Mikky motioned for the family to wait while she exited the house and looked around. She motioned for Akeno to join her and the fox made her way over before allowing her hands to catch fire.
"Are there other people trapped here?" Kai asked.
"No. Everyone else was caught." The son said. "We're alone."
Chysolite gave Akeno a thumbs up and Akeno unleashed her flame on the dark thorns which went up in flames rather quickly. Mikky motioned for the family to quickly run and they thanked Kai and Chysolite one more time before running out the way the four had come in. Akeno continued to burn away the rot and the black smoke rose up creating an obvious signal for any black knights in the area.
Kai watched Akeno's flame with her aura vision, almost mesmerized by its glow. It wasn't a normal flame, it was an extension of herself, and it only burned what she wanted it to. Only the rotting vines and thorns caught fire, the buildings remained standing.
Akeno didn't look like she enjoyed burning everything down. But instead looked like she was concentrating. Did she have to be careful not to spread her flame to the buildings?
Kai didn't know.
They waited in the clearing, watching Akeno's flame free the buildings from their thorny prison. The smoke raising into the sky giving away their position so well. But no one came to greet them. No Knights came out to attack them.
After several minutes, Akeno's flame died down revealing the crumbling town around them. The four of them glanced around and waited for anything to happen. For something to come charging out of the woods and attack them, but it never happened.
"Why are they not revealing themselves?" Akeno questioned.
"They don't care." Mikky answered.
"What do you mean they don't care?" Chysolite asked.
"They know their corruption has done its job." Kai explained. "The fire could have started by a candle, and normally no one would have survived it's blaze. They may investigate later, but they are in no rush."
"Surely they would be cautious knowing I am able to wield fire?" Akeno questioned.
"Perhaps." Kai shrugged.
"I can't see or sense anyone watching us though." Chysolite answered. "We're alone here."
Kai looked around once more before letting her magic fade, returning her to her blindness. Juan sat beside her watching his master curiously.
"We should keep moving." Mikky sighed. "We may not have attracted the Knights, but who knows what other monstrosities are waiting in the shadows."
"Agreed." Chysolite nodded.
"I'm sure we could get their attention if we burn our way through to the volcano." Akeno offered.
"But the question is, do we really want their attention?" Mikky asked. "We have the element of surprise for now."
"Shall we find out?" Kai asked.
"Hmm?" Akeno and Mikky looked at her curiously.
"Juan, can you find me something that might have belonged to a knight?" Kai answered as she knelt down and held out her hand.
Juan ran off into the village looking around for something he could give to his master. The fox eventually returned with a metal gauntlet which he dragged across the ground and placed in Kai's hand.
Kai placed her other hand over it and closed her eyes, concentrating on the glove between her hands. Her eyes widened and turned bright white as the vision took hold of her.
"That happen often?" Chysolite asked as she looked at Mikky.
"More than I'd like." Mikky answered with a soft smile. "Though I can't do that on a whim. I have to be gifted my visions."
"Lucky her then?" Akeno smiled.
"I suppose so." Chysolite shrugged before looking back at Kai.
---
The soldier ran back into the castle and pushed opened the doors to the throne room, narrowly missing having his upper body ripped off by a massive blood dragon that attempted to eat him as he made his way into the room.
"M-Master!" He called out to Krivalar who was seated sideways on his throne, a plate resting on his scaly stomach stacked with meats.
"What is it?" Krivalar growled as he tossed a chicken leg, bone and all into his maw.
"A fire! To the south!" The soldier answered as be bowed bellow his lord's throne.
"What about it?" Krivalar snarled.
"The Fire Fox is with the Fate Weaver remember?" Came the magician's voice as he stood in the shadows, watching his master.
The blood dragon snarled at the petty knight, practically salivating just watching him.
"You think that the Fate Weaver and the Fire Fox already found us?" Krivalar questioned as he moved, picking up the plate on his stomach and setting it on the table beside his throne before getting up and walking towards the knight. The claws on his toes dragging across the stone floor.
"I-I don't know, I thought it best that you know!" The knight answered.
"Send a detachment to the smoke then!" Krivalar snarled. "Find out if it's them or not!"
"Of-Of course my lord." The knight bowed his head lower, if it was possible, before running out of the throne room. Krivalar offered his plate to the blood dragon who devoured the whole thing, bones, meat, and plate, without a second thought.
"If they come, I want them slaughtered." Krivalar growled.
"There are several Blood Dragons here and in the forest. I doubt that even they are strong enough to deal with them." The mage confessed.
"I know, but even still." Krivalar sighed. "They're going to ruin everything... We've been planning this for millennia!"
"I know." The mage added before stepping out of the shadows. "We're so close, we can't afford to take chances. Send the Blood Dragons."
Krivalar nodded a bit. "But they will see them coming, as Mikky is the greatest Seer. And if and when she summons Ragnarok..."
"When she summons Ragnarok she cannot defend herself. She can barely move as the chains hold her in place." The mage explained.
"You're wrong my friend." Krivalar admitted. "If I've learned anything, its to never underestimate them. The weaker you think they are, the stronger they become."
"Killing the Dragonling has opened your eyes then?"
"Riptide my friend... Killing the Dragonling could only be done with the use of the poison you gave me. And even then, she was reborn in time." He scoffed. "And now she once again lives, preparing to face me a second time."
"Those Dragonlings cannot be permanently killed." Riptide answered. "It is best to avoid them."
"Agreed." Krivalar sighed. "However battle is inevitable."
