The clang of steel rang through the air as Iris ducked, twirled and used the back of one of the ninja's back as a catapult and jumped into three other ninjas, making them drop their swords on impact. She swerved the limbs before decking them all to the floor.
"Hulio, WHERE THE HELL IS YOUR BROTHER?" she screeched, looking at me furiously. I rolled my eyes as I swiped my sword to the left, taking out three more ninjas. I knew this would end in a swordfight. It always did where my brother was concerned. Especially with his new girlfriend, who was ten times more trouble than Julio ever had been. I scowled as I jumped into the fray, slicing down one of Iris's opponents before we stood back to back fighting off the never-ending stream of ninjas.
"Where the hell did your brother go? WHY THE HELL DOES HE ALWAYS DISAPPEAR?!" Iris screeched again, twirling her staff beating back the furious ninjas.
"No idea. What the hell did the two of you do to piss off this amount of Ninja's?" I asked.
"I've no idea," Iris said, blocking more attacks with her staff.
"What do you mean, you have no idea?" I asked furiously. I felt the anger cloud my body, my usually dormant Dragon side sitting up with interest, he roared within me, a roar of righteous anger, hungry to let out its fury.
I scowled. "To hell with this," I said throwing my swords aside. "Iris get down," I said flipping her to the ground as I spoke. I threw my hands up and roared, and I felt my human form melt within the Dragon scales that burst forth, and the Dragon of the desert roared its fury. With two large swipes and one effortless fire blast all the ninjas scampered. I fell back to my human form exhausted.
"Hulio!" Iris said as she caught me as I collapsed. I glanced at her blearily. I was always so surprised at Iris's fearlessness when it came to both me and my brother. I was still smoking from my recent transformation. Fire wasn't exactly Iris's friend as her true form was a mermaid, or a siren if you want to be technical.
"HOW DARE YOU." We both looked up at the new voice, followed by a tall spindly looking man wearing a midnight blue trenchcoat that had silver chains at the front his eyes a solid blue color that seemed more cat-like than anything human. I tried to get up, honest I did, but Iris grabbed me holding me down against her as she looked up at the man. She knew as well as I did, that every transformation made me extremely weak.
"Who the hell are you supposed to be?" Iris demanded.
"WHO AM I?" He stormed, his blue eyes seemed to storm with the question. I cringed inwardly, sometimes I hated being a part of the supernatural community, we were all hotheads. "I AM THADDEUS SHALE HIGH WARLOCK—"
"High Warlock of what?" Thaddeus's eyes went pie-eyed at getting interrupted.
We all turned to look at a girl no more than fourteen glaring at Thaddeus.
"I've had about enough of you for one night." The girl said.
"And you little witch think you can stop the likes of me? You who probably haven't even grown into your magic?" Thaddeus said furiously.
"It is because I haven't grown into my magic that I can do this!" she said as she hurled what looked like a glowing ball of violet fire at Thaddeus hitting him square in the chest. As he flailed and then twirled we watched him rise up furiously. "DID YOU JUST THROW A FIREBALL AT ME?!" He screeched.
"YOU DESERVED IT!" She said.
"I see you guys found Katherine," Raena said from behind us. We both turned to look at my current girlfriend the former handmaiden to the Queen of the Fae, Raena was like Iris always ready for a fight.
"That's the girl we were sent here to find?" Iris said pointing to the girl who was chucking fireballs back and forth and dodging spells being thrown by an extremely pissed-off Thaddeus, who looked like he was getting redder by the second.
"Of course the girl you were sent to rescue is quite adept at saving herself," I said dryly. "I wish your brother was as adept," Iris said scowling deeply.
"Agreed," I said pushing up on my elbows, as Iris finally let go of me. We cautiously got up. Cautiously because there were bursts of light from spells flying around the area as Katherine and Thaddeus fought each other. Iris crossed her arms glancing around the area, before turning to me her eyes dark.
