He stopped on his tracks, evading the immensely sharp rocks. He focused on avoiding the rocks until he saw large maroon balls coming fast to greet him.
He was hit by some and was thrown outward by the enormous pressure of the strike. He dropped to the ground and another arrow came hurdling towards him but was able to evade it again. Glaivel groaned in frustration but he focused once again another arrow and waited for another opportunity.
“This is ridiculous! How could he have dodged that?” he shouted out of anger.
Graveloth hurled towards Tamiron but he stood up and his gloves unexpectedly shrank. Graveloth closed in and Tamiron angled himself. He slipped both his arms through opening and grabbed Graveloth’s arms, stopping him from spinning and slamming him repeatedly to the ground before throwing him away.
He charged again towards Glaivel who he saw was still aiming at him. His iron gauntlets grew and then threw multiple punches on the shields Evangeline had put up and it was fortunately holding.
Evangeline felt the pressure of the attacks. She put all her energy towards the shields as the ones around the courtyard slowly dissipated. She was struggling and was about to give way when Aderon struck Tamiron in the back. He threw him back in the air where Ravaen was able to strike him repeatedly before slamming him back to the ground.
Kaira recovered her whip and ran towards Tamiron, instantly wrapping him as he slowly stood up. She pulled the same trick she did. As Tamiron struggled towards her, she launched multiple strikes then threw him back in midair. His consciousness started to flicker but by the time he saw Sevidon jump from the ground, Tamiron had had it and roared once more.
He roared louder than before and the gauntlets glowed even brighter. Sevidon was surprised but it was too late to dodge. Tamiron punched him with all his force, slamming Sevidon to the ground, rendering his mobility for a short moment. He was shaking when he stood up limping and the others rushed to him.
Tamiron landed to the ground and was surprised when an arrow hurled right beside his head. He grew furious but still tried to wait for his opponent’s move.
“He’s weak! Distract him now! I’ve got an idea!” Evangeline yelled.
“What is it?” Sevidon asked as he breathed and tried to regain his strength and posture.
“His head! Remove his helmet and I’ll do something about his head!” Evangeline said as she too was exhausted by the battle. Sevidon nodded and he let go of his shield and picked up another sword as he slowly walked towards Tamiron.
“Remove his helmet!” Sevidon shouted and both him and Tamiron charged at one another. They were about to collide when Sevidon extended his right hand and the sword he buried awhile ago flew into his hand and held off Tamiron’s deadly punch.
Sevidon then pushed Tamiron away as Aderon came head on and lunged a couple of attacks at Tamiron. Tamiron punched Aderon in a second, throwing him towards Evangeline. Ravaen quickly flew from the back and launched his own attacks, destroying certain parts of Tamiron’s armor, finally exposing his back and rendering his armor weak.
Tamiron turned around and gave Ravaen a worthy fight. Tamiron punched him in the stomach again, stopping him and struck him downward, smashing him to the ground once more.
He charged towards Evangeline who was murmuring something as the shields slowly dissipated. Glaivel shot a few arrows towards Tamiron and was able to break his speed to a halt.
From his side, Graveloth launched an attack that hit his stomach and launched them both upward. The attack was strong but he was able to throw himself away and was falling down, as Graveloth continued upward. Glaivel saw a clear opening again and with all his might, he focused on that and then released the arrow that was enhanced with the sharpness of the wind. Tamiron saw it but was too late to evade. It hit the crystal stone on his chest, cracking it in half.
Tamiron removed the stuck arrow and saw that Ravaen was speeding towards him. He shielded his chest as he went down but was surprised that Ravaen aimed for his helmet. He evaded the attacks but the horn of his helmet was cut off as he hurdled downward. Tamiron hit the ground standing up. He felt the pressure as he considered that he was slowly weakening.
“Magea Strato Elisio!” Evangeline shouted. A small glowing spark flew towards Tamiron. He attempted to deflect it with his fists but when his fist and the tiny glow collided with each other, an immense force exploded in his face. He felt like he was hit by a thousand blows as he was thrown meters from the explosion. He managed to stand up again as he was now shaking and most of his armor was left to brittle and dropped to the ground in pieces.
