by Eric Vall
“I can confirm that,” she agreed with a nod. “If the Breach is allowed to grow stronger, it will unleash hell on Inati and destroy thousands. The beasts will stop at nothing to assert their domination.”
“And I will stop at nothing to defeat them,” I growled, and my inner dragon roared in agreement. “No one will hurt my family or my people.”
“Then you must be on your way,” she encouraged me. “Little Elian will be arriving soon.”
“Shit,” I cursed as I turned toward the tunnel. “Thank you, Oracle. I’ll see you… when I see you, I guess.”
“Our friendship is merely beginning to blossom,” the Oracle chuckled. “Oh, and dragon lord?”
“Yeah?” I spun back around to face the Oracle, who had soundlessly glided across the cavern and now stood only inches from me.
“In my opinion, saving more of your people is not a distraction,” she whispered and peered into my eyes. “I would consider it a branch that extends from the great tree you are climbing.”
“Thanks.” I grinned as she took a step back and clasped her hands together in front of her thin body. “See you.”
The Oracle nodded her head, and I slipped into the tunnel and began the upward walk to the cave on the beach. When I could finally see the sunlight, I picked up the pace and rushed out onto the sand.
“You found the flowers already, my lord?” one of the guards asked with an astonished look on his face.
“Yeah, the Oracle and I go way back,” I chuckled.
“Did she make you answer a riddle?” another guard wondered.
“No, she answered my question,” I said with a smile. “Don’t worry, fellas. It’s not always that easy for me.”
The guards grumbled as Eskandar shook his head with amusement, and we shifted back into our dragon forms. Then the guards climbed onto our backs before we flew east to return to the palace. I was energized by the Oracle’s answer, but I knew we still had to hurry. She knew the Child of Light would be making his appearance soon, and we still had to get the ceremony done before that happened.
It took even less time to make it back to the White Jade Temple, and we landed in the courtyard in record time. We waited for our passengers to hit the ground before the white dragon and I transformed into our human bodies. Then I led Eskandar inside, and we rushed up the stairs to Vala’s chambers.
The round-bellied young woman was surrounded by my lovers, while Nike and Yazmin stood at the head of her bed and kept a close eye on her. The noble’s face was grim until he looked up and saw us in the doorway.
“You found it?” he asked with a slow smile.
“Of course.” I smirked as I pulled the gold box from my spatial storage and turned to Alyona. “The Oracle said there’s a way to preserve them, so we don’t have to go hunt for one every time. I’m sure you can figure that out, right?”
“A preservation spell?” she laughed. “That’s easy. Let me see them.”
My wife crossed the room and looked inside the box. She pulled out one of the blue-petaled flowers, and then she murmured a few words under her breath.
A shimmery wave of opalescent magic grazed over the top of the box like a wave, and the lid snapped shut.
“Wow, that was easy,” I chuckled. “So, the rest of them are good?”
“Yes, for a while,” she confirmed. “It should give us plenty of time to perform the ceremony several more times before we need to get more. Wait, did you say the Oracle?”
“Yeah,” I replied. “The flowers were in her cave by Pullis, so we had a good little chat.”
“About?” Laika eyed me with curiosity as she walked over to stand by Alyona.
“Our plan.” I shrugged and smiled. “She said it’s good, but no distractions. She also said some mystical shit about Inati being meant to be my home, but I only got to ask one question, so I’m still not sure what she meant about that.”
“Does she always give you partial information?” Eskandar wondered.
“Usually,” I laughed. “All the Oracles and the gods seem to find it amusing, like their own little mortal world entertainment.”
“Interesting,” Alyona mused and then shook her head. “Anyway, we need to get going. Vala’s contractions have returned, though they still aren’t as close as they were earlier.”
“Let’s do it,” I agreed. “Castor!”
“My lord!” The blond-haired man appeared at the door within seconds and sighed with relief. “Ah, you had no trouble, then. I assumed you would fare better than the guards. Are we ready to proceed?”
