Somehow, she was controlling these strange tentacles and appeared to be getting the upper hand over the demon. Both of its enormous arms were now pinned tightly to its sides, and it no longer had the strength to struggle against its bonds. Anna’s will was crushing it and forcing it to its knees, it appeared to be getting weaker.
Finn moved back, in case he was stepped on by the monstrosity in its dying moments. He still held the black sword, bloody with the demon’s life fluid—but the sword wouldn’t feed on the creature’s tainted blood, it dripped off the blade and onto the floor.
The demon stopped moving and went limp. Its head hung to one side and a purple reptilian tongue hung out through rows of long shark-like teeth. Anna relaxed and the shadow tentacles lowered the demon’s colossal body to the floor.
As the tentacles retracted from around the fallen demon, it lifted its bull-like head and with a flick, one of its thick horns impacted against Anna’s chest, knocking her to the ground.
She lay motionless.
Either by her unspoken command or of their own accord, the shadow tentacles quickly whipped out from her and constricted the demon tightly. It raised its head weakly and spoke a curse, which was cut short by a loud, bone-crunching sound. It then fell silent.
The demon was dead.
Chapter 27
Finn dropped the black sword and ran to Anna, ignoring the pain that shot through his battered body. She lay motionless and he dropped beside her as the tentacles withdrew from the demon’s carcass and retracted back to form her shadow gown again. Ignoring the tentacles, Finn checked Anna’s breathing. She lived, but her eyes were closed, and her skin was pale.
After a few moments, her body was totally covered in the shadow-like material and prodding it felt solid. It stopped him from seeing if she had any injuries. He feared the demon’s blow must have broken bones or worse.
Gently, he brushed a few wayward strands of black hair from her face. She looked peaceful lying in his arms. He started to tear up and feared for the worst. “Anna?” His voice sounded strange and distant. “Anna, please don’t die...” He touched her cheek, it was cool. “I never got to tell you...”
A gentle hand rested on his shoulder. “She’s gone, lad. There is nothing you can do.”
“No,” he mumbled. “She can’t be.”
Her eyes flicked open. They were no longer black, but her normal brown eyes.
Finn sucked in his breath. She’s alive! “Anna, I’m here,” he said in a shaky voice. “Can you hear me?”
Her eyes slowly moved, locking with his. “I hear you...Finn.”
“Are you all right?” A lone tear rolled down his check. “Are you hurt?”
“I...I feel pain,” she said softly. “It hurts so much.”
“Don’t worry, Anna, we’ll get a healer.” Desperately, Finn looked to Karok.
“Right you are, lad. I’m on my way.” Karok skirted around the demon’s body and sprinted across the throne room and through the open doors.
“Don’t worry, Finn, Flea was right...” She stared off into the distance and he feared the worst.
“What? Who is Flea?” More tears streamed down his face, leaving long wet tracks.
Her eyes refocused on him. “The Lord of Shadows is coming...”
“What? Anna, I don’t understand.”
She raised her arm and the shadows retreated, exposing her hand. She gently touched a tear on his face. “My sweet Finn, don’t me miss when I’m gone.”
“Please don’t die.”
“Don’t worry, he will not allow that.” Her hand dropped back beside her body and her eyes moved to a dark corner of the room. His gaze followed hers, but his eyes were full of water and he could see nothing.
What?!
There was something in the corner. And it moved. Before his eyes, a black shape separated from the tapestries and grew rapidly. He was unable to tear his eyes away from it, and after a dozen heartbeats, the black shadow creature stepped forward. It was ten yards high and had a long, thick neck that ended in a lizard-shaped head. Four stout legs held the long and slender body off the ground and it was equipped with a long snake-like tail. Two gigantic wings were folded against its body.
It was a shadow dragon.
Finn glanced back to Anna’s face. She looked weak and didn’t move, but she smiled peacefully up at him as though she knew a secret that he didn’t.
“He will take me now, but don’t worry, my sweet Finn,” she said calmly. “I will not die today.”
