Wrath of the Dragon 5, page 2
“We have to stop them,” I said. “This is a whole new level of evil, and I’m not going to let the demons get away with it.”
“Yes!” Brooke cheered. “There’s that sexy, smoldering anger I’m talking about! Go Ryan!”
The water angel flung her arms around me and pressed her full lips to mine. Her huge breasts were warm against my chest, and I got lost in our kiss for a moment.
“You do smolder,” Cyra chuckled. “But I agree. Let’s kill as many of these fuckers as we can. I can’t wait to use this new power on whole groups of demons!”
“We’ll cut them all down,” Nisha said as she ran a hand down my arm. “Nothing can stand in our way with our dragon god by our side.”
“It is destiny.” Ruby nodded. “Even more temples will be built in Ryan’s name soon enough.”
My angels were as riled up as I was, and I knew the time had come to make a move to our next destination. It would be nice to hang around the Fire Lands to watch them rebuild properly, but I could visit again when the whole of Dracoria was saved.
“The Jungle Lands are up next,” I said. “We’ll make sure the residents here are prepared to kill off any more mutants that might come crawling out of the woodwork, but Ruby, will you be able to guide us there through the void?”
“I can,” the crystal angel said. “The Jungle Lands are one with creatures that I hope have not been bound to demons. There are some terrible things waiting there amongst the trees.”
“Then we need to get there fast,” I said. “I’m picturing giant snakes and crocodiles?”
“Something like that,” Ruby said as she gave me a sultry smile.
“Let’s head back to the city,” I said. “We can take our things from Woodbridge and get going.”
“We need our swords.” Nisha nodded. “I’m never leaving that gift from the Amethyst Elves behind!”
The angels spread their wings and took to the sky, and I focused on my fire dragon form once more. My skin prickled with heat as the golden scales appeared, and my wings shot out from my spine. I flew up with a rush of adrenaline, and we soared back toward the city of welders.
There was a crowd gathered around the gates as the towering walls came into view. It looked like the mad party had finally come to an end, but a variety of species waited for our return. I landed down beside the group and quickly shifted into my human form.
Khar was the leader of the welders, and he nodded at me as my scales turned back into skin. Then two welder women emerged from the gates with our belongings slung over their shoulders.
“I had a feeling you would be wanting to leave,” Khar boomed. “We wish you would stay, but I know that the rest of Dracoria calls to you in need.”
“Thanks.” I nodded as the angels took their swords. “There’s a shitload more demons out there to slaughter.”
A group of gnomes cheered at my words, and Burnlings darted around with excited shrieks. I swung my satchel over my cloak and slid my blade into its sheath. Cyra checked the contents of her pouch, and it looked like we were ready for our trip.
“Listen, there are still mutant creatures out in your lands that the demons binded with,” I warned Khar. “Spread word and start sending out squadrons to scour every corner and wipe them out. We can’t have them terrorizing the residents of the Fire Lands any longer.”
“We will never be able to thank you enough,” Khar said. “But your temple will be filled each day with worshippers. It feels good to have a powerful god on our side.”
“I’ll be back one day.” I grinned. “Once I kill every demonic fucker out there, maybe I’ll have time for some sightseeing.”
“Our city gates are always open to our ruler.” Khar nodded. “You will be welcomed back with open arms. Our Elite angel, too.”
Cyra’s ivory cheeks flushed slightly, but she gave the huge welder a respectful nod.
“All hail the dragon god!” a gnome cheered, and the crowd erupted into applause.
I smiled at the creatures who had gathered around me, and I shook Khar’s hand.
“Let’s go,” I said to the angels. “We’ve got a long journey ahead.”
I decided to use my night dragon form for the trip so I wouldn’t shoot into the Jungle Lands in a burning body of gold. We would need to lay low for as long as possible. I didn’t want to freak out the overlord into fleeing again.
