by SlyOkami
“Ha…Who knows? I sure don’t…but that’s what it means to be alive right? Finding your way is just…part of it.” Thea struggled to say, before glancing around them. “I t-think we’re going to have to start this up another time.”
Makaela glanced around in confusion, noticing the reflection of light coming from the forest as an arrow suddenly shot towards them. She felt herself being swept off her feet, “Blink!” Thea chanted as she heaved Makaela up.
Both of them teleported forwards, the arrow passing through their previous position as they appeared elsewhere. Though Thea lost her balance as she held Makaela over her shoulder, stumbling forwards into a tumble.
Briefly they both rolled through the grass, groaning in pain as they lay there. Thea rose first, keeping low with the tall grass as she glanced around. Makaela instead rolled onto her chest, hiding within the grass as she used her senses to locate their aggressors. Her eyes widening in surprise as the dozen xilfir stepped out of the shadows, bows held up towards them.
Makaela rose to her feet, then noticing that Thea had been hit. An arrow protruding out of her left shoulder. She turned to face each cloaked dark elf, knowing each one of them, her gaze fell upon the only one that wasn’t wielding a bow. “Kavek? What’s the meaning of this!?” she demanded.
Kavek, a male dark elf with short braided hair grinned coldly as he stared at them. “Oh, what did you not hear? Is our oh so great leader truly losing her hearing? The drake said so himself, our beliefs are a lie. I mean, I’ve always known. I followed with some…friends, as we were curious to see the drake lecture you but…Well how surprised were we to see…this.”
Kavek chuckled, “To see you weep, I must say it was amusing. For all of us, isn’t that right?” he asked while glancing about, many other dark elves appearing out of the shadows. Some held their weapons out, but neither stood with Kavek and his men nor Makaela.
“They heard it all, having followed us to see what we were up to and…well one thing led to another and here we are now.” Kavek said while gesturing at all the dark elves standing about the forest edge, branches and elsewhere. “We’re tired, Makaela. We’ve been tired of the ‘Truth’ for centuries, and then he dares give us every reason to turn our backs to it?”
Again, Kavek laughed whole-heartedly. “I’ll take it, honestly I will. You and some choice others are the only ones that actually care for that anyways. Oh and, I’ll also be taking the dreadblades with me.”
Makaela stared back at him, shocked and appalled. “Our people may have been mistaken in forming the truth…and I won’t stop you from abandoning it…I’m too confused myself of what I should do.” Her eyes then narrowed, as her expression grew dead cold. “But the dreadblades are my creation and mine alone. This band, I am its leader.”
“You were, for a while you truly were. But after that break down? You’re weak Makaela, you do not deserve our respect less so our membership.” Kavek said as his own amused expression grew cold, “I know you won’t step down of your own volition, so…Everyone shall watch as I strip that title off your dead corpse.” he shrugged as if it was nothing.
Makaela watched as nobody else said a word, each one she glanced at, turning their gaze away from her. “Is this what you all think? Is this…what you all want? After everything I’ve done for our people?”
No response came, only Kavek chuckling in further amusement. “I will say, I’ve had this in the works for a while now. Everyone doubts you, and the main branch’s supposed strength. Really, what else is it if not a myth to keep us side branches in line?” he gestured at his bowmen, “Kill her.”
The xilfir at his side drew their bows in response.
Makaela did nothing, she stared in confusion and horror, her own people were plotting against her…
The xilfir loosed.
Then, she felt herself being pushed down. Thea had leaped onto a dazed Makaela and pushed her out of the way, two of the arrows grazing by her arm as they both dropped. Makaela opened her eyes right after, finding herself on the ground and seeing Thea rise above her.
Whip in hand.
Thea unrolled the whip as she faced Kavek and his men, “I have absolutely no clue what you’ve said or what’s going on, but if you’re going to shoot someone, then have another bloody shot at me.” her fierce gaze meeting each of the dark elves’.
Kavek smirked at her words, “Why are you faltering now? She’s the drake’s chosen, so what? Are we to kneel and beg before her too?” he told the bowmen as they looked at him, “Kill her as well.” Kavek ordered.
