''Dragon Slayer, please reconsider what you're doing!''
Isabel turned sharply. ''He has my mother. The only family I have left. He'll kill her and everyone else in my colony if I don't go!''
Nakotah sighed and hurried after Isabel as she brushed past them and marched towards the cave opening. ''I'm not saying you shouldn't go. I know that you want to save your colony. But, you mustn't approach with hatred in your mind…
''All I am filled with right now is hatred!'' Isabel roared.
The cavern around them trembled under the weight of her voice, causing everyone within a nearby radius to stop and take notice of what was going on. There were already many eyes watching Isabel storm away from her healers. But, now she had the undivided attention of the entire mass. Isabel glanced around. She saw the fear in their eyes as some began to slowly retreat, fearing that she would lash out at them if they stepped too close to her. Isabel clenched her fist. She wanted to attack. Her body felt like it was aflame, and the only way to douse the fire would be to take out her rage on something or someone. All she could think about was wrapping her hands around Thane's neck and choking the life out of him. She wanted to claw his eyes out. She wanted to tear his heart out of his chest.
A hole in his body. She was reminded of Jess. She could still feel her bloody corpse weighing down on her hands.
Her momentary hesitation did not go unnoticed by Nakotah. They took one step forward to the shock of their people. The fear that they would be struck down gripped the crowd. But, Nakotah continued to stand with Isabel.
''And that is why you will be killed,'' Nakotah said firmly. ''If what you say about him is true, that he has all of your abilities, then despite being evenly matched physically, he will have the mental advantage. He knows this. That's why he is baiting you out.''
''Are you saying I should reason with him?'' Isabel snapped. ''He killed his own father. He's beyond reason at this point.''
Isabel could hear the crowd around her whispering. They still kept their distance, but they didn't seem as apprehensive with Nakotah continuing to reason with her. They trusted this gentle soul with their lives. If Nakotah trusted her, the people would too. Isabel could understand why this seemed like such a tranquil place compared to her colony. The council kept themselves on top and let the rest fend for themselves so that they could scavage for bits and hope that they could rise to the top with them. There didn't seem to be such an issue with this place. Before her outburst and attempted escape, she could see that everyone was working in tandem to survive.
Is this how things were in the old world? Isabel hoped so. She still carried the desire to see a world like that. She knew it would be what her mother would want.
Jess would have loved it.
Isabel let out a croaked sigh and stared at Nakotah. ''I don't want to lose anyone else.''
''No one does,'' Nakotah said softly. ''But, if you attack like a wild animal, people will get hurt in the crossfire. You have a gif. Use it wisely.''
With an assured nod, Isabel turned back and continued on her path. However, the fury that had emitted from her only a short while ago was now gone. Nakotah was relieved but also unsure. Now, Isabel appeared numb. They couldn't be certain if their words had truly had the intended impact on Isabel.
''I am going with you.''
Isabel turned and shook her head. ''You said you're not fighters…''
''I also said that we're willing to fight,'' Nakotah interrupted. By their side, a few individuals had come forward with spears and long staffs in hand. ''You may be our last hope for salvation, Dragon Slayer. We want to make sure that you and your people are safe.''
While there was a hint of a smile that flashed across Isabel's face, she also couldn't shake away this feeling of overwhelming pressure mounted on her shoulders. These people were looking at her like a deity. One moment, it was out of fear. Next, respect. She was being treated like an otherworldly being. It was the opposite of how she felt before these abilities; when she was treated like less than nothing. She was still trying to decide if this was better or worse. If she faltered, then it felt like the rest of the world would fall. She wished that her mother was here to give her guidance and clarity. She wished that Jess was here to do the same. She wasn't sure if she could do this without them.
But, she had to try. For now.
''Just call me Isabel.'' She said softly.
XXX
A small group of ten followed Isabel through the tunnels. It was hardly an army. They would barely put up a scuffle against Thane. Though, Isabel hoped that there would be no need for them to fight. Nakotah was right. She needed to keep a clear head if she had any intention of stopping him and saving her colony. If she went charging in blindly as she had done against Rossula, she might have burnt anyone caught in the battle. It still shocked her to think that she was capable of so much destruction when pushed over the edge. She challenged a Dragon and came out alive. That was unthinkable. Yet, here she was.
