Legon Restoration

by Taylor, Nicholas

  Atrocity

  "In all of the creation there are none save us that are more cruel to our own kind, none more capable of hate and destruction. What is it that makes us this way? How long will we be suffered to exist before justice mercifully blots us from time?"

  -An Island of Sorrow

  Sasha moved to her left, keeping on the balls of her feet eyeing Legon with caution, trying to predict his next move. He held his fenna Tento like he was going to lash out at her with it but she thought it more likely that he was bluffing and was going to attack with magic instead. She was right, Legon shot a spell at her that she deflected with her own fenna. She smiled, thinking that for once she was going to win.

  "INIS!" she yelled sending a ruby bolt of lightning at Legon.

  He held up Tento, trying to deflect the spell pushing him back several feet. She could see him panting; she could almost taste her victory. If she defeated him today then she would be able to start working with Elves in their Ascended forms. Once in an Ascended form magic users were significantly stronger than when in an Elf form. This was not the case for Sasha, she was Ascended and able to use her full abilities as an Elf, but she had yet to prove herself. In fact, to her dismay, she wasn't performing at near the same level of power she knew she was capable of. She pushed the thought from her mind.

  Legon smiled a hard smile at her. "Don't get cocky, you haven't beaten me yet."

  Then he held Tento high in the air and said in a powerful voice, "Binnon Toriso-vetis!" Tento pulsed lavender, but Sasha did not see any attack, Legon drove Tento into the ground all the way down to the hilt. There was a rumble and the earth trembled, what is this attack? she thought.

  Too late she found out. All of the plants around her shot out, vines as thick as grapefruits launched at her, even now as an Elf she had a hard time moving fast enough to avoid them. She swung her fenna feeling genuine fear for the first time when sparring with her brother. Power ran down Sasha's arm and into her fenna as she used cutting spells to defend herself. She tried to jump in the air but was cut off. She looked at Legon, still with his blade in the ground; in her moment of hesitation she felt a vine as thick as a python wrap around her wrist pulling her sword. There was more around her waist, she freed her fenna as another wound around her neck. More still encircled her whole body, she couldn't see anymore, her breath cut short she forced out, "Ignotis... aurium."

  There was heat and then her leafy prison glowed crimson. The vines burned away, she caught a fleeting glimpse of Legon before the vines around her neck shown with a lavender light signaling the end of the fight. Had she been in a real fight with Legon the vines would have broken her neck. She relaxed as the vines released her. Legon pulled Tento from the ground and came up to her, breathing heavy.

  "Better," he panted. "I had to go full power that time."

  She sheathed her sword. "But it's not good enough, even at full power you should be nothing for me. What was that attack you used?" she asked.

  Legon looked confused for a moment. "That's right; you haven't ever seen Toriso-vetis before have you? Binnon is the highest release of magic as you know, at Binnon all of your other spells are stronger but you can channel that power into one spell. The attack I used on you was my most powerful one. Like anything, we all have what you could call moves that we are better at, take for example Mage. He is an Elemental so when he uses Binnon he uses elemental attacks, he prefers fire. Does that make sense?" he asked her.

  "I think so...I just don't seem to have anything offensive that sticks out to me," she lamented.

  Legon scoffed. "What was that spell you used at the end?" he asked.

  "Umm, let me think, I was scared so I just said something that came to mind, I think it was Ignotis-aurium," she said.

  Legon shook his head impressed. "You infused the air with fire, it was strong. Had you used it before I attacked you would have won," he said.

  Now it was her turn to scoff. "Please, all it did was cut away vines..."

  Legon got serious, "Sasha, you countered my most powerful attack when I was at full strength and you did it with a spell you used for the first time..."

  She thought for a moment. That was the first time she'd used that spell and it had broken Legon's Binnon attack. She nodded noting the new found information. "Thank you, I will try harder," she said.

