by Eric Vall
Chapter One
Galencia spread out ten-thousand feet below me, and I breathed the thin salty air in deeply. My armies were at my fingertips, and I felt each beating heart of my regents. I sat firmly on the back of the Qianlong as she began her descent toward the ground and the wind picked up, blowing my hair over my shoulders. Black smoke billowed from the massive ships below and tinted the sky grey like an omen. Rana and Annalise sat ahead of me, their arms wrapped around each other as they held onto the Qianlong with their strong legs. Carmedy sat behind me and clung to my back tightly.
The outer buildings along the docks of Galencia were consumed by green fire, and I knew that Morrigan and Haruhi were taking up the tasks I’d given them with vigor. I leaned my head back, closed my eyes, and exhaled loudly. Thunder exploded, and lightning crackled to life from my immense power as the outskirts of Galencia came closer.
The Holy Order hadn’t received news of the attack yet, their fortress was calm and stoic in the distance, but we’d be upon them soon. Today was the day, my first step into the future where I was the ruler and god over all living things. No man or mage could stand in my way.
My army was strong, and my powers stronger.
Change was upon us, I could feel it all around me but more importantly, within my bones. This was the turning point of my life, I’d been given this second chance when my minions found me and I would snatch it up with my powerful fingers, no one would dare take it from me now. Not my parents, the gods, or even the mages that waited for us within the Holy Order.
Fate smiled down upon me, the winds of change were at my back, and I faced the future with determination. We would win this fight and usher in a new world order with me at the head of it. My heart beat wildly within my chest, and my blood pumped hotly. I was eager to take the city of Galencia for my own, the stronghold of the mages that locked me in my dungeon so long ago. It was a prize to me, the place where someday I would build my own castle and keep my women in just to spite the dead I’d slaughtered here.
“Hold on lest you wish to be thrown off.” Heijing’s voice boomed all around us as she lowered her neck ever farther down and aimed her whipping body at an angle toward the ground.
I gripped the dragon tightly with my knees and Carmedy’s arms wrapped around my back with feverish intensity as she squeezed her eyes closed.
The ground rushed up to meet us as Heijing pushed herself faster, and the air whipping my face burned my eyes, but I kept them open. I could make out the tiny forms of my two other women as they raced down the streets. Haruhi’s golden revolvers exploded with life, the bullets meeting their targets with deadly accuracy. Emerald green light shot from the palms of Morrigan’s hands and burned every home and business to a crisp. The Soties and Vakgors, like the worker bees and their queens, were out in full force attempting to defend their city, but they were no match against my trained warriors.
Heijing’s massive body rippled underneath me as she rode the waves of air toward the ground and when we got close enough to land, the Qianlong looped around the city, letting icy blue flames flow out of her enormous maw. The towering buildings took to flame quickly, and the fire climbed up to the highest floors within seconds. Heijing brought us back to the docks and landed elegantly. The dragon lifted her head back as her crest flowed through the air, and she roared. The sound vibrated in my ears, and I felt my blood pump even faster.
For the first time in hundreds of years, I felt alive, more akin to the god I was in the heavens, and it only made me more excited. My women slid off the back of Heijing and quickly drew their weapons, but I stayed with the Qianlong for a moment. I stood on her back and ran my gloved fingers over her scaled back tenderly. She’d done so much for my minions and me in the past few days, and I wasn’t sure how to thank her. She’d been a slave to her fear of the outside world, never leaving the safety of the Qianlong sanctuary where her people and her parents had died.
I didn’t have to train the Qianlong as I did with my minions, the dragon was already a warrior who’d survived so much. She’d lived in fear for most of her life, but she was here now, alive and well in the outside world with me. I wouldn’t let her regret leaving the safety of the sanctuary, there was so much I would show her and teach her.
