Author's note: Woo-hoo! Two chapters! Sorry, got a little carried away. I'm happy that you like how I'm treating Thomas. I like him, too, and wouldn't ever hurt him.
Thomas: Really?
Shelly: No, I lied. I actually have something pretty gruesome in store for you.
Thomas: Like what?
Shelly: Like...watching Ed, Edd, and Eddy all day long. (I don't watch it much, but it is funny. :p )
Thomas: *falls on hands and knees* Anything but that!
Shelly: Okay, then how about you massage my feet for me?
Thomas: *draws back and looks at my feet like they're something hideous* No, thanks. I think I'll watch Ed, Edd, and Eddy instead.
Shelly: *throws her arms around him* It's all right, Thomas, I wouldn't do that to you.
Hope you enjoy this chapter!
Dragonflame by Shelly
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
The next day, things were back to normal between Tania and Karl, which meant that neither of them were very far from the other. But they weren't the only couple of the group any longer as Van and Fiona stayed near each other, and surprisingly Irvine and Moonbay were always nearby talking with one another. Which left Thomas without anyone, but Silver had taken to hanging around him, a sight which brought a smile to Tania's face.
Shortly after noon when the sun hung high in the sky, Tania felt a peculiar tug within her that called her to the beach. Following it, she walked that way with Karl following asking what was wrong, but she barely heard him as she sought to find out what was beckoning her. When they arrived, apparently Van and Fiona had been called also as they were there along with Zeke, and Silver was there standing at the water's edge looking intently at a small mountain that jutted up out of the water.
She approached the organoid and heard it growl softly once it felt her presence. "What is it Silver?" she asked, and she knew that it was the mountain that called to her. Silver roared, and she lay her hand on its head. "Yes, I'm ready. Let's go," she said, understanding coming on a flood of clarity that spoke to her of what it was she must do.
Karl was confused beyond belief but had a hunch of what was going to happen. "Tania," he called, wanting to retain a hold onto her after seeing a change come over her.
She turned towards him and smiled before Silver stood on its back legs and fused her within himself before taking off in a flash of light towards the mountain. The ocean was a blue blur passing beneath them, shot through with pinpoints of light from the sun. She sensed they were shooting up into the sky, and just as abruptly arced back down towards the ground, and with it came the intense feeling of heat. Apparently it was a volcano they were heading into.
She braced herself for the scorching heat, crying out when she felt it touch her skin and hearing Silver's roar along with hers. Then they changed direction and all became dark, and she felt them come to a stop, falling to the ground as the organoid released her and just as quickly jumping to her feet as she felt the hot surface beneath her. But when she looked up, all was forgotten as she looked upon what appeared to be a giant mass of cooled black lava that rested in a pool of molten lava.
Silver coalesced once more into a bolt of light and shot towards the mass, disappearing inside. For a few moments, nothing happened and then cracks began to appear in the shell, the fragments falling and splashing into the river of lava that surrounded it. Strangely enough, she didn't feel the heat anymore as she felt a power resonate through the chamber, making the entire mountain shake as the rest of the hard lava was shed away to reveal something shiny that reflected the sullen glow of the lava.
"Dragonflame, I have returned to call on you once more," she said, a part of her wondering how she knew what to say.
Two orbs flared into life, glowing a fiery red as it unfolded itself to reveal a dragon-shaped zoid that spread its impressive wingspan to fill the entire chamber, its shriek echoing and threatening to bring the mountain down around them.
"Dragonflame!" she called. "To me!" she commanded, and the mark on her forehead flared as she held out her hand to it.
The zoid leaned its head down and fixed its gaze on her, and apparently it liked what it found as two panels opened in its chest to allow her entrance, and she crawled inside just as the chamber's ceiling began to crumble down upon them. Mobilizing the zoid into action, she flew out of the chamber to see the volcano itself starting to erupt, and she shot up towards the speck of blue sky as with a mighty rumble bits of molten lave shot up around them.
