Chapter 54 Run!
Character Celantra
Celantra finished shredding one of the last of the attacking robots on the planet Desihre. K was next to her grinning as the attacking army retreated.
"Riza, happy now," Celantra asked.
"Yes, thank you," Riza replied.
After they had met the dragon riders, Griffen arranged for them to be transported to Desihre as a way for them to prove their intentions, Riza went with them, as did the Doctor and River. Both had their own abilities in a fight, Doctor was more interested in disarming the army, while River was happy to just blow them up.
"We should pursue them and take out their commander," Riza said.
"Right, River hop on," Celantra called.
River dashed up her tail and nestled down between her shoulders, Doctor was already atop K, he looked slightly childish compared to her mate but the strange traveler did mange to disrupt their radar and communications.
"Follow us Commander," K said as he took off. Celantra followed him into the sky with Riza close behind her. The army retreated back to a small base that was not designed to resist powers that she and K could unleash, it was dispatched with ease, several of the lasers actually gave Celantra more energy when they hit her. "Doctor check inside that command building see if there is anything useful in it."
"Already here," Doctor said through a loud speaker attached to the building, "apparently neither of your commanders are actually here, they are going to wherever 34, 56, 66 is."
"34,56,66 that is blank," Riza said, "we have no colonies there."
"Why not," Celantra asked.
"That planet circles a black hole," Riza replied.
"What," Doctor yelled, "oh no, no, no not it can't be."
"What is it," K asked.
"Evil," Doctor said, "I didn't believe him when I first met him but… I have to see this place."
"Well we are done here, want to take a transport," Riza asked.
"No we will go in the Tardis," Doctor said, "that is if riding is ok with you two. Riza go back and get the others tell them what we are doing and warn them to be ready for the fight of their lives if this doesn't work."
"What is on this planet," River asked.
"The Beast," Doctor replied, "only in this universe I didn't send it into the black hole."
"Ok we are going with you," Celantra said, "K shift me."
"Oh I've been waiting for a long time to hear that," K said as he used his power to morph her into a half-form, then he morphed himself to suit her form. "Ok we'll fly you back to the Tardis Riza I know we aren't necessarily on the best of terms but when you get back, take care of the rest of my friends while I'm gone."
"For the help you provided here, I'll do this," Riza said.
"Thank you," Celantra said before taking off with River on her back, K and Doctor caught up and she glanced back to see Riza's command unit get beamed up to the ship. Five minutes later they had arrived back at the Tardis, Doctor jumped off and opened the door then directed them to the back door. The inside was larger then the outside, like the ship existed in two planes at the same time, which it probably did.
"Well what do you think," Doctor asked.
"Ah I see you have an understanding of transient physics," Celantra said, "very nice."
"What oh come on you spoiled it, I love it when I see people stare for a minute then start stammering," Doctor said, "well fine."
"Now you've gone and made him all depressed," River said, "that will only last for a few seconds."
"Ah and we are off," Doctor yelled as the Tardis rumbled and ground and shook its way to their destination. The whole trip only took about five minutes. "Hey it was closer then I thought it would be," Doctor said as he rushed to the door, "ah good we are underground."
"I take it that is where we need to be," K said, "so what are we looking for?"
"Oh a 300' tall creature that somewhat resembles Diablo," Doctor said.
"300 feet tall," Celantra exclaimed.
"Ok maybe 500," Doctor amended.
"500," River gasped.
"Ok maybe just its head," Doctor added.
"Just its head," K yelled, "what are you talking about?"
"Raaaaaahhhhhhh!, Freedom!"
"That," Doctor yelled, "hurry this way." He took off into the cave with River, K and Celantra close behind him. They caught up to Doctor at the edge of a cliff that ran down to the center of the planet. On the other side were two empty shackles, each one was large enough to hold both K and Celantra inside it in their full dragon forms. A hole was smashed through the top of the cave that stretched over three miles to the surface of the planet. "We have to get back to the Tardis with that gap up there the air down here will be gone shortly," River yelled.
"Where are the jars," Doctor muttered, "oh of course the jars create the gravity bubble. Right back to the Tardis." Doctor took off back into the cave drawing the other three after him again.
"Doctor what are we going to do," River yelled.
"I don't know," Doctor replied, "K Celantra any ideas?"
"Other than just fighting whatever it is no," K replied.
"How about we try to see where it is going," Celantra said.
"That is a start," Doctor agreed as they reached the Tardis and piled in.
"Doctor! You thought me defeated! I am an idea indestructible an immortal! I am sin, and dark, and hate, and despair, and void, and the wasteland and the desolation and death!"
"And I am hope," Doctor yelled back, "and you can't kill hope!"
"And I am strength," River added.
"And I am reality," K said.
"And I am the energy of life," Celantra finished, "whatever you are we will destroy you!"
