At the same time as Richie and Ashaire’s stand against a dozen or so light dragons, Ritik and Keeshar had just dealt with the light dragon attacking and separating them. Keeshar led the assault against the dragon, showing how brutal his fighting style was and how dangerous his macuahuitl when imbued with light that could injure and kill a light dragon. It was also made even more potent when Ritik, accepting his support role, used spells designed to support a warrior and enhance them, along with healing spells he already learned long before he learned offensive fire magic. He also revealed that he learned debilitating spells during the time the others were training to face the dangers waiting for them in Qeveriyt. As he knew they would be facing light dragons, he specifically learned spells designed to subdue dragons. While it was nothing as malicious as Dragonborn magic, they were still very effective against dragons.

The light dragon they fought could hold its ground, but Keeshar was just too nimble. The Raptor managed to slip under its bigger body and broke its joints, incapacitating it before the Raptor split open its head with his obsidian saw club. The light dragon was instantly killed, then dispersed into light particles. Keeshar sighed in relief, not believing that he won against a light dragon.

Of course, being a humble person that he was, Keeshar turned to Ritik, who was similarly elated that they won. The Raptor would not be able to match the light dragon’s light beams if it wasn’t for the kobold’s tactile enhancements. The kobold was surprised by it, as he was also exhausted by expending too much mana (kobolds had less mana pool compared to humans). An elixir gave him the refreshment he needed.

“I wouldn’t be able to fight without your help,” said Keeshar. “Thank you.”

“Turns out Richie was right all along,” said Ritik. “There is always a support role in a party. Well, can’t say it’s as effective when we’re separated like this.”

“One is better than none, my kobold friend.”

Several pillars of light appeared near where they were, quickly reminding them that they were still in the middle of a battle. Ritik was unsure if they could face even more of the dragons, considering how he and Keeshar barely able to deal with one.

“Should we ask for reinforcements?” asked Ritik.

“I think we should,” said Keeshar. “This is not the time to be heroes.”

Thus, Ritik and Keeshar ran back to the gate and met with the soldiers. They were already dealing with the mutated monsters that became aggressive the moment the first attacks started. Ritik dispatched some with his upgraded fire magic while Keeshar cut down the rest.

“Are your soldiers ready, commander?” asked Ritik after he met the human commander barking out orders to the defenders.

“They’re armed and ready,” said the commander. “Call back your team, Ritik. We’ll take over from here.”

“Will do.”

But Ritik and Keeshar soon realized that calling back their team would be impossible, especially not with each of them being engaged in battle. The pillars of light that appeared were the most concerning. There were more light dragons to fight instead of just one, and there was a very high chance that all of them were not weakened like Shawar was. The kobold and the Raptor silently agreed with each other that their friends need all the help they can get, so without hesitating, they returned to the city, with the soldiers preparing to march in and engage the dragons and the mutated monsters.

The two ran through the city towards the pillars to find Richie and a light dragonborn facing a dozen or so light dragons, with the dragonborn declaring the start of a party. They both ran towards the dragons, fighting them to a standstill as Richie showed how much more devastating his magic had become ever since he trained with it. Ritik had seen what Richie was capable of with his thunder and wind magic, but the kobold was unsure if the dragonborn could hold a dozen light dragons with the ability to possibly alter reality.

Keeshar’s keen eyes managed to see that the dragonborn fighting alongside Richie was in fact the same dragonborn that defeated Richie and the reason for Dracokin’s current state: Ashaire. He was going to call Richie out on this but realized that the two were fighting together. Knowing that there was a very good reason for it, Keeshar joined the fight by surprising one of the dragons with a slide under it, followed by a hefty swing of his saw club that cut its throat from below, causing it to gush out black-colored blood before it fell to its side. This did not go unnoticed, however, with the other light dragons, realizing one of them was dispatched so easily, becoming enraged and changed their attention to Keeshar.

