The Dragon Eaters

by Duke Kittle

  * * *

  Tina slowly pushed herself up. Looking at her hands, she realized she had returned to her five-foot size. She tried to reach for her gift, but her magic was being suppressed as she had expected.

  She rose to her feet and looked down over herself. It wasn’t just her own gift which was being suppressed, but the magic which altered the size of her clothing and accessories as well. She could feel the metal plate on the back of one of her ears, but it wasn’t amplifying sound.

  It didn't need to for Tina to hear the sound of slick flesh, muscles, and organs working around her. Looking around the chamber in which she found herself, she realized she was standing on a flesh floor within the Dragon Eater between his chest cavity and his belly. Within the Dragon Eater's chest, she could see his lungs above her working, and with her eyes, she followed a series of tubes of flesh leading back to the sides of the creature's chest. One of the tubes had a tear in it from where she had grown rapidly to her natural size and ruptured the flesh.

  Looking up between the creature's lungs, Tina saw his heart beating. It was about ten feet out of her reach, and she thought it was oddly shaped. There was a strange protrusion of muscle on the front of the heart which looked as though it were opening up.

  Before Tina could get a look at what was coming out, she felt herself sink up to her knees into the flesh. It held her tightly, and she panicked as she was caught. She tried to grab her legs to pull them free.

  Tendrils rose out of the flesh and grabbed her arms restricting them painfully. They yanked her down as more wrapped around her thighs and locked her in place. Tina struggled, but to no avail. She was trapped.

  A voice from above caught Tina's attention. “This is certainly a surprise.” The source of the voice moved closer before deposits of aetherium inside the Dragon Eater’s body glowed brightly and illuminated the upper torso of an Idassian male. “I did not think the Council of Stars would send someone so lofty as yourself to Likonia, Lady Tina van Schtoffen.” The Idassian male spoke with genuine interest and surprise. “I suppose with Harkon Keldo’s negotiation skills, I should have expected no less.”

  The Idassian male moved in close to Tina. She could see how the lower half of his body was surrounded by the same kind of flesh which held her down. But in his case, the flesh was extending from the muscle around the Dragon Eater's heart, and he seemed to be in control of it. The flesh moved about like a snake as it brought him closer to her.

  Tina could see the bright orange fur interspersed with sharply-defined black stripes, and the characteristic, squared muzzle of the tiger-like Idassian. His green eyes were fixed on her as he spoke.

  “So this is Tina van Schtoffen. Kedish Kerasta. The Tiny Tempest.” He folded his hands across his chest. “I suppose I should not be surprised you made it past the traps I left behind. Even in Idassia, you have gained a reputation for resourcefulness and resilience.”

  The Idassian straightened up and curled his fingers at Tina. The flesh in which she was bound rose, pushing her up so she was even with him. “Your magic will not work in here, Lady van Schtoffen, but I am completely attuned to these creatures.” He held his hand out toward Tina and balled it into a fist.

  Tina felt the sudden pain of her limbs bending in places where she didn’t have joints. She gasped, but couldn’t even find the breath to scream as she felt the bones in her arms and legs being flexed outward. She bit her lip, and her incisors cut into the flesh as the Idassian’s magic held Tina’s bones right at the edge of breaking.

  When the Idassian relaxed his fist, Tina felt the pressure relieved and gasped for air. It was a kind of pain which she had never before experienced in her life. The Idassian lowered his hand. “But for all of your resourcefulness, without your magic, what are you? Just another mortal, as are we all. I would wager you don’t even have any fighting skills.”

  Tina panted for her breath but managed to turn her eyes up to look at the Idassian. She forced her words between pants. “You... aren't exactly... unknown... either... Narash.”

  The Idassian moved back in close to Tina and cupped her chin to lift her head. “Good. Then you know who you are up against. I am Narash Advonar, Mage Lord of Kylith, just as you have supposed. But you may think of me as ‘Death.’” He gripped both sides of her jaw with one hand. “Tell me, did that simpleton Lazur live long enough to hand my book over to you? Or did curiosity get the better of him and fry the fool?”

  Tina glared at Narash but didn’t answer. Though she put on the mantle of defiance, her mind raced for a way to escape his grasp. But without her magic, she could do nothing more than struggle against the grasping flesh.

  “Why do all of this, Narash? Why create these creatures when you could have just negotiated with the Maldavians?” Tina tugged at her arms. She knew the answer already, but she needed to buy time. “As a mage lord, you should know they hold wizards in high regard.”

