Chapter 54. "Facing death"

Tremor watched Candice's body, lying on the ground, from his eyes were dripping tears. He was touching her paw, already cold as the ice, the scales seemed so… harsh. Gaia stood next to him. She remained silent, trying to imagine, how really crushed her brother was. She knew that he had already reached the complete bottom, his heart was overfilled with pointlessness and sorrow. "Gaia."Tremor whispered. Green dragoness turned her head at him. "Can I be alone for a moment?"
"Tremor..." She tried to refuse.
"Please." Tremor asked her. His sister nodded and just disappeared. There remained after her nothing more than just green aura. Brute watched that with surprise. He almost pitied that dragon.
"I told you that she would die. But because of your stubbornness, you ignored me. It's your fault." The wyvern was standing about twenty meters from him. "How long will it take you to understand, that you're cause of all those deaths? That your sister, Flush, Candice, they all died because of your recklessness and stubbornness. You are death, Tremor. Everyone, who is around you, dies." He smiled. "Now it's going to be Ivory's turn, huh? I've heard that she was pregnant. It would be such a pity if she died today... Or maybe Ray? You've been good friends for so long time that I'm surprised that he's actually alive. Not speaking of Flameus." Tremor didn't reply, he didn't react at those words at all. "How long will it take you to understand truth?" The wyvern excepted answer, but he heard none. "Well, I'll repeat deal, I offered you in Teria. I'll kill you, to protect your friends from you, the death bringer. How about that?" The wyvern laughed silently. "Come on, Tremor, you have nothing left to live for." There was no respond. Brute took from his bag a bomb. "Well, I guess that means yes." He threw it to the earth guardian, who was still standing with his back to opponent. Small bomb exploded, dragon disappeared in dust. As it fell on the ground, wyvern saw wall of earth, which turned into pieces several seconds later. Tremor glared at Brute with eyes glowing with green energy. Coldly, with hatred. In his sight there was something even more terrifying and cold-hearted than in Icey's. He had enough of Brute. Enough of his babbling about death. Enough of his talking so lightly about Gaia.
"Speaking of my sister..." The earth guardian was far away from even the slightest smile. "I guess you meant her." Brute heard some noise. Right next to him, there appeared the green dragoness. She slashed his left shoulder deeply. Vengantimo jumped away and threw bomb to her to make her pull back. Then, he heard noise of broken bone and felt intensive pain in jaw. With corner of eye he noticed Tremor, who had appeared in front of him before wyvern even noticed that. Strength of blow in jaw threw Vengantimo in the air. Brute groaned painfully. Whole his head burnt with unbearable pain. Gaia landed next to Tremor, who was watching carefully flying back wyvern.
"For moment I thought, I've really lost you." Gaia said with worries.
"Candy… She's…I still have Sierra and Tundra to protect. I'll not stop, until they're safe. And also, I gave Ivory promise." Tremor said. Just a moment earlier, Gaia could feel his seek of revenge overtaking him completely. But he didn't let it possess him. His sister watched him sadly. Her brother was surprisingly well, after what happened. Or rather, he seemed to be, because she knew that in bottom of his heart, he was crying after Candice. And his cry would never stop.
"I'm covering you." Gaia told him. "Just don't let hatred consume you."
"No worries." Tremor replied. He controlled himself. In time of their dialogue, Sexto put paw to bag. Small incendiary bomb was sent to earth dragons, but earth bullet pushed it away. Explosion covered whole place in fire. Gaia shot an earth bullet, Tremor started running to enemy. The wyvern was floating about one meter above ground and started throwing bombs. All of them were sent away with Gaia's shots. Tremor jumped to Brute and forced with him. The earth guardian was much stronger, so he pushed him back to the ground. Then, Vengantimo saw Gaia jumping in the air right behind Tremor and swinging her tail.
"Tremor!" She shouted, though there was no need to do so. Her brother leaned down, leaving Vengantimo's head completely unguarded, so Gaia had clear shot. But Brute leaned back avoiding her clubbed tail just in time. Then Tremor hit his chest with head. Vengantimo fell on the ground and rolled away. He started flying, when in front of him appeared Gaia. She slashed with talons, but wyvern flew above her leaving her bomb in front of face. Power of explosion threw dragoness to the ground, but Tremor caught her, before she would crash. She watched him surprised.
