21.
The Blackmoor was on fire. Thick clouds of acrid black smoke filled the sky as the dragons waged war upon each other. Umbaroth soared through the carnage, sadness in his heart as he watched his kin slaughter each other. He barrel-rolled to the left, avoiding a brown-scaled dragon that was swooping in to attack his back. Fire narrowly shot passed his head. He dove lower to the burning ground below, before rising into a wide loop that brought him onto his attacker’s rear. With a roar, he unleashed his own fire at his surprised enemy. The fire struck its target, burning through the brown dragon’s vulnerable wings. The brown dragon roared in agony as its wing burned away, and it spiralled out of control and smashed into the moor. Debris flew high into the air, and the impact sounded like thunder. The once mighty beast lay unmoving.
Umbaroth shook his huge head. He had killed so many of his kind. The division of the dragons had to end. He was the King of Dragons, not the usurper Drakis. Narrowing his eyes, he scanned the chaos seeking out his black-scaled rival. All around, dragons were battling with tooth, claw and flame. A dozen bodies lay in monstrous tangled heaps on the moor’s ruined surface. Some had gone down in the marsh, and already Fell Beasts were swarming over and devouring the corpses. His gaze fixed on the tomb in which Luxon and his friends were inside and there, standing in front of it, was Drakis. The black-scaled dragon was a behemoth, matching even Umbaroth is size. The two had fought before, hence the long reddish scar over Drakis’s right eye. In that fight, Umbaroth was defeated and forced into exile. He could not lose again. The fate of the dragons and Luxon depended on it.
“Umbaroth,” Tratos called desperately from above. “We are losing this fight. Drakis’s allies are too strong. They are aided by Danon’s dark powers!”
The smaller dragon was riddled with bleeding wounds on his flank, and his right wing had a hole in it. Desperation was in his eyes. Unless Umbaroth did something drastic, they would be defeated. Umbaroth veered off sharply to the right, making a bee-line directly towards Drakis. Picking up speed, he raised his forward talons directly out in front of him and shot towards his enemy.
Drakis looked up eyes widening as he spotted the mighty silver dragon diving towards him. The two titans crashed together in a heaving mass of scales and muscle, talons swinging and fire spewing. Umbaroth tackled his enemy to the ground, the impact creating an earthquake and a large crater as they struck. Clamping his massive jaws around Drakis’s vulnerable throat, the battle seemed won, but Umbaroth underestimated the strength of the black dragon. With forelimbs trembling, Drakis lifted Umbaroth and threw him to the side. Umbaroth shouted in surprise as he crashed into the ruins of the tomb. Ancient statues shattered and crumbled, sending shockwaves through the ground. Umbaroth staggered back onto his four feet, but this time it was Drakis’s turn to attack. The huge beast slammed into him, sending him flying through the air and crashing into the Blackmarsh. Water flew hundreds of feet into the air, and a small tsunami rushed out in all directions from where the King of Dragons fell. Drakis advanced towards Umbaroth, his large yellow eyes filled with malice. He reared up onto his hind legs so that he towered over his prone foe.
“You should have stayed in exile, Umbaroth. The dragons are mine to rule!”
Umbaroth once more rose to his feet, his legs shaking from fatigue.
“The dragons are not slaves!” Umbaroth roared back. “You have allowed yourself to be twisted by Danon. He will use us to achieve his goals, and then kill us all. You will lead the dragons to their doom.”
“You are wrong brother,” Drakis said. “Danon freed us from the Void. He gave me the power to lead our kind. Now you will die!”
Drakis opened his cavernous mouth and unleashed a deadly burst of dragonfire. Umbaroth staggered under the assault; he could feel his scales melting under the onslaught. Doing his best to focus on survival, and not on the searing pain, he used a huge paw to splash the water at his feet. Gallons of the liquid was sent flying, striking Drakis in the face. It was enough to temporarily douse the black dragon’s flame and allow Umbaroth to escape the painful fire.
Scales smouldering, Umbaroth reached down to tear a huge piece of earth from the ground. With a roar, he hurled it at Drakis. The makeshift projectile crashed into the black dragon, rocking his head backwards. Drakis shook his head to clear the stars whizzing about before his eyes. The two titans circled one another. Meanwhile, in the sky, the other dragons watched their leaders squaring up to each other.
