Cora was being led down a long spiral staircase. The shrouded person leading her was very tall. No - She was just very small. She was just a child after all. The man pulling her along by her little hand was... Who was he? He was panting, and he was hurt. A broken arrow shaft jutted from his shoulder and his fingers were gummy with blood. Papa is hurting... Yes that was it. It was her father, and he was taking her down to the scary place where the dead people were. An irrational and all consuming terror suddenly tore through her.
She felt herself pulling away with all the might in her tiny body as tears flooded her eyes. She screamed but no noise would come from her mouth. She went limp but her father simply scooped her roughly off her feet and stumbled down the steps. Now she could see him, but there was little to recognize in the blurred face. Two more arrows jutted from his chest, and his labored breath popped and crackled in his lungs.
They reached the bottom suddenly and he stumbled, losing his grip on her. She landed near the middle of the circular chamber. Her palms were scraped and bleeding but there was no pain. She was now watching him crawl on all fours, trailing small puddles of blood. Movement from the shadows all around caught her eye then. Shuffling, rotten corpses in all stages of decay stepped out of the many evenly spaced alcoves to surround them. She was too terrified to cry out. She was frozen in horror. One of them was little more than moldy bones, but its eyes glowed with a sickly green light.
“Our house... has fallen. If there is any power left in this blood, I offer it freely to you... Save this child, and keep her safe until she can take our vengeance!” Her father settled back onto his knees as he struggled to choke out the words.
The skeleton turned his expressionless face to stare at her then, and her father’s voice sounded one final time.
“Save... my daughter. Save... Vira!”
Vira...? No that isn’t me. THIS isn’t me! My name is...? What is my name?!
“Cora!” The voice sounded urgent, and something was shaking her shoulder.
Cora’s eyes flared open and she saw Zell looking at her with a deeply worried expression. Relief flooded her and she hugged him urgently.
“More nightmares?” Zell said as much as he asked.
Cora nodded, rubbing her eyes. They were riding in a carriage on their way to the kobold village to have an emergency meeting with their mother and Agitha. It was nearly dark outside, meaning they would reach their destination soon.
She had been excited along with Zell to meet a real live dragon among the other wonders described by their father but now it was all she could do to keep from sinking into maddening despair. The arm her brother draped over her shoulders made her feel a bit better, but she wasn’t sure how much more she could take of these soul wrenching night terrors that she could never remember.
“I’m okay now. Thanks Z.” She said with a steadying breath. She absently fiddled with the ring on her finger as she looked out the window of the carriage.
Zell was troubled but decided to leave it alone for now. He had plenty on his own mind to contend with. There was less than a week remaining before he was supposed to begin his first year at the Monster Hunter Academy, and there was too much to do in the meantime.
First he needed to attend this emergency meeting about the dwarf and the (very talkative) devil possessed axe. He also needed to return in time to get the elf sisters he had hired moved in, buy school supplies, and finish building an outdoor enclosure for Goggles. He didn’t think the spider would wander off and cause trouble but it was better to be sure. Goggles had all but covered his room in thick webbing by now and the poor guy just needed more stimulation. Food only went so far after all.
The wagon suddenly slowed, and Zell heard a strange voice call out. He hurried to the front of the carriage to look out the narrow window.
“Back already Mr. Arlim?” A small, brown furred humanoid with the head of a rat hailed heartily.
“There’s been a bit of an emergency, we’ll need to see my wife and Agitha right away.” Arlim replied.
“Sure thing! The way’s all clear.” The kobold waved him along.
“Why did you get so tense just now?” The unexpected voice of Tarithiel rang out in his mind.
“You can barge into my head even when I’m not touching you now?” Zell thought, more than a little taken aback.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“Our extended... let’s say intimate moment seems to have left a channel between us. I am surprised to see it myself.” Zell couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable over her choice of words and tone.
“Ugh. Don’t say it that way. Anyways, the wagon we were in stopped so I was just prepared for anything. It’s fine now we’re almost there.” Zell thought back.
“My love was chasing down my brother’s wielder, is that who we’re going to see?” The devil inquired.
“We’re going to a village of monsters run by my mom. My teacher has a sword with a devil in it though and she’ll be there too, so I guess yeah.” Zell thought, hoping the talk would be over soon.
“You’re having rude thoughts about me aren’t you?” Tarithiel accused him.
“You’re imagining it.” Zell thought swiftly.
“Liar. Anyways don’t forget what I told you. No one but you or Robaru are allowed to touch me.” Her tone was haughty and came as an order.
“Should you be bossing me around like that?” Zell’s retort was a not subtle reminder of who had prevailed in their first encounter.
”...”
“Thought so.” Zell mumbled out loud.
Cora looked at him curiously, and he just cleared his throat and shook his head to dismiss the whole thing.
“We’re here!” Arlim called over his shoulder a moment later as he slowed the horse down.
Zell hopped out of the carriage holding Tarithiel in one hand. He extended a hand to his sister who took it with a slight nod.
Apparently the kobolds had passed the word ahead of them. Coralia and Agitha were already walking quickly up to them from the large central building.
“What is it?” Coralia asked seriously as she walked up to Zell and Cora before pulling them both in for a hug. She gave Cora a concerned look, and her eyes widened when she looked at the axe in Zell’s hand.
