The Dragon's Consort

Chapter 21

ZURDEN

A few minutes earlier...

Zurden huffed and panted as he dropped the last slayer's corpse. His looked around for his brothers, and they were all still standing. Sure they all have minor injuries, cuts and gashes, but nothing that wouldn't heal, especially with Armos as their healer.

Suddenly something clicked in his mind. Sarros.

He needed to make sure the boy was safe, had succeeded in finding Kev and Sephira. He once again checked his brothers, making sure they'd be fine. Before taking off into the trees, following Sarros' scent.

Then the ground violently shook. Sarros was in danger.

He fell backwards, twisting his wrist almost completely. It was horrendously broken. He winced but stood, biting down the pain and continuing, even as the bone snapped back into place with a wicked crack.

The youngling scent was faint, but it was still there. But there was also a ridiculous amount of blood. Even more than there had been in the main camp. The slayers must've been after Sarros specifically, but why? They had to have heard something from someone in Limebrook. That was the only explanation.

He kept running. Soon he was able to see Sarros fighting desperately behind through the trees.

He kept running, watching in horror as Sarros tore out a slayer's heart with his bare hands.

He kept running, even as the kid fell to his knees and started laughing like a mad man.

Then the sound of something cutting through the air assaulted his ears. His heart lurched as he saw an arrow pierce Sarros' chest. The boy was thrown back by the sheer force of the arrow.

Zurden couldn't help but roar as the the boy started choking and suffocating on his own blood. He could see the arrow doing its damage. As the youngling's body started stitching itself back together, the arrow corroded it away again. Back and forth. Constantly reinjuring. He could only imagine the agony. He rushed towards him, but was still too far away.

Then a shockwave exploded from the boy. Then the forest broke. Everything was burning and snapping. The world beneath him opened its maw and threatened to swallow him whole. He leapt to the side but pushed even faster.

The sky itself threatened him. It stormed and raged. Thunder and lighting clouding his senses, so intense he couldn't see or hear anything. He waited for the feeling of rain but never felt any. It was beyond odd, but he had to get to Sarros. That was all that mattered.

He only paused when the shape of a slayer fell from a tree. They were frozen in shock, completely paralyzed. Shadows of life stealing magic crept up their jaw, into their cheeks, then their eyes. Their skin lost all color, getting darker and darker. Black blood leaked from every orifice as they slowly warped and dissolved into a sticky ash. Even the bones had started dissolving. It was horrifying to witness.

"Sarros!"

He yelled and hollered, trying to get the kid's attention. The poor thing sat up, looking like a broken and bleeding mess. He scooped the boy into his arms, hoping and praying it would somehow help.

What the boy needed was to shift. His dragon would heal any injuries. But the boy was scared, and slowly dying. But Zurden wouldn't let him die. Not a chance. Even if he had to crawl on his hands and knees to get to the underworld to bargain with the King of Souls himself.

The boy then pushed something into his hands. He opened his palm to see the kid's favorite trinket. He understood the meaning. He wanted Zurden to keep it safe. So that's what he did, tucking it into a pocket until the boy had finished his shift and was ready to take it.