by CJ East
Flavius leaned on the arm of his chair. “Your people are offering them gifts. Gold, silver and jewelry. This is outrageous!”
The Patrician pushed himself back in his ornate chair. “Do not begrudge a servant his wages, Senator. You may find this shocking, but some Auris actually had friends within the Coccino community. Can they not display their honor by wishing good fortune to another?”
A gentle laugh came from Lamia. “Flavius, think of it as a funeral gift. Now they will have coins for the eyes of their dead.”
A jolt of tension raced through Otho’s spine at her laughter. “You have been in a rather dark mood since your lord’s untimely death.”
“Murder, you mean, Otho.”
“Murder, really Lamia? A boy against an army crushing dragon-god and you call it murder? I’m starting to believe maybe old Justinius may not be as foolish as we may think. There may be power in those old fairy tales.”
Lamia wheeled at Otho with eyes ablaze. “You believe those fairy tales will protect you when the dragons come? When the battles rage for dominion of the Small Dome? Only the strongest, most fierce dragon will wield power in this kingdom.” She smiled and thumped back in her chair watching the Coccino procession come to a stop before them. “The new god will come with vengeance for you Otho.”
Otho rose from his throne and honored Justinius and the Council. He motioned for two large chests of treasure to be brought forward and placed at their feet. The Coccino and the Auri erupted in cheers.
Otho glanced to Lamia. “Perhaps he will come, but he comes for me last.”
Arena
A tortured screech jolted Kinch into action. He thrust the chiseled end of the bar forward, attacking the empty dusk. The flickering basin cast a yellow glow for his darting eyes to follow. Beyond the illumination of the urn, a cold gray light and drizzling rain filled the far reaches of a great hall.
He tried to calm his breathing. The specters of spinning crustaceans, giant centipedes and dragons haunted the corners of his mind. He moved with cautious steps from his corner to the safety and light of the flame near the door.
The layout of the building was similar to the Coccino judgment hall. High ceilings and windows to let in the natural light of the dome. It was in disrepair, with parts of the ceiling broken to the floor and random weeds and bushes. This was once an important place.
The screech came again, with a distant rumbling noise. He swung his bar to attack the door. The noise was loud, but far-off. He peered through the doorway. The cloudy morning revealed a lush and steamy jungle. The Wilds were reclaiming the abandoned structures of the Dead City of the Coccinos.
Large red columns of carved stone were covered in twisted thick vines. Stone steps slept under centuries of organic material. The courtyard had patches of vegetation among ghostly white marbled statues and a large defunct fountain. Grown trees had fallen over throughout the courtyard. Their shallow roots were unable to support the weight without penetrating the courtyard stone. The nature of entropy was at work on the city.
Kinch placed a hand on the smooth column and looked over the high walls to the disturbance. Something was struggling.
Behind him the fire crackled in the basin and exploration beckoned. Before him something fought for its life, something big. He tucked the bar under his arm and darted from the porch toward the sound.
He passed many homes made of thin red bricks. Bushes and trees blocked his path as he climbed a wide pathway lined with large, broken buildings. The sounds were easy to follow. There were two distinct cries; one bird-like screech and another low roar.
As he peeked around the corner he saw an open area surrounded by small, red roofed shops. In the middle of this marketplace two dragons circled in combat.
The smaller dragon was immediately recognizable. Her slender red body, flowed over the battlefield. Pythia had somehow healed her broken leg in one day and was now fighting for her master’s throne. The second dragon was a dull brown with squat legs and large square plates like a stegosaurus. This dragon was three times her size and weight.
They stalked each other with a serious urgency. The brown dragon pawed the ground and charged Pythia. She held and slunk down, anticipating the assault. She waited a few seconds more, then sprang with four feet on the wall of a building. She bounced from the wall over the charging enemy. Her long claws dug across the brown dragon’s scales, prying some loose.
