by M J Webb
* * *
Notorold’s last intended strike came closer than any other to hitting the dragon and killing the Keeper. Only a last ditch swerve from Resus had saved them both. Jake’s powers meant that he was not at all afraid. However, he could see no way out of his predicament and he was just beginning to really accept that escape was impossible. Any second now it would all be over. He was going to die.
‘This has to be it,’ he thought. ‘There’s no way out of it this time. I’ve been here before but this really is a battle too far. I’ve tried, but there’s nothing else I can do, is there? Tell me someone, please! Where have you all gone?! What else can I do?!’
“Look!”
Resus continued to swerve and dive to avoid being hit. However, he was now looking straight ahead of him, towards the hill where King Vantrax stood watching the battle unfold. Far behind the wizard, unbeknown to him, a giant cloud of white smoke had appeared from out of nowhere. It was travelling fast and moving in the same direction the army of zsorcraum had taken on its way to the battle, heading straight for them!
“What is it?” asked Resus, as he soared upwards to avoid another beam of light.
Jake could see nothing but white smoke. It looked like an enormous bank of white cloud and he replied more in hope than anything else. “Err… Don’t quote me, mate, but I think it’s the cavalry!”
* * *
Notorold had gained on Resus now. He was almost on top of him and he could not miss with his next strike. Confident that he could take the dragon out with one more shot, he lined himself up directly behind his tail and prepared to fire.
Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a bolt of pure white lightning hit the evil spirit squarely in the chest. His body contorted in flight and an awful scream filled the air. Within seconds, he was gone.
Jake saw the light flash by him. He turned his head rapidly and watched it hit its target. He knew immediately that the timely intervention had just saved his life. Despite still being pursued by the rest of the dark spirits, he looked up to see where it had come from. Flying towards him like a blessed vision of a host of angels, was an entire army of white spirits from the afterlife. And, as they neared, he saw that they were being led by several figures he knew.
“It’s Sereq!” he cried ecstatically, shocked and hardly able to believe his own eyes. “…Resus! It’s Sereq and the Heynai! They’ve come back to save us somehow! Oh my…! I can’t believe it… Knesh! Knesh is with them!” he screamed, barely able to control his excitement.
The white army passed by swiftly before the dragon could reply. They fell upon the hoards of dark spirits and another almighty battle in the skies above Te’oull was underway. It was watched by the enthralled and amazed Estians below. The ferocious fight took several minutes to win, but eventually every single evil spirit had been destroyed, all mercilessly hunted down and killed by their white counterparts. And, whilst all of this was taking place, Jake West decided that he had one final task to complete.
“Resus, put me down on that small hill over there,” he instructed the dragon, pointing at King Vantrax.
Resus obeyed without hesitation. He landed not far from the evil wizard and stared at him with venomous, hate-filled eyes. “Say the word, Keeper, and I will turn him to ash for you.”
“No! He is mine,” cried Jake, as he jumped down and approached his arch enemy.
The teenager from Lichfield was alert, ready to act, to counter any move King Vantrax might make against him, or his dragon. He was confident that his new powers would protect them both, and that he would know what to do when he needed to. “It’s over. You’ve lost. It’s all gone, your armies, your Thargw, the creatures you raised, your crown… everything! These people are free now. They are finally rid of you.”
“Not quite!” Vantrax replied, suddenly yelling his response and acting so swiftly that even Jake was caught unprepared. He raised his arms in a flash and shouted out a solitary word.
“Harrujj!”
The air beside the evil King suddenly ripped itself apart with astonishing speed. Through the gap created rode the remaining three Lords of Srenul, astride their magnificent stallions. Their huge swords were drawn and pointed at the Keeper, as they thundered down upon him at full speed.
Jake responded once again without hesitation or thought.
“Bratiq!”
Fuelled by the power of the restored box of stones, the young Keeper roared the command like never before. His hand switched from King Vantrax to his new targets and three bolts of lightning fired from the ends of his fingers. They struck each of the dark knights and passed straight through them, ripping out their insides.
The dark Lords continued their momentum. At first, it looked as though the light would have no effect. But, when they were almost upon Jake, they each suddenly vanished into thin air with an awful cry of anguish and pain. The Lords of Srenul who had once ruled the whole continent and terrorised the Estian’s nightmares for hundreds of years, had been destroyed once and for all.
Jake West could hardly believe it, and he breathed a huge sigh of relief.
Chapter 27
3rd September - The City of Te’oull - Siatol
A sudden and dramatic surge of energy and power swept through the whole of Jake’s body as the last of the Lords of Srenul was destroyed. Along with it, came an enormous swell of anger and fury, the likes of which he had never experienced before. He was filled all of a sudden with another overwhelming desire to kill, only this time it was a feeling so intense, so severe, that he could barely contain himself. It was an insatiable thirst for vengeance which the young boy from England could hardly control. It was as if he could feel the combined pain and anguish of the countless thousands of Estians who had suffered at the hands of King Vantrax over the years, as if the agony suffered by his innumerable victims was tearing at his heart, and ripping it apart. The powerful emotion swept through his body and eventually reached his throat. The teenager seemed to be possessed and he suddenly roared like a Thargw. His eyes were bulging and his muscles contracted, growing in size at the same time and sending his entire body into spasms, lifting him onto his toes. He struggled viciously to contain the force within, for it was a violent, dangerous and unexpected strength which threatened to devour his soul.
