Old Wars Never Die Chap. 2: New Battles

Chapter 2: Old wars and new battles

Lorn and Lura were thrown forward as the very earth trembled. Loud roars from the raging beasts came from behind them as they crashed to the ground. The earth shook again, and it threw the twins back to the ground. Lorn raised himself on one arm and looked over his shoulder.

The massive titans were both on their hind legs, trying to hit each other with their front claws. The raion’s thick hide seemed to absorb Tyrin’s blows, and when the raion scored against the dragon, the only result was sparks. With surprising speed, the winged lion lunged forward and clamped his jaws around Tyrin’s neck. His teeth had better luck, ripping through her protective scales. Lorn could see blood pouring from the spot the raion was biting.

Tyrin threw back her head and roared in pain. Her knees bent slightly as her blue tail whipped up from behind her, slamming into the raion’s side. He growled but did not let go, biting harder. Tyrin cried out in pain again, her tail lashing up and striking the raion’s ribs. There was a distinctive crack and the raion finally let go of Tyrin’s neck, falling to all fours and staggering back.

The blue dragon also fell to all fours, almost falling over, her blood falling in gigantic drops onto the grass. Tyrin stopped and closed her eyes. Her wounds shone with a soft white light, and when the light went out, the bleeding has stopped. Whatever Tyrin had done, it had only partially healed her wounds.

The raion legs grew steadier, and he stood proudly, roaring in defiance of the dragon and his own broken rib. He folded his wings against his side and charged Tyrin. She opened her eyes and stretched her neck towards the raion. Tyrin opened her mouth and blue lightning erupted from her throat. The lion screamed in pain as the electricity danced along his body. He lost control and barrelled past Tyrin, missing the dragon completely. Her tail whipped out across his legs, tripping him so he fell to the earth with another roar.

The raion got to his feet immediately. Turning and facing Tyrin, he snarled, and two scarlet beams shot from his eyes. The beams raced along the ground, setting fire to the grass as it approached the blue dragon. Tyrin jumped high, but the beams followed, striking her squarely in the chest. They did not penetrate her scales, but the heat pouring into her caused her to scream in agony. The scream cut off as she fell to the ground.

The raion leaped for the prone dragon, but Tyrin was faster. Her head whipped out and grabbing him by the throat as her tail slammed into his rump. He slammed his paw into her chest where his beams had hit, causing her to fall back to the ground. Tyrin’s teeth ripped deep gouges in his neck as she fell, and the raion staggered away.

Tying quickly got to her feet, and with a shriek, spat lightning at the lion again. Even as it struck, the scarlet beams slammed into her shoulder. Neither relented, lighting covering the raion as the ruby rays cooked her shoulder. Both sets of eyes narrowed in agony, they would not stop until one had fallen.

Or until an outside force resolved the issue with a gigantic fireball hitting the ground between them. The explosion stopped their attacks and sent both into the air, landing with resounding thuds.

Lorn looked into the sky and saw several dragons approaching. Thirteen of them!! And one of them was almost twice the size of the others. Pyrantine himself has come. The dragons landed gracefully in a rough line near the combatants.

“Enough!” Pyrantine roared. He was an ancient dragon who looked the size of a fortress. The other dragons appeared small next to this winged beast of gold and silver. He was as beautiful as he was deadly, almost brimming with primal energy from ancient times.

Lorn realized his arm hurt a lot. He looked down to see Lura’s hand gripping him tightly. They were so enthralled by the titanic battle they forgot to run, and now it was too late. He gently tapped her hand, and Lura let go with a mumbled apology. She opened her mouth again to speak, but stopped as Pyrantine stepping forward.

He looked at the raion. “I am Pyrantine, and you are?”

“Dawnbringer!” The raion gasped in surprise, then shook his head and replied, “I am Sanla.”

“Why have you come so close to our territory, Sanla? Fighting one of us could be considered an act of war.” Pyrantine’s voice seemed soft, but somehow came from all directions, as if his words were greater than the air itself.

“I had no business with the Dragons. It was this one who interfered with me,” Sanla said with a nod towards Tyrin.

Tyrin snorted. “Interfered with the mighty warrior trying to kill a human child. superior indeed.”

Sanla turned towards and growled at Tyrin, who hissed in return.

