More time passed, each hour more miserable than the last. Like with the last dragons, Lemur's body had been unceremoniously left behind. Though exhausted, Deathbringer pushed the much smaller group to go ever faster, trying to escape as soon as possible. Glory could only look longingly up at the sky, cursing her injured wing for keeping her grounded. If only she could still fly, she would be safe by now.

But she could seldom risk even looking to the sky. Around them, the monster lurked, constantly shadowing them. They couldn't see it, of course, but they knew it was there. The feeling of eyes observing them never left, and there was a constant shaking of bushes or trees near them that had no other visible explanation. Some was just nerves, she was sure, but at the same time she knew it was out there.

Fortunately, it appeared to be biding its time. Maybe it was just waiting until it was hungry, though, or just plotting a better place to attack from. Or perhaps the encounter with Caiman where it had not simply obtained an easy kill had made it wary—she hoped it was this option.

Caiman himself had come out from the encounter worse for wear, though. In the immediate aftermath of the attack, he'd declared himself fine save for a few scratches, and indeed he'd looked okay. But the longer they went, the less that he seemed so. He was moving slower, trailing behind and struggling to keep up to their pace. His breathing began to get heavy, and Glory saw that he was wincing with each step.

"Are you alright?" she asked him again once he stumbled and fell, pulling himself up from the ground. "You're not looking so good."

"It will take more than a few tears in my scales to take me down," he assured with a face of bravado, and at his word they moved on.

But he didn't get any better, not at all. That first stumble was followed by another, and another. He was looking increasingly unstable on his claws, constantly muttering, slowing their pace as they had to wait up for him, all while waiting for the next attack that could come at any moment. And perhaps most telling, the dragon's signature dark-green scales began to pale into a sickly green, an outward reflection that he could not hide.

Perhaps sensing just how bad the other dragon was, Deathbringer called a rest break. "Five minutes," he told them, clearly uncomfortable, especially after the last break they had. But even so, Glory appreciated the break, and took the chance to sit and get off her tired claws.

Caiman sat next to her, and the Rainwing looked…unfocused, to put it mildly. He was panting heavily, then began to cough. He shivered, body tensing, and she set a comforting wing on his shoulder.

"What's wrong?" Deathbringer asked, coming over and asking Caiman.

The green Rainwing shook his head, "Nothing, I'm fine."

"Don't lie," Deathbringer growled, "Not now. It's not weakness."

Caiman shifted, then groaned. "I'm…I'm not sure. The injuries that thing gave me were minor. I shouldn't…" he winced, "I should be fine."

Glory frowned, her eyes scanning said wounds, finally settling on the bite marks on his shoulder. Then she remembered something. Her heart froze as she turned at looked at Mastermind.

"That thing," she asked him, "You said it was part dragonbite viper. Did it have their venom?"

Mastermind, who like normal was offset from the rest of them, tilted his head in interest. "I…believe it might have, yes," he said carefully, "I don't believe we ever tested that, but it was part of the reason we used the dragonbite viper. Lethal venom is an excellent weapon."

"And you didn't think to emphasize this when Caiman got bitten?" she hissed.

He swished his tail. "It slipped my mind…"

Glory bit back a roar and whipped back around to Caiman. "How are you feeling," she asked, "Could you fly back if you left now?"

"I…" he began to answer, then coughed violently. He wiped his snout and there was blood on his claw. "That's not good…" He looked up at her, and shook his head.

"He can hardly stay on his feet, let alone in the air," Deathbringer brought a claw up to his own face, "And even if he did, we don't have a cure for dragonbite viper venom."

"So, what, he's good as dead?" Glory asked, tears of frustration welling in her eyes, "Unacceptable!"

"Glory," it was Caiman who spoke, setting a claw on hers, "If it's true, then I was dead the second I was bitten."

She shook her head, "No. There has to be something we can do. I'm not losing another dragon. Deathbringer, you can still fly ahead and bring back help. You should do that."

"And leave you out here? I can't do that," he sighed, looking at the dying drake, "I'm sorry, Caiman."

"I know." He coughed again, grimacing, "I just wish I had another chance at that half-snake worm. I almost had him." There was a paused, then the Rainwing grinned grimly, "I have an idea."

Glory blinked away the tears threatening to spill, "What is it?" she asked.

"Let's give this abomination a taste of his own medicine," he hissed, his breath still uneasy, "We'll give him an ambush instead."

Deathbringer tilted his head. "What do you have in mind?"

