The Monster's Caress: A Seven Kingdoms Tale 8 (The Seven Kingdoms)

by S. E. Smith

She braced her feet against the cliff and pushed off. Her sharp blade sliced through part of the alien’s tail. Surging forward, she whirled and sliced through the rest of the tail when the alien swung it back toward her.

  The severed tail tumbled down the cliff face, bouncing off rocks before landing nearly a thousand feet below. She shielded her eyes when Gem materialized near the severed portion of the alien and released a brilliant burst worthy of a supernova.

  They had discovered the only way to kill the damn things was to dismember them and then let Drago and Gem incinerate the pieces. If they didn’t immediately destroy the part, it would regenerate, leaving them to fight even more of the damn things. Fortunately, they had discovered that fact after the first piece fell. Unfortunately, the hard shell on the alien trilobite was almost impossible to penetrate.

  Nali looked up. One creature was almost to the mountain top. Pai and six gargoyle soldiers were attacking it. She uttered a loud cry of warning when one poisonous fang, concealed under the trilobite’s armored head, suddenly unfurled and struck out at a young gargoyle. Pai saw the movement and flew between the gargoyle and the alien.

  “Pai, no!” she screamed.

  Grief and rage thundered through her when the fang pierced Pai’s chest. She channeled her emotions into her wings’ powerful strokes. Soaring upward, she swung her sword and severed the fang.

  Pai fell—right off the edge of the cliff. Nali followed him, shifting into an enormous eagle, and plummeted along the mountain’s cliff face. She gently closed her massive claws around the venerable hippogriff and spread her wings, sweeping upward and away from the battle. Tears blinded her as she circled back to the mountain top. She needed to find Xyrie.

  Ashure and Ross looked up as she flew overhead, but Nali didn’t see Asahi with them. Her heart hammered in her chest. She had to trust that they would keep their promise to protect Asahi until she returned.

  She focused on where she was going. Ahead in the long meadow, Nali glimpsed Xyrie emerging from the trees. The unicorn was alone.

  Nali glided lower until she was only a few feet above the ground. She lifted her wings, spread her feathers, and hovered near Xyrie. As gently as she could, she lowered Pai to the ground and released him.

  The moment she did, she transformed and dropped to the ground. Her booted feet landed on the soft grass that Pai loved to curl up and nap on, and she sank to her knees beside him.

  She trembled as she tenderly caressed the bloodstained gray feathers on his face. His breathing was shallow and uneven. She was afraid to remove the fang for fear he would bleed out.

  “Pai, you stubborn old hippogriff. What were you doing in the middle of the battle? You were supposed to coordinate from a safe distance,” she lovingly chided.

  “What… fun… is… there… in that?” he faintly responded, opening his eyes and looking at her.

  A tear slipped down her cheek, and she caressed his beak. “Not much, I guess,” she admitted.

  Pai took a shuddering breath and turned his beak into her palm. She sobbed when he went limp in her arms. Tears freely coursed down her cheeks. She lowered her head and pressed a kiss against the hippogriff’s brow.

  “Please, Xyrie, help him,” she begged, not looking up when the unicorn stopped next to them.

  “There are some things even a Goddess cannot heal,” Xyrie gently replied.

  With a broken heart, Nali protectively held Pai’s head and looked up at Xyrie. The elder unicorn looked back at her with a sad expression. She took a shuddering breath and tilted her head back to stare up at the sky. Dawn was breaking, and the stars were fading as the colors of morning filled the heavens.

  She bowed her head. “Return to the universe, my dear friend,” she murmured. She closed her eyes and whispered a spell.

  Colorful light surrounded Pai’s body as he faded away. His essence swirled with the colors of dawn before rising into the sky. Nali opened her eyes and watched as Pai’s essence returned to the Seven Kingdoms. With a heavy heart, she rose to her feet and tiredly looked back toward the cliff. The sounds of battle still raged.

  “I want you and the unicorns to go to the old fortress. Call my house-elves and have them seal the gates,” she instructed.

  “I have already instructed the other unicorns to go there,” Xyrie replied.

  Nali looked at the elder unicorn, her dear friend and mentor. “I want you to go too, Xyrie,” she said.

