A Legacy of Nightmares

by J. M. Wallace

  She was filled with anxiety after she had sent Erebus to free Sorin. So when she had seen him dragged to the hill by the Orc, her heart had dropped. She had been foolish to hope that he could get away, so she would not have to fight Bastian’s command to execute the man that she cared so deeply for. All she could do now was to believe in herself and the strength that her ancestral land would grant her.

  The ground where they stood was dead from the blight; but since the visit from her mother, things had felt different. It was as if Asterion was pooling the last of its power at her feet, ready for the taking. The Sword at her side strummed with overwhelming magic, as if it, too, was ready to do her bidding. She set a steady hand on its hilt—the steel was calling to her and she itched to unsheathe it.

  The Nefari army’s roar simmered down to a low rumble. They were all looking at her now. Bastian smiled viciously as he took his place back at her side. Erebus’ shadowy form appeared from the crowd, which parted to let Bastian’s favored servant pass by. Bastian smirked at the hellhound, who stalked over to them in all his mighty power. Erebus approached, and paused a moment before taking his place at Shaye’s side.

  Noting his beast’s choice, Bastian spoke under his breath so that only Shaye could hear, “Interesting.”

  She ignored him and continued to stare back at the Nefari army. She knew Erebus choosing her had left a small crack in Bastian’s pride. She scanned the crowd for Gorm and Ulf, finding them almost immediately. They were standing beside the scarred guards she had saved. The other soldiers who stood with them were familiar faces as well—men that she had played cards with the night of Bastian’s celebration. She rocked on the balls of her feet as adrenaline wracked her body. Would these men fight for her when the time came? Gorm met her eye and gave her a curt nod.

  Bastian spoke louder for all to hear, “Over a decade ago, a pretender took the throne. A mortal man who thought to rid us of the magic that is rightfully ours. His son kneels before us now, at our mercy. It is with the spilling of his blood, that we reclaim Asterion and our magic as our own. As it was at the beginning.”

  The army dispersed, taking their places on the hillside leading down to the valley, and to Sorin’s men. Standing at attention, they left a path cleared down the middle so that the Asterion army could still see their king on his knees, at the mercy of Bastian and Shaye. Shaye was concerned to see how organized the Nefari were. It was as if they had undergone formal military training. Something she feared that Sorin had not counted on.

  Umbra lingered nearby, keeping a watchful eye on Shaye. She was clothed in her signature black dress and veil, shrouding her true face. Shaye looked at her in irritation, scoffing at the towering black crown that Umbra had taken to wearing. It was made of long, jagged black bones intertwined high above her. It looked like it was not of their world, shining in the sunlight like a snake’s scaly skin.

  Bastian raised his voice so that it carried down to the Asterion army in the valley, “Your King has failed you. Today you die because of his failure.”

  The hair on Shaye’s arms rose when he turned to her. His eyes were filled with malice as he gave her the command: “Kill him.”

  His power swept over Shaye like a storm in her soul. Her hand gripped the hilt of the Sword, and she unsheathed the magnificent weapon, holding it up for both armies to see. Her breath quickened as she fought Bastian’s command. She closed her eyes, calling on every ounce of power that the land could spare. It pooled into her, filling her veins, and overtaking the black magic. She welcomed the familiar feeling of divine magic and felt more alive than she had known possible. Careful not to let Bastian see that his power over her was no longer effective, she looked at him pleadingly. “Please, my lord, do not make me do this. You promised to wait until the battle was over.”

  Bastian scoffed at her, “You do not hold the power here, Shaye. I do.” When she did not move, he grabbed her roughly by the arm, pushing her toward Sorin and snarling, “Kill him.”

  Sorin knelt at her feet, his dark blue eyes clouded with sorrow. “Listen to my voice, Shaye, you are more powerful than he is. The nightmares do not control you... He does not control you.”

  Bastian moved into her line of vision. “I can feel you fighting me. You know it is pointless. You will always obey me in the end.”

  She held the Sword out in front of her, realizing it, too, had magic that she could draw on. She gripped it tightly in her hands, reveling in the immense power flowing from it, and into her.

  Bastian roared in anger at her, “Kill him! It is my command!”

