The Legend of The Ara'dos - BOOK 1: Human's Draconic Ascension

Chapter 28 - Saving Throws

   The black dragon's deafening roar sent tremors through the air, causing the four dragons it pursued to waver in flight, perilously close to crashing down. The dragons puzzled over Soren's lack of power usage, likely due to his feral state impairing his ability to think clearly. However, this unexpected respite granted them a precious moment to strategize while desperately fleeing for their lives.
   "What's the ancient gemstone's weakness?" Ren asked Sora as he looked at her.
   "It doesn't really have a weakness," Sora told him. "Though, if we shoot at it, it's considered a weakness to Soren."
   "If we continue to shoot at the ancient gemstone, it'll weaken Soren more and more until we have an advantage and we can destroy him and the gemstone," Siveth explained.
   "But how exactly do we destroy the ancient gemstone?" Dachi wondered as he held onto Ren for his life. Again.
   "The ancient gemstone doesn't necessarily have a weakness itself," Siveth told him. "And it's known to be impossible to destroy. But I'm sure if we attack it with our different elemental powers, the ancient gemstone will get overloaded with power and probably explode."
   "I see," Dachi nodded. Though, he didn't. He just said that because he's panicking and he knows he doesn't have a choice when trusting dragons. They were usually always right anyway.
   "When do we start attacking?" Ren asked. Soren is just chasing us around in circles."
   "I'm allowing this because I'm finding an open area for us to attack," Siveth said.
   "We can't go near the water," Dachi quickly told them.
   Sora glanced at him. "Why?"
   "Because Soren has water powers," Dachi explained. "He has an advantage if we go near the ocean."
   Siveth nodded. "I see. That means I can't use my water powers. Or my fire powers."
   Dachi flinched. "Wait, water powers?"
   Siveth glanced at Dachi. "As the Ara'dos I have every element. I thought you'd learned that."
   "Oh, right," Dachi mumbled. "It's hard to keep track."
   Siveth glanced around until she found an open area filled with nothing but sand. She flapped her wings to make herself kick up her feet and run faster.
   "Come on, over here. Once we get over here, I'll tell you when to spin around and attack."
   "What element will you use?" Sora asked Siveth.
   "I'll use my earth element," Siveth told her. "I have a long-range with that element. I can pick up earthy stuff from miles away."
   "Okay," Sora confirmed. "Let's do this."
   Soren let out another roar behind them. He was gaining up on them fast. It was only a matter of time before he would stop on them all and crush their bones.
   Ren and Sora followed Siveth out into the open. As they got out further and further, Siveth began to slow down a little. The other dragons glanced at her, waiting for the signal. Siveth glared out into the distance. Once she felt as if they were far enough, she dug her claws into the ground and came to a complete stop.
   "Now!" she shouted to the dragons.
   The dragons stopped in their tracks with Siveth. They spun around in sync and began to charge with everything they got. Despite the guilt Dachi was feeling, he replaced that guilt with his spiritual strength and energy. He put the fingertips of his index fingers and middle fingers together and then he separated them again, drawing a line of lightning. He then stuck his fingers up, aiming for the ancient gemstone. He forced the lightning out from his body, striking the ancient gemstone.
   The ground trembled beneath Soren's feet as Siveth's echoing roar resonated through the air. A massive stone, propelled by her power, soared towards Dachi's lightning. Meanwhile, Ren harnessed his icy energy, channeling it through his tail and unleashing a freezing spike towards the ancient gemstone. And then, Sora's thunderous roar reverberated, shaking the very sky, as a powerful gust of wind surged towards the gemstone. The convergence of these elemental forces left Soren paralyzed, his attempts to retreat futile in the face of the impending impact.
   Dachi's lightning struck the ancient gemstone, causing a searing pain to surge through Soren's chest. It felt like countless needles piercing his heart and lungs. Then, Siveth's stone crashed into Soren's chest, leaving him gasping for air, struggling to breathe. The ice spike pierced the gemstone, shattering within it, intensifying Soren's agony. It felt as though he was repeatedly stabbed with a long sword, chilling his lungs and further hindering his breath. Just as he attempted to recover, Sora's powerful gust slammed into the gemstone, sending Soren hurtling backward, propelled by the force of the wind.
