Chapter 59

Darras’s hand burned slightly from where he had gripped the creature, whom he now realised was far stronger than a medium scale, though fortunately, not as fast. Its ability to make parts of its ... anatomy into weapons was also concerning, though his armour would probably stand him in good stead. The creature’s vulnerability to mithril when in solid form was a good factor as Darras returned to the attack, using his staff in the way of a spear and his knife to launch any blows at the creature when it solidified. He was also helped when the Elves used their arrows, which were mithril-tipped, to attack the appendages, causing hissing howls of pain to come from the creature. Nevertheless, the creature wasn’t hesitating to press its attacks, and Darras felt that the mithril attacks caused only superficial pain, not damage. Still, a distraction was a distraction.

Darras’s speed also appeared to have the shadow off balance, particularly his agility in dodging any attempt to spear him and land a blow of his own. That and the stinging hits of the mithril weapons caused it to be distracted at times when trying to land a blow.

“Puny human, all you can do is dodge,” the shadow hissed.

“The medium scales were more challenging,” Darras countered.

“Liar, I am far stronger!”

“Not impressed so far,” Darras mocked.

The shadow screeched in rage and launched a savage attack upon Darras. Darras, however, stuck to being cautious and fended off the blows, causing the shadow to flinch whenever Darras’s flesh touched its surface. It was becoming clear to Darras that the shadow also had a greater concern for its survival than the lesser shadows, strong as they were. This meant it varied its attacks and attempted to force Darras into errors rather than close with him.

‘It’s trying to draw your guard out of position, ’ Erren warned. ‘However, I do not believe it knows how strong your armour is.’

Darras grunted an acknowledgement and concentrated on keeping his guard up until he finally appreciated the tactics the superior shadow was using. He even spotted the pattern it used to try and cause his weapons to be out of place. Darras devised a trap from there as the two continued to clash, attempting to avoid contact. The shadow eventually forced Darras’s staff into a position from where it could finally use its claw-like appendage to stab directly at Darras’s midriff, only for it to slam into Darras’s armour and enable Darras to Drop the staff, grab the claw and use his blade to cleave through the appendage, severing it from the body of the shadow.

The creature gave off a massive bellow of agony as Darras dodged back before diving forward with both hands to grab the throat area of the shadow and squeeze. This cut off the bellow as the shadow desperately tried to remove Darras from its throat, only to find Darras’s grip was not easy to break. The effect of Darras’s touch also caused the surface of the shadow to peel and bubble, further weakening the shadow as it attempted to slam Darras against trees and rocks until it finally collapsed and dissipated on the ground.

Darras rolled away, his hands in agony from the cursed nature of the higher shadow. His body was also severely bruised, though fortunately, nothing was broken. Balat swung down from the tree he’d been observing and swiftly approached, pulling out a small bottle of ‘blessed water’ that Doriel had given him. He poured it into a bowl with two cloths and then wrapped them around Darras’s cursed hands.

Tinara had also dropped down, opened a healing potion, and helped Darras swallow it as Balat ministered to the curse. The other Elves had formed a perimeter until Darras could stand and move around.

“My thanks, my friends,” Darras wearily said.

“It seems little enough,” Tinara replied. “Though that was an interesting foe.”

“It was overconfident,” Darras nodded. “The medium shadow I fought in Ducloman caused me far more damage. That, however, was more of a case of its setting its minions on me first to exhaust me.”

“Doriel and Erren are studying the gateway through me; I may be a while,” Balat added. “The issue being that the shadow appeared to be part of the gateway.

“Looks like the elder Vampire was undisturbed,” Tinara nodded. “Though we’d best be well away from here come nightfall.”

“Agreed,” Darras replied, with Balat nodding.

Balat spent well over an hour studying the gateway, with both Doriel and Erren appearing at times in spiritual form to assist. The group cautiously slipped into the Ventris forest, heading for Malele’s home. Darras was forced to wear thin-lined waterproof gloves that Balat periodically poured some of the blessed water into, which kept the agony away and enabled Darras to move his fingers to grip and support himself. Darras was also forced to use a sleeping potion to gain some rest in the nightly encampment as Balat and the Elves kept watch in shifts, though they were fortunately undisturbed.

“Welcome, friends,” Malele greeted the group as they finally emerged into the blessed zone of her domain.

“Greetings, lady of the woods,” Darras gasped out.

“Erren awaits you,” Malele said to Darras. Hurry through so that she may care for you.”

Darras went straight to the gateway and stepped through it into Erren’s domain, the burning pain in his hands fading away to nothing as he emerged, fully shaven.

“Thank goodness,” Darras sighed.

“Welcome home, my love,” a smiling Erren greeted him.

“It’s good to be here and uncursed,” Darras smiled, then kissed his love.

“Yes, this is troubling if you go up against the more formidable shadows,” Erren nodded.