“You can’t go.”
“I must.”
Putting his face beside hers, he held her in a tight embrace. After a while Anna pushed him back gently. “It is time. Leave me on the floor and stand back. He will not hurt me.”
Finn did as he was bid and the shadow dragon moved steadily forward. It towered over both of them. Its two large red eyes stood out in its otherwise black body. Strange, even without the black sword Finn felt no fear, although he was sure the dragon could rip him apart if it wanted to. It gently scooped her up and held her cupped in a clawed hand that could have easily picked up a horse. The dragon slowly raised her up and stopped at Finn’s head height.
“Regardless what the future holds,” she said softly, “I will always love you.”
And with that the dragon beat its wings, the force of the wind almost knocking Finn from his feet. The dragon raised high into the air, almost to the arched ceiling. Then its massive wings beat again and it smashed through the ceiling and out into the night sky. Large chunks of debris and clouds of dust fell into the centre of the throne room. Finn dodged falling blocks of stone and thick timber beams as he hurried to a wall and out of the danger zone.
He coughed, covering his mouth with his tattered cloak and when the dust settled, Anna and the dragon were gone.
Karok ran back into the throne room and gazed up at the enormous hole in the ceiling. There was now a large pile of rubble over the demon’s corpse and dust covered everything in the room. The dwarf stopped, surveying the room before spotting Finn and moving to his side.
A group of blue-clothed soldiers entered the room behind the dwarf, surprised by the amount of damage. These were the loyal guards of the Krystorian royalty and not the soldiers of Solaris.
Finn sat on his haunches and stared at the ground. The dwarf placed a hand on his shoulder and the eldon turned to his friend. “She is gone,” he said softly. “This time for good...”
“You don’t know that, lad.”
“I think I do. I am sure the Lord of Shadows is Belkavan.”
“What? The god of magic?”
“Mordan will know.” Finn looked up. “Did he survive?”
“The alp? The demon threw him over there.” The dwarf pointed across the room, but there was no visible sign of the alp’s body amongst the rubble. “Maybe he lives.”
“He’s centuries old for a reason,” replied Finn. “The old mage is gone, too. He was lying near the circle.”
Finn walked to his discarded sword and picked it up. Dust stuck to the blade still coated with the demon’s gore. It felt cool in his hand and Finn sighed. He wanted no more killing.
I’m finished with you now. My days of killing are over. I will give you back to your true master.
“What now?” asked Karok.
“I will look for my father...and then...”
Eichmann placed his lamp on the ground and leant his back against the dam tunnel wall and breathed heavily. He was tired. Using magic and battling the demon had taken a lot out of him. It was time to retreat and regroup, he thought. He wasn’t too proud to run away if it meant surviving. He had done it before and would happily do it again.
He was deep beneath the palace, heading for a secret passage that led to a waiting ship. The old mage always had a contingency plan, that’s how he had risen to the top of his order. He always tried to plan for every situation. Unfortunately, this time everything had gone wrong. He had lost his chance of controlling the Krystorian thr
one with his puppet, Tollis. He would miss his most trusted guards and senior members of his order.
No matter, he thought. There were more in his order that would be more than willing to join him in his next venture. He smiled callously. Nothing lost, nothing gained.
The mage pushed off the wall, picked up the lamp and continued his journey. After several steps, he stopped again. What’s that? He turned and looked back the way he came. The tunnel beyond the lamp light was dark and empty.
“Who’s there?” Eichmann’s voice sounded a little unsteady. He scoffed, there was nothing to fear. After all, he was the High Mage and he could crush a man with a thought. Still, it must be almost morning and he needed to hurry to catch the morning tide and put some distance between himself and this place.
He turned and continued on his journey, almost stumbling into a tall black-robed person blocking his path. The lamp light revealed pale features in the darkness. “Shit!” Eichmann dropped the lamp. It didn’t go out but cast an eerie light, highlighting the alp from below. Mordan’s sharp facial features were thrown into partial shadow, making him look more sinister.
