Chapter Thirty
Elek
The fight had gone through the night, with heavy losses on our side. The true carnage had truly begun when the sun went down and the wraiths were set free from the energy fields. Those fiends snatched us right out of the sky, speared through us with their shadows, and drained us of our very souls.
As I walked the infirmary, trying to keep a tally of who was gone, who could still fight, and the number of soldiers flying in from the north, a powerful cry rushed forward from the back of my skull. Rooting myself to the spot, I reached for her and found her exact location. Oberron had taken her ring off and she was in immense pain.
Taking my own ring off, I pocketed it to allow for her to take any strength she could from me. If for nothing else then to give her the hope that I was coming, albeit slowly. How I wished to be able to speak to her through the bond.
“Your Highness, we’re ready for you.” Nolan announced from the doorway, pulling me away from her.
The courtyard held the rest of what I had, and it wasn’t much. More were still coming, or so I was reassured an hour before, but it would mean nothing if we were wiped out before they arrived.
“For reasons unknown the enemy has paused in their assault. We cannot allow them to recuperate, as we don’t have the luxury for it ourselves. The primary targets remain to be the wraiths, necromancers, and chimeras. The draugr are plentiful but slow. Take them out with fire whenever you can. We will reform our groups, with mine leading the charge. We fly in half an hour from the wall.”
Huri walked into view as I headed back towards the infirmary.
“There’s been a delay.” They said gravely.
“Delay?”
Huri nodded.
“Fort Aries and Theron are under attack. They are unable to send more troops.”
Cursing harshly I threw my fist into the stone wall of the corridor with enough force to chip pieces off.
“I need to get to her, she’s in pain.” I spat out.
I looked over at Huri. They patted my shoulder sympathetically.
“I can hold them back here. Why don’t you go on ahead?” They offered.
The gesture was appreciated but I shook my head.
“I couldn’t live with myself if I abandoned everyone for her. And honestly, I’m not sure I would be able to dodge all of them on my own anyways. We just need to hit harder.”
Pinching the bridge of my nose I mentally prepared myself for my next order.
“Huri, transform and tell anyone who can also transform to do it as well. Tell them to punch hard and to move quick.”
It was a desperate order. In our beast forms we may be able to turn the tide, however any in the air were left incredibly vulnerable. Nothing much could penetrate dragon scales, but our undersides and wing membranes were vulnerable to elven arrows. It was a very desperate move indeed.
Rays of the sun peeked over the forest and the dark energy domes were back, though fewer than the day before. At least we were making some progress. The thought was short lived, though, as new draugr began to form at the treeline. The soldiers we couldn’t recover were now preparing to attack the very fort they were defending the day before.
“Anyone who cannot transform fully is to go after the draugr and find the necromancers. We aren’t taking prisoners today. Destroy them all. Fire conjurers will take the domes again, and ice users will take the chimeras. Don’t give them the chance to recover.” I addressed my men on the wall.
Exhaling deeply, I observed as they all took flight. Some grew larger and morphed into long necked beasts with wide bodies and even larger wings. Others who could only sprout wings darted towards the forest to make quick work of the first line.
Soon it was my turn and I was determined to cut through their defenses with my group. It was a rarity to resort to my beast form, as it wasn’t a pleasant sensation as my skin, bones, and ligaments stretch and bent to transfigure into the true reason for my moniker. Kicking off the wall with freshly formed talons, I rose up high to then fold my black wings and dart towards the center of the fray. Any foe that came into my line of sight were set ablaze as I passed overhead.
Fairies took to the skies to intercept me with elven arrows. All of their wings were set on fire and their screams traveled through the air as they plummeted to the ground. Reaching the closest dome I took a reckless approach. It was something I would have never instructed my men to do, which they knew and held back as I flew straight into the dome and set the entire ground alight. Wraiths attempted to reach for me, but I refused to relent. If the blaze seemed to be dimming I created more.
Horrifying squeals erupted below me as the wraiths withered to nothing with the fairy controlling them becoming a pile of ash. The dome evaporated and I moved onto the next one, burning anything in my path.
Finally, all that remained was one dome. Exhaustion tore through me but my frustration and fury was far greater. With every passing moment my rage evolved as more stood in my way of being able to get to her.
As with the others, I darted inside the dome, fire erupting from my jaws and coating the lower level. Each wraith dissolved one by one, but the necromancer was nowhere in sight and the dome remained intact.
“Such a magnificent creature you are, Dragon Prince.” A sultry female voice echoed through the walls.
