Dagon sat upon Sephtis's back as they soared through the sky. They would not cross over the Iron Scales, out of fear of getting too close to the Annagon Castle. They would stay hovering over them, making circles back and forth.
The idea was that, if Gena was indeed released to hunt them, that they would stay in that area until she could be seen in the distance. As soon as they were certain she had seen them, they would bolt in the direction of the tundra.
They would have to fly clear across all of the Emerald Scale Forest and North into the Silver Fang Tundra. Sephtis guessed the flight would take only about twenty minutes, since they would fly high and fast. Dragons could cover immense distances in very short times.
Dagon placed a hand on Sephtis's scales, *How much longer do you think before we see her?*
*Not sure. We don't even know if they did send her after us or not.* Sephtis answered, *It is entirely possible that they just killed her. It's also possible that them taking her away instead of just killing her to begin with was a trick, a ploy to get us to invade the castle to rescue her when she is actually dead.*
*I hope not… even if we have to fight her, I'd rather her be alive.*
*I understand, but I don't want you to hold anything back. If you pull your punches against her, we will die. You have to use everything you have to defeat her. She will survive, she is strong.* Sephtis spoke.
*Assuming they returned her power.* Dagon said.
*There is no way they would not have if they are sending her after us, otherwise it would be entirely pointless.*
At that moment Sephtis suddenly stopped in the air, growling. Dagon's mind being bonded with Sephtis's, he too could sense it. An immense aura was rushing at them at a high speed, but they could not pinpoint from where it was coming.
*Do you think it's her?* Dagon asked.
*I know this essence. It's her. For certain.*
*Where is she?*
There was a moment of silence, and then both Dagon and Sephtis looked up at once just as a the clouds burst open and a shimmering gold dragon in black plating plummeting down from above, rushing at them. Gena's talons were waving with intense golden flames, reaching out towards them.
Sephtis reared back, flicking his tail and shifting his wings to change his position as he vaulted back through the air. Gena rushed down past them, but quickly recovered from the miss and vaulted up at them.
"GO!!" Dagon roared, and Sephtis spun in the air and blasted forward across the sky like a meteor. He kept his forward momentum for speed but gradually ascended, crashing his wings down with immense force.
They were crashing through the wind which beat at Dagon's ears and eyes to the point he could not see or hear anything. His eyes began to tear up from the wind, but he was too afraid he'd fall off to wipe them away.
Dagon turned, looking back to see how close Gena was. The wind tugged and pulled at his hair, whipping it about.
*Shit!* he thought. Gena was much closer than he'd thought. He was guessing that her smaller size made it so she could fly even faster than them, and she was gaining fast.
Dagon sent a thought to Sephtis and the dragon sent a wave of approval in return. Sephtis suddenly flipped on his side in the air, the wind catching his lower wing and forcefully spinning him about. The serrated edge of his wing spun, crashing into Gena's head and knocking her to the side. She gave a roar of rage as her wings flipped and she lost speed, staggering and dropping down out of the sky.
Sephtis regained his balance and gave a hard flap, rushing forward. Dagon watched as Gena caught herself just before she crashed to the jutted rocks of the Iron Scales below. She exploded back up into the air with a tremendous roar and resumed the chase, but now there was much more distance between them.
Sephtis flew across the mountains and then, below them, Dagon could clearly see the Forest of Emerald Scales stretching on for miles on end.
A loud hiss suddenly came from behind them. Dagon turned as a massive ball of golden flames was formed in Gena's jaws as she slowed down. The ball was then propelled forward, rushing at them with an insane speed.
*UP!!* Dagon shouted mentally.
Sephtis slowed slightly before exploding upward and straight through the clouds, the mist soaking Dagon in cold water as the ball of flames shot past them below.
They broke through the clouds and above them into the sky. The light of the raging sun above set the clouds a brilliant, blinding white that forced Dagon to squint even more than he already was.
Sephtis kept his speed, hurtling forward. But he began to slow down to a degree. Dagon looked around behind him and off to the sides. He could not see Gena anywhere, nor could he hear her. He could sense her, but he could not pin point where she was.
Sephtis slowed to a moderately fast flight.
*I wouldn't slow down too much, Sephtis. We don't want her catching us.*
Just as Dagon said this, the golden dragon erupted up from beneath the clouds below them, blazing talons rushing at Sephtis who rolled aside, but her claws raked across the webbing of his left wing, leaving scorched, tattered rips along the wing as it was torn.
Sephtis gave a roar of pain as he kicked his back leg, his talons crashing into Gena's body, but they merely bounced off the black armor and pushed her away.
Dagon grabbed onto Sephtis for dear life as the dragon fumbled in the air before regaining speed and rushing forward as Gena spun after them.
Dagon glanced over at Sephtis's torn wing.
*Shit.. this doesn't look too good..* he thought.