Lily was up at the crack of dawn doing stretches and sharpening the sword her mother had given her. Mal soon arrived, looking excited, to help her into her armor. The blonde dragon was bouncing on her toes as she strapped Lily into the suit of red leather made to look like dragon scales. It was also imbued with a protection enchantment so it was difficult to break or damage. Light armor was all she'd ever practiced with and she didn't want to be weighed down.
"Remember your training." Mal instructed her as she pulled back Lily's hair in a simple style to keep it out of her face. "You are quicker and more agile than you believe yourself to be. Remember, you are a dragon. You are stronger and faster than every person on that field. Use your strengths. These soldiers are enemies, who will not hesitate to take your life. Destroy each and every one of them."
Lily nodded. "I got it."
"I know, but this will be a real battle, my love. These are real people trying to really kill you. Always aim to kill in return."
"Got it." Lily took a deep breath to calm her rapidly beating heart.
"This is your first true battle. Take care not to lose yourself in it."
She wasn't sure what her mother meant but she nodded anyway. Mal wasn't wearing any armor. She was wearing a long black dress similar to the ones she usually wore, but this one had pieces of leather and metalwork across the bust and abdomen. Her mother didn't really need much protection. She doubted anyone would be able to get close enough to her to do any damage anyway.
"I'm a little nervous." Lily whispered.
"Why?" Mal asked, taking her hands. "You are a better fighter than you think and you were born to do this. Battle is in your blood."
"I get that, but-"
"Your mothers and I will be there with you. You'll do fine." Mal was so sure, so certain, so calm. There was no fear in her eyes, only pride. "If you would like to sit out-"
"No!" Lily exclaimed, surprising them both. "I just…I'm nervous. I want to do more than fine."
Mal touched her cheek. "I know you will. And I know that your mothers and I may have heaped a lot of expectations onto you and I don't want you to think that you are less because of them. I don't mean to make you feel that way. You are amazing as you are."
"I know. I guess I just want to be worthy of-"
"No." Mal said firmly. "You don't need to be worthy of anything. You are perfect as you are. That will never change. Hell, ask your mother and she will tell you the same thing."
"Ask your mother what?" Both women turned to the tent entrance as Reina stepped in. Her other mother looked stunning in an iridescent purple top that matched the color of her scales. The sleeves were long, nearly reaching her thighs and her top had a long tail that touched the ground. A matching cape trailed the ground after her. Black pants, black boots, a huge diamond necklace that went halfway up her neck and a silver circlet completed her ensemble.
Once Mal explained what they were talking about, Reina instantly frowned. "I don't care how well you do, just stay alive. Okay?"
"Yes ma'am." Lily smiled as both of her mothers came to hug her. Their confidence and steadiness was reassuring and she was grateful for it. It helped to calm her nerves.
"Good, now let's go kill some dragon slayers."
Lily followed them out of the tent. The war camp was alive with activity. As they walked to Nyla's tent, she spotted people sharpening weapons and putting on armor. Some were praying and others were painting themselves in vibrant colors. She glimpsed Rao eating a bowl of stew. He waved at her and she waved back, wondering how he could eat just before a battle.
Inside Nyla's tent, she was leaning over a table with a large map spread over it. She was suited up in her golden, jeweled encrusted armor. Regina was next to her, dressed more modestly in a simple black suit of leather. Zelena, Merlin and the generals were also present, all geared up and ready to go. Except for Kallia and Diaval. Kallia wasn't a warrior and Lily knew Diaval spent more time in the air than on the battlefield.
"Kator will want a meeting. A parlay before battle. They know their end has come." Nyla said. "They know their stupid plan failed and thanks to Merlin, they have no escape. I will bring the fucking sky down on their heads." Galu let out an excited shout, bouncing on his toes. Nyla smirked at him before continuing. "Mal, Lily, Reina, Regina, you all will join me for the parlay. We all know what the outcome of that will be so afterwards, I want to put on a show. I want my full army standing ready to rush the gates at my command. I want Kator to see them. Mal, Lily, and Reina will join me in the sky. They inadvertently brought three more dragons to destroy their own civilization. I want them to see us…before we rain fire down on their heads. I will punch a hole and the rest of our people will follow me through." She leaned down towards the map. "Mal, anything we need to watch out for?"
