Chapter 17: Chandra's Fury
Chandra couldn't help but smile. Despite everything that had occurred today, all the death and destruction and division and disappointment, it all seemed to melt into the background as she and Jaya entered the Selesnya territory. She basked in the fresh sunlight streaming down her face, no longer obscured by industrial architecture. Leaves playfully crackled underfoot as they ran along their currently deserted path at a brisk pace. She took in a deep breath through her nostrils, relishing the scent of fresh grass carried on the wind. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see long-legged brushstriders and heavy-horned stags grazing in one of many expansive gardens. All around her, nature bloomed.
It was as if she had been transported somewhere else. Somewhere far away from the urban battleground of Ravnica. Somewhere that she could slow down and relax. Somewhere peaceful…
"Chandra, would you mind slowing the hell down for a second?"
And just like that, Chandra's idyllic visions were shattered by Jaya's exacerbated call. Her voice sounded further off then Chandra remembered, so she quickly skidded to a stop and turned around. Several paces behind her, Jaya was now walking forward with a snail's speed. All Chandra could do was pause in the middle of the road and let out an annoyed puff of air from her nose.
As she waited for Jaya to catch up, Chandra's eyes wandered once again to the adjacent greenery that dotted the street level. They flittered about, jumping from tree to bush, bush to flower, flower to squirrel, squirrel to tree again. She barely registered any of it, the sights and sounds blurring together as her eyes jittered back and forth across the landscape. An uncomfortable energy pumped through Chandra's veins, and no amount of scenery gazing could dissipate it.
We need to get moving already. We don't have time to waste. A crop of Eternals could be right around the corner. Single troops could come out of that alley over there. Or behind that tree. Or that tree. Shit, I can't just stay in one place. Aerial zombies could see us. Alert the others. We'd be sitting ducks. Selesnya wouldn't know to help. They may be under siege right now. They may be burned down by now. Shit, we need to hurry the fu-
"Chandra!"
Jaya's yell caught her off guard, and she nearly jumped up in surprise. With the flood of thoughts momentarily dammed, Chandra's vision focused on the elder pyromancer's face. Through the wind-tousled hair that fell over her face, Chandra saw Jaya's eyes staring at her feet with mild concern. Following her gaze, Chandra looked down and saw a small fire breaking out around her shoes.
"Ah, shit!" Chandra called out in shock. She quickly stamped out the fire, leaving a smoldering pile of grass that marred the otherwise pristine landscape. Once it was out, she looked to Jaya with an embarrassed smile she hoped would deflect the upcoming lecture. "Sorry about that, not sure what just happened. No harm done, though."
Chandra's grin failed, and Jaya ran a hand through her hair, revealing a new countenance of steely frustration.
"You really need to learn to calm down, Chandra. If you'd been tapping your foot any faster, the whole city could've been up in flames."
Chandra folded her arms across her chest and shot Jaya a contentious look. "Whatever, it's fine. We have somewhere we need to go and you're holding us up. Sorry that I want to save the city as fast as possible."
"You're getting defensive again," Jaya sighed. "I may be a bit slower than I was in my youth, but that's not the reason you almost burned down the Conclave. You were letting your mind wander and you lost track of your power flow."
"So what?" she spat back, unable to refute her claim. "I have it under control now. Like I said, no harm done. Let's just get a move on already." She turned away from Jaya and started walking towards their goal, but then Jaya's voice rang out once again.
"Do you, though?"
Chandra turned on her heel to meet Jaya's gaze. "Do I what?"
"Do you really have it under control now? Because based on what I've seen today, control is the one thing you don't have."
Chandra lowered her arms to her side, balling her fists as anger started to simmer. "Just what is that supposed to mean? Do you need a demonstration of my powers? Because I'm more than happy to give it."
"That's what I'm talking about!" Jaya suddenly exclaimed, gesturing with both hands to Chandra's posturing. "That right there, I say one thing and you're ready to light me up. Ever since we started on the final stretch of stopping Bolas, your fuse has been cut to an all-time low. All it takes for you now is one setback, one single interference with whatever you've decided is the right way for things to go, and you're fit to explode. I don't know what's gotten into you, but you need to pull it together if you want to be of any help!"
There was a pause, a single second where both Jaya and Chandra reflected on what was just said. Jaya wanted to take it back, to apologize for her harshness in this stressful situation. Chandra wanted to agree, to vent all the anxieties that bounced around her head and ask Jaya how she could do better. All either one needed to do was open their mouths and speak their minds, put aside their egos and reach out the person before them. If they could keep the next second from being as deafeningly silent as this one, then maybe the two pyromancers could figure out the best way to move forward.
The clock ticked, and silence reigned.
Chandra dropped her gaze to the ground, her features hardening. She turned away from Jaya and began walking in the direction of their destination.