Then Doctor piloted the Tardis out and away from the planet and back to DC.
"Run it won't matter we will find you," The Beast yelled after them.
They arrived on the planet of what Celantra had taken to call Haven after the first city they arrived in. K rushed out to meet with DC Celantra, Doctor, and River following him.
"K there you are how did it go," Spyro said as the four skidded to a stop in the main hall of RuGaard's reception building, "I don't like that look, and what happened to Celantra?"
"Huh, Oh I'm fine K can change my shape as well as his own," Celantra said, "as for what happened well Doctor do you want to explain?"
"Right, Diablo you know how you four are the Prime Evils right," Doctor said.
"Yes," Diablo replied.
"Well lets just say we found… The Beast," Doctor added, "the dark and sin and despair and a whole bunch of other things."
"Damn so it is real," Diablo muttered, "he must be what Void and Despair locked onto to draw power from and if they did…"
"Ok when the lord of terror is worried I think we should be concerned," Cynder said, "everyone agree?"
"Aye," Fisher said.
"It may be powerful but it has been dormant for a long time so it won't know about the new creatures and powers that have arisen while it has been sleeping," Celantra said, "Spyro, Cynder, Flame, Ember, Guardians, Storm, Rayon, Fiona, Blitz, Krista, Geyser, Zar, Jizara, AuRel, Irene, DarSii, Wistala, AuRon, Natasha, RuGaard, Nilrasha, Hawk, Fisher, John, Arbiter, Cortana, Riza, Ivan, Griffen, Eragon, Saphira, Arya, Varok, Murtagh, Thorn, you it doesn't have any idea what you are, it does not understand what you can do."
"We don't need inspiration," Arbiter said, "though it is appreciated, we need a plan."
"I doubt you can just hit this thing hard, hard and harder," Ingitus said, "but perhaps it has given us the key to its defeat, all that it is also empowers it, so if we can cut off from it those things it could be killed."
"That might work," Malafor said, "how many things does this Beast draw power from?"
"Um sin, and dark, and hate, and despair, and void, and the wasteland and the desolation and death," Doctor said, "that was the list."
"Wow how did you remember that," Celantra asked.
"Practice," Doctor said.
"Still how are we going to keep it from feeding off of any never mind all of those things," Fiona asked, "especially since Void and Despair are its new friends."
"The same way I had planned to kill those two," K said, "but who can master all of those traits."
"I know someone who already has," Ingitus said.
"I can confirm it," Malafor added, "as well as Cynder."
"Who," Celantra asked.
"Spyro," Cynder said softly.
"What," Spyro said, "me?"
"Think about it dear," Cynder continued, "how did you free me, or defeat Malafor or do any of the things you did. By mastering yourself."
"I couldn't have done all that with out you," Spyro said, "both of us have mastered ourselves."
"True enough," Ember said, "though I would never have thought I would be saying that only 40 years ago."
"Thank you," Cynder said.
"And how would they defeat this thing," Celantra asked, "you can't expect them to just absorb it like you plan to do with Void and Despair."
"No this being is to ancient for that, but they can drain off their combined age from its power, and that would be a great help," K explained. "This Beast has been dormant for so long and during that time its power has not grown nearly as fast as it would have normally, my guess is that you two could push it back to its power since before it was imprisoned."
"When it was weak enough to be defeated by the guardians of light," Doctor exclaimed, "brilliant!"
"Now I suggest we get some rest then," Ivan said, "sounds like we will be busy for a while."
"Hah-ah," K gasped.
"K what is wrong," Celantra said concern filling her voice.
K motioned with his hand but still could not talk.
"Don't worry whatever is wrong with him it is not lethal," Varok said.
"How would you know," Celantra snapped.
"I used magic to examine him," Murtagh said.
"Celantra I'm fine," K said, "Doug is here, somewhere, he is in this universe, K explained, I feel his mind."
"Where is he," Celantra asked.
"I don't know, but as he gets stronger I will be able to track him down," K said, "he is our way back home so wish him well."
Character Wistala
"Well what is you conclusion," Wistala asked DarSii as they retired to their room in the imperial resort. She liked the room it was spacious enough for comfort but small enough to keep warm with their body heat. She smiled, sometimes it could get very warm. There were two side rooms each a private retreat for the two if they were having a rough day. The main room was decorated with an older fashion of shed scales from each of them. She had spent several hours arranging them in striped patterns of orange, black and green. In her private room she had carpets and several pieces of art in various forms. DarSii's was more bare but reflected his personality well it had a few weapons from his campaigns and a few mementos of his past but nothing else.
"They seem honest enough and I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt so yes I will agree to help them," DarSii replied, "and it seems that their enemy is also going to be coming after us anyway."
"Yes that is not very comforting but it figures," Wistala remarked.
"Indeed," DarSii added, "though I would guess that eventually this Beast would have escaped anyway."
