Chapter 4: Brother

She had been sleeping peacefully that night, but she couldn't remember what she dreamt of. All she remembered was there was darkness, and she was drifting and floating, free of worries and sadness in her mind...

And suddenly she felt someone pushing her roughly. And she was falling, until she felt her cheek hit something hard.

She opened her eyes and was met with darkness and the cool touch of the wooden floorboards. She remembered getting up and rubbing her eyes sleepily. She looked to the bed and saw a blur of silhouettes, wondering how could she have fallen out of the bed.

"Shyvana!" her father shouted, and she jolted awake. Her eyes widened and she could see more than just darkness, her dragon senses awakening. "Get clear!" her father yelled again, and Shyvana scrambled to her feet.

She caught the glimpse of a man thrusting a blade towards her father. She heard her father roar painfully. And the next thing she knew was her dragon instincts had taken over.

Shyvana pounced onto the assailant with blinding speed and tackled him to the ground. She was on top of him as his back hit the floor hard, satisfied when she heard him hissing in pain. The man struggled, trying to throw Shyvana off him. She pinned his wrists above his head, and bared her fangs savagely at him.

She was so close to him that she could see the mask and scarf that the man wore. He was dressed in a long robe and a cowl covered his head. She tried to knee him in the gut, only to be met with something hard beneath the robe. Armor, Shyvana realized. He's wearing an armor.

The assailant noticed that she was distracted and took this as an advantage. He wrenched his hands free, and threw a punch across her face. Shyvana fell to the side, groaning with pain. She tried to get up to tackle him again, but he was already on his feet.

The man reached into his robes and held a flint. Shyvana rushed out to grab him, not before he ran the head of the flint across the rough surface of the wooden floor.

A bright red spark flared, blinding both Shyvana and her father. Shyvana staggered and raised her hands to shield her eyes, while she heard her father grunting in pain and frustration.

The flint was thrown to the floor, its sparks still sizzling and illuminating the dark room. When Shyvana could see properly again, she saw the assailant standing there unmoving, giving Shyvana a hard stare. It looked as though he was shocked, or as if he had seen a ghost.

Shyvana looked down, and she understood why.

She wasn't wearing her cloak and hood, but a sleeveless tunic and a pair of breeches. The flint's sparks had brightened the room to the point where her blue-grey skin and her golden eyes were visible. Her pupils narrowed to reptilian slits as she gave a feral growl, like a lion ready to tear its prey to pieces. She grinned when the assailant took a step back in fear.

There was a loud growl and it wasn't coming from Shyvana. The assailant whipped his head towards the bed, and managed to duck narrowly before a bloody knife flew past his head and embedded itself into the wall behind him.

Shyvana was stunned when her father rushed towards the man and grabbed him by the neck. She saw that his shoulder was bleeding heavily, but the angry glare in his eyes proved that he was unfazed by his deep wound. He threw the man against the wall, baring his fangs at his victim.

"You dare return to harm my daughter," her father growled. His voice wasn't like usual - not gentle and caring, but cold-blooded and enraged. It made her shiver in fear. "If you dare touch her, I'll rip your fucking guts out and make you eat them,"

Her father was about to reach out to tear his mask away when the assailant whipped out a small round object. He threw it to the floor as hard as he could, and the object exploded with a bright flash.

The old dragon hissed and shut his eyes immediately. He removed his hand from the assailant and was given a rough push.

"Shyvana!" her father called out. His arms flailed wildly around him, looking for his daughter.

"I'm fine!" Shyvana answered, and he felt relief washing over him. They heard the sound of the shutters being ripped open, and the howling of the wind sounded stronger. The air suddenly became a lot dustier and thicker, the old dragon and his daughter coughing violently.

The sandstorm was still strong. The assailant must have escaped through the shutters. His mask and scarf provided protection against the sandstorm, allowing him to trudge through the storm without fear.

The old dragon opened his eyes slightly, still seeing dark spots in his vision. He grabbed for his cloak and quickly wrapped it around himself and covered his nose and mouth with a scarf. Shyvana did the same. He grimaced.

"He saw us, father,"

He nodded. "We have to go after him, make sure he doesn't speak,"

Without hesitation, the old dragon climbed the window and hopped out into the streets, where the sandstorm was still raging. Shyvana followed, her cloak and hood whipped around by the strong winds.

