by Toni Cox
Fireproof? she thought. How is that possible? She circled Midnight around to swoop in again. Briefly, she caught a glimpse of the rest of the army. There were pockets of fighting. She saw a group of Vampyres swarm a battle dragon and rider that had been brought to ground. She saw two Werewolves rip into a terrified horse. She saw bloody warriors locked in battle with sword swinging Vampyres. Then she was past and diving on another group.
She tried not to look again and just concentrated on flying with Midnight to distract the Vampyres as much as she could. But time and time again she caught glimpses of the fighting below and her stomach ached from its convulsions. Bile kept rising into her mouth. She tried to ignore it and, instead, focused on yet another group of Vampyres Midnight was heading for. She had learned by now how to deal with the heat of the fire and knew just when to hold her breath before Midnight engulfed the Vampyres in flame.
This time one of the Vampyres went down alongside his Werewolf. Ha, so not fire proof, she thought, just really tough. She conveyed to Midnight to concentrate his fire even more. Instead of spreading it to encompass a whole lot of them, which would weaken the intensity of the flame, he would have to concentrate on individuals. If the fire was hot enough, they, too, could burn. The thought sickened her. As it was, Midnight was unable to unleash the full might of his dragon fire, as then even Maia would burn.
It was past noon when the fighting abated. The fighting had strewn the armies over a fast area and Maia had to fly for a while before she spotted her father. She asked Midnight to land close by. But before she could even speak to her father and find out any details, her body gave in. She retched until there was nothing left in her stomach. Her entire body ached, her head hurt and her mind reeled with all the destruction around her. She closed her eyes and leaned against Midnight’s shoulder. His warmth was comforting.
After a short while, she felt a little stronger and she stepped away from Midnight to survey her surroundings. A beautiful blue sky, with the sun high and bright, belied the devastation before her. Most of the Werewolves and Vampyres lay dead, in their own blood. The people were bloody and exhausted, but most of those she saw were not seriously injured. But some were lying still, their bodies contorted, and she knew there was no hope for those. Death had claimed them already.
They had also lost most of their horses. The men spread out across the field, looking for their wounded to be taken to Silas and her for healing and dispatched anything else that still lived. Mercy for the horses, punishment for the Vampyres.
Silas joined her then and together they saw to the people that were brought to them. Some had horrifying wounds, but after all the killing, healing her people was making Maia feel better. She gave the warriors her thanks and graced them with her smile and she saw in them new hope.
The people were sitting down, resting, with heads bowed over their knees, when two Scouts came running across the field. They were dirty and sweaty and clearly out of breath. They relayed their news to Jagaer in stops and starts. More Vampyres had come through, and more Werewolves. There was a group of about fifty mounted Vampyres heading for the mountain, while another group of more than five hundred was marching towards their location. They would be here within half an hour.
Jagaer sent messengers to gather his Commanders. They arrived, most of them bloodied and bruised, within minutes. He saw the despair in their eyes, their tiredness and fear, but he also saw determination and knew they would not give up.
“You have all done well. We have managed to dispatch the bulk of their army. But I have to ask you for more. Their rear guard will be upon us soon. Most of them are on foot, about five hundred of them. We will advance to the ridge and meet them there. Fighting among the dead will only hinder us. Drink your Silva while we march, there is no time to rest now.”
Maia watched as the Commanders moved off, giving orders to march. Even the dragons look tired, their heads are dropping, Maia thought as five of them were led past where she sat. They had lost almost all of their horses and most people were now on foot. She tried to estimate how many people they had lost, but it was difficult to say. Two hundred, maybe three hundred? She shuddered, but then wondered how they had managed to sustain so little losses in the face of such overwhelming odds.
“Maia,” Jagaer said, sounding tired, “I need you to take Midnight and your thirty Dragon Warriors and see if you can head off the group that is marching toward the mountains. Stop them at all costs. Once they get into the mountains, it will be difficult to track them. We have no way of knowing where they are going, but our families are in those mountains and I will not leave their fate to chance. Do not let any escape.”
