by Adam Witcher
Luckily, our army was holding its own. Only a few of the humans had succumbed to their attacks, but dead mutants were scattered around on the soil, their abominable bodies ripped apart and in ruins. The humans had held up the backlines while my zombified forest animals fought with the fury that only mindless vengeance can fuel.
Lily and her gargoyle led a group of bears in battle against a squad of orcs. Blue mist poured from her fingertips and formed a set of ice armor on the biggest bear. He stood on his hind legs, waving clawed paws around ferociously. His mouth was already wet with blood. We landed beside them.
“Where the hell have you two been?” Lily yelled. “This seems like a bad time for a tryst.”
“Come up with us for a second,” I said. “I’ll explain.”
We lifted off the ground and let the bears resume their battle with the hobgoblins.
“We can reabsorb his power?” Lily said after we relayed Izmira’s message. Our gargoyles hovered side by side. They looked around wildly at the ensuing chaos, but they didn’t move.
“Somehow, yes,” I said. “She faded away before she could explain how. Do you remember anything you read from that book about Lombok and Cyrus?”
“It wasn’t a whole book, it was just a story. A short one. I have no idea.”
Far above our heads, Cyrus let out a roar so fierce that the whole battlefield seemed to freeze for a moment. My palms were covered in sweat. I thought desperately for a moment.
“That memory,” I said suddenly. The girls both looked at me.
“Which one?” Camilla asked.
“When he snuck into Leon’s room at night,” I said, my heart pounding.
Cyrus screeched again as he started his descent. It seemed that he had reached his full power. I could barely even make out the scales on his body as he pulsed with electric power.
“He used that little device, that flask,” I said. “He absorbed his mana through it. Maybe that could work on Cyrus.”
“That was Cyrus’ own magic at work,” Lily said. “I would assume the orb is too.”
“And how the hell do you expect to get on that dragon’s head, anyway?” Camilla said. “That thing will shock you to death if you get too close. Assuming he doesn’t kill you first.”
I looked down at my mount and patted him on his stony neck.
“I would get shocked, sure,” I said. “But he won’t.”
The dragon’s shadow covered the battlefield as he hung low above it. Not fifty feet beyond us, he rained violet fire upon anything unfortunate enough to be in his way. He had no regard for his own soldiers. Men, zombies, mutants, and monsters alike were incinerated. This sent the rest of the battlefield into a frenzy. It seemed that nobody knew whether to run or keep fighting. Even the krokum-enraged hobgoblins and mutants couldn’t decide how to direct their energy. The aerial battles, too, came to a halt. The flying monkeys and zombie birds managed to miss the flames, but afterward, the monkeys followed Cyrus in a V formation. The dragon seemed annoyed by this. He looked over his shoulder and held up a massive claw. The claw shot bolts of electricity that dropped the monkeys like flies. The ones that didn’t get hit flew off in different directions. The birds chased after the survivors, pecking away at them.
I didn’t wait to watch what happened on the ground. Cyrus was coming back quickly, and each attack was sure to leave a fresh, heaping pile of bodies. Luckily, the beast didn’t seem to be targeting me anymore, but instead focused on the grounded hordes. I took off toward him, Lily followed on her gargoyle.
Cyrus was ready to attack at ground level, but when he saw us hurtling toward him, he averted his eyes to meet ours. Then he unleashed the blow that would have decimated dozens of foot soldiers. A tremendous beam of sparks shot toward us, but we ducked our gargoyles at the last moment and it went soaring over our heads. On our way down, I spotted Gani and Breece. They had just taken down a brutal orc, one not unlike the one that had killed their brother. They raised their swords to us and beat their shields with it.
Above us, Cyrus roared and spat sparks angrily at into the air. He circled around and we rose up to meet him again. He aimed for us, and I prepared to dodge another shot. We couldn’t keep this game up all day, but I couldn’t let him unleash that power onto the battlefield. But then he looked down at the soldiers and my heart sank.
“Hey Cyrus!” I yelled at him. “Right here, you bastard!”
Cyrus didn’t care about us anymore. I watched in horror as more electric purple flames gathered in his mouth. There was nothing we could do. He was set to fry all of our soldiers to a crisp. We hovered in the air, my mouth hanging open.
“Guys,” Camilla screamed from behind me. “Move, now!”
Without even meaning to, I shot downward. But Lily didn’t quite get the message in time. Cyrus turned his horrible face to us at the last moment and unleashed his power. Lily went upward, and the beam caught her gargoyle directly in the torso. She screamed as ash sprayed out onto the battlefield and her mount went spiraling downward.
I raced over to where she fell and reached out a desperate hand. She caught it, almost slipping through my sweaty grasp. I barely managed to pull her up onto the gargoyle in front of me.
Our mount began to sag a bit under the weight of all three of us. Lily didn’t weigh much, but he was only so big. We even struggled just to stay on his back. Cyrus bellowed again, his anger growing by the moment. We wouldn’t be able to dodge another attack. I tried to think, but my mind was racing. We zoomed downward toward the battlefield.
