Bonded spirits 4, p.22
Bonded Spirits 4, page 22
I sensed Henry and the others spreading out slightly behind me, so I attempted to keep Cyprian’s focus on me. “It doesn’t matter. The fact remains the same, once you’re dead, you won’t have a hold on him any longer.”
Cyprian shrugged and pulled a rolled scroll from inside his long coat. “As long as I have this, I don’t care.” He paused and smiled. “In fact, your brother has served his purpose. I no longer need him.” He turned to Matt and released a charged bolt of tainted spirit from his palm.
Matt flew backwards and landed on his back. His eyes glossed over as he released his final breath.
Before Cyprian could make another move, I charged forward. Luna’s snakes scattered, and I knew that if one bit me I’d be paralyzed within seconds, but I was too fast. All of my skills worked together as I moved forward. Cyprian blinked away at the last possible moment, reappearing on top of the dragon with Luna behind him.
He held the scroll in an outstretched hand and laughed. “This world belongs to me now. I hold all power, bow to me.”
I looked at Luna’s face, and she stared ahead without emotion. Cyprian called out, commanding his dragon to lift into the sky. As he lifted through the opening, Orsir and the other wyverns met him there. Forcing the dragon back down to the ground.
Cyprian growled. “Get out of my way. You will not stop me.” He leaned down and began reciting an incantation while holding on tightly to his dragon. The dragon glowed brighter and the castle lit from the power growing within the beast.
The walls of the castle shook and shuddered and began crumbling down around us.
I called out to the others. “Stay close. Be ready.”
The dragon exploded up into the sky with immense power, but this time, he was riderless.
My eyes shot down to the ground where Luna had a firm grasp on her brother. He fought in vain to free himself, but it was all the distraction we needed.
William shot forward, knocking Cyprian from Luna’s grasp, and slammed the dhampir king into the wall.
I called out to Liliana. “Go to my brother.” She nodded. I didn’t need to say anything else. She knew I wanted her to administer aid if able.
Cyprian let out a strained yell and a stream of dhampir poured in around us, filling the entire room in a matter of seconds. The twins worked together, taking out each attacker as they came within range. Eila used her bow at close quarters, shooting her arrows as fast as she could without stopping and ripping them from the fallen bodies of her attackers.
Henry remained at my side while William charged forward again, knocking Cyprian through the wall and out into the courtyard.
I rushed forward to join his side while the rest of Cyprian’s minions gave pursuit. I exited the throne room in time to see Cyprian roll out of the way and Blink up to the top of the wall surrounding the large open area where I killed King Corlinius.
Remnants of the broken wall remained in our path, and the castle gave a loud groan as if it were about to collapse at any moment.
I joined the others in taking out the attacking dhampir, giving Liliana enough time to pull Matt away and load him up on the back of Orsir. I gave Orsir instructions to get Matt back to the manor, and to be careful of the potential doppelgänger that was currently taking his place.
Liliana gave Orsir a quick pat as he lifted in the air. She used her vines to create a set of reins and urged him toward the Vale.
I returned to where Cyprian’s constant flow of dhampir joined the fight. There were several dhampir that I recognized from around the Capitol, and unfortunately his army included not only men and monsters, but women and children as well.
A small dwarf boy ran up to me with his axe raised high, swinging down with all his might as he neared. I sidestepped with ease and grabbed the boy. With a quick spin, I launched him across the courtyard into a pile of other attackers, which were quickly mowed down by Henry and William.
I didn’t want more lives to be lost, but I did not tell my children to hold back, either. I made my way over to Eila, who was speeding through the downed bodies, collecting her arrows.
She smiled as she reached me, spun, and took out two more attackers in rapid succession. I caught a third who was attempting to ambush her, sinking my sword deep inside his neck, followed by a charged punch into his kidneys which sent him to the ground in a heap of blubbering bullshit.
