The sound of shields banging on their armour reverberated through Zhendur before they returned to their stance.
Pointing his sword forward toward the wall portal, he shouted, “To Greenhaven!”
Standing beside each other, Tusdar stepped through the portal and felt his body be pulled into a beam of light that pulled him through the solid rock and soil between Zhendur and Kassina’s tower. He watched as he soared at an incredible pace past the many layers and roared with the adrenaline pumping through his veins.
With a whoosh, he launched into the sky from the decayed grounds and found himself moving skyward. Kassina’s tower seemed alive, and pulsed with the energy of a bright light emanating from its highest point. Now feeling like he was flying over the lowlands, he found himself above the tower and plummeting down into the top of it. The tip of the tower was shaped like a set of fangs with an almost blinding light from inside of it.
He plunged into the tower and felt himself falling through its many solid layers. Finally, he was propelled forward and almost lost balance as he now stood at the base of the tower in Kassina’s portal room. He turned around to see the large misty opening within her marble wall. Looking deeper, he could see a blurry Zhendur and the immense army within.
“By the gods! Can we do that again?!” he exclaimed.
Aryun laughed as he indicated for them to proceed out of the tower and approached the main gate, breathing deep as he shouted. “Nos es obscurum permissum nos cedo.”
The gate groaned as it lurched open and he heard the odd metallic sounds of the vampire army arriving through the portal behind him.
They continued their march out of the gates and the sound of battle drums filled the air. Looking far behind him as they approached the dry cracked grounds of the lowlands, he turned to Aryun. “How will they get those crossbows over this land?”
Mestal slapped his armour. “Oh Tusdar, do you really think this is our first time out here? We told you. Whatever we need, Shindar will provide.”
She cried out at the top of her lungs. “Permissum nos ingredior vacuus poena quod rector nos per sospes.”
Tusdar watched with amazement as a path wide enough for twenty horses moulded itself from the tower gate to the edge of the lowlands. The clouds darkened under the blood red moon and concentrated over their position. He looked to the clouds to see Shindar’s face formed within and felt the blood drops hit his face from above.
Kassina’s voice filled his mind.
Tusdar, you have done well and you will always be rewarded. I will meet with you at Greenhaven once it has been secured. I am sure that Shindar will be pleased with our progress.
Chapter 23 : Ripples
“I have seen future events unfold in front of my eyes as if I were brought forward in time.
What greatly concerns me is that those visions continue to change. I must let nothing stop the prophecy of the blood red moon from being fulfilled.”
(Queen Kassina of the Underworld)
Daylight broke through the canopy as if there were golden beams from the land of the gods to waken Veldrenn from its slumber. The wedding celebrations had continued through the night and most of the city was sound asleep under the safety of their newly crowned prince and protection of the dragons. Karven shared a similar trait with Vartan and both of them hardly ever slept for long periods of time.
They both watched as the enchanted lanterns faded away with the power of the spell diminishing and heard the groaning and creaking of the city’s canopy opening slowly. Being awake this early in the morning brought a breathtaking view as its reward.
Vartan approached the king of dragons and sighed loudly. “I should feel elated, but I feel as if the weight on my shoulders has been made heavier. My wife sleeps beautifully in our bed and I truly am overjoyed for both the wedding and being crowned… but I get the feeling that it will be quite some time until such a day of peace can be had again.”
Karven slowly stood and shook off the dust from his scales. “Walk with me, we have much to discuss and now is the best time of all.”
Vartan nodded and followed the dragon king toward the training grounds, where no Marithian would be within ear shot.
“Young prince, I believe that it is time for you to know more about Talonsphere and what choices may lay ahead for your future.”
“I always wished for this day, please tell me more,” said Vartan excitedly.
The dragon grimaced and spoke seriously, “Sometimes we wish for things that have a price which is higher than we are willing to sacrifice.”
“What do you mean? You wished to save Nymira, and you did so. Speaking of which, how are you managing to pay that price?”
“Indeed, I saved our queen from the eternity of a dragon’s death… but that price of Jade is nothing compared to what you are about to learn. Andrielle has already been kind enough to send her supply of Jade on my behalf, which should buy us enough time to find more. Please, stay focused, this is important and we may not get this chance until it is too late.”
Vartan’s face turned serious. “Go on.”
“You are already aware that Talonsphere is an artefact which was built as a final line of defence against Shindar and his Forces of Darkness and you are aware of its immense capabilities and that the prophecy of Talonsphere is you, the child born of dragon’s blood will unlock the weapon. Nothing is simple, and to put it simply, Talonsphere is alive.”
“I know, it spoke to me when I was in the dark place brought about by Kassina’s spell.”
“Did Talonsphere say much to you about this?”
Vartan shook his head, “No, it helped me to reawaken and focused on helping me regain my memory. It did mention a place called, Daessar, do you know of it? Anakari mentioned it to me at the Jade Inn when I found her.”
“Daessar… I do not know this place by that name, but may know it by another. It does sound reminiscent of the language of the ancients and I do recall them mentioning the name a few times.”
Vartan brightened. “The ancients spoke the name? What happened with the ancients, do they still exist?”
