But then she heard the laughter.
At first, she thought she had imagined it. Until it grew louder, intensifying with each cackle. Coviche slowly raised her head towards the plinth and watched in horror as Moriallaj stood once again, bolts of energy passing between his outstretched palms. His small eyes glowed pure white in a ghostly, ethereal manner, and a hideous grin etched itself on his green face.
He had absorbed Coviche’s weak spell.
The sound of his demonic-like laughter reverberated throughout the cavern. So troubling was the mad, echoing laughter that Cerana and Jana – as well as the few remaining goblins – stopped fighting and turned towards the source of the evil cackle.
They turned just as Moriallaj cast his spell.
Cerana was horrified as a thick bolt of lightning shot from Moriallaj’s hands and smashed into Coviche as she knelt on the ground. The dragon-woman fell backwards but was instantly hit by another bolt of lightning. A weak arm raised itself towards the mage, fingers trembling.
“NOOOOO!” yelled a distraught Cerana.
The mage fired again, this time channelling the bolt so it pounded continuously against Coviche’s defenceless body. When he finally stopped the channel, Coviche dropped and lay motionless on the ground, thin trails of smoke rising from her large frame.
Cerana ran towards her friend, who lay in a smouldering heap on the ground. Two of the last few goblins followed her, but Jana was so paralyzed with fear she remained frozen to the spot. Before Cerana had taken more than a few steps, Moriallaj saw her and unleashed a barrage of sizzling energy spheres towards her, smashing into her body one by one and knocking her backwards before she could react. Cerana’s body was flung like a rag doll towards the edge of the island, where she eventually came to a stop with her upper body overhanging the ledge, mere inches from falling to a fiery death. Her arms hung over the ridge, and she stared down at the bubbling lava a few feet below her. Her eyes flickered as she fought with consciousness.
Jana was pulled from her trance by two sneering goblins who poked their swords at her ribs until she dropped her bow and flung her hands up in the air in surrender.
Not long ago, their victory appeared to be nearing. Now, both Cerana and their most powerful ally lay smouldering and unmoving on the ground. Jana dropped to her knees and cried a river of tears.
Hope faded, and was now lost.
CHAPTER 54 – The Madness of the Mage
“You fought well, my human friends.” Moriallaj’s glowing white eyes were wide open as he walked casually over to Esteri, who remained still as stone, her eyes firmly shut. “But who are you against the power of Moriallaj?” He stroked Esteri’s forehead with a bony hand and traced a long finger down her chest, all the way to her navel. He was enjoying his victory.
Turning from his prisoner, he walked to the edge of his plinth. “Now, you must die. I am going to enjoy this.” Thrusting forward his arms, he extended his long fingers. A flash of yellow light exploded from his hands, creating a beam that wrapped itself around the motionless figure of Coviche. As Moriallaj raised his arms, the dragon-woman was slowly lifted off the ground, enveloped in the magical yellow beam. Her arms and legs dangled as she was raised upwards, her head sagging back until she was lifted five feet above the ground. Jana watched helplessly, fearing the beautiful woman was already dead as she had not moved a muscle since she fell.
Moriallaj slowly parted his arms, and at that point, Jana realised Coviche was still alive, as she began to scream from within the glowing beam. She thrashed and contorted, her faced wracked with pain. It was hard for Jana to watch as the goblin mage attempted to tear her limb from limb. Jana could see Coviche’s limbs straightening as the powerful spell pulled her arms up past her head until she was rod-straight, horizontal to the ground. Coviche screamed again and tried to escape the beam, but she was too weak from battle and the spell too strong for her to break. Invisible hands were stretching her; cold hands that held her tightly as they slowly pulled her legs and arms in opposite directions. The pain was unbearable, and she screamed again. She felt her spine straighten and her bones crack as the hands kept on pulling, and she thrashed her head from side to side as it was the only part of her body she could still move.
Unable to watch any longer, Jana bravely ran forward in a vain attempt to help the stricken woman inside the magical beam. But no sooner had she taken stride, her goblin guards thrust up their swords, blocking her path. Tears rolled down her cheeks as Jana turned to her sister, who lay motionless, overhanging the edge of the island. Jana closed her eyes and covered her ears with her hands, but she could still hear Coviche’s screams no matter how hard she pressed them to her head.
