Wrath of the Dragon King (Dawn of Hope, Book 2) Read online

  “Very well,” she said, surrendering her control, “Do it.”

  Something dark and ancient began to chuckle in her mind. Something evil. Thank you, it purred.

  Faye’s eyes rolled back in her head and a horrible growl emitted from her throat. The creatures attacking Samantha stopped and turned to look at the girl as she rose slightly from the ground and began to turn pale with a shining aura of sickly light.

  “What’s going on with this one?” The first Dwarf asked.

  “Kill it,” said another.

  A Troll sprinted toward the floating girl and brought its axe down with both hands…right before the axe melted in its grip without even touching Faye’s skin. Her head lowered to stare at the tall creature and her eyes rolled back to normal. The pupils were black now, two dark shining stones inside her sockets.

  “Finally…I’m awake…” Faye shot a hand out at the Troll and the monster screamed before bursting into a red mist. Nothing remained of it when the vapor faded. “Now, who’s next?” Magic poured out of her hands haphazardly in gushing currents. The energy switched from dark to bright and then to dark again in spaces of seconds. It was unstable and dangerous power, nothing like what the others had received at the shrine.

  Sammy swallowed hard as she saw the being that had been her companion. I’m sure that no longer is Faye. The little girl had been acting strange since their arrival, she now understood why.

  “Faye?”

  Faye turned and tilted her head creepily.

  “Not anymore.” Two Elf criminals stormed forward with rusty pipes in their hands and Faye made a sweeping motion. The Elves stopped, their hands reaching for their throats. In seconds, they disintegrated into the air and were blown away by the soft breeze.

  Meanwhile, the Troll leader was pummeling away at Zack. The young man’s powers were turning the tide, but his enemy was a massive challenge. He had already wounded the creature a dozen times, but it wasn’t enough to even knock him to its feet.

  Fortunately, the Troll turned for a split second to see what was going on nearby with Faye and the rest.

  It was all Zack needed.

  A spear formed in his hand, and before the Troll could even lift his arm to block, Zack rammed it straight through the monster’s chest. The creature’s eyes widened and it struggled for a few instants, pulling itself closer to Zack in a final attempt to slay him…but it was over.

  With a last shuddering breath, the Troll’s head dropped onto its chest. The thunderous noise of galloping mounts reached the trio’s ears just a moment later.

  Kallen the Wise had arrived on horseback, a large group of Elves following him. His face was one of amazement as he spotted the remaining prisoners kneeling in front of Zack, Sammy, Faye and the guards.

  “Someone has to explain what just happened here, or you’re all getting executed!”

  Chapter 3

  The Hidden

  “It’s safe, you can come out now.”

  Elstein stepped out from behind the rocks and inspected the area. Not one of their pursuers remained alive. Lillian Valentine was still flexing her muscles and admiring the complete lack of damage on her form.

  “You should have let me talk to the Goblins.” Elstein did not approve of the carnage around them. Perhaps they could have learned something from the now-dead creatures.

  “What, after what happened last time? Ha! To hell with them. It’s the same group from a couple of days ago as well.”

  They had finally left the forest, but not before having to fight the dreaded monsters. They had been swarmed as they escaped the Dragons and no amount of threats had scared the green things off.

  Elstein looked around. The land turned from beautiful forests into dark, foggy swamps in the space of a few kilometers. Right now, he and Lillian were standing in the land between, a field of dry grass and short trees that bore no fruit. Night was falling, and they had no idea where to go next.

  “We’re lost, aren’t we?” Lillian scratched her head and looked at the sun. “Maybe we can find our way back somehow.”

  “No,” the doctor replied. “Our groups set out to explore and escape those dreaded lizards that came terrorizing us at the shrine. The Dragons, I mean. We’re going to find out more about this world, it’s why we’re here.” He found himself thinking about the veil again as he began to walk towards the swamps. Are there any other places in this world that we can use to step through into our own? Also, would I be able to keep it secret without anyone wishing to come here and tear apart this world for resources like they tore apart our own?

  “What’s up with you? Wait up, doc!” Lillian broke into a run to keep up with the doctor. They were already making their first steps into the swamps. Mud replaced grass and visibility slowly began to lower. “This place doesn’t look safe at all,” the female soldier said with a look around her. “It reminds me of back home, those places where you just knew someone was out there, watching you cross their lands and fingering their trigger in case they needed to put you down.”

  Elstein knew what she meant. Warlords roamed the post-apocalyptic lands of their world, men and women who were ruthless in their methods and would not think twice of gunning down strangers in their territories. It couldn’t be so different here, even worse now that they knew of the existence of all these different races. We just don’t know what to expect when we’re out in the wilderness.

  A sound made Elstein turn, but he saw nothing strange around them. Nevertheless, he knew that they weren’t alone out here. It was clear. Ugly, bent trees looked like deformed giants in the distance, and the bubbling of the swamps were easy to mistake for small padding feet in the mud.

