Flight to Crystal Moon, Part #2

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Lady Dragon snarled in rage as she watched her son get pulled away by a group of devious dragon men. She grabbed one by the throat and tossed him into a large tree just to her left then spun around and racked her talons across the throat of another trying to sneak up behind her.

To her right, Hudson roared as he slashed and stabbed at the oncoming beasts. Most deflected his strikes with their spears and swords but those that got through took down their enemy's numbers by at least three dozen. Not nearly enough to increase their odds.

"We've got to get through these beasts!" she snarled as she kicked another out of the way. "They've taken Goliath into the woods."

Hudson didn't waste time. He grabbed Lady Dragon by the hand and barreled through the dragon men trying to keep them off Goliath's trail. Some of them scattered out of their way but others did their best to detour them. Her impatience mounting, Lady Dragon raised her arms and with a soft chant blasted the creatures directly ahead of them. Some were incinerated and others simply thrown back into trees and more of their comrades.

Taking advantage of the momentary gap, they raced in the direction the dragon men had taken Goliath. Their immediate foes swarmed after them trying to keep them back. They ran on all fours and somehow managed to gain distance with the help of Lady Dragon's magic. It had to be magic at least. Hudson didn't think he'd ever run quite that fast on all fours, especially with dragon men flying in pursuit.

They slowed to a stop when they came on the lightning barrier. When they took a step too close some of it branched out like a demonic hand and tried to catch them.

"Someone is using strong sorcery," Lady Dragon growled.

"Can ye get through it?" Hudson growled looking behind him as the dragon men soared towards them.

"Yes, but . . ." she paused and looked into the darkness beyond the barrier. She could just make out Goliath several paces ahead. "Old friend, I see him!" she called.

Hudson followed her gaze. He too could just barely make out Goliath's figure through the barrier's glare. He stood with wings spread, tail stiff and talons out in a threat posture. But he wasn't alone.

"He's not alone," Hudson growled, a strange feeling pooling in his gut. That couldn't be who he thought it was could it?

Lady Dragon looked closer and gasped when she finally recognized the figure. "No!" she breathed in disbelief. "It can't be!"

"Thailog!?" Hudson snarled.

*******

Goliath leaped clear of Thailog's shot. He heard the odd screeching of the dragon men as they flew into the area and mentally breathed a sigh of relief when one of them took the shot meant for him. He used the distraction it created to escape. He couldn't fight so many on his own. Thailog, however, wasn't about to let him escape. He leaped onto Goliath's back, catching him in a strangle hold. They struggled a moment before Goliath threw himself backward. Thailog grunted loudly when he was slammed into the ground but didn't release his hold on Goliath. They rolled and tossed in the muddy earth, slashing at each other and even biting.

Goliath dislodged Thailog at last and threw a punch that sent Thailog staggering backwards. They raced at each other as the dragon men hovered in the background, waiting for a signal form Thailog. The two combatants leaped at each other again and a violent wrestling match began. Several paces away from them a brilliant flash and a loud crash shook the air. The dragon men swarmed to investigate but were knocked out of the air by a shockwave of power. Thailog was knocked off Goliath and rolled across the ground, momentarily stunned.

He shook his head clear and sat up and stared in surprise at the two warriors who now stood at Goliath's side. He recognized Hudson immediately but the female he wasn't familiar with. But he could take a guess.

"Well, well, well," he purred, his red eyes glowing in time with the talisman as he stood and took them in. "What have we here? A family reunion?"

"Leave this place, warrior!" Lady Dragon snarled and let magic spark at her fingertips, creating an impressive display. "You will not harm my son!"

Goliath looked at her and Thailog paused in surprise. "Your son? Really? Isn't that interesting. It appears Constantine was telling the truth."

Goliath started. "You are in league with him?"

Thailog's cheek twitched. "Let's just say I was offered a partnership I couldn't refuse."

Hudson studied Thailog for a long moment, an uncomfortable feeling twisting in his gut. "Ye've been healed," he noted, frowning angrily. "Was that the going rate for allying with our kind's greatest enemy?"

Thailog snarled at him. "It's a bit more complicated than that, but yes," he said and leveled his gun at them.

"Coward," Hudson snarled. "Does honor mean so little tae ye?"

