by Cody Loewen
One hundred feet from the building, the long grass is perfectly maintained, groomed to a short height, and impossibly green and thick. I stop at the edge of the grass and squat down to conceal myself, hoping to catch a glance of my target. I face the front of the small home, which sports a simple door and a single window off to the side. The building is made of neatly stacked stones held together by what looks like a mud paste with a roof constructed of thick cross woven hatching of branches and grass. Nothing about the structure marks it as the home of a supremely evil dragon, but if it did, it wouldn’t be a very good place to lay low when he needs to.
I watch the portal into the home intently for any sign of movement. Nothing. Impatiently, I stand up and begin a quick jog toward the building. I draw my sword as I run, wanting to be ready for the inevitable fight. Unsure if the dragon is currently inside the building, I stop at the entrance. I shift my sword into a small dagger and hide it behind my hand and wrist. I give three raps on the wooden door, gripping the hidden dagger tightly, ready to strike.
I stand there for only a few seconds, but it feels like hours, waiting for an answer. The door opens, and the same face that Valerius’ magic showed me weeks ago stares back at me. Instantly, the red rage I have grown so accustomed to washes over me, a tidal wave of anger ready to be unleashed on this evil creature.
“What can I do for-“ the dragon begins, feigning innocence, but I cut him off before he can finish, charging into the small home, bringing my dagger around to the ready and pressing it against his throat.
I should just finish him right now. But I want him to know why he is dying.
“I know who you are!” I yell at the man, my dagger drawing a line of blood on his throat. “I know what you did, Kromm.”
He looks confused, but I don’t see the terror that I would expect from someone with a blade pressed to their throat.
“I'm not sure who you think I am,” he says carefully. “Let's put the knife down and get to the bottom of this misunderstanding.”
“I know exactly who you are!” I roar back, almost blind with rage, thinking about all of the evil this monster has done. “You may wear a different form, but I still know the truth, you monster.”
“You don't want to do this. You're making a mistake here. Let's figure out who you're really looking for. I don't know who this Kromm is you speak of. My name is Timaeus.”
“I don't care what you choose to call yourself right now,” I reply with fury. “I know what you are and what you have done and I am here to kill you.”
I press my dagger against his throat harder, drawing a deeper line, and move to slide it across his throat, hoping to end this quickly. At the movement, he moves suddenly backward, throwing my arm to the side with one of his hands. Something has shifted in his expression, and I know that there won't be any more talking. I transform my weapon back into a sword, gripping it in both hands and willing all of the strength the gem has to offer into my arms. My enemy assumes a ready position. His eyes suddenly switch to the lizard-like shape, but I notice that they are almost exactly the same as Valerius’, instead of the red and black that I had seen.
He lashes out at me with incredible speed, and I am forced to jump back to avoid the hand, fingers now ending in long, lethally sharp spikes. I charge forward in a complex combination of maneuvers, lashing out at him with my sword from all angles, looking for an opening in his defenses. Using his clawed hands, now coated in thick, white scales, he holds off my attacks. Each one of my blows is subtly redirected just enough to miss their intended target. I growl and increase the intensity, focusing all my energy into the speed and strength of my blows. My vision homes in on my sword and his clawed hands, and I ignorantly miss the fourth weapon that has suddenly come into play.
The tail that has sprouted from behind him whips around, and the thickly muscled appendage throws me back against the wall of the house. The force of the blow causes me to fly right through the exterior wall, landing hard on the ground outside. If it weren't for the strength I was receiving from the ruby in my sword, that might have been a lethal hit. I regain my feet, now holding a battle axe in one hand and pulling a long dagger from my belt with the other. The dragon calmly steps over the rubble that used to be the wall of his home, making his way toward me with a lizard-like snarl on his face.
I break into a run, the superhuman strength in my legs propelling me forward with frightening speed. I swing the battle axe at him, and he raises an arm to block the blow. He catches the handle of the weapon on his forearm, and the force of the strike causes his legs to wobble. I take advantage of his surprise to thrust my dagger forward, slicing a thin line across his abdomen. I transform my weapon back into a dagger, disengaging it from his arm, and launch myself into a spin, building momentum as I drop my ordinary dagger and grip the handle of the large maul I now carry in both hands. I connect with the center of his chest, and the air explodes from his lungs. While he does not fly backward like I expect, he stumbles back several steps before regaining his balance.
As we stand facing each other, he begins to resemble a reptile even more. His whole face appears far less human, and a layer of scales covers most of his body. I charge forward with a yell, long sword back in its traditional form leading the way. I launch swing after swing, each one picked off by a scaled arm. Gripping the sword in one hand, I pull another small knife from my belt and go to work finding small openings in his defenses wherever I can.
I sense his tail coming around once more, and this time I am ready. I pull my sword’s strike short and line it up with the appendage as it hurtles toward me. I gash a deep line in it, and a spray of warm blood causes satisfaction to course through me. Suddenly, my enemy begins to change further, his features transforming in that of a full-bodied dragon.
