Dragon 3 Chapter 9 (Patreon)

Morgana didn’t look back, trusting I’d take care of the approaching goons.

She started pulling items out of her cleavage and laying them at the base of the tree. I smiled to myself, now understanding how she managed to store so much in there.

It was strangely hard to focus on her when she was next to the tree. My eyes, even though I knew she was there, kept losing focus and sliding off of her.

As she was placing the items, a swaying hymn rose up out of her throat. She was so focused, meticulously arranging her offerings. I wanted to stand and watch her at that moment, caring so deeply for her tree, but she needed me to have her back.

I looked up around the central area, trying to spot cameras, but I didn’t see any. I knew it would be hard to keep information from spreading, but without video documentation, I hoped it might slow the templars down. Their mutual desire to not have video evidence of that area might work to my benefit.

Turning back to the window, the four new cherubs were picking their way through the broken window.

They were focused, squaring up against me with short swords in their hands, their little baby wings fluttering on their backs in excitement.

Thankfully, none of them seemed to be paying Morgana any attention.

Not feeling any need to hold back, my throat crackled as I let fire spill out and blast toward them.

They threw themselves to the side, splitting right down the middle. Only the center two cherubs had been singed.

But I had gotten what I needed and split their force, at least for a moment. Focusing on the right group, I made my move before they could all recover.

My arms became golden-clawed gauntlets. I packed on mass and let my scales coat my body.

Towering two feet taller than the cherubs, I attacked with reckless abandon. I had a limited window to even out the odds. I knew they were tougher than many opponents I’d gone against.

And they also had a skill and grace that didn’t fit their stocky frames.

I was able to get in a few swings before the other two cherubs recovered, moving in and causing me to back up. I didn’t dare give my back to either group.

“A dragon.” The first spat, touching his chest where my claws had grazed him.

“A gold. Didn’t realize there were any left. Say, what do you boys say? We go back to the good old days and go dragon hunting?” Another mocked me.

I had no idea how old these cherubs were, but they fought with just as much skill as Morgana. The only difference was they fought as a group, and they were clearly skilled at it.

Circling me, they probed with snappy jabs of their short swords. I batted the hits away, staying on my toes, ready for them to fully commit to an attack.

They did a few more mock hits before they made their move.

I blocked one of his hits, pushing into the attacking cherub to try to break the encirclement.

Pain laced along my side, and I flinched away as a glowing sword cut right through my scales. Something about the sword reminded me of Morgana’s attacks when she used her magic.

I pushed through the pain. My claws tore through his shoulder and hips as I did as much damage as I could before twisting and flinging him back into his allies.

He went down in a tumble. The other two moved in, trying to press me against the wall.

I was far stronger than any of them alone, but combined, they were a difficult opponent.

Swords glanced off my forearms, and I realized their ability to use whatever magic penetrated my scales was limited, or they would use it repeatedly.

Yet, at the same time, continuing to fight with claws was going to be a problem. When they did use that magic, I was going to start losing limbs.

Letting loose a wash of my fire breath, I made space for myself. It was just enough to pull the templar's sword out of my spatial artifact.

The sword lit up with soft white flames in my grasp once again.

It was longer and my strength outmatched them as I leaned into my overwhelming strength to fight back. At least in that, I had the advantage.

Morgana had given me basic weapons training, but I was outmatched by their skill. Strength was my ally in that moment.

And I noticed my dragon brain seemed to be a sponge, picking up small lessons even in the brief fight.

A low sweep of my sword forced a cherub to block, but I dug into the swing, stepping forward and lifting him off the ground. His own gladius pressed into his gut as I tossed him a dozen feet into the air, only to land in a heap.

I swung around, preparing for the next attack.

The cherub with a crushed shoulder and hip was still on the ground, groaning in pain. But the third able bodied cherub was back on his feet, pressing me.

I blocked both of them with quick flicks of my wrist that would have shattered a human’s wrist. I turned our fight, making sure I didn’t expose myself to any of the moving cherubs.

The one I sent flying was back on his feet, but I was satisfied to see him clutching at his abdomen as crimson blood leaked between his fingers.

