Akiri felt tears threaten to burst forth, the like of which he had never shed. He crossed over to the heart and lifted it from its cradle. Two steps and he would be back in the mortal realm.
Akiri looked at the Elder Dragon for a final time. “Forgive me. But there is nothing else I can do.”
She lowered her head in calm acceptance.
“What are you waiting for?” demanded Yarrow, his face now contorted with rage.
Akiri spat. “Nothing.”
He dropped the heart to the ground and raised his sword high. Yarrow cried out and spun to direct his wrath at Akiri. But the Elder Dragon reached out and took Yarrow into her claws, pulling him close and folding her wings around her body.
The tears he had been holding back began to flow as he brought down his blade with all his strength. Crimson light exploded as the heart shattered into thousands of tiny shards. Heat blasted Akiri a moment later as the Elder Dragon burst into white-hot flames. Only Yarrow’s screams could be heard over the inferno as it consumed their spirits. Akiri was paralyzed with sorrow. He could feel the connection fading. True death was near.
A single word drifted out just as the bond was broken. Go.
With that, the Elder Dragon was no more. Akiri bent down and picked up a small piece of the dragon’s heart. The door was flickering like a candle in a breeze. Urgency overcame his sadness, and his legs exploded into a run. The two steps to the door seemed like miles. He dove head first, just as the door disappeared. For a moment, he was unsure if he had made it through. Nothing but darkness surrounded him. Then pain, as his wounded shoulder struck stone.
Akiri lay there face down, motionless for a time, the image of the Elder Dragon burned into his memory. He raised his head and opened his eyes. He was back inside the temple. He allowed his sword to slip from his grasp as he rolled onto his back. It was done. Yarrow was dead. And yet there was no sense of triumph or joy. He had won. But it felt like a hollow victory.
He held up the shard of the Elder Dragon’s heart still clutched in his hand. This was all of her that was left. The only evidence that true beauty once existed. Now forever lost. He clutched it to his breast and for the first time in his life, truly wept.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Akiri winced as he reached for the cup on the nightstand. Light shone in from the window of the inn, and the sounds of villagers talking and working heralded a new day. He took a long drink. The wine was sweet. A bit too sweet for his taste. But Rena liked it well enough, and she had been the one to bring him the bottle.
The climb from the mountain had been grueling, particularly that he did it bearing wounds from his fight with the Elder Dragon. He fingered the ruby pendant around his neck. The jeweler had done a fine job, crafting a perfect counterfeit of a dragon’s claw in which to house something he considered the most precious stone in the world.
Rena had teased him about it, not knowing what it was.
“You gaze on it like a maiden fawning over a gift from a suitor,” she had said.
“Better than squealing like a frightened child,” he had responded. “I take that back. Seyla showed far more courage.”
Akiri might have been too heavy for Kyra to carry to the bottom of the chasm, but Rena and Seyla were not. He smiled recalling her screams of terror, followed by her shouting curses and promises to gut Akiri if she ever reached the bottom alive. Seyla, on the other hand, had delighted in the flight, repeatedly asking to go again.
He had told no one of what happened in the realm of Xarbaal. Not even Kyra. Especially not Kyra. Only that Yarrow was dead. Rena, despite her usual teasing, could tell that it was not a subject he was willing to discuss. It was over, and that was what mattered. In appreciation, Akiri made no mention of her sister being her true motive for coming. If she wanted him to know, she would tell him.
There was a knock at the door. Akiri groaned. Rena was not due back for several days, so it could only be the irritating old innkeeper or his jabbering wife. Akiri tried to ignore it, but the knock persisted.
“Are you awake?”
Akiri sat up, recognizing the voice of Khamet. “Come.”
The door cracked open, and Khamet entered, smiling. He looked healthy and well fed, a far cry from the state he had been in when they met. “Did I wake you?”
Akiri waved him in and pointed to a chair in the corner. “No. I was just about to find some breakfast.” He threw back the blanket and reached for his trousers, which were folded on the floor beneath the bed. “You can join me if you like.”
Khamet held up his hand. “No, thank you. I am in a hurry. I only came to deliver a message.” He reached in his pocket and produced a folded parchment. “It’s from Rena. She made me promise to get it to you today.”
Akiri frowned. She was supposed to be collecting her bounty. As it turned out, that much of her story was true. He opened the letter and read it carefully.
Akiri,
You will have to forgive me for not returning. But I feel that if I stay, things between us might become more entangled than I am ready for right now. Though I admit I would have liked to have bedded you at least once before I left. A pity you were still injured.
I have much I want to do and to see. Like you, I have started anew. And though I still have not decided if I’ll spare your life, I cannot allow myself any attachments. At least not yet. But who knows? Our paths have crossed twice. Perhaps destiny will see us together again.
