My inner beast releases fire and there are other dragon shifters following behind me. It's difficult to figure out if they’re enemies or allies being in my dragon form.
In a few minutes, I lose the black dragon, and panic a little. I fly low, aware that my body is using the last ounces of energy that I had stored. I decide to touch down on the ground just along the edge of the city, rolling on the ground. Everything goes dark again.
Sometime later, I finally open my eyes and I’m in my human form. My breathing is shallow, aware that my body is running low on energy. Jetli isn't around and I have no idea what happened to her. She couldn't have just disappeared. There’s no magic left inside me. I'm done fighting and chasing after him now. Then I sense someone approaching, and hear that same voice that always chills my blood.
"I knew you would take the bait, silly girl."
I jump back on my feet, releasing a stream of energy from my fingertips, breathing like an asthmatic. I'm trembling, forcing myself to stay on my feet, while my head is spinning away.
I'm back in the nightmare, the same horrible twisted memory where my own magic turns against me, scarring me for the rest of my life.
Ruscal stands several meters away, wearing a black cloak. I tell myself that this isn't happening, that it's only my mind playing tricks on me.
I reach out for my knife when something is thrown over me. The weight pushes me down and my heart stops. This must be some kind of magical net because it's instantly burning my face and exposed skin.
Then he kicks me with a heavy boot, smashing my already bruised ribs. Suddenly, his face start changing, twisting and growing. I'm in despair, having no idea what’s happening to me.
The wind ruffles my hair, and I taste blood in my mouth.
"Now, I can finally take what I want because we’re all alone. Sorry Wyvern girl, but I have to damage you further before I deliver you to my master," Ruscal adds, but his voice is deeper, different.
I remember the exact moment when he caught up with me in the chamber. For years, all these memories were lost, blocked out, but now I can see it clearly. Then I realise that it's not Ruscal—it can't be.
Finally, the mage loses his glamour and I see that it's a wizard that I’ve seen once before. The same one that he brought with him to Rivenna. Suddenly, everything starts making sense, and I want to kick my stupid self. I’ve been tricked once again.
"You're dead, and your master is going to be next," I shout, trying to rip the net, but as soon as my fingers touch it, the pain comes back, exploding through me.
My head pounds with pain and exhaustion. I really hope that the wizard didn't get Jetli; she was flying with me, but something must have happened when I got knocked out. The wizard has his magic wand: he's tall and has typical Nordic features. His hair is dark blond and eyes are deep green flashing with magic.
"Funny, but you're trapped and you aren't going anywhere. I'll mess with you for a bit longer until he arrives. He's planning to slash your throat and you’ll bleed to death. This way the prophecy will be completely fulfilled."
He waves his magic wand and the wind starts picking up, blowing from the West now. Pain slides across my spine, and I'm going to pass out. I scream, feeling like something is crawling beneath my skin, sucking my blood, and crushing my bones from the inside. It's even worse than when Bratlav was torturing me. It multiplies, spreading to each individual cell.
I flutter my lids open when the pain eases off again, seeing a dark shape circulating in the sky. It's Jorgen's beast, I sense him even without my own energy. He lands on the ground not far from me, transforming into his human form. The wizard grips his wand, narrowing his eyes.
Then smiles, it's wide and a beaming smile of joyous satisfaction. Something isn't right. Maybe he realises that Jorgen’s hurt.
"Ahh, we will have a terrific spectacle. My master is going to kill his brother first before he gets to you," the wizard tells me, leaning closer. I'm not even listening to what he’s saying to me. I see my sword a meter away from me. I just need to crawl closer to the right, and reach out for it. But my body refuses to move even an inch, everything is aching and burning badly.
I hear animalistic roars and when I look up I think I'm hallucinating. It's Ruscal, he charges at Jorgen, appearing out of nowhere. Jorgen’s kneeling not even looking around, not seeing that he’s in terrible danger.