Thailog laughed at him. "Save the lecture old warrior. I have a job to do!"

He fired but instead of jumping aside as he'd expected, all three stood in place as Lady Dragon sang one clear note that lifted a protective barrier and the shot bounced off. Goliath leaped through the air and came down behind Thailog. Before the clone could turn he was hit with a powerful round-house-kick and sent sprawling in the mud.

He hissed when he sat up. "Obviously being a friend with a police woman has its advantages!" he growled and watched as pandemonium erupted. The dragon men pounced on Lady Dragon and Hudson while Goliath pounced on him. Six of the dragon men rushed to Thailog's aid and yanked Goliath off of him and proceeded to beat on him, overwhelming him by sheer numbers. Hudson cut down three more and rushed to his side, felling four more.

Goliath burst free of the melee with a vicious roar and grabbed two dragon men by the scruff of their necks and threw them against a large tree. He heard the crunch of broken bones and winced when they dropped dead to the earth. It didn't matter if this was a battle for his life. He still detested the necessity of killing.

To their left, Lady Dragon performed a series of martial arts steps that disabled even more dragon men. The rest took to the air to regroup. Thailog regarded them all with a frown. He had to admit he was impressed. But things needed to change. Lady Dragon's abilities were far more impressive than he'd anticipated. Perhaps it was time he showed them what he was capable of?

"Well," he hissed as he shoved his rifle into its holster. "It appears I may be a little outgunned, but not necessarily outnumbered. I was given a double task tonight and I think it's time I let you know what I am now capable of."

"Other than treachery and murder?" Hudson snarled and Thailog laughed. Then, without warning, he roared and released an invisible wave of energy that made the earth shake violently at the gargoyle's feet. They struggled to stay standing as the earth was thrust into the air. Trees were torn from their hold on the ground and left to fall to their deaths. Lightning scorched the ground at their feet and unbearable heat licked their flesh.

"What is this magic!?" Hudson cried, writhing in agony on the muddy ground, but not even that eased the heat in his flesh.

"It is my magic old fool!" Thailog roared, uncharacteristically gleeful with his new gift. "Observe and suffer!"

He made a gesture with his hand. Branches and twigs leaped to life, twisting together until they formed rope-like structures that ensnared Goliath and his companions. They struggled to get free but not even their talons would cut through the tough material. A bolt of lightning sent ripples of pain down their limbs and into their torso's.

Hudson collapsed with a cry and glared at Thailog. "Ye did not come by this power on yer own, Thailog!" he snarled.

Thailog grinned. "Not completely. I have magical talents, at least according to his highness Constantine, just not the time to nourish them. So he provided me with this talisman to harness them quicker. He has great plans for this world, old warrior and if I play things right . . ." He chuckled to himself, a dark glint in his eye. "Well, we'll just have to see."

Without warning, Goliath broke free. Lady Dragon followed a second later.

Thailog took a step back and signaled the waiting dragon men. "Attack!"

The dragon men fell in a tight right that slowly formed into a ball which drove the gargoyles tightly together. For several moments Hudson was at their mercy, but even he managed to break free and send two dragon men sprawling helplessly backwards. But this swarming tactic was infuriating and almost impossible to fight against. Even Lady Dragon, with all her magic and advanced martial arts, struggled to hold her ground against the massive numbers. Her brilliant power blazed at strategic intervals and every once in a while a dragon man or two was incinerated. Goliath and Hudson had a harder time of it. Left only to their fists and the single broad sword Hudson wielded, they were lifted off their feet, dragged through the muddy earth and slammed into trees or even the stony pillars Thailog had just created beneath them. Their wings were ripped and torn, their garment was snagged and Goliath swore one had just snapped his tail.

Goliath howled as he collided with a boulder after being dropped several feet. He was already getting exhausted which wasn't good. They needed to find some sort of escape. Or, he could try to harness the magic that lay deep inside of him . . .

He pushed the thought away before it could tempt him further. The power he carried might have come from two of the greatest warriors his clan had ever known, but it was not the answer.

"We've got to get out of this!" Hudson snarled from above him. "Lady, are ye intact?"

