We could use the reassurance of his presence. Refugees have flocked into the woods to escape the war, and ironically have found our city. Though all have chosen to join the fight against the Forces of Darkness, it will only be a matter of time until it is one of Kassina’s scouts that finds our defensive perimeter.”
(General Faowind of Veldrenn)
As the arrow entered the room, its blue glow betrayed hints of its presence. Kassina snapped her head toward the arrow and her eyes glowed as her body moved at an unnatural speed. She barely moved swiftly enough to avoid the arrow piercing her heart. It sliced through her lung instead. Her acidic blood splattered onto the bed, burning the satin sheets beneath their bodies. After passing through Kassina’s body, the arrow cut its way through Derian’s heart and finally exited the room through the stone wall. Derian's scream pierced Aidan and Tusdar’s ears as his blood spattered onto Kassina’s chest, attacking her flesh.
Aidan and Tusdar watched in horror as Kassina’s wound rapidly healed itself, while Derian shrieked in agony as his body disintegrated into dust beneath her. Kassina snarled in their direction as she leapt off the bed and spun around, like a tiger ready to pounce on its prey. Her face contorted and she spat out her words. “Whoever you are, you will pay dearly for this cowardly intrusion!”
Tusdar's body shook as he pounded his fist into the bottom of the enchanted circle, sealing the window with a flash of light.
“Run as fast as you can, and whatever you do, don’t look back and don't stop running!” cried Aidan. He turned and fled down the stairs with Tusdar close behind. Angry bolts of lightning blew a giant hole straight through to the outside wall. Chunks of Greenhaven’s golden stones fell heavily to the ground below and sent shudders through the earth.
Kassina's growling voice echoed behind them. “You dare to come into my city, crawl through my walls like filthy little insects, and try to kill me in my own bedroom? In a moment of pleasure?" She blew another two holes through the walls, and sent even more stone to the ground as she screamed in frustration.
“So, you think that you can escape me so easily, do you? Think again! Acerbus et ingens! ” she chanted.
“She is casting a spell! I don’t like the sound of that!” yelled Tusdar, grinding to a halt.
“I said, don't stop!” commanded Aidan, pulling him forward with all his might. “Just keep running, damn you!”
As they neared the bottom of the turret, they both slowed down and stared at each other with widened eyes as fear sank in.
“What is that? It feels like the ground is shaking underfoot. Can you also feel that?” asked Tusdar.
The vibrations ceased as Aidan took a few careful steps forward, listening intently for any signs.
“Well at least Kassina’s not following us; I can't hear her anymore. It could have been so much worse," said Aidan. "For a minute there, I had a ridiculous thought that the shaking was from footsteps-"
Aidan’s words were loudly interrupted by a gigantic stone fist that smashed through the outer wall and wrapped around him tightly, pinning his arms to his sides. Struggling uselessly against its grip, Aidan cried, "Get out of here, Tusdar! Go!"
The enormous fist ripped him out into the open, into the land surrounding Greenhaven before a sheer drop to the river below. He was brought up to the face of the Stone Golem it belonged to. It grimaced as it stared him in the eyes and roared at his face. Aidan's hair blew wildly in the gale from the giant’s maw.
“No! I told you that I want him alive!” shouted Kassina from her window, roughly dressed in her loose clothing. “Now check if there are any more intruders!”
Tusdar ran as fast as his legs could carry him, while narrowly dodging the golem’s other fist crashing through the wall. When the fist broke again through the wall in his path, he managed to catch a glance of the golem. Aidan was clutched tightly, and struggling hard to free himself. Tusdar could clearly see the megalithic as it roared in frustration and prepared to strike once again. As he neared the secret entrance, another large hole was broken into the wall.
A flying fragment of stone struck him in the chest and winded him for a few moments as he limped to the nearest outside wall. As the golem retracted its fist, Tusdar leapt up and out of the hole in the wall to land on the ground beside it, quickly running in the direction of the bridge.