It all seemed too good to be true. It felt like she had stepped into one of Cruise's stories. She smirked at the idea of him trying to tell future generations about her adventures. That would have been nice to see.
Could she harness that power again? Would it be enough to kill the King of the Dragons that Gabriel had mentioned? And if she could somehow achieve the impossible, would it really stop all of the dragons at once? Also…what would happen to her? She nearly lost herself in that power. Her memory of the fight after she had transformed was fractured. Despite the immense power, Isabel did not want to go through with it again unless she had absolutely no other choice. The last thing she wanted was to give the world another monster to fight. She couldn't bear the thought of descending into madness and leaving her mother alone in this dying world.
Before long, Isabel's ears perked as she heard murmuring coming from a tunnel only a short distance away. She turned her head to Nakotah and nodded forward. ''They're up ahead.''
''Should we find another way around to flank him?''
''There's no point. If I can hear them, he can hear us.''
She could see the fear in their eyes. Yet, Nakotah did not let that fear take control. They turned to the group of followers and gripped their spears tightly. The others followed their leader's example. They reminded Isabel so much of Cruise and the Crew. She tried to the best of her abilities to ignore the grief and sadness filling her heart. There would be time to mourn later. Her only focus right now was on stopping Thane and saving her colony. She and her small group advanced until they descended upon the opening of a cavern. To the side, a small stream of water flowed from one end of the area to the other. The group stared wide-eyed at the water. Under any other circumstance, they would rush to quench their first. However, the fear of an ambush kept them on edge. Isabel listened carefully. But, it appeared that Thane wasn't in the mood for a stealthy approach, as she could see familiar faces dotted at the end of the cavern.
''Isabel!?''
Many saw her approaching and rose to their feet. For the briefest of moments, Isabel could see hope return to their faces. Torches lit the corners of the cavern to help the people see. All they had to do was walk forward and join her. But, the people stayed back. Isabel halted causing Nakotah and their group to do the same.
''Come out, Thane!'' Isabel yelled. Her voice reverberated off the stone walls. ''I'm here! Let's end this!''
She quickly scanned the colony. She spotted Jon and Ciara with their boys. Erika had her arms wrapped protectively around Naomi and Jasmine. Giovanni was bloody and bruised, but still alive and knelt next to a few members of the Crew. Isabel's heart raced more rapidly as searched for her mother. She had studied every face in the crowd.
She was nowhere to be seen.
''You're so predictable.''
Isabel grit her teeth the second she heard his voice. Soon, he emerged from the shadows, gripping Helen by the arm and dragging her into view. Isabel gasped. Her mother was alive, but she looked to be in a great deal of pain as she tried to break free from Thane's hold. But, with his strength, the struggle was fruitless. For a moment, mother and daughter's eyes locked and Helen stopped fighting. Her eyes were stained with tears. Her hands were bloody, though it didn't appear to be her blood. She mouthed Isabel's name. Isabel wanted to assure her that everything was going to be alright and that she would take care of things. But, before she could say anything, she noticed something…blood was dripping onto Helen from Thane. Glancing up, she saw blood oozing down the side of his body, staring from his neck.
''You haven't healed,'' Isabel whispered.
The dragon scale that Jess had used to stab Thane was still embedded in his neck. She then saw how pale he was in the face. He looked like a ghostly figure as he walked into the torch's light. Isabel was stunned. He looked awful. It was unbelievable that he was still standing. Using his free hand, he scratched at the scale in an attempt to force it out. All this resulted in was him grimacing as the scale remained in place and more blood flowed down his arm and onto Helen. Suddenly, Helen's body heaved and she vomited. Thane immediately let go, causing her to collapse to the ground in a heap.
''Mom!'' Isabel cried out.
Thane let out a choked laugh. ''Relax, I haven't done anything to her…yet. I wanted everyone in the colony alive so that they could watch me tear you apart.''
Isabel's gaze lingered on Helen. The older woman spit out the last of her sickness and clutched her stomach. When she glanced up at Isabel, she tried to smile. ''Are you alright?''
Isabel nodded. ''I'm fine. I'll take care of this…''
''Oh, will you?'' Thane cackled. He stumbled forward as he continued to bleed out. ''I'd like to see you try.''
