The Chronicles of AzzaNation: Dawn of a New Age

by Matt Mihilewicz

  That was all Diandra saw of the first moments at the gate. Her group was now too far west to see the main battle. Luckily for them, Michael’s spirit army had distracted the west side of the main wall with their attack. They had made their way towards the wall with little interference, until Michael had been neutralized. Now the royal soldiers near their position had spotted the splinter group, and began shooting at them. Diandra dodged their attacks, ducking at just the right times, moving right, shifting left. She saw Raphael and Azrael leap into the air, their wings spread out wide, raising them high into the sky. The three shifters followed suit, changing into various birds and flying close behind the angelics.

  An ELC cannon fired at the approaching winged assault. The blast was aimed for Raphael, who dodged easily, but the shifter flying behind him was not quick enough and was struck hard. The shifter fell to the ground, and as Diandra passed him, she knew there was nothing she could do to help…he was dead.

  Raphael approached the cannon that fired at them. His blue eyes and tattoos began to glow, as he gathered energy. Two long swords formed out of his natural energy—and he wielded them firmly in his hands. He charged at the cannon, diving forward with his swords in front of him and struck the cannon, causing an explosion, and killing the pilot and several royal soldiers gathered around it.

  The two angelics landed on the wall and began fighting off the charging soldiers. Feev and Kleff followed the angelics’ lead and changed shape to fight. They morphed into wolves and pounced on the nearest royal soldier, ripping the flesh from their bones.

  Raphael looked down at the rest of his squad, still stuck on the ground.

  “What are you waiting for? Get up here and fight!”

  The two Drakes sheathed their weapons and began climbing the wall, digging their claws into the stones. One of the humans took out a special rifle and fired a grappling hook up towards the top of the wall. The hook caught a spot at the top, and the five human soldiers began climbing up the rope.

  Diandra looked around her, but she couldn’t see a way up. The humans were waving her over, offering their rope, but it was taking them far too long to climb and Diandra wanted to join the fight immediately. She looked up at the Drakes, who were already nearing the top of the wall. There had to be a way for her to climb like them.

  She quickly gathered energy into her hands. She grabbed at the wall, trying to hold on to the stone, but the energy she gathered did nothing to help her, only bouncing off the stone and metal wall. Diandra knew it would never work, no matter how much she tried. Her energy was too pure and soft, like an endless flowing river. She needed her energy to be sharp and tough in order to pierce through the hard stone and reinforced tythril.

  Suddenly in that moment, her thoughts returned to the desert where she first met Leo and Jacob. She had tried to tap into the energy of the desert, but it was too wild and sharp. It ended up striking back at her in the moment, and she let it go. The energy that she encountered had been split up amongst a million grains of sand, but it was exactly the type of energy she needed. If she could replicate and focus it…she might have a shot.

  The Egon stared at her hands, focusing on the tattooed spirals in the palms of her hands to be the center of her gathered energy. The natural blue energy emerged once again, as she pulled it from the air around her. She closed her eyes and focused on recalling the desert, the harshness, the strength. Slowly and carefully, she began to put those thoughts into her hands, morphing the pure energy. Her hands began to vibrate, like an entire wind storm was raging within them. It was taking all her strength and focus to hold on to this newly formed energy, but she was doing it. She focused a little more, sending the energy from her palms into her fingers. She opened her eyes and saw that this energy—now gathered around her fingertips, was a bright neon white. As much as she wanted to stop and appreciate what she was doing—essentially wielding an entirely new form of energy—she didn’t have the time to waste. She dug her fingers into the wall, and this time, she was not disappointed in the result. The stone and surrounding metal crumbled around her fingers, allowing them to grab hold of the wall like steps on a ladder. Diandra’s eyes went wide with awe. It was going to work, and it was going to work well. She kept the sand energy flowing through her fingers while allowing more energy to gather in her feet. Now that she was accustomed to the new form of energy that she needed, it was easier for her to create more, as her feet began to glow white immediately. She kicked the wall and made herself a foothold. She began to climb, taking her time at first, each grab making a new handle, each step creating a new foothold. Then as she got used to the climb, she sped up her movements, climbing with ease.

  She looked up as she climbed and saw that the Drakes were already at the top and were fighting off royals. She glanced over at the humans and saw that two human soldiers had reached the top. One of them was Ryan Black, and the other was the one who used the grappling hook, leading the climbing party. The other three humans were still climbing, halfway up the hundred-foot wall. Diandra got back into her climbing rhythm and quickly passed them.

  She was finally nearing the top of the wall, when she saw Ryan and the other human shot by two ELC blasts. The two humans were immediately electrified and fell to the ground. Royal soldiers overtook their position a few seconds later and then spotted the rope hanging off the wall. Diandra quickly moved up the rest of the wall, but she was too late. The royals cut the rope and the three remaining humans fell nearly a hundred feet to their deaths.

  A royal soldier spotted Diandra, as she pulled herself onto the top of the wall, and they moved to attack her. She dodged the soldier’s strike and punched them in the stomach. A second later, they spat up blood and fell to the ground a corpse. Diandra looked at the body of the man she had just killed and saw that there was a hole where she had punched him. Her hands still had the sharp white energy gathered around them, and it dawned on her that this sand energy was far more powerful and deadly than any form of pure energy.

  The other royal soldiers were now advancing towards her. She held on to the sharp energy and sprang towards them. The energy in her feet dented the stone floor as she leapt across it, sending her flying hard and fast. The first soldier swung high at her head—Diandra easily dodged, punching a hole straight through the enemy’s torso. The next soldier didn’t have time to attack as Diandra sent a kick to man’s head, cutting it open on impact.

  Two more soldiers remained. They took out ELC rifles and began firing at her. She dodged the first blast, but instead of dodging the second, she focused on it. She accepted the blast of electricity and turned it into a ball of blue pure energy. She stood there for a second, holding the energy in her hands, and then used all her willpower and focus, to turn the ball into white sand energy. She stumbled a bit as she tried to control it. The ball was wild and unruly. It felt like she was holding a sandstorm inside her hands. It took all her strength, but she held on to the ball, regaining her balance as she did. Then she faced the soldiers, whose blasts were now evaporating as they collided with the massive ball of energy. She threw the wild ball of white light directly at them, and the ball tore through them instantly, dropping their few remains to the ground.

  After her successful maneuver, Diandra hunched over and began panting heavily. Sweat poured down her face, and fell onto the floor of the wall, creating tiny stains beneath her feet. Controlling that much sand energy took a heavy toll on her body. She needed rest—but she doubted that it would be possible. Instead, she ran back to where the remaining members of her group had been fighting. They had made their way to the south-west tower, and were now trying to gain control of it. On her way back, she saw the bodies of Ryan Black and the other human. When she saw them get hit by ELC blasts, she had assumed that they had died instantly, but as she approached their bodies, lying still on the floor, she could feel the slightest energy of life breathing within them.

  She stopped and knelt down beside Ryan, placing her hand on his chest. His breathing wa
s slow, almost non-existent, but it was there. She did the same to the other man, and found that he was in the same condition. Diandra took a deep breath and tried to conjure some healing energy.

  Nothing.

  She failed and breathed heavily, more sweat pouring down her body. She was too weak from the sharp energy she had wielded only moments ago.

  The men’s breathing was becoming even slower now. They were dying. If she couldn’t heal them now, they would die within the minute. She focused the little power and energy she had flowing through her own body and she forced it into the men, and then…

  Their heart beats strengthened. It worked! Diandra could feel their life returning, but at her own expense. She had given them what little energy she had left in herself, and her body was shutting down as a result. She was far too weak to move anymore. Her muscles couldn’t hold up her limbs, and her torso fell over to the side. Her eyelids felt heavy, but she was forcing them to stay open. She turned her head to the side, but was quickly filled with terror as she saw one of the nearby ELC cannons fire directly at her.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  L eo did his best to stay low to the ground, as their splinter group made its way through the foothills of KL’en’s western mountains. Kitso led the group, staying quiet and directing them through the hazardous terrain. Not too far in the distance, they could see the western wall of the capitol city and the massive mountain, Adjourn. According to Kitso, the first Mountain Drakes who built KL’en had constructed an escape tunnel that went through the mountain. It made its way from the lower levels of the Royal Palace, eventually coming out somewhere near the group’s current location. Most people were unaware that the tunnel existed, and the royals didn’t consider it worth guarding, so they determined it would be the best way in.

  “Psst,” called Kitso to the group. Everyone gathered around him, and he motioned to a small bush next to a formation of rocks. A second later, he pulled back the foliage to reveal that it was fake, and underneath was a hole leading underground. “Follow me,” he said in a hushed tone. And one by one, everyone in their group jumped in the hole after him.

  Kitso took the lead, igniting his flashlight, offering some visibility amongst the vast darkness. He moved forward cautiously through the damp and cold caves. Rome followed behind him, leaving Leo and Zane in the back. Ravez was with them as well, but the horned man had insisted on cloaking himself. Leo didn’t think it was completely necessary at this point. The odds of them being ambushed in one of these intricate tunnels was slim. The tunnels ran all through the mountain, and they were so complex that one wrong step could leave you trapped or make you fall to your immediate death. The odds of the royals choosing these tunnels as an ambush site, assuming they knew the Brotherhood’s plan, was incredibly low.

  No, thought Leo. If they were planning an ambush, it would be as the splinter group entered the castle. He knew that Grindaull wasn’t a fool. The king had to know that the Brotherhood would attempt something like this. Their group had to expect the worst. Suddenly, Leo wondered if they brought enough people to deal with the eventual threats that lay ahead. There was only five of them, with the mission of infiltrating the most dangerous place on AzzaNation—a speedster, a stealth fighter, a famed psychic, a drake swordsman, and a shifter General. Leo had to admit that they made an interesting team, but would it be enough? Once they got inside the castle, they could be facing hundreds of specially trained soldiers, and as skilled as their team was, eventually the sheer numbers would overwhelm them. As Leo thought about their odds, he tried to keep his mind on the ultimate goal. All they really had to do was protect Zane until he could fight Grindaull. If the psychic could fight the king alone, without taking injuries, then he was destined to win…at least that was the prophesy Eli told them. Leo still had doubts about the capabilities of the Sage, but on the off-chance Eli was telling the truth, the speedster was willing to do whatever it took to make the prophesy come true. And he knew that everyone else in their splinter group was willing to do the same. Their lives were meaningless compared to the death of Grindaull.

  Leo looked ahead and saw Kitso stop. The whole group quickly followed the shifter’s lead and held their position.

  “What is it, Kitso?” whispered Rome. “You see someone?”

  Kitso looked back at the group and gestured for everyone to watch their step. He hugged the nearest wall as one by one, everyone squeezed by to see where they were. Their path had met a dead end because the way forward had become a large open cavern. Leo looked around, trying to find a way across, but he couldn’t see one. The ceiling of the cavern was too high to reach, and the bottom seemed to go on forever, with no movement except the odd flutter from a bat.

  “We’re close,” said Kitso, “This is Sherstone cavern. The castle is right across it.”

  “You’re joking, right?” said Rome, not looking impressed.

  “If it was simple, anyone would be able to exploit the passage,” replied the shifter with a cheeky smile.

  Rome was doing his best to contain his frustration. He tried pacing, but couldn’t move more than a couple feet before running out of room in the narrow tunnel. “How the hell are we supposed to make that jump Kitso? Only you and the speedster have a shot. Unless you’re suggesting that I change forms, which I think we can both agree would be a very stupid idea.”

  “There’s no need for that Rome,” said Kitso, placing his hand on the drake’s shoulder, attempting to calm him down. “We can find a way for all of us to make it across.”

  In that moment, Leo looked up and saw a few rocks falling from the ceiling of the cavern. At first, he didn’t give it much thought, but then more rocks fell, close to where the last ones did, and then it happened again and again. The falling rocks were creating a pattern, and they seemed as though they were moving incrementally closer to the other side of Sherstone cavern. Then Leo saw him—the slight shimmer from reflected light bouncing off Ravez’s body while he was invisible. Once Leo focused on the shape of the stealth fighter’s body, he could fully see the man at the top of the cavern, digging his daggers into the rock ceiling, and slowly crossing the gap to the ledge on the other side. The young speedster didn’t know if the invisible rogue was being brave or stupid, but at least Ravez had no hesitation in trying something.

  “Well it looks like Ravez will be waiting for us when we figure it out.” Leo pointed the man out to the rest of the group.

  “That man is a fool,” said Rome, chuckling. “But he’s my kind of fool.”

  Rome took out two daggers and tied them to his wrists. He then unhooked his swords from his belt and gave them to Kitso.

  “If you so much as scratch one of my babies…I will end you.”

  “That’s exactly how I dreamed I would go!” laughed Kitso. Rome gave him a look, and the two Brotherhood Generals shared a laugh before Rome started his climb.

  Kitso turned to Leo and Zane next, “You boys ready?”

  Zane simply gave Kitso a nod and the psychic stepped to the end of the walkway. He placed one hand to his head and the patch of ground beneath him began to shake. Leo and Kitso stepped back and watched as the ground underneath Zane broke off the Cliffside. Zane was keeping it steady, making sure the floating piece of stone didn’t fall into the endless cavern below, taking the psychic with it. He kept the fingers from his right hand on his head, and with his left hand, he reached forward, directing the floating platform he had created. The psychic made it look easy as he floated effortlessly across the cavern, and within a couple of minutes, he was walking onto the ledge on the opposite side.

  Kitso placed his hand on Leo’s shoulder, “You can do this Leo, go back a little bit in the path we took and run as fast as you can. Then when you reach me, jump as hard as you can and you’ll do fine.”

  Leo found it funny that Kitso felt the need to tell him how to use his own powers. It wasn’t like the speedster didn’t know what he had to do…he was just terrified to do it. What if he tripped as he jumped and
fell into the cavern? What if he missed completely? He wasn’t ready for this. He needed time to practice…except…there was no time. He had to do it now. His group and the Brotherhood were counting on him. The Brotherhood’s soldiers were outside fighting for him, and so was Diandra. She was doing her part and he was sitting here shaking in his boots. No. He couldn’t live with himself if he stopped here.

  So, he ran. Leo ran back through the path they had walked, and memorized it easily. He made sure to know how many steps before each turn, because he wouldn’t have any light to help him. Once he reached an appropriate distance, he decided to amp himself up. He rolled his shoulders back, and stretched his neck on both sides before going into a low lunge. He focused his eyes through the darkness, trying not to think of the consequences of failure. He didn’t want to worry about tripping, or not jumping far enough. All he wanted to think about was success—because that’s what he needed to happen.