“Ha! I knew there was another one of you crawling in these walls!” cried Kassina. “But you won’t get away so easily. Archers ready!”
The sound of hundreds of skeleton archers’ footfalls echoed through Greenhaven. Tusdar rolled under a stone hand as the golem tried desperately to get hold of him. The gust of the fist’s passing rushed over his body. The ground shook with each powerful step as the golem gave chase.
Boom…
Boom…
Boom…
Aidan managed to pull his better arm out of the golem’s fist while it was distracted. He repeatedly beat on the golem as hard as he could, but his strikes had no effect. Aidan shifted his attention to reaching for his sword as it dangled at his side. As he stretched for it, he pulled at his fresh wound and winced in pain from the flesh tearing from where the arrow had pierced it.
Come on, you can do it… pain is all in your mind, he thought as he reached out with all his might.
Tusdar narrowly ducked another swipe from the giant’s stone hand as he continued his sprint for the bridge.
Kassina's face hardened as she pointed to her target and relayed her order. “I’ve got you now, you little insect! Archers, aim ahead of the bridge!”
Finally Aidan grasped his sword with the tips of his fingers, and with a painful grunt he shifted his weight to pull his sword higher. As the golem raised its arm to strike again, he threw the sword upwards and caught its hilt with his fist.
“Fire at will,” ordered Kassina, and a dark cloud of arrows pierced the night sky and flew towards Tusdar.
Aidan screamed, “Tusdar, turn around now and run towards the golem!”
“Are you insane? Why do I listen to you?” Tusdar yelled through puffed breaths as he reluctantly followed the order.
The golem raised its enormous fist once again, and Aidan thrust his sword as hard as he could into its mouth. With a thunderous roar, the golem dug its feet into the ground as it attempted to dislodge the sword from its face. Tusdar ran through the gap between the monster’s legs, while the arrows rained down to hit nothing but dirt.
“Archers, ready!” growled Kassina with annoyance.
Aidan continued to struggle, but the golem’s grip was far too tight for him to escape. Skeleton warriors were closing in quickly from Tusdar’s new direction, weapons drawn.
“Tusdar, you’ll have to leave without me,” shouted Aidan. “Find Vartan and tell him of our victory today. The king’s murderer has been slain-we must tell the others.”
The golem roared with anger, smashing its fist into the sword and sending the now-dislodged blade spinning through the air. The golem shook its head and focused on its fleeing target. The ground shook as it resumed chasing Tusdar.
“Archers, take aim!” ordered Kassina.
A stone fist smashed into the ground, barely missing its target and sending a cloud of dirt into the air. Tusdar leapt off the chunk of earth, which then broke off into the river below it.
Kassina's raised hand dropped as she yelled, “Fire at will!”
Aidan watched helplessly as the arrows flew towards Tusdar. This time there was no way he would avoid them by running in any direction.
“You’re not getting away this time!” laughed Kassina.
Tusdar looked up at the rain of death about to fall on his head and swallowed hard.
There is only one thing left to do. May the gods save me, he thought.
With a sharp turn to the right, Tusdar leapt over the edge of Greenhaven’s land and plummeted head first towards the flowing river below.
The golem stopped in its tracks and looked up at Kassina in confusion, not sure of what to
do next. The arrows rained down on Tusdar’s last position, destroying many of her skeleton warriors that had charged onto the target path.
“Mindless fools! Watch where you are going!” snarled Kassina.
The rest of the skeleton warriors quickly circled around the golem. They hissed in anger at Aidan and waved their weapons in the air to intimidate him.
“What a simpleton! Nobody could survive that fall. At least the fish will have a fine supper tonight,” laughed Kassina. “Bring Aidan to me, Glaucus. We have waited so long to get better acquainted. As for the rest of you, the night’s events appear to be over for the time being. I want every area of this castle searched for intruders before the walls are repaired. We cannot afford to become complacent and take any more stupid risks.”
