by Chris Ward
And she knew that she was greatly afraid, and Andes was not.
Andes swung around at the sound which came from behind, drawing Elwand in one easy motion. He was calm and instantly focused upon the fell creature which now confronted him.
‘You are Dragyn,’ he said to the beast accusingly, surprised by this sudden revelation, but knew immediately that his sword had spoken to him in some deep way. He was even more surprised when the creature responded.
‘I’ have tracked you human. I have smelt you from Ramos to this ruin,’ it hissed and took a hair from a scaly pouch upon its neck, and Andes knew it was the one he had given Gryfnor in exchange for the Diabule. It tossed the hair aside. ‘I have no need to pollute myself further with your stench,’ it continued. In response Andes slowly waved his sword, two handed in front of him and watched as the enormous creature followed its motion with narrowing eyes.
You are unsure of this sword, he thought and then the two stood and looked hard upon the other. Andes felt not a single twinge of fear but was greatly awed by the size and power of what stood before him. It towered above the wall from which it had dropped so easily down into the graveyard. It stood arrogantly on its hind legs which were thicker than tree trunks and its red eyes glowed bright with evil intent. The sharp talons on its claws were extended and each the length of a full hand span. Its tail was long and whipped back and forth, a deadly killing bone at its tip. Andes knew immediately that only one would live to see the sunrise, and the thought did not disturb him at all. Elwand you have empowered me mightily, he thought, I wonder what else we can do together this night.
‘The woman will die too,’ the Dragyn hissed. ‘She cannot hide from me. You cannot run from me.’
‘I will not run from you,’ Andes cried in reply, ‘I will kill you this night and burn your flesh to ash. I have slain a Shadow Hunter with this blade, and you too will feel its bite. You cannot escape Elwand, for all your arrogance and proud boasting.’
At this the Dragyn just grunted. ‘A Shadow Hunter is but a Shadow to a Dragyn; you do not know the power I carry. If you did human, you would beg for the mercy I will never give.’
From her hiding place Germayne saw everything and heard their words and was amazed at Andes’ boldness for she saw that he was transformed, but the Dragyn terrified her; it was beyond any nightmare she had ever imagined. She knew that none of human blood could stand against it, and yet Andes showed no fear at all and the sword he wielded seemed to have some powerful effect upon the Dragyn, for it watched the blade carefully all the while it strutted and spoke with such hateful arrogance. And when the dreadful battle commenced Germayne was shaken to her core by a ferocity she had never seen before; even Sylvion her Queen who wielded the Shadow Blade did not compare with what she witnessed that night.
The Dragyn moved with the speed of coiled snake. It struck at Andes from one side coming in with huge talons which traced a deadly arc right to his throat. Andes seemed to anticipate, but barely, and when the Dragyn’s strike whistled through the air he was not there, but some steps back and then to the side. He ran up the wall and somersaulted back onto his feet, where, falling and rolling he came up beside his enemy and with a careful but blindingly fast strike opened the mighty beast’s thigh to the bone. Germayne was stunned, as was the Dragyn which screamed in anger more than fear and reared up and sprang back and then looked upon its wound, while Andes regained his ground and stood as before, waving his mighty blade back and forth from side to side, and letting its bluish light fall where it would.
‘Elwand bites well Dragyn, you should beg for mercy for my next strike will separate your foul head from your stinking body.’ Andes spoke with a dreadful anger but as his words echoed around the stones of the mighty ruin he knew he spoke too soon for as he watched the Dragyn’s wound healed itself, and what seemed like a mortal blow became in no time at all, a fading scar, and then no more.
‘No human can kill a Dragyn you fool, ‘it hissed once more. ‘I am not of this world.’ And without a pause it picked up the nearest headstone, pulling it clear up from the ground and hurled it at Andes who barely had a chance to avoid the deadly threat, but he kept his feet and dodged beneath it before springing up and standing to confront the Dragyn once more, only to find three more stones of similar weight hurled in quick succession through the air. The sounds of shattering stone and the cries of the two soon filled the air. Andes moved like the wind and over and over again avoided any injury whilst the Dragyn kept up a raging attack of hurled stone and scything talons which Germayne found the greatest difficulty in following, and all the while the bluish light of Elwand lit the scene and every time Andes laid a blow upon the Dragyn it seemed the light flared up like lightning in a storm. They fought madly in such a fashion for almost two span until exhausted they stood back to gather breath. Germayne saw that the Dragyn was cut in many places, but as she watched the wounds healed and as they did the creature seemed to recover full strength, whilst Andes showed the signs of a weariness which did not fully leave him in the short time they rested. However he was unmarked and his resolve undiminished; but for all this she knew that the fight would be long and terrible and that in the end Andes must surely die.
