The Dragon Queen of Thelvadore

With unbending determination I funnelled the planet sized ocean of mana into my body, pushing myself past all my limits, forcing myself to be indomitable. I wouldn’t be able to keep this up forever, already I was burning mana faster than I had ever done before. Should I survive I would regret this quite fiercely over the next couple months, maybe even years.

Something crashed into me, Apocalyptica, having hidden himself from my senses, a feat quite dangerous. I stood my ground, barely being pushed back and grabbed him with my wingclaws. Roaring loudly and funnelling the essence of my evil being into it I shook the world once more, pushing him to the ground. He could not escape on his own, but he didn’t have to.

I hadn’t even finished with my retaliation yet, when something beneath me cracked and Chatan broke away the world I used to anchor myself, flinging me bodily a couple of kilometers away.

Reorienting myself I already saw him coming at me again, so I let him, magical armor darker than black forming around the area he would impact me in.

Again I was flung into the distance, but this time I was in control. My massive wings spread, slowing my movement while forcing me upright. In here there was no wind, but the magick was so dense that it made no practical difference.

When Apocalyptica appeared in front of me again I was ready, my maw already wide open and my magick ready to be unleashed.

Black death rolled over him in a flood, a type of magick unknown to the mortals of this world. As far as I was aware I was the only one even capable of producing the mana I had just unleashed upon my former student.

Roars of pain and suffering rang out as existence itself ate away at his body, slowly burning him without fire; life itself rejected anything that came into contact with my mana. The only problem was that I wasn’t immune to it myself, nothing was. And he was close enough that the spillback hit my snout, then my chest and my forelegs.

Pain unimaginable raked my body, but I had long since learned to ignore all but the harshest of punishments. The twisted gift of a life led in slavery.

I recovered first, Apocalyptica still thriving in pain, while Chatan kept away not to be hit himself. It didn’t stop him from summoning up a storm of fire however. Every last bit of mana he could channel suddenly flared up around me and Apocalyptica, bathing us in the flames of purification.

This time I was unable to suppress a roar of agony.

I was an evil being by nature, reborn as the granddaughter of the Primordial Evil, and those flames were one of the few things entirely ignoring my defences.

Magick rejected my existence, holy mana utterly smashing my own mana constructs in my body apart, requiring me to rebuild them from scratch. Not that something like that was a challenge for me, I was more than powerful enough to do that in a moment, despite the complexity of the spell.

But each time I rebuilt my defences they were smashed apart again, painfully ripping the mana out of my body, quickly draining me of my resources.

With no other way out I drew upon my divine authority, overriding reality in the shadows to simply vanquish his flames outright.

It was a momentary reprieve, one too short to properly recover. A fact that Apocalyptica abused immediately.

He had mostly recovered from my own attack, my mana being burned away by the flames of purification for the most part. The little bits that still clung to him now became a threat to myself as he crashed into me once more. This time I was unable to brace myself, shook as I had been from the purifying flames, and so Apocalyptica’s claws found purchase, piercing my scales and ripping the air out of my lungs.

Luckily I was a dragon, a being that didn’t require air to survive. It burnt like hell in my chest, especially with the wounds he had inflicted, but I drew upon my indomitable will to simply ignore the pain currently shaking my body. It wasn’t a perfect response, but it would stop me from becoming distracted.

The only problem was that my body was still bound by the laws of physics, even if my mind was not, and this was a hindrance. This fight would not be a short one, and I had already fallen behind.

Just a little longer. That I promised myself. Just a little longer. I would not see Thelvadore fall, no. For that they’d have to kill me first. And I took a lot of killing to die.

With a roar that shook the world I answered their challenge once more, wounds be damned.

Pain ran through me as I crashed through the dimensional barrier blocking the battle from the real world, my magick slowly unfurling as my body weakened. I fought fang and claw to not let go of my former lover as he pushed me through, my obsidian scales glinting in the faint moonlight.

Blood ran from me in rivers, the black liquid getting splattered all around. Chatan fared no better, as my hind legs slowly but surely moved down with effort, my claws buried deep into his softer belly. I had my jaw clamped around his neck, tasting the blood that left the gaping wounds between his scales.

I could feel him weakening, could feel his life essence slowly drain. My mind was strained with tension, feeling my own weakness linger not far behind his. I was faintly aware of Apocalyptica slowly rising from where I had left him, missing a wing and a front leg, snarling at me, but I dismissed him for the time being.

I was spent. Utterly exhausted. I could feel the magickal barrier I placed around the capital slowly dissipating as my strength left me. But I refused to yield, refused to lose, refused to rest.

A low growl escaped Chatan and he took another step, before he faltered. His legs were trembling, and he knew as well as I did that he was not long for this world. The only thing keeping him up at this point was his pride and his refusal to accept defeat, but that would only bring him so far. I knew from experience. There comes a point where the mind is willing, but the body is unable to follow.

Drawing upon the last vestiges of my might, I pushed him down to the ground, before my own body collapsed to the side. I fought to keep myself upright with every last fiber of my being, drawing upon my nearly exhausted pool of mana. It helped, but only a little.

