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Colossal Damage

It had been an exhausting day for Gothen after an audience with the kings of the united kingdoms regarding the magical artifact to turn the tides of war. It was hard enough to explain the artifact, but it was harder to explain it without explicitly giving away the fact that the knowledge was from a dragon. Since using an influence wouldn’t help them due to the presence of powerful mages who could sense draconic magic, he resorted to his charms. That, too, almost made him snap, but at least the kings and their court mages agreed to mount an expedition to find this so-called ‘key’.

Gothen’s remaining aides, Akkelas and Madsen, were waiting outside the door, still in their human form. Akkelas was still trying to communicate with spirits while Madsen was eating a fruit, which made Gothen asked, “You’re a dragon. Why are you eating an apple?”

“I choose what I eat, okay? It’s not like dragons are meat-eaters.”

“There is someone coming in talking about something,” said Akkelas. “I suggest you hear this one, Gothen.”

“Come on, Akkelas, this is not the time for trusting your ‘spiritual guidance’. We need a way to take their military might,” said Madsen.

“Sometimes waiting is more important than conflict, Madsen, or is your brain too small all you understand is blood and violence like an animal you are?”

Madsen growled to Akkelas and his eyes started to become full blue, with vertical slit pupils started forming from his otherwise human eyes.

“I’d shut my mouth if I were you, Akkelas.”

“I’m just talking about the truth.”

“You really want me teach you a lesson about dying?”

“I dare you too, you lump of meat.”

But before Madsen transformed back into a dragon, Gothen put his human hand in front of the disguised dragon and glared at him. The glare was so intense that it caused Madsen to stand down, calming as the result.

“I appreciate your rivalry around me, Akkelas, Madsen. But right now is not the time. Let me hear what the human have to say.”

Gothen’s unusual hearing made him able to hear what’s behind the big door, which was supposed to be muffling sound. He could hear some of the human kings were still talking about Gothen’s proposal when a new voice made a different topic.

“Sires, I must interrupt this meeting for a while. One of our scout camps have identified two western dragons flying above them towards the west. We presume that the pro-dragons are trying to bolster their strength by calling back allies scattered around the region.”

“Do you know which dragons are they?”

“The reports are vague, but it seems like they are two of the most dangerous dragons we have for hundreds of years.”

“So the old slumbering dragons are awakening…. Dire times, indeed. Thank you for the report, commander. You’re dismissed.”

After the human went out from the doors, Gothen could hear some more conversation.

“What are we going to do? If the dragons can take on all of our efforts like it’s nothing, then what we are doing for the past decades will be fruitless. They’ll crush everything we have done!”

“Then there’s no choice but to trust the three freelance mages. Their key may be useful.”

“But we don’t know anything about this ‘key’ they are talking about. If we trusted them, and it became wrong all of the sudden, we’ll be the one crushed. They may be spies to the dragons. I say we banish them.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. We are out of other means to kill the dragons. Slayer camps are being raided and they have known villages that grow new dragon Slayers. Their appearance is like new leaves for our military strength. If that artifact is of use to us, then we can turn this tide of war in an instant!”

Gothen had enough of the humans bickering, yet he was assured that they didn’t know what the key did. He then returned to Akkelas and Madsen and said, “This may be the time for you to sort a problem, Madsen.”

“Is there are problem?”

“Two dragons. Both of them were somehow important to the Western dragons. I want you to dispose of them.”

“Gladly.”

“I trust your instinct in this one, Madsen.”

After smiling, the dragon-turned-human suddenly vanished in a blink of light. Akkelas turned to Gothen, making a worried face.

“Gothen, I think you shouldn’t let Madsen deal with it alone. He could be killed like Kaartas.”

Yet Gothen made a grin, and said, “Isn’t that your wish, Akkelas? Madsen may be strong, but he’s not very bright. At least he could stall the two dragons while we go find the keys. In fact…even if he fights them, do you think it would be easy for him to be killed?”

Meanwhile, the two dragons, Ernest and Xerocia (or in this case, Zarxavio) flew towards the western borders. The travel was cut to only two days since the two dragons weren’t fazed by the snowstorm around the mountainous region. Rex and Gordon felt safe riding on Ernest (Zarxavio rejected them), but because of that, they must endure the cold.

“Goddamn it, this is so fucking cold!” exclaimed Rex while shivering. “Ernest, are we out of the weather yet?”

