Several hours had passed since Lily’s encounter with the dragon. Abner had found her body lying in the clearing, and it had taken him an hour to carry her limp body to the hidden village of Udom.

“How doth she fare, shaman?” He approached the small hut where she still lay unconscious in a cot.

The shaman’s face betrayed defeat. “She doth not fare very well, my friend.”

“Oh?” Abner asked, confused. “What dost thou mean?”

“The wounds are deep. I fear the woman hath only hours left to live,” he said. “I daresay, the average human hath not survived the infliction of dragon venom beyond eventide.”

“I pray thee that thou doubt not,” Abner pleaded. “I doth believe that she shall survive. I hath seen it in vision.”

“I fear that thou art merely hopeful, for the woman’s prognosis doth continue to decline.” The shaman sighed regretfully.

Abner’s shoulders slumped. It wasn’t the first time he had seen a vision of the potential future, only for that future to change drastically from a small decision. He worried that he had changed the course of history by helping Lily escape.

“I pray thou sparest not thine medical treatments. Her survival is of great importance for the prosperity of these people.”

The shaman shook his head, feeling her weak pulse. “The time hath passed. Her death shall come swiftly now, for I fear the venom hath reached her heart.”

Abner was about to respond when the sound of fearful screams erupted from outside. A chill ran down Abner’s spine when the warning bell from the watchtower sounded. Villagers scattered everywhere in panic, and several women screamed in terror as they pointed up at the sky. Abner turned his gaze heavenward to see several dragons descending upon them.

How didst they find me?

He ducked around the corner of a building, hyperventilating as the dragons touched down.

“Come hither to greet thy King!” one of the Creed members bellowed.

It would be only moments now before they would find him. He had to get moving, but his legs felt like lead weights.

“I repeat,” the Creed member bellowed again. “Show respect unto thy King!”

Abner crouched down, paralyzed with fear.

“Your Holiness,” one of the Creed members piped up. “This village is unknown to us. I suspect Abner traveled here to seek these insurgents as allies.”

“Do you mean to tell me this is a village of rebels?!” Timur shrieked.

“It appears so, yes.”

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

“Kill them!” Timur commanded menacingly. “Kill every last one of them! But if you find Abner, bring him to me so I can kill him myself!”

No!

“As you wish, Your Holiness.”

The Creed members dismounted their beasts and unsheathed their swords.

I must act now!

“Wait!” Abner stepped around the corner. “Hurt my people not! I doth surrender!”

“Your people?” Timur chided, Striding toward him. “Abner, my old friend. Why have you betrayed me?”

“I feared mayhaps the presence of the woman mayest become a threat to the health of my people.” he explained. “I know my decision was rash, for during our travels the woman ‘twas attacked by a dragon.”

Timur’s face betrayed his shock. “She’s dead?!”

“Yea, verily the venom hast reached her heart,” he explained.

Timur glared at him. “It pains me to do this. You have been a loyal friend to me.”

A look of terror crossed Abner’s face as Timur stepped forward and raised both arms.

“A traitor has no place inside my circle of influence, and I cannot allow even the slightest transgression to fester among my men.”

Timur’s eyes glowed again. With his left palm drawing power from the sun, a beam of light shot from his right fist. Abner shielded his face with a raised arm as the blast of light hit him. The heat was intense as the light fully engulfed him.

Timur did a double-take as he realized Abner stood there unfazed. He raised his left arm higher, willing it to draw even more power from the sun. He fired multiple blasts of incinerating heat. When the smoke cleared, Abner’s clothing appeared slightly singed, but he was otherwise unharmed.

“Ye cannot kill me…” Abner said with as much defiance as he could muster.

With a shrill roar of inhuman rage, Timur snatched a sword out of one of the Creed member’s hands and ran toward him. Abner’s eyes went wide as the sword plunged deep into his chest. He cried out in pain as Timur extracted the sword, and crumpled to the ground.

“Now,” Timur instructed the Creed. “kill the insurgents!”

“No!” Abner rasped.

Abner could feel the warm sensation as the gaping wound healed itself. Once the pain fully subsided, he clambered back to his feet.

“As I hath said, ye cannot kill me.” Timur’s eyes widened in shock. “Yea, thou art a Seraph, and I am thine Oracle. I shall not die until my successor hath Awakened.”

Timur gestured to the Creed members. “Take him and bind him. We will deal with this abomination later.”

Abner cried in dismay as Timur raised an arm and incinerated his next victim, a young woman who had peered around the corner of a building.

“This village is ripe for destruction.” Timur smiled as the Creed members bound him in thick cords. “I must thank you for bringing this to my attention.”

My grandchildren!

“Please!” Abner pleaded. “Thou dost not understand! I hath family here!”

“Excellent.” Timur’s grin widened. “Then they shall suffer your death penalty instead.”

“NO!”

It was the last word he spoke before one of the Creed members gagged him.

“Your penance will be to observe as I destroy this despicable village,” Timur seethed.

Abner could only watch as Timur took a dry torch from the side of a door and lit it in a nearby fire pit. He lit several more torches and passed them out to the Creed Members. As the buildings ignited, screams of terror could be heard all around him.

Tears ran down Abner’s cheeks as a Creed member extracted his sword from a man’s chest. The bell stopped ringing as another Creed member clung to the edge of the watchtower and thrust his sword inside. Children and babies cried as their parents were slaughtered in front of them. Chaos reigned as several villagers armed themselves in an attempt to fight back.

In the distance, a wild dragon rose into the air with Lily’s body dangling from its talons.

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