"Aye," Lady Dragon called back as she leaped across the chasm between them and stood at his side. "But even I won't last long in this mayhem. Where is Goliath?"

He leaped onto the pillar and swatted a dragon man that had come to close to his mother. "I am here," he growled.

"Any suggestions?" Hudson glowered as he beheaded a dragon man.

Goliath spotted a possible escape route and pointed it out to his mother. She brightened and nodded. "Yes!" she cried and with a yell released a beam of power that incinerated dragon men and trees alike, leaving a wide path for them to follow. Thailog had to dive to escape death himself.

"Come!" Lady Dragon called to her companions and took wing, following her make-shift path through the trees. Goliath and Hudson followed, grateful for the shelter the trees offered from the worse of the wind storm. It was still treacherous to glide through here but not as treacherous as it had been.

"Where shall we go?" Goliath called from behind them. "They are following us.

"We must reach the lake," Lady Dragon replied. "If we can get over it, we might stand a chance."

Thailog roared with disbelief. "Some of you break off and distract the old one and the female," Thailog told the Dragon men. "I'll take the rest to handle Goliath!"

*******

Goliath snarled as he ran down a very muddy path. Lady Dragon's path had disappeared the farther they'd flown into the forest and natural foliage had foiled their escape flight. They were left to running on all fours now. As he ran, he listened to the sound of voices as they filled the air around him. At first he thought it was either Lady Dragon or Hudson, but both were distracted with their escape. He even thought it might be the dragon men flying high over head in an attempt to catch them. But it was neither. Slowly he began to realize that these voices were inside his head. They belonged to strangers and their instructions weren't clear.

I must be going mad! He thought angrily with a shake of his head. Who on this island would attempt telepathic contact? And how am I able to hear them? This must be some form of trickery by Thailog!

As if to confirm his suspicions, several dragon men pierced the trees above them with cries of rage and death. They swarmed around them and in front of them, halting their flight. Several more pounced on Lady Dragon and Hudson and drove them into the ground.

"No!" Goliath roared and leaped to their aid. He yelped in surprise when he bounced off of the air itself and stumbled backwards, staring at a soft glow that stood between him and his companions. "Thailog's sorcery!" he snarled and looked for another away around it.

Suddenly, he was thrown off his feet when the earth around him exploded. Pain shot through him and he was distantly aware of being thrown several feet away. He lay dazed for several seconds before he pushed himself into a kneeling position. He gasped when he found himself in a completely new area with Lady Dragon and Hudson nowhere in sight.

"Hudson! Lady!" he called, but there was no reply.

He spun around when a twig snapped behind him. He noticed a strange grotto a few paces back, sheltered by natural rocky cliffs. There was a pool and a small grove of trees somewhere inside and though he wasn't certain, he thought he saw someone go inside.

Cautiously, he approached it. He knew this was a trap, but curiosity as they say did kill the cat.

The clearing in the grotto wasn't what he was expecting. The stone walls were tall and indeed completely natural but he couldn't explain the perfect circular shape in the center. The pool he'd spotted was dead center in the clearing, quietly reflecting the night sky above him. Somehow the storm looked more ghoulish in the pool than it did with his own eyes, which only reminded him of how dangerous this situation was. But if that hadn't bothered him, the complete darkness of the place did. It was like the clearing where he'd first encountered Thailog. These shadows were not natural shadows. They were there to mask his perceptions, to hide whoever wanted to hide from him.

He snarled softly to himself and looked at the ground. Despite the rain and damp earth there was no trace of another person's presence. No footprints. No broken twigs. No torn clothing. Nothing. If Thailog was in here it'd be impossible to spot him. The shadows, natural or otherwise, would swallow him up. He proceeded with extra caution and kept a look out for a glowing red talisman and a blood red pair of eyes.

He paused by the pool and looked into its depths. Almost immediately the storm above him cleared. I circle of cloud free sky formed above him and he was able to glimpse the stars and the moon before another image caught his attention; a red eyed figure creeping along the top of the grotto staring at him with an almost predatory intent.

"Thailog!!" Goliath cried, whirling around as Thailog pounced. Goliath caught the clone as he slammed into him, and then rolled several times until Thailog was pinned beneath him. "You devil!!!" he cursed with a furious snarl. "What have you done to my friends!? Where are they?"