“Unfortunately, my touch is all that kills them,” Darras sighed.

“I know, you couldn’t even throw your blood at one and affect them. The ... energy coursing through your body disrupts their being.”

“Is there any way to draw that energy onto a blade or staff?” Darras asked as Firios emerged onto the lawn and greeted Erren.

“I’d have to ask Pelegard; it’s not my area of expertise,” Erren replied before greeting Firios.

The other group members emerged individually and were led by Erren and Darras to the bathing area. Doriel, Hallis and Sorella greeted them as they undressed and slipped into the pool to relax.

“Darras needs the means to uncurse himself if or when he fights one of these creatures,” Demala said diffidently to the three goddesses. “It pained me to see him so ... agonised.”

“The blessed water acted well as a pain killer,” Darras added. “But it was no cure.”

“Fortunately, the anti-curse wards in the silk lining held it to just your hands, Darras,” Hallis replied. “Nevertheless, had several days passed, you may have lost their use, even with the blessed water.”

“Would it be possible to learn how to uncurse him?” Demala asked.

“For you, no,” Doriel replied. “I could teach Balat, and no doubt Mirion could.”

“A senior priest at any of our temples could manage,” Erren said thoughtfully. “However, in places like Ventris, that’s not going to happen.”

“Yes, Darras’s innate ability to disrupt anything but holy magic is the real issue here,” Hallis agreed.

“A curse is holy magic?” Darras asked.

“Of a type,” Hallis smiled. “Godly, then.”

“An agent of the gods, or a priest of a god, can wield it,” Erren added. “Well, apart from you, my love.”

“Could you have more than one agent?” Demala asked.

“No, there are rules,” Erren smiled. “I’ve just managed to get back in Serulon’s good graces without causing further trouble over an issue like this.”

“Only an agent is permitted to house our spirit when moving upon the land,” Doriel explained. “I flout the rules slightly in the deep forest when I dance with the Woodnymphs, but that affects no one else, so Serulon probably isn’t aware of it.”

“I’ve seen Serulon appear in the world when she pursued Colanthus, so I guess different rules apply?” Darras enquired.

“For her, yes,” Erren confirmed. “Also, I’m pretty sure Serulon knows about your dancing, my sister; after all, the rest of us know about it, and it’s not like when you physically went to Ventris.”

“How odd, she’s normally a stickler to the rules for anything but necessities,” Doriel frowned.

“True, she often turns up after I aid one of my priests in healing the sick,” Hallis nodded.

“I suspect it’s because it affects others, whereas Doriel’s dancing doesn’t affect anyone,” Erren shrugged.

“Or she’s just got it in for me,” Hallis giggled.

“That too,” Erren smiled. “Though she has mellowed somewhat recently.”

“She has?”

“Yes, Dad told her to deal with the spurious claims of our brother and his allies in a more forthright manner ... as in telling them where to stick them,” Erren smiled. “She was also told to relax around those who were not laying complaints at her feet.”

“I suspect your brother will be here over the Ventris incident,” Darras smiled.

“He will, though I’m not letting him in until I’ve thanked our guests for their aid.”

“Just him?”

“So far, yes,” Erren replied. “I suspect Serulon refused to listen to his complaints.”

The deep, sealed cavern was splashed with the blood of Casal’s fallen servants, who had been attacked and consumed by the raging dragon as it vented its fury. There had been no warning and then no mercy. The dragon was quiescent for the moment, though very much awake as it gathered its strength from its long dormancy.

“The mother is awake?” the Dark Lord questioned Casal.

“Yes, this agent killed a supreme scale in Ventris and awoke her ire,” Casal replied. “Fortunately, escaping from her confinement will not be easy, though there is little chance of her returning to her dormant state.”

“And the scales?”

“Those in the world still obey us; those in the cavern are lost to us.”

“Damn my sister!” the Dark Lord hissed.

“What are your intentions, Lord?”

“Reconsolidation of our forces,” the Dark Lord sighed. “Is the mother still upon the transfer circle?”

“She is, for now,” Casal replied.

“Should she attempt to break out, use it to transfer her to the northern wastes and let her sate her hunger there.”

“It shall be done,” Casal acknowledged, thinking it a reasonable plan.

“I will lay a complaint to the arbiter of the gods and then face down my idiot sister,” the Dark Lord muttered. “Recall the scales to the necropolis and reformulate a plan to expand cautiously.”

“It shall be done,” Casal replied.

Darras and Erren were seated at the pergola, along with Sorella, drinking wine when Erren finally decided to permit her brother to visit. As she admitted, Sorella was there to be nosey and confuse the Dark Lord with her presence, as he would not grasp why Sorella would be involved with Erren. Unlike previous visits, the Dark Lord appeared in the usual manner of visitors by manifesting on the lawn rather than appearing to open a door in it before stalking over to where Erren, Sorella and Darras sat.