Offspring (The Sword of the Dragon) (50 page)

Deep down Oganna realized that the battle could not be won. As she turned to face Death, she was powerless to stop him. His bashed in skull—a gift from her father—grew back as his blade sucked the dying breaths from the megatrath.

As she stared helplessly, a figure coalesced between her and the reaper, a figure that held another scythe in its hand. Specter’s gray cloak shimmered as he faced Death. “At last we meet again.” Specter swung his blade toward the Reaper’s whole arm.

With a quick twist, Death pulled its scythe out of the megatrath, and floated to the side. The two scythe blades clashed together. Specter dropped to the ground, spun, and kicked the Reaper’s feet. The specter of death fell, and Specter crashed his boot into its ribs.

“Dragon child, tend to the megatraths.” Specter fell to the stones as the Reaper pulled his legs from under him, but Oganna knew he had spoken to her. Her eyes followed him as he rolled across the stone ramp, grappling with the dark being. He tumbled over the ramp’s side, pulling Death with him.

Oganna focused on the megatraths. Back in the desert arena, Starfire had drawn the poison from her body and saved her life, but how had she done it? Oganna held out her hand, palm up, just as she’d seen Starfire do. She closed her eyes for an instant to strengthen her focus. When she opened them, she knew what she must do.

Pointing her sword at the sky, she reached out with all her might to the heavens. Thunder rumbled; lightning cracked and then split the air. Another bolt of lighting followed, spiked toward her, and fastened itself to Avenger’s blade as if it were a lightning rod. The portion of clouds directly overhead parted, and Yimshi’s warm rays poured through onto Oganna and the wounded. Avenger’s blade glistened in the sunlight, and absorbed the tremendous energy the storm unleashed.

Tendrils of electricity spiked from her crimson blade and latched onto the prone megatraths. The poison drained from their bodies, forming a sphere of venom above her hand. Their life forces were restored. Against all visible odds, the megatraths rose to their feet and shook themselves.

She felt a thrill pass down her spine as the clouds continued to clear in the wake of her miracle. “Rise, my friends,” she told the megatraths. “Let us send retribution upon these vermin.” Thereupon she spun around, the sphere of venom hovering above her hands. Of its own accord, Avenger slid into its sheath. She lifted the sphere and flung it into the oncoming giants. It burst like an egg on a giant’s helmet and sprayed its poisonous contents over the line of the giants.

Vectra and the other megatraths reared on their four legs and clawed the air, roaring. But Oganna focused cold eyes on the assembling giants. They had halted as if waiting for someone. She only hoped they weren’t waiting for Gabel’s enemy, Razes.

Their ranks parted, and a human strode through the gap to the ramp’s base. He was clean-shaven and dark-featured. Scars spider-webbed over his face. Unlike the giants, decked out in heavy armor, he wore only chain mail protection on his head and around his neck to his shoulders, pitch-black leather pants, and an equally black breastplate. In his left hand he held a long handle. Serrated sword blades speared from both ends of the handle.

He walked over the dead megatraths onto the ramp, gripping the leather handled weapon in both hands. A staff with a dark orb at its head was strapped to his back.

Oganna held her breath. The effort it had taken for her to draw raw energy from the sky had taxed her strength. She needed rest. But she rebuked herself. Rest would not come any time soon. She might as well settle in and pray she and the remaining megatraths could withstand this horde. She glanced again at the man’s weapon and hoped he couldn’t handle it as proficiently as her father handled the sword of the dragon.

A sneer curled the dark-haired man’s lips. “A
girl?
Ha! Battles have no places for women.”

The viper reared its head and slicked its tongue at him. “Psst! Get closer leather-brain, and I’ll stick my fangs into you.”

“So, I see that you are in the habit of keeping snakes. My master also enjoys their company. They can be—useful—for the dirty work. Maybe after I show you a trick or two in combat techniques he will see fit to give you some lessons of his own.”

She searched the crowding giants’ faces. “Your master. Ah, you must mean Razes. I know of one particular individual that is not too happy with him.”

For a moment the man faltered, then he narrowed his eyes at her. “I don’t know how you know my master’s name, little waif. But I’ll soon show you that making light of him is not a wise course of action.”

The giants charged up the ramp and around her. They collided with the megatraths while the man sprinted toward her. Vectra would have to fight alone this time.

The man swung his double-sword. She parried and followed through with a thrust at his abdomen. He also parried, but she swung around, drawing her boomerang, and sliced it along his arm.

As the man’s blood oozed from the cut, the viper sprang from Oganna’s neck and inflicted its deadly bite on his neck. “Sssweet!” the viper slurred in his ear. “Taste death at the bite of one of your master’s victims.” It swung around his neck and sprang back to Oganna.

Oganna sidestepped as the man stabbed at her.

His blades whirled expertly in his hands, and he was adept at keeping her off balance. Nimbly she avoided him, letting him wear himself out and allowing the poison to do its work. He cursed profusely and stumbled back. “You are insignificant beside my master. He will have vengeance, and beneath his fury you
will
fall!”

Not bothering to answer, she drew back and threw the Avenger through his leg. “Mark what I say.” The villain spat as his eyes grew bloodshot, and he dropped to his knees. “You think you’re strong. You think you can win? The battle has not even begun.” Drawing the staff from his back, the man held the sphere against his body, and his flesh closed around his wounds.

She kicked his head and held Avenger’s point to his throat. “I could kill you, Auron. I recognize you now. You were responsible for my father’s insanity. I recognize your presence in my mind.”

