by Brad Clark
King Illichian stood up, and with much regret, pulled his hand away. There was a cold feeling of emptiness leftover inside of him, and he wondered if he would ever feel such joy again. “Is this how we will defeat the Deceiver? How do we use it to destroy him?”
“The Deceiver is not something that can be destroyed.”
Stillness followed as everyone pondered the Dragon’s statement.
After several moments, Conner finally broke the silence. “If the Deceiver cannot be destroyed, how can we defeat him?”
“The power of the Deceiver is beyond what can be destroyed, but you can defeat the essence that invaded this world and keep him from ever returning. The One God has given you all the tools, and now it is time for you to use them.”
“Your Dragon’s Egg is one of those tools?”
“It is but one.”
“What are those others? How do we do this?” Conner’s questions and tone showed his impatience.
“Some of your questions I can answer, some I cannot. I have lived a long life, and I know a lot, but there will always be answers that will never go answered.”
“Why don’t you just tell us what you do know,” Glaerion snapped angrily.
Immerallis swung his head towards the Elf and replied, “His essence cannot be destroyed. It can only be returned to his realm. That is what must be done. To do that, you must have the full power of the Ark of Life.”
“Which we do not have,” Hargon said loudly behind them. One hand was absently touching his necklace as he spoke. “At least all of it. If the Dragon’s Egg is so powerful, why can we not use it instead?”
“The Ark of Life is an artifact provided by the One God, to be used to protect the world from the likes of the Deceiver. The Dragon’s egg is no such artifact. There is a living and breathing Dragon inside. It is growing, and soon it will hatch. Until that time, its power can be drawn out and used. However, the power of a Dragon’s egg can be used, but once, so it must be used wisely.”
“Used once?” Conner asked.
“Using it will destroy it.”
“And the Dragon inside?”
“Yes. And the Dragon inside.”
Conner glanced at Elissa, who’s face flashed white. Could he knowingly sacrifice his child to save the world? He hoped that he would never be in a position to find out.
“Well, how do we use it?” Hargon asked, clearly unfazed by the thought of the unborn Dragon being sacrificed.
“It is not a weapon, if that is what you are asking. When it is time to be used, you will know.”
“What kind of answer is that?” Hargon snapped back, this time unfazed that he was showing anger at a beast that could easily tear him limb from limb.
“From me, it is the best, and only, answer that I can give. If I could give you a better answer, I would. Myllia, I believe, has an idea, and when she returns, she can share her wisdom.”
“What do we do with it until then?” Conner asked, still frustrated at not getting a direct answer, but there was no sense in arguing with Immerallis any longer.
“You must protect it at all costs. If the Deceiver were to get a hold of it, he could easily destroy it. For as powerful as it is, it is still a fragile egg. I have already been attacked once, and I was able to fend off the attackers. I could take it far from here, but then it would be of no use. It must remain here, hidden until it is used.”
“Used?” Elissa exclaimed. The blood had returned to her face, and now it was red with anger. “You mean to kill your baby! Does Myllia know about this?”
“Of course she does. This is all her idea.”
“But she’s the baby’s mother!”
“Myllia understands.”
Elissa let out a frustrated huff, but she did not continue to argue. Part of her understood what Myllia was doing, but most of her could not comprehend willingly sacrificing your child. Tears filled her eyes as the idea of having to trade lives consumed her. Conner watched his wife in pain and moved to be next to her and retook her hand.
“She’ll be here to fight with us?” Conner asked.
“She will. Myllia knows that the Deceiver will bring more than goblins. The evil that he brought into our world is unimaginable, and we will both be here to help. Many of those creatures cannot be killed by your weapons.”
“But they can be killed!” a voice cried out from the crowd.
Everyone turned towards the high-pitched, scratchy voice of Lord Martin. He stalked past Immerallis but gave him a wide birth. His face was caked with dried blood from his smashed nose, and the front of his tunic was covered in blood.
“Lord Martin!” Elissa exclaimed. “Are you all right?”
“I am fine, no thanks to Hargon,” Lord Martin replied, his eyes glancing at Hargon.
“What are you talking about? I did nothing to you.”
“Well, no, but you got that creature all riled up, and she attacked me. I had to fend her off, but she did this to me.”
Hargon crossed his arms and looked down at Lord Martin. “What were you doing there?”
“My duty as a lord of this realm. I was there to interrogate the prisoner.”
“Lord Martin,” Elissa said. “You were told to stay away from Marila.”
“We are at war, Your Majesty. We need to know where the Deceiver’s army is, or isn’t, for that matter.”
Glaerion let out a sharp grunt. “You still believe we should be running away?”
“To save the people of our kingdom so we can rebuild after this war is over? Certainly! A diversion can be created, and the majority of our people can sneak out to the north.”
Glaerion shook his head slowly in frustration. “Do you not think the Deceiver has his spies hidden around the mountains watching?”
“We would have found them by now, if there were spies around us, right?” Lord Martin said with a smirk. “We found the spy, and her name is Marila.”
