With these instructions, Commander Vendring left the ichale with the young guard in tow.
‘I wonder what stirs these creatures so?’ Ajarrk questioned.
‘It can only be the manipulations of the monshaads, my dear friend,’ Lord Fiendrac expressed his own beliefs and readied himself to go and join in the battle, to rid the camp of this unwelcome visitor.
Most of the vamplins in this camp were seasoned soldiers so none allowed panic amongst the ranks. The flying Seboris had circled the area from high above when first it had arrived, but now it was diving at speed in an attempt to dismantle the small buildings, its many snake heads hissing fiercely. As it neared the ice made structures it sprayed a boiling gas from its large nostrils. The thick ice easily melted, leaving the residents open to danger.
Lord Fiendrac watched as the creature left all unharmed yet systematically made its way around each ichale.
‘What do you think it is seeking?’ he asked of Ajarrk who had followed in his path to protect his leader.
‘Perhaps it is seeking you Lord. We should oblige it with a spear down each throat.’
‘No, if the Emperor wants to speak with me he only needs to contact my mind, this is seeking something else, but what?’
A blast of dark arrows shot up into the dark skies and narrowly missed the wing of the creature. Yet this did not deter the beast. It continued to fly up high and then dive quickly at its next target. The bascas joined the flying reptile but they could not match its speed. The huge beast spat at a basca that had flown too close to its head. The unfortunate basca screeched in agony as it burned from the acid gas corroding it’s wing. All too quickly, it began to fall with only one working wing, its vamplin rider clutching hard onto its back. The two were doomed as the acid fed its way into the bascas bloodstream and hissed hot blood out of its veins to spray the vamplin rider, burning him instantly.
‘These creature are unstoppable Lord Fiendrac, our arrows shrivel into dust as soon as they touch its body?’
‘The gasses it breathes blow as burning wind. Its blood is that of burning acid. These creatures sleep in the deep snow and ice, in the mountains of Madzren. It appears that the Emperor has awoken and recruited them,’ the vamplin leader looked disheartened. ‘Why it attacks us is unclear but we cannot beat it with our weapons, we can only avert it and hope it tires.’
The bascas continued to circle in an attempt to tire the creature. The archers sent burning arrowheads just to watch them hiss as they touched the caustic skin of such a beast.
Without warning it suddenly screeched a deafening sound, other smaller flying reptiles appeared from the skies as if they had been awaiting a sign.
Lord Fiendrac was side-tracked, it had not occurred to him what the real target of this attack was.
Without warning, the smaller reptiles flew into the melted roof of an ichale and lifted out a screaming female vamplin. She was elevated high in the air, her legs kicking and her arms flailing frantically as she fought against her captors.
‘No!’ Lord Fiendrac screamed. ‘No!’ He chased after the creatures but what could he do against such a foe.
Running at speed towards his own basca, Commander Vendring managed to grab his arm.
‘My Lord, it will be of no use. You cannot catch up with them and even if you did, that monster would surely end your life. You must stay and be strong for your people.’
‘No, I can’t let them have her, I cannot Vendring.’ The Lord collapsed to his knees in the cold snow, calling out loudly with a deep rasping frenzied cry of grief. Tears ran freely down his pale cheeks.
‘I know of your love for her my Lord but you must have your wits about you. This is no longer a battle for the Emperor, but against him.’
Commander Vendring was a loyal soldier second, and a good friend first. He laid his arm across his Lord’s shoulders. ‘Come my Lord, you must see sense and plan your way around this.’
‘She will be with my child, my heir. I will risk all to save her.’
Lord Fiendrac leaned on Commander Vendring as he walked. He was guided to one of the ichales that remained intact. His good friend Ajarrk greeted him inside and between them, they managed to sedate their Lord with a drink of herbal tea. They believed he would think clearer when he had rested.
30 A Gift
Lady Vatara shrieked with glee as she observed the silhouettes of the flying creatures returning, in the distance. Quite gently, they dropped their captured passenger onto the ground in the middle of the waiting circle of vamplins.