   Soren hissed and struggled to roar, but his throat constricted, leaving him choking. Desperate for stability, he dug deep into the sand until he reached solid ground, scraping his claws to a halt. With a swift spin, he shielded himself beneath his wings, seeking protection. Bending down, he coughed and hacked, expelling the foreign objects that had struck him, yearning for the return of air to his lungs. Blood spattered as he coughed and choked, causing Soren to flinch.
   Finally, he lifted his head, drawing in a deep breath, gasping for the much-needed air that filled his lungs. A groan escaped him as he shook his head, panting heavily.
   "We got some hits in!" Siveth announced. "We just need to do a couple more rounds before we're able to take him down once and for all."
   Dachi held onto Ren tightly and nodded, his gaze fixed on Soren's back. A frown creased Dachi's face as he couldn't shake the feeling of empathy towards Soren, despite everything he had done. There was a lingering sense of guilt within Dachi, a recognition that Soren's actions stemmed from a deeper pain. Yet, Dachi also understood that redemption might be out of reach for Soren. He knew that Soren needed to be removed from the world.
   "What is he doing?" Ren asked as he tilted his head, staring at Soren.
   "He's recovering," Sora told him. "Quick, let's come up with our next action."
   "I would use my lava element, but obsidian is made from lava," Siveth started. "I would also use my crystalize element but it would have no effect against another crystal."
   "Use your earth element again," Sora said. "Your nature element. So you can make vines with thorns and put them around the ancient gemstone to strangle it. In the process, dig the thorns into the ancient gemstone."
   Siveth perked up. "Great idea!"
   "It seems like he hates the cold," Ren mentioned. "So I'll use my frost breath to freeze the ancient gemstone."
   Sora nodded. "Good. I'll perform an air blast to throw Soren off balance. That means you two will have to fly up so you don't get caught in the blast because I will be attacking toward his feet." Then Sora looked at Dachi for the final step of the second round. "And finally, you'll use your lightning to strike the ancient gemstone again. Your lightning is very powerful against the ancient gemstone."
   Dachi raised his eyebrows and scratched the back of his neck. "Oh, thanks." That meant a lot coming from the Ara'dos's guide.
   Siveth looked at Soren who still had his head down. Siveth growled as her tail thumped up and down. "What's taking him so long? Should I blast a fireball at him?"
   "No," Sora answered. "Be patient. We can't mess this up."
   Finally, Soren tucked his wings over his back and lifted his head once more. He spun around and roared at his enemies. Before the four dragons could begin their attack, Soren flew up into the air and roared once more.
   "What is he doing?" Ren asked.
   "Trying to throw off our coordination," Sora spoke. "We need to get him back on the ground."
   "I'll use more vines to pull him back down," Siveth announced.
   Siveth stomped and let out a mighty roar, summoning vines that emerged from the sand and ensnared Soren's feet. With another powerful stomp, Soren was forcefully pulled down, prompting him to roar and flap his wings fiercely. He managed to break free from the vines around his legs, but his attempt to dive for the dragons was thwarted as more vines entangled his feet, pulling him back.
   Before Soren could escape, additional vines emerged, wrapping around his wings. Soren yelped and lost balance, gradually descending to the ground. Snarling, he writhed and struggled against the constricting vines, seeking freedom.
   "Why doesn't he just use his fire powers?" Dachi wondered quietly.
   Immediately after Dachi's wonderous thoughts, Soren jerked his head back and blasted fire at the vines. The vines snapped and shriveled from the fire. Soren quickly jumped into the air again and flapped his wings to keep himself up.
   "Way to go, genius," Ren muttered sarcastically.
   "I didn't know he would actually do anything!" Dachi scowled.
   Soren's newfound ability to breathe fire left the team in awe. They swiftly scattered, avoiding the powerful fireballs, not daring to test their strength.
   But then, to their surprise, Soren abruptly stopped launching fireballs. The dragons regrouped, their attention fixed on Soren, curious about his next move.
