by M J Webb
I do not know how it is that they managed to escape from us here. We should have annihilated all opposition put before us. However, that is what happened and in the final reckoning it will be of no real consequence. We will continue the hunt and we will bring them to battle again, before they have chance to regroup and regain their strength. If they continue their retreat they will quickly run out of places to go, they will have their backs to the sea before too long, and there we will complete our victory!”
“Graar! Yes sire!” snarled Sawdon, as usual spoiling for a fight and impatient to begin. His eyes were burning with fierce determination. Despite his years of experience, he was once again displaying the eagerness and enthusiasm of a raw recruit. “We await only your orders, my King… Though, I would ask one question, if I may?”
King Vantrax nodded once, giving his permission to speak. The Thargw Gerada and supreme warrior thought carefully about how to phrase his question.
“Srrr… By my calculations, my King, there are now at least two groups of enemy to track down and kill? The escaped Falorian, Verastus, leads the tribe from Readal forest we fought outside these walls. He has with him the weaker of the two boys we found when opening the light, the Keeper’s companion. We know not their destination or intent, and the dragon flies above them, protecting their rear with his fire and beam of death. There is also the much larger second group to consider, if they have not split their force and there are only two? It contains the main prizes as far as we know; the Keeper and the stones, as well as what remains of the Estian army. They have a good start on us already and, once again, we have no way of knowing where they are heading? We should be able to track such a large force, but it will take…”
“Yes, Sawdon, enough. I gave you permission to ask one question. I did not invite a lecture! I know where you are heading though. You are about to say that it will take too much time to find them?” interrupted the wizard.
“Yes, my King. That being so, can we not send the graxoth?”
King Vantrax looked around the crowd as he thought on it. “Krmmn… Yes, we could. However, I think that now the time has finally come for us to show our hand. We must risk everything in the ultimate quest for final victory, now that it is within our grasp. We have engaged our enemy with the full forces at our disposal. They are on the run and defeated, with nowhere to go. They are at our mercy, and we will show them none. Now is the time to be bold and courageous, to give everything we have in order to ensure their destruction. We must bring everything we own to this fight, leave nothing behind.”
“Sire?”
Everyone, including Sawdon, looked eagerly at the evil wizard, uncertain as to what he had planned but excited by his sudden fervour, desperate to know. King Vantrax fingered the Lichtus stone which hung on the pendant around his neck. He gave an evil smile as he rubbed the reolite, delighting in the knowledge that every one of his followers was on tenterhooks, itching for him to speak. Finally, when they were almost at bursting point, he explained his plan.
“This tiny piece of rock, Sawdon, this small and insignificant stone, is far more powerful than you and I ever imagined. I know that now… And I know how best to use it. It has already allowed me to raise from the dead an entire army, warriors who are able to withstand mortal wounds from any Estian weapons and heal themselves. Do you not see? I have brought to life the beasts who served our predecessors, those who reigned victorious over this land for centuries before we came, who vanquished all before them and ruled without challenge, without mercy. If I have done all of this already, there is surely more I can do. I have not even begun to explore what is possible.”
“Yes, sire. All you say is true, but you yourself said that the power held within the reolite stone reduces each time it is used? Be careful my lord, there has to be a limit to what it can do. Is it wise to use all…?”
“Enough! The decision is made, Sawdon!” snapped the King, furiously. “For your sake, I will consider your doubts and hesitancy as nothing more than a genuine concern for my welfare. I am fully aware of the risks, I assure you. But I will hear no more!”
The experienced Thargw commander bolted immediately to attention and bowed his head in submission, severely rebuked. Sawdon knew that he was wrong for speaking out. He was not usually so cautious, but all of a sudden something just did not feel right. He had the tiniest nagging doubt in his mind. It was something he had never experienced before, and he did not like it. He tried hard to shake it off as King Vantrax continued, but to no avail.
“…A solitary dragon now protects their columns, just as you say. One creature! He appeared on the field of battle from nowhere at Dassilliak, to thwart us at the very point of victory. Well then, it is only right that he should have company! To destroy a single dragon, we need the help of their natural enemy, the ones who defeated them and banished them from this land; the graxoth and revalkas. Though, I shall not send our lone graxoth against him, for that would be folly. No, Sawdon, I will send one hundred! And what is more, they shall be joined by an entire army of revalkas!”
Sawdon and the others gasped at the ludicrous statement from their wicked master. ‘Such a thing was inconceivable, impossible.’
“My King, can you really do that?” asked the mighty Thargw. Despite his doubts, he was now tingling with excitement and anticipation once again. “Revalkas? I have heard of them, in the stories told by our warriors, but I…”
“Yes! Anything is possible now, Sawdon, now that I have this stone. I will use it to bring forth an entire armada of flying beasts. They will be our eyes and ears, as well as the cutting edge to our sword. They will eliminate this dragon of theirs and they will destroy all those caught out in the open, whilst we march on to complete our victory and take what is rightfully mine; the entire continent of Estia and the box of stones!”
