“I will seek you out, my Lord Dracon. I will have you yet.” Venalina disappeared in a black wisp of smoke the dissipated in the wind.
Dracon and his troop, dogged Terrax, who was on foot in full plate armor. The men on horseback reached him in a matter of minutes, circling him as they approached. Dracon arrived last, slowly trotting up to the large circle his men had created to contain Terrax in. Dracon entered the circle with Terrax and dismounted, then removed his helmet. Terrax also removed his helmet, dropping it at his feet.
“You are indeed fearless, Dracon, to follow me here to your certain death.” Terrax said standing tall before Dracon, exuding his bravado to the end.
“I made you a promise, old man, and I intend on keeping it!” Dracon smiled, drawing his sword. Terrax raised his battle axe making Dracon smile wider, baring his teeth. He put his helmet back on. Terrax attacked Dracon with all he had, blow after blow from his battle axe, easily blocked or dodged by Dracon. He toyed with Terrax, relishing the moment he had trained for all his life. Terrax was no match for the younger, stronger, Dracon. The duel lasted a half hour, before Terrax became frustrated, and tired of being toyed with. He knew he was out matched by Dracon. Terrax had been humiliated in the duel, and Dracon had yet to offer even one offensive blow.
“You followed me to my home!” Terrax yelled angrily, panting, “You dare to toy with me! The master of all the outer region!” Terrax waved his arms around at all that surrounded them. Those who rode with Dracon, laughed at Terrax, laid so low by their leader without swinging one attack. The men reveled in the moment, watching Dracon humble the demon that haunted their dreams since most of them were children. The monster, finally made human, the lights were on and there was nothing to be afraid of. Terrax dropped his battle axe to the ground, still panting. He raised his hands above his head and called out to the emptiness around him. The wind picked up and darkness started to cover the sun. Dracon moved in to finish Terrax, who began speaking a spell just as Dracon swung his sword down on him. The blow was blocked by an unseen shield, stopping his blade from reaching Terrax. Dracon’s men dismounted, baring their weapons, some swords, some bows. They all attacked, only to be blocked by the unseen barrier. Terrax was drawing power from the air around him. He began to grow, until he was towering over them all, three times their size and height. He brought his hands together and aimed them at Dracon, shooting a ball of fire, that hit Dracon full force in the chest. It threw him back like a rag doll. Terrax summoned another ball of fire, aiming at two other men, who caught fire, after being struck, then screamed until they burned to death. The now giant Terrax, took four colossal steps, unaffected by the blows of Dracon’s still attacking men. He stood over Dracon who was barely regaining his footing. Again, his hands came together, and he fired another ball of fire, laying Dracon once again to the ground, stunned and this time, burning alive. Lightning began striking at Dracon’s men, dropping them to the ground like their Lord Dracon. They rolled left to right to avoid being hit. Terrax stood over Dracon. “Now you will know what it is to face true power, boy!” Terrax raised his hands over his head and brought them down with all his might to crush Dracon once and for all. His hands stopped on what appeared to be the silhouette of a woman. Terrax reared back and attempted to strike again. Satana watched from her back on the ground as the Kina appeared between Dracon and Terrax, preventing him from killing Lord Dracon. Terrax stepped back, suddenly able to see Venalina. “You!” he screamed, “You dare stand against me?” he cried out, “I am your lord and master!” Venalina said nothing, turning her back on Terrax, who again attacked, only to be blocked again by some unseen force. Venalina knelt at Dracon’s side and the fire that engulfed him subsided. She removed Dracon’s helmet then leaned down and kissed him. Dracon was renewed, healed. He quickly stood to face Terrax. Venalina stepped behind Dracon, whispering a spell in to her palm as she walked behind him, with her forehead touching his back, right between his shoulder blades. Dracon raised his sword and walked Terrax down, he shrunk, the closer Dracon came to him. Venalina sapped the energy he used to grow, returning him to a normal man once again. Dracon swung a final blow that beheaded Terrax, the fear in his eyes frozen on his face forever. Venalina remained behind Dracon, protecting him from the lightning that still flashed all around them. When Terrax’s head hit the ground, the lightning stopped abruptly. All was quiet for several minutes, before Satana yelled.
