The Final Storm (Part 3)

Light em Up

White.

            That’s what Vali’s dimming eyes could see. So bright, she could feel it burn her skin, suck the water from her mouth. She gasped, her eyes rolling back. She held out a webbed talon against the glare, watching in fascination as the holy light shown through her webs, illuminating each vein and making it shine in a brilliant blue, like sapphires.

            Then a scream. Lauri’s scream.

            The white disappeared and Vali blinked as white splotches filled her vision. Slowly colors blotched her vision and she felt the earth rumble underneath her as a huge red pillar appeared in front of her. She felt like someone else was watching dully as the pillar sharpened, she could see bright red plates and huge talons, curved like scimitars.

            A man walked towards her, a huge jug in his hands. His hair was a brilliant red, his facial features unidentifiable in her muddled mind. She gaped like a fish, unable to move as he popped open the jug and poured it straight down her throat. It sparked on her tongue, sending tingles down her spine. She felt her senses sharpen, her awareness peak. She could hear the shouts of the war, crashing into her ears like a thunder bolt. She could feel the pain, sharp like a firebrand, and she could see very clearly who was now smiling as he put the cap back on the jug.

            “Alroy,” she hissed, trying to roll to her feet, then crying out and rolling back to her side. Lauri was very close to passing out from the pain. “Have you come to revive us so that you may laugh while we die?” she snarled, coughing drily.

            “Nay,” Alroy said, gripping the spear with both hands. “We’ve come tah set tings right. Naw sit still.” He said, before steeling himself and yanking, hard.

            Vali screamed, thrashing, but Alroy dodged her nimbly. Grabbing a small vial from his side, he uncapped it and poured its contents onto her wound. “Dare yeh go. You’ll be gran’ in naw time.”

            Vali’s face hardened as she felt as if she had been stung by a million bees. “Why.. are you doing this?” she asked.

            “Tah prove tah yeh tha’ we are nay aginst yeh! Now tha’ we ‘ave saved yore life, we ask a wee favor.”

            “What?” Vali asked.

            “Leave us alone,” this time it was Cahal who spoke. “After this war you can count us as dead.”

            “Deal,” Vali said bitterly.

            Alroy nodded and mounted his dragon. They took off and charged through the Vulnairian ranks, white hot fire belching from his open jaws.

            Vali sighed and rolled slowly over. Lauri?

            “I’m… fine,” Lauri gasped, holding tight to the horn. Her right leg had been crushed and now it hung, useless. She fumbled through her saddlebags before coming up with a small vial. She gulped it down quickly before wiping her mouth. “Cahal and Alroy… who would have thought,” she said hoarsely.

            Vali was concerned for her Rider but she knew Lauri would never back down from this fight. “You’re leg is hurt very badly,” she said slowly. “Maybe..”

            “No. If you feel well enough, we will fight,” Lauri replied, throwing the vial to the ground. She grabbed another javelin. “Because today, we fight for Baroke, and the lives of our people.”

            Vali took a step forward experimentally. The muscle of her underbelly felt stiff, but whatever Alroy had poured onto it had done its job. She smiled at the sheer joy of being alive. Then her face fell.

            Dark, ghastly creatures were emerging from all over the battlefield. Over a hundred creatures with wings blacker than death and huge, snapping teeth. Lauri’s eyes widened. She thought that these were creatures of myth, the Felinus that could take on the shapes of dragons, but here they were, their wings beating in unison, fire bursting from their terrifying jaws.

            Cahal was like a streak of red in a black storm. His blue fire fried the dark dragons into bones and ashes, his claws slicing them open and separating limbs from bodies. Dragons were falling like rain. Lauri was suddenly very glad that Cahal was on her side.

            She looked down for just one second, throwing a javelin to impale three men through the breastplate, when she felt Vali grow tense. Look up. She did and saw that the black dragons were melding into formation like a wicked black arrow. They were attacking Cahal from all directions, catching him off guard, tearing at his wings, forcing him to lose altitude. He was putting up a good fight, but he wouldn’t be able to keep it up for long.

             Lauri’s gaze was caught by half a dozen hulking figures loping towards her, demonic smiles pasted on their muzzles. Her leg throbbed with every breath, every shift of the saddle even as her eyebrows knit in resolution. And neither will we.