Realm Of Blood And Fire (Book 3)

by Dionne Lister

  Avruellen faltered when she saw how her niece and nephew suffered, but she held fast.

  “We need to draw more power.” Agmunsten grunted through gritted teeth. He stretched the corridor open as wide as he could, the Second-Realm power pouring in. His temperature rose, and Avruellen whimpered, holding on as best she could. The power rushed through their veins, buffeting them, threatening to consume them from the inside out.

  Aimee, Toran and Bernard stared, mesmerized by the transformation taking place in the middle of the circle. A dark shadow in the shape of a dragon rose from beneath the ground. It towered over Bronwyn and Blayke, who were warping and expanding, forcing the members of The Circle outwards until they could barely hold hands.

  The shadow opened its gigantic maw and enclosed the young realmists in its mouth, swallowing them whole. As it did, it spoke into their minds. Accept my domination, or doom Talia to the gormons. You are leaving your human forms—this is your sacrifice.

  Avruellen and Arcon cried in pain. Arcon sent a desperate mind-message to his lifelong creatura companion. Good-bye, my friend. Phantom dove from the sky, blood covering his wings. He needed to reach Arcon. His realmist was dying, his blood boiling in his blistering veins.

  Flux howled as the searing heat stopped Avruellen’s heart. Thick blood slowly trickled from her nose, and her eyes rolled back in her head. She collapsed, her skin flushed red and dry, all the moisture having evaporated.

  Agmunsten blocked the flow to the Second Realm now that The Circle was broken. Arcon lay at his feet, his once-mischievous blue eyes staring unseeing at the sky. Fang squealed and scurried to him as Phantom landed on his chest and hooted mournful notes.

  Sinjenasta went to Flux and bowed his head. Fang, having said good-bye to Arcon, appeared at the panther’s side. He tapped a gentle paw on Avruellen’s limp hand before climbing the panther’s leg and settling on his back. He stared at the black dragon that towered over Zim. What happened to Blayke and Bronwyn?

  Sinjenasta answered, They’ve been turned into a dragon—so we’re on equal footing with the gormons, considering they have Kwaad.

  Bronwyn floated, finally, without pain. It was pitch black where she was, and she could feel two others near her.

  Bronwyn, Blayke, open your eyes.

  She recognized the voice. Devorum?

  Yes. We are sharing one body and must fight Kwaad.

  Relief and wonder filled Blayke. So that was what the nightmare was about. He swallowed me but didn’t eat me. Leaving his human body was not ideal, but there were worse things than becoming a dragon.

  Bronwyn opened her eyes. She looked down on everyone. It was like having climbed a tall tree. But wait—who was lying on the ground? No. No! She saw Flux lying next to Avruellen, nuzzling her cheek. Her aunt’s dark hair fanned out around her head. Blood smeared her face. How could this happen? Auntie. . . . Bronwyn wanted to feel the sting of tears in her eyes, their coolness on her skin, but she was . . . nothing. She felt like a spirit cocooned in a safe presence, but the only physical sensation she had was the dragon body around her.

  Arcon lay on his back too. Phantom stood on his chest and every time someone approached, he would flap his wings and open his beak. No one dared touch Arcon lest Phantom bite off their finger.

  Agmunsten’s head hung low.

  Blayke had known this was coming, and he had chosen to follow through. He was responsible. Sorrow swelled around him.

  Devorum’s tone was firm when he spoke. You’re not responsible. This was your test and your sacrifice. They chose their path before you were created. Do not let it all be for nothing. Kwaad is growing in power. If we do not stop him, the dragons will be collared as slaves, and the humans will survive only to feed the gormons. Help me draw power and create a shield.

  Devorum opened a tunnel to the Second Realm, and with Bronwyn’s help, he spun a shield from the power. He covered the surviving realmists and Edmund.

  Around the valley, the struggle against the Inkrans and gormons raged. Talian blood formed pools on the ground—the gormons preferred not to burn their victims, wanting to eat them afterward.

  Dragons and gormons circled each other in the sky, the dragons having a slight advantage when it came to fire-breathing distance and the archers on their backs, but the gormons had far superior numbers. Valdorryn watched his citizens struggle and sent mind-messages to warn who he could of gormons approaching from behind or overhead. He had helped save many of his dragons, but too many had been bitten and torn by claws while breathing fire at an attacker coming from another side.