Mal pointed out a small pass to the east of the castle. "One of the kings used this to escape the first time. It took half a day to hunt him down."
"Then we'll send a party to intercept them. How many men did he have with him?"
"A few hundred. Almost all cavalry, if I remember correctly."
"I will take care of him." Reina volunteered. Nyla and Regina both looked surprised at this.
"May I ask why?" Nyla asked.
"Mal and I discussed it." Reina answered. "As powerful as I am, I am still not at 100%. And I have my unborn children to think about. Mal will be fine, but I will be taking extra precaution. Also, this way, I get to kill a king." She smirked. "I will be adding Kingslayer to my list of titles."
"I will go with her." Galu said. "We have a bet."
"Alright then. I will have a contingent of men make for the pass immediately. You two will meet them there. When we have secured the city, we will send word and you can join us then. The rest of you have your orders. Zelena, Merlin, if you wish to join us, have fun but leave us enough to wet our own blades."
"I will try." Zelena replied.
Nyla looked around the room. "Any questions?" There were none. "Then let's begin."
After that was a bit of a blur of motion as everyone readied themselves for battle. It was Regina who led Lily to a quiet spot to help her saddle up a horse. It was a strong mare with a dark brown coat. Regina was silent as they worked, her hands steady and sure. It also helped to ground Lily a bit. Her mothers were so safe, so self assured that it was shocking sometimes. Then again, all of this was nothing new to them.
A horn sounded in the distance and they mounted up. It took a while to maneuver their way through the army to join Nyla at the forefront. Regina gave Lily an encouraging nod before they rode forward to meet for the parlay. By now the dragon's army was in position, a sea of warriors chomping at the bit to begin the attack. She ignored her nerves as she followed her mothers. A man dressed in fine grabs with a huge golden crown rode out to meet them. He was accompanied by a dozen guards who all kept their hands on their swords, as if expecting an ambush.
"Maleficent." The king sneered. "Today is the day this ends. Leave now."
Nyla's eyebrows rose slightly. "No."
"This is Kator!" The king roared, his face turning red in seconds. "We are dragon slayers! We have almost rid the whole world of your kind. You will just be another beast to add to our list. Your skull will adorn our throne room as a testament to our might! We will make saddles from your hide and spears from your teeth. We will tear you to pieces and use you to make our kingdom stronger. Your people will be slaughtered or enslaved. And you will be nothing. Your line will end here and no one will ever remember your name."
Lily had to force herself not to throw herself at the bastard and ring his neck.
"Are you done?" Mal asked.
"And who are you?"
"I'm Maleficent." The king's eyes narrowed as he glanced between Mal and Nyla. "It's true. You see, your Maleficent here was taken to the future due to a magical mishap, a boy playing with magic he didn't understand. That is where she found me. Several hundred years older and stronger. And you and the other kings sent slayers after her and tasked them with slaughtering all dragons. They attacked me, my mate, my child and my friends. They are all dead now. Do you know what all of this means?" It finally seemed to click for the king just how fucked Kator was.
"Would you like to know the future of your precious kingdom?" Mal asked, continuing before he could answer. "I annihilate all of you. I tear your entire kingdom apart, piece by piece. I demolish your walls and scatter the stones across the Enchanted Forest. I turn your homes to ash and cinder and scorch the earth so hard nothing will ever grow here again. No one will ever build here again. The kingdom of Kator has fallen from memory. It is but a footnote in my epic. The only thing anyone remembers about any of you is that I destroyed you. And now, I get to do it all over again."
Nyla let out a soft growl as she rode a few steps forward. "You like to brag about slaughtering dragons, smashing their eggs, and enslaving my people… You brought this on yourself. We know that you cannot run and there is nowhere you will be able to hide. We will roll over this entire kingdom and by the end of the day, you and the other kings will be dead. So go, tell your kings and your army that their doom is upon them."
The king looked distraught for a moment before spinning his horse around and taking off with his men.
"He's the one who tries to run." Mal said.