The bowmen hardened their resolve as they drew their bows once more, Thea stepping forwards in response and striking ahead with the whip.
“N-No!” seeing this Makaela shouted, but had no time to speak her warning as it was already too late.
Thea struck forwards with the whip, a green flame forming over it…yet it did not stretch any longer. Instead the flames engulfed Thea completely, as she screamed out in sudden agony. Thea dropped the whip and fell to the side, squirming as the flames continued to surround her body.
Makaela quickly grabbed the whip, dissipating the flames immediately before turning to Thea, light burns now covering what of her body wasn’t protected by armour. “Fool…the gear hasn’t accepted you!” Makaela said, “Why? Why did you protect me?” she asked while staring at her.
Thea lay on the ground, breathing deeply as she recovered from the sudden pain. Yet she chuckled, “H-He told me to watch over you, didn’t he?…”
“Give me that!” Kavek exclaimed as he snatched a bow and arrow from the closes xilfir, then taking aim at the crouching Makaela. “Better if I kill you myself anyway.”
“Don’t just stand there…” Thea said as she struggled to get up, “Damnit, fight!”
Kavek loosed the arrow, the bladed tip tearing through the air as it flew like serpent, quickly soaring towards Makaela’s chest.
Splinters flew about as Makaela suddenly struck at the arrow with her whip, the remains disintegrating through the green flames that now surrounded her. “Why? Why should I fight? Erikathyr has abandoned me, my people have now abandoned me.” Makaela asked as she stared up at the moon, “Why should I not die?”
“Idiot…” Thea said, causing Makaela to glance down at her in surprise. “Does it look like they’ve all abandoned you? Or are they watching to see what you do next? Look around, fool.”
Makaela did so, she glanced about. She saw as Kavek threw aside his bow and unsheathed his twin blades, she saw as his men stepped aside. Makaela saw, as everyone else only watched.
“Still relying on a Dragon’s power? This is why you’re weak Makaela, all you can do is rely on others!” Kavek exclaimed, as he suddenly dashed towards her.
His blades sparking as they collided with hers, Makaela having dropped the whip as two long daggers appeared out of her sleeves. The two dark elves pushed each other off, their mana enhanced bodies sending the other dragging along the ground with the outputted force.
They stared at each other, watching each other’s every motion, every twitch of the eye. “You’re right, Kavek. I rely on others too much, but is that really such a bad thing? You say everyone doubts the main branch’s power, then let me show you…” Makaela abandoned her stance completely, straightening herself as she left her daggers hang by her side.
Kavek was confused, she had left herself entirely open. Not only did he have the range advantage with his longer swords but he was already in position to lunge at her.
That was, until Makaela disappeared from his sight.
Sensing danger to his left Kavek parried as Makaela’s daggers briefly appeared clashing with his own blades, before disappearing once more. Yet in that brief moment he was faced with Makaela’s teary face, the confusion and distress that plagued it once before now gone and replaced.
Her lips lay straight, her brows loose, an expression of cold emotionlessness. Yet the fury that he saw within her eyes went beyond the golden flames that lit them
up.
Kavek turned as he was forced on the defensive, parrying sudden strike after strike, barely able to follow her movements. All he could do was block her attacks at the very last second. Makaela moved so quickly and smoothly that his eyes couldn’t follow, flowing in and out of the shadows with such ease that he didn’t even notice the ability being used.
A spell usually only usable to ambush on the first attack, yet Makaela cast it so fast that it was like she was teleporting all around him.
Kavek was overwhelmed, his movements growing sluggish while Makaela only grew faster with each attack. He couldn’t grasp her speed, yet she perfectly timed his motions and pacing. She led the fight now, every slash and stab controlling his movements.
She gave him a sense of pace, a system in how she appeared and attacked, she made him grow used to it. Giving Kavek a false sense of safety as he blindly followed her every move, until Makaela broke that pace.
She abruptly appeared behind him when he thought she would rematerialize before him, his body stiffening as her daggers dug into his back. Kavek’s jaw lay dropped while his eyes widened in disbelief.
