Below the foundations of the tower, I smelled magma and to my horror, I saw a mechanism to release magma in some dungeons, probably one of those that held Hirrax prisoner.

Why so much hatred?

We just wanted to exist and live a simple dragon's life without bothering people... Why????

I climbed up into the airy voids, reduced to my childhood size and emitting no magic. Just that if I fell, I'd get hit, but my body would absorb the impact. So, no need for tricks to betray my presence.

In the foundations, there were ancient staircases that had been walled up for thousands of years due to successive constructions and reconstructions that went down low into the tower.

The tower was a dungeon! Finally the base!

"Hirrax? Can you hear me?? Stop crying, I'm coming to save you..."

"Yes, Ivan... Be careful, Ivan. I'm chained to the wall. My mana is absorbed by the chains and I can't breathe or cast spells or escape to hell..."

"Listen, don't do anything and let me know if you see or hear anything."

There were two circular walls with an abyss between and to the side, platforms made of wood that had rotted for centuries.

I started running and jumped to the other platform, a few feet away from me and it gave way under my weight but I started running to get ahead of the collapse.

I was slowed down by a swarm of bats, but I got into the pile so as not to lose my pace.

Finally, I arrived at the central body on a stone terrace.

Behind it, an entrance to a spiral staircase and I went down the steps.

After an endless descent I arrived at a large hall with gigantic columns to support the weight of the tower.

From the inside it was sinister.

Then I reached the mechanism to release the lava.

It was a mana crystal plug held by a rod and a system of gears operated by a lever above.

Not wanting to take any risks, I removed one of the shafts of a gear and the counterweight went down. This way, the lava could not burn Hirrax.

Well, it would resist, but with a mana of zero, I dare not imagine the torture. It would take days to die.

I walked up the stairs and into the sewers. The idiot (me) trying to escape through the latrine (me) would end up in a lava lake. There's no better way to get rid of the garbage.

Then I saw the room where she was being held. It had been strapped down and the ceiling closed, unconscious, and it had been collapsed like that.

"Hirrax, have you spotted Navarre?"

"No, he's not here... I can't smell him..."

"Well... I'm on the other side of the back wall, as a child I'm...

You're going to stand near the entrance, opposite the wall, I'm going to place explosives.

I take out a battery-powered drill and I'm going to take some very hard hits. No mana or magic, that would warn them.

I drilled a lot of little holes to weaken the structure

Hirrax: "Stop, Navarre is here."

I was holding my breath, without any noise.

Navarre: "So, General Hirrax... I hope your quarters are not too uncomfortable.

I'm surprised, though, that a creature like you is so weak."

Hirrax: "Why are you doing this to us? Ivan agreed to a cease-fire."

Navarre: "I know all this and I much prefer Ivan to this position than another creature who would slaughter innocent people."

Hirrax: "Your appearance as Fenrir does not frighten or impress me."

Navarre: "I must say Ivan has good taste... But one thing bothers me. We've been cast purification spells to exorcise demons like you, but you resist. I would like to know why."

Hirrax: "I'm half a demon, and a full dragon. And, and, and, I've never eaten souls... "

Navarre was shocked.

He snapped his fingers and pulled out of his dimensional space a table with food and drink.

Navarre: "The food is blessed..."

Hirrax, hungry, served herself boar and a cup of wine and ate without flinching, as if it were her last meal.

Navarre helped himself too.

"The trouble is, General Hirrax, I don't believe in the peace your husband offers. Even if that were true, his aim is to save his "mother"

Hirrax: "Don't insult my mum...!"

"And my goal is to stop him.

That he's a hydra and wanders around in the wilderness is not a problem in itself, but Metatron knows his goals."

Hirrax: "Please... ever since he was a little boy, you've been tormenting him."

Navarre: "Well, what has he done?

He has destroyed the kingdoms of the dragons, and brought a war from his world here, ravaging our way of life and our culture.

He challenges our beliefs by reducing our deities to powerful technomages.

He is an abomination because he has come back from the dead, violating the taboos of life, worse than a dracolich, he has the body and powers of Tiamat. And what is he going to get out of us? The infernal army?

Many lives have been lost in his wake, and though he means well, he wreaks havoc upon havoc.

He and the humans of his world have played with the taboo science of portals, throwing the fabric of the universe off balance. Somewhere, somewhere else, worlds are suffering...

Then he goes after Argentrix, making portals that will end up bringing abominations here or another war over and over again... And finally, he will awaken the Devourer in him, He will tear apart space-time, sowing chaos and desolation..."

A soldier came to Fenrir and whispered something in his ear...

"I must leave you. I'll leave you the buffet. I heard your dragon gave us an ultimatum."

Hirrax: "You're going to lose everything! And his vengeance will be terrible!"

Navarre gritted his teeth and no longer listened to Hirrax's remarks with his back turned and his tail whipping in the air, obviously upset.

He rushed to the top of the tower, running vertically as if he were on the ground.

After a few moments he was invited to enter the chalice of the tower.

Magestia handed over a letter sent by Colonel Clement (signed by me...)

She read the letter aloud.

"Ultimatum!

Your delegation reflects Magestia's power: Magestia's miscreants capable of all baseness.

In spite of having received you cordially and shared a meal together and started the peace negotiations, you betrayed our trust and now we can only observe that the Unicorns care little for the lives of her people.

You have taken what is precious to me twice. Argentrix and Hirrax and my children.

I therefore turn over military command to Demodragon and he will respond accordingly.

In 24 hours, if Hirrax is not returned to us unharmed, we will use nuclear force on one of your cities and so on until Magestia is destroyed.

Signed:

Ivan Tiamat."

Photographs were attached to show the Japanese specialists that we also had nuclear weapons.