"Even still. We should hit them with everything, then ambush them when they get here." Riptide explained.
"Agreed." Krivalar nodded. "Prepare as many traps as you can, and let me know if you need assistance."
"Of course." The mage bowed before leaving the room.
Krivalar then gazed around the room. "Seer, I know you watch me. You're power is unique and interesting, but predictable. I know you watch, and listen to my plans, hoping to get the better of me. Yet, it's you who's blind, and you rely on the thoughts of others to get by. How does it feel to have a few moments of vision, through someone else's eyes, only to return to your frail blind body."
---
Kai opened her eyes and sighed deeply.
"What did you see?" Chysolite asked. They had moved Kai back inside the Inn, and Mikky and Akeno stood by the door. Kai was seated in a booth, and Chysolite sat across from her.
"They're sending soldiers and blood dragons to investigate. They believe it was us who came." Kai explained. "And they're nervous of Ragnarok's interference."
"They should be." Mikky scoffed. "Ragnarok enjoys slaughtering people."
"I'm sure." Kai sighed. "We should try and get the drop on them."
"Indeed." Akeno nodded. "Hide in the buildings."
"Kai, play bait?" Chysolite offered before jogging into a nearby building.
Kai nodded and stood up. Akeno looked like she wanted to protest but Mikky grabbed her arm and gave the red head a sympathetic glance before jogging off. Akeno sighed deeply and lept away.
In a few minutes, a black dragon landed on the roof of the inn and roared down at Kai who didn't even flinch. Several knights in red and black armor jumped off the creatures back and landed on the ground, their armor clinking as they walked towards her.
"State your business here wench!" One yelled as he reached for her arm.
Kai closed her eyes, sighed, then opened them before spinning and slamming her fist into his elbow breaking it before elbowing him in the throat tossing him to the ground. The other men drew their swords in response, but one fell dead with an arrow in his head.
Mikky was knelt on the roof of the building across the road holding her bow, her white eye glowed brightly.
Akeno and I will handle the dragon. You and Chysolite deal with them. Kai heard in her thoughts.
Sure enough, a bright white flame launched itself out of the building bellow Mikky, and Akeno landed behind Kai in her giagantic fox form before bounding up towards the dragon who bellowed in rage. It met her in mid air, but Akeno was faster, and much more agile, able to dodge the creature's maw before clamping her jaws around the dragon's neck. What appeared to be lava dripped from her mouth and onto the dragon's scales, which sizzled like cold metal.
Akeno pulled the dragon off it's feet and slammed it into the building, causing some of the rubble to land on soldiers who were running away at the sight of the giant beasts wrestling like it was a common occurrence.
Chysolite lunged out from the crumbling building and grabbed a soldier with her feet/claws before lifting him into the air. She then threw him into another before rolling across the ground to block a sword with her arm before slamming her fist against his chest, unleashing a bolt of aura which threw him back and into the building ten feet behind him.
She rose to her feet as Kai kicked another man in the chest before elbowing the man who came to stab her from behind. She disarmed him and used his sword to slash the arm of the man she had kicked, before stabbing the one behind her in the stomach. She released the sword and rolled forward, kicking off the sword and rolling between the legs of the man in front of her. As she stood up Chysolite fired a bolt of lighting into the man behind her which made him fall over as Kai ran to attack a soldier who was firing arrows at Akeno.
Of course, the arrows turned to ash before coming close to her, as her flame was far too hot. She ignored the soldiers and kept her focus on the dragon who picked itself up and bellowed in rage. Mikky fired an arrow into the dragon's left eye causing it to twist before lunging forwards.
Akeno knew that the dragon was mostly if not completely fireproof. She would have nothing but her strength to help her in this form. Thankfully though, that was all she really needed.
Akeno sidestepped and slammed her body into the dragon, throwing it to the side. However it only rolled back onto its feet and charged again. This time, it swung its tail, knocking Akeno into the building behind her before it lunged its jaws forward, clamping them on her front paw. Akeno growled and dragged her claws from her free paw across its face, blinding its other eye. But this only got the dragon to respond by dragging both of his free paws across her sides.
Mikky's fate weaves latched onto the dragon before it was thrown across the way, taking out several soldiers and a building. Akeno landed back on all four paws, and her one tail became twenty before they waved around her body in a circle, igniting the area around her in flames. Her wounds healed almost instantly, and she allowed the flames to dim but her tails practically flowed around her like they were each a flame of their own. The only things that could be seen through their wall, was her bright scarlet eyes, and the blue and white flame of her maw.
Mikky lept off the building, Ragnarok's chains wrapped around her arms, her eyes bright white. She reached her hand out towards the dragon, and those weaves of fate gripped it before she pulled the beast towards Akeno, who allowed her tails to open enough for the dragon to be enveloped by the venomous flames. The beast roared and bellowed, trying to break the weaves, but to no avail.
Akeno's tails engulfed the creature and the soldiers all stopped to look in awe. Mikky grabbed more weaves, which wrapped around all the remaining soldiers, tying them up where Chysolite flew up into the air, holding Kai in her arms. They all stared at Mikky in complete fear.
"Yield. Or die." Mikky ordered.
Akeno's flame died down, and she stepped out still in her fox form, her tails waving around behind her, as the skeleton of the dragon lay in a pile of ash at her feet.
Needless to say the soldiers bowed.
Chysolite smiled brightly. "And Krivalar thinks he stands a chance against those two?"
"That's what bothers me." Kai answered.