Chapter 19

Nephilim

Nephilim growled to herself. The map in her talons had a pulsing red dot on it. The heartbeat of the one she was tracking. It had led her all the way to the Shimmerwing kingdom. She wondered if she had enchanted it wrong, seeing as a Silverwing would never go this far from the Silver kingdom.

A large branch snapped under her talons as she walked through the dense forest. She was getting closer. She had hoped she enchanted the map right, otherwise she would have spent all this time for nothing.

The dot began to glow brighter and brighter as Nephilim came closer and closer. She rolled it up and put it in a satchel around her neck. Now she only relied on her natural senses. She could hear the steady waves of the ocean behind her and to her left. Also the winds blew to the south, so the trees shivered in the wind.

The slightest sound she could hear was voices. Barely noticeable. Her scales shifted colors, becoming transparent. She quickened her pace quietly, trying to make no noise. As she got closer she could hear the voices. They were louder than before. Also panicked.

"We have to go!" one said.

"Where? Where can we go?" another spoke up.

Nephilim peeked through the trees to see a large group of dragons, all different colors. A few Shimmerwings were close by and next to them were four Silverwings. Her eyes locked onto the Silverwings. One of them had to be Princess Asha. She just had to figure out which one.

"We'll go to the Crystalwings." a lavender Shimmerwing said. "They can protect us."

Nephilim moved slowly around the group, watching for the right moment. She had to strike soon or else it would be too late. The Silverwings were mostly in a group, always together.

"How do we know it's safe there?" a Silverwing asked.

"Because no one is allowed on their islands. I believe we could hide out there." the Shimmerwing explained.

Nephilim tried to recall the picture she had gotten of Asha. Asha was a Silver color with hints of dark green. She looked at the four of them. Only one had hints of green. It had to be her.

Nephilim stepped out of the trees. It was a risk, she knew, to stay transparent in an open area. She stepped closer and closer. A soft movement caught her attention beyond the Silverwings. Scales shifting from color to color. A dragon was camouflage like her.

Nephilim stood still. She watched for more movement. Again whoever it was, was making their way around the clearing. She watched as the dragon came around her and back to the group. It was fascinating. This dragon had the abilities of a Changewing, but their movements were not the same. More elegant and less coordinated.

Nephilim got back to the task at claw. She stepped closer to Asha. She was only a few feet away now. Suddenly she saw something fly at her from her peripheral vision. Whatever it was hit one of her wings. She jumped back, un-camouflaging.

She hissed at the burning sensation and watched as it melted a bit of her wing. Heads turned her way. All of the dragons were now staring at her.

She watched as they reacted fast, getting ready to fight. Her eyes caught the different bodies of the dragons. Some black as night, others yellow as the desert sands. One was a shining white-blue color.

The sand colored one reacted the fastest, motioning his tail over his body. Nephilim got a good look at his tail. At the end of it was a giant stinger much like the giant desert scorpions.

She shoved her wings to her sides for easy movements. One of them still burned but the pain was barrable now.

She let out a growl. "Give me Princess Asha and I may let you live."

A dark green dragon with golden specks scoffed. "As if we'd give you anything. You came out of nowhere."

"She's a Changewing." one of the Shimmerwings said.

"Yes I am. If you know anything about my tribe I'd do as I say." she paced around them.

"No," a Silverwing said. He was bigger than Nephilim but she had dealt with large dragons before. He was also poised in front of Asha protectively.

"Bad decision." she lunged forward.

The Silverwing caught her and they both fumbled to the ground, clawing and biting. Nephilim bit down on his shoulder for a split second. That was all she needed to inject her paralyzing venom. It wouldn't kill him. Not unless she gave him more.

She jumped away from him as he froze where he was, face contorted in an angry snarl.

"What the?" the white-blue dragon gazed at the Silverwing.

The pale yellow dragon roared and charged at her. She got ready for him to try and get a hold of her. He did and she rolled under his talons making him trip off balance.

"That is enough." She hissed. She swung her tail above her head. It started to vibrate like a rattlesnake tail. Three large scales made up the tip of her tail. The three scales spread apart to reveal a bone spike covered in a clear liquid.

"Qibli get back!" a Shimmerwing called to the sand dragon.

Nephilim shot her tail towards the dragon. He dodged out of the way, almost getting hit.

"What is that?" the dragon breathed.

"This is ineffective." Nephilim growled. The three scales covered the spike back up with a shiver and a snap. She quickly dug around in her bag. Once her claws found what she was looking for she held it out. A green jewel was in her talon.

"Oh grandfather. Please have enchanted this right." she closed her talons, crushing it. A fog of grey smoke appeared over the clearing.

"What's happening?" a dragon called out.

"I don't know. Group together." someone else said.

Nephilim could barely see through the fog. She grasped the closest dragon and held it tightly. "Help!" it called out.

"Kinkajou?" one voice called back.

Nephilim blew at the fog, causing it to disappear just as it had appeared. She held a sharp dagger to the small dragon's neck. "Give me Princess Asha or say goodbye."

"Don't do it." the dragon shivered. Her scales became a grey green color.

"Let her go!" an emerald dragon came forward. Her scales were turning an outraging red and orange.

"I will. Unless you give me Asha." She pressed the dagger against the smaller dragon's scales.

The Silverwing she had bitten started flailing his wings. She cursed under her breath. "Should have given you more."

He got up on unsteady talons. "You paralyzed me?"

"Oh great." she growled. "I would do it again if I wasn't occupied."

He stood a few lengths away. "Why do you want Asha?"

"Oh I don't." she tossed him the scroll she was given. "But someone does."

He grabbed the scroll and unrolled it. His eyes widened, "You're a bounty hunter?"

"More or less. For this job, yes. I am." She talked calmly.

"Who is your employer?" he asked her.

"You know I'm the one with a dragon at her blade. Give me Asha." she growled.

"He hired you. Didn't he?" Asha said from behind the Silverwings.

"Yes he did." she tightened her grip on the blade.

"Did he threaten you?" she asked.

"No. I'm doing this on my own." Nephilim growled.

"Then why are you doing this?" Asha took a step closer.

"Why would I tell you?" Nephilim pushed the dagger inward more. The small dragon made a squeak.

"Because. Whatever it is, we can help." a small yellow dragon came closer. This dragon was smaller than the one Nephilim had.

"How can you help?" Nephilim scoffed.

"For your information we stopped a 20 year long war and also defeated a 2,000 year old animus." a blue dragon puffed up.

"2,000 year old animus?" Nephilim thought out loud.

"Yes." the yellow dragon said.

"I'm doing this for my son." She held the blade up still, but let the pressure go a little. "He's sick and I need the money. Not even animus magic is working on it."

"We can help. Just. Let her go." the yellow dragon moved closer.

Nephilim held the dragon for a second. She let go and dropped the blade. Her talons shook for a moment before she recomposed herself.

The small dragon let out a breath as the emerald dragon hugged her. This scene reminded Nephilim of when she last saw Matrix.

The yellow dragon came up to Nephilim. She got a better look at the dragon. Not so much a yellow but a golden yellow. "What's your name?" the golden dragon asked.

"I cannot say my true name. It is something I only tell those closest to me. For now you can call me Goliath." Nephilim said.

"Well, I'm Sunny." Sunny said back.

"Hm," Nephilim smiled.

"What?" Sunny asked.

"It suits you." Nephilim replied.