The spiked tail of the heavy dragon whipped to his back just as Pythia leapt to safety. He skidded to a stop and with surprising agility wheeled toward Pythia as she was still in flight. She landed and saw the second charge and leapt behind the large building.
The disappointed scaled monster wheeled to see Pythia round the corner of the building. She vanished. Kinch scrutinized every possibility of a hiding place. She was running and then - disappeared.
The brown dragon plodded to the building in cautious pursuit. Behind him a red figure slithered closer. She broke into a sprint and leaped upon his back. She slashed at his back and neck throwing scales and splashing blood.
He bucked and threw back his head in a wild motion. She sunk her savage teeth deep into the raw bloody patch of his neck. He galloped forward and rammed the building, bringing it down upon them both. He continued out the far side and the two story building collapsed upon Pythia.
He circled the destruction and seeing a limp red tail rushed upon the pile and rammed it again. Bricks and rubble flew along with an unconscious red creature bouncing across the ground. The lumbering giant rushed again and was about to trample her when she again disappeared.
She reappeared running on the opposite side of the rubble and collapsed. She was bleeding and broken. She flashed away for a second and then was staggering across the field towards the Wilds. She fell near the tree line and disappeared for a last time.
The victorious creature let loose a roar echoing through the far reaches of the Small Dome. The triumph had been costly. Blood poured down his neck and back in streams. He withdrew from the fleeing Pythia and shuffled a small semi-circle.
The dragon’s broad head stopped in mid sway. He locked on the building Kinch was hiding behind. His thick tail swooshed with an alert attention. Kinch flipped his back to the wall. The monster couldn’t have seen him.
The dragon plodded through the mud and spoke in a deep and chopped voice. “Come out into the open. Your strength betrays you like a beacon. There is no hiding from me.”
Kinch gulped with dread. This dragon can sense his presence? Running was an option. Not a good option, but it would keep him alive. Maybe he could talk his way out of the situation. The thought turned over in his mind as his feet stepped into the alley. He navigated through the bushes and out into the open area to face the beast.
“Congratulations on your victory! That Pythia is a sneaky one. I thought she had you beat until you dropped a building on her. Nice move.”
“She is a teleporter. Annoying gift, but predictable once you know how it is used.” The dragon craned his thick neck and tilted his head as he walked. “And how is it you are intimate with Pythia? Do her seductive arts bewitch a small white boy?”
“Well, I wouldn’t call us intimate, though I did break her leg and jaw yesterday.”
The dragon stopped about thirty yards away. “Yes, she is a self-healer. Most frustrating.” He lowered his head and pawed at the grass. “Well then, since we have the pleasantries out of the way. Let us contend for sovereignty of the Small Dome, killer of Drakon.”
Kinch felt his heart drop. “Wait. I don’t want the Small Dome. You can have it. I don’t want anything to do with it. I just want to be left alone.”
The dragon stalked with a menacing grin. “Your wants have little bearing on the present situation. You killed the sovereign, which makes you king.”
The creature was like an Abrams tank, fast and unstoppable rushing toward him. Kinch bent his knees and focused on the beast’s shoulders - his center of gravity. Kinch pivoted to the build
ing. The dragon dipped his shoulder anticipating the escape.
Kinch reversed and ran to the left. The dragon twisted his body the opposite direction. He whipped his tail at the boy as Kinch rolled under it. The dragon skidded to a sudden halt and its tail smashed the building into a cloud of debris.
Kinch sprinted at the shadow of the dragon struggling under its own weight. He lifted his steel bar over his head and jumped through the cloud of dust, landing on the back of the dragon. He thrust the point of the bar in the bloody space between the shoulder blades.
The dragon shrieked in agony. Kinch stood on the monster’s wide back, pulled out the bar and drove it down again to the hilt. Another hideous screech and the dragon convulsed with a wild flailing. His tail thrashed into the chest of Kinch, catapulting him onto the rock pile.
The dragon spun around in a spasmodic circle. His stout arms trying to dislodge the bar protruding from his back. With a sudden jerk, the brute crashed to his side. Powerful claws twitched in desperation. Horrific sounds gurgled from the monster’s throat.