   Unexpectedly, Soren landed on the ground, groaning and shaking his head. He let out a loud sniffle, followed by a massive sneeze that triggered a mini explosion around him. The explosion left Soren momentarily dizzy and motionless.
   Dachi's eyes widened and he raised an eyebrow. "What just happened?"
   "Ah! When fire dragons— or in this case, any dragon with fire powers— use their fire too much, the ashes of the fire become too much and get sucked into their throat and nose, which causes them to sneeze," Sora quickly explained. "Their sneezes are so powerful that it temporarily makes them dizzy and vulnerable."
   Dachi gasped, amazed at how that worked. "Great!"
   "Then, let's attack!" Siveth called out.
   Siveth stomped again, causing vines to emerge and wrap around the ancient gemstone. With a fierce roar, thorns sprouted on the vines as Siveth tightened her grip, squeezing the gemstone.
   The intense pain in his chest snapped Soren back to reality. He roared in agony, attempting to burn away the vines with his fire, but he couldn't reach the gemstone. Frustrated, he glared at Siveth. Inhaling deeply, he unleashed a wave of fire, but before it could reach her, Ren stepped in front of Siveth, roaring to create an ice shield. The shield successfully blocked the fire.
   Soren hissed and struggled against the tightening grip of the thorny vines, but they only dug deeper. Ren, sensing an opportunity, lowered the ice shield to unleash his attack. Taking a deep breath, he exhaled a freezing frost that instantly encased the ancient gemstone.
   Soren gasped for air, attempting to roar but only managing a shaky squeak. He tried to breathe fire to melt the ice, but his flames refused to ignite. The coldness of ice was his weakest element, and he lacked control over it, putting him at a significant disadvantage. He knew that using his other powers to remove the ice would only harm himself.
   Suddenly, a powerful gust of wind swept across the ground, knocking Soren off his feet. He roared as he staggered, eventually falling onto his back with a loud grunt. The weight of his body crushed his wings, making it difficult for him to rise. Growling with frustration, he wriggled and squirmed in an attempt to regain his footing.
   "Dachi, now!" Siveth called out to him.
   Dachi's heart leaped as he flinched, feeling the surge of adrenaline. He concentrated, channeling energy down to his fingertips, causing lightning to crackle around his hands. With a determined gesture, he aimed his fingertips at the ancient gemstone and unleashed a powerful bolt of lightning.
   The gemstone erupted with a deafening roar, causing Soren to roar in agony as the electric shock coursed through his body. The impact shattered the ice and freed him from the vines. Soren quickly regained his footing, gasping for air and panting heavily. His heart raced, vision blurred, but he managed to let out a defiant roar to the other dragons.
   "Just two more rounds and I'm sure he'll be down," Siveth told her team. "He's only giving up so fast because his condition isn't stable."
   "What's the next plan?" Ren asked.
   Soren's roar drowned out Siveth's words, commanding the attention of the other dragons. With a menacing snarl, he launched himself into the air, gaining the upper hand. Locking his gaze on the four dragons, Soren inhaled deeply, feeling his fiery power surge within. He unleashed a barrage of fireballs, despite Ren's attempt to create an ice shield.
   To everyone's surprise, the fireballs pierced through the shield, exploding on the ground and sending the dragons flying in different directions. In the chaos, Dachi was thrown off Ren, tumbling through the air before landing face-first in the sand.
   Ren yelped as he hit the ground hard. He groaned and quickly pushed himself up. He shook his body like a wet dog, shaking the sand off of himself. He paused and then felt his heart drop when he realized Dachi wasn't on him.
   "Dachi?" Ren called out as he looked around.
   Ren looked ahead and found Dachi grunting as he was sitting up out of the sand. Ren gasped and started to go over to him. But before Ren could reach Dachi, a fireball crashed down right between them, blasting Ren back once more. Ren groaned and dug his claws into the sand, slowing himself down until he came to a stop. He shook his head and looked for Dachi again but he couldn't see because of the smoke cloud.
   "Dachi!" Ren screamed as loud as he could. "Dachi, can you hear me?"
