by Eric Vall
A small smile ghosted across his lips.
“Sounds nice.” He coughed a few times. “Though at this point, anything sounds better than this.”
“Yeah, I’m sure.” I looked around the area. “Miraya? Can you come here? I need you.”
“You called?” a voice answered behind me.
I turned to see the spirit of my sword standing with her arms crossed. Her white hair spilled out over her shoulder, and she stared at Asher with a look of disgust. Even while angry, she was gorgeous. Her sheer dress clung to her curves, and her lips were in a thin line. Her eyes were also narrowed into slits as she stared daggers at Asher.
As I admired her, I was suddenly thankful she had abandoned her childlike form for this one. This one was much better.
“So, we are finally going to get rid of the freeloader?” she asked as she took a step toward Asher. “I cannot say I’m too upset. It will be nice to have this area to myself.”
“You do realize this is my spiritual sea, right?” I asked with a cocked eyebrow.
“So, did the princess explain the process to you at all?” Miraya questioned as she ignored my comment.
“She said we need to focus on healing him from the miasma,” I replied. “If we can destroy the demonic substance, we think his spirit should be free to leave. I’m assuming it works the same way as it did when I healed the people of miasma poisoning after I first arrived at Hatra.”
“So, you want me to heal him from his infection?”
“If you can, yes.”
“Okay.”
Miraya tiptoed toward Asher and carefully grabbed his face with her left hand. Then she placed her right palm on his forehead and closed her eyes. Light emanated from the spirit, and it shined brighter and brighter. The miasma tried to hide away from her healing light, but she just continued to glow like the sun.
Eventually, the light became so blinding, I had to turn away. The magic continued to grow stronger until it was abruptly cut off.
Then I heard a scream.
I jerked my head back to Miraya as her bright light slowly faded. Asher had a hand around her throat, and he was lifting her off the ground with a sinister frown on his face. The miasma slowly billowed its way across Asher’s torso and up around his arm onto Miraya.
She struggled to break out of Asher’s iron grip, and her feet kicked at his legs while her fingers scratched the hand grasping her throat. The miasma slowly crawled its way across Miraya’s body and corrupted her once bright light into a thick, dark fog.
“Miraya!” I yelled as I ran toward her, grabbed Asher’s hand, and pried his fingers off her throat.
She collapsed in a heap at my feet, and I quickly grabbed her and pulled her away from the miasma and out of Asher’s reach. The smoke surrounding her body glided back to Asher and joined with the rest of the miasma. The black substance swarmed around Asher’s arm and then flowed back onto his body. His body fell limp, and I watched warily as I waited for another attack to come. When he didn’t move again, I took a step toward Miraya.
Then I did a quick scan to check for any injuries.
Classification: Sword Spirit
Condition: Slight miasma poisoning. Significant bruising along neck.
Priority: Healing recommended
Status: Healing
I sighed in relief. At least she didn’t seem to be in too much danger from the attack.
“Miraya, are you alright?”
“I will be fine,” she rasped in response, and I could see the dark bruises across her throat in the shape of Asher’s hand. “The miasma is stronger than I thought.”
“How did he even do that?” I asked with a wince. “You’re a spirit, how could he grab you like that?”
The bruises across the throat began to slowly fade until there was no evidence of the attack left.
“In the mortal world, I am a spirit,” she explained steadily as she stood. “Here, in a spiritual place, this is my form. I am as solid as any human. Now, let us try again.”
“Are you sure?” I questioned hesitantly.
“Yes,” she replied with a firm nod. “If we don’t destroy this demon now, it will only get stronger. I have underestimated its strength already, I don’t know how much longer the miasma will be satisfied with Asher before it turns to you. We must finish this now. But in order to destroy it, I will require your assistance.”
“Whatever you need.”
Together, we approached Asher again, and his head lifted to watch us draw near. I kept my eyes locked onto his, and I could feel the miasma begin to rise up Asher’s arms again as it prepared to defend its host.