Another unexpected attack from behind came, it was Kaira. She sliced through the helmet further weakening it and she kicked it off his head. It threw him sideward’s along with the helmet. Kaira quickly ran towards Tamiron and latched to his back, anchoring her hands and feet to both his legs and arms, disabling him.
He struggled and Kaira was having a hard time to face him upward. She dropped her weight all the way down, exposing Tamiron atop and was unable to shield himself. Graveloth came from above and hit him with full force and power that he let out a scream. Kaira felt the intense pressure of the impact as she found herself being buried to the ground with Tamiron. Graveloth stopped his relentless attack and Kaira kicked Tamiron off.
He landed on his feet once more. His energy was already drained. He reached for his crystal, checking if it was still intact. But it wasn’t. It was destroyed. He let out a loud roar for he still had the ability to fight back. The glow in his eyes slowly faded when two arrows hit him by the shoulders. Sevidon came up to him and launched slashes across his chest.
Everyone was about to strike the final blow but Tamiron summoned again the Teutonic, the one he used before on Sevidon, surprising everyone as he punched down to the ground throwing everyone away from the epicenter.
The shockwaves knocked them all out. Tamiron walked towards Evangeline.
She couldn’t believe it. After everything, he still had energy left in him. She struggled to summon a shield in time and Tamiron hammered it to oblivion. It was about to give way when she felt the surge of energy she felt back in the Sanctum. The shield broke but Evangeline let out a screech, flinging Tamiron far way.
She held her hands wide open and five large maroon orbs appeared. They slowly shrank and she launched these towards Tamiron.
Tamiron threw a punch to deflect it, but he was immediately thrown back by the immense power the orb had. He got hit multiple times by the orbs until his armor began to crumble. He was panting and Aderon saw this as the opportunity waited for.
“Evangeline, throw me at him, now!” Aderon quickly said as his hand gripped his dagger. Evangeline was already out of energy. She glanced at Aderon and without second thought and slung him. There he sped towards the extremely weak and disabled Tamiron.
The others were only getting up when they saw Aderon hurdling towards Tamiron who was facing the ground and still trying to stand.
Sevidon was horrified to catch a glimpse that Aderon was gripping his dagger.
“Aderon, no!” he shouted. He tried to get up but was too weak to do it. He only watched and waited for the inevitable. Aderon flapped his wings with force and saw Tamiron slowly standing up.
Tamiron was about to charge again, when he saw the marker he asked his soldiers to make behind him. He held his ground when four pink tentacles sprung up from the ground and held his arms and feet, immobilizing him. Then another sprung up from behind covering his ears and holding his head into position. Evangeline casted one last spell and she noticed that Tamiron didn’t move a single part of his body.
Tamiron struggled and managed to break free of the spells. He tried to deflect the incoming Aderon when a strong impact occurred that threw both him and Aderon to the outside of the walls of the courtyard. Dust enveloped the two crashing bodies.
The others started to get up, slowly gaining their strength back.
Sevidon was shaking and crawled helplessly towards the unconsci
ous Graveloth. Kaira whimpered in one leg. Staring at Tamiron’s body, as it lay motionless on the ground. They were horrified. They didn’t know what Aderon did. He was unconscious too.
End of Chapter XXI
XXII: THE TOMBSTONE
IT HAD BEEN FOUR DAYS since the Empire heard from the group of seven that took down Prince Tamiron. Menoich was clearly anxious. He couldn’t concentrate on the meeting that was taking place.
“Prime Minister?” called out Ferrier who was delivering a report. His attention was finally caught. “I’ve been calling you four times now. Should I repeat what I said?”
“Oh no, it’s fine. It should be fine if we let it run its course,” he said, prompting confusion among the council.
“Are you sure about this, Sire? Letting the High Kingdom patrol even beyond the reaches of the Empire is a bit worrisome, don’t you think?” Ferrier repeated. Menoich quickly brushed it off.
