A large shadow was outlined against a velvet blue sky. The powerful being held the wings stiff, erect, gliding lower and lower towards the children. A long neck sustained a large, sharp head, crowned with fangs as large and razor as blades. It was a dragon, an enormous, black dragon, with a fin of thorns running down her neck.
"RUN!" Matt howled all of a sudden, recognizing the nature of the monstrous beast.
Kari didn't have to think about it one second longer than necessary. The open jaws, the flaming glimmer in the dark grotto's depths. She had been familiar with dragons for a brief period of time, and she knew this was nothing to joke about. The black dragon heading for them was, by far, the biggest creature she had ever seen.
The two began racing towards the camp, their legs carrying them with as much speed as their muscles could gather. Fortunately it was a descent, and even then Kari's lungs began to ache strangely, as a feeling of peril crawled on the back of her head. Matt motioned fearfully at her, urging her with silent words to keep running. Kari obeyed, and although her lungs were so strangely cold they seemed about to explode, and her breathing was far from laboured, she kept running.
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Jag's lance began to glow with a pale haze of luminosity. It was like a bluish mist hugging the metallic object, caressing the strong weapon with some sort of motherly care. The Kyre's eyes widened, and her features soon changed from a calm, almost hopeful tranquillity, to a sudden fear and surprise. The female stood up, dropping down her cloak and caring little for it.
"Dragon!" she hissed at Yolei, motioning at her to remain silent.
Koe pricked her ears and raised her head only enough to stare at the Kyre. Her amber eyes glanced at the female expectantly, waiting, frozen like a statue and emitting not a single sound. Yolei stared at Jag with an inquiring glance, her Digidestined experience was enough to let her know she had to remain very silent. The kyre motioned at her to approach her silently, to cross past the cover of leaves and avoid the fire. Yolei stared at the fire insinuating.
"I know!" the female noted, staring at the devouring flames with apprehension.
"The camp will mark our position!" Yoley whispered urgently.
"That's the point." Jag commented in a silent whisper, "Now listen to me and do everything I'm telling you without an excuse!" Jag's words were firm and severe, as was her feline expression.
"Fine…" hissed Yolei in a broken voice.
"Take a horse, and gallop at full speed towards the east! Don't stop by no means, and don't leave the foliage unless it's strictly necessary, understood?" Jag said motioning at the three equines, which were snorting and pawing the ground nervously.
"But what about Matt and Kari?" Yolei snapped a little louder, now fearful for her friends.
"Yolei! Just do it!" Jag urged her on while sprinting towards the copper coloured dragon.
Yolei raced towards the horses, which were still with the saddle and reins on, fortunately. She might have chosen the chestnut one, in memory of her beloved Izzy, whose hair as well as scales were the brightest copper. However, her logical mind realized that a horse with such a vivid colour would be very visible, specially from the heights. Against her will she mounted on the black mare, rested shakily on her back, gripped the reins tightly, and kicked her sides to urge her on. The beast started at a full gallop, and vanished in the woodland's depths.
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The two dragons were flying through the night skies. The two reptiles were gliding without any worry. The sky was fresh, and clear, and the stars glimmered brightly. So dark and vast were the depths of the sky, the two beasts didn't see the threat until it had plunged on them in a treacherous ambush. They had time to hear a whistling sound, the rustling of wing against an enormous surface of leather cloth.
The two animals looked up, this time more preoccupied, yet still curious, wondering about the source of such noise. Pain hit the silver's back as a darkness as big as himself plunged over him, colliding against his bones with all his strength. Quicksilver emitted one pained shrill and staggered, falling down momentarily.
The black dragon sneered viciously when the silvery white managed to recover his flight and face him valiantly. Blaze observed them, ready to enter fight against the black beast.
"Shadow!" bellowed Quick angrily, still feeling the pain on his back and making a titanic effort to maintain his wings flapping.
"Your reflexes are getting worse, Son of a Worthless Goddess!" Shadow sneered again, his yellow eyes glowing angrily as his horns rattled with the shaking of his head.
"What does your lord want this time?" Blaze growled at the black reptile.
"Stay out of this, Blaze!" Quick bellowed at the copper.
"But Quick…" Blaze whimpered in protest.
"No!" Quick was speaking briefly, without explanation, yet his eyes were glimmering with meaningful glances.
"Why won't you let me help you?" The dragon growled frustrated.
"GO!" Quick was sharp and concise.
Giving the copper no time for reproaches, the grand white plunged forward, towards the large black. Shadow roared defiantly and pounced towards the attacking reptile. Claws clashed in the air, fangs bit flesh, and a rain of bicromatic scales and crimson blood poured to the ground.
