The Lost Dragon (The Dragon Hunters Book 1)

by Drako

  Kazarian gave a nod. "Got it."

  Vic turned to Brandon. "You get one of the hardest parts. You have to take out Eris."

  Everyone's jaws dropped.

  "Whoa, that's way too much to give him," Andreas commented.

  "And why does he have to do it alone?!" Demun demanded.

  "Eris has been stripped of her godhood and your father only told me that Brandon had to do this alone," Vic explained.

  "So what am I doing?" Demun asked.

  "You have the task of taking out one of Eris' sons, Dmitri. He's a half god, and similar if not equal in strength to you. In other words, it'll be your type of fight." Vic turned to Brandon again. "The best advice I can give you is to use your speed and endurance. Eris is not used to feeling pain, but you are." He turned to Andreas again. "I reiterate, don't toy with Kalos. Don't be surprised if he's stronger this time. At the least, he'll be smarter. And frankly, it's up to you to make sure Kazarian succeeds."

  Andreas frowned. "Is this some kind of test?"

  Vic rolled his eyes. "You know the answer to that. The gods love to test everyone, even their own children. Nothing from the gods is free, you know that. Technically, all of this was originally your mission. Success or failure for everyone depends on you."

  Andreas remained silent, realizing now that even though they were going in separate, he was being counted on to finish his part first and help everyone else. Essentially, he was actually expected to kill Kalos, rescue Cassandra, and take out Eris and Dmitri unless Brandon and Demun pulled off miracles.

  "Anyway, where are we going?" Brandon asked.

  "Eris has created an alternate realm, and Zeus has opened the gateway for us," Vic answered. "We have to make our way into her stronghold and accomplish our goal. Eris doesn't realize her immortality is gone, nor does she expect an attack in her own realm. We're using the element of surprise again and we have to hope it works."

  "And if it doesn't?" Kazarian asked.

  "Then fight like hell and hope we don't die," Vic answered bluntly. "Now let’s get on with it."

  Twenty Nine

  Eris' realm was a realm of eternal night. It was a rocky, barren wasteland of desert. Her stronghold was made of dark stone and it sat on the ledge of a cliff. The building itself was lit by torches which could be seen through the windows. Thanks to the desert, it was clearly harder for anyone in the castle to scope out anyone advancing on it, which worked to the group's advantage. They had separated just to be safe, now waiting for the right moment to move.

  Vic flew silently overhead, his flames dimmed so he didn't attract attention. He noticed both vampires and werewolves moving through the building.

  Eris is really full of herself. No one is patrolling here at all. They're more or less lounging, Vic thought.

  Flying low, he transformed back to human form and landed next to Andreas.

  "So what are we looking at?" Andreas asked.

  "They seem ill-prepared to fend off an attack," Vic answered. "But I believe its best not to do this the old-fashioned Spartan way. We should use more strategy to pull this off."

  "In other words, no blowing half the bitch up."

  Vic nodded. "Besides, I have no idea where the Odele woman is."

  Andreas was beginning to formulate a strategy already. "Anything different on the other side of the cliffs?'

  "There's a black sea on the other side. Literally, it's black. I have no idea what that is and frankly, I don't want to know. I suggest we not get tossed into it."

  Andreas thought quietly for a few seconds more. "We need stealth to get in here, despite how lax the guard may seem. Send Brandon in first. He's the quietest of the group. Let him take out whoever is up there so the rest of us can make our moves."

  "You want us all to go in from the roof?" Vic asked.

  Andreas shook his head. "No, I want the twins and Kazarian to go in through the roof, Fenrir and Deidre need to go in through the front, and I'm going in underground. We can all meet in the center if we haven't found our targets yet. You just join in where you're really needed."

  "Alright." Vic transformed and flew off.

  Brandon sensed Vic's approach and watched him land next to him in human form.

  "Okay, kid, here's the plan. I'm going to fly you up to the roof. You're going to take out everyone in sight. Then you, Demun, and Kazarian will head in from there while Fenrir and Deidre hit the front to cause a distraction. Andreas is going in underground." Vic studied him for a few seconds. "Are you ready for this?"

