“We will tear them asunder if we have to!” The heavenly dragon unfolded his wings and leapt skywards with a roar. His wings made a sound like thunder as he flapped them hard to gain altitude. Once clear of the ground, the other dragons began to spring into the air after him.
Amorez took a deep breath and pushed her way into the front of the ranks. With Hyperion’s barrier pulsing behind them and deep water flanking either side, their battlefield would be narrow and close-knit. She wouldn’t be surprised if several warriors received wounds from their own side.
“Amorez!” A panicked cry at the back of the formation stole her attention. She looked over her shoulder just in time to see the red barrier vanish, only to reappear seconds later several hundred meters back. And in the distance the barrier had shrunk, several hundred thousand soldiers appeared. The rows and rows of soldiers marched towards them fearlessly, lead by a man astride a black wyvern.
Amorez swore. “Casters to the middle! Another defensive line to the rear! Go! Go! Go!”
“Take out the bridge.” Blood Fang growled, suddenly beside her.
“But what about Xy and the others?” She gaped at him. “If we destroy the bridge, they won’t be able to escape when the Wakari sink the palace.”
“You can’t worry about them now.” He shook his head. “Trust them to find their own way back.”
Slowly, she nodded. Though she hated the idea, she ordered the bridge’s destruction. “Casters, destroy the eastern bridge!” When they hesitated, she repeated herself, this time more fiercely. “Destroy it!”
A chorus of spells rang out. A twisted menagerie of elemental attacks lashed out at the stone. Several explosions rocked the bridge, sending dust and debris skyward. Still it stood. Again, a chorus of spells went out and again the bridge remained. Before the casters could try for a third time, Wildfire dove at the damaged section and released her attack at very close range.
“Spiral Blaze!” There was a flash of red light, then an enormous pillar of fire exploded upwards. It twisted in the air, becoming a tornado that danced across the surface of the bridge. It lasted only seconds, but the attack had the desire effect. A large section of the bridge was now melted away, leaving a gap large enough that not even a Dákun Daju could leap across.
With the bridge destroyed, and their biggest threat hopefully delayed by several hours, Amorez felt a little more confident about the battle ahead. She turned her attention to the growing threat to the west.
◆◆◆
I swore as the dismal sound of a low horn echoed upon the palace walls. The rumbling thunder of thousands of footsteps followed moments later. Despite being less than a hundred meters to the palace, we were still trapped on the bridge. And on the bridge, there was nowhere to hide… Nowhere, except the water.
“Bubble spell.” I uttered to Thera. She nodded and began casting. To the others, I said, “Into the water.”
They did not hesitate. We slipped into the water as quietly as possible, floating a few meters from the surface. And there we waited. I could not tell how long we were submerged. It could have been minutes. Or it could have been hours. Either way, it felt like forever before the first row of soldiers passed before us.
My heart hammered in my chest, so hard I feared it would give out. Calm down. I told myself. Just calm down. They won’t find you.
I certainly hope not. Kitfox grumbled. By the way, you called it.
I looked at him over my shoulder. What?
He laughed. When you argued with Amorez about what Dimitri was hiding in the palace, you said an army. You called it.
You’re funny. I stuck my tongue out at him. He grinned back.
Do you think the dragons will tell Amorez about this?
I’m not sure if they can still communicate with her telepathically like this. But I told Zenith of the army anyway.
That is not the only threat they are currently faced with, Little Ones. We dragons will try our best to prevent a two front battle.
My brow furrowed in concern. What do you mean?
Taimat has begun using his Corpse Song, a technique which raises the dead and forces them to fight under his command. Soon, all those that died this day will be under his spell and ready for battle.
Wonderful! Kitfox snarled. Should we turn back and help?
What good would the five of us do in a battle against thousands?
She is right, Kitfox. Stay on your current mission and leave the armies to us.
Be careful. I said, then I closed the connection to the dragon’s mind.
The sooner this is over, the better.
I could not have agreed more.