“Stop,” Pyrantine said in a commanding tone. “Neither of you is in any condition to continue.” He stepped forward, raising his head so he looked down at both. A moment ago, they looked like mountains, compared to Pyrantine, they looked small.

“Speak, Tyrin,” Pyrantine ordered.

Tyrin nodded, “this shaggy beast tried to kill young Lorn,” nodding towards the twins, “and declared his intention to kill Lura as well. They are my friends. They needed protection.”

“Shaggy beast!” Sanla growled indignantly, then fell silent as Pyrantine glanced at him.

Pyrantine spoke. “A friend to one dragon is a friend to all dragons.” Lorn could see the other dragons shift and tense themselves. “These two are safe with us. Do you understand, Sanla?”

Sanla’s impressive mane shook as he replied, “I have my orders, Dawnbringer! I must have the twins.”

“Do not speak that name to me, raion, it was from a time long past.” Pyrantine fixed Sanla in a steely glare. His gold and silver scales seemed to shine brighter. “Your strength is not in question, Sanla, but even you cannot fight all of us, especially now.”

Sanla rose to his full height but still had to crane his neck to face Pyrantine. “I leave in peace, Dawn, gah, Pyrantine. I will return, and I will not be alone.”

“So be it.” Pyrantine said.

The raion turned, with a last angry glare at Tyrin launched himself into the sky. He could not hold in his moan of pain as he launched, and it looked like he would fall right back to the ground. Sanla quickly righted himself and flew westward.

Lura watched most of the dragons rise into the sky and fly towards the Valley. Two larger dragons, a brown and a red, went to Tyrin, taking positions on either side of her. She moaned as they pressed against her. Each dragon extended a wing, and all three launched as one. Lura watched the two dragons “carry” Tyrin away, flying as if they were one creature.

She cocked her head to the side and scratched her head. “How are they doing that? Do wings work like that?”

A booming laugh rolled over her and Lorn. Pyrantine remained and was watching them. “Flight is an innate gift of our nature, for which we are always grateful. The wings mostly provide stability and steering.” He said. The massive dragon strode toward them.

Lura blinked. She could swear he looked smaller now. Then she was sure. With each step, Pyrantine was shrinking, and when he reached them, he was only about a dozen feet tall. Only. She still had to crane her neck to look at his majestic head.

“I thought it would be easier for us to speak if I were closer to the ground.” Pyrantine said, with a twist of his lips similar to Tyrin’s smile.

Lorn opened his mouth to speak, but Lura ran right up to Pyrantine and hugged his foreleg tight. She stepped back, looking up as she said, “Thank you for saving Tyrin.” she said.

“She fought well, but I do not believe she would have survived her injuries after achieving victory.” He paused, looking them over, then he continued. “We also needed the raion alive. While I bear no love for Sanla’s kind, it would have plunged us into a war without preparation. Now there remains hope of another solution,”

“And if there is no other solution?” Lorn asked in a sad voice.

“Then we will send those shaggy beasts home with their tails between their legs as if they were dogs.” Pyrantine said with a laugh.

“We’re sorry.” Lura said softly.

Pyrantine’s laugh cut off abruptly, lowering his head until he was only a few feet away from them. He looked directly at the twins as he spoke, “The Treaty could not last forever, children. War between our peoples would have come sooner or later. Now is as good a time, and as bad a time, as any. You are not responsible for this.”

He straightened and continued, “Nor are you responsible for Tyrin’s injuries. She fought as any of us would have fought. I do not know why the raion wants you, but you are a friend to the dragons. All of us will protect you, as Tyrin has.”

“Well, we just have to find out why they want us!” Lura said with more confidence than she felt.

Lorn took her hand. “We should start with our parents. If they haven’t heard yet, they will soon.”

“You both have the right of it.” Pyrantine said, stepping back and returning to his original size. Watching him expand and grow in stages was incredible. “Tomorrow I will call an Enclave, and I would like you and your parents to attend as well. Please let them know.”

“We will!” Lorn said, surprise clear in his tone.

Pyrantine glanced in the direction the Valley lay. “You won’t make it back before nightfall on foot.” Grumbling to himself, the ancient dragon lowered his head and upper neck to the ground. “Here,” he said in a reluctant invitation.

