9- Fall

Solomon rested on the porch, reclining in a chair, as he held a katana; slowly sharpening it with a whetstone. It was early morning; the sun barely cascading past the trees and lighting the village; the air damp and cool. It was the kind of weather that made many want to relax and enjoy the day. Even now, Solomon knew Dew was still in the bed; the poor creature having another fitful dream about the incident. It had been a solid week since Kylie was exiled and Dew was seen as little more than a mindless beast. It made the old man sad; that kid came a long way to make people see he was one of them, just scaly and a tad taller, but the main problem was yet to come.

He had a sinking feeling Ezerbeth knew where they were now; despite him working for years to cover his tracks to make sure Dew was nowhere in her senses. Solomon cursed Kylie; the b***h set this all in motion; now he had to make sure the vampire didn't get Dew.

The peace of the day was, of course, shattered; a piercing scream filled the air as several people fled from the center of town, while Solomon looked over without a care in the world; already expecting this for years. A giant bat like monster had landed in the center of the village, and someone leapt down from its back. They ignored the cries of those around her, walking past them as she smacked and cut past the civilians, until she stood right before Solomon; two Dullahuns next to him both armed with scythes.

"I should have known you'd be here Solomon." She spat, hatred lining her voice as she glared down at him with her piercing red eyes. A long black shroud covered her body up; golden blond hair flowing behind her as she looked more like an angel of death, but it took no genius to know who she was.

"You haven't changed at all, have you Ezerbeth..." Her glare softened a bit, as a smirk framed her face. She shot a hand down, cupping it along Solomon's cheek as she ran her hand along his wrinkled, aged face; clawed thumb leaving a deep red line along it, watching the blood to slowly trickle down.

"Shame, you have; time has treated you very unkindly; you're nothing but glass and echoes now."

"I'd rather be glass and echoes than what you are." She slashed her claws across his face; sending Solomon to the ground as he now bore 4 longer cuts on his face; more blood slowly seeping out and down his cheek. His grip on the sword tightened as he stood back up, watching both Dullahans brandish their weapons.

"As much as I'd like to cut you apart for what you did to me in the forest those years ago my mistress has sent me under different terms; where is the Spirit Walker?" Solomon sheathed the katana, and shrugged. In response he hit the wall, coughing from the sudden chest punch Ezerbeth hit him with.

"I do not have time for your insubordination; I want to know where the Spirit Walker is, and I know damn well you know the child's location."

"I kinda do," He coughed, slumping off the wall as he got his bearing together. "But I ask for one thing-"

"You are in no position to ask for things." Ezerbeth snapped, as Solomon crossed his arms. "So that means you don't want two birds with one stone?" Her anger slowly calmed down, as she breathed a deep sigh.

"I'm listening."

"I do know where the child is, yes, but I'll tell you after a spar; one final match. If I win, you leave this island and never return; I lose...with my dying breath I'll tell you where the Spirit Walker is. You settle your grudge and get to appease your mistress, all at once." Solomon knew he had the Vampire by the fangs; she was extremely prideful, more so than he ever anticipated. After a moment of deciding she finally nodded.

"Very well, I'll be in the forest clearing; be there in an hour or my Honor Guards lay waste to this entire island and take as many males hostage and captive for semen production." She flicked her wrist and the two Dullahans lumbered back to the bat monster, standing guard. Ezerbeth turned on her heel and began walking into the forest, as Solomon turned around and walked into the house, and of course he stopped in Dew's room; and reached under the bed, grabbing what appeared to be a large cloak, and two daggers.

"Dew, if you can hear me," He said, wrapping the cloak around himself. "Run, as far as you can from this place. And whatever you do; never look back." He treaded out the room and closed the door.

Dew's eyes opened the moment he left.

 

 

"Are you ready to finally have fate catch up to you?" Ezerbeth asked, discarding her cloak to reveal she wore a skintight black suit; prepared to fight unarmed. Solomon flicked his daggers and held them; circling her slowly, as she struck first; shocked when he vanished in black smoke and appeared next to her, stabbing her side before she slashed at him; leaving a scar on his other cheek. The Vampire's assault didn't stop there, she pressed on the savage attack; each slash trying to cut deep into him, but all she did was meet the steel of his daggers each time; eventually Solomon warped a short distance from her, catching his breath.

