by M J Webb
No answers came. The evil wizard was so concerned that he made the immediate decision to use the Lichtus once more, even though he was fully aware of the risks that came with such a decision. He cleared everyone away from him to give himself some space to work with.
“Treibe jasskul zekrath greitre henniann mulad.”
A vision suddenly appeared out of nowhere. King Vantrax was the only one who could see it. He watched avidly as he saw his army of flying creatures outside the city of Te’oull. He was alarmed and annoyed to see that they were trapped behind some sort of shield. The blood in his veins began to boil. Then, he saw the dragon!
The barrier which had stopped his aerial armada was lowered for a short time to let the creature pass through. Vantrax realised instantly that the enormous power and energy needed to raise and lower such a shield had to be the source of his pain. He almost spoke to his warriors, but the vision continued. Next, he saw Jake and Tien climb onto the dragon’s back. It soared into the air and they flew off into the distance, before the vision disappeared and he was once again looking at the concerned faces of his followers.
“Sire, what is it? What ails you so?” hissed Nytig, feigning genuine concern as best he could. He raised a goblet of water up to his master’s lips as he spoke.
Vantrax knocked the chalice away with one almighty, furious sweep of his arm. He leapt to his feet. “Raarrr!!!” he yelled at the top of his voice. “Stop your fussing. All of you!”
“Yes sire. Of course. We are all concerned for you, that is all. What was that?” asked Melissa.
The King looked around the room before gazing straight into the Sebantan Princess’ eyes. “I have seen… Something.”
“What? What have you seen, sire?” Sawdon enquired.
Vantrax turned his head slowly to face his most trusted Gerada. “Our army of Zsorcraum is trapped. Those I raised are caught behind a magical wall of some description. There is no rush for us to join them now, Sawdon. They cannot break through to the city and engage the enemy.”
“What?!” replied the two warriors in unison, jumping forward and clenching their fists in identical shows of anger and dismay.
“Get back! I share your disappointment… It is what it is!” barked King Vantrax. “This is not the work of wizards though,” he added. “No, it is something far greater, not of this realm, this life.”
“A wall? Then, what of the rebels, the Keeper? What of your brother?” asked Sawdon.
King Vantrax reacted angrily. “I have told you before and for the very last time that I have no brother!” he roared. “…As far as I know, the one you speak of is within those city walls, waiting for me to attack. There have been unconfirmed reports but… Te’oull is fated to be the place for the battle that will decide our destiny, I know it. It has been delayed, that is all. They have nowhere left to run. It will happen, and it will be there. I am certain of it.”
“Forgive me sire, but, how can you be so sure?” asked Melissa.
“The pain I felt just now was worse than any I have ever endured. It was a break in the energy of that shield, a tear in its fabric. It has to be. The dragon was allowed through by those who maintain its power. They aid the Keeper, though I do not know to what end and for what purpose… Do you not see? If I felt such pain, then those who have created this force of magic will have felt it too. Only, their agony must surely be ten times greater than mine?
Yes, I can sense it! They are struggling to hold on. They are suffering, trying to eke out every second they can before we attack, in one last gamble on which they risk everything. They will not be able to keep this wall of theirs intact for too much longer. No one is that strong. It will collapse, and when it does, we will be there in such numbers that they will be destroyed once and for all!”
“Yes sire,” stated Sawdon. “It will be as you say no doubt. Though, what of the dragon and the Keeper? Where do you suppose they are going? And what of the rest of their army, the other boy?”
Vantrax rubbed the hairs on his chin as he pondered the questions. Eventually, he replied. “The destination and intent of the Keeper is a serious concern. I do not know where they are heading. They appeared to be going south. It has to be something to do with the stones. But, seeing as we have no idea which stone they seek, we can take no action for the moment against them. We can only deal with what we know. As for the other boy, my graxoth and revalkas should have taken care of him by now. Besides, once we break through to Te’oull and kill anyone that stands in our way, nothing else will matter. Without an army, what can the boy do?”
Sawdon glanced briefly at Melissa. The Thargw soldier was not happy. He had way too many questions and he knew that there were too many loose ends and unknowns to be so confident. Sawdon liked to deal with facts, only facts. The great unknown was one of the few things that unnerved him.
Melissa shared his feelings but, ever the diplomat, she humoured her King. “Once again we stand on the threshold of a great victory. Your armies are yours to command sire. What are your orders?”
Vantrax nodded smugly and replied. “As stated, we are in no hurry now. However, we will air on the side of caution nevertheless. Sawdon will go with the entire army to Te’oull. You and I will remain here with my Personal Guard. We will follow in the morning, once we are both rested. The enemy will then feel the full force of my vengeance. The city of Te’oull will be wiped from the map. I am determined that no one and nothing will survive this time. I will raise it to the ground, and this Keeper of theirs will have no army to call upon. Just like the Estians, he will be crushed!”