“Yes,” I confirmed and then remembered my EMT training back on Earth. “But Vala can’t walk that far. It could push her into labor before we even get there. Can we use a portal?”
“No, the shift in magic could deactivate the despasen spell or, worse, strengthen it to affect other things,” Alyona replied as she pursed her lips together. “We have to get there naturally.”
“Perhaps we could use a modified binding spell,” Naomi suggested without moving from her seat next to Vala’s bed. “Maybe the one we use for our enemies, except we could use it to lift her.”
“Like you did with that hellbeast,” Laika murmured, and she flashed the mage a fanged grin. “Great idea, Naomi.”
“Thank you.” The lady lizard blushed and smiled.
“Will it hurt her?” Yazmin chimed in with a frown. “This must be safe. His Eminence has charged me with Vala and the child’s safety.”
“No, it won’t hurt at all,” Alyona reassured her before she walked over and took Vala’s hand. “Rather than the ropes we use for captives, we’ll create a sort of blanket that wraps around you and will carry you with us to the ceremonial cliff. Okay?”
“Okay,” Vala agreed and then grimaced as another contraction rippled through her belly. “We should hurry.”
A few minutes later, Vala hovered in the air on her back with magical black and white sheets wrapped around her body. Alyona and Naomi had combined their magic to ensure it would hold her without hurting her or the baby, and they held hands tightly as they motioned for Eskandar and me to lead the way.
“Nike, you take the rear,” I ordered. “Castor, you go get His Eminence, so he can perform the ceremony.”
“Of course,” he agreed and shuffled out the door to find the king.
The white dragon and I strode out the door with my lovers, the floating pregnant woman, her nurse, and my best friend behind us. It probably looked like a strange parade, but we had a job to do.
By the time we reached the foyer, King Rodion stood with his hands folded together, and Castor was beside him. They stepped seamlessly into our lines, and we continued out the front door toward the ceremonial cliffs where Alyona and I had been married and bonded just a few days ago, though it felt like ages.
Our trek seemed to take forever, but we finally reached the stone cliff that hung over the village. It wasn’t filled with onlookers this time, and the decorations that had signified our marriage were gone. This time, the goal was to get right to the point, which was to complete the ceremony and bind my power with that of the Child of Light.
Easy peasy.
“It’s beautiful up here,” Isabella breathed and then scrunched up her nose as she looked over the edge. “Well, except for the Breach.”
“Yeah, it stinks,” I agreed. “But that’s one of many reasons we’re getting rid of it.”
“A brave knight,” the Nepin said with a smile.
Castor, Rodion, and my women set to work preparing the ingredients for the Redimi Vincio ceremony, while Nike, Eskandar, Yazmin, and I watched over Vala. Her breathing was shallow, and I could tell she was trying hard to mask the pain of her impending labor. I wondered if there was something like an epidural here to help her, but it was something we’d have to figure out after the bond was complete.
“We’re ready,” Rodion announced as he made his way to the edge of the cliff. “Please, bring forward Vala and Lord Evan.”
Naomi a
nd Alyona waved their hands in a wide circle, and Vala was gently placed on her feet. I grabbed her arm as the magical blankets began to unwind from her body, and she leaned against me with exhaustion.
“Almost there,” I murmured. “It won’t be long.”
“Thank the gods,” she whispered.
I guided her to stand next to me in front of the king, and he opened his text to begin.
Suddenly, the king’s eyes went blank, as though he were daydreaming.
What the hell?
I turned to see Vala’s eyes looked the same as Rodion’s, and when I whirled around to check on the others, they all had the same blank stare.
Then a vision hit me like a ton of bricks, and the orange eyes and shadowy figure were all too familiar.
Chapter 14
I told you I would not be overcome, the voice cackled. Do you honestly think a spirit child will be enough to stop me?
He bellowed an evil laugh that reverberated through my bones and sent the hairs all over my body on end. Whoever he was, he somehow knew what we were doing already.
You won’t win, I snarled back. I have a lot of power on my side.
