Dragon King Charlie

by Scott Baron

  “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “ I added the Wampeh’s blood to mine until I slowly began to acquire his gift for taking another’s power. And then I fed. On such a variety of power users. I’m quite strong now, Charlie. Far more than ever before.”

  She pointed her finger and zapped a man dead with a word. It was an impressive show of sheer power, but Charlie saw her wince from the effort. Childbirth had weakened her. For the moment, at least.

  “Your human friend was the only other survivor of our crash, so when I charmed the king into taking me as his lover after his wife’s unfortunate demise––“

  “At your hands, I assume?”

  Malalia merely smiled.

  “As I was saying, I kept your Rika as my chambermaid and finished making her what she is. Quite a fighter, too,” she added with a wicked smile.

  King Horgund, having finally transitioned from utter shock, looked horrified “My-my queen. You killed her? And the talk of this Dragon King threatening my kingdom? The reason I marched to war? This was all predicated on lies?”

  “You always were slow on the uptake, Horgund,” she said, bored with the man.

  The king flushed red with rage, but not at Charlie this time. He turned to the wet-nurse.

  “Take my son inside,” he growled. “I would not have him see his treacherous mother slain.”

  The wet-nurse blanched and quickly ran back into the castle with her precious bundle.

  “Now to deal with you,” he said, spinning on his now former lover.

  “Oh, Horgund. I’m afraid you’ve outlived your usefulness, my love,” she cooed, then raised her hand, smiting him dead with a killing spell, then igniting his body in flames just for shits and giggles.

  Jesus. She’s fucking crazy. Crazy, and strong.

  Charlie raised his hand, quickly casting a silent slovera spell, extinguishing the flames.

  “Without a konus,” Malalia noted with great curiosity. Charlie, it seemed, had power after all. “My, my. Isn’t that interesting.”

  Captain Sheeran stared in disbelief at the smoldering remains of King Horgund. Magic, treachery, deceit. Much had been wrong in the invader’s household, but he apparently had no idea just how much. He turned to his men, holding his sword aloft, commanding their attention.

  “The king is dead. Long live the rightful king!” he bellowed.

  “Long live the king!” his men echoed.

  “Not for long,” Malalia said, raising her hands, preparing to cast her deadly spells.

  A blast of magic spun her around. Then another landed, knocking her to the ground. The new mother scrambled back to her feet, fury in her eyes.

  “You!” she hissed.

  Charlie turned to see Bawb and Hunze standing in the courtyard entry. The Wampeh assassin had shed his timid disguise, Charlie noted. And he was armed. To the teeth. He cast a major disabling spell, the power flowing from his konuses with ease.

  Malalia, however countered his spell, stopping it dead in its tracks despite not wearing a konus or slaap. She had always been a powerful visla, but this was something new. Something more.

  Bawb’s eyes went wide as she recovered and started casting her own attacks, actually pushing him back. Her internal magic was so much greater than before. It was utterly massive. If not for her recent childbirth draining her energy, she would have overpowered him easily, he realized.

  Charlie raced to his friend’s side and quickly donned a pair of heavy konuses from the bags he carried. He then slipped on a pair of slaaps for good measure, then joined the fight.

  Their combined spells blasted through Malalia’s attacks, shattering her spells and physically threw her back with enough force to blast her right through the castle’s stone wall. The two lowered their weapons and looked at one another with shock in their eyes.

  “Malalia––“ Bawb said.

  “I know. We have to go. Now! Sheeran, get your men out of here and meet us at the place.”

  “But surely, she must be dead, Sire.”

  “I wouldn’t count on it,” Charlie replied. “Shit just got weird, and there’s a lot I need to fill you in on. Things you need to know. But there’s no time and this is not the place. This is a battle that you and your men cannot win. Now run before she recovers. We’ll regroup when all are clear. You know where.”

