Dragonvein Book Five

by Brian D. Anderson

  When he was only ten feet away, Shinzan threw out his arms. The mist became static and almost completely opaque, like the very thickest of fogs. All attacks from within ceased. Ethan continued with his charge. He had no other choice. Though his enemy was temporarily hidden from sight, he knew that he would be equally hard to see for the next few seconds.

  He made a dive for where he estimated the Emperor’s legs to be, sliding along on his stomach through the small gap along the base of the mist for the final few feet. It was a good guess. He felt the tips of his fingers brush against Shinzan’s trouser leg as he jumped left to avoid the contact. This was instantly followed by a colossal bang. Shinzan was sent flying all the way across the chamber like a child’s doll, colliding into the far wall with an impact that would have undoubtedly killed any normal man. Ethan’s hand felt as if it had been dipped in molten lead.

  Shinzan struggled to his feet, blood gushing from his nose and mouth. His murderous gaze was fixed on the still grounded Ethan.

  “You almost won,” he said, wiping the blood away on his sleeve. “But now your game is up. Now you will feel the true might of the Eternal Emperor.”

  Ethan could barely move his right arm. “Stigia Mons Alevi!” he called, before struggling to his feet and throwing up a spell of protection.

  A swarm of wasps flashed into existence around his enemy. They darted in, each one exploding with a violent little crackle as it came into contact with Shinzan’s flesh. But he appeared to be completely unconcerned by their presence.

  It was clear that distractions would no longer work. With the flames emanating from Shinzan growing in intensity, the ground within the chamber began to tremble. Such was the severity of this disturbance, Ethan was forced to cling on to a nearby column for balance.

  This provided only fleeting relief. The ceiling directly above began to collapse, forcing him to run. He twisted and turned, but no matter which direction he took, the devastation overhead followed him. As great blocks of stone continued crashing to the floor, a searing heat burned into the center of his back, partially breaking his protection spell. He turned quickly to cast another just as Shinzan was sending a second wave of black fire across the chamber. This one was huge – far bigger than any previously issued, and without question far more powerful. It was as if a sinister tide was bearing down on him, turning rock and marble into molten puddles as it came.

  Ethan’s eyes darted for a way to stop the attack. In an almighty effort, he focused on one of the few columns that still remained standing. “Lumos Levi Mar.”

  The marble snapped into three massive pieces, all of which tumbled directly into the path of the onslaught. The moment the fearsome wave touched these, they too became molten. With no time to vocalize, Ethan balled his fists and transmuted the floor around them into a shallow pool of water. Such rapid transmutation required the highest level of magic, and even as the spell was cast he could feel it draining him.

  Steam spewed forth with a high-pitched hiss, solidifying the molten marble once again. But to Ethan’s despair, the wave was only partially inhibited. Certainly nowhere near as much as he’d been hoping for. With a sickening feeling that it was already too late, he turned to run. It was. The black flames engulfed him, blasting through the protection spell and burning away all of his clothing. The fierce sting of fire seized hold, roasting large swaths of his back and extremities.

  His legs stiffened and he fell hard to the floor, only just throwing up his hands in time to prevent catching the full force of the impact on his face. The pain was unbearable. Even though the wave was now gone, it was like the fire was still spreading across his flesh. He looked at a large burn on his arm. It was bubbling and emitting a sickening gurgle. He tried to rise but found that his legs would not obey his command.

  “And to think you chose this over a life of comfort,” Shinzan mocked.

  A force flipped Ethan violently onto his back, sending even more pain racing through his body. He clenched his teeth, not wanting to give his enemy the satisfaction of hearing him wail.

  “I must admit,” Shinzan added, “you came much closer than I thought you might. I had figured Lumnia would have some sort of scheme, but I never thought she would actually give you a portion of herself. That was indeed clever.”

  Not a bit of Ethan’s strength remained. The same force as before now lifted him from the floor and carried him toward the other end of the chamber in the direction of the throne.

