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Awakening (Telindell Book 1)

Page 31

by Darren Lee


  Sarath giggled a bit while she walked to Teelia. She knelt down to her and whispered, “They’re jealous.” Teelia covered her mouth while she giggled under her breath.

  Oryn sighed and turned his stern glare upon the two of them. “We have important things to discuss.”

  Elintae’s voice pierced their ears. “Indeed we do.”

  The group turned to see Elintae standing in the doorway. Sarath crossed her arms. “When’d you get here?”

  “Just a moment ago,” she said. “A less dramatic entrance for your pleasing.”

  Sarath rolled her eyes while Oryn walked back to the council table and sat. “Please, Lian, Sarath, sit.”

  They sat at the end of the table next to the doorway while Elintae approached the front of the room. Elintae looked upon the partially ruined Alinshahar. “Roxees prepares.”

  Oryn grunted and banged his fist against the table. “Roxees? I thought she had long since been destroyed by Telindell!”

  Sarath glanced to Oryn. “She lives… she definitely lives.”

  Lian looked at Oryn. “What do you mean?”

  “She was once an immensely powerful sorceress,” Oryn said, looking around the room. “Maybe even the most powerful sorceress to have ever been.” Oryn dropped his head. “She was one being of this world who could have made a difference.”

  Elinar glanced to Lian, then looked to his father. “This world?”

  Alisia shook her head and looked to Elinar. “Yes, many of the teachings our magic wielders learn today, were written by her. She lived for centuries. I don’t know if it’s true or not, but some legends say her magic would chill everything around her.”

  Oryn looked to Alisia and slowly nodded. “It is true. We were driven back by her in many battles. We lost countless soldiers to her alone.” Oryn closed his eyes and sighed. “I remember it as if it were yesterday. Valiant battle cries silenced moments later by an icy death.” Oryn glanced around the room. “It wasn’t even her attacks. Just her presence while she attacked brought ferocious storms of ice and snow.”

  Sarath nodded. “I remember feeling a chill when she would use magic.”

  Oryn raised any eyebrow and leaned forward onto the table. “You have met her?”

  Sarath glanced around the room and nodded. “I did. I don’t understand how she could be centuries old. She looked young and fair.”

  Oryn tapped his fingers against the table. “She was obsessed with my people’s eternal youth. She staved off age, but rumors of the time spoke of her not having enough power to continue.” Oryn leaned back into his chair. “I suspect that is what drove her into madness… And the arms of the Dalronians. A lust for power.”

  Sarath took a deep breath. “Madness… And a lust for power. Sounds exactly like her.”

  Oryn closed his eyes for a moment. “None of this makes sense. You say she was young and fair… I assure you, after whatever they did to her… young and fair is not an accurate description.” He paused for a moment in thought. “Maybe… her amulet. It has to be.”

  Sarath remembered the amulet Oryn spoke of. “I remember it…” Sarath glanced around the room. “It had a large blood red jewel… It almost looked like a ruby, but it wasn’t.”

  Oryn nodded. “That is the one. I do not know its origin… Or how she came be in possession of it… But it held an incredible power.” Oryn looked around the room. “She could take the form of any creature she desired. Perhaps she used it to take her human form, to walk unnoticed amongst the humans.”

  Elintae turned to face the group. “You are correct. Roxees has assumed the throne of Kynlynn.” She looked to Sarath. “Please, tell us of how she did this.”

  Everyone looked to Sarath. She glanced around the room uncomfortably. “I may have helped her…”

  Oryn quickly stood and slammed his fists against the table. “You helped her?”

  Sarath’s eyes widened at Oryn’s reaction. Elintae walked to Oryn and placed her hand upon his shoulder. “Calm yourself, Oryn. Listen to her. She will fill in many missing pieces of the puzzle.”

  Oryn looked to Elintae and nodded, sitting back down. “My apologies, Sarath. Please continue.”

  Sarath took a deep breath. “I was just a girl when she first came to Lord Draken. A dragon had recently started terrorizing Kynlynn. She told Lord Draken that the dragon was a magical creation that was unleashed by the Elves.”

  Alisia shook her head. “What? There is no magic that could conjure a creature like that.”

