He winked at her as she glanced over to him; she smiled. A sudden shiver rippled down his back, he spun around looking behind him and then up towards the blackened thunderous skies. Panic shot through his heart like a lightning bolt.
“Dragons!” he screamed in alarm, leaping to his feet. The small party looked to the skies, immediately jumping to their feet. There was no time to flee. The black dragon roared above them, a fireball growing within its throat.
“Behind me,” Kainan commanded furiously, raising the Deragan sword in front of them. They dived behind him just as the dragon expelled the flames.
“Castar illumanartre reflectara!” the young king cried. Instantly power surged from him and a force field surrounded them. His muscles tense Kainan pushed the flame back towards the dragon. Immediately consumed by its own flames it exploded into a mass of black dust. Withdrawing the power, his men moved around to his side, weapons drawn they nodded gratefully to their King.
“Kainan,” Arweyn screamed reaching for him, there was no time another dragon descended rapidly towards them.
“Scatter, into the trees,” Kainan ordered. Instantly the party split, heading into the cover of the trees. Arweyn remained by her husband’s side gripping onto him tightly.
***
Gemini was just about to walk away, when one man rose sharply and drew a sword, and he stood in front of the others, holding it forward.
“Fool!” Gemini scorned, laughing as he watched. “Burn him,” he ordered and his dragon obeyed. A bright light flared across the crystal orb blinding him, Gemini stumbled backwards pulling his arms across his eyes to protect them.
“What the hell was that?” he yelled, but he got no response.
“Dragon?” he hollered, but there was still no response.
“Etor, your eyes now,” he ordered sharply to another dragon. Immediately Gemini could see through the eyes of another dragon.
“He killed my dragon,” he cursed in disbelief, both his hands now grasping angrily at the device holding the orb. How was that possible? He could see the group had separated, two were hidden behind the trees, others darting for cover.
“Bastoria kill the group. Etor I want to see the man with the sword.” The black dragon moved closer, and hovered above them.
A woman jumped out from behind the trees, Gemini stared. Who was she? The man beside her once again lifted his sword in front of him.
“It cannot be,” Gemini whispered furiously in disbelief, smashing his hands down onto the table. “Get closer,” he ordered the dragon. The dragon moved in as the woman aimed two arrows towards it. Gemini watched her. She was beautiful in fact, her look was so sensuous, and compelling that it caused him to forget what it was he was doing. He grinned to himself, after all these years but how, where had they been.
The dragon began to produce a fireball.
“No!” Gemini ordered, “Do not retaliate, and do not harm her.” He watched her as she fired, completely mesmerised by her. The crystal went black the dragon had died.
“Arana give me your eyes,” he ordered sharply and the dragon obeyed.
“We have lost two black dragons, whilst Bastora distracts them I want you to bring me the woman,” he ordered. “Unharmed,” he pressed forcefully. Leaning with both hands on the table he peered harder at the crystal as the dragon searched for the woman.
“After all these years you have returned to challenge me Kainan, King of Malgar. No wonder you hid your queen from me all those years ago.” He took a deep breath watching through the eyes of his dragon. He breathed fast and heavy, as the dragon came up silently behind her.
“You should have kept her hidden.”
***
“Kainan, what are we going to do?” she questioned, as they ducked behind a large oak. Peering around the tree Kainan immediately shrunk back. His mind was racing as he thought, glancing back again; he quickly scanned the dragon as it circled above the clearing, looking for a weak spot. He grabbed his wife’s arm.
“See there, between its neck and its armoured breast plate,” he said pointing, she moved forward, stealing a quick glance. He pulled her back and she nodded.
“I want you to aim your arrows at that point. Do you think you can do it?” Her hazel eyes looked into his fearfully.
“Yes,” she said, nodding. Pulling her bow off her shoulder, she then withdrew two arrows. Kainan signalled across to Amerdril to watch. Amerdril nodded and informed the others.
“Okay. I am going to shield you.” She took a steadying breath as he raised the sword ready.
“Illumanartry,” he mumbled and the sword began to illuminate with power. They moved forward together.