Rena
Akiri placed it on the nightstand and chuckled softly. A true warrior goddess. Her words short and to the point. Though he too would have liked to have spent some intimate time with her, she had been wise not to stay. As she had pointed out, they were both starting new lives. A woman such as Rena could not bind her fate to another. She needed to find her own way. And his destiny would surely interfere with any plans she might have.
“Seyla asked if you were coming back,” said Khamet. “I told him that I didn’t know.”
Akiri stood and unpacked a fresh shirt. “You should tell him the truth.”
“I would, if I knew what that was.”
“I will return one day,” said Akiri. “But not for some time. Until then, he is to do as his father wanted, and live a normal life.”
Khamet nodded thoughtfully. “He is strong-willed. Even after such a short time, I can see that. It will be hard for him to accept.”
Akiri placed his hand on Khamet’s shoulder. “You are a good man. And strong. You will find a way.”
“Thank you. And don’t misunderstand; we feel blessed to have another child. After my daughter was born, my wife was unable to conceive again. And Seyla is everything a father could want in a son. But it is you he looks up to. Can you not visit once before you move on?”
Akiri strapped on his sword. “No. Best he look to you and your wife. My part in this is over for now. Seeing me again so soon might confuse him.”
Khamet nodded. “I’m sure you’re right.” He pressed his palms to his knees and stood. “I should be getting back. It’s a day and a half ride, and Tisha worries when I’m away too long.”
Akiri bowed. “Farewell. And thank you.”
“Farewell, Akiri. I would ask you where you are going, but something tells me you don’t know the answer.”
Once Khamet was gone, Akiri gathered his pack and tossed it into the corner. It had been Rena’s idea to leave Seyla with Khamet and his family. Seyla had been distraught, but accepted the situation surprisingly well. Something had changed in him. He seemed older. Years older. But then considering all he had seen in so short a time, that had to be expected.
Akiri ate, then purchased a decent mount. Word of what had happened in Khamet’s hometown had reached the townsfolk here. They were already suspicious of travelers, and this had compounded their anxiety. Most were eager to see him leave, even providing him a steep discount when he bought provisions. Yarrow’s death was still unknown to them. There had been no sightings of the dead walking, but that might not mean
he was gone. Until enough time had passed, they would still feel as if they were under the dark shadow of the necromancer. But in the end, all would be well and their lives would return to normal. Of that, Akiri was sure.
Kyra was hunting again; though not far away this time. Akiri left the town around midday and started south. It seemed as good a direction as any. There was still the vast jungle of Arador he wanted to see, as well as the Islands of Felmaria where the legendary Diamond Caverns of Onasarith lay hidden.
“So you plan to simply wander about aimlessly?”
A young woman stepped out from behind a birch tree near the side of the road. Her hair was red and cut to shoulder length in tight curls that clung to her pale cheeks. She wore a pair of worn leather pants and a loose-fitting cotton shirt. All in all, attractive, though not exceedingly.
Akiri knew who she was despite her human form. The urge to hurl a dagger at her was almost too much to resist. “Vazhta,” he spat.
“I see that you’ve become quite adept at telling us apart,” she remarked, cheerfully. “And here I thought I might fool you by taking on female form.”
“The form doesn’t matter,” said Akiri. “I can smell you.” This was in a way accurate: he had discovered that the air changed ever so slightly in their presence. A faint odor, undetectable to most, like the scent of moist earth. But his merkesh-enhanced senses were sensitive enough to catch it.
“Is that so? How did you know I’m not Hagrik?”
“You smell worse,” he answered, sneering with contempt.
Vazhta sniffed the air. “Hmm. Alas, I smell nothing.”
“What do you want, demon?”
“To congratulate you, of course. The slaying of the Elder Dragon is no small achievement. Once word of this gets out, your name will be legend.”
Akiri reined in his horse. “Do not speak of her again.” His hand gripped his sword.
“What will you do? Kill me?” In the blink of an eye, she moved several yards further away. “And don’t think to call your dragon down upon me. I am not so easily caught as that fool Hagrik.”
Akiri’s rage boiled. “Say what you came to say and leave. Or we will find out just how easily caught you are.”
Vazhta frowned. “Very well. I have a message for you from Mishna herself. She says your time is nearly at hand. Be ready. For the old gods return soon.”
When Vazhta offered no more, Akiri sniffed. “That’s it? The great Mishna sent you here to tell me that?”
Akiri was still unsure which demon actually served Mishna, each claiming the other served Xarbaal. Not that it mattered in the slightest to Akiri. He didn’t trust either of them.
“Is that not enough? Do you not understand? The war is nearly upon us all. Soon you must decide whom you serve.”
“I have already decided. I serve no one. And heaven can burn for all I care.”
