The Druid's Spear (Ascent of the Gem Bearers Book 1) (28 page)

They hadn’t found Tambo’s body. Rin searched the vast catacombs of the cave for two hours. The storage room where Michel stated the fight took place held no clues.

The tears had dried away, leaving behind red and horribly dry sockets. The ache in the middle of her chest throbbed like an open sore. Some of her people had escaped Ludovicus’ wrath, but not many. They’d hidden far enough away to escape his eye.

Rin still remembered when she found the body of the child who had identified Callen’s betrayal. Her dark hair had had been matted with blood by a blow to the head. Four ragged lines had torn her tiny frame to pieces. Her father’s body was blistered, as if cast into severe heat.

If only she could find Tambo.

“Uchida-san
?”

She looked up from her contemplation, surprised to find herself back in her chambers. It had been ransacked and her things thrown into upheaval.

“What is it?”

“Kenzo—
sama
wishes to speak to you.”

Rin sighed, but she followed Michel out and into the corridor to return to the entrance. Those who had survived gathered there. Some of them had started to clear away the bodies strewn about floor.

Ken stood by the Elder, but when she arrived he came to her.

“
Sensei
, I hate to have to tell you this, but we cannot continue to search for Tambo’s body.”

“Are we supposed to abandon him then?” Her voice cracked.

“We are not abandoning him. The others will remain here and continue to look diligently for him.”

Tambo was her friend. No one would have the responsibility of retrieving his body but her.

“
Iie
.” She gave an emphatic shake of her head and turned back around. Strong fingers clamped around her arms and she wrenched away from them. “Let go of me.”

“
Sensei
, you have to stop.”

“
Iie
! I will find him.” Her temple pulsed along the side of her head.

“There are more important things we have to worry about.” Ken’s chin took on an obstinate manner.

“What could be more important than finding Tambo?” Her hands flew about wildly.

“Ludovicus is about to become a dragon!” he yelled at her. “What do you think will happen if he succeeds?”

Rin’s chest caved in as the breath whooshed out her body. The implications of it were staggering. No longer would secret communities like theirs be able to hide behind obscurity and mythological legends. The modern world was not prepared for the reality of what it meant to have a dragon’s wrath unleashed.

“Ludovicus will not be content with just being a dragon and hiding in anonymity, Uchida—
chan
.” The Elder told her in a gravelly voice. She looked down at his position on the ground. His eyes turned up to her were filled with sorrow. “Ludovicus hates all humanity, and he will do what he has to do to destroy them.”

Still, she could not forget her friend. “Tambo.” His name came out on a weak breath.

“He guarded the people as well as he could. He fought Ludovicus and did it well. But if Tambo were here, what would he tell you?”

Despite the many tears she’d already shed, one more still leaked from under her eyelid.

“
Sensei
?”

“He would have wanted me to find and destroy Ludovicus.”

An understanding light appeared in Ken’s eyes. “As my mother would say, keep moving. If you continue to stay here searching for his body, you remain stagnant. It won’t do anything. But if you truly want to honor him, honor his memory by killing the lowlife who did that to him.”

“Uchida—
chan
, Ludovicus is going to the place where he and the others were turned into Drumans. Here the ceremony must take place.” The Elder went to get up and Odin and Luke aided him.

“Why does it have to take place there?” Ken bent to retrieve the Elder’s staff.

The old man took the stick and leaned heavily on it. He gave an enigmatic stare. “You’ll see.”

“We’ve already lost two hours,” Odin added. “We really can’t afford to lose more.”

Rin sighed. They were right. They were all right. She had to stop and focus on the task at hand.

“Very well.” She straightened her shoulders, fighting back the sense of betrayal of leaving Tambo behind. She could not allow Ludovicus to win. She had to stop him at any cost. “How do we get there?”

Would they get to Ludovicus in time to stop him from becoming a dragon?

The question was a constant refrain in his mind as he traipsed through the forest behind Uchida—
sensei
. He carried the Elder on his back the entirety of the journey. He would be lying if he didn’t admit that had he been ‘just human’ he would have long since tired but now, but the added dead weight didn’t hinder him much. Besides, since the loss of Alderic, the Elder had lost most of his strength.