He turned then and climbed onto Cloud’s back. The stallion snorted. The smell of blood thick in his nose.
Jaik came to her then, his face smeared with blood and a cut on his right thigh. He briefly took her in his arms and then held her by her shoulders.
“Be careful.” He kissed her on her sweaty forehead. “The Vampyres are clever, they are good with the sword and their Werewolves are as intelligent as dragons, so watch your back. I cannot lose you.”
He hugged her fiercely again and then led her over to Midnight to help her mount.
“Wait.” Maia stopped him before he lifted her onto Midnight’s leg. “Let me heal your cut at least.”
He protested, but she bent over his thigh and let the energy flow through her. It wasn’t a deep cut and it stopped bleeding immediately. It hardly required any energy at all, and she felt better for healing it. She kissed her brother and then ran up Midnight’s leg. She was in the saddle before Jaik could say anything further.
Midnight’s wings stirred up the dust and Jaik raised an arm to shield his eyes. Irritated he wiped a tear from his eyes, knowing the tear had nothing to do with the dust. She will be fine, there is nothing to worry about, he thought, but couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was going to go horribly wrong.
Commander Evandeor Hollowdale was Commander of the Regiment from Thala Yll and she had only met him for the first time when they had chased the Vampyres into their territory. She had worked with him over the last few Quarters and she had learned, that he had a sharp mind and an inner strength that made people follow him and respect him. He was a good man to have at her back.
They were now flying side by side in silence. His warriors and their dragons spread out behind them. One of the Scouts had pointed them in the direction the Vampyres had gone, but so far, there had been no sign of them. Maia was getting worried. Midnight felt the same. The forest loomed large only a few miles ahead of them. She did not want to insult the Commander by insinuating that his dragons were slow, but she was considering flying ahead to scout for the Vampyres. Then Midnight made her aware of movement ahead. It was still too far away for even her eyes to see, but Midnight rumbled deep in his chest, alerting the other dragons to the disturbance and she felt their acknowledgment.
“Commander, Midnight says they are about five miles ahead of us. Two miles from the edge of the forest. How fast can your dragons fly?”
The Commander made some quick calculations in his head, but Maia saw the defeat in his eyes even before he said it.
“I am sorry, My Princess, even if they fly as fast as they can, they would not make it. The Werewolves are quick and they have a big lead. I think it might be best if you fly ahead and try to delay them until we manage to catch up. It will be dangerous, but I don’t see another way. Do you think you can do it?”
He looked at her with hope and regret in his eyes.
“Midnight will catch up with them before they reach the forest, of that I am sure. I will try to delay them with fire for as long as I can, even if I have to burn the forest.”
Commander Hollowdale looked into her determined eyes and gave her a wry smile.
“Be careful, My Lady. Stay out of reach of their arrows. Stall them for as long as you can.”
“Please, call me Maia, I consider you my friend. And I will be careful. You
can count on me.”
“Then call me Evan and I consider it an honour to be your friend. May the Mother fly with you.”
Midnight surged forward, his great black wings propelling him at incredible speed. Maia ducked down low over his neck, squinting at the wind rushing into her face. Before she was too far away, she still felt the dragons behind her muster their reserves and put on a new burst of speed. Evan would be true to his word and catch up with her as soon as they could.
“Midnight,” she whispered into his hide, “I am scared.”
She didn’t have to tell him, he already knew how she felt, but it made her feel better for telling him and it bolstered her confidence to know that he was aware of her fear. He sent her his strength in his thoughts and his assurance that The Vile would not escape. It had taken Maia all morning to figure out a name for what Midnight called the Werewolves. The Vile was the closest she got to the feelings he had for them. To Midnight, they were nothing more than mutated, mutilated and tortured creatures, with minds so twisted that there was no hope for them ever to lead a normal life. The Vampyres had seen to that.