CHAPTER 55 – The Blessing
As Cerana’s eyes flickered open, the searing heat rose into her face, making her squint. I must be dead, and this is the depths of hell, she thought. It’s just like they described in the old stories.
All she could see was a constant flow of bubbling, popping lava as her arms hung over the edge of the ground on which she lay. The heat was staggering, but she had no energy nor desire to move. It felt like her body, mind and soul had simply given up, and was now preparing her for a life in hell.
It only felt right that the descent into hell was a fitting punishment, after her parents’ untimely demise by her hands. She had never been able to forgive herself, despite being told continuously by Jana and Esteri that she could not be blamed. But I know it was my fault. If I had not been in that barn that night, our parents would still be alive now. I started the fire, and I am the only one to blame. Who else’s fault could it have been?
Her right eye was swollen and bruised, and she could see very little out of it. A solitary tear welled in her left eye, somehow able to withstand the searing heat from the lava below. The tear dropped, and Cerana watched it fall. Slowly it descended, as if it were fighting gravity, fighting to stay away from the deadly flow. With her one good eye, Cerana followed the tear in slow motion as it inched towards the lava. It seemed to take an age, but she supposed that she had all the time in the world now she was undoubtedly dead.
The tear splashed into the molten red and orange flow. But instead of being destroyed by the lava, the tiny tear just floated on the surface. A perfect teardrop, sitting on top of the lava as the current flowed beneath it.
Cerana watched with a smile as the teardrop stood defiantly against the molten mass. But eventually, the inevitable happened, and the tear popped, causing a ripple in the searing substance. But it did not float away with the current. It flattened out and expanded; a small puddle that refused to be taken by the unstoppable force. Cerana watched the dream-like spectacle with awe as the drop expanded further, the lava being forced around the wet tear as it grew to the size of a small, round shield and stood its ground in the middle of the searing stream.
It had stopped growing, but now the tear seemed as though the fiery lava was finally absorbing it. Except, it was the tear that absorbed the lava, and the watery phenomenon began to transform once more. The tear started to rotate, slowly at first but quickening, until it created a small blue and white whirlpool in the lava. And something was emerging from the bottom of the vortex, slowly rising to the surface.
Not something. It was someone.
A face was taking shape in the water, a face that was becoming more and more familiar to Cerana.
Father? It cannot be. Is it really you? The face morphed into that of Boleos Proudstone – father to three beautiful daughters and husband to Emillie Proudstone. The face smiled at Cerana, just the way she remembered it.
“Father…” she whispered to the pool in the lava.
A voice spoke to her inside her head.
“My beautiful daughter.” Boleos’ voice was just as it had been all those years ago. Cerana never forgot the sound of his gentle yet authoritative voice.
“Daddy, I am returned to you.”
“No, my love. Not yet. You still have work to do in this life.”
“But this is my punishment,” Cerana croaked. “Let me be with you once more.”
“Cerana,” the voice that belonged to her father said. “You have no punishment to serve. Your work is not yet done. Now is not the time for you to leave this world.”
“I don’t understand?” she said. “Father, take me with you! I long to be with you once more!”
“No, my daughter. Not now. One day we will be together again, but today is not that day. You must live on. You must fight.”
“But you died because of me…..I killed you….and Mother…..” Cerana wept.
“No, Cerana. No. There is no blame. We have never blamed you, and never will.”
“Forgive me, Father.”
The image in the whirlpool flickered. “There is nothing to forgive, my child. You must only forgive yourself. Now go, save Esteri and Jana. Only you can save them now.”
“Father, I….”
“Go, Cerana. We love you, and will always love you. All of you. We will be waiting for you. Go with our blessing. Bring your family together.”
Her father’s ethereal face descended back into the small whirlpool, swirling away into the watery depths. It slowly diminished and disappeared altogether into the lava, and Cerana was suddenly jolted into life, coughing and spluttering, fighting for air.
