The Story of Evil: Volume I - Heroes of the Siege

by Tony Johnson

  The orc saw him pull it out, but there was nothing he could do to stop Ty. He could not let either hand off the bow which defended him from Ty’s sword. He would not have the strength in one hand to hold up the skinny bow against the power of the heavier sword pushing down in the center of it.

  Ty watched the orc’s already ugly and disfigured face become even more twisted in anger. Usually in the moment when a person or monster knows that they are about to be killed, they will either choose to surrender or die.

  The gray orc did not surrender.

  Ty drove his dagger three quick times upward into the orc’s unarmored stomach. The orc stumbled backwards, and backwards, and right off the back of the phoenix. Out of the corner of Ty’s eye he saw a green beam shoot through the air. He jumped off the back of the phoenix and into the air. The powerful blast of wind energy smashed into the face of the phoenix he had been on, knocking it unconscious.

  Ty began spinning and twisting towards Celestial. He knew his gryphon was alive and was the one who had just shot the phoenix. Wildwing would have easily been able to shake free of the ice before he hit the ground.

  In the air, Ty put his dagger away and sheathed his only sword across his back. He enjoyed a minute of free falling until Wildwing flew over to him. The gryphon came in next to Ty so that they were falling together. Ty easily grabbed onto Wildwing’s green feathers and pulled himself into the saddle.

  The two continued fighting, killing monsters from behind who were trailing warrior friends. Overall, the warriors were vastly outnumbered. Friendly monsters were dying fast. They might have been able to take out two or three enemy monsters before ending up plummeting down soon after them.

  Ty and Wildwing had lasted for a while when a huge black dragon being ridden by a hooded man cloaked in black joined the fight. He and his dragon took total control over the battle. The dragon was by far the largest Ty had ever seen. He had heard about this beast. Its reputation was notorious. Ty had never seen him before, but he knew who it was the moment he saw the size of the obsidian-scaled dragon. We as people of the four races have our heroes of legend. Among the monsters, Nightstrike is considered a monster of legend and he hasn’t even been alive for fifty years.

  As he moved through the center of the aerial battlefield, Nightstrike blasted water, wind, electricity, and earth elements into every warrior’s monster. He had an amazingly high level of stamina. Nightstrike didn’t need to wait to recover energy before using his next elemental attack. Right and left, Ty watched dragons, gryphons, and phoenixes ridden by warrior friends be brutally defeated. They were encased in ice, paralyzed, and suffered broken limbs. If the first impact didn’t instantly kill them, it hurt them enough that the remaining enemy monsters quickly finished them off.

  Ty watched all of the warriors’ monsters die: Lavaflame. Rip Claw. Whirlwind, and two of his three sons: Whirlwind Brother 1 and Whirlwind Brother 2. Flashbolt. Stonescorch. Starfire. Aftershock. Pyrosurge.

  He knew all of them. His father had introduced him to most of these friendly monsters. These monsters had known Ty for his whole life. Pyrosurge, Father Whirlwind, and a couple of others had known Ty’s grandfather Jackson Canard and even Ty’s great grandfather before him. The large monsters had been through many generations of people’s lives since they lived for hundreds and hundreds of years. Their lifespan was far greater than even the 150 year lifespan of Elves. Each one of the ancient monsters had scars, acquired from countless battles from wars of the past.

  Ty could not believe what he was seeing. It was hard to say goodbye to friends who had been so stable and dependable for so long. Ty always thought they would still be alive in his children’s lives and their children’s lives as well. These monsters had helped build Celestial. They had helped the civilians of Celestial and saved the Circle City from fires and other natural disasters.

  It was not only the monsters Ty was saying goodbye to, it was their riders as well. Some of them were veteran warriors that had grown up with Caesar Canard. After his father’s death, when Ty passed his test and was accepted into the warriors, these men took the young warrior under their wing in memory of his father. The veterans taught Ty the strategy and tactics he frequently used in battle. These men were like uncles to Ty. He watched in horror as each one died in pain.