   A roar suddenly erupted from Ren's right. He twitched and his pupils turned small. He looked over and gasped when he saw Siveth knocked over to the side and smoke all around her. Ren tensed up and rushed over to his sister.
   "Siveth!" he gasped as he approached her side. "Are you okay?"
   "He shot my wing with a fireball," Siveth growled. She winced as she got up on her four feet. She looked back at her wing and gently lifted it. Her eyes widened as she looked through the hole in her wing.
   Ren flinched and frowned. "Okay, it's okay," he tried to reassure Siveth. "I promise we'll be able to heal your wing."
   "I know," Siveth sighed. "Just—" She suddenly gasped and grabbed Ren, pulling him back. "Look out!"
   Ren's heart sank as he witnessed the approaching fire wave. With a swift motion, he spread his wings and let out a fierce roar, summoning an icy shield to protect himself and Siveth. The shield held strong against the raging flames, but Ren's relief was short-lived.
   Soren charged towards them, spewing a fireball that shattered the ice shield. Fear gripped Ren as he braced for the impending impact, but suddenly, a powerful gust of wind swept through, dispersing the fireball. Ren opened his eyes to find himself unharmed, a wide smile spreading across his face. His heart returned to its steady rhythm as he realized the wind had come to his rescue.
   "Sora!" he called. "Oh, thank you, Sora!"
   "No need to thank me," Sora called back. "But don't take your eyes off of Soren. He's quick for a big dragon."
   Ren gasped. "Oh, right!" He quickly looked around. "But what about Siveth?" he asked Sora in the process of looking for Soren.
   "I'll keep an eye on her," Sora said.
   "Ren, Sora, I'm fine," Siveth sighed. "It's just my wing. I'll be fine."
   "You're unable to fly," Sora told her. "That's not a good thing."
   "I still haven't found Dachi," Ren added.
   Sora flinched. "What? He's gone?"
   She tilted her head and looked at Ren's back. Dachi was indeed gone.
   Sora frowned. "Okay. I'll keep an eye out for Soren and watch Siveth. You go find Dachi."
   Ren nodded. "Got it." He sighed and quickly ran off.
   Sora watched Ren runoff. She looked back at Siveth and tilted her head. "Are you doing okay?"
   "I'm fine," Siveth grumbled. "We have to find Soren. I didn't see where he went. He just dropped that fireball and disappeared."
   "Yes, I saw him disappear from the smoke," Sora said.
   Siveth paused to think. She lowered her eyebrows as she looked around. "Is it just me or are you sensing another presence around here?"
   Sora flinched. "Huh?" She glanced at Siveth. "I am." She then sighed and shrugged. "It must be something with the ancient gemstone."
   "I don't think so," Siveth mumbled. "I think there's another dragon here out here. The energy feels off but it's there."
   "I see," Sora muttered. "You may be right."
   "They're not from the dungeon either. That's impossible," Siveth added. She paused for a long moment and then sniffed the air. "It's definitely another dragon."
   "Do you know what kind?" Sora asked.
   "No," Siveth uttered. "It's hard to tell."
   "I see. Well, just keep an eye out for Soren. I'm not sure what the other dragon is doing here but they're not our problem right now," Sora told Siveth.
   "Right," Siveth sighed.
   Sora and Siveth kept their eyes fixed on the night sky, straining to spot Soren's dark scales amidst the darkness. They knew it wouldn't be fair if Soren caught them off guard. Deciding it was safer to stay put, they remained vigilant, aware that any attempt to travel would make them vulnerable to Soren's sneak attacks.
   Suddenly, their ears perked up at the sound of a distant water splash. They paused, their gaze still fixed on the sky, until the realization struck them - Soren possessed water powers too.
   "Siveth?" Sora uttered.
   "Oh, gods," Siveth gasped.
   Sora flinched as her heart dropped. She quickly turned to Siveth. "He's in the water!"
   "No!" Siveth exclaimed and quickly turned to the ocean.
   She flinched when another big splash happened. Then the water slowly began to rise into a giant wave.
   "Oh, gods," she muttered again. "We have to get him away from there. He's going to drown us!"
