Dawning Skye

298 A Zazzy Entrance

Tidas was both elated, and furious to see Skye coming to his rescue. Happy to still be alive, but angry that she had come back. Not only was she disobeying a direct order, but she was risking her life as well. As he looked at her backside, he could feel the magical power rolling off of her.

‘How can she still have so much? The amount she used to change the mountain pass was astonishing enough, but now this?!’

Tidas turned his head to see the enormous vortex swirling violently behind him, and stared at it with awe. He’d seen all kinds of unison magic before, but never anything like what his wife had created. As he turned back to face forward, he looked over to Murdoc..

The King of the Highlands was gawking at Skye, and Tidas felt a strange tinge of annoyance because of it. Everyone was surprised by her magic, but infatuation seemed to be mixed in his gaze. He wanted to stab Murdoc again, but the urge would have to wait..

“Like Hell we’ll bend the knee to a Southern-lover like him! He was willin’ to sell out his own people to make peace!” Drexel screamed over the chaos of the battlefield.

“I didna give ye an option.. Bend the knee, or Die,” Skye stated with an eerily cold tone.

Tidas couldn’t see her face, but he could hear the menacing smile through her voice. Even during the Mage Trials; he’d never seen or heard bloodlust coming from his wife. Now, her words dripped with murderous intent..

Drexel literally had steam rolling off of him, he was so angry. Months of planning and marionetting people about went straight down the drain as both RMC Mages and Highlanders stopped fighting to see what was going on.

Since he’d lost half of his men, their situation was clear to see to most. When the soldiers realized that Skye was defending both Tidas and Murdoc; ceasefires were called out all over the battlefield. As things began to quiet down, Petrie’s voice rang out over those nearest.

.....

Petrie extended his arm, and pointed at Drexel and his men; “THAT is yer traitor, laddies! Drexel killed the others wit me to pull this off! He killed kin! He tried to kill me! He’s tryin’ ta kill Murdoc! The Bastard doesna care about us! He just wanted war! Drexel Is The Traitor!”

Drexel sneered; “Are ye gonna believe a Southern-lover?! The outcasted bastard of a Southerner over me?!”

Right as the Highlanders started to argue within themselves, Angus was escorted closer; “Petrie be tellin’ the truth! Drexel had the whole thing planned for months! And! He’s been feedin’ people that don’t agree wit him to the Beast!”

“Angus! You fuckin’ Traitor!” Drexel screamed, his ire nearing it’s boiling point.

“Aye! I’ll betray the man that tries ta have me killed! Do ye think me daft?! Rory’s dead, by the way.. He couldna get through the Southerners ta get to me,” Angus wiped some blood from a cut on his cheek; “Gave it one hellava try, though!”

As Drexel watched his carefully planned dream crumble, he glared at Skye with venomous hate. It seeped in, and poisoned his senses. Causing him to lose his control, and brashly attack her..

As he clashed with her, Skye easily deflected his blades. Drexel was strong, but not as strong as Shasta. As the thought crossed her mind, she taunted him to fuel his fury, and cloud his judgment..

Skye laughed boisterously as she parried a strike; “I know house cats that are stronger than you..”

Drexel’s rage flared, causing him to swing at Skye with no rhyme or reason. It was seemed more effective than when he was trying to fight rationally. As a small opening bared itself in her armor, Drexel lunged at his opportunity..

Only to find that it was a trap..

As he lunged, Skye grinned devilishly, then lopped off his hand. Drexel cried out from the excruciating pain, which prompted his minions to come to his rescue. Five advanced on Skye, two pulled Drexel back, and the other five charged Tidas and Murdoc, to finish the job.

Their plan was scrubbed, but they may still be able to rule the Highlands with fear. If they could kill the three strongest people on the battlefield, the majority of the Highlanders would choose to follow them out of fear of death.

Drexel would’ve preferred to rule them through manipulation. It was far less messy in the long run. At some point; people always rise up against cruelty. Passive-aggressive subjugation yielded better results, but that was no longer an option.

“Kill ’em all! And bring me that Bitch’s head! I want her to suffer!” Drexel yelled as a Shaman tried to stop his bleeding.

He was flailing his whole body, and screaming as the Shaman tried to stanch the bleeding. It made the entire task very difficult, and irritated his healer. As he acted like a child, Drexel cursed loudly as his pain and anger surged to new heights.

Even though the men he surrounded himself with were strong, most weren’t mages. The majority of magic users born in the Highlands were either Shamans, or Tanks. It was rare for other types to be born there, but the occasional Wind or Earth mage was born every few generations.

