Warriors of the Heynai

by M J Webb

  I cannot tell you the origin of such stories, I doubt if anyone can. These were just a taste of the myths surrounding the creature. There were many, many versions of the truth. Some stuck close to reality, but many did not. I will not waste my time telling them all, but these you must know; there was a creature in those mountains. He was vicious and cruel. Few who were brave enough to venture up the rocky paths ever came down. It is said that they...”

  “But... Why the blazes did they go up there then?” interrupted a completely enthralled Ben once again. “Why didn’t they just leave him alone?”

  Tien smiled at the youngster before him. There was something charming and endearing about the way in which his eyes were lighting up with the telling of the tale, as if he had never been read to as a child and was enjoying the experience for the very first time.

  “A very good question, Ben. Over the course of time, given the legends which grew and the number of warriors who tried to slay the beast and never returned, they decided to do exactly that. They did leave him alone and nobody climbed the trail. But now the drought was here, a terrible famine was on its way and the village was desperate. They had to find some way to survive, and the creature in the mountains had a stone of unbelievable value. It was given to him by the Gods if you believe the tales, though I personally believe... No, I know that it was a stone of hessamin, an Eratian mineral which is as rare as... Well, it is very rare.”

  “So that is our quest?” asked Verastus.

  “And so, Adonelle’s family decided to steal it from the creature,” added Brraall, continuing the tale before anyone could comment upon Verastus’ words, a faint hint of resentment and anger echoing in his voice.

  “But, they were desperate. Desperate times call for desperate measures, surely?’ argued Jake, looking the impressive warrior firmly in the eye.

  “Yes, Jake. But who defines what is right and wrong? Who decides what is justified, and when?” asked the warrior.

  “Hmmnn... Okay, point taken,” replied the young Keeper, as he considered the argument. “Please Tien, continue.”

  “Adonelle, as I have already stated, had five elder brothers and sisters. Her brothers were all fine warriors, young, fit and strong. It was they who had decided to seek the stone and they were joined eagerly by her two sisters. Adonelle, for her part, did not want to go. She feared the worst and she tried to dissuade them, not wishing to lose her family to the evil monster and the mountain, but they ignored her pleas. She could not abandon them and when they set off up the path, she followed closely behind.

  Up and up they climbed, rising steadily into the clouds until they neared the highest peak. Mist and fog surrounded them and marred their view, but they pushed on regardless. They eventually reached a great plateau. Upon it, they found the statues of fallen warriors, their features preserved perfectly in a rock that was as black as night. Adonelle tried desperately to persuade them all to return with her down the mountainside. She screamed at them begging and pleading, but to no avail. They all refused and, led by her eldest brother, a strapping young man named Maxus, they drew nearer and nearer to the creature’s lair.

  Then, as Maxus rounded the final bend and was consumed in mist so that the others could not see him, they heard a loud noise, followed by his screams as something swooped from the sky and carried him away. Panic set in briefly, but when they had recovered themselves and entered the fog in search of their brother, he was gone, and so too was the creature.

  Adonelle was pleading all the time for the others to leave, but they were angry and upset, and they wanted revenge. They pressed on. One by one they took the lead and one by one they disappeared. Soon, all that remained were Adonelle and the second youngest child, Edobe. The two children were hysterical now. Adonelle was crying and crying for her sister to listen to reason, but Edobe was consumed by grief and she was not thinking straight. She still believed she might find her brothers and sisters alive and she stepped forward into the mist.

  A bolt of light, bright and fast as lightning, hit her almost immediately. She was instantly transformed into the black rock. Adonelle was beside herself with fear, grief and every other kind of emotion you could think of. She screamed aloud, realising that she was now alone and totally at the creature’s mercy.

  ‘Why? Why have you taken my brothers and sisters? Show yourself to me! Come down, so that I may look upon your face and see my killer! I know I am dead now, but I am no longer afraid to die. You have already taken away my reasons for living. There is nothing left for me now, kill me if you will, but do not hide yourself away like a coward! I am no threat to you.’