For the first part of their journey they flew about in Uchida—
sensei
’s orb. It allowed them, he hoped, to gain some ground on the time lost. Yet when they came to the forest, it was decided to continue the remainder of the journey on foot.

The images of the bodies strewn along the cave flashed before his eyes. Ludovicus would pay for that.

“Kenzo—
sama
look—” the Elder started to say when Ken crashed into Uchida—
sensei
. They tumbled to the ground in a heap of limbs. When his equilibrium returned, the old man lay on top of him and he lay on top of Uchida—
sensei
.

“This is awkward.” Ken remarked to no one in particular. And having the Elder close enough to see the pores of his skin and feel his breath blowing across his face was the stuff of nightmares.

“Get off,” Uchida—
sensei
mumbled into his back.

“Gladly.” Ken rolled off and righted himself. Then he reached down to help the Elder.

When they were all upright, Ken asked. “Why did you stop?”

“Because I think we’re close.”

“
Hai
, Uchida—
chan
.”

Though the way was shrouded by numerous trees, Ken recognized it as the trail that led to the cave where the five dragons were bundled together to become what they were now.

“I’m too weak to go any further.” The Elder leaned back against a tree. “But you must stop Ludovicus.”

“
Senpai
, we can’t just leave you here.”

“You have to. Time is running out. He will become a dragon if you don’t stop him. I must tell you how to get there.”

Ken knew it was a difficult for his
sensei
to do what was required – leave the old man here to succumb to whatever fate would befall him. The anguish on her face spoke for itself. Yet, they all had to make tough choices.

He studied his hands as the Elder gave instructions to Uchida—
sensei
. Almost four months ago, he’d been anguishing over the death of his mother, thinking his life was not worth living. Yet, it was before he inherited the blood gem and the Vessel. It was before his brother and best friend was killed by Ludovicus. It was before a slip of a woman had broken him down to build him back up into a warrior. It was before he discovered his true ancestry of being the scion of a Druman and a human. It was before he tapped into a power he never knew he had.

Back then, he thought home was where his mother was. But now, home had become a cave filled with those who revered the son of the Dragon King, Rhychard. It was immersing himself in this new world that had existed under the cover of modernity.

Resolve stretched the skin along his cheekbones. In so short a time, he’d changed. He was literally ready to fight a being of immense power and hatred for humanity.

“Uchida—
chan
, have you forgiven me for not telling you about your father?”

Ken watched her go over and hug the man in her arms. The Elder’s shock was almost comical.

“I forgave you a long time ago.” Then she kissed him on the cheek and a red flush washed over the old man’s face. Then his eyes closed and he awkwardly hugged her back. A few seconds later they pulled apart. Uchida—
sensei
tugged her vest.

“We’ll be back once we’ve defeated Ludovicus.”

“I know.” The Elder nodded. “
Ganbatte
.”

“Ken?” She sent a speaking glance his way.

Ready as he’d ever be. “I’m ready,
sensei
.”

The old man watched as Kenzo—
sama
and Uchida—
chan
made their way deeper into the forest. Soon, they would arrive at the entrance of the cave. After that, they would have to use their combined strength to defeat him.

Wearily, he slumped against the tree and let lose the cough that he’d held back. The great hard knot of sorrow in the middle of his chest grew like a boulder, ready to crush him. His only son was dead now and he could not grieve for him.

But if Ludovicus got his way, Alderic’s death would be without meaning.

A sound caught his attention. The rustle of foliage as something heavy and tall moved through them. Without looking back, the Elder knew who and what it was behind him.

Perhaps it was just as well.

“How long have you been following us?” He chose not to turn around. Straining, he tried to catch the last glimpse of the two, but they had long gone to whatever fate would befall them.

“Long enough,” Dericote rasped near his ear.

“She’s magnificent, isn’t she?” The Elder said with a note of pride in his voice.

“Are you going to come with me quietly or am I going to have to drag you away?”

So it was going to be like that, eh? No acknowledgment of his daughter whatsoever. But then again, he could hardly blame the Druman for his sentiment.

“Thank you for allowing me to keep my dignity before my people.”

“You didn’t deserve half of what I gave you.” Dericote’s voice was filled with anger.

“I know that, too. At least admit you are intrigued by her strength, Dericote. Give me that at least.”