“It’s okay. We are all right with this as long as the Mystic Falcons are with them after they cross the Imperial Airspace. Write that down and let’s move on quickly,” he said as he waved Ferrier off who was evidently annoyed with no choice but to return to his seat.
Aragrad entered the room quietly and went straight to Menoich. He leaned towards him and whispered, “My Liege, still no sight of them.”
“Send out a party to Melgrace. Maybe they’ll see something there,” he answered in hushed tones.
“What exactly are we looking for, My Liege?” Aragrad asked.
“Bodies.” He stood up. “Now then. Shall we now move on to the next subject?” he asked the council. One was about to start when the doors slammed open.
“My Liege! The carriage, they have arrived!” shouted the guard.
Menoich could not believe it. They actually did it?! He thought.
“How sure are you that it is them, soldier?” he asked, so as to not get his hopes up, like the rest of the council was showing.
“The High Prince and the Mystic King flew passed the gates and straight her,” the guard answered.
“Well? Where are they now!” he said as he walked out the throne room with the soldier.
“The Prince and the King are currently escorting the carriage as it makes its way up here, Your Highness,” the guard said, surprising Menoich.
He was not prepared. They hadn’t heard from them for days then they suddenly came out of nowhere. He looked at Aragrad, prompting him to follow suit. “Let us postpone this meeting. Prepare for their arrival. Prepare the Imperial Palace at once!” he quickly ordered everyone and they began to scramble forth.
He walked through the halls of the Imperial Palace decorated with the fourteen banners that made up the Empire. The pillars shined in gold and emeralds. They were abundant at the northern region of La’Canilenoir. Upon the light outside, still riddled with black smoke from the factories in the city, the guards and the Imperial Phalanx prepared for the carriage’s arrival, where, Menoich assumed, Tamiron’s body should be.
It was only a matter of time now for him to advance in his plans. Once he confirmed Tamiron’s death, it would be finally complete. Before he could give another command, the palace gates burst open and the High Prince and the Mystic King landed in front of him.
He quickly cleared his throat and recovered his composure, clearly not expecting their company. He gave them a bow fit for the royals they were — well for now anyway.
“It is of my greatest honor to meet Your Highnesses,” Menoich said.
“It is an honor indeed for me as well to meet the man who made it possible for me to lay the final blow on the Imperial Prince,” Aderon quickly said as he bowed, then extended his wing forward, a sign of respect that Menoich knew the High Eagles rarely gave.
“Shall we?” Menoich said. He walked towards the carriage where Princess Evangeline, General Sevidon, Prince Glaivel, walked out from and finally the blacksmith Graveloth, whom Ferrier mentioned to him earlier. As he slowly opened the carriage doors, he saw it – a body lying, lifeless.
Inside the Imperial Palace, deep within the cellars, a shadow lurked. The cellars were heavily guarded and one by one, the guards fell. The Loyalists, made up of a few Palace personnel, soldiers, the King’s and Princess’ Personal guard started to notice the guards disappearing. The captain of the Princess’ personal guard walked closer to the bars, where another stood.
The captain got the drift and when the last guard fell, he quickly grabbed the remaining guard in front of him and strangled him to sleep.
From the shadows, Kaira emerged.
“Who — who are you?” the captain asked.
“I’m a friend,” she said then opened the cellar. “Grab your gear in the armory. We will take back the Palace,” she said as she walked towards Princess Tamara who was still downtrodden, clasping her knees by the corner.
“How? The Princess cannot rule alone. Not in this state,” the captain asked as some of his loyal comrades flooded the halls and headed quietly to the armory.
Kaira kept an eye on the Princess. “Oh don’t worry. She won’t be alone.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A few days before they arrived at Tamara. Evangeline, Glaivel, and Graveloth were standing in front of what seemed to be grave markers. It had names engraved on it Mark, Maria, and their son…
The three of them didn’t know what to make of it, especially Graveloth. He always felt a bit out of place amongst his comrades. He could see it on their faces. The weight of what had just transpired yesterday. He was still shaken and exhausted. And as far as he knew, so were the others. He looked again at the marker, for what seemed to be a tombstone for him.
