Dragon Binder: Book One of the Dragonblood Priestess Series (First Draft)

Chapter 38: Unexpected Victory

Metal clashing was all Yina could hear as the small talk was over the group were going at it.  Every time she happened to block or parry another one of them seemed to strike, her fears coming to fruition.  This group of pirates were skilled and had worked together for a very long time to be able to fight at this level of cohesion.  

Occasionally she would light up with lightning, to keep them at bay.  Keeping a long charge was taxing though so it lasted on a short time.  Yin's could not get into a fight of attrition with them, they would be able to last far longer.  When she finally got her mana capacity up, she would be a quite the force.  

Glancing over Nyssa and Astir were doing very well in their fight.  The captain was distracted and could not fully support his dragon like before.  That left his dragon to fight two dragons at once, its only advantage was being able to go into the water, but it could not stay long or else the two dragons would be free to also attack the pirates.  

Shockingly even the captain was holding his own against Adar.  Their weapons were clashing, and the fact that the captain could harness water had Adar purely on the defensive.  From her vantage though it looked like the skill level between them was far greater.  Just like the fight before, Adar's non offensive magic was a big disadvantage in fights with other Bound.  

The distractions did not help Yina as a blade sliced through her shoulder.  It felt shallow but would hinder her motions regardless.  She needed to change the status quo, pulling deep into herself she grasped her magic and flung her arms backwards, wincing in pain from her shoulder wound.  A wave of lighting pulsed from her body crackling as it slammed into the men behind her sending them flying off their feet.  

Not wasting a moment she pushed off the ground with so much force the board under her cracked.  Launching herself forward faster then even the Bound trained man could react.  She did not hesitate as her blood pierced through his chest, with a quick motions she spun pulling it out and turning towards the next man.  

He was already moving to try and take advantage of the opening most would have after an attack like that, but Yina's empowered body moved far too fast.  Grabbing the man's face a powerful burst of lighting ripped loose and down his open mouth.  Smoke rose from his mouth, keeping her grip on his face she spun and tossed his presumed dead body at a group of them knocking them all over.  

Sharp pain, followed by a wet warmth took her breath away.  Looking down a blade could be seen from her left side of her stomach.  Nyssa's roar was defeating, the ship shaking at that same moment.  Shifting to lightning, Yina dashed forward holding the wound on her stomach.  If it was not for her being a Bound, the would would have probably taken her down immediately.  

"I have arrived."  Was all anyone on the ship could hear as Nyssa roared the words into all of their minds.  Yina looked up just in time to see her dragon dive in and open up her maw.  Pure lightning rushed out of it in a wave coating everyone in the middle of the ship around Yina.  Yina was also consumed by this lighting, but as it touched her body it was absorbed into her, much like during the storms.  The wounds on her body started to close up much faster then normal.  They were still there, but far less severe then before.  

Then she stumbled again as the ship shook, this time much worse.  Looking around most of the pirates were stunned on the ground, some unmoving others moaning and fighting to stand back up.  Yina could not believe that Nyssa could do such an attack, there was so much both of them needed to learn about what they could actually do.  

Several pirates emerging from below deck tried to take in the scene before them.  A scene that quickly went to hell, a spiked tentacle ripped through the ship slamming down on some of the prone pirates.  Yina's eyes went wide with fear, "What in the hell is that."  She stated.  

That was when the panic ensued, pirates where screaming and trying to attack the tentacle.  A blast of water sent Adar tumbling through the sky before he landed roughly near Yina.  Rolling over onto his back he just moaned looking up at the sky.  

"That would be a (name), they are like octopuses but with spiked tentacles and a shell over its main body."  He nonchalantly stated as he pulled himself to his feet.  Moments later the ship rocked again and he almost fell flat on his face yet again.  A second tentacle burst through the ship several feet away, luckily slamming down in the opposite direction from them.  

"Well, I do not recall octopuses being this large thank you."  Yina shot at him scanning the ship and all of the chaos.  "The mast."  She stated as her eyes locked on in, the sails were not out, probably because the captain could sail the ship by manipulating the water.  Without waiting for Adar to respond her body shifted into lighting quickly covering the distance and reforming near the base of the mast.  

She did not take any time to look back and see how he was faring as she took off up the ladder.  Every few seconds the ship would start to quiver as the tentacles squeezed the ship harder trying to break it into two pieces.  Halfway up she realized why her dragon had not been helping them, more tentacles were reaching up into the air trying to snatch the dragons out of the sky.  

A giant tornado of water started to form, the pirate cap again was pale, and blood was dripping from his nose.  A group of his men were surrounding his protecting him from the tentacles that were trying to get to them.  The ship started to rise up into air as the tornado was pulling up the ship.  Tentacles were slowly retracting little by little as the ship rose higher up the tornado.  

Pain in her leg made her look down to an angry Adar.  "Move it."  He hissed punching her calf yet again.  Grumbling Yina listened and quickly climbed the rest of the steps until she made it to the crows nest.  

"Nyssa get your butt over here." Yina yelled both out loud and in her mind.  She watched as both dragons took evasive paths to get to them.  A few moments later and she jumped landing on Nyssa with a thud.  She could feel the blood on her hands as the scales cut into them.  Looking back it Yina let out a breath she did not know she was holding as Adar landing much more gracefully on his dragon.

This sight behind them was quite astonishing.  The ship was now halfway up the massive water rod and and dangling from it was the (name).  It's body was easily twice the size of the ship, with a yellow twisting shell encasing it.  Two beady eyes could be seen through holes in the shell.  She counted at least eight legs but it could have been more, the higher the ship traveled up the tornado the further the creature slipped away, gravity taking control.  The captains dragons would swing by occasionally and slice deep wounds into the creature trying to force it to let go.  

The four did not hang around to long as they shot across the sky.  Yina felt bad for the people on the pirate ship, but had to remind herself they were trying to kill and steal from them.  Their ship had left them behind, having covered a large amount of sea.