Letting loose another wash of fire, I tried not to torch Morgana’s tree as I hit that cherub.

He went up like a summer bonfire, and I rushed the two still standing, plowing through them with sheer strength and breaking their guards with heavy blows.

At that point, I had the advantage. They were all weakened and unable to regroup into their orderly formation.

It didn’t take long to finish off the last of them, but once I did, I found myself breathing heavily.

Reaching down to my side where I’d been cut, my hand came back dripping blood. I winced, trying to apply pressure to it as I checked in on Morgana.

Morgana seemed oblivious to the whole encounter, continuing her ritual at the tree. Through my dragon eyes, I could see mana linking her and the tree. Though my attention kept being pushed away.

But most importantly, I could see that mana was being passed back and forth both ways. Her body was recovering.

My beast butted its head against my chest and growled.

I realized my mouth was full of saliva, as if somebody had rung a dinner bell. I tried to remember the last time I’d really filled up my dragon reserves, and I realized it was in fact dinner time.

Looking around, I took in the four cherubs and shrugged, figuring they were as good as anything. Cherubs had to be better than swamp trolls.

I shifted fully, falling to all four legs, and picked up the cherubs. I tossed them into the air and chomped them down in just a few quick bites.

They were tasty and filled my belly with warmth.

I was about to shift back to protect Morgana when another smell caught my attention, my dragon perking up.

I followed the smell, finding myself right next to the portal, my nose pressed into the dragon bones.

They smelled… good. Great even.

I leaned in, giving one a lick. But I became distracted as the portal wavered slightly.

A female cherub popped through the portal, freezing as we took each other in.
 My jaws snapped forward just as she tried to duck backwards through the portal. I managed to catch her, my teeth sinking into her arm.

The cherub screamed on the other side of the portal and it was like listing to someone under water. “Dragon at the gate!”

Before she could say more, I pulled her back by her arm and my maw opened wide yet again, chowing down on the surprised cherub.

I moved back towards the bones, still feeling them call to me. They radiated warm, familiar magic.

I wondered if I could shut down the portal before more trouble came through. Or at least, weaken it.

My teeth scratched the bones as I tugged, but they were locked tight around the portal. I decided my best bet was just breaking off pieces of it, so I started gnawing on them.

There was a strange desperation as the beast clawed at my chest for a taste of the dragon bones.

The portal rippled again as a handsome blond-haired man stepped through the portal, ducking my snout that was gnawing on the dragon bones. He was thin and athletic, with sharp features that made him seem a little sinister despite the white wings and glowing halo over his head.

“Ah. The bones of an ancient dragon seem to have attracted a hungry whelp.” He flourished a thin sabre as a pair of white angel wings flared out to his side. “Too bad you won’t get to enjoy them. But maybe you can join them.”

He stabbed forward, and I nearly roasted him. But I quickly realized I’d also roast Morgana and her tree, so I paused.

Instead, I used one of my front claws to drive him backward.

Unfortunately, he had real wings, and took to the air, soaring over my claws as he rushed my face again.

I rolled to the side, crashing into the wall and showering myself with debris. I needed to be more mobile, so I shifted back into my smaller dragon knight form.

“Ah. Yes, that would be much better to fight in.” The angel said, flourishing his sword and waiting for me.

Apparently, he had some sort of code he followed.

If he was going to give me a moment, I figured I might as well also arm myself. I moved, snagging the templar sword from the ground.

I found the man tilting his head, studying me. “How curious. A dragon wielding a celestial sword. But I suppose they did say that metallic dragons were always creatures of justice and order.” The angel commented to himself. “Too bad you are more valuable dead.”

Waiting for him to make a move, I was happy to buy Morgana a bit more time.

I hoped she might be fully healed soon and be able to fight by my side.

The idea of Morgana in her full glory excited me. I knew she’d been holding back with me in practice. I couldn’t wait to see what she could do.

“You seem confident. You have yet to see what I can do.”

“Ah, but I’ve seen enough. You are limited in experience. Even if by some miracle you defeat me, the humans we’ve trained will descend on this place in numbers you cannot take. Your body is ours. But we will put it to a worthy cause, I can assure you.”

