The day has come to find my destiny, Tamli thinks as he and the other dragons from the Dominion of the Beasts take flight and set out to fight for their freedom.
Tronay and Neptune hover nearby, riding on Hertota. Roylzen and Dartz ride on Narssia, who drifts closer to Tamli then she should during their flight. Finally as the sun rises, the dragons and humans can see the outline of Szara's palace. Tamli snarls faintly and Narssia slides away from him, worried she did something to make him mad. Hertota nods and Tamli roars, signaling the other dragons to attack.
Below a mix of humans and possible crossbreeds stand their ground as the dragons land and begin to fight. Tamli nods to Narssia and she floats down to the battlefield, her passengers ready and waiting for attack. Once Narssia is down on the ground Tamli turns to Hertota. The ruby dragoness snarls and launches a fireball down into the mix of war down below. Sarina and Silver, who have stayed with Hertota and Tamli throughout the flight, launch their own attacks.
Suddenly a small pink dragon darts upward and hovers beside Hertota.
Forgive me for this intrusion your highness but the red dragoness Ruby and her rider have been killed by an onslaught of our foes' forces, the pink dragon says.
Tronay turns and looks at Neptune. He stares at the pink dragon in shock. Tamli floats over and growls, his way of letting the dragon know to leave.
'Who was that dragon?' Tronay asks Tamli as he drifts back to his original position.
Her name is Yera and she is the daughter of Finca. She was in the same clutch of eggs as Geer was, Tamli replies before he unleashes a stream of light onto the enemies below.
Hertota growls faintly and Tronay returns her attention to her husband.
"I'm sorry," she mutters in his ear. "I know your brother meant a lot to you."
Neptune reaches his hand back and grips his wife's right hand.
He and I never got along that well, he replies before Hertota halts. What is going on Hertota?
The ruby dragoness stares in panic as another wave of enemies approach. Tronay and Tamli see it too. Szara wants to wipe them out. Neptune finally looks and sees the advancing second wave of enemies.
We have a major problem, he comments as the six of them watch more enemies come and slaughter their friends and family.
Yera darts back up to Hertota's side, her pink scales covered in blood.
We have just lost two more . . .
She doesn't get to finish because a certain black dragon comes up from behind and snaps her neck. She hangs loosely in the male's grip and the dragon sends her body flying into the battleground below. He snarls and Tronay panics, recognizing the male's features. His muscular chest and broad shoulders. His black scales and fierce red eyes.
The male snaps at Hertota, she swerves just in time but the impact sends Tronay falling off the dragoness' back.
"Tronay!" Neptune screams and then orders Hertota to go after her.
The black male is faster and soon his tail is wrapped around her chest. He hisses and Tronay struggles to move.
Not so fast now huh? The black dragon taunts as he holds her captive.
"Leave me out of this Uria!"She screams and Hertota halts.
The male snarls and releases his hold on her. She opens her wings and hovers above the ground, up far enough to not get hit by any troops from the ground. Uria growls and his powerful tail swings back and forth, waiting for his former owner to make a move. When she doesn't, the male charges forward and slams into her, the impact sending a quake across the ground below. The two break apart and Uria stares at his former owner, a powerful rage coming over him.
Tronay slides her sword out of its sheath and grips it tightly. Once she has her sword in hand, she flies forward and hopes to attack the male dragon. Uria, however, sends her sword flying backwards and Tronay stops.
"Tronay, catch!" Sarina shouts as she throws the sword back to her sister.
Uria stops the sword with his thoughts and rotates it so that the blade is face up. Tronay wonders what he is trying to do.
I have something to tell you Tronay, the black male growls as he stares at the girl that was once his rider. Szara has ordered me to kill you and if I don't then she will kill me.
The girl can't help but feel pity for the male dragon as she listens to what he has to say.
The choice is yours. Kill me or not, Uria finishes as he lowers his head.
"Nice offer Uria but I'll decline," Tronay shouts over the wind as she rotates the sword with her mind and sends it flying toward her chest.
Uria blinks in panic. What does she think she is doing? Tronay says nothing as her own sword slices through her heart. Uria is too stunned to move as she falls from the sky. Silver flies in and catches her.
The black male finally gets it as Sarina and Silver land in a clear spot to try and save Tronay's life. She is dying to save him and yet for the past few years, he has only treated her with disrespect and disgrace. Silver snarls as he lands nearby, her fierceness warning him against coming closer. Hertota lands and Neptune slides off his dragoness' back. The male walks over and draws his sword from where it rests against his back.
"You traitor," Neptune growls as Uria steps back at the male's harsh tone.
How can you call me a traitor? I have done nothing wrong, Uria replies as Neptune comes closer and he backs up more.
Neptune grips his sword tighter and Uria stops, his tail scraping along the ground and kicking up a cloud-full of dust and dirt.
"You harm the love of my life and for what? Power? Or is it that Szara has promised you something?" Neptune asks.
Uria growls and his claws dig into the dirt ground beneath him.
Never speak the name of the dark dragoness, the black male snarls as his ruby eyes gleam brightly.
Neptune stops and blinks at Uria's remark.
"Why? Has she done something to . . ."
He stops and realizes what is going on. Uria is focused on saving Tronay right now. What does the black dragon plan to do?
"Neptune," Sarina says softly.
The male looks back and sees Hertota by the girl's side.
We need your help, both Silver and Hertota say at the same time.
"Right," Neptune replies and begins to walk back over to the two dragons and both his love and her older sister.
Allow me, Uria hums before he leaps into the air and flies over to Tronay's side.
Neptune and the others are stunned as the black dragon seems to shine with his usual red color and disappear into a glowing red orb. That orb floats down to Sarina's hands and she grabs onto it.
What is it? Hertota asks as the orb flickers in the pale red light of the battlefield and approaching reddish clouds.
"I think I know what it is," Neptune says as he stops beside his dragon. "It's Uria's heart of hearts or Eldunari as . . ."
As our kind called it long ago, Hertota finishes for her master who falls silent at seeing the glistening ruby orb in his sister-in-law's hands.
Silver and Sarina look at each other for a moment, wondering what to do with Uria's eldunari. Tamli, who has been circling around the spot where they landed for the past thirty minutes growls.
Give it to Tronay, he suggests.
The four nod at the white dragon's suggestion and Sarina carefully places the red orb into her sister's chest, on the spot where she stabbed herself with her sword. The orb flashes and is absorbed by the female. Sarina stands back and Neptune places a hand on her shoulder. Tronay stirs and Sarina sighs, she will be fine thanks to Uria. Hertota and Silver nod to each other and the ruby dragoness takes to the air.
"Where is she going?" Neptune asks.
To find Dartz, Narssia, and Roylzen, Silver replies.
Neptune grumbles under his breath and Sarina chuckles. A sudden roar from behind makes Neptune turn slightly but it's too late. One of Szara's troops has speared the male just a few inches from his heart.
"Neptune," Sarina yells and then summons Tronay's sword from where she had thrown it after removing it from her sister's chest. "Take that!"
She sends it flying toward the troop. The enemy explodes into dust and Silver snarls.
More troops, she growls before taking flight.
Tamli halts in his circling and looks down in worry.
Shall I come down? He asks.
"No," Sarina shouts over the cries of dragons and humans that echo around her. "Go on to Szara. We'll be fine."
Tamli nods and flies forward. He turns and circles once more before heading off to face the black dragoness and hopefully get the answers that he needs.