Makaela left her daggers in his back, as she backed away from him.
Kavek turned to face her, eyes wide with madness as he lashed out. Slashing and slicing wildly at her, Makaela though evaded each strike with ease. Her cold eyes stuck watching his own, as his movements slowed, his attacks growing rasher.
Until he suddenly charged at her with abandon, Makaela side stepping his charge and tripping Kavek to the ground.
“You’re the weak one, Kavek.” Makaela said with an amused tone as she kicked him over, “You? Leading my dreadblades? Hah,” she laughed whole heartedly before stomping her boot onto his crotch. Causing Kavek to breath out a choked whimper, “You could barely put a scratch on young Ascal.”
She stared down at him, the coldness in her eyes meeting the fear that now permeated his. “The dreadblades are my creation, I pulled our people together and formed this band of thieves and killers so we could survive persecution and avoid enslavement.”
Makaela looked up and around her, at all the dark elves that stared at her and only her. Her gaze grew sullen, “I’ll admit, I’ve been dreading his words for a while now and when I actually got to hear him say it…It crushed me.” her sorrow then replaced with determination as she gazed down at a dying Kavek once more. “But I took up the task of leading our people after my mother before me and my grandfather before her, their beliefs, whether true or false…”
Makaela trailed off her words, glancing briefly at Thea as she weakly stood up. “I guess, we’ll figure it out on the way.” Makaela said in common, “But I will not fail, I will not fall and I will not be chained down.” a wide grin grew over her face as she wiped the drying tears.
“Xilfir, you are free to choose. You are free to leave, or continue to follow me.” Makaela said in elven, facing each dark elf present. “You have your doubts, all I ask is that you give me time to…” suddenly Makaela swung her right arm forward, several blades flying out of her sleeve and impaling themselves into Kavek’s men. “Prove my worth.”
Makaela smiled, watching while each xilfir kneeled before her. A scene that brought her troubled mind great pride and clarity. She knew what she needed to do now, Makaela knew the answer to her question.
“I f-feel wobbly…and tired a-all of a s-sudden…” Thea said before abruptly collapsing into the grass.
Just then the bestia suddenly barged into the opening. Shizuka froze as she was suddenly faced with hundreds of dark elves, her feline eyes widening in surprise. From behind her Ivara also suddenly burst out of the brush, spinning on the spot and hissing up at Shizuka.
Nerick then struggled out of the bushes too, “Did you get her Ivara?” having finally caught up with the both of them. Seeing that Shizuka had indeed stopped, he then saw why she had. “Oh-Uhm…Sorry to intrude.” He said with a quickly paling expression, turning around right after.
Nerick walked back into the forest without another word.
Ch 21 - The destined encounter!
Erik stood at the forest edge, invisible both from view and their senses. Watching, right hand raised forwards as tendrils of darkness swirled before his index finger.
Aimed at a now fallen Kavek.
(“I guess I wasn’t needed after all.”) He mused, dissipating the spell even he considered cruel.
Erik turned away, knowing Thea would be fine all he worried about was Makaela’s state of mind. The dark elf seemed to have found clarity, yet he knew she’d still have doubts. He pondered how she would act when they met again.
Moving his thoughts elsewhere, Erik moved on with what task he originally landed the wyverns here for. They very well could’ve gone for a few hours longer but there was a place where he wanted to visit.
Erik moved through the thick brush, gently flowing through it as the grass and bushes seemed to make way for him. The moonlight finding its way through the branches and leaves above, it lit up his path.
He walked for several minutes, his expression dreadful the closer he got, his hands clenching onto his pockets further with each step.
Until he finally stood before it, stepping out of where the forest ended Erik found himself staring up at a massive hill growing out of a mountainside. Trees and grass growing all over it, hiding it completely other than the large entrance before him now.
A cave entrance that would’ve gone completely unnoticed until you came directly before its dark interior. Vines, roots and other fauna growing into the sides, walls and ceiling. Blending it with its surroundings.
