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- Herausgeber: Dragonfire Press
- Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
- Serie: Bound by Blood
- Sprache: Englisch
Sisters will clash, and only one will prevail.
Akuhara has unleashed the Drakka upon the imperial city, determined to crush the empire and carve out a kingdom of her own from the ashes.
Armed with elemental powers, the Heart of Flame, and a dragon skin cloak capable of crossing realms, Kai must rally her allies and stand against the onslaught.
As the final battle looms, will Kai’s strength be enough to save the empire, or has its end already been written in fire and blood?
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Seitenzahl: 97
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025
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Sworn
Richard Fierce
Copyright © 2025 by Richard Fierce
All rights reserved.
This is a work of fiction. All events portrayed in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to real people or events is purely coincidental. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form without the express permission of the publisher.
Cover by Covers by Christian
Contents
Akuhara stood atop a cliff overlooking the Drakka encampment, her dark armor glinting in the light of hundreds of campfires scattered across the valley below. The air was thick with the scent of smoke, and she wrinkled her nose at the smell. Her dragon lay coiled beside her as she gazed out at the horde with a mixture of pride and unease.
The encampment was a chaotic sprawl of tents, sharpened stakes, and roving Drakka. Their guttural growls and hissing filled the air, a discordant symphony that grated against Akuhara’s thoughts. She could see them moving in restless clusters, sharpening weapons, devouring raw meat, and occasionally snapping at one another. They were powerful, yes, but undisciplined, unruly. Her magic was the only thing keeping them in line.
She inhaled deeply, the weight of this war pressing down on her.
What do you suppose they think of me? she wondered, her gaze lingering on a pair of Drakka snarling over a scrap of meat.
They fear you, her dragon rumbled, its voice a low growl that resonated in her mind like thunder. As they should.
Akuhara’s lips twisted into a bitter smile. Fear is a powerful tool. It keeps them obedient. But it’s not enough.
The dragon tilted its head, smoke curling from its nostrils. Its eyes narrowed as it studied her. Doubt lingers in your heart. Why?
Akuhara’s hand clenched into a fist. Her nails bit into her palm, the pain grounding her. Because this wasn’t how it was supposed to be. I wanted to rebuild, to create something better. But these... creatures... they only understand destruction.
Her words hung in the air, and the dragon’s gaze didn’t waver. Destruction is the path to rebirth, it said finally, its tone edged with impatience. To create something better, you must first sweep away what is broken.
Akuhara turned away, her jaw tight. Her gaze drifted to the horizon, where the flickering lights of a distant city dotted the landscape like fireflies in the night. The sight stirred something deep within her—a memory, unbidden and unwelcome.
The air in the gardens had always smelled of jasmine and freshly turned soil, a heady mix that still lingered in Akuhara’s mind even now. She had been no more than eight, crouched behind a cluster of towering azaleas, her knees pressed into the damp earth as she peered through the gaps in the leaves. Ahead, a girl stood in the sunlight, a wooden training sword gripped tightly in her hands.
The girl—Kai—moved with unpolished determination, swinging the sword in wide arcs. Her brow furrowed in concentration, and sweat glistened on her forehead as her breath came in quick, sharp bursts. Beside her, an imposing man stood with his arms crossed, his expression stern yet proud as he corrected her stance.
“Again,” he commanded, his deep voice carrying across the garden.
Kai nodded and adjusted her grip, her small frame trembling with effort. She was so focused, so utterly absorbed in the task, that she didn’t notice Akuhara watching. No one did.
Akuhara remained hidden, pressing herself further into the shadows of the azaleas. She wasn’t supposed to be there. She wasn’t supposed to exist. Left behind at birth, presumed dead, she had been swept away into the embrace of the Drakka. And yet, drawn by curiosity or some unnameable force, she had found her way back here, to this garden, to this girl who shared her face.
As Kai completed another swing, the man stepped forward, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Good. But strength alone isn’t enough. You must learn to anticipate, to see what comes next.”
Kai looked up at him, her eyes wide with determination. “I will. I’ll make you proud.”
Akuhara’s chest tightened. Pride. Approval. These were things she had never known, raised as she was among creatures who valued only destruction. Watching this moment felt like gazing into a life that could have been hers, a life stolen from her the moment she was cast aside.
Her nails dug into the damp earth. She wanted to step out from her hiding place, to confront the man, the girl. To demand answers. But what would she say? That she was the daughter they abandoned? The child they never knew?
She turned away, her small hands curling into fists. Even at that age, the bitterness had already begun to take root, twisting through her like the tendrils of dark magic she would one day wield. But alongside it was something else, something softer. A yearning to be seen, to be acknowledged, even if only from the shadows.
“One day,” she whispered to herself, the words barely audible. “One day, they’ll know.”
The memory faded as quickly as it had come, leaving Akuhara standing on the cliff once more, the scent of jasmine replaced by smoke and ash. She closed her eyes, exhaling a slow, measured breath.
