The Earthen Monster

Chapters

1: Mud Skin
2: Blitzkrieg
3: Recoil
4: Reload and Regroup
5: Full Frontal Guerilla

1: Mud Skin

A breeze pushes through leaves and branches in the mid-day Sun, birds and insects making their calls, noises, and songs. A large bush rustles violently, frightening off a small gathering of basking lizards. A young blue and purple dragon emerges from the bush, an expression of dejection and frustration on his face. Overall, no bigger than a grown bison, being more long than wide.

Sparks had been wandering for hours. He wanted to look in the forests for an uninhabited cave to eat some gems and metals, but hasn't had any luck thus far. He would prefer to avoid the mountains and volcanoes. There was about a fifty-fifty chance of encountering sling-tails, and he wasn't a good enough flier to dodge them for long. He could just climb those mountains, but he wasn't strong enough to fight one of them head-on yet, let alone any dragon that had already been there.

What he did have to defend himself was a peculiar kind of breath. Sparks could gather up the heat in his body and focus it in his head. When he was ready, he could release a bolt of lightning to devastate anything in his way. Stones split, trees splinter, and almost any creature he hits with it either dies or is at least stunned from the attack. Be that as it may, he did not want to risk a fight at all. With Sparks' lean build and slim scales, things can turn south quick.

After another boring hour of pushing passed foliage and climbing trees to find a cave, Sparks started to lose heart. He may just have to fight some sling-tails and dragons after all. Then it hit him. A scent. And a pungent one. The smell of blood, lots of blood. That sick irony-copper smell that hung in the air like a thick layer of ash.

"That smells like trouble." Sparks mumbled to himself. "Keep a cool head. Take to the air and keep your eyes open."

He climbed the nearest tall tree he could find, reaching the top in a few minutes. Once there, he took a cautious look around. No hydra, no roc, no adult dragons. Maybe it was an old kill. That would make things easy on Sparks. He leaped from the canopy and started to glide towards the powerful smell.

"Maybe whatever died had a cave that I can drop into. That would be a nice change." Exasperated enthusiasm dripped from his monologue. He was getting desperate for those gems. What a crag-head.

The scent grew as Sparks glided over the evergreen and deciduous trees. He had a clear view of the valley he was in, the color of mixed greens and the occasional yellow or red of peculiar trees covered the feet and heads of the otherwise grassy and stone-ridden mountain ranges that made the valley. Contrasted with a stark Sun and pungent blood, one is reminded of what the wild is. Like a dragoness, as brutal as she was beautiful.

He could hear a faint rustling from beneath the canopy now.

"There must be scavengers picking at the kill. It must be a few hours old, then." Sparks glides passed the canopy and swoops to the ground. Crawling up to a wide evergreen, he leans against it and tries to peek at whatever he's been following the scent of. What he sees was more than what he was prepared for. He looks away, shocked by what he saw.

"What the scale did I just find?!" Sparks said quietly. He took a deep breath and slowly peeked around the tree once again.

Red. Everything was covered in red. The trees, the ground, everything. There were what looked to be intestines splayed out as if they had exploded out from the central mass of torn flesh and exposed bone. This was by no means small either. The pile of gruesome viscera was about as big as Sparks. A deathly chill ran down his spine to think of such a fate for himself. Underneath all of the blood, he could make out some deep brown and grey scales. They were matte and larger than his more serpentine scales.

"Is that a cave drake? We compete with those things for ore veins and caves to live in. They're pretty tough to fight. What could've torn this one apart like this? And in the forest, no less?"

Sparks furtively whipped his head around, scanning to make sure nothing was coming. It was odd how diamond dogs and other scavengers weren't already here to eat up what was left. He cautiously stepped toward the gore and blood. It was one thing to look at a dead thing, it was another to touch it. He shook a little at the feeling of bloody dirt passing between his claws. He shook again when he touched the torn organs. Sparks felt a little sick to his stomach. He hadn't experienced something like this before. He had heard of dragons and other large reptiles living solely on other creatures, but he never thought he'd ever see the result of such a way of life. Let alone make contact.

After getting over his nausea, Sparks noticed something black shining out from within the gore pile. A few more hesitant steps would allow him to see that the pile had a bloody black onyx in it. Not only that, but a few more gems and pieces of metal. Excitement and relief filled Sparks, as he tried to gather up as many as he could carry.

"I don't know who to thank, but thank you, whatever you are!" Sparks threw the onyx into his mouth without thinking about the blood clinging to the stone. He shivered at the taste. "Maybe I should've washed it first."

Little to Sparks' knowledge, he was being watched. Just out of view, hiding in the trees. Patiently biding time. Sparks grabbed all of the gems and metal fragments he could before cautiously starting his withdrawal. A violent shaking from the trees above alerts him. Surprise was evident on Sparks' face. "Something's here, and I don't think it's scavengers." He begins to run, hoping to avoid whatever might be behind or beside him. Another rustle, and another, and another. The only thing Sparks could see of his pursuer was a quick blur of deep brown. Whatever was following, it was keeping up and was familiar with the forest. "It must have good legs to jump from tree to tree like that. Let's see if it can keep up in the air." Sparks begins to lift off of the ground, flapping hard and fast to rise quickly. Ready to pierce the canopy and escape his opposition, Sparks makes a break for the sky.

Suddenly a great force took him out of the air, hitting a tree on the way back to the ground. Eyes wide in shock, Sparks takes in his assailant. It was unlike any creature he had ever seen. It seemed to be a creature made from the earth itself. Nothing but wet mud could be seen and felt from the thing. The only things that weren't mud were it's eyes, two dark irises seated in two white orbs, staring with intensity and fervor. It was barely half of Sparks' size, but seemed to dominate nonetheless. Two dark brown limbs had began to pummel the young dragon. Each blow feeling like the weight of boulders are behind them. Switching between head and body, the monster strikes at Sparks with the ferocity of a hungry drake. Several loud cracks could easily be heard coming from him. One powerful strike after another quickly chipped away at the blue dragon's body. Teeth and scales flew off here and there from Sparks' jaws and chest as the beating continued.

After finding the fortitude to focus for at least half of a second, Sparks musters his heat and quickly releases a small blue bolt of incredibly hot lightning. The monster flies backwards, sliding a couple of meters further as it slows. An opportunity. Thinking fast, Sparks shovels as many pieces of loot he can fit in his mouth and tries to fly away.

"I have to get out of here!" Sparks thought to himself, panicking. He was shaking and dizzy from the beating he just received. Flying would be a task in and of itself right now. But, given his choices, Sparks would rather crash somewhere than deal with whatever that was. His weak flight took him slowly and clumsily up, slowly breaching the trees after several seconds of flapping. With heavy and panicked breathes, Sparks flies away while slowly gaining speed.

Back on the ground, the monster would be standing and staring at the young dragon as he fled, letting out a low rumbling growl. The two legged creature bounded back to the bait it had left. The ground beginning to dry as the blood soaks into the soil completely. Looking down, the creature noticed a large mark of charring on its belly. The same spot it was hit with lightning. Wisps of smoke emanated from the wound. Touching it caused the creature to groan in pain.

With a swift motion, the creature grabbed the tail of the cave drake and slung it over a shoulder to drag to a hidden cave. Surrounded by bushes and trees, the cave was almost impossible to see from the air. Into the darkness of the cave did the creature go. Inside, the sound of bones breaking and flesh tearing could be heard. A sound sweet to some, and sickening to most.

__________-~*~-__________

When Sparks had returned to his own lair to recover, he could not shake the image of the monster from his mind. He was proud of being a dragon, certainly. A mighty elemental being deserving of respect and fear from others. Sparks may not have been the strongest or fastest among dragons, but to ponies and bison and even griffons, few would be so bold as to confront even a juvenile dragon. However, the way that monster looked at him and treated him was completely different. Those piercing eyes, they didn't look like the eyes of a worthy opponent or a fearful creature that felt threatened. It was like he was less of a threat and more of a target. Sparks could almost feel the hate and anger aimed at him when the monster's eyes met his. Sparks couldn't describe the experience properly. He only knew that in that moment, he didn't feel like a dragon anymore. He felt like a little wyrmling.

"I'm not even sure if I killed it. It was still in one piece when I shot out my lightning. I didn't smell burned scales or lightning cloud after the hit. Just the smell of charred earth. I sure hope there aren't more of those things. I'd die for sure." The thought of sharing the same fate as the cave drake shook him to the core, the weight of the very real possibility striking him hard. Sparks did not sleep well that night. Or the night after. Or the night after that.

__________-~*~-__________

After days of painful and aching recovery, Sparks manages to gain his strength to exit his lair and go to the lava pits for some much needed relaxation. Now that his mind fog is cleared, he can at least fly straight. Fortunately, his wings were not badly injured in that fight. Well, less of a fight and more of a beat down, but he'd never dare to admit his resounding defeat to any dragon, or any other creature. From afar off, Sparks noticed his peers enjoying the lava pits as well. He began to mentally kick himself for revealing himself before his scales could grow back and swelling could go down. Now he has to explain why he is so beat up.

"Oh, great. Nice going Sparks. Now you have to tell the other dragons about your bruises and why you haven't shown your face in the passed few days. Here goes nothing." Sparks, with bravado in mind, descended to a pit full of his recognized group of peers. One dragoness with rough gray scales and large build raised her claw up to greet Sparks, the other three would greet him with a mix of calls and waves.

"Hey Sparks!" One black dragon hollered, his mouth showing the furnace that was the inside of his body.

"Where have you been, blue boy?" One orange dragon openly wondered, saying the very thing that everyone was thinking. Coming up and out of the lava, one yellow dragon would emerge abruptly, the leanest of the group.

"Hey there Sparks! Did you know I could hold my breath under lava for 258 seconds?! Whoa, what happened to your face? And the rest of you? Did you get into a fight?" The yellow dragon yapped each sentence quickly. The orange dragon thought about how he was just about to ask the same questions. Knowing the nature of his peer, he let it go.

"Hey guys. I just had a bit of a tussle with a... Uh..." Sparks hesitated, his gaze going out for a thousand yards. He would be called a liar if he told them the truth. Then they would think he was a coward or weakling for lying about a fight that he lost. What would be a believable lie for them? Something passable as being realistic and difficult to prove wrong. Sparks recalled where he was and tried to think of all of the possible threats to dragons. Then the thought came to mind. "I had been looking for some caves to scout out some gems when a cave drake came out and attacked me from behind. It was big too, almost bigger than me. It got a lot of good hits on me, but I managed to beat it down and take the gems I found in its cave. Hah! The thing never knew what hit it!" Sparks couldn't help but laugh mid-story at how absurd, yet believable it was.

