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“Tafel…,” Emile said while panting. “You’re … really heavy.” He gasped for breath while pumping his wings as hard as he could, a demon hanging onto his legs.
“I saw you wrestle with Lulu! You can lift a dragon,” Tafel said, glaring up at the phoenix. “Don’t call me fat!”
Emile shut his beak and stared at the silver dragon flying ahead of him. “…You’re not aerodynamic.”
Tafel gritted her teeth. “I’m slim, dammit.”
“I’ll be quiet now,” Emile said as Tafel’s grip on his feet tightened. He followed Lulu through the flames that his mother created. The trio made it past the fire unharmed and hesitated at the scene outside. The phoenixes were hovering in front of the dragons, huddling around each other while conversing in hushed tones. Grimmy was at the head of the dragons, staring at the birds with a hungry look in his eyes. He swallowed once and opened his mouth, pretending to yawn.
“Grimmy!” Tafel shouted. “Is that you?”
Grimmy froze mid-bite and glanced at Tafel. His eyes narrowed at Emile, and he retreated backwards, closing his mouth before chuckling. “Hello, squirt,” he said. “Are these your friends?”
“Yes,” Tafel said, a shiver running down her spine. The phoenixes hadn’t even noticed Grimmy’s actions, still discussing amongst each other. “They’re my siblings now. I was imprinted by a phoenix.”
“Oh?” Grimmy asked, raising an eyebrow. “A phoenix. I see. Would she notice if one of her children went missing?”
An awkward smile appeared on Tafel’s face. “She would. Please, don’t eat them.”
“Ah! The dragon of darkness was planning on eating us!” one of the phoenixes shouted.
“Huh? But we were having our strategy meeting and called time out. No one’s allowed to interrupt a time out.”
“Dragons of darkness don’t play by the rules!”
“Calm down, guys,” Tafel said and sighed as she joined their group, still holding onto Emile. “We don’t have to fight them.” She let go of one of her hands and pointed at Vur, who was sitting on Grimmy’s head while waving at Tafel. “Look. That’s my husband. Bring me over, Emile.”
“You’re so bossy for someone so incapable, big sis,” Emile said with a sigh. He struggled through the air and deposited Tafel onto Grimmy’s head before making eye contact with the black dragon. “Can I sit too?”
Grimmy’s eyes glinted. “For a price.”
“What kind of price?” Emile asked and tilted his head while Lindyss sighed and looked away from the red bird.
Tafel ignored their conversation and tackled Vur, burying her head into his chest. “I missed you.”
Vur patted Tafel’s head and hugged her. “I missed you too,” he said. His hand brushed against Tafel’s ripped armor, and he frowned. “Is that your blood?”
“Ah?” Tafel sat up and glanced at her shoulder. “Yeah. But I’m all better now thanks to Lulu.” She turned her head and stuck her tongue out at the silver dragon hovering beside Grimmy. Then she leaned forward and kissed Vur on the lips, snaking her hand into his hair.
Lulu’s eye twitched. “Oi.”
Tafel ignored her as she ate Vur’s face.
“Oi!” Lulu said again, causing everyone to turn their attention onto her. She shrank back and glanced around. “Uh…, oh! Mom’s fighting the phoenix matriarch down there.”
“Mom? As in our mom?” Leo asked. “She should still be lecturing Dad for not watching the penguins that you stripped.” He coughed. “Sorry, defeathered.”
Vur and Tafel stopped their actions, their faces flushed. “You didn’t give me a chance to ask,” Vur said, his finger lingering on Tafel’s neck. “Who hurt you?”
Tafel lowered her head. “It was the dragon matriarch. She’s down there right now,” she said and pointed off to the side. Tafel winced as Vur’s hands heated up, and she raised her head. Vur had a black rune on his forehead with webs of light snaking down his body. She thought she heard a few screams coming from the tattoos on his arms and shoulder as the webs of darkness touched them, but she wasn’t sure.
“Lulu!” Vur said as he stood up and walked to the edge of Grimmy’s head.
“Vur?” Lulu asked. “Are you okay? You look a bit, uh, not okay.”
“Mana potions,” Vur said, glaring down at the ground. Kondra was still fighting with Minerva, her maw eating away at the flames surrounding her. Vur roared, and dozens of runic circles appeared in the sky. His body staggered as his aura weakened.
“Here,” Lulu said, reaching behind her wing and pulling out a blob of green liquid. She funneled it into Vur’s mouth with magic. “I made some adjustments since last time, and you shouldn’t get as drunk.”
“Where did you pull that out of?” Leila asked her sister as Vur drank the concoction.
“Trade secret,” Lulu said, puffing her chest out. Her gaze landed onto Tafel, and she stuck her tongue out. “I guess we know who Vur relies on more.”
Leila blinked at the heated expression on her sister’s and Tafel’s faces. “Don’t tell me…”
“Fireworks!” Emile shouted. He pointed up at the runic circles in the sky. A dozen meteors emerged from the runes, their bodies red and white. “They’re warmer than lava.”
The meteors fell past the dragons and phoenixes, descending towards the dragon matriarch on the ground. Vur leapt off of Grimmy’s head, his body transforming as he fell. Ocean-blue scales covered his body as he grew in size, twisting and contorting into the shape of a dragon. The rune on his forehead flashed, causing a black, slime-like substance to coat his scales. A pair of fairy-like wings sprouted out of his lower back, and his tail elongated while flattening into a blade.
“I didn’t know he could do that,” Lindyss said, standing on the edge of Grimmy’s head. “Should we help him?”
“I want to watch for a bit,” Grimmy said with a laugh. “When the time’s right, we’ll sneak attack that crazy old lady.”
Leila frowned. “Grimmy…”
“Shh!” Emile said, hopping next to Lindyss feet on Grimmy’s head. “It’s starting!”