by Toni Cox
“They are talking about prisoners,” she said to Blaid once they were a safe distance away. “I think they were the first ones taken when the Vampyres came through the Gate. It sounds like they are being taken to the dark forest, but I cannot make out who is taking them. But, it seems that this group is supposed to join up with them. From what I understand, the prisoners are to be held until after the battle, at which time they will then be moved to Naylera. Some of the Vampyres disagree with this decision; they think the prisoners should be killed and used as nourishment for the battle.”
A shudder that had nothing to do with the cold rain ran down her back as she filled Blaid in on what she had learned.
“Then we will follow them and rescue the prisoners.” Blaid said. “How close are they to figuring out which direction to go?”
“They should be about ready to move out,” she replied, “but we are needed at Greystone too. We cannot abandon my father and the rest of the army. What do we do?”
Blaid looked at her for a long moment and she felt her trepidation rise; she knew what he was going to say.
“We cannot leave the prisoners in the hands of the Vampyres. We need to find out where the Vampyres’ camp is in the dark forest. Who knows how many might be hiding there. Find Midnight and join your father. I will follow this group and see what I can find out and try to rescue the prisoners. I will meet you at Greystone as soon as I can.”
Maia saw the sense in what he was saying, but she did not want to part with him again. Their power was in being together, not apart. Blaid must have sensed her disappointment, for he reached across and took her hand; his was surprisingly warm.
“There is no other way. I will be with you as soon as I can. You are strong; you can do this. Find Midnight, do not fight alone. Tell your father everything we have learned. We need to hurry now. The Vampyres are already on their way.” He nodded in the direction of the Vampyres who had now shouldered their packs and were marching towards the south-west. “Be strong, my love.”
He leant over and kissed her on the cheek. Then he let go and his black mare leapt forward in pursuit of the Vampyres. Fire fought her for a moment; eager to follow the mare; but Maia held him back and watched Blaid ride away. Finally, she turned Fire’s head and headed in the opposite direction. Her people needed her; her own feelings would have to be put aside for now.
The thunder drowned out all other sound as she galloped across the plains towards Greystone. In her mind, she replayed everything they had learned from the group of Elves they had captured in the forest. She did not want to forget anything they had said; their very lives depended on her relating every fact to her father.
The driving rain and the ever-deepening darkness made it difficult for her to see what lay ahead and she trusted in Fire to find his own way. The stallion was hot and breathing hard, but his strong legs were flying over the uneven ground. She paid attention to his senses, for they would warn her should they suddenly come upon danger.
An hour later, cold and soaked to the skin, they arrived at the first battle. They were still a few miles from Greystone but, even here Vampyres were scattered over a large area and Elves on foot and horseback were trying their best to hold them off. Maia was unable to distinguish which city the warriors belonged to, as in the darkness of the storm everything looked grey. But she felt their pain and exhaustion and she wished she could help them more. As it was, she only spent a short while riding between the battling enemies and dispatching as many Vampyres with her Fire-Whip as she could in passing.
Renewed hope and strength now emanated from the warriors and they carried on fighting as she rode on past. She wished there was someone she could draw strength from, giving in to a moment of weakness. But then she pulled herself together and drove Fire on to even greater speed. Her now blood-coloured stallion, his red coat darkened by the rain, responded willingly.
A little while later, she felt Midnight in her mind. Quickly he filled her in on the current situation; it was worse than she had hoped.
Midnight did not have news of her brother; he was too far away by now. It troubled her that she had no way of knowing how Jaik was doing, but she pushed the thought to the back of her mind.
Small battles were raging all across the southern Yllitar Plains and around Greystone. Seeing through Midnight’s eyes, she noticed that there were never more than about two to three hundred Vampyres involved in each skirmish and she assumed that their main army had not made it through the Gate. At least not yet.
Her father, and the men he was fighting with, had almost reached Greystone and they were driving the enemy hard. She knew his aim was to secure the Gate. They needed to quash the smaller fights and rally their troops around the stones, so that when the Vampyres made their move and sent their main forces, the warriors of Grildor would be ready.
Maia knew the enemy was coming; the traitors had said as much. What frightened Maia was the fact that the men battling the Vampyres were already so fatigued. She knew there was worse to come. Quickly she searched Midnight’s mind and found Silas fighting alongside her father a few miles towards the north of her location. As far as Midnight knew, Silas had not handed out any of the Silva they had manufactured. It gave Maia a glimmer of hope.
“Just a little bit further,” she encouraged Fire and his ears twitched at the sound of her voice.
She knew her stallion was tired, but he had the heart of a warrior. Gamely he strode out and his legs drove him at speed through the rain-drenched grasslands of the plain. Where there had been fighting, the grass had disappeared, replaced instead by ankle-deep mud. She tried to avoid these patches as much as possible, as she knew the going there would be even harder.
When Greystone eventually came into sight, she breathed both a sigh of relief, as well as despair. On the one hand, she was glad she had finally reached it, but she had not expected the carnage that now greeted her. Most of the men that had been encamped close to the Stones had been slain with the first wave of Vampyres that had come through. Their mutilated bodies covered the ground in all directions, interspersed with dead horses, trampled tents and equipment and she even noticed a few downed dragons.
