"You are a creature of dreams," she whispered with a grin.
The mare tossed its head, seemingly pleased with Ruby's praise. They were clearly proud beasts, aware of their beauty.
The ground shook again and the mare stepped back quickly.
“Come, enough lingering,” Odi said firmly and in the next instant, his firm grip captured her narrow waist and lifted her onto the horse’s back.
“Legs forward at all times,” he instructed.
“Wait what about Ryder? And how will you get in?”
“Don’t worry, there are other ways inside the mountain, you’re getting the special tour,” he said, “As for Ryder, I will take care of him, he is home.”
Her horse fell into step with Acha’s, “what did you mean about your ways being written on my heart,” she asked as they neared the mountain.
He smiled, “In Neru it is customary to honor the one who pulled you into the world, it brings you further favor from El. Now princess, hold on tight.”
As soon as her grip tightened on the horse’s mane, it reared backwards onto its hind legs and neighed cheerfully. Then from its side unfurled two broad feathered wings. Ruby’s eyes widened and a small gasp escaped her as the creature gently lifted her into the air with two powerful flaps of its wings.
Acha looked back at her and laughed, “welcome to Neru princess!” he shouted, “follow me.”
Chapter 34
Jasper watched from the city wall as the Tyatarran princess and her dragon laid down a wall of fire across the front of the citadel. It would hold back the army charging towards them but he doubted it would hold back the beast slowly following. Dravia’s army had doubled before their eyes. He looked over at Shadaya, who had followed up to the wall, and he could see his worry reflected in her eyes.
“Jasper,” she started.
“Don’t say it,” he said quickly, “don’t say it.”
He wondered if she regretted coming here and giving up her place among her people. If somehow him and his kingdom seemed pathetic in her sight now,
“Are the people secure?”
They both turned to see his father stomping towards them, his staff in hand, his face glistening with his sweat. He had ridden hard back to the city with the Dravian army at his heels and Eylisia covering him from above.
“Yes, your majesty,” Shadaya replied quickly.
“Good.”
“Our light stone walls can still hold them back,” Jasper said.
The king shook his head, “That light in its eyes, it’s the eastern strider’s gem, somehom Haddin managed to figure out how to use it to breach the border. That’s the prophecy playing out before us. The walls won’t keep it out.”
“People of Aldor!”
Everything stopped within the walls of the city. The creature along with the Dravian army and their allies; the East included, had stopped just before the wall of fire. And the voice was coming from the creature. It was as loud and clear as if the owner of it was standing in the middle of Stone Vale.
“I hate sorcery,” the king growled, causing Shadaya to shift uncomfortably beside Jasper.
“Your walls are no match for us, your feeble weapons are no match for us. Today is the day you fall, today is the day Dravia takes your city and strips you of your pride…”
“Look, on the creature’s shoulder,” Shadaya said quickly, drawing their attention to Haddin standing on the shoulder of his giant demon.
Haddin continued, “…The great and powerful kingdom of Aldor falls today. I Haddin Demeris, King of Dravia, liberate the people of Saharia from your tyranny, from your bondage, and from your lies. People of Aldor take your freedom!”
With his last words a loud roar erupted from within the city. All three of them turned simultaneously to look over the wall. Sure enough, people were flooding into the town square with weapons lifted charging towards Aldor’s soldiers. Jasper watched, horrified as soldier turned against soldier, villager against villager… it was Caldwell all over again.
Jasper and his father shared a look of panic, “he’s turned them,” Jasper said with shock. El knows he did not see that coming.
“No,” the king said, “he’s liberated them,” there was a bitter twist to his lips.
When they looked out again, the creature had started moving towards them again. Walking through the fire like nothing. They watched dumbfounded as the creature lifted large hands and brought them down hard against the front wall. Everything shook.
Shadaya drew her sword and took down a brave but foolish soldier who had started charging towards them. The outlanders bounded towards the city, moving with lightning speed they started climbing up the back of the giant. Jasper knew what they would do next, within minutes they would be over the wall and inside the city.
