The World Turning

Chapter 4: The Black Knight

A black colored mech was now hovering in the center of the battlefield as Winter kept his gaze fixed on it to the best of his ability. The air was wrenched in the putrid scent of blood, iron, and smoke. While the roaring of dragons could be heard behind the booms made by the mechs' ranged weapons. Just then, three other dragons had noticed the new enemy appear before them, and they all collectively decided to charge it, aiming for it's head just as Winter had instructed.

The black mech quickly held up the gray sheath in its hands as the three dragons flew at it. In an instant a green fire suddenly burst from the sheath. But this fire looked almost solid from where Winter could see it. It was as if the black mech was holding a sword made out of light. And just as the three dragons had been mere inches away from their enemy, it made a sudden movement so fast that Winter wasn't able to tell what had exactly happened.

At least not until the bodies of the three dragons had suddenly stopped flying. With utter horror, Winter saw as all three dragons fell to the floor, each one now in two pieces. The black mech had used it's sword to cut them cleanly in half right before they were able to engage with it. Now, the ground beneath the mech had been littered with the blood and entrails of the foes it had dispatched of within a matter of seconds.

No... How is that possible!? Lunae!?

Just then, the sword wielding monster turned its head to the direction Winter and Qibli had been watching it from, as Lunae issued another warning to the IceWing. The crystal! Winter! Pull it out now, and crush it between your talons!

What! But Winter didn't have enough time to comprehend his allies instructions, as the black mech had begun dashing through the air towards Winter at an intense speed. It's weapon pointed directly at him. Without thinking, Winter rushed to pull out the crystal from his pouch and clasped it into his claws. At the same time, Qibli noticed the mech heading straight towards his friend, and the SandWing tried to push Winter out of the way just as he had done when they were being fired at. But he was too late. The mech moved faster than anything either dragons had ever dealt with before, and now the green blade blazed through Winter as it stabbed him directly in the chest where his heart was located.

In that same moment, Winter had smashed the crystal between his two palms just like Lunae had instructed him to. Winter felt hot pain course through him when the sword had pierced. But he was even more shocked by the sensation he felt from his whole body as the crystal was destroyed. It made him feel as if a thousand dragons had roared directly into his ears at once, and that his scales would shatter as a result.

For a second Qibli was stunned with despair as he watched his friend's blue colored blood fly out of the back of his body. But before the moment was over, a bright white light had burst from the area the mech and Winter had been at. Qibli shielded his eyes with his talons as a natural reaction, and after the light had subdued he quickly looked back at it's past location only to see the black mech had backed off several yards away from Winter. Winter was hovering there just as he had been a couple seconds ago. But now his scales were faintly shimmering with a strange violet aura.

As a result, Winter felt as if he was the most powerful dragon and the weakest dragon in the world. The pain continued, but he was now filled with more adrenaline than he had ever felt in his life. And for a second, when he smashed the crystal within his palms, he thought he saw the figures of seven scavengers. One of them looked strikingly like Lunae.

The mysterious vision passed, and his senses now seemed to instantly home in on the danger before him. And his only thoughts were now that of cold calculation.

As Winter watched his enemy back away from him, he was brought back to his senses by the familiar voice of his SandWing friend. "Winter!" Qibli shouted as he flew to his side, and grabbed him by the shoulders. "Are you ok!"