This time Cyrus circled back, but he didn’t direct his attention on any one thing. Instead, he hovered less than a hundred feet above the heart of the action. He flapped his wings hard to hold his place, and great gusts of wind blew down upon everyone. Lightning bolts covered his body once again, growing in intensity.
“This doesn’t look good,” I shouted. “We’ve got to go for it now.” They nodded.
We flew up, dodging bolts of lightning that snaked out around us. At Camilla’s commands, I ducked in different directions to avoid what would otherwise be impossible. Though we got closer, Cyrus paid us no mind. There was a raging power behind his eyes that was impossible to mistake for anything but a massive oncoming attack.
Soon we were above his head. It bobbed up and down as he held himself steady. We were about fifteen feet above it, and I hesitated to land our mount. Some of the bolts from his head reached up close to our level. I was going to have to be quick.
Suddenly I couldn’t see the battlefield anymore. The beams of purple electricity spread out in every direction around him.
“He’s going to bring the whole wall of energy down and kill everyone!” Camilla cried from behind me.
It was our only chance. We descended, and I pulled the orb from my bag simultaneously. I braced myself for shock when we landed, but it didn’t come. Our concrete mount protected us well. Somehow, Cyrus still didn’t seem to register us. I doubt he thought we mattered. We were seconds away from the entire battlefield and the space around it being toast.
The orb didn’t do anything from atop the gargoyle, and for a split second I was crestfallen. But the memory materialized again in my head. Neptos had placed the device directly on the druid’s head. I knew what I had to do. I stood up on the gargoyle’s back and crouched.
“Rahm, no!” my companions said in unison. But I had already dove.
The next second passed as if in slow motion. I saw the overwhelming attack descend as I came down on him, orb first. For several endless seconds, I was sure that I would die. That a bolt would leap up and fry me before I got close enough. But I felt the orb connect with the massive black head and, all at once, I felt a surge of power moving through me. The orb got hot as it filled with purple clouds of magic. Cyrus wailed in a way that almost sounded human. Just over the side of his head, I watched the purple curtain of electricity halt then draw back. Unbridled energy flew into the orb, and I could barely hang on to it. My fingers burned, but I hel
d on anyway.
And then it all stopped. The orb looked as it had when still atop the tower. I stood on the dragon’s metallic scales, but they didn’t shock me. The dragon’s great cry became a low groan.
We started falling. I glanced upward and saw the girls rapidly flying downward. Camilla extended a hand when they were close enough and lifted me off the falling dragon. Far below, the hordes of warriors spread apart to give him a place to fall. When he hit the ground, I swear that all of Iggoroth shook.
We flew downward, watching the gargoyle struggle under his own weight. I thanked him with a pat on the neck when we reached the ground.
Humans and zombie animals alike swarmed over Cyrus, stabbing and biting him anywhere they could. The insects that had joined the fight began to eat away at the scales and the flesh underneath. In the distance, orcs and hobgoblins stumbled away. The mutant animals were done for, torn apart into the separate pieces they’d been made from. The cheers were deafening. Before long, Cyrus the dragon drew his last breath.
“Holy shit,” I said, turning to the grinning girls. “We did it!”
They pulled me into a group hug. Soon after, the humans ran over and embraced us too. They screamed with joy and thrust their weapons to the sky. Far beyond us in the field, the zombie animals dug back into the soil to resume their peace.
For the first time in a while, I felt that Iggoroth was going to be okay.
Chapter Thirty
I marched into Fellrock with a victorious grin on my face, Camilla and Lily on either arm. Seeing the bewildered and joyous faces of my fellow villagers was maybe just as much of a reward as bringing down the tower. A few of them applauded and cheered for me. I wondered if they had heard the tale of how we brought down Neptos and Cyrus, or if they were just enthusiastic about the beautiful women I’d brought home.
A week had passed since the battle, and the three of us had been slowly making our way back to my hometown. We made a few stops along the way. Of course, we had to stop in Gragos to receive our warm welcome there. At one point, I saw Camilla off talking to Zantho, who had apparently done quite well for himself in the fight. I let them have a moment. By the look on his face, I could tell he was trying to convince her that he had changed and wanted her back. I could tell she still had feelings for him, and she was being forced to make a difficult decision. After a tearful goodbye, she rejoined our group saying she was done with this city for a while. I didn’t ask her to elaborate.
The three of us stopped by Wolfgang Estate, too. Lily wanted to rub our victory in their faces, but to her surprise, they greeted her warmly. Gani and Breece got me and Camilla drunk on pumpkin ale in one of their huts, and we had a lovely time goofing around while Lily had her reunion. Even after reconciling, she didn’t seem interested in staying there, either. I told them both that Fellrock wasn’t all that exciting, but they insisted on joining my homecoming celebration. Maybe they knew just as I did that I couldn’t stay permanently. After what I’d been through and learned, there was no returning to the farming life. But of course, I had to stop for a visit.
We passed through the main square, and to my delight, it was well on its way to returning to its former state. We passed by Grey Oak’s Tavern, and, through the window, I saw Brick sitting with an ale alone at a table. He looked bored. As excited as I was to see my grandparents, I couldn’t resist going inside.