  "Ready or not, I'm going to get it done," Brandon answered.

  Vic gave a slight smile. "Let's go."

  Brandon braced himself on Vic's back as they flew over the roof. He jumped off, sword in hand, coming down behind two conversing vampires. The two turned and opened their mouths but Brandon cut them off, literally, with one quick slash across their throats. Blood gushed from their wounds and Brandon held up a hand, sending both falling off the roof and into the black sea. He pulled out his chakram as another came around the corner and hurled it at him. The chakram caught the unsuspecting vampire in the throat, almost completely severing the head. Brandon rushed forward to retrieve the chakram, keeping it in his left hand and the sword in his right. Charging forward, he took the few remaining guards on the roof out without difficulty.

  Retracting the blade on his sword and securing the chakram at his waist, he reached out mentally to Vic to signal for Kazarian and Demun.

  Demun was getting impatient when Vic landed next to him.

  "You okay, kid?" Vic asked.

  Demun scowled. "Don't call me kid. And what's taking so long?"

  "Patience is a virtue, kid." Vic sneered. "Your brother is fine. There is a reason he was given the task of taking Eris out. Just give him a few minutes. He can't make too much noise."

  Demun just stared off at the castle.

  "It bothers you, doesn't it?" Vic asked softly.

  Demun looked over out of the corner of his eye. "What are you talking about?"

  "You're wondering why Brandon was given the task of taking Eris out. You're concerned that he can't do it alone."

  Demun remained silent and looked away.

  "You should have more faith in your brother. He's not weak."

  Demun turned to glare at him. "I know that, but if he couldn't beat Kalos alone, how is he supposed to kill a goddess?"

  "Clearly your grandfather thinks he can do it, the same as he thinks you can take out the son of that goddess. Your grandfather is a primordial god who sees far more in you than you see in yourself." Vic paused. "Time to go get Kazarian. Try not to be obnoxiously loud when you go in, that's Deidre and Fenrir's job."

  Andreas felt a familiar surge of power as Deidre and Fenrir appeared at his side.

  "I'm guessing we're holding back for now," Fenrir commented.

  Andreas nodded. "Once he has a few seconds, Brandon can give us a better idea of where to go."

  "Do you really intend to let him face the goddess alone?" Deidre asked.

  "No, nor do I intend for Demun to face Dmitri alone or Kazarian to hunt for Cassandra, but I can't be everywhere at once. They have to hold their own until I get there."

  "I did question Father's decision to send the boys in with such difficult tasks," Fenrir said quietly.

  "It's training," Deidre told him. "Perhaps Jarel wants them to spot areas they need to work on."

  "They're too young to go up against gods," Andreas muttered.

  "Perhaps they would be, if they were solely dragons. Perhaps the mix of dragon, demon, and human blood gives them an advantage against gods."

  Andreas scowled. "They lack the discipline to stand up to Eris. Plus, they haven't been able to tap into their real power."

  Deidre raised an eyebrow. "Don't you think Jarel knows this? They have to learn to tap into their power, and experience is the fastest teacher. Eris will force Brandon to tap into his powers to survive."

  "What happens if he can't?" Andreas dema
nded.

  "Then you'd better be there to save him," Fenrir answered. "You are his guardian, after all. Deidre and I are here to neutralize our children, playing hero is all on you."

  Vic flew in and landed beside Fenrir. "They're in and sticking together for now. What next?"

  Everyone looked to Andreas, who sighed.

  "Brandon should be able to give us a little bit of an idea of where we need to be. Give them no more than five minutes, tops. If he can't tell us anything, we go in completely blind." Andreas narrowed his eyes on Vic. "I want you shadowing those three. If they get in trouble, pull their asses out of the fire however you can. I'll handle whatever they can't do and deal with whatever crap Father rains down on my head."

  Vic flew off again.

  "Now we wait." Andreas turned to keep his eye on the castle.

  Thirty

  Cassandra found herself in complete darkness. She was on a cold stone floor and chained to the wall. Eris hadn’t hesitated to bind her powers either; she had even taken the gift from Apollo and Artemis. In short, she was screwed.

