(Disclaimer: Don't own anything except the following story)

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Return of the Dragon Slayer.

Chapter Twenty-Three.

Caleb screamed as one of the bad trees knocked his father out. He squeezed his eyes shut, concentrating intensely ...and he heard the old whispers of the forest sound way back in his mind, listening to him. He urged them forward, willing them to life and he heard their low groans as they tore free from their moorings; the ground rumbling under his small feet as they advanced.

He screamed again as he felt Abiel's fingers dig into his head; the long, dirty, talon-like fingernails breaking the skin and trying to pierce through his skull. He felt the blood from the wounds slide slowly through his hair, trickling past his ears and down his neck. He screamed again as a white-hot pain ripped through his mind, firing destructive shots into it; the ricochets of those shots echoing loudly in his ears; the only thing louder was the malevolent chuckle of the shooter.

"Watch!" he heard the man yell in his ear and Caleb forced his eyes open and screamed again.

He watched as a large, black tree raised one of it's thick, misshapen branches and speared it towards Dean ...but just before it would have gone through his fathers chest, a branch from another tree snaked out, grabbing Dean by the ankle and pulling him out of the way; the spearing branch only managing to cut Dean along his cheek.

"NO!" yelled Abiel.

"DAADEE!" yelled Caleb "WAKE UP, DADDY! PLEEEASE!"

Abiel looked around frantically; someone else was here…someone of great power, one who held powerful magic. He knew of no other that could control the elements like he could. He tightened his grip on the boy and watched as another tree ripped apart the one he was controlling; the sharp crack of it splitting in half, echoing like a thunderclap round the small clearing.

Caleb closed his eyes again, concentration etched on his small features as he tried to call on Iskar, but something was blocking him. It had to be the bad-man that was trying to kill him and his father. He raised his foot and slammed his boot-heel down on the man's toes, smiling as he heard the man cry out in pain. He didn't just need magic to hurt the man, his Mamma said it didn't matter how powerful someone's mojo was, they still bled like everyone else. He stomped on Abiel's other foot and was turned round roughly, the smack to his face knocking him to the ground, making his head swim.

He turned and started to scramble towards his father; he could see the bloodied path from where he'd been dragged to safety, his blood now pooling underneath him. He was grabbed round the waist and yanked back, the trees branches digging painfully into his skin, his fingers lightly brushing his fathers as he was pulled roughly away "NOOOOO! DAADDEEE!"

Caleb was turned round and held in place by the tree as Abiel walked over to him, his eyes burning brightly in his face as he put it inches from Caleb's.

"You want your Daddy?" he asked nastily.

"YOU LEAVE MY DADDY ALONE!" he yelled as he struggled against the branches that held him.

Abiel slapped him "Watch" he turned and raised a hand and the sky started to darken, the clouds rumbling ominously overhead. Abiel smiled as he pointed a finger to the heavens then dropped it down quickly, aiming at Dean.

Caleb scrunched up his eyes and screamed as a bolt of lightening forked out of the sky, skewering towards his father.

Abiel started to laugh in anticipation of the strike, wanting to smell the burning flesh of the man. His laughter stopped and he roared in rage as the tree that had previously saved the Slayer bent over the prone man, taking the strike and splitting it in two; each part falling harmlessly either side of the Slayer.

Abiel turned in circles, scanning the forest, trying to find the source of the power; there was a magician here, in his lands…and he would not allow it.

He turned when he heard low moans coming from behind him. The Slayer was stirring. He grinned; time to have some fun. He knew the man was weak from blood loss and he would pay for killing Jonas. He watched as the man dragged himself to his knees, shaking his head as he tried to clear the last vestiges of unconsciousness from it. His head jerked up and he roared as he saw his son held spread-eagled by the tree.

"CALEB!" he reached quickly into his boot, but his daggers were gone. He'd given one to Caleb and the other was still lodged in the Rukh's neck. He pushed himself up and stepped over the fallen tree, one hand held tight to the wound in his belly "You LET my son go!" he yelled at Abiel.

Abiel laughed "Oh, I don't think so Slayer. I'm just trying to decide which will be more fun…you watching him die, or him watching you" he put a hand to his chin "Hmmm…I think…"

"WATCH OUT!" yelled Dean, his eyes widening as he focussed on something behind Abiel.

The man turned instinctively and Dean threw himself towards the Rukh, grabbing the dagger and throwing it in one fluid movement.