“The ancients were secretive in nature, as are we. After the first war with Shindar, we agreed that it was best for both of our kind to not know where we would hide. I do not know if they live, but on our regular hunts for food, we did come in contact with ancients a number of times. However, they were not in their usual forms… they were in the forms of unicorns.”
Vartan’s mouth widened as he asked, “Unicorns? I saw one before that shadow demon killed Finn in the woods. Does that mean they were trying to tell me something? Maybe they wanted to warn me of the upcoming events.”
“That is interesting. We thought that the few unicorns we saw many years ago were all that were left of the ancients as they had never resurfaced. It takes great magic for ancients to travel in the form of a unicorn and they risk permanent death if they were to be killed or worse, captured. They stay in the form of a unicorn until they can return to their bodies.”
“What do ancients look like and how did they become so powerful?”
“Ancients look similar to elves in appearance, but their skin is as fair as snow. They have studied magic for longer than I can remember. There was a time when we shared our knowledge and as such, we became more powerful. Our ability of hiding our scales and being invisible to the eye was the result of generations of dragons studying and practicing the spells of the ancients. It somehow, changed us. Speaking of the ancients, we need to discuss Talonsphere.”
Vartan remained silent as he stared at the dragon and allowed him to continue uninterrupted.
“Talonsphere is, as you would call it, a machine. It is a kind of device that acts as a holding chamber. Deep within it lays a golden dragon’s egg. Once you activate it, it will unleash an elder dragon, a hybrid that we have not yet seen born. It would grow at an enchanted rate that would see the dragon at full size within one rotation of the sun and it will stay at its peak of power until al
l of Shindar’s forces are eradicated from Marithia. Then is when you will experience a true time of peace. As I said earlier though, it will come at a price.”
Vartan breathed deeply as he prepared himself for the dragon’s words.
“The ancients made it clear that the way to activate Talonsphere is for the boy born of dragon’s blood to sacrifice his human life and to be reborn within the golden egg within moments of his death. Once you make that sacrifice, there is no turning back.”
Oh Vartan! I am not liking the sound of this, said Keturah.
Vartan’s face dropped as he felt his heart pump faster. “By the gods! And you waited until now to tell me this? You watched me get married and said nothing?”
“Calm yourself, young prince. There is more to Talonsphere than you realise and events have already altered your path ahead. I have studied our protected scrolls and found that it is possible that you could delay your own death and sacrifice the soul of the god within you. It would mean that you would be stripped of your newfound powers and we have no way of knowing how to control Talonsphere or its intentions. It would not be the way of the prophecy, but it may be an option.”
Vartan’s breathing calmed down as he asked, “Is there more?”
“The only other possibility is for Helenia to seek out Mother Dragon and request to be reborn as a dragon.”
“My word! Is that even possible?”
“It would only be at the discretion of Mother Dragon, but it is certainly possible. However, we would not know if she would grant the request until after you entered Talonsphere. She would also have to grow as a normal dragon would, and you would have a long wait ahead of you to be together again.”
“That is a price I am willing to pay. Why don’t we go to Trahoterra now and seek an audience?”
“Helenia must be ready and willing to ask Mother Dragon herself, there is no other way.”
Vartan paced around the training grounds, watching as inhabitants of Veldrenn began to rise and walk around the city.
“Helenia… my wife… if I am taken from her, I do not know what she would do. Surely, there must be another way.”
Vartan… I don’t know what to say to ease your pain, said Keturah.
The great dragon bowed his head slightly. “I truly do not know. What I can tell you, as I have told you before; nobody, not even I, can predict the future. As our power grows, visions come to us with greater purpose. There are also alternate fates as we choose different directions at life’s crossroads. Not to sound cryptic, but the ancients built Talonsphere with their understanding of the scrolls of prophecy. It has been a very long time since the first war with Shindar, perhaps they have learned more about the prophecy and the weapon. The likelihood is that we are already living an alternate path of alternate paths. Our actions have already changed events that were prophesised to have ended differently. The blood red moon has risen and so has set in motion the Talonsphere prophecy. Will it end as prophesised? We don’t know.”
“Karven, I understand. Time is short and before I fell into that… place that Kassina sent me to, I think I had a vision or a dream and I’m not sure which. If they come with purpose, then maybe you should revisit it with me?”
The great dragon nodded his head and Vartan lay on the ground in preparation. “My mind is open, do it now.”
The familiar surge of the dragon’s connection hit his head before Karven searched through his mind’s memories until he found the vision.
Dark clouds gathered in a purple tinged sky blanketing Greenhaven. The sun began to set in the horizon as the blood red moon rose higher to take its usual place in the night sky. The city’s people fled the streets for shelter as heavy rain pelted angrily from the clouds above and lighting crashed onto the lands. The scattered trees surrounding the restored fort were set ablaze by the storm.
A knight growled as he furiously smashed his fist into the wall, leaning his face up against it. He roughly slid his helm onto his weary head so that only his narrowed eyes were visible beneath the shining armour.
