Two tentacles whipped around the Lifegiver’s back, speeding toward the two attackers. Faeraon and Eamon dodged them as the sharp talons smashed into the floor, shattering the stone. Eamon rolled to his feet, leaping into the air and spinning into a downward slash. The tentacle withdrew, whipping upward to avoid the blade.
Faeraon rushed forward, sliding on the floor to slash at the other tentacle, his blade barely making a scratch as it connected with the talon. He, too, rolled to his feet, rushing through the Lifegiver’s legs and chopping into the hard chitin shell, and rolling away. The Lifegiver howled as the open wound spewed strange, black fluid that splattered on the floor. His bellowing screech shook the chamber, causing the attackers to stumble.
Traegus regained his footing and rushed around the perimeter to avoid the continuous barrage of whip-like attacks. The Lifegiver’s talons slammed into the stone repeatedly, just behind the wizard’s heels. He changed direction suddenly, using his staff to vault down to the lower floor, spinning as he landed, and throwing a massive wave of ethereal fire at the Lifegiver. The magic drove Absu back, stumbling. The creature lost its footing, the chitinous claws scraping the stone to regain purchase.
Eamon charged, shifting into a blinding attack as he saw the nearest tentacle rear back to attack the wizard once more. He shot forward with incredible speed, slashing his blade at the armored weapon, severing its tip. Again, the Lifegiver shrieked, snapping at the empty air in frustration. He turned his attention to Eamon and charged, slamming his clawed hands into the floor. Eamon dodged as the claws crushed the stone and the giant maw snapped shut. He could feel the wind from the powerful bite at his back, and spun to deliver a thrust. Absu’s head whipped to the side to dodge the blow, and his right claw swiped the air. Eamon spun and shifted forward again, severing one finger in mid-swipe.
Absu countered with a swipe of his other claw, knocking Eamon against the far wall. He crashed against the hard stone, cracking it with his weight, and groaning as he fell to the ground. The impact had knocked his breath away, and his vision swirled as he tried to focus. Fortunately, his armor had taken the brunt of the attack, and he managed to stand just in time to dodge the whipping spike that smashed into the wall behind him. He chopped downward as the spike impacted, severing it behind the base, and cleaving off another segment with a fierce growl.
He turned to rejoin his friends, preparing to leap the distance, when he was startled by a shrill, monstrous cry behind him. He spun around to see the talon transform as it worked its way out of the wall. Eight spindly legs had sprouted from the talon’s stump, pulling with them a horrid, deformed mouth that snapped and growled like a rabid wolf. It pulled itself free, dropping to the floor, and skittered toward him. The severed talon had become its tail; sharp and deadly like a macabre scorpion’s stinger.
The creature lunged, missing Eamon as he rolled away. He kept low as he regained his footing, waiting for the creature to attack again. When it struck with its tail, Eamon slid to the side, thrusting downward with an overhead attack, impaling the creature to the floor. He willed the gauntlet of his other hand to form blades, and jabbed repeatedly, splattering the aberration into a sickening pool of slime and chitin.
Pulling his sword from the black stone, Eamon left the remains behind, returning to join his friends.
Traegus had conjured a shield of magic around him to fend off the Lifegiver’s attacks. It was effective, but sputtered and sparked every time the talons struck it. Nevertheless, he used the protection to his advantage, kneeling down to gather strength for a more powerful spell. Faeraon kept Absu’s attention focused on him, dashing from one side of the chamber to the other, striking at the clawed feet as he passed.
Eamon leaped back down onto the lower floor, running to a position opposite the Alvar king. Absu focused on him, crouching down to bare his many fangs and release a deafening roar that forced Eamon to his knees. The Onyx Dragon held his sword out before him, gripping it with one hand on either end, fending off the dark energy that spewed from the Lifegiver’s maw. In his mind, the vile force arced around him, and when he opened his eyes, it was so. The Serpent’s Tongue had projected a half circle of protection in front of him, and the pain of the powerful sonic attack was gone.
See what you wish, not what you expect.
