We flew into the fight like a battering ram.

The phoenixes were not at all prepared, and the dragons' faces showed that they were shocked to see us as well. It was a little comical to see. Their expressions of shock immediately gave way to ones of determination and a renewed will to fight. A renewed hope.

Thankfully, this fight was a lot different than the last fight I was in. I wasn't worn down from carrying a heavy crate over a long distance already. I had a little more experience fighting in dragon form. We were coming into a battle where everyone else was already worn down somewhat. We had greater numbers. And I had Ashur by my side. I would say it was almost a walk in the park in comparison, but I wasn't that cocky. It was still a hard fight.

Ashur shot past me and rammed into a phoenix, sending it spinning in my direction. I veered to the side and spun around until my feathers grazed it. It burst into flame and fell to the ground with a screech, out of commission. We continued fighting side by side, Ashur ramming or spitting fire and me using my feathers and my greater size as well. We were getting good at working as a team, though Ashur was still doing much of the heavy lifting. He just had way more experience in this form than I did, and he had more mass on his side.

With the addition of our numbers, it wasn't long at all before the tide of the battle shifted in our favor. Orange and gold scales greatly outnumbered the flaming feathers of the phoenixes within minutes. And then it was over.

When I looked back down at the city, it was to see Victor's people rushing to put fires out, the billowing gray smoke giving away to whiter cloud as the water steam rose.

Ashur made a wide circle and then slowly came down to land on the edge of the city's boundary. We all touched down behind him. A large orange dragon beat its wings as it slowly descended only yards away, a few others landing with him.

I looked around from my new vantage point. Orange-scaled bodies littered the ground along with phoenixes. Too many. Victor's people flew out, checking on their fallen comrades, seeing who was still breathing. Many of them were also still working to combat the fires in the city. The aftermath of the attack was far from pretty, with damage that wasn't going to be forgotten for quite some time.

My attention turned back to the large orange dragon directly across from us as it changed. It was Victor. Ashur changed as well so he could communicate.

"Why did you come?" Victor asked, his face battered, his eyes filled with pain as he looked at the destruction around him. His body was just as battered, but he didn't seem to feel any of it as his eyes lingered on his people's bodies.

"Because it was the right thing to do," Ashur said quietly. It was difficult to be angry with Victor or his people for their earlier decision when faced with...this. "Because we couldn't leave you on your own when we had a choice. When we could help."

Victor nodded, looking down at the ground. I could see the whisper of shame in his expression, in his stance.

"My thanks," he murmured, looking up at me for a brief moment before met Ashur's eyes. He squared his shoulders, drawing himself up to his full height. "On behalf of all of the people in my skein...I thank you for your assistance." He shook his head. "We wouldn't have made it without you," he added much less formally.

Ashur inclined his head, taking the gratitude without a fuss, without rubbing Victor's face in it like he could have. That just wasn't who Ashur was. But he did ask the question that needed to be asked.

"So, Dragon Lord," Ashur said, his eyes steady. Watchful. "Are you in or out?"

There was no mistaking what Ashur meant. Would Victor join the fight against Emberich? Or did this attack only make him and his people even less inclined to take the risk? They'd already sustained so much damage after all. I wasn't the only one who wasn't sure of the answer. It felt like everybody held their breath as we waited. All of us who watched from Ashur's side. And everyone behind Victor as well.

Victor looked at his people's bodies again, turning to take in the destruction of his city.

The sight was bleak.

After a long moment, he turned back to Ashur, a fire in his eyes.

"In," he said grimly. "We're in."