The Legends of Ithan Book 1: Ghosts & Fire

27

Sandros was making his way as fast as he could back to Ocean’s Inn. He had to find Marion and Akin. He had to get them out of here. He would not let another person who had helped him, die by these green men. He would not let them suffer the same fate as Jaco.

            Suddenly he heard a howling noise from the sea and Sandros knew it was not the wind. The demon lizards from Galdon had come to Rega! He didn’t even turn back to look. He had to hurry. Between them and the green men they would try and slaughter everyone in town. He had to find Marion. He took a wrong turn down a blind alley and cursed profusely. He turned back the way he had come and tried a new path hoping this one would led him to Marion.        

            He heard men shouting from the docks and guessed the green men had already landed in Rega’s port. He had to hurry! People ran screaming past him in the streets and he already smelled smoke in the air. Suddenly he heard an all too familiar whoosh above his head and the sky went black. The storm with no rain had come with the demon lizards and blocked out the sun. It was as if they had to take the dark with them because they drew their strength from it. He looked up and saw the same yellow demon lizard that had tried taking his head off in Galdon and vowed they had a  score that needed to be settled. He then turned down another dead end alley and felt so frustrated he shouted. “Marion!”

            Surprisingly he heard a sweet, but distant, voice call back, “Sandros? Where are you? What is happening?”

            It was Marion but he couldn’t determine if the voice had come from the building on the other side of the alley or the street behind him. He turned and ran back into the main street of the city calling her name. “Marion!”

            He heard her again, “Sandros!” and it was closer but still distant. More shouting erupted as one of the demon lizards set a nearby building on fire and swooped down to begin devouring people as they ran in the streets.

            “Marion, where are you?” he shouted with all his might again, but no answer came. His stomach churned. He couldn’t determine what direction her voice had been coming from. He had to choose a direction now though, so he decided he would turn down the alley to his left.

            He yelled again, “Marion!”

            Again no answer. He ran blindly down the alley and turned on to another street and saw her. She was running towards him with dozens of other people running for their lives, and the red demon lizard was fast on her heels. His heart leapt up into his chest and he quickly grabbed the nearest thing he could get his hands on. It was a long splintered board that was laying in the street from a building that the lizards had already attacked. He yelled to Marion, “When I yell, fall on the ground.“ He could only hope she heard and understood.

            The red lizard swooped closer and closer to Marion as she ran as fast as she could toward Sandros. When she got within a few feet of him he yelled and she immediately fell to the ground. The dragon swooped down to try and grab her, but Sandros took his splintered board. He used it like a huge knife and stabbed the red lizard’s soft flesh that covered the bottom of his taloned claw. The demon howled in pain and faltered in flight. Sandros caught a glimpse of a black robed man on the back of the lizard. He heard the man yell in a raspy voice, “Attack again, beast!” The red lizard seemed to forget about the wound Sandros had just given him and turned towards him and Marion this time opening his mouth as if to spew fire. Sandros grabbed Marion off the ground and dodged into a nearby abandoned house just as the red lizard scorched the ground they had been on moments before.

            “Sandros,” Marion said and threw her arms around his neck.

            “We have no time. He will be back around and set the building on fire. We have to leave now,” Sandros said as he drug Marion to the back of the building. He opened the back door of the house and there the red lizard sat with his face level with the door, his green jeweled eyes filled with hate as they glared at Sandros. Sandros quickly shut the door back. The demon howled in frustration and rammed the building with his head. The whole place shook like an earthquake. Many of the stuff inside the building either fell over or tumbled off shelves. Sandros could hear the raspy voice of the rider outside cursing the lizard for its stupidity.

            Sandros pulled Marion back to the front door. He heard the demon howl again and felt heat. The upper story must be on fire. The demon and his rider intended to burn them out. Marion clutched Sandros’ hand in a tight grasp and looked frantically around. She then suddenly jerked Sandros toward a window. “Here. We can leave this way,” she said excitedly.

            “They will be watching all exits,” Sandros said jerking her back.

            “This alley is covered by a bridge that joins the two buildings. They will not be able to see us from the sky and they can’t watch all the exits at the same time.”

            Sandros grunted and didn’t feel completely at ease with this decision but as the smoke was beginning to fill the building and his eyes and lungs were burning he knew they couldn’t stay where they were. They ran together then towards the window hoping this was the salvation they needed and not the death that awaited them.