The Dragoso Series 1: Discovery in Hardship

Trevor’s eyes snapped open, he was still in the cavern he was in before, though his body was in perfect shape, no burn from...whatever it was that he was hit with. Brokenstar and Demise were gone.

“What the hell was that...?” Trevor asked himself and stood.

“An illusion.” Trevor turned to see the team standing behind him.

“Agony was known to create illusions...I wonder if somehow...” Deathbore started and Anna looked to him.

“You think they’re going to rise again?” Anna asked.

“I don’t know. I truly hope not and remain as legends. We never saw them in our lives and let’s keep it that way.” Deathbore started past Trevor to a corridor behind the platform.

“Why did you run off?” Anna demanded. Trevor flinched before exhaling and facing her.

“I don’t know. I saw something and felt I needed to follow it,” Trevor stated and Anna searched his eyes.

“Demise?” Anna questioned.

“WHAT?!” Deathbore roared. “That sleazy Nega Dragon freed the Death Dragon fledgling?!” Deathbore hurried back to them.

“Trevor’s thoughts hold images of a young Death Dragon that Brokenstar calls Demise so I assume so,” Anna replied and Deathbore roared in frustration.

“MOVE!” Deathbore commanded and hurried for the corridor, the team following behind him.

They came to what could only be a throne room. The platform in this room was made of bricks, torches rested at the corners of it and there was another corridor behind the platform. On top of the platform laid Brokenstar and beside the platform rested Demise.

“I honestly thought that illusion would’ve lasted longer on you, Trevor. No matter, I had my fun. Demise! Have fun.” Brokenstar stood and headed through the passage behind the platform. It closed and Demise grinned, stepping onto the platform and opening his wings.

“Master Brokenstar wouldn’t let me use these until now,” Demise remarked and his eyes began glowing pink.

“Hell Dragons!” Trevor shouted as a group of five appeared.

“How did you-?” Anna questioned.

“The illusion involved me getting killed by one of these things,” Trevor replied.

“Watch the plasma!” Deathbore warned, barely dodging the swiping claws of a Hell. Deathbore hit it with his breath element and snorted. The Hell shook its head before snarling and advancing its attack again. Trevor dodged attacks, his eyes landing on Demise and an idea started in his head.

You want me to what?! Sylark’s voice snapped in his head.

You’re the quickest with your abilities, go! Trevor retaliated and Sylark rolled his eyes before jumping over one of the Hells and launching an ice spike right into Demise’s eye. Trevor headbutted a Hell and rounded on Deathbore.

“Deathbore! Do what Demise was doing!” Trevor commanded and Deathbore pounced on a Hell, his eyes glowing pink like Demise’s did and the Hell stopped struggling. The other Hells stopped and looked to the Hell that was under Deathbore’s control.

“Steref...I should’ve known,” Deathbore mumbled and released the Hell who got to its feet before bowing its head. It spoke in a strange tongue and Deathbore snorted, looking at Demise who was pinned under Sylark’s foot with a bloody eye.

“Master Brokenstar will not be stopped!” Demise squeaked. He struggled against Sylark’s foot to no avail.

“And what makes you believe that, worm?” Sylark asked, standing with his chest puffed. Demise remained silent, but Trevor knew Sylark was picking through Demise’s brain. “Brokenstar is smarter than we thought. Demise knows nothing of his greater plans.” Deathbore looked to the Hell Dragon called Steref.

“Take the fledgling to his sealing chamber and make sure you leave some of your dogs there to guard it until I say otherwise,” Deathbore commanded and the Hell bowed his head, approaching Sylark and snapping his jaws around Demise’s tail before flying through an opening in the wall, two other Hell Dragons following after him. The remaining two dipped their heads and waited for orders.

“Brokenstar is our only concern now,” Anna stated. She looked to Deathbore who nodded and approached what used to be the passageway behind the throne.

“Couldn’t you just take control of the Underworld now that Brokenstar is away from the throne?” Trevor asked.

“It’s not that simple, boy. The only way to take over is to defeat the current leader in battle should one wish to challenge the throne. No matter who is the victor, the current king must lose for a new one to rise.” Deathbore touched a claw to the wall and the passage opened. “Lucky for us, power isn’t required here, only knowledge.” Deathbore looked back at the Hell Dragons and jerked his head forward. The Hells stepped in front of him and started forward, Deathbore walking behind them followed by the rest of the team.

Brokenstar was livid when they came to a large chamber that appeared to hold nine cells. Deathbore stared at Brokenstar trapped in the room.

“You won’t stop me that easily,” Brokenstar roared. He launched himself forward and suddenly phased into the ground.

“What the?!” Anna exclaimed and looked around. “Shadow Dragon abilities?” Brokenstar reappeared in front of Trevor and pounced on the unsuspecting Water-Ice Dragon, pinning him down. “Trevor!”

“Oh look at you, there’s more to fear than just death it appears,” Brokenstar taunted. Trevor struggled to get Brokenstar’s foot off his throat. He didn’t have to wait for long, something pounced on Brokenstar and wretched him off of Trevor. Looking over at the wrestling dragons, Trevor caught a glint of silver between the two masses. Samual had come to Trevor’s aid. “This does not involve you, snake!”

“On the contrary. Thissss hassss everything to do with me, Brokensssstar,” Samual hissed. Brokenstar disappeared into a shadow again and everyone’s heads whipped around, looking for the Nega Dragon.

“The Underworld is rightfully my master’s,” A new voice spoke around them.

“That voice, I know that voice...” Anna mumbled. Brokenstar appeared and his horns clashed with Anna’s.