  Narash folded his arms across his chest and nodded. “Indeed, I do. And it was that regard which bought me the time to create these masterpieces of magic.” He gestured to the chamber around them with one hand. “These monsters are contradictions simply by virtue of their existence. They were created by magic to destroy magic. True masterpieces, don't you think?”

  “Why even create them?” Tina struggled with one of her hands as she felt it beginning to slip free, but the flesh suddenly tightened. Muscular contractions drew her hand back into the flesh and locked it in place again.

  Narash ticked his finger in the air in front of Tina. “Do not think me so foolish, Lady van Schtoffen. This is a trap you cannot escape. There is nothing left which you can do to stop me.” He ticked his finger toward the lava-colored crystal in Tina’s necklace, the colors in it having grown dim. “Even the Albatross you carry with you cannot protect you.”

  The long, snaking body of flesh to which Narash was attached drew him back. “You have very successfully limited my options. I had intended to use the souls of Kaelus and Malidath to fuel these beasts, but they were not as compliant as I had hoped. Now that their souls have been released, you have forced me to bind myself entirely to this creature to accomplish the destruction of the monolith.”

  Tina wrinkled her muzzle. “Narash, you must know that destroying one of the monoliths would have a dire outcome. You know what happened to the Medishina when their monolith was destroyed.”

  “An overwhelming force is magic when it is unleashed.” Narash loomed over Tina. “The ground will shift and crumble and swirl like the clouds of a storm. Spires of stone will rise from deep within the earth, erupt through the soil, and shatter, destroying everything around them.”

  “Even your Dragon Eaters can't survive an earth storm, Narash.”

  “You speak a truth.” Narash gestured toward the deposits of aetherium lodged in the Dragon Eater’s organs. “But I was doomed myself when Kaelus and Malidath were released. Having to use my own magic to sustain these creatures is too great a feat even for me, and the star metal’s power will not last.”

  Tina stopped struggling. After the stress Narash had put on her bones, trying to escape was causing her more pain. She would have to think of another way. “Why, Narash? Why destroy the monolith?”

  Narash's snaking lower body carried him in front of Tina. “It has always been the aim of Purita Combus to carry out the Red Phoenix’s will. Destroying the Maldavian Monolith is simply another step in bringing about the end so the world can be reborn from the ashes.”

  “Destroying the monolith is insane, Narash. Do you really think that the Red Phoenix, the spirit of death, needs the help of mortals to carry out its purpose?”

  Narash bowed his head and shrugged his shoulders. “Life ends, wizard. Whether it is by the hand of a mortal, magic, or malady, all life ends. At least my own end will serve a proper purpose.” He smirked as he moved in close to Tina and cupped her jaw. “I would think to let you witness it,
to be there when the end comes. But I doubt you would appreciate it as much as it should so be. So I will say goodbye to you, Lady van Schtoffen, and carry out my work. Know that what magic you have left will serve the noble purpose of the Red Phoenix.”

  Tina watched as Narash unsheathed his claws and raised one of his hands. He moved his head in close, and Tina was surprised when it appeared he was going to kiss her. But, familiar with several of the Purita Combus's spells of death, she realized what he was about to do to her. He was going to draw the soul from her body and steal her gift for magic to allow the Dragon Eaters to sustain themselves for awhile longer.

  But then one of Tina’s ears flicked. She heard a series of deep, resonant booms coming from far away. The Dragon Eater suddenly rocked back as something slammed into his chest. Tina recognized the sound of the booms. It was the cannons on board the Thorn’s Side!

  A second impact made the Dragon Eater stagger. The third knocked him from his feet. As he slammed down onto his back, Narash was thrown against the back of the fleshy chamber, and Tina felt the grip of flesh on her slacken as she too was thrown. She rolled end over end before she landed flat on her back on the back wall. Something thumped against her chest, and she heard the jingling of rock against glass. Looking down, she saw the small jar that held the stone shards which had been pulled from Luna’s wounds.

  Narash rose and growled. “That ship has had too long a lifespan.” He looked toward Tina, and the flesh around her threw her over onto her back. It wrapped around her arms and raised her up again. Narash drew in close and clutched Tina’s jaw once more. “But first, your own extended lifespan is long overdue for its end. Goodbye, Tina van Schtoffen.” Narash raised his hand and hurriedly pressed his lips to Tina’s.

  Tina opened her mouth to meet Narash’s kiss this time. When she did, she blew as hard as she could. Narash let out a choking sound as the jar of shards lodged into the back of his throat. He clawed at his neck and tried to cough up the small glass jar.