Maia looked up and squinted into the wind. She was not surprised to see how close the forest was. Nothing could rival Midnight’s speed in flight. Down below, just another half a mile ahead, she could now make out the horde racing toward the forest. As they got closer, Maia noticed something strange.
“These are larger,” she said more to herself than Midnight, but he responded by letting her see through his eyes and she could now clearly see the differences between these Werewolves and Vampyres to the ones they had fought this morning. The animals were taller, well-muscled all round and had a groomed and well cared for appearance. The Vampyres too, were taller, with more noble features and their dress bespoke of someone of higher rank.
These must be Generals, or Commanders, Maia thought and she didn’t like the implications of what this could mean.
There was no time to think about it. They had now caught up with them and Midnight flew high to overtake them. Maia heard the shouts from below, but a sudden urge to protect what was dear to her brought on a battle rage that made her shout back at them.
Screaming, she made Midnight swoop down low and spray a long line of fire along the dry grass in front of them. Tall flames licked up into the sky, momentarily blocking the way to the forest. The early autumn grass was burned up quickly and, with shouting and whipping, the Vampyres urged their mounts through the dying flames.
Maia cursed and made another pass. This time, she asked Midnight to concentrate his fire on the Werewolves. He stayed just out of range of the arrows and unleashed a torrent of flame which engulfed the group below for a moment, unnerving the Werewolves. But they were too high, the fire had very little effect from this height and even though she noticed some of the Vampyres patting out some smouldering fur, they carried on toward the forest undeterred.
Again and again they flew overhead, each time showering the Vampyres and their mounts in flame, but each time they carried on as if it meant nothing to them. Frustrated, she asked Midnight to fly lower. He rumbled his agreement, feeling just as frustrated. The Vampyres had almost reached the forest and it was her last chance to stop them.
They dived dangerously low, approaching the Vampyres from their right. Until now, their arrows had sailed safely underneath Midnight’s belly at every pass, but this time, Maia could hear the slap of each one as it hit Midnight’s leathery skin. An arrow whistled past her ear and she ducked just in time as another flew past. One ripped through the outer, softer, skin of Midnight’s flight membranes and with his roar of pain came a spray of fire so large it engulfed all fifty of the riders below.
Maia held her breath and closed her eyes. When it was safe to open her eyes again, she watched in horror and sick fascination as one of the Werewolves lit up like a fireball and ran, howling, in the opposite direction, unseating its rider in the process. Another Werewolf was also on fire, but his rider managed to put out the flames before the animal succumbed to the pain. Thirteen of the Vampyres had taken damage, throwing down their burned bows, armour and clothes, before remounting and doubling their efforts to reach the forest.
The Vampyre who had lost his mount was hard pressed to keep up with the Werewolves, but Maia was none the less astounded by his speed. His efforts all came to naught, as Commander Hollowdale swooped in with his dragon and beheaded the fleeing Vampyre with one swift stroke.
Maia turned away from the sight and concentrated on the others, who were now at the tree line. Braving the arrows once again, Midnight flew right down to them and picked up one of the Werewolves with his rider, all the while spraying fire all around him. While the forest burned and the Werewolves panicked, Midnight rose high into the air before he released his hold on his load and, with a howl and a scream, the enemy plummeted to the ground, smashing into it with a sickening crunch. Both lay still and never moved again.
Maia watched as the Battle Dragons and their warriors fought with the Vampyres at the forest’s edge. Most had already taken refuge within the shelter of the trees and the others were retreating fast. Commander Hollowdale pressed after them, driving the dragons hard, but eventually he had to admit defeat. The forest was simply too dense for the dragons to go into.
They all landed, staring into the dark forest. Maia was surprised to find that it was evening and the sun had already sunken behind the mountain.
“It cannot be helped,” Eyvin, Evan’s second in command, pointed out. “We cannot go in there with the dragons and we dare not go after them on foot, especially not at night.”