  Ty was the last one to be attacked by Nightstrike and its hooded rider. Wildwing was zapped with a huge blast of lighting from the giant black scaled dragon. It was much more powerful than the blast they had gotten hit with from the yellow gryphon earlier. Ty felt the breath leave Wildwing as the electrical surge passed through the gryphon’s body.

  Wildwing was killed on impact.

  The gryphon’s large body absorbed most of the surge, sparing Ty. But the Elf was still electrocuted. He felt numbness move through his entire body. The feeling would not go away. He could not move his legs at all, which were tightly hugged to the gryphon’s body since he had cut his harness earlier. Ty struggled to move his arms. He could only move them slowly and restrictedly.

  He used his bodyweight to lean back with the reins he held, hoping to steer Wildwing. He didn’t want to believe his best monster friend was dead. He wanted to take him into future battles, to play around with him in the barracks, and to tell him his problems and worries. Ty would always voice and vent his issues aloud when he was with Wildwing. Wildwing always listened to Ty. Even though he couldn’t understand Ty’s words, he always cared about his rider. Everyone needed someone they could talk to freely without having to feel like they were being judged. Wildwing was that to Ty.

  Ty let go of the reins and laid his head down on Wildwing’s soft, feathery neck. He slid his fingers deep into the green feathers and grabbed on for support as they spiraled down toward Celestial. The Elf spoke to his monster even though he knew his words went unheard.

  “We began this fight together, so we’ll end this fight together. I’ll see you in a minute, Wildwing.”

  It seemed like slow motion as Wildwing fell, with Ty saddled on his back. Ty’s heart beat faster as the buildings got closer. Celestial was quickly growing in size below him.

  The Elf feared he would end up just like so many people whose lives were lost on this terrible day. Each one of the deaths played out in his mind. The people in the stands of the joust, the burned squire, the mother and her girls, Klar, the veteran riders I fought alongside, Wildwing. I am going to end up just like my father and grandfather. Continuing the legacy they left: warriors who die in their youth, before we ever really have the chance to live. At least the cursed legacy will end with me since I left no child.

  Deep down, Ty rescinded his last thought. He had always wanted a child. Every man wants to leave a legacy, for his surname to live on. Unlike Ty, his child might have finally been the one to break the curse.

  Ty thought about all of the girls he dated in his life. He had always had some girl he took around wherever he went, but he never met that one girl that stood apart from the rest. That was completely his fault though. He had always been interested in quantity over quality. As soon as he went out on a date, he purposely found a flaw with the girl so he could be with someone different the following week. Finding flaws in others was easier than confronting his personal flaw: the fear of commitment.

  Ty somewhat regretted not taking the time to get to know the girls he dated on the inside, rather than just on the outside. Maybe if he would have changed his perspective and given more of himself, he might have found someone he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Maybe he would be married already. Maybe he would have already had a kid by now.

  Would’ves, could’ves, and maybes. There is so much more in life I haven’t experienced yet.

  Ty closed his eyes to avoid the sickening pit in his stomach as his worst fear came to mind. I’ve done nothing in my life to be remembered by. I’ve lived a wasted life. And now it’s too late to change that fact.

  Precious seconds. If only I could have had more precious seconds.


  Chapter 17

  The wood splinters filled the air after Celestial’s hometown jouster landed a devastating blow on his yellow armored opponent. The red armored warrior removed his helm and trotted in front of the stands on his way back to his side of the arena. Kari Quinn felt like there was something wrong with her for not being able to take her eyes off him. He was such an attractive man. It wasn’t his physical looks that captured her gaze. What caught her eye was the warrior’s huge smile and the fact that he was having fun. He wasn’t nervous about the match, (from what she could tell) he was simply enjoying his life in that moment, smiling, and playing to the crowd who loved him.

  When he looked directly at her, she quickly darted her eyes to the side, pretending like she hadn’t been staring even though he was the center of the entertainment. When she looked back, his horse was riding back to its side, but the warrior had turned in his saddle and craned his neck, still fixated on her.

