Dark Dragon: Breaking the Seal

by PJ

 

 

Chapter 4

 

           Jordan eyed the barred double doors of the sanctuary one more time while Gema

placed a white candle on the floor before lighting it.  A pattern of gleaming

candles lay in the center of the chamber, creating flickering shadows that made

the general flinch instinctively.  Gema checked over her handiwork, smiled

grimly with satisfaction, then strode carefully into the center of the candle

lattice.  The red-maned girl clasped her hands in front of her, then began

whispering under her breath, her eyes squeezed shut with concentration. 

 

           Jordan held the hilt of his sheathed sword uneasily, the shadows along the

walls tickling the edge of his vision as he guarded over the young princess'

invocation.  The low murmurs and growls of the Orks outside the sanctuary

slowly faded away, replaced with a heart-pounding silence that made a thin

sheen of perspiration appear on Jordan's tanned brow.  Thunder rumbled in the

distance, slowly advancing until the chamber walls gently shook with the force

of the cacophony.  Gema's hair swirled around her back, then rose up to her

shoulders.  The girl's lips moved faster and faster, her pulse raced as the

magick drew closer to her summons.  A peal of thunder slammed against the room

like a catapult shot, forcing Jordan to grasp a nearby wall for support.  The

warrior wished there were windows to look out of, but the chamber was

surrounded by smooth, grey-faced walls of stone.  A nimbus of ruby light

appeared around Gema, it pulsed with life and power as more and more magick

poured out of the widening Seal.

           Gema groaned with ecstasy, she threw her thin arms apart, trying to embrace

the awesome magick that flooded through her body.  She leaned her head back,

licking her dry lips while moaning with sensual pleasure.  The princess

levitated into the air, burning like a great bonfire, dripping with flames of

magick.  Jordan covered his eyes with his right arm, the heat of the escaping

magick gently warming his armored body.

 

           "It's mine.  The magick is all mine," murmured Gema with a moan, sweat beading

on her face.  "Everything will be mine."

 

           Jordan slammed against the wall behind him when a spear of magickal flame dug

into the stone floor of the chamber, blasting a narrow tunnel to the very base

of the sanctuary.

 

           "Gema!  Shut off the flow!" shouted Jordan in mild panic.

 

            "No, I want more," groaned Gema, her mind lost in bliss.  The nimbus of

magick around Gema flared again, searing the robe from her body, leaving her

naked and glowing like a dread goddess.

 

           "Gema!  Stop it!" ordered Jordan, the rising heat slowly burning his skin.

 

           Annoyed at Jordan's imperious tone, Gema attempted to close the breech she had

made.  The princess frowned when nothing happened, so she concentrated harder,

using the constrainment spells she had learned from her ancient books.  Gema

screamed in agony when the magick lashed back, hurling her from the air into

the left- hand wall.  Jordan winced when he heard a sharp snap echo from the

impact.  The general ran to the limp girl's side, then stared when he

discovered her head lying at an odd angle.  Jordan slowly turned around to face

the pillar of fire growing from the center of the room, expanding out towards

him, consuming everything around it.

 

           "So much for ruling the world," said Jordan softly to himself before the

flames washed over him.

 

 

           Dark Dragon slept lightly in his dank lair, the bones and rotting remains of

many young women strewn around his black, reptilian body.  The worm snorted

sharply, then raised his head, his eyes glowing violet with power.

 

           "Some fool has broken the Seal.  How wonderful!" grinned Dark Dragon with

delight, his upper fangs gleaming with saliva.  The dragon walked on all four

legs out of the deep, crudely dug cave, then spread out his wings as he emerged

into the warm, clear night.  

 

          

 

           Dark Knight looked up at Dark Dragon's emergence, his gauntleted right hand

withdrawing from Rachel's upraised ass.  The black-armored warrior rose to his

feet, then awaited his master's orders.

 

           "Climb upon my back, we have business in the East," rumbled Dark Dragon while

he regarded the horizon to the south of his lair mouth.

 

           The knight silently crawled up Dark Dragon's hind leg to his spined back, then

found a smooth place to sit just before the worm caught a rising wind and shot

up into the twinkling sky.  Rachel wrapped her black robe around her naked

body, watching her serpentine master wheel about and fly east, to King

Flannar's lands.

 

          

           Dawn was slowly approaching when Mythas and Laurana emerged from the bushes.

Victoria lay in her bedroll, teeth clenched tightly to hold back the anger

boiling in her chest.  Mythas was kneeling down to re-kindle the fire when the

black-haired elf woman shot up into a sitting position and turned to face her

two companions.

 

           "How could you?  With your own sister?!" snarled Victoria.

 

           "I believe humans do it from time to time," shrugged Mythas unrepentantly.

 

           "We're elves!  We're better than humans!" spat Victoria as she shot up to her

feet, hands clenched into trembling fists.  "Our culture is centuries older

than theirs!  Have we sunk so low, become so decadent?"

 

           "You're not exactly an icon of virtue either," retorted Mythas gently as

flames crackled back to life.  "I knew of your reputation with Rodger before I

hired you."