Chapter 8
Dusk - 31st August - The City of Te’oull - Siatol
Jake and Tien climbed onto Gellsorr’s lowered neck. The flight from Varriann city had taken the mighty dragon a little over two hours to complete. He had covered the considerable distance in a fraction of the time it would have taken an army to march and he was far faster than the flying horses would have been. As he neared Te’oull, Gellsorr circled high around the city and approached from the south, just as instructed by Jake. He landed in the main square without being spotted by the enemy, who thankfully remained completely unaware of his arrival. A crowd on enthralled onlookers immediately gathered around him. Apart from those warriors and civilians present at the Battle of Dassilliak, no one had ever seen a live dragon before on Estia. The most anyone knew about the magnificent creatures from legend were the descriptions contained in the stories passed down through word of mouth by previous generations, or snippets from the fairy tales and books, which relayed in dramatic terms their crucial role in Estia’s turbulent history. Dragons were the stuff of myths and folklore for most on Estia and yet, a very real, very large, living and breathing beast was now standing before them. The defenders of Te’oull took great heart from the fact that he had come at their hour of need and was ready and willing to fight by their side. As awe inspiring as the sight may have been for the many Estians packed into the square however, Jake decided quickly that they had no time for pleasantries. He immediately made his goodbyes and invited Tien to join him.
“Right then,” the young Keeper said, as soon as the wizard was settled in behind him, “this oughta be a blast!”
Tien made to respond to yet another strange and unfamiliar statement, but Jake continued before he had the chance. “…Tell ya what, if I take nothing else away from this incredible experience, this whole life changing ‘dream’ I seem to be living, I’m determined that I’m really gonna enjoy this!”
Tien could not see it, but in front of him Jake West’s eyes were on fire. He was suddenly alive with anticipation. His young and eager face was beaming at the prospect of what was about to come. He was about to take another wild ride into the realms of the unknown. This was an excursion to rival anything he had done before, including travelling through the light. He couldn’t be more excited. His smile widened even further when he felt Gellsorr chuckle slightly beneath him, in response to his youthful exuberance.
“
Oh yeah,” Jake added, feeling like a kid again and loving every minute of it, “Alton Towers theme park’s got nothing on this! Ha ha… I only wish my mates could see me now!”
The old wizard shook his head in disbelief, barely able to believe the Keeper’s mood given their current predicament. But, he soon realised that actually, he was feeling rather pleased to see the boyish enthusiasm return in Jake, if only for a fleeting moment or two. This whole new world for him, this tremendous burden of responsibility he was now shouldering, had been thrust upon the teenager without warning, without a choice. He had been left all of a sudden without any options. Jake could not object to it, or refuse the honour bestowed upon him, not really. And as far as Tien was concerned, he had dealt with it all superbly, despite his immaturity at times, which often riled the old wizard. The youngster had earned the right to have a little fun if he could. Still, though he had no wish at all to ruin the moment, Tien knew that he was there to guide him, and he felt obliged to point out the obvious.
“Jake, we are about to head for the very heart of our enemy’s lands. In reality, we have very little hope of success. We have no plan to speak of, as far as I know? And in all probability we are journeying to our deaths. It is good to see you smiling again. However, I do not understand…? I fail to see how any of this could have escaped your attention?”
Jake’s expression did not alter. His smile was as wide as ever as he turned his head to reply over his shoulder. “Yeah, I know all of that, of course I do. But, come on? Lighten up, will ya? Look, if we’re about to kick the bucket as you say, if we’re gonna pop our clogs and become worm food, can you seriously think of a better way to go?”
Tien was unable to respond for he had no time. Realising the urgency of their mission, Gellsorr decided to leave. His huge and powerful wings unfurled without warning. They beat rapidly and the old dragon lurched forward, almost unseating his two passengers with the speed of his movement, who were left clinging onto his neck for dear life. He soared swiftly into the sunlit sky, before banking immediately and heading south, in another manoeuvre which almost flung the Keeper and his guide to their deaths on the ground below. They managed to hold on somehow and the dragon headed away from the city, towards the Fetril Sea and the violent continent of Mynae which lay beyond.
They travelled for the remainder of that day and into the night. The lush green valleys of Estia soon gave way and underneath them appeared the rough, turbulent waters of the channel which divided the two contrasting lands. At one point in the darkness, Jake began to feel very tired, exhausted in fact. Though he knew it was extremely dangerous to fall asleep in his current plight, he just couldn’t help himself, and his eyes began to close. He fought hard and struggled gamely to stay awake. Luckily for him, Tien somehow sensed what was happening. He performed a vitality spell he had learned from the Heynai and the young boy in front of him was immediately revived. His mind and body felt fresh once more, leaving him able to concentrate solely on the task in hand.
As they crossed into Mynae and flew low over the country of Falor a bright and clear moon was shining, lighting up the incredible landscape below. Verastus’ homeland was a mixture of baron plains and overpopulated cities, built on rough, scorched earth. It was punctuated here and there by vast mountain ranges with incredibly high peaks. These snow covered summits had to be negotiated in flight, either by going round, or by flying over them if they could. The temperature fluctuated rapidly. When they were over the plains it was pleasantly warm, but the air cooled severely when approaching the mountains, so much so that it fell to well below freezing in what seemed like a matter of seconds. Jake would probably have died from exposure if it were not for another of Tien’s spells.