The yellow dragon piped up. "Wow Sparks! I didn't know you had it in you. I thought you were all about avoiding unnecessary fights and keeping your scales shiny. Good to see you toughen up like a real dragon!" While the yellow dragon was excited to hear his ally get the better of a formidable opponent, the other two dragons looked on in suspicion and thought that something was out of place.

Sparks reacted with a mix of annoyance and validation. Instead of correcting the yellow dragon, he decides to just take the compliment. "Thanks Slash. Means a lot."

"And you're sure it was a cave drake? Not some cockatrice or salamander?" The black dragon posed the questions towards Sparks, seeming quite skeptical about the story.

"Of course I am, Obsidian! How else am I going to get these bruises and missing scales?" Sparks feigned indignation in hopes of avoiding being found out.

"If you say so, Sparks. Either way, you look like you could use some heat. Get on in here." Obsidian waved his thick arm in a beckoning gesture for Sparks to join them. Sparks was glad to oblige. He took a quick inventory of his current company. Slash, the lithe yellow dragon currently swimming around the lava pool has long claws that make breaking rocks and cutting things easy. He's usually talkative and is easily bored most times. There's Fireball, the orange dragon lounging at the edge of the pool, currently opposite of Sparks. He's not very smart, but when you need something done he's the dragon to call. Especially when he gets something out of it. Then there's Obsidian, the black dragon that is belching out volcanic rocks into the pool and scooping up lava into his big maw. He's strong and well rounded. A respected dragon recognized for his competence. The only thing keeping him from being more popular would be his lack of fire breath.

Finally, the largest and most intimidating member of the group. The dragoness that stands a firm head and shoulders over Obsidian, and twice as thick. Stone. The only flightless dragoness in the Dragon Lands. At least, that Sparks knew of. By far one of the strongest and toughest dragons other than a few exceptions. And she's staring down Sparks at this very moment. Sparks already understood. She didn't believe him. She thinks he's lying about the whole thing. Sparks prays that Stone will just let it go like Obsidian did. Unfortunately for Sparks, Stone would break the five minute silence with confrontation. She rose from the lava and calmly walked to Sparks. He half expected her to add to the number of missing teeth he had before she spoke.

"You're lying to me Sparks. I do not enjoy lies." Sparks was stock still. He looked around for support, but found none, as Slash, Fireball, and Obsidian shrugged as they looked on. "Tell me what really happened."

"I don't know what you mean..." Sparks stalled, hoping it would deter the dragoness. Since Stone's face was basically covered in stony natural armor, Sparks had to assume she was upset at him. Maybe feigning ignorance would calm her?

"You had the look of someone who nearly lost their life. You have been missing for the passed week. And you claim to have fought a cave drake. I might have believed you if you had any bite marks or gouges from your hide. The damage you have comes from being hit with something blunt. Cave drakes use their teeth to fight, not their tails." Stone slowly came closer to Sparks with each word she said. Sparks would stand up out of fear of what she might do. Unsure of himself, Sparks simply waited for an opportunity to respond.

"Sparks, tell me the truth." He could swear she was looking right through him, her gray eyes felt like they were burning holes into him.

"Okay, okay, I'll talk! I've lost enough teeth as it is." So, Sparks would recount the actual reason why he was missing for the week before, including the details as to how he coped with almost dying by staying in his lair for several sleepless nights. The reactions of the group went from disbelief, to shock, to sympathy, to shared frustration. Stone simply nodded her head in understanding.

"That is all I wanted from you." Sparks saw Stone reaching for him. He flinched before he realized that all she did was pat him on the head. He was thoroughly surprised.

"Are you guys thinking what I'm thinking?" A devious smile grew on Slash's face as he looked at the group.

"We're going to gang up on this Mud Skin monster, right?" Fireball asked as he picked rocks from his scales.

"Oh yeah, we definitely are!" Bellowed Obsidian. "We'd be doing dragons a service by keeping that thing from the little hatchlings that have just been hatched. If that thing can kill a cave drake, it can definitely hurt a dragon. Come on guys, lets go scorch some earth!" Obsidian lead the way, fist in the air as if victory was already there.

"Yeah!" The group shouted as they began their march to the forests several miles away. With pride and vindication in their hearts, the young dragons moved to avenge their comrade and put honor to their names as the dragons who defeated a mighty foe. Though Sparks was certainly encouraged by their antics, he couldn't shake the ever growing dread slowly choking his resolve. The odds are in their favor. But, they are not guaranteed.

2: Blitzkrieg

Author's Note

For frame of reference, Stone stands at about 11'6", or 350.5 cm tall. Mud-Skin is 5'11", or 181 cm tall. Sparks is 3'4" (101.6 cm) at the shoulder on all fours and about 12'2" (370.8 cm) long. Obsidian is 9'8" (294.6 cm). Fireball is 8'10" (269.2 cm). Slash is 5'1" (154.9 cm).

Updated: 09.25.2024

2: Blitzkrieg

The Sun sat low in the sky as morning emerged from night, the mist lifting off of the ground as the heat from above bore down on the land. Humid and hot, the edge of the volcanic region of the Dragon Lands seemed to choke the air a little more than usual. In the midst of the mouth of a valley, a murder of crows linger in the trees, looking down at the band of dragons approaching from the west. A few of them begin to sing their tuneless song, warning the others of the new comers.

"What were those kinds of birds called again?" Fireball asked to no one in particular.

"I think they're called 'rahvens', or was it 'revahns'?" Obsidian pondered, failing to remember.

"They just look like food to me! Maybe I'll grab one for the walk." Slash began to sharpen his talons against each other, preparing to go and do exactly as he suggested.

"Those are crows. They linger around dead things." Stone stated matter-of-factly.

"So then I can have a snack before the main course?! Awesome!" Slash rushed into the air and began to try to capture and kill a crow. His efforts would prove insufficient, as the crows were quick to fly away from the yellow dragon.

"It's weird. Crows aren't usually here until the cold season. We're only at the tail-end of the warm season." Sparks informed the party based on his experience. This fact unnerved him, as it would seem that Stone's observation would be the most accurate explanation for the presence of such birds at this time. Dread crept into Sparks' mind, reminding him of his purpose in these woods.

"Hey, Sparks, where did you say this monster was again?" Obsidian didn't bother turning around to address him.

"It was just a short walk into the valley, passed the patch of fruit trees." This is the third time Sparks has reminded Obsidian of the monster's location. Perhaps because of Obsidians giddiness for roughhousing and combat, he was prone to forgetting details. A trait that Sparks could not relate to.

Slash inhaled deeply and let out a long beam of fire from his mouth. A few crows were set ablaze and fell to the ground, life leaving their bodies quickly as they flailed about. The little yellow dragon flew down with excitement evident on his face.

"I bet it tastes like salamander, or like swamp-frog." Slash proceeded to gruesomely bite off the wings and legs of the three crows he managed to slay with his fire breath. "Oh, it does taste like swamp-frog! A bit tougher, though."

With a quick stop to rest at the mouth of the valley, the band of dragons had finally caught the scent of blood. Old blood. A thick iron scent that lingered with the scent of rot. The putrid mix of smells told them quite firmly that they were approaching a dangerous place. Eyes shifting and twitching claws abound while the dragons go further into the valley, expecting a fight.

An overhang of clouds caused the otherwise bright morning to become a dreary afternoon. A faint drizzle of rain would soon follow, giving little aid to the humidity that already hung in the air. The Sun was warm and the air was cool, even cooler wherever the clouds blocked the light. Within the hour, the overhang thickens and the drizzle becomes a proper rainfall. All of this taking place just above the band of young dragons trekking through the valley woodland. The smell of rain added itself to the foul swirl of smells in the air. Soon enough, they would encounter something unexpected.

An effigy. A drake head on a wooden spike. The rot had already set in, flies making their home in the mouth and sockets of the dismembered head.

Most of the party wafted their claws over their noses to avoid having to tolerate the full strength of the smell. Stone kept pace and pushed ahead of the party. She turned to the rest of them. "What are you waiting for?"

They walked passed the effigy with caution. From what they heard from Sparks, this monster could be lying in wait anywhere. The rain was no help either. The earth beneath them quickly turned soft and slick, threatening to slip from under them at any time. If that was not enough, more corpses littered the land ahead. The bones of long dead drakes from the caves, mountains, and even grasslands and swamps. The group searched carefully for any hints of movement or tracks to follow. Whilst doing so, Fireball found a curious set of skulls sitting on a boulder, acting as another effigy.

"I think Mud-Skin found Diamond Dogs." Fireball turned to address the group while pointing at the bones.

"It either claims a large territory, or hunts for food. And considering how long it's been, it must hunt a lot." Obsidian explained the implications of the scene to them.

Sparks could not be more shaken at the sight. The monster has been busy hunting various creatures just to sate its appetite. Sparks couldn't believe that a creature half his size would be so voracious, let alone strong enough to kill all of the drakes, and apparently Diamond Dogs, by itself. Diamond Dogs always travel in packs, making them formidable to face directly. Especially in caves. Sparks was at a loss. He thought this monster would be easy work for his pals to handle. Now, that might not be the case.

"Stop!" Stone raised her voice and raised a claw. She sensed something. They were being watched. She could feel it. But from where? It had the strength and speed to defeat Sparks. Even if she was vastly stronger, she had to be on her guard. Rain and mud and old blood all mingled together to make smelling it out almost impossible. Sight and sound would be the only viable ways of detecting it. The whole group was tense. When they heard Stone give a command, they understood that it was for a good reason.

"Form a circle." Obsidian spoke just over the rain so that the others could hear him. With all of their backs to each other, they could prevent a sneak attack from catching them off-guard. The air became tense, thick enough to cut with a claw. This creature had to be an ambush predator with how good it was at hiding.

"Come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on,..." Slash whispered to himself, itching for a real fight. He couldn't stop fantasizing about how the monster looked up close, or about how big it really was, but most of all how difficult it was to fight. Slash was dying of anticipation.

"Where are you?" Fireball was ready to unleash his fire breath. A solid beam of fire to scorch and immolate whatever came his way. He was getting jumpy, glancing every which way, looking for movement of any kind.

Sparks tried to calm his breathing as much as he could to avoid making too much noise. He could feel his mind conflicting with itself. His gut is telling him to just run and never come back, while he is fighting to tell his own body to stay put and fight. He had to remind himself that he had back up this time, giving him an advantage that this, "Mud-Skin" as Fireball put it, didn't have. His pals can help him get rid of it and he can put all behind him.