We pushed through the doors and went inside. It took him a moment, but his eyes went wide at the sight of me. Then he looked to each of my companions and nodded in approval. He stood up and spread his arms wide.
“Rahm, you son of a bitch!” he said warmly, “You actually pulled it off!”
I returned his bear hug, then introduced him to Lily and Camilla.
“You’re telling me you managed to destroy the tower, defeat a sorcerer and a god, and you brought these two home? Honestly man, I don’t know what to say.” He mimed bowing to me and I laughed.
“How’d that quiver and dagger work out for you?” He asked.
I showed him.
“You wouldn’t believe how many things I’ve killed thanks to you,” I said. He beamed. “And that quiver is incredible. I still have five arrows.”
“Why don’t you come over later,” he said with a wink. “I’ve got a few new gadgets for you.”
We sat with him for a while, chatted and cheered over a few ales. It felt good to relax with no other expectations on my plate. At least for now.
Then I felt a familiar warm sensation on my chest. I realized that Izmira’s forest wasn’t far from the tavern.
“Could you excuse me for a few minutes?” I said. I didn’t wait for an answer.
It didn’t take me long to find her in the forest. She appeared in all her voluptuous glory. A beam of light came through the trees and shone through the flowing green veils of her gown. Her pale breasts and white thighs gave off a milky glow.
“Rahm,” she said with a radiant smile. “You’ve done it. I did well in choosing you. You are a true hero to Iggoroth.”
“Well,” I said, blushing a little. “I couldn’t have done it without you, Izmira.”
She stepped forward and slipped her hand into mine. Despite my arousal, I had just one question that I had to ask.
“Izmira, is Cyrus dead? Like, really dead?”
“Cyrus is a god,” she said, looking a little sad, “so he can never truly die. But you have robbed him of his power. He will lie dormant unless he manages to trick another wayward soul into helping him regain it.”
“But Neptos is dead, isn’t he?”
“Oh yes,” she said. “Neptos died the moment Cyrus fused with him to make himself a dragon. You will never see the likes of him again.”
I smiled at that.
“Rahm, do you still have the orb?”
I pulled it out of my bag. It shimmered in the shadowy forest with its powerful purple haze.
“You must keep that safe,” she said. “And you must destroy it if possible. Cyrus is very tricky, and if he regains the ability to take form, he will do what he can to steal it from you. It took a long time for him to gather that energy.”
“I wanted to ask about that,” I said. “How did he gather it? I thought he used the life energy to make krokum.”
“Krokum is a byproduct of that energy,” she said. “The power wielded in that orb is directly drained from the life in Iggoroth. Much has died so that it can be there. You must be very careful.”
“Can I destroy it?” I asked. “Somehow put the energy back where it belongs?”
“Alas, I do not know.” She hung her head. “Perhaps it is possible, but you risk that energy falling into the wrong hands.”
We both stared at it in silence for a few moments.
“So… did you call me out here just to say thanks?” I gave her a mischievous grin. She gave me a sultry look right back.
“I can see that you’re occupied already,” she said, glancing in the direction of the tavern. “They’re very beautiful and brave. I can see why you like them. But they are only human, after all. Let me know when you’ve grown tired of them,” she winked. “I can do things for you no human woman ever could. Whenever you want me, I’ll be here.”
I considered my pals in the tavern, but I knew they would understand. I grabbed Izmira about the waist and held her firmly, our bodies pressed together.
“I want you now,” I said.
“Then you’ll have me now,” she whispered into my ear before biting my earlobe and flicking her tongue over it.
Back in the tavern, I resumed my seat next to Lily and Camilla.
“You look less flustered than I expected,” Lily teased. “Did you have some fun with Izmira?”
“A gentleman doesn’t kiss and tell,” I teased back.
We finished our ales, bid our goodbyes to Brick, and headed toward my grandparent’s farm. When we arrived, they were sitting out on rocking chairs on their front porch. They both jumped up at the sight of us.
�
�Oh, good gods!” my grandpa yelled with glee and disbelief. “Rahm, is that you?”
We rushed up to meet them. I hugged them both deeply.
“Aren’t you going to introduce us to your pretty friends?” my grandma asked. I did so.
We sat together for a long time relating our journey. Their mouths hung open, they shook their heads, and they gasped at intervals throughout the tale. Once I was done, there was a brief silence. I heard something fumbling inside their house. Confused, I looked at the front door when it opened.
A man stepped out who looked vaguely familiar. In fact, he looked a bit like me. The man bit his lip when he looked at me, and his eyes watered.
“Rahm,” my grandfather said. “I didn’t mean to surprise you like this, but it all happened so quickly. Do you remember your father?”
I stood in shocked silence for a moment.
“Rahm,” the man who was supposedly my father said. “It’s been so long, I’m so sorry, I… I don’t know what to say.”
“Dad…” I started slowly. “Why are you back, why are you here… now? Where have you been?”
“Well… We have a lot of catching up to do, son.”
Endnotes
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