They were back in the castle. Qualt was holding his other iron horn, ready to hack and slash with it. He was looking at each corner, at each room. He was determined to find the dragon.

He was hunting.

And it was the only thing that mattered anymore for him: now that he killed Usvork, he had to kill the blue dragon to completely finish his revenge and also to prevent him to make other darkers obey him.

Œl and Doug were on the back of a dragon, Drer for the first and Milhrio for the second, so they could more focus on everything around but mostly on everything behind. The torch's fire enlightened their way, surrounding them by a shield or a forcefield against the darkness. It was like an old horror story, where horror and danger could come from every corner, from every shadow, to strike and to suddenly kill kill kill. The only one who was able to see beyond it was the cheetah and that reassured the group. They all still were on the nerve. They knew that the dragon could come at anytime: just a simple slash from his claws and someone could die. Or, worst, if someone would look at him in they eyes, he could become his puppet, ready to kill the others or to kill himself. At some moments, they thought they heard a noise or saw something moving. But it was their imagination. Or was it? They were not sure. Their enemy was here since a long time, he could know each stone this place was made of. He then could be everywhere, watching them, waiting the right time to attack them.

It was a hunt between two different predators and between two different preys.

But this was the risk of the job.

As thunder continued to play its symphony, they continued through the dark maze-like corridors.

A form in the shadows moved. But it was Qualt who saw it while Œl, who was looking at the same direction, saw nothing. Then resonated from all the corridors the suave voice:

"Kill… Kill… Kill…"

The group stopped moving. They looked around. They watched around. They turned around. And they listened around.

But nothing.

He was there, really close. They knew it. But they didn't know exactly where.

And they started to move again. Really slowly.

Thunder.

Or was it?

It was strange.

They were all ready to attack.

Qualt prepared his dagger. One hit, one drop of blood, and Milhrio could kill him. But they had to injure him first. Easy, right? But he could kill Milhrio and that plan would be ruined. He watched over everybody in the group, one by one. He did not want another slaughter. But he was confident. They could kill that blue dragon and give an end to all of this.

But they had to find him first. Or else…

The dragon suddenly appeared from one door and planted Qualt's iron horn into Drer's chest! The sound dragon groaned with pain! Œl tried to slash their enemy but he dodged and took out the dagger before running away and returning where he came from, into darkness. The cheetah looked at him and saw him entering a secret passage in the wall of the room and told it to the others.

Drer fell on the ground and began to bleed out.

Qualt hold him and returned him, desperate. It was happening again… He knew the risks but he still wasn't accepting them… His friend was dying in his arms.

"No… Please, don't fucking die…"

Drer groaned again and looked at Qualt. He smiled. And he laughed. Then he answered:

"Funny how unlucky I am, eh...?"

"Funny how lucky you are, my boy!" replied Doug Harmot.

He was behind, examining the wound.

"It's deep but not too much", he added. "We have time. Qualt, put him on the ground, slowly. Milhrio, you're gonna help me save this dragon. First, your blood element. After, you know what to do."

"Yes sir!"

"Qualt, Gloria and me are gonna chase this dragon meanwhile", said Œl.

"Kid, you're staying with us and you'll let the love birds handle it. You're gonna help us with the instrument and the dragon", answered Doug to that before turning towards Qualt. "He'll live but what I'll do here will just be enough to save him and help him walk. When we'll be back at Warfang, I'll take more care of him. And after Drer will be saved, we're gonna rejoin you to help you and Gloria."

The fire and ice dragons nodded.

"I'm gonna leave some marks behind so you will be able to follow it and find us", said Gloria.

"Thanks", replied Milhrio.

"Good luck", said the mole.

Then, Qualt and Gloria rushed towards the secret passage to find the blue dragon.

"Here! I see him!"

They were running after him for a few minutes. Gloria, with a white chalk, quickly drew crosses and arrows on the stone walls during the entire run. And, during it, they could see a thing with the Gloria's fire powers: a flame here and a fire ball over there and they could see they way but also their enemy's shadow.

Now, he was in front of them, meters away. He wasn't in a secret passage anymore but in a giant circular room. On the roof were painted dragons fighting each other. And there was, right in the middle, three dragons fighting each others: Spyro and Cynder against Malefor. Those three were painted over the very old battle scene. There was another door behind the blue dragon. And there was a lever next to him. He pulled it when Qualt and Gloria entered and everything began to tremble. A noise like thunder could be heard. Then the ground began to slowly go down as the walls grew higher and higher.

