Legend Warrior

by Liara Woo

  Only the gaze of moonshine,

  Only the eyes of Legendheart

  Can look upon the book unharmed

  And read the marvels there.

  So spoke the Sages of Sky in the Palace of Light."

  Halthren turned his gaze on Occupinvi with grim resignation. "So where do I find the Book of Legends?"

  "It is hidden in a glass palace bridging the gap between the highest cliffs in the entire world. The Sage of Fire will take you there," the emperor answered. "She, like the other Sages of Time, has incredibly unusual feather-coloring. She is the shade of the flames of sunrise."

  Halthren nodded, looking uneasy. "Where is she?"

  "Waiting for me to give her a signal to descend." He opened his canary-yellow beak and let out a long, piercing shriek. A scarlet griffin with fiery orange eyes swooped down under one of the arches and landed gracefully before them.

  Halthren looked even more uncomfortable. "Wait. Can't I ride Loriina?"

  The red griffin chuckled, looking at him through slanted eyes. "Of course not. She does not know the location of the Palace of Light. And what do you mean by 'ride'? I plan to carry your upper arms in my talons, since my back is not as broad as the backs of male griffins."

  That was the final straw. Halthren's eyes widened and he swayed where he stood. His face had gone pale. Katie reached out to steady him, and he gripped her hand tightly. A tremor wracked his frame.

  Occupinvi tilted his head. "What, exactly, is the problem here?"

  "I'm terrified of heights," Halthren admitted.

  Occupinvi didn't conceal his surprise—or his amusement. He laughed. "You must be joking. Afraid of heights?!"

  Halthren's shoulders slumped.

  "The sage palace is located over a canyon," Occupinvi reiterated. "It's entirely made of glass so as to let in all light. Thus it is called the Palace of Light. It is like a rectangular room built over a bridge. You're telling me that the elf destined to enter that building is afraid of heights?"

  "Yes," Katie answered firmly. "And he'll be fine. I have faith in him."

  Halthren straightened, closed his eyes, and took several deep breaths. Katie felt his grip on her hand tighten for a few moments. Then he opened his eyes and said, "I'm ready." He raised his arms away from his side, holding them rigidly perpendicular to his sides.

  The Sage of Fire jumped into flight, circling the room and descending a few feet, her talons outstretched. She grabbed the elf's shoulders and pulled him away, into the gradually sinking sun.

  Katie watched them fade into the distance, secretly envying Halthren. I think being carried away by a griffin would be fun—almost like flying on my own.

  * * *

  But of course, Halthren did not want to feel as if he was flying on his own.

  He closed his eyes as the chill wind blew into his face, clenching his teeth and willing himself not to cry out. He couldn't move his arms, he couldn't hold on to anything, and there was nothing separating him from the ground thousands of feet below him. If I fall…if my arms slip…if she suddenly lets go…there will be no rescue for me!

  He felt terribly nauseated, as if he might throw up at any moment, and the fear encasing his mind and slowing his thoughts didn't make his stomach feel any better. The Sage of Fire wasn't steady in flight; occasionally she'd tilt or drop suddenly, and when she did, he felt as if his organs were doing cartwheels inside of him. At times, the griffin's talons twitched, tensed, or suddenly loosened, and each time, Halthren couldn't suppress a small gasp.

  "We're here," the Sage of Fire announced. She let go of his arms, and he collapsed onto a smooth, flat surface. Halthren opened his eyes and found himself staring into an abyss. He forced himself not to cry out, although his heart was beating like a rabbit's as he rolled onto his back and stared up at the sky, now alight with the flaming orange and lusty pink streaks of sunset.

  "I…I need a moment to catch my breath," he panted, breathing heavily and still feeling as if he would throw up. He waited until he was certain he could move without retching, and then he slowly stood up and turned to the Sage of Fire. "Where do I go from here?"

  "Into the building. The Book of Legends awaits."

  Halthren took a breath to steel his nerves and walked ahead, his steps as silent as those of a mouse. He put one palm against the massive ivory door before him—the only part of the palace that wasn't glass—and pushed it open, surprised at what little effort it took. He stepped into the room and his stomach lurched. The glass floor was entirely obscured by the bones of long-dead griffins, polished white by time. His heart pounding anxiously in his throat, he continued through the room of death towards a short stone pillar in the center, upon which sat an old leather-bound book. Halthren was careful not to step on any of the bones as he approached the pedestal.

  When he reached the thick tome, all of his worries disappeared. The Book of Legends. Absolutely everything he could ever want to know, right in front of him. He reached out with one hand and tenderly brushed the dust off of the top of the Book. With a racing heart, he lifted the surprisingly heavy front cover and looked down at the first page of old parchment.

  There was nothing written on it. Halthren frowned as the weight of disappointment began to settle in. Wait. It's blank? Why would it be blank?

