Slayer

  Algonge bowed and left.

  TRAINING THE NEWCOMERS

  Thetra studied the way Algonge fought, and the way he battled with Arek. He was covered in sweat, yet he kept on fighting his hardest. This was the type of soldier that Thetra had been looking for all along.

  “Keep working,” encouraged Thetra, clapping his hands in excitement of Algonge’s skill. “Thanks to you, we stand an even bigger chance at winning, but the chances are still smaller than Morchad’s Army’s.”

  “Aye,” said Arek, who was panting so hard, for he was getting dominated by Algonge.

  “Maybe you need a new sword, fighting partner,” said Thetra to Algonge, walking over to stop the fight. “How about Arek and I trade partners? Arek, you go fight Mordon.”

  “But he’s just as good as you,” Arek whined.

  “I’ll see to arranging a new partner for you later,” snapped Thetra. “Right now I have a fight to take place in.” Then their swords clanked and clashed, and they began.

  “You’re good,” said Algonge, dodging one of Thetra’s strike. “I’ve never fought someone so skilled except my father.”

  “Tell me about your father,” said Thetra. “Who is he?”

  “The better question is ‘Who was he.’ He’s dead now, killed by one of Morchad’s troops.”

  “What happened?” wondered Thetra, interested in Alfonse’s family history.

  “He tried to trespass into Stankl Maobn to see if Morchad really existed, for he was a non-believer.”

  “I see.”

  “He traveled far from Beragh to Stankl Maobn. He was caught right at the front of the mountain by the guards. His name was Dercam.”

  “That’s a nice name,” complimented Thetra. “I like it. Dercam,” he repeated.

  “Aye. I once loved it. But I shall get vengeance on my father for leaving me. For going on that suicide mission. He knew it was impossible, yet he still attempted it. I do not know why, and I suppose I never will.”

  “You should not be angry with him. You shall be mourning his death. But not so much that it puts you in a trance, where you always feel sick and just sit in a hospital bed acting unusual, when you could be outside training.”

  “I won’t. But you just made me a little less mad.”

  “Thank you, Algonge.” Then they continued fighting, neither getting an advantage over the other.

  Later that night at supper, Thetra sat by Algonge, getting to know him more and befriending with him. He ate with him, and they both enjoyed and disliked the same foods that the cooks had made that night.

  The next morning, Thetra woke up to hear a strange sound. It was coming from straight outside his window, yet he was afraid to look outside, in fear that the animal making the sound would see him.

  But he conquered his fear and went outside anyway. He was surprised when he saw who was making the sound.

  The suspect was a dragon. His very own dragon. Valao was screeching, for he was pinned to the ground by Casmig, unable to move.

  “What happened?” wondered Thetra.

  “This vicious animal!” complained Valao, trying to push Casmig off of him. “We were just fighting and then he plopped himself down on me. He weighs a ton!”

  Casmig bared his teeth and hissed.

  “You weigh a ton as well, Valao,” said Thetra, trying to calm his dragon from his rage. “There’s no need to be angry with each other. Casmig, why don’t you just get off of Valao and continue training.”

  “Not until he apologizes,” said Casmig promptly.

  “All I did was rake my claws along your chest, you wimp!” complained Valao. “How can you fight if you sit on your opponent every time you get injured?”

  “You can’t,” said Thetra. “Valao, please apologize though.”

  “Why?” he complained. “I want to fight a tougher opponent, so that the fight is evenly matched! I want a fair fight!”

  “Well, first you have to apologize because I’m not moving until you do,” said Casmig.

  “Oh, yes you are!” yelled a voice that was moving toward the dragons at a rapid speed. “Get off of him!” yelled Ghuar.

  “Ghuar!” shouted Valao, his face lighting up in delight.

  Ghuar’s blue scales shined in the sunlight. “Valao,” he said. “Who is this dragon?”

  “His name is Casmig,” said Valao. “But I’ve nicknamed him the Choker, for I cannot breathe in this situation.”

  Ghuar then rammed himself into Casmig, who fell off of Valao. Ghuar barely missed stepping on Valao.

  Casmig bared his teeth at Ghuar, preparing for a fight. Then he lunged at Ghuar, fangs ready to attack.

