The Dragon Within
Page 27
It didn’t take a lot to catch up to the humanoid drake, Erik didn’t walk very fast. Having finally caught up to him though they still had to walk a fair bit more before encountering the tavern, My Pearl. Seemingly older than all the others they had passed by, slightly more run down that is, the tavern had black painted walls and a dark oak door. Above the door was a wooden white sign with a black, iconic galleon ship painted over it.
Thea grimaced as she saw how interested and curious Erik actually seemed, to the point that he seemed to have forgotten all about the big ship. “I still think this is a bad idea…” she tried to argue again.
“Hah, I’m a drake Thea, whatever this…Alcohol is, I shall not be defeated easily.” Erik assured all too eagerly as he pushed the door open.
(“DON’T LET HIM INSIDE THAT TAVERN!”) Makaela suddenly bellowed within Thea’s mind, without needing for an explanation she lunged forwards towards Erik…
But it was too late, missing his shoulder she then stumbled inside behind him.
Thea found herself within a jolly tavern, charcoal black wooden walls, cherry flooring and metallic tables all around but the bar itself which was made of the same black wood as the walls shaped with the design of waves passing through.
Dwarves, humans, and even a couple bestia sat or stood about chatting, drinking, eating and some cheering for seemingly no reason. Looking around she saw nothing out of the ordinary, until her gaze fell upon him…
A male human with short pitch-black hair, the scruffy start of a beard and bright green eyes. Seemingly in his late teens, the boy was completely inebriated as he held two dwarven women beneath each arm, swinging from left to right and singing alongside the main table where he sat.
Thea couldn’t not recognise him, his face, although much more well kept…was all over the northern kingdom. Statues, paintings and so many other things in his name.
The Hero.
The Immortal.
The Chosen of Findri.
Alan, the slayer of Erikathyr sat drunk within the tavern.
Ch 22 - Brawl
Daldorth, a dwarven port city known for its shipwrights and ale.
A quiet city, even outside the My Pearl tavern where said famous ale originates from. That is, until the entire wall exploded onto the port.
Alan Kyle, a simple looking boy in his late teens with black hair and dark brown eyes. Yet he was known all over the world of Faetera as the killer of Erikathyr the destroyer. This Hero, was what shattered through the wall as tendrils of electricity surged around his body, tankards of ale flying in every direction alongside the shattered wood debris.
Alan flew back, tumbling through the air from the force, he soared over the port and crashed into a ship’s front. Still, the force kept him going, bouncing and sliding by the ships’ side until finally falling into the water.
“W-Woah!” Alan wheezed and coughed after resurfacing, the cold water shook him out of his drunk daze. “T-T-The f-fuck!?” he exclaimed in confusion, bruises and leaking blood all over his face while the water washed it away.
“So, we meet again.” Hissed Erik with fury as he stepped through the destroyed tavern front, his eyes aglow gold. Behind him was a frantic Thea as she tried to calm the tavern owner down from bashing the back of Erik’s head flat with a pan.
Alan groaned, “Look mate, I don’t know who or what you are but if I owe you money, which I probably do…You’re barking up the wrong damn tree.” Rising out of the water whilst his eyes suddenly lit up a bright blue, he hovered over the water as it froze beneath him.
Erik’s eyes narrowed as he walked to the port’s edge, “Oh? So, you do not remember me?” Erik then asked in draconic, Alan’s eyes widening in surprise.
“Who…are you?” the Hero asked.
Erik chuckled, “Maybe you’ll remember if I pound the memory back to the surface.” he said coldly, lightning surging through his body before he suddenly disappeared.
Reappearing before Alan, his fist surging with golden lightning as it struck at the hero. Alan crossed his arms in response, a bright blue wind flowing around his arms. The magiks clashed, strikes of lightning and frost swirling about them as they hovered over the frozen water.
Staring into each other’s aglow eyes.
Remembering, that day.
