“ Ex silva phasmam flaminis evocamus. ”
A faceless wind spirit burst from the trees and hovered above them before looking up to the sky at the arrows speeding towards their position. It reeled back, let out an eerie scream, and burst into the path of the arrows, taking leaves and dust with it in the powerful winds it created. A few dragons were sent barrelling in the sky, desperately trying to regain flight after being knocked off course by the sheer power of the wind. The arrows connected with the magic wall of wind and stopped in mid-air.
“You can’t be serious,” exclaimed Kassina, staring wide-eyed at the hovering arrows.
The guards pointed to the archers, and the spirit breathed something in a language nobody could understand. It flew back momentarily before turning to hurtle in the direction of the archers. The skeletons screamed and scattered as the cloud of arrows now smashed into their positions with furious force. Kassina narrowed her eyes and crunched her fists as she turned to her undead knights. Her anger was so great that her nails shredded the skin on her palms.
“Go deal with these troublesome elves, now! And do not fail me, or you may as well be dead already!” she barked.
They grunted in response, drawing their swords as they marched towards the waiting elven guards. A tremor shook the ground, and Kassina watched as the remaining wall of trees slowly parted.
At first, she could only see Andrielle’s shining armour as she rode out onto the open battlefield. The trees continued to part as the remainder of her accompaniment galloped out to stand beside her. The elven guards quickly followed suit and reassembled behind their queen.
The rumbling ground stopped momentarily.
“So the mysterious Elven Queen and her following fools and commoners decide to come out of hiding?” laughed Kassina darkly. She bared her fangs and screamed at the top of her lungs. “Is that really the best you can do? You dare challenge a fully manned Dark Army, and the most powerful sorceress of all the lands, with this pitiful display of guards and a few of you on horseback? Are you really that stupid, or did it take you many years of being queen to master that kind of idiocy?”
Althar seized the opportunity to reach safety and charged out into the open as fast as he could, weaving from side to side in the Elven Queen’s direction in an attempt to avoid enemy weaponry.
“What is this? Even the great dragons have cowards among them? Take him out!” Kassina ordered with a chuckle.
The remaining catapult detail shouted orders to each other, took aim and released a burning missile into the air in the dragon’s path.
“Look out!” screamed Helenia, standing in her stirrups.
They could only watch as the missile bounced off the ground and curved toward Andrielle. Althar twisted his body to leap into the path of the missile and growled as his unshielded stomach was savagely hit. With a loud groan of pain, he crashed violently into the ground, head first. The force of the impact frightened their horses, which complained at the large dragon’s body sliding in their direction. Dirt and soil sprayed in their direction from the impact of the powerful dragon. Althar’s body slid to a grinding halt a few feet away from Helenia, who looked him helplessly in the eyes and watched as his life left his damaged body and his flesh went limp with his final breath.
Andrielle pulled hard on her reins, causing her horse to rear up high on its hind legs and send a loud neigh into the air. She raised her sword high and cast a spell.
“ Spatha mei galbine flagrat! ”
Her sword burst into green flames, which was the signal they had been waiting for. With a loud cry of “ Forward!” escaping the forest, Andrielle’s army began their march out from the darkness and protection of the trees. Kassina watched as thousands of them came into her view, heavily armoured and many armed to the teeth with weapons made from otherworldly materials and colours. The front lines of Andrielle’s army ceased marching, standing in a linear formation a few short paces behind Andrielle.
“Dragons, take formation! The elven army has arrived!” cried Karven.
The remaining dragons flew high into the air and circled the army from above, regaining their strength as they hid themselves in the darkness. Kassina turned her view to the skies, where the battlefield was watched closely by the gods, but also by the darkest and most deviant of eyes.
Suddenly Shindar's voice filled Kassina’s mind. Kassina, your time has come. The prophecy can finally begin its fulfilment. The power we need to bring me back into this world lies in the souls of those who stand before you. Kill them all and we shall rule this world together in the time of the Blood Red Moon. You have done well and have served me with strength — now finish what you have started.
“To victory!” cried Andrielle and Helenia in unison as they and their accompaniment marched forward, leading the army into battle.
The force of their charge rattled Kassina’s cart, and she leapt off it before turning to her Forces of Darkness.
“Kill them all, and let there be no mercy!” ordered the dark sorceress with glee, as they in their turn marched to meet the elven forces in the middle of the battleground.
Karven led the dragons from the sky in a linear formation and they descended in an attack to run over Kassina's charging forces. His voice boomed over the battlefield. "Take out as many as you can, and watch for crossfire!"
Chapter 18: Rise from the Flames
“We march together as one. Our hearts beat strongly in time to the rhythm of our bodies moving in unison. This is my first war and as their queen, it is my duty to lead our army into battle.
May the gods favour us in this darkness.”
(Queen Andrielle of Veldrenn)
Nymira leapt from the ground and took flight with all her strength, her enormous wings clawing their way into the night’s twinkling sky. She turned sharply into the path of the flying daggers, twisting her body on its side so that her armour deflected most of the sharp weapons as they rained down.