“All hail King Dracon! Destroyer of demons! Liberator!” She was immediately joined by Velen and the others, in roars of victory. The sun shined brightly once again. Dracon walked away from Venalina and grabbed Terrax’s head from the ground, holding it up for all to see. He threw it at Satana who caught it and held it up, then passed it along, among the men. Dracon turned facing Venalina. She garnered a hard-won smile from him. She knelt before him.
“I serve you my lord.” Venalina said bowing her head. Dracon grabbed her chin raising her face to look up at him and his smile. He said nothing, he didn’t know what to say, he just smiled at her beautiful face.
Chapter Four
Queen Ayana recalled every non-human soldier back to the capital, diminishing her son’s armies by a quarter. Their mother’s orders bewildered the brothers, but they complied. At the same time the emissaries informed her four sons that their scheduled meeting would be delayed, from one month to two. Then, before time arrived, again, emissaries were sent out, delaying the meeting to another six months. The brothers were furious, but abided by their mothers wishes. Unknown to the sons of King Treska, was that Queen Ayana had almost immediately become ill after their departure from the capital. Princess Menina did not inform them, in accordance with Queen Ayana’s wishes. She was bedridden and at death’s door, with Princess Menina alone by her side. They ruled Urixis almost exclusively from the queen’s bed chamber. Plans had been formed, and the queen amassed an army of elves, dwarves, and nonhumans of all kind, to defend Urixis. She kept this from Princess Menina at first.
In the queen’s chamber Princess Menina sat next to her mother who slept. She had aged years in such a short time, and was frail, unable to walk on her own. She was no longer the strong sorceress full of life and power. “Mother,” Princess Menina said trying to gently wake her mother. Queen Ayana rolled her head slowly, then opened her eyes to look up at her daughter. She moved her hand out reaching for Princess Menina, who rushed to hold her mother’s hand.
“My sweet child,” She spoke in a whisper, with hardly any energy left in her frail, tiny frame, “Time is moving so fast now, it will run out before I can tell you all of it.” Her eyes closed, and for a second Princess Menina’s heart leapt in her breast, thinking that her mother was going to expire right then. Her eyes opened again, and she gasped, slowly shaking her head.
“Mother, please tell me what ails you?” Princess Menina begged her mother with tears in her eyes, “Tell me what can I do.”
“There is nothing to be done for me,” Queen Ayana struggled to breathe, “When Treska died, so too did my journey in this world, come to an end.” Princess Menina moved to sit closer to her mother on the bed, holding Queen Ayana’s hand to her cheek. “I only have time left to tell you of your future, my sweet Menina, queen of all Ganlin, I have secured a teacher, imbued with the knowledge of your history, our history,” She said labored, “He will reveal to you our past, and the people you come from. The home we left hundreds of years ago. When you are ready you can take that knowledge from him, he is only a vessel.”
“What do you mean, mother, this is all so unexpected? queen, of all Ganlin? What of Dracon?” Princess Menina asked, “I can feel he still lives. He will return as king and take Urixis for himself, it is his birthright to rule Ganlin.” Queen Ayana coughed hard, making Princess Menina reach for some water, Queen Ayana waved the water away, she had a smile on her face, “Why do you laugh?” She asked Queen Ayana.
“I raised that child as my own,” She struggled to catch her breath, “The only birthright to that boy is one of
death, he has only ever been an agent of death, his feet will never settle long enough to take Ganlin for himself. In his heart he knows he is only meant for war. It’s all he’ll ever know, or desire. Dracon will never rule Ganlin, I won’t allow it! What’s more, is that you are my only child,” She smiled, “You are the only heir to the kingdom of Ayana and Treska. I have only ever had one child, you, my daughter.” She stroked Princess Menina’s cheek.
