by Walls, Devri
Kiora struggled against her bonds, her heart sinking. Arturo was right, it had not been a good idea. She was nearly helpless.
Raynor landed and Dralazar dismounted walking towards Kiora as Raynor headed for Arturo. “That was very foolish, Kiora, pouring magic into Emane. Why would you do such a silly thing, it is not as if he is magical.” He mocked her, crossing his arms in front of himself. She turned her head away, she would not cry. Not in front of him
“At least that is what I thought. But,” he paraded in front of Kiora, crossing around until he was standing beside her, looking across the clearing to Emane, who was struggling against his invisible bonds, “unless my eyes deceived me, it looked as if he healed himself. And I am left asking myself how is that possible?”
“Leave him alone!” Kiora screamed.
“Hmmmm, very interesting,” Placing his fingers on his chin, Dralazar spun to look at her. Kiora’s heart constricted, his eyes were dangerous. “Emane’s thread has changed. That is very interesting.” Dralazar took slow, deliberate steps towards Emane, examining him as if he were a piece a meat. He walked around the tree, scanning him as Emane struggled helplessly, eventually focusing in on his shoulder. Reaching up he ripped Emane’s shirt open exposing the armband. The brilliant green sparkled in the sunlight. “What is this?” he murmured running his finger over the metal. Dralazar looked Emane in the eye. “Where did you get this?”
Emane set his jaw, looking straight forward.
“I assure you, I can make you talk Emane,” he said flickering red magic from the tips of his fingers.
“Stop it!” Kiora screamed, struggling against the magic that was still holding her in place. “Leave him alone, it’s me you want.”
Dralazar rolled his eyes in feigned exasperation. “Kiora, you are so narrow minded. I want whatever I can get.” He grinned. “Now,” he said rubbing his hands delightedly in front of him, “back to the problem at hand.” Turning his head to the side, Dralazar gently stroked the snake, whispering magical enchantments under his breath. Once or twice, the snake seemed to move, but then became still again. Dralazar studied the piece thoughtfully. “This is a very nice piece of work you have here. I am sure I must credit Eleana.” He stroked the snake’s head, whispering more enchantments, coaxing it to unlock.
Kiora’s breath caught in her throat as the snake unexpectedly responded. It opened its mouth releasing his tail. The glittering green head pulled its head back, stretching its jaw.
No, she thought. Only Eleana was suppose to be able to remove it.
“That’s right,” Dralazar coaxed.
He began more incantations and reached his hand up to stroke it again. The snake turned its head to look at him with glittering eyes. Then its eyes narrowed and the creature struck, clamping its jaws down on Dralazar’s hand, sinking its fangs deep within his flesh. Dralazar swore in pain, ripping his hand back. The snake promptly bit back down on its own tail and went still once more. Emane was looking down at the band as if he had never seen it before.
Dralazar was infuriated. “That’s enough!” he roared. “I should have disposed of you already!” He opened up his hands and red fire exploded from within him bolting straight at Kiora.
“Kiora!” Emane screamed from across the clearing. She tried to raise her hands but it was no use she was pinned and helpless. Closing her eyes she thought of death, but none came.
A second later the magic that had held her to the tree released her, dropping her to the ground. Breathing heavily, she looked around to see her salvation. Dralazar’s magic popped and sizzled in front of her, trying to burn its way through a shield thicker than one she had ever been able to produce. Kiora looked down at her hands, and back to the shield, it wasn’t coming from her.
The attack abruptly stopped and Kiora could see across the clearing Emane encased in the same type of shield she was under.
“ELEANA!” Dralazar roared.
Eleana emerged from behind a tree. “Dralazar,” she acknowledged.
“How dare you interfere!” He was fuming.
Pulling her chin up Eleana said, “Because I have chosen not to interfere in the past, does not mean I do not have the right.”
“You seem to be making a habit of it this time.” Dralazar inclined his head, eyes glistening. “It doesn’t matter,” he laughed. “You cannot defend them and yourself at the same time Eleana. Three shields is one too many.” He held his arms out. “Who shall I kill first?”