  Tina raised her leg. She stabbed her heel as hard as she could into Narash’s throat. The glass jar of brittle shards shattered. There was a dull thump, and Tina felt the sting when the shards within the jar exploded and ripped their way through Narash’s flesh. She jerked her foot away with a wince, then glared at him. “Our lives are not yours to dictate.”

  Narash’s empty gaze was more than enough comfort as his arms fell to his sides, and he collapsed next to her. She felt the flesh trapping her arms slacken suddenly, and Tina pulled herself free.

  Rolling onto her stomach, Tina realized how quickly the magic suppression had faded as she looked at her tiny hands. Without Narash's spirit to control the magic flowing from the aetherium, it would answer to anyone. Rising to her feet, Tina looked up at the glowing deposits of aetherium. If she could assert her power, the Dragon Eater she dwelt in might even be brought under her control.

  Before Tina could even attempt her idea, she fell to her knees and screamed as the creature she was inside of suddenly let out a deafening roar! Outside, it could have been heard for miles. Inside, it made Tina feel as though her head would explode. Collapsing onto her back, she was dazed by the deafening sound. She had expected killing Narash to cause the creature to destabilize and fall apart. But instead, she could practically feel it going into a blind rage. The creature rising from the ground suddenly tossed Tina onto her stomach. The jolt was enough to get her head back together, but the creature's sudden turn threw her against the side of his chest.

  She wasn't going to be able to do anything if the creature's movements kept throwing her around. Looking at the hole she had created when she entered the Dragon Eater's chest, Tina gripped with her short claws and ran on all fours for the opening. With another sharp jolt, the creature slammed down onto his back, and Tina could see the ground.

  Throwing herself at it, she hit the dirt outside and took off to get away from the Dragon Eater before he might have rolled on top of her. She hadn't heard another volley from the Thorn's Side, but she wasn't hearing much of anything at the moment.

  Stopping at a relatively safe distance, Tina turned about to see why Narash's Dragon Eater had fallen. To her surprise, she realized the other two Dragon Eaters had suddenly turned on the large male! Leilani and Nana were both clawing at him savagely, but even their combined strength didn't hold him down.

  Nana, perched atop the red monster, let out a cry of pain as she was grabbed from behind by the red Dragon Eater's tail and slammed onto her back. Leilani tried to grab for Nana, but was swept up by the red Dragon Eater's arm and tossed bodily into the town hall. The building was obliterated, and as the male Dragon Eater rose to his feet, he twisted and slung Nana back toward the fallen western wall where she hit the ground hard.

  Looking up toward the clouds, Tina realized the storm was still swirling overhead. Fueled by Methystra's magic, it was just what Tina needed. She wasn't fond of excessive force, but with the red Dragon Eater no longer protected by Narash's magic, it was time for Tina to live up to the name her people had given her.

  Calling upon her gift, Tina multiplied her organic variable again and again. She looked to the storm and raised one hand toward the rumbling clouds. Draining the power from the area surrounding her, she intended to draw the lightning from the clouds and to act as the conduit to guide it into Narash’s Dragon Eater. She held her other hand toward the raging monster. The clouds overhead flashed. Tina drew on every ounce of magic she had within herself as she prepared herself.

  When she heard the rumbling overhead and saw the constant flashes within the clouds, Tina realized Methystra must have sensed her intent. The lightning was being held back and grew in intensity as the whole town was illuminated by the flashes of light.

  As Tina felt the force of the storm reaching its peak, she screamed out! “NOW!”

  With all her magical might, Tina latched onto the power around the Dragon Eaters and instantly sapped it. She knew she could only do so with so much power for an instant. But that would be enough. In that instant, Methystra released the lightning within the storm. Bolts of lightning exploded from the clouds as Tina took control of what power she had taken. Forks of lightning from the mouse wizard and the storm overhead intersected instantaneously. They struck the Dragon Eater, and plowed into the monster’s body unhindered. The explosion of electricity shattered the Dragon Eater's body in a blinding flash. It let out a sudden roar of pain which was drowned out by the wave of resulting thunder.

  Tina fell onto her hands and knees as she felt her heart pounding. She gasped desperately for breath, but with her eyes fixed on the Dragon Eater, she watched as the pieces of its body crumbled under the force of thunderous fury.

  As her field of vision grew dark, Tina thought she had probably exerted herself beyond her capacity to recover. After all the injuries she'd received and the stress put on her bones, the added weight of expending her gift made it hard to breathe.

  But it didn't matter. Narash had been utterly destroyed. That was satisfaction enough for Tina to carry with her into the darkness as it enveloped her.