For the two astonished onlookers, Resus and King Vantrax, it was an unbelievable and terrifying sight which had them frozen on the spot. Jake’s whole body seemed to almost double in size. In the blink of an eye he was transformed from an ordinary teenager to a muscle-bound freak. He looked like a powerlifter, a muscular body builder. The need and desire to exact revenge upon the wizard had consumed him and fuelled the fire.
He lifted his right arm and pointed his fingers towards his arch enemy, ready to fire his beam of light and send him to whatever awaited in the afterlife. King Vantrax was still reeling in shock. But, he had witnessed the awesome power of the Keeper and his fascination had the better of him. He watched in awe as the energy overtook the young boy’s body. This was the very thing he craved most. Though he knew he had to act in order to save his own skin, he just could not tear his eyes away from what was happening. As he looked on, he wasted the small window of opportunity he had to take advantage of the Keeper’s momentary vulnerability. And, now that it was over, the evil wizard was completely at Jake’s mercy.
However, despite the raging torrent of emotions burning within him, Jake West inexplicably hesitated. The wizard before him was the tyrant who had brought Estia to the very brink of the abyss, the man he knew he had to kill. If anyone deserved to die, it was him. But, something inside of the youngster began fighting his almost irresistible urge to take his life. A second or two passed by and Jake’s hand and fingers began to shake a little, as the battle between the two opposing forces raged within him.
Sensing the Keeper’s struggle, Resus tried to encourage him to act. “Do it, Jake. Kill him!” the dragon cried. Resus had more reason than most to want the evil wizard dead. Many of his dra
gons had been lost in the fight for Te’oull. Those who had managed to survive all carried wounds of some description. Thanks to King Vantrax and his prosecution of the war, the dragons were now on the very brink of extinction. “Why do you hesitate? It is a just killing, if ever there was one. It is a fitting end for one such as him. He has wrought destruction wherever he has been. Finish him, Jake. End this now!”
Jake’s eyes did not move from the wizard as he replied. His arm and fingers were still trembling but they remained poised to strike. He understood completely what Resus was saying. Heck, he agreed with him entirely! But, he still could not bring himself to do it… And he didn’t know why?
Believing that he might yet have a reprieve, King Vantrax decided to speak. “He cannot do it. He is afraid.”
Resus was incensed by the wizard’s taunt and he moved forward threateningly, as he decided to act. “That may be so, but I have no such concerns! I will…!”
“No!” roared Jake.
He did not move a muscle, but his instant command was enough to stop the dragon in his tracks, just as a bolt of light formed in the creature’s eyes, ready to strike the wizard down. “…I am the chosen Keeper, the guardian of the stones. I ask you to stand down for me now, Resus? Let me finish what I have come here to do?”
Smoke oozed from his nostrils as the dragon took a reluctant step backwards. “As you command. We follow you, so I will do as you wish,” he stated, bowing his head slightly to Jake, but unable to conceal his disappointment.
King Vantrax shifted his eyes back to the young boy who had him cornered. “It is not so easy to kill someone in cold blood, is it?” he snarled. “I do not imagine you have faced such things on your world? And this is your first encounter, your first full scale battle. I can tell,” he added, trying to engage Jake in conversation, and buy more time. “You are not to blame. Yours is a natural reaction, a perfectly understandable fear.”
Jake swallowed hard to suppress a lump in his throat. “If I was any ordinary boy I’d probably agree with you. It is incredibly hard to kill anything, and it does not come easy for most… Thank God. That is the way it should be. But, I am no ordinary boy, am I? I guess I never have been. Though I never knew anything about it, the ability to take a life was always inside of me. I have wrestled with my conscience now and it is clear. It is for the greater good. When I kill you, know that I will feel no guilt. There will be no shame, no fear. You see? You were wrong, King Vantrax; I am not afraid to act. What you saw in me was not fear. Your death is what has to happen. It is the end of a terrible journey. And it is my duty to the people of Estia.”
“Kah! And yet, you delay?” replied the King, sensing with concern Jake’s sudden change of heart and surprised by the gleam of determination in his eye. The wizard’s right hand had by now worked its way unseen into his pocket and begun searching for one of two pieces of reolite stone he had concealed there. The pair of reolite shards were the last known stones of their kind on Estia which were not in the Keeper’s possession. The tiny gems were so small that Vantrax had trouble locating one.
“I have resolved my issues now. I think it was nothing more than curiosity which prevented me from taking action. There is an unanswered question which is troubling me, nothing more,” Jake said, completely unaware of the wizard’s actions.
“I see. Then, ask away, young Keeper,” the King retorted, as his fingers finally located the stone he was searching for. “I will answer you truthfully if I can.”
“The horsemen… Where did they come from? How did you open the rift from which they appeared, when you have not been able to do it before?”