I stole a glance up at Cyprian, who was holding the scroll out and reciting something from it. His voice amplified after several seconds, and the sky churned with tainted energy.
The ground shook and ripped open, hitting the remaining businesses like a major earthquake, bringing them to the ground within seconds.
The sky darkened as the castle crumbled to the ground. Cyprian teleported down to the main courtyard, being careful to leave distance between himself and any of us.
The frenzied roars and screeches between the wyvern and dragons filled the air, but were growing distant as our wyverns gained the upper hand and chased the remaining group of attacking dragons away from the castle and out toward the sea.
Cyprian held his hands out to his sides. “You can fight all you want. It doesn’t change the fact that I’ve got an entire world to feed from. We will never stop hunting you, your precious bonded, or your children.”
I closed my eyes to communicate with the others, but was met with a barrier. Nothing I tried worked. I reopened them to see what was going on.
“What’s the matter? Don’t have your little babies to save you?”
“I can kill you by myself.” I seethed and took a step forward. “Fight me, one on one.”
Cyprian laughed obnoxiously and clapped his hands. “Oh, I would love to, but I have more important things to attend to.” He blinked up to a half destroyed wall. “Soon, you will be nothing but a memory.” He Blinked again, this time to the upper section of the towering castle. His voice amplified so I could hear him. “Face it, Logan, you don’t stand a chance.”
I walked toward the castle cautiously and sized him up. Another roar rang out, pulling Cyprian’s attention for just long enough for me to Charge toward the wall.
I reached halfway up the stone face before he noticed I moved. He laughed and began reciting from the scroll again, moving higher and higher.
I reached the second level of the castle and looked around. The bodies of many of the previous residents lay scattered around the area, discarded as if they were trash. I glanced up and saw Cyprian high above me, glowing brightly, as he kept all of his focus on the scroll.
I pushed myself higher, climbing as fast as I could, scaling the side of the castle like a spider. I reached the bottom of the tallest spire and spotted Cyprian near the top. Before continuing, I took one last glance down below.
It did not surprise me to see my children taking care of every attacker. They moved in unison, each of their skills complementing the next. Nothing could get close enough to inflict any sort of damage.
I refocused on the spire and shot up toward Cyprian. My feet moved quickly along the smooth rock surface. I almost felt as if I were gliding slightly above the surface as I neared the platform. I pulled myself over as Cyprian was finishing rolling the scroll. He placed it back inside of his long coat and smiled.
“It’s over, the words have been spoken.” The sky split above him and the tainted spirit churned wildly.
I felt the spire sway underneath me as I stepped closer to Cyprian. “I’ll say when it’s over. As long as I’m breathing, there will always be hope.”
Cyprian scoffed. “So optimistic, so brave.” He shook his head in disgust. “You’ve killed many of my precious dragons, but I promise you, your children will die a slow death. Your bonded will make an excellent addition to my collection, except for that whore cyclops and my traitor sister. They’ll become food for my army.”
I took another step closer, and Cyprian shrugged. His hands glowed with intense energy. As I neared, I could tell he was positioning himself to attack, so before he could, I charged.
My quick movement caught him off guard. I grabbed a handful of his jacket before he disappeared, ripping it from his body as he blinked behind me.
I grabbed the scroll and shoved it down in the front of my leather armor. I spun and dodged as Cyprian released his charged energy. The bolts smashed into the spire behind me and sent the top crashing to the ground below us.
Cyprian released several more blasts of energy, one after another, aimed for my chest, but I was too fast. My God rank in instincts was too much to contend with.
After numerous blasts, he stopped and lowered his arms, his chest heaving as he tried to recapture his breath. He held up a finger. “Enough... of the... games,” he said breathlessly and held his hands outstretched to the sky. I charged forward to stop whatever he was attempting, but I didn’t reach him fast enough.
All at once, the spirit swirling above our heads sank deep into my core. Strand after strand filled my body. I knew that if I didn’t act soon, the spirit would incapacitate me. I charged forward and caught Cyprian by the throat.