“You found one of the Deceiver’s creatures?” Immerallis said.
“Yes, we captured her,” Conner said. “She had been with us before, but we found her outside the walls. She was put in the castle’s dungeon. She is safely away from us.”
“She claims she is no longer with the Deceiver,” Elissa said. “I believe her.”
“Bring her to me,” Immerallis demanded. “I want to see this creature with my own eyes.”
Conner was about to call for one of the Knights to retrieve Marila, but Lord Martin cut off his words. “She is dead.”
“What?” Hargon exclaimed at the same time as several others, but his shout was the loudest.
“I told you, I had to fend her off.”
Hargon took one long stride forward and grabbed Lord Martin by the front of his ripped tunic. “I should kill you right where you stand.”
Lord Martin’s lips quivered, but he was still able to say, “Unhand me, Hargon.”
Conner stepped in to push them apart. “Now is not the time for fighting.”
“She would have been useful,” Hargon growled. He gave Lord Martin’s tunic one last firm yank before letting go and pushing Lord Martin away from him.
“Maybe it’s for the best,” Conner said.
“Conner!” Elissa cried out. “Marila was my friend!”
“I know, but she was still from the Deceiver’s realm. We will never know if she was sincere about changing sides. But just in case she was lying, she could have caused many problems for us if she were somehow able to escape. What if she were one of the Deceiver’s top generals, and they made a special effort to try and free her?”
King Illichian spoke up. “She had little value to the Deceiver. Spies are expendable. She knew that if she were caught her life would be forfeit. It is the price to pay for being a spy.”
Elissa shook her head. “I cannot believe you are all so callous towards her!”
“We are not callous,” King Illichian replied. “We are but speaking the truth. This is a time of war, and we must act with deliberate intentions and not
with emotions.”
She was about to continue the argument, but Hallendrielle moved to Elissa’s side and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. Elissa got the message. Not all battles needed to be fought.
Immerallis suddenly twisted his neck towards the wall, and he lifted his snout up into the air. A moment later, the guards atop the wall pointed outwards and started shouting. Conner did not have to hear what the guards were yelling. There was only one reason for them to shout out an alarm. The Deceiver’s army had finally arrived.
“The Egg!” Conner exclaimed. “How do we use it!”
“It is not time,” Immerallis replied calmly.
“Not time?” Conner cried out. “The Deceiver’s army is here! There is no better time.”
“The power of the Dragon’s Egg can only be used once. It must be reserved for a time when there are no other options. Used too early, or without the Deceiver present, then it would only be a waste of its power.”
Glaerion put a hand on Conner’s back and gave a gentle nudge to begin moving towards the wall. “When it is time, it will be there for us. We’ve been preparing for this moment all winter. Now it’s time to put our training to the test.”
“Very well,” Conner acknowledged. “The Egg, though.” He turned to Immerallis and said, “It must be protected.”
Hallendrielle stepped forward and gently picked it up. Her eyes spread wide as she felt the power of the Egg. “I will bring it under the mountain and hide it. Go, now!”
Without wasting another breath, Conner and Glaerion darted for the stairs that led up to the top of the wall.
A line of goblins stood at the edge of the forest. Conner could not see them clearly, as they were far away, but he knew immediately that they were forces of the Deceiver’s army. The goblins were not jumping around in their typical frenzy. They moved forward, allowing another rank of goblins to appear behind them from the forest. With each beating heart, rank after rank appeared, seemingly out of thin air. Mixed in with the goblins were larger creatures known to the Deceiver’s army as minor demons. They were nearly twice the size of the goblins, but with wings that allowed them to fly. Some of them took flight, but they did not fly far. They hovered over their own forces, darting about. Then, the ground shook as a dozen Stone Ogres appeared out of the trees. The sight of them sent a dead silence across the wall.
It did not take long for the wall to become crowded with the leadership of the Human and Elven army. Elissa squeezed in beside Conner, and she put a hand on his shoulder as if her touch would calm him. There was no fear or worry in Conner’s thoughts. His breathing remained calm, and a relaxed confidence enveloped him. A light breeze blew towards them, sending a stale, acrid stench wafting across them. Conner thought it smelled of death, and it did not surprise him.
No one around him spoke. Everyone stood still, watching the army grow by the second.
“Queen Elissa,” King Illichian said in a voice just above a whisper. “It is time for you to return to the castle.”
“My father never would have hidden in a castle, nor will I.”
“My Queen,” Marik said. “King Illichian and I will coordinate the battle. There is no reason to risk your life out here in the open. We do not know what creatures they have, or if they have spellcasters.”
Elissa shook her head sharply.
Marik looked at Conner and said, “It is no place for your pregnant wife to be out here.”
“I am not weak!” Elissa cried out with emotion that surprised even her.
“Elissa, it is not about being weak. What can you do out here? Will you hold a sword and fight?”
“If I must!” She shouted back, eyes blazing with anger. “This is my kingdom, and I will fight for it!”
“We all will fight, but there is no reason to risk your life at the start of the battle.”
