“And with a snap of my fingers, I win!” Queen Menina said face to face with Dracon, with a wicked smile and a familiar giggle that reminded him of their youth. Dracon was confused, finding himself suddenly bound, on his knees, and next to him, Um’Vec. Queen Menina turned around to the city and the people on the walls watching. “No man can stand against me! I am Queen Menina! Daughter of Queen Ayana! My magic protects you, just like my mother before me!” She screamed, the princes raised their swords around her. Dracon was reeling trying to see what was going on, he was beset with confusion. The people roared and cheered, deafening Dracon’s ability to hear. “Open the gates!” She ordered and walked back to Dracon. She grabbed the hair on the top of his head and jerked it, forcing him to look at Talila, chained to a two-wheeled wagon, tilted so that he could see her clearly. “Look there, your whore, the new whore that every one of these men will sample, until she dies from there lustful desires. All the while she will curse your name for leaving her to such a fate!” She growled in his ear. Dracon struggled in futility to free himself and jump to his feet, but only managed to fall over on his side. The soldiers within the city ran out to join the princes and their queen, relishing the amazing victory. Queen Menina stood in front of the struggling Dracon, and as the crowds closed in around them, she spit in his face. “Let him know what we think of evil monsters from the outer region, for that is all that these two are. Then you can all sample his whore!” She yelled, to hurt Dracon. She had no intentions of giving Talila to the soldiers, she knew Glyna would never allow it. Um’Vec had no illusions as to what was about to happen to them. He’d seen it before. Prince Charnio walked over to Dracon as two soldiers returned him to his knees. He reared back and punched Dracon in his face as hard as he could, almost knocking him unconscious with the magic bracers of strength aiding his punch, Dracon was a normal man. The soldiers roared and cheered him on. Dracon looked at Prince Torak, who set down his shield and grabbed his mace with both hands.
“Goodbye brother.” He said then swung the weapon around, behind his own head, then brought it forward, hoping to crush Dracon’s skull. There was a crack that sounded like lightning when the mace hit its target. It collapsed Dracon to the ground, bloodying his head to a pulp. Dracon was barely conscious, his vision red from blood, one eye was instantly swollen shut. The skin of his forehead was ripped and bled in streams to the ground.
“Don’t worry,” Queen Menina announced to the soldiers who quieted when she spoke, “He can’t die, so you’ll all have your fill!” They erupted in cheers again. Dracon couldn’t hear anything but a high-pitched buzz. How did this happen to him? He thought, where was Satana? All he could see was Talila chained to the wagon. Soldiers were examining her, one began to lift her dress. Dracon struggled to get up and fight, but only managed a slight moan before a pounding of many boots began kicking him repeatedly as men moved in to get a shot at the evil Dracon, son of Terrax. Glyna flew in front of Talila on the wagon, making the soldiers back away from her. Raggrun joined her with several dwarves, surrounding her and the wagon, he too knew Talila was with child. Glyna shared that with him. The soldiers decided instead, to join the fray, beating Dracon and Um’Vec to death.
“Get her away from here, take her to my glen.” Glyna ordered Raggrun and the dwarves, who obeyed, “I’ve seen enough. Protect her, Raggrun, we will not allow her to be given over to those soldiers.” She said and followed. The wagon was tilted back and attached to a horse that began to pull the wagon. The princes surrounded Queen Menina and they walked together, away from where the men had taken to unleashing their fury upon Dracon and Um’Vec.
“When they are done, burn the beast and return Dracon to Urixis, if it’s necessary. We will hold him so that we might enjoy the spectacle of a trial and then an execution.” She said.
“But you said it yourself, he cannot die?” Prince Renic asked.
“Everything dies, Renic, we just have to find a way. That magical mace sure did some damage, didn’t it?” She chuckled.
Suddenly, clouds roiled in the sky, blocking out the sun. It became black as night, lightning cracked several times, creatures could be seen under the back drop of the black clouds, in the skies above them. In a flash, the clouds lightened and hundreds of winged women, hovered over the forces of Ganlin, watching. One began to float down. All the mystical creatures who were citizens of Ganlin began to flee. Those who could fly, flew away, those who could teleport, did so. The humans alone stood their ground, oblivious to what it was they were looking at. The other races knew, and feared. The long thought dead, Vordalyn, hundreds. Glyna and the dwarves abandoned the cart holding Talila, disappearing with the others who recognized what was descending upon Dwerma. Soldiers gathered themselves, raising shields against the new threat in the sky above. Queen Menina looked around for Tamina who was absent from the event, then she searched for Glyna, who had also fled. She was short of breath and her mind was a whirlwind of thought, trying to figure a way to survive what was about to happen. To see hundreds of the powerful Vordalyn, knowing the power of just one, terrified her. There was no escape. Men backed away from the bloodied bodies of Um’Vec and Dracon, who lay motionless. Venalina hovered over the two bodies, while men moved away from her. She stared at Queen Menina, who was terrified that Venalina was able to spot her in the crowd of people that enveloped her.
Talila opened her eyes and looked at was going on around her, she spotted Dracon on the ground with Um’Vec, beaten and bloodied. The witch chains did nothing to stop her, she teleported to his side, pulling his head into her lap. She shattered the chains that bound him and Um’Vec both. She put a hand on Um’Vec’s bloodied forehead. “My poor warriors, what have they done to you?” Talila was weak and barely able to speak.
The silence of anticipation from the citizens of Ganlin was deafening. The wind was all that could be heard as every soul on the field, stared up at the angel-like women that hovered above them. Venalina floated over, above Queen Menina and her brothers.
“There will be a reckoning!” Venalina growled, her voice was heard by all the creatures in the entire kingdom of Ganlin, every soul, every race, man, woman, and child, filling them with fear. Lightning flashed again and the sky became as it was before, a mild, sunny afternoon. All the Vordalyn were gone, Dracon was gone, Um’Vec was gone, Talila was gone.
In another place, another land, far away. Dracon, Talila, and Um’Vec, suddenly appeared, it was a valley, lush and green. Talila stood up and looked around to make sure there was no one around them. Talila took a few steps away from Dracon and Um’Vec then looked over a short cliff to a riverbank. Across the small river, she spotted Satana, then a few feet behind her, Grik. “Satana!” She called “We’re over here!” Satana looked over at her, jerking her head, startled and reaching for a sword she no longer had at her waist. Grik too, jerked his head to look at Talila, surprised, then at Satana, and then, he began to survey the lush surroundings. “Dracon is hurt… bad.”
Copyright © 2019 by Michael T. Payne
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof
may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever
without the express written permission of the publisher
except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Printed in the United States of America
First Printing, 2019
Cover Design by Grady Earls
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