Metal and Flesh (The Rohvim, Book 1)

21.4 Rupert

   The lieutenant shrugged. Not a noble? Very well. You die all the same, for you stand with them, and they do not fit in the new world that will come. Instantly the man transformed into a being of flame and iron. He flew at Aeden, shooting a jet of fire square at his head, and the boy leaped high into the air just in time. Higher and higher he flew, willing himself lighter than air. He looked down and saw a jet of flame rushing up to him. Sprouting eagle wings he shot away, his feet blasted off in the forceful flame. He transformed into a being of water, liquid virtually sprouting out of him. He darted down towards the flaming man, shooting a jet of clear fluid that collided with another jet of flame. The two opposing substances collided, and an explosion of steam bowled the man over and the shockwave knocked Aeden out of the sky.

   He looked at the scene in the chamber, and saw the lightning from the lieutenant's hand raking still across his own face, now having traversed several inches of skin. In the mind, falling, he transformed into the green dragon he had assumed while dueling Rupert. He breathed the sticky liquid out of his mouth, and the fluid enveloped the man, nearly freezing him motionless. He disappeared, and reappeared right behind Aeden as a massive, fiery dragon, which tore at him with claws and teeth as they collided.

   Aeden, remembering the words of Rupert, transformed into a small flee. He fell, slowly, and saw the great dragon snapping its head around in a vain effort to find him. Out of danger, and still thinking of his dead friend, he assumed the form of a hawk. He darted up, willing his avian body to fly ever faster, and slammed into the dragon, splitting it up the middle. It shrieked, reformed itself, and flew towards the small hawk, breathing a jet a fire. Aeden wheeled around, and facing the jet head on, plunged into the flame itself towards the beast's head.

   The intensity of the heat shocked him, but he willed his flesh to hold, and to solidify into the strongest steel. He sliced through the flame, and the dragon lifted its head at the last moment, letting Aeden plunge right into its solid neck, now decidedly harder. Their wills contested, the lieutenant deciding his neck was impenetrable, Aeden deciding his wings and beak could slice through any impenetrable defense the man could put up.

   Aeden thought of Betha. He decided to win, and in that moment, he had knowledge of it.

    He cut through the neck. The dragon screamed in disbelief. The head fell, regrowing its body as it tumbled through the air. Aeden shot down towards it, aiming for the head for a third time, and the dragon's tail whipped up. Think small, he reminded himself of Rupert's words, and once again assumed the form of a flea, the tail whizzing past him, catching him in its wake. He directed his fall with his mind and landed on the dragon's head. It snapped to and fro, searching for him again, while Aeden crawled into the beast's ear. He sprouted a pair of vicious claws, and plunged inward to the brain. The dragon, realizing where Aeden was, quickly began transforming to something else, anything else, but too late. Aeden willed himself into hawk again, this time gigantic, as large as the dragon itself, whose head split to permit the bird's instant growth.

   The dragon disappeared. The lightning from the hand stopped. He dropped out of the mind, and the world sprang into action again. The man's hand fell limp and Aeden, still flying through the air, crashed into the unconscious body and knocked it to the ground, the two lying in a tangled heap. Frightful pain ravaged his head, and he stood with hands covering his face. The two women rushed over to him, arms extended to catch him as he fell again.

   At that moment, the others sprang out of the stairwell and rushed over, crowding around him and the fallen lieutenant. Betha cried out, "Aeden!" Frederick eyes grew wide as he looked at his friend. Still reeling in pain, he felt his cheek. The lieutenant's lightning had burned its way clear to his metal skull. A small amount of blood oozed from the wound, which was mostly cauterized by the searing heat. Several jagged, black lines ran down the length of the right side of his face.

   In shock, he looked around. Seeing the master healer, he blurted out, "This man is not a drone. He's incredibly powerful. Can you restrain him?"

   The master healer bent low and touched the man's head. A moment later he looked up. "He is secured. This does not last long against a rohva who knows himself, maybe a few hours, unless I were to make a more thorough copy of myself, but we do not have time. Before he wakes, we must find a more ... permanent solution. Leave him for now."

   The reunited company, pausing for a moment to wake Arturo and Stuart from their naps, continued onward. Master Arturo, once awake and filled in on the lieutenant's defeat at Aeden's hands, asked the master healer, "And? What was downstairs?"

   The master healer looked gravely at him. "Horrors, and nightmares. Shiavo is changing the source instructions of captives. There are roomfuls of ... damaged ... people down there. Mostly from Elbeth, it seems."

   Aeden looked at the master healer expectantly. "Master, you didn't happen to find ..."

   The man, in pity said, "I'm sorry, Aeden. She was not there."

   "Very well. I knew it was a hope against hope."

   "We did find Lady Markham, of Elbeth. You had mentioned Lady Whitehall asked about her. She is not well," said the master healer.

   Aeden stood tight-lipped. Finally he managed to say, "Let's find this Lord Shiavo."

    "We have not opened any of these doors," said Diana. They looked around, and saw a set of double doors leading east. They approached, hearing soft sounds from the other side, and opened the door. A man sat with his back to them, bent low over the form of a person strapped to a table.

   His head rose, still facing away from them. "I've been expecting you ...", and with that, light flashed through the room, and Aeden saw his companions fall to the floor.