Chapter 30

Ian sat in the confines of the stakeout: his impromptu office, he was alone save for his chair, a coup of Italian espresso, and a lit cigarette in the sparsely furnished apartment they had rented. The trails and wisps of his thoughts was like the smoke lifting off the lit cherry, lighting his face upon each exhale. The thought and classification Dragon Lich ran through his mind over and over. An entity, an entry never recorded despite the Dragon’s vast annals. It was likely that it had a magic power equivalent or greater to Liam’s, yet it was here on Earth. ‘How did it get here’, Ian thought to himself, ‘No, it was possibly always here, lurking in the shadows’. A shadow of a thought of darkness that had remained in the world. Ian felt a chill run up his spine. If it had chosen to run rampant here it would be an unprecedented amount of destruction and slaughter, but it didn’t instead it hid, biding its time towards some unknown goal. Ian was nervous, it wasn’t forced to finally reveal itself, rather it chose to reveal itself. Maybe The Dark Wheel was just this foul creature, or maybe there were others, Ian did not know. One thing he was sure of: he had met a member of the dark wheel.

Sure, there were human residents in the complex when they raided it. But the family itself had ties with earther dark wizards, and magicians. The residents were deemed to be as equally aware, as such as soon as they entered, they had deployed their tablets. Now they needed to process the felons, and gleam any information about the man that appeared. He could hear sirens, and eventually Italian police had shown up. The CI: the Caesar clan’s enforcement arm here in Italy, had an official government status. Although, his clan too had official statuses in America, the CI, Corpo di Informaziones were much more involved, even participating in human operations to some extent, even if it was at their own discretion.

Ian’s face darkened, worry began to seep into his heart. All the recent occurrences were bizarre, unprecedented. It may be enough to shake the very foundations of both worlds. Instead of languishing on what could be, Ian decided to focus on what was. He sighed, a long laborious sigh. He plucked his tablet that had been revolving around him. Instead of contacting Liam, he decided to delve into his thoughts, and digest the new information, while doing what he can to support Amy. ‘She may be the key to all of this’, he thought to himself. He opened his account on Amy’s Kaito fan page, and resumed his fan-club activities, while simultaneously texting Amy a few words of encouragement, and mulling over recent events.

“I feel disjointed”, Sean said as he held the rear guard with Lorenn, “It’s as if I’m being drawn in two different directions, but not belonging to neither”.

Sean watched as Amy nodded her head in agreement after reading a text while walking in the center as they travelled through the foggy forest. It was a jarring feeling, something he had never experienced before. The fog swirling amidst the dead trees was thick and voluminous, like a suffocating wet blanket was pressed upon their faces.

He had hoped to join Ian and William’s guild after a few years in raids. Liam was an inspiration for him, both being talented in magic and understanding of the ancient language. However, his older brother was his goal. He had hoped to build a reputation in the national sport, so he could join the guild and be as close to his brother as possible. He wanted to be on earth rather than be stuck here. Everything was the same here, forests and trees, trees and forests, grassy fields. Long had the novelty of his homeland worn thin in the past fifty years of his life. He also wanted to be on earth, experience new things, and new technologies. The humans were at a top technological age. As a techie he yearned to tinker with electronics. But most of Draegoch had no gold or copper to produce circuitry except for the tower of Waga, which was still limited; and they dared not touch the resources of Earth. Instead, the draegun technology was more natural, and less powerful. Sean was amazed at the infrastructure of the humans that had connected the entire world. Even though the theories were derived from draegun minds, they were implemented with human and earther hands. It was a different scale than what could be done in Draegoch.

“I think we are getting close, nothing else would explain this uncomfortable”, Sean paused his warning, “feeling”.

Despite the repulsion of the forest itself trying to impede their presence, there was a lack of monsters here even being within the geographical boundaries of the dungeon. It was due to the raid council’s push in the south west of the dungeon lines. Still, it was not a leisurely stroll, for Sean vividly remembered the confrontation a few days back with the vampire. It was an overwhelming, and impactful presence that lingered in his mind, and it spurned him to remain cautious, after nearly facing death.