This was not how Isabel thought their duel would proceed. He looked so weak. She should have felt confident in destroying him. Yet, seeing him in such a pitiful state put things into perspective for her. He was nothing. There was a bigger threat on the horizon. This rivalry between them was petty in the grand scheme of things. He was nothing more than a bully; always has been. She glanced in Nakotah's direction. They took a battle-ready stance but kept their distance. They were aware that even in this weakened state, Thane would be an incredible threat to any regular human. Isabel was still the only one who could face him.
''I'm tired, Thane,'' Isabel said. Her choice of words caught him off-guard, forcing him to stop in his tracks. ''I just want this to end. I don't want anyone else to die.''
He spat blood in her direction. ''What? Are you saying you want to spare me?''
''That depends. There might be a way to win this war. I'm guessing you probably know about the Dragon King.''
Thane remained deadpan, but the colony looked at each other and began to question one another. He hobbled slightly. ''I do.''
''So, you should know that we have a chance of stopping the dragons if we kill the King.''
Isabel wasn't just speaking to Thane. She was hoping that her words would ignite a barrage of hope in the colony. This was the closest the human race would ever come to defeating the dragons and taking back their world. After all the strife and loss, this was what they all needed to hear. Isabel saw her mother staring at her with a look of utter disbelief. But, Isabel's eyes spoke the truth. Helen was thinking. Her forehead creased as she tried to comprehend Isabel's words.
Then…Thane began to laugh. He hissed in pain as the scale in his neck caused him more grief. ''You haven't given this much thought, have you?''
''What's that supposed to mean?''
Thane narrowed his eyes. ''We're part Dragon. You and me. If the King dies, all dragons die with him. That includes us.''
Isabel felt her heart stop.
The possibility of her death along with the dragons never crossed her mind. She was still human…right? Ever since she acquired her powers, she felt a flame burning inside that threatened to consume her at any moment. It practically did when Jess was killed and she let her rage take control like an uncontrollable inferno. Would that flame die with the rest of the dragons?
''We don't know that for certain,'' Isabel said. The nervousness in her voice was clear.
She dared not look at her mother. She feared that if she did, she would lose all of the willpower she had built up since her talking down with Nakotah. In her mind, she could picture the look of devastation on her mother's face if what Thane was saying came to be true.
Thane coughed up more blood. ''Either way, I don't think I have long left. Whatever happens, if I die…I'm taking you with me.''
Before Isabel could even consider the idea of stopping him, he reached for his neck and with a furious howl, he removed the scale and tossed it aside. A wave of blood shot out of the wound and flowed down his shoulder like a waterfall. The shock gripped Isabel, causing her to almost slip up as Thane lunged at her like a feral predator. She sidestepped his attack and launched her arm into his chest, knocking the wind out of him. He clawed at her swiftly. But, Isabel was able to see every move coming. He was slow and weak. This wasn't going to be a fight.
Isabel didn't know if she was disappointed by this outcome.
She grabbed his arms and forced them down. ''Stop! This is pointless!''
Thane spat in her face and then slammed his head against hers. Isabel's skull throbbed upon impact, but she was still standing. In retaliation, she mimicked his move. The force of her strike knocked him down. He clutched at his neck. Blood oozed through the gaps in his fingers. He rose to his foot too quickly, stumbling forward. Crawling on the ground, he wildly swiped at her feet. Isabel leapt back and watched as he came for her once more. She wanted to fight back. She wanted to crash her fist into his body and end it. But, seeing him like this was startling. His pathetic attempts to make this into a battle left her feeling conflicted.
Over and over again, she dodged his attacks. His frustrated grunts echoed throughout the cavern as he fell repeatedly. More blood covered the ground. Gradually, his movements became slower and she felt less power behind his attacks whenever she blocked.
He was on the edge.
''If this is what you want,'' Isabel pushed him away as he tried to come at her, leaving him wide open for a counter. She crashed her knuckles into the side of his face. His head turned and Isabel heard a wincing crack.
She instantly stopped, but it was already too late.
