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Dying Light

"Cynder, behind you! Stab it, now!"

With a direct crude movement, the small black dragoness made a tail whip, cutting a red dragon three times her size. The attack cut its eyes and with it blinded, Avila could cut its head with her claws. The dragons were both exhausted after killing eight dragons bigger than them, and they were very sure all of them were enemies.

The defense group had been trying to let the dragons out from the human settlement, but no matter how they did it, the dragons were too strong and it caused the dragons to fight the opposing forces not as a one-on-one battle, but a group battle. One primary reason why the defenders were losing ground was because of the dragon's capabilities.

"Shit, the dragons living in the kingdom are not fit for a fight with dragons," thought Avila. "If only the dark Sentinel and some Order members were defending this place, this won't be advantageous and we'll gonna find dead dragons in our cause."

When Avila turned her head, she realized there was another fight up at the northern sky, but she had no time to see to it. All she cared about at this point was to prevent the dragons from ever reaching the humans and destroy the pleasant place and feast on them. Though she was a dragon herself, her love with the humans had driven her desire to kill the enemy dragons.

She had just the time to blow a dragon's breath away from her when she turned her head to her own problems. She was then met by Coraero that ripped the dragon's tongue out from its socket and broke its neck. Avila noticed his rider, and Jonathan gestured the death dragoness to land, in which she and her counterpart did near a big brick wall.

"Your problem is more than what we can manage, Avila," said Jonathan while sheathing his sword. "This is insane."

"I don't remember forcing you to help," said Avila while fending a fire ball from their position. "This attack is prepared long before I knew it."

"The Dark Sentinels and the Light dragons won't last," said Coraero. "I heard of an attempt up north, but I can say they won't last either. We need more reinforcements."

"The Order of the Dragons can be an asset, but now we can't contact them," replied Avila. "It will need three days or more for them to come."

"Goddamn it...."

Suddenly Avila saw a dragon running towards them, clear with intent to fight them. Avila knew the dragon's action was more of a suicide, and she wanted to kill it before a sharp rock suddenly jutted out from the land and impaled the running dragon through its neck, killing it and making the rock red with dragon's blood. A green dragon wasn't all that satisfied with the result, though, and crushed the dragon's body down even more, beheading it. Cynder saw the brown green dragon and gasped, as she knew it.

"Terrador! Oh, Ancestors, this can't be! Terrador, you're..."

"Cynder, all of you, we must go to the northern gate, now!"

This in turn made them surprised. But then Avila felt a strong concentration of dark powers up north and flew up with Cynder, where they both saw what Terrador meant.

"Oh no...that's the main slayer force," said Avila without believing it herself. "This won't end in victory without reinforcement!"

"Don't worry, Yort had asked for reinforcement. I can't guarantee he'll come soon."

"That can wait later. Right now we must stop those slayers from advancing to the kingdom and retake it. How many slayer killers in our group?"

"Slayer killers?"

"It's a title given to the dragons able to kill slayers. Right now, many dragons had earned the title after killing one slayer, but it's a private achievement. It looks like you are capable."

"I won't fail this place Seraphor has made home."

"Seraphor?! Wait, what...."

Terrador flew away to the north. Avila saw her monochromatic vision had intensified and realized the place grew darker as her vision cleared (Avila had trained her senses to feel clear bright day). Knowing her power was also nocturnal after her transformation, she knew it was her time for changing the tide of the war.

"This will do," thought Avila, before using her wind to dash forward with a gracious speed, only matched by Cynder's own strong natural wind control. They reached the place quicker than the dying light, but then they were surprised.

There was nothing left on the dragons attacking the kingdom. Most of them were wiped out or giving up, clearly in pure terror. The slayers were trying to back off and retreating after seeing so many dragons snarling at them and giving threats, but none dared to move. The dragons were clearly angry on something, even she found Xiciro there, readying his dark claws. It was as if they were at war. Avila was confused to pick which side was scared. Each seemed to try to intimidate other to attack.

Only when Avila tried to attack them to make sure on something did Ernest and Sannourah saw Avila and felt her own influence intensified did they made a portal behind her and said, "Stop your attack, Avila!"

Avila almost released a strong cutter wind upon the slayers when she stopped. She stayed hovered on the air, where Ernest explained everything.

