Free Eclipsing the Darkness (The Dragon Chronicles Book 5) by Shawn E. Crapo Page B

hands, palms up, he cast a destructive spell that shot forth from his fingers like a massive pressure wave. The hull was shattered with the impact, and the water became clouded with the splintered bits of the ship. Among the debris, Sulemain could see the twisted bodies of the undead flailing their limbs as they attempted to rise to the surface. He hissed, seeing that there were still hundreds of them left.
    Satisfied, he turned toward the shore and began the arduous task of walking back to the surface. There, his remaining Enkhatar would be waiting for him, and would round up the wights as they surfaced and clambered onto the sand.
    Tel Drakkar would see its doom.
     
    Deep within the Earth’s mantle, the Dragon barreled through layer after layer of stone, melting it away with his fiery breath as he made his way toward the core. There, the Great Mother’s spirit lay unprotected from the menace of the Lifegiver, and it was his duty as the embodiment of her strength, to protect her.
    With his new found power, absorbed from Kingu, the Dragon would disrupt Absu’s link, and allow his son and his allies to directly attack the malevolent being. Without the link, the Lifegiver would be powerless to regenerate, and his essence would weaken. Then, the warriors gathered at Khem could converge and destroy the entity once and for all.
    Or, at least, banish him from this realm.
    As the Firstborn continued his downward trek, he called out to his mother, his heart quickening with the love he felt for her. Though weak, she did respond.
    Dagda, she said. Do not sacrifice yourself to save me. It is a mother’s duty to protect her children.
    “I will not allow you to die,” he replied, blasting the stone before him with impossibly searing heat. “I will save you. It is the only way.”
    You are most noble, my son.
    “All of your children are willing to die to protect you. We will prevail.”
    Leviathan must not sacrifice himself. He will be needed during my slumber. The Earth must be rebuilt.
    “My brother knows his duty,” the Dragon replied. “And the others know theirs, as well. Our sacrifice will make it possible.”
    The Great Mother was silent. The Dragon felt her sorrow, pushing on at a faster pace to reach her and return to her loving embrace. It would not be long now.
    “Fear not,” he spoke again. “I am coming.”
    He felt the love of Gaia strengthen as he finally passed the outer mantle. Soon, in a few days perhaps, he would lay eyes upon her once more. His heart longed for her warmth, yet was broken at the thought of never seeing his own children again.
    Eamon, Khalid, Erenoth, all of them. He would miss them greatly, but his sacrifice would ensure their victory.
    For that, he was willing to give everything.
    With renewed strength and resolve, the Dragon barreled on.
     
    Kronos, Imbra, and Yin-Kai rested in the canyons to the southwest of Khem. The reddish rock shielded them from the blazing sun, and kept their presence hidden from the sorcerers who had the power to sense them. They were a day’s march from the Great Pyramid, the home of the Lifegiver himself, and would await the arrival of the armies of the free world.
    Yin-Kai remained worried, as his own soldiers were on the opposite side of Khem. He thought briefly of going to them to reassure them of his support, but Imbra had warned him against it. Showing himself in such a close proximity to Absu would put the rest of them in danger. The Sun King and his samurai would be fine, Imbra had told him. They would arrive at the right time and join forces with Eamon and the other kings without any problems.
    Imbra had called on his southland king, Mekembe, and had instructed him to join Eamon, as well. Tregar would be there to join them, and Kronos had called on Cannuck to support the armies with his own Northmen. The gathered army would be the largest force of men ever gathered upon the face of the Earth.
    But they would face an even greater army; one of men,