Chapter 22: You’re in My Way

The Golden Dragon stared down at me and growled. The ball of energy that it was creating in its hands vanished, but now all its malice was directed at me. I felt like this creature could melt my body just by staring at me. The Dragon then raised its massive paw as if to swat me. As I raked my brain for something to say, I heard the White Dragon’s voice in my head again. She said a strange word to me. I impulsively repeated the word she said. Rhuknor. And then everything went blank.

“What do you want, Slithe? You found your daughter, right? The way I see it, we don’t have any beef, so what do you say we let bygones be bygones?”

The Goblin cocked his neck oddly, his head dipping a little further than normal. “That depends on your answer. Where is Leon Lurranna and Éclair Hamashe? Tell me and I’ll think about letting you and the Saurian leave peaceably.”

“What do you want with them? First you kidnap Éclair and now you want Leon too! Incidentally, why did you just call her Éclair Hama – Ham...” But as soon as Ryan tried to say the word, it slipped from his grasp. It was the same phenomenon when Hannah called Éclair by that strange name that he couldn’t remember for some reason.

“It doesn’t matter ... the only thing that matters is whether you are willing to relinquish what you know, child. Do not let my polite speech patterns fool you. I am not a very patient individual, and I don’t work well with children.”

“I gathered that much from speaking with your daughter,” said Ryan. Although taunting did seem a little low, Ryan knew when he was outclassed.

Galzar twitched ever so slightly, but other than that, his slimy, green face betrayed nothing of his emotions.

I couldn’t handle this guy with Leon’s help. I have to stall for time until Grafy gets better.

Galzar huffed, scratching his chin agitatedly. “Hamma was right. You are quite the infuriating little brat.”

“Big talk for a guy who ... uh ... beat me once ... but only because you cheated and turned into a bug, and not because you’re good or anything. You knew Hamma, huh? Well, I beat him easy enough after you guys sent him to get me, so you know I’m tougher than you think.”

Galzar slowly pulled out a pair of swords from under his robes that Ryan realized belonged to Leon. As Galzar held the swords in one hand, he then reached behind his back and revealed a short sword and metal claws, Ryan’s own weapons.

“I suppose you will want a duel now. Not a bad proposal. Once you realize how futile your plight is, perhaps it will go a long way to taming that unearned pride of yours.”

“It’s easy for a guy who has all the weapons to talk smack! Are you man enough to fight me straight up and-”

Galzar threw Ryan’s weapons, landing them at his feet.

“Oh. Well, I guess you are man enough then.” Ryan stooped for his weapons, never taking his eyes off Galzar.

Jeez! That ruined my comeback.

Galzar then tossed Leon’s swords behind him casually. “Hamma was a student of mine at one point. He and I did a lot of work for the Order and the Mystics, as well as the dark masters that we serve. Unlike most humans, he was a man of vision. I do not begrudge you killing him, of course, but I will complete the mission that he gave his life to fulfill.”

“Just answer me this,” said Ryan as he strapped the gauntlet with metal claws to his wrist. “Why did you guys target me in the first place? Why was Hamma so dead set on capturing me?”

Galzar shrugged. “I can honestly say that I do not know why. They were spur-of-the-moment orders given to us by my superiors that did not fit into the original plan. I can only imagine it must have been for experimentation. Dragon-human hybrids are a rarity in the universe, especially ones with Elemental powers. My superiors probably saw you as a mild, scientific curiosity ... nothing more.”

So, that’s it? I was nothing more than a sideshow this whole time. Whoever this guy works for, would they go so far as to wipe out my whole village for something as petty as a human experiment?

Ryan gripped his short sword tighter, feeling the familiar touch of its golden handle. “Fine. I don’t care at this point. All I care about is getting my friend to safety.” Ryan carefully leveled his blade at Galzar, gripping it in both hands. In as cold and menacing voice as he could muster, he said, “And you’re in my way.”

Galzar hissed quietly in what might’ve constituted as laughter. “Though the thought of crossing blades with a child is amusing, I can see why Silvia has taken a liking to you.”

That comment surprised Ryan. Seizing on his opponent’s distraction, Galzar reached into his robes and threw black blades in a blur of motion. The blades were a breath away from Ryan’s head before he could even register his folly. Just before the blades pierced his cranium, a piece of burning metal flew in front of his face and deflected them off course.

“Have I been forgotten?!” roared a familiar voice. Grafael reared up on his legs to his full, formidable height. “I’ve never been so insulted in all my life!”

With a deafening roar, Grafael charged Galzar, but his legs buckled from under him. Grafael slid to the ground face first with a monstrous crash!

“Blast this fragile body! How dare you quit on me now!” growled Grafael, punching his own useless legs as if to force them into motion.

“Amusement aside,” said Galzar, smirking. “You are quite courageous, Saurian. You should consider joining our cause. The humans will only see you as a slave to be exploited.”

“Don’t insult me, knave. I already have a cause. And I’m not a slave ... not anymore. The only slave I see here is the one who calls a coward like Gregory his master.”