She stared into the blackness of the night and let out a long sigh, her breath turning to curls of fog in the chill night air. Turning around to head back inside, she adjusted her clothes in discomfort. Marching away from the castle walls, she muttered, "Well, I suppose my entertainment is over for the evening… I had best find myself a new pet."
Chapter 12: The Calm Before the Storm
“I suppose that I really should be more excited. Not every Truth Pendant happens to be bonded to a human born of dragon’s blood, with such a journey ahead of him. These dragons are very interesting creatures, and I have never seen anything like them. They are truly extraordinary.
But the story of Vartan’s life so far fills me with concern. If he really is fated to destroy the Forces of Darkness, then he would be the primary target of every unimaginable enemy out there. As I am bonded to him, I share his position as the number one target for assassination or death in this entire world.
For some strange reason, I do not find comfort in that fact.”
(Keturah, Truth Pendant)
Helenia raised the cup of sweet elven tea to her nostrils with quickened heartbeats of anticipation. She drew a long whiff of the brew, and let out a breath laced with nostalgia.
“Such delightful sensations remind me of home, mother,” said Helenia. “Do you remember those cinnamon honey teas you used to make for us? I really miss how we used to talk for hours in the dining room with father.”
Andrielle sat quietly by her foggy window. She wiped away the fog with her hand and watched the fading image of thousands of men and women as they trained tirelessly with Faowind and Dryden. The mystery of a new weapon proved to be a welcoming distraction for them all, and a fresh burst of hope. She took another sip and turned to Helenia to address her.
“Those were peaceful times, my love. But this is your home now. Our home. And those days are now long behind us. We need to focus on the future and make new memories.”
Andrielle’s eyes saddened as she looked back out the window. She spoke with conviction. “Look at them all, ready to give their lives selflessly to save us. We are so lucky to be alive, you know? I can’t believe that we have made it this far. When I look outside, I see so much hope and strength. I need you to learn from them, gain their trust, and in time… lead them. I won’t be around forever, and the gods only know if we can bring an end to the dark cloud that has blanketed all of us. I need you to become the queen that will one day, rule."
“Mother, that is exactly what I have tried to explain to you time and time again. I want to be out there beside them, training to fight and helping us to win this war. I want to avenge the murder of my father. What good are a queen and princess if we just sit here while they fight in our names?"
Andrielle turned sharply to look her daughter in the eyes with serious intent. “Do you not understand why I ask you to stay here? What do you think would happen if you were to die on the battlefield?” asked Andrielle, as her eyes twinkled. “I have already lost my husband, our people have lost their king, and you have lost your father and brother. I will lead them into battle when the time comes, rest assured of that. But there really is no need to have you risking your life. Nothing you or I do will bring Arman back to us, and the pain of his loss should serve as a reminder of our purpose. Our people need at least one of us to remain alive to rebuild Greenhaven when we win this war. You want to be useful to the war effort? Look at all the reinforcements we have received from human cities far from our lands, all thanks to your brilliant plan to send messenger dragons.”
Helenia sat quietly as her mother paused to sip some tea. Her lips gaped wide toward her mother without finding any words to fill them.
“We both have roles to play in this war, and our hearts are yet to heal the wounds inflicted upon them. I understand how you feel… do you not realise that I feel the same way? I also long to be the one to thrust a sharp blade into Kassina’s stone-cold heart, but we must not allow our pain to cloud our minds,” said Andrielle, as she wiped away the tears on her cheeks.
Helenia approached her mother and held her, laying her head close to her chest. She did not say a word as she held the queen, but allowed her mother a moment to quietly weep.
Andrielle's voice broke as she placed her hand on Helenia's arm and whispered to her. "My beautiful daughter. I see so much of myself in you. I don't know if you realise just how proud I am of you. I have no words to express my regret that I ever gave birth to your brother. He may just prove to be the death of us all."
Helenia lay a kiss on her mother's head and sighed deeply. "I don't think that any of us can understand what he has become… But I can't say that I couldn't see the signs."
Andrielle turned to face her and asked, "Why didn't you say something?"
