Three of the ships flew pirate flags atop their masts. Another was the very recognizable stone ship, Shadow Dance. The other four were once part of the Royal Navy before he took over the city. Every one of them had their cannons aimed at the city and a continuous barrage of lead balls smashed through the buildings. Soldiers screamed in pain and fear as the structures collapsed around them. A well-aimed shot managed to strike the palace and burry itself deep within the wall just beneath his feet.
He swore an oath and canceled his spell.
Do not fear those pathetic insects, my Keeper. Hyperion’s voice boomed in Dimitri’s head. The Keeper looked upwards – towards the tallest of the palace towers – where the massive Dragon of Apocalypse stood watch.
Dimitri scowled. Do not mistake my anger for fear, Hyperion.
The dragon did not respond.
With a growl of annoyance, Dimitri turned to make his way back to the middle of the balcony. He hadn’t even taken two steps before the breath was knocked out of him and he stumbled, almost falling to his hands and knees. It took him several moments to recover. When he did, he shot a look of inquiry to Hyperion.
The ruby and black dragon was looking skywards over his shoulder and a feeling of slight concern trickled through their mental attachment. Feeling both bewildered and worried, Dimitri looked upwards in hopes of seeing what had bothered Hyperion. He gasped in shock at the giant wave of silver water cascading down from the heavens.
He watched the tsunami grow larger and larger as it sped towards the ground. Upon seeing just how large the wave was, a cold feeling of dread overcame him. For it was headed straight for the palace and there was not time for escape.
Dimitri heard Hyperion growl and mutter something. In an instant, a sphere of shimmering red energy engulfed the entirety of the palace and its gardens and extended several meters beyond. Just seconds after the sphere went up, the massive wave struck. The ground rumbled and shook; the ocean parted as the silver wave sliced into it. A blast of thunder erupted and a massive wind tore at the city. A cloud of dust and debris was hurled into the air, blocking out the early morning sun.
Yet none of the explosion penetrated the red sphere of energy Hyperion had erected. Dimitri breathed a sigh of relief as he cast his gaze over the city. The air was gray with dust so thick he could not see anything beyond the borders of the red sphere.
What in the Gods’ names was that? He mentally shouted at Hyperion. And why was I nearly bowled over?
The dragon lowered his gaze to look at his Keeper. The attack was Zenith’s Galactic Tsunami. Had he been just a bit higher in the borders of space, my force field would not have held up to the force of the wave. Hyperion growled. As for what you felt; it was Nightshade. She was caught in the blast.
Dimitri felt his heart skip a beat.
She will be alright. Hyperion said after a moment. I have already ordered Anima to tend to her wounds.
Dimitri silently thanked the Gods for his dragon’s survival. After a moment to calm his raked nerves, he returned to the center of the balcony. There, he calmly waited for the choking dust to settle so he could observe the battle once again.
When the power cells of our guns and cannons – supplied to us long ago by the ARIES Group – began to fail, we had to resort to a different means of defending ourselves. We took a cue from the Dákun Daju as well as our own history and began forging weapons from the variety of metals we had available. It worked, but it took quite a bit of training to master such primitive devices.
– FROM “THE CHRONICLES OF ITHNEZ, VOL. II” BY ADJIRSÉ DÉDOS
“Hold on!” roared Vortex.
Kitfox did not need to be told twice; his Demon hearing had already picked up the sound of the massive wave rumbling through the sky. He gripped the riding straps as hard as he could and hunkered down against Vortex’s back. The wave struck and a blast of noise erupted with the impact. Kitfox covered his ears and screamed in agony, but he could not hear it.
A rush of violent wind slammed into them, jolting them and nearly sending Vortex tumbling before his powers over wind adapted to the sheer onslaught. A dust cloud promptly followed and Kitfox was forced to squeeze his eyes shut and hold his breath. He clung to the dragon even tighter and prayed the upheaval would soon subside.
Minutes passed like hours. His lungs burned, yet he dared not breathe the heated and dusty air. At long last the raging windstorm calmed and Vortex returned to a steady flight path. Kitfox slowly opened his eyes, fearful of what he might see.
