“She sounds annoying,” Wilder said. “But she’s married to Evan so it must run in the family.”
Sophia studied the area around them from Lunis’ back, looking for signs of the leviathan in the waters below. Mahkah’s job was to look for the simurgh in the skies. The other guys were to keep their eyes focused ahead for other potential dangers. They knew there were two monsters, but that didn’t mean there weren’t more.
It wasn’t lost on Sophia that these two dangerous creatures had materialized in the same spot at the same time. There had to be someone behind this. Maybe someone who wanted to create havoc and harm many. Maybe someone who knew the Dragon Elite would come to the rescue and want to take them down. Definitely someone evil was behind this. But they’d have to research that more later. Right now the biggest concern was stopping the beasts before they did any more harm.
In the distance, Sophia spotted some of the damage created by the leviathan. A ship was overturned, debris from it floating in the choppy waters.
It was hard to discern what belonged to the small vessel and to a single engine plane that the simurgh had taken down. The pair had worked fast, clearing the waters and skies in the coastal region off Turkey.
What’s the strategy once we find the monsters? Lunis asked in her head.
Survive and kill them, Sophia stated with confidence.
Wow, the amount of details you’ve put into the plan is simply overwhelming, Lunis joked.
Sophia didn’t usually go straight to the idea of killing, but Hiker had been very clear about his orders. There was no negotiating with these monsters. Taming a leviathan was out of the question. And persuading a simurgh to move on when it had made claim to an area had never happened. Once the two set down anchors, so to speak, they simply expanded their territory until they’d wiped out resources, buildings, and landscapes and of course, slaughtered people and other animals.
Do you have any bright ideas? Sophia asked her dragon as they veered through the sky and the wind rushed through her hair.
I have a ton of them, Lunis stated.
Feeling a renewed sense of hope, Sophia tightened her grip on the reins. Oh, do tell then? How do you propose we take out these monsters?
Oh, you wanted bright ideas related to the leviathan and simurgh? Lunis asked. You should have been more specific. I thought you meant in general. ‘Cause I’m working on all these new business ideas, like a prescription windshield for those who always forget their glasses but need to drive.
That’s the worst idea I’ve ever heard, Sophia stated.
All great truths begin as blasphemy, Lunis retorted.
Please don’t start speaking in quotes. Sophia thought it would be weird if her dragon quoted George Bernard Shaw all the time. Well, weirder.
My point is that the best inventions were originally thought to be insane, Lunis said. I’m like Google or Facebook or Crocs before they were big.
Crocs are still the worst invention ever, Sophia imparted. Like, no one looks good in those ever.
What about Wilder? Lunis questioned.
He’s different, Sophia argued. He looks good no matter what.
It had been quiet in Sophia’s head for a while when Mahkah’s voice echoed in her ears. “It’s time for us to break formation.”
“I believe that’s supposed to be Pink Princess’s order to make,” Evan argued. “She’s the power-hungry one who is to boss us around, according to Hiker.”
“Okay, then so be it,” Mahkah said good-naturedly. “I’ve spotted the simurgh, and it’s directly above us behind a large cloud.”
Sophia’s head jerked up. The sunlight overhead nearly blinded her for a moment. “Let’s break formation. That’s an order.”
Chapter Fifty-Five
If Sophia didn’t know what she was looking for, she wouldn’t have seen the simurgh lurking behind a large, puffy white cloud. Its orange feathers blended in with the sunlight that radiated overhead, making it look like part of the afternoon sky.
As they had planned, Wilder and Evan split off from the group on their dragons and streaked in opposite directions. Mahkah held the position below the simurgh, and Sophia and Lunis rode farther away to get some distance.
When she turned, Sophia got a real glimpse of the giant bird. If she didn’t know how deadly the creature was, she would have taken a moment to be in awe of its beauty. The bird resembled the fiery-looking phoenix, although it was much, much larger—about the size of a small plane. It had long wings covered in shimmering orange feathers, a white mohawk on its head, and a long tail that streaked through the air like a kite in the wind.
“Maybe it hasn’t seen us yet and we can still have the element of surprise,” Evan stated over the comm.
The simurgh opened its beak, and a sound that was half way between a murderous scream and a melodic melody ripped from the monster’s mouth. Then it shot its head down and stared straight at Sophia, its eyes black and an unmistakable sinister glint in its gaze.
“I think that ship has sailed and the big bird knows we’re here,” Wilder remarked as he spiraled through the air on Simi, making quick progress.
To Sophia’s horror, Howard had a human-like face with cheekbones and slanted large eyes and a chin.
Howard? Really? Lunis questioned. I think he looks more like a Jeffrey.
We’re going with Howard, Sophia stated as the large bird dove straight in her direction while barely moving its wings. It simply pointed its head downward and shot in their direction with its orange wings spread wide on either side of it.
Lunis sprang into action by diving low as well and speeding toward the shore some miles away. They didn’t want to lead Howard toward the others. However, plans quickly changed as the leviathan surfaced, sprang straight up into the air from the Mediterranean Sea, and created a wall right in front of them.
Chapter Fifty-Six
“Watch out!” Wilder called in Sophia’s ears.
“I see it,” she replied, suddenly breathless as she and Lunis lost altitude, her ears popping.
“How could you not see it?” Evan replied. “That thing is massive.”
Sophia didn’t have much of an opportunity to take in the leviathan’s size as she attempted to get out of its path. The thing was like a skyscraper that sprang up from the waters and towered above them. Water sprayed out from every direction, and the sea below was dark and suddenly churning violently.
Lunis acted fast and veered in multiple directions, increasing his speed to get out of the sea monster’s path. Like Howard, the creature let out a battle cry—this one sounded like a dragon’s roar if they were choking on water at the same time.
Water sprang up, blasting with a dangerous force that Sophia knew would blow them off course if they were hit. Thankfully, Lunis weaved around the geysers and narrowly got them a safe distance away from the leviathan before turning around.
That’s when they both took in the sea monster’s size. Of all the things the pair had seen, the leviathan was by far the most horrifying.
Chapter Fifty-Seven
“Holy hell!” Evan exclaimed in Sophia’s ears. “Hello Satan, how are you today?”