I press down on the brake to stop the car, but it's of no help. The fire, raining from the sky downwards is almost near. Few meters from intact, a blurry image flashes across my peripheral vision, turning into Nicklaus as he runs past my car, his eyes on me, then making a U-turn, in the process, bending the waters from the trees, and gushes them like an umbrella over my car, just in time the fire booms down.
The effect is an intense vibration as I watch from the windscreen, the fire trying to penetrate through the water, but Nicklaus doesn't give it a chance to. I can't even see him. I close my eyes, and shrink my head closer to my cleavage like it will protect me in some way.
It stopped. Silence takes over. I yell from the shock of the car-door yanking off its hinges. Nicklaus is there, looking at me with a impassive gaze. I feel he's blaming me without actually doing so. He grabs me by shoulder and helps me out. The car is perfectly okay and uninjured as me.
"Stay behind me, okay?" He says. Short of words, I nod frantically. I'm shocked out of my mind. What the heck is this again? Any suicide?
Involuntarily, I bend, cowering when a screeching snarl emits from skywards. I follow Nicklaus' eyes to a large creature...a dragon, flying with a heavy flapping sound as a man stands firmly on its tail, that's wavering.
"Take two steps back, Rayne." Says Nicklaus to me in an authoritative voice. I do as I'm bid.
He makes a circulating shape with his hand, bending his body abreast the motion, the effect swapping off water from nearby trees. The water takes the shape of oval, and from part of it does Nicklaus make sharpened iceberg. The ice flies up to wound the big creature. It shrills in pain, and with a flip, the man jumps down with a flop thud, the creature disappears soon after.
"You didn't think that was a real dragon, did you?" The man says at Nicklaus.
"I didn't think you'd be so gullible to get your ride killed." He replied with a nonchalant tone. I stay silent behind him, two steps away.
"Good counter." Says the dangerous looking man.
"How about we get to business? Who sent you."
"Who do you think?" The man's face is laced with devilish smirk. His eyes glows golden, illuminating through the dark night.
"Last time I checked, Ryders have no sympathy for Vampire hybrids, especially one from my creation...unless she's important to you. What powers does she possess?" Nicklaus takes more steps towards the guy, each with intimidating and fearful aura. I almost shrink. Rather, I beg that the ground to swallow me up.
I hear Nicklaus gasp, as he makes an abrupt stop. "I can't compell you. I can't read your mind. What is she?"
"You are all doomed. She could have been yours. She could have been a treasure only if your race whom created her accept her, and give her her will. Now, she's working for us. None of your barbarism part can hurt us." The man says, chuckling. I see Nicklaus fist clasp.
"She's an armourer." Says Nicklaus with an hint of shock in his tone, as the realization dwells on him. What is an armourer suppose to mean? Does that mean she's so powerful? My head buzz so I stop the thoughts that keeps muttering inside my head with no answer to quench them. I focus back on the scenery in front of me.
"But still that doesn't give Ryders the thought to keep her. She must be so much more important than that." Nicklaus adds, obviously wanting more information out of the man, who's as intelligent and witty as not to buy any of it.
"And that's your assignment." Says the man sing-song-ly.
"Where is she?" Nicklaus pause to look around. "She must be near to protect you."
"Oh, no. She's been trained a lot. From hundreds of miles away, she can protect whoever she wants to."
"Now here's your mistake. She can guide you from my vampiric abilities, but not my venom. My fangs throbs to drain you." Nicklaus is now the one chuckling. However, the man no less determined. He feels no fear still.
"You remember we are they Hawks. There's a reason why we pick on victims; because we are your gods. Stand aside, hybrid. Our fight is not of today, but when the survival begins. I came here only for the girl." He looks over Nicklaus shoulder to me. I crink, and cower mentally. No! Not me! I do nothing!
"Perhaps it would have been a good idea if you brought your rider." Nicklaus threatens, preparing for a firm stance. "Stay behind, Rayne." He glances at me. "On the side of the road."
While he says this to me, the man chuckles, seeing us as pranks. I run to the side of the street where the trees are. My heart feels as though it would leave its cage. Adrenaline's kicked in since a long time.
"Oh, yeah. He's the one who's near." Says the man, followed by a silence. Short silence like in the movies, then, out of nowhere is the immense range of booming fire from his dragon, hovering in the air atop us from a near distance, directed towards no other than Nicklaus.
The fire rains on him just in time he raises up his hand to... control it? I feel it's intensity from where I am, making me use my hand to cover my face as I feel it burn through. The Ryder guy feels nothing as if the fire has no effect on him. It seems so.
The dragon stops, and I force my sight to see past the remains of the fire that's still harsh. I see no Nicklaus, my inside tumbles, and I feel body shaking. The much fire is actually enough to dissipate anyone from existence, but I don't want to believe that Nicklaus is... The presence of the man— as he makes his way to me, staring at me with such gaze I know I can't escape him —brings me back to reality.
"I have no fit with you, but whom sent me has. You die." He says nonchalantly, but is stop by Adeline's voice.
"What do you think you're doing? Going to harm my brother's beloved just like that as if there's no one here to save her? That is so impudent of you. How about you do me a favour, and you die instead. I've always hated Ryders and will wish that one dies by my powers..." She rambles off. Does she have to do that in this moment?
At last when she's done, surprisingly enough not breathless as I have anticipated, she back flips over so that one of her legs maintain her stand when she rolls over, while the other along with her working pale hands bends three woods from nearby and hurls them at the Ryder.
His dragon that's now shielding him crawls towards the woods and throws a ball shot of fire at it, causing explosion, but then, Nicklaus' Father appears from behind Adeline out of the blue, and multiplies the fire with his ability, twice the rate of the dragon's, causing it to snarl in pain and stumble over its owner, who's then sent across the street into a comatose state. His beastly creature whimpers repeatedly.