Offspring (The Sword of the Dragon) (49 page)

He drew in his breath. “Whew! What I wouldn’t give to have a weapon that could do that.” Chuckling, he glanced down at his sword. “Actually, there is a legend among my people that our northern brethren once had swords that could render them invisible and that there was no sorcery involved. So, I suppose, it is possible that—as you say—God can give his creatures special abilities.”

“And I honestly believe that, because the power was bestowed by God, he could take it away from me at any moment He chose.” Oganna slid the Avenger back into its sheath and returned to her normal state. “We will talk more later, Gabel. Your wounds have not finished healing, so for now I want you to rest.”

He leaned forward and lightly kissed her forehead. “For a normal-sized human, you are quite interesting. I have enjoyed our discussion.”

As she left the tent, Oganna glanced over her shoulder and shook her head with a laugh. “I can’t help but wonder. How tall are you?”

“Last I measured”—he laid his head back—“ten feet, two inches. Scurry along now, little lady. As you said, I should rest.”

Oganna went to the fireplace. The viper untangled itself from a broken chair, slithered up her outstretched arm, and rested about her neck. “Psst! Mistress, when can we leave this place? In case you haven’t noticed, the megatraths’ body odors are increasingly stronger.”

Vectra lumbered over and nodded at the tent. “How is King Gabel doing?”

“He is doing a lot better. His wounds are healing well. He shouldn’t need bed rest for much longer.”

“Good, he seems like a nice man, and I would like to get to know him better.” Vectra jerked up her head, and she stretched her neck toward the ceiling. “Did you hear that?”

“Hear what?”

Vectra lumbered to the citadel doors, threw them open, and walked out on the ramp. The rain had stopped. “Do you hear it now, Oganna?”

“Hear what?” But the viper spoke into her ear, and she bit her lip. “The vipers are coming.”

Vectra shook her head and stamped her feet in impatience. “No, no! Quit listening to that little creature for a moment, and you will hear something else.” She swiveled her head toward the north.

Over the valley’s rim poured a dark flood of giant men. Their tramping resounded through Netroth’s vacated streets, a terrifying unison of clanging armor, rattling shields, and stamping feet.

“I don’t think—” Oganna was about to say that the enemy had not spotted them when a screech from behind made her duck just as an arrow shot over her head. She spun to find a winged man swooping through the moist air. “Never mind. They’ve found us. Come on! Vectra, you must warn the others.”

Oganna parted the fold of her garment and slid the boomerang into her hand. A dozen Art’en dove from the dark clouds, joining the first. She threw the boomerang into their midst, watching its trajectory as it severed several heads before returning to her palm.

In the distance line upon line of armed giants descended into Netroth from the north. Like a wave they rolled into the city, onto its streets.

Another winged man, a shield and sword in its hands, swooped around Ar’lenon Citadel, its brown wings fanned out. It landed on the ramp and sprang at her.

“The Art’en will reign again,” it hissed. “Die, human!” But it had landed between her and Vectra. The megatrath’s clawed foot crushed the man’s wings to his sides and raised him off the stone ramp. The Art’en struggled in the mighty grip.

“Not on my watch!” Vectra hissed back. Her mouth opened and clamped down on his midsection. Then she cast the Art’en off the ramp so that he fell into the city.

Oganna turned toward the sky and raised her sword as two others spiraled to the ramp and rained blows upon her. They each bore a shield and a sword. She parried their blows and struck back in rapid succession until one of them slipped around behind her. She raised her boomerang to block his attack, but Vectra rolled into him. The megatrath’s six legs worked methodically, tearing the Art’en into bloody pieces before she scorched that which remained with fire.

The other creature proved agile and a capable fighter. He dropped his weapons and avoided every thrust Oganna attempted. Then he kicked her jaw with his foot and smote her face with his wings so that she fell.

“At last I have you.” It grabbed for her neck.

