Arriving at the dojo Senex addresses the gathered students, "Today you will be pushed and you will not sleep until I deem it so. Now I will pair you up with a random student and the only holding back you will be doing is to charge your attacks only enough to hurt, not injure," she pulls pieces of paper from a bowl, two at a time, "Aarde with Płomień. Lucht with Glacious, and Veneneer with Umbrae. Now go!"
Circling around Veneneer he starts, "Don't worry, I'll go easy."
"Didn't Master Senex say not to?" asks Veneneer.
"Oh?" snarks Umbrae. Suddenly a thin wall of shadow forms and knocks her through the air where she lands a few feet away, "She did didn't she?"
"I see, you're gonna play like that." Veneneer nods, "Whatever you want."
Dissipating the wall he remakes it in time to block the incoming blob of poison. Sinking into the ground he waits for Veneneer to leap over the wall only to find empty air. Leaping from the shadows to land a swipe Veneneer ducks just in time to propel herself upwards with her wings as Umbrae sails over her, launching him across the room and winding him when he lands.
With a roll he avoids her tail blade by mere inches. With a flap of his wings and cloud of shadow he seems to disappear. From his position hanging from the roof he sees the cloud dissipate revealing a rather confused Veneneer.
Examining the shadows scattered throughout the room he starts to wonder, 'Can I manipulate shadows?'
Reaching far beyond himself feels the inky wreathing of shadow magic coming from the shadow of a nearby beam. Experimentally he solidifies a few blunt rods from it and propels them towards Veneneer peppering her from an entirely different angle than expected. At her collapse he can see Senex waving him down.
Landing next to her she hands him a handful of green gems which melt through his scales, "Glad to see you practicing your element in your free time, as all guardians should be. Now go again."
"I just made that up as I went," comments Umbrae.
"Good work then." Nods Senex
After an hour more Senex draws names again and repeats until each dragon has fought against every other dragon. With that done Senex moves on to ordering the future guardians to use their elemental weapons on highly aggressive dummies. After a grueling day of hard training Senex finally calls out, "Guardians, Line up!" At their obedience she continues, "I'm impressed at the progress each and every one of you have made. While you aren't quite as skilled as Ignitus and his gang you are quite close. Now eat dinner and go to sleep. You'll need your energy when the heretics get here."
After a restless night, they line up on the side of the monastery closest to where the golems have reported the Master Inquisitor's camp to be and wait.
Just as the suspense is starting to weigh on the group a small black cloud forms on the horizon. As the cloud approaches it resolves into a swarm of dragons.
"Guardians up!" Calls Senex as she takes off. Before she attacks she looks to Umbrae for confirmation.
Examining the swarm he recognizes the large red form of the Master Inquisitor, "Yes."
Senex nods. "Today there are no rivalries, there are no high borns, there are no low borns. Today there are only dragons united in the defense of what is holy against those who wish desecration and death. Today we fight so those next generations may know the light and the love of those who came before. Weapons ready!"
"Vanguard forward!" Orders Umbrae. Following his order his winged Golems take the front line and interlock giant shields made from solidified shadow provided by Umbrae and strengthened by Senex.
"Charge!" Roars Senex.
At her declaration the defenders surge forth as Aarde's Golems hurl boulders from the surrounding mountain tops. With a mighty clash the line of golems meets the attackers as their swords and axes make short work of all who come near.
Maneuvering through the cloud of dragons he combines his aerial maneuverability with icy blasts from his karabela to eliminate many of the attackers.
As Umbrae is passing behind a golem a crackling violet sword pierces straight through it causing it to dissipate. Looking towards the source he sees Zweite summoning another sword before launching it at him with mere moments to avoid it. Launching a solidified missile of shadow at Zweite Umbrae is surprised when he disappears and reappears a few feet away launching more swords. Forming a wall he orders it to break apart and pepper Zweite with missiles of shadow just for him to teleport once again, "How?" Wonders Umbrae.
Suddenly Zweite's voice is in his ear, "Dark magic is a powerful ally for those willing to do what must be done."