"Don't worry about me. I already can't die." She noticed. Her brother smiled slightly, or at least meant to do so.
"It doesn't mean I can't catch you." He replied. Twins attacked again, this time together. Tremor sent to wyvern the earth bullet. Brute crushed it with small bomb, when at his side appeared Gaia. He blocked dragoness with clubbed tail, when in front of him appeared the earth guardian. Vengantimo jumped back, when he felt that behind him, there was wall of earth.
"I've got you." Tremor said, as he stabbed Sexto with paws. The wyvern blocked blow with gauntlets. There could be heard metallic noise, as his gloves started cracking and Tremor's talons started covering with blood. Then, right next to Tremor flew small earth bullet from Gaia. It hit one of Vengantimo's wing's bones, breaking it painfully. Brute pushed away Tremor and jumped back, increasing distance between them. Gaia tried to attack with clubbed tail, but Sexto blocked it with his tailblade and took several steps more, so between him and Tremor there were about ten meters already. He shook off parts of his would only disturb him since they were in pieces, even if those were necessary to him to detonate bombs. In such state, they were simply useless. Gaia landed next to her brother.
"Did you just lose your bombs?" Tremor grinned. In that case, he simply couldn't lose.
"Why do you think so?" The wyvern took bomb and burnt its fuse with fire, which remained on the ground after incendiary bomb from earlier. He threw it on the ground causing appearing of even more fire. Still, he hadn't much time left, rain was going to extinguish it quickly. Gaia noticed sudden glow in her brother's eyes, as he watched the fire. She knew this sight. He had a plan.
"Should I just extinguish all that fire?" The earth dragoness whispered suggestion. It wouldn't take her long and if she did that, Brute would lose without doubts.
"I have another idea. After he throws bombs, distract him for while." Tremor decided. She bobbed with head. She had no idea, what was his plan, but she was already willing to believe it was going to work out.
"Do you think, he'll fall on it again?" She asked. They had already done trick with distraction.
"That will be something new." He smiled, as Brute threw two bombs at him. "Don't do a thing." He said to his sister. The wyvern started running to dragons, as he saw explosion at earth wall.
"Now, Gaia."Tremor whispered. Gaia flew to wyvern and swung her tail at him. Brute leaned back and jumped away from her, he had already learnt not to fight with her at close distance. He caught sight of earth guardian flying from another side out of his corner of eye. Just as expected. He blocked the dragoness's blow and jumped to Tremor. He was about to slash him, when Tremor caught his arm. At that moment, the earth guardian press his still clenched fist against the ground covered in fire. Gaia released that he was holding something in there. For a second, there could be heard some disturbing hiss. Tremor tried with fist to hit wyvern's chest, but Vengantimo jumped back, avoiding blow for centimeters. The earth guardian smiled and opened his paw, from which appeared small bomb with almost completely burnt fuse. It exploded in moment, it touched wyvern's chest, throwing both Tremor and Brute away. Vengantimo stopped at tree and fell on the ground painfully. At his chest, there was one great, bleeding burn, he barely could breath, and from his lips was dripping blood from his bleeding lungs. The wyvern watched Tremor with disbelief. He knew that earth guardian was both tough and reckless, but he didn't expect him to do such a thing. He would never use that bomb at so close distance. He liked his arm too much and he wouldn't want it torn to shreds.
"Are you alright?" Gaia asked. She had got really worried about Tremor, as her brother was thrown away for several meters. At this moment, he was holding his paw and hissing painfully. "Let me see that." Gaia shown her his paw, three fingers were twisted or broken, whole paw to the elbow was all over covered in bleeding burns. He barely could move it. "That was reckless." The earth dragoness admonished him. "By the way, where did you get that bomb from?"
"I extinguished one of his bombs, when he threw two of them, later I burnt its fuse using fire on the ground." Tremor explained.
"If it didn't work out, you'd lose your arm." Gaia noticed.
"I couldn't resist. And that's..." He watched his wound carefully." That's nothing, Ember or Ivory can heal that." He tried to smile, but hissed, as placed paw on the ground.
"Still, you should be more careful about yourself. And from this point, you better fly." His sister suggested. He nodded and with his sister flew to lying on the ground Vengantimo. Brute smiled, as he saw dragons landing right in front of him.
"Impressive, Tremor. If I tried something like that, I would surely say goodbye to my hand..."
