Disclaimer: I do not own Zelda.
A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in ages. I am so lazy!! So I give you a nice long chapter! Yay!! Watch out, there's a bit of blood and gore in this chapter.
Chapter 14
Link and Lira ran alongside each other, breathlessly, with Link carrying Sharai carefully in his arms. Kairi and Shizuka were bounding from tree to tree above them and keeping a close watch on the three of them.
They breached the forest barriers and stood in a large, open field that stretched for miles until it ended at the edge of a mountain range. Link gently set Sharai down and then bent over, resting his hands on his knees, breathing hard. Lira rubbed her arms from the chilly breeze that blew by them. The loose white garment she wore provided her no protection from the elements.
Kairi landed in front of the three, his arms crossed over his chest, while Shizuka landed behind them. "We can't stop here, they'll find us. We need to keep moving," Kairi said hauling Link back to his feet who had plopped himself onto the ground in exhaustion. "We've been running for the past hour with nearly no breaks!" Link snapped between heaving breaths. "Why can't we fly on one of your backs?"
Shizuka shook his head, now standing beside Lira and the newly awakened Sharai. "No. They will see us in the air. It is best to travel by ground," he replied.
Link frowned. Lira squeezed his arm and smiled at him. "It's alright, Link. I'm sure you can make it to the mountain range. Once we're there, we'll be reasonably safe," she assured gently. Link gazed into her face briefly, before an idea popped into his mind. "Why don't we create a decoy!" he exclaimed, suddenly excited.
Kairi raised an eyebrow. "What for?" Link turned to him. "It can buy us some time and we can get further away from here!" Shizuka stepped forward. "Go on." Link grinned. "One of you become a dragon and place a decoy Lira on your back and take to the skies. The wyverns will chase you and the real Lira can get away on the other dragon!"
"What about me?" Sharai asked quietly. Link turned to her blinking, having nearly forgotten she was there. He scratched the back of his head. "Well.... there's no need to make a decoy of you because it's Lira Velnar wants now," he answered. She nodded submissively.
Kairi rubbed his chin. "Sounds like a reasonably good plan. But where are we gonna get this decoy?" he questioned. Link thought for a moment. His gaze flitted from the forest to Lira, the forest, Lira. Link snapped his fingers. "I got it!"
Link ran over to a tree and climbed up its trunk. He began gathering the large thick leaves from the top while the three dragons and Sharai watched curiously from the ground. Link quickly descended and came back over, carrying the bundle of leaves in his arms.
"Here! We'll stuff these in Lira's dress! That way it'll smell like her because she was wearing it!" Lira blushed. "Then...what will I wear?" she asked. Kairi nodded. "Yeah! You don't expect her to travel naked, do you?" he demanded. Link blushed a deep red, briefly imagining this. He quickly shook his head. "No! Of course not! She can...she can, uh..."
Link glanced frantically about, searching for an answer. When he glanced down at himself, he grinned, finally finding the solution. "She can wear one of my tunics!" The twins shrugged. "Here, let me get one out," Link murmured.
Shizuka took the bundle of leaves from him as the blond hero searched through his bag for his tunics. He glanced up at Lira for a moment, then pulled out the Zora tunic. "This would look better on you than the Goron tunic," Link said, mostly to himself, as he handed over the article of clothing.
"Hurry up and change Lira. I'm sure those wyverns are practically breathing down our necks by now," Kairi said, glancing over his shoulder back toward the temple they had escaped from. Lira nodded. "Ok," she replied. She hurried into the cover of the trees and returned moments later carrying the white dress and wearing the tunic.
"Not bad!" Kairi said, taking the white dress from her. He brought it up to his face and inhaled deeply. Lira blushed. "W-what are you doing?! she exclaimed. "I'm making sure your scent is still strong on the dress, stupid," he replied, rolling his eyes.
Shizuka stepped forward. "Let's hurry up and stuff the dress then get going," he said. The others nodded and moments later the dress was stuffed with the leaves and made to be shaped to resemble Lira, remotely.
Lira stood with her hands on her hips, staring skeptically at the dummy of her. "Do I really look like that?" she asked. Link grinned. "Shut-up! It's the best I could do so quit complaining!" Kairi growled back. Lira giggled behind her hand and Link quickly changed the subject.
