Once We Were Kings (Young Adult Fantasy) (The Sojourner Saga) (40 page)

Render drew his sword.

Ahndien did the same.

Something from within—an impulse from perhaps the swords themselves—caused them to cross blades.  In an instant, a stream of fire and lightning shot at Mooregaard.

He dodged it by leaning slightly to one side.  The surprise on his countenance betrayed him for a moment.  But the malignance and haughty look quickly returned.  "So you are the Great Deliverer?"

Right away, the same accusing doubt that confronted him at the Pool of Madness and in the Shrine of the Ancients returned.  Before he could steel up his nerves it sapped his strength.

The blades separated.

While Ahndien continued to hurl fireballs with her left hand and columns of fire with her sword, Render's sword flickered and returned to its natural state.

Mooregaard extinguished Ahndien's attacks with the fingers of his left hand and stepped forward menacingly.  "Render?  The slave boy?  The little whelp of the very dead Sir Edwyn?  Thou art neither a deliverer nor great!"

Mooregaard's words sunk into his soul.  His legs softened like unbaked dough.  He could not even take a step back.

Ahndien blasted twice as much fire at Mooregaard, but now, with the twist of his wrist, a vortex formed in the air and sucked up every bit of air and fire.  "Render, fly!"

"I can't...move!"  Render's teeth chattered as they had on those frigid winter nights in Bobbington's cottage.  The vacuum and frigid air immobilized him as it had the human troops.

"Thou art nothing."  Mooregaard locked his gaze upon Render's eyes like a serpent mesmerizing its prey.  "Thou hast been deceived to think thou wast anything but a lowly slave!"

With a feral cry, Branson leapt in the air and came down at Mooregaard.  But the black knight lifted his right hand, made a circle in the air, which caught Branson like a noose.

Branson strained, clawed at the invisible cord that wrapped around his neck as he hung suspended in the air.

"I can't continue..." Ahndien screamed, "Oh! Render!"

Then Mooregaard cut off her words by hanging her up in the air like Branson, by the neck with an invisible cord of air current.

"Nothing, do you hear?  You have delivered nothing but the pitiful mortals of both kingdoms into my hands.  Their unbelief makes them more pleasing a sacrifice to Malakandor.  And your death will prove to my new dominion that faith in Valhandra is futile.  None shall testify to any of these wonders they will all be dead!  Generations of mindless, faithless people will be mine to rule.  And all because THOU ART NOTHING!"

// NEVER MIND US, RENDER.  GET AWAY IF YOU CAN! //

Render ignored Ahndien's thoughts and lifted his eyes to Mooregaard's. "Yes." He nodded, his eyes glancing up to his beloved and to Branson, gasping for breath, powerless to escape. 

Even His name has power.

"On my own strength, I am nothing."  He then trained his thoughts like an arrow, and aimed straight for Mooregaard's skull.

// BUT I AM AS VALHANDRA SAYS! //

Render's entire body exploded with lightning.  From every particle of air, he sensed the energy rushing into his body, lending its power.

Accumulating in force.

The sky turned black, just above them.

Every hair on his body stood on end.

Mooregaard's smile faded.

He took a step back tentatively.  The black knight's form began to change.

But Render focused all the energy flowing through his body into his hands.  He could move one arm.  Then the other.

Then Mooregaard took his demonic form.  First the wings, then the deadly beak.  He rose up to the size of an elephant and began to flap.  The wind came as a torrent.

Ahndien and Branson dropped to the ground.

And just before Render discharged the lightning surging within him Mooregaard flew into the air.  This would be his most powerful blast ever, he could tell.

But then, just before he released the bolt at the hideous vulture, something rose up into the sky behind it.

Something which made the vulture seem insignificant in size and dread.

Something more terrifying than anything he'd ever imagined.

The power drained from Render's body as he stared in terror.

CHAPTER NINETY-THREE

From behind the great vulture, a dark figure many times its size fell upon it.  Its words were clear as speech in his mind, and no doubt, to all who were present.

// MOOREGAARD! you have EXPENDED MALAKANDOR'S PATIENCE.  HE has SENT ME TO PERFECT THAT WHICH YOU HAVE LEFT UNFINISHED //

Astonished, the vulture turned to find a massive black dragon (similar, yet many times more horrific than the one Render defeated.) It clutched the vulture's throat with the talons of its foreclaws.  It appeared as shadow-like as the demon warriors, but its effect on Mooregaard's vulture-form was palpable.

