I'd like to tell you that Bada recovered, saw my plight, and blasted the enormous man from my back with a gush of a high-powered stream. And that I got up and finished the brute off with some kind of firestorm that sent him running off, with Likho leaving his body and surrendering herself to the powers of truth and justice!
Unfortunately, this was not the case.
Looking forward, I saw Bada, rising from the ground, then falling again with bashed-up feet.
Then more of the undead came.
Eight of the ugliest, nastiest, smelliest, and vile creatures lumbered from the far woods and pounced on her! Trying to bite off parts of her flesh, thank goodness the thickness of our dragon scales protected her from being eaten alive! The issue was, she didn't have as much control of her power as I did, and even I had trouble staying in dragon form when hurt or when saddened. She would need to keep her anger, controlled rage, and determination up!
"Bada!" I screamed as loudly as I could, "Stay mad! Fight! I will help as soon as I …ugh!"
Another stomp on my back. A couple more and my spine would surely snap. Dragonskin or not, I was still human underneath!
I visualized the monster stamping on me, turned my hands around with palms facing to where he was, and unleased a blaze of flames to knock him back!
I heard him, or her, Likho, bellow, and I sorely turned over and saw that my flames had hit his face and lit his hair on fire! He, or she, was patting his head with the shrill scream still transpiring.
Three of the zombies trying to eat Bada looked my way, with the brute off of me, and started to approach. I guess they thought I looked more tender than their previous supper. I reacted quickly!
I got up into a position on all fours, and when the first zombie came to me, I grabbed his shoulders, fell to my back, and launched him over me with my legs. The zombie flew forward, crashing into Big Pinky, who had just put out the fire from his hair which left a big, bald, singed spot in his head. Even uglier!
Annoyed as ever, he picked up the zombie, ripped it in half, and threw the chunks of dead flesh to either side of himself.
Frightening.
Leaping to my feet, I set the next two zombies ablaze and ran to Bada. As I picked off two more with small fireballs, knocking them back, then shooting a fire stream to set them into a mini bonfire, Bada was able to crawl free and while sitting, unleased a torrent like I had never seen before! The remaining five zombies were all caught in the jet and blasted above the trees out of sight.
"Bada! Are you alright? Your feet? Can you walk?" I asked.
"I don't think so! I'll fight from my seated position, turn around!" she screamed.
Big Pinky, with his one giant eye and elongated face, was running towards me again.
A cannonball of water shot from Bada behind me caught him in that awful face, and dropped him right upon his backside! As he struggled to get up, I decided to burn Likho out of him once and for all! I didn't want to kill or seriously injure Big Pinky though, so a ring of fire was sent all around him! I then animated two fire elementals from the blaze, a new power for sure, and they turned towards the giant bruiser.
With my eyes closed and concentration set, I moved the elementals towards him, with their hands raised to a fistfight, as if they were marionettes in a small stage act I was creating.
Likho, inside of Big Pinky, swung fists of fury at them, only to be burned on contact, and received some punches from my fire-elementals who moved about like early 1900s bare-knuckle boxers.
Each hit, although not enough to phase the big lug with power, still singed his flesh, and caused him to panic. Suddenly, Likho shot out of the brute into the sky, hovering, and staring at Bada and me.
Big Pinky fell over into a slumber, and I made the ring of fire and elementals disappear.
Likho stared at us for a few seconds, howling, and with no response of fear from us, she flew off and disappeared into the woods. Her plot, whatever it was, was foiled!
"My feet feel a bit better after fighting. Using our power must heal our bodies." Bada said as she used me to stand up, leaning on my shoulder.
I turned and kissed her.
Turning back into our human form, we stood, lip-locked, while we transported back to the real world.
Upon arrival, we noticed that we were back in our apartment, that we left days ago, with Ihar sitting and giggling at our embrace.
"Well, well! It seems you two are getting along famously! Good! Well now, I feel much more invigorated from my treatment and knowing how your two have already defeated two of our countries most notorious spirits! Worry not about Likho! Once frightened by someone or something, she will disappear back to the underworld and won't show her big eye again for some time. You have done well!"
"Ihar! My homeland! I was told by Apala in India that it is under attack by a dragon from Russia!" Bada exclaimed.
"Yes, yes, I know, I know. I made sure you received that message. Zmei! That dastardly dragon! After the fall of the Soviet Union years before, he became quiet, not causing any trouble. Well, now, for reasons unclear, he has decided to use the small landmass from Russia to North Korea to enter and take over! Right now, he is resting in the hills near Pyongyang, North Korea's capital, and awaiting his demon reinforcements! He plans not to attack there, but to use demon control in the capital to cause the north to go back to war, fighting, with the south! All of that after he caused 'natural disasters' on both sides of the border to kill off everyone he can and cause fear which will lead to miscommunications and war between the countries. After the countries tear each other to bits, with death and destruction all around, he will claim the land for himself with Russian soldiers." Ihar replied.
"How can this happen, politically? I mean, Russia taking over the Koreas?" I asked, confused.
"Don't ask me that. I don't really know. Through political workings between Russia, China, the fallen Koreas, and the United States, it will happen, I have seen it. Through a trusted hero with powers of future vision. Most wars and fighting between nations start because of evil dragons, and their demon underlings. How else can you explain the human monsters that have done so much damage to their own kind?"
"Ihar, how can I stop this?" Bada asked, tearing up.
"You and Druk must go to North Korea. Stop the beast before he can cause the tragedy looming. Beware! Zmei is extremely powerful! You see, after you are transformed into your full dragon being, you cannot come back to humanity. You will also be limited to your homeland. Unless invited by the master dragon of a different homeland, or if there is no master dragon present in your homeland. Right now, you are Korea's only dragon, Bada, and you are not yet fully grown. This is why Zmei acts! He thinks there is no one to stop him!"
"Ihar, how can we defeat this beast?" I asked.
"Bogatyr! Find him! Not far from here, across the border in Russia, he lives. Beg for his help! He can stop Zmei!" Ihar answered.
"Will going there be dangerous for us?" Bada asked.
"No. With Zmei out of his land, he will not sense your presence there. He takes some risks in his plan. Bogatyr is an ancient warrior who was tasked with the destruction of dragons who medaled in human affairs centuries ago. He is a magical human blessed, and cursed with immortality and is your only hope. It will not be easy though. He has become stubborn and bull-headed!"
"Let's go!" Bada exclaimed.
"No, rest! There is food plenty here for you both. Sleep. You need to restore your energy. First thing in the morning, before sunrise, I will appear in my Pteranodon form and take you to where Bogatyr lives and drop you off. The rest will be up to you!"
Despite being worried and anxious, Bada ate well, and so did I. Quite more than usual. And much more red meat than usual. Ihar had set our kitchen up well. After a scrumptious meal and showering, we went to lay down separately in our rooms.
A couple of minutes later, Bada entered my room, crawled under my covers, and embraced me tenderly as we fell asleep in comfort, both feeling the warmness of the heart of the other.
"Druk! You mustn't…" my grandpa's voice called out to me.
"Druk, please, don't do this, come back to…" Liba pleaded with me.
"Druk, this isn't the way you are destined to …" Ihar screamed.
I woke up with a dinosaur peering its giant eye through my window.