I am alive!
Her face burned from being so close to the lava flow, and her entire body was sore and painful. But alive. Her eyes were dry from staring at the lava, and as she blinked them moist again, she looked down into the lava – but the whirlpool and the face it contained were gone.
With her father’s blessing and forgiveness, Cerana found renewed strength and purpose. She felt her limbs reacting once more, painful as they were. Her eyes narrowed as she realised precisely what she needed to do. Cerana pulled her arms upwards, grasping the edge of the island. Keeping as still as she could, she turned her head to her right, relieved to see Jana kneeling on the ground with her hands on her head, but alive. Three goblins stood guard around her, with their backs to Cerana. She looked left, horrified to witness Coviche’s helpless body being tortured by the goblin mage. There was no time to waste; it was now or never.
She sprang from her precarious position overhanging the island edge, muscles and limbs protesting and burning in agony, yet she was able to battle through the pain. Cerana saw her dagger lying on the floor nearby, its blade glowing like a red hot poker. She swerved to its position, grabbed it by the hilt and ran towards the goblins, who thankfully had not been alerted to her movements. She saw no sign of her pilfered sword, but with no time to look around, she rushed towards the goblins guarding her sister. They turned as she neared, but too late for the closest goblin as Cerana took him by surprise and slashed open his throat with the deadly blade. Another goblin reached for his sword, but before he could draw it, Cerana plunged the glowing dagger into his belly. She swiftly withdrew the blade and smashed him in the face with such force he staggered backwards and fell to his death in the lava. Whilst Cerana despatched the hapless goblin, Jana sprang up and grabbed the third and last remaining green-skinned beast as he turned to face her sister. With one fluid movement, she yanked his small body backwards with ease and threw him into the lava before he could react.
“Cerana! I thought you were dead!” Jana threw her arms around her elder sister.
“So did I, my love. Father brought me back.”
“What? Father, how?”
Their brief reunion was interrupted as Coviche’s tortured screams gave them a stark reminder that their task was far from complete.
“Save her, C!” yelled Jana.
Cerana turned and ran towards their stricken friend who was on the verge of death as Moriallaj continued to pull her apart. How she could possibly stop the magic, she did not know. But she knew that she needed to at least try. Cerana bravely dashed towards the beam that pulsed from the hands of the goblin mage and tore the life from Coviche. Running past several goblin corpses on the ground, she spied a discarded shortsword and picked it up as she ran. She glanced down at the ornate dagger she held, her eyes drawn to the blade that was now glowing such a bright and deep red she could barely look at it directly. It was almost as if the dagger was willing her onwards, willing her to succeed. But how? What chance have I against this mage, who has overpowered Coviche with such ease? But then an idea came to her, as clear in her mind as her father’s voice was a few moments ago.
Cerana positioned herself next to the beam and in front of the stricken dragon-woman. Coviche’s screams turned to blood-curdling cries, and Cerana faced towards the mage on top of the plinth. Moriallaj seemed so hell-bent on ripping Coviche to pieces, he disregarded the feeble human who stood beside his quarry.
Cerana saw Esteri, still hovering next to the crazed mage. The magical dagger glowed even brighter as Cerana ducked underneath the beam, raised her dagger and sword together in a cross-shape, and intercepted the powerful beam of light with the gleaming, blood-soaked weapon. The blade glowed brighter still as the beam smashed into the steel, as if reacting to the magic that pounded it. Cerana steadied herself against the magical barrage, howling with effort as the beam threatened to force her backwards. But she grounded her feet well, her leather boots providing good grip on the rocky surface, and she was able to stand and push the pulsing dagger forwards. The beam - now concentrated on the dagger - released Coviche from her torture and she fell with a loud thud to the ground. Jana dashed across to check on the near-dead dragon-woman, but she lay motionless and appeared unconscious, or worse.