The sandstorm made it hard to see, but from the corner of their vision they saw a figure running into an alley. The man was smart. Alleyways between buildings provide temporary shelter from the sandstorm, making it easier to maneuver. They ran as fast as they could, going after the assailant.

Make sure he doesn't speak, Shyvana pondered her father's words. Does that mean we have to kill him? Shyvana shuddered. She may have helped her father slay thousands of monsters and strange creatures, but she doubted she could hurt a human, let alone kill him. She pushed the thought away, and followed her father as they moved into the alley.

They were surprised to see the assailant standing there, his back to a wall. He grunted, irritated with his current plight, and turned back to face them both with dignity. He drew another dagger from his robe.

The old dragon pulled back his hood. This man had seen them, and there was no need to hide anymore.

"You should have listened to Zahrul's warning," the old dragon stated. "You know what we are, and I can't let you leave spreading a word,"

The man stood unflinching beneath his gaze.

"I will have to rip your tongue out," the old dragon clenched his fists. Fire wrapped around his hands, like a glove. He took two steps and dashed forward, his hand reaching for the man before him.

The assailant thrust his dagger forward, aiming for the old dragon's eye. He dodged it perfectly and threw a jab at him. The man withdrew and narrowly avoided his jab, flames dancing dangerously across his mask. The old dragon continued throwing punches, his flames burning stronger and brighter each time. The assailant evaded all of them gracefully, looking for an opening to attack. However, the old dragon could see that the man was tiring, and he was gaining the upper hand.

The man stepped backwards and pressed his back against the wall, dodging to the side when the old dragon aimed for his face. Desperately, he swung his dagger upwards to put some distance between them, and was surprised when the old dragon stopped the swing by grabbing the blade tightly, his flames swirling around his fist.

The blade of the dagger glowed until it was red-hot, and the old dragon simply bent the dagger, rending it useless. He could tell that the assailant was surprised, and he swiftly ripped the dagger out of his hand before throwing it aside. He reached out for his mask, tearing it away.

The old dragon's eyes widened with shock.

Beneath the mask was not the face of the man who had attacked him in the inn.

"You were careless," Zahrul grinned sadistically. The old dragon was suddenly too stunned to move.

"Father!" Shyvana screamed. The old dragon flipped backwards, just as a large sword swung in a wide arc below him. The sword swung upwards again, forcing the old dragon to roll to the side as it nearly cleaved him into two. He moved into a defensive stance, his fists still coated in flames, facing the giant before him.

Gahara grunted and held his greatsword before him, waiting for his attack. The old dragon's eyes widened when he saw that Gahara only held his sword with one hand. The largest brother flexed his shoulder muscles menacingly, his greatsword held in front of him as though it weighed nothing.

"See, Gahara?" Zahrul said, twirling a dagger in his hand. "I told you these two aren't human,"

Gahara snorted.

"Golden skin with scales. And the ability to summon fire at will," Zahrul grinned. "Only Celestial dragons have the ability to transform into a human. Such a rare species. Your daughter though..." he frowned and looked hard at Shyvana.

"A half-breed," he snapped his fingers in realization. "An impure halfling. An abomination, that explains why your father is so cautious and paranoid about strangers,"

"Mind your words," the old dragon snapped. "I may be old, but I can still tear you to pieces like paper. How long have you been following us?"

"Following you?" Zahrul said incredulously. "Your daughter and I met only today. She mentioned to the blacksmith that you, her father, slew the Golem and the Brambleback. Do you think I could not recognize the wraith crystals when I see one, child?" he turned to Shyvana, who returned his stare with a hateful glare.

"If someone could capture a wraith, it proves that the hunter is either extremely fast, or he's not human. I had my suspicions when you can't react quick enough when that hairy bastard pinned you to the table, it makes me doubt your abilities as a human,"

"Who knows? Maybe I was skillful at catching wraiths after all," the old dragon said sarcastically. "You mentioned earlier that you knew we weren't human, is that why you tried to assassinate my daughter? A bounty hunter like you would love stacking trophies that came from all kinds of beings,"

"When I tried to stab your daughter, that may be true. But that was before I knew she is a half-dragon," he laughed cruelly. "However, haven't you heard the rumors?"

