Wrath of the Dragon 4, page 19
“Thank you for your work here,” I called as the army fell silent to watch me. “I know we have a lot to talk about, so I want you all to head to Woodbridge. We can discuss things there and celebrate your victory.”
“Is it true?” Ember asked quietly. “You found… the doorway?”
“Yes,” I said. “But nothing is going to happen until I’ve had a chance to plan first. You will all be safe in the city tonight, and I want you to focus on the huge victory you just earned.”
The fire creatures kept glancing down at the doorway, but they nodded at my request.
“Make your way to the city,” I urged them all. “If you see the welders on your way, make sure they know that it is time to head home.”
I knew the huge people would have been armed to the teeth and fighting any underlings who escaped while the battle had been going on. They must have been confused as all hell when the evil beasts started being crushed to death like ugly accordions.
“You heard Ryan,” Ember said firmly. “Back to the city!”
Everyone muttered as they slowly began to turn away from the Deep Volcano and head back to Woodbridge. Flare hovered around to get another look at the doorway, but then she flew away with her flock without a word.
“I expected them to argue more,” Ruby said as she watched the beings go. “It looks like the death of the overlord has calmed them down.”
“Let’s hope that’s true,” I said. “We’re going to need to find out everything we can about this Jinn before we make a move. Hopefully someone can give us some useful information.”
“It feels weird to be staying around,” Cyra muttered. “The overlords are dead, that should mean we move on to the next land.”
“Not without your gift,” I said firmly. “We’re not leaving this place until we get our hands on what your god left you.”
Cyra sighed, but she didn’t argue.
I looked down at the gray lava that had quickly cooled off after it had melted the flesh off the demons’ bodies. The corpses laid half-burned and sticking out at odd angles, and while I was proud of all we’d accomplished here, I suddenly wondered what would happen to the third overlord who had flown into the void.
If they really were connected, would it be able to tell that the others had been killed? Surely it wouldn’t come back to a land where all of its soldiers had already been destroyed? I glanced warily at the distant whiteness of the void and hoped that the fucker had been killed in whichever land it had traveled to.
My thoughts were interrupted when the light shifted above me, and a sudden eruption of noise echoed throughout the Fire Lands.
“The sun!” Cyra gasped. “I can see it!”
I looked up to see the orange haze had finally drifted off to reveal the pink evening sky. The glaring sun was starting to set as a few pale clouds drifted past.
I couldn’t help grinning as the land broke out into what sounded like a huge celebration, and fireworks began to shoot into the air from far off colonies.
I would never get tired of that feeling.
“Let’s get back to the city,” I said. “We still have work to do.”
The sky was crammed full of cheering beings as they shot up into the air to dance and celebrate. It was a relief to see so many creatures mingling together without weapons and attacks shooting off in every direction. I could tell that the fire folks were still as energetic as ever, but the curse had finally stopped rotting their minds. The heat was way less intense as we flew back over the rocky land, too. It felt more like a pleasant warmth than an inferno, and there was even a slight coolness on the breeze.
“This feels right.” Cyra smiled as she looked up at the setting sun. “It’s just how it looked before. Well, with a few added demon carcasses.”
“It really is a beautiful land,” Ruby said with an appreciative nod. “I’m so happy it’s not under demonic rule any longer.”
“I think the parties are going strong,” I chuckled as an explosive noise rang out nearby, followed by joyful screams and cheers.
“Oh, yeah,” Cyra snorted. “That will be going on throughout the night. They haven’t let off steam like this in years, other than beating the hell out of each other.”
We reached the walled city just as the welders started to march back through the open gateway. The huge men and women were beating their fists against their chests, and I realized that some of them were carrying decapitated demon heads. They all cheered as they spotted us flying above, and I felt on top of the world as we passed over the burning wall.
Everyone had gathered in the town center, and I focused on my human form as I landed. The transformation was so fast that I barely had my feet on the ground when my talons vanished. Every scale disappeared in seconds as my human body fell into place seamlessly.
“He’s back!” Ember cried. “The great Dragon God who has saved us from the overlords!”
“We really have a god again,” one of the Burnlings said. “A powerful one!”
“Powerful,” the tiny beings echoed together. “Yes. Powerful god.”
A crowd gathered around me as the welders rushed over to join, and I received multiple backslaps that almost sent me flying. Griffins bowed to me as Burnlings darted around chanting happily as they threw their tiny hands in the air. The phoenixes circled above us so quickly that they became blurs of fiery orange and yellow.
My angels couldn’t stop smiling as they were thanked and praised, and Cyra’s face flushed as a Burnling grabbed her arm into a tiny hug.
“Aww,” Brooke whispered. “See! They all love you again!”
“Hmm,” the fire angel said as she patted the Burnling’s head awkwardly.
I was so happy to see the people celebrating Cyra. It looked like all had been forgiven now that they had seen her true colors, and I had no doubts that any grievances they had were ancient history. Well… if the fire angel could allow herself to forgive the mortals she had resented for so long.
