Michael Mathias - Kings, Queens, Heroes, and Fools

Blast after blast of crackling purple energy shot forth from his clawed hands. The first and second of them seemed to do little, but the rest of the blasts caused his world to still. After that, he felt air from outside the mouth flowing past him. A jarring crash told him what he wanted to know. The jaws slackened on his body and he crawled forward into the head through the thick soupy the mixture of blood and tissue left by his spells. He came out of the gaping hole his blasts had caused in the, now limp, dragon’s head. He was met with a heavy blow that sent him spinning head over tail through the air. Before he landed, another blow rocked him, causing the blackness to fill with explosions of white light. Just before he smashed into the floor, he snapped himself away in a crackling pop of lavender sparkles. He brought himself back into the chamber high overhead, and with the sudden extension of his torn leathery wings, he righted his fall.

He landed on Deezlxar’s back and instantly started tearing another hole into the Dark One’s flesh. This time he stopped after penetrating into the mucky yellowish goo. Before the Abbadon could throw him, he cast a spell, and dove away to avoid the blast of the energy he’d loosed inside the beast. The shower of gel-like matter that exploded up out of the hole splashed across him like mud. A moment later he leapt back onto Deezlxar and skittered to its back and blasted again.

The agony the second concussion sent through the Lord of Hell kept Deezlxar from being able to use his magic. He could do little more than buck and twirl. For a long while, Gerard continued assaulting the Abbadon by blasting and leaping away as fast as he could manage. Long after the Dark One’s form had stilled, Gerard was still clawing and blasting. He didn’t stop until he was exhausted. By then the Abbadon was a mushy ruin.

The last thing Gerard did before he let out his brutal victory roar was to call out to Kraw’s priests and tell them he was ready to come into the world. Then, after the echoes of his savage roar subsided, he told all the terrified skulking creatures of hell to be ready. Soon they would be able to celebrate his victory with a feast of man flesh.

As if caught between a fantastic dream, and some horrible nightmare, Hyden spiraled in and out of consciousness. One moment he was with Talon flying over lush green tree tops. The next, he was convulsing in the dungeon cell next to a starved giant’s corpse. Somewhere, not too far away, he could feel the vibrations of kinetic explosions. A fleeting thought of his friend Mikahl came and went. Hope and fear, in a vivid flash. He couldn’t remember where Talon was going, but he could tell that the hawkling was moving with great speed and purpose. There was no circling or lingering on this flight.

Pain in his abdomen gripped him again, stealing his breath. Then the relieving magic of the dragon’s tear medallion surged through him. His mind went back to Talon’s and he watched the world pass below. At least until the hot pile of coals in his guts began to flare, pulling him back into the helpless pain-filled reality of the dungeon cell he was lying in. The tear pulsed again and he was flying over a river. Over and again the pain consumed him, and the magic of the dragon’s tear eased it away, but eventually his thoughts found a daze of semi-reality where both sensations collided into confusion.

Talon flew round and round the cell, and Hyden fell from the sky into a swirling cloud. Wait, his subconscious screamed, I’m still in the cell. Talon is in the air. The hawkling screeched out in protest as Hyden started to slip away. Like a hot needle, Talon forced his vision into Hyden’s spinning brain. A sea of green swaying leaves leapt up, and when it seemed the emerald mass was about to slam into them, they went right through. Branches, streams of mote-filled sunlight, and then the sound of other birds filled Hyden’s head. The dizzying flight carried him through the undergrowth to a place where a gurgling stream had pooled. Talon landed on a large moss covered boulder at the edge of the water and screeched out again. A thundering cloud of smaller birds, and a few of the smaller four-legged creatures, exploded away from the fierce sound. Gliding from his perch down to the stream’s edge, Talon began splashing the cool liquid over him. Hyden felt the chill of it. It helped him focus. Using all of the strength of will he could muster, he stared deeply into the rippling pool. Just then, a white, pillowy cloud passed overhead. Its reflection made the surface of the water appear milky-white, chased with silver. A particular swirling of ripples spun and wavered, and slowly, as if she were the sky herself, the White Goddess formed into being. Her arms opened wide in welcome, but the beautiful smile Hyden expected to see wasn’t on her face. Her look of sadness as she took him in filled him with dread.

“I think that I’ve failed you, m’lady,” Hyden said. “I’m at the door of death and our enemies are ushering me in.”

“You must go into the darkness, Hyden Hawk,” she said gently. “Only there can you find the light.”

“Aye,” Hyden responded. He had no idea what she meant. “I need not go anywhere. The darkness is coming to me.”

“You must suffer the pain Hyden,” she commanded. “You are not dead yet. Pull yourself to your feet and seek the darkness. Only there will you find the light. The light can save you, but you must hurry.”

“I don’t understand,” he rasped as her image started to fade.

“Find the light in the darkness, and the balance will be restored, Hyden.” She was fading from view. “Get up Hyden,” she urged, but then she was gone.

“Get up, Hyden Hawk,” he heard the echo in his mind as the image of the forest faded to gray. Then Talon leapt into flight, jarring him back to reality.

“Fight it, Hyden,” a familiar voice said from close to him. “Get up. You have to get up, Hyden.”

An odd scratching sensation raked across his cheek and his eyes fluttered open. The pain in his guts was overwhelming, but not so much that it kept him from trying to scrabble backwards away from the toothy thing that was crawling around his face.

“Ahhhhghhh!” he yelled as he managed to scoot barely a pace backwards. The creature before him hissed and hunched into a prickle.

“Thank the gods,” said Phen from beside him. “I thought you were gone. You have to get up and walk.”

Hyden tried, but couldn’t speak. The pain of moving was akin to being roasted alive from the inside out. Phen grabbed him under one arm and pulled him up into a sitting position. Hyden’s complexion went from pale green to ghostly white. Phen poured cool water over his head and let it run down his face. Then he helped him sip.

“We have to get out of here, Hyden,” Phen said. He didn’t do a very good job of hiding his fear, but he tried. “Mikahl took Princess Rosa from the tower, and the Dragon Queen’s priest caught them in a spell.” Phen shook his head, trying to clear the worry from it so that he could think. “I tried to warn them, but he didn’t listen.”

“Never does,” Hyden mumbled.

“I can’t carry you out of here,” Phen said. “You have to get up and walk.”

Hyden took a few long breaths, then the dragon’s tear pulsed a soothing blast of energy into him. It didn’t do much to quell his pain, but it gave him the strength he needed to climb to his feet.

“I have to find the darkness,” Hyden murmured.

Phen put his arm around his friend’s waist and helped him take a step, then another. “A moment ago you said you needed to find the light.”

“The light…” Hyden whispered. “…is in the darkness.”

“Whatever you say,” Phen agreed with him. “We’re going to get you out into the daylight, if we can manage to get there without getting caught.”