by Eric Vall
“Tristan!” I exclaimed with a smile. I hadn’t expected I would ever see him again since I thought the Sword only kept the knowledge of the previous wielders.
“Evan, you made it.” Tristan grinned, and his tail even seemed to wag a bit. “I’m so happy to see you again. You know, I never did apologize for putting the Sword to your back, did I?”
“Did you know the Sword would take me back?” I asked, and more questions just rushed out of my mouth. “Was that why you gave it to me? Why didn’t you keep it, you could have used it to save Hatra!”
“You already saved us by letting us know the attack would come.” Tristan clasped one hand on my shoulder as he positively glowed with pride. “We would have been caught unawares otherwise, perhaps no one would have survived, and you would never have been born. Neither would my son, Ruslan. I couldn’t risk that happening when you’re the living hope of our people. All I needed to do was stay alive long enough and guide my people on the path of survival. And I did my part.”
“I’ll make you proud,” I promised Tristan as I pressed my forehead against his. “Hatra’s glory days are here again, and they will never leave.”
“I believe you.” Tristan stepped back with a grin. “If you ever need me, I’ll be in the Sword. Just like all the previous Lords of Hatra.”
My grandfather faded away, and I was left alone in the catacombs. It felt like an eternity had passed since I’d first found the catacombs, but something told me it was still the same day. As much as I wanted to stay in here and talk to the previous rulers of Hatra and find out what they knew, there was work that needed to be done.
I walked out of the catacombs and out of the underground archives with the Sword of Hatra strapped to my waist. The King of Rahma had demanded I find the Sword, and I’d done it. This was proof that I had the right to lead the city of Hatra el Shamash and that I wasn’t evil like the rumors spread by the Green Glass Sect said I was.
I didn’t need this Sword to prove that to myself or to Hatra, everyone here had already seen first hand what I would do for this city, but having the Sword was political maneuvering, and while I had no doubt there was a deep well of power in the Sword, this was all just putting on a show for an audience who wasn’t even present yet.
Well, this isn’t the first time I’ve been called a political tool, Miraya’s voice echoed in my mind with an amused slant.
I jerked to a stop because I hadn’t been expecting Miraya’s voice to ring out through my mind. Between her and Asher, I was starting to have way too many voices in my head that weren’t mine.
Evan, who is this? Asher’s voice had more than a hint of annoyance and curiosity. You didn’t tell me we were getting another roommate. I thought we had something special.
“She’s the Spirit of the Sword of Healing.” I rubbed the side of my head as a bit of a headache seemed to start up. “Speaking of, where were you the last few hours? You didn’t see the time travel or anything?”
Time travel? Asher asked curiously. What time travel? How did I miss out on something so interesting, and when did you have enough power to accomplish something like that?
“It wasn’t my power,” I replied dryly as I focused on healing my headache. “It just happened. It’s not my fault you were being lazy and sleeping during it.”
I resent that, Asher snarked back.
You do resemble that comment, Miraya’s voice replied smugly. If you’re going to be useless, you can just stay sleeping. Evan has me now to help him.
Listen here, you little brat--
“Hey!” I growled out and sent a wave of displeasure through my spiritual sea. “Both of you need to get along. I don’t have the time to chaperone the two of you, so stop bickering like you’re kids.”
Both of them subsided into silence, but I felt a non distinct grumble come from Asher.
As I started walking again, I could almost imagine the Dark Lady of the Nine Heavens snickering at me. If this was a cosmic joke, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if she had a hand in it. During the adoption ceremony, she’d struck me as the mischievous sort and the type of person who wouldn’t take no for an answer.
I meandered through the streets of Hatra, and I could sense some of my family and the king were in our living quarters. It was a bit late in the day, probably late evening considering how low the sun hung in the sky, so they were probably finishing up the evening meal.
Either way, I was just in time to present the Sword of Hatra to the King of Rahma.