“Jefferson Gregory is a fool,” hissed Galzar in a dangerous tone. “He is not my true master!”

“Even so, it’s obvious that you’re enslaved by your own hatred, and are therefore a slave nonetheless.”

Galzar simply shrugged with a regretful sigh. “Oh well. I tried.”

“Just sit tight, Grafy boy! I got this,” said Ryan as he lunged for Galzar, trying to catch him by surprise.

Jumping over the debris that stood in his path, Ryan swung his flaming sword as hard as he could with both hands. Though Ryan’s blade carved up a large chunk of metal behind the Goblin, Galzar easily ducked under the sword and delivered a crushing punch to Ryan’s stomach. Even though Galzar seemed short and hunched like a cripple, Ryan couldn’t remember seeing anyone move as fast as him, not even Grafael.

Ryan nearly lost consciousness from that single blow, going head over heels in the opposite direction. Rolling back to his feet, Ryan coughed up blood and wiped his chin. Galzar didn’t waste any time. He sprang at Ryan like a lion, attacking with a pair of knives.

He used them much like Leon used his dual swords, only with the finesse and sophistication that comes with experience. Ryan blocked one blade with his gauntlet and the other with his sword. He then riposted towards Galzar’s throat, but the Goblin parried the sword with the handle of his knife.

Galzar slashed at Ryan’s throat, then he went for the knees with the other blade, then the midsection, and then the head. Ryan dodged and parried every attack, dueling furiously with his sword and gauntlet, but only just. The Goblin’s aggressive thrusts kept Ryan on the defensive the whole time as Galzar gradually drove him closer to the flames.

As Galzar gained ground, Ryan subtly drew on his connection to the flames around him to turn them into his weapon. So far, Galzar had made certain to close the distance between them, so Ryan would be unable to summon any big fireballs until he managed to force Galzar to retreat. Galzar suddenly made a stab at Ryan’s heart, breaking his customary pattern of attack.

Ryan barely blocked the blow with his iron claws before another attack aimed at his mid-calf. He deflected the blow with his sword, but then Galzar drew back his head and bit Ryan in the neck. As Ryan screamed in pain and surprise, Galzar unclenched his teeth, head-butted Ryan in the face, and kicked him in the groin.

The effect was far from pleasant. Ryan wobbled to regain his balance only to be thrown to the ground by the backside of Galzar’s hand. Ryan rolled several feet away until his face lay inches from the wall of flames. The heat was almost unbearable, even for a Flamer.

“GET UP, RYAN!” demanded Grafael. “YOU’VE ENDURED WORSE THAN THIS FROM ME! NOW RISE AND SHOW HIM THE POWER OF OUR BLOOD!”

Galzar glanced at Grafael as he hovered over Ryan’s broken body. “You know, I find it quite strange that a human child would risk his life for a Saurian. You are deluding yourself if you believe that Earth Dragon thinks of you as his friend. Humans have caused too much suffering to deserve friendship, especially the Elementals.”

Now this guy’s ticking me off, which is good since I usually fight a lot better when I’m pissed!

“Grafael was right. You really are a slave to your hate. I just wish you would’ve considered that before you dragged your own daughter down with you.”

Ryan stuck his hands into the flame wall, relying on his connection that he’d been cultivating since the fight began. Ignoring the searing burns he suffered, Ryan took control of the blaze again, converging the fires towards Galzar in the shape of a giant, flaming hand. Although taken by surprise momentarily, Galzar still escaped mostly unscathed as he jumped back with superhuman agility. However, in the confusion, he lost his grip on his knives, and his robe that hid the rest of his daggers caught on fire.

Galzar removed his robe before the pyro spread. He had a surprisingly good figure. Short though he was, flawless muscles outlined his slimy features, as well as a six-pact that made Ryan feel a little envious. Ryan soon realized that the hump must’ve been a put-on to hide his true physique.

“What’s the matter?” asked Galzar, smiling coldly through wicked fangs. “Did you really think I was a cripple?”

“Even if you got better abs than I do, I still got one thing that you don’t. Fire, and plenty of it!”

“Yes, that’s right. A change of scenery is in order.”

Suddenly, Galzar vanished in a pillar of black mist. He reappeared an instant later inside Ryan’s own shadow cast by the flames. Ryan only distantly heard Grafael calling out to him as the shadows pulled him in.

When the darkness dissipated, Ryan found himself in a very different place altogether. A small spherical room with walls made out of a dark, gray metal. There were no fires, and little lighting except for a single bulb source hanging from the ceiling that provided dismal illumination. The darkness was such a contrast to the fires that it took a few moments for his eyes to adjust. Ryan was roughly thrown to the ground by a familiar hand.

“Welcome to one of Lord Gregory’s secret underground bunkers,” said Galzar, stepping out of the shadows. “It was abandoned long ago, and I have since outfitted it for my use.”

“Nice trick with the shadow thingy.” Ryan tried to summon flames, but not so much as a spark ignited. Even the fires on his weapons started to dim.

I’m so low on psions that I’m on the verge of collapsing, forget about fighting.

