Branches broke, bark and leaves scraped past scales, and birds scrambled out of the way as two dragons fell from the sky. They crashed through the treetops, each limb they hit slowing them slightly before snapping. Fire Flash came to a momentary stop in the last branch above ground level, but even that weighty bough snapped when he tried to move. He hit the forest floor with a dull thud, and groaned as he rolled over.
He didn't know what hit him, but it stung like hell. He could feel the line across his side where something just skimmed the scales, but somehow managed to knock him out of the sky. That brown dragon, he must have done something. And if that was a glancing blow, what is a direct attack capable of?
Click.
He raised his head. That sound was too sharp, too clear, to be natural. Scanning the forest, he saw nothing out of place. Moss-covered logs, composting leaves, and the same old trees they've been running through for days. The only difference in the terrain was the sloping, rocky hill ahead of them. Scraggly trees grew in the scant purchase between the strata of weathered stone, and moss and ferns claimed any shade.
It must have been a falling rock. He sighed and untangled himself from Derpy. She seemed alright, but knocked unconscious from the fall. He slowly stood up, working through the aches and bruises left by the plummet through the branches. As soon as she recovered, they could continue their journey. Even though the flight was cut short, it brought them far closer to Dragonspire than expected. They would be there within the hour.
Still, that sound bothered him. He looked around again. He couldn't see anything else that could have caused it, but he just couldn't convince himself it was a falling stone. If anything, it sounded like metal on metal.
"Boo!"
Flash spun to face the voice. Behind him, hanging upside down from a tree, was a stout, dull, maroon-colored dragon covered in scars. Freshest of these was one across his chest, revealed through the jagged tear in his steel chest-plate.
"Bilk blast." The tree-bound dragon raised a large mechanical device towards the other dragon's head. Ornately engraved, its two steel pipes were bound to a dark wood handle by brass straps and rivets, and Bilk pulled both of its triggers as Fire Flash dove out of the way.
The red dragon felt the rash of heat against his face, and a thunderous noise. The sound's blast, like a hammer, hit Flash as he fell. He landed in leaves, but if they made a noise, he couldn't hear it. He was deaf to everything, save a single crystal tone playing in his ears.
Fire Flash pushed himself off the ground. He felt nauseous, his insides shaken like a cocktail by the concussive sound, but he had to be ready for another attack. He ground his teeth together, steeled himself, and straightened up. Then, he opened his eyes... and screamed.
He collapsed to the forest floor, screaming in pain. Writhing and clutching at his face, he didn't see that another dragon was approaching.
Tall and green, this dragon looked at home in the forest, but didn't quite blend in. His scales were too light for that, sleek and silver-sheened. His eyes narrowed as he drew closer, inspecting the downed Drake that his companion stood over. "Bilk, I said to find them and report back."
"Yeah," the armored Drake nodded. "Well, I found him, shot him, and now I'm reporting then. Orders followed." He slung his blunderbuss over his shoulder and used his free claw to point to where a grey dragin was slowly coming around. "Should I help 'er wake up, or put 'er down? Ya only need one to get the answers you wanted."
The corners of Koro's mouth turned upwards ever so slightly when he turned his attention to her, a grin that would be hard to see if you were looking for it. "No, I will handle this." He started walking towards her. "I do believe she's an old friend."
"No!" Fire Flash heaved himself up. One claw supported him, the other slowly pulling away from his closed right eye. Blood poured from between the lids, and there was no question that Bilk's opening salvo was not a clean miss. "Leave her alone, your flight's with me."
Koro rolled his eyes. "Bilk?"
A heavy blow blindsided Flash. He was struck in the ribs with the butt end of the blunderbuss. Another blow followed, catching him in the chest and knocking the wind out of him. A third blow, sharp and metallic, came from the barrel, crossing his cheek below his good eye.
Bilk hooked the arm holding the blunderbuss around the red drake's neck, impressed that he was still standing after all that, and leapt. He rolled over Fire Flash, back to back, building the speed and momentum needed to hoist the other dragon up and slam him down.
With his opponent pinned, he pulled a smaller firearm from among the arsenal strapped to his back. It was long and thin, its barrel twisted and longer than the blunderbuss. "You ain't even gonna feel this one, sunshine."
"Bilk," Koro said slowly, like a parent admonishing a child, "don't kill him. Not yet. I think he might want to see this." He was standing over Derpy, and ran a claw across her forehead, pulling her crest away from her face. A thin line of red hid near the hairline. "Poor dear," the green dragon nearly whispered, "she must have hit her head."
He leaned down, and breathed in her ear, "girl?"
