Chapter 115: Tahr

I feel him.
It's that same sinister dark cloud of magic I remember from childhood. Drakon has caused nothing but death and heartache to the dragons and our realms. For this, he forfeits his life and will never cause harm again. At least after today.
I look around at my friends and their mates. I understand Sarn's willingness to give up everything for the love of a woman. I will give my life if that's what it takes. Losing my ability to shift would be a very small price.
We each have a job and primary position to guard but I hope to deliver the deathblow. The waiting is the hardest part.
***

Ashrac
I want to be in the fight but they give me the job of hiding beneath the castle and guarding the egg and children. I'm so close to adulthood I can feel it. It doesn't matter that I have twenty years before I should breathe fire; the heat in my smoke lets me know it's time.
And I'm stuck here while the action takes place above me.
Cantor comforts baby Lex and they both remain close to the egg. The egg was rather interesting at first. The way it glows brightly and moves around inside and then the glow fades low and the baby sleeps. It doesn't hold my interest any longer and the hours stuck down here only build on my frustration.
I've almost drifted off for a nap when I hear a commotion outside the door. There are beastkind shifters guarding the hall. Fire bursts from under the door and the heavy wood ignites. I'm on my feet and facing Drakon when he slams against the heavy wood and it gives.
Lex screams in his small baby voice and Cantor picks him up in his arms. "I've got you brother."
I don't have time to give orders for Cantor to run. All I have time to do is charge. My dragon bursts free and I slam against Drakon who shifted to dragon a second before my attack. The steel plates of his armor block my talons and his front leg swipes me aside like I'm nothing.
"No," I yell as I attack again.
I will remember his laughter as long as I live. He turns and breathes fire straight at me. It burns but I will survive. "Run," I yell into Cantor's mind.
Drakon's tail slams against Cantor's side and he hits the wall causing Lex to fall from his arms. I shift to my human form to give them a chance. With a quick leap, I land on Drakon's back. I duck and maneuver away from his tail when he tries to dislodge me. He half turns and Cantor picks up Lex and starts running for the door.
Drakon sees them and I know he's ready to blast them with fire. I leap to his neck and shift again. My dragon's weight pushes his head down. I fall to the floor when he shifts to his human form.
"Boy, you cannot stop me. I will have the silver dragon's egg, it is mine by right."
I pull my legs beneath me and inhale a large amount of air. I let everything go and the flame I knew I possessed shoots from my mouth.
Drakon's roar hurts my ears but not enough that I don't hear his words.
"You are dead, boy."
He's shifted and on me before I can suck in another breath. His talon digs into my belly and pain rings throughout my body. His claws tighten. I know he's ripping out my underbelly and there is nothing I can do. All I can think of is healing. I shift. His weight crushes my chest and before I shift back to dragon, his claw slices across my throat.
I'm sucking air through my wound and know I'm mortally injured. Drakon laughs again and I can do nothing but watch as he walks to the egg and picks it up. My arms and legs have no strength left.
I have failed my duty but Cantor and Lex are safe for now. The pain fades and the room goes dark before Drakon is through the doorway.

***

Acasia
Dmitri is notified that his bears are under attack. He's with us one second and then he's gone. Our plans change and it's decided the male dragons will fly to Dmitri's aide because we're sure it's Drakon. The females will remain behind to guard the children. I'm okay with this; I don't want to be far from my son. Roxy and Pepper feel the same way. Roxy flies overhead around Sarn's lair, Pepper keeps her eyes on the camera monitors and Sierra and I double check all the doors. The home is large, maybe too large so we move quickly from room to room.
The terrifying scream of my son almost throws me off my feet.
Drakon is inside and he's reached the children. I've never run so fast in my life. I race down the stairs to a location that should be impenetrable. I turn the last corner and slam into Cantor who is carrying Lex. I shove them behind me.
"Go to your mother, now." I whisper into Cantor's mind. He runs away from me as I race toward Ashrac. Two shifter bodies are in the hall, both burned beyond recognition. I rush through the door ready to shift and face Drakon in order to save my son.
Blood. I slide and fall to my knees. It's everywhere but I only have eyes for Ashrac. I don't even realize the scream in the room is mine at first. I don't care that Drakon could still be in here. My vision tunnels and I only see my son's glazed eyes staring upward. I wrap him in my arms and scream Bastian's name.
Ashrac's head is all but severed from his body.
***