“Stand back!” There was fear in Eichmann’s voice now and he back away.
Mordan moved rapidly and leant into the mage’s face, his black eyes looking into the old man’s. “Centuries ago, your people hunted mine.” There was no mistaking the malice in the alp’s voice.
“That wasn’t me.”
“No, it wasn’t,” said the alp. “But you let Belkavan take her.”
Eichmann panicked at the mention of the dark god. He edged away from the alp, but a clawed hand shot out and gripped his neck painfully. He squirmed and hit the alp’s arm, but Mordan didn’t release his grip. He was far too strong, and the old man’s blows had no effect.
The alp effortlessly lifted the mage off his feet with one arm and drew the man close. Eichmann struggled against the alp, grabbing at his wrist, kicking his legs wildly.
“I should drain every drop of your blood,” Mordan threatened.
“No!” squawked Eichmann. He raised his hand and his fingers started to glow blue. Quicker than Eichmann could react, Mordan twisted the old mage’s neck and with an audible crack, killed him instantly.
Mordan smiled, revealing long canines. He opened his clawed hand and the lifeless mage crumpled to the ground. The alp stepped on the lamp, crushing it and extinguishing the light, blanketing the tunnel in darkness.
Chapter 28
It was early morning and the sun’s first rays touched Finn as he sat on a covered wagon’s driver’s seat. Without a backward look, he flicked the reins and drove out of Rulle’s northern gate. They were headed for home, Freewater, and would journey through Tarmia via the towns of Tarken, Thorn and Treemere. The last few days weighed heavily on his young shoulders and he was pleased to be heading north. It seemed like a lifetime since he was in Freewater and he wanted to see his brother again, maybe being around family might ease his pain.
Karok sat silently beside Finn and studied his young companion. He was concerned as the eldon had not said much in the last week, which was unlike him. Anna being snatched by the shadow dragon and being taken beyond his reach had affected him deeply. Finn was understandably at a loss and the dwarf also suspected he was also broken-hearted at his failure to save the woman he loved.
The king was dead, murdered by his crazy cousin, Tollis, and in one month's time, Princess Maria would be crowned as the new queen. Before this debacle, she had the people’s heart, but now she needed to rebuild her people’s trust in her family’s rule. Her first decree was to outlaw the Wizards of Solaris. They would no longer be welcomed in her realm. Messages were sent across the land, telling all about the murder of her father, the king and the Wizards' attempt to overthrow the crown. The information about the summoning of the demon would be suppressed, as it may cause more unrest and uncertainty. That was something the new ruler of Krystoria wouldn’t want.
They hadn’t found Severus and if Mordan was telling the truth, his father was still alive somewhere in the city. After twenty years of being hunted, no doubt the master assassin would survive whatever he faced.
The alp too had vanished, but no doubt he lived. Finn told Karok the old blood-sucker had an annoying habit of returning when you least expected him. Mordan was not someone the dwarf wanted to encounter on a dark night.
As the wagon rolled along the northern road, Karok ran a sharpening stone over his new battle axe. The axe was dwarven made and a parting gift from his mason cousin. It was plain in design and not as well-crafted as the one that shattered against the demon, but it would do.
The dwarf thought it odd that his axe broke while Finn’s black sword didn’t even have a mark on it. His ancestral axe was well made but it was a mundane weapon, whilst the black sword held deep secrets. Karok shuddered at the thought of who or what crafted that sword. One thing was for sure, it was obviously magical.
He checked the edge of his axe with a thick thumb. It was sharp and he smiled. A rare expression for a dwarf, and to a non-dwarf it would appear that he was grimacing...
After several days on the road, the pair arrived late in the township of Thorn. They were more than halfway home and Finn was returning to his old self...but grimmer, like a dwarf. The eldon had been through a lot for his young age. He was now a hardened warrior and not the same eldon that had left home weeks before.
In the town’s centre, they found an inn and went into the common room for a meal. They ate in silence, both keeping to their own thoughts and after the meals were finished, Karok pushed back his plate and rubbed his stomach.