Moriallaj was so intensely concentrating on channelling his murderous spell, it took a few moments for him to realise that instead of finishing off his intended victim, it was Cerana and her magical blade that now stood in his way. His ethereal white eyes flickered and blinked before returning to normal. Whatever trance he had been in was now wearing off, but still he channelled his spell. “You!” he snarled at Cerana, her face contorted with the strain and effort of keeping the beam at bay. “Why will you refuse to die?” he yelled. Roaring, he increased the intensity of the beam, and Cerana knew she could not hold its power much longer.
Jana knelt by Coviche’s large frame, unable to force any signs of life from the huge woman – and still unsure if there was any life left in her at all. Cerana’s scream diverted her attention to her sister, and she saw her elder sibling being pushed backwards and towards them. Cerana’s whole body shook from the effort, her face twisted in pain. Jana tried to pull Coviche out of the way of the beam in case Cerana could not hold it back, but she had not the strength to budge her. Cerana was keeping them all alive by intercepting the deadly beam, but she was fading fast.
Finally, Cerana could hold the spell no longer. Her arms started to shake and buckle towards her. The beam was now a matter of inches from her face, the dagger and sword forced towards her.
Jana screamed. Cerana closed her eyes and waited for the impact.
But as Moriallaj concentrated fully on the channel, he was unaware of the small figure that had silently climbed up the side of the plinth and now stood behind him. Varros jumped onto the mage’s back and closed his bony fingers around Moriallaj’s neck, squeezing with all his might. The shocked mage instantly broke the spell, the beam disintegrating immediately. Cerana collapsed to the ground, exhausted yet quite unable to believe what she was witnessing. Moriallaj twisted and jerked, clawing at his unseen assailant, but he could not get a hold. Varros tightened his grip, choking the life out of the mage.
Finally, Moriallaj caught a thin arm and yanked it away from his neck. Moriallaj was taller and stronger than Varros, and he managed to wrench away the grip on his neck, throwing the smaller goblin to the ground. Moriallaj gasped for air and Varros came at him again, but this time the mage was quicker and cast an instant spell that smashed against Varros’ frail body, flinging him to the edge of the plinth. Moriallaj rubbed his bruised neck as he ambled towards Varros, who looked up at him with terror in his bulging eyes.<
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“You will interfere with my plans no longer, traitor!” Moriallaj growled, raising his arms to cast the spell that would finish off the traumatised goblin, who once obeyed his every word.
But instead of destroying his foe, Moriallaj was distracted by a massive crash behind them. The mage jerked his head towards the source. Another deafening crash echoed through the cavern, and fear began to rise in the mage. The third and loudest crash demolished the rocky wall to the right of where they fought. Huge boulders, stones and debris flew into the cavern and splashed into the lava. Moriallaj watched on, frozen with terror.
Cerana managed to raise her weary head in time to see a gigantic black mouth push through the remains of the destroyed wall. Row upon row of enormous sharp teeth slowly moved into the cavern, followed by the rest of the gargantuan head. Cerana watched in awe as a massive eyelid licked open to reveal a piercing yellow and black eye that scanned the cavern, briefly watching her before fixating on the motionless figure of Coviche. The huge pupil widened even further at the harrowing sight.
A low but menacing growl escaped the black jaw, before opening fully and emitting an ear-splitting roar.
Dramilath - the last remaining of the black dragonflight – pushed her gargantuan head fully into the cavern, rows of spines on top of her head causing more boulders and rocks to splash into the waiting lava as if they were pebbles. She turned to the plinth where a stunned Moriallaj could only watch in paralysed fear as her jaw opened wider and her pupil narrowed. Dramilath fully opened her mouth and let out another deafening roar that carried such ferocity as to force the tiny mage backwards a few steps. He stood in disbelief, mouth wide open and eyes bulging.
Dramilath pushed further still into the cavern, sections of the upper wall disintegrating as two massive horns atop her head came partly into view. She opened her vast maw once more, but this time she did not roar. In the back of her mouth, a glowing orange ember appeared, searing and burning, and growing in size and density in a matter of seconds. Dramilath released an unstoppable jet of pure flame that reached the stunned mage in a heartbeat, incinerating him on the spot before he could even scream. Dramilath, as if to demonstrate her unbridled power, continued with the barrage of flame far longer than necessary as the tiny mage was disintegrated.
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