The gust caused by the red dragon’s beating wings forced Carmen to the ground. “Lyn, what is that thing?” Carmen demanded to know. There was silence in her head and for a moment Carmen felt alone. “Lynashia!” she called out. “I have never seen this happen before,” said Lynashia. “But my guess is that Adam has transformed into that giant red scaled dragon above us. This is just a theory, but the Komodo Dragon’s power comes from his or hers heart. Goldenflame’s death caused the Komodo Dragon to have an emotional breakdown. I fear this is the result.” “Can he turn back?” asked Carmen. “I do not know, Carmen…I have never seen this happen before,” admitted Lynashia. Carmen didn’t even have a chance to take in the fact that her friend was dead and her best friend was no longer human. The screams and cries from below stole Carmen’s attention. The red dragon was running a rampage across the city destroying everything and everyone in its path. “You have to stop it,” said Lynashia. Carmen looked towards the chaos, but stopped. “I can’t just leave her here…not like this,” Carmen looked at Emma. This was the last place she wanted to be. Emma was gone, that was merely a dead body on the roof next to her, Carmen kept telling herself. “What is left of the city will be gone if you don’t hurry!” Lynashia’s urgency was so great it shook Carmen’s very body. Tio was by Carmen’s side in a panic. Medical ninjas surrounded Emma and took her away. “Contain that thing within the city use any force necessary!” Tio commanded her foot soldiers. “You can’t do that! That thing is Komodo Dragon. You could hurt him!” argued Carmen. “You see what that thing is doing! If it breaks our truce with Fugin I will personally make sure it is gunned down, understood?!” Tio commanded. “Tio is right; we have to stop that dragon. It’s killing everyone that crosses its path; besides, we don’t even know for sure if Komodo Dragon is still in there,” said Liz. Liz had yet to hear the news about Emma. Should I tell her? Carmen wondered. “Tio that was no ordinary fireball that struck Goldenflame. It broke through her armor far too easily. How do we know we still have a truce with Fugin?” Carmen interrogated Tio. “Until a betrayal is proven, I am not risking Earth’s future now go down there and stop that dragon at all costs before more of our allies’ lives are taken!” Tio was furious at their hesitation. “Goldenflame was injured? How bad?” asked Liz. Carmen didn’t dare answer; she couldn’t answer because saying it out loud would make it real. “Goldenflame is dead,” Tio answered without hesitation and instantly dismissed it for the matter at hand.
“Komodo Dragon isn’t even a real Angel. He was created from a servant God. Do you seriously believe that is your friend?! No fake angel could have that kind of power,” Tio pointed to the sky. Liz spoke up, “Even if it isn’t Adam, how is it supposed to break our truce with Fugin? I mean Fugin is in a completely different realm after all.” A medical ninja spoke before Tio had the chance, “Dragons have the power to enter through dimensional shifts. If that thing figures out it has the ability to do that then we are…as you humans say …screwed.” Liz watched as they pulled Emma away on a stretcher. Was she really dead? The scene hadn’t processed through her mind yet, and she wasn’t going to let it because if it did she wasn’t sure if she could function.
“We have to take down that dragon, question is how?” Liz asked the question that was on everyone’s mind.
“Lyn take over…please I’m begging you,” Carmen called to her. Carmen felt only hollow. “I cannot be the leader. Everything I’ve done has turned into a mess. There is no way I’m strong enough for this role. Liz was brainwashed, Emma is dead, and Adam, as far as we know, has turned into a rampaging monster. This is the result of my leadership skills. I always knew Emma should have been the leader. She was so much stronger than me,” tears stung Carmen’s eyes, but she held them back in fear she was being watched. Lynashia finally spoke up, “You and I both know that taking over your body could kill you. It has been a privilege occupying your mind and body, and to be honest you are the first Jade Magician I would like to call “friend'. If I have been harsh, it is only because I know you will die, and I will simply live on cursed to be a mentor for eternity. Attachments only make my job harder. You are right. Goldenflame is very strong, but you are stronger and smarter. The Gods did not make a mistake in choosing you, and frankly I’m disappointed in your lack of confidence. I will not take over until it is absolutely necessary.” Lynashia’s calm voice disappeared and grew bold and harsh, “Stand up straight and lead this team! It is your destiny!” Carmen still felt hollow, but she refused to show it.
“We have to disable the dragon’s wings so that it can’t move. Tio is right we are not certain if it is Adam, so until we know for sure all our fire power will be used to stop it but NOT harm it,” Carmen made sure to put great emphasis in Adam’s safety. In all honesty, she hoped it was Adam and that maybe somehow she could get him back. Below them on the ground, Dane’s wolf pack attacked heavily against the red dragon but was a mere nuisance against its raw size and power. It was like watching ants trying to break a rock; utterly pointless. Flames breached the sky, and it let out a mournful roar.
