The early hours

"Whatever. I'll get some sleep first." Redd yawned and could not even be bothered to find any bedding,

instead settling straight onto the back of the relatively docile Black Dragon Ehm. Using the hard, steady scales as a pillow, he soon fell fast asleep as well.

Time passed slowly in the silent night, the hands of the clock quietly slipping toward the early hours, when the human body was most prone to deep sleep.

Yet atop these seemingly peaceful mountains, a disaster was quietly brewing.

Inside the crater at the summit, the wisps of black smoke that had been rising slowly suddenly grew thick.

Then something unbelievable happened-the seemingly solid volcanic throat

actually began to give off faint, teeth-grating creaks, followed by expansion and tearing!

Scorching fissures spread through the darkness like living things.

Molten lava began seeping through the widening cracks like red streams, gathering into larger currents.

The volcano began to rumble low, like an awakening beast, accompanied by slow but constant tremors that traveled through the entire mass of Fire Peak.

The earth began to groan. As though unable to withstand the force, Fire Peak's rock strata began developing fine cracks, followed by more distinct sounds of tearing.

Huge boulders began to loosen and roll, giving off dull, terrifying crashes.

It was this crashing that jolted Redd awake like a thunderclap.

His eyes snapped open, his drowsiness instantly replaced by icy fear.

Almost instinctively, he raised his head and looked toward the sound-overhead, atop the volcano's once relatively intact summit,

dark red lava was already spreading down the slopes like an uncontrollable flood, now barely any distance from the dragon lair where they were staying!

Already on guard because of his earlier suspicions, Redd had not slept too deeply.

When the dark red lava surging toward them like floodwater came into view, he felt an icy chill shoot from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head, terrifying him out of his wits!

Every trace of sleepiness was instantly dispelled by the threat of death.

He saw the scorching torrent devouring the ground beneath them at an astonishing speed, drawing ever closer to their dragon lair.

"Run! Run!" Redd's mind went blank, leaving only the most instinctive urge to survive screaming within him.

He did not even dare imagine what would happen if they failed to flee and that boiling lava came crashing over their heads like a giant wave.

The heat was enough to vaporize everything instantly. When that happened, never mind fragments of bone-there probably would not even be a trace of ash left, and his life would be over for good.

"King Ghidorah! Wake them up!" Redd all but roared, his voice shrill with fear.

He clutched the scales on Black Dragon Ehm's back, trying to steady his violently trembling body.

Fortunately, King Ghidorah reacted fastest.

Its three enormous heads woke almost simultaneously, its three pairs of bloodshot dragon eyes flashing with astonishment and vigilance in the darkness.

King Ghidorah had clearly seen the imminent threat too. Its massive body immediately tensed without the slightest hesitation.

Riding on Black Dragon Ehm's back, Redd shouted at King Ghidorah:

"Wake them up as fast as you can! Aegon! Ehm! Wake up! Take off, now!"

King Ghidorah understood what Redd meant. Two of its three heads almost instantly aimed squarely at the still-groggy Black Dragon Ehm and Red Dragon Aegon.

Then both heads spat out faint golden arcs of electricity like ghostly flames at the same time!

With a soft sizzling sound, the arcs struck the sensitive spots on the sides of Ehm's and Aegon's necks with pinpoint accuracy.

Almost simultaneously, Black Dragon Ehm and Red Dragon Aegon let out startled cries at the electric shock,

their massive bodies shuddering violently. The sudden shock instantly drove away every trace of drowsiness, leaving them as wide awake as could be.

Before they could even fully understand what was happening, they felt the terrifying heat from the ground beneath them and the constantly advancing torrent of lava.

Redd, riding on Black Dragon Ehm's back, was likewise "fortunate" enough to experience this "wake-up service."

When Ehm jolted from the shock, Redd's tight grip caused his body to shake violently as well,

and several stray, weak arcs of electricity accidentally touched his arms and legs.

Most importantly, there was his crotch. The instant tingling numbness and slight stinging nearly made Redd lose control of his scream.

With that one "thrilling" jolt, he felt like an electrified spring, his whole body nearly bouncing off Ehm's back!

Having completed its "wake-up service," King Ghidorah turned its three enormous dragon heads slightly,

its three pairs of eyes exchanging glances, all clearly holding a hint of amusement at his misfortune and barely concealed laughter.

Clearly, it found Redd's reaction to this accidental "electric shock" highly entertaining.

Meanwhile, Redd was frantically roaring at the now fully awake Ehm and Aegon, urging them on. "Quick! Take off! Get into the air! There's no time!"

He completely failed to notice the amused glances passing between King Ghidorah's three heads,

all his attention now focused on escaping this desperate situation before the lava swallowed everything.

Under Redd's almost despairing shouts, Black Dragon Ehm and Red Dragon Aegon finally recovered completely from their initial shock.

Their massive bodies shuddered, and their enormous wings spread like black and dark red cloudlike sails as they began their final takeoff run.

Now, even without Redd's urging, they understood that life and death hung by a thread, and the slightest hesitation meant death.

They had to flap their wings for all they were worth, building lift over this short running distance. Otherwise, their heavy bodies would never break free of gravity.

Meanwhile, the torrent of lava rushing down like a bloodthirsty beast had already completely submerged the dragon lair where they had just settled,

and was rapidly spreading toward the platform where they now stood, sweeping away everything in its path. Scorching waves of heat struck their faces, baking their skin painfully.

Surprisingly, King Ghidorah, still a young dragon and relatively light,

practically leaped straight up from where it stood. With a few effortless beats of its not yet fully developed but equally powerful dragon wings, it shot into the sky first like an arrow loosed from a bow.

Its three heads scanned the surroundings warily, clearly aware of the urgency of the situation as well.

Finally, in the nick of time before the lava swallowed the ground beneath them, Black Dragon Ehm and Red Dragon Aegon also barely managed to take flight with astonishing bursts of strength.

Scorching air engulfed them. The rocks along the platform's edge crackled in the heat, fragments continually breaking off and falling.