"We'll give him half an hour to send word." Nyla turned around. "Join me in the sky."
Lily got back to the army and dismounted. Roza stepped forward to take the reins of her horse. "Thanks."
"No problem, Princess."
She moved back, as did the warriors, to shift into dragon form. Her shift was seamless and she felt a little proud of herself that she had improved so much since the day she came to Storybrooke. Nyla was already in the air by the time the smoke that accompanied their shape changing had dispersed. Reina followed suit, launching herself off of Mal's back. Lily threw her wings down, leaping into the air to follow them. Cheers went up from her mother's people as they flew around, showing off their aerial prowess and power to their enemy. Kator had brought three more dragons to destroy them and she could only imagine what they were feeling right now. Probably shitting themselves. The bastards. It'll teach them to try and gut her.
When she tired of flying, she landed in front of the army and Regina walked towards her, holding a rabbit. "I assume you didn't eat anything. You'll want the energy."
Lily nodded eagerly, opening her mouth and catching the rabbit she tossed up. She felt some kind of magic explode across her tongue and energy flooded her limbs. She felt like running a marathon! Regina gave her a smile and returned to her place next to Zelena. Lily anxiously bounced, waiting for her mother's signal. Nyla was true to her word and waited half an hour before she rejoined her people.
"Lilith!" Nyla called.
Lily transformed back into a human and joined her mothers as they reached into a bag that Neera held. She was urged to choose a stone without looking and without letting them see. She did and after a count of three, they showed their stones.
"Yes!" Reina yelled, showing that she was the only one with a black stone.
"What was that for?" Lily asked.
"She gets to break the gates." Mal sighed, ignoring her mate as she placed a smug kiss to her cheek. "Lucky."
"I am." Reina grinned, already turning to go to said gates.
"What's she going to do?" Regina asked.
Mal only shrugged, but she was watching closely. "Prepare to charge."
Reina approached the gates on foot, summoning a shield when the enemy soldiers sought to unleash a volley of arrows at her. Lily could see them scurrying around the wall like cockroaches. However, she knew that whatever Reina planned to do they wouldn't be able to stop it. The Evil Queen was known for her go big or go home strategies and she was not merciful. These people had attacked her family, so their lives were forfeit anyway.
When she was close enough to the gates, Reina stopped and raised her hand towards it. For a few seconds, nothing happened. Then there was a bright flash and the eruption of fire that blasted from Reina's palm obliterated the gates and anything in its path. It seemed like the whole world shook from the weight of the explosion. A stunned silence reigned over the army watching.
Finally, Reina turned around and opened her arms. "What are you waiting for?! Do I get to have all the fun?"
Nyla took a step forward and the entire army surged forward with her. Lily took off, her mother's energy rabbit allowing her to keep up with the more seasoned warriors. It was exhilarating! Blood roared in her ears, fighting to drown out the excited screams of the army. Nyla was in the very front, practically running like a super soldier. By the time they reached the gates, Reina had swept away the rubble and the smoke, opening the way for them to pass and they surged through, slamming into the army that awaited them on the other side.
Lily found herself a bit overwhelmed almost instantly. She struggled to sync her mother's lessons with the actual battle. There was so much noise. People were screaming, swords were clashing. As before, it wasn't hard to win a sword fight with the Kator'i soldiers, but there were so many, attacking from all sides. She wondered how her mothers did this. Two of them were doing it while pregnant! Maybe she wasn't ready for this. Maybe she wasn't a true dragon like Mal and Nyla. It took only a second for her to lose focus and the next thing she knew, a shield slammed into the side of her face. Everything spun and she landed in the dirt. She tasted blood in her mouth and her jaw throbbed in pain.
/
It had been a long time since Regina was able to really let go, to act without worrying about whether anyone would think less of her or worry about her turning back into a villain. To the heroes, she was either too hard or too fragile. Right now, she didn't care if she was too hard on these bastards. She fought side by side with Nya, both of them cutting through their enemies with ease. She was nearby when she saw Lily get hit with the shield. Her stomach dropped when Lily hit the ground and didn't get up. Nyla followed her gaze and both took off together towards their child. Nyla snarled as she was almost taken off her feet by an attacking soldier and Regina was set upon by half a dozen more and she had to focus on dispatching them before she could get to Lily. A few well placed fireballs slew half of them quickly. The fourth and fifth received two quick slashes across the face and the last received an ax to the face. Regina looked over her shoulder to find the thrower and her eyebrows shot up when she saw it was Lily.
