Horrifying Events

The massive yellow eyes looked around, seemingly unaffected by the sandstorm. It roared into the air, causing the winds to become more violent. Lightning flashed as multiple structures resembling funnel clouds formed high up.

A deep, echoing voice thundered. "Welcome, humans...to your deaths!"

The giant eyes closed, and a large burst of wind moved through the air. Wood snapping and water splashing sounded. A war horn sounded alongside the canon's firing.

Saphira grimaced. "Tyrel, we'll have to beat this creature somehow, or we'll both die."

"What is the creature, Saphira?"

Saphira sighed. "I don't know what it looks like. However, I do have my suspicions. We're going to have to get close enough to see it."

Above, lightning flashed, illuminating the silhouettes of seven F5 sand tornadoes spread out throughout the meadow. They all moved toward the largest groups of soldiers. When they engulfed them, the trapped soldiers tried to escape. But the harder they struggled, the harder it was to leave. Slowly, the soldiers were entombed within.

The soldiers on the ground all struggled to get out of the quicksand. Some flailed wildly as gargling sounds came from their throats, as it covered them. To the south, roars and canon firing echoed.

"Can I come out and see what's happening?"

Saphira shook her head. "No, you can't. It's too dangerous. However, if we can get close to the creature, we can dump all the compressed blood storage bags onto it. I'll use my telekinesis to slam them into it."

"Alright. And I'm sorry I couldn't be very useful."

Saphira smiled. "You're instrumental. Without your blood, we would have to flee. I believe we're facing an awakened terror or titan."

Lightning flashed again, showing the locations of the tornadoes. Most were finishing off the remaining soldiers, while one was heading toward Saphira and Tyrel.

Saphira's eyes widened as she used her telekinesis to fly away at immense speeds. Underneath her armor, Tyrel clung to her.

"Saphira, what's going on?!"

Saphira grimaced. "A sand tornado is chasing us."

Saphira flew blindly into the darkness, her telekinesis keeping the sand at bay. Another bolt of lightning flashed in the distance, illuminating the changed landscape. The ground was covered with sand and dunes. They flowed across the land like a sea.

She turned her head back as lightning flashed across the sky. The single tornado was followed by the other six. Her eyes widened as she turned her head and flew higher.

The sounds of wood shattering ceased, and a loud flapping sound echoed. Abruptly, an eerie yellow light illuminated the landscape.

"Saphira, what's happening?!"

Saphira turned back and froze in place for a moment. The giant yellow eyes stared at her from above.

The deep, echoing voice thundered again. "It is a pity. You're the last one remaining."

Lightning flashed above the eyes, revealing a floating gigantic dragon-like silhouette. One as tall as a skyscraper.

The voice boomed. "What will you do now?!"

A booming crash sounded, and the ground quaked. The creature's yellow eyes brightened, revealing its silhouette again. Its pillar-like legs slowly moved forward.

A smile grew on the creature's face. "No help will come!"

Saphira grimaced, flew toward the dragon, and whispered. "Get the storage bags ready. I'm going to take a risk and enter its mouth."

Tyrel yelled. "Isn't that suicide?! We could find another way to do this!"

Saphira grinned. "Honestly. I believe I can keep us safe inside using telekinesis. I realized if we fly around and throw the bags on it. It will take more soul essence. And the only way to win is to last long enough for your rot to kill it."

Tyrel nodded. "But being inside a dragon for days and possibly weeks sounds horrifying."

Saphira grimaced. "It's still easier for us. We can't take it out in a head-on fight. If I fly, dodge, try to keep sand away, stay away from the tornadoes and the dragon for days or weeks. Even my soul essence will run dry. Trust me."

Tyrel yelled. "Wait, perhaps we can just enter its mouth, throw the storage bags into it, and leave and hide underground. We could seal off the opening, too, so you won't have to keep the sand out the entire time."

