Wrath of the Dragon, page 25
The angels and prisoners ran over to join me, and we stared down at the dark ground to see it was crawling with demons.
But they weren’t trying to attack us. They were running away.
Underlings and higher-ups from every hidden corner of the castle were fleeing into the maze, and some of them ran off toward the hills on the other side of the castle as they snarled among themselves.
“They’re leaving,” Cyra breathed. “They’re all leaving!”
We watched the sea of demons run across the Night Lands, and the further away they got, the more the purple light above us began to fade.
Then I realized the orbs were dying everywhere I looked, and one of the smaller ones seemed to fizzle out completely before it vanished into the darkness.
“The orbs!” a farmer cried. “They’re dying out with the king!”
I glanced over to see the king was now just a pile of burning bones, and that must have meant the magic of the orbs was vanishing, too.
“Shit,” I hissed. “We’re going to have to use fires and torches to light up the place. Cyra, you can lead us down into the castle with your light, and we can find supplies. I can use my dragon form while we travel to light the way.”
“I don’t think that will be necessary,” Nisha said.
The blue-haired angel stared up at the sky with the hint of a smile on her full lips. I followed her gaze with confusion as the orbs started to go out more rapidly.
“What do you mean?” I asked. “This entire land is about to be plunged into complete darkness.”
“Trust me,” Nisha said calmly. “I can feel them.”
“Feel what?” I asked, and Cyra shrugged.
The final orbs that were left in the sky fizzled out, and I heard the screams and confusion echo from various creatures all across the land. I stood in complete blackness on top of the castle, and everyone on the roof was silent along with me.
Whatever Nisha had sensed, she must have made a mistake. It wasn’t her fault, she was weak from being held captive, and I didn’t blame her. But I started to think how long it would take to make sure everyone in the land had enough candles before I suddenly spotted something in the sky.
Something distant and bright that looked like flickering gold.
It was a star.
“What the…?” I breathed, and the entire sky began to glow as thousands of stars sprang into view.
Then I saw the huge, circular shape slowly appear above us, and I watched in awe as the moon arrived in the sky. It became brighter and brighter until it filled the whole land with moonlight.
The Night Lands had been saved.
Chapter 17
Nobody spoke for a few moments as we stared up at the sky. The full moon was huge, and it filled the whole land with silver light. The stars sparkled wildly against the inky sky in a way I’d never witnessed on Earth, and I could suddenly see right over the maze and into the low hills and forest.
“The moon is home,” Nisha breathed, and the rooftop exploded into chaos.
“What the hell?” Cyra cried as she threw her hands up. “How is this happening? Ryan, what did you do? You brought back the moon?”
“I don’t think I did.” I shrugged.
That’s when I realized the celebrations and cheering all over the Night Lands had suddenly turned into battle cries. I looked out past the maze to see hordes of forest creatures erupting from the trees, and hundreds of species began to attack the fleeing demons.
It looked like the Night Lands were finally fighting back.
“Holy shit,” I said. “Everyone’s come out to kill off the remaining purple demon fuckers.”
“It’s carnage.” Cyra grinned. “I haven’t seen everyone working together like this in more years than I can recall. They’re all… they’re all on the same side again.”
Even from our distant spot on the castle roof, we could make out the shapes of humanoid and animal creatures slaughtering the purple demons. Their screeches echoed out over the land, and so did the cheers of the residents.
I was shocked at how brightly the Night Lands shone under the moonlight. There were jewel-toned colors everywhere that hadn’t been visible under the orbs. The trees glowed with ruby and emerald leaves, and the silver particles in the black waters sparkled as they flowed through the currents. I could see flocks of silver bats dive over the forest while the moonlight seemed to make their wings glow, and blue-tinted owls soared past with loud hoots.
“It’s beautiful,” I said. “So this is what the land used to always look like?”
