“You’re the last rider…” Kyungsoo breathed out with exhilaration. Kai gulped and nodded with a shy smile. “My heart’s pounding right now.” Kyungsoo stood up shakily and ran into Kai’s arms. “I’m so happy for you…” He nuzzled into the younger’s chest. “The egg is beautiful isn’t it?” Kai asked proudly. Kyungsoo nodded, “The sketch in the book of records certainly doesn’t do it justice. This egg feels different from Midnight, Hunter, Whisper, and Aspen… though I can’t capture the reason. Maybe cause it’s the last one out of five?” Kai shrugged in response. “But what are we going to do now? The fight is almost upon us.” Kai glanced worriedly at Kyungsoo. “I was going to suggest hiding it… but I don’t think that it’s a good idea. It’ll be too vulnerable, and we don’t know when it’s going to hatch.” Kyungsoo frowned.

Kai nodded, “Let’s just head back to Suho and the rest first. Zökr’s army might be nearing at any moment now.” Kyungsoo climbed onto Midnight with Kai following after him. “We probably need Baekhyun to create an illusion of the egg not being there once we get back. We can’t risk the enemy or worse, Zökr seeing you with the egg.” Kyungsoo stated. They flew fast and hard across the barren lands. Soo, there’s something different about the Kai’s egg… I can feel it. Kyungsoo nodded and patted Midnight’s sides, “I can feel it too. You don’t happen to know why do you?” Midnight shook his head; The Faer Gonds can’t decipher it either. Kyungsoo sighed, “Guess we just have to wait till the egg hatches then.” Kai tightened his backhug on Kyungsoo, with the egg sandwiched between them two.

Soon, they were flying over familiar ranks of soldiers before they descended as they spotted Hunter near the large tent that was surely the Battle Command Center. The two boys scrambled into the command center once Midnight landed. The said dragon was probably off recounting how they found the egg to Hunter. “Kyungsoo!” Yifan yelled as soon as they entered. Suddenly, all eyes fell onto the indigo-colored egg in Kai’s hands. “You guys found it…” Lay breathed out amazedly. The boys looked delighted at their find, as it meant that Kyungsoo and Midnight would be able to fight in battle… severely increasing their odds of winning. “Wait, the concern shouldn’t be that right now… Tao’s had a vision.” Suho brought them back to their primary concern. It was then that Kyungsoo and Kai realized that the rest were crowded around Tao, who was lying asleep on the ground. Just then, Tao woke with a start, startling the rest when he rose like a zombie from its grave. “He gave the order. They’re really coming now!” Tao tried to calm his breathing. “What about Zökr and Kyrûller? Are they coming as well?” Tao looked surprised to see Kyungsoo there, but one glance at the egg in Kai’s hands answered any questions he might have had. The Seer nodded grimly.

“Jongin, go warn Sehun and Chanyeol. And tell them about your egg too…bring Baekhyun to me.” Kai nodded and handed over the egg to Kyungsoo before disappearing. “Warn the troops. First sign of fire and Zökr’s army across the water and you tell me.” Kyungsoo directed Suho who nodded and strode outside, undoubtedly rallying his troops to their starting positions. Once Kai came back with Baekhyun, the boys settled down to discuss their plans once more. “The situation’s different now since we’ve found the egg…” Suho nodded and frowned, his eyes raked through the battle plans on the table again. “How are we going to hide the egg?” Yifan asked. Kyungsoo sighed, concealing the egg was indeed going to be difficult. “That’s where Baekhyun comes in.” The said boy let out a soft “Ahhhh…” in understanding. “You want me to create an illusion of the egg not being here?” Kyungsoo nodded, “Basically, making the egg invisible. Which means you have to stick to Kai since he’s the paired rider. The egg is both of your responsibilities.” Kyungsoo eyed Baekhyun and Kai pointedly. The two nodded and Kai hugged the egg closer to his body. “We should have a dragon protect them… it’s safer that way.” Tao pointed out. Kyungsoo hummed. “How about this… Kyungsoo and Midnight, you guys take Zökr when he comes. Kai and Baekhyun will be with me, on Hunter.” Lay frowned, “But wouldn’t that draw attention to the two? I think Zökr will know that something’s up if there were two other boys on your dragon.” Kai nodded, “Also, it’s too dangerous for Kyungsoo alone to fight Zökr… We should get Luhan and Whisper to help.”

Everyone looked to Kyungsoo for a decision. “Can you make Kai invisible as well as yourself, Baekhyun?” The boys seemed startled at Kyungsoo’s question. Baekhyun nodded firmly. “That settles it then… Kai and the egg can’t be on ground where most of the fighting will take place. It’s too risky. They have to be on Hunter. You are to teleport both yourself and Baekhyun out once you deem it no longer safe. Is that fine?” Kyungsoo looked around for any signs of disagreements. When no one stated their disapproval, Kyungsoo sighed, “Get ready…” Everyone scrambled to suit up in their individual armors… even Midnight and Hunter had a specially designed armor from their head to all across their underbelly. It was after all, their most vulnerable parts of their body. Tao, Baekhyun and Kai got onto the red dragon’s body. “Keep them safe…” Kyungsoo nodded at Tao, Hunter and Baekhyun. He couldn’t hide the worry he had for both his boyfriend and the dragon egg. “I’ll be fine… Stay safe for me, Soo.” Kai smiled at the other. Baekhyun nodded at them before they disappeared into his illusion. If one were to look at Tao and Hunter now, never would they have imagined that there were two other boys behind Tao on Hunter’s back. They watched as the dragon made his way to the back of Suho’s army.