With a laugh of delight, Lura clapped her hands and ran up to Pyrantine. She jumped up and planted a kiss just beneath his eye like she had earlier to Tyrin. She ran back and leaped onto his neck, shaking and laughing as she wrapped her arms around him.

Lorn watched Pyrantine blink in surprise. Apparently, even the leader of the dragons wasn’t immune to her charm. He smiled and said, “Thank you.” Or tried to. His legs started feeling wobbly and his stomach was dancing. He leaned forward, placing his hands on his knees, shaking and trying not to fall over.

“Lorn! Are you okay?” Lura asked in a concerned voice.

“Give him a moment, Lura. The events of the day are catching up to him,” Pyrantine said gently.

Lorn thought the dragon was right. A few hours ago, he was just a kid getting his sister some candies for their birthday. Since then a legend come to life tried to kill him, and now they were in danger for reasons he didn’t understand. Why? WHY??

“Take deep breaths, Lorn. Steady now.” The dragon said that a few times, encouraging Lorn.

After a few moments, Lorn straightened, feeling more in control of himself. Lura looked at him with sympathy in her eyes. Through their bond, she had felt it with him. She smiled and waved him forward.

Lorn cleared his throat. ‘Thank you.” he repeated, able to say it this time. He walked past Lura and jumped onto Pyrantine’s neck.

Pyrantine launched into the sky. He went slow and listened to the twin’s squeals of delight as they felt the surrounding wind. For a moment, a brief moment, he felt the urge to laugh with them. Instead, he focused on his flying. He never had passengers before. That thought killed his desire to laugh. It was only because the twins didn’t see this as riding a beast made it bearable.

It only took moments for the dragon to reach the mountains circling the valley. He flew over and landed out of sight, near to Dragonhome.

“I will see you tomorrow.” Pyrantine said, then fixed them with a steely look. “Tell no one of this.”

They shook their heads, not daring to speak.

Pyrantine nodded and flashed them another Tyrin-smile before taking off again.

The twins watched the great dragon fly towards the opposite end of the Valley, he faded from sight quickly. Sometimes vision was tricky in the Valley. The land inside the circle of mountains was larger than it should be. None knew the how or the why, but there were a handful of other places around Myrmidon that possessed similar properties.

Lorn knew there were ancient myths about an ancient race and a great calamity. They believed that this Valley and other places like it were attempts to create safe havens from whatever had happened. Jord told them of it one evening, adding that not even the Dragons knew the truth. Most of the ancient species, like the Dragons and Raion, slept while the Old Gods were away from the world.

Lura interrupted Lorn’s musings, taking his hand in hers. “I’m scared, brother.” It wasn’t an admission. They were both scared, but she wanted his attention here. She knew her twin’s mind wandered.

His eyes focused on her, and he squeezed her hand. “Me too, sister. Nothing’s the same anymore.”

Lura glanced out over the Valley. They were still high enough she could see most of the town. It seemed smaller now. She felt her brother agreeing with her, and with a start, she realized everything seemed smaller now.

They started walking towards Dragonhome, towards home.They were in a large clearing, and soon would enter the trees between them and the town. Lura did not release her brother’s hand, and he didn’t seem in a rush to take it back. “What are we going to do?” she wondered aloud.

Lorn gave her a sidelong glance. “Pray, maybe the Gods will have an answer.”

An icy feeling entered Lura. “The Gods won’t help us.” she whispered.

“What was that?” Lorn asked.

Lura shook her head, the cold feeling leaving her. “I don’t know. I have a bad feeling.”

“You and me both, sister. But whatever comes our way, we’ll face it together. Isn’t that right?”

Lura forced a laugh, keeping her tone light, “oh hell no, I’m throwing you in the way and running like hell.”

Lorn laughed with her. “Ouch!” he exclaimed. He stopped and with his free hand removed a package from inside his shirt. “I can’t believe they made it.” He handed the package to her. “Maybe this will buy back your loyalty?”

She released his hand and took the package with both of her. Lura opened it and smiled, candies! She took a sugary treat and popped it into her mouth. “Until the end of the month, at least!” She offered him one.

Lorn smiled as he took the candy. It was yellow and probably tart, as she knew he liked them. “Guess I had better buy some more then!”