Of Both Worlds

Chapter 13

Fury coated his vison. Ace growled, and looked from the decapitated dragon head to Dylan. Dylan raised his thick, long, fire sword, finally noticing Ace. He looked shocked and afraid to see Ace. Dylan looked at his five friends for reassurance. "Ace, I know this looks bad, but let me explain..." 

Ace's growl turned into a roar. Murderer. Monster. Human. Talonhunter. Ace seethed the last word. 

He did not want to be considered anything that would bring him to Dylan's level. From this moment forward he was a Talon. For now, and forever. 

Ace bounded forward, one thing on his mind, Dylan. He should never have saved him. He should have let Aureliana get her revenge and now she died in vain. Her children left unavenged. 

Not for much longer.

 Dylan gripped his sword with two hands. His five companions drew weapons but looked less confident. One of his other companions, a girl, also had a fire sword. That was her ability, Ace realized. 

Ace knew he shifted, but he didn't know what he had shifted into, he was bigger now, towering at about twenty, maybe thirty feet above the ground. The girl with the other fire sword paled, the flames on both her and Dylan's sword sputtered. 

Dylan whirled on her. "Dammit Abby! He's not really a trio! It's Ace! Now give me some fire!" Dylan shouted, spraying a bit of spit. The girl, Abby, shuttered but tried to refocus on the flames, giving up on her sword all together but doubling the power in Dylan's. 

Ace tried to focus on himself, what was he? A trio, Dylan had said. Ace became aware of his four legs, so a dragon? But then he had not just a pair, but two pairs of wings, so a wyvern? Smoke billowed out of his nose. Fire breath? Ace just had to test this out. Ace sucked in all the air he could and somehow, by some primal instinct or something, Ace could feel a spark in his throat. 

Ace grinned and turned his glittering hazel eyes to Dylan. Your fire sword isn't going to save you now. Ace grinned, taking pride knowing that they couldn't hear him. 

 "TAKE COVER!" Someone shouted. Ace blew out a column of fire. 

Dylan's five cronies foolishly dove behind flammable trees while Dylan ducked behind Aureliana's decapitated body. 

 Killing her wasn't enough? Now you're using her as a sanctuary? Ace stalked forward, his throat absolutely burning. Maybe he should lay off of the fire breathing. Come out and play Dylan. 

"ACE!" Kale jumped in front of Dylan. "I know you can hear me, stop this! The dragon attacked him." 

Ace flapped his four wings in pure outrage, blowing Kale off balance by the sheer wind power of Ace's humongous wings. Liar. Dylan attacked Aureliana! Step aside Kale, I know you can hear me. 

Kale blushed but otherwise showed no signs of backing down. Kale drew the katana from the scabbard on his back. "Perhaps Dylan was wrong." 

Ace blew a cloud of smoke on Kale's face. Perhaps?

 "Don't stoop to his level." 

Don't stoop to his level. Ace had said those exact same things to Aureliana when she tried to kill Dylan for the second time. Don't stoop to his level, don't stoop to his level, don't stoop to his level, don't stoop— Ace brought back his head in a roar of fury. 

 "Run Dylan." Kale muttered, sweat sticking his brown hair to his forehead. Aureliana almost avoided this, but Ace had stopped her, no, this wasn't Ace's fault.