Consumed by the strange watery stuff, a condensed form of darkness. I felt as if I could no longer breathe, gasping for breath as I reached the other side.

I instantly felt an overwhelming presence pressing against me like a ton of bricks, was it this causing me to lose my breath, no.

“Darkness.” I let the word leave my lips. This place was seeping with so much dark energy, it made it hard to breathe.

I was expecting to see the mist like back home, but due to the barrier, the dark energy had become so dense I could see it clearer than I had before.

I ducked low quickly realising the place was crawling with the clones who had attacked the village as suspected they had recreated those I had destroyed.

I held my hand out, signalling to my team as they came through the barrier more disorientated than I. They all remained silent, shaking off the effects inflicted, looking at the sight before us.

I recognised the tubes from the cavern, they were using the same method I had seen in the past, but why. The glass tubes were filled with different Animalia, Feles to Rattus, Lupin to Avis, did all of them have lightning abilities like Queen Daz had?

“What is that?” Kiba blurted out as at the centre of the camp was a beast with a yellow scaled body, wings, spikes along its back and a long neck. It roared in distress, hooked up to the tubes like a giant power supply.

“That is a dragon, one of few sacred beasts left in this world,” answered Raziel.

“Sacred beasts?” repeated Edge.

“A young one by the looks of it,” commented Larana.

“How should we approach?” asked Lin.

I looked around the site, there was still enough vegetation to hide within. There were to many clones for a frontal assault, so we needed to take this nice and slow, deal with one thing at a time.

“Split up into pairs, Lin and Edge, Ibiki and Kiba, Finn and Rex. Stay within the vegetation and pick off as many of the clones as you can.” They all nodded. “I’m going for an aerial view, now go.”

Each of them teamed up and disappeared. I was quite pleased with how fast they had responded to my orders, perhaps this lot would be far more useful than I thought.

I summoned Larana’s wings, checking the area before taking flight. The wind rushing around me as I made it high enough to avoid detection.

From my higher vantage point, I could see everything that was going on, watching as my team took out numerous clones in a short time, they worked quick, but still not enough to be noticed.

There was a large surge in power from the dragon as it was whipped. Its roar sounded more like a scream.

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The darkness became thicker almost blurring my vision. I waved my hand in front of me trying to disperse it, what was happening?

I managed to catch a glimpse of lightning coming from the dragon, surging through all the tubes where more power was built up all configuring on one point.

“This has to work, otherwise he’ll destroy us all.” I heard them talking below, through Larana’s wind.

“It will, thanks to the lightning dragon, our rebirth into this world is assured,” said another.

“Rebirth into this world,” I repeated glancing at Raziel flying beside me for answers.

“You still have much to discover for what fate awaits you master,” began Raziel. “Think of the stories of Fang passed down your clan. It tells of those who served the eternal dragon, those who are reborn again and again.”

“Is this how they do it?” I questioned alarmed, perhaps what I had thought about so many times had been true. I carried the talismans of Fang, was I in some way him or perhaps the new generation of my clan to face the same parrels as he did in the past.

“Focus master,” snapped Larana. “You must act quickly before the process is completed, otherwise he will come, and you are not ready.”

I looked down at the dragon as it roared in so much pain. “I need to free him.”

I dove down, landing in front of the dragon as soon as my feet touched the ground, I sent out a powerful gust, all that was around me, pushed back including the clones.

The dragon lashed out at me, swiping his claws. I moved to the left, twisting to face him.

“I am here to help.” I slashed Raziel’s sword sending a wave of fire to cut away the beast’s restraints. The dragon snarled as its eyes gleamed with hatred, its body letting off the essence of darkness. “I am not one of them, my name is Fang. I am here too free you.” But my words did not reach him in his rage of anger towards his captors.

Raziel stepped in front of me and roared, it sounded like he was warning the dragon. While my attention had been on the dragon, I had ended up surrounded. I looked around; they were all clones.

“Fang.” They all snarled as if they knew me. I turned my back on the dragon posed ready for combat.

I glanced back at the dragon. “Please trust me. I will bring you no harm.” The dragon’s gaze was more curious, but he still held that same anger, perhaps using this moment to test me against his captors.

“Fang.” They all repeated my name again.

“You threw this party for me, how nice of you,” I smiled. “So, who wants to dance first.”

I got no response as they all pounced at me all at once. There was no coordination in their assault, heck some even bashed into each other, seemed they weren’t all that smart either.

I swiped Raziel sending out a blast of fire, wiping out most of them, these things were far too weak to be a threat.

They all backed off a little as I saw something, I moved to the right avoiding the majority of what had attacked me, but I had felt a sharp scratch against my arm.

I glanced back to see a cloaked figure; my mind flashed remembering this particular Animalia.

“Never thought you would find us,” he hissed. “Shame it’ll be the last thing you find.”

“You were there when the Latrodectus took out Gual,” I responded, lifting my arm to see the wound inflicted. I could feel my blood around the wound beginning to burn. “Poison.”

“Won’t take long before you fall,” he grinned.

“I think I’ll be just fine.” I pointed Raziel’s sword at him. “You’re the one who ordered the murder of Guardian Gual.”

“So, you figured that out all by yourself, what a clever Feles,” he mocked, his tongue flickering in and out. “We are almost done here. I just need to keep you busy until then.”

“Keep me busy, you can try.” I responded. I was finally faced with the one who ordered Gual dead. He would pay just as she had.