Pepper
Cantor and Lex exit the underground tunnel before I can get to it. Roxy is right on my heels and Sierra behind her. Roxy grabs her children and pulls them into her arms.
"He wants the egg," Cantor says. "I couldn't protect the egg and my brother." His lips tremble and even with the terror I feel, my heart breaks for him. I don't have time to reassure him because Acasia screaming Bastian's name sends additional terror through my heart.
"We will protect the boys with our lives," Sierra says. There are two male bear shifters standing behind her. I see the look in Roxy's eyes. She doesn't want to leave her children.
"No, we finish this," she replies before I can tell her to stay behind. She kisses her children on their heads. "You will be safe and I will return. Be brave my sons."
I start running and Roxy is behind me a second later. The last hall is eerily quiet as we round the final corner. We advance into the room that held the children. I have trouble deciphering exactly what I'm seeing at first. Blood covers Acasia and Ashrac. She's rocking him in her arms and keening. Her eyes are tightly closed and the sound leaving her throat is more horrifying than anything I've ever heard.
"Nooo," whispers Roxy.
As horrific as what I'm witnessing is, I don't see my egg and everything inside me turns cold as I fight the need to spew fire. Drakon killed Ashrac and he has my child.
"He's still down here," Roxy says.
There is nothing we can do for Ashrac. We rush from the room and continue running down the long hall that goes deeper into the belly of Sarn's home. He killed a child, he killed a child runs through my mind with each second that passes.
He has my son.
***

Dmitri
I teleport to my alpha's home. No one is here which is strange. I run outside and again no one is present. This is more than strange. There should be women or even a child or two. It's deathly quiet. I send out a call to my bears. "Where the hell are you?"
"The... ub," is Honey's intermittent reply. Club must be what he said. Honey's father is Alpha.
"Are you safe?"
"Yes."
"Have we been attacked?"
"We... sure... father ordered us here... hour ago. Father... tearing club apart. H..." His voice cuts off and I've lost him. I waste no time blinking to the club.
Korep, Honey's father is indeed smashing up my crowded club. It's thankfully not packed with humans because there is no room. My entire clan is within the walls. I march over to Korep and knock him upside the head with my fist so he flies against the wall beside him. It's the fastest way to end things when he's in a rage.
"What the hell is going on?" I shout and everyone goes instantly silent.
Korep shakes his head and for just a moment I think he's going to shift and attack. "What are you doing here?" he demands instead.
"You called and said we were under attack."
"I didn't call. My connection to you severed and I thought you dead. I brought everyone here to keep us safe until I knew what was happening."
I would swear the voice on the line was Korep's and if it wasn't for him smashing up the club, I would think he wanted me dead. That was a bear for you-they never behaved as a normal shifter. Just the fact that the call came in on a phone line should have alerted me. I send my mind out to the bears left behind at Sarn's home.
Nothing.
"Fuck, it's the dragon. He's interfered with our magic somehow." I look around at my clan. "Remain here until I'm back. Trust no one until I tell you in person that all is safe. And most importantly don't trust the phones or telepathic communication." I teleport out before they have time to answer me.
***

Bastian
"Something's wrong."
"I feel it too," adds Laryn."
We're flying low trying to avoid military's radar. We're sure random human phone calls are alerting the government to our presence but they will be scrambling to figure out if it's a hoax. Calls of three large dragons; one red, one blue, and one silver will give us some time.
"We need to head back," shouts Tahr, "I have no mental connection with Pepper."
I try to contact Acasia too and feel the lack of connection. We turn back. Somehow I know we're too late. Ten minutes out, that's all, and it's too long to change fate.