‘She’s a forest dragon’ Amber eventually piped up. They both turned to her quizzically. ‘Silva, she’s a forest dragon. She’s legendary, she was thought to have died a long time ago. She’s said to bring fortune to the forest, kind of like a luck dragon for nature’. Lexi smiled, somehow she’d known Silva was a vital piece of the puzzle to restoring balance. She hoped that Silva’s return would help the forest flourish and repair itself, once Garrick was delt with obviously.
The Gilded Fields
Before they knew it, the time had come to make their way to the Gilded Fields. Lexi had managed to fully recharge her energy, whilst being constantly nagged at, by both Rowan and Amber. Theo had put forward some interesting information from inside Garrick’s camp. He had planned on having Lexi assassinated, but if that didn’t succeed, they were going to throw everything they had at them that morning. Garrick didn’t know about the dragons, only that Zina was going to be present. He had boasted to his troops about how it was going to be easy, wiping out a bunch of peasants and a handful of children. He loathed Lexi, apparently referring to her as the half-breed. She smiled at Theo when he’d told her that,
‘I may be a half-breed, but I’m the best of both worlds’, she winked at him.
As they were preparing to leave, Celeste stepped out of the house carrying a beautifully crafted breastplate. She held it out towards Lexi,
‘This was your Father’s, I think he’d like you to wear it’. Lexi ran her hand over the ornate metal, and slowly began to shake her head.
‘Thank you, but I think Rowan should take it’. She took the armour from Celeste and handed it to Rowan. ‘I can deflect most things, like you saw me do with Theo’s arrow, but you can’t. I need to know you’re safe. Plus, Dad would have wanted you to wear it’. He nodded, taking the breastplate and beginning to fit it, with Theo’s assistance. Once they were ready to leave, Lexi knelt down beside Theo, placing her hand on his shoulder.
‘Theo, I’ve got an exceptionally important assignment for you. Will you guard the tree dwellers village and make sure they are safe for me? I couldn’t bear it if anything were to happen to them’. Theo puffed up his chest, much like his brother had a tendency to do.
‘I can do that for you Lexi’ his expression serious and sincere. She winked at him, leant in, and kissed him on the cheek,
‘Thank you Theo, I knew I could count on you’. She rose, Rowan mouthing a thank you to her for keeping his little brother safe. They collected their things and began weaving their way swiftly through the forest, collecting volunteers as they went. Before she knew it, Lexi was leading a whole army through the trees, its numbers growing continually.
***
They arrived at the Gilded Fields a few hours before sunrise. The area was eerily quiet as they filed into the meadow. It reminded Lexi of the fields back home, just a large expanse of open land as far as the eye could see, full of lush golden grass and beautiful wildflowers. The full moon hung above them, dimly lighting their way as they set up position a reasonable distance from the forest boundary. Lexi personally made her way through the people. She made sure that the villagers who had no fighting experience were placed at the rear, she didn’t want them fighting unless absolutely necessary. Those that had previously seen battle were given a choice, understanding that not all soldiers were comfortable with fighting, she placed no pressure, but many stepped up to form the frontline. Standing back and staring at the many people that had heeded her call, she felt extremely emotional. These people barely knew her, but they were prepared to follow her, largely as a show of loyalty and respect, not just to her, but to her Father, their late King.
As night crept quickly towards dawn, the wind picked up suddenly, a strong gust blowing in from across the vast fields. Lexi took to the air, relieved to see two enormous dragons heading their way. They glided in and landed off to the side of the gathering. As Lexi approached, they both bowed gracefully. Titus stepped forward,
‘Queen Alexandra, no words can express the gratitude I extend to you. I believed Silva to have died a long time ago. If I had known what the Elders had done, I would have slaughtered them all myself. Our service shall always be yours’, he placed his paw across his chest, as if placing an oath. Lexi smiled up gratefully at him,
‘Titus, no pledge of service is required, my only goal was to restore balance. Silva was dying, I couldn’t let that happen. However, your assistance as friends, as family even, is very much appreciated’. He nodded in understanding, ‘By the way, my friends and family just call me Lexi’ she winked. Titus laughed, a deep guttural laugh.