The old dragon's frown deepened.

"I suppose that you have not," Zahrul's sadistic grin was replaced with solemnity. "There had been tales of a dragon terrorizing small towns and villages, burning everything in its path when the people fail to hand over the 'half-dragon,"

"Why would the dragon-kin want me?" Shyvana asked, her voice trembling with fear.

"To be executed," Zahrul answered curtly. "Your blood is impure, an abomination. The dragons pride themselves as the greatest race of Valoran. Your existence wounds their pride, hence they want you dead, even if it means killing thousands to get to you. Everywhere you go, death follows,"

Zahrul walked towards the old dragon fearlessly, ignoring the bright flames that were now surrounding the old dragon's hands. "How lucky I am to stumble upon you two, a Celestial dragon and a half-dragon," he chuckled. "Well, maybe not so fortunate for the people here. Soon the dragon will come here and threaten to burn Bel'Zhun to ashes. He will kill everything that is in its way, unless I give him your daughter's head,"

The old dragon glared at Zahrul, daring him to make a move.

"Consider this a trade," Zahrul whispered. "You hand over your daughter to me to save the people of this miserable place, while I will pretend that you never existed. I will not tell the dragon that I saw you, you will be free to go anywhere you want, without the dragon-kin to hunt you down," he put on his trademark sadistic grin again. "So, your decision?"

Shyvana looked at her father. Part of her pleaded her father to say no, the other part telling her that he should accept the trade. Zahrul had a point - her existence had caused the suffering and death of thousands of innocents. If possible, she did not want the same to happen to Bel'Zhun. And she certainly did not want to be a burden to her father as well.

She watched as her father thought long and hard, before he sighed and unclenched his fists, his flames disappearing. Shyvana closed her eyes and held back her tears, knowing that her father had finally made his choice.

"I've decided," the old dragon said wearily. Zahrul grinned wickedly. The old dragon then drew back his fist and punched Zahrul right in the face, breaking his nose and wiping the smug grin off his face. The impact caused him to stagger backwards, barely able to recover his fall.

Shyvana's jaw dropped.

"You old fucker!" Zahrul wiped away the blood from his nose, snarling furiously at the old dragon. He drew his twin daggers and dashed forward, which Gahara raised his sword aloft and followed his brother.

The old dragon called forth his draconic strength, his eyes burning with fury like molten gold. He conjured his flames and threw two fireballs forward, which the brothers dodged and blocked with skill. The old dragon fought them both at the same time, roaring like the dragon he was, exchanging blows and dodging attacks from both brothers like a feral beast.

Shyvana rushed forward to aid her father when she suddenly heard the thrumming of a crossbow. The hair on her neck stood upright in fear.

She only managed to avoid the bolt whistling past her ear, grazing her cheek. She whirled back and had to dodge again when Kaj loosed another bolt, who quickly reloaded with incredible speed. Shyvana yelled a battle cry and summoned her flames which swirled around her like a twister, increasing her speed as she ran towards Kaj.

Kaj aimed his crossbow precisely and fired two rapid bolts. Shyvana ducked, still sprinting towards him with increasing speed. The howls and wails of the sandstorm were now deaf to her, as she could only hear the sound of her roaring flames. She could feel her blood boil with rage, and her dragon instincts implored her to kill.

The feeling was so foreign to her that she was almost afraid of it.

Kaj stared at her fearfully as she leapt and pounced onto him. His crossbow tumbled out of his hands as they fell to the floor with Shyvana on top of him. She bared her fangs and growled angrily, her flames burning his leather vest.

Before she could land the first punch, Kaj groped for his crossbow and slammed the butt across her cheek. Shyvana grunted and fell off him, which he quickly reloaded his crossbow and aimed it at her.

Shyvana hopped to her feet and grabbed the crossbow with both hands just as he pulled the trigger. The bolt flew past her, nearly impaling her through her brain. They both tugged on the cross bow savagely, both struggling to rip the weapon from each other's hands. Shyvana pulled onto the crossbow as hard as she could, slamming Kaj against the wall.

She panicked when she saw his finger at the trigger. There was another bolt left in the crossbow, and it was aimed at her.

