Straightening his back, Ethan sucked in a deep breath. He needed to appear confident, even if he didn’t feel it. They halted when a few feet away. The Imperial Commanders all bowed in unison. Ethan and the other two returned the gesture.
“I am General Mordechai Valmer,” said the man in the center. “To my left is General Plucio Hume, and to my right, Commander Anolin Fritsh.”
Halvar regarded them steadily before making his own introductions. When the name Ethan Dragonvein was spoken, the three men immediately looked at one another, uncertainty on the faces. Their reaction brought an involuntary grin to the king’s lips.
“Speak your terms,” he said.
General Valmer looked directly at Ethan, his expression grim. “Now that we know Lord Dragonvein is among you, things have changed.”
“How so?” Ethan asked.
“You are to come with us,” replied Valmer. “The Emperor would have you delivered to him unharmed if possible. Should you remain with the dwarves, you will almost certainly die.”
Ethan sneered. “Is that all?”
“No,” Valmer replied. “The dwarves and elves are to lay down their arms and return to their homes. I give you this final chance to alter your path. Refuse, and not a single one of you will live to see the sun set this day.”
Halvar laughed contemptuously. “Can you not count? You are easily outnumbered.”
Valmer’s face was a stone mask. “You have the Emperor’s terms.”
“Then we are done here,” Halvar told him. Without another word, he spun on his heels and started back.
Keira and Ethan were quickly at his side.
“Something is not right,” Keira remarked. “They can clearly see our superior numbers. And they will surely know that you possess a large number of dwarf weapons. Yet in spite of this, they seem certain of their victory.”
Halvar waved a dismissive hand. “Arrogance - nothing more. They think we will lose heart.” He shot her a confident grin. “We will not.”
The doubtful look remained on Keira's face. Ethan had to agree that it was unnerving. General Valmer had made almost no attempt to talk them into surrendering, and appeared completely unshaken by the force arrayed against him. He was either a fool, or there was far more to this than they were aware. Ethan hoped for the former…but something was warning him that it was almost certainly the latter.
Kat eyed him as they reached the lines. He forced a smile and took her hand.
“I want you to be ready,” he whispered.
“Ready for what?”
“I’m not sure.”
Kat nodded.
All the different spells he might be able to use should the unexpected happen began running through Ethan's mind. Though many he had learned were indeed powerful, only a few could be used against such a large number of foes. A glance at Kat told him she was doing exactly the same thing.
They climbed a low rise just beyond the rear echelon where they could overlook the battlefield. The Imperial army, although impressive, looked small compared to the combined elf and dwarf forces. Ethan was aware that there were thousands more dwarf fighters still within the mountain as well. He knew Halvar had not wanted to show Shinzan his full strength. He felt he had enough to crush his foe. That was all he cared about.
They waited several minutes, all the time expecting the Imperials to charge. But they did nothing apart from merely stare at them across the field.
“What are they waiting for?” mused Halvar.
As if in reply, a massive roar reverberated off the mountainside. Impossibly deep and immeasurably powerful, it drew thousands of eyes instantly skyward.
Though Halvar and Keira appeared confused, Ethan knew at once what was making the terrible sound. “Get your people back inside the mountain!” he shouted.
Both of them were slow to react. Another tremendous roar shook the ground. Dwarf and elf alike covered their ears, searching desperately for the source.
Ethan gripped Halvar by the shoulders and shook him to attention. “I said get your people inside the damn mountain.”
But it was too late. From above the treetops the dragon appeared, silver scales shimmering in the light of the morning sun. It hovered a hundred feet or so above the field and let out yet another roar, this one even louder than the first two. Any trace of order vanished. Elf and dwarf lines alike immediately began to scatter as the frightened soldiers moved back. But the sheer volume of their numbers was making it impossible to escape.
“Retreat to the mountain!” cried Halvar, running toward what remained of his lines.
Keira burst into a dead run toward the left flank without uttering a word.
