Wrath of the Dragon 3, page 23
The hall was lined with silver doors, but the lack of guards around them made me guess Ruby wasn’t inside. Broken glass littered the dark carpet, and I passed by a few smashed display boxes I assumed used to hold some rare gems or jewelry.
Then the sound of multiple footsteps rang out from the left, and I spun around to see three of the huge, red-veined higher-ups storming down the hall. It didn’t look like they had spotted me as they snarled at each other, but I would absolutely be seen if I stayed in the open corridor.
Hoping with every bone in my body that there wasn’t something worse on the other side, I quietly pushed open one of the silver doors and slipped into the room.
My stomach turned as I looked around the space to see it was filled with bloodstones, and inside were gnome-like creatures. They all had emerald-green skin with little wooly beards. Most of them were clutching onto small swords, and it looked like they had been trapped while fighting. They stood in a tight row, and I glanced further back to see two gnome children stuck in the same bloodstone cluster together. A small boy and girl clutched each other with their faces looking so small and scared, and angry red veins pulsed around them.
Fiery anger welled up in my chest.
Those fuckers.
I felt ready to slit the throat of the next demon I saw, but I took a breath to calm myself down.
The demons in the hallway raced past the room, and I pressed an ear to the door as they ran by my hiding spot and carried on up the stairs. I waited a few seconds until the footsteps were above the ceiling just to make sure none of them had lingered back to investigate.
“I’ll get you out of there,” I muttered to the gnomes as I slipped back out into the hall.
Then I raced to the next staircase, and I shuddered as I noticed the dark stains all over the carpeted floor. It looked like pools of dried blood, and I wondered how many folks from the palace hadn’t made it out at all. Maybe those who had fought back too fiercely had been murdered on the spot. It could explain the stench of decay that seemed to be burned into the floor.
I ran upstairs past a few more bloodstones, but then I froze as I saw there was just one huge landing at the top.
“Shit,” I hissed as I dove behind a smashed-up statue of what I assumed was once a crystal man.
The figure’s whole upper half had been destroyed, but there was just enough left of his legs and pedestal for me to crouch behind as I scanned the area around me.
There were four silver doors along the back wall, but the one in the middle was made of gold. It was twice the size of the other entrances, and there were four two-headed demons stationed outside. But their bulky frames didn’t completely hide the wall behind them, and it was made of glass panels that sparkled like diamonds. The wall had a silver sheen to it, but I could still see through it to the other side.
I moved to peer around the other half of the statue, and my breath caught in my throat as I spotted the biggest bloodstone I had seen inside the guarded room. The massive tomb sat in the center of a huge room with what looked like solid golden walls and ceiling, and I could just barely make out who was trapped inside.
It was Ruby.
There was no doubt in my mind.
The angel had skin that sparkled like a crystal, even beneath the bloodstones, and long waves of silver hair were frozen around her like a halo. Her face was turned away from me, but I could see that she had her arms raised as if she was trying to cast some kind of spell, and her golden wings were spread out behind her. Each feather shone brightly in the eerie red glow of her prison, and I swallowed hard as I eyed the lilac dress that clung to her lean body.
She looked so incredibly ethereal, even as a hostage, and I felt a sudden urge to race through every demon to try and cut her out of there myself.
I had seen what just being close to the bloodstones did to angels, so I knew Ruby must have been completely drained of power after being trapped inside one. But at least she hadn’t been brought out for the sacrifice yet, and I hoped that would remain the case.
After what I’d seen of these demons so far, I had a feeling there might be some kind of sick ceremony before they got to their main prize. They’d want to drag out the final ritual, and they’d probably drain all the souls they had pulled out to the turrets first before they feasted on the main event.
Evil fucking bastards.
The sky had started to turn inky blue outside, and I knew it was time to move before the stars were fully out. I gave Ruby one final look before I started to race back down the stairs, and even though it felt wrong to leave her, I silently promised her I would be back soon.
There was a sudden rise in the demonic chanting, and it sounded like they were attempting to sing in some kind of rehearsed tune. I couldn’t make out any actual words, but their screeches and yells were enough to make me want to cover my ears. Then footsteps above me stomped the ground in a steady rhythm, and a shiver rushed through me as I wondered if this was some kind of opening ceremony.
I raced down the second set of stairs as fast as my feet would carry me, but then I skidded to a halt as one of the underlings stopped in its tracks before me.
We stood face to face now.
But my sword had been pulled out and swung before the beast had a moment to think. I chopped the fucker’s head off, and it toppled down the stairs as the body slumped beside a bloodstone.
Then I kicked the corpse into the darkness and made sure it was hidden behind one of the tombs.
There wasn’t time to do much else with the body, so I ran down the stairs and grabbed the decapitated head on my way. I stuffed it behind a smashed-up display stand and raced over to the entrance hall and the dark doorway.
When I pushed open the golden entrance, it sounded like I had walked into some kind of evil circus. There was a tinny drum being smashed high up on one of the turrets, and the out of tune song made me shudder.
I checked that there were no demons around before I slipped outside, and I hurriedly changed into my disguised night dragon form. My viewpoint shot up higher as my muscles became scales, and I lunged up into the sky to see something glowing on the horizon.
