Chapter 6-Price of Power
Arxa snarled, baring her fangs as Makiar shrank back. Her icy gaze drifted to Ryta as Narssia stirred slightly. The dragoness growled more bitterly, shaking her head as Narssia fought her way to the surface once more.
My child, she whispered, barely able to speak for fear of losing her faint grip on Arxa. Come, save me.
Arxa roared, flaring her wings as Finca stepped forward. She knew of the powerful dragoness but that fact that Finca possessed powerful abilities that interested her more.
If you wish a fight, she snarled, her eyes completely white once more, then come and seek me out, daughter of Mirage.
The walls, having held their design even here, gave Arxa concerns as her restless eyes swept over them. Wood posed a problem should she fight with fire. Narssia was as deeply concerned, although her own fears were more for Ryta than for the entire place going up in flames.
Leave! Ryta snarled, her belly scraping the ground as she crouched. That is unless you want a fight where you will be vastly outnumbered.
Narssia hummed with pleasure, marveling at her daughter's spirit while Arxa grew more agitated. Snapping out at Finca, her teeth sank into the female's shoulder as Ryta sprang for her. The sound of mental on mental resounded through empty nearby chambers as the two dragons toppled to the floor and began to lash out at each other with their fangs, claws, and tail.
Dust, kicked up by the fighting, prevented the others from helping. Even Finca drew back, realizing that this was Ryta's fight. Makiar was of the same mind set as well and retreated without a word, still mostly in shock from her near death experience. Suddenly the sound of what seemed like snapping of a bone rang through the hall, followed by a screeching howl that was almost unheard of to come from a dragon.
Ryta! Pytris roared, jumping into the fight without concern for his own life.
Finca stiffened, her eyes watching with uncertainty as the sound of mental on mental began again, more dust rising into the air. Her own worry was growing as the minutes passed by but she made sure not to show it. Makiar was not near as calm though as she paced restlessly, her eyes scanning the dust to try and see at least some of the fight that was taking place.
Another screeching howl rose into the air minutes later, its tone wailing with pain. Finca snarled softly, her eyes narrowing in anger as the dust began to settle somewhat. Finally the remaining dragons could make out two figures now standing. One of those was Arxa, a deep gash along her side, while the other was Ryta, a similar mark on her tail that left it dangling with nearly nothing left to keep it on.
You have improved since Sitedal escaped with you, Arxa commented, a faint layer of pride strained through her voice.
I wish the same could be said for you, Ryta snarled back in anger. You have only become more power-hungry and have tried to drive my mother into submission. That won't happen!
She sprang once more, hurling her body at Arxa as the female hissed with eagerness. Reacting as the thought came to her of what Arxa planned to do, Verdra intercepted her friend by jumping before her.
Listen to me Ryta, she wants to kill you with this blow, Verdra growled as Ryta struggled against her weight.
Let me go! She killed my father, shackled by mother, and now taken Pytris' life. Someone needs to end this! Ryta roared as she opened her maw.
Hot waves of golden fire burst from her jaws, their might directed at Arxa who countered with a stream of ice that she had obtained from her killing of Terdon. The two elements clashed, both canceling the other out. Eventually Ryta grew strained and found it hard to keep her flames going as this was the first time she had ever used her element.
Finca snarled, releasing a torrent of her shadow, dark black flames that seemed like mist, to counter Arxa's icy stream. Makiar even added her own fire to the mix, her fiery hot red flames boosting Finca's shadow fire. Now Arxa was the one growing tired, Ryta realized as she stopped her flames and closed her maw. During Arxa's imprisonment, Makiar had found a way to lance the very air she breathed with a chemical that repressed her elemental skills. Only now was she getting over it but already the weakened dragoness could feel the strain on her chest as she grew shorter of breath.
Makiar roared, boosting her flames to a higher pitch as Finca continued in steadiness. They knew their foe was feeling the strain as already her ice was less powerful and theirs was no longer a chill around her maw. Taking a sudden chance, Arxa stopped her attack, threw herself to the floor and slammed her tail into Verdra's side. The resulting shriek nearby broke Finca's heart as she watched her child get thrown into the closest wall possible with enough force to break the bones of adult dragons. Memories of Silver and Szara's death raged through her mind, freely inflicting guilt on her as she couldn't help but remember her two daughters from her first clutch with Tamli that had been killed by Mhetra and Meta only years ago.
Verdra! Finca roared, stopping her shadow fire while Makiar ceased her own flames, sinking to the floor in shock while Arxa crawled over to her bruised and battered daughter. Get up, please!
Ryta snarled and sprang once more, tackling Arxa and sending them rolling along the ground only to plough into the other wall just across from where Verdra lay unmoving. She growled with rage as Arxa tried to flip her but instead ended up breaking the last strands of skin the majority of her tail had to the rest of her body. The broken appendage fell with a thud to the floor, neither of the warring dragons concerned over it.
Makiar, however, realized what that much blood loss could do to a dragon. Her only option was to stop the fight but that would involve more fury than she could muster. Luckily for her, her mate was more than willing to come down and fight once she sought him out and explained the situation. Granted, Uria wasn't pleased that she had let Arxa break out of her cell but he knew it was an accident.
With a roar that showed his might, Uria came crashing down from the floor below, breaking the ceiling and allowing Arxa the chance to shove Ryta away and take to the air with only a scratch along her left wing. Smoke drifted from his nostrils as he took chase but Arxa used her smaller frame to allow for more speed, thus evading him and escaping from the last remaining dragons that lived in one place together.