Zahara's Gift

by A. J. Walker

  Darkness surrounded them as they waited behind the cliffs at the base of the mountains. They stood in silence; orders to avoid making excessive noise were given prior to assembling in their formations. Anders heard rustling and whispers from the men and women around him. Ivan had returned with the captains and the two scouts. They pushed their way through the crowd to join in with their respective crews. Anders and Max welcomed Britt with full arm handshakes and beaming smiles.

  “Glad to see you both are here to fight alongside us,” Britt said proudly.

  “Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Max said, giving Anders a glance.

  The rest of the crew was glad to see Britt back in command. Anders looked over and saw Red standing near him. He gave Anders a glaring look, a certain harshness in his eyes. Anders returned the glare, no less harsh. Ever since the competition at Grandwood, Anders didn’t particularly like the brute, but he respected his loyalty to his people and his fighting ability.

  When the mass of warriors began to move, Ivan pushed his way through the crowd to Anders.

  “Shouldn’t you be at the head of the army with Red’s father?” Anders asked. He expected Ivan would be leading that march alongside the leaders of the army.

  “He knows what to do,” Ivan responded. “This is not his first battle and, with any luck, it won’t be his last. Besides, I was the one who brought you on this journey. It seems fitting that I should be by your side at the end.” Ivan gave him a half-cocked smile and started marching with Anders and the others right behind him.

  The cool night breeze swirled around them as they emerged from behind the cliffs. Anders was more nervous than he’d ever been in his life. He didn’t know if he’d survive the night. Especially with the absence of the elves, he wasn’t sure if any of them would. Still, his focus remained on his two cousins who’d been abducted by Thargon. He would stop at nothing to get them back and away from Merglan’s grasp. The normal weight of his leather armor felt lighter than it ever had. Britt’s crew had given him and Max the leather body protection; they had some to spare after suffering the losses at the Glacial Melt Bays.

  The valley was now blanketed in darkness. The moon had set and clouds covered the stars. Their army marched in silence out onto the grassy fields that sprawled between the mountain’s edge and the dimly lit fortress in the distance.

  They hadn’t traveled more than a mile from the foothills before those in command halted the army. Anders heard gasps from those around him. He turned to Ivan who he saw was looking toward the cove where their ships remained hidden. He cursed as Anders first saw what everyone else was looking at. Bright yellow and orange flames licked the air above the ships’ location.

  “We’ve been made,” Ivan said loud enough for Red and the other captains around him to hear.

  “Somehow they knew we were here. Now we have no escape,” Red said.

  Anders heard Jorgen shout, “Prepare for battle!”

  Anders drew his sword along with everyone else. Those along the army’s edges locked their shields together in front of their torsos. Those next in line locked their shields atop the first row, forming a six-foot-tall shield wall around the Rollo forces. Anders looked through the gaps in the shield wall to see what was happening in the dark space beyond. Not seeing anything advancing at them he looked behind him. Several rows of archers stood at the ready, arrows nocked. Behind them more warriors created a wall of shields at the army’s rear. He still couldn’t see anything coming toward them.

  “Hold the wall and continue marching!” Red’s father commanded. Making as little noise as possible, they continued forward into the darkness, ready for an attack from any direction. The command for the army to halt came once more. Anders’ heart beat so hard he thought it was going to come right out of his chest. Next came a rushing noise through the air, like wind blowing rapidly through the trees.

  All of the commanders shouted in unison, “Shields up!” which cued everyone who was holding a shield to place it up over their heads. A blockade of wooden shields clashed together over their heads, nearly immediately followed by the sound of arrows thudding against them. Those who didn’t raise their shields soon enough suffered the consequences; the arrows pierced many of them. Some arrows made it through the gaps near Anders and Max, lodging firmly in the ground alongside their feet. Max looked at Anders wide-eyed and Anders back at him.

  Now hundreds of footsteps rumbled the ground in the distance. Anders tried to see where they were coming from, but the night remained too black and he couldn’t see a thing.

