by Mario Routi
He then picked up a hammer and chisel with which he engraved a sacred ancient Greek phrase on the crystal slab chosen to become the sword blade. Bull centered the crystal slab of ore on a flat table in front of which a lever was sticking out and placed the gem at a specific spot on the crystal slab. He then passed woven eye protector masks around to everyone. Leylah watched in surprise as the others tied the masks round their heads and then shrugged and followed suit.
“It’s to protect you from Apollo’s light - The Light of the White Sun!” Turgoth explained.
Once they were all shielded, Bull pulled the lever and a blinding flash of light as brilliant as a white sun seeped through the weave holes of the mask, forcing her to close her eyes involuntarily. Leylah could well believe that anyone who was fully exposed to such a dazzling light would be rendered blind.
The finished sword cooling on the table was like none she had ever seen before. The entire weapon was glowing, the same blue colour as the Sacred Flame. Bull picked it up and twirled it around so fast it became invisible to the naked eye. As he held it, his skin seemed to fill with colour. He passed it to Leylah, who was shocked to find that it was as light as air in her hand. She sensed the power seeping through her and transporting her to a golden place, feeling newly invigorated and ready for anything, as if she was a goddess herself.
Bull placed a piece of cloth in front of her and Leylah gently laid the sword onto it. The cloth and the sword immediately vanished in front of their surprised eyes, as if they were made of smoke.
“What’s just happened?” she asked.
Bull shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. Zeus told me to put the weapon on this special magic cloth once it was ready, so I guess it’s with the Gods now.”
“Well, I suppose this is easier than having Pegasus fly you over to the Elysian Fields to deliver it to them,” Turgoth said and they all laughed.
They left together to walk towards the arena. Today was the grand finale of the War Games and Lord Leiko was due to honor the arena with his presence in a demonstration match against several Cyclopes, which would mark the conclusion of the Games for the season.
***
As Leylah walked through the entrance she had to cover her ears to protect them from the level of noise rolling down from the tiers. The crowd hadn’t seen Lord Leiko in action since the last Lomani against the demons nearly twenty-seven years ago and their excitement was verging on hysteria.
Leylah found a seat near the entrance, hoping to get a head start out of the arena once the match finished. She scanned the crowd, trying to catch a glimpse of Alexander but she couldn’t find him. She felt a surprisingly strong sense of disappointment. Pulling herself together, she turned her attention to the arena floor, where the statuesque Nemesis stood amid the battlements. She raised her arms and the crowd grew quiet and expectant.
“It has been a great week and we hope that you all enjoyed the War Games. Many thanks to all the participants who gave us such a great show. As you all already know, for the first time ever, Lord Leiko has agreed to honor the Games with his presence in a demonstration match for our grand finale this year. There has been nothing like this since the establishment of the War Games. Lord Leiko has fought in every Lomani since the beginning of creation and we’re all proud to have our great leader join us today. Please welcome, Lord Leiko!”
A deafening series of cheers made Leylah’s ears ring as Leiko strode out onto the field. He walked over to the battlements and looked at them for a while as if pondering which weapon to choose. He then turned around and theatrically raised his bare hands to the crowd to show that he intended to use only his fists for the match.
Despite the deafening noise already coming from the crowd, another roar blasted through the arena, shaking everyone in their seats. The cheering turned into an eerie silence as thousands of faces looked up to see where the noise had come from. The sound of approaching wings could be heard and a huge shadow fell over the crowd. Something streaked past the corner of Leylah’s eye and there was an explosion of dirt in the arena as if a bomb had detonated, sending debris flying into the air. The thunderous growl resumed and an enormous object descended from the skies into their midst in a whirl of fire, wings, claws and teeth. The crowd scrambled for safety as a stream of fire exploded over them, followed by another ear shattering roar. In the centre of the stadium, staring straight at Lord Leiko, stood a dragon of immense proportions.
Amidst the panic some in the audience saw Bull the Minotaur running towards Lord Leiko. Leylah had read about the Tartarus dragons. They were selfish, cruel and awe inspiring creatures. Their greed and capacity for Evil knew no bounds. In Utopia, they had always seen their own dragon, Bitho, as a kind old man who happened to be a fire breathing lizard, but this creature was the exact opposite.
“This is an attack!” Nemesis shouted. “Abandon the terraces. Evacuate the stadium immediately! All warriors assume battle positions! Everyone else, please lock yourselves inside your homes!” She ran from the stadium to gather her Amazons.
Time stood still for several seconds before Leylah felt a strange dizziness come over her, making her feel like she was about to faint. She closed her eyes and started to sway on her feet. Strong hands grabbed her. It was King Turgoth and Alexander, both realising that she was about to descend into another vision but determined to get her to safety.
“Not now, Leylah! Wake up!” Turgoth yelled, shaking her. Leylah stared at him blankly, as if returning to reality from somewhere far away.
“Dad? What... what’s going on?” she asked, but when she looked down at the arena and saw Bull with Leiko on one side and the immense, smoldering dragon on the other, she had her answer.
Her mother and Lady Felicia joined them. “This is the Titans’ work,” Rebecca shouted over the noise. “We could never have anticipated this.”
