The Land of Dragons

Chapter 28

Trigger warning: This part contains panic, anxiety, injuries and fighting. If you are not comfortable with that, scroll to the end and you will find a short summary of the events of the chapter.

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After Chapter 28

Devils? But how in the hell did they get here?!, Alex thought.

At first everyone had frozen in their steps, then as the Devils moved towards them, the youngsters backed to the tree. They soon reached the trunk, but the enemy continued to advance.

They have weapons! And swords, real swords!

One of the Devils eyed Alex with a cold stare and swung his blade. The Thai managed to escape it, but only at the last moment. He felt his stomach tighten with fear. Their situation was far worse than when they had been trapped underground. The Devil attacked again and the blade struck the bark of the tree just a single centimeter from Alex. The Thai froze, panic taking over his mind.

I almost died! He is seriously trying to kill me! I don't want to die!, his thoughts whirled around.

He came out of the trance when Neptune gently bit his ear. He realised that the sword was still trapped by the hard wood of the trunk and his enemy was trying desperately to pull it free.

"Hit him on the head!" Neptune cried. Alex gathered all his courage and slapped the edge of his palm with full force into the jaw of the man. He felt the sickening crash as the man's head hit the tree and he slid to the ground, out cold.

Alex stared at his hand with a horrified expression. This was no video game. As he glanced at the unconscious man, he felt the contents of his stomach rise in his throat. I almost killed someone! This is terrible!

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Lando had been staring at the line of Devils advancing towards them for a long time. What do they want? Surely not killing us? That can't be, right? What should I do? Help!

"CAREFUL!!!" Helios screamed into his ear. Lando instictively leaned away and the sword of a Devil studded into the tree next to him.

As he freed it, Lando leapt away from him and ran towards the edge of the clearing. However, the enemy man followed him and he only narrowly escaped the next blow. He was constantly swaying this way and that, escaping the blade thanks to his fast reflexes and sheer luck.

Lando saw it in slow motion as the man swung the blade at him. Helios jumped off his shoulder towards the man. Lando's heart sank. He can't die for me! He lunged forward to catch his dragon, and escaping the sword they both crashed into the chest of the Devil, knocking him over. Lando fell on him, and the enemy man seized his throat, managing to switch positions. Lando kicked, but the man increased pressure on his throat, suffocating him. Lando tried desperately to breathe, but his vision was starting to get fuzzy.

"LANDO!!!" Carlos cried out, seeing his friend in trouble. He delivered a huge blow to the Devil's head with a fallen tree branch, and the man fell to the ground unconscious.

Lando stayed on the ground for a moment, trying to regain his breath. Then he stood up, still breathing heavily. Carlos pointed at a young tree at the edge of the clearing they were standing nearby.

"Climb up there and don't come down!" he said.

Lando nodded meekly and did as he was told. He was still shaken from his near-death experience and the fact that Helios would have died for him without a second thought.