  He attempted to bite down on the top Ghuar’s head, but at the last second Ghuar dodged it by sidestepping Casmig’s jump.

  As Casmig fell to the ground, he started flying up so that he would not have a hard landing. Ghuar flew after him, and the two dragons had a battle in the air.

  “After him, Ghuar!” screamed Valao, who would go up and fight with Ghuar after he fully recovered.

  Then Thetra gave Valao the cue. “Attack!” he yelled, and Valao flew up in pursuit of tasting Casmig’s blood.

  Then Thetra heard Ghuar howl in pain, and he fell from the sky, hurtling toward the ground at a fast speed.

  “Save him!” Thetra shouted to Valao, who was already diving after Ghuar. But what Valao didn’t see was Casmig chasing after him, trying to bite his tail off.

  “Watch out behind you!” yelled Thetra to Valao, but Valao was zoning in on saving Ghuar, that he didn’t hear Thetra’s shout.

  Casmig bumped himself into Valao’s body, and all three dragons were now falling from the sky.

  Thetra desperately tried to think of a spell that could save them, but his brain was already having trouble processing what he saw. He randomly yelled, “Lopora!”

  Instantly, the dragons flew back into the air as if they had bounced off of a net, and they started flying again, except Ghuar was unbalanced due to his injury.

  “Fly down here safely, Ghuar!” shouted Thetra. “Do not get hurt on your way down, though!”

  “I will try, human,” said Ghuar, and he hovered in the air for a second, then flew down and landed softly on the grass.

  “Are you alright?” asked Thetra.

  “Aye. Just a little bruised in the side.” Ghuar winced in pain as he showed Thetra his injury.

  “What happened? I was not watching, as I was directing Valao to attack.”

  “He bit me.”

  “I see. Why don’t you rest for a bit, and then you can fight again?”

  “I don’t know if I can battle again today. The pain is really getting inside my body. Plus, I’m losing a lot of blood, which is making me quite dizzy.”

  “Alright. Why don’t you head back up to the cabin and sleep outside there? You can rest.”

  “I will,” said Ghuar, slowly trotting up the hill. Then he turned around and shouted, “Best of luck, Valao!” Then he continued on his journey to sleep.

  Thetra looked up and saw that Valao had indeed redeemed himself, as he was winning the fight. Then Thetra thought of how Casmig had betrayed them, and that maybe Algonge would as well.

  Well, Ghuar was the one who started the fight, he thought. So Casmig was just fighting back. Typical among dragons.

  Then he called to Valao, “Fly down here and pick me up! I shall ride you and help you!”

  Valao flew down quickly, while Casmig stayed in the air, waiting for his enemy to return.

  Enemy, thought Thetra. He is the enemy.

  Thetra drew Slayer and started stabbing Casmig in the head. He must have really injured him, for he kept on whining as if he wanted to give up, yet he never did.

  “Let us defeat him once and for all!” bellowed Valao, and they attacked fiercer than ever before. Then Thetra yelled a savage war cry, and they struck.

  Immediately after the fast attack, Casmig fell to the ground, this time with nothing to save him, yet he still mouthed,
Help me.

  “Come on,” said Valao, and he dove after the falling dragon.

  Valao swooped under Casmig, then yelled to Thetra, “Jump off!” Thetra did this and saved himself from getting squished in between the two dragons, for Casmig fell onto Valao with a loud THUMP!

  “Ahhhhh!” yelled Valao in agony. “Thetra, help!” Valao was being crushed to the ground as Casmig sank his fangs into Valao’s neck. “Vampire!” exclaimed Valao.

  “I will kill you,” said Casmig. “I will kill you as soon as you apologize.”

  Valao must have wanted a quick death, for he said, “I am sorry, young dragon, for scratching you in the chest. Are you alright?” he said to make it sound sincere.

  “Aye. Now I’ll give you one warning. You will die in five seconds. Five…four…”

  “Thetra, save me!” screamed Valao. “Help! Thetra! Kill him for me!”

  “Three,” said Casmig.

  Thetra drew Slayer as Casmig got to two, and threw it when Valao had one second to live.

  “Time to die!” yelled Casmig, and he sank his fangs into Valao.

  Just as he did this, the sword hit Casmig in his left eye, and both dragons fell to the ground.