  * * * * *

  Emma looked down on the practice arena as Legon and Sasha spoke. Next to her was the girl that Barnin and his men had found in Mors, Rachel. Over the months since Rachel had been in the Elves care she'd grown back all of her hair and gained back a healthy amount of weight; still, there was always a look in her eyes that showed that while her body was healed her heart was far from it. It was those same hazel eyes that were wide after watching Legon and Sasha go at it.

  "Do you need to leave?" Emma asked.

  Rachel looked over at Emma; her face the same age as Emma's but again, it was her eyes that looked like those of some of the Elves. There was a sorrow in them that spoke of a millennia's worth of sadness. But unlike the Elves, there wasn't a light of hope and the signs of a millennia's worth of joy.

  "Forgive me," Rachel said, always polite. "It's just...just that I don't see Un Prosa Legon and Un Prose Sasha like this often. He is so powerful." She looked to the arena again, "Why does Un Prose Sasha look sad?" Rachel asked.

  Emma had given up telling Rachel she could call Legon and Sasha by just their first names. "She is disappointed that she still cannot beat him in this form," Emma said.

  Rachel thought for a moment, "But isn't Un Prosa Legon extremely powerful? He is a dragon is he not?"

  Emma took her time; she understood magic a great deal but never found herself in the situation to explain it. "When Legon is in the form of a dragon, what you would call Ascended, then he is powerful yes, he is a class eight. But in his Elf form he is not as powerful; he is stronger than a class five by a long shot but not anywhere near full strength. Sasha however is a class six just as she is, how you see her now is her Ascended form, her only form, as an Elf. She has all of the power of a class six dragon focused in her small body, that makes her very strong. So strong in fact, that from my understanding it would likely take a powerful class six or a class seven to overpower her."

  Rachel's eyebrow rose, "Then why did she lose?"

  Emma smiled tightly, "That is the question isn't it? It seems that she has not been able to fully use her power. In his current form Legon should be no challenge for her, but for some reason Sasha has been unable to use her full abilities."

  Rachel seemed satisfied but thought of another question. "Why didn't Un Prosa Legon use that attack when you were all on the hill when he Ascended?"

  "Binnon takes almost all of a Venefica's energy, Legon had been fighting all day long and I doubt he had the strength left to use Binnon. That aside, Binnon is not practical in conventional battle, had he used that attack he would not be able to defend himself from any other attacker. It would mean giving yourself only one chance to defeat all of your enemies," she explained.

  Legon and Sasha were leaving the practice area and coming towards Emma and Rachel.

  "Em, Rachel, it's good to see you, would you two like to join us for lunch?" Legon offered warmly.

  Rachel bowed deeply. "Yes, thank you Un Prosa," she said, "and may I say it was a privilege watching the two of you fight."

  Emma noticed just the hint of tension cross Sasha's face. "Thank you Rachel, that is sweet of you."

  "Thank you Rachel, OK, let’s eat I'm hungry," Legon said.

  Sasha rolled her eyes, "When aren't you hungry?"

  * * * * *

  Keither cracked his neck and stretched, feeling the baking sun warm him. He was ready for a break and making his way down to a bakery that he liked when he saw someone there he knew.

  "Aren't you a little old to be eating something that fattening?" he asked.

  The man in front of him turned around eyeing him. "You should respect your elders," Sydin said
with a smirk. "How are you?"

  "I am doing well and so is Sara; and you?" he asked.

  "Doing well."

  Keither got a pastry of his own and joined Sydin at a table. They sat silently enjoying their food for a little while before Keither brought up the only conversation he seemed to have anymore. "How is the war effort?"

  Sydin sighed, "It could be going better, but we are winning and I suppose that’s what counts in the end."

  "Is it?" Keither asked.

  "I guess that will depend on what we count as a victory won’t it?" Sydin said "I think we will rid the land of the Iumenta, but as for our losses...well we will recover."

  "What's it like?" Keither asked.

  "What's what like?" Sydin asked.

  "Living forever, with this," Keither said gesturing around him.

