Offspring (The Sword of the Dragon)

by Appleton, Scott

  One of the creatures turned toward her and snarled.

  “You scum of Subterran. You wicked creatures! Have you no honor? Are you afraid of these women? Come! Let us see if you dare to face my wrath.” Sober and fearless, she strode forward, holding the crystalline sword before her with both hands. Its blade rose like a hovering spire of blood.

  “Loos,” one of the creatures called from the stadium, “your quarrel is not with the young human.”

  The creature disregarded the other and ambled toward Oganna, his head skimming the sand. “Come near, human, and I will show you how a megatrath deals with threats. I will crush you as we have crushed our other enemies—”

  In the midst of his sentence, Oganna reached for her boomerang, spun around, and sent it sailing through the air. Her aim was perfect. The sharp crystal passed through his open mouth and severed his tongue. As the tongue fell to the sand, the arena went silent.

  Loos’s companions glanced at the tongue and took a couple of steps back. Oganna nodded and caught the returning boomerang in her left hand, holding it up for all to see. “Do any more of you have a word to share with me?” When the attackers didn’t respond, she continued. “The next time I hear a tongue utter ill, it too will fall.”

  The megatraths shoved aside the unconscious sisters and charged toward her. Oganna firmed her hold on the sword. She closed her eyes, letting the rage within her burn and pouring it into the sword. When she was ready, she opened her eyes. “Give me fire, my sword,” she whispered. “Give me a flame to scald the wicked.” Flames sprouted from her blade, covered it, and shot out from its point.

  The creature nearest her hunkered as it ran, while another opened its mouth to expose rows of teeth. She faced them, a new confidence arising within her and driving out all uncertainty. With a piercing yell, she sprang onto the head of the nearest creature and drove the burning blade into its eye. It screamed in pain as she pulled the white-hot metal from its socket. Red blood spurted from the wound as she dropped to the ground. An inferno of flames rolled from the other three creatures’ mouths. They closed in around her. But her sword fed off their fire, enveloping her in a bubble of energy.

  Tongue-less Loos poured vapors from his nostrils. She choked a bit, but recovered long enough to jump again and stab out his eye. He flung her from his head, smashing her into the ground. He reached for her and with his large hands began squeezing.

  As her breath left her, she flipped her sword and stabbed it with all her strength into his wrist. Loos pulled away from her blade and reared into the air, making a horrible sound that probably would have been a scream if he had still possessed a tongue.

  Oganna gasped for air. Her knees felt weak. She knelt on the ground. Yellow clouds covered her, cutting her off from the world of the living. Her shoulders drooped, the sword fell from her grasp, and she felt her eyes rolling to the back of her head.

  “Rise, my daughter!” Albino’s pink eyes were filled with love. His gaze was soft, and he reached out with a strong hand to steady her.

  Caritha looked around, confused. She was in his throne room. “Father?” Her lungs burned, and she coughed. A vaporous ring of yellow came out of her mouth.

  “Breath deeply, my daughter. Drink in the fresh air. Let it fill you with life anew.” He heaved in, expanded his chest, then let it all out in a plume of fire. A smile curled his mouth.

  She shook her head. “How … what … how did I get here?”

  “I brought you back.” He slapped his tail against the marble floor. “And it’s a good thing I did, too. You would have been lost.”

  Warm, pure air cleansed her body. Caritha stood straighter and looked out of a large stained glass window to her right. “Why am I here?”

  He lowered his head, drew her toward him, and looked into her eyes. “Oganna is making the ultimate sacrifice,” he said. “She followed your path and now her life is on the line.”

  “Then you must send me back!” She trembled at the thought of her young charge facing all four of the terrible creatures alone. “She is not ready to fight on her own—you must let me return.”

  “Caritha, my dear child, I would like nothing better. But if I restored you and your sisters to the arena, you would follow a very bitter path.” He shook his head. “I have seen the future, Caritha, and it is littered with pain. If you go back, you will reap sorrow as if you are drinking the rivers of the world—”

  “But isn’t there joy along with the pain?” she asked. “Surely there is hope for the future.”

