Once We Were Kings (Young Adult Fantasy) (The Sojourner Saga)

by Alexander, Ian

  Ashtoreth swung her massive head down and snapped her jaws just inches from Render's face.

  He stumbled.

  Fell on his rear.

  Got up and backed away more.

  He could not fly. The fear within paralyzed him.

  Ashtoreth glowered down. Behind Render, the fire burned so fiercely it would surely consume him as it had Ahndien.

  And then, with the flames of the pyre licking at this back, something reached into Render's soul. It made no sense whatsoever. But in his spirit, he knew there was no other choice.

  Ashtoreth inhaled deeply, preparing the blast to burn him to death.

  Then Render fell backwards...

  Into the raging fire.

  CHAPTER NINETY-EIGHT

  Sickened by his inability to help, Lao-Ying watched in horror as the fire which devoured both Ahndien and Render effloresced into a raging sphere of light. It was as though the sun itself had descended into the valley.

  A cold tear streamed down his face. Unable to hold onto the tree any longer, he fell sideways, all the strength leaving his five hundred year old body. He leaned his against a boulder, drawing on the last bit of his energy to keep his eyes open.

  Alas. Mei-Liang, my Spring Blossom. I have waited in vain.

  A pang clenched his heart at the realization. But he resisted the whispers in his spirit that said, Valhandra has cheated you!

  "Though He slay me...yet will I trust in Him..." he murmured, his very breath fading.

  With a triumphal roar, Ashtoreth stood erect on her hind legs, reached her forelegs into the air, cruel curved talons outstretched, and flew up. The wind from her beating wings sent clouds of sand at the ever blooming conflagration that had been Ahndien and Render. The demon dragon cocked her head at the sight, then let out an atrocious cackle that sent a chill through Lao-Ying's expiring body.

  The entire world became a darkened blur. He began to gasp his final breaths. Forgive me, Ahndien. I have failed you.

  Try as he might, he could not keep his eyelids open.

  Just as they fell, a burst of light, accompanied by thunderous detonation shook the hills and the ground beneath him. With a grunt, Lao-Ying opened his eyes, for a moment forgetting that he was about to die.

  Somehow, he found the strength to keep his eyes wide in wonder.

  Even Ashtoreth craned her neck and looked down in astonishment.

  A most wondrous thing happened.

  All at once, the visions and dreams Valhandra had given him over the centuries flashed in his mind. Even before it completed, Lao-Ying's chest and belly bounced in laughter.

  From the center of the blazing pyre, where Ahndien and Render had been incinerated, it arose. Though it had been five centuries since he'd last seen it, it was unmistakable.

  First the fiery crest.

  Then the smoldering head, the golden eyes shining like the morning star. The crimson plumage.

  Then with a cry as terrifying as it was beautiful, the Feng Huang, the Millennial Phoenix that Valhandra had promised Lao-Ying he would live to behold arose from the pyre. She spread her flaming wings and rose up. It was about half the size of Ashtoreth, who flapped her wings wildly and backed away in surprise.

  The Phoenix parted her beak and from it arose the most beautiful pentatonic song. It resounded through the mountains and valley so that every warrior below stopped and looked up. The song drew a sublime pang from Lao-Ying's soul where it had resided all these years.

  He reached his fingers out hoping to feel the warmth of the beautiful firebird, whose spirit had encapsulated his princess, his love eight dynasties ago as she sacrificed herself for her kingdom. "Mei-Liang..."

  Ashtoreth flared out her hood, all nine horns radiating around her neck, and roared. She sent a massive blast at the phoenix. But the firebird absorbed it and the flames from her wings seemed to grow stronger.

  The demon dragon rushed at the the phoenix and snapped it jaws at her neck, but the phoenix flew away so quickly that her opponent slammed against the rocks, sending an avalanche down the hill.

  A refreshing cool wind preceded the phoenix as she flew around the hills toward the crag where he lay.

  // COURAGE, MY FRIEND //

  A voice he had not expected. "Ahndien?" Even in his fading consciousness, he smiled. But of course. Though he'd not seen her transfiguration in all his visions, it made sense in a way he could not explain.

  As she passed, their eyes met. Beneath the burning gold veil enshrouding the Phoenix, he could see the same brown eyes he'd come to know. It was her!