“He just stood right here,” Evangeline said, breaking the silence, “as if he was protecting this.”
Glaivel only sighed and so did Graveloth.
“Do you know anyone by these names that were close to him, Princess?” Graveloth asked but Evangeline only shook her head.
He looked around, only to see the scar left from their battle, and where Aderon, and Tamiron had crashed.
“This tombstone looks like it was just built recently,” Graveloth said, prompting Glaivel to slowly turn to him. “What? It’s true. Look at it. No one on their right mind would place a tombstone here in the courtyard if this city was still alive.”
“So what are you saying? That monster built this? I highly doubt it,” Glaivel said in a high tone. Graveloth knew when to back off, and this was one of those times.
“Evangeline, could you tell whether this is new or not? I need to know for myself.” Glaivel asked her. But she paid no attention, “Evangeline did you hear me?”
“I don’t want to,” She answered abruptly. “I‘d rather not — I don’t know.”
Graveloth could see that Evangeline was trying to hold something inside. He had not seen her like this before. Glaivel tried to comfort her but she pulled away.
“I just don’t get it. Why would he do this? Why would he feel something for the family he murdered, but not for mine?” Evangeline suddenly said, surprising both Glaivel and Graveloth.
“What do you mean?” Graveloth asked.
“When was this?” Glaivel interjected.
“When I was about to depart for the temple with Diplomat Moselei, we were attacked by Xerxecian assassins. My father and mother were killed. But I managed to defeat them,” Evangeline said.
Graveloth could feel Evangeline’s sadness. Yet, he did not know what to say. Maybe it was because he never felt it himself. He grew up an orphan so he wasn’t really sure how it felt – to lose someone. If anything, Evangeline knew how to hide it. She looked so calm to him — dangerously calm.
“But it doesn’t matter now, does it? Since now we know he was indeed under some form of control,” Evangeline said again, quickly changing the topic.
“About that, what have you found out?” Glaivel asked curiously.
“The magic is too old. I don’t know much about it. Traces of it were a bit familiar, but the more I t
ry to identify it, the more of it I lose. It’s too — how shall I put this — unorthodox. The gemstone that we managed to destroy somehow played a huge role on what happened to Prince Tamiron,” Evangeline answered.
“Can you trace who was behind this?” Glaivel asked. But this time, Evangeline didn’t have an answer.
“If only we’ve known in the first place. This wouldn’t have happened,” Graveloth said, prompting Evangeline to stare daggers at him.
“I did everything I could. But I was already too weak to stop it. I did what I had to do, at least,” Evangeline protested.
“I do not blame you for what happened, Princess. What I mean was that—”
“What did you mean then?” Evangeline cut off Graveloth. Silence filled the air.
“So what are we going to do with him? Are we going to present him to the Prime Minister?” Glaivel asked.
“I need to talk to the others about this. Make sure to come back immediately as well. We need to think of what our next step should be, given the current circumstances,” Evangeline said then turned back to the camp when suddenly, the sky glowed, as if it was glittering.
They looked up and saw, Paneloseis, hundreds of them.
“I have never seen anything like this,” Graveloth said in awe and saw Evangeline standing right below the shimmering sprites.
“They passed. She lets them all pass. The messenger lets them all pass her realm,” Glaivel uttered and he knelt and began to bow his head.
Graveloth walked towards the still stunned Evangeline, and saw her, awestruck with tears running down her face.
“Once they appear, it means the souls are safe. They’ve crossed the mirror realm,” Evangeline said. He patted Evangeline by the shoulder before Evangeline snapped out of it and left.
Only Graveloth and Glaivel were left. Graveloth turned his attention back to the tombstone, while Glaivel finished his prayers. He just looked at him, amazed. He never knew he could experience something as surreal as it.
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