  Xyrie shook her head. “Nay, Empress. My place is here, protecting you and the Kingdom,” the unicorn firmly stated.

  Nali shook her head. “You saw what happened to Pai. I can’t lose you, Xyrie… or Asahi,” she stated.

  “I will do what I can to help you, Nali. Trust in those who stand beside you,” Xyrie replied.

  She bowed her head, knowing that Xyrie would not budge on her decision. “I must return to the cliffs,” Nali said.

  “I will go to the river,” Xyrie replied.

  “Xyrie…,” Nali muttered in frustration before she shook her head.

  “Go, Nali,” Xyrie gently ordered with a toss of her head.

  Nali called forth the form of the gargoyle, hardening her flesh. She harnessed her rage and grief. She would not lose any more of the creatures under her protection. Pai’s death would be the last, she vowed to herself.

  She lifted off the ground, soaring back to the cliffs. In the growing light of morning, Nali surveyed the scene below. Koorgan and the gargoyle forces hammered at the remaining two alien trilobites. Gem’s blinding power and the blue-white flames of dragon fire consumed the alien fragments that were ripped or cut off.

  On the cliff, Ariness and Isha had formed a massive magical shield to prevent the trilobites from breaching the top. Nali’s heart thundered when one trilobite rose above the barrier and unfurled both of its fangs. It struck out toward Isha.

  Ross tackled Isha, pulling him aside and rolling away as Ashure charged toward the creature. With his enchanted sword, Ashure jumped high into the air and pierced the underbelly of the trilobite, slicing it open. Nali dove, catching Ashure from behind as he fell.

  The alien trilobite struck out with one of its fangs as it fell backward. She twisted in the air, grunting when the fang shattered as it hit her stone back between her wings. The blow, combined with the weight of Ashure, was enough to knock her out of the air.

  She flipped over at the last second, wrapping her wings protectively around Ashure as they hit the ground and skidded several yards. Grass and dirt flew in all directions as she cut a deep rut in the ground before coming to a stop. She peered through her wings making sure it was safe.

  “Tonya will thank you for saving my neck,” Ashure said.

  “It isn’t safe yet,” she replied, opening her wings and releasing him. “Where is Asahi?”

  “Asahi—yes, well, things became a little complicated after you left,” he nervously answered.

  Nali pushed Ashure aside and stood. She wildly scanned the area. The trilobite Ashure had sliced open was turning to ash before her eyes. Isha, impressed with the success of Ashure’s move, had retrieved the enchanted sword and was using the same move on the last creature—with the help of Koorgan who held it around the neck from behind. Koorgan tossed the mortally wounded alien off the mountain. Gem and Drago hovered nearby, ready to incinerate it. Yet, no matter where she looked, Nali didn’t see Asahi.

  “Where is he?” she demanded as she turned and faced Ashure, who was now standing.

  “I’m not sure. The last time I saw him, he was headed in the direction of the river. He disappeared when the bugs came up over the cliff’s edge,” he confessed.

  “I have to find him. The alien is still inside him. With the destruction of the others, the alien might….” She shook her head, unable to continue as visions of the dead Sea Stag formed in her mind.

  “Nali, wait,” Ashure said, touching her arm when she took a step away from him.

  “What?” she snapped before she drew in a deep breath and slowly relea
sed it. “I’m sorry. Pai is dead, and I’m afraid of losing Asahi.”

  “I’m sorry about Pai. I know how much you cared about him. I… I think it would be best if I went with you to find Asahi. He… isn’t the same. I can fill you in while we search for him,” he hesitantly explained in a compassionate voice.

  “It will be faster if we fly,” she said.

  “I was afraid you’d say that,” he muttered.

  Despite the tense situation, Nali smiled when Ashure turned his back to her and raised his arms so she could wrap hers around him. Stepping up behind him, she rested her chin on his shoulder.

  “Thank you for being here for me,” she murmured.

  “Always, whether or not you think you need me. Now, let’s go save your man,” he said.