  Kwaad hurtled from above, a pack of gormons surrounding him, Kerchex at his side. They landed near the grieving group. Kwaad stared at Devorum.

  Zella had stopped throwing fireballs and approached Calinsar. “I need your belt buckle.”

  “I beg your pardon?” He looked taken aback.

  “Your five-pointed star—I need it.”

  “No. Are you crazy?”

  “We don’t have time for this.” She looked at the gigantic terror from the Third Realm, its teeth glistening with acid, its claws promising pain and death. Drawing power from the Second Realm, Zella cut the buckle from Calinsar’s belt and levitated it to her. She grabbed the star and ran for the Heart of Vellonia.

  Calinsar, shocked at the stealing of his buckle, turned when he heard an earsplitting roar.

  Devorum stood in front of the realmists and faced Kwaad, whose gormons lined up behind him, hissing and growling.

  Kwaad gestured to the surrounding valley. “Surrender now and some of your dragons will survive. We can put them to good use.”

  Devorum shook his head. “Prepare to be banished.”

  The gormon demi-god laughed, and Edmund heard Leon’s voice in the mess of sound. “Brother, is that you?” The king stepped out to stand beside Devorum, Pernus protecting his back.

  “Ah, the coward shows himself. Would you like to hear what happened to Bayerlon’s people, brother?”

  Edmund stared defiantly at the Third Realm creature. “You’re not my brother—you’re an abomination not even worthy of being called a gormon.”

  Kwaad sniggered. “That’s no way to talk about Princess Verity’s father.”

  Edmund’s mouth dropped open, and he blinked several times. “I knew you were insane, but this . . . .”

  Kwaad seemed to smile as he drew on King Edmund’s pain.

  Pernus stepped forward, but Edmund put a hand on his arm.

  Kwaad’s eyes glowed brighter. “Am I? Haven’t you felt that your wife has been keeping secrets from you? Why don’t you get Gabrielle out here and ask her?”

  The King of Veresia shook his head. “Yes, she has kept secrets from me. Like why she always wanted her chamber doors locked.” Edmund thought back to when it had all started. The day was . . . the day after his wife had been out riding all day and had gone to bed early. Leon had been absent from dinner, pleading sickness. Had he forced himself on Gabrielle? She had watched his brother with wary eyes ever since that day. “You bastard!” The king ran at the gormon, sword raised.

  Kwaad cackled and quickly dropped his shield, releasing a hurricane of fire.

  “Come back!” Devorum rushed forward and scooped the king up. Edmund looked at him with hate burning in his eyes.

  The fire passed harmlessly over Edmund, Pernus and Devorum. “You almost ran out of our protection. Go to Vellonia and seek your wife. You can do no more here.”

  The spikes on Kwaad’s back stood erect. “Enough! Now get out of my way. We’re claiming Vellonia. I will turn Verity into one of us, kill your wife, Edmund, while you watch, then it will be your turn.” The gormon, shield intact, spread his wings and attempted to fly into the mountain city.

  Devorum launched into the air and blocked Kwaad’s path. The two beasts collided in midair, bouncing off each other to land back on the ground.

  Agmunsten spoke to the giant dragon. This could go on indefinitely, or until the gormons blast your shield enou
gh to wear you down. We’d better get at it first, before they realize. Release us from our shields, and we will serve Talia.

  No! Bronwyn cried. We’ve already lost too many. We have to think of another way. The image of her aunt lying pale and dead consumed Bronwyn’s thoughts.

  There is no other way. Blayke sounded resigned—he had committed to a path, and he knew this was the only way to see it through.

  Devorum nodded at Agmunsten. We all need to agree. Bronwyn, don’t fight me on this, please. You need to let me access the power to drop the shield.

  Bronwyn turned the dragon’s head to look at her dead relatives before surveying the ongoing destruction of the valley and its inhabitants. It wasn’t what she wanted—for Talia to be turned into a wasteland. She let her guard down and helped Devorum and Blayke draw power into the giant dragon body they inhabited.

  They dropped the realmist’s shield. Agmunsten called, “Link hands. Link hands.” The realmists obeyed and formed a circle of five; Zim led this time, as the head realmist was more drained than he.