Liz was so young and Emma was her hero. Fighting was probably the best distraction Carmen could provide for her at the moment. “Illusionist, I want you to put chains around its talons and glue it to the ground while I attack from above. We will cripple this beast,” ordered Jade Magician. Liz was ready and eager. She slid through the concrete jungle by creating a slick bridge to the battle below. All of Fugin’s minions had been incinerated by the dragon, so she only had to focus on protecting the Reciliux. When she reached the ground, she set up a huge barrier against the soldiers and the dragon, keeping herself within the confinement. Liz waved her arms and a blue and purple glittering light left her hands and wrapped itself around the dragon’s feet like smoke. The glittering light turned into cold hard metal chains, but before she could attach them to the ground the dragon whipped its tail out and slammed into Liz. The dragon made a noise that she thought was a deep throated snarl and had her pinned against her illusioned barrier. The dragon’s huge head peered down at Liz and she felt its hot breath make her sweat. Flames erupted from the sky and seared the dragon’s wings. This distraction allowed Liz to make her escape. Carmen had flown from above using all her fire power against the dragon. Liz was about to run to higher ground when she stopped. The dragon wasn’t snarling at her…it was crying. “Jade Magician! Jade Magician!” Liz began screaming and waving her arms to get Carmen’s attention. “Ugh,” thought Liz. She shook her head, “Carmen, you never listen to me.” Liz spun round and round encasing herself within a silver chrysalis when she began to glow like her ring of endless light the chrysalis hummed with the rhythm of her heart beat until the shell she had created shattered and emerging was Liz with blue, purple, and black patterned butterfly wings. The surrounding soldiers gazed at her in awe.
Carmen was going head to head with the dragon, but its fire was overpowering her own. Red flames escaped her fingers, but it was all she could do but to defend herself against the fiery breath of the great dragon. Over the howl of flames, Carmen could just make out Liz’s cries. Carmen’s fire could not compete with the dragon’s breath. Flames licked her skin and knew she was about to be consumed when a bright light appeared and the wind stirred in an eerie fashion. Lynashia had taken over, her eyes turned white and the flames from her hands grew brighter than ever before. “Ahhhhhh!” Lynashia screamed with power. Her flames erupted into the sky and shot the dragon back like a cannon. It lay defeated on its back. Liz let out a whistle, “Remind me not to piss you off,” she flew up to what she thought was Carmen. Liz slowed her speed as she approached Carmen she could feel the change in her aura. Carmen’s eyes were pure white the wind stirred around her a silent cyclone. “You ok?” said Carmen, but the voice was not hers. “I’m ok, Lynashia. I wanted you to know that the dragon is really Adam. I saw him crying. What happened must have triggered something primal,” Liz addressed Lynashia. This was the first time they had ever officially met. “I didn’t know you had that kind of power,” she admitted. “You can break down now,” said Lynashia. “What are you…” but Liz couldn’t finish her sentence. Tears flowed without her permission; she could no longer hold them back. She became a blubbering mess. Anything she tried to say didn’t make sense, yet she continued to try and talk. Lynashia flew to her and just held her until her cries and shuddering began to die down. “To be honest, I don’t know how to comfort. Your past lives were never put through such pain,” said Lynashia. “Yeah, I get it. They were much stronger,” said Liz bitterly. Lynashia shook her head, “It’s not that they were stronger, but that they had more time to let their powers progress, and their obstacles were nowhere near as great as the Gods have put your team through,” she answered. “I am no longer needed here. I should return Carmen’s body,” Lynashia told Liz. With the dragon either dead or unconscious everything began to calm down so the Reciliux came out from their hiding places. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much of a city left to protect.
The sound of shifting rubble stirred below. Lynashia’s eyes returned to its pure whiteness as she hurled herself and Liz swiftly to her left. Where they had been levitating in the air, a stream of fire now took its place. Lynashia set Liz to the side, “That thing should not still be standing,” said Lynashia angrily.
Despite her tear stained face, Liz managed to recover quickly. I have to be strong…like Emma, she thought to herself. Liz’s butterfly wings glittered in the darkness illuminating the night. Liz attempted to illusion ice breath and blew ice daggers unto Adam. When she realized the ice daggers had no effect on Adam’s hard scaled skin, she flew closer and covered Adam entirely in an icy fortress. This prevented any movement on Adam’s part. “Something tells me that won’t last long,” said Liz. As the words left her mouth, Adam shattered the ice fortress and snarled with fury. Liz landed on a rooftop and began puking her guts out. Lynashia flew down to check on her, “What is wrong?” asked Lynashia. Liz groaned, “I think I ate too much candy before this fight,” she barfed some more. “That thing is in pain. We have to calm its anger, or it may be unstoppable,” said Lynashia. “Stop calling him a thing. Adam is still in there,” snapped Liz. Lynashia simply ignored her but decided to change her wording, “If I can get close enough, maybe I can drain the anger from it…uh him,” suggested Lynashia. “Is that possible?” questioned Liz. Lynashia paused before answering, “I’m not sure. I’ve never tried something like that before.” “And how are we supposed to keep him still long enough…I have an idea,” said Liz. Lynashia raised her eyebrows all ears.
