The First Seal

by Jared Zakarian

  “Until recently?” Faolan asked.

  “We are allies now,” Aili said. “At first, they kept to their camps, but in the last couple of days, they have begun peacefully walking the streets of Lesley. It is weird seeing them walk around. They never smile, and their hatred for us is apparent.”

  “We are allied with trolls?” He was shocked.

  “Yes, unfortunately.”

  “Never thought I would see that happen.”

  “Now we have a common enemy.” Aili sighed.

  “Who else are we allied with?”

  “The dwarfs. They were among the first to arrive, along with the giants. Remember Chondrose?” Aili asked.

  Faolan nodded and smiled.

  “He came with them. Then some humans arrived, though not all of them; some humans did not want to leave their homes,” Aili said. “Next came the trolls, orcs, and ogres.”

  “Trolls, orcs, and ogres!” Faolan was shocked. “How did that happen?”

  “Caedmon,” Aili said. “He convinced them somehow. I do not know what he promised them, but it must have been important or else they would not have come. He led them here to fight with us in the war that is coming.”

  “Any other races?” Faolan asked.

  Aili shook her head. “A few wizards showed up a couple days ago, plus those from the magic quarter. And we have that dragon. The one that attacked the castle before we left on our journey.”

  “Harmaalinna has a lot of allies,” he said.

  “Some are more friendly than others.”

  Faolan switched thoughts. “Are the others here?”

  Aili nodded. “You saw Caedmon. He is as good as he can be, with the war going on as it is. Ehreion has been hanging around the battlements. Ireli . . . has been recovering. She took it hard when not all the humans agreed to come to Lesley . . . Her family stayed behind.”

  “Her family? She has family?”

  “Surprisingly, yes. We were unaware until she returned and suffered from a deep sorrow.”

  “Is she all right?”

  “Yes, she is feeling better. Though I am not sure the pain will leave her until she sees her family again.” She softly smiled with hesitation. “We can hope for their safety and encourage her for now.”

  Faolan didn’t know what to say but felt bad for Ireli.

  Aili continued. “Leith is doing well. He is kept busy caring for the wounded at our new infirmary. I’ll have to show you sometime. The king gave it to us in appreciation.”

  “You have your own infirmary now? That is amazing! I am so happy for the two of you,” Faolan said.

  She smiled and blushed. “Thank you, Faolan. The king gave it to us when we returned from the journey to the seal. He knew we would be helping his soldiers and the citizens of Lesley, and he wanted to provide what he could for us.

  “The building has quite a few beds and every medicine you can think of. I visit the market regularly to stock up on herbs, bandages, and whatever else we need.

  “We are so busy; I hardly ever see Treasach and Gavina. They are usually in the war room with the other generals or discussing matters with the king in the throne room. They are always busy in rooms where I cannot follow or patrolling the city.”

  Faolan nodded and enjoyed hearing about everyone and what they were up to since their return though he was more curious about her.

  “How are you doing?”

  “Better, now that you are here.” Aili smiled softly at his inquiry.

  He was happy to hear her words and leaned in to kiss her. He enjoyed the feeling of her soft, warm lips.

  Abruptly, the door burst open, and an armored soldier walked into the room.

  They pulled apart quickly, embarrassed by their intimacy.

  “Shadow Guardian Faolan.” The knight stood at attention. “King Zael commands your presence in the throne room.”

  “Did he say why?” Faolan asked.

  “Urgent matters. Not for my ears,” the soldier remarked.

  “Very well, I am coming.”

  The soldier bowed and left the room.

  Faolan turned to Aili and asked, “Will you come with me?”

  Aili shook her head. “I do not think I am allowed.”

  “If you are not allowed to go to the throne room, then I will not go either,” he said.

  Aili was unsure of the reception she would receive but did not want to cause any problems for him. “All right. I will accompany you.”