“I think the miasma is in more control than we thought,” I said to Miraya, but my eyes never left Asher. “He will only attack us if we try to harm the miasma, but we need to finish this, for Asher’s sake. What do I need to do?”
“Copy my movements and focus all your healing magic into him,” the spirit instructed. “Together, we should be strong enough to destroy this demon once and for all.”
“Sounds like a plan.” I nodded.
Then Miraya placed her palm on Asher’s forehead, and I mirrored her movement. We closed our eyes, and I focused on my healing magic and let it flow into Asher and the miasma.
Behind my eyes, I could see the brightness of Miraya, and she began to glow once more as she started to chant in a language I didn’t recognize. Then there was another scream, this time from Asher, so I knew it was working. For a moment, the brightness behind my eyes dimmed, and I sent some of my magic toward Miraya to help her. A second later, there was a flash, and the light was even brighter than before.
Asher screamed again, and I could feel the demonic presence of the miasma begin to fade.
“It’s working!” I yelled over Asher’s screams.
I opened my eyes and squinted against Miraya’s light. A few seconds later, I felt the warmth of her healing magic and a surge of power as light burst from all over her body, and suddenly, my entire spiritual sea was covered in a purifying white light.
When the light faded, there was no presence of the miasma at all.
I looked down at Asher, who had collapsed on the floor. His eyes were bloodshot, and his breath came in shallow pants.
“Asher, hey,” I murmured as I knelt beside him. “How do you feel?”
“I’m free,” he gasped out, and his voice was watery. “I’m finally free. Thank you, Evan. I knew you were a great man, and this proves it. I know you will do great things for Hatra, and one day, all of Inati.”
“You’re wel--” I started to say, but then his eyes widened, and he grabbed onto my arms in a panic.
“Evan,” he rasped, “I can remember.”
“Remember what?” I asked with a furrowed brow.
“Why I was sent here,” he breathed. He stopped to take a few more shallow breaths, but then his eyelids began to droop, and I shook his body.
“Asher, wait,” I called out. “Why were you sent to Hatra? Who sent you?”
“The books. He wanted to learn more magic. The archives … ” He trailed off with a cough, and his eyelids fluttered closed.
“No, Asher wait!” I said, but I knew it was too late. His soul had been corrupted for so long, so the moment it was healed, it longed to be free. “Asher. Please, if there is anything at all you can tell me … ”
His eyes squinted open a fraction, and his dry lips parted.
“Not all friends are allies,” he whispered weakly.
“What?” I frowned. “What does that mean?”
“I’m sorry, Evan,” his eyes started to drift shut again, “please forgive me.”
“Asher, wait!”
Asher’s eyes finally closed, and his body began to turn to white dust and vanished into the air. Then the pressure of his hands disappeared from my arms, and I felt a sense of peace.
Then I knew Asher was finally free.
Miraya looked to me. “His soul has been healed. He has finally found peace.”
> “Then I guess our job here is done,” I sighed.
I didn’t wait for her to respond. Instead, I closed my eyes and pictured the River Moonstone House. Then I opened my eyes, and I once again sat next to Alyona on the blue marble floor.
“You did it,” the princess said with a broad grin. “Evan, that was remarkable. I could feel the moment the miasma resisted, but you were able to push it back and purify it. I have never felt such powerful healing magic before. You and your sword make quite the pair.”
There is so much room in here, now.
I heard Miraya laugh as her voice echoed in my head.
“Yeah, I’m glad I found her,” I chuckled. “She’s going to add a nice power up to my healing ability.” Then I stood and offered Alyona my hand, and she graciously accepted and rose from the ground.
“What is wrong?” Alyona asked as she peered at my face and furrowed her brows. “I thought you would be more relieved to have put Asher to rest.”
“I am,” I sighed, “I just wish I could have talked to him more once he was healed.”
Alyona used her free hand to rub my arm.