"If I'm doomed already, I have nothing to lose," Caiman told them, "I'll make a scene, lure it out into the open, maybe even fight it again, if I have to. You conceal yourselves, hide in the bushes if you can. Once you know for certain where it is, Deathbringer, throw a chakram at it and kill the thing. With any luck, it will never even see it coming."

"That…that could work," the assassin nodded. "We'll try to make sure we're upwind, best we can tell. If you can keep its attention, I should be able to get at least one good throw in."

"I still don't think any of this is wise," Mastermind had the gall to speak up, "We should try to capture it, not kill it." He was going to say more, but the glares of all three other dragons silenced him.

"Are you sure?" Glory asked Caiman, "You don't have to this."

"I want to," the Rainwing answered, "Might as well make the most of my situation. Here, help me up. Let me find a good place to make a stand. Let me find a good place to die."

With Deathbringer's help, they hauled him shakily to his feet. He was weak, but there was still enough energy in him to push on, perhaps emboldened by his plan. They continued forward, hoping that the monster was not following them too closely and looking for the perfect place to set their trap.

It wasn't long before they found it. A streambed they came across had a sloping ravine, and there was a large enough embankment that provided an open area that would give a clear line of sight. Putting themselves in some dense bushes with their backs to the ravine should make sure that the creature couldn't flank them from behind, as well as ensure that its attention was funneled to Caiman. At least, that's what Deathbringer told her as they prepared.

Glory colored her scales green to camouflage better as Deathbringer and Mastermind tried to blend into the shadows of the brush. Caiman, however, flashed his scales bright reds and yellows as he stood out in the open. Having so often kept to the unimaginative green himself, Caiman was almost unrecognizable to Glory as he shouted out a challenge.

"Come out, you snake!" he cried, his voice half-breaking as the pain from his wounds shown through, "I'm right here! Face me, you cowardous worm!"

There was no response, but Glory didn't expect an immediate one. Who knows how long it would take for the creature to show itself. As much as she wanted it dead, part of her almost wished it didn't.

"What's that matter?" Caiman continued to shout. "Are you scared of a few scrapes? Not so tough when we know you're out there, are you? Face me, viper! You won't find me as easy an opponent a second time!"

This continued for some time, Caiman constantly issuing a challenge to the creature, but growing increasingly quiet the longer it went on. For all his boasting, the venom was taking its toll, and soon the shouts were punctuated by grunting, the colors of his scales dimmed, and his overall energy lessened.

Perhaps the creature knew this, for it wasn't until Caiman looked almost ready to collapse that it finally chose to make an appearance.

Deathbringer saw it first, nudging Glory and pointing. On the opposite bank of where Caiman stood, the bushes shook considerably. Monkeys and birds, of course, commonly caused movement that caught her eyes, but this was different. It was foliage both high and low that was affected—indicating something the size of a dragon. Glory smelled a stench of death and decay that was becoming almost common.

The bushes stopped shaking.

Glory's eyes scanned the area, and she could almost fool herself into believing that she saw the claws stepping out of the trees. As far away as it was, she couldn't, but she thought that she could see the impressions on the ground as the footfalls pressed into it. What she knew for sure was that she heard a very low, then high, growl, as if a waterfall had been boiled in a teapot.

The water of the stream rippled, and she heard clawfalls in it. "Can you see it?" she dared to whisper to Deathbringer, who shook his head.

"Caiman is in my line of sight," he growled quietly.

But the creature's advance did not go unnoticed to Caiman. "There you are," she heard him hiss as he, too, noted the crossing. Soon the splashing stopped as it reached the other side, and now that it was closer she could see a vague silhouette of the thing. It looked indistinctly dragon in form, but she could make little else out. Just as she was trying to look closer, it vanished again.

Snarling, Caiman leapt at it first, apparently wanting a fight before Deathbringer had a chance to deliver a killing blow. He slashed at where the creature had seemed to come out of the stream, but his claws hit nothing but air. Undeterred, Caiman whipped around, unsheathing his blade and holding it out as his eyes scanned for any indication of where it was. Then he cried out, dropping that blade and jumping back, holding his wrist with the other claw—the creature had disarmed him.

Beside Glory, Deathbringer continued to growl to himself as he searched for an opening, but to no avail. The chakram remained in his talons. Between Caiman's fight and the creature's virtual invisibility, Deathbringer couldn't get a good throw in, and he'd told her before that he didn't want to waste it and alert the creature that they were there.

