The Terra Drago Chronicles: The Sacrifice (Rein of Fire Book 1)

by Richardson, James

  Cominus turned his attention back to his family who was recounting stories of his brother. The family had gotten a new member in the last year for his youngest brother Edgran had just recently gotten married. His brown eyes viewed the happy couple, even if they where in their bliss Cominus still felt that something was wrong. His brother need him now more then ever. This was the first time she had been to this event of the family, she was a lively woman her caressing hands held his brother if he need it. She was asking questions about him since no one ever talked about him. It was a dark time for the family they will always remember him. Cominus never forgot the day, Draco had gone missing from their life. Walking into the kitchen to fix himself another to drink. As the door closed with a crisp suction a sudden flash caught his eye. Ice cubes fell to the floor as the wooden splinters exploded throughout the backyard by some an unseen force.

  Cominus contemplated over this then came a sudden thud shaking the enitre house. “What the hell was that,” he asked himself. Cominus walked back to the living room, there came another violent thud from the outside wall of the house. Glass flew into a thousand pieces throughout the house. Shielding his face from the explosion, as the glass bounced across the polished wood flooring. Pots, pans, dishes went flying as some unseen form had been indented into the dry wall. Cominus could not see what had made the indention his hand running over the broken drywall. As the white powdery gypsum leaked from the many creaks that had been formed.

  The indention show a six-foot tall man outline, then where was the man that went with the hole in his parent’s wall. Cominus could feel something was there yet it did not make sense to him. How could something be there and not at the same time. Cominus heard the back door creak open. There was no one outside everyone other then he was still in the living room. Rushing over to the busted out window what was left of his mother’s kitchen wall. Surveying the damage done to his mother’s fence. The gapping hole was at least a good fifteen feet wide or more. Did someone's gas grill explode on them Cominus asked to himself. As he looked to the neighbors’ backyards. Cominus could not see any damage done to their house, nor could he see any smoke billowing into the sky.

  Yet fire took hold upon his mother’s yard when there shouldn't be. Cominus ran over to the garden hose as he tried to put out the blaze that had sprung from nothingness. Steam bellowed into the sky, a roaring howl filled the air as the water hit the fire. Just as he was fighting the fire his family was lead out of the house by three-foot tall green men. They where clad in a mix of leather and mail armor, their foot and a half long swords digging into their backs. “Well now this is getting out of hand, I can hear it now.”

  “Well you see Mr. Officer there were these little green men with swords and spears.”

  “Son this is no laughing matter.” Cominus said to himself in the best cop voice. ”I know but I tell you I could smell their foul stench from here, yea right," rolling his eyes. "More likely, they would throw my ass in a nice comfortable padded room," Cominus said to himself.

  Two of the strange creatures ran up to Cominus motion him to drop the hose and to join the others. Unwilling to do as he was told, one of the creatures’ placed a sword to his mother’s throat. Seeing this dropping what he was doing Cominus went and knelt down beside his mother. Wondering what the hell was going on and what were these things that held them hostage. A glimmering light caught his eye as it smashed though the house. The light had wedged itself into living room wall he traced the light back to where he had first saw it. Cominus began to see figures of shadow play along the grass. As he focused on these shadows another light caught his eye, it was closer to him then the last one had been. Having embedded itself into the post of the back porch. A sword came into his focus as something had lifted a vale from his eyes. The hand and half sword glimmered in the afternoon light. Engraved on the blade a dragon dancing across its surface, the guard was black as night itself. With rubies embedded in its dragons eyes. The hilt was wrapped in black velvet to allow the wielder a firm grip even after hours of fighting. In its pommel sat a half dollar size black diamond.

  Will you take me to my master,” said a voice echoing throughout his mind. Stunned that a sword could talk it took moments for Cominus to come to his senses.

  “This is getting to weird first the fence, then little green men or whatever they are. Now a talking sword what’s next the wicked witch of the west.” Cominus said to himself. Looking around for a way to escape from the creatures’ which held him and his family captive. Their green spittle ran down their unsightly faces. Punching the nearest creature in the jaw Cominus could feel the bone giving way under the force of the impact. As Cominus grasped the handle of the sword, the shear lack of weight of the blade amazed him. Two of the green creatures ran after him. Standing before him with swords drawn they lunged at him, he was suspecting the force of the blows to jar his arm. Yet he felt nothing as he blocked each blow. With a swift slice through the air it's slimy green disfigured head dropped to ground. Stunned by its partner’s death, true to goblin form the creature ran for a hostage to use. Over taking the creature with ease. The enchanted blade sliced through its green wart riddled skin, its pink blood coating the surface of the polished blade.

  “Where’s your master,” Cominus asked the sword. He hoped he could save this master before those creatures’ would do anything to his family.

