I'm back, baby! And I believe it is high time we end this bout between good and evil, light and dark. Are we ready for this? It's time for Vierra to fall!

Chapter 21

"I'm ending you!"

My furious cry carried through the mountains as I charged her. She let out a roar as I came near, before letting her evil eyes fall to me. When I was close enough, she attempted to take a swing at me with her huge left paw, but I ducked under it. She was quick to try again, this time with her right, but I jumped and did a side flip over it. Her attacks left her center wide open, and I wasted no time taking the opening. Using my wings and legs, I propelled myself horns-first into her chest, knocking her to the ground with a grunt. I was carried to the ground with her, standing on her chest, and with a roar, I raised onto my back legs and attempted to impale her with my claws. I was stopped just inches short by one of her huge paws grabbing me and holding me still. In her need to get me away so she could regain her footing, she chucked me with all her strength straight up into the sky.

The throw was amazing. I tumbled through the air a good few hundred feet straight up before I was able to gain control. I hovered there in the air and looked down, where Vierra glared at me with a mighty rage. Without giving her any more time to collect herself, I commenced a fast nose dive, heading straight for the silver demon. She was expecting me to ram her, as was evident by her planting her footing and reeling back in preparation to deflect me, but that was not my intention. With no distance to spare, I quickly pulled up, letting a fireball escape my gullet as I passed. She bellowed in pain as the ball impacted her, and I smiled with delight at her suffering. I followed my path back up into the air, preparing to make another pass by with a more fatal blast, but an angry cry from behind me changed my plan.

I looked back to find Vierra in close pursuit behind me, chasing me up into the sky. I could see Tina back on the ground, looking horrified by the spectacle of the fight, and that only fueled my drive even more. I wouldn't fail her again. With renewed vigor, I pushed higher, until the trees below us looked only as big as my leg. That is the altitude I stopped at, and was soon joined by Vierra, who hovered fifty meters in front of me.

"You betray the true cause of the dragon race, our true purpose!" She screamed

"You're the one who betrayed us all! The guardians, my father, and me. You are a traitor, and a murderer. And you will meet the same fate of every one of your victims before you. You will burn on this world, and you will burn in hell!"

Her eyes ignited with anger. They began to glow a pure silver light, before she looked up into the heavens and let out a vicious roar. The ear deafening sound wasn't alone; it was accompanied by a bright silver beam of energy, shot straight up into the sky. A moment later, her gaze returned to me, no longer glowing, but it was clear she had not spent her payload of power. Not wanting to be caught still when she next fired, I charged her. As I predicted, she widened her mouth and out came another burst of the energy, but I lopped around it. After my loop was complete, I continued it around her, burning her backside with a steady stream of fire which charred all down her back.

She screamed in pain, obviously not enjoying my attack. I smiled and prepared to turn around and attack again, but when I looked, I saw her glaring at me. I watched as she lifted her tail to be eye level with me, and as she grinned maliciously, the spines which lay flat against her tail unfolded to reveal twelve of the six inch long spikes. I soon realized how fast her tail really was, as in what seemed like a blur of silver, I felt an unbearable pain in my right front foreleg. I soon realized that I was now impaled by the tail, and try as I might, I couldn't break free.

While I was stuck to her, she whipped her tail around, dragging me painfully with it. I cried out in agony as I felt my flesh being ripped by the spike pulling me along. She cackled as I screamed, all too happy to deal back every ounce of pain I dealt her. What seemed like an eternity of pain for me was only mere moments later, when she finally removed her tail from my wrist and threw me barreling to the ground. The ground came too fast for me to react, and on the very cliff we slept on while she controlled me, I landed. I impacted on my back, but I didn't stop. I skidded along the dirt and stone for a few moments, feeling the pain of a few scales being ripped from my hide before I stopped on impact with a tree, directly on my head. I swear, these trees are out to get me. I was able to role onto my front and get my feet underneath me, but the pain pulsing through my body was too much for me to stand. As such, I wasn't able to stand up before Vierra landed on the cliffs edge. She approached me, smiling evilly, and I truly felt scared. There was only about ten feet between us, when she stopped, and began to cackle again.