A gift for you my Lady, the Emperor spoke in her mind. Your loyalty entitles you to have the first drink. The Changeling’s blood will enhance your powers in the Lightlands and you will thirst for more of the delicious human blood.
Heather lay on the ice-cold floor. In a semi conscious state, she lifted her head. Surrounded by vamplin males she wondered if she was dreaming. A groan rumbled in her dried throat, as reality became clear. The vamplins approached her, but not to offer their help. She felt a sharp pain in her throat as they pressed a pointed blade into her pumping artery. She felt the warm wet liquid of her blood oozing over her breasts. A female vamplin towered over her and bent to take the vessel that contained her warm blood.
‘I toast your coupling with my brother dear Changeling. Pity you will not live to see the child he so wishes to produce from your womb.’ The female vamplin smiled but her eyes looked at Heather greedily. ‘The Emperor wishes you alive. I, have a need to show the Emperor he can’t always have his own way. You are the answer to my problems.’
Heather could hear her own pulse racing in her ears. Lady Vatara drank of her blood. Other vamplins then took their turns to drink the Changeling’s rich blood, Heather sank slowly into oblivion. Her fingers tingled, her toes numbed, she neither felt warm or cold, just a dull throbbing sensation crept around her body until she was without sensation at all.
The rebel vamplins had succeeded; they had fused their blood with that of the Changeling. They flew away on their bascas to celebrate a new future. The Changeling lay alone, dying. They cared not if she survived, they were the new generation of vamplins.
31 Brave Myeaz
Amos could feel the humming of a mighty force from the myeaz army that now surrounded the quarry. Sensing the danger from the hidden depths of their position, they had quickly come to aid Quazat.
Amos spoke to Quazat, unsure of what he was witnessing. ‘They do know that I’m on your side don’t they?’
‘You no danger Prince,’ Quazat assured him.
The clicking of myeaz communication echoed around the sandstone walls of the quarry.
‘Giant still grow,’ Quazat watched as the slowly awakening Vellar continued to expand in size. ‘Ambush now while weak, Quazat tried to advise. ‘We kill beast.’
‘No Quazat, he imposes no danger to us if Morte Bielz does not control him. Can we not capture him and use his strengths against the monshaads?’
‘You know control of this beast?’
‘Nope, but I think we should give it a try. He is young and vulnerable, surely we can influence his thinking just as you would any child of any race?’
‘Your logic strange. My logic better, kill this creature who threat to my people,’ Quazat struggled with his friend’s strange beliefs.
‘I know Quazat but I like to believe that there is good in all mortals until they are influenced by others.’ Amos hoped to gain this creature as an ally rather than an enemy. ‘Can your army just try stop him from leaving?’
‘I tell them your orders.’
Instantly the myeaz began to weave ropes, creating a roof over the quarry. It was an amazing scene of hundreds of myeaz busily working together without any particular individual giving orders. Only one breed of myeaz had the ability to weave the silk but the efficiency amongst all the myeaz to bind the silk into a strong rope, was done with silence and speed.
Vellar slowly became more conscious of his surroundings, concentrating all his effort
s in listening to the voice that talked to him, in his head. He tried to stand up but something stopped him from raising his bulk from the ground. Bumping the back of his head on a roof of taught ropes, he exhaled his breath and with a loud roar he released a deadly fire that burnt through the intricately weaved ropes. The myeaz reacted quickly but they did not flee, they marched up the ropes to create a weight over Vellar so he could not open his wings under the blanket of antoids.
Amos felt a dreaded fear in the pit of his stomach. This was his fault. This was the inevitable consequence of his unreasonable request not to kill the Fire Giant. He wanted desperately to save all the antoids who had put themselves at risk. Turning to confront his mistake, he frantically shouted orders at the myeaz to abandon their stance, but it was too late. Vellar released more of his deadly fire upon the restricted bonds that held him. The myeaz trying to imprison him, were fatefully trapped. Vellar’s nostrils enlarged and he released poisonous gasses through his nose. A deadly poppy red cloud drifted down, landing on the brave warriors who had tried so hard to imprison him. Their armoured bodies melted, painfully ending their efforts as limbs and shells fell apart and shriveled. Even as they faced death, they cared not for their own lives. A high-pitched clicking sound, given out as a warning to their fellow brothers, was all that could be heard as these poor creatures dissolved into piles of ash.