Thera had to recharge our bubbles for nearly a second time before the mass of soldiers finally passed by us. Cautiously, I floated to the surface, ever-watchful for lagging soldiers. Seeing none, I reached out to grip the side of the bridge, then I hauled myself over the edge. Shazza was the next one to surface, then Thera. Kitfox chose to linger behind to help shove Kkorian onto the bridge, then he, too, climbed out of the water.
I took up the lead again, dashing over the remaining hundred and some meters to the palace grounds. The fools had left the ornate gates wide open when they left, making our entry all the more easier.
Or so I had thought.
The moment I slipped beyond the gates and into the luscious gardens, I spotted movement out of the corner of my eye. I shrunk back to hug the protective wall that circled the palace grounds, taking my teammates with me. We lingered where the shadows were longest for they provided cover. I searched for the source of the movement.
Trees of all kinds stood amid the black marble structures and walkways. Their multi-colored leaves shook in answer to a directionless breeze. Long beards of moss and ivy hung heavy from several branches. Exotic flowers from all over the world blossomed, and their sweet aroma filled the air. The grass had been trimmed recently; some of the blades escaped collection to linger on the walkways. Tracing the winding paths with my gaze alone, I discerned a way to enter the palace, hopefully without notice. I did not find anyone or anything that would have moved to alarm me.
Kitfox jabbed my shoulder with his fingers, winning my attention. He pointed at his ears, then towards a point the sky. Dimitri’s talking to someone in that direction. I followed the invisible line drawn by his finger. There, standing at the banister of a balcony, stood Dimitri. He was looking sidelong, over his shoulder as if speaking to someone behind him.
I silently told Kitfox to eavesdrop on the conversation.
He’s saying something about a section of the bridge being destro– He suddenly grew pale, and his eyes bulged. Oh, Gods! He’s talking to Hyperion!
A cold wave of fear stole my breath away. There was no way we could take Dimitri on with Hyperion standing watch over him. The dragon would no doubt kill us the second he laid eyes on us.
As I gazed towards the distant point where I figured Hyperion must be standing, only one thought ran through my mind: How can we ever hope to win?
◆◆◆
Amorez jerked her blade free with a sickening slurp and kicked the nearly-headless corpse away before finishing her stroke to sever the head completely. Her eyes followed the rolling appendage for a moment before another undead soldier tore her attention away. That one, like all the others before it, was quickly beheaded.
She pivoted on her heel to engage another, but found none. She shook her head in disbelief and cast her gaze wider. Only a few of her warriors were still facing the soulless, walking dead that had once been friends, allies, or enemies. They would be dispatched quickly, which meant that she a few moments to rest and observe the battlefield.
Countless beheaded corpses and ribbons of blood were strewn everywhere upon the bridge, even the water. Her army had lost few to the undead horde, but those few had been quickly revived by the eerie sound of Taimat’s Corpse Song. They were dispatched right away for the second time; often with tears in the eyes of their killers. Amorez cursed the Shadow Dragon fo
r forcing this despair upon them.
A frown touched her lips as an angry roar echoed overhead, and she looked skywards. The dragons were still locked in a fierce aerial battle. She watched as they darted and somersaulted, barrel rolled and dove, grappled and bit. Despite having the strength of greater numbers, the Dragons of Light appeared to be losing to their evil counterparts.
A voice in the crowd screamed her name.
She lowered her gaze to find a Demon pointing to something to the aft of their army. She followed his direction to the area beyond the melted section of the bridge, where Dimitri’s main army stood in wait. They had not made a move to gather materials in order to cross the gap. That fact worried her, for it meant they had another plan, and one that would probably mean the end of her rebellion.
A flicker of movement to the left stole her attention from the ocean of soldiers. Just as she averted her eyes, Talisman of Ice flashed by, skimming the surface of the water with a forepaw. In her wake, the water froze and turned as solid as stone, effortlessly filling the gap between the bridge sections by which Dimitri’s soldiers could cross. And cross they did. In great waves, the bloodthirsty soldiers surged forward.