In an instant, Vectra stood over her and smashed her fist into the creature’s chest. “I don’t think so.” She skidded around and pulled him back by the wings, then held him suspended in the air.

Oganna ran back to the citadel doors and shouted to the two megatraths standing guard. “Hurry, that army is getting nearer, and they far outnumber us. We must get these doors closed.” She turned and looked for Vectra.

The megatrath leader gave the Art’en a rigorous shake. “So you like heights?” she screamed. “I’ll give you one to remember me by!” Before Oganna could say anything to stop her, she barreled into the citadel with her captive in hand. Without thought to the damage she was causing she punched through the stairway entrance, and the stones crumbled away, leaving a space large enough for her to pass through. There was just enough time for Oganna to grab onto Vectra’s tail and vault onto her neck.

Vectra rushed up the stairs as if her life depended upon it. In her fury she did not heed Oganna’s protests. The ascent, which had taken Oganna a long time, lasted for what seemed like only moments. Vectra burst onto the observation platform and screamed her victory to the encroaching enemies before breaking her captive’s wings and tossing him to his death. His body crashed onto a roof and rolled onto the street.

Art’en swarmed through the air toward the platform, screeching and clawing at the wind. They ascended and circled Oganna and the megatrath before drawing bows and arrows. A hail of arrows sped through the air. Oganna dismounted. Vectra stood in between the arrows and her. The projectiles bounced off Vectra’s scales.

The Art’en flipped through the air. Several landed on the platform and a couple on Vectra’s back. They drew swords, stabbed at the megatrath. Vectra bellowed the louder and caught a couple of them with her forearms. A tornado of flames issued from her mouth, turning the others into living torches. After breaking those in her arms, she threw them over the platform. Their screams echoed into the city and faded.

“Vectra!” Oganna beat her fist into the creature’s neck to get her attention. “Enough of this.” The creature hunkered down, and she remounted.

Another Art’en swooped over Vectra’s head, and she swiped her claws at it, but missed. The creature hovered just out of her reach. “Oganna, now! Decimate them.”

More Art’en dove from above. Oganna gritted her teeth. Vectra was right. It was time to show the enemy what they were capable of. She raised Avenger and fed it her power and rage. Electrical current enveloped its blade, knifed into the air, and struck the Art’en. They froze in the air, their feathers started to smoke, and their hair stood on end as they crashed into the roof. They grabbed at the tiles but rolled off and fell into the city.

F
ar below, on the ramp to Ar’lenon, the stones changed color, starting with the end touching the city streets and progressing toward the citadel doors. Vectra and Oganna both looked down. “Oganna, what is that?”

“Psst!” Neneila’s forked tongue tickled Oganna’s ear. “I was right. Those vipers that are still under the wizard’s spell are coming.”

After one more glance, Oganna clung tighter to the megatrath’s neck and leaned forward. “Come on, Vectra. We have to get down there
now!
”

Vectra lowered her head and smashed through the stone walls of the citadel. Oganna cringed as shattered stones sprayed over her face and body. The megatrath thrust the front of its body through the hole. Its rear feet held to the platform while its head and forearms angled dangerously into the gaping heart of Ar’lenon. The stairs curved some twenty feet beneath them.

“No, Vectra, don’t!”

But the megatrath leaped, dropping them through the massive structure. As the walls streamed by, Oganna gritted her teeth and stiffened her body around the creature’s neck. Landing with a thud that shook but did not break the massive stone steps, Vectra raced down the remaining stairs. As they careened around the structure’s interior, Oganna prayed she would not fall and held on for her life. Every jolt of Vectra’s body threatened to throw them into the heart of Ar’lenon and to certain death. They dropped beneath the spire and descended the next stairs, passed the armory, and jumped into the main chamber wherein they’d encamped.

The megatraths rose on their thick legs and shook their hides. Vectra rumbled in her throat and flashed her bloodied claws in their faces. “Today let this city be shaken with the cries of our victory. Let this citadel ring with the battle we bring to the giants, the Art’en, and the vipers. Teach them to never again oppose a megatrath!”