But the excited buzz started to dull as word of the Fire Jinn passed through the crowd, and I could see even the toughest-looking welders scowled and muttered. I was going to have to address the issue, even though I wished I could give the army a night of mindless partying as a reward.
“I want to thank you,” I called out to everyone. “You fought bravely today, and we managed to kill every demon that was plaguing this land.”
There was another cheer from the crowd, but it quickly subsided as everyone began to mutter about the Jinn again.
“I know you’ve all heard about what we found,” I said. “Does anyone have any information about the Jinn?”
The crowd looked at each other silently as the phoenixes slowed down to land.
It wasn’t exactly the eruption of helpful information I had hoped for. Since everyone was so scared of the Fire Jinn, I had assumed there must be some kind of common knowledge about it.
“Nobody really knows about it,” Khar sighed. “Its legend is known by all, but all I’ve ever heard are stories of its power.”
“We know it is an ancient evil.” Flare nodded. “Something that even the gods did not like to engage with.”
“How do you open the door?” I asked. “Is there some kind of key?”
“Oh, no,” an elderly gnome man said. “No key can open that.”
“Then how does it open?” Brooke asked. “Is it locked with a spell or something?”
“I don’t know,” the gnome sighed. “All I know is that there is some kind of powerful ritual that must be performed to unlock the gate. There is one who would be able to answer your questions, though. The Enchantress.”
There was a murmur of agreement throughout the crowd, and Cyra frowned as she nodded.
“I’ve heard of her,” the fire angel said. “But I’ve never met her before. She hides away from everyone else usually.”
“She is very secretive,” Ember agreed. “But I’m sure she would be willing to talk to you, Ryan. She must know of what you’ve done for us, even if she does hide herself away.”
“Where does she live?” I asked.
“Near the falls,” Ember said.
“Falls?” I asked. “As in waterfalls? In the Fire Lands?”
“Fire Falls,” Ember clarified. “Think of them as a very pretty, slow, and nonthreatening volcano.”
“Travelers used to flock to them,” Cyra said. “It’s just a beautiful view and not much else. They’re pretty quiet now that all the lands have been cut off from each other, though.”
“Okay,” I said. “How do we get there?”
“I know the way,” Cyra assured me. “Do you think she’ll know anything about defeating Jinn?”
“She will,” the old gnome said. “If anyone would, it’s her.”
“Then we’ll go in the morning,” I decided. “I want you all to get a good night’s rest today. We’ll need your help when the time comes to fight the Jinn.”
I was expecting another roar of cheers, but the crowd was quiet as they shuffled their feet. This was the group who had marched out to fight the overlords with no training or a real plan. Were they really more scared of the Fire Jinn than of the powerful demons?
“We will fight,” Khar said. “But you must know that we don’t know anything about this creature, other than its evil ways. We knew what to expect from the demons, but nobody has ever seen the Jinn.”
“I bet it’s huge,” one of the young gnome girls whispered. “Even bigger than the overlords.”
“With more teeth,” another added.
“Maybe we should leave it be,” a Burnling squeaked. “Our land is finally free of the demons, why should we unleash a terrible monster to replace them?”
“Because we can’t just ignore it,” I said. “This creature will fill your lives with dread if we don’t kill it. Do you really want to run away from this problem? Because the fire creatures I know would never shy away from a fight.”
I could see that my words had tapped into their fierce pride as everyone started to nod and stick their chests out.
“This is your land,” I continued. “So when I find out how to defeat this monster, I want to know who will stand with me to fight? Who will continue to defend the Fire Lands?”
Everyone finally broke out into the enthusiastic cheers that I had been waiting for, and Cyra grinned as she slipped her hand into mine.
“Smooth-talker,” she whispered as she planted a kiss on my cheek.
“Get some rest,” I called to the crowd. “We can celebrate properly once all the evil of this land has been killed. But I need you all fresh and rested for our next battle.”
The welders started to direct the other beings to spare rooms as the crowd spoke in excited whispers about the upcoming fight.
My mind was racing, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep for a while. I still felt the powerful energy from the battle surging through my veins as I relived the feeling of crushing the overlord’s skull between my talons.
“Khar,” I said to the huge man beside me. “Do you mind if we stay in the tavern for a while? I want to speak with the angels in private.”
“It is all yours,” the welder said. “I’ll go and set up a spot for you.”
He strode off toward the tavern as the rest of the fire beings drifted into various buildings for the night. The sky had turned a deep shade of purple, and the sun had almost fully set as the breeze picked up.
“I can’t believe the sun’s back,” Cyra muttered as she stared up at the sky. “This is unbelievable.”
“Another land saved.” Brooke grinned. “Well, almost. We just have to kill a terrifying monster that everyone’s scared of first. Eaaaasy peasy.”
“We can do that in our sleep,” Nisha said as she flicked her inky hair.
“How hard could it be?” I sighed. “Let’s go and sit down for a moment. My mind needs some peace and quiet after all that noise.”
