Astrid ran to the dozen warriors as another dozen appeared behind them, running toward the others with wielded weapons.
“Lady Astrid,” one of the soldiers said.
“Come. My sister needs help,” Astrid said.
“What is it? What do we face?” the soldier asked.
“A dragon,” Astrid said.
The soldier’s eyes widened and he gulped.
“Come.”
Astrid turned and started sprinting toward the caverns where she knew her sister was trying to trap one or both of the dragons. For the first few seconds, she only heard silence behind her, but then the sound of two dozen warriors sprinting after her rang in her ear. She smiled. Astrid knew the soldiers were afraid. None of them had ever faced a dragon before. But they trusted her, or at least, knew Caelestis needed them.
When Astrid rounded the corner, she watched as Hekla appeared out of the caves of Caelestis. Her eyes bulged wide and her expression was terror-stricken. She was running for her life. Hekla’s wild sapphire hair whipped around her as she struggled to run faster. Astrid shivered as she saw the plain fear across her sister’s face. Had something gone wrong? Did Hekla fail to secure the dragon? “He’s coming!” Hekla yelled to her, her voice nearly lost on the wind.
“Who’s coming?” Astrid asked.
“Xolderan!” Hekla’s face grimaced as she spoke.
“And what of Duliogial?” Astrid’s heart suddenly palpitated fiercely.
The evil dragon was nowhere to be seen and she worried that he would attack at any moment and destroy them both.
Hekla’s face broke out in a mischievously brilliant smile that stretched from ear to ear. “He’s trapped.”
“You did it? You really trapped him?”
Hekla nodded again, raising her scepter in the air triumphantly. “It’s not over yet!” she urged Astrid. “Xolderan is out for blood.”
Astrid nodded.
Typical. Suddenly, the ground and air above them was a flurry of activity. The sky Ethereals that had aided them on the ground near the shore had begun to return.
That must mean the battle at the water is nearly over, Astrid thought with relief. Just in time, we need the help.
“Prepare yourselves! Xolderan is free!” she yelled to the Caelestans, but their puzzled looks told her all she needed to know. They had no idea who Xolderan was. They were about to find out.
The blood red body of the creature that had been trapped below the surface of the mountain, whose magic had sustained the Caelestan kingdom for centuries, emerged from the darkness and into the light. Screams of fear and wonder rang out. Many of the Caelestans had never seen a dragon before, and the ones who had seen such a thing, were still at the water battle.
“If any of you are good with a sword, now is the time to use it!” Astrid yelled to them,
The dragon’s enormous feet thundered as he hurried angrily toward them, his large jaws opening and releasing a blast of fire that spiraled outward. The large glowing orb hurdled through the air and threatened to devour them.
“Stupid, stupid, women!” Pearlescent teeth dripping saliva, black eyes pierced, and emanating anger focused on them as they prepared to fight him.
Hekla had run from the black darkness of the caves, but she no longer looked afraid. She stood tall and capable, her scepter raised high as she chanted her spells against him. Astrid didn’t try to play the hero, with as many Caelestans as were running around her, preparing to face the dragon, she focused on getting them the support they needed. She nocked her bow.
She saw civilians, and she rushed to any she found. They either needed to fight, or they needed to get to safety. If they carried a sword or weapon of some sort, she begged for their help.
“Please, you don’t have to run up and attack, just stay ready, if he comes toward you, swing your weapon with all your might. Let loose your arrows as fast as your arms will allow you to. Take care of each other, in the meantime I will focus on getting everyone out of here as quickly as I can.”
Those who were unable to fight, or had no weapons of their own, Astrid rushed them down the mountain path. Also turning to let loose her arrows at Xolderan’s head when it was necessary. Hekla was fighting for all of their lives, spells releasing as quickly as she could manage. Astrid was blown away with her sister’s skill. Here her sister had used magic to bring her to the sky kingdom and distract Duliogial enough to lure him into the dark caves, and now she was back and fighting as fierce as ever. Astrid was proud.
