His eyes widened, "I've been out for five days?"
"Sorry, we could only use magic to make you stable, we've had a lot of injured people thank you very much," She said tartly.
"Sara I need to get up, we have to take that dome out..."
* * * * *
Barnin eyed Sara. "I'm missing something," he said.
"Well you see...about the dome, it's kind of already fallen," she said, "and I think it's safe to say that Bailaya is about a day away from that as well. So you see there's no reason to rush yourself, the war is very nearly over," she said brightly.
Barnin looked up at the ceiling, a thousand questions in his mind, "What happened?" he asked.
Sara adjusted herself, "Well, Sasha found a way to defeat the dome. You should have seen it Barnin, I've never seen anything like it. All the dragons attacked the dome and then when it fell Legon took a bunch of Ascended to the Capital to take out the jump crystals."
"But how has the Capital almost fallen?" he asked.
"Isn't it obvious?" Sara said. "The Iumenta had nearly all their ground units at the dome. When the dome fell and the Capital lost its jump crystals all of the Iumenta Ascended rushed back to protect the Capital. Their armies have almost no air support."
Barnin closed his eyes. He could see it in his head. Even the Dark Warriors wouldn't last long with no air support. They'd be forced to run the twelve miles back to the Capital, the whole time being worked over by the Pawdin Ascended. "How many made it back to the city?" he asked.
"I don't know, not many. Most are pinned down in the hills in between the city and the dome. It’s made for slow moving for our ground units but I don't think it's going to matter. The Elves have been attacking the Capital with Ascended twenty-four hours a day. I guess at first the Iumenta held fast, but...there's more Elves aren’t there and the Iumenta can't get reinforcements, so they are dying off."
Barnin chuckled, "I missed the end of the war, fantastic." Then he remembered something, "Hey, thanks for saving me."
Sara patted his arm. "What are friends for? Now wait a bit longer and I'll see if I can finish healing you," she said.
* * * * *
Neelya walked out onto a balcony overlooking one of the Palace’s gardens. She felt tense, would she be found out? She didn't know why she'd hidden the group of servants, she should have killed them as ordered but she didn't. Somehow it just seemed so...wasteful.
The Queen stood against a rail in light armor, her finger absently running along her Fenna. Neelya felt afraid for other reasons. All around her smoke rose, making flakes of ash like snow. The ever present roll of thunder and flashing light didn't unsettle her so much anymore. But seeing it get closer did.
"My Queen," she said bowing.
"Hoelaria now, I think," she said.
Before Neelya could say anything a runner came up, "My Queen a message from the front."
"What is it?" Hoelaria asked.
The runner looked up, "I regret to inform you that Parkas has just been killed. He was in the hills slowing the Pawdin forces..." he trailed off.
Hoelaria nodded deftly, "That will be all."
Neelya stepped up next to the Queen, "Hoelaria?"
"All of the Heads of Province are in the city...only a few have tried to leave on Ascended and of those none have survived." The Queen turned to her, "Have the servants been taken care of?"
"Yes," Neelya said.
Hoelaria didn't question her. Neelya asked about the fenna, the Queen held, "Are you going to fight? Do you suppose they won’t let us surrender?" she asked.
"They want us to certainly, however I, as have every other Head of Province, swore on our lives to protect the Empire. No, none of us will surrender; we will fight no matter how low our chances are."
Neelya touched her own blade. She was a class five with the possibility to Ascend; she'd die alongside the Queen. "It will be an honor to die with you my Queen," she said.
In the near distance she could see one of the Great Houses under attack. Neelya wasn't sure if she was ready to die.
Hoelaria looked into Neelya's eyes intensely, "You will not die today, all of our staff will die fighting or be executed for war crimes; but not you."