My hands worked their way into her crest, and the long tendrils responded to my touch, wrapping all the way up my arms to my elbows like feelers. Heijing and I were one at this moment, and I could see through her eyes as if they were my own. It startled me, and I almost pulled away but then looked deeper through her eyes. As the Qianlong turned her head, I saw orange orbs all around us, inside the walls of the buildings and shops around us. The body heat of the mortals cowering in fear inside and a wicked laugh bubbled up my throat. I leaned forward as I tightened my grip on her crest and whispered into her pointed ear.
“Destroy them,” I commanded to her. “Destroy all of them.”
I let go of Heijing’s crest and slid off her back to look up into her icy blue eyes. She was so beautiful in many ways, both in her human and dragon form. I’d never thought I’d see a dragon alive again but here she was, against all the odds and under my control. The Qianlong brought her massive head forward, and I pressed my temple against the slope of her expansive forehead. I felt the bond between us form and solidify, unlike bonds I had with my Bánwolf Marbas, this was totally different. I felt deep within my body as Heijing’s soul reached out to mine.
The Qianlong wanted this, she wanted to be a part of me for this battle, and this connection would allow me to use her to my will. My essence reached out to hers, and they joined together with a loud crackle. I heard Heijing’s clear, sharp voice cry out, not in pain but almost in ecstasy. When I pulled away from her, her eyes were heated and alive in their sockets. Her heart beat wildly within her enormous body, and I took a single step back.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Heijing launched into the air. She swirled into the sky with her taloned legs tucked into her body as she looped over Galencia. I watched her for a moment and felt a sense of longing as my eyes followed her movements.
The loud crashing of waves caught my attention, and I turned to watch the massive grey Tamarisch ships smash through the wooden docks and keep going without a scratch. Another sound reached my ears over the crunch of wood and rushing waves, and I realized that the soldiers inside the belly of the ship were chanting. Their song blistered their spirits as they prepared for war, and I breathed in deeply as I reached into the void pocket. I pulled the God Slayer from its depths and held it out beside me.
The massive breakers nearly came ashore and stopped just in time. The stern came open at a seam and dropped to the ground like a gangplank made of grey metal. The Tamarisch soldiers stood in neat lines of formation with a familiar face at the head.
Ansel Decathmor held his helmet in the crook of his arm as he looked out at the burning remains of the outskirts of Galencia. His chocolate brown eyes settled on mine, and he was the first to stride down the smooth, metal ramp.
His boots and armor clanked ominously, and if I were any other man, the sight of him would strike fear into my heart. A dashing smile spread across his lips as he came to stand before me and then lowered to a knee. He bowed respectfully to me and then brought his head up.
“Good to see you, it’s been a long time, High King,” Ansel spoke in his deep, raspy voice that vaguely reminded me of Annalise’s. “You have Tamarisch’s sword at your aid.”
The oldest Decathmor stood and then turned toward the troops waiting inside the belly of this particular ship. A shrill whistle exploded from his lips, and the soldiers marched forward. Their movements were precise and calculated as they came to stand in formation in front of me. Six other Tamarisch breakers docked up to the land jus
t as Ansel’s did and they lowered their own ramps. Two more familiar faces raced down the ramps together, and the infamous Decathmor twins ran toward me. They came to stand in front of me, throwing their torsos down in low bows before they shot back up.
“Master!” Adam shouted as he saluted me and grinned.
“Was that a fucking dragon we just saw?!” Amos blurted out as he turned his head and watched Heijing’s movements through the sky.
“Have you forgotten your manners, you damn fool?” Adam chastised as he slapped his twin on the back of his head. “Pay your respect to Master first, ask question after you’ve greeted him.”
Amos launched himself into a second bow, rose to his full height, and smiled widely to me.
“Hello Master, good to see you, you look well and frightening as ever,” Amos nearly shouted as he rushed to get it all out. “Was that a dragon? A real, live dragon?”
I chuckled lightly and shook my head as I looked over my brothers-in-law. It’d been a long time since I’d seen them last, right before we traveled to Machstein, and I seemed to have forgotten the twin’s antics.