Her stomach heaved at the sight and Fire snorted his displeasure. Even with the driving rain, the stench of death was almost overwhelming.
Suddenly, Midnight roared high above her in the roiling sky; a welcome distraction to her current thoughts. She looked up, but the rain blinded her and the heaving clouds still obscured her dragon’s body. He roared again and she followed the sound, glad to be leaving this battlefield behind.
A few miles later, she came upon where her father was battling the Vampyres. She noticed that the rain had lessened and visibility was better. She was already soaked through to her skin and she was shivering with cold. Nevertheless, she had been glad for the rain, as the Vampyres seemed to dislike it. She remembered her trip to Naylera and judging by the landscape that had greeted her there, rain was a rare occurrence.
“!!!” Midnight sent his warning just in time.
Quickly she drew her blades and dispatched the Vampyre that had suddenly appeared to her right. His dark blood gushed out of the wound on his neck and splashed over her right thigh. She gagged at the sight and smell of it, but Fire was past so quickly she had little time to think about it.
The closer she came to the centre of the fighting, where she knew she would find her father, the bloodier she became. More than once, Midnight swooped down from above and cleared the way for her, but by the time she eventually reached her father, she had lost count of the Vampyres she had slain.
“Maia!” Jagaer screamed over the sounds of battle as he caught sight of her.
Fighting alongside her father were not only Silas and Commander Goldsbane, but also Commander Hollowdale. Maia noticed their men spread out around them, protecting their Lord Regent as best they could. The Battle Dragons were fighting along the edges and Maia was glad to see that there were none of the war machines here that had downed
so many dragons during the last battle. Midnight now joined the dragons and his fire bathed the surroundings in a blinding light, starkly outlining the low-hanging, grey clouds.
Fire whinnied in panic as a Vampyre staggered against him. Three arrows stuck out of the Vampyre’s throat at odd angles and, when Maia kicked him away, he immediately toppled over. Angry, Fire lashed out and struck the Vampyre on the head with his hoof. Maia heaved again, sickened by the crunch of the skull being crushed.
“Father, we need to talk,” she yelled when she was finally close enough.
Her father cast her a quick glance, before beheading a General who had managed to get through the Elven guard surrounding him. He was wet, dirty and Maia noticed how tired he was. She realised that they had been fighting for hours without respite and, even with Midnight’s assistance, they had only just been able to keep the Vampyres at bay. As it stood now, it seemed that the armies were about evenly matched. Every pocket of fighting, as Midnight had shown her through his eyes, had just enough Vampyres and Werewolves to stall the Elves and prevent them from reaching Greystone. Divided as they were, the forces of Grildor were weakened and Maia could see the Vampyres’ plans coming together.
“I need to speak to you now.”
She had put the force of her elemental power behind her words, desperate for him to hear her, and this time she received his full attention. She watched him give some signal and then they were on the move. Commander Goldsbane rallied his men and prevented the Vampyres from following the retreating Lord Regent and his adviser.
Both her father and Silas were on foot. Their boots were caked in mud, but both strode determinedly away from the battle. Maia followed on Fire, often circling them, using her Fire-Whip again to incinerate any Vampyres that dared come close. She noticed Silas give her an approving look, but her father was only scowling.
It was another ten minutes or so before they were finally out of reach of the battle. Maia felt her father’s disapproval for removing him from the fight, but there was no other way.
“This is far enough,” he finally said and grabbed hold of Fire’s reins.
The stallion threw his head in the air, but at Maia’s touch, he stood still. Feeling somewhat apprehensive, she climbed out of the saddle. Her legs were shaky as she landed and Silas caught her just before she fell.
“What is it, Maia?” Jagaer said, not hiding the irritation in his voice. “I told you to stay away. We know they are commanded to kill you first chance they get.”
“I know, Father, but I have information. Rothea and I were riding towards the Gate when we noticed a group of Elves heading towards the forest. We followed them and discovered them to be the traitors that have been helping the Vampyres.”
“More traitors.” Silas gasped at the betrayal.
“We learned that some masters of Air have been assisting the Vampyres entering and leaving Elveron through the Gate unseen, which is why we were unaware of their movements. If I myself had not been to Naylera, where I also had to disguise my arrival and departure, I would not have believed it possible.”
“At least now we know how they have been coming though,” her father grumbled. “What else?”
“The Vampyres’ strategy all along has been to divide our forces and weaken our defences. They are planning a mass attack on the Gate with the bulk of their army. They plan to overrun what is left of our forces and then take Grildor. Their ultimate plan is to spread out to the neighbouring countries and eventually rule Elveron. Plans to attack the other Gates are also underway.”
“When is this supposed to be happening?” Her father’s voice was hoarse from the fighting.
“I don’t know how much time we have left. We spoke to the traitors only a few hours ago and they were in a hurry to get away. I do not believe we have much time.”
“Where are these traitors now?” Silas asked, worry in his eyes.
“We bound them and Rothea has taken them to Shadow Hall to be put in the dungeons.”