I scream as loud as I can and he finally looks up. He rolls away at the same time when Ruscal tries to stab him. They circle around each other for some time, Jorgen wipes the sweat from his forehead. He looks pale, but I know that he isn't just going to give up.
"We knew that Jorgen was waiting for his allies and we prepared a plan. Everything went smoothly and followed the exact pattern to the letter just as we designed. The shifters entered our trap without suspecting a thing. The Duke might have his dragon back, but he’s never going to win this battle. He’s flown for hours and he's weak," the wizard says and then hits me with another spell.
I bounce around the net, hitting the ground a few times. He kicks me again, and again. I have no strength left—I can’t even scream. It's all over, and I don't have my magic. Everything is falling to pieces and Jorgen isn't going to be able to kill Ruscal for me. We all failed.
The ache and burning pain radiates from every part of my body. Somewhere behind my eyes there’s a massive throbbing. Even my fire magic is gone. This is what I get for running away, for thinking that I'm smarter than everyone else.
Sometime later the pain finally eases off, and the wizard must have walked away from me. Maybe he feels sorry for me or maybe he’s looking to hit me with one final spell. I pant, taking long raspy breaths, searching for the bastard. Jorgen’s still fighting his brother. Ruscal jabs his left side, and the Duke hits the ground, bleeding badly.
General Ming’s army appears on the hillside. Jorgen struggles to remain on his feet. Tiny waves of electricity travel down my spine. I take a few deep breaths, telling myself that I just have to get out of the net, then I can help him. Then blood starts pouring from my nose, and Jorgen lays on the ground again.
"Just give up, brother. You have no chance winning this battle. And your little whore mate is next," Ruscal shouts.
"Time for another dose. I'm so close to getting inside you—to take away your fire magic," the creepy voice to my right whispers again, startling me out of nowhere. A sharp jolt of pain strikes me, and its worse than it was before.
I keep telling myself that I have to last for a little longer. The wizard isn't capable of doing what Bratlav tried before.
Then I feel like an outside energy is breaking my cells apart, melting my skin. I'm aware of it, aware of every single nerve ending being pulled. Even my hair’s falling out. He's slowly taking the layers of my beast apart, while his master is busy trying to kill Jorgen. My dragon screams in agonising pain. This is really the end and I’ve been caught—I’m going to die. I don't have any strength or magic left inside me to fight the wizard.
I pant, forcing the tears away, trying to hold on to the flames, but I don't hear my beast any longer.
Then, everything eases off, and I can breathe again. The pain isn't there and I hear buzzing in my head. It's everywhere, but I'm too exhausted to open my eyes, to see what’s going on. Something is poking me, jabbing me in the left side.
"What is she doing? Tell her that she has to get herself together. The mage is going to kill the Duke," a tiny, very high-pitched voice says. Then, I hear a scream, and feel more magic.
When I open my eyes, I see Jetli, she's sprinkling her Pixie dust around me, and the net’s being cut with the hundreds, yep hundreds, of other tiny creatures flying around it. They’re all working together trying to free me.
There was always only Lenin and Jetli, and now I see hundreds of Pixies around. The Wizard is losing control and unable to fight back; he’s being stabbed while his magic is drained from him.
"Jetli, what's happening?" I ask.
"No time to
ask questions, Wyvern girl. This isn't our fight, but we are obligated to help when our mute queen is in trouble," another tiny creature says. She looks like a younger version of Jetli, but her small wings are red and shiny like diamonds. "Look, the Duke is not going to last long!"
I glance back in the distance seeing that Ruscal’s holding Jorgen down on the ground. His brother is just about to make the final killing blow. Jorgen’s bleeding badly, attempting to fight and crawl away from him. There’s so much blood everywhere. Horror wrecks me from the inside, and panic seizes my last bit of strength. Then my bow and arrows fly towards me. My jaw drops, there’s no time to wonder how she managed to transport it out here, because right in this moment, I have to save my mate. I jump on my feet, ignoring the pain, and remove an arrow, just in the same moment as Ruscal’s about to stab Jorgen.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Jetli-Queen of the Pixies.