Vazhta scowled. “Fool of a mortal. Your stubborn defiance will only delay the inevitable.” She looked over her shoulder. “But as I have delivered my message and I hear your dragon fast approaching, I will take my leave.” She started to turn but paused, a wicked grin on her face. “People will know what you did. I will see to it. Which begs a question: does your dragon know that you killed the mother of her race?” When Akiri did not answer, she laughed. “I wonder how she will react when she learns the truth? Do you think she will forgive you?”
Akiri’s hand flew to his dagger, but Vazhta was gone before he could raise it. A minute later Kyra was overhead, circling on the updrafts. He could feel her concern. She knew he was troubled.
Akiri rode on until dusk, debating if he should reveal to Kyra what had happened; what he had done. He had never felt shame before. Not like this. Memories of the Elder Dragon’s life were still scattered throughout his mind like fall leaves after a storm. He had tried to piece them together, but they were too numerous. He simply could not grasp a single picture without uncovering a dozen more. It was a puzzle with infinite pieces, one that he knew he could never put together.
After making camp, Kyra joined him by the fire, her belly full from the hunt as she curled up beside him. She looked up at him questioningly, snorting out a breath of hot air.
Akiri met her gaze. “There is something you must know.”
He opened himself up to her, allowing her to see what had happened – how he had killed the Elder Dragon. For a long time Kyra looked at him, motionless as stone, her thoughts closed to his.
Then a rush of unrelenting fury shot through their bond and she leapt skyward, releasing an agonized cry as she pounded her wings furiously. Again and again she roared her pain for all the world to hear. Gradually it faded until she was well beyond the cover of the clouds. Akiri called out, but she rebuked him. And for the first time, he wondered if she would ever return.
* * * * *
Two weeks had gone by, and there was still no sign of Kyra. Akiri continued to call for her. He could feel that their bond was not broken, but she chose not to answer. It had been the right thing to do, telling her what happened. A part of him wished that he had kept the secret. But he could not have their bond based on lies. He did what he did. No one felt it more keenly. He still dreamt of the Elder Dragon’s final moments, the look of acceptance as she gazed upon her killer.
That he was no longer able to see the mountains was his only comfort. It was a place he hoped never to see again, though he knew that his promise to Seyla would bring him back one day.
He avoided towns, choosing to sleep outdoors, hoping for Kyra to return. But each night was further proof that she would likely never forgive him; that she was gone forever.
The clouds building to the west loomed ominously as he gathered wood. Tomorrow he would go east, where a small hamlet offered a warm bed and decent food. After building a fire, he plopped down on his bedroll and broke off a piece of stale bread. He would never stop missing Kyra. But he had to move on. What he had done was more than she could understand or forgive. He had to come to terms with it.
A soft thud off to his right had him scrambling to his feet. Lying in the grass was the carcass of a freshly killed rabbit. His eyes shot immediately skyward just as Kyra was spiraling down from above the treetops.
She landed a few yards away, her eyes fixed on Akiri. Though happy to see her, he was not sure whether or not he should approach. He reached out. This time she allowed the contact. He could feel that her anger had lessened, but her sorrow had not. If anything, it had deepened.
After a long moment, Kyra moved forward until she stood only a foot away.
Tell me. Show me what she gave you.
Akiri nodded. She wanted to see the memories the Elder Dragon had passed on to him. He sat down and opened his mind. Kyra’s spirit flowed into his in a way it never had before; closer; more intimate. At first it was jarring, but gradually Akiri came to realize that she had extended herself to him, giving him a piece of her essence so as to bring them closer, enabling them to share in ways that were previously impossible. It was the only way she could truly see the Elder Dragon’s memories.
Bit by bit, they came. Hundreds upon hundreds of individual thoughts poured out of Akiri and into Kyra. After a few minutes, he realized that each memory she took was hers and hers alone. They were leaving him entirely. It was for the best. He knew now that he could not have held on to them forever. Within his human mind, eventually the life of the Elder Dragon would have faded to oblivion. But in Kyra, they could live on. It would take years to gather them all. But eventually, she would have them. She would be their caretaker.
That night he lay under the stars with Kyra dozing beside him, feeling contented. He had kept his promise to his friend and sword brother. His death was avenged and his son with a family who would love and protect him.
But that was not what caused the smile he now wore. The wound to his soul was healed. The Elder Dragon would live on. In the fullness of time, Kyra would pass her memories to others of her kind – a collective consciousness to be shared by
all dragons.
During his time in this world, he had taken many lives. Yet he had saved many as well. His deeds were known far beyond the borders of Acharia, and his fame was still growing. But nothing he had ever done, no mighty foe vanquished, no fortress breached or army defeated, gave him the sense of pride he now felt. He had saved something more precious than all the gold and jewels in all the kingdoms in the world: the life of the Elder Dragon. Through her children she would live on, her life and her sacrifice remembered – as long as dragons ruled the sky.
End Akiri: Dragonbane
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