“That’s right,” Nisha said with obvious pride. “The moon will dull in a few hours when it’s time to sleep again, and it will follow its waning and waxing cycle throughout each month to help this land flourish, along with all of the night creatures who inhabit it.”
I ran a hand through my hair as I stared out over the Night Lands. As demons were killed all around us, I felt like a massive weight had been lifted from me. I was pumped full of adrenaline, and I could feel my power pulsing in my fingertips.
We had done this. Somehow, after every crazy thing I’d lived through since arriving here, I’d helped bring this place back to life.
“The moon is back,” a Luna breathed. “This cannot be happening.”
“It is,” a farmer said. “It’s back in the sky! So are all of the stars! Our crops are saved. The whole land is saved!”
“I don’t know how this happened,” a dwarf grunted. “But I’m happy we have a dragon of the gods on our side again.”
There was a murmur of agreement, and Cyra grinned at me.
I didn’t quite know what to say to that, though, so I cleared my throat.
“Thank you all for your bravery,” I told the group. “I honestly wouldn’t have been able to do this without you all.”
“Are you joking?” a dwarf snorted. “You are the one we have to thank! You broke us free and brought down the king! You brought back the normal night sky!”
The group cheered and clapped, and Cyra reached up to give me a kiss on the cheek. Having her by my side meant everything to me, and I gripped her hand tightly as the prisoners celebrated.
“I really don’t think it was all me, but I’m just glad I could help,” I said. “It looks like there’s going to be a lot to catch up on, you should get back to your homes and people.”
“We will.” A dwarf nodded. “Thank you, Ryan the dragon. I don’t know how, but you’ve brought the Night Lands back to life.”
He gave me a swift bow, and the rest of the group did the same. I felt slightly embarrassed at their reaction, but I didn’t completely hate it.
“You don’t have to bow!” I laughed. “All I want is for you to celebrate this together. Make sure no species is left out. Oh, and can you take the starlets out of the dungeon to wherever they live? They’re cute, but they don’t look like their navigational brains would be up to the task.”
“We’ll take them back to the forest.” A Luna smiled. “Today, the whole of the Night Lands will rejoice.”
“It’s party time!” one of the farmers yelled, and they all jumped onto each other with cheers.
“Farewell, dragon of the gods!” a dwarf called as the group turned to leave. “Thank you for everything.”
The group hurried over the piles of corpses toward the doorway, and the Moon Pixie gave me a slow nod before he left, too. I was left on the rooftop with the two angels, and I took a deep breath as a gentle wind picked up.
“Sooo,” Cyra said as she twirled her hair. “Formal introduction now that it’s quiet: Nisha is my best friend and sister, and this is Ryan who is… well, that’s a long story.”
“I’m just a fireman,” I chuckled. “A fireman who died and ended up in this world recently. But it’s amazing to meet you, Nisha.”
“He used to be just a fireman,” Cyra sighed. “He was a mortal man when he arrived, but as you saw, he has developed powers beyond anything we’ve ever seen before.”
“You’re a dragon shifter.” Nisha nodded. “I didn’t know that could happen after a binding.”
I felt my face flush slightly as the night angel immediately guessed how I’d gotten my powers, but she seemed utterly unfazed by it. Nisha was quiet now, but her silver eyes studied me as if she had somehow just learned everything she needed to know in the brief silence we shared.
I tried not to look too closely at her petite figure, but her pert breasts were displayed so well in that silver top. Her legs were short but sculpted, and I wondered if every Throne angel was this insanely gorgeous.
“I think you brought the moon home,” the night angel said thoughtfully after a long moment.
“I didn’t,” I said. “I killed the king, but I don’t even have the slightest idea how the moon came back. Cyra told me all about how the gods took it away with the stars, so it doesn’t make any sense.”
“It does.” Nisha smiled.
I blinked at the night angel, and Cyra grinned at her friend.
“You’re going to have to expand on that, sister,” the fire angel giggled. “As much as I love how mysterious you are, we need some more information. What are you thinking?”