  The Phoenix blinked and shot up, streams of fire in her wake. As she righted herself, she turned to the pyre from which she'd emerged and let out a call that resembled that of both trumpet and bird.

  Lao-Ying wrestled with his breath, trying his best to stay alive and witness the end of this conflict.

  Valhandra...grant that thy servant might live but a moment longer...

  In her glorious phoenix form, Ahndien hovered in the air.

  Again, the ground shook.

  From the way the entire mountain range rumbled beneath him, and the streaks of lightning that shot out from the blazing pyre, he recalled the details of a vision he'd long forgotten. Something he'd envisaged before he'd been granted immortality, but never paid it mind.

  Until now.

  The Great Deliverer.

  Now, he could die in peace. Though the desires of his heart had not been granted, he knew that he'd fulfilled his destiny.

  As the tones rang out, Ashtoreth swung her head to Ahndien's phoenix form, then to the pyre. Agitated, the demon dragon flew at Ahndien as she sang her powerful song. Almost outshining the flames of her entire body, the phoenix's eyes shone brilliantly. So transfixed was she on the blazing pyre that she didn't notice Ashtoreth rising up in attack.

  Lao-Ying tried to reach out in his mind. Warn her. But his eyes went dim and he could not even hold his head up any longer. He only heard the haunting scream of the demon dragon growing closer and closer.

  CHAPTER NINETY-NINE

  High above the ground, the song resounded. Unlike anything any living being had heard. The cry of the phoenix instilled courage in some of the human soldiers, and terror in others. It was strangely alien, and at the same time primal as one's first heartbeats from within the womb.

  Flames and lightning flashes emanated from the blazing pyre out of which the grand phoenix had arisen. The mountains trembled.

  Above, Ashtoreth flew straight at the phoenix and clasped her massive jaws around its neck. Ahndien's entire body burst with such a blast of fire, the heat could be felt in the valley below. But Ashtoreth did not relent.

  The two tossed and tumbled through the air, Ashtoreth trying to break the firebird's slender neck. Bursts of fire scorched the skin from the black dragon's face, melting it until some of it oozed down, exposing white eye sockets and deadly teeth. Still, the demon dragon clamped down and thrashed its head wildly.

  The phoenix let out shrieks, its body burning hotter and brighter. From gold to a white hot blaze.

  And then, from the quaking ground, out of the smoldering pyre from which Ahndien had transfigured, a most glorious form arose. First, its snout, then the crest of its head. It was covered in scales that resembled translucent rubies.

  Finally, the arms, jagged spine and tail.

  It unfurled its massive wings and let out a roar that shook the entire valley.

  These were the final images that would fill Lao-Ying's mind. All he had believed, all which had been revealed to him over the centuries, must surely come to pass. But even then, he could not be certain that the prophesied rise of the Cobalt Dragon and the Phoenix would bring about the end for which he had longed.

  In the span of a few seconds—or hours, he could not tell how precisely time was passing—Render perceived his soul, his very essence penetrating what could only be described as a veil. A veil between the physical and the spiritual realms. It made no sense at all. And yet it
made complete sense.

  Through the fire that should have consumed his physical body, he sensed Ahndien's presence. Yet she was strong, not burning to death. But there was nothing around him but power and presence.

  In the very moment he detected her, he reached out.

  // AHNDIEN, WHERE ARE YOU? //

  // OH, RENDER! IT'S GLORIOUS! //

  The joy in her words was unmistakable. Her spirit rose up and out of the blazing splendor that enveloped them. That was when he realized that his entire body had begun to transform.

  The way he'd seen Greifer...his mother, turn from a small cat to formidable ebony panther. But this was different. His hands begin to grow along with the rest of his body. Blue scales formed on his skin.

  His fingers became powerful talons.

  Then, all at once, he burst out of the pyre. Rising so high off the ground he almost thought he was flying. Yet his feet were still sinking into the sand. When he beheld his shadow cast by the high afternoon sun, he understood.

  The massive head, tasseled beard.

  The powerful tail and bat-like wings.

  When he stood and stretched out his arms, he saw the shadow of the enormous dragon he had become. Not for a moment did it bother him, for long before he could comprehend this in his mind, something within his soul had known this to be his destiny, all along.

