Legon Restoration (34 page)

"Salmont!" Emma yelled.

Sasha growled. "Cynta, kill the filth then meet us in Salmont, and call my brother," Sasha said and Emma could feel seething anger in her thoughts. Sasha turned to Emma; her face etched in rage and grabbed her shoulder, taking her with her as she jumped off of Cynta's back.

Emma couldn't help but scream as she fell. Next to her, Princess was a ball of crimson fire that burst into the shape of a puma. Sasha pushed Emma towards Princess, telling her to hold on. Emma wrapped her arms around the cat’s neck, feeling herself stick to its back as they started to slow. When they were almost to the ground Emma closed her eyes.
 

She didn't feel Princess touch down but she felt branches brush against her. She opened her eyes to a blur of trees as Princes ran up a hill, Sasha next to them. At the top of the hill Princess and Sasha jumped, glowing with red magic, sending them to the top of the next hill.
 

Only occasionally would Princess touch the ground for more than a few strides as Emma felt herself being jostled around. They were moving almost as fast as a dragon she realized. She closed her eyes and buried her face in Princess’ fire fur, repeating a calming script.
 

After what seemed like an eternity she heard it, heard the roars of several dragons. They came to a stop and Emma opened her eyes. They were on the hill top overlooking Salmont; the same hill where Edis had convinced her to move in with Laura and him. But the scene below was not that of her memories. Five Iumenta dragons were over the town breathing torrents of fire on fields as town folk screamed.

"Emma, get the people to the center of town!" Sasha ordered and then Princess launched herself in the air.
 

Time slowed for Emma then. She saw one of the Iumenta, a brown one, look at them. She knew that dragon; she'd seen her so many years before. Then she looked to Sasha as she drew her fenna.
 

Scarlet flashed from Sasha's fenna, cracking like thunder against a brown ward.
 

Emma lost sight of Sasha as she came to an abrupt stop. She let go of Princess, who charged an Iumenta soldier. Emma's eyes widened as she watched a family she'd grown up with running away from an Iumenta. The Iumenta turned just as Princess hit it.
 

"TO THE CENTER OF TOWN!" Emma yelled at the family.

Shock at her appearance registered on their faces but she ignored the look and grabbed the mother, pushing her toward the town’s center.

The sky lit up with magic and Emma clapped her hands to her ears as ruby, orange and yellow streaked across the sky.
How long can Sasha hold them?
Emma continued rounding people up as Princess covered her.
 

Once in the center of town Emma tried to huddle everyone together. Iumenta ground units were surrounding them. Princess was doing her best to keep the Iumenta away. Emma saw a flick of red around the towns folk moments before a yellow ball of magic hit them. The people screamed as the spell was stopped by Sasha's ward.
 

Emma watched her friend glowing red as she tried to hold back the Iumenta. The brown dragon swung its tail, hitting her. Sasha's wards lit up as she was sent sailing to the ground and through a building. She skidded to a halt near Emma. Before Emma could help her up Sasha was on her feet, wiping blood from her lip.

Emma had never seen Sasha like this. She knew the rage on her face was that of the White Dragon’s, but it frightened her.
 

The brown dragon landed and spoke to everyone’s mind, "Stupid girl, risking your life for a bunch of apes!"

"It wasn't a risk," Sasha spat her eyes firing up.

The dragon laughed, "Powerful you might be, but arrogant! You can't beat us all, but you can die with these people."

Emma started when Sasha giggled.

"What do you think is so funny?" the brown asked.

"That you think I was planning on fighting you alone. You may want to fly away now," Sasha said.

There was the sound of all the Iumenta laughing. "And why is that?" the brown asked.

Sasha smirked, "Because my brother is here."
 

As if Sasha's words were a cue Emma saw flicks of purple, pink and emerald and a deafening roar that she knew to be Legon.
 

Sasha growled, "This one is mine," and then thrust her fenna forward barking, "IGNOTIS-AURIUM!"
 

