"And when Damion encounters one of their worshippers," Dar said in understanding. "he changes their destiny so their god can longer keep watch over them."
Gwynth nodded. "The gods are becoming very concerned. There has never mortal quite like the Dragon Lord. The world trembles with his every step, sending shockwaves throughout the entire universe." She suddenly laughed. "There hasn't been so much excitement among the gods for eons."
"Do you think he has any chance of saving Leia?" Lady Skie asked in a hopeless tone.
The elderly old woman smiled a gentle, reassuring smile that lifted everyone's spirits, and filled them all with hope. "My dear," She murmured in a mysterious voice. "I wouldn't still be here if I didn't."
************
"Did it look like he enjoyed my introduction?" Damarius asked excitedly as he hurried over to the adjoining platform, where the others stood anxiously awaiting the battle to commence.
"Not really." Raven answered distractedly, watching her husband stare across the arena at his opponent. "I don't think he liked how you finished it."
Grediff came hurrying up to them, his face pale, and his eyes wide with shock. "Is it true?" He asked the old wizard, staring down at Damion in astonishment. "Is he truly the Dragon Lord, the man who united the Dragon Gem and the Dragon Sword, and released the scarlet dragons back into our world?"
"It's true." Sly assured the battle master. "Damion is the Dragon Lord," The scruffy little man smirked. "and he's about to remove your king's head from beneath his crown."
The gruff old man didn't reply, but continued watch the huge warrior in stunned silence.
They watched as Damion looked around at the suddenly silent crowd, then up at Damarius, a disgusted look on his face, before finally returning his attention to his opponent.
"I thought for a moment that he was going to turn you into a toad." Sly commented to the old wizard with a snort. "The look he directed at you just gave me the shivers! Perhaps you shouldn't have revealed his true identity to all of Teir."
"I figured if his opponent knew exactly who he was up against, he may throw down his weapons and yield." Damarius looked crestfallen. "I hadn't considered how Damion might react," He glanced around at the crowd of Teirsians, most of whom were still staring in amazement down at the legendary warrior that had suddenly appeared to challenge their king. "but at least the people reacted exactly how I had planned. Perhaps Mika will react similarly, and throw down his weapons."
"King Mika cannot yield." Grediff commented absently. "To yield is the ultimate sign of cowardice for a Teirsian warrior. Besides," He added as an afterthought. "he always demands that his battles be fought to the death."
"Is that a common custom?" Raven asked, her eyes still on her husband, who continued to stare calmly across the arena at his opponent.
The gruff old man shook his head. "It was unheard of before Mika became king." His expression was one of disapproval. "This arena was once a place of honor, where a warrior came to pit his skills against his fellow warrior in combat, but Mika corrupted that when he decided to allow warriors to fight to the death." He suddenly smirked. "I think he may be regretting that decision right about now."
"If he's not regretting it right now," Jarom snorted, his eyes dancing in amusement.
"He will be very soon!" Jacom laughed, watching as the two warriors below slowly began to move towards one another with deadly intent.
************
He lazily drifted on the cool air currents high above the massive mortal city of Teir, enjoying the sensation of the rushing of wind across his massive wings.
He stared down curiously at the sprawling city, amazed such primitive creatures could create such an extensive civilization. He had always looked upon humans as a mere scourge upon the world, but had to admit that they were surprisingly skilled at creating things from stone, wood, and steel.
Once they emerged from their caves, their cities began to pop up on every continent in the world. Now, some their cities stretched for leagues in every direction, and much of the wild lands had been tamed to be used for farming to supply food for their ever growing population.
The more he watched, the more he became convinced that his plan was the only way to insure that his children would remain the most powerful creatures on the planet. Unless something was done quickly, the human race would continue to spread, infecting and destroying every corner of the world.
He stared down at the enormous coliseum in the center of the human city below, his unearthly eyes easily picking out the Dragon Lord, who appeared to be preparing for some sort of ritualistic battle.
He snorted in derision. Such an activity had no real value, but did provide a distraction that should keep the human occupied long enough for the witch to escape the city with the Dragon Lord's child.
He had grown quite concerned when he saw how close the human was to the witch the elder spirits had chosen to obtain his prize. No matter what had been thrown at him, the Dragon Lord had somehow managed to overcome and triumph, and was now within a league of where the witch now hid with his only child.
But this distraction should prove to be just what the witch needed to escape into the highlands without being tracked. As long as he was preoccupied with the petty nuisances that apparently came with being human, there should be no further need for concern. The witch should now be able to escape with the child with very little effort, and be free to make her way to the highlands to the agreed upon place where the child would be handed over to him.
He snarled in sudden annoyance. As long as he was still bound to the agreement not to take a direct hand in the events of the mortal world, he could not take possession of the child just anywhere. It had to be somewhere that the elder spirits held dominion, and that could only mean the highland temples, the only place in all the lands still consecrated to those who dwelt in the netherworld.