“Where do you think they are going?” Maia asked.
“They might just have picked this direction at random, but I don’t think so. This entire attack has been so well planned, I believe they know exactly where they are going and how to get there.”
“Aye, I agree with Eyvin,” Evan said. “There is nothing in this forest for them, but they must know what lies beyond it. They must also know that we cannot or will not follow them into it. They have come here for one thing only and what would be easier to take than the ones who are too young or old to fight? Tarron Heights is nestled between the cliffs on the other side of the gorge. The only thing that stands between the Vampyres and the city is this forest…and us, if I have anything to do with it.”
Evan remounted his dragon. Everyone followed his example.
“It will take the Vampyres a couple of hours to get through the forest, even if they do not stop and rest. They will have to cross the gorge before they reach the mountain proper and the path to the city. If we fly over the forest, we might be able to reach the clearing ahead of them. It will be full night by then and there is a chance we might miss then, but I cannot see another option right now. If we fly without any stops, we should make it. If we are lucky, they will rest their mounts whilst in the safety of the forest, giving us some extra time.”
“But what if they decided to head into a different direction. How can we be sure they are actually heading to Tarron Heights?” Ryndall asked, the other members of the Regiment nodding beside him.
Maia answered this question for him. “This section of forest is situated in The Lonely Valley. It is hemmed in to the north by Shadow Peak and its outlying ranges. It is nigh impossible to cross. Even the best Trackers go around it. The Odal Heights form a long barrier to the south, dividing the Grildor-Bron Mountain Range from the Ruby Forest. It takes days to cross. The only possible way is straight through the forest towards the gorge and the valley beyond it. All the women and children are still at Tarron Heights, and so are the others from Shadow Hall. Even if their plan is to mislead us and turn back to re-join the fight, we cannot take the chance of letting them get through to the city. Our only hope is to overtake them and stop them before they cross the gorge.”
“Then let us be away,” Evan said and patted his dragon on his neck. It rolled its eyes at him and crouched to take flight.
“Wait,” Maia called out before
he could lift off.
“What is it, Maia?”
“Did you notice anything strange about these Werewolves and Vampyres we were following? Did they seem larger, different, to you?”
Evan gave it some thought, then, “Yes, indeed, you are right. But what does it mean?”
“I think that maybe the army that we battled this morning was just their advance guard, their foot soldiers. Although they outnumbered us more than two to one, we managed to beat them within hours of their arrival. They were not as big, strong or well trained as these we fought now. Could it be that they were sent to delay us and that the real charge is still to come? What if, like these fifty we are chasing now, others have been sent to divide our forces so that their main army can come through while we are busy fighting or chasing small regiments? We need to warn my father. Is there someone you can send back with the message?”
Evan did not hesitate. “Aye, My Lady. Gillear, please leave at once and inform our Lord of these developments. Make haste, we do not have a moment to spare.”
Gillear immediately urged his dragon into the air and was soon out of sight.
“We have killed seven of them before they reached the forest. Forty-three are left. Let us be off as well, we have hours to fly before we can land again.”
Midnight rose into the air without hesitation. The Battle Dragons took a little longer to rise high enough to clear the top of the forest.
Evan looked at Maia apologetically. “They are not used to flying at such speeds or altitudes. But they are hardy creatures and they would rather die, than give up.”
Maia graced him with one of her smiles. She had no doubt the dragons were a match for the job at hand, Midnight had already conveyed to her the feelings of the other dragons towards what they were chasing. None of them would relent until the very last of them were dead.
They flew east, over the dark forest below. At first, Maia tried to see movement down below, but the canopy of the trees was too thick. Midnight reassured her that the Vampyres were below and she trusted his senses. She kept updating Evan from time to time about anything Midnight reported, but after a time her eyelids grew heavy and she rested her head onto Midnight’s neck. His warmth and reassuring rumble eventually eased her into a fitful sleep.