Prophecy

by Gregory Cholmondeley

  We all sat there in silence for a long time.

  Shon quietly explained how Jissika’s heroes did not bring magic to Earth in time. There were less than a million people scattered in small, isolated communities on an increasingly uninhabitable planet when their dreams began. Nothing but the simplest of lifeforms would exist in a few centuries. The Earth’s ecosystem was so fragile that the arrival of magic destroyed what little life was left. So, her gods used magic to repopulate the world with plants, animals, and people. However, everything on Mearth is artificial and relies upon magic to survive.

  Whoever is transmitting this signal is attempting to instill magic into the Earth before the apocalypse. They are providing magic as a safer alternative to our technologies and their byproducts destroying our planet. The goal is for real human beings, plants, and animals to survive.

  We all just sat in stunned silence until Mr. Narwani spoke.

  He summed up what we were all thinking with, “So, we need to destroy the world to save it.”

  ✽✽✽

  Needless to say, I didn’t share the stories about Jissika’s world with the guys. I told them about future Earth, and they were as confused by all the time travel stuff as me. Of course, that’s probably due to the way I explained something I don’t entirely understand myself.

  We hung out talking about this most of Saturday morning until I kicked them out around lunchtime. I was going to spend the afternoon with Raquel. The guys teased me about it being a date, but I assured them that I was just going over to her place to see her dragon, Baby Juice. They were right, though. It did sort of feel like a date.

  Raquel and I hung out with Baby Juice for a while. Then we went for a walk to a park near her house. We had a strange relationship because we could barely communicate. Raquel had difficulty speaking and would freak out if I talked too much or if there was too much other noise. Most of the time, we just quietly sat or walked together without saying anything. You would think that this would be boring, but I really liked it. I’ve never felt this way before.

  Today, however, she kept bumping into me on the way to the park, and I started to get annoyed. I was just about to snap at her after the fifth or sixth time her hand smacked into mine when I realized it was intentional. I took a chance and grabbed her hand. I felt her fingers intertwine mine and squeeze a moment later. Suddenly we were holding hands as we finished our walk.

  We silently rocked on some swings and held hands for nearly an hour. It felt amazing. My whole body tingled as Raquel’s thumb stroked the back of my hand. I couldn’t believe that something as simple as touching someone’s hand could feel so incredible. I found myself asking her out to the spring dance before I realized what I was doing. She didn’t answer, of course. In fact, she didn’t even look at me after I asked. But the way she tightly squeezed my hand conveyed her answer. I had a real date, and maybe I was even in love. I also knew that we had to fulfill The Prophecy. We couldn’t let a world perish where feelings like this exist. We had to save it.

  Not all of the others were convinced yet, but we decided to go ahead with the preparations anyway. Ms. Datta and Mr. Narwani seemed to be busily researching things online and buying all kinds of stuff. Shon and Ms. Datta were especially excited about some files Raquel gave me. Raquel may have trouble communicating, but she has an incredible memory.

  Shon and Ms. Datta had been trying to recreate some sort of programs Jissika had shown them. Elisa took one brief glance at them on Mearth and instantly memorized thousands of lines of code. Her Earth visitor, Raquel, then painstakingly typed the code into a text file from her photographic memory. She had no idea what she was typing, but Shon and Ms. Datta knew what it was as soon as they saw the file. I’ve never seen two people become so happy in all my life as they quickly disappeared behind Ms. Datta’s computer screen.

  Oh, and the other exciting news is that we’re planning to go camping in Great Saltpeter Cave next week. Ms. Datta has a friend who’s a member of the Greater Cincinnati Grotto, which is a chapter of the National Speleological Society (the NSS). They have a key to Great Saltpeter Cave, which is the same cave the heroes and I were trained in on Mearth. I can’t believe that we’re going to actually visit the place here on Earth and to camp in the training valley. Malik, Tyler, and Ethan are also invited, and they are totally psyched to finally see a place I’ve been talking about for months. This is going to be so awesome!