He tilted one wing and slowly began to glide east towards the highland temples. It was almost time to claim his prize, and begin the next chapter in his children's rise to domination.
Chapter 18
Damion slowly started across the arena towards the armor plated King of Teirsia, who still looked stunned by the pronouncement of his opponent's true identity. He stared back at the legendary figure that was slowly moving towards him with eyes that were suddenly full of fear.
The silence that had descended over the crowd was finally being broken by hushed whispers and fearful murmurs, which slowly began to grow to a deafening roar as the people began to cheer, watching in anticipation as the two warrior stalked towards one another with dreadful intent.
When Damion was a dozen paces from the huge armor plated warrior, he calmly reached back and drew the Dragon Sword from its sheath, his eyes locked on the suddenly nervous king.
Mika snarled in sudden anger, and his lips curled back to reveal a mouth full of gold teeth. He raised his large shield, then took a battle stance, his oversized axe poised to strike.
With a roar of rage, he charged at Damion, the massive battleaxe whistling as it sliced through the air, but Damion easily danced clear of the deadly blows, his expression calm, but determined.
The crowd roared in approval as the men began to circle one another, each carefully watching the other, looking for the slightest opening in which they could finish their opponent.
Despite Grediff's warning, Damion still was taken aback by how quickly the huge king could move, performing intricate moves with the giant axe that would confuse and confound any normal warrior. But Damion was anything but normal. He skillfully evaded each attack with the same calm, almost detached expression, causing the huge king to flounder after him ineffectually.
The crowd around them began to stomp their feet as they cheered, causing the entire coliseum to begin vibrating violently. The noise was deafening as they continued to cheer on the warriors while they battled. Many screamed out curses and insults in an effort to taunt and distract the fighters, while others shouted encourag
ement and advise, hoping to see their favorite warrior rise to victory.
The armor plated king continued to attack the much larger warrior, who simply danced clear of his onslaught, a look of disdain on his face. He soon began to grow winded, and his movements began to slow.
Damion continued to dance nimbly around the vicious monarch, watching all the while as the overweight king began to grow more winded, and his attacks more erratic. After ducking yet another wild swipe, he finally decided enough time had been wasted, and suddenly dropped into a crouch, his eyes narrowed dangerously.
The crowd erupted once more, stomping their feet harder and faster, sensing the end of the battle was soon to come.
The huge king was breathing in great gasps, the weight of his heavy armor, shield, and battleaxe weighing down his every move. His eyes widened in sudden fear as Damion launched forward, the Dragon Sword held high, and he desperately raised his shield in an effort to ward off the blow, but the legendary sword sliced clean through the heavy steel, sending the top half of the shield toppling to the ground.
Mika stared in dismay at his useless shield for several long moments, then with a snarl of disgust, he tossed it away and took his battleaxe in both hands. With a roar of rage, he charged forward, trying with all his might to finish the legendary warrior, but once again, the man merely danced around his attack.
The people continued to cheer and stomp their feet in unison, eager for the finish that was sure to come.
Damion sidestepped another wild swipe, and lashed out with the Dragon Sword once again. The legendary sword sliced through one of the Teirsian king's armored forearms, severing the arm clean at the elbow.
The king howled in agony, dropping his battleaxe in shock, and grabbing his injured arm, his eyes wide with disbelief.
Damion spun behind the king quicker than the eye could follow, slicing the overweight king across the back of his knees, sending him crashing hard to the cobblestones of the arena.
Mika pushed himself to his knees using his one good hand, still howling in pain and fury. He tried to spin around and grab a hold of his tormentor, but the enormous warrior merely bashed him in the side of his head with the hilt of his sword, sending him crashing back to the cobblestones in a daze.
Damion calmly watched as the dazed monarch pushed himself back up to a kneeling position, then walked around to face the injured man, and leveled the Dragon Sword against his throat. "Yield, Mika," He growled just loud enough to be heard over the roar of the crowd. "Yield, and I'll let you live."
"I cannot yield." Mika spat, still gasping for breath. "I will not dishonor myself by surrendering. I will die a Teirsian warrior." He looked confused. "Before you kill me, tell me why you came against me. Is Teirsia your next step in taking over the world?"
"Don't be ridiculous." Damion snorted in derision. "I don't want to rule the world, I just want my daughter back."
"Your daughter?" The Teirsian king looked confused.
"A highland witch abducted my daughter Leia, and fled here to Teirsia in an attempt to escape. We followed her here to Teir, and suspect she's somewhere here in the city."
"But why come against me?"
"We needed your people to help us conduct a search of the city. We knew you would never willingly lend us aid, so..." Damion shrugged.