  Elinar looked to Alisia. “The humans do not know about magic. All of their magic wielders were destroyed in the Dalronian war. After our seclusion, with such short lifespans, they dismissed all… even our existence as myth and legend. They had no idea who Roxees even was.”

  Sarath looked to Alisia. “It’s true. When I first heard, I thought it was madness at best. She had a way of convincing Draken and all those around her. She would display some of her magic here and there… she killed people.” Sarath took a deep breath. “Like I said, she was young and beautiful. She had Draken lusting after her from the moment she arrived.”

  Oryn nodded. “That is not surprising. I met her a few times prior to the war. She was very…” Oryn sighed, “persuasive.”

  Sarath shook her head. “I would say more like a manipulative bitch.” Sarath lowered her head and covered her eyes. Lian placed his hand upon her back. “It’s alright,” she told him. Sarath took another deep breath and looked to Oryn. “Years passed while I was captive at the castle. The dragon continued its attacks. Then… Roxees gave me the idea to kill Draken’s son. I had my reasons, and all you need to know is that they were good ones.” Sarath glanced around the room and sighed. “She helped me… and in return… I think I helped her. With Arthur gone, no one could dispute her claim to the throne. Later, the dragon killed the king of Kynlynn… Draken was to be king but something happened and everybody ended up dead, including his wife. That very day, he took Roxees as his queen… then the dragon killed him…” Sarath rolled her eyes. “It’s safe to assume she is the dragon. After that, all of Kynlynn was on the lookout for Elves and possibly Lian.”

  Elinar’s lip quivered while he took a deep breath. He looked to Lian. “She is responsible for the attack upon us!”

  Lian nodded. “Yes… she’s responsible for everyone that died there, including my mother.”

  Oryn shook his head. “This does shed light on some of the events… but I still don’t understand why she should go through the trouble to take over an entire kingdom.”

  Elintae looked to Oryn. “It makes perfect sense. She was dispatched by her Lord Commander. In doing so, they could pursue Lian and bolster their numbers without the risk of the entirety of Zaneen uniting against them.” Elintae looked upon Lian and smiled. “Even as a boy, Dreathous recognized you as a powerful threat. He was afraid that you could have stood against him if Zaneen stood behind you.”

  Lian clinched his fists. “It seems they succeeded in bolstering their numbers… so many people…”

  Elintae nodded. “Yes. She has ten thousand Enforcers at her command… All created from the people of Kynlynn.”

  Oryn’s eyes widened. “We… it would take the entirety of our remaining forces… Even then…” Oryn took a deep breath. “With Roxees entering the battle… We will be overwhelmed.”

  Lian glared towards Oryn. “I’ll handle Roxees. I’ll keep her away from the battle.”

  Oryn nodded. “That may give us an edge, but we will still suffer heavy losses…” Oryn shook his head. “We would not have the people left to stand against Dreathous when he marches upon Zaneen.”

  Lian smirked. “Shinrok.”

  Oryn raised an eyebrow and glanced to Elintae. “Shinrok?”

  Elintae nodded. “Shinrok sends word that they stand with the legendary General Oryn Durothill.”

  Oryn looked around the room. “How do they know of us? Of me?”

  Elintae nodded. “As you know, they are secluded by the Bintol
Desert. They have always been heavily devoted to me and have kept close records of the past.” She smiled to Oryn. “They prepare as we speak. I will lead them into battle.”

  Oryn stood and looked around the room. “We prepare and leave for Allendale at dawn.”

  Stala looked up to Oryn. “I’ll have troops inspect our siege equipment. We haven’t used it in a very long time. Some of it may yet be operational.”

  Oryn nodded. “Catapults only. We will not reach the castle before the enemy is upon us.” He looked to Alisia. “Take command of the magic wielders. Brief them on Roxees.” Oryn looked to Stala. “You know as much about the Enforcers as I, brief our forces on what to expect.” Oryn then looked to Elinar. “You will command the Alinshaharian Riders and take instructions from me alone.” Oryn looked to Teelia and sighed. “You will remain here and assume command of Alinshahar in our absence.”

  Teelia’s mouth dropped open as she glanced around the room. “What?” She stood and shouted, “I can fight!”