Jaya lifted an outstretched arm to her companion. "Chandra, wait. I'm…"
Chandra swiftly cut her off, yelling behind her without turning back. "C'mon, we need to get going now. The Dreadhorde isn't stopping, so why should we?"
Jaya's hand dropped, and she begrudgingly moved to catch up with Chandra. She moved at a quick clip, but Jaya found it relatively easy to catch up and match her steps. It was a fast-enough pace to convey her hurry, but still slow enough that Jaya thought it a conscious effort to make sure she did not exhaust herself again. She wanted to thank Chandra, but once she saw the intense, forward gaze etched into her face, Jaya opted to remain silent for the remainder of their journey.
The pair remained quiet as they briskly trekked through the Selesnya territory, with only the echoes of their footsteps cutting through the ambient noise of the wilderness. They twisted and turned through the seemingly uninhabited streets and alleys. As they neared their destination, both Chandra and Jaya silently noticed that their surroundings were becoming less and less idyllic. Towering trees bore fresh cuts across their bark, open-air gardens began displaying footprints on top of trampled lilacs, greenhouse windows lay shattered and pots strewn about the ground. It was as they both feared from the lack of activity on their trip thus far: the Eternals had made it to the center of the Selesnya.
Chandra looked mournfully at the state of the vegetation around her. Though she passed by quickly, her honed vision took in every scarred tree and trampled lawn. She had never spent much time around the Selesnya section of Ravnica, but there was always a beauty surrounding it in her mind. The fresh air and unobstructed sun from earlier seemed like distant memories, a place far away in time and space from where she was now.
Off in the distance, she heard a low, guttural moaning. Chandra kept her eyes forward but peered as hard as she could in her periphery for its source. She was not worried, since Eternals didn't have functional vocal cords to make any sort of noise, but something about the plaintive wail caught her off guard. Scanning the ruined greenery, she saw a large stag laying on its side with a massive gash running along its belly. Chandra could clearly see the poor creature's organs strewn on the lawn, turning the underlying dirt into a reddish clay. Though its head lay on the ground, it called out in obvious pain to the sky above.
It took all Chandra's strength not to veer off her path and put the beast out of its misery. Instead, as she kept moving forward, a confluence of emotions started to brew in her brain. The sorrow at seeing such devastation mingled with outrage at its source.
I can't wait until we finally bring that fucking dragon down. Only he could start something like this. Tainting such a beautiful, peaceful place is just sick. We still don't know his plan, but if he wanted to just get rid of the planeswalkers in his way, he could leave the innocent creatures out of it. I wonder if he told Liliana to kill every living thing she encountered. I'll bet she did it on her own, that sadistic witch. I can't believe we ever let her join us.
Lost in her own thoughts, Chandra did not feel the hand that fell onto her shoulder until it yanked her back. She nearly fell on her back as her legs continued forward a few steps under the grasp, but she stopped herself short. Once she steadied herself, Chandra turned around to address Jaya.
"What the h-?"
Jaya held a finger to her lips, shushing her outburst. Once Chandra quieted down, much to her own chagrin, Jaya answered her unfinished question.
"We need to be quiet. Do you hear that?"
"What, do you mean that deer moaning off in the distance? Yeah, I hear it. It's sad but I don't think it's anything to be worried about."
"What?" Jaya pursed her lips, a compromise to the exasperated sigh that threatened to escape. "No, not that sound," she hissed. "Listen carefully."
Ignoring her condescending tone, Chandra focused her hearing as best she could against the noises of the ambient wilderness. Eventually, she heard the source of Jaya's concerns: a multitude of marching footsteps coming their way. She could not make out exactly how many there were, but it sounded like a full crop of Eternals tromping down the street that ran perpendicular to their path.
If Jaya hadn't stopped me, I would've walked right into their ranks… Whatever, I probably would've heard them eventually anyway. They're lucky I didn't just bust through their formation.
Chandra leaned in close to Jaya to ensure her whisper would be heard. "I hear them, sounds like a lot coming this way. We should jump them while we have the element of surprise, clear the ranks before any of them make it to Vitu-Ghazi."
"No," Jaya countered, her voice increasingly stern yet tinged with worry. "We don't know how many there are, what weapons they may have, if they can attack us at range or fly or anything else that puts us at a disadvantage. We should wait until they pass us and get them from behind."
Chandra agreed with Jaya's point to a certain extent, but there was a nagging problem in her way that prevented her from instantly agreeing. "But we're too close to the populated area. If they keep going in the same direction, they're gonna run right into the Selesnya and slaughter them before we have a chance to react."
"We're still a few blocks from Vitu-Ghazi, we have time." Jaya's voice was terse, as if she were restraining her true emotions from leaking into her words. Unfortunately, Chandra picked up on her tone, and her brow furrowed.
