Chapter 6 – Scroll of the Beast
The Pyre Squad grinned as they relished over their latest plan. They were sure that they have succeeded with their plan.
"We did it," said Ciara. "We finally have those mammalian scumbags at our mercy!"
"Along with those traitorous dragons and filthy half-breeds!" laughed Cronk.
"Lord Sardius will definitely have to be pleased with us," said Scorcher. "A grand promotion awaits us once we bring the Scroll of the Beast to him!"
"Come on, let's waste this dojo to dust while we're still here!" declared Ciara.
"You won't do anything of that sort, Pyre Squad!" called a voice.
The Pyre Squad looked out, and then they saw Cynder and her friends rising up from the opened roof to face them. Darky was riding on Draco while Shu was on Charonus. They all glared at the troublesome trio.
"This is the end of the line for you three!" declared Cynder. "Give it up now!"
"Ha! Do you honestly believe that we would give in to such a weak, ridiculous demand?" laughed Ciara. "Don't give me that, you're a bunch of helpless saps!"
"You're going to be sorry for this," said Torden as he cracked his knuckles.
"Heh, it's you who have started this fight," said Scorcher. "And now all of you will pay for meddling in the affairs of the Obsidian Devourers."
"Let's get firing away!" declared Cronk as he pushed a button which revealed more laser cannons from the sides of the hovercraft.
"This is it, guys," said Cynder. "We'd better give it our all and put a stop to the Pyre Squad once and for all!"
"How shall we do it?" asked Lily.
"Draco, Jakkin, Charonus, and I will keep them distracted while you, Torden, and Percival try to get the chest holding the Scroll of the Beast from them," said Cynder. "Now, let's get to action!"
The dragons began their assault on the Pyre Squad's hovercraft, dodging their laser blasters. Lily, Torden, and Percival attempted to recover the chest from the hovercraft's grasp, but it managed to avoid them while attacking them at the same time.
"So you think you easily take our prize away?" Cronk gloated. "We can see you from our radar in our cockpit! There's no way you can beat us that easily!"
"Darn," pouted Cynder. "They're well-prepared than we thought."
"Let's try to roast them with our breath attacks," said Draco, and he and Charonus used their Flamethrower attacks to strike the hovercraft, but to no avail as it showed no sign of damage.
"We thought you would try to fry us," said Cronk. "So we have installed heatproof shields on our hovercraft to ensure that we will be protected from your attacks."
"That's torn it!" grumbled Draco. "What are we going to do now?"
"I have no idea," said Charonus. "This is really bad, and there doesn't seem to be any other way to take down those clowns."
"Well, it looks like all of you are running out of steam," the Pyre Squad sneered. "Like I told you before, we've grown cleverer and made sure we won't fall for the same mistakes! Now it's your turn to face utter humiliation!"
Cynder and her friends grimaced, knowing that they really are in a bind this time.
"Set the lasers to immolate!" commanded Ciara.
"Aye-aye, Ciara!" said Cronk, and he adjusted the dial on the laser so that they were set to destroy the dragons.
"This is the end for you meddlesome lot!" cackled Ciara. "Scorcher and Cronk, get ready to open fire when I say so!"
Scorcher and Cronk nodded and they had their claws ready to press the fire button. It seemed as if it was all over for Cynder and friends, but just then, the Pyre Squad felt a sudden push as their hovercraft tilted slightly up before lowering back in position. Confused, they wondered where the push came from, but found nothing. What they did not realise however was that Darky and Shu have boarded their hovercraft, and carefully they moved stealthily upward and prepared to ambush the Pyre Squad. Then, at the right moment before the Pyre Squad could fire their lasers, Darky and Shu jumped into the cockpit, surprising the trio.
"Ouch!" squealed Scorcher as Shu grabbed him from behind and bit him on the neck. Darky climbed around Ciara's head, pushing it back and forth.
"Stop that, you puny pipsqueaks!" grunted Ciara.
Cronk tried to help out his partners, but got pushed around that he ended up causing the arms underneath the hovercraft to go berserk.
"Now's the chance!" called Cynder to Lily, Torden, and Percival. "Grab the chest and get it down to safety!"
Lily, Torden, and Percival hurried as they managed to get the chest which the hovercraft arms nearly lost grip off due to the confusion above, and as Torden and Percival lowered to the ground, Lily went up to help their friends as she thought up an idea. Using her Water Brooch, she used it to soak the hovercraft. Darky leapt off and was rescued by Draco at the last moment, while Shu stayed for a little while longer, figuring out the perfect solution to send the Pyre Squad packing as their hovercraft was wet.
