by J D Franx
Obeying his Vikress without hesitation, Sythrnax ordered four of his Ancient warriors to drag Nekrosa and Sephi forward. Forced to their knees, DormaSai's King and Queen looked at each other and smiled as a moment passed between them. The Vikress, lacking the understanding shared by the royal couple, backhanded Sephi hard on the chin.
"Care to share, Your Highness?" she asked. Noticing Sephi’s blood on her knuckles, the Vikress held out her hand and one of the hooded women by her side wiped it clean. "Perhaps your friends would like to know what it is that you find so amusing about your own death." Sephi snorted and Nekrosa's smile doubled in size.
"You can't hear it can you, Vikress Illara?” he said. “Listen closely. The winds of death are blowing, but they're not here for us."
Glancing around the courtyard and seeing nothing, the Vikress scoffed. "I think your mind has finally cracked under the strain of your putrid magic. I am in control of your castle, your city. and very soon, your country," she told them, bending over in front of the royal couple. "But don't worry, your death will be quick, which is more than you both deserve."
Vikress Illara stood and nodded to Sythrnax. His eyes danced with delight as he lifted a large battle axe from the top of a supply crate. Wiping the curved blade, he stood before Sephi and the two Knights pulled her arms behind her back, pushing her into a sitting position. They applied enough pressure to force her head forward.
"Any last words, Queen Kohl?" Sythrnax demanded.
As she answered, a hollow screech echoed off the castle walls. "The winds of death will carry my last words." Even with her neck craning forward, she still managed to laugh as a second, high pitched wail traveled through the castle, reverberating off the walls.
Nekrosa smirked. "Last chance, Vikress, the winds are almost here. It's your death it wants. Let us go and walk away, otherwise you will forfeit your life." The last words had just left Nekrosa's lips when a third shrill cry, much closer this time, ripped through the air with god-like power. The sound made the earth shake and the castle walls vibrate. A heavy cloud cover prevented anyone from pinpointing the direction.
"Enough of these games, necromancer. Your tricks of illusion fool no one. Commander, proceed with the execution. Now!" the Vikress ordered angrily. Doing as he was ordered, Sythrnax raised the battle axe above his head. At the apex of his swing, the monstrous shriek returned from above their heads this time, and much closer. Unlike any sound from the mortal world, the cry blasted through the cloud cover and was followed by an enormous figure as it slammed into the ground. The impact shook the earth inside the castle courtyard and dust billowed out, swirling through the air as everyone except Yrlissa and the Vikress were knocked to the dirt.
Slowly getting to her feet, Ember gaped at the surreal scene before her. The Ancient knights holding Sephi and Nekrosa for the execution were dead. Each flattened by a clawed paw. Their bodies had been pushed a full foot into the ground, yet the DormaSain King and Queen remained unharmed. The impact from the creature's landing was staggering in its strength.
Ember tried, but could not stop her gaze from drifting up, following the spines that lined the dragon's legs until reaching the growing spikes at its shoulders. Taut muscles flexed and trembled as the massive wings folded in against its body. The dragon's long neck swayed slowly back and forth while the creature took them in, assessing the threat they posed to it.
Its mouth was lined with smooth, white, teeth, ranging from twelve to sixteen inches in length. Horns protruded from the flesh on both sides of the tense jaw to match the spines covering the rest of its head. The vertical, slit pupils of its feminine eyes gave away the dragon's sex.
It was a gorgeous creature called a Behemoth by most of Talohna. However, she stared in awe at the supposedly long-extinct being. Beautiful white scales ranging in size from her hand to some as large a tower shield covered every inch of the dragon’s flesh, making it impenetrable.
"Nekrosa?" she whispered.
"It's all right, Ember. She's here to help us." She nodded as if that was the natural assumption to make, unable to stop her staring. A dangerous violence boiled just below the creature's surface. Its prominent aura was alight with hatred and a wild, savage urge to kill. The vibrant colours, some of which she could not find the words to describe made her head ache and throb with pressure.
The Dragon race had returned to Talohna, and it was obvious there was a vibrant hatred for the Ancient Vikress.