But Caiman clearly wanted the satisfaction of the kill himself. Snarling, he lashed out and his tail connected with his foe. Immediately, he lunged again and was able to grapple with it. Glory heard a roar that did not come from Caiman, then several gashes appeared on the Rainwing. It was Caiman's turn to roar in pain, and he was thrown to the ground.

Caiman tried to get up, but he was already weakened by the venom, and he stumbled. More slashes appeared as he desperately tried to get away now. He bit and tried to scratch back, but the disadvantage was now obvious. Caiman only suffered, and there was nothing that Glory could do.

Perhaps sensing the end, Caiman thrashed wildly, mouth snapping up and down as he fought with the ferocity of his namesake. He wasn't wholly unsuccessful—Glory saw several red gashed seemingly forming midair as Caiman's claws met camouflaged scales—but it was as much his death throes as it was an attack. Soon he slowed, then stilled, then finally the scales on his neck were parted and it was over.

The creature gave a roar of triumph, and whether out of the same or from hunger dug into Caiman's body. Glory shuddered as she watched the display—or what she could of it.

But Caiman's death had indeed provided the opportunity that he'd wished for. The creature now bore the blood of Caiman that it had shed, as well as its own that Caiman had succeeded in drawing. And while the scales of the creature may have better camouflage than a Rainwing, its blood certainly didn't, and that blood was now on the outside of it, not the inside.

As the creature stood over Caiman's corpse, it finally revealed itself to them. Not fully, but enough. Glory could see the chest of the creature, knew where the legs were, and the blood dripping from its maw clearly displayed the position of its head.

"I've got you," Deathbringer whispered, readying the chakram to throw it. The target was as clear as he could hope for, all he had to do was hit it.

Then Mastermind ruined everything.

"No!" the Nightwing scientist cried, seeing what was about to happen. He grabbed at Deathbringer's forearm as he was about to throw, and his claws connected with the assassin. Deathbringer's aim was thrown off, the chakram flying far over the head of the creature, who's head shot up in alarm. Immediately, it rushed away, disappearing into the underbrush.

"What have you done?" Glory screamed, more in disbelief than anger, "That was our chance!"

But Mastermind wasn't listening. He leapt out of their cover and rushed forward.

"Mastermind!" Deathbringer roared, "Get back here!" Glory went to go after the scientist, but Deathbringer stopped her with his wing. "What are you doing?"

"I taught it its commands," Mastermind called back, "I can control it, I think. I can bring it back alive, not dead!"

Again, Glory tried to break out of her cover and go after it, although she was probably more likely to wring the Nightwing's neck than speak sense to him. Caiman had just given his life so that they could kill that thing, and Mastermind had just stopped them from finally doing just that! But Deathbringer continued to hold her back. "Glory," he said, his voice both warning and cautious.

Ahead, Mastermind was standing next to Caiman's body, looking in the direction the creature had disappeared. "Don't be worried," he said, looking into the trees, "I'm not here to hurt you." He raised a claw and gave two clicks of his talons together. "Come!" he ordered, then when a moment of silence passed, he clicked them again. "Come!"

Glory and Deathbringer watched in silence. Mastermind repeated the action one more time, and then the bushes rustled. The Nightwing stepped closer. He gave a different type of clicking action, running his thumb talon across his others. "Stay," he ordered, and when the bushes stopped shaking, he smiled. "Good…good."

Mastermind took another step towards the edge of the clearing. Slowly, Glory saw something come out of the underbrush. It was…it was a head. An uncamouflaged head of a dragon—or at least it resembled a dragon's head. From what she could see, it was sandy tan in color, with mottled brown spots. It was also oddly triangular, quite different than any she'd ever seen. Without a closer look, that was all she could make out.

"Stay," Mastermind repeated the command, stepping closer until he was only a few feet from it. Grinning ear to ear, he looked back to their hiding place. "See!" he shouted to them, "It listens. It can be trained! There was no need at all to try to kill such a magnificent creat—"

He was cut off mid word as the same beast he had just deemed "magnificent" lunged at him. Its jaws latched onto his neck, just below his head, and with a jerk dragged him into the forest. Glory heard mastermind scream, but only for a second. There was a sickening crunch, and then silence.

Glory trembled and held her breath. Beside her, Deathbringer looked on with the first true fear on his face she'd seen thus far. A few seconds passed that felt like hours as they stood frozen.

The bushes shook.

The head emerged once more, snout wet with blood not its own, a forked tongue flicking in and out of its mouth and tasting the air. It caught a scent. The head turned.

The creature looked straight at them.

Deathbringer had only one thing left to say.

"Run."