  Faolan grabbed her hand, and they made their way toward the throne room. The pair followed the curved hallway and reached the main hall. They turned left up the main three-tiered stairway. The soldiers guarding the throne room parted and allowed the expected visitor through with his companion. The doors shut behind them as they entered a heated debate.

  Baskla paused and looked at Faolan, then at Aili.

  “What is she doing here?” Baskla said. “This does not concern her.”

  Zael watched the newcomers and waited for their response. He was not as concerned about Aili as Baskla was.

  “King Zael called for me, and I wanted to be with her,” Faolan said.

  Aili smiled when she heard Faolan’s words but looked down and away from the general.

  “We cannot have—” Baskla was cut off.

  “She may stay,” King Zael pronounced. “Take your seats.”

  Baskla looked at the king and was not happy. He had been on the front lines of war for years, and it had spoiled him. He was used to having the ruling voice, but now that he was back in the capital, that was gone.

  The general watched Faolan as he sat down and noticed the distinctive pattern on the Shadow Guardian’s clothes changing slightly. The petals of the blue flower on Faolan’s shirt were becoming yellow and the red thorns slightly reduced in length, but the vines remained the same: bloodred and erratic.

  The war general shifted his gaze back to the king and renewed his conversation. “Recently, the attacks have been random, consisting of either a single demon or a small group. Nothing substantial yet, but I have my concerns.

  “Two weeks ago, reports came in from scouts that the abandoned dwarven cities were overrun by demons. A week and a half ago the abandoned city of Mor was overrun. One week ago, we lost the forest city of Lithilias, but it was also evacuated. Only scouts remained until we lost it, when the peregrines stopped flying.

  “Four days ago, the Northern Outpost fell, concurrently with Filithia—”

  Treasach interjected. “They are to the north of us . . . and to the west?”

  Baskla nodded. “Appears that way, though the size of the force to the west is unknown at this time. The scouts have reported a growing number of demons to the north and northeast, and their numbers are swelling alarmingly quickly.

  “The last report was estimated at fifty thousand heads. Meaning their northern force is almost half the size of our combined coalition. With a force of unknown size to our west.

  “Our enemies’ growing numbers are a concern, but what is more alarming is their increasing variety. Three days ago, just after Filithia was destroyed, we received word from a scout fleeing the town that there was a new demon breed.

  “This new breed is massive, according to the report. We have named this species of demon the gargantuans. The scout estimated that gargantuans stand ninety feet tall and walk on four limbs, but not like a dog.

  “It walks on the knuckles of its curled hands and the flat bottoms of its hindlegs. It has black skin, and two tall, straight horns that extend nearly thirty feet above its giant head.” Baskla took a breath and continued.

  “They are a problem. I have nicknamed them the castle killers. Our walls will not be able to stop the gargantuans. Should there be a battle in the coming days, our strategy will have them at the heart of it, and they will be our primary targets. They cannot be allowed to reach our walls.

  “As for the other breeds, tunnelers will continue to be a problem, more so if a prolonged battle is at hand. They will go
beneath our walls and probably target our vital defenses in the rear: ballistae, catapults, and trebuchets. Anything standing out as important to our defense will be the first assaulted.

  “We will have to position a guard detail to each location. I might ask the trolls to help us in this area. They are formidable, built for war, and intelligent. The trolls are experts at close combat. Their skills will be useful.

  “The third breed to be concerned about is the deceivers, who have been proven by Alexi to be here, lurking in the shadows. Strategically, they will hide until the battle has already begun, then they will most likely play the role of assassins. If I was attacking Lesley with their abilities, I would have them target high-value personnel, which I am sure they have already chosen for when the time comes.

  “I am expecting them to target generals, commanding officers, the king, his family, and the five Ikalreev mages.”

  Baskla briefly glanced over to Faolan and Aili.

  “This will be more difficult to prevent as their targets could be anyone, perhaps even those beyond my assumptions. I will do my best to assign guards to expected targets, either dwarven or human.”

  Baskla hesitated to see if anyone had questions, but the room remained silent as his intense eyes scanned their faces.