“Danon will betray you all. Stop this madness before it destroys every last one of us,” Umbaroth pleaded.
For a moment, something change in Drakis’s eyes. Doubt, perhaps?
“Look around at the destruction we have brought to this place. Will this not end until the whole world ends up the same way? Help us! Help Luxon defeat Danon. We can live in peace with the humans!”
Drakis narrowed his eyes.
“This only ends when one of us is dead,” he bellowed as he charged Umbaroth once more.
*
Luxon crashed to the cold hard ground. Accadus’s powers had grown immensely since their last encounter; even his strongest spells had little effect at defending against the relentless assault. Gasping, he got back on his feet.
“Do you not see, Luxon? The darkness is by far the stronger power,” Accadus said, laughing menacingly.
To the side, Yepert and Hannah huddled together, desperate to stay out of the way of the fight. Their powers would be of little help; if Accadus could swat Luxon around like a beleaguered fly, then they wouldn’t stand a chance.
The chamber shook violently once again, and stones fell from the ceiling. The dragon battle above had increased in intensity. If it kept up, then they would all be buried alive deep below the earth. Luxon gripped Dragasdol tightly and glanced at the stone.
“The only reason you are so powerful, Accadus,” Hannah shouted, “is because Danon has made you so. You will always be the nasty weak boy I’ve always known you to be!”
Luxon had never seen such rage in her eyes before. Accadus turned to her, his face contorting with fury.
She’s distracting him, buying me time, Luxon realised. He couldn’t best Accadus, though. Every attack he’d used had been thwarted. His eyes fixed on the stone. It was their only chance.
“Come on then, Accadus. You coward!” Hannah shouted. Her words were cut short as Accadus raised an arm. An invisible hand wrapped itself around Hannah’s neck, lifting her from the ground. Yepert rushed forward, unleashing a fireball of his own. Accadus laughed as he swatted the projectile aside as though it were a leaf on the wind.
Luxon clicked his fingers as an idea popped into his head. Pursing his lips, he began to blow. Ironically he would use a power taught to him by Danon during his time trapped in the Void. Quickly, a howling wind began to swell. It filled the chamber, forcing Accadus backwards and breaking his hold on Hannah. The wind was like a raging beast as Luxon aimed it at the stone and the burning braziers. With a last flicker, the flames went out, casting the chamber in pitch black darkness. Next, he concentrated on the wind until it became like a solid wall of air which he launched at Accadus. The wall of air struck him like a fist, sending him flying backwards and crashing into the wall of the chamber.
He stopped blowing and called out to Hannah and Yepert. “Are you guys okay?”
“I’m fine,” Hannah gasped back. “Look,” she said, pointing at the stone.
Light began to shine from the stone and formed into more text.
“It can be seen; it can be felt; it is the stars and fills the Void with hope. It is precious; it allows love and creates all life,” Luxon read out loud.
“That’s easy,” Hannah said. She summoned her magelight back into existence and walked towards the stone. Using her arms, she guided the ball of light until it touched the stone, which now hummed with power.
As the light made contact, the stone splintered until, with a loud crack, it shattered. Standing upright, its tip embedded in a pedestal of g
old was Asphodel.
Luxon rubbed his palms on his cloak and stepped forward. He could feel the power coming from the sword; it felt like the sun’s rays on a hot summer’s day. All weariness he felt was washed away. The golden hilt was engraved with the face of the God of Balance. On one side, the face appeared to be smiling, while on the other it looked angry. The detail carved into the metal was beyond compare; it was a work of art and looked as though it hadn’t aged at all. The blade itself was immaculate; there was not one scratch was on its surface. It truly was an object of the gods.
*
Yepert watched Luxon approach the pedestal.
Stop him, you fool’ the voice raged. For the first time since it had started torturing him, he could hear the fear in it. Pain lanced through Yepert’s body as the voice grew ever more insistent. Yepert tried to resist but the voice was too strong; it took control of his body causing him to twitch uncontrollably. Hannah was standing in ront of him, her attention fixed on Luxon and the sword. Yepert’s hand touched the hilt of the dagger on his belt and despite all of his efforts, he could not stop himself from drawing it from its sheath.
He stepped forward, his free hand reaching for Hannah.
22.