A roar that pierced the rain could be heard by the dragons, seeming to originate from higher up in the valley. It was deep and short, as if it were a call or warning. Only Obsidian and Stone bothered to look up to see what might be there. A giant boulder was hurdling towards them. Obsidian didn't have time to tell everyone to move. Instead, he shoved both Stone and Slash out of the way to allow himself to catch the boulder, preventing it from hitting Sparks and Fireball. The falling boulder came crashing onto Obsidian, effectively burying him under its weight and forcing the lava he was holding in him out of his mouth and splattering it on Sparks and Fireball.

Following right after the boulder came Mud-Skin from the air, landing on Slash just as he was getting up. Moving like a blur, Mud-Skin threw Slash at Fireball just as he was releasing his fire breath, lodging Slash in Fireball's mouth. Fireball fell over from the impact and started choking on his companion. Stone rushed at Mud-Skin with a mighty right claw. The monster must have sensed her, because all she hit was air. It stared her in the eyes, waiting for the next attack.

Sparks saw it all. After Obsidian ended up taking several tons of rock to the face and spilling his still warm lava all over him, Sparks witnessed the entire altercation to this point. However, there was something different. Mud-Skin was a little big bigger. Thicker limbs, certainly. It also seemed to have what looked like scales in its muddy flesh. It didn't have that before. Then the thought occurred to him. "Could Mud-Skin absorb parts of the creatures it kills?" It was a frightening prospect, but he couldn't dwell on that now. Stone was trying her best to land a hit on it, but the monster kept dodging. Obsidian was out and Fireball was only just now pulling Slash out of his mouth. Sparks got into position to let out a bolt of lightning just far enough to hit Mud-Skin, but avoid Stone. He had to wait for just the right moment.

Stone struggled to hit this beast with her claws, swinging with all of her might to land just one good hit. The mud under her feet was of no help as it gave way whenever she shifted her weight. It threw her off balance often, Unlike Mud-Skin. It seemed utterly unaffected by the loose ground as it move with surprising speed and ease, seemingly weightless. Stone hoped that was just an illusion rather than an actual magical property. She tried to swipe at its legs with her tail, the sound of air being moved came with the long and stony tail. Mud-Skin quickly lifts its legs and plants them back into the mud as if it hadn't even moved. In frustration, Stone decided to take a few steps back and release her best fire breath. A super hot beam of plasma flew from her open mouth straight towards Mud-Skin.

Sparks found the moment he was waiting for. In that moment that Stone was letting out her fire, Sparks Charged up his lightning to its fullest power and released it. A huge bolt of blindingly hot lightning shot out of Sparks mouth. Two great beams of heat and light rush through the air from two directions, both aimed at one earthen monster. In that imperceptibly small moment of time, Mud-Skin noticed the additional beam just a fraction of a second too late.

In a clash of heat and moisture, an eruption of steam, fire, lightning, and soil all thrown out with a thunderclap unraveled in a spectacular display of power. Fireball spat out Slash from his throat and Obsidian just barely managed to lift the massive boulder from atop himself and crawl out of the crater he laid in. The steam hadn't subsided yet, but the dragons could see pieces of burned earth and drake scales fall from the air around them.

"Did we get it?!" Fireball asked as he rubbed his jaw, feeling it to see if it was out of place. Slash turned to him. "Dude, no offense, but next time don't swallow me!" Obsidian held his right arm close to chest while wincing and groaning in pain.

"I think it's broken..." He tried to raise his arm, but yelped and quickly lowered it. The boulder must have hit him even harder than expected.

Rapid and heavy breathing could be heard from the dissipating cloud of steam. Mud-Skin had been launched through two trees, climbing out of the second one with hot embers covering its chest and left arm. This time the dragons could smell the charred earth, but they could also smell something else. Burned flesh. Stone and Sparks found it odd. They thought they were fighting some kind of construct, something that wasn't even alive. Now that might not be the case.

Mud-Skin looked at them with eyes wide open, off-white teeth bared in a deep snarl. The pain from the two blasts infuriates it deeply. With a deep breath, Mud-Skin lets out a piercing bellow that echoed throughout the valley. It dashed at Sparks with a speed he didn't think was possible for a land creature to achieve. Just before Mud-Skin could reach him, however, Slash had gotten in the way to try to swing his claw at the creature. Mud-Skin ducked and tackled Slash in the gut, taking him with it as they both barreled into Sparks anyway. They all collided with the force of a land slide. While Stone, Obsidian, and Fireball gave chase, Mud-Skin pushed Slash and Sparks through tree after tree after tree. Even a few boulders on the way were bumped or shattered upon impacted. Slash regained a moment of focus and tried to bury his claws into the beast's back to end the assault quickly. The claws that often made quick work of wood, prey, and anything short of the hardest varieties of rock could only pierce the flesh of the beast as deep as a pebble's width. He tried to bite the monster instead. Surely the teeth and jaws he used to crush and grind gems and metals with could go deeper. And he was right. Slash's teeth sank deep into the monster's broad shoulder.

A deep rumbling growl escaped Mud-Skin as Slash tried to deal damage to it. Mud-Skin let the inertia take Sparks away as Mud-Skin skid to a stop and ran in a different direction and wrenched Slash's jaw off of its shoulder. Slash heard a deafening roar come from the monster, then a piece of his own shoulder was found in the monster's mouth, scales, flesh, and all. He didn't feel it at first, but the pain came quickly once he realized that he was bitten. Before he could struggle to escape, he was thrown to the ground as if he had fallen from high up in the air. It took both of his arms in its hands and squeezed hard. Loud cracks were emitted from Slash's arms, the thick forearm bones bending and breaking as Mud-Skin clenched its fisted tighter and tighter. Slash screamed in pain all the while, a foot harshly pressed against his chest to keep him in place. Fireball had arrived at the scene first and dived after Mud-Skin just as it was about to rip Slash's arms off. Fireball managed to grab Mud-Skin from behind and take it into the air. Mud-Skin uses impressive strength to pry open the grip of Fireball as he began to build up his fire ball. A moment too late, as Mud-Skin got to his face and redirected his fire ball at the other dragons. The bright ball of light popped in the rain as it flew down to his companions. They got out of the way in time to see the light show of the blob of light burning hot like the Sun, sputtering and throwing pieces of itself into the air.

In the air, Mud-Skin punches away at the right side of Fireball's face rapidly and repeatedly. Quickly losing altitude and consciousness, Fireball tried to push away his attacker. He couldn't tell if he was still in the air anymore. He lost feeling in his face already. Before hitting the ground, Mud-Skin kicks off with both legs, leaving the orange dragon to fall limply. Stone was already in hot pursuit, tromping across the wet ground on her way along Fireball's flight path. Landing in the trees, Mud-Skin leaps down to the ground and sped off like a bullet at Stone's feet. A dropkick to the knee at high speed ended up tripping Stone and causing her to face plant into the mud. Obsidian decided to be a bit more tactical, taking part of a split tree as a weapon in his left hand. He swung the tree as hard as he could in a sweeping motion. Mud-Skin, instead of dodging as expected, it punched the already splintered tree into even smaller pieces, following up with a full strength straight punch to the lower gut, burying the fist in a few inches of loose skin. Obsidian bent and recoiled from the punch. He pushed through the pain to grab the beast's arm and retaliate with a stiff front kick aimed at the chest. Mud-Skin swung its other arm and deflected the kick to the side. Off balance, Obsidian is left wide open. Several more gut punches chipped away at the black dragon's resolve. Two powerful legs kicking his family jewels in yet another dropkick was sufficient to not only force Obsidian to let go, but also to fall over clutching his nether region. Mud-Skin went on running to find one of the two dragons it had yet to defeat. Stone rushed by Obsidian as he laid there in order to intercept the creature.

Sparks gathered up Slash in his arms and took to the sky. That monster is much harder to kill than he thought. It took two full strength blasts from two dragons and still survived. Even then, it had the strength to fight with more ferocity than it started with. They had the numbers, but it was simply too strong, too fast, and too tough. It hasn't even slowed down, but they're all taking severe damage. The only ones unscathed were himself and Stone. Maybe if he could gain an extra charge from the clouds, he could let out another bolt that would be even more powerful than his best one. But, that would take too long. By the time Sparks could gain the electrical charge and get into position to aim from the air, Mud-Skin would have dealt even more damage than what was already done. Slash is crippled, Fireball is knocked out cold, and Obsidian isn't looking too good.

"Sparks, I don't feel so good..." Slash feebly spoke as his arms swelled up and limply hung in the air.

"Just hang in there, bud. We'll get you out of here." Sparks made his way over to Obsidian. Along the way, he could see Mud-Skin running to where it last left him and Slash. Sparks flew down to Obsidian as he was getting up from his testicular torment, one arm hanging to his side loosely.

"Having one good arm sucks." said Obsidian as he rose from the ground.

"Hey, Obsidian! Take Slash and go find Fireball. Stone and I will settle the score." Handing off Slash to Obsidian, Sparks flew off to confront the monster as well.

"Wow bro, you look like slag." joked Obsidian.

"Shut up and carry me..." Slash retorted, clearly not in a joking mood.

Sparks flies over to find Stone already engaging Mud-Skin in combat. Wide swings of claws and tail met with fists and feet in a vicious display of animosity and anger. The blackened surface of Mud-Skin showing the damage that the lightning and fire did to it. After looking for a moment, Sparks can see what the monster's body looks like underneath the mud. The skin was like the skin of amphibians, a smooth bronze with bright red around areas where damage took place. Blood streamed down the monster's back and shoulder. Small black hairs covered the undamaged areas sparsely. Sparks shook his head to clear his thoughts. Not a time to wonder at what it was, he had to deal with the threat.

Mud-Skin and Stone traded fist for claw and foot for tail. Stone had better reach and defense with her thick scales, and Mud-Skin had superior speed, agility, and technique. Stone swung two claws down on it, causing the creature to catch the claws, then quickly let go and deliver a powerful knee to the chin, snapping back her head. In the moment it took for her to recover, Mud-Skin climbed up to her face and landed twelve solid elbows to the cheek and jaw before she could swipe at it. She finally landed a solid hit on it. Mud-Skin glided on the mud before getting back to it's feet.

