Quest for the Dragon Soul Pt. 05

"My people ... I never wanted this ..." she said as she sobbed -- the general gasped as a long, serpentine ribbon of multicolored energy erupted from her slight bosom, folded onto itself and forced its way down her throat. She convulsed violently as she coughed blood that stained the front of her tattered dress. Dagleon stepped forward to catch her if she dropped to the ground.

"Easy girl," Dagleon Talveiss said. "Breath slowly. Tell me who you are -- then, what happened."

"I'm Vynrha Peq -- daughter of Xybis Peq, lord satrap of the province of Phorven."

"I met your father when your people arrived -- he was a good man. But Vynrha, I need you to tell me how is it you're a mage-maiden. The Brerebdari had no arcane bloodlines."

Vynrha Peq was about to speak but instead shrieked when her hands and feet were suddenly consumed by simultaneous flashes of light, leaving her with fuming stumps.

"Gods, its consuming you," Dagleon said as his began to piece together what was happening to her. "Please, you don't have much time."

"My mother, Silslaug -- she was a princess of the kingdom of Welhanneir. She had been a dream weaver -- as am I."

When Dagleon heard the name Silslaug -- when he heard of the kingdom of Welhanneir -- his knees buckled and he almost fell but for his leaning upon Eldrath'Zhil.

"A few days ... nights ...?" Vynrha said between hard breaths. "After the incident at the Seeded council meeting -- something came into the camp, carried by the water. It spoke to me without words, promising that I would see my mother again."

"What happened to my s... to Silslaug?" Dagleon asked as a lump formed in his throat.

"She died of the Arcane Ailment, when I was a child. I remember her so -- it said I was untouched and it could use my gift to weave her back into this world."

"Only something godly would make such a promise," Dagleon Talveiss hissed as lifted Eldrath'Zhil, the Spell Breaker -- he strained as its weight had increased almost tenfold.

"Yes! Arrrrgght!" Vynrha shouted as her forearms and lower legs disintegrated in blinding flashes of light. "The thing that came into the village -- it serves the Always Forgotten One! The God of no gods!"

As Vynrha spoke, her flesh began to crackle with destructive energy. "We were to be the first sacrifices! But it didn't know my mother came to me in a dream and told me a man with a sword would free me and that man was my uncle, Hexlzard!"

General Dagleon Talveiss, who had once been known as Hexlzard, prince of Welhanneir, smashed the sword Eldrath'Zhil upon the thick, rocky earth beneath his dying niece, Vynrha Peq.

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"Hold the line! We are the only thing between these bastards and the settlements!" Liervel shouted, unaware if he was securing his place in history as a hero or as a footnote in the annals of foolhardiness. What he did know was that his fortified position was overrun by a horde of Scything Souls and reanimated corpses of his fallen soldiers. Each time his sword cut one of them down, it arose, accompanied but two other creatures. He wondered about why he accepted the offer to go from being a ceremonial guard of the Seeded council to being a lieutenant to the infamous general.

But even as he picked up a spear after his sword was knocked out of his hand, Liervel heard a thunderous roar and witnessed a bluish fire creep across the walls of the entire tunnel system that crisscrossed beneath the once mighty city of Melit'Zay.

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Eldrath'Zhil had gorged upon the divine energies that had filled the cavern since Dagleon Talveiss first entered the presence of the young woman condemned to be the conduit of some god's divine machinations -- when the general had smashed the blade upon the ground, his actions fueled by rage and sadness, the sword's inert centers of percussion ruptured as it vibrated and it unleashed a bubble of blue fire. General Dagleon Talveiss was knocked backwards while the mesmerizing light that was consuming Vynrha Peq was pushed aside by Eldrath'Zhil's fire. The bubble grew to fill the chamber the Brerebdari had chosen to call home and tendrils of the fire leaked through stone corridors, seeking to engulf those animated by the dwindling power.

Dagleon Talveiss rose unsteadily to his feet and managed to catch Vynrha Peq as she fell to the ground -- he held her weak form to his muscled chest and marveled at how much she resembled his sister Silslaug.

"Easy Vynrha," he cooed as she shivered. "I'm here ... I'm here."

Vynrha would have reached out for his cheek, but her arms and hands been burned away by the energies that had enslaved her.

"Uncle Hexlzard?" she said as she looked as Dagleon's watering eyes. "But you came here with your other name, didn't you?"

