The Dragon King

“Soul Siphon,” she repeats, slightly louder.

At first, nothing happens, for one heartbeat, two, three... then light shoots out. Not from her, but from anyone within the spell's radius. Like a reversed fountain of pulsing lights, with her and Aster in the center, shimmering mana slams into her. Hard, painfully, until she feels as if she’s about to explode with pressure.

The fountain stops, the lights fade. People everywhere falling to the ground. Except for her. What has she done?  Shocked, she looks down on herself and the blue flames that are covering not only her arms, but her entire body. Excessive and out of control. Just like at the lake.

But she’s different now. There’s no panic, just an odd sense of calm. She will save him. Right now, nothing else matters. Leaning forward, she places both palms on his chest.

“Warm Hands.” It’s basic, but it’s the spell she’s most used to. It'll get the job done. Struggling to get her wild mana under control, she focuses solely on her hands, on the pulsing light sinking into Aster’s body to mend the wounds deep inside him. After what feels like an eternity, the light fades, retreats back inside her, and she sags with relief as Aster moves, gingerly sitting up.

“You scared me,” she snaps. “Don’t do it again.”

“I’ll try not to,” he chuckles, patting her bloodstained hands. She feels weird, buzzing with energy and exhausted at the same time. Looking around, she's relieved to see people stirring -- whatever that spell had done, at least it didn't kill them.

“Quite spectacular. For an accursed healer.” The voice is deep and low, unfamiliar, and she spins around. The body next to Aster she had dismissed as dead, has turned its head to look at her.

“You’re alive?” Had she really been so focused on Aster that she hadn’t even realized that the king was still alive?

“Not for long. Time may not claim our lives, but we can be slain like any creature on this land.” He smiles, his face softens, and for a moment Diane sees a glimpse of the man Lyssara had fallen in love with. “After all that’s happened, death is not unwelcome.”

“I can heal you. There’s been too many deaths already.” Diane says sharply. “And you’re responsible for most of them. Those poor healers in the caves…”

“Got exactly what they deserve. Evil traitors! Like her.”

“She was innocent,” Diane says softly. “She was betrayed, just like you. She died trying to find a cure for your people.”

“Lies. Pretty lies. She turned the blood of the beasts against us. Twisted and mutilated it into a dark, silent killer. Aimed it at us, the ones she claimed to love as much as her own kin.”

“Wait, the original disease was created from the blood of a shapeshifter? That doesn’t make sense.” Or, maybe it does. She recalls the dark goop, clearly a physical vessel, somehow infused with mana. Could that be why pure mana healing does not affect it? Perhaps. She needs time to think about this.

“Senseless indeed, that much we can agree on. But we beat it! My sorcerers bent the curse to their will.”

“Does this mean that you have discovered a cure?” She looks him in the eyes, sudden hope flaring up in her. Perhaps…

“A cure? No.” He shakes his head, eyes flashing in anger. “They made it stronger, more efficient. It took centuries, but finally we have our revenge. Their curse, thrown right back at them. Now it's the cursed Beasts' turn to see their land and loved ones fall to it.” He turns to Aster, smirking. “You may have bested me, but the curse will live on. It will devour you and everyone in your land.  My heirs will have their vengeance and their throne.”

“That remains to be seen,” Aster says calmly.

“Please, Lyssara wouldn’t have wanted this,” Diane pleads. “She gave her life in search of a cure for your people.”

“How do you know the traitress’ name?” His eyes take on an unholy gleam as they bore into hers. “My Lyssa… We were supposed to sit on the throne together, but she sold her loyalty. My heart and my love were not enough for her.”

“But it was. She loved you dearly.” Diane takes out her soulbook and the letters still in it, handing them to the king. “You can see for yourself.” 

Hands trembling, he reads, a tear forming in the corner of an amber eye. He clutches the letters to his chest, blood seeping into the ancient parchment.

“You remind me of her. Such determination. Such kindness. And…” he actually smiles as he looks at her. “Her mana was almost the same color as yours.”

“So you believe me?”

“Yes, I feel her voice in the words, her heart. It does not sound dishonest. Perhaps… I wish…” His head falls to the side as his chest stills.

Feeling numb, Diane presses her fingertips to his neck, but there’s no pulse. She closes his eyes, then looks at Aster. It’s over.

The fighting has come to an end; instead, both sides are gathering their dead and injured. She sees the brown bear that attacked the dragon before, now walking demurely between Rafe and Lilah. It sometimes attempts to escape, but each time,  Rafe takes a tight grip on the scruff of its neck. Why are they… oh.

“Is that…?” she asks, and Aster nods.

“Yeah, that’s my baby brother. About time too,” he grins proudly. “He’ll be feeling a bit foolish once he’s back into human form. Happens to all of us the first time.”

“I can imagine it can be an overwhelming experience.”

He’s about to answer when the blackcald spokesman and the young man she’d seen with the king before come closer. The young man nods to Diane and Aster.

“It was a fair fight. Your win was justified.” He kneels beside the fallen king. “I am Raizan Ryūketsu, the new Highking of Kagemure.”