The gods? he sneered. They know nothing. They think they are above every single mortal, but they are no better.
They’re gods, I snorted. I’m pretty sure that automatically puts them above everyone since they could smite us all if they wanted.
And yet, here we are, the shadow laughed maniacally. You only think you have power, dragon. You are nothing. You don’t even belong here.
So, the shadow knew I wasn’t from Inati, but he didn’t seem to know Elian was only one stop on our journey to build my power.
Well, I wasn’t about to ruin the surprise.
If I’m so easy to beat, show yourself! I demanded. I’m not afraid of you, but you seem to be afraid to reveal who you are!
Afraid? the shadow laughed. I’m merely waiting until the seal has finally weakened enough for me to escape. You shall rue the day you challenged me.
Rue the day? Who even says that?
Before I could offer a witty comeback, the shadow disappeared, and we all blinked and looked around at each other.
“What was that?” Vala gasped and clutched her belly. “Was that thing inside me? Did he hurt Elian?”
“No, dear child,” Rodion soothed her, but his eyes were dark and troubled, and his lips were pursed into a thin line. “That being simply knows how to project his consciousness, though I fear he’s growing in strength. He only projected to you before, right, Lord Evan?”
“Yeah,” I confirmed as I scratched my head. “So, everyone saw him this time?”
There were nods and yeses all around, and I grunted with frustration.
“My lord, it seems we have other things to worry about at the moment,” Eskandar announced as he pointed over the edge of the cliff toward the Breach.
I whirled around in time to see a series of purple streaks headed straight for us.
“Great,” I muttered as I ushered everyone away from the cliff. “Nike, Eskandar, and I can handle this. Everyone else, keep Vala safe.”
“A barrier spell,” Naomi said to Alyona.
“Yes,” the princess agreed, and her violet eyes sparkled with grim determination.
“I’ll help you,” Miraya volunteered.
Within seconds, a pearlescent dome surrounded the women, King Rodion, and his advisor, and I nodded my approval before I turned back around to face whatever was headed our way. Then the familiar stench of death and decay reached my nostrils, and I groaned in frustration.
“Miasma,” Nike observed as he unsheathed his weapon.
“Yeah,” I confirmed. “Maybe you should guard the barrier. Eskandar and I can fight them from above.”
“Of course,” the noble agreed before he rushed over to stand in front of the dome with the Sword of Light gripped in his hands.
Aaliyah and Rebecca stepped out of the dome with Laika on their tails, and the three warrior women brandished their weapons of choice to guard the barrier. I was surprised to see Isabella flit out of the dome with her silvery wings expanded before she hovered over the barrier with an eye on the incoming attackers. Then Nike and the three women on the ground surrounded the dome and watched for the intruders.
I looked to Eskandar, and we simultaneously transformed. Our huge dragon bodies nearly filled the entire cliff, and we flapped our wings to meet the attackers head-on.
As they got closer, I realized the feathers under the purple haze of miasma were a bright orange, and I scowled when I made the connection.
The beast used the bodies of phoenixes, likely the ones killed when the Breach had first opened. While I had no desire to hurt a phoenix, these birds were already dead and corrupted by the miasma. It made me sick to my stomach, but we needed to keep them away from the cliff.
“Will fire kill them?” Eskandar called out.
“We’ll have to see,” I replied with a grimace.
The typical phoenix turned to ash when it was killed so it could be reborn, but I had no idea what to do with the miasma version. It might take a few tries.
I opened my maw and released a plume of fire on the first two corrupted birds. They squawked and veered to both of my sides, and I turned to see one still had flames on its orange feathers, while the other somehow dodged the fiery blow.
I looped around and went after that phoenix first. The injured one would take a moment to heal, but the other one had already altered its course to head for the ceremonial cliff. The speed ability I’d assimilated helped me zoom across the sky and catch the phoenix before it even got close, and I reached out with my talon to grab one of its wings.