Shyvana acted on impulse and grabbed for his hood, tearing it away. Using all her strength, she shoved Kaj out onto the streets where the sandstorm blew with rage. Kaj lost his balance and landed on his rump, screaming and crying frantically when sands and dusts instantly got into his eyes, mouth and nose. He shut his eyes and clawed for his nonexistent hood, waving his crossbow around frantically.

"Kaj!" Zahrul dodged the old dragon's attack before pulling up his hood. He rushed towards the street to aid his brother who was still blinded by the sands, until the sound of flapping wings stopped him.

The fighting ceased as the sound grew louder and louder, and stranger things happened. The winds were still blowing, but earlier where the air was thick with sand was now as clear as the sky. Kaj had stopped screaming and now sat on his rear, his eyes still shut as he rubbed them painfully. The old dragon could feel his heart sinking and even Gahara looked astonished. When Shyvana threw a glance at Zahrul, she was surprised to see the fearful expression plastered on his face.

"Zahrul?" Kaj called out, turning his head around looking for his brother. "What happened?"

His question was answered with a jet of flames that swallowed him and poured along the street of Bel'Zhun. Zahrul's cries were drowned by the roar of the flames, as he watched his brother scorched to cinders. They could hear Kaj's screams within the sea of fire, until the flames were reduced to mere embers.

On the ground was a charred corpse, still wielding a blackened crossbow.

"Puny creatures," a deep voice reverberated through the streets. The coldness of it made them all tremble with fear. The ground shook slightly and a loud thump was heard as though a lumbering beast was parading the street. "I smell blood though. Dragon blood,"

Shyvana looked at her father and gasped. The front of his cloak was soaked with blood, and he looked pale and weak. He clutched at his shoulder wound and nodded at Shyvana, assuring her that he was fine.

"Brother," the voice was filled with reverence. "Are you here?"

The four of them crept towards the nearest wall, pressing their backs against it. They tried to still their heavy breathing, hoping that it wouldn't hear them.

"I have come to bring you home," its voice dripped with sadness. "I have come to help you make amends, help you correct the mistakes you had done,"

The old dragon closed his eyes and breathed through his mouth, his heart hammering hard against his chest. Shyvana's hand reached out for his and squeezed his tightly.

"Brother," this time the voice was louder, and the footsteps as well. A large shadow loomed over the black corpse that was once Kaj, telling them that it was near. "Are you hurt?"

The old dragon's eyes met Zahrul's. Zahrul looked grim, having just lost a brother. Hide, he mouthed, and Zahrul nodded.

"It has been so many years," Zahrul and Gahara crept deeper into the alley. It was darker in there, and it would provide a better cover. "Do you not miss your home? Your brothers and sisters?"

They were about to make it, until Zahrul's dagger slipped from his grasp and fell to the ground with a loud, resonating clang!

"Shit!" Zahrul exclaimed, and that was the last thing he said before a torrent of flames engulfed him and Gahara. The temperature skyrocketed instantly. Zahrul screamed, horrified when he saw his hands melting, turning from brown to red to black. Gahara's armor glowed white-hot, melting and fusing with his seared flesh.

Despite the heat surrounding her, Shyvana felt no pain. She looked up, only to realize that her father was now shielding her in his dragon form. His tough, leathery hide and dragon scales were highly heat-resistant even to dragonfire. She stared ahead and was met with Zahrul's remorseful glare, before his eyes boiled and melted into a fluid that ran down his scorching cheeks.

Everywhere you go, death follows.

When the flames died, the old dragon grabbed his daughter with his talons and propelled himself into the air. He flew as fast as he could, only stealing a glance at the dragon behind them. It was black as night, its scales shimmering like sin. It must have seen them, as it spread its wings and took off the ground.

"Where are we going?" Shyvana yelled as loud as she could, hoping that her father could hear her. Her father headed skywards until Bel'Zhun was only as large as her thumb, with the black dragon a tiny blotch heading towards them.

"We're going north!" in dragon form, his voice was loud and booming."We have to leave Shurima!"

Shyvana nodded in agreement, until she suddenly remembered the gauntlets the blacksmith had given her. They were still in their room back in the inn, and she felt her heart sink. Those were valuable to her, and she could not lose them.

"Father! I have to go back!" she struggled against her father's grasp, his grip only tightened in protest. "I left something important there! I have to retrieve it!"

"The hell you are!"