Karl and the others watched in horror as the mountain erupted in a cloud of gray ash and fiery lava, every one of them hoping that Tania and Silver were okay as they had seen them disappear inside. By now, almost everyone in the village had gathered onto the beach to watch the spectacle with their eyes wide in anticipation. Irvine's eyepiece was turning, and he suddenly gasped at what he saw.
"It's incredible!" he exclaimed.
"What is? Irvine," Moonbay cried. "Tell me! Are they all right?"
"I-I don't know," he said. "Maybe they're inside it."
"What?" she asked impatiently. "Not everyone has that little eye-thingy like you do, you know."
"I see it!" Van cried out.
Every eye was trained towards the sky, a collective gasp of awe emerging as the sun's light reflected off a shiny surface and a shriek split the air. The speck drew closer, and they were all able to make out the form of a golden dragon, the villagers shouting in joy and jumping up and down as they cheered the zoid on.
Karl watched in amazement as the dragon swooped down close to the ocean and quickly pull up to pass over them in a gust of wind, many of them holding an arm up to keep the sand from getting into their faces. They began running back towards the village as the dragon seemed to have settled there, him included as he was anxious to see if Tania was all right.
He needn't have worried as she was leaning up against the zoid, her breathing heavy from excitement at the thrill that had coursed through her at knowing that she had such a wonderful zoid to pilot. She met her beloved in a joyful embrace, laughing at the top of her lungs as they stood back to look at it.
Now it stood on its four legs with its wings folded back against its back, its long tail held up high as it inclined its smooth head towards Tania as if awaiting further orders. Then it unfolded its wings as if stretching them to reveal a cannon resting on its back, and she knew from piloting it that it had other weapons as well.
"Well, at least it's armed," Thomas pointed out. "But if that's the only thing it's got, then it's not that powerful at all."
"Don't worry, Thomas, it's got more than that one weapon. The claws on its feet can be used, as well as the missile launchers on the tips of its wings. And there may be others that are unseen that may reveal themselves in battle." In fact, there was one that she knew of which she wasn't going to tell them about. She knew that if she told them about it then they would definitely not let her pilot it, and she was determined to fight this battle on her own.
"Tania is right," came Kiran's voice as he stepped next to her. "The full extent of Dragonflame's powers will be revealed when the time for battle is near, which I fear won't be too far away."
"Why is that?" Van asked him. "Is it Raven?"
Kiran closed his eyes and sighed. "Yes. He has found the Death Dragon which means the time draws near for them to fight."
Van nodded in agreement. "Then we'll set up a watch tonight so he won't be able to catch us by surprise. Even if we can't see him then maybe Zeke or Silver may be able to sense him."
That evening after the sun surrendered to the moon, both Van and Tania were standing near Dragonflame along with Kiran, but they weren't the only ones on guard as others were watching in different directions. The sky seemed peaceful as the stars came out, the sky appearing darker as Kiran had ordered most of the torches to be put out so they could see the Death Dragon better.
Tania felt the night breeze caress her face, and she turned when she felt a presence nearby, knowing it was Kiran. "Yes, Kiran?"
Although she couldn't see him, she knew he was close from his breathing. "I know you didn't tell them about Dragonflame's ultimate weapon as you surely must know about it."
She smiled. "Neither did you," she pointed out.
"No, I did not," he agreed. "I knew how they'd react if they knew about it. They seemed upset enough as it was."
"Yes, they were," she said. "They don't want to see me sacrifice myself if there is someone else capable enough of piloting Dragonflame. But I have to do this myself as I am the only one Dragonflame will let pilot it."
She felt a hand touch her shoulder. "No longer than I have known you, I, too, will be sorrowed if you do not survive."
She laid her hand over his, taking comfort in his words. "Thank you, Kiran," she said then saw a flash of moonlight out of the corner of her eye, a flash that signaled the approach of the Death Dragon.
