Ch14-8: Turning Point

SoYa grabbed AsaHi's hand as a second Esgyll swooped down towards them, out of the flashing battle skies above.

“Quick! This way!” SoYa grabbed AsaHi’s hand as a second Esgyll swooped down towards them, out of the flashing battle skies above. The girl gave a soft sound as he led her towards a nearby grove of trees, just on the fringe of the Compound.

“Zento!” she cried, looking back over her shoulder at the lone winged warrior.

The name alone almost made SoYa’s step falter. But he forced himself to keep moving. He knew that if he looked back, he would never be able to follow his father’s instructions. That he would want to stay and face the dangers instead of leading AsaHi to safety.

If there is safety anywhere on the Islands now.

“Keep going!!” Father’s shout was muffled, strained with the sound of intense battle. A flash of brilliant light from behind told SoYa that the winged man had called on the power of his arfogaeth. “I’ll come to find you! Just don’t stop no matter what!”

He could hear the sound of AsaHi’s sobs between her gasps for breath. It was hard to know in the pressure of battle what was right. What was wrong. Which way was up or down. Father had taught him that everything in war was about survival — because you couldn’t help anyone else if you were dead.

Still, these were the hardest steps that SoYa had ever taken in his life. Even if it was to protect AsaHi.

We’ll find help and come back for you, Father. I’m not leaving you alone here to face the Esgyll by yourself!

Not that the winged man wasn’t perfectly capable, SoYa had learned. Wounded or not. The moment that Father had leapt out of the doorway to the Compound, he was already slashing through the waiting creatures on the other side. The thick scale-bone hide gave just as easily as the flesh. The first Esgyll had fallen to Father’s blade with a gurgling shriek before SoYa even had a chance to gather his wits about him.

But that had called the attention of more Esgyll. And seeing the demise of one of their own, these Esgyll would not make the same mistake as the first.

The sound of leaves crunching under his boots alerted SoYa to the fact that they had reached the tree line. The swooping Esgyll must have responded to Father’s diversion because they had not been followed. Still clinging tightly to his hand, AsaHi collapsed in the thick underbrush, fighting to find her breath between choked sobs.

“Zento…” she sounded more afraid than he had ever heard before.

“I know… I know…” SoYa wrapped his arms around her protectively, stroking his hand through her hair to calm her. It was all that he could do not to join her lament.

This wasn’t the way this battle was supposed to happen. We weren’t ready again. There are a lot more than there were the first time.

Something in SoYa’s mind chided him that he should be out on the battlefield rather than hiding in the brush. But to gaze upon the destruction that lay everywhere — the crumpled walls of the Compound… the thick oily smoke that spoke of the tell tale signs of a fire getting out of hand in the distance… the splurts of flame that shot across the sky… and the flickers of white that indicated the approaching Cyngan troops — it all seemed too big for him to take in.

How am I supposed to get AsaHi to safety… when there isn’t even safety for someone like Father?

Squinting hard, SoYa could make out the lumbering shadows of the two Esgyll in the midst of battle in the field. Every now and then, a flash of brilliant blue spoke of Father’s presence as he battled. And though he fiercely believed in the strength that his father possessed, he could only suck on his bottom lip and wonder how long it would be before the wounds and loss of blood would weaken the winged man’s blow.

Where do we go? Maybe we shouldn’t have left him out there.

Just as his mind began to swing towards disobedience, he heard a muffled gasp escape AsaHi’s lips. She grabbed tightly to the sleeve of his robe and jerked once to get his attention. “SoYa! Look!”

The girl pointed up towards the churning clouds. The Athrylith’s eyes lifted opening wide in a shock of fear. Two huge shadows were bearing down upon the battle near the compound from above, rocketing groundwards in a blinding speed.

“Father!” SoYa choked, stumbling towards the edge of the brush. He knew that no matter how fast he would run, he could never make it that far fast enough to warn him. “Father… no!”

“Wait!!” AsaHi grabbed the edge of his cloak, yanking back with all of her strength.

“But..!” he protested over his shoulder.

“SoYa, they’re Dragons!”

It took a moment for his brain to process the words that the girl spoke. When the meaning finally struck him, he didn’t know whether he should laugh or cry, “Dragons…?”

As the two shapes corkscrewed down through the parting clouds, SoYa began to make out the descending forms. A glint of gold reflecting against the blue. Wide, elegant wings. Silken spun mane. The Dragon form of Lady KaiShi skimmed the tops of the bushes as a plume of flame erupted from her open maw. The blast took one of the Esgyll by surprise, causing the creature to rear back, writhing as its back half ignited and burned in a flare of greasy smoke.

In the glow of flame and darkness, SoYa could see Father’s form peering up at the sky. His wings glittered silver as his hair swept back in the warrior’s knot, his hair flung by the blast of air from the Dragon’s wings. Next to the great battling beasts, he looked so tiny.

AsaHi gave a shout that sounded like a combination of joy and a call to get the Dragons’ attention. SoYa almost reached to stop her as she rushed out of the treeline, waving one hand around wildly. But then he realized that Dragonback might be their only way out of there.

A tremendous roar shook the Islands, cutting off AsaHi’s cheerful display. SoYa’s hands flew up to his ears, pressing against them desperately. Though the girl had fell silent, she remained out in the open, head raised and eyes fixed with a glittering light on the sky above. He could feel it — the pressure of a huge presence that swept around him like the dislodged leaves as the winds whipped through the trees.

The glimmering white Dragon was suddenly above them, the belly just barely cresting the tops of the trees. SoYa felt his breath ripped from him as the thunderous sound of beating wings reverberated the ground. The creature was so huge that it seemed as if he could reach up and touch the white scales, despite the distance that it had from the ground.

