16The image of a powerful blue dragon rising towards the sunset, with its scales flashing blue fire, and gold determined eyes filled her and when she closed and then opened her golden eyes, and she stared down upon a massive blue paw.
Holding this form was a strain on her life, but it was well worth the price paid to have all the advantages of this powerful form.
She flexed powerful blue wings and with a sudden lunge, launched her gigantic blue form into the air. The wind sang under her blue wings and she, for a brief moment, danced in time with the wind currents before she stopped her play and stretched her senses out in all directions, in search for the presence of Zaquel.
She had heard of this dragon and knew that even if he managed in over running this kingdom, he would eventually destroy every civilized land he found.
Whether she trusted Redfern or not, this matter most certainly had to be dealt with, and quickly.
She felt a familiar tingle, felt the threads of the magic belonging to a ancient levathan, and she turned to the west, and soon after caught a wind current running parallel to her course. It would be a day of non-stop flying before she reached the dragon, given he didn't move from where he was.
As she flew, she looked down upon the conquered lands of Lord Redfern, and felt a wave of pity fill her.
While the cities of the people were untouched by the warfare that had tamed them to Redfern's cold hands, the people were a truly saddening sight to see.
The looks of dispare and their empty eyes made her shudder at the thought of being so conquered in both body and spirit.
Many looked up at her and jeered at her as she passed above them.
She could hardly blame them, though it stung that the people hated her for all the power she represented, and that was the correct term, she knew that people often called her the "Gray General" and that was the kindest of all the creative names they had come up for her.
If she ever fell wounded amongst them, it would be her undoing, for they would surely kill her, to simply spite Redfern.
She gulped at the thought.
Eventually the cities gave way to forest lands and Star for once felt at peace with herself and the world.
Massive trees, centuries old, reached skywards with the younger trees huddled around their gnarled knees as they began the eternal reach for the skies. Beneath the trees, she watched forest creatures make their way through the trees and felt the dragon form's stomach growl and in spite of herself, she smiled.
It was pleasant, for once, to worry only about keeping her dragon form from swooping down upon a unsuspecting doe with her fawn and not worrying about the rebels and Redfern.
Upon the wind, a few hours later, she smelled decay and instantly knew she had found the dragon, the pull of magic was too strong now to be not felt.
She stretched out her senses and felt the dragon a couple miles to the south and she turned in his direction.
From her back, she felt to make certain that her sword was still with her, and once she was certain the trusted blade was still rested upon her back ridges, she picked up her speed and keep her senses attuned on the dragon.
Something told her that Zaquel would not go easily and that before long, the blade would not need to stay sheathed.
When massive green scales flashed before her, she dived in time to avoid a blast of fire, and she echoed the blast as it struck a outcropping of rock below, with her own roar of fury.
"You are no natural dragon! Identify who and what you are!" Zaquel demanded as the massive green dragon snarled at her across the skies.
Even from where she flew, she could hear the flames rumbling in his massive green chest. He was at least a full hand taller than she and probably, before he was put into his sleep, more experienced, considering the long centuries he must have survived to reach his massive size, even by dragonic standards.
"I am Star and I learned from Red Wolf, the Master of Shape Shifting, how to become a dragon at will, he knew, Zaquel, that you were going to wake soon, and his ageing power could not dent you. I am here in his place." she replied.
"A human female wearing dragonic scales?! No human deserves a right to become a dragon unless they are a dragon who transformed into human in the first place! I will see to it that you die for this. . . outrage!" Zaquel snarled as he digested this piece of information.
His flashing red eyes truly burned with hatred now.
"Well shall see about that, dragon. Humans put you to sleep thousands of years ago and one may just knock you off your high horse yet." Star snarled back as she tensed and focused on her opponent.
The dragon snickered as he charged after her.
Wait for it, she ordered herself silently, wait. . .NOW!
Once he was near enough the ram her out of the skies, she pulled her wings close, with a sharp snap as there tips slammed together, and dropped like a stone, and once she was clear, she caught the wind current and drifted lazily back up to her opponent who was beyond rage and hatred.
"It seems I am not dealing with a ordinary human being." the dragon murmured silently to himself, "I can't fool around with this one or might make a mistake that will be my undoing."
Star ignored the commentary.
She had experience with people in the past who had taken to that trick and her knowledge on the lore of green dragons gave away Zaquel's strategy long before he knew what it would be.
Green dragons were well known for their cut throat ways in both battle and in their dealings with the other members of their race. In many ways, he resembled Redfern.
He turned and dove for her.
She knew she could not pull the dropping away trick, again, and waited for what felt like forever for impact with the larger beast.
With a almighty hiss they collided, as two titans of the skies.
Star and Zaquel lost themselves in the battle rage.
Strategy and calm thought were lost as primitive instinct took over.
Claws and scales glinted in the sunlight, and later on, blood glistened against their scales as the battle drew on.
In their battle, they tore up the woodland beneath them in their contest, and in the skies, flames passed between them, often meeting, the separate blasts pushing against one another, and then combusting as the heat and pressure became too much for them to remain concentrated against one another, only for another volly to come thundering behind the explosion.
The day passed, with no change for either, and slowly the night was spent and day dawned with a weary blink from which the sun's rays crept across the land, slowly, like a old man in winter.
Having neither slept and fought a entire day, both Zaquel and Star where beginning to slow down as exhaustion began to control their movements.
Both were covered in wounds and sore from all the fighting.
At this point, they landed, and Star unsheathed her sword.
Zaquel laughed weakly, "What are you trying to do? Or are you just stupid? Swords cannot cut through my scales, so why do you waste your energy in using such a useless weapon against me?"
"Believe me, Zaquel, I don't believe this sword will have any trouble. Would you like to test the idea? Take a closer look, you know this blade." she replied as she dropped her dragon form.
Even though she still bore the wounds she had gained in her fight against Zaquel in her human form, another part of the price she paid for having the ability, she could use her sword with more ease as a human than a dragon.
Zaquel stared at the sword for a long time before he started in surprise.
"That's the Wind Blade! The sword that was used against me before I was forced to sleep for all those years! How, human?! How could such a blade come to a mere human women? I do not understand. Unless. . .your of House Anderaine!" he gasped.
Star grinned in spite of herself as she replied, "Family heirloom. With my father being held hostage in the Redfern's palace to ensure my loyalty to the royal family, I was given this sword to safe guard until it could be used to defeat you. That day is today."
Zaquel took a step backward and she ran forward.
Blade meet dragon claws as Zaquel vainly attempted to block the blade.
They remained posed like this for a solid moment in time, as still as statues in their strugle, as the sun rose over the land and then his claws gave way, and the sword made a single wide arc that flashed in light, and red rain.
When she sheathed the blade again, Zaquel could no longer stand as the wound she had inflicted allowed his life's blood to drain.
"I can't believe it, defeated by a mere human. . . ." he moaned before death took him.
Star fell to one knee as the pain from all her wounds hit her in one flaming moment.
The sun had cleared the land before she attempted to stand again and when she did, she was nauseous from the pain as she shifted to her dragon form and headed off in the direction she had come from.
She only hoped that she could make it all the way.