*******************
Here it comes! It's Raven on the attack! But who will fight him? Will it be Van or Tania? The next chapter will reveal all, which I will actually post along with this one! Yay!
Thomas: Really?
Shelly: No, I lied. I actually have something pretty gruesome in store for you.
Thomas: Like what?
Shelly: Like...watching Ed, Edd, and Eddy all day long. (I don't watch it much, but it is funny. :p )
Thomas: *falls on hands and knees* Anything but that!
Shelly: Okay, then how about you massage my feet for me?
Thomas: *draws back and looks at my feet like they're something hideous* No, thanks. I think I'll watch Ed, Edd, and Eddy instead.
Shelly: *throws her arms around him* It's all right, Thomas, I wouldn't do that to you.
Hope you enjoy this chapter!
Dragonflame by Shelly
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
The next day, things were back to normal between Tania and Karl, which meant that neither of them were very far from the other. But they weren't the only couple of the group any longer as Van and Fiona stayed near each other, and surprisingly Irvine and Moonbay were always nearby talking with one another. Which left Thomas without anyone, but Silver had taken to hanging around him, a sight which brought a smile to Tania's face.
Shortly after noon when the sun hung high in the sky, Tania felt a peculiar tug within her that called her to the beach. Following it, she walked that way with Karl following asking what was wrong, but she barely heard him as she sought to find out what was beckoning her. When they arrived, apparently Van and Fiona had been called also as they were there along with Zeke, and Silver was there standing at the water's edge looking intently at a small mountain that jutted up out of the water.
She approached the organoid and heard it growl softly once it felt her presence. "What is it Silver?" she asked, and she knew that it was the mountain that called to her. Silver roared, and she lay her hand on its head. "Yes, I'm ready. Let's go," she said, understanding coming on a flood of clarity that spoke to her of what it was she must do.
Karl was confused beyond belief but had a hunch of what was going to happen. "Tania," he called, wanting to retain a hold onto her after seeing a change come over her.
She turned towards him and smiled before Silver stood on its back legs and fused her within himself before taking off in a flash of light towards the mountain. The ocean was a blue blur passing beneath them, shot through with pinpoints of light from the sun. She sensed they were shooting up into the sky, and just as abruptly arced back down towards the ground, and with it came the intense feeling of heat. Apparently it was a volcano they were heading into.
She braced herself for the scorching heat, crying out when she felt it touch her skin and hearing Silver's roar along with hers. Then they changed direction and all became dark, and she felt them come to a stop, falling to the ground as the organoid released her and just as quickly jumping to her feet as she felt the hot surface beneath her. But when she looked up, all was forgotten as she looked upon what appeared to be a giant mass of cooled black lava that rested in a pool of molten lava.
Silver coalesced once more into a bolt of light and shot towards the mass, disappearing inside. For a few moments, nothing happened and then cracks began to appear in the shell, the fragments falling and splashing into the river of lava that surrounded it. Strangely enough, she didn't feel the heat anymore as she felt a power resonate through the chamber, making the entire mountain shake as the rest of the hard lava was shed away to reveal something shiny that reflected the sullen glow of the lava.
"Dragonflame, I have returned to call on you once more," she said, a part of her wondering how she knew what to say.
Two orbs flared into life, glowing a fiery red as it unfolded itself to reveal a dragon-shaped zoid that spread its impressive wingspan to fill the entire chamber, its shriek echoing and threatening to bring the mountain down around them.
"Dragonflame!" she called. "To me!" she commanded, and the mark on her forehead flared as she held out her hand to it.
The zoid leaned its head down and fixed its gaze on her, and apparently it liked what it found as two panels opened in its chest to allow her entrance, and she crawled inside just as the chamber's ceiling began to crumble down upon them. Mobilizing the zoid into action, she flew out of the chamber to see the volcano itself starting to erupt, and she shot up towards the speck of blue sky as with a mighty rumble bits of molten lave shot up around them.