“We still have 35 more miles before we get out of the mountain range. How are you hanging?”

“We’re good up here! Don’t you think your metallic spine is making us uncomfortable?!”

“Can’t help you, future wolf!” But then suddenly Ernest sensed something from inside the snowstorm. His cybernetic vision caught another unknown heat signature suddenly forming in the middle of the storm and rushing to them. If not for his quick reaction, he and Xerocia would crash to the figure.

“What the hell are you doing, metalhead?!”

“There’s a dragon attacking us! He’s behind you!”

Zarxavio managed to dodge the dragon by suddenly dashing to the right. Right at that time, Gordon and Rex felt the same ancient and bloodthirsty aura they felt before when the village was destroyed. Realizing that this one was the dragon they tried to warn Ernest, Rex, in sudden adrenaline surge, shouted, “Chrono Stop!”

Just then, all time around them stopped. They could see the dragon in front of them. It was dark gray in color, with bright blue eyes staring at them. He was around the same size with Ernest and was flying to intercept.

Just then, to Rex and Gordon’s horror, the dragon moved its eyes, even though the 5 seconds limit wasn’t up yet. It suddenly moved and attacked Ernest that was also stopped in time, many times before Rex forced time to resume. Ernest was flung backward from the force of the attack.

“It seems that you have a chronokinetist with you too,” said Madsen. “It would be a shame if we can’t find on the same ground.”

Knowing that the dragon was going to attack during Chrono Stop, Rex strained himself to let Ernest move when time stopped, which managed to grab Madsen before he went away. As time started moving, however, the Northern dragon shot a devastating blue flame that engulfed Ernest whole. If it wasn’t for his robotic visage, he would be injured by it. He retaliated by trying to stab Madsen on the back with his tail, but the Northern dragon saw that move and deflected it with his tail before biting Ernest, forcing the dragon to let go.

“I thought you’re an android!” exclaimed Rex.

“You know how Organic Metals work, right? Can you do that time ability again, Rex?”

“I can’t! Letting you inside the Chrono Stop to move strained my body! I need to cool down before using another one.”

But the moment Madsen moved away from them, Zarxavio suddenly used soundwave fire to produce a whirlpool of fire around them, thereby trapping Madsen. But then, Madsen used another time lock and in a blink of eye, Zarxavio was thrown away and hit his own whirlpool, which burned him at the back and made him growl, forcing him to return to Xerocia.

“It’s useless! Now this whirlpool is your death trap!” But then when he panted, he said, “Now we’re in even ground, dragons. I can’t use time lock for more than 10 seconds, and I can only activate it two times consecutively before I must recharge myself.”

Madsen smiled. “Personally I don’t like fighting with fire,” he said. “It’s too boring. You just breathe, and everything is incinerated. No go in it.”

He then bared his claws in front of his face. “But this…this is good. It makes my heart pumps. I can feel excitement pumping in me.”

Somehow Xerocia was hearing all that detail, and muttered, under his breath, “He’d get along well with Zarxavio if he’s not an enemy.” But then, since he knew the short version of what the Northern dragon was capable of from a shared memory, the red dragon could say that the whirlpool of fire around them would be a very good area to fight without risking unexpected attacks from the time-manipulating dragon.

Meanwhile, back to Ernest…

“Rex, do you trust me?” asked Gordon.

“Remember, I can’t use my time stop for at least five more minutes, but I can still slow time. You must know your role in this.”

“Then make a run for it!”

Both Gordon and Rex ran in their wolf bodies towards the tip of Ernest’s tail to make a jump towards the unsuspecting Xerocia. The dragon was trying to take them into his hand, but they were too far for him. Gordon then used an old ability he never thought he would use again.

“Wind Walk!” exclaimed Gordon as he manipulated some of the wind energy caused by the whirlpool, enabling him to make temporary pathway high from the ground from wind. Rex managed to slow time, enough for both of them to jump towards Xerocia’s front leg/arm, where the red dragon caught them.

“Are you two out of your mind?! We are high on the air! If it’s not for Gordon’s abilities you two won’t be able to reach me!”

“We have a more pressing problem.”

Just then, Ernest and Madsen faced off with each other, with Ernest pushing the Northern dragon away from inside the sphere, where both of them fell outside of the whirlpool. Xerocia saw this, and said, “Ancestors, what the hell is he doing?! This whirlpool is supposed to be hindering the time-jumping dragon!”