  “Aye, Sire,” he said, reading the concern in his king’s eyes. “Men, we are leaving. Fall back and follow me!” he shouted, leading his troops from the castle as fast as they were able.

  To his amazement, the rubble that had collapsed atop the crazy bitch woman actually seemed to be shifting.

  “Faster!” he shouted.

  His men, tired as they were, had no trouble increasing their pace as they fled into the night. Whatever horses were saddled nearby were immediately mounted, darting off down the darkened road.

  “She’ll take time to recover,” Bawb said as he cast layer upon layer of containment spells atop the pile of debris.

  “But she’ll get out. And weak as she is, we’re still not ready for this,” Charlie replied.

  Bawb nodded and took Hunze by the hand.

  The trio then fled the castle, unsure if they would ever return.

  Chapter Fifty-Eight

  In the wake of the battle, people had fled the castle grounds as fast as their legs would take them, and not just King Charlie’s troops and staff. Word of what had happened spread like wildfire, and the king’s mistress’s brutal murder of their king––and the horrific, dark magic manner in which she did it––chilled them to the core.

  The resulting exodus left only the most loyal of troops in the castle walls, along with those who felt their odds of survival were simply better on the side of the crazed witch than the former king. The others had scattered to the wind.

  Charlie and his friends took the road toward their hideout, shifting to the woods a few miles away. It didn’t really matter, he supposed. Now that Malalia had given up all pretext of normalcy, she’d likely unleash all of her power in her efforts to find them. It was only a matter of time. But they wouldn’t make it easy for her.

  Captain Sheeran came to them shortly after they had arrived back in their hideout, where they had discovered Rika had been deposited and restrained prior to their arrival, as requested. Leila had let the men in when they brought Charlie’s old friend, and it was she who pensively sat guard over the sleeping woman from her king’s home.

  Rika was conscious now, and her eyes shot daggers at all around her, but she was still tightly bound, as well as gagged, for good measure. The men had been cautious, and rightly so. After a few years with Malalia pumping hate and foul magic into her, there was no telling how much damage the crazed witch had done, though Baloo would likely have put a stop to anything before she caused much harm.

  “Is what she said true, Sire? About the other galaxy?” Sheeran asked, though he already knew the answer. He was not a stupid man, and the facts were plain, once Malalia had laid out the circumstances.

  Charlie sighed and offered the captain a large cup of wine, and on this occasion, the soldier accepted.

  “Yes, Captain. We arrived here from another world,” he finally said.

  The captain nodded slowly. “I figured as much. The dragon, and your unusual friends. You’re all from a distant place and not of this planet.”

  “Well, to be fair, I actually am from Earth, just not from this time.”

  “Oh? Well, that’s good to hear,” Sheeran said, only half joking.

  “Why’s that? I mean, the whole thing is kind of a mess.”

  “Aye, that it is, but I at least feel a little better serving a king who is human. No offense to your friends.”

  Bawb chuckled. “No offense is taken, Captain.”

  “You know, that was quite a display you put on back there. You’re quite an actor, Bawb. I never would have guessed you had that in you.”

  “Thank you, Captain. It took many years of practice to at
tain that particular skill.”

  “Appear weak when you are strong, eh?” Sheeran said with a grin. “It seems a lesson you took to heart far more than most. But Sire,” he said, turning back to Charlie. “What would you have of your men? They are scattered throughout the woods, scared, but awaiting your command.”

  “There will be a reckoning. Tomorrow. Now that her presence is known, Malalia will not dally with subterfuge. She will come for us.”

  “But she doesn’t know where you are, Sire.”

  “Given the magic she unleashed, I think the pregnancy was the only thing keeping her from finding us and laying waste to the entire area. Now that she’s had the child, her strength will return.”

  Sheeran stared at the floor a moment, mulling over their options. “I will have the men prepare for battle, then. Tomorrow we will either be victorious, or die valiantly in battle.”

  “Thank you, Captain. You’re a good man, and I hope to see you alive and well at the end of this.”