A resounding roar of delight suddenly erupted from the nearby Thargws and Falorians. Sawdon found himself howling along with his warriors, caught up in the emotion of the moment. The Lords of Srenul, graxoth and sraine remained motionless and expressionless, they did not respond at all to the exuberance of the nearby warriors for they were far too eager to resume their pursuits of Zephany and Jake. The noise finally ceased. King Vantrax took the Lichtus from around his neck and placed it on the ground ahead of him.
“Llaiddtreiss ufrahla hestrall ixollsalluck.
Ophranar terreghniash!”
The stone once again became incredibly bright. This time though, the light remained locked tightly within the confines of the rare gem. An incredibly loud crack of what sounded like thunder suddenly erupted from the sky above, from behind the shattered and burning remnants of the once great city. Dassilliak was still in flames, vast swathes of smoke were rising up to the low-lying clouds, which were tinged with red and orange, reflecting almost with sorrow the terrible scene of carnage below.
All of a sudden, the clouds began to part. Then, unbelievably, the sky beyond them did likewise!
The air was ripped in two. A vast, black, empty hole appeared before the astonished onlookers on the ground. Within seconds, screams and cries of unspeakable terror rose from within the great chasm and an army of winged monsters emerged from within almost immediately, soaring out of the blackness to hover above the evil wizard and his followers, in a scene like something from a vision of Armageddon.
Once they had all exited, the hole immediately disappeared. The sky united once more, leaving the clouds free to return to their original positions as if nothing had ever happened. One hundred graxoth and nearly fifty revalkas now hovered menacingly above the ecstatic but exhausted wizard. The Lichtus had reduced in size quite dramatically, it was now no larger than the average grape, and its powers were severely curtailed.
“Raar! Excellent!” Sawdon bellowed in delight. “They can leave at once. The rebels have stolen a march on us so what are we waiting for?”
King Vantrax shook his head at the impatient warrior as he struggled to catch his breath. He wheezed and coughe
d. Finally, he was able to reply.
“No, Sawdon, I need to rest. I do not want these creatures flying all over this land in search of their army, I want to keep them together so they will be ready to strike. They will remain here until the enemy’s exact whereabouts are known. The graxoth can find them and report back. Then, the beasts from Zsorcraum may begin their work, just as you say. We will follow behind. We will continue our hunt for this Keeper when I am rested and ready. I know the urgency, Sawdon, but I have to be there. There is no telling what this boy is capable of. Besides, there is one more thing I have to do. It may not work, but I would like to try.”
“My liege?”
“Melissa, Sawdon. I may not be able to reverse the dragon’s spell which has encased her in stone, for I am unsure how much of my power it will take. I may not be strong enough, but I would like to try just one time to bring back one of those he has taken from us. If it works, I can restore them all and add to our numbers. If it does not and I can only perform the spell once, I would like it to be on Melissa.”
* * *
Three days later on the 31st, just north of the city of Varriann and not far from Perosya’s border with Siatol, Ben Brooker was riding pillion on a thoroughbred stallion. He was sitting behind, holding on for dear life to, the giant Falorian who had quickly become one of his most trusted friends. Verastus was steering the horse expertly away from the battle as they galloped at full speed alongside Brraall’s tribesmen, trying to place as much distance between them and King Vantrax’ forces as they could. The mounted contingent had remained at the rear to cover the footsoldier’s retreat at the great tribal leader’s insistence. They were aided greatly in this endeavour by Gellsorr, the last remaining dragon on Estia. He had provided much needed cover for the slow moving columns who would have easily been caught and destroyed without him, shadowing their every move from above and swooping down viciously upon any enemy warriors foolish enough to try to engage them, or pursue too closely. He used his fire and the beam of light he fired from his eyes, which turned to black stone any figures it hit, to keep the warriors at bay.
As the horses reached the extended columns, they slowed down and Ben was at last able to catch his breath. “Phew! Thank God for that!” he said, talking over Verastus’ shoulder. “I don’t think I’m ever gonna get the hang of this horse thing… Give me a bike or a nice cosy ride in a car any day.” A puzzled Verastus made to reply but immediately thought better of it, allowing Ben to continue. “…How long d’ya think he can stay up there?” he asked, staring up at the dragon overhead like a schoolboy on a class outing.
“I do not know,” Verastus replied. “Remember Ben, they are very much creatures of legend for living Estians and Mynaens like myself. They are part of our history yes, but a very distant part. They have not graced our world with their presence for many hundreds of years. We who are alive today, have only heard of them in the tales of our storytellers, or in some of the very few books we possess, for those who can read.”
“Hmmn… Yeah, okay. But, he’s amazing, isn’t he? How were they defeated? Why were they killed? I mean, just look at him!”
Verastus cast a glance up at the magical sight of the soaring dragon. It was an awe inspiring image he had to agree. “I can only tell you that which has been relayed to me, Ben. I cannot vouch for the truth behind these words… They were our greatest allies once, our closest friends. And they were a formidable opponent for any who attacked us. They fought alongside our armies with distinction, against many a foe. They died in their thousands protecting this land, for it was their homeland too, every bit as much as ours.”
“Yeah? Then, what happened? What changed?”
