Arrival - 27 Chapter 28

Chapter 28: Dragon- The true battle begins

I had been watching, but I had to concentrate more on Kelose to get anywhere on his healing.

But Kysael’s screams brought me out of my focus on healing Kelose.

My attention whirled around to see her again, and Manwen held bright, glowing hands over Kysael’s heart after she had finished eating his heart.

She was now on the ground, and the dying Skyelf king leaned, crumpled, over her body haphazardly. I couldn’t understand what I was seeing.

How could he be living if she had eaten his heart? Or if his heart had been removed to begin with?

Screaming, her eyes glowing….

What…? What was happening?

I felt burning in my own blood, and I startled as I realized what was happening. Kelose seemed to sense the change as well, because he moaned and thrashed with the pain, his eyes clenched shut as he gasped against my healing energy.

“No!” Kellerok screamed, trying to get around Mafrien.

Mafrien continued to fight his father, his eyes ever so often glancing in Kysael’s direction, trying to get a grasp on what was happening.

Kysael’s body shot into a sitting position, and a scream I’d never heard from her before ripped itself from her throat as wings of the purest silver I’d ever laid eyes on came shooting out of her shoulder blades, blood pouring down her back as she cried tears.

As her eyes stopped glowing, fading to a new and brighter shimmering silver color, Manwen fell dead, his lifeless corpse covering her body.

She blinked, confused, and looked at her hands, dazed….as if she didn’t understand what had just happened to her.

The blood from Manwen’s heart still covered her chin, and she looked at his dead body with confused awe.

She was truly a sight to behold, now. Her hair, silver strands lighting her hair to a completely different shade…. her silver eyes, her silver wings….

And her Wraith marking still remained, though it was changed.

Instead of two spikes coming down from her forehead to rest on her cheeks, it was now a pair of wings, one on each cheek, looking ready to take flight. It was a little darker, richer. More vibrant.

Her ears had been enlarged.

So only her Woodelf-self had been changed into Skyelf, though her markings had been slightly changed. She still remained half Wraith, then.

“Kysael!” Mafrien shouted, still fighting his father.

Her eyes shot up to look at Mafrien’s battle with Kellerok, Mafrien beginning to wear down against his father’s constant blocks and jabs as they fought midair.

Her eyes whirled around the battlefield, and I could see her eyes calculating, plotting out her strategy quickly.

Then, her eyes shot to the Wyvern Lord. “Coal!” She shouted.

Coal immediately responded, hovering in a circle in the air space around her, and she leaped up onto his back as he flew in a circle around her.

I watched the future unfold as they soared into the air, and Kysael summoned a great sword of flames, leaping off of Coal’s back, free falling in a fighting position down toward the battle, toward Kellerok.

I could only look on in amazement.

Her wings began beating against the air, keeping gravity from pulling her to the ground.

It was if she were bred for battle as a Skyelf.

As if it were completely natural to her, despite having only just transformed. It was nearly overwhelming how at ease she truly seemed to be with the form. She seemed to have finally become what she had always meant to be, and my heart soared with pride.

I could feel a similar reaction from Kelose beside of me, his golden eyes watching their battle unfold with the same awed wonderment that I was sure was etched upon my own face.

Kellerok’s face was enraged as she descended upon the battle.

He went to stab the air where she would be in the next moment, but she shifted ever so slightly, causing her body to be to the right of his blade, and she swung her sword down with a speed that I couldn’t see clearly.

Kysael shouted as she knocked the sword out of Kellerok’s hand, and whirled her body around, lifting her leg simultaneously to round-house kick him across the jaw.

Mafrien broke in, stabbing and jabbing, while Kysael fought Kellerok from his other side, and together they dodged and parried Kellerok’s blows.

She was actually on par with this creature, this ancient dark king.

Getting angrier, Kellerok soared higher into the air, and brought his wings in on himself, somehow still floating in the air.

Mafrien and Kysael followed after him, but with a great, guttural sounding roar, Kellerok shot his wings back out, a wave of wind knocking Mafrien and Kysael to plummet to the earth below.