Something had changed. Lily's eyes were glowing bright gold. Another ax appeared in her hand as she went on the attack, striking out at any soldier that dared to face her or didn't move out of her way fast enough. She moved with a ferocity that was almost animalistic and she utilized her dragon strength and speed in a way she never had before.
Nyla laughed. "They woke the dragon."
Lily's rampage only spurred the others around her to fight harder and Regina and Nyla joined her. They had to keep pushing forward and she felt a bit of satisfaction in doing so. She occasionally glimpsed Mal, fighting with a pair of blades and sending men flying with fireballs that seemed to explode on impact. The dragon was splattered with blood but she didn't care. Regina liked to think she was enjoying herself.
It took some time to get to the castle, even after defeating the first wave of soldiers. Nyla simply blasted through the next gate in dragon form, setting fire to any and everything she saw while trampling through the enemy lines, making way for her army to take advantage of the chaos.
Regina chose not to join the charge and noticed Mal slip into an abandoned house so she followed. "Mal? You okay?"
The dragon picked up a fallen chair and sat down with a huff. "Fine. Getting tired."
"Getting?" Regina held out her arm and showed that it was trembling a bit. "I'm not going to be able to feel my sword arm tomorrow."
Mal laughed, hearty and deep. "It's a good thing you have magic."
"Did you see Lily?" Regina walked over to a cupboard and opened it, finding a jug of water. She would've preferred wine but that was probably a bad idea as the battle wasn't over. She found a cup and used magic to make it a little colder before pouring some for the pregnant dragon.
"Thank you and yes. I knew she was always holding back, fighting her instincts. It'll be difficult to bring her out of it. The first battle is always the most invigorating."
"Should we be worried about Reina then?" Regina asked, holding out a hand to help Mal back to her feet.
"If Reina were on a rampage, we would know it."
"True."
She followed Mal back out into the streets and found Diaval waiting for them. "Status report, Mistress?" He asked with a salute. Mal smiled and nodded.
"Reina and Galu are in position to intercept the fleeing king. We've broken through their second defense in the plaza and many have retreated to the final stand in the keep. Half of the army is cleaning up the pockets along the side streets. The uh, other Maleficent and Lilith have taken the rest and are continuing the push."
Regina was momentarily shocked. "Already?"
"Aye, yes, ma'am. Our queen seems especially fired up today. The others have been ready to attack for over a month now."
"Thank you, Diaval." Mal said. Diaval bowed and shifted into a crow, taking off again to keep watch over the battlefield.
"Is this the way you led this battle?" Regina asked.
"No. While I was reckless and hungry for glory, this battle took all day. At this rate, we'll be done by the afternoon."
"And that doesn't concern you?"
"Not really, so long as we win."
Regina followed Mal back into the fray, eventually joining Neera's regiment in clearing out the pockets of resistance to secure the city. She was a bit surprised that Mal wasn't in the front with Nyla. The dragon was still a beast of war, slaying any who stood in her way with a vicious smile on her face, but pregnancy seemed to be slowing her down. So Regina guarded her back, fighting side by side with her like she'd never gotten to before.
It was exhilarating. It was simple. Just fight.
/
For Lily, it was the same. Only she finally felt…awake. Every touch, every sound, every smell was magnified. It was like her blood was singing? Everything hit her all at once and rather than being discombobulated or overwhelmed, she felt…good. She stopped overthinking and just fought and she lost count of how many fell before her. She joined the thick of the fighting, side by side with Nyla, smashing through the enemy lines again and again. They just could not stop the rampaging pair.
Finally, they arrived at the last door. The castle was locked down now although Lily was pretty sure that they'd done that earlier and left their soldiers locked out to face the coming storm. Nyla directed the army to regroup and catch their breaths before the final assault. Kator had no more magic wards so they had no barriers to keep them from just blowing open the doors the way they'd done the gates.