  “There is hope.” His eyes emptied of emotion, and his wings flexed. “Even now one of my faithful warriors stands, though all of you have fallen. She is ready at this moment to give Oganna the moments she needs to survive. You’ve lost one sister. What if returning you to the arena would destroy those that remain to you? You do not know if you can defeat the creatures. What if you could avoid the pain ahead? Would you stay with me, or would you still wish to return?” He sighed. “I have seen things far more evil than a mere megatrath. I have battled the forces of darkness since long before you were hatched.”

  She caressed his scaly chin. “Father, do you fear the future?”

  “No. Dread it? Yes.”

  She held her chin high. “If my life must be given in exchange for Oganna’s, then so be it. I see in her the makings of a woman who can change the world. Her heart follows righteousness, and her will is governed by selflessness. My own pain is inconsequential.”

  He cocked his head to the side. “You have grown over the years, my daughter. Once you were only concerned for the welfare of yourself and your sisters. Living with your sister’s husband has matured and changed you—for the better.”

  She reached both hands around his long neck as he embraced her.

  “Now.” He released her. “If you are convinced of your decision, then I will return you to the battle. Your sisters have been given the same choice as you.” He grinned from horn to horn. “They all gave similar answers and will return with you.”

  The white and gold walls of the palace around her, along with the dragon’s image, began to fade. “I love you, Father!” She smiled as her sisters congealed around her and the desert sand reappeared under her feet. She and her sisters were truly one—one in purpose, one in motivation, and one in love. She ran her finger along her sword’s rusted blade and laughed as it cut her finger. It was time to deal with these megatraths.

  The sisters charged across the expanse, closing the distance between them and Loos and his companions. They leapt on the creatures’ backs, striking futilely at their hides. The megatraths rolled over on their backs, rose, spun, and thwacked at the sisters with their tails. Laura, Evela, Levena, and Rose’el were sent flying, but Caritha dodged the blows and remained on the offensive. “Is that all you’ve got?”

  Loos threw fire at her, and she noticed that Oganna had taken out his eye. Clever girl, she had aimed for the vulnerable spots instead of trying to take the creatures down all at once. She raced forward, holding back her sword until the last second. Loos’s mouth opened to snap at her. She thrust with all her might, scraping her blade along the roof of his mouth. He stumbled, blood pouring onto the ground.

  As the battle raged around her, Oganna heaved in breaths of clean air until the poison in her system lost its potency. Still, her strength would not return, and she knew that she was not yet healed. What should she do? Her aunts were beginning to falter and the megatraths, though wounded, were still fierce.

  She picked up her sword, pointed it toward the sky, and called out, “I cannot rise. Will no one come to my side in this time? Will not a savior show himself?”

  “Oganna, hold still,” a soft voice said from behind her. “Let me draw the poison.”

  Turning, Oganna looked into the fiercely beautiful face before her. Starfire held out her hand, palm up. Strains of yellow curled from Oganna’s chest, creating a transparent sphere floating above the fire lady’s hand.

  “There,” Starfire said.
“Rise now and fight!” Flames enveloped her and she vanished.

  Oganna arose a new person, her spirits high and her confidence growing. She divided the air with her blade. “My sword, from this day forth you will be called the Avenger. Prove now your worth.” She lifted it above her head and threw it straight as an arrow into Loos’s remaining eye.

  Now completely blinded, Loos opened his jaws wide in a roar of pain. Oganna sent her boomerang sailing into his mouth. He clamped his jaws together, and the weapon’s sharp edge sliced upward into his brain. He fell like a stone to the desert floor. The arena grew quiet. The Warrioresses and the remaining three megatraths stood still, staring at the grisly sight.

  13

  TOMB OF THE ANCIENTS

  Standing over Loos’s corpse, Oganna pulled Avenger’s blade from his eye and used it to pry open his jaws. The boomerang had been lodged deep into his head. She reached inside his mouth, feeling through the slimy saliva. When she found her weapon, she jerked it out. She pulled away her sword, and Loos’s jaws snapped shut.

