Wrath of the Dragon 4, page 5
“Take that!” Brooke spat as the beast’s neck fell, spewing blood everywhere, and it gurgled something I couldn’t understand as it struggled to keep flying.
Then Nisha pierced her sword right into the dying demon’s forehead, and its eyes rolled back before it went still. The two angels grinned as the creature tumbled down straight into a wildfire, and its body was eaten up by orange flames. A foul stench of burning flesh wafted up to us just as the third demon emerged from the dark cloud.
It flew right toward Cyra, but Ruby swiftly brought her blade up in a fluid motion. The crystal angel sliced through the leathery membrane of the demon’s wings before it could reach its prey, and her stoic expression never wavered as the evil bastard howled with pain.
“Nice! “I called. “Finish the bastard off!”
Cyra darted forward and snarled as she brought her blade directly down onto the demon’s skull. She hit it right between the horns and pressed down until she had cut between the eyes.
Its skull split in half and revealed a gross, black brain as it gave a final shudder. Then Cyra pulled her sword back, and the demon’s limp body tumbled toward the fiery ground.
My fire angel wiped blood from her face and scowled as she noticed Ruby had managed to get out untouched by demon gore. The crystal angel’s lilac dress was as perfect as ever, and her glittering skin was free of any bloodstains.
“Good work!” I called, and the Burnlings hurried back around to speak with us.
“You killed them so easily,” one of them breathed. “Three dead in just a few minutes.”
“Down they fell,” another muttered in awe. “Dead, dead, dead.”
“He has two types of dragon inside him,” another said. “How is that possible?”
“Three, actually.” Nisha grinned. “Ryan is the most powerful being in all of Dracoria.”
There was an echo of agreement as the small, gray-skinned beings zipped around to study my form. They flew right up close to inspect my black scales as they muttered to each other and nodded. I felt like I was in a zoo, but I could tell the Burnlings were impressed.
“We know what you are,” one of the creatures said as they gathered around to face me again. “Ryan is our new god! That is why he has so many angels and so much power!”
“Ryan the god,” another Burnling echoed. “He has come to save Dracoria after the other gods abandoned us!”
“He has!” Nisha called proudly. “You should spread the word to everyone that we will have to join together in battle.”
“The great god Ryan is here!” Brooke cheered encouragingly. “Speak his name! Tell everyone of his greatness!”
“But do so carefully,” I quickly cautioned as I made sure there were no demons near us. “We don’t want every demon here to know what’s coming for them.”
“Oh, and he loves being addressed as a god.” Cyra smirked. “Make sure everyone knows that.”
“Yes,” a Burnling said as it tore its gaze away from me. “Though we are not sure the word of your return will be as celebrated, Cyra.”
The fire angel’s face fell as the small beings nodded in agreement, and they sped off in a flurry of gray before we could ask what they meant.
“Spread the word,” one of the Burnlings hissed to each other as they disappeared. “We must tell the people! Something huge is here! Ryan the dragon god has come to save us!”
“That was rude.” Brooke pouted.
Nisha rubbed Cyra’s arm as the fire angel glared after the Burnlings. There was definitely bad blood between her and the fire creatures. It just seemed like Cyra wasn’t even aware of the extent of it.
My heart broke when her expression turned sour, but I needed to put those emotions aside for now. I just wanted to get the angels to safety so we could plan our next steps. Then we could discuss what the hell was going on with the residents of the Fire Lands.
The other creatures in the orange sky were preoccupied with their own battles as they snapped and howled at each other. I realized that some of them weren’t even fighting the demons, they were at one another’s throats just as much. There were even groups of Fire Griffins slicing each other with their talons.
I hadn’t ever seen species turning on their own kind before.
Holy shit, this place was intense.
“Keep going!” I called. “They’re all distracted right now!”
We flew lower as we passed over the burning houses, and I considered switching back to my fire dragon form again, but I knew I needed to be ready to attack. My golden body would keep me safe from flames, but I had a better chance of defending my angels with my clouds of darkness. It could even be used to hide them in a cloud of black mist if I needed to.
As I got a better look at the lay of the land, I could tell there had been great care put into the structure of the streets when they were first built. Golden cobblestones lined the ground between houses that were built with deep red bricks. Remains of scorched statues and burned benches were dotted around the ruined town. But every building around the edge of the lands looked empty as flames slowly spread around the streets. So many of the houses had fires erupting from their windows as dark smoke filled the skies.
At least the gray clouds masked us as we flew, so I was grateful for the cover even if it did make my nostrils sting.
But screams seemed to just be a constant background noise in the Fire Lands. I had never been anywhere that was so loud and chaotic all the time.
We passed over the charred remains of a small castle, and I could see orange snakes slithering around the ruins. A single half of a turret was all that stood tall as a gentle wind moved the black ash around. There were a few visible bones lying in the debris, and I found myself hoping they had belonged to a demon.
“This place has really been hit hard,” I muttered. “They’re even fighting with their own kind.”
“Yeah,” Cyra said as she looked down. “They’ve really managed to fuck up their own land. I remember when that castle was first built. They had a huge opening festival for it, and it was used as a town hall for parties and gatherings.”