Magestia got up and went down to see Hirrax.

She entered in a rage at the dragon and threw the letter at her head.

Magestia, as a human, "You think you can impress me with your threats?"

General, you will reply with a letter that we too, with my emperor, can use nuclear fire. If you ever use an atomic bomb on one of our cities, we'll burn down the whole of Zantar and the north as well.

She took out a pad of paper and some ink.

"Don't make me believe that with your big paws you can't write!"

And Hirrax smiled at her as she approached the empty table to deposit the papers.

Magestia: "Hirrax: You are a hostage and..."

BOOM!

An explosion threw Magestia against Hirrax, who squeezed her between her teeth.

"I've always wanted to know what unicorn steak tastes like."

On the other side of the hole, it was me. I'd blown the charges and returned to my hydra form, a ten-foot hydra.

The lava mechanism engaged and the gears spun in a vacuum.

Hirrax merged into me and I took Magestia in my mouth.

Then, as soon as my back was turned, I heard a growl: Navarre.

When I turned around, he was impressed by my appearance and I released my draconic aura which made him tremble.

Navarre: "This is where your journey ends, Ivan..."

But he saw Magestia in my mouth, my teeth holding her firmly in place.

From another of my heads:

"The situation is reversed... Fenrir..."

"That's because you're holding Magestia in your mouth but I would have frozen you and broken you into a thousand pieces."

Me: "We have nothing more to say to each other."

Navarre: "Wait, what are you going to do to her? Take me in her place! Promise me you won't hurt her."

"So reopen the gates... we just want to go home!"

And suddenly, I jump into the darkness and come to the base, past the Great Crane...

I freed Hirrax from my body and she was able to regain her mana. She jumped on my neck, mad with happiness, and then her stern look came on Magestia, soiled with saliva and still held firmly in my mouth, the black one. She was given a taste of her own medicine by being chained in turn in a huge room where I could comfortably keep my waist.

Then, with a sense of humour: "What I like about your kingdom is that you can get in and out of prison just as easily as you can get out. Yes, my childhood nickname was the weasel...

I returned to my normal size and grew up and Magestia was terrified.

Then staring sternly at Magestia: "Don't you have anything to say to me??? then I clawed and humans brought Axula in, and Asura in chains too.

Mama! Scream Asura!

We were looking at Magestia, Asura and Axula! The Queen, her daughter and her little girl!

The unicorns screamed in terror when they saw me.

"Have you nothing to say to me???"

"Demon! Go back to hell!" they shouted, the three of them.

I returned to my appearance as a seven-year-old child, twelve years earlier...

"Is that you??? Ivan???? Free us, we beg you!"

Then I said, "All these moments of happiness wasted... Why????"

Then Magestia looked up. "Simply because we are unicorns and you are a dragon, we can never get along."

I said, "Why so much hatred? I never hurt you. I just wanted an apology to release you. But now that you say it, I am a dragon.

I thought I was just Ivan, plain and simple, no race, no looks, no powers, just Ivan...

But you don't see Ivan anymore, you see the hydra, Tiamat, an infernal monster."

The unicorns begged... "Please, Ivan, we are sorry, forgive us..."

ROAAAR x5

My roar silenced them, having returned to my natural form, that of the hydra.

"It's too late!" For you, I will be Tiamat... don't ever call me Ivan again. Ivan is my name for those who love me... not like you."

Take them out of my sight!

Hirrax: "You have not wavered! That is good. Now what are you going to do with them? Hold them hostage?

"No, they'll be bled to bring Mother back to life..."

Hirrax: "Are you going to execute them?"

"No, they'll be at Mama's mercy and she'll decide their fate. Then we'll force the portals and I'm out of here. I want to go back to Earth. I miss Mommy Hissa's good food. Especially the turkey with the umbrella... HAHAHAA. "Then a tear fell. I can't wait to see my little brother and play with him..."

Hirrax: "What about this world, the legions?? "

"We'll see in due course..."

Hirrax: "Are you still going to attack? You have the unicorns and I am free..."

"We must catch them at speed, they will attack first and our plans will be compromised."

I summoned my command group and ordered the first nuclear strike on the port city of Amarganthe. I couldn't stand watching those lunatics think they were at the Venice Carnival all the time.

My human heart made me regret my gesture.

Was it really me? It was a beautiful city. Will I be able to look myself in the face again?? I had the images of Hiroshima.

I had the unicorns, the dragon towers were in place, the super carriers loaded. All the legions were counting on me to free Mama... They'd never come so close.

Did I really have to free Mama? It's true I ruined Ethernia... a beautiful magical world where there was peace... what Navarre told Hirrax was true. I'm a calamity. No, it was the Orc shaman... who precipitated it all... The horde and its worlds to be conquered.

You bastard!

If I don't create a diversion, they'll attack here!...

Hirrax stood beside me. You know, Ivan, I may be your wife, but I am a warlord.

I know it's a cruel decision, but you're not the only one making it.

Then Colonel Clement stood up and said, "Ivan, I'm with you. We must attack!"

I looked at Hirrax and he agreed. The lizard leaders also agreed.

The unicorns who heard from their cages were shouting to stop everything. That they surrendered, promises and pleas.

I looked them straight in the eyes.

"You can all die!" and I pushed the button.

A stream of flames came out of a silo, and a star shot across the sky to the east.

GROAAAR! We're walking on the black cathedral!

I opened the darkness and the 2 super carrier entered my darkness, loaded to cracking point with troops and especially with the 3 enormous rolls of cables and the drilling portal.

Then, the sky lit up, revealing in the distance a sun in the middle of the night, followed by a nuclear mushroom.

I immediately felt something dying inside me.