Abiel turned, realising too late that he'd been tricked and he screamed as the dagger took him under his arm, sinking deep into his ribcage.

Dean ran towards Caleb, picking up one of his swords as he raced forward. He raised his sword to strike at Abiel but was slammed back by the branch of a tree and flying across the clearing, smashing into the trunk of another.

"DADDY!" yelled Caleb as he struggled against the branches of his captor.

"Now you can watch your son die!" Abiel yelled to Dean; he turned to the boy and splayed his fingers.

Dean screamed as he saw the tree start to pull on Caleb's limbs, stretching them…it was going to rip his son apart in front of his eyes "CALEB!" he struggled to his feet but was hit again and knocked to the ground.

Caleb screamed as he felt his muscles straining under the steady pull of the branches; he closed his eyes and concentrated harder than he'd done in his whole life and he yelled as he felt his right shoulder pop from its socket…but he'd made the connection.

Abiel laughed as he watched the Slayer struggle against the tree that held him down, forcing him to watch the slow death of his son. He turned his attention back to the boy and his laughter died on his lips as he watched two giant trees, trees with whom he had never been able to make a connection. The first trees of the forest. He stared in awe as the large, black oaks bore down on the boy, ripping the branches that held him, freeing him; and as he fell to the ground, he was caught in the branches of one of the trees and set gently on the ground. Abiel stared as he realised it was the boy that was controlling the trees. The boy.

"RUN CALEB!" yelled Dean.

"DADDY!"

"RUN!" screamed Dean and Caleb stared at his father before turning and taking off into the forest.

Abiel turned to Dean and smiled "Thank you, Slayer"

"FUCK YOU, ASSHOLE!"

Abiel laughed as he walked over to Dean, crouching in front of him "Before I kill you, I'll let you in on a secret. That forest you just sent your son into? Belongs to me. Your son, won't get far…"

"My son will kick your ass!" said Dean.

Abiel laughed again "A child? I hardly think so…but I see his power, and in one as young as him..." he shook his head then leaned in close "You took my son from me, now I will take yours. He will become my son and I will train him, educate him in the dark arts and he will destroy this realm and all those in it. It will be your blood that brings about the end of the Ancients" he laughed "So instead of being destined to save the realm…you've destroyed it!"

"I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN AND KILL YOU IF YOU TOUCH MY SON!" yelled Dean.

Abiel laughed again "Can't really do that from the depths, can you?" and he stood, heading quickly towards the trail Caleb had taken. He turned as he reached the edge of the forest and put out a hand, waving it over the earth as he whispered quietly. He smiled at Dean "Die knowing I will corrupt your son!" he laughed as he turned and fled into the forest.

Dean struggled against the tree but he was held fast to the ground…the ground that was now starting to rumble underneath him. He fought harder, the branches scratching painfully into his skin and causing the wound to his stomach to bleed more freely. He stopped as the earth started to shake violently ...and he was so surprised when the branches released him that he didn't move for a few moments; then his mind kicked into action and he pushed himself up, walking unsteadily across the earth, grabbing his swords as he started to follow Caleb and Abiel. He was thrown to the left, only just regaining his balance before he'd have been pitched head-first into the fire.

The ground was moving erratically, making his progress across the clearing slow but he would not let anyone take his son from him. He'd lost Finn, he would not lose their son; lose his last link to her. He stopped as he saw the earth start to crack, to pull open and he re-sheathed his swords as the jagged line zig-zagged towards him, splitting wide and he threw himself to his right, grabbing at the earths crust as the ground opened beneath him.

He dug his fingers into the soil, grappling for purchase, his boots kicking at the sides of the fissure trying to find something to push against, but it crumbled against his boots. His fingers started to slip and he pushed them deeper into the earth but the soil was his enemy, it slipped under his grip and he slid slowly back as his weight worked against him. He grabbed at a small bush but it tore free under his grip and as he slipped over the edge he yelled his son's name, his fingers grabbing desperately at the edge before he slipped into the abyss…

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Caleb ran, ran as fast as his little legs could carry him. He ducked around trees, large and small; jumped over blackened, fallen logs, dodging branches that snaked out to grab him, scratching at his face and arms as he ran by. His right arm hung limply at his side and his little lungs burned as his heart pounded in his chest; he wanted to go back, back to his father but he'd promised him he would do as he was told and his father had said run…so he ran.