He tried to blink away, and I could tell he was trying to figure out why it wasn’t working.
Luna laughed from behind, her snakes coiled around his legs, pinning them together and her own tail wrapped around his waist. “Give it up, brother. It’s over.”
Cyprian’s shocked expression faded. “It’s already in motion. This world will belong to the dhampir now. I will not die, I can’t, I’m a god.”
Luna laughed. “You may have lived for hundreds of years, but you are nowhere near a god.” She paused and pointed at me. “That’s a true god. My king, the only true king.”
Cyprian shook his head and tried to adjust as Luna squeezed tighter. I could hear the bones snapping in his hips as she flexed. “You’re about to watch your god die. There’s enough tainted spirit around this castle right now to kill every living being in this world, and all of it is going into your precious king as we speak.”
My throat tightened as the river of spirit poured into my body. I fought the urge to fall to my knees and held myself upright with pure determination.
Cyprian laughed again, still struggling against Luna’s grasp. “What’s the matter, King Logan? Too much for you?”
I looked up and noticed the sky clearing as the spirit continued to absorb into my body. Every ounce of my being wanted the spirit out of my body. I wanted the pain to stop, but I was going to show him he fucked up. He didn’t expect me to handle this, and with each strand, I knew he was fearing more for his life.
Then, as fast as the spirit poured into me, it stopped. It was dawn, and on the horizon was the most beautiful sunrise I’d ever witnessed. My body trembled, but allowed me to step forward. “This is where it ends, Cyprian.”
I stretched my hand out and clamped onto his chest, sinking my fingers through his clothes and into his skin directly above his core.
Cyprian let out a gasp and his eyes went wide. He clawed at my hand to free it from his chest, drawing blood, but I was too strong.
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. Charged streaks of tainted spirit filled my vision in all directions, each one blindingly bright. As I let my breath out, I released the stream of tainted spirit that I’d collected in my body directly into the dhampir king. The force knocked Luna back and nearly off the platform.
I pressed harder and opened my eyes. The stream of tainted spirit was nearly blinding as it poured into Cyprian’s chest. I refused to let go. I wouldn’t stop until I completely emptied it from my core.
The first signs of bile rose in the corners of Cyprian’s mouth, running down to his chin as I emptied every strand. When I was finished, I released my grip and took a step back.
Having my core free from tainted spirit felt liberating, and I felt more alive than I ever had before.
Cyprian clutched at his chest and staggered backwards in disbelief. “No, it can’t be. I am immortal.”
He dropped to his knees, and streaks of white appeared in his slick black hair. He reached out toward his sister. “Luna, what is happening?”
Luna stepped forward and shook her head. “It looks like your greed has cost you your immortality.”
I pulled out the scroll while Cyprian struggled to breathe. I could now clearly read the words that I once couldn’t recognize.
The words at the bottom of the scroll were illuminated. I glanced at Luna, who held my sword in one hand, ready to strike, then back to the scroll.
The first portion of the scroll was a summoning ritual. Since Cyprian had control of the scroll when it was recited, it made sense that the undead dragons that he had raised were not what the original authors of the scroll had intended.
The second part of the scroll intrigued me most of all. I recited it out loud while standing in front of Cyprian.
He who controls the scroll and is worthy of power shall attain it. Worlds shall join and order restored.
With the return of the rightful heir, an army will rise, while another defeated.
At the center of power, the heir will declare victory in his name, and if worthy, a new day will rise.
I looked up from the scroll. I now knew that Cyprian kept attempting to declare victory, but he was not the rightful heir.
Cyprian spit in my direction and stood on shaky legs.
Luna handed me my sword, and with a quick, powerful swing I removed his head. His body crumpled to the ground in a heap. The tainted spirit that once consumed his body wafted up into the sky and out of sight.
