The Shadow Dragon let out a thunderous roar once again, its wings sending gusts of wind flying right at the Black Guardians.
“Men! Fall back!” Lazarus yelled, running back to the outskirts of the village. The men in black clothing followed right behind him, pumping their feet as they rushed out of the streets.
There were already multiple questions running through my mind. How had the Dragon come here? Did this mean our job was done? Were we in a position to win?
But I knew these were questions that would have to wait. My mind instantly shifted to the other threat that remained within the village. I picked myself up, heading straight for where the Dark Alliance had entered Ikarius. I heard loud thumping behind me, the ground vibrating with each instance of the sound. I turned around and saw the Shadow Dragon rushing through the streets, its body crushing walls and breaking roofs as it charged behind me.
I let myself smile in amusement, but for only a moment. I could hear the noise of battle come from ahead, the sounds of bows being strung and swords being struck. I turned into another street, and the sight emerged before me. A crowd of Knights, all of them trying to make their way through. Krof, though, kept them at bay, slices and blasts of wind taking them down and pushing them back.
Their attention shifted from old man the moment they heard the thumping behind me. A shadow fell across my body, and I knew then the Shadow Dragon had made its appearance. The men before me all stopped battling, their weapons still in their hand, arrows frozen against bowstrings.
Laughter rang through the air, breaking the silence. “I see.” Jelal stood upon the rooftop of the closest house in front, making me wonder if there was something between villainous leaders and standing on rooftops.
“You actually resurrected the Dragon yourself,” he chuckled. “That poor Kobold. It must hurt to be killed by someone who was bent on saving him only a few days ago.”
“He’s alive,” I muttered.
“What?” His tone changed.
“The Kobold is alive,” I said, and by this time, Krof had made his way to me, his eyes wide at the sight of the Dragon. But he said nothing and stayed by my side.
“You performed a resurrection without a sacrifice?” he asked. “Impossible! Is that even the Shadow Dragon, then?”
The beast let out a roar in reply, causing the Dark Alliance forces to step back.
“It seems he is.” I smiled.
“Impossible,” Jelal muttered. “That’s impossible.”
“Face it, Jelal,” I said. “The odds are not in your favor. You’ve lost.”
“Lost?” he asked, his tone changing. “I will not lose.”
He shot off the roof, the wooden surface collapsing under the force of his leap, and in a flash he was on me. I put my hands in the air and opened my mouth to utter a word, but pain struck my body and I stumbled to the ground.
“Zoran!” A shield formed in front of me, thicker than before, and Jelal rammed into it. His body bounced off, leaving a few cracks on the surface. I turned around and saw Krof standing right behind me, a worried look on his face.
“What is going on here?” he asked.
“Long story,” I wheezed. “Get that shield down. I need to take him out.”
“Look at yourself. You’re in no condition to fight.”
A loud bang sounded as Jelal attacked the barrier, sending more cracks down its sides.
“Nyx, health potions and mana potions,” I said. “If my regeneration rates are down, I’ll just have to compensate.”
“Got it,” he said.
Specks of glowing light flowed into the air and collected in my hands, forming four vials of blue and red liquid. I quickly uncorked them all and consumed them in a flash.
“Krof, drop the shield,” I said as Jelal banged into it once again. I could see Krof shivering a bit, unable to bear the strain of keeping the shield up.
He gasped as he let his concentration go, and the shield immediately dropped. I shot to Jelal, but my speed was still far too weak to match his. He simply ran behind me and summoned a blast of darkness. I went flying through the air and through the walls of one of the houses.
“Bloody curse,” I muttered as I got up. I held my hand out, and a vial formed in it immediately, courtesy of Nyx. I consumed it in an instant and brought my health back up to full.
“You’re not going to be able to get rid of the 60% decrease to your stats,” Nyx said. “And it’s too big a drop to keep you competing with the likes of Jelal and the others.”
“I can’t stop here,” I said as I walked out of the rubble. “What other options do I have?”
When I walked back out, I saw Jelal and Krof duking it out, blasts of wind and darkness facing off against each other. The old man was barely managing to keep himself alive, his entire will and concentration going into his attacks.
“Krof!” I shot forward, summoning every ounce of my strength. “Uher!” I yelled, sending the dark phoenix Jelal’s way. He braced himself for the attack, throwing up a shield of transparent blue into the air. The attack struck the barrier, shattering it, but that was all the strength it had, and the dark bird quickly dissipated into the air.
“I’m not strong enough,” I muttered.
Jelal put his hand up and sent a blast of darkness my way once again. I didn’t attempt to dodge and instead shifted my body weight, pulling out Dawnbreaker in a flash. I held the sword in front of me and bore the brunt of the attack. I still slid across the ground from the impact, but at least I didn’t go flying over it.
“It’s no use, Eternal,” Jelal said, walking towards me. “You are too weak. The Black Guardians’ curse is not something you can beat with sheer will.”
“That’s why you joined forces with them,” I muttered. “Because they could cast that mass spell on me.”