Qualt iced one of his fist and prepared his other to strike with his iron horn. Gloria prepared herself to jump and clash.

"Now's your time!" said Ironhorns.

"Maybe", answered the blue dragon, ready to fight with the other horn-dagger. "But what I can assure you is that you'll suffer. Just like you did to my son. And both of you won't be enough."

He tried to look at them in the eyes but their head were turned towards the ground. They had to concentrate themselves on the sounds and noises but also on their adversary's legs.

They saw his legs jump and they heard his wings. He rushed towards Gloria. She dodged and Qualt took the occasion to punch him. He hit and the blue dragon rolled on the ground. But he stopped himself and got up. He then saw Gloria rushing on him. He couldn't escape and got projected far away. He then flew in the airs again as the platform was still descending. Ironhorns, based on the sounds of the winds, rose his head and began to spit his ice. Unfortunately, it didn't hit hit as his adversary fell on him. He then took him by the throat and flew away to the roof with him. He tried to hypnotise him but he kept his eyes closes. So he went near the wall and prepared to put his dagger into the ice dragon's head. He rose the horn but then was punched by the fire dragoness. Qualt thanked her and went back into the battle by trying to punch the blue dragon again. But he dodged. He tried to slash him, then. But he dodged again. And again. And Gloria tried to slash him from behind. The blue dragon saw that and stooped to let Ironhorns take the hit. Qualt dodged on the side and took that distraction to punch his adversary in the jaw. This one flew away and rolled on the side. He got up and, when Gloria tried to hit him again, he used the iron dagger to defend himself with a quick slash. It was to late for her to do anything but to move a bit on the side. And instead on being lethally injured, she got out with a small scar.

Then one of the walls disappeared, letting everyone see the exterior and the scenery Œl saw. The thunderstorm was still there but it was less violent. And the two moons could be seen up a mountain as a hole in the clouds didn't hide them.

The fight continued: it all went back and forth between the three dragons.

And, as Gloria spat her fire on the hypnosis dragon, he went through, a bit burned, but succeed to jump on Ironhorns by surprise. He took him by the throat and made him look in the eyes.

One second was enough to order him to try to fell through the hole without flying. And Qualt couldn't control himself and began to walk towards his downfall. Gloria tried to stop him but the blue dragon planted the dagger on her shoulder, missing the throat. She yelled in pain and punched the dragon way, who was projected with the dagger still in hand. She turned back to her husband. He was very close to the hole. Too close. And he began to fall. She jumped and, with her wings, rushed to catch mid air Ironhorns. A lightning showed up as she was near him. And thunder went when she caught him. She then held him and fled to the room as the platform finished to go down. She threw Qualt to the ground to wake him up. And, after he violently rolled on the side, he got up and shook his head. It apparently worked.

But the blue dragon was here and fled toward Gloria. She was looking at Qualt and got rammed by him. She was on the ground and on her back but she suddenly rolled on the side as her enemy tried to finish her by rushing on her with the Qualt's iron horn. She rolled again. And again, dodging every hit. She couldn't fight back, she had not the time as he was trying to kill her with very quick strike.

Qualt was taking back his mind while the dragoness he loved was getting attacked. And, as she was defending herself, he had an idea. Maybe it wasn't going to work at all but he still had to try.

Gloria was on her back again. She saw something glimmering at the moons light. It was the dagger going right toward her head. With her two front claws, she stopped the blade and closed her eyes. She put her strength to resist, to hold the dagger. It was now really close to penetrate her brain…

And the dragon got punched away by Qualt. He then rushed on him. While Gloria was getting up, the blue dragon looked at Ironhorns. But he remarked that something was different with him, with his open eyes. Indeed, in front of them, he created ice. He tried to hypnotise him but it did not work.

This was the Qualt's plan. It made his vision all blurry but it worked as it was enough to protect him from being under his adversary's control. The blue dragon roared in rage parried the Ironhorns' dagger attack. He tried to slash him after but Gloria jumped on him and she vomited her fire. He thus had to jump on the side. A lighting flashed and enlightened the entire room, that was more like a cave to welcome flying dragons before.