"I'm not worried about the people at Vitu-Ghazi," Chandra retorted through her teeth, "I'm worried about the people still wandering the streets. More citizens live closer to the tree, and we need to make sure that they don't get caught in the Dreadhorde's way."
"There are no citizens on the streets that you need to worry about. Jace sent a psychic message across the whole damn plane so we wouldn't have to worry about it. We should wait."
"But what if there are? Do you want to take that risk? 'cause I don't." The timbre of Chandra's voice grew curt. In her periphery, she could see the ends of her bangs begin to light with an orange glow. She knew she should remain calm, but Jaya's obstinance was wearing her patience thin.
"The risk I'm more worried about is jumping in the middle of a crop of Eternals without a true plan of attack. Even if there are any civilians, getting ourselves killed isn't helping them at all."
"How weak do you think we are!" Chandra's voice strained to maintain the hushed tone of the conversation. She looked into Jaya's unyielding eyes and saw the reflection of her hair glow brighter. "We're planeswalkers, for Gods' sake! It doesn't matter what's out there, we can fucking take it."
"Says the girl who can't conjure a proper flame to kill these Eternals. You're not ready, we should wait."
"Fuck you!" Chandra exploded, her hair violently immolating as she screamed these two words at her so-called mentor.
"Chandra," Jaya hissed, "quiet down, you're going to attract those zombie's attention."
These words fell on deaf ears. "What the fuck do you know about how ready I am? You didn't listen to a word I said, because something is automatically wrong to you if it came out of my mouth. All you ever tell me is to calm down and be patient, but look at where that got us. We were too late to stop Bolas from trapping us and infesting the city. We don't have time to fucking waste with all these lives on the line."
"Chandra, please, just stop all this yelli-"
"So what if I can't make a little fire dart? Just because I'm not using your methods, you think that I can't melt through these stupid corpses. I saw how Sarkhan turned them into puddles."
Jaya leveled an unwavering hand at Chandra. "That's dragonfire. You know damn well it has additional properties that our fire doesn't." She hoped this small drop of logic would snap Chandra out of whatever mental whirlpool she was thrashing about in, but it seemed that Jaya's words turned to ash as they neared Chandra, blowing away before they could reach her ears.
"I just need to let loose like he did. That's why I haven't been able to hurt these things. I've been holding back too much for too long. It was fine before. The threats were small-scale, and everyone was together. But now's not the time for restraint."
Jaya's eyes rounded as Chandra spoke, her words moving faster and faster as if they were trying to outrun her common sense. The older pyromancer wanted to remain steadfast, but an almost parental fear started taking over. She reached out a hand and placed it on Chandra's. It was hot to the touch with magic billowing just beneath the surface, but she barely felt the difference.
"Chandra, please," she pled, "you need to calm down and think about this."
Chandra jerked her hand away, a flash of unbridled anger rippling across her face. She took a step away from Jaya and looked her dead in the eyes.
"No, I don't need to calm down. I'm going to do this, with or without you."
Chandra's hands ignited, two balls of flames engulfing her balled fists and hiding their trembling from Jaya's view. She turned her back to Jaya, pointed her hands to the ground, and shot two jets of fire towards the cobbled street. The force launched Chandra off the ground with a blistering speed. All Jaya could do was watch as Chandra's arcing trajectory carried her away and wish that she could have said something to stop her.
The wind whipped across Chandra's face, her hair nearly extinguishing from the drag. She reached her maximum height in a matter of seconds, leveling out several stories off the ground. From her brief vantage point, Chandra finally saw just what threat she had launched herself into.
The crop of Eternals was twenty strong, split into a tight formation of four rows of five soldiers. The frontmost carried curved blades to engage close-range targets, the next two rows had long staffs and spears to push through, and the back two rows wielded slings and arrows to cover their leaders. As Chandra reached her peak, the Eternals had entered the intersection of their path and her own, and they seemed poised to continue barreling down the street until they reached the Selesnya capital.
Chandra hazarded a quick glance back along the road covered by the Eternals. Trampled foliage littered the street, uprooted trees and shrubbery lay discarded, and a few unfortunate souls stained the cobblestones with their blood. The sight made her own blood boil, and as Chandra angled her trajectory in preparation, she let out a shout of righteous anger before descending. She hurtled to the ground like a comet, a tail of fire whipping from her hair. Her vision was nearly hazed over, adrenaline and rage clouding her eyes in a translucent fog. She didn't care. She knew exactly where she was headed.
If the Eternals heard her approach, they did not show it. Their feet continuing to march forward. Their expressionless faces set before them with mindless focus. Then, in an instant, the Eternals were thrown into chaos as Chandra crash-landed in the middle of their perfectly constructed formation.
