The Descendants; The Return of the Unnamed

Dragon competition

Dexter cursed himself for not saying what he'd really wanted to say to Valkyrie and he knew he'd feel terrible about it if anything happened. But when he was waiting, ready to be beheaded in that line he felt such intense regret that he and Valkyrie had never been anything. That he'd never get to tell her or show her how much she meant to him. He didn't even fully realize the extent of what she meant to him until his mind cleared at that moment and all the excuses left his thoughts and only one thing was clear. He wanted Valkyrie Cain. He loved Valkyrie Cain. All these years without closure and without knowing what had happened to his family had eaten away at him but now he had that closure. Now he knew where everything fit in his head and he wasn't confused anymore. He knew exactly where Valkyrie Cain sat with him and it was with his heart.

As Dexter followed the others out into the town square he took everything in, knowing it could be the last few moments of his life he was about to live. He knew the feeling well, but for once, he wasn't ready to embrace the battle and whatever happens, happens. He knew he had to survive if only to tell her how much he loved her and to apologize for what he'd put her through.

"All right, let's do this, my dragoness!" Sapphire pumped her fist in the air. "And you too Gordon."

"My name is not Gordon." He scowled at her.

"Sure, it is." She shrugged and rolled her neck. "Let's even the playing field a bit out there."

In front of his eyes, Sapphire Wildfire grew in size and her skin hardened to shiny, blue, and green scales. Sharp teeth protruded through her gums and she closed her eyes as the pain of the shift took over. Her joints cracked loudly as they twisted and rearranged. Tough horns grew from her forehead and her hair solidified into a bronze-gold streak down her back as wings and a tail erupted from her skin and pushed out. She was four times his size now and yet she still grew and grew until she was as large as a house.

Ophelia underwent a similar transformation, but her colures were of a holographic shine and wispy greys like smoke. Dexter noted that Ophelia was a lot more slender and tall, with a lengthy body and elongated wings and tail. On the other hand, Sapphire was strong, heavily built, and stocky with spikes jutting from her tail, wings, and head. Cian – or Gordon, as Sapphire insisting upon calling him – went through a more seamless transformation that obviously came with years of practice. The deep brown, black, and burgundy dragon that had face them in the tunnel made a reappearance.

"Ladies first." Saracen said to Aria Shade as he marveled up at the dragons.

"Age before beauty." The Australian Elder snorted.

"I'll go first, you boneless chickens." Dexter rolled his eyes good-naturedly.

Aria Shade held out her arm to barricade him from taking another step towards Sapphire. "Nah uh, I get the wild one, buddy. Keep walking."

"Looks like it's me and you then, Good ol' Gordon." Dexter patted the reddish scales and the dragon snorted smoke from his nostrils.

"I think that was an invitation to call him Gordon again and volunteer to be dinner." Aria laughed at him as she climbed up Sapphire's leg and wing to reach a spot between the spines on her back and hold on tight. She strapped herself in with some strong rope.

"On second thoughts, maybe a trip with Vivi is starting to sound good." Saracen stared at Ophelia.

"Come on, old man." Dexter laughed heartily as he settled atop Cian and roped himself in tight as well. "Where's your sense of adventure gone?"

"I think I lost it along with my youth," Saracen grunted.

"Okay, you're perfectly welcome to back out now. I just have one thing to say to you, old friend." Dexter grinned like a Cheshire cat. "I challenge you to whoever can take out the most soldiers."

Saracen moved like a bullet released from a chamber and he scaled Ophelia like an expert rock climber. He buckled himself in and gave her a tap to signal he was ready to go and they took off. Dexter and Cian weren't far behind and soon they were neck and neck high in the air soaring over the wall into the battleground. Saracen laughed with joy at the feeling of freedom and the wind whipping at his skin and ruffling his clothes. He looked back to try to see Sapphire and Aria, but they weren't there. When he glanced back in front of him, Aria and Sapphire had overtaken them easily and were now diving down into the battle.

"You're going to have to keep up with us, boys!" the fiery woman yelled over the roar of battle. Saracen and Dexter looked at each other in a silent pact as they increased their speed and dove alongside the two females. Saracen brought out his bow and aimed at as many Faceless Ones as he could. He never missed and he had a never-ending supply of arrows strapped to his back. Dexter aimed for the human soldiers with his energy streams, sizzling, and burning through flesh like lasers.

"That's ten Faceless Ones down, Vex!" Saracen called over competitively.

"What's that? I can't hear you over the screams of my already twenty-eight dead enemies!" Dexter replied cockily.

"Come on boys, you'll have to do better than that! I'm already up to fifty!" Aria sassed them as she circled back around, continuous streams of fire erupting from her glowing palms and sparks flew all around.