With a blinding burst of shadow he puts some distance before infusing his blade with frost and slashing it across Zweite's eye, covering it in jagged ice. In the same motion he launches an ice missile that impacts his wing shoulder, sending Zwiete spinning into the forest below.
That means the Master Inquisitor is here somewhere, thinks Umbrae. Searching the battlefield he spots her in front of a rather shocked looking Senex. As the Master Inquisitor's foreleg runes start to glow a poisonous green Senex still doesn't move. Charging towards the Master Inquisitor, Umbrae watches as a bolt of solidified poison buries itself into Senex's wing causing her to plummet towards the flaming monastery below. Altering his wing angle he grabs Senex and extends his wings as far as possible, the caught air nearly dislocating them, slowing them down enough for what is merely a rough landing in a charred courtyard.
Yanking the bolt from her flesh he throws it aside, "Senex are you alright? Senex?"
A familiar ethereal voice enters his head, 'She's fine. Just temporarily paralyzed. Focus on the battle.'
Looking upwards he sees a dark violet beam rapidly approaching. Summoning a thick wall of shadow he is forced into the paver stones with enough force to crack them.
"Terrae? Why are you here?" asks Umbrae
'The future holds many deadly challenges. I was assigned to help you survive them, for if you die too early, we are doomed.'
"Not at all grim," snarks Umbrae.
'Your shield is failing. Hold on for just a few more seconds!'
Just as his shield breaks a flaming explosion rings out from the Master Inquisitor's position.
"Thanks for the save." Nods Umbrae as Aarde swoops in.
"Is she alright?" Asks Aarde.
"Yes, she's just temporarily paralyzed. How are things up there?"
"Grave," sighs Aarde,"My golems are gone and yours have been whittled down to four. The monastery is in flames, except for what I warded. Veneneer is on the verge of passing out. Płomień and Glacious are backed into a corner and Lucht has lost the will to fight. That's not even the worst part. The elimination of Zweite has whipped the students into a fury."
"I need a retreat horn. Can you make one?" Asks Umbrae.
"Senex isn't going to be happy." Muses Aarde.
"You said it yourself, we're screwed."
"Can't argue with that," shrugs Aarde as he creates the horn.
"Think you can carry Senex?" Asks Umbrae.
"Of course." Nods Aarde
With a deep breath Umbrae blows on the horn. A low, solem note bellows over the din of the battlefield. After a moment of pause the attackers realize who the note is for causing a riot of cheers to fill the air.
"Golems on me!" Orders Umbrae as he takes to the air. Once they are out of sight of the attackers they regroup in a cave. Now safe, Umbrae dismisses his remaining golems, placing their mind crystals in his pouch.
As Aarde lands he earns a gasp from Płomień, "Is she?"
"No," starts Umbrae, earning a relieved sigh from Płomień, "She's just temporarily paralyzed."
"Then who blew the horn?" Asks Glacious.
"Me, it's better to lose one battle. If it means winning the war."
"Who put you in charge?" spits Lucht.
"Like you would do any better," retorts Umbrae, "From what I heard you had already lost the will to fight before I even blew the horn."
"Not just that but he was hiding under a rock," laughs Aarde.
"You put me there!" Retorts Lucht.
"I'm not the one that wanted to hide," teases Aarde.
"Whatever," interjects Płomień, "Standard procedure is to for the next in command to lead in the CO's absence, however we never established a chain of command. Any suggestions?"
"The highest ranking dragon here is me, for I am the son of Duke Hertog." calls Lucht, puffing his chest up.
"Please," snarks Płomień, "You would make a terrible leader."
"I would watch my tongue, wench." Spits Lucht, "I have the power to have you executed!"
"Wench!" roars Płomień, "You've slept with every whore you've seen, what does that make you?"
"They were not whores, they were consorts." snarks Lucht sticking up his snout.
"That's what you richy-rich types call it so you have an excuse to not be arrested for adultery," sneers Płomień.