“Ready?”
“Yes,” she replied, a little scared. As they stepped out into the open, one of the dragons turned, and wings drawn back it hurtled towards them.
“Now,” Kainan urged, holding the sword and its powerful force field ready.
Drawing its wings back, flames flickering in its mouth its ivory talons stretched, the dragon headed towards her. Arweyn stood firm as she aimed. For a second, the way the dragon looked at her un-nerved her, and she hesitated.
“Now,” Kainan cried, and with urgency, hearing his voice, she released the arrows. They hit precisely, and giving a deafening roar, the dragon flew backwards, spiralling out of control and crashing to the ground, disintegrating to dust.
“Well done,” the young King praised, taking her into his arms and hugging her.
“Kainan did you see the way it looked at me?” She had looked into the creature’s eyes, and it had sent a chill down her spine. He shook his head.
“No. What do you mean look at you?” She shrugged as he released her.
“I do not know. It was like....” she hesitated.
“Arweyn?” he pushed.
“Why did it not defend itself, why did it not shoot the flame at us? It looked at me and hesitated, I am sure.” He shook his head.
“I am sorry I did not notice.” Before discussing it further, another dragon began to descend upon them. They fled back into the trees. Backs pushed hard against a wide oak, Kainan looked across at his men. The dragon had landed in front of them, trapping them behind the trees; it began sending out fireballs directly towards Amerdril and the others.
“Stay here,” Kainan ordered to his wife. She nodded.
“For spirits sake, please be careful,” she begged. He kissed her, giving a quick nod of his head before he ran. In four long strides, he was up and on the back of the black dragon. The trees in front of him burned furiously, and the heat drawing off it was almost unbearable. His men trapped, hid from the flames behind two huge oaks.
The dragon jerked violently as it felt Kainan on his back. Spinning around it roared, snapping its teeth at the young King.
“Run,” Kainan screamed to his men. Immediately they obeyed, and taking their only chance, they darted to safety. Kainan raised the Deragan sword, he could see the soft spot on the back of its neck, and without hesitation, and he plunged his sword between two scales, and pushed it deep into the dragon’s neck. Pulling the sword hard one way and then the other, he sliced open the back of the dragon’s throat. The beast roared in agony. Instantly withdrawing the sword, he rose to his feet, back flipping off the dragon and landing a few feet away. He watched triumphantly as it shuddered and died, and then disintegrating to dust. The skies blackened and the heavens opened sending a torrential downpour onto them.
Peering from behind the safety of an oak, Arweyn watched in dreaded fear as her husband fought the dragon. Hearing a noise behind her over the pounding rain, her eyes widened fearfully, and her heart almost stopped. She turned. The dragon snatching her in its talons tore up into the skies with her.
“Kainan!” she screamed, fighting and struggling to wrench herself away from its grip. It tightened its hold around her chest, she gasped breathless, instantaneously passing out, and her body now hung limp in the creature’s talons. Her scream from behind him brought him abou
t in a flash, his sword drawn and extended ready in self-defence. Terror engulfed him as he saw his wife’s limp body in the dragon’s talons.
“Arweyn no!” he cried, scrambling desperately towards her. He raced through the trees frantically as the black dragon soared off further into the darkening skies. The rain pounded down, stinging at his face as he ran, and he watched heartbroken, as she got further and further away from him. As he emerged from the trees, he came to an abrupt halt, finding the ground falling away from him to a fifty-foot drop into a valley below.
“Arweyn!” he screamed with a desperate cry, as the dragon disappeared towards the black fortress. Kainan collapsed to his knees crying, his face against the sodden ground, his fingers dug into the earth as fury engulfed him, and his body shook.
“You bastard I am going to rip your heart out!” he screamed angrily, his cries echoing loudly out into the valley before him. Dread clutched at him, flooding like poison through his veins. He had lost her. Amerdril rushed to a stop behind him, placing his hand on his shoulder, he gave it a gentle squeeze. Kainan glanced up, tears streaming from his eyes. His protector looked at him, his face showing the sorrow he felt.