This worked in Ashaire’s favor as he drop-kicked one of the light dragons with a force strong enough to create after-effects and the bigger dragon thrown off its feet. He soon followed it with a palm strike from below the dragon, this time accompanied with piercing light beams that pierced the dragon’s head and killing it, causing it to disperse into light.

Ritik saw this and quipped, “I don’t know how Richie convinced him to be on our side, but by the dragon god, he’s good.”

Yet just as he said that Ashaire was blindsided by a light beam that appeared out of nowhere. He would have been killed if it wasn’t for his quick reflex. The light beam only cut one of his horns.

Richie was also having trouble fighting against the dragons as light beams attacked him relentlessly. Unlike Ashaire, he couldn’t move fast enough and was unable to sense the beams before they were discharged. Fortunately, Ritik realized this and used a spell that could enhance his speed. Richie felt both invigorated and felt like he could move beyond his body’s limits, enabling him to get out of the clutch and joined Ritik.

“Nice buff!” he said.

“Thanks,” said Ritik, though he wasn’t sure what Richie was talking about. “Let me heal you.”

“Wait, don’t! I don’t know if it’ll stack, but I need you to help me boost my magic strength. Do you know a spell that might do that?”

“I know of one, but what are you trying to do? You’re clearly bleeding and hurt, Richie!”

“I can still stand on my own, so don’t worry about it. I need you to be ready when I really need it. Use your own judgement.”

“I will.”

“And keep an eye on Ashaire. He may be on our side, but let’s not be so sure about that yet.”

Ritik nodded, still unsure if he could do anything against a fully powered light dragon (or dragonborn, considering his current form) like Ashaire. Zenithia he was fine with since she already proved that she was an ally. Ashaire, however, would take a while, especially since he was the reason Dracokin was in its current state.

Ashaire relentlessly attacked the opposing light dragons and was gaining the upper hand, surprising his former allies. They all assumed that he would have the same abilities and powers as them, but they were wrong. Even more embarrassing was the fact that the light dragon fought them in dragonborn form, which had certain advantages. With his smaller body, he could surprise the bigger dragons with his strength. He also possessed light abilities more powerful than those of his other light dragons. They soon realized that the real danger was not the defenders of Earth, but Ashaire, which made them change their attention to him.

Unfortunately, Richie, Ritik, and Keeshar were also forces to be reckoned with. The four confused the light dragons. They were slowly being dispatched one by one until only one was left, seriously injured from Ashaire and Richie’s combined attack, which blew off half of his body. The light dragon, defeated, could only stare at Ashaire as he approached him.

“H-how….” The light dragon coughed. He was close to death. “How did your light…defeat twelve of us?”

“What did I say before?” said Ashaire with a smug expression. “That I’d make quite a story if I defeat all of you in this form? Well, how’s that for a story?”

“Still, how?”

“The answer is behind me. Can you take the hint? Hmm?”

Unfortunately, the light dragon was too bewildered to even consider that Ashaire was pointing at Richie. With a sigh, he said, “Yeah, well, can’t blame you for that. You can’t even consider the possibility of his rebellion, or even when you know your time’s up.”

“Why…are you so adamant…on protecting this…miserable reality?”

“Two reasons. One, you’re making a big mistake. And two, I happen to like this reality. Oh, I forgot one more reason. I found I hate being stuck in time.” Ashaire proceeded to finish the light dragon by slitting his throat.

The dragon was still confused of what Ashaire meant when he died and his body dissipated. Neither did Richie and the others. They wondered what their unlikeliest ally meant.

“What do you mean by that?” Asked Richie.

Ashaire only responded with a cryptic grin on his face, further confusing and made even shadier than when he suddenly changed allegiance.

Yet Ashaire was the least of the surprises that they would discover as the battle went on. Qeveriyt held a secret from the past, and that secret would be the most important discovery that would let them find the way to drive back the light dragons and save their reality from annihilation.