“Too much to discuss out here, shall we go inside and sit?” Arlim answered, fatigue finally beginning to show on his face. After all he had been awake since the morning he left the kobold village.
As Arlim suggested, they gathered in the meeting hall. Arlim, Coralia, Zell, Cora, Agitha, and Hurstag sat on soft pelts in a rough circle. Nib stood at attention near the door.
“Dalazog should be returning from a survey of the northeastern forest soon. Nib.” She addressed the kobold.
“Lady Coralia.” Nib answered immediately.
“Please summon Elisif and Mathael here at once.” She bade.
“Oh shit!” He answered as he disappeared instantly.
“Pfffft!” Zell tried and failed to hold in a juvenile laugh.
Cora simply lifted a tired eyebrow at the unexpected salute.
“Isn’t that the best thing ever?” Coralia agreed heartily with her son. A simple language barrier had given birth to her favorite running joke ever.
Dalazog was the first to return just minutes after she sent Nib. The red dragon in human form exuded majesty and power. Zell unconsciously sat up straight as he felt the presence roll over him. Cora looked nervously to her mother, all of her human instincts were screaming to flee.
“Kids, this is Dalazog the red dragon. Dalazog, these are my children Cora and Zell.” Coralia introduced them to one another.
“This is the brood of Coralia then?” The dragon looked intensely from Zell to Cora. “You have interesting hatchlings! The male - oof hey!” Dalazog began his usual tactless analysis but a chunk of firewood suddenly sailed into his belly without warning.
“Being rude to my kids is gonna be painful.” Coralia warned sternly.
“That’s just how dragons greet strangers!” Dalazog huffed, brushing bits of bark and dust from his fabulous robe. The dragon pretended to take offense but he secretly enjoyed when Coralia flexed her authority. It was a precious rare experience for the great red dragon to be treated as an equal, much less a subordinate!
“Is that dragon... blushing?” Zell marveled silently at the seemingly flustered Dalazog. A sudden rush of anxiety from Tarithiel interrupted his thoughts, and the axe itself beside him began to vibrate.
“Umm... where are we now? If it weren’t impossible I would say I can feel my mother’s presence near me.” The devil sounded genuinely emotional.
The arrival of Mathael and Elisif holding Belithel interrupted any further banter between them.
Coralia made the final introductions and addressed Arlim sitting beside her. “Now that we’re all here. The room is yours, love.”
“Before I begin, Lady Elisif I believe that the goddess might like to address another of her recovered children.” Arlim respectfully addressed the knight and turned to Zell. “Zell, bring the axe to the center if you please.”
Zell gulped but complied, setting the beautiful weapon down in the middle of their wide circle. As if she fully understood, Belithel crawled with purpose out of Elisif’s arms and approached it. She bent down and with the lightest brush of her black nailed fingertip the atmosphere in the room suddenly shifted and became intensely heavy.
Agitha couldn’t help but reflexively reach for the hilt of her own weapon to ensure it was still sheathed safely on her back.
A cyclone of raven black feathers roared to life before them. A shape began to materialize within. When Tarithiel finally appeared, Zell couldn’t contain a yelp of surprise.
“Rin!?” Zell exclaimed, shaking his head violently as if to clear it after a hard punch. For indeed the person before him was none other than his beloved, and more than that she was barely wearing anything at all. A rush of blood to a certain place made him sit up straight and shift uncomfortably.
“Steady yourselves.” Elisif said, her own face flushing. “Tarithiel is The Aspect of Desire. Her form is whatever being you find most desirable.”
“Oh my...” The voice wasn’t Rin’s at least. “Mother you’re so adorable!” The succubus picked up Belithel and spun her around. A sudden look from the tiny goddess and Tarithiel abruptly set her down and dropped to all fours with her head bowed. “Sorry Mother... You’re right, time is limited.”
Once again Belithel rested her tiny hand on the devil’s forehead to convey her thoughts.
“Mother thanks you all, and has decreed that the dragon child Dalazog will fly south to the lair of the white dragon Shika. He shall persuade the Prime White to join our cause. Mother also grants my wish that I be placed into the care of the boy who was kind to me, Zell. Beware the coming season for many forces are drawing near.” Tarithiel suddenly began to grow insubstantial. “It seems that’s all. Take care of me Zell...” Her voice faded away and a moment later only the axe remained.
Belithel once again swooned and was caught by Elisif. Manifesting her children was an enormous drain.
Dalazog stood with a sour face. “Shika’s lair is on the great southern glacier. I’ll be gone awhile.”
“I suppose those things are settled then. Zell that axe goes with you for now.” Coralia said. “Is there more, husband?” She asked, seeing Arlim stand.
“Yes.” Arlim cleared his throat, quieting the murmuring group. “It seems The Little Hand’s leadership was never really executed. The nobility of Vinia staged the entire thing. In my search for Zell, I eliminated the one known as Ring and uncovered the identity of Index. It was none other than Alan Krees, captain of the guard and Bounty Office administrator. He is now under my complete control along with his entire network. We can look forward to much greater advantages within the kingdom moving forward. Leave it to me and I will begin funneling information and resources here within the week. The final matter I want to discuss is security for Cora and Zell when they start school.”