  Elinar grabbed Teelia’s shoulder. “I agree with father!”

  Teelia shook her head and glared at Elinar. “I can fight!”

  Oryn took a deep breath. “You will not fight while you are with child. I need you here to oversee training. All of our people with the courage to fight will be outfitted and prepared to defend Alinshahar in the event of our failure.”

  Elinar closed his eyes and nodded to Teelia. “Father is right. I won’t lose my daughter again.” He pulled her close to him. “And if we fail, it will be up to you to ensure she… as well as every other child and elf, will have a future.”

  Lian looked to Sarath. “I want you and Kane to stay behind as well.”

  Sarath shook her head and glanced down to Kane. “No! Absolutely not! I’m with you till the end…” She looked down to Kane. “I’m sure our fearless leader is as well.” Kane looked up and nodded.

  Lian shook his head. “Roxees will take the form of that dragon, I’m sure. She will kill indiscriminately.”

  Sarath smirked. “We have our own dragon.”

  Elinar looked to Lian. “You aren’t going to ride a dragon into battle, are you?”

  Lian looked to Elinar. “That’s a good idea… Shinaugra could draw her away from the battlefield.”

  Elinar stepped towards Lian and shouted, “You can’t! It’s suicidal.”

  Sarath stood and stepped in front of Elinar with a smirk. “No. What’s suicidal is that I’m going with him.”

  Elinar turned to Oryn. “Don’t let them do this. It’s madness.”

  Oryn looked to Lian. “Are you sure?”

  Lian nodded. “It will give you a better chance against her army.”

  Oryn sighed. “Very well. I may be able to aid you. As powerful as you are, extra protection may prove invaluable. I have a set of armor that was enchanted long ago, it may protect you from her magic.”

  Lian nodded. “Thank you.”

  Elintae peered upon the group while her eyes glowed green. “Prepare yourselves. The fight for our world is about to begin.”

  Chapter 30: Fields of Blood

  Early morning fog gripped the rolling hills before Alinshahar. The earth trembled under the weight of fifteen thousand pairs of footsteps. Oryn Durothill led his army from the Elven city prepared to give their lives in Zaneen’s defense. The Elven forces marched in close ranks while they exited the city and then divided and shifted their formations. Two columns of five hundred soldier-units were formed from the mass. At the front, Elinar led two hundred Alinshaharian Riders. A series of catapults and supply wagons drawn by horses occupied the empty spaces between each Elven unit. Magic wielders occupied the center of the units behind front line infantry with archers occupying the rear ranks. Morale was mixed among the soldiers. Some were young and eager to bask in the glory of victory, while others were seasoned veterans of the previous war. Those veterans wrestled with the undeniable fact of marching to their deaths.

  Oryn and each of his commanders were mounted on horseback and rode at the front. Elinar rode directly to his father’s right, while Councilor Stala and Alisia rode side by side to the left of Oryn. Lian and Sarath shared a horse, riding next to Elinar. Kane trotted alongside Lian. Shinaugra circled the skies above the massive army while he awaited his master’s call.

  Elinar stared into the distance, pondering the upcoming battle. He looked to his father. “What should we expect?”

  Oryn gazed into the distance, not answering right away. He slowly turned his head to Elinar. “Overwhelming force. Brutality of the likes you have never witnessed. Unthinkable evil. Death.”

  Elinar looked away and once again stared into the horizon. An expression of hopelessness overtook his face. His voice trembled as he asked, “Will we see our family again?”

  “We may not,” said Oryn. “These could very well be our last days.”

  “If all goes well, and we are victorious…” said Elinar. He paused briefly and looked to Oryn. “How many casualties do you expect?”

  “At least half,” he said.

  Elinar’s eyes widened. “Half? You expect us to lose half of our people? Even in victory?”

  Oryn looked back to his army before he stared into the horizon calmly. “I do. They will not surrender. They will kill until the very last one falls.”

  Sarath listened closely to father and son. She squeezed Lian tightly, gaining a sense of comfort.

  Lian felt her tight embrace. He had listened to Oryn’s words as well. Lian glanced back to Sarath and softly said, “We may lose a lot of people. You will not be one of them.”

  Sarath closed her eyes and touched her forehead against his shoulder. “Promise?”

