The Elemental Trilogy Box Set

by Toni Cox

  Alert, the Generals paced, scanning the forest around them with care. Jaik often wondered about the differences between the general population of Vampyres and those they had come to call the Generals.

  The physical differences were striking; taller, stronger, faster, and with almost noble features. They also distinguished themselves by their clothes. During the first war, the Generals had already worn clothes that spoke of standing amongst their people, but now that they had access to fabrics and other materials from Elveron, the Generals dressed to impress. Breast plates and long coats were some of the standard items they now all wore.

  What Jaik had come to respect most about the Generals over the past couple of years, was their superior intelligence. The other Vampyres sometimes came across as crude, uneducated, simply following orders blindly. They showed little initiative in comparison with the Generals.

  This nobler - Jaik didn’t know what else to call it - kind of Vampyre had not just intelligence to rival the Elders, but also cunning, and a knack for strategic planning. Jaik knew this, yet managed to underestimate them time and again.

  Silas said Naylera was ruled by only one king. This king of all Vampyres ruled over a network of nobles, who in turn ruled their respective countries. Silas suspected, over time, the nobles had separated themselves from the common people, marrying only within their ranks. Jaik suspected they did something similar with the Werewolves, as the common Vampyres’ hounds were as different from the Generals’ Werewolves as the commoners were from the nobles.

  Edging his way closer toward the Hall of the Guardians, it mattered little to him that he could be approaching, and planning to kill, the nobles of Naylera. They had invaded his home, killed his people, and they needed to be stopped.

  Jaik looked up through the trees. Weak, winter sunshine filtered down from the canopy, dappling the ground with shadows. The wind moved the trees above, making the shadows dance across the ground. Jaik used the moving shadows to his advantage as he moved stealthily forward. If only he could prevent his breath from forming clouds of steam in the frigid air.

  Jaik signalled to his men. Only the open ground in front of the hall now separated them from the two Generals. On another signal, two arrows shot from bows hidden within the trees around him and found their marks in the Vampyres throats.

  As the two Generals staggered around, trying to yank the arrows from their necks, Jaik’s men sprinted across the clearing towards the hall. Jaik reached it first and killed one of the Generals with one, swift motion. Filithrin soon had the other dead.

  Two men dragged the Generals away into the undergrowth, while Jaik quietly spoke to his men. Those that had circled around the back had found no sign of Vampyres, so Jaik had to assume all eighteen to be in the hall. The numbers were in his favour, as he had twenty-two men with him, but he knew what the Generals were capable of.

  They entered the hall with caution.

  Silence greeted them when they opened the door; the large entrance hall was deserted. Quickly, his men spread out around him and they made their way across the polished floor towards his father’s chamber. The door stood ajar and Jaik could see the red glow from the fireplace within.

  Edging his way along the wall, Jaik peered into the room. Silas knelt in front of the fire, his hands bound behind his back, bleeding from his temple. Two more Sentinels lay dead along the wall to the left, pale and drained of blood. Maps and scrolls lay scattered across the floor.

  Pressing his lips together, Jaik gazed further around the edge. Three Generals stood at his father’s desk, while another two stood somewhat behind Silas, spears pointed towards the old Elf’s back.

  Frowning, Jaik turned to his men. “They have Lord Nightshield. Bound and beaten.”

  “How many Generals?” Filithrin asked.

  “Only five of them inside.”

  “That leaves thirteen unaccounted for,” Filithrin replied.

  “Take some men and find those Generals. Whatever they are planning, it can’t be good. The rest, come with me. We need to get Silas out of there.”

  His men nodded and there was some shuffling as they separated into their groups. Filithrin’s group retreated towards the entrance and Jaik’s men drew their blades to enter the chamber.

  “Ah, thee prince has arrived,” the accented voice of a General froze them in place. “We ‘ave been vaiting for you.”

  “Archer, to me,” Jagaer shouted across the clearing.

  The Guard responded by aiming his bow straight at him and letting his arrow fly. Jagaer ducked, the arrow sinking deep into the shoulder of the Vampyre behind him. Turning quickly, Jagaer finished him off by cutting his throat.

  “My Lord,” Archer yelled over the noise of the fighting around them, “we need to get out of here.”

  Together, they ran through the trees towards the area where they had made camp. They could hear their dragons roar in the distance.

  “Another ambush,” Jagaer said as they ran.

  “Too many now,” Archer replied.

  They raced around a corner and the dragons came into view. They had spread out, fighting the Werewolves of the Vampyres that had attacked them. Archer whistled and his dragon, Cloudjumper, left the group of fighting dragons, a Werewolf still hanging limply from her maw. She dropped it at their feet when she reached them.

  “There’s my girl,” Archer said, stroking the dragon’s scaly nose, before turning to Jagaer. “Fly high, My Lord, above the reach of their arrows. I will follow with Shockwave as soon as I find him.”

  “Make haste, Archer, we need to find the others.”

  “Aye, My Lord.”

  The Guard helped him into the saddle and then the dragon rose into the sky. Jagaer hated to step away from the fight, but they had all agreed to ensure his safety foremost so that he could see out his mission. They needed the assistance of the other countries to keep Grildor and the rest of Elveron safe. If Jagaer was dead and unable to unite the nations, it might be too late for them all.