He glanced around, trying to make out what he knew hid at the cave’s entrance. Yet they were invisible to his human eyes, his senses too weak to detect what to his draconic self would’ve been obviously there.
Erik took another step forward, suddenly faced with two earthen halberds blocking his way.
He glanced to either side, the guardians having finally revealed themselves to his trespassing. Large drake-like goliaths of earth, vines and tree branches covering up the dirt that made them up. Their thick arms heaved the massive earthen weapons, made of the same dirt and fauna that made the golems yet raw magic kept them sharp and just as resistant as the guardians themselves.
“I am Erikathyr…exiled.” Erik announced himself in draconic as was proper, the guardian’s silver glowing eyes falling upon his form.
“Exiled shall not trespass.” Said the left.
“You shall leave or die, exiled.” Said the right.
“I seek not trespass into Zeekiathron’s liar, I bring Zeekiathron himself.” Erik said, raising both arms forwards before quickly chanting. “Set, Form, Come to me from whence you are. Spatial School; Low Tier Teleportation.”
Before him then reality tore open, a violet rift opening as tendrils of gold lowered out, each tendril bringing out a piece of armour. From helmets, chest pieces, platelegs, gauntlets and so much more. Each made from dark brown scales, bright green claws and gleaming blue crystals.
“This is what remains of Zeekiathron, alongside…everyone else.” Erik said, the rift rising up as more different pieces of equipment were pulled through. A large pile of differently coloured Slayer sets now lying before him and the two guardians.
“Bolronyth, Thiodryn, Selekia, Novadreth, Kalrunyth, Dretethron…and Zyndreth.” Erik listed each Draconic name present within the pile of magically repurposed body parts. “I bring the long departed, so they might rest in peace.”
“Hmm, we accept the bodies and shall treat them with care.” Said the left guardian, as roots suddenly grew out of the ground and engulfed the entire pile, pulling them down into the dirt where they disappeared.
“You shall leave or die, exiled.” Repeated the right guardian.
Erik grimaced as he stared up at the earthen drakon, “Lair Guard, before I leave answer me this. Search your memory, within is there any record of the Dragon Wars?” he asked.
“Dragon wars…War…
Dragon clans at war.” The left guardian said, causing Erik to turn to it.
“Who? Who started the war? Why!?” Erik demanded to know.
“White clan blames Blue for causing white child’s death, your death.” Continued the right golem, ”White clan annihilates Blue clan. Heresy, Green, Red and Brown clans avenge Blue clan. Black, Silver and Crystal wage war on Green, Red and Brown…”
“The dark dragons…iron dragons and crystal dragons? Against the vine, flame and stone dragons?” Erik repeated, his grimace faltering into a sullen expression. “I…caused this.”
“Yes, Erikathyr the destroyer causes war. Erikathyr now exiled drake. Exiled, leave or die.” Then said the left guardian.
Erik sighed in annoyance, “Yeah yeah, I’m leaving.” he responded before turning away. “Bloody brain dead golems,” he cursed in elven, “not even a thank you for uncursing the blazing pieces. Should’ve left them cursed, see the worm-filled morons purge it.” He continued to curse.
“We understand elven, exiled.” Said the right golem.
“Exiled, leave or die.” Said the left golem in elven.
Erik groaned while continuing to walk away, “I knew, elven just sounds better for insulting your empty heads!” he shouted back at the guardians as they melded back into the entrance’s walls.
Annoyance still clear in his expression, Erik headed back towards camp.
-
* * *
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11 Hours later
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Thea opened her eyes, waking up to wind rushing over her. “Huh?…” slowly she organized her newly awoken mind, finally realising why she was looking at the bottom side of a wyvern.
From her brief view, she concluded it was male.
“W-W-What?!” Thea exclaimed as she glanced about, finding herself tied up to a wide plank of wood. The wyvern’s hind claws were gripping each end of the plank, where it had remained as an unformed log, yet slowly the claws were digging in.
Beneath her were several layers of cloth and a headrest also tied firmly to the plank, the headrest and herself both tied with several meters of rope. The rope almost covered her entirely, her head, breasts and feet the only parts of her uncovered.