“It was a mutually beneficial partnership.” He smiled. “Of course, they weren’t really that helpful until we gave them the rare Dearth Stone a few hours ago. It is said the stone can amplify certain spells and make them much more effective.”
“So that’s why that mass spell even worked in the first place.”
“Indeed. That stone was insanely hard to find. Only a handful of them exist in these lands,” Jelal said. “I’d say, though, that the results were totally worth it, wouldn’t you agree?” he laughed.
“Damn you.” I gritted my teeth.
All of a sudden, the light from the skies dulled, even more so than before. Everyone on the field immediately turned to the Shadow Dragon. The beast now had a flame of intense black surrounding it, hiding its body from sight. Its eyes shifted colors, turning to a shade of furious silver.
Those eyes. I froze, recognizing them from the vision I’d had of Dragonfall’s past.
The Shadow Dragon roared loudly, and a hemisphere of silver light shot out from it. It passed through me and Krof harmlessly, but Jelal was not as lucky. He and his Knights were all caught behind the barrier. The hemisphere expanded out to the edge of the village and stayed there, brightening till it was much more opaque. In a moment, all of Ikarius’s intruders had been pushed out past the village border.
I heard a deep voice spew laughter within my mind. “How amusing,” it said.
My head shifted, my eyes looking up to the Dragon. The beast gazed straight at me, its silver eyes in line with mine.
“Acnologia,” I said, my voice soft.
“Indeed,” the Dragon said. “Thank you for resurrecting me, Phantom Lord.”
“How long is this going to keep them out?” I asked.
“However long it is needed for.”
DING!
You have completed the quest:
Resurrect Acnologia II.
You have now resurrected the Shadow Dragon. Things are only going to get harder from here. But at least you have a strong ally at your side now. Be prepared. Rewards: 16000000 XP. Rewards: 8000000 Sol.
DING!
Congratulations! You have resurrected the Shadow Dragon, Acno
logia. The age of the Dragons is upon us! Familiar menu has now been unlocked! Fame has been increased by +1000.
My eyes widened. Familiar?
DING!
Congratulations! You have obtained a new Familiar:
Acnologia, the Shadow Dragon.
Strength of the Dark Arts increased by 30% when familiar is present on the field. Strength of the Light Arts increased by 30% when familiar is present on the field.
Huh? I blinked.
“You seem confused, Eternal,” Acnologia said, rumbling with laughter.
“I…you’re my familiar? How? Why?”
“It is nothing I was bound by,” he said. “I chose it myself.”
“What?”
“The Shadow Dragon,” Krof said, as he looked at the magnificent beast.
Acnologia returned his gaze but said nothing.
“Unfortunately, I have no time to spend with you right now.” The wizard turned to me. “I’m going to look for Freya and Ijyela.”
“The third house on the second street from the village square,” Nyx said, probably gaining that information from the map we had.
I relayed the same information to Krof, and he nodded, rushing off in a flash.
“This world seems quite lively,” Acnologia said. “It is amusing.”
“There are people after you,” I said.
“I am aware.”
“I see.”
“People have always been after me, Eternal. There is always pursuit in the face of strength. This is nothing new.”
“But this is different,” I said. “They are coming after you to—”
“To become a Dragonborn,” he said. “At least that’s what one group is doing. The other had some plans to raise another of your kind, I believe. I am unsure of how.”
I stared at him. “How do you know all this?”
“I am a Dragon,” he laughed, as though that was explanation enough.
“How did you even resurrect in the first place?” I asked, finally delving into the questions that had occupied my mind since I’d seen him. “Do I have Dragon blood in me as well?”
“It would be amusing if that was the case,” he said. “I was raised because of your Reanimator ability.”
“What?” I stared.
“Your will to raise me from the dead, along with my will to return to the living, activated your Reanimator special ability. That was more than enough to bring me back to the land of the living.”
“But my skill can’t raise someone who’s more than Level 200.”
“Ah,” he said. “Sometimes, you can cheat systems like these.”
“Huh?”
“I kid. The fact that I became your familiar changed my status from ‘undead minion’ to ‘familiar.’ And that meant my level cap no longer existed.”
How strong is he, anyway? I used my Analyze skill on him and the numbers automatically entered my mind.
DING!
Name
Acnologia, the Shadow Dragon
Race
Ancient Dragon
Level
873
“What?” I gasped.
“Impressive, is it not?” he chuckled.
“You’re this strong?” I asked. “You could have taken out the entire Dark Alliance without any help!”
“No, I could not,” he said, and I knew from his tone not to push further.
“My lord!” Raffiel came running to me from ahead, about five men behind him.
“Raffiel, how are the forces?” I asked. “Are you healed? Is everything fine?”
The man and his soldiers paid no attention to what I said, all gazing up at the Dragon that stood behind me.
“A Dragon,” Raffiel whispered softly.
“Raffiel!” I said, a lot louder.
“Yes, my lord!” He turned around, looking right at me.
I smiled. “How are our forces doing?” I asked.
