Killian felt the strands of grey tying itself to his mind once more. The images flooded back. Cybelline using all of her power to suppress the thing.

His Cybelline. Where was she? What happened?

Suddenly the burning magic which latched onto his skin was no longer the most important thing. He had to find his Cybelline.

Give up. The voice said, You can never defeat me. You are too weak.

Killian felt the power in that voice, it was a tidal wave against his consciousness. He felt lost at sea, the waves of power crashing towards him. He held on.

He held on and threw his magic at the bonds, burning and searing it.

He fought the thing with everything he had.

Inside the barrier, the fae watched in horror as Killian's eyes turned from green to red. Watched as his skin started to turn grey once more.

Killian looked at the Fae, " Get away!" He screamed, his voice turned guttural.

It seemed as if a storm gathered in the sky as more and the grey magic, which had been thin strands now became rivers that seemed to fall from the sky.

He stood again, fighting. He had fought all his life and no matter the enemy he would fight. He had lost the last battle and Cybelline...

With renewed passion, he burned away the grey strands that stuck to his skin. He would give the fae enough time to survive. He needed to know what happened.

Suddenly, he rose into the air and barreled straight for the barrier, intending for a fiery end for them both. He would never let the thing have his body.

He would never allow himself to forget her.

The Shadow Spirit seeing this screamed and suddenly, separated from his body.

Killian fell towards ground, he flipped and landed on his feet. The grey spirit seemed to be screaming and laughing at the same time. It flew into the air and began to transform itself, it's blood red eyes now glowing brightly.

In the sky was the grey dragon, it laughed once more. "You are strong than I thought. But, no matter, I have already absorbed the power. I wanted to toy with you." He looked at the barrier and gave a roar.

It evaporated as if it had never been there. It had destroyed a barrier of a First Fae. Below, the fae looked up in consternation yet they did not falter. Their Queen had told them that they needed to fend for themselves. They would fight until they could not.

"I will burn the world!" It promised, "This world is mine! All mine!"

Killian gathered his power and jumped to the roof. He looked at the thing square in the eyes, "You'll have to go through me first."

"You just don't quit, do you mortal? No one should have been able to escape the merging. No one should have been able to fight. I am impressed." The dragon taunted.

Killian's eyes were icy green, "Your death awaits."

The dragon laughed but suddenly brick landed on his face. It was tiny but it stopped him mid-laugh. A furious voice called out, "You overgrown lizard!"

On the other roof tops stood soldiers, Leonmithas, Jinon, Kima, Oqir, and many others holding various weapons and swords.

They all were prepared to fight to the death as Killian's soldiers guided the fae out of the city.

Their lord had chosen to save the fae so they would save the fae.

The Dragon laughed. "You think you can stop me, when I have called my brethren? My brethren who have been waiting for me to bring them to this world to devour it whole?"

He roared into the sky and the rivers of grey seemed to rip space. They were tiny at first and then seemed to grow bigger and bigger. Killian watched in alarm as he heard roars in the sky behind the invisible game. He must stop it.

Killian looked up and into the red eyes of the monster who had taken his mind once. It had controlled him and it had...he didn't want to think about Cybelline. If she died, if she was unable to come back to him. Then he would go to her.

Killian knew there was very little chance, but a daring plan came to his mind. If this worked, then he would buy more time for the fae and his people to escape.

But if he died, he would take as many of these bastards down with him.

Killian remembered the feeling that the dragon had created in his body, remembered the strange spell the dragon had muttered before melding with him and taking over his mind. Gripping his sword, he looked up at the dragon, "If you are so great, then how come you needed me?

The red-eyed dragon hated this reminder, it spat at him, "If not for the fae queen, I would have taken this world long ago. She destroyed my body but failed to destroy my eyes. I hid my power in my eyes, eyes that were passed generation to generation of humans until a human showed up able to withstand my power. But now that I have full control, it is mine once more."

"Full control?" Killian said? He smiled, "I think I understand you well now, beast. I think that you didn't just let go of me now. You were afraid. Afraid that if you fight with me again, I would win. I think you're afraid that I would take your body."

The dragon laughed, "Fool! A human can best me? I am a shadow dragon? My king is a Dominion God of Gods. He sent me and my brothers here so we can feast on your worlds. You know nothing, you are nothing!"

Killian only scoffed, "Then show me your power. If you are so powerful, then you could easily over power me. Winner gets the power. Loser, dies."

The dragon laughed, but behind him, hidden by the ripping space, behind the invisible gates. He heard the jeers of his brothers. They were laughing at him, laughing that he was being taunted by a human. The red-eyed dragon knew that if he did not show his brethren he was a leader, he would be considered weak. They were waiting to see what he would do, before they invaded.

"You have a deal!" The Red-Eyed dragon cried and dove down towards Killian. Its body glowing and shifting into a grey ball as it rushed for Killian's head.

Killian was ready. This time...This time he would not lose.

