“The truth is, Lord Preswynn, he was rescued. The Vordalyn were in fact here, they took him, your daughters, and themselves, from our lands after the battle, vowing vengeance. We live in fear they will return. The people must rally to defeat them, ours, yours, and any others we can find.” Queen Menina could see the Kina and Vordalyn were the same to Lord Preswynn, she knew it would not be wise to correct him or pretend to know more about them than the Sumian’s did. Queen Menina did not want to draw any suspicion on herself.
“I am sure you will have our assistance. We are versed in the history of the Kina and their weaknesses.” Lord Preswynn said.
“Weaknesses? What weaknesses?” Tamina asked almost snarling.
“I’m not sure, Queen Jenzenya is very learned on the subject, she would know those answers.” He answered.
Chapter Fourteen
Rayna grabbed Katlin by his shirt and pulled him close to her.
“Wait here, don’t touch anything else!” Rayna leapt over the railing to join the fight against the bones that were becoming a skeletal warrior again.
“It wasn’t me who touched anything!” Katlin yelled after her, then looked around the second floor for any other skeletons that might be coming to life.
“Get back!” Dracon shouted to Alyndra.
She did not move and lifted her hands in front of her, aiming her palms at the skeleton just as its last bone fell into place. Ice shards shot from her hands, so cold, everyone had to step back. At first, the ice shattered against the breastbone of the reanimated creature, then, little by little the bones splintered, then snap, finally breaking apart again. Alyndra sighed in relief after dismantling the creature. The floor glowed green and bubble beneath each bone, which started to grow and become a full skeleton on its own.
“Dracon…” Satana said.
“I know! I see it!” Dracon yelled back to her.
Rayna and Um’Vec made their way behind Dracon, next to where Alyndra was standing.
“What do we do?” Satana asked.
“I don’t know.” Dracon said shaking his head trying to come up with a plan.
“What do we do?” Satana asked again with more urgency.
Dracon looked at her with a smile he was trying to fight back.
“I don’t know! I’ve never fought bones before!”
Um’Vec rushed forward, smashing the nearest skeleton to pieces. He punched one with an upper cut that sent its head flying up and over the railing, landing on the second floor. Each bone at his feet glowed and the floor beneath them started to bubble.
“Um’Vec stop!” Alyndra called to the bugbear who by then was being overwhelmed by the other skeletons running to attack him.
Um’Vec smashed, punched and destroyed each skeleton he put his fists to. By the time he stopped every one of them littered the floor which glowed and bubbled the length of the room.
“Um’Vec! Stop it! You’re only making more!” Alyndra yelled.
Um’Vec looked around at the bones on the floor coming back to life once again and in greater number.
“Um’Vec make more, no good.” The bugbear finally understood the gravity of the situation.
“Oh, really, I thought you were doing so well?” Satana’s sarcasm was clear, even to the bugbear.
Katlin rounded the railing to where the head of the skeleton was that Um’Vec knocked up to the second floor. It was not growing or coming back to life. In fact, it was melting into a black ooze. He crouched, looking closer at the oozing bone, then looked over the railing at the bubbling floor.
“The floor!” he said to himself, then stood up quickly, “It’s the floor! It’s the floor making new skeletons!” Katlin yelled down from the railing, pointing at the bubbling ooze below the bones, “Get off the floor!”
Dracon looked at Satana, then at Alyndra and Rayna.
“I suggest we get up there, quick as we can,” Grik pointed up at where Katlin was, “Give us a toss, ya grumbling bastard!”
Um’Vec looked at Alyndra who nodded at him to comply, then Um’Vec grabbed Grik by the back of his shirt and threw him up and over the railing to the second floor. Rayna ran at Um’Vec and bounded up the bugbear as she did before, using him to get as much height as possible, then leapt for the railing and pulled herself over it quickly. Dracon watched, impressed, then looked at Satana.
“Go ahead.” He said.
“You go ahead, what do I look like to you? I can’t do that?” she chuckled, Um’Vec came walking toward Satana who stuck her hands out at him, palms up, shaking her head no, “Get away from me!” she said backing up.
Satana turned to run but Um’Vec grabbed her by the back of her leather chest-piece, running in the same direction she was, then threw her straight up in the air. She reached the same height as the railing, then hovered, just a moment, before she started to come back down. Her arms flailed for a second before she reached out and grabbed the railing. Katlin grabbed her arms and helped her over the side to the floor.