  Sydin smiled without humor, "You try and remember the good things I guess, but in some ways I wonder who has it worse. The immortal that will have centuries of happy memories in exchange for centuries of heart ache, or the mortal who only gets a few short decades to make memories at all."

  They talked about how the war was going for the Elves, and how Keither was doing at his job; all in all it was good to see Sydin. Keither didn't get a chance to talk to many people from his past anymore, with Legon being in the Capital and Barnin being deployed to the plains. All Keither had to talk to anymore was Sara.

  "You know if it wasn't for the mental networking I don't even know how my marriage would function," Keither said.

  "How is your marriage?" Sydin asked.

  "It's good, we don't see much of each other, it's more like we just live together we are so busy. But, we talk all day in our minds, and in that way it makes it alright that I don't get the time with her that I used to."

  "Have you thought of starting a family?" Sydin asked.

  Keither laughed, "That would mean having energy at the end of the day to make a family." Then he got serious, "We want too but...with the war it's not easy."

  "It never is, and I suppose that for now that is a good idea, but Keither don't lose your youth and life to this cause, you aren't an Elf, you do not have thousands of years for memories with your wife."

  Too soon both Keither and Sydin had to leave. Later that day Keither went back to where he and Sara were staying, he thought back on his conversation with Sydin. When he got in Sara was reading some paperwork. Keither came up to her, kissing her passionately.

  She smiled. "Where did that come from?" she asked surprised.

  "I don't want us to lose our youth, come on we are going out," he said pulling the papers from her hand.

  "Bu-but I have work that I need..."

  "To do tomorrow, we are going to dinner and then I am going to try and not step on your toes as we dance," he said pulling her along.

  She laughed. "Dinner and dancing, but I look horrible," she tried to protest.

  "You look radiant and I'm not losing a moment more of the night," he said pulling her outside.

  * * * * *

  Barnin took in the village before him. Up to this point they hadn't met with any real resistance as they cleared the plains of the Empire. The village they were at now had already been taken once as the Elves moved through the land, but as soon as the Elves left the area a small fraction of those supportive of the Queen had retaken control of the village.

  "Sir, this is a hostage situation if anything, how could those inside possibly repel us?" Heath asked and added, "They don't even have any magic users, we can get in without issue, I'm sure."

  Barnin thought for a moment and decided that Heath was right. "The Elf liaison I connected with said that when they came through there was a catapult left. They were moving quickly through the area trying to outflank the Iumenta so they didn't get a chance to destroy it. We will have to watch for that, but otherwise Heath is right, there can't be more than a couple hundred people behind those walls and most will be hostages." Then to his commanders, "We are going to hit them head on. Heath will take care of the village gate, once inside kill anyone who is hostile, but be careful not to hurt the villagers, most of these people are probably scared and harmless."

  The wall before them was a tall stockade fence made for keeping robbers and animals out of a city, not a military unit. Barnin fully anticipated having the village under control by lunch. Barnin and his men rode up to the village’s gate, holding their shields up and hearing the occasional clang of an arrow bounding off the metal surface. As they approached the gate Heath barked something in Glosso and a flash of yellow smacked into the door. There was a crack and a groan as the door shifted but then stopped.

  "They must be holding it closed, Sir, but the bar is broken!" Heath said.

  Once at the door Barnin pulled on Poison’s rein and the horse reared, its front hooves connecting with the door...nothing, it didn't budge. Barnin and his men pushed as much as they could with no avail, the door seemed to be stuck.

  "Heath a little help?" Barnin said exasperated.

  The people holding the town were on top of the wall throwing rocks and whatever else they could get their hands on down at Barnin and his men. Barnin ordered his men to move back out of the range of the people on the walls as he thought of what to do.

  "They may have carts or something of that nature on the other side of the door; but you'd think we could move those without that much difficulty."

  Ankle spoke. "Maybe we can find another way in the town Sir," he offered.

  Barnin agreed, Ankle took a group and rode around the village, looking for weak spots in the wall. Barnin wasn't happy; he had promised himself that he was going to have the town taken by lunchtime, which was fast approaching. Ankle and his men didn't find much in the way of a weakness in the wall.

