Except Silas. Flames washed over his burning form, spreading toward the Drakmar. The fire was too powerful to control, but he diverted the worst of it onto the abominations.
Drakmar blackened, screeching. Scales and flesh flaked, crumbling into powder. Chaos erupted.
Dark armour boiled. The lucky Demons sank into shadow, escaping the flames. The unlucky ones cooked alive. Bodies and armour melted into pools of black sludge.
Kai’s throat tightened. Soul bonds snapped. Only a few, but he felt their absence. Useful for tracking and information gathering—worth looking into.
His thumb stroked Space God’s ring.
Fighting the dragon would be suicide, and he couldn’t teleport everyone away. Could he…reason with it? The idea had merit. The dragon had talked—it was more than a simple abomination.
He glanced at his gloves. If he could tame it…
[Friendly Grasp] came with risks. It could tame any beast he touched, but success depended on their strength difference. Stronger beasts could become enraged. The dragon’s aura pressed down on him like a boulder. It dwarfed any Marked. Not as overwhelming as Kharon’s aura, but Kai wasn’t the dragon’s match.
But the artifact’s description said ‘could’, not ‘will’. Risky, but not impossible. An enraged dragon might be easier to escape than a thinking one.
He’d also absorbed blood from Renzo’s avatar…
Alu, can you use the duplicate ability?
Good enough. Make space for my wings.
His armor rippled. Plating along his back split and peeled aside. His curse would draw the giant beast’s attention. The gloves could tame or enrage it. Teleporting kept him mobile. Enough to buy time for the others’ retreat.
He sighed. Always the bait.
Levi shot bloody spears at the dragon. Botis threw his spear. Alira launched ice daggers.
Their attacks bounced off dark scales. Not a scratch.
“Stop wasting essence. Retreat to the village.” Kai said.
He forced his Demonic transformation through will alone—no bloodlust needed. Repeated use had sharpened his control.
Wings burst from his back. Horns pierced his forehead. Onyx spread across his skin.
Doubt crossed Levi and Alira’s faces. Botis looked at Kai as if the order didn’t apply to him.
“The dragon will incinerate us if we run,” Levi said.
“I’ll keep it distracted.”
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Alira shook her head. “I know you love being bait, but—”
“I don’t love being bait!”
“That’s a dragon, Kai! Being bait is the same as being dinner. Can’t you teleport us?”
“If I could, I would. You think I want this?” He didn’t let her answer. “It’s rhetorical! Moving you two would drain too much essence.”
His Demons could shadow-travel, avoiding the dragon’s assault. Teleporting these two meant multiple stops to refuel. Bad idea with a dragon on their tail.
He could reach the village alone—if he burned his reserves. But that’d mean abandoning two of his strongest assets. A price he wasn’t rushing to pay.
“The dragon spoke. It’s intelligent…it might listen to reason.”
They looked at each other with raised eyebrows.
Levi stared at him like he’d gone insane. “Your plan is…to talk with the thing?”
“No time for this. Move before it attacks again!”
Alira shrugged at Levi. They ran toward the village.
Botis stood still.
“You can’t help with this.” Kai gestured at his weapon. “Your spear didn’t even sting the dragon, and you can’t fly. Go with the others.”
Botis frowned. “How can I abandon my charge?”
Kai looked at Old Haggar beside him.
The old Demon met his gaze and sighed. He addressed Botis. “The dragon might listen to Death God’s heir, but it’d burn you to cinders without thought. No point throwing your life away. You have your orders. Let’s go.”
Botis shook his head, opening his mouth to argue.
Kai cut him off. Insubordination was a luxury they didn’t have time for. He’d save Botis whether he liked it or not. Essence bled into his words. “I command you to retreat to the village church. Now.”
The soul bond crushed his will. Botis stiffened. Then he sank into shadow, fleeing.
Haggar sighed. “He’s stubborn, but loyal.”
“Loyalty means following my orders.” Kai shook his head. “Keep the Demons hidden when you reach the village. No one can spot them—especially from the castle. No leaks, no witnesses. Got it?”
Haggar nodded and melted into shadow.
Shadow whined. Kai stroked his head.
“Go with the others. Hide with the Demons. I’ll see you soon.”
The wolf bobbed his head. Resignation thrummed through their bond as he vanished into darkness.
His Demons held the line against the faltering Drakmar while Alira and Levi passed. Kai sent a mental order to retreat. Shadows swallowed the Demons as they fled. The Drakmar pursued.
Silas disintegrated into black mist and flowed into Kai’s chest. Nothing better than a fire-controlling wraith when negotiating with a dragon. Hopefully it wouldn’t come to that.
The dragon opened its jaws. Fire coiled in its throat as it aimed below. Kai leapt, his wings beating the air. He flew in front of the giant beast, catching its attention. A torrent of flame shot toward him.
Kai extended space. The attack missed, lighting up the sky.
“Wait! I’m not here to fight.”
The dragon narrowed its eyes. “Deathspawn. What does Death God want now?”
Great. Another Death God hater.
“I’m not here on Death God’s behalf. In fact, we were just about to leave.” He gestured to his retreating forces.
“Demons working with humans. Strange. Not Death God’s usual style.”
The dragon’s jaw opened a fraction. A wisp of fire leaked toward Kai. He blinked behind the beast before it reached him.
“What the ash was that for?”
The attack was half-hearted but lethal.
The dragon’s head turned. Slow. Deliberate. One great eye fixed on him. “You’re not here as Death God’s emissary. Why should I listen to you?” It snorted, smoke curling from its nostrils. “Don’t get so worked up. Dying is a gift for your kind, isn’t it? Though a Deathspawn with Space God’s power…that’s new.”
Kai lifted his chin. “Death God is my Father. He has plans for me. Do you wanna risk interfering? Can you afford to anger him?”
The giant beast scoffed. “Aren’t we all his children? He’ll appreciate me sending you to visit. A son should pay his respects.” Its body swung around, facing Kai head-on again. “You woke me despite my warnings to the pitiful humans. Execution is only fair.”
We’re all his children? What did that mean? All Demons? Were dragons Demons too?
Kai burned with questions, but he had to address immediate concerns. Like how this bastard considered execution a reasonable consequence for waking it up. Bit extreme.
No one mentioned the dragon’s warning to him. Why should he pay for the villagers’ crimes? Couldn’t it let him off with a warning too?
“The villagers are dead. We didn’t know about your warning, and we didn’t start this battle—we defended ourselves. How about cutting us some slack?”
“Excuses! Ignorance is no excuse for impertinence. You must be punished!”
Fire swelled in the dragon’s throat.
Reasoning with it was a long shot. Kai flexed his hands, ready to dodge. Time to see if he could tame the beast.
Massive eyes focused on his gloves. The fire dissipated. The dragon grunted.
“Touch me with those and you will surely die.”
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