by Eric Vall
I landed hard with a grunt before I stood on shaky legs. My healing magic hummed beneath my skin, and I tried to reach for it. I had a moment of panic when my power didn’t respond, but then it eagerly exploded through my veins, and I could feel the mage’s spell slowly get expelled from my body as my magic overpowered the darkness, so I took off into the air again, through the opening in the trees I’d created when I fell.
I looked for the old man quickly, and I flew high above the trees. He had the advantage here, unfortunately, and would most likely be able to see me before I saw him. The dense canopy of trees offered a good camouflage from above, and I could barely see in between the branches.
My best chance to find him would be to sniff him out, since the stench of death was thick around him due to his magic. So, I breathed deeply and quickly caught his scent.
He was close.
I’d just started to track the mage, when another spell shot through the trees and soared toward me. I twisted and rolled my body in the sky to avoid the attack, and then I dove down into the forest to find the mage. I crashed through the trees and easily spotted the ancient man as he prepared another spell. My healing power managed to finally push out the last of the effects from the previous spell that had hit me, and I could feel my energy return at full force. Then I reared my head back and unleashed fire over the mage. Rage coursed through me as the fire burned white-hot, and after a long moment, I closed my jaw in satisfaction.
When the smoke cleared, though, I snarled in irritation.
The mage stood, unharmed, in front of me with a sly grin on his face. He waved his hand to clear the rest of the flames around him before he took a staggered step forward, and then the grin slipped from his face.
I held back a grin of my own. He was strong, but his magic had taken a large toll on his body.
The necromancer panted heavily as he raised his arms again, and more creatures sprang from the ground around us.
I needed a plan. If I could just keep the mage busy, I could tire him out and easily overpower him. I would bet magic was his only weapon, and I doubted he had any kind of fighting skills if his power was this strong. Magic users had a tendency to only focus on their powers and ignored their physical strength. If I tired him out enough for him to be unable to cast spells, he would be helpless.
This was probably why he taught humans how to slay dragons thousands of years ago. He knew he would be no match if the dragons managed to escape their grasp and attack. He wanted dragons gone, but would never risk his own pathetic existence to do it.
I growled deep in my throat as I took a step forward. I crushed the undead creatures under my massive foot, and their bones shattered into thousands of pieces.
The necromancer glared and took a step back from me, and his eyes frantically looked for an escape.
I could hear the bones of the animals reassemble behind me, but I ignored their snarls as I stayed focused on the man ahead of me.
He shot another spell at me, but I stepped easily to the side. His end was drawing near.
Then familiar footsteps echoed from behind me, and I realized the others had finally caught up to us, since I could hear Alyona distantly shout as she chanted the spell to destroy the undead creatures that attacked them.
The necromancer glared over my shoulder and quickly waved his hands around the air. Then a light began to appear behind him, and it looked very familiar.
Now, I understood how the assassins got inside the city. He portaled them inside.
“Evan!” Alyona’s frantic voice shouted from behind me. “We need your help! Laika is hurt!”
At her words, I spun around, and my eyes narrowed on Laika. Nothing was more important than one of my women, not even the mage.
There was a deep gash along Laika’s stomach that looked like a blade wound, several large bite marks along her leg, and blood pooled at her feet. She leaned heavily on Ravi as the phoenix helped her climb the mountainside. The wolf’s face was pale, and she weakly attempted to fight off more of the undead creatures as Alyona tried her best to use the spell quickly.
Nike stood near Alyona to prevent any creatures from reaching her while she worked, and he had a few minor injuries along his cheeks and limbs, but seemed to be okay otherwise.
A cloud of rainbow glitter poured from my mouth and covered all of them in a shimmery cloud. I could hear them all sigh as the magic healed them, and I watched as Laika’s face regained its color, and she stood tall. Her wounds healed quickly, and she brandished her broadsword with anger in her gray eyes.
I nodded at the wolf and turned back to the necromancer with my fangs bared.
Suddenly, a set of footsteps I didn’t recognize came from my side, and the older female assassin from before burst from the trees. Her mask was gone, and she had several deep gashes along her body. She froze when she saw me with the others, and then she turned to join the necromancer ahead of us, but I blocked her way with a wall of fire.
“Wait!” the older woman called to the mage as she tried to get around the flames. “You can’t leave me here!”
The necromancer glanced back at her with a look of disgust.
“You should have taken care of the dragon before he became a problem,” he spat at the woman. “Consider this a lesson.”
Then he muttered a quick spell, and sickly green magic exploded from his hands and shot toward the female assassin.
The energy was absorbed by the woman, and her face twisted in discomfort as she began to cough. She gagged for a few seconds before she fell to her knees, and her hands scratched at her throat as she choked on whatever spell was cast upon her. Then her body collapsed to the floor, and fear was still etched in her expression.
The green magic rushed out of her corpse and returned to its master, who absorbed it in a similar fashion, except the magic seemed to give him a youthful glow instead of strangulation.
My stomach twisted in disgust. This explained how he was able to live for so long. He had the power to absorb other people’s life force.
