Moon by Matthew R. Davis (fantasy novels to read .TXT) 📕

hard. Apophis floated higher into the air, leaving the temple below nothing more than a small square, hundreds of feet below. “I could not attack them.” Apophis said to Elva. “Or so i thought at this time.” Elva was well aware of the dragon human treaty. Apophis led her forward to the more recent events, including when she contacted him for the first time and the battle between him and the humans. Elva was surprised to see that the prane could cause that much damage to a mighty dragon such as Apophis. Apophis released his hold on Elva and allowed her to return back to her own mind. Once there, she looked into Apophis’s eyes hard. “I will heal you. Just give me some time to come up with the right words to use.”
Elva took into consideration, how hard to make the scales, how shiny they should be, how large, how thick, and how rounded. Scales would be much harder to mend than human flesh. She wasn’t sure if it was even possible to fix him all the way. Non-the-less, she finally came up with a sentence that she felt would accomplish their goal. The spell was going to require a great deal of strength. She hoped that Apophis had a way to fuel the spell fully. “I’m ready.” She said.
Apophis grabbed her mind again and this time led it away from the earth. After they were up about a mile, Elva lost all feeling of her body. She began to feel like she was dying. Sensing this Apophis said “Do not fear human. You are not about to die. Do you not sense that?” Elva reached out and felt. There was a extreme conscious filtering through the empty space around them. She gaped at the shear strength it presented to her. Apophis used his own strength to shove Elva’s mind into the consciousness.
Then she understood. This was the moon. The place for those that laid down their lives for others. Their consciousness was never ending. The moon acted as a place for them to live on forever. This was what gave the moon its sheen and strange other worldly glow at night. Tears flooded her eyes as their happiness swarmed into her, making her feel warm. She had never felt anything like it. Then she said her sentence. “Opui condiate heil.” The words exploded throughout all the consciousnesses. It echoed through the moon and filtered down to the earth.
She felt her own mind flowing with it, returning to her body. Eagerness came over her as she entered the atmosphere and hurled toward the ground. Within seconds she was once again in her own body. The spirits of the moon repeated her phrase in song. “Opui condiate heil.” Their collected voices sounded like harmony and she felt as if the gates of heaven had opened to their song. With the song of magic, Apophis’s wounds sealed and were completely erased. The scales around them were glowing bright white. They shifted back into their original position and took their appropriate shape. Apophis’s eyes widened as the cuts on his face closed and disappeared.
Then he was whole again, and the flow of magic ceased along with their song. The spirits returned to their resting place, leaving Elva’s body. She opened her eyes. Her face was lined with tears. Their happiness still flowing in her. Pen walked over to her and with her mind she told him about the moon spirits and about the endless sea of power they possessed.
“An endless sea of power? This! This is great! This could be the solution that the resistance has been searching for!” Pen exclaimed. Elva’s face grew grim.
“The only way to contact them is through a dragon.”
Pen looked at Apophis. He doubted that the dragon would bother himself in human affairs, but figured that it was worth a try.
“I know what you are wanting to ask me Elva.” Apophis said, so that Pen and Elva could both hear. “I would be glad to help you. Besides, it would give me the chance to rid the world of more evil and wicked two-legs.” Apophis stood and surveyed the group of people surrounding him. They were all still in shock that they were in the presence of a dragon. “They are right to fear me.” He thought.
“So who is going to do it?” Pen asked Elva.
“We are going to have to go to the resistance hide out like we planned. You are going to need to learn how to use a sword. That is if you you don’t already know how to.”
Pen shook his head. He had never used one before. “Alright so the first order of business would be to find a sword for you. I started last night and found a few that you might be able to use.” she said. “I would also like to do some riders training with the two of you, you do plan on riding me right?” Apophis added. Elva smiled and brushed a strand of hair out of her face. Then the three of them returned to Harton, followed by the townspeople. “I think that if you made them Apophis, they would worship you.” Pen joked. Apophis laughed deep in his throat. His laugh was loud and thundering. It was much of what Pen had expected it to be.

