A Song of Askaldenfirsts and Dragons. Part seven: Gaaldalksirin
Chapter 11: Arngalda

Arngalda regained consciousness, realizing that someone was entering her... There was a man lying unconscious beside her, she had seen him somewhere. She tried to get up, but she was pinned to the floor again.

“That’s how good he felt, yeah...” she heard a familiar voice.

Her eyes rounded and she began to resist sharply.

“No, no, no!” she screamed, trying to reach the leg of the chair.

“He was hammering so, yes, so hard, and you must have been struggling, too,” Haemner said. “Where are you going?” And Haemner smacked her head on the floor.

She remembered at once what it was exactly the same moment when fatty Echtersom had raped her. But that was the throne room, and here in someone’s house, next to a former garrison of soldiers, the floor seemed softer. Haemner kept raping her, and she tried to twitch again, and he headbutted her once more.

“You got fat because of the baby, you skarkeshuh! I don’t think Haemner would want to fuck you anymore. Good thing I’m not him... Oh, oh...” and Dombard poured his seed into her.

Haemner buttoned his pants, poured himself a drink, and drank while Arngalda pulled her legs up to her rounded belly and looked around.

“But now I have a surprise for you, a quick surprise. Look,” and he took the dagger, walked over to her, lifted her so that she stood up, put the dagger in her hands that Arngalda was taken aback and surprised, not understanding what was happening. And then a ghost came out of Haemner and possessed Arngalda, and with all his strength he thrust the dagger into Haemner’s belly, and Haemner fell into her arms with surprised eyes.

The ghost left her body and Arngalda fell, and the dying Haemner fell next to her.

“Arngalda...I, Arngal...” he said and died.

“He died quickly. It was for making you fat. I don’t like fat northerners!”

Arngalda crawled away from the body. She wasn’t a coward, but now terror gripped her. Even the death of her rapist brought no relief. The ghost had noticed that.

“Aren’t you glad of my surprise?” Dombard asked.

“Um... ah...” the other man began to come to his senses.

“Oh, there’s a new surprise coming that you won’t like, Arngalda. But first, I’d like you to meet Estenken Jonsonskar, the handsome man who saved your life. Don’t worry, he checked, and the baby seems fine, too.” The ghost looked at the healer. “Now, Estenken, it’s your time to become my vessel, and together we’ll show what kind of surprise awaits Arngalda,” he smiled and took possession of snunorf’s body.

“No!” Arngalda cried.

Arngalda grabbed a chair and threw it at him, but Dombard ducked. She saw the door and the sword lying next to it. She just wanted to rush to the sword, when a loud voice rang out,

“Are there any ermirians alive here?” the dragon roared.

“This is interesting,” Dombard said, and left Estenken’s body, then entered Arngalda’s body. She could feel him, and she understood what was happening. Dombard quickly grabbed Estenken’s head with Arngalda’s hand and slammed him against the table. He lost consciousness. Then the ghost went out into the courtyard.

A huge fire dragon was in front of her.

“Kill me, kill me, kill me!” She screamed inside, and though Dombard suppressed her will, she could feel how scared he was.

“Good day, kind dragon,” Arngalda said in her voice.

“Are you the only snunorf here, or is there another?” The fire dragon asked. He flapped his wings in the air, and didn’t want to land, all the snow from the house to the city wall melted from his flapping.

“I am here alone,” Dombard said.

“I am Gaaldalksirin, and I know that you are inside her, ghost. Name yourself.”

“What? The ghost?” Dombard tried to feign surprise with Arngalda’s facial expression.

“I don’t want to damage the snunorf body you’re using, ghost, but if you deny the obvious, I’ll just burn you along with her,” the dragon said.

“Let’s say that I am a ghost,” Dombard began to play, “then where’s the guarantee that if I confess, you won’t burn me?”

“You should know, ghost, that you were created by the ikhagatbers. And though askaldenfirsts gave birth to me and my brothers, they were created by the Firsts, aliens from another planet. It makes no sense for you to occupy any more bodies and do what your creators imposed on you–”

“Somebody already told me this shit, I’m not falling for a story about some aliens–”

“Leave her body now!” Gaal snapped, “Or I’ll burn you with her. But if you come out now, I guarantee your life.”

Gaal let out a huge stream of fire next to Arngalda, so much so that the stones from the paved road flew out and in different directions.

Arngalda felt the ghost leave her. And she fell from impotence and helplessness.

“How are you, northern child?” the fire dragon asked with strange concern.

“Kill him,” Arngalda asked. “Kill him, please! Such a skitatskum should not live in our world! Dragon, kill hm!”

“She is not herself… fjalluck ferunden,” Dombard said.

“Fjallik forundran, but that’s a better address to use for my brothers, I am miralfaran, after all I am Gaaldalksirin!” Gaal corrected him. “But flattery and subterfuge are unnecessary to you, for I have left you alive as I promised.”

“Then can I leave, fjallik forundran, miralfaran?” Dombard asked.

“Kill him at last!” Arngalda almost sobbed.

“You’ve hurt that snunorf woman. I promised you life, but I didn’t promise that I would let you go.”

“All right,” Dombard said, and entered Arngalda’s body again. “She’s pregnant. You’re a noble dragon, Gaal, you wouldn’t want to hurt a northern woman who’s suffered enough, especially when she’s pregnant, would you?”

Suddenly the dwarf ran toward Arngalda.

“Ishkmet!”

“Oh, it’s you,” Dombard rejoiced.

“Leave her body now, or I swear by Nishnilta, I’ll kill you!” Ishkmet shouted.

Two others ran out after him. They were Forkjorn and Helgelka.

“Ishkmet,” Helgelka shouted, holding a bow with a partially stretched bowstring at the ready, “why did you run? I told you to wait!”

“The dragon is on our side, why wait! Yes, dragon?” Ishkmet asked and looked apprehensively at Gaal.

“Perhaps, wallitarf, I am on your side now,” Gaal replied.

“Pfft, ha ha,” Dombard laughed. “Now we shall see what the great Gaal can do!” Dombard said and left the Arngalda’s body and instantly possessed Helgelka’s body. Dombard drew the bowstring and shot straight at Forkjorn, piercing his chest.

“No-o-o!” Arngalda burst out again.

At that time Gaal flew up sharply and grabbed Helgelka with his teeth, then threw her up and spewed a huge stream of fire at her. Dombard managed to get out in time, but was caught in the sizzling fire. He tried to regain his blurred form, but failed... And Gaal spewed another stream of fire. Dombard’s body charred and began to crumble into ashes.

“Is he dead?!” Arngalda asked in a half-mad scream. “Is he dead?”

“Yes, northerner,” Gaal replied, “and forgive me for having to sacrifice another life to destroy this ghost”.

Arngalda burst into tears. Ishkmet rushed to her, and then he heard Forkjorn coughing blood and he ran up to him.

At this time, the healer opened the door of the house, he had just regained consciousness, so he first took a long look at his surroundings, and then ran to Forkjorn, staggering.

“Unfortunately, he is dead,” the healer said.

Ishkmet ran up to Arngalda again.

“How are you?”

“I... I am alive,” Arngalda replied.

“And you will live, northern woman, along with your child, and I will try to prevent your death!” Gaal’s voice boomed. And Arngalda fainted.