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They’d immediately braced themselves for a storm. On the voyage to Punt they’d had to weather very few storms, but the men were prepared for the worst. They had an experienced crew who’d been through much harsher conditions and come through to the other side.
But then, the clouds began to take shape the closer they drew. Lowering steadily from the skies to the surface of the sea.
Gigantic black wings unfurled from within the dark, heavy fog. Long, scaled necks with serpent heads and horns and antlers emerged next.
Monstrous jaws opened to emit shrieking roars that shook the sky itself. Followed by torrents of gray fire that razed his men to ashes upon contact.
Shai had never encountered such incredible foes. He only defended himself and the ship on instinct. Trying to push back the blasts with swords and shield.
Strangely, though the flames touched him as well, they only made his skin heat uncomfortably, but didn’t burn. He didn’t understand why he was spared from the creatures’ attack while all of his men collapsed instantly upon contact with those destructive flames.
And too, the ship itself didn’t burn. Though it could clearly be gripped and manipulated by the dragons’ claws and jaws, pulled steadily into a dizzying whirlpool, it didn’t crumble in their clutches.
Was it only living beings these monsters affected? But then, why didn’t Shai suffer the same fate?
These thoughts were moot, however, when he heard Heba’s scream above the wind, rain and monstrous screeching. For, the dragons also heard her. Homed in on her, standing small and alone just outside the enclosure.
Time seemed to stop as Shai watched the largest of the dragons move toward her, leading with its long, scaly, thorny neck and wide-open jaws.
One moment he was crouched on the ground holding two swords before him to ward off dragonfire, and the next he was leaping toward the beast in a mad, desperate dash.
The dragon turned to him, sensing the threat. Its opaque black eyes narrowed and it sprayed a blast of dark fire directly upon Shai.
Shai roared in fury and determination. Willed his body to be faster, stronger.
He powered through the scalding heat and smoke. It didn’t burn him, but for a singeing pain upon his forehead, as if the dragon had branded him.
He ignored it. There was no fear or hesitation as he practically flew through the air in a somersault and brought both swords down upon the dragon’s neck, severing the head with one fell swoop.
The creature shifted to smoke before its head could fall and simply disappeared into thin air.
The other dragons shrieked with rage and what sounded like vicarious pain. All at once, they descended upon the ship en masse.
And that was when, in a frantic bid to defend his mate, Shai, too, transformed—
Into a dragon the color of sea glass. Predominantly shades of green, blue, white and purple, but with accents of yellow, pink and amber. The crystalline nature of his metal-hard scales reflected the fury of the sky and sea. He was one with nature.
Unleashed.
He was equal in size to the largest dragon that he’d just decapitated, with a narrow head and snout, expansive wings, a thorny crown and spikes that went all the way down his neck, four legs of almost equal size, massive claws, and a javelin-like tail.
His eyes burned as he focused on his remaining foes.
Without thinking, he simply opened his jaws and released his own blast of gold and orange dragonfire upon the attackers, catching one of them directly in the chest, blowing a hole through it, instantly turning it to smoke just like the one before.
Instinctively harnessing the might of his form, powers he never knew he possessed, he launched a counter offensive against the shadow dragons, now down to four.
They clashed like thunder and lightning in the skies above the churning sea, while Heba’s ship swirled ever deeper into the whirlpool below.
Shai grappled claws with one of the shadow dragons while another leapt on his back, its foreclaws digging into his shoulders.
He could feel the dragon on his back trying to find a way to bite his neck from behind, but was likely stymied by the thick thorns and jagged scales that protected the back of his skull all the way to his shoulder blades.
His body was encased all over in those same hard, jewel-tone scales. Harder than rubies and sapphires. As hard as diamonds. And while the enemy dragon’s claws managed to cut through the scales on his back, the flesh wound was manageable. He could already feel himself trying to heal.
He feinted a few attacks and finally found an opening to rip into the throat of the dragon in his claws with his sharp, dagger-like teeth. Rearing back, he tore the entire jugular out with one mighty swing of his head, instantly turning the shadow dragon into smoke.
But then, another dragon also landed on his back, clawing into his wings this time, trying to tear them off. The three of them tumbled through the skies, a tangle of flapping, flailing wings, screeches and roars.
