Dawn of the Elements - Book 5: The Children of The Moth

Chapter Twelve: The Battle Against The Children of The Moth

Melody ran from the Royal Palace, throwing her black trench coat on. There was a look on her face that was a mix of both shock and awe. Smoke came from several houses, and flames shot out of the steeple of the City Cathedral. The screams of the Normalite Citizens filled the air, accompanied by the chants and shouts of Cultists.

"This is insane!" Melody shouted, looking around. "I knew they'd raise arms, but this!? This is completely out of left field!" As she tried ushering citizens towards the palace, she got tackled to the ground by one of The Children of the Moth.

As she fought to get out from under the cultist, and back to her feet, the cultist grabbed her neck in both of his hands. This particular cultist was a rather large adult male, and was rather muscular in nature. As he strangled her, he spoke with a raspy voice, one that sounded like he'd smoked a pack of cigars a day his whole life. "You betrayed us, Sister! And now, you're going to pay for it with your life!"

As she struggled to breathe, her vision began to go cloudy and dark. She knew it wouldn't be long before she lost consciousness, if she didn't get her airway open again. In a last ditch effort to save herself the young Mistress of Fire snapped her metal fingers, and the cultist's robes caught fire.

While the cultist's robe burned he released her neck, allowing her to take a deep breath of air. He screamed, struggling to get his robes off, but as Melody expected, he was unable to. Even though she had no memory of it, she had worn those robes herself before, so she kind of had an idea of how hard it would be to get them off.

Amethyst flames quickly covered the big, burly cultist's body before he fell to the ground, unmoving and lifeless. Melody stood up, and began gasping for breath. She'd never felt that deprived of oxygen before, and hoped to never feel it again.

Brushing herself off, she turned to see her twin brother running up to her. "Look alive, Mel!" Xander shouted, tossing a long object to her. As she caught it, she found that it was the Ancestral Sword of Fire. "Can't have you copping out on us now!"

Before he could run off, Melody grabbed Xander's left forearm. "Where is Cadance? Is she safe?" Xander, even in the dire situation they were in chuckled a bit.

"Cadance is at the Palace, assisting Mom, Aunt Gail, Torin, Aunt Grenadine, Aunt Dresnia, Dr. Mallard, and Serenia with the citizens." Xander replied. "They're doing their part, so we can do ours. Now let's go! We have work to do!"

Melody nodded, and ran into the heart of the Royal City. The carnage around her was atrocious. Houses were ablaze around her, villagers that could take up arms had done so, using hunting rifles, pitchforks, and other means of weaponry to defend themselves.

Then she reached The Mystic Bicorn. It appeared to be the only building not on fire. This did concern her a little bit, until she saw Clancey, armed with a small sword, and a woman with black hair, and glasses sitting in a wheelchair. She was chanting something, while holding an open book.

"Princess!" Clancey shouted, after beating a female cultist over the head with the pommel of his sword before stabbing her. "My wife, Christine has this place protected with her magic! You don't need to worry about us! Help the rest of the people!"

Melody then remembered that her father had taught a lesson on this. Some Normalites had dabbled in the way of Non-Elemental Magic, and Christine, whom she assumed was the woman in the wheelchair was one of those Normalites. She believed her father had called them Warlocks and Witches. She had never actually seen one up close before.

Nodding in acceptance at Clancey, Melody ran towards the City's main Cathedral. As she got closer, she ran past her Uncles Terry, and Gerry fighting against several Cultists, alongside her Uncle Thraxis, and Aunt Stormie. Their combined powers over Water, Earth, Fire, and Wind proving to be rather effective against them.

She ran up the stairs leading to the main Cathedral's main entrance. The building was ablaze, cinders falling around her. Opening the door, she found her father locked in battle with Minister Horgath, Sorelias, and her Grandfather, Richter Dumon. Her father's crimson flames danced around Richter's shadows, while also deflecting Minister Horgath's Moth Blade, and Sorelias' dagger with The Blood Cross which hung suspended in midair, dancing with their blades.

Jumping into the fight herself, she managed to use some of the flames enveloping the building to distract Sorelias, the flames changing from a brilliant Orange to a vibrant purple color.

"Sister." Sorelias said, licking her lips. "My blade never got the chance to taste your flesh before you joined us, and I failed to get a swipe in after your father saved you." She cackled a bit, before swiping her long dagger at the Amethyst Dragon. "But perhaps now. Now is the time that I'll finally get to quench its thirst for your delicious blood."

Melody ducked and dodged around her sporadic slashes, using her flames to help her in her evasion, and her sword to help her deflect the raging flurry of the dagger. Nearby, she could hear the breaking and stretching of metal, as Richter used his shadows to rip her father's prosthetic arm off. Wires and tubes snapped, and gears flew in all directions as the limb was displaced from the coupler holding it onto his body.

"Father!" Melody screamed, as The Mothman's words clouded her mind. She was not going to lose him. Not here. Not ever. As Minister Horgath walked towards the semi crippled Master of Crimson Fire, Sorelias approached the Young Princess.

"Our Lord Mothman foretold this, Sister!" Sorelias shouted, hysteria in her voice. With a cackle, she taunted. "And at the end of this night, once your father's blood is on your hands, and his dying breath leaves his lips, Our Lord can return to us!"

"I won't let that happen!" Melody screamed, an unnatural roar in her voice. Minister Horgath, Richter, Sorelias, and Silver all watched, as purple flames surrounded the teen Princess. Once they dissipated, standing there before them all was a massive Dragon, with three heads, twin tails, and two massive wings.

Before them stood Tao Ren. His gargantuan size, and immense wings were enough to bring most of the old burning building crumbling down around the Minister, his Archbishop, The Old King, and The Current King. His roar was enough to send echoes throughout the Kingdom.

"This ends now!" Tao Ren roared. "The Mothman shall never return! Not as long as I am here to defend this Kingdom, and her people!" The three headed dragon roared again, each head breathing purple flames in all directions.

Sorelias screamed, as her left arm was singed, a result of Tao Ren's rampage. Minister Horgath saw this as an opportunity.

The Ancient man took up his Moth Blade, and approached Silver as he tried to stand back up. "With your death, King Silver..." he said, a twisted smile on his face. "My Children will pave the way for a new era. An era of Darkness, where the only saviour is Our Lord Moth..."

He was then cut off, blood spewing from his mouth. He looked down to see a prosthetic arm sticking out of his chest. In his hysteria, and aggressive boasting, he hadn't noticed Silver grab his dismembered arm, and stab it straight through his chest.

"Man..." he whispered, before crumpling to the floor. Sorelias rushed over, and picked the Old Man up, cradling him in her arms. Tears fell from her eyes, as she screamed to the heavens. Richter approached her, and by placing his hand on her shoulder made the three of them vanish, traveling through the shadows.

Tao Ren then disappeared, leaving only Melody in his place. She ran to her father. "Father! Are you alright!?" She asked worriedly, helping him stand.

"Fine, all things considered." Silver stated, using his left hand to brush himself off. He then looked at where his right arm would have been. "Dresnia is NOT going to be happy about this. Not one bit."

"Trust me." Melody giggled a little bit. She tapped her own shoulder, the sound of metal clearly being heard. "I'm well aware of that, Father. All too well."

Together, Father and Daughter left the crumbling cathedral. They watched as any living cultist was pulled into the shadows, signalling that Richter was retreating their forces. "I don't think this is the last we'll see of them, Father." Melody said, concern in her voice.

"This fight, my dear." Silver stated, before snapping his fingers. Echoing throughout the Kingdom, a female shriek was heard, no man, woman, or child being able to not hear it. "Is only just beginning."