Three moons illuminated a quiet lake, beside which was a hovering crystal coffin, a yawning tabby cat, and an old man whose shoulders seemed to carry all the desolation in the universe.

A soft sigh escaped from the coffin, and the atmosphere lifted by the old man eager gaze of expectation. After a while he looked crestfallen as there was no change.

A tiny lightening thinner than a human hair escaped from the coffin, it should have fizzled out in the most barest of moments, but a tenacious will kept it alive, it moved around like a lively snake, seeming to be searching for something, suddenly it zipped towards the old man and alighted on his fingers, it raced up to his face and caressed it, and with a tiny pop disappeared into thin air.

A sigh broke the quiet in the air.

“Your choice daughter, I shall accept.”

The dragon plunge from the sky, and I hung on to one of the spikes on her back, my face plastered to my skull from the dive, whatever magic that controlled my descent was gone, and I could guess a reason for that. I felt an enormous wave of energy building inside the dragon, my hair stood on end and tingles of electricity ran through my spine... blue light suffused from the gaps beneath the scales and the body below me vibrated with deep rumblings.

The jaws of the dragon opened and a blue light brighter than the sun filled her throat, her voice echoed in whispers around my ears

“ this is the plan. The darkness can no longer draw power from the void. my seat of power has being shackled by my father, but an intrinsic aspect of the darkness is that it can divide itself infinitely, whatever imprint it has laid on me has to be consumed and not a single one is to be left behind.” The voice paused “I shall tear her apart, and you must consume her, every last bit”

"All right. I will do my best"

A terrible voice resounded over the plains. The creature howling its challenge and defiance. “BEG FOR YOUR LIFE, DAUGHTER OF THE GOLDEN ONE, AT THE END OF IT ALL, I SHALL BE THE ONE STRIDING ON YOUR BONES”.

The dragon laughed “Nothing is worthy of my plea!”

With a cry, lightening poured from her jaws to the abomination below us , the world went white, and with a crack everything exploded, plumes of molten sands and rocks hurtled miles into the air, the shock wave tearing the grounds to the ends of the horizon. Hurricane winds pushed against the opened wings of the dragon, and she tored through it .

She roared in triumph while my jaws went slack, this was a force of nature made flesh!. She turned her head sinuously towards me, a glint of pride and amusement in her eyes “burn the rest Nephilim.”

She dived down and I could see at the epicentre of the impact, a carbonised statue of flesh stood on the a ground that was now smooth and compact like granite. weak groans came from it.

With a wave of her wings, the burning Ash and eddies of smoke was swept away, the ground shook as she touched the earth. I alighted from the dragon and walked up the charred figure, i counted six arms in various stages of disintegration, cracks through the burnt skin, showed an insides glowing red like coal and effusing tremendous heat.

I gaged as I got closer, boils and pustules started breaking out from the figure, and they burst open, pus and horrid matter flowed out and slowly the darkness was building herself back from the rot.

“Act quickly Nephilim, I cannot let out another blast like that, anytime soon.”

I pushed out my hands, and the flames, always eager to be let out, poured from them and the darkness was engulfed. The dying cries of the creature was silent. It was a low keening sound reminiscent of an aborted foetus scrapping dulled fingernails on the ground striving for life.

I was surprised when tears flowed down my eyes, it felt like I was killing my child, a small part of me felt sorrow, and I briefly wondered why. The fire did not burn in as much as it erased... the creature was being withered down to nothing in front of my gaze. A final burst of energy was summoned it seems from the last moment before death where all your potential is compressed for a final gamble for life.

“cursed child, you are killing the dragon too!”

A figure pouring out smoke walked beside me, and I felt my heart missed a beat. Little burst of silver figure was burning through rapidly crisping skin, blood poured from her eyes like twin pearls and this mad lady was smiling.

Turning to me, “Don’t you dare stop the flames Nephilim".

I grimaced “ I will stop the flames”. I frowned at her “there must be another way".

perhaps she saw something in my eyes

“please".

If I were to ever live beyond now, if this moment were to replay themselves a thousand time again, I knew I would honour her request. The honour of the dragons demands it - prideful creature who bows before nothing. And a dragon worthy to be their queen beseeched me.

Bullshit!. I want no more losses. Everything good and noble and meaningful was leaving me. Don’t leave me too. I don't tell her that though, I only replied with my actions.

I shut off the flames.

She smiled. “it’s enough... I will finish the rest". She inhaled and took in the rest of the flames into her body.

She locked eyes with me, and I saw one of them enveloped with silver fire. I felt a pain grip my heart, but it would be my failing if I did not witness this. I nodded at her, somehow knowing there was nothing I could do to stop the events about to transpire. She cocked her head and walked closer to the burning abomination.

“Hello darkness, my old friend"

A whimpering cry came from the miasma, it was now down to a foot tall, and blurring away fast. It morphed skinny arms and legs and attempted to crawl away from the approaching dragon. It turned and spoke:

“ Oh Miranda, we can make a deal, we can merge together like... like equals, a sum greater than its parts. This is what your father would want!"

“You don’t know my father abomination, and you don’t know me... I have lived under your malice for so long, you have forgotten my name!”

With a flourish her great sword was pulled from the air, I could now see it clearer, the hilt was in the likeness of a roaring dragon, the blade its tongue. And silver fire pooled on the weapon, it let out rumbles of defiance as the blade held its form against the first fire that illuminated the universe. She trust her blade into the writhing creature, and brought it up, it arms scrapping the edge of the blade trying to push itself off.

Laughing Miranda drew the blade closer to herself

“ I am Miranda Azathoth Herensuge daughter of Zarathul The Golden. “Wielder of the lightening of chaos”. She ran her hand lightly down the blade, her voice soften “Bearer of Dragon Rest. For three thousand years your darkness has ravaged my form. The circle ends here.”

“curse you Miranda, your sacrifice means nothing, while you are one. I am many, and this victory you think you won means nothing, I will _"

A silver flash lighted the surrounding, a pillar of flames and blue lightening surging through the air, it impacted a barrier in the sky, and cracks covered the heavens.

In my visible shock and confusion, I imagined I heard a soft voice tinged with pride.

"Remember Me Nephilim"