Wrath of the Dragon, page 7
Then I spun around as three more demons raced toward me, and I stood my ground as I eyed them up and down. Cyra flew down as they charged and kicked two of them square in their heads so they stumbled. I didn’t miss a beat, and I used their distraction to leap forward and kick the middle one square in the chest. As it fell backward, I slashed the one on the right across the throat and quickly swung my blade over to the one on the left.
Both demons stumbled as blood erupted from their necks, and they slipped on the wet grass as they slowly died.
I slammed my boot down on the head of the fallen demon and felt its skull crush under my foot.
“Fucking nasty,” I groaned as I yanked my boot out of the gore.
Then I glanced up to see Cyra bringing her makeshift weapon down onto another demon’s head, and she placed her palm on another’s skull for a second before it started to burn. The purple skin turned gray as the embers spread over it, and the demon dropped its spear as it clutched its head and howled.
The forest clearing had turned very quickly into a demon graveyard, and I cheered as Cyra slammed her hand down on yet another demon’s skull. Then I charged at the demon closest to me and narrowly missed the swing of its spear.
The beast snarled and leapt at me with its yellow fangs bared, but I managed to grab onto its spear handle before the point could reach me, and I brought my own blade violently upward right underneath the demon’s chin. My black dagger pierced the purple flesh, and dark blood fell onto my hand as I shoved the blade up and further in.
The demon choked, and its red eyes rolled back into its head.
“Ryan!” Cyra shrieked behind me, and I yanked my dagger out of the dead demon.
I spun around to see the angel had been pulled down into the grips of the remaining four demons, and they raced along toward the well as she kicked and screamed.
“Cyra!” I yelled as I sprinted over the grass, and my heart was in my throat as the purple beasts clawed at her.
They had thrown their spears aside and howled menacingly as they dragged the angel toward the well. Cyra thrusted and kicked, but they had a tight hold of each limb. It was clear they wanted to throw her into the black water, and I had no idea what kind of damage that would do to a fire angel.
I wasn’t about to wait around and find out. Her shrieks were enough to convince me I had to get my ass in gear.
Adrenaline took over every inch of my body, and I felt red-hot with fury as I watched Cyra’s scared face in the glow of the orbs above.
“Hey, fuckers!” I shouted, and a couple of the demons glanced my way with narrowed red eyes.
I didn’t have much time to plan a graceful rescue, so I just leapt into the pile of demons with a howl and slammed my dagger down into the nearest one’s face.
The blade punctured its skin and slammed right through its nose into its brain. I tried not to gag as I pulled my dagger back, and bits of goop flew everywhere out of the gaping hole in the demon’s face.
The other three still had a tight hold of Cyra, so I brought my boot up and slammed the demon opposite me square in the chest. The purple beast buckled and stumbled backward as it let go of Cyra. Its talons scraped her pale skin, but it was enough for the angel to free her upper half.
The remaining two demons each clung to her feet, and they looked at me with wide eyes as I raised my dagger. Then I brought it down onto the right demon’s skull, and Cyra swung her glass shard down onto the left one. We slammed our weapons into the purple beasts’ heads in a synchronized movement, and there was an eruption of blood.
The two demons fell onto the ground with a dull thud, and I was left holding my blood-soaked dagger as I looked down at the mess.
“Are you okay?” I panted.
Before I could blink, Cyra flung herself into my arms.
I took a second to realize she was hugging me, and I gently stroked her soft hair as we caught our breaths. She buried her head into my shoulder, and she seemed to fit against me perfectly. I barely even noticed my own pain as I held her close, and all I could think of was how thankful I was that she was okay. She smelled like bonfires and sweet apples, and I smiled as she pulled back and looked at me.
“Sorry,” she said hurriedly as she took a step back. “Thanks for saving me.”
“That’s okay,” I said gently. “Are you hurt?”
The angel shook her head and glanced down at her grazed arm. The demon hadn’t broken the skin, and she looked as perfect as before.