Derpy's eyes flew open, that one word jolting her awake, the voice that haunted her nightmares yanking her through the fog back to reality. She tried to stand up, but Koro placed his claw on her back and pushed her right back down.
"Looks like you remember me." He flipped her over, and dropped himself on top of her, a suffocating weight, even for her. "Don't you, girl?"
She buried her teeth in his shoulder, the closest thing she could reach. One thought ran through her mind as she started slashing away at the scales above her. "I'll kill you!"
Koro raised a claw and slapped the grey dragon across the face, stunning her long enough to stand up and back away. "You've gotten stronger," he muttered as he inspected his wounds. He was bleeding in several places where her claws made through his scales, and his shoulder was well torn open, even though the wound was shallow enough to ignore. This was the worst he could remember being injured in a long time. "For that, I'll knock your other eye loose before I have you again."
Bilk, distracted by his employer being forced into retreat, even the few steps that it was, loosened his grip on his own quarry's neck. This allowed Fire Flash to take a deep breath and shout, "Derpy, run!"
The grey dragin scrambled to her feet, shaken into action by the red drake's call.
As Bilk looked down, Flash grabbed the barrel of his rifle, yanking it away fast enough for the trigger's pull to blast the projectile harmlessly into the dirt. Then, with the rest of the breath he took, he spat a flaming glob of phlegm into the armored dragon's face. Clawing at armor, and pushing with his wings, Flash was able to turn his fight around, holding Bilk down as he struggled to reach for one of his other weapons. It was easier than he expected. Bilk lacked any sort of serious strength, explaining his choice to rely on weapons.
Flash looked up at Derpy, standing there, watching him. She was torn, and he could see it. The conflicting desires to run, and to stay and fight, her fear, and her anger, were battling for control. "Go!" he shouted. "I'll survive long enough for you to bring help. Now, run!" She opened her mouth to protest, glancing at Koro, before looking back at Flash. But, when their eyes met, Fire Flash silenced her argument before it could begin. "Go back to your daughter."
"I-" Derpy gave one teary nod, closing her eyes before running off into the forest. "I'm sorry!"
Koro watched her go, then turned to face Fire Flash. "What a noble lie you just told. I'm sure it makes her feel much better about abandoning you." With a sigh, he brought a claw to his face, rubbing and pinching just between his eyes. " There is just one thing that I can't understand. Why do dragons keep sacrificing themselves for her? What has that girl done to deserve so many lives being laid down? I've killed three dragons to have her so far, and more keep getting in the way."
"No," Fire Flash snarled, "I've killed, you've murdered."
Koro stopped for a moment, pulling his claw away from his face and raising an eyebrow. "There's a difference?" He scoffed. "Either way, let's see if you can amuse me longer than the last dragon."
Fire Flash stared at Koro. All his life, he's been dealing with dragons like this. Those who went beyond mere survival in their ruthlessness and willingness to hurt and kill others. If not for Rainbow, he might have grown up like Koro, an evil creature lacking pride or honor. If not for Derpy, he may have returned to Casull and still ended up that way. Here, now, he still had one chance to die as he lived. Fighting tooth and claw.
Silence stretched between them, a spring, waiting to snap, waiting for one of them to launch the first strike.
Koro was the one to make that move, darting forward to close the gap between them. Flash was a smaller dragon, and winged, his mobility and fire would put him at an advantage in a ranged battle. Flash reacted by hacking another spit of flame at Bilk, who he still held down. Only this time, he aimed at the raw wound Koro had left on his chest.
Searing flames and hot oil seeped under the armor and into torn flesh, and Bilk curled up, trying to tear his armor off as he howled in agony. Flash used that opening to grab the largest weapon from his arsenal, a massive sword, made of several hardened steel edges riveted to another steel beam, hopefully with a softer temper. A weapon like this could end any conflict with a single blow. All he needed now was luck.
He leapt forward, sword in his mouth, to meet Koro, but the other dragon stopped short. Koro planted his front claws, let himself pivot, building momentum and striking Flash with his tail like he was snapping a fly out of the air with a bullwhip. The weight behind his tail threw the smaller drake through several smaller trees, splintering them before he came to a hard stop against a much older and solid oak.
The sword fell from Flash's mouth as he cried out. His wing was skewered, broken branches were pierced through the membrane in several spots. He tore his wing free as Koro bore down on him, charging through and wiping out any remaining saplings in his path.
By the time wrapped his claw around the sword's leather grip, Koro was over him, claws raised, an executioner's axe, ready and willing. Flash swung the sword in a desperate block, catching Koro's strike on the flat side, and bracing his other claw against the other side.