"Seraphor was taken by the slayers, but they dared not to proceed into the kingdom, seeing that our hope is still strong. All of them had become slayer killers."

"What? When?"

"Everything has changed for the past century. This attack on the kingdom is a complete failure to them. Seraphor, you, and the rest of those who perished that day had given a strong inspiration for the dragons to kill slayers. Now, they are foolish enough to engage us after we killed most of the dragons doing the biddings of the opposing force."

"No, I don't mean that. Where is Seraphor? When was he taken?"

"He and Bartoz were the true victors here, Avila," said Xiciro poking his head into the portal, with a renewed strong expression unlike the vile one she saw back when they were enemies. "I hope you can join us."

Avila made a nod and went inside the portal, where she and Cynder were like dwarves in the middle of giants. The dragons with great pride inside their hearts, watched the slayers not in fear like it was long time ago, but like they didn't fear the slayers.

"Seraphor and Bartoz engaged the enemies by their own, killing twelve dragons twice their sizes. Well, of course, we didn't want to take the spoils for Seraphor and that bastard alone, right? With renewed bloodlust we killed every dragons we didn't know and of course some of the pitiful slayers. I cut one in half and Ernest crushed five, while this little fellow...Sannourah, right? He's a true demon. He made a giant void to devour around fifty of them!"

"That cost me more than I normally did."

"The Order reached this place with the help of Sannourah's portal," said Ernest. "Now, you can see them trying to attack the slayers."

Avila then saw the dragons were smirking at her the best they could, and they resumed their watch to the slayers, now backed up as the light were gone and the night came in.

"So? If you can fight them, why won't you attack them?"

"They carry Seraphor and Bartoz with them, and from what I can see, they plan to kill them if we attack. Imbecile cowards."

Knowing Xiciro's style of talking, Avila didn't comment much. In her mind, she had been thinking too much. If Seraphor were captured, then he was exhausted. It was impossible to fight the overpowered dragon, even if they were slayers. Avila wanted to fight them in rage, without giving them time to attack her beloved, when Xiciro held her step.

"I can feel your pain in this matter, Avila, but let them go for now. Those cowards have been fearful to engage the dragons again. I'm sure when Seraphor recovered, it will be a blood carnage there."

"No...I want to meet him. I...Seraphor! Don't leave me! Sera!"

Some dragons tried their best to stop Avila from attacking the slayers, but her fear power was so strong that it struck fear to her comrades instead. Her head was full of everything, full of murder, full of death, full of carcasses, full of blood. She wanted to see each limbs of the humans tore apart and ate them like they were nothing more than livestock and prey. She wanted to see them suffer, want to see more blood. She wanted to see everything painted in red.

Just when she had went through the dragon garrison did Xiciro managed to stop her, somehow immune by the death fear power she had. Yet he couldn't even stop her from reaching the plains between the army and her.

"It's too late, Avila! If this goes on, you will strike fear to our comrades."

"I'll kill you all, you hear me! I will kill every fucking slayer! I will make all of you suffer in an eternal nightmare!"

Avila was like a different dragon when she smirked and her yellow eyes become emerald, as the dragons saw her own rage manifested into a fear.

"And I'll make sure you won't find a peaceful rest for eternity!" said Avila with a menacing tone. "I will see to it, you hear me? Death has marked all of you."

The slayers were clearly too afraid to stay there as they saw Avila was trying to move closer to them. Many ran away, but some foolish enough tried to attack her, as the darkness aura she had stopped their attack. With a smirk she cocked her head aside and used one of her tails to lash three of them, reducing them of their living soul as the dragons and some slayers watched in horror how the soul weren't able to be laid to rest and Avila literally killed them by eating the soul, gushing ethereal blood everywhere. One of them managed to run, but Avila only needed to walk to him as she touched the slayer, and he was writhing in an excruciating pain, but unable to die.

"Yes.... Suffer more.... Make my day!"

Xiciro had enough of the pain the soldier suffered. With the strength he got from the intense pain, he ran to Avila, but then when he was only some steps from her, the death dragoness' darkness nullified the darkness helping Xiciro's bone leg, and he tripped when he realized he became numb. With strength to save his daughter Xiciro, helped by the pain, managed to bite Avila's tail and flowed his dark power to nullify Avila's death power, but he realized he was losing the battle. His vision started to shift between the reality and nightmare as his own darkness failed to protect him.