  “What do you want from me?” he croaked. “You’ve won. Why don’t you just kill me?”

  Barely had he finished speaking when he was dropped to the floor. Two stout posts materialized, and a moment later, chains wrapped themselves around his wrists and pulled him to his knees.

  When he looked up, he saw that Shinzan was back on his throne. Though his clothes were still stained with blood, he was leaning forward and smiling with clear satisfaction. “This is how I envisioned it,” he smirked. “You, naked and chained, helpless before me. If only you would beg for mercy, that would make things perfect. But alas, I do not think you have it in you. Do you?”

  Ethan spat. “Go to hell.”

  “Yes. That is precisely the response I expected. Perhaps your woman will be quicker to beg. I think I’ll enjoy defiling her and listening to her cry out your name as I…” His smile became wider. “I think you know very well what I’ll be doing.”

  Ethan lurched forward, but there was no hope of breaking free from the chains. “I may have failed, but one day someone will beat you. Whatever you think, you are not immortal.”

  Shinzan raised an eyebrow. “You really believe that, don’t you?”

  He stood and walked a few steps forward before continuing. “As consolation, you should be proud to know that you have been by far the most challenging opponent I have ever faced. And that is no small compliment. Even so, just like all the others, you too have failed to stop me. So you see, you are wrong. I am immortal. In a few moments, you will be dead and I will live on. And there is nothing anyone can do to prevent it.”

  Ethan caught movement from the corner of his eye. A lone figure streaked toward them, a dagger raised in his right hand. Shinzan saw him coming as well. His arm shot out and a line of green smoke snaked around the man, lifting him several feet from the ground.

  “Markus,” gasped Ethan.

  “What were you thinking?” scoffed the Emperor. “Did you...?”

  He regarded Ethan for a moment. “No. Of course not. You are far too noble to have planned this. And you would have known what a stupid idea it was.”

  He shifted his attention to the helpless Markus still suspended in mid-air. “I bet that toad Vraylic put you up to this. Am I right?” He chuckled. “Poor Vraylic. The death of his woman must have dulled his wits. Well, I shall put him out of his misery soon enough.”

  “Please,” said Ethan. “You wanted me to beg? I’m begging. Please let him go.”

  Shinzan merely laughed, while at the same time wagging his finger. “I think not. And though normally I would keep you alive long enough to watch him suffer, past experience tells me I should just kill you and be done with it.”

  With a flick of Shinzan’s finger, Markus was slammed hard down to the floor just a few feet away from Ethan. Before he could move, chains materialized to shackle both his wrists and ankles. Much as he struggled against them, he was held fast.

  Shinzan approached to loom over him. “You are going to be quite entertaining, I think. If you are very lucky, you might get to die today. Of course, I may choose to keep you with me for a while longer. We’ll just have to see.”

  Markus glared defiantly, but said nothing.

  With great precision, the Emperor kissed the tip of his own forefinger and then pressed it to Markus’ brow. “Wait here for now. I’ll be with you shortly.”

  He wandered back over to Ethan. “Your friends are certainly loyal. I wonder if they will ever regret possessing that quality?”

  Ethan was about to spit ou
t a reply when a crunching sound grabbed the attention of them both. Markus was clutching a small rock, which he had just used to smash something. An instant later there was a vivid flash, and then the swirling blue light of a portal sprang into being right beside where he was sprawled.

  Shinzan furrowed his brow. “What kind of –?”

  That was as far as he got. Suddenly emerging from behind the throne, Vraylic raced across the few yards separating him from the very embodiment of all his hate. Uttering a primal scream, he slammed himself into the Emperor at full speed, wrapping both arms around his waist and shoving him violently toward the portal. Shinzan grunted loudly as their bodies collided. He had barely seen Vraylic coming, and such was the man’s momentum, it was impossible to stop his fall.

