The Dragon Within

by SlyOkami

  “Or,” Makaela continued as she gestured at her dreadblades, “Will you take up arms, and join the fight?” she asked.

  The dreadblades lay down the large sacks, unwrapping the ropes that held them closed and opening them up fully to reveal several piles of weaponry. Spears, maces, shields, bows and quivers were the norm, while a few swords and staffs also lay about.

  The slaves glanced in between her and the weapons, most faltering at the sight.

  Most, but not all.

  Without even a first thought, the Goblins rushed by the piles of weapons, grabbing whichever was closest before charging out the warehouse screaming at the top of their lungs with crazed abandon.

  Behind them stepped forth the Bestia and Dune Pirates, also arming themselves.

  But instead of charging out mindlessly like the greenfolk had they moved to stand with Makaela, some chuckling as they still heard the Goblins’ battle shrieks.

  Yet, many still faltered.

  “Let me through!” Exclaimed a young elven voice, as Kailu struggled to force his way through the gathered slaves. Finally finding his way to the front, he gave Makaela a single glance before turning to the closest pile of weapons. He walked forth, grabbing a bow and quiver before turning to the rest who now watched him.

  “What? Are you going to stand there and let the bloody goblins do all the fighting?” Kailu said as he lay at the centre of attention, “I can still remember the screams!” He then cried out with a pained tone, ”And I won’t say they will stop haunting my sleep if I do this…I’ll hear their voices…see their faces every night from now on!…But at least when I face them in the next life! I can say I struggled to the very last breath!” he exclaimed, strapping on the quiver and turning around to give them his back.

  Then meeting the gazes of all the others who stood ready to fight, his own going over Tania’s wide grin and Jin’s amused smirk before pausing to meet Makaela’s impressed smile. She respectfully nodded at him.

  And his heart filled with warmth, as he heard the clang of metal from behind him, not needing to look back as the slaves moved to stand with him.

  Each now armed with a weapon and the same resolve in their eyes he had showed them.

  “We’re going to need more weapons,” Makaela mused as she saw most of the slaves were still unarmed, “No matter, many will lay about the streets soon. If you’re weaponless then stick to the back, pick some off the corpses we leave along the way!” she said, turning around and gesturing for them to follow.

  The Dreadblades moved first, dissipating into the shadows and disappearing from view. All but Makaela who rushed out of the warehouse.

  The rest roared out a battle cry as they charged after her, the Bestia overtaking all the Xilfir with their speed and rushing ahead past even Makaela.

  Kailu tried his best to keep up, holding his shortbow in one hand and an arrow in the other as he watched ahead, seeing Makaela and the Bestia charge down the hallway where dozens of guard corpses lay sprawled about.

  “Move with care! Don’t trample over each other!” Makaela shouted back, as surely the hallway was small and could only allow through half a dozen people walking side-by-side.

  Kailu though charged ahead of the rest, joined by the dune pirates at the front and running right behind Makaela.

  They ran past several turns, following her lead until the corridor finally opened up into another vast warehouse. Much more well-kept than their prison and with a large ramp going up the left wall, taking to a set of double doors which lay wide open, allowing them to see the moonlight shining through.

  Kailu glanced around at many hundreds more slaves already rushing up the ramp and forming at its bottom, possibly from different warehouses connected to the tunnel system they had just gone through.

  Excitement filled him to the brim and he rushed ahead of the rest, trying to keep up with Makaela who suddenly leapt up to the exit and disappeared to the outside.

  He struggled through the mob of slaves, making little progress with each passing moment as he moved up the ramp with them.

  Until at last he reached the door, rushing out with the dune pirates to find themselves within the city’s warehouse district, the area nearest to the docks. They moved further away from the door, making way for the rest of the slaves to come outside.

  Kailu frantically looked around, searching for Makaela or her dreadblades, but what he saw instead was a contingent of city guard forming at the end of the vast road they stood upon. Warehouses lay in rows on either side of them, and there where alleys in between each one but the guards had also begun to form there, blocking every path.