“You have to go,” his father said.
“No!” Jasper protested, “I’m not leaving this. We can subdue them.”
“Even if we subdue them within, there is an army approaching from without.”
As he spoke, he took his scepter and turned it around. Forcefully, he started to twist the bottom until it came loose and detached from his scepter. When he extended his hand to Jasper, he had a small round object in his large palm.
“Take this, it’s what Haddin wants. You must not let him have it.”
“Father,” tears of frustration were forming in Jasper’s eyes, “I’m not leaving you.”
“Jasper look out!” Shadaya cried.
Jasper turned around in time to see a spear hurtling towards him, from the hands of a very focused Outlander who was clinging to the monster’s back. Before the spear could land, he felt it lodging in his chest and taking all his father’s hope with it. But Shadaya dove in front of him with a hand outstretched and both Jasper and his father watched as a transparent blue shield formed out of the palm of her hand, deflecting the Outlander’s spear.
“How are you doing that?” he asked in shock.
Shadaya’s eyes were wide in panic when she glanced back at him, he knew what frightened her about what she was doing. And he had to admit, he too had questions. But whatever it was she did, just saved his life.
“I don’t know,” she replied.
“Whatever it is, hold it,” he said, grabbing a bow and firing three arrows successively around the edge of her magical shield. The brave Outlander fell to the ground and immediately he sensed Haddin’s eyes on him.
He turned to his father now, expecting to see pure outrage over what Shadaya was doing, instead he saw that same look of desperation.
“Like I said,” he said boldly, “I’m not leaving you. With Shadaya…”
“With Shadaya nothing,” his father interjected.
“She doesn’t even know how she’s doing what she’s doing. You have to go now. Haddin has spotted us. Look Jasper you are the future of Aldor… if El is merciful I will be right behind you,” the king said with sadness in his eyes.
“And if he’s not.”
The ground started to shake again, as the creature pounded against the walls. The king lifted a hand to his son’s face, gazing upon him with love and farewell in his eyes, “then Aldor is in good hands.”
“Jasper I can’t keep this up,” Shadaya cried, even as another slew of arrows bounced off her shield.
Kalgary reached out and took Jasper’s hand and folded his fingers over the object, “protect your people, serve El better than I did. Go now!”
The king looked over Jasper’s shoulder at Shadaya, with a pleading look in his eyes. She dropped her shield, reached out and grabbed Jasper’s arm, “we have to go Jas.”
✽✽✽
King Kalgary turned away from his son, feeling his heart break at their tearful parting. But with the people turning against each other, his own soldiers included the battle was lost. He had underestimated Haddin, they could only win if they were in one accord. So Haddin had injected confusion among them, turned hearts towards the darkness and away from him
. Ajorel was right. But he had one more thing to try, even if it was the last thing he did, he could not let that creature live.
“Archer’s fire at will!” he commanded as he moved down the wall, closer to where the creature was about to break through.
From there he could see its master clearly, their eyes met as Kalgary lifted his scepter and released a burst of light that hit its shoulder. The creature growled and turned to look at him, now he aimed at the creature’s glimmering eye and fired again. This time the creature screeched and reached its hands up to cover its eyes. Haddin’s smug look transformed into anger and he urged the creature back to its task.
“It’ll take more than that to take down that monster,” a voice said behind him.
He looked over and saw Mbede, standing with his hands behind his back. Looking at him with that familiar prideful judgement. When he turned away it was to the sight of Haddin levitating towards him. The small pretty man landed in front of him atop the wall and with a hand brushed his shiny gold hair away from his eyes.
He chuckled. Haddin frowned, “do you find something funny?”
The king shrugged, “I’m just finally getting to see for myself why your father never thought you worthy to be his heir. Has your supple skin ever seen the light of day before today?”
Haddin glared at him, his lips trembling in outrage. Just as the king thought, he was a fragile emotional boy. He was no king, just a boy doing his mother’s bidding.
“You think if you bring Luska back she’ll love you more than she did before? I know my sister, she’s incapable of it and so are you. Do you want to know why?”