The night angel looked up at the sky, and her silver eyes reflected the moonlight as she smiled.
“The gods took the moon away because of the constant wars,” she finally replied. “The folks of the Night Lands could never be at peace, and so their way of life was stripped from them as a punishment.”
“I knew that part,” I said. “They took the dragons first as a warning, and then when that didn’t work, they just left.”
“The world was broken because nobody got along,” Nisha sighed. “But you brought the Night Lands together again, Ryan. You made everyone see that their only real enemies in this land were the demons. Before they were here, these people could have lived peacefully, as one. Everyone is fighting together now, and so, the moon has come home.”
“I agree,” Cyra said. “The gods punished Dracoria for what they did to each other. Not just across lands, but within them. Now this land has been rewarded for healing, and it’s all because of you. You’re a hero.”
“It still doesn’t make sense,” I said with a frown. “Isn’t returning the moon something that only a god could do? Did the night goddess return?”
Nisha closed her eyes and tilted her head back a little, and when she opened them again, there was a slight sadness in the silver orbs.
“No, my goddess has not returned to me,” she sighed. “I would know if she had.”
“Which means…” Cyra grinned. “It seems that your powers are even greater than we could have possibly known.”
I stared up at the full moon, and it blew my mind to think that I could have actually been the reason it had returned. This new world was so bizarre and full of surprises, but it felt incredible to know I’d helped it heal. Maybe this whole dragon hero thing was my calling? Maybe this was why I hadn’t felt ready for my life to end before.
Technically, it wasn’t time for me to fully perish.
Then I wondered if there was a reason I woke up in this world specifically, and it was somehow my job to start to rebuild it land by land.
Was there a way to help the other lands of Dracoria?
Cyra had told me there were other Throne angels trapped out there, and maybe I could help them like I had done with Nisha? If I could rally together the people of the Night Lands, surely there was a chance for everywhere else?
“Ryan,” Cyra said as she squeezed my hand. “Are you okay? You’ve gone all quiet.”
“I was just thinking,” I said. “Freeing this land is the best thing I could have done with my time here. I want to keep doing it.”
“Keep doing it?” Cyra repeated. “You mean… Ryan, do you mean you want to keep traveling this world?”
“Yeah.” I nodded. “If we can get to those other trapped angels, then maybe we can…”
I was cut off as the fire angel leapt up and pressed her lips against mine. Her kiss tasted sweet as I locked her in my arms, and the heat that blazed between us suddenly made me eager for our next night together. Everything about my new life here was amazing, but being close with Cyra was by far the best element of it all.
The fire angel grabbed my biceps and gave them a playful squeeze, and when she pulled back from my lips, her golden eyes sparkled with excitement. Then she flicked her burgundy hair over her shoulder and shot Nisha a wink as she stepped back.
The night angel grinned, and I felt my stomach do a backflip as I took in her beauty. How the hell did I get so lucky to be standing with the two most beautiful beings I had ever seen in my life?
“Sorry…” Cyra smirked. “I interrupted you.”
“That’s okay,” I chuckled. “I enjoy those kinds of interruptions.”
“I could tell,” Nisha said, and Cyra snorted with laughter.
“Continue,” Cyra said. “You really want to keep going with this whole rescue mission thing?”
“I really do,” I said truthfully. “I feel like this whole quest was almost like my calling. I know I can help other lands. Just because the gods gave up on them, doesn’t mean that everyone should.”
“We’ll need to be fast,” Cyra said as she began to pace. “There are so many angels out there, and we may already be running out of time!”
“I think we’ll be okay,” Nisha said as she gently took Cyra’s arm. “If we have Ryan with us, then I believe we can save them all.”
The night angel’s belief in me meant a lot considering we’d only just met, and it proved how powerful my dragon form must be to have been given such trust from her.
“You really think we can do this?” Cyra asked as she played with her burgundy hair.