"Don't you have some form of Dragon Twin GPS?" Iris asked. I scowled, "For the third time, there is no such thing as Dragon GPS!" I said my voice a near shout. I was getting quite tired of the same old question.
A question that Iris and sometimes Raena have asked on occasion.
"Don't you know better than to ask that question by now?" Raena asked, scowling at the two of us. "Where in Hera's name were you?" Iris said glaring at Raena. "There were ninjas."
"Well someone had to go save the love of your life," Raena said pointing behind her at a slump of clothes and blood that turned out to be my brother Julio.
"What the Zeus happened to him?" I asked as Iris ran over and bent over Julio brushing a hand on Julio's cheek, who leaned towards the touch grunting his eyes furrowed.
"You know what your brother is like. He tried to take on a bunch of sword-wielding ninjas with his fists. He'll be lucky if he doesn't scar his pretty little face." Raena said ignoring the scowl I made at her words.
"That does sound like your brother." Iris pointed out, "Do we need to be worried about that?" Iris asked pointing at the witches' battle that was taking place behind us. Raena glanced towards the battle before narrowing her eyes at Thaddeus.
"Is that Thaddeus Shale?" she asked.
"Is there a Warlock alive that you don't know?" I asked testily, ignoring the glares I received from both women.
Raena glanced at Iris. "This could probably use your touch, seeing as both their elements lean towards the fire." Iris sighed at Raena's words before she started to make push and pull movements with her hands.
"I'm going to need so many burgers after this," Iris said scowling as she pulled up her sleeves. Raena grabbed my hand pulling me towards Julio as Iris took a couple of steps forward.
"Ready," Iris said putting her hands forward palms up. I watched as two orbs of crystal blue water appeared in her palms. I stifled a smile and leaned towards the wall.
"HEY THADDEUS," Raena shouted, which resulted in two things.
One: Thaddeus turned swiftly while dodging an oncoming fireball, even Katherine looked up startled. Two: Water burst out of Iris's palms drenching both Katherine and Thaddeus in what looked like a literal wall of water, who both splurted with the shock of the cold water.
"What the hell Raena!" Thaddeus screeched.
"How else was I supposed to get your attention?" Raena asked.
"I'm soaking wet! This was highly unnecessary!" Thaddeus shouted, panting in his anger. Katherine rolled her eyes and wiggled her fingers, a shadow of fire descending upon her, before vanishing effectively drying herself.
"Highly unnecessary? Like the hordes of angry ninjas?" Katherine pointed out making Thaddeus scowl. I rolled my eyes turning away from the bickering witch and warlock, walking over to my brother who was currently leaning against Iris as she healed his many cuts and bruises with her water magic. One of the many powers she had the courtesy of being Julio's soulmate. As Raena and I had discovered being soulmates was a type of magic of its own.
"Is he alright?" I asked. Iris scoffed at the question. "Of course he will. And within minutes he will find some other trouble. He's your brother after all." Iris said, her voice was laced with sarcasm but I could hear the abrupt fondness for her soulmate in her voice.
It had been years since the Quest for the Mortal Bloom. Years of joy and struggle but what is life without struggle or pain? I would be forever grateful for the chance to be a part of this wondrous world. Especially after so many years of staying apart from the world.
"He's lucky to have you," I said smiling at the flush that filled her cheeks at my words. Iris was not known for sentiment and it had been known that she didn't much care for compliments either.
"Not to interrupt this beautiful moment but I think you need to hear this," Raena said. I turned to look at her surprised at the seriousness of her expression.
"What's wrong?" I asked my eyes narrowing, I followed Raena over to where Thaddeus stood angrily fuming at Katherine.
"Have you ever heard of the sect of the Chrysalis?" Katherine asked looking at me as she spoke glancing once at where Julio still sat.
"Please tell me this isn't another Mortal Bloom quest," I said crossing my arms. "The sect is a group of mercenaries that have been around for thousands of years," Thaddeus said. "Hulio, Iris. They're Dragon Slayers."