by M J Webb
As he considered for a moment the implications of his own startling confession, he stared in awe at the incredibly muscular torso of Brraall before him. The great warrior and leader’s frame was almost as large as Verastus’.
‘…Huh! Alright, I suppose there is a bit of difference between him and me? I ain’t got his muscles, that’s for sure. But, when it comes down to it, I’m not short of a brain cell or two, am I? Not when compared to these guys. And I’m fast. Then there’s the sword the Heynai gave me, and the shield… Yeah, I’ll be alright. Bring ‘em on! Jake may have all the powers… He’s the blue eyed boy, there’s no doubt about that, but I’ll show ‘em! And if I’m gonna die out here, I’ll do some damage before they get me. Ha! It may not come to that anyway? We may win? After all, I’ve already been through two battles and survived, ain’t I?’
Ben’s attempts to bolster his own self confidence were suddenly interrupted by Verastus. The Falorian came running swiftly over to him, a look of real concern upon his face. Something was clearly wrong. He was joined immediately by Brraall. Verastus took the reins from Ben’s hands and ushered him to the side of the nearest building as quickly as he could, out of sight. The three comrades peered around the edge of the barn cautiously, staring out to the East.
“What is it? What’s a matter?” asked the youngster.
“Something is coming,” replied Verastus. “Look! There, in the sky!”
“Raart… There is more than one of them,” stated Brraall, calmly.
“What? One of what?” hissed Ben. Despite his bravado of only seconds before, he was scared all of a sudden, terrified of the unknown threat they faced. His voice was trembling as he spoke, betraying his true feelings. “Err… Where’s G-Gellsorr?” he asked, realising all of a sudden that the dragon who had protected them on the retreat from Dassilliak had not been seen since they entered the city of Varriann.
“I do not know, Ben,” replied Verastus.
“He is missing. We are on our own,” added Brraall, the experienced commander understanding the importance of dealing with the here and now in such circumstances, and not dwelling on matters beyond their control.
“Oh, nice one! Fine time to go sightseeing!” Ben whispered, to a stern look from Verastus. “You know,” the youngster responded to the silent admonishment, “you’re actually beginning to look a lot like Jake.”
They each drew their weapons. Brraall silently ordered his warriors to do likewise, ready to defend their people from attack. The dark, menacing shapes in the sky grew larger and larger as they approached. Before long, it became clear what they were. “Graxoth! Two of them. And a revalkas!! But how…?” rasped an astonished Brraall.
“Vantrax. This has to be his doing. Quickly, get everyone inside who cannot fight,” ordered Verastus. He raised his staff and a shiny blade appeared out of each end. Brraall gave his orders and everyone dispersed, leaving only the bravest warriors amongst them to face the creature’s fury… And Ben.
“Bl-bloody hell! Be careful what you wish for Ben me ol’ son, eh?” he said, as he saw the three beasts clearly for the first time.
“What? What did you say?” hissed Verastus.
“Ah, never mind,” replied Ben. Adrenalin was pumping wildly through his body now and it was all he could do to speak. “I was just thinking about something I’d decided on earlier, just before you two showed up to ruin the moment, as usual. I’m glad I didn’t say it out loud. If I had, you’d probably be saying that I should have kept my big gob shut! Or words to that effect.”
Chapter 5
31st August - Varriann City - Perosya
Three gruesome beasts from the fires of the underworld were now mercilessly hunting Ben Brooker and his companions down. With their far superior eyesight they easily spotted their quarry whilst still some distance away. The lead revalkas slowed his flight to a virtual standstill, hovering over the outskirts of the city below, choosing to survey their options before launching the lethal attack. On the very edge of the small city there stood many tribal warriors, all armed to the teeth with spears, knives, axes, bows and clubs. In the centre of their makeshift defensive line was an old wooden building, around the sides of which several pairs of anxious eyes were now peering. Even from such a distance, with almost his entire body concealed from view, the revolting creature soon spotted his main target, as Ben’s shaven head gave the youngster away. The young boy from Lichfield had been marked for assassination by King Vantrax, and now his time had come!
Ben’s elimination had been ordered by the evil wizard some hours earlier. He believed that it would serve as the perfect warning to all on Estia and beyond who would dare to defy his rule. Ben was the Keeper’s friend and companion, he had protected the stones when King Vantrax’ warriors had attacked at Erriard and in subsequent fights. Many had heard of, or witnessed, his deeds. In the relatively short time he had been on Estia, Ben Brooker had become as much of a rallying cry to the subjugated population as the Keeper himself, as much of a thorn in the wizard’s side as anyone. King Vantrax had decided therefore that he had to die. He marked the youngster for elimination for his own peace of mind, to weaken the resolve of his enemies and instil fear once again into their hearts, to ensure that the boy no longer had the stones in his possession, and to bring one step closer the final victory he was so desperate to complete.