As the tainted spirit faded, the sun broke the horizon illuminating the castle in a brilliant golden hue. I helped Luna to her feet and walked to the edge of the destroyed castle, surveying the area below.
A pained roar came from below, where Henry and William finished the remaining dragon and the remaining dhampir held their hands up in surrender.
I surveyed the destruction, but was overwhelmed with a sense of pride. With this dawn, a new era was starting. One where men and monsters live together and thrive. I couldn’t wait to get started.
Epilogue
After I unleashed more tainted spirit into Cyprian than anyone thought possible, the darkness surrounding Aurilon was gone, along with the tainted spirit that was becoming so prevalent.
It was as if I’d taken every bit in the world and purified it within my core before releasing it back out into the world. Cyprian’s body couldn’t handle that much pure spirit all at once.
I rejoined my children and bonded immediately after defeating Cyprian and his army. There were many casualties, not only at the manor, but throughout Aurilon.
Although Cyprian taking the castle, while sending most of his army to take the fight to the manor, may have made it easier for him to capture a foothold, it ultimately was his undoing. With only minimal minions left to protect him, he left himself vulnerable.
Liliana and Dahlia, with the help of Oyo and Chloe, went to work healing everyone. Together, the four of them made an amazing team of healers. While they healed all the injured, my children gathered the remaining dhampir.
Now that the dhampir were no longer under Cyprian’s control, each begged for forgiveness. The battle had nearly wiped them out, and when we were sure we’d collected all of them, there were less than a hundred remaining.
Luna agreed to escort Fapplejack and his remaining crew on their trip to return the dhampir back to Darkholm. I spotted her at the deck giving directions to the last few dhampir who were loaded onto the ship with their eyes pointed toward the ground.
“Is that all of them?” I asked and watched as the last fox dhampir disappeared over the rail.
Luna nodded and kept her eyes locked on mine. “Thank you for letting me take them back. I’ve already lost so much of the only family I ever had. I’m not sure I could’ve handled seeing any more of them die.”
“If not for your brother, they wouldn’t have acted the way they did. I cannot hold that against them. Even though, that being said, it will be a long time before anyone here openly trusts them again. Not to mention, they will need to feed again, soon.”
Luna nodded and wrapped her arms around me. “Yes, but at least they have time to prove they can change, and that they, much like myself, are different from my brother.” She paused. “I will dedicate my time to finding alternative food sources for them. I know there has to be another way.”
I smiled and nodded. “Well, if we could find a way for the slime women to eat, we can find a way for the dhampir.”
Luna moved forward and pressed herself against my body as she gave me a passionate kiss. “I love you, my king. I will be back soon.”
I bid her farewell and turned as Fapplejack sauntered over to me. “Logan, sir. You did it.”
I gave him a proud smile and knelt so I was face-to-face with the goblin. “Couldn’t have done it without my wingman.”
The goblin beamed and straightened. “When we return, I will ensure the ship is brought back to proper sailing condition. Oh, the adventures that await.”
I let out a small chuckle and stood. “I look forward to it. Thank you for everything, Fapplejack, my friend. Safe travels.”
The goblin gave me an enormous hug, and tears welled at the corners of his eyes. “Thank you, Logan, sir. It’s an honor to be your friend.”
I hoisted a coiled rope onto the goblin’s shoulder and he made his way up to the deck of the ship. I called up to him from below. “I’m entrusting you with Luna. Bring her back safely for me.” Luna appeared at the edge of the ship’s rail and smiled. I gave her a small nod. “And try not to give FJ too hard a time.”
She shrugged and called back. “No promises.”
I stayed at the dock until they pulled out of port and continued back to the manor to check on my brother.
I spotted Queen Jade with her slime women working in unison with many of the surviving villagers to help clear the debris. She could move entire patches of strewn wood and rock with ease, moving it out of the center of the village to a huge pile a short distance away. I watched for a moment before she spotted me and returned to her human shape.