"So you decided to challenge me, and take my crown so you can use my people to help you recover your daughter." Mika finished in a tired voice. "Yes, I see."
"You are known as Mika the Cruel," Damion pointed out reasonably. "We were fairly sure you wouldn't aid us in our request."
The Teirsian king looked like he wanted to argue, but didn't seem to be able to find a flaw in the massive warrior's logic. His shoulders finally slumped in defeat.
"The offer still stands," Damion told him. "If you yield, I will spare your live."
"And spend the rest of my life bowing and scraping to you as our new king?" Mika asked furiously.
"I have no desire to be the king." Damion told him. "Once I have searched the city, and located my daughter, I will be returning to my home on the southern continent. Let the crown go to a man who deserves it."
A cunning look suddenly came into the king's eyes, though he attempted to hide it. "You don't plan on staying in Teirsia?" He asked, trying to sound defeated.
"No. I have no desire to rule this land, nor any other land for that matter." Damion told him truthfully. "I just want to rescue my daughter and return home where we belong. Now, I ask you one last time," He raised the Dragon Sword high, ready to deliver a killing blow. "Do you yield?"
Mika looked around desperately as the cheering crowd screamed for his blood, then up at Damion, who stood poised, ready for the kill. He opened his mouth helplessly, but didn't answer.
"So be it." Damion said grimly. He raised the Dragon Sword higher.
"Wait!" Mika cried out, raising his good arm to block the coming blow. "I yield! I yield!"
The entire coliseum suddenly fell silent as the conquered man surrendered, throwing his remaining hand up in defeat.
Damion slowly lowered his sword, then stepped back and looked around at the people of Teir, who stared down at them in shocked silence. He turned and looked up at the companions, who were all hopping up and down and cheering in celebration, and smiled, then turned and started towards the great bronze doors, but stopped as Mika suddenly let out a bellow of pure rage, and lunged to his feet, a slender dagger in his only remaining hand.
Raven cried out fearfully, and the crowd roared in disapproval, but the man was driven mad with rage, and charged Damion, his dagger poised to kill.
Damion sighed wearily as he spun around and slapped the dagger away, then lashed out with the Dragon Sword, striking the Teirsian king in the forehead, slicing through steel, flesh, and bone effortlessly, lopping off the top half of Mika's head, and sending his crown spinning through the air, where it landed a few feet away.
Mika's body stiffened, and his eyes rolled into the back of his head, then with a deep sigh, the Teirsian collapsed, spilling the remainder of his brains onto the cobblestones.
The crowd suddenly exploded in cheers as the people of Teir danced in their seats in celebration. Many wept openly, and tossed flowers down to him in appreciation, while others spit and cursed at him in fury.
Damion shook the brains from the legendary blade, and slowly returned the Dragon Sword to its sheath, then turned to look up at the wizened old battle master, Grediff, who struck the huge bronze gong once more, indicating the battle's end.
"Good people of Teir," The gruff old battle master roared over the crowd, who instantly fell silent to hear his words. "we have a victor!"
The crowd erupted once again.
"Our king has failed to meet this man's challenge," The old man continued, gesturing to Damion proudly. "and with this victory comes proof that he is the most powerful warrior in all of Teirsia! All hail Damion Omensent, the Dragon Lord," He smiled down at the huge warrior. "and the new King of Teirsia!"
************
The coronation took place immediately, and Damion and the others were led with great honor to the largest of the platforms that overlooked the arena battlefield. A half a dozen hard faced old men dressed in long blue robes stood off to one side of a huge throne, which had been placed near the front of the platform, allowing the entire coliseum to view the occupant.
Grediff gestured for Damion to take a seat, then nodded towards the robed men, who hurried to take their places on either side of the throne. "These men are priests of Triton, God of War. They are the advisors to the King of Teirsia in all aspects of warfare." He motioned to the heavily armed soldiers who stood at attention near the back of the platform. "Those men are the king's honor guard. They are some of the finest warriors that Teirsia has to offer. Each man is willing to lay down his life for the honor of saving their king."
"Damion isn't actually planning on accepting the crown, is he?" Sly asked the others while the grizzled old battle master con
tinued to give Damion a quick explanation of the how the proceedings and coronation would commence.
"Of course not." Raven said dismissively. "He has no desire to rule."
"I hope he has a plan in mind." The little man grumbled in a worried tone. "It looks to me like they fully intend on presenting him the crown whether he wants it or not."
"Don't worry," Damarius assured him. "I know Damion, and he probably already has a plan in mind." His expression suddenly faltered. "Unless, of course, this is one of those times that he decided to just wing it, then we may be in a little trouble."
Grediff finished explaining how the ceremony was to proceed, then stepped back and nodded to one of the robed priests, who hurried forward to murmur a prayer in a halting, hollow sounding voice.
Omensent: Wrath of a Dragon God Page 30