  High above him, he saw Ahndien. She too had transformed, but into a beautiful firebird. But the demon dragon had caught her in its jaws and shook her violently.

  // ASHTORETH! //

  Render cried out. The sound of his roar echoed through the valley like a thunderclap. Wings beating, he leapt into the air and flew straight up. Sand shot up and whirled as it might in a dust storm.

  In an instant, Render was upon the demon dragon. She ignored him and continued to bite into the blazing phoenix's neck. Despite her own flesh, burning away, Ashtoreth would not release it until she'd crushed it.

  Render wrapped his dragon claws around Ashtoreth's throat.

  With a mighty blow of her wing, she struck Render in the snout. Ignoring the pain, Render flew higher up and pulled Ashtoreth's head upward.

  She turned, released her grip on Ahndien and sunk her fangs into Render's foreleg. The Phoenix fell, a plume of fire trailing out of his periphery. Then Ashtoreth sent a stream of fire onto Render's hands.

  This too caused immense pain. But to his surprise, the scales seemed to protect him from serious damage. Even as the fire burned his hands, Render tightened his grip, pulled Ashtoreth higher.

  Higher.

  And then, focusing on his talons digging into the demon dragon's neck, he summoned all the energy he could. As a dragon, it seemed infinitely more potent.

  From every direction in the sky, a lattice of blue and white lightning converged on his hands. A terrible humming and sizzling sound ensued. Ashtoreth's entire form glowed brightly.

  She let out a horrid shriek, released Render's arm and tumbled tail over head into the valley. Trails of flickering lightning webbed around her body.

  But she was not dead.

  Before hitting the ground, she straightened out, and at low altitude flew straight at the entire army of Sojourners, humans, and demons. Her wings beat angrily through the air, sending percussive shock waves that rippled in the sand and carved a visible wake.

  The phoenix flew after Ashtoreth and hurled several fireballs at her. Each exploded on her back, charred the scales and burned for a moment, but ultimately became extinguished.

  From Ashtoreth's bleeding jaws, she launched a horizontal column of fire straight at the demon horde standing in surprise. They evaporated into wisps of black smoke as she flew through the ranks of those that had not gotten out of her way. Like a swarm of black pestilence, the remaining demon horde followed.

  The horrendous sound that arose from the demon dragon resembled the growl of a lion and the wicked laughter of a woman. Render flew after Ashtoreth. Clearly, she no longer concerned herself with her physical body. Only one thing mattered to her now.

  // SHE'S CLAIMING THE TROOPS TO SACRIFICE TO MALAKANDOR //

  Thousands of arrows and spears flew at the dark dragon, whose shadow covered the ground like a cloud. But they merely bounced off her iron scales. Even the blasts of energy and fire from the hands of the Sojourners seemed to have no effect.

  If Render did not overtake her soon, she would complete the task of which Mooregaard and Volfoncé had failed.

  To his amazement, even before he reached the Sojourners and humans, a great column of fire shot out of the ground a few hundred feet in front of the troops.

  Ashtoreth dug her hind claws into the ground and stopped, just as the Phoenix burst into full form. Her fire burned away many more of the demon horde that had not stopped in time to avoid it. Ahndien was now mostly fire now, with a reminiscence of a bird's form within. From the tips of her flaming wings, golden fire shot forth and wrapped itself around Ashtoreth like a rope. First around her legs, then her wings. As though solid, the fire cords tightened around her and she fell to her side as she tried to wrestle them away.

  She parted her jaws preparing to blast fire at the troops. But Render landed, his dragon-clawed foot stepped down and shut her mouth. Thrashing ferociously, Ashtoreth freed her jaws and snapped at Render's leg. But as soon as her fangs touched it, lightning burst around her jaws, sending her head snapping back and convulsing.

  // YOU CANNOT TRULY KILL ME, LITTLE MINION OF VALHANDRA //

  Ashtoreth snarled.

  // I WILL CONSUME THE ENTIRE SACRIFICE WITH ONE BREATH //

  Ahndien's fire cords continued to stretch out and bind her limbs, her neck and tail. But before they reached her jaws, Ashtoreth leaned her head over, got a clear view of the Sojourners and human soldiers, all standing outside of Ahndien's protective fire.