“Good it is, that none of the black horde are here”, Minerva uttered quietly, nervously.

“Or that they still think we’re up in that city”, Shatira contributed.

“For now, it seems we are not followed like before”, Sean agreed, as he exchanged glances with Osgur “Let’s hope our presence is overlooked”.

“Shut up Sean!”, Shatira suddenly in a still subdued voice exclaimed, “You fucking jinxed us. Fanfucking red-flagtastic”.

Sean looked at Amy as her eyes widened and anxiety was openly displayed in her eyes. His heart twisted as the natural protective instinct of a dragon awoke. She was like family now, they had literally spent every day together for five weeks, and he admired her will to move forward despite her frail human body being exposed to such perilous conditions. He looked at Glyn as they shared the same thoughts and nodded. They would support Amy.

“Don’t blame him!”, Glyn glowered at Shatira, “We knew it was gonna happen sooner or later”.

In the branches, in the distance, they could hear it. Crackle, snap! They could hear the sway of branches as the wood creaked to support a weight. In the front Shatira knelt down next to the trunk of a tree.

Sean pulled out his dual pistols that he had painstakingly made, the first of their kind, earning him a spot in the top class of the guild only curriculum, alongside his sister and much older classmates, well except for Amy. Sean watched Shatira look back at Veve. Veve approached and instantly stepped back as they all saw the web clinging to the trees dancing with the movement of the swirling fog.

“Fucking Spiders”, Shaitra shivered as she spoke sensing their presence.

Of all the black horde the Fyarwn, the giant arachnids, were the most rutheless. Being of an insect mind they were focused and intent on their one objective that dominated them, the impulse to feed.

He didn’t take offense to Shatira’s outburst. Sure, she was uncouth and had an inflated ego, but she wasn’t a bad person.

As wood creatures both Veve and Shatira were very much agitated.

“Stay close and don’t stray, surround Shatira, Veve and Amy”, Osgur barked in his deep bass.

Sean scrolled through the list of charm apps he had written and stored, just for this occasion. “Fiery Winds”, he said as he saw the text of the title overlaid in his vision, in his library of apps. Although he lacked Liam’s raw magical power, he was able to take advantage of his above average reserve and create charms that were only a shade less powerful than spoken spells. But he made up for it with scientific understanding, and the one area he was above Liam in: his understanding of how to apply the ancient language in his coded scripts. In essence they were digital consumable scrolls.

Sean could feel his energy being pulled by the tablet, as the tablet vibrated and pulsed, he could feel his magic coursing through the circuits. The program calculated, resolved equations, and activated in the coded parameters of the script, and manifested his mana into reality.

An orb of fire appeared above them rising up up up. The wind howled; the trees moaned as they flexed. The air moved violently as the heat and agitation dispersed the cold fog, and the flames lit the almost night like, overcast light.

Amy looked up marveling at the bright ball of fire that was swirling and spinning, she knew enough to understand how refined it was. Then her legs tensed up as the barrier of the wind peeled back the curtains of the fog revealing black emotionless glistening eyes, mandibles with sharp fangs, and eight hairy swiftly scurrying legs clinging to the vast web highway that clung to the branches.

Maybe it was the influence of her dragon friends, supported by her past experiences that raised her self-esteem, awakening a gentle, but still competitive streak. Wanting to match Sean, she quickly analyzed the situation, as her training quieted her natural nervous tendencies. In a split second she recognized the giant spiders were swarming down upon them closely grouped together. It was time for the Mystic of The Ancient Dragon to shine! As Amy closed her eyes to focus, she was immersed in her role, as her fantasy, all her day dreams, and her reality merged.

Her focus burned traces in her mind, her energy rose, her heart was a storm. She lifted her arms, her wand clutched firmly with both hands. Like a flash of light in the dead of night, she suddenly opened her eyes, the darkness in her vision was pushed back by a sudden glow at the tip of her wand.

