Tyriad finished his last glass of wine as a knock came on the door. He turned and put his cup down, looking out the window just a moment longer. When they knocked again he sighed and went to the door, opening it wide.
“Tyriad,” Holland said. “I came to check on The Vale.”
“Holland,” Tyriad said grabbing his arm and shutting the door quickly. “Have you come from the mountain?”
“Yes, I flew here when I saw the lights traveling this direction,” he said. “What has happened? I saw the body of Aralea being carried into her chambers.”
“She died before the child was born,” Tyriad said turning toward the window. “Did you see a Wild on your way in? Maybe with Asphodul on it’s back?”
“Asphodul?” Holland said. “No, I saw no one. Is she in danger?”
“I don’t know, Holland,” Tyriad said turning back to him with a look of curiosity. “You say you saw no one?”
“Not a soul,” Holland replied looking down at his hands.
“Right,” Tyriad said, realizing whatever he knew, wasn’t going to come out. “What of the Dead King?”
“When I left Pero Peaks, he was still alive but we have hope,” he said. “We just have to wait and see what happens.”
“Right,” Tyriad said. “Will you stay here or are you returning to the others?”
“I will stay,” Holland said. “Just in case there is any danger.”
“Thank you,” he said shaking Hollands hand.
“Of course,” Holland replied. “I’m going to sweep the grounds, I’ll let you know if I find anything, or Asphodul.”
“Please do,” Holland said opening his chamber door and watching Holland walk out.
He closed the door back and stood there, thinking about Holland’s words. He knew he was hiding something but when he looked into his mind he didn’t see a thing, only old memories and a black spot that seemed to be untouchable. Whatever he had hidden Tyriad knew it had to do with Asphodul. He still couldn’t understand why she would run off with a child, leaving Aralea dead in her bed, not when she had the power of healing. Tyriad walked back over to the window and looked out in the distance at the volcanic Kingdom, the Dead King’s signal still floating high in the air.
“What did you do, Asphodul?” Tyriad whispered to the wind.
Whatever it was, Tyriad had to believe that it was for a good reason. He had to believe that his wife and his Queen was looking out for the Kingdom. He had to trust her, otherwise it would drive him crazy. He had a Kingdom to protect, and there was no way he could get lost in the lies.
Chapter Nine: A King of Kings
Ghede had Helena by the neck after pulling her to her feet by her hair. She groaned, gasping for air, looking up at the Dead King with anger in her eyes. Pike breathed heavily pulling at the magical holds burning at his wrists, but he was too weak to fight them. Helena growled, clenching her jaw shut and her fists together. She glanced over at Pike and blinked, sending him a message. He looked back and forth for something to distract Ghede but there was nothing near him.
“Hey,” Pike yelled out.
“What,” Ghede growled slowly turning his head toward Pike.
“Just wanted to let you know that you, are a coward,” Pike said. “You can’t even fight fair.”
“There’s no fair in my world,” he laughed turning back to Helena and quickly straightening his face.
Helena thrust her arms forward, striking him in the chest with a blow of white magic. Ghede screamed out, dropping Helena to the floor and grabbing his chest. Helena fell on all fours and crawled quickly across the floor, grabbing her sword and turning back to him. Ghede slowly stood up looking over at me laughing.
“You fools,” he chuckled. “You will never be…”
At that moment he doubled over, groaning loudly as Helena thrust her sword into his side. He stands up and turns toward Helena, looking down at the sword in his side. He grabbed the handle and pulled it out, throwing it to the floor. He took in a deep breath and stretched his shoulders, walking slowly toward her.
“You stupid little girl,” he growled, weakened but not done. “I will rip your head from your little Fae shoulders.”
Pike twisted on his back, feeling the wrist restraints weaken as Ghede did. He laid his head back trying to figure out what to do. He closed his eyes delving into himself, remembering what the elder Queen of the Fae had told him before. She knew he had powers but he didn’t know how to find them. As he laid there breathing deeply, trying to find his strength, he heard a voice. It started out low and light but as he focused in he could understand the words.
