Calippo

”Whip, I really don’t like it here. I can hear... things all around us.” Calippo gazed fearfully at the tall, dark brambles surrounding them that seemed to blot out all light. “Are you sure we’re not lost?”

Whippy tried to loosen his mate’s death clutch on his arm, her long body pressed tight to his. “Relax, dear. We’ll be fine; we're bound to be close to some lair, and we can stay there for the night. Look, there’s more light up ahead. See those mushrooms? We're getting somewhere.”

“Oh, I really wish I were home,” she murmured uneasily. “A dragon like me was never meant to be in a place like this.”

At their claws, their familiars trailed hesitantly. Her Prowler twitched anxiously from time to time, and her mate's Sphinx beat its wings, unhappy with the inability to take to the skies through the tangled stretch of brambles.

Low, scraping noises behind them caused all four to spin around. Brambles rustled as long, sinewy bodies slithered through the underbrush all around them. Calippo squawked and ducked behind her mate as both felines hissed loudly.

The dim moonlight illuminated flashes of silver: long blades, sharp teeth, and hungry eyes. “Serthis,” the Wildclaw growled, dropping into a defensive stance. “Cal, when I say go, grab the cats and run. Towards the mushrooms.”

“What—”

“Three.” He watched the brambles intensely. The rustling stopped. Scales glittered; tongues flickered.

“Are—No, you’re crazy! They’ll—” A face with long hair and pale skin appeared. Two more followed. Six blades swished lazily; six eyes smiled.

“Two.” Whippo stood his ground.

“—Serthis! Wait, I’m gonna—I can’t—” Calippo glanced back at the sound of rustling behind them and froze.

Whippo, oblivious, opened his mouth to say “One.” He never got the chance.

The last thing Calippo saw before she fainted was a giant Serthis launching out of a tree straight at her, but something was wrong. Later, she would realize in hindsight that his eyes were half-closed and rolled back, blood streaked his face, and his entire body was as limp as a ragdoll.

Whippo turned just in time to see his mate crumple to the ground, blanketed by a heap of bloody purple coils. The Serthis seized the opportunity to attack, stabbing at his wings. He twisted aside and was promptly hurled to the ground, trapped in a tight chokehold.

In his peripheral, he could see their familiars wrestling with more Serthis, but they were already being overwhelmed. His lungs screamed for air; he clawed desperately with rapidly fading strength.

Through blurred vision, he found himself staring up into the sneering face of a Serthis, sword raised. “Any lassst words?”

A sharp voice cut through the air. “Ask yourself.” Blood spurted as a giant, serrated talon burst through the Serthis’ chest, impaling him straight through. The beast crumpled with a gurgle, and the coils around Whippo's neck vanished.

The Wildclaw gasped for air, coughing violently as he rolled over. “Cal...”

There was a loud crack, followed by a schtick and a muted thud. “Your Spiral companion is safe.” A decapitated Serthis head sailed over him into the brambles, followed by the rest of body. “As are your cats.”

Whippo pulled himself upright on shaky legs, staring in awe at the machine-dragon who’d saved him. “Thank you, uh...”

“Call me Blizzard.”