  Seizing the momentary distraction, Sorin slammed his full weight into Bastian’s side, causing him to stumble. Shaye panicked; she could still feel the draw of Bastian’s magic. Every muscle in her body ached as she fought the urge to plunge the Sword into Sorin’s heart. She looked at Gorm and Ulf, who stood watching the altercation. They did not move to help Bastian.

  Bastian swore, and reached out to grab Shaye by the arm—gripping her tightly, he shouted in her face, “Kill him, or I will rip every single person you care about limb from limb! I will force you to watch as I gouge out their eyes and feed them to my dog!” He pointed to Erebus, who was still standing by Shaye’s side.

  Shaye knew Bastian well enough to see that this fit of rage was a result of the control he knew he was losing. She smiled sweetly at him, looking into his black soulless eyes as she spoke. “I know what you did to my mother.” She leaned in close to him. They were near enough to kiss, his breath hot on her lips. She spoke low so that only Bastian and Sorin could hear: “You are a hateful, deceitful, monster. And you are going to get everything you have ever deserved.”

  Bastian looked like he could spit venom. He shouted at the Nefari who were standing nearby, “Seize her! If she will not kill him, then I will.” He gave her a smug look, until he realized his men were not answering his command. Gorm and Ulf stood between Shaye and the other Nefari on the hill. They showed no emotion, standing as tall and still as the ancient trees of the Raven Wood.

  Shaye snickered, drawing Bastian’s stunned face to her again. Fire was still coursing through her veins, as she struggled to keep still, and away from Sorin. She did not show it, though, as she spoke to Bastian, “These men see you now for what you really are.”

  She slammed her head into his face and heard the crunch of bone as she broke his nose. Dazed, he stumbled back. He gaped at her, and his eyes went ablaze with madness. He turned to his army and shouted, “Charge!”

  Gaining their composure, and looking at Bastian in utter terror, they charged into the valley. Chaos ensued as the first of the Nefari ranks charged forward. The Asterion cavalry met them with great force, as they collided together at the midpoint on the hill. Bastian scrambled away from Shaye with a triumphant smile on his face, but not before she had pulled the Stave from his grasp. He slapped her hard in the face, but she ignored the sting of it. Her magic swelled, and she released it into him with all the fury she had been holding onto since coming to his camp.

  His body skidded across the ground, and she took the opportunity to run to Sorin. Shaye looked at him in a panic, and he let out a gasp of pain as she touched his injured arm.

  “You’re hurt?”

  Before he could answer her, Bastian hit them with an overwhelming force of magic. They tumbled to the ground in a tangle of limbs. Sorin howled out in pain, and Shaye shifted her body over his to protect him from another attack. When none came, she looked back to where Bastian stood.

  His arms were extended as he muttered words she could not hear. He was stretching his magic beyond its natural limits, and straining under the pressure. Shaye couldn’t believe her eyes as she witnessed eight Nefari soldiers, taking a stance between her and Bastian’s wrath. They held their ground under his power, pushing back with their own. Gorm and Ulf were at the head of the small rebellion; and beside them were the two guards she had intervened for in the tent.

  Gorm shouted over his shoulder so that she could he
ar him, “Get out of here!”

  He didn’t have to say it twice—Shaye grabbed Sorin by his uninjured arm and helped him up, leading him into the valley below, and into the heart of the battle. If they could lose Bastian amidst the chaos, they might stand a fighting chance. She would gladly face an army of swords, rather than risk Bastian’s gaining a hold on her again. She had been so close to carrying out his order to kill Sorin, it had taken all of the power that she and the land could muster to resist the first time around.

  They were nearly to the heat of the battle when Sorin grabbed her arm, pulling her back to him. His dark blue eyes burned into hers as he said, “We stay together. Protect one another as we always have.” He kissed her then, passionately. It was different from the tender kiss in the library; there were a thousand promises in this kiss.

  When they parted, Shaye smiled as she asked, “You have a plan?”

  “You’re gonna love it.”

  Sorin let out a loud whistle in the direction of the Nefari camp on top of the hill. Bron, Mavka, Ingemar, and to Shaye’s relief, Brina, appeared from the forest on horseback. Brina rode in on Finn, looking stronger and healthier than ever. The dapple-gray gelding snorted in excitement as he ran straight for Shaye. They surpassed the Nefari who were still standing on the hill, fighting back against Bastian’s magic.