“I think Ryan has greatness in him,” Nisha said carefully. “I think he can do more than just save the Throne angels, and I think we could restore Dracoria to the world it once was. Or make it even better.”
“Woah!” I laughed. “I know I have these powers now, but I’m still just a firefighter. I know I can help, and I want to save the others, but the whole of Dracoria? That’s a tall order. Isn’t this world enormous?”
“That’s why nobody else has ever done it,” the night angel said. “It’s like we have all just been waiting for you to arrive, and now you’re here.”
“The lands could all be freed,” Cyra added. “If you can reunite the people of one land, you could unite the whole of Dracoria, and… since the gods are gone, you could rule them…”
Both angels stared at me intensely, and for some reason, the thought of taking on that challenge didn’t terrify me. I had a power that no other mortal had ever been given, and that had to mean something. I didn’t know why I had been thrown into this crazy world, but I felt more alive than ever before. My purpose had always been to help people, and now I had the chance to help thousands, maybe even millions, of people all over a whole new world.
I couldn’t turn my back on them. I couldn’t stop fighting for what was right.
“I still know so little about this world,” I reminded the angels. “I would need a hell of a lot of help.”
“That’s lucky.” Cyra grinned. “Because I was thinking of sticking around with you, and I basically know everything. What do you think, Nisha? Should we join forces with the dragon man to save the world?”
Nisha studied me for a moment, and her cerulean hair tumbled over one shoulder as she cocked her head.
“I think that’s a good idea,” she replied. “After all, we are the two Throne angels best suited for the job.”
“Then it’s settled.” I grinned. “We’re going to go and… save the world?”
“Yes!” Cyra yelled. “Now that I have my sister with me, I feel even more energized. We should celebrate! Every other creature in the land will be.”
“What are you thinking?” I asked, and Cyra grabbed my hand.
She pulled me and Nisha along as we raced along the rooftop, and I gave one final glance at the body of the Demon King. It wasn’t really a body anymore, just a pile of black ash and bloodstains on stone. His golden throne had been slightly melted, too, from the blaze of my fires, and I had to admit it was satisfying to see the number of demon corpses we had slain.
Cyra led us through the corridor and onto the top floor. The smell of the dead demons was powerful, and I gagged slightly as we stepped over the blood-soaked bodies.
“I knew I saw a kitchen up here!” the fire angel said as we hurried toward a slightly open door. “I spotted it when we were fighting.”
Cyra pushed the door open to reveal a large room filled with a mess of broken plates and rotten food. The kitchen was covered in stains, and it stunk of mold and old milk.
“Lovely,” I sniffed. “I’m not sure I want any of this food, to be honest.”
The angel threw me a smirk and strode over to a wine rack. There was a mess of broken glass below it, but there were still a few unbroken bottles on the top shelf. She hovered up to grab one and then waved the bottle at me.
“Moondrop wine?” she offered.
“Fuck yes,” I laughed. “Can you both drink it, too?”
“We can.” Nisha nodded. “Drinks are like food for us, we don’t need much, but it’s nice to have them sometimes.”
“And humans use wine to celebrate!” Cyra said. “I know this about mortals. Let’s go and sit on one of the balconies before we leave.”
The idea of a well-deserved rest was too tempting to turn down, and we made our way down to the next floor.
“Who did this castle used to belong to?” I asked as we reached the bloodstained floor. “Someone is going to have a hell of a job cleaning all of this up.”
“It was a kind of temple,” Nisha answered. “It was built to be used for anyone who needed a home, and there was a church to worship the gods downstairs. Of course, the demons destroyed it all, so there isn’t much left.”
“I’m sure the people will find a use for it again,” I said. “There’s no point letting a place like this just sit around and collect dust.”
“It will be rebuilt,” Nisha assured me. “The people of the Night Lands loved to get together here for parties. I doubt they will rebuild the temple again, though. Their gods did not save them from this darkness.”
