Slay the Dragon

CHAPTER 23 - MAVE

Mave hasted as fast as she could to stop the scout from reaching the left tower. Her mind was about to blow up, thinking of how stupid that Erys was. Or it might be his father who told him to do that. After all, as she had noticed, he was only acting like a puppet, following whatever his father would say. Dependence was only for the weak. Those who didn’t know how to stand up on their own should’ve stayed sucking on their mother’s teats.

As Mave chased the hunter, she found herself entering an archway, then through a narrow tunnel, then a few turns of left and right, until she reached the circular staircases leading up to the top of the tower. But when she searched around, the scout wasn’t there anymore. He couldn’t be that fast enough to reach the top.

The repeating clangs of steel hitting each other echoed from the gatehouse. Other than that, Mave could only hear her strong pulse amidst the silence of the tower. It was dark. But she could see just enough because of the moonlight through the loopholes of the bastion.

Her body froze all of a sudden as a cold blade pressed on the skin of her throat.

“Drop your rapier,” a raspy voice brushed the back of her neck, sending shivers down to her back. “Drop it!”

Mave flinched and let go of her sword. When Gray Viper bounced on the stone floor, the guy kicked it far away out of her reach.

“You’d still dare to chase me?” Another voice came behind. The other scout walked past her and climbed up on the staircase.

Mave widened her eyes. How could she lose sight of him earlier? She should’ve known he was the one tailing her all along. She planned to move, but the sharp edge of the blade could almost slice through her skin.

“Come here and I’ll rip your stupid face off,” Mave hissed.

The scout looked unhappy. “Slit her throat if she keeps talking.” Then he headed off, his shoes tapping on the stone steps above.

Mave gritted her teeth. If she couldn’t catch him now, he would alert all dragon hunters around the ranges. The fire alarm would signal the second bastion—and then the third. It would be the end of everything.  

Mave felt her blood flow increasing. She could now cast out an ice weapon with her rapier on sight.

“Don’t move!” the guy grunted as he seemed to notice Mave’s attempt. “Don’t even think of doing something shitty or I’ll cut your head off your—“

The man’s voice cracked into a fry. He dropped the dagger from her neck, letting Mave move away from him and reach for her rapier.

When she turned around, sharp claws had been plunged into the guy’s chest. Behind him was Erys whose arms had transformed into golden dragon skin. He pulled out his claws and let the guy fall with blood flowing on the stone floor.

Their eyes met for a second until more voices came from the tunnel. “There he is! Slay the dragon!”

Mave had no second to waste. She had to chase the scout now.

“Wait,” Erys said as Mave began her climb. “You shouldn’t go alone.”

“I told you, I don’t need your help.” She replied coldly as she ascended to the tower. Why would she trust him? She had always been fine alone—well, except for what happened earlier, but she learned from it. She would not let them get her this time.

Mave tried to take as many steps as she could to go after the scout. A few moments after and she felt like she’d been climbing forever. Her legs slowly grew numb. When she looked up, she’s still halfway through, and the hunter was almost at the top. She had to move faster.

The loopholes on the walls of stones blew a strong gust of the night wind. It gave her chills. She remembered they were on a greater height than the ranges—and she’s still going higher.

Mave held the wall with her other hand. She felt like she would almost fall off. Her vision started to shake as she took more steps. Despite her being so high from the ground, she could hear the clangs of steel and the grunts of the men fighting below with Erys.

When Mave reached the top, panting, she caught a glimpse of the hunter, running towards the wooden ladder with an unlit torch in his hand. He began to climb towards the fire alarm, a mini-tower where hundreds of wooden logs piled above.

“Stop!” Mave wrenched all her muscles as she rushed after him, the wind blowing against her face.

She grabbed the ladder, climbed, and reached up to catch one of his shoes, but the hunter kept on kicking down. The hard heel almost broke her fingers when it hit.

Mave winced in pain, but she didn’t stop until her hand caught a strong grip on his ankle.

“Get off me, you wench!” The scout tried to strike her with his hard shoe, but Mave never lost her hold.

She pulled him down while unsheathing her rapier, but then her feet suddenly lost the ladder. She gasped. Her body hung in the air, swaying, her left hand still holding the guy’s ankle.

With the hunter now carrying the weight of Mave’s body, he couldn’t go up any further.

Mave quickly reached for the hilt, pulled out her rapier, and stabbed the guy’s leg.

The man screamed in agony. He lost his grip off the ladder, letting them fall hard against the stone floor.

Mave used her arm when she slammed down, but her head also hit hard, almost losing her consciousness. But that wouldn’t happen. She had to take this man down first before her.

The scout growled out in pain as he pulled the rapier off his leg. Blood spurted out of his wound, spreading over the stone floor. “I’ll kill you after this!” He gritted his teeth, eyeing Mave in anger.