Emma backed away from the flash of heat as a beam of magic launched from Sasha's fenna, crashing into the brown dragon. The people screamed again as three figures dropped from Legon along with all the dragons’ familiars. Sasha was in the air again and Mage landed next to Emma, his fox familiar the size of a lion. Cynta's green bear was attacking several Iumenta along with Princess, Cat and Bill. Three of Legon's guards were on the ground.
 

Mage drew his fenna yelling, "Binnon!" A whip of golden fire lashed out, killing five Iumenta. Another of the guard drove her fenna in the ground, making rocks like spikes shoot from the ground, killing others. The last of his guard swung her blade caused a blue mist that made the Iumenta thrash on the ground as they died.
 

* * * * *

Iselin dove next to her husband as he took the lead. Below was a group of five Iumenta Ascended, Sasha was provoking them and they weren't paying the least bit of attention. On Legon's other side was Cynta and on his back was Mage along with two other of the house guard.

Sasha said something and the dragons looked up scrambling. Legon let an ear splitting roar out and said, "There are to be no survivors today!"
 

"With pleasure," Cynta said diving.
 

Iselin sent Cat to assist Mage and the others on the ground and squared off with a yellow class six. It was low to the ground and Iselin sent a spell thinning the air around it, giving it a hard time climbing. She was faintly aware of Legon engaging two other sixes and then she focused completely on the fight at hand.
 

She lashed out with her tail and claws, keeping the yellow along the town’s roof tops. The dragon was young and obviously unaccustomed to combat. It was unable to gain any altitude as Iselin delivered one punishing blow after another. For a moment she thought the Iumenta was building her confidence, trying to make her cocky. Its wing caught a building sending it tumbling. Iselin capitalized on the opportunity by breathing fire, blocking the yellow’s view as she moved in close.

* * * * *

Legon looked down at his old home town. Sasha had done well holding the Iumenta as long as she had, they didn't seem to know what to do with her. Her size made her hard to hit and focused her power. Connected as they were Legon could feel the rage inside her, truly this wasn't his sister on the ground.

Sasha commented on Legon being there and he ordered that there should be no survivors. Mage and the others, along with Bill, detached and headed to the fight on the ground.
 

In this form his emotions seemed to be more animalistic, he normally had a violent streak to him, but in this form...he wanted to rip and tear. The desire mixed with that of the White Dragon's anger that Sasha felt, giving him a feeling of rightness. Cynta was handling the one class seven, leaving Legon to play with two class sixes.

His eye caught the towns folk below and he thought
I need to try not to destroy the town...hmmm I guess I'll make this quick.
There were no other dragons in the area that he would have to fight; he didn't have to save himself or his energy. Legon felt for the massive well of power in him. He focused on a green dragon and let the power rip up his body and out his maw as he roared. The simple breaking spell slammed into the green, Legon felt its wards buckle under the weight of his power. The dragon turned to leave, but too late. Legon's mouth filled with the sweet tangy taste of blood as his jaws closed around the green’s neck. Its screams of pain cut off in a gurgle as Legon pushed on its back with his legs pulling its neck, his muscles flaring with power as he assisted them with magic. There was a crack as its back broke and the sound of tearing flesh. Legon turned to face his next victim.

* * * * *

 
Emma clapped her hands to her ears; never had she been so close to Ascended fighting before. The residents of Salmont screamed as the sky flashed with magic. The concussions of spells on wards shook the ground sucking the breath from her. Legon had defeated one dragon already and was facing off with another cream colored one. He charged it as it sent spell after spell at him. The cream was ducking and weaving in the sky avoiding most of Legon's spells. Legon however, took every spell sent his way without even so much as flinching away. A lavender ball hit the cream renting the air, unlike its dead companion it didn't try to flee but lashed out at Legon, spinning him away.
 

She turned to see Sasha above her in the sky; her fenna dripping scarlet with power and blood. She shot towards the brown; they were fighting almost entirely with magic. Emma could barely keep up with the fight so fast was their movement.
 

Several bright flashes of magic made her look to see Sasha racing toward the brown, Sasha was enveloped in a nimbus of crimson. A flash of light blinded Emma. When her vision cleared she could see the form of the brown dragon fall to earth, its chest rent and bleeding.
 