The necromancer sighed in satisfaction as the veins in his skin disappeared under healthy flesh. The gray hair atop his head and in his beard faded into a dark brown, and his arched back fixed itself as the mage stood up straight with a grin.
“Until next time, dragon of Hatra,” he said as he stepped toward the portal he’d summoned.
I reared back my head and got ready to roast him, but then the mage met my gaze, smirked, and lifted his hand toward my group of friends.
My eyes widened, and I had just enough time to pull up a wall of stone twenty feet high before a bolt of energy smashed into the shield in front of my friends. The wall splintered and cracked, and I knew that if I hadn’t made it in time, my people would have been reduced to ashes.
“Fuck!” I snarled and turned back to the necromancer, but he’d already stepped through the portal and vanished.
As soon as he disappeared, the remainder of the undead creatures collapsed into piles of bones. Then Alyona fell to the ground, her magic spent. Sweat dampened her brow, and she panted as she tried her best to catch her breath.
I shifted back into my human form with rage clear on my face, but I made sure to hide my anger as I crouched beside Alyona.
“Are you okay?” I asked and offered her my hand.
She took it graciously, and I helped her stand. The princess leaned on me heavily once she was on her feet again, and I noticed her white dress was covered in blood.
I sent my magic to check over her, but she was fine, so I sighed in relief.
Alyona glanced down at her ruined dress and nodded, but there were tears in her amethyst eyes. “I’m okay. This blood isn’t mine. An assassin tried to attack me, but Laika stopped him. That’s why she was hurt. It was my fault.”
“It was no one’s fault but the man who tried to attack you,” Laika’s voice replied. “And we made sure he paid for it.”
The wolf Demi-Human stood on Alyona’s other side, and the princess w
rapped her arms around her.
“I’m glad you’re okay now,” Alyona admitted in a tearful voice. “I was so afraid we wouldn’t reach Evan in time.”
“I’m fine now, that’s what matters, Milady,” Laika consoled her before she pulled away.
“Are you sure?” I whispered as I wrapped Laika in a hug as well. “You looked like you were on the brink of death when Ravi helped you up the mountain.”
“I promise,” she whispered back, “I knew you would heal me.”
Pride filled my chest, and I pressed a kiss to Laika’s lips. “I always will.”
“I’m sorry the mage got away,” Laika said as we separated. “If I wouldn’t have gotten injured, you would have caught him.”
“Don’t apologize,” I told her. “I chose to protect you all instead of murder him because the four of you are more important to me. You were also hurt to protect Alyona. You can’t blame yourself. I’ll find him again, and he won’t escape from me a second time.”
Alyona sighed and swayed on her feet next to us, and Laika and I both reached out to steady her.
“We need to get you back, you have used too much magic,” Laika said as she steadied Alyona.
The princess nodded slowly and stumbled on her feet. “Perhaps I did overuse my magic. I didn’t realize how much power the spell would require. I just need some rest, and I’ll be okay.”
“You can fly back with me,” I said. “I’ll carry you on my back. Ravi, do you mind riding on my back as well? You’re the smallest in the group, and I don’t want Alyona to slip off.”
“I don’t mind at all,” the phoenix princess replied. “I’ll make sure she makes it back safely.”
“Will you two be okay?” I asked the two warriors.
“Of course,” Nike replied as he walked around fallen limbs and trees. “We’ll find you once we return.”
“Just make sure the princess is safe,” Laika said with a worried look.
I nodded and shifted back into my dragon form, and Ravi quickly climbed up before she helped Alyona get situated.
“Ready?” I asked the two princesses on my back.
“Yeah,” Ravi replied, “Alyona is already asleep, but she’s secure.”
I chuckled, took off into the air, and then flew back home. The stench of the necromancer faded behind me as I left the mountains, but he never left my thoughts.
I would find that bastard again, soon, and I would make him pay dearly for what he did to Valerra’s family and for attacking my city.
Actually, maybe it was kind of a good thing he got away. Now, I could go tell Valerra I’d found him, we could hunt him together, and she could get her oh-so bloody revenge. That would be the gift I would give my mate and soon-to-be mother of my child.
I grinned at the thought. The necromancer had made a mistake in revealing himself to me.
Now, no matter what kind of magic he had on his side, his days were fucking numbered.
Chapter 16
A few days later, things had settled down considerably, and I walked with Afra around the newly grown fields. The fox’s blue hair blew along with the wind, and she led me around the new crops.
“We have our vegetables in the field here: carrots, potatoes, onions and tomatoes. The berries--strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries--grow on the opposite side. We have a fence with grape vines along the walls as well, and we have enough grapes that we can use them for food or to make wine. I’ve already had a few people offer me tips on the best way to ferment the grapes.”
“I’m sure,” I smirked, “people love their booze.”
Afra giggled and continued to point out the different crops. “Our corn and wheat fields are here. I figured half of them can be used for us, there should be more than enough to last us a while, and the other half can be used to feed the livestock we will eventually have. Speaking of,” she pointed across the farms, “we have a fence set up for cows and a sty for pigs. We can adapt and add more as we collect animals, but I figured that would be a great start for now.”