Raizan? The one who had proposed marriage to Princess Aurelia? Probably named after his, until now, very much alive ancient ancestor.

“Pleased to meet you,” Diane mumbles while Aster remains silent, sizing the new king up. Raizan smiles, but it’s a cold smile. As cold as the gray eyes that meet Diane’s before he focuses on the fallen king again.

“Rest well under the mountain with our ancestors,” the new king says formally, touching the still chest before reaching for the king’s soulbook. When his fingers meet the cover, it pulses, red light suddenly surrounding the two of them.

“What just happened?” Diane gasps, and he smiles wryly as she looks into his now golden, amber eyes.

“Human bodies die, their souls live on in their books. Dragons, on the other hand, their souls move on, immortal.” He gives Aster a long look before smoothly getting on his feet. “We will meet again soon, Champion. We have much to discuss.”

“So it would seem,” Aster agrees. “Civil discussions then I hope.”

“That is my wish. I am not blinded by emotions as Raezan was. But the fact remains that our families were supposed to rule this country. The throne belongs to us. Cousin.”

“So you intend to continue what the previous king started?”

“One way or another.”

“Your proposal to the princess still stands then?” Aster asks. “I should warn you that while undeniably very beautiful, she can be manipulative and devious. Quite a handful.”

“She descends from a line of great deceivers. I can appreciate that. As for her temperament and possible schemes…” He smiles coldly. “I rule a kingdom of snakes, do you doubt I can handle one woman, no matter how guileful she is?”

“Perhaps not.”

“Anyway, that is for the future to tell.” He looks between Aster and Diane, a calculating glint in his eyes. “For now, tell her that my offer is put on hold, but that I will look highly unfavorably on her if she attempts to bond with another.”

Diane gasps and Aster looks stunned at this sly solution, but before they have a chance to speak, a group of black robed mages appears. Reverently, they transfer the old king's body onto a stretcher, murmuring prayers as they lift him. Something glows brightly on his still chest, and Diane blinks in surprise. There are now two soulbooks, pulsing faintly together. One in red, one in blue. Next to her, Aster startles as well. Can it really be…?

“Farewell, Champion. I look forward to our discussions.” The new HIghking leaves to follow the mages.

“Wait. That other book on his chest. It must be Lyssara’s. She’s our kin. Her Soulbook should rest with ours.”

The king stops, turns, ember eyes glistening.

“No,” Diane says before anyone else has a chance. “You read the letters, this is what she would want. To rest with her beloved, forever.”

“I agree,” the king says, eyes lingering on Aster, who holds the gaze for a long moment before nodding his approval.

“I hope they do become reunited, somehow, somewhere,” Diane says, eyes tearing up. “That they’ll finally find peace, together.”

"You’re such a romantic,” Aster teases once they’re more or less alone again. “I blame Tenna and all those sappy books she made you read.” He scratches at his shoulder, his grin turning into a frown.

“Are you okay? Does it hurt? Please tell me it didn’t get worse from this.” She pulls at his stiff leather vest and shirt and he winks at her. 

“Trying to undress me again?”

“For healing. Again.” She redoubles her efforts. “If you weren’t so reckless…”

“Heroic.”

“Reckless.” 

Smiling, he opens the vest for her, and she pulls his shirt to the side so she can inspect his infected shoulder. Expecting the worst. Instead, she looks at pale, perfectly normal skin.

“What? How…” She meets his eyes that are just as bewildered as hers must be.

“I have no idea? Your new spell?”

“I don’t think so. It just stole mana from everybody else.” She glances around, guiltily. “Sorry about that, I hope they're okay.”

“Don’t worry about that. They'll just feel a little exhausted." He frowns, tapping his fingers on his chin. "But then how…?”

“The death of the king?”

He shakes his head. “No, I felt a strange tingling before that. Right after you healed me.”

“But it’s never worked before.” She pulls his shirt further to the side, but there’s not a single black spot left. Only rapidly drying blood. Blood. Wait a second… “Didn’t he say that the first curse was made from the blood of your family?” She holds up her bloodstained hands, and Aster’s eyes widen.

“So what if our blood is needed for the cure too?”

“One of my captors mentioned your unusual resilience to the curse… but can it really…?” She scrambles to her feet. If this is the answer, then she can make a cure. She and Aster, together. Perhaps even a kind of vaccine to prevent future outbreaks. She can…

“You do have other things to take care of before you rush off to experiment, you know.”

“Huh?” She looks down at Aster, who, for some reason, seems to struggle not to laugh.

“First, you need to heal everyone here. By yourself, since I suppose you snatched all of Tenna's mana as well with your little stunt.”

“Oh, of course.” She feels foolish for getting so carried away that she forgot about the immediate needs. She flexes her fingers and turns away. "I'm on it. What else?"

"Then there'll be celebrations. We did just win. And we're the fated heroes." He gives her a very exaggerated wink before he, too, gets on his feet. "So we are expected to make an appearance and listen to all the gushing speeches."

Celebrations? Speeches? Oh well. For now, she has healing to do. People to help. Everything else can wait.