“Okay,” Cyra said as she folded her arms. “So maybe you wouldn’t be completely useless to have along on my quest to rescue Nisha.”
A grin spread over my face, and the angel rolled her eyes.
“Oh, really?” I laughed. “Thanks so much for finally realizing that. What an honor it would be, my lady.”
I snickered at the words leaving my mouth, but I couldn’t help teasing her, and this cloak I was wearing made it feel like the right thing to say.
“Don’t get all flattered,” Cyra groaned. “It’s just that you’re slightly more useful than going it all alone. It really wouldn’t have been good if I got thrown in that water.”
She glared at the well with her golden eyes, and I pulled the bottle out of my satchel.
“What happens if you touch water?” I asked. “Does it hurt?”
“If I’m submerged in it.” She nodded. “It weakens my powers, too, so I can barely fight back.”
“What if it rains?” I asked.
“I can use my wings as a shield,” Cyra replied. “Now, let’s get that black water back to the farmer.”
I pulled the cork from the bottle and leaned over the side of the well. The black water looked like it had tiny bits of silver throughout it, and I carefully filled the bottle up to the top.
The purple orb hummed above us, and I looked around at the pile of dead demons as I closed up the container.
“You said these were the underlings,” I said. “They were still tough as hell, though.”
“They’re strong in numbers,” Cyra said. “And there are hundreds of thousands of them. Just wait until you meet the higher-ups.”
“I can’t wait,” I sighed. “Let’s go before any of their buddies stroll by and notice the graveyard.”
Cyra bent down and grabbed a demon horn that had been torn off when she’d smashed the bastard’s skull earlier. It had a portion of tattered, purple flesh still connected to it, and blood oozed down into her hand as she clutched the horn.
“Souvenir?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.
“So the farmer believes us,” Cyra said. “He might not take our word that the path’s been cleared to this well. I probably wouldn’t.”
“Good call,” I said. “But you need to remember that not everyone is as blindly distrusting as you are.”
I tried not to step in too much blood as we hurried back over the clearing, and Cyra flew over the bodies to avoid them. I didn’t want to leave any bloody footprints behind in case any more demons came by and tried to track us down.
Then I spun around as I heard movement behind us, but it was just a dark gray deer cautiously sniffing the corpses. The creature looked so oddly familiar in every way, but its color was much darker than any deer I had seen before. It had silver speckles all over its fur, and it pranced away when it noticed me watching it from across the clearing.
I gave one last glance at the pile of purple corpses and wiped my bloody palms off on my cloak before we hurried back over the hill, and I kept my dagger out until the road became cobbled again. I glanced up at the sky every now and then, and I kept expecting to see stars, but only the glowing, buzzing, purple orbs were up there. I had no way of knowing how long it had been since I woke up in the desert, but I guessed it didn’t matter.
It wasn’t like I had anywhere else to be.
Cyra folded her wings back up so they were flat against her back, and her pale skin was speckled with red as well as gold now.
“You might want to wipe off your face,” I said. “You’re a bit bloody.”
The pretty angel rubbed the red stains off her pale cheek, and she reached up to my face to do the same. She wiped my chin with her palm and glanced down at my ripped pants from when I had helped Landen.
“You’re already a mess,” she sighed. “You’ve only been in this world for a few hours, and you’re covered in blood and ruined clothes.”
I laughed as we walked past the church, and a flock of tiny little black birds flew up from the cemetery. We strode back into the middle of the marketplace, and it was just as busy as when we’d left it. I kept my bag close to my side as we made our way back to Landen’s stall, and he was with a customer as we approached him.
A Luna with neatly pleated pink hair stood at his stall, and she giggled as he spoke to her.
“What do Lunas do?” I asked as we got closer. “What’s their power?”
“Dreamscapes,” Cyra replied. “They can create illusions, or even just make everything around you seem soft and dreamy. Usually they use it to help sick people, or calm people down if they’re anxious.”