He cackled. “Truly the powers of darkness are harnessing Subterran for me and those like me.” He raised himself enough to spit on her blade.

“With God as my witness, I must save this duel for someone else.” She twisted the blade in his skin, drawing blood. “Specter will deal with you. Your fate is in
his
hands.” Then she kicked the side of his head as hard as possible. His body went limp, and his eyes closed.

She glanced at his scarred face as she held her blade inches from him. What a waste! A surge of hate for the enemy poured into her heart, but she suppressed the feeling before it took root in her soul. Hate, the mother of great wickedness—she would not give in to it.

All around her the battle for Ar’lenon raged. The megatraths rolled into the midst of the giants’ forces, struck with their tails and claws, threw vapors and fire, yet they were heavily outnumbered and began to lose ground. Oganna retreated with them.

“We cannot continue like this, Princess.” Vectra blew a weak flame and coughed. “We must retake ground.”

Oganna raised Avenger and sprinted into the advancing giants. She slashed two giants’ legs and, as they fell, pierced her blade through another’s breastplate into his heart.

Vectra swung her tail into the men, killing two more. She whipped it back, stabbing its boney point into a giant’s abdomen. Another megatrath rose to a great height on its hind legs and fell upon the giants, raking them with its claws. The remaining megatraths poured a mixture of flames and vapor in one direction and charged down the ramp.

Standing alongside her monstrous allies, Oganna struck down giants on every hand. But, though dozens fell, more took their place. Thousands of them filled the city, yelling at one another and pushing past each other for a part in the fight. They poured through Netroth’s northern gates and flooded through the buildings.

Oganna slashed a giant’s arm, then ducked as another stabbed his spear at her, sticking it into the street. Its shaft, as large as a small tree, quivered.

But while she struggled to maintain her ground, the giants pulled down several megatraths. One giant rose above his fellows and swung a hammer of tremendous size, smashing several megatraths’ heads.

“Vectra, we cannot win this battle.” Oganna blasted energy from her hand, killing another giant. “Help me onto your neck.”

The creature knocked down several giants that stormed between them. She lowered her head and fire issued from her mouth onto the enemy ranks. “Climb aboard!” She slashed at their nearest enemies.

As Oganna rose from the street on Vectra’s neck, she looked over the milling heads of the giants and pulled out her boomerang. With all her strength she flung it at the level of their necks. It spun through the masses and decapitated a dozen or more giants. It arced through the air and returned to her hand light as a feather. She secured it under her belt. Other giants were getting too close to Vectra and, in such tight quarters, the boomerang was less than effective.

She held Avenger with both hands and dug her knees into Vectra’s scales to maintain balance. Yelling for all they were worth, they charged toward the giants, Vectra blowing fire and Oganna striking with her sword. They left a mass of wounded and dying giants in their wake, and finally a number of them fled.

One giant swung a sword at Vectra’s side, and as Oganna blocked him with Avenger, she braced for the impact. The sword he was using had to be at least eight feet long. He pulled back and attacked again. This time she fed her power into her sword. Avenger’s blade became almost invisible, and when it met the enemy’s blade, it cut it in half. Her weapon flamed, and the attacker retreated into the sea of other giants.

Several giants managed to separate another megatrath from its fellows. With halberds, swords, and battle hammers they pummeled it. Oganna directed Avenger’s blade in their direction and sent out a devastating fire that washed over their backs and burned them alive. Still, the megatrath fell.

Vectra rumbled and snapped her jaws at her fellows. “Everyone get into the citadel! Now!” She stood alone with Oganna on her neck. Her claws opened giants’ arms, and she ripped their bodies apart as her faithful guards raced up the ramp into Ar’lenon. Oganna counted the survivors—there were only fifty left.

Vectra drove the giants back from the entrance to the ramp with a cloud of vapors, then spun on her rear four legs, and dashed up to the citadel. The megatraths met them at the doors. Once they were inside, they closed them and barricaded the entrance. Oganna wiped her brow and dismounted. “This battle is lost unless we get reinforcements.”

Vectra heaved a sigh. “Even if they did come, I doubt they could break through those lines to rescue us. No, I think we are on our own.”

Oganna did not want to admit that, but it seemed to be the truth. But she said to herself, Father, if you are coming, please hurry! We need you.

Ilfedo patted his Evenshadow’s neck. “Whoa, boy.” He sat up in the saddle and wiped his sweaty palm on his trouser leg. He would be glad to get out of the desert heat. Ahead of him lay a line of green hills, a welcome sight after the rocky wastes behind him. He held his saddle horn with his left hand and turned to the right. “What do you think, Ombre? Journey’s end?”

Ombre smiled, but as he did, thunder clapped. His jaw dropped, and he pointed toward the sky. “Look!”

In the distance, over the green land, heavy rain clouds stretched into the north. The clouds split open and a beam of sunlight followed a bolt of lightning toward the ground, only to be hidden behind the hills.

The Warrioresses walked up between the men and gazed at the sight. “That storm is not of natural causes.” Caritha swallowed. “The power of the heavens has been drawn upon.”

Ilfedo turned her way. “Do you think that is the direction in which we should head?”

She did not immediately answer. She gathered her sisters in a circle. “If we unite our minds, then we may learn more.” She drew her rusted sword, and the others followed her example. The five weapons touched at the tips, and static energy buzzed along their blades. The sisters drew back their weapons.

“Ilfedo!” She grabbed his arm and pointed north. “We must go now! Oganna and the megatraths are in serious danger. I sense a great darkness closing around her. We must get to her before it is too late!”