“Line up!” Amorez bellowed, rushing forward to face the oncoming wave. “Line up, now!”
The exhausted remnants of the Army of Light were not quick enough to respond. In the time it took for them to realize what had happened, over a thousand of Dimitri’s soldiers were among them. At that point, it was no longer a battle; it was a horrible and bloody slaughter. Every one of those that were killed were reanimated and brought back through Taimat’s never-ending song.
Blood soaked the bridge and seeped into the water, staining it with crimson. The cries of the dying rang out, a miserable crescendo to the eerie tone of the Corpse Song.
Amorez found herself hard-pressed to defend herself against the onslaught. Somehow, in the midst of the bloodshed and misery, she managed to call for a dragon.
Thedrún answered with a fierce roar. He dove out of the sky, heading straight for the bridge at breakneck speeds, nearly slamming into the icy segment as he shouted, “Magnetic Charge!”
Several enormous bolts of chartreuse lightning exploded from the sky at his command. They struck the icy segment in rapid succession, hurling huge chunks of ice and several unlucky soldiers into the air. They collided with the electrified water and kicked up great clouds of mist and crackling energy. A deafening rumble of angry thunder followed.
Amorez had been waiting for that exact moment. While Dimitri’s soldiers recoiled from the explosion of noise, she rushed forward with a furious howl. She was aware of nothing but the weight of the dueling blades in her hands, the men in front of her, the spray of hot blood across her face. She twisted and ducked, parried and thrust, disarmed and beheaded.
When at last the soldiers recovered from the sound wave, she once again found herself hard pressed to fend them off. Finally, Thernu appeared at her side. Together, the two began blasting the soldiers into oblivion with their most powerful spells. Even then, some of them remained intact enough for Taimat’s song to reanimate their bodies.
A cry from the north went out. Amorez quickly slew her attackers and dared a moment to look. The black stone ship, Shadow Dance, had managed to break through the harbor walls and sail right up to the docks. The top deck was crowded with Hume Pirates and Naval Officers, Dákun Daju Assassins, and Feykin. As soon as they were within leaping distance, those that could, bolted from the deck, rushing to aid their companions. Amorez sighed in relief. Help was soon to arrive.
◆◆◆
Having finally decided on how we were going to deal with Dimitri’s draconic protection, I led my team around to the side of the palace, and away from the Shadow Keeper. We made sure to stick to the shadows so as not to be seen. Luckily for us – albeit slightly unnerving – there was no one about the palace grounds.
Once around to the southern side of the palace, I began to look for the servant’s entrance. Sure enough, a door with ornate, silver filigree stood less than fifty meters away. It was propped open with a wooden bucket as if to allow the cooling breeze in. With a quick glance around to make sure the grounds were still empty, I bolted for the door. The others were right on my heels.
We squeezed against the wall and listened for a moment. A soft noise came from within and I silently swore an oath. Kkorian pulled two pistols from their holsters. Cocking them, he looked at me. I nodded. He kicked the door open and burst in, pistols drawn, and the rest of us were right behind him.
It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the dimness within. When at last I could see, a kitchen was revealed to me. A few servants were present, going about their chores, but none of them seemed to even notice that we were there. My gaze fell upon a young, blonde girl in the way back. She smiled warmly and pointed towards an ornate pair of doors on the northernmost wall. With a nod of thanks, I led the way across the kitchen, but kept an eye on the servants just in case.
At the doors, I paused and flared my war fans. I leaned against one of the doors, pushing it open just enough to peer beyond. The room on the other side was barely lit and smelled of bouquets. After a moment to listen to the silence, I pushed the door open the rest of the way and strode forward.
It is the dining room. I realized as I looked about. An elaborate table with matching chairs filled most of the space. On the wall to my right, flanked by suits of armor, was a hearth with glowing embers. The wall to the left was decorated with a several portraits of the ruling families before Dimitri’s ascent. My father, his brother, and their parents were featured in the middle of the wall. I could not help but smile sadly as I took the image in. With the Wakari about to sink the palace, it would probably be the last time I would ever see that painting. As much as I wished I could take it with me, I knew I could not afford to be bogged down by it; not with a battle looming right before me.