  Chapter 26

  The Battle of Septumcolis

  April 22, Mearth

  Elisa, Versera, and Nariana rode their dragons to the valley between Claerith and Faerinod castles at the edge of the Septumcolis city shield before dawn on the day of the battle. The city shield did not extend all the way to Claerith and Meissa castles, and the side entrance would be less-heavily guarded than the bridge. The girls hugged their dragons and sent Nari, Sera, and Mintaka back to join in the fighting.

  The three heroes espied a platoon of about forty soldiers tasked with moving a dozen large carts into the city. Their leader had already passed through the shield opening when one of the following carts broke its axle. The disabled vehicle blocked the entire column, and the remaining low-ranking soldiers were unsure how to proceed. The girls illuded themselves as officers from another company and approached the broken wagon.

  Nariana angrily demanded an explanation for the holdup. Once informed of the problem, she quickly commanded the troops to unload the massive, oil-filled spheres off the cart and push it to the side to get the line moving. One of the soldiers complained that they couldn’t do that. They were under orders to get all of these projectiles to the trebuchets and could not abandon any.

  Versera growled, “And don’t you think your superiors would rather lose a few shells than not to have any arrive in time for the fighting? The battle is about to begin, and these are needed now, corporal!”

  The troops glanced down the long, halted line and agreed with her logic. They quickly unloaded the shells and rolled the broken cart off the road. Five minutes later, the line was moving, and the three girls had joined its ranks.

  The three heroes casually wandered away from the platoon after passing through the gate. They began their search for the Jewels of Luna and the Ring of the Air but didn’t get far. A squad of soldiers in drab, purple uniforms surrounded them as one of the sentries pointed in their direction. The soldiers demanded to see Elisa’s papers, which she didn’t have, and arrested them on the spot. They were questioned for an hour before being escorted to a makeshift internment camp in the new marketplace.

  “Dang it, I can’t believe we’re prisoners again. I am so sick of being stuck in a cage,” groused Nariana as they marched across town with their hands tied behind their backs.

  They were passing Sir Stavius’ statue in the old market when a rowdy gang of rebels ambushed the group. A brief fight ensued, but the outnumbered soldiers quickly dropped their weapons and surrendered. Two of the victorious rebels stopped to release the prisoners.

  “Well, it appears we won’t be sitting in a cage after all,” Elisa gleefully noted.

  “And we weren’t rescued by the boys this time,” Versera added. “Now, let’s go get those talismans!”

  A male voice said, “You’ll need to get back outside the city for that. The Clivana and Faerinod families are powering a second shield for their army using the Jewels of Luna and the Ring of the Air. They’ve placed both talismans on the other side of the river, just east of the bridge.”

  The girls spun around to see Stavius grinning at them with Ops by his side.

  “Un-freaking-believable,” groaned Versera.

  Nariana cried, “That is so unfair! We just got into the city!” Her fists were clenched, and she was ready to hit something or someone.

  Stavius took a cautious step back as Elisa asked, “Who are your friends, Stavius?”

  Stavius kept a wary eye on Nariana as he replied, “These are actually Ops’ friends. This is Larsa, and the rest are part of the rebel resi
stance Larsa and Ops have been organizing.”

  Ops interrupted, “I am so glad you are here. You need to get a message to our generals. Our resistance just learned some strategic information, which will be critical for their attack. Two of the talismans are powering a massive shield over their entire army. Physical objects can pass through it, but magical energies are blocked.”

  Versera looked puzzled and asked, “What good is that? It won’t block our troops or our weapons.”

  Elisa, however, paled and exclaimed, “True, but our dragons’ fire won’t make it through! We have to warn them. They’re supposed to fly over and wreak havoc right before our attack. This changes everything.”

