Dragonheart: Of Dreams and Paths

Chapter X: The Crucible

Peter suddenly spun, and thrust his hands out hard toward the advancing enemy...SWOOOOOOSH, BOOOOOOOOM!! Two massive pillars of bright blue flame shot from the boy's outstretched hands, and struck several of them; a deafening roar of agony resounding as they collapsed, throwing back their heads to screech in agony before literally exploding into flaming ashes!! It ricocheted, lighting several of them up at once...yet some simply collapsed facedown on the earth, where they laid, unmoving!! In seconds, over half of Emeran's dark army had been reduced to ashes, but the remaining few...about 500 of them, slowly got up, and looked around dazedly. Yet when some of them saw their former leader grab Peter by the throat, lifting him, they all roared, "STOP, EMERAN!!" This was so unexpected from his own troops, that the black dragon did just that! But the earth talisman also gave Peter regenerative healing power. Rising, he stood his ground; Emeran was stunned beyond belief when four of his own dragons came to stand on either side of the boy...but did not hurt or touch him at all!!

"What is this?" he cried in disbelief.

The dragons all grinned. "Peter has set us free from you, Emeran!" one of them stepped up and stared his former leader down, totally unafraid. "He has ultimately shown us that life is better than death...and love is better than hate!!"

"NO!" The mad leader roared. "I COMMAND YOU TO DESTROY THIS PUNY HUMAN AND SUBMIT TO ME!!" But they both stepped back, as the rest of the recovered dragons stood facing Emeran, with Peter between them, still holding the pouch with the earth, fire and ice talismans inside. But when the leader saw they wouldn't heed his command, he had finally had enough. Whirling to face Edziza, he thrust his hands wide, focusing. A low rumble began, as smoke and ash belched; the caldera was not yet fully dormant.

Peter stepped back, as one of the four dragons placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "You were strong against the enemy, Peter...but only we have the strength to stop what Emeran is about to unleash!"

"Indeed, you do!" came a low voice. Peter spun, and his jaw dropped upon seeing Draco, Asger, and Lord Ragnar!! Smiling the Ancient One stood alongside several of the reformed dragons; no one needed to tell him what had transpired here. The elder dragon strode forward, raising his hands toward the volcano, which was on the verge of an explosive eruption. "Peace! Be still!" he spoke softly, yet at the same time with ultimate authority in his tone. Slowly, the shaking and rumbling subsided, and the oozing lava at the summit quickly cooled and solidified, ending the volcano's angry outburst.

"NNOOOOOOO!!" Emeran shrieked. Whirling, he launched himself at the boy...

"RRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRR!!!" An abrupt, deafening draconic roar suddenly burst forth from Peter's throat, as he held all three talismans in his hands...and crushed them...

FLASH!! A burst like the sun sent Emeran flying, as the ground suddenly split; lava gushing out and swiftly flowing toward the boy!! As all watched, stunned, the lava seemed to burn away all his clothes while absorbing into his flesh...which swiftly gained a diamantine structure...just like dragon scales!! Swiftly, the lava surged up over Peter's human body, gracefully morphing his human form into a dragon reminiscent of Drake from 'Dragonheart: A New Beginning'!! In seconds, the boy had become his true self!! Emeran landed, before leaping and flying straight at the new dragon with a bloodthirsty roar...but Peter simply spun and, having secretly enclosed the ice talisman in his fist, uppercut the dragon, sending him flipping through the air to land on and crush a chunk of rock, which began swiftly freezing; the beast shrieking in agony as his scales began to turn to ice; his innards turned hard as stone and blood was chilled; the evil beast violently convulsed while vomiting drool as frost spewed from his muzzle, then he abruptly jerked upward; his arms and wings flaring wide as his head tossed back...before there was an earsplitting CCCCRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAACCCCCCKKKKK, as the evil dragon literally shattered like glass; thousands of ice chunks and shards spraying in all directions, yet not coming close enough to harm either the other dragons or Peter.

And then it was over.