Thailog laughed as he released a powerful burst of energy that blew Goliath off of him. Goliath hit one of the towering walls with a hard 'THUD!' and then fell to his knees with a grunt.

"They are not my concern at the moment, Goliath!" Thailog countered as Goliath stood up. "You are!!"

Goliath snarled, stood and circled his opponent. "You have not answered my question, Thailog!" he growled as he crept a little closer to his clone.

Thailog just grinned. "I'm sure the Dragon-men are keeping them company," he replied as he took out his laser rifle. "They'll stay that way until I'm done with you."

Goliath jumped away as Thailog fired. He ran on all fours and circled around to come in behind his clone, but Thailog tracked him and fired again. Goliath leaped up to avoid the shot, looking for all the world like some crazed cat trying to get out of a pool of water.

"So, father, how have you enjoyed the show?" Thailog drawled as he tracke Goliath's path around the pool.

"This is no show, Thailog. It is only another of your twisted schemes," Goliath told him coldly. "I simply did not expect even a warrior like you to ally with Constantine. Surely he left with no other alternative than to join him. Your current health is clue enough. What did threaten you with, Thailog? Torture? Death?"

Thailog hissed. "That is my concern," he snapped. "But for now it is enough. And don't worry. It won't last forever."

Goliath frowned almost sadly at his clone. "No. I dare say it won't."

He charged suddenly, zig-zagging here and there to avoid Thailog's sniper-like shots. He leaped over the clone and snatched the laser-rifle with his tail and smashed it against the stone walls behind him. He stood and stared at his clone and for the first time noticed the subtle deeper red that glowed in his eyes where his pupils would be.

His eyes narrowed thoughtfully. Was Thailog entranced? Or was it only just beginning? "Are you of your own mind, Thailog?" he asked suddenly, surprising himself and the double that stood a few paces in front of him.

"Does it matter that much to you, father?" Thailog asked him mockingly and Goliath snarled. Thailog huffed. "It doesn't matter anyway. Even if you somehow manage to survive the night, come tomorrow you will wish you hadn't!"

"I think not!!!" Goliath roared, crouching as Thailog attacked with a blade that had appeared out of nowhere. Goliath grabbed his clone's arm as it was thrust at him, fell onto his back and kicked up and out, tossing Thailog behind him. The clone landed in the pool with a splash and when he emerged Goliath as already upon him. He cried out as Goliath lifted him from the pool by the hair, grabbed him by the belt and threw him into the nearest stone wall with a painful SMACK! Then, Goliath made for his escape.

Thailog roared as several dragon men appeared over the grotto's rim. "Come with me!" he yelled and followed his father.

* * * * * *

Goliath ran as fast as he could towards the lake. He couldn't remember when he'd spotted it but he must have. He knew exactly where to go and he had to get there soon and hope that Lady Dragon and Hudson were already there. In only a short time from now the sun would be up, and he had to reach safety before then. There was no way of knowing if Thailog was now suddenly free of stone hibernation or not and he would rather not find out.

He wasn't too surprised when he was tackled from behind by both Thailog and a dragon man. He fought them both off valiantly but not as quickly as he would have preferred. His strength was failing him and he could only guess that Thailog's painful sorcery was the reason. He hoped cunning strategy would help him but doubted it very strongly when he saw the amount of dragon men that were flying in his direction. How many of these beasts were there? And how many had been left to attack his friends?

He leaped to his feet and made another dash for the lake. It was close. He could feel it.

"Seize him!!!" he heard Thailog roar, all hints of patience gone. "Beat him to the ground! Show him no mercy!!!!"

Goliath snarled. The glee with which Thailog had spoken just now . . . somehow it didn't sound like him.

He cried out when the dragon men swarmed around him again. He tried to avoid them, but his own momentum carried him into them. The slippery earth didn't help him much either. They seized him and the insanity began. He could barely swing an arm or kick out with a leg or snap his tail in defense. Their numbers were pressed in too tightly and the wounds they inflicted were terrible. He sensed sentience in these beings, but at the moment they ignored intelligence in favor of the hunt.