Six DragonKin descended from the back of the dragon, a clear force to be reckoned with. With them was Saleece, Ember’s former travel companion. Gone was the beautiful young woman she had come to know. Instead, she had been replaced by a scarred Zephyr with feline eyes covered in battle scars on her arms and throat.
As Saleece touched the ground, the other DragonKin warriors followed. Ember recognized Commander Zatassa from their time on Ver Karmot. He nodded her way before approaching the Vikress. Saleece moved to Ember’s side and faced the Vikress while drawing a thin green sword from the sheathe on her back. It was obvious her job was to protect her, and Ember let out a sigh of relief.
Quick to act, one of the hooded Ancients by Illara's side pulled the staff from her back. The magic inside the deadly weapon crackled as the Ancient Sect priestess prepared to attack the dragon. Saleece's hand shot out and bright green magic leapt from her fingers, seizing the priestess and halting her attack. With a roar of annoyance, the dragon's tail slashed forward too fast for the common eye to follow. The Vikress' protector, focused on fighting through Saleece's magic, had no defense as a bladed tail-spur punched through her chest. With the second roar, Saleece released her magic, and the dragon snapped its tail. The priestess' body, along with her sputtering staff, cart-wheeled up and over the castle walls.
"I tried to warn you." Nekrosa spat as he and Sephi rejoined Yrlissa and Ember, seeking sanctuary beside the white dragon.
Commander Zatassa continued as if unaffected by the priestess’ sudden and violent death. "Illara. Always a pleasure," he stated with a cold sarcasm, earning a scoff from the Ancient's matriarch.
"Commander Zatassa. All these years and you're still licking the claws of these overgrown vermin," Illara sneered. "I had truly hoped that when Vaighar WhiteScale fell, I'd never see another damned Dragon so long as I lived."
Zatassa grinned, flashing dozens of sharp, saw-edged teeth. It was the first emotion Ember had ever seen by any of the stoic DragonKin.
"The Dragon race isn't as easy to exterminate as your kind likes to believe. However, I am not here to discuss the extinction of our forefathers with you. I am here to give you fair warning—"
The Vikress laughed, interrupting. "Then let your Behemoth give me the warning. But I bet she can't, can she? Your mighty Behemoth looks a little young to be taking Kinform, Zatassa. Somehow managed to hide away an egg?" she mocked. Turning toward the majestic dragon, she added, "Dragons are mere children until they can change form at will. Yet you propose to threaten me, young lizard? Come back, baby White, when you at least have a full set of teeth."
A growl emanated from the Dragon, but quickly turned into a fierce challenge as the Dragon snorted, stepping toward Illara. The Vikress smirked, refusing to back down. "Careful child. My magic dragged your fellow White from the sky so many eons ago. Vaighar was seven thousand years old at the time. What chance do you have, little tadpole?"
Ember could tell the Vikress' words touched a nerve. Stomping its front feet, another dangerous growl rumbled deep within the throat of the Dragon. Sulfuric smoke curled from its nostrils as it gently nudged Commander Zatassa aside. It stood eye-to-eye with the Ancients’ Vikress as the two ageless creatures seethed with a mutual hatred so intense Ember had to divert her gaze to avoid their swirling auras.
In some absurd mockery of emotion, the Dragon Behemoth smiled, and a vague female sound ushered from its throat, like the twist and pop of grinding quarry stones. "You assume too much, Mother of the Ancients."
Waves of magic shimmered aroun
d the Dragon. Wisps of power arced, racing around her limbs and over outstretched wings as she continued speaking. Her voice changed along with her body, both becoming softer and delicate. "I know exactly who killed Vaighar WhiteScale. It has been passed down and told to what few DragonKin have been born through the millennia." The dragon paused, grunting as bones began to pop and shift. Scales cracked before they shrunk, receding into pale flesh. Spikes and spines retreated, not quite disappearing. In a matter of seconds, the Dragon was gone, and a beautiful young woman stood in its place. Eyes identical to the Dragon's, and a row of small horns along her eyebrows all the way to her ears were the only sign a Dragon was ever there. One of the DragonKin Zephyrs removed a white cloak from her travel pack and draped it over the woman's bare shoulders, covering her naked form. With everyone else too shocked to speak, the Dragoness frowned.
