“Right... sorry.”
"If it was Archibald, as you say, I doubt he would expect us to translate his random chirping and screeching. Wouldn't a written message be more effective? Besides, how would the falcon know we were at this exact location? There are too many questions and not enough answers,” Siegfried said.
Lucius let his shoulders slump. “You’re right. Maybe I’m just a bit uneasy about this mission.”
"Everyone is on edge right now. But we just need to—”
The quiet air around them was suddenly punctuated by the guttural bellow of a dragon. In a flash, an ominous black shape flew overhead and shook the treetops from the gust made by its wings. Lucius stood motionless for a moment, feeling his stomach wrench as terror gripped his insides. The rest of the Drachengarde began shouting and taking up positions around the camp. Penna and the other horses whinnied nervously, tugging at their reins when several loud cracks startled them. The cracks were the sound of branches splitting several yards away. Each ear-splitting crack unnerved Lucius, creating a horrible cacophony that tortured his senses. The noise grew louder until it crescendoed with a thunderous boom.
“It's landed in the forest,” Dudley said to no one in particular. He unsheathed his sword and motioned quietly for everyone to split up around the area.
Lucius still didn’t move until Siegfried grabbed his forearm and pulled him away into a thicket nearby.
Another loud scream rent the air. More cracking followed, but now the ground trembled as well. The dragon was walking toward the camp. From the corner of his eye, Lucius glimpsed Darius crouching behind a tree next to them. He held two fire strikers in each hand, watching the direction where the unseen beast approached. The Drachengarde officer held a steady, determined gaze as he searched for his target. Siegfried, holding his bow at full draw with an arrow nocked, also kept watch. The ground continued to tremble with each of the dragon’s footfalls. Then it stopped. Lucius glanced at Siegfried and Darius, whose faces now conveyed alarm.
Following their line of sight, he saw two glowing eyes piercing through the shadows of the trees. Cold and brilliant blue, the eyes were set deep into a black-scaled face with a large mouth full of rows upon rows of sharp teeth. The realization of who’s face he beheld nearly caused Lucius’ knees to buckle.
“Kraegyn,” he said breathlessly.
As if able to hear his name called, Kraegyn reared up his head and searched the camp. “I know you’re out there. There’s no sense in hiding from me. I can smell all of you. Your fear... it’s palpable,” the dragon huffed.
No one said a word.
Lucius turned to Siegfried, who had regained his composure and aimed his arrow at the dragon. The elf glanced over at Darius, who gave him a quick nod. Siegfried released the arrow, and it flew through the camp at his target. An injured cry from Kraegyn signaled the arrow had found its mark, but Siegfried was frowning.
“Did you get him?” Lucius asked.
“Yes, but it didn’t penetrate his eye. It just—ricocheted after the impact,” he said, disappointed.
Kraegyn roared in fury. “You think arrows will do me any harm, elf scum? I am Kraegyn the Black, destroyer of kingdoms and master of fire!”
The dragon toppled a tree as he pushed into the clearing that served as their campsite. Lucius swallowed hard as he took stock of the gargantuan size of Kraegyn’s body. A man barely stood higher than the middle of his foreleg. Lucius couldn’t fathom how even a skilled warrior could kill this beast, much less he.
“Come out and face me, repugnant elf! Only cowards hide in the shadows,” Kraegyn challenged. He lumbered around the camp, stepping on the tents that weren't packed away. The horses whinnied their alarm as the dragon drew closer to them. They pulled desperately at the lead rope that connected them to the trees. Kraegyn smiled wickedly. “Perhaps I’ll have a snack before I feast on you and your friends, elf. My stomach has room.”
“Distract him!” Darius whispered to Siegfried. “Get him closer and keep him talking. I’ll launch one of these at his mouth.”
He indicated the fire strikers in his hands. Siegfried nodded and made a move toward the clearing, but Lucius stopped him.
"No, Siegfried," he said resolutely.
The overwhelming fear that paralyzed him dissipated at the thought of Siegfried facing the monster. His brother had just returned to him, alive and safe from a terrible ordeal. He could not bear to lose him to this monster. After all, Lucius was the Ellyllei. It was his responsibility to rid the world of this evil dragon. He couldn’t ask anyone else to take on the task assigned to him alone. Least of all, someone he loved dearly.