The ground practically shook from the impact, and the Eternals stiffly shuffled their positions to maintain their footing against the force. None fell, their hardened limbs reacting quickly. There was a moment of confusion, the automated brains of the zombies adapting to their newfound aggression. They quickly shrugged it off and prepared their weapons, bristling with spears and swords, but before they could unleash any attacks, the phalanx was engulfed by a veritable inferno.
Chandra's guttural howl did not cease, but the noise was all but drowned out by the roaring nova of flame that emanated from her body. She felt all her pent-up anger and frustration blast from her pores like active volcanoes. Jaya's condescension, Jace's aloofness, Gideon's overprotection, and her own isolation. All of it erupted from within her, carried from deep in her being by waves of pyromantic energy. The fire burned hotter and hotter, turning from orange to blue to white as Chandra cut loose all restraints in her mind. The intensity of the fire left her blinded, but she did not need to see. All her senses were focused on a single, indelible goal: scorch the earth on which the Eternals tread.
That's right, you bastards! This is how I get things done. You might've stopped me before, but that was different. I'm going all out, no limits, and I won't stop until your melted shells slip down the gutter. This is what happens when you mess with Chandra Nalaar!
Chandra could not tell how long she was burning. Maybe minutes, maybe seconds, maybe even less than that. Her mind was too preoccupied, as potent, abstract feelings churned through and guided her thoughts and actions. Freedom. Triumph. Power. For the first time in a long while, Chandra felt strong. So when she felt a pair of metallic hands close around each of her wrists, her heart nearly shattered.
In an instant, the torrent of fire stopped, as if the fuel supply had been cut. Chandra blinked rapidly, her eyes needing to adjust after the lengthy exposure to the blinding flames. It took a few moments for her vision to clear, but she felt immediate regret once she could see again. Every Eternal from the crop was still standing, and they were closing in on her.
But… but how?
She looked down and saw the two Eternals who held her arms, a pair of jackals that seemed to move in tandem. She was too stunned in the moment to fight back against their supernatural grips. Her eyes scanned the ground dejectedly, and she saw what small progress her outburst had wrought. Splayed across the cobbled streets were now pools of smelted ore and charred wood, the last remnants of whatever weapons and adornments had been in the Eternals' possession.
All their stuff melted, but none of them did. Even as I poured my heart and soul into the attack, these things still pushed through it all to grab me. Letting go didn't work…
She felt hollow. Even as the other Eternals tightened their circle around her, she could not muster any energy to try and escape. It was like her very essence had been burned up in her blaze, the ashes of her self fluttering in the Ravnica crosswinds. One of the Eternals stepped before her, its expressionless face glowering down at her with a seeming air of superiority. Her eyes locked with its sockets, and when she saw her reflection against the chromatic lazotep, she truly could not tell if the Eternal's gaze was more lifeless than her own.
For the first time in a while, Chandra's mind was quiet. Incessant thoughts no longer buzzing around like mosquitos, vying for her attention. Only one thought stuck out among the white noise.
What do I do now? I did what I could, and it made no difference. Is this it?
Chandra closed her eyes, no longer wishing to see the Eternals or her face reflected in their sunken skulls. She listened to the trudging footsteps growing closer and closer, resigned to whatever lay ahead of her. The perfectly timed marching seemed to track with the beats of her heart, each one slower and methodical than one would expect given the graven situation. Then, just as she felt their shadows lengthen over her, a loud THUD rang out before her. Startled, Chandra's eyes snapped open just in time to see one of the Eternals laying face-down on the cobblestones before her, a smoking hole visible on the back of its head.
Her eyes grew wide as she followed the path of whatever had brought the Eternal down. In the split second before her she looked, Chandra hoped, almost prayed, that her gut instinct was wrong. When her gaze fell upon familiar red robes and silver hair, her heart plunged once more.
"Chandra, I'm coming!" Jaya yelled as she ran from the start of the intersection towards the Eternals, another flame dart manifesting on her fingertips. It cracked through the skull of another Eternal, dropping it to the ground. This seemed to pull the crop's attention, and all those except for the jackals restraining Chandra started advancing on their new guest.
Even from her obscured position, Chandra could see that Jaya was in no position to take on an entire group of Eternals alone. Her breathing was heavy, her movements were slowed, and her fire was dimmed.
She must have been running to catch up with me. She was already tired before I decided to jump ahead…
She wanted to call out to Jaya, entreat upon her to abandon Chandra and save herself. The words caught in her throat, unable to make it past the dry lump of her own defeat. All she could do was watch as the gap between Jaya and the Eternals closed.