  She looked down on him and shook her head. Slaying the creature should have brought some remorse to her heart, but though she tried to feel compassion or sorrow, she could not feel any for him. He had brought this end on himself by slaying the people of Bordelin. He was an unrepentant murderer, and she had been the agent of justice.

  She waved a hand at Loos’s companions. “It is over. He is dead. Get out of my sight before you meet similar fates.” They dug their claws into the ground and bolted into the tunnel from whence they’d come.

  “Oganna, are you all right?” Even as Caritha asked the question, she was beaming with pride. “You have done well.”

  Oganna pointed at the creatures around the arena. “Will they give us trouble?”

  “The megatraths? No, I don’t believe they’ll give us any trouble. Their leader, Vectra, seemed to sympathize with us and showed bold dislike for the creature you just slew.”

  Nodding her head in the direction of an approaching megatrath, Oganna raised an eyebrow. “Is that Vectra?” Her aunt nodded and stood back.

  The creature was over ten feet tall and walked with a confidence that seemed to frighten the sisters, but Oganna discerned admiration in the creature’s eyes. Vectra neared and snorted a flame, then spoke to Caritha. “Who are you? Never before have I seen humans fight with such ferocity.”

  Caritha bowed and gestured toward her sisters. “We are the Warrioresses—”

  “Welcome to my domain, Warrioresses.” Vectra turned to Oganna. She bowed in the young woman’s direction. “And who is this?”

  Oganna sheathed Avenger and tucked away her boomerang. Her silver dress vanished, and her aunts gasped. “I am honored to meet you.” She wiped sweat from her forehead and bowed low. “I am Oganna, princess of the Hemmed Land.”

  “I am also honored by your presence here, Princess. My name is Vectra, and these are my people, the megatraths.”

  “I am sorry for this intrusion, but it was necessary,” Caritha said.

  Vectra shrugged, kicked Loos’s carcass, and returned her attention to Oganna. “Megatraths respect a valiant warrior who does not back down in the face of great odds. You have proved yourself to be most valiant and a superior combatant, unlike any human I have ever encountered. You have proved your worth to us today and have earned an eternal remembrance in our stories. From this day forward any megatrath that disgraces you or your subjects will bear eternal shame. Please, accept my friendship and join me for my evening meal.”

  Caritha raised a hand. “Thank you for your generosity, but—”

  Knowing that her aunt’s refusal would injure Vectra’s feelings, Oganna cut her off. “You are most kind. We accept.”

  The creature’s lips opened to reveal a long row of teeth. It lumbered into the arching tunnel opening. Its long legs quickly moved it deep into the dim subterranean habitation, outdistancing Oganna. It glanced back at her, as if realizing it needed to slow down, and reduced the length of its gait.

  They passed through several caverns before coming to a dining chamber. Along the way, Oganna and the sisters were greeted by silent stares and deep bows from the megatraths. Oganna wondered how many of these creatures there were. They came from every tunnel and chamber, and many more lumbered out of sight into the caverns’ dark recesses. She imagined that if these creatures were organized into a military force, they would be capable of incalculable destruction. They could probably tread entire forests, destroy fortresses, drink up lakes and, in the process, destroy nations.

  She imagined hundreds of megatraths storming through the Hemmed Land and punching holes in Ilfedo’s army. She shuddered. “It’s a good thing that Vectra has taken a liking to us; otherwise she might pose a real threat to the Hemmed Land.”

  Laura pulled on her sleeve. “Oganna, what were you thinking? We don’t know anything about these creatures.”

  “You are right.” Oganna swallowed hard. “For all we know they might be planning to feast on us!”

  Laura stared at the floor, worry creasing her brow. Then she turned up her nose and looked sidelong at Oganna. “That was not funny, young one.” She dropped behind and spoke in a low voice to Rose’el.

  Glancing about, Oganna realized that she was standing opposite a monstrous stone slab about six feet high, twelve feet wide, and nearly a hundred feet long. Vectra directed several megatraths to set another stone on one side of the table for her guests. “I apologize for the height of my table, but we rarely receive human visitors.” She waited for them to sit atop the stone.

