Zodiac Academy 7: Heartless Sky

“Get to my father!” I demanded of Tyler as he galloped through the battle.

I held on tight to Sofia’s waist as Tyler let out a whinny of determination, weaving left and right through our allies and enemies, leaping over bodies and using his horn to swipe aside anyone who tried to attack us.

My gaze was set on my father as he blasted a line of rebels with his Dragon fire, soaring overhead, his huge wings stirring the air around us and I urged fire into my veins to fight away the cool wind.

“Be careful,” Sofia begged as she turned to look at me, kissing me hard and I squeezed her tight, knowing it might be the last time I got to do so before I broke apart from her and rose to my feet on Tyler’s back, adjusting the horn helmet on my head which had been made for me by Tory and Darcy with their Phoenix fire.

Tyler neighed in encouragement, but I could hear the fear lacing that sound as I leapt upwards, pulling my clothes off as I shifted into my lilac Pegasus form and racing into the sky after Lionel, my wings bursting from my back and a furious neigh escaping my lips.

My heart thumped violently in my chest like it was fighting against the decision I’d made, like it knew these might be its final beats. But I didn’t care. I wasn’t going to stand by and watch my father kill these people. I was tired of his tyranny, tired of hiding in the dirt and tired of waiting for the world to end. In a way it was a relief to find him here now, a relief to face him at long last.

I swept up behind him, staying in his blind spot and ducking his tail as it whipped out furiously behind him. He lowered his head, hunting for more prey below and I swung under his belly, angling my horn just right as I beat my wings hard to make it beneath his chest. I shook my head to ignite the Phoenix fire on my horn and a swirl of red and blue flames flared along it in an instant.

He still hadn’t noticed me and hope sang a tune in my veins as I dipped my head, lining my flaming horn up with his black heart, ready to drive it through scales and bone to finish him.

Then I kicked my legs and beat my wings, coaxing all the power I could into the blow.

Father turned at the last second and my horn slammed into him off centre. But it still drove in deep and he roared in agony as I yanked my horn free and beat my wings hard, preparing to slam it into him once more, hitting the target I was so desperately aiming for.

I lunged at him to strike again, but one of his talons hooked around my leg and he threw me through the air, making my stomach lurch in fright.

I spun in a barrel roll, my wings flexing as I worked to get control of my descent and I narrowly missed the snapping of his jaws as I managed to fly upwards, my hooves smashing down on his skull as I used him as a springboard to get higher.

He bellowed another roar and the heat on my back warned me of the fire chasing my tail as I raced for the sky, a whinny of fear leaving my throat as I smelled singed hair, glancing back to find my tail on fire.

I whipped it hard until it went out and made it into the cloud cover with a breath of relief leaving me, thankful a water Elemental had cast a small storm here so I could use it to hide.

The cries and screams of the battle were muffled up here and though I was covered, I also couldn’t see my father, his deep growl rumbling through the air around me.

I turned left and right, unsure what move to make next and suddenly two jade green eyes peered through the thick mist at me.

Fire blasted my way, lighting up the clouds in orange as I tucked my wings and dove from the heavens, plummeting towards earth as fast as I could.

The way the air dragged and shifted around me made me sure he was right on my tail, and I shot side to side as fire bloomed past me, so close to consuming me it was all I could do to keep moving.

I stretched my wings out at the last second, pulling up from the dive, and twisting back to face my father. I slammed into his side, his huge body taking much longer to manoeuvre the way I could, and my fiery horn sank into his flesh once more, cracking the scales along his ribs and the sweet scent of his blood made me whinny in victory.

I flew higher, running up his side, my hooves bashing against his body in bruising strikes as I charged towards his head, my breaths falling heavily from my nostrils in a fog of white as I focused on my target, galloping up his spine with victory humming my name.

I’d drive my horn into his skull and finish him.

I wasn’t his victim anymore. I was a survivor of his reign, and he would rue the day he ever dared to try and dismiss my kind as weak.

But just as I prepared to strike him, a tendril of shadow came out of nowhere, locking my front legs together and making a neigh of fright leave me as I tripped, tumbling over my father’s head and whinnying in horror as one of my wings got lashed to my side too.

I heard Lavinia laughing as I fell and I kicked my back legs feebly, my other wing stretching out in the hope of slowing my fall before I crashed to the ground.

I slammed into the dirt and the front talons of Lionel’s shadow foot raked across my side as he held me down, agony spilling through the wound as his weight pressed onto me and my ribs snapped beneath his tremendous bulk.

I whinnied in pain, my eyes falling on Sofia and Tyler as they galloped towards me through the press of fighting bodies. She blasted fire magic from her position on his back as they fought to reach me, but they were going to be too late. And my gaze begged them to run, because I knew they couldn’t face my father and win.

A line of Nymphs charged into their way, blocking their path to me and forcing them into a fight I prayed they’d win. Sofia raised a flaming sword and Tyler neighed furiously as he reared up, but another group of Nymphs arrived and I lost sight of my Subs beyond them. Panic bloomed within me, and I hoped to the stars that wouldn’t be the last time I’d see them in this life.

Lionel reared over me, a rumble of rage sounding through his huge body before his jaws clamped down around my wing and his head whipped sideways.

Agony seared along my side as he ripped my wing free, tearing it away from my body so that it fell into the trampled long grass beside him and shock juddered through my entire being as I could only stare at it in horror, the lilac feathers stained red as they fluttered in the wind pathetically like a broken bird.

Blood poured and panic blossomed inside me as I stared up into the merciless eyes of my father, knowing he would make this hurt as much as he possibly could before he sent me beyond the Veil.

Lavinia released me from the shadow binds as her attention was snared by a line of rebels, but there was no way I could get up with the weight of a Dragon pressing down on me. And as my death closed in on me on all sides, I knew this was my end.

A furious neigh cut through the air and my eyes locked on Tyler as he came sailing down from the sky with Sofia on his back, his hooves slamming into Lionel’s head. My father snapped his jaws at them and I whinnied to them in desperation for them to flee. But it was clear they weren’t going to abandon me.

The weight lifted from my side as Lionel turned, taking off into the sky to try and catch them, but I couldn’t get up to help as I watched him follow the two Fae who held my whole heart towards the stars.