“Let me go. We both know he wants me. I must face him,” he said. Before Siegfried could argue, he added, “you’re much better suited to throw those fire strikers than Darius. I know you won’t miss and it’ll give me the confidence I need to know you’re backing me up, brother.”
Siegfried furrowed his brow, glanced at Darius, and nodded. “Be careful. Run at the first opportunity.”
“I will,” Lucius said. He unsheathed the Requiem Sword and suddenly found his courage again. The sword always seemed to have a calming effect on his mind, easing fear and restoring confidence.
Taking several steps out of his hidden position, he stepped into the center of the camp. Kraegyn’s attention focused on one of the larger horses. The dragon licked his scaly lips as the horse kicked its hind legs to ward him off. This annoyed the dragon lord, and he growled contemptuously.
“Leave the horses alone. It’s me you’ve come for,” Lucius declared.
Kraegyn turned around with alarming speed and his blue eyes widened at the sight of him. “You,” he said. “Lucius Nostra. Ellyllei. I did not anticipate finding you here. What a wonderful surprise!”
Lucius' breathing increased as the dragon lumbered slowly toward him. A broad grin formed on Kraegyn’s face.
“We meet at last, Ellyllei. No longer in dreams, but in flesh and blood,” Kraegyn said.
“Yes. How honored I am to finally face the devil of my nightmares,” Lucius said, glaring at the monster. He pushed aside his fears and tapped into the anger he felt. He'd endured trials and even death, all precipitated by Kraegyn's lust for dominion. “You and your kin don’t stand a chance against the might of Aldron. We will send you back to the Abode of Shadows where you belong.”
Kraegyn laughed. “You are bold, Lucius—I’ll give you that. But you and I both know, Aldron is on the brink of collapse. They’ve endured two catastrophes before I even set foot on this earth again. How do you think they’ll fare now that I am free?”
Lucius could not muster a snide remark to that. It was true. Aldron was struggling in this war. And although their plan to reduce the dragons’ numbers could turn the tables in the kingdom’s favor, he hadn’t expected Kraegyn to show up to intercept them. They had to stop Kraegyn and escape this forest somehow. Otherwise, Azuleah’s fate would be sealed. He slowly took a step backward as the dragon continued speaking.
“And there’s also the matter of the Gauntlet of Iniquity. It’s in my possession now. And my servant, Memnon, will wield it indiscriminately against you and your friends. Speaking of which why don’t you tell them all to stop cowering behind the bushes and face me?”
Lucius took another step back, prompting Kraegyn to follow him. “Why should they come out? Isn’t this whole war a matter to be decided between you and me?”
“I don’t catch your meaning,” Kraegyn said, raising a scaly brow.
“I’m the Ellyllei and you’re the Black Dragon. Surely, you know the prophecy?”
“Of course, fool!”
“Then you know how this is going to end. The same way it ended with Cervantes long ago,” Lucius said, forcing a smile.
Kraegyn returned a smile, but it was devoid of humor. “Except with one notable difference, Ellyllei,” he said grimly.
“Oh? What might that be?” Lucius took two steps back and was only a few feet from Darius’
position.
“Your ancestor possessed the Requiem Sword,” Kraegyn replied. “But that relic is lost to history now.”
Lucius grinned then lifted up his sword for the dragon to see. “Do you mean this Requiem Sword? Funny thing—it’s been reforged.”
Kraegyn’s recoiled upon seeing the blade. For a moment, Lucius saw genuine fear in those cold, cruel eyes. But the dragon quickly recovered and glowered at him.
“Impressive, Ellyllei. But tell me... how do you plan to use the sword when I’ve burnt you to ash?”
Lucius did not get a chance to reply. Kraegyn opened his massive jaws and in the darkest recess of his mouth, a blue spark ignited flames. The fire instantly traveled the length of the creature’s mouth. But before it reached Lucius, a fire striker flew past him and landed on Kraegyn’s tongue. Lucius turned on his heel as the fire striker exploded. The blast knocked Lucius forward several feet while Kraegyn roared in pain.
“Now!” Dudley yelled from somewhere in the forest.