“I’m sorry you couldn’t get more answers, but I am so proud of you. You came from a world with no magic, and yet you have surpassed everyone's expectations. I have no doubt you will become one of the most gifted people here in Inati.”
Her eyes darted down to my lips for a second, and the dragon in me growled. So, I quickly snatched her by her waist and pulled her against my chest. She gasped and stumbled at the sudden movement, but my arms steadied her, and I caught a glint in her eye that let me know she was having similar thoughts. Then I pressed my lips to hers, and I captured the moan that escaped her mouth.
“Are your words the only way you know how to congratulate me?” I whispered into her ear, and a shiver coursed through her body.
“Of course not, my dragon,” she purred before she kissed me again.
My cock twitched at the nickname, and I let out a feral growl as I picked her up and wrapped her beautiful milky thighs around my waist. I carried her until she was pressed up against the wall. Then I used the wall to hold her in place as I slid my hand down her thighs toward her wet lips. I trailed kisses down her neck to her chest before I pushed her gown from her shoulders and took a nipple in my mouth. My fingers slipped between her lower lips and inside her at the same time, and I felt her tense.
“Evan,” she gasped out, and I returned my mouth to her lips.
My fingers slipped in and out of Alyona’s body, and she began to clench around my fingers. I used my thumb to stimulate her clit, and a few seconds later, her body clenched tightly around me, and I heard Alyona’s beautiful moans of pleasure. My cock was now straining uncomfortably in my pants, and I pulled my fingers out of her. Then I quickly removed my pants and freed my throbbing cock. My arms wrapped around Alyona’s thighs and raised them up as I pushed myself inside her.
“Oh, that feels amazing!” she gasped as I entered her body, and I pressed more kisses along her neck.
“You are so tight and wet for me,” I growled as I thrust into her, and I could feel her velvet walls clenching around me once more. Her second orgasm came quickly, but I just increased my tempo as she cried out into my ear. Her third climax pushed me over the edge, and I released my seed deep inside of her womb as her velvety walls spasmed and clutched my shaft. Then, once I had filled her to the brim, I let her thighs drop, and she clenched them around my waist again.
I pulled her away from the wall and gently placed her down on the marble floor. Then I collapsed on the floor next to her, and she quickly cuddled into my chest. She began pressing more kisses across my pecs, and my cock began to stiffen once more.
Dragon stamina was the best.
I rolled over and braced my body weight onto my arms on either side of Alyona’s face. I could still see the lust in her eyes, and I smiled at her. Then I pressed a kiss to her lips as I spread her legs with my thighs and pushed myself inside her again in one fluid motion.
When we finally emerged from the River Moonstone House, we were completely exhausted, and the sun had just begun to lower into the sky. We began the walk, hand in hand, back toward the city when we heard it.
The warning bells.
Our heads snapped up, and I immediately shifted into my dragon form.
“Get on!” I shouted to the princess.
Alyona hastily climbed onto my back, and I tore off into the sky. Then I quickly located which of the bells was ringing. It was along the wall facing the desert. The guard was frantically pointing at what looked to be a bright light, which was getting bigger and bigger with every passing second.
I heard Alyona gasp in fear, and suddenly I understood why.
It wasn’t a light, nor was it getting bigger. It was a ball of fire.
And it was headed directly toward my city.
I flew back down to the earth and landed hard in the center of Hatra. Ruslan and Julia were both there, along with Laika and Nike. They all ran over to us as Alyona slid off my back and onto the ground. Then the priestess clasped her hands together in prayer, and I heard her begin to quietly say a protection spell.
I turned to the others. “It’s a fireball. I have no idea who cast it or where it came from, but I’m going to stop it.”
They stared at me in surprise, but before they could answer, I took off into the sky once more.
I flew toward the ball of flames and tried to divert it away using my affinity over fire. I could feel the familiar warmth of my magic working, but the fireball resisted. It almost felt alive in the way it refused to listen to me.
