Divine Trials: The Rise of Mortal Deities

8

The northern wind carried the scent of winter, but Domino, Helix, and Odessya remained at the fortress, their dragons restless in the nearby dens. The siblings' quiet conversation shattered when their dragons' roars echoed across the valley, a sound filled with primal fear and rage.

"Something's wrong," Helix said, his hand instinctively reaching for his weapon. The ground trembled beneath their feet as they raced toward the dragon den, but they stopped dead in their tracks at the sight before them.

Two massive leviathans cut through the clouds like dark ships, their scales gleaming with an otherworldly iridescence. Atop these ancient beasts sat two figures that radiated power that made the air itself feel heavy – the primordial gods Jano and Toxin. Behind them, a horrifying army of transformed humans shambled forward, their eyes glazed with an unnatural purple glow, bodies moving with jerky, puppet-like motions.

Odessya's voice cut through the chaos, sharp with maternal fear. "Get to the safe room, now!" she commanded her children and nephew and nieces, then turned to Ikor, Kyrus's son. "Run, find Vixen and the others. They need to know." The boy nodded and sprinted toward his dragon, disappearing into the darkening sky.

The fortress erupted into frenzied activity. Demigod soldiers rushed to evacuate Mombi and the others, but the zombie-like army had already breached the outer walls. The guards drew their weapons, forming a protective corridor. "Run!" they shouted, engaging the mindless horde. "We'll hold them off!"

Terror painted Mombi's face as one of the creatures lunged for her, its fingers inches from her throat before Ullock intervened, his borrowed sword cleaving through the attacker. Beside him, Saba had wrenched a ceremonial spear from the wall, its ancient blade finding new purpose as she fought with desperate grace.

"Go!" Ullock shouted to the others, standing back-to-back with Saba as they carved a path through the horde. Their movements synchronized as if they'd fought together for years, not minutes. When they finally reached the safe room, their hands found each other, fingers intertwining with newfound meaning amidst the chaos.

Above the fortress, the battle took on mythic proportions. Helix dodged Toxin's flames, the heat so intense it turned stone to glass where it struck. "You killed our brother ," Toxin snarled, his voice like breaking granite. "Tried to erase us from history. Now I'll show you what true extinction feels like!"

Helix's axe spun through the air, forcing Toxin to dive aside. The distraction cost him precious seconds as Domino's dragon struck from behind, its claws raking across the primordial god's armor.

Meanwhile, Jano stalked the fortress corridors, hunting for the safe room until Desire stepped from the shadows, her stance mirroring her mother Vixen's famous battle pose. Jano's laugh echoed off the walls. "Such a perfect echo of your mother," he sneered. "Let's see if you will die like her too."

Their fight was a blur of divine power and mortal determination. Desire matched Jano blow for blow until experience overwhelmed youth. As she fell, Odessya burst into the corridor like an avenging fury. The she moved in perfect harmony, their combined might proving too much for the primordial god. Jano's final scream faded into nothing as Odessya's blade found his heart.

With Jano fallen, they rushed to aid Domino and Helix. Together, the family's power proved overwhelming, and Toxin soon followed his brother into oblivion. As his essence scattered, the zombie army collapsed like puppets with cut strings.

The safe room door opened with a heavy groan. Helix rushed forward, finding Mombi trembling in the corner. No words were needed as he wrapped her in his arms, her shaking slowly subsiding as she breathed in his presence. Around them, family members reunited, each embrace a quiet celebration of survival.

But in the distance, thunder rolled – not from the storm, but from more leviathans approaching. This battle was won, but the war with the primordials had only begun.

Helix's face hardened with grim determination. "Get to your dragons and fly to the prayer temples. You'll be safe there, protected by ancient magic." He turned to the soldiers. "Gather the Pegasus- we need to evacuate Varloyus to the temples as well."

The group rushed to follow his orders, but just as Mombi and Vasavi were about to reach the pegasus, the ground trembled. A massive leviathan descended from the sky, its jaws agape, shattering the earth as it landed. Mombi and Vasavi were thrown off balance, tumbling towards the jagged chasm.

Malesnow, the dragon Mombi had bonded with, let out a roar of panic. Without hesitation, the great beast tucked in his wings and dove, his talons stretching out to scoop up the falling girls. Malesnow pulled them from the abyss, setting them gently on the ground.

But the leviathan was not done. It reared up, its scales glittering like obsidian, and unleashed a torrent of searing flames. Malesnow met the attack head-on, his own fire bursting forth in a brilliant display. The two beast spiraled through the sky, locked in a furious dance of destruction.

Malesnow's sharp claws raked across the leviathan's armored hide, drawing rivulets of ichor. But the leviathan retaliated with bursts of scorching flame, forcing Malesnow to weave and dodge. Their battle shook the very earth, the ground trembling beneath the weight of their clash.

Mombi watched in horror, unable to tear her gaze away as her beloved Malesnow fought for their lives. The dragon's movements grew increasingly labored, his wings singed and battered. Summoning the last of his strength, Malesnow clamped his jaws around the leviathan's neck, twisting with all his might. There was a sickening crack, and the massive beast plummeted from the sky, crashing into the ground in a shower of debris.

Malesnow landed heavily, his sides heaving. Mombi rushed to his side, tears streaming down her face as she pressed her forehead against his snout. "You saved us," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "Thank you."

The dragon rumbled in response, nuzzling Mombi gently before bowing his head, offering the girl a ride to the safety of the prayer temples. Exhausted from the battle, Malesnow could do no more, collapsing to the ground as Mombi and Vasavi climbed onto his back he gathered strength to fly to a nearby temple.

Ullock emerged from the temple, his expression shifting from worry to relief as he caught sight of Mombi. He rushed to her, wrapping her in a tight embrace. Saba watched the reunion, her eyes narrowed with a flicker of jealousy, but she said nothing, her gaze fixed on the injured dragon.

The battle was won, but the family knew this was only the beginning. The primordials had returned, and they would stop at nothing to reclaim what they had lost.