The Last Ritual

by S K Smith

  ‘If you didn’t care you wouldn’t have stepped in.’ Theo said slyly. Niall ignored him. He wanted the safety of Martha and her Tavern. However, he couldn’t shake the nagging regret since watching Ayda ride away. She had run towards danger to save her sister, he had run away from danger to save himself. His clothes were uncomfortably itchy, and the rain had left him cold to the bone. He longed for a hot meal and bath. As they approached the river, the sound of rushing water flooded over him. The river was a lot wider than he remembered. It had burst its banks.

  ‘Unless you have a boat I think we’re stuck.’ Theo said hopelessly. He was right, the skeleton of the bridge could be seen sticking out of the flooded waters, but the rest of the bridge’s carcass had long been swept away by the deluge. The river was dirty, water from the fields had flown into its veins and the water was speeding south towards the sea. They could not go home.

  ‘There’s only one thing for it then.’ Niall said, his mind made up. ‘We go to the Stone City. She stole our horses.’

  6 – ELLE

  Ayda had not been there when Brielle had awoken, but Elle could tell from the impression left in the armchair cushions that she must have stayed well into the night. The gentle tapping of raindrops softened the harsh silence of a cold and dreary morning. Brielle watched the trail of tears slowly descend the glass and unite in a puddle. She stretched as she wandered over to the closed balcony doors, pressing her face against the cool glass she watched her breath fog on the inside. The gardens were rejoicing in the sudden downpour, water droplets were dancing off marble sculptures and pools happily bursting with overflow. It was early, the sun was shadowed, Ayda was probably riding to the border by now. Elle already missed her. Amie tapped on the door and walked in with a breakfast tray.

  ‘Good Morning Princess,’ She smiled warmly.

  ‘Hello Amie.’ Elle replied, sitting before the silver tray and cutting up her eggs and toast.

  ‘What are your plans for today?’ Amie had started making up the bed. Elle shook her head, her mouth too full of egg to respond, though she didn’t feel much like eating, she knew Amie would fuss if she didn’t at least eat something.

  ‘I think the young ones are going to be leaving with their parents tomorrow, so maybe you can play with them today?’ Amie continued kindly. Elle didn’t feel like playing today, the weather outside matched her mood perfectly. She had had nightmares all night about the screaming girl. She was tired and aching from tossing and turning most of the night. There was a nagging darkness at the back of her mind that something was amiss, but she was too scared to talk. She yawned widely.

  ‘Oh dear, maybe we should tuck you back into bed?’ Amie said, concerned, immediately noticing the young Princess’s fatigue. As Amie, lead the Princess back to her bed, a thundering knock resounded through the room.

  ‘I am commanded to escort the Princess to the Throne room.’ A Protector shouted clearly through the door. Amie smiled and rose to her feet winking at Elle.

  ‘The King has need of you sweet Princess. I’ll just ask the Protector for time for you to dress.’ Striding confidently over to the large oak doors, the moment the handle was turned, the doors flew open and threw the young elf to the other side of the chamber. Brielle screamed as the huge Protector picked up her maid by the throat.

  ‘Run Elle!’ Amie whimpered, before the Protector threw her from the balcony. Brielle jumped up and sprinted from the room, her nightdress flapping around her ankles as she ran from her chambers. She scurried down the spiral staircase and slammed straight into a wall of gold.

  ‘Got her!’ Someone grabbed her arms painfully and picked her up as if she weighed no more than air. Kicking and screaming, Brielle struggled restlessly. Crying out for her mother and father, weeping for Amie. The Protectors were supposed to keep her safe – what was happening? Finally, she was thrown to the floor. The cold hard stone floor hurt her face as she was shoved into it, the force causing her to flinch for a moment before the wailing continued.

  ‘Ah, good morning Princess Elle!’ A warm voice welcomed her. Blinking stars from her eyes from the fall, Elle looked up hopefully. Her mother and father’s thrones were in front of her, undamaged, strong and standing tall as usual. Seeing them gave her strength. Her parents were King and Queen, this act of aggression would be treason. Looking around, there were twenty or so Elves dressed head to toe in Golden Armour, she could no longer tell which one had mercilessly carried her or which one had murdered poor, innocent Amie.

  ‘Where is my father the King?’ She whimpered quietly, looking at the man stood by the throne. He was dressed in a blood red cloak, his face covered by a black and gold detailed half-mask. She recognised the garb from stories told by the Temple of Scholars. He was of the Legion.

  ‘He – ah – will be joining us shortly. Your mother too if we’re lucky!’ The man said happily, wringing his hands. At that moment, a loud crash resounded through the throne room, several Golden clad soldiers clattered into the room, dragging a middle-aged man between them. Brielle watched in horror as the kindly face of her father hit the floor when the Guards shoved him brutally to the ground. Brielle screamed out for him and crawled over to him, helping him to his knees. Clutching him closely she glared up at the Guard who was whispering to the red cloaked man. She was struggling to keep herself steady. Her heart was hammering against her chest and her body was shaking in fear. Her Father’s weakness and harsh breathing were not giving her hope.

  ‘Let my daughter go.’ He commanded, clearly. Pushing himself up feebly, the fallen King regained his footing and straightened up, his eyes fixed on the leader.

