While watching Azurumene and Lun-Fenren make the preparations, Thramuny fell asleep. She opened her eyes after what seemed like only a moment to find that in the center of the large rune where Vyranya and Drumya once lay, now only Drumya lay. Azurumene sat next to Lun-Fenren sweating and exhausted.
“You sleep well, pukuta? I think the procedure was successful, but I don’t know what the side effects might be from using a dragon soul.”
Thramuny got up and moved to Drumya’s side. Kneeling she gently touched his forehead and tenderly moved her hand down his lightly bearded cheek. His eyes shot open.
“Thramuny!”
“Drumya, how are you feeling?”
“A little dizzy and nauseous, where is Vy..ah Pukoo?”
“Vyranya… he.”
“You know!” exclaimed Drumya.
“Yes, he told me.”
“How did he tell you?”
“He told me first,” said Vlux just waking up.
“You know too!”
“Pukuto, we all know.”
“I can hear him, where are you, why would you tell them?”
“You can still communicate with him… but how?” said Thramuny.
Drumya’s arm turned red and scaly. He looked at it as it moved independently from the rest of him. “Because he is here, were still soulmates, but he lives in me now, just under the surface.”
“Then it’s sort of like soul symbiosis, but that still doesn’t make sense. I’m going to have to do a very thorough study on you pukuto.”
“Wait what time is it,” asked Vlux.
“It’s early morning. If you’re worried about the possible Triphu attack, I already sent a parrot to relay the message. I told everyone the attack would happen at dawn so they will be prepared. But I’ve been observing the Triphu’s behavior for some time. They love a good fight, so it’s more likely the attack would happen around noon.”
“Regardless we must make our way there at once,” said Thramuny.
“Wait Thramuny, did we ever find Angdraoni?”
“Something is disturbing my connection to Eio, but I did briefly catch an image of him. Eio has found him, so I know he will take them back to my tribe.”
“Good, that’s a relief. Our weapons are fully charged, we just need a way to get there quickly.”
“Euyene, says she will be happy to take you and Thramuny there,” translated Azurumene.
“Wait, I’m going with you.” said Drumya.
“Euyene says ‘not on my back.’”
Drumya’s arms, shoulders, and back grew red scales, he sprouted a spined reptilian tail, expansive leathery wings, and from the nap of his neck grew the head of Vryanya. “Whoa! there you are, we are truly bonded, like a chimera.”
“I never thought something like this could happen,” said Azurumene. “Dragon souls and bodies are different; they don’t mesh well with others. Their souls burn hot, and if you place another soul next to it, it becomes kindling, starting a fire that burns them both. The fact that you two haven’t combusted yet proves the procedure was successful. You’re both sharing parts of your soul and bodies with one another. Making an odd chimera arrangement.”
Everyone else stood, mouth a gap looking at their new form until Vlux said. “Hey uh, Drumya, Vyranya..Druvyranya? Whatever you two are now. Are you going to fly back to the Pyoxien, cause if so, can I ride with you..please?” Euyene whimpered.
“I’m sorry Euyene, but dragon, man, thing is awesome.”
Drumya chuckled. “I think we need to practice moving in this form first. Best if you ride with Euyene, we’ll be right behind you.”
Thramuny approached and took Vryanya’s hand, inspecting it. As she did, it turned into Drumya’s hand. “Thank you friend,” said Drumya. “He gave me control of the arm.”
“Interesting, you’re so hot,” said Thramuny gently rubbing his hand.
“You think so?” smirked Drumya.
“Yes, are you sure you’re alright.” Said Thramuny still touching his muscled forearm arm until Azurumene hip bumped her out of the way.
“Pukuta he’s in good hands hurry back to your people. Come pukuto we have to make sure you’re stable enough to go out there.”
Thramuny turned to Euyene and jumped on her back, Vlux followed with Kiliyi on her head. Together they raced off toward the Pyoxien village. Suddenly Euyene stopped, her muscles tensed, fangs bared. Vlux stood still, listening for something. Upon closer observation, Thramuny could see the tracks on the ground.