  “Lay down your weapons and surrender peacefully!” A ranking officer demanded from the wall of guards as they raised large shields before them, protecting themselves from any potential ranged attacks.

  Kailu’s expression paled, there was no way through that wall of solid mithril shields and spears, and everyone around him knew it. As they all held their ground, unsure what to do next.

  * * *

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b99r48grKGI

  * * *

  That is, until a certain shrieking filled the nearest side-street.

  Kailu glanced down the alleyway to see Goblins leaping off the warehouse roofs and descending upon the guards, foaming at their mouths as they tore at the armoured men and women with crazed fury.

  The gory sight made him swear to never piss one off.

  “What are you waiting for?” bellowed a powerful voice, as it reverberated throughout the entire district.

  Followed by the sudden reappearance of the dreadblades, fading out of the night’s shadow and assaulting the guards from behind.

  The Ai’Sen guard numbered in the ten thousand, and the dreadblades only numbered over a thousand strong.

  But their speed was unmatched, their blades of lightning flashing through the air and enveloping body after body. Slashing, electrocuting, then reappearing elsewhere. Several thousand whirlwinds of golden energy suddenly exploding amidst the guards then disappearing from sight before any of them knew what had even occurred.

  “Step up, wield your weapons as you wield your anger!” The voice bellowed once more, “This is your chance at freedom! So fight!” it urged them.

  And Kailu did not question those words, nocking an arrow as he took aim at the guards who now gave them their backs. He drew, and as his father had taught him years ago, he loosed.

  The arrow soared through the air, whistling as it descended upon one confused guardsman. Flying beneath his helmet, it pierced through skin and then flesh as it embedded itself into his neck, squirting blood upon his now terrified colleagues.

  Seeing the glorious shot, the make-shift army of slaves cried out before charging into the broken and confused wall of guards.

  The two sides clashed, spears prodding past shields as maces knocked them aside, arrows raining over their allies and down upon the rallying guards.

  Kailu lay in the thick of it, his small frame allowing him to tread the battlefield with ease. He ran about, loosing arrow after arrow and with each hitting its mark. He’d stalk over to his kill, recovering the arrows before loosing them upon another.

  He never felt more alive, his feet moving exactly as he wanted them to, his eyes setting upon every target faster than he ever thought he was capable of.

  Blades clashed, shields collided and spears rattled, men and women screamed and shouted all around him, adding onto the chaos.

  As their blood rushed and they splattered their enemy’s.

  The sound of feet stomping, the clanging of weapons striking with one another, they filled his world as he fought. No longer was he hiding, no longer was he the trembling prey.

  Kailu felt power within this bow, within his very arms. Power that wasn’t there before.

  Kailu was the predator now, no longer was he the cub that needed protecting.

  No, he was the wolf now.

  And the roars of battle all around him were
the howls of his pack.

  He ran past Jin and Tania, as they also fought their hardest.

  Jin waving about a massive warhammer, bashing aside shields along with the men behind them with every blow.

  Tania watching his back with her spear, slashing aside swords and stabbing in-between shields, slaying enemy after enemy in quick succession with the speed of the very lightning that rushed through each of their eyes.

  The battle didn’t last very long,

  The guards were many and well-armed but the slaves numbered many times more.

  Confused and broken as they were assaulted left and right by the well-trained dreadblades, like reapers of death appearing out of nowhere to then unleash unholy hell upon them.

  The slave’s charge had destroyed what little moral the guardsmen had left, the officers and captains not even trying to hold their ground as they also turned tail.

  Seeing their retreat, the slaves roared out in victory. Many even falling to their knees, breaking down into tears as the rush of adrenaline passed.

  But it wasn’t over.

  It was far from over.

  As the sky shuddered above.

