The Exodus Sagas: Book IV - Of Moons and Myth (73 page)

“…All hail Rynnth, our G
oddess, our savior, and the dragon of Willborne…” The priest offered the goblet to Valistor, and he drank deep of it.

“
All hail Rynnth!”
The gathered shouted in prayer.

The cup was offered to Katrina, yet she did not drink, she gripped the altar with all her strength. Her nail broke, then another, and two of her fingers split form her effort. Suddenly her hair was pulled back, her jaw opened by strong hands, and it was poured into her mouth. She stared ahead, blood running down the sides of her face and neck, trying not to swallow. The eye squinted at her as the torches intensified. Rynnth stepped forward, in her gigantic girth, and grinned at Katrina.

“All hail the children of Rynnth, the seventeen that have answered the call of her
divine
blood to Willborne.” The priest drank of the cup, then set it on the altar.

“
All hail the children of the dragon!”
The shouts echoed in the cavern once more.

I told you that your service was forever, and you betrayed me. Now, your kingdom, your rule, and your people are mine. You will rule as I command, you will breed and produce loyal princes when I say, and you will serve until I tire of seeing you suffer. Then, Katrina, you will
burn for a thousand years in my fires, until I grow weary of your screams. Only then, will I let the hells finally have you, only then.

The voice in her head was powerful, she could not respond, only listen. Her body started to calm, her eyes stopped their tears, and Katrina smiled to Rynnth. She looked at her missing eye, her missing horns, and her broken wing. Her draconic idol was badly scarred and disfigured forever. She could not remember the fights that may have caused it, but she felt angry for whoever would dare hurt her mistress. Her mind went blank, her thoughts drifted to Valistor and the ceremony, and she walked to the blood filled fountain. Valistor Waylen did the same, walking hand in hand with his queen, and they knelt, together.

“By her divine will and grace, a new day is born, and a new kingdom. You will serve her, and the land, and her children, against all enemies. Your hearts are no more your own, but are for she who blesses us. The swords.” The priest motioned with his hands for the king and queen to each draw their own blades
that hovered over the fountain
.

Katrina drew her longsword, as Valistor drew his, now facing the gathered nobility and the seventeen wyrms that stalked the massive cavern. None were as large as Rynnth, but they both could feel by their blood, that they were her relatives. They turned, swords in hand, and faced one another.
The light grew strong in the flames, in the room, and in the eyes of the dragons. The humming sounded as a monstrous choir, as the people and the draconic voices chanted together. Then, Valistor plunged his blade into Katrina’s chest, and she did the same into his.

Their eyes met, first in shock, then agony, and then they pulled their blades free. With their left hands, they dug their fingers into each others’ chests, felt for the pumping heart, and began to tear. Katrina stared into his eyes, not even blinking, and Valistor did the same. Within moments, they each pulled their blood covered hands out, each holding the h
eart of the other into the air, still beating.

“Praise be to Rynnth, hail her powers beyond death, and give to us our immortal rulers.” The priest fell to his hands and knees.

“
Hail Rynnth!”
The dragons bowed to her, the people fell in worship, and the lights flashed bright with deep magicks.

Katrina took Valistor’s beating heart, and placed it into her chest. The blood pouring from it melded with her own, her body accepted it, and began to heal. Valistor did the same with her heart, and they each watched one another. Their eyes were crimson now, with but slivers of black in the center. Her fingernails turned ebony, his canines grew longer, her tongue became forked, and they smiled to one another. The priest walked up to them as the chants began once more, and he placed a crown on each of their heads.

“I give to you, Queen Katrina and King Valistor, may their rule bring us into a new age, and a new Willborne. Long live the king, long live the queen, and for
ever live the dragons of Rynnth!
” He knelt once more, at the feet of his rulers, and began to cry tears of blood.

“Long live the queen!”

Katrina smiled to the noble guests at her ceremony, and raised her blood covered blade high.

“Long live the King!”

Valistor grabbed Katrina, and kissed her passionately, their forked tongues and fangs embracing as much as their bodies were. The nobles roared and the dragons screeched in delight.

“Forever live the dragons of Rynnth!”

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The flapping of demonic wings passed him by from far above, the dust settled slowly, and Azenairk Thalanaxe felt around the ground for a weapon. He found an elven longblade and took it, Shinayne’s Carice, and he found a broadsword. The griffon hilted blade of his friend, Sir James, and he slid it into his belt. His warhammer was nowhere to be seen, but he could only see ten feet around with the sandstone clouds left in the wake of the explosion. His leg was healed, he dashed from anvil row to furnace to forge, keeping hidden. Stones still fell, the echoing crashes never ceased, and the ground continued to tremble. He peered around and saw the red glowing eyes, they were
searching for him, it was Mudre
n Sheldathain.

“
Oh heavenly father, Vundren, God, help me now. I be alone here, and I need ye’, I do.”
Zen prayed quietly, and hid behind the forge of Vundren. He saw the glimmer from the blades of his friends, he set his shield down, and held them in each hand. He had not heard anything from Saberrak nor Shinayne, it had been many minutes since the collapse. He tried to listen for Gwenneth and James, but he heard just stone rumbling and demons hunting the passages, nothing more.
He knew they were either dead or fleeing to the temple, he wanted to yell for them, but he knew he would be revealed.

“Thalanaxe, where are you,
coward
?”
Mudre
n stalked ahead, picked up the blacksteel warhammer he had nearly stepped upon, and continued searching the dusty forge. “Come out, she wishes to meet you. You will not be harmed,
much
.”

