They were fragmented, unable to work together not let go of their pitiful pride. He had counted on that. Like great towers, they fell. The fire dragon, in a fireball of glory, taking down human after human with him, had his snout shut tight in a brace and cooling restraints snapped around his neck and limbs, sealed with the burning flesh of those who had sacrificed themselves to get close. They knew this heat well enough, they had foreseen the day that the earth would swelter and dry up, so they made sure they knew how to extinguish the burning flame. The proud leader no more than a lone candle waiting to be put out from the inside. He roared and blew his last flame, writhing against the spiked restraints clamped onto him, melting just after they dropped icy poison into his wounds. Slithering, slimy coldness; a feeling he though the had left behind. It gripped him tightly and forced the air out of his lungs. Cold, so cold. It hurt and he remembered, the snow was terrifying. The ice was deadly. Creeping onto his scales in cruel whispers, paralyzing...He couldn't succumb, he couldn't. Struggling against it, for the others. For the dragons, he couldn't...Colder than cold, he felt buried under the snow. Left to rot, left to freeze, his fire dimmed. They carried the fire dragon out with a struggle. Terra was easy really, he had expected more fight out of the earth dragon. Had she really given up so easily? In her last effort to save her kind, the dragons that she had been so passionate about. Claiming to be a mother, how pretentious. To have that facade, to fool so many others, he growled as she fell. The restraints clamping onto her easily, blocking out her vision. With whatever paralyzingly syrup they had, she was barely a problem. The great seeker, they had called her. Relied on her to tell them when to fight or run. Revered her as a goddess, their savior, their protector and the disgusting bitch had let them all down. He was glad to being her down. Especially while she still protected her fellow spawn. Her wings pulled right against her, did not protect her ugly eyes. They soaked their gloved in acid and flung it exuberantly at the hydra as if it were for sport. Who could hit the purple bull's eye first? 10 points! He laughed as he made his way past them, his sword trailing on the floor behind him. Clinking along the stairs, what he found was laughable. The rest of the dragon and hydra having rushed up past their last stand. Beelzebub and Forte stood rather opposingly against him. Blocking his pathway to the rest of the fleeing brood. "My my, Beezlebub, you seem rather angry." He chuckled, sword held lazily by his side. What he received in answer was a growl and the beginnings of a standoff. The hydras staring him down. The air stilling between them both. It was funny really, for them to finally want to protect each other in the very last moments. A brave last stand. It would go down in history. His history. "You wouldn't want to go against the wishes of your king now would you?" He murmured softly, his eyes glowing softly in the darkness. He smiled as the hydra froze, clearly tensing as he met his eyes. The complexity of a hydra, he had to tug a little harder to wrench out all those secrets, those wanton desires, "Now, go make sure none of them escape. Do what you have to, but dare you not harm my children, pet." He instructed and Beezlebub turned, smirking to himself as he brushed past Forte. Gone to carry out the commands of his king. His wonderful king. There could be no other, no better. "Wonderful isn't it? He is such a good pet. A little disobedient though, loves to fight with the others, but when he needs to do what he is told..." The dragon's expression softened and he smiled, such a smile that did not belong to him anymore. Not with that sword in hand, drawn ready. Beelzebub would keep the others busy, whilst, "I've been looking forward to this." He murmured, running a hand over his blade, "They say you are the best. Battled every dragon from here to the end, never backed down when challenged, couldn't beat to lose." He smiled, seemingly talking to his sword, "So powerful." He brandished it carelessly, "Would you accept this duel? For your pride and your kind? Will you wager this much or beg for something more merciful?" ---- Leo ran, trying to stop Skylark from struggling away, gripping him tightly as he continued up the spiral staircase. Having given up on steps in favor of perilous flight throughout the stairs. He could hear Sanare's and Sila following closely behind him. The wind whipping past them, narrowly avoiding the rails and bottom of the steps. Sanare's little bundle seemed to be struggling as well, trying to reach out past her arms, the tears streaming off his face and breaking off long before they could fully form, whipped away by the speed at which they were going. "Stop! Stop! That was Father!" He cried out, reaching out only to have his arms forced back by the whiplash. Why were they running away? It was Father! Where Father was, Daddy might be too! They had come back to get them! They hadn't forgotten, they were gonna be a family again! Why couldn't they see that? Why were they running?