“No! Nymira!” screamed Vartan, as some of the blades landed deep in her unprotected scales and she winced in pain. She roared in response as she once again landed behind them both, shaking her head in anger. Quickly, she used her teeth to remove the embedded daggers from her scales and spit them to the ground, growling at their enemies in defiance.
Vartan and Leon stood ready to face down the vampire army that now stood abreast of the assassins, anxiously awaiting further orders. The night air was filled with the sound of shrieks and vicious hissing as the vampires eagerly eyed their prey and licked their lips in anticipation of fresh blood.
Vartan, I have a bad feeling about this, said Keturah.
“There’s too many of them!” exclaimed Leon. “Even if we were the best fighters in Marithia, we can’t take them all.”
“Then we shall take down as many of these bloodsucking bastards as we can,” responded Vartan. “I won’t die without a fight, and they will not kill me easily!”
Nymira bumped their shoulders with her nose before addressing them, the nudge startling both of the men. “We don’t need to fight these creatures. This must be a planned diversion in her battle plan, and we risk falling into Kassina’s web. Climb aboard, and let us join the fight where we are surely desperately needed. We are done here, and are running out of time.” She lowered her body in preparation for her riders.
A concerned look passed between father and son, both of them unsure as to the wisdom of her decision. They took a quick moment to gaze far into the distance, where flashes of light and distant rumbles surrounded the Elven Woods. Dark clouds of smoke filled the sky and greyed out the full moon.
They looked at each other knowingly and nodded before mounting the waiting dragon. Seeing this move, the assassins pointed at the dragon and blew their horn, once again giving their attack signal. The vampires snarled and charged at their position, at full force and with unnatural speed.
“This will be rough. Protect yourselves as best as you can,” said Nymira.
The great dragon beat
her wings as fast as she could to rise from the ground vertically, changing her scales to hide them in the night as she twisted to keep the men out of the vampires’ view. Leon and Vartan groaned with pain, their arms barely able to hold on to her armour with the force of her ascent.
“Don’t let go!” yelled Vartan.
Do you go to special lengths to point out the obvious? Or does that gift just come naturally to you? asked Keturah.
Vartan growled. "This is not the time to be smart, Keturah!"
The vampires responded by throwing every weapon they could muster into the night sky, in the vain hope of injuring them. A silver dagger shot past their heads and barely missed Leon’s face by a hair’s breadth.
“Damn, that was close!” he exclaimed.
Quiet down back there! snapped Nymira. You will give away our position.
Vartan pursed his lips at his father, and Leon nodded knowingly in response and held on tightly.
Nymira, we have to avenge Tusdar’s death. I don't think he should have died for nothing, pleaded Vartan.
Nymira slowly levelled out her body and turned back to circle high above the confused vampires below. They waited on the ground like rats, sniffing at the air and hungry for blood.
As you well know, our magical powers take time to build. If I were to cast a spell of the highest order, it would completely drain me and I would be all but useless in the battle ahead of us. However, I can wipe out the vampire army below us. It is entirely up to you. I would have just enough strength left to fly us to Kassina’s front door. I will do whatever you think is best, said Nymira.
Vartan turned to Leon for an answer and was about to speak when his father’s voice filled his mind.
Son, if we don’t stop them here, we will have to face them in the Elven Woods. You have seen how fast they can run.
Vartan’s pale face said it all as Leon muffled a laugh.
Don’t forget that within my fragile human shell beats the heart of a dragon, said Leon with a grin.
Nymira, said Vartan, do what you can. We will deal with them here before we join Andrielle in the fight against Kassina. These are all the dark sorceress’s creations and must be destroyed to save them flanking us later.
As you wish, Vartan. Cover your eyes as best as you can. The dark sky will be bright tonight, said Nymira.
She circled high above the vampire army and focused on casting her spell.
“ Elemento incendii de stellis animus phoenicis evocat, ” chanted Nymira.
Out of the corner of his eye, Leon noticed that some stars began to pulsate in the dark sky and then started to change colours.
Vartan, look at that! he said with amazement as he pointed at the night sky.
Vartan glanced up and watched the beams of light shoot down from the stars and ignite into pillars of blazing fire as they entered the Marithian atmosphere. Nymira lifted her head towards the heavens as she opened her mouth wide to accept the spell’s power.
Duck down and hold on! Now! ordered Nymira.
The men followed her order as the beams of fire were sucked into Nymira’s mouth, and her eyes lit up in flame. The force of the spell rocked her body hard, and the men almost lost their grip on her armour with the impact.
Don’t be afraid of what will happen next-the flames will not hurt either of you, said Nymira. So much power, I can barely hold it in. Even to their minds, her voice sounded strained.
Nymira’s scales changed back to her true form, and her wings suddenly burst into flames. The vampires screamed, shrieked and pointed at her fiery form. They appeared excited for the renewed chance of spilling blood.
Nymira took a deep breath before sending a steady stream of fire into the sky, as if her mouth was an erupting volcano. The scales and flesh around her maw shuddered violently as she tried to control the inferno spewing from it. Vartan and Leon watched in bewilderment as phoenixes rose out of the flames and lit up the sky around them. Upon their birth of fire they shrieked as life filled their bodies. The men shielded their eyes as countless firebirds continued to spawn from the flames. Soon there were firebirds high in the sky wherever the eye could see, the flames lighting up the ground beneath them as if it were daytime.
