Dragon Falls (Indigo Apocalypse Book III)

Chapter Fourteen: What's One More Godly Miracle?

HUNTOR:
A branch, as thick as my waist lashed out for my face. I ducked and spun, whipping up my forearm to block the next strike. Sydney did a perfect hand spring backward and lashed out with a whipping kick. Brooklyn slashed through one branch, then another. I dove and slid through the dirt, dodging several lashing branches. A dryad whipped her arms toward me, and they elongated into branches, long sharp branches. I ducked and weaved, blocking strikes with my forearms. Camille turned into a flaming, literally, a flaming dragon. She blasted fire and stomped about. The dryads instantly pulled back, avoiding the gusts of fire. "Well done Kid." I thought toward her. The girl preened, and lashed out with another gust of fire. "Why are we just fighting?" Sydney asked conversationally in the flames between us. "I mean seriously? We can just use our power and vaporize them." "Oh right," I said. "I forgot." She snickered. Then, together, we faced the dryads. "Close your eyes." Was the only warning we gave our friends.
    I faced my mate for a moment, and between us, between the bond we shared, a unity that was more powerful ignited. Light began to coil around through the bond between us, to coalesce, to undulate into a physical thing, growing through every millisecond. Through the inferno between us, the light, the pure light of day, or the sun, of the true Ilio Drakous undulated, then, we faced our enemies, faced the dryads. "You were warned." We both purred in harmony, then attacked. Light exploded out of us, great light akin to a god's true form, a nebula of pure energy, of pure power. Beyond any form of indigoism, beyond any ancient form of indigoism, any archaic form of power. The dryads didn't even have the chance to scream as the power vaporized them, burning them to beyond ashes, to where nothing remained, not even ashes, just wisps of vapor. "Well fuck me blind." Said Diana. The spell was broken, and I laughed horsely. "Diana, such crude terminology, rare coming from you." "Thank you." She said, bowing deeply. "Sun Dragons." Whispered Brooklyn reverently. "It makes sense now." "Yeah," said Camille. "Yeah it does." Sydney and I both looked at our hands, at what we'd caused, created between us, through the inferno between us. "Dragon inferno." She whispered reverently. "Dragon inferno." I answered.
    "Well, if you were trying to send a message, you certainly have now." Said Diana, setting her bow over a shoulder. I shrugged. "I was, and we'd best find our friends and catch up with Amala." "And how do you intend on finding them?" Camille asked. I just turned to Brooklyn. She smiled grimly. "I'll find them." She stepped a few feet away, drawing Katoptris. The sword glowed poisonous green before quieting slightly. SHe swayed one way, then another, swinging the sword in a slow stroke. When she made a complete one-eighty, and was facing behind us, she said, "That way." She started running, but Sydney and I just stared at each other. "You think?" I asked. She shrugged, as irreverent as I would ever be. "What's another godly miracle." We grasped hands and channeled that same feeling, that same intensity. "Take my hand Diana." Frowning, she took it. Camille grumbled about how she wanted to hold my hand, but took my mate's. Brooklyn looked wary but took Camille's other hand. "Close your eyes." I warned, then, Sydney and I erupted. It was like the climax during love making. It was like the crescendo of the best music in the worlds. Like Cello and Violin's Wonder Woman cover, with Jazlyn and Joy and all the rest. It was like dancing with my mate when we were so confused about each other. It was like being born into the new body that was ours. It was like the hight of noon, blasting down on a deserrt ground. Great energy zapped down on us, like a bolt of pure white lightning, though nothing like lightning. Lightning seemed contained, seemed somehow, humane, this force, this power, this godly power, it was different, it was more. It was like the Earth being born with a great bang. Light exploded around us, but we didn't die, obviously, we moved, I could feel it, feel the moving. Feel my mate on one side, Diana on the other. Feel Camille, Brooklyn, and feel the forest the jungle around us. Feel the trees as we zapped through them. Feel the power of Dodona as we zapped through the jungle.