  What a pain in the ass. She’d been snatched from what she’d thought was a safe place and taken to somewhere Eris only knew.

  And speak of the devil.

  Eris appeared in front of her, the only source of illumination in the room. She was excessively pale with jet black hair and eyes and was dressed in a black leather cat suit.

  Talk about strange wardrobe choices, Cassandra thought.

  “Hard to believe you’re what I’ve been after all this time.” Eris studied her. “Hard to believe your blood will resurrect the former ruler of the universe.”

  “What’s the point in all this?” Cassandra asked her.

  Eris rolled her eyes. “I’m the goddess of discord. I live to screw up everyone’s lives. No one ever challenges Zeus anymore and no one has ever challenged the Black Dragon God. I feel the need to screw up everything in their perfect little existence.”

  “So to screw with them, you’d damn the whole world?”

  Eris shrugged. “Why not? There’s nothing special about this world. Cronus will certainly make things interesting. And when he wins, I can knock that bitch Hera off her throne.”

  “You do realize there’s a good chance Hera will kill you as soon as she can find you?”

  Eris snorted. “Hera wishes she could kill me.”

  Cassandra’s head was beginning to hurt as questions came to her. “So what did you do to save your own ass after the Trojan War, which you started?” Her vision began to blur.

  “Well, damn, you’re gaining your memory back. Can’t have you fully awakening.” Eris held up her hand and Cassandra’s world went black.

  Cassandra awoke to a strange bright light on her. She blinked and her eyes cleared.

  This can’t be Eris’ realm, she thought.

  She found herself laying on a stone dai in what seemed to be a familiar place to her. She was clearly in a throne room. Outside, she could see a garden filled with flowers, most of which she couldn’t readily identify but the colors were so brilliant they hurt her eyes. Back inside, the throne room had pale blue sheer curtains hanging.

  “You should know where you are. You are home.”

  She turned and looked to the source of the voice. Sitting on the throne was another insanely gorgeous woman with bronzed skin and dark brown hair. Her eyes were a swirl of purple, blue, and yellow. She sat on her throne in a pale blue chiton and a small golden tiara atop her head. She radiated power and there could be no mistaking who she was. This was undoubtedly the queen of the gods.

  “Rise, child, and gaze upon your mistress,” Hera ordered.

  Cassandra stood up but remained away from the throne.

  “It has been ages, literally, since you’ve stood in my presence.” Hera’s eyes seemed to bore through her. “In these modern times, you’ve changed. Your true name is now your surname.”

  “I’m sorry, I don’t follow you.”

  Hera pointed and a white light shot into her. Images flowed through her mind so fast she couldn’t register them all at once. Gradually, she began to understand.

  “I was once your servant,” she said slowly.

  Hera laughed. “I’m the queen of the gods, dear. All things serve me whether they know it or not. More accurately, you were my personal servant and a goddess in your own right.”

  “Why and how am I here?” Cassandra asked.

  “Well, you are but you aren’t.” Hera rose from her throne and walked over to her. “Come, let’s walk through my garden. We have time to talk.”

  The two walk out of the throne room and into the garden, where Cassandra had to shield her eyes.

  “This was a gift from Demeter. When Persephone goes to join Hades each year, Demeter tends these for me. At times, your mother comes here as well.”

  “My mother?” Cassandra questioned.

  Before Hera could respond, the answer came to her.

  “Gaea.”

  Hera nodded. “It’ll take a little while for everything to come to you. But yes, Gaea, my grandmother, is your mother.”

  “So that makes me your aunt?’

  Hera laughed again. “Technically, yes, but you’re younger. You were one of many gifts your mother gave me when I married Zeus.”

  “So, if I was a goddess, how did I become mortal?” Cassandra frowned, trying to recall herself but to no avail. “Did I do something wrong?”

  “No, but it was easier to let everyone else think so. I had an agenda that took far too long to come to fruition.” Hera stopped in front of a statue. “This should make things easier. What do you see?”

