Dragon Aster Trilogy

43: SING FOR ME



A furious cry went out, as the black dragon didn’t stop in its destructive path. It didn’t feel pain and Moon didn’t slow down. Anything that was not estus energy like itself was crushed by the gravity of power that surrounded his body. Cries of terror and death followed as the phelan became the same frenzy that the black dragon was in. Together, they formed an unstoppable torrent against their enemies.

Kas followed quickly behind their advancing forces. But before they could gain more ground than they could have ever hoped for, the Phoenix reappeared from the Keol and collided with Moon. The two of them fell against the forest like a bomb.

Moon quickly recovered, and sent his teeth for the Phoenix. The fire serpent twisted violently out of his grip and fled back into the Keol. The black dragon followed it.

Kas thought that panic had completely overtaken the Packs, as he lost his psi connection to even those nearby. Feryl charged through the trees and straight for him, and Kas braced himself, fearing the phelan intended to run him over.

But he didn’t. Instead, he ran past him so fast that Kas didn’t see the nip to his arm, or feel it until the heat of his own blood surfaced outside of his body.

He grabbed a tree to keep his balance upright, as he could hear Sybl and her thoughts. Moon was here. The True were now following his command, and her Nova made the Triage Woods as clear as daylight to their senses. It felt as if the entire world had been flipped over to become the one of death. For now, the estus energy of their bodies was all that kept them from losing grip and falling into oblivion like their enemies.

“Sing for me, brother. I have to go and help Moon.”

It felt as if her request had touched his mind from the past. Kas had always sung for her when she asked. It was what made her smile. It was what cooled her temper when she was mad at him. It was what had healed the Threads woven between them, and let him find her at the Casus Beli Canyon. In trying to keep her safe from everything, he had only broken all that kept them together.

Kas looked through the smoke and death to the view of Atrum City that was now within his grasp. He began to sing until his voice spread through the Threads her energy and Nova had fortified against the Phoenix’s radiation. He would not sing her song of death, but one of the victory she had given him.

His Call spread across Atrum City, as his voice was carried further by the other ayame, including those not of the Sanctus. Soon they had the entire city surrounded.