“Perhaps you should take your anger out on who it is directed towards,” Eleana said. “Although, I am sure you plan to kill us all, regardless.”
“It doesn’t matter what order then, does it?” Dralazar yelled while extending his hand toward Eleana. Red fire spewed out closing the distance between the two.
Kiora watched the shield from Emane drop, leaving him unprotected as Eleana threw one up for herself.
“No,” Kiora gasped, her eyes fixed on the now helpless Emane.
“That’s what I thought!” Dralazar roared. He reached out his wounded hand as soon as the shield was down and directed a shot at Emane.
“Emane!” Kiora screamed, running towards him. Eleana’s shield might as well have been a wall, she slammed into it and fell to the ground. Pulling her head up frantically she looked for Emane.
Dralazar’s red fire flickered and sputtered but would not cross the distance. He looked at his hand in horror.
“Your snake bite seems to be taking effect,” Eleana said calmly
Dralazar looked to Emane’s magical piece and then back to Eleana. “You did this!”
“I enchanted the snake, yes. I am not sure of how much time you have before its venom destroys all your magic.”
“You lie!” Dralazar grabbed his wounded hand and tried to heal it, but nothing happened.
“You can choose not to believe me, but I would not recommend it. The old magic is potent. And being a Witow would be a terrible fate for someone like you.”
A Witow? That was a term Kiora had never heard before.
“Old magic?” Dralazar glared at Eleana. “You wouldn’t.”
“I did,” Eleana said, her eyes blue and steady. “I am sure you can find the cure somewhere, if you hurry. I assure you, though— you are running out of time.”
“You wouldn’t dare use the old magic,” Dralazar took a shaky step back. “I don’t believe it.” Kiora could see the fear flicker in Dralazar’s eyes that he did indeed believe it.
“Try using your magic again, if you would like proof.”
Dralazar flung his hand out towards Emane again with a yell. Eleana didn’t bother to shield him. There was a little sputter and then Dralazar’s magic was gone.
Dralazar glared at Eleana, clutching his hand in front of him. “You dare to open up the old books?” His face was hard and dark. “After everything you have done to protect this pathetic species?”
“Dralazar, take those that follow you, and go,” Eleana demanded.
Raynor walked over to his master, nervously watching the three that stood between him and Dralazar. Dralazar’s eyes flickered back and forth from Eleana to Kiora, she could see him frantically thinking. “You have chosen the wrong time to interfere.”
“No, I do not think I have.”
A bitter smile passed over Dralazar’s face, lighting a spark of excitement in those dark blue eyes. The excitement scared Kiora the most, because she could not understand what it was that would have caused it.
“Know this, Eleana. You are responsible for what I do next,” Dralazar snarled as he mounted Raynor.
“Dralazar, you can’t,” Eleana said holding her hand out to him. “Please listen, we don’t know what’s happened since it was closed.”
Dralazar laughed, shaking his dark hair. “You are the one that opened the old magic, this is on you.” He smiled a devilish smile his eyes going distant. “Everything is about to change.” Raynor took off towards the dragons, leaving Kiora and Emane wondering what it was that just happen
ed.
“Why did you let him go?” Emane asked, sounding utterly bewildered, watching pegasus feet soar over the top of them.
Kiora shook her head giving him a look that said, Not now!
Eleana stared into the sky with a stunned look on her face. “He’s going to open the gate,” she muttered under her breath. “What if I’m wrong?”
It was so quiet Kiora barely made out what she had said. “What?”
Eleana didn’t seem to have heard her. “His magic will be affected for quite some time.” She turned and glided away without another word.
“What is going on?” Emane demanded. “What gate?”
Kiora stared after Eleana, “I can’t tell you, not yet.”
“And what is a Witow?”
Suddenly there was a loud roar, and the sun was blackened by a large dragon flying overhead. Not following Dralazar, but, on its way to the village. A second body flew over in pursuit, Kiora could tell by the thread it was Morcant, dragon after dragon shot over the top of them. Some were Shifters, the rest were Dralazar’s, all headed for the village. She heard the crackle of dragon fire followed by the screams of those left in the village.
