Chapter 9- The Leviathan's Challenge

{Newborn dragon-narrator}

What is all the sudden quietness about? Sure I'm a dragon with black wings and yellow eyes but still! It's like they've never seen a black dragon before. Suddenly I spot some kind of amulet hanging from my master's neck. I grab it with my little sharp teeth and attempt to pull it off.

No luck with that, the amulet will not come off no matter how hard I pull it. I growl in frustration and turn away from the amulet. My master can have it for all I care.

{Tronay -narrator}

This newborn is rare, make that very rare. I know not of a dragon giving birth, at least not one of ours. But nevertheless the little one is very cute. I believe that Dartz is the right person to wield this little one, out of all of us.

{Dartz -narrator}

This little dragon is cute and I sense a great power rising from her. Suddenly I sense that the little one is trying to reach me through telepathy. I carefully open my mind to the little one.

Master? The dragon asks.

Yes, I reply.

Your name is? The dragon asks.

My name is Dartz, I answer.

Strange name, the little dragon thinks.

True it may be strange but I was born with it, I reply.

Why not change it? The dragon asks.

I can't, I reply.

Why not? The dragon asks.

Because my home is at the bottom of the ocean now, I answer.

Why? The dragon asks.

It is. . . . I begin but quickly change what I was going to say.The dragons that lived there flew off and the island sank because without the dragons it could not stay above water for long periods of time.

Oh. I guess that you miss your home now, don't you? The dragon asks.

Yes I do, I lie.

Can it be brought back above the water? The dragon asks.

I suppose so but we would need a great amount of power to do it, I answer.

What am I doing? I think to myself. I can't tell the little one what I'm doing and why I here and I very well can't put her at risk if the Leviathan shows up.

At that moment what I was dreading, happened. The Leviathan showed up. His eyes told me that he was not happy. When he caught sight of the little dragon resting in my arms, well let's just say that his rage got the best of him.

What is that thing? The Leviathan bellows.

I'm certain that if I had not been holding the little one that his roar would have blown her away. The newborn squeaked in fright and lifted up its wings to shield itself.

This is a newborn dragon! I answer.

Get rid of it! The Leviathan snarls.

I can't, I reply.

You can't? The Leviathan asks.

No. It hatched for me and me only! I shout.

The Leviathan bellows again, this time with more force. I have to cover my face this time from the force of his roar.

That is enough! Leave Dartz alone! Uria growls.

Uria, protecting me? Why? I mean we have never been friends and the way that I treated him in paradise. The Leviathan snorts and turns to the newborn, who is huddled in my arms shaking so much that I'm afraid it could hurt itself.

You will not survive if you cross my path again, little one, the Leviathan growls before flying off.

Not the most enjoyable dragon to have around here, is he? Finca growls.

"True, he is not, but he does have a powerful gift," I say.

Not the speech again! Uria growls.

I laugh and turn my sight to the little dragon.

We shall find you a name, little one, I say.

Will he return? The dragon asks.

Who? I ask.

The serpent, the dragon says.

I gaze at the dragon huddled in my arms.

Not if I can help it! I say.

Early the next morning I set out to find the Leviathan. Considering what he did last night I must make things right with him. To be completely honest, I don't want to see his rage erupt on me. I find his cave easily and wait for him to return. He does not return until much later in the day. He enters and finds me waiting for him.

What is it? The Leviathan asks.

I came to ask for your permission, I say.

For what? The Leviathan asks.

The newborn needs me and I would like to keep it, I reply.

Never! The Leviathan bellows as he rushes at me.

{Leviathan-narrator}

I come at him, fangs bared. Dartz shows no fear as I move toward him. At the last second, he dodges my fangs and draws his sword.

What a fitting way to end this! I hiss.

Please, don't! I can help you! Dartz begs.

It's far too late for that, master! I've been allowing you to rule over me all this time and now I will strike back and crush your weak power over me with one blow, I roar as I draw my head back and prepare to blast him. It ends now!

I open my mouth and send a surge of Orichalcos -infused energy flying at him. He tries to block it with his sword, but the weapon melts in my raging inferno. Unable to hold off my power, he is thrown backwards by its force. I inch toward him. He tries to get off the wall, but my tail comes flying out of the air and hits him in the chest, holding him to the wall.

