Regal Of All

Chapter XVII

A/N: the music is really good to read to in this chapter.

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Brave. Braver. Be brave. Don't falter. Do not let it fall. Be braver.

Onyx was waiting outside the cave- that was the only reason why I pushed myself to walk (more like tip-toeing along the wall) into the dark of the mysterious cave. Truthfully it was Lea that strutted in first, her drawn sword illuminating the cool damp air as Acacia and I flanking her sides. She's braver than you know... is the thought I'm clinging to. "Braver than you know," is what I'm stringing out my hope on. Don't you dare, Kayelana, do not let it all fall now. Everything that got you here, you have to win- even if it kills you. "Even if it kills you" was the chant racing through my mind when Lea gasped as Acacia calmly said, "Oh no..." I curled my lip and bit it to keep from letting a shriek out. He was more terrible than anything I've ever seen in my life, and I'm sure will forever be.

Ignis, the Dragon Lord, was right there in front of us, awake, and rummaging through his stash with his scaly hide turned to us, as we lurked in the shadows. He was a great brute of a beast, blood-red hide with dirt-caked claws that emerged from his massive feet. A long neck to match his tail, with two monstrous-sized wings that spread out from his gigantic body was almost even longer than he was. A knock from one of those could kill you, I would think. He was the most horrible picture of a creature I could ever imagine. Foul stenches came from the other end of the dome-like cave, it was so far away I thought I could see an outline of a large skeleton, but I'm sure. And what was worse? We came here to kill him, and there's no guarantee that we'd succeed.

"Ok, so," Acacia started, "we will each have our own job to do. Someone distracts and nicks him some. Another one gives blows whenever while the last one goes in for the kill. Who wants what?" her voice was in the most delicate whisper ever. She looked excited, even amiable. Lea looked more ecstatic outside, but had a lingering expression of elation. I have no clue how I appear.

"I'll take the second position." Lea stated.

Acacia gave a small smile. "I'll go in for the kill. Guess you're left with the distraction, KK." Her eyes grew shadowy for a moment, darkened with... something I couldn't quite put my finger on.

"Got it," with a firm nod, that works, I think as Lea explains the layout of the plan. I listened intently only for my piece in it, the rest of the words blew over me. I was to fire as many arrows around its head and feet as possible while Lea is going to stab at its tail and neck. Acacia was to shoot as many poisonous arrows into its mouth and around the head area. We were all so skilled at fighting we knew we'd do our parts well and go from there.

I felt like I should say something before we start the battle, the challenge. "Your guys are great, really awesome. Just want you to know that." I stared down at my boots.

Lea said quietly, "Yeah, you two are good friends. I'll see you again, sometime." I looked up and took a deep breath. My heart was beating and I know it wasn't going to slow until this ended.

"This is it. Good luck. Now, let's go get 'em," a pause, "Thank you, truly, KK and Lea." Acacia spoke. This is it... soon it will be over. It will all be okay in the end. Or at least this is what I tell myself.

We scattered and once in place I fired my first few regular arrows to get Ignis's attention, which he immediately roared and did a 180 faster than I could imagine, then I began shooting my para-temp arrows. After dotting around the cave while shouting and scampering to avoid a column of fire or tail-whack, I fell into an easy rhythm. I had no idea where Acacia was, but she must be doing something, we were battering Ignis's skin very easily. It seemed that Lea was doing her job just as splendidly, she must've hit him hard in a tender spot, when his head flew up backward and spread his wings.... Then I heard a screech that sounded inhuman. I fired rapidly at his front left, where his foot was bruised, taking advantage of the moment of silence. Like an eye of a hurricane, right before the other side comes at you, and brings hell with it.

It came from Acacia that was making some strange animal-like noise to cause Ignis confusion, and it worked momentarily, before he went wild. Suddenly all the chaos of world was upon us in a heartbeat. I burning-hot tongue of fire blackened the moss-covered rock behind me; I hit the ground so hard I thought I'd broken my chin. Then, my some unknown force, a wall of sheer heat of fire formed, severing I from my friends and the brutal dragon of evil.

Once I slid back enough on my butt that my shoulder blade hit the rock wall behind me, I got a good view of the gallant battle on the other side. Lea was dueling the powerful dragon with more valance than I've ever seen before preformed by anyone. There were several scrapes and nicks from a sharp blade along his left side; next he turned and I saw one of Acacia's arrows stuck up under a scale around his girth, the hide was quickly transforming to a deep violet that clashed with the bright, royal red of the rest of his body. I loaded and aimed a normal arrow and let it fly right up his nostril, which ticked off the livid beast. He thrashed and stumbled around his lair wildly. He blew fire around without aim, but it caught and burned on by magic itself, if I had to guess. Smoke filled the air and creeped into my lungs, I lost sight of Acacia, but managed to catch a glimpse of Lea. He shield was long gone, but she plunged her sword deep into his neck, up to the hilt as Ignis swooped his head down to let out rings of fire to a rock, probably where Acacia was hiding behind, biding her time. His tail went up and smashed down onto a weak spot in the floor, large cracks appeared there, meanwhile large stones and a couple small boulders tumbled down around me I raced forward and decided on a whim to try and jump over the fire river. Rock dust and gritty dirt flew up when I crashed and rolled into the hard ground, now hot as freshly-welded metal. Ignis's thick tail slammed around into- LEA!

OH GODS HELP US, I silently begged, she couldn't be dead. Her frizzy braid covered her face as she lay on my side unmoving, guarded by a sparkling bolder. She did not deserve that for fighting with such valor and grace against such a treacherous and cruel monster. I heaved myself up from my lying position, everything was happening so fast; my head could barely keep up. A burring pain shot up from my hand, shocking my elbow into a tingling spasm, I couldn't move my left wrist. You have got to be kidding me, it's actually broken! In my hot spurt of dry anger I launched myself to my sore feet once more and loaded one of my last paralyzing arrows (with a remarkably sharp tip). Aiming best I could I let it fly dead-straight into his tongue, ending his ability to aim his blasts of fire, this trick would only last so long. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Lea sprint out (I guess she was just stunned- thank heavens) to flick her wrist and send her shield (she must've found it) spinning out to hit his left foot, knocking him well off-balance since he was already weakening.

Time seemed to slow to the point of it being painful. I yelled for Lea to move and she dove out of the way. There was a flash of golden-brown locks as Acacia ran out and fired masterfully the best shots from a crossbow I have ever seen to penetrate his eyes and throat, forcing him into blindness. His gruesome head blew out one last breath of flames as it swung low to the ground, at just the right level for Acacia to hop off a granite bolder onto his head; where she hooked onto his nose (by the nostrils) and threw her poison-covered crossbow down into his ugly mouth which he closed as it lurched upwards with a shake. Blood poured from the crack between his lips, dripping comically to just dribble down his chin or splashing to the gray ground. His eyes were ripped into black obsolesce awfulness. She held onto his head as it came falling through air, just after the life drained from his eyes. Ignis was dead before his body even collapsed to the cracked floor. All the magical fire had disappeared with the smoke, leaving only precious riches of jewels and gold, which was apparently to made of magic. It was real, just as this heartbreaking scene was.

And Acacia was right there with him; his head twisted in air and crushed her as it fell through the ashy air. Acacia was dead.

Time went back to normal again, just as I thought my heart was going to explode.