“You’re walking on very thin ice. Now, are you going to come with me or not?”

“If Ludovicus becomes a dragon—”

The Druman’s voice whispered closer in his ears, almost like a lover. “You won’t be around long enough for it to matter.”

The Elder’s eyes drifted shut. Time to pay the piper. “Of that, I have no doubt.”

Overhead, the sky grew dark and turbulent. Soon the rain began to fall. First in a drizzle, and then in a torrential downpour, resembling a steel curtain.

Was it the Earth shedding tears, or Mars unleashing its fury? Rin had no idea of which as she and Ken squatted a few feet away from the entrance. Surrounding the entrance were guards, ten in all, who encircled the perimeter that would be tough to bypass.

She whispered to Ken, “The ceremonial chamber is several hundred feet below the surface. But it takes a while to get there.”

“It didn’t appear that way when the Elder and I visited,
sensei
.”

“Nonetheless, it’s still a far way to go. There may be guards inside as well, but we have to get past these here.”

“
Hai sensei
.”

Rin bit her lip. They had been through too much together. His training had gone beyond her specifications and in all honesty, they were equals. Not to mention, she could have been eaten alive by wolves if it hadn’t been for him. “You may call me Rin if you like, Ken.”

His light brown eyes met hers, the unspoken question apparent. “You’ve already called me Rin a few times before. And besides, we’re both risking our lives to stop Ludovicus. We’re on equal footing.”

Ken didn’t say anything for a moment. Then he gave a nod and that was all.

Clearing her mind, she focused on the task at hand. According to the Elder, the tunnels led to several underground chambers, but the one where the ceremony would take place was the biggest of all. There would be some wall climbing involved as they descended deeper inside, but nothing they couldn’t handle.

The immediate concern was the guards blocking their way. They have to take care of them first. She assessed their positions. Three of the guards were inside the lip of the cave itself, spread apart. Two more stood sentry ten feet from them. The rest were spread about as they came closer to the edge of the forest.

Rin rolled her shoulders. The wounds made from the wolves had already healed.
Senpai
had told her that with each alignment of the planets, she’d grow stronger. Even now, she felt the flow of power coursing through her veins. Each time she used her abilities she found out more and more about her limitations, or lack thereof.

No time like the present to find out.

The rain fell harder, completely drenching them, but it had no effect. Squinting, she saw Callen come to the entrance of the cave, an arrogant look on his face. Her eyes narrowed on the man she once felt great pity for due to Alderic’s cruelty. But he’d killed her friend in the end. Rin’s lip curled. There was a special kind of hell for people like him.

And she was going to show Callen the way to get there.

The rain was so heavy Callen could barely see through it. Safely within the cave entrance, he perused the outside area as best he could. Master Ludovicus had been adamant about the security measures needed to ensure they could perform the ceremony unencumbered.

Kaluwa—
no kimi
had kissed him in direct view of his lord. He expected Ludovicus to remark on it, possibly even explode in anger at the exchange, but he did nothing of the sort. If anything, a malicious, unsettling gleam appeared in his black eyes.

A distinct noise drew Callen out of his thoughts. He peered outside to see the dark shadow of one of the guards rise in the air. The man’s screams were nearly drowned out by the rain. He was lifted up and out of sight.

“It’s Kenzo and Uchida!” Callen shouted. “Get them!”

The men surged forward in one motion. Mud kicked up under their heels as they raced to where the two interlopers stood.

It wasn’t difficult to tell who was who.

Uchida, surrounded by a blue aura, raised her hand and the wind and rain changed direction. Had the storm drawn toward her? He couldn’t be sure. But a funnel of wind formed, a violent thing whirling in the middle of the rain. It lifted three of the guards into the air before it dissipated into nothingness. The men’s cries were then cut off as their bodies slammed into the ground with a wet, sickening thud.

Two more of the guards raced toward Kenzo. When they were but two feet in front of him, five streams of electricity sparked out of his fingers and coiled together to form a rope of lightning. The lightning popped as it went through sheets of rain. Callen watched as two flashing cords of power lassoed around an exposed neck. With a vicious yank from their wielder, the heads were burned and severed off in a matter of seconds and fell to the ground.