Before I could rush to her, she stood, wiping a small blood trail from her lip. “You will die here!” She shouted in a voice that I didn’t recognize.

Her voice sounded entirely different than before her transformation. It was full of born authority, power that one could only be given at birth.

I could suddenly feel a desperate longing, a stinging burn radiate from the core of my being to my fingertips and toes, and I could feel her order before she gave it. And for the very first time in her life, Kysael put her energy into song, the tone eerie and frightening, demanding, before it was finally put into words, the vocalization hitting us as if she were running her talons down our bodies.

Kelose stirred restlessly beside of me, and I could sense that she was about to address the both of us.

“Come to me!” The order struck through us, and fully healed, Kelose stood, his body running to the scene.

My own body obeyed, and fear struck through me. I didn’t know what she had in mind, but I would have to trust her in this moment where she held complete control over my body.

Kelose and I surrounded her, and Kelose’s golden eyes glowed eerily bright like the sun as he began to shoot arrows at Kellerok, and I pulled out my own weapon and went to Kysael’s side, and with all of our efforts together, wearing Kellerok down wasn’t as hard as one might have thought.

We all attacked, parried, jumped, slashed, jabbed…. It was quite simple. Kelose, Mafrien and I fought to defend Kysael as she delivered most of the attempting-fatal blows.

This was truly what she had been born for.

And every instance of the last twenty years of my life, protecting her absolutely, every instant where I felt that she were meant for something of great importance, where I felt that she had an important role in the future of this world….it all made sense, crashing around me in shattering pieces of a puzzle. It all came together, now.

“I will end you!” Kysael shouted at Kellerok as she swung her sword toward him.

Kellerok threw his head back, laughing. “Oh, I shall soak the ground in your blood, girl. And Mafrien, trying so hard to protect you! Ha! He will watch you die, and your followers will die after you have been slain!”

She straightened her back. “Not if I slay you first,” she whispered with deadly intent. And her wings lifted her to shoot into the air like an arrow shot from a bow.

As her body soared upward, she summoned a new weapon of flames, and held it out in front of her, making herself into a makeshift spear.

Mafrien shot up to be behind Kellerok, blocking off his escape.

Kellerok laughed in maniacal insanity as Kysael’s spear burned his flesh as his body took the spear clean through the shoulder, melting the flesh around the blade so that the blade remained.

Kellerok simply continued to laugh.

“What is so funny?” Mafrien asked from behind him, a knife to his throat.

Kellerok said nothing as his body vanished from our sights.

Kysael was the first one to foresee his reappearance. “Mafrien!” She shouted. But it was too late.

Kellerok had already delivered the blow to the back of Mafrien’s head, rendering him unconscious and throwing his body like a ragdoll to the ground.

When his body hit the ground…he didn’t get back up.

Then Kelose suddenly shouted as he, too, was thrown away from us.

His body hit the ground with a hard thud, and he gasped as he clutched the hole in his side from Kellerok’s knife.

I, too, felt the blow when Kellerok stabbed a dagger through my shoulder, and kicked me hard in the gut before throwing me away like a rag doll.

The fall was hard, and I struggled to sit back up.

My healing powers wouldn’t be able to help me for a few minutes, and all I could do in that moment was sit back and watch the rest of the battle unfold as I pulled the dagger out of my shoulder and rip off a piece of my tunic to tie around the wound to stop the bleeding.

Kysael’s eyes narrowed dangerously as Kellerok laughed.

“It looks like it’s just me and you now, girl. Your move.”

Kysael flinched. I could see the thoughts rushing through her mind, trying to formulate a plan.

And then, she closed her eyes, and spread her arms out wide, her face markings glowing a brilliant blue. And I knew what she was doing.

She was going to use her Wraith self to help her win this battle, since the Dark Realm was in that self.

It would better understand how to defeat Kellerok. Skyelves were peaceful, and didn’t want war.

The Wraiths were different. They craved blood, and fed on it.

Literally.

She sighed, releasing a deep, icy sounding breath as she opened her eyes again, pure silver. “Let’s move to the ground,” she said softly. “If you don’t mind, of course,” she said mockingly.