“You and Rothea did this alone?” Silas asked.
“We need to act swiftly then.” Jagaer cut in before she could answer. “Rally our forces. We need to get to Greystone before the Vampyres do. Maia, do you know where the rest of our forces are?”
“Yes, Father, Midnight has shown me. They are spread far and all are engaged in battle, but if I fly with Midnight, I believe I can reach them all to give them your orders.”
“Aye,” he replied, “so be it. Summon your dragon and bring as many as you can. I will gather what is left of my troops and make for the Gate immediately. Meet us there, but I want you to remain with Midnight. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Father.”
“Then go. Fly fast and may the Mother be with you,” he took a step forward and for a brief moment wrapped his arms around her. “I love you, my daughter.” He whispered in her ear. Then he stepped away and, with a nod to Silas, he turned and strode off towards the battle.
Silas touched her arm and she felt a tingle of his power run through her. Old as he was, Maia knew there was still strength left in him. He would be alongside her father every step of the way.
She watched them walk away only for a moment before she reached out and summoned Midnight. Her dragon acknowledged her and she knew he would be with her within a moment. Quickly she removed the saddle from Fire’s back and then took off his bridle. The stallion shook his head, unsure of what was happening, but she stroked his face and whispered in his ear.
“Run now, you have done enough. Stay away this time. Go home.” She kissed him on his wet nose.
Fire snorted as the wind of Midnight’s wings buffeted them, but then he was running even before Midnight had landed. Maia watched her stallion go, glad in the knowledge that he would be safe.
It was almost completely dark now. Or maybe it was just the roiling thunder clouds that were making it seem like night. Maia had no sense of the time. It had been early morning when they had interrogated the General in the dungeons. They had been fighting ever since. She knew the men would be tired, but she was about to ask even more of them.
“Time to go,” she said, more to herself than Midnight, and ran up his outstretched leg.
His wet hide was slippery and she had to hold onto his spikes so she did not fall. Finally, she was in position, holding on to one of the larger spikes on his neck. Kicking off powerfully with his hind legs, he jumped into the air. With a few strokes of his leathery wings, they were soon high in the air and soaring over the battle below. They were already too high for her to recognise her father in the melee, but she knew he was down there.
Focussing ahead, she thought about what she had to do. From Midnight, she knew where their forces were, but now that she was on her way, she was not so sure anymore that she would reach them all in time. And even if she did, she did not believe that all of them would reach Greystone in time to protect it. Suddenly, her mission seemed futile and she had to fight the rising despair. Midnight gentled her thoughts, but she knew that even he had his doubts.
Although it was barely evening, it was already fully dark by the time he reached the dark forest. This part of Grildor-Bron Forest did not really have its own name. The term ‘dark forest’ was only used to describe its location, rather than its name. People believed that naming such a place would bring to life all the myths the forest was known for. It was notorious for its impassable terrain and dark, dense trees and underbrush. It was a haven for wolves, owls, lynx, and all sorts of forest creatures, including Riven if the stories were to be believed. Now, it seemed, this dark part of the forest had become a haven for Vampires too.
He had followed the small group of Vampyres all the way from the spot where he and Maia had separated. Even though the Vampyres had been on foot, they had moved at speed. Nevertheless, it had not been difficult for Lilith to keep pace with them. The rain and thunder had muffled her hoof beats and the Vampyres had been oblivious to the fact that they were being followed. They had led him steadily in the directio
n of the forest and had then disappeared into it.
Blaid now dismounted and led Lilith behind him. A drooping, wet branch touched his shoulders as he stepped into the forest and it gave him the strangest sensation: fear. Quickly he looked about him, but was unable to detect anything untoward. Even Lilith seemed completely unconcerned and he took comfort from that. He wondered what could have made him feel like that. Other creatures were supposed to be afraid of him. Death did not feel fear.
He shook the thought off and followed the trail the Vampyres had left behind. It was tough going through the thickets and thorn bushes and the narrow path was treacherous with mud and loose rocks. Soon it was too dark to see and he had to rely on all his other senses to make any progress at all. Elves had incredible eyesight, even at night, but it seemed Vampyres had better night vision yet. He was soon falling behind and, had it not been for the faint smell the Vampyres left behind, he would have lost them completely.
The trail became narrower and less manageable as he went along and, after about an hour or so, he realised that there was no trail at all. The Vampyres had split up, fanned out, and were making their way through the forest individually. He hesitated for a moment, indecisive as to which trail to follow, but then his instinct told him that they would all be heading to the same place eventually.
He followed the trail that led straight towards the west, always checking his surroundings to make sure that he was not being followed himself. Although he picked up no traces of Vampyre or Werewolf behind or to the sides of him, the sensation that he was being watched became more intense the deeper he went into the forest. He was wary and proceeding with caution. Even Lilith was picking her way with care and he could sense that she was tense and alert.
Finally, he picked up some sounds besides the constant dripping of water off the branches above. First, they were almost too faint to pick up but, as he came closer, he could make out the sound of footsteps, muffled voices that were unmistakably Vampyre and the rattling of chains.