He marched swiftly out of the city’s defensive walls to look down upon the lands and the knights below and yelled in a gruff voice. “The time has come!”
Greenhaven’s knights had already suited up in their full armour and assembled below in their new colours. Green, red and blue interwoven patches represented humans, elves, and dragons, united. They awaited orders behind the lowered main gate, prepared for battle.
Andrielle approached the knight and was already in her own suit of armour with her helm held firmly by her side. Her hair flicked in the wind over her face that bore a nasty scar down its left side. Although her hair featured slithers of grey, her age would not stop her from engaging in battle.
Birds scattered from the forest nearest to Greenhaven and a dark voice boomed in the distance. “You dare to stand in my way? You will all bow before me as your new god!”
Queen Andrielle turned to shout orders. “Raise the bridge! Ready the archers!”
The knight answered, “Of course my queen. Archers ready!”
The walls rumbled as thousands of the city’s army ran to the walls of the great city and into their firing positions. Men stood shoulder to shoulder with elves.
Continuing his orders he cried, “Raise the bridge!”
The mechanical sound of metal chains rattled throughout the city as the bridge was hastily raised and a heavy shudder was felt under their feet when the gate smashed closed.
The knight asked, “And the dragons?”
Andrielle gestured to the skies. “They are already here.”
Bolts of lightning struck the walls of Greenhaven. A handful of elven archers were set on fire. Helenia growled her order from the eastern wall. “Use the gathered water, quickly!”
Andrielle shouted her order into the men below. “Catapult crew?”
The many men and women manning the city’s catapults smashed their fists into their chest plates and yelled, “Ready!”
Karven and Finn landed on the peak of two of Greenhaven’s tallest turrets and wrapped their tails around the golden surface for balance. The remaining dragons circled above the clouds, waiting for the time to strike. The dragons stared straight ahead as the immense figure of Shindar marched into the open from the forest’s edge.
He grimaced through the black mouthpiece of his horned helm and turned back to raise his fist high. The sound of horns filled the air and battle drums beat in unison. The ground rumbled with the sheer number of Shindar’s forces approaching through the forest.
“Steady… Not yet!” cried Andrielle, her hand open flat, signalling for the archers and catapults to hold their fire.
Shindar’s dark voice boomed over the lands. “Karven, you cowardly reptile, we meet again. I promise you that this time… you will not catch me unaware. You may have destroyed my greatest creation, but do not mistake your little victory for what it is not. Kassina’s death brought me back into this world and set the wheels of the blood red moon prophecy in motion. This world will be mine!.”
Andrielle’s voice raised as beads of sweat formed on her brow. “Hold!”
The dark army marched into view and spanned the width of the forest.
“By the gods!” exclaimed Andrielle, staring at the front ranks of heavily armoured skeleton warriors as far as the eye could see.
Shindar halted his forces and stood still as they awaited his further orders. He pointed to Greenhaven, spitting to the ground before him. “This is your only chance. Lower your gate and bow at my feet, swearing allegiance only to me. Then you all shall live!”
He drew his sword and readied it at his side. “If you will not do so, then prepare to die!”
A quiet moment passed as the gods above watched the events below them with great anticipation. Only the sound of rain and rumbles of the storm were heard.
“Shindar, we will never bow to you. We will send you back to the pit of darkness from which you came!” screamed Andrielle.
The queen drew her sword and aimed it forward. “Now!”
Karven and Finn breathed out a steady stream of flames that created a tunnel of fire. Thousands of arrows and catapult missiles were launched into the air and set alight as they passed through the dragon’s breath. The weapons flew through the rain-speckled sky, lighting up the dark clouds.
Tempus stamus alembicum sicuti ambulamus anteactus, cast Karven.
Vartan watched as his vision froze as if time stood still.
What just happened?
This rarely ever works and time is short so let us use it wisely. This is indeed a vision, but I can tell you that this is a version of the future that has been changed.
Karven… how can you be so sure? Who was that knight? I never saw his face.
Vartan felt himself be pulled toward the knight who was frozen in his mind. He stared into the eyes of the knight and realised the answer before Karven spoke.
That knight was you. However, much has changed since your vision entered your mind, I can sense it. You did not have the power of Mazu within you, which either means that you sacrificed it for Talonsphere or had not attained it. I do not see Talonsphere in this vision, nor do I see the royal armour fit for a prince. In this vision, you were not married.
Vartan felt his mind snap back to reality and stood warily, regaining his vision. Trisa was staring at him furiously. The sounds of a city full of movement and shouting orders filled his ears. It was night time and he saw the elven army was assembling for duty.
“What in the name of the gods happened to the two of you?!?” yelled Andrielle.
“I... I’m sorry Queen Andrielle, this was my error. I cast a spell that unfortunately carries certain side effects.”
“So be it, you are still in time. Get to your quarters Vartan and suit up your armour immediately,” snapped the queen.
“What is happening?” asked Vartan, still confused.
“Our scouts returned with the news that the Vampire army, in numbers unseen on Marithian soil, is marching to Greenhaven. What is happening? War, we are going… to war!”
Legends of Marithia: Book 2 - Darkness Rising Page 18