Pain that was now familiar and new rushed at him as the grey magic ate at his mind, ate at his connections to the world. Everything that tethered him to who he was was being cut. The dragon was rushing at his defenses, rushing to eat his mind so that he would truly be gone this time.

"Your soul is mine!" The dragon cried.

Killian held on to one thing. He had made a promise to her. It was his job to make this world safe. He would not allow this world to harm her. He made that promise long ago, that when she came back, he would be strong enough to protect her.

That was his promise and that was his hope. In his mind's eye he saw her when they were children. She had kissed his eyes. He looked for what he knew now was her promise to him. It was a seed of her dark magic, pure and raw in its strongest power. It had been dormant as he had never called upon it. But in those last moments when she locked away his memories of her, when she used her dark magic. He had discovered it.

She was his weapon. She was his hope. Taking that seed of magic, he combined it with his and it grew like dark vines into the grey magic. Cybelline could not destroy this dragon because she was not a part of it, like he had been. The power he had drawn strength from, the eyes that had been his curse, he knew it better than anyone in the world.

He held onto the memory of the woman who had saved him when he was little and the woman who had given the last of her magic to save him when he needed her the most. He pushed himself, forced himself to grow. He would follow her until his last breath, follow her until he was nothing but particle of dust in the wind, chasing after the echos of her steps.

Slowly at first, then rapidly, his magic at at the red eye dragon's subconscious. The dragon was too complacent, thinking that he had already won, when all of the sudden, he realized that Killian had been fighting. And winning.

"What! No!" The Dragon screamed. It saw that half of its consciousness had been devoured. It now fought Killian, fought to keep from being devoured.

She was waiting for him. She was the reason he fought all these years and the reason why he would keep fighting. She had people she loved and wanted to protect. He would do so for her.

Killian pushed the magic farther, using his newly gained powers to keep fighting, until suddenly he felt a release of pressure as a grey blob flew out of his mind.

Killian opened his eyes. Purple eyes stared into the sky as he looked coldly at the shadow that flew away from his body.

Killian jumped into the air and transformed. A dragon of black scales and red markings appeared where he had been. It roared in defiance at the fleeing shadow.

Jinon looked at Ithos. They stared at the black dragon in the sky.

Leonmithas felt his jaw drop and his dwarf companion gently closed it, muttering, "You're a mythical creature yourself. Don't let others laugh at us."

"But...but he absorbed the power of the dragon and made it his own." Leonmithas stuttered.

"He's the official choice for the Queen's consort. If he didn't have a few tricks up his sleeve, I don't think he could keep that position for long." Melas the green fae said. The dwarf elder Oqir nodded.

Below, a cry of joy could be heard from Killian's soldiers and the fae. This was their legendary general, he would protect them.

Killian roared again, the grey blob had flown a safe distance. It suddenly turned around in rage, it was just a little stronger than it had been with Kyria.

"YOU! You will pay for this!" It cried, "You all will!"

Killian raised his jaws and a giant green fire-ball flew out of his mouth. It flew at the shadow. The shadow screamed in fear.

Just then, another fireball met the one Killian had created in mid-air and caused an explosion that turned the sky red.

A shadow dragon twice the size of the one Killian had defeated came to stand in front of the shadow. It held the shadow in its paw with a disapproving glance.

"You useless thing." The new Shadow dragon said. The shadow whimpered, "Telas, brother, I am sorry. Brother give me another chance. I will turn this world into ash."

"You have wasted too much time" Telas, the dragon replied, it growled, "Our King will hear of your failings." It spoke a spell and the shadow disappeared.

The grey dragon looked at Killian's black dragon and laughed, "You puny mortals. Do you think that just because you stole a dragon's shape and power, that will make you a true dragon?"

"You will leave this earth." Killian said looking at the bigger opponent without fear, "Or else, you will die."

"You really think you won? After defeating the weakest of us?" One of the biggest dragons laughed, "We are the devour of worlds." The dragon raised its head and roared. The cracks in the sky widened and thousands of dragons flew down, roaring as they came for the earth, eager to overtake it.

They roared as more grey strands ripped the sky to allow in thousands of dragons.

Their wings covered the sun until only a grey mass covered the sky. Their scales were dull and metallic, their claws were lethal and sharp. They covered the sky and the city.

Today, they came for blood.

-----

Outside, Jasreth sat staring at Miri's body, "No..No..No." She could not leave him, he would not let her. He gripped her body, unable to see the world.

He screamed "Kill the fae, get the Fae Tree branch!" He will take that potion and make her live again. He promised himself.

In that moment, the remaining forces looked at him as if he was insane.

Jasreth frowned and looked up. His eyes widened. His men stared at the him and then pointed to the sky.

Large grey dragons roared and the grounds trembled. He stared at the sight, unable to take his eyes off the sight. A sky of grey dragons and a black dragon that faced them.

Just then, a grey dragon roared and opened its mouth. A giant ball of shadowy flame flew towards the city. Other dragons did the same, and the sky was filled with fire balls, falling towards the heart of the City of Light.

"RETREAT!" He screamed at his men. He grabbed Miri's body and ran for his horse.