Kellerok laughed, but obliged her. They both lowered themselves, coming to rest with their feet planted firmly on the ground.

“You have wasted your effort, girl. I will slay you here on this night.”

“I don’t think so,” she said, her tone dangerously calm.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood, gooseflesh appearing on my arms.

I knew that tone.

She fully intended to kill him.

“I have killed many Wraiths. I have killed many Woodelves. I have killed many Skyelves. You are no match for my power.”

“Perhaps I wouldn’t have been, a few decades ago, had I been alive.” She paused, before her body disappeared from view.

I was startled.

Despite the injury she’d sustained only a few months ago, and how long it had taken for her rehabilitation, despite that she had barely been able to walk just the last couple of weeks, she moved with a speed that even I could not detect with the naked eye.

Surprised, Kellerok’s eyes scanned the area, looking for her…and his eyes got wide when he couldn’t find her. His search became almost frantic.

He startled when she broke through his arms, her hands grabbing his hands to force them down and her head, fangs bared, launching to rip his throat out.

I myself startled at the sheer speed, at the ferocity and force of her power as she jolted up to deliver what would be a fatal blow if it landed properly.

But the problem with this method of attack used by many Wraiths were the variables.

If the victim saw it coming fast enough, they could adjust to make it non-lethal, and when a Wraith bit a victim at that force, their jaws locked and it took a few moments of them being vulnerable before they were able to release their grip.

It was a dangerous move to try to play against such a powerful opponent.

Unfortunately, this was one opponent that she shouldn’t have used such a technique against.

Seeing it coming only at the last second, Kellerok barely shifted so that it wasn’t his throat that got caught, but his collarbone instead, making her attack non-fatal.

In the instant that her jaws locked on his collarbone, he shoved his entire arm through her stomach.

I shouted and cringed with the pain, and I startled at what that had to have meant.

It was then that I suddenly remembered. When Manwen had transformed her, I had felt it in my own blood.

My Blood Bond was now tied to someone who was no longer half Wraith and half Woodelf, but half Wraith and half Skyelf instead.

The bond was now powerful and potent enough that I could feel her injuries, and I knew then that I truly was doomed forever.

She struggled and thrashed, before her jaws finally unlocked and she jumped back, panting as she fought to catch her breath.

Despite her pain, she was still standing and still fighting.

She scoffed as she spat out the blood from her attack on him, before jumping backward a few more yards.

“Not a bad move, girl, I’ll admit. I am impressed. I can see what my former son may have seen in you. To be a female, but to hold such raw power…it is something that has never happened. And he always did prefer exotic things.” He scoffed. “It’s a shame that you weren’t transformed into a Darkelf. You would have been an excellent addition to the army.”

“My will power was too strong to become a Darkelf,” she answered simply.

He nodded. “Perhaps.”

His body shot forward toward hers, and still trying to recover from his last blow, before she could react or even see it, his fist crashed into her rib cage before his movement had registered to her.

She gasped and I felt the blow in my own body, clutching at my abdomen desperately, and as her body was flung backward, she shot her wings out, flapping them to stop her body from moving any further backward, steadying her.

She seemed to be deep in thought, before an idea came to her.

I was honestly surprised that Kellerok continued to indulge her need to stop and think.

He genuinely seemed to be…. enjoying the battle. His face was greatly amused, a grin on his face through most of the battle so far.

“I am vastly impressed with your ability to continue standing after I have delivered what should be such fatal blows. You are something, I will give you that.”

“I would like to play a game,” she said softly. “If you would humor me,” she laughed.

“A game, hm? Hn. That sounds amusing to me. What did you have in mind?”

“An all-out brawl. The last one standing on their feet delivers the final blow and kills the other.”

I was shocked. I remembered, in my mind, her body being trained by the King’s elite guards to take blows, to be beaten to a point that no normal being should be able to function anymore, and then being forced to carry out missions in that same condition.

I remembered how angry I had been, how my skin always burned and I had to be restrained when they came to fetch her for those missions.