Sparks was ready and let out a bolt to strike it. Mud-Skin was ready as well, promptly kicking at the ground to displace a large chunk of earth to block the bolt. It then squatted low, almost curling into a ball. Stone didn't care. She charged the thing, this time leaping herself to land on the creature. To her surprise, it zipped out of view. When she landed, it was too late. Sparks barely had time to react to the creature already flying fists first at him. Before he knew it, he was in a daze, lying on the ground some distance away from where he recently was. Mud-Skin got into a familiar mount on Sparks. An ironic situation to say the least. In no time at all, Mud-Skin helped Sparks remember his fear. This time, the flurry of blows was even faster. Even harder. Even more lethal in their aim. It was a painful reality Sparks did not want to face, especially since there was no way for him to escape this time. It was beating him senseless. Sparks could see his blood and teeth flying out of his mouth in what little view he had before he raised his arms to defend himself. Mud-Skin took him by the horn and used a sharp elbow to break one off. It would have hurt if Sparks wasn't swimming in his own head at the moment. Stone landed another solid hit on the creature, sending it flying off of Sparks.

"Are you okay?!" She asked in a frenzy. Sparks was barely coherent enough to respond. He spat up blood and teeth and shook as if he were cold. She looked to see where she threw Mud-Skin, hoping it was far away. Unfortunately for her, it wasn't very far at all. It stood a short distance away with Sparks' horn in its hand. It stared daggers at Stone and bared its teeth at her. She did the same. She put herself directly between it and Sparks, hoping to defend him. She didn't have much choice now. She could pick up Sparks and try to run for the valley mouth, but Mud-Skin could easily catch up and pick them off one by one. The only other option is to fight and hope to win. She would never have guessed that she'd be fighting a creature so small, yet so difficult to fight. Stone wanted to end this as quickly as possible, but it was simply too fast. Perhaps if she was patient and waited for an opening, she could catch it and finish the fight with one more breath. She had to try. Stone took a low stance, like she was about to wrestle a dragon closer to her size.

Then, Mud-Skin charged forward at her. Swift as a bird of prey, Mud-Skin was in Stone's range the moment she could register that it moved. But she wouldn't attack just yet. It had to be closer. Mud-Skin aimed for her chest with Sparks horn, getting closer to its target as it jumped from the ground. Just as Mud-Skin would have been close enough to hit her, Stone leaned back and used both claws to grab it. Though she did catch it, she misjudged the speed, as Mud-Skin had broken her armored scales and pierced her chest, sinking deep. She wasn't about to waste the opportunity with reacting to pain. She used all of her strength to hold Mud-Skin in place, ready to burn its head for as long as necessary to kill it. As fast as it could, the monster used its strength to pry Stone's thumbs open and kicked the horn deeper into her chest to dismount. Just in time, the monster dodged the beam of fire. It slid between Stone's legs and climbed up her back as she was dislodging the horn from her chest. Mud-Skin got to her head and began to beat and crush her facial plates. Powerful and hard elbows struck her face and broke the armor covering her head. She jabbed at it with the horn, missing by just a bit. A sudden knee had loosened some of the plates. Another jab, this time scratching the monster. Two strong hands grip two plates and pulled them out. Stone couldn't help but grunt in pain with the loss of two plates from her skin. She grasped for it again, only to be met with a stab to her hand. She then tried to fall on her back to pin it against the ground. Mud-Skin jumped and landed on her belly. Stone tries to fight it off, receiving many stab wounds from the monster. It manages to use the sharp plates to further rip away at her stony scales and widens the hole already in her chest. Feeling death near her, she lets out a desperate fire beam at Mud-Skin. It actually hits, pushing it off of her before it could cut at her vitals.

Mud-Skin shrugged it off and got up only to receive a small bolt of lightning to the back, thrown forward onto its face. Obsidian and Fireball come in from the air and slam a massive boulder on the monster while it was down. They repeatedly slam the boulder over and over.

"Go! Get out of here!" Obsidian shouted at Stone and Sparks as he helped Fireball try their best to defeat it with the boulder they found.

Mud-Skin flew out of the crater and tackled Obsidian to the ground. It jammed one of the plates into his knee, then took the other to the bottom of his chest and wrenched it down, disemboweling Obsidian. The plate broke in two once it hit his pelvis.

"Aaaaahh!" Obsidian screamed out in pain with a fear that comes from those about to die. Mud-Skin took the intact plate out of Obsidian's knee and ran to Fireball. Fireball swung the boulder to hit Mud-Skin just as it got close.

"Ahh!" Fireball yelled out when the plate was stabbed into his own leg and broken off. Mud-Skin held the other piece to Fireball's eye as he held its arm back just in time. After a second, he pushed Mud-Skin off. The monster landed and stood a distance away.

"Raaaaaah!" Mud-Skin roared with anger and fervor, but did not continue its assault. A moment of silence passed with no one daring to make a sound. The dragons understood what that meant. An ultimatum. 'Leave or die' was the long and short of the message.

Stone walked over to Obsidian with fatigue and worry. "Come on big guy, hang in there!" She picked him up and carried him away. Obsidian was trying his best to hold in his guts with one arm.

Sparks walked over to Fireball. "Can you walk?" He asked with half concern, half confusion.

"Barely. I'll grab Slash." Fireball shakily rose to his feet and hobbled away to do as he said.

Stone looked back at the beast that singlehandedly took on the entire group and survived. It stared back with just as much intensity as when it started. There was little doubt in her mind that this 'Mud-Skin' could have defeated them if there weren't five of them. Worse yet, if she wasn't around. Granted, she had the least direct contact with the monster. But, she often kept the thing busy long enough to prevent it from killing any of them. If it weren't for Obsidian, Fireball, and Sparks taking the risk in the end, it might have been her that died in the end. Stone couldn't help but be endeared towards them.

Mud-Skin huffed heavily as he stood there, clutching the last piece of hard face plate like a dagger as he watched the dragons limp and hobble away from him and his territory. He waited until they were completely out of sight. Then, he groaned and grumbled and fell to the ground on his rear, shaking from the pain. He crawled over to a fallen tree to lean on and listened to the downpour of rain. He had honestly forgotten it was even there while he was fighting. Too bad he was too much in pain to fall asleep just yet. After an hour or two, he rose up and walked himself to his hidden cave. He was glad he could heal quickly.

3: Recoil

Darkness fell upon the Dragon Lands. The clouds of acrid soot and ash being released in plumes rise up and mix with the dark rain clouds. Only the light of magma and fire could be seen through the pitch dark. A pair of young dragons brawl against each other, wrestling and striking, whilst a large amazonite sits in wait for a victor. The young dragons go from first blood to first down to first unconscious. They bleed and claw and bite viciously, as if their very lives depended on it. With a strike of lightning, the final blow lands. One falls, the other hobbles. The victor has revealed himself and claimed his prize.

---~~~*~~~---

Stone ran for as long as she could, but eventually tired herself out, and did so while still a notable distance from where she needed to go. She cradles Obsidian in her arms as Obsidian weakly tries to keep his eyes open, limply holding his entrails in his claws. Fireball was not far behind, carrying Slash on his back. Sparks walked in the rear, watching behind the group. He hoped that Mud-Skin would not pursue them while this vulnerable. The darkness of the cloudy night did not help in any way. Only the distant light of lava and lightning seemed to aid at all.

Far ahead of them stood a tall and mighty spire, roughly hewn from mountain rock. Near the top of this spire was a single burning light. This was their goal. Between bouts of slowing down and speeding up, the young dragons manage to reach the desired location within an hour. A long trail of blood marked where they all had been, leading all the way up to the top of the spire.

Obsidian's eyes have shut completely, his limp arms losing their strength and allowing his intestines to spill forth as the group were entering the one known entrance to the spire. Stone's heart fell even further than before. Her mortified expression was hidden well by her armored scales. She pushed herself one last time, desperate to try to save Obsidian before it was too late. Deep in the spire lie a massive elder dragon, whose form seemed to take up the entire inner chamber. The powerful limbs of the dragon shifted in the faint light of the torches that lined the walls. The thick green shields that were the scales of this great creature gleamed with a smoothness that would make them look like gargantuan gems. A set of glowing eyes peer down at the comparatively small Stone and Obsidian, the emerald eyes seeing all that was before them.

"How may I assist?" The deep rumbling voice shook the body of Stone as she stood.

"Please, can you heal him?!" Stone finally falls to her knees, thoroughly exhausted and full of worry. The rest of the young dragons barely arrive with huffs and coughs for air before the mighty elder can respond to the question asked.

"One cannot heal that which is dead. My condolences, young one." The ancient dragon grumbled to her with a hint of pity, closing his eyes to them.

Stone knelt there, stupefied. She simply stayed as she was, clutching Obsidian weakly. She was too late to save her friend. Now he is dead. Fireball couldn't believe it. Neither could Slash. Both stared at Stone's back, hoping that they would hear Obsidian make a noise or move. Sparks was in his own mind. He knew something like this would happen, he just hoped that having back up would guarantee safety or at least prevent loss. Now he fully understands how wrong he was. A long silence fell in the cave.

"Come closer, all of you." The elder dragon spoke. Fireball, Slash, and Sparks approached the now open eyes. The light that came from the great dragon's eyes grew brighter. Broken scales and bones realigned and set themselves. Gouges and lacerations in the flesh were sealed up. Stones plates were restored. All except for Obsidian were healed.

"Consider your payment null. I will be magnanimous this time, given that you have faced a superior foe."

"How did you know?" Asked Slash.

"He is Norvos The Ancient. He reads creatures like how we read text." Sparks answered without hesitation.

"You speak the truth, lightning dragon. Nevertheless, I must inquire as to what manner of beast you fought."

"It was a new creature. It seemed to have mud for skin, but it wasn't an elemental. It was powerful, fast, and hard to kill. It alone fought all five of us and we were defeated. We did not kill it." Sparks answered Norvos quickly, hoping to not attract his anger.

"Hmm. Is that so? I have not heard of such a being as of yet. I may have to investigate this for myself. Nevertheless, I have offered my service and the debt is payed. Now go and do the rites for your fallen." Norvos spoke with finality. It was clear that he wanted the young dragons to leave. The implication was not lost on them. The group left Norvos in solemn silence, the weight of their loss pressing strongly on their minds. Obsidian, one of the most promising dragons among the hatchlings of yesteryears, has fallen in battle against a creature yet to be seen by the rest of dragon-kind.

