“Aisic!” Nathan screamed.
Aisic looked back at him. He appeared to be in pain, but Nathan swore he saw the dragon wink at him. Aisic’s head snapped back to the snake’s head, and with a sudden intensity, his flames gushed out of his mouth, burning away half of the snake’s face, blinding it on one side. The massive monster pulled back, flailing around and hissing furiously in pain, though now a very distorted hiss.
The dragon’s body collapsed to the floor. Nathan ran toward him. The massive dragon lay unmoving.
“That’s the same poison that killed your father,” Kissick said as he walked down the dais toward him, his own gem-encrusted knife already drawn at his side. “It’s slow-acting, but it paralyzes quickly so you can’t do anything more to save yourself from it.”
Nathan whirled on the king. The half-blinded snake rose up behind him. He was surrounded on both sides by monsters that wanted to kill him. Despite being paralyzed, he could still hear Aisic’s voice in his head, telling him: “Run away, now!”
Although the large doors to the throne room were wide open behind him, he hadn’t considered trying to escape. He wasn’t going to run again.
“No,” he said as the king drew nearer and the snake reared up behind. “Not this time!”
They both attacked at once. At the same time, Taiba dropped from the ceiling onto Serraba’s face, causing its head to whip around, and Nathan grabbed the king’s wrist just as he tried to stab him.
As the small lizard latched onto the giant snake, Nathan used the move he had seen Aisic use against the guards in the hall, one he had taught him on the road. He drew back the king’s knife hand and elbowed him in the face just as Taiba jabbed his fangs into the snake’s scales.
The king fell back, nose bleeding. Nathan rushed over and used one of the disarming moves Aisic had taught him. He grabbed Kissick’s wrist with one hand and slammed the pommel of his knife into the king’s knuckles, the strike forcing his wrist back and his hand open. The knife spun to the floor, and Nathan stabbed down on him. Kissick raised his hand to defend himself and Nathan’s knife impaled his palm. The king cried out, hand dripping blood. Nathan wasn’t finished. He swept down to pick up the gem-encrusted dagger, then stood over his uncle, ready to administer a killing blow. Before he could, however, his hands began to shake.
No! Not now!
He heard a screech and turned back to see Taiba flicked into the air and, with a quick snap of the snake’s jaws, impaled on Serraba’s top fang.
Nathan gasped as his Melkai, his friend since his childhood, writhed around for a moment before going limp on the viper’s tooth. The giant snake swung its head around, and the small lizard flew off its fang, as though not even good enough to be eaten. Taiba landed, rolling to a stop on the green throw rug.
Forgetting about the cowering king beneath him, Nathan ran over to where the small creature lay, his red blood trailing in a line from the gaping wound in his chest. Nathan felt tears well up in his eyes and he sank to his knees before Taiba. He could barely remember a time when Taiba wasn’t hiding away in his hood or crawling playfully along his body during sunny days.
“I . . . it can’t . . .” He breathed heavily in despair, not wanting to touch him, afraid he wouldn’t nudge him back like he always did. “Hey . . . Taiba . . . come on.” He bit his lip at the tears that ran down his cheeks.
Ever since he had first summoned the Melkai when he was twelve years old, Taiba had acted like a second sense for him. His trembling warned him of danger, his reactions to his own emotions reminded him to calm down, and most of all, he made him feel like he was never completely alone. It wasn’t until now that Taiba was gone that he realized just how much he had depended on his friend for that security, for his company.
Behind him, Kissick returned to his feet, cradling his wounded hand as his giant snake circled him. Serraba’s one remaining eye following him. The king smiled at Nathan. As far as he was concerned, the fight was over. Nathan sniffed as the tears flowed freely, his friend was dead and it was his fault, he hadn’t been strong enough. He still heard Aisic in his head, pleading with the last of his strength to run.
“Please, run!”
“No!” he screamed. “I’ve been running away all my life! I always freeze and escape reality, but not this time!”