***

As Ashaire and Richie, alongside Ritik and Keeshar, fought the light dragons to a surprising victory, as Azureath and Hans’s fight against Sacrisantis went into its second phase, the rest of the group continued on while either avoiding or engaging the light dragons, following Zenithia’s direction.

Adeline and Zenithia, accompanied by Elyse and Avila, went deeper into Qeveriyt after being ambushed by the light dragons. The red-furred werewolf, alongside Zenithia, managed to easily dispatch one of the light dragons with Adeline’s light sword. After they did so, Zenithia felt a familiar feeling. Her head quickly perked up and she turned towards where she sensed the familiarity.

It bugged her, knowing that it felt familiar, but she couldn’t tell why. The only thing that mattered was for her to find out what it was.

Adeline had seen Zenithia did this before, when she went out of Dracokin’s walls to engage Shawar. Like this time, Zenithia did not bother to explain; she just jumped off Adeline’s shoulder and started running deeper into the city full of unexplained, horrific abominations caused by countless years of isolation out of normal time. The red-furred werewolf, like before, ran to Zenithia for explanations. However, this time, she knew Zenithia had a reason.

“Is It going to help us?” asked Adeline.

“I hope so,” said Zenithia. “It’s just…it’s so familiar. I don’t know how to explain it, but it felt like my brother.”

“Brother? You have a brother? I thought light dragons don’t have blood ties.”

“He’s not my blood brother. He’s more a light dragon that was connected to me so deep I considered him my brother. Even then, I never knew who he was, only that we shared a connection. I only ever hear his voice in my long quest to free him.”

“Ah. So, he’s a rebel, too. I’m surprised you light dragons can survive for this long with so many rebels trying to get away from the Thread.”

“It’s either we have survived for so long or we are barely surviving as it is. Like I said, light dragons see things not in linear term. It’s all relative for us.”

“Ah, yes.”

The light dragons did not attack them as fiercely as they were against Ashaire, mostly because they did not regard them as threats. Even so, the more Zenithia got closer to where she felt the familiar feeling, the more desperate they were. Zenithia was the first to realize it when she became alerted by a deathly attack and yelled, “Stop!” before Adeline and Elyse ran towards it.

A second later, a light beam cut the land in front of them. The beam was so intense that a nearby building was cut in half when it cut through it. Zenithia looked around but did not find any light dragons. That’s when she realized the true danger.

“Stay close to me!” said Zenithia. Elyse and Adeline did not hesitate to comply. It was the right decision. A moment later, beams of light cut through the air like elaborate light show, only it was very destructive. The buildings, roads, land, and the mutated abominations around were not spared by the light beams cutting through the air. They were only saved by Zenithia’s protection, which she expanded around the satyr and the werewolf in the form of a translucent dome of light.

The light beam attack, however, turned into something else when Zenithia realized it. Adeline saw as the light entered Zenithia like vapor, each streams looking like colorful rainbow. Adeline quickly shielded her eyes, knowing how dangerous they were from Zenithia.

“It’s alright, Adeline!” exclaimed Zenithia when she noticed her werewolf friend shielding her eyes. “We must keep going forward!”

“What we need is to get the hell back!” exclaimed Elyse. “Your shield is failing, Zenithia!”

“No, not failing. I need it close to me so I can absorb their light,” said Zenithia. “Still, dispersing this much light…it’s starting to take a toll to my body.”

“Then retreat! We’ll think of a way!”

“No! Their attack has started. We can only…go forward. My brother…I must get to him! He is our only hope in keep your reality safe!”

“Zenithia, I may sound cynical, but right now, you look like you need a time out!”

“I…will manage! Stay close to me, no matter what.”

Adeline had to agree with Elyse. Zenithia was clearly straining from absorbing the light, evident from the light dragon gritting her teeth and her eyes bulging as if she was holding something heavy on her back. The werewolf would try and convince Zenithia to fall back, but she knew she couldn’t convince her when she had a point.