Based off of what she had been through, all the bruises, broken bones, lacerations, stab wounds, even burns that I had healed from this girl…I knew that she could do it.

His eyes widened, and his face showed his surprise. “Ah,” he said. “Are you sure about this? You are much lighter and weaker than I, girl. My blows will affect you more so than the other way around. Think carefully now.”

I wouldn’t have been so sure. With the training that she’d had, it wouldn’t have surprised me in that moment if she were the last one to stand, and I knew in my gut that this was going to be the climax of the battle.

I knew that she would win if he decided to indulge this last request of hers.

“Are you interested or not?” She asked, her tone losing patience.

He laughed. “It is your funeral, girl.”

She groaned in agitation, rolling her eyes. “My name is not ‘girl’, if you would at least oblige me on that and call me by name. I’ve been so polite to address you by your given name. Didn’t your mother teach you any manners?”

“Fine, then. What is your name?” He asked mockingly.

“Kysael,” she answered. He startled and looked so surprised that even his mouth hung open, slack jawed for a moment, and she looked confused. “What’s wrong?”

He laughed, a deep maniacal sound. “It is ridiculous, the irony of what you just told me. That was my mother’s name.”

She looked surprised. “Really…?”

“Yes. It is a funny thing, fate I mean. That one of the best fights I’ve had in centuries, is brought to me by a girl with the same name as the woman who brought me into being on this earth.” He laughed darkly.

She nodded. “That is a strange coincidence.”

He clapped his hands together once before spreading his arms out wide. “Alright then, Kysael.” The way that he said her name had the hairs on my arms standing, and shivers ran down my spine. He sounded as if he wanted to consume her. “Shall we commence?”

“We shall, Darkelf King Kellerok,” she addressed him formally.

“Now it’s time for the dance macabre,” he uttered.

And then they both jumped toward each other, all out beating one another.

No matter how many punches she took, Kysael still continued to reel right back into his reach, punching and jabbing with all her might.

We could hardly believe our own eyes, as she continued to stand despite two open holes through her body where Kellerok had attacked her in a manner that should have killed her a long while ago.

But still she fought on.

And this continued, screams and shouts of exertion for over an hour.

Kelose and I watched in amazement as one particular blow sent Kysael falling to the ground.

Kellerok stood over her, waiting a moment to see if she would get back up.

From the soft sways of his body, I could tell that he was having a hard time standing himself. I could see how she had worn him down, and I couldn’t help but to feel my heart swell with pride at that alone.

She had worn down the great Darkelf king, whom all of this world feared.

Just his name made nations tremble.

He had been destroying nations and ending lives for centuries.

And this girl, this Skyelf-Wraith hybrid, had brought him to sway on his feet, barely standing.

Kysael glanced at us. Her eyes were tired, but I met her gaze steadily as she locked eyes with me for only a split moment, and I gave her a nod.

She knew what she had to do, despite how she felt.

She was almost ready to give up. But that wouldn’t stop her.

Kellerok began to summon a sword of fire.

“Hey….” she whispered. “Who…said…that I was finished?” She asked softly.

He chuckled as she threw her body back up onto her feet.

“You are magnificent, I will concede to that.” He smiled. “Had I found you before Mafrien, I more than likely would wish to bed you myself, with all of that fight in you. I can even sense that you are in pain from previous injuries prior to this battle, and yet you still battle so fervently, even after the blows that I have dealt to you. It is respectable. Mafrien did, indeed, choose a fine prize.”

She smiled sweetly before she continued back into punching, and he did the same.

Her body was battered. I could see that there was blood trickling down from her mouth from the damage being done to her body, and bruises and blisters formed on her. Lacerations began to appear on her flesh as the skin wore down to become sliced open from blows.

Kellerok didn’t look much better himself.

This continued on until the two of them were stumbling around, neither wanting to continue…but with one last battle cry, they charged one another.

And they both fell.

Kysael panted hard, struggling to stand.

Kellerok did the same, but both of them seemed to be throwing in the towel.

“You can do this, Kysael!” I shouted. “You have trained for years! Show him how superior you are to him!” I called out.