Tentatively, Luxon reached out, his fingers wrapping about the hilt. Just as he was about to pull the blade from the pedestal, Yepert spoke.
“Step away from the sword, Lux.”
Luxon spun around. Yepert held a petrified looking Hannah, a knife pressed against her throat.
“What are doing?” Luxon cried.
Tears were in Yepert’s eyes as he dug the knife into Hannah’s exposed neck.
“I’m sorry, Lux. I’ve tried to tell you so many times, but it wouldn’t let me. The voice is so loud and the pain, if I don’t do as it commands … it’s too much.”
Luxon held his hands up and faced his friend. This was what his older self had warned him about. Slowly, he edged closer, his eyes not leaving Yepert’s.
“Tell me what’s happened to you, Yepert. Maybe I can help you,” he said softly, doing his best to keep the terror from his voice. He glanced at Hannah. Her eyes were full of fear and shock. Blood was dripping from her neck where the knife was pressed tightly against the skin.
“Danon took me at Stormglade,” Yepert said his voice breaking. “Tortured me; put his voice inside my head. It never shuts up and shows me such horrible things. He made me destroy the rune stone at the Watchers. I am why the Fell Beasts were able to assault the fortress. If I resist, he hurts me. I haven’t slept properly in weeks … I’m losing my mind”
Luxon took another step, Dragasdol held aimed at his friend. Yepert’s head snapped up his face contorted in a cruel sneer. His eyes were black, the whites having disappeared completely, and his skin had turned a deathly pale.
“You have lost, Luxon. Take another step, and I cut the bitch’s throat.” Yepert’s voice was no longer his own. It was now deep and gravelly. It was Danon’s voice.
“Yepert, I know you’re in there somewhere,” Luxon pleaded. “You’re stronger than you know. You don’t want to hurt Hannah. She’s your friend; I’m your friend. Fight him. Remember all that we’ve been through together; remember it and use it for strength. Fight him!”
Yepert flinched, and for a brief moment his eyes flickered to their normal colour. An animalistic growl came from his throat, and Hannah whimpered with fright. Luxon flinched as the blade dug deeper into her flesh.
“You… cannot… beat… me, boy,” Danon’s voice growled.
“You can beat him, Yepert. Don’t let him hurt you any longer,” Hannah pleaded.
With a pained yell, Yepert’s hand – the one holding the dagger – began to inch away from Hannah’s neck. It was clear that an internal battle was being waged.
“I will not be your slave anymore!” Yepert shouted.
Suddenly his whole body began to convulse, like he was having a seizure, and his eyes rolled back into his head. Luxon dashed forward and pulled Hannah out of Yepert’s grip. Hannah buried her face into his chest as Yepert staggered backwards with a terrible howl. All the while, he twitched and jerked as though some hidden puppeteer was pulling invisible strings. He stopped and raised his head. An evil grin was on his face, and his eyes were once more black. Before Luxon could react, Yepert raised an arm. Lightning shot of out his fingertips, striking both Luxon and Hannah. White-hot agony lanced through their bodies. Luxon turned so that he shielded Hannah with his body. Despite the pain, he focused his magic and, using a trick taught to him by Thanos, he absorbed the brunt of the attack.
Hannah, meanwhile, cast a healing spell over them both, allowing Luxon to focus and channel his own magic. He pushed Hannah away to safety before spinning to face Yepert. Raising his free hand, he caught the lightning in his palm, the force of the impact sending him skidding backwards. He planted Dragasdol into the ground to give him some grip. The power being used against him was far greater than anything that Yepert was capable of. He summoned a magical shield into life. The lightning crackled and fizzed as it struck the barrier, but it gave Luxon enough time to regain his composure and heal the wounds he had sustained from the initial attack.
“Yepert, stop this. Fight him!” he shouted desperately.
Yepert laughed cruelly. “Yepert isn’t in right now. You know, Luxon, I’m having mixed feelings about all this. A part of me is sad that I cannot be there in person to kill you with my own hands, but another part of me cannot help but enjoy this entire situation. Killed by your own best friend – oh how sadistic. Sometimes, even after all this time, I can still impress myself!”
Despair filled Luxon’s, heart. “I will not kill my best friend, Danon. You’ve already taken my mother from me; you will not take my best friend or the woman I love,” he said, with more confidence than he felt.