“General Hunter has instructed Bitho not to leave the Flame,” Felicia said. “Leiko and Bull will take care of the intruder and we’ll then see what our next move should be.”
Turgoth nodded his agreement.
As the dragon spat another stream of fire, Leiko and Bull ran in different directions to confuse him.
“I bring greetings from the Titan Lord, Cronus!” the dragon bellowed.
“I know very well who you are,” Bull shouted back. “You are Cronus’s little pet, Garcho, aren’t you? How dare you come here? Get the hell out of my sight right now and I will let you live!”
“Ahh... the mightiest of the Minotaurs, Bull,” the dragon scoffed. “You could have stayed in my land but you were always so impressed by the smaller things in life. How does it feel to finally be surrounded by creatures that are beneath you?”
“Be silent, Garcho!” Bull warned. “Lord Leiko, with your permission, I will take care of this myself. It has just become personal.”
“Be my guest, Bull,” Leiko replied with a bow, taking a seat on the battlements to stay close to the action.
“I have nothing against you, Minotaur,” Garcho said. “I’m here to challenge Bitho. It is my right to do so!”
“You’ll need to go through me first, lizard!” Bull taunted.
“As you wish, half-man half-cattle.”
The dragon hurled itself at Bull, gnashing at him with red hot teeth. Bull dodged to the right and slammed his powerful fist into the crevice between the dragon’s ear and jaw. Garcho screeched and reared in pain as Bull spat on the scorched ground in front of him. Garcho sent another trail of fire towards Bull but he simply rolled underneath the flames.
As Garcho attacked again, Bull managed to grab the dragon’s head by the horns and he slammed it into the ground with all his strength. Garcho lashed out with his claws, ripping Bull away from his horns. The Minotaur wriggled out of the dragon’s grasp as another stream of fire passed over where Garcho expected Bull to be. The Minotaur swung a ri
ght hook into the dragon’s body which sent Garcho flying backwards, toppling him to the ground with a crash that reverberated through the terraces and shook the ground outside the stadium walls. Bull leaped into the air and slammed both his fists down on top of Garcho’s head. The dragon slumped to the side as Bull slipped to the ground. As the dragon lay unconscious, Bull struck a final deadly blow and walked casually away from the smoking carcass. Leiko climbed off the battlement and extended his hand to the victorious - but still enraged - Minotaur.
“Now that was a grand finale befitting our War Games indeed,” he joked, hugging Bull.
Rebecca left Leylah and ran down to Bull on the arena floor. Leylah jumped out of her seat to follow her mother.
“Bull,” Rebecca said, “Nemesis just informed me that there is no sign of another attack at this point. Why on earth did the Titans send their dragon to certain death and sacrifice him like that?”
“They probably hoped that we would send Bitho to challenge him and that Garcho would be able to kill or injure him. I think we should inform the Gods and see if they know anything further.”
As Leylah ran up and wrapped her arms around him, Bull finally felt his anger subside.
Rebecca stood back. “Bull... why don’t you and Leylah go mine something?”
Bull shook his head. “I really think we should assemble a War Council.”
“Mining first, War Council later,” Rebecca said. “It will give you a chance to cool down and gather your thoughts.”
Leylah placed her hand on Bull’s face. “Come on Bull, let’s go. You have plenty of time for war councils.”
“All right,” he gave in, “just for a few hours, okay?”
“No problem,” Leylah said, taking his hand and leading him out of the arena. Leylah felt good to be able to render this service to her courageous friend and mentor.
27
Rebecca, Turgoth, Felicia, Leiko, Bull, Nemesis, General Hunter and Doctor Afterland were holding a War Council in order to discuss the dragon’s unexpected attack.
“It just doesn’t make any sense,” said Nemesis, shaking her handsome head in puzzlement.
“I agree with Nemesis,” said General Hunter. “The Titans know that Bull is always around, even if Lord Leiko isn’t. This dragon had no chance and it must have known that. It was a suicide mission to attack us when we were all gathered together like that.”
“The dragon could have done great damage,” Turgoth said, “and he probably didn’t expect that Bull would choose to fight him.”
“Garcho told me that he didn’t wish to fight me,” Bull said. “He wanted us to fetch Bitho.”
“Bitho is the last good dragon,” Felicia mused, as if thinking aloud. “If he had gone up against Garcho he could have been seriously injured or even killed.”
“Indeed,” Rebecca agreed. “And who would guard the Flame then?”
“So if the Titans are now targeting our dragon,” Leiko said, “they must be planning an attack on the Flame. They are definitely up to something big. I’d better inform the Gods about all this. It seems that the next Lomani will be breaking out very soon.”
“And I will go talk to Bitho,” Doctor Afterland volunteered. “He will need to keep alert and on guard for another attack.”
“For now, I will double the guards and bring some warriors to Utopia from each of the Kingdoms,” Rebecca announced. “I want to reinforce the fortress, just to have our bases covered.”
“Agreed,” Felicia said and all the others nodded in agreement.
They left the council room and headed in different directions to prepare Utopia for war.