Kyungsoo climbed onto Midnight and stood beside Suho, Yifan, and Lay. Rows and rows of Elf archers were directly behind them, followed by alternative rows of water and air-benders. Their army stretched so far back that Hunter was only a mini figure to the very back. To think that they still had the men under Sehun and Chanyeol at two other places… their army was pretty formidable. It was Midnight that first spotted signs of the enemy’s impending arrival. “They’re here.” Kyungsoo warned. Suho commanded for the archers to stand-by as a loud battle horn sounded around. Once the approaching boats came into range, Kyungsoo nodded at Suho who smirked. Both sides watched on in amazement as the water-bender summoned a huge wall of water in front of Zökr’s fire-benders. “Archers at the ready…” Kyungsoo yelled out in Suho’s stead, seeing as the other was still occupied with holding up the wall.

“Fire!” Kyungsoo brought down his raised hand. Suho roared and brought down his wall of water onto the first few rows of fire-bender ships, extinguishing most of the fire sources visible. The Elves released their hold and bombarded the enemy with thousands of arrows at the same time when Suho brought down the wall. Most of the fire-benders at the forefront hadn’t even gotten over the shock of the water wall before the arrows assaulted them. They cheered when they saw plenty of men falling over the sides of the ships, dead. But Zökr’s army was still large in numbers. After repeated waves of aerial assault, Zökr’s men were fast approaching the shoreline. Suho gave the command for the Elves to retreat backwards and switch to their swords as the water-benders and air-benders stepped forward.

The men under Sehun’s command were watching the action from the Twin Mountains in the North. Luhan and Whisper were perched halfway up the mountain, alongside Sehun… and everyone watched the countless ships of Fire and Middle Nation near the western shores. They stared in awe at Suho’s impressive water wall before cheering as plenty of the enemy fell to the Elves’ arrows. Luhan and Whisper were especially tense, their eyes scanning the horizon for any signs of a big black dragon. Sensing the rider’s nervousness, Sehun grabbed onto his boyfriend’s hands. “Hey… it’ll be alright.” Sehun smiled at Luhan, “Baekhyun and Kai will protect the egg. Kyungsoo’s back there with Suho…” Sehun pointed out the blue dragon far away, “We’re going to win this war.” Luhan breathed out loudly before smiling. “You’re right. Let’s get ready… the fire-benders are almost upon us.” Sehun nodded and they flew back down to their army. “We’re almost there…” Sehun told General Yoo, who nodded and passed on the message for their soldiers to be prepared.

Just then, a distinct loud roar signaled the arrival of the dark lord himself. Everyone’s neck snapped to the direction of the western shore. Sehun gripped onto Luhan’s hand tightly when he saw his best friend flying out to meet Zökr and his dragon. Midnight flew low and upturned two ships of fire-benders before soaring up towards Kyrûller. Everyone stopped and stared when the two beasts collided. Claws were unforgiving as the loud growls and roars from the two dragons deafened the battlefield. “Your highness…” General Yoo looked towards Sehun who raised his other hand. “Wait a while more.” Sehun gritted his teeth. Kyungsoo had emphasized that Sehun and Chanyeol’s army were only to move after most of the fire-benders were on shore and had engaged with Suho’s army. Where things stand, only the first few ships had reached… and the majority were still closing in. Luhan flinched and Whisper growled when they watch the two dragons plummet down from thousands of feet up and into the water, before the blue and black soared upwards again. “Any second now…” Sehun warned General Yoo. They watched as the fire-benders finally ran to meet their assembled troops before giving the command to move out. Sehun eyed Chen and Minseok, “You two stay with me at all times, is that understood. Watch after him.” He pointed at Minseok while delivering that order to Chen who gulped and nodded.

“Move out!!!” Sehun roared as his army charged towards the western shore. The loud battle horn sounded from their camp. Another horn from Chanyeol’s camp echoed around the nation a second later… the signal that they too had moved out. Sehun watched as Luhan and Whisper sped away, most probably going to Kyungsoo’s aid. It wasn’t long before their three armies united and surrounded the fire-benders. Their plan had worked somewhat. Now, most of the fire-benders were stuck in the middle and were desperately shooting out fire. It wasn’t that effective against the water-benders and the air-benders could always out the oxygen needed to sustain flames. Pretty soon, physical battles were in place as the fire-benders depended on their weapons instead to do some damage to the Alliance.

They’re here, Soo. Kyungsoo’s eyes swept across the horizon at the sound of his dragon’s warning. There they were, Zökr and Kyrûller… a speck in the distance that was fast decreasing. “Let’s go.” Kyungsoo patted Midnight’s side and unsheathed his sword. His dragon let out a deafening roar before leaping to the sky, upending some of their own men at the extent of power of the takeoff. They dodged several fireballs that came at them, before Midnight took the initiative to over