Chaerin was almost to the Aerie when Fei warned her something was happening. She didn’t know what, but she felt it, so they paused and started winding their way closer to buy time. It was a wise decision, but she was still not prepared for Bahamut’s appearance. Seeing a dragon god in Trance was one thing. Seeing one in person was something else entirely. Chaerin’s eyes grew large as she watched Bahamut rise up from the rubble of the Aerie, devastatingly beautiful but equally terrifying.

            In awe, she could only stare and then cringe away as he opened his enormous maw to roar. Fei faltered in flight and they both started falling towards the ground with a head spinning nauseous feeling writhing in their bellies. “Fei!” she cried out, pulling on the harness straps as if it might drag her dragon’s head up.

            The cry stopped and Fei leveled out several lengths above the ground, dazed but otherwise unharmed. Her head swung woozily in front but then she focused in Bahamut’s direction with a startled hiccup of sound. A burst of panic and worry rushed through their bond and Chaerin strained to see what had caught her dragon’s attention.

            An involuntary gasp escaped her when she saw two dragons rise up in front of Bahamut. The copper and blue were pitifully small in comparison, but they didn’t seem to care or realize the size difference. “No…” she exhaled as she realized who they were. She glanced up at the silver dragon’s head and saw him notice them with a look that turned her stomach again. “NO!” Chaerin screamed, urging Fei to go after them. “Stop!” the rider howled in frightened panic as if her word could somehow turn the dragons from their path. It was too dangerous! What were they doing?!

            Horror engulfed her as she saw Bahamut’s head move. Watched him bite Jonghyun’s wing and toss the rider away. Witnessed when the dragon god opened his mouth once more and the copper disappeared inside as it snapped shut twice. Fei’s roar carried what Chaerin felt – betrayed outrage and pain. A giant fist squeezed her chest and made it hard to breathe for a moment. Not that it mattered. Several things happened all at once right after.

            The shadow of Tiamat’s midnight colored body rose up from the ground too close and yet too far away. She howled an answering challenge that hurt from the inside out and Bahamut rushed to meet her. The wind from his wings grabbed the bodies of Jongup and Taekwoon and tumbled them away through the air. Chaerin quailed under the knowledge they were too far away to help them. Too far to do anything more than watch as they fell…

            But a ray of hope broke through as a golden arrow of frantic energy beat through the wind to snatch the rider from the air, drawing him close protectively. Chaerin’s heart leaped into as she realized it was Gain. “Go!” she urged, seeing the gold sight on the wretched blue tumbling by the side of the mountain nearby. Jongup either wasn’t conscious or he was unable to move. Either way, hitting the ground now would mean certain death. “Save him!” Chaerin cried as she reached her hand out like it would help.

            Doggedly, Gain trailed after the falling blue. Her head glanced down at the rider in one claw, as if uncertain for a brief moment, but then she lunged forward. With a powerful beat of her wings, the gold arced over Jongup’s back and reached her free hand to curl under his neck near his chest. Her hind legs clamped down on his hindquarters as she yanked up, her head leaning back while they leveled out. It was obviously an awkward hold with only one arm to support Jongup’s front, but she had done it.

            Fei called out, both vocally and mentally, and Gain’s head swung in their direction almost desperately. The golds surged towards each other, a frantic exchange of words streaming between them. Chaerin got the feeling that the rider was still in trouble and her gut clenched. As fast as possible, they came together and spiraled down, Fei moving to support Jongup to ease the burden. Their landing on the ground below the Aerie was still harder than it should have been but haste was Gain’s foremost concern. When Chaerin moved closer, the gold practically shoved Taekwoon’s unconscious form into her arms.

            With a startled yelp, she collapsed under his dead weight, but struggled upright immediately to check his condition. Her heart dropped again when she realized he wasn’t breathing and looked at Gain with obvious panic. “What do I do?!” she gasped in frantic fear. Basic first aid she knew. Bringing someone back from this…

            For a heartbeat, Gain looked at her with a glance that screamed of dry disappointment before she leaned close, bringing their eyes level. It was a sign of wanting to go into Trance and Chaerin leaped at it, falling into the shared space with the Paramour easily. Gain was literally there to catch her in an environment that that didn’t seem to have any solid form. It was all just roiling clouds of dark and light and a general sense of unease.

            “You must breathe life back into him!” Gain instructed, pushing Chaerin down so she could demonstrate. “Like this.” Too caught off guard to object, Chaerin made a soft sound of surprise when Gain plugged her nose and then placed on top of hers. “Breathe,” she instructed, pulling away before moving her hands over the rider’s chest. “And press,” the Paramour continued, pressing her hands down firmly.