  "Heath can you break through the wall?" he asked.

  Heath eyed the wall, "It's just wood, but the timbers they used when they built this thing are thick, after attacking the gate I don't have the strength right now, maybe sometime tonight. I will just be able to weaken the wall, maybe cut some of the support beams."

  "Will it be enough for us to tear down the wall?" Barnin asked.

  "Yes I think so, if we can get some ropes on the top of it once I break the supports the horses should be able to pull down a section."

  Barnin told everyone to set camp. He was confident in Heath's abilities but wasn't going to underestimate those holding the town again. The day wore on hot and dry, Barnin couldn't wait for the sun to go down. As the sun set lines of smoke made their way up from the village and Barnin wondered if the smoke was from cook fires or from those holding the village. As the last of the sun’s rays faded he got his answer. Arrows with flaming tips ascended into the sky hitting just shy of Barnin's camp.

  "Everyone up!" he ordered.

  He remembered that there was still a catapult inside and he wondered if they could expect anything from that. His thought was answered as a fire engulfed form cartwheeled in the air. It landed with a thud not far away from him. What is that? he wondered. Whatever it was twitched on the ground and Barnin craned his neck, making out the shape on the ground. "HEATH!" He whorled, "Heath you need to be ready now, they are using the villagers for ammunition!"

  Another form came in the air and this time Barnin heard a scream along with it. They’re still alive! He shouted orders to his archers, "Those people are alive shoot them in the air!" he ordered.

  "Do what Sir?" a man asked.

  "We can't save their lives but we can end their suffering! The rest of you on me we are getting past that wall!"

  Every few moments another person came hurtling over the wall. Barnin, with Ankle and Heath at his side, rode to the wall but away from the gate. His men threw ropes over the top of the wall catching on the top of the wooden structure. Heath sent magic at the wall and Barnin heard wood break. "PULL!" he shouted and his men coaxed their mounts to pull at the wall.

  The wood groaned and popped as the tall slats parted way with the rest of the wall. Arrows
came hissing out. "PULL! PULL!" he yelled and finally the section of wall came down.

  Behind the wall was an assortment of men in normal clothes; they held swords, staves and wooden shields. Barnin's breath caught in his chest. When the villagers had been used for the catapult he'd assumed that real soldiers were on the inside of the village or worse the Dark Worriers, but that's not what met them. It was normal people, normal people that had used their neighbors as ammo. He rode forward, the people inside the walls running, only a very few staying to fight. His men found almost no resistance once inside the walls; the untrained people were killed with almost no effort whatsoever.

  They made their way along the wall making it to the gates and Barnin saw what had been blocking the path. Piled in a haphazard heap in front of the gate were the bodies of men, women and children, a pool of bloody mud forming at the base of them. Barnin saw one of the new guys stop and stare, he looked sick.

  * * * * *

  Ankle rode into the village, killing as he went. The sight of people flying over the wall was disgusting but Ankle had seen much worse. As he made his way, he got to the gate and saw the pile of bodies blocking the way, and that's when he stopped. Memories of Mors came rushing back to him and he felt his body grow cold even though the night was hot. Gooseflesh covered him as he remembered, Mors was worse, that was for sure, but Ankle hadn't expected anything like this. There were no Iumenta here, there was no breeding camp, and the heap of people in front of him now was new and fresh. Their eyes were clear staring up at him, blood still oozed from some of the corpses. He looked into the eyes of a little kid, no older than nine or ten. Blood was coming from his mouth, covering his neck and upper body. He hadn't been killed by some army; he'd been killed by someone in the town, by another normal human.

  Pain shot in his shoulder and he turned to see Heath. "Hey, hey, get it together..." Heath trailed off reading Ankles face, "Hey, are you OK?"

  "How did this happen?" Ankle asked not really expecting an answer.

  Heath shook his head, "I don't know, but right now we can't think about that, there are still people alive here and others that are hurt pretty bad. We need to work."