  “It’s in fate’s hands now, Sire,” he said, then stepped out of the hovel.

  “He’s a good soldier,” Bawb said. “We are fortunate to have him as an ally.”

  “I know,” Charlie agreed. “But against Malalia? With her power?”

  “Where is Ara?” Hunze asked. “She is mighty. I’m sure she could stop her.”

  “I don’t know, Hunze. I’ve tried searching for her every day since she vanished, but only the tiniest of whispers of her reach the edges of my mind. She’s alive, somewhere, but I don’t’ know where.”

  “I can clear that up,” Leila said, crossing the small room and sitting with her king. “They had me wearing a hood, but the men in the dungeon were still somewhat loose with their lips. I heard one mention a trap. A magical device to lure her into a cave far away, where they had entombed her.”

  Charlie’s stomach sank. “Far away to them might not be far by her standards. But buried alive?”

  “That’s what it sounded like,” Leila replied. “But her kind can survive underground for years, right? She said they had been known to hibernate for long stretches.”

  “Even so, if she is truly trapped without the ability to escape, all she can do is wait. And we must face Malalia on our own.”

  “About that,” Bawb said, a concerned look on his face. “Her power. It...it is impossible, Charlie. I mean, I’ve felt her power before, but this was so much more.”

  “Yeah, you missed that bit.”

  “What bit?”

  “Her bad guy exposition speech. It sounded like she’d been practicing it for months while she waited for everything to line up for her. The thing is, she is not the same woman we left behind months ago. In fact, she spent a few years filling her father’s shoes and biding her time.”

  “Years? And biding for what?”

  “For when she would steal their remaining Ootaki hair and use it to chase us across space––and much to her surprise––time. You said it yourself, while Hunze was the only survivor on their doomsday ship, several of the seats were vacant. Malalia tracked down those Ootaki and used them to reach us.”

  “But the pregnancy?”

  “Yeah, like I said, she didn’t expect the whole time travel part. The spell she was attempting to create was iffy at best to begin with, and with that element thrown in, well, she wound up crashing here, but over a year too soon. She spent years preparing, then arrived another year too early. Time is a fickle bitch, I guess.”

  “Ah. That would explain the infant. She was stuck here. Stuck and unsure if we’d ever arrive anywhere near her own arrival.”

  “Pretty much. So she sunk her hooks in a local king and made herself a cozy home. Then we came a year later and got her back on her murderous track again.”

  “But that still doesn’t explain her power, Charlie. It was immense. I’ve never sensed anything quite like it.”

  “Maybe a little like it,” Charlie said. “Look, man, I know you’re not going to like hearing this, but Malalia captured one of your people. A Wampeh Ghalian.”

  Bawb nodded grimly. “It is a peril of our work. Capture and death is a price we all risk paying.”

  “But she didn’t kill him. Not outright. That’s the thing. She drained his blood and added it to her own, slowly, over years. From there, it seems she’s been feeding on others, taking their magic. Their power. That’s why there were men drained in the forest. She took their essence to feed on. Must be the pregnancy making her even more power hungry than normal.”

  “Charlie, that shouldn’t work. But even if it did, do you realize what that means? She is not a Wampeh Ghalian. If she has forced her body into a vessel for others’ power, she will never be able to stop. If she does, she will die.”

  “So she’s stuck chasing the dragon,” Charlie mused.

  “We know she is. And she caught her.”

  “Sorry, I meant figuratively. It’s an old Earth figure of speech.”

  “This is old Earth.”

  “Yeah, but it’s not that old. Anyway, we’ve got our weapons now, but I really don’t know if even that will be enough to stop her.”

  “Agreed,” Bawb said, his eyes darting to Hunze. He was worried about her more than himself, Charlie realized. The assassin had grown a heart, it seemed.

  “Well, there is one thing I could try, but it might be ugly,” Charlie said.

  “Uglier than death?”