Jaya let off another flame dart. It struck true, dropping another lifeless Eternal. Another one spouted from her fingers, but it sailed just between the heads of two adjacent zombies. Jaya halted her forward progress and steadied her aim. With one eye closed, she shot another dart, which hit the leading Eternal in the chest and ceased its movements. In between raspy breaths, Jaya let out a small smirk, the boost in confidence reigniting her hands with intensity. Chandra's gaze had not left Jaya, and this sight brought a small glimmer of hope bubbling up to the surface of Chandra's mind. Like a small candle, she could feel the warmth in her chest as she watched Jaya ready for another attack. But, just like any unprotected flame, this hope was extinguished by a powerful gust of air and followed by a sudden darkness.
In an instant, the intersection was covered in a thick blanket of black. Chandra lost sight of Jaya's features, only the fire on her hands and the purple glow of the Eternals' eyes remaining visible.
Confusion and fear shot down her spine. Wait, w-what the hell is going on? Chandra craned her neck upwards, expecting something like thunderclouds to be blocking the sun. Instead, she saw a dragon's visage blotting out the light, the chromatic shimmer of lazotep reflecting off its flapping wings. It hovered over the intersection for a moment, then angled its body for a swift descent. The darkness receded as the dragon approached, and it landed on the ground beside Chandra. It kicked up a burst of displaced air, sending a cloud of dust into her eyes. She winced, and as she attempted to clear her vision, she felt the two jackals holding her hands stand up before forcibly pulling her to an upright position. She stumbled briefly, but she found her footing soon after. Once she had steadied herself, the zombies began marching forward, dragging Chandra along with them.
With her vision still impaired, Chandra nearly fell over her feet with each subsequent step. Each mistimed step brought the supernatural strength of her captors tugging against her arms. She tried to correct her vision as quickly as possible. Tears filled her eyes, borne of both necessity and frustration. Once they flushed out the obstructions, she could see clearly once again. Looking to the ground, she watched the jackals' steps and matched their timing.
Why don't I just try and break loose? This thought crossed her mind for a brief instant, but it was soon swallowed by her emotional state. Because I'd just fuck it up like last time. Maybe I would've tried before, but now… I mean, what more could I even do?
Scrunching her features, Chandra forced the remainder of the tears from the corners of her eyes. Then, she raised her head to see just what the Eternals were doing. Her newly returned vision was filled by the dragon she was currently approaching. Its massive claws sunk into the street, its wings flat against its back. A crocodile-like maw faced forward, faint purple smoke leaking from between its fangs. There were no eyes in its sockets, much like the other Eternals, but she could somehow still feel it watching her. The sensation sent a chill up her spine, unnerving her enough to avert her eyes from her apparent destination.
Unfortunately, Chandra's eyes fell on an even more distressing sight. Across the intersection, the remaining Eternals were also approaching the waiting dragon, and standing in the middle of them was Jaya Ballard. Much like Chandra, her arms were each restrained by a lazotep-covered hand around her wrist. She was not going with them quietly, as Chandra saw her fervently pulling against their ironclad grip while spouting a string of obscenities into their rotted ears. Even for a pyromancer of her prestige, she could not muster the strength to break free. Their hold on her wrists prevented her from releasing a dart at a proper angle to kill anything. All Jaya could do was fight against their superior strength and be led to the dragon.
Dammit! Chandra silently grit her teeth at the sight of her sometimes mentor trying to escape. She only got caught because she was trying to save me. My screw-up is gonna get us both killed.
The frustration continued to bubble under the surface as she neared the dragon, but instead of her usual white-hot anger, it came as a tingling numbness that spread throughout her body. The depression chilled her movements and deadened her emotions, until all she could do was slump along with her captors, head hung.
She barely noticed as they hoisted her onto the dragon's back, but as her secured hands touched the unnaturally cool lazotep of its back, a small sense of awareness came with it. This was when she finally heard Jaya's voice from just behind her, calling her name.
"Chandra, are you ok? Chandra?"
She sounded concerned. Chandra swiveled her head, taking in her surroundings in a deft sweep. The dragon's back was large enough that the two jackals could sit beside her, keeping her hands pinned against its scales. The other Eternals had all mounted the dragon as well, sitting in rigid formation. And just behind her, Jaya sat, hands held against the dragon like Chandra, eyes full of worry.
"Um, yeah," Chandra answered, finding the words difficult. It had only been a few minutes, but it felt like years since she last spoke.
"Are you sure?" Jaya pressed. She made a move, as if she wanted to reach out to Chandra, but her hand stuck fast in the Eternal's grasp. "The Eternals didn't hit you with anything? They're a lot stronger than I expected, but I guess that's what I get for staying far away from them up until now."
Jaya gave a small laugh, an attempt to soften the dire state they found themselves in. It gave way to an uneasy silence, and Chandra found herself unable to meet Jaya's eyes. She instead stared at the cobalt shell of the dragon beneath them, seeing her own reflection once more. After several seconds, she found her voice.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, "I should have listened to what you were saying. I guess everyone's been right all along, I should just stay out of the way."
