The Nekromancer - 36. Chapter 36

The amurrun's blood ran cold at the roar. Ivris had survived.

Of course he had. Jakun couldn't have been that lucky. But why was he here…?

"To kill us," Anya growled, casting a spell as Jakun flinched.

A suit of shimmering force wrapped around the amurrun, Jakun pulling out his unstrung bow. Forcing the bowstring over the end of the bow limb, the catfolk pulled out an arrow.

"The Drunk God bless us in our time of need."

Jeremy's words hit Jakun, a giddy, almost drunk, smile spreading over his face as confidence flowed through him. He had shot this dragon before. He could do it again. A nice headshot would end this easily, and permanently.

"I am here for the slave. Give him to me and I will spare your lives!" Ivris roared overhead.

"Slave? How does he know you were a slave?" Anya demanded.

"I don't know, but he is not taking me," Jakun growled, glaring up at the dragon.

Ivris landed on a nearby building, his head swiveling as he searched for his prey. A gaping hole sat where his eye had been, Jakun feeling a surge of pride at claiming that prize.

The catfolk nocked an arrow to his bow, murmuring the quiver's command word. He could hear the remaining arrows rattling by his hip, the quiver barely three quarters full now.

"I need to hit his head…"

The arrow leapt forward, Jakun's hand wobbling slightly as he tried to keep the string from slapping his arm. The missile flew straight between Ivris' legs, the dragon letting out an enraged bellow.

"I missed? But this… the quiver doesn't…?"

Anya let out a sudden laugh.

"Oh, you didn't miss… it just hit the wrong head!" she grinned, pointing toward where the arrow was quivering in the dragon's groin.

Jakun winced, his legs trying to cross instinctively.

"That… that seems rather painful…"

"He started it," Anya smirked. "Now we finish it. But how? We aren't hitting the right head…"

Ivris' head turned on the catfolk, his remaining eye glaring.

"I have had enough of your insults cat," the beast snarled, his jaws opening as his neck snaked down.

"Into the stables!" Anya snapped, the werewolf shoving the amurrun.

Jakun dove into the open building, ducking behind a wall as a cone of freezing air hit him. Several thunderous cracks sounded, a blinding pain shoving into the catfolk's lower back.

Screaming in pain, Jakun pulled away from the wall, several thick icicles piercing the wood. All around him, horses bellowed, desperately trying to escape their stalls.

"Zephyr!"

A figure suddenly pushed into the stables, Amnor Sen looking around frantically.

"Jeremy! Get Jakun!" he yelled, pushing further into the building.

Jakun groaned, crawling toward the door, cold seeping into his bones. A clammy hand grabbed the amurrun, Jakun grasping onto it desperately as he was dragged toward another exit.

Anya pulled Jakun out of the stable as the building collapsed, victim of Ivris' breath. The screams of dying animals filled the air, the world around the two erupting into a blizzard that stole sight and breath, temperature dropping until even Anya was shivering.

"Amnor Sen! Jakun!"

Jeremy's voice cut through the storm, magically enhanced. Jakun turned to call back, letting out another scream as his back exploded in pain. His bow was lost, and he was lost, the world slowly fading.

"Jakun… Jakun, you have to hold on…" Anya said dimly. "I can't help if you are unconscious …"

A warmth seeped into the cat, the world fading away slowly.

"No… no, don't sleep…"

Pain struck, swift and sharp, lancing into his arm. His eyes flew open, his breath fogging the air in front of him as he howled.

"Sorry Jakun, but you need to stay awake," Anya breathed, her teeth dripping blood from the catfolk's arm.

"Jakun!"

A body dropped beside them, Jeremy's face shining through the blizzard. The cleric pulled out a wand, the tip touching the cat as the man yanked a long spike out of Jakun's back.

Pain was his life, his constant companion, Jakun's body flooding with agony as his flesh knitted back together. He couldn't even yell anymore, his throat hoarse as he was assaulted from the inside out.

"Where is Amnor Sen?" Jeremy demanded, casting through his wand again and again until the catfolk was whole once more.

"He was inside, trying to save Zephyr. I don't think he made it out," Anya said, Jakun in no position to speak.

"We need to kill this dragon. I don't know how he followed us, but we can't let him pop up like this again," Jeremy said.

"If Jakun gets up, we can summon some help," Anya said, nudging the cat.

Jakun whimpered, curling into a ball at the touch.

"Come on kitten. We aren't done yet," Jeremy said, lifting him to his feet.

The amurrun hissed, his body tensing like a tight coil. He couldn't move, his body stiff from the extreme cold.

"Cayden Cailean, grant us the warmth of your drink, that we might continue our fight…" Jeremy breathed, a sudden surge of warmth rushing through Jakun.

The amurrun groaned as his body defrosted. Suddenly he could see again, the blizzard around them fading away as quickly as it had started. A fog began creeping along the ground, an icy chill crawling over their feet before rising into the air.

"It… it's a fog spell…" Jakun groaned. "He's hiding in it, trying to keep us apart…"

His entire body ached, though the cold was blessedly muted.

"Remove the fog that binds our sight. Grant us the grace to see again," Jeremy breathed.

The fog blew away, a roar filling the air. Ivris suddenly appeared overhead, dropping like a stone.

Jeremy let out a yell, shielding Jakun with his rapier aimed up. The cleric gasped as the dragon impaled himself, the sudden weight nearly knocking the sword from his hand. He gritted his teeth, holding on as Ivris bellowed, the beast writhing as he tried to remove the weapon from his stomach.

"This isn't over! I will end you!" he snarled, wings beating through the air as he lifted up.

Vanishing into thin air, the dragon flew off, his wings still announcing his presence until he was gone.

"Fuck me…" Jeremy shivered, dropping to his knees. "Jakun… you have the worst enemies…"