‘I’m sorry Quazat,’ he pleaded quietly to his friend. ‘I don’t know this enemy. I don’t yet know his strengths.’
Amos could only stand and witness the terrible massacre, but as he watched he rallied his thoughts on how to stop Vellar escaping, and save what was left of the antoid army.
‘We can’t let him take off into flight,’ Amos said.
The tiring Fire Giant shook off the fallen ash from his body and slowly tried to stand upright. His wings unfurled, readying himself for flight. As quickly as he tried to stand in the grounds of the quarry, the brave myeaz continued to crawl over the surface of his body from head to toe, his eyes could not see.
Vellar panicked at the sheer weight of these damnable creatures. He was ready to succumb.
Fear not my child, the voice in his mind comforted him.
He could not understand why the shiny black creatures wanted to smother him. Confused, he lashed out with his arms but the creatures stuck to him all the more. They did not harm him, not yet.
Open your wings and trust me Vellar, the soothing voice spoke. You cannot see but I will be your guide. You can shake off those beasts once you are in flight. You must fly, my child, fly and all will be well.
Vellar felt soothed by these assuring words. With no real sense of direction, he put his faith in his Master. Unfurling huge wings of toughened skin, he beat them, creating a wind that knocked Amos to the ground and sending the myeaz warriors into heaps as they fell from the giant’s upright body. At last, he could raise himself to rally his strength for flight.
‘He’s going to fly,’ Amos shouted. ‘Call off your armiis, or those without wings will perish.’
There was not much time for the clinging myeaz to escape but those that relaxed their mighty grip began to drop from the giant’s body as he grew in size.
‘Come on Quazat,’ Amos jumped upon his friend’s back. ‘Let’s follow him.’
‘I no wings.’
‘I thought all myeaz had wings.’
‘No, I not Flyer. I protect High Queen hive. I not need wings.’
Amos looked helplessly up to the skies watching the fleeing Fire Giant become a small dot in the distance.
‘There he goes Quazat. Off into the big world to grow up even more.’
‘Bigger problem. My Queen send word. Listards attack many hive. Armies must return, protect hives.’
‘Yes, yes. Tell them to go Quazat. I too must return to my homeland. Can you tell your Queen to send a myeaz leader to Beldroth. It is there that the Lightlands Council gathers to defeat this new enemy of our world.’
‘Queen know of this. She agree.’
‘Good, good. Then all that is left is to say our goodbyes.’
‘Why we do that?’
‘Because you must go to your hive and protect your people.’
‘I go with Prince. I the one represent myeaz.’
‘You old sneak, you kept that quiet,’ the Prince looked pleased. ‘Well, come on then, let’s get going or we’ll be too late. This war will be over and done with and I’ll never have seen battle.’
‘Something I have to say, Prince,’ Quazat bowed his head close to the ground. ‘News you not like.’
‘My friend, any news is better than none. Come on, spit it out.’
‘Your Father.’ Quazat seemed choked for words.
‘My Father, yes, has he rescued Raphael? Has he sent me instructions?
‘No he cannot. He pass from life.’
‘Pass where. I don’t understa… You mean he’s dead?’
‘My Queen tell me this. You now King. She say me protect you. Return you home.’
Amos could not think properly, his mind was a blank sheet with no thoughts imprinted upon its empty page. All around activity hummed as the myeaz warriors marched away. In his semi-stunned state, his head was silent. He could see his myeaz friend but he could not register the reality around him. His Father, his role model, his leader, gone. He was alone. Who would advise him now. Who would he go to in times of need. No mother, no Father, alone.
