A Dance Of Ice And Fire

-Shen Wei/Yunlan-

They all look up into the night sky when they heard a piercing screech. Whatever was coming, they didn't have any doubts it was big. Out of safety, Shen summoned his shield, so the others will be protected against the fire of the coming beast. This time, both Da Qing and Zhu Hong were going to join the inevitable fight and Yunlan was determine to help Shen Wei to defeat the beast as soon as possible.

The land of the Furies was nothing more than black rocks and fire, with some small valley's in between, a land that formed out of volcanic lava and forged by the whims of the volcano, miles away. From their current position, they could see in far distant, the top of the black mountain, spitting magma from time to time and Shen Wei had told them that was the place the dragon had come from, pretty much at the foot of the mountain.

Soon, they were able to see fire coming from the sky and Da Qing use his magic to surround their barrier with volcanic spikes in all directions that could be used like projectiles against the coming dragon. Guo ready his sword shield as well, sending it out in the form of flying wheels, like he did with the last furies and so dozens of them fly around Shen's shield in waiting to take action at any moment. Zhu Hong threw a small pouch with a green powder that Lin's wind scattered outside their protection.

The first thing that came their way was a big ball of fire, that Wei extinguish before it could reach them with ease, then the beast came. The size alone was impressive, because it was huge and ferocious. Its body was half made of black stone and black scales, but its chest was open with the source of its power plain to see, which was a line of scorching fire, hotter than that of the Furies.

In a way, the fire dragon could be consider the King of the Furies, which could explain why they had not encounter another one, even when they had walked through their territory for a full day. If that was the territory of the King, no Fury will dare to cross to its territory without a price. A King will kill anything that came close, whatever Fury or human. Thus, if they defeated the King, they will be able to travel the rest of the way without any further encounters with the kind and that alone was worth the effort in defeat it.

"That's an imposing beast..." Da Qing said, as he watch it coming closer, firing another fire ball that Shen's silver dragon, swallow it like it was food.

"Indeed. No poison will work against that thing. The heart itself is made of fire, my poison cloud had no chance to work over fire." Zhu said.

"Neither will threads, or at least not for long and nor wind for that matter." Chu said.

"Yunlan, whatever you do, don't use star magic unless there is no other choice." Shen Wei said, putting a hand over his shoulder.

"Don't worry, my Prince, I am still a master of water." Zhao smiled at him and Shen simply assented.

Then the thing spitted a huge column of fire when over them, but Shen's barrier held strong, effectively keeping the group safe. Zhu's poison cloud was burned down, so Da Qing sent his black spike up, but the beast either catch and crush them like they were little sticks or avoid them. Guo wheels moved above their heads and strike the King with great force, but this time they bounced back, making no damage, still Guo keep them striking the dragon from different sides over and over, preventing it land.

However, the dragon Fury use an even bigger cloud of fire that completely cover Shen Wei's shield, blocking their visibility, as the heat coming from the King was intense enough to make them sweet. Zhao calmly lower the temperature inside their bubble to a point there was traces of frost in the black ground, then Shen's silver dragons absorbed the fire covering their dome. The King landed, causing a small tremor on the earth and immediately Da Qing summon a huge dome of rock, hardening it as it grow out of the earth to try cage the dragon, but when the huge dome was almost completed, the thing, spitted hot fire and cracked it, like it was nothing more than a cookie.

"Ah, damn it! I was so close..." Qing yelled in frustration. Nevertheless, trying to trap him, enraged the dragon Fury and ignoring Guo's swords, it came at them faster than they thought possible and crashed against their barrier. Shen Wei extended his hands in front of him to brace for the impact in his shield. They all felt a shock wave that make most of them fall to the ground, except Da Qing, Shen Wei and Yunlan.

"Shen Wei, keep it strong!" Yunlan yell over the intense roar of the King, still lowering the temperature as the dragon try to claw the shield. The strength the dragon used to try crush their protection down was great and even Shen was beginning to had a hard time to keep it in place and at some point it begin to be pushed down with the huge weight.

"No you won't cross it, nor crush it!" The Fire Prince yelled in rage, adding an extra layer of white fire, the hottest of them all. At that, the dragon back off from their barrier, then the silver dragon begin firing rainbow flames at the King, that make it roar, spitting a huge column of fire to it, but the smaller one, only sallow the fire, then release it back with more intense flames of multiple colors.