The barrage of light beams was not a trap, but an attack. Somewhere, one or more light dragons attacked them. Adeline wondered why they even bothered doing all that for the three, or even doing it at all when they knew there was a chance Zenithia could absorb the light unless they were hoping that Zenithia would not be able to handle that much light.

Of course, her thoughts, like many other things that happened before, quickly turned ironic. The light beam barrage abruptly stopped, but at the same time, a light dragon appeared in front of them in a flash of light and grabbed Zenithia, while also twisting its body. Its long tail followed the light dragon’s twist like a whip, hitting both Adeline and Elyse. The two were thrown to a nearby building and would surely be killed on impact if not for Elyse’s quick action.

The satyr coated her and Adeline’s body with druidic enhancement, enabling them to crash through the building with minimal injury. Minimal, because the force was still too much for her enhancement. Even so, it did not incapacitate them. They quickly recovered and walked out of the building’s ruin to see Zenithia and the dragon grabbing her throat, pinning her to the ground.

“I don’t know what ability you have to be able to easily absorb my light,” said the female light dragon. “But you’re naïve to think that I didn’t notice.”

“Not that it helps,” said Zenithia defiantly.

“Why do you even care for this reality? This is one of many, and it’s unremarkable, to say the least. Why did you two do whatever it takes to protect this reality? There is nothing for you here. All you do…is making our extinction certain. What does this…little planet have for you to sacrifice most of your being, leaving you in this…unsightly form?”

“Do you want answers? Well, here’s your answer!”

As if on cue, Adeline and Elyse kicked the dragon’s head, causing her to roar. Elyse overcharged herself and Adeline to the point their kick threw the much bigger dragons several feet towards a building, which crumbled and buried the dragon.

Surprised by her super strength, Adeline turned to Elyse and said, “You possess this much power?”

“Only if I disregard my own limits.” Elyse then fell to her knees, coughing out blood. “Let’s not do that again.”

Zenithia stood up and said, “That won’t stop her for long. We can’t stay here.”

The two agreed. They both ran with Zenithia towards where she was taking them. Along the way, Adeline noticed something peculiar about Zenithia.

“Is it just me or did you grow bigger?” asked Adeline, who noticed that Zenithia was now bigger than he was just a minute ago. Before, she was the size of a house cat. Now, she was the size of a wolf. She also looked more mature.

“Yet it’s still not enough,” said Zenithia. “We can worry about it later. Let’s go.”

The three ran and ran, occasionally dodging the collateral damage caused by their allies fighting around them. Avila, in particular, fought her opponent with ferocity the three had never seen from the Death Aspect. Rocks and rubbles floated around her as if they were weightless before they were thrown towards her opponent. The light dragon vaporized them, but Avila was relentless. The last thing Adeline saw was when she created a mass of blackness that bend the light the light dragon unleashed and absorbed it.

Zenithia, who witnessed this, said, “I was wary of her before. Now, I feel that she will instill the fear of death in me.”

“Well, she is the Aspect of Death, after all,” quipped Elyse.

“I’m sure she is.”

Without waiting to comment or encourage Avila, the three continued on. As they neared the center of the city, Zenithia looked around and sniffed the air before saying, “He’s under us. We need to get to the city’s underground and—”

The light dragon sensed it and jumped away just as something crashed near them. She quickly checked on the crash site with the other.

What they found was something surprising and alarming. In the crash site, as the dust cleared, was Azureath and Hans, bloodied and critically injured. Behind them, a light dragon saw the three as she beat her wings to keep herself airborne. Like Azureath, she was injured, with her pristine white scales covered in dark-colored blood and one of her front legs was missing. She was preparing to shoot the light beam barrages that had become the light dragons’ signature attack.

Azureath was dazed and her body refused to listen to her except for one thing: protect her rider and friend. She did not hesitate to turn around and cover Hans’ unconscious and injured body as Sacrisantis fired her beams.

It was the best thing she could do for one of her saviors.