The Dragon's Scale [COMPLETE]

27.2 || Rest

The world crumbled around him.

Josh scrambled back as a dragon-shaped pillar crashed. The surrounding water sprayed. It rose to his knees, growing higher as more gushed from the caved ceiling.

He knew this place, but all he could think about was ducking and dodging as more stones and pillars fell from above.

"Hello!" he called. "Is anyone here?"

"Over here!" A female voice. One he should know but couldn't place. He spun on his heel and sprinted in her direction.

He had run no more than a few yards before the water erupted. Josh flew back, submerging for only a second before returning to his feet. Billowing shadows rose from the spot of the disturbance. It squirmed and expanded before, moments later, the shi'raz-like reaper stood before him.

Josh screamed, backpedaling as the monster's tail smashed down. It attacked with a speed far greater than before.

The tail slammed into his chest, but instead of piercing him, it threw him flying back. He slammed into a hard object and slid down. He landed in a spot with less water and concrete surroundings. Almost like a pool.

"Ouch." Josh rubbed his head, eyes scanning for the reaper. It was gone. He twisted around to see what he had rammed into.

The deteriorating statue of Nizar greeted him. Its gem eyes glinted down at him.

"Josh!"

A hand clasped around Josh's arm, and he spun. A familiar dark-skinned man with a near-shaved head stood there, huffing and covered in scratches. Aharon.

That was bad, but Josh couldn't remember why seeing Aharon was bad.

"Come on," Aharon said. "We have to find her before it's too late."

Her? But Josh couldn't voice the question. Instead, his head just nodded along, and his legs carried him as he followed Aharon deeper into the winding, crumbling cavern. Some part of Josh thought it should be a room instead of a cavern, but no matter how much they ran, they didn't find an end.

"She can't be much further," Aharon said. "This way." He took a sudden turn, and they found themselves in a similarly destroyed area, but this one had dragon heads floating in the air, mouths opened to reveal orbs of light.

Light that casts shadows, and from those shadows, figures appeared. Josh didn't recognize any of them, but he knew.

Shadow Knights.

"Get away from us!" Aharon spread his arms, and lightning burst from his hands.

Josh couldn't follow the action. Figures appeared and disappeared as Aharon waved the lighting whips through the air. He didn't wield a weapon, but he heard the clash of steel.

Then the ground suddenly gave out, and Josh was falling. Aharon fell as well, a sudden sword in his hand combatting a Shadow Knight. They moved with too much ease while Josh flailed, trying to grab anything.

The Shadow Knight suddenly threw her head back and laughed. Aharon went still.

A fire spear flew from somewhere above and drilled straight through Aharon's skull.

"No!" Josh swung his arms, almost swimming through the air.

The Shadow Knight kept cackling as her form melded with the shadows.