Coven Queen

by Jeramy Goble

  “I insist," Melcayro said, shaking his head. “If we’re going to ask you to eventually go to war with us, the least we can do is see you safely to Leona.”

  Jularra grabbed her mug and took another gulp. She turned to Vischuno and Wona, who were both smiling hopefully with the positive turn in their new alliance. Jularra, however, knew her face showed frustration at the thought of having to wait a few hours. Jularra waited to hear their input.

  Vischuno spoke up first, making no attempt to speak quietly.

  “If they had wanted us dead, they had plenty of opportunities to see to it before now,” he announced.

  Without missing a beat, Abranni replied, "How’s your stout?”

  Vischuno’s eyes widened. He looked down into his mug, and then back to Abranni, only to see her smiling.

  “That isn’t funny!” Vischuno roared.

  Wona tried to hold in her laughter, but spat and spluttered into a chest-pounding guffaw.

  Vischuno glared at Abranni, but couldn’t prevent a grin from sneaking onto his own mouth.

  As the table erupted into fresh rounds of laughter, Melcayro raised his hand to an attendant along a nearby wall.

  “Take some rest and resupply, and we can head out later today,” Melcayro said.

  While Jularra looked to her fellow Acorilinians to confirm the plan, Melcayro continued.

  “I do need to warn you, though...”

  Jularra turned around, curious, half-expecting another joke.

  “Leona is… formidable.”

  The rustling and shifting around the table stilled.

  “I know,” Jularra said. “We were actually directed to seek her out by an old friend of hers. He told me quite a bit about her.

  “Well, I don’t know about all that,” Melcayro said. “But Leona doesn’t exactly answer to anyone, nor does she hold allegiance to anyone but herself.”

  “From what I understand," said Jularra carefully, "Leona traveled to Hignriten because it was more magic-friendly. She wanted to further her knowledge and power faster and more freely than she could in Acorilan.”

  Abranni nodded. “Right,” she said. “Hignriten and Messyleio have always been much friendlier to the study of the arts than elsewhere on the continent.”

  “Well, that wasn’t always the case,” Jularra said. Her voice sagged with regret. “But we covered that earlier. We all know that my ancestors only cracked down on magic in the wake of the agreement with the Voidwarden—restricted it, and shunned it. And while it’s been privately practiced and taught for the last few generations of queens, I would like to restore it to its past glory." She paused. "I just need to break the Voidwarden’s hold over us somehow.”

  Abranni and Melcayro looked at each other.

  “That’s what this is about?” Melcayro asked, surprised.

  Jularra looked down at the table as she nodded. Abranni leaned back, her eyes wide.

  “I didn’t… I didn’t know you were trying to defeat the Voidwarden.”

  Melcayro rubbed his face before running his fingers through his hair.

  “Well… I guess if anyone might have the power to help, it would be Leona.”

  Melcayro folded his hands together. He looked like he was trying to find what he wanted to say in the worn grain of the wooden table.

  “I’m telling you, Jularra. Leona is… wild.”

  “Wild?”

  “Wild. Not as in, 'out of control'. More... feral.”

  Jularra glanced at Abranni. Her face was rigid and sober.

  “She came out here to study the Nurudian ruins left over from the Wars of Expansion. You'll see her in the market every few moons, but… she lives apart. She exists only to perpetuate her knowledge. We don’t really have a relationship with her, and we only know the general vicinity in which she lives, but it’s probably easiest to try and find her at the ruins first. One way or another, we’ll find her.”

  A boisterous group nearby erupted in laughter and broke Jularra’s concentration. Her eyes surfed over the sea of happy Messyleians before coming back to rest on Melcayro.

  “If you’re going to ask her for something,” Melcayro started, but then backed up for a preface. “If we have a chance to ask anything, you'd better have a damn good bargaining chip. I don’t know what any of us could have that she might want.”

  Jularra nodded.

  “I think I’ve got that covered.”