"Die now, Brute." The earth dragon wasn't in mood to converse with wyvern.
"Wait, just listen to me." Brute tried to stop him, as dragon touched his throat.
"Why should I?" The guardian asked coldly.
"My last request... Won't you fill it?" Tremor took his talons from wyvern's throat, Vengantimo sighed with relief.
"So, you'll take your revenge for Flush, huh?" Vengantimo asked. Tremor felt that his blood was boiling. In fervor of fight, he had almost forgotten that Sexto had murdered Flush. "You surely hate me for killing him, don't you?"
"I do. But if I really wanted to take my revenge for him, you would regret day, when we met." Dragon's voice was so harsh and filled with such hatred that wyvern swallowed hardly. "Hurry up and say, what you want, idea of killing you right now becomes even more tempting every second."
"We're alike, aren't we?" Sexto noticed. The earth guardian barely stopped himself from killing wyvern in that very moment.
"I'm nothing like you." Dragon refused.
"We'll see, if you're telling truth. I mean my situation now and your ten years ago. At first, it was just mission, our duty, nothing personal. That was, until appeared feelings. It's funny thing that every of us fell in love with his greatest enemy." Vengantimo noticed. Tremor couldn't help smiling slightly, as he thought about his first months with Candice. "Then, in lives of each of us, appeared two new priorities. Yours were to protect Candice and everyone around you from danger and to have happy life with your mate. Mine were to get Sierra and raise her as my own daughter and kill all from her family, to give her safe future. At end of that journey, you decided to protect friends, instead of your happy life. You sacrificed one of priorities for another one. And I... I'll do this same." Devilish smile appeared at his face.
"Tremor, pull back!" Gaia screamed, as she understood, what was going to happen. The earth guardian saw, how Brute was creating stream of sparks with parts of glove, which he was still holding in paw for all that time. Fuse from big bomb at his back burnt. The earth guardian jumped away, shielding his face from explosion, which was about to come.
"Too late." He heard whisper. And then, there was only earth shaking explosion.

Icey heard explosion and coughed lightly, as some of dust reached his nostrils. He didn't have to open eyes, he exactly knew, what had just happened. Tercera smiled slightly. "Brute, Brute... You don't know how to lose, do you?" He sighed deeply. "Two down. Or maybe three, huh, Gaia?" He whispered silently, knowing that there was no force, which could save Tremor. He regretted losing opportunity to kill the earth guardian, but he was sure, there were going to be others to be killed. Maybe Infernus or Stella? The lightning guardian, oppositely to Candice, could be quite a challenge.

Espejo and two fire breathers stopped for a while, when they heard explosion. All three of them completely forgot about fight and watched the place, where noise came from.
"What the..." Flame asked himself. Neither he nor his mate understood, what had happened. They had already heard explosions of Brute's bomb, but that one was tens times louder.
"Brute, you idiot." Espejo whispered. Both fire breathers watched him curiously. "That big bomb at his back... He wasn't kidding, when he said that he'd blow himself up..." Segunda shook his head slowly.
"Blow himself up?" Ember asked with disbelief.
"Yes. And that means your earth guardian's dead already." He turned at fire breathers. "This is not your lucky day, dragons." He noticed.
"So is Brute. It's neither your lucky day." Flame riposted. Then, Segunda jumped between fire breathers and slashed with paw aiming at Flame's face. The fire guardian blocked the blow with talons. Meanwhile, Ember tried to slash Vengantimo's hinder legs, but then, wyvern blocked both her blows with two fast swings of tailblade and kicked her face with hinder leg, throwing her on the ground behind him. Then, wyvern bounced from the ground, at first with arms, a second later with legs. He straightened his wings so he was flying to Ember with his back to the ground. He tried to slash pink dragoness's throat, but she leaned her head back. In effect, Espejo only scratched her, but managed to tear her necklace off. He landed several meters farther, watching carefully red heart of Ember's necklace.
"My necklace!" Ember shouted. Flame stood at her side.
"We attack together." The fire breather whispered. "One. Two."