Now, my little ones, destroy all who follow the path of darkness below us, commanded Nymira. Leave none behind.
An Armageddon-like rain fell from the sky, the summoned fiery army descending and each selecting their own targets. The vampires fled toward the forest canopy, but it was far too late for them to escape now.
An assassin bolted toward the farmhouse and a phoenix landed hard on his back and pounded him into the moist ground. It extended its fiery wings and shrieking before sacrificing itself onto his melting body. The dark creature’s screams were heard by Nymira overhead as he thrashed on the ground in an attempt to put out the flames. Like eagles on mice, the phoenix army slowly picked off the vampires, setting them alight as they ran for safety. Some of the summoned phoenixes landed on the ground without targets, their forms setting fire to the hay and grass around them.
The firebirds’ communicated through cries which were reminiscent of a bushfire in the wind as they coordinated their attacks. The vampires that chose to fight slashed at the flames wildly with their weapons in an attempt to defend against their attacks. Balls of fire from the birds turned the vampires into ash as they hit the ground. The injured screamed in pain and frustration as they pulled back before running at full force into their attackers.
The screams of countless vampires burning were enough to satisfy Vartan’s desire for revenge. His heart pumped adrenaline-fuelled blood through his veins.
Vartan shouted, “Nymira, that was amazing! This battle is won!”
The flames on Nymira’s body had extinguished with the release of the phoenix army and she weakly flapped her wings. Leon noticed that the great dragon was slowly gliding towards the earth.
Leon leaned forward and his voice strained. “Nymira, are you okay?” he asked.
Nymira's voice wavered as she answered. “This spell has taken more out of me than I had expected. I had not anticipated such a weakening, but how was I to know? It has been thousands of years since any of us has cast an elder spell of such power."
She groaned as she forced her wings to beat hard, and began to climb again. “I am not going to give up just yet. We still have a war to win.”
“Great dragon, are you sure you are able to take us to the battle in the Elven Woods in one piece?” Vartan asked.
They now flew at great speed, and left the many flames of the vampire massacre behind them.
“That is my concern now, young knight,” she responded. “I have my responsibilities and I will not fail them. You just worry about what we face ahead of us. Hang on tight and I will get us there as quickly as I can.”
Nymira strained as she climbed as high into the sky as she could and then suddenly dove headlong into the air below them.
Chapter 19: The Battle of the Elven Woods
“How do you defeat an army that regenerates?
For every demon you kill, one of your fallen gives birth to a replacement. Almost instantaneously, shadow demons rise from the corpses to reinforce the Dark Army.
Still we fight on-and fight we must, or all is for nothing.”
(Princess Helenia of Veldrenn)
From the speckled stars above, the gods watched closely as weapons met flesh that met claws and blood was spilled, staining the ground beneath them a deep red. As their view of the war closed in, they focused on one woman amid the chaos of war.
Helenia found herself surrounded by skeleton warriors fiercely engaged in battle. She swung her bloodied sword hard through bone to decapitate one who was about to plunge its sword into a downed elven warrior.
“Thank you, Princess,” the downed elf growled as Helenia gripped her reins and reached down to help him regain his footing. She nodded and they both charged forward into the enemy lines.
Helenia threw her body back onto her ho
rse as a burst shot whizzed over her head and impacted a shadow demon which had leapt to attack the princess. The demon was flung into the air by the force of the blow, a trail of smoke billowing from it. It screamed as it landed on top of her horse, wildly clawing at itself to free the burning shot within. The horse whinnied and took off galloping through the warzone, taking her deeper among the Forces of Darkness. Faowind took chase, charging through and dispatching enemies in the direction of the princess.
Helenia scurried back as far as she could and shielded her eyes with her arm before the shadow demon exploded violently. The power of the explosion launched her completely off the back of the horse, and she landed roughly on the ground below. The horse’s ear piercing screams filled the air and it fell to the ground with a gaping wound on its back, bleeding out. Helenia groaned with the pain as she rolled onto her stomach to regain her footing, her entire body aching. Luckily for Helenia, her armour took the brunt of the explosion and saved her from certain death.
Faowind came to her aid and pulled her up to her feet. Karven and three other dragons flew over their heads, setting more skeletons alight. The heat of the flames singed the hair on their skin. In the confusion, the screams of a few elves and humans escaped the flames.
“Be careful, princess, and stay close to my side!” said Faowind.
“Behind you!” she cried, spotting an undead knight closing in on their position, its shiny sword pointing forward as it charged.
Faowind turned just in time to cross swords with the attacking knight. He narrowed his eyes. Both of them held their swords in position, using all of their strength, and growled at each other. Helenia’s sword flew upwards into the undead knight’s head and connected with the metal of its decaying helm, sending it high into the air before it landed on the ground with a solid thud. They caught sight of the undead for the first time and were sickened by the sight. Its flesh was horridly decayed, rotten muscles holding its form together; its body was animated only by the spell Kassina had cast to raise them.
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