She looked at me, her eyes wide with surprise, and I could see her contemplating what I had said, taking it to heart.

She had, indeed, worked very hard to get to this point.

And now, she had the chance to change the world.

Grinning, she pulled herself up off the ground with a groan, while Kellerok continued to struggle.

She walked over to see his face slowly, but stayed at a safe distance so that he couldn’t underhandedly attack her while off guard.

“I have been beaten for years for this very moment,” she told him, and he looked at her in surprise. “You are thousands of years old. I am in my youth, my prime. Had you not been so ancient, you would have killed me for sure, I tell you the truth in that statement. You are very powerful. I had to think of a way to wear you down that I knew that I could pull off. And now, Lord Kellerok,” she said darkly, murderous intent in her gaze. “This game is over.”

His eyes burned with rage, but he could not move.

She summoned her sword of fire. “Any last words?”

“Rot in hell,” he spat venomously.

She smiled sweetly. “I’m sorry, Kellerok, but-” she swung the sword of flames down, decapitating him. “You will not be seeing me there,” she told his headless corpse.

She stood over him a moment, inspecting his body, being sure that he would not come back to life and that she had actually dispatched of the Darkelf king.

Her eyes took in what she had done, and she seemed to be dazed, unbelieving almost.

She seemed lost.

We watched her for a long moment, none of us saying anything as we allowed her this moment to catch up to herself, to the present moment in time.

She closed her eyes, taking a deep, unsteady breath into her surely bruised lungs, her body swaying a moment before she caught herself.

She held out a hand when Moserre tried to go to her, stopping him.

She didn’t want to be coddled.

She wanted a moment of space. And one could hardly blame her. She’d had a very trying day, or week. Or month…year…

Years…

Yes, she had come a long way, and she was taking a moment to absorb the impact of it.

And then her body fell to the ground, unconscious.

I rushed to be beside of her, alongside Kelose.

Kelose held her head in his lap as I healed her wounds.

“I….I can’t believe that she actually did it.” He said softly.

I nodded. “Yes. I have always known that she had a vital part to play in the future, but I had never foreseen this. I never would have thought that Kysael, sweet, sad little Kysael…would end the life of the Darkelf king, tyrant of the elven races and mad man set on destroying the world as we know it.”

Mafrien sighed. “I wish that it had been I. I wanted to be the one to dispatch him. He made my life a living hell each day that I lived, along with my mother. He deserved to suffer. I hate her almost, for being the one to end him.”

“No,” Moserre said. “Had you done it; the world would have only seen it as you trying to grab the throne. If an elf had done it, it would have looked like a power struggle between the realms. If someone of the Dark realm had done it, it would have looked as if it were just to try to overthrow him and gain more power. No, it turned out for the best. Kysael is of both the Light and Dark realms. She is balance. And she is the one who needed to end him.”

“The world will be completely different now, won’t it?” Kelose asked.

“It still has a long journey, but yes….it is on the road to a complete change,” I answered.

Coal approached us, and I was surprised to see him still in his wyvern form. He had told me just how much it pleased him that Kysael was attracted to his humanoid form, and that he intended to use it much more often. “It is finished, then.”

“Not yet. The world still needs to make more changes before the battle for peace will truly be over,” Mafrien said. “The fight isn’t over, yet. Kysael has just brought it to the next stage.”

“We need to get Kysael back to the medical building in Lykra,” I said. “With such serious injuries, I need to heal her at once. The only thing keeping her alive is her Skyelf blood. She will need some rest and a lot of time to recover. But for now, I think she has earned some peace and quiet.”

We all agreed.

“I can carry her back to that location,” Coal said. And I nodded. I trusted him with her. He had proven his loyalty to her.

“Alright, then,” I said softly, and I lifted her into my arms and placed her into the saddle on his shoulders. There was, thankfully, a strap that could go around her, and I vaguely wondered if he’d placed it there for her, because I didn’t remember seeing it the last time, I had saw the saddle.

We watched as Coal lifted himself into the air and flew off into the direction of Lykra, and we all followed suit.