  When they reached Shaye, she embraced Finn’s thick, muscular neck, while Brina dismounted. Shaye took the reins and whispered into Finn’s wild mane, “I have missed you.” She then hugged Brina tightly as she added, “Both of you.”

  “We are here now.” Brina grinned and pulled an axe from the side of Finn’s saddle. “And we are ready for a fight.” Shaye hugged her again tightly, thanking the Fates that Brina was okay.

  Behind her, she could hear Bron giving Sorin a detailed report on the Dwellers waiting in the tree line. Mavka took one look at Sorin and went to work on his arm. He let out a yelp as the small girl stood on her tippy toes, popping his arm back into place.

  Bron hovered over them, searching for any other sign of injury to his king. He smiled warmly at Shaye. “It’s good to have you back.” Shaye returned the smile before he went on, “As I was saying, the Dwellers are in place. They await your command.”

  Sorin grinned ear to ear. “Mavka, will you do the honors?”

  “With pleasure.” Her moths fluttered away in a hurricane-like flurry.

  Sorin led Shaye and the others to a cluster of stones in the valley, allowing them a full view of the battle. It gave them a vantage point to see both the valley, where Nefari and Asterions were going sword to sword, and the forest that stood tall behind them on the hill.

  The Asterion army was struggling to hold their ground as the Nefari steel cut through their armor like butter. Shaye felt a stab of guilt as she watched the mortal men fall. “This is all my fault.”

  Ingemar put a hand on her shoulder. “Do not dwell on the past, we must face this now, together.” She raised her hands, and her magic flared to life. It extended through the valley, shielding the Asterion soldiers that were nearest to them.

  The magic held strong under the Nefari swords, protecting the mortals in their path. Shaye watched in awe at Ingemar’s power. “How long will it hold?”

  “As long as I hold.” Sweat began to bead at Ingemar’s temple.

  “I need to break the magic between the Stave and the Sword.” Shaye held the Stave in one hand, and the Sword in the other. Closing her eyes, she called on her divine magic. She whispered an incantation, hoping to draw on stronger magic by using the Sorcerer’s tongue: “Bre-t-nk.” The ground rumbled beneath them, and the sky clouded, blocking the summer sun.

  The valley turned dark as Asterions were slaughtered under the Nefari, out of reach from Ingemar’s protection. Shaye felt a small hand on her other shoulder and turned to see Mavka standing at her side. Ingemar moved closer, grabbing Shaye on the other side. She felt their power flowing into her; it was a beautiful feeling, like warm sunlight after a long winter. It was so unlike the lightning she had felt at Bastian’s touch, and she relished the difference. She welcomed the divinity of the Forest Dweller’s and the Ceasg’s magic, given to them by The Mother.

  Embracing the power they were lending to her, she threw the Stave to the ground. With one swift blow, she struck the Stave with the Sword. Power blasted on the hilltop, blinding Shaye and the others with the magic that erupted from the relics as they collided. When the light ebbed away, Shaye and her friends cried out in victory. The Stave lay before them, split in two. The Sword had cut through it.

  They ran to the edge of the stones, looking out into the valley. Nefari shouted out in confusion as their swords met mortal armor; the impact of their steel was meaningful, but it did not slice through. The mortal soldiers used the Nefari’s surprise to their advantage, attacking ruthlessly with newfound courage. The Nefari weapons had lost their ability to cut through anything in their path. Shaye had done it. She had turned the tide of this battle.

  Taking that small victory as their cue, Anik and his forces swooped in from the east and the west. The soldiers that had been lying in wait flanked the Nefari on three sides, forcing them back up the hill toward the forest. Bron and Sorin had already drawn their weapons, ready to meet any Nefari who dared advance on them and their small group.

  Bron shouted to Sorin, “This is it!”

  “I’m ready when you are!” Sorin gave him a wicked grin, wild with the anticipation of joining the other soldiers on the battlefield.