"A Dragon's memory is eternal. I remember well the day my father fell as if it were only yesterday. I will make sure to pass the story of his death and those responsible on to each new generation through our genetic memory. The skies above Talohna will be filled with beating wings again someday. You will pay the debt of my father’s death with your life, Vikress Illara, but it won't be now. Today, you will take your remaining Sect priestess and leave DormaSai forever. It is now under my protection."
"Y... you" the Vikress stammered. "That is impossible! You're not… you weren't..." A white flash of magic erupted from the far side of the castle grounds, followed by a crack of energy.
"The greatest illusion magic, Mother Illara, is in using no magic at all to fool those weak of mind. My father believed that more than anything, and a young man reminded me of that just recently before he died." Another concussive blast of magic snapped from just inside the city, drawing away the Vikress' attention for a split second.
"Your father was the last Behemoth, Shelaryx WhiteScale. Our spies watched you from the day you were born. You were not a Dragon." Another ear-splitting detonation and flash of light echoed from deeper within the city limits of DormaSai.
"Your spies saw what Vaighar wanted them to see, and then, they died screaming for mercy, spilling every secret they had. Did you really think it would be that easy? Just because the first Animus Seal has been opened doesn't mean the rest will fall without a fight. We will keep the Sepulchre in place for as long as we can."
More bright magic lit up the darkening sky across the entire city. They continued to split the Vikress' attention for seconds at a time, clearly irritating her as the clicking under her hood increased.
"You know what those flashes are,” the Dragon Queen continued. “All over Drae’Kahn, the Fae are jumping in my Talon warriors and Zephyr mages to finish off any Elloryan military and Ri'Tek warriors that may accompany them. And I promise you, these Fae will not swear allegiance to you. You should leave, Illara, before the Fae Matriarch gets here. Between her and I, we will make sure your stolen magic never drags another dragon from the sky or takes another Lesser race life. I was birthed from a royal egg at the dawn of our war. I am nearly twice as old as my father was at his death. This is your only chance to leave."
Fury radiated from the Vikress, but she refused to back down. "How did you know the seal was here? This world looks nothing like the one we left behind."
Queen WhiteScale glanced at King Kohl.
Nekrosa answered, stepping forward. "We managed to piece together what happened. We went to the Dragon Ilses immediately after I took the throne. If you want the Human Animus Seal, you're gonna have to convince Ellorya to go to war against us, and then, you'll have to find the real location of the Seal because it's not here in this city."
Vikress Illara burst out laughing. "You are a fool, Nekrosa Kohl!" she barked. "Ellorya will invade, and backed by our magic and warriors, we will have DormaSai under our rule in a month. The fact that Shelaryx WhiteScale is a real Dragon is irrelevant—even one, lone eon-aged Dragon cannot help you. Queen or not, Shelaryx, Dragons take several millennia to grow, and no more lizards will scamper from the Crystal Castle. Everything that happened here went better than we could have ever planned. Emperor Mero and his hand-picked Conclave delegation are all dead at the hands of the evil necromancer King and Queen. The only known Fae is under the mind-control influence of said powerful necromancers. The Fae jumping in DragonKin warriors now won't stay in Talohna. If I capture even one lone Fae with any real magic, unlike this one,” the Vikress glanced Ember's way and scoffed, “I'll have the power I need to open the other seals. Mero's senate will vote for war within hours of my return, and the Blood Kingdoms will join us the moment we help them end the threat from the Wildland natives. I now know you won't stop me from leaving because your Dragon isn't strong enough to do so. We win, Nekr—"
The Vikress' words stopped short. Several long, shiny appendages jumped to life from under her hood, darting out like striking vipers. The first two knocked black arrows from midair, but the third was a split-second too slow, only deflecting the projectile. It pierced the Vikress' shoulder, pushing her robe two feet out from her body as it punched through. The blood-soaked obsidian arrowhead slowly cut its way through the cloth. The robe slid down the shaft and stuck to Illara's flesh as it soaked up blood from the wound. The Sect priestess moved to her aid, helping the Vikress stand.
