Archivist Of The Fallen Dragon Empire

Mud

The cold mud soaked through his torn shirt. Luca stared up at the man standing above them. Kaelen Draven smiled a very dark and twisted smile. The silver sword in his hand glowed with a faint blue light in the deep trench. Rain began to fall from the black sky above. The cold drops washed the thick dirt from the dark boots of the inquisitor. He had not come with the three heavenly commanders. He had tracked them on his own. He wanted the glory of killing the dragon for himself. Luca pushed Amelia behind him and stood up.

Kaelen stepped forward and raised his weapon high. He did not speak a single word to them. He just swung the heavy blade down at the neck of Luca. Luca leaned back and dodged the sharp metal. The sword smashed into the muddy wall of the deep ravine. Dirt and wet rocks flew into the cold air. Luca used this small opening to attack. He lunged forward and drove his fist into the chest of Kaelen. The force of the punch made a loud cracking sound. Kaelen stumbled backward but he did not fall down. His dark armor was very thick.

Amelia grabbed a handful of wet mud and threw it. The dirt hit Kaelen right in the eyes. He cursed loud and wiped his face with his free hand. Luca grabbed Amelia by the waist and pulled her down the trench. They ran through the thick sludge as fast as possible. The heavy rain made the ground very slippery. They could hear Kaelen yelling in anger behind them. He was a trained killer and he was very fast. Luca knew they could not outrun him in this terrible weather. They needed to find a safe place to hide.

The narrow trench twisted sharp to the left side. Luca saw a dark hole hidden behind some thick roots. It was a small cave washed out by the heavy rain. He pushed Amelia inside the dark opening and followed her. They squeezed together in the tight damp space. Luca held his breath and listened to the loud rain outside. Footsteps splashed in the deep mud very close to their hiding spot. Kaelen walked past the hole and stopped a few feet away. He breathed heavy and swung his glowing sword in the dark. He was searching.

"You cannot hide from me," Kaelen shouted into the rain. "I can smell the ancient magic in your blood. You are just a weak shadow of the old king." Luca closed his eyes and tried to calm his racing heart. If his dragon core pulsed too loud the inquisitor would find them. Amelia grabbed his hand and squeezed it hard. Her fingers were freezing cold in the dark cave. Luca wanted to summon his golden fire and burn the man alive. But he knew the three heavenly commanders were still searching the dark forest above them.

If he used his magic the commanders would see the light. They would shoot their arrows of pure energy down into the trench. Luca and Amelia would be trapped and killed. They had to stay quiet and wait for Kaelen to leave. The heavy boots splashed in the mud again. Kaelen was walking back toward their hidden hole. He stopped right in front of the thick wet roots. The faint blue light of his sword shined into the small cave. Luca tensed his muscles and prepared to fight for his life. He raised his bare hands.

Kaelen reached out and grabbed the thickest root blocking the opening. He pulled it with all his strong might. The old wood snapped with a very loud crack. The entrance to their small cave was open. Kaelen looked down and saw them hiding in the mud. He laughed a cold and cruel laugh. "I found you," he whispered in the dark night. He raised his glowing sword and pointed the sharp tip at the chest of Luca. "Any last words before I send you to the false god?" Luca did not answer him. He just stared in anger.

Amelia pulled a small glass vial from her leather bag. It was the last bit of the shadow beast blood. She smashed the glass against the rocky wall of the cave. The dark liquid exploded into a thick cloud of black smoke. The smoke filled the small space and blinded the cruel inquisitor. Kaelen coughed hard and swung his heavy blade in panic. The sharp metal missed Luca by a tiny inch. Luca grabbed Amelia and pushed past the confused man. They ran out of the smoke and back into the heavy pouring cold rain outside.

They scrambled up the slippery mud wall of the deep ravine. Their hands grabbed onto wet rocks and sharp thorny vines. Kaelen yelled in pure rage and chased right after them. He swung his sword and cut a deep gash into the left leg of Luca. Luca roared in pain but he kept climbing higher. He reached the top of the trench and pulled Amelia up. They ran into the thick dark trees again. The ground began to shake beneath their feet. A massive hole opened in the earth and swallowed both of them into the dark. They fell very deep down into the cold black pit below the wet mud and stones.