Angry angry angry angry angry angry angry angry angry angry there was so much anger he couldn’t even remember what he was mad at. His mind was fogged up. He acknowledged that his body was moving, but where and why he didn’t know. He had lost control of all action. He felt blindfolded, though didn’t care. Beneath the anger he felt pain. It was excruciating, so he ignored it and let the anger consume him. The floating girls only fueled the volatile hate and anger boiling over into a fury filled blood rage; destroying everything in sight and with his crushing outbursts became ever more vicious. “I need to fight,” Adam thought. “Why do I hurt so much? What is this pain that my anger can’t subside?” He then became angry at not being angry enough. His body was a gasoline canister and though he couldn’t remember what triggered it there was a spark. That small spark erupted with an unquenchable thirst for destruction. Angry angry angry THWAK! “Something is on my leg,” thought Adam. He looked down but didn’t see his leg in its place was a red scaly thing with a werewolf attached. Adam was about to snatch up the wolf and crush it to pieces when he froze. Below him was a girl standing in the street staring at him. He wasn’t sure who this girl was, but she seemed to have a paralyzing effect on him. Despite the cold rain she didn’t shiver. The girl wore jeans and a purple hooded jacket. Strawberry blond ringlets ran down her face across blue eyes. Adam lowered his head to the ground. The girl was so small compared to him. A flicker of recognition crossed his mind…Emma. The excruciating pain lessened along with his anger. The dragon that was now Adam let out a moan and breathed hot air on the girl, but she didn’t flinch. Emma. Again the pain lessened, but then a breeze blew towards him carrying the girls scent. His eyes flashed, and he attacked the girl. Anger raged hotter than before, and he grew twice as big with hate.
“Run, Illusionist, run!” screamed Lynashia. Quick as lightning, Dane carried Liz out of reach of Adam’s ferocious claws. Liz had taken on the form of Emma in hope that she could bring Adam back to his usual self. That plan obviously backfired. “You only made it worse,” growled Dane. “Bite me,” said Liz, shoving him off of her. “Plan B” said Tio. “Brute force,” said Dane. Lynashia and Liz nodded in silent agreement. The four jumped into battle with new found enthusiasm. Lynashia lay on the flames once more. Dane latched his jaws into Adam’s scaling outer skin and Liz created a giant axe the size of Adam himself and swung it around like it was nothing. Adam was cornered three to one, but their attacks barely scratched him. With a thrust of his wings Adam flew to the sky and knocked the three into the ground. Liz managed to have them all land on a trampoline. “I don’t get it,” said Lynashia. “What?” asked Liz, out of breath and still bouncing from the fall onto the trampoline. “The Illusionist’s power is all about deception, and yet you don’t lie, so how is it your still not a half bad angel?” Questioned Lynashia, she vaguely remembers someone else saying the same thing. Liz sat there trying to figure out the answer to her question. “Maybe I’m actually the biggest liar of all,” said Liz. “The truth is people see what they want to see. Some see me as some punk kid while others like…Emma saw me as something more. I’m such a good liar that I am even capable of fooling myself. Artists use lies to tell the truth.” This answer seemed to satisfy her. “Prove it,” said Dane, “In battle.” Chit chat time was over. It was time to put Adam down for good. Lynashia’s eyes lost their white sheen and returned to Carmen’s bright green eyes. Lynashia collapsed unto the trampoline and Carmen regained her body. Meanwhile, Adam was thrashing into buildings and blew fire into the air. Carmen was still unconscious, so Dane wolfed out and torpedoed himself into Adam’s dragon form, causing them both to collide into surrounding buildings. In wolf form, Dane’s features changed. His nose and mouth grew larger forming a snout with sharp teeth. He looked like a giant wolf with dark brown fur except his hind legs were shaped so that he was capable of walking on only two legs if he wanted to. This made him faster and more agile. “Carmen…Carmen…wake up!” Liz Insisted.