Farouk’s words echoed in his conscience. The druid had repeated Silka’s advice to him on several occasions, and now, it seemed, he understood its meaning. As Faeraon continued his attacks, and Traegus stood to pull magic from the Earth, Eamon molded the Serpent’s Tongue into the shape of a bow. He grinned as he saw the blade flatten and curve toward him, and another blade extend from the pommel. Stretching between the two ends was a cord of ethereal dragon fire.
He pulled back the cord, aiming the new bow at Absu’s open maw. A fiery arrow appeared as he reached the peak of his draw, and he loosed it; growling with the Dragon’s fury. The arrow struck, embedding itself in the Lifegiver’s throat. A fiery burst exploded in the creature’s mouth, sending it reeling back in agony. Absu thrashed his arms, spinning his remaining tentacles wildly as he staggered back.
Then, Traegus released his spell. A massive and spiraling ball of silver flame—with a tail like a comet—streaked at Absu, striking him with the fury of the Universe itself. Absu was thrown into the air with the force of a thousand bolts of lightning, cast into the far wall with enough impact to shatter the stone. The entire pyramid seemed to tremble, and large chunks of stone fell from the walls and ceiling of the chamber. Eamon and Faeraon dodged the debris as it crashed to the floor around them.
From the corner of his eyes, Eamon saw Traegus collapse.
“Traegus!” he shouted, torn between helping his friend and charging the stunned enemy.
“Finish him off,” Faeraon said, “I will help him.”
Eamon looked back once more as the Alvar king raced toward the fallen wizard. Absu fell to the floor, crashing down with a deep moan that jolted Eamon’s very mind. Dazed, he reached for the gem once more, holding it out before him in his open palm. It blazed with the magic of the djinn, the Firstborn, and the Earth itself. Eamon closed his fist, focusing the gem’s magic into one last burst of divine energy. As Absu pushed himself up onto his hands and knees, Eamon stared into his hollow eyes. He saw the dark realm within them, almost as if it were beckoning him to enter; pleading with him to join Absu in his fate.
“You are finished,” Eamon whispered.
With a cry to the Dragon, Eamon released the magic of the gem. Blinding green and orange bolts of Mother spirit blasted the Lifegiver, bursting into a nova of creative force. Absu screamed in agony as his armored carapace was shattered and disintegrated. He sparked and sputtered as the wisps of power devoured his defenses, flailing wildly in an attempt to escape.
As the power of the gem faded, Absu leaped into the air, catching on to the rim of the vault above. Eamon tossed the gem aside and followed the Lifegiver’s movement with his gaze. Although the entity was now vulnerable and weakened, Absu’s diminished form still glared with all the fury of the Abyss itself.
And then, the frightening maw seemed to grin.
Eamon stepped back, poised to counter as he the Lifegiver prepared to attack. But, instead, the Lifegiver’s flailing tentacles, now bare, but still deadly, whipped around and streaked straight toward Faeraon. The Alvar king, urging Traegus to his feet, was impaled from behind. Eamon’s heart sank as he saw the still sharp talon burst through Faeraon’s midsection. Faeraon groaned in pain, his breath stunted and stolen away by the devastating wound.
“No!” Eamon screamed.
Absu laughed as he turned back to face the Onyx Dragon. He dragged Faeraon into the air, chuckling wildly in a deep, echoing fashion as he flung the Alvar king to the floor. Faeraon impacted with great force, his blade and armor bouncing away as his broken body was dashed to the stone. Eamon could only stare wide-eyed as his friend rolled to a dead stop, the fading blue eyes staring at him; pleading and urging him to fulfil
l his destiny.
Eamon’s mind raced. His breath became grunts and growls of rage, and his eyes erupted with red flame as the Dragon’s power coursed through him. He bared his fangs—the Dragon’s fangs—and spewed a massive jet of flame toward the Lifegiver’s cackling form. Absu was engulfed with the Dragon fire, and he thrashed, screaming, as he fell from his perch.
Eamon backed away as the flaming creature descended. The world around slowed, grinding down to a crawling speed. He reared back the Serpent’s Tongue to strike as the crippled body of Absu neared. But then the entity attacked one last time, throwing his flaming tentacles down toward Eamon. The Onyx Dragon struck with all his might, willing the rage of the Firstborn into his blade.