"Father, please! I can hide from him!" she pleaded.

Her father growled at her. His wings pumped harder and fought against the wind current. "Go back in your dragon form! I'll meet you in the forest at the foot of Mount Targon! I'll lead him out of Bel'Zhun!" he released his grip on her.

Shyvana mustered her rage as she felt power surge through her veins, boiling her blood. She glided through the wind as her arms turned into huge leathery wings, letting the current bring her back to the heart of Bel'Zhun. As she floated through the air she could see a huge dark shape looming before her. She quickly retracted her wings, diving towards the ground.

She was at the roof of the inn in her human form when she caught sight of the black dragon amidst the clouds, flying towards her father. She noticed that her father was deliberately flying slowly, allowing the dragon to see his trail easily so that it would follow him and be as far away from Bel'Zhun as possible. Quickly and quietly, Shyvana began climbing down the roof to the room where the shutters were wide open.

As she retrieved the gauntlets, flashes of the events that happened earlier haunted her mind. The image of Kaj's charred body clutching his crossbow seared into her mind like a permanent brand, and she could still hear the screams and wails of Zahrul and Gahara as they were engulfed in dragonfire. She shuddered when she remembered Zahrul's glare before he died.

She couldn't help but blame herself. They died because of her.

Everywhere you go, death follows.

Great, the old dragon lamented. He was in his human form, hiding behind a tree and panting heavily. I shouldn't have let her go. He could hear heavy footsteps not far away, stomping the ground and toppling trees and bushes alike out of his way.

Right now, he had no choice but to buy time until Shyvana appears. He thought of his plan again and again, fear overwhelming him at the thought of confronting his brethren. But if he did not do it, the dragon would fly back to Bel'Zhun and terrorize the town, worse yet if he stumbled upon Shyvana along the way.

The black dragon was calling for him again. It was near, he could tell. Here goes nothing, he thought as he stepped away from the tree.

"I'm here," the old dragon called out. He watched as the black dragon came to a halt, its long snout creeping towards him and sniffing him. He looked impressive - his wings were dark as night, his onyx scales caught the moonlight and shimmered like black diamonds, his eyes that were once malicious slits now widened at the sight of his brethren. His body, however, was gaunt and thin, unlike normal dragons which were bulkier and much larger. Compared to a normal dragon, this one was much smaller.

A drake, the old dragon realized. Smaller and weaker than normal dragons, but faster and more cunning.

"Brother," the drake's baritone voice rumbled. "I have come to bring you home,"

"What home?" he hissed. The drake was oblivious to the hint of contempt in his words.

"Home, the place where you and I belong. Our race is now dwindling in numbers, not to mention Celestial dragons such as yourself,"

"I have strayed from home," the old dragon said sadly. "I am an outcast dragon. Now I have no home, nor brothers and sisters. The dragonkind will live on without me, my presence scarcely makes a difference,"

"The dragons regard all of their own as family, as brothers and sisters. You will always have a home. Come with me,"

"Come with you?" the old dragon laughed half-heartedly. "The other Celestial dragons have looked upon me with disgust. Do you think I do not know your true purpose? That you wish to bring me back to be executed for loving a human?"

"That is your biggest mistake," the drake said coldly. "The other Celestial dragons want your head, and they have sent me out to collect it. But I swear to you. Follow me back to the dragonkind and I can persuade the Celestial dragons to show you mercy and give you another chance. You will earn your place as one of the revered dragons of Runeterra, just like before,"

He was quiet. The drake continued.

"As long as you give me that half-dragon, that abomination," his voice switched to distaste. "I will bring her to the dragonkind to be purged, as a proof of your unwavering loyalty to us. Our bloodlines will be pure once again,"

The old dragon's eye twitched with fury. "No," he snarled.

"No?"

"I will not give away my child only to be slaughtered like a pig. She has the right to live, and I will not let you deny her of that. You can tell the other Celestial dragons to go fuck themselves,"

"Your child?!" the drake roared with anger and disbelief. "That half-breed is a disgrace to us all! She is never and will never be your child!"

"Don't you dare call her that!" he was yelling now, all fears of the drake forgotten and replaced by fury.