Uchida and Kenzo took another step forward. The menace surrounding them struck terror into Callen’s heart. In the past, he’d not taken the Descendant seriously. After all, Ludovicus was a powerful lord. Uchida he had respected in some way. Until recently, he felt a small hint of attraction for her. Now, as they both advanced, the blood in his vein solidified. Enhanced he may be by Ludovicus’s mark but Callen came to the conclusion he was no match for these…Drumans.

He had to warn Ludovicus. Now.

“Go!” he shouted to the men who stood under the protection of the cave. None of them moved. One of them gulped, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down like a yo-yo.

“Go!” He pushed them out into the rain. “
Ima da
!”

As soon as they went forward to meet the intruders, Callen swung around and headed deeper into the cave. He had to get to Ludovicus.

“He’s getting away!” Ken called to Rin as he spun in the air and kicked his assailant in the face.

“I know!” She rammed an elbow into her attacker’s nose, breaking it. Blood gushed from the wound but was washed away by the rain.

The man clutched his broken appendage, falling to his knees. Rin’s unrepentant boot clad foot cracked the man’s skull and sent him sprawling unconsciously to the ground.

Soon they dispatched with the rest of the guards who lay in the mud, soaked by the rain.

Ken took a moment to survey the damage. A year ago, he wouldn’t have been capable of this. Now he’d killed two men and taken out several more. He’d never killed anyone before and it sent waves of moral complications through his brain. Yet, he knew Ludovicus had no such scruples. Indeed, if he became a dragon again, who knew what would happen to humanity?

“Let’s go,” Rin ordered.

He tossed aside his regret and ran with Rin toward the cave.

Callen raced down the crudely built stairwell. It was a shock to find it here when they arrived, but Master Ludovicus said nothing about its origin. Running along, he tripped over his own feet and toppled down the stairs until he came to stop at the feet of Kaluwa—
no kimi
.

‘What is it?” she asked without preamble.

In between wincing and standing, he gulped out. “Kenzo and Uchida have arrived. They are going to try to stop Master Ludovicus.”

The bones lengthened from out of her head. Her skin darkened. Callen noticed then that she’d grown a few inches since last night. Kaluwa towered over him, seven and a half feet tall. It must have something to do with the ceremony. Maybe she was gaining strength.

Her voice had deepened. “Those two have interfered with my plans for the very last time.” A shiver went down his spine as she turned her purple gaze on him. “Go on ahead and notify Ludo at once. But let him know they won’t get past me.”

“How is there a staircase in here?” Ken peered down at it. “How?”

“It doesn’t matter. Let’s go.” Rin urged him forward.

They made their way down into the earth, the quiet broken by the sounds of their feet and their breathing. Overhead, some cave dwelling animal scurried about but Ken ignored it. They entered a small chamber where the stairs ended. It was a quarry of some kind, used long ago. Fragments of rock pieces and an old sledgehammer strewn on the floor. He marveled at this sight but there was no time to linger. Two openings on either side of the chamber mattered.

“Which way?”

Rin glanced back and forth between the two. “We have to choose quickly.” Then an instant later, he was startled when they both said simultaneously, “Left.”

The tunnel went for a long way, the walls lined with distressed and aged sconces at intervals. Running for several minutes, they soon saw a dim light at the end. When they arrived, flames danced from a giant circular stone fireplace on a raised dais. Above them the cavernous domed ceiling loomed above.

“How big is this place?” Ken wondered. It made him nervous.

A smaller opening to the right led to another staircase. They traveled down, carefully but quickly. The stairs were etched into one side of the wall and a sheer drop the bottom was on the other side. He took a glance around him. All of this was underground?

They were forced to stop a few moments later.

A wide gap lay between them and the rest of the stairs.

Before he could utter a word, Rin had already encased them in the orb and they floated down into the inky darkness.

“It’s too dark to see,” Ken murmured, trying to peer past the small area illuminated by the blue aura of the orb. The meager light was swallowed by the darkness.

“I hope we don’t get impaled.” Rin added, echoing his thoughts.

With bated breath they continued to drift slowly downward. Ken’s was unaware he’d been holding his breath for until he gulped in air. Then he saw the ground, unencumbered by spikes, and released a sigh of relief.

They landed on the ground, right in front of a doorway. They rushed and then skidded to a stop.