Rage of the Dragon

CHAPTER 40

Skylan stood at the prow of the Venjekar, forced to watch Aylaen’s valiant assault on Raegar from a distance, unable to come to her aid, torn between fear for her and pride in her courage. The ship, powered by the angry Dragon Kahg, sped through the water. The waves flew past him, spray splashed over him. He pounded the rail with his fist and urged the dragon to travel faster, faster.

He ordered the Dragon Kahg to bring the Venjekar close so that he could board Aelon’s Triumph. He watched Aylaen fling the spiritbone of the Dragon Fala into the sea and he cheered. Then he saw her fall and Raegar standing over her, his sword raised.

Skylan bellowed in outrage. The Venjekar was still some distance away, but he had to try to reach Aylaen, though with both ships leaping and rolling in the erratic waves, he knew in his heart he would never make it. He was about to climb up on the rail when Acronis shouted.

“Tell the dragon to ram them!”

Skylan looked up at the Dragon Kahg and realized he didn’t need to tell the dragon anything. The Venjekar was sailing straight toward Aelon’s Triumph, bounding over the waves. Aboard Raegar’s ship, the sailors saw their doom and they were crying out in terror and rushing for cover.

Then the Venjekar smashed headlong into the ship’s hull.

Skylan flung himself to the deck. The shattering crash jarred every bone in his body. Wood splinters rained down on top of him. Skylan jumped to his feet in time to see the Aelon’s Triumph mast snap off and fall to the deck, taking the sail down with it. The Venjekar had punched a hole in the hull. Water would be pouring inside. He could not see Aylaen or Raegar. The sail had landed on top of them.

“Acronis, you’re with me. Farinn, stay with the ship!” Skylan yelled. “You stay with Farinn!” he ordered Wulfe, catching hold of the boy by the scruff of his neck as he was starting to jump.

Yellow eyes gleamed. Teeth glistened in the boy’s mouth, sharp, elongated. Skylan was holding on to fur, not skin.

“I’ll rip out his throat,” Wulfe snarled, squirming in his grasp.

“I need you to stay here to guard Farinn.”

Wulfe snapped at him, teeth leaving a thin trail of blood on Skylan’s arm.

“Stay here, Wulfe,” Skylan said grimly, “or I swear by Torval that you and I are finished.”

He didn’t wait to see if the boy obeyed him or not. Viper Tooth in hand, Skylan leaped from the Venjekar onto the slanting deck of the disabled Aelon’s Triumph. Acronis was behind him, carrying Aylaen’s sword, guarding Skylan’s back. They ran across the deck of Aelon’s Triumph, dodging bodies and debris. They met little resistance. Men were still recovering from the shock of the collision of the two vessels. The respite wouldn’t last long. The archers were scrambling to fetch their bows, soldiers were going for their swords.

Skylan reached the point where he had last seen Aylaen. She had vanished beneath a mass of canvas and rope and what was left of the mast. He shouted her name and his heart soared to hear her voice answer him. Aylaen floundered beneath the sail. Her bloody hand reached out to him. He pulled her out and stared in astonishment. She was covered with blood, so much he could not see if she was hurt. She relieved his fears with a smile. And then the wreckage heaved and shuddered. Raegar flung the mast off him to emerge from the rubble, his face a mask of blood. He looked dazed and a little unsteady on his feet, but he still gripped his sword. He scowled at Skylan.

“My little cousin,” he muttered.

“You are no kin to me,” said Skylan. “Acronis, see to Aylaen. Take her back to the Venjekar.”

Acronis had hold of Aylaen, who was protesting that she didn’t want to leave. Skylan focused on Raegar, stood braced and ready for a fight.

“I’ve been looking forward to killing you for a long time,” said Skylan.

Raegar sneered. He raised his sword, took a step, and then his legs buckled. He crashed down face-first onto the deck and lay there, unmoving.

Skylan eyed him warily, thinking this might be a trick.

“Kill him!” said Aylaen thickly.

Acronis was trying to urge Aylaen to come with him. She yanked her arm from his grasp and stood staring down at Raegar. “Kill him!” she repeated.

“Get up, Raegar, you son of a bitch,” said Skylan.