But the lightning fast tentacles dashed his sword from his hand, spinning around again to thrust right toward him. Eamon pushed away to escape, but his power was weakened—too weak to dodge the sharp talons. They pushed through his shoulders, driving him back as his flesh was pierced, pinning him to the wall. He screamed in agony as Absu’s dark power coursed through him, radiating from the wounds that seemed to tear at his very soul.
The Lifegiver landed before him, remaining crouched as he lifted his fearsome head to glare in hatred. He hissed and growled as he slowly crawled forward on all fours, and Eamon’s heart pounded faster with each step. Finally, Absu’s face came within inches of his own; unarmored, and even more fearsome than before.
“It was a noble effort, young Eamon,” the Lifegiver whispered. “I will remember your courage when I move on to the next realm.”
Eamon tried to speak, to curse the Lifegiver, but he was spent. The words fizzled away before he could speak them. He could only stare helplessly and breathlessly as the fanged maw twisted into a vile grin that sent shivers up Eamon’s spine.
“When you meet your father,” Absu continued, “give him my regards, and my respect. He, too, fought the noble fight. I am impressed with you both, and with the people of this world. You have promise, all of you, but now it is time to end this game once, and for all. I enjoyed the fight. You have my thanks, Eamon. May you spend eternity among those you love.”
Absu reared back his head, his glistening fangs bared to deliver the killing bite that would rip Eamon in two. Eamon closed his eyes, his consciousness faded as he saw his mother in his mind. He smiled, warm and comforted, as she opened her arms to embrace him. He felt himself drawn toward her, pulled away from the agony by her love—the love only a mother could give. He wept as her arms closed around him, and buried his head in her robes, surrendering to his fate. She would protect him from the pain, he knew. She would hold him as his soul was freed, and would lead him to his fathers, to stand before them with honor and glory.
He would live forever in the loving presence of his family.
As he sank into oblivion, he heard a cry. Then, Absu shrieked once more, and pain shot through his shoulders as the talons were withdrawn forcefully. He opened his eyes as he fell to the floor, dazed and breathless.
Faeraon stood before him, his back to him, and his blade held out to his side in triumph. He stepped to the side, turning his weary head to Eamon. As the Onyx Dragon met his gaze, the Alvar king’s eyes were ablaze with life. He smiled, turning his head toward the Lifegiver, waving his hand to release a mighty pulse of Alvar magic that sent Absu sliding back on weakened knees.
“Now, Eamon,” Faeraon said. “Send him back to the void.”
Eamon stood, groaning with pain as retrieved he the Serpent’s Tongue. He saw Traegus stand, stumbling forward as he chanted. A black vortex of energy appeared behind Absu’s reeling form, opening up into a portal that howled and roiled with all the chaotic power of the Universe. Two defilers rose from the smoky layer of ethereal fog that had spread throughout the chamber.
They were not the fearsome, vile creatures that Eamon remembered. They appeared noble; white, glowing, and filled with benevolent power that beckoned to Eamon and strengthened the portal that was now gaping wider and wider.
Eamon raised the Serpent’s Tongue, willing the power of the Dragon to fill its blade with the fires of the Earth. It began to glow, and the warmth strengthened Eamon’s body. He charged, leaping into the air straight toward his mortal enemy. He saw Absu’s face cringe with terror as the divine blade erupted with magic, and its bearer fly toward him.
Eamon struck with all his fury, laying open the ethereal flesh. The Lifegiver shrieked in agony. Eamon struck repeatedly, each time driving the Lifegiver back with the power of the Dragon. Finally, the Lifegiver’s hold in this realm was shattered, and he was drawn back toward the open portal. His tentacles caught the edges, struggling to prevent his banishment as his teeth gnashed and his eyes glowed with rage.
Eamon fell to his knees, too weak to strike again. He tried to stand, to deliver one final, devastating blow, but his legs would not obey. He helplessly watched as Absu pushed forward, his tentacles drawing out of the portal and back into reality. Traegus increased the power of the spell, howling in pain as the magic coursed through his body. The defilers growled, willing their strength to hold open the portal, but they, too, were powerless to banish him.
Faeraon turned to Eamon, his lips pursed, and his sword gripped tightly. His form shined, as if lit from within, and charged with the power of the Great Mother. He was divine at that moment, and Eamon felt strengthened by his words.