One delivered a painful bit to his shoulder. Another to his back and yet another to his leg and arm. He reached up to pull them down but only managed to kill one. He cried out when two of them twisted his arms around and held them behind his back. Two more held him by the legs and several more bound his wings and tail. When the beating stopped he was too dazed to move and the tightly woven cords that bound his wrists and ankles stung his flesh.

"It has been a most exciting night. You fought admirably, Goliath," Thailog commented, fiddling with his blade while glaring down at his prey. "However, it was still a most predictable endeavor. I think it's time I rid the world of your pathetic existence for good. Makes it easier for us, you see, and even easier for me."

Goliath growled and tried at a retort, but his mouth would form no words.

A few dragon men yanked him onto his back. He watched helplessly as Thailog kneeled beside him and raised the blade over his head. He struggled against those that held him, but his stunned mind and body barely moved. He could only snarl one last meaningless threat at his enemy and wait for the inevitable.

But even as he waited he became aware for a second time that evening the sound of voices in the air. They were much more insistent than they had been earlier. He knew without knowing how he knew where they were coming from and let his head drop back enough until he was able to glance a huge mountain rising through the clouds. The view was awkward due to his position but there was no mistaking the soft, warm glow it gave off. The storm seemed to struggle against it. What was that place?

A single voice spoke now, instructing him. Surprising himself, Goliath listened, understood and obeyed.

"Now," Thailog purred viciously, and Goliath noted the deep red glow in his eyes had grown brighter before he closed his eyes. "It is time to end this ridiculous relationship. Good-bye, Goliath. I promise I will not miss you."

Goliath barely registered anything the clone said. His mind was focused on his task and what a task it was. An overwhelming peace and a remarkable power filled his bosom, covering him like a warm blanket. It was a familiar feeling, like the power that had erupted from within him on the night of the Pack's attack. It increased in strength seconds before Thailog let the blade fall, and suddenly . . .

. . . Thailog and the dragon men roared in shock as an explosive wave of magic thrust them a good twenty feet from where Goliath lay subdued on the muddy forest floor. It had come without warning and not even Thailog had been prepared for the raw power that had lain dormant within his 'father'. The light blinded him. He didn't see Goliath fall as the earth opened up beneath him and would never see the underground stream which rapidly carried Goliath to the lake and the opposite shore where for a time, he would be beyond Thailog's reach.

When Thailog came to a short while later the storm above him rumbled uselessly. Its strength was all but gone but he could feel Constantine's shock and rage without really trying. He pushed himself to his feet and tossed the useless blade to the ground. It had been melted in the blast. He walked to the whole in the ground. He could hear the water below but he could not see it.

He growled and turned to his remaining companions. They were stunned and dazed but otherwise alright. "Come. We should retrun."

They quietly took wing and began the return journey to the Black Realm through the last of the storm's cloud cover. The sun started to poke out through the clouds the farther away they flew and within a few short minutes it was like the storm had never existed at all.

********

Lady Dragon snarled as she threw another Dragon men into its comrades. They had lost track of Goliath yet again and she feared the worst. Beside her Hudson swung his blade with furious determination. He hadn't fought such a fierce battle since the night of the Viking's raid at Castle Wyvern, but somehow this battle felt just a little more desperate.

With a suddenness that alarmed them, the dragon men that fought to hold them off were swept up in a brilliant light that swarmed in like a tidal wave from a point they couldn't see. Some were vaporized in an instant, others were simply stunned and a few more were just thrown into the trees and left lying unconscious on the forest floor. When the blast ended, Lady Dragon and Hudson were left standing where they were. They stared around in awe and relief. They'd begun to think they'd never get through the dragon men's defenses.

"Alapenja!" Hudson cried in bewilderment. "What was that?!"

Lady Dragon glanced in the general direction the wave had come. Her senses told her all she needed to know. "It seems Goliath has begun to touch his powers earlier than expected," she announced and ran towards the blast's origin on all fours. "Come, we must reach him before anything else happens."

Hudson stared at Lady Dragon for a moment before finally following her. "Goliath did that!?" he asked as he sheathed his sword. "Is the lad truly that powerful?"

Lady Dragon didn't reply as they neared the forest. She was intent on finding Goliath and getting him to safety.

"My love," cried a voice from in the air. "Wait!"