"That's bullshit and you know it."
These words caught Chandra completely off guard. She lifted her gaze to Jaya again and saw her eyes were fierce and stern. It was like how she looked when chastising Chandra about not controlling her magic properly, but something seemed different. There was a flash of empathy, a warmth beneath the steel. Has that always been there, and I just never noticed?
"I may not agree with it," Jaya continued, "but it was your call to make. What you did was stupid, reckless, shortsighted, and went against everything me and the rest of the Gatewatch tried to plan. That being said, this whole situation is unlike anything we've seen before. I can't say I knew what the right call was. If you'd listened to me, we may not be here, sure, but who knows what could've happened? I also lost my temper back there, hypocrite that I am. Sorry about that, I guess I got caught up in doing things my own way too. We both made mistakes, got fired up and lashed out. Just means that we brush ourselves off and try something else. Your actions don't change your powers, your training, or who you are, remember that."
Chandra felt the edges of her mouth twitch upwards. "Since when do you give such good advice?"
"Oh, I've always been this wise. You just never wanted to listen. I should have let you burn yourself out months ago." Though Jaya's words carried her usual snark, Chandra could tell there was still an earnestness behind them. The words, combined with the kindred gaze the two women shared, stirred something inside Chandra. She let a long smile spread across her face, and she gave Jaya an assured nod.
She hasn't given up on me, even when I was ready to give up on myself. I guess I can't beat these things like Sarkhan, and I still can't do it like Jaya, but that doesn't mean I can't find a way. Since when does Chandra Nalaar give up?
As Chandra felt a mild hope spreading from her chest to the rest of her body, the seat beneath her began to stir. The dragon's wings unfurled in a single flick, a rush of air scattering the loose gravel. Then, with the flourish of a beast that must have ruled the skies in its former life, the dragon beat its wings and took to the air.
Chandra nearly fell backwards from the sudden force, only the Eternals holding her wrists acting as anchors. The dragon moved with a surprising haste, unlike anything she had experienced before. She craned her neck to look to the ground, which had already begun to recede, a patchwork mosaic of rooftops coming into view. Man, if this thing wasn't a zombie that was taking me to gods-know-where, this would be pretty cool.
She paused, something about this thought sticking in her mind. Turning her head, she looked back to Jaya, who seemed to be maintaining her composure against the whipping winds around them.
"Where do you think this thing is taking us?" Chandra asked, her voice straining to be heard over the turbulence.
Jaya tilted her head to look past Chandra, towards the snout of the beast. "From the looks of it, I'd guess we're headed to that big, black eyesore we saw earlier. I guess we can definitively call that the base of operations. What I want to know is, why haven't these things killed us yet?"
With her emotions going haywire up until now, Chandra had not considered that. "Huh, that is weird. The Dreadhorde's been slaughtering innocent civilians since it arrived. Why show mercy now?" An unexpected thought appeared in her mind, one that carried both hope and discomfort. "You don't think Lili is telling them to spare us specifically, do you?"
"I wouldn't get my hopes up there," Jaya huffed, her carrying a sudden edge. "She's probably still under orders from Bolas. Whatever the reason, that dragon is the one pulling the strings."
"Yeah, you're probably right." Chandra was surprised by the crestfallen tone in her voice. She thought that she had given up hope for Liliana's return, but confronted with a tangible chance, she let herself get sucked into the fantasy of everyone fighting together one last time. Like it'd be that easy. If she wanted to come back, she wouldn't be using these zombies to kill innocent people. It's fine, I'd rather fight with my real friends and allies than that two-faced, lying…
She let the thought trail off unfinished. There was no need to waste any more energy on someone who had forsaken her and the Gatewatch so long ago. She turned her focus once again to Jaya. "What do you think Bolas wants with us?"
Jaya let out a belabored sigh. "I'd rather not think about what's going on between those horns of his. Whatever it is, it can't be any good for us. We'll need to prepare for the worst, but our first priority should be trying to escape off this thing before we get there."
"Any ideas?" Chandra asked.
"Nothing yet, but I'm sure we can come up with something."
She nodded, throwing a tuft of red hair across her eyes. "Definitely, I'm not about to let these things stop us for much longer."
Chandra's mind started to whir as she contemplated possible means of escape. She scrunched her face, desperately trying to filter out the good ideas from the bad. But before she could come up with a definitive plan to secure their freedom, the dragon transporting them started violently snapping its jaws. The motion shook all aboard, and the sudden noise thoroughly spooked Chandra out of her mind.
What the hell is that? The dragon's been silent 'til now.
Chandra looked up to see what was causing the beast such distress, but before she saw anything, the surface beneath her suddenly stopped. The dragon ceased its forward movement, and before anyone onboard could react to the shift in momentum, they were all thrown from the monster's back.