Karl and the others watched in horror as the mountain erupted in a cloud of gray ash and fiery lava, every one of them hoping that Tania and Silver were okay as they had seen them disappear inside. By now, almost everyone in the village had gathered onto the beach to watch the spectacle with their eyes wide in anticipation. Irvine's eyepiece was turning, and he suddenly gasped at what he saw.
"It's incredible!" he exclaimed.
"What is? Irvine," Moonbay cried. "Tell me! Are they all right?"
"I-I don't know," he said. "Maybe they're inside it."
"What?" she asked impatiently. "Not everyone has that little eye-thingy like you do, you know."
"I see it!" Van cried out.
Every eye was trained towards the sky, a collective gasp of awe emerging as the sun's light reflected off a shiny surface and a shriek split the air. The speck drew closer, and they were all able to make out the form of a golden dragon, the villagers shouting in joy and jumping up and down as they cheered the zoid on.
Karl watched in amazement as the dragon swooped down close to the ocean and quickly pull up to pass over them in a gust of wind, many of them holding an arm up to keep the sand from getting into their faces. They began running back towards the village as the dragon seemed to have settled there, him included as he was anxious to see if Tania was all right.
He needn't have worried as she was leaning up against the zoid, her breathing heavy from excitement at the thrill that had coursed through her at knowing that she had such a wonderful zoid to pilot. She met her beloved in a joyful embrace, laughing at the top of her lungs as they stood back to look at it.
Now it stood on its four legs with its wings folded back against its back, its long tail held up high as it inclined its smooth head towards Tania as if awaiting further orders. Then it unfolded its wings as if stretching them to reveal a cannon resting on its back, and she knew from piloting it that it had other weapons as well.
"Well, at least it's armed," Thomas pointed out. "But if that's the only thing it's got, then it's not that powerful at all."
"Don't worry, Thomas, it's got more than that one weapon. The claws on its feet can be used, as well as the missile launchers on the tips of its wings. And there may be others that are unseen that may reveal themselves in battle." In fact, there was one that she knew of which she wasn't going to tell them about. She knew that if she told them about it then they would definitely not let her pilot it, and she was determined to fight this battle on her own.
"Tania is right," came Kiran's voice as he stepped next to her. "The full extent of Dragonflame's powers will be revealed when the time for battle is near, which I fear won't be too far away."
"Why is that?" Van asked him. "Is it Raven?"
Kiran closed his eyes and sighed. "Yes. He has found the Death Dragon which means the time draws near for them to fight."
Van nodded in agreement. "Then we'll set up a watch tonight so he won't be able to catch us by surprise. Even if we can't see him then maybe Zeke or Silver may be able to sense him."
That evening after the sun surrendered to the moon, both Van and Tania were standing near Dragonflame along with Kiran, but they weren't the only ones on guard as others were watching in different directions. The sky seemed peaceful as the stars came out, the sky appearing darker as Kiran had ordered most of the torches to be put out so they could see the Death Dragon better.
Tania felt the night breeze caress her face, and she turned when she felt a presence nearby, knowing it was Kiran. "Yes, Kiran?"
Although she couldn't see him, she knew he was close from his breathing. "I know you didn't tell them about Dragonflame's ultimate weapon as you surely must know about it."
She smiled. "Neither did you," she pointed out.
"No, I did not," he agreed. "I knew how they'd react if they knew about it. They seemed upset enough as it was."
"Yes, they were," she said. "They don't want to see me sacrifice myself if there is someone else capable enough of piloting Dragonflame. But I have to do this myself as I am the only one Dragonflame will let pilot it."
She felt a hand touch her shoulder. "No longer than I have known you, I, too, will be sorrowed if you do not survive."
She laid her hand over his, taking comfort in his words. "Thank you, Kiran," she said then saw a flash of moonlight out of the corner of her eye, a flash that signaled the approach of the Death Dragon.
*******************
Here it comes! It's Raven on the attack! But who will fight him? Will it be Van or Tania? The next chapter will reveal all, which I will actually post along with this one! Yay!