His body lengthens as he falls to all fours, his arms and legs thickening, the claws on each limb growing to deadly proportions. He looms over me, ready to clamp down on me with his massive jaws. I call on the power of the ruby to grant me speed and begin to circle the giant beast faster than he can turn, causing numerous minor wounds. I continue my efforts, stinging at the dragon with my weapons that seem so small and useless against the sheer size of my enemy.
At first, the strikes and wounds don't seem to bother him, but as the cuts and slices and stabs add up, he begins to slow, the tremendous loss of blood and multitude of injuries catching up to him. His gradual weakness spurs me on, and my strikes come faster and my blows land harder. His tail comes around once more in a desperate attempt to catch me off guard, and I cut the appendage clean off. With a titanic wail, the dragon falls to the ground with pain and I slice him open down the entire length of his belly.
All the strength seems to seep out of the giant beast at that final blow, and the life begins to fade in his eyes as he lies there. He looks up at me, now with human eyes in the giant draconic head, speaking weekly.
“You have no idea what you've done,” he wheezes in what must be his final breaths. “You've made a terrible mistake.”
With those words, his eyes close and his body lies still. I feel the heat of the ruby in my sword that I still hold. As it glows brighter than it ever has before, I stare at it transfixed, watching as it devours the power from the greatest evil I have ever faced. As the light begins to fade, I realize that my rage has also dissipated, and a deep sense of calm and peace washes over me.
I did it! I finally have my vengeance.
A wave of emotion washes over me, and the tears begin to stream down my face. All of the emotions that I have been suppressing through the anger and darkness of the gem and it’s all consuming mission come pouring forth. I think about everything I've been through since I lost my father so long ago, and the happiness of finally avenging him wraps me in a blanket of happiness and relief and holds me tight.
I cry for a long time, both tears of grief and pain from reliving the loss of my father and my home, and tears of happiness at the completion of this quest and the fulfilling of
the vow I made to myself on that terrible day. After I gather myself, I leave the corpse of my most hated enemy lying on the ground in his huge natural form and decide to make my way back to Valerius. I could not have done any of this without him, and I want to let him know that my quest is finally complete.
I search the ground near where our fight took place for the dagger I dropped and return it to its place on my belt. As I slide my sword back into its sheath, I take a mental inventory of my gear and weapons and a check of my body, looking for injuries that I haven’t felt yet because of the adrenaline coursing through my veins. Aside from several minor cuts from the glancing blows of Timaeus’ claws, and the bruises and pain that I know will come from being thrown though the stone wall of the building, I am unharmed.
Wow, that wasn’t nearly as difficult as I imagined. So much for dragon magic.
I move to take my first steps away from the battle when I hear a loud rush of air overhead. Looking up, a flash of black draws my gaze to the massive, winged dragon descending in front of me. A moment of confusion at the scene comes over me, and I move to redraw my sword against this newest enemy, but the flying beast shifts into a human form just above the ground and drops the rest of the way to land easily in front of me. I recognize the very individual who I was planning on traveling back to.
Valerius glances behind me at the corpse of my slain foe and lets out a wide grin at the sight. I notice that the white robes that he wore at both of our previous meetings have been replaced by a set of black traveling leathers. I grin back at him, enjoying his joy at the death of the other dragon, but the smile vanishes immediately as he speaks.
“Oh, you foolish girl. You really have no idea what you have done, do you?”
Chapter 26
I stop in my tracks, his words bringing me waves of confusion. I look back behind me at the corpse of Timaeus, suddenly unsure of my actions and what I have actually accomplished. Valerius strides toward me confidently, a wicked grin displayed across his face. He chuckles at me, obviously enjoying the fact that I am in the dark about whatever he is saying. Without the anger and darkness that I have held for all these years, I begin to feel like a scared little girl again, in way over her head.
I push those emotions back, though, drawing the memories of my mission to the front of my mind, and I narrow my eyes at the dragon.
“What are you talking about?” I demand of him. He now stands directly in front of me, his fangs clearly showing as he continues to smirk at me.
“You did exactly as you were told,” he answers me. “You were a good little servant, following my orders. Unfortunately, those orders just didn’t exactly line up with the mission that you thought you were on.”
Anger begins to rise once more at his admission of treachery, and I move my hand to my sword and begin to draw the blade against him. He shakes his head condescendingly and lifts a hand, sending my sword flying from my grasp with a flick of his finger. It lands several strides away, far out of reach.
“The time for fighting is long past,” Valerius remarks with another look at the giant corpse behind me. “You made sure of that, didn’t you? You have played your part perfectly, Lykara, and I thank you for that. None of what I have done would have been possible without your help.”
I stammer, trying to find the words to reply, but nothing comes to my mouth.
“In five short years, I have achieved what I have been planning for centuries. Because of you, and your bloodline, I was able to achieve victory over my most hated enemy and set much grander plans into motion at the same time. Now, there is just one more thing I need from you, and then your part in this prophecy will be complete.”
I shake my head in defiance at him, unwilling to help him anymore now that his lies are becoming clear. The confusion isn’t gone, but I can see that this dragon who I trusted was not after the same goals as me.