A moment later, the ball soared past me, still on a path toward Hatra.
I flew after it, my wings giving me an advantage, and I quickly appeared in front of it again. I swiped my right claw to knock the ball of flames out of the sky, but at the last second, it changed course and once again diverted around me.
I snarled. This fireball was pissing me off.
I chased after the ball, and I noticed something weird. Inside the flames seemed to be a bird, and behind the fireball, feathers were flying off and burning into ash. Before I could think too much about the bird that was apparently on fire, I noticed we were nearly at Hatra, and I could see Alyona still praying in the center of the city. Laika stood guard over her, sword at the ready.
I expected the fireball to aim for the heart of the city and my lovers, but to my surprise it ignored the city and flew past the walls to the east. Then I watched as it crashed down in a plume of dust and smoke in the forest outside our walls.
There was a pulse of magic that seemed familiar, but I couldn’t place where I had felt it before. I landed inside the walls of Hatra and shifted back into my human self. My parents and Nike joined me as I walked toward the main gate, while Laika and Anton stood guard over Alyona as she finished her spell.
“Evan, what should we do?” Nike asked as we approached the gate.
“Get ready to fight,” I answered simply.
Nike nodded, and his face turned hard. Then he grabbed his sword from its sheath on his back and gripped it tightly.
I felt another rush of the intruder’s magic, and suddenly, I realized why the fireball seemed familiar. The magic was pure, similar to Alyona. It was also similar to my fire magic when I summoned my flames. It was like a combination of Alyona’s power and mine, which was why I couldn’t place it at first.
Suddenly, I could sense the princess’s magical barrier rise up around us, and soon enough I heard Laika, Anton, and Alyona join us at the gate.
“What the hell is going on?” Anton asked as he summoned his own flames across his palms. “Why did that thing just avoid the city?”
“I’m not sure,” I growled, “but just because it spared the city doesn’t mean it’s friendly. We need to be on guard.”
Before anyone could answer, quiet footsteps approached from the forest.
Ruslan and I both summoned flames to our hands while Nike readied hi
s sword.
“Whatever or whoever it is, they’re coming,” Ruslan said.
The group tensed.
Then a beautiful woman stepped out of the forest. Her hair was dark orange, and she was dressed in a red silk robe. Golden thread trimmed the robe, and I noticed feathers fell out of her hair and trailed behind her. Then she came closer, and I saw her eyes were a bright blue, but a strange shade. They seemed to flicker in the light, and I realized the color reminded me of the blue flame of a fire, the part that was supposed to burn the hottest.
The woman stopped outside of the barrier and placed her hand upon the shield. She hesitated for a moment, but with a smile, she took a step forward and passed through the barrier like it didn’t even exist.
My fire flared up, and next to me, I saw the others tense, all of us ready to strike the woman down.
Then Alyona appeared at my side.
“Evan, she is a friend,” she reassured me as she placed a hand on my arm. “My barrier only prevents enemies of Hatra from entering. If she could pass through, it means she is here with good intentions.”
“The princess is right, I mean the people of Hatra no harm,” the woman spoke with a soft, clear voice. Then she glanced at the flames that were still alive around mine and Ruslan’s hand and raised an eyebrow.
“Besides … ” she trailed off, looked down at her own hand, and pressed them together delicately. Then she pulled them apart slowly, and blue flames danced between her hands. She gradually moved her hands farther apart, and the flames stayed in a horizontal pillar, swirling between her palms. She quickly pushed her hands down, and the flames struck the earth and flared up like a wall in front of her. She casually stepped through the flames and smirked at us when she appeared on the other side, completely unharmed. “I really don’t think your fire could do me much harm.”
Ruslan was the first to extinguish his flames, but he narrowed his eyes at the woman.
“If you mean us no harm, then why have you come?” he asked.
“I have come on behalf of my people,” the strange woman replied. “I have heard rumors of a great dragon that protects this city, so I have come to beg for his help.”