“We let him go and he sent the Dragons after them anyway,” Kiora said numbly.
Kiora, focus. You still have work to do, Arturo said. Dralazar will only surprise you if you expect something from him. There is no honor among evil.
Drustan had told her, that day in the meadow, when she had allowed the Fallen Ones to live, ‘don’t expect them to do the same for you.’ What did she really expect? “We need more Shifter-dragons,” she announced. “Emane, I need you to go up with Arturo, take out as many dragons as you can.”
“Wait, what!? You think I am leaving you, again!?”
“Listen,” she sighed, hanging her head. “I don’t have any magic left, I gave it all to you.”
“All of it?”
“Nearly, it’s coming back but I need some more time. I will run back and send the rest of the Shifters left on the perimeter up. You go and stop those dragons from burning down everything we have. I don’t have time to argue about it, please!”
Grabbing her, Emane kissed her, hard. “I swear Kiora,” he breathed roughly. “My threat still stands. If you die I will never forgive you.” Turning he ran and leapt onto Arturo whose front feet were off the ground nearly before Emane was seated.
Turning back towards the village, Kiora ran, leaping over fallen logs and rocks, the branches tearing at her face. People were streaming out from the village seeking refuge from the fire. Some carried possessions that they had saved from their homes before fleeing. Others carried their children on their backs. Some just ran. In all the chaos, no one noticed Kiora.
She ran faster, pushing herself to her limits. The closer she got, the thicker the smoke and the more her lungs burned trying to extract oxygen. A shape emerged in front of her, a Shifter by the thread. Breathless she grabbed the Shifter girl’s arm, who was still in human form. “We need help,” she gasped. “Take the rest of your people up, as dragons.”
“Yes, My Lady,” she bowed before taking off into the smoke.
Coughing, Kiora turned to head back out. She needed to breath, but her breath caught in her throat as the first evil threads she had ever felt came back to haunt her. “The Hounds,” she gasped. “No!” Her yell echoed through the smoke. “No, no, no, no!” She punched the air in frustration before breaking back into a run. The villagers were all out, running themselves— completely unprotected and unaware of the predators that were speeding their direction. She had to save them. She couldn’t allow them to be torn apart by the Hounds. She couldn’t. Maybe if she could find the villagers, warn them, she could save at least a few.
Eleana’s voice slammed into her mind. Bubble, Kiora.
She gripped her head nearly falling head over heels. Why was Eleana’s voice so much louder?
I don’t have enough magic left to bubble and save the village, she thought back.
You will not be able to save the village if you are dead. Bubble.
Angry at her predicament, Kiora threw up a bubble, zagging to the side to clear herself of her previous scent trail.
Nearly negating her efforts, a Hound exploded out of a bush, barely missing the edge of Kiora’s bubble. Landing heavily, it looked around, sniffing the air. The Hound issued an almost human sounding sigh of satisfaction as it settled into a crouch. It waited for someone. Kiora looked around, there were so many threads it was hard to keep track of them all, but she soon realized that one thread was coming right at them. Kiora turned, yelling out a warning, which the bubble kept neatly contained.
The Hound leapt forward, anticipating his next victim’s arrival. His large hairy body flew through the air at a teenage girl who came running around the trunk of a tree, looking frantically behind her. Before she had enough time to realize what was happening, the Hound collided with her. Kiora screamed out, sinking to her knees as the bodies of Hound and human rolled over one another, coming to a stop a few feet away. The girl moaned, trying to pick herself up of the ground, her long blonde hair hanging down full of dirt and twigs. The Hound was already on its feet, ready to pounce again. Unwilling to witness the imminent carnage, Kiora turned away. But nothing could have muffled the scream as the Hound sunk his jaws into the girl. The scream itself forced Kiora’s head back around in time to see the girl go limp as the Hound tore her to pieces. Kiora dropped her face into her hands, her heart aching as she felt the girls thread go silent. The rest of the Hounds, frenzied with the smell of blood, bounded past unaware of Kiora’s presence. She heard whimpering and assumed it was the girls, but she had felt the thread vanish, the girl was gone. A moment later she realized the whimpering was her own.