"And if it did we would not have the extra help in defeating it but would still have to fight it," Wistala continued.
"But now we get to fight it before it has another few thousand years to gain power, even if it is a very small amount, and we have friends that can reduce its potential," DarSii concluded.
"You know I love it when you get all intellectual," Wistala said with a playful growl.
DarSii responded in kind and followed up with a lick on her nose, "You know how to play me don't you," he said, "but tonight is not the best time seeing as we need to have some plan for the hunt."
"Yes I know," Wistala replied with a sigh, "but that could be just as enjoyable!"
DarSii chuckled, "you always had that positive outlook, ok I'm for hunting this creature down and smashing it until there is nothing left."
"That is not like you," Wistala replied, "you would learn it then smash it."
"The learning part is implied," DarSii stated.
"Right, After learning and before smashing though what... how shall we smash it if we can even do that to whatever this is."
"Then again you also are the depressingly logical one," DarSii amended, "but it is a fair point and one that I don't have a good answer for." They spent a long time thinking over possible solutions before Wistala thought up one they both liked.
"I might have one," Wistala said, "if this Beast is as large as Doctor says then it won't be that hard to find some information through those ACU commanders, also it will probably be slower than a smaller creature if we could trip it up get it on its back and hit it while its lying down."
"Yes but what will be big enough to hit something as large as the Beast is supposed to be," DarSii replied his lips pulled up in concentration.
"I wonder what the ACUs travel in those ships sound very big perhaps we can hit it with one of those," Wistala suggested.
"That would depend on the size of the ship but judging by the size of the ACUs they would be very large," DarSii continued.
"So do we have a plan," Wistala asked.
"I believe we have the start of a plan it will probably morph as we go but they always do," DarSii replied with a yawn, "too bad it took us three hours."
"Oh poor dragon come here," Wistala cooed as she curled around DarSii.
"Hmmm…" he mumbled as he fell asleep with his head resting on her shoulder. She draped her neck across his back and went to sleep.
"Morning dear," DarSii called as Wistala walked into the main room and stretched.
"Morning, how do you get out from under me like that," Wistala replied.
"Lots of practice," DarSii replied, "ready for the hunt?"
"Yes," Wistala said though she was inwardly worried about the whole thing, she had never gotten back into the fighting style after her first real war.
"You don't like this I know but I'll be there to watch your back," DarSii said.
"I know," she replied walking over to him and licking him on his nose, "and we have other allies that seem to be reliable."
"Aye that to," DarSii agreed, "lets go get some food I'm hungry."
"Ha it figures," Wistala said, "come on then brother probably has something on the spit."
"True he seems to know what makes a good meal," DarSii consented as they strolled out of the house and over to the imperial resort.
They entered the hall where RuGaard generally set out a banquet style breakfast. The hall was massive, big enough to easily hold forty full grown dragons in its pillar lined walls.
"DarSii, Wistala, welcome," RuGaard called from behind a table filled with various meats, Nilrasha entered the hall from a side room and greeted them with a flap of her wings.
"Enjoying those wings aren't you," Wistala said.
"Oh you have no idea," Nilrasha said, "and you wouldn't believe what K's healing has done for RuGaard!"
"I don't think they want to hear all the details of my hatchling injuries," RuGaard interrupted.
"No I think you are just shy," Nilrasha said, "but whatever you say."
"Sounds like they had a good night," DarSii whispered.
"What did you expect," Wistala replied, "Nilrasha just got her wings back and RuGaard has the use of all his limbs."
"Come eat," RuGaard invited as they arrived at the table, "we should try and get some energy before we take off on this war."
"Thank you," DarSii said, "what is the plan for this war?"
"Honestly I don't rightly know," RuGaard said, "got any ideas?"
"You know we do brother," Wistala said as she picked out a chunk of roast boar.
"Thought so," RuGaard said, "what do you got?"
"How big are those ships that Griffen has," DarSii asked.
"I would guess huge," RuGaard replied.
"That is what we thought to so what if we used them as a weapon, like a spear to slam into this Beast," Wistala continued.
RuGaard was silent while he finished a piece of beef, "that… that might actually work!"
"Then lets go talk with Griffen and see what he says," Nilrasha commented.
"Well your in luck then," AuRon said as he and Natasha entered the hall from the west wing, "Griffen, Ivan, and Riza are on their way here."
Promptly after AuRon finished speaking the main doors flew open, however instead of the commanders K and Celantra strode in.
"Good morning," Celantra greeted, K dipped his head in acknowledgment of the assembled dragons then again to RuGaard.
"We have a problem," K began, "'they' are here, Spyro and Cynder are already heading a defensive line along with the Commanders we need to move now!"
Wistala and DarSii were out the door in a flash, she had to admit for not liking war when it came down to it she and Dar were always in the thick of it.