Andes looked upon the Dragyn and knew what Germayne knew. I cannot fight this way and survive he thought. One hit from that tail and I am cut in two. I must try something else. He calmed his breathing and was amazed at his lack of any fear. He was calmer than at any time before in his whole life. He thought of Fryn as the Dragyn healed before him. Ah Fryn, you would be proud of me I think but perhaps you will never know just what comes to pass this night. And hardly had this thought passed through his mind than the Dragyn renewed its attack. But this time Andes did not hold his ground and Germayne lost sight of the battle and was forced to listen as it raged about her through the ruins.
Andes remembered something of the abandoned city and now he ran and jumped and climbed stairs and ducked through narrow doorways, all the time keeping just ahead of the Dragyn which was not as nimble and which could not easily get through the passages and clefts in the fallen stone. All the while Andes ran and waited and darting in and out and from hidden places cut the Dragyn hard and often. The Dragyn hurled great stones and cunningly anticipated Andes’ moves so that after a time he was now cut about the head by shattered rock and one swipe of a talon which caught his left leg a shallow blow. Blood smeared his face and blocked his vision, and he lost time continually in wiping it away. Now high upon the ruin on stairs which led to a mighty void, Andes found himself trapped by his relentless pursuer with no way to leap to safety and the Dragyn climbing quickly to him. He halted then and prepared for the worse. The Dragyn came slowly now, knowing it had run its quarry to ground, but it watched Elwand with a fear which did not escape Andes’ attention.
Suddenly, with a mighty crack the stair collapsed at its base and fell across the void intact, until it hit a parapet where it shattered into nothing, just as Andes leapt to safety. The Dragyn did not fare as well, but fell heavily upon the ground and one large stone crushed a leg so badly that its scream of pain came easily to Germayne who thought for an instant that Andes had slain it. But from high up upon the ruin Andes saw the fell creature stand and heal and then turn once more for him. He felt tired now and knew he would not see the sunrise if the battle continued thus. He turned and ran, losing the Dragyn for a time in the ruins; and then within a short time found himself back in the graveyard now shattered by the fight. He found some water and bathed his wounds and wound a torn cloth about his head which stemmed the blood and cleared his vision. And then the Dragyn returned and Germayne saw the battle commence once again.
But Andes noticed now that the Dragyn was not as quick and where it was cut it did not heal, or only partly so. You are losing your strength to heal he thought, I must keep on, and perhaps you will fail, and Elwand can take your head clean off. And so with renewed vigour Andes now took the fight to the Dragyn. Where once he ran off, now he ran in and with the speed of
striking snake cut the Dragyn over and over and saw that the wounds now bled and did not stop. From somewhere deep within, Andes felt an energy suffuse his body and now he seemed almost able to fly, for his leaps and bounds could not be anticipated by the Dragyn which turned and snarled and seemed unable to lay a single blow upon its tormentor. And then it staggered. Cut all over and with gaping wounds to its back and legs, it suddenly sat down and shook it head, and then stood again and faced Andes who was exhausted and bloody but with a deadly resolve now to keep on until the evil beast was dead and burnt to ash.
