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“No worries,”the Valkyrie confidently reassured. “I know a Dragon with a chip on his shoulder and the flames we need to leave that murderous bitch the same way she left my best friend – no offense intended.”
“None taken. I can’t stand the woman. Like I always say, Karma’s a bitch, and Vanessa deserves whatever’s comin’ her way. Blessed be, my friends, and be safe. I’m not buryin’ nobody I love, y’all hear me?”
“Yes, ma’am,” the Dragon and Valkyrie barked in reply.
“Now, go kick ass!”Zach whooped right before Van cut the link.
Spotting the bright orange roof of the Coven’s historic mansion, Van aimed for the black crescent moon – a tribute from the Goddess - in the center. Lifting Daig’s snout, he pointed the Dragon’s feet at the apex and began the transformation back to a man.
No sooner had the soles of his boots touched the curves and grooves of the terracotta roof tiles than did the furious rumble of angry thunder shake the Heavens and Earth. Eyes flying upward, Van was awestruck. Out of nowhere, the sky was filled with dark gray storm clouds raining lightning bolts the size of mighty redwoods in every direction and all aimed for the exact spot where he stood.
Jumping out of the way, he spun towards Jianna while opening his mouth to ask if she knew what was happening, but the words simply disappeared as every window in the three-story, thirty-two room historical landmark exploded like a nuke had been detonated in the very center of its foundation. Sliding down the valley between two of the turrets, Van let his feet slip over the edge, grabbed the gutter with his right hand and held on tight as every inch of his six-foot-six-inch height swung out as far as it could.
Kicking at thin air just as the muscles in his arm reached maximum elasticity, Van twisted the lower half of his body back towards the house and roared,“One more time, Old Guy!”
“Okay, but much more of this crap and you’re gonna need to call me Clark Kent and get me a phone booth.”
“Yeah, definitely cutting back on your TV time… Whoooooooooa!”
With the soles of the feet of his Warrior Dragon crashing through the jagged shards of glass jutting from the frame of the French doors on the second story, Van landed with a resounding thud just as his transformation was complete. Eyes flying to the right, his heart skipped a beat as the sight of not only Lottie, but also her young friend Prue, hanging upside down, blood dripping from their necks, and Vanessa floating between them came into shocking focus.
“Stop right there!” He roared, making it exactly two steps before Vanessa’s eyes flew open, her hands flew out in front of her and she shrieked, “Stay where you are, or I’ll snap their necks right now.”
“No, you won’t,” Daig’s calm retort flew from Van’s lips. “If you were gonna kill them, you would’ve.”
Fully in control, not bothering to warn Van, the Dragon King took a leisurely step forward. Waving his hand in the air as if he had all the time in the world, Daig sarcastically chuckled, “There’s something else you need, isn’t there, Vanessa? You thought all you had to do was get the Grimoire, kill the Coven and their Leader, and use the blood to perform a few rituals for some Demon Lord underling and he would give you everything you wanted.”
Another step forward, the look in Vanessa’s eyes telling both man and Dragon that Daig was barking up the right tree, the Winged Warrior went on, “Let me guess, old Oriens… It’s Oriens, right? He’s the sub-Prince of Hell you made your deal with, right?”
“H-How did y-you know?”
“Pfft,” Daig scoffed, making Van prouder than he’d ever been of the Being with whom he shared his soul. “Everybody knows that shit. It’s all over the dark web. There’s whole forums set up about this crap. You should’ve done your research.”
“But I j-just… I never meant… I mean, it’s just that…”
“It’s just that Vanessa Marron is a stupid bitch and a worthless Witch who couldn’t pull a rabbit out of a hat at Old McDonald’s Farm!” The resonating bellow shook the walls. It was coming from every direction, so loud that Van’s ears were ringing and neither he nor Daig could get a bead on where it originated.
“I’m the one who made all the plans, the brains, the money, the connections. It was all me! Bitch wouldn’t let me have her daughter, so, I took her instead.”
The voice was getting louder, closer, deeper, and angrier.
“Keep him talkin’, Old Man,”Van whispered into Daig’s mind.“I’ve almost got him.”
“Okay, Great and Powerful Oz,” Daig baited. “If you’re so awesome, get your ass out here and show me what you’ve got.”
“What I’ve got? What I’ve got?! I’ll rip you limb from limb and feast on your entrails!”
Lights flickering on and off and what was left of the chandelier swinging back and forth overhead, the house shook with the fury of a nine-point-nine earthquake. Dust and rubble fell like hail from the ceiling and cracks like spiderwebs raced up and down the walls as red-hot flames of Hellfire flew from the fireplace.
Refusing to look away from Lottie, knowing he had to get to her, Van pushed to the forefront of his mind and yelled,“I know what to do!”
No sooner had he taken control than a flash of light, a blur of motion to the right caught his attention. Pulling the Sword of the Silver Dragons, blessed by none other than Merlin, from the ether as he spun to the right, Van swung with all his might.
Cutting through a distorted haze of inky black smoke, thick gray smog, and oozing, leathery tusks as big as his own leg, Van poured every ounce of strength he possessed in what would be his next move. Hanging on to the undying love he felt for Lottie, the Guardsman gave his backswing everything he had.
The infernal God of the East, a Demon Prince who was born – not made - of hate and deceit may have been atop his Ancient Mammoth, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t be killed. Turning a complete circle, he took a step back, raised the blade over his head and with a roar that emanated from the very bottom of his soul, brought the sharp edge down on the edge of the huge, misshapen elephant head appearing right before his eyes.
Blown backward as wave after wave of black magic and pure evil flew from the crumbling body of the seriously wounded Oriens, Van’s back slammed into the farthest wall. Struggling to breathe as his knees hit the floor, the Guardsman jumped to his feet and braced himself against falling to the side. Jerking his sword into the air, fury and rage pushing his every move, Van flew across the floor.
Ready to strike the killing blow, he was forced to swing wide and stumble to the side as Jianna appeared directly before him, yelling, “NO! STOP! YOU CAN’T!”