******

Chapter 7:
Lethian Training

Apophis licked his teeth again. He had gotten nearly all of the blood off of them. After returning to their rooms and collecting their things, Elva and Pen joined Apophis out on the main street. “We have to go to the blacksmith down a few buildings.” Elva stated. “Pen needs a sword.” The three of them continued on to the blacksmith’s shop. Loud clangs of metal hitting metal exploded from the open sided building. Sparks flew in every direction as the blacksmith hammered a piece of softened metal into the shape he desired.
The man looked up. “Ah, Elva isn’t it?” She nodded.
“Yes right this way then. Now about your request from last night. I have prepared four possible swords for, this young man i assume. His figure fits your description. Then here you go son. Try holding these sword, see if any of them feel natural.”
Pen did as the man instructed. The first sword was flat and long. It widened at the top and curved slightly. He picked it up. It was obviously to heavy for him to use so without delaying he put in down. The next sword was much more slender than the last. Pen picked it up and examined it. The blade was two and a half inches wide. The hilt and guard together were about five inches long. It was a sword that could be wielded with one or two hands. Pen liked the idea of it and the blacksmith could tell. “That is a sword of my own make. It’s something that has not been done before.
The blade was smooth and sharp. It was more narrow in the middle and expanded slightly at the top. The hilt house two diamonds, one on top of the other. The one closest to the blade was a ruby, the next a sapphire. Its weight felt good in Pen’s hand. The leather on the grip was tinted red and the pommel on the edge of the hilt was golden, as was the guard. The fuller was dyed a light reddish color to match the leather. From the guard sprawled a ring that protected his hand. The langet of the sword had an inscription that Pen couldn’t read, and in the center of the blade was a blue design that was the blacksmith’s insignia.
“Yeah, my talents are being wasted here.” The man said. The man introduced himself as Uragaurd. “I’ve been living here for several years. Since there isn’t much call for weapons in this part, i spend a lot of my time refining my skills with metal.” He said. Uragaurd was a tall man with big arms. He was probably the biggest man Pen had ever met. His face however was soft and kind. His eyes were a dull brown and his hair had grayed at the tips from age. “That sword your holding is a special piece indeed. It was crafted from a metal that the gods sent to me. It has sentimental value to me. But i know you will put it to good use. Its name is Lethian. Which in The Language of Elders mean power.” Pen realized that the sword radiated with energy.
Uragaurd handed Pen the holster of Lethian. It was the same reddish color as the grip and fuller. Pen attached the holster to his belt and sheathed the sword. Elva clasped Pen’s shoulder. “The sword has already been payed for. Its time we leave.” Pen nodded and with Apophis they headed towards the butcher shop. There they picked up a hide and some meat for their journey. The resistance hideout was on the other side of Patheris, a country that was several hundred miles long. They knew the trip was going to take them months to complete. Elva had already traveled for weeks in search of the thief she never caught when she met Pen.
She had planned to maybe catch the thief and return him to the hide out. He had stolen precious document that could have ended the resistance. She at least managed to collect those again. They walked until a few hours before nightfall. Then they set up camp. Elva wanted to get in some sword practice with Pen before they slept. “Alright Pen, lets see what you can do.” She tossed him a stick that was equally as long as his sword. “What?”
She frowned “Hit me. If you can.” Pen hesitated, not sure if she really meant hit her. “Well? Are you going to make the first move or do you want me to.”
Pen laughed “Alright, but I’m warning you Elva. I won’t hold back.”
“By all means, please don’t hold back.” With that Pen charged and swung his stick at her. She stepped to the side slightly, allowing the stick to wiz passed her and strike the ground. Pen’s eyes widened. She moved so much faster than he had expected. “I’ll just have to try harder.” He swung at her knees, but she jump over the stick and kicked him in the chest, knocking the wind from his lungs and sending him flying onto his backside. Apophis laughed, which only fueled Pen’s anger. He scrambled to his feet and unleashed a furry of strikes at her. To Pen’s dismay, non of them landed on her. Then in one last futile attempt he swung at her face. She ducked and brought he fist upward with blinding speed. Her knuckles landed square on his chin and lifted him off his feet. Blood poured out of his mouth as he came crashing down to the ground.
Elva walked over and said “Heilia” The pain from his jaw vanished and the flow of blood stopped. Pen sat upright, disappointed with himself. “How do you move that fast?” She sat next to him and smiled. Pen i’ve several years of combat practice. She grabbed his hand. “I rather enjoyed that.” Apophis said. Elva giggled. Pen looked at her. He was still struck by her beauty. Her skin was soft and smooth against his. She tightened her grip on his hand and said. “Do you want to try again?” Pen nodded and they stood. He picked his stick up and readied himself. This time instead of randomly slashing with his stick, he tried to anticipate her moves. He swung at her knees and, like before, jump over it. This time Pen side stepped and avoided her kick. Surprise flashed across her face but