Her face twisted in confusion, “I don’t understand?” she said shaking her head.
“I wanted only you, my precious Menina,” Queen Ayana said then swallowed hard, “I would not bear any more children for Treska after your birth.” Princess Menina stood from the beds edge, looking at the marble floor in confusion.
“I have five brothers?” Princess Menina asked, more than stated.
“Yes, and no,” Queen Ayana whispered, “You are my only child.”
Princess Menina turned back to her mother, “How is this possible?” she walked back to the side of the bed, “Why?”
“I deceived your father. I gave him other women, made them appear to be me. Each time your father left for war, I pretended to bear his sons, one after the other. It satisfied his desire for a son and secured your kingdom for you.” She reached up to Princess Menina who took her hand, and sat on the beds edge once more, “We are a special people, you and I,” Queen Ayana smiled at her, “All that I have ever done was to secure this kingdom for you, the only child of King Treska and Queen Ayana. Those boys are all bastards with no claim to your kingdom.”
“Dracon is not my brother?” Princess Menina asked, “None of them are?”
Queen Ayana chuckled, “They all have different mothers, but they are all Treska’s son’s, so in that, yes, they are your brother’s. They are all human though, and you are so much more than that.”
“This means war, mother. What you tell me means Ganlin will never have peace. When Dracon returns victorious, the people will demand father’s wishes be honored and Dracon made king. Treska proclaimed him king. Those men on the battlefield will follow Dracon. No man would stand against him in battle, they would sooner pluck out their own eyes. He is a legend for what he is doing in the name of our freedom, for all Ganlin, from Terrax’s hordes.” Princess Menina started to breathe heavily, on the brink of hyperventilating. “You can’t expect me to stand against him alone? I am not a warrior. They will rise up, the five of them, and kill me! I could never tell anyone the truth, it would surely mean death for me!”
“Calm yourself my daughter,” She squeezed Princess Menina’s hand, “You have allies, you have an army, you have magic like no creature in all Ganlin. My daughter, when you are ready you can do anything you can imagine, first you must secure your place then access the vessel,” Princess Menina looked at her mother shaking her head. “I have prepared everything for you my daughter, you will rule Urixis as queen, just as I have. I gave Treska a war to keep my power over Urixis, Dracon ended that, well before I was ready for it. Use your wit, my daughter, use your cunning. I have prepared you your whole life for this moment. Urixis is yours. It is the doorway to our past. I had hoped to take you there one day, but now you will have to see it without me, alone.”
“What past? What land?” Princess Menina asked.
“The past in the lands that will forever bask in the sun, by our hand alone, a land now without darkness.” Queen Ayana closed her eyes, “A land, someday you will return to, as a queen to rebuild our past, to rule again. The past you will soon learn, but first you must focus on the present and the future of your kingdom, you must secure it, Menina.” Princess Menina watched her mother waiting for her to speak again. She considered all her mother had told her. It was hard to grasp or understand. She still had so many questions, but each answer brought more pain and promise of devastation, for her and her brothers. She may be the only one that was born of Ayana, but in her heart, they were still her brothers, no matter her mother’s claims, human or not. Her mother’s breathing told Princess Menina she was asleep. She waited, watching her mother for hours as she slept, considering in despair, what she told her. She considered her mother’s words, they are human? What did that mean? What was she, if not human too? Finally, Princess Menina left her mother’s chambers to the long hall that held many other rooms, and memories. Princess Menina also had a room off this long hall. As a child, she would race her brothers up and down that very hallway, all night long, often falling asleep in it during play. None of her brothers went to sleep when they were supposed to, and the bedrooms were so large, that their mother would sleep soundly as they played, completely unaware they were still up. Princess Menina could see all the way at the far end of the hallway, a figure by the door. Waiting. In the blink of an eye she disappeared then reappeared at the other end of the hall startling the elf that waited there.
“My queen,” The elf bowed his head slightly, “Is there anything I can help you with this day?” he asked.