Koro hammered on the blade, striking over and over, wearing his opponent down like a chisel on stone. He stopped after several blows, and leaned his weight on the blade, pushing Flash's strength to the limit just to keep from being crushed. Then, the green dragon leaned close. "You know," he snarled through a hungry grin, "you've already lasted longer than the last drake I fought. I'll try to give you a cleaner death."
"Sorry," Flash grunted, "but I can't promise you the same!" With a shout, Flash twisted the sword, digging the edge into Koro's palm. The heavy dragon lost his footing, falling and nearly flattening Flash beneath him. The sword twisted away once more, and caught under his weight, snapped near the guard.
Flash Flash twisted away, but kept on fighting. He stabbed at Koro's injured claw with what remained of his blade. He got in three good hits before Koro slammed his other claw into the tree behind them. As the massive oak fell, both dragons rolled out of the way, letting it crash harmlessly between them.
It was difficult, but Flash stood up. Stumbling, he planted the broken end of the sword to steady himself. On the other side of the tree, Koro stood as well, favoring the injured claw. "For that," the green dragon snarled, "I will eat you, and you will be alive to feel it."
Fire Flash took a step back, raising a shaky blade at his opponent. "Be careful you don't choke."
Koro started climbing over the tree, slow, snake-like movements. He kept low, keeping the weight off his right side. "Did that girl ever tell you why she hates me so?"
Flash tightened his grip on the sword, but said nothing.
"It's probably because of what I did to her so-called family." He continued at a crawl, cautiously, like a python, watching for the chance to wrap his prey in death's grasp. "The drake was a fool, some farm hick who thought himself stronger than he was. Tried to face me head on. I laid him open from neck to tail in one stroke."
Flash took a few steps back. There weren't any openings for him to attack. And if he tried to flee, crouched as he was, Koro would probably be able to leap for him with ease.
"He was boring," Koro growled. "It was his mate that was the fun one to kill." He smiled slowly, relishing the memory with a disturbing grin. "I didn't even have to fight her. All I had to do was capture their little hatchling boy, threaten to tear him in two, and she laid down right in front of me. Just like I asked."
Not taking the bait, Flash waited for Koro to come to him, easing himself into a half-remembered sword stance from basic training. He would likely have one chance at a fatal blow, and that would be the moment Koro lashes out.
"You do know why dragons refuse to bow?" Koro asked. "The real reason, not that crap about pride and honor." Koro paused for a moment, as if expecting an answer. "It's because of how weak the back of the neck is. The spine is thinnest there, where it connects to the skull. The muscles surrounding it are weak, a mere shadow of the rest of the back. A single, deliberate, blow will take out almost any dragon."
The red drake stiffened. He knew. He had exploited that weakness far too many times not to know, but he would never dream of using it to kill a dragon who surrendered. "You executed her like that in front of her son?"
"No," Koro said with a long, drawn out sigh. "I thought about it, but Derpy was there too. So, I stomped that bitch's head into the ground until there was nothing left but a bloody-"
A scream erupted from a charging blur. A grey mass launched itself at Koro, catching him in the side and bowling him over. Derpy scratched and clawed her way across his body until she reached his head, and started railing on him. She punched him in the face, over and over, until he managed to shake her loose.
Snarling like rabid wolves, both of them righted themselves. But, when Koro turned to bare his teeth at her, she had her claws at the ready. And, she had picked up a weapon. She swung as hard as she could, throwing all of her weight, and that of the rock she grabbed, at that evil dragon's face.
Koro dropped when it connected, rattled by the blow, but not completely out. Derpy would have preferred that it cracked his skull, but she couldn't attack with her full potential without her wings. She shifted the path of the rock down, stopping her spin halfway with a dull thud.
She immediately launched herself at Flash, raising her rock for another strike. "Down!" she shouted at him.
Flash twisted and jumped away at the same time. Behind him, Bilk, charred from his chest up, was lifting a stout dagger for what would have been a fatal sneak attack. How was he that quiet in all that armor?
Derpy gave one last shout as she met Bilk head on. Her leading claw caught his dagger claw halfway up the arm, pushing him back and off balance. Her trailing claw, wrapped around a hunk of granite bigger than his head, swung forward, meeting little resistance until it smashed into a tree trunk.
Bilk was left as little more than a smear between stone and wood as Derpy ran to Flash's side. "I'm so sorry!" she cried, grabbing him and squeezing him way too hard for his current level of damage. "I shouldn't have left you, and I feel bad about it, and I won't do it again, and... and... and you can't leave me either!"
"Derpy!" Flash forced a claw between his neck and her arm, staving off the suffocating force. "Koro!"