King Vantrax smiled a wicked smile. “Kuh! Have not been able to? Or, have not chosen to? You are the Keeper, do you not know?”
Jake thought about it very briefly, before the truth suddenly dawned on him. “Reolite! You had another stone!”
King Vantrax nodded. “Yes. For years I searched these lands, looking for other gems. I found only a few. With more such stones I could have ruled the world, ruled countless worlds. But, it was not meant to be, so I have had to be more creative!”
The wizard King acted so swiftly that Jake was unable to stop him. He threw the shard of reolite onto the ground and shouted out one word as it fell.
“Treveq!”
Another hole opened up immediately in the air right beside the wizard. Vantrax rushed into the gap with unbelievable speed, just as Jake fired his beam of light in an attempt to stop him. The tear in the atmosphere closed the very instant the light disappeared inside.
Jake and Resus did not see what happened. Vantrax was gone and nothing remained ahead of them but thin air. Both were too stunned to speak. After a short while though, the horrified dragon asked the question that was weighing heavily on both of their minds. “Did… Did you hit him? Is he dead?”
Jake shook his head in despair, as he realised what he had just done. Or rather, what he had failed to do. “I don’t know. I couldn’t see. Oh, why didn’t I kill him when I had the chance? What came over me? I should have…!”
He was too angry to continue, too distraught to finish what he was saying. His entire body was shaking with rage and he hardly noticed as it slowly reduced in size. It stopped diminishing when he was just larger than he had been before he confronted the evil King.
Though he was equally as disappointed, Resus stepped forward to stand alongside the Keeper. “It may be of no consequence now, Jake. I am certain that he is dead. The light was far too close to him. He could not have survived.”
“Yeah? You think?” asked Jake, hoping and praying that the dragon was correct. “…Okay, but what if you’re wrong? What if he did survive? And he finds a way back from wherever he’s gone?”
Resus thought for a brief moment before he answered. “In that case… He has lost his power, his entire army. He no longer has any wealth to speak of, for we will ensure that the mines are run for the good of all on Estia from today. I give you my word on that. So, without warriors, or the money to buy them, what damage could he do to our cause now?” asked the dragon. “…Though, if I may offer one word of advice? I think it best that this news remains just between us?” he added, as an afterthought. “…The people of Estia need not know what happened here, Jake? They have been through too much, suffered too much heartache and pain to have this victory tarnished by such news. It will be our secret, one I will take with me to the afterlife if I must?”
Jake turned to look the dragon in the eye. “No. Thank you, my friend, but I will not lie to them. I will tell them the truth, for they deserve nothing less. They must know that I failed them, failed to kill the one responsible for all of this, King Vantrax. Despite the anger and disappointment they may feel, I have to be honest and inform them that I let them all down.”
The mighty dragon suddenly began to laugh for no apparent reason. It soon became a roar of delight. When it became clear that Jake was mystified and was not going to join in, he stopped laughing and tried his best to explain why he had responded in such a fashion to the Keeper’s statement.
“You have let them down?” he said, in a tone of voice that openly mocked the teenager’s choice of words. He lowered his neck so that Jake could climb on as he spoke. “That is perhaps the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard!”
* * *
Princess Zephany and the defenders of Te’oull looked on with relief and excitement from under their protective shield as the army of white spirits destroyed the dark forces from zsorcraum. It was the most exhilarating, stupendous sight they had ever seen. The short but incredibly vicious battle was being waged right before their eyes. As the last of the hideous spectres was destroyed, an enormous roar of delight erupted in and around the square. It swept through the Estian ranks rapidly, until it seemed that the whole city had just sprung into life. The warriors of the Estian Alliance began celebrating and congratulating each other like never before. Some wept openly at their miraculous deliverance, whilst others hugged and kissed any membe
r of the female persuasion they could find, particularly the Sebantans. The fearsome warriors would normally kill anyone acting in such a manner without a second thought, but on this occasion they shared their ally’s relief and joined in the festivities willingly. Songs and cheers rang out everywhere. Princess Zephany and Lord Caro were lifted high onto the shoulders of their warriors and carried triumphantly to the centre of the square, where it seemed the whole Estian army had converged. Once there, they were lowered to the ground and they hugged each other warmly, to another crescendo of exuberant cheers.
However, the merriment soon stopped when their attention was suddenly drawn to the shield overhead. For a split second, the air above them had suddenly been transformed into a white and yellow light. Then, as rapidly as it had formed, it became crystal clear. The great protective shield had disappeared.
Everyone in the city who had not already done so began converging on the square. The vast army of white spirits encircled the city and closed in to hover just above the buildings, forming a perfect circle numerous ranks deep. Five ghostly figures then floated out of the crowd. They weaved their way through and over the Estians to halt at the centre statue, where Lord Caro and Princess Zephany were standing waiting for them, having by now been joined by the others. Jean was holding onto Melissa’s hand as they talked to Nytig. Queen Bressial was congratulating Tien, Harry and Graham on their exploits. All were smiling and laughing, and anxious to hear what the spirits had to say.