"I pray thee mercy, Ashtoreth!"  Mooregaard cowered in his human words, which blended hideously with a vulture's screech.  "Behold...I have prepared the...the sacrifice!"

// YOU HAVE SUFFERED THE SOJOURNERS TO RISE AGAIN! MALAKANDOR PERMITS NO SLUGGARD TO LIVE, MUCH LESS REIGN //

And with that the black dragon shot fire and tore the burning Mooregaard to shreds.  It devoured his vulture body as he screamed in agony.  Bits of smoldering flesh, blood, and black feathers fell to the ground all around Render, Ahndien and Branson.  The nauseating fetor and gurgling screams afforded them a moment to run to Lord Agon.

While the ghastly feeding frenzy took place above them, Branson crawled over to his father, whose chest rose and fell rapidly.  Render had seen this in the last gasps of his brother Kaine.  It brought back such sorrow, he could barely look on.

"Father," Branson sobbed.  "I'm so...sorry."

The Lord Agon, now fallen, his life pouring out like wine from a broken flagon, put his hand on his son's face.  "Be strong, my son.  And forgive thy father for withholding too much...Truly...I have never...left you..."

Branson took his father's hand. "I...Father, I have always believed you...forgive my doubt and impatience!"

Gently, Agon pulled him down to his chest and kissed the top of head.  "Do not fear, my son.  For you have only begun to see the truth."

He turned to Render, who knelt at his right hand.  Then, taking his arm, "I have fought the good fight, O Great Deliverer.  With kindness, pray remember my son, when...when...."

Render put his hand on Agon's shoulder. "I shall, My Lord."

And then, after one final gasp, The Lord Agon breathed his last.  The tightness in his brow relented.  A look of peace, like he'd seen the end from the beginning washed over his face.  His eyes shut as though in a sweet slumber.

"Father!"  Branson wept, pressing his face against his beard, baptizing it with his tears.

"I'm sorry, Branson." Render said, still aware of the horror that continued above them.  He turned to Ahndien who already knew what they both needed to do.  Then back to Branson.  "Stay here with your father."

Still holding his father's hand, Branson nodded.

Sun light flooded the ground as the shadow dragon's form dropped a single claw—the last remains of Mooregaard—to the ground, and looked to the valley for Malakandor's sacrifice. 

Ashtoreth let out a hideous shriek and turned her head just slightly to stare at Render with a malignant vermilion eye.

// I SHALL SAVE you FOR A CONFECTION //

As it flew off, the demonic dragon's cackling laugh echoed throughout the alluvial hills, sending a chill through Render's blood.  Had Ahndien perceived its threat?  Regardless, he must do everything in his power to stop Ashtoreth.

Render leapt into the air and hovered above.  But Ahndien hesitated.  He could see the fear in her eyes.  "Stay here with Branson."

She too flew up to his side.  "We have not yet fulfilled our calling.  Let us go now."

Somehow, he knew.  She must be by his side, though it pained him to see her apprehension.  Against his own heart he agreed, took her hand, and raced to stop the demon dragon.

Ashtoreth blasted a stream of fire at the humans and the Sojourners guarding them.  It snuffed out the protective wall of fire suddenly, and formed yet another fiery ring even more frightful than Mooregaard and Volfoncé had done.  This was a warning shot, something to terrorize them before Ashtoreth scorched and consumed them.  At the sound and glow of the blast, all the demon warriors in the front line flew up over the heads of the Sojourners like a cloud of locusts to the ever tightening fire ring.

The flames climbed so high Render could not see over them.

Ahndien pointed to the hills on the Tianese side of the range.  "We can approach from the East."

As they flew behind the summits of the Handara range, Render's entire body began to tingle at the sight.  It was as familiar now as it was when he first painted it back in Castle Mitelvald.

The fire cast a red and orange glow over the peaks.  Like the sun setting over the Eastern Mountains.  Yet they faced the West, where the sun should rise.  This was the very scene he'd painted while under Sir Edwyn's tutelage.

Now, out of Ashtoreth's line of sight, Render and Ahndien flew straight to the fire trap.