28
Leylah woke up with a burst of energy and Bebi jumped in surprise as she sprang from her bed. She hummed as she got ready for the day while Bebi sat on the bed watching her with a puzzled frown. Leylah signaled for him to follow her to breakfast.
Her parents were already sitting at the table with her grandparents.
“So, what do you have planned for today?” Adriana asked.
Leylah smiled. “Just hanging out with Alexander and our friends from Earth, Gregory and Anna. We’re planning to go to the mountain for a picnic, so Alex is coming to pick me up in a little while.”
“Oh, a date!” Rebecca cooed.
“Mum! Quit it!” Leylah glowered at her.
Turgoth stifled a laugh as his daughter glowered at him too. “Just remember to breathe if he kisses you,” he said.
Leylah’s face flushed as red as a poppy.
“That’s a nice shade of red you have there,” Julius chuckled.
“Oh, for goodness sake,” she muttered, sitting down and starting to eat, glowering at all of them.
Hearing a knock at the door she took the opportunity to escape the teasing. Alexander was standing on the doorstep with Anna and Gregory.
Leylah shouted over her shoulder, “Time to go. Love you guys!” and slammed the door behind her.
Alexander watched with startled amusement as she stormed past them and climbed into the waiting cart. “Right,” he said, exchanging glances with Anna and Gregory, “let’s go then.”
He hopped in next to Leylah and helped the others onto the seating deck.
“You’re in a bit of a rush, aren’t you?” he said. “You did tell them that we were going to the mountain, didn’t you?”
Leylah let out a frustrated sigh. “Yes! And they were getting all silly and inappropriate about it. My father was even giving me tips on how to kiss, which is gross on so many levels.”
“Would a kiss be so terrible?” Alexander chuckled.
“It’s just not something one discusses with one’s father, thank you very much!”
Alexander burst out laughing and patted her on the knee, flicking his hair back and puckering up. “But baby, how could you resist these gorgeous lips?”
He leant towards her making loud sucking noises as Leylah struggled to push him away while trying to ignore how good he smelled.
“Help me guys!” she shouted.
Gregory leaned in from the other side, mimicking Alexander. “How about these lips then?” he asked.
“ANNA!!” cried Leylah.
Anna pulled Gregory off while Leylah fell out of her seat and on to the cart floor, laughing and blushing simultaneously.
“Ugh, no! Gorgon lips!” she yelled.
Still laughing, they set off towards the mountains as the day started to heat up. After several hours of admiring spectacular views, they stopped in a clearing to eat. Leylah jumped out of the cart and turned to face Anna and Gregory.
“All right you two, the first thing we’re going to do, is discuss Lomani tactics.”
Alexander groaned loudly. “Do we really have to give ourselves a headache before we eat lunch?”
Leylah hit him playfully on the shoulder. “This is serious. We need to make sure our friends know what to do in battle.”
“Stab the bad guy?” Gregory suggested, jumping out of the cart.
Anna grinned as Gregory helped her down. “What if the bad guy has a good guy as a hostage?”
“Stab the bad guy through the good guy?” Gregory grinned mischievously.
Anna pinched him. “Stop it! Get serious!”
“Ow! Ow! All right, all right,” Gregory said, rubbing his sore arm ruefully.
Leylah continued to talk as she laid out the picnic. “If the good guy is being held hostage by the bad guy at knife point, you need to create a reason why the bad guy should let him go. Then you have a few seconds to distance the good guy from the bad guy, unless the good guy knows how to fight of course, in which case the odds will be more in your favor. The trick is staying light on your feet when talking to the bad guy.”
“So,” Gregory said, “that’s where distraction tactics c
ome into play, right?”
“Yes,” Alexander said, sitting down on the grass and helping Leylah lay out the food.
“So, what would you do if an army attacked the walls of Utopia?” Leylah asked as she pulled out a sandwich.
“Fight them off with all of our might!” Gregory said, flexing his muscles.
Anna shook her head in mock despair. “Remind me never to follow you into battle, knucklehead.”
“Ah! Green beast smash rocks!” Gregory said, doing an impression of the Incredible Hulk.
Leylah continued talking while eating her sandwich. “If an army launches an attack on the walls of Utopia, you start by assessing what resources you have and what resources they have. Before taking any risky actions, you also try to predict what surprises might unfold so that you can better prepare for them. It is also important not to focus everything you have on one front; your resources should be evenly divided amongst forces that can handle their load.”
“Unless of course you’re not inside the walls and then it’s time for stealth to kick in,” Alexander added.
Leylah nodded and covered her mouth daintily as she swallowed. “You never face an overwhelming opponent by yourself unless you have the option of funneling that opponent.”
“Funneling?” Anna asked.
“Funneling is a tactic employed when you have significantly fewer numbers than your opponent but you’re able to use your environment to force them through a narrow passage so that you can pick them off one at a time,” Alexander said. “Our fortress is built for such a case, as are the arena and the amphitheatre. If you’ve noticed, those places only have one or two entrances.”
“Wow, what in the world do you guys do in your free time?” Gregory asked sarcastically.
“Train!” Alexander and Leylah said simultaneously.