-
* * *
-
5th age
Over a thousand years ago
Ancient Eastern Druvia / Now lost lands
-
Alan stood amidst a broken land, the very trees having been moved out of the way to create this massive arena of nothing by dry earth. His hair ablaze blue, and his eyes shining just as brightly as wings of frost formed out of his back. The same energy swirling about his arcane sword. His body broken and bruised, bleeding all over as he stood facing the giant monster.
The drake gazed down at him, its white scale body scarred for eternity, its tail sliced off and so many more bleeding wounds than one could see. Erikathyr gazed down at Alan with his good left eye, his right having been blasted out of its socket minutes ago.
Both out of breath, both on the verge of death as they stared at one another.
“I tried.” Alan mumbled, “I really tried Findri, but this fool will not see reason…” he whispered, sorrow filling his eyes as he gazed down at his tired and collapsed comrades. Defeated, yet not quite dead, alas if nothing was done they were all soon to become so.
Alan clenched his sword with both hands, “I’m sorry, my friends. I’m sorry you had an idiot like me for a leader.” He said with tears beginning to stream down his face. “Findri, I break my promise with you. This abomination, I cannot save!”
Alan charged forwards, dragging his blade behind him as he moved with speed greater than any human could’ve been capable of. Erikathyr rose onto his hind legs in response, opening his maw wide as golden energy formed within.
“Oh lord Grim, I beseech thee, grant thy one last breath of power.“ Alan began to chant, ”Reaper, I shall present you with my foe’s lifeline. God of Death, I present you my soul in payment. Holy Text; Chapter of Death; Soul Reap!” he exclaimed, leaping up at the colossal drake as a blinding ray of golden energy surged down at him.
Alan’s sword suddenly grew, black energy forming about its blade and taking the shape of a green shadow-engulfed scythe.
He slashed forwards, meeting the ray of energy with his summoned weapon. The powerful draconic light clashing with the archaic death magic, tendrils of each spell spiralling out of control and striking at the already dead terrain about them.
Alan screamed, emptying his lungs he bellowed with all his might. Pushing his wings to their limit, yet he was still being slowly pushed back.
The ray of energy suddenly ended, Erikathyr then slashing forth with his right claw which Alan met by spinning mid-air and cutting towards it. All the while shouting with anger. The scythe slashing into existence a blade of the same dark energy that flew forth and clashed with the drake’s arm.
Alan flew forwards, shortening the distance in mere moments. Finding himself eye to eye with The Destroyer.
Seeing the pure hatred within those golden eyes, “I regret only one thing.” He mumbled to himself, the same hatred now filling his. He slashed the scythe across the drake’s head, the weapon once again forming a blade of pure death magic, clashing with the drake’s white scales and piercing through them.
The dark energy cut through the drake’s face, engulfing his enormous body in death magic, dark green flames that sent the beast bellowing in agony.
Alan fell, his summoned magiks dissipating about him as he plummeted down. He stared up as the colossus’s body fell back, any life he sensed within before, gone entirely from the collapsing corpse that now lay before him.
Alan’s gaze moved to the blackened sky, dark clouds hiding the sun above. He grimaced, “I’m sorry, Findri…I failed.” he said with regret, dark green flames suddenly engulfing his own body. His skin and flesh burning away as he fe
ll, dissipating into ash before he even touched the ground.
* * *
Erik pushed his surging fist into Alan’s crossed arms, the two clashing spells pushing against one another, neither of them making any physical contact as lightning and ice raged all around them. Arcs of electricity surging back and forth from Erik’s body, the frozen water and the metal ships. Tendrils of frost whipping about Alan, spinning all around him, and freezing every surface they touched.
“It’s true then…”Alan said with a grimace, “You’re back!” he then exclaimed, releasing his magic and lowering himself below Erik’s attack. Alan rushed slightly to the left and into Erik, his right knee digging into the drake’s gut as frost and lightning clashed once again.
Erik was the one to be sent flying back this time, soaring back onto the port and crashing into what remained of the tavern’s ceiling, collapsing that too as everyone nearby cleared out of their way.