But he was tired and with this great exhaustion he did not judge his attacks so finely and suddenly as he darted back from one final strike upon the head of the Dragyn, which opened flesh to the bone and brought forth a stream of black oozing blood, Andes tripped. He instantly regained his footing and leapt for safety, but the enraged Dragyn whipped instinctively with its tail and the deadly bony tip caught Andes full in the back and lifted him high. He was flung twenty paces and fell to the ground against a wall to the sound of his leg snapping clean through. The pain was overwhelming and he knew he would not stand again, and from within he felt a massive rupturing. But the Dragyn suffered most, for its tail had struck the cloak which Rema had given him, the mighty cloak of El-Arathor. It protected Andes’ back, and such was the power of this strange garment that it saved his life in that moment, or else he would have been cut in two. But instead the Dragyn’s tail was consumed to ash in an instant, and the damage crept up and up the deadly appendage until it consumed it all, leaving a stump of smouldering flesh and cries of agony which the Dragyn could not control. It fell to the ground and could not move, although it breathed hard and snorted dust at every breath. And then a silence fell upon the ruin which had echoed long and mightily with the sounds of battle, and Germayne came forth and ran to Andes lying broken and bloody against a wall.
‘Andes!’ she cried and held his head upon her lap. ‘Mercy Andes, you are alive.’ And the great man opened his eyes and looked up at Germayne. Confused and mortally wounded, with blood seeping from his mouth as his body was racked with violent coughs, Germayne wept at the sight of him, as he whispered.
‘Is the Dragyn dead Germayne? Has this all been for nought?’
And Germayne looked over at the Dragyn and saw that it lay still. ‘It is alive,’ Germayne replied, but only just. You have brought it down Andes. None could have done what you did. You were great, I knew you would be, and greater still...’
‘But it must be finished,’ Andes whispered with great pain. ‘Germayne it will heal. It must be finished off.’ Germayne paused and did not know what to do. And then Andes spoke again but from far off.
‘Fryn,’ he whispered in the most gently loving tone such that Germayne was reduced immediately to tears. ‘Fryn is that you?’ Andes said. ‘I have missed you so Fryn.’ Germayne looked down upon Andes and knew that whilst his eyes were wide open he saw nothing.
‘I am here,’ she said, ‘I am here Andes; your Fryn is with you, and I know you have been true.’
‘Ah Fryn,’ was all Andes could say so softly that Germayne had to lean close to his mouth to make out the words. And again. ‘Fryn I love you.’
And then the great man died; he breathed once more and Germayne waited and waited and hoped but the broken body relaxed and lost all tension and she knew he was gone. She cried then as she had never wept before; great tears of desolation, and she held his head and clasped the body to her breast, and for a time was lost in the deepest grief.
Until the Dragyn spoke.
‘You fools. None of your kind can kill a Dragyn. I will heal and then you too will join him, but slowly for I have much to repay for this night.’
Germayne looked over at the Dragyn and saw that it had one eye open and was gazing hatefully at her, but it could hardly move although a limb twitched a little and its breathing seemed somewhat stronger than before. A mighty fury filled Germayne and she sprang to her feet and picked up Elwand which lay fallen by Andes body. She held it high and approached the Dragyn who was helpless before her although it managed some small movement in response. It spoke again, this time without any fear and full of proud and boastful arrogance.
‘You do not understand you pitiful creature. That sword was made for one man and he is dead. The power of it was given by the evil El-Arathor, and to one man alone. You cannot use it, I am beyond your vengeance,’ and it seemed to laugh in a leering manner which caused its whole wounded body to writhe in a paroxysm of fitful convulsions. But Germayne took Elwand and smote the Dragyn over and over in mad hate and fear and desperation and saw that the Dragyn was right. She could not seem to hurt it further, for the blade bounced off its hide and did no damage beyond the sound of the steel smacking fruitlessly upon the huge beast.
‘You see,’ the Dragyn taunted from its helplessness. ‘The blade takes its power from the one to whom it is given. None other can wield it. It is too late you fool. Only while the blood runs warm in the veins will the power remain, but death has intervened. You have lost. You have all lost. By sunrise I will be restored and then I will have my vengeance.’
And then Germayne realised that all indeed was lost. She went back to Andes and with great effort lifted him up upon a grave slab and sat with him and wept in utter frustration. After a time she looked once more at the evil Dragyn and saw that it watched her now with both eyes and it was more able to focus and all of its foul black oozing had ceased.
It is healing, she thought and then caught its eyes and something there gave her cause to think upon its last words.