I picked up speed with a grin. As I ran to our living quarters, the bluestone walls of Hatra flashed past me, and the smell of roasted goat filled the air. My people bustled through the streets, and they called out cheerful greetings to me as they headed toward the communal dining area for dinner.
“Lord Evan!” Leon exclaimed as he brandished his arms full of scrolls at me. “I found the documents you wanted about the Lunar Palace!”
“That’s perfect!” I grinned at him and slowed my pace down. “Those’ll help a whole bunch with the rebuilding.”
I’d already seen the Lunar Palace in its full glory, a striking building that seemed to be made out of pure crystal, and it made me want to just dive into rebuilding it already. I wanted my people to have their symbol back and for the glory of Hatra to be resplendent.
“Do you want me to take them to your rooms now?” Leon asked as he shifted his burden from arm to arm. “Or perhaps your study in the archives?”
“Take it to my study,” I replied quickly. “I need to speak to the king now, but I’ll take a look at them shortly.”
Leon nodded and bobbed a short bow before he dashed off in the direction of the underground library.
An excited laugh left me as I started running again. Everything was falling into place for Hatra and me, and I couldn’t wait to see what the future would bring for us.
I slowed down just as I was nearing the entrance to our building and clamped down on my excitement to try and sneak in.
Only the Elders and King Rodion were in the common area on the first floor. Valerra, Alyona and the dragon egg were in her room on one of the upper floors. Other than them, I didn’t sense anyone else in the building.
I was about to step through the doorway when King Rodion shifted and faced me with a tiny smile.
Fuck, of course sneaking up on someone who was thousands of years old and nearly a deity wouldn’t work. I’d get the jump on him one day, though.
“Look, Lord Ruslan, your son has returned to us.” King Rodion hid his smile behind his wine cup as he nodded at me.
“Returned?” Ruslan frowned as he set down his own wine cup. “When did he leave?”
Ruslan turned around and blinked owlishly when he saw me standing in the doorway. Hundreds of questions burned in his eyes as he focused on the Sword I carried.
“When did he indeed.” King Rodion smiled openly this time as he set down his wine cup.
“That … that’s the Sword of Hatra.” Julia’s fan dropped from her hand as she stared at me. “Evan, how did you find the Sword? It’s been lost for centuries.”
I smiled at the gaping Elders and knew I had returned with more hope than they could have ever dreamed of. The Sword of Hatra, or rather, the Sword of Healing was the symbol of the city’s power.
“This Lord greets His Eminence, the glorious sun of Rahma.” I knelt in front of the king and offered the Sword of Hatra to him. “I have found the Sword of Hatra el Shamash and brought it to the sun that protects us all from the darkness, as was requested of me.”
Chapter 17
King Rodion took the Sword of Hatra from me and placed it in the middle of the table. The hilt of the Sword gleamed, and while it was no longer in my hand, I could still feel a connection to the blade.
“Rise, Lord Evan.” Power dripped from King Rodion’s voice as he smirked. “You have done as I asked, you retrieved the lost emblem of this city and proved yourself not only to your king, but to the gods in the High Heavens. There i
s now no one who may doubt your devotion to the city of Hatra el Shamash, nor your right to rule this city.”
“My devotion to my city has never been in question,” I replied as I stood. “Hatra is mine, and I will always protect what’s mine.”
“I would expect nothing less.” King Rodion’s smile only grew wider at my words. “You are, after all, Hatra’s guardian dragon.”
I took a seat at the table next to Julia. She immediately turned toward me and placed one of her hands on my cheek. Her brown eyes darted all over me, and worry was clearly painted all over her face.
“Evan, what happened?” There was a slight crack in her voice as she glanced between me and the Sword on the table. “How did you find a sword that has been lost for a thousand years? And your power … there’s something strange about it. It feels older somehow, as if you’ve aged years since I last saw you.”
It was strange to see the usually calm and cool Julia so shaken. Even the hand she had on my cheek trembled as she stared into my eyes.
I glanced at the other two Elders at the table and saw they were just as concerned as she was.