Liz wasn’t able to lift Carmen’s unconscious body by herself, so she called out to a Reciliux soldier. Together they carried her to the underground base. Liz wondered how much damage Lynashia actually caused to Carmen’s body. From what she could tell, Lynashia was astonishingly more powerful but such power came with a price. Tio stood over Liz who was kneeling beside Carmen’s cot, “This is chaos. Illusionist, you are the only Angel left standing. What do we do?” “You’re asking me?” Liz was surprised. “You are an Angel, you must know what to do,” said a medical ninja attending Carmen. “I am not the only one left,” Liz stood, “Jade Magician just needs to rest, and Komodo Dragon…Komodo just needs some Midol,” Liz rubbed her forehead waiting for a brilliant idea to emerge. “Stall,” said Carmen who was still dazed. She tried to sit up but was forced back down. “What?” Liz asked her. “If we do not meet Fugin in time he wins. We have to buy time,” said Carmen. “How are we supposed to reason with that egotistical prick?” asked Tio. “That’s it!” exclaimed Liz. “Huh?” Carmen was confused. “His ego, we will strike him through his ego,” answered Liz. “I hate to break it to you, but we don’t even know how to reach him,” said Tio. Liz sat there contemplating. “Give me your cell phone,” she held her hand out to Carmen, but Carmen wasn’t even strong enough to lift a finger, so Liz dug through her cloak. Liz didn’t have her own phone so she would always borrow Carmen’s. Liz dialed the number she used to talk to Fugin when he was masquerading as her boyfriend “Fu.” “Seriously?” asked Cicero, who had just entered the room. Liz shrugged it was worth a try, “Got a better idea, Cowboy?” Cicero’s cheeks turned red, “My name is Cicero…” “Shhhhh it’s ringing,” Liz interrupted Him.
“Hello?” said a windy voice. “Fu? Erm I mean Fugin?” asked Liz. “Elizabeth, how good of you to call. Are you trying to back out of our deal already?” he asked her. “That is some hefty service,” noted Tio. “Who knew?” agreed Cicero. “Put it on speaker,” ordered Carmen with ragged breath as she was still trying to regain consciousness. She was finally starting to regain some of her strength back. “We have been doing some thinking, Fugin, and we were wondering if you wanted to make this tournament a bit flashier?” asked Liz. “I’m listening,” replied Fugin. “We think the world deserves to know of this tournament and of your power. It would make Earth much easier to dominate once you show them you can defeat the Chosen Angels,” said Liz. Tio shook her head hysterically, “No, no the world cannot know of our existence,” she whispered so Fugin couldn’t hear. “It wouldn’t be the Reciliux. It would just be us Angels,” Carmen whispered back. “What are you playing at Elizabeth?” asked Fugin. “We want you to set up an arena and invite everyone in this realm and yours to watch our epic battle. We want it set up as an official match.” Liz got straight to the point. Liz was hoping that Fugin’s ego would get the best of him and that he would agree. His arrogant, conceited nature would be the end of him. “That would take some time,” Fugin finally responded after a long pause. “What is more important, Fugin, the timing or the presentation?” Liz asked him. “To invite Earth, my realm, beings from other planets, not to mention selling the tickets and setting up a stage would take at least a year,” he told us. We didn’t reply, instead we waited for his answer. “This will be the greatest show in history,” said Fugin. “Yes it would,” agreed Liz. “Alright, Elizabeth, in one year our tournament will begin, but until that year arrives you will be in my care,” he told them.
Carmen managed to sit up, “Not a chance Fugin. We had a deal,” she seethed, “When evoking the Oath of Chi, you said that no harm will come to Earth if we arrive for the tournament on time and until the tournament is decided,” spoke Carmen. “And no harm will come to Earth or the Chosen Angels, but I will take Illusionist back. She is still in my control. There is nothing you can do about it,” responded Fugin. “When?” asked Cicero. “When will you take her?” “Whenever I feel like it I suppose,” Fugin laughed and hung up. “I’m sure we will be hearing from him soon,” groaned Carmen. “He can’t really do that can he? Make me stay with him and brainwash me. I won’t let him,” said Liz. Carmen didn’t say anything, but she knew there would be nothing Liz could do to stop him. “You idiot! This tournament is just a fluke all. Fugin really wants is fame, and you are giving him that while revealing everything we have ever worked for in the process. Do you know how hard it is to clean up after you Angels? You always leave a mess and the Reciliux is always there to clean it up!” ranted Tio. She was fuming and yelling at Liz when Cicero stopped her. “That Angel just kept Earth safe for another year. You should be thanking her…ma’am,” said Cicero. “You should be more grateful for your life, Master Tio, because I have no problem eliminating obstacles that are in the way of our overall success,” Carmen stared down Tio. “Is that a threat, Jade Magician?” questioned Tio. “Take it however you like,” she replied curtly. Tio then left the room leaving Liz, Carmen and Cicero to sort through things.