And now, his family was dead. Just like Okasan. Just like John.
A painful knot tightened inside his chest. Their deaths lay on his head.
Had he not lied for Kaluwa—no kimi, this carnage could have been avoided. Those visions of dragon hood had tainted his perspective, revealed a hunger for a life completely alien of his own. Ken’s head sank to his chest as he continued to kneel beside Uchida—sensei. He had allowed this event to occur because of his greed.
A scuffling noise drew his attention back to the main corridor entranceway. Odin’s arms were clasped around Michel’s waist as he helped the man walk.
“He’s hurt but alive.”
Relief flooding through his system, Ken and Uchida—sensei rose and came running to Odin. Gently they took hold of Michel and carried him over to where the Elder sat in silence. Laying him down, Uchida—sensei began to assess his body for injuries. Tears still lingered on her face, but the abject misery that had dominated it was gone.
“Senpai, Uchida-san, Kenzo—sama, I never thought I’d see your faces again,” Michel breathed, wincing violently as Uchida—sensei pressed a hand against his side. A weak smile graced his lips.
“It is good to see your face,” the Elder declared. Ken discerned a hint of vitality had entered into the man’s frame.
Uchida—sensei bent over him, studying the wound. “How long ago did this happen?”
“Less than a day ago.” Michel lifted his eyes to the Elder. “Alderic—san?”
The old man simply shook his head.
“It was Ludovicus, wasn’t it?” Ken asked, his hands fisting once more in inept fury.
“Hai. He, Kaluwa—no kimi, and…Callen.” Michel’s eyes drifted down in shame.
“We are aware of Callen’s treachery.” A fierce scowl accompanied Donvar’s words.
“Ken, hand me the medical supplies.”
Wordlessly, he drew the backpack off his shoulder and removed a medium size sack which contained various herbs and plants used for binding up wounds. He handed it over to Uchida—sensei.
“Donvar, the water.”
She poured it on the wound. Michel hissed as if it burned, but he made no more complaint as she began to mix up the herbs and plants to pack it.
“How did it happen?” Ken asked.
Michel stared at the ceiling but his eyes had a faraway expression in them. “We felt the ground shaking and first, and supposing it was an earthquake, we started down toward the entrance. But then, it stopped.”
“Was Tambo on guard?” Uchida—sensei asked.
“Hai, but he had left momentarily for some reason or other. No one thought anything of it.” His eyes drifted downward. “Why would we?”
Ken cast a leisurely eye over Michel’s body. “You seem relatively unharmed. Where were you?”
“I hid in the corner behind the boulder. When the mayhem began, I hid. To my shame.”
“Keep your shame. I am glad you are alive,” Uchida—sensei admonished.
Donvar sat back. “What else happened?”
“Everything happened so fast. After the shaking had stopped, most of us turned back to return to our quarters when we heard sounds of screaming. I ran back to the front to see the guards fighting Kaluwa—no kimi and Callen. He looked so ferocious. Different.” Michel swept hand over his eyes. “I’ve never seen him like that. That’s when I hid.”
The Elder gave a great sigh. “He attacked the guards?”
“They fell left and right by his hand. Kaluwa-no kimi was using her power to encase some of them in rock formed coffins, which then sank back to ground. The people by this time were in a panic. Some of the children had gotten loose and ran into the fray. They were killed.”
Michel’s eyes closed in pain.
“Go on,” Ken prompted. He needed to hear everything that happened.
“Then Ludovicus came in. He stood there watching as Kaluwa-no kimi and Callen killed the rest of the guards. By this time the people had scurried back into the caves to hide. Then Ludovicus walked down the corridor and the screams began.”
“Oh no,” Donvar gasped.
“Once they finished with the guards and the few juusha who bravely tried to escape, Kaluwa-no kimi and Callen…embraced.”
For some reason, both he and Uchida—sensei looked at each other.
“Then they followed Ludovicus down the hall. I decided to go after them. They were rummaging through the rooms Ludovicus had already visited, searching for something. When they came to the one of the storage rooms, Tambo attacked Ludovicus.”