  ‘Now why would I do that?’ The masked man swept down towards him, his face inches away from the King’s. ‘You have displeased the Elder’s in the most unforgivable way.’ He spat.

  ‘I have always fully supported the Elders, always acted upon their will.” The King said calmly and clearly, his eyes locked in silent combat with the Captain.

  ‘Almost always.’ The Captain smiled, revealing a full set of perfect teeth.

  ‘If I have angered the Elders my daughter need not pay for it!’ The King declared. Brielle watched with fire roaring in her heart as her Father stood tall despite obvious injury. Her eyes watered as she heard the slightest plea in which he hoped to save her from this misery. He had positioned himself between her and the Captain, determined that none should harm his child. Watching him, Elle knew it would be only too easy for him to overpowered physically, and yet no one here seemed to care that he was their King. The power her father once had was gone.

  ‘Do what you are here to do.’ The King said calmly, ‘Please spare my daughter.’ The Captain laughed a cold and cruel laugh, many of the golden clad audience chuckled with him. Elle used the opportunity to seek a friendly face, one of the Guard must still support them! Sir Rakel was not here, nor Sir Morcei. She recognised no one. They were alone. It was just her and her father against all these battle-hardened Knights. The fire in her heart flickered, she could see no way out. Her Father’s strength had dried her tears, she felt them dry and stiff on her cheeks. She would be a strong Princess, like Ayda, not a child.

  ‘It is because of your little elf that I am here.’ The Captain said softly. Instantly a buzzing vibration reverberated through the air, at the same moment bolts of white lightning sparked from the Captain’s hands aiming straight for Brielle’s heart. She froze in fear, but the lightning struck an invisible barrier that surrounded her. The invisible barrier vibrated louder with each pulse of lightning that coursed through it leaving ripples in the surface. Elle screamed, not understanding what was happening. The lightning was bright white and dazzling her, she braced herself for the pain she was sure to endure as the lightning continued to batter the shield. Finally, after long moments of holding her breath, the attack ceased.

  ‘Yet another rule broken your Majesty.’ The Captain jested, beginning to circle around the pair, ‘No-one is allowed magic!’

  ‘I swore never
to use it!’ The King barked back, ‘But you threatened my daughter.’

  ‘Very well,’ The Captain replied, ‘You first then.’ A split second brought more power forth. Elle was still on her knees, staring transfixed as her Father shielded and blocked repeatedly strong sparks of power with invisible barriers. Her father had magic! Elle’s mouth was open. She had not known. Magic had all but disappeared in Myrliar, she knew the Elder’s had magic, but no-one had been born with the gift for centuries! Yet her father was here, defending her with shields of power, concentrating with all his strength. Occasional bursts of power shot at her randomly, testing, but her father deflected them. Movement all around alerted her to the Guards, some were fleeing the room! We could win Elle thought excitedly. Getting to her feet, Brielle watched with her heart in her mouth, hoping her father had enough strength to get them out of here.

  He didn’t. As his power ebbed, the shocks ripped through his weakened shield and seared through his body, his mouth and eyes wide in shock as he stood paralyzed by the electricity coursing through his body. The Captain laughed coldly as a remaining Guard plunged his sword deep into the King’s back. The world around Elle fell away, as she watched her Father, the King’s body fall to the ground. Brielle could feel the piercing cold of ice smother the once roaring flame where her heart used to be. She could not stop her hands from shaking, no longer from fear, but from anger. An anger so deep it filled every inch of her body she felt close to vomiting. Her father was dead. Tears fell from her cheeks as she lost control, she raged, every ounce of pain exploded from within her. She felt power flow through her, the exhaustion and fear that had before suffocated her now fuelled her power. The ground grumbled and shuddered violently beneath her feet and the great white walls of the Castle’s Throne Room cracked and crumbled as Elle’s power grew. The muffled sounds of screaming and death filled her ears distantly as the ceilings gave way and crushed the Guards below. She could hear metal armour scraping the floor as survivors attempted to drag themselves away from the wreckage. The storm outside grew as monstrous as her soul, the sky was black as shadow, thunder and lightning cracking the air ferociously. Elle never noticed the huge glass windows behind her parent’s thrones explode and impale several Guards running from her, she never noticed as the ground around her gave way, bodies falling into the mountainous abyss below. She wanted to hear them scream, see life leave their bodies, and she wanted nothing more than to cause their pain. Several blasts of power bounced against her shield, a shield she never knew she’d created. The masked man of the Legion was in front of her, levitating above the emptiness she had created. She focussed on him, the battering of his power against her shield was barely noticeable. The debris around her stampeded towards him, his shield held – just. Shocked, the Captain withdrew, with one sharp lightning lance that pierced the darkness and blinded her. Frustrated, Elle spun around in search of him, he was gone. Casting out the last of her magic, destroying anything in her path, she caught sight of someone slipping away. She was lost in her pain. He meant something to her. His body was sliding, slowly towards the crater she had ripped into the earth. Soon he would be swallowed by darkness. She was lost. Her anger and hatred had consumed her. Tears filled her eyes again as she remembered and found herself regaining control. Her father. Just in time, she used the last of her magic to grab him and lift him to her. Her father. She had nearly lost him forever, he had nearly fallen. Silence enveloped her as her magic faded. The storm quietