The Dragon Within

by SlyOkami

  She charged it, energy gushing through her hands and into the crystal core. The blades on her gunblade now shining gold as tendrils of electricity surged through the crystal.

  Thea opened her eyes to see the basilisk starting to spin, now mere centimetres away from ripping her apart.

  “Draconic Martial Arts; Custom Art; Draconic Blade!” She shouted, her powerful bellow snapping the basilisk out of its spin as her blade suddenly burst with black and golden energy. Like a flame the energy rose out of her weapon, twice the length of her blade yet it retained the shape.

  Seeing the raw energy, the basilisk turned its charge and rushed past her, but it was too late.

  Thea turned after it, slashing her weapon down as it rushed by, her blade of surging mana cutting through its carapace with ease. And as it touched the serpent’s hide, as it met flesh and blood, the blade grew even longer.

  She forced her weapon down, and the creature shrieked in agony. She cut, further and further, until the hissing and torturous screeching ended, until the beast stopped moving entirely.

  Thea took a deep breath and released her magic, pulling her weapon out of the basilisk’s now limp corpse. It had been cleaved in half, not at all clean as it had been moving as she cut it. Instead, it lay in two pieces, mangled and tattered from one another.

  Thea kicked the closer half, making sure it was dead.

  It didn’t move.

  “Well…I guess that’s that.” Thea mused while backing away from the bleeding corpse, a puddle of green blood forming around both parts. “So…again?” she then asked, she hadn’t fought the basilisk in weeks and this was the first time she had beaten it.

  “No,” Erik said, “You all three passed the first combat training session. Now, you move onto the next one.” His disembodied voice explained.

  Thea then suddenly found herself elsewhere, a hall similar to the last one in size and appearance, other than that there was no ruined city lying around her this time.

  To her left stood Makaela, seemingly bored. To her right were Nerick and Ivara, one glancing around warily and the other in excitement.

  “This time you’ll be working together, improving your team working skills and experiencing real combat with another powerful wielder of magic and martial arts.” Erik’s voice explained.

  Each of them heard a sigh of annoyance, turning to face the source they saw Alan standing alone. “Well, whenever you’re ready.” He said, unsheathing his sword and taking a basic stance.

  “Come at me like you mean it.”

  Ch 32 - Unleashing The Dragon

  The fox hovered in mid-air, watching the three pirate ships approaching firing range of the fourth lone ironclad. From high up in the sky he watched, a silver glimmer in his eyes as he smiled. “The stage is set, now let’s see…Who will step up? And what will you do?”

  -

  * * *

  -

  “Come at me like you mean it.” Alan said, raising his sword towards them.

  “Hah, fine by us!” Nerick exclaimed in excitement, Ivara hissing ferociously at Alan as she crawled onto Nerick’s right arm, then morphing into a short spear and shield. “Imbue; Wind!” he chanted and his body was engulfed in a green breeze.

  “Hmph,” Makaela stepped back and raised her left hand forward, “Soul School; Spirit Form; Aether Bow.” She chanted calmly, the fragmented ethereal bow appearing in her hand. “Let’s see what that immortal title of yours really stands for.” She teased with a cold smile.

  “Do not underestimate him,” Thea warned, “He was and still is the most powerful adventurer in the guild.” carefully stepping closer as she held her gunblade in a sword’s grip.

  “Really? Cause I feel like I could slay a drake myself right now!” Nerick exclaimed with a chuckle, stomping his right foot forward the ground beneath him shook and shattered, and he flew forwards spear first.

  Nerick closed the distance between them within a blink of an eye, lunging his spearhead at Alan’s chest, making full use of his speed and abusing his longer range. All the while he grinned madly, the world seemingly moving so slow in his eyes, yet…

  Yet he barely saw Alan move, as within the timeframe of a millisecond the adventurer sidestepped Nerick’s charge, leaving the flat of his blade in the spearman’s way.

  Nerick was unable to stop himself, he tripped over the blade and stumbled forwards, rolling past Alan and off into the distance. Bouncing like a boulder for several meters before coming to a groaning stop. He lay on the ground, facing upwards as his mind spun, his vision blurring with stars.

  “Slay a drake? Sure, once you put a single scratch on me, maybe you’ll survive long enough to make that drake laugh itself to death.” Alan said coldly, turning to face Thea and Makaela who regarded him with much more wariness now.

  “You’re fast…” Thea mused, standing her ground as she focused.

  Alan smirked, “I was…slightly inebriated the last time you saw me in action, my head is clear now.” He raised his sword towards her, “Well? Are you coming?” he asked but Thea made no move. Alan grinned, “Then I guess I’ll have to come to you.” He then said, disappearing from sight.

  Thea sensed movement behind her and tried to turn to respond, but she was too slow.

  She felt the magic draining the heat out of her back before the blast hit her, sending her flying forwards, tumbling over twice before coming to a rolling stop a dozen meters away from where she once stood.

  Where Alan now stood, his free hand, held forwards and palm open, smoking with cold air. Suddenly he slashed sideways, deflected two arrows Makaela had fired, the projectiles shattering on contact with his seemingly normal sword.

  “Nerick you have no control over your strength, limit yourself a bit. Thea, you’re too slow, you need to work on your senses and speed.” Alan began to say, as he suddenly disappeared once more, then reappearing beside Makaela.

  He held his sword to her bare neck, “And you, archers cover for their allies, they don’t use them as bait to prepare their shots.” he chided.

  Makaela grimaced as she backed away from his blade, “So you mean to say I should be the one distracting you?” she asked, lowering her bow.

  “Mostly yes, more so if you have a higher limit of projectiles than your average ranger.” Alan responded, glancing at the other two as they rose back to their feet. “So, how about we go at this a few more times. Like say,” he smiled widely, “Till you’re crawling tired?”

  Nerick stretched back groaning, “Right…That hurt.”

  “I’m ready!” Thea exclaimed, steadying herself as she stood up. Resolved to not fall behind.

  When suddenly a rift opened among them, reality tearing open into silver energy. A dark elf came through, seemingly agitated as he kneeled towards Makaela. “Priestess! The ship is being chased by pirates!” he exclaimed.

  “Pirates?” Alan mused, “Well these are prime waters for their sort so I’m not surprised, guess we’ll have to continue this another-”

  “No,” Erik cut him off, “I’ll take care of this, continue the training.” he said, appearing before the dark elf messenger. “You, sort out an illusionist among the dreadblades, make them take Thea’s form and tell the ship’s crew to lock themselves below. You and the rest of the xilfir will stand inside the ship as well, defend the crew at all cost. Our arrival to Sinbeni will not be slowed down, understand?” Erik stated sternly.

  “Yes, great master!” The dreadblade said in elven, quickly rising up and rushing back through the rift.

  “Are you sure we shouldn’t help?” Thea asked, glancing over at the rift in worry.

  “You think I cannot handle a few measly pirates?” Erik asked with a raised brow as he briefly glanced at her, “I’ll deal with it quickly, if I need you, you’ll know.” He said, but instead of stepping through the rift he closed it.

  “First though, let me go grab a few things…” He said, a wicked smile forming on his face before he disappeared.

  -<
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  * * *

  -

  The vampire rose off his throne as they caught up with the escaping ironclad, his two galleons having broken off from his own and moved with the wind to surround their target. He walked to the ship’s port side to face the lone ironclad, smiling yet without any emotion. Even as he stood away from his throne, dark tendrils of energy flowed from it and into his body.

  He glanced around his ship’s deck, seeing no sign of the cloaked mage he had sold passage to. It did not bother him, the strange being had already paid heftily. Instead he returned to his target, his eyes widening as black energy crackled about his body.

  “Seafaring transport, surrender your passengers and cargo. If you do without retaliation, we shall show you mercy.” The vampire spoke, his voice loud and booming across. He waited briefly, but no response came, and no change occurred in the ironclad’s course.

  “This is your final warning, surrender, or be boarded and slain. Continue your escape, and we shall not hesitate in sinking you.” He warned.

  “Ye wanna sink me pretty boy!?” Genus exclaimed from his ship’s loudspeaker, “Let’s see ye bloody try! And as ye do, I’ll have me a pint! Roll out the cannons! Show these sea scoundrels why we sail the North Orca!” the dwarf exclaimed as his ship’s sides opened up, revealing over a hundred cannons starting to protrude out.

  The vampire sighed, raising his left hand and a couple robed pirates stepped forward from the rest.

  The Orca’s cannons shone a bright blue before suddenly a hundred rays of ice burst out from either of its sides, firing at both the enemy ironclad on its starboard and the two galleons on its port side.

  The vampire quickly lowered his hand forwards, and each mage raised their staffs or wands ahead. Each quickly chanting, and in response to the cannons, each pirate ship raised a large barrier of mana. The icy bursts clashed with the barriers, dimming them greatly but not penetrating their protection.

  “Very well then,” The vampire said, “The locker it is for you.” He stated, and his crew rejoiced.

  The Orca continued firing, but the pirates had several mages aboard and when one tired another took their place. All the while the three ships closed onto the Orca, more pirate mages enhancing their ship’s speed and agility.

  The pirate ships surrounded the Orca, even as it continued to fire madly at this close range. One of the galleons sailed ahead and moved into the Orca’s path, as the ironclad closed the distance into boarding range with the Orca.

  “Block them,” The vampire ordered the galleon at the front, and anchors dropped from its starboard side.

  The galleon slowed down and quickly turned, facing its starboard into the Orca’s path and revealing it to be suddenly solid iron. The pirate mages had used alchemy magic to alter its material, and the Orca was heading directly into it with no space to turn, the other two ships now in boarding range of both its sides.

  “Board!” The vampire exclaimed, “Search every room, leave nothing unturned and unopened! Find, My, Property!” he bellowed with fury as his crew suddenly bellowed with him, the pirates’ eyes turning pitch black as their skin paled white, their nails turned to claws and teeth to fangs while bat-like wings grew out of their backs.

  The vampiric pirates leapt of their ships and soared over onto the Orca’s empty deck.

  When suddenly, before the Orca collided with it, the front galleon exploded.

  The ship rose up into the sky, shattering into pieces as lightning and flames burst from below it. It soared high, fragments of it raining down upon all three ships as they sailed beneath its rising wreckage.

  What remained crashed down into the sea behind them, what remained now barely recognisable as a ship while it sunk.

  “Your property?” Suddenly spoke a voice, each vampire turning to its source which lay on the Orca’s front deck. It was Erik, a rift closing behind him. He wore a hooded robe of dark gold, trimmed with crimson and silver, forming the shape of thin lightning and flames. Within his left hand lay a sealed weapon, covered in black cloth and chained down with ghostly ethereal chains that went right through his hands as he held it.

  “Indeed, are you this ship’s customer then?” The vampire asked with a raised brow, inspecting Erik’s strange clothing. “I know she is here, bring her to me and no harm will be done to your crew.” The vampire offered.

  Erik met the vampire’s eyes, his own seemingly normal. “Her? Oh, you mean this one?” Erik asked, waving his free hand wide as suddenly Shizuka appeared ahead of his arm.

  Shizuka at first had her eyes closed and hands held hugging herself, she shook her head, not wanting to look.

  “Yes…” But then she heard his wretched voice, “Come! Return to me, servant!” the vampire exclaimed, raising his right hand towards her.

  Shizuka opened her eyes as they glowed a sudden violet, her gaze fixing upon the vampire. She looked at him, horrified, tears now streaming down her cheeks as she tried to step away.

  Erik held her by the shoulder, “No, she will do no such thing.” He said.

  The vampire’s expression grew cold, “And who do you think you are to defy me?”

  Erik chuckled, “The real question, is who the hell are you?” he asked with a smirk.

  Rage briefly passed through the vampire’s expression as his minions hissed in equal fury, yet quickly he regained his calm. Opening his arms wide as dark tendrils of magic grew around him, “I am Renwick Astrophel, Pirate King, Vampire Lord.” He then pointed at Shizuka, “And she, is my next vessel. Return her, and your death will be swift.”

  Erik chuckled once more, causing Renwick no small amount of frustration. He released Shizuka’s shoulder as suddenly a rift opened and swallowed her, closing right after.

  Renwick’s eyes widened, “Where, where did you take her!?” he exclaimed in fury.

  “First, I should return the favour of introduction,” Erik said, raising his sealed weapon before himself. He unchained and unclothed it, revealing a perfect staff. Thick from one end to another, made from pure white wood and with a serpent carved wrapping around its length.

  Erik held the staff straight with his right hand, as he once again met Renwick’s eyes. He smiled coldly, his eyes suddenly shrinking into slits as they set upon the vampire, a predator’s gaze. “Renwick, was it? For my chosen’s sake, I give you the chance of turning about and leaving.”

  Renwick anxiously laughed at his offer, the drake’s eyes causing a primal fear to swell up within the vampire. “Leave? Fool, I will gain what I want to know even if it’s off your cold dead mind!” he responded with a hissing tone, not one to be scared off his prize.

  Erik’s smile widened, “Good.” He said, “Then Thea will have nothing to argue with if I leave no survivors.” He suddenly spoke in draconic, causing each vampire to shiver. Erik slammed his staff down, causing the Orca, the ocean surface and the other ships to suddenly and briefly quake. He glanced at their growing expressions of fear.

  “Pray not to your gods, they turn a blind eye tonight.

  For I offer no promise of mercy, I come not with swift ends or painless deaths.

  That you may speak of this foul and horrible end that I bring upon you, to the rest of hell to which I shall send you to.

  Speak my name, let it ring synonymous with the worst horror your puny minds can produce and call nightmare.” Erik chanted, as he slowly rotated his staff single-handedly, reality starting to blur around him.

  The vampires which lay frozen in fear before his voice, slowly recuperated, Renwick snapping out of his horror first. “Kill him! Kill him dead!” he exclaimed in terror, stepping away from the ship’s edge.

  His crew, albeit hesitant at first, rushed forth at the sound of Renwick’s voice.

  “I am Erikathyr, Guardian of nature’s spirits. I am Erikathyr, Destroyer of the weak.”

  Erik rotated the staff from its starting vertical position until it lay horizontally ahead of him. And suddenly as it did, the previously calm water began
to grow disturbed. The cool breeze, starting to blow more fiercely. The once clear night sky, filling with dark clouds.

  “Draconic Arts; Custom Art…” He dragged out his chant, eyes narrowing as he stared down at his staff. The carving that lay upon it suddenly glowed a bright gold.

  The pirate vampires charged at him, swords and axes gripped tightly as archers and gunmen took fired a volley, mages at the very back preparing countermeasures for whatever spell Erik had just cast.

  Erik took a deep breath, before finishing his spell. “Imbue; Draconic White.” He whispered, yet the words reached even Renwick.

  * * *

  Music; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dh-ePF4_XgQ

  * * *

  Causing each and every one of them to suddenly freeze in their steps, all their gazes falling on Erik as he finally took a step forward, his form trailing a white light behind him as he seemed to move in slow motion at first.

  Before suddenly exploding with movement.

  Erik shot forwards, appearing before the closest pirate, seeing the surprised vampire eye to eye. Erik smiled, a wide and wicked smile, his eyes looking down at the dark creature with not pity, but a hunger.

  “Shall we get a little violent?!” Erik exclaimed, gluttonous excitement clear in his tone.

  The vampires responded in kind, turning to his new position and without mercy for their own, the mages and archers let loose. All matter of projectiles flew towards Erik, balls of flame, ice and darkness, poison-tipped arrows, iron bullets and even a cannonball.

  Surrounded, Erik was completely surrounded on all sides.

  Exactly how he wanted it to begin…

  His form blurred white as he spun on the spot, waving his staff around, crushing flesh and bone on its first turn around, then suddenly bursting afire on the second spin. A whirlwind of flames formed around Erik and quickly expanded outwards, incinerating every attack sent his way along with any living being in range.

  He didn’t stop, no Erik immediately rushed to his next target, surging forwards as lightning engulfed his entire body. Bashing his staff into the vampire’s gut with enough force to quake his entire being, sending the man flying through everybody else behind them. Killing each and every single one of them.