Each time Nathan had been in trouble against something bigger than him, Taiba had stood before him, ready to pounce, despite the disparity in size. Now it was his turn to stand and face something bigger than himself. “I will not run!”
“Your Melkai are dead, boy. There’s nothing you can do.” King Kissick sneered as the snake now began to approach him to finish him off. “You should probably be trying to run away right now.”
“I’m not going to run!” he screamed, getting to his feet. He held the king’s knife out in front of him. “Not this time! You killed my father and now my best friend. I’m not going to let you get away with that, no matter what!”
The giant snake slithered toward him, but he had decided that he would not be killed today—particularly not by such a boring-looking Melkai or such a vile man. He clenched the dagger he’d stolen from Kissick, ready to take Serraba’s remaining eye when, out of the corner of his eye, Nathan saw something glowing. He turned and stepped back in shock.
The hole where Taiba had been impaled was now shining like the light of the sun was coming from his wound. Nathan’s mouth gaped as the glow spread over Taiba’s small body.
What in the Melkairen is going on?
The light covered the entire shape of the lizard’s form until he was nothing but light. Then the light began to grow, slowly morphing into a new shape. The form had four legs, a head with a long muzzle like a wolf, and a wild long mane like that of a male lion. His body stretched out on his hind legs as a tail uncoiled down behind him.
As the glow faded, the new form of his Melkai was revealed: a massive, maned canine.
Nathan suddenly remembered what Laine told him when they had traveled together. “The pact item acts as a conduit from the Melkairen to your mind, that’s why the Melkai only transforms at your demand. In the end, your will determines what circle the Melkai is from.”
“I didn’t give up,” Nathan uttered. “Unlike every other time when I froze, when I didn’t give up, you came!”
Long snout, silver and red fur, large hind legs, and a long tail—he was beautiful and Nathan now finally understood why Taiba had acted more like a dog than an actual lizard.
“This is the real you?” Nathan asked.
Taiba lowered his head in confirmation.
The king’s surprised expression slowly turned to a look of horror as he began to misunderstand what had just happened. “How? It’s not possible! You’re a child! This isn’t a legend. This is real life. That can’t be a third-circle Melkai!”
Nathan wiped the tears from his face and pulled back his shoulders. It wasn’t over yet. He looked to Aisic who still lay there on the throne room rug. There was still time to save him.
“Go, Taiba!”
Taiba bolted forward. Kissick snapped out of his terror and ran back to his throne. Nathan chased after the king but halted as Taiba overtook him. Serraba may have been injured, but being much larger, it still had the advantage.
“Serraba!” Kissick called. “Defend me!”
The two Melkai closed the gap between each other.
As they met, the giant viper raised its head and launched itself toward Taiba. Taiba’s canine form was about the same size as a full-grown man, but several times faster. He jumped as the snake slid underneath him. Taiba then ran along the scales of the snake’s back as the large Melkai quickly coiled up again and turned to attack. Taiba swooped down under the coil he had created, moving quicker than he had as a lizard, his new body allowing for much greater speed.
The snake followed him, its head chasing as Taiba quickly changed his course, jumping onto its tail. Using nothing but gravity, the cani
ne skidded down the thing’s scales, running at full pace as the burned head of the snake continued to keep up, rushing at the smaller Melkai.
Taiba jumped off the snake’s tail and landed on the dais, growling in challenge. As if in answer, Serraba whirled about and shot forward. Not being able to see right below itself because of its missing eye, it could also not see its master.
Serraba’s mouth gaped open, but Taiba swiftly caught the king by the back of his furred collar and leapt down the stairs with him, depositing him below the dais.
“No, wait! Serrab—”
He was silenced as the jaws of the giant snake snapped close. There was a loud crash as the snake’s head hit hard into the dais with the king still in its mouth, the giant podium crumbling down on top of it as the heavy throne fell from on high, landing on the snake’s head and crushing it.