Yepert paced the floor, his demonic eyes fixed on his prey, and the wicked grin of Danon on his lips.
“Behind you,” Yepert laughed.
A shiver went down Luxon’s spine as Hannah shouted a warning. Slowly, he turned, and his sense of despair deepened. Accadus was back on his feet, with murder in his eyes. One on one, Luxon might have had a chance against the powered-up Accadus, but against both him and a Danon-possessed Yepert, the chances of walking away alive, let alone in one piece, were slim. He had one chance to save himself and Hannah. Channelling his magic into his limbs, he felt renewed strength flood into them, he glanced at Asphodel, still embedded into the pedestal. His eyes locked with Hannah, who was standing helplessly between Accadus and the sword. They stared into each others eyes, both thinking their time was up. He wanted to tell her he loved her. Instead, he yelled, “Magelight! Now!”
Hannah instantly dropped to a knee, covered her eyes and unleashed her most powerful light spell. The chamber lit up as though a star had gone supernova. As the spell was unleashed, Luxon, using his magic-enhanced legs and Dragasdol for leverage, leapt backwards, covering the distance of twenty feet in a single bound and land next to the sword. Yepert and Accadus were taken by surprise, blinded by the sudden burst of light. Before they could react, Luxon reached out and gripped Asphodel’s hilt, and pulled the sword out of the pedestal. Immediately, he felt the legendary blade’s power; it felt like he was standing in the midst of an electrical storm. Every hair on his body stood on end as he felt the power of a long departed god. With Dragasdol in one hand and Asphodel in the other, he was wielding some of the most powerful objects in the whole of creation. Hannah’s powerful magelight dissipated, but the chamber remained cast in bright light. It was a light emanating from Asphodel.
Luxon faced Accadus and Yepert. With a snarl, Accadus unleashed a volley of fireballs, but Luxon swatted them aside with the blade. Accadus rained attack after attack at him, but with Asphodel in hand, he easily parried every one. Next, Accadus used lightning, then ice, each attack failing as he grew increasingly desperate. Luxon advanced towards his old foe and held Asphodel before him. Light shot out from the blade and consum
ed Accadus. The dark mage screamed and collapsed to the ground as he was engulfed.
Next, Luxon faced Yepert who was backing away, his face contorted in pain.
“Release him, Danon. Release him!” Luxon commanded.
Yepert gripped his head as he staggered backwards from the light.
“Never.”
“Release him now!”
Luxon dashed forward, holding Asphodel out before him and pointed the blade’s tip at Yepert.
*
Warmth flooded Yepert’s body as Asphodel’s power engulfed him. He could feel the wickedness that had possessed him lose its grip. It tried to resist, but the power of the sword was too great. Freedom from Danon was so close. He felt elation at the prospect. He’d not harmed his friends; Luxon had believed in him. The darkness began to weaken; soon he would be liberated.
The blade that cost me everything, they have it in their grasp once more, the voice cackled. Perhaps this war will prove to be a challenge after all. You have failed me, Yepert; the power of the sword is driving me out of your mind, but I shall leave you with one final gift … the gift of madness.
Yepert’s elation turned into terror as he felt the darkness begin to obliterate his mind one memory at a time. Images flashed: his mother, his sister, his entire family, his friends, Luxon, Caldaria …everything that had transpired in his life was erased.
Don’t be afraid, soon you won’t even know your own name, Danon whispered as Yepert’s presence was exorcised.
23.
“Help me with him,” Luxon shouted to Hannah as he rushed over to Yepert. Terror gripped him, Yepert was writhing on the ground. Once more, his friend’s eyes had rolled back into his head, but this time his face had sagged on one side, and drool had begun to form on his lips. “Stay with us, Yepert, we’re going to get you out here,” Luxon cried desperately. He handed Dragasdol to Hannah and tucked Asphodel haphazardly into his belt. With his hands now free, he lifted Yepert up and hauled him onto his feet. Swinging an arm about his shoulder, he bore the weight. He felt exhausted; the battle with Accadus and the trials had taken a lot of his strength. He tapped into his magic to bring fresh energy to his limbs; however, such a move would only add to his mental fatigue later on.
Quest for the Sundered Crown (The Sundered Crown Saga Book 3) Page 18