“Go.” Dracon said quietly to Alyndra. He had just a hint of a smile on his face, “We’ll handle this.”
Alyndra transformed, her wings sprouted from her back and horns grew from her head. She flew to the second floor and had to transform again, before landing on it, her wings were too big for the walkway. Katlin and Rayna looked at her with their mouths open in shock and surprise at her transformation to her Vordalyn form.
“Um’Vec, I’ll kill, you throw the bones up to the second floor.” Dracon swung his Unholy Reaver slicing the nearest skeleton to pieces. He grabbed the legs of the skeleton then pointed at Um’Vec, spun in a circle to build up momentum and hurled the legs and pelvis up to the second floor.
Um’Vec nodded, then started smashing skeletons to pieces. Dracon shook his head at the bugbear. He didn’t understand a thing. The creatures spawned even faster. Dracon spotted the very first skeleton that fell from the upper level. It was a distinct warrior carrying a sword. Dracon mowed through an onslaught of skeletons, cleaving them to pieces easily, but he knew they would only become more until he could figure out how to stop the bones from hitting the floor. Images flashed in his mind, images of the skeleton warrior, but when it was first created from a dead body, its flesh still intact. The images showed a body being dug up, then a metal necklace with a small ring put around the bodies neck. The eyes of the dead warrior popped open. The metal ring and the dead warrior’s eyes flashed the same pale green glow, then the images left Dracon.
“Thank you,” Dracon whispered to his Unholy Reaver.
He spotted the skeleton again and started to mow his way in its direction. The skeleton had its sword ready for Dracon. He parried Dracon’s initial blow, then grabbed a skeleton nearby and shoved it into Dracon’s path, who met it with his Unholy Reaver. The room was becoming a slippery, oozing mess, with the bones reanimating around him. Alyndra could see Dracon had singled out the skeleton and sent a blast of frigid air down, creating an ice wall between Dracon and the other skeletons, stopping them from interfering with Dracon’s hunt. Um’Vec was pulling skeletons from his back and smashing them to pieces, two and three at a time. He reveled in the fight, growling with pleasure from the battle. The skeletons could do little to hurt Um’Vec, but it would only be a matter of time before their sheer numbers would overwhelm him.
Dracon parried a blow from the skeleton, its blade missed but it raked its bony fingers across his chest ripping his Drow shirt. Dracon could feel the icy bones deep in his chest, as if the fingers pierced his skin. He couldn’t believe that was true and quickly returned a blow, cutting the head off the skeletal warrior. Dracon grabbed the necklace and metal ring from its corpse and held it up, expecting the fighting to end. The skeletal warrior reached over and grabbed its own head from the ground and put it back in place, then retrieved its sword from the floor. Dracon took a few steps back, then looked up at Satana on the second floor.
“Catch!” he yelled, then flung the necklace up to her.
The skeletal
warrior looked at Satana then hissed. It started in her direction. Dracon stepped in front of it and the two foes clashed swords.
“What do you want me to do with it?” Satana yelled down at Dracon.
“Melt it!” He said ducking out of the way of another blow from the skeletal warrior. It stopped attacking Dracon and continued toward Satana again.
“I think he means me!” Alyndra said stepping next to Satana and taking the necklace. Alyndra grabbed it tightly, her face scrunched up as she squeezed. Nothing happened, “I can’t.”
“Just melt it with fire, like Talila does!” Satana exclaimed.
“I can’t do that!” Alyndra gathered the chain and ring fully in her palm and tried again. “I can’t make fire hot enough to melt this,” she whispered, then, she tried to freeze it, to make it crack, like she did with the rock wall. She looked around at the others to see if anyone had something to smash it with when she made it cold enough.
Um’Vec roared making everyone look over the railing at the fighting below. He had a skeleton in one hand, using its bony body to beat back others, swarming around him. Satana climbed on the railing. Rayna grabbed her arm to stop her but Satana jerked away from her.
“She’s right girl, ya aren’t gonna help anyone jumping to your death. It’s better ya stay up here, out of the way!” Grik grabbed her other arm.
“Are you all cowards!” Satana growled.
“Dracon is fine!” Alyndra yelled to Satana, “Um’Vec is doing well! We need to help them by not distracting them. Help me think of a way to destroy this!”
“Might I suggest freezing it like the stone wall of the cave, can you do that again, your grace?” Katlin asked.
“I’m trying!” Alyndra said, “It won’t crack!”
