Switching perspectives again

Roland was sweating profusely as he fought on. The enormous dragon that had come from the hole in the sky swooped down with gargoyles in its wake.

"Judah," He said. "Someone has to face this."

The cat stood still a moment as the winged black beast hovered over the city like a hungry cat watching field mice play with each other.

The king spun his spear, and the creature's eyes fixed on him with a malevolent grin. Black teeth dripped with some dark liquid, and Roland took a deep breath.

"I love you, Serafina," He said to Finn, behind him on Judah's back.

"I love you too," She said in reply.

"Go keep our children safe," He urged her.

"I will." She assured him. She paused. "You keep yourself safe."

Hopping down, his wife rushed away with a final glance, towards where Ivan lay unconscious on the ground in the waning light of a blackened sun.

He watched her for only a second before digging his heels into Judah's sides. His friend lunged forward, towards the dragon with a rallying cry that seemed to bring the other large cats to his flanks.

"Let's kill it." Roland declared as the gargoyles swarmed down. He avoided the temptation to look over his shoulder to his wife one last time. She would know to get herself somewhere safe. The gargoyles had been defeated once before, this would be no different.

The dragon swooped down with its obsidian wings, breathing fire that seemed to absorb light rather than put any off. Roland would recognize the Void in any form.

"You will not claim victory here!" He called up to keep the dragon's attention, playing the decoy. 

Its flight slowed for a second, and it flapped its large wings to stall itself and hover over the king. The wind from the action was enough to throw dust into the air and knock several people from their mounts.

From above, Lysander on his phoenix took advantage of the distraction and dove. Sword at the ready, the former provider struck at the dragon's head. The blade failed to pierce the adamantine scales, and the phoenix's flames and claws seemed to amuse more than wound. The Void turned with a sinister smile and caught the phoenix in one of its large, sharp clawed hands.

The fiery bird instantly turned to ash. Lysander was left in the Void's grasp.

"So silly, so stupid, when will you learn?" The Void's unmistakable tones dispelled any doubt about who the dragon was.

"Your fight is with me!" Roland called defiantly.

"My fight is with all who defy my will," The dragon corrected with a chuckle, "but I will be happy to kill you first, Prince Derek."

The use of his birth name didn't phase the king, but until the Void came lower, it was out of reach. He could throw his spear at the creature, but then he would have no weapon left.

"Then come and take my life, if you can!" Roland put all his confidence into a challenging smile.

In the next instant he ducked a perilous wave of black fire. Instead of heat, icy debilitating cold gripped him. Judah shuddered under the influence of the freezing air.

Frost dropped to the ground around them, and Roland stretched his shoulders to dislodge the sheet of frozen sweat that now clung to his back. It was bitterly cold, sticking to his skin and making him feel like he was burning.

"We can't get hit by that directly or we're done," He whispered to Judah, who gave a low chirp of assent.

The cat flicked his spearlike tail into the air, flinging the icicles attached to it towards the Dragon, who laughed and didn't even bother to knock them aside. Roland had never wished he had a bow and quiver more than this moment… although, if they did so little good against the giants, they probably would be ineffective against this dragon as well.

"Archers, fire!" He commanded to whatever parts of the army were still intact. His call was echoed, so at least some parts of those he commanded were still fighting fit. Tentatively, and then more often, arrows flew into the sky to strike harmlessly at the dragon's hard scales.

Not a single one got through.

"Aim for the eyes!" He commanded, but the dragon laughed again.

"I do not need eyes to see your fear," The voice wavered and amplified between many tones and timbres, echoing through the city. "You will die shivering and terrified."

"Not today!" Roland yelled, and pressed his knees into Judah's flanks. The cat took the signal and leapt into the sky with all the strength of his six powerful legs. The Dragon had come low to mock him, and the king was determined to strike at its heart.

The enormous black creature curled its lips in delight, casting Lysander to the ground and turning to Roland as if to receive the man and cat in a welcoming embrace.

At the last moment, the king jumped from Judah's back and hurled the spear with all his might into the dragon's open, smiling maw.

A gust of wind from the flapping of a giant, sparkling griffin propelled the spear further, and it went straight to the back of the dragon's throat.

The Void shut its black mouth with a snarl, and Roland fell to the ground as it moved aside. Death awaited him if he lingered, but the griffin snatched him up before he was turned into a human flatcake.

Held in the claws of the friendly beast, Roland was deposited only a split second before one of the dragon's fists swiped the griffin away in rage. It was smashed against the walls of the nearest building with a sound that the king hoped to never hear again.

"JUDAH, HELP!" He ran, knowing that his own legs would never take him to a speed that would avoid the Dragon's reach.

The Void landed on the earth, shaking it. The king lost his balance and fell in the quake, rolling so that he was never still for a moment.

Pausing would mean certain death.

"Help!" He cried again, scrambling to his feet. Judah wound his way through the rubble of the streets and Roland was able to get up onto his back a split second before the Dragon brought another enormous claw down.

"Your pet cannot save you. Nothing can," The Dragon taunted. "It is tempting to play with you a while, little Derek, and savor your death. You have plagued me long enough, but I'm afraid my patience has finally run out. Goodbye, little one. We will not meet again."

"Because this time you will be gone forever!" Roland challenged, and the Dragon paused for a cruel chuckle.

"So sweet, so innocent, little Derek. I won't miss your defiance, but you have amused me nonetheless." The dragon breathed out the freezing tenebrous fire, and Judah ducked behind the crumbling wall of a large home.

"You won't kill me so easily!" Roland yelled as the fire passed overhead. His breath froze as soon as it left his mouth. His body wanted to shut down with the cold. He wanted to give up, and flee, but as long as the Dragon was looking at him, attacking him, chasing him, it wasn't killing his wife or children.

"Where are you?" He whispered. "Help me. Help all of us."

There was no answer, but when the wave of piercing cold ceased, Judah leapt out again. Roland clung to his back, having no weapon to throw, no arrows to use, no sword to wield. He was defenseless.

The dragon was distracted by something to its right, and Roland took the moment to jump down and pick up a sword from a fallen soldier.

"Please, I can't do this alone," He whispered, "Where are you?"

It seemed a group of Fae were responsible for a secondary attack on the Dragon. The fiery beings withstood the black icy wind from the dragon's mouth, but their flames seemed to dim. Roland swallowed and climbed up onto Judah's back.

"Let's go." He said quietly. The giant cat turned his head to chirp once more at the king before complying.

Racing forward to where the Dragon fought off the collection of Fae, and seemed to be winning, Roland and Judah flanked the enormous creature. Judah leapt as the strong, spiked black tail swung towards them, clearing the swinging limb.

The Dragon's tail shifted directions so suddenly that there was no time to react when it lurched directly upward, hitting Judah across the stomach and sending Roland flying to the ground as his faithful friend was impaled on the razor-sharp barbs.

The cat's screaming gurgle ripped through the air as Roland hit the hard, broken cobblestones of the ruined street below.

"Judah!"

There was no reply.

The king struggled to his feet and picked up his sword. The Darkness was so deep around him that he could hardly see more than the outline of the immense reptile, thrown into sharp relief as the flames of the Fae blazed against it with a mad fervor.

He ran towards the enemy with a single word crying out from his heart.

Help.