            “What?” Chaerin coughed, confused and at a loss.

            “Now help him!” Gain commanded, literally pushing her out of Trance as quickly as she’d entered.

            Chaerin reeled from the sudden shift and took a hiccupping breath. She shook her head and looked at the Paramour who nodded her head towards the unconscious rider. “Okay,” Chaerin swallowed, taking it on faith that Gain wouldn’t lead her astray. She settled Taekwoon on the ground and plugged his nose with one hand. “Breathe,” she mirrored the instruction, copying Gain’s example. Taekwoon’s chest rose as her breath filled his lungs. “Press,” she told herself, placing her hands on his chest and pressing down.

            Nothing happened. Fear rose up to gnaw at her belly. Chaerin looked at Gain and the dragon nodded at his body. Fei clarified with a feeling of repeat, so she pressed again. And again. But still, nothing happened. Warm air blew over her face and Fei sent the feeling of repeat once more.

            “Oh!” Chaerin gasped in growing understanding. Not just once. She had to keep doing it. Again, she breathed into him and again, she pressed on his chest. Fear and desperation set in on the third round. “Come on!” she pleaded, trying once more.

            On the fourth attempt, Taekwoon’s body flinched as he gasped. His eyes opened and he stared at the sky before he exhaled, “Jong…”

            Chaerin’s elation at his waking up was short lived when he immediately fell unconscious. But at least he was breathing again. “What happened?” she asked, glancing between the two golds. They exchanged glances as if to say they didn’t know and then looked back down at the riders between them. “Taekwoon,” Chaerin murmured, smoothing his hair back from his face and then looking over the rest of him.

            With that crisis averted, they could no longer ignore what was happening beyond them. All three flinched when a loud roar and a crashing sound washed over them. Turning to look at the same time, they could see that Bahamut and Tiamat were fighting. It was Tiamat that had hit the ground and dust whirled around her violently as she launched back into the air. The ground where she’d fallen was nothing more than a crater of shattered trees and broken earth.

            “Now what do we do?” Chaerin asked in a small voice. She looked to the golds for some sort of guidance but gasped when Gain flinched and shook her head.

            Fei warned of danger and looked to the sky herself. Chaerin’s eyes grew large again as the blue expanse above started to fill with dragons flying in from the surrounding areas. That would have been bad enough but they began fighting each other as soon as they got in range.

            “What’s happening?” Chaerin whispered, horrified now as she leaned over Taekwoon’s body protectively. “Gain. Fei,” she added, looking to the golds once more.

            Gain literally bristled, back hunching as her wings started to flare before she shuddered and shook her head. With a quick look at Fei, she nodded and then jumped into the air, flying back the way they’d come from.

            “Huh?” the rider chirped, confused and no small amount worried. When Fei leaned close, she glanced around to make sure they were safe and then met her golden eyes, letting herself be drawn into Trance once more.

            Like before, the gold dragon caught her as she entered the turbulent space. “Careful,” Fei encouraged in her human guise, though the edges seemed to blur as if she was having a hard time holding her form.

            “What’s wrong?” Chaerin asked, holding tight to Fei’s arms as she stared at the dragon.

            Fei winced and tilted her head like she was hearing something that Chaerin couldn’t. “Bahamut and Tiamat are fighting. I can hear the call to fight too,” she admitted, shaking her head reflexively again.

            “Why did Gain leave? What are we supposed to do?” she asked, biting her bottom lip firmly. This was so beyond her. “And what happened before we got here?”

            “Gain explained it before she left,” Fei grimaced, nose wrinkling in distaste. “Bahamut killed High Priest. Took Jinki’s body.” Chaerin reeled from the information but her dragon wasn’t done yet. “Gain left to find the riders. They’re in danger now,” she explained, looking down as if picking her thoughts carefully. “She said that Bahamut’s blood is making her want to fight Tiamat. Dragons bound with Tiamat’s blood are probably feeling the same. But the wilds only know the urge to fight. Bahamut. Tiamat. Other dragons. I… feel that,” she admitted, hand waving close to her head while another wrinkle marred her brow.

            “But why are Tiamat and Bahamut fighting?” Chaerin asked, turning to look at the violently churning space around them. She felt Fei stiffen and turned to look at her dragon with worry.

            “Jongup…” the gold breathed, looking around in awe.

            “Here?” her rider blinked, trying to find the blue as well.