  “Archers!” Anders heard Jorgen command. Well trained, the army re-formed the shield wall once the arrows had stopped raining down on them. The Rollo archers behind Anders stood drawn and at the ready.

  “Aim,” the command came loud and clear. The archers pointed the arrows up over the heads of their army. Anders waited eagerly for the command to fire. The thundering of footsteps grew louder. At last Anders could see where they were coming from. Orcs and kurr together, blades drawn, ran in an ugly mess toward them. The kurr stood taller than the orcs and resembled Thargon. Anders gulped hard as he heard the command to fire. In unison, the twanging of bowstrings followed. Arrows whizzed across the night sky toward their enemies. He watched as the first row of charging orcs and kurr dropped, riddled with arrows.

  “Spears,” Red shouted. Those up in the front at the shield wall lowered their spears through the small gaps.

  “Brace yourselves!” Ivan and Red shouted together as the wave of orcs and kurr came rushing at them head on.

  The clash of flesh and steel on the wooden shields was deafening. Those at the front shouted as bodies came flying into them. Several warriors in the front lines were knocked over as the large kurr charged into them. Wherever the line broke, the warriors next in line quickly filled the gap, trapping whoever broke through into their ranks. Anders watched Red hack the head off a kurr who broke through, killing five of the men behind the wall.

  On their captain’s command, the shield barriers would open slightly so a host of slashing and stabbing could be delivered at the orcs and kurr pushing against the shield wall. Ivan would command them to open the wall and let in several at a time. He would quickly dispatch them with his skilled swordsmanship. Others saw him doing this and began to follow suit.

  Britt shouted at the members in her crew to open the wall and let some through. Anders and Max raised their swords. Five orcs came tumbling through the wall, which quickly closed behind them. Looking startled as they fell into the midst of their enemies, the orcs hesitated for a second. Both Anders and Max saw this and struck out at them. They quickly stabbed two of the orcs. Britt took care of another. The two remaining fought back. Anders blocked the wild swings of the orc. Ivan came down on him hard with his blade. Max and Britt together slew the fifth.

  This strategy carried on for what seemed like nearly an hour. They pushed forward stepping over the dead bodies from both sides. Anders thought the battle was going well for them when he heard a thunderous voice calling the enemy to back away from the shield wall.

  The warriors held their ground as the enemy stepped back almost in unison from the shield wall, leaving several yards of open space between them. Anders noticed Thargon, who rode his giant hound, the fairnheir. He waited for Ivan, Red or Jorgen to command them to charge, but none came. Instead they held their position.

  Thargon ordered the orcs and kurr to surround them. It wasn’t until the enemy’s front lines backed off and began to circle them, that Anders saw the full scale of their opposition’s army. A sea of orc and kurr heads extended back into the darkness, their torches glowing as far as he could see. Anders felt sick at the overwhelming odds. There was no way they would be able to defeat such a force. Even if they had been able to keep up their shield wall strategy, pulling them in a handful at a time, there were just too many.

  Red’s father barked orders for the archers to fire at will. They did as they were commanded
and were able to knock down some of the enemy that surrounded them, but more just replaced them. Anders watched as the arrows shot toward Thargon. Any arrow that came close shattered to pieces and deflected away from him.

  He has powerful magic, Anders thought. If only the elves were here; they could improve the odds greatly. He looked out to the darkened mountains behind them, but couldn’t see any elves.

  Ivan turned to Red and shouted, “If we are to have any chance, we must break the wall and charge them head on. Cut the head off the snake and they will break. If we remain like sitting ducks any longer, they will squeeze us in on top of one another until we trample each other to death.”

  Red looked around and saw his father give him a nod of approval; then he shouted so all could hear, “Shields down!” Those who made up the wall separated back into marching formation. “Draw your swords!” They drew their swords in unison. “CHARGE!” Red shouted, sounding half crazed.

  Anders looked at Max and said, “Good luck,” then screamed and rushed forward.

