Flight

Part 10

It is said everyone in the world heard her voice, the one of a sorrowful corrupt soul.  Icarus had been her savior; he pushed away her feelings of hate and instead led her toward a world of freedom.  With him gone those dark feelings broke free of its chains and came hurtling back to its host.  Then came her enraged roar and the world erupted in fire.  She devoured everything; there was no mortal being that could have hoped to survive her wrath…

She stood atop a great cliff; watching the world shriek in her infernos.  She now doubted the very existence of gods.  They had allowed the world they created to end swiftly at the claws of one deformed creature.  

There was no god but she - everything from the very beginning had been at her mercy.  She was a doomsday monster but that could have been prevented.  The beings that inhabited these wrecked lands were borne of sin and when they encountered one of purity they saw to damage her as much as they could.  Even so, being a god did not lessen Hestia’s self-hatred.  As a matter of fact, it pressed into her very being, further isolating her from everything and drowning her in her private sea of lonesomeness.

Time passed and still the fires remained.  As Hestia waddled out of her mind; she noticed a figure taking form inside one of the flames.  They lifted high above her and locked themselves in a dance of orange and red hues.  Afterwards they melted together and became a great beast.  It was another dragon, male based on his muscular build but he was unlike Hestia had ever seen.  He bore a snakelike body with long whiskers and antler type horns all covered in red scales.  His amber eyes were full of fear and insanity, for a moment they stroked fear into Hestia.  But she gathered herself and faced him, eye to eye and spoke.  

“If the gods sent you, they are too late. Everything here is dead and destroyed.  There is no place for you here.”  The male dragon said nothing and continued to tremble.  For a moment all was silent, just the cackling of the flames and the two dragon’s heavy breathing.  But then the red one charged and took hold of Hestia’s neck.  The shock paralyzed her and the impact smashed both of them into the nearest cave, forcing the red dragon to release her.  

As the dust cleared with rubble around them, Hestia struggled to stand.  Her leg was badly bruised and her neck was bleeding.  She still bore a godly rage and snarled savagely back at the snake dragon.  “Bastard!” she cried.  “You dare to bare your teeth at me – the one who brought judgment to this savage earth?!”  Again, he said nothing.  The crash had not even left a scratch on him, his scales stood stronger than a knight’s shield.  “You will not escape alive!”  Hestia charged, snapping.  He sidestepped her easily and took hold of her wings.