He remembered what his mate, Avila, told him about death dragons where she said, "Ciro, you know about death dragons, right?"

"Yes, of course I do, my mate. They are the judges and angels for the dragons whether they can rest peacefully or suffer. I also know Argoon dragons are direct descendants of these magnificent dragons."

"Yes, but not entirely. We only inherited their darkness powers, but some dragons are actually able to be one with a dark ritual."

"Such as?"

"I won't tell you, of course. It can end up dangerous."

"Oh, come on, now, Vila!"

"Hmm...how about if we fight for it?"

"Is it okay?"

"You won't win from me, of course."

As he realized he was hit by a death dragoness, the thought came into him. With an effort, he used both of his front paws to move forward and beside Avila's ear, he said, "What of Seraphor if he saw you like this? What of your friends? I thought you want a change?"

These soothing words made Avila gasped and turned her head toward the black dragon, which had now gave a solemn expression. Both of their slit pupils watched each other for a moment, before Xiciro said, "Fear is not the only thing we use to win, Avila. You of all dragons must've known it."

"B...but, Sera..."

"The silver red will be alright. He is a strong dragon, like you, Avila. Now, ease the slayer's pain. This weakling has become a mindless cocoon of its former pride. Will you do it, Avila? For all of us? For Seraphor?"

Xiciro then saw the dragoness, his daughter, dripped dragon tears on the now mindless human, and with hesitation, swung her claw down, ripping the chest and cut out his still beating heart, and with a roar, crushed the heart under her paws.

The Argoon dragon could relax for a moment before he realized Avila was like possessed by something which turned her eyes green. From the aura, Xiciro realized it wasn't his daughter he was facing right now.

"Hmm...extraordinary," said the voice. "You sure are full of guts, Argoon."

"She's my daughter. It's my duty to protect her."

"And I presume you're Xiciro? Your mate talks much about you."

Xiciro made a smile, knowing this voice was one of his mate's friends. "How's she?"

"Just doing her job as a death dragoness. Don't worry, Xiciro, it's not your time yet to join us as the legion of the death. For now, I have a request."

"Yes?"

"Can you be her guardian, more than a good father to her? You have done terrible mistakes for her in the past, like Avila did to her daughter. You can be sorry for her with this. She used up many of her death powers, and it brought her closer into perfection. Let her be happy for the rest of her life. Her days are numbered."

"Numbered? But...why?"

The voice became silent for a while, before with Avila's solemn expression, said, "I'm sorry, Xiciro, but it's the fate of all death dragons. They must die once and return to the living world after having a perfection ritual, but when we don't know. I act as her own guardian, but in this world, it's your duty, and Cynder's."

"I will try." Xiciro said it with strong prideful voice, but deep in his heart, the sadness of losing another family overwhelmed his judgment, whether to protest or to let it go. He couldn't say much more when the voice started to go to him.

"Glad to have you around," said the voice with Avila's smile. "Oh, and by the way, my name is Manara."

"Manara, huh? Wish we can meet again, in another circumstances."

She smiled before she left Avila's consciousness, returning the dragoness' eyes into yellow and she fainted because of exhaustion. Xiciro carried her back to the dragons waiting for them on his back. They all saw the dragons coming and all of them made a breath of a fire pillar all together, blazing the sky and making the cold night hotter for all of them. After that, they all roared in a deafening state, in triumph from the anti-dragons.

Yort reached Xiciro and with some dragons, helped the Argoon dragon to get Avila down from his back. He sighed in relief after knowing the dragoness was still breathing. The green dragon sighed and said, "It's a relief that none of us died."

"Died from the fight or from her?"

"Ah, they're nothing. If she's pissed I dare say no dragons here will rest easy upon death. Just look at what she had done to the plains."

Xiciro turned his head and gasped. In the middle of the night, his clear eyes could see her rage had made the once lush green landscape had patches of dead grass in Avila's path. Her power was clearly too powerful.

"I don't know what the others might think of her now, but I hail her as a hero," said Yort with a smile. "I hope Seraphor will be alright."

"He's a strong dragon. With Bartoz in tow, I can say they will be fine," said Xiciro while helping some wounded dragons. "Let's rest. We all earned it."