            Fei suddenly reached out and Chaerin flinched when a body just appeared out of nowhere. A human crashed into Fei with a broken sob. Strangely, she didn’t move from the impact. Rather she folded her arms around the sobbing man and held him close. All of the conflicted tension just fled from her, Jongup’s sadness engulfing the space around them like a blanket. It appeared to completely block out whatever else she was hearing.

            “Mate… gone…” he sobbed, collapsing to his knees when Fei lowered them to the ground. Pain nearly rendered his words unintelligible, but it was easy enough to feel what he meant. “Jinki… mostly gone,” he hiccupped against Fei’s shoulder, one hand reaching past her like he could see something she couldn’t. “Rider… can’t… reach,” he managed to spit out, body convulsing with great bursts of air. For just a moment, the pain turned to anger as he stiffened around Fei’s body, fingers suddenly digging into her back and shoulders. She winced as he literally growled, “Bahamut’s fault!”

            Captive to the emotions swirling around the dragons, Chaerin could only watch and listen. She didn’t even know where to start or what to say, but she reached her hands forwards carefully, almost like she would to soothe a wild animal. “What does Bahamut want?” she asked gently, keeping her voice low and calm.

            Jongup’s anger fled again as despair and pain took its place. “To destroy everything!” he wailed, curling even closer to Fei as if he was a child seeking solace in her lap.

            Fei just held him close and nuzzled his head, trying to offer what comfort she could. “He needs Taekwoon like Taekwoon needs him,” she whispered, looking up at Chaerin with heartbroken eyes. “They have a bond but rider probably can’t see it. Too much pain,” she sniffed as she rocked Jongup gently.

            Chaerin’s heart hurt just from watching them and she couldn’t even imagine what Taekwoon would feel when he woke up. She was loathe to make him try and confront that reality. But something Jongup said caught her attention. “What did he mean by Jinki was mostly gone?”

            Fei pet the back of Jongup’s head and took a breath. “He feels Jinki. They are bonded too but it’s weak. There is no body but he believes Jinki is alive,” she explained, looking at all three bodies in the Trance space thoughtfully before she met her rider’s gaze again.

            Now that was something she could hold onto, something she could gladly tell Taekwoon. It might be enough to pull him from the loss of Jonghyun. Maybe. She just had to make sure he woke up first… “Okay,” Chaerin nodded, pulling her hands back and holding them close. She took one final look at Jongup but it hurt to see him so broken so she fled, exiting Trance as fast as she could. She was not prepared for the noise around her when she returned and shied away from it with a very physical reaction. When a dragon body landed all too close to their location, Chaerin screamed and pressed up against the gold’s body. “Fei!” she cried out in warning, feeling the dragon come to life almost immediately.

            A large hand gripped her and the other picked Taekwoon off the ground before Fei hopped over to Jongup’s prone body with a couple quick wing beats. She set the humans down before she placed herself defensively above the blue, tail thrashing and wings spread wide while her head searched the skies.

            Chaerin pulled Taekwoon close and followed her example, spying a silver dragon flying circles above them. Over her, she felt Fei relax slightly and got the sensation of the silver being a friend. An ally was good, but when she felt ‘leader’ in addition, she laughed slightly. “Hero,” Chaerin whispered, tracking him for a moment before searching the general area. Numerous dragons were still flocking to Bahamut and Tiamat, swarming around the dragon gods ineffectively, but those that were here were generally fighting. As she watched, Hero was soon joined by a bronze and a white, the trio briefly standoffish before they shook themselves and set up a defensive pattern.

            A faint human voice made her look away from the battle and Chaerin smiled in real relief as she saw several riders on the back of a gold. “Chaerin!” the one in front called out, staring down at her intently. When Gain got closer, she could see it was Insoo in front and behind him was Wooyoung, Jinyoung, and Taeyeon.

            “Insoo!” she called out, one arm still holding Taekwoon and the other waving at the incoming riders. They were alright.

            Gain deposited them quickly and then returned to the air, flying back in the direction she’d come from. Chaerin glanced at her and then focused on the riders who ignored the gold in favor of the scene before them. Insoo was the first to come kneel beside her. “What happened?” he asked, taking off his glove to check on Taekwoon personally, fingers lingering under his nose to check for breath before resting against his forehead. Only then did he look up to meet Chaerin’s eyes.

            She had the answer and was ready to say it but when she met his gaze, the words stalled on her tongue. Chaerin opened and closed as tears stung her eyes. She had to look away and instead focused on Jongup, her fingers tightening on Taekwoon’s clothes. “I… Jong… Baha…” she started several different times, the words fading out before they could become sentences. Not that it mattered. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end and she became aware of a growing ringing sound that drowned out all other noise.