Good old Tambo. Ken was never so happy to hear about the thousand pound gorilla in his life.
“I’ve never seen such a battle. Tambo fought valiantly against Ludovicus. The other two tried to upset the odds but Ludovicus ordered them to continue to search while he dealt with Tambo. I was so enraptured by the battle that I didn’t realize I’d given away my presence. Callen captured me.”
Michel stopped talking, and he swallowed hard. Ken saw what it cost the man to retell his tale. “You don’t have to tell us anymore.”
“He jeered at me, saying he finally had it. Kaluwa—no kimi took her talons and sliced into my side. I’m sure they were about to kill me. Just then I heard the sounds of battle between Ludovicus and Tambo end.” He flinched when Uchida—sensei tightened the bandage across the wound.
“It’s necessary,” she said, her hair obscuring her face. Ken wondered if it was deliberate.
Michel nodded dismissively. “Ludovicus stopped them. He’d been heavily bruised by his battle with Tambo. He was angry that you were not here. Then he ordered Kaluwa-no kimi to find and destroy you while he and Callen went to get ready for the ceremony.”
“I knew it!” Uchida—sensei exclaimed as she got up from her ministrations and stalked over to the entrance. “I knew it. It’s just as I said.”
“Did anything else happen, Michel?” This came from the Elder.
“Ludovicus allowed me to live in order to give you a message.”
“Oh?” Ken’s eyebrow arched. “What did he tell you to tell us?
Michel’s eyes had widened like that of a child’s. His next words came out on a whisper. “That by the time you discovered where he was, it would be too late.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
Callen waited as long as he could for Kaluwa—no kimi. He wrung his hands as he lagged behind his master.
Ludovicus stopped walking. “Why are you dragging behind me?”
“I am curious why Kaluwa—no kimi has not returned to us yet.” Callen made sure to keep the concern out of his voice. It was no secret Ludovicus frowned upon any human/Druman relationship besides that of servitude.
“She will come when she is ready,” his master answered indifferently. “Come, we have no time to lose.”
Callen continued his trek as they and the other juusha handpicked to come along traversed through the forest. The forest had been overtaken in small ways by the modern world. There was evidence of that in the litter left behind on some of the trails they passed. There was danger in being so close modernity, but they all pressed on.
Along the way, they passed the body of a woman who had hung herself. Callen stopped to study her, the stench of death heavy in the air. For a brief moment he wondered what had caused the woman do such a thing. Then he shrugged. Nothing of the human world mattered to him anymore. Serving his lord, participating in the rebirth of Ludovicus, was what was important.
He thought back to when they destroyed Rhychard’s juusha. His revenge was complete. The only regret was that Kenzo and Uchida-san had not been there. Had the opportunity availed itself, he would have killed the Descendant with his bare hands. As to what he would have done to Uchida-san, he didn’t know.
The afternoon winds flowed through the trees as they traversed the bottom of the mountain. Callen took a moment to admire the scenery. Lush and green, he thought to those ancestors who had traveled before him to this place. How they must have longed for this
moment he was about to experience.
When Ludovicus held the Vessel in his hand, Callen had expected to see a look of immense satisfaction on his face. Instead, profound sorrow had changed his lord’s features to a mask of agony. Struck by the pain, he’d queried, “Is this the Vessel?”
Ludovicus pressed the half shelf-like Vessel against his face and inhaled. Callen thought it was a strange thing to do, but he kept quiet and watched until a moment later when Ludovicus withdrew from it. “Hai, this is the Vessel.”
They’d returned back to the lair and then made the trek to where the ceremony would take place.
Here was the place where his lord would become a dragon again.
Night fell, and the nocturnal wildlife soon replaced those that wandered about by day. Yet, the creatures shied away from their group. Most of the juusha had fallen behind, unable to keep up with the grueling pace the master had set. Callen took it as a point of pride that he had no problem with keeping up.
Yet, he still longed for Kaluwa—no kimi.