  Zim opened the dark corridor to the Second Realm. The others followed. He imagined a whirlpool of fire surrounding the gormons and Kwaad. A wisp of fire twirled around the gormon’s feet and quickly grew. It rose first to Kwaad’s knees, then his shoulders and eventually covered his face. The gormon laughed. “Fools. You can’t touch us.”

  Kwaad spoke into his gormons’ minds. We can outlast their attack, and when they can expend no more energy, we will drop our shield. I want you to fall upon them with your fire.

  Valdorryn watched Edmund and Pernus retreat into the mountain while the whirlpool of fire spun around their enemy. It was hard to tell from this distance, but the realmists looked tired. How much longer could they go on? Then he saw more gormons approaching.

  Zim, watch out; they’re coming for you!

  His son stopped channeling. “Shield yourselves.”

  The flames surrounding Kwaad thinned until they spun into nothing. Devorum dropped his shield and disgorged flames at Kwaad and his minions before swiftly protecting himself again.

  The gormons reached the group and flew in circles above their heads, vomiting acidic heat and rushing in to attack with teeth and claws. Aimee and Arie were knocked to the ground more than once, but they rose again. The boy ducked as another gormon reached for him. Agmunsten, I don’t have much left. My shield’s going to dissolve soon.

  Agmunsten kept watching the gormons as he yelled at Arie. Get inside!

  No. I can’t leave you. Boy would have stayed.

  The blonde girl spoke into his mind. I’m struggling too. Aimee looked at Arie. Come with me, and we’ll rest for a few minutes. Then we’ll come back out. We could die, otherwise. She grabbed his hand, and they ran, three gormons after them.

  Kwaad and his beasts pelted Devorum with gormon fire.

  Devorum’s defense was weakening under the onslaught of the gormons and Kwaad. And he could see Arie and Aimee in trouble. The gormons would follow them into the mountain and wait until they had no power left.

  We have to help them, Devorum.

  Blayke, we can’t do two things at once.

  Bronwyn interjected. We can drop our shields, throw some fireballs, and then put our shield up again.

  Devorum shook his head. Our blood is heating. We will need to have a break soon. A shrill cry sounded. The giant dragon looked up to see two dragons speeding at the gormons who chased Aimee and Arie. A burst of flames came from each dragon, setting fire to all three gormons.

  That was my intervention.

  Devorum looked to a top floor ledge and saw Valdorryn spread his wings in acknowledgement. Good old Valdorryn, Blayke mused.

  Devorum spoke to them as he drew additional power to reinforce his shield—Kwaad having called more gormons. The giant dragon and the realmists were surrounded. We need to create an opening to the Third Realm and force the gormons through.

  How? Bronwyn knew that neither she nor Blayke had any idea how to accomplish that. She hoped Devorum knew more than they did.

  I have been training to do this my whole life. Drakon created me for this purpose. We are all but tools to be used for the selfish whims of the gods.

  Bronwyn believed there was more to life than that. They weren’t fighting for Drakon; they were fighting for their own survival—it just happened to be that they wanted the same things. So when do you want to start?

  We need to herd as many of the gormons as we can toward the portal to the Third Realm, but the most important thing is to get Kwaad in there.

  It was Blayke’s turn to ask. How?

  There is a scepter. Jazmonilly has it. We need to put the scepter into the floor in the Heart of Vellonia.

  I’ve never seen the scepter, said Bronwyn.

  Neither have I. And Jazmonilly is missing. I haven’t seen her since the battle started.

  We need to find her. Devorum opened his mind to the dragons and realmists across the valley. Has anyone seen Queen Jazmonilly?

  Agmunsten replied. She’s injured or dead, in the Heart of Vellonia.

  Devorum turned and half flew, half ran into the mountain, Kwaad after him, his gormons staying in the valley to attack the realmists. As they ran, another spire came to life, then another, golden-colored beams spearing through gormons like the sun’s rays piercing through inky clouds.

  Kwaad’s triple-timbre sibilant voice assaulted them. “You cannot win. The prophecy states that Talia must be united—yet we have Inkra. Surrender.”

  Yes, but we have Karin, Bronwyn thought. That’s the room, there. Bronwyn directed the dragon to an open door guarded by two dragons—one green gray, the other blue. They entered the room, Kwaad close behind. Devorum threw a shield on the guards.

  I’ve done what I can to protect you. Do not let them enter. He slipped inside to see Jazmonilly lying on the floor and Zella trying to attach the scepter to Calinsar’s belt buckle. She looked up. “Help me. I’m sure this needs to go in there.” She nodded at the five-pointed star on the floor.

  Kwaad’s voice bellowed in the hall. “Prepare to die, children of a pathetic excuse for a god.”

  Devorum snatched the pieces from Zella and pushed the bottom of the scepter into the middle of the star. The dragon used as much force as he could until a click echoed throughout the room. He then sent his awareness and a trickle of power into the scepter, deactivating the lock that Arcon had discovered earlier. Outside, Kwaad’s flames shot past the door.

  “Quick!” Zella’s fists were clenched. “I’ll unlock the other spires.” She placed both hands on the pillars and sent her awareness into the rivers. Not knowing what she was doing the last time she was in here, she had sent Zim a mind-message. He had instructed her, and she had managed to unlock two of the spires. She watched as another blockage floated free.

  “Hurry, Zella. When we push this in, the rivers to the spires must all be free flowing.”

  The two dragon guards were pushed against the open doorway as Kwaad tried to force himself inside. They grunted and pushed back, doing all they could to prevent him from entering.

  Another spire was triggered and screams and cheers filtered in from the valley. “You’ve only got five more. Hurry!”

  ***

  Valdorryn had tried calling his wife to see how she was going with the spires, but he’d had no response. More and more spires were coming online, but it was unlike her to ignore him. Things were still bleak in the valley but improving. He sent off two more instructions to his troops and asked Warrimonious to come and replace him.

  When Warrimonious glided in and skidded to a halt on the platform, Valdorryn rushed downstairs. He reached the hallway near The Heart of Vellonia and saw two of his dragons losing the battle against Kwaad. Knowing his wife was inside, he rushed at them.

  The two guards saw their king bearing down on the melee. “King Valdorryn!”

  Kwaad turned, a vengeful smirk on his hideous face when he saw the king. “So nice of you to join us.”r />
  The king stopped, out of fire-breathing distance, feeling out his enemy. “You stinking sack of horse manure, get out of my valley.”

  “Prepare to die, king of our future slaves.”

  Valdorryn looked to his guards. “Where is my wife?”

  The guards looked at each other, neither wanting to speak. Eventually the sapphire-hued dragon gave him the news. “She is dead, my king.”

  Kwaad laughed. “That’s a bit of bad luck, Valdorryn. Care to join her?”

  The dragon king launched at the gormon, fire streaming from his mouth, but it did nothing, although Kwaad did seem to flinch. “He has Second-Realm armor,” one of his dragons called out.

  Kwaad jerked his head to the right and head-butted the gray-green dragon, who slumped to the floor, stunned. The gormon then pushed the other guard through the door, dropped his shield and turned to breathe flames at the king. The flames licked close but not close enough.

  Valdorryn stepped forward to attack, but Kwaad was too fast, drawing power and sending a bolt of electricity through him. As the dragon king fell to the floor, a crack of thunder sounded from inside The Heart of Vellonia.

  ***

  Zella unblocked the last channel. Devorum raised his arms high then cast them down with violent force, driving the bottom of the scepter into the middle of the star. The thunderous crack deafened them. A red pillar of light shot from the scepter and burst through layer upon layer of rock until it exploded into the night sky like fireworks. The light zapped from pillar to pillar until it had travelled all the way around Vellonia to meet itself, creating an oval ring around the mountain city.

  The floor rumbled and shook. Devorum pushed the realmist toward the door. “Zella, get out of here.” The realmist fought the momentum and stopped.

  She hesitated and looked at Jazmonilly’s body. “Jazmonilly had no pulse, but I don’t want to leave her here.”

  Kwaad screamed and was almost through the doorway.

  Devorum breathed flame at Kwaad. “Save yourself, Zella.”

  Kwaad had erected his shield almost too late, smoke drifting up from where an ember had touched his belly. He knew that Devorum couldn’t hold out much longer—the dragon looked tired, his red eyes dimmer than they had been earlier.