Sasha flew back to Emma, landing next to her. Legon and the cream hit a building nearby and Emma watched as Legon raked his claws the length of the dragon’s neck, spraying the wrecked building with ruby droplets.
 

* * * * *

Sasha felt the anger of the White Dragon leave her. Her mind felt fuzzy and she was vaguely aware of Iselin and Cynta dismembering the final Iumenta Ascended high above town. The roars of the familiars were growing faint as they finished clearing the outskirts of Salmont proper. To her side were Mage and Emma, along with the two other guard members. Princess soon joined Mage and the others coming in close to her. Cynta the only member of Sasha's personal guard, presently landed behind her with a gentle thought.

Sasha looked into the awe struck faces of the residents of her former home. It wasn't joy that filled her heart as she beheld them, not a feeling of home coming. No, years had passed since her time in this town; she'd grown, become powerful and confident. Yet she found all of her old insecurities and fears rushed back to her.
 

A young woman peered at Emma. Sasha remembered the woman as one of Emma's old friends; she eyed Emma and then turned her gaze to Sasha.

"It can't be," she whispered so soft it pushed Sasha's Elvin ears to their limit. "Sasha?" the girl said and no one else spoke.

Sasha opened her mouth to speak, forgetting her station.
 

Emma spoke before Sasha could. "Yes, this is Un Prose Sasha of the Great Elvin House Evindass," Emma said formally, introducing Sasha as she had so many times before. She gestured to Legon and Iselin, "Also Un Prosa Legon and Prose Iselin of the Great House Evindass."

"Look at her eyes," someone said but Sasha couldn't tell who.

She found her knees becoming weak; she could see the fear in the townspeople’s eyes as they locked on to the metallic red of her own. "THAT DEMON IS BACK TO KILL US!" Emma's old friend shrieked.

Sasha felt her face fall and then jump as Cynta let out a roar, speaking to all. "You have just been saved by the Head of a Great Elvin House, a Head of House who had no reason to risk her own life for your own. You will show proper respect!" she growled.

Cynta added to Sasha alone, in a firm but caring tone, "Remember who and what you are."

Sasha lifted her head and she heard Legon's guard mutter, "Why did we save them?"
 

Legon spoke to the people who all were averting their gazes in fear. "It is not lost upon us why you think the way you do. You have been being influenced by the Iumenta for years, but those times are over. You must now decide for yourselves who is the demon. Is it the girl you all know, the one who has tended to many of your wounds, who has never spoken a harsh word to any? Or is it the filth that sought to kill you and burn your families?"

A man in what looked to be his early forties stepped forward. Sasha did not know him, but he regarded her with down turned eyes. "I do not know you personally, my lady," he said addressing her, "I came after your parents left, but I've heard of you. They say you are a demon but never have I been able to hear of an unkind act you preformed..." he looked up to her and then waved a hand behind him. A woman about his age came forward leading a girl that was probably in her late teens or early twenties. He took their hands, "But today I have proof for myself, if not for you, me and mine would be dead right now, but we were saved by your hand. That doesn't sound like the hand of a demon to me, but that of a kind and protective person." He knelt, his wife and daughter doing the same, and looked up again with resolve, "We owe you our lives, if there is any way we can serve you, just say the word."
 

Legon's mind joined Sasha's more firmly, and with it came confidence. She spoke. "Thank you, what is your profession?" she asked.

"Healer, highness," he responded.

Sasha resisted the urge to smile, "I dare say that Salmont is well served in my mother’s absence." Then she looked to the rest of the town and spoke with a clear voice, "We will heal your wounded, but this area is not safe right now. Salkay has been destroyed by the Iumenta, they meant to do the same here. There are camps near Salez, should you care to leave Salmont until the war is over." She turned and walked away from the gathered group of people, walking toward her old home.

Once out of sight she felt weak again. Footsteps came up near her.

"Thank you Cynta," she said.

Cynta came up next to her having re-taken her Elf form. Above them Elf dragons filled the sky, the rest of Legon and Sasha's guard, along with Iselin's had arrived. "Is it wise to have nearly the entirety of the house guard here?" she asked Cynta.