Thane dropped onto the ground. He lay on his back, wheezing heavily as more blood seeped out from his wound. Even with the scale no longer there, he didn't heal. It appeared that the only way to break through Dragon skin was to use the natural weapons of a Dragon. His eyes were glassy as his chest rose and fell at a dwindling rate. It was over.
Once it became apparent that Thane wasn't going to get up, Isabel's colony slowly approached her. Helen rushed forward and threw her arms around Isabel. Her embrace almost knocked her daughter off her feet. Isabel could no longer hold back the tears as she cried in her mother's arms.
''Mom…Jess, she…I…'' Isabel sobbed.
Helen held her tightly and threaded her fingers through her hair. ''I know. Don't blame yourself.''
Looking over her mother's shoulder, Isabel could see Thane's mouth opening and closing. She pulled away from Helen and looked down at her foe. Despite all of his new power, he was a shell of his former self.
''Why…'' he groaned in a hushed whisper. ''Why couldn't I beat you? I was supposed to be the hero.''
Isabel choked on her spit and clenched her fists. ''That's what this was about?''
''It should have been me…'' Thane babbled on.
He wasn't looking at Isabel anymore. She wondered if he could even see her anymore. The light in his eyes was slowly fading. Isabel wanted to be angry. She wanted the fire inside her to burn. But, she couldn't do it. It wasn't worth it.
''You couldn't handle someone else being the hero of this story. But, you want to know something, Thane? Despite everything that happened in the past, if you had been the one who got these powers first…I still would have followed you. Because I don't care who the hero is. If there was a chance to defeat the Dragons, I would have taken it and been behind you. Saving everyone is all that matters to me. I wouldn't have let the past ruin our future.''
She didn't know if Thane could hear her. He was still alive, but deathly still. His gaze was fixed on the cavern's ceiling.
Isabel felt Helen take her hand. They locked eyes. Isabel wished that she could kiss her right now. But, with everyone looking, now wasn't the time or place to shock them with that revelation. When her eyes fell back down onto Thane, she knew that he was finally gone. His body was as still as a rock.
Isabel didn't know what to feel, so she remained silent.
XXX
HELLO MY SWEET SUPERSTARS! IT'S BEEN WAY TOO LONG SINCE THE LAST CHAPTER. I AM SO SORRY FOR THE INCREDIBLY LONG WAIT, ESPECIALLY AFTER THE CLIFFHANGER I ENDED THIS STORY ON LAST TIME. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT SINCE LAST TIME, I'M IN A BETTER PLACE WITH WHERE I AM AND HAVE BEEN GETTING BACK INTO THE GROOVE OF WRITING AGAIN. UPDATES FOR DRAGON SLAYER WILL BE COMING ALONG TOWARD THE STORY'S CONCLUSION. WE DON'T HAVE LONG TO GO NOW. WE'RE BUILDING TOWARD THE FINAL CONFRONTATION BETWEEN ISABEL AND THE KING. CAN SHE WIN? AND IF SHE CAN, WILL IT REALLY COST HER LIFE? YOU'LL HAVE TO WAIT AND FIND OUT. UNTIL NEXT TIME, STAY SAFE ALL. TA-TA FOR NOW.
I HAVE A POLL ON MY PROFILE PAGE TO DECIDE ON FUTURE ONE-SHOTS. IF YOU WANT TO VOTE, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
YOU CAN FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER IF YOU'D LIKE TO KEEP UP WITH ANY UPDATES AND SEE HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT ME: ChocCookieCream
I HAVE A PAT/REON AND SUBSCRIBE STAR. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE NEW CHAPTERS EARLY, GET THE LATEST NEWS ABOUT MY WORKS, READ EXCLUSIVE STORIES, AND EVEN COMMISSION FICS, YOU CAN DONATE TO THE TIER YOU LIKE. THANK YOU.
A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO MY MILKY WAY GALAXIES & UNIVERSE BUILDERS:
ALEX D. GESLIN
AMBROSE LIONHEART
ANNE_HATHAGAY
CROWOFJUDGEMENT
DREW HURST
FIAMGOKU
GROUCHYGRITIC
INDY
JOHN
KOOPAQUEENBOWSETTE
OHHEYITSAUSTIN
PREDAKING29
PUNCHER OF FRUIT
R
RACHEL SCISM
WOLFREADER25