‘King Amos,’ a metallic voice interrupted his private meditation. ‘King, we go.’
‘What?’ He blinked and the world came into focus. ‘Yes Quazat. I’m ready to return home.’
‘We not have mothers, fathers. We have Queen, Commanders. We protect hives and young ones. I not help very well, you with this. I feel same if my hive perish. I at your side King Amos.’
‘Thanks Quazat.’ Amos stroked the shiny face of the myeaz, carefully avoiding the razor sharp jaws. It wasn’t often he got this close to a myeaz soldier, but in his heart this was his friend and he needed him now.
‘I loved my father, deeply. I would’ve liked to have said goodbye, but clearly that can’t happen now. I need to find my brothers and bring the human Royal family close together again.’
‘This, King Amos, we can do. My Queen send best flyers. Take us over waters.’
Amos turned to see the huge flying myeaz that dwarfed his companion.
‘You never mentioned how big your Flyers are,’ he said in surprise.
‘You afraid? Human King.’
‘I worry only for your passage my friend. With a body like yours I can’t imagine how you will fly on a Flyer?’
‘Strange,’ Quazat retorted, ‘I think same of you, my friend.’
In harmony they laughed. A myeaz does not normally possess a sense of humour but this strange bond was forged; myeaz warrior, deadly in combat, and human King, deadly in stamina. Amos had a good and loyal commander at his side. King Amos was of the true lineage, he had the makings of a perfect ruler and he would love and protect his people and his land, until death. He would also honour his neighbours.
It was surely time to go home.
32 Maiden Flight
Vellar was tiring on this, his maiden flight. Below him, the vast oceans looked large and lonely. He needed to land and rest his wings but he feared to tread upon the moving liquid below him.
No, my child, you are right, you cannot rest upon the waters. They are the deep oceans and you are not ready for them. You must fly until you see land. Then you can rest before you continue on, to be by my side. I will watch over you, my child. The familiar voice faded and Vellar heeded the warning of not yet landing.
Keen sight was not one of his good features but on the far horizon, he had spotted a dark shape. He sensed a calling and changed his direction towards the silhouette. Whilst the heat of the sun invigorated him, his body still felt weary from his awakening. He needed to feed. The dark profile was fast becoming clearer, it was land. This must be a place to rest, for he could go no fur
ther. He quickened his pace, keen to arrive at the resting place and then slowly lowered his flight and descended upon the small piece of land.
He could see shiny black rocks on the edges that took the brunt of the waters rising in an attempt to swallow up this tiny place. Behind the rocks luscious green terrain managed somehow to exist in the midst of the oceans. He cared not for the pretty landscape. His stomach ached. He longed to feed. He must find sustenance that would maintain his strength. Yet he was but a child. What must he feed upon? What would fulfill his needs? He knew not what he desired.
His instincts afforded him to circle the island to be sure no dangers lurked. He grew suspicious of the waves that crashed into the rocks, perhaps this strange substance was poisonous and would melt his very being. His Master had called it ‘water’ and told him not to rest upon it, so he must avoid it. Frantically he glided further inland, his mind still filled with the horror of the hideous creatures that had tried to smother him. If his Master had not ordered him to fly, he would have forever been in their grasp. His mind was in turmoil with the disturbing memories but exhaustion drove him on. With every effort, he attempted a landing on the inviting soft green carpet that was laid out before him. His feet thudded as he landed on a soft bedding of leaves. He could smell the strange tang of salt in the air that swirled around his nostrils as he stayed alert for danger. Bright yellow fruits hung in trees that were as long as he was tall. He listened to the swishing of the water but he felt safe from its touch. His ears picked up at another sound that stirred his emotions, he must seek this out, it was so very comforting.
Turning aching eyes towards the soothing sound, he could see a small creature perching on a rock, watching the strange water splashing. The sound was beautiful, enchanting. He must have this creature for his very own. It turned to look at him but it did not flee.
‘Oh, who are you?’ It asked of him, and he understood its language. ‘I have never before met with such a large land creature.’
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