  “Point taken,” King Charlie said with a grim chuckle. “Ara had been working on a new spell. One that might return us forward to the proper time. I think that’s what she’s been sending me since she’s gone missing.”

  “But how does that help us?”

  “Malalia wants to take us back to her galaxy. But she doesn’t have the power to make a time jump. At least, I don’t think she does. She said she used it all up getting here, not even knowing what she was doing. And this is a non-magical planet. She can’t recharge. But if we used our magic to counter hers, what if instead we piggybacked on her spell. I think I finally know how Ara’s spell works.”

  Bawb’s eyes widened with understanding. “You’re suggesting we use her to get back to my galaxy.”

  “Precisely. We get you all home and leave her stranded here, with no way to feed her addiction. You said it yourself, humans contain so little power, even an army of them would be a drop in the bucket for her needs.”

  “But you would be stranded back there with us. Far from your home once more.”

  Charlie looked at Leila. His queen. “Worth it.”

  “And what of the Wise One?” Bawb asked. It was a question all were thinking, but none had voiced.

  “In this time. This place? We simply have no means of finding her. But I think she’s been reaching out to me. Telling me something else.”

  “This is good news!”

  “What I think she’s been saying is to go without her.”

  The tiny rays of hope faded from their faces.

  A low table fell over, breaking the moment.

  Rika.

  Her struggles against her bonds had interrupted and caught all of their attention. Charlie picked up the cup of water he’d had at his side for some time and walked over to her, squatting to look her in the eyes.

  “Behave, okay? I know you have to be thirsty,” he said, gently pulling the gag from her mouth. “Here, drink.”

  He held the cup to her lips, and Rika eagerly gulped it down until the cup was empty. Charlie watched her a moment. He couldn’t be certain, but it seemed the anger in her eyes had diminished somewhat. Her mind might have been damaged, but she was his friend, and he owed it to her to see what, if anything, he could do.

  Bawb noted the water had held a slight iridescence, but said nothing. Their supply was limited, but friendship was a noble cause.

  Leila walked to the far end of the room and took a seat. Charlie sensed something was bothering her. After the time they’d spent together, he’d become attuned to her body language.

  “Hey,�
�� he said, walking over to her.

  “That’s your friend. The one you came to my galaxy with.”

  “Yeah. An old friend from Earth. My Earth. The Tslavars took her from me years ago. I thought she was dead.”

  “But now she is returned to you.”

  “In a way. I don’t think a happy reunion was Malalia’s plan, though,” he said with a little grin. Leila’s mood was unimproved.

  “And you two?” she finally said.

  Oh, he realized.

  “Us? No, we never––“

  “It’s okay, Charlie. I understand if you––“

  “Leila, I love you, and nothing will change that.”

  He placed his forehead against hers, then pulled her into his arms and held her close. For just a moment, all was good in the world. Then Baloo joined the party, licking them both, and all was good––but also a bit slobbery.

  Bawb and Hunze watched the couple, then locked eyes a long moment. Finally breaking their gaze, the Wampeh spoke.

  “Charlie, if we do not stop Malalia tomorrow, many will perish beside us. We have to use everything we can to stop her.”

  “I know, Bob. And every last bit of it is all laid out here on the table. I just don’t know if it’ll be enough. I hope so, but I don’t know.

  A faint smile teased Bawb’s lips. “There is one option we haven’t yet considered.”

  Chapter Fifty-Nine

  Morning arrived with the musky stink of fear hanging in the early mist. It was as if the land itself knew what was coming and wanted no part of it. An animal reaction born of the most primal place.

  But Malalia did not come.

  It was not until early afternoon that the queen bitch of the realm rode out from the castle with every last one of her soldiers. The vast majority were at her side not out of loyalty or a sense of duty, but out of sheer terror. When she had forced her way out of the rubble atop her the night before twenty men had perished horribly in her rage before she regained control of her emotions.