“Everything looks great, Afra,” I praised as I stroked a wheat plant. “When can you start to harvest the food?”
“I want to start the harvest tomorrow,” the young fox answered. “Our current food supply has run low, and I don’t want starvation to ever become a problem for us.”
“Perfect.” I nodded. “This should provide us with more than enough food for our population.”
As soon as I finished my sentence, a flash of silver caught my eye. A small silver fox danced behind Afra, and it barked once before I held out my hand. The fox sat in my palm, and then its mouth opened to speak.
“Evan, you need to come to the main gate,” the silver fox spoke urgently with the voice of Ruslan. “Immediately.”
I was instantly on high alert, and I ran from the farms without so much as a goodbye to Afra. I sprinted toward the gates as fast as my legs would carry me, and my mind filled with various scenarios that could wait for me when I reached the gate.
Flames burned across my hands, and I readied myself for yet another fight, but when I turned the corner, the gates came into view, and I stopped in my tracks.
Ruslan and Julia had their backs toward me, and my father knelt on the ground with two small boys in front of him. The children looked hungry, and they wore dirty clothes covered in patches.
The parents of the children stood just inside the gates, and their clothing was practically rags. The wife and boys wore hats over their heads and thick gloves over their hands, but the father held his hat in his bare hands as he spoke to Julia.
I slowly walked forward, and my fire retreated to my palms and vanished. Before me, the children giggled as Ruslan summoned a small flame of his own and bounced it between his palms.
“Pops,” I called out as I eyed the strangers. “What’s going on?”
“Evan!” Ruslan and Julia both turned to me and gestured to the family before them. “This is Merek, Krea, and their two children. They have come a long way.”
“What can I do for you?” I asked as I eyed them suspiciously.
Merek stepped in front of his wife and bowed his head to me. He was a tall and burly man, with dark hair and a full beard.
“We have come to Hatra for you,” he replied in a faintly accented voice. “My family and I were forced to leave our lives behind in our home country, Xostea. We were no longer safe, and we needed refuge. On our journey, we ran into a group who told us about Hatra. A city that has been reborn. They offered shelter and food to anyone who is able to contribute and help the city grow.”
I turned to Ruslan with a surprised look. My plan to recruit people to Hatra seemed to have worked, but I still needed to know I could trust these people before I let them into my city.
“If you are both so talented, why did you leave your country?” I questioned firmly. “What crimes did you commit that forced you to run?”
The husband and wife shared a look before Krea nodded, and she stepped forward. She was dirty and malnourished, with tired blue eyes and pale blonde hair, but I could tell she had once been attractive. Then she pulled off her hat to reveal a pair of soft, white, wolf ears atop her head, and she removed the gloves to reveal clawed fingertips.
“You’re a Demi-Human,” I said plainly.
Krea nodded and motioned for the children to come to her. Then she rested a hand on each child as she began her story.
“Our home country does not take kindly to Demi-Humans. When I was a baby, I was left at an orphanage to die. Thankfully, the women took pity on me and raised me enough to survive. Once I was old enough, I worked at the orphanage as a maid. I met Merek when I was a child, by chance. We fell in love, despite my appearance, and he was the first person to ever treat me as an equal.”
The pair shared a loving look before Krea continued.
“But we knew the people of our village would never allow a marriage to happen between a man and a Demi-Human without punishment. We could have been killed for just
speaking of such a thing. So, we moved to a city, far from our village, where no one would know us, and I was able to hide my identity. I began to work as a seamstress so I could work from my home. When I fell pregnant with our children, we knew it was a risk.” Krea pulled the hat off the two boys below her to reveal soft white ears, identical to their mother’s. “When the twins were born, we realized they took after me, but I refused to raise my children in a world where they were ashamed of who they are. Merek and I agreed to flee Xostea and find a new home. We have continuously moved for years to find a haven for our children. We hope that haven could be Hatra.”
“We’re prepared to work,” Merek added eagerly. “We don’t expect anything for free. I was a well known carpenter back in Xostea, and my wife Krea is an excellent seamstress. She can make you anything you desire.”
I frowned as I considered their story. I’d known there were some countries in Inati that didn’t treat Demi-Humans fairly, but this was the first time I’d seen any evidence. I glanced down at the twins, and they clung to their mother’s legs, so I knelt down to their level, and identical faces stared back at me.
“Hi,” I said softly, “I’m Evan.”
The boys shared a look before one of them glanced up at their mother, who gave them a small smile.
“My name is Arian,” he said in a small voice, and he pointed at his brother. “And this is Orion. We’re four.”
“Nice to meet you,” I chuckled. “It sounds like you have been traveling for a long time.”
The twins nodded.
I sighed as I took in their appearance. Kids were always my weak point. I couldn’t send these kids away, not when they’ve already had such a rough life.
“How would you like to stay here, in Hatra?” I asked with a broad smile.
Their mother inhaled sharply above me, and I glanced up. Her hand covered her mouth, and tears brimmed in her eyes.
“You’ll allow us to stay?” she whispered in disbelief.