We headed over to the tavern, and I opened the door to find Khar setting bowls down on the largest table near the window. He had lit the lanterns all around the walls and placed a jug of water down for us. It was incredibly cozy, and I was looking forward to having a moment alone with my angels. The fire beings were awesome, but they did give me a slight headache from their constant chaotic energy.
“Enjoy the evening,” Khar said as he headed for the door. “We can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done.”
“Of course,” I said. “I’m grateful to have you in our army.”
The huge man gave me a swift bow before he headed out into the fading light of the evening, and the door swung shut behind him.
I took a deep breath as the quiet fell over me, and the gentle flicker of the lanterns felt soothing after the constant burning heat of the volcano.
“Alone at last,” Brooke said sweetly as she pressed herself into my chest.
I groaned happily as she planted her full lips on mine, and I grabbed her toned waist to pull her even closer.
The water angel’s kiss made my head spin as I stroked her soft hair gently. Then Nisha and Cyra stood on either side of us and ran their hands over each of my arms. My mind started to wander as I envisioned pulling them all into the guest house bed with me, but I remembered that Ruby was with us.
She had shown interest in joining in, but I would have to wait until she said that to me outright.
Brooke giggled as she pulled away and gave me a seductive pout. She spun around slowly to give me a view of her perfect figure, and it took all my self-control not to throw her onto one of the tables beside us.
Then Cyra and Nisha grinned cheekily as they linked arms, and Ruby watched with an amused smile.
My angels were putting on a teasing show that did not seem to make the newest member of the group uncomfortable at all. Maybe it wouldn’t be long until I could hold Ruby’s perfect body close to me and find out how it felt to bind with an Elite angel.
I could feel heat rushing through my body at the thought, and I cleared my throat as I tried to focus back on the Jinn.
We headed over to our table, and my stomach rumbled as the scent of stew wafted up to meet me.
“Hell yeah,” I groaned as I took a seat. “These huge guys really know they’re way around the kitchen.”
I grabbed a spoon and began to gratefully wolf down the warm meat and vegetables while the angels took a few bites. The city was quiet outside the windows as everyone headed to bed, but I could still hear the distant celebrations of the far off creatures.
“They’ll get louder throughout the night,” Cyra sighed. “There must be whole crates full of fireworks that have been locked away for years.”
“They deserve to celebrate,” I said as I licked my spoon clean. “It’s been a long time since they’ve thought about anything other than beating the shit out of each other. Damn, I needed that meal more than I realized.”
“Dragon shifting takes it out of you.” Nisha smirked. “Especially when you can do it so quickly…”
“Yeah,” Brooke gasped. “Did everyone see that? How did you change forms that fast? Have you ever done that before?”
“Nope.” I grinned. “That was the first time that’s ever happened. I felt this new surge of power, and it was like my dragon forms knew what to do before my brain did.”
“Your god powers are growing.” Ruby smiled. “Who knows how powerful you’ll become when one of your angels becomes and Elite Throne angel.”
It was hard to imagine what else I could be capable of, but I couldn’t wait to find out. Maybe it wouldn’t be long until I had two Elite angels, if Ruby still wanted to be bound to me.
“What if the Jinn doesn’t have my gift?” Cyra asked as she kept her eyes on the tabletop. “What if we fight it, and it turns out my god didn’t even leave anything? Maybe he had the painting done before the gods left, and he never got around to hiding it.”
“I doubt that,” I said. “He would never have left that painting message if it was going to send you into needless danger. Besides, we can’t leave this land until the Jinn is gone either way. I can’t just abandon these people when there’s still an evil beast lurking just under their feet.”
“I wonder if it knows the demons are dead,” Brooke whispered as if the Jinn could hear. “Do you think it knows we’re here?”
“No idea,” Cyra sighed. “We’ll have to ask this enchantress woman. If she even knows anything.”
“She will,” I said. “Haven’t you seen enough to have some belief in your people by now?”
“I suppose,” Cyra huffed. “But you can never be sure with mortals.”
“But they love you now,” Brooke said. “I saw that Burnling give you a hug! It’s time for you to kiss and make up with everyone.”
“That’s a stretch,” Cyra muttered. “But maybe they’re not all completely terrible all of the time.”
“That’s the spirit,” Nisha giggled. “You’ll be making friendship bracelets with the welders before you know it.”
I took a large drink of water as the sky darkened outside, and I watched golden fireworks burst into stars in the distance.
“Where do you think the gods went?” I asked after a long moment of silence. “Can they come back to Dracoria, or does leaving mean you can never return?”
“I don’t think anyone knows where they went,” Ruby sighed. “Even those who were close to their gods.”
“My goddess didn’t tell me,” Nisha said with a sad shake of her head. “There are so many places she could be now. It’s impossible to say where she ended up.”
“Countless worlds,” Cyra muttered and shoved her plate away. “They might not even be in the same one as each other.”
“Wait,” I said. “There are loads of different worlds in this universe?”
“Of course,” Brooke giggled. “Did you think Dracoria was the only one besides yours?”
“I hadn’t thought about it much,” I admitted. “Learning about this planet blew me away enough. I haven’t really considered what else is out there.”
