The Dragon King's Servant: Rise of the Daemon King

Chapter Fifty-Two: Auntie

Lucian and Melanie, deep within a two hour slumber, sprang to their feet at the sudden surge of power. The immense quake shook the ground and jostled the air. Ripples of raw energy tingled across their skin, momentarily paralyzing them. Melanie was aware of its intensity, however, Lucian was aware of its nature. It was more than just destructive and deep. It was vast as an ocean and had the glimmer of something more.

Something...divine. 'Is there such a thing as divine daemons?' His question went unanswered as two more explosions of similar but smaller magnitudes went off.
One at each gated direction.

"They are attacking the gates. All of them." Melanie said, alarm in her tone.

"Yes." Lucian said, already reaching for his pure draconic essence. "Head into the city. Round up everyone you can and take them to the palace."

*****

Maalceus and Kelly rushed across the city in their mixed humanoid form. Maalceus, his charcoal gray body burning and smoking like a walking natural disaster, stood just over seven feet tall. The dark flames around his body burned like his emotions; steady and anxious. Kelly, was less than a step behind him. Her slender body was a mix of yellow scales and cracked charred skin that glowed like searing hot embers. Her orange, red, yellow and black hair flowed behind her as she ran.

Steam and fumes followed her, rather than smoke and char. Only half a foot shorter than Maalceus, she was slightly faster but just as sturdy. Their enchanted armored robes of matching orange and black that flowed behind them came to a stop as they slowed. The expression on their charred and glowing hot faces expressed every emotion they felt without needing to use words.

All around the broken open north gate, citizens laid dead. At least they assumed that, what was left of them was the citizens. Though it was nearly impossible to tell through all the debris and rubble. A massive thirty foot wide crater was all that remained of the north gate. The five foot deep crater still smoked and glowed with brighter embers. Charred and ashen bodies were strewn around haphazardly like discarded dolls. Hundreds more were buried under feet of rubble and ash.

*****

Maaltaire's head ached and his body stung. The enchanted fabric along with the armor had shielded him from the bits of metal and stone that had turned into projectiles. His senses screamed for him to draw upon his daemonic essence and he didn't shy away. Even with his head aching and his thoughts clouded, his body shifted. His tan skin shifted to a dark crimson color. Thick jagged cracks in his skin opened up where bright magmatic energy erupted.

His body grew from six feet to seven feet tall and his armor with it. A crown of horns grew out from his head, curving up and over. His nails became claws and his back burst with twin wings that steamed and burned. Maaltaire sprang to his feet and looked at the destruction around him with horror and guilt. Dozens were dead, even more were injured. Blood pooled from under rocks and rubble. Several bodies were burned to a charred crisp. He could smell their cooked flesh and burnt hair.

A handful of guards were getting to their feet but it was obvious they had been shaken. Their minds were a blur of disoriented thoughts and pain. Children cried over their dying parents. Parents screamed for the loss of their children and partners. In a matter of moments, the same walls that had offered them protection, had become their demise.
Maaltaire shifted his gaze to the enemy which was flooding through the gate.

Their bodies burned like daemons but they had the appearance of elves. Thin and tall, sleek features but hardly any resemblance to what they had once been. Behind the mass of turned elves, two tall figures walked steadily closer.

*****

Shauna's ability to shift in rapid and quick order had saved not just her but everyone at the gate. Joona had been slow to react as Shauna unfurled her wings and rushed the front gate. With her magmatic skin blazing bright and her rage skyrocketing to new levels, she made herself into a barrier. The blast of fire and daemonic energy did little to pain Shauna. The force behind the blast was another matter. The fires melted through the gate with the force of a hurricane.

Shauna contained it though. She screamed in pain as the force of the blast created fissures in her armored skin causing it to crack like glass. After what seemed like an eternity, the blast dissipated and she fell to her knees. Unaware that a small army was only feet away.

*****

Lucian took the lead. His draconic form was a massive creature of darkness and looming shadows. In the cover of night, he was practically invisible. Melanie on the other hand, stood out like a beacon. Her bright white scales shimmered in the night. While it made an impressive target, it made a beacon of hope for those who were suffering and afraid. The air tingled with electricity as Lucian drew closer. That tingling went cold when Melanie followed after.

'The gate!' Melanie said.
Lucian looked down and saw that the gate and a massive section of the wall was gone.
'Can you seal it?' He asked.
Melanie rose and shot down like an arrow. Daemonic elves were already through the wall. Their bodies burning with daemon essence. What few people were left alive fleed the wall. They hobbled and limped away from the danger as fast as their injured bodies could carry them.