Vegenrage: Dragon Reclaim (11 page)

“Farrah, you can see the actual battle and how the dragon died?”

“Yes.”

“Do you know which dragon has been killed?”

“It was a green dragon like a fluorescent green dragon. I think it is Gisewear.”

“Gisewear, and you say he was killed by a black sand dragon.”

“Yes, he is a part of the earth, and all the earth here is black sand. There are like pointed spears that grow from the black sand, very sharp, and then get wider at the base. They spear Gisewear’s wings, and then this other dragon uses great magic hands to pull Gisewear’s head to the ground, and a black spear comes out of the ground and right through Gisewear’s head.”

“Cormygle, this must be Cormygle. Are the lands around them like great hills and everything is black?”

“Yes.”

“This is Cormygle. He was once a dragon, but now, obviously, he has made himself an enemy of the dragons. This is the kind of distraction we need to help us move unnoticed.” Vegenrage is very concerned about moving the two-hundred-plus people to Elbutan. There is no way he can keep them concealed, and with the dragons in the skies, they will be sitting ducks. This is a terrible situation. They cannot stay here because although the people here may think the caves and tunnels hid them from the dragons, Vegenrage knows the dragons knew they were there all the time. If they stay, the dragons know exactly where the people are. If they move, at least the dragons do not know where they are, but they will be easy to find. Vegenrage puts his hands over his face, struggling with this dilemma. “Behaggen, how am I going to keep these people safe? Is there any way we can get to Elbutan without having to travel by foot?”

“Well, you could go back to Mourbarria and get the Graybazells. This would make the journey much faster and safer.”

“I can’t believe none of us thought of that. What else?”

“Just get the Graybazells for now.” Vegenrage finds Mournbow and asks him how many Graybazells they could possibly get to journey to Elbutan with.

“Well, we would have to go see how many have survived, but we may have a lot more than you think. I won’t know until we get back to Mourbarria. I need half-dozen men to round them up, and we can be headed this way in an hour or two.”

“Great. Take the men you need and have Inglelapse teleport you to Mourbarria and bring the Graybazells here. We will mobilize and head up to meet you when we are all gathered and ready to move.”

“Vegenrage, I do not have to power to teleport. I have very basic magical strength like offensive spells and pretty good healing magic, but teleport and Dimensional travel is something I do not know.”

“No problem. I can teleport you there. Mournbow, gather the men you need, and I will teleport you to the Mourbarria courtyard. Will that be good?”

“Yes, that will be good.” Mournbow gets eight men plus Inglelapse, and Vegenrage teleports them back to Mourbarria. The people in Valvernva hustle and get ready to move.

Blethstole and Dribrillianth are flying high and fast. They have covered Noireen and Shaspar already, detecting a lot more human life than they had expected to. There are no magic-using humans among them, and the dragons spend extra time to make sure of this. After they are satisfied there are no magic users, they move toward Breezzele and find nothing there. They head toward Valvernva and are now flying over the Strait of Hercon. They are only an hour away from Valvernva and the whole lot that they are looking for when the magical drain that shakes every dragon to the core hits them. Instantly, they both know Gisewear has been killed. They know this because Gisewear is one, or was one, of the top dominant dragons. This is a significant loss to the dragons, and worse yet, it was done by another dragon, so now the dragons have another force against them with the capability to kill dragons.

“Blethstole, Gisewear has been killed. It was Cormygle. I cannot believe he has become so powerful. It has to be Cormygle. Do you think he has united with Vemenomous?”

“I do not know, but this is a sign we were looking for. Let’s get to Fargloin and summon the dragons there to the Carbonheight Hills. If Vemenomous is there, we attack. If Cormygle is there, we attack. If both are there, we attack.” Blethstole and Dribrillianth fly through Dimension Doors to the planet of Fargloin. They appear over the Dry Flats of Hilternor and float down to the ground and begin to summon all the dragons here telepathically.