“That’s pretty sweet,” I said. “I wonder how long it’s going to be before everyone loses their powers for good.”
Cyra glanced warily at the purple sky, and we made our way over to Landen’s stall just as the Luna waved goodbye. She smiled at the farmer before she disappeared back into the crowd, and Landen seemed to be in his own little world as he stared after her. I smirked at Cyra as we waited for him to notice us, but then I decided to clear my throat to help him along.
“You’re back!” he said as he swung around. “That was so fast.”
“Was it?” I asked. “Or does time just fly when you’re in love?”
Cyra snorted, and the moon farmer’s face turned as red as his hair.
“Not exactly love,” he mumbled. “I haven’t worked up the nerve to even ask her out.”
“Give her a bunch of moon flowers,” I laughed. “I’m sure she will be putty in your hands.”
“Or wine,” Cyra said. “Women like that, too.”
I grinned at the angel, and she flicked her hair with a smug expression.
Landen looked too sheepish to even consider the idea, but then he frowned as he eyed our bloody clothing.
“You can’t have been there and back in that time,” Landen said. “Did you really get to the well? Was it the right one?”
I pulled out the bottle from my bag and handed it over to him. The farmer carefully uncorked the container and gasped sharply as he peered inside. He hurriedly sealed it back up and held it close to his chest as he glanced around.
“What about the demons?” he whispered. “What happened to them?”
Cyra replied by throwing the amputated horn at his feet, and he jumped backwards. Blood oozed along the cobblestones, and the faint stench of sulfur wafted up to me.
“They’re all dead,” I said. “The path to the well is clear.”
“For now,” Cyra added. “You might want to go stock up as much as you can. Who knows how long it will be until a new group takes over? Although, with the stupidity of the underlings, you probably have a few days.”
Landen stared down at the horn as he clutched his water bottle, and his blue eyes were wide as a grin spread across his face.
“I can’t believe it,” he whispered. “I didn’t think you were actually going to do it. My crops are going to be saved. The farm is going to be okay!”
He hurriedly kicked the demon horn under his stall and held his arm out to mine. I shook his hand and found he had a surprisingly firm grip.
Landen offered his hand to Cyra next, but she gave a polite wave instead. I figured that shaking someone’s hand was maybe too familiar a gesture to share with mortals she refused to trust, but Landen didn’t seem to be insulted.
The farmer kept his water bottle clutched closely as he studied my face, and his eyes flickered down to my arms.
“Maybe your powers aren’t fading,” he said. “This is unbelievable. I really owe you, Ryan.”
It felt good to bring so much happiness to someone who had been suffering. I wished I could do the same for everyone in the Night Lands who had lost so much. Despite the tails, wings, and horns, most of the people here seemed like they were just ordinary folks trying to get by and live their lives peacefully.
Just like the people I used to help back in my old world.
“So you’ll tell us where the Demon King’s headquarters is?” Cyra asked quietly.
“I didn’t say that I personally knew,” Landen said. “But I know somebody who will. She knows everything really, she’ll be able to help you.”
“You’re sure?” I asked, and Landen nodded solemnly.
“You have my word,” he replied. “I wouldn’t lie to you after what you’ve done for me. I’m going to close up shop right now and head for the well with some friends. We can get stocked up and have a hidden supply of black water.”
The red-haired farmer started to carefully lift his moon flowers off the stall counter and placed them delicately in a large, wooden chest. He stowed the water bottle under the table as he worked, and Cyra began to tap her foot impatiently.
“So,” she said. “The place that we’re going?”
“Oh, sorry,” he chuckled. “I was just transported off into a world of my own there! You really can’t imagine what this well means to us all. So much good fortune, and it’s all come on so suddenly! Okay, so how well do you know these lands?”
“Pretty well,” I lied. “But just make the directions as thorough as possible so we don’t waste our time.”