"You know you can't win. Either of you," Illara snarled. "Before long, the Blood Kingdoms will be allied with the Ancients, and then, all the seals will be opened. The Sepulchre will fall one way or another. What was ours will be returned. There aren't six DeathWizards to stop us this time. Thanks to that fool, Giddeon, you don't even have the one that was here," she laughed.
With a flash of white, the Vikress and her priestess disappeared with a crack of power just before three additional arrows struck the dirt just past where they stood.
"You know, it really pisses me off that they can do that so easily," Ember admitted, referring to the stolen Fae realm jump magic.
She searched for the archer and was not surprised to see Max with his Orotaq bow on the far ramparts.
A second crack of power snapped from behind her, but she was so glad to see Max, she did not bother to turn around. The words that reached her ears sent shivers down her spine.
“A young Fae should not anger so easily. However, I can help you with making jump spells much easier, my daughter.”
Ember turned and knew from the moment she laid eyes on the stunning woman that she was staring at her birth mother. “You're...” she started but couldn't finish.
“Yes.”
Nekrosa cleared his throat. “Ember,” he said, “let me introduce the Fae High Matriarch, Eva Thornwing. From what I understand, she is your mother.”
JASALA’S FANGS
JAWS OF ICE AND ROCK OCEAN
Corleya tore her sword from one of the winged monsters that attacked the ship. She glanced up in time to see Damien shove the last one over the railing. “What the hell were they?” she shrieked.
“Welcome party,” the pirate yelled back as he turned his head to the sky and howled. He was having the time of his life, and it drove her nuts. “Stay sharp, Princess. The blue bastards gave up, but we’re still an hour from land, and the sea will try her best to stop us yet gain.”
“More coming will suffice,” Alia barked. Damien laughed, howling even louder while she shook her head.
Damien bowed low and offered a flourish with his right hand. “My apologies, my lady.” Straightening, he grabbed the wheel and spun it to the left. “You thought this would be easy?” he asked. “Never occurred to either of you that no one has ever made it through here because... oh, I don’t know? It’s fucking impossible?!”
“Because of the creatures?” Corleya asked, getting a nod. “I just assumed it was the sea itself. Rocks, ice, storms.”
Damien snorted. “These creatures are part of the sea, Princess.”
Before she could process what happened, the ship lurched to the right suddenly, and long tentacles of spiky green exploded from the
deck. She jumped back as another one shot up between her legs. The appendage pulsed, and hundreds of barbs snapped out before the tentacle pulled back. It was stuck in the deck planking, and the ship was righted by its attempt to leave before the creature slowly began to drag the ship under.
“Get down,” Damien screamed, and Corleya dropped to the deck against the door of the captain’s cabin.
Dozens of projectiles struck the deck and rails. Corleya stared dumbfounded as the source of the deadly weapons rolled up onto the railing of the ship’s bow like a giant wheel. Thousands of spear-like quills stuck out of its shell. The tall creature stood, and the giant snail shell slid, compressing like an accordion. The humanoid snail removed a spear from its back with one of its dozen hands and lowered itself to the deck. Corleya shook with fear.
“What the hell is that?” she shrieked, and Damien swung past her on one of the sail lines. He smashed into the creature and shoved it back overboard.
Landing on his feet, he turned and waved. “Quickly! The rowboat!” he ordered.
Alia was at Corleya’s side to help her to her feet. Both women ran to the side of the ship and hopped into the lifeboat.
“Get in, Damien.” She gasped as she sat and grabbed a paddle.
“Sorry, Princess. Someone has to stay with the ship and keep them occupied or they’ll just come after us,” he growled back.
“No,” Corleya yelled at him. “Get in here! The ship’s lost, Damien.” She stood and grabbed for his wrist but missed.
Damien stepped back and raised his sword. “The ship is, but you’re not. Good luck, Princess,” he said. He winked. Alia dragged Corleya back onto her seat as the ropes securing the lifeboat parted under a swing of the pirate’s blade. Three more spear-wielding snails rolled onto the deck behind the pirate. A spear exploded from Damien’s shoulder, and Corleya lost sight of him as the boat plummeted to the water’s surface.
“Row,” Alia screamed. “He has given us a chance.”