  * * *

  Erik watched the clash, casting enhancement spells beneath his breath, improving the speed, power, resistance and senses of some choice fighters among the mob. He lay kneeling above a warehouse’s roof, where he could see the entirety of the vast road below, as it lay enveloped with battle.

  Sensing a change in the mana that permeated the air, he stood up. “They’re here.” He told the ones behind him.

  “And we’re ready.” Thea said, gripping her gunblade tightly.

  “Better than we’ll ever be.” Nerick said, as Ivara slithered into his left hand, morphing into a pole-blade.

  “I’m not so sure I am…” Shizuka said, as she stood behind Thea, the staff she held in her hands trembling slightly.

  “Steel yourself,” Makaela said as she appeared out of nowhere, tendrils of shadow still clinging to her body.

  Three others also appeared beside her.

  “Xilfir, Drakon!” Pyra exclaimed in elven, as a dozen Dragon Knights appeared with her, stomping their feet upon the warehouse’s roof in response.

  “I’m with cat-ears on this one, I’ll…Uhh…be back there with an eagle’s eye view over the terrain.” Ascal whispered as he tried to turn about, but was stopped by Zentha as she grabbed his shoulder and turned him back around. “Or not, this is a fine leadership position too.”

  Erik rolled his eyes in annoyance, “Wind School; Hover.” He chanted, then rising into the air as it shuddered all around him. Reality rippled across the sky, passing over the warehouses and battlefield, leaving behind the appearance of a new foe.

  All over the opposing warehouses now stood black armour-clad feline Bestia warriors. Wielding warped and wicked weapons as they snarled in challenge of the white armoured Dreadblades. The rest of Makaela’s warriors gathering with the Dragon Knights, on the roofs opposing the new arrivals.

  Amidst the Bestia stood a goliath, “Let us bathe in the blood of those who would oppose us!” Hunter roared out like a beast as he unsheathed his massive two-handed longsword.

  “Finally, we meet again.” Erik hissed, looking away from the small army of Bestia and up at the sky where she hovered in place, gazing down at him.

  “As enemies, just as we had left each other so long ago…” Etheria softly responded, hovering down to face him, his gleaming gold eyes meeting her blind white abyss.

  “My love.”

  Ch 38 / Part 2 - The Twist

  “My love,” Etheria said, as she hovered before Erik, carefully raising her left hand to his cheek.

  Erik met her blind gaze, grimacing as pain rushed through his heart. “Why?” He asked in common, “Why are we enemies, Etheria?”

  Etheria smiled warmly, “Because, this world deserves to burn in the fiery pits of hell.” she said softly, speaking those words as if they were completely obvious. “Join me, Erikathyr, as we were before we separated into different paths.”

  “You align yourself with hell, with chaos and corruption. I’m a Dragon, sworn to protect this world from such things.” Erik said with a weak smile, “I cannot join you Etheria, but you can leave your hate behind like I have and redeem yourself alongside me.” He offered, his pained eyes still gazing into hers.

  Etheria shook her head calmly, “I cannot do that either, my love, hate is what makes me whole. I cannot forgive this world, this existence, for impassively watching as everyone I loved and held dear was murdered, butchered before my very eyes.” She said while floating away from him. “And if you won’t join us, and I won’t join you, then enemies we remain. Fight for what we believe, we must.”

  “Don’t be a fool!” Erik suddenly bellowed, rage surging through his eyes. “What lies did the Devils promise you? What trickery have you fallen for?!”

  Etheria though only smiled back, “Nothing, there were no lies, there was no need for trickery. The heart desires what it desires, and there is little we can do to change it. Just as my heart desires you back by my side…”

  “And I won’t make excuses…I failed, you and your people, I failed them all.” Erik’s tone calmed as he responded, “Etheria, I do not wish to fight you, but I also won’t join you.”

  She nodded in understanding, “Dragons mate for life…” she said with a sigh, “Stubborn as always, you still cling to your people’s ideals. But, if you won’t join or fight me, Erikathyr…Then I shall be the one to kill you.” Etheria warned, as the air around them grew colder.