When she kissed him back when they decimated Rhychard’s hideout, nearly two days ago now, it had lit him aflame. Her mouth was as pliable as that of any human female. The fact their attraction had been mutual made all the difference. Then, there was no time to delve deeper into their physical reactions to each other.
But he knew it wouldn’t be long before they did.
Where was she?
He banged into Master Ludovicus, who had stopped walking.
“Sumimasen, master.” Heat seared his hairline to the roots. If his lord knew…
“Wait for those idiots to catch up to us. We’ll remain here for tonight, and then tomorrow we’ll make our way forward for the ceremony.” Then the master walked on further and disappeared into the forest around them.
Callen waited. He kept his mind occupied with thoughts of his Druman woman—was she his or was he hers?—until the juusha arrived, bedraggled and exhausted. He ordered them to set up camp and then gave several of them guard duty throughout the night.
A few females had made a point to hint at him the availability of their beds. Callen shook his head. They smelled awful. What man would want the stench of human flesh when he could drown in the scent of a Druman woman?
When the camp settled for the night, Callen laid his head back and stared into the dark green material of his tent. How long before he’d have to— The ground rumbled. Quickly, he sat up, listening. Had something gone wrong?
It came again, this time closer. What was it? There were no cries of alarm from the camp. Was he the only one hearing it?
He waited for a brief time, his ears attuned to the slightest sound. When nothing more happened, he laid back down again. Near his head, the ground cracked. Callen scrambled up, panic racing through him as the ground split more. Something poked through. A long brown tipped shard pierced the earth.
Heart leaping into is chest, he watched as whatever it was continued to burrow upward from the ground. Another one appeared, similar to the first that had broken the surface. Then he saw it. At the base of both shards was the appearance of green scales.
He let loose a breath. Kaluwa—no kimi!
Swiftly he pushed aside the dirt to aid her. Eventually, she lifted herself out of the ground and collapsed by his side. The hole closed up behind her.
The warm joy spread to the outer reaches of his body. He hadn’t imagined it, then. Kaluwa—no kimi cared.
A moan escaped her lips and he noticed then the condition of her body.
“Kaluwa—no kimi!” He rushed to her, peeling back the remains of the tattered cloak. Her body had been scorched all over.
“Who did this to you?” No sooner than he asked when a horrible thought entered his mind: had Master Ludovicus attacked her?
“Was it the master?”
“No.” She coughed. “It was Rhychard’s son and Dericote’s daughter.”
Callen started. Kenzo and Uchida-san? How were they able to— “Neither of them can defeat me on their own,” Kaluwa—no kimi remarked as she moved about on the ground, attempting to find a comfortable position. “But together they can be formidable. I was barely able to escape.”
Callen went to stand. “I’ll tell the master you’re here.”
“No.” She grabbed his hand and drew him toward her. “Stay with me.”
The look in her eyes indicated she wanted more than just a cuddle. His throat went dry. “But your injuries,” he stuttered.
“They’ll heal.” She beckoned to him and he lay beside her. The long green arms wrapped around his neck. Raising her hand, she traced a talon along the side of his face. He winced when it pierced his flesh.
“Shhh,” she admonished in a seductive tone. “The pain won’t last long.” The cut, which burned as her finger moved along, reached from the corner of his left eye to just the underside of his chin.
“There.” Her eyes gleamed in the darkness. “You belong to me now.”
A drop of blood lingered on the talon. He watched as she carefully drew it into her mouth and licked it off. Aroused by the sight, he tried to draw away. Yet, she clutched him, pressing closer until nothing was between them. Slowly she traced her lips along the edge of his ears. He shuddered at the shivery sensation that coursed his back.
“I can always rest later, Callen.”
Groaning, he pulled himself back. “But you’re not well.” Although her actions were contrary to the fact.
She shrugged and repeated again. “I’ll heal.”
Then her lips touched his and he was lost. Soft and pliable, his hands roved over her body; the scales reminded him of the finest silk. She increased the pressure on his mouth, meshing her tongue with his, exploring the cavity of his mouth with expert moves. With each pass, the flames of desire lapped against his control, burning it away.
