“They’re here,” Peter announced over the earpieces. “They just passed the eastern entrance, heading for the center of town.”
“Roger that, Peter,” she replied, with a nod of her head toward her mom. Livi shifted Fae as Alston’s residents began their show. Everything had been staged out so she could show the Hunters afterward that it really was a magic show—well, a fake magic show with fake wings, fire and smoke bombs in place. It was a good thing she’d studied in Vegas for a while. Taking a deep breath, Livi waited until she felt the first of the Hunters’ energies. “Come and see the most terrifying, the most amazing sight ever! Alston’s very own Dragon!” Well that caught their attention. Five of the Hunters turned to stare at her. “That’s right folks, our very own Dragon, and she’s here! You there sir,” she smiled as a Hunter walked her way. “Do you want to see her in all her glory, in all her magnificent mysticism? They say Dragons aren’t real, but we have one, our very own.” She smiled.
“Where is she?” the Hunter growled.
Livi smiled as she sidled up to his side. “Ahhh, so you are interested in seeing her, are you?” Meeting his eye, she grinned. “Right this way my good man, to the most fascinating sight you’ll ever behold.” Stepping to the side, she tossed a smoke bomb and shimmered over to the red stone in the middle of the field. They’d found a huge piece of quartz, and with some elven magic, gave it a red glow. “Here, my good man!” she called out when the smoke cleared away. They looked around. “Come and see. Her stone is here. This is how we call her, our Alston Dragon.”
“That’s it, Livi, keep them going. They’re all headed toward you,” Galen said over the earpiece.
“She only awakens every twenty years, and we can call her here tonight! Come and see, step forward, make room for everyone!” Livi called over the gathering crowd of Hunters. Nothing like luring the sheep to the slaughter. And when Alston’s security force stood around them at the outskirts of the field, she knew they were all here. Stepping over to the stone, she smiled at the closest Hunter. “Stay back now, give me room to call on our Dragon, and be ready to be amazed!” Drawing her hand over the quartz, she used a little Fae magic to help it glow. “We, the people of Alston, call upon you, oh great and powerful Dragon! It’s been twenty years since you last woke and we call on you now!” Tossing her arms up, smoke billowed out from either side and she watched as a mist started rolling in. “Be not afraid, my good people, ’tis only the Dragon’s steam from awakening.” Livi’s eyes narrowed as the Hunters glanced down around their feet, several hands went to weapons at their sides and a few even brought out wards to hold Dragons off. Smiling when the ground shook, Livi chuckled as they looked at each other. “That’s right. She’s awakening from the belly of the Earth! Fear not! She won’t eat you upon first waking; it would ruin her sensitive digestive tract!” Tossing her arms out to the sides Livi stood back from the stone, tossing her head up to look to the sky. “Oh great power of the Dragon, I call upon you to gift me with your very essence!”
“You have them now, Livi, keep going.”
Closing her eyes, she drew in the land’s power and levitated herself a foot off the ground. Concentrating, she formed a fireball into each hand and sent it soaring into the sky as her body jerked and a set of Dragon wings emerged from her back with a scream tossed in for good measure. The energies soaring through her heightened everything around her: sound, smell, sight. She looked down quickly toward the Hunters through a red haze. “Aahh, we have Hunters in our presence. Think you can kill me!” And just as the real Dragon Hunters stepped forward, the team they had in place rushed in toward her and the show went on. Drawing fireballs, she tossed them at Alston’s Hunters.
“Oh shit, this is good. Yhey look so confused.” Peter chuckled over the earpiece.
After a few minutes, she smiled as Tommy came up with her sword and stabbed her through the side. Livi screamed as she went down, and a huge ball of fire swept up into the night sky. Of course, the sword wouldn’t hurt her, but the Hunters didn’t know that. After all, Hephaetus bestowed it upon her and he designed and made it especially for her, so the sword would never hurt her no matter how many times it pieced her skin. Going limp when Tommy picked her up and lifted her above his head, she slowed her breathing down.
“The beast has been slain! I claim all rights to its corpse!” Tommy said loudly as he turned in a circle with her lifted above him. Bringing Livi down to lay within his arms, he started walking toward the exit with his ‘team’ of Hunters.