  Ops nodded and added, “But it’s worse than that. The Septumcolans have large crossbows mounted on wheeled carts throughout their ranks like a sort of air defense system. The shafts these things fire can fly right through their shield with enough force to pierce dragon skin. And, their trebuchets on the southern riverbank can hurl projectiles over their army and onto ours.”

  Nariana groaned, “Yeah, I think we just helped get some of those projectiles to them. They seemed to be three-foot-diameter, oily spheres.”

  “And they stunk,” added Elisa. “Why don’t we just telepathically message our dragons? Bor is linked to them and would get the message as well.”

  Ops answered, “Because the city shield blocks us. The only way to communicate with our forces is to get outside the city. You are our best hope for doing that because your connection to those three dragons is so intense. You can connect with them from farther away than any of us.

  “Now, hurry, get that message to our troops and retrieve the Jewels and Ring. Larsa, Stavius, and I will steal the Crown of Helios from Aubornis castle.”

  Larsa disagreed, “No, Ops, we discussed this. You cannot go to Aubornis castle. Go with the girls to get the other two talismans. We’ll be all right.”

  Ops started to complain that Larsa and Stavius needed her help. But Elisa offered, “You help Nariana and Versera, and I’ll go with Stavius and Larsa. Don’t worry. We’ll be all right. You just make sure our army wins, and get those two talismans!”

  There was no time for an argument, so Ops reluctantly agreed. She gave her nephew a quick hug and handed him her rucksack containing various supplies and a few dragon stones. The group split up with Ops, begrudgingly joining the team heading back to the side entrance. Stavius suspected that her disagreement with Larsa had something to do with his mother, Ops’ sister, working for the Aubornis family. Whatever the reason, he was happy that Elisa was with him, and the two smiled at each other as they trotted off toward the castle.

  ✽✽✽

  Ops, Versera, and Nariana traveled back to the western gate with no difficulty. They used no illusions, behaving as fearful citizens fleeing a besieged town. They were not alone. Hundreds of other families were escaping the city. This made them inconspicuous, but it also delayed them. They needed to get their warnings out but were forced to spend over an hour waiting in a mob of people desperately trying to leave the city.

  Ops had intentionally fallen back behind the girls. She saw them exchange worried glances as they approached the exit. The sentries were checking travel papers, and, of course, none of them had those. Ops slipped out of the crowd and illuded herself to look like a police officer as the girls were stopped at the gate.

  “Over here!” she shouted. “Rebels! Hurry! Don’t let them disappear!”

  The sentries looked up at the commotion to see a police officer pointing toward the backs of two fleeing people. They quickly waved the girls through, ordered the guards behind them to take over, and ran after Ops and her illuded fugitives. The entire city’s shield was sealed moments later as the battle began. No one was leaving Septumcolis until the battle was over.

  The girls glanced back and realized they were on their own. They began running and desperately trying to telepathically contact Nari and Sera to no avail for, what felt like an eternity. Bor’s telepathic links to Saiph, Juice, and the three young dragons were evidently consuming their attention. The battle was well underway by the time Sera noticed Versera and flew to meet the girls with Nari.

  Versera conveyed their information to General Bor through their mutual connection with Sera. But he already knew about the Septumcolan army’s shield and trebuchets. The heroes had just mounted their dragons when they saw Juice shot with a giant arrow. Nari and Sera screamed an ear-shattering cry as they took off to help their father, who had fallen out of the sky at the western side of the battle.

  Juice had crashed a hundred yards beyond the army’s shield, and Mintaka was already by his side when her sisters and the heroes arrived.

  “I’m good,” Juice called, with a laugh, but it was apparent that he was not. A ten-foot-long arrow protruded from the side of his chest under his right wing and out his back. It did not appear to have punctured any vital organs. Still, he was unable to fly, and Septumcolan soldiers were racing to finish him off.

  Mintaka faced the charging soldiers and blasted fiery breath in their direction. Her flames cascaded across the shield between them. The soldiers were unharmed but were blocked from proceeding any farther.