  As the dragon circled higher, he watched Archer run across the field where they made camp. Their tents lay trampled where the dragons battled with the Werewolves. From his vantage point, he could now see that the fighting was mostly over on this side of the long but narrow forest.

  Archer wound his way bravely between the dragons, ducking underneath tails and avoiding their stamping feet. Once, Archer drew his sword and ended the life of one of the last Werewolves still on the field.

  Cloudjumper reached a height from which Jagaer could see over the forest to the other side. There, the fighting had also slowed, but, to his dismay, he noticed almost as many Elves dead on the snowy ground as Vampyres.

  Anger surged through him. They had been so careful. They did not let anyone know where they would camp while not in the cities. No one knew their travel itinerary except those travelling with them and he trusted every man with his life. How had they been ambushed seven times already?

  They had lost five men so far and, from what he could see from this height, at least another five today. They were a day’s travel from the next city, with only three more countries to visit. They were close to accomplishing their goal.

  Cloudjumper squawked shrilly and Jagaer followed her gaze down. The dragons had lifted from the ground and now rose towards him; Archer in the lead, on Shockwave. The two dragons circled each other, with the rest swirling around them, before they dove together towards the other side of the forest.

  Swooping low over the field, they made short work of the remaining Vampyres and soon landed. Jagaer and Archer jumped off their dragons simultaneously, running towards the remaining warriors.

  “Report,” Jagaer shouted even before he halted before Commander Hollowdale.

  “Four dead, two wounded,” Evandeor said. “We saw two Vampyres escaping into the forest, the rest are dead.”

  “We think the dragons took care of the Werewolves, but we cannot be sure,” Archer added.

  “Let’s get the men off the grou
nd,” Jagaer said. “Are the injured able to fly?”

  “Aye, My Lord,” Commander Hollowdale said, “they will fly.”

  “Then let us not delay. If we fly straight, we can be in the city within eight hours. See to your men.”

  “Yes, My Lord.” Commander Hollowdale turned, taking most of his men with him.

  Jagaer watched him seeing to the injured men, before he shifted to Archer. “I never thought a battalion of Battle Dragons could be so vulnerable.” He shook his head. “It is as if the Vampyres can predict our every move.”

  “Do you think there is a traitor amongst us?”

  “No, this is not from within. There must be spies within the cities and the Vampyres have a more extensive network of communication than we anticipated. We have been handling this with blinkers, Archer. The problem is more widespread than anticipated.”

  “What can we do?”

  “We carry on. We complete our quest, unite our countries, and then save our planet. I fear the assumption that the Vampyres have been planning this for longer than two years is true. I am prone to think this has been at least a decade in the making and that the first two wars were simply battles in a much larger plan. They weaken us, discourage us, and then attack only when the timing is right. A war such as Elveron has not seen in millennia is coming and unless we rally our people, the elven race might be lost forever.”

  “They have been succeeding, My Lord. We have lost thousands of fighters over the past two years. How can we prevent more from following the same fate?”

  “I have hope, Archer. The Vampyres might outnumber us, but this is our planet. We have a lot more to fight for. We have already dispatched messages to Grildor to let them know the Vampyres are not hindered by the cold weather and that they should expect attacks. They will be ready by the time we return.”

  “What about your daughter, My Lord? Do you think she is coming back?”

  “Maia would never abandon her people in their time of need. I only wish I knew where she was now, for we could use her help.”

  “Pardon me for being frank, My Lord, but I also think Maia will return. I believe she is absent only to help us, even if we do not understand her reasoning. From what I have learned from Jasmin, Maia left with a plan, although Maia did not share this plan with Jasmin.”

  “I wish I could understand as well.” Jagaer’s face darkened as he again thought of what Malyn had said to him. His blood ran cold at the mere thought of Blaid.

  “I have never had reason not to trust her, My Lord. If I may be so bold, neither have you. If you have faith in our people, then you should also have faith in her.”

  Jagaer looked at the Guard with a cold eye. The Guard did not flinch; he gave him that. “That is bold, Archer, but maybe you are right. Let us hope she returns to us soon. Now, come, the men are ready.”

  They remounted their dragons and then rose high into the sky. The air got colder and colder the higher they went and Jagaer was glad for Shockwave’s body heat as they headed towards their destination.

  The injured men held up well during the flight and they pushed through without rest until the lights of the city came into view. Commander Hollowdale dispatched a Scout to announce them while they circled above the city, preferring to remain in the air until it was safe to land.

  Yleen Sala, within the borders of Serengate, was the third last city they planned to visit. Lord Salter was well disposed towards Grildor and Jagaer expected no resistance from him. Although Serengate did not have a large army, Jagaer knew them to be good fighters.

  After Yleen Sala, only Nevendal in Bron, and Elders Hope in Oberon, remained. From there, they would return home to Grildor. The journey so far had taken them less time than expected and they had been successful in accomplishing their task.