"SHIT!" Chandra reflexively screamed as she started to fall. She took a single glimpse at the ground, but once she saw the faraway landscape of urban roofing, her eyes instinctively looked away before vertigo could set in.
Fuck, fuck, fuck! I can't die like this. She could feel the calm that she had just achieved in her mind come undone in an instant, her thoughts start to frantically buzz once more like hungry parasites. Okay, okay, I just gotta think. The Eternals let go of my hands, that's good. Those dog-faced assholes are probably also falling to their deaths. No, don't say that word. Just gotta focus on a way out of this. I can shoot some fire down to cushion my fall. I'll have to time it, otherwise I'll either burn out before I get close enough to the roof or I won't slow down enough. Yeah, that's it. I hope Jaya's gonna be okay. She'll probably figure out the same thing I did. Her timing is probably better than mine, even though she's so old. Wait, gotta focus. Okay, I'll have to look down again to get the timing. Hopefully I don't throw up. I guess it'd be throwing down. Stop it. Focus. Okay, I'll count it down to eye opening. Better make it a short countdown. Okay, here goes. Three, tw-
Before she could finish her count, Chandra felt her body stop. She landed on something, and to her utter shock, there was no crack of bone or tear of flesh. In fact, the landing was soft, almost comfortable. Confused, she forced her eyes open. She found herself sitting atop a massive tree branch. Leaves and twigs encircled her, creating a makeshift landing pad to cushion her fall. Her eyes followed the branch back to its source, and Chandra saw the rooftop where the branch had sprouted.
Her branch was not the only one, with two other massive wooden tendrils erupting from the building. One twisted off the roof to her left, while the other shot straight up like a stalagmite. Looking across the wide vista, she saw Jaya sitting on the other branch in a similar setup to her own. She held a hand to her head, and her eyes her cast skyward, wide with surprise. Chandra let out a sigh of relief upon seeing Jaya safe, then followed her eyeline to see just what could put that expression on her face. There, hovering above the rooftop, the Eternal dragon they had been on a moment ago was covered in snaking branches. It looked like a mummy wrapped in reddish-brown bandages, but as Chandra squinted to get a better view, she saw that the branches had pierced the lazotep hide and weaved in and out of the beast. Though it hung in the air, it was motionless, with only the strength of the wood keeping the inanimate corpse aloft.
Chandra was in awe at the raw spectacle before her. Who could have done something like this? The question in her mind was steeped half in admiration and half in fear at the prowess of the unknown mage. She did not have long to pontificate on this, as she suddenly felt the branch she was on start to lower her to the ground. Chandra looked again to her left and saw Jaya's branch descending along with hers. She was looking over the edge of the makeshift seat, and, to Chandra's surprise, she seemed to be waving to someone below. Her curiosity peaked, Chandra grabbed hold of the branch with one hand, and with the other hand poised to block the sun from her vision, she peered to the street below.
For an instant, her heart stopped beating. Her mouth fell open. She blinked rapidly, making sure it was not a mirage or illusion. A figure stood on the ground below, eyes cast up to the pyromantic pair. Chandra squinted, trying to make out every detail she could, to drive out all doubt from her mind. The green mantle that flowed in the breeze, the gnarled staff that glittered with primordial magics, the pointed ears and jade markings that framed a stoic, beautiful face, and the verdant eyes, like perfect flower bulbs on the eve of spring. At the sight of all these things, Chandra's heartbeat returned with a frantic fervor. It pulsated in her ears, drowning out all noise from the city. She felt her breathing increase and her cheeks flush. Noticing these reactions, a huge smile spread across Chandra's face with the realization that there was only one being in the multiverse that could evoke these responses in her. Nissa Revane, elemental mage and Gatewatch member, had returned.
Without thinking, Chandra vaulted over the lip of her landing pad and started hurtling toward the ground below. The fear she felt before no longer existed in her mind, crowded out by the multitude of emotions swirling in her brain. She saw Nissa's eyes grow wide, which brought a wicked smile to Chandra's face. The air rushing past stung at her exposed teeth and gums, but she hardly notices the sensation.
As the ground grew closer, Chandra threw her hands straight down, fingers outstretched. Two streams of fire shot from her palms, lighting up the immediate vicinity and throwing waves of sweltering heat up and down the mostly abandoned road. As the flames met the cobblestones, Chandra felt her speed gradually decrease to a no-longer terminal velocity. She angled her body until her legs pointed to the ground and her hands were at her sides. Chandra decreased the intensity of her jets as she approached, finally turning them off a meter from the ground. She landed on her feet with a light thud, steam emanating from the torched stones beneath her.
