sounded like a gutteral hiss, like some other-wordly curse until he ended it with a smack of his paw on the air, and a quick gesture with a talon to the pinned green dragon. “Kiie" He snarled, the sigil fading away into a brilliant beam of glowing magic.

Cordenth's eyes widened moments before it struck, only for Lyyreth to leap into the way with a raised paw, and violent flare of his wings.

Infinity watched in horror as the beam struck the defiant green, crackling and hissing in the air like an injured snake as it licked at his scales.In the wake of the brilliant light, a thousand minute cracks spread across the blacked stone floor. Bit by bit, the tiny fractures gave way, and ground beneath Lyyreth's hinds broke away.

The green dragon was suddenly tossed back with the force of a catapult,as he let out a pain filled scream. He crashed through a series of sealed chests, splintering and shattering in his wake. From the shattered wood came a black amorphous shape that flowed and slunk around the green's scales like a slippery malevolent eel. It shifted and changed when he tried to grab at it, soon expanding in size as Lyyreth squirmed and frantically tried to recoil from the wiggling darkness. His sunflower eyes widened in pain before clenching tight as another scream wormed its way from his parted maw. The black ooze receded from his scales, bit by bit getting smaller and smaller, but still the green screamed until it was gone. Then silence took him, his head wavering from left to right before he collapsed to the ground in a heap.

“Brother!" Cordenth shouted, pushing himself to all fours as fear dripped from his words.

“Well...Not what I was expecting." Grozzo chuckled, limping forward and painting the ground with drops of red. “But one brother is good as any I suppose."

“You ass!" Infinity snarled, adrenaline coursing through her as she pelted the purple brute with a layer of cerulean flames and another beam of scale numbing cold. Let his body not know what to do as she unleashed her fury. When he went to strike back she ducked under his strike, ignoring that his eyes had suddenly widened into surprised slits.

“You're Infinity."He stammered as she ripped into his side with a sickening tear
Grah…..That Infinity….How did you escape the lich?" He spun around, nearly taking off Cordenth's head with the sheer force of his tail.

What? “How did you know about that?" The words gave her pause, enough for Grozzo to catch her and slam her into the ground with such force she was sure something broke beneath him. She gasped out in pain as he pressed a heavy paw down onto her chest.

“My how you've grown." He smiled, wicked teeth on full display as she struggled. “When I gave my lady your families wearabouts I never intended to see you again. This is such a delight I do admit."

“What...do you mean?" She thrashed, the tower coming to the forefront of her mind. The soulless blackened eyes of the lich came next, his horrible laughter as she suffered. The mind numbing pain he subjected to her for years on end. “You're responsible for…" Her eyes widened as realization set into her bones. It was then she felt something snap within her. All the horrible pain, encompassing misery, and harrowing losses that she was forced to endure flowed through her veins like an unstoppable tide. Her eyes narrowed as flames brimmed on the edge of her vision, and for a moment everything went red.

“Not the one who demanded it. That was my mistress the Enchanted Ruby. It was she that wanted you gone. Why I have no idea, but who am I to question one such as she?"

Her blood burned hot, like molten lava it flowed through her, and filled her with deadly purpose. “Do you know how much I suffered?" She screamed, letting out all her misery as images of torture and blood came to mind. She pushed hard against his scales, not minding how deep his talons cut into her flesh. It would all heal eventually anyway. With an anger fueled roar she was free, blood dripping down her torso from large gashes left by the male's claws. “Because of you I grew up without parents!" She leaped onto the purple's back as Cordenth joined back into the fray, slamming into the tyrant's side and knocking him off balance. She heard him utter some spell, followed by large stone slab sections rising up to pin the purple's forepaws to the ground.

“I was forced to murder innocent people!"Her talons found purchase in his wretched hide, icy blue eyes appearing before her as she ripped solid chunks from the stunned dragon underneath her. Through each slash she let flow her misery, her anger, every moment that had been snatched from her undead captor. She let this purple dragon feel every sickening cut, every snarling bite, each splash of crimson bringing tiny bits of relief. Part of her wished he could feel every all she had been subjected to. But she lamented that would have taken too long.

She gripped his snout with a snarl. Holding fast with her paws as he continued to struggle against his bindings. Despite his injuries, it took all her strength to grab hold of his maw and rip the purple divide clean open. She knew she would not be able to hold him for long but it didn't matter. What she had in store would not take long anyway. “Die bastard." She opened her white maw, shooting down a beam of righteous cold into his waiting throat. She held tight as he struggled, Cordenth managing to help in that regard with a thrashing tail and scraping claws.

With tears in her eyes she maintained the concentrated beam as the air crackled and hissed with intense cold. Through the aching moments she kept her grip like steel, not letting this tyrant have a single hope of escape from his due reward.

The once tyrant's body froze from the inside out under her paws. Each smooth scale taking on a hint of frost as the angered dragoness continued her attack. She felt his struggles cease as his blood froze and muscles seized up, and lastly the glimmer of life fading from his eyes.

Infinity released him with a pained gasp, slinking away with drooped spines and shattered nerves. Her eyes clenched as she wiped away the hot tears flooding down her snouts. She let out a mournful sob as she coiled on herself, all the weight of the last two months coming out for all to hear. Through blurry eyes she looked to her blood stained claws, how not a single bit of her talons remained unsullied.

Despite his death she felt the same. it didn't bring anything she thought it would.There was no relief to her troubled soul. Yes there was the sense of satisfaction of taking his life, but that was it. That fact alone made her feel empty. He had mentioned a being called the Enchanted Ruby after all.