   "We don't have time," Sora told Siveth. "Your wing is broken and you can't fly. Besides, I'm not leaving you."
   "You have to Sora!" Siveth growled. "You need to stop that water. Go. Now!"
   Sora frowned. "But Siveth—"
   "You can get there fast enough. If you want to protect me then stop that water!" Siveth snarled.
   Sora's heart sank as she reluctantly turned away from Siveth, her head hanging low. Siveth offered a reassuring nod, letting Sora know that everything would be alright.
   With a moment of hesitation, Sora mustered her courage and took to the sky, propelling herself forward with powerful wing flaps. Although it pained her to leave Siveth behind, Sora understood that her companion was capable on her own. Sora's purpose now was to guide Siveth on her Ara'dos journey and protect her, a responsibility that filled her with both fear and determination. She reminded herself that she was always looking out for Siveth, no matter the circumstances. Sora's protective instincts were always on high alert, as she couldn't bear the thought of losing another dragon close to her.
   Meanwhile, the towering ocean wave continued to advance, drawing nearer to the desolate wasteland at an alarming speed. Sora knew she had the power to stop it, but there was a major obstacle: she had no idea where Soren was. The fear of being caught off guard by Soren's attacks, whether it be another wave or scorching water, weighed heavily on her mind. The situation was undeniably dangerous. Sora understood the risks involved, but she was willing to take them in order to succeed, even if it meant facing harm along the way.
   Sora swiftly soared towards the ocean, reaching it in record time. The massive wave was now only half a mile away from the wasteland, gaining speed as it approached. Fortunately, Sora had enough time to intervene.
   Spreading her wings wide, she flapped them with all her might, creating a powerful gust of wind that kept her suspended in the air. The force of her wings sent a rush of air hurtling towards the oncoming wave. The impact was tremendous, causing the water to churn and then crash back into the ocean with a resounding splash. To avoid the splashing water, Sora swiftly ascended into the sky, spinning around to survey the aftermath.
   The water began to settle, bringing a sense of relief, but Sora knew her task wasn't complete. Soren still lurked somewhere within the dark depths of the water, concealed from her sight. It was impossible to discern any shadows or movements in the murky depths.
   Sora's wings flapped desperately as she raced towards the wasteland, but her triumph was short-lived. A sudden jolt of surprise escaped her as she felt a wet grip tighten around her leg. A chilling stream of water had ensnared her front foot. Sora wriggled and writhed, attempting to break free from the watery restraints, but her struggles only provoked a torrent of water that seized her remaining legs and even her wings.
   A cry of anguish escaped her as the water began to drag her down, its relentless pull growing stronger with each passing moment. Sora thrashed and bellowed for aid, but her calls fell on deaf ears. With all her strength, she tried to beat her wings and resist the force of the water, but her efforts were in vain. The watery ropes tugged her closer and closer to the unforgiving depths below, extinguishing the last flicker of hope within her. Inch by inch, she neared the water's surface, her fate sealed. She was about to be ensnared by the sea, destined to be brought back to Soren, wherever he may be.
   Out of nowhere, a jet of midnight-black flames erupted from the depths of the wasteland, incinerating the watery restraints that held Sora captive. The severed strings of water cascaded back into the ocean, freeing Sora from her impending doom. Gasping for breath, she swiftly regained control with the help of her powerful wings. Flapping furiously, she soared back into the air, determined to reclaim her dominion over the skies. With unwavering focus, Sora descended towards the wasteland, prepared for whatever surprises awaited her.
   Sora took a moment to catch her breath after her rough landing, her gaze fixed on the vast expanse of the ocean before her. The realization sank in that Soren, undoubtedly enraged, still lurked within its depths.
   Recounting her escape, Sora pondered the source of the mysterious fire that had set her free. It was unlike any fire she had ever encountered, devoid of the usual orange and red hues. It had caught her completely off guard, almost as if it were the shadowy manifestation of another dragon's power. While Sora initially considered Siveth as the culprit, she quickly dismissed the notion, knowing that Siveth was incapable of producing such dark flames. Only a dragon of darkness possessed the ability to wield black fire.