He tripped over the root of a large tree, his shoulder smacking painfully on the ground and he screamed as a blazingly sharp pain ripped through him. He cried out again as he got quickly to his feet and as he jumped over a fallen log he was grabbed from behind and pulled hard against the trunk of a tree. He yelled in frustration, looking up as he heard the sound of laughter.

"Did you really think you could get away from me, Caleb?" said Abiel, his red eyes like beacons in the dark forest "You may have the ability to control the forest but it is an unharnessed power" he smiled "But I will teach you how to harness it" he stopped in front of the boy and stroked his cheek gently "You and I…oh, we will be a force to be reckoned with….son"

"I NOT YOUR SON! I HAVE A DADDY! AND HE GONNA KICK YOUR ASS!" yelled Caleb.

Abiel laughed "Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, Caleb" he cocked his head "Well I'm not really…but your Daddy is dead, boy"

He laughed as Caleb shook his head "NO!"

"YES!" Abiel shook his head "Tsk, tsk, tsk…no mother and now no father…what will happen to you?" he grinned "Welcome to the family!"

"FUCK YOU!" yelled Caleb, using the words he'd heard his father use on the man.

Abiel slapped him "Now, now…language. No son of mine speaks to his father that way"

"YOU NOT MY DADDY! YOU NEVER BE MY DADDY!" he closed his eyes but Abiel put his hand on the boys head and put him into a deep sleep before he could reach out to the elements.

"Can't have you doing that my boy, not until you truly belong to me" he took the boys limp body from the tree, closed his eyes and vanished.

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Dean screamed as his fingers slipped from the earth, the scream careening around the abyss as he fell. He yelled again as he was jerked to a stop, his shoulder pulling painfully in its socket. He turned his eyes from the canyon below him and looked up into the vivid green eyes of his saviour.

"I can't hold on much longer, Dean. You want to give me your hand?"

"Finn" he grinned, the smile splitting his face. He swung his other hand up, grabbing her above the wrist as she pulled him towards the surface. She reached down, grabbing him under the shoulder, pulling him up and when his feet gained purchase he threw himself out of the deep gorge and pulled her to him, holding her tight, his face buried in her neck as he breathed in everything about her. He raised his head and looked into her eyes "It's really you?" he asked, pushing her back gently, his hand going to her face.

She smiled "It's really me"

"Finn" he pulled her lips to his, kissing her deeply as he held her against him "I thought I'd lost you"

She shook her head "Can't get rid of me that easy, Dean"

He smiled, lifted her chin and saw the deep red and black bruise that ran around her neck "Jesus…"

"Raja got to me just in time. I don't really remember much…just...falling...the...rope and then I woke up" she kissed him "We won, Dean. We beat that arsehole" and she motioned towards Jonas' body.

"Jesus! Caleb!" he shot to his feet.

"Caleb's with the dragons. That's the deal…" she stopped when she saw Dean shaking his head "What do you mean NO!?" she asked.

"Jonas got him, well the Rukh's took him from Fafnir's cave. We came here to kill him..."

"You bought Caleb here?" she asked "Why? He..." she shook her head "Where is he? Caleb! CALEB!"

Dean took a step and stumbled and Finn caught him, finally noticing the wound to his belly "Jesus…Dean…" she put her hand to the injury.

"No, come on" he started to walk towards the forest, Finn coming up next to him and putting her arm around him, supporting him as they went in search of their son.

"Jonas' father…" he started.

"Jonas' father?" she shook her head "No, Abiel's been dead for over five thousand years, Dean"

"Well I'm telling you it's him. We have to find him…he said he's gonna corrupt Caleb, turn him against us…against everyone" he looked at her "He hurt him" he said softly "I'm sorry"

She stopped and turned his face to hers "You love Caleb" he nodded "You wouldn't let anyone hurt him"

"But I did. I said I'd protect him..."

"And so did I. Now come on .." she said as they stepped into the forest "No one touches our son"

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They'd been searching the forest for hours, silently at first then calling out Caleb's now...louder and louder. Each hour that passed bringing with it a new desperation, a fear that they had truly lost their son and as Dean finally fell, his body giving out and smashing into the ground with a sickening thud, Finn knew that they wouldn't find Caleb. He'd gone. Her son was gone. She pulled Dean's head into her lap and cried as he tried to comfort her.

It was his fault. He'd promised Caleb he'd protect him, would always protect him and he'd let him down. His son was gone; and as Finn cried against him, he put his arms around her, his tears mixing with hers.

They had saved the realm but it had cost them everything.

The End.