“You should know it,” Brokenstar growled, pushing his weight against Anna. “You clashed with him years ago.” Anna managed to step aside and Brokenstar fell forward, but phased into the ground as he hit it.

“We’ll never have an edge with all this shadow play,” Deathbore muttered.

“What do we do?” Malice questioned.

“What can we do? This is impossible,” Trevor huffed. Brokenstar jumped at Sonar who turned towards the Nega with Tikimune’s guidance and blasted him away. “He’s just playing with us.” Anna’s eyes followed Brokenstar as he glided around the walls as a shadow.

“Watch out!” Anna exclaimed as Brokenstar popped up in the middle of the group and they were showered in darkness.

~oOo~

Trevor opened his eyes, taking in his surroundings. He wasn’t sure where he was, it looked as though he stood on a large plane of ice and he was surrounded by water.

“Trevor?” Trevor spun around to spot a dragon with a mix of blue scales and what looked like the front part of a horse’s mane. The eyes were all too familiar to Trevor and he tensed up.

“Dad?” Trevor wasn’t sure what to make of this situation.

“What are you doing here?”

“I...I don’t know...I-”

“Leave.”

Trevor recoiled at his words.“Wh-what?”

“Did I stutter?”

Trevor stared at his father.

“Why do you think I left? Because of research? Because I’m a Nixes Dragon and can’t handle temperatures higher than typical Antarctica weather?” Henry turned his back to Trevor.

“B-but...Dad...you...but...” Trevor couldn’t speak.

“Waste of my time. Your mother and you kids. That’s all you were, and I don’t plan on returning anytime soon. Now leave.” Henry started forward, only to stop suddenly when Trevor slammed a foot onto his tail.

“Trevor...don’t make me do something I’m going to regret.”

“No. I’m not leaving. You love Mom. You love us. There’s no way in hell that you’d suddenly turn your back on us. That’s not the dragon...not the man my mother married.” Trevor chuckled. “And I sure as hell know you never gave up on family. You’re the one who called your contact at Voutneth and got us in. A man who turns his back on family would never help his kids.”

The world around Trevor wavered before the bright colors of the sky and ice became the dark brown stone of the Underworld. Trevor blinked a few times and everything cleared to bring him out of the illusion. Everyone else was writhing in pain around him. Brokenstar snarled at Trevor as he looked at his team.

“HOW? How do you break my illusions so easily? You’re just a yearling!” Brokenstar roared. Trevor took a step towards Brokenstar and the Nega Dragon tensed up.

“You know nothing about me. I know that the things I fear are illusions that I have no reason to be scared of,” Trevor countered and he released his breath element onto Brokenstar. Brokenstar countered with his darkness and flared his wings.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sylark recover from his illusion and spotted Trevor. The Ice Dragon stood and hurried to Trevor’s side, releasing his icy stream onto Brokenstar.

Rouse your siblings, I’ll hold him, Sylark commanded and Trevor closed his mouth, turning to his siblings and approaching David, shaking his shoulder.

“David! It’s not real!” Trevor called. David looked up at Trevor, his eyes were pitch black.

“T-Trevor?” David gasped.

“It’s not real, buddy. Whatever you see over there isn’t real!” David’s eyes squeezed shut for a moment before he opened them again, revealing his ocean blue eyes. “Help me with the others.”

One by one they managed to rouse everyone, all except Anna and Deathbore. Trevor stood before Deathbore as he struggled against a force.

“What could he possibly fear?” Brenda asked, standing beside Trevor.

“Who knows, he’s seen a lot in his existence,” Trevor replied and lowered his head to Deathbore’s ear. “SNAP OUT OF IT!” Deathbore jolted his head up and he looked around.

“What the...” Deathbore started and he spotted a few members of the team using their breath elements on Brokenstar and jumped to their aid. Trevor approached Anna as she looked like she was in agonizing pain.

“Anna,” Trevor whispered. He reached out to place a hand on her neck. His palm grazed the spikes on her back and her head shot off the ground, her eyes could only be described as black orbs and she snapped her jaws at him. “Anna! It’s me! It’s Trevor!” Trevor pranced backwards out of reach of her teeth. Anna snarled at him and swiped her claws at him.

“I will END you!” Anna growled. Her mouth parted slightly and Trevor could see a white glow in her mouth. Trevor’s eyes widened and he swiped at her snout, catching her off guard. “You little!” Trevor jumped over her and put his back to where Brokenstar stood defending himself.

“Guys, move!” Trevor shouted. Everyone moved and Brokenstar panted.

“You...will never...stop me...” Brokenstar huffed. “As long as I have the Underworld under my control...you will never stop me!” Trevor ignored him, his attention on Anna. The light started to glow in her mouth and he flailed his wings and hovered a few feet in the air, Anna trained on him.

“Anna, please, don’t do this!” Trevor pleaded. Anna snorted and took aim.

“Burn in the Underworld, demon.” With that, she released the light.

~oOo~

Brokenstar watched the exchange between Trevor and Anna as he spoke.

Move idiot, he’s planning something! Cenod barked. Brokenstar ignored him, though when he spotted the familiar glow of the Life Breath, he was too late to realize it. Trevor barrel rolled out of its line of fire.

“Ah...shit...” Brokenstar mumbled. Cenod phased out of his body a moment before Brokenstar was met with unbearable pain.

~oOo~

Trevor looked up at Brokenstar as the Nega Dragon shrieked. Right before his eyes, he watched Brokenstar’s body disintegrate, leaving nothing behind. Anna stumbled slightly and shook her head out before her eyes widened, realizing what had happened.

“What the hell just...” Anna started before she sat back on her haunches.

“We...we won...” Trevor gaped.