Beteese has made a kill in Crantour. There is a large herbivore here called the Wotander. This is a very large four-legged animal that walks around the swamps, eating the grasses that grow on the banks next to the pools of water, and it eats the grasses that grow in the water as well. They are very large with a lot of fat on their bodies and a lot of muscle as well, giving them great flavor and texture, and this is something that only predators like dragons can appreciate, and Beteese was glad to be sent to Crantour because he knew he was going to get a Wotander for dinner. He has dragged the four-hundred-pound animal onto a lush grassy piece of land where he enjoys his meal. The Wotander is the perfect meal for a dragon. There is a solid two hundred pounds of meat plus fat, giving Beteese a tasty and filling meal. He finishes his meal and walks away, looking for a comfortable place to rest. Nightfall has come, and Beteese is forming a bed of grass as the sky starts to drop thick raindrops all around, bringing the swamps alive with the music of waterfall. The clouds are thick, but the moon is low in the horizon, so it shines its white light, softly making the swamp kinda beautiful in a moonlit rainy way. The rain doesn’t bother Beteese, and he lays down, looking at the drops of water falling all around and soaking the swamp. “Beteese.” Beteese had just put his head down when the calling of his name got his attention. He stands and peers ahead. Dragons have exceptional vision in dark conditions, but he sees nothing yet. “Beteese, it is your turn. I am coming for you.” A huge footstep pounds the ground followed by another. Beteese looks almost like a cat that sees something but doesn’t know what it is. He leans his head forward, and his legs are ready to spring. He sees the almost twenty-foot figure walking at him, and it is scary. Its legs are slender and muscular with wide strong hips, its chest and abdomen ripped with muscle, and its long muscular arms facing enormous hands and claws forward. Beteese can see the massive wings rising high above its head and then extending down to either side of its shoulders. It has a flat confident head peering right through Beteese with its eyes. Dragons do not feel the fear of a prey animal being stalked by a predator with all the tools needed to kill its prey, but Beteese now feels this fear. Beteese stands and stretches out his wings. His scales start to flutter and make clicking sounds as they bounce off each other. He uses his telepathy to send out the word “Vemenomous.” Vemenomous throws a magical rope, lassoing Beteese by the neck and pulling him face first into the swampy earth. Beteese chants, “Beenillee veekinn sruillee by beinn zufoussaa!” He then thrusts his wings toward the ankles of the dragon beast. There is a Wall of Force thrown and hits perfectly on Vemenomous’s ankles, taking Vemenomous’s feet out from under him and pushing them back, dropping him face first into the swamp with a big splash. Vemenomous arches upward supported by his left arm and points his right hand, shooting magical Blades of Flame at Beteese. Beteese jumps and, with powerful flaps of his wings, avoids the blades. He is quickly over the beast and behind it. He turns and shoots his body down, landing in the back of the beast. “Power of bite,” and Beteese bites down on the left shoulder of the dragon beast. His bite is many tons per square inch and tears through Vemenomous. He thrashes his head back and forth, ripping and tearing flesh away, drawing lots of blood. Vemenomous reaches his right hand over his left shoulder and rolls his body, digging his claws in Beteese’s neck, and his thumb finds its way into Beteese’s mouth, and he grips his hand with enormous power. The claws of his fingers dig in deep in Beteese’s neck, just behind his head, and his thumb squeezes tight, pulling Beteese’s head to the left by his neck. Vemenomous can now reach his left arm even with the terrible wound left to his shoulder and neck still bleeding and visibly mutilated by Beteese’s bite. Vemenomous reaches around the neck of Beteese and rolls him over. Beteese kicks with his hind legs like a cat would do, ripping flesh and slicing deep wounds into Vemenomous’s chest and stomach. Beteese’s wings are now on the ground, as Vemenomous has flipped him on his back. His wings flap and try to help Beteese off his back. These are two very big and powerful animals, and the mud and water is being thrown all around in huge masses as the rain falls harder, and these two wrestle and jockey for a position on top of their opponent.

All dragons in the Ilkergire have received the telepathy sent by Beteese, and they all send telepathic communications much the same way Beteese did. This is amazing timing because now all the dominant dragons are on Fargloin with the exception of Pryenthious, Kertinkpice, and Bailseize. All the dragons send communication, and they all begin to travel through Dimension Doors to converge in Crantour.

Vemenomous is still on top of Beteese, and he is so strong. He pins Beteese to the ground with his left hand, holding Beteese by the neck, and begins slicing through the belly of Beteese with his deadly claws. They leave four eight-inch wounds, cutting easily through the scale, tough skin, and flesh of Beteese. Beteese kicks with his hind legs, gouging and leaving severe wounds on Vemenomous as well. Vemenomous is taking very bad injuries. He is bloodied, and pain is surging from his shoulders down to his hips. He needs to act faster and deadlier because he is becoming more injured than he had expected to. He lets loose his combined breath attack and melts away the head of Beteese. Beteese’s body falls limp, and Vemenomous stands above his kill, looking up into the falling rain. The water runs down his body, washing thick streams of blood that are gushing from all over him. There is no lightning to be seen, but thunder starts to fill the air, and the shines of white light brighten the swamp for moments here and there. You can see the deadly wounds left to his shoulder chest and abdomen, and they are dug deep into his body, and he begins to magically heal them. Before the wounds have healed, he begins to feed on Beteese. He starts with the belly just like he did with Ayonde, and watching him feed is not for the squeamish. He bites big chunks of flesh, rips them from the carcass by shaking his head violently, and chews then swallowing and biting another twenty pounds of flesh from the carcass.