  Lian confidently said, “I promise. Nothing will happen to you.” Lian looked down to Kane. “Right, Kane?” The wolf looked up and nodded.

  Sarath looked down to Kane as well. “At least I can count on our fearless leader.” She smiled at him.

  Alisia listened to the words of her companions, but her mind dwelled upon Roxees. Many of the magical abilities Alisia had mastered were thanks to the teachings left behind by the human defector, including invisibility. The sorceress looked to Lian and stared.

  Stala took note of Alisia’s fixation on Lian. “What are you staring at?”

  Alisia hesitated for a moment, then turned her head to Stala. “Nothing.

  “What is it?” said Stala.

  Alisia shook her head and mumbled, “It’s nothing.”

  Stala snorted. “I’m no fool. Speak your mind. This may be your last chance to do so.”

  Alisia looked to Stala with worry filled eyes. “It’s Roxees.”

  Stala looked ahead to the distance. “What about her?”

  Alisia shook her head. “I studied everything we know about her, well her human self.” The sorceress let out a sigh. “She was immensely powerful. She makes our magic wielders of today, even our most skilled, look like infants in comparison.”

  Stala closed her eyes for a moment. “You don’t think Lian can defeat her?”

  “I just… I just don’t know,” she said. “I saw Lian fall from the sky, the incredible power he wielded… but…”

  Stala turned her head to Alisia. “But what?”

  “I don’t know if it will be enough,” she said.

  Lian turned his head and shouted, “It will be!”

  Oryn and Elinar turned their heads to Lian. Alisia looked over to him. “How do you know?”

  Lian looked ahead and calmly said. “I don’t. It just has to be.”

  Sarath raised her head and looked over to Alisia. “Lian won’t let us down…” Sarath put her hands on Lian’s shoulders and squeezed them lightly. “I’ll kick his ass if he does. Trust me, he doesn’t want that.”

  Kane snorted and shook his head. Then looked up at her knowingly.

  Sarath glared down to Kane. “Stop snorting at me! If, and I mean that’s a big if, Lian breaks the promise he just made and we all do die a horrible agonizing death…” S
he looked over to the rest of the group. “I’m going to laugh and have a good time as much as I can before we get to the dying part.”

  Oryn’s cold face warmed with a slight smile. He chuckled a bit. “The girl is right.”

  Elinar looked to Sarath, then to his father. “What do you mean?”

  Oryn smiled towards Elinar. “You all act as if we are dead already. If we do not carry the spirit of life into battle with us, we certainly will be dead.”

  Sarath looked to Elinar with a smirk. “Listen to Daddy!”

  Elinar looked to Sarath with his mouth slightly dropped open. “What?”

  “That must have been an elfy way of saying ‘lighten up’,” she said as her smirk turned into a smile. “You should really take that advice. We all should.”

  Elinar looked to Oryn and the others. “Is what she says true, father?”

  Oryn looked to Elinar and laughed briefly. “It certainly is. If we are to die in battle, let us do it lighthearted, filled with the warmth of life.”

  Elinar shook his head. “You’ve all gone insane.” He chuckled a bit before looking to Sarath. “Very well, then.” Elinar looked to Oryn. “If we die, we die with smiles on our faces.”

  Stala laughed, followed by Alisia and the rest of the group. The Elven army marched forward throughout the day and deep into the night. Allendale grew closer with each step. Midnight had come, and the army now marched along the edge of the northern forest of Kynlynn. Within that forest was the Elven outpost where Lian had spent a good portion of his life. In the distance, the glow of a brightly burning fire could be seen.

  Oryn took stared with great interest. “Prepare yourselves!” Elinar and the others quickly brought their attention to Oryn. He glanced to them and focused his sight on the blaze. “We may be met with combatants sooner than expected.”

  Elinar nodded and turned to look upon the Alinshaharian Riders who followed behind. He turned to Oryn. “Father, I’ll take a group of riders and scout ahead.” Oryn nodded. Elinar kicked his horse and rode to the right as he drew his sword. He rode swiftly down the line of riders, pointing his sword toward them. After he had passed twenty riders, he turned forward and raised his sword into the air. The twenty riders he had selected broke their ranks and followed Elinar.

 

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