“I found the catacombs of the previous lords of Hatra,” I said as I placed my hand on Julia’s. “I was following a kid, dressed all in white and running through the underground library at first. And then I’d ended up deeper than anyone’s been yet, and I found the catacombs.”
“The child you saw must have been the Spirit of the Sword,” Ruslan murmured with awe, and he looked at me as if I was the sun.
“The child was the Spirit,” I confirmed, and I could see Tristan and Sarnai in Ruslan’s features as I looked at him. “Once they led me to the catacombs, I touched the statue of Lord Tristan, and I suddenly found myself a thousand years in the past.”
“You what?” Julia tightly squeezed my hand as her eyes widened. “A thousand years?”
“I know it sounds impossible, but I was there.” I remembered how glorious Hatra looked a thousand years ago and smiled. “Hatra was so beautiful. I promise you, Julia, you’ll see Hatra the way I saw our city back then.”
I spent the next fifteen minutes telling the king and my parents about the glory days of Hatra. I waxed poetically about the beauty of the Lunar Palace, the defenses that our great city once had, and meeting Tristan and Sarnai.
“I can’t believe it,” Julia murmured in wonder, and hope glimmered in her pale blue eyes as she leaned closer to me. “You were actually there, before the demons attacked.”
“I was.” I nodded, and my excitement dimmed as I shifted to a more serious topic. “I arrived the day Hatra was attacked by the demons. I was able to warn Lord Tristan about the incoming attack, and he believed me. I fought against the demons and held back as many of them as I could, but I was sent back to the present before the battle ended.”
“So, you fought for Hatra even back then,” Ruslan began as his ears twitched, and tears glimmered in his eyes. “You fought alongside my father, your grandfather, to give us the best chance for survival.”
“I did,” I replied as emotion swelled up inside of me, “and I promised him Hatra would never fall again to anyone. Gramps was a courageous man, and I see a lot of him in you, Pops. I’m glad I got to meet him.”
“You’re truly a gift from the gods to us.” Ruslan’s ears perked straight up as he smiled widely and wiped the tears from his eyes. “It’s as if they’ve chosen you to lead Hatra out of ruin. Hatra wouldn’t have survived without you, without the warning you brought to this city. The gods knew what they were doing when they led you to this world.”
“So it would seem,” King Rodion hummed as he rested his chin on his hand, and a small smile was still present on his face. “There is still the matter of the death curse, however. Our hero has brought the Sword of Healing, and I am now ready to shatter the curse on the Crimson Dragon.”
“What are we waiting for, then?” I grinned as I stood up and grabbed the Sword. “Let’s go break a death curse.”
Suddenly, however, the ceiling spun, and my vision faltered. I grabbed onto the table to steady myself, but my legs felt like they’d turned to jelly, and every muscle in my body ached.
The battle and time travel had caught up to me. While I didn’t feel like I was about to pass out, it was like I’d run straight into a brick wall. Once all the adrenaline left me, it was difficult to catch my breath.
I was a pretty active guy back on Earth, and I hadn’t been slacking here on Inati. Every day was just spent pushing my limits and becoming stronger. Even so, there would still be moments like right now until I was able to fully come into my power.
“No need to rush,” King Rodion said softly as he steadied me. “You need to rest, it would do us no good to have two dragons on the verge of death instead of one.”
“I might have overdone it,” I admitted as I thought back to the immense behemoth I’d killed in Tristian’s time. “That doesn’t mean I won’t push myself to heal Valerra, not when we’re so close. I just need to catch my breath.”
“A sound plan, Lord Evan.” King Rodion nodded as his power encased me. “Take a moment to rest. I shall wipe away your exhaustion.”
It was like jumpstarting a car battery as King Rodion’s power ran through me and smoothed over my frazzled spiritual sea. Something inside of me cracked, and my power rushed through me again in a familiar wash of healing energy. My body was healing itself and regaining strength with every passing moment.
“That’s an awesome trick.” I rolled my shoulders as I took a step back from the king, and my body immediately felt stronger.