“That dragon must’ve been cooling down from the earlier time stop,” said Rex. “But we don’t know how long he can move within stopped time. Even a Shifter like me wouldn’t be able to use it more than 5 seconds.”

“10 seconds. He said 10 seconds,” said Gordon to him. “Xerocia, you need to get closer to Ernest.”

“I’m on it.”

“Right now we can’t do anything except trusting Ernest.

Ernest, on the other hand, was fighting like a crazed beast. Unlike most dragon fights, both he and Madsen were fighting unorthodox. Each tried to slam others to the ground, but each time they tried that, the altitude from the ground was enough for them to stay balanced with their wings. The fight was colossal in scope, with both trying to use their most powerful techniques. Even Ernest was extracting metals from the nearby mountain to enhance his claws, which managed to cut through the other dragon.

Madsen wasn’t giving up that easily, either. Despite of having a big body, he moved very fast and unpredictable, even though he was injured by Ernest’s magnetically-enhanced claws. He relented by viciously attacking Ernest with his razor-sharp claws, causing the other dragon to be visibly damaged when a combo claw attack slashed through his tough Organic Metal chest plating, causing damage to that area by exposing his mechanical insides. Not only that, Madsen was far more vicious from Ernest, being able to rip the end of the black android dragon’s tail easily, but not before Ernest siphoned some of his energy.

After a relatively short fight, both contenders were damaged, both mechanically and flesh. While Ernest was supposed to be on the advantage due to his status as an android, he knew his system would break down due to the major damage. Madsen, on the other hand, despite of bleeding all over, was grinning maniacally.

Ernest was trying to scan Madsen’s fighting style, but then realized that all the time they were fighting, both of them were analyzing each other’s fighting capabilities, resulting in a very bloody fight.

“What are you even capable of?” said Ernest.

“That’s my line. Never thought I could meet a wolf with time-manipulating ability like me and a dragon that can adapt to fights. It’s like a marriage made in heaven.”

“Then what are you going to do to me? If we are fighting like this we’ll…”

Suddenly Ernest felt something piercing his body. When he sensed it toward his abdomen part, he saw that Madsen was impaling him with an immense strength that even his armor was pierced through. His systems crashed one after another, and even his eyes couldn’t make sense of anything. It was in that split second that the black dragon was also thrown away by the sheer force of the time-enhanced attack, sending him crashing through a mountain. Due to his metal, he flew through the top of a nearby mountain, crashing behind it to a thick snow.

Barely conscious, he saw Xerocia’s surprised and horrified expression. With all of his systems crashing and rebooting, he couldn’t do anything, let alone watch.

“Whatever you want to do…do it quick,” whispered Ernest. “I can’t…fight until I’ve fully rebooted. Fuck…”

Ernest’s calculation took him at least an hour to repair himself. He was lucky that Madsen wasn’t piercing his heart, or else his systems would shut down and irreparable due to Rex’s inability to return to their proper time. Yet, one hour was the time if he’s fully conscious. Now that he’s barely conscious, he couldn’t even concentrating on retrieving his missing parts, strewn across the mountain range. It would take more than that to fully repair himself. He cursed to himself. If only there was something to make his repair faster in that era…

Meanwhile, Rex, Gordon, and Xerocia were surprised by Ernest’s sudden defeat. Rex might not be fazed by the fact that Ernest was a fully operating self-regenerating android, but knowing that he’s a nanotech prototype, it would take time, and they couldn’t depend on him.

Madsen’s menacing presence stunned them in place. Not only that he could use time manipulation, his cooldown period was faster than Rex. Even worse, he’s a dragon, which made his ability in controlling time even better than a Shifter.

“Huh, never thought he’s not dragon,” said Madsen when he saw the metallic parts Ernest left. “Still, that was a good fight, even if he’s not a dragon. Now…”

He turned towards the three, staring at them with his menacing blue eyes. This caused Xerocia to panic, knowing that it was too much for him. Yet, when he saw Madsen’s bloodied visage, his eyes started to turn blood red from his yellow, being replaced by his more vicious other self. Xerocia wanted to give in, since it wasn’t his fight, but he was concerned with the two wolves on his back. Zarxavio wouldn’t be able to worry about them.

“This will be quick. It’s such a good fight, but let’s end this!”

Madsen then lunged towards them, baring his claws. In that split second, all Xerocia could see was Madsen’s blurring appearance. He closed his eyes, wishing that his death wouldn’t be painful.