The markings on Vlux’s arm began to glow, she lifted her hand and closed her fist, trapping their stalker in a bubble. He shot the barrier with a dart, popping it. Thramuny rushed him, jamming her staff into his belly and pinning him on his back. Vlux called vines out of the ground to restrain him. He had lean bare arms, olive skin, and brown eyes barely visible under the shawl he wore to hide his features. Thramuny noticed tiny jaws rise under his skin. They snipped the vines, freeing him. She brought the staff down on him again, but the point of impact hardened like stone. Taking advantage of her moment’s hesitation. He kicked her legs from under her, then spun and kicked her away. Vlux threw the book which collided and harmlessly bounced off his hardened head. He turned to flee but tripped on a gold thread. Euyene pounced, pinning him on his stomach, teeth dripping with saliva, prepared to take off his head. Boa slithered under his feet and restrained his legs. Vlux cautiously came around with Home and Splinter at the ready.
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“Who are you?” demanded Vlux. The man mumbled something indiscernible into the ground. Thramuny approached and lifted his head with her foot.
“We can’t hear you,” she said. The man spoke, fast and shaky, in an unfamiliar language.
Vlux put her weapons away, brightened her eyes, put on her best smile, and knelt next to him. “I’m not going to hurt you.” she reached out and touched his arm.
“What’s he saying?”
“He’s says we should move, that they're coming with their unstoppable familiars.”
“Who’s coming?” Then they felt the ground tremble. Thramuny climbed up into a tree and surveyed the terrain. She soon spotted the massive stampede coming down the orange peaked mountain, trampling the trees and anything in their path. They rode on large ethereal creatures Thramuny had never seen before. She jumped back to the ground. “He’s right we need to move.” She summoned Boa back to herself, and hopped on Euyene’s back still standing on the man. Vlux jumped on after her with Kiliyi.
“What should we do with him?”
“We don’t have time to properly restrain him, and he doesn’t seem to be our most immediate threat, let him go for now.” Euyene took off faster than before, the rumbling steadily growing closer and louder.
“They're still gaining on us, this isn’t good Thramuny, they easily outnumber your tribe ten to one, probably more. We may have to just grab as many people as possible and flee.”
“No, my people won’t give up, we just have to get there fast and help.” Thramuny said this knowing full well Vlux might be correct. This large and calculated horde is a moving juggernaut, the likes of which she had never known before. Only a day has passed since the last raid. Her people were not in peak form. Vlux and Thramuny pressed themselves against the tiger’s back as Euyene sprinted with all her might. They could hear the crashing of the trees behind them, feel the rumble of the land, and just ahead they saw the village. The Pyoxien built a hasty fortification, warriors and wyverns lined up behind it. They emerged from the jungle the horde gaining on them, leveling the trees. Thramuny glanced back, and saw beasts the size of temples, with horns chromed in armor. Vlux was right, they didn’t stand a chance. She screamed for her people, her family to run. The war cries, and thunderous stampede only a few meters behind drowned out her voice when suddenly.
“I AM ANGDRAONI USGRAT!”
A colossal wall of clay erupted from the ground, separating Euyene from the stampede. The horde crashed into the wall tearing down layers of rock, causing debris to bury the first wave. The horde stopped and began flinging projectiles at the growing wall, but a cloud of spores fell on them spawning green bulbs to grow and pop producing a sticky substance that mixed with the dirt, making the terrain difficult to traverse. They saw a blue plume light up the clouds. Tial-Meh roared from the pink peak. A mighty dragon of the sky, and next to her a dragon made of flora. The sight rallied the Pyoxien to action. They mounted their wyverns and flew over the enemy. The horde no match for the flying and highly maneuverable wyverns. They quickly drove the invaders back. They trampled over one another as they fled the onslaught from the sky. Once the invading force was several kilometers away, the wyvern riders flew to the pink peak. They landed and bowed their heads in reverence to the two great dragons and the dwarf between them. With a gust of wind, Euyene landed on the summit with Thramuny, Vlux and Kiliyi.