  Lillian lifted her gun without warning and fired a round at a small bush. Small shapes scattered and she called out a warning, before pulling Elstein to her side and aiming the rifle around her.

  “Stop hiding, I’ve seen you!” Elstein could hear something in her voice that he hadn’t heard before. It was subtle, but he could detect it now thanks to whatever gift had been given to him. Fear. Something about this situation brought back traumatic memories to the otherwise brave woman. The figures in the darkness didn’t approach, keeping their distance and limiting themselves to observing the pair. Whispering came from all directions at once, and Elstein could understand all of it.

  ‘They are neither the Elves nor the Orcs. Ancients walk among us.’

  ‘What do we do? Are they friends or foes?’

  “Capture them. We cannot be sure.”

  “The female frightens me.”

  “Tranquilizer arrows will suit the task.”

  Valentine cried out, her heart pounded.

  “Come out from where you are!” She tightened her finger on the trigger. “That’s it, I’m sick of y—”

  “Stop.” Elstein grabbed the barrel of the firearm and pulled it down to point at the ground. “You may come out. We are not your enemies.”

  “What did you just say?” Lillian asked, only realizing a moment later that the doctor had spoken in another language.

  “Come out.” Elstein pulled the rifle from Lillian’s grip and took the strap off her back. “I will ensure my companion does not fire on you.” He tried to stay calm despite his pounding heart.

  Slowly, the bushes began to part and some of the swamps’ surfaces popped open as short figures emerged from them, their thin frames dripping with murky water. Their eyes shone from their hiding places. They were almost like Goblins, but less ugly and with more truthful intentions.

  “He is speaking our tongue…is this what we have been waiting for…?”

  “Do not trust the Ancient. We cannot let our guards down.”

  “Come out,” Elstein said one more time. He took a few steps away from Lillian and lifted his hands. “We have encountered endless threats and fought too many battles since entering this world. We come from a place that is dying a terrible death due to conflict; we don’t wish for any more.”

  Finally, the first
of the creatures made itself visible. It stepped out of the foggy darkness, small knives hanging from its belt and a bow strapped to its back. It walked into the dim moonlight and looked up at the two adventurers. It was small — no taller than Elstein’s waist — large green eyes staring intently at the doctor and studying him. Curly hair ran down to its shoulders and the little figure narrowed its eyes as it made a decision to trust the newcomers.

  “We have been warned of your coming. We had stopped heeding the generations-old prophecies, but you are here now. ‘The man of a thousand tongues’ — a character standing here in front of me, straight from the tales themselves. Us Gnomes have waited so long, I find it hard to believe.”

  “What’s going on?” Lillian asked, but Elstein lifted a hand.

  “Can you give us shelter and help us on our quest?” the doctor asked.

  More and more of the Gnomes stepped forward and Lillian breathed hard.

  “The prophecies do not speak of your arrival as a good omen, Ancient. You are the first sign before it begins.” The Gnomes were now fully out of their hiding place. There were hundreds of them, their gazes all set on the two nervous adventurers in the middle of the swamps.

  “What do the prophecies speak of, then?”

  The speaker looked down, his expression darkening as he remembered what he had learned so long ago.

  “Fire, blood and pain. Terrible events are coming, Ancient. The prophecies end only one way, and that way is death.”

  Chapter 4

  Betrayer

  The smile on his face, the look in his eyes.

  Lieutenant Shella had seen both on rare occasions. King Garadon had listened to her as she shoved the young Ancient to his knees in front of him and allowed the boy to introduce himself.

  The Dragon King’s face had remained impassive until the Ancient had formed a tall, hot flame in his hand.

  “The mark of the Dragonkin,” he had breathed, stepping down from his throne and lifting the boy’s head up by the chin. “A gift from the shrine…incredible…”

  The other Ancient, the female, had not been as grateful as the lad for being brought in. She had run — faster than Shella had imagined an Ancient could do so — but against Dragons in flight, there weren’t many things quick enough to make it away safely. The female Ancient had been thrown into the dungeons until the King decided what to do with her; after all, she had an impressive healing ability that could be made use of.

  “I saw visions, Your Majesty,” the young Ancient boy said with a purr. “You were in them, and I was beside you.” Shella growled under her breath. This snake wishes to take my place, she thought angrily.

  King Garadon turned to look at her and called her close to his side.

  “You will stand at my other side, Ancient, but only if you earn it. Lieutenant Shella is my most loyal servant and nobody shall replace her anytime soon.” The Dragon King’s long black hair shone in the light of the fires burning hotly around his throne and his handsome face was shrouded in shadow.

  Shella stepped forward, taking care not to interrupt her King as he spoke.

  “Nobody.” She lifted an eyebrow and studied the boy from head-to-toe. “I believe you were in a larger group…Why are you defecting to join us? How can we trust that your heart doesn’t truly lay with your friends, boy?”

  The boy stood.

  “My name is Shinji, not boy,” King Garadon chuckled at the lad’s reply, but the Ancient wasn’t done yet. “I had little connection to those people, only circumstance and small matters of community keeping me close to them until our splitting-up at the shrine. Since I saw those visions, I only think of serving the Dragons. I want to be a part of this army, a force that will achieve so much more than the Ancients ever will.” Sheena nodded passively, but inside she was burning in fury. He’s good with words. I don’t trust him at all, but Garadon is clearly amazed by the child. I’ll have to be careful; he could be the King’s new favorite pet…

  “Very well, Shinji, I shall be watching you at all times. Your friend in the dungeons will pay for it if you’re lying.”

  Shinji tilted his head curiously and smiled.

  “Oh, Julia? She’s nothing to me, do what you wish to her…”

  The medic squirmed in her chains.

  Most cells she knew of were cold and damp, uncomfortable and dirty places that created a horrible environment for its captives. This one was different, warm and well-lit, though Julia knew it was a false sense of security.

  Her mind returned to what had happened in the forests. Shinji had betrayed them all, the treacherous boy giving away their position to the pursuing Dragons and speaking words of nonsense about achieving greatness with the Dragon King.

  Julia had made sure to get Faye to safety before attempting to flee, but it had been useless. The Dragon Lieutenant was just too fast and too powerful to escape from. If not for her healing, Julia knew that she would be dead by now, and finally she understood what Elstein had meant about her abilities being extremely useful.

  Shinji…

  She had known the lad for a while, not very well, but this had definitely been a shock. The shrine had shown her ugly things, just like it apparently had to the rest, but to him…He had come out of that place with a grin stretching from ear to ear. Something great had been shown to the boy that had transformed him. He was no longer the shy, quiet young man that was content simply with serving and helping others. Now he was a villain of the most despicable kind.

  Suddenly, the lock in the heavy gate to her cell began to rattle and Julia sat up. She was angrier than she was afraid, and it made her want to hurt the first person to step in through the door.

  “Look, you—” She stopped. It was the King himself.

  His black hair shone in the light of the cell and his eyes flashed as he knelt beside her, his white-and-gold robes illuminating the room on their own. There was a smell of ash to him, the perfume of flames.

  “Julia.”

  She trembled before him. There wasn’t much she knew about King Garadon, but he seemed like the kind of man that had an extremely dark side.

  “Why do you have me here? I don’t want this…”

  “It’s easy to get out of here. Cooperate with us. You have no idea how pure our intentions are, do you? Just words from the mouths of treacherous Elves and the common fear of Dragons that every race is born with. You have no other reason to fear us. We would not hurt you.”

  “I was hurt when your people chased us. You are evil, it does not need to be demonstrated. I can feel your darkness, King Garadon.” She did not fear his reaction. If he wants to hurt me, then so be it.

  The red eyes flashed once more and the King stood.

  “I am an evil man, yes.” His voice had changed. “You should cooperate, and not because I can hurt you or not, but because you have no choice. One way or another, you will be another of my weapons, my tools. Make sure you choose the right way.” He turned and opened the door, but stopped it from closing it at the last instant. “Ah, but you may need some convincing first. How about I show you what pain is?”

  Something clicked on the walls around her and Julia looked around frantically.

  “What are you doing?” she asked exasperatedly. The room was starting to heat up quickly.

  “I am teaching you to obey.” The King smiled and slammed the door, walking down a corridor away from the woman’s gasps as the room began to burn. He would have what he wanted, sooner or later…

  Chapter 5

  Agreements

  The surviving prisoners were restrained and put back into their cells. Each and every one of them would be kept in confinement for a long time. A couple of the guards had lost their lives, as had Sergeant Niassen. Others were severely hurt. Long, rough nights awaited the captives for a while — the guard’s replacements would not let their companion’s deaths slide.

  Faye was restrained by several of Kallen’s companions, her arms tied to her body and an Elven essence fed into her mou
th that put her to sleep within minutes.

  Zack and Samantha looked at each other, each of them sitting on their own horse that the Elves had brought to save them the walk. Their little companion had been thrown unceremoniously over the back of Kallen’s horse like a sack of vegetables, and it seemed that they would need to find out how to take care of her once she reawakened.

  Sammy had seen the worst of it while Zack fought the troll off. Faye had been taken over by some kind of demon that had been trapped inside her small body since the shrine. The fear that the girl had been carrying since they had acquired their abilities made more sense than ever now, and Samantha sighed as she wondered what would happen next. Is the demon here to stay or can we bring the little girl back? It was a worrying thought. If Faye had no true control over the being that resided within her, she could turn out to be a threat to herself and the others. A discussion with Zack awaited, one that would end in an important decision on what to do with the child.