"So which one of you's gonna be the diversion?" he asked, looking between the two of them. "I will," Kairi volunteered. The blue-eyed twin then turned to Link. "You go with Lira, my brother, and the wyvern girl," he said. Link's eyes widened but he nodded. "Alright."
Kairi's body glowed a soft blue as he began his transformation. "Godspeed," the dragon said before completing the transfiguration. Placing the decoy on his back, he took to the skies, flapping his massive wings. Not long after he was in the air, did the wyverns appear, chasing after him.
"It's working!" Link exclaimed. As soon as the wyverns and their horrible screeched were no longer present, Shizuka transformed. Link, Lira, and Sharai climbed quickly up onto his back and they took to the skies as well, sailing over the mountains and back towards the dragon's lands.
Lira glanced back towards the temple. She placed a hand over her heart and closed her eyes. "Please be safe, Firagaht...." she whispered.
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Sword and scythe clashed and grunts of exertion sounded throughout the dilapidated temple as a climactic battle between former friends raged on. Firagaht, seeing an opening, lunged to stab through Velnar's heart, quick as lightning. Though apparently it wasn't quick enough, as Velnar's eyes flashed a deep, glowing crimson and Firagaht was blown away by a powerful energy blast originating from the wyvern-turned-dragon's hand.
The dragon leader landed hard on his back on the ground with a resounding thud, but got slowly to his feet. He was breathing heavily and had cuts and bruises all over his body. He had a deep laceration in his leg that bled dark red blood profusely and stained his entire pant leg scarlet.
The cut had been made earlier on in the fight, and would've healed by then if Firagaht hadn't continuously ripped open the wound anew whenever he moved swiftly in the heat of the battle. The raven-haired man looked like the blood loss was finally taking its toll on him as the dragon leader struggled to stay on his feet, leaning heavily upon his scythe.
Velnar smirked, taking note of the dragon man's condition, while looking like he hadn't broken a sweat. Unlike Firagaht, Velnar wasn't sweating or bleeding, since every cut the dragon leader managed to make had healed almost before he could finish the slash. His clothes weren't in tatters, but his sword was covered in dragon blood.
While watching the dragon man to make sure he was looking, Velnar brought the sword to his lips and ran his tongue along its surface, lapping up the crimson life fluid that dripped from it. Firagaht's eyes widened in disgust and he attempted to stand on his own. He held his blue-bladed sickle pointed blade first at Velnar.
"You are a sick fool, Velnar!" Firagaht grounded out through bruised lungs that were probably punctured from his cracked ribs. Velnar chuckled snidely. "Maybe so, but I will have Lira cure me with her soft and loving hands," he replied suggestively. Firagaht growled, his entire body trembling with rage, and he lunged at Velnar, ready to cleave him in two.
There was a blinding light that surrounded them both when they were within a foot of each other and faded away almost as quickly as it had appeared. Firagaht landed behind Velnar on one knee, his scythe, to even his own surprise, was covered in blood. He stood and turned quickly around with his weapon ready, although it looked like he wouldn't need to use it.
Velnar still stood with his back to his opponent, frozen in the position he had been in before the bright flash of light. Suddenly, without warning, a spray of blood shot out from the laceration that had been made through his midsection. The thick fluid flooded the area around his feet and he fell down to one knee, clutching the wound.
"What's....what's happening....to....me?!" he gurgled, choking and sputtering. Firagaht watched in abhorrence as his body began to sizzle and steam as his flesh began to open and bleed in all the areas Firagaht had slashed previously. The demented wyvern's skin turned pale as a result of the major blood loss.
Velnar reached a weak and withered hand up toward Firagaht. The dragon in response took a cautious step back. "P-please...! Firagaht....! Help me!" he choked out pleadingly. Firagaht steeled his face into an emotionless mask. "You brought this upon yourself. For your foolish actions, this is your reward: death," the dragon replied, lowering his sickle slightly.
Velnar took in several deep breaths. "Please! At least end my suffering! No one truly deserves such a painful death as this! My...my body is burning! Please!" Firagaht's mask faltered as he watched his former best friend being tortured right before his eyes. He tightened his grip on his weapon, his knuckles nearly turning white. He was torn between wanting to let him suffer and being the friend that he once was and ending his pain.