“I know now why I was spared,” he said, “and why I was brought here.”
Eamon tried to protest, to beg Faeraon not to give himself to the darkness, but the look in Faeraon’s eyes told him it was no use. The Alvar king was the key, he knew. The missing piece of the puzzle that would end Absu’s reign of terror once, and for all. Faeraon’s thousands of years of suffering in solitude would end in glory. He would ascend into greatness, and Eamon would carry on his legacy—the legacy of the Dragon.
Of course, Eamon realized. That was why he felt a sense of kinship with the Alvar king. He and Faeraon were one, and the same; their souls parallel in the two realms. Faeraon was Eamon, on another world.
“The Alvar will serve you faithfully until the end of your days,” Faeraon said. “Goodbye, King Eamon, my brother.”
“No…” Eamon whispered.
Faeraon charged with a cry, his blade pointed forward menacingly. Traegus struggled to hold open the portal as the Alvar king neared it, using both hands to charge the spell with all of his power. The Alvar king leaped into the air as Absu looked up in horror. Faeraon’s blade met Absu’s heart, piercing it with the power of the divine spirit that resided within it. With one last, vile howl, the Lifegiver fell through the portal, pulling Faeraon with him.
Eamon stood, desperately reaching out in a futile gesture to save his friend. “Faeraon!” he screamed.
The portal exploded in a burst of divine light, throwing Eamon and Traegus back into the walls. The defilers were vaporized, howling in agony as the forces of the Universe tore their bodies apart. The chamber shook violently, and the stone groaned as it bent and cracked. Pieces of it fell from the walls and ceiling, exploding into dust as they hit the floor. The entire inside of the chamber was being altered; all signs of the Lifegiver’s presence erased as his power diminished. The runes cracked and vanished; the purplish light faded and was replaced by the golden glow of the true structure.
Eamon shielded himself from the destruction, keeping a watchful eye on Traegus as the structure crumbled around them. The walls were shifting, the vault above was closing, and the floor itself rumbled. From the center of the chamber, a dais pushed upward, rising to the height of a man. Eamon struggled to stand, to rush to the aid of his friend, watching as the surface of the dais opened up into a shimmering pool of strange, glowing liquid.
He saw that Traegus was pressed into a corner, conjuring an orb of energy that protected him from the creative force that blasted throughout the pyramid. Eamon grabbed his arm and pulled him up, dragging him toward the chamber’s crumbling door. Traegus was weary, but capable of moving.
“Come on!” Eamon pleaded with him. “We have to escape!”
Traegus grumbled, still somewhat shaken, but managed to run on his own. The two raced through the short hallway to the pillared chamber, ducking and dodging the falling debris. The pillars had begun to crumble, as well, and their golden, inner cores were exposed as the black stone fell away. Here, the taller runes were glowing, but sputtering as their energy drained away into the air. Eamon pulled Traegus through the maze of fallen stone, keeping one eye on the large double doors that led outside.
Once they reached the walkway, they saw that the outer layers of stone encasing the pyramid had cracked and crumbled as the forces of the Great Mother reclaimed it for her own. Stone rose upward as it broke away, and a blinding light had erupted from the pyramid’s apex, lighting the entire complex as it reached up to the strangely lit, dark orange sky. Black clouds had gathered around the column of energy, leaving a giant hole in their midst where the flickering, divine lightning flashed and sputtered.
The walkway shook with the destructive force, forcing the two men to pitch from side to side as they attempted to cross. Great cracks appeared as pieces shifted, some falling away into the clouded abyss below. Eamon lifted and threw Traegus’ smaller form ahead to help him leap across, following before the cracks widened.
Traegus began chanting, trying to gather his power to teleport them away, but the surge of energy from the apex was too great. Every spell he conjured fizzled out before it was completed.
“Faster!” Eamon urged him on.
“I’m trying!” Traegus howled. “This body isn’t as large as yours. Its legs are shorter!”
Then, from out of the rolling wall of dust, Titus appeared. The mechanical dragon shrieked as it recognized them, and swooped down to help them. Eamon lifted Traegus onto the dragon’s back, urging the construct to fly him to safety.
Eclipsing the Darkness (The Dragon Chronicles Book 5) Page 28