Ethan grabbed Kat’s arms. “Stay here!”
She shook her head. “I’m not leaving you.”
There was no time to argue. Ethan chased after the king, with Kat right on his heels. Even from such a height, the wind from the creature's massive wings blew down on them like a storm. Halvar was desperately pulling his people back and pointing to the mountain, ordering them to retreat.
Ethan looked up at the dragon and reached out in an attempt to make a connection with it. But there was nothing. It was as if the beast did not exist. Somehow, it had been cut off from both its kin and the spirit of Lumnia.
Arrows streaked skyward from the elf ranks, but they simply bounced off the dragon's hide. By now, some dwarves had regained their senses sufficiently to fire their rods, but these too had little effect. A few seconds later, the dragon began descending. As it landed only fifty feet from the vanguard, a great sucking sound carried over the commotion of terrified cries. Anguish tore at Ethan. He knew what was about to happen. But he was helpless to stop it.
The fire spewed forth from its gaping maw, consuming at least twenty dwarves in a single burst. Screams of agony mingled with renewed cries of terror. It was then Ethan spotted a figure riding atop the back of the dragon. It was cloaked in a red robe, with the hood pushed back to reveal his features. Ethan recognized him immediately. Hronso.
Arrows continued to bounce ineffectively off the beast’s hide. While hundreds of dwarves tried desperately to escape to the mountain, the elves were forming a line on either side of the dragon. Another stream of blazing death enveloped the dwarves to the front of it.
Ethan looked to Kat. “Can you push back the fire?”
Without replying, she waved her hands and yelled “Vetrivi!” just as the dragon released another assault. A gale force blast of wind threw back the flames an instant before they would have consumed dozens of more victims.
As the enraged beast turned toward them, a burst of blue light shot from Ethan's hand, striking it on the foreleg and sending it lurching back. But it was a short-lived victory. It shook its head violently while recovering, very nearly dislodging Hronso from his perch, then immediately charged, cutting a broad swath through the crowd of dwarf soldiers.
Kat grabbed Ethan’s hand. “Run!”
The dragon was heading straight for them at amazing speed for something so massive; far faster than Ethan ever realized they could move. He muttered another spell, praying that this one would give them a bit more breathing space. Directly above the dragon’s head, three great eagles appeared. In a concerted attack they swooped down, clawing at the beast's eyes in an attempt to blind it. But this was no more than a mere annoyance. Three times in rapid succession it snapped its jaws down on its feathered attackers, each one blinking out of existence the moment it was bitten.
More arrows poured in from the elves. Some of the archers had moved in close enough to actually pierce the dragon’s hide – but only slightly. Certainly not enough to do any real damage. Kat paused long enough to shoot a series of flames at the dragon’s head. But this had no effect whatsoever.
“Fire doesn’t work,” Ethan shouted above the clamor of voices. He pointed Kat toward the elf’s left flank. “Over there. We need to lead it away.”
By now the dragon had renewed its charge, crushing anyone in its path.
Some tried to hack at its legs with their axes as it passed, but if this injured the animal, it gave no indication. More dwarf rods struck, though with no better success than the arrows. Ethan looked back. The beast would be on them in moments. He sought his memory desperately for yet another spell that might delay it.
“Jata Piasti,” he shouted.
The ground erupted at the dragon’s feet, forcing it to veer sharp left. Infuriated, it spewed fire straight toward them. Kat was only just able to divert the blast upward before they were roasted.
As they neared the left flank of the elf army, Ethan spotted Keira directing her archers and shouting orders. She saw the pair running toward her and pointed to the dragon’s legs. “Slow the beast down,” she cried.
Dozens of arrows whizzed by Ethan before going on to strike the dragon’s legs, many of them passing so close that he could feel the wind on his face as they flew by. Again, he glanced back to cast a spell. This time the earth exploded directly beneath the dragon’s belly. But not even this was sufficient to hamper its progress. Thanks to its enormous weight, it remained solidly on the ground and barely broke stride.