  Chapter 28

  The memory of the dagger in his heart made Asahi rub the aching spot. Fortunately for him, the magic that had killed the invasive alien had healed him. Aminta withdrew to the back of his mind once he had recovered his wits after being on the edge of death. Asahi only felt her through his subconscious now. There was a force pulling him away from the cliff, and he followed it, trusting that Aminta would not lead him astray.

  “You were the one who told me to stab you,” Mr. Gryphon growled when he noticed Asahi touching his former stab wound.

  Asahi fought to keep from grinning at the irritated, defensive tone in the Gryphon’s voice. If he didn’t know better, he would have thought the animated dagger cared about him.

  “I didn’t say stab me. If it helps soothe your mind, I am grateful for your assistance,” he said.

  Mr. Gryphon sniffed loudly. “Good. I was just doing what I was told to do by the Goddess,” he reiterated.

  “I fully understand that, my friend,” Asahi murmured.

  The need to hurry increased the farther inland he walked. He knew he was getting close to something dangerous.

  It comes. If it reaches the Gateway, the worlds are doomed, Aminta whispered in his mind.

  “What is coming?” he asked.

  He stopped when he observed Orion standing in a river. He frowned when he noticed a horse on the bank beside the Sea King. For a second, he wondered if he had stepped onto a western movie set. That idea burst when he glimpsed the horse’s profile. There was a long horn protruding from its forehead.

  Okay, more like the Lord of the Rings movie set, he amended.

  The thought had no sooner flashed through his mind than a vision replaced it. It showed the alien’s remaining portion that contained the rest of Aminta. It was smaller but more powerful than the others combined. It had used the other parts of itself as a distraction.

  “Orion! Get out of the water, now!” he shouted.

  Adrenaline flooded him, and he sprinted forward. A funnel of water lifted Orion out of the river and deposited him on the bank. Orion gripped the trident in both hands and pointed it at the water. Xyrie pawed at the ground as the water exploded around them.

  The ground shook, and water gushed into the opening abyss beneath the river. Out of the widening gap, the head of a serpent appeared.

  Orion pointed his trident at the beast and fired a burst of lightning. The energy bounced off the slick black scales. The creature released a menacing chuckle before it lunged.

  Horror changed to astonishment when the unicorn stepped in front of Orion and lowered her head. The horn on her forehead glowed a brilliant incandescent gold. The serpent recoiled.

  “Your tricks will not work now,” the alien hissed. “We have found your weakness.”

  It will pull the ground out from underneath them, Aminta warned.

  “Orion, get back! The ground…,” Asahi yelled.

  In the ensuing quake, Asahi stumbled backward. The unicorn turned and bolted across the meadow and into the forest. He cursed when he saw Orion fall into a fissure.

  Bracing a hand against the ground, Asahi pushed off like a sprinter. He jumped over the widening gap, zigzagging back and forth as more appeared. The alien serpent emerged out of the destroyed riverbed. Asahi fell and rolled aside when it flew past him.

  You must stop it, Aminta cried.

  “I have to help Orion,” he growled.

  You must stop the alien from reaching the Gateway, Aminta frantically insisted.

  “After I save Orion,” he calmly replied.

  “Asahi!”

  The sound of Nali’s voice caused him to jerk to a stop, and he searched for her. He was surprised to see she wasn’t alone. He instinctively steadied Ashure when she released the pirate. She landed beside them with a rush of wind.

  “There is another alien, I take it,” Ashure said, looking at the gaping hole.

  “Yes, it headed into the woods. Orion fell into the fissure,” Asahi said, swaying.

  “What is it?” Nali asked.

  He wanted to close his eyes when she cupped his face between her hands. “We need to see if Orion is alive and stop the alien,” he growled.

  “I’ve got Orion,” Ashure offered. “If there’s a lake down there like he said, he’ll be fine. He’s probably talking to an antisocial sea monster hidden in the depths as we speak.” Ashure handed his precious sword to Nali. “Take my sword; you’ll need it more than I will. Now you two go save our worlds! I’ve seen what will happen if you don’t.”

  Nali took the magic sword and nodded. With a flick of her fingers, a sheath with a strap formed around the sword. She slid the strap over her head and positioned it against her side.