There was a hurt tone to her voice, and I knew her first encounter with her own people had not exactly improved her opinions of this place. I didn’t know why the Fire Griffin had been so angered by her presence, though. Shouldn’t these folks all be as excited as the Burnlings to see four angels and a dragon show up? The return of Cyra should have filled them with new hope.
Maybe they really were as malicious as she’d said they were.
The smoke cleared slightly as we left the charred buildings behind and soared over an expanse of bumpy terrain. Red stone lined the ground with a few clumps of plant life that had managed to avoid the spread of flames. A single tree stood on its own, but its branches were twisted and bare.
“Does it ever rain?” Brooke asked. “How are plants supposed to live?”
“They thrive in hot climates,” Cyra said. “They don’t need much water to survive, but they do need actual sunlight. Not smoke and constant fire.”
I glanced up at the sky and realized that the sun wasn’t visible, despite the intense heat. Orange clouds covered the sky completely as gray smoke curled around the whole land.
Then I spotted something moving around amongst the rocks, and I slowed down slightly to get a better look.
I quickly realized I was looking at the biggest dog I had ever seen.
The creature was twice the size of an Irish Wolfhound. Its fur was matted black with flashes of burning orange as if tufts of its hair were on fire. Red eyes peered out of its wide head, and it had bloodstains all around its mouth.
I had a strong feeling it wasn’t a playful pet that had wandered away from its owner.
“Hellhound,” Cyra called as we passed over the beast. “The demons use them to attack and hunt. They’re really fucking dangerous.”
The creature snuck into a deep hole in the ground before we could discuss an attack, and I glanced around for any signs of its master.
“I haven’t seen any demons on the ground,” I said. “Where are they all?”
“That’s a good question,” Cyra muttered as she glanced around. “Those few in the sky were the only ones I’ve noticed.”
“Maybe the fire folk have killed them off!” Brooke said brightly. “Imagine if there are hardly any left! That would make our job soooo much easier.”
“It would,” I agreed. “But I have a feeling this is not a land that’s close to peace.”
The Fire Lands’ lack of demons unnerved me for some reason, and I could sense a deep trouble nearby. I had been getting these sensations deep in my bones ever since I became a dragon shifter, and they hadn’t steered me wrong yet. Whatever these beastly instincts were, I was learning to trust them as part of my powers.
Then a far off pack of Hellhounds slinked along the red terrain, and I felt a shiver run down my scaly spine as they began to run off.
“Those creatures reek of evil,” Ruby said as she stared at the distant dogs. “You can feel their presence.”
It sounded more like a statement than a question, and I got the feeling Ruby’s intuition was nearly as strong as mine. Angels could always sense demons, but I wondered if the Elite angels could get a feel for every evil being in this world.
“Right this way,” Cyra instructed as she pointed toward a nearby mountain. “I know a spot inside that volcano.”
“Volcano? Inside?” Brooke gasped. “Is it really safe to be inside a volcano?”
“These ones are dormant,” Cyra said. “This whole range that faces the city hasn’t been active in centuries. But some creatures still don’t trust them. That’s why it’s a great place to get some peace and quiet.”
The volcano was made of very dark orange soil and rock, and I was grateful we wouldn’t have to dodge any molten lava for the first part of our journey.
There was a howl nearby that echoed into the sky, and several more joined in all around us.
“Hellhounds?” I asked, and Cyra nodded.
Why were there so many of these beasts around if there weren’t that many demons? Had they risen up and killed their own masters? It didn’t seem that far-fetched, judging by how the rest of the fire beings treated one another.
Cyra guided us around the side of the volcano, and she soared toward a well-hidden cave entrance. It wasn’t lit by anything, and there was a cluster of orange ivy beside it that covered over the bottom half of the archway. The fire angel led the way into the cave, and I made sure the others all got inside before I followed.
It was a pretty tight squeeze for my dragon form, and I was grateful I had changed into my more slender body. I was only barely able to fit my wingspan inside the tunnel as Cyra led us deeper into the volcano, and we had to just follow the glow of her palms in the darkness.
Glowing bugs scuttled over the walls as golden spiders hung on webs above us. A few of the orange snakes I had seen before slithered by, but they seemed uninterested in our presence.
We turned a few corners before the tunnel finally opened up into a wide cavern, and I changed back into my human form as the angels slowed down.
My wings retreated back into my shortening spine, and my skin and clothes fell into place as my scales vanished. Then I touched down on the bumpy floor and got a good look at the cave as Cyra pressed her burning palm against torches that lined the walls.
It was easy to see why she liked this spot. The walls were bright orange with flecks of red throughout them, and the ceiling reached up to a high point above us. A red bird was sleeping in a nest made of twigs that stuck out on a small ledge. There were a few huge boulders that had seat shapes chiseled into them to create stone chairs. A small fireplace sat in the center, and Cyra got to work lighting it until the smoke drifted up to the ceiling.
“Are there any holes for that to escape through?” I asked as I peered up into the gloom.
“Yes.” Cyra smiled. “Don’t worry, mister firefighter, it’s safe.”