Perhaps, she said, her tone softer now, tinged with a weariness she couldn’t entirely suppress. But sometimes, I can’t help but wonder…
Her dragon shifted beside her, its massive form blocking out the campfires below. Your sister is a weakness, it hissed, the venom in its tone unmistakable. She clings to a broken world. You are stronger without her.
Akuhara didn’t respond immediately. Instead, she knelt and placed her hand on the earth. The ground beneath her palm was cold, unyielding. Tendrils of dark energy seeped from her fingertips, snaking into the soil like roots of a malignant tree. The Drakka nearest to her stiffened, their eyes sharpening into focus as her magic strengthened their bond. She felt their fear, their hunger, their rage—all of it feeding into her power, bolstering her control.
They follow because they fear, Akuhara said, her eyes fixed on the writhing energy beneath her hand. But fear can turn to defiance. We must act soon before the tide shifts.
The dragon loomed closer, its massive head lowering to her level. Wisps of smoke drifted from its nostrils, and its eyes burned like embers. Then give the order, it rumbled. Let the cities burn. Let their hope turn to ash.
Akuhara stood, her expression hardening. She raised her hand, the dark energy crackling around her. No more waiting, she said. We march at dawn.
The sky burned crimson, streaked with black smoke that blotted out the stars. Kai stood in the center of the battlefield, her hands trembling as she gripped her sword. Around her, the ground was littered with the fallen, their faces obscured by ash. The stench of blood and charred flesh choked the air, but it was the silence that pressed down on her like a vice. Not a single cry or groan of pain, only the crackle of distant flames and the low rumble of something vast moving in the shadows.
“Hikari?” Kai called, her voice hoarse and small against the oppressive stillness. She turned, searching for the gleam of her dragon’s gold scales.
A shadow shifted, and she froze. Emerging from the smoke was Akuhara, her twin sister, clad in dark armor that shimmered with magic like oil on water. Her dragon loomed behind her, its eyes glowing a sickly green, its scales blackened and twisted as if burned from the inside.
Akuhara smiled, a cruel twist of her lips. “Did you really think you could stop me, sister?”
Kai raised her sword, but her hands shook. “I won’t let you destroy everything.”
“Oh, Kai,” Akuhara said, her voice dripping with mockery. “You already have.” She gestured around them, and Kai’s heart dropped as she saw the faces of the dead. Ryn, Master Satoshi, the Sundered—all staring at her with lifeless eyes, blame etched into their features.
“No,” Kai whispered, taking a step back. “This isn’t real.”
Akuhara laughed, a chilling sound that echoed across the battlefield.
The ground trembled as Hikari emerged from the smoke, but something was wrong. Her scales were streaked with veins of black, her eyes clouded with the same sickly green light as Akuhara’s dragon.
“Hikari?” Kai’s voice cracked. She reached out a hand, but the dragon snarled, baring fangs that dripped with venom.
“She’s mine now,” Akuhara said, stepping closer. “You were never strong enough to be her rider.”
Hikari reared back, her massive wings casting Kai in shadow. Then, with a deafening roar, the dragon lunged.
Kai screamed as darkness swallowed her.
She jolted awake, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Her hands clawed at the dragon skin cloak she had wrapped around herself, the Heart of Flame pulsing faintly at her side. For a moment, she didn’t recognize her surroundings—a campfire’s dim glow, the quiet rustle of trees. Hikari lay a short distance away, her scales gleaming softly in the moonlight as she slept.
Kai pressed a trembling hand to her chest, willing her racing heart to calm. It was just a dream. A nightmare. But the fear lingered, curling in her gut like a living thing.
Hikari stirred, her eyes opening to meet Kai’s. What’s wrong? the dragon asked, her voice a low rumble in Kai’s mind.
Kai shook her head, unable to find her voice. She glanced at the sword lying beside her, echoes of the nightmare flashing in her mind.
It’s nothing, she said finally, though the words felt hollow. Just… a dream.
Hikari tilted her head, her gaze piercing. Dreams often reveal truths we try to ignore.
Kai swallowed hard, the image of Hikari’s twisted form still vivid in her mind. She looked away, staring into the dying embers of the fire.
We should get moving, she said, her thoughts steadier now. Akuhara’s out there, and I… I won’t let that dream become reality.
Hikari huffed softly, a plume of smoke curling from her nostrils. Then let us ensure it does not.
Kai nodded. The nightmare had shaken her, but it had also ignited something deeper—a determination to face her sister, no matter the cost.
She crawled over to the fire, brushing her fingers through the dirt to extinguish the last of the embers. The faint crackle died away, leaving only the chirp of crickets and the occasional rustle of leaves in the night. She stood, slinging the dragon skin cloak over her shoulders, its weight and warmth a reassuring presence against the chill of the night air.
Hikari rose to her feet, stretching her wings wide. The moonlight caught on her scales, and for a moment, Kai found solace in the sight.
We continue East, Kai said. To Ikje.