"You see? You could never have defeated me alone. Now die!" She yelled

She began to run at me. In a final attempt to move, I forced myself to my feet, clenching my eyes in pain, which proved to be a fatal mistake. Just as I was fully standing, I felt an immense sharp pain in my abdomen, causing me to cry out in pure agony. I'd never felt a pain so intense, and I soon discovered the source. When I looked, I found not one, but three of the spikes of her tail were fully imbedded in my stomach. I looked up into vierra's eyes, and all I saw was hate. She held me there for a few moments, before retracting the spines and letting me collapse to the ground.

"Vexx!" I heard Tina cry out from the tree line

Moments after crying out my name, a rock the size of my head came hurling through the air, shattering on impact with Vierra's side. She seemed dazed by the impact, but the source of the flying earth was obvious when Tina burst into the clearing. She looked scared, and unsure of herself, but something drove her out. She seemed to immediately second guess that decision, however, as she began to back away in fear, glancing between me and Vierra, who had already collected herself and began to slowly, painfully walk towards Tina.

NO! I won't let this happen!

I tried to move, but the pain was immense. I didn't have the strength left in me to get up, or do anything. I had no power left to use.

"Her power is in you…"

Ignitus's words again began to sound in my mind. Her power is my power. I have it to use, and I won't let it go to waste.

Mustering up the strength, I forced myself to ignore the pain and stood, with Vierra oblivious as she stood right in front of Tina, both of them near the cliff.

"This ends here!" I screamed

Before Vierra even registered my voice, I charged. I let out a powerful roar, before expelling a beam of pure white heat, which made a direct hit on Vierra, blinding her. While she was disoriented, I leapt into the air and thrust my tail forward, impaling her directly through the neck. Her eyes opened wide, and I stared into them with furry.

"Now you die"

I pulled myself free from her lifeless corpse and watched as it fell to the ground, and rolled back over the cliff, and out of sight. I stood there with no strength left, hanging my head. I was able to glance up at Tina, who stared at me with horror in her eyes. I wish she didn't have to see me then, covered in my own blood, cut open, with the worst yet to come. I gave her a forced smile, before collapsing to the ground.

"Vexx!" She exclaimed and rushed to my side, "Vexx, you're gonna be ok, we'll get you some gems. There's bound to be some around here," She said, and moved to begin the search

Though I would've liked to hide it, I was scared. Scared of what I knew was coming, and I didn't want to be alone.

"Tina…stay…please," I said weakly, sounding more like a whisper

She looked at me with sadness in her eyes, and nodded, walking behind me and laying down with her head on my side. I felt her warm tears begin to land on my side, which was growing increasingly cold.

"T-Tina…I'm sorry…I wasn't enough," I forced out

"What are you talking about…you're all I'll ever need," She said, between sobs, "And you're gonna be just fine. Just stay awake, stay with me. You'll be fine,"

I forced a chuckle, "Not this time. Tina, I want you to know that I love you. I love you now, and I'll love you forever. We'll see each other again, someday"

"No, don't say that! You're going to be fine…you're going to stay here with me, you have to! I need you here with me," She sobbed

I didn't have the strength to say anything more. Her sobs continued, and she continued telling me I had to stay with her. Over and over again, she spoke those words, but my ears began to fail. My vision blurred and I slowly closed my eyes, hearing a few last words before it faded into black…

"I love you too, Vexx…"

My name is Convexity. My father was Ignitus, fire guardian of realm of Avalar, and Chronicler. Son of Vierra, traitor to the dragons of this world. A wise dragon once said that when a dragon dies, he does not truly leave this world. He continues on, binding himself with nature. Offering hope for the future. Those words were spoken by my father, and never had I heard them spoken from his lips. Because in my case, I never came close…