‘Very well, Lexi’.
As the sun began to peer over the horizon, the fields of grass came to life, a golden shimmer visible for miles across the open land. Lexi stared in awe, momentarily captivated by the sight. She was soon drawn back to the situation at hand by a murmur rising within her people as figures began to emerge from the trees. Lexi stood at the forefront, flanked by Rowan on one side and Amber on the other. Next to them on either side, towered Titus and Silva, Zina holding up the back of the group. The mass of people that had come to their aid stood a distance behind, protected, for now at least. They watched as the opposing side emerged, many with weapons drawn. Lexi was fascinated to see such a vast array of mythical creatures that she hadn’t realised existed in the Realm. She sighed deeply, concerned that many of these creatures and fairies alike, were serving Garrick against their will. She had no intention of hurting them unless absolutely necessary.
Those that had appeared from the trees, all turned to face a tall dark figure emerging from the forest, accompanied on their right by someone Lexi assumed was Rowans Father. It was Garrick, but he looked different to the last time Lexi had seen him only a few days earlier. His face was drawn, his skin pale and grey, the scar looking deeper and scarier, stretching across his face. What’s wrong with him? She reached out in her mind. I’m not sure, but that is not normal, Silva replied. I agree, Zina joined in, it looks as if he has something surrounding him. He stepped forward, reaching out a bony hand to point directly at Lexi.
‘Half-breed!’ he snarled, ‘you have destroyed the Palace by freeing that hideous beast, who subsequently slaughtered the Elders. You insult the crown with your presence in this Realm, and you desecrate your Father’s memory with your actions’. He looked terrifying, a black smoke had begun swirling around him, at times distorting his features. Lexi stepped forward a little, but before she could speak, Titus roared, his voice thundering deeply,
‘Charlatan, if anyone insults the crown it is you! You defile and damage our Realm with every opportunity you get, yet you have the gall to accuse Queen Alexandra of such.’ Garrick’s expression contorted into a sneer,
‘QUEEN! You call her Queen!’ He mocked, ‘She is no Queen, she’s a half-breed child, she knows nothing of this world’. Lexi flicked her shoulders and flew into the air, her wings glistening with the rising sun,
‘I’m just as much a part of this Realm as you are’ she stated, but she wasn’t addressing Garrick, ‘Please, you follow a leader who is poisoned by resentment and retaliation. The Elders were in league with him, poisoning this beautiful Realm, your home, and entrapping creatures not so different to yourselves. This beautiful dragon beside me, Silva, was trapped beneath the ground in a sealed tunnel by the Elders for many years. She had every right to justice. I beseech you all, lay down your weapons and go back to your lives, or even make new ones within the forest. We should not be fighting amongst ourselves, and he is certainly not worth fighting for.’ She reached her arms forwards, then spread them wide, in doing so, stirring a mass of wildflowers to bloom in the grass before them. She then lifted her hand and ignited the Perpetual Flame within her palm, hoping it would be a peaceful display of her power and ability to reign in Garrick without a fight. A murmuring rose along the forest boundary, weapons were slowly being lowered as figures began disappearing back into the shadows. A little relief spread through Lexi, this may not come to a figh
t after all. She lowered herself back to the ground, looking back to Garrick. His anger was palpable, the black smoke pulsated around him, and he seemed to be growing in size. Lexi beware, whatever demon has a hold of him, it’s immensely powerful, came Titus’ voice in her head. She nodded to him in understanding. She began to walk towards Garrick, trying not to let her nerves get the better of her, reminding herself that she had a whole army of support, along with two dragons and a badass Griffin on her side. Rowan followed closely behind, signalling the others to hold back. Any followers still loyal to Garrick, soon began to scatter as they approached, even his right-hand man. The flame had clearly sent the right message.
‘Lexi are you sure you know what you’re doing?’ She glanced back towards him, a flicker of a smile in her nervous expression.