Haddin continued to glare at him.
“Because love is of El,” with that he swung his scepter catching Haddin across the face with it.
The man fell like a top heavy hay stack. While he staggered to his feet, Kalgary launched another burst of light at the creature. It roared again, exposing the flaming cesspool that was its mouth. He looked at Haddin in time to see him launch a flaming ball of magic towards him. Easily, Kalgary deflected it with his scepter.
“Another thing I hate about you sorcerers, without your magic you’re nothing but weak willed, feeble cowards.”
Kalgary hit him with his scepter again and he stumbled back against the wall, too ashamed to fall again. Refusing to give him time to recover again, Kalgary moved closer to him and leveled his fist against his face… repeatedly. Haddin’s head lolled and he staggered backward slowly before falling flat on his behind.
“I know what you want,” Kalgary said, “but you won’t get it. Your mother will stay locked up and you will die right here on the walls of the city you hate so much.”
Haddin chuckled, grinning his bloody teeth at the king. Tiny cracks had started to appear on his flawless face as blood trickled from his lips. Kalgary turned up his lips in scorn, the man was fragile in every sense.
“You fool, trust is your weakness,” Haddin said as he cackled. He threw his head back and roared with laughter.
✽✽✽
“Jasper come on,” Shadaya urged breathlessly. That little stunt she pulled back there seemed to have taken a lot out of her.
They had made it out of the city with a few more of their own, but Jasper couldn’t take his mind off his father. He turned around and looked up on the wall where his father was fighting Haddin… and winning. For a moment hope soared in his heart and he considered the possibility that they might still win. But then he saw Mbede, that snake, approaching his father from behind.
“Father turn around!” Jasper shouted, “turn around!”
He turned to Shadaya who was looking at the seen too, with horror in her eyes, “Shadaya do something!”
She looked at him with panic in her eyes, “I can’t,” she whispered.
He reached out to her and grabbed her shoulder, they were both still astride their horse, “please try.”
But it was too late and he was too far. He watched helplessly as Mbede shoved a spear through his father’s back. Jasper would have bolted forward, but his own knight’s arms were strong enough to restrain him.
“Please Jasper,” he heard Shadaya’s plea and he felt her hand on his arm.
“Please, there’s nothing more you can do today.”
Tears fell freely from his eyes as he watched his father fight to stay standing long enough to fire a shot at the giant one more time. This time the creature fell through the wall of the city, just as Kalgary fell to his knees.
“Is it dead?” he heard one of his men ask.
But he could not tear his eyes away from his father to be sure. He watched as Haddin rose to his feet with a red power ball hovering above his palm. Like the coward he is, Haddin struck his father, once, twice. And while on his knees with a spear still lodged in his back, Haddin launched the finishing blow. Jasper turned away; he urged his horse into a rhythm that would take him away from the place he once called home.
“Over here!”
They looked towards the trees and saw Ajorel, “this way!” he shouted, beckoning them towards him. Jasper looked over at Geoff then Shadaya and the small group of them who had managed to escape the fray and he turned in the direction of the prophet. His father had made the mistake of not listening to him, Jasper was not about to do the same.
Chapter 35
The pain of his injuries roared to life as Deswald floated back into consciousness. He turned his heavy aching head away from the blurry wall and towards the other side of his cell and spat the blood from his mouth. He could feel the cold from the wet ground seeping into his bones as he laid stretched out upon it.
“You fought well boy,” came a familiar voice from across the room.
His blurred vision cleared sufficiently to make out the smug smile of his cell mate atop his narrow bed.
Deswald groaned.
“That cut doesn’t look so good though.”
Deswald rolled his eyes. Day after day the man returned to the cell alive, wounded, sometimes with something broken, but never sustaining a wound to his mouth that was sufficient to shut him up.
He saw him move towards him and then felt firm hands turn him around and pull him upright. He felt himself being dragged across the cold cell onto the dry cot on the stone bed, and he was made to lean against the wall. The man bent down in front of him and pulled back the skin of his swollen eye, Deswald winced.