Galzar grimaced, showing off his pointed teeth. “The Mages have augmented my abilities with Shadow Elemency. It’s not teleportation. I need an exit point prepared in advance, which is very tedious work, but it’s almost as effective as the real thing.”

“Yeah, yeah. You’re smart, creepy, and dangerous. I get it already,” said Ryan, rising to his feet. Since Galzar wielded no weapons, Ryan gave him the same courtesy and sheathed his sword and his gauntlet in the straps on his back. Assuming the stance that Grafael taught him, Ryan raised both fists in front of him, while standing sideways with his front toe facing his opponent. “Can we just skip to the part where I wipe the floor with you?”

“I see. Dueling didn’t work, so you think the martial arts will fare you better.”

Putting on a burst of speed, Ryan swung at his opponent with both fists. Galzar blocked and dodged as Ryan unleashed a flurry of boxing punches he learned from Grafael. Left hook. Right hook. Right cross. Left cross. Jab right. Jab right again. Left Uppercut. Now sweep the legs. A basic technique to get the enemy focused on upper body attacks, causing them to lose focus on their footing. However, Galzar knew the attack pattern better than Ryan did.

Easily jumping over Ryan’s sweeping leg trick, Galzar kicked Ryan in the head while suspended in midair. Ryan’s world went spinning as he fell like a rock, spitting out saliva mixed with blood and a tooth.

My dental bills are going to go through the roof.

While Ryan lay on the ground, Galzar lifted him by his hair, leaving his knees scraping against the floor. “I can find Hamashe and Lurranna without you, so I think it would be better to end you now before you become an emotional liability for my apprentice.”

Ryan groaned as Galzar raised his arm, morphing it into a sword.

“So tell me, child, how would you prefer to die? I could end it with a simple slice to the jugular. However, I know humans to be vain creatures, and most of them find blood close to the head distasteful.

“If you prefer, I could rupture an artery, or maybe even take out a vital point such as your kidneys, lungs, or liver. You decide. I am giving you a very special gift. I will allow you to choose your own fate, or at least how you would choose to have your fate end.”

Ryan was blinking in and out of consciousness, but he still managed to say, “Shove it up your ear, asshole.”

Galzar shoved Ryan’s face into the floor, and then stabbed him with his fashioned hand-blade into Ryan’s shoulder. Ryan whimpered slightly; however, the pain was a mixed blessing in that it helped him remain conscious. Ryan even started feeling a connection to his psions again.

“I will never understand how such a weak species could cause so much pain ... so much bloodshed. It’s incredible,” Galzar released the back of Ryan’s head and turned his other hand into a blade. Still stabbing Ryan’s shoulder, Galzar raised his hand-turned-sword slowly, and said, “One of the great mysteries of life, I suppose.”

“Yeah,” said Ryan, smiling and placing his hand on the metallic surface. “Here’s another mystery for you!”

Ryan removed his hand from beneath Galzar’s feet and made one of his home-fashioned bombs, causing the panel to explode in the Goblin’s face. The explosion singed his hand a little, but it was worth it to score a hit on the assassin. Galzar’s hands transformed back to normal, and he stumbled back, clutching his scorched face.

Ryan didn’t waste his chance. Using every move Grafael ever taught him, Ryan grappled with the Goblin, spinning in the air to deliver quick kicks and punches in a tornado of limbs. Ryan connected at least twenty separate hits in less than a second while suspended in midair.

Landing on the ground, Ryan jabbed Galzar in the throat before kicking him in the stomach and sending him flying to the other side of the room. Galzar crashed into the metal wall, leaving a humanoid-shaped dent as he fell.

“Had enough, Goby!” cried Ryan triumphantly.

Galzar groaned and slowly rose to his feet. Although part of his face had been blackened, he seemed fine for the most part.

“This is taking too long.”

As Galzar spoke, black mist materialized around him and hardened itself into spinning black blades that twirled through the air. At least six black blades circled around Galzar now, like moons orbiting a planet.

“Hey,” exclaimed Ryan, backing away in surprise. “No fair! I call cheatsies!”

“I am an assassin. We do not particularly care how our target dies, as long as they stop breathing in the end.”

At that moment, Ryan heard a familiar voice in his head that gave him inspiration. “If it’s no holds barred, then I’d like you to meet a personal friend of mine. He’s known by many names, but the best one is ‘the Prince of Shadows’.”

Ryan then rolled to the side as instructed just before an explosion created a hole in the ceiling above them. In the opening stood Leon Lurranna wielding his dual swords.

“I’m not sure what it means,” explained Ryan. “But it sounds really cool.”

“Bloody hell,” cursed Éclair under her breath.

Éclair didn’t think that the Mecha-Titan could’ve traveled so far in such a short amount of time, but the land vehicle moved much faster than she had anticipated. Éclair ran through the streets of Tarrus, down alleys and parks that used to be lined with countless civilians. She calculated that it would take at least half a day before she made it back to Gregory Industries, and that was assuming she avoided detection from Gregory’s yacht.