‘Not entirely, but we do this together, right?’ He smiled back at her,
‘Always’, placing his hand over his heart. Lexi drew in a deep breath and continued to approach the terrifying figure, now standing alone, but at twice the height.
It glared down at Lexi, very little of the figure now resembling Garrick, other than the hideous scar that stretched across its features. Tendrils of darkness swirled around it.
‘Half-breed’ it growled at her, black liquid dripping from its mouth. Reaching out her hand towards the figure, Lexi called out,
‘Garrick, if you’re still in there, please fight whatever it is that has a hold on you’. A deep, grating growl radiated from the distorted figure, as tendrils shot out, taking hold of her. Lexi panicked for a moment, feeling the darkness gripping her, trying to reach inside. Closing her eyes and trying to focus, she could hear Rowan in the background shouting to the others, but couldn’t make out what he was saying. I’ve got this, she told herself, reaching deep down inside, deeper than she ever had before, she could feel a pure, brilliant light. Taking a hold of it, she pulled it to the surface, pushing out and into the tendrils that held her. There was an almighty shriek that swiftly filled the air, Lexi tried to open her eyes but the light she was emitting was just too bright. Reaching out with her mind she could sense the trees and vines all around them, she used her mind to guide them out toward Garrick and ensnare him, as he had her. The hold loosened from around her a little, but she didn’t let go, pushing the radiance outwards with everything she had, while encouraging the branches to keep their grip on his writhing figure, preventing any chance of escape. The shrieking eventually grew quieter, she reduced the light a little and opened her eyes, releasing the grip she’d help on him. Garrick stood before her, still contorted by whatever it was that had a hold of him, but he looked much more human again. He buckled to his knees as the tendrils snaked around him, writhing in the intense glow. It was at this point, she realised Rowan was in the air behind her, his wings outstretched around her. It was all playing out as the carvings had shown, but she now realised, Rowan wasn’t just protecting her, he was helping magnify the light by deflecting it back towards Garrick, his breastplate making the perfect amplifier. Focussing back on her target, she could see the tendrils were shrinking more and more. As they did so, Garrick became more visible, his jet-black hair was beginning to fade to grey, and the scar across his face was disappearing. Soon, all that lay before them on the ground was a frail man, no sign of any malevolence. Lexi withdrew the light and dropped to the ground beside him.
‘Garrick?’ she queried. He lifted his head weakly, gazing up at her. His face no longer bore any scar at all. Without it, he had a kind face, not too dissimilar to her Fathers. He softly smiled at her,
‘Thank you’ he whispered, pain evident in his voice, ‘You have freed me’. Lexi rested her hand on him gently,
‘How did you become like this?’ she asked, tears welling in her eyes. He lifted a fragile hand to cup her chin,
‘Don’t be sad, it was my own doing. You were right, I was a spoilt child. My resentment towards my older brother, your Father, the fact that he bore the crown, and not me, it caused me to make an error of judgment. I went to the Elders and I asked them to give me a way to take the crown for myself. They summoned a spirit, to give me the strength to achieve what I wanted, but it took over my body and made me watch, as it destroyed everything I loved. I’ve killed so many, I cannot be forgiven for the things that I have done. Had I not gone to the Elders, none of this would have happened’, he drew a rattled breath. Lexi could sense that he was dying, and that there was nothing that she could do for him. The spirit had ravaged his body to the point of no return. She leant down and kissed his forehead gently,
‘I forgive you Uncle, without forgiveness we can’t move on. The Elders, it seems, were not the good natured, caring leaders that they were meant to be. They were wicked, manipulative people. You were young, and they used your emotions against you, that wasn’t your fault’. Lexi took his cold, trembling hand in hers, ‘Dad forgave you too, after his death. He knew it wasn’t you that had killed him, or your brother Orrin. He sensed there was something making you do those things. I hope you find them in the next life’. He smiled up at her weakly.
‘Me too. You will make a wonderful Queen Lexi’ He sighed with his last breath. His expression faded as he passed, his hand falling limp in Lexi’s grasp. She laid his hand on his chest, reaching over and pulling his eyes closed. She bowed her head,
‘May you be at peace in death’ she whispered, as the earth reached up around him, pulling him downwards.