    I understood what Dodona was at that point, what it truly was. As I was in that phase, that form, I truly understood what Dodona was. Dodona was an oracle, an archaic powerful oracle. But there was no control, there was no divine force driving it. No one deity controlling it's power. It was an archaic wild thing, as free as the jungle it was housed in. Another powerful strike, and we landed at the mouth of a cave. Through the lingering aftermath of the travel, of that godly force, I felt powers churning in the maw of the cave, powers that defended it, kept it hidden. I realized that with barely half a thought, I could uncoil those powers, could rip straight through them and enter the cave and take on whoever was inside. But instead of doing that, I took a step forward, and a very, very, very familiar female voice purred, "You always loved your dramatic entrances, no matter where you go." Soft feet padded closer, and, Amala entered the light, her chocolate eyes filled with primal affection. "Amala." I said, rushing her and wrapping my arms around her neck. She held me tightly, then pulled back. Examining me, she clicked her tongue, "Godhood does you well my brother, though you still haven't truly tapped the surface." "Tell me something I don't know." "How about the fact you alerted Dione to our position." Came a voice, twin to Amala's, and no less affectionate. "You've been missed too Kamala." I purred. She snorted. "Come on, we gotta get out the open, they'll be coming to investigate those strikes." Amala tugged my hand and we moved deeper into the cavern.
"How was the maelstrom battle?" "We won." Said Amala. "Very minor casualties." I wanted to ask more, to drill her for every detail, but we didn't have the time. So, instead, I said, "How's Kitana?" "She's—"Still not showing." Said Kamala. "And is unlikely to show for a while." "And her pregnancy, how long do you estimate she'll be?" "Six months maximum." Said Amala. "And your mate should last just as long." Sydney stumbled. "Say what now?" "Oh please." Said Kamala. "You can't say you haven't noticed you were pregnant? It's all too evident, plus we all can smell it." "So that's what it is." Said Camille reverently. "Diana shrugged nonchalantly." Sydney ran her hand over her flat belly. "We suspected." I murmured. "We were trying, but still." Love burned through the bond between us. Sydney lashing it through the inferno between us. "Fuck it, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you." "Can we save that until we get out of here?" Said Kamala. I snickered, "Fine, what's the news?" "Since Callianna and Phoenix arrived, they've been secretly working on different outcomes for Dodona's future. Sadly, they did not get far. However, with the appearance of a certain Delphi, they have hope." Brooklyn stumbled slightly. "We don't have the time to insight a civil war." I cut in. "It may be the only way to free this country though." Snapped Kamala. "And with what army?" I asked. "We just sent the host ahead. We can't start a war against Dione like this." "Have confidence in your people Huntor." "Bite me." I snapped. "Where?" Purred Kamala. 'With the help of The Dark Phoenix, and Golden Fleece, we should be able to overthrow Dione with very little blood spilled."
"I hope you have a really good plan for that." I said. "We do." Said Callianna's voice as she appeared from a tunnel. "With the strikes you used, they'll be focused on those two areas, and should give us time to set an ambush, where we, meaning Phoenix and I, can get in and find our fleeces, when we do that, we can reclaim our powers and Dodona can reclaim itself." "Uh-huh." I said. "There's still holes in that." "Then fill them in." Purred Kamala. As we entered a cavernous meeting hall, I saw several dozen creatures, centaurs, satires, naiads, perhaps a hundred or so. "Talk about a force." Said Sydney. "Bout time you showed up." Audrey stepped toward us, her hands on her hips. "Good to see you too Dolphin." "Not a dolphin." Said Audrey absently as she stopped. "Phoenix was just going over the details on the fields." "Wait, you're seriously going to go through with this war?" Asked Brooklyn, I didn't blame her, we had our own war to fight, we didn't have the time for this. "Yes." Audrey said simply. Brooklyn said, "We—"Wait." I cut in. "Let's just hear this out." "Finally." Said Kamala. Phoenix laid out the plan, I debated, argued, asked questions. "If you send them there, can they fight those dryads? If we drain them, could they just die out all together?" Sydney stepped to my side, her hand sliding into mine. I unconsciously squeezed it. "You're a fecund source of doubts." Said Callianna. "I want to make sure no one dies, or at least, very few die." I answered. Kitana stalked to my side. "It's as sound a plan as we can get. Especially in short order." Phoenix snarled. "It's not like we had years to plan this." Kitana purred, "How could you?" Phoenix snarled, but Callianna said, "Shush Phoenix." He quieted. "When are you going to move?" I asked. "Tonight." Callianna said. "Good." I said. "Because we're going to provide you with a distraction." "We are?" Asked Audrey. I ran through calculations, making judgements, making realignments. "I want Audrey, Sydney, and Sarah. Audrey, you and Sarah will lead the charge against the dryads. Diana, you will be among them, no shifting." Diana nodded. "Kitana same deal, but I want you with Amala and Kamala. And the rest of you, I want as backup, Brooklyn." I turned toward her. "It might be that time friend." Brooklyn took a deep breath. "I will." Was all she said.