"They're closing in!"  Ahndien pointed to the black demon swarm following Ashtoreth.   A few of them shot straight through the fire untouched and fell upon a line of Tianese archers.  As the archers fell, their arrows flew lamely into the air, some striking their fellow soldiers.  The ensuing sound of the demon hordes tearing flesh from bone was even more horrific than Mooregaard's demise.

Render shut his eyes momentarily. 

// GRANT US SUCCESS, VALAHANDRA //

With all his concentration, he conjured up a mighty bolt in both hands.  "Distance, Ahndien."

She backed away.

Then, striking his hands together, he sent a broad wave of lightning straight over the oncoming demon horde.  A roaring thunderclap followed drawing all eyes below up to him.

To Render's surprise the wave covered the horde.  Crackling like embers in a fire, webs of white light crawling over their bodies like flashing insect legs, the demons toppled and fell to the feet of the Sojourners.

"Finish them!" Mikhal commanded.

As the demons fell, their bodies became pale and solid.  He caught sight of some, their eyes wide with fear as the Sojourner warriors routed them with spears, swords, fire, and Valhandra only knew what other powers they possessed.

"You've done it!" Ahndien grasped his arm and for the first time today, a hopeful smile escaped the confines of her rueful countenance.  But that hope was short-lived.  For at that very moment, a very irate Ashtoreth turned her furious eyes towards them and roared.

Even from a distance of several hundred yards, she seemed as large as a battle ship, her head the prow, her wings like its tattered sails.  Render could feel the heat of her anger as she flew straight at them.

Her shadow covered dozens of human soldiers, cowering as her accursed fire ring constricted.  Those unfortunate enough to be standing at the edge were charred immediately and fell to a blackened heap as the fire passed through them.

Heart pounding, chest tightening, Render turned to Ahndien.  She hovered by his side and gripped his arm intensely.  "Get to safety, now!"

"I won't leave you!"

The heavy percussion of Ashtoreth's wings beating the air felt like waves crashing against a rocky shore.  It made his ears pop.  "There's no sense in both of us dying!  Now go!"

But Ahndien would not release him.  "Think of something else.  I am staying!"

"Why are girls so stubborn!" Render gasped as the heat of Ashtoreth's fire blast flew over their heads.  "Fine.  Let's give her two targets, then!"

At that, they flew in opposite directions just as Ashtoreth's next blast hissed through the space they had just vacated.  Even through his leather vest and shirt, the heat burned his skin.

Render threw a bolt of lightning at the colossal demon dragon.  But in his panic he could only muster a short burst.  The bolt bounced straight off of her inky scales. 

Wings flapping up a wind storm in all directions, Ashtoreth turned her massive head and bore blood-stained fangs.  She blew out another column of fire.  Render flew up and managed to escape it.  But the heel of his shoe was burned straight through exposing just a small part of his flesh.  It hurt worse than he thought possible.

Higher he flew, one hand pointed down and eyes locked on the demonic dragon. 

Ashtoreth pursued upwards. 

Good.

When they leveled off, she stared and her neck bobbed repeatedly.  By her fangs and eyes, Render could see she was laughing.  She hovered there for a while, the way a cat crouches just before it pounces on its prey.  Which was exactly what Render wanted her to do.  Anything to draw her away from Ahndien and the people they were charged to unite.

"Foul-breathed, chicken-lizard!" He struck his chest with his fist, then sent three blasts of lightning straight at her face.  She blinked, shook her head, and cackled.  But Render continued to taunt.  "I'm right here!  Come and get your 'confection,' if you dare!"

Now, Ashtoreth's insidious laugh became an audible snarl.  Her diamond-pupiled eyes narrowed at the insult.  She roared, fanning out half a dozen barbed horns that framed her scaly face.   Then, faster than possible, simultaneously stretching her neck and lurching forward, she shot out her head and lunged at Render.

It was all a wash of blackness and scales and decay, overwhelming him.  Then a sharp pain stabbed his left arm.  When he opened his eyes, he found himself in the jaws of Ashtoreth, her teeth clamping down around his shoulder and upper arm.

Render cried out as unspeakable pain enveloped him.  It was as though she injected acid or venom into his body with her fangs.  He could barely hear Ahndien shouting his name over the rumbling breaths of the demon dragon.

Focusing all the pain into a massive charge, he released a burst of lightning.  This shook the Ashtoreth slightly, but only made her clamp down harder.