Chapter Twenty-One: The Fangs of the Serpent
Flying into Rookridge dark clouds quickly formed and Corruption flooded the valley.
Maneuvering in the air Percy tried to avoid thunder and massive shards that launched at him only to be tackled from the side by a massive snake-like monster slamming him into the mountainside.
Having been attacked Percy's claws accidentally dropped the four heroes who fell and rolled down the hill.
"Ngh! Gah!" Logan grunted rolling and hitting the ground with a thud, looking up to watch Percy roaring and in his jaws grab the snake and swing, slamming it against the rocks.
"What the bloody hell just happened?!" Saker growled watching the snake turn with frills rising like a cobra and roar revealing a mask on its head and two very large fangs, "is that the next agent?!"
"Don't we ever get a damn break?!" Echo grunted getting off the ground where they watched from below as the two giant beasts fight.
"Why is it attacking now? The sun is out!" Tali growled looking to the sky to see the red clouds.
"Rookridge is always cloudy or raining, this agent probably knew we would be weaker after our fight with that other agent and acted," Logan spoke watching Percy growl and roar at the agent.
"Weaker? This agent made a very sad mistake if it thinks we are weak," Saker grinned cracking his knuckles.
"I couldn't agree more with you Saker," Echo spoke spinning her staff, "let us show this beast what happens when you mess with us!"
"Let's get this brute Logan!" Tali spoke drawing her katana and Logan drew his sword.
"Hold on Percy, we're coming!" Logan growled charging with the others.
Roaring Percy spun slamming his tail into the Hellbringer's head and smashing it against the rocks and toppling it towards the ground where Saker threw several bombs creating an explosion on its head.
Logan and Tali then charged one using Light and the other Firework then once the spell hit the snake's face Logan slashed his sword across the left side of the serpent's head while Tali slashed the right side.
Roaring the snake opened its jaws and launched toward Logan and Tali only to have Saker uppercut the snake's jaws, Echo then charged in and pried her staff into the snake's jaws to keep it stuck.
"Take this!" Logan yelled stabbing his sword into the snake's eye and with a roar it shook its head violently dislodging Echo's staff from its mouth ready to strike one of the four heroes only to have Percy snap his jaws around the snake's throat and pinned it to the ground where it then used its body to wrap around Percy neck and body where the two rolled across the ground.
"WHOA!" Saker yelled quickly moving out of the way with the others as the two massive beasts rolled past them.
"Wiggling bastard!" Percy growled trying to dig his claws into the Hellbringer's corrupted body.
"Hold on him there Percy!" Logan yelled charging two spells in his hands and rushing towards the two, "Light Blade Maxima!"
Launching the light swords, they all stabbed into the snake's body breaking away Corruption that allow Percy to stab his claws into its body.
Roaring the Hellbringer lifted its tail to reveal a sharp blade lifting it and stabbing it into Percy's side making the dragon roar and release the snake that slithered out of Percy's grip spinning and slashing its blade across the dragon's face sending him smashing dangerously close to the Rookridge tavern.
"Ngh!" Percy growled weakly looking towards the snake that drew closer.
"Percy quick, transform into something small!" Logan yelled as Percy looked back to the tavern behind him.
"I can't! The human building would be destroyed!" Percy growled glaring at the snake that pounced with fangs out.
"Slow Time Maxima!" Logan yelled casting the spell around him then ran quickly toward Percy and the Hellbringer that were moving in very slow motion.
'I must hurry! Percy will die! I cannot let him die!' Logan thought forming the whip and wrapping it around the snake's jaws, "PULL!"
Yanking the serpent back time resumed and Percy saw an opening and charged locking its jaws around the Hellbringer's neck.
"Light!" Logan yelled casting it on the snake's tail for Tail who slashed her blade allowing Saker to grab the blade and tear it off from the snake's body.
Growling Percy shook violently then slammed it to the ground, "FINISH IT NOW!"
"Tali! Logan! Hit it head!" Echo yelled as the two formed the spells in their hands.