He squirms and tries to loosen my hold on him but soon his strength fades away.

I was hoping for more, master, I hiss as I come straight to his face.

His eyes tell me that he is afraid of me. I would be too if I couldn't control my own Guardian. I hiss again and show him my fangs, which are dripping with poison.

Want to know what I did to someone who challenged me earlier? I ask.

My master looks at me in fear.

I am as old as time itself so you nor anyone can stop me nor the power of the Orichalcos. We shall rule this planet without you, I growl as I remove my tail.

Disgusted with Dartz, I send him flying into another wall. Then, angered by the thought of the newborn dragon now fighting by his side, slither out of the cave.

{Dartz -narrator}

I waver on the verge of staying awake. What shall happen now? I failed. The whole world will belong to the Leviathan now and humankind will be crushed by his power. I fall into a deep sleep.

Suddenly I feel someone calling my name. I carefully open my eyes to see the newborn dragon on top of me.

What are you doing? I ask

Getting you out of here, Dartz, the dragon replies.

I draw back in surprise. This dragon just called me by my name! She drags me out of the cave and we shortly find a place to rest. She is only a day old and yet she is doing things that even adult dragons would not do. She curls up beside me and I stroke her black scales.

No matter what the Leviathan says I will keep her!

What occurred while I was gone? I ask.

Nothing really, the dragon replies.

Are you sure? I ask.

Completely sure Dartz.

I quickly inform her of what occurred to me and how I was beat by the Leviathan.

He is so much stronger than I, I say.

Perhaps, but you are special, the dragon says.

How? I ask.

You told me that you were king of the place that is under the water now, correct? So would a king turn away after one loss? The dragon asks.

No, he wouldn't and nor shall I! I reply.

That is what I wanted from you, the black dragon hums.

The next morning, the young dragon and I set out to find the Leviathan by ourselves. Along the way I decide to give her a name. I finally decide on one: Narssia. I ask her about it and she decides she likes it. I'm not surprised.

Finally, about dark, I sense the Leviathan's presence near us. I warn Narssia and walk to where I can see him without informing him that we are here.

Will this work? The dragon asks.

I do not know but we must try. Should he find me, run and save yourself, I reply.

Not without you by my side, master, the dragon replies.

At once my fears became true. The Leviathan sees us and begins to move toward us.

{Narssia -narrator}

The serpent comes at once toward us. My master begins to frantically back up. I look at him worried. He had told me to run but I will not! He is my master and I shall not leave him!

Give up, Dartz? The Leviathan asks.

Never! My master cries as he backs up even more, now that the serpent is close to us.

Let me remind you of our last encounter then! The Leviathan hisses.

My master needs me now to help fight with him. I can't just sit here and do nothing, I must help him. I give a sharp growl and dive toward him, pumping my wings frantically.

I'm coming! I scream.

No, stay back! You are no match for him, Dartz cries as the serpent begins to wrap his tail around my master.

Stop at once! I shout as I drive my teeth into the Leviathan's hide.

He growls in pain and loosens his hold on my master.

Run while you can! I scream at Dartz.

I get no response however and I back up in shock. The serpent however snarls in glory.

He is mine again! The Leviathan snarls.

I am in shock. How could this serpent be that strong?

Fear me not, little one. He is alive for now, but we have a score to settle, the Leviathan says.

I try to attempt a growl but it sounds more like a cough. The Leviathan chuckles and starts to move toward me.

Is that all you can do? The Leviathan asks.

I growl in frustration. The Leviathan chuckles agin and slithers up to me.

You release my master at once, I growl.

Or what shall you do? The Leviathan asks.

I will . . . I will . . . I begin.

I stopped. I couldn't do anything to stop him. I was just in his way. The Leviathan growls and flings his tail out at me. Without really knowing what I was doing, I dodge and fly into the air.

Once there I reveal my chosen element with such a fury that I was powerless for the next few days. I breathed fire! Red, hot flames come shooting out of my mouth and into the Leviathan's chest. He bellows in pain and shock and loosens his hold on my master. I growl and, as I growl, my master flies from the Leviathan's tail and onto the solid ground below me.