More fire shot from the dragon’s mouth, but this time it was directed at the elves. They scattered with remarkable swiftness, though an unlucky few were still caught in the inferno. Their dying screams of agony ripped away at Ethan's soul. As much as this tormented him, he knew he must not stop running, or even pause for a second.
A blur of motion passed before his eyes. But before he could establish the cause, Kat was sent reeling, landing face first on the jagged ground. Ethan slid to a halt. General Hronso was standing right in front of him, a long curved blade in his hand and a vicious grin on his face.
“It's over, mage,” he growled.
Ethan’s fury erupted. Without thinking, his hand shot out to send a bolt of lightning sizzling into Hronso’s chest. The Rakasa staggered backwards, landing in an untidy heap several feet away.
Kat was just lying there, blood trickling down the back of her neck from where Hronso had struck with the hilt of his sword. Ethan moved to help her, but before he had completed so much as a single step, a mighty force slammed violently into his side. So powerful was the blow, it sent him sliding across the ground like a rag doll thrown aside by an angry child. Even before he rolled to a stop, intense pain shot through him. He knew straight away that his arm was broken, as well as several ribs. He looked over to where he had previously been standing and saw the dragon glaring back at him with empty black eyes. He tried to move, but then realized his right leg was broken as well.
General Hronso was already back on his feet, smiling fiendishly. “Take him,” he commanded.
The dragon took a step toward Ethan, its massive claws churning up hunks of rock and soil. He knew there was nothing he could do. This was the end.
A shadow overhead caught the corner of his eye. The next thing he knew, a white streak slammed into the dragon, the fierceness of the contact producing an ear-splitting crack. With a mighty roar of anger, the creature toppled over onto its side. Ethan could only look on with a mixture of wonder and relief. Maytra was atop the silver dragon, her claws dug deep into its mid-section. She had grown much since the last time he'd seen her – though she was still less than a quarter the size of her opponent.
Hronso stared in shock and disbelief as his dragon, which by now had recovered from the surprise of the initial attack, fought back ferociously. He moved forward to aid it, but a nearby group of elves set upon him, driving him away with a barrage of steel. Only the general’s unnatural speed and skill saved him from being hacked to pieces. Realizing that he had little chance against so many skilled warriors, he quickly withdrew with the elves hard on his heels.
Maytra was now clawing and snapping at the silver dragon's head and neck. Though much smaller, she was more agile and able to inflict several deep wounds. For a time it looked as if she would actually prevail. But then, in a flurry of movement, the silver dragon twisted and swiped at her with a taloned claw, striking Maytra just beneath her left wing. Blood spewed from a foot long gash and sent her hard to the ground. Ethan cried out as the beast clamped down on Maytra's neck with dagger-like teeth. Her agonized screech tore into him. He could feel every bit of her pain as the mighty jaws tightened their hold.
Though still reeling from the dragon's blow, he struggled up into a seated position and extended his undamaged arm. A stream of blinding white light shot forth, striking the dragon squarely in the right haunch. It immediately released its hold on Maytra, allowing her body to fall limply onto the ground. Ethan’s heart froze. He could feel that she still lived…but barely.
His attack had left a smoldering wound roughly the size of a man’s hand in the dragon's hide. Its black eyes swung toward him, the low growl that quickly followed clearly stating its menacing intent. In a single leap it spanned the distance between them, landing with earth-shaking force, a huge front leg planted on either side of Ethan.
Heart racing, he tried to scramble back, but his shattered limbs would not allow this. Hot breath was bearing down on him. He looked up. The dragon’s snout was now mere inches from his face. It opened its mouth to finish its work, saliva mixed with Maytra’s blood dripping from its teeth.
A deep commanding voice called out. “No. He is for the Emperor.”