  “The fourth breed, and by far the most numerous, is the soldier. They are characterized by a humanoid form with legs covered in wool and two-toed hooves. The foot soldier has two recurved horns topping its head. Their torsos are covered in charred black skin with lavalike veins.

  “They have eye sockets, but no eyes; instead, a purplish green mist emanates from them. This mist provides a type of vision we are not familiar with, and I expect them to be formidable opponents.

  “Next are the flyers. They are fast and will be the first to reach the walls. They will undoubtedly target the archers. They have two bat-like wings, leathery skin, and small bodies. Their maneuverability is high, and they will be difficult to hit, even for elves.

  “The last two breeds are both experts in deception. The first is the imp. Little creatures with pointy noses, pointy ears, and black skin. The second is the deceiver. They are—”

  Faolan interjected. “I think the imps are the deceivers.”

  Baskla shook his head. “They are similar. They can both change shape and act like something different than their original forms. The difference is what profiles they can become.

  “Deceivers are able to turn into only an adult form of our races: human, dwarf, elf, or possibly another. When killed, they appear as a black-skinned humanoid with no facial features. The imps, on the other hand, can turn into anything else: animals, children, inanimate objects, trees, even dragons, I suppose.”

  In hearing Baskla’s words, Faolan remembered his encounter with the imp in the Pass of the Forgotten Kings and added in a soft voice, “The imps can also disappear and reappear at will.”

  The general looked at him in hesitant belief. “They can?”

  “Yes. I think I fought one before. He would disappear and then reappear in a completely different location,” Faolan said. “Appearing as something new.”

  “Hmm.” Baskla absorbed the new information. “That will change things. They will be much harder to kill than I previously assessed. The imps will most likely try to breed as much chaos within our walls as they can, and they will be the trickiest to defend against.”

  Baskla’s update on their current situation ended as he made a notation on his parchments about the new detail revealed about the imps. He waited for the others to voice their thoughts once he finished.

  King Zael turned his attention to Saalkain. “Continue to track the imps and deceivers within our walls. Kill any you discover.”

  “Understood,” Saalkain said.

  Then Zael turned to Baskla. “Make sure our siege weapons are well defended. Assign twice as many trolls if you must. We cannot afford to lose them, especially with such an extensive force building beyond our walls.”

  Baskla nodded. “Already done, Your Majesty.”

  “Are there any individuals not already assigned to a duty?” Zael said.

  “There are. But . . .” Baskla shifted in his seat. “I am not sure we can trust them.”

  “What do you mean?” Zael asked.

  “They are orcs and ogres.” Baskla spat.

  “Orcs and ogres inside our walls . . . and we can trust trolls?” Zael laughed at himself in disbelief. “How did we get here?”

  Baskla held up a hand and shook his head in beleaguered exhaustion.

  Zael lowered his head in thought and tried to decide what to do with the less-than-friendly races.

  Gavina leaned forward. “Perhaps we just let the orcs and ogres save their strength. Should a battle develop, we will need their ferocity in defense. They are not exactly suited for any job we need to fill, and the populace is terrified of them. We are lucky the citizens have not revolted with the trolls walking our streets. The orcs and ogres have limited intelligence, but they are strong and should probably remain in the outer ring.”

  Zael was unhappy the orcs and ogres could not be more use, but he could not refute Gavina’s claims.

  “Very well.” Zael nodded to Gavina reluctantly. “Gavina, while Baskla tends to the armies positioning and interarmy cohesion, and Nilver coordinates the defenses, you will oversee the outer gate and report directly to Nilver. Should there be an attack launched against Lesley, you will serve as the responding general. I want you on those walls unless I seek your presence.”

  “Yes, Your Majesty,” Gavina said.

  “Baskla, inform Nilver,” the king commanded.

  “Yes, Your Majesty.”

  “During an attack, should Baskla or Nilver reach your station, then they will take command of the army,” Zael said.

  “Yes, Your Majesty,” Gavina repeated.

  Zael turned to Caedmon. “I need one of the mages atop the outer wall at all times.” Zael hesitated as he looked at Faolan. “Not including your newest addition.”

  Caedmon watched for a response from Faolan, but none came. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

  Zael turned his attention back to Baskla. “The dragon?”

  “It remains cooperative with the help of a daily dose of boars and antelope; it is battle ready. The smithies finished the dragon’s armor this morning.”

  “Good,” Zael said.

  “But . . . we cannot control it. The dragon is still untamed. Only Faolan influenced it.”

  Zael eyed the unstable Shadow Guardian and sighed. “Less than comforting.”

  “I know, Your Majesty,” Baskla said.

  Zael said no more and trusted his grand war general’s expertise. He sat back on his throne and allowed the others an opportunity to speak. But before anyone else had time to begin a new conversation, a muffled sound came from the hall outside, followed by urgent shouts.

  “Baskla,” Zael said.

  “Yes, Your Majesty.” Baskla stood and made his way to the door in order to investigate what was causing the commotion outside.

  As Baskla neared the doors, they exploded open. Baskla was knocked on his back, and a royal guard flew into the room and slid across the table. Caedmon, Saalkain, and Gavina stood. The latter two drew their weapons.

  Maleuuenant stepped across the threshold and laughed as he entered the room with a dark aura and a presence commanding all attention.

  “Zael, king of the forest elves and ruler of Harmaalinna. I am Maleuuenant, seal breaker and herald of darkness. In four days, your city will fall. Prepare for your dea—”

  Suddenly, a spark of electricity caught Maleuuenant’s eyes. The herald focused on its source and saw Faolan, who was now seething with rage. The sight of the demon brought back all Faolan’s horrifying memories in a cascade, and his eyes burst into glowing white light.

  “You!” Maleuuenant gasped. “You are he!”

  Faolan clenched his fists as he whispered, “You killed them . . .”

  “Faolan?” Ail
i whispered, growing fearful.

  Faolan stood up and lifted his gaze to the demon. A lightning bolt surged from Faolan’s hand and wove through the air, striking Maleuuenant’s chest. The herald was launched backward from the potent attack, flying through the doorway into the main hall.

  Erratic arcs of electricity surged from Faolan as the guardian walked out of the room and down the tiered stairs in the main hall. The elven guards ducked for cover behind their shields. The tortured soul was reverting to his darker self, allowing his mind to slip back down the frictionless slope of shadows.

  Maleuuenant stood up as its wound melted and mended. “Even the present power you hold will not save you. You will not survive the coming days. You will die as they will.”

  “Survive?” Faolan shot another bolt into Maleuuenant’s chest.

  The demon dropped to its knees as they gave out.

  “I think you are confused.” Faolan knelt in front of the weakened demon. “Survival is of no concern . . . I only wish to kill you all.”

  Maleuuenant watched a new change come over Faolan. The white glow faded from Faolan’s left eye, and in its stead, the left eye’s sclera turned black. Then the iris in Faolan’s left eye began to randomly change colors.

  “Retribution.” Faolan placed his left hand on Maleuuenant’s chest. “I will have it, for my parents and for myself.”

  Through his left hand, Faolan flooded Maleuuenant’s body with electricity. The herald’s body convulsed and writhed in pain. The demon collapsed to the floor, but Faolan continued to electrocute the evil monster.

  The beast released the air from its lungs, and the purplish green mist stopped emanating from the demon’s eye sockets, but Faolan did not let up his magic.

  Slowly, the bolts ceased, but his intense gaze remained locked on the evil creature. Maleuuenant was dead, but he still felt empty inside. A hole where his parents had been, unfillable by his rage.

  Faolan stood up, peering down at the motionless form.

  Aili had been watching him from the doorway of the throne room with the others. Her eyes were locked on him as she witnessed a different version of Faolan than the others.