30

The elf slams the tablet into Sekka's face, shattering it, and driving several pieces of glass into his skin. Drawing blood from both side of his face as he drags his face through the wall behind him.

"Why didn't you show me this sooner?" he yells, somehow maintaining that harsh musical tone despite his shouting, "Our entire plan rests on the extinction of the dragons. If that truly is a dragon then our plans have been set back months. Where is the creature now?"

"I don't know," Sekka whispers fearfully, not knowing what exactly he did wrong, "It disappeared right after that. They lost track of it for months. Then it just reappeared on another planet about a year ago."

"How long has it been since those images were taken?" the elf let go as barely contained rage ran throughout his body.

"A little over two years," Sekka winces ready to take another hit, "The images were hidden for a long time. I didn't know about it until recently."

"What happened after it reappeared?" he seemed to be reining in his rage as he thought.

"It declared itself an ally of humanity," Sekka was obviously resisting the urge to reach up to his face, and check the damage, "It killed an Arachnid queen after wiping out most of her nest. Saving the local guild. It fostered an alliance between them, and the lizardmen that rule the planet. Then disappeared again. Not nearly as long this time. It showed back up on that planet, and agreed to help with a wyvern problem. Apparently someone tried to copy elven work." He paused briefly, not daring to look his elven master in the eye, "It went bad. He was helping them kill off that entire flight. Earl is just waiting on Guild leader Bird's final report now." His eyes looked as far up as the elf's chest but just wouldn't go any further, "Bird was under orders to kill it."

"We might be able to use that in our favor," the cloaked elf pulled up his hood before stroking his chin, "The books dragons are manageable while they're young. Troubling when they mature though. As long as he isn't a king we should be able to kill him before he gets much stronger." A sly smile can be heard in his tone, "Is there anything else I should know about the dragon?"

"He possesses the spatial element," Sekka kept his eyes down.

The sound of the elf's teeth grinding is the only sound that is heard between the two of them.

"Your mother will suffer greatly for your failings," he stretches out his hand, "Your detailed written report?"

Sekka reaches in his shirt, and closes his hand around the black gem that hangs from his well concealed necklace. Several pieces of yellowed paper with obvious signs of writing appear in his other hand. He hands them over with his eyes still downcast as a portal forms behind the elf. He remains disturbingly still until the elf crosses through the portal, and it closes. His rage explodes outward all at once.

The shadows leap up like flames as he punches the wall behind where the portal appeared. Collapsing the entire wall with a single display of rage, and power. Yet not a sound escaped him when the sound of shouting nearby reaches him he drops into the shadows. He travels through the shadows to the roof of the building where he looks down on the humans that heard the wall collapse. Pulling a small red gem out of his pocket.

It pulses like a heartbeat. A strong pulse followed by a weak one. Repeating over, and over again in a loop. Strong pulse, then like an echo the second weaker pulse. He rubs the upper curve of his ear gingerly before vanishing into the night without a sound.

*****

My attention shifts back to those the false dragon keeps around him. All three of his bonded wish for his survival. Those that have allied with him on me are few in number. Only the ones that come from the beastly altered bloodline, two young dragons, and their bonded. All resting in one place.

Gaia plays the ally while trying to infiltrate his mind. How weak willed did he have to be for her to be able to do so? He swung at me wildly. His soul still holding the shape of a human. I have to look at him again.

There's a light in that eye of his. Growing stronger by the second. A cold blue. Perhaps he's not entirely human souled as I suspected.

*****

"Can you get here or not Goliath?" I brushed through my hair with my fingers nervously.

"I don't know," Greenland is a forbidden zone for a reason, "Temperatures there haven't come above negative fifty there since the first portal break. The beast at the center of the continent wiped out everything that tried to come near it."

"We're in Greenland Goliath," I snapped, "How long do you think we'll last with something like that looming over our heads? Gaia can only keep us hidden for so long."

"I understand your problem," It sounded as if he bounced the phone off his forehead in frustration, "I just can't leave Aurora or the hatchling here. I'd have to bring them with. I have to think of their safety as well."

"Goliath, the hatchling won't freeze," I looked down at the ankle high grass that covered all the ground within a hundred feet of Wyatt, "And Gaia knows the humanoid beast that took over this continent."

"What?" Goliath seemed genuinely confused.

"It's some sort of spirit," I looked over to Ethan, "She's already negotiated safe passage for us all. The spirit just won't allow us to use spatial magic within their domain."

"That doesn't mean we have safe passage outside of her domain," he sounded frustrated, "My clearance has been revoked. Something is happening that the military is trying to keep a tight lid on. Whatever it is has them shaking in their boots. They've ordered all the werewolves to be ready to mobilize. Including the children. They revoked my clearance when I protested."

"Aurora can use that transformation skill that Wyatt used to use all the time," I felt a pulse go through me as it spread out from Wyatt, "Catch a plan to get into Canada, and fly the rest of the way here."