She folded her arms. “I will not hide in the castle.”
King Illichian said, “There is the secret exit into the mountains. If things go bad, you can escape.”
“I will not run away either!” she shouted even louder. “Give me a sword so I can fight!”
“Elissa,” Conner said. “There is a cavern full of your people. Women, children, and elderly, all who cannot fight. They will be scared and will need someone to help them get through their fear.” She let out a long sigh. He continued, “They will also need someone to lead them if we must make a last stand. If the walls are breached, then nothing will stop the enemy from swarming the castle and the cavern. You will need to lead that last stand. Can you do that?”
She clenched her jaws tightly and nodded her head.
Conner leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead. “It will not come to that, though,” Conner said. “When I see you next, it will be in victory.”
She lifted her chin and pressed her lips against hers, kissing him long and hard. Conner tasted the salt of her tears long after she broke away and dashed down the steps.
Chapter Fourteen
The Deceivers army marched out of the forest, but they did not attack right away. Thousands upon thousands of goblins slowly mustered onto the field, spreading far to the north and south, filling the west side of the valley as it swept up to the forest. The Stone Ogres sat on their haunches, silently waiting for their command to attack. Hundreds of minor demons buzzed over their heads, screeching a high-pitched cry that brought the goblins into a frenzy. As their fever grew, they began to jump and slash about, incidentally tearing into their brethren. But, for each one that was ripped into pieces, ten more appeared from the forest.
Elven archers lined the top of the wall. In front of each was a basket full of arrows. Many also had a bucket of thick oil for dunking tips of arrows to be lit for firing flaming arrows. Several arrows were shot from the strongest Elven archers to gauge distance. The arrows fell short, but not by much. Soon enough, the enemy army would grow large enough that arrows could reach the goblins on the front lines, but there were many times more goblins than arrows.
Conner, Glaerion, and Hargon remained standing atop the wall. Sir Marik and King Illichian had left to prepare their forces. Everyone knew what to do, but there was no room for error or miscommunication. Even if everything went as desired, victory was far from guaranteed.
“What are they waiting for?” Conner asked.
“For fear to grow strong enough to make us weak,” Hargon said.
Conner looked up at the former Taran emperor. His black curly hair had gotten longer over the winter, and he did little to tame it. Several twisted strands hung down over his eyes, which were dark and seemed like they swirled with magic.
“Fear is as great a weapon as the sharpest sword,” Hargon said. “It can break the will of even the most courageous soldier, or cause doubt, which can make one weak and slow. Trust me. I have used fear many times to break the will of Taran’s enemies.”
“Well, it’s not working,” Glaerion said.
Hargon looked over at Glaerion, and his lips grew into a smirk. “Are you sure? Maybe not your Elves, or Sir Marik’s Knights. But many others are waiting in the courtyard to fight who feel nothing but fear right now. Each moment that passes by their fear grows, and soon it will consume them and make them slow or ineffective.”
“So, what do we do about that?”
Hargon smiled. He lifted his hands, and his lips moved, reciting a spell that he did need to even think about, as it was so ingrained in his mind. Balls of fire appeared in his hands, and he began throwing them towards the sea of goblins.
***
Lord Martin was crammed into the top of one of the castle’s towers that rose up from the main keep. His face still ached, and his pain was exacerbated by the long climb up the winding stairwell. His chest still heaved from the effort, even though he had been sitting for some time. Although he didn’t like tight spaces or heights, being perched above the castle allowed him to see the entire battlefield. He still firmly believed that the kingdom could be saved by escaping to the north, and n
ow that the Deceiver’s army was here, it would be easier for him to lead his people to safety. They would not have to be worried about being ambushed on the way. As long as they snuck out undetected during the heat of the battle, they would surely be able to make it deep into Thell before night fell.
The enemy forces stretched for as far as he could see, pushing into tree-covered mountains that marked the northern boundary of the valley that Neffenmark Castle overlooked. Tops of trees swayed as the army moved under the canopy of the forest. The tallest of them fell to be used for siege engines. There was a gap in the northern mountain peaks, and on a clear day, he knew he would be able to see the gray outline of the Great Mountains. Today, though, the overcast skies that threatened rain kept him from seeing too far. It was through that gap that he had hoped to lead his people, but the enemy was already there in force. There would be no way to get unarmed citizens over the mountain, but there were plenty of other ways to get to Thell. Some of them treacherous, but certainly much safer than being trapped behind walls.
A flash of light streaked from the top of the wall towards the enemy.
“What are they doing?” he grumbled aloud.
The fireballs struck the front rank of goblins, sending them into an even greater delirium. Several of them broke in a sprint for the wall, their skin on fire. Some dropped after a few steps, convulsing in pain, and dying in agony. Elven archers quickly spotted the surviving goblins and fired flaming arrows at them. The archers were experts not only with measuring distance but also in gauging the speed of the goblins. All those that broke from the main army were felled before they reached the abandoned village. With each goblin that fell, cheers erupted from atop the castle.