Lily leaned against a wall and felt Nyla's hand on her shoulder. "I'm fine."
"Here." The older dragon conjured her a water skin and she quickly drank all of it. Her mother chuckled and patted her back. "You have done well today. I'm proud of you."
"Thank you." Lily blinked a few times and took a deep breath. She still felt like she was full of energy. "Does this go away?"
"Yes. It probably won't be until tonight."
"Is this another dragon thing? Is this how you feel all the time? I feel wired. I feel a little crazy." She said, looking around. Everything was a little brighter, a little sharper.
Nyla laughed again. "It happens during your first true battle. Dragons are born and bred for the fight. It is one of the reasons we are such great warriors. Eventually it won't be so jarring. Sex is an excellent way to top it off when you're done fighting."
"What?"
Nyla gestured to Roza as she approached, just as covered in blood as they were. Her mother moved away to address the army and Lily quickly straightened up.
"It seems you have won." Roza smirked.
"Cheater!" Both of them looked up at Rao sitting on the roof.
"That was unintentional." Lily said. "I didn't really even start counting."
"That's fine." Roza shrugged with a smile. "We never talked about a prize, did we?"
Lily's eyebrows shot upwards. "Oh? Is there something you wanted?"
"There is." She stepped a little closer, glancing at Lily's lips. "But we can discuss it later."
"Why wait?" Lily asked. Roza only smiled in reply, glancing once again at her lips. "Have you seen Tor and Phineas?"
"I haven't seen Tor since the first charge. Phineas is with your other mother clearing out the city. He's on 43."
"And you?"
"67." She held up her sword and Lily could see why Mal wanted to add it to her vault. It was a beautiful blade. Half of it was dark steel and the other half sparkled like it was made of diamond. The blood seemed to run off of it. It truly was a work of art. The ground suddenly shook and they heard roaring in the distance. "Who was that?"
"One of the moms destroying the city." She knew it was Mal's roar. They went back to the army that was reforming and regrouping in the street. Lily stopped to watch Nyla giving out commands, the warriors parting around her as she moved. She wondered when she would be able to be like that. Her mothers were so confident and self assured it was crazy. They commanded respect and awe from everyone around them. Not just because they were royal or dragons, but because of who they were. To draw that kind of inspiration was something she felt she hadn't learned yet.
"You okay?" Regina asked, appearing next to her. "Morning, Roza."
"Good morning, your majesty."
"I'm fine. Where's Mom?"
"She's fine, just destroying some things. Scaring off the rest of the peasantry."
There was more waiting as Diaval returned to report to Nyla. Whatever she heard, she seemed to like it because she hurried back to the front of the army where Lily, Roza and Regina waited. A few moments later, Mal appeared as well.
"It is time." Nyla said, conjuring another bag. She had them pull stones again. This time, Regina won.
"Fuck you and Reina." Mal growled. Lily laughed as they walked back to the army.
"Move back a street, Sore Loser." Regina called.
The army retreated further back and Regina held up her hands. As she was behind her, Lily couldn't see what she was doing, but she expected it to be a power move of some sort. If only just to outdo Reina. It took a minute for her to cast her spell. The explosion came out of nowhere, blasting the great doors apart and taking much of the castle wall with it. There was a group of men standing behind it and several of them broke rank to try and run. However, there was nowhere to go but further into the castle. Regina sent a fireball into their midst that scattered them and broke through their lines. In the resulting chaos, the dragon army began to storm the castle. Lily chose to stay with her mothers. They walked into the castle of Kator like they owned it while their army swarmed any defenses they came across. The enemy couldn't do anything against the combined magic of Regina, Mal and Nyla. They were just outmatched.
"This battle seems so easy." Lily said, looking around the impressive castle.
"Merlin took out most of their magical defenses." Mal reminded her. "In my time, they had shields and wards galore."
Nyla held up her fist as they came to another large set of doors. The army stopped and Lily was surprised when a figure crept through them to approach. "Thought you'd been found out."
"Me?" Andromeda scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous."
"What do they have?"
"They have archers aimed at the doors. The men they have left are elites. Soldiers and a few dragon slayers but they're something else."