A tense and uneasy standoff developed at the outskirts to the city. The three monsters weighed up their options carefully, using their highly developed brains to decide upon the best angle of attack. Ben remained crouched down low on his haunches, hidden behind the shack and concealed from view besides Verastus, who was leaning against the wooden structure and gazing around it at their attackers.
“Well? What they doin’ now?” asked Ben, anxiously. His palms were sweating and he rubbed them on his shirt.
“They are doing, nothing.”
“Eh? Nothing? What d’ya mean, nothing? They must be doing something?”
“They have halted. Presumably to count our warriors.”
“Oh. They’re smart then, eh? Okay, that means we have some time. How we gonna kill ‘em?”
“I do not know, Ben. Spears, arrows maybe?” replied Verastus, his eyes firmly fixed upon their foe. Still, the creatures did not move.
“Huh! Good answer. Duh,” answered Ben, who just could not help but to ridicule his friend. Humour was a massive part of his defence mechanism and it always rose to the fore when he was scared. He made to lean around Verastus, to gain a better look at the creatures, but he suddenly heard a voice sounding in his head. It was loud and clear and it arrived totally out of the blue, as if someone had just turned on a television or radio nearby.
‘Ben!’
The frightened teenager halted his movement forward and immediately sat back down on his haunches, as he realised to his amazement what was happening. No one could see him but he had a look of complete astonishment upon his face. ‘Knesh? Is that you?’ he asked, using only his mind to communicate, just as he had witnessed others doing. He could not believe what was happening to him. It was all too much like a dream. Only, he knew that it wasn’t. He was certain that it was real, and the stakes for him and his friends were far too high for him to ignore what he heard.
‘No, Ben. It is I, Sereq,’ the voice replied.
‘Sereq! What’s happening? Why are you inside my head? Jake! Is he alright?’
‘Yes Ben, he is as well as can be expected. Listen to me now and listen well, for I have but a very brief moment with you before they attack.’
‘Err… Yeah, okay. Go on, I’m all ears.’
‘We will protect the Keeper, Ben. We will give him the time he needs to restore the stones and win this war, to defeat the wizard.’
‘Great! But, so you should, he’s…’
‘For you,‘ interrupted Sereq, impatiently, ‘we can do little. You are too far away from our current position, and we need to concentrate all the power we have on helping Jake.’
B
en gulped hard at the probable consequences of such a statement. ‘Oh, I see. We’re on our own then?’
‘Yes, I am afraid so. Just three of his beasts face you now. King Vantrax has despatched the remainder of his entire force to seek the main prize, Jake and the stones.’
‘Oh. Three is it? Well then, that don’t sound too bad, does it? I’m sure we can handle three?’
‘Ben! Now is not the time for such bravado. We feel your terror. There is a revalkas among them. I can give you only one thing now which may defeat it. As for the graxoth…?’
‘It’s okay, Sereq. I understand. Do what you must. Please, save Jake and the others, we’ll be fine.’
‘Kraar… You are a very courageous boy, Ben. The Keeper is lucky to have such a friend. Now, when the time comes, when the revalkas is almost upon you, tell Verastus to launch his staff at it, the weapon we gave him. He is to aim at the centre of the beast’s chest.’
‘Yeah, okay. I will.’
‘Good. I must go. Fare thee well. And please accept our sincere gratitude for all you have done for our people.’
And with that, the voice of Sereq sounded no more. Ben opened his eyes immediately to see Verastus tightening his grip on the staff. “They are coming Ben,” cried the Falorian. “Make ready!” he bellowed, to the surrounding tribal warriors, hoping that the true meaning behind his order would transcend the language barrier between them.
Ben placed a firm hand on Verastus’ shoulder. “I’ve just had a vision, big man, a dream or something. I’ve no time to explain it to ya now, but you have to do exactly as I say! You must keep hold of your staff until the last possible moment, until that revalkas thing is right on top of us, okay? It’s the only way we can kill it!”
Verastus was shocked and amazed to hear such words, but he did not question the instruction. “A vision you say? Just now? As we were…? Raart! Ben my friend, if that is what you command, then that is how it shall be.”
Seconds later, the three horrifying creatures flew in hard and fast. They swooped down low to kill several tribesmen on their first pass, catching them in the open as they ran for cover, incinerating them with the fire from the revalkas’ nostrils and then ripping apart any survivors with tails, teeth and claws. Then, they took off swiftly, avoiding all the arrows and spears thrown at them and swinging around for a second pass. This time, all three descended upon the wooden fence which ran alongside the hut, where Ben and the others were sheltering. They fell onto Brraall and his warriors before they had chance to shift their position. The huge tribal leader fought valiantly and with great skill, fighting off his graxoth assailant bravely with sword and spear, ducking and diving, weaving violently to avoid being caught by the beast’s incredibly sharp claws. Eventually, the creature withdrew a little and Brraall escaped, but not before many of his warriors had been killed.
“Raart! I cannot sit here and watch this!” roared Verastus, suddenly. “I have to do something!”