The ice dragon then took the blade of his dagger and, with his ice power, made a bigger blade. And he tried to hit the blue dragon with it. But he parried with the other dagger and jumped to punch to closest to him. It was Gloria. She took it in her jaw. She then got grabbed by the throat and, as she couldn't do anything about it, got violently threw away at a close wall. The impact was brutal.

When she hit the ground, she was knocked out.

This was enough to enrage Qualt. He yelled and rushed towards him to slash him. But he dodged and caught the ice blade after to break it. He then took Ironhorns wrist to pull him closer and to punch him. This one, at the impact, let out his dagger fell on the ground. The ice covering his eyes were broken to pieces that fled all around. And the blue dragon took it. He had now the two iron horn-daggers. He then walked towards him.

"Kill… Kill… Kill…" he began to whisper.

Qualt thus got ready to dodge…

But his adversary already jumped on him to strike. And he got one dagger planted on the side. Ironhorns groaned in pain. But the other horn was coming down too. He saw it at the last second and had the reflex to catch the wrist to stop the blade. And he gave a headbutt to the blue dragon, who stepped back.

"Kill… Kill… Kill…" he continued, madness beginning to control him.

He tried to slash Qualt again but he dodged, not without great pain as the other horn was still planted in him. But after another dodged, he fell on the ground. The blue dragon saw the perfect occasion to finish it. But Qualt quickly reacted as he took his bag to protect himself. And it worked, it took the blade and got hacked by a single strike, letting everything inside fall out.

Including the old horns of Ironhorns.

That's on what he focused. Too much, as the blue dragon stroke again. This time, he didn't miss his target and planted the blade below the neck. Qualt roared because of the pain. But he took his old horns and made a quick move. His adversary did not see it coming and thus now had an organic horn planted on his side. He roared too and stepped back on the side. Then Qualt, with the other old horn, penetrated his enemy's wing's bone and broke it. Another roar and the both stepped back.

Ironhorns took out the iron horns off his body and threw them away, on the side. Behind him was the hole, his back enlightened by the moons and wet by the rain.

Lightning.

The blue dragon did not took out any horn and looked directly at Qualt. Both of their vision was blurry. But not for the same reason. They both were really wounded and tired.

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

Thunder!

He rushed towards Qualt and rammed him.

They both rolled on the ground and began to fall down the pit. But Qualt succeed to hold himself at a rock cavity. The blue dragon continued to fall… but caught with his two claws one of the Ironhorns' legs. Pain was massive. And it didn't get better as his adversary tried to climb up. The ice dragon was still holding tight. It began to be slippery with the rain. The other was heavy. He wasn't going to hold on for too long… The hypnosis dragon tried to climb up again, yelling:

"KILL! KILL! KILL!"

But Qualt succeed to kick him in the throat. He hold tight the first time. The second time. Ironhorns began to be really tired.

Lightning.

He barely had enough strength left…

But he kicked again.

Thunder.

And the blue dragon release his leg and fell down, brutally hitting the rocks, breaking all his bones at each impact and disappearing while yelling.

Then, after a few seconds, only the rain noises could be heard.

Qualt was still holding but he began to slip down.

It really was over, now.

He had no more objective to do in his life, nothing left.

Now, nothing really had a sense to him.

Nothing else mattered.

It was over.

Blood was flowing all over his body.

He lost everything, was broken.

And he never was going to be fixed.

He wanted an end to all of this.

He swore to take his revenge in front of his sister's grave.

He made a promise.

And he kept it.

And he swore that Qualt Ironhorns would die to become one of them.

To rejoin them in the grave and to end forever the Ironhorns' family.

He had no reason left to live.

He felt appeased.

A smile grew on his face.

He then closed his eyes.

He sighed.

And he let go to fall down with the rain.

…

But suddenly he felt something clasping his wrists. He slowly opened his eyes. Tears began to flow down and fall like the rain drops.

Gloria and Drer were both holding him. And they rose him. They saved him.

Once on the ground, Qualt saw Doug Harmot, Milhrio Oster and Œl behind.

He then looked back his saviours. And he embraced Drer and Gloria, he embraced his friend and his love while crying.

That's when I realised…

I still had reasons to live.