It was Hronso returning. With several arrows protruding from his back and a series of deep cuts across his arms and chest, he should have been staggering. Yet, incredibly, he still strode along with unrelenting purpose. There was no sign of the elves who had been pursuing him. They must either be dead or have given up the chase, Ethan considered.
Hronso moved in close. After pulling a small flask from his belt and opening it with his teeth, his steely fingers forced Ethan's jaws wide apart. Without uttering a word, he began pouring the contents into his mouth. Ethan tried hard to resist, but no matter how much he struggled and retched, most of the liquid was soon ingested anyway. Tossing aside the empty flask, the general then jumped onto the dragon's back.
The effect of the drug was almost instantaneous. Ethan’s head began swimming and his eyes lost all focus. The last thing he remembered was a rush of air as the dragon carried him skyward.
Chapter Seventeen
Keira stared up in horror at the dragon flying away with Ethan gripped firmly in its claws. But there was no time to dwell on this. Across the battlefield, the Imperial army had now let loose a huge barrage of arrows. The scattered and unprepared dwarves were taking the worst of it, the deadly missiles killing dozens of them in the first assault. A few elves were struck, but their numbers remained strong. Keira shouted for her archers to return fire. Without hesitation, they let loose three rapid volleys before the Imperials could manage even one more. This was enough to convince the enemy commanders it was time to charge.
King Halvar, seeing what had happened, began rallying his men to turn and fight. They still outnumbered the Imperials, in spite of the enormous damage the dragon had caused. But their lines were currently scattered, whereas the humans were organized. Barking out orders at their backs, he desperately tried to position his forces well enough to withstand the initial attack.
The elves let fly their arrows twice more before the attackers managed to cross the field. Keira spotted Kat still lying unconscious near to where Ethan had been taken and immediately ordered two of her men to hurry over and carry her to safety. Just as they were lifting her up, the two armies finally collided in brutal, hand-to-hand combat. The ring of clashing swords and battering of shields was deafening. Cries of fury and pain swirled around the field like a macabre symphony.
Though the elves were managing to hold their ground on the flanks, the dwarves in the center were being pushed swiftly back. More than a thousand of them had fallen in the first few minutes of battle. But Halvar was not going to be so easily beaten. Raising his axe, he charged into the thick of the fray, pulling away from his personal guard and roaring out a feral battle cry. The mere sigh
t of this was more than enough to inspire his people, rousing them to fight even harder. With their king a powerful figurehead battling in their midst, they had soon partly reformed their lines and managed to prevent the Imperials from advancing any further.
After an hour of furious fighting across the entire front, the tide finally began to turn. Out wide, the elves were now pushing the enemy to the very brink of retreat. Seeing this, the Imperial commander pulled some of his men away from the center and sent in all of his remaining soldiers.
This was just the encouragement the hard pressed dwarves needed. With each fresh surge they regained precious yards of lost ground. Further and further they forced the Imperials back until it became evident that the day would soon be won. Keira couldn’t help but admire the courage of her new allies. Halvar had to be practically dragged from the field once it was clear that victory was assured.
One of his personal guards came running over to her. He was covered in blood and carried a multitude of cuts on his face and hands. “My Lady,” he said. “Would you please join King Halvar at the rear?”
Satisfied that her fighters now had everything in hand, Keira did as requested. On reaching the king, she saw that he had suffered a deep wound to his left arm. His breastplate had also been hacked almost completely in two, and must surely be concealing serious injuries. Even the slight nod of welcome he gave caused him to wince in pain.
“I am pleased to see you,” he said.
“Are you hurt badly?” she asked.
“I will live. Though it will be some time before I am healed.” He looked down at his ruined armor. “That said, were it not for the skill of our smiths, I would most certainly be speaking to my ancestors.”
A series of short trumpet blasts sounded from the enemy, signaling their full retreat. Halvar breathed a heavy sigh of relief. As he did so, his exhausted legs began to wobble. Keira quickly took his arm and helped him into a seated position on the ground.
Dragonvein - Book Three Page 24