  “Three—we three will go save the world,” Mr. Gryphon grumbled. “One of these days you people will stop forgetting your most important treasure like I’m some ordinary, dusty relic! I’m the Golden Dagger, and I can slay evil aliens just as well as any sword the Sea Witch can enchant. How many times am I going to have to save the day before I get any respect?”

  “You have my greatest respect, Mr. Gryphon,” Asahi reassured the golden lion before he turned his attention to Nali. “How fast can you fly?” he asked.

  “Fast,” she replied with a determined glint in her eyes. She stepped behind him and held him tight.

  Taking a deep breath, Asahi realized that this might be the last time he ever felt her arms around him, and he was going to savor every second.

  “Oh, this is going to be fun,” Mr. Gryphon sassed. “Whatever you do, don’t drop me!” he ordered as he crawled to the hilt of the dagger and wrapped his tail around it.

  “I won’t, my friend,” Asahi quietly promised. He tightened his grip on the dagger as Nali lifted them off the ground.

  They soared across the meadow and into the forest at a blinding speed. Asahi’s breath caught in his throat as Nali skillfully negotiated the forest. She skirted around trees and under low-hanging limbs with the skill of a Peregrine falcon on the hunt. The alien serpent was less than a hundred yards ahead of them.

  I have tried to slow it down, but now I haven’t the strength to resist it, Aminta’s faint voice murmured.

  We will end this, Asahi silently vowed.

  He didn’t know if Aminta heard him. He could no longer detect her tiny spark inside himself. Nali’s arms tightened around him, and he knew the final battle for their survival depended on what happened next.

  “Fly over and drop me,” he instructed.

  “Are you crazy?” she hissed in disbelief.

  “Completely,” he replied.

  She shook her head but swerved to intercept the alien serpent. “You’ve been hanging around Ashure for too long,” she muttered.

  “I concur!” Mr. Gryphon snapped.

  “Be ready, Golden Dagger,” Asahi warned.

  Nali dropped them. He spread his feet apart and held the dagger with both hands as he fell. For a moment, he was weightless until his feet connected with the thick scales behind the serpent’s head, which was nearly thirty feet off the ground. He buried the dagger to the hilt in the smooth surface of the serpent’s skull and clung to the snake as it jerked.

  Mr. Gryphon roared and bl
azed like a beacon as he poured every ounce of the magic held within his dagger into the alien. The serpent snapped its head back and forth, trying to dislodge the dagger. Asahi fought to hold on.

  “Asahi, behind you!” Nali shouted.

  Out of the corner of his eye, Asahi saw the serpent’s tail curving around in his direction. He let go when the serpent shook its head again, and as he went airborne, he twisted and stretched out his hands. Nali swooped down and caught him in midair.

  She dropped him near the ground. Twisting around and facing the serpent, she pulled Ashure’s sword from the sheath. Asahi sprinted to the left, yelling, while Nali flew to the right.

  The serpent swung its tail around and caught him across the stomach, knocking the breath out of him and lifting him off the ground again. Asahi clung to the tail and glanced up. Nali was deflecting the serpent’s lethal strikes.

  Between attacks, the alien hissed, “You cannot defeat me. I have unlocked the knowledge and might of the most powerful species in the universe.”

  Nali slashed the serpent’s nose. Ashure’s enchanted blade opened a deep cut, and the alien drew back with a loud hiss. Nali ducked when the serpent slammed into a nearby tree.

  The impact nearly dislodged Asahi from the serpent’s tail. He dug his fingers in between the scales for better purchase and looked up. Mr. Gryphon was frantically trying to pull the dagger out of the sticky black liquid pouring from the alien’s head. With grim determination, Asahi began climbing the creature’s back, while Nali kept the its attention on her and Ashure’s sword.

  “You will never succeed,” she snarled. “Your reign of terror will end here and now.”

  “It is only the beginning,” the alien gleefully hissed. “Nothing can stop me.”

  An idea formed in Asahi’s mind. He could almost hear his grandfather chuckling. To kill evil, you need to cut off its head. Of course, Aiko had never mentioned evil being a giant serpent, most likely because his grandfather was terrified of snakes. Still, the words were apropos in this instance, and if it worked, he would have to light a candle in his grandfather’s memory and thank him for all his years of guidance.