All around us the battle raged, but Auric and I focused on the two Dragons in front of us. We’d been dodging blows and throwing magic for the last few minutes, keeping them distracted as best we could while our people fought below us. As long as we kept the Dragons busy, Kira and Slade would be able to bond. I just hoped they were quick about it.
Sark spat a ball of fire at Auric, and I pressed my wings close and dove to block it. The flames struck my scaled chest and I absorbed the magic into my own body, then let out a loud roar in response. I briefly felt Auric’s gratitude through the bond, before Heldor collided with me. He was the largest dragon I’d ever seen, and he slammed us both to the ground with his massive strength. We slid through the dirt, knocking soldiers back with our wings and tails, before smashing into the stone wall surrounding the fort. I tore at him with my talons and fangs, then managed to roll out from under his grasp. I backed up and let out a stream of fire from my mouth, but he yanked rocks from the wall to block my magic.
The ground underneath me shook and tore open, and I leaped into the sky again, where Sark and Auric were battling. I expected the Jade Dragon to follow me, but instead he stomped his feet and released a deep roar that made the soldiers around him balk. Lava began to spew from the newly formed crack in the ground, spraying the men and women nearby—both our fighters and the enemy’s. Heldor didn’t seem to care who he hit, and lava began to flow in a massive wave, threatening to cut down every person in its path, regardless of who they fought for.
“You’ll kill your own soldiers!” I called out.
Heldor ignored me and continued on, making the crack wider to take up the length of the entire courtyard. People screamed and ran, the battle momentarily forgotten as they tried to escape the red hot magma, but some of them were too slow in their armor and were pulled down and consumed. How could he do this to his own people, the ones he’d come out here to defend? Did he care nothing at all for their lives?
I fought back the lava and the flames as best I could, trying to give people time to escape, but it wasn’t enough. We had to stop the Dragons.
I reached for Auric through the bond, while glancing up at his shining form. He darted above me, performing whip-fast acrobatics in the air to avoid Sark’s flames. Through our many hours of training we’d gotten a lot better at this, and had learned that proximity was most important, but visual contact helped too. I felt Auric acknowledge me and mentally clasp my hands. His magic mingled with mine, and I focused on Heldor and released it.
A giant lightning bolt shot from the clouds and struck the Jade Dragon on his large scaled head, and he staggered back like he was dazed. Auric threw some lightning at Sark above me too, although the other dragon was able to dodge the blast. Without Isen nearby, Sark would be unable to create lightning of his own, and we kept up the assault, paying him back for the attack at the Air Temple.
I heard Faya’s voice call out for a retreat, and caught sight of Brin staggering toward the gate with one arm around Leni. Lava blocked their path, and I used my magic to remove the heat from it, turning it to stone. They rushed over it and out of the fort, hopefully on their way to safety.
Heldor recovered from the lightning bolt and threw more rocks at me, which I dodged. Mostly. One huge boulder struck my left wing, clipping it and shooting pain through my shoulder. I swore under my breath and leaped into the air, but each beat of my wings was agony.
I crashed back down to the ground and Heldor let out a deep, throaty laugh as he approached. Auric dropped down in front of him, blocking my body with his own, and launched another bolt of lightning at Heldor. It struck him in the chest, knocking him back, and the huge green dragon slumped to the ground.
“Jasin, are you injured?” Auric asked.
I stood up and shook myself off, but pain shot through me. “I’ll be all right. I’m not sure I can fly though. I’ll need Kira to heal me later.”
A harsh shriek filled the air, and Auric and I both looked up as Isen, the Golden Dragon, swooped down toward us. Where had he come from? And could we really defend against three dragons, especially now that I was injured? I bared my teeth and readied my wings. We didn’t have a choice but to fight.
I sent fire up at Isen, but he dodged easily, his nimble form darting through the sky. A tornado formed over us, whipping up all the debris on the ground, and Auric flew up to stop it. I bit back the pain and dodged the swirling, rushing winds before they surrounded me, but my injured wing slowed me down and prevented me from taking off. I managed to knock a soldier in black armor out of the way with my tail before he was caught up in the tornado, just before it dissipated.
The air around us cleared—and that’s when I realized Sark and Heldor were both gone.