“We changed, unfortunately. The forces of evil grew far too strong. They corrupted all those who were sworn to protect us. They spread everywhere, like an infestation of rachtis. Before long, they outnumbered the good souls who were left, the righteous. It seemed that everyone had fallen under their spell, corrupted by greed and power. There were some who stood firm and did not yield, of course there were, but they were too few, Ben. They were powerless to prevent the chaos. Wars broke out everywhere and this land was set ablaze. Those who once lived in peace together became intent on conquest, on destroying their neighbours, and all semblance of a civilised society. In the years that followed we ruined everything that was good, and we forgot who we were.
Then, just when it seemed to our ancestors that things could not possibly be worse, when they were hanging on to survival by their fingernails, an army of even darker forces appeared out of nowhere, supernatural beasts who raised such horrifying, powerful creatures, that many of those who would oppose them lost all heart. The armies, the forces of good were not enough, they were hopelessly outmatched.
That was just the beginning Ben, the start of all our troubles, of a thousand years of misery and despair.”
“Wow! And we thought we had issues! Err… On our world, I mean.”
The giant Falorian looked up at Gellsorr again. Then, he shifted his gaze to Brraall, who was now riding alongside them both. The tribal warrior had heard the tale from the very beginning. He decided to add his own contribution to the explanation of how everything began to disintegrate.
“To answer your question as best we can, Ben, Gellsorr and his kind were defeated by a combination of those warriors who made an alliance with evil, and the creatures, the revalkas, demons from the blackest corners of whatever dominion they occupy. The dragons were hunted for their skin, their oil, their teeth and claws… And simply because they chose to ally themselves with us.”
“Oh, right. But that’s… terrible. Well, I guess we’re lucky that King Vantrax hasn’t managed to bring them back then, eh? The revalkas I mean. I don’t think Jake met with any of them when he saved Princess Zephany at the bridge, and it sounds like a good job he didn’t? Err… Hang on… One dragon isn’t gonna be enough, is it? Not to defeat all the armies we face, the Thargws and Falorians, Sebantans, and those other things?”
“No, Ben,” answered Brraall. “For my part, I think you are correct. Though, I believe that one dragon is certainly better than none? And do not forget that we have a Keeper.”
The teenager smiled at the mention of his best friend. He still wasn’t used to Jake being thought of as a saviour of worlds, the greatest hope in the fight against evil, a hero to rival all others. To Ben, he was, and always would be, Jake West, his best pal, the guy he played footy with and lost to at every game they played, the friend who always had his back, no matter what.
“Err… How far is it to Te’oull?” he asked, shaking his head to clear his thoughts.
“Another day, perhaps,” replied Verastus.
“Right then, I’d feel a lot safer if Gellsorr had managed to persuade the other dragons to join us, but it is what it is, eh? There’s nothing we can do about that now I suppose. Do me a favour, wake me up when we get there, will ya? And let me know when it’s time for lunch? I’m starving.”
Chapter 4
31st August - The City of Te’oull - Siatol
Behind the walls of Taran stone which surrounded the city of Te’oull there was a frenzy of action. Hardened warriors and frightened civilians alike were rushing around everywhere making last minute, frantic preparations for the attack they knew was coming. The ill-fated defenders of the city numbered in their thousands, their ranks swelled by fresh volunteers the survivors of Dassilliak found waiting for them at Te’oull. The Estian army was now a sizeable force once again. But, despite the enthusiasm of the new recruits, their morale was low, affected beyond measure by the fact that they had just abandoned all hope of deliverance. Everyone in the city had realised for certain, the moment the heavy gates were closed firmly behind their leaders, that escape was no longer an option. The decision had been made to once again stand and fight. Another bloody battle lay before them, and they were going to face whatever the might of their enemy threw against them head on. To win, or die in the attempt.
The Esti
an people did not lack courage. One glance at their battle-scarred history would tell you that. Still, mothers and fathers began hugging their children closely. The sudden realisation that, for them and their loved ones, there was no way out this time was the source of every painful tear they shed. A few began to panic, as the gravity of their predicament rapidly became apparent. Screams and cries echoed around the city, unnerving even the most experienced warriors there. But, most ignored their innermost feelings of impending doom and faced their unknown fate stoically, nobly, refusing outright to let their shattered nerves get the better of them now, after all they had been through. They were determined not to let their comrades down. The Estian Alliance was going to fight this battle the only way it knew; with courage and honour. Even if it was their last.
Princess Zephany and Caro had by now organised the city defences. They had positioned their troops as best they could in the minimal time they had been afforded. The northern walls were manned with as many warriors as they could spare, for they faced the enemy directly and they were the most likely points of attack. Anyone who could carry a weapon had been despatched by Caro to man the rest of the defences. Despite this fact though, a sizeable crowd remained in the main city square, as Jake and Tien joined with the rest of the Alliance warriors to plan their defence strategy. They were all gazing longingly at the two young leaders, the young Princess and the teenage Keeper, wishing for guidance, seeking inspiration, or any words of comfort they could give, looking for any sign of hope in their seemingly impossible position.