"Meaning?"
"I mean the kings gave them some kind of magic potion that's supposed to make them equal to dragons."
"What?!"
"That's new." Mal muttered. "And they didn't give any to you?"
"I was removed from my position when I came back empty handed." Andromeda shrugged. "Doesn't matter. They sent most of the dragon slayers to their deaths in your town."
Nyla was quiet as she thought for a moment. "Is the rest of the castle empty?"
"Yeah, most of the people were evacuated when your friend shattered their wards and anyone left went with one of the kings. He took an armed guard to run-"
"We're aware. He'll be dead soon." Nyla took a look around before making her decision. "Alright. We'll split the army. Where are Merlin and Zelena?" Regina made a hand motion and her fingers lit up green before the two in question appeared nearby. "I want both of you to take a hundred men and use the halls on either side of the great hall. I want you to bring down the walls. Be wary. The enemies inside are magically enhanced. The kings gave them some kind of potion."
"On it." Zelena said. She and Merlin moved down the halls, the men following them without being told.
"Regina, I want a shield up as soon as I open these doors. Lily, hang back. Mal, with me. No one touches the kings!"
Lily nodded, pulling out her ax again. She wasn't afraid of the magically enhanced. She was sure that training with her mother was more intimidating.
Nyla approached the doors and blasted them open with a large fireball. Regina activated her shield a moment after, stopping the barrage of arrows that met them. The entire room shook, dust showering everyone as Merlin and Zelena tore down the walls. "Charge!" Lily held her ground against the wave of bodies throwing themselves into battle. Roza and Rao appeared at her side. A good number of the army hung back as well. The great hall was large but they couldn't all fit inside and do battle at the same time. It was good that she did because the kings had sent a small contingent to outflank the dragon army. As soon as she heard them coming down the hall, Lily ordered what was left of the army to form up, but she didn't expect the enemy to come through the wall. She teleported to avoid the falling rubble and her jaw dropped at the sight of the tall man or creature that had taken her place. He was hairless and muscular with veins glowing blue beneath his skin and threatening to burst. Patches of scales covered his arms and bare chest but they were flaking off, leaving open sores in their place. She surmised that this was the result of whatever concoction the kings had forced their soldiers to drink. He grabbed the nearest man and snapped his neck with one hand.
Lily growled and threw her ax. He moved at the last second and suddenly took off towards her, pushing and throwing anyone in his way. She conjured another ax and ran to meet him.
/
"Where the hell is he?" Reina hissed, watching Galu pace around her. She wanted to pace as well, but she had been commanded not to overexert herself so she was sitting down in the middle of the trail while the rest of their men hid in the forest.
"Everyone else is having all the fun!" Galu sighed.
"How long is this fucking trail-" Reina sat up instantly when she felt the ground starting to shake. The rumbling was continuous, unlike those that came from Mal destroying the city. "Finally!" Galu let out a shout of happiness. She stood up and he tossed the chair off into the bushes. It was another ten minutes before they finally saw the third king and his royal guard. It was only a couple hundred or so. That wasn't enough to win the bet, but she was going to kill a king. She waved her hand, using magic to scan the group of men. They were all on horseback, as Mal said they would be. As soon as she spotted the king, she teleported him straight to her and magically tied him up. With another wave of her hand, he was tied to a tree nearby moments later. Her next spell was a bit complex. She used magic to cut the tack on all of the horses and with another spell, sent a powerful gust of wind across the small army, knocking the men from the horses as well as the tack and supplies. Run. The horses all took off into the trees, leaving their riders to their doom.
"Now?" Galu asked.
Reina smirked as she threw off her cape and conjured two black swords. "Now! Charge!" Galu screamed as he dashed forward, tackling the first man he saw and slamming his ax into his face. Reina smiled as she deflected a blade and struck out with her own. The dragon in her was practically singing with delight as she carved through her enemies, the bastards who nearly gutted her firstborn. She'd been happy for so long that she'd almost forgotten what it felt like to hate someone so much, to want to destroy them with every fiber of her being. All of this just because they hated dragons? They picked the wrong creature to hunt and hate.
