The dragon was much smaller than the other two, perhaps half their size. It was a bright copper coloured reptiles, with a thin head, and a pair of intelligent, amber eyes. The wings were spread out, protecting the children from Shadow's attack. It was a female dragon, staring defiantly at the two combatants, ready to react in case the black decided to attack.
Quicksilver was trapped in a tight, painful embrace. The black dragon's claws were tearing his flesh, gripping him in a deadly hug. The Prince was also gashing the black's scales, specially those of his chest and stomach, which were the most visible and closer. Shadow attempted to throw a bite at the white dragon, but Quicksilver's neck curled backwards and evaded the attack. A clawed paw slashed the black muzzle with a roar of anger.
"I might fall, but you will fall with me!" Shadow growled, breathing air to boost his dragon attack.
"I don't think so!" Quicksilver fired a beam of white light at the dragon's eyes.
Shadow roared painfully, the smell of burnt skin began to spread across the deserted valley. Feeling how the grip was being released, Quicksilver pounced on the air using the strength of his hind legs. The large wings opened and began to flap, making him go higher, where he might have more advantage. Shadow shook his head and growled at the flying figure. The black dragon had lost one eye, but the other, although his vision was blurry, was still functioning. Baring his fangs, Shadow leapt onto the air, after Quicksilver.
First there was a pursuing of the black after the white. Once Quick considered they were far enough from the people below, he spinned on the air, placing his belly facing the sky. Shadow was too shocked by this sudden movement to stop or change direction. The black dragon flew directly to the white one. Claws gashed his stomach in some grave wounds, but the dragon was stronger than that.
Recovering balance in flight, the black dragon made an acused change of direction and flew straight for Quick. The white got ready for the impact, baring his fangs. Both dragons collided on the air. Quick's fangs sank on the black's shoulder, while the black bit the lower part of his neck, and began scratching the white forearms. Crimson blood was starting to pour out of the large gashes, tinting the white scales with its deep colour. Quick growled deeply, but didn't let go. Actually, the more intense the pain was, the more his fangs sank on the black's shoulder. It was also happening the other way around, such that both dragons were embraced in a deadly hug none could escape,
"We have to do something!" the copper dragon growled at the two children and the mare. "Quicksilver will never defeat Shadow!"
"I'll go!" Tai said standing up and starting to concentrate.
"NO!" Yolei stopped his attempts with a hand on his shoulder, and a ferocious glare, "I know you! You are that dragon, Koe!" the girl exclaimed, staring at the reptile with a smile.
"There is no time for that, young mage!" Koe said staring at the two dragons, who were beggining to fall. "Quick is in danger!"
"But what can I do?" Yolei moaned.
"You are a mage!" Koe snapped, staring a the girl with disbelief, "Think about something!"
"Like what?" Yolei was staring at the two dragons desperately.
"Yolei, what would you do for someone you love?" Nightmare asked out of the blue.
"I'd give my life for them..." the mage said, staring at the white dragon with fearful eyes.
"What does Shadow love the most?" Tai asked suddenly, guessing the mare's idea.
"Nigra, his black dragon sister!" Koe said, staring at Tai with glimmering eyes. "But Nigra is dead, Blaze killed her!"
"It doesn't matter. Yolei!" Tai turned to face the girl with a mischievous, intelligent look in his face, "Do you think you can conjure an image of Nigra?" the boy asked.
"I'd need someone for focus." Yolei confessed, nodding shyly, and blushing slightly.
"I'll do it!" Nightmare stated, rearing and stomping her forehooves on the ground, lifting a small cloud of pale dust.
The mage pondered about it for a brief instant. They wouldn't loose anything if they tried. The woman nodded and extended her hand before her, getting ready to prepare the spell. Nightmare turned around and galloped at full speed, towards the dragons. Yolei stared at the retreating equine, concentrating on her, focusing the spell on the black shadow.
"Ogpae Apakoh Nigra!" the girl recited slowly, clearly, frowning at the mare as the intense concentration began to puncture her brain painfully.
There was an intense expectation. Nightmare was beggining to diminish speed, seeing as the spell didn't seem to work. Shocking them all, the image flashed, appearing all of a sudden. A black dragon, female, gliding at low height over the ground. Yolei smiled proudly at Tai and Koe. Nightmare increased her speed and galloped right below the dragons, turning and rushing back to where the mage, dragon and griffin waited.
