What happened next was a blur. The six Enders charged viciously, their mouths wide open, claws out, and screams horrible.

A small part of Evan wanted to give in and flee, but he simply could not do that. They were in this together; none of them would run. His hand tensed around his enchanted sword. He was snapped out of his thought as razor sharp claws came right at his neck. He gasped and blocked them with a clack of claws to metal.

He heard Kuu teleport, and Vyyr snarl savagely. Moonshimmer's growls and yips joined in as well as the fox wove among the Endermen, snapping her teeth and sending spells hurtling from her five tails. He heard Luka's battlecry and a howl of pain from the Enderman that had received his sword to his arm. Snapping teeth, slashing claws, teleporting all around ... It was chaos. The attacking Endermen were fast, and skilled.

Evan realized early on that this fight was NOT going to be easy. A part of him had hoped it would; that all his training would make the six attacking Endermen go down quickly. But they were fast, and had clearly been training as well. Sometimes, right as he thought he would lay a good blow, the Enderman would be gone, only to appear behind him and charge. Their angered screams and growls alerted him to their position, but more then once he felt a heavy blow to his back and knew his enchanted armor had saved his life from claws that could have slashed him in half with ease. He was very, very glad to have his armor.

One of the four males charged him, screaming his rage. Evan finally got a hit in, his sword digging into one of the Endermen's sides. The Ender leapt away with a screech of pain, his side bleeding. He pulled the sword out before the Enderman teleported away, the wound already healing. Evan frowned. Small blows like that would do nothing; not with the Enderman's natural healing ability!

He heard another cry of pain, as another injured Enderman staggered back from Vyyr. Vyyr snarled and lunged again, and the two were soon locked in battle. Teeth snapped, claws slashed, and blood was spilled on both ends. Vyyr showed little reaction to the hits he got; they didn't distract him. The old Enderman had a high pain tolerance from living a lifetime of pain. That served to be his opponent's undoing. Not distracted by claws buried in his side, Vyyr's sharp teeth snapped into the other male's throat.

The younger Enderman thrashed and screamed in his grip, but that only increased the damage being done. Blood gushed from the throat wound, running down Vyyr's chin and chest. The damage done, Vyyr dropped him. The Ender's breath gurgled with blood as his slender body hit the ground. He thrashed for a few more moments before he went still. His body did not remain for long; it started to dissolve into shining, purple flecks of light which floated into the air and vanished. Before long, there was nothing left but a faintly glowing green pearl laying in a pool of black blood in the chest of a black skeleton. Vyyr paid no attention to his fallen opponent's Heartstone; he was too busy fending off another attacker with fangs and claws.

Five against six had just become five against five. The odds had just gotten slightly better.

There was some nervousness in all but the scar-handed Enderfemme at the fall of the young male, but it passed quickly with snarled orders from her. They were not to stand down. The scarred one was a worthy sacrifice to appease the Dragon. He fought like a demon.

The attack from the five had a renewed rage as they came at them once again. Evan had to think fast. He was on his toes as he dodged and blocked claws left and right. He dodged another slash of claws, before he finally had an idea. He had to disarm his opponent somehow. His sword went down on his attacker's arm. He put all his strength, and weight into it.

The attacking Enderman let out a horrible scream of pain as he clutched at his arm, which was now missing a hand. Evan felt a pang as he saw it; even if this creature was trying to kill him he couldn't help but feel almost... cruel, for cutting its hand off. But, it was only half armed now. And distracted. He swung his sword again, aiming at its neck. The Enderman tried to dodge, but, being in a haze of pain, he wasn't fast enough. The sword bit into his neck, blood splattered over Evan's face and head. The Enderman clutched at his neck with his good hand and screamed bloody murder. The sound actually hurt to hear. Evan brought the sword back, and swung again, cutting off two more fingers, and cutting deeper into the Enderman's neck. Blood gushed from his neck, and severed fingers. The Enderman crumpled like a bag of bricks. He screamed his pain until the screams gurgled and choked off. Like the one Vyyr had taken out, his body dissolved, leaving nothing but his Heartstone and skeleton. Evan almost felt sick at the sight, but it had been necessary. All that stuff about battle being "Glorious" and "Heroic" was bullshit. He didn't feel heroic at all after killing the Enderman.

Two down, four to go.