She tried to get up but her body couldn’t respond. She had a hard fall … and the ache was growing worse every second. So instead, she crawled towards her rapier.

The guy stood up in one leg, still dripping with blood—then he went to pick up his torch from the floor.

Mave extended her hand, reaching for Gray Viper, but the guy struck down her arm with the wooden torch. She cried out in agony. Intense pain followed, burning deep through her arms. It’s like her bones got crushed against the stone floor.

The man took her rapier, walked towards the edge of the crenellations, and threw it out of the tower.

“No!” She shouted curses, hugging her painful arm as she watched Gray Viper fall into the dark abyss. Tears fell into her eyes as another pain … a worse pain … crushed her heart in slow t*****e. First, the necklace was broken … now the sword was lost. It was the only thing she had left from Rakim.

Mave wanted to get up … so badly … just so she could kill that devil … but her injured arm severed, with strong, throbbing pain that kept her on the floor.

“Try to stop me again and you’re next to fall after your sword,” the guy warned as he started to climb the ladder once again, leaving tracks of blood from his wounded leg.

Mave squeezed her eyes shut to fight the pain in her arm. It was killing her. She couldn’t do anything anymore. She couldn’t climb the ladder because of her injury. She couldn’t fight the man without her rapier. She felt powerless. The only thing left from her now was her blood.

“Come on.” Mave clenched her teeth as she tried to control her blood flow. It was surging fast. She had to use that Empyreal Ability Izan was talking about. But she couldn’t remember the name. That image of her burning village kept on coming back at her head. It’s driving her insane.

Mave shook her head in defeat after seeing the hunter reaching the top.

That was it, she thought.

She failed.

They’re done.

There was nothing else she could—

“Mave!” Erys’ voice found her ears.

When she turned, she watched the beast come out from the stairs and rush towards her. Blood painted his dragon arms and claws—some left traces on his face and neck.

“Stop, him …” She pointed at the fire alarm with her other hand.

When Erys looked up to see, the scout was already lighting his torch.

“You’re all too late!” the hunter yelled as he was pouring a gallon of kerosene into the logs of wood.

Erys’ eyes immediately looked around him, as if he was searching for something. Then he saw Mave’s crimson cape behind her.

“What are you doing?” She asked as Erys unclasped her cape from her shoulders. Seeing him up close, his golden eyes burned with determination … but there was also fear.

 Erys, too, removed his own cape. Then he stood up and closed his eyes. Huge, golden wings grew out behind his back, spreading widely. It created a strong gust around the tower as he flapped them.

Mave narrowed her eyes as she watched him ascend and fly up towards the fire alarm.

Before he could reach the top, the hunter had already thrown the blazing torch on the logs. The alarm flashed into raging flames.

It all happened in seconds.

Erys swiped the hunter out of the mini-tower, causing him to fall back again on the floor. Then he wrapped his wide, golden wings to seal all sides of the fire … his hands placed the red capes on top of the blazing logs.

Mave couldn’t clearly see what’s happening, but her vision darkened in an instant.  

It’s like the tower had a spark of fire for a second, and then it was all gone. The logs were perfectly sealed. The area became dark again.

Erys didn’t move for a long moment until his wings finally uncovered the fire—which surprisingly, had faded already.

Mave wondered what he did with the wild flames. Simply sealing the fire inside wouldn’t make it gone, she believed. Did he eat the fire? Or did he absorb it? Whatever he did with it, it’s gone.

Mave loosened up her chest in slight relief. That was so close. If it wasn’t for Erys … she couldn’t even imagine what would happen. This beast kept on saving her life, she came to notice. What did he want from her? Why would he care to save a dragon hunter like her?

Erys flew down and landed beside Mave. “Are you okay? Does your arm hurt?” he asked in worry.

Mave studied his face, filled with traces of blood and ash. Why would he keep on pretending that he cared for her? Mave hated pretenders. Back in Ravareth, some hunters would fake their pities and kindness for her ... but their disgust would always reveal on her back.

When Erys asked her again, she only nodded in response.

“You want me to carry you?”

“I’m fine.” Mave stood up but her aching body caused her to fall back again—this time, however, Erys caught her. She winced in pain with the sudden movement of her injured arm.

Erys let out a sigh—his warm breath brought chills on her skin. “You’re so stubborn, you know that?”

“And you’re very stupid, you know that?” Mave countered. “This wouldn’t have happened if only you kept your claws in your pockets.”

“I’m sorry,” Erys said. “I made a mistake … But we have to go now. Vahlyr’s on the run to stop the bell from ringing on the other tower … Forsyr and Izan can’t hold out much longer, I’m afraid.”