  I shall show you,” said the sword with that he felt a shadow vale lifting from his eyes. As the vale cleared Cominus saw a giant figure, flames flowed from its stony hide, the heat could be felt even from that distance. Ah, to behold such a creature that had never seen in the realm of man. Though humans had remembered their time among the magic folk. This was something other then myths, this creature was not suppose to exist in their world. Cominus watched the giant for any indication that it had became aware of him. There in its massive hands that could shallow him completely. In their flaming grasp a man struggled to free himself. "So that's the swords master," Cominus thought to himself. “Now how do I get it to him without being killed in the process?” Though the giant was not paying him any attention it gave Cominus the advantage. Cominus made his way behind the shed that set nestle in the far corner of the backyard. Which had miraculously survived the ensuing explosion. Peering out from the right hand side of the shed, he contemplated what to do next. His heart raced drumming in his ears as his back pressed against the metal siding. Gripping the sword as it was the last thing in this world he had left of his sanity. Knowing that he would only get one shot at this he ran straight towards the giant’s right leg. The sword grew colder as Cominus drew closer to the stone giant. As the blade of the sword cut through the stonily leg Cominus felt the heat baking his skin. As the sword drew free from its stony carcass Cominus almost toppled over. The giant turn his gaze upon him reaching for him, succumbing to its massive weight. The sound of the giant stumbled to the ground echoed through the air. As he looked back there stood the leg the giant frost forming on the now lifeless as any ordinary rock. Cominus rushed to the man as the giant struggled to regain his footing. Severing the giants fingers, releasing the man from the giants grasp. With his work done the sword fell from his hands as if there was a ton of weight on it. He noticed that the man was in black scale armor, blood oozed out of his face plate from his ordeal.

  The black knight reached for the sword as he got to his feet. “Why they had to drag his family into this mess. We had suffered enough torment in the past why did they have to go through it again,” Cominus asked himself. Cominus was too engrossed in his self-loathing to notice the man had climbed on to the back of the giant. As the creature thrashed around for dear life, the black knight sinking his sword into the creatures back. The hissing sound of his sword as it plunged into its back fill the air. Cominus watched as the life of the giant slipped from its eyes. Turning his gazed back to the black knight, the red gem within his hands glowed in a faint red light.

  Cominus watched as the knight placed it within a pouch
on his belt though the gem took two hands to hold and foot and a half long. Cominus was amazed at the fact it went into the pouch without much trouble. Hopping down from the back of the giant. Walking over to the lopped off fingers of the giant and picking up the middle and index finger. The black knight turned to his rescuer handing him the fingers as thanks. Cominus was puzzled at the black knight’s gift until he examined the fingers more thoroughly. Cominus saw that the fingers were studded with emeralds, rubies, diamonds and lesser rare gems.

  “Fuck you to buddy!” Clutching the fingers in his hand, Cominus anger at the man swelled in his chest that had brought this horror to their doorstep. Taking in slow steady breaths not to lose his anger in front of the knight. Who knew what the man could do after taking such punishment yet the man was still standing.

  “What my gift offends you in what way?” asked the black knight trying to hide the chuckle from his brother.

  “No I am grateful for the gift but you just gave me the middle finger.” Holding out the stony fingers before the knight the gems caught hold of the light as it dance across his scaled armor.

  “Yea I know I thought it was funny,” Cominus could hear the black knight laughing under his helmet. Would it be something that only existed in myths. Cominus tried his best to see the features of the man that had brought this thing upon them. His rational mind fought for away to explain all this. Unless someone had invented a portable cloaking device, which he seriously doubted was all this just a mass hallucination. Could all this be clacked up to mass hysteria, yet could he discount the damage done to his parent’s home or the fence. What of the those damn things that still held his family captive, or the dead husk of this giant before him. He had felt the tips of there swords against his skin, the heat of the monsters flames as he cut through it. Could all this just be in his head, was he going insane over his brother’s disappearance. Had something gotten into the water supply, would he wake up to find himself resting in his father’s recliner.

  “All right what the hell is going on here?” Cominus asked staring down the black knight. “Mean the ruby golem and the dark goblins.”

  “What else would I be talking about?” As Cominus finished the black knight turned to the remains of the golem. Spoke in a language that Cominus had never heard before. With those ancient words the golem’s cold stone body crumbled to dust only leaving the rare gems. That dotted the whole of the creature’s body. As the black knight gathered up the remaining gems and placed them with in the same pouch as the huge gem before it. Turning to meet the goblins as they shook with fear seeing their master die at his hands. Draco whispered a few words in the ancient language, as the magical ancient language struck the goblins green wart ridden skin turning the fends to dust with in seconds.

  “Right well the ruby golem shouldn't have been here. I been wondering why it was so far from its home territory. The dark goblins well they just lackeys for any one that is willing to pay their price.”