The mighty Falorian immediately broke cover. He sprinted as fast as he could to the centre of the open ground, just as the three beasts took off to circle around for yet another pass. His sudden and unexpected movement caught Ben completely by surprise. It was so swift that the youngster had no chance to stop him. The teenage boy suddenly felt a rush of blood to his brain, and a surge of high octane adrenalin raced through his body. Though he had absolutely no idea why he was doing it, before he could think properly his short and muscular legs were already propelling him across the ground at speed, as he chased after his friend. His lips uttered words he would never have thought possible as he ran.
“Hey! Wait for me! If you’re so determined to be a hero, then I’m coming with ya!”
The lead revalkas immediately spotted their impulsive and reckless dash. It turned swiftly in flight and launched into an immediate dive to counter their action, intending to finish the fight swiftly and kill the young boy, to accomplish its mission.
“Oh sh…!” began Ben, as he witnessed the turn and realised that he and Verastus were now completely exposed. But, before he could finish, he caught sight of his Falorian friend and his heart almost leapt into his mouth. The freed slave had lifted his staff and he was just about to throw it at the nearest graxoth!
“No!” screamed Ben. “Not them! The other one!”
Verastus heard the young boy’s desperate cry just in the nick of time and changed the direction of his aim straight away. A shiny blade appeared out of each end of the staff, turning the long piece of wood once again into a deadly spear. This time however, both blades immediately began to glow brightly. They were alight. Hundreds of tiny sparks of fire surrounded them all of a sudden, reminding Ben instantly of the sparklers he’d held on every bonfire night he had known as a child.
Verastus launched the spear as the revalkas neared, delaying his throw until the last possible moment, when the creature was almost on top of them and he could smell his rotten breath. The two friends ducked instinctively to avoid being hit by the oncoming beast. They did not witness the spear’s effect as they both dived out of the way and fell heavily to the ground. The Heynai’s weapon flew straight and true. It sped out of Verastus’ hand and towards its target. From the moment it left the Falorian’s fingers, it was travelling at such an unbelievable speed, with supernatural velocity, that it passed straight through the revalkas’ body and continued for some distance.
A gaping hole appeared in the creature’s chest. It was smoking and the edges of it were on fire. Then, a fraction of a second later, the fires spread rapidly outwards to consume their host and one last awful, dreadful scream of horror filled the air. In flames, the revalkas plunged rapidly to the ground and landed with a resounding crash, not far from Ben and Verastus. Moments later, the fires had completely devoured it and it was gone. The fearsome creature from the underworld had been destroyed, killed by a weapon and blade coated in the spirit’s own fire. However, the revalkas’ companions, the graxoth, still remained.
Infuriated by the sudden loss of their powerful leader, they immediately launched a further attack of their own, directed against Ben and Verastus. Before the beasts could reach them though, a booming roar of a different kind echoed in the sky and gained their immediate attention. It came from the east and as they turned their heads they learned to their cost that it was the war cry of a solitary dragon!
Gellsorr, the last surviving dragon on Estia, suddenly burst through the low lying clouds. He swooped down viciously and with astonishing speed to fall on the graxoth before they had chance to gain the height they needed to respond. The wizard’s creatures were completely helpless, unable to defend themselves from such a swift and unexpected attack. The great dragon despatched the first of the beasts with his fire, incinerating it in only a few seconds. Then, in the same dive, he fell upon the second beast and sank his claws deep into his shoulders, pushing him down onto the solid ground below with his momentum. He fell onto the graxoth with such force and weight that the creature’s spine was broken and he was killed outright.
Ben breathed a massive sigh of relief. When he had eventually stopped shaking and recovered himself, he strode over to Verastus to check on his welfare, placing a hand on his shoulder with great difficulty, given the height difference. “Yeah! Whooaa!!! Ha ha… Thanks, big man. You were awesome!”
Verastus was completely calm. He laughed a little, amused by Ben’s compliment. “You did well yourself, Ben. Though, you were very foolish to follow me, and you might have been hurt,” he replied.
Ben nodded once in agreement. Then he ran over to Gellsorr. He stared down at the grizzly sight of the slain graxoth at his feet, before dismissing it in an instant and looking up to speak to the dragon. Something was bugging him. He had a question which needed an answer and, in true Ben style, despite what had just occurred, he wasn’t about to let it drop.
“Err… I s’pose I’d better thank you as well, Gellsorr? Thanks mate. That was out of this world! Ha ha… Out of this world? No? Okay, thanks anyway. But
, where the hell have you been??!! What took you so long? We nearly died!”
By this time, Verastus and Brraall had gathered around to hear the explanation, for everyone was wondering the same thing. The remaining warriors were seeing to their dead and wounded. Gellsorr looked severely embarrassed, which was a very great thing, because it is usually incredibly hard to discern a dragon’s true feelings!
“Srr… I… I can only apologise to you all. I… I thought we were safe. I thought you were resting, that we had placed enough distance between us and our enemy, that I too could take the opportunity for some respite.”