  DRAGONS TO SAVE

  Thetra knelt before his dead dragon and closed Valao’s eyes. Why? he thought. Why did he have to die?! What brought Algonge and Casmig here? Why would Casmig kill Valao? Where’s Algonge? I’ll punish him for this! He’ll die as well. He doesn’t deserve a grave; he’ll just lie out in the cold each night and day.

  “Valao,” said Ghuar softly. He walked over and touched him slightly on the forehead. “I am not saying I’m mourning you, but you must be dead. Do you hear me, or are you dead? If you are alive, rise and live on.”

  After nothing happened, Thetra and Ghuar started to walk away. Once they reached the hill, they heard a sound behind them.

  Valao was rising from his heap on the ground, and then stood up. “I shall live this day,” he said.

  “Valao!” Thetra cried out, leaping over to his dragon in joy that he was alive. “You lived! Are you alright?”

  “I’m fine,” said Valao. “But I feel like I got crushed.”

  “You did,” explained Thetra. “You were trying to save Casmig by having him land on you but he was so heavy he ended up”

  “Oh, yes, I remember now,” said Valao. “I tried to save him because he asked me to but now he’s...dead?” Valao was looking at Casmig’s corpse lying on the ground.

  “Aye,” said Ghuar. “He is dead.”

  Valao was still looking down at Casmig when Thetra thought he saw a tear falling out of his dragon’s eye. “He was...a great young fellow.” Then Valao started choking and sobbing and finally just lay down on the ground and fell asleep.

  “Live, Casmig. Live,” whispered Ghuar into Casmig’s ear. “For Valao cannot stand being without you. You are best friends in some way. You have a bond that shall not be broken. You may have fought each other, but you have forgiven each other.”

  Right then and there Casmig coughed, and came out of his sleep coma. “Hello?” he said.

  “Hello,” replied Ghuar.

  “I...” Casmig trailed off. “Is Valao alive?” He was looking at Valao.

  “Yes,” responded Thetra.” He just fainted, that’s all. But he is asleep now, for he could not help but sob about your tragedy.”

  “But I’m alive,” said Casmig.

  “Aye, but we did not know that when he was crying,” explained Ghuar.

  “I see,” said Casmig. “Any idea when he will wake up, for I shall apologize to him.”

  “We do not know,” replied Thetra. “Is your eye alright, or is it a serious injury?”

  “It’ll be fine.” The sword had fallen out of Casmig’s eye, so Thetra had gotten it back.

  “Good,” said Thetra, “For I need you in the upcoming battle. And I have a question for you.”

  “Oh?” said Casmig.

  “Why did you attack Valao? Why did you nearly kill him? Are you jealous? Are you angry or mad for some reason? Why? Tell me why.”

  Casmig’s dark black dragon face looked far away. “I do not remember a thing about what happened,” he said.

  “Tell me,” threatened Thetra, drawing his sword. “Or you get stabbed, for I am ready to have my vengeance on you.”

  “I...honestly, I don’t know what happened. I have no clue as to why or how I would have done it. I am clueless.”

  Then a thought struck Thetra. Maybe the possessors from Herode had come over and gotten into Casmig. But that couldn’t be, for they could not take the shape of a dragon. Maybe Morchad did something to twist them...

  “Do you believe in possessors?” asked Thetra.

  “Aye. But they are in Herode. They have never crossed the sea that separates Arque from Herode. It isn’t possible, Thetra. That couldn’t be.” Casmig obviously knew what Thetra was thinking.

  “But there’s no other way unless you’re lying to me,” said Thetra. “The possessors can’t cross the sea because whenever they try a huge wave made of solid water blocks them.”

  “I am Rednops,” whispered a voice in the shadows. “I will kill all Dark Destroyers. I serve evil.” A red ghost hovered in front of Thetra, blocking him from looking at Casmig. “I possessed Casmig. I shall kill Casmig. I shall kill all Dark Destroyers. I will kill all Dark Destroyers.”

  “No, you won’t!” shouted Thetra, pressing his sword at the ghost’s chest, but it went right through his body made of gas.

  “Yes,” replied Rednops, grabbing the point of the sword, “I will!” He shoved it in Thetra’s face, cutting a slash right below Thetra’s right eye. He tasted the blood as it trickled down his face.