I release my arrow, knowing that my grip might be a little shaky. My thoughts are racing away, and I'm aiming at the bastard's heart. The arrow pierces through his shoulder instead. The impact throws him away from Jorgen and he slams on the ground.
My body is starting to shut down, but I can't believe that I missed my target. The smell of blood and burnt rubber wafts into the air. The wizard isn't moving anymore. His eyes are still open, and I'm certain that he's dead. A bunch of vicious Pixies must have drained all magic out of him.
Exhausted and beyond confused, I try to keep standing on my feet, hearing Ruscal screaming in the background. He's crawling back towards his sword, unfortunately still moving. My mind is a little disoriented. There are hundreds and hundreds of Pixies flying all around me, cheering and talking at the same time. It's hard to gather what any of them are saying.
"Go on Wyvern dragon shifter, go and finish the dark mage. It's your destiny, your way to bring peace to the land. He caused too much pain for too long," the Pixie with shiny wings hisses, pulling my ear.
Jetli’s flying around, nodding, trying to push me to leave. I know that they want me to fight, but I'm beyond exhausted. I brace myself, aware of the pain lancing through my jaw and shoulders. Part of my face is burned, but the damage won't distract me from going after Ruscal.
He's done—we’re are all done with his abuse and crimes. I need my fire magic to kill him, to end his miserable existence forever.
My whizzed breathing is taking away my strength, but then, new pure white energy starts flooding through me repairing my body. It must be the Pixies; they gave me back what I've lost, they’re slowly healing me.
A rush of warmth flows through my veins, and I start walking. It's time to come face to face with my enemy. It's a blessing of energy and when my beast roars inside me, I'm no longer the same Astri that was tortured by the Nordic wizard just a moment ago.
Ruscal spots me coming for him and panics. He instantly changes his mind about finishing Jorgen, because he gets up and starts running towards the forest. I sprint across the field, panting for breath, ignoring the dull ache in my head.
By the time I get to Jorgen, Ruscal disappears.
Jorgen’s unconscious and badly wounded. He’s lost a lot of blood, and I'm torn between what to do. I kneel beside him, lifting his head gently. My heart is pounding loudly in my chest, his energy is so weak and I can barely register it.
"Jetli, if you're really the Queen of all the Pixies, then please do something. He can't die on me. Ruscal can’t get away again," I'm begging now, staring at my mute friend sitting on my shoulder. She looks to the other Pixies gathering around us.
Time is running out. I'm in the heart of the forest and there are plenty of herbs around that can heal Jorgen. We need to stop the bleeding, and pray to Hommis that he’ll make it. Ruscal battered him badly.
Seconds later, a painful roar breaks out in the distance. I clench my fists, realising that Ruscal must have shifted. Now he's heading back to the city, trying to escape and he will if I don't go after him now. Vaclav’s soldiers start appearing in the field. I hear orders, knowing that at least Ming is being defeated now. I don't want to leave Jorgen, but the Pixies are dragging me away from him.
"The Duke is going to be all right. You must go after the dark mage. Once he leaves Rivenna, you will never find him," the Pixie with the shiny wings tells me, and I glance around, seeing David. He's approaching with the others, waving at me.
They injected me with fresh energy, but once I shift, I'll be back to square one. Transforming into my beast will drain all the excess magic. Torn and conflicted over my limited options, I grab my bow and arrows then decide to run. David is shouting after me when I follow Ruscal's tracks. Sweat pours down my face, and I know that I have to get to him before he finds a way to flee from the city. Strong wind ruffles my hair. I might have bought myself a little time. Ruscal’s too weak to stay in his dragon form for long. He must be running on foot now.
The city is under siege, but his shifters are still around. I keep pushing myself, forcing my legs to move. Ten minutes later, I finally get to the city. There’s fighting in the streets. Humans are fighting with shifters, others are robbing shops. The cars are speeding up and down the roads, and there’s no police or guards anywhere. Word must have gotten out that Jorgen brought back up.