  “Well were did they come from, and why couldn't I see them, could this happen again?” Hoping against hope that all this was just a hallucinogenic induced dream.

  “I can’t tell you were there from, you can’t see them because you were not meant to see this.” Draco said as he leaned into his brother, “You know all those strange events that happen throughout the world which can not be explain it is about the same with this.”

  “Why the hell not?” Cominus was not one for keeping secrets when their lives were at stake. Hell if this was just a hallucination then he be damned that his own mind was going to keep secrets from him.

  “The rules state that humans are not allowed to see or know about us. If anyone were to break these rules, the council would stripe them of there powers and tiles.”

  “By what right?” Yep he is going to have to talk to a therapist for even having a conversation with a hallucination.

  “The Blood Moon treaty states that humans were to be banished from our world never to see or partake in our world ever again. Those who break this treaty will be strip of there magic powers and tiles.”

  “Why.” This conversation was getting nowhere even if it was apart of his own subconscious.

  “Cant tell you.”

  “That’s bullshit,” shouted Cominus. “All right I get that you can’t tell anything else. Could you tell me who the hell you are?” Eager to move this along it had been a very strange dream and the sooner he woke up all the better.

  “What can't you tell by my voice.” Did he hear a hint of hurt in the man’s voice shaking those thoughts from his mind. How could Cominus know anything about this man. From what he had witness even in a dream he could only guess yet he would say he was in OZ.

  “Hello dear brother, though I am hurt that even after all this time you can’t remember the sound of your brother’s own voice.”

  “Oh you jackass were the have you been all this time.” Grabbing hold of Draco’s scale armor the texture, the dirt, the grime that covered its polished black scales felt so real. “If this is real then should I click my heels together and whisper there’s no place like home," Cominus said to himself.

  “Doing this and that,” in all the years he had been gone from their life’s Draco wondered what this conversation would be like.

  “That tells me a whole lot you know the family has been worried sick about you.” Putting his nose as close to Draco’s face as much as his helmet would allow. Though Draco would give his brother room to vent but he would not be manhandled.

  “Yea I know its not I don't want to come back I just couldn’t.” Draco had missed his brother deeply since his venture into the Terra Drago. It had been a very stressful five years for him. There were many times he had wished his brother was by his side.

  “Right you’re going to have to do better then that.”

  “That’s all that I am allowed to tell you, do know in their eyes that you are talking to thin air right,” Draco said nodding where his family still huddled.

  “I don't care about that, why you can’t just give me a straight answer for once.”

  “If I could I would you know that Cominus.”

  “Alright then, tell me what you are doing here I doubt that the ruby golem was the reason you’re here.” As much as it would anger his brother Draco knew he could not forfeit his place, in that magical world not when so much was riding on him.

  “Right now I just waiting for my ride she had to go and pick up some one.”

  “So why were you fighting that thing.” Kicking the dust of the remains of the golem his brother had just destroyed.

  “Well ruby golems are not even supposed to be in this world. Their territory is in the fire fields of Tar why it was here I wouldn't know. You see golems are intelligent and evil creatures. If it was not stopped now then no telling what it would have done if I had not killed it.”

  “So what was it that you took from the chest of that thing?” His brown eyes never leaving the pouch that held the large gem, how it was held there that was still a mystery to him.

  “Now what I took is its heart, you see only certain golems will have the heart I need for my plains.”

  “What plains?” Cominus could not help but feel that his brother had turned evil in his years away from home. “Wait don’t say it,” Cominus said throwing his hands into the air.

  “Well my ride won’t be here for another ten minutes. We can still talk about other things if you wish not that I can give you a straight answer mind you,” Draco said. Wiping the dirt and grime from his armor, seeing how he no longer needed to hide his face from his brother. Lifting the scale helmet from his head Cominus could not hold back his shock. His brother’s skin was deathly pale, those once blue eyes were now silver. If Cominus stared into their depths he could swear he could see his own death. His ears no longer round like a humans, they were straighter more animal like. The only thing that had not change about his brother was his long blonde hair.

  “So who’s going to clean this crap up?” Arc
hing his arm to the destruction that he had caused to there parents home.

  “Turn around,” said Draco. As he did Cominus could see the damage done to the house and the fence had been repaired.

  “How the hell did that just happen?” Cominus stared at the newly repaired fence, his hand running over the wood thinking he would fall though it if he put any weight on it.

  “Magic,” Draco said matter-of-fact. Cominus did not believe a word from his brother’s month.

  “Is that what you used on the golem and the goblins?”

  “Yes,” Draco said ending the frost enchantment that had placed upon his sword as it slid back into its polished leather sheath. “How did the sword talk?” Cominus asked his hands still remembering the tingle of whatever energy that flowed through the metal as it sliced through the golem’s leg.