Next, there was a heart-stopping howl – deep, and long, as the bleeding and enraged Luka started to change forms. He was locked in battle with the other Enderfemme, and her claws had slashed into his side. She had somehow managed to knock his armor off by slashing at the leather strapping. His body grew larger, his face twisting, until it became a powerful wolfish muzzle armed with razor-sharp canid teeth. His ears went from rounded and human to pointed and lupine as their position changed from the side of his head to the top. Thick, rusty red fur sprouted along his entire body. His body hardened into powerful muscles as he crouched where he had shifted. His wounds healed as is heels pushed up and his feet turned to large claw-bearing paws. His hands formed pawpads and huge claws. As the changes completed, he stood to his full height, almost as tall as the Enderfemme he faced. He tilted his head back, and let out another long, loud, terrifying howl.

The Enderfemme before him froze in shock at the sight, staggering back and landing on her rear. She had NOT expected the short human to suddenly grow into something so much larger, so quickly. She teleported just in time to avoid huge, lupine claws that could have easily slashed her slim body in half. Her eyes were wide with sudden shock and fear. The wolf was upon her in moments with terrible snarls and snapping teeth. She could do nothing but run and dodge and hope she could avoid being torn to pieces by the beast. She teleported and attacked, but the wolf easily whipped around to meet her on each charge she made. When her claws left bloody tracks on his back, it only enraged the huge beast more. He let out a roar that shook the ground and her eyes widened in terror. One smack of his massive paw sent her flying. There was a sickening crunch as she slammed into a tree, then hit the ground with a thud. The impact was so powerful that the tree shook. Judging by the sound produced when she hit the tree, and the fact that she couldn't get up, her back had been broken on impact. She gasped and panicked as the wolf stood over her. Screaming bloody murder and thrashing with what little movement she had left. She tried to get away, digging her claws into the ground and attempting to drag herself away. She knew she was beaten but she had to try. Luka snarled deep on his chest, every tooth in his mouth visible, before his huge paw smacked the side of her head. There was another sickening crack as her neck snapped from the blow and she went limp. Moments later her body dissolved.

Three down.

The last three, though, were much tougher. Two males, old and strong... and Kuu's mother. And she was furious. Three of her comrades had been killed in this battle. They would pay... all of them would pay! She motioned to the two survivors, the two teleporting to her side as they regrouped. It gave Vyyr and Kuu time to tend to their own wounds and heal, as well as the big wolf. The Kitsune was barely winded; the Ender she had been fighting was exhausted as he lay and lick his wounds beside his leader sheepishly. He could tell he'd been damaged enough that he would be scarring.

She knew they were outnumbered. She lifted her hands to the sky, her head going back as she chanted in their strange tongue, praying to the dragon to lend her its strength; for its spirit of vengeance to become her own.

Vyyr froze. It was.. working. The scent of the dragon grew strong around her as her aura turned reddish. The scent of dragon made the old Enderman freeze to the spot, his eyes wide as if he was a deer caught in the headlights of oncoming traffic. He was shaking.

She let out a horrible scream of rage, and triumph. Victory would be hers! The Dragon was on her side now! The arm band with the medallion glowed as the two Endermen on either side started to glow as well. Their wounds healed.

There was a long, loud, shared battlecry, mimicking the roar of a dragon, as the three charged. And now, they were even more dangerous. Gaining the power of a Dragon, the three Endermen were tougher, stronger, faster... And now they could breathe fire.

Evan swore. This was NOT good! Kuu gasped, but didn't back down. Moonshimmer narrowed her eyes.

"Should have expected as much." She said, flicking her tails.

Everything was thrown to chaos as the three Endermen renewed their attack. Snarls, growls, roars, slashing fangs and claws, and flashes of burning flames.

Luka snarled and snapped, but yelped his his fur was burnt by a blast of fire from the Enderman attacking him. He'd been able to kill that other one with ease, but this one dodged his every snap and slash, and kept annoying him with slashes of claws. The wolf howled and threw his head back as the Enderman leapt onto his back, claws digging in. He howled louder as a blast of fire burnt the back of his head. Ears pinned back, he thrashed and bucked like a wild bull, yellow eyes burning.

"GET OFF!" The huge werewolf roared, swiping at the Enderman on his back. He felt another stab of pain at the back of his head, followed by a heavy blow. He howled and snarled, thrashing even harder, but those claws were dug into his flesh, and not dislodging. There were several more blows before the huge wolf crumpled and hit the ground with a grunt. But the Enderman on his back did not go in for the kill. He jumped off, before giving his head two more hard blows for good measure. He turned his attention on Moonshimmer, who snarled. Her silvery body wreathed in foxfire, she charged with snapping fangs.

Vyyr still hadn't moved. His eyes were wide, his form frozen to the spot. He was breathing hard. Moonshimmer swore and snapped her sharp teeth into his arm.

"SNAP OUT OF IT!" The fox growled fiercely.

