Time

Chapter 18

The dragon was immense. If the sand were red, then Travis and Madison would have mistook it for a very large sand dune. Madison looked towards its head, and saw that the eyes were closed. The beast was probably sleeping.

"Come on!" Madison whispered. "Let's get out of here! I don't want to be dragon food!"

"No!" Travis argued. "If there's a dragon, that MUST mean that there's treasure! I'm sure we can slay the beast! It'll be fun!" Travis excitedly shouted quietly. Madison looked at him like Travis was an idiot.

"What are you talking abou-" Madison started saying, but Travis grabbed her hand and they blinked out of existence...

... And reappearing inside some clouds.

"YOU IDIOT!!!" Madison shouted, feeling wind rush around her. She realized that she was holding hands with Travis and shook her hand out of his with a slight blush. "Now we're going to die. Unless you're going to teleport us back down or I save myself. I am definitely NOT saving you."

"Too bad, I was counting on your help." Travis stated, looking down from the sky straight down to the giant dragon's head. "I was hoping that you could shoot things into that thing's mouth while I distracted it."

"What were you thinki- wait. Why can't I be the distraction?" Madison said suspiciously. "Do you think I can't do it successfully? I can do it just fine."

"I don't want to risk your life. Anyways, you're better aim than me, and I can teleport." Travis told her with a frown.

"Oh... well it's still stupid." She said, but she was starting to want to do this.

"So? Many things are stupid, but they're good! Like you!" Travis said, immediately shutting up with a blush.

"LIKE ME!!!! I'LL SHOW YOU STUPID, YOU LITTLE BRAT!!!" Madison shouted, lifting up her arms. The clouds parted and Madison and Travis slowed midair. Clouds dissipated around them and drops of cloud water condensed into large orbs. Sand rushed up at hundreds of miles per hour up to her from the ground, and the grains formed boulders. Flames burst up on the water, and bubbles popped on the surface of the water. More flames melted the sand and giant balls of glass were quickly smelted. Some water droplets slammed into the glass and covered the surface of each with liquid. Cold air rushed around the two and the balls of glass started cracking. Slivers of ice grew within the moist ice and they grew, wedging apart the glass. The glass orbs shattered into a millions of sharp, transparent shards that went into battle formation, an army of glass needles. Madison pointed at the ground and sand drained out from underneath the dragon's head. It sensed the disturbance and woke up, looking up and roaring. Madison took advantage of the open mouth by grabbing onto Travis' hand and squeezing. They popped into existence right above the dragon's head and Madison shot the barrage of glass shards and boiling water into the beast's mouth.

A few minutes after the command was released, a roar of pain sounded that deafened both Travis and Madison. Blood splattered miles in every direction from the dragon's mouth wounds, staining the two Adopted bodies with red.

Travis blinked the two down to where they had been hiding and they watched. The dragon continued shrieking and spewing blood, but slowly slowed. Madison figured that some of the shards must have reached the lungs (if the monster even had them) and punctured. That would have explained why the tiny glass darts were able to fell the biggest dragon that had probably ever existed.

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Currence mentally shot golden darts everywhere. He saw them pop into reality, and then launch straight into the Scavenger's grotesque faces. They shrieked in pain and died, letting him and Tinman get some more distance. They eventually made it to a manhole near Tinman's alley and they scrambled up, got out, and slammed the manhole back down. The past few days had been like this, going into the tiny Scavenger colonies and looting the shiny treasure they collected, and then running away from the monsters while Currence shot his darts at them. The few trips had given him practice, and he was getting pretty good. Sure, he missed a few times, but who expected better from a 12 year old boy running away from horrific monsters that wanted to such his organs out while leaving the skin and bones? Tinman certainly didn't. He was actually impressed with Currence's aim. Currence remembered how his Mother had been much better at launching her spears than he was at his darts. He found himself wishing that he'd never run away. Tinman, to Currence's delight, didn't ask about where he came from, all he asked was if Currence could possibly stick some of the sewer drenched treasure into his mouth.