Fuse by E.L. Todd

Eight

She pulledher hood over her face and walked through the gate alongside a wagon. The guards didn’t give her a second glance despite the late hour. Torches glowed along the wooden fence and illuminated the entryway.

The dragon scales were wrapped in cloth in her pack. Cutting them from the dragon’s hide took hours. She had to use all the force she could muster to saw through the armored scales. By the time she got them off, blood had started to ooze everywhere.

And she felt like shit.

She did what she could to stop the bleeding, but there was only so much she could do. Flare didn’t seem bothered by the cut. He didn’t react at all, like she was giving him a massage rather than cutting him open.

Then she had to saw off the other two.

She focused her thoughts in her head just the way Flare taught her. I’m inside. The words echoed loudly in her mind, like she screamed them rather than whispered.

Head to the left, near the coast. The blacksmith is next to a potions shop.

It was strange to communicate this way. She wobbled on her feet slightly as she listened to him, wondering if he could read her mind and feel her emotions. Or were they not connected in that way? His explanation was very confusing.

She walked down the cobbled streets and past the dark buildings. Candlelight flickered in most of them, glowing gently against the black sky. She tightened her jacket around her body and kept walking, keeping her face hidden as much as possible.

She’d been there once before, but she had been just a child. Dorian took her along with his three boys. They traded their weapons in exchange for hay since the harvest had been bad that year. They had nothing to feed their livestock. At the time, Polox didn’t seem so scary. But now that she was alone, it had a different feel to it.

She went to the place Flare had instructed. Once she spotted the potions shop, she noticed the blacksmith shop right next to it. The lights were out in both shops, and they seemed to be vacated.

Her mission was to break in to the blacksmith store to forge a powerful weapon made of dragon scales, but the potions shop caught her attention as well. More than likely, there was a healing potion she could use on Flare. It would speed up the process and alleviate the guilt in her heart. I’m here.

Stay in the alleyway for a few hours. When the street clears, make your move.

Won’t that look suspicious?

Not if you stay hidden.

* * *

The hours passed with a dreadful slowness. People gradually left the street and returned to their homes. The guards that patrolled the area changed positions and moved to the outer wall once the city was asleep. There were no movements in either of the shops. The lights remained off, and they were empty. It’s clear.

Go around to the side of the shop. There’s a wooden door there. It’s usually unlocked.

How do you know that?How could an enormous dragon ever visit any city without getting caught? And even if he didn’t travel there, had someone else gone and given him the information later? That seemed even more unlikely.

Stop asking questions. You waste so much time.

Just answer them. That would save time. The words reverberated loud in her own ears.

Stop yelling.

I’m not trying to.

Just talk normally.

Sorry, I’ve never done this before. Her voice became even louder with the sarcasm.

We’ll work on it later. Now, go to the side of the shop.

Ugh. She did as he instructed and located the flimsy wooden door. The owner didn’t seem to care about protecting his shop very much. She turned the knob then gave a gentle push. Immediately, the door swung inward. I’m in.

Close the curtains so no one can see the light from the flames.

Okay. She migrated to the windows and shut all the drapes. Once the outside world was completely hidden from view, she got to work. Where does the smoke go?

There should be a skylight in the ceiling.

She looked up and didn’t see anything in the wood. But when she got closer to the fire pit, she noticed the detachable door. She undid the hinge then pulled it open. Found it.

Get to work. Be quick about it.

What about the smoke? Someone will see it.

That’s a risk you’re going to have to take.

She set down her supplies then got to work. First, she had to get the fire going until it reached the right temperature. Once that was in place, she located the blacksmith’s tools. They were a little different from hers back in Vax, but they would do.

What’s going on?Flare’s voice came into her ear.

Just got the fire going. Now I’m going to start.

I said be quick.

I’d be much quicker if you’d shut up.

Somehow, he released a growl into her ear. Fine. Tell me when you’re finished.

She washed the blood from the red scales then patted them dry. Once they were ready to go, she began her work over the fire. She’d never used dragon scales before. Until a few weeks ago, she’d never even seen them. Now she had to figure out how to manipulate them into what she needed.

After thinking for several minutes, she figured out exactly what she had to do. Rolling up her sleeves and placing a mask over her head, she bent over the stone brick and began her work.

* * *

With a shaky hand, she pulled the sword out of the fire. The platinum hilt reflected the light from the fire like a perfect mirror. The flames danced in the metal, and she could see her own awed expression staring back at her.

Her thumbs moved along the metal, feeling every single groove and design she’d embedded in it. The image of a powerful dragon was carved into the platinum, strikingly similar to Flare’s features. She thought it was fitting to honor the dragon that voluntarily handed over his most prized possession.

Her eyes moved to the blade, examining the deep red color. When she gently moved it in the air, the scales somehow released a distant hum, as if they were slicing through the air and making it scream.

She rotated her wrist, showing both sides of the blade. It was the distinct color of blood, exactly the same as Flare’s original scales. Toward the very tip, the color turned a light orange. Despite its density, it was light. Cora moved the blade around her wrist and didn’t feel the sting of the weight.

