A cheer went up from the fans across the stadium as Rex and Flamer emerged from the concealed entrance that the medic dragons used, both patched up and looking more than a little worse for wear.
Just then a snaking smile flitted across Silverbonce's prehistoric jaw, with Barf having nearly reached him with the ball.
'Things,' he thought, 'are looking up.'
Barf approached at speed, fully aware that Tri and Terry were almost upon him, a fact he was pretty sure his teammate was oblivious to. Holding still, arms outstretched ready to receive the ball, the old mouth guard was about to have all his questions answered. Getting within two yards, Barf threw the ball straight at the old mouth guard and then ducked around his teammate, flying head on into the onrushing Tri and Terry. The sound of bones shattering and tendons snapping reverberated around the arena as the crowd turned deathly silent.
Catching the ball, a force the strength of the wildest storm the planet had ever seen ripped through him, that nagging feeling that he'd had for some time now engulfing him totally. Every nerve ending detonated in pain and huge explosions erupted behind his eyes as he tumbled uncontrollably, heading directly for the lava, hands glued to the ball.
Barf and Terry spiralled frenziedly around in the air, high above the molten magma, a long tear across the centre of Barf's right wing, the last third of Terry's tail crumpled and broken, the pair locked together in what looked like some bizarre kind of dance. Both were clearly going to play no part in the rest of the match. Bounding out of their secluded entrance with a burst of speed, both medic dragons headed towards the two injured players.
Despite overwhelming pain, Silverbonce had managed to arrest his fall somewhat. Currently he was trying to make sense of what he was feeling. Images flashed through his mind, none that he recognised, but all filling him with a sense of terrible dread. Feeling in immediate danger, he had no idea why. What he needed was time... time to figure out exactly what was going on, which he was convinced would come to him... unfortunately not as quickly as one of his opponents.
Tri had taken a glancing blow when the crazy Barf had deliberately flown straight into him and Terry moments before. Cursing himself for not seeing the unconventional attack coming he was, however, proud that he'd managed at the last split second to dive off to one side, limiting the damage somewhat. All of this ran through his mind as he watched the medic dragons halt the descent of Barf and Terry, albeit through dark spots that had started to appear in the centre of his vision. Darkness was also starting to form around the edges of his sight, making him realise, along with the searing pain and the fact that he could hardly pull in a single breath, that he'd broken some ribs. (He'd sustained that particular injury before and recognised the familiar sensations.) Also he was reasonably sure that he'd broken the toe phalanges on his left foot, knowing that the next time he had to land would be interesting to say the least, but all this was secondary in his mind. Angry, mad even, he was determined to make up for being suckered into the momentary lapse of judgement that had been the collision. Right at this very moment he had his sights set on retrieving possession of the ball, regardless of his failing vision, breathing problems and the piercing pain. Determined, he tore down towards Silverbonce from directly above, the old dragon not having the faintest idea he was there. In moments he'd have the ball back for his side. This very thought pleased him no end, even though he knew he'd struggle to last the rest of the match.
Floating above the spitting molten magma, Silverbonce gripped the ball for all he was worth, frantically trying to unravel what the danger was; he had to know and wouldn't let another disaster take innocent dragon lives. Abruptly his experienced sense of spatial awareness kicked into overdrive. A little rush of air on the back of his neck was his first clue. Craning his head to look up, he got hit full on in the face by the onrushing Tri. SMASH! The old mouth guard's fighting instinct sprang to the fore, enabling him to double his grip on the ball, in spite of the pain he found himself in. Instinctively he brought his tail round, catching his opponent fully across the belly. Unbelievably, Tri was still in the mix, having a grip on the ball, determined to regain possession for his side and make up for his earlier error. Both dragons twisted, turned, tumbled and spun, all the while holding onto the ball. With every moment that passed, the sensation of danger increased.
In a moment of inspiration it came to him. Silverbonce knew what was going to happen. It was a BOMB! And it was about to explode.
Images ravaged the old mouth guard's mind: death, destruction, violence and savagery. Fear coursed through him as he toppled head over heels, all the time trying to pry the ball away from Tri. Spinning out of control, he searched for a solution. None presented itself. Energy sapped, he sobbed as the brilliant orange lake of molten magma rushed up at him, sorry he couldn't prevent the impending disaster that was about to visit itself upon one tiny part of dragonkind. About to let go, a wicked breeze tickled his whole body. With all the energy he had left, he leant back and looked up. A familiar face smiled down at him, albeit something of a blur due to the speed he was travelling. Reluctantly, Silverbonce relinquished his grip on the ball. The doom laden images disappeared. One thought above all others sprang to the forefront of his mind:
'If anyone can save us, he can.'
An impact almost as loud as an explosion streaked across the arena as Steel shot through the two of them from above (quite literally in the case of Tri) and, carrying the ball, plunged head first into the steaming orange mass of superheated, bubbling lava. He hit so hard that the backwash of molten magma covered the wily old mouth guard and Tri from head to tail. Silverbonce caught Tri's broken body as it plummeted towards the surface, the Dunedin dragon barely conscious after Steel's assault. Glancing over at the medics' entrance, the old mouth guard could see no sign of either dragon, so, knowing that the match was well and truly over, he decided to take Tri to them. On doing so, he reached out with his mind, searching for Steel, but any remaining inkling of him had disappeared beyond all recognition.
On fire in more ways than one, he knew what he was holding. Able to envisage the inside, visualise the foreign body inhabiting the ball, take in the red digital lines that formed the numbers, flickering and changing... counting down... he knew that time had all but run out; of course he'd done this before, but under quite different circumstances. Then the lava was of a much stranger consistency, and had been much harder to navigate through. Here and now, it was much... thinner, easier to glide through, but hotter, much, much hotter. Also, last time he hadn't been holding a bomb about to go off, just a normal, everyday laminium ball.
'Oh, how I hope this is going to work,' he thought, as he continued straight down at a colossal rate of knots. His scales were burnt; some even dropping off, with the roiling molten liquid squeezing its way past those that remained, destroying the lining between them and his delicate skin. Epic, was the only way to describe the pain, but still he carried on, the numbers in his mind all the time counting down. Aware of how many dragons were up there in the arena, he knew he had to get as far down as possible. He had to. Everything depended on it.
Way up above, Silverbonce had managed to get Tri into the hands of one of the medics, the Dunedin Dragon mumbling his thanks to the old mouth guard as he was dragged into the depths of the medical bay. Players from both teams swooped down to surround the Warriors' mouth guard. It had been minutes since Steel had disappeared beneath the lava, with the crowd becoming restless, the players on both sides confused, and the referee helpless. With the players swarming around him for some answers, the crowd's restlessness turned to boos.