---~~~*~~~---

Deep within the bowels of the mountains, Mud-Skin slowly walks through the wide tunnels with a torch in hand. Feeling the effects of his recent wounds, he leans against the wall for several minutes and groans to himself. Once he regains some composure, he continues walking. The gouges and slashes are already covered with thick, hard scabs. Deep bruising left welts and the color of his skin turned a dark red and purple underneath what remained of the mud. Mud-Skin traverses the tunnel with familiarity and practiced steps. Through a small gap, jump over a hole, slide down a slope. He can hear the rushing water already. After a moment, the light of the torch bounced off of the surface of clear liquid that fell from high up in the caverns and coalesced into a single massive pool of clean water. The pool filled the natural stone basin and overflowed out towards a distant cave mouth that could barely be seen from within.

"You really took a beating, huh?" Mud-Skin thought to himself with the voice of another, imagining someone else were there.

"Yeah, those dragons are difficult to kill. And difficult to deter." He spoke aloud to himself.

"I'm sorry that you got hurt. Those dragon are so mean! You even let that lightning dragon live! Then they picked a fight when you put up all of those warnings to keep them out. If I were there, I'd give them a two-piece combo! With a side of foot!" Mud-Skin lightly laughed as he could just make out Em shadow boxing in front of him.

"Well, to be fair Em, I was technically hunting him the first time we met. I just didn't expect a dragon to come along. I did leave bait out. Though, it was to lure more of those big reptiles out. I could've sworn they were cannibalistic." He again openly replied, but in a quieter volume as he put down the torch and got into the pool of water.

"Well, I guess that's fair. But you didn't mean it! They obviously know how to talk! They could've just asked about why you beat him! Even if they don't know our language. So unfair." Em expounded on his feelings on the matter, pouting in frustration.

"That's very endearing that you understand and care about my well-being. Thank you. However, I have to remember that this is a harsh land with harsher creatures and the harshest consequences. I cannot afford to assume that any of these creatures are able or willing to understand me, let alone help. It's all up to me." Em let's out some phantasmal tears after Mud-Skin retells of the situation. He scooches over to Mud-Skin.

"It's been over a month since we got here, and we still have nothing to us other than weak stones and soft wood for tools. The scales of these big lizards don't help much either. The teeth of these creatures seem to be the only properly effective tools other than our fists. On top that and your wounds, we're in yet another place where no one understands. At least you have me, right? I understand you. I love you..." Em wraps his ghostly arms around Mud-Skin's shoulders, disappearing soon after. Mud-Skin can almost feel it, wishing harder than ever that there was, indeed, someone to gently and closely hold.

"Yeah..." He let's his mind race and ponder on things that have never been, nor ever will be.

---~~~*~~~---

The young dragons had taken their comrade and brought his broken form to his mother. Her devastation at the loss of her son was great to her. She wailed and cried at the sight of her own progeny being torn asunder in such a way. The young dragons could only bow their heads in shame, as they could not rescue their comrade in time. The mother wiped her tears and looked at them with an intensity befitting a grieving mother.

"Do you know what this means?" Her eyes bearing down on Stone.

"Yes, ma'am. I do. The beast must die. I will make sure of it." Stone could barely hold her fury and sadness in anymore. It took a great deal of effort on her part to not roar and rampage. "Obsidian was a good fighter, a good clutch mate, a good dragon. He might have been the next Dragon Lord. I will avenge him." Stone's claws cracked the inside of her palms as she clenched her fists as hard as she could.

"Yeah, us too!" Slash blurted out with a bit of bloodlust in his eyes. "I want my get-back too! So does Fireball here! And Sparks! We're gonna cut that Mud-Skin into little pieces and cook it up to eat! Make him taste his own guts before we do, just so he can know what it feels like!" Slash cackles to himself at the imagery he has conjured.

"What he said." Fireball has a look of determination on his face that said it all.

"Thank you for understanding, young dragons. I must look after the eggs, or else, I'd come with you. Do right by my son." Obsidian's mother took her son's body and began the burial rites.

After the ceremony was complete, Stone went by herself to one of the peaks of the mountains the encircled the valleys and forests at the edge of the Dragon Lands.

"HEAR ME MUD-SKIN! I, STONE, WILL KILL YOU!!!" She roared loud and long, squeezing every last bit of air out of her lungs. "You took the one dragon who liked me for who I am. My first love. You will pay. I will make sure of it."

Back in the Dragon Lands, Sparks could not be more certain. He was not going back. His fears were all but confirmed on that fateful day. He refuses to ever willingly face that monster again.

"As much as I would like to go avenge Obsidian, I don't want to die in the process. Two close calls is more than enough for me to learn my lesson. I'm not going back. Sorry guys."

4: Reload and Regroup

Miles away from any dragon, sea serpent, or cockatrice, deep within many megatons of rock and ore, beneath a snow capped mountain range that has an opening at one of it's peaks where layers of chambers and paths let the slowly melting snow flow down into a collection of pools and rivers, Mud-Skin sits alone. He sits at the edge of his preferred pool with a torch nearby.

He pulls a make-shift animal skin bag open. He pulls out a long waxy object that had a hexagonal pattern on it. A translucent golden fluid slowly dripped from the material, a sweet aroma floated to Mud-Skin's nose. He took in the scent with gratitude. It reminded him of home.

"Honey was something I ate often back then. It was always available. Now, I have to hunt for it. I suppose it's only fair, now that bee farming and trading aren't things here."

Mud-Skin ate the honey greedily, as if it would be stolen if he wasn't fast enough. He licked his hands clean before diving into his bag for more. Once the bag was empty, he sat back and relished the moment of ecstasy he earned. He could feel all of the dopamine passing through, then giving way to a coolness passing through his veins, signaling the transfer of the honey into his body.

"So good."

Songs started playing in his mind. A song of joy and sadness. A song of bitter-sweetness. A song about enjoying what remains of that which is long gone. A song about remembering. A song about things that could be. A single tear would be allowed to flow from his cheek while he listened to the faded records of the songs he had heard before. Tired from multiple sleepless nights having to watch out for further attacks, fighting strange bear-like chimeras and bees that shoot lightning, and being lulled by the songs of his past, combined with the nourishing honey he ate, Mud-Skin surrenders and succumbs to the embrace and comfort of sleep.

~*~

He checked his wounds again. Rolled the shoulder, flexed the back, squeezed his fists. Everything seemed to be healing at a regular pace, albeit faster than at home. Normally, these wounds would require surgery and thorough rest to even attempt to return to typical function. Here, everything only needs a few weeks to heal. He wasn't sure how long fractures would take, as he was yet to get one.

"They'll be back." A heavy voice said to Mud-Skin in his mind.

"I know they will. Beasts are usually stubborn that way." Mud-Skin replied to the voice as the new figure came into his mind's view. A vaguely human being walks into view, red in hue, with teeth the size of fingers and limbs as thick as trees. The only thing thicker would be the torso. The marbled, red flesh rippled with muscle and veins. Mud-Skin found him beautiful, though in a different way.

"These are not simple beasts, and you know it. Show them no mercy this time. You've already done it twice, and look what you have wrought from it. Kill them. Kill them all. They deserve it. They struck you when they didn't need to and came with friends when one of them wasn't enough. They know now that even five aren't enough. Perhaps you can claim your first ten lives here." The red face of this being twists into an off-putting grin. A grin of bloodlust. A grin Mud-Skin sometimes wore.

"No! Please don't kill them, Passion! I know you don't like it when people are bad, but we have be generous! If we kill them, how are we supposed to get along? It's only the second time!" Em emerged from the dark quickly, his pastel colors contrasting against Passion's dark red.

"You are always so soft towards our enemies. Don't you recall how many times we've been hurt when we trust the untrustworthy?! I will not tolerate this foolishness! Now get out of my way!" Passion shouted at Em. Despite being much smaller, Em showed no fear for himself, only worry.

"No! I won't! We have to be the change we want to see!" Em did not waver.

"I'm afraid Passion is right this time, Em." A walking set of armor comes into view, well polished and bronze.

"Not you too, Stoic!" Em was struck with bitterness. He seemed to realize the losing battle of will.

"I'm sorry, Em. But Passion is right. Where I would normally agree with you, we are not dealing with humans anymore. This land boasts monsters of legend in abundance and has yet to show us a species capable of showing us even a shred of gentleness or mercy. Though our initial entrance was far from cordial, we can only infer that any further contact is hostile until proven otherwise. We must slay in order to stay alive. I pity you, Em. You're a good boy." Stoic walks toward Passion and fades into him. The veins on Passion bulge and shift like long, thick worms under the skin. He grows in size, now towering over Em with a wide, toothy smile big enough to eat Em whole. The skin thickens and hardens, now hiding all but the thickest veins under a layer of hard calluses and bronze scales.

"Sit tight, sweet child. We won't be long. This is for your own good." The voice of the new being was profoundly deep, nearing the point of being unintelligible. He gave Em a sloppy lick as a form of alternate kiss. Em resigned himself to The Cage. A place where Passion was often chained in order to prevent overly zealous actions. Passion's blood warmed the Cage and shackles, a testament to how hot his temperament ran. At least it wasn't cold for Em.

"Don't get hurt out there, you guys. I miss you already." Em hung his head, defeated.

The new being, whom Mud-Skin called War, came to him. War's body opened and took Mud-Skin within. He was snuggly held by muscles, arteries, veins, and sinew. The warmth was piercing and deep, reaching to his bones. No more worry, no more doubt. It was kill or be killed. And there was no question about the choice to make.

~*~

Mud-Skin opened his eyes. He hadn't realized he had fallen asleep. The light of the pine torch was nearly out. He gets up and gathers his belongings to move. He had a lot of work to do.

"He's a sweet kid. Too bad he's so trusting."

"Agreed."

---~~~*~~~---

"What do you mean, 'You aren't going'?!" Stone shouted fiercely.

"I mean, I am not going! Full stop!" Sparks shouted back at Stone, surprising the giantess with his outburst. " I understand that we ought to avenge Obsidian and all, but did you realize that Mud-Skin had gotten stronger from last time I found it! Gods only know how much more powerful that thing will be when we decide to go fight it again! I am not risking my life by walking up to that thing again! No ma'am!"

Stone stood at the entrance to Sparks' lair, dumbfounded. Even though Stone knew Sparks to be more brain than brawn, she couldn't believe how adamant he was to not go back to face Mud-Skin.

"You have faced that beast twice and survived. Why not make the third the last?" Stone said with a mixture of incredulity and frustration.

"Because we barely survived with five of us! Two of which were among the best of our clutch mates! It killed Obsidian! He bled out on his way here! And it nearly killed the rest of us with a piece of your face! It let us go on purpose. Do you realize that creature, that Mud-Skin had been waiting for us? It had a plan of attack. It is intelligent. More than that, it seems to be as strong as you. If it makes traps for us that so much as slow us down, it will just pick us off one by one. I'm telling you. Just leave that thing alone. I've had enough head sickness to last a century." Sparks spoke his final sentence with an air of dejection and hopelessness.