She’d never wielded a sword, but there was no doubt how strong this one was. Its power radiated up her arm and made her feel alive. It gave her strength, even though it possessed no magical ability.

She was in awe.

Is it done?Flare’s impatient voice broke in to her mind.

Just finished.

Get the hell out of there. The guards are still on the tower, but the sun will be rising soon.

Okay. She rose to her feet and held the sword at her side. It was difficult to put it away when she loved touching it so much. Now I just need to learn how to use it.

I’ll teach you.

How would that work? How do you plan to do that?

You’ll see.

She returned everything exactly where she found it and closed the skylight vent. She pulled open the drapes before she stepped out of the shop. She didn’t need to worry about locking the door behind her because it hadn’t been locked to begin with.

She knew she should hide out until the gate opened, but she kept thinking about the potions shop. There was bound to be something useful in there. She had enough coin to pay for it rather than stealing it.

Since she had a few hours until morning, she decided to do it. Flare didn’t need to know until she was done. He would probably give her hell for it, but that was a small price to pay if she healed his scales much quicker than it would normally take.

Instead of going through the door, she went to the side of the shop and found a window she could crawl through. She pressed her palm to the window and gave it a gentle shove, hoping the owner was just as careless as the blacksmith next door.

And they were.

The window opened with a gentle squeak. Cora was having unnaturally good luck that evening, and that gave her an extra high. The sword was hooked to her belt, and her pack was over her shoulder as she climbed inside and landed with a hard thud on the floorboards.

It was dark inside just like the other shop, but there wasn’t a fire for light. Locating the right potion would be impossible without some visibility. She explored the desk at the front of the store and found a set of matches stored inside. After a quick swipe of the match against the hilt of her sword, she lit the lantern sitting in the corner. The smoke from the extinguished matchstick drifted to the ceiling, and she rubbed it against her tongue to extinguish it completely before she tossed it aside.

Flare’s deep voice came into her mind. Are you hidden?

It went against her nature to lie, but she didn’t see the harm this time. Yes.

Wait until I give you the signal.

Sure.She browsed the shelves and examined each potion. There were labels underneath, along with a few sentences for the description. She came across an assortment of things. One potion gave a person the ability to grow an extra arm for a full day. Apparently, it increased productivity. Another one allowed the recipient to grow eyes in the back of their head temporarily.

Cora didn’t know that kind of magic existed.

She finally came across what she needed. It was a healing potion specifically made for beasts such as dogs, horses, and other creatures. She wasn’t sure if that applied to dragons, but it was her best option.

She dug into her purse and collected enough coins for the payment. Then she exchanged the potion for the money. The liquid was inside an airtight glass tube with a cork stopper. She placed it in her bag because it would look too odd walking around with it in her hands. She was just about to head back to the window when something caught her attention.

Inside a black cage was a purple potion. Although there were no flames or applied heat, the liquid was bubbling, boiling of its own accord. It was thick, reminding her of molten lava endlessly flowing.

Her legs took her in front of the cage, and she stood there, just watching. There was something hypnotic about its contents. The way it constantly churned and boiled was creepy as well as mesmerizing.

She couldn’t look away.

Love of the Beast.

She read the description below. Dragon Tears—the ultimate power of healing. She read the sentence again, searing it permanently into her brain. Was she looking at the product of dark magic? Or was it something beyond that? Was the liquid literally composed of dragon tears? Or was that just the name?

The lights suddenly turned on, making the room glow like the sun was shining through the windows.

“What the hell are you doing?” A loud shriek came from the stairway in the corner. A woman covered in multicolored beads, wearing a pair of glasses with only one lens, stared her down. “A thief!”

Cora panicked and didn’t bother leaving through the window. She headed straight for the door. “I’m sorry. I didn’t steal. There’s money on the counter.”

The woman grabbed a rope dangling from the ceiling and gave it a hard tug. A loud bell rang and reverberated across the walls and outside the shop. It was loud enough to burn Cora’s ears.

It was an alarm.

Cora burst out of the door and ran as fast as she could.

The woman’s shrieks followed her. “Thief!”

Cora ran across the street and headed to the gate as quickly as possible. She had to get out of there before the guards homed in on her.

The dragon’s voice erupted loud in her ears, practically a scream. What happened?

I got caught.

How? By whom?

I’m running for my life right now. We’ll talk about it later.

He released a growl.

Cora remembered the way back to the gate, but she took every side street possible. The sound of bells erupted from every corner of the city. She knew they were all searching for her. Even if she made it to the gate, there was no guarantee she’d make it through.

She kept running, heading down the small alleyways and ignoring the looks from the bums who slept there. If she had to kill someone to make it out, she wouldn’t hesitate. If she were captured, they would hand her over to the Shamans.

And she’d rather die trying to escape than let that happen.

She broke from the buildings and headed straight to the gate. To her horror, it was closing. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” Flare? I don’t know what to do. They’re closing the gate.

“There! In the brown cloak!” The leading guard pointed her out to his comrades. “Capture or kill.”

Flare?

Why wasn’t he responding?

Flare, do you know another way out of the city?

