2. Chapter Two

The Juggernauts cautiously trekked the war-ravaged and desolate lands of the Forbidden Battleground. An apocalyptic sky of crimson watched over them with the fury of a storm. All around them great mountains of flame bellowed with an earth-shattering force, sending a raging vortex of fire into the skies. As the Armagons surveyed the area, they began muttering low unearthly growls and hesitantly moved forward. The scent of battle was thick in the air. “Commander, the Armagons are acting strangely. They may be sensing his presence,” Slyph voiced over on his intercom.

“Well, can they track his exact location?” Ziggurat asked.

“That’s a negative. They’re not picking up any signals on him. I’m not getting any traces either.” The red tracking device over his eye began to malfunction.

“What’s going on back there?” Ziggurat shouted.

“I-I don’t know. Sir this doesn’t look go-” Static cut off the transmission.

Ziggurat cursed. Beads of sweat rolled down his face and fizzled into the ground. Suddenly, a series of small tremors shook the land.

The earth gave one final, violent shudder as a massive entity cloaked in shadows erupted from beneath the surface. Slowly the dark aura began to dissipate, and a pair of malevolent eyes gleamed from within, cruel eyes more terrifying than the devil’s own. From out of the darkness emerged the great beast, its scales as black as the night. Along the creature’s sinuous and skeletal form was a mane of blazing fire and twisting spikes which surged down its back and tail. A deadly crown of horns grew from its skull. The serpent crept towards them, a terrible bloodlust in its eyes.

“Heh, so you finally decided to show yourself Shadowflare,” Ziggurat smirked. The black dragon began to speak, his voice smooth and deep.

“So, do you really think that you and your army can withstand my power?” he taunted.

“Heh, guess we’ll find out,” was Ziggurat’s reply. The Juggernauts drew their weapons and took their battle positions. Ziggurat drew in a mighty breath and let out a war cry.

“ATTACK!”

The mass of soldiers surged forward, battle cries resounding. The black dragon almost seemed to be smiling. His body tensed as he began to coil and tremble, as if a great power were emerging. And then, with his head lifted high and wings splayed, the dragon unleashed a nightmarish scream so powerful that it cracked the molten earth beneath his feet. Immediately the Juggernauts were left paralyzed with their hands clamped to their ears, trembling and cringing at the mercy of the beast’s agonizing shriek. Soon enough, Shadowflare proved to them that sheer numbers served them no benefit. Like a huge snake, the black dragon slithered in and out of the shadows, weaving through the army’s attacks with ease. Black claws turned to red as they ripped through the Dragoons’ armor-plated exteriors. Blood splashed into the air, raining down on the limp bodies that soon scattered the field. Ziggurat growled as he saw his soldiers one after another become decimated. The elites kept on their toes, though barely avoiding certain death. They retaliated without mercy. Sieg’s twin battleaxes sliced off several scales from the dragon’s hide. Valdir and Eridor’s spears stabbed at his wings. A sudden smirk drew upon Ziggurat’s lips. It seemed the dragon was preoccupied with the others in constant onslaught. He slinked behind the wall of the army and tightened the massive coils of his tail. The others were fully aware of Ziggurat’s strategy and prepared to split apart as they simply awaited the commander’s signal.

“Now!”

Like a coiled spring Ziggurat then launched himself forward and slammed his mighty fist into the black dragon’s skull. Shadowflare recoiled violently as another agonizing shriek tore from his maw; the force of the blow had shattered one of his horns. It was then that the dragon drew up his massive wings, the veinous membrane glowing like lava. With a single stroke, he took to the skies.

“Prepare for open fire!” Slyph commanded the Armagons. Barrels lit up from the Armagons’ backs. Soon the air was filled with the scream of cannon and missile fire as they whizzed through the sky. The barrage of shots had grazed Shadowflare’s wings and tail, but he continued to spiral upward until he disappeared among the clouds.

“Hold your fire. We’ve lost him,” Slyph confirmed, signaling the others. The sky was suddenly pierced by a black ball of fire. Dropping like a bolt of lightning it struck one of the many tanks below, and it was obliterated in a matter of seconds. Then another fireball came, and another. The rain of hellfire bombarded the tanks below, putting most out of commission. One of the fireballs then came hurdling towards Slyph’s tank.

“Slyph, look out!” Eridor exclaimed, but it was too late. The fireball had already made its impact, and the massive armored beast had violently burst into flames.

“SLYPH!” they all cried out. There was no response. They then saw the Dragoon’s body, as his silver arm fell limply from the burning remains. With that, the beloved Juggernaut elite who had aided them for years, leading them to numerous victories, was no more.

Shadowflare descended from the skies like a great, winged cloud serpent streaked with fire. “Is that all your pathetic army can do?” he laughed. Sieg cursed under his breath.

“Everyone fall back immediately!” Ziggurat commanded. “I repeat, everyone fall back immediately! It seems our tactics won’t hold him off for much longer.”

“What do you suggest that we do then?!” Eridor shouted, anger boiling in his voice. “We’ve already lost over half of our men!”

The truth was, Ziggurat didn’t know what to say. He could see the defeat on their faces, and he knew it was only a matter of time before they too would perish. A dark wave of hopelessness fell over him as he looked to the blood-red skies, a color that would soon cover the land.

“If only she were here…”

Just as those words left his thoughts, an unusual icy wind swept through the area. All action had ceased.

The cold winds began to stir, carrying with it a strangely familiar cry that resonated through the clouds. It was a sound so haunting, yet so melodious. The Juggernauts turned their attention to the skies, and their eyes widened in wonder.

There, soaring down from the heavens, was the most beautiful creature they had ever seen.

There, was their great guardian…

Zalaria.