“I am so sorry my Lord,” he whispered. The young King looked back towards the dark fortress despairing.
***
“Now he knows we are here there is no point in holding back the dragons.” Kainan said pacing. Amerdril nodded. “I agree. What is your plan?” The young King looked out at the Fortress and at the darkness of the skies as the storm ripped wildly across the valley. “I am going back to Ophidian. Arweyn and I had an idea of how we may be able to get into the Fortress.” Lightning flashed across the skies above them. They glanced briefly at it.
“My Lord …?” Amerdril started.
“Amerdril I am going after my wife and that is my final word.”
“My Lord you cannot afford to get captured.” The King shook his head.
“No that is exactly my intention. It is part of my plan.”
“That does not make any sense. You get captured by one of those black-wing soldiers and you are as good as dead.” Kainan shook his head.
“No, if I know my wife she will be working on a plan that will involve me being captured and brought to Gemini alive.”
“And how exactly is she going to achieve that?”
The young King smiled. “Oh she has her ways.”
Amerdril marched forward and stood in his face. “Are you not at all concerned as to what she might have to do in order for her to achieve that?”
“Of course I am!” he snapped back angrily, glaring at him. “But I know she will do everything she can to convince him not to take her. She will stop him, I know she will…” he trailed of quietly, sickened by the thoughts of what he knew very well may happen to her. “That is why I have to get to her as quick as I can. You stay here with the other dragon riders as a distraction for his dragons, and his men, allowing me to get into the heart of the Fortress and straight to Gemini and the Gameron Sword.”
“And what if she talks? My King I know you do not want to think about what that man may do to her, but under pressure she may not have an option. She may tell him where the people are.” He shook his head and a look of dismay spread across it.
“Whatever happens, whatever he does, she will never tell him where our people are. She would rather die first.”
“And what if you fail and Gemini kills you?” Kainan stared hard at his protector.
“Failure is not an option Amerdril.” He turned and marched off back towards the others, yelling as he walked. “Come on let’s get out of this bloody storm.” Amerdril stared after him, running his hand across the stubble on his face. By the spirits, he hoped the King was right otherwise, it was all over. The people, the Groundling Empire would remain for evermore, nothing but statues buried deep within a mountain. He followed on behind traipsing across the sodden forest floor.
Thirteen ~ Gemini’s Fortress
The dragon dropped her to the ground in the centre of Gemini’s Fortress; now conscious Arweyn cowered on her knees, deep in a muddy puddle. She had been disarmed, and hoards of black-wing soldiers surrounded her. Her breathing was rapidly and she felt terribly weak and dizzy, she did not feel she even had enough energy within her to call on her magic. A soldier approached her, standing in front of her; she looked at his black boots as they sunk into the mud, following his body up to his face, she swallowed fearfully. Sneering down at her, an evil grin spread across his lips.
“Get up woman,” he spat at her sharply. Ignoring him, she stared back at the ground not moving.
“I said get up woman,” he repeated, growling angrily. Seizing her shoulder, he pulled her harshly to her feet. She gave a little yelp in pain, and then as she stood she glared angrily at him. Grabbing a fistful of her sodden hair, he yanked her head roughly to one side.
“Go to hell,” she screamed, kicking out at him. Yelping he released his grip on her, and doubled over in agony. Fury then shook through him, and unexpectedly his hand whipped, around slapping her hard across her face, she stumbled backwards but managed to keep her footing. Cupping her hand to her throbbing cheek, she wiped the blood from her mouth with the other. The other black-wing soldiers that had gathered looked at him horrified.
“You shouldn’t have done that,” one ventured to the man that had struck her.
“She kicked me in the bollocks,” he growled furiously, his fat face boiling red.
“He said not to touch her,” the soldier added, glancing over to her. Arweyn’s lip had swollen and as she ran her tongue over it, she glared furiously back at him.
“He’s dead,” he heard another whisper at the back of the crowd. The man suddenly looked fearful as the realisation of what he had done sunk in.
“Take her,” he barked, shoving her towards two other soldiers. Grabbing both her arms, they began to lead her away.