There still wasn’t a response.

He must have taken off and abandoned her to her fate. There wasn’t time to be hurt by the betrayal, but she couldn’t deny the pain in her heart. But what else did she expect him to do?

She had to get out of this on her own. She pulled the sword from her belt then held it at the ready. She didn’t have a clue how to wield it, but she would figure it out.

The guards stopped in their tracks the second they saw the sword.

“What is it?” one guard said.

“I don’t know,” the watchman said. “Dark magic, clearly.”

This was working out in her favor. She spun the blade in her wrist, trying to be more intimidating than she really was. Her hood covered her face, so they probably assumed she was a man.

Hopefully.

More guards charged from the left. While they stopped at the sight of the sword, they didn’t seem as scared now that she was completely surrounded.

“Surrender,” the watchmen demanded.

She gripped the hilt tighter. She had no intention of releasing the sword. She would take down as many of the guards as possible on her way to the grave.

The guard who had demanded her surrender silently communicated with his comrades, and they moved in.

Here goes nothing.

Cora swung the blade at the watchmen with a speed she hadn’t expected. The blade was lighter than she anticipated, and it sliced through the air, making a distinctive whistle.

She slashed the watchman across the chest, slicing through his uniform and his skin. He immediately fell back into the dirt, his open wounds bleeding out.

The rest of the guards hesitated at the sight of their fallen leader.

Cora didn’t have time to process what just happened. All she could think about was survival.

Their fear was quickly replaced by anger, and they rushed in from all sides. Cora ducked out of the way of a blade and avoided another ax. Her only advantage in that situation was her speed. She could dodge quicker than they could attack. But that wouldn’t last forever. With nowhere to hide and no plan of escape, she would tire out eventually and be captured.

She parried a blow coming her way then sliced a guard down the arm. He screamed and fell back, gripping his gaping wound. She quickly turned to stop the next blow when she felt the point of a blade pierce her side.

She didn’t scream or cry out.

She was in shock.

It didn’t hurt, surprisingly. Her body numbed all the pain, and the added adrenaline masked every sensation. Her heartbeat suddenly became loud in her ears, telling her it didn’t have enough blood to pump.

Instead of falling to her knees, she kept fighting. “Who was that?” She turned around and held up her blade. “Because they’re about to regret it.” She charged the first man she came across and stabbed him hard in the gut, returning the blow he’d given to her. Then she kicked him to the ground.

She turned on her heel and faced the rest of the guardsmen. Now there were twenty of them, moving in from all sides. Blood seeped into her shirt, and she was growing weaker by the second.

She gripped the hilt tighter and prepared for her inevitable fate.

The guard closest to her left moved in, aiming right for her neck.

She stiffened her body in preparation, knowing she probably wouldn’t be able to block it in her weakened state.

The man swung his sword with incredible speed, ready to put her down for good. But his sword never hit its mark. Knocked from his hands, it landed in the dirt at her feet.

A man dressed in all black decapitated the guard with a single clean swipe, severing his head from his body. It rolled to the ground and lay motionless, the same look of horror still on the guard’s face.

Cora immediately stepped back, feeling the bile rise in her throat.

Alone and outnumbered, the man moved through the sea of guards and took them out one by one. Blood spilled into the air like a geyser, and the cries of dying men echoed throughout the city. Some called out for mercy, while others simply screamed until their bodies gave out. Severed limbs littered the ground, and a pool of blood soaked into the dirt, turning it into red mud.

One guard remained, and he stood shaking on the spot. He held out his sword with no intention of using it. His face was pale as the moon, and his lips were bloodless. “I have a family…” He shrank under the gaze of the attacker.

The man stared him down before making his move. He slammed the hilt of his sword into the guard’s skull and sent him crashing to the ground. The guard lay motionless with his eyes closed, his chest still rising and falling with deep breaths.

The man in black wiped the blood off his sword with the guard’s uniform before he tucked it into his belt. He stared into the city and watched the torches grow one by one as they set the alarm. More troops were headed to the entrance.

He approached Cora, his face visible for the first time. He was over a foot taller than her, and his shoulders screamed with strength. His arms were the size of her head, and the deadly look in his crystal-blue eyes was more terrifying than the soldiers he’d just massacred. “Let’s go.” His voice was oddly familiar. It rang in her ears in a way she’d heard before.

“Who are you?” She wasn’t walking out with a stranger, even if he did just save her life.

“Shut up and let’s go.” He gripped her by the elbow and began to drag her.

Unable to walk, she collapsed on the ground. Her hand immediately went to the wound in her side, and her fingers felt the blood drip down her hands. “I can’t…” She’d never said those words in her life, but now they escaped her lips effortlessly. Her vision began to blur, and her heart thudded painfully. She’d never experienced death, but she suspected this was it.

He released a familiar growl then picked her up. “Don’t ever say that again.”

Her head bobbed as he carried her out of the gate. She looked up into the sky and saw the sunlight breach the horizon. Splashes of pink, purple, and gold began to permeate the land. Even though her body was failing and the darkness began to descend, tranquility washed over her, giving her a sweet and peaceful death.