“Hey, we finally found you. Sorry we got separated, but Eio found us, and led us back here just in time to help. Why is everyone all silent and kneeling like that? Is that a greeting? Should I be doing the same?”
“Ang, you wonderful righteous fool. Only you would show up at the eleventh hour, flanked by two huge dragons, summon a massive wall of clay, turn the tide of a losing battle, and then question why people are bowing. If I didn’t recognize your little bearded butt from down there I would be bowing too.”
Thramuny got off Euyene’s back and bowed. “Tial-Meh, but why is she here, how did you get her to come with you Angdraoni?”
“I just followed his lead, you don’t recognize him?”
“Wait is that Eio, Eio are you inside of Tial-Meh? That is why I cannot hear you. How did this happen?”
“Is that you Dungii? You’re almost as big as Tial-Meh, and did your tail grow a head with horns and thorns,” said Vlux.
“That’s Rungii, he’s Dungii’s new addition. They're getting along really well now. How Eio ended up in Tial-Meh is a long story, but we did kind of cure her illness. What is that?”
A man with dragon arms, shoulders, and back complete with a tail, flew in and landed on the pink sand next to Thramuny. Another person riding on his back jumped off and said. “Wonderful the Pyoxien miraculously fought the Triphu back. Pukuta is this your nest beast Tial-Meh, I’ve never seen her up close before. What’s this strange creature, a peculiar fusion of plant, animal and fungus?”
“Morp Morp.”
“What’s with these guys, does he have a dragon stuck to his back?” asked Ang.
“Angdraoni, this is Azurumene, Drumya, and now merged with him, his wyvern, Vyranya.” said Thramuny. Vryanya’s head sprouted from Drumya’s nap and let out a greeting roar. Drumya shy and self conscious in his new form remained quiet.
“How did that happen?”
“Alright, we have a lot to catch each other up on but first, it looked like the Triphu were headed back toward the Oskien,” said Vlux.
“Actually, they’re headed further toward the east. I don’t think they are going after another tribe with how rough their forces looked,” said Azurumene.
“Then I think it would be best for us to follow our other lead. I could hear your conversation with Thramuny last night. We encountered a guy who had some abilities I’ve never seen before, like hardening skin and forming tiny jaws. His body seemed to do those things with no channeling at all. Is that soul symbiosis?”
“Yes, it sounds like it,” said Azurumene.
“Then he must be from the south-eastern islands. The ones who may have started this. If we go back to where we encountered him, we might be able to track him,” said Thramuny.
“Pukuta the Triphu have trampled over everything.”
“Then we must follow the Triphu’s path, and comb through the destruction,” said Thramuny,
“Not to worry, Kiliyi planted her carapace on the man. We can track him anywhere he goes,” said Vlux.
“Good thinking, Kiliyi,” said Ang, as she took her place on his shoulder.
“Yes, this is the best day ever! C’mon everyone there’s plenty of room.” Said Vlux from atop Tial-Meh’s head, her smile and bright eyes genuine.
“Vlux! How did you get up there. You can’t just ride on Tial-Meh,” said Thramuny.
“Eio seems alright with it, and flying will be the fastest way to catch up to our query.”
“What about Dungii? Looks like he can fly.” said Thramuny.
“He can but he can’t fly very well, he needs wind magic to fly properly. Also, I don’t think he can maintain this form for too much longer,” said Ang.
“Morp morp” Dungii shed his form, “Meep meep.” Ang and Dungii climbed aboard Tial-Meh with Vlux.
“Um… Thramuny, I think I’ve got flying figured out, you can fly with me,” said Drumya.”
“I see how it is. Pukuta go on ahead and ride with him, Euyene c’mon we’re taking the dragon.” Azurumene and Euyene, joined Vlux, Ang, Dungii and Kiliyi on Tial-Meh’s back, with Thramuny riding on Vyranya and Drumya’s. Finally reunited, the group had a lot to discuss as they flew off toward the east, leaving the Pyoxien awestruck.