Princess Menina looked at him curiously a moment then said, “I am not queen yet, she still lives,” Princess Menina said, her curiosity turned to suspicion, “Every day I leave my mother, you are here, and you ask me the same thing. My mother says you are here at her request. What is your purpose here, and who exactly are you? Are you this vessel of Knowledge she spoke of, to teach me of my past?”
“I am Ohmbryn Miaphyra, I am the keeper of your secrets my lady,” He introduced himself, “Are you ready to speak with me?”
“My secrets?” She asked.
“Yes, I am here to teach you, when you are ready,” He said bowing his head, he was a tall thin elf, with short brown hair.
“What does my mother think you can teach me? After all, I was raised wielding magic, and casting spells since before I could walk.” She said, almost insulted, “I’ve already had the finest elvish teachers in all things. I’ve been taught about our history already.”
“My lady, your history is not entwined with the history of Ganlin, nor is your mothers, this is what I have to teach you.” He brought his hands together, finger to finger, almost in prayer, just below his chin.
“I see, when my mother said a vessel I did not expect that she meant a teacher,” Princess Menina grabbed the handle to the door and flung it open much harder than she intended. The gust she created moved her blonde hair into her face. She wiped the long strand of hair from her face and back into place. Princess Menina was very agitated, after her mother told her so many things that made her question her whole life. She walked through the door and he followed, walking side by side with her as she slowly walked through the garden of flowers that separated the bedrooms from the rest of the palace. “What do you know, Ohmbryn, and don’t be coy. My mother’s time is short, and I will need to know who I can trust, with certain information.”
“Alright,” Ohmbryn said tilting his head again in a nod, “I have been made aware, of… for lack of a better word, your heritage.” His eyebrows rose, seeking her approval or understanding, Princess Menina nodded for him to continue, “I am also aware of each phase of your mother’s plan for you to rule Ganlin over your brothers, Dracon included,” he said looking casually about the garden, “Provided he returns,” he said as they walked through the garden side by side, “We are as sure as you are, Princess Menina, that he still lives, and that is why Queen Ayana has raised this army.”
“My mother has truly raised an army?” Princess Menina stopped dead in her tracks.
“A very loyal army, that has always served Queen Ayana, unknown even to his highness King Treska.” Ohmbryn turned facing Princess Menina, “And now loyal to Queen Menina.” He bowed again.
“Where is this army?” Princess Menina asked him. She looked around the garden to make sure no one could hear them. Ohmbryn looked around the garden then smiled at her.
“My lady, there is no one in all Urixis that is not loyal to you. You may speak as free as you wish. There is no need to hide from prying eyes, for none will be found here, in your palace.” Ohmbryn sai
d assuring her. “Everything has been made ready for you to rule Ganlin from here.”
“I wish I could be sure of all of this.” Princess Menina doubted her right to rule, even though it was her deepest desire.
“My lady, if you hesitate we are all lost.” Ohmbryn said taking one of her hands, “We have all wished to see you rule in your mother’s place, eventually. It is the people of Urixis’s wish that you continue to watch over us, no one wants a warrior’s rule, but the gentle loving rule you and your mother have always provided us. The council of races has met with the same decision, Princess Menina will be our next queen, we are all willing to fight to make it so.”
“But my brother’s armies…” She started and stopped thoughtfully, “The council of races?” she asked, “What of the humans among the council?”
“They were not included,” Ohmbryn said, “No one wants war, my lady, but it may be an unavoidable eventuality.” Ohmbryn turned still holding her hand and continued walking with her hand on his arm, escorting her further through the garden.
“Even if Dracon were never to return, my brothers would not stand for me to rule as their queen, eventually one, if not all of them, would challenge me. Certainly, Charnio is already plotting. He was outwardly upset with my mother’s decision to relinquish the crown to me after my father’s death.” Princess Menina looked at Ohmbryn, “I see a civil war in our future, If I pursue my mother’s course for me.”
“There are choices for you, my queen, bargain with them, or kill them.” Ohmbryn said barely holding back his disdain for her brothers.
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