“Quite useful, if I do say so myself.” King Rodion smiled slightly as he crossed his arms behind his back.
I nodded and memorized the way the king had poured power into me. It was like refilling a cup from a waterfall, but I knew I’d be able to do it with a bit of practice.
“Let’s head up.” I nodded toward the ceiling and moved to the doorway. “We can’t keep Valerra waiting any longer.”
When we entered the room, Alyona’s back was the first thing I saw. She was kneeling to the side of the bed and had a bowl of water next to her.
“Hold on, you’re strong.” Alyona’s voice was clear and sure as she placed a wet towel on Valerra’s forehead. “Evan will come back with the Sword, and my father will break the death curse on you. You just have to hold on a little longer.”
Valerra was curled up on her side with her clawed hands clutching the bed sheets tightly, and a wheeze rattled from her lungs as her chest rose and fell rapidly. The death curse was taking its toll on her even though there we were supposed to have more time.
“We shall see,” Valerra rasped as her muscles spasmed. “We shall see, little princess. I have but one regret in this long life of mine, and it is never seeing my sister’s egg hatch.”
“You will live to see her egg hatch,” I said as I stepped forward and knelt beside Alyona. “I have the Sword, and the king is going to break the death curse on you now.”
Valerra’s amber eyes widened with shock as she loosened her grip on the bed sheets. She struggled to push herself upward and let out a low cry of pain as blood dribbled from her lips. Then her arms trembled, and her grip slipped.
Alyona and I moved in tandem to support Valerra so she wouldn’t fall back on the bed. The other dragon’s hot breath ghosted over my neck, and the skin I touched was burning up. It was like there was a raging fire coursing through her body, and it was intent on consuming her alive.
“So, you’ve come back, Evan.” Valerra let out a small laugh as she shuddered against us. “I won’t dare to hope. Do what you will.”
I gritted my teeth at Valerra’s words and knew only our actions would be able to convince her. She’d already given up and had no hope. A part of me could understand, there would be nothing to lose if she didn’t hope. But if she did dare to hope, and we failed? She’d be crushed even further.
So, we couldn’t fail.
“King Rodion,” I began as I
settled Valerra on her back, “just tell us what to do. It’s time to break this death curse.”
“Evan, concentrate on healing Valerra’s body,” the king instructed as he moved to stand next to the bed and placed his hand on my shoulder. “Pulling this death curse out will be painful for her. Alyona, maintain a barrier around the four of us. We cannot risk the death curse latching itself onto anyone else or attempting to return to Valerra. I will remove the curse from her body.”
“Got it.” I placed my hand on one of Valerra’s and concentrated on healing her body.
My power coalesced in my hands in a thick stream of kaleidoscopic glitter that poured into Valerra. I directed every ounce of power and energy I had toward her and focused on healing her. The three of us each had an important job, and we wouldn’t fail.
I will augment your ability to heal, Miraya’s voice echoed in my head just as the moonstone in the Sword’s hilt gleamed.
“I will ensure the curse does not escape,” Alyona promised as her power encased us in a barrier. “It will end here.”
“It will have no chance against the three of us,” King Rodion declared, and there was a hint of a laugh in his voice as power coalesced in his hands.
A hush descended on the room as the three of us focused our combined power around Valerra. I continuously pumped healing power through Valerra’s body while Alyona’s barrier encased the four of us in condensed purity.
Silver light glowed in Rodion’s hands, and the light drove away all the shadows in the room. It was like standing before the face of a star from the night sky. The power was all knowing, but it wasn’t unforgiving. There was a stoic gentleness behind the energy, and I knew it was proof of how much Rodion cared for this world and for everyone who inhabited Inati.
Everything was silent until a terrible screeching filled the room, and it came from Valerra’s chest. Valerra’s amber eyes snapped shut, and her body spasmed on the bed as if she was being electrocuted.
I instinctively knew it was the death curse being pulled from her body, and just as I poured more healing power into Valerra, a black mass seeped out of her and into the air.