"For glass and echoes, you're still quite skilled..." Ezerbeth huffed, licking the blood off her clawed fingers. "Shame you never fought for the right side."

"I did, that’s why Pya’s dead." They clashed again, the fight raging on as Solomon hoped Dew indeed heard what he told him...hoped indeed...

 

 

"Dad?" Dew looked around the house, seeing no sign of his father. Not a note, not a piece of overturned furniture, not anything. Moving outside, Dew saw people...in a large sense scared; as he saw the giant bat...and the two Dullahans guarding it. A man walked past, and Dew tapped his shoulder.

"Have you seen my father? He wasn't inside when I awoke."

"He's out in the forest with a vamp b***h; hopefully teaching her-" Dew was already gone. He beat his wings as fast as he could but this time he was unable to fly. He didn't let that stop him, he glided, ran, and tore through the forest until he reached the clearing...just in time for Solomon to stand against Ezerbeth once more...and upon seeing Dew he closed his eyes, and Ezerbeth rammed forward; impaling him on her claws; his father not even letting out a pained cry, just contorting his face in a grimace of pain as his daggers slid from his hands, both stabbing into the ground.

"FATHER!!" Dew bolted out, smashing into Ezerbeth and sending her into a large tree, the force cracking it violently while Dew knelt down, holding Solomon up as he looked over the wounds.

They were nowhere near good; she stabbed both of his lungs with her claws; blood was already filling them...Solomon would have mere seconds.

"Dew..." Solomon breathed, reaching his hand up to clutch the drake's harness, coughing up blood. "I love you son...and I'll always...be with you..."  He went limp, eyes closing, as tears rolled down Dew's face.

No...This had to be a dream, a f*****g nightmare, it HAD TO BE!

He clutched his father's corpse, as cried, tears painting the ground as he sat there, not even able to form a word from all the sorrow.

"Well, you got me good you little b*****d," He turned around sharply, staring down the Vampire who did this; her hand on her side to keep pressure on a wound she had on her side. "And I can tell by the green scales, fins, and claws you're not a damn dragon but a drake; no doubt the Spirit Walker. Make this easy and stand down-" Dew was on her in a second, she couldn't even raise a hand before he smashed into her, throwing her into a tree like a toy; doing so over and over again before he smashed her into the ground; and had his hand around her throat, seeing her look up at him with a mix of anger, as well as gripping fear; she was scared of him, terrified really. Dew's grip tightened, as fire began to billow from his maw. She killed his father, the one person who always believed in him; who he cared about...Dew's eyes flared that same red, Ezerbeth trembling now in his absolute fury, and before he could land the killing blow the blunt end of a scythe slammed into his side; sending him off the Vampire and onto his back before he rolled to his feet.

"Are you okay mistress Ezerbeth?" One of the Dullahans asked, the other standing her ground against Dew, watching him rise to his feet, his side in pain but the anger overlooked it. The Vampire was smashed up bad; she had a black eye, bleeding badly from her side and arm, and her forearm was snapped, as well as her leg; the bone visible. Still, she stood up, glaring at Dew with utter hatred.

"I'm fine, but that drake; break him; I want him ready to take to the Mistress, and don't be afraid to use any means needed to pacify him." Both Dullahans moved at once, Dew dodging past their strikes as he clambered up a tree, and one already smashed the trunk apart; the tree toppling as Dew tried to shoot fire at her...but found himself unable to do that as well! By the time he was able to realize all of this and find a way out, everything blurred when he felt a gut smashing punch to the stomach; and he hit the ground hard, on his back, as everything slowly faded to an eerie darkness...

 

 

"So, he really found him?" A Dullahan asked Ezerbeth, watching their master drain some of the blood from Solomon's dead corpse; using the power to slowly heal herself; looking at the downed Dew.

"Apparently, and I expected the old man to kill him; that way the energy would fade somewhere else...get him to the Rano'vak; it's about time we depart from this island; make sure to find a few Dark Elves willing to attack this place, burn that house to the ground. Solomon knew this'd happen if he defied Mistress Vertigo, now he must bear the price...or better yet, his precious "son" will..."

To Be Continued...

Author's Note

Be sure to read chapter 8 before this one.