Megalla, Oninblind, Reegaallia, Wisekee, and Rungrunger are all appearing, forming a circle around Vemenomous, and they cannot believe what they see. They are actually hesitant and take caution instead of attacking. Vemenomous notices their presence and eats Beteese as they watch. Gairdennow appears, and he is not so hesitant. He walks through the swampy land, not at all worried about dirtying himself anymore. He lets out a dragon’s roar like the dragons have never known, making sure he has the attention of Vemenomous as he walks toward him. Gairdennow starts to glow golden, and warm light brightens the dark swamp. The rain is falling, the thunder is cracking the heavens, and Vemenomous still continues to feed. Gannream appears beside Rungrunger to see Gairdennow approaching Vemenomous who is now crouched to the ground and still feeding ravenously. Gannream makes his way to Vemenomous, ready to attack him. The golden dragon gets to about twenty feet of Vemenomous, and this is when he finally stands, showing his unique and towering form. Gairdennow and Gannream are ready to attack with their claws and teeth in dominant dragon fashion when Blethstole and Dribrillianth appear.

“Wait.”

Blethstole walks on all fours toward Vemenomous, and all the dragons around Vemenomous come in closer, forming an inescapable circle around him. Vemenomous keeps his eyes on Blethstole and picks the carcass of Beteese. He has already consumed over one hundred pounds, and the right side of Beteese’s belly is gone. He flips the carcass to the left side and continues to feed, ripping huge chunks of flesh and chewing while he holds the carcass dangling in his hands.

“You are said to be the new superior dragon. You must be Vemenomous. You were Vergraughtu, and then you accepted the magic to turn yourself into the Staff of Barrier Breath, then you planted the Demon Seed in Vlianth, and then you entered his being and rose this abomination that you now are. I remember the Violet Violator, and what a beautiful dragon he was, but this, you know, what a disgrace. I never believed in the nonsense Hornspire was writing just like you didn’t. We, you and I, Vergraughtu, took the books and altered them, made sure they were put into the hands of all the right dragons and races of man so that we could continue the dominance of the dragons and maximize our food supply, but you had to go and use the books and your magic in a selfish self-proclaiming way. You used your magic to try and propel yourself above all others. Did you really think the dragons would let this happen? Do you really think we are going to let you continue and try to feed on us your brothers?”

Vemenomous defiantly continues to feed. He looks over the dragons all around him. “You have no idea, Blethstole, what I have become and what I still will become as I grow stronger. Already none of you are a match for me, and all of you will be my food soon enough. You think the dragons, the strongest most dominant race, and you were for almost four millennium. This is something to be proud of, but your rein has come to an end, and you all are looking at the beginning of the new dominant species and still be proud because we are still dragon.”

“You think you are going to live to continue your self-made prophecy?”

“I am going to live, and I am going to prosper. I am the new supreme power. I am Vemenomous.” He holds the mostly eaten carcass of Beteese over his head with his right hand and slams it to the ground with a fist, punching the body into the ground. This is an amazing scene. Vemenomous does this so fast, and just before Beteese hits the ground, slow motion takes over. Vemenomous, who is now completely healed, is shown bending his right knee and his right arm and fist, driving Beteese into the ground and the water and mud flying up and outward. The rain falling from the sky whiting with light and thunder cracking loudly. A dome of blue light appears around Vemenomous. Everything around Vemenomous seems to be moving in real time, but it is all seen and felt like slow motion. The mud water and dome all extend outward from Vemenomous, and everything hit by the dome flies away with incredible force but still in slow motion. The drops of water falling from the sky give awesome visuals, and it hits the dome and splatters away in slow motion. The dragons, all of them, are thrown back for four miles, but they cannot escape the slow motion. It is like they have been hit with a burst of air strong enough to send them flying, and they cannot do anything until they land. All the trees are ripped from the ground, and all the water flies out as well. This is so unbelievably cool-looking. The dragons and everything fly back from their respective position, and thirty minutes later, when time has been restored to the dragons, they get up from where they have landed and head back to meet at the carcass of Beteese that has been eaten all except for the head and the tail. Vemenomous is gone, and the dominant dragons get very angry with Blethstole.