  He didn’t care for his own safety; he just knew that if he fought as hard as he could, perhaps they would make it out of this alive. He rushed alongside Ivan, Red, Max and Britt. They crashed into the awaiting arms of their enemy. Anders blocked blows and struck out at every orc and kurr to appear before him. He focused only on his blade and where it was going. Ivan stayed close to him and together they fought into the thick army ahead of them. Using the limited magic he could muster, Ivan was able to kill more of the orc and kurr than the other warriors. For now, it was working. Red, Max and Britt got pushed together and retaliated as best they could. Over the heads of orcs and kurr, Anders could see Thargon commanding his forces.

  Anders slew an orc, yelling at the top of his lungs as he did so. He became so enraged when he saw Thargon that he began to push farther into the mass of orcs and kurr ahead of everyone else.

  Ivan saw Anders making a push for Thargon and shouted to anyone who could hear him, “With me!”

  Red and Jorgen were quick on Ivan’s heels and rushed toward Thargon. They sliced their way through the group of orcs and kurr that separated them and caught up to Anders. Being held up by a particularly difficult group of kurr, Ivan called to Thargon who was now no more than twenty yards away.

  “Thargon!” he bellowed, making his voice heard over the clash of battle. This got Thargon’s attention and he turned to look at Ivan and the others who dispatched the remaining kurr they were fighting.

  “Ivan,” Thargon replied, spitting on the ground at the sight of him. “I should have known you would be here.” He led his hound toward them and bound through his forces, not caring if they got out from under his fairnheir. The giant hound he rode toppled over orcs and kurr as he charged at Ivan.

  Ivan muttered something under his breath as Thargon drew near. As the phrase left his lips, Ivan quickly pulled a dagger from his belt and threw it at Thargon. The blade flew straight as an arrow, glancing off Thargon’s invisible barrier, and striking his hound squarely in the head, and digging the blade hilt-deep into the fairnheir’s skull.

  Thargon leapt off the beast as it crashed to the ground and landed at a dead sprint, seemingly unfazed by the death of his hound. He barreled into Ivan, tackling him to the ground. Having no time to react, Ivan was sent flying across the ground wrapped tightly in Thargon’s grasp. Anders ran to them and brought his sword down as hard as he could on Thargon’s body. Just before digging into Thargon’s back, the blade glanced off to the side striking the ground with great force. Anders was frustrated; how could he deliver a deathly blow if every time he tried to attack, Thargon’s magic succeeded in protecting him?

  Thargon felt the attack and while keeping an arm firmly gripped on Ivan, dealt Anders a hard backhand blow that crashed into his ribs and sent him falling backward. Thargon rose to his feet, towering above Ivan, who lay unconscious. He turned to Anders and sniffed the air.

  “You!” Thargon said in a dark and powerful voice. “It’s you. I can smell it.” He rushed at Anders, his axe held high above his head.

  Just as he brought it down, Jorgen rammed into the giant kurr, knocking him to the ground. Anders clambered to his feet to see Thargon take Jorgen by the head and snap his neck violently. Red’s father, the respected leader of the Rollo people, fell lifeless to the ground. Anders heard Red’s cries from behind him. He’d gotten separated from them and was fighting a large group of orcs on his own.

  Anders gripped his sword tightly as he faced the beastly Thargon head on. “You killed my uncle,” Anders said through his gritted teeth.

  “I greatly enjoyed killing that puny, pathetic, shrimp of a human,” Thargon said coldly. An orc charged from behind Anders, attempting to kill him while his back was turned. Thargon stuck out his arm and swept it to the side, sending the orc flying in the other direction. Then he shouted to all those around them and pointed at Anders, “No one kills this one. He is mine.” Thargon bent down and picked up the axe he’d dropped when Jorgen tackled him.

  Anders took the opportunity to charge the large kurr. Thargon blocked Anders’ sword and kicked him hard in the chest sending him flying backward again.

  “My master wants me to keep you alive and bring you to him,” he said as he approached Anders. “I don’t see why he thinks you’re so special. You are pathetic and weak, just like your uncle. After I kill you I’ll tell my master you were slain by an orc and you were not the warrior he claims you to be.” With that Thargon raised his axe and swung it at Anders. Anders met the falling axe with his blade, knocking it to the side. The deflection saved him from being hacked in two, but the blow was delivered with so much force it shattered Anders’ sword in half.

