Dragon's Blood

Blood

Kade began to squeeze, clearly intent on killing both Tobias and Iyla. Suddenly though, his grip relaxed slightly and he looked as if he'd just remembered something. He looked around. "Where is the other one?" he asked himself. Iyla's chest was heaving as she gulped in as much air as she could while Kade's grip was loosened; her eyes fell on the spot where Bill had lain apparently unconscious, he was nowhere to be seen.

Drago let out a roar; unmuzzled and free of chains, the enormous dragon stretched out his wings and fixed his eyes on Kade, stumbling to his feet with great effort. Kade dropped Tobias, who fell to his knees and pointed at the dragon.

"You will not harm me!" he shouted, "We share the same blood Drago, you cannot harm me, you will not harm me!"

"You're not as stupid as you look," Tobias croaked.

"What?" Kade snarled.

"Or maybe you are. Drinking dragons blood to protect yourself from their fire, clever." He coughed, "Invading my mind to trap my sister, clever again. Next time your get into someone's head though Uncle, maybe you should take more of a look around," Tobias laughed weakly, "I might not have been as successful in keeping you out of my mind as I thought, but I was certainly more successful than you thought I was. Rats blood Kade, you've been drinking it for months," he looked at his dragon as Kade stared at him in confusion, his mind trying to understand the significance of what Tobias was saying. "Drago, carefully." Tobias said quietly.

The Dragon reared up onto his back legs with what little strength he had left, his wings spread wide, and let lose a jet of white hot flame. Almost in slow motion, Iyla watched Kade turn instictively from the flames, still holding her by the throat. The fire hit him on his right side and she knew she would never forget the look on his face, the heat, and the smell as his flesh burnt.

He released her immediately and fell to the floor, writhing in agony, clawing at the right side of his face, beating at the flames on his body. Iyla scrambled away from him, struggling to tear her eyes away from the horrific scene as Kades Amaroks turned tail and ran. Bill came towards her, half running, half limping, his face covered in blood from a wound on his head, Kade's sword in his hand. Iyla reached towards Tobias' shoulder where the sword had impaled him but he flinched away.

"No," he said, "You would have to touch my skin." She drew her hand back. Bill crouched down beside them, clutching his side.

"You're hurt," Iyla said, reaching out to him.

Bill shook his head, "My ribs," he grimaced, "They'll wait. Drago first, we need to get out of here fast," he nodded towards Kade who was no longer burning but had fallen silent and still.

Iyla placed her hands on Drago's grey scales and felt warmth spread from her hands across his vast body. She could feel the steady beat of the dragon's heart, his laboured breathing settling as her healing power did its work. After a minute or too, she took her hands away and Drago stretched his wings out once more, the holes and tears were closing, the scars and wounds on his neck fading before their eyes. He moved closer to Kades smouldering form and unleashed another sustained jet of flame on the dark sorcerer.

Averting her eyes, Iyla turned her attention to Bill's wounds next. Her powers of healing seemed to have become much stronger; she heard Bill's ribs fuse back together and watched as the deep jagged cut to his head dried up and disappeared in no time. She stole a look back at Drago and he too was looking better by the second.

"He will be back to full strength in a short while I think," she said, indicating to the dragon and glancing warily across at Kade, "Maybe minutes."

Tobias touched Drago's side, "He can't carry me yet, but he can fly" he said and nodded towards Drago who took off, circling up into the roof of the cavern until he disappeared from view.

"Can you stand?" Bill asked Tobias.

"Yes," Tobias winced in pain and pulled himself to his feet.

"Iyla are you ok?" Bill asked.

She nodded, still unable to speak. She was unable to turn her healing power on herself but, apart from cuts and bruises, she was physically fine. From deep in the heart of the dead volcano, a rumbling had begun and the ground began to shake.

"What now?" Iyla asked, finding her voice, "What's happening?" Heat was building rapidly and the rumble was quickly becoming a thundering roar.

"Kade," said Tobias, "He must have awakened the volcano before he... it's going to erupt!"

"Can you stop it?" Bill asked Iyla.

She looked helpless, "I wouldn't know where to begin!"

Tobias shook his head, "She will not be powerful enough yet. We need to move fast – go Iyla, now!"

She didn't need telling twice, and again, she had no idea how she knew the way but despite their bruised and battered bodies, the three of them ran as if their lives depended on it, because they did.

The floor beneath their feet was cracking and splitting and in places they could see rivers of hot molten lava running beneath them. The heat was unbearable, sweat poured from every pore and the salt from it stung Iyla's every cut and scrape but she didn't notice, she just kept on running, dragging herself to her feet every time she tripped or stumbled.

Suddenly with an almighty crack, the ground beneath them opened up. Iyla and Bill leapt to safety but Tobias had been badly hurt by Kade and his reactions were slower. Iyla looked back to see him disappear into the chasm which had opened up.

"Tobias!" she screamed and fell to her knees at the edge. Tobias was hanging on by his fingertips and she grabbed his gloved hand pulling with all her strength. Bill was beside her, and began to pull on Tobias's other hand, his hands struggling for grip on the smooth metal.

"Leave me!" Tobias cried, his face twisted in pain as Bill pulled on his injured arm.

"NO!" Iyla clenched her jaw, she could feel Tobias's hand slipping from his glove and, without thinking, she shifted her grip to grab his exposed arm. As her fingers met his skin she realised what she'd done but the expected pain didn't come. Instead she felt the now familiar warmth of her healing power, more intensely than ever before, pulsing through her hand. She shifted her other hand to grip Tobias' arm too and Bill, realising what she was doing, did the same thing. Together they heaved Tobias back into the tunnel and they all sat, breathless. Tobias was staring at Iyla with amazement.

"You touched me!" he said. Iyla was smiling she threw her arms round her brothers neck and squeezed him tight. He laughed and hugged her back.

"Sorry you two, but we really have to keep moving," said Bill urgently. They looked behind them, the tunnel floor was falling away. They stood and broke into a run again, a pinprick of light ahead telling them they were almost there.

They burst out of the tunnel onto the side of the volcano and it took only seconds for them to realise they were far from safe. All around them were rivers of lava with no visible safe route down the volcano. Bill threw Kades sword in fury and yelled at the sky, "Give us a break would you?" he shouted as the sword melted into the lava.

As if in answer Drago came swooping overhead, closely followed by Pandra. They managed to perch on a rocky ledge and Tobias immediately began to climb towards them. His injured arm no longer seemed to be causing him any bother and he waved to Iyla and Bill to follow him, "Come on, Drago can manage two of us now, Pandra can take Iyla."

Understanding the plan, Iyla and Bill followed Tobias up onto the ledge, climbing onto the dragon's backs. Within seconds they were airborne, soaring higher and higher above the erupting volcano. The dragons expertly swerved and ducked, dodging flying balls of molten hot rock. Iyla clung onto Pandra, exhilarated as the cool air flew past her face. She looked down, they were leaving the volcano behind and she could see the lava bubbling over the edge and running down the sides. She lay her head against Pandra's back, finally feeling the aches and pains in her joints and muscles as she closed her eyes just glad to feel anything, even if it was pain, because it meant that she was alive.