“Look inside you,” the voice said lightly. “Look for the Wolf King beneath. Only he can defeat the Dead King. Look harder.”
Pike rubbed his fingers against the wolf pelt laying beneath him, feeling a pressure growing in his chest. He focused in deeper, trying to find the will inside of him. A deep fog began to swirl around him and he could feel his body changing and morphing. He kept the pain inside, not wanting Ghede to take notice. His limbs twisted and turned and fur sprouted all over him. When the fog had cleared, he stood on all fours on the table, now a wolf. He trotted his feet up and down, feeling the courage and power surging through his veins. He had transformed into the wolf from ages before, his soul intertwining with the one of old. Pike could see his memories, he could see the powerful blow the old Dead King had taken from those sharp snarling teeth. Pike searched his mind for an answer, an answer to why he had found himself in that form. Then he saw it, exactly how to take down the Dead King once and for all.
Slowly Pike crept forward, crouching on the edge of the table. As Ghede reached for Helena her eyes darted back to the wolf on the table and the Dead King followed her gaze. His eyes widened as Pike leapt from the table, tackling Ghede to the ground. He growled ferociously, slobber dripping from his fangs. He yelped loudly as Ghede rolled punching him in the ribs. Ghede pinned the wolf to the ground and reached his hand up, black smoke swirling around his fist. Pike mustered his powers, all of them into his chest and broke free of Ghede’s grasp, lunging forward and pushing him down on his back. He growled loudly as he sunk his teeth into the Dead King’s chest, pulling his black heart from his chest. Ghede threw him off into the floor and screamed loudly, grasping where his heart once was.
Helena stood up and ran over to Pike, now back in his human form, lying under the Wolf’s pelt. She helped him to his feet and watched as he stood over Ghede, holding his heart in his hands. He stood there staring down at the King, too weak to move.
“I told you I’d kill you,” Pike said.
He turned, grabbing the sword off the ground and setting the black heart on the table. He looked down at it, still beating, leaking black blood over the wood and dripping down onto the floor. He raised the sword high over his head, pausing for only a moment before striking down with everything he had left. As the blade cut through the old black heart and stuck in the table, a sound unlike anything Pike had heard before wailed from the Dead King’s body. Pike put his hands over his ears and grabbed onto the table looking over at Helena doing the same. They watched Ghede’s body glow brightly before bursting into dust.
“You did it,” Helena said, breathing heavily.
“The wolf did it,” Pike said.
“You looked like one in the same,” Helena said, stepping back and bowing. “You truly are the Wolf King.”
Just then the volcano began to shake around them, large rocks crumbling down around them. They both pulled their hands down and steadied themselves, looking around for a moment. Helena looked over at Pike and he could see fear in her for the first time.
“Come on,” Pike yelled grabbing by the arm. “We gotta get out of here before the whole place comes tumbling down.”
***
Leonetta turned from the rocks and walked back over to the fire, sitting down next to Ardontis. She warmed her hands at the flames, her skin white and shimmering in the light. They both looked over at Coventi
na as she prayed.
“You think they will succeed?” Ardontis asked, looking at Leonetta.
“My visions haven’t changed,” she said. “They are just as vivid as before.”
“We both know visions can be wrong,” he said.
“They better not be,” Leonetta said looking into the fire. “Otherwise all will be lost, even without an heir to the throne.”
“Well then, let’s hope for the best,” Ardontis said.
Just then an explosion rocked the ground beneath them and Leonetta jumped up, running over to the rocks. The towers of Pero Peaks crumbled into themselves and plumes of dust blew up in the air. The Dead King’s signal faded from the sky and Leonetta climbed up on the boulder looking down at the Dead Army as they stop their work and one by one begin to turn to dust.