"Silence!" roars Umbrae in a sharp, militaristic tone, "While you pathetic twats are shrieking like banshees we have a good dragoness bleeding out and in desperate need of the tender graces of a nurse! I say we vote for a leader if we so desperately need one!"
The stunned silence is broken by Płomień, "I, for one, vote for Umbrae. After all he did lead a very successful rebellion back home and from what he told me, he had to make some very hard decisions."
"After the destruction of my village he appropriately disposed of the bodies of my fellow villagers while I was in no condition to do more than identify bodies, I thank him for that good thinking. I vote for Umbrae," votes Veneneer.
"Umbrae made the hard call to retreat, fully cognizant of how furious Senex would be. I vote for him." Calls Aarde.
"Ah, what the hell," comments Glacious throwing her hands up, "I'll go Umbrae. Besides, he's good in bed."
"Well, I for one vote that as the nephew of the Draconic Emperor. I should lead," pouts Lucht.
"It's unanimous." Nods Umbrae, "I accept the position of lead until Senex awakens."
"Do you peasants even know what unanimous means?" hisses Lucht, "I didn't vote for Mr Bandit. Line up behind me."
"You'll gain the right to vote once you take your entitled selfishness and shove it where the sun don't shine! If you don't like it then the exit is right there, if you can survive the shocking lack of rocks in the air," Comments Umbrae with a condescending tone before speaking in an even, logical tone, "The monastery is gone and we should find a place to stay and recover. Preferably pretty far away so the Master Inquisitor will struggle to find us. Any suggestions?"
After a brief moment of silence Glacious' voice breaks through, "What about Handelshafen?"
"I thought you didn't want to go there?" Asks Umbrae.
"I don't," admits Glacious, "but Warfang is too close, Nobele Strad is corrupt, and we don't know where Senex came from."
"What do the mature adults have in mind?" asks Umbrae. At their silence he nods, "We have a plan. We will leave tomorrow morning so as to give the heat time to fade. In the meantime we need to find something, herbs, paper, grass, anything to patch up Venneneer's wounds until we get to Handelshafen."
Venneneer points towards the exit, "Just down the mountain I think I saw some Ancestor Belles. That usually means there's a spirit cluster nearby."
"Stay put," orders Umbrae as Venneneer tries to move, "What do these Belles look like?"
"They are silver bell shaped flowers," she spreads her hands about a foot apart, "About this long that grows on a leafy vine, their leaves have a distinctive six way symmetry and are about the same width as the flowers are long. You'll know when you're near by the incredibly relaxing aroma they give off. In fact the leaves can make a delicious, highly relaxing tea, or chewed for a much weaker effect."
"I'll be back," calls Umbrae to the group, "Remain hidden and you'll be safe."
As he gets to the exit Płomień stops him to give him a peck on the cheek eliciting what Umbrae swares was an incredibly brief jealous look from Glacious, "For luck."
Returning quickly with a palm sized red gem he passes it to Venneneer, "That's the only red gem there was, but it should at least help close the wounds. While I go looking for more."
An hour later he returns with a sizable green gem and a handful of Ancestor Belle leaves for Venneneer.
As the day wears on he finds his eyes repeatedly drawn to Glacious as images of the night he spent with her and the feeling of her scales against his fill his mind, 'What are we?' thinks Umbrae, 'Before that night we were simple reluctant allies, yes I did occasionally try to flirt but she never seemed to notice and it's not like they were anything good. But as soon as I suggested we have fun she jumped on it. Was that just a want to anger a mother that wasn't even there or did she actually like me?' Looking towards her once again he sees her staring out of the cave not an inkling of emotion on her face, 'What is she even thinking about. I mean, I've regularly been around her for a month and never once could read her. I mean I could ask her,' he quietly sighs while laying his snout on his crossed arms, 'But if she feels the same way things might escalate if I ask her. As the recently elected leader of this merry little band, it wouldn't be appropriate. I'll have to wait for Senex to recover. Not to mention this cave has no privacy.'
As the group snoozes around him Umbrae scoots far enough over to lean against Glacious' side which almost immediately cools to a nice, comfortable temperature as she drapes a wing over Umbrae.