  She threw down her sword and stepped out into the open air with her arms stretched out, inviting the creature she could not see to end her life. The sound of two huge, beating wings filled the air above her. Then, the much softer noise of a gliding creature swooping down and circling overhead. It landed. Standing before the young girl was a magnificent dragon, its skin purple and grey in colour and its scales tinged with red. It towered over her menacingly. Smoke oozed gently from its large nostrils and Adonelle almost wet herself with fright.”

  “A dragon? Oh yes! Cool,” said Ben. “Now that’s what has been missing here. Now you’re talking!” he added, as he lay down and put his chin in his hands. He was as excited as he had ever been. Jake shook his head slightly at his friend. He looked as if he was in class at primary school.

  “Yes, Ben, a dragon. Long thought of as extinct in these lands, though they lived freely here once and in great numbers. They were hunted to extinction by Estians, or killed by their natural enemies, the graxoth and the revalkas. Here was the last known survivor of an entire species, its mind twisted and consumed by the horror of watching the last of his race die. The dragon hated all Estians, he detested every living creature. He had lived in solitude on the mountain for hundreds of years.”

  “But, where did he get the stone?” asked Jake.

  “Ka, it was not a gift from the Gods,” answered Braall. “He took it from a merchant he killed in one of his forays for food. It is not far to Mynae for a dragon, where he could kill with impunity without fear of reprisals and confirming his existence to any who might hunt him down.”

  “Yes. But what happened to Adonelle?” said Ben.

  “Faced with an angry dragon, she was convinced that she was dead. She could feel the heat of his breath and she expected to be burnt alive at any moment, or eaten. But, to her amazement, the dragon actually spoke to her!

  ‘You ask me why I kill,’ it said, ‘but your companions had only one intention here. It was they who invaded my domain. I have lived in peace all of these years, I have maintained my distance and left you to do the same, why did you attack me now?’

  Adonelle was stunned. She had just lost most of her family to the dragon. She should have wanted to kill him. But she actually found herself sympathising with him. She lowered her arms and began sobbing uncontrollably, not knowing what to think, say or do.

  The dragon was moved also. He began to take pity on the helpless young girl and he listened to her tale of the plight of the Estian people. Until eventually, once she had finished talking, he spoke to her once more.

  ‘So, you came to kill me and take my stone? What do we do now?’

  Adonelle dried her eyes and stated that she did not know. She needed the stone but she knew the creature would not let her have it. The dragon looked at her for a few seconds.

  ‘I cannot give you what you seek. Not so that it may be sold and lost. But, you are brave, your heart is pure, I can see that. I am tired, tired of living, tired of being alone. I have decided that I will help you, in the only way I can, as it is I who has robbed you of your loved ones. When I am gone, tell this tale and tell it true. Let the Estian people know of my sacrifice, how I met my end. This stone,’ he said, as he produced a light blue sphere from beneath his wing, ‘will remain here with me. It is my life force. One day, I may return because of it. Until that time, travellers will visit this si
te, to view my statue, to see for themselves where it all happened, where you and I met, and talked. You...’

  Adonelle interrupted him suddenly. ‘Statue?’ she asked. ‘What statue?’

  The dragon’s eyes turned to fire, a bolt of flame shot high into the sky, travelling for some distance before turning sharply around and returning to its maker. The dragon had time for only one more sentence before the flame hit him and he was turned into black rock, the Eratian stone encased along with him in his tightly clenched claw.

  ‘Remember me, I am Gellsor.’”

  Tien finished speaking. Everyone around the fire looked at each other, trying to absorb what they had just heard. Finally, it was Jake who broke the silence.

  “So, the stone, is it still there?” he asked, excitedly.

  “Yeah, and the dragon? I mean, the statue?” added an enthralled Ben.