"Three." Vengantimo finished their counting down and jumped to dragons. Both fire breathers swung their paws at him, each of them from other directions. Vengantimo leaned back, avoiding them for centimeters. He noticed opening at Ember's guard and he tried to stab her throat, but then, Flame bitten his arm deeply. Ember was about to slash Vengantimo's face, when Segunda used necklace as a shield. The pink dragoness stopped her paw and then wyvern hit her face with head strongly, making her lose her balance and collapse. Meanwhile, Flame swung his paw, trying to kill Vengantimo. But Espejo, with sudden swing of paw, released it from fire guardian's jaws, gave him three scratches at his cheek and blocked his blow. Flame released stream of fire. Espejo jumped back and absorbed all flames. He shot them to Ember, but pink dragoness rolled away dodging it. The fire guardian ran to Vengantimo, but wyvern jumped to Ember. The pink dragoness was about to slash his chest, when again, Espejo used her necklace as shield. Ember stopped for a while, for Vengantimo it was just enough to slash her chest deeply and hit her face with her own necklace, knocking her out.
"Ember!" Flame shouted fearfully.
"Worry about yourself, dragon!" Vengantimo threw right in the red dragon's face Ember's necklace. Flame caught it, covering his vision for a second with his paw. In time of that second, Espejo swung his tail scratching his cheek, then he pressed his paw to Flame's arm and released small amount of magic throwing him to the ground. Both dragons were laying and groaning painfully. Segunda grinned as he watched both of them.
"I have to admit, you're amazing warriors. When I attacked two matured dragons before the eastern city, fight took me about half a minute and you... I've never met opponents who would be able to fight against me so long." Espejo didn't say that with disdain, he actually respected those two. "That's a pity I have to kill so powerful dragons."
"You don't have to." Ember replied. She released stream of fire to Vengantimo, who absorbed it with one of paws. Meanwhile, Flame tried to attack slashing with paws. Espejo blocked his blow and then, the fire guardian grasped his arm. Segunda released stream of fire back to Ember. The pink dragoness stepped aside and jumped to Vengantimo. She knew that he couldn't block all her blows with just one paw. When she was about to get the wyvern, Espejo rapidly jumped back, pulling Flame in such way that his mate fell on him and both dragons collapsed. Vengantimo smiled pitifully watching them both on the ground.
"Nice try." He admitted.
"We're not done yet!" Flame shouted, as he jumped at Vengantimo. Espejo just laid down, so Flame simply flew above the wyvern. Segunda jumped to the dragon, intending to attack his back. He blocked fire guardian's block. Then, to wyvern's surprise, Flame closed eyes. Vengantimo noticed small shiny fireball flying next to him. He knew what was going to happen. Espejo turned around to Ember, sure that the fireball he left behind was the only one. He understood how wrong he was, when he saw that Ember had closed eyes too. Right before his face, second fireball exploded blinding Vengantimo for a moment. That was all that fire breathers needed. They jumped to the wyvern. Espejo swung his paws releasing magic, trying to shield, but he failed, he knew it. Across his lips, there danced a gentle smile.
"Good one." He whispered with respect. He felt proud because of facing so powerful and skilled dragons, he not really regretted dying killed by them. Maybe only because he'd never see that Tris. But she wouldn't want to see him, Vengantimo, would she? Especially, if he'd kill the dragon guardian. He blocked Flame's blow swinging his arm blindly, even wounded his arm. But at this same moment Ember slashed through his chest, breaking ribs and tearing apart wyvern's lungs and heart. Both dragons stopped several steps from Vengantimo. Espejo fell slowly on the ground. His gentle smile turned into a grin of dying person. "Really good one, dragons." He whispered with respect and fell on the ground.

The earth guardian coughed hardly. He was lying on the ground, surrounded by cloud of dust. Explosion threw him on the ground so fast, that his back felt as if it was on fire, though from the explosion had already passed several minutes. But that was good sign. As long it hurt, he could be sure he was alive. He blinked several times to see Gaia, right above him.
"Are you alright?" She asked with worries and raised her paw to him.
"That's nothing, volcano was much worse." Tremor assured her and grasped her paw. His sister helped him to get up. Then, guardian saw that in front of him were remains of wall long for at least several meters. Gaia created it between him and Brute right before the explosion.
"If not that, there wouldn't remain much of you." Gaia noticed. Tremor smiled nervously and swallowed hardly, as he saw that trees in range of fifteen meters literally disappeared, leaving only burnt roots.
"Thanks." He coughed again, dust was everywhere.
"No problem, I already stopped counting, how many times I've already saved you." Gaia noticed.