"Firework!" Tali yelled hitting the top of the snake's head followed by Logan who cast Light Blades burning away the Corruption on its mask.
"TAKE THIS!" Saker yelled jumping in the air and then stabbing the Hellbringer blade down on its head.
Releasing the snake Percy step backed watching the snake roar and wiggle across the rocky valley standing to protect the building in case the snake crashed into it.
The light then began to pierce the sky burning the serpent that let out one last roar before falling off the edge of the ridge and burning away in the light as it hit the waters below allowing for the Corruption in Rookridge to burn away in the light of the sun.
Collapsing to the ground Percy's form shrunk into an injured white wolf form remaining still while he panted, "Percy!" Logan yelled rushing over.
"Oh my god! He bleeding! Hold on Percy I have a potion!" Tali yelled rushing over with the others.
"You were so brave, mate! A true mighty dragon!" Saker grinned while Logan picked up Percy in his arms supporting his head.
"You didn't have to protect that tavern, building can be rebuilt, a life can't be replaced," Logan spoke to Percy who sighed.
"I knew that, I just would have felt bad if the people in this valley were without this building, this place is home to some, I would be sad if my home was destroyed," Percy spoke turning his head when Tali held out a potion to him.
"I don't think that will work," he spoke as they all looked at his injuries seeing the corruption spread and making strange markings.
"Corruption?!" Echo gasped seeing the poison spread through Percy's body.
"To animals it is poison I can feel it spreading quickly," Percy panted watching Logan hold out a hand over the injury in his side.
"Heal," Logan spoke his hand creating a green glow that began to make Percy's wounds glow and close up, the Corruption in his body burning away in the healing magic.
"Logan it is working! Keep it up, get that cut to his face next!" Tali spoke touching Percy's snout and bending over to kiss his nose, "Thank you mighty dragon. You were very brave."
Blinking up Percy looked at Tali who smiled sweetly at him, "your welcome."
Once the wound was fully healed Logan moved his hand to Percy's face and began to heal the other wound burning away any Corruption that tried to hide in his body.
Looking up to the tavern Saker snuck away going in then a few minutes later coming out with four large beer mugs rejoining the group who had finished healing the last of Percy's injuries.
"Here everyone," Saker spoke handing a glass to each friend.
"Uh, Saker what this?" Echo asked looking at the beer and giving it a cautious sniff.
"Albion's favorite beverage of Heroes, Albion Ale! Look at what we just did, with the defeat of that snake there is only one agent left, Tali we are so much closer to saving your country, and Logan, you and your brother will be reunited soon too, I think after all the fighting we did, after all this time, I am gonna miss going on adventures with all of you, we should drink to that!" Saker grinned holding up his mug.
Looking at the ale in his glass Logan looked down to Percy who transformed in a ferret form and climbed up to his shoulders. With a smile Logan stood up and held up his glass, "Saker, you are right, I think I shall drink to that."
"Not much of an ale drinker but I wholeheartedly agree, after getting to know all of you, after all this time I spent with all of you, I can drink to an adventure near an end," Tali smiled each hero standing and holding up their glasses before clinking them together and all taking a sip.
All taking a swing Tali and Echo both looked to Saker who was gulping down his entire drink while after his drink Logan held the glass towards Percy, "wanna try a lick?"
"Smell weird," Percy spoke sniffing then took a lick "BLAH! Very yeasty flavored ain't it?"
"I suppose it's an acquired taste?" Tali chuckled not going for another sip noticing Saker remove his glass from his lip after finishing the entire glass and let out a satisfied ahh~
"Geeze Saker you inhaled that damn thing!" Echo chuckled handing her glass to Saker who gladly took it.
"One of the many joys in life," Saker chuckled.
"I feel much better now," Percy spoke turning into a white crow, "I shall return to the palace, I must report to the queen about the fall of the second to last agent, she will be so happy to know only one agent remains."
"Be careful Percy," Logan smiled watching Percy take off into the sky turning into his dragon form to return to the castle.