She dropped the drake and turned her attention back to the fight. Koro was just starting to regain his bearings, whatever they were going to do, it had to happen now.
Stepping forward, head held high, Derpy took a deep breath, puffing her chest out as she took in as much of the forest's air as she could. She held that breath, deep guttural noise echoing from her throat as gurgled and combined her unique mucosal fluids. She let the breath out with a whirlwind storm of bubbles. Reflecting light the color of blue-green sea glass, the bubbles flew as far as the breath carried, then fell to earth with an orchestra of wind-chime clanks.
Derpy spit her remaining mucus at Koro before turning around. "Run," she told Flash before darting off in the direction of town.
"Agreed," said the Drake, taking off close behind her.
Seeing his prey fleeing, Koro lunged forward to chase after them, claw coming down on one of the scattered bubbles. The smooth, glassy surface, like a marble, rolled underneath him, dumping him sideways onto a cluster of more bubbles. Of those, most held their shape, jamming into his side as his weight came down. But some of the weaker ones cracked, others breaking entirely, peppering his scales with shards and needles of the hardened substance.
And before him, an entire army of those bubbles littered the forest floor, as numerous as the fallen leaves.
Flash flinched as a furious roar echoed through the forest. With the roar's owner behind them, no matter how far, he didn't dare slow down. Beside him, Derpy did the same, keeping her eyes forward, on their path. "You shouldn't have come back," he shouted over the pounding of their claws and the crunching of the leaves and sticks beneath, "but I'm glad you did."
"I couldn't leave you," she shouted back. "Couldn't face my daughter if I let Koro take any more good from the world."
"So, how do we fight him? Even hurt, he's more than a match for both of us."
Derpy shook her head. "We don't. I got a few lucky hits in, but without a plan and some sort of surprise, we don't stand a chance."
"Then what?" Flash demanded. "We just run?"
"Until we reach town. There are dragons there that even he can't touch."
"Well, seein' as we got closer n'all," Applejack pushed her hat back to wipe her brow, "Ah can safely say, that's one heck of a tree."
"Eeyup," her brother agreed.
The rest of their small group stared up in awe. It wasn't just the size, how did that thing just suddenly appear? The massive flower at its peak dropped golden petals every so often that would shimmer like they were coated in oil. Each of those petals looked like they could crush a dragon, a dangerous, beautiful mystery.
It seemed like the whole village was in a trance. Standing in the doorways and streets, frozen where they stood. They may have come out to investigate the ominous shadow that fallen over their village, but their stares showed the gap between what lay before them and any expectations they once held.
"This feels familiar," Rainbow whispered. What was it? Something from the past, but what? "Elder Sator..."
The only soul in the village not gazing skyward was Spike, and he walked along in a trance of his own. His magic, changing and expanding, was dragging him along. He could feel it now, thanks to Rarity. That night, the creation of the stone temple, she awoke power he didn't know were his. "The roots," he mumbled, "they're growing." He could feel them, deep beneath. The energy and magic within the earth pulsed beneath his hooves, and he could sense it.
The tree was reaching out, not searching for nutrients like a normal plant, but giving itself to the earth around it. The magic leaching into the ground would fuel plants and creatures that relied on such energies for millennia to come. Such a powerful rebirth, the stuff of legends.
Spike looked up. There was only one legend he could recall that could explain this. The phoenix lignum, the seed that grows from death to bring the flower of new life. If true, that meant at least one dragon died in the forest within the last day.
He kept walking forward, towards the edge of the forest. They were near the edge of town, and the only thing between them and the endless sea of trees was a flat expanse of grass. Serene and peaceful, the green carpet promised quiet walks and comfortable picnics. It was unblemished by all but the occasional flower, and in this quiet moment, Spike couldn't imagine anything more ominous.
He turned to face his companions, to voice his concerns, but behind him, two dragons burst from the woods and took the task upon themselves. "It's Koro," the grey one shouted, continuing her sprint away from the treeline, "he's back!"
Spike started to turn as a red dragon limped out of the forest behind her, struggling, but only barely keeping pace. Thundering footfalls, and the crash of trees followed close behind them.
"Rainbow?" the red dragon shouted as he caught sight of her, injuries catching up to him as he collapsed, her name on his lips, "Rainbow..."
The grey one kept running towards Spike, eyes on something behind him. "Mac! It's Koro!"
Spike was trampled from behind by somedragon rushing forward, his world going black in a shock of sound and commotion. The only thing he could feel before losing consciousness was the comforting warmth of magic, and the familiar presence of the earth wrapped around him.