The distraction of the King with the silver dragon, as well as Qing's spikes, give Zhao the opportunity to call upon the water from the underground river that crossed the land of the Furies, as it did the caves of the bats. Shen Wei was also ready to summon a guardian beast or his rainbow rain, but Zhao stop him from do so.

"Let me handle this from here on... just keep the shield strong and the thing distracted for a little longer. Chu, see if you can bond him to the ground even for a bit. Try as much as you can!" Zhao shouted and Shen Wei wondered what he was going to do next, giving the grade of concentration he was putting with closed eyes.

Wei took the chance to glance at his lover and in his eyes, the Water Prince looked more dignify and beautiful than ever, dressed in blue and gray, his long hair falling down his back, his handsome face with a hint of a bear and his penetrating eyes closed, summoning his element that will make him look like a warrior.

The King of the Furies, screeched again, covering the entire land with scorching fire, but normal fire could not defy his white one. Shen turned the fire in his barrier around, forming a hot twister made of flames that keep the King away, while Chu try his hardest to keep it bond for more than a few seconds. Then, they all hear a sound of rushing water coming closer as Yunlan raised his hands up. The earth below the tremble slightly with Yunlan's command over the coming water.

Soon, they all witness as long thick ribbons of water came up from the earth, first just a few, then dozen's and later hundreds of them, going up into the night sky. The King spitted more fire in their direction, but as soon as one ribbon was evaporate, ten more come up. Then, Shen's barrier begin to be surrounded by Zhao's water, making an extra barrier above Shen's, then Zhao freeze it crystal clear. Shen extinguish his white flames, so they will not melt Yunlan's ice, but keep his purple barrier up.

"Shen Wei, retrieve your silver dragon and your barrier." Yunlan said without opening his eyes and Shen obeyed without questioning. As soon as the dragon was back to where it belong and the barrier was gone, Zhao danced inside the water barrier, making a symbol of water as he moved over the hard ground. The dragon spitted even more fire all around, in an effort to evaporate all the water that burst from ground, but it was useless, as more and more ribbons came up, beginning to wet everything around and overflow it.

What happen next, no one expect it, as a huge body of water came from the underground, flooding everything all around in a huge circle, only sparing their own ice barrier, as it burst up like a reversed waterfall. It was so sudden and fast that the King didn't have time burn his bonds to fly away before the water closed in a dome around it, then it filled all up in seconds. Flames were useless when you were completely cover by water all around. Miraculously, the dragon inner fire didn't extinguish as it was cover with water, but that didn't matter, because next, Zhao turned the water into ice, trapping the King inside.

The King of the Furies try to melt the ice, but it was too thick, then it try with lighting, but as Zhao exhale, a gelid air completely froze the dragon, from down his legs, up to his flaming core, which extinguish with the ice, to up its huge head. Right after, Zhao hardened the ice as much as he could, closing his right hand into a thigh fist that lose color in a second by the strong force.

The rest looked in awe as Zhao Yunlan open his hand in a sudden move that reflected on the ice that trapped the dragon King and broke, shattering into hundreds of ice pieces that were scattered all around the place. They all looked at Yunlan, as he moved his hands in a slow motion toward the ground, sending the water back to where it belong. Zhao looked back at them, who were still staring his way, once all the water returned to their rightful place and arched an eyebrow.

"What? Did I miss something?" He asked.

"You just took down a dragon King... mostly on your own with only your element..." Chu said with a hint of admiration and Zhao laughed.

"Ah, yeah... well, you shouldn't be that surprise. Water is the opposite of fire after all... Wait, not in our case, my Prince, I assure you..." But Zhao didn't have the time to say more as Shen Wei came and give him a bear hug before he dare to kiss him right in front of the others.

"Not again..." Chu said, but both Yunlan and Wei ignore him, as they passionately kiss. Zhu smiled, coming closer to Da Qing, who took her hand on his.

"Their stars are strong..." Zhu whisper.

"So do ours..." Qing whisper back as he kissed her hand, making her smile.

"Oh yes, ours too." She said, as she watched a bit embarrassed to the passionate lovers that will probably lead them in a near future.

AN: Thanks for reading, not much Weilan here, but I hope the adventure was satisfying. Take care, until next time. 😄😍😙😁💖💖💖💖