Truly Hekla’s strength as a magician and warrior had grown to extents that Astrid could never have imagined. Jealousy would have sprung up, if she wasn’t so proud of how much her youngest sister had grown up. When they had left their home in the Volcano of Shadows, Hekla had been the most hesitant, but now she’d truly come into her own. Astrid allowed herself one last gaze, before she urged most of the women, and Caelestan children down the mountain. She had to get them to safety.
Some of the women chose to stay and help, taking their bows out, and taking to the trees where they could shoot at the beast without retribution.
“Thank you, your people need you!” Astrid called to them, then continued gathering all of those who had descended from the kingdom.
“Caelestans, your kingdom is saved, but until Xolderan is dead, you will not be. Please, don’t hesitate! Follow me quickly, stay in line. children, don’t wander.” She gathered them like herded sheep and moved them as quick as their feet would move. As they descended down the side of the mountain, Xolderan’s roars got quieter and quieter.
She desperately wanted to move everyone to safety, so she could return to her sister’s side and help her fight the beast. Once they reached the base of the mountain, she instructed them once more.
“All right. Caelestans… your men are fighting the battle at the water’s edge, a battle that will be over soon. Stay here, set up camp if you must. We need only to defeat Xolderan and then you can have your lives back. Stay here, take care of each other. I must see to Hekla, and once we’ve defeated this beast, we’ll be back.”
They nodded in acknowledgement. Astrid sprinted away from them, knowing this side of the mountain like the back of her hand, making her way to the top in record time. Xolderan and Hekla were in a battle of magic against magic, their colors colliding in the air. This beast was nothing like the one that sprang from the depths of the sea. Powerful yes, but much more patient with his attacks. Astrid loosed her arrows, hoping to strike him in his head, just as she had with Duliogial. Even if the only damage it did was to distract him long enough to get his attention off her sister.
Arrow after arrow struck against solid flesh, though not strong enough to penetrate his scales. She aimed at his legs, her only satisfaction coming from the small slivers of cuts that she managed against the inner webs of his toes. She imagined her arrows to be like slivers against his nearly impenetrable skin.
“Arrrrggghhhh!” he yelled out, turning his focus on her momentarily. “Stupid woman! You can’t hurt me!”
Oh, boy… she certainly gotten his attention all right. He came rushing at her. Astrid took off running but the trees were approaching fast. Turning to face him, she loosed her arrows once more as she ran out of options to fight him. In one fell swoop, he swiped at her body, talons outstretched, slicing through her thick leather, and knocking her back on her backside. Astrid could feel the warmth of blood that began oozing down her midsection.
She’d done it now.
“Astrid!” Hekla yelled out, angry and coming after the dragon once more. Fear at her sister’s injury driving her forward.
51
Svana
Whether man is a burden, a friend, or a foe, in death one always finds his allies. Even when those allies were nowhere to be seen in life.
Eonnueth, The Clever, Sixth Dragon Elder, Seventh Age of Verdil
Svana could feel her knees threatening to give way as she left Jakobe at the forest’s edge.
Don’t l
ook back, Svana. Your sister’s magic is strong and will keep him strong. He’ll heal and be back by your side fighting just as soon as he is able—you know that. Lingaria’s voice was persistent in Svana’s mind, and he encouraged her on, even when she’d rather hurry back to the trunk of the great tree.
I know. I know he needs to heal. She let out a great sigh of frustration as her feet carried her back to battle. The air seemed alive with the sound of grunting, and the tearing of flesh. Battle cries rang out all around her. It seemed wrong that something once dead had more strength than most of her strongest men. It didn’t matter what kingdom they were from, the grunting, angry corpses fought violently, propelled forward by a darkness she had never known.