The air was choked with dust so thick he could not discern ground from sky. Vortex huffed and flapped his wings hard, jarring Kitfox in the saddle. The Demon only hoped they were gaining altitude; not crashing. After several solid pumps of his wings, Vortex broke free of the choking cloud. Kitfox coughed and swallowed huge gulps of air. When his lungs no longer burned, he looked down on the city and frowned.
He was somewhere over the northeastern quadrant of Bakari-Tokai. Of that, he was certain. But it was what he couldn’t see that had him worried beyond words. Was the Army of Light still fighting after the massive wave, or had they been leveled along with the city? He would not be able to tell until the thick cloud of dust settled.
Can you not hear me? Vortex asked, but his voice seemed far away and muted.
Kitfox blinked in surprise as he looked at the back of the cerulean dragon’s head. Then he opened and closed his mouth several times, trying to clear his ears. When that did not work, he touched his ears and felt a thick gel pooling there. Pulling his fingers away, he realized his fingertips were covered in blood.
He swore loudly, but he could not hear it. That damn wave destroyed my hearing.
Symbilla comes. Vortex replied after a silence. Thera is with her. They will heal you.
Thank the Gods. Kitfox sighed in relief. While they waited, they set about trying to clear away some of the dust cloud with gusts of wind.
As Vortex back winged in preparation to launch a third Storm Assault on the dispersing cloud, a movement at the edge of vision caught Kitfox’s attention. The regal blue dragon dove out of the sky at breakneck speed and vanished in the cloud close to the red force field.
Kitfox couldn’t help but wonder, What is Zenith up to?
◆◆◆
A groan escaped Amorez as she shoved aside wooden beams, gravel, and other debris. She pushed herself off the ground with a wince. She was bloodied and bruised, and her eyes and throat stung from the presence of the dust. Her ears rang loudly from the explosion, but she quickly cured that with a spell.
With one quick look at her surroundings, she grew absolutely livid.
Zenith, you fool! Are you trying to kill us all? She barely managed to keep her anger in check as she recalled the battalion under her command to her. Several of the soldiers were clearly shaken by the devastation of Zenith’s Galactic Tsunami, but they did not appear to have any major injuries. Once the lot of them were finally on their feet and ready to move out, Amorez led the way.
Navigating the streets within the choking dust reminded her of the few extremely foggy nights she had spent in Pletíxa so many lifetimes ago. She quickly pushed those thoughts aside; now was not the time to get lost in memories. There was still a battle to be won.
A shadow suddenly loomed before her. Amorez quickly sunk into a fighting stance and hollered. Behind her, she heard her battalion ready themselves for an attack.
“Relax, old friend. It is only me.”
Amorez sighed in relief as Freya’s voice carried over the din. After a moment, the Wolf Demon and what remained of her battalion stepped forward to reveal themselves. Freya was a mess of tangled hair, several bruises and bloodied cuts, and debris. Her angled face and amber eyes betrayed a mix of relief and anger.
“What was Zenith thinking launching his Tsunami towards the city?”
Amorez scoffed. “I’ve been wondering the same thing.”
“Do we continue on with the plan to take the palace despite the inability to see?”
&
nbsp; “The issue of sight is being resolved as we speak.” Amorez cast a look skywards. Though she could not see through the lingering dust, she felt Vortex prepare to launch his windstorm. She only hoped that the attack would blow the dust away and not result in more damage to the city.
“Then we continue as we planned.” Freya nodded once.
Amorez returned her attention to her old friend and smiled. “We continue.”
The two leaders issued the commands to their battalions, and then they were off. As they navigated their way through the rubble-strewn streets, they did not encounter anyone save members of their own militia. It wasn’t until they reached the center of the city that a feeling of dread clutched Amorez’s heart. As she gazed across the long stretch of bridge that led to the palace still half concealed in dust, she shivered.
Something’s wrong.