Katlin looked down at Dracon fighting the skeletal warrior, sword to sword, on one side of the ice wall Alyndra created to separate Dracon and Um’Vec, dividing up their foes.
“Give it back to him, let Dracon smash it with his sword.” Katlin offered.
Alyndra looked over the railing at Dracon.
“Dracon, you’re gonna have to smash it with your sword!” Satana yelled.
“Just melt it!” He yelled back up, dodging the skeletal warrior’s blade.
“We can’t!” Satana yelled, Dracon growled angrily, returning a blow to the skeletal warrior.
“Throw it!” He commanded, then kicked the skeletal warrior in the chest creating room between the two of them.
Satana yanked the necklace from Alyndra’s hand then immediately dropped it. It was too cold for her to handle. The ring, and necklace holding it, bounced to the railing then over the side. The skeletal warrior spun with incredible speed catching the ring with his bony thumb and forefinger, making a ‘ting’ sound. The chain dangled from the ring and the skeletal warrior wrapped the chain around his bony wrist, with a quick whip of his arm. Dracon did not wait and attacked, hitting the skeletal warrior’s hand, cutting it off, just below the wrist. The force of the blow sent hand, wrist, and ring, over the ice wall to where Um’Vec was battling a growing number of skeletons.
“No!” Katlin yelled.
Rayna ran around the railing of the second floor, just over Um’Vec who was fighting on the other side of the ice wall. Satana watched Dracon go back and forth with the skeletal warrior.
“Cut it up and get to the other side of the wall!” She yelled, pointing to where the necklace and ring had gone.
“I can’t!” Dracon blocked another attack, “If I cut him up, he’ll make more of them!” Just then he could see several skeletons scaling over the ice wall, coming to attack him. Dracon stepped back several feet then looked at his sword, “Are you gonna help me, or what?”
Satana had no idea he was talking to his sword.
“I’m coming!” she yelled then started to climb over the railing.
She hung on it by one arm, readying herself to drop down and join the fight. Satana picked a skeleton and decided she would land on it with both feet, trying to take it out. She leapt, but someone grabbed her wrist, causing her to abandon her jump and cling back to the railing for her life.
“No, you don’t, girl!” Grik said holding her arm with both hands.
He had his legs pressed against the railing, pushing with all his might to pull her back and stop her from jumping down.
“Let me go!” Satana struggled back over the railing, “He needs me!”
“No!” Grik said jerking her wrist, “He don’t!” He looked down at Dracon who did not need any help fighting the three skeletons, “We need to get that necklace and smash it! That’s what we need help with!” Grik jerked her arm again, reluctant to let go of her.
Satana snarled then nodded her agreement. They both rushed around to the other side, where Rayna and Alyndra were shouting down at Um’Vec trying to get him to understand and to guide him to the hand that was fast becoming another skeleton, ring necklace in tow.
“He’s not going to understand!” Satana said, “We have to get down there!” She looked at Grik who shook his head weighing their options.
“Agh,” He grunted, “Let’s go, but we best not smash anymore and try to stop ole grumble bottom from smashing anymore either.” Satana started to go but Grik grabbed her, “As soon as we’re clear girl, get out, ya here me!” Satana nodded then both she and Grik climbed over the railing.
“Satana, throw it back to me when you get it, I’ll freeze it again, find something to smash it with!” Alyndra said, she could hardly be heard over the growls and grunts Um’Vec was making, fighting what was at the very least fourteen skeletons.
Satana once again hung over the railing, readying herself to jump down. She scanned the floor. Looking for the necklace that held the ring, but couldn’t see it, then she spotted a skeleton with it wrapped around its wrist. She shook her head.
“This just keeps getting easier.” She said back over her shoulder to Grik.
She suddenly saw Grik was no longer behind her, but instead, was dangling over Um’Vec from the railing, several feet to her right. When Um’Vec smashed his forearms down on a reanimated skeleton, Grik let himself drop, landing right between the bugbears shoulder blades then slid off his back to the floor. Instantly, Grik was up and in a run, off the black floor to the steps leading up to the golden etched plates nearest to him. The skeletons ignored him, continuing instead to attack Um’Vec. Satana let herself hang, trying to stretch as long as she could make herself before letting go. She fell straight down and collapsed into a roll when she hit the floor. The skeletons may not have noticed Grik, but they sure noticed Satana, who thought she would go unnoticed like the dwarf.
“Damn!” She growled then burst into a run, drawing four of the skeletons away from Um’Vec and after her.
