Fell Dragon
Greetings Readers!
I hope the weekend was awesome. Mine was unbelievably busy, but fruitful, though not in terms of writing. I need to get back into my own writing, and I thought I would have more time once my current project is over. However, it is going on for much longer than I anticipated. Oh well, at least the client said I can write to 40 k words.
Anyway, enough about me, you're all here for the next exciting episode of Fell Dragon. I have been hinting about Saita coming face-to-face with Edzeeker. However, I didn't hint at the nasty surprise that is waiting for her. Enjoy.
Just a warning to younger readers: blood, violence, and foul language.
Saita slipped from the company of the Vulpine and made her way back to the underground tunnels. What Silver-Wind had said to her had left her feeling both confused and embarrassed. The same as what Astec had made her feel when they had been children, so many years ago. Yet, the Vulpine had made mention of something she had heard of before.
The Great Serpent.
She knew that she had heard that before and it made her feel worse than when she had woken up. It brought her fear, and she had no idea why. She looked up, something snapping her from her mind’s ramblings. There was a figure standing at the entrance of the building where she needed to get through. She hissed under her breath as she paused, she was clearly too late to get back below ground. She lifted her hood to hide her face and moved forward while keeping her eyes on the floor.
“We need to talk,” said the figure as she came closer.
It felt as if someone threw a bucket of ice-cold water over her head, and she stopped dead.
“Is that blood down your front?”
Her breath caught in her throat, and she found her body shivering despite the sun’s rising rays bringing their warmth. She couldn't bring herself to look at the figure before her. Her body was in the throes of deciding whether it should fight or flee.
“Aren’t you happy to see me?”
Although her body had suddenly gone cold, there was a tiny pinprick of intense heat in her belly. Slowly she raised her head until she saw the pale purple hair, then it snapped. She didn’t know what it was, but it snapped. The figure had stepped away from the building and seemed to have its arms open as if expecting a joyous reunion. But there was no joy, only a burning fury that was spreading to every inch of Saita’s being.
Anything that could have been termed intelligence left Saita, and she leapt at the figure with her teeth bared and flames erupting from her hands. The figure hesitated for a second, as if unsure where the fury had come from before it realised that she was going to kill him. His own instinct took over and pulled a forcefield up before him.
The ferocious Saita smacked the shield and bounced back. Fury burned her throat as she dug her feet into the ground to jump at him again. Edzeeker, now convinced she was going to kill him, surrounded himself with his shield. It didn’t last long as Saita simply clawed through the shield with her right arm. Her fingers almost grazed his throat as Edzeeker swatted her away.
Saita hit the dirt and the air exploded from her lungs. Dazed but running on instinct she jumped up and wobbled a bit before remaining sturdy on her feet.
“What has gotten into you!” Demanded Edzeeker.
Saita had no words, she couldn’t think. Her mind was buzzing with fury and terror at seeing the last living member of the team that had tortured her for four years. He had to die, and he had to die now.
“I thought you were broken of this behaviour!” Hissed Edzeeker as he rubbed at his throat. “You are not an animal. You are human…”
“You destroyed the last bit of humanity I had.” She found herself wheezing through her fury.
Talking was difficult with the fury that cruised through her body. Everything inside of her screamed to kill this creature. Everything, except her legs, which were shaking in pure terror. The flashbacks she had managed to mostly control were rushing back at her in no particular order. Screams, agony, and wanting to die. That was all she remembered. She wanted him to feel that. To know what he had put her through.
Edzeeker looked at what he could only describe as a beast before him. Wild hair surrounded a furious face that bared its teeth at him. She had lost her mind to the fury that had taken hold.
“What is this? Why are you…”
Not thinking, not planning, she leapt at him, this time leading with the arm she knew could go through his shield. She didn’t expect the explosion that lit up before her. She barely had the time to cover her eyes as the force threw her back. She braced her legs for the impact of her landing, but it didn’t come.
“No!” was the last thing she heard from Edzeeker.
Her right leg hit a downward slope and her body twisted in mid-air and she was going head over heels down into the massive hole that was to be the basement level of the barracks that Karesh had insisted on. Saita knew she had to slow down, or she was going to be seriously hurt. She had seen Edzeeker make the shield perhaps it could help her. Her mind was still bathed in fury, and by the time she could consider thinking she slammed into something hard. Air exploded from her lungs and her vision went dark.