  Kari couldn’t help but smile back. She didn’t even realize she was holding up two fingers towards him, showing him how many points he needed to advance to the championship match.

  What are you doing, Kari? She lowered her arm and blushed as she thought about how stupid she must have looked to the jouster she had a crush on. Of course he knows how many points he needs. He doesn’t need me to tell him. She saw that everyone in the crowd was starting to copy her gesture and raise their arms to put two fingers up. Kari put her two fingers up for the second time, to join in with the rest of the audience; this time higher than before.

  She had overheard a group of women talking about this Stephen Brightflame a couple weeks ago when he was progressing through the Celestial Qualifiers. They spoke of his kindness from when he helped them as a warrior during his daily patrol. Whether it was carrying their groceries or walking alongside them with an umbrella, whatever the warrior did, he was always a gentleman, and he always treated the ladies with respect. The girls blushed when they discussed his attractive features. Rumor had it that Stephen Brightflame was single.

  Kari hadn’t ever met him before. Last night, she had a dream that she was the one he was helping out. She had been out in the woods, hunting for animals with her bow and arrows when she was attacked by a huge phoenix. Stephen came charging into the clearing on his large brown warhorse and ran his lance right through the monster. Then he protectively sat her in front of him on his horse. He grabbed the reins, enclosed his arms around her, and safely returned her to Celestial.

  Kari smiled as she was reminded of the dream. Stephen looked like the perfect man. She didn’t see any flaws in his physical person and more importantly no flaws in his character. Maybe Kari thought of him this way because that’s how Celestial’s propaganda wanted him to be perceived, as their flawless hero. Still, she allowed herself to believe what she had heard and read and couldn’t help but have feelings for this seemingly perfect gentleman of a warrior.

  Kari had always come to the Warriors’ Joust with her father. It was tradition that he would take her every year as a father and daughter weekend of fun and activities. There was nothing like sitting next to her dad as they both cheered along together in favor of Celestial’s jouster. Her father had been a warrior and a gentleman, just like this Brightflame character seemed to be.

  But then the incident happened.

  Even though he was no longer around, Kari continued on with the tradition. She had not missed one tournament since her father was murdered.

  Like the warrior she was watching, Kari herself was quite the sight for sore eyes. She was twenty-three years old. She was half-Human and half-Elf. Her father was a Human and her mother was an Elf. She had an unblemished, light skinned face underneath straight, black hair. Usually she just let her hair flow straight down to the middle of her back and over her slightly pointed ears. She never allowed her hair to cover up her pretty face. Kari hated having her bangs distract her view and other’s view of her. When she did allow her bangs in front of her face, they wouldn’t go below her perfectly thin eyebrows.

  Her eyes were the most captivating thing about her. They were large and round and a rare deep blue. If you looked very closely, you could see a black sunburst-like effect. Similar to the spokes of a wheel, a dozen thin black streaks cut through the amazing blue color. They were eyes you could stare at for days and get lost in.

  Her teeth were as white as ivory. The bicuspids on the top row of her teeth were more prominent than the rest. It made her smile look better than if her teeth were perfectly straight. It was a cute, attractive smile surrounded by luscious full lips. Men and women in conversation with her spent half as much time speaking to her mouth as they did looking into her eyes. Either place of focus was captivating, just like she was.

  Her figure was thin and muscular. Her body was well toned. She had large curves in areas that men spent too much time looking at. Even women sneaked a jealous glance wishing they could look like she did.

  Kari’s voice was like no other. The sound that came out of her 5’10” 160 pound frame was nothing short of angelic. Pure and clean voices like that were a gift from the good god. It was a shame the talent disappeared the same day her father died.

  People used to be able to hear her lovely voice from blocks away, cascading through the air along with the birds that glided past and chimed in their own choruses. No one had any idea how she was able to pull off the notes she could; notes that were high and long and beautiful.