"I can't believe you. Right when victory is before you, you give up. Right when I was ready to gather some like minded dragons, you decide to act like a desert lizard. Fine. Stay here and wallow in defeat." She turned to leave, but just before she left, "I expected better from you, Sparks the lightning dragon."

Sparks had a bitter taste in his mouth at her last remark. It honestly hurt more to know her disappointment than it did to feel the shame he foisted on himself.

---~~~*~~~---

Mud-Skin made his preparations. Traps laid on the mountains and under the forest floor. Every boulder loosed and moved by hand. Every workable piece of stone fashioned into spikes by striking them and scratching pieces off by hand. He went out of his way to try as many ways as possible to grow more muscle and improve his agility. Using his own body against itself to simulate a heavy object to move and using the heaviest and hardest rocks he could find, Mud-Skin manages to grow even bigger and stronger than before over the course of several weeks. In the midst of this, he also takes the time to hone both his awareness and agility. Avoiding mental distraction and focusing on moving and acting. What were once respectable strikes and commendable footwork had slowly become remarkable and impressive. Mud-Skin had certainly been fast and accurate, but he lacked flow and angle. In these weeks of building strength, his ability to move and willingness to take risks grew as well. A force to be reckoned with was Mud-Skin.

---~~~*~~~---

Slash, and Fireball, on the other hand, make it a point to advertise their goal to other dragons. The threat of a new unknown foe causing the ears of the other young and proud dragons to burn. A new challenge to prove themselves. And against a single target, no less. All to receive the right to say they were the ones to slay this beast that threatened to kill the new hatchlings. The renown that came with such a deed had beckoned them, and it was palpable. Oddly enough, despite the initial chaos from all of the new dragons doing their own thing, the two saw this as a good opportunity. The weaker dragons could soften Mud-Skin's defense and drain his strength. Then, once he had defeated the lesser combatants, they could take the credit for the kill and take revenge at the same time. Though the dragons were still divided by personal interest and foolhardiness, they still fought the same enemy.

While Slash and Fireball were not concerned with the lack of having first dibs on Mud-Skin, Stone was furious at the idea. The idea that she would not be the one to land the first and last strike. Though she understood the tactical advantage of whittling down Mud-Skin's stamina, she dared not relinquish her hate for him. Her desire to personally see that beast suffer, to be the one who brought him low, to be responsible for seeing the last light of this creature fade away, it consumed her thoughts. Revenge would be hers. She would make that monster, that Mud-Skin pay. Blood for blood. Life for life.

So, to reach this goal, she revised her plan. Stone knew she couldn't just convince each and every dragon that Slash and Fireball informed to change their timing or routines. But she could change hers. Without informing Sparks, Slash, Fireball, or any other dragon, Stone made it a habit to visit Norvos The Ancient. She knew that he had powerful magic. Magic that could make her stronger at a greater pace than with normal training. However, she also knew that Norvos never did anything for free, unless he felt pity. And Stone was not a pitiable creature. Nor was she a very talkative one. So, she was willing to sacrifice her entire horde, if it meant achieving her goal.

Unbeknownst to her, Sparks had been following Stone from the sky and from a good distance. He could not stand laying around in his lair after hearing what she said. So, he had decided that seeing what she was up to was the best move. Though he had not been following her for very long, he does know that Stone has been frequenting the Spire of Norvos recently. Sparks was not sure why that would be the case. Norvos almost never does anything for free, as far as he knew. So either Stone is spending a lot of her horde, or Norvos is feeling very attached to her. Sparks was doubtful of the latter option. Nevertheless, he himself had to prepare. There was much work to be done.

"Sparks the Lightning Dragon. I will not only live up to my breath, but also my adult name." Sparks said to himself with a bit of pride and determination.

5: Full Frontal Guerilla

Author's Note

Perspectives shift often in this chapter. Thank you very much for your patience while waiting for this chapter. I got a little caught up trying to write a compelling fight. Feel free to point out errors that I missed.

5: Full Frontal Guerilla

Slash has been digging and scouring the nearby jungle for hours, going from tree to tree, boulder to boulder.

"I know that mushroom has to be around here somewhere! I just saw it a few days ago! The other dragons better not have found it while I was gone! I'm going to be so pissed if they did!" He search on and on, until he eventually found what he was looking for by tripping over a rock.

"There it is! Now I won't even need to practice. Monster blood bath, here I come!" He then returns to a cutout in the side of a mountain, near the edge of the evergreen forests which lead to Mud-Skin's Forest of Bones. He lifted a small rock that hid a dried out flower, placed the mushroom next to the flower, then placed the rock on top. Afterward, he flies off to meet with Fireball, as he tells the story of the battle with Mud-Skin to the other dragons. Among such were a few hatchlings, kin to many of the same dragons present.

"Where have you been?" Once Fireball noticed him, he asked Slash.

"Just prepping something cool. I'm totally going to kill that muddy bastard this time!" Slash said fervently.

"One of us better. We have ten plus eight joining us tomorrow, with more looking to come the day after that. We can't come back without its head."

"Eighteen."

"What?"

"You said ten plus eight. That number is called eighteen."

"Oh. I was never any good with counting."

"I know, Rock-For-Brains! The words always confuse you! That's why I hang around. So that you don't end up dead from some dragon telling you something that you don't get."

-~*~-

Stone ripped away at the walls of her lair, taking off chunks of rock with every strike, growling and groaning the whole time. The marks on the walls covered almost every portion. Not only that, but the marks changed from one end to the other. On one end, they are smaller and shallower, growing deeper and wider as the walls goes on. Her towering form letting out groans that were not so much ones of effort or frustration, but ones of pain and agony. Groans meant to fight off the urge to curl up and yell. Growls to fend off the very real temptation to stop the pain. She took a moment to rest from the vicious assault she had been dealing to her lair's walls. A claw buried in solid slate supported her great girth as she heaved and threatened to spill bile on the floor.

"It's almost there... Just a little more..." She whispered through gritted teeth. The assistance Norvos offered was not, by any means, an easy offer. In fact, Stone had to gradually offer more of her hoard over time for this option to even be suggested. Even though Norvos' magics always have a steep cost of some kind, this cost was something she was willing to pay. However, it was not Norvos who granted this aid. He took payment to take her to Tartarus. There, the payment was exchanged for audience with a demon, who none were allowed to say the name of. Once before him, the deal was to be made. It was...

---*---

"Through strife like no other,
You will grow faster than any before.
Strength to surpass another,
You could even match the dragons of Yore.

You will not make a sound,
For help you will not scream.
Nor to show pain,
Or of weakness to glean.

Your bones shall bend,
Your scales shall break.
To shape anew,
Your greater form to take.

You shall not eat a thing,
Nor consume any food.
It matters not your hungering,
Nor your mood.

Your strength shall wax great,
Heightened and innate.
For long you will wait,
A manifestation of your hate.

The payment for this service is high,
And unlike many in kind.
Half number of days for you is now mine,
Trading of change and time.

A final condition to meet,
Oh dragoness with emotions high.
If you scream in pain, even on the last day,
Your soul is MINE!
Do you accept?"

"...Yes..."

"Good, the deal is struck.
For a third of a season you will writhe.
I wish you good luck.
Good-Bye."

---*---

Now is the final day. Stone tried her hardest to stay quiet. She clenched her jaw shut as her teeth as her bones began to shift at an ever increasing pace. It was truly pain that she had never had before. There was nothing to compare it to. Her body contorted and lengthened unnaturally and rapidly, audibly cracking and churning. She had to focus, she must not scream, no matter what. All she could do was clamp her mouth shut, hoping against all odds that she would not make the fatal mistake of succumbing to the pain. With her complete focus on enduring the pain of growing and changing, she didn't notice that she had fell to the floor, sinking deep into the darkness of unconsciousness.

-~*~-

Up in the sky, high above everything, Sparks flew in circles, hoping to find the right area to practice. He searched for the smell of the beginnings of lightning. That scent that subtly warned of an impending strike. Sparks wasn't sure what Norvos offered Stone for her hoard, but it must have been an impressive proposition. He hasn't seen her since her most recent visit from a month ago. Either way, he had to support her somehow. Her disgust in his perceived cowardice was more than enough motivation to push Sparks to do what had yet to think of. He had been practicing his new method of amplifying his breath lightning.

"I just have to catch one of Thall-Kul's bolts again. I will be able to add it to my own. I am blessed after all. Well, half-blessed. Hopefully, this doesn't hurt as much as I think it will. The last 10 times I tried didn't work for lack of storms."

Sparks holds his bolt in his throat and tries to fly in a broad circle. Over and over he completes the circle. After 9 completions, the smell arrives. The smell of lightning. Distant clouds drew closer and darker, Slowly but surely.

"Maybe if I..." Sparks tightens the circle, flying faster as he does so. The clouds roll in faster, flashes of light begin to emit from within them. As the clouds envelope Sparks, though he cannot see it, he can feel the clouds swirling and charging. The bolt being held in his throat begins to swell in strength, becoming more difficult to hold in as the ritual went on. Crackles and sparks of lightning were surging from his mouth, threatening to burst forth before he was ready. Sparks held his own jaw shut for a few more seconds, trying to aim himself towards the ground, far above even the highest peaks of the Spined Mountains. He parted the clouds with his wings and dived with great speed. The clouds followed and Sparks was correcting his aim. Just when he could make out the detail on the boulder he was aiming for, he released the charge. Blinding light shot out from Sparks' mouth, bright enough to light the whole sky for just a moment. Sparks wasn't sure what he did to the boulder, as he only heard the thunderclap while he pulled up into the sky again. Turning around, he caught view of his target. Gone. Little more than fragments and a hole in the ground.

"Now we're... shoo-..." Sparks wanted to do a spin in the air to celebrate, but couldn't even finish his sentence. Or rather, he couldn't tell his body to do so. He was numbed. Static jumped off of him in all directions. He could barely stay aloft. Gliding was the only thing he could do other than some weak flapping. It was as if there was a haze on his mind. Still smiling, but he could hardly think.

"Down... Gotta... Down....." Sparks landed hard, but didn't feel much of it. In a heap he laid on top of a cliff, half buried from impact. He waited for some time, until he cleared the mind fog and regained his feeling. He shook his head fervently. A very unpleasant feeling.