Kinch lifted from his back to his elbows. Through the misting rain, the shallow breathing of his adversary was the only movement. A tightness spread in his chest making him wince in pain. A well-remembered suffocation beginning in his lungs. He grappled to his feet.
Kinch rounded the dying beast with a respectable distance. Walking was painful and he couldn’t catch his breath. He coughed and spit a dark clot. This was not good. His broken ribs punctured his lung.
He hated these giant lizards. He staggered forward and put a foot on the bleeding back of the downed dragon. He pulled his bar out with a metallic scrape of steel on bone and scale. The beast’s outcry was weak and defeated. The beast accepted its fate.
Kinch stepped with malice to the broad brown head and prepared to go to work smashing its thick skull. He raised the bar with over his head, but swooned to the side in a fit of painful coughs.
The dragon studied Kinch with amused interest. The boy was hurt. He supported himself on the staff, blood and phlegm dripping from his lips. Kinch caught the dragon’s stare, but couldn’t catch his breath. The dragon tipped his head and moaned an observation. “You are broken inside.”
Kinch laughed as he nodded in the affirmative. “You have no idea.” He stood wheezing and turned to the dying dragon. “But I will outlive you.”
“Slow yourself boy, there is another way. A way for you to live as well.”
He wobbled on weak legs for a moment considering the words. “We aren’t on a fast track here, I’m listening.” Kinch squatted in relief from the pain and dizziness.
“It is possible for dragons to shed their forms and inhabit mortals. If I were to enter into your body, my strength would be added to yours. You may stand a chance for when the others come.”
“What others?” He asked.
“The ones who heard my death roar, but did not hear the victor. They are coming now, I can sense them.”
“So talk more about inhabiting mortals. What does that mean? You take over?”
“No. Your will is too strong to defeat. I will add the strength of a rock dragon. My nature centers on strength. I can’t heal you, but I can give you the endurance to push on and defeat those coming for you.”
“You would turn on your own kind?”
“There is no turning, boy. I have no allegiance of kind.”
“Then if you are without fealty to your own kind, why would I trust you?” The back of his hand covered his mouth as he coughed aerated blood.
The rock dragon stared at his bloody hand with cold eyes. “Your other options for survival would appear less attractive. I desire only to delay my appointment with death a bit longer. Even an hour’s reprieve in your vessel is preferable to the hell which awaits me.”
Beyond the rock dragon the Wilds were noiseless. How many were coming? He was too weak, without protection. He could not make it on his own. His broken body wouldn’t last even a few hours.
He brought down the edge of his staff on the snout of the beast, almost slicing the eye. “You will pledge your fidelity to me, your master. There will be no mercy for an oath breaker.”
The dragon’s breath became labored. “I have never taken an oath. Nor have I broken one. This day I, Elatus, make an oath of my choosing to serve the Slayer of Dragons, Lord of the Small Dome. May we grind down all who oppose us.”
“How do we do this, Elatus? We haven’t much time.”
“Open your mind portal and concentrate on my name. Do not dwell on my body as your power would bind me to it. Hurry, as I my corporal form fades.”
A shiver of anxiety ran over his back. He raised his vision to the edge of the Wilds and concentrated on the name of Elatus. The landscape flashed into the battlefield vision of gray wicking flames. His form burned white, almost as bright as Amica’s inner glow. Below him a darkness pulled from the extremities of the dying body of Elatus. It gathered above the body in a small black swirling totem of smoke. It flowed toward him like a dark serpent.
The smog pooled before Kinch’s face, waiting as he held his breath in apprehension. Kinch exhaled, his weakened lung gasping at the strain. Elatus rushed through the nostrils with such force it rocked Kinch onto his back. A violent seizure convulsed through his body protesting the foreign presence. The pain and shaking was replaced by a sense of confidence and power.
Kinch blinked up into the gray fiery clouds. Euphoria drifted down upon him like the misting rain. The flames retreated as his spiritual sight faded.