  Thargon raised his axe again. Anders reached for his dagger and threw it quickly and accurately at Thargon as he rolled away from the kurr’s attack. Just as he expected, however, the dagger was blocked by Thargon’s barrier and Anders was left with just his knife. Drawing it from the holster at the small of his back, Anders stood alone clutching the knife tightly in his hand. Thargon laughed and attacked Anders. He was able to dodge a few of Thargon’s swings, but the kurr swept his leg under Anders’ knocking him flat on his back. Anders watched helplessly as the axe came barreling down on him. He thought surely this was the end.

  Suddenly, the axe stopped just before it split Anders’ chest in two. He looked at it frozen in mid-air, and then looked at the expression on Thargon’s face. Confused, he tried harder to force the axe down on Anders.

  A defining roar caught everyone’s attention. Anders saw a large pair of wings sail right over the top of him as a dragon landed on the ground next to them. Zahara.

  Anders watched her thrash her body, clearing out all the orcs and kurr surrounding them. She whipped her deadly tail and gnashed her teeth, killing many orcs and kurr with ease. Thargon’s axe remained frozen near Anders’ face. He could see Thargon was struggling to move the axe or let go of it, but some invisible force kept him locked in the same place. Anders rolled out from under the axe and rushed to Zahara’s side. As he ran to her shouting her name in surprise and joy, she engulfed him with her expansive wings. Anders wrapped his arms around her neck feeling her warm embrace. Within the heavy cloak of Zahara’s wings, Anders found himself separated from the chaos around them. He was encapsulated within the safety of her grasp. As Zahara again lowered her wings, Anders could see the horde of the enemy army attempting to attack them and he became fearful once again. To his surprise, however, they were unable to strike. He and Zahara seemed to be held in a protective bubble where no harm could befall them.

  Anders let go of Zahara’s neck and tried to pull away but something drew him back, forcing him to remain near the dragon. Without thinking he instinctively leaned his head toward hers. Placing his forehead against the large flat surface of Zahara’s brow he felt a calming sensation wash over him. Somehow, he knew they belonged with one another.

  Anders closed his eyes and felt a surge of
energy pass between them. An electric flow of energy more powerful than any of the other times he’d been with Zahara; it was unlike anything he’d ever felt in his life. For a moment the surge of energy scared him, but once it took hold of him, he put forth no resistance giving himself fully to the force consuming his body and mind. The exchange of energy flooded into him like a tidal wave and he felt Zahara’s spirit binding with his. Syncing their bond, their consciousness melded together as the raw energy of the magical force that bound all living things together coursed through their bodies. In that moment, Anders’ bond with Zahara heightened every sense to a new threshold. Their separate heartbeats syncing as one, every breath warm with the dragon’s fire; Anders knew his life was forever changed. Zahara’s gift was his to cherish for a lifetime.

  With a blinding white flash, their foreheads pulled apart from each other and a shock wave rippled out from between them knocking over everyone around them.

  “Did you just,” Anders asked her as he peered into her eyes. She nodded in response and he knew what had happened. Zahara had chosen him to be her bond, her other half, and by doing so gifted him with magic.

  The shock wave broke the curse that had caused Thargon to be held motionless and Anders saw him charge at them out of the corner of his eye. Anders turned and called upon his new powers. A trembling energy within him began to boil upward, flowing through his body. He held out his arm, releasing the building energy inside him at the charging kurr. He watched as a jet of energy exploded out from his arm and sent Thargon spinning across the battlefield in the opposite direction.

  Anders stepped forward and picked up the axe Thargon had wielded in attempt to kill him and ran, bounding after the kurr. Just as Thargon was rising to his feet, Anders pushed off his left foot, leaping through the air while raising the axe high above his head. As he descended, Anders brought the axe down hard on Thargon’s body. This time the axe passed right through Thargon’s invisible barrier, separating his head from the rest of his body. He watched as the lifeless kurr dropped to the ground in a limp pile.