GAYM, part 09 Fight fire with fire.
Sure enough, the side of the huge crate facing us slowly lowered to the ground, and out came a dragon; it was blinking its eyes and moving very unsteadily as it had been in that crate for some time.
It was a green dragon, and I found myself wondering when, or if, my own green dragon, Gleep, would get that big. I mean this thing was HUGE!
"Think. Stay calm!" I told myself. "Ajax!" I barked.
"Right here, boss."
Can you see who's controlling that dragon, and how? If it's an attached dragon, I think our best option is to hop out of here and regroup back at Deville, at Gus's place, but if it's unattached, we can handle it."
"You know more about dragons than I do, boss. What do I look for?"
"They had a giant. I suspect he's the dragon master, but he could have given the controlling crystal to Antonio. In any case, the guy will have a good-sized crystal, or pendant, probably in his raised fist."
"You want me to shoot him when I find him?"
"No!. I want you to point him out, so I can lift that device from him. Then WE can control that dragon!"
"Speaking of dragons," said Gus, "I've got Gleep here."
"Good, but I think Berfert will be a greater help. If that little fire lizard of yours can create a wall of fire between us and the enemy, that might stop that dragon's advance."
"Or you can go for the pendant," Ajax informed me. "Looks like your man has a gem in a gold pendant around his neck, and he's urging the beast forward."
"Alright, I'm gonna try to bag that trinket." I reached with my mind and took a grab at the pendant. The keeper must have felt that, and apparantly realized I was trying to get it, because he tightened his grip on it. I fought for possession, but I was fighting a guy who was bigger, heavier, and at least twice as strong as I was, and a lot more magical. Far from pulling the pendant away from him, I found myself pulled toward him, onto the field.
"Skeeve!" Aahz shouted. "Let it go!. Look out for the dragon!"
I assumed the warning was regarding the oncoming dragon, but it was my own Gleep that knocked me down, from behind, as he raced out to plant himself between me and my foe.
The big dragon threw its head back and toared, but that didn't stop my Gleep from hissing at it, warningly.
The big dragon seemed curious, and lowered its head for a sniff. Gleep hissed and roared, for which he received a cuff from the big dragon as if he'd been an unruly child; this cuff from a dragon that could've caved in a building!
Surprizingly, Gleep seemed to be laughing! The big dragon just continued to sniff him.
"I think that big dragon is Gleep's mom!" yelled Andy.
Of all the dragons we might come accross, the odds of that would've seemed quite remarkable, except that I realized the dragon had probably been purchased at the Bazaar where I got mine. I mean how many dragon dealers could there be? But I didn't have time to enjoy the reunion. No sooner had I heard the word "FIre!" than a barrage of arrows came flying toward us. I'd been too surprized to stop the arrows in the way I had in our earlier battle. Besides, I'd had to watch out for the big dragon's tail as she turned around.
The big dragon had whipped around with fury! Her baby was being attacked! She let out a blast of flame at the oncoming soldiers, keeping them at at a respectable distance. Her motherly rage was matched only by her keeper's, and Antonio's. I was behind the dragons, or more accurately behind Gleep (he was still defending me), and now I began using my powers to stop the arrows, which were rapidly diminishing in number.
Pandemonium had broken out the field. As soon as Aahz had seen the big dragon turn on its senders, he'd started our attack. I took the opportunity to retreat with Gleep back to our own camp. Aahz was doing great in his sword fights, and he WAS a magician, even if he didn't have air powers. He'd used HIS magic on Ajax's quiver so it wound never be empty, and Ajax was enjoying the endless supply of arrows.
As for Andy, he'd turned himself into a Troll, a BIG mean green fighting machine, and was doing quite well with his own style of fighting.
Gus had taken the invisibility sheet, and, with his partner, Berfert the fire salamander, had flown with his "air support and fire power." The only problem was that Aahz got cut off from the rest of us.
Gus had dropped Berfert into the middle of the enemy troops, with the idea that the front lines would be cut off from reserves. This worked well as far as it went.
With the invisibility sheet under him, Gus (with Berfert) had remained unseen during their approach, but as he passed overhead, the soldiers were able to look back and see the Gargoyle, and launch an attack. Their thrown spears and javelins had no effect on the stone Gargoyle, but had quite an effect on their own second string. To THEM, it must have appeared that by some magic of demonic posession, their allies had turned and fired on them.
To be continued