“Just doing my job,” I chuckled as the angels each took a stone seat around the flames. “Did you make these?”
“I did,” Cyra said proudly. “It took a long time to do each one, but they work well enough. I should have gotten some cushions or something.”
“You said you came here alone,” Brooke said. “Why do you have five seats?”
“Just in case,” Cyra said. “I thought maybe one day I would have someone I wanted to share it with. Maybe.”
“Awww!” Brooke gushed. “We’re the first ones you shared it with! You love us!”
“Shut up.” Cyra grinned as she finished building the fire.
“I like it,” Nisha said as she looked up at the red cavern. “Very cozy and intimate.”
We enjoyed the stillness for a moment, and the pleasant crackle of burning wood was the only noise that filled the cavern. It was a hell of a lot more peaceful than the chaos that lay outside.
“So,” I sighed as I took the final seat. “That was some welcome we just got.”
“That griffin was sooo mean,” Brooke said as she flicked a golden curl. “But the little Burnlings were sweet. Well, until they were super rude to Cyra.”
“I don’t know why the griffin tried to attack me,” the fire angel said as she stared into the flames. “We always got on relatively well. The Burnlings’ words were a kick in the stomach, too.”
She blinked furiously as if she was holding back tears, and Ruby cleared her throat to take the focus off of Cyra.
“This cave is beautiful,” the crystal angel said. “I can see why you liked coming here. It gives you some peace and quiet.”
“That’s why I like it,” Cyra said. “It was somewhere private to come if things ever got to be too much. My people… the fire people have always been a handful. I had to have a place to come to get away from it all.”
“There must be a reason they’re acting this way,” I said. “Something must have happened to make them all go off the rails like that.”
“Maybe they all just finally snapped,” Cyra sighed. “They’ve been left in a burning mess of a land long enough without any gods or angels to help them.”
“You were busy saving me,” Nisha said firmly. “Besides, you couldn’t have single-handedly saved them all from the demons.”
“Exactly,” Brooke said. “I tried, and Nisha tried, and Ruby tried… We all thought we could do it alone, and I think it’s super obvious we were wrong. We’ve proven it takes a group effort to rid a land of those ugly brutes!”
“But where the fuck are they all?” I asked. “Your people are clearly eager fighters… like, veryyyyy eager, but those few demons up at the border can’t be the only ones left.”
“Yes, I think the land would be calmer if the demons were truly gone or losing their hold here,” Ruby said. “Everyone would have had to work together in a carefully formulated plan to rebuild their world.”
“It doesn’t add up,” I sighed as I ran a hand through my hair. “Is there anywhere the demons could be hiding? Some kind of place for a headquarters?”
“There are loads of hidden areas in this land,” Cyra said as she stoked the fire. “Volcanoes, underground chambers, caves. But I don’t know which one the demons would choose.”
I nudged a log closer into the fire as well as I planned our next moves.
It was clear the Fire Lands had descended into a chaos that even Cyra didn’t recognize, and that was going to make our investigation harder.
The residents of the other lands had been afraid and mostly lived in hiding when they could. And they were usually willing to help when they worked out I was trying to save them. But if the griffin we’d met was anything to go by, then we were going to need to be much more careful about who we spoke to.
“Is there anyone here who you trust completely?” I asked my fire angel. “Any groups that you know would be willing to help you?”
“That’s hard to say,” Cyra grumbled and fiddled with a long lock of burgundy hair. “Possibly the Flame Gnomes. We always got on well, but maybe now they’ll hate me as well. Who knows. I don’t even care, to be honest.”
I frowned as I studied the hard set of her jaw and the forced detachment I saw in her amber eyes. I hated to see her so tense, and I could practically feel her heartbreak rolling off her in waves, even if she did look like a hardened warrior. Then I caught Ruby watching me, and she sent me a subtle nod, as if she was also concerned for my fire angel.
“Well, we’ll give them a chance to act right about all this,” I said carefully.
“Is it far to reach the Flame Gnomes?” Nisha asked, and the fire angel shook her head.
“We can get there in a few minutes,” she said. “Maybe they’ll have some answers for us. If they feel like talking.”
“Then we’ll go there,” I decided. “You all fought amazingly back there. We’ve got each other, and that’s all we need to solve whatever the fuck is going on here.”
“Exactly,” Brooke said as she discreetly glanced at Cyra. “We’re a family, and we’re all here together for this awesome journey!”
Cyra smirked at the flames, but as I got to my feet and stretched out my legs, I heard a faint thud as if someone had kicked a stone against a wall.
“Did you hear that?” I asked as I glanced around.
“Yeah,” Cyra said with a frown. “But nobody else ever really used this cave.”
We stayed still for a moment to listen, but the crackling fire was the only sound that echoed through the cavern.
There was a prickling on the back of my neck that I couldn’t ignore. The dragon in me could feel something wasn’t right, and I slowly drew my sword as I looked over at the dark tunnel.
“Ryan?” Ruby asked quietly. “What is it?”
“I can sense something,” I muttered. “It’s like I can feel something getting closer. Get your weapons out.”
“There’s nothing there,” Brooke whispered as she squinted into the darkness, but she pulled her blade out anyway.