“We…lost a few people,” he said, not showing much emotion, but I could tell he felt a lot more than what he expressed.
“Have you all healed up?”
He nodded. “We’ve taken a good share of health potions.”
“Good.”
Two figures approached me from the street on the side, and I could tell immediately it was Freya and Nazu. The young Kobold charged ahead of her, nearly smacking into the Dragon as he stopped.
“A Dragon.” He giggled.
Acnologia looked at the young one, and I could tell he was amused. “A Dragonblood,” he said.
“Indeed,” I said softly, a smile on my face.
“So you actually did it.” Ijyela walked up to us, Krof at her side. “You actually resurrected the Shadow Dragon.”
“Not intentionally,” I chuckled.
All of a sudden, I heard a commotion outside, as though a flurry of voices had all started yelling at once.
DING!
Warning!
Ikarius has been attacked! Invaders have entered the village borders.
What? I blinked. I could see no one here.
All of a sudden, a thundering boom sounded from the outside, and the shield of silver light trembled.
“Hmmm?” The Dragon looked up, sensing something off. A massive crack tore into the shield, and in less than a second, the entire thing broke, shattering into tiny pieces that dissolved into the wind. A flash of lightning struck the ground, sending tremors through the surface.
When the burst of light had died down, Markus stood a few yards in front of us, wearing his suit of white armor, his helmet in his hand. His vibrant blue eyes fell on the Dragon, and he chuckled.
“You actually resurrected him,” he said, amusement in his tone. “I thought you might have, but it is good to know that you did. Thank you for finishing up one step of my plan.”
“I did nothing for your plan,” I muttered. I used my Analyze skill on him, wondering if my increased strength would now let me see how strong he was.
DING!
Name
Markus Goodfield
Race
Human Dragonborn
Level
1067
Those numbers made me wish I’d never seen them in the first place. What the hell? How have I even been able to keep up with him when he’s double my level?
“Your race is significantly stronger than his,” Acnologia said.
“But enough to make up a twofold level difference?” I asked.
“He’s also not been trying that hard,” Nyx said.
“Anyway,” Markus said, “this has been fun, but I should probably finish this while I can.”
“You’re not finishing anything,” I said, stepping in front of everyone.
“Are you sure, Diablo?” he asked. “Surely it is time for you to stand down now.”
“Hardly,” I muttered.
He snapped his fingers, and a blast of air shot into me, sending me straight against the Dragon’s leg and knocking the breath out of me on impact. I wheezed as I stood up once again.
“The Curse of the Phantom Lord is quite the status affliction,” Markus chuckled. “Are you sure you still want to take me on?”
Dammit, I cursed. For a second, I’d completely forgotten that my powers had been greatly nerfed.
Freya stood in front of me, a stern expression on her face. She snapped her fingers, and her form immediately flickered. Winds swirled around us, and sparks showered the air around her. All of a sudden, her hair turned blood red and her eyes changed to the same shade, with black runes forming all over her visible body.
She lifted the longsword on her back as it changed form, glowing white and expanding until it was a massive broadsword of jet black.
“Ah, the Queen of Iskaeil.” Markus smiled. “I have already taken you down at the Ulhur Mountains. What makes you think you can defeat me now?”
“Because now it isn’t just me,” she said, pointing her sword at him.
“Hardly,” he chuckled. He thrust his hands into the air, letting
out a rabid cry. Clouds of darkness emerged into the sky, collecting around just our village. Thunder rumbled, and almost immediately a bolt of lightning struck Markus where he stood. The Dragonborn’s body began to glow a faint white, miniature sparks of lightning shooting from his armor as he stood straight, a smug smile on his face.
He snapped his fingers and a multitude of lightning bolts struck down from the sky. I heard the claps of thunder that followed, but not a single one of us was injured. I looked up, confused, and saw that we were now under the wings of the Shadow Dragon.
He protected us, I realized.
Acnologia retracted his wings, leaving us out in the open once again, a stern look in his eyes.
“Hmph,” Markus scoffed. “So that’s what you wish to do, Acnologia.”
The Dragon stayed silent, looking right at the Dragonborn.
“Very well,” he said. “I’ll just have to take you down, then.”
He surged up to the Dragon in a flash and slammed into him with his fist. The large beast went flying through the air, crashing to the ground and sliding along the street, destroying every house he touched until he came to a stop.
“Huh, that was easier than I expected,” Markus chuckled, flexing his wrist.
“Acnologia!” I yelled.
“You can join him, don’t worry.” The Dragonborn disappeared, and before I could even find out where he was, I felt his fist against my stomach. I went flying back, pain exploding through my body. My limp form landed hard against the Dragon, and I slumped to the ground, my health now just a fraction from death.
I can’t, I thought. I can’t die. Not here.
“There is only one way left, Eternal,” I heard the Dragon’s voice rumble in my head.
“What?” I asked. “I’ll do anything.”
“Are you certain?”
I heard Markus chuckle as he walked up to us, his fist ready to strike into us again.
The Eternal: A Boxed Set (World of Ga'em Book 6) Page 47