“Not bad,” the dwarf said.
Finn had also finished his meal and glanced down at his empty plate. “I didn’t notice, what was it?”
“The cook said it was beef, but he lied.” Karok belched. “Don’t know what it was, but it wasn’t a cow.”
Finn was not listening to his companion and stood suddenly. “I’m going for a walk.”
“Take your sword, you’re not home yet.”
The eldon met Karok’s stare evenly and smiled slightly. “I will. And don’t worry, I’m all right.”
“I know, lad.” Karok took a swig from his mug. “It’s a warrior’s lot to grieve and we do it too often...I’ve had more than my fair share of grief in my life.”
“When we first met, there was mention of your king’s death and the Blood Axes. Will you tell me about it one day?”
“Aye...but it will require a lot of ale in the telling.”
Finn wandered aimlessly through the dark streets of Thorn, heedless of his surroundings. By chance, he had wandered into a small communal square, surrounded by several two-story dwellings. An ornate fountain dominated its centre and the soft sound of running water filled the night air. The water trickled from a stone statue of a woman holding a jug, and dropped into the fountain’s shallow pond. The statue was ancient and many of its details were gone, worn by the weather.
He limped to the fountain, and sitting on its raised edge he gazed into the water’s dark rippling surface. He felt physically numb but his mind was calm. After some time, he had the troubling feeling that danger was near and slipped his hand onto his sword hilt. The steel pommel was cool under his fingers. Maybe it was just his imagination.
“You have good instincts for a young pup,” said a voice that sounded like the opening of a crypt.
The black sword was instantly in Finn’s hand as he spun quickly to face the speaker. Mordan’s dark form towered above him, a slight smirk on his pale, thin lips. The alp wore a shapeless black robe and a nearby light shone off his bald scalp, highlighting his pointed ears.
A thickly-built man hung from Mordan’s outstretched hand, his booted feet barely touching the ground. The alp’s claws at the man’s neck caused blood to trickle down and soak into his shirt collar. His eyes were wide with fear, but he remained silent.
“Who’s this?” Finn sheathed the sword, he no longer felt threatened by th
e alp’s presence.
“He says his name is Milton from something called the Brotherhood. Do you know what that is?”
“He’s an assassin.”
Mordan must have squeezed the man’s neck, as he bounced on the tips of his toes and raised his hands in a gesture of surrender.
“Interesting,” Mordan purred in his heavy accent. “Shall I kill him?”
“P-please, young sir, don’t let him kill me,” said the assassin.
“Why?” asked Finn. “You would kill me and my family.”
“B-b-because I know things.”
“Like what?” asked Finn.
“The Brotherhood didn’t f-find your father’s body. And if there’s no body he could be still alive. I’ve been ordered to follow you and wait for him to turn up...”
“And kill him? When does this all end?”
“Now.”
There was a cracking sound and the man’s feet spasmed for a brief moment before he went limp. He hung from Mordan’s hand for a moment before the alp threw the corpse into the shadow of the fountain. It would be a grisly discovery for the locals in the morning.
“Why did you do that?” asked Finn, shocked by the man’s sudden death.
“If you let him go, he would try to kill you another day. This way is cleaner.”
“What now?” Finn pointed to his chest with his thumb. “Will you kill me next?”
“You are still amusing,” Mordan said seriously. “I like you because you are like me.”
“I’m what?” Finn’s voice sounded loud in the still night air. “I’m nothing like you! I’m not a blood sucking alp.”
Mordan laughed, it sent a chill up Finn’s spine. “We are very similar, you and I,” he said, stepping closer to Finn. The alp was half a head taller and he gazed down impassively at his young acquaintance. Finn could smell his breath and was surprised that it was not putrid. “We share similar pasts. Would it surprise you to know that I once walked in the sunshine, had a family, friends and...a lover? I was once mortal, just like you.” He stepped back into the shadows and Finn could still make out his outline.
The Warden and the Shadow Queen: The Warden Saga Book 3 Page 13