Raegar didn’t so much as twitch.

Skylan swore and kicked him in the ribs. “Get up, cowardly cur!”

“Skylan, we need to leave now!” Acronis said quietly.

Skylan glanced over his shoulder. The archers had picked up their bows and were nocking their arrows.

“Aylaen, go with Acronis.” Skylan kicked Raegar again in frustration. “You coward! Fight me!”

“Kill him,” said Aylaen for the third time.

Skylan shook his head. “When I kill this bastard, I want him to watch my sword slide into his gut. My smile will be the last thing he sees.”

Skylan turned to walk away. Aylaen clutched at him.

“Don’t be a fool, Skylan! You can’t let him live!”

“I will not slay a man who cannot defend himself,” said Skylan shortly. “Torval would bar me from his Hall in disgrace.”

“Then I will slay him!” Aylaen cried.

Raegar’s sword lay beneath his hand. Aylaen made a grab for it. An arrow whistled past, just missing her head. Skylan grabbed hold of Aylaen and lifted her off her feet. He carried her, struggling, beating him with her fists, back to the Venjekar. The Dragon Kahg had worked to free the ship from the wreckage of Aelon’s Triumph. His red eyes were bright with triumph. The eyes of the Dragon Fala were empty and wooden. Kahg edged the Venjekar as close as he could to the disabled Triumph.

Skylan set Aylaen down on her feet. Acronis was behind him, sword drawn, holding off the soldiers, many of whom had served under him and knew and respected his skill.

“You’ll have to jump for it,” Skylan told Aylaen.

Another arrow thudded into the wood. She glared at him, her green eyes blazing, and then climbed lightly to the rail. She waited for a wave to bring the Venjekar near, and then jumped. Wulfe and Farinn were both there to catch her and steady her. She looked back and shouted for Skylan and Acronis.

“You’re next, sir,” said Skylan.

An arrow whistled harmlessly past.

“Seems Raegar hired poor archers,” Skylan added.

Acronis smiled. “He always was a cheap bastard.”

Acronis waited, timed his jump perfectly and needed no help when he landed lightly on the deck. A couple of waves, higher than the rest, drove the Venjekar back. Skylan had to wait for the ship to come near again. An arrow grazed his arm.

The Venjekar swung near. Skylan yelled a warning and flung his sword over first, then he followed. He made a clumsy landing, coming down hard on all fours.

“Are you all right?” Aylaen asked worriedly.

“I’m fine,” he said, rising to his feet.

He reached for her, drew her into his arms.

“Queen Magali was right. You are arrogant and stubborn and willful,” she said.

He stared at her, hurt.

Aylaen laughed and embraced him and kissed him on the mouth. “And I love you with all my heart!”

Acronis yelled. Wulfe screeched. Farinn cried out in horror.

Skylan turned his head. Raegar stood on the deck of Aelon’s Triumph, holding a bow, the bowstring drawn back, the arrow aimed. He called upon Aelon and fired.

The arrow, sped by the hand of the god, thudded into Skylan’s back.

He didn’t comprehend at first what had happened. He didn’t know he’d been hit until he saw Aylaen’s eyes go wide with horror and he heard her scream and then the shattering pain gripped him and it was hard to breathe and blood filled his mouth. He staggered. Aylaen kept hold of him, her arms around him. She tried to keep him from falling, but he was too heavy. She eased him to the deck.

Holding him in her arms, she begged him, threatened, cajoled.

“Don’t die, my love. Don’t die, Skylan! Don’t leave me!”

Skylan wanted to stay with her, but he couldn’t breathe and the pain was unbearable. The darkness rushed on him, coming fast, very fast.

“My sword!” He gasped, choked on his blood. He couldn’t see, he fumbled for the weapon.

Aylaen guided his hand to the hilt of his sword and closed his weakening fingers over it. She wrapped her hand around his to make sure he kept the sword in his grasp.

Skylan looked at her, Aylaen, his wife. He kept his gaze fixed on her, the last point of light in the hastening dark.

“Even in Torval’s Hall, I will be lonely for you,” Skylan told her.

Aylaen gathered him in her arms and pressed her lips to his as he gave her his last breath.