Grik crouched and remained unnoticed, until he spotted the skeleton with the necklace wrapped around its wrist, it was trying to claw at Um’Vec’s leg. The bugbear lifted his giant leg in response and stomped the skeleton; his massive foot came down on its back with such force, it was rendered to a jumble of bones that clattered against the floor, spreading out over several feet. The ground beneath each bone glowed and bubbled. Grik rushed after the arm before it could become a new and separate skeleton to join the fighting. The arm moved in his hand making Grik, tentative to touch it.
“Ugh!” he exclaimed in his disgust. He unwrapped the necklace from the bony wrist that still had taut bits of decomposed skin against it, like the head of a drum. Grik ran out on to the black floor and looked up at the railing, “Here!” he yelled up at Alyndra and Rayna, then tossed the necklace straight up. Both women lurched over the edge of the railing as far as they could to catch it. Alyndra snatched it out of the air by its chain then gathered the entire thing in her palm again, pulling it, and herself back behind the railing. She squeezed as tight as she could with her eyes shut just as tight, whispering to herself, almost like she was in prayer. A cold mist emanated from her hand and Rayna could feel the air getting colder around her.
When she could see her own breath, she decided it was time to take a step back, it was then she realized Katlin was gone. She scanned the second-floor railing, hoping to see him crouched down behind one section or another, but it was clear, Katlin was absolutely gone.
“Dracon!” Alyndra called from the second floor, “Destroy it with your sword!”
She threw the ring down and it bounced on the onyx floor with a metallic ting, that echoed with each hop. It made every skeleton stop and look in its direction. It bounced, ting, ting, ting, then came to rest at Dracon’s feet. The skeleton warrior’s eyes lit up, seeing its necklace before Dracon, then it looked at Dracon, who raised his sword over his head and brought it down with all his might. All along the swords flight to destroy the ring that animated the skeleton warrior, Dracon could feel the Unholy Reaver’s reluctance to comply with his will. Upon impact a bolt of lightning shot out from the sword, destroying the ice wall that separated Dracon from the others. Instantly, Skeletons came pouring in from the other side of the room. Each, desperate to return the ring to its own possession, each controlled with a singular mind. Dracon, in his fury at his sword, mowed through the skeletons that washed around him like a wave.
“Hurry Dracon, before the cold wears from the ring!” Alyndra yelled down.
Um’Vec saw the ring at Dracon’s feet, then looked around, spotting the heavy golden plate on the pedestal behind him. He grabbed it up with both hands and used it to smash his way from behind the skeletons, splintering them to pieces. He stepped up next to Dracon and brought down the heavy golden plate, so close it looked like he was trying to hit Dracon and not the ring. But his aim was true, and he smashed the ice cold, brittle ring, destroying it. Instantly, every skeleton vanished, save for one. The room had become filled with a black mist that rose up and away from the companions, slowly climbing the open center of the tower. Everyone was breathless and watched the lone skeleton warrior that originally emerged from behind the door on the second floor. It took two awkward steps toward Dracon, the green light in its eye sockets faded and it fell to the floor, first to his knees then to a jumble of bones spilling around on the floor. The skull of the skeleton warrior slid across the floor to Dracon’s feet. He stared at it a moment then he looked at the rest of the group. Dracon lifted his foot and stomped on the skull that turned to dust under his heel. Dracon let go of his Unholy Reaver and it vanished. Before Dracon could address the group, a scraping sound of stone on stone could be heard from behind Um’Vec, it was the pedestal where Um’Vec took the plate from, it was sinking. Behind it, the wall lifted up, revealing a staircase. There, at the foot of the stairs, up against the doorway that had risen, Katlin was crouched on the ground with his hands over his head, hiding. They could all hear him, muttering prayers to himself. Dracon walked past the group and behind the pedestal, he looked down at the cowering half-elf, then at the stone stairs that led up. Another scraping sound could be heard as a door opened on the second floor, revealing the exit to the stairs. Rayna and Alyndra spun around to face the darkness from behind the newly opened door. Rayna took a step forward, ready to fight. Then there was another sound, of more doors opening. The sound echoed throughout the entire tower, each revealing the hidden stairs, one floor to the next, all the way up. Dracon looked over his shoulder at Satana, Grik and Um’Vec, then nodded them over to join him. They all passed Katlin without a word, climbing the stairs to join Rayna and Alyndra on the second floor. Dracon alone remained at the thief’s side, watching Satana limping on her way up the steps.
Dracon and the Edge of the World Page 28