The only saving grace was the magick I could feel in the distance, the last beacon of hope for Thelvadore and my people. I was nearly done. All I had to do was deal with my former student.

“Looks like… you have failed… after all,” I managed between rasping breaths, my lungs burning from overexertion and wounds. I had wanted to show a toothy smile, but even that was too much for my body right now. “Again… You failed again… Ahahaha…” I let out a rasping chuckle despite how painful it was.

“You might have bested me,” Chatan said quietly, his voice noticeably growing weaker, “But surely… You don’t believe that this is it?”

I growled at him, but before I could snap back a reply, a wave of vertigo washed over me. The sensation of something severely wrong clawed its way up my spine, making me shudder. My head whirled around seeing Apocalyptica back in his humanoid form. He was bleeding profusely from his missing arm, spitting up mouthfuls of blood as he stared at me with a manic smile. Around him trembling runes in that weird language of his were slowly forming.

It was a far cry from his usual speed and grace, a testament to how spent he was. Yet, he was still casting. And even though I couldn’t decipher the meaning behind it, I just knew it was bad news.

Next to me Chatan breathed his last, his form finally stilling, his lifeforce quickly absorbed by whatever Apocalyptica was doing. I snarled drawing upon every last speck of my might to force myself onto shaky legs, barely able to stand as I fixed the apocalypse dragon with a glare that held every last shred of emotion I was capable of.

“You can’t stop this anymore, your Majesty.” Apocalyptica’s voice was hoarse and manic, his grin bordering on insane. “You have failed! Failed! Your friends and your people! Soon they will all die! Even if you strike me down now, you won’t be able to save them! You lost! AHAHAHAHAHA!”

He fell to his knees, his entire frame trembling and shaking with exhaustion and unadulterated glee.

I wanted to speak, to refute him, to smite him down on the spot, to shut him up! But I could barely stand. I had no time or energy to waste with petty words. And so I ignored him, banished his form out of my mind and focused entirely on the mana flows around me.

They were… intense. For all my might, for all my knowledge and skill with mana manipulation, it felt like trying to stop a river with a single stick. I was far too weak to be able to stop whatever was happening, and I knew that he spoke true. If I didn’t think of something then Thelvadore would be lost.

I glanced back at the city, towards where I felt the magickal array’s glowing. I knew that was where my friends were, desperate to save whomever they could. And I also knew that it wasn’t enough. For all the talent and knowledge they had, Apocalyptica was a petty bastard. He would not enact a plan without multiple contingencies and underhanded tactics. There was nothing he wouldn’t do to achieve his goals.

Once more I regretted ever taking him under my wing. It should’ve been obvious from the start, yet I had been blind to it. To his nature and his being. I had truly thought I could change him. That I could teach him. But it was wishful thinking.

The tension slowly began to leak out of me, my body unable to keep up.

My days were numbered. I doubted I could tell Altis off a third time. Death was my only way forward, and I could live with it. But I would not ever break my word. I promised my people that I would see them safe. That I would protect them from whatever might happen.

If I was to die, then I needn’t worry about what came after.

Turning my gaze back to the lying form of Apocalyptica, still laughing manically, I stilled my racing heart, calmed my thoughts. As my strength slowly faded, a calm certainty settled over me, a single way forward with costs that I would not be able to pay in my current state. But that was fine.

Drawing upon the only thing I still had left, the vestiges of my divine authority, I steeled my resolve. I could feel my body fall still, I had no time to waste. Even with my divinity I could only delay the inevitable for so long before Altis would come claim me.

The massive gate that was still standing in front of the palace pulsed. My aura, nearly snuffed out, blanketed the countryside one last time in all its glory. It promised safety and protection to those within, and certain doom against those without. It was the core of my being, the very essence of who I was.

My people would undoubtedly be able to feel that this was my last stand. I tried to project calm and grace as I gathered every last bit of divine power I still had left. My mana had run dry, my body had already succumbed. This was the very last dredge I could muster, and I had to make it count.

For the first time in a long time, the gate to my armory opened, the massive doors swinging slowly open, revealing that which hid behind. Power unimaginable began to escape it in droves, shadowy figures in my guise rushing out into all directions. Nobody could find it in them to gaze at the opening, the sheer impossibility that lingered too much for mortal minds to comprehend.

With a silent command I seized control over that which was mine. I may not be able to stop the strange apparition that Apocalyptica had called forth, but within my realm he had no power. Especially not weak as he was.

As his spell neared its climax, magick rising in crescendo, I forced my will upon the world with no regards for my own safety. I was already dead. I had nothing to lose. And everything to gain.

Pain began to suffuse me as my divine authority warred with his magic. I could no longer think clearly enough to even begin and try to decipher its effects. All I could do was to hold true to my word.

The world slowly dimmed as I held on, forcing myself to remain steadfast in the face of certain doom. I could die when my job was done. Not a moment sooner.

The last thing I felt was the foul magic quickly weakening. At this point I was barely even aware of myself. Darkness greeted me like a comfortable blanket, and I lacked the strength, resolve, or willpower to resist.

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