Lexi stood, trembling. Rowan wrapped his arms around her, kissing her forehead,
‘It’s okay Lexi, it’s over now’ He sighed, staring down at the mound of earth, topped with a single golden rose. As he glanced up into the forest beyond, he spotted his Father stood in the shadows. In the blink of an eye, he was gone. Rowan knew that at some point, he would have to face him, but today was not that day.
Last Day of Summer
The sun shone down warmly upon the gathering within the clearing, as they celebrated the fall of Garrick. Lexi, not really feeling any joy from her Uncle’s death, sat on the grass, staring at the doors to the room where her Father had died. At some point she would have to tell her Mum that he had passed away, but for now her newfound bond with Dad, was the reason Mum was allowing her to spend the next term home schooling with him, her new stepmum and stepsister. Rowan and Amber approached from the woods, Theo tagging along close behind. They had spent the morning with the dragons, whilst Lexi had been recuperating. Now that the threat to them had diminished, the dragons had decided to settle within the woodland close by, Silva helping repair the areas of woodland damaged by Garrick.
As they sat themselves down on the grass around her, Amber looked quizzically at Lexi,
‘Are you okay, you seem distracted?’. Lexi pulled her eyes away from the doors and looked at her new sister.
‘I’m fine, just thinking about Dad’, she replied, smiling softly as she leant into Rowans’ side. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, kissing her on the side of her head.
‘How attached are you and your Mum to the house?’ she questioned, an idea beginning to brew in her head. Amber looked puzzled,
‘Not very I don’t think, why?’ Lexi’s smile broadened. She stood and made her way over to the house, the others jumping to their feet to follow. Celeste stood close to the doors, watching the festivities taking place. Lexi approached, whispering something into her ear. They conversed for a short time, then Celeste nodded a reply, appearing excited, then ran into the house, doors closing as she flitted from one room to the other. Lexi walked back to join the group, appearing incredibly happy. Celeste finally exited the house, closing the last set of doors behind her and giving a nod to Lexi. The gathering had begun to notice something was going on, as a silence slowly fell upon the clearing. Lexi lifted up into the air a little, so as to address everyone.
‘From this day onwards, this Realm will no longer be ruled by Royal Succession’. There was an uproar of chattering. She held up her hand to quieten them. ‘There will be a Custodian, chosen
by nature herself, to care for the Realm and its people. I will stand as the current Custodian, until the day a new warden is called forward’. The chatter picked up again, this time less panicked, the people seemed happy with this new direction. ‘The Custodian may choose to live as they wish, in harmony with nature. No Palace, no heirs and graces. My choice is to remain here at the Gateway. However, I feel that this home is not reflective of how beautiful our Realm is, therefore…’ She held out her arms, as she lowered them towards the ground the home collapsed in on itself, disappearing into the ground until nothing remained. There were gasps from the gathering, including Amber and Rowan, Lexi noted. She smiled as she closed her eyes and pictured a beautiful log cabin formed from intertwining trees. Opening her eyes, she could see a two-storey home growing up from the ground before her. Trees had sprung up at various points, as they grew upwards, shooting out straight branches to form walls and floors. Vines weaved around the branches, forming a weathertight structure. On the outside the branches and vines began sprouting lush green foliage, overlapping in intricate patterns. On the inside, a beautiful, clean wood finish could be glimpsed through windows recycled and reformed from the old house. As the roof structure began to take place, large leaved plants began overlapping each other, forming beautiful green roof tiles. It was far beyond what she had imagined, as if nature had embellished a little, or more like a lot extra. She turned to Celeste,
‘Is this okay?’ she queried. Celeste ran to her and wrapped her in a warm embrace,
‘Lexi, it’s beautiful!’ she exclaimed, ‘can we go take a look inside?’ Lexi nodded, beckoning Amber, Rowan and Theo to follow.
Ignite: The Awakening Page 11