They were making good progress, the Kator'i being hopelessly outmatched without their magical weapons, when she felt it. She turned around, searching, until her eyes met a gaze filled with malice. The man, or creature, it belonged to was barrelling towards her. It towered over everyone else and its veins were glowing bright blue and bulging against its flesh. Some monster Kator had created then?
Reina raised her hand towards it. A flick of her fingers caused the earth to rise just a bit, tripping it and sending it sprawling into the dirt. She quickly ran forward and slammed her hand into its chest and wrenched out its heart. A blast of fire erupted from her palm, incinerating it. It seemed to be dead but she had Galu cut off its head, to be sure.
Only minutes later, she and her people had won the fight. So she turned her attention to the king.
"Please!" He sniveled. "Please! It was not my idea! None of this was! I-"
"Sshh." Reina put a bloody finger to his lips. "Groveling will not save you today, your majesty. You and the other idiots you share your crown with, attacked me and my family. One of your slayers nearly eviscerated my daughter. The moment they did, your life was mine to take." She slowly reached into his chest and pulled out his heart. She ignored his sniveling and squeezed the heart, smirking when he let out a groan of pain. "Cut him loose. Bring him with us. His death will not be quick. We'll take his head when we get back to the castle." She snapped her fingers and one of the horses returned and allowed her to mount him. Galu tossed her the rope the king was tied to and she led the way back to the castle, dragging him behind her and periodically giving the heart a good squeeze.
She was in high spirits when she saw the bright blue ball of fire being fired up ahead. The castle had been taken. It wasn't long before she saw Mal and Lily waiting for her on the trail.
"Are you alright?" Mal asked immediately as she dismounted.
"Don't I look alright?" She replied, looking over Lily. "Neither of you got hurt, did you?"
"I didn't." Mal said.
Lily let out a low growl. "We got attacked by some monsters or something the kings made to take on dragons. One of them broke a few ribs and got me good on the chin, but I killed him."
"The rest we killed with fire." Mal added, rubbing Lily's back.
"Fire? You're telling me these idiots went through the trouble of making a monster capable of killing dragons but didn't make them immune to fire?" She rolled her eyes once again. "Kings of Kator? More like Kings of Stupidity." And with that, she crushed the heart in her hand, killing the third king. "Galu, get his head, please, dear."
"Aye aye, your majesty." Galu saluted and pulled out his ax.
"What now?" Reina asked her mate, ignoring the squelching sound of him removing the head.
"Now, we gloat, we clean up, we celebrate, then we go home." Mal answered.
"In that order?"
"If you'd like to go home, we can do that now."
"No, no, we haven't finished gloating yet. I like that part."
Mal smirked as she put an arm around her. "Then come along, Kingslayer."
Reina grinned at her new title. They returned to the castle and found Nyla sitting on the throne. The other two kings were bound and gagged at her feet. Galu placed the third king's head next to them.
"Kator is finished." Nyla said. "This kingdom is no more. You two," She pointed her sword at the kings. "Will be executed and this castle will be torn down. All that you are will fall away to nothing. You will be forgotten, lost to time. It will be as if you never existed. You failed." She gestured to Mal. "We still live and one day, dragons will fill the sky again." She smirked when they started struggling and trying to yell. "A hundred years from now, even I will have forgotten your names, your appearances. All you will be is just the Kings of Kator and even that will only be remembered by me. In fact, I will not even add it to my titles, my legacy. That way, this kingdom and everything it stood for will truly be nothing." The kings started screaming again, fighting their restraints. "But make no mistake," Nyla continued as if they were silent. "Every dragon you murdered, every egg you smashed, every dragonling that did not get to grow up, they will be remembered. I will carve their names into your bones. Take them to the courtyard." The kings were dragged while Nyla went out the window to shift into dragon form.
The army gathered on the walls or hung around in the doorways leading into the castle to watch the execution. The courtyard might've once been beautiful, full of flowers and small fruit trees, but that was gone now. There was nothing left but rubble and burnt bushes. Nyla swept most of it away with her tail before she sat down. Reina joined Mal on the walls.
"You okay?" She whispered to her mate.
