Dragon Aster Trilogy

32: REFUSAL



The Callers of the Atrum had gone silent with Vanir’s death imminent. With their leader soon to be gone, there was nothing to sing of instruction or hope. There was only emptiness, as Mersael had quickly asserted himself on the throne and taken Atrum City like a hostage for the Falls.

Tenu entered the throne room on being summoned, and lifted her head in defiance as Mersael pointed his sword at her. An Awl was dragged in against his will, and then chained to the ground beside her moments after.

“Release command of the phelan to me, or I will slaughter every last Awl and finish with you.”

“Kill all of us if it makes you feel the power that you are not. But in death the phelan will only rise as the True to further defy you,” Tenu replied.

Mersael walked over to her, and brought the tip of his blade across her pale cheek, cutting a red line of blood. Then he looked at his griffin soldier, and the somnus set his blade’s tip behind the throat of the Awl.

Delare took off his wooden mask, and set it on the ground before him face down. He was prepared to return to the spirit form he once was. But a terrified cry from Gloria made his will to live come back.

Mersael walked over to the human woman and grabbed her red hair. “Strange how the demigods of this world cling to the weak like they are their last salvation.” He pulled harder on Gloria’s hair, and Delare sat higher on his knees. “I wonder how much I would have to torture this one to make you see that resisting me is futile?”

“If you kill her, it won’t be the demigods you have to fear!” Delare shouted at Mersael.

Mersael roughly let go of Gloria, and walked over to the Awl. “Ah, no doubt you speak of the Caelestis.” He grabbed the chains around Delare’s throat, and pulled his face closer. “I have seen your goddess, and she is as pathetically weak as you are.”

Delare’s eyes glowed a brighter green. “What you have seen is her illusion of humanity, that many of us have chosen to wear. But every strike you make against her will be returned to you ten fold when she has fully awakened. Your Falls will fall like the Tower of Babel, and the remnants of your kind scattered as dust to the void.”

Mersael let go of the chains. “You will be dust first. Kill him.”

Before Delare could regain his balance, the sword that was previously pointed at his throat went through him. Or at least he thought it did, but instead it had slid over his shoulder and through his bound arms as its wielder stepped before him. Then it cut his griffin metal shackles as if they were mere rope.

But it was no sword, as he looked at the festra wrapped in an illusion weave. It was the only thing that could have destroyed the indestructible metal bonds so easily. The eyes of the griffin somnus were not of a griffin at all, as Hain’s appearance showed through his illusion. Hain gave him a wry smile on being recognized, and then dropped a spare blade at his knees.

Not questioning it any further, he sprung to his feet and went for Gloria, using the blade Hain had given him to cut down her captors. Several phelan somnus guards joined the fight to aid their escape. He untied Gloria, and then ran for the door with her, using the remnants of Threads that the Phoenix had not burned away from the Keol to help their retreat.

Hain looked at Mersael as more griffin soldiers could be heard shouting from their exit. He got a tighter grip on the festra, and ran from the throne room before their exit could be completely cut off.

Mersael furrowed his white brows in anger as he looked at Tenu.

“My my. Will you look at those loyal to you? I can’t help but question just how stable you truly are in your attempt to seize this Continent. Your soldiers are all over the place.”

Mersael turned around and went back to sit in his throne. “So be it. Keep your phelan here. I’m sure that the Fall’s forces will have little trouble taking care of this temple of the caels. Your defiance is pointless when your kind will very soon be extinct.”