by Caleb Monroe
“With the fighters you procured over the last few months, plus the soldiers who have abandoned Pontis, that brings us up to about nine thousand fighters. We are still outnumbered.” Cecilia rubs her eyes in an attempt to bring life back into them, but I can tell that she is exhausted.
“You are forgetting about them.” I point to the sky where most of the griffins are awaiting their orders. “They will even the odds for us.” I put one arm around her waist, and she lays her head on my shoulder. “What is that noise?” A chorus of hammers colliding with metal rises up the wall.
“I beseeched the craftsmen who were not taking up arms if they would bolster the metal walls around the royal ring. That should help us in case the enemy is able to reach this far into the kingdom.”
I kiss her on the forehead saying, “That’s a great idea.” I look out to see that the smoke is still marching our way like a ticking clock counting down to our destruction.
“I only hope my plan of gathering all my citizens behind the fourth wall is the right thing to do. I am afraid I am just gathering us all together so that we can die in one place.”
As we look out over the horizon we can see masses of people from the first and second ring making their way as quickly as possible seeking safety behind the castle walls. “You made the right decision bringing them all to the most fortified region of the kingdom. It will allow for Tayus and our fighters to attack without worrying about protecting the innocent people in the lower rings.”
“But what if some of them are delayed? I can’t leave any of my people stranded out there with the crystal army coming.” She pulls away from my hold and begins to walk away.
I follow after her saying, “They will get here. We are going to do everything we can to save the people of your kingdom.”
“My Queen!” We both turn around and see a Scholar in his black robes running our way. “We succeeded, your majesty. We constructed the maximum number of elemental bombs we could with the materials we had.” The Scholar is having trouble catching his breath.
“Wonderful. Now, I need you to get every one of them down to the fourth ring and get them to General Tayus. The craftsmen should have repaired all of the destroyed catapults, so be sure to distribute the bombs evenly throughout the forces.”
“Of course, Your Highness.”
The Scholar turns to run, but I stop him shouting, “Wait! Make sure you distribute all the green elemental pearls you have in storage, as well. They are the best weapons we have against the crystal men.”
“Yes, sir.” The Scholar disappears down a stairwell to the rest of the Scholars.
I turn to look out into the royal ring, and when I do, I see something remarkable. “Come see this.” Cecilia cannot hear me as she stares into the distance as the ominous black cloud of smoke inches closer every second. “Really, Cecilia, you need to come see this.”
“I really need to oversee this, Jacob, I don’t have time for any distractions right now.”
I hear the annoyance in her accented voice, but I ignore it saying, “Trust me.” She finally relents with a sigh and comes to join me.
“Do you see that? Right over there.” I point to the northern side of the royal ring at a group of royal families who have started handing out jackets and food. “Some of the royals have created a zone for the lower ring inhabitants to get supplies. This is what you have been fighting for and it is happening naturally right before our eyes.”
Cecilia watches the small group of royals in silence, and I see a small smile begin to form on her face. “We can do this. We can win this war and the citizens of my kingdom can return to who they once were before Pontis poisoned them. My father’s fight for an equal kingdom is not dead.” With a renewed spirit, she turns back and makes her way to the inside edge of the wall. She looks down shouting, “I want half of the crossbows placed along the castle walls. They will be our last line of defense if we need them.” The strong, confident woman I first met has returned.
“Yes, Your Highness!” The soldiers who stayed behind to secure the courtyard shout back.
“The Scholars are getting everything out to the soldiers now.” Cecilia joins me on the opposite side of the wall as we watch every Scholar in the kingdom use carts, wagons, and even their own robes to get these powerful weapons to the soldiers. The bombs will go to the catapults and the smaller pearls will be passed out to every soldier.
“How many soldiers did Tayus retain in the fourth ring, Jacob?”
“He had one thousand remain inside the ring and another thousand he positioned right outside the wall in case they need to fall back.” Cecilia moves directly in front of me. “It’s a little hard to oversee things when your captivating face is blocking my view.”
I watch as her face goes through a transition from regal queen to the woman I first met on my world. She looks at me with eyes full of love and pain. “I don’t want you to leave.” Her soft accented words hit me hard. “I know it is selfish of me and I know this is horrible timing, but when this is over, I want you to stay with me in the kingdom.”
I barely let her finish that last phrase before I say, “Of course I am going to stay. Leaving you was never an option.” We stare at each other in silence. We both know how we feel, so I pull her in close. As we kiss, the oncoming threat and chaos below us disappear. Then from below, I hear cheering, and when we pull apart I see that she is blushing. “They must really like us kissing.” I say as the cheering gets louder.
“They weren’t cheering for us.” Cecilia points off in the distance and I see Shadow and at least twenty griffins flying this way.
“I’m going to keep pretending like they were cheering for us.”
“Whatever you say,” she says with a laugh.
I gently pull Cecilia’s face back to look at me. “I love you. I know the timing for this is not perfect, but I need you to know. I have no idea how today will play out, and I want to make sure you know exactly how I feel about you.”
“Loving a queen isn’t easy, you know. I always get what I want.”