Callen made one more valiant effort. He tore his mouth from hers. “Kaluwa—”
With a snarl, she brought his head back down to hers and he surrendered to the Druman’s fire.
Ludo awakened the moment the first light of dawn pierced through the overhead canopy of the trees. Clutching the blood gem and the Vessel to his chest, he rose from the ground and dusted off the nighttime debris.
This was the day. From the moment he’d awakened at the bottom of the ocean, this was the time he had worked diligently for. The day he became a dragon again.
The cover of the trees was thick, but he glanced up and saw past them to the sky above. In the last vestiges of night, he saw the minute twinkle of the Children of the Sun. Mercury, Venus, and Mars glittered like tiny multi-colored pearls, but then he noticed a fourth dot making an appearance.
Jupiter was coming into alignment. It boded well for the ceremony.
Ludo made his way back to the camp, his mind churning. Although he did not suspect the Descendant would be able to find him, nonetheless, he decided to err on the side of caution. It would be prudent to set up a perimeter guard around the cave when they arrived there. The guard, should the need occur, would be able to hold off any intruder.
Entering the camp, the juusha bowed as Ludo passed, but he paid them little heed. Callen’s tent lay in the center. Nearing it, he saw the man exiting the tent. He opened his mouth to call him when he closed it again.
A mate mark lined the side of Callen’s face. Kaluwa had mated with the human.
Ludo seethed, his hands fisting on the gem.
Everything within him recoiled at the idea of such an act. How could she stand their stench? Even more, how could she succumb to the baser instincts like a wild animal without logic? Humans were only good for one thing, and that was to bow to his feet.
Perhaps Kaluwa had worn the flesh of a Druman for far too long to remember exactly what she was.
The urge to kill them both for such an atrocity rose with the swiftness of a tidal wave. It was these kinds of interactions that had nearly brought their downfall in the first place. Old memories rushed through his mind. Rhychard—sama and his unfa
iling weakness for mankind was the catalyst for the predicament they were in.
And now, it was happening again. Would he never been rid of the cancer of humanity?
Ludo inhaled a deep breath and tried to assess the situation as rationally as possible. He needed both Callen and Kaluwa. Callen because of the debt he owed to his ancestor, and Kaluwa because she was a Druman. In a few hours, he’d reach his objective.
He caressed the Vessel and the blood gem as he eyed the sight of the two lovers exiting the tent. The female juusha bowed but looked on in dismay at Callen’s choice of companion.
The germ of an idea took root. Well, since Kaluwa craved human flesh so much, she could have as much of it as she fancied.
He’d make sure of it.
Lifting his chin, Ludo continued toward the center of the camp. Kaluwa met his gaze with a defiant one of her own. With the hard stare from her purple eyes, she dared him to say anything about her choice of mate. Instead of responding to her, he turned to Callen. “Gather the juusha. Today, I return to my glory.”
They hadn’t found Tambo’s body. Rin searched the vast catacombs of the cave for two hours. The storage room where Michel stated the fight took place held no clues.
The tears had dried away, leaving behind red and horribly dry sockets. The ache in the middle of her chest throbbed like an open sore. Some of her people had escaped Ludovicus’ wrath, but not many. They’d hidden far enough away to escape his eye.
Rin still remembered when she found the body of the child who had identified Callen’s betrayal. Her dark hair had had been matted with blood by a blow to the head. Four ragged lines had torn her tiny frame to pieces. Her father’s body was blistered, as if cast into severe heat.
If only she could find Tambo.
“Uchida-san?”
She looked up from her contemplation, surprised to find herself back in her chambers. It had been ransacked and her things thrown into upheaval.
“What is it?”
“Kenzo—sama wishes to speak to you.”
Rin sighed, but she followed Michel out and into the corridor to return to the entrance. Those who had survived gathered there. Some of them had started to clear away the bodies strewn about floor.
The Druid's Spear (Ascent of the Gem Bearers Book 1) Page 23