Serraba stopped moving. With that one heavy crash, the snake’s head had caved in and taken King Kissick with it. It was over.
Chapter 16: Taiba
Taiba jumped down from the huge knot he had made of Serraba, padding over to where Nathan was still staring in amazement. The giant dog nuzzled into his hand as Nathan stroked his head.
This was the creature he had summoned when he was a child. Kissick was right. After all, there was no way that he, a mere child, could summon a third-circle Melkai.
Taiba wasn’t a third-circle Melkai, nor was he a first-circle that transformed into a third-circle—even Nathan knew that much. His advantage, however, was that the king hadn’t. Taiba was a second-circle Melkai. The only reason he looked like he had transformed was that the lizard wasn’t actually his physical form.
A hazy memory returned to Nathan: how, when he had formed the pact while half asleep, he had grabbed hold of something crawling over him. The lizard had not been what he had gotten out of the Melkairen; the lizard was the pact item.
Using a living creature as a pact item gave a Melkai two chances in battle; one as its pact form and one as its Melkaiic form.
“That’s right! Aisic!”
He spun to the crippled dragon. Although not as massive as the snake, his body took up a large area of the throw rug. Nathan searched for the wound, his hands finding the scaled skin as hard as an armored shell. He saw the wound on the dragon’s hind leg and studied it closely. It was deep and there was blood running from it.
Aisic slowly began to shrink in size, the armored scales retreating over his skin, the wings and tail retracting. The sword and scabbard on his back went slack when the transformation ended. Nathan was left staring at the unconscious man in amazement.
He couldn’t tell if his wound was fatal and wished that Kendra had been with them to heal it. However, now looking at him in his human form, the wound didn’t look too deep. In fact, even as he looked at it, the wound appeared to be healing over.
Aisic let out a gasp, and his eyes flung open, his body arched up on the floor. Nathan jumped in fright, but then paused.
Aisic was laughing hard, his shoulders shaking. “I got you good.”
Nathan gave him a worried smile. “But the poison . . .”
Aisic sat up on the back of his arms. “You saw yourself; I am a dragon. Phoenixes aren’t the only Melkai with healing abilities.”
This whole time Aisic hadn’t been telling him the whole truth about himself. Indeed, he had been lying by omission. “Why didn’t you tell me you were a Melkai?”
Aisic nodded gravely. “I guess I have some explaining to do, but for now there are more important matters at hand . . . Your Majesty.”
Nathan’s eyes narrowed, mind struggling to comprehend what Aisic was saying in the post-battle exhaustion.
He took a step back as it dawned on him, turning to see that the throne now sat atop the massive viper’s head. There couldn’t have been a more fitting symbol for the beginning of his reign. If someone had told Nathan at the start of the day that he was to end it as a king, he would have laughed right in their face.
Now he was no longer just Nathan. He was King Nathaniel Armalon, the rightful ruler of Avatasc.
Taiba nuzzled his hand. Standing in the silent throne room, he heard Master Morrow’s voice as though he was living his lessons for a second time.
“Most Melkai need a pact item. They need it as a physical attachment to this world. If a Melkai does not have one, it will soon become too weak and will be drawn back into the Melkairen.”
Not wanting to lose Taiba now, he had to create another pact with him as soon as he could. He needed something to be used for the connection. Looking at the glove Laine had given him, he remembered how she had tutored him on how to use the pact item for his calling.
The glove itself was the perfect object for such a pact item.
Following his memories of her guidance, he placed the glove on Taiba’s fur and willed his spirit into it. Aisic’s gaze grew intense as the Melkai became his spirit form and then vanished into Nathan’s glove. Nathan sighed in relief and beamed as he felt the connection with his second-circle Melkai through the material.
The pact had been successful.
No sooner had he tied off the last end of one conflict than did he hear the sound of running footfalls rushing down the corridor toward them. At first, both he and Aisic were seized with fear that they would have to fight in their state. However, as the soldiers entered the room, surrounding them in a circle, the one commanding them revealed herself.