The moment her feet touched the ground, Chandra launched herself forward with blistering reflexes. Her eyes were trained on Nissa, who still wore an expression of concern that was clear to Chandra despite the gap between them. Though the ground was now littered with shattered Eternals who did not have a soft landing, she deftly maneuvered around them. In an instant, Chandra cleared the gap, and with arms outstretched, she enveloped Nissa in a hug whose magnitude threatened to send them both toppling to the street below.
Chandra's arms wrapped tight around Nissa, her hands coming together beneath the billowing cloak so she could tightly squeeze Nissa's figure against her own. Nissa's arms remained splayed at her side, so Chandra pulled her into the embrace with all her might. She heard Nissa let out a small gasp of surprise as she buried her face in her shoulder, the rich, earthy smell of her mana filling Chandra's nostrils. She had so many things to say to the woman pressed against her, but all she could muster were three words in a barely audible whisper: "I missed you."
Slowly, Chandra felt Nissa close her arms around her as the shock of her affectionate ambush wore off. Nissa latched around Chandra, hands pressing into the top of her back to tighten the miniscule space between them.
"I missed you, too," she reciprocated, her usually stalwart voice carrying an undercurrent of tenderness. In that moment, a long-missing comfort washed over Chandra's mind, melting away her anxieties and insecurities. They were no longer on Ravnica in the midst of a war. They were alone together, the only two souls for miles, intertwined. Chandra wanted nothing more than to stay in this moment forever, but she knew that would not be possible. She savored the last few moments of their embrace, then pulled away so she could speak to her friend face to face.
"T-thanks for the save there," Chandra sputtered, the manic fluctuations in her emotions causing her to trip over her words. "If you hadn't come along when you did, I would've been halfway across the city."
"Of course. I'm sorry I couldn't make it sooner. When I was transported here from Zendikar, I tried to find the Gatewatch, but I did not know where to look. I've been wandering through the city, taking care of Eternals and trying to find you all. When I saw the fireball you shot up, I came running as fast as I could."
Chandra blushed, embarrassed to be reminded of her outburst that she had hoped no one saw. She nervously scratched the back of her head and cast her eyes slightly down. "Oh, yeah, that. I'd been trying to burn through these Eternals, but my fire's not concentrated enough to get through the lazotep. I thought, maybe, if I let it all go at once, it might be enough. It wasn't. I feel like such an idiot for getting so caught up in trying to force my way to work." Chandra did not notice the tears until she felt them trickle down her face. Soon, they clouded her vision, obscuring Nissa into broad strokes of green and brown. She swallowed hard, desperate to maintain her composure amidst the gamut of stimulation. Then, she felt a soft hand fall on her shoulder.
"It's ok," Nissa softly said, her even voice filled with kindness and devoid of judgement. "I'm sure you'll figure out another way to take Eternals down. I'm sorry I haven't been there for you. The Chandra I know is always ready to use her own flame to blaze a new path, but I'm here now to help however you need."
Nissa placed her other hand on Chandra's cheek, wiping the tears from her face with her thumb. Chandra looked into Nissa's eyes, saw the bright orange of her own reflected in the placid green. She opened her mouth, poised to say something she had been holding inside for so long now. But before she could utter anything, the sound of familiar footsteps approaching snapped Chandra back to reality.
"Nissa," Jaya called from behind Chandra, "that was a damn timely rescue."
Nissa dropped her hands from Chandra's face and shoulder, and the two turned to face their ally. Though her hair was tousled and robe disheveled, she did not seem worse for wear. "Jaya, I'm glad to see you are unharmed. I am just thankful that there was enough vegetation around for me to quickly adapt. If I had needed to conjure my own plants, I may have missed you."
"Yeah," Chandra sniffed, attempting to rid her face of any last tear remnants, "thanks for everything."
For a single moment, Chandra could have sworn she saw the start of an embarrassed blush blooming on Nissa's cheeks. If it was there, it only lasted for an imperceptible instant before retreating. Chandra took a mental note to razz her about that later, when they had time to be alone.
"So, where were you headed before your engagement with that crop?" Nissa inquired.
Jaya was quick to answer: "We're headed to Vitu-Ghazi. We need to talk to the guild leader so we can drum up more support for the front lines."
"Jace and the others are doing the same," added Chandra. "He's one his way to the Izzet, and Gideon's with the Boros, we think. We also found a few more allies who are talking to the other guilds. Once we talk to the Selesnya leader, we'll meet back up with them."
Nissa gave a quick nod. "Excellent, I'll accompany you there. We don't have another moment to spare."
"You're right," Jaya swiftly agreed, "let's move it out."
The three women broke from their impromptu huddle and turned to scope their surroundings. The road, riddled with cracked and broken bodies, was not the one Jaya and Chandra had started on. The dragon had displaced them over its brief flight, but Jaya quickly surmised a path that would still lead to their destination. With everyone in agreement, they began running steadily forward, Jaya leading and Chandra and Nissa, side by side, trailing behind her.