It almost looked like the sun had started to rise again, but I knew the deep red glow peeking out was the blood moon.
The final ritual had truly begun.
I soared up into the night sky and disguised myself with the stars as I looked down at the palace, and I found each turret covered in bloodstones and dancing demons.
They scraped their talons over the ground to create an ear-piercing sound, and they banged gleefully against the trapped beings as if they were taunting them. I could see the excitement light up each set of demonic eyes, and they were overjoyed to be finally completing their sick sacrifice. They really believed they were about to consume every soul in this land for sustenance, but there was no way in hell that was happening.
These evil fuckers had no idea what was about to come their way.
I looked over to the Obsidian Hills with my night vision, and a huge grin spread over my dragon face as I looked out over a whole army of beings hiding deep within the valleys. Carbuncles sat with Crystal Pixies on their backs, and Amethyst Elves stood with multiple blades strapped over their backs. Every being I had spoken with in the Crystal Lands had come to rise up against the demons, and I felt a rush of pride as I took it all in.
They had been so broken apart since the demons came, and I knew so much trust had been broken since Ruby’s key was stolen. But I had rallied these beings and convinced them to come together for the greater good.
I spotted Cyra’s fiery red hair and soared down toward her. She was standing with the elves, but everyone was silent as I landed in the valley beside them. Then I turned back to my human form, and I hurried over to Cyra as my human feet appeared once more.
“Ryan,” she whispered as she flung her arms around me. “I was so worried.”
I gave her a tight squeeze before I pulled back, and I nodded at Ashryn and Solina, who stood at the front of their group.
“Did you find her?” Cyra asked. “Is Ruby alive?”
“I found her,” I said. “She’s trapped in a fucking massive cluster of bloodstones.”
The fire angel gasped and flung a hand over her mouth.
“Fuck,” she hissed. “I can’t even imagine how awful that is for her. Shit. Everyone’s here, though. They all came through for you, Ryan.”
“This is so incredible,” I said as I glanced over at the Crystal Gremlins hidden along the edge of the next hill.
“Brooke and I have spoken with them all,” Cyra said. “Each group told us how they were inspired by you. They wouldn’t have all come together like this if you hadn’t found them and inspired them.”
The angel’s amber eyes glowed as she smiled at me, and I stroked her cheek as the demons howled into the night.
“Thank you for everything,” I breathed. “Has Nisha come back yet?”
“She’s over there.” Cyra nodded as she pointed at the edge of an obsidian hill further back. “She’s still in her night form with the Crystal Trolls. Brooke’s further over with Zarrel and the amber beings. Even that snake-guy came.”
“Okay,” I said. “Then it’s time.”
I looked out at the glittering palace as the blood moon rose further into the sky.
These bastards were the most evil creatures we’d come up against yet, but they had no idea what I was capable of.
The Crystal Lands were about to be drenched in demonic blood.
Chapter 15
The demonic shrieks echoed out over the hills as the tainted moon rose in the sky. An eerie red glow settled over the land and gave the palace a bloody hue, so as soon as my fighters crossed over onto the hillside, they would be spotted.
We would need to start fighting the moment we stepped onto the Crystal Palace’s grounds, and it was going to be one hell of a battle.
I looked at the determined scowls of the Amethyst Elves, and I knew they were ready. The residents of the Crystal Lands stared unflinchingly at the palace as if they were dying to get started. I couldn’t blame them after learning about how fiercely they had tried to fight at the start of all this.
It was time for justice.
The demons had flocked around the palace to celebrate under the blood moon, but the bottom of the hill was clear now. I didn’t know how long that would last, and I wanted my people to get as far up as they could before our enemies noticed.
“It’s time,” I growled, and I started to transform into my water dragon form.
Adrenaline pumped through my veins as the tingle of magic shot through me. My limbs elongated, and the sensation of being plunged into water crashed over me. I felt a cool rush of power slide over each scale, and my strong legs were ready to run over enemy lines.
“We are going to war!” I called. “Time to fight for everyone you love, and for everyone trapped inside these hellish bloodstones. Take back your lands! The reign of the demons will end tonight!”
The residents of the Crystal Lands howled as they began to run out from their hiding spots.
“Let’s goooo!” Cyra cried as the angels shot up into the air, and the demons spun around in shock.
My army raced over to the palace grounds, and I watched to make sure everyone made it before I started the barricade. The Carbuncles snarled as they ran with pixies on their back, and the Crystal Trolls moved surprisingly fast as they swung their axes. Gremlins moved shockingly quick on their wiry legs, and the people from the village in the Amber Hills had brought blades of all sizes. Some clutched huge bread knives, and others had axes that were big enough to cut trees.
Zarrel flew as he brandished a curved sword, and the Savior’s muscles flexed as he soared into battle.
The elves were incredibly agile as they ran, and their feet barely touched the ground as they moved as a group. Ashryn took aim with her crossbow as she went, and a bolt flew up toward one of the hunched-over underlings. The weapon pierced the beast’s forehead, and the crunch of bone was accompanied by a little explosion of dark blood.