A clump of feathers ripped from the corrupted bird’s wing, and I let them flutter to the ground below as I went after it again. This time, the phoenix dipped just out of my reach and flipped around to open its beak.
A purple cloud of miasma erupted from its mouth, but I quickly conjured a fiery wall between us. The cloud billowed up the fire shield and dissipated in the air above me, while the phoenix took advantage of the distraction and darted toward the cliff again.
“I won’t be beaten that easy,” I growled as I dove under the shield and snatched at the bird again.
It screeched when I grabbed hold of its tail and used it to yank the corrupted bird toward me. Then I took a deep breath and bellowed another column of fire onto the creature.
This time, its feathers were engulfed in flames, and I released its tail as it spiraled down to the ground in a burning ball of fire. I wasn’t sure if it would be able to be reborn like its living counterparts, but at least it was out of the way for now.
I turned to see the injured phoenix had made its way onto the cliff, and Laika had already raised her broadsword to take it out.
“Did the other one die from your fire, my lord?” she called out.
“Not sure yet!” I answered. “Just kill it. We’ll deal with the ashes later.”
In one fell swoop, Laika beheaded the corrupted bird that scurried toward the dome, and its orange head rolled across the cliff.
Meanwhile, I whipped around and nearly tackled another phoenix that had tried to attack me from behind. Its tiny talons were outstretched, but they ran into my impenetrable scales and nearly snapped off.
The bird screeched with pain and reared its head backward, so I took the opportunity to grab it by the neck. Then I snapped the bone with one clench of my talons, and the corrupted bird went limp in my claws.
I tossed its body down toward where the fiery phoenix had spiraled off, and then I turned to see Eskandar as he roasted his attacker. The body started to fall toward the Breach, but I didn’t want these poor creatures returned to the beast who had sent them, so I called on my fire magic and hoped it would work.
I pulled Eskandar’s flames toward me, and the phoenix’s body floated along with the fire. Then I dumped the fiery mass down with the other two.
“Did you see any more?” I aske
d Eskandar.
“Got it!” Rebecca answered from the cliff.
The bear Demi-Human and Aaliyah tossed the shredded body of a corrupted phoenix on top of the decapitated one, and I nodded my approval. I looked around to see if any other miasma-possessed creatures had appeared, but the sky seemed clear.
But it wasn’t the sky we needed to worry about.
“What’s going on?” Laika yelled, and I looked down to see everyone on the ground trying to hold their balance.
Suddenly, some kind of serpent burst out of the side of the mountain and slithered up to the cliff. Its iridescent green scales glittered in the morning sun, and it seemed like it had no end as it made its way up the peak.
“The fuck is that thing?” I growled.
“No idea,” Eskandar grunted.
As soon as the beast’s head crested the cliff, it opened its mouth wide to reveal a set of fangs that dripped with lime-green venom. I dove down to land with a thud between the serpent and my group, and the creature hissed a shrill sound that echoed around the peaks.
Oh, yeah?
“Two can play this game!” I opened my mouth and roared a plume of flames in the beast’s face.
Its scales burned and darkened, but they didn’t catch fire. I was slightly disappointed, but I had plenty of other options for getting rid of the creature.
“My lord, look out!” Eskandar yelled.
I glanced over my shoulder just as the other end of the serpent appeared over the edge of the mountain with a matching, venom-dripping head.
“Of course,” I muttered.
I whipped my tail out and caught the second half just below its head. It slid backwards with a hiss, and the head in front of me moved to strike me with its fangs, but as soon as its sharp teeth hit my scales, the serpent screeched in pain.
My impenetrable scales kept its fangs from biting, and I took advantage of its surprise and reached out with my talon to grab the beast around the throat. Then I sat back on my haunches as I jammed my other claw into its body. My sharp talons sunk into its soft skin until I hit some sort of bone and grabbed on. I ripped backward, and the serpent released a feral hiss as I ripped its spine from its body. Black blood sprayed from the beast’s exposed guts, and I grimaced as the tarry substance landed on my scales.