Quicksilver couldn't hold on any more. Blood kept pouring from the numerous wounds, and air began to lack as the black's jaws pressed tighter. It was obvious that Shadow was much stronger than him, and that he was destined to sucumb to his power. The black dragon opened one amber eye much wider, the one that wasn't blind. The animal had seen the shape of his sister gliding below them.
"Nigra!" the miserable creature moaned desperately, releasing Quick's neck.
The white dragon wasn't expecting that. Shadow released the deadly grip on his body and flew after the second, black dragon. Quick toppled down, towards the soft sand. The animal recovered his flight balance, flapping violently and lifting enormous clouds of dust. Finally, two metres from the ground, the dragon collapsed on the sand. The wounds still ached, and his body was exhausted.
The black dragon flew after the image of his siter. It was a saddening image, watching the poor creature flying desperately, in a demented way, after the spell wyrm. Yolei had a moment of weakness, seeing that maybe, just maybe, Shadow wasn't as bad as painted. Nightmare galloped rapidly, heading towards the group. The mare passed right under Koe's copper body. At that precise moment, the copper dragon leapt up and gripped the black dragon, sinking her fangs on the animal's throat. Both dragons fell.
Koe stood up, shaking her body and breathing heavy, staring at the black dragon with a look of indifference. As cruel as it might be, it was in their nature. The millenary fight between the dragons of good and evil always ended this way, with either of them down. Shadow was shaking, staring at the group, at the black mare and the mage who had managed to trick him so brightly. There was a content smile on his reptilian lips. Finally, bleeding through the deep gashes of his throat, the dragon stopped moving, his soul leaving to rest along with his sister, in a world where they could just be themselves.
"Quick!" Koe said, staring at the white dragon, still laying on the ground.
With a quick glide, the copper dragon flew towards the enormous white. Tai, Yolei, and a terribly exhausted mare followed. Quicksilver raised his head upon seeing the smaller reptile approaching him. Eyes darted to check on the chestnut horse. Gone, it had disappeared. Finally, the violet eyes landed on the landing shape of the sun dragon.
"Koe? It was you all along?" Quicksilver inquired, staring at the female.
"Are you all right?" Koe inquired, ignoring him.
"I'm fine. The wounds hurt a little, but that's all." The dragon explained, standing up with some trouble.
"Silven!" Yolei's voice echoed, furious and worried at the same time.
"Yolei!"" the dragon was surprised she had guessed.
"You... you lied to me!" the woman was furious, clenching her fists.
"I didn't do it on purpose, Yolei! I had to protect myself, and I had to protect you, I couldn't let you, or anyone know I was Quicksilver!" the dragon said, looking ashamed.
"And you... you love me!" Yolei clenched her fists tighter, tears began to fall through her eyes, "Knowing what I was trying, knowing how hard a human and dragon love is, you still fell in love with me!"
"Quick..." Koe pricked her ears, and stared at the dragon.
"I didn't mean it to be that way, Yolei..." the dragon evaded the three pairs of eyes fixed on him, and stared at the woman with a loving and saddened glance.
"I hate you!" the mage said angrily, now tears covered her cheeks, makig her skin glitter.
The woman turned around and fled, fast yet tripping from time to time on the treacherous, soft sand. The dragon bellowed her name, staring at her retreating figure. There was an attempt from the white figure to follow the mage, but he was quickly stopped by a strangely valiant, black mare.
"Let her be..." Nightmare said, shaking her head.
The black horse walked towards the mage, slowly, letting her cry her despair, giving her the time she needed.
"Quick, how crazy are you to..." the dragon said, reproachfully.
"Koe, I didn't mean to, all right? My mother told me to bring the Saviours, and that's what I was doing." The dragon was frustrated, "I wasn't willing to let things go this way!"
"But Yolei is here to find Izzy, right?" Tai interviened.
"Yes..." Quick said painfully, while Koe turned her face sideways, to stare into the infinity of sand.
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"I can't believe it!" Yolei huffed, clearing her tears.
The mage was seated right at the oceanic shore, where the air was cooler, and the sand much softer. The girl's eyes were glancing at the infinity of the most amazing, brightest and bluest ocean she had ever seen. Pollution had destroyed the earth's sources, and given seas that greenish, dirty look.
"Yolei..." Nightmare said gently, taking great care into not scaring the mage.
"Nightmare... what are you doing here?" Yolei inquired with an strangled voice, "leave, please..." the girl retunrned her gaze to the sea.
"Why are you so affected? It's not like you've discovered anything new." Nightmare inquired, letting her body fall next to the woman.