◆◆◆
Hyperion’s intense gaze passed over the curtained city. He knew his counterparts and companions were hidden within the dust storm, dueling for the upper hand in a fierce aerial battle. With the billowing cloud of dust and debris, he could not keep tabs on either. He released a growl of annoyance.
Focusing on his link with his brothers and sisters, Hyperion sought out the smallest of the twelve. Ether!
The Shadow Dragon of Wind responded to his summons immediately.
Get that cursed dust out of the way!
I’m on it, Hyperion.
The link was severed.
Hyperion continued to watch as two dragons exploded outwards from the cloud. The one closest to him, he recognized as Ether. The other one, he realized a moment later, was Vortex. Apparently both wind dragons had the same idea for dispersing the dust. With both of them working on it together, the city would be cleared in no time. So Hyperion ordered his companions not to attack Vortex.
As the two wind dragons set about clearing the area, Hyperion glanced at his Keeper. The man leaned against the balcony railing as if he were undisturbed by the events around him. Hyperion was no fool; he could see just how nervous and unsure his new Keeper was. Perhaps it had not been a good idea to send his mate and unborn hatchling away. Had she been here, she would have brought out the strength in him as she had before. Right now, he was merely a shell of himself; uncertain.
Hyperion snorted, coming to a conclusion. It was up to him – no one else – to make sure his Keeper did not fall.
With renewed determination, Hyperion returned his gaze to the city. A flicker of movement just above the force field caught his attention. In a heartbeat, Zenith himself burst through the billowing cloud of dust and back winged to stop midair. There, he floated; held aloft by his own power to distort space.
The pearly blue dragon gazed through the force field and snorted. Hyperion hissed in fury and spread his wings wide in an attempt to intimidate the other dragon. His tactic failed; the proof lying in Zenith’s glowing, white eyes and refusal to fly away.
Without a word, the Dragon of the Heavens brought his forepaws together as if clutching a ball. Immediately recognizing the gesture as the beginning of the Galactic Tsunami, Hyperion summoned the energy for his own attack.
The air around him suddenly grew charged and flashed red and black. In an instant his body was wreathed in a hellacious inferno. With a silent warning to his companions of what was to come, the Dragon of the Apocalypse released the onslaught of power with two words:
“Tetra Vortex!”
The raging inferno surged forward in a roaring wave. It passed through the red force field without hindrance, causing Zenith to abandon his attack and dart away. Out of the sky, four pillars of twisting red and black fire fell like comets. Each struck in sequence with the rolling inferno and sent jets of flames and destruction thousands of meters into the air. The jets arced and fell back to the planet, where they exploded with tremendous force and kicked up even more arcing flames.
The horrendous wave of destruction continued unabated until over half of the city had been consumed. Then, like the apocalyptic nightmare it was, it faded into memory.
In its wake, the Grand Capitol of Ithnez burned.
Gallenhad. That was the name given to our new haven. Of course, the Dákun Daju called it something else; something we could not spell. It was going to be a spectacular city, even better than Arcadia had been. Huge pillars had already been driven into the bedrock to support the plate that would extend part of the city over water. I am eager to see it completed.
– FROM “THE CHRONICLES OF ITHNEZ, VOL. III” BY ORN TERSON, COURT HISTORIAN
Amorez kept her senses on high alert. Every little abnormal noise or movement was scrutinized before it was dismissed as paranoia. Something was wrong; Bakari-Tokai was far too quiet. Dark and dreadful thoughts plagued her mind continuously. What happened to the hordes of soldiers said to make up Dimitri’s massive defense? Had the intelligence reports been wrong the whole time? She wisely kept her worries to herself as she and Freya led their battalions over the bridge. There was no sense in starting a full-on panic amongst the soldiers; they were on edge enough as it was.
The tremendous dust cloud that had been kicked up by Zenith’s Tsunami was slowly beginning to fall away. Gaps in the cloud provided a scant few seconds with which to see ahead. Amorez felt safer in those moments that she could see, but her fears were not completely put to rest.