She shuddered at the idea of what the great dragon was capable of, and only hoped that her sisters together had been able to ward it off, or whatever it was they had hoped to accomplish as they led it away from the waterline. Svana hadn’t thought to ask them their entire plan, though, she was a late addition, and hadn’t the time amidst the battle to stop and ask them. She knew the two of them wouldn’t need help. Whatever they were trying to accomplish, they would do fine without her. They trusted her to defeat the undead. And she would do them proud.
Closing in the on the soldiers, one of the creatures came at her. She lifted her trusty blade with cool resolve, channeling all her strength and energy into a swing that she hoped would be a death blow for the rotting corpse. It raised its arms at her, as if wanting to use its stone-cold fingertips to rip her throat open. She tilted her head back, even as her weapon made contact. It sliced diagonally across his torso, and the creature broke apart.
Head lolling to the side, as the pieces of the creature separated. It continued to grunt and groan, with its eyes pierced, focused on her death. She drove her blade through its skull, and the groaning stopped.
“Just as ruthless as ye always was!” A booming voice cut through the visual in her mind, of the act she had just done.
Svana turned her head slightly to see the lumbering height of a very robust man. Before she could recognize him, she was knocked to the ground by three undead. They stood over her as she reached to her fallen blade at her side. As she grabbed the hilt, one of the creatures stomped his foot on it, his half-deformed once Tellurian face grinning triumphantly.
A scimitar met his neck, slicing his head clean off. The undead’s body crumpled to the ground, and the other two who were standing over Svana turned their attention to the new threat. A second scimitar came into view, and a large man stepped over Svana, his two scimitars slinging across the air in simultaneously backstrokes that lopped both undead creature’s heads from their shoulders. The man glanced down at Svana as he placed his two scimitars in their scabbards and offered her a hand. Reluctantly, she accepted it. She recognized this man.
“Hammer Toe!” she called out, both fearful and amused at the same time. “What brings you here?”
“Ah, well you know. Word reached the kingdom the infamous Svana of the blade was getting her hind end handed to her by a bunch of rotten corpses. I thought it only proper that I come and watch.” He threw his great head back and laughed, his long, rugged hair dirty from fights and mudslinging.
“Well, then you’ll be sadly disappointed. I plan on giving this all I’ve got.” With that she was off and swinging alongside the other soldiers.
“Calm yerself, lass. I was just joshing you. I’m here to fight, same as you. Figured I couldn’t let my mortal enemy be taken down by anyone but me. Besides, the word is out that because of you—all of Telluris is fighting back to bring peace to Verdil. That makes you all right in my book.”
“You didn’t tell me you knew how to read.” Svana smiled at her jest. “Oh, I see… you just want to fight alongside me, so you can beat me later.” It dawned on Svana he had been teasing her all along. There was no animosity between them.
“You better believe it,” he answered, stubbled chin pulling taut as he offered her his best version of a grin.
It was the best a fighter could offer. Jagged teeth, and gap on the bottom greeted her, and she smiled back. Perhaps all was not lost. If he was here to fight alongside her, perhaps he could help with the restoration of the Tellurian lands. She was going to need a lot of muscle to do such tasks, if she hoped to accomplish such a goal.
“Thank you for coming,” Svana said. He nodded. “When this is all over… I expect a rematch.”
“You’ve got it,” Svana said, smiling.
Hope was dawning bright on the horizon, but she closed her eyes to it. She couldn’t dare to hope that they could restore Telluris, Aequoris, or Caelestis until the corpses were gone. She couldn’t pretend that all would be well, until the dragons were slain or chained, and those she loved and cared for, were safe.
As they continued to fight, their numbers staggering lower as the soldiers fell from exhaustion or injury. Svana could feel her body tiring. It didn’t matter that so many from the past had joined them. Jasper, Branwin, and so many others had joined the fight. The memory of their faces when they had arrived had filled her soul in beautiful ways, restoring her faith and hope. Faith and hope she didn’t even know she had lost. She could only hope that they would pull through this, all of them, and she could express how important it was to her that they had shown up.
You grow weary, human? Lingaria questioned, and she sighed heavily.