"Mother!" cried a second voice and the two gargoyles looked up to see two new faces glide towards them from the air. Both were a dark gray lavender in color, but one was male and the other female.

As the two gargoyles landed Lady Dragon rushed to greet them with open arms. Hudson watched the scene with interest and found that he recognized both newcomers very well. The male wore a silvery tunic and gown, something similar to what a royal priest would wear. He had long gray hair with two locks of it drooping over his shoulders and tied at the end with large blue 'masculine' ornamental beads. He had a gray beard that neatly grew around his square chin. He had two spikes on his head like Goliath, with an extra one at his temples; and the resemblance was remarkable.

He also recognized the female. She had the grace of Lady Dragon but the human appearance of the male beside her. She had little stubby horns just like Goliath's but her hair was not as dark and it was touched with gray at the temples. Her wings were like Lady Dragon's and her eyes were a deep, beautiful shade of blue. She wore a decorative breastplate over her torso and matching arm and leg guards and jewelry. A dark brown skirt danced to below-knee length and commented her tough but beautiful posture.

Strange how he was starting to see the resemblance of family members within the clan unit. It must be Angela's gentle influence.

Memories surfaced: the first time he met them in the cavern below Castle Wyvern after their long journey to a new land; their unusual care for their only hatchling; their gentle ways and unique way of teaching once they'd been integrated in the clan structure. They were all good memories but it was clear from the beginning that the clan they had originated from had used very different parenting strategies.

Now I know why, he thought dryly.

As Goliath grew, he was included as a rookery brother with the similarly aged hatchlings of the day. His bond with these warriors never died but his 'parentage' was never openly discussed out of respect for the local clan's customs. Yet with their tutelage, Goliath grew into a great warrior at even a very young age and was admired by all who knew him. His lineage had never glowed so bright.

"We sensed what happened from the palace and came as quickly as we could," the male explained anxiously. "Is everyone all right? We were in a panic when ye didn't return to the throne room!"

"We are fine," Lady Dragon assured the other breathlessly, and gestured towards Hudson. "Thus far, but we were separated from Goliath in battle. Our old friend has fought valiantly with me to find him."

Hudson nodded grimly at that.

The other turned to look at Hudson and his eyes lit up as he came over to catch Hudson with the traditional warrior's handshake. "Old Friend!" he greeted joyously. "I had hoped you would come. Ye've no idea how good it is tae see ye again." He sighed sadly. "I would have stayed longer in the warehouse, but . . ."

Hudson smiled and waved it off. "Ye've no need tae explain," he said gravely. "But it is good tae see ye both again. Despite certain . . . revelations recently," he added a bit dryly.

The other he knew was Odomus nodded sadly. "There were many times I wanted tae tell ye everything, old friend," he said. "But, at the time . . ."

Hudson shook his head. "I understand," he said. "The clan would nay have been as prepared or ready tae accept the truth as we are now. And Goliath may not have been ready then either." He frowned thoughtfully. "He still may not be ready."

"But he came," the female said as she stepped forward. "He has taken the responsibility to do as he knows he must. For now that is enough." She offered him her hand and polite curtsey. "I am called Nassiah, old friend."

"And I am Hudson," he replied kindly. "But I assume ye might already know that."

She smiled and nodded.

Odomus looked at the sky. "It is almost dawn," he noted with a frown. "Ye will turn tae stone soon, Hudson."

Hudson quirked an eye-ridge. "Ye will not also turn tae stone?" he wondered.

Odomus shook his head. "We have overcome that curse and soon so will gargoyles all over the world. But for now, we need tae find ye a place tae rest."

Nassiah pointed in the direction of the grotto where Goliath fought Thailog. "I know of a small grotto where he can hide until nightfall," she told them. "I believe the danger is passed but that is the closest sheltered place I know of. We will come for you after we have located my brother."

Brother? Hudson thought, and then realized she was talking about Goliath. He still wasn't used to this way of thinking. "God Speed, then," he said as he headed off in that direction. "I hope ye find the lad in one piece."

He disappeared through the trees and Odomus shivered. "As do I," he said, then took a running leap with his mate and daughter and began their aerial search for his son, their kind's last hope for salvation.

To be continued . . .