His mother, Queen Medea, advanced and bent the knee before him. “The king is dead?”
Nathan nodded.
She bowed her head. “Long live the king.”
The other soldiers followed her, bowing to him.
Nathan sighed, uncertain of how to feel about people bowing to him, but too exhausted to protest. “I still have to find my sister. Laine has the other key-half we need to seal the Melkairen.”
His mother rose. “By now, Laine would have reached Terratheist, and knowing the Terratheist king, he will surely send her back here. We will send a messenger to make sure of this. It was a coincidence that you two ran into each other on your journeys, and we can’t risk you two missing each other on the returning trip. What’s more important is making sure Avatasc is stable for when she returns. For that, you will need to succeed Kissick and claim your right to the throne. With the many nobles lusting after the throne, it will be no easy task.” She raised an eyebrow at him. “Luckily you have me to help you.”
Nathan’s jaw clenched as a new weight of responsibility fell upon him. “If you are sure that is the correct course, that is what I’ll do. Have a messenger sent at once.”
His mother smiled. “I already have.”
Nathan gazed at her in surprise. “You were so sure I was going to win against Kissick?”
The once-queen put a hand on his shoulder. “Of course. You’re your father’s son, after all.”
Chapter 17: Terratheist
Terratheist was well known to be a vibrant city full of people searching the market for the best wares. It was for this reason that, when Laine and Kendra arrived, they were both so surprised. Where Laine was expecting a city alive with beauty and abundance, there was no one in the streets, there were no stands or stalls, and everything was in the shadow of overcast clouds. Instead of the laughter of children and the murmur of crowds, all she heard was the silent moan of the wind.
The reputation of the Terratheist capital had been one reason for Kendra joining her. The girl’s disappointment now acted like a weight anchoring her to the tiles. Despite being separated and all of Kenda’s slipups and sore feet, sharing her excitement of reaching the capital had kept them in high spirits. Laine was just glad most of the Melkai they had come across had been easily taken out by Terachiro, as putting her life on the line to get here would have only been further salt in the wound. As they plodded through the vacant streets, she frowned and peered down every alley they passed, looking like she was ready to chase down anyone they found.
“What in the Melkairen is going on?” Kendra asked. “This place looks like a ghost town!”
Laine shook her head. There was only one reason she could think that the place would be so empty . . . but she didn’t want to consider it a possibility.
They can’t have all gone to war, could they?
It would have made sense of why she saw no men in the street and why the city, which was usually so lively, was so dim and depressing.
“I don’t get it,” she murmured. “If anyone was going to break the treaty, I was sure it would have been Kissick . . . but this—I never even considered it.”
A shift of power: isn’t this what I wanted?
“Are you sure it couldn’t have been Melkai?” Kendra asked. “Maybe the barrier has already—”
“No,” Laine interrupted her. “There’s no destruction to the buildings, no bloodstains, just an eerie absence of people. They have been sent to the border of the Solvena Plains to fight.”
Kendra’s tone grew sad. “So . . . war then?”
Laine nodded, only now noticing there were shadows lurking around every corner, watching them. She knew what she had to do. She spotted an inn a little way down the road and pointed to it.
“This is where we part ways, Kendra. With what I will do next, I cannot have you involved.”
“With what you’ll do next?”
“Yes. We have come to a dangerous place. There’s an inn down the street. Do you see it?”
Kendra frowned but nodded. “Please tell me why though.” From her tone of voice, she knew it was futile to even ask.
“The money we kept should be enough to buy you food and lodging for at least a month.” Laine turned to the shadows, which appeared to form from the alleys between houses. “I will come to see you again before the week is up. Just do as I say, okay?”
Kendra stuck out a bottom lip. “Okay, fine.”
She walked into the inn with a wave. Laine sighed. Although somber at Kendra’s departure, she was relieved that the girl wouldn’t have to be involved with the dangers that were to come.
War of Kings and Monsters Page 13