We all do, Lingaria. It is too much, and too much has been lost. I don’t know how much longer my people can continue.
As if she could feel his empathy, Lingaria appeared near her side, his wings gently flapping as he dove straight for the eyes of one of the beasts. At the last minute, he drew up, talons extended as he ripped a head from its neck, and the rotting body fell to the ground. His appearance drew gasps of shock, and awe.
“He’s here to help,” Svana assured them, but it didn’t stop some of the Tellurians and Caelestans from screaming and running away, toward the forest line.
“Probably should keep a low profile, Lingaria,” she suggested as she whipped her blade from side to side, as if she was cutting her way through thick underbrush.
"A bit late for that," he opened his mouth wide, pearlescent teeth dripping saliva, and released a ball of fire so hot she could feel the warmth even as she stood several feet away from him. She watched the fireball devour the angry corpse in seconds.
“That’s some trick,” Captain Telvidius said, making his presence known behind her.
“I’m glad you stayed,” she said, not bothering to meet his eyes. Worried that the few apt soldiers they had would be running for the hills at the sight of the small, winged creature.
“I know that not all dragons are bad. History teaches us that. It’s just pure dumb luck, that we seemed to be cursed with larger ones who are evil, while the smaller ones are not. Is that related to their size?”
Lingaria let out an obnoxious snort, and Svana immediately shushed him. “He doesn’t mean it, Lingaria. Go, the people need you,” she urged her guide, noting the flash of angry fire in his eyes.
He only nodded his response, and then his body was rushing out over the people, shooting flames at the heads of the undead. Comforted that he was out of range, she turned her attention back to the Captain.
“It has nothing to do with their size, Captain. Has history not showed you that?” she asked, wondering where he had gotten such a ridiculous idea.
Before he could respond, thundering sounds and screams from the forest along the shore echoed in the distance.
Svana spun around and saw dozens of the undead creatures walking out of the trees. Her eyes widened. Had the dragon returned? Or had some of his dark magic been delayed. The ones who appeared out of the shadows of the forest appeared fresher than the ones who came from the depths of the sea.
“Break formation,” Svana shouted.
The soldiers around her split into two groups where half of them continued to fight against the dwindling undead rising from the sea, while the o
thers turned to face their new opponent. At first, everyone seemed confused, but with direction from Svana, showing where the split needed to be, and that it was in the correct spot with the needed melee and ranged warriors, she nodded her approval.
“Captain Telvidius?” she asked.
“Hm?” he responded; his eyes lost in the new threat arising from their side.
“Can you handle the undead by the sea?”
He nodded. “And the new threat?”
“Leave them to me,” she whispered through clenched teeth.
“Soldiers, to me!” he shouted as he raised his broadsword high and charged at the undead on the beach.
His courage and leadership inspired the soldiers around him to fight hard by his side. Svana paused for only a moment as she watched them and knew they would be all right. The number of undead rising from the sea was dwindling without their dragon who summoned them. Yet, more had summoned in the forest. Perhaps it was a final spell cast as the dragon flew away toward Caelestis chasing Hekla.
Svana sprinted forward, her sword spinning through the air like a fan on a hot day, slicing creatures to her left and right. By her side was Hammer Toe and Cayden. Hammer Toe wielded the largest hammer she’d ever seen and obliterated the skulls of the undead, while Cayden was much more tactful with his longsword. Svana did a double take at Hammer Toe. Hadn’t she seen him using two scimitars earlier? Sure enough, she spotted two scimitars strapped to his back along with a crossbow and at least a dozen daggers and knives strapped to his belt. How many weapons did this massive man have?
Sprinting to her left, she intercepted an attack from an undead creature that would have struck Hammer Toe. He tilted his head to look at her and grinned his acknowledgement. She didn’t respond but moved her glowing scarlet sword into a Catch the Dragonfly form to slice the creatures two arms off before shoving it through his neck. When she ripped her blade free, her opponent’s head toppled to the ground.
Dragon Scepter Page 40