            As one, the humans turned towards the sound with rising horror. Nearby, Bahamut and Tiamat had locked their front claws together, butting heads hard as they flapped at matching intervals. The physical power struggle was obvious. Less obvious but far more frightening was the way the air around them seemed to shimmer as the keening noise grew. It became too sharp too fast and Chaerin clapped her hands over her ears while she ducked her head in pain. Eyes clenched shut, she didn’t know what the impacts nearby or the shadow that fell over them were, but they were nothing in comparison to the sense of impending danger.

            Chaerin screamed. Or she thought she did. But she could neither hear nor feel it over the thunderous boom that preceded a literal wall of wind washing over her like a wave, the roar of it deafening. When it passed, an oppressive silence settled and she opened her eyes in shock. The shadow over them was cast by four dragons forming a protective shield of overlapping wings and necks. The dragons moved sluggishly, swaying where they crouched with dazed eyes blinking slowly.

            “Is everyone alright?” Chaerin frowned at the sound of the question. It was so faint and it took a moment to recognize what the question was. She squinted and realized it had come from Insoo but it was like she was hearing it underwater.

            The keening cry that rose from the silence next cut right through the fog of deafness. All the dragons around them reeled back in pain, revealing an impossible sight. Dragon bodies were raining from the sky around a parted Bahamut and Tiamat. Around them, a barren circle of lifelessness had appeared and in the exact spot where they had met, the earth was now cracked. A yawning ravine had opened between them, extending in either direction as far as Chaerin could see.

            It was Tiamat that was crying though, her pain resonating in the air as much as through Trance. Bahamut did naught but watch as the black dragon stared at her dead and dying children, keening again at the loss of life. Then she looked at Bahamut at last and raged, the timbre of her voice shifting in the blink of an eye. Bahamut roared back, a throaty challenge, and flew after her when she launched away in the opposite direction of him.

            Trembling and stunned, Chaerin wiped at the unbidden tears on her cheeks and then looked at the riders. They all appeared shaken and lost, just like she felt. None of them had any words. Just pounding hearts and still ringing ears and an aching pain that settled firmly in their chests.

            A tiny whimper nearby broke the spell. Chaerin jerked with a gasp and looked under Fei. The blue dragon moved his head minutely and let out a heartbreaking whine again. There was no mistaking he was crying and it physically pained Chaerin to hear it. Her bottom lip trembled as she hugged Taekwoon tighter, as if she could somehow make him whole or at least hold him together.

            Then the three new dragons moved at the same time, two drawing close to nose at their riders lovingly before crowding around Fei and Jongup. While the gold curled around him like a mother holding her child, the others carefully settled on and around them, pressing close in a comforting pile of bodies and soft crooning sounds.

            Chaerin had never seen anything like it. Painful in its reality, it was equally beautiful and she brushed at new tears with a shaking breath. A hand on her shoulder made her jump lightly but then she looked over and saw who it was. “Insoo,” she sniffed, swallowing what hurt she could so she might be able to speak.

            “Are you okay?” he asked gently, his face an honest mirror of concern and pain. She started to nod, to at least try and put on a brave front, but that effort failed. Chaerin stopped and shook her head, looking down. She very much was not okay. “I understand,” Insoo reassured her, shifting his hand to rest on top of her head. “But right now, I need to know what happened,” he added quietly, moving his hand to place his fingers under her chin so he could lift her face up to meet his gaze.

            Chaerin sniffed again and hastily wiped at her eyes once more before she gave a tiny nod and took a shaky breath. “Okay,” she whispered, glancing down at Taekwoon’s resting body.

            While she tried to explain what she understood had happened, the other riders drew close to listen in as well. No one asked any questions and they only paused when Gain returned with Jungkook, Hyunseong, the rest of their dragons, and a handful of new but familiar dragons. A worse for wear V was hovering close by but Kwangmin was notably missing and his rider looked… broken.