Saphira paused for a moment. "That should work. Let's go with your plan. However, I believe you should see this nightmare creature. I'll let you out from beneath my armor."

"Okay."

Saphira's armor morphed as she used her telekinesis to pull away from her. She turned him around.

Tyrel's eyes widened. His body shook as his pupils moved from side to side. "That thing is so huge..."

The dragon turned and looked at Tyrel. "Intriguing. You both are flying towards me? Do you seriously think you can win?"

Saphira increased her pace and flew into the dragon's giant mouth. She whispered. "Throw them all out now. We must hurry."

Tyrel summoned the thirty-seven blood-filled backpacks. Saphira immediately used her telekinesis to keep them from exploding, and she threw them into the dragon's throat.

The dragon closed its mouth. "Your stupidity is interesting."

An explosion happened in its throat. It roared as Saphira and Tyrel flew out of its mouth. As they flew away, Tyrel saw the dragon's body up close. Instead of scales, it looked like constantly moving quicksand.

Saphira turned around and used her telekinesis on the dragon. She grits her teeth as it slowly rises into the air. The dragon tried to move but couldn't.

"What did you do? How are you restraining me?" The dragon calmly asked.

Saphira frowned and slammed it into the ground.

"Hahaha! I've never found someone capable of restraining me. Unfortunately for you, I'm unable to be damaged through physical means."

The dragon tried getting up but couldn't move. "Let me go, and I'll make your deaths swift."

Saphira forcefully closed the dragon's eyes with telekinesis before flying away and keeping the dragon restrained.

"I said, let me go!" The dragon roared as it tried to break free.

Saphira grits her teeth as blood dripped from her nose. She yelled. "Fine."

Saphira picked up and threw the dragon opposite her using a massive amount of essence.

The dragon yelled. "Rahhhhhh!"

Its voice faded, and the ground quakes.

Saphira grits her teeth. "Tyrel. Let's fly out of the sandstorm and hide under the ocean."

Tyrel nodded.

As they flew, lightning flashed above, revealing tornadoes surrounding them.

"We're trapped!"

Saphira smirked. "No, we're not. We'll go up until we can see the blue sky!"

Saphira floated toward Tyrel and hugged him against her chest before rising skyward. The tornadoes closed in as they flew up.

Tyrel shivered. "Can your telekinesis stop the tornadoes from entombing us?"

Saphira nodded. "Yes, but I hope that we'll avoid them altogether. It took too much essence to throw that dragon."

Abruptly, the winds slowed, and the sandstorm died down. The tornadoes ceased spinning and fell to the ground.

"What's happening, Saphira?!" Tyrel shivered and rested his head on her chest. He clung to her as he closed his eyes.

Saphira turned around and frowned. The dragon flew in place up above. It roared as a large object formed above it. Every time it reached the size of the dragon, it compressed to the size of its eye. Down below, all the sand covering the ground slowly lowered.

"T-Tyrel. I think the sand is eating the ground to recover its essence." Saphira spoke as her face turned pale.

Tyrel's eyes opened. He looked down and saw seawater pouring inland over the sand. The corpses of the soldiers floated to the surface of the water.

Tyrel shivered and thought. 'So that's why corpses were shown at the beginning of the trial. The dragon doesn't eat meat but the earth. Wait, it kills for fun?!'

Tyrel looked into the sky and saw the object above the dragon being compressed, added onto, and compressed again. He whispered. "Saphira. We need to get as far as we can. That thing is making a horrific attack."

Saphira nodded and flew higher into the sky and away from the dragon.

The dragon's voice echoed. "No matter how far you go. My ability will kill you."

For ten minutes, Saphira flew away before she looked back, and her eyes widened. She pushed Tyrel's face against her chest and had her back face the dragon.

Tyrel lifted his head and got a glimpse at what was going on. His eyes widened. The object exploded in the sky. The shockwave ripped through the sand and the earth. A small hill near the blast zone was flung away at supersonic speeds.