  Suddenly, a fierce wind began to blow, seeming to come from everywhere at once, whirling like a hurricane and whipping Halthren's hair in every direction. He could feel the angry breeze slapping at his face and eyes, as if trying to pull him away from the Book. The ancient, blank pages rustled violently, wildly flipping past in the raging wind. As they turned, a blinding light as bright as the sun shone from within the Book's binding, piercing Halthren's gaze like a knife. He gasped in shock and recoiled, struggling to shield his eyes, but his hands were tightly fixed to the pillar through magic and he couldn't move. He squinted, his eyes gradually adapting to the fierce light.

  The wind suddenly ceased, and the Book lay open at a page located a bit past the middle. Breathing heavily, Halthren leaned forward, peering into the light, his eyes beginning to sting.

  An image began to appear on the page, starting as a splash of color in the center that spread across the ancient parchment like a drop of watercolor paint. It began with blue and green, but eventually a dark, reddish brown was added in the center, and another shade of blue appeared, more of a turquoise, at the bottom of the page. And so a picture was created by magic: a blue midday sky hovering over a russet-colored canyon. Cutting into the rocks was a waterfall, splashing into a pool of turquoise-tinted water surrounded by orange-tinged pink sand. Dark green moss grew on the cliff face beside the waterfall—the color of pine needles. A fat, bushy juniper tree grew at the top of the falls and several more stood at the bottom, lining the edges of the pool

  Words written by an unseen hand appeared on the opposite page:

  The Sword of Light is hidden near this waterfall in Taklamen, where the dwarves dwell. Behind the curtain of water, hidden from view, there is a stone slab jutting out from the surface of the cliff, leading to the cavern where the Sword is kept. Only an Earth Child may wield the Sword without being struck down by the heavens.

  Halthren read the words, excitement coursing through him. Taklamen! The Sword lies in Taklamen! He stared at the magical image of the waterfall for several minutes more, committing it to his memory. Then he turned and left the building. His heart was pounding fiercely.

  "What did the Book say?" asked the Sage of Fire eagerly. Night had almost fallen; the last sliver of sunlight was retreating beyond the horizon and Halthren could barely make out where the Sage was standing.

  "I must return to Katie," he responded instead of answering her question. Then he added, "The Book told me where to find the Sword of Light."

  "Good," the sage replied, lifting him in her talons once more. The flight back wasn't nearly as bad, perhaps because the stars were out, splattered haphazardly across the dark blue plane of the night sky, and they brought Hal
thren courage. For the first time in several weeks, he knew wholeheartedly that the elves could be victorious. We know where the Sword of Light lies. Now all we have to do is get it, and then defeat Nashgor. We can do this. We can win!

  * * *

  When he arrived at the dark black palace once more, the sky was lightening to a faint gray; dawn was coming. The sage told him where he could find the emperor, so he raced through the dark halls until he reached Occupinvi's quarters. As he went, he realized that griffins didn't use doors. Every room he passed was open to anyone that wanted to come in, and the entrance to the emperor's nest was little more than an opening in the wall, decorated with ornate carvings of clouds, mountains, and stars. Inside, Occupinvi was sound asleep, nestled in a circular bed of straw and twigs woven together, lying on his stomach with his head resting on his talons.

  Well, this is awkward, Halthren thought uncomfortably. He faked a small cough, hoping that the emperor would wake up, but he did not stir. "Your Majesty," he said in a loud voice. "Emperor Occupinvi. Sir."

  The griffin didn't even twitch. Halthren was getting annoyed. I need to know where Katie is, and the emperor is probably the only one who knows. "Er, Emperor Occupinvi, you should wake up now," he said, his voice incrementally louder. The sun was rising, filling the halls with pale pink light. There was a window in the emperor's room, and the sun was beginning to peer through, directly into Halthren's eyes. Halthren turned away; his eyes were already sore from his encounter with the Book of Legends.

  It was then that he noticed a mirror on the wall behind him. Oh, he realized. So the sun shines through the window, its beams hit the mirror, and the light reflects into Occupinvi's eyes, waking him. Not a great way to wake up, but…at least it's effective.

  He walked away the room and leaned his back against the smooth black wall, deciding that he'd much rather wait for the sun to rise enough instead of being blatantly rude. It was still difficult to wait, though, because the sun seemed to take especially long to rise this morning. Halthren clenched his teeth, mentally urging it to speed up. He felt fidgety; his feet felt tingly and he didn't know what to do with his hands. His nose itched, so he scratched it. His throat tickled, and he coughed slightly, suddenly wishing for a drink of water.

  The sun was had barely reached the bottom of the mirror.

  Bored, Halthren crossed his arms over his chest, but that felt uncomfortable after a while, so he dropped them down to his sides. That didn't feel right, either. Frustrated with himself, he sank to the ground and hugged his knees to his chest, and that felt a bit more… natural… but then his feet began to fall asleep.

  The sun still inching slowly upwards, taking its time.

  This morning is cursed, he thought angrily. It's taking too long, and I have a journey to embark on.

  "Halthren? You're back." Halthren turned to see Katie walking down the hall towards him and his heart leapt. "Was it fun—I mean, was the Book helpful?"

  Halthren bit back a smile. He could tell from her voice that she would have loved being carried through the air in a griffin's talons. He got to his feet, searching her pine-green eyes. "We're going to Taklamen, the kingdom of the dwarves. There we must find a red canyon with a waterfall and a pool the color of turquoise gems."