“Elatus?” He spoke in his inner voice.
“I am here.” Elatus spoke. “Stand up and engage. She has returned.”
A shock of adrenaline shot through his body. He cried out as he leapt to his feet.
“Careful, you are not healed. You have my strength, but do not be fooled. Your vessel is badly broken.”
Kinch pushed into his left rib cage. It gave way like an over-ripe melon. “Where is she?”
“She hides inside the Wilds to the right, but do not look there. Circle slowly as if you are searching. You said you have defeated her before?”
“Yes, she captured my mind before a wolf saved me…” He paused thinking how Argus saved him from Pythia and had tried to help with Lamia.
Elatus continued his plan. “She is cunning. She has been defeated and sees you have defeated my vessel. Her attack will be from behind you. Reverse your spear for a backward thrust. I will sense her approach.”
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but I saw her teleport behind you. You were seeking her behind the building. How come you didn’t sense her then?”
“Sometimes, Young King, even I believe what I see with my eyes.”
“That is an insult, right? You’re calling me presumptuous?”
“Yes, my King. Walk forward into the field and prepare to thrust your staff back and upward.”
“I see why you have never taken an oath. You have a few issues with constructive criticism.”
“My apologizes, my sovereign liege. Perhaps the best use of these pre-battle moments is to discuss my personality limitations. I yield to your discretion.”
Kinch sulked forward to the center of the field. A newfound bristling energy tingled his skin. “You sure she will attack from behind?”
The rock dragon did not answer. Kinch was about to ask again when Elatus interrupted with an inner shout. “Thrust!”
There was no hesitation. Kinch gripped his staff with both hands and stabbed behind him swooping upward in an arc. He hit something solid. A scream of inhuman volume deafened his hearing. He spun and threw his weight against the bar, his head down, plowing it forward into the twisting mass. His lungs exploded in pain.
A slashing hand and claw ripped down across his head and crashed him to the ground. He bounced hard and landed unconscious on his shallow breathing chest. When he awoke, he heard Elatus. His agitated voice rang in his mind.
“Wake up you fool! She lives. Get up before she heals!”
Kinch ran his hand over his head and face. Deep ridges divided his scalp. Blood flowed everywhere. He did not have the strength to use his inner voice. He rolled to his knees and tried to focus. His head swayed back and forth.
“Hurry! I’m filling you with all my strength. Take it and rise up!”
The red form of Pythia writhed a few yards away. He climbed to his feet with an unsteady stance. Blood blinded his left eye, or perhaps it was gone. A burning throb extended from his eye through his ear and to the top of his head.
He reeled forward, wobbling to a stop in front of Pythia. Her claws clutched at the iron bar impaled through her chest. They both looked upon the dying dragon. Kinch swiped at the staff and yanked it from her body in one strong pull. Her body convulsed in a weak shudder. He careened back, then teetered to her head, jamming the tip into her throat.
“She is a self-healer, right?”
Elatus answered, “You cannot do this! She is arch demon, torturer of immortals. She is beneath trust. She will destroy us.”
“I’ve lost too much blood and have a collapsed lung. I’m dead in minutes and you with me.”
There was a long silence. “She will be our demise. I agree it is our only course. Use caution.”
Rancor flashed in Pythia’s eyes as her teeth clanked on the iron bar. Blood covered his arms and chest. He inhaled a slow, measured breath and shook a blackout from the corner of his vision.
He leaned his weight on the bar. All his control focused to punch a hole through the spine in the back of her throat.
His words were thick and slurred. “I told you the consequences if you or I should ever meet again, Pythia.” Her eyes glowed with loathing as she clanked the steel in her teeth. “That’s option A. Let’s talk about option B.”
Her heavy eyelids drooped as her lifeblood pulsed from her chest. Movement broke the silence with a metallic scrape of her teeth on the steel bar jammed in her throat. A feeble nod of acknowledgment signaled her acceptance.