Dagleon nodded as her caressed her cold cheek -- he barely noticed the ground rumbling as the imprisoned underground river he and his men had originally came to find awakened and sought its freedom.

"The Always Forgotten One will see you know, uncle -- its servants will be hungry."

"I'll be ready, my child," the general said as he held his niece close, feeling her every breath growing weaker than the next. Over her shoulder, he gazed upon the rushing wall of water that filled the wide riverbed -- Dagleon turned his back to shield Vynrha as best he could from the onslaught of crashing water, but when it hit, it was force enough to snap trees. He would not let her go as they were carried forward by the roaring water, their bodies tumbling uncontrollably as they were carried as a vanguard by the river.

As he tumbled and he fought for breath, Dagleon Talveiss's mind filled with the memories of a youth far removed from who he was now; once upon a time, he had been known as Hexlzard, prince of Welhanneir and son of king Delgerd and queen Yffega. He had also had a beloved younger sister named Silslaug. Hexlzard was a respected prince, but he was rash and bold, and he committed and act that dishonored him in the eyes of his father, king Delgerd and in the eyes of the god Agreth. Hexlzard had pushed for the kidnapping and ransom of the queen of the small, neighboring kingdom of Thimmeir. It had been a rich but militarily weak realm, and Hexlzard felt that a ransom was the quickest way to access the kingdom's vast resources with as little wasted time and bloodshed as possible.

But for Agreth, the god upon the floating mountain, glory was gained from defeating an equal or stronger enemy -- the meek were to be built into allies or strengthened until a people's natural desire to expand and rebel took hold. Kidnapping was a cowards way -- and king Delgerd felt that most keenly when he discovered the queen of Thimmeir, Edetha, imprisoned in a tower. He returned the young, beautiful queen back to her kingdom and stripped Hexlzard of his title and struck his name from the songs of fealty, and made him a serf to queen Edetha. He was to be her personal guard, to do with as she pleased but for two conditions: he was not to be killed or used in a retaliatory manner against Welhanneir.

But unknown to King Delgerd and queen Yffega, but quickly deduced by princess Silslaug, was that Hexlzard and Edetha had become lovers -- and his time as her serf was a time of love and lust for the two young nobles. That was, until a plot to murder queen Edetha and overthrow her throne was concocted, and eventually, successful. Hexlzard was the scapegoat for the murder -- a fate that dishonoured him even more in the eyes of his parents. Only Silslaug knew the truth, and aided him in devising the papers and identity that was to become Dagleon Talveiss.

It was with that assumed name that he traveled to Melit'Zay and joined the Rogue Riders, showing an aptitude for strategy and command -- he caught the attention of the secretive Selgan, and was ultimately chosen by Selgan to be the next holder of Eldrath'Zhil and become a Cardinal Watcher.

But now, as Eldrath'Zhil was carried by the rushing waters of the freed underground river while Dagleon Talveiss clung to the limp body of possibly the last remnant of his family -- for the kingdom of Welhanneir was overrun by the Call of Skaelor -- he cursed the god Agreth for having made his day difficult. But those thoughts fell away like the river bottom beneath Dagleon's feet as he used his body to absorb the impact of bouncing off the rocky sides of the canyon the river had dug over the millenia it had flowed beneath Melit'Zay.

General Dagleon Talveiss struggled for air as he broke the surface of the rapidly moving water -- when he gasped for breath while clutching Vynrha Peq's limp body, he saw the rushing river had been too powerful for the reanimated corpses and remnants of the Call of Skaelor revived by the so-called agent of the Always Forgotten One. Their already misshapen forms were crushed by the relentless water.

The general also knew he and his charge would soon drown if they did not find an anchor and make it to the banks of the river -- and then, as though Agreth had taken offense to being cursed, Dagleon found himself grasping the tip of a long wooden perch manned by his lieutenant Liervel and two other soldiers.

"Heave!" general Dagleon Talveiss heard Liervel shout over the rush of the water as his head bobbed beneath the surface while he was pulled ashore.

"General!" Liervel as Dagleon was laid down with his charge onto a dry blanket -- Liervel ordered for warm wine to be fetched as well as a change of dry clothing. "General Talveiss -- we were sure you were lost."

General Dagleon Talveiss shook his head before two guards reached down to relieve him of the wretched body of Vynrha Peq. "Treat her gently," he said gravely as he took the wine. His blind hope that she might have survived had been in vain.