“Wounds can heal but that cold in your bones won’t help you get out of here,” the man said.
Deswald felt him apply something cool and soothing to his eyes, “thanks,” he muttered.
“You’re welcome,” the man replied.
“Why are you helping me?”
The man shrugged, stringy blonde hair falling into his eyes, “us Dravians have to stick together if we want to get out of a place like this. Don’t you agree?”
Deswald was learning more and more not to trust anyone these days, “where did you get the salve?”
The man grinned, handing him a cup of water, “I have a friend in a high place.”
Deswald continued to glare at him, “why are you helping me?” he asked again.
The man smirked, “I could use a guy like you… when we get out of here. You’re a solid fighter. If we stick together, maybe we can both get out of here alive. But we have to make it to the end.”
Deswald thirstily gulped the water, desperate to ease his parched throat, “Why?”
“Because they have something that belongs to me and I’m not leaving here without it.”
“I didn’t sign up for this,” Deswald responded, sliding down to lie flat on his cot and turning his back to his cell mate.
“Neither did I. You think I wanted to be captured by dumb Narkans…”
“If they’re so dumb what does that make us,” Deswald countered, his voice muffled against his arms. He could still sense the man hovering over him.
“I see that punch to the face hasn’t knocked out your sense of humor. Come on man, do you want to stay here
and remain the Narkan’s play thing until your body gives up?”
Deswald turned around, focusing his one good eyes on the man looking down at him expectantly, “How are you so sure you can trust me?”
“Because you want to get out of here as much as I do. Aldor has fallen, the North has been taken. The south is holding their end, but I don’t know how long they can hold out. Dravia has conquered the lands beyond the border. Saharia is a mess. If we don’t stick together, there isn’t much better we can do.”
Deswald felt his heart sink. Instantly his mind went to Ruby; he had told her to go to the North, that she would be safe there. If Haddin and Serin were in control of things, she would not stand a chance. His heart broke, he felt so helpless and so foolish, for having gotten himself captured shortly after leaving Stone Vale and for having made promises he could not keep.
“You must be proud,” he managed through the knot in his throat.
“Why? Because I’m Dravian? Hardly. Haddin has disrupted the balance, putting all our lives at risk. He’s always been an insolent, selfish, idiot. Dravian or not, I can’t stand for that.”
Deswald lifted his eyes to the man, taking in his blue eyes, fair skin and gold hair, “You know him… personally,” he said.
“Better than most. And I’m going to destroy him. Are you in?”
Deswald swallowed hard, then nodded slowly, “Yes,” he managed.
The man grinned and extended his hand, “I’m Dray.”
Deswald frowned, “Dray… as in… Prince Drayton?”
Dray winked, “can you keep a secret?”
Deswald took his offered hand, with his bloody one, “Deswald. Of course, I can.”
✽✽✽
Ruby sat in a cool room sipping the sweetest drink she had ever tasted; it was like warm honey on her tongue. She breathed in the pleasant spices within it and sighed, she could get used to this. The new Neru was even more awesome than she had expected. Acha’s tour on the fire mare, gave her a memory that she would cherish in her heart for the rest of her life. Forever embedded in her mind was the breathtaking feeling of falling through the clouds and leveling out over a quaint little city nestled comfortably within the valley. It was much like the Neru she had recently discovered but exploding with the life of her own people. Their dwellings were rounded wooden structures with straw roofs, that fit like hats. In its simplicity the creativity of the architecture added a homey feel to the city, the greenery of the forest amidst the mountains injected vibrant colours into the image in her mind. When she had landed it was before a large structure, with multiple rounded structures wedged together, elevated on wooden pillars, a beautiful wooden walkway encircling each curve and meeting at wooden stairs to the front. There a had waited for her and she was ushered inside by Acha, even while the people curiously emerged from their smaller, ground level homes. She could not wait to get over the formalities and begin exploring the place.
Kingdom's Darkness (Gemstone Royals Book 2) Page 28