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Chapter 13

Alex was leaning on the balustrade of his balcony he looked out the craggy mountains in their full glory with a mid-day sun.

'I found it' Runetide said from beside Alex.

Alex jumped, 'Runetide don't do that.'

'What' she said with false innocence, she was sitting down leaning on the back wall of the house her head level with his balcony.

'Runetide?' Alex asked, 'why are we here? aren't we are supposed to be teaching? running simulations getting people ready?'

Runetide sighed, 'were you listening like at all, I found it.'

'What?'

'the thing that attacked you and your father.'

'What, where is it, what's it called.'

'That is not dead which can eternal lie and with strange eons, even death may die.'

'What?' Alex was very confused.

Now it was Runetide's turn to be exasperated, 'haven't you read Lovecraft?'

'No' Alex replied.

'That's sad' Runetide said.

Alex playfully jabbed at Runetide's jaw, 'let's go kill something.'

2 hours later

Runetide's head broke the surface of the water she looked around, this was the place, a cave deep underwater containing an air pocket. She tapped her palm with her index finger it lit up casting a light that didn't quite manage to penetrate the gloom, she frowned strange she thought.

Runetide opened her jaws and fished Alex out as she stood, water sliding off the smooth dolphin-like blue-grey skin she gently placed Alex on the ground.

'Can you stop salivating so much?' he asked, only a little peeved.

'Sorry' Runetide said apologetically, 'you just taste nice.'

'That's not a comforting thought' Alex said.

'Well' Runetide said, 'it's not like you could withstand the pressure outside my mouth anyways.'

Alex conceded the point, 'that's true but that doesn't fix the fact that I'm covered in your saliva.'

'You can fix that Runetide' said.

Alex blinked and the saliva was gone.

'So, what now he' asked

Runetide shook her head, 'it's strange the air this place it's like its moving, shifting, changing she trailed off.

'Are you ok?' Alex asked.

'Yep,' Runetide said, 'this it's just so off-putting.'

'That it is' Alex said, 'now' he said deepening his voice, 'let us hunt down this Erdrich abomination.'

Runetide picked Alex up and moved forward slowly through the strange shifting darkness.

It was a strange and cold place and it seemed to go on forever with the constant drip of water in the background, the walls seemed to shift, change and move undulating as if it was alive, Alex and Runetide's lights were unable to penetrate the gloom. Only being able to see what was just in front of them, then they heard it a sound it echoed around them a strange high laugh.

'What was that?' Alex asked, a little on edge.

Runetide shook her head, 'I have no idea.'

Alex held his hand out his sword appeared in his hand, he breathed in deep looking around.

'I can't see anything.'

'I can't see, smell or even here anything' Runetide said, 'it's like this place is a void.'

This worried Alex more then he would like to admit all dragons have a very keen sense it came from the predatory heritage and the fact that she was blind, literally and figuratively when she usually at least knew if there was something alive within several kilometres well it was worrying. It could be a few meters behind ahead or even above them right now Alex shivered, he thought he saw things in the dark shadows moving just of range strange shapes that seemed to appear and disappear, Alex shook his head to clear it.

'mM to' Runetide said, 'I don't like this at all I feel like we're not the ones doing the hunting' she left the sentence hanging.

'Well your right about one thing' said a strange voice, it echoed around them sending a shiver down Alex 's spine.

Runetide stiffened, 'oh fuck it's a trap Alex' she said looking down at him 'get ready.'

Alex hefted his sword it in a two-handed grip, he redyed himself he closed his eyes for a second and felt the connection now they were linked.

'This will be fun' the voice said.

Then the strange black fog shifted and it came at them Alex saw a brief flash of grey before the dragon collided was Runetide, Alex fell out of her hand he closed his eyes a second later he hit the ground he rolled he came up. And had to dive to get out of the way of the grey dragons foot, he immediately latched out and his sword bit into the heal of the grey dragon, he jumped back Runetide immediately took advantage of this she went for a knee to the diaphragm, but the grey dragon saw it coming and moved back stepping into the shadows disappearing. Alex leapt up and landed it Runetide's outstretched hand.

Who was that? Alex asked.

_Aborwrath _Runetide replied _we need to go now. _

Shit, where do we go Alex thought.

We have to warn the others we could just translocate Runetide replied.

But then Runetide saw a small disturbance she immediately ducked down holding Alex low to the ground in her right hand, he readied himself and Aborwrath came changing out of the black again but Runetide was ready this time she jumped up. Practically throwing Alex at Aborwrath.

Aborwrath had a choice to make, Runetide was coming straight at her but so was the human she made a choice she went for Runetide, she grabbed the other dragons wrist and pulled her in ducking her head to avoid the second set of claws and sliced into Runetide's stomach, grabbing her shoulder spinning her around and grabbing her head. About to snap Runetide's neck and then Aborwrath screamed.

Alex stabbed his sword straight into Aborwrath's upper jaw, she howled in pain releasing Runetide, her hands flew to her face. Alex jumped back pulling his sword out, Runetide shoved an elbow into Aborwrath's chest, she staggered lashing out catching Alex in the back, he landed in Runetide's hand, Aborwrath's tail wiped out piercing Runetide's skin and they disappeared.

Runetide and Alex appeared in a forest Runetide tried to stand but just collapsed she was bleeding from a puncture wound just to the left of her heart, four deep gashes that ran from her stomach to her back and cuts on her left shoulder she was bleeding badly. She sat up slowly trying to staunch the bleeding her hand she cradled Alex in the other he was bleeding from his back Runetide tried to move forward, but her vision was fading.