  Silent moments passed, as the pressure rose higher and higher.

  And suddenly, as everything quaked around them, the two sides clashed. Dreadblades and Beast Pact, both sides burst into shadow before colliding in mid-air, their clashes too quick for the naked eye to make out.

  Flashes of golden light clashing with explosions of darkness riddled the sky, the army of slaves below only able to watch in frozen awe as real monsters fought above them.

  Pyra and Zentha joined Nerick in charging Hunter, the three of them surrounding the giant-like panther-man, closing in on him from every direction as he suddenly spun about and with great force to meet them.

  Ascal’s expression turned cold as he suddenly took charge of the dreadblades and Dragon Knights, his personality doing a 180 as he ordered xilfir around.

  Erik continued to face Etheria, as she raised her right hand forward, a golden gleam surging through her pale eyes while spiritual energy burst out of her arm. The energy formed at her fingers, elongating into a solid golden bow which she grasped.

  “Too bad, truly it is.” Etheria said softly in elven, raising her left hand to touch the bow before pulling back, a golden energy appearing out of her fingertips as she did. “Farewell, Guardian.” She then said with finality, a cold smile forming on her lips, before she loosed the arrow.

  It burst into a ray of golden light, surging quickly and towards Erik’s chest.

  He did not move, he stood his ground even as it reached him.

  “What are you doing!?” Thea exclaimed as she appeared before him, her gunblade surging with lightning as she met the ray of light. The two magiks clashed, exploding moments later into a wide blast that sent any Dreadblade or Bestia nearby soaring away.

  But Thea remained where she was, unaffected by the blast.

  Shizuka was still standing on the warehouse roof with several Dragon Knights guarding her. Focusing on Thea, struggling to retain the flight spell she cast upon her.

  And another.

  Etheria grimaced and flew back as two small spiritual projectiles zoomed past where she once stood, soaring off at speeds twice that of her own arrows. She followed the trail of light the projectiles left, but sensed no source, having to evade again as the same attack came from another direction.

  Makaela lay enveloped in shadows of invisibility, while also covering herself in a thin layer of spiritual energy, a barrier blocking her spiritu
al signature from being detected. She did this because she knew, from what little Erik had told her, that detecting spiritual energy was how Etheria saw albeit being physically blind.

  She flew around Etheria, also being aided to fly by Shizuka’s magic. Taking aim with her two weapons, small crossbows of golden ethereal energy laying attached to her wrists.

  “Snap out of it!” Thea exclaimed as the two dark elves danced about the sky, one invisible and the other too quick to evade. She turned to face him, then seeing the struggle going through his expression.

  Erik wasn’t just not moving, he was completely frozen. Eyes closed as he hovered limply, his expression changing between pain and anger.

  “What the-” Thea began to say as her eyes widened, when she suddenly sensed movement behind her.

  “Watch out!” Makaela exclaimed in common.

  And Thea turned to find Etheria lunging at her, her bow now turned into a pole-blade. She tried to deflect the attack, but her expression paled as she saw the golden blade pass right through her own. She had no time to evade further, as the blade met her skin.

  Etheria suddenly backed away, as two golden bolts of spiritual energy shot past her previous position. She hovered further back, into a safe distance as she changed her pole-blade back into a bow. All the while her senses prodded her surroundings, looking for the cloaked assassin.

  “What did you do to him!?” Thea demanded, switching into a gun’s grip as she took aim at the dark elf.

  “Reminding him, of what he has forgotten.” Etheria said, suddenly taking aim to her left, nocking an arrow and immediately releasing it.

  The projectile burst into a ray of light, colliding with the two bolts that had formed and searing through them before hitting something else. Makaela faded out of invisibility right after, clenching her left shoulder as blood trickling down her arm. “I can’t hide from her!” she said in surprise.

  “What? What has he forgotten?” Thea urged for more, annoyed beyond reason as she aimed her weapon towards the Soul leader.