"General, we fought as hard as we could but those things were unstoppable," Liervel said as he paced around Dagleon. "Men fell and then came back, fighting for the Scything Souls -- was she the cause of it all?" Liervel asked as he pointed angrily at Vynrha Peq.

With surprising swiftness despite his ordeal, the general was on his feet and standing between Liervel and Vynrha's corpse.

"She was as much a victim as any who fell here, Liervel," the general said, his enraged, raspy voice thunderous despite his old wound.

"What happened in the darkness, general? Who is she?"

"She was made a tool for something deadly and divine, Liervel," the general finally said before lifting his arm -- a crack of thunder resounded through the caves and the sword Eldrath'Zhil flew from the river and landed in Dagleon Talveiss's hand. "She was family."

As the general kneeled and placed a kiss upon his niece's forehead, he said: "Have her body taken to my chambers and a guard placed there until I return to tend to her. Also send word that I'm calling an emergency session of the Seeded Council."

Liervel balked at the thought of of another session after what happened when it was revealed that the woman Bailla'Tayne Jeva was pregnant by the supposed porter of the Pneuma Draconis, the spark of all magic, and the murder of the oracle, Cyphelia Desjaines.

"There are happenings afoot that we are not prepared for," general Dagleon Talveiss warned.

IV

The tunnels beneath Melit'Zay echoed with revels as the sound of crashing water carried with it tidings of food and drink -- yet the stories of the violence of the battle with the creatures beyond the river lingered in the memory of those who had seen sons, brothers and fathers lost to the bladed limbs of the beasts. But their worry and anxiety would wait as the joy of fresh water filled their heads. Some thanked the gods for the blessing, while others knew that the troubles were just beginning.

But lord Thierann of Gul'Vadesh paid little heed to the festivities as he trekked the caverns of the underground city, dressed in a green, heavy hooded cloak. Those who crossed his gaze either ignored him or retreated any challenge as they understood he was a man with dark purpose. While Ziel-Tan and Maca-Jal, leaders of to Qoazti Companion of archers, questioned witnesses to the distressing events that occurred during the last sitting of the Seeded Council, the grieving but angry wizard had stalked Cyphelia Desjaines's chambers, seeking something that would lead to her murderer. Those questioned recalled either their own frightful experiences or the confrontation between the pregnant Bailla'Tayne Jeva and the ever mysterious general Dagleon Talveiss. In the chamber, however, Thierann had discovered a scroll bearing the sigil of an infamous flesh house -- when he opened it, the revealed runes were unknown to him, a feat he thought impossible. But the signature was quite clear: Nekka Adzur.

So Thierann now approached the flesh house called the Moaning Wind -- it had existed it Melit'Zay before the war with the Call of Skaelor and it continued it sanctioned wares in the war's aftermath. Ziel-Tan and Maca-Jal had followed him from a distance as well as two other Qoazti archers -- they wore commoners clothing and carried daggers instead of bows. Though Thierann appreciated their presence, he would not allow them to prevent him from doing his utmost to discover Cyphelia Desjaines's murderer.

Thierann arrived at the cloistered section of caves reserved for the Moaning Wind and he rapped the heavy wooden gate that isolated this little artificial heaven. A panel slid aside and dark eyes peered suspiciously at the grave looking, old wizard.

"What do you want?" a grizzly voice said from below the dark eyes.

"Nekka Adzur."

The eyes retreated back into the shadows and Thierann heard a hard gulp as the gate keeper swallowed.

The dark eyes reappeared but their suspicious gaze was replaced by a weary one. The panel slid closed and Thierann heard the lock mechanism disengage and the heavy gate opened. The wizard motioned to the Qoazti archers to remain outside and he entered the mouth of the Moaning Wind.

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Thierann was lead through a series of winding tunnels lit by hanging plates of burning oil and lined with draped openings that showed the wizard all measures of licentious acts he would have enjoyed watching once, but his mind was focused on the languages he heard. Most were familiar to him, although he occasionally heard a word or phrase that was completely foreign. He noted who spoke them -- he suspected the scroll he had discovered was written in the same language.

After a seemingly endless series of twits and turns, Thierann was lead to a final opening draped in heavy lace and linen.

"Nekka Adzur." Thierann's guide whispered and seemingly melted into the shadows. Thierann tossed his hood back and scanned the strips of silk and linen that covered the opening -- he noted the same runes embossed in the fabric as those printed on the scroll he had recently discovered. Pushing them aside, he entered the next chamber.

