A Dragon's Regret

Chapter 10: Resolution From Above

Chapter 10: Resolution From Above 

On the Enigma, the serpents' heads snapped up in unison as the ship's instruments screamed with a sudden influx of energy. "We've got the signal!" Red exclaimed, its eyes blazing with excitement. "Scalie's marked the core!"

Green's tail whipped around anxiously. "But we've lost communication with him. He must have lost his headset in the battle." The serpents' eyes flicked to each other, the gravity of the situation sinking in. Without that direct link, they could not offer guidance or support, and Scalie was on his own in the belly of the beast.

"We can't pass up this opportunity," Yellow hissed, the urgency in its voice as palpable as the situation at hand. "All we can do is hope they get clear in time. Prime the weapon. Prepare to fire on my signal."

The serpents' tails snapped in determination as they resumed their typing, fingers dancing across the gleaming control panels with a fervor that mirrored the carnage below. Each keystroke resonated through the ship, a rhythmic chant of hope and fear that grew louder with every passing moment. The instruments around them sprang to life, the moment of truth upon them.

"God forgive us," Blue murmured, its eyes never leaving the monitors that showed the onslaught below. its fluid-like body shimmered with a mix of anticipation and dread. The others paused in their work, glancing over at him with expressions that conveyed a silent understanding. They knew the gravity of the situation, the weight of their decision, the risk they needed to take to unleash the Enigma's final fury on the creature that had destroyed the civilization that birthed them.

"Godspeed, Alicia, Scalie," Green's voice echoed solemnly, steady, despite the tremor in its hands as it pressed the final button. The Enigma's engines roared to life, the ship's very essence resonating with the power that surged through it. The button's press released a torrent of vibrant energy that shot down from the ship's core, aimed directly at the beacon's signal.

The beam was a searing hot white, a blowtorch flame that pierced the shadowy fabric of the Great Unmaker's realm. It was surrounded by a nimbus of rainbow, each color representing the fierce love that bound Scalie and Alicia, the hope that propelled them into the jaws of darkness. The serpents watched in awe and anticipation as the beam shot out of the ship's prow, slicing through the void with a determination that mirrored their own.

Scalie's grip tightened around Alicia's wispy form as he took off into the depths of the creature's body. The shadowy tunnels they'd been navigating grew narrower, the pulsing walls closing in around them like the jaws of a living tomb. The creature's core was a beacon of malicious intent behind them, and he knew that if they didn't move fast, they'd be destroyed along with it before they could escape.

He knew that the Eternal Flame Serpents weren't going to hesitate to fire upon the beacon's signal, and without the headset he could not inform them they were clear, so he had to get them as far from the core as possible.

The dragon's wings beat a frantic rhythm, their fiery light dimming as the shadowy essence of the Great Unmaker began to invade the chamber. Alicia's spirit clung to him, her ghostly eyes wide with terror and awe at the sheer power of the enemy they faced. Her voice was a fiery whisper in his mind, "Don't let go of me, Scalie. We're in this together."

Scalie's golden eyes flickered with determination. As well as he knew that the serpents would not wait for his signal, their trust in him was absolute, and they knew that once the beacon was activated, he would do everything in his power to survive and he would not let them down. The air grew thick with anticipation, the very fabric of the shadowy realm seeming to vibrate with the monster ending energy that was about to be unleashed.