  Ingemar released her shield and reformed it around herself and the others. As the Nefari retreated toward the woods, a line of Forest Dwellers on horseback revealed themselves. They sat tall, coated in armor the color and texture of tree bark. Their faces were streaked with blue and black paint surrounding their eyes—it was a fearsome sight. With a war cry, they charged on the Nefari. Shaye looked at Sorin in disbelief. She knew Sorin had made an alliance with the Magi creatures in the north, but she had never imagined such a vast number of fighters.

  He shrugged his shoulders casually. “We made a few friends while you were away.”

  Shaye scanned the hill for any sign of Bastian, but he was gone. She could see bodies lying in a crumpled heap, and she prayed that Gorm and Ulf were not amongst them. She turned her attention back to the scene unfolding in the camp—just before the Dweller cavalry reached the Nefari, they turned away, retreating into the tree line. The Nefari cried out in victory, giving chase into the forest. Shaye was confused. “Why are they retreating?”

  Mavka gave her a toothy smile. “Wait for it...”

  Shaye continued to watch, unable to see the Dwellers in the density of the trees. Crows still circled above Shaye where she stood, but she noticed that they had gone silent. It felt as if Asterion itself was holding its breath as it waited. That was when she heard the first scream—it was an ear-curdling sound. Shaye imagined it was what death would sound like if it were a person. Nefari began to run from the forest, stumbling and trampling over one another, to escape the terror that had met them in the trees.

  A second unit of Forest Dwellers emerged, right on the Nefari soldiers’ heels, slaughtering those that had been foolish enough to chase them into their domain. Shaye felt the adrenaline in her veins rush at the sight. Nefari around them in the valley paused when they heard the dying cries of their men on the hill. But they did not have a chance to send assistance, as they defended themselves from the Asterion soldiers that had flanked them down below.

  Shaye wanted to kiss Sorin right then and there. His plan had been brilliant, and his men were executing it perfectly. It would now be impossible for the Nefari to pin down the Asterion forces. Sorin stood silently, with a sly smile on his lips as he watched his handiwork. Shaye thought he had never looked more magnificent than he did in that moment.

  That moment didn’t last long, however, as Sorin and Bron were soon engaged in battle with the Nefari who had retreated from the forest, blocking their escape back into the valle
y. The two Mortal Knights fought in perfect harmony. It was like a dance that they had been practicing for their entire lives. Standing back to back, Sorin and Bron cut down anyone arrogant enough to challenge them.

  The smell of blood and sweat overwhelmed her. It was mixed with the smell of Nefari magic, like sulfur and rotting earth. It was chaos down here, and Shaye felt a stab of fear. Not for herself, but for the mortal men who were going hand to hand with the dark Magi and the creatures who stood alongside them.

  She watched in horror as a massive Orc crushed an Asterion soldier’s skull beneath its boulder-like fist. She shot her magic at the beast, sweeping him up in a wind that broke his neck as he hit the ground.

  A pack of Fenrir gnashed their teeth, tearing flesh from bone. The giant wolf-like creatures turned their molten eyes on Shaye and Sorin. She braced herself for an advance, but Erebus jumped between them. He had conjured himself from thin air, his shadows dancing wildly in the slivers of sunlight that were peeking through the clouded sky. His growl rippled through the air, sending a cloud of black smoke into the pack of Fenrir. Their yelps were silenced as the smoke consumed them.

  Shaye whistled, calling him to her. “Well done.”

  Amid the fighting, Shaye spotted Forest Dwellers holding strong against the black Nefari magic, countering it with their own divine magic. Though the mortals were at a disadvantage against the Nefari, the Dwellers were evening the odds. They defended the Asterion troops and sent their own magical creatures after the opposing forces. Shaye caught glimpses of creatures she had not seen in over a decade: an eerily beautiful Banshee screamed at a group of Nefari who were descending on a Mortal Knight, blasting them back and rendering them unconscious. A Chimera slammed into several Orcs, burning them alive with fire from its lion-like face.

  Shaye panicked as she turned to see a Nefari on horseback charging toward them. Before Shaye could lash out with her magic, an arrow struck the man through the eye. He fell from his horse with a thud. Shaye turned to thank the archer, and was surprised to see Runa grinning at her from behind one of the large rocks. She ducked back for cover and continued to fire her arrows. They hit their mark every time. Shaye felt her confidence grow, knowing that Captain Thorsten and his crew were nearby.