"You think a little water will stop us?" laughed Ciara. "What are you playing at?"
"Oh, you'll soon see," said Lily as she winked at them.
Judging his moment, Shu finally jumped out of the hovercraft as high as could, and he turned around to face the Pyre Squad with a cheeky grin on his face. Bewildered, yet worried of what was about to happen, the Pyre Squad could only watch as the Pikachu charged up his cheeks, preparing to deliver the final blow.
"How do you like to be zapped?" he laughed. "Get a taste of my Thunderbolt Attack!"
Shu unleashed a powerful lightning bolt that hurtled towards the hovercraft. Horrified, the Pyre Squad tried to switch the shields on, but it was too late. They screamed in agony as they were zapped by the attack which covered the entire hovercraft. The attack caused it to collapse before finally exploding to pieces, sending the fried Pyre Squad flying over the horizon.
Shu came diving down to the ground, but luckily, Ignatius caught him in his arms.
"Way to go, little guy," he smiled. "You were magnetic!"
Blaze, Jimmy, and the dragons cheered as they were pleased to have saved the day from the Pyre Squad yet again.
Soon, Emperor Tomohiro entered the room and heard about how the convention was disrupted by uninvited guests. He was annoyed that the dojo nearly got ruined and that most of the contestants have fled in fear, but he was pleased that Cynder and her friends have proven their worth.
"Cynder, Draco, Jakkin, Lily, Torden, Percival, and Charonus, because you have saved our convention from the Pyre Squad, I deem you all worthy of the Scroll of the Beast," he said jubilantly. "Please, open the chest and see for yourself what you have learned."
Excited, Cynder and her friends hurried to the chest, opened it, and there they saw the scroll. Curious to know what they were about to read, they took it out of the chest. Cynder grabbed the scroll, and to her shock, she saw nothing written in it.
"Hey, what gives?" asked the dragons. "There's no text in the scroll! Is this some kind of joke or something? You mean that we have gone through all that trouble just for nothing?"
"Actually, you're wrong," said Emperor Tomohiro. "Throughout the convention, it became apparent that you and your friends are very close to each other that you were willing to compete alongside rather than acting as opponents, and there could be no other proof than how healthy Jakkin and Charonus competed, and the teamwork you demonstrated when foiling the Pyre Squad."
"The Emperor has a point there," said Blaze. "I competed so that I could observe and make sure that you guys were going to continue being good sports to one another in spite of being potentially pitted against each other. I believe the scroll has taught a very important lesson for all of you, and you should guess already what it is."
"That friendship and teamwork is what makes us strong?" asked Draco.
"Absolutely correct," smiled Emperor Tomohiro. "I am pleased that all have figured it out already, and as for you, Blaze, you must be very proud to have a group of bright and well-trained dragons under your tutelage."
"Well, there's only Cynder," said Blaze modestly. "But I could say that even her friends have learned a lot from me through her."
Emperor Tomohiro nodded. "Oh, and since we're talking, I have a proposition to make," he said. "Ignatius and Shu have come a long way since I've trained them for many years, and now, I believe they're now ready to forge their own path, so how would like them to accompany your group?"
"Master Tomohiro!" exclaimed Ignatius. "Are you sure about this?"
"Of course, I am, Ignatius," said Emperor Tomohiro. "You and Shu have learned a lot of the ways of the anthro, and the both of you are capable of passing that knowledge to the dragons as I believe all of you would learn a lot from each other."
Ignatius and Shu looked at each other, stunned at the sudden development, and then they were delighted.
"We'll do it," they said. "I'm sure they'll be happy to learn our ways."
"Sure thing about that!" said the dragons happily.
"Excellent to hear," smiled Emperor Tomohiro. "Now, who's hungry? I'll be obliged to provide you all a feast as your efforts and heroics are well-deserved."
"Alright!" beamed Draco. "I'm so hungry I could have some delicious dim sums now!"
"Right this way," said Ignatius as he led the dragons to the eatery. "You're in for an unforgettable lunch!"
So everyone made their way into the dining hall. Cynder could only smile faintly as she thought about everything she and her friends have learned in the Beast Convention. While it may be the same lesson she had learned from Blaze years ago, she could tell that it was worth the experience they have gained for themselves. She could also tell that they were going to learn from their new allies, Ignatius the Incineroar and Shu the Pikachu.
To Be Continued…
I can't believe it took me a pretty long time to finally get this story done! But at least it's completed and all ready for you to enjoy. So now Cynder and her posse have two new allies, and we'll see how much of a help they could be as the series continues. At least Shu the Pikachu gave the Pyre Squad the greatest shock of their lives, Pokémon style! See you guys soon in the next story!