The Druid Wielder

Chapter 38

Kelrith looked me in the eyes. I hadn't seen him this serious before.

KuRath laughed. "You are going to have to try harder than that."

"I might have to use my sword." I spoke.

"Emilea no." Palleas complained like before.

"What do you mean? Why can't she use the sword?" Teren asked. That's right he didn't know what it had done to me.

"If she uses it again, it will kill her." Palleas tattled.

Teren looked at me, concerned by the news. I have to admit it, it didn't sound good.

"It 'could' kill me, Palleas."

He threw his hands up.

"Exactly!"

"Emilea, trust me we can do this." Kelrith nodded.

I suppose I should give him the benefit of the doubt. Besides, I shouldn't be arguing with them. We had little time. However, I decided to myself that if our success seemed bleak I would use it. No point in holding back if I was just going to die anyway.

Once again we surrounded him.

"Who wants to go first?" KuRath smirked. He seemed to be enjoying this.

Teren stepped forward.

"Are you sure? Last time you tried to fight me, you lost. Wouldn't you say so, Emilea?"

"I am not fighting alone this time."

Teren moved closer. KuRath watched him closely.

"Besides," my eyes flicked to Teren who, with one hand behind his back, beckoned me. "I wasn't in my right mind then, KuRath." Teren's hand opened. "I am now though." He closed his thumb, then closed his pointer finger. He was counting down to something. "I don't think you could even touch me now." He closed his middle finger. Whatever the reason I had to be ready. Teren was counting on me to understand this.

Another finger closed. Just one left.

"Let us see, then."

Teren's hand closed completely. KuRath lunged.

It was a feint. Teren wanted KuRath to attack him. He would take the hit so that I could play my part. I didn't have time to watch.

I dove under KuRath's sword that swung at Teren. I let my knees fall. I jabbed. My sword dug into his hip. His elbow flew into my face before I could pull the sword out. Pain throbbed like lightning. Blood spilled from my nose.

"Emilea!" Teren yelled from the side gripping his shoulder which consisted of a busted piece of armor. Thankfully, KuRath's attack hadn't broken through it.

KuRath ripped out my sword and tossed it across the marble floor, clinking. I knelt there defenseless in front of him. He smirked upon seeing this. My heart popped up into my throat. I cursed as he lunged at me.

"Oh no, you don't!" Kelrith yelled. He stepped in front, sword posed. KuRath grabbed it, stopping it mid-swing with his bare hand. Blood leaked down to its hilt. He ripped it from Kelrith's grasp as if it was nothing but a twig, tossing it near where he tossed my own.

"Kelrith!" I screamed knowing there was nothing I could do.

KuRath lurched at Kelrith's neck, squeezing as tightly as he could. Kelrith's feet wiggled as they left the floor. His hands grasped desperately for relief.

"Let him go!" I yelled looking upon Kelrith's plum-colored face.

"It's ... ok." Kelrith gasped quietly and then smiled.

Palleas appeared beside me. He jumped forward, sword extended and poised. With a swish Palleas's sword dug across KuRath's arm.

"You will have to do better than that!"

"Fine by me!" Kelrith managed to say through the skin of his teeth. Within a flash he swung a dagger into KuRath's cut arm.

KuRath roared.

"Why you little..." KuRath dug his nails into Kelrith's flesh. I took a step forward but Palleas stopped me.

"Palleas. We have to stop him now."

Palleas continued to watch KuRath. Perhaps he was in shock. Perhaps he was just as scared as I was.

"Palleas, let me go or else Kelrith will-" I stopped. Palleas was smiling?

My eyes shifted to KuRath who suddenly began to sway from foot to foot. His hand opened and Kelrith fell to the floor coughing.

We ran to him.

"Are you ok?" Palleas asked.

KuRath slowly fell to his knees.

What was going on?

"What did you do?" I wondered.

"You mean, what did we do?" Kelrith nodded towards Palleas, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a small glass jar not bigger than a rock. A wide smile spread across his face." Do you remember this?" It took a moment but it came to me. It was the same bottle Kana had explained to have gone missing before we found out Trogan and my sword had been poisoned.

"Amaranth." I shook my head. I would have never thought of using it. That was why Kelrith was the genius of the group. "I can't believe you used that."

"This time I made sure it was an even more potent dosage. Then when we were at the Druid's village I put some on all of our swords."

"You are a genius, Kelrith." I gasped.

"Well, Palleas was the one that thought of it so don't give me all the credit."

Palleas puffed out his chest. I laughed. We pulled Kelrith from the floor.

KuRath growled.

"You have wasted your time on the wrong person. I wouldn't be surprised if the King and the Prince were both dead." KuRath spat blood on the floor. He shook his head vigorously. The poison was doing its work.

"The Prince?" I looked at Teren. Why would the Prince be in danger? "What did you do to the Prince?" I demanded.

"Ha. I did nothing." KuRath's body began to shake. It was just how I had reacted during my fight with Trogan. "You don't know what you are up against." KuRath gasped roughly. "Unfortunately-" he slowly rested his head on the ground, "unfortunately I will not be there to see your face when you find out the truth." His eyes burned into mine as his mouth dried and his skin went pale.

Teren kicked KuRath lightly with his boot.

"He's dead." Kelrith announced.

"Come on, we have to go." Teren handed me my sword.

I wanted to be happy. We managed to finally kill him. But he was supposed to be a powerful druid sorcerer. Surely, we couldn't have killed him that easily.

"Are you sure he is dead? Are you sure he won't... come back?" I asked.

"Emilea, look at him."

I did as Teren instructed. KuRath's skin was gray. The life that once pulsed through his veins was indeed gone. KuRath was dead.

"We will let you take care of the Prince. Palleas and I shall go get Bargonaan, and perhaps find Beatra along the way." Kelrith explained hoarsely.

Teren nodded. Kelrith elbowed Palleas who slowly followed.

Teren pushed me past the corpse.

KuRath's empty eyes watched me as I went. The smile that still remained on KuRath's face, mocked me. I wanted to look away but I couldn't. Deep down, KuRath's deceased glare somehow made me feel guilty. Like KuRath was happy to die by our hand. As if this was what he had planned all along.

"He can't hurt anyone ever again." Teren spoke. "Emilea-"

"I know." I stopped him. "Let's end this." I turned toward the Throne room.