As he said that, I saw a slight blur in the portal, and I realized it was a form. A great man with six wings fanned out behind him stood just on the other side, and something about him set alarms off in my draconic instincts.

He was truly dangerous.

“Ah, don’t mind him. He’s just pouting that he can’t come and fight you.” The angel smiled, his sword leveling back at me.

I countered his stance, readying myself.

He burst forward, his wings giving him a small lift at the end, making his sword change course from what I’d anticipated. It slipped up and over my guard, forcing me to roll backward. I barely avoided getting a new hole to breathe through in my throat.

Not wanting to be caught on my back, I got back to my feet quickly, but he hadn’t pressed his advantage. He was playing with me.

Letting him come again, I choose not to block at all. Instead, I let loose a jet of flame as soon as he got too close to dodge.

Unfortunately, as the flames spilled out, he seemed to slip off to the side in an unnatural way, like there was a pair of invisible strings that had tugged him sharply to the side.

I realized it felt like fighting Morgana when she used her magic.

I charged him, coming in strong with my sword, leaning into my advantage in strength. But he parried my powerful blows and called my feints, blocking them and pushing me back.

We continued on, and I finally saw my opportunity for a hard strike. I took the moment, but he threw his hand up, and I found myself blinded by a white light while I was thrown backward.

It had been like a wall of light just smacked me in the face.

“You aren’t even using magic. Just how little do dragons know now? I’m surprised such mighty creatures have fallen so far down.” The angel sighed. “Although I am ashamed, I had to use my magic against somebody so untrained. I was trained by Azrael himself.” His eyes flickered to the powerful archangel waiting on the other side of the portal.

I glanced in my peripheral vision to check on Morgana, who so far the angel had ignored. Whatever magic kept pushing my focus away must be hiding her from others.

She was bent over with her head pressed to the base of the tree as blood flowed out of her mouth. I sincerely hoped that was part of the ritual, but I couldn’t go check on her to make sure.

“Too bad you are just a whelp. Your body will only support a few angels like me coming through. But at least that’s something.”

I didn’t like the thought of being used to bring more of these assholes to earth. But I also didn’t plan on letting him take my bones.

The angel came again, and this time he seemed to be ready to finish it.

He pressed me hard, his saber flickering with light as he used his magic. It bent to his will, his thrusts trying to curve around my sword.

I stepped back countless times in a circle around the portal. I was starting to run out of ideas on how to take him down.

He was a superior swordsman, and with his magic and wings, he’d managed to avoid all of my fire and strikes.

I needed an opening. A chance to turn this around. But I wasn’t giving up. Scarlett and Jadelyn would never let me if they were here.

The idea of Jadelyn’s reaction if I died ripped through me.

Her potential anguish flooded me, making rage bubble up inside of me.

The beast went rampant in my chest.

The aura of fear washed out of me, and I could see the moment it hit the angel.

Horror struck his face, and I took the opening. Lashing out with all the speed and power I could muster, I struck.

Unfortunately, he recovered quickly. He whirled, throwing his wings forward in a last ditch effort to stall my blade.

Making contact, my silver celestial sword cut right through his wing and his right arm. Celestial blood spilled on the ground and whet my appetite.

I surged forward again, my sword leaving behind white streaks from the fire that still burned along it.

The angel had lost his sword with his right arm and was sending up small flares of magic with his left in an attempt to block my sword.

I knew that was taking a lot of his focus, so I sent out another pulse of fear.

This one stuck a moment longer as I shifted, rising up and snapping my jaws around his remaining wing.

He flailed, but it didn’t matter. I had him caught right where I wanted him.

My front claws raked his body, turning the small angel into minced meat before I tossed him slightly and swallowed. I stopped to eat his other wing and arm, licking my lips at the taste of celestials.

Turning back to the portal, I took in the archangel, who was glaring angrily. His face promised death.

I paused, fearful he’d push himself through in a fit of rage, but it became clear that he was trapped on the other side. At least, for the moment.

Based on what Morgana had said, he must be concerned his entry into our world might collapse his part of the celestial plane.

Sure enough, he gave up. Finally, he turned his back and disappeared from view.