The few there were supported Murdoc, but generally stayed out of fighting, unless the elders called for them. They would’ve been the only ones to stand a chance against the Titans before him..

Three of the five that attacked Skye were Tanks, but she easily overwhelmed them with her multiple traits. She used the swirling vortex behind her to take the first one out, then used her own blades to strike down the other two. The two remaining soldiers shuttered in fear as she stood before them; grinning like a demon who reveled in carnage.

They dropped their swords as their knees gave out under the weight of their terror. As the two submitted to Skye, Murdoc and Tidas guarded each other; making an insurmountable tag-team. As the last one fell, the Shaman that was healing Drexel said; “Fuck this,” and ran away.

The hemorrhaging was down to a trickle, but still bleeding out quite a bit. He screamed his fury as the healer ran, then turned back to see the three behemoths before him..

Drexel stared daggers at Skye at she looked down at him with a smirk, and said; “Now.. Bend yer fuckin’ knee, or die.”

Except for along the outer edges, all fighting had stopped on the battlefield. RMC members and Highlanders mixed together as they moved closer to listen. With Petrie and Angus’ declarations earlier, they understood the gist of what had happened.

Some of the RMC members began to explain what they knew to a few of the Highlanders standing next to them. After a few minutes, the story had spread through the ranks, destroying any hope that Drexel had left.

He was so enraged that he lunged at Skye, but was met with Murdoc’s enormous fist instead. As it connected with Drexel’s face, a sickening crunch resounded around them as he was sent tumbling to the side.

Out of instinct; he touched his stump to his cheek, then cried out from the contact. The salty sweat from his face touching his open wound felt like acid. As he screamed, he realized that even if he lived now, it would only be temporary..

Looking over, his eyes focused on Skye again.. ‘Tis all that Bitch’s fault! She ruined the ambush, gave ’em protection wit that fuckin’ wall, and cut off me fuckin’ hand! If Ima gonna die, then Ima takin’ the Bitch wit me!’

All three were breathing heavily, obviously out of breath. Skye felt a little dizzy from overuse of her powers, but her adrenaline kept her straight. She could see the gears turning in Drexel’s eyes, but didn’t expect what came next...

Reaching into the side of his Wyvern armor; Drexel pulled out a pistol. Skye knew what it was from books, and there were different kinds within the R&D department’s locked vaults. Only researchers were allowed to examine them, so Skye knew what it was capable of right away.

It was a pocket pistol, and only had about five rounds.. Which was more than enough to kill the three of them. As he took aim at her, Skye’s grin stretched across her face to meet her eyes.

Tidas’ heart dropped as Drexel aimed at Skye’s head. He had barely moved a muscle to get between them when the ground shook beneath his feet. The sound of rocks being crushed from behind him made Tidas snap his attention backwards..

Murdoc fell over, he was so shocked, but Skye hadn’t moved an inch; even when Drexel had pulled out his gun. She was waiting for her backup, and it had just arrived..

As Zazzy situated her feet, she bent her long neck down so that her head hovered right above her mother’s. She let a low, threatening growl roll over her tongue as she bared her teeth at the human stupid enough to threaten her mother.

Drexel screamed out loud, then fired two shots at the Real dragon in front of him. He’d heard stories that the Alconian Princess had a baby dragon.. ‘That’s no fuckin’ bairn!’

As panic started to overtake him, Skye stated one final time; “Bend the knee to Murdoc, or die..”

Fury clouded his judgement, making him point his gun at Skye again. Taking it as a threat, Zazzy bent her head to cover Skye, then roared in his face. Drexel cried out like a wee lass, then emptied the last three rounds into Zazzy’s snout.

One of the bullets went up her nose, stinging her eyes. She roared in displeasure, then bit down on his upper torso. Remembering her parents telling her not to eat people; Zazzy flung Drexel’s body across the battlefield..

Everyone watched at he sailed through the air, clearing the vast number of soldiers gathered. His mangled corpse landed with a sickening thud, then rolled several feet from the momentum, cracking every bone in his body.

Drexel was dead, but no one was sure if the battle was over or not. Zazzy roared victoriously, making most of the soldiers on both sides flinch in fear. As tensions were reaching their breaking point, Murdoc called out over the crowds. His booming voice reaching all ears..

“We’ve been betrayed, my People, but not by the Southerners! Petrie! Angus! Where be ye, laddies?!”

As Petrie ran forward, he waved to Zazzy with a smile. She made a kind of cooing noise in response, which unnerved some of the soldiers. They didn’t think a dragon could be friendly..