After a long while of trekking over debris, the battalions finally reached the mid-way point across the bridge. There, they met up with several others from their army, including Blood Fang, Aidana, and Pyrex. Amorez was glad to see them and learn that most of their battalions had managed to reach this point. Together they at least stood a chance at victory, no matter what lie in waiting.
The five squadrons formed up and moved out, marching over the remainder of the bridge at a faster pace. The outline of the palace loomed before them some minutes later. Just before it, a mass of soldiers was gathered and waiting. The five squadrons quickened their pace and they prepared to meet their enemies in battle once again. As they drew nearer, they realized the soldiers gathered before them were their own allies.
Amorez forced herself to relax a little as she greeted Thernu and Vitaani. It was then that she learned of the plight they all faced.
“Hyperion has erected a barrier of energy around the palace.” Thernu said with a frown. Amorez looked beyond the Necromancer, to the wall of pulsing red energy that had forced their army to a stop. “We’ve been trying to break through the field, but nothing has worked so far.”
Amorez sighed and looked her old friend in the eye. “Give me the run down on it.”
Thernu spent several minutes describing the barrier’s size and composition, as well as the spells she used in trying to disarm it. During her entire explanation, Pyrex’s grin grew wider and wider. Finally, Amorez asked him what the little Wakari found so entertaining about the field.
Pyrex chuckled and crossed his arms smugly. “If you cannot go over or through, go under.”
The other generals stared at him in awe.
Thernu was the first to snap out of it. “Though it is unlikely that Hyperion’s barrier descends all the way to the bedrock, how do you intend to go under the field and what will you do when you have reached the other side?”
“You forget, Feykin,” Pyrex nodded his head slightly, “I was there to offer my services when this great city was built. I can still recall several of the tunnels leading to the structures used to keep it from sinking.”
“Just what do you intend to do once you have reached these tunnels?” Growled Vitaani. “It is not like you little Wakari can dislodge a dragon from his perch. And I doubt you built them large enough for any race other than your own to fit.”
“You are right about the girth of the tunnels, Vitaani, but wrong about what we Wakari are capable of doing.” Pyrex laughed. “All we have to do is knock out the structures holding the castle above the water. Once it starts sinking, that ugly lizard will have to take flight or go down with the palace.�
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Vitaani thought a moment, then nodded in agreement. “It is a sound plan.”
All eyes were instantly on Amorez, awaiting the final decision of their plan. The former Dragon Keeper sighed and cast her gaze to the looming shadow beyond the barrier. The black palace had always reminded her of the only man she had ever loved, her husband, Djurdak. There were so many artifacts in there that had once belonged to him, it would be a shame to lose them. But those were merely material things. Their only daughter was a much greater treasure.
After several minutes of silent brooding, she came to a decision. A feeling of guilt washed over her and she closed her eyes. Slowly she said, “We sink the palace.”
Pyrex wasted no time calling the Wakari to him. In their guttural language, he explained the new plan. Within minutes, every one of the little warriors was ready and moving out, Pyrex at the lead. Amorez stood, transfixed on the palace; burning the memory of it into her mind.
“This will not be easy to deal with.” Thernu whispered.
Amorez merely nodded.
“It is a noble sacrifice.” Freya murmured. “Djurdak would be proud of your strength.” Then, with a slight nod, she and Thernu moved away. They took the other generals with them to give their friend a moment to herself.
A tear slipped from Amorez’s eye, and she wore it proudly before the wind kissed it away. For a moment, she imagined it had been Djurdak himself whisking it away, whispering in her ear that everything was alright. She touched her cheek as the ghost of its presence faded, and a soft smile touched her lips.
“Tetra Vortex!”
Amorez’s heart skipped a beat as the abrasive voice echoed and she screamed, “Into the water!”
She watched for only a second as everyone sprinted towards the edges of the bridge. They dove off in great masses, but Amorez knew not all of them would make it in time. Cursing the Shadow Dragon, she rushed to the edge and jumped. In the instant she was airborne, a great inferno exploded out of the barrier. She splashed into the cold water just as the heated wave rushed by overhead.
Culmination Page 34