Edzeeker looked on in horror as Saita tumbled down into the foundation before slamming into what appeared to be scaffolding and other miscellaneous items that buried her.
“Damn it!” he hissed. “I just wanted to talk.”
“I’ll go down.” Said the child at his side.
“No, I can’t risk you too.”
“I was not asking.” The child said clearly as he braced his little legs and jumped into the hole.
Before Edzeeker could grab onto his arm he heard a furious shout behind him, and he turned to see Barik rushing at him. The Saith bowled him over before there was a glint of recognition in his eyes.
“What are you doing here?” He growled as he sat on Edzeeker’s chest. “You swore to Kiai you would not come here again.”
“Why is Saita...like that?” He swung his arm out towards the hole.
“You have no idea, do you?” Barik gripped his cloak in two hands and slammed Edzeeker to the ground. “What she remembers haunts her dreams. She can’t eat, she can’t sleep. That is all your doing.”
“Where’s the boy?” Asked another voice.
Barik looked to where Kiai and the other guards were gathering, she looked absolutely terrified. Edzeeker pointed towards the building site. “This lunatic jumped me before I could grab him. He went in after her.”
“Wait, what!” Kiai ran to the edge of the hole before paling and stepping back.
She turned to the guards. “Get help.”
The guards looked from Edzeeker and then back to Kiai. They knew who he was and that he had a kill-on-sight order on his head. Orders directly from Karesh.
“Ignore him! Shut the site down and get emergency workers down there now!” Roared Kiai.
Her brother’s legendary fury was within her anger and with one last dirty look toward Edzeeker, they scrambled to obey Kiai. Once they were out of earshot Kiai whispered to Barik. “Let him go.”
“Are you insane!? We finally have him separated from the boy. We can finally get rid of him.”
“It isn’t that simple.” Said Kiai. “He is the only one that knows how to undo what was done to Saita.”
Barik growled and hissed. “Your kind sickens me.”
He slammed Edzeeker down before getting to his feet. Edzeeker slowly got up and dusted himself off. He was just barely keeping his own fury in check, yet he also felt sickened. He had heard bone crunch and blood spray. The girl was seriously injured, and he could not risk the boy as well.
“Just go,” said Kiai.
“But the boy.”
“He will remain here. Now leave before I rescind my order on your life.”
“But why is she…?”
“The last six months you told us of isn’t in her memory. Please, just go.”
“Fine.” Hissed Edzeeker.
He turned and knocked Barik from his feet with a punch to his face. “There, that should be enough to convince them that I escaped.”
Before Barik could grab at him he teleported away.
“You should have let me kill him.” Hissed Barik as he rubbed at his mouth.
Kiai said nothing but made her way towards the hole’s edge. Barik had to grab her arm and pull her back. “You can’t do anything for her now. You need to have this site closed. The rumours are going to reach Karesh soon and we will not be able to hide Saita’s involvement or that Edzeeker was here. You need to get onto that fire as quickly as possible. I’ll go.”
“She doesn’t know…”
“I know. Just go.”
There had been blackness at first, then a throbbing pain, and her body rebelled at her unconsciousness. She was violently thrust back into consciousness by the pain, and she had to catch herself in mid-scream. She choked it back and tried to access what had happened. It flashed across her mind, and she groaned while trying to sit up. She couldn’t move. As more of her senses came back to her, she realised she was lying on her right side. Her right arm seemed to be cushioning her head even though it was aching. Everything was aching and breathing was so difficult. Several heavy things lay across her, effectively pinning her to where she lay. Her vision was swimming with the pain, and she could barely think. She couldn’t reach for anything in her mind to help her in this situation.
She needed to calm down, needed think, and needed to rip Edzeeker’s throat out. She lifted her left arm and pushed at what felt like pipes from her. The noise echoed and brought heavier things crashing around her. All she could do was cover her head and cringe as things rained down around her. Something landed before her, narrowly missing her arm but slamming into something that rang through her body. She vomited then and collapsed into a few more seconds of unconsciousness before being pulled back to consciousness. Her vision was no better. Being more careful now she raised her left hand to wipe at her face and cleared what appeared to be blood, a lot of blood, as her vision was marred almost immediately again. The dripping blood prevented her from seeing anything. She wiped at her mouth and felt that it was slick with blood as well.
“Can you not move.” Came a gentle voice.
Saita was momentarily unable to understand what was said and she wasn’t sure why. After she took a few seconds, she realised that this had not been a question but rather a request. She tried to move her head to see who was talking but pain stabbed through her body, and she decided to remain still.