“Sounds perfect to me.” Shadow lands on the castle wall next to us while the rest of the griffins disperse into the fourth ring in groups of two. “I’m glad you came back, and with friends.”
Shadow ignores me and nuzzles his head into Cecilia’s shoulder. “Hey, Shadow. I missed you so much. We couldn’t have done this without you.”
Shadow moves in between the two of us and hits me in the side with his tail. “Come on, man, and to think I had a present for you.” Shadow looks at me out of the corner of his eyes. “It’s a really awesome present, too.” Shadow spins around and begins incessantly chirping at me. “No, it’s not bacon, but it is better.”
“You two are something else.”
“Thanks. Now don’t go anywhere. We will be back in just a little bit.” I climb on Shadow’s back saying, “Get twenty of the best fighters we have, I already found the soldiers we need.” Shadow leans his head back, roaring as he leaps off the side of the wall. We glide down to the ground, and when we land, we are joined by twenty more griffins who are all awaiting their next command from Shadow. I slide off his back saying, “Come with me.”
We all make our way to the only building attached to the castle wall that Shadow has not seen yet. “I found this when I was looking for weapons not long after you left.” The men and women who volunteered to help me are still standing next to the building. They open the doors holding the surprise I promised Shadow. I open my arms saying to the griffins, “You guys are going to love this.”
We all make our way into the large building and begin to spread out. The sound of metal clinging against metal resonates all throughout the building as we prepare for battle. It takes a while to get properly outfitted, but when we are done, it is a spectacle to behold. We open the doors again and proudly make our way back into the courtyard.
“It’s time we gave the people some hope.” The soldiers and griffins standing around me shout and roar in agreeance. �
��Time to mount up.” The men and women I brought with me approach their griffins and slowly climb onto the saddles that now rest on the griffins’ backs. “Today we bring the riders back to Liferné.”
As I look around me, I see the sun shining off the new set of bronze armor that both the soldiers and griffins wear. The armor is like that of a normal soldier, but both arms are covered all the way down to the wrist, and instead of a skirt, there is armor plating over the front of their legs. They appear more like knights than Greek fighters. Each of the riders has a long spear and sword he brandishes for a weapon to easily attack as they fly by their enemy.
The griffins themselves are wearing metal armor that covers their back and most of their sides. The middle portion of the armor is what creates the seat for the riders to sit on. The armor of the griffins also protects the top portion of the mane stopping right before the head, leaving their backs and necks fully protected while giving full mobility to their heads.
“I want all of you to spread out and work in groups of two. We talked about what to do if you see an Imago, but if you freak out, just let the griffins take the lead. They know how to kill the monsters.” Shadow starts to walk up and down the newly christened riders. “We are going to be on the front line doing everything we can to stop this crystal army from destroying Liferné and everyone you cherish. You are now part of the most prestigious group of the royal army. You will be a glimmering hope soaring through the sky and viciously tear through the enemy’s ranks leaving nothing but black dust in your wake. Now fly!”
The riders take to the air and even though the men and women look a little uncomfortable, I know they will do their best. Shadow and I easily rise into the sky, but before we head into battle, we go see Cecilia one last time.
As we get to the edge of the wall, Cecilia turns around asking, “What are you wearing?”
“You don’t like it?” Cecilia stares at me as I slide off Shadow’s back wearing a suit of silver-colored armor. The armor is made of large scales that cover my arms and chest. It is a full suit of armor that fully covers my back and legs, unlike the other riders. “I thought the people of the kingdom would benefit from seeing the riders return.”
“I hate to break it to you, but Shadow is going to steal all the attention.” Shadow’s armor is the same silver color as mine, but while it does form a seat as it goes down the back, it also extends out covering the wings. Blades sling out from the armor as Shadow flips his wings. “That was impressive.” I pull my Sica out and Shadow counters by raising his front paws showing off the spiked armor that covers his feet making his natural weapons even more dangerous. “He’s still winning,” Cecilia says with a laugh.
Shadow and I stand next to each other as Cecilia takes us both in. “We are going to win this war. I promise,” I tell her with confidence.
“You’d better, Jacob, because they are here.” She turns around to face her beautiful and precious kingdom that is about to be transformed into a battlefield full of death and pain.
The smoke has finally reached the edges of the first ring.
War is here.
I jump onto Shadow’s back and get settled into the seat of his armor. “Ready for one more adventure, buddy?” Shadow roars and lifts us off the castle wall. “I will come find you when this is over. Be safe,” I say to Cecilia as we lock eyes.
Shadow launches us toward the battlefield to find Tayus, and once we are far enough that Cecilia cannot hear me I tell Shadow, “This might be our last ride, friend. Hold nothing back.”
Chapter 17
Shadow flies just above the roofs as we search for Tayus among the soldiers spreading themselves out through both the third and fourth ring. I see that nearly all the catapults are lined up either inside or right outside the north end of the fourth ring’s wall, and every catapult is loaded down with green elemental bombs. The crossbows that were not sent to the castle walls have been wheeled out to the third ring and spread out among the different battalions that Tayus has divided his men into.