“Really though, I expected a large light breathing lizard, not a moron in human skin.” Alan said with a sneer, hovering up as wings of ice burst into existence from his back. Briefly though, as the wings abruptly faded out, causing Alan to fall back onto the frozen water. “Tch, dammit.”
Erik laughed as he rose from the rubble, “What is it hero? Has your dragon abandoned you!?” he exclaimed with hilarity, laughing even as the sky blacked out with storm clouds above. “You wish to see a drake!? I can make that so!” he then growled fiercely in draconic, Alan took a step back in preparation.
“You haven’t changed a single bit, have you?” Alan said, chuckling awkwardly. “That might be a bit too far for these rats though, in that form holding back shouldn’t be an issue for you I’d think?” he asked with a sneer.
Erik grimaced as he glanced about, “This doesn’t end here, Hero.”
Alan too glanced elsewhere, “I never said it will.”
Both of them disappeared then and there, Thea who relocated with the rest barely noticing that Erik had reappeared behind her. She turned around just in time to see him grab two shadows by their necks, slamming the cloaked figures into the ground and causing the entire port to quake.
Several more shadows fell from above, their limbs frozen solid. She glanced up, seeing Alan standing on top of one roof, his short sword digging into one shadow’s chest as it slowly froze over from within.
Alan kicked the shadow off the roof, pulling his sword out as the man’s magic dissipated about him. As did the rest’s, revealing cloaked men wielding long daggers and belts full of more blades. “Hah, not one or two! Eight! Eight Pact assassins, good god you know how to piss people off.” Alan laughed as he gazed down at the defeated assassins.
When suddenly he turned to evade, another shadow appearing behind him, their dagger digging into Alan’s side as he failed to detect them in time. Alan slashed at the assassin but they had already released their weapon, leaving it in his back and stepping out of his sword’s range.
Alan grimaced as he fell back, glancing behind him he saw the fall that was sure to kill him.
But his fall abruptly ended, turning back to see Erik standing at the edge, gripping onto his jacket and keeping him from falling. “Nine, nine assassins.” Erik corrected, his other hand raised towards the last shadow as lightning arced out and struck the assassin.
“Ah…guess I’m a bit rusty.” Alan joked, unaffecting Erik’s stern gaze as he narrowed his eyes on the injured hero.
“Why, why are you alive?” Erik asked, annoyance clear in his voice.
“That’s what you’re g-going to ask? Out of everything else, that?” Alan asked back in pained amusement, the dagger was still in his side.
“Hmph, I’ll have time to question you more soon.” Erik responded, pulling and then throwing the man back onto the roof.
Alan rolled over the roof, the dagger tearing further about his flesh before he stopped himself from tumbling more. “Oh? You think you got me cause I’m injured and weaker than before?” Alan asked, struggling back to his feet and pulling the dagger out of his side.
“More or less, also because…” Erik made a slight gesture, Makaela and several other xilfir appearing right then, surrounding Alan with weapons ready. “This time, you’re the one who’s alone.”
The amusement on Alan’s expression faded, “Ah…” raising his hands up in surrender, “Well this is awkward.”
“Answer my damn question.” Erik hissed in draconic, his eyes glowing more fiercely.
“If I’d take a guess and say that Grim brought you back, would I be correct?” Alan asked, glancing about as two xilfir began restraining his hands with enchanted rope.
“Grim…” Erik huffed in annoyance, ”Yes that fool brought me back, but why would it bring you back too?”
“Hah, and you’re accusing me of not remembering. So much for you dragons and your vast knowledge of magic.” Alan said with amusement, “I sold your soul alongside my own, at the time it was the only way I saw to stop your idiocy.”
“And?” Erik demanded further, Makaela clutching the man’s wound with her right hand roughly, causing him to wince as she casted healing magic.
“Ah! G-Grim brought me back too!” Alan responded through the sudden pain, ”Why you healing me?” he then asked in confusion.