  When everyone settled, a megatrath thrust its way through the creatures milling around the table. Its enormous hands plunked massive stone dishes onto the table. Desert fruits overflowed several bowls. The megatrath curled its lips up, showing its long rows of teeth as it plopped a stone platter in front of Oganna. Fat black fish of a variety unfamiliar to her ringed the platter.

  “I hope you will enjoy these.” Vectra tapped the fish with the tip of her claw. “My cook snatched them from our underground rivers. Also try this.” From a bowl she extracted an oblong orange fruit as long as Oganna’s arm and cracked it on the table. Taking a small piece, Oganna tasted it. The cream interior tasted like pears and, strangely enough, beef.

  “This is delicious.” She smiled at Vectra. “May I ask what it is?”

  “Da’pra!” The megatrath rumbled, and it licked its lips. Then it grabbed at several bowls, moving each aside until it picked one up and sniffed at it. “Try this and let me know if it also pleases you.”

  Oganna stood on her seat to peer inside the bowl. Yellow leaves, brown grape-like things, and glowing red beans the size of carrots floated in a soupy mix. “What are the ingredients?”

  Vectra rumbled for several minutes. At first Oganna thought she had inadvertently insulted her. Vectra scratched her thick chin then scraped her claw on the tabletop. “I’m sincerely sorry, princess. I have no idea how to describe this to you. It is composed of food indigenous to our underground realm.”

  Oganna dipped her fingers in the cold soup and slopped it in her mouth. Most of it tasted akin to grass, but a strong aftertaste almost forced her to gag. Apparently some things eaten by desert creatures, God never intended for human consumption.

  During the meal an overwhelming sense of belonging filled Oganna. She had fallen upon her aunts’ attackers with strength beyond her years, and she had triumphed. Her actions had saved their lives.

  The sisters talked to her with respect. They responded when she spoke to them and even went out of their way to let her eat before they did. At last she had graduated from student to respected asset. Perhaps, in time, they would admit her into their group in the place that her mother had once filled.

  Her thoughts then turned to her hostess. Vectra treated her as a hero and displayed confidence in her. Indeed, the other megatraths at their enormous table regarded her with near reverence. It was as if her victory over Loos had elevated her to a higher plane in t
heir estimation than that of the Warrioresses.

  Were they naïve enough to trust a complete stranger solely on the basis of that individual’s combat skills? They seemed warlike and strong, yet maybe their culture was more vulnerable than it appeared. She imagined a smooth-spoken warrior, for instance, entering the megatraths’ realm and using deceit and subterfuge to bring about a war among them. They might easily be taken advantage of.

  She focused her attention on Vectra, seeking to understand the megatraths and whether or not they would be inclined to form an alliance with the Hemmed Land. She told Vectra of her people’s customs, such as turning one’s sword handle to the victor in friendly contests. More than this, she elaborated on the layout of the land and the difficulties her father had encountered while securing peace.

  Vectra found the stories of Ilfedo’s encounters with the Sea Serpents of particular interest. “Your father sounds like a worthy leader.” She licked the food from one of her claws. “We megatraths respect one who proves his worth against such odds. I have never heard of a Sea Serpent before, but my people tell stories about the Sea of Serpents. Our ancestors said it is wild and untamable, with creatures that no being has dared disturb for two thousand years.”

  “I don’t doubt it.” Oganna grabbed a sharp stone and carved into an apple the size of her head. “Among my people there are stories of men who have left our land in favor of crossing the Sea—never to return. Although none of my father’s people have attempted to cross, many of them now fish it, and some fishermen are venturing deeper into its uncharted waters where fish abound. Several of these fishermen have become rather prosperous.”

  The megatrath picked up a large basket of fruit, tilted it up against her open snout, and swallowed the contents in a single gulp. “We do not eat fish. The fruits of the desert and the water beneath it are all we require for sustenance.”

  “Have you ever tried fish?”