  ***

  The conversation in the mess hall only lasted for one more mug before the Acorilinians and Messyleians broke off to catch a few hours of sleep.

  Beyond agreeing to set out first for the Nurudian ruins, there wasn’t much else that could be planned or predicted. No one in Messyleio—at least as far as Melcayro and Abranni knew—had any connection or communication with the witch. It was an entirely unpredictable journey with unknown dangers, but those going had plenty of reason to see it succeed.

  The group met up at the corral, mid-afternoon, just outside the hidden entrance to the interior of Messyleio. After grabbing a pinch of sleep and supplies, Jularra, Melcayro, and Abranni, together with their respective warriors, saddled up and headed in the direction of the Hignriten coast.

  The woods were thick with cedar, pine, spruce, and hemlock. But while Jularra usually felt at home in the forest, this unknown wood made her heart anxious. She was comfortable in and comforted by nature, but not necessarily with the things—or people—that chose to hide in them.

  The dense, evergreen leaves and brush fanned out across the path, tickling Jularra's legs and obstructing her view of the way ahead. Her eyes grew tired from the compulsive flickering about, scanning for any hint of danger. She tried to reassure herself that the woman they were searching for was an ally; a friend of Vylas', who—apart from Korden—was her oldest friend. But even then, the forest’s claustrophobia—not to mention the rumors surrounding Leona—made each step deliberate and fearful.

  There was little discussion as the company crunched pine needles and waved branches out of their way. The directions they had been given were vague, but the setting sun that sneaked through the trees helped them to hold their course.

  A rare bit of conversation broke the silence.

  “The sun is getting awfully low,” observed Wona. “Will we get there before dark?”

  “I think so,” Abranni answered.

  Vischuno twisted in his saddle. “You think?”

  Melcayro spoke up. “My sister and I haven’t been to the ruins in years,” he said. “But the directions we acquired before we left said we'd reach them by nightfall.”

  “Here’s hoping the directions are good,” said Jularra with forced optimism. They pressed on.

  But the trees grew even more crowded, silently goading the group to give up as each minute the sun sank closer to the horizon.

  “Your Majesty, it’s getting too dark. We really should set up a camp and carry on at first light,” urged Vischuno.

  Jularra stopped and turned around. The rest of the group paused as well.

  “Any one of us can start a fire in minutes," she said with forced calm, "and the sky is clear, without threat of rain. We'll keep on for a bit longer."

  There were nods of agreement from her subordinate countrymen and new, Messyleian acquaintances. Jularra turned back and resumed her trek.

  Just minutes later, the crowded path launched out into an enormous glade, hundreds of yards across. The rest of the group gasped and stopped just behind Jularra's outstretched arms.

  Though startled by the sudden change to the landscape, the clearing made it easier for Jularra to take advantage of the gloaming’s escaping light. Trying to remain calm, she drew upon her senses to take stock of the area.

  “Step back into the trees,” she ordered. If someone was watching, she didn’t want to make it easier for them. As instructed, the group took a step back. As they did, the previously clogged sight returned.

  “All right. Another fucking spell. Whoever has done this must alread
y know we're here. Step back up.”

  The group stepped back up as instructed, and the large clearing appeared ahead of them again. There would be no hiding. Jularra stepped out several paces into the open, and waited.

  “Jularra,” started Abranni, “perhaps we should find a different route. Like Vischuno said, we could make camp, and continue on in the morning when there’s more light.”

  Jularra kept her eyes ahead, but turned her head slightly and projected so that she could easily be heard.

  “No, we will not,” she replied. “Both darkness and light have their challenges.”

  She beckoned the rest of the group to her side.

  The others stepped up and planted their feet as they stared out onto the field, no doubt imagining all sorts of horrible possibilities, but seeing nothing. Jularra, however, did.

  Far across the open field, near the opposing line of trees, Jularra watched as a swarm of spinning smoke rings tore above the tree canopy and into the sky. But instead of spinning in smooth, even circles, they spun irregularly, shooting about in bumpy randomness. As they multiplied and ascended higher, they grew and spun more vigorously. Frequent ribbons of light flashed within the smoky rings, exploding in a painfully loud crash of thunder with each burst.