Clank, ca-clank, ca-clank…

Mudre
n looked fast and saw something metal skitter across the stone floor. He rushed over, warhammer raised, shield ready, and he stopped. He winced, looking down at his old iron box. The warhammer hit the floor with a thud, he knelt, and his mind flooded with memories. The box was empty, but he remembered the ashes of the women
and children, he had saved some of them
before Arabashiel desecrated them here for all eternity. He had placed them in a leather pouch, with the key
to Kakisteele
, with the deed, and s
ent them away with his wife Tehrina and their four children.
He sent his armor, his hammeraxe, even his
crowned
helm with his boys, and he had tried to sneak back in to get some survivors and get the sacred tablet, but he never made it.
He started to remember.

“
It cannot be…my iron box…my…oh Vundren, why be I cursed to suffer this?
” He whispered, tears fell from his demonic eyes, and he fell to a knee. His mind swam in the guilt, how he had fled the battle and not died with his men, and how
the demons and soldiers of Altestan had burned him alive until he begged for mercy. She, Arabashiel, had given him mercy, her own twisted form of it. It was so long ago, he had forgotten of the thought of the chance that his wife and children had made it out alive. He realized now, that they must have, and he smiled through his tears.

A glowing blade at his throat, then another across his neck, eneded his focus on the past. He had not heard anything come up behind him, but now he felt it, someone was there.

“
Ssshhhh. Not one noise, or yer’ head will be on that there floor. Understood?”
Zen felt naked, he had take
n off his armor
and
his Thalanaxe shield quietly by the forges. Barefoot, with but his clothes, his helmet, and the
glowing sacred
weapons of James and Shinayne, he had crept behind the once king of Kakisteele.
“Now, turn around slowly, Sheldathain.
I don’t know if ye’ sold yer soul to her, or if ye’ was cursed into this, but I ain’t takin’ any chances.
Where are me friends?
”

Mudren turned, box in hand, tears streaming down his face from wicked red eyes. Small bony horns protruded from his face, yet he still looked like a dwarf. He whispered, as his jaw trembled with sorrow.
“
I do not know, her
demons fly north
and up, so they must be runnin’, if they lived.
”

“She ain’t dead then, is she?”
Zen knew the answer already. His friends, alive or no, could not help him
finish it
now.

“
Me wife, is she safe then?”

“
I am sure she be in the halls of Vundren, do ye’ know how long ye’ been here?”
Zen looked around, trying to see his friends, and looking for the immortal woman or her spawn. He saw nothing, it was quiet
, dust covered and broken
. Mudren shook his head, his lips trembling, he said
naye
without a word.

“
Mudren, it has been over two thousand years now. Yer’ box, and its contents, been secretly passed,
from here, through Marlennak, Fazurand, and Boraduum. As I told ye’, I am Azenairk Thalanaxe, last o’ me clan, and
supposedly
your only livin’ relation. Now, how do we kill this witch
and end it
?
” Zen saw his eyes go wide, saw his
smile grow
, and he knew that he knew, after all this time.

“
I..I..she cannot be killed, Thalanaxe. Not with a thousand men and holy blades, she…she..”
Mudren shook as he spoke in hushed tones.

“
Allright, ye’ be scared, me too then. Me papi and me father, Vundren rest em’, told me to dump that dust down her throat. They also said she had six legs, but nevermind that now.”

Mudren smiled again, blades still across his neck, and he put the box down and touched Azenairks shoulder.

“
Ye’…ye’..have the ashes then? The women and children, they was blessed in the forge o’ Vundren, when she had em burned alive. Ye have em’?”

“Aye, didn’t know that was what they was, but aye, right here
.” Zen patted his hip, the bag of dust was there, ready.

“
She be tall, twelve feet or more, too tall for a dwarf to get up to her face and survive it. Unless…”
Mudren
thought hard, she was weak, re
sting on the throne.
But not for long.

“
Unless ye’ knock her down into that throne, by surprise, and I climb up fast. Still, I need both me hands, a blade in each here, to get that far up while ye’ distract her.”
Zen lowered his head, he did not know how he was supposed to do it, especially now without his friends.

Mudren Sheldathain stood, slowly, the glowing swords still on his neck. “
I got it, it be a long shot, but just maybe.”

“
Aye, what?”

“
A kiss
.”

Zen looked down to the pouch, it was full, and now that he knew what it was, his face grimaced at the thought. “
Ye’ mean, put it all in me mouth, and then kiss her and blow the dust or ashes or whatnot in
to her mouth
? Ye’ belong with me friends, crazy ideas like that. Allright, how we get close enough?”

“Ye’ be me prisoner, Thalanaxe, be silent, and don’t swallow
.” Mudren took a knee before his only heir.

“
What ye’ kneelin’ for then
?” Zen pulled the blades back, sheathed one in his belt, an
d grabbed the pouch of ashes
.

“
For forgiveness, so when I die in there, I get to see me wife and kids, and Mount Maonell. Please Thalanaxe, bless me and forgive me, with the grace of our father, Vundren. Before it’s too late then.”
Mudren Sheldathain knew why he still walked
all these centuries still
, it was her will and curse, and either way it turned out, he was dead
or dust
.
“Hurry, Thalanaxe, before I change me mind.”

Zen gripped his necklace with the hammer and moons, put his hand on
the only king of Kakisteele from
ages past, and prayed. “
Vundren, father on the mountain, forgive Mudren, yer’ loyal son, for all he has done. Bless us in our battle her
e, as we fight to free yer’ forge
, and see evil undone.
Should we be in yer’ halls soon, know that we tried until the very end.”