"Very funny." He replied, seeing her smile. Then he turned head, at direction where was Icey. Gaia knew this sight.
"You barely survived that fight. I can't let you do it all alone." She forestalled his words.
"Sorry sister, but this time I have to fight alone." Tremor decided. "Icey...This is my fight. I could always count on you, but this time... It's only my fight." His sister sighed deeply, her eyes stopped on his wounded paw. Like every caring sister, she didn't like the idea of leaving him on his own.
"Fine. Just try not to die." She pleased. Tremor nodded and he started running at the top of hill.

Icey was staying with his back to the earth guardian, his head was hanging, and eyes remained closed. Until he heard steps. Tercera lifted his head, opened blue eyes and smiled slightly, satisfied with that coming. He had to admit that this dragon was stronger than he expected.
"So, you showed up." He said without glaring at guardian, turned at him with his back.
"You'll die here. You will hurt no one more." Tremor hissed angrily. Icey slowly turned around. He smiled to Tremor with pity. Down his old scales, there was slowly dripping the rain.
"You don't know when to give up. Especially on her. You almost died trying to bring her back ten years ago, now interrupting my fight, killing Brute... What pushes you to do this all?" He asked. Tremor didn't reply, just hissed angrily. "Love. Is it really that strong?" Icey asked once more. He didn't remember that feeling. He had wiped it out from his heart completely so now, those were only four random letters to him. He hadn't felt this feeling for so many years. "But, on the other hand, its lack is even stronger, as you could see." He smiled. He understood this long time ago that it was why he became so cold. "For long time I haven't seen eyes like those. So loveless, filled with hatred... Even more than my own. You surely seek my death, don't you?"
"You'll pay for that." The earth guardian was looking for opportunity to attack, but he couldn't find any opening in Vengantimo's guard.
"After Creencia's death, I understood that all dragons should feel this same way, as I did. When you have to watch your beloved dying in front of your eyes. When her life flies away right between your paws, no matter, how strong you try to keep it. I want you all to understand it. Pain of loss."
"Understand?" Tremor asked with disbelief. "To make me understand? Understand this, what I've endured far too much?! And that's all?! Is that the only reason of this all?!" He shouted, mad at the wyvern. His eyes were glowing with green light. Tercera just smiled flippantly.
"Yeah." He answered coldly. "Cruel, isn't it?" Icey asked rhetorically. The earth guardian howled madly, from earth at Icey's both sides appeared earth wyvern stopped them creating ice around his temples. His eyes grew wide, as he felt that earth pillars touched skin of his head. He saw dragon's talons and jumped back. Earth touching his scales made two long wounds at sides of his head. Tercera couldn't believe that rapidly Tremor became so fast. He always used to think that he was the weakest of dragon guardians, so this sudden attack surprised him. From earth appeared other stone pillars, which went through Icey's wall of ice without any problem. Vengantimo barely managed to avoid them all, his shield of ice didn't work against that earth. He understood that on the ground he was the one with disadvantage. He beaten wings strongly flying quickly above Tremor and getting advantage of height. The earth guardian shot himself in the air with stone pillar. In several seconds, he was at Tercera's height. They flew to each other releasing elements. Dust and small pieces of stone and ice was everywhere, as Tercera and guardian flew to each other and started forcing. It was obvious that dragon was much stronger, if he had several seconds more, he would surely win. But Icey knew that he couldn't lose.
"Helarse, Tremor." From his chest appeared spread of ice. The earth dragon tried to fly away, but he felt that Icey was holding him. He wanted to break ice spike with earth bullet, though he doubted if he would manage to do that in time. But then, the ice stopped just several centimeters from Tremor's chest. To his surprise, it was already all covered in blood. Icey groaned silently with pain. He turned his head slowly at dragoness behind him. He couldn't believe his eyes, neither could Tremor.
"Candice...Impossible..." The wyvern whispered, watching the ice guardian with widely opened eyes. He dropped the earth guardian and started falling on the ground. Candice dove quickly to him, not giving Tremor even the slightest sight. The earth guardian watched her surprised, not sure, if wasn't he dreaming. He didn't understand a thing, so he followed her. On the ground, Tercera was watching her in disbelief.
"Your body's lying right there...I killed you. No clone can imitate blood..." Icey whispered.