  Katie grinned at him. Halthren felt his frustration evaporate like early morning dew. "Great," she said. "Where's Loriina?"

  Halthren smiled. "She's probably flying around in the mist. I've heard that dragons like to do that."

  "Let's go watch for her, then," Katie said, taking him by the hand and leading him to the large open room they'd stood in with Occupinvi the day before. They walked out to a balcony on the far side of the room, gazing at the sunrise and the golden mist clinging to the mountains. "There she is," Katie observed, pointing into the clouds. But after a while, Halthren realized that she wasn't looking at the dragon anymore. She was looking at him.

  "What is it?" he asked softly, feeling self-consciousness creep over him.

  "What you said about Light… do I really have the same powers as you?"

  Halthren nodded solemnly. "Of course. You have a great deal of Goodness in you."

  Katie looked frightened. "And a great deal of Darkness as well."

  Halthren shook his head urgently, tightening his grip on her hands. Seeing her with fear on her face filled his heart with a powerful desire to protect her, to keep her safe and happy, far from all fear. "Not a great deal," he assured her. "Only a bit. And I know that you could never let it overcome you."

  Katie looked away from him. "After the roc attacked us and took you away… Loriina stopped on a large black island surrounded by Dark mist. Relenthus was suffering. Loriina was asleep from fatigue; we couldn't leave. And Relenthus…the mist was killing him. For several moments I just stood there, not doing anything…I even laughed. I was horrified by myself."

  Halthren was silent for several moments, trying to imagine it. He shivered. But he knew Katie. He knew who she was, and he was certain that she would never willingly let someone else suffer. "That wasn't you, Katie. Anything that has Darkness in it, like that mist…Nashgor can control. It was influencing you, tempting you. But obviously Relenthus is alive, and so you must have thrown Nashgor off. Few can claim to have done that, Katie. It takes great courage and strength, and I truly admire you for that." He felt his cheeks grow hot as he said that, and suddenly he felt uncomfortable.

  "Thanks," Katie said softly. She put one hand to her chest, directly over her chest, her face scrunched in concentration, and after a few moments she gasped and drew her hand away. A shining globe of Light sat in her palm. "I—I did it!" she exclaimed. "I do have Light!"

  "I know," Halthren grinned, his self-consciousness forgotten in the face of her excitement.

  "Should we call Loriina now?" she asked, closing her fingers around the Light and sending it back into her soul.

  Halthren glanced up and saw the dragon gliding in circles through the fog. "Yes; I'd rather leave now, before the griffins awaken. There's a chance that the demons and their vultures are still asleep, as well."

  Katie rested her hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright?" she asked concernedly. "After the flight and everything?"

  "I'm fine," he answered honestly. "For the first time in a long while, I'm truly fine." He smiled at her. Acting on an impulse, he wrapped his arms around her and held her to his chest, planting a gentle kiss on her forehead. So this is what it feels like to be overcome by hope. His heart fluttered as Katie leaned into him, pressing her cheek to his breast where it was exposed by the neck of his tunic. Her face felt pleasantly warm against his skin, soothing the almost constant pain of the cut over his heart, and for that moment, he felt completely free from his curse.

  The Fight

  The Fight

  The day had arrived. Nashgor's one remaining puppet, the demon king, was probably already waiting on the borders. Joran, like Halthren, was impatient for the sun to rise. As the sky gradually lightened, he'd grown more and more restless as he went through everything he'd ever learned about fighting demons in his mind, wishing that Halthren would magically appear and boost his confidence.

  "Your armies are ready," a grim voice called. Joran turned to see Relenthus walking toward him through the assemblage of tents a few miles from the border, dressed in his regular travelling attire—a simple tunic, leggings, and short boots. His face was unusually devoid of any mischievousness.

  "Thanks for telling me, Relenthus," Joran said, hurrying to join his friend. "You shouldn't be so unhappy. It doesn't suit you at all."

  Relenthus smiled ruefully. "I can't think of anything to say that could lighten this situation. I fear that before this day, I've been extremely immature by not taking Dark things seriously."

  Joran looked into his friend's sky-blue eyes. "You must understand, Relenthus, that without your smiles and teasing, everyone would be depressed and miserable. It isn't immature at all."

  They were silent as they walked among the canvas
tents that were being taken down all over the field. "Are you certain your armor will be enough?" Relenthus asked uncertainly.

  "Not really. I'm depending on being light and quick, and armor will slow me down." He wore a metal helmet along with leather padding on his forearms, shins, and shoulders, and he carried a shield, but other than that he wore only a simple tunic and leggings. "What about you?" Joran asked.

  Relenthus shrugged. "Oh, well. My mare is growing old; I don't want to be too much of a burden for her."

  "There are other horses," Joran offered. "They're younger and stronger. They could carry five elves in full armor."

  Relenthus laughed. "You ask me to ride another and leave Meliara? She's been my companion through many adventures. She'd be angry and hurt if I ride another to battle."

  Joran smiled. "Go ahead, then. But I don't want you to get hurt."