"I don-"
"Shhh," the Queen said placing an envelope in her hand, "we don't have time. You are my messenger, you will carry my last communication to the Pawdin Empire, this will spare your life." She turned Neelya to the city, "Do you see what has happened here Neelya? My arrogance has brought the end of the Impa Empire, with the deaths of the Heads of Province Civil War will breakout. It will be as it was before the Empire existed." She turned her back toward her, Neelya feeling a very genuine fear now. "Our Province will be destroyed out of spite for what we brought on. Neelya, you will be the only Iumenta to witness for today. I fear the day will come when it will be up to you and your generation to save our people. You cannot die!"
"But if our Province..." Neelya started.
"Sue for asylum, beg if you must. Agree to tell the Elves whatever they want to know. Someday you will be able to return to our home lands."
"That's treason," Neelya said backing away. She felt her eyes, tears? She didn't cry, she was Iumenta.
Hoelaria grabbed her shoulders, "Not treason, what I have done is treason. I chose you Neelya to be my servant because I saw in you myself; you too can do great things someday. Please Neelya, when you do those things, let it be for your people and not for revenge. Promise me!"
Neelya had never seen the Queen show emotion like this, she didn't even know her, "Yes Highness I will do as you ask."
There was a crack of a ward. Neelya saw the Palace grounds light up. She dropped her fenna and rushed inside with the Queen.
* * * * *
Legon looked down on Bailaya as it burned. The Iumenta set most of the city on fire as they left areas but Legon hoped that at least a few humans would live. As for the Impa leadership, he had low hopes of them surrendering. Thus far all had fought and died; Legon was flying on to the Palace personally and hoped that he could persuade Hoelaria against suicide.
Stacy had told him where the Queen was most likely to be on the ground. It would be at her study which looked out over the gardens, this is where he flew. Legon sent breaking spells at the Palace feeling them hit wards. Iselin and Opes did the same, the wards giving way.
Legon landed in the gardens. There were two figures in the doorway. There were no guards which Legon hoped meant that the regent was going to play nice.
Hoelaria stormed outside wearing armor. Just behind her was a girl holding an envelope.
"Hoelaria, this is Legon of House..."
"I know who you are!" Hoelaria spat, "I killed your ape mother and I killed your father. It was my men that found you, made you; I know who you are Legon of Evindass, because you are mine!" She yelled, "I made you and I will destroy you!"
She bellowed, holding her sword aloft, glowing a pale green. Hoelaria jumped at his neck. Before Legon could comprehend what was happening or the absurdity of what she was doing, his instincts reacted. Not the instinct to flinch away but to attack.
Legon's head snapped forward his jaws opening, catching Hoelaria in the air. He brought them down hard feeling his teeth plunge into her body, crushing her pelvis. He heard her scream in pain. He opened his mouth and snapped it closed again, this time her legs breaking. He was angry now, mad at what this woman had done. He let her screaming form slip a bit from his mouth. He closed it again feeling the bottom of her rib cage against his teeth. Legon shook his head back and forth as a dog would do with a toy and then with a snap he flung her body out of his mouth to smack the stone walkway with a thwack.
The girl ran forward, crying for her dead Queen. Legon lifted a paw to kill her, but she stopped holding up the envelope in her hand. "I'm a messenger! I'm a messenger, she said you wouldn't kill a messenger," she sobbed.
Legon didn't even know that Iumenta were capable of sorrow, or at least he'd never seen it.
"Opes, let’s get this place secure. I think it's safe to say the Iumenta will know that their government has been killed off, but I'd rather not take chances of them fighting back."
Opes took charge of the Elves in the area.
* * * * *
Ankle went to see Barnin and Heath, walking into the tent, "Hey do you guys know what's up?" he asked.
Heath shrugged, "I know the Queen is dead but that's about it, I don't know what it would have to do with us."
The tent’s flap drifted and Ankle poked his head outside to see Umbra, she was clad in full armor, something that almost never happened.
"Hello boys," she said. "I am here to take you on a very important mission."
Ankle could see Elves were on her back, three spots near the front open. He looked up questioning.
"You three are the only ones with on the ground knowledge of where we are going, therefore you are needed."
"Mors," Barnin breathed.
"I believe we all promised to go back someday," Umbra said.