"Let's try to avoid getting caught like that during the fight. Then, it would really be over. At least I have something to use against that Mud-Skin." Sparks picked himself up and started walking home to eat up some more metals. He had to stay nice and conductive before he left to fight.

---~~~*~~~---

Blood stained teeth bite deep into a piece of medium-rare meat, gripped tight by thick hands stained dark red. The faint dripping of blood and fat falling to the stone floor echoing throughout the cave. A wind blows in from the nearby entrance. A flickering fire crackles before a set of broad shoulders, illuminating the area and the brown figure within it. Mud-Skin tears into a large slab of roasted meat, his chin still dripping with old blood. He places the slab in the stone rack he had made for cooking.

"As oddly sweet as it tastes, I prefer it to be a bit more seared. Too bad this mountain bull meat is so difficult to cook."

"I know, right?! It's a pain! Why not just rip it up and throw it down the hatch?" Passion peeled his head from Mud-Skin's right side.

"Because, even though we seem nearly invulnerable, we don't want parasites and infections slowing us down when those dragons come for our hide." Stoic peeked out of Mud-Skin's left side.

"I remember when roast beef and steak were common place." Mud-Skin could feel the sandwich in his hand. A Philly cheese steak with peppers, onion, provolone cheese, and mayo. When he went to take a bite, it vanished. "I'm going mad. My imagination is replacing reality in pockets."

Unfortunately for Mud-Skin, this is the case. Over the course of his training, he often hallucinated opponents, had imaginary conversations with people that don't exist, and even heard others talking.

"As much as I want to cope with this isolation, I can't lose myself in the sea of my mind. I need to focus."

Mud-Skin tried to relax his mind and body as much as possible, breathing in and out slowly. He began to repeat to himself.

"Steady. Calm. Steady. Calm..." The rushing thoughts and ghostly voices slowly lowered to whispers. Eventually, after what seemed to be hours, everything was quiet and still. The only noise was the wind, fire, and sizzling meat.

"Finally." With his head clear, he checks the meat. It now has a pleasant aroma and dark brown layer. The flavor is significantly better, albeit slightly charred. "I wish I had some salt. Maybe when this little skirmish is over and I'm not looking over my shoulder."

After eating, a pungent smell wafted into Mud-Skin's cave. A familiar scent, associated with a potent enemy. Sulfur. They were finally ready to take revenge for their fallen. His excitement grew, a mix of anger, uncertainty, confidence, and a hint of respect. It was time to face the enemy.

No prisoners.

-~*~-

Two young dragons were ahead of the crowd that had been amassed near the mouth of the valley. A dragon and a dragoness, flying with confidence, a blade on her tail and an axe on his. Though both were eager to prove their strength and cunning, they recognize that this beast had bested two of their most competent members by itself. However, being siblings, they were sure that with proper coordination and teamwork, they could overcome such an obstacle as a single monster. They've done exactly that before, they could surely do it again.

"You ready to prove that Stone and Obsidian aren't as tough as they say they are. bro?"

"Yeah. This creature doesn't have a thing against our double assault. Still, didn't that one dragon mention Obsidian was gored and left for dead or something?"

"That guy must have been exaggerating. But, now that you say that, I haven't really seen Obsidian or Stone hanging around the pits lately."

"Maybe they've been resting or training. That's what I would- Woah! That stinks!"

The brother exclaimed as he caught a waft of the decaying corpses of many creatures pinned to various trees in an upright fashion. The duo only just now noticed the murder of crows that have been hovering and gathering in this part of the valley. As they approached, they saw the strange sight. The bones that hung on the trees still had flesh clinging to a few of them. The number of skeletons seemed to nearly match the number of trees. Entering the tree line caused the screeching of crows to get louder, some flying away to avoid the dragons.

"Don't tell me one beast did this. Maybe it was some big diamond dogs?" The brother asked.

"I don't think so, bro. Diamond dogs are territorial, but they don't hang up the bones of they're enemies. Especially not cave drakes. Besides, look." The sister pointed to a collection of canine skulls gathered around a rock. The brother understood now. This creature was marking its territory with dead victims.

"How big of an appetite could a creature smaller than a typical dragon have for flesh? Even the hunter dragons don't eat this much. Cave drakes, diamond dogs, river serpents, whatever that is. I'm starting to think there might be more of those Mud-Skins around." The sister bore witness to the variety of the diet of Mud-Skin. She was unfamiliar with goats, mountain bulls, deer, and turkey.

"That would explain the amount of dead here. No way one little creature did all of this. In that case, keep your eyes open. We're not alone." The pair descended to the ground and walked with a careful gait. Despite their attempts to avoid making noise, the crunching of old and new bones beneath their individual weights. Within a few minutes of walking, they hear something. Something faint in the distance. The smell of crows and rot masked the scent of whatever made the noise. It sounded like a roar. It seemed quite far away from them, originating somewhere near the base of the mountains. Next thing they know, a great boulder throws earth everywhere as it buries the sister with a thunderous crash.

"What?! Oh my gods! Sis!" The brother looks around, hoping to catch a glimpse of an enemy. With no movement in sight, he kneels down to where the boulder buried his sister. "No no no no no no no. Come on!" He frantically dug at the ground surrounding the boulder to gain leverage. He put as much strength as he could into lifting the boulder off of her as quickly as possible. When he pulled her out of the crater, she was limp and bleeding from the head with two broken horns. "Speak to me! Wake up!" Worry was written on his face.

"Uuugh... Whu? What hit me?" The sister mumbled in a daze.

"A boulder fell from the sky. I didn't think Sling-Tails could throw that far. We must be near a loner or something."

The two took a moment to regain their bearings. They would, apparently, have to watch out for falling stones, as well as the monster they were actually hunting. The brother could have sworn he saw something move in the tree canopy. They both keep their eyes open and their heads on a swivel.

The two enter the forest, scanning everything. Checking in canopies, under bushes, behind rocks. Anything that could tip them off to where the creature was. Not a single sign of tracks or scents anywhere. Just the remains of previous kills strewn across the trees and ground.

While the two siblings searched for him, Mud-Skin was hiding in plain sight. He wore the bones of a dead drake and laid flat against the mud to seem like any other pile of bones. Whenever clear from sight, he would use the trees and bushes for cover to move in. The two invaders haven't even noticed him yet. He has been tailing them and getting ahead of them the entire time that they've been in the forest. After they pass him for the fifth time, being sure that they are far from any backup, Mud-Skin grabs a stashed slate javelin and takes aim at the uninjured dragon.

"I know it's around here. It knows we're here." The brother insisted.

"Well, if it does, then it is either biding its time, or doesn't care. I still think it doesn't know we're he-"

Just as she was about to finish her remark, she heard the sound of something hitting stone as blood shot forth next to her. A long and sharp rod of slate was suddenly lodged in her brother's neck, preventing him from breathing or speaking. He panicked, gripping the rod and trying to remove it, before kneeling down. The sister looked around for an attacker, but could not find one. She reached for her brother to help him dislodge the stone javelin. Her brother pointed to something behind her. She turned to face the threat too late.

Mud-Skin had ran her through with another slate javelin. Right in the spot where he assumed her heart was. It seemed to be the case, as she froze for a moment, then gripped the javelin in her chest. Mud-Skin pulled away quickly, letting the torrent of viscous blood flow out in pulses. The blood quickly spilled to the ground and pooled beneath the dragoness as she desperately tried to plug the hole. Her strength faded fast and she fell into her own blood. "So... Cold... Ugh..."

The brother looked on with what little defiance he had, hateful towards the one monster that they could neither run from nor best in battle. He just manages to break the javelin in his neck and pull the short end out, coughing when his throat was finally free of stone, filling with his own blood instead. He musters a few cursing words. "Damn you, shapeshifter! *Cough* The dragons of this *GRK* land will burn you... *Cough* To ash! *Wheeze*"

Mud-Skin had little idea of what exactly this dragon was saying. The guttural sounds and clicking of teeth seemed to form a pattern similar to what it was using before, but notably rancorous and intended to offend. Perhaps it was cursing him or predicting his downfall. Something like that. It didn't matter, though. He knows they are here to kill him. So, he'll make sure that they regret it. He watched the dragon choke of its blood, spitting and spilling the red liquid while trying to stem the flow with its hands. The reptilian didn't have long. Counting the seconds, Mud-Skin just watched. He waited until the last light of life left the fire-breathers' eyes. Two down, many to go.

-~*~-

Sparks followed a group of eleven dragons from the sky. He kept near to wear clouds formed while keeping sight on the group. He wondered what their plan was for killing Mud-Skin.

"Do they just plan to overwhelm it with sheer numbers? I hope not. This will be a huge waste of time and dragons if they just rush in with no plan other than, 'get 'im'. Oh well, I guess that's why I'm here. Striking from the sky at all times should make evasion and isolation of dragons harder. Hopefully, it hasn't developed a tactic against air superiority."

Sparks couldn't help but notice Fireball and Slash going ahead of the group. Slash went up to a distant cave entrance while Fireball went toward the tree line.

"Trees. Duh! Of course it would use tree cover to conceal itself for an ambush. And none of these idiots even care. Great. The one thing I forgot to consider. I guess I'll have to hang lower if I want to make sure these morons don't die." Sparks dived down to just 100 feet in the air, making it easier to spot movement in the trees.

Fireball quickly enter the forest, mentally noting everything in sight. Slash came swooping down soon after him. This time, they would not be caught by surprise. Not if they could help it. Using their wings to avoid the bones on the ground, they sweep through the woods rapidly.

"Where did you go?" Fireball inquired.

"I went to get the cool thing I told you about. I just ate it. Muddy blood will fly soon! Heheheheeeeh." Slash rubbed his razor-sharp claws together, sharpening them against each other by ripping off blunted and chipped parts.

"Whatever. I'm going to set this whole forest ablaze." Fireball told Slash.

"Good idea. We'll smoke it out. It's too bad, I won't be hunting here for a while." Slash gave a quick lament before helping set the woodland ablaze. Fireball let out great motes of flame along with bright blobs of his stone melting concoction.

"Soon, there won't be anywhere for Mud-Skin to hide. Not even under these stones it likes to throw. Aah!" Fireball felt a sharp pain hit his back as something pushed off of him with force. He whipped his tail, hitting and denting a tree, then turned just quick enough to see his attacker. It was the very bones of the drakes that they had been passing by.

"What the in Tartarus? That thing is fast!" Slash started to give chase, but lost sight of it before he could lift off from the ground.