  Everything about her was attractive. But despite her deadly gorgeous looks, she was equally dangerous. She always carried her father’s bow and quiver behind her shoulders. It was a steel bow painted green, his favorite color. His father, who was a blacksmith, had worked on crafting it while Kari’s father was in Warrior Training. Kari’s grandfather gave it to his son the day he was drafted and officially became a warrior. Her father loved the bow second only to his wife and daughter. With its professional and intricate design, he felt like he could take down anything he aimed at. Kari’s father used that bow and became one of Celestial’s most notorious archers because of his accuracy.

  Carrying the green bow around with her was a way to carry around her memories of him as well. Her father won many archery tournaments with his accuracy. He never bragged about his skill, because others did the bragging for him. His warrior friends would tell Kari, “You’re father is the best shot I’ve ever seen.”

  Kari found that she inherited her father’s accuracy. One morning, when Kari was only six years old, her father took her hunting in Whitebark Woods. He was going to teach her how to shoot. As she sat with him in the saddle, he talked about the importance of hunting.

  “I don’t know when my time will come, and hopefully it is not until I’m old and gray and you have a family of your own, but until then, I will not leave my family unprepared if something happens to me. You are a smart, beautiful girl, and most fathers wouldn’t teach their daughters to hunt. To them it is improper, but I believe if you have a talent, then who is to say you can’t use it whether or not you’re a boy or girl? Kari, I have seen you with the toy bow and arrow I gave you for your birthday last year. You are only six, yet you hit your targets with better accuracy than I. We were given a gift from the good god that we can use to help provide for our family. I want to make a habit of this, you and I hunting together in the woods. Now that you are old enough to remember, I can begin to teach you the techniques I have learned. And someday, I will pass on to you, the bow that my father made for me.”

  While they were sitting in the quiet and stillness of the woods, Kari burst into tears. “Dad, I don’t want to do this. I can’t kill an innocent animal,” she cried.

  Her father let out a big sigh and set down his loaded bow. He put his arm around his daughter, wondering if he had brought her out here too soon. He had been only five when his father first took him out hunting. After a few minutes of letting her sob in his arms, he explained the purpose animals serve.

  “The good god created people. The evil god created
monsters. Both of them created animals. They are neither good nor evil. They are neutral in the ongoing war between both sides. They serve their created purpose of work, war, or food for both monsters and people. Some animals are better equipped to be put to work. Those, we can use to plow our fields and do other hard labor. We use others in war, like we do with horses and elephants. For food we domesticate animals. Luckily the monsters don’t understand domestication, so that’s why they fight over animals the way they do. Live animals are the only food that monsters know.”

  Kari eased her crying at the soothing sound of her father’s calm voice. She pulled away and sat next to him, using her cotton sleeve to rub her nose and dry her eyes.

  Her father continued. “Sometimes I sit out here and I don’t see anything at all. Other times I see an animal and take the shot. I see it this way: I am here for a reason, to get food for my family. The animals were put here for a reason by the gods. Their purpose is to be the food that feeds us. So when I see an animal, I kill it, knowing there is a valid reason for its death, and it is serving its purpose in life.”

  “Do they hurt?” his daughter sniffled.

  “If you hit them in the right spot they don’t hurt at all. We want them to die quickly and painlessly. Over time I will show you, and you will learn the weak points for each animal. I want you to always aim for those spots, Kari. No person, animal, or monster deserves to be in pain more than they need to be if it has already been decided that they are going to be killed. And when we kill, it is never done for the fun of sport. Work, war, and food…other than those three, in addition to self-defense, there are no other reasons you should ever kill an animal. Do you understand?”

  Kari nodded her head.

  “You have to be careful out here, Kari. Even though animals serve their purpose as our food, they can be dangerous. They may not be able to talk or use elements like the monsters, but they can hurt us just as much. Usually animals won’t bother us. Most of them are too small to hurt us: rabbits, squirrels, fish, birds, deer, and many others; but there are larger animals, like lions, wolves, bears, and wooly mammoths. They don’t always feel like running away. If their space is aggravated or if they feel threatened, they will attack. So we always have to be careful. But I will be out here with you until you are old enough, so you don’t have to worry about that. Does all of this make more sense to you now? Do you have any questions?”