“He’s dead,” she whispered to herself and turning to the others. “The Dead King is dead!”
“The other’s?” Ardontis said racing forward.
“I don’t know,” Leonetta said. “I can’t feel them, I can’t see them.”
They waited until the last of the Dead Army had turned to dust and then walked out from behind the boulders. Leonetta leaned back, breathing heavily, shutting her eyes and searching for any sign, any signal that Helena was still alive. There was a barrier that she couldn’t push past, something she had never experienced before. It was like the old tales of the first Dead King, when the Wolf had died, everything went silent. No feeling could be felt for days after, not even by the strongest Fae. Fear sank down into the pit of her stomach as she sat there, refusing to give up on them. She opened her eyes and stared at the burning rubble, knowing that her vision hadn’t been untrue.
She slid down the stone and sat down in the dust, Ardontis walking over and sitting next to her. They sat there in silence watching, waiting for anything, any sign that they could still be alive. They sat there until the sun was just barely above the horizon, and the night creatures began to sing their songs once again. The creatures knew, they knew the threat was gone, that the realms were safe once again, but in Leonetta’s heart she could barely stand to think about the loss. She had come to love Helena as a daughter and Pike was one of the bravest mortals she had ever known. After several hours Leonetta stood up and looked back at the fire they had warmed themselves around before. It was nothing but amber and smoke, and the night sky showed stars like she hadn’t seen since she was a child.
“Maybe it’s time to go,” Ardontis said. “They would be out by now.”
“No,” Leonetta said, tears clouding her eyes. “I won’t leave here without them. I can’t. They were supposed to live, to prosper, that was what the elders showed me. I can’t think that after all of this, after all the lives lost, the vision would falter.”
“Sometimes things happen for reasons we won’t see until later,” Ardontis spoke. “The God’s have their reasons.”
“The God’s?” Leonetta screamed out turning toward Ardontis and laughing through her tears. “There are no God’s. There are no mighty above us, can’t you see this? All of these lives lost, and for what? In the end, for nothing.”
“You know that isn’t true,” Ardontis replied. “You are tired, weary, and heartbroken. When you have rested you will see…”
“Wait,” Leonetta said putting her hand up. “Shhh. I can sense something.”
She turned and ran toward the rubble, climbing up toward the entrance that Helena and Pike had gone through. As she pulled herself up on the ledge she looked down at a pile of rocks, white light shining brightly through the cracks. She gasped, a smile coming through the tears.
“It’s them,” Leonetta yelled back. “It’s them!”
Leonetta stood above the glowing rubble, closing her eyes and chanting loudly. Streaks of white light blew up her body and over her arms to her fingertips. She chanted loudly as the white orb beneath the rocks vibrated wildly. She screamed out toward the sky as streams of light hit the rocks scattering them in all directions. She breathed heavily, lowering her arms and looking down. The orb was still there, and huddled beneath, safe from harm was Helena and Pike.
Helena slowly lifted her head and looked at Leonetta, a smile moving over her face. She let down the guard and tapped Pike on the shoulder, nodding up at Leonetta. Pike rose slowly to his feet, looking stronger and taller than before. It became thereupon self-evident to Leonetta that Pike was no longer the mortal human she had met, he was now something more, something greater. She stepped forward slowly, looking deep into his eyes. He gripped the sword by his side and swung the wolf pelt across his chest.
Leonetta lowered her head and knelt on one knee, showing reverence. Pike had become the Wolf King, the very thing the prophecy had shown her, the thing she held close to her chest, not even telling Ardontis. The sound of feet running through the gravel drew her attention back to Ardontis and Coventina, stopping dead in their tracks and looking up at Pike. They both dropped to one knee and lowered their heads. Leonetta looked back and stood up, shaking her head and smiling.
“Your Grace,” she said. “It is true.”
“You knew?” Helena said.
“I have seen so much,” Leonetta replied looking at Pike. “And this was the last of my visions. You have come.”