She snuck a peak to his frozen snarl and widened eyes, almost as if in shock that she had killed him. It was then she caught Cordenth not looking to her or the now dead dragon, but to that of his brother who had yet to rise from his resting place.

The grim satisfaction melted into a storm of worry and regret. Lyyreth still slumped over among the chests, his scales all covered in shards of chunks of splintered wood the size of human fists. “Lyyreth!" Her voice choked, desperate to hear his own cheerful one on the air. She bounded over with aching limbs, nearly collapsing. She lowered her snout to inspect his wounds, nosing at his viridian scales.

To her relief he seemed otherwise fine, only superficial cuts lining his scales that she could see. He was even still breathing, that fact alone taking off the weight that had started to tug against her heart.

“How is he?" Cordenth slunk over, wincing each time he set his left paw on the ground. Infinity stared at it, watching him try to hide it as he shifted passed her.

“Still breathing." She lowered her black snout, nudging Lyyreth softly with her cheek. “Don't know what happened to him..One second he was fine..then there was this...thing." She scanned his scales like a hawk for the black ooze, not finding a single speck of the darkened liquid. “Maybe it sunk into him and poisoned him?" She nudged at him again with a concerned whine.

Come on you...You can't go dying on us. Not this soon...

“Can't have been poison. We as green dragons are immune such  toxins. It must be something else that works its magic here." The scarf wearing dragon joined his head with hers, giving his brother an affectionate lick on the snout. “He's a strong dragon, no matter what I or others say. You can bet your scales he'll be alright in the end. Can't have come this far only for him to die now."

“Right." She rolled her eyes, ignoring that part of her wanted to hold onto that glimmer of hope. It was in that moment that everything came catching up to her, as a dull ache spread through her scales. She groaned and squirmed, collapsing onto her belly in front of the unconscious green. How good it felt to relax on the stone. Almost as good as Axton's larger bed in the tower. She released a lingering snort, a slight tingling sensation radiating through her neck as the white head and neck started to crumble away into blackened dust. The image still unnerved her, so she looked away, instead setting her attention to the now slumped over Cordenth.

He sat on his haunches with a curled, flicking tail. His eyes were locked onto his brother's chest, watching the slow rise and fall of his chest. “Stupid...Clumsy…"He mumbled, each one accompanied with a grit of his teeth.

“Great...Now what are you talking about? You should be looking for a healer for your brother. Or someone who knows about weird shadows that shape shift." She wrinkled her snout at the last one.

“There was no identification label on the chest" Cordenth flicked his tail to the broken wood. “Who even does that?"

Damn. Infinity dragged a talon across the stone. “Maybe those people in the village can do it? Or maybe they might even know someone who could."

“We could do that…" Cordenth replied in a whisper, his paw rubbing his brother's neck tenderly. “And to answer your question...I was talking about me." He sighed, eyes closing as he hung his neck in shame. “If I'd have been faster or even better. More alerts...Then this wouldn't have had to happen."

“What spell did he even block anyway? What was important enough that he had to leap to your side like a knight defending their princess?" She cocked her head to the side. She was sure she had seen that spell before back at the tower. It was on the tip of her tongue, but it eluded her to no end.

“Disintegration." Cordenth sighed, looking away from her with a tap of his tail. “A powerful spell that can kill you utterly and completely. It even turns your body into ash.

“Sounds like a good time for all." She groaned, pulling herself closer to the fallen form of her friend. “Can't wait to experience it again." She could feel sleep trying to take her from this place, the ache radiating from all directions egging it on, but she couldn't. Not when Lyyreth was right before her and  unconscious. She pushed herself to all fours despite the pain, helping Cordenth drag Lyyreth's body out from the shards of wood and broken glass and onto the cleaner floor instead. It was there that the two collapsed, the strength of their bodies finally giving out as they let out discomfort filled groans.

“I don't want to get up yet." Lyyreth mumbled, pushing against them with his hinds. “Why does everything ache?"

If she could have jumped for joy she would have. Instead she wiggled close to him, her limbs wrapping around him as if she was stitched to him instead. “Lyyreth!" She cried in relief, her voice nearly cracking as her eyes misted. The cold that had been sneaking its way into her heart suddenly shooting away in terror as the approaching warmth.

Cordenth joined her in her exhausted joy, embracing the wounded green dragon from the other side as he wiggled against their tight embrace.

“I must have missed something good.." He winced, “I take it we won then?"

“Yes!" She nuzzled at him, “You scared us half to death!"

“Must have blacked out.." He wrinkled his snout as he set his head onto the ground with a snort. “So tired though…Might want to fall asleep right here." The chipped horn dragon's eyes closed briefly, his tail flicking behind him softly.

“Doesn't sound too bad." Groaned Cordenth, draping a wing over his exhausted brother. “Then we can make it town afterwards. Tell all the mortals the good news."

“That will be nice." Infinity mumbled, her eyelids feeling as though they were made of lead. “Just glad..everything turned out okay." She could feel the urge of sleep grabbing at her shoulder, once more whispering into her ear. With a final sigh she pushed the worry and pounding of her heart aside. Even the giant frozen corpse of their foe did little to disway her from exhausted slumper. “Don't do that again." She nudged at Lyyreth with her snout, sleepily chuckling as conscious thought threatened to leave her. It may not have been a tale for the ages, but they had done it.  And how Axton you'd have been proud.

***********

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