Dagon could see nothing. Once the earth stopped trembling, it was as though he'd stared at the sun for too long and his ears rang on and on. As his eyes adjusted, he still saw nothing. His vision was completely clouded out by smoke, but what he could see, was that the earth they stood on before, was gone. And in place of it, there was a massive crater, the ground steaming with smoke and steam as it began to slowly cook and harden while water spilled into it from streams.
Sephtis still stood in the exact same position. His scales were still pointed outwards, but the glow was gone. His jaws were hanging open limply and his eyes were wide, staring forward. Smoke curled out from his jaws and up from his scales. It was as though he was completely out of power and so now he had turned to stone, unable to move or act.
*Sephtis..? Are you alright?* Dagon asked, but Sephtis gave nothing in response. He simply sat there in still silence.
And then Dagon heard the sound of moving and cracking rubble. He looked up and could see a figure moving within the smoke. It began to move forward, approaching him and Sephtis.
His eyes narrowed. It was Mourtas and Zickarys.
For the most part, Zickarys was unscathed, aside from his shattered horn. But, what surprised Dagon more than Zickarys being completely unaffected by the explosion, was the fact that Mourtas was still alive. He tore away the deformed metal armor from his body, seeing as it seemed to of cooled now after being melted to him. When he pulled the metal away, it tore chunks of flesh and layers of skin with it. Intense burn marks covered Mourtas's entire body, but, within only a few moments, black smog rose up from Zickarys's body, clouding over Mourtas and healing all of his wounds as if they had never been.
"How are you alive after that?" Dagon asked, gritting his teeth and clutching Sephtis's spine tightly.
"Dear nephew, there are some powers in this world of ours that you cannot even comprehend." Mourtas said, flexing his body and bending his head from one side to the other. His shirt burned away and tattered, it revealed his toned, muscular body. It appeared that he did training in physical combat more than likely, and quite often. A large, long scar was stretched over his chest, as though a massive tragic had raked a talon through his frame.
"You see, I used to fight your father and Gena. Plus, I often have to deal with a rider of whom has very bad anger issues and tends to throw fire around. So I've learned how to be resistant to things that melt or burn you, and, might I say, good luck ever killing me." Mourtas spoke.
"So what? You believe yourself to be immortal?" Bella asked from upon the other side of Mourtas, emerging from the shifting smoke. Her dragon walked with a heavy limp, but it showed no sign of caring, as she bared her fangs and kept her hackles up.
"I wouldn't say immortal." Mourtas spoke. "But close."
"Close?" Gena growled, landing on the ground beside Ellira. "You mean you have multiple lives."
Mourtas grinned. "Damn dragon, can't keep a secret. You should be grateful to me, I returned you to your full strength, although, you have no hope of defeating me, especially not without Ayden."
"How does it feel, Gold Fury, to lose your rider? I mean, you left him to die just so you could survive. I'm guessing you have no regret, since now you get to live." Zickarys mocked, turning his cold eyes to Gena.
Smoke curled from Gena's nostrils. "I had no choice. It was his last wish for me to save his only child."
"Only child, huh?" Mourtas chuckled. "Yes, because Dagon is Ayden's only offspring."
"What do you mean by that?" Dagon asked. He was trying to stall at first, so that Sephtis could recover, which he still hadn't. But now he was intrigued. Was he not his father's only child..?
"No, I have to keep some secrets. But, since Gena brought it up, I guess I'll tell you this much. Using black magic, I forced enslaved Dragon Kin to give me all their life force, increasing my power. It also grants me the ability of having multiple lives, so, in a way, I am immortal. Although, I must give you props for taking one of my many lives, but, as a punishment for that, I'm gonna have to kill you now."
Mourtas raised his hand and the air grew darker and intense.
Dagon knew he had no more time, he couldn't stall anymore and he doubted Mourtas would answer any more questions. Meaning they had to run. But how could he, when Sephtis was immobile. He was pinned, and there was nothing he could do.
Water began to pool into the crater, rising above Sephtis's talons.
*Sephtis! Wake up! Please!* Dagon roared, shaking his dragon. *We have to move! Please, Sephtis! We are going to die!*
"You know, this is the spell that killed your father. How fitting it would be the same one to bring you down as well."
Ellira rushed at Zickarys suddenly, bolts of lightning shooting from her body, but the black dragon hissed and a wave of black energy burst from his body, knocking both Ellira and Gena back and tumbling to the ground.
Mourtas grinned. "Goodbye, dear nephew." And then he waved his hand down. "This is my Night Parade of a Hundred Demons."
The sky turned black with clouds of shadowy figures shifting in the shape of thousands of monstrosities from the bowels of hell. Then, the darkness came crashing down like a tidal wave and rushed forward, filling in the crater in darkness.
*Sephtis! Move!* Dagon kept on, but his dragon gave no sign of recognition. He stayed still and devoid of life or thought.
The ground shook as the shadows grew ever closer and closer, the demonic figures within shifting and stretching out dark talons towards Dagon and the others.
*Damnit..*