“Nice shot,” I called as the demon slumped down dead.
That seemed to wake the demons up from their shocked trances, and they burst into a howling crowd of fury. They started to pour down the hillside, and I waited until the last troll had stepped over onto the palace grounds to make my move.
“Brooke!” I called. “You ready?”
“Absolutely!” Brooke yelled as she hovered above me.
Then I felt the rush of water along my throat as my power built up, and I unleashed a tidal wave onto the bottom of the hill.
Brooke immediately started to aim her palms at the stream, and she scrunched her face in concentration as she began to move her hands and guide it with tiny flashes of blue light sparking at her fingertips.
The water kept blasting from my throat as it started to form a wild moat, and it began to swirl around like a violent hurricane as it surrounded the palace. I kept spewing out water until the whole of the hill was surrounded, and Brooke worked her magic as the river became more and more deadly. The angel grunted as she focused, and the water crashed so high that it blocked most of the Obsidian Hills from view.
Then I heard the snarls of demons as the battle began, and I quickly shifted into my fire dragon form. Wings sprouted from my back, and my body became more muscular as the golden light exploded from me.
“Are you going to be okay here?” I asked, and Brooke nodded.
“I’ll be fine,” she said. “I just need to concentrate on the enchantment.”
“You’re amazing,” I said. “Shout for me if you need anything.”
I soared upward and looked down just as Cyra and Nisha plummeted down with their swords swinging, and Brooke kept her focus on the wild moat.
Then I saw the Carbuncles and demons collide. The cat-like creatures opened their jaws wide as they bit down on the demons’ heads, and there was a loud crunching of bones as they were decapitated. It was clear that the cute animals were willing to fight dirty, and they snarled as blood dripped from their chins.
Pixies shot off into the sky as they began to spin around in violent flurries of silver, and they launched themselves into the demons’ faces. The tiny fighters became sharp little tornadoes, and I watched as two of them took on a red-veined higher-up. They both shot directly into the demon’s eyes, and it howled as it was blinded.
Its eyeballs were reduced to a bloody pulp as the pixies pulled back, and the demon’s sockets were filled with blood and goo. Then they slammed into its neck from both sides, and their sharp spins acted like a fucking power drill to the jugular.
I smirked as the massive demon exploded with blood, and it was brought down by the two miniature soldiers.
“Awesome work!” I called. “Keep that shit up!”
I watched one of the large, red-veined demons as it stopped and stared at a Crystal Troll, and my blood ran cold when I realized what was happening. The demon’s eyes started to glow red, and the troll screamed. I moved as quickly as I could, and heat ran through my throat as I breathed fire onto the demon.
It screeched as flames engulfed it, and the hiss of melting flesh sent gray smoke into the air.
“That’s how they trap you,” I called. “It must be! They can trap you with their eyes!”
“Ryan!” Cyra yelled as she swung her sword into the neck of one of the two-headed demons. “I think the bloodstone powers only work if you meet their gaze directly.”
I glanced down to see another demon staring at a nearby pixie, but it stood still as if it was waiting for her to turn around. The pixie was busy defending a Carbuncle, so it never met the bastard’s gaze. Then Nisha swooped down and slit the demon’s throat as it stood waiting, and the beast crumpled as its wound erupted with blood.
At least we now knew how to avoid that terrible fate.
“Don’t look into the higher-ups’ eyes!” I called out to my troops. “That’s how the bloodstones work! Keep your gaze anywhere but the face when you kill them!”
“That’s so difficult,” a pixie squealed as she twirled around violently.
“I know,” I said. “But you can do this. Just fight smart and look out for each other. You are all on the same team now.”
More and more demons swarmed down from the palace, and there was a low rumble followed by a crash. Shrieks and wails came from inside, and suddenly an Obsidian Giant crashed out straight through a wall.
“You made it!” I called as the whole group of them slowly began to emerge.
“Ryan,” Olor rumbled. “The tunnel has been brought down! The golems are inside fighting so they are not exposed to the moonlight. But Ryan, she is down there in a guarded section of the lower floor. Demons are all around the room.”
“The queen,” I said with a knowing nod. “She’ll come out eventually, once she realizes her people are out here being fucking slaughtered.”
More and more demonic screams started to fill the air, despite the whole graveyard of bodies that was starting to pile up. I looked over the moat to see hundreds of the fuckers had arrived to fight, but the thrashing water stopped them from even attempting to cross.
They must have heard the cries of the others, and I was horrified at how many of the demon bastards had crawled out of the woodwork.
Their screeches rang out through the night air, and the blood moon seemed to have awoken something even more feral inside them as they banged against the ground. It would be a disaster if the moat stopped keeping them at bay, but my water angel didn’t even flinch as the demons screamed.
“Nice work, Brooke!” I called as the water angel continued to move her hands. “Keep it up!”
Then I felt a thud against my scales and looked down to see one of the underlings hurling its crystal shards at me. It waved its hands as if it was trying to taunt me, and it flung another sharp weapon toward my neck. I moved to the side so it missed, and the demon snorted and drooled as it feebly tried to reach me.
