Part 8
King of the Ember Mountains
Sworder stepped back drawing his sword. “A dragon!” he said as he prepared himself for battle.
“What is a dragon that young doing here with the boy?” Ranin asked.
“That is not simply a dragon,” Namic said. “Dragons are beasts. Even at such a small size it would have eaten the child. Think back. It might become clear.”
“You don’t mean…” Ranin said, but Namic did not reply.
“Get away from that thing,” Sworder called to the boy.
“He’s my friend. Why would I do that?” the boy asked.
The dragon unfurled its wings and a deep rumbling voice emerged, “Leave the boy alone. He’s mine.”
“A Shadow Warrior!” Sworder exclaimed.
“What are the chances?” Ranin asked. “That a young girl finds an ancient Kazan, and not too long after finds another child, who has found one when neither were looking for them?”
“Not good,” was all Namic said.
“What’s your purpose for the boy?” Sworder demanded of the dragon.
“I need him,” the dragon said.
“Let him go, let him return to his home,” Sworder said.
“I am Bargoth, King of the Ember Mountains, I do not take orders from a simple warrior,” the dragon reared before hurling a flaming ball at the two at the base of the cliff.
Sworder grabbed the girl and threw himself to the side, turning so that she landed on him.
“Get out of sight,” he commanded the girl, before pushing her off, jumping up, and running towards the cliff.
A bright light shone from him and there emerged the Vassal of Earth. The girl scrambled into the trees as the dragon continued its assault with two more flaming balls, but at the distance the Vassal dodged them easily. With a roar the dragon leapt from the cliff using its wings to glide down, flapping them once before landing.
“Let the boy go home,” the Vassal said to the dragon.
“I have need of him still,” the dragon Kazan responded.
The King of Ember Mountains leapt at the Vassal. The Vassal of Earth met the charge swinging his axe. The axe glanced off the dragons head. With a roar it swiped its claws at the Vassal, knocking him to the edge of the pond.
The dragon blasted another flaming ball at the prone Vassal. The Vassal rolled into the water to evade the attack. The dragon growled as it scanned the shoreline, waiting for the Vassal’s return.
The Vassal threw himself out of the water, rolling he found his feet and began running. The dragon flung another flaming ball at the Vassal, but the Vassal was too fast for the slow projectile.
“He is using a lot of energy,” Ranin said.
“He does not look tired.” Namic noted. “He seems to be able to generate an enormously powerful attack using little effort.”
“The Ember Mountains,” Ranin said thoughtfully. “Don’t those no longer exist?”
“A misnomer, they sunk into the ocean and comprised the Scarred Reefs,” Namic corrected.
The dragon roared with frustration, flapping its wings and lifting itself off the ground. The dragon sped towards the Vassal of Earth. It clawed the Vassal, sending the Kazan flying. The Vassal of Earth crumbled to the ground with claw marks slashing through the front of his armor. Slowly he stood as the dragon circled in for another attack.
The Vassal hefted his axe as the beast bared down on him. Running forward, he jumped swinging the axe over his head. For a moment the axe shone like the setting sun. Then as the dragon’s claws closed in, the axe fell at an incredible speed. There was a boom and then an impact as the axe impaled the dragon’s shoulder blade. A roar escaped the dragon’s throat as it was forced to the ground. There was a moment of stillness before the dragon reared up, sending the Vassal of Earth stumbling back.
The dragon leapt at the vulnerable Vassal, slashing a claw at him. The Vassal was sent flying, smashing into the ground. The dragon continued its assault and sent a flaming ball at the prone figure. The Vassal attempted to evade but could not pull his entire body out of the way. The Vassal’s left leg took a direct hit. The flaming ball burst on impact searing most of the fabric on the leg. The blast also took away much of the skin leaving behind a gory sight as charred skin continued to peel away.
“Sworder!” the girl screamed from the trees.
“There’s no way he can win this fight,” Ranin said.
“True,” Namic said
The dragon roared again in triumph, “Now you have seen the power of the King of the Ember Mountains!”
“Bargoth!” a young voice chimed in from the top of the cliff.
The dragon reared and looked to the boy. There a dire wolf had made its way towards the boy, who was backing away as he continued to cry for help. With an infuriated roar the dragon took flight flapping its powerful wings to gain as much height as possible.
“After that blow, it can still fly,” Ranin said.
“It seems that despite taking a direct hit it has sustained little actual injury,” Namic said.
The girl ran out to the Vassal the moment the dragon left the ground, “Sworder!”
“No, go its too dangerous!” the Vassal cried.
Bargoth soared over the cliff then came rocketing down slamming into the ground in front of the boy. His head rose as he formed a flaming ball and flung it at the dire wolf. The giant wolf only began to dodge when the sphere hit him. The dire wolf was lifted off its feet with the impact, as its entire shoulder and the side of its head melted away.
“Bargoth!” the boy said running to the dragon.
“It is too dangerous here, we need to leave,” Bargoth said. “Climb onto my back.”
“Yay!”
“Such a strange child,” Ranin said, as they watched him and Bargoth fly off towards the mountains to the North.
“Sworder, we have to go. We have to follow them,” the girl said looking off after them.
“No,” Sworder said.
“What?” the girl exclaimed.
“We can not,” Sworder said, attempting to sit.
“What do you mean?” the girl said as she helped him.
“It is too dangerous,” Sworder said grimacing. “I can not protect you.”
“But what about him?” the girl cried.
“He has protection. The drake needs him, why, I am unsure,” Sworder stated.
“He is correct. Bargoth seemed quite concerned for the boy’s safety,” Namic said.
“Kazanas can only go so far without a master,” Ranin interrupted.
“Indeed. Bargoth has plans which shall be interesting to see if they come to fruition,” Namic continued.
“Another loose end,” Ranin sighed.
“A loose end just means their story has yet to finish,” Namic said.
“We can’t just leave him with that monster,” the girl cried.
“You will do no good being dead,” Sworder said seriously.
“But…”
“Please,” Sworder said. “Even now I am losing strength. Whatever he hit me with still burns. If you go on I can not protect you. I… I could not bear that.”
The girl sighed. “Let’s go back,” she relented.
“Interesting,” Namic said, quietly.
“Their bond is growing,” Ranin said.
“Where it leads them shall be interesting to see.”
“You said that already,” Ranin teased.
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