"Don't tell me Mud-Skin can raise the dead to fight for it. That's sick!" Fireball shouted in disgust and frustration, as he pulled the stone javelin from his back with a grunt.

"I'm pretty sure that Mud-Skin is just wearing the bones to blend in with the other bones. Or else, we would have a lot more dead things to fight." Slash explained.

"Oh. That makes more sense."

The pair make it a point to keep an eye out for any bones. On the ground, pinned to trees, anything. They rush to get each other, back to back, watching carefully for even the slightest movement. They dare not leave or turn their back to anything other than each other. They knew better than to give such a creature such an opening.

Sparks could see that Fireball had begun using his brute-force method of solving problems. Burning down a forest was a bit much in Sparks' opinion. However, he couldn't deny that such a tactic is sound, albeit inefficient. Fortunately, the other dragons are about to enter the forest as well. They should be able to flush out Mud-Skin from where ever it's hiding. Four of them took to the air, while five stayed on the ground.

Mud-Skin leaps from one bush to another as he goes to find another hidden javelin among the bones. Along the way, he smells more sulfur and smoke in the air. More dragons are coming. Patience and swift action are needed now. Even though he wears thick scales under a layer of miry clay, it only saved him once from a serious injury from the fire and lightning that these dragons spew. It would seem that most of them only spew fire, only the long, blue and purple dragon has ever spit out lightning. How interesting. More than that, these dragons seem to come in wide varieties. Something to consider. For now, some hunting and trapping needs to be done. To his pleasure, these reptiles are about to walk right into a collection his very own traps.

The flight of dragons search and set fire to the forest as they enter, leaving no tree unscathed, no rock unmoved, and as Fireball informs them of Mud-Skin's most recent tactic, no bones uncrushed. They wanted to make absolutely sure that there were as few ways to catch them off-guard as possible. As thorough as these dragons were, they still missed some crucial details. One of which being that Mud-Skin had multiple methods of attack prepared.

One by one, in rapid succession, the dragons on the ground fell into pits that were covered with animal skin and loose earth, the depths of which were all five times the height of Mud-Skin. With the loose earth disturbed by the heavy weight of the dragons, they were covered in clay and rocks. The only one on the ground that avoided such a trap was Slash. The dragons yelled out from the pits.

"What is this?!"

"It's too narrow to fly!"

"I can't get a grip on the walls!"

"It's full of water!"

"Help! *splash* I can't! *splash* Breath!"

"So much dirt *cough* in the way!"

Sparks, Slash, and the other four dragons were all honestly baffled at how many fell for the traps, but they couldn't dwell on that right now. Mud-Skin was about to strike again. But from where? Just as Sparks looked away from one of the flying dragons, he heard a rustle of leaves and a scream from the dragon. When Sparks whipped around to see, the dragon was gone. Hidden by thick canopies, he couldn't make out where the dragon might have been taken.

Back on the ground, Slash was trying to help Fireball get out of the pit he fell into. He grabs Fireball's claw with both of his and pulls with all his might, using his wings to prevent him from falling or slipping into the hole. While doing so, he starts to feel angry and less composed. His inhibitions starts to weaken and his frustrations start to feel overwhelming.

"Could your fat rump be any heavier, you stupid orange geode of viper dung?! PULL YOUR FAT ASS UP!" Slash strained harder, nearly pulling Fireball half-way up.

Fireball knew that Slash was always one for banter and ribbing, but this felt like more of a genuine insult. As if Slash was venting his actual thoughts. Even more than that, he never said it in such an angry or spiteful way. It was always with some kind of joking voice. It confused Fireball.

Without much time to think on the matter, something brown and fast tackled Slash from the tall canopy, forcing the grip between Slash and Fireball to break. Mud-Skin tumbled with Slash, nearly earning a claw to the face before throwing the dragon through a burning pine tree. Slash recovered and glided across the ground with claws digging into the dirt to slow him down. Slash shivered and shook his head. His eyes darted to and fro, overstimulated by everything. Mud-Skin wasted no time to continue moving towards Slash, dashing forth with unprecedented speed. Though quick, Slash still managed to lock eyes with him. And in that brief moment before contact, countered. Slash's five finger-blades jutted forth like a spear ready to pierce. Mud-Skin just barely had time to move, making it a glancing blow rather than head-on. He spun around to face Slash after narrowly passing him by. Slash's eyes were pits of black with rings of red. His breath heavy and hot. Trails of smoke and flame left his nostrils and mouth continuously.

"RRRRAAAAAAAHHH!" Slash rushed toward his target with fervor, not even bothering to fly. Mud-Skin gave no response, only taking a stance. Then, a clash of fearsome claws and stalwart fists began. Savage hooks from Slash put Mud-Skin on the defensive, using a combination of footwork and parrying to avoid the rapid razors that threaten to cut deep into him. In return, Mud-Skin waits for a gap in the movements that the little dragon made. He didn't have to wait long. One overextended swing left the scaled creature wide open for a very punishing series of gut punches, finished off with a full force kick to the head. Slash twirled around, recovering faster than Mud-Skin expected, managing to catch him with a claw to the face before he could press the advantage. First blood was drawn, but that did little to slow the pace, as the two went right back into a tense, toe-to-toe brawl. The exchange of blows would be breath-taking, if there were any creatures to witness.

Sparks finally decided to dive below the canopies after the other four dragons decided to do the same to help their fellows that were stuck in holes. While there was merit in having numbers, dealing with the immediate threat was weighing on Sparks' mind a little more. He went to find where Mud-Skin had hidden himself. Following the path of upturned earth, demolished trees, and the roaring of Slash had tipped him off to where he was. As expected, the monster was even faster than before. Fortunately, Slash was somehow keeping up, dealing and taking the occasional blow in the whirlwind of limbs that was their fight. Though Sparks was unsure how Slash managed to get that fast, it didn't really matter. What mattered was the fact that he was keeping Mud-Skin busy.

"Just keep him there, Slash! I just need one good shot!" Sparks tried to inform Slash. Slash wasn't paying attention, though. He was far too enthralled to the feelings he was experiencing while fighting. Sparks flew up above the trees once again, beginning the process of gathering power. Clouds slowly collected above him as he circled in the air.

Meanwhile, The rest of the dragons were clawing their way out of the pits that were dug for them. Fireball was first to climb out, thoroughly out of patience and embarrassed that he had been caught off guard twice in one day. He put his strength into his arms and pushed his claws as deep into the earth as he could. Then, he climbed out one step at a time. With frustration, Fireball rushed to make sure that Mud-Skin died quickly. The other dragons would soon follow Fireball's lead.

Fireball noticed the clouds above were swirling and darkening. Sparks was about to bring lightning onto Mud-Skin. He had to see this. It seemed to be good news for once. He soon found Mud-Skin and Slash duking it out right under the eye of the storm. The plan was obvious. Hold it in that spot until Sparks can charge the lightning strike. Fireball rushes in to help Slash distract, and maybe even weaken Mud-Skin.

Mud-Skin was locked in single combat with an unusually fast Slash. Minutes have gone by, blocks and narrow misses occupied the stand-off, with Slash getting slower. Mud-Skin noticed this right as it began. First, it was slightly longer recoveries from swings and jabs, then it was the increase hyperventilation, then the slacking of shoulders and footing. Mud-Skin knew Slash was tiring out, whereas he was just getting warmed up. He pushed the advantage. Roundhouse head kick, gut punch, duck under a swipe, slip the jab, left hook, right hook, lean back to dodge the wild haymaker, wind-up, big leaping uppercut. Slash zips into the air without the use of his wings, leaving behind several teeth before clearing the canopy and gaining Sparks' attention. Slash limply fell back through the tall trees, tumbled through various branches, and finally slamming into the ground.

Fireball kicked up some dirt to blind Mud-Skin, coming down with a two-fisted smash. Mud-Skin wasn't even a foot away from where he hit. Did he miss? Fireball went for a back hand swing. Mud-Skin leaned to the side and got under fireball's arms. Before he could see him do it, Fireball felt a crushing pressure hit his ribs, sending him sliding across the grass.

"Oof. That stings. At least the training's paying off." Fireball rushed again towards Mud-Skin. The comparatively small man seeming to be uncaring for the multi-ton reptile racing towards him. Fireball let out his signature burning ball, leaping into the air immediately after. Mud-Skin jumps to avoid the ball headed for him, nearly failing to notice the dragon had predicted his movement. Mud-Skin tried to turn his body to avoid what he predicted to be a swipe. Fireball out played him. A double hand clap to catch the muddy menace was the real play. Catching Mud-Skin with a jolt of glee and blood-lusting fervor, he slammed the monster onto the still burning mass of stone and metal.

"Finally! I got you, slimy bastard!" Fireball yelled out in triumph. Fireball applied the technique that his father taught him and proved fruitful. All he had to do now was hold Mud-Skin, who was now struggling in his claws.

Mud-Skin was grunting in the dragon's grip. Stronger than last time, certainly, but that wasn't the issue. It was the thermite that was now covering and burning away what little defenses he had on. A layer of clay with a chest piece made of leather and scale from the cave drakes he killed some time ago. The reaction will definitely eat through that and his skin quickly. He goes to break the fingers, only to be met with fire to the face. The clay hardened within seconds. Despite two broken thumbs, Fireball kept his grip and tried to cook the creature as quickly as he could with his less potent flames. It did not do the job quickly enough. Mud-Skin threw some of the thermite into Fireball's face and slipped out of his grip the moment Fireball lifted his hand to wipe his face.

Now with the armor burned up and the clay falling off in hard pieces, Mud-Skin's true appearance showed. He could feel the cool air brushing against him again. Not good. He would have to be even more careful now.

Fireball wiped the hot material away to see Mud-Skin. The skin wasn't so muddy anymore. In fact, it looked soft and fleshy, It was like the skin of a frog or newt with many small hairs on it. "So, you're a haired creature, huh? That explains a lot." Fireball pulled his thumbs back into place with hisses of pain. The two stared the other down, tensing and flexing, waiting for the other to make a move. Then, Mud-Skin caught eye of the other nine that were trapped in pits. With numbers against him, Mud-Skin took some deep breaths and gather his focus. Testing limits was no longer an option.

Crashes of thunder were heard from above, flashes of lightning streaked across the sky. The full force of the draconic horde was before him. His armor and camouflage gone. His skin hot and stinging from the thermite and the few lacerations that the other dragon landed. The horde rushed him altogether, and the small yellow dragon had come barreling back for more. The little dragon zipped passed the horde of giant lizards.

"I'LL KILL YOU!"