"What the heck!"

Saphira surrounded herself and Tyrel with telekinetic energy just before they were flung at supersonic speeds. For about ten seconds, they were airborne, and as the ground rapidly approached. Saphira turned herself as her back faced the ground.

She used her remaining soul essence to slow down her speed. But in the end, it was not enough, as the duo was impaled on a sharp rock.

"Agh!" Tyrel yelled as blood dripped from his mouth. His abdomen was pierced.

Saphira gritted her teeth and used her tails to pull Tyrel off the rock and place him beside her. She lifted her right hand and put it on his left cheek as blood spilled from her mouth. "Tyrel. My time has come. Kill me and eat my corpse to heal yourself. Survive. Live on. Live on my precious pup."

Tyrel yelled. "No! I can't just let you die!"

Saphira sighed as she coughed up a piece of flesh. "It's too late for me, Tyrel. Please end my life and consume my corpse."

Tyrel shook his head and yelled. "No!"

Saphira shook her head, and three of her tails grabbed onto Tyrels arms while one grabbed a long rock.

Tyrel's eyes widened, and he squirmed. "Wait! We can figure something out!"

Saphira's tails pried his right hand open and forced his hand to hold the rock.

Tyrel yelled as he tried to escape. "No! Stop! I don't want to kill you! Stop!"

Tears fell from Saphira's eyes. "There's no other way, Tyrel."

Saphira's tails forced Tyrel to his knees and his right hand toward her chest. She sighed. "Since you can't do it willingly. I must force you. Please forgive me for my selfish actions."

Tyrel yelled. "No! Please! Don't make me do this!"

Saphira shook her head as her tails forced his right hand to stab her in the heart. "It's going to be okay."

[You have slain an anomaly dormant devil, Nebulous Fox.]

Tyrel's face turned pale as his pupils contracted. His heartbeat doubled. "No..."

Saphira's eyes rolled back as her tails fell to the ground.

[You have received an Echo: Nebulous Fox.]

Tyrel grimaced and fell to the ground. He clung to Saphira's corpse, looked into the sky, and yelled. "Nooooooooooo!"

He shrieked for an entire minute before stopping and hugging her corpse. "Why... Why..."

A booming crash sounded, and a familiar and deep voice echoed. "It seems she sacrificed herself to save you, human."

Tyrel turned around and stared into the dragon's eyes. "Why..."

"I should kill you, but it's more satisfying watching you suffer. Watch your guilt fester. Watch sadness consume your mind, and loneliness drive you mad." The dragon smirked and flew into the air. It flew away across the ocean.

Tyrel looked at Saphira's corpse and cried. He spoke in a lifeless tone. "I'll live on not for my sake but because you wanted me to live on."

Tyrel ate her right foot while whimpering, and his wounds healed. He got up and ordered the Amorphous Knight to bury her body. Once the task was finished, Tyrel made a gravestone. He wrote Saphira's name on it and weeps.

For the next week, the Amorphous Knight hunted while Saphira's Echo carried him. He cried into the Echoes chest as it rubbed his back and massaged his forehead. He only left the Echoes arms to do things he needed to do.

***

On the eighth day, a booming crash sounded. Tyrel opened his eyes, and he saw the dragon again.

"You did something to me..." It slowly limped toward him as parts of it fell off.

Tyrel ordered his Echoes to move away at the same speed as it walked.

"G-Get back here... You deceived me... Agh!" The dragon's left forearm fell off, and it fell on its side.

Tyrel smiled and silently peered into the dragon's eyes. He ordered the Echoes to stop.

The dragon stood back up and tried to fly, but its left wing fell off. Its head slammed into the ground. The dragon got up and crawled forward before it roared in agony. Its head fell to the ground as its yellow eyes came out.

The spell whispered:

[You have slain an awakened titan, Accursed Wyrm.]

[Wake up, Tyrel! Your nightmare is over.]

[Prepare for appraisal...]