“Stupid bitch,” he yelled after her. “And if any of you say anything I will rip your bloody arms off!” he yelled warningly at the rest of them. The others shook their heads muttering as they disbanded. “He’s dead.”
One of the soldiers that escorted with her looked across at the other behind her back.
“If he asks who hit her?”
“We’ll tell him or it’ll be our guts he rips out.”
“What about Treskin he’ll get us for it.”
“Treskin is an idiot,” the other said, looking back at him as he shoved other black-winged soldiers out of his way. “He won’t have a chance to get to us you know that. Gemini will have him.”
Arweyn shook, not just, because she was wet and cold but also because she now remembered the stories about Gemini, of his cruelty and his treatment of women. They entered the Fortress through a small oak door. Once inside she was taken down a series of long dark corridors, lit only occasionally by a torch on the wall.
“Do we tell him first or wait till he asks who hit her?” one soldier said to the other. The other pondered on it. He looked at Arweyn’s face; she still had blood on her swollen lip.
“He’ll see straight away, we should tell him Rael.”
“He’ll kill him,” Rael replied.
“It is his own bloody fault,” the other finished as he stopped mid-way down another corridor at a wooden door. “Better him than us,” he added as he opened the door and ushered her in.
“Wait in there,” he said, raising an eyebrow at her. Closing the door behind her, they waited outside. Gemini appeared at the end of the corridor, he was striding quickly towards them. As he approached, they both bowed. One looked at the other and he nodded.
“Excellent work,” Gemini said, obviously pleased. “She is inside?” The soldiers both nodded.
“My Lord,” Rael said, swallowing as he tried to gather his nerve. Gemini frowned at the sudden fear that had swept across the man’s face.
“What?” he questioned abruptly.
“Just so you know. It… it was not us that struck her,
” he stuttered lowering himself onto one knee and preparing for the worse.
“One of my men struck her?” he growled, drawing the words out very slowly, as if to clarify that one of his men had actually dared to disobey him. Rael nodded.
“Yes my Lord.”
“Who was it?”
“Treskin my Lord,” he replied. Rael swallowed, he had just given Treskin his death sentence. Better him than me, he thought as he watched the Dark Lord’s face flush angrily. Gemini turned and punched the wall, making an indentation in the stonework. The two men shook fearfully, knowing that could so easily have been their heads. Taking a deep calming breath Gemini turned the handle of the door.
“Rael, guard the door.” He glanced at the other soldier. “You, I want Treskin in a cell immediately.” The soldier bowed and quickly departed. Gemini entered the chamber, and closed the door behind him. He stared at her, and his heart almost stopped dead. His eyes had never seen such beauty in a woman before, not in the five hundred and thirty years that he had lived.
Arweyn spun around as the door opened, her heart thumped and she felt sick to the pit of her stomach. She stood soaking wet and shaking uncontrollably. It had all happened so fast, no one had had time to react. One moment she was watching Kainan, and the next she was in the black dragon’s talons, carried away into the dark clouds of the thunderstorm.
They were alone in what appeared to be his private chambers, deep with the dark fortress. A fire burned in the hearth in the middle of the room, giving comforting warmth to the cold stone grey walls of the chamber. The chamber itself heavily furnished had gold ornate chairs around a long oak table, on top of which burned four candelabras. A red couch pulled close to the fire and large white animal skin fur rug stretched out in front of it.
In his arms, he held a green dress. One of the thousands of items and treasures that he had taken from the raids he had inflicted on the worlds of Malgar and Earth, and brought back through the hidden portal. He threw it at her, it landed by her feet. She glanced down briefly at it, swallowing her emotions, and trying desperately to hold back her fear. Her eyes lifted back to him, he was not as she had imagined him to be. She had no recollection of him, nothing that had yet come to light within her past memory that recalled her ever seeing him before. In her mind, she had visualised him as being old and scarred, ugly and dark but he could not have been more different. Even though she knew him to be over five hundred years old, he appeared no more than thirty.
Deragan Sword Prophecy: Book 02 - Meladrom Page 24