Roars of approval deafened Oganna, forcing her to cover her ears with her hands until the megatraths quieted. Hisses filled room, and she turned as vipers slipped through the arrow slits along the citadel wall nearest the ramp and swarmed inside.

“Burn them out!” Vectra rose on her rear legs to an imposing height. Flames sprang from her tooth-ridden mouth and splashed against the arrow slits, turning squirming vipers into blackened, smoking skeletons. From either side of her the megatraths lumbered forward, opened their jaws, and took turns burning the vipers until they blackened the ancient walls.

Oganna sprang to the floor, her sword swiveling in her hand. Its blade turned crimson, and her glowing silver dress replaced her former garment. The megatraths growled, rumbled in their throats, and threw open the heavy doors. She stepped into the doorway, drew on her powers, and blasted the ramp before her.

A mass of desert vipers slithered around and over one another to reach the citadel. They covered the ramp a foot thick.

“Take them!” She advanced with the megatraths lined up behind her.

Everywhere she aimed, her sword sprayed fire upon the vipers. Megatraths flanked her, Vectra to her right, and another to her left. They added their flames to hers until half the length of the ramp had been charred black and the air smelled like steam and wet, burned wood. Before long many of the vipers receded from before her, disappearing into the maze of ruined buildings.

The giants plowed into the streets, a thick mass of humanity that increased in number every moment. They raised their shields and advanced toward the ramp.

Oganna parted a fold of her silver skirt, reached inside, and took her boomerang in hand. She drew back her arm and threw the crystalline weapon with all her might. It shot in a long arc, descended through the giants’ ranks, and lopped off several heads before it returned to her hand.

Vectra shook her head and stumbled, shaking her head again. The creature collapsed beside her. Six more of the megatraths fell. Vipers swarmed over their bodies.

“No!” With a single thought she reached out her hand and willed destruction on the vipers. Balls of energy gathered before her hand, then shot against the ramp, blasting with such force that the stones trembled.

Fearless and angry, she raised Avenger and charged down the ramp. The standing megatraths roared and raced past her. They lowered their heads and spun into the first rows of giants, sending the large men flying over their companions’ heads. Oganna blasted the ramp with balls of energy. The glow in her hands spread up her arms, and most of the vipers perished at her hand.

Vectra’s side heaved; her nostrils quivered. Oganna knelt at her side and laid a hand on the creature’s cooling body. She had to do something, but what? The poison had rooted itself in the creature’s blood.

The giants lowered spears and pressed upon the megatraths, forcing them back to the ramp. Time was running out. Oganna raced to the ramp’s base and pulled aside a couple of the megatraths. She pointed up the ramp. “Bring those wounded into a circle around me.” The megatraths bowed to her and barreled up the ramp. They dragged each of their sickened companions into a circle, and Oganna stepped inside and raised the Avenger.

As she held the sword in her hands, a pillar of smoke fell into the circle, and Death congealed before her. His bashed skull peered at her from beneath his cavernous hood. He raised his scythe with his only arm. She froze. Terror seized her like the morbid cold of a plague.

The Reaper stabbed his blade into a fallen megatrath, and his black robe swung around his skeleton legs. The megatrath’s body convulsed, and its eyes glazed.

“You vile creature!” She ran forward and swept Avenger’s blade from his head to his foot.

He stood his ground, his jaws open in a soundless laugh, as her blade cut through him without so much as touching him.

“No, no, no!” Oganna drew back, stunned.

The giants grappled with the megatraths at the ramp’s base. They sank their huge blades into the creatures’ bodies and speared their sides. Two megatraths roared and threw themselves into the giants’ midst. And the giants speared them and marched over their corpses with a shout that rang in her ear. The remaining megatraths, except for the two with her on the ramp, fought under the insurmountable assault, but one by one the giants cut them down.