  “We’ll stop you,” promised Thetra. “And we will defeat your army.”

  “Ah, do not lie to me, Thetra Eouhjasson. For we have an advantage. We can possess your troops and make them fight against you.” Then the ghost started to fade away, and Thetra could see Casmig now. “Think about that,” said Rednops.

  “I will,” responded Thetra, and he already was. Now the soldiers of the Dark Destroyers had to fight men, golems, and possessors. They couldn’t do it. They had an impossible task which they could not complete.

  Thetra was overwhelmed with the day’s events, and he skipped supper that night and went straight to sleep, for he decided a nice rest would help him sort things out in the morning.

  But when he woke up, he felt even worse.

  He puked first thing, then, after deciding to skip his first meal of the day, vomited again all over Arek’s cloak.

  “Sorry, Brother,” Thetra apologized, but Arek waved it away.

  “Do not worry. I understand you do not feel well. You are sick. You shall rest today and train tomorrow.”

  “Thank you, Arek,” said Thetra. “You just saved me a lot, for I most definitely do not feel in the mood to run and fight and be active. All I am going to do is sit in bed with a cup of tea.”

  And that was what he did for the rest of the day.

  The following morning was hard for Thetra, as he was too tired to stand. He looked at his cup of tea and craved more. He called to no one in particular, “More tea!”

  He sat in bed, feeling sick and sipping his tea. Arek visited him and wished him good luck, hoping he would get better so they could practice in combat later that day.

  But they didn’t.

  “Arek,” moaned Thetra. “All I want to do is just sleep. Would you please leave?”

  Arek took no offense in this statement and left out the door, not returning that day. Thetra began to worry if he was a bit harsh on his brother, but then he remembered how Arek had been to him sometimes.

  When Thetra woke up the next day he felt much better as he arose. Then he walked downstairs to breakfast, not feeling queasy at all. He ate some toast and had some more tea, which made him feel loads better. Altogether, he was ready to fight.

  And that was what he did, which was a mistake. r />
  As he walked outside to meet Arek, the sunlight hit his eyes and he immediately puked. He took it as a warning not to be too active, but continued training. He drew Slayer, and as he watched Arek advance slowly toward him, he felt sick. Yellow spots danced around his eyes, and the heat overwhelmed him. He collapsed to the ground, needing water. His thirst was so powerful that he couldn’t stand up, and Arek went inside to get a glass of water.

  When he returned, Thetra still lay sprawled on the grass, choking. “I...need water,” he said, his voice scratchy. “Get me water.”

  Arek handed him the cup and Thetra gulped it down.

  I should’ve known that he would’ve needed more. I need a bucket. Or a tub. Something that will keep him energized, for there is no one else for me to train with than him, thought Arek, scolding himself.

  He quickly ran inside and filled up three buckets with water from his faucet. Thetra was surprised with how strong Arek was as he carried the buckets outside to Thetra. Then he ran back inside and filled three more, trying desperately to save his brother. Thetra had already finished the first bucket when he came back with the third set, which he refilled along with two others.

  There were nine buckets total, and Arek could just keep on refilling them anyway, so Thetra decided not to worry. His brother was trying to keep him alive, which was all that mattered to him at the moment.

  Once he felt that he could stand, Thetra carefully put his hand on his knee and stood up. He wobbled a bit, yet he stayed on his feet, glad he was able to do an important task in his life: stand.

  “Can you walk?” asked Arek.

  Thetra nodded as he walked over to his brother. Strangely, he felt much better than that morning when he had collapsed into a bundled heap as the sunlight hit his eyes.

  “Ho, Thetra!” yelled a voice that was coming from the door leading inside the building. Thetra turned his head to see Algonge walking toward him.

  “Ho, Algonge!” replied Thetra, delighted to see someone besides Arek who we trusted. No. I can’t trust him yet, scolded Thetra, arguing with himself.

  “How do you do today?” asked Algonge, who knew nothing about Thetra’s health.

  “I’m quite sick. I just puked and drank five buckets of water.” Thetra grinned. “But I do feel loads better now.”

  “Well, that’s good. We’re going to need our leader to lead us into the battle.”

  “Aye,” agreed Thetra. “I’m going to slowly start training again, that way I won’t get sick again nor will I not be training.”