Feeling more comfortable, I moved back to the portal, once again drawn to the dragon bones.

I laid down, starting to gnaw on them once more. I chomped on them a few times before Morgana spoke.

“What are you doing?”

I rumbled an answer, always forgetting that I couldn’t talk as a dragon yet.

“Let me.” She sighed, and a flick of dark silvery magic arced from her finger, slicing off the largest bone from the portal frame.

I smiled, leaning forward and swallowing it whole. The beast was giddy inside of me, bouncing around like a kid at its first Christmas.

I looked up at Morgana, waiting for her to slice off another piece, when a pain in my gut suddenly caused me to double over.

“Please tell me that didn’t cause you indigestion.” She said dryly.

I looked up to glare at her, but when I realized I was looking at a healthy Morgana, I couldn’t bring myself to hold the glare.

She was standing tall, no signs of red blisters peeking out from the uniform she was wearing. And I swore she had a little more blue to her now. Morgana was an odd mix of elven grace and seductive vampire darkness. Those crimson eyes of her often held disdain for the world, but I didn’t miss the slight sparkle in them when she watched me looking at her. “We need to get going if you are done oogling me.”

I nodded, moving, but the pain in my gut redoubled.

Between the pain, I also felt mana flare inside of me. My body seemed to absorb the mana from the dragon bone. It seemed to feed my dragon like nothing I’d experienced before, including the celestials.

My back itched, like I had a swarm of mosquitoes going to town on me. I rolled over, trying to rub my back on the ground before something crackled and pain in my back had me back on my feet again.

But as the noise continued, I felt my mass shift, increasing on my back.

Moving side to side, I realized two large wings had emerged on my back. I angled my body, trying to get a good look.

“Oh. That’s progress.” Morgana said as more men came charging through the lab.

There were a number of cherubs among the mix. I turned my butt to them, wiggling the wings so they could see them. These were real wings.

But I couldn’t be smug for long. We were in trouble, and we needed to get out safely.

Taking a deep breath, I washed the lab with fire, pouring everything I had into it. I melted the steel, even setting fire to the bricks.

“We need to go.” Morgana repeated.

I looked around the mess in the courtyard, trying to find my jeans and my sword.

Morgana realized what I was doing and grabbed what looked like most of a pair of jeans and used them to wrap around the sword’s hilt before picking it up.

“No more stalling. We go. Now.” She jumped onto my back.

I grunted in agreement as the cherubs pushed their way through the ashes and flickering fires, making their way back towards us.

Letting loose another blast of my fear aura, I jumped, sinking my clawed into the wall and pulling myself up and over the edge of the building.

Morgana was clinging to the horns on my head as I threw myself over and stretched out my wings for the first time. It was odd seeing the world from above, but I couldn’t focus on that. I needed to fly.

The beast was riding at the front of my consciousness, sort of like a translator between my mind and my body. Thankfully, the bundle of instincts knew how to fly. I caught air, flapping my wings furiously, trying to gain altitude.

Feeling a strange shimmer under my wings, I realized they were coursing with magic.

It made sense. Despite my wings being large, my body was massive. The magic must help power my flight.

I beat my wings, pulling us higher, but we were still within range of what I knew was about to be many guns pointed up at us from below.

“Zach…” Morgana’s voice was worried. “You need to get higher.”

I was trying, but I could only tilt up, not fly directly up. Getting higher was going to take time. My grumble to her said that much, only in fewer words.

“Then I need you to roll right when I say so.” She pulled out a semi-automatic rifle and clung tightly to the horns on my head. “Roll.”

I did as she said, feeling clumsy as I did my first barrel roll.

Morgana fired at something below us, and then the air shuddered with two explosions.

I couldn’t help but tuck my head and look down behind me to see what had happened.

But when I did, Morgana nearly fell off of me, barely hanging onto my horns with one hand.

“Fuck’s sake, just fly. They are bringing out more surface-to-air missiles.”

The idea of those helped spur me forward. I lifted my head back up towards the clouds and pumped my new baby dragon wings for all they were worth.

“Shit.” Morgana cursed, and I felt my body tense, knowing that didn’t bode well for whatever was coming at us next.

AN - We be flying now boys.