Daylight sneaked up on them much faster than expected and, as they approached the border with Eratur, the sun had already risen. This was the homeland of the Thargws and Hybraddan, and it was their final destination. It was a harsh, unforgiving place. The landscape consisted entirely of rock and blackened soil. The icy wind was almost unbearable, in spite of Tien’s magic. It cut right through Jake and seemed almost to enter his bones. Eratur looked devoid of life at first glance. Closer inspection however, revealed numerous small conurbations of caves and huts. They were littered everywhere, though most were obviously built to conceal them from the view of anyone at ground level.
Gellsorr continued flying for another hour or more, bypassing several cities, as well as towns of all shapes and sizes. At last, he spied his destination, a small mountain range at the foot of which was a much larger metropolis, protected on all sides by a vast wall of grey rock. It was a daunting, intimidating sight to behold. He began to descend slowly and landed behind a small hill to remain obscured from sight. Once on the ground, he lowered his neck and Jake and Tien dismounted quickly.
“We have done well to arrive safely, Keeper. The city you saw before us is Kerralux. The northern part of Eratur which we have passed through is sparsely populated. Beyond this point however, their warriors live in large numbers, in cities such as this, and in many smaller dwellings. Now, I have done as you asked, tell me your plan,” said the dragon.
Jake looked at each of the expectant faces of his new friends. “Hmmnn… Yes, a plan. I suppose it would be a good idea to have one of those, eh?
…No, I can’t do it like Ben. Alright, calm down, I was only kidding. Listen in… It’s almost midday I reckon? If we go marching in there now, we’ll be easily spotted and killed for sure. No, there’s way too many of them for that. We’ll just have to wait for darkness. Then you’ll have to glide over the wall as silently as you can and land us right next to the palace. If we’re lucky, we won’t be seen or heard, and we’ll go from there?”
Gellsorr was astounded by the simplicity of such a notion. He was also a little disappointed. He looked towards the wizard, expecting him to say something, but Tien remained quiet and showed no sign at all that he was going to. “I… How…? I… Srr… I admit to being taken by surprise, Jake. You mean to tell me that your only plan is to trust to luck?”
“Err… Yeah,” replied the teenage Keeper. “…Well… No, actually, that’s not quite true. I’m hoping we’ll be lucky, of course I am. But, it’s more accurate to say that I’m trusting in you and Tien.”
* * *
At Te’oull on 1st September, volunteers of all shapes, sizes, creed and capability continued to pour into the southern gates. As they did, they passed by the throngs of civilians and non combatants who were heading the other way, hoping to avoid the forthcoming battle and escape the enemy. They were led by Eyatrav, Yelena and most of the Juyen, and they left with Princess Zephany’s blessing. The young warrior and her Perosyan champion, Caro, had formed a collection point in the main square for all those who wanted to fight. Here, the new arrivals were quickly assessed by army captains for their fighting ability and experience, before being assigned their new positions in the defence of the city. The Princess had taken a keen interest in what was happening and she remained close by.
When there was a brief lull in activity she spoke to Caro about their situation, seeking his counsel. “By some miracle, our numbers continue to grow. But, what do you make of our new army, Caro? Can they fight?”
The veteran knight was not one for speaking anything other than the truth. “Princess, they are all volunteers. They have not been coerced. They are here for you, of their own free will. I would take ten such warriors into battle with me over a hundred slaves any day. Though, to answer your question as you would like; there are many among them who have been raised like us, with sword, bow and spear in hand. We are fortunate to have them. There are also farmers, tailors, blacksmiths and saddlers in their ranks. It is yet to be seen how effective they will be in battle, but I do not believe we are in the position to be anything other than grateful? We must welcome them all with open arms, and hope that we are allowed the time to train them.”
Zephany laughed at having to be reminded of a few home truths by her sworn protector. She
slapped Caro on his back in a surprisingly warm show of affection. “Ha ha… Indeed, my friend, well spoken. What would I do without you? Thank you. Welcome!” she cried, to the crowd of fresh volunteers who now approached their position. “…You are all very welcome here! We are the Estian Alliance, and this is Te’oull, the chosen sight for our stand against all those who would seek to enslave us, to destroy us. Fight well, and this is a story you will relay with pride to your children some day!”
Lord Caro’s attention was drawn suddenly towards one of the new arrivals. She looked totally and utterly out of place. He eyed her up and down, unsure what to make of her. “Srr… You are of course as welcome as anyone here, madam. Though, forgive me, I have to ask, what is it you believe you can do for us?”
It soon became clear that Princess Zephany was equally as surprised and bemused. She looked down upon the tired and worn out features of the old lady in front of her. Both warriors could not help but notice the scars on her face, barely hidden in amongst the many wrinkles which covered it completely. Her clothes were nothing more than rags. Shredded and faded, they looked as though they were about to fall off at any point.