  “Hurry and get Dad out of here before they bring one of those crossbows over,” Mintaka shouted to her sisters as before blowing another firestorm at the shield.

  Nari and Sera managed to remove the arrow by pushing it the rest of the way through as Juice yelped in pain. Then Versera and Nariana conjured and applied some first-aid patches to both entry and exit wounds. Juice would need more extensive treatment than this, but their bandages should hold for the short flight out of danger.

  Nari said, “We’re going to help you fly to your cave, Dad. Try to fly as much as you can, and we’ll give you a boost.”

  Juice could flap both wings now that the arrow was removed, but he had limited strength. The big dragon was just starting to explain this to his family when Sera clasped her talons into his neck and began lifting him.

  “Ow! You’re pinching me!” Juice yelped as he felt her sharp claws dig into his neck. His complaint was cut short by Nari’s claws sinking into his lower back, though. The three connected dragons began flying south toward his cave in an awkward fashion.

  Juice peered back to see Mintaka launch into the air with Versera and Nariana on her back as a massive explosion erupted from behind the shield. He wasn’t sure what happened, but Juice knew he was safe, and he knew he loved his family – including the humans.

  ✽✽✽

  The two most massive armies on Mearth were poised to engage in battle. General Bor smiled as he and General Jairmee gazed upon the battlefield. The Septumcolan army was entrenched in the cotton fields along the south bank of the river. There were several thousand Septumcolan soldiers on the ground, although it looked far larger with all the illusions. General Bor wasn’t fooled, however. He had over a thousand troops himself and could see through Saiph, Mintaka, Nari, and Sera’s eyes, which did not see illusions. He also had two other dragons, Bellatrix and Rigel, who preferred to be called Bea and Reggie. They seemed embarrassed and apologetic for not arriving sooner. Bea explained how they had been wintering down in the Florida islands. Bor could not yet see through their eyes but welcomed their powerful bodies and fiery breaths. However, none of Juice’s cousins chose to show up, claiming they were too busy with spring planting.

  The Lachians also had the field advantage. They had captured Clothton, which meant they were attacking from higher ground. Every military commander in History understood the benefit this provided. Besides, the Septumcolan army had their backs against the river. They were defending their city, but their position meant that they were starting the battle trapped, with nowhere to retreat if needed. The seven families probably viewed this as strong motivation, but it was a desperate move. Those troops must be terrified.

  The city did have trebuchets positioned along the southern bank of the river, which would eventually cause problems. The
se catapults appeared to be very powerful, but they were notoriously inaccurate. The Lachian generals were not concerned with them until it came time to breach the city. The Lachian army of over a thousand troops with the illusion of many more would be able to sweep down from their advantageous position in multiple waves. The day’s battles would be bloody, but the Lachian generals were confident they would win. Their forces were nearly in place for the first in a series of carefully-coordinated attacks.

  Everything changed a moment later when the trebuchets launched a barrage of missiles. General Jairmee laughed as a dozen, large, boulder-shaped objects flew overhead. “They can’t even hit our huge army,” he bellowed, as the projectiles flew past his troops and landed in the hills behind them.

  His laughter ceased a moment later when the projectiles exploded into flames. The Septumcolans had launched flaming oil, which set the forest behind the Lachians ablaze. Their second barrage landed closer behind the Lachians and blocked their retreat path. The next round would drop flaming oil onto their troops.

  “We have to eliminate those catapults!” shouted General Jairmee.

  “I’ll take care of them. You lead the troops. We have to charge now, or we’ll be burned alive where we stand!” yelled General Bor, as he commanded Juice to attack the trebuchets.

  General Jairmee led the troops in their first attack as Juice, Saiph, and their three children flew overhead. Juice blasted the trebuchets with fire, while the rest of his family fired upon the Septumcolan army. Their attack had little effect, however. The flames seemed to harmlessly stop fifteen feet above the ground as another round of projectiles flew from the catapults.