  The demon dragon scoffed. Her eyes glowed. A verdant hue emanated from her open jaws. The familiar sound of sizzling foretold the imminent blast of fire, aimed straight at the sacrifice to be offered to Malakandor.

  Reacting quicker than he could have in his human form, Render, as the Cobalt Dragon, sent a wave of lightning at the sand in Ashtoreth's trajectory. It burned so intensely that a molten substance rose up, glowing. In just moments, a wall of solid glass stood in the way and deflected Ashtoreth's blast, sending fire out in every direction. None of it reached its intended target.

  Ashtoreth had been subdued.

  For the moment.

  How could they stop her completely?

  Could he actually kill a demon dragon, a being that was every bit spirit as it was physical?

  In the instant he considered this, Ashtoreth sprung up, knocked him over and launched her entire body headfirst at Ahndien. The surprise caused Ahndien to release her fiery bonds. As the demon dragon leapt up and fell upon her, all the flames around the phoenix winked out, leaving her vulnerable.

  Ashtoreth pinned the phoenix under her talons and coiled back her neck to deliver a deadly strike.

  // I SHALL TEAR YOUR THROAT OUT AND THEN FEAST UPON YOUR ENTRAILS! //

  Render got up, but it took longer than expected because of the unfamiliar mass of his dragon body. Ashtoreth's jaws were descending quickly at Ahndien's neck. Her entire phoenix form began to shrink. She was transforming back into a human!

  A tiny flame smoldered from the tips of her wings, pinned to the ground by Ashtoreth's four feet. But that flame stretched upwards, hovering just over the demon dragon's head.

  Even as Render lunged forward, from his foreclaws he sent a thin string of lightning not at Ashtoreth, but at that singular plume that burned from Ahndien's fading phoenix claw.

  When the lightning touched the fire, it was as though he touched her hand.

  Simultaneously, an unimaginable surge of power flowed from and into his entire being. He sensed her presence, her being, her fears and determination. And he knew that she sensed his as well.

  // ACCURSED FOOL! THE ONE YOU SERVE IS DEAD! //

  Eve
n as Ashtoreth's words reached them, she drove her fangs down at Ahndien's throat.

  Render and Ahndien pulled the connected energy line straight up.

  In a flash, accompanied by the sound of flesh and bone severing, the fire and lightning cord of the dragon and the phoenix cut through Ashtoreth's neck. The black demon's head fell off and tumbled into the dust.

  Its body convulsed as it rolled over next to Ahndien.

  Black blood that at first oozed like a viscous tar evaporated into a mist which drew the remaining demon horde, howling like the wind back into the open neck of Ashtoreth's dying body.

  The head snapped its jaws vindictively, its eyes defiant, until they too were extinguished like the last bit of fire from its jaws.

  And then, silence fell over the valley.

  The dark cloud, which had actually been smoke from the demon horde blanketing the sky, yielded to the sun.

  When the dust cleared, Render had returned to his human state.

  Hundreds of yards away, he barely heard the cheers and shouts of triumph from the troops as he took several solemn steps towards the firebird, which stood regal, its head high and wings unfurled.

  Glorious flames danced around her frame and warmed Render's face as he came as close as he could without getting burned.

  He reached up to touch its feathers. "Ahndien?"

  The Phoenix turned its head sideways and gazed at him with one eye.

  // SHE IS NOT HERE //

  His heart sank. A pang of regret impaled his chest. "Were you not—?"

  // THOU STANDETH BEFORE THE FORM OF THE PHOENIX SPIRIT, A SERVANT OF VALHANDRA. AND WITHIN THYSELF RESIDETH THE SPIRIT OF THE COBALT DRAGON. THIS IS THY SPIRIT-POTENTIAL, DEAR RENDER //

  "But what of Ahndien?"

  // UNTO HER, HAD VALHANDRA GIVEN THE CHOICE. SHE CHOSE TO SACRIFICE ALL FOR HER PEOPLE, AS DID OTHER PRINCESSES OF HER KINGDOM BEFORE HER. IN DOING SO, SHE HAsSAVED HER PEOPLE AND FULFILLED HER DESTINY //

  Tears welled up in his eyes. He hadn't expected to lose Ahndien like this.

  // BUT REJOICE. THOU TOO HAST FULFILLED THY CALLING //