The Solus. Never had the term felt more ridiculous to her as it did right now. Lying on the ground, underneath a bubble, unable to save even one person from falling victim to the Hounds.
Get up Kiora! Eleana’s voice returned. Your magic is running out. You must go!
She was right. If she ran out of magic here, she was dead. She needed to get back with Arturo and the others. Keeping her eyes averted, she clumsily stood. There were threads everywhere, the villagers were spread throughout the forest, but so were the Hounds and where the two threads crossed, she could feel villagers’ threads being extinguished.
Kiora screamed, placing her hands over her ears and running, as if that would stop her from feeling the threads. She ran and ran, back towards the village, stopping to catch her breath. She hadn’t taken more than two breaths when Ciera and Layla broke through the trees also stopping not but ten feet in front of Kiora.
“What was that thing?” Ciera exclaimed, leaning over with her hands on her knees and breathing hard.
“I don’t know, but it just killed Sarah,” Layla said, also breathing heavily, looking back over her shoulder.
Kiora’s heart wrenched, she had grown up with Sarah too. She was sweet and kind, although she had idolized Layla. Now she was dead.
The giant Hound must have been stalking the two girls, because it seemingly leapt out of nowhere. Crouching down in front of them, it bore its teeth, red with blood. The girls whimpered, backing up, gripping each other’s arms.
Kiora took a step in their direction. She’s my sister! I can’t just leave her! The swelling of pain and fear Kiora had been shoving down all morning pushed upwards, tightening her throat, and threatening to pull her all the way underneath it.
The Hound took another step forward as well, its muscles tight. Snapping like a tightly coiled spring, it leapt into the air.
Once again her world reverted to slow motion. The Hound crossed the distance, teeth bared, drool dripping down its blood-matted muzzle. Ciera leaned behind Layla, throwing her arms over her face, screaming. Layla reached behind her, grabbed Ciera’s arm and threw her into the Hound’s path. The jaws of the Hound connected with a sickening crunch around Ciera’s skull. Her scream was cut off as her body instantly went
limp. Layla turned and ran through the forest, disappearing from view.
Kiora turned away, sickened not only by the violence, but also by her sister. Clutching her side, Kiora wretched, her back heaving from the force of it. Breathing hard, she wiped her mouth with the back of her sleeve before taking off at a dead run back to the village. Her sister had thrown Ciera to the Hounds to save her own skin. Layla truly did belong to Dralazar.
Kiora’s magic was nearly gone. Skidding through the tree line she looked frantically for anyone on her side, when a roar came just overhead. With a glance up she dove to the side to avoid being hit by the monstrous dragon that slammed into the ground just inches from her. Soolan scrambled to his feet shaking his head violently from side to side, trying to dislodge an arrow that protruded from his eye. Morcant landed just behind Kiora unaware that she was there.
“Go home Soolan,” Morcant growled.
“You traitor,” Soolan snapped at him.
Kiora was trapped. She had a dragon in front of her and behind her. The village was on fire to her left and the forest was filled with Hounds that would devour her the second her magic ran out.
Soolan rolled his head in the dirt still trying to dislodge the arrow. “You let that human kill Jarland, you are a disgrace.”
“Go home, Soolan,” Morcant repeated. “The others have all left you.”
Soolan looked to the sky with his good eye to see the Shifter-dragons circling him. All the true dragons had fled.
“Are you going to let them kill me too, Morcant?”
“Only if you stay.”
Soolan pulled himself up to his full height. There was blood running down the side of his head. “There will come a time where your luck will run out Morcant. And when it does...”
Kiora’s bubbled flickered, and was gone, sick, she slowly turned her eyes to Soolan.
“Well, hello,” Soolan finished.
Morcant rose up on his hind legs with a roar, wings flapping, trying to place his body between her and Soolan. Seeing his opportunity, Soolan slashed upward with his front claws as Kiora dashed back between Morcant’s hind legs. Soolan’s claw entered Morcant’s body, in the exact spot where Emane had sunk his sword in Jarland, he pushed deep, slashing open Morcant’s chest. A roar and Morcant went limp crashing to the ground.