 

           "Fucking humans is one thing, but incest with our own kind is another,"

observed Victoria with arms crossed over her breasts.

 

           "I love Laurana, and she loves me.  It's only natural that we express our love

physically as well as with words," said Mythas with a gentle glance at his

younger sister.

"I think you've been with humans too long, you're adopting their quaint

taboos."

 

           "That's it!  You can have your job back, I'm leaving," replied Victoria before

she bent down to retrieve her bedroll.

 

           "That's your answer to everything, run away," said Mythas with a shake of his

head.  "You did the same thing with Rodger, remember?"

 

           "Shut up.  I'm glad I never went back to Elfin Wood if this is what it's like

now," retorted Victoria before she marched to her tethered horse.

 

           "That horse is ours," whispered Laurana into her brother's left ear.

 

           "Let her have it, she's too good a swords-woman to make an issue about it,"

replied Mythas.  "Let's pack up and get going."

 

           Victoria secured her saddlebags, then jumped into the saddle.  Glancing once

more at her two fellow elves, Victoria frowned sadly, then snapped her mount's

reins, galloping swiftly to the west.

 

 

           Rodger led the squad of Royal Guard across the grassy plain, the sun slowly

rising from the horizon behind them.  The black and white-streaked stallion

beneath him pounded the rich earth as it ran, propelling the grim-faced warrior

towards the domain of the evil worm, Dark Dragon.  Rodger briefly touched the

jeweled pommel of his sword, Nightbane, the silver hilt shining in the

brightening sunlight.  The fighter returned his watchful gaze to the plain

before him, his mouth set in determination to rid the land of the blood-thirsty

serpent.

 

           The soldiers traveled many leagues, heading towards the fortress of Sentinel

when a large, winged silhouette rose into the air and began flapping towards

them.  Smoke plumes curled into the blue sky, growing larger and larger as the

jewel on Nightbane began to glow with a bright inner light.

 

           "Sentinel's been attacked," remarked one of the Royal Guard.  "I hope they

held the worm off."

 

           "This time I don't think so," replied Rodger just before Dark Dragon vomited a

huge, purple stream of fire from miles away, the molten beam chewing deep into

the earth as it slid towards the armored squad. 

 

           "Split up!" ordered Rodger as he drew Nightbane and charged his horse to the

left. 

 

           Two soldiers were too slow, they screamed briefly before the purple fire

stream incinerated their bodies and steeds, not even leaving ash to mark their

passing.  Dark Dragon roared over the remaining four guardsmen and Rodger,

tilting slightly to the right so an armored form could dive down.  Dark Knight

landed on both booted feet, drew two long swords, then charged the nearest

soldier.  The guard was still unsheathing his weapon when Dark Knight slashed

into him, opening wide rents into his stomach.  Before the first guard fell

limply from his horse, Dark Knight leapt at his next foe, knocking aside his

weak thrusts before burying both blades in the man's innards.  Dark Dragon

hovered in the air, watching with amusement as his servant butchered the King's

best warriors.  Rodger dismounted from his steed, then advanced on Dark Knight,

Nightbane glowing with a pure, white radiance.

 

           Dark Knight dispatched the last guardsman with a slash to the throat, then

spun when he sensed the magick in Rodger's sword.  Rodger mockingly saluted the

obsidian- garbed knight, then launched a series of swift swipes at his

opponent.  Dark Knight parried the blows easily until Nightbane shattered his

own black steel sword.  Rodger didn't give the undead warrior a moment to react

before impaling him through the breastplate.  Silver sparks gushed over Dark

Knight's form as the shining blade slid into his ghostly body, destroying his

evil existence. 

 

           Dark Dragon roared in anger as he watched Dark Knight's empty armor clatter to

the ground.  Rodger spun to face the dragon, his blade burning with righteous

vengeance.

 

           "That bitch Nightmane couldn't kill me with that knife, you won't either,"

snarled Dark Dragon before he inhaled deeply, then blew out a second stream of

violet plasma.

 

           Rodger dived to the left, then flung out Nightbane.  He watched as the sword

spun end of end, spinning like a lethal wheel before it bit deeply into Dark

Dragon's belly.  The worm screeched in agony, then shuddered when his break in

concentration released the magick, allowing it to burst forth.  Rodger was

blown off his feet as Dark Dragon exploded, a purple ball of flame consuming

his oily, scaled flesh.  The ball of flame expanded into a hollow ring, roaring

out in an ever-widening circle until it disappeared from sight.  Rodger rose

slowly into a sitting position, then sighed with relief.  He jumped to his feet

when he heard galloping come from behind him.

 

           "Need a ride, handsome warrior?" smiled Victoria from the vantage of her

mare's back.

 

           "I do indeed, fair lady," grinned Rodger happily at the sight of his love.

 

           "This time we're definitely going to the southern isles," insisted Victoria

before she helped Rodger climb into the saddle behind her.

 

           "Wherever you go, I shall follow," promised Rodger as he wrapped his arms

around Victoria's slim waist.

 

           "Then let's go," declared Victoria with a snap of her horse's reins, urging

the beast south across the green, vibrant plain.

 

The End.