Then I shot into the air as midnight scales rippled over my body, and my huge wings felt the gentle warm breeze underneath. My angels flew beside me as we left the cheers of Woodbridge behind. The sun had properly risen and cast a golden glow over the land, and the smell of bonfires filled my nostrils.
“It really is a beautiful place,” I said. “I’m glad we got to come here and see where Cyra came from.”
“It’s been my home for so long,” the fire angel sighed. “But I like seeing more of the world.”
“The Jungle Lands sound amazing,” Brooke said. “What is this huntress angel really like, Ruby?”
“Hotheaded,” the crystal angel said with a tilt of her head. “Unwilling to listen, short-tempered, and very difficult.”
“She sounds great,” Cyra snorted. “Nothing wrong with being hotheaded.”
“Luckily for you,” I chuckled. “We’ll win her around, though, okay? There’s nothing we can’t do.”
I really believed it, too. We had all grown stronger as a team, and Cyra was already seeing the benefits of becoming Elite.
Dracoria didn’t need its old gods to save it anymore. That was my job.
The white void stretched out ahead as we neared the edge of the Fire Lands. Placing horrific traps around each realm was one of the worst things that had happened after the gods left. It separated the communities and made it damn near impossible for anyone to travel for help.
But the void had been one of the creepiest of the traps I had seen so far.
An endless stretch of blinding whiteness with no walls or floors stretched out seemingly forever in all directions. I would never have found my way through if it wasn’t for the angels guiding me.
We soared over red hills and crackling flames and slowed down as we reached the border. Then Cyra looked back over the golden landscape with a smile.
“I think I’ve fallen back in love with this place,” she said. “Thanks, Ryan. You knew I would, even though I was determined to never return here.”
“I know everything.” I grinned. “I’m just glad your people got to see you as the hero you are.”
“Goodbye, Fire Lands!” Brooke called with an adorable wave. “Thanks for everything!”
A few rogue fire beings answered her call from somewhere way down in the red hills, and I chuckled at their whistles and cheers before I turned to the crystal angel beside me.
“Ruby,” I said. “Lead the way.”
The crystal angel nodded as she turned her emerald eyes to the blinding void. She flew fearlessly into the whiteness with her silver hair dancing behind her, and I followed along.
An endless blankness swallowed us up as we left behind the world of gold and red.
I knew that we were leaving the creatures of the Fire Lands in a safe realm, and that felt fucking amazing. But they could never be truly at peace until every last demon in Dracoria had been killed.
I knew now that it was my destiny to rid this magical world of evil, and I wouldn’t rest until it had been done.
Despite the dangers ahead, a wide grin spread over my scaly face. I was about to be thrust into another realm of new beings and landscapes that I would never have seen in my old life.
Becoming a dragon god was my greatest achievement, and I was going to protect every strange and magical corner of this new world.
The Jungle Lands were waiting for me.
Chapter 2
Flying through the void was like being in a dream.
The white expanse let my mind wander as we drifted forward through the nothingness. Despite how dangerous the mission would be, I was seriously excited to see what this realm of magical jungle would be like. Dracoria had already shown me the weirdest, strongest, strangest creatures I could ever imagine. But what would be waiting for us deep inside a demon-infested jungle?
Sometimes there were beasts similar to what I had known on Earth, but there were always creatures lurking that I never could have even dreamed up if you asked me to.
This just made me endlessly grateful to have my angels by my side to help identify the bizarre things that had been thrown into my life. Remembering the shocking sight of real vampires and elves took my mind off of the vast whiteness for a while, but it was difficult not to get lost in the void.
The endless stretch of whiteness was enough to make anyone feel like they had gone mad, and I had to keep checking in on my angels to keep my mind focused.
“Everyone doing okay?” I asked. “Enjoying the view?”
“It hurts my eyes,” Cyra muttered. “How long until we reach the Jungle Lands?”
“Not much further,” Ruby said. “We should be there soon.”