"Well, I can." She replied, as Tremor landed next to her. The earth guardian watched her with disbelief. Was it truth? Or was she just an imitation, lying Vengantimo so he would die believing that he failed? Icey stood up slowly, though it was quite a challenge for him. "My clones are better than yours, Icey." She said triumphantly. Vengantimo hissed painfully.
"You're lying! That's impossible...I've been watching you all the time..." Speaking with one lung pierced was surely very hard for Icey. From his lips started dripping blood. "You couldn't replace yourself! You had no time to do that!" He made slight move with paws, ready to jump. "But to make sure..." Before the dragoness could react, he jumped to her and tried to stab her throat. Then, between them, appeared Tremor. He swung at Icey with his clubbed tail, hitting him right in his head, there could be heard nasty noise of broken bone. The wyvern was sent for several meters in the air and fell on the ground, dead. Candice sighed with relief, he didn't even manage to touch her. Tremor turned at the dragoness.
"Candy..." He stumbled. He didn't know, what to say, how to ask her about that. He felt his heart rate spiked. "Are you... Are you real? You know, I mean..." He watched her hopefully. He wanted to believe that it was really her, but he knew that Icey hit a point. Tremor had never seen Candice imitating blood and even gentle warmth of body. She never told him that she could do it. And, watching Icey's imitations, he really doubted about it. The ice dragoness just smiled.
"Of course that's me, you pebble-brain." She said fondly. The earth guardian felt his heart leaping in joy, as he cuddled her strongly. His eyes became wet from tears of joy. "I'm so happy that you're alright." Candice whispered with relief in her voice. "I was so scared about you when there was that giant explosion that I barely managed to keep hiding and..."
"Don't do it anymore." Tremor pleased after several seconds of silence. "Never." The ice guardian smiled slightly thinking at first that he was just kidding, but his face was deadly serious.
"You've died so many times and can't I do it once?" She asked indignantly. "No worries, I won't do it anymore." She promised and felt that he was cuddling her even stronger. "Hey, sweety, I'm trying to breath." She earth dragon released his hug a bit embarrassed and kissed her passionately. He felt such inexpressible relief…
"Was it that bad to see my death?" Candice asked once they finally stopped kissing. It took them a moment.
"You have no idea." Tremor replied, while wiping tears from his cheeks.
"Trust me, I do." The ice guardian assured him. Tremor laughed silently.
"Right..." He agreed reluctantly.
"Candice? Are you alive?" They heard surprised voice. Both guardians turned their heads to see Flame and Ember. Two fire breathers were covered in their blood from dozens of wounds. Ember had long mark after already healed long slash of talons at her chest, she lacked necklace at her neck. Flame's tail was bent unnaturally, broken, at his cheek, there were three bloody lines, and those weren't just scratches.
"Where's your..." Tremor pointed pink dragoness's neck.
"Here it is." Flame was holding necklace in his paw. "That wyvern tore it off and used as shield against us. With his tricks and speed, he was even worse than Icey." He sat on the ground and sighed deeply, completely exhausted after that fight. He hissed with pain, as leaned against right front arm, which still hurt, after Segunda had released small amount of magical energy to push him away. "Speaking of Icey, I saw him killing you." Flame noticed. Both fire breathers gave ice guardian asking sights.
"In moment we were in the air he turned to see, how your fight was going so I put at my place imitation..." Candice started explaining.
"...terrifying us all terribly..." Tremor added, making all of them smile.
"...and waited for right moment." The ice dragoness finished her sentence.
"Are Stella and Infernus still fighting?" Tremor asked.
"Well, from some point I stopped hearing Infernus and Atroz though earlier they had been quite loud." Ember said after moment of hesitation. "I have no idea what about Stella."
"So, we'll find them and then go to Spyro?" Flame suggested.
"Yeah, that would be the best." Ember agreed. Four dragons straightened wings and jumped in air, leaving the battlefield behind. None of them even turned around.
"Tremor?"The fire guardian poked his shoulder. The earth dragon turned and gave him asking sight. "If I ever say that I want to fight magician, why don't you just punch me in the face?" Tremor laughed silently, like dragonesses, who heard that request.
"No problem." He replied. "But if you change mind, don't forget that there's still Ivory." Tremor reminded him. The fire breather laughed nervously. Though he hadn't seen her in battle, he heard about her fight against wyverns after Flush's death. The very last thing he would want at that moment was fighting her.