  The rings continued to grow in size and rise towards the sky. With each passing second, the rings grew and flew even faster until they violently cracked and separated, bolting out and striking the open field at hundreds and hundreds of points.

  The smoke ring fragments disappeared where they pierced the ground. The last flash of light subsided, and the final crack of thunder echoed to distant nothingness. Jularra could no longer see anything specific across the expansive field. The area fell quiet.

  “What the fuck was that?” Vischuno whispered, his voice more aggravated than fearful.

  No one responded, though they all desperately scanned the field for any clues as to what was happening.

  In the center of the clearing, Jularra began to make out hazy shapes appearing just above the ground. She identified them almost immediately.

  “Can you all see this?” she asked quickly, pointing out into the clearing.

  “See what?” Wona spat with the beginnings of panic. Jularra didn’t answer right away. As her hand dropped, hundreds more figures began to emerge from the opposing tree line.

  “Oh,” Wona said, as scores of beasts came marching out through the trees. “That.”

  “Listen to me, everyone,” Jularra called. “See those gravestones in the clearing? I think baykoks or something similar will soon emerge from them. Behind those, coming from the trees, are black bears walking on two legs.”

  “Bears? Bears?" Vischuno growled. "And what the fuck is a baykok?”

  “They look like… skeletons… with skin,” Jularra said.

  “They have nasty screams and shoot invisible arrows,” Abranni added.

  “Invisible… arrows?” Wona repeated. She laughed hysterically at the horror of the premise.

  “Jularra, we don’t have the numbers…” Melcayro attempted.

  “Listen!” she shouted, reclaiming everyone's attention. “I’m going to temporarily give each of you a portion of my powers.” As she rattled off her instructions, she started scouring the ground.

  “When I do, you will have the knowledge you need to use it properly. My skills will be weakened by doing so, but I can do more with less.” She bent over as she spoke, snatching up palm-sized pieces of wood or bark. She quickly found one for each of her people and began passing them around. After giving out the last one, she turned to Abranni.

  “Are your people comfortable engaging these things with their own magic?”

  Abranni was lost for an immediate reply, but finally stumbled into one. “This has to be Leona’s doing. I have no idea how effective we’ll be against her!”

  Jularra turned to her with a firm glare. “Will you try? We must make it to the other side and keep going.”

  Abranni looked quickly to Melcayro, and then back to Jularra. The Acorilinian queen took that as an affirmative. Jularra turned back to her people and motioned at them to approach and outstretch the items in their palms.

  “In a moment of great need, I come to you. Please share with my friends, your Gifts. Imbue these items with portions of my skills, so that their holders can help defend.”

  As soon as she finished speaking, the pieces of bark and branches glowed in each of their hands. As each peace glowed, the new recipient stood slightly more erect, their eyes widening as the rush of knowledge flooded their awareness. In rapid succession, Jularra received what felt like as many dull thuds to her soul as there were people she had given her powers to. While they weren’t all that painful, she did register the diminishment of her magical reserves.

  “Hold these close to you,” she ordered in a rush. “In your hand, in a pocket—so long as it's in contact with your skin, or touching something that is touching your skin.”

  The group complied as she gave instructions.

  “Right. We need to fight those baykoks and bears back,” Jularra directed. “We have to get through. Melcayro, Abranni—can you conjure something that we can—”

  Before Jularra could finish her request, dense breaking and cracking of wood erupted from the distant trees. The echoes rippled through the clearing like thunderclaps. The group looked for the cause of the sound.

  Behind the emerging baykoks and approaching bears rose a new collection of turbulent energy above the canopy of the trees.

  Jularra stood—not frozen in fear, but unflinching in resolve. As she watched the smoky rings rise once again, she took a deep breath, focused, and took a quick inventory of everything still at her disposal.

