Fate of the Forsworn
Chapter 20
Midnight battle (part 1)
Ardepp dismounted her dragon and approached the two Riders, a manic grin distorting her features. Her hair was the colour of quicksilver, her eyes seemed to shine with bloodlust, and her very demeanour spoke of someone on the verge of insanity. Miremel, Sarrarra and Arareal all roared challengingly, only to be drowned out by Revar's response. Kyvoster took to the air, silently draining magic from Ajunthar's diamond to create his trap. Ardepp drew her sword and leered at them both.
"Pass over the eggs I have come to claim. If you do so, I will not kill you like vermin."
Caryn's eyes narrowed as she drew Kuldr from its' sheath. Her sword was at least two foot shorter than Ardepp's, but she had tremendous confidence in her ability to fend off the craven elf.
"How about if YOU leave, we won't kill YOU like vermin?"
Ardepp glowered at Niev and yelled to the heavens.
"Malthinae!"
Instantly, Niev was immobilised. Ardepp sniggered, then kicked Caryn in the waist. The younger Rider staggered backward but kept her feet. She glared hatefully at the elf.
"I will not be pushed around by a traitorous elf. Ever again."
Kyvoster roared as he dived to attack Revar. Ardepp slashed with her sword at Caryn, who saw the attack as a feint with admirable speed and moved aside from where the true attack was coming from. Sarrarra, Arareal and Miremel were leaving the decoy nests and also moving to attack the silvery-blue dragon, and from Gil'ead came the shapes of another two dragons, doubtlessly bearing Rellith, the twin Riders and Jess. Revar gave a ferocious growl and lunged seemingly too early to catch Kyvoster in flight, but caught the hybrid's wing in his fangs. Kyvoster gave a scream of agony as the larger dragon attempted to tear his wing off, and reacted with astonishing speed. Recoiling in on himself as he hid the dirt, he fired off an electric attack that shocked Revar. Suddenly released. Kyvoster roared in pain and fury and delivered a powerful slash to the other male's flank, tearing off a number of scales. Giving a deep growl of hatred, Revar struck Kyvoster with astonishing force, knocking the half-breed out cold. Ardepp had already fought Caryn to a standstill, and was struggling to overpower her smaller foe when she felt herself being driven back. Caryn gave a fierce grin as she pushed Ardepp back towards Niev. Suddenly, the traitorous Rider grinned, drew Ajunthar and slashed at Caryn's left arm. The yellow Rider screamed in agony as Niev's blade cut a deep groove into her upper arm, dark blood spraying the ground. Above, Sarrarra howled in shared pain and spewed fire at the combatants. Caryn swayed, but was soon steady again. Ardepp scoffed as she shielded herself from the fire and slapped Caryn around the face with the flat of her blade, prompting another yell of agony. Smirking, she lunged with Ajunthar, and scored two deep gashes on both of Caryn's legs. Caryn yelled in agony and collapsed in a puddle of her own blood. Ardepp sniggered and pressed the heel of her boot to the fallen Rider's neck.
"Let me hear you beg before I crush the life from you. You are not the first Rider who has dared to stand against me."
Caryn was in too much pain to speak, but she expressed her disdain for the traitor's idea by spitting at her. Ardepp pulled Kuldr from her grip and held the golden blade over her.
"Now I shall kill you too."
She scythed down with the gold blade, only to be intercepted by a green one. Ardepp glowered as Arisu gave a smirk and bowled her over with a blast of magic, making her lose her concentration. Behind them, only Nerene was not fighting with Revar. Kyvoster was still out cold, Karra was unfazed from the fighting, but the silvery-blue male had dealt some severe punishment on his assailants. Sarrarra had been bitten on her front right leg deeply, Arareal had a huge gash up her back that nearly exposed her spine, Miremel was gouged in six different places, and Karra had a scar on her muzzle. In exchange, two of Revar's ribs were exposed and he was cut where Kyvoster had gouged him. Niev grabbed his weapon and was about to assist Arisu when he saw just how badly Caryn was hurt. Running to his friend's side, he eased her out of the gore and began to murmur spells to deaden her nerves temporarily as he went about the business of repairing her wounds. Caryn smiled weakly as Rellith joined in the business of fighting Ardepp. Charl was using her proficiency with magic to try and keep Revar distracted. The sky was brightened by the bursts of fire from the fueding dragons, some of which had started bushfires. Caryn spoke in a voice barely creditable as a whisper.
"Perhaps I...don't need to worry...so much...about the Council...being upset with Sarrarra...and Kyvoster. Niev...please...let me die."
Niev shook his head vehemently as he struggled to heal his former student, his brown eyes shining with unshed tears.
"No, this is not going to happen. I won't lose ANY of my friends, not to any Rider. Please Caryn. Work with me. I loved you as a friend, then a student, then as the woman you have become. Please! Don't die!"
Caryn shuddered violently as her cuts were healed. Niev wept as Arisu was floored by Ardepp, leaving the two elves to duel. Breaking free of assailants, Revar snarled and launched an attack at Charl. An expanding shockwave of magic floored the pearlescent Rider, before the traitorous dragon was set upon again by Karra and Miremel. Roaring in dismay, Nerene limped to Charl's side. Pulling himself out of his grief, Neiv ran to Charl.
"Charl! Charl, please get up! You can't die too!"
Nerene turned to Niev.
She is merely unconscious. Arareal has notified the nearest party to help us quell this traitor, and Jess will be here soon. Let me take my Rider back to Gil'ead, Niev.
Niev nodded and helped to strap Charl into Nerene's saddle. By now, only Karra was in any state to continue fighting. Miremel was too heavily injured to continue, Arareal had gone to get Jess, and Sarrarra was also unconscious from Caryn's pain. Niev went back to where Caryn had been felled and picked up Ajunthar. Drying his eyes, he charged at Ardepp just as the female elf knocked Rellith aside. Lunging, scything and battering at the elf with every trick he knew, Niev was able to make no headway against her. Off to the side, Rellith collapsed. Niev took a deep breath and shouted his secret weapon out loud.
"Morior Auctorita!"
Tendrils of red danced from Ajunthar's diamond to connect with Ardepp. For a brief moment, he dared to believe that the dark magic he knew would fell her the way it had a dissenting Urgal. When one tendril touched the pommel stone, it began to drain the stored energy, but as soon as the elf moved it aside, the boost wore off. Ardepp cackled insanely and went on the offensive once more. Some way away, Karra had also been felled by Revar. The huge silvery-blue male snorted in disdain. Niev fought with all he had, when a blast of magic flung him aside like a leaf caught in a tornado. He collapsed on the plain, unconscious. Ardepp cackled madly, looking at her fallen foes. Of them all, Rellith was the least wounded, and he was no threat at present. Ardepp turned to the ruined village and began to pilfer the three nests, her bad mood reaching unprecedented levels when she saw that not one of the nests seemed to contain a genuine egg. Screaming in frustration, she smashed the muddy decoys, yelling a mixture of elven and Urgal curses as she did so. Revar snarled in anger and glowered at the four fallen dragons. Ardepp walked back to the churned and bloodied battleground and looked at each and every one of her enemies.
"Oh well. At least I can kill several more foolish Riders who are just tools of the Council to use as they wish. I'll be doing the world a good deed to slay an unworthy half blood. Revar, kill them all."
Revar gave a triumphant roar that abruptly turned to a scream of pain. Dropping her sword, Ardepp clapped a hand to her eye and echoed her dragon's scream. Before she quite knew what was happening, another dragon had landed and was snarling with pure venom. A Rider dismounted from the dragon's back, a blue sword shining in the firelight. Pushing himself upright, Rellith gasped.
"Jess?"
Jess held her beautiful blue sword ready, her eyes narrowed in concentration as she went on the attack. Whilst Rellith had used pure liquid grace to attack, and Arisu had used her strength, and Niev had used unpredictability, Jess incorporated devastatingly powerful blows with a mixture of unprecedented acrobatics, throwing her foe off balance. Arareal charged Revar on his blind side, any sound she made mysteriously muffled somehow, and grappled with the larger dragon, her fangs tearing more wounds than all of the other dragons together had been able to. Weighing Revar down, Arareal gashed at his nostrils and viciously resumed attacking the male. Jess had landed over a score of wounds on Ardepp, although she had not escaped unscathed either. Snarling as much as her dragon, she managed to push Jess back briefly before calling to Revar. Freeing himself from Arareal's onslaught, Revar shambled hastily to his Rider's side and kept Jess at bay as she climbed onto his back. Jess mentally summoned Arareal to follow as the traitors attempted to flee. Smaller and lighter than Revar, Arareal soon caught up and was making flight very difficult for the wounded male. She flew upwards suddenly, then dived down, gashing the whole right side of his face. Roaring in agony, Revar landed on the large roof of Gil'ead Keep. Arareal landed elegantly, and growled in warning as Ardepp and Jess dismounted to conclude their duel.