Several human children run past me, some stop and stare, others just keep going. Houses look devastated, and I hear explosions going off further in the centre.
I keep moving through the streets that I know so well, aware that Rivenna’s in complete chaos. I pass buildings, some of them are ruined, and the alleys that I used to walk along are completely unrecognisable. Something must have happened after me and Jorgen left.
Emilia and the rest of the group stayed behind, I hope they’re all right. I continue walking until I'm almost to my old street. Unfortunately, everything falls apart when I get to my aunt and uncle’s house.
"No, no, this can't be happening. No," I whisper, staring horrified at the ruins and dust where only yesterday a large house stood. It looks like a large explosion must have gone off there not long ago.
The smell of burnt rubber and wood wafts into the air. My heart bursts, bleeding from the inside.
Tears fall down my cheeks. I can't panic just yet. They must have escaped before everything collapsed.
I force myself to move, walking around the ruins, searching for bodies. The energies around are weak, faint, and I have a feeling that shifters are buried beneath the rubble. Every part of me refuses to believe that they all died in here. In the distance, I hear more screams, and see that one of the castle towers is up in flames. Another explosion goes off nearby, the impact knocking me off my feet.
I eventually open my eyes, coughing and spewing dust. There’s a constant ringing in my ears, and someone’s dragging me away from the ruins.
"Come on Astri, we have to keep going," the voice tells me and then I pass out.
Someone drops a bucket of water over me and I take a deep whizzed breath. For a split second, I have no idea where I am. My body hurts, and I don't want to move. Memories are slowly coming back, when a pair of blue eyes stare back at me.
"Astri? Astri, come on. You have to get yourself together. We need you."
It's Aria and I know that I can't be hallucinating. Emilia’s standing next to her too. Lenin’s flying around, still holding his sword staring at me with apprehension and fear.
I cough a few times, clearing my lungs. Emilia passes me a cup with some sort of warm liquid inside. Her dark eyes are gleaming with energy and I'm so relieved that they’re all okay. We’re inside a building, and I hear shots being fired outside on the streets. Ruscal's face flashes in front of my eyes and I shoot back to my feet.
"No Astri, you must drink this healing potion first. It will wash away the exhaustion and fill you with energy," Emilia says. I drink a little, burning my lips.
Pixies—Jetli's friends are taking care of Jorgen. He was in bad shape when I left him, but David was approaching to. He's not going to die on me, no
t yet. Everyone keeps staring at me. I see Thayer standing behind Emilia, Alex and her husband Tom. There are a few unknown faces in the building too.
Instant warmth pours through my body, but this time the sensation is pleasant. My magic reaches into my cells, filling each one and healing the others. I swallow the rest of it, nearly burning my throat, but I must go after Ruscal. I couldn't have been unconscious for long.
"How long have I been out?" I ask.
"Only a few minutes, Lenin found you lying on the street. What the hell happened?" Emilia asks.
"I have to go before Ruscal escapes the city," I say, knowing that I should at least tell them briefly what happened. They can't help me this time, no one can. I have to do this on my own.
"Other Pixies showed up and saved you? And they said that Jetli is their Queen? No Astri, this is impossible," Lenin repeats exactly what I told him, flying around like he’s been injected with energy potion.
I was in shock when Ruscal showed up, but the Pixies were real. They saved me, otherwise I wouldn't be standing here right now.
"Yes Lenin, there are other Pixies and you will meet them soon. Right now, I have to go."
Emilia grabs my hand.
"Just be careful, the city is under siege. There’s fighting going on everywhere and other shifters are standing up against Ruscal's men. Some of my spells must have failed this morning. They showed up when we were still sleeping and set up traps. We had to get out. Aria used her magic to keep the wild shifters occupied, so everyone had time to escape. Your little cousin has been very brave," Emilia says and a cold shiver crawls over my spine.
I really thought that they were all dead. I glance at Aria who looks a little taken aback by Emilia's complements, but I always knew that she was a true Wyvern.