A boy born with Serpentblood. An exiled dwarf in pursuit of his destiny. A she-elf guided by a religious prophecy.
Together, they must rise to find the coveted Light of the World, a saviour who promises to tip the scale of waging Spiritual War in t...
The ground shook beneath Loranna's feet, the shrapnel of rock breaking away from the larger formations on the mountain. She watched the barrier of mist clear beyond the southern edges of Rhodeus.
Thunder echoed across the sky, and a searing light touched down on a small island in the distance, the white glare on the ocean's surface compelling her to shield her eyes or risk blinding them.
Sister and Brother Forsaken watched the turmoil unfold, Cannibal releasing a vigorous roar as she led the other six dragons in a final flight spiral around Rimera's lower fortress.
Loranna smiled.
Wherever Heran goes, trouble follows.
Alas, the traitors had been found.
"Return to your dragons!" Loranna said, securing the rapier sword to her hilt. She started to run towards the edge of Rimera's tallest peak. "We ride south."
Loranna lept off the edge and spun through the air in a downward circle until Cannibal swooped underneath and caught her rider securely on her wings. With the wind surging through her black hair, Loranna strapped herself into a bone saddle and leaned forward as Cannibal dove towards the water until her talons nearly caressed the indigo waves.
The other dragons merged into their triangular formation, their arrow of death gliding towards the mysterious island, yearning to claim their long-awaited prey.
I am her words. I am her ears. I must show no fear.
***
A joyful chorus of birds twittered to one another in the breeze as the dust settled in Conquest Square. In the wake of the blitz of light, the surrounding buildings, including the High Court Hall, had been levelled to the ground, their remaining structural framework severed and crumbling like broken bones within a gentle white fire that consumed them.
Heran coughed with intensity. Veins bulged from his throat while crushed stone and wood chips smeared over his face. He heaved himself onto his forearms and, to his surprise, found his shackles undone.
"Zonis!" Heran called. The grey smoke surrounding him slowly thinned to reveal the destructive aftermath. The wooden pillar had vanished, and no evidence of it or Ackie was left to be observed. Left behind was the bare platform, covered in soft white flames. Heran reached to touch it carefully, and the fire wrapped around his fingers without inflicting pain. It almost tickled.
Heran noticed Lady Forraine standing in the same spot she had before the grand thunder and light display interrupted her celebration. However, as he investigated her further, he found that the monarch had changed.
She had become a pillar of stone.
Heran glanced over the remains of the crowd. Each present body had suffered the same fate, either collapsed on the ground or standing with their arms shielding their eyes in their final moments. Conquest Square had been drained of life, now the visual representation of a sculptor's workshop.
"If you are done admiring the stonework, please get me out of here!"
Zonis's voice desperately pulled Heran's attention to the young dwarf, who lay not far from his position, pinned under the weight of a fallen soldier.
"Thank El Olam, you are still alive!" Heran said, running to the dwarf's aide. He grabbed the stone soldier's shoulder, expecting to use all his strength to move him. Instead, upon Heran's touch, the soldier crumbled to dust. Only his silver armour, sword, and shield remained.
Zonis dusted off his jacket and trousers and scrunched his nose, his face covered in stone powder. "Disgusting."
Heran picked up the armour and watched the metal glint in the emerging sunlight. He felt a warmth on the back of his neck, the dark clouds dispersing to reveal the radiant blue sky.
"Ackie..." Zonis said, jumping onto the platform. He examined the statue of Lady Forraine and cleared the burnt branches covering the area the she-elf had once possessed. "Is she dead?"
"I do not know," said Heran.
He held the fallen soldier's sword up to the light. When he brought it down, seven objects appeared from the north, growing in size. It wasn't until a breath of fire spewed smoke into the air that Heran realized the dragons had found them. The wall of mist was gone, revealing Swaan Tull like a newborn to a chaotic world eager to devour it.
"Then the fate of our quest had been decided. We failed," Zonis said with remorse. He fell to his knees on the platform and slumped forward in defeat.
"Without Ackie or the map, the light of the world is lost," Heran said. "We were too late."
"Not quite," said a voice.
Heran turned to find Taris shuffling towards him, the young man's feet starting to solidify into rock while he held out Ackie's black satchel for the Talon to claim.
"You saved it," Heran spoke. "Why?"
Zonis grunted. "Is this another trap, shipwright? Why should we trust you?"
"All I wanted was to keep my people safe," Taris said.
"The light of the world would have saved all of us!" Zonis replied. "In your arrogance, your people have condemned everyone to death!"
"Almost," Heran said. He opened the satchel and found Ackie's map folded inside. The outside edges were partially charred but still intact.
Taris took another step and then stopped, unable to move. The stone curse crawled up his legs, his fingertips turning grey while the skin over his chin started to harden. Tears stained his cheeks. "Ackie told me I would be an instrument for El Olam, a pivotal piece in freeing our world, but all I have done is forsake it."
He wept.
"I deserve this."
"You did free us, Taris," Heran said. He approached the shipwright and touched his shoulder gently. "You saved the map. The quest is restored."
"But at what cost?"
"This is war, Taris," Heran explained. "The simple acts of bravery and selflessness, regardless of one's past, define the outcome of the final battle. We keep fighting because of you. You have given us a second chance."
Taris smiled. "Thank you, Heran. It appears I have become a Risen after all."
Taris took a final breath and submitted to the curse. His entire body hardened into stone, his head tilted back, and his eyes looking up at the sun.
"Find rest, child of El Olam," Heran said, cupping Taris's cold cheek "May we honour you in what comes next."
The chilling choir of dragon cries terrorized Swaan Tull. Heran watched the red menace of Cannibal cover the village in shadow as she glided above him. Without hesitation, Heran dressed in the fallen soldier's armour. He tightened the shoulder pads, adjusted the rounded breastplate, and raised the mighty sword and shield to challenge the hellish creature from afar.
Zonis watched the young Talon run for the base of the spire. "Where are you going?"
Heran furrowed his brows. "To kill a dragon."
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