“I won’t help you anymore,” I declare. “You lied to me. I will kill you or die trying long before I bring whatever plans you have to fruition.”
He gives a short laugh at me, shaking his head. “I’m sorry,” he responds snidely. “You misunderstand me. I’m not asking you to do anything further for me. I’m taking something from you, and you don’t have a choice, you foolish little girl.”
With those words, he reaches forward with his hand, which has somehow become translucent, and I stare at it curiously, right before it plunges into my chest. I feel an icy cold rush through my insides as I feel him grip onto something inside of me and my knees buckle, my vision becoming dark and spotty. He rips his hand free and it becomes corporeal again as it exits my body, a white, glowing orb clenched in his fist. My vision continues to darken and my legs begin to shake as I fight to stay conscious. I watch him through hazy vision as he holds the object that came out of my chest in the air and chants in that ancient language. The orb explodes in a blinding flash of light as tendrils of white smoke escape from his hand, spreading out in all directions before they disappear from my view. As I watch the last one fade over a distant hill, I succumb to the blackness. As my consciousness fades away, the last thing I see is Valerius transform, growing taller and thicker as he assumes the form of Kromm, laughing wickedly at me, and I crumple to the ground.
I come to my senses a short while later, still laying on the ground outside the ruined cottage where I fell. I regain my feet slowly, having to fight off a wave of dizziness as I stand, and immediately notice that the massive corpse of the dragon that I had slain is gone. I look all around, thinking that I must have just remembered wrong where he had fallen, but his body is nowhere to be found. I rub my head in confusion and move to pick up my sword, which is still on the ground where I dropped it. The realization of Valerius’ treachery surges through me as I stand over my dropped blade, the ruby gleaming brightly in the sun. I physically check over my body, running my hands over every inch of myself and checking for major injuries.
Once satisfied that I am not grievously wounded, I take a deep breath and slide my hand under my shirt, reaching for the spot that Valerius had reached into my chest and ripped something out. I am even more confused than before when I feel nothing but smooth skin under my fingers. I extricate my hand, not sure what to make of the strange events that occurred after my victory over the white dragon. I bend down and pick up my sword, staring at the gem in its hilt, unsure of what its true purpose has been in this grand scheme of Valerius' that I now know I am nothing more than a pawn in. As I stare into the red depths of the gem, once again I feel a strong urging from the artifact.
However, this sensation is much different from what I have felt from it over the past five years. It is almost as if a sentient presence in the gem is seeking out my mind, much different than the darkness that has consumed me up to this point. The push becomes more insistent, and hesitantly I close my eyes and open my mind to its call. A bright white light shines behind my eyelids and I open them to discover I am no longer in the grassy field. Instead, I am in a huge expanse of nothing but white light. In front of me stands the huge white dragon that I had so recently slain. Fear comes over me at the revenge he must be about to rain down on me.
Instead, a wave if calming energy flows over me, and a sigh escapes my lips as my entire body relaxes. I somehow know the sensations come from the dragon before me, and I stare into his huge reptilian eyes.
“You poor girl,” the huge creature begins in a deep rumble of a voice. He doesn’t speak out loud, but I can hear his voice as if he is inside of my head. “You have been caught up in a battle as old as time and were taken advantage of by the master of manipulation and deception. I’m so sorry that you have been drawn into this, my dear.”
“What is happening?” I ask out loud, looking all around at the strange place in which we stand. “Where are we? What did Valerius do to me?”
The white dragon hesitates for a second, digesting my barrage of questions, before continuing his mental conversation once more.
“I am here to answer all of y
our questions, and I will do my best to make everything clear to you. First, as I said before, my name is Timaeus, and as you are aware, I am a dragon, a creature tasked with maintaining balance in the world.”
I nod impatiently at his words but am too afraid to question him.
Valerius gave me the same explanation and then used me. Why should I trust you any more than I was able to trust him?
“I cannot make you trust me,” Timaeus answers as if I have voiced my concerns out loud.
Can he read my mind?
“Yes, I can hear your thoughts. You can choose whether or not to believe my tale once I have finished telling you. Now, before I begin, why don’t you explain to me what Valerius has told you and how we came to this point? I believe that way I can better guide you to the truth.”
I take a deep breathe to steady myself and begin telling my story, beginning with the murder of my father in our village so long ago, leaving no detail out, recalling every experience along the way. As I reach the point in my tale where I stand outside of his home, ready to go into battle against him, my face flushes red.
“And you know what happened from there.” I look at him as he digests the long story, waiting for him to begin his own explanation of what had occurred. After what feels like hours, his voice sounds in my head again.
“The basic history between Valerius and myself is as he described to you,” he begins slowly, trying to find the words to start this colossal explanation. “The lies and deception came so easily from him because of the truth that lies underneath them. We do hold the balance of good and evil in the world, but he lied to you about our roles. He represents darkness and evil, and I once weighed down the side of good and light. With my death, the scales have now been tipped in the favor of darkness, with no dragon to stand against Valerius on his quest to send the world into chaos.