‘You still have fear,’ she whispered slowly. ‘But why fear when you know you will rise again to slay me. There is still some way to defeat you and you fear I will find it. That must be it. Your last words...’ And Germayne thought hard upon them. You gave a clue unwittingly and now you hope that I do not see what it was.
The Dragyn seemed to know her thoughts for she saw a deepening fear in its eyes. She looked about and her hand rested suddenly upon Andes dead body. She jumped. It is still warm. The blood is still warm. And suddenly she knew, and taking up Elwand she placed it in Andes’ dead hand and cried aloud for it glowed. She looked over at the Dragyn and saw it was terrified. It struggled to raise itself but it was not yet able and fell back gasping. Germayne knew what she must do, and quickly, for with each passing moment Andes’ body cooled and lost is warmth and the so too was the sword losing its power over the fell creature from the netherworld.
With rapid, but deft ability Germayne took Andes’ belt from his tunic and wrapped it around Elwand in Andes’ lifeless hand, over and over and drew it tight upon the dead fist so that the sword was held fast within it. She lifted his arm and the sword did not fall out. And still it glowed. She heard the Dragyn trying to rise but took no time to look at it but with all the might of her Edenwhood blood she took the great dead body of the fallen Andes and rested it upon her back, and felt a power flow through her. She stood and staggered, for his weight was almost too great. She adjusted his position and then took his sword hand in hers and extended it straight out before her. Their arms together now pointed at the Dragyn, and the tip of the still glowing Elwand was aimed at its heart.
‘Come Andes we will finish this now, you and I,’ she cried at the Dragyn which was now sitting up upon its haunches and swaying in a frantic effort to stand and fight again. Germayne started toward the Dragyn, and gathered speed as best she could; twenty paces only and with a mighty thrust the bluish glowing blade went straight to the heart of the Dragyn carried on by the full weight of Andes and Germayne who fell upon the stinking beast, which screamed and writhed and fell once more twitching upon the ground. Germayne withdrew the blade and despite the difficulty she managed to thrust it twice more into the Dragyn’s chest. It fell still, its eyes open but unseeing stared up to the sky, and yet Germayne was not finished and managed to raise Elwand at its last feeble glowing and sliced down upon the Dragyn’s neck and severed it almost through.
She staggered back and pulled Andes with her, and with her last effort carried and half dragged his body back to the stone slab and rested it lovingly there once more, as though asleep. She felt his chest and it was cold; all warmth had fled, and the mighty Elwand was now no more than any other sword. She left it in his hand bound there by the belt and turned once more to the fallen Dragyn. In a frenzy of labour Germayne gathered wood and branches and anything that might burn and heaped them upon the beast, and then from the smouldering fire she lit the pyre and watched it burn. Suddenly the Dragyn’s body caught alight and sent a searing heat far off into the darkness and then like a candle it fuelled itself and as Germayne stood and threw more and more upon the blaze, it was consumed, and as the first lightening of the sky came from the east, it was done, and Germayne fell exhausted by the body of Andes and gave way to all her emotions; she cried like a child in pitiful grief.
As the sun sent its welcome warmth Germayne held Andes’ lifeless hand and stroked the hair of his mighty head.
‘You defeated the most evil creature to ever to visit Revelyn, Andes,’ she whispered lovingly, ‘and more that that you turned your misery into valour, and gave your life. I swear that I will tell of this. All in Revelyn shall hear of your bravery and sacrifice.’ She paused and a new revelation came upon her. ‘You thought yourself to have failed others but in this was great redemption Andes. You gave a hair, and it led this creature to you. It was to be, Andes. You were the one to fight this beast and from your weakness came victory. You could not see it but I can, and I will tell those who should know just what you did.’
She stood and looked with love upon the cold dead body of the great giant. I must bury you properly. I will not leave you here for the bears and wolves, she thought, but it will take some time Andes for you will need a deep and large...’
Suddenly there was a mighty cracking sound from close by. Germayne looked about alarmed but could see no cause for such a thing. She cautiously moved toward where it seemed to have come from, against a far wall where a few remaining graves had escaped the rampaging of the night. And then her skin prickled with a shiver of understanding, as a mighty wave of a deeper knowledge swept over her such that it seemed all her senses became focused in one instant of time, as if she understood something most profound; and indeed she did.
