They say a single well-placed punch is all it takes to knock sense into a person. As it turned out, the same biological logic applied to a Nix.
The creature hit the sewer floor with a wet, heavy thud, the damp concrete cracking under the force of Jake's draconic strength. For a moment, the only sound was the steady drip of overhead pipes and the Nix's ragged, wheezing breath. Jake stood over it, his shadow looming large against the grime-streaked walls. The Nix looked up, its slit pupils shrinking as it realized it was no longer the apex predator in these tunnels.
Panic surged through the creature. Like any wild animal backed into a corner by something far more dangerous, it didn't choose to fight—it chose to fly. With a desperate, serpentine hiss, it whipped its body around, claws scrabbling for purchase on the slick floor as it tried to bolt into the darkness of a side tunnel.
"Oh no you don't," Jake growled, his voice vibrating with a low, draconic resonance.
Before the Nix could gain any momentum, Jake lunged. He didn't grab for its torso or its head; he went for the leverage. His hand clamped down on the creature's long, scaly tail. With a grunt of exertion, Jake planted his feet and swung.
Using the Nix like a massive, living whip, Jake utilized his draconic power to hoist the beast into the air. He spun once, twice, building centrifugal force, and then slammed the Nix into the reinforced concrete wall. The impact echoed through the chamber like a thunderclap. The Nix wailed, a high-pitched, screeching sound that rattled Jake's teeth, but he wasn't finished. He swung again, bashing the creature against the ceiling pipes and the opposite wall, creating a series of sickening thuds and metallic clangs.
With a final, powerful heave, Jake released his grip. The Nix sailed through the air, crashing into a massive, rusted pipe with enough force to leave a deep dent in the iron before flopping helplessly into the murky, waist-deep water below.
Jake exhaled a long, heavy breath, steam curling from his nostrils. He began to wade into the water, intent on dragging the stunned creature back to the troll community. But the Nix was hardier than it looked. Even after the brutal beating, its survival instincts kicked into overdrive. It righted itself in the water and began slithering away with a sudden, desperate burst of speed.
"You've got to be kidding me!" Jake cursed, splashing after it.
The chase led them deeper into the lower levels of the sewer system, a labyrinth of decaying brickwork and roaring waterfalls of waste. They navigated narrow ledges and crumbling catwalks at a breakneck pace. Finally, as the tunnel opened up over a massive drainage pool, Jake saw his opening. He put on a final burst of speed, leaping from a ledge and tackling the Nix mid-air. Both crashed into the deep, churning waters below with a massive splash.
The underwater battle was a frantic blur of bubbles and scales. The Nix, now in its element, wrapped its powerful tail around Jake's torso. It squeezed with a crushing pressure that would have shamed an anaconda, aiming to burst his lungs and drag him into the lightless depths to drown. Its claws raked at Jake's face, narrowly missing his eyes as he fought to keep his grip.
Jake felt the oxygen leaving his blood, the cold water pressing in on him. But then, a familiar heat ignited in the center of his chest. His dragon flames surged, not as a breath weapon, but as pure, radiant energy flowing through his veins. His fingernails elongated into jagged black talons, digging deep into the Nix's scaly hide.
The water around them began to hiss. Steam bubbled up in massive clouds as Jake's body temperature skyrocketed. He wasn't just fighting the Nix; he was boiling the very water they were submerged in. A moment later, the surface of the drainage pool erupted like a geyser.
Jake breached the surface, gasping for air and dragging the limp form of the Nix behind him. The creature was still alive, but it was defeated. Its body twitched unconsciously, and wisps of steam rose from its scalded skin.
"I seriously... hate sewers," Jake wheezed, wiping grime and hot water from his eyes. He grabbed the creature by the scruff of its neck and began the long, arduous trek back.
(30 Minutes Later)
The atmosphere inside the hidden troll community was thick with tension. Lao Shi paced the central cavern, his hands tucked into his sleeves, his brow furrowed with uncharacteristic anxiety. Jake's communication had gone silent nearly an hour ago. The tunnels were treacherous, and the Nix was a predator that specialized in ambushes.
"He should have checked in by now," Lao Shi muttered to Fu Dog, who was busy sorting through a satchel of pungent herbs.
"Relax, Gramps," Fu Dog said, though he didn't look up from his work. "The kid's got a thick skull and a dragon's heart. It'll take more than a swamp-snake to finish him."
The sound of commotion at the cavern's entrance cut their conversation short. A group of troll sentries began to cheer, and the crowd parted to reveal a bedraggled but triumphant figure. Jake walked into the center of the community, a weary but wide grin on his face, dragging the unconscious Nix behind him like a discarded rug.
Lao Shi stopped his pacing. He let out a long sigh of relief, his posture relaxing as a look of immense pride took hold. That was his grandson—the American Dragon.
"Jake! You're back in one piece!" a voice called out.
Stan, the friendly sewer cyclops, limped forward from the infirmary area. Thanks to the potent, if foul-smelling, medicines Fu Dog had provided, Stan was finally back on his feet. Jake dropped the Nix and met Stan halfway, the two sharing a brief, firm hug of mutual respect.
"Glad to see you're walking, Stan," Jake said. He then turned to the Troll Chief, who had emerged from his quarters. "Chief, I found where it was keeping everyone. There's a hollowed-out chamber about three levels down, near the old filtration bypass."
The Chief didn't waste a second. He signaled to his strongest warriors. "Go! Find our brothers and sisters!" The trolls moved with purpose, disappearing into the tunnels Jake had just exited.
While the rescue party set out, Fu Dog approached the fallen Nix. He held a small vial containing a shimmering, iridescent liquid that smelled like a mixture of rotten eggs and peppermint.
"What is that stuff?" Jake asked, wrinkling his nose.
"A little something to peel back the mask," Fu Dog replied. He forced the Nix's mouth open and poured the potion down its throat.
The effect was instantaneous. The creature's scales began to ripple and dissolve, shifting from a dull green to a pale, human cream colour. Its elongated snout retracted, and its serpentine tail shrank into two slender legs. Within seconds, the monster was gone. In its place lay a girl.
She was tall and slender, with fair skin and long, matted black hair that fell over her face. She was entirely naked, her human form vulnerable and exposed in the harsh light of the troll cavern.
Jake's eyes widened, and his face instantly turned a shade of crimson that rivaled his dragon scales. He coughed awkwardly and spun around, staring intently at a damp patch of wall.
"Whoa! Okay, definitely did not see that coming," Jake stammered.
Lao Shi acted quickly, stepping forward and removing his outer robe to drape it over the unconscious girl. He knelt beside her, checking her pulse and brushing the hair from her face. She looked young—perhaps no older than Jake himself.
"A child," Lao Shi whispered, his voice tinged with a mix of pity and concern. "She is but a teenager."
Jake risked a glance over his shoulder as his grandfather covered her. The ferocity of the battle seemed a world away now.