  Had the distance to the portal been even a tiny bit further, Shinzan would surely have had time to muster up enough resistance to save himself. But it wasn’t. The distance was perfect. Still locked together, he and Vraylic plunged into the portal’s all-embracing light. They disappeared almost instantaneously. Only a final screaming curse from Shinzan lingered in the air for a moment longer.

  For a few seconds there was a disbelieving silence in the chamber. Then, as if to confirm that it really was all over, the chains holding both Markus and Ethan vanished. Markus struggled to his feet, but Ethan was unable to rise and slumped back to the floor.

  Before Markus could reach him, he held up his hand. “Don’t touch me. If you do, it will kill you.”

  Markus slid rapidly to a halt. “What the hell are you talking about?”

  Ethan did not answer. Instead, he looked at the still swirling mass of light and forced a smile. It was a one-way trip. Without someone to open a portal on the other side, Shinzan was now trapped on Earth. He continued watching until the portal started to shrink and then disappeared completely.

  He shook his head. The heat of Lumnia’s power still burned inside him. “You need to get out of here,” he told Markus. “Get as far away as possible.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  At that moment, a voice called out Markus’ name from the entrance to the throne room. Lylinora was running toward them at full-tilt. He ran to meet her, spinning her in the air in a welcoming embrace.

  “I don’t know why you’re here, but I’m damn glad you are,” he said after putting her down.

  “I came to save you from your own foolishness,” she responded, her tone a mixture of anger and sheer relief at finding him alive. “What’s happened to Shinzan? Where is he?”

  “Gone,” said Markus. “It’s over.”

  At this point she spotted Ethan kneeling on the floor, his naked body covered with horrific burns. “Sweet spirits,” she gasped, starting toward him.

  Markus caught her arm. “You can’t. He says if anyone touches him, they’ll die.”

  They approached Ethan together. Lylinora knelt just in front of him and extended her hand. “Tell me how to help you.”

  “You can’t,” Ethan said, recoiling. “I’m dying,”

  Markus shook his head violently several times. “No! You can’t die. Not now. Not after all this.”

  “I’m sorry. I really am. But there’s no way out of this one. Lumnia’s power is burning me up inside. I have to release it.”

  “Then release it!” Markus barked. “Don’t just sit there and let it kill you.”

  “I can’t stop it now,” Ethan told him. Every one of his organs felt as though they were ablaze. “I was meant to touch Shinzan. That’s how I was going to destroy him. I failed. He may be gone from Lumnia, but he’s not dead. Not yet.”

  “Then how did you beat him?” asked Lylinora.

  Markus quickly explained to her how Vraylic had bundled Shinzan through the portal.

  “The thing is, he’s still connected,” Ethan added. “Only very weakly, but it’s still there.”

  “The source!” whispered Lylinora, a look of understanding forming. “You still have to destroy his source of power.”

  Ethan nodded. “The power of Lumnia is the only way to be sure Shinzan is gone forever.”

  “There has to be another way,” she said, tears streaming down her cheeks. “It can’t end like this.”

  “I wish there were. But even if there were another way to destroy it, Lumnia’s power would still kill me.” He gave a pale smile. “There is one thing you can do for me, though. Would you give me your cloak? I’d rather not die as naked as the day I was born. It wouldn’t be...heroic.” He began laughing at his own words, until a searing pain stabbed through him causing him to double over. “You have to go. Use a traveling spell to get as far away as you can.”

  “Can you use magic?” Markus asked Lylinora.

  She nodded while placing her cloak on the floor. “I was at the outskirts of Noel when I felt the barrier vanish. That must have been when Shinzan passed through the portal. I used a spell to get me the rest of the way here. That’s how I made it so quickly.”

  She stepped back as Ethan marshaled his strength and struggled to his feet. After wrapping the cloak over himself, he dredged up a smile. “How do I look?” he asked in an attempt at humor.

  Both Markus and Lylinora were unable to suppress their tears.

  “Like a bloody Boy Scout,” said Markus.

  Ethan’s smile continued. “What more could I ask for?”