Lucius heard the cries of Drachengarde warriors emerging from their positions to fight the dragon. He felt rather than saw someone pull him to his feet.
“On your feet, Lucius!” Siegfried shouted.
A thick cloud of smoke from the explosion covered the surrounding area. His brother led him under the cover of some bushes where he could see the ensuing conflict more clearly. The blast had little effect in stopping the dragon and only enraged him. Kraegyn roared curses at the Drachengarde attackers who hurled their dragoneer nets at him. Their attempts to bind him were unsuccessful, and he whipped his massive tail at the warriors. He caught two of them unaware and sent them flying into the forest.
Dudley charged against Kraegyn’s right flank, wielding the glaive that he’d shown them earlier. While Darius and the others distracted the dragon, Dudley speared Kraegyn’s wing and pinned the thin membrane to a tree. The Drachengarde captain narrowly dodged a swipe from Kraegyn’s claws as the beast pulled his trapped wing free. But one of the other warriors was not so lucky. Lucius watched in horror as Nicholas, the oldest member of their group, was trampled by the dragon’s hind leg. Kraegyn’s massive claws also tore through a pair of horses, leaving the forest floor painted with their blood.
“I have to stop this,” Lucius said, running out of the thicket.
“Lucius, wait!” Siegfried cried. But he was already halfway to the chaos surrounding Kraegyn.
He ran at the dragon with sword drawn, taking stock of the situation ahead. Dudley and Darius were cutting at opposite sides of Kraegyn’s body. They dodged and ducked several attacks, taking advantage of the beast’s lumbering size to avoid harm. Three more Drachengarde assisted them, but by the time Lucius reached the battle, another man had fallen.
“Everybody fall back! Get to the horses!” Dudley ordered.
Lucius hesitated. They wouldn’t get ten feet away from Kraegyn before he rained down fire on them. He ignored the order and charged Kraegyn head on as the others broke away.
“Well, well! Come to die with the rest of your friends?” Kraegyn taunted. An arrow suddenly lodged itself in the monster’s brow, between the black scales and into the soft flesh beneath. The creature’s agonized cry was Lucius’ opening. He swiped at the monster’s long neck, but missed his target when Kraegyn turned his head suddenly. The blade cut a gash across the dragon’s snout causing purple blood to ooze out of the wound. Instantly, Kraegyn recoiled from the strike then swiped his foreleg at him. Although Lucius dodged the dragon’s talons, the bulk of the foreleg caught him in the midsection and sent him across the camp. He landed on his back and felt the wind knocked out of him.
“You insufferable whelp!” Kraegyn roared. “I will burn every inch of your flesh and scatter your ashes all across this country—”
Another arrow flew into Kraegyn’s neck, cutting the tirade short. The dragon coughed violently as it clawed at its neck to remove the arrow. Siegfried ran across the clearing and helped Lucius to his feet once again.
“Come on, let’s get out of here,” Siegfried said.
They ran a circuitous route around the camp, shielded by the thick tree trunks. The Drachengarde were nowhere in sight and only two horses remained tethered to the trees beside the camp. Dudley and the others had already slipped away. Penna gave a loud whinny as they approached while the other horse grunted anxiously. Lucius quickly mounted the saddle and felt a jolt of pain in his right side. Likely from a broken rib, he thought. Siegfried cut the lead ropes and climbed up on the remaining horse which belonged to Nicholas. Just as Lucius nudged Penna to a gallop, Kraegyn crashed through the trees. The dragon snapped his mouth at the two riders, but missed them by a hair.
“Go, Penna—go!” Lucius shouted as the mare sped into the dense woodland.
Beside him, Siegfried pushed his own horse to greater speed. They both avoided colliding with low-hanging branches in their path. An angry growl echoed behind them, followed by a sudden gust of wind at their backs. Lucius swiveled around in the saddle and saw Kraegyn take to the sky. The dragon’s immense body blot out the sun for a moment, casting an ominous shadow over the forest.
“We need to reach the river,” Siegfried yelled, his voice barely audible over the loud clop of horse hooves. “It’s our only chance to lose him.”
“How’s that?” Lucius shot back.
“The water will protect us from the fire. Plus, dragons can’t swim.”
“Neither can I!”