At the castle Anna stood in the War Room with all her allies who all stood around the table moving figures on the map for the war plan, "Kalin ships and our warships can bring us here to Fairwinds," Anna spoke moving the ships.
"From there I can lead our fleets up the coast toward where the Sweetwater Trees resides, we shall remain in position to ensure the enemy will not attack our troops from behind," Kalin spoke moving the ship pieces.
"If my understanding of Gabriel's words is to ring true then the Divinity Gems will be brought here to the Grand Library by Princess Tali," Garth spoke moving the Tali piece to the library, "I am to understand you want Percy to take her?"
"Where is Percy anyway?" Page asked hearing the doors open and Percy strolled in with Hobson in his wolf form.
"Master Percival has arrived," Hobson spoke before closing the doors.
"Percy, thank goodness," Anna smiled watching Percy turn into a crow and fly over and landed on her shoulder, "you left in such a hurry."
"Forgive me, my queen, I sensed Logan and his friend needed aid so I left without thinking, I can happily report they defeated the agent of the two prisons and the agent who had tried to get the jump on me in Rookridge," Percy spoke.
"Goodness! Are you okay Percy?" Page asked seeing the bird nod.
"I had a close call but Logan made sure I was patched up before sending me off," Percy smiled looking at the map.
"Back to the plans, so Percy will escort the Princess then from there he will take Logan and his remaining three allies towards the palace," Ben spoke seeing Anna shake her head.
"No that would be dangerous, Percy is to take Tali to the Grand Library and remain with her, if the enemy sees Percy flying, he will be the target for mortar fire," Anna spoke looking at the map.
"That kind of you to worry of my safety your majesty but if my death can ensure victory I would lay my life for the cause," Percy spoke looking to the map.
"Percy should take all four ahead of our armies to the Grand Library, with that head start the three can enter the city and race to the palace for the main fighting starts, no doubt the Empress will have her army waiting once the final agent fall," Page spoke looking at the map.
"Garth and Sabine can take the front line, his magic, and the Dweller's explosives can keep the army back and hopefully buy time for Logan to get to the palace," Ben spoke seeing Sabine grin.
"I am excited to lead us to the glorious battle of war!" Sabine grinned.
"Don't get ahead of yourself, the Corrupted people and the abominations will be difficult to keep at bay," Garth warned studying the map, "we will need a powerful form of light to combat the darkness."
"Light? OH!" Anna spoke racing to a desk and going through paperwork before grabbing a document and approaching, "Thorndeep Forest! According to Logan's old reports, there are gems there in a lava field that according to the reports create a blinding light."
"Let me see that," Page spoke taking the document, "oh! Some of these gems were taken to the city warehouse, I know this place, the crates remain untouched."
"Everblaze Crystal, this is good news!" Garth grinned "We can attach them to the front line, if the Corrupted draw close we can use the gems to burn away the Corruption allowing us to subdue or even destroy any monsters that attack."
"Maybe more than that," Ben spoke looking at the report, "the report says among fifty creates of medium to semi-large gems, there is one large one! Six tons! This is what we will do, we are gonna need a very large catapult, we will launch this stone into the center of the city, if we hit that gem with a strong enough fire or light it will create an explosion of light across the city!"
Waiting for someone to reject his idea Anna took the paper looked at the details then at the map, "bloody hell Ben, that's a brilliant idea!"
"Even a Hobbe Knocker gets lucky once!" Ginjer chuckled from the chair she was sitting in.
"Well done, Ben, I think you gave us a new advantage," Page smiled patting Ben back.
"Alright then, Ben and Page you get those Emberblaze Crystals from that warehouse! Sabine you and your people get those catapults battle ready! Kalin send word, have your ships ready to set sail from Aurora, we are going back to war," Anna ordered with a determined glare.
"Yes, your majesty!" her allies bowed each leaving to make the preparations for war as Anna looked back down to the map.
"Just a little longer Adam," Anna spoke.