  Commander Hollowdale gave the signal to bring their dragons in. Jagaer, flanked by Archer and Munnar, descended on the city, to land in a large, snowy field on a rise overlooking the sparkling lights of Yleen Sala.

  The blustery wind sent its icy fingers into Jagaer’s coat as he climbed off Shockwave’s back and he shivered as they made their way towards the city. Halfway down the hill, they met with four Sentinels, who led them on through the gates and on to the Hall of the Guardians.

  Most cities had received Jagaer’s delegation within their war chambers, and only later taken them through to their halls, or accommodations. It proved to Jagaer that they afforded his visit the respect it deserved and he did not mind coming straight to the point of his visit, even after a whole day of flying.

  Lord Salter awaited their arrival and, once Servers had brought mulled wine, they started their discussion. As expected, Lord Salter was agreeable to his request and pledged every man and woman able to fight to march as soon as he could assemble them.

  “I never received your message about aid,” Lord Salter said after the official talks were over, “or I would have sent my Legion to your assistance immediately.”

  “It is as most Lords have told me,” Jagaer agreed. “We assumed our neighbours were not willing to aid in our plight, but after many discussions we learned that most messages were not delivered to the intended persons and, in some cases, the replies we received were forged. The Vampyres have built up a much larger network of communication than we thought possible.”

  “So, for two years you have been facing this threat by yourself?”

  “Indeed. It has drained us, which is why we have now come to you. I started on this journey to unite our nations in this fight so we may defeat the Vampyres in battle once more, but it has now become apparent that we are fighting a war on a much larger scale.”

  “You mentioned that even some of the other Gates have been attacked. Do you know the extent of those attacks? Have they been fighting battles as intense as you have faced in Grildor?”

  “From the information we have, no, but we now believe some of the messages from those countries to be forged, too. There are few channels of communication I still trust in and we are doing everything we can to keep them safe.”

  Lord Salter shook his head. “I cannot believe that another race would attack us like this. This has never happened before in the history of the Life Planets. Sure, there have been wars, but never anything like this.”

  “Unfortunately, it is true. We know that the Vampyres are after our resources and suspect they want to enslave us for labour and probably as food. Our Elders think they may have other reasons, too, but we do not know yet what those could be. We have only been able to send spies to Naylera on two occasions and those excursions have yielded little information. Most of what we know is from the traitor my daughter caught during the second war.”

  “It is a sad state of affairs, indeed,” Lord Salter said. “I commend you, though; it seems your daughter has grown into her role of Life Elemental. Is she also on a quest? My men tell me she travelled through Serengate on the back of that black beast she keeps.”

  Jagaer sat up straighter, shocked at Lord Salter’s proclamation.

  “She did not stay in Serengate,” Lord Salter continued. “As a matter of fact, she seemed to be in a hurry and made her way across the country within a few days. She was seen several times and the information eventually filtered through to me.”

  “Can you tell me how long ago this was? Do you know in which direction she was heading?”

  “She came through here a couple of Quarters past, heading towards Levandor.”

  Lord Salter looked at him strangely, no doubt wondering why Jagaer did not know what his daughter was up to. Jagaer did not care what Lord Salter thought. All that mattered to him was the fact that he finally had some solid information on Maia’s whereabouts.

  Towards Levandor. They just came from there. The city of Lothrinden had been their last stop before Yleen Sala. Why had they not seen her? He shook his head. Levandor was a big country and the chances were slim at best.

  He worried, however. They had been attacked by Vampyres within the borders of Levandor just
a few hours ago. His only consolation was that Maia was travelling with Midnight.

  What she could possibly be doing in Levandor? Maybe she had simply travelled through, same as she had simply travelled through Serengate? What was beyond Levandor? Only the impassable mountain range that separated the greater nations of Grildor from the countries beyond.

  He tried to recall what Maia had told him about how high Midnight could fly before the air could no longer sustain him. The peaks of the mountains separating Levandor from Elbendal towered at nothing short of twenty miles high. He doubted even Maia’s mighty dragon could fly that high.

  Jagaer wished he could call on Elbendal for support as well - their armies were legendary - but even if he could get word to them, they would not get to Grildor before the spring. The distances were simply too great.

  “Thank you for your support and hospitality,” Jagaer finally said. “It has been a long journey for us and my men need to rest. Thank you, also, for seeing to our injured.”

  Lord Salter stood. “Of course, My Lord. Your injured may stay with us until they are fit to travel again. We will give them the provisions they need for their trip home. I have already arranged for everything to be ready for your departure in the morning. Please, should there be anything else you need, give the message to one of the Servers.”

  Jagaer rose from his seat and shrugged his coat over his shoulders. On the far side of Lord Salter’s chamber, Jagaer’s men stirred into action, and they all left the chamber in silence. Munnar walked ahead of Jagaer, with Archer at his back. The rest of his men spread out to form a circle around him the moment they stepped out into the open.

  Jagaer hated the measures they had to take to keep him safe. He hated the fact that no one was safe within his country. He needed to complete this quest and if he had to endure being treated like a child, then he would allow it.

  They spent the night within Yleen Sala’s main guesthouse and left before sunrise the next morning. Their two injured warriors would stay until healed.