“Yes,” I smiled as I lifted my chin as the dragon soared overhead, flames bursting from her mouth. “She is Heijing of the Qianlong Tribe, the only daughter of Guoshe and Anteng of the Canartian Islands. She is the last dragon alive in all of the lands, and she is on our side.”
“Holy shit,” Amos sighed as he leaned his head back and stared into the sky at the Qianlong. “I thought they were all dead…”
“Ansel!” a raspy voice called out over the clanking of armor, and the eldest Decathmor whipped his head in the direction the sound came from.
Annalise ran through the rows and rows of soldiers toward her older brother and launched herself into his arms. Ansel laughed heartily as he lifted his sister off her feet and embraced her tightly. The high queen laughed as her brother squeezed her and then set her down in front of him. The size difference between the Decathmor brother and Annalise was baffling. Her giant of a brother dwarfed the tall and muscular swordswoman.
Ansel’s armor was everything a Tamarisch general’s was supposed to be, and the golden metal shone in the light as he looked out over all of his troops. He was a brute of a man, tank-like in build with broad shoulders and a thick chest. His long brown hair was pulled back by a leather strand, and the ends billowed in a soft breeze as he smiled down at his younger sister.
“Look at this spry little chicken,” Ansel chuckled as he reached out and ruffled his little sister’s hair. “Still haven’t grown much taller.”
Ansel and Annalise embraced once more, and Amos scoffed from beside me. I glanced at him, and the younger twin shook his head and swaggered forward with his thumbs hooked into his belt.
“Well, well, well, it seems we know for sure who Annalise’s favorite sibling is, right Adam?” the younger twin shook his head dramatically and covered his eyes as if he were crying.
“Yup, we don’t have to question it anymore,” Adam sighed as he crossed his arms over his chest. “We always suspected it, but here’s the proof.”
“Amos! Adam!” Annalise cried as she let go of her older brother and wrapped her arms around the twins. “That’s not true, I love all of you equally!”
“No, it’s already, we already know our place. I’m second,” Amos cried in a loud, saddened voice as he placed a hand in the middle of Adam’s chest. “Adam is third.”
“Excuse me?” Adam snorted as he shook off his brother’s hand. “We’re on the same level.”
“Don’t lump me in with scallywags like you,” Amos said defiantly. “I’m of a different breed!”
“Different breed? We’re brothers! Twins! If I’m lumped in somewhere, you’re there with me, you buffoon!” Adam cried as he threw his hands into the air.
“You speak as if that makes a difference!” Amos protested, and Annalise merely shook her head and laughed lightly.
“Either way, buffoons, different breeds or favorites, I’m still pleased to see you,” the high queen smiled as she hugged each of her brother’s tightly. “Amos, I see your hair is growing in nicely.”
“Thank you, Annalise, at least someone appreciates my efforts to get my glorious locks back. Ansel told me to just accept the fate I’ve been given and stay bald.” Amos glared over at his older brother.
“We were more concerned that the mages in the Holy Order may become confused at the sad sight of him and accept him into the fold as an apprentice.” Adam cackled with loud laughter.
“See how they torture me so, Annalise?” Amos snickered as he laid a hand on his sister’s shoulder. “First it was becoming a monk, and now, I’ve been signed up to join the Holy Order without my consent all because the Tintagal bastards took my hair long ago with a fated flaming arrow.”
“You make it seem like a great legend,” Adam shook his head as he ran a gloved hand through his own flowing locks. “The tale of the High Queen, the Mighty Warrior Ansel, the quick and charming Adam and…the bald one.”
“That’s even worse!” Amos shouted. “Our hair is the closest thing to the gods, and mine has been savagely stripped from me!”
“If I may offer you a consolation,” I uttered as I stepped closer and their attention turned to me immediately. “You are already close to a god, tied by blood and law, that is the only god you need to be near.”
“Very well said, Master,” Ansel grinned as he shook my hand. “It is good to be back by your side, fighting the good fight.”