“Conscious?”
“Barely.” She whispered.
“You’re bleeding a lot.”
“No shit.” She spat blood from her mouth.
It was becoming difficult to breathe but with her left arm free she couldn’t figure out why she was struggling to draw in a lung full of air. It wasn’t until a tiny hand gripped her left hand and set it on something cold and slimy in front of her.
“Don’t move. Help is coming.”
“A child?” She wiped at her eyes again but the sight before her was blurry.
“Stay still.”
She ignored the order and used her left hand to push herself up, but her body felt heavy, and she ended up just collapsing again. Fighting for consciousness she tried to roll over to open her chest up to get more air into her, but she was stuck. Her mouth suddenly came awash with blood, and she coughed it out.
“You have a pole in your chest. Stay still.”
“Saita!” A voice called through the haze of pain.
“Here!” shouted the child.
Something cracked above them. Saita couldn’t see anything, but she felt the child’s heat close by and she grabbed at it, pulling it closer to her body before a cacophony of noise started again. This time unconsciousness claimed her. She had no idea how long she was unconscious but when her senses returned, she felt something dripping from her lips. She half coughed; half spat to get rid of whatever clung to her lips. Then she felt the child wriggling in her grasp. She released him; she was sure it was a little boy. He barely moved now. He seemed to be taking deep breaths before he rolled over, as now there wasn’t enough room to stand.
“Why!” He demanded.
The dust of the falling debris seemed to have stemmed most of the blood running into her face and she was finally able to wipe her eyes clear of blood. It was a boy, young, too young to be here. Too young to be speaking like he was.
“You came with Edzeeker.” She croaked and spat more blood from her mouth.
She was now painfully aware of the rasping in her throat and the crackling in her chest. She felt lightheaded and so tired.
“Sorry kid.” She said after some time. “Didn’t think. Didn’t know if I should have pulled or pushed.”
She could hear people on the other side of their steel and debris prison. Soon it was going to get noisy and then there would be no time to talk.
“Sorry.” She muttered again. “As soon as they open a hole you get out and you hide. Can’t have let him...have you.”
Every word burned her chest and she lay half gasping and choking. She lay her head back on her arm and looked at the child, barely making him out.
“Hurt?” She asked, conserving what strength she had.
He sat up and looked down at her. “No.”
“Good. Hang tight. They will be here for you soon.”
“They don’t know I’m here.” He muttered before adding. “How are you still alive?”
“A cockroach doesn’t die.” She chuckled which just dissolved into a fit of cough that brought tears to her eyes.
“Not how I wanted to meet you again.” He said softly.
Saita became aware of the fear and tears in his voice, but she could give him nothing as comfort.
“I’m going to close my eyes for a few minutes.” She muttered.
“You will die.” He hissed. “Talk to me. About anything, everything but doesn’t sleep.”
“How old are you?”
“Three last June.”
“You speak well.”
“Hmm.”
“Why?” Asked Saita eventually.
“I asked you first.”
“Instinct was to grab, to protect. Now you, why? While I still have the strength to hear the answer.”
“You really don’t remember? Nothing?”
It was just then that light shone from above their prison. Saita, using the last of her strength, gripped the boy’s filthy blue shirt and tossed him upwards with one arm. She would have laughed at his shocked face if the action of her moving didn’t cause absolute agony. It was once he hit the sunlight and she noticed his hair that she knew. She squeezed her eyes closed as he started screaming to be returned to her.
“Saita?” That was Kiai’s voice.
Wearily the young woman opened her eyes to see her cousin looking down in absolute horror. She couldn’t help but grin and ask. “Like my accessory?”
Kiai swore under her breath and made to move away when Saita spoke with the last of her strength.
“Look after Aidan.” She said as tears ran down her face.
And who saw that coming? Don't hate me too much. The boy is needed for the story to progress. However, how did he come into being?
For those of you who have no idea who Aidan is, I strongly suggest you go back and read Book 1 of Fell Dragon, as he's a vital character to Saita's development. Follow this link to read it
Fell Dragon Book 1
As the series continues, it will combine with another book series I wrote. To avoid confusion about what is happening, introductory chapters will be introduced separately so that you don't have to be lost. However, these chapters will contain spoilers. You can find these chapters here:
Races Explained
Banishment
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Haven't read the other parts yet? Follow these handy links:
Part 18>>You are Here>>Part 20