When he looked into Velnar's eyes, he saw the pain and anguish. In his eyes, Firagaht could see his genuine sorrow over all the actions he had chosen, and his need for forgiveness.
Squeezing his eyes shut, the dragon lashed out with his scythe and delivered the final blow to his heart. Velnar was dead in an instant. Firagaht sighed, staring down at the wyvern-turned-dragon's lifeless body. He glanced around the rest of the room, at all the corpses of the priests and wyvern guards and shook his head.
Too tired to stand any longer, Firagaht dropped to his knees and took in several deep inhales and exhaled through his mouth. He bowed his head. He was so exhausted. He wanted to just lay down on his warm bed and sleep.
The wounded and weary dragon smiled to himself. In only a few days he would be wed to Lira. Now that Velnar and his foolish wishes were out of the way, there would be no interruptions. Lira would be his.
Lira....
How he suddenly longed to see her face right then and feel her warm body against his own. The dragon was sure she would bear healthy and strong pups. He was sure she'd be a loving and nurturing mother as well.
Firagaht was jerked out of the most pleasant thoughts he had had in years and looked up at the corpse of his old friend. A bright white orb was hovering over Velnar's body, looking much like from earlier when the newly-freed demon had granted the wyvern's wish.
The dragon leader narrowed his eyes darkly. Did this mean it wasn't over? As if to answer his question, the orb, with a blinding flash of light, formed into the ominous silver-haired demon.
Firagaht quickly got to his feet, readying his sickle. The demon opened his eyes and fixed his stare upon him. "Why are you still alive?!" Firagaht growled, "You should've died when I killed Velnar!" The demon smirked. "You are correct. If I had been still in connection with him when he died I would've perished too," he began.
He took a step forward and Firagaht gritted his teeth. "But, I severed the connection with him before you killed him," he finished softly. A quick flashback of when the light had surrounded the dragon and wyvern during their battle and the dragon leader's attacks finally damaging the wyvern, flashed through Firagaht's mind. He growled.
"You were just using him," he realized. The demon grinned, showing off his pristine white teeth. "He was useful, for some time. I was able to regain a bit more of my power back while dwelling within his soul."
Firagaht scoffed. "Then why didn't you just stay in his body until you had regained it all?" The demon, still smirking, tilted his head to the side. "I thought you'd realize that on your own." Firagaht bared his teeth and tightened his grip on his scythe, tired of talking.
"I was using more energy than I cared to preventing that fool from being hacked to pieces while feeding off of his life force to regain my lost power. He was so convinced he was invincible that he didn't bother to avoid any of your attacks." He rolled his crimson eyes. "He was wasting my time, so I let him die."
Firagaht pointed his scythe at the pitiless demon. "So what do you plan to do now? Take my body?" The sliver-haired demon chuckled. "You're too weak right now. I would be wasting my time with you as well."
He tapped a finger to his chin, feigning deep thought. After a few seconds, he snapped his fingers, his face forming into a large malicious grin. "I know! I'll take Lira's body!"
"Like hell you will!!"
The demon threw back his head and laughed maniacally. "Like you can stop me!" He lifted his hand and pointed at the injured dragon with his pinky finger. The claw on his finger shot out and punctured his jugular vein, making a needle-sized perforation and injected a sedative into his blood stream. Firagaht's eyes rolled to the back of his head and he fell to the ground on his back after the demon's needle claw retracted to his finger.
The ominous demon stepped past the subdued clan leader and outside into the cool night. The gentle wind swept his long silver tresses about. He looked up into the sky, seeing the myriad of twinkling stars in the navy blue sky.
"You can run all you want Lira. You will be my vessel all the same."
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Oh no! Looks like the nameless demon is going after Lira! Why, you ask? Well that'll be revealed in the next chappie along with this demon's name! Lol, it was kinda annoying saying "the demon" over and over again so I'm givin' him a name!
Hopefully the next chapter will come out by the end of this month, maybe sooner. I'm lazy and I have a bunch of stuff due in school this month. Anyways, I plan to have two chapters, three at the most, left. Though I doubt there'll be three.
-LunaRyuu