Out of the corner of my eye, Amos patted his short hair and smiled in my direction. My attention was diverted from the Decathmors as smaller wooden ships docked in between the large Tamarisch ships. These were much different than I’d ever seen. The sails were massive, segmented like fans and colored burnt orange. The men on board weren’t as organized as the Tamarisch soldiers, but their looks and weapons were much more intimidating.
Their skin was tanned and weathered by wind and sand. Some of them wore red or orange turbans and loose-fitting clothing as they looked out over Galencia. I recognized them immediately, especially the man that stood at the stern. Our eyes locked together, he nodded to me once and then turned to speak to the captain in a language I barely understood. The largest ship let down its gangplank, and the tall, dark-skinned man moved closer to us.
Smaller boats arrived, and this time, catkin poured from inside with medical bags and wooden crates with medical supplies within. I recognized Carmedy’s parents among them along with her brothers, they rushed past but nodded to me in time.
“Makar,” I spoke as I moved past the Decathmors, and they turned to see who I spoke to.
“Master,” the tanned man boomed in his velvety Valasaran accent as he swept in a bow. “I am blessed to be back in your presence.”
“Was the journey long?” I asked as he rose to his feet.
“Yes, but the destination is worth it.” The regent from the desert country smiled as he offered me a hand, and I shook it.
“Come, meet the Decathmor brothers,” I stated as I brought him closer to the Tamarisch men. “and of course, you remember my wife, Annalise.”
“Yes, it is wonderful to see you again, milady,” Makar smiled as he bowed to the high queen. “But there is no need for introduction, I’ve met the Decathmor brother’s thanks to your trade route, they are great friends to me and the land of Valasara.”
“Makar! Good to see you again, my friend!” Ansel smiled as he held out a hand to the Valasarian, and Makar took it and gave it a hearty shake.
“Master, I brought along some friends of yours that may be of use to you.” Makar smiled as he turned back to his ship, placed two fingers into the corners of his lips, and whistled loudly.
The sound of talons on wood reached our ears, and I waited for a moment for what I knew was coming. Five large lizards grappled up onto the railings of the ship, their eyes swiveling around as they took in the scenery. Two of them were light brown with speckles, two emerald green, but the largest
one was the one I knew immediately. Tiberius, Morrigan’s impressive, alabaster riding lizard she’d chosen back in Valasara. The five lizards turned their heads curiously, jumped from the railing of the boat and landed perfectly. They scuttled closer as I called out to my other women and commanded them to join us.
Annalise squealed happily as she rushed forward to her chosen lizard, one of the speckled brown ones and stroked its scaly head. I was glad Makar had brought our beasts along with us because I had plans for them. Within minutes, the rest of my minions surrounded me, and they looked just as happy to see their lizards.
Each of my minions stroked their mounts as I reached into my void pocket. When I pulled my hand out, I held two objects in the palms of my hand.
I opened my hand to reveal the two Dragnasí we’d found in separate dungeons. The Dragnasí, when fed to lizards, gave them the ability to transform into dragons and give them flight. Haruhi, the only minion without a lizard, gasped and stared down at them with wide, hazel eyes.
“Is that what I think it is?” the sage asked as she grabbed my arm and looked even closer at the two shining orbs.
“Yes,” I smiled as I offered her one and then held up a single sphere between my pointer finger and thumb. “The Dragnasí, we would’ve used them sooner, but we weren’t sure how long the effects would last if at all.”
Haruhi, with her infinite knowledge, stared up into my face as she took on a serious expression. From the determined look on her face, I didn’t doubt that the librarian already knew what the Dragnasí would do to our lizards if we fed them to them, and I waited for her to speak.
“The Dragnasí effects are permanent, that’s why the Holy Order had them destroyed,” Haruhi told me as she turned and looked over the five lizards. “If one lizard eats one of these, they will still technically be a lizard, but it’ll have the ability to transform into a dragon for the rest of its life. The Holy Order had them destroyed after all the real dragons died off, no one really knows why, and there is no explanation anywhere why they wanted them gone.”