  Cassandra studied the statue and gasped. The statue was her, only taller. It was about an inch shorter than Hera but otherwise identical to Cassandra.

  “This is your goddess form which I’ve kept here, waiting for the day Eris slipped up.” Hera turned to Cassandra. “The Fates warned me that she would try to bring about the end of the world. I figured she’d be an idiot and try to bring back Cronus and I knew she only knew one way to do it. So you, my dear, were bait to force her to try the stupid method instead of one that would actually cause us problems.”

  “Problems? You mean Cronus isn’t a problem to you?” Cassandra asked.

  “We have many problems. Cronus is but one of several that could be used to try to overthrow my husband. But you’ll find out all about those other problems later. Now, let’s get to work on the business at hand. You must resume your duties as my servant and return to your true form.”

  “What about Andreas? Won’t he be looking for me?”

  An odd gleam appeared in Hera’s eye. “I didn’t say you were staying. I’m sending you back in all your glory to carry out my will by passing judgment on Eris and I will enjoy her agony.”

  Thirty One

  The twins and Kazarian had gotten inside with very few problems. Brandon’s senses were on high alert, searching for their targets. He stopped at a flight of stairs, then looked to Kazarian.

  “Cassandra is down there,” he told him.

  Kazarian nodded. “You two be careful.”

  The boys watched him walk off, then continued on. Coming to two large wooden doors, Brandon stopped.

  “Eris in there?” Demun asked.

  Brandon extended the blade on his sword. “Yeah, and two people are with her. They’re human, so I can handle it. You go on and find Dmitri. It won’t take you long.”

  Demun very reluctantly left him. Brandon took a deep breath and pushed open the door. Eris had two human hand maidens attending her on her throne. They rose at Brandon’s entrance and seemed ready to attack. Brandon waved his hand and the two women collided with each other, knocking heads before falling to the ground. Eris merely raised an eyebrow.

  “So, Jarel sent one of the mixed breed brats after me? I thought for sure he’d send one of the big boys. I guess he didn’t want to waste a good soldier.”

  “You’re pretty cocky for a goddess without h
er godhood,” Brandon retorted.

  Eris laughed. “You’re amusing. I still have my godhood.”

  “Oh, really?” Brandon grabbed his chakram and let it fly. Eris shot a blast of energy at it but the chakram cut through the blast and kept coming. She dove off her throne and the chakram embedded itself in the back, right where her head had been moments before.

  Eris rose up and frowned. “That thing is blessed by Zeus. I just didn’t use enough power to deflect it.”

  Brandon threw up his left hand and sent Eris flying across the room, where she hit the wall and fell to the ground. His confidence was beginning to build. Eris should have been much harder to move. He was sure before she lost her godhood things would not have gone this way.

  “Zeus blessed the weapons, not me. I bet that hurt, didn’t it?”

  Eris’ hand came up and shot a bolt of lightning, which struck Brandon and sent him flying. He rolled across the floor and stopped laying facedown, smoke coming off him as Eris stood up. She popped her now dislocated shoulder back into place with a wince.

  “I’ll bet it didn’t hurt nearly as bad as that hurt you.” Eris laughed as she looked down at him.

  Demun was rounding a corner when he heard someone rapidly approaching. He turned just in time to roll to the side, avoiding the foot on a collision course with his face. Demun rolled to his feet as his attacker rushed him again. Demun blocked two wild punches, one left, one right, but was caught with a kick to the chest. Demun fell against the wall and rolled again, avoiding another punch. The wall cracked where his attacker struck, but gave him a chance to fight back. He hit the attacker in the face hard enough to turn him in the opposite direction, then kicked him in the spine to knock him to the ground. As Demun approached, the guy pushed himself up on his hands and used both feet to kick Demun in the chest, knocking him back and giving the guy an opportunity to jump back to his feet.

  Demun steadied himself and finally got a chance to study his attacker. He was a few inches taller than him, and cut. He wore no shirt, showing off large muscular arms and a chiseled chest. He was strangely pale, with long black hair pulled back into a ponytail and pitch black eyes.