  He could feel his time running out. Soon the power would consume him completely. “Now please go,” he said. “And tell Kat…tell her how much I love her.”

  “I will,” Markus promised.

  “Thank you,” was all Lylinora could say through her continuing sobs.

  With a final nod, Ethan turned away and staggered toward the rear of the throne room, not daring to look back. By the time he reached the entrance to the courtyard, he could hear a rush of wind from the traveling spell taking his friends to safety. He thought about Lylinora’s timely arrival. Had she not been there, he doubted very much that Markus would have been able to run fast enough to get clear of what was sure to be a massive release of power. He chuckled softly. Maybe something was guiding them, after all?

  The silver gleam of the vessel reflected brightly in the noonday sun. Though Shinzan’s consciousness was now an incalculable distance away, his source of strength still rested here. In truth, Ethan had no idea what might happen should it be allowed to remain intact. It didn’t matter. Even the smallest possibility that Shinzan might return to Lumnia was too much to risk. And there was Earth to think of as well. Though Shinzan’s connection to whatever existed inside this vessel was tiny, who could say how he might be able to utilize this in his new home?

  As Ethan drew near, the smooth surface began to ripple and emit a low hum. It was almost as if it feared him; like it knew why he had come.

  “Yeah. Beg all you want,” he muttered. “It won’t do you any good.” Without the slightest hesitation, he reached out and placed both hands on the shimmering surface.

  It was like someone had struck him across the forehead with a hammer. The energy pent up inside him flooded out like a river during the spring thaw. For an instant, he actually thought he could hear something inside the vessel scream. But he couldn’t be sure. As more and more of the power was released, so his senses were fading. His final thoughts before oblivion took him were of Kat. She was smiling sweetly and telling him how much she loved him.

  Just as the last word of this message slipped from her lips, the darkness became total.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  The assault from the silent ones was relentless. Not even the fall of night had slowed them. It was as if they were driven by some unnatural power that removed all their need for rest. Valmorsa’s defenders had now been pushed back almost to the point where the road leveled off. Halvar knew that once there, they would be forced to retreat inside the mountain.

  Kat and Lynial had continued to assault the enemy until they were on the verge of collapse. It had been less than an hour into the battle when both mages reali
zed that something was inhibiting their magic, making their attacks less effective. And whatever it was, it made casting spells far more taxing. It was only through the combined insistence of all three leaders that they finally agreed to retire to the rear for a few hours of rest. The fact was, their attacks were now doing little better than that of the archers – who had long since run out of arrows.

  Halvar’s eyes constantly strayed to the tree line. Even though he knew the rest of their forces weren’t due to arrive for another full day, he couldn’t help but hope they’d been able to move faster than anticipated. If they did not, all might well be lost before they got here.

  He felt a hand on his shoulder.

  “Your people have fought bravely,” remarked Yularian.

  Halvar nodded. “As have yours. But I fear bravery isn’t enough.”

  The mass of combatants surged to and fro like some foul beast in its death throes. At the very front it had become difficult to tell the defenders apart from the enemy. Halvar had watched helplessly as men and dwarves simply fell from sheer exhaustion and were trampled to death beneath enemy boots. Such were the numbers of their fallen, in a cruel irony, their bodies were now actually helping to slow the silent ones’ advance.

  “Perhaps the others will get here soon,” remarked Yularian.

  Halvar grunted. “In a way, I wish they would not. They will find only their own deaths.”

  “Unfortunately, my friend, there is nowhere left to run. Better to die here, fighting.”

  “How fares your daughter?” asked Halvar.

  “She is about to return,” he replied, frowning. “Against my wishes, of course. Both she and Lynial are as stubborn as dwarves.”

  “I can’t speak to Lynial,” said Halvar. “But I think Kat takes after her father.”

  Yularian grinned. “If you think I’m stubborn, you should have known her mother.”

  As Halvar turned to concentrate his attention once again on the battle, Yularian spotted Kat and Lynial approaching.

  “I thought I told you to wait for me to return,” he scolded.