“Zemi…” AsaHi’s awed voice was tiny to SoYa’s ears.

But then, everything was tiny in the wake of the Dreigiau.

It felt so unreal. As if time itself had come to a stop to watch the Arweinydd’s approach.

The white Dragon’s great head reared back, gleaming fangs showing in the firelight. A stream of pure white light burst from the Dreigiau’s throat, so huge that it would surely take out the entire Compound in one blast.

SoYa felt his throat tighten as the world was bathed pure white. The light was cooling. Healing and gentle. He felt it race over his limbs, strengthening both body and spirit with a rush of power unlike any he had ever felt before. For just a moment, he wondered if that was what it felt to Awaken.

When the light had faded, the Esgyll were gone. Not even a charred body remained laying there in the field. Simply gone. Where the light had given healing to those who followed the Dreigiau, it had blown away the darkness of their enemies without question.

SoYa craned his head back as the enormous white Dragon landed. The Dreigiau’s wings stretched towards the sky, towering far above the blue and silver of his Champion. And though there wasn’t really a sense of fear in the back of his mind, even AsaHi seemed hesitant to approach. Though SoYa had seen Zemi’s Dragon form back in the cave of Wyndor, it wasn’t quite the same as standing before the Dreigiau in his full, uncloaked battle form.

“Trying to take on the whole army by yourself again, Zento?” the deep rumbling voice filled their ears with in droll, almost amused tone. The huge white head lowered until it lay unceremoniously upon the ground.

“Did you expect anything less, Zemi?” Father grinned back, approaching the Dreigiau without a hint of fear. He placed one palm upon the white nose, a smile of gratitude playing on his lips, “You’re late.”

“I am right on time,” Zemi replied with a twitch of his ears.

“Late,” Father repeated.

“You’re not dead? Therefore, I am right on time,” came the half purred response.

AsaHi had gathered herself up during the exchange, chancing an approach towards the two. SoYa got to his feet as well, not wanting to appear to be the only one to look as shaken as he was.

Everything… will be okay now. Right?

Not far away, the golden Dragon of Lady KaiShi stood watching, proud head arched back, seeming to be testing the winds. Somehow, she gave him a sense of comfort and encouraged him to continue forward simply by being there.

When the two of them finally stood before the Dreigiau, all SoYa found he was able to do was stare. There was the constant feeling of shrinking there in the presence of a creature so large. Zemi, however, seemed completely oblivious to this, acting as if nothing was out of the ordinary at all.

“Father…” SoYa’s voice croaked in concern.

The winged man turned at the sound. For a moment, the Athrylith thought he saw a strange blueish light glimmering around him. But it was gone with one passing blink.

“SoYa. AsaHi,” Father walked towards them, hands outstretched. Any wounds he may have suffered from the fight were completely gone. “Are you alright?”

AsaHi nodded. Then with a quiet sound, she ran up to the winged man and hugged him tightly, choking with relief.

Father’s face was awash with surprise. “Now… what was that for?”

The girl didn’t answer. Instead she broke from the embrace and stumbled up to where the Dreigiau’s head lay in the grass. Somewhat shyly, she placed both of her palms up upon his muzzle. After a testing moment, she placed her cheek against it, too.

SoYa coughed, feeling a strange, biting emotion rise up in his chest. An emotion that he fought to strangle down as quickly as he could. Afterall, Zemi did just save their lives.

And I would be a real Grade A idiot to even think like that…

Instead, the Athrylith shook his head, forcing his focus back on the winged man, “Father. What about Tsu and Lucci?”

Father’s face grew grim, his green eyes shifting towards the two waiting Dragons.

“What is this about TsuYa and Lucci?” KaiShi asked with a slow flick of her tail.

“TsuYa has been out here on his own during the battle. We returned to the Compound after training before he did,” Father winced, attempting to skirt around the details the best that he could. From the look on the golden Dragon’s face, he wasn’t pulling anything over on her. “And LuShi ran out after him to bring him his weapon.”

Lady KaiShi unfolded her wings, “I did not see any sign of them as we flew over. But then, I was not looking to find wayward boys in the forest.”

“We must find them,” Zemi’s head slowly lifted, a rumbling sound of concern in his throat. “There are worse things attacking the Islands than just the Esgyll.”

What does that mean?

SoYa shifted uncomfortably under the weight of the statement. But before he could say anything, the large form of the golden Dragon was crouching next to him on the field. “Come with me, SoYa. You’ll be safer if we fly together.”

His reply caught in his throat as he blinked at the creature’s gentle face.

“Are you afraid to fly?” she asked.

“No, Ma’am. Of course not…” SoYa shook himself out.

“Then let us go and find your brother?” Lady KaiShi extended one slender claw to him.

Hoisting himself up on the claw, he managed to grab a hold of the silky mane and pull himself up upon the golden Dragon’s back. It took a moment for him to righten himself and find his balance. He was still no where near as skilled at Dragon riding as AsaHi was, but he was learning and getting better.

There seemed to be silent words spoken between the girl and the Dreigiau. For neither said anything as AsaHi made her way to the white Dragon’s side and climbed up his great shoulder. With a practiced motion, she was mounted, her fingers woven into the wild white mane, face unafraid. As if the huge beast was an extension of herself — a source of power and comfort.

Father had already taken to the skies, winging up from the broken ground into the dizzying heights above. SoYa watched his father’s movements, wishing for the courage and the surety that the winged man always seemed to have. He was jolted from his thoughts as the golden Dragon under him shifted, rising to her feet. As the wings spread, the Athrylith gripped the mane tightly, laying flat against her back.

In a smooth sweeping motion, the ground vanished underneath them. The sound of vast wings flapping told him that the Dreigiau was not far behind.

Brother… we’re coming. Just hang on.