“You think I’m letting you die with a title such as ‘The Immortal’?” Erik said with a raised brow, “If Grim brought you back, and along with that title, I’d guess he has done so several times already. Then that means even if I do kill you, you’ll be brought back to life. So why should I let you die and possibly lose sight of you? When I can hold you prisoner and do with you as I please?”
Alan’s gaze dropped at his words, “So…it’s finally time for me to atone for my sin.” mumbling as he smiled weakly.
(“Mas-Erik, we should leave before more assassins appear.”) Makaela said through their bond before he could demand to know what that meant, (“We don’t need to babysit this one throughout, let us just be done with him and go.”)
(“No, he knows things nobody else does, things nobody else will tell me. He’s coming with us.”) Erik responded sternly, questions floating about his mind he hungered to have answered. “Do not lose sight of him, and tell me if more of these…Pact members, appear.” He then said, turning to the edge and disappearing.
* * *
“S-Sir I’ll pay for the damages please, just l-let it be!” Thea pleaded as she tried to calm the tavern owner down, a gruff male dwarf being held up by Nerick who kept the smelly short man towards her.
“Let it be!? Let it be!? I shall bash those fool’s brains in me self! That tavern was me home! Me pride and joy! For generations it stood while everything else changed!” The dwarf shouted angrily, red faced while waving his pan around aggressively. “Me pa and ma had it before me! Me granpapa before them!”
“Let the man down, if he wants to bash their heads in then let him be.” Erik said, suddenly appearing next to him and very much within the dwarf’s bashing range. Gesturing at the assassins, some dead, some crawling away with either their feet or entire lower body frozen.
“What ye mean boy?” The dwarf asked in confusion, shaking Nerick’s arms off as the knight lowered him back to the ground. “Ain’t ye who destroyed me wall!? Ain’t ye and that adventurer who destroyed me roof!” he exclaimed, raising his pan up while stepping to Erik.
“No, it was them.” Erik said calmly, his eyes gaining a blueish glow as he stared into the dwarf’s.
“Aye…it was them.” The dwarf then said, his own eyes gaining a brief blue glow as he turned to the crawling cloaked men.
Thea, Nerick and Shizuka glanced between Erik and the dwarf in confusion, as the dwarf glanced at his destroyed tavern and then back at the assassins. “Bloody hells ye will pay of it!” The dwarf suddenly exclaimed, shouting out angrily as he rushed at the assassins.
“W-What?” one unlucky fellow asked as the dwarf’s pan descend upon his hooded head, slamming into his face with a loud ring.
“What…did you do?” Thea asked in confusion, turning to Erik.
“I simply suggested that it was them and not us, low tier psychic magic is all I’m capable of, would you have preferred if I incinerated this entire city port to cover our tracks?” Erik asked with a raised brow, Thea shaking her head in response. “I thought so, tell your captain we’ll be leaving immediately then.”
“Ok-Wait wait wait! Where’s the h-Alan? What did you…” Thea then asked, remembering the cause of all this.
“Alive, for now.” Erik grumbled, “Makaela is watching over him, he is coming with us. That is, until I’m done questioning him…I’m not sure his sanity will retain after what I’m planning to put that smug mud golem through…” his tone turning into a cold hiss as he spoke.
“You’re not torturing the kingdom’s hero…as little as people actually care for him now.” Thea sternly said.
Erik turned to face her, before he would’ve met her with anger but he only felt a slight annoyance to her disapproving look. Sighing he turned away, “This is not negotiable.” he replied.
“Oh I think it is,” Thea stepped back into his view, “You can’t just do what you want, you’ll never fit in or even begin to understand people if you keep acting like…like this!” she exclaimed.
Erik’s eyes narrowed upon her, opening his mouth to respond he found that he couldn’t. Frozen, Erik felt frozen as he met her resolved gaze. He questioned how could a being so weak stand up to him like this, so many times she had done so and still she didn’t back away. (“Why? What is this tugging at my chest? What is this warmth?”) He asked himself, staring deep into her eyes as he closed his mouth.