A sharp cry from Kraegyn startled him. The dragon circled the area around them then unleashed a torrent of flames into the trees ahead. Lucius pulled the reins and Penna reared back onto her hind legs. A wall of fire blocked their path for a quarter mile.
“This way!” Siegfried cried. The elf rode parallel to the flames, heading east now. Lucius followed him, clutching the reins as the terrain dipped several feet into a shallow gulley. A dry streambed led them on a curve winding south once more. But only yard on their new route, Kraegyn rained down fire again. The flames hedged them in from the eastern and southern routes out of the forest. Their only path was back north, toward the camp. Kraegyn denied them that option as well. The dragon’s fire cut across the dense northern tree line and they soon found themselves trapped in a circle of fire.
Overhead, the Black Dragon laughed triumphantly. He flew low over the trees then swooped up and flapped his large winds, creating a powerful wind that fanned the fires. The result was both impressive and heart-wrenching. The firestorm increased twofold. Walls of flame spread to the tops of the trees all around them. In a matter of minutes, the circle grew larger. They were pinned in the center, separated from the inferno by less than ten yards of tree cover. A thunderous crack came from above, scaring both riders and horses.
“Looks like I have the pleasure of seeing that prophecy come to naught, my dear Ellyllei,” Kraegyn said, flashing a wolfish grin.
The dragon balanced his enormous bulk on a group of trees that served as a perch directly above them. Lucius wondered how long the trees would hold before snapping under the weight.
“Isn’t fire a beautiful thing? It has so many uses. Cooking food to eat and laying waste to entire forests. Pity you had to experience the latter,” Kraegyn said.
Siegfried drew his bow, prepared to loose another arrow, but Kraegyn launched himself off the trees before he could shoot. Airborne once more, the dragon reared back and took an intake of breath.
This was it, Lucius thought.
Their final moments would be engulfed in flames. He didn’t fear dying now that he’d experienced it. But the reality of failing his family and his friends—especially Avani—gnawed at him.
The dragon opened his mouth, ready to unleash another torrent of fire, but then his eyes widened and his gaze turned northward. From inside the forest and walls of flame, Lucius turned to look in that direction but could see nothing except burning trees and smoke. Then a bright white light flashed in the sky above the forest canopy. It lasted a mere second, but he saw it
. Kraegyn saw it too. His large blue eyes registered shock and anger.
“No. It cannot be!” He said to himself. Without a second glance at his prey, he flapped his wings and took off to the north.
“Well, that was unexpected,” Siegfried said.
Lucius nodded. He flinched suddenly when he heard branches snapping overhead. At first, he feared the dragon had returned to take his perched position on the trees. But in actuality, the trees Kraegyn had used as a perch were falling down. The large trunks cracked down the middle after bearing the extensive weight. Four trees fell away from Lucius and toppled several others in a domino effect. With a loud crash, the mature trees breached the fire wall less than a yard from their position and created a narrow gap through the flames.
“Siegfried, through there!” Lucius said, pointing at the gap. He spurred Penna onward to their only means of escape. The horse hesitated, afraid to jump onto the pile of fallen trees. But the approaching flames on either side of them provided ample motivation.
“Hurry Lucius, the gap is closing!” Siegfried shouted from behind.
Up ahead, the blaze spread quickly to the branches and leaves of the fallen trees. He rode hard toward the shrinking passage. In a matter of seconds, the wall had reformed forcing Lucius to ride through it.
“Go, Penna, go!” He ducked low into the saddle as he felt the horse leap into the flames.
The blood coursed through his body when he felt the fire lick at his clothing and skin, but it was a momentary sensation. Penna landed gracefully on the other side of the wall where the fire had not yet spread. He let out a sigh of relief as Siegfried also made the jump successfully. They watched the raging inferno behind them for a moment then pressed on to the Dulan River.
After discovering a trail created by horse hooves, Siegfried led the way out of the forest to the river bank. Along the rushing waters of the Dulan, Lucius spotted what remained of the Drachengarde. Dudley, Darius, and three warriors had survived, meaning four had perished in the fight. The men watched them approach with looks of awe on their faces.
Keep of Dragons (The Azuleah Trilogy Book 3) Page 9
