Odd Company

Chapter 5 - High Stakes

   The crystals along this "CheshireJabberwocky "turned to a glowing Jasper. Its eyes andits flowing smoke matched. Bigsby and Taliyah felt theheat of it growing. "How do you feel about removingthose crystals while I distract this thing? We will needthose for the High Stakes Eye to be at full power afterall." Bigsby asked, with his eyes still on the dragon.The dragons following the roar shook theground beneath them. It rose into a predatory position,head up high, looking down on them. Taliyah'sbreathing quickened; her voice filled with moredesperation. "If it is the best way, then I will do it!" Shecreated circular shields along both her outer arms aboutthe size of her torso. Bigsby took a few steps away tomake some distance between him and Taliyah. Curiouswhere the dragon's attention would be. "I would lovefor us not to resort to any extreme measures. But - weshould not underestimate this monstrosity." 

       Bigsby's skill in dealing with the previousconflicts gave him Taliyah's respect as a fighter. Shewas a firm believer in listening to people's thoughts andconcerns regardless of who. "Roger." The Jabberwocky'sflame erupted all over towards them. They flew upabove it, with the wrathful flames close behind. The redsmoke surrounded the area, cloaking the CheshireJabberwocky's body.Whoosh! They heard something cuttingthrough the air with great speed. But from which way?Pillars of flames rose out of the smoke; Taliyah sensed itjust in time to barely avoid it. Singed part of her rightleg. Bigsby in that distraction was the first hit with theJabberwocky's tail. He had barely enough time to encasehimself in a barrier of his light.The sheer force of the hit flung him down tothe ground. He was able to stop himself a mere foot from it. A burst of light then jettisoned himself back up.Taliyah flew around in a random pattern. She tossed afew light bombs the size of her head into the smoke inhopes to catch sight of it.Hoping to delay it a bit until Bigsby got back.Soon came a thunderous clamor from the dragonmatching the firework display of Taliyah's handiwork.Going up against a creature like this left her perturbed.This thing gave her chills that rivaled what she feltagainst a Night Terror. 

     A sudden large gust of wind from the wingsof the dragon blew the smoke all over Taliyah'ssurroundings. She calmed her breathing the best shecould, fighting the PTSD slowly peeking out its head.The screams and whispers of the Jabberwock werefinally hitting her. All she could hear were her crew ofthe Homelands Call. She wondered why this wasflooding her mind? She was losing her focus, unable tohear anything but that.Bigsby was almost there. Taliyah createdone more light grenade in one of her inner hands.Holding her breath for the moment, and putting out hershields in front of her. She still couldn't see anything.Closing her eyes, her other senses needed focus. Ashiver went down her spine prompting Taliyah to fly upwith haste, feeling the dragon's breath closing in on her.How did it get so close without her knowing? It washard - but she focused on the ship's crew on her firstday as captain. Their smiles, and applause- thatmemory dulled the noise that was banging down on hersanity.Bigsby called out to Taliyah to get out thesmoke. Approaching it, the Jabberwocky's head lungedout with its gaping mouth. It chomped down, withBigsby mere feet away from the side of its teeth. Heswung around, turning his construct into a largehammer into its jaw. Upon contact, the head turnedsmoke vanishing into the rest of it above. 

    A large column of it crashed Bigsby into thewall of the High Stakes Eye. Taliyah had finally madeher way out of the smoke, gasping for air. The first thingshe saw was another Cheshire Jabberwock flying awayfrom them. Her heart dropped thinking of the very idea.From underneath her came her pursuer, coming at herthe same way the head came for Bigsby. It was thenwhen she realized, this one did not appear to have thecrystals on it. "Sir Bigsby, there is another dragon flyingoff! This is a diversion!" Taliyah called out, unable to tellwhere Bigsby was.She made a much smaller construct of TheHomelands Call next. She aimed it to crash down itsthroat! Increasing the density of it then 3 fold. TheCheshire collapsed under the weight while with Taliyahpeppering it with blasts she fired out her hands like agatling gun. That other dragon has to be their realtarget! Following that, more heads emerged andcrunched on her. She was gone as the majority of thesmoke cleared out. What remained of the cloud headedin the direction of the Cheshire Jabberwocky."Sir Iza - you would still be smiling, wouldn'tyou?" Bigsby groaned to himself. "I try, but I am notyou!"