The memory of only a couple of months prior flashed through me. Thoughts of Huri’s blood stained talons and the charred ground from where she had stood replayed over and over as I tried to make sense of what was happening.
“I would very much like to add you to my collection.” The voice laughed and an invisible pressure forced me to land and held me to the ground.
“What a handsome thing you are.”
Boots came into my line of sight as I attempted to raise my head to no avail. Contemplating my options, I shifted back to my human body. It was easier to move, but barely.
Just as I dreaded, the enchantress from before stood above me, her crimson eyes holding amusement over my feeble attempts to rise.
“Cunning wench aren’t you?” I managed to say.
Her lips pulled back to reveal her perfectly straight teeth.
“Not all golems have to be made from clay.” She answered.
Sweeping her hair behind her shoulder she flashed another smile towards me and flashed an object resting on her finger. My heart lurched. After my more intimate moments with her, I recognized Sera’s ring from Cato immediately. Panic flooded through me as I reached towards her through the bond and felt nothing but emptiness. She giggled as she caught my eyes on her hand.
“Oh, this?” the woman said, waving the ring in front of her face. “It’s very handy, you know. My abilities have never been stronger. When it was given to me I was told that the girl put up quite the fight and couldn’t recall her wings after it was taken from her.”
Crimson eyes flashed menacingly at me and she continued to smile.
“Poor thing, really. When I saw her she wasn’t moving in her cell and her back was torn to shreds along with the rags she came in with. Oberron didn’t want her to escape by any means necessary, and I was promised to be given her once she expired. You’ll both look adorable together, side-by-side, storming Thanases and claiming the throne for the Fairy King.”
“I’ll kill you. I’ll kill all of you.” I growled out, pushing all of my energy into my hands to hoist myself up, only to manage leaning on my elbows.
She continued to laugh before stretching her hand out to grasp my hair in her fingers.
“No, handsome prince. I’ll be killing you.”
A sharp pain penetrated through my armor and into my ribs.
“Slowly of course.” She finished and pulled the blade free. “I do love romantic parallels. This is the same poison that was used on your dear wife. Only for you there is no one from Durant to save your life.”
Releasing my hair, she pulled back to the edge of the dome.
“I’ll see you soon my darling.”
She kissed a pointer and middle finger and blew air in my direction. Once she vanished the dome broke down and I collapsed with it.
“Fuck!” Huri’s voice bellowed from a short distance away.
“Huri, you have to go after her. The necromancer.” I gasped out as they pulled me up to rest against their shoulder.
“No, I need to get you to the infirmary.”
Wings beat hard as Huri aimed for the fort. Carnage lay below us as we passed over the forest. Dragons and fairies with torn wings and missing limbs lay scattered and broken everywhere. All of the draugr were gone and most of the chimeras had been frozen to death. The tide was turning, but at a heavy cost.
Bodies were lined all across the courtyard with a single guard taking up the responsibility of identifying each of them and writing their names down.
“We need a bed now!” Huri shouted, slamming the infirmary door open.
Doctors and soldiers rushed over to lower me to a newly available flatbed, as the previous occupant was now being moved to the courtyard to join the rest of the bodies.
My leathers were cut open and my shirt peeled away, revealing the wound that was now turning gangrenous. Two of the doctors tutted at the sight.
“What did they use?” One asked, applying pressure to my side. I winced at the contact.
“Venom from a serpent in Durant.” Huri answered, pinning my shoulders down to prevent further injury.
“I should be fine.” I remarked, trying to shrug Huri off. Dragons tended to be immune to most toxins.
“No, Your Highness. You need to remain still. This venom appears altered and we will need to extract as much as we can to see if we have anything to counter it.” A doctor said, withdrawing a syringe from a steel tray.
“And if there isn’t?” Why did I even bother asking?
“There’s a reasonable probability that it will kill you.”
As if the venom had a consciousness, dark veins started to spread from the wound and web out in all directions. If I didn’t have much time I had to at least make it count. I turned to Huri.
“Let me go, I need to help her. I can’t feel her anymore.” I knew how I sounded, broken and desperate, but I didn’t care. Not knowing if she was alive or not was more painful than the venom.
Huri shook their head.
“No. But I’ll go in your place. I’ll find her and get her out or die trying.” They promised.
It was pointless to argue as my body began to break down and my eyes started to blur. I was going to pass out.
“Go then.” I muttered.
Without another word, Huri was gone and I slumped over and blacked out.