Helenia slumped into her chair, picking up the tea she had placed on the table. "How could I? What was I going to say? ‘Mother, I think that your son wants to kill us all’?"
Drying her eyes on her sleeve, she asked, "How long did you know?"
"I never knew for sure… I just always had a feeling of not being safe around him. Even when we were children… He always tried to hurt me, but I suppose you must have just thought it to be sibling rivalry."
"Oh, Helenia, I…"
The sound of loud banging on the house startled them both, and Andrielle dropped her cup of tea, which shattered on the ground.
“Who is it?” snapped Helenia.
“Please forgive me for the intrusion, Queen Andrielle. It is only me, Karven. May I see you?” asked the Dragon King. His voice trailed away from the door.
“I am sorry, Helenia. We shall continue this discussion later, my darling,” said Andrielle as she laid a soft kiss on Helenia’s forehead. She got up, took a moment to look at her daughter, and proceeded to open the door.
“Is everything alright?” she asked him, closing the door behind her.
“Would you care to join me for a short walk?” asked Karven, gesturing with his head for her to follow him.
“Of course,” replied Andrielle, managing a wide smile.
They began their walk together while the queen wiped the tears from her eyes. She took some deep breaths and shook out her hands.
“Your concern for Helenia is felt by all of us. I can see the terrible fear in her heart, but I wonder if you can see through her mask of strength?” asked Karven.
“I see that you don’t waste time in getting to the point, Karven, and I do appreciate your honesty. Of course I am afraid for her. She wants to put her head on a chopping block, all in the name of avenging her father’s murder,” said Andrielle, before mumbling something in Elven under her breath.
As they headed towards the barracks, a small fairy flew out from the forest and landed into her arms. It giggled as she stroked it and held it closely to her chest.
“I understand your pain,” said Karven. “If one of my own betrayed me, I would also be forever wounded. We raise our young with the best of intentions, but they carve their own paths and make their own decisions. Their life choices are not the fault of your own and neither are their allegiances and motives. As you seek comfort from the young fairy in your arms, Helenia seeks comfort from Vartan."
Andrielle
stopped in her tracks and stared blankly at Karven for a moment before deciding to speak.
“Dragon King, with all due respect, I may not be as wise as you as I have not walked this world for centuries, but I am neither deaf nor blind,” said Andrielle, resuming her walking pace by his side.
“Andrielle, I believe you misunderstand. What I am trying to bring to your attention is not their feelings towards each other, but the fact that their love can never truly be realised."
“What do you mean? If there is something that I need to know, I need you to share it with me now.”
Karven gestured forward as they now circled the training grounds. The sounds of armour and weapons colliding in practice filled the air.
“ Silentium nos redimiat, ” said Karven, and millions of tiny stars surrounded them, joined by a clear layer of light. “This is a conversation that should only be heard and spoken between us, and now only we can hear it.”
“I understand, please, go on,” replied Andrielle.
Karven continued their walk.
“As you already well know, the greatest of our weapons is Talonsphere. I am aware that you hold a portion of a scroll detailing its whereabouts. But do you actually know what the weapon is? Do you understand the sacrifices which are necessary for us to win this war?”
“Of course I don't know what the weapon is, as I have never laid eyes on it. I only know of the fables, the boy born of dragon blood. One would think that if the fables were true, that you would be protecting…” Andrielle stopped as the realisation sunk in. Her face paled and she asked, wide eyed, “ Vartan is the boy born of dragon blood?”
“The elves made the right choice in their queen. You are wiser than you give yourself credit for. Vartan is indeed the boy born of dragon blood. Talonsphere is in essence a machine, and it is enchanted with magic of the ancients. The machine itself acts as a holding chamber, and deep within it is a golden dragon’s egg that, once activated, will unleash a hybrid dragon unlike anything we have ever seen. It will be born and reach full size and power at a magically accelerated rate, and it will not stop until the Forces of Darkness are vanquished. We will then enter a new age of peace. Vartan will need to activate Talonsphere to unleash the dragon egg within."
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