Ankle felt cold and then he felt resolve. He darted back in the tent grabbing his sword, jogging past Barnin and Heath, "What are you waiting for! Come on move it!"
His friends jumped, joining him.
He was helped up by an Elf. Umbra leapt into the air joining a formation of twenty-four other Ascended, all laden with Elves.
One of the Elves spoke to him, "Sir, you know more about Mors then us, we will be under your command on the ground. Where should we go?"
Ankle looked at Barnin saying, "Actually he's in command not me."
Barnin reached over clasping Ankles arm, "No my friend, you were the one who pulled out Rachel, you were the one that wanted to stay and fight. You've earned this you're in charge!"
Ankle nodded, thankful, and turned to the Elf, "Can I speak to everyone?"
Umbra joined his mind with everyone’s, "The camp is in sections, the center is where the Iumenta stay, that's the only place with magic. We will land ground units on the south east side, that's where they keep the humans they breed and take in new victims. They are trained from birth, so anyone old enough to hold a sword that is male is an enemy. Umbra, can you take care of commanding the Ascended?"
"Of course Sir," she said, "hold the sky, burn pockets of Dark Warriors and Iumenta, today we take no prisoners."
After a few hours the landscape turned rocky as they entered the mountains. The peaks rose up jagged and harsh. In the distance smoke rose in tendrils. The Elves sped up. Ankle only wondered at the massacre going on at Mors, but there was nothing he could do to get there any faster. As they came over some peaks, the valley of Mors came into view. He could see a dragon jump from the area and another flying away. There was a flash from the center of camp.
"The jump crystal," Heath supplied.
Umbra dove down to the hovels where people were forced to breed. Some of them were on fire, but there was a lot of activity. Men were pulling pregnant woman by the hair, cutting them with knives and swords.
"Get us down!" Ankle yelled.
He glowed black, sliding from Umbra. He hit the ground with a grunt, drawing his sword and charging a man. The man dropped the woman he was dragging and swung at Ankle. Rage over taking him, Ankle felled the man with ease. Another came at him but burst into blue flames. The Elf from Umbra came to him, "Sir, your orders."
Right you’re in charge Ankle keep it together he thought.
"Save the women, put the buildings’ fires out, kill every man in the area, they can't be trusted not to be Dark Warriors."
The Elf barked orders to others. Familiars ran about. Ankle followed one to a hovel, its door locked the outside, covered in oil. Ankle rammed the door with his shoulder, the wood splintering. He kicked it, breaking it in. He entered, not caring about the smell. Women screamed in fright.
"You're free now! Come out, I'm here to help you," he said.
The Elf came in behind Ankle and stopped looking. Ankle knew what was going through his mind. It was the same thing that had gone through his months before. The frail forms in the hovel were barely alive.
"Bring healers," Ankle said softly. The Elf didn't respond, Ankle shook his shoulder, "Bring healers."
"Y-Yes Sir," he said leaving.
Booms sounded in the distance as the Elves secured the camp. He turned to leave and felt arms around his legs. He looked down seeing several people reaching toward him. "Please don't leave us," they begged.
Ankle knelt down taking one of their filthy hands. "I won’t," he said in a shaking voice.
With those words something in him changed. He felt the cold that had been with him since he'd been here before leave. It was replaced with compassion. He looked at the huddled figures; here was his purpose in life. Rachel had shown him that. I promised I'd come back.
Epilogue
A Few Years Later
Legon knelt down scooping up his son. It was odd that he had a child at such a young age but he'd told himself that it was for his parents’ sake. If he was being honest it was because children brought hope into the world, a peaceful close to the years of turmoil. He put Arkin down after a moment so he could run and play with the other children. They were under the ever watchful eye of Emma and Stacy. Sasha hadn't bothered to use their parents as an excuse. She'd wanted to be a mother for as long as Legon could remember. And a good one she made at that.
"How's the shop?" Legon asked Barnin.
He shrugged, "Sales are fine I suppose. I just don't get worked up like I used to, ya know?"
"That I do, and Samantha?"