Leonetta knew that the realms would see the dark days again, but now they had their King, a King that would rival all others until the end of time.
Chapter Ten:
The fireworks over the canyon sparkled in the bright night sky. The sound of their sizzle echoed through the joyous hallways of the Fae Castle. Though not everyone felt the joy, having lost Aralea, everyone was happy to celebrate the death of the Dead King. When Leonetta got back, however, Tyriad told her what he saw. Leonetta tried to look into her sister’s mind but found nothing but darkness, like she hadn’t even existed. Leonetta put her worries aside in an attempt to enjoy the party. She filled her glass with wine and walked through the crowd, smiling kindly at the guests. They treated her differently, with rumors ablaze of her coming coronation to Queen. As she ducked over toward the door, Holland grabbed her and pulled her to the side.
“My Queen,” he said with a slight bow. “Now we can marry.”
“You sure do move fast sir,” Leonetta laughed. “We will talk about it when everything has calmed.”
“I hardly think since we were kids is moving fast,” he laughed. “But I will respect your royal highnesses wishes.”
“I am going outside,” she said rolling her eyes. “Save me a dance.”
“Yes ma’am,” he said bowing.
Leonetta giggled as she walked out onto the terrace, taking in a deep breath of the fresh Vale air. She was more than happy to be home even if there were a lot of loose ends to tie up. She looked over to the side and spotted Pike standing there alone, looking out over the water. Leonetta smiled and moved closer, bumping him with her hip.
“The King stands alone,” she smiled.
“Right,” he chuckled. “I still don’t know what being the Wolf King means.”
“That will come,” Leonetta sighed, looking over at the forest across the canyon. “For now just be glad that you found that wolf inside of you.”
“You say that as if he has always been there,” Pike chuckled.
“Don’t you see?” Leonetta said turning to him. “He has, and I know it is hard that you lost your Shayla, but fate played out. She saved so many lives, and you can know that she is with her God’s revered as a savior for all kinds of our world.”
“It’s still hard,” he said. “I didn’t even have a chance to be her husband. We had so many plans.”
“Like so many other things,” Leonetta said. “This will make sense to you in the future.”
“You are a fae of riddles,” Pike laughed.
“It’s part of my charm,” she smiled.
“I might argue that,” Pike chuckled.
“So, Wolf King, what will you do now?”
“Well, as a king I have no subjects to r
ule, no Kingdom to own, so I guess I am going to set out, take a little journey of my own. This one though will hopefully not end with me shifting into a wolf or killing an evil foe,” he laughed.
“Don’t count your chickens before they hatch,” she smiled.
“Please don’t tell me that,” he said shaking his head. “Whatever visions you’ve had, keep them to yourself.”
“Oh, I plan on it,” she laughed.
“I need to be alone, you know? To move past Shayla’s death, to figure out what my destiny is,” he said seriously. “I know this is not the end of my story, not yet at least.”
“It is far from it,” Leonetta smiled. “But you will find all of that out as time passes.”
“Just what I didn’t want to hear,” he laughed, stretching his arms over his head and looking down at the garden below.
Helena moved among the flowers, in awe of everything around her as if she were seeing things for the first time. She was a child of her father’s and her little sister. She would be close to her always. After her time in Pero Peaks though, she seemed different almost more enchanting. The moonlight glistened on her pale white skin and her hair flowed around behind her as she danced magically through the flowers. She looked like a girl for the first time since she started training, with a long flowing blue dress tied down her back.
“She has really blossomed,” Leonetta said.
“That she has,” Pike smiled. “Without her in those caves I would have died. She saved me more than once, and she pulled me from my grief. She was my guide and she kicked some serious Dead ass.”
“What will happen with the two of you, with you leaving and everything?”
“One thing I have learned through all of this, is if it is fate, if it’s written in those magical, mystical stars of yours, then we will find ourselves together again,” he said.
War of the Realms Box Set Page 54