"He shouldn't have lied to me..." Yolei murmurred, glancing away from the mare.
"Yolei, are you sure it was he who was lieing to you?" Nightmare inquired, snorting lightly to get rid of the annoying grains of sand that had come up to her nose.
"Hum? What do you mean?" the mage asked, turning to stare at the black horse.
"I think that maybe you are lying more that that poor dragon." Nightmare comented thoughtfully.
"I didn't lie to him! I always told him the truth!" Yolei protested angrily.
"Not all lies are directed to someone else." Nightmare said gently, standing up and galloping off, back to where the three beings waited.
That left the mage thinking for a while. There was a warm shudder in the depths of her stomach, but the woman brushed it off. Pondering about the mare's words, Yolei didn't see the two dragons and Tai approaching her.
"Yolei, we have to go." Silven said carefully, gently, back in his elven shape.
"Leave me alone, Silven..." the woman snarled, evading his gaze angrily.
"But Yolei..." the elf was desperate, as his violet eyes glanced at the furious woman.
"Leave it to me." Tai said nodding assuringly, "Yolei, listen up, it's not as if you've seen something new, you know?" the man gripped the girl's arm and forced her to look at him.
"Let me go, Tai!" the girl snapped angrily, releasing her arm with such violence that it hurt herself.
"Come on. What is altering you so much? I'm a griffin, Matt's a werewolf and Izzy is a dragon, where is the difference?" the boy inquired yelling.
"You wouldn't understand!" Yolei yelled louder, as if she would gain the reason just for that.
"What wouldn't I understand? That you lost Izzy because he was a dragon, and now you feel like you're loosing Silven too?" Tai yelled, raising his arms in frustration.
Silven's eyes widdened upon hearing this. Suddenly, his head turned to stare at the woman. There was a fain blush on her cheeks, hence it could also be the furious tint of her anger.
"Don't say nonesense, Tai. I love Izzy, and that's it! I'll find a way back to him, with your help, or without it!" this time, Yolei's eyes turned to glare at Silven.
"Shut up already, mage. Get on Quick's back and lets go!" Koe growled angrily, towering over the woman furiously, baring her sharp fangs.
"All right, all right. Relax!" Yolei said surrending, raising her hands up high.
Moment later, Tai was flying on Koe's back, while Yolei was forced to ride Quicksilver. Nightmare was left behind, since, being a horse, she couldn't be carried along.
"How am I to call you now?" Yolei sneered from her seat between the wings.
"I'd like it if you would call me Silven. It was the name you knew me by." Quick answered with a gentle growl.
"But that's not your real name! It's not your real you!" Yolei snapped, "Silven doesn't exist!" she finished crudely.
"I wish you could ever forgive me, Yolei." The dragon said sadly, flying at a gentle speed.
That left Yolei thinking. There was no apparent reason why she should feel so angry with Silven. After all, she had found out about Izzy, and had been at his side. However, there was this feeling of betrayal that was consuming her, devouring every single bit of her joy and making her miserable.
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There was a moment in which nothing could be seen. The protection around the island was a dense fog that hid sharp icebergs. Only someone who knew his way around could ever cross this place and make it safely to the heart of Aberyn. Silven and Koe were such kind of someone, and managed to fly their way around with ease. Yolei and Tai were making enormous efforts to remain warm, where ice had began to form on their clothings. Moment later, they penetrated a vast tunnel. Minutes later, both dragons emerged into the centre of the island, and landed.
Yolei was amazed, as well as Tai, who was gaping. Dragons, bigger and smaller than Silven, but all of them his same kind. There was a silver dragon, Matt was on the reptile's back. There, standing out from the croud, was a rather short man with flaming red hair and deep, black eyes.
"Izzy!" the mage yelled happily, her feature brightening upon seeing the boy.
Yolei hopped down Silven's back and began to run towards the boy. Izzy extended his arms to receive her. Both kids melted in a tight, comforting hug. It was gentle was well as strong, uniting them more than ever. At the same time, it separated them slightly. Yolei's heart was beating fast, and she knew she loved Izzy. However, with a saddened smile that belonged just to her, and which was never to be revealed to any one, Yolei realized Izzy was her best friend, her brother, someone in who she confided, and someone that would never let her down. Nothing more.
To Be Continued...
AN: OK, perhaps one or two more chapters. This is getting to the end. Sorry it's extending so much but I often got very good ideas. Anyways, this was ok, but not the best I wrote.