So, with a bitter sigh and a heavy heart, I forced myself to look away.
The wall opposite the kitchen’s entrance had another set of ornate doors, and they were the only other exit out of this room. With one last look around the room to make sure it was clear, I rushed ahead, leaping over the table and chairs as opposed to going all the way around.
At the second set of doors, I once again paused to ensure the route was clear. Seeing and hearing no movement, I pushed my way into the room beyond. I was met with an extravagant hallway of black marble walls, silver and gold filigree columns alit with delicate candelabras, and a thick and immaculate, white carpet. The wall space was filled with expensive looking nick-knacks, portraits, and even weapons stored in cases lined with silk. Amazingly, as I led the way down the hall, I could recall the histories of most of the artifacts I set my gaze upon, but I could not remember when or how I had learned of them.
I pushed those thoughts away as the hall drew to an intersection. Another memory replayed in my head. Going right would lead us to the throne room. Straight ahead was a drawing room, where an ancient artifact from Earth was placed: a grand piano once owned by Noralani Ithnez. The path to the left would take us to the main lobby, which was often used as a ballroom due to the sheer size of it. The balcony where we would find Dimitri was on the second level, up a curving flight of stairs and through huge glass doors.
I led the way down the hall to the left without bothering to check for guards. I had a feeling Dimitri had either sent them forth with the rest of the army he had been hiding, or –and this thought scared me – he pulled them to serve as his personal guard while he watched the battle from the balcony. If the latter was indeed the case, then we had more to worry about than just the looming Hyperion.
Sure enough as soon as the end of the hall was in sight, I spotted several soldiers on guard. I quickly ducked behind one of the ornate columns and signaled to my team. We separated into three groups as we huddled beside the columns to develop a plan that would get us passed the soldiers.
Want to try that spell Thera used to crea
te mirror images of us to trick Dimitri’s team in the twins’ lair?
My head jerked to Kitfox, who stood with Thera on the opposite side of the hall from me. He flashed a coy smirk as I gaped at him. With a glance towards the soldiers, I nodded; it was worth a shot. He turned to whisper to Thera. After a moment, she flashed a thumbs-up and began to weave her spell. The air shimmered and condensed, and before my very eyes, all five of us appeared in a small group in the middle of the hall.
Tell Thera that there are three ways to leave the lobby ahead. As I spoke to Kitfox telepathically, he relayed the info verbatim to Thera. The obvious one is the main entrance, which would probably be the hardest one to get to. Then there are two halls going in opposite directions. They are situated atop the stairs. The third exit is where we are now.
I watched as Thera nodded. Then Kitfox replied, She is going to go for the main exit so we can lock the soldiers outside. Hopefully that will buy us enough time to do what we need to do.
With my approval, Thera began to work her conjures as she needed. I watched as our reflections confidently strode by. As they stepped foot into the lobby beyond, I whispered a prayer, begging for this ploy to work.
What ever the Myst is, it seems to spawn strange creatures; twisted beasts with horns and fangs and claws that will hunt and kill anyone and anything. As a result, I have enforced a curfew for all of Monrai: No one is allowed outside after dusk. The beasts are smart. Now they attack during the day.
– FROM “A LETTER TO THE KING” BY REMAL STONE, MAGISTRATE
“Aaaggghhh!”
Amorez screamed and bit her tongue hard enough to draw blood. In a pain-filled fury she swung her blade at her attacker, beheading the man who rode the black wyvern with practiced ease. She collapsed to her knees amidst corpses and her severed left arm. She gaped at the mangled and crystallized limb, knowing full well that even with magic, it could never be reattached. Sacrificing a portion of what little precious energy she had left, she uttered a spell. In a flash of immense heat that tore another scream from her throat, the stump that was her left of arm was cauterized.
Culmination Page 36