            Insoo nodded at Taeyeon and Jinyoung to attend to them and then urged Wooyoung to go check on Gain when she simply collapsed nearby. The wing leader stayed to hear the rest of the explanation, occasionally looking up when they heard a distant roar or sound that they couldn’t identify. There was little doubt the dragon gods were still fighting…

            When she was finished speaking, Insoo took a breath and pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers. The situation was bad. There was no other way to describe it. But… they were alive and that was a start. He opened his eyes to take a look at the dragons they had nearby. All of their dragons were present except Jonghyun and Kwangmin. He could also see Yunho in the pile of dragons and Gain nearby. Beyond the immediate ring, he counted about fifteen Aerie dragons milling about uncertainly. And his riders looked equally lost…

            First things first. Given the situation, they wouldn’t be moving anywhere immediately. Everyone felt at least somewhat broken and they needed time to figure things out. Quickly, the wing leader built up what walls he could to hold himself together and took a forceful breath. “Wooyoung,” he called, sighting on the nearest rider who jumped at the sound of his name. “Take Junho and check the Aerie. See if there’s a secure place we can make camp for now.”

            Wooyoung blinked as if dazed and then shook his head to free himself. “Yes, sir,” he responded quietly, getting to his feet and hurrying over to climb slowly onto his red.

            See if one or two of the other dragons can go with him, he encouraged Gunwoo who simply gave an affirmative and looked from the pile over Jongup towards their allies behind them. Insoo looked around again and set his sights on Jungkook, Taeyeon, Jinyoung, and Hyunseong. “Jinyoung.” His second in command jerked to attention. “Take JB and see if you can find any survivors where the gods were fighting,” he instructed with a nod. Send a couple more with him if you can, he added to his dragon.

            “Of course,” Jinyoung nodded, giving one final reassuring pat on Jungkook’s shoulders before hurrying over to do as asked.

            “Taeyeon. I need you to fly perimeter,” he added, looking at the rider comforting Hyunseong. “See if you can find any survivors or maybe food for the dragons,” he encouraged with a reassuring nod.

            She frowned at him for a second, glancing at Hyunseong beside her. When Insoo gave her a light shake of his head, she sighed and nodded in response. “I’ll see what I can do.”

            “Thank you.” Woo? he called, reaching for his dragon when this order felt harder than the others. Especially because the white dragon had to pull free carefully from the pile around Jongup to join her rider.

            I will find someone to go with her, he promised reassuringly, sending what comfort he could through their bond.

            Insoo nodded and then moved closer to the remaining two riders. Jungkook looked a bit rough but there was at least awareness in his eyes. The same could not be said for his companion. “Alright,” Insoo soothed, pausing next to Hyunseong as he reached down to gently help the rider up. “Jungkook,” he called with a nod at the other side.

            “Oh,” the younger rider jerked, rushing to help.

            Between them, they guided Hyunseong over to where Chaerin was keeping a watch on Taekwoon. “Can you watch him for now?” he asked as they settled the doll like rider next to his half-sister.

            “Yeah,” she agreed easily, reaching for Hyunseong’s hand and guiding him to rest beside her. “I’ve got you, Seongi” she soothed, easing his head to rest against her shoulder so she could loop her arm around his back in quiet support.

            “Thank you,” Insoo whispered, earning a small smile from the other rider. Satisfied, he turned to face his remaining companion. “I need you to stay here and keep watch with them. Okay?” he prompted, placing his hand on the younger rider’s shoulder and giving a firm squeeze. “Can you do that?”

            “Yes,” Jungkook nodded quickly, swallowing hard to try and get control of himself. “Sir,” he added belatedly with a flinch.

            “Good man,” Insoo smiled, the expression hollow and forced but enough to encourage his wing mate. “I’m going to go and see if there’s any information in the Aerie. If you see anything, let Gunwoo know. Got it?”

            “Yes, sir,” Jungkook answered quickly this time, seemingly more engaged now that he had a task and a purpose again.

            Woo. Let’s go, he called for his dragon, feeling his heart lift and tear at the same time when the bronze moved to join him quickly, coming free from the pile around Jongup. Only Hero and Fei were left to comfort the mate-less blue. It was a bitter shot to swallow that two of his wing had lost their dragons and he still had his.

            It’s not your fault, his dragon promised as he helped the rider climb up with one of his front claws.

            I know, Insoo responded with a quick nod. But it doesn’t make me feel any better all the same. He felt his dragon shrug in acceptance and then turn his attention to their next target. Muscles bunched under Insoo’s legs and he held tight when the bronze leapt into the air. It was a long shot, but maybe Tiamat’s Aerie would have something they could use or information they could make use of to try and turn things around. Even if not, it was at least something to keep him distracted for the time being while he tried to think of what to do next.

            They were stranded in enemy territory with more broken and injured members than he cared to think about.

            The dragon gods were fighting and capable of causing mass destruction in the process.

            And the one person that might have been able to help them tame or temper either of them was apparently quite dead.

            But Insoo was alive and he was going to make damn sure as many others stayed that way as he could.