  “Change of plan. My people, focus on the spirits and bears. Melcayro—will your group help me with… that?”

  Abranni laughed helplessly at the imposing scale of the giant rings above the trees. “I have no idea what the fuck that is,” she said.

  Melcayro, gasping from an adrenaline rush, forced his own reply.

  “Yeah, we’ll help.”

  Jularra slapped him on the back and turned to her fellow Acorilinians.

  “Okay, we need to get the baykoks and bears occupied. Bedrock and Spire—summon something to engage these things with. You should have the knowledge to come up with a reasonable option. Use it. Visch, Wona—stay back once the fighting starts, and direct our forces.”

  Eyes locked on the spinning rings on the other side of the clearing, Melcayro offered a suggestion.

  “Once they get that going,” he said, “we can start weaving through to get in close enough to work on… that.”

  Jularra nodded and turned back to the Acorilinians.

  “Everyone set?”

  The Acorilinians responded with grunts, nods, and bloodthirsty grins.

  “Begin.”

  Once the command was given, each of the Acorilinians held up their hands to summon an energy sphere. There was a moment of silent awe in each of their eyes, amazement at the power they had never wielded before, combined with the temporary awareness of what felt like something they had known their whole lives.

  “Come on! Let’s go!” Jularra shouted.

  The Acorilinians shook themselves out of their trances and focused back on their casting. One by one, each Acorilinian grew their sphere, focused on it, and made the energy within it more potent. After closing their eyes, they concentrated on the type of warriors they wanted to summon, then reopened their eyes before focusing on the point where they wanted their fighters to spawn.

  The fully-formed baykoks had climbed out from the ground and were headed for Jularra's group, the bears now just behind. The combined army of undead and beasts marched closer.

  The first summoned groups of warriors appeared on the field, and pride in her people's newly-granted abilities surged in Jularra. But the wild loops across the way sped up and grew. Just as before, they broke apart, with some splintering off and shooting across
the field toward the Acorilinians. One was struck in the chest and fell to the ground. Pride turned to fear, and Jularra urged her makeshift Ridgerazers on faster.

  “Go! Move! Move!”

  The other Acorilinians began pressing in on their spheres of energy. With firm pressure, each of the men and women strained to shape and compress the powerful magic until each sphere was small enough to fit in one hand. Each one shot out a pulse wave of energy, spawning hundreds of combatants. Within seconds, the open field became crowded as the number of fighters doubled. The newly-summoned Acorilinian spirits engaged the enemy immediately.

  Keeping their distance, Jularra's forces rushed out into the field, skirting the battle and dodging the smoky lightning strikes from across the field.

  “It looks like those rings are originating from a single point,” Jularra yelled between thunderclaps.

  “Probably where these creatures are being controlled from,” Melcayro agreed.

  “Agreed,” Abranni said. “Let’s get over there and see if we can stop it.”

  “I’ll follow your lead,” Jularra shouted over the growing noise from the thunder and nearby battle. “I’m not at full strength.”

  Melcayro gestured for Jularra to follow. Abranni ran at her side.

  They weaved in and out of their foes, dodging smoking bolts of obscene energy that tore into the ground and shot plumes of dirt as they struck. Jularra, Melcayro and Abranni deflected attacks from baykoks and bears and raced on through the blasted terrain.

  The frequency of energy strikes lessened. Just when Jularra dared to think they would make it to the tree line, something new was added to the mix. In stolen glimpses between running and defending, Jularra saw that the energy rings were now not only striking the ground but also springing back up into vicious squalls of mud, boulders, bushes, and leaves.

  Damn it, Leona! Her mind wanted to spread her outrage. Could’ve used your help, Vylas!

  Sharp screams of pain rang out across the field. Between the dark foes, bolts of energy and bits of flying debris, more and more of the combined Acorilinian and Messyleian force began to fall.

  “Leona!” Jularra screamed. Her throat felt like it was tearing. “Stop! Leona! Vylas sent me!”