Quest for the Dragon Soul Pt. 04

The Matron Inludidae charged Khaln in a frantic attempt to save her betrothed, but the Matron Sonorous tripped her new sister under the stunned regard of the other two Matrons. The Matron Sonorous yanked off her tattered white shroud and jumped on the Matron Inludidae and wrapped the shroud around her new sister's head. The Matron Inludidae struggled until the matron Sonorous unleashed a piecing scream that pounded the floor, creating a crater around the gagged Matron's head. The white shroud quickly became marred with thick, dark blood.

The Dread Lord's piercing howls of pain shook the entire barge and made the still sea it floated upon ripple from the force of his scream. The Dread Lord threw the warrior off his chest and struggled to his hands and knees as the long dangling nerves flayed erratically as they sought to solidify the Dread Lord's form. But Khaln was quick and relentless in his attack - he jumped onto the Dread Lord's back and wrapped his arms around the creature's neck, wrenching it violently from side to side. The Dread Lord's brain bulged and spurted blood but Khaln's grip was steadfast - but it weakened when one of the discs of the Dread Lord's spine snapped. The splintered bone exposed a piece of steel that erupted with a glow of bright light - Khaln reeled backwards even though his movements slowed as though the air around him became thick and syrupy like fresh amber. Shadows danced in the glow from the Dread Lord's spine and seemed to leap onto Khaln's skin, dimming his own natural scarlet pulses.

Khaln rolled off the Dread Lord of Ax'Herith and staggered against the curved chamber walls while his body was seized by a strange battle between smoky shadows and his own red glow. He suddenly turned to the staring Matrons of the Call of Skaelor and they watched as the smoky shadows drifted to his eyes and seeped into his skull.

Khaln screamed as he fell to one knee - despite its broken back, the Dread Lord of Ax'Herith crawled towards the young warrior, his arms working as much as his leathery tendrils to reach the warrior.

"You will remake the world," the Dread Lord hissed as he reached for Khaln's trembling shoulders.

"No," Khaln growled as his stone cold eyes turned into pools of inky blackness. "But I will make it burn."

The Dread Lord of Ax'Herith tried to scramble back but Khaln smashed his hands together in a thunderous clap, crushing the exposed brain of the Dread Lord, sending an almost endless spray of blood into the hair that fell back onto those assembled as a warm, red rain.

Khaln stood unsteadily, taking his time to catch his breath as the blood rain continued to fall - he kicked aside the bloodied pulp of the destroyed Dread Lord's brain and pushed through the rubble of the grayish skeleton it left behind. Buried beneath the bones, Khaln spied the glint of the edge of a sword. He followed the blade until he found the hilt and he dragged a long sword from the remains of the Dread Lord.

The blade of the sword was broad but tapered to a fine point flanked by two keen edges. A blood groove ran from the center of the blade to the hilt where it merged with a upwardly curved cross guard. The hilt was wrapped in etched leather and pommel was a shaped from a hollow ring with a black gem floating at its center. When Khaln held the blade to his face, it glowed red like him and seemed to sing.

"This is Ax'Herith - the named sword," Khaln said as he admired the arming sword. "Matron Sonorous, you have your vengeance."

"Indeed, and it would appear you are the new Dread Lord."

"Am I?" Khaln asked, looking down at the inert body of the Matron Inludidae. "Does that make her my wife?"

"We can all be your wives," the Matron Sonorous whispered as she joined him and lead him out onto the barge. Khaln looked up and pulsing red glow beneath his skin ceased as did his new found sword's.

"But for now," he whispered to the Matron covered in a tattered white shroud. "We have a dragon to find."

With those words, the sides of the barge trembled as dozens of Quieting Angels took flight - from the swirling clouds of ash that surrounded their bodies, long chains clanged silently as they were anchored while they flew, pulling the gigantic barge behind them.

to be continued