"Why wouldn't I be?" Mal asked, flicking an eyebrow at her.
"To see this again, to have to fight these people again… I just want to make sure you're okay."
Mal put an arm around her again, pulling her close. "I hate Kator. I hate everything they stood for. I hate that so many dragons had to die for their ambitions. I hate that they almost took Lily away from us. I don't care if I must destroy these bastards a hundred times. Each one is worth it."
"I love you." Reina said, looking lovingly up at the beautiful blonde that had captured her heart.
"I love you too."
Reina hardly heard Nyla sentencing the kings to death by dragon fire. She hardly heard the cheers of the people around them. All she saw was the shining blue eyes of the woman she adored. The woman she'd seen rip through half an army on her own while pregnant. This goddess among women. The love of her life. Mal noticed her staring and she arched an eyebrow, silently asking if everything was okay.
"I need you. Now."
Mal's other eyebrow rose to match her other one and the corner of her lip curled into a sly smirk. She teleported them away, back to their tent at the war camp and created a powerful barrier to keep others from prying. They cleaned themselves of blood and sweat with another spell and Reina all but tore the armor from her mate's body, a new, desperate hunger burning within her to claim her again. Mal surprised her by suddenly pinning her to the bed, a hand clasped to her throat. Reina froze, licking her lips and watching as Mal slowly drew her nails down her neck, through her cleavage and across her stomach.
"If we were not already pregnant, we certainly would be after this." Mal grinned.
/
After a few delicious hours of lovemaking, Mal and Reina made ready to leave. They were newly dressed and exhausted when most of the war party returned with their spoils. Lily was leading the way, bouncing around Nyla and Regina with eyes that had not lost their golden glow. Mal knew at once that she had been hit by the bug that affected all young dragons, to see and do everything, to fight and build a hoard. Staying would be good for her.
"You're leaving already?" Nyla asked. "Before the celebration?" Lily and Regina looked concerned as well, but Mal only nodded.
"This has been fun, my dear, but we are both tired. A long rest is in order. Besides, we will also have to prepare your new homes for you."
"You'll probably just be getting the base for a part of the town." Reina added. "You and Regina can worry about the details." She reached out to Lily, pulling her into her arms for a quick, crushing hug. Lily returned the embrace in equal measure, both of them purring up a storm. "Be safe. Fight well. Learn as much as you can."
"I will, Mom."
"Make sure you come back to us."
"I promise I will."
Mal smiled as she moved in for a hug as well. She didn't really need to say anything to her child to let her know how much she will be missed. She wasn't worried though. She glanced up just in time to hear Reina threatening Nyla and Regina and she felt Lily laugh in response. Finally, Lily stepped away, discreetly wiping one of her eyes.
"We will celebrate when you come back." Mal promised her. "And you can tell me all about your adventures and the things you've learned. Show me the hoard you've built as well." Lily nodded. "Who knows, in a few years, after we have the dragonings, we can go raid the Enchanted Forest again. As a family."
"I think the Enchanted Forest has had enough of the Dragon Queen and the Evil Queen." Regina said.
Mal chuckled softly. "Agreed. There are other worlds we could visit."
"You want to become Dragon Vikings?" Lily smirked. "I kinda like it."
Mal looked at Regina. She could see a bit of worry in the brunette's eyes. She clearly wanted to stay but she also wanted to return to her son and there was no telling how the idiots would react to her absence or her decision to leave. She doubted Regina would be gone long enough for them to notice but she knew they would bitch about it anyway. "Be safe, Regina. I'll want to hear about your adventures as well." She glanced at Nyla. "Don't turn her too quickly."
"I can't promise that." Nyla grinned.
Mal smiled before she took on a serious expression. "Protect them."
"Of course."
She said her goodbyes to the rest of her friends and generals, hoping that they too will return to her. She almost laughed at Galu furiously hugging Reina.
"I will protect them for you, Mistress." Diaval promised. Neera saluted next to him and she hugged them as well. Balder, of course, came to pick her up in a bearhug.
Merlin and Zelena finally appeared, opening a portal back to Storybrooke. Mal looked at her child once more and committed her to memory, knowing that the next time she saw Lily, she would not be the same.
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