Torches illuminated the high, circular room, casting shadows upon a series of low beds covered in multicolored cushions and blankets. The beds were empty but for bones or skulls that littered the blankets -- Thierann sought the leylines of magic but his ethereal sight was shrouded. His magic was limited in this place. He recalled the weight of the long, curved dagger he wore at his waist.

"You won't need that in this place, my lord."

Thierann glanced up and a woman emerged from the shadows, although the effect was more of her taking form from the darkness. She was tall and slender with a fluid quality as she moved -- her hips flared and her naked breasts were firm but upturned and her puffy nipples pointed towards her elbows. Her body was hairless but for her head -- a long tress of dark hair hung by her left shoulder while the right part of her head was shaved.

"Step into the light," Thierann requested. She did as asked and the wizard saw she bore tattoos that covered her rights arm from wrist to shoulder and then across her right breast, beneath her other breast and down her left leg, stopping above her knee.

"Nekka Adzur?" Thierann asked. Observing this strange creature as he tossed off his cloak, exposing a simple gray tunic with silver embroidery highlighting its seams.

"I am one of the many, my lord," Nekka Adzur answered. "How may I please you?"

Thierann reached under the back of his tunic and revealed the scroll he had found in Cyphelia's chamber and tossed it to the nude woman. "I want you to read that and tell me how it might be linked to Cyphelia's death."

Nekka Adzur retrieved the scroll, unrolled it and then looked quizzically at Thierann, but before he could ask anything she began to tremble uncontrollably and a mouth appeared in her left hand and it shrieked. Thierann felt as though he was struck and fell to the ground as he watched the shrieking woman begin to melt -- her flesh made fuming puddles on the ground as it fell and liquefied, exposing her glistening muscles. Thierann stared on, slack jawed as layer upon layer of moist flesh fell away till only a pile of wet bones clattered to the ground. As Thierann returned to his feet and intently observed the phenomenon, he was oblivious to the bones on one of the couches that had begun to assemble and solidify into a mirror image of the fallen Nekka Adzur.

Thierann spun when he heard the creaking of the shifting frame of a couch and he came face to face with another Nekka Adzur -- her hair and tattoos were on the opposite side of her body but her ethereal beauty was identical. But before he could speak, this Nekka Adzur kicked him squarely in the chest, knocking him against a far wall. Thierann breathed hard as he sought with his mind to find a magical leyline but the chamber was barren -- he grunted when Nekka Adzur swung at his head and he blocked her blow with his elbow. He used his blocking arm to lead his counter punch but she had already stepped inside his guard and grabbed his wrist and had pivoted while pulling at the wizard, throwing him off balance and over her shoulder. The throw sent Thierann crashing to the ground and he damned his inexperience at combat.

"The task! The Oracle! It has already been done!" Nekka Adzur screamed her mouth full of sharp, needle like teeth. She then locked her arm around Thierann's elbow and leaned back, bracing his over-extended joint across her bent knee.

"What are you?" Thierann hissed as he felt his arm near it breaking point. "Did you kill her!?"

"The Nekka Adzur does as invoked," she said and Thierann knew his arm was about to break -- until he remembered the dagger in his belt. He frantically reached for the blade while leaning his body in the direction of the Nekka Adzur's hold in an attempt to relieve the pressure on his elbow. Finding the hilt of the curved blade, he yanked it from it sheath, kicked out with his legs and managed to roll onto his side when he felt her hold weaken and he slashed her thigh.

Blood filled the wound and the Nekka Adzur shrieked and stumbled away from the armed wizard -- Thierann glanced left and right before pursuing her. His blade at the ready, Thierann was intent on gutting her for the death of the oracle Cyphelia Desjaines but as he was about to strike, he was blinded by an intense flash of pain before the darkness overtook him.

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Thierann's eyes snapped open and he hissed in pain as he saw a deep, reddish welt appear on his chest. Under the flickering fire of the oil lamp that illuminated the chamber, the aged wizard realized he was in the same space where he had confronted the Nekka Adzur. But as he looked at his arms and legs, he saw thick leather straps binding him to an "X" shaped, wooden frame. It was then that he felt his legs shake involuntarily -- he looked down and he had been stripped while a tattooed woman was stroking his cock with delicate hands. But as she worked his shaft, he felt the expert lashing of a tongue that snaked itself from between her sensual lips . Her head was shaved on one side while her hair hung down the other, pulling his eye to the runic markings on her arm.