As we pass over soldiers, the royals, and those desperately seeking refuge from the oncoming onslaught, I can feel a sense of fear rising from below. Everyone knows that this could be the last day for them. This could be their ending, but we will do all we can to not let that happen.
“Did you prep the other griffins for our secret emergency exit?” Shadow chirps at me. “Good. If we can’t win then we will get as many people to Earth as we can.”
I hear cheers coming from the soldiers as we fly over them looking for Tayus. I see that the riders I commissioned have found their places amongst the different squadrons readying their positions for the enemy approaching.
From here, I can see that Tayus has all his men spread out covering the northern half of the fourth ring’s wall. The Mortem Mangoners are marching straight into the kingdom and not fanning out at all.
“Down here, Jacob!”
I look below to find Tayus waving his arms, trying to get our attention. “Take us down.” Shadow lands a few feet away from Tayus. The soldiers around us part to give us space. I can see the way they are looking at us. They think much too highly of me, and I hope they do not expect me to be the one to win this war.
Tayus takes in our new look punctuated by our armor. “I see you have been rummaging through the old armory.”
“It was only by accident that I found this, but I have to say, we do look pretty good in silver.”
The soldiers around us cannot take their eyes from us. It is a little daunting to think that they see me as a war hero. They act as if I am this great man who could single-handedly turn this war around. If only they knew that at one point in my life, I was petrified by the mere thought of opening my front door.
“They have entered the first ring.” Those words grabbed my attention. “The crystal army is coming in and not fanning out at all. I believe they want to overwhelm us with their numbers, and seeing as they have at least a one-thousand-man advantage, that is probably the best strategy for them.”
I pat Shadow on the neck saying, “But we have a few surprises for them as well, so what’s your plan?”
I dismount Shadow and together we walk with Tayus to a table with a map of the kingdom laid out. “As you can see here,” Tayus points to the northern part of the third ring, “our soldiers will use the building as cover and wait until the enemy comes into range to attack. With numbers on their side we will need the smaller area of the craftsmen ring to help diminish their advantage, but before they even reach this ring, I want to rain down terror from above. Maybe we can take out enough of their men to even the odds when they arrive.”
“That is our department,” I say.
“Do you believe they brought Imago with them today?”
“Not only that, but I am sure they have some methods for protecting themselves from the cries of the griffins. We need to distract them so that the griffins can get one strong attack before the crystal army begins to defend against our charging soldiers.”
Tayus walks over to a group of soldiers saying, “Squadron ten, I need you to go tell every catapult operator that when I give the signal they are going to unleash a massive attack on the marching enemy.” The soldiers hear their orders and run off to relay the message. “While they are caught off guard by the earthquakes, you and your griffins can begin the first real attack.”
“Perfect. After that, I am sure the Mortem Mangoners will release their Imago. The riders will deal with them; have your soldiers focus solely on the crystal men.”
We join Tayus as he begins walking north in the direction of the coming calamity. “Many will lose their lives today as we attempt to save our kingdom. War is never kind.”
“I know.” I attempt to pet Shadow’s mane but am met with armor. “We can win this. We have to believe that.”
“You just better hope your secret plan works if everything falls apart.” Tayus draws his sword out.
“It will. Once the crystal army is in the third ring, we can
win this battle. We have to hold out till then. I need the army to be crammed in here for my plan to work.”
Tayus turns around and stares into my eyes. “I want to thank you, Jacob. You have done so much for my kingdom and for me.”
I stick my hand out, grasping Tayus’ free hand at the forearm. “Don’t thank me yet. We still have a war to win.”
With a simple nod, we go our separate ways, and I have no idea if I will ever see him alive again. Tayus makes his way to the front line, which is hiding in and around the houses and workshops at the north end of the third ring.
I hop back onto Shadow’s saddle telling him, “I want to see exactly what we are up against.”
Shadow and I soar into the sky and he heads directly for the incoming threat. The crystal army has now progressed into the second ring. They have burned nearly everything that has come into their path. The northern portion of the first ring that they traveled through will be nothing but ashes in a few hours. Crops, animals, houses, nothing was spared by the barbarians.
“Do a fly by. I want them to know that we are not afraid of them.” Shadow brings his wings in, letting us plummet directly at the army. I see many of the crystal men look up to the sky as we approach. My attention is unfortunately captured by a herd of Imago on the right side of the army, but I quickly divert my attention because I must find him. “Head that way.” I point to the middle of the massive army, and Shadow flies over the largest portion of troops. “There he is!”
We are low enough now that I can see the leader of the Mortem Mangoners. The large crystal man whom we faced off against on the glowing world not too long ago is walking alongside an Imago right in the middle of his nefarious army. He is at least three feet taller than any soldier around him, and unlike the other crystal men, his body is a mixture of black and red crystal.
Shadow makes the mistake of flying too low, and as we start to turn back, I see the Mortem Mangoners nearest to their leader transform their left hands into bows. They use their fingers on their right hand to make arrows and, within seconds, the air is full of black, crystal arrows.