Niyx by Samantha Kroese (websites to read books for free TXT) 📕

Niyx rolled his eyes at her dramatic departure; he still did not understand why Onyx was attracted to that woman. He decided movement was better, so no one else could sneak up on him. Curiosity was one of his more dangerous traits, though, and he could not help looking down the halls as he wandered around. The only noble house he’d ever been in was Ruel’s, and this one seemed to be a similar structure, many hallways and closed doors.

An odd chirp sounded to his right, and he turned to see Onyx standing across the room discretely motioning him to follow. Niyx walked that way as quickly as he dared and disappeared into the shadows behind the pillar where Onyx waited for him.

“I talked to his guard. He’s going to meet with you in one of the private rooms. They said to follow after they’ve gone so that it’s less noticeable.” Onyx pointed to where the King was exiting the party down a hallway with two Templars following him. “Just be careful of the Templars.”

Niyx nodded, then walked swiftly after the King. Aderaan’s King was an ancient elf; no one knew exactly how old he was. According to legend King Skyris had minimal elven magic but he was well trained with a sword and bow. Niyx was confident he was the better swordsman. The Templars worried him, but he didn’t sense anything but normal light magic within the two walking by the King.

Niyx walked far enough behind that he saw which room the King and his guards disappeared into but still enough space that no one saw him following. He was almost to the room when Starsilver flashed in front of his face, and he barely dodged back in time to avoid being hit with the blade.

“You do not fool me, monster,” Raijin growled as he stepped out of a nearby doorway and pointed his magical blade at Niyx. “Did you think I would forget?”

Niyx glanced down the hall both ways. They were alone. If Raijin was here, Niyx was certain their ruse had failed. He had no doubt that the King was no longer even in the building. “I am the one that deserves to seek vengeance, Raijin. Do your fellow Templars know you tried to hunt and kill a child in the forest?”

“I hunted a monster. You were one then just as you are one now,” Raijin corrected Niyx’s statement and swung again.

Niyx raised his hand to summon the hoarfrost. The deadly ice filled the air as a mist spread out to summon his heavy broadsword. White ice bled into black metal. It solidified just in time for him to bring it up to meet the Starsilver blade and block the attack. The metals clanged loudly as they clashed, then screeched as the blades slid apart. Frost filled the air, dropping the temperature to levels uncomfortable for the living, then a frigid wind started to blow unnaturally through the hall, driving blinding snow with it. “Fool, I am no child now,” Niyx snarled.

Raijin stumbled back, covering his eyes to block the gust of snow, his breath labored and visible in the cold air.

“Ice! Come to me,” Niyx commanded. The dragon coalesced next to him and landed on his shoulder with an angry screech, Ice’s magic keeping him in the whelpling form.

Raijin narrowed his eyes and drove his sword into the floor with a shouted magical command. An explosion of light knocked Niyx backward and he landed hard on his back and slid along the floor, stunned. The burn from the light magic made him ill. His stomach lurched, and he saw stars.

Ice, however, was unaffected. The dragon leapt at Raijin, changing shape in mid-air. The dragon that landed before the Templar was big enough to shake the ground, floor tiles snapping under its weight. Ice roared and the entire house shook. He lashed his tail and snaked his head, breaking walls, ceiling, windows.

Raijin’s strange light magic bounced off of Ice as if it was nothing more than mere candlelight. The Templar turned and ran when the giant dragon tried to snatch him up in its powerful jaws.

At the ruckus Ice was making Onyx noticed the battle. He finally ran up. “Niyx!” He bent to help Niyx up from the floor. “What happened?”

“It was a trap. Raijin attacked me,” Niyx glared down the hallway but he could not even see the retreating knight past the massive lizard in front of them.

“Ice is making a lot of noise. It’s hard to hear him over the crowd and music in the main hall but he’s shaking the entire building. Get him to stop,” Onyx demanded.

Ice did stop, raising his large head in perfect silence, his focus intent on the hall that led toward the basement. Niyx paused as well, straining to hear whatever the dragon had heard. The plaintive cry of a tortured creature reached him.

Ice snorted frost then let out an angry roar and lurched down the hallway, knocking over walls and crushing the floor beneath him.

“Where’s he going?” Onyx asked, startled. “Niyx! They’re going to hear him!”

With the King and Raijin forgotten, Niyx’s only answer was to break into a run to follow the dragon. He knew what sort of creature had made that call, and he had to answer. Dragons were his weakness. Niyx vaguely heard Onyx curse behind them and tell-tale thuds that might have been guards or servants that had come to investigate the noise. He decided not to worry about it. Onyx was an assassin he could take care of them.

Ice cleared the way and broke down the door to what looked to be a laboratory. There, hanging suspended from terrible machines, his body covered in chains and wounds, was a small green dragon whelpling. It cried pitifully for help when it saw Ice. Ice roared, raising to his hind legs and throwing out his arms, wings, and head to break everything in sight.

“Ice!” Niyx warned as he dodged falling debris to run