"I give you a choice - your brothers and sisters, or that abomination. A chance to serve the dragonkind with glory again, or a chance to meet a traitor's end,"

He did not hesitate to answer. "Then I have no brothers and sisters, only my daughter,"

He thought he saw a glint of sadness in the drake's eyes, but it quickly disappeared to be replaced by pure hatred and disgust. "You leave me no choice," The drake rushed forward on all fours, jaw gaping with vicious fangs. The old dragon transformed into a dragon and brought his claws forward, snarling as his claws collided with the drake's jaw.

The drake roared and let off a burst of flames, aiming for his weak belly. The old dragon reacted quickly, dashing out of the way and brought his claws down upon the drake's spine, attempting to snap it into half.

The drake seemed to have noticed and swung his tail in a wide arc, its spiked tip slamming the old dragon's head. He wailed in pain as he fell to the ground, trying desperately to claw his way back to his feet. The drake quickly locked its jaw around the old dragon's hind leg and bit hard, crippling the old dragon.

"You are too slow," the drake spat, ripping its maw from his crippled foot. "Too old. Perhaps the Celestial dragons were right, you should be put down for good," it lashed out a claw, aiming for his weak and soft flesh around the chest.

The old dragon closed his eyes, ready to face his end. Shyvana, my pride and joy. You must remain strong.

He waited for the blow to come, but instead of pain he heard a loud ringing of metal. He opened his eyes, and was greeted with the sight of Shyvana in her human form, wearing a pair of rusty gauntlets that were too large for her. She held the gauntlets in front of her, blocking the drake's fatal blow.

Shyvana grunted, mustering her strength to push against the drake. But it was too strong for her, and she was losing her footing.

The old dragon quickly aided her as he hopped into the air, wincing as the wound on his leg throbbed in pain. The drake was still shocked by the sudden appearance of the half-dragon, and narrowly dodged a jet of white-hot flames that came from the Celestial dragon.

"There you are, half-dragon," the drake chuckled.

Shyvana lashed out with her gauntlet-covered hands, attempting to rake the drake's snout and neck. But she was too slow, the gauntlets were far too heavy for her. Sweat were beading on her forehead, and she was getting exhausted. The old dragon knew he must act quickly, or his daughter will give out soon.

The drake seemed to have its full attention on Shyvana now, dodging and blocking every blow she made. He laughed gleefully, watching in content as Shyvana got slower and slower, panting heavily each time she lifted the gauntlet for another attack. Soon the drake went from defense to offense, striking aggressively and looking for an opening. Shyvana was finding it difficult to evade and block each coming attack, and the more she blocked the sloppier her movements became.

A tail swung at her, and Shyvana couldn't lift her gauntlets in time. It struck her in the side, sending her tumbling across the forest grounds. She grunted and tried to stand, but she was exhausted and her arms were already trembling violently.

The drake was heading her way. He held a smug and cruel grin, his gleaming fangs ready to finish her off. Until a huge, uprooted oak tree went flying towards him, knocking him into the side and sending him sprawling on the forest floors. The drake tried to lift the tree off him, but it was far too heavy. He roared in frustration.

It would take days, if not weeks, for the drake to remove that tree from himself.

"You will pay for this!" the drake roared, swearing vengeance.

The old dragon simply strode limply towards his daughter, blood still seeping from the wounds on his shoulder and hind leg. Shyvana laid on her belly, too tired to move. Her eyes were closed as she breathed heavily. Bruises and scabs were all over her body. The old dragon lowered his head and gently lifted his daughter by the collar of her cloak with his fangs, careful not to hurt her with his sharp fangs. He placed her onto his back, his heart clenched with guilt as Shyvana laid unconsciously onto his back, her gauntlets hung snugly from her hands.

He propelled himself skywards, ignoring his excruciating wounds and pumped his wings harder and faster. The drake was still hurling threats and insults at them both, but they were deaf to his ears. All he cared now was to get Shyvana to safety, and they would have to hide deep in the Great Barrier where their resources would be easily replenished.

With Shyvana on his back, the old dragon flew past Mount Targon and looked for a safe place along the Great Barrier to land. He doubted that his future days would be easy, knowing that the drake would keep pursuing them until they were dead.

They will never have her, he vowed hatefully. She's the only thing I have. I will kill each and every one of them who dares approach her. I swear I will.

Well? Tell me how it is. Reviews are very much appreciated. :)