“I haaate the void!” Brooke wailed. “I can’t wait until we get to see the Jungle Lands! I’m going to cuddle so many little animals.”
“That might be a bad idea,” Nisha said. “Especially if demon binding has become a practice there, too.”
“Urgh!” Brooke moaned. “Demons ruin everything.”
“True,” Ruby said with a hint of a smile. “But they are also the reason we’re all together right now.”
“Whoa!” Cyra snorted. “Don’t you dare make this all about how the evils of the world are needed to bring the good to light.”
“How poetic,” Ruby sighed. “You really are becoming so wise with your Elite status.”
“I will fireball you,” Cyra chuckled as she nudged into the crystal angel.
“I was thinking,” Brooke hummed. “Once Ryan has saved the whole of Dracoria, and we all live in a giant castle–”
“A castle?” I asked with a grin. “Where are we getting a castle from?”
“The people,” Brooke said with a vague gesture. “They looove you! We can get any old castle we want, silly.”
“Can it have a dungeon?” Nisha asked. “With a dark tower that has a mysterious secret?”
I snorted as the night angel’s eyes widened, and Brooke giggled as she pushed a golden curl back from her face.
“Of course,” the water angel said. “A dark tower for our beautiful little creep. Aaaanyway! Our castle could have loads of room for pets! I’ve always wanted one, but I’ve never had the time to take care of a little creature.”
Brooke sighed, and she looked so beautiful that I was willing to promise her the fucking moon if she wanted it.
“You can have any pet you want.” I grinned. “As long as it’s not a jinn.”
“Ewww.” Brooke shuddered. “No, I was thinking of some kind of bunny or a giant toad!”
“Of course.” Cyra smirked. “The obvious choices for a pet.”
“You would make a great pet mother,” Nisha said sweetly. “I think it’s a lovely idea.”
The angels discussed our future life together to pass the time, and it made the endless void much easier to handle.
It was hard to say how much time had passed as we flew through the vast brightness, but my gaze finally fell on a shape that wasn’t white. Up ahead there was something glistening and green, and Brooke cheered at the sight.
“Finally!” Cyra groaned. “I never thought I would be this excited to see trees.”
“It’s not just trees.” Nisha frowned. “There’s something around them. Does the Jungle Lands have a roof?”
“A roof?” Ruby asked with a raised eyebrow. “Not when I was there before.”
We flew faster until we could see that the Jungle Lands were encased in a gigantic dome of glass. Green sparks of magic crackled around it, and I could see a whole world of plants and trees concealed underneath. The dome stretched out as far as the eye could see, and I had a feeling the whole realm was covered.
“This must be the trap left behind by their god,” Ruby said sadly. “How are we going to get inside?”
“Is there a door?” Brooke asked as she pulled a golden curl.
“Of course,” Cyra said sarcastically. “I’ll just go knock, and the overlord will lead us right inside.”
“If he’s here,” I muttered.
“Well, you suggest something!” Brooke snorted as she gave the fire angel a gentle push.
“Ryan can smash it.” Cyra shrugged. “There’s no way this could be stronger than a dragon god, right?”
“I don’t think he needs to,” Nisha said. “Look.”
The night angel pointed along the dome to a large crack, and I realized there were broken sections all over the upper part of the glass. Some holes would be big enough for me to fit through in dragon form, and some were tiny. There was no pattern or consistency with the shattered areas, though, so I wondered what could have caused all this.
“Ewww!” Brooke hissed. “Worms!”
“Huh?” I followed her gaze to one of the smashed spots to see something sliding along over the top.
It was a thick, dark green vine that moved like a snake as it twisted around a hole. The plant circled around itself until it covered up the broken area and completely sealed it off.
“They’re not worms,” I said. “They’re vines, and it looks like they’re trying to fix the broken parts of the dome.”
We watched another vine slither out of a small hole and twist until there was no gap left.
“Amazing,” Nisha breathed. “What do you think made those holes?”