Vyyr's body jerked, then shook off the daze just in time to see another Ender lunging at him. He snarled and met his attack with a clatter of claws.

Moonshimmer kept dodging and snapping at the big male on her trail until he finally got fed up. The fox let out a sharp yip as he finally got a blow in and kicked her furiously on the side of her head. She whined, then crumpled, unconscious, to the ground.

Evan swore repeatedly, as he and Vyyr faced off against the other. It was taking all the strength he and Vyyr had to hold him off, and Vyyr was starting to get more and more small injuries. To the point where his natural regenerative powers were starting to slow. Evan was bleeding in a few places. His helmet had been knocked away, and he'd lost a gauntlet.

What was worse, the dragonfire weakened the enchantment on his armor. Ender claws had gotten through it in two places, and he could feel the hot, sticky blood flowing. It was making movement harder.

Kuu fared no better. His mother seemed to be taunting and mocking him, circling and lunging. She had Kuu at her mercy, and as much as Evan wanted to get to his side he was unable to. The Enderman he was fighting didn't give him a moment of respite. Finally, Vyyr managed to lay a fatal blow on the one he fought. The Enderman collapsed with a scream as the Dragon-glow left his body, and flowed into the other two, strengthening them.

Vyyr and Evan quickly attacked the other remaining male. Kuu wouldn't stand a chance against two, no matter how valiantly he fought.

Vyyr attacked from one side, and Evan from the other. Their every move was met, every blow blocked. The Enderman was barely in control of his own body. His eyes were like the eyes of a dragon. And every glance at him only enraged him more, that red aura around him growing brighter and stronger. Evan dodged a flash of fire, before he heard Vyyr let out a grunt.

Oh how quickly the tides had turned... at first, they had been on a roll. Three of the six had been killed fairly quickly. But now... the remaining three had grown ten times stronger, and fiercer then they had been before; and he, Vyyr, and Kuu were the only ones standing. Even the werewolf had been knocked out. His tongue stuck out from between his jaws, bleeding. He'd bitten it as he came down.

They had killed one of the dragon-strengthened Endermen, but it had only added to the strength of the other two.

Vyyr was struggling now, bleeding in many places, but still fighting viciously. Evan rushed in to his aid. Vyyr snarled as he latched onto his opponant's throat. He received a barrage of heavy blows to his head, but refused to let go.

Evan lunged and slammed his sword down into the attacker's back. He put all his strength and weight into the blow. The Enderman screamed in agony as the sword impaled him. The movement caused him to jerk a bit, sending a spurt of blood over Vyyr's face.

Evan realized, though, that Vyyr was unconscious. He'd been knocked out with his fangs still latched in the dying Enderman's throat. Both went down, though only the enemy dissolved into little purple sparks of light. Evan realized that they were all alive; none of them had been killed. He remembered what Vyyr had said... They wanted them alive.

The scar-handed female shrieked in pure rage as she realized that she was the last one left standing. The Dragon-glow rushed into her, and her shriek truly was a dragon's scream of rage.

Her voice rose, and she chanted once again. Praying to the Dragon.

Then... something frightening, horrible, and entirely unexpected happened.

Energy so strong that even Evan could feel the buzz of power on the air started to build up as her form started to change. A tail sprouted from her rear, as her body grew larger. Her neck lengthened as her mouth opened wide. Her face stretched out, until she had a draconic muzzle. Scales appeared on her skin, glittering in the moonlight. Her claws grew even longer as her scream turned into a horrible roar. Standing before them was no longer an Ender... but a twisted monster; half Ender, half Dragon.

She threw her head back as a blast of fire streaked into the sky. Then, she looked at them. Her eyes were no longer purple, but burning red with trails of red flowing back and framing her face.

She didn't need a translation pendant for Evan to understand what she said. The Dragon's magic made her words very clear.

'You have not only caused my Colony to fall, but now you and your friends have killed my companions!' She shrieked in rage. 'I now have the form of the Dragon! I will take the sacrifice in Her place!' She lowered her head, her glare vicious and cruel. 'You, little traitor, will DIE at our claws and I will crush your Heartstone under our feet! Your friend will watch you die, and he, and the others, will be fed to Her!' She dropped into a crouch with another long, loud Ender's howl.

Evan felt Kuu quiver in fear beside him as his own heart practically leapt into his throat. He would have never, in a thousand years, expected something like this. It was like the stuff from his worst childhood nightmares was here, solid, physical... and charging him and his friend, with the intent to kill.

And they had to face her. They were the only two left standing. If they ran, Vyyr, Luka, and Moonshimmer would all die. They had to fight her... and they had to win.