Chapter 26-Finca's Sacrifice
Uria dodges the Leviathan's tail with such speed that most wouldn't be able to see him.
Impressive my young dark dragon in training, the Leviathan hisses.
Uria pauses, panting heavily.
You have trained me well my lord, Uria answers.
The Leviathan hisses and suddenly perks up his serpentine head.
We have quests Uria, the Leviathan snarls.
Uria opens his wings and flies out of the room.
It isn't the Guardian Mirage but he shall come soon, the Leviathan thinks.
Uria returns with Amia behind him.
My lord, Uria says as he bows before the Great Beast.
"Great Leviathan I'm honored to be in your presence," Amia says as he bows as well.
We are well met Amia, I glad that you came so quickly, the Leviathan hisses.
"I came because you asked me if I could help you with something, if I remember correctly?"
Yes, the Leviathan replies.
"Good. What is it then?"
My lord has the useless runt Santerous here and he is in a coma. Could you possibly awaken him? Uria asks.
"I suppose I could try," Amia says as he walks out of the room.
Meanwhile, Mirage, the all-mighty white Dragon of Light sleeps as the events of the day take their toll on his already weak body. Mirage had finally allowed Sundar to come close before he succumbed to his body's protests. Tomorrow they would go and try to rescue Santerous from the Leviathan and Uria's hold. Early the next morning Sarina, Silver, Tamli, Finca, and Mirage left to enter the lair of the Leviathan. Soon they arrived and entered the remains of paradise.
As they walked along the empty halls of the palace, Mirage began to sense movement up ahead.
{Mirage-narrator}
Something doesn't seem right. Something dark and powerful lies ahead of us, I just know it. I stop and begin to shutter slightly.
What's wrong? Finca asks as she walks up behind me.
Something's ahead, I reply.
We continue to walk and soon we enter a very large room. It's not as large as the throne room but it's still very big. Uria suddenly shows up, he folds in his four black wings and snarls at me.
You're still alive? He snarls. I'll fix that soon enough.
I step back in fear.
I'll deal with him, Finca snorts as she walks up behind me.
Finca flaps her wings and soars into the air.
Come and catch me Uria! She shrieks as she zooms around the black dragon.
Uria follows her angrily, his four wings struggling the keep his body in the air.
After Finca and Uria fly off we continue to walk. We enter a much larger rounded area, the remains of the palace's throne room. The Leviathan waits for us with Santerous behind him, chained to a wall.
Release my master Leviathan! I cry as Silver stands beside me.
The Leviathan merely hisses at me. He lunges toward me, fangs barred, aiming for my neck. The walls behind us suddenly blasts to shreds from a green fire by Uria. Finca flaps her wings and comes soaring toward the Leviathan. The Great Leviathan, seeing a perfect time to use his poison, strikes Finca on her right foreleg.
Finca crashes to the floor, moaning softly as the poison begins to infect her blood stream.
"What have you done to Finca you monster?" Tamli roars as the light aura begins to emerge from within his body forming a field around the enraged Atlantean.
Master please, Finca pleads softly as she continues to fight the poison.
Silence Tamli! The Leviathan snarls.
Tamli's aura lessens slightly as he steps forward to get a better view of his Guardian. I roar that the crazed serpent, bellowing a challenge to which I know he cannot resist answering. My predictions turn out to be correct. The Leviathan slithers toward me, his blackened scales gleaming with every slither of his serpent-like body.
"What are you doing?" Sarina whispers as she sees the Leviathan begin to close in on me.
Trust me, I reply lowering my head, hoping he'll try to attack.
I'm right again. The Leviathan rears back his head and nearly tries to roast me with a blast of Orichalcos. Silver darts in front of me and attacks the Leviathan with some Moonlight. The Leviathan snarls and throws his head back, freeing him from the Moonlight torrent. I quickly spring to my master's side and blast the chains apart with some Light bursts.
Santerous falls on my back and I leap to Sarina's side.
Take care of him Sarina, I mutter as I lay him by her side.
Sarina nods and then Uria ambushes me from behind. The black dragon attempts to nearly claw my back to shreds. I snarl and jump away, landing on my feet. Uria snarls and takes off after me. Meanwhile, Tamli struggles with the Leviathan.
He draws his sword and points it at the serpent.
Eatos, can you help me out please? He asks his bird-like partner.
Yes master Tamli, Eatos replies as she summons herself to his side.
Eatos' black wings gleam in the paleness of the light that manages to reach the remains of paradise.
Hello you annoying serpent, long time no see, Eatos hums as she draws her sword and points it at the Leviathan.
The Leviathan snarls and prepares to fire off a blast of Orichalcos.
Look out! Finca snarls she as struggles to her feet.
Too late Finca! The Leviathan hisses. The end hasss come!
The Leviathan rears his head back and sends a torrent of Orichalcos straight for Eatos and Tamli.
Look out! Finca screams as she jumps in front of the two, taking the full might of the attack. Go while I have his attention!
Eatos nods and flies over to Sarina and Santerous.
Go, Eatos barks and the next moment they're gone.
After Sarina teleports them out of danger. Finca turns her head to face her master.
I said go! Finca snarls.
No! Let me help you Finca! Tamli shouts.
At once Finca's right eye turns red.
Leave human and let me deal with my son! Finca snarls.
Tamli backs up. This isn't the same Finca that he knows so well.
Leave now or I shall force you to! Finca bellows as a rich red aura begins to emerge from within her body.
But Finca . . . Tamli pleads.
The Finca that you know is long gone, I'm in control of her worthless body now human! Finca snarls as the aura covers her body.
Tamli turns and runs off. Meanwhile, I send Uria crashing into the Leviathan with a skillful Light Blast. I turn and follow Tamli.
I carefully follow Tamli from the sky. Normally I would have followed the others but I felt as if Tamli needed help from me. Let's just call it a sixth sense, shall we? I soar in front of Tamli and find a place where both of us can stay and so I wait for him to find the place himself. We had traveled for over a week now and to be honest I was exhausted.
Poor Tamli, he too was exhausted. Each night as I fell asleep I could hear him muttering about the best way to save Finca. Tamli finally reached the place that I'd found. He found me at the edge of a nearby stream, lapping up fresh water like any dog would do.
Welcome Tamli, I snort as I raise my head out of the water, sending little drops of water everywhere.
Tamli sits down on the grass next to me and closes his eyes.
"Mirage, will Finca be alright?"
Tamli's question shocks the daylights out of me.
She'll be fine Tamli, I reply softly. Why do you question what you already know the answer to?
Tamli opens his eyes and looks at me.
"When Finca and I were first joined, I felt as if a darker presence lurked within her. At first I believed it to be nothing but as the years passed I realized what it was."
Tamli sighs before continuing.
"Before I ever met Finca, I was told of a red dragon that ruled alongside her mate Eon. The two gave us Nor'ac and the Leviathan before Eon vanished suddenly."
And the red dragon? I ask.
"She was bound to a day-old Guardian in an attempt to save the Guardian chamber from her wrath. That Guardian that she was bound to was Finca."
How can that be?
"I never found out who the red dragon was but I did finally get a name from someone who said they saw the red dragon," Tamli says.
The name is? I ask.
"Makiar."
Makiar, I repeat.
Tamli nods before looking away from me.
Makiar must have known that the time was right to show herself, I snort as I lay down on the grass beside Tamli.
"Perhaps," Tamli replies.
I turn my head toward Tamli.
You still doubt your own powers? I ask.
"Perhaps," Tamli replies as he plucks a strand of grass and begins to play with it.