“Maybe creatures who tried to escape,” I said. “Or the demons could have smashed them accidentally. But we need to find one big enough for me to get through.”
“That one,” Ruby said as she pointed to the left. “The vines haven’t reached it yet. I’m not entirely sure I trust them, so let’s avoid them if possible.”
“Understandable,” I said. “They are trying to fix the trap. Surely that means they’re on the demons’ side?”
“Demon plants?” Brooke frowned. “Is that possible? Can plants be evil?”
“Let’s find out,” I said. “Come on.”
I flew toward the huge gap that had jagged shards around the edge. There was a thick canopy of lush green below it, and I could feel the humid heat of the jungle wafting up through the opening.
“Stay close,” I said. “Make sure you don’t hurt yourselves on the broken edges.”
“You’re the one who needs to worry about that,” Cyra said as she eyed my large black wings. “You’ll need to go right down the middle.”
I nodded and turned back to face the hole. My scales felt the prickle of heat and humidity as I dove down through the broken glass. Then the sticky warmth consumed my dark body as I entered the Jungle Lands, and there was noise all around me in the form of animal calls. Birds cawed, beasts howled, and insects buzzed in every direction.
I stayed over the canopy and waited for the angels to all come through and join me.
Vines slowly snaked up from trees to the broken parts of the roof, and they squelched horribly as they moved. It was like watching a bizarre snake-charming dance as each green arm rose up.
“I am melting,” Brooke groaned. “It’s a good thing angels don’t sweat!”
“It’s nice.” Cyra shrugged. “Heat is good.”
“We should get under the treetops,” Ruby said as she scanned the area. “We’ll stand out if anything pokes its head up.”
“Stay quiet,” I said. “Let’s see if we can find some kind of shelter to make our plan. There must be someone in this land who can tell us if the overlord came here and maybe even help us find him.”
I dove through the green leaves to find that the trees were taller than I had imagined. They towered high above the emerald grass and dark green mosses, and the animal noises were even louder under the dense canopy.
“Ryan,” Nisha said quietly. “There are vines everywhere.”
I looked around at the trees to see hundreds of the thick ropes curling around trunks and branches. They moved slowly like they were waiting to pounce, and my eyes fell on a creature mixed in amongst the vines.
“Snake,” I breathed. “And I don’t think it’s a normal one.”
We looked over at the green beast that was well camouflaged amongst the leaves, and its yellow eyes were the only thing that made it stand out. Its scales looked like they had black mold growing between them, and the angels grimaced as they watched it.
“I can sense a demon nearby,” Nisha said and narrowed her silver eyes. “You’re right, Ryan. It’s not just a snake. Something evil has binded with it…”
“Shit,” I breathed.
“There could be hundreds of those things hiding around us,” Brooke said as she looked over her shoulder.
“We need to be subtle,” I said. “I’m going to change forms. I don’t want to announce our presence right away like we did at the Fire Lands.”
“Good idea.” Ruby nodded. “Let’s go lower.”
We swooped down and made sure to dodge past any moving vines that lazily swung our way. Then I focused on my human body as my feet touched the ground, and the scales rippled away to make room for my skin. The intensity of the heat and humidity in here hit me at full force in my human body, and I practically flung my cloak off with a grunt.
“Hoooly shit,” I said as the angels landed beside me. “This is seriously humid.”
“Take your shirt off!” Brooke urged. “For comfort, and also for meee.”
“I might do that,” I chuckled. “But let’s have a look around first. I’m not sure I want to walk around with exposed skin. That might make me a demon magnet.”
I hung my cloak over my satchel as we started to walk through the dense jungle. The lush plants and mosses were bouncy and thick, and there were bright colors everywhere. Purple flowers with stems taller than me were visited by giant butterflies. Orange flies buzzed around us and darted amongst the petals. There were blue frogs that sat on the ground and swelled their tiny chests as we passed.
“Don’t pick those up,” Nisha said warningly to Brooke. “They might be poisonous.”