“Do Zinta Thru’um”, Amy uttered loudly, with poignant potency in her voice like thunder in the night as if to shake the very air she breathed.

A thick bolt of lightning leapt from her wand with a loud roar that pierced the howling winds. Her family would be speechless if they ever saw this spectacle. It flashed through many spiders as they fell from their webs. It was the adept level spell which translated as ‘Chain Lightning’. The bolt jumped from target to target still.

Amy could feel Sean’s eyes on her as she watched the light flashed even well into the swirling mist past the barrier of wind and flame. She was satisfied with her performance. It crushed their advance, but only for a second.

“Swirling flair”, Sean shouted in excitement.

A bright orange projectile of pure magic penetrated the fog, and the vast horde was clearly revealed. Suddenly everyone froze, as it glowed, in the dark forested canopy, in the twilight hours of the overcast day. It bathed the grey earth, and black trees in an orange hue revealing the wave of hungry black creatures descending upon them. It was a spectacle she would never forget. Still, she did not lose her poise.

In the boisterous atmosphere she shouted as she turned and pointed, “I can feel the source of that feeling from before it is that way”.

“Everyone run!”, Osgur shouted.

No time to check their map, they all ran. Shatira and Veve in their swiftness led the way. Armors drawn from their inventory clinked, and weapons clanked against them as they fled.

“There it is”, Sean shouted in between strides as another flare fired, manifesting itself from his tablet, clearing their sight.

Amy thought it was odd in this bleak and colorless forest, for a red outcropping of rocks to exist when she saw the photos taken by the reconnaissance dragon wings. She immediately thought of her nightmare several weeks ago, ground and stone stained red with blood. But she had not time to explore such thoughts. Two pillars were carved into the base of the largest house sized boulder, on either side of an entrance into the bowels of where they knew not. As their only source of retreat, they plunged into the entrance to the ruins.

Satriana was looking at Lorenn her new boyfriend. Before the two-week long hell they bitterly endured, she had not a second thought for Lorenn. While she was flattered knowing he was the reason why she was so popular. His personality, his restraint was too much for her tastes. She was rather peculiar for an orc. Rather than boisterous, vociferous, she herself was restrained, and very shy. Much more so than Amy, who she saw as a kindred spirit, and an inspiration; although, she would be too embarrassed to tell her. Instead Satriana much preferred speaking with her hands, and her actions. But then, Lorenn had changed after the hellish training that made a chill creep up spine as she suppressed her recollections. He had become more Orc like as he loosened his self-imposed inhibitions. Lorenn became a bastion for her, a focal point of attention that she could hide in the shadow thereof. Now he had become very unique for a high elf, not caring for dignity and reveling in the moment, rather than thinking over the future. He was satisfied to let others lead, while he focused on the present. It was a very Orcish mentality, having much shortened lifespans than the long living elves. Even though they earned the derision of the elves, there was still wisdom to be found in their methods.

She felt the warmth of his touch, his hands grasping hers as they plunged inside the dark passageway. They dared not look back. Amy shouted a word from behind them. Satriana staggered for a moment, as the ground shook and magic exploded, but Lorenn supported her with his firm grasp and she regained her momentum. This was why she had fell in love with him. She looked back to see stone and rubble blocking the entrance.

“Well, there goes our exit”, Shatira said displeased.

“Sorry”, Amy said sheepishly.

Satriana spoke up on Amy’s behalf, “At least they aren’t trying to eat us”.

The group was silent as they all mutually understood Amy’s decision because of her words.

“Right let’s go exploring! We need to look for an exit anyways!”, Lorenn said still cheerful and full of energy breaking the tense atmosphere.

Crack crack crack.

Sean had brought neon glow sticks he had saved just for this occasion. Lorenn’s handsome features were illuminated in Satriana’s eyes as he passed her a neon stick, his dark brown irises were twinkling from the light as he smiled at her. It was a warm tender smile.