Landen looked around and then shuffled close to us as if there was someone nearby straining their ears to listen in. I knew how impressive his eyesight was, so I wasn’t worried about anyone eavesdropping without him noticing.
“Okay,” he whispered. “She lives right by the Night Lake.”
“That’s not too far.” Cyra nodded. “So we head north?”
“Right through the forest,” Landen said. “Should take less than a day of travel for your long legs. She lives in a hut on the edge of the woods that looks out over the lake. It’s sometimes hard to spot, but you just need to know where to look.”
“Why is it hard to spot?” I asked. “Is it camouflaged or something?”
Landen looked around again and shuffled so close that his face was basically smooshed against my ear.
“It’s hidden because of who lives there,” he hissed. “She’s a genuine Night Witch!”
He flailed his arms dramatically as he spoke and then nodded slowly as if he expected me to react.
“Oh,” I said. “Right. Is she nice?”
The red-haired farmer stood back and folded his arms with a frown.
“Nice?” he asked. “That’s not normally the first thing people want to know about witches.”
Cyra smirked at me, and it was clear she wasn’t coming to my aid any time soon with any local knowledge this time. The angel clearly liked to put me on the spot, and I tried to put a more intrigued expression on.
“I mean, is she powerful?” I tried, and that seemed to satisfy Landen.
“Very.” He nodded. “She’s an old friend of my mother’s, so I’ve known her since I was little. I haven’t really heard much from her recently, but she’ll be there. It’s a remote spot. She likes being away from everything.”
“And she’ll definitely have the information we need?” Cyra asked. “She’ll be able to tell us where the demons’ headquarters are?”
“I’d bet my life on it.” Landen nodded. “But you’ll need to be careful around those parts, of course. I hear the creatures in the forest are starting to go mad from the lack of moonlight.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“We’re all struggling,” Landen said. “But the folks who were suffering the most seemed to set out into the woods to get as far away from the demons and their orbs as possible. I’ve heard some of the species aren’t doing too well.”
“We’ll be careful,” I said. “Do you think this Night Witch will mind having visitors?”
“Tell her I sent you,” Landen said. “Let her know you helped me, and she’ll be fine with you. Just watch out when you first meet her. Make sure she doesn’t get startled, or she might throw some kind of a curse at you.”
“Noted,” I said. “What do we call her?”
“I don’t even know that!” Landen laughed. “Witches are very secretive about their names. They believe knowing someone’s name gives them power over you. She’s a bit odd like that, but you’ll get used to it quickly.”
“We should get going, then,” I said. “Thanks, Landen, this is really helpful.”
“Just be careful,” he warned. “Whatever it is you folks are trying to do out there, I’m guessing it isn’t safe.”
“Not exactly,” I admitted. “But we’re going to be fine. I promise.”
“Good luck,” he said. “Both of you.”
The moon farmer gave us each a swift nod and then carried on packing up his stall. I glanced around to make sure nobody had been listening in, but it seemed that the crowd was milling around as usual.
“Come on,” Cyra urged. “Every second matters.”
We left Landen, and I followed the beautiful angel through the crowd as she hurried down the street. She went a different way to the path we had taken before and led us down curved streets that were surrounded by various shops and houses. I tried to take it all in as we walked, and it seemed that the Night Lands had a lot of closed down businesses. There was a bakery and a butcher shop that had broken windows, and their signs were turned to “closed” on the doors. A florist looked like it was still going, and an old woman arranged a bouquet behind a counter dimly lit with candles.
“Shops don’t seem to be doing well,” I said. “The only open one I’ve seen didn’t have any customers.”
“The market is much better for businesses.” Cyra nodded. “The mortals seem to feel safer shopping in big crowds. Even if it means there’s a bigger risk of theft, at least you can’t be cornered by demons as easily if you glance at one the wrong way.”
“Safety in numbers,” I said. “That makes sense. I just feel so bad for everyone here. What was it like before the Night God left?”
