The Elemental Chain Saga Book Two: Dragons Ascending

Chapter Twenty-Eight: By It's Own Hand

Lloyd Harbor, stableboy, loyal citizen of Alerdreamia. That was his past.

Lloyd the demon, killer of Damond Gray of Lizberdan, stealer of Major's will, destroyer of the Gate, that was the true being he was now.

A figure blasted into a door, pushing it open and flying on still, finally sliding into the oval dais in the center of the grand room. The man's face was a beaten pulp and his body rigged.

Lloyd stepped into the room after him, the black armor he was clad in seeming to absorb the brightness of the room, casting it into a somberness.

A lone man stood at the far side of the room, letting himself out of the backdoor. His sweeping cape and blue and white vest were enough to distinguish him. A gleaming crown was perched on his head, tangled with the red curls.

Guards rushed in from doors on the side, swords raised. The demon let them come, raising his two dark blades to meet them.

There was no fight, but blood did fall. Lloyd twisted and slashed down those nearest. He pushed off the ground and slashed full circle, lacerating many. As others tried to hail him with arrows or endanger him with blades, he met them and they themselves met a swift end.

As he removed his blade from the stomach of a female guard, her eyes flared through the pain, showing her fury, her fist smashed against his cheek. He wavered and she took advantage, kneeing him twice in the chest, her blows so strong he felt like a hammer was slamming into him, even through the armor. He lost grip on the sword and stumbled back. She wiped the blade free from from herself, moaning in anguish as she tossed it to the ground.

Lloyd growled in anger as he lunged at the last guard with his remaining blade. He struck air and a sword stabbed into his shoulder. He dived backwards as another thrust was attempted. She was fast, he admitted. And then what seemed like fear set in as he realized something else, she was even faster than him, as impossible as it seemed.

He let the darkness morph around the blade, spitting it from his wound. The open gash hissed with a dark light as his demonic energy went at work healing himself; that, she couldn't do. She was clutching her stomach, silver sword held in her other arm. A grimace was on her face as her gritty voice spoke "You took me for a dead nothing? Big mistake. I am Captain Ismey, defender of the king. Try your steel, beast!"

The demon took over, he lost it to it. The temperature in the room dropped, frost shimmered in the window panes. And one by one, they exploded into powder, falling like crystal rain as the darkness around the demon bloomed forth, another blade forming, both with the glass that had been destroyed suffusing into there surface and into his wings.

They spread, and the night was cast in the morning. He sprang forth, blades whistling at her throat.

"Aura Lamina!" A high pitched chime goes off, sweet and pure like honeydew, and then a sizzling crack, ferociously aggressive like fire, all over in a blink.

A sword of pure energy slices the air with a shimmering gleam in between himself and his target, forcing him to cut upwards.

A man in dazzling silver armor with a handsome blue tint steps forward. A great axe of Vlaggon make rested in his gauntlet-bound hands. Red curls fragmented around his royal crown, adding to the grace of the ever-present Ring of Binding, Shield of Kings.

The platinum band twisted up into the base of the radiant stone and the light shone like ice-fire, a blazing beauty.

"My Grace!" The warrior maiden gave a curt nod "You do me your pleasure. But flee! This foe is too much, too ruthless and cunning, flee now and still live! Spare my heart if you were to fall here!"

The good King smiled "Ismey, my most faithful, do not fear. You are young, and do not know that it was me who led the great charges of the first Andanobian War. I faced them in battle, my might is great still." He turned to address the waiting demon. Lloyd had got a hold on himself and looked at the king with glowing red eyes; he'd need his witsabout him, not just overwhelming strength that his Consumed Form gave him.

"Demon, you die now, as my soldiers did. My blade shall be your reaper, these grand halls your tomb. Know this well, I am the King, you are dead." The man hefted his mighty axe "To my side, Captain! The battle is renewed!"

Ismey dashed to his side as Lloyd attacked, blades shrieking through the air. She turned, dancing out of his reach as he dived by. He shot out his right foot, catching her in the chest, sending her slamming backwards. As he landed, he blocked a great swing of the axe to the left, his arms jarring as the blades connected. Lifting his other hand, he swung the blade at the King. The blow was deflected off an armored arm, not even cleaving into it.

Lloyd grunted as he twisted out of the blocks, pushing off the King's left arm to propel himself backwards, flying low over the tiled floor. The axe cleaved the air where he was and he lifted himself into the air. He looked down at the two fierce warriors. Ismey looked fierce, the king calm and collected.

His red eyes locked in on Ismey. He was like an arrow from a quiver, shooting towards the ground; her eyes opened wide. His sword struck her arm and she yelped. The other blade pierced her chest and warm blood splashed over his arm. She let out an agonized scream as she pushed upwards and her blade sunk into his stomach.

Pain....

He roared as she twisted it and he was forced to abandon his attack kicking off of her, tearing himself from her wicked blade. He twisted in the air and a voice rang out "Aura saggittas!" Thrums shot out. He twisted and raised his blades as shimmering arrows exploded against him. An explosion shook the hall and Lloyd crumpled on the ground, the darkness going crazy as it tried to heal him.

He heard footfalls recede. "Ismey, stay still. Heal." The sweet, honeydew chime rang out once more and Lloyd could feel the magic in the air, the sweet sugary smell assaulting his nostrils. He struggled to move, to get up, and growled in pain.

"Ismey, rest. Your wounds will kill you if you move. I'll finish this. Alone," Lloyd tried to lift himself, but two arrows pinned him to the cold ground. Red curls came into view, highlighting the royal crown that adorned his head. His silver great axe was raised, ready to strike out "I warned you," he said softly "That this place would be your everlasting grave, your tomb. I shall send you back from whence you came!" The axe cleaved down.

Lloyd bended the shadows, a spike thrumming upwards. He died as the shadows left him, he smiled.

The powerful shadows, the demon's last attack, struck the King, full-on in the chest. He staggered back as his armor caved in on itself, falling to his knees as the sharp metal crushed into his ribs. "Sir! King Colart!"

He gasped out his words "That son of a wraith! He used his Last Darkness. I'm dead, as it struck..." His breathing became more labored "I knew. Ismey....do not let...me waste my last words."

"Sir...let me know what you command," her own voice was choked from physical pain and emotions, only alive because of the king's last blessing, healing her most fatal wounds, bestowing her life only seconds before his was taken.

"Give the Ring of Binding to my wife. She has told me many times over that she doesn't want the mantle....but she must take it, for Sybil...is but a youth still," he took a shaky breath, the ring pulsed on his finger, getting brighter and brighter "tell them both...I love them....tell Mathias...that he has a great...future, destiny even....tell him...to seek out.....Aurandale. And you," he choked on his own blood, his body shaking. Ismey watched, slumped against the wall, holding her chest as her body rocked in pain and sorrow.

"You are my most faithful...watch over the heirs...the kingdom...you are my life now...to help fulfill my legacy...help them, Ismey. Thank..." He fell forward, the darkness finally having penetrated the light of his heart. The darkness exploded him from the inside and his body gave a final heave. His crown rolled off his head and his fine red curls matched his bloodied body.

Ismey looked on, shaking "Damn you, Lloyd, demon who has claimed yet another title, Legacy Breaker."
********************************

DragonDog1: ............Here ends chapter twenty-nine. Death was here.