Barnin winced a bit. "She's mad at me, I don't know why," he smiled "But I figure she'll get over it or I'll figure out what I've done wrong this time," he grinned.
Legon laughed, taking the now slightly portly man in.
As soon as the war ended and the Pawdin Empire pushed the Iumenta back into their own lands, his friends went on with their lives.
"Any word on the Impa?" Barnin asked.
Legon shook his head, "No, its been nine years since the war ended and from what we can tell Civil War is still raging. I don't think the Impa Empire will ever exist again."
"Good"
"How's Heath doing?" Legon asked.
"Oh he's still in the military, but they have him training now." Barnin laughed, "Don't think he cares for it much. I offered him a position at my shop I think he might just take me up on it."
* * * * *
Keither sipped at his drink talking to Ankle whose arm was around Rachel. He hadn't left her side in years; Rachel was for Ankle like Sara was for Keither, a reason to be something more. And more Ankle had been. Keither was honored to spend years in service with him as they rehabilitated the people of Mors and those that had been in the Queen’s care for so long, Ankle's vision being a guiding light behind everything. He wondered what Ankle would do now.
"Any plans for the future?" Keither asked.
"I'm taking over my family’s restaurant if you can believe it," he said beaming. "Rach and I are looking forward to being just in Manton," he said smiling down at her. Rachel was still soft spoken but not as timid as before.
"How goes the Department of the Interior?" Ankle asked.
"Fine I suppose, I'm over Manton, we are looking at some new road ways..." he stopped talking, "and things that you will find terribly dull. It's good you'll be in town; Heath, Barnin and I get together every week for a guys night."
Ankle bobbed his head, "I'm game for that."
"Is Sara still the administrator of the Manton healing center?" Rachel asked.
"Yes she is, why?"
Rachel looked sheepish. "Do you think she would mind if I volunteer a few days a week?" she asked timidly.
Keither smiled, "I'll ask her for you and I'm sure she'd like that."
* * * * *
Sara watched Emma watching the kids while still trying to keep a polite conversation going w
ith Sara, Iselin and Sasha.
"Em, how do you do this all day?" Sara asked as kids ran by. "Elf children are so fast!"
Not taking her eyes off them she said, "Well Opes helps me a lot if I'm being honest, but it’s nice having Stacy here to help today. Arkin! No we do not do that!"
Sara was happy for Emma; her friendship with Opes gave her some normalcy in life. Iselin told her that they were just as mentally connected as a married couple though neither of them felt anything other than friendship for the other.
Emma took off after one of the kids, one of Sasha's she thought, Stacy scooped up Arkin as he ran by her. Sara turned to Iselin, "Will Opes die when she does?" she asked bluntly.
Iselin smiled warmly, "Yes, I dare say he will. I think Emma is OK with that because she understands him. She told me that knowing that he was going to keep living was so hard for Opes to bear; now he gets a wonderful life with Emma and she does too. At the end of that life he'll get to be with his wife again and she will go with her Kovos, it's beautiful when you think about it," Iselin said.
* * * * *
Sasha enjoyed the rest of her day with her friends. She was looking forward to returning to Seeon but she wasn't in a hurry. The Lux was docked in Manton, they'd spent the day in the city with friends and now she was in her cabin with Edling. Looking out her window, the water in the harbor reflected the moon. Edling wrapped his arms around her.
"What are you thinking of love?"
"So much has happened, yet so much is the same. Love, family, friends, they are such a constant in life. But still, if you had said to me fifteen years ago living in a small mountain town that Legon would defeat the Empire, that I would be an Elf; well, if you'd told me those things I'd have thought you were mad. Yet here we are. The girl who would never find love is married to the man of her dreams. She who was once hated and bound to be a slave is now..." she turned to Edling, "is now the Head of a Great House."
Edling kissed her, "Funny how that happens."
"My brother once said that Salmont was the most inconsequential town in all of the land. But it was that trait that made it seem the perfect hiding spot for his birth parents. My life would have been much different had I been born in Salkay."
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