With a last whimper, the smaller copper turned around and fled, flying rapidly towards their destiny.
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The two friends were exhausted, and their legs could carry them no longer. Close to the camp, the two collapsed on the ground, and allowed themselves to lay there, waiting submissively for their death. Matt hugged the girl tightly, attempting to protect her with his body, as futile as it was. The black shadow was falling upon them like a huge prey bird. A roar filled the air, followed by an acute shrill. The shadow vanished from its threatening position over the two.
"Are we dead?" Kari asked fearfully, unable to gather the courage to look up.
"No, look!" Matt pointed upwards at the sky.
Kari looked up rapidly, eager to see their saviour. The two of them never counted on the events that where to happen. Their faces met only inches apart, their eyes locked for brief moments. For an instant, nothing was happening. The world had diluted into nothingness, leaving only the bubble they were at. The distance diminished as the two closed the gap.
A pained roar filled the air. The two broke apart, and suddenly became very conscious of the situation. Matt stood up and aided Kari on her feet, tugging at her to continue running.
"Come on!" he exclaimed, urging her on.
Kari obeyed again, her lungs still aching, although not as much as a short while ago, when she was positive they would explode.
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The forest broke into a million pieces, and a flaming blur emerged from it. The black dragon hissed like a snake. A deep, thundering roar filled the night as the copper beast expanded her wings to their max extension, and charged towards the black shadow. The collision was violent, and the two dragons hurled towards the ground in a twister of claws, fangs and tongues of fire. Jag took her chance to try and stab the lance on the dragon's heart. The movement was violent, as all fights were, and the lance kept shaking back and forth, yet she tried with all her might to stab it on the black dragon's chest. Jag plunged forward.
Koe used her chance and managed to get rid of the deadly hug, and flapped her wings to avoid the beast. Nigra hissed angrily and flapped her wings, untangling herself from a net of twigs, branches and leaves. The beast breathed out a powerful blast of fire, which caught Koe flat on the chest. The reddish dragon emitted a painful roar, and felt herself stagger on her flight.
"Land!" Jag commanded, patting the flaming dragon on the neck tenderly.
"NEVER!" Koe roared and extended her wings wider, flapping strongly to maintain her flight.
Nigra had untangled herself from the branches that had her hind quarters trapped. Using her enormous, leathery wings, the monstruous reptile had began to fly away from the battlefield. Koe started to follow her, gasping, her breathing laboured, and several whimpers escaped her throat.
"You are badly injured!" Jag whimpered pleadingly.
"I can't let her escape!" Koe bellowed angrily, emitting a defiant roar at the darkness before her.
"I can't let you sacrifice your life like Fireflash did!" Jag tugged on the dragon's mane furiously.
"I'm not my father!" Koe shook her backs in fury, threatening to throw Jag off of her.
"Even he succumbed to Nigra!" Jag kept protesting, infuriating the dragon further.
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The fight against Shadow was, to say the least, very splendid and very brief. Quick's injured back made him work triple to fly, hence he became exhausted very soon. The white threw a well aimed bite to the black's neck. Shadow evaded it easily and turned on the air, hitting Quick square on the left wing with his powerful tail. Quicksilver emitted a loud roar. The bone was broken, and the fall was irremediable. Loosing completely his ability to fly, the silver dragon fell towards the ground.
"One less, now lets get those pesky children!" Shadow sneered with disgust at the silver form, heading to the ground like a stone.
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The trees broke with a loud thud. A whimper was heard, echoing from the very depths on the woodlands. Kari and Matt stopped dry on their steps. The two remained silent, their ears ready to recognize any sound. Nothing, only the rustling of leaves indicating a presence, yet nothing to reveal what it could be.
"Whatever it is, it fell from the skies!" Matt commented shrugging, "we should continue!" he suggested, eyeing the darkness with suspicion.
"Matt, it could be Koe!" Kari suggested staring at the boy with pleading eyes.
"It could be anything, Kari!" Matt commented severely.
"But what if it is Koe? What if she is injured?" Kari exclaimed with logical caring.
"Oh, all right!" the boy threw his arms to the sky in resign.
The two friends penetrated the deep foliage, and sank into the darkness. They were cautious, yet also eager to help, to see. The two emerged into the open clearing, created by the weight of an enormous body. The beast raised her head and glanced at the two friends.
To Be Continued…
AN: What did they find in the clearing? Well, it's obvious, or is it? Sorry for the terrible delay, but I was working on two other fics, one of which has turned out to be my very favourite, A Life to Live. Well, that's not an excuse, anyways. Forgive me, and I promise I'll try to get this done as soon as my studies let me.