  Braall looked at Tien for permission to answer the question and spoke when the wizard nodded. “Yes. The rock has been attacked by many a warrior over the years. All manner of devices and weapons have been employed in an effort to free it. It is harder than any substance we know of. Jintan steel is like the softest bread in comparison. It cannot be dislodged from the creature’s grasp.”

  “What became of Adonelle?” asked Verastus, anxious to hear the whole story in its entirety.

  “She returned home, just as the dragon had instructed. She told the story as often as she could, for there was no shortage of eager listeners. The mountains quickly became the most talked about and visited place in Estia. The village grew as people settled there and it soon became a city. Adonelle was famed throughout the land. She lived the rest of her years in prosperity and upon her death, the city dwellers named the mountains after her. That is where we are heading, the Mountains of Adonelle. But, I must warn you, the stone we seek is trapped in the rock, the dragon refuses to relinquish it. It may be a wasted journey, for I do not know if we can free it.”

  Ben suddenly shot upright. “Well, come on. Let’s go! What we waiting for? A dragon. Oh yes! I’ve always wanted to see a dragon, even if it is a dead one.”

  “Not dead, Ben.” stated Jake, correcting his friend. “He said it was his ‘life force’, remember?”

  Tien and Verastus both smiled to each other. Jake was beginning to think like a Keeper and they were both pleased to see it.

  “Nah? Oh my God! This is gonna be awesome!” cried Ben, so excited now that he was trembling all over.

  “Yeah. Well, settle down mate, we ain’t goin’ nowhere until tomorrow. It’s too late to start now and we all need some sleep.”

  “Sleep? Are you kiddin’? I’m not gonna get much sleep tonight!”

  Ben thought things over his mind continuously as the others settled down in their makeshift beds by the fire. Then, he found himself speaking his thoughts aloud, so that everyone else could hear.

  “If this stone is so valuable, so sought after, and the people from the city value it so highly, then how are we gonna persuade them to give it to us? And how are we gonna free it from Gellsor’s grasp? If no one before has ever managed it, what makes us so different, eh?”

  His questions went unanswered. Everyone was either fast asleep or too tired to carry on the conversation. Ben turned over and closed his eyes, though he did not expect to be able to gain any sleep. His mind was still buzzing from the day’s events and full of anticipation about what tomorrow might bring. But, after a while, his body had succumbed to fatigue and he was sleeping like a babe, his thumb stuck firmly in his mouth as usual.

  Chapter 23

  Morning of 24th August – Readal Forest - Nadjan

  “Come on guys, quick, up and at ‘em!” cried Ben excitedly, as soon as the others began to stir. Jake stretched his arms up to the sky and gave the biggest yawn. Then he stared across at his friend, wide eyed and open mouthed.

  “Oh my God! I’ve seen just about everything now. Who are you? And what have you done with my best pal?” he asked, jokingly.

  “Ha ha, very funny, now let’s get goin’, we have a dragon to catch! Ha ha…. Yeah yeah, I know that’s not strictly true, I just wanted to say it,” Ben replied, chuckling to himself. Everyone rose and began to pack their bags with the food provided by Brraall and his people, some of which they ate whilst they were preparing to leave.

  “Jake, we cannot accompany you on this journey I am afraid, time will be crucial and we cannot fly like the winged creatures Tien has described to us,” said Brraall, once they were ready to depart.

  “Yes, I know. I’ve thought about that too,” Jake replied. “That’s if we can still find them, if they are where we left ‘em.”

  “They are there, Keeper. They are waiting for you, just as they were instructed,” stated Tien, with a knowing smile.

  “Oh, right then. In that case, I would ask you and your people to travel to Dassilliak, as quickly as you can?” said Jake, looking straight into Brraall’s eyes. He placed a hand on his shoulder at the same time in a warm gesture of friendship. “We are gathering our forces there so that we may join with our allies, and it is where we have agreed to meet the King.”

  The warrior nodded to let Jake know he agreed and understood. “It will be as you ask, Jake. We are yours to command now. It will take us three days or more to reach the great city, none of my people have ever travelled that far away from our forest, we have not had to, but we will be there, I promise you. Good luck on your quest, find the stone you seek, or all of this will be for nothing.”

  Jake smiled a little. He knew only too well the importance of his task and he did not need reminding of it. He looked quickly around the faces before him and then he turned to Ben.

  “Okay then. Come on, Ace, let’s go and find you a dragon.”

  ***

  It was now mid morning. Far away on the outskirts of Dassilliak, Zaknar and his contingent of Dzorag Hunters crested the ridge of a small hill at full gallop. The fearsome warrior immediately halted his horsesoldiers with a raise of his right arm, the moment his eyes caught sight of the scene being played out in the valley below.

  The rebel soldiers of King Artrex’ army and the knights of the Estian Alliance were all escaping the battlefield and fleeing into the gates of the great city! They were being pursued by the warriors of King Vantrax’ Southern Army, who had left behind scores of their dead and wounded on the field of battle in a last ditch attempt to stop their enemy’s retreat. But, it was no use; within minutes they had escaped behind the great wall and the Southern Army warriors could not follow. The rebels they had been asked to engage were safe from harm, for now.

  Having watched the spectacle unfold before his eyes, Zaknar was enraged. The Dzorag were too late, again! He summoned a young warrior to him and the rider responded swiftly to his leader’s command.

  “Kraaxx! You! Go and tell our wise and illustrious leader, the mighty Sawdon, that the enemy army has managed to run! Tell him the wall of Dassilliak now protects them. Be sure to mention that the battle was already over before we arrived, that we had no opportunity to affect its outcome!”

  The young Dzorag warrior acknowledged the command and galloped away.

  “Come, my hunters. Let us find Obreth, we shall listen to his excuses for failure. I tell you all, I would not like to be him when Sawdon learns of the enemy’s flight!”

  ***

  The battle had raged for hours. Scores of rebels lay dead on the fields before Dassilliak. However, many times their number had made it safely into the city gates. The Estians too had suffered losses, though their casualties had been far fewer than might have been expected. Everyone knew that the chief reason for that was the actions and bravery shown by Princess Zephany.

  The archers all ran to man the wall ramparts as soon as they passed through the open gates, which were closed as quickly as possible once the Princess was safely inside. The wall was lined thick with bowmen, all training their weapons in the direction of their enemy, who had now sensibly given up the chase and did not vent
ure within range of their arrows. Lord Caro and a group of Perosyan knights had retrieved Prince Laertral’s body in the midst of the fighting and put it on a horse, so that they could take it back to the city. They now lay his corpse carefully down on the ground and gathered around it to pray.

  Seconds later, they were joined in their prayers by many of the other knights who had fought so valiantly. A sudden and eerie, spontaneous silence fell over the city square. The Lords Dansel, Getron, Delfius and Neerod led the solemn and moving chants in honour of the fallen Prince. Zephany, tears rolling gently down her cheek, walked over to the large group and knelt down beside them, in a heartfelt display of compassion and respect for a fallen warrior.

  Suddenly, Eyatrav and Yelena appeared from out of the locked doors to the Juyen, having barricaded themselves inside whilst the fighting was taking place in case the city should fall. They were accompanied by most of the council members and throngs of civilians. They crowded around the exhausted warriors.

  “What…?? What is happening? We have no time for this, we must prepare for what happens next. I for one am of the opinion that this has all the markings of a spectacular defeat, a humiliating disaster!” bellowed Eyatrav, deliberately interrupting the soldier’s prayers and for the benefit of the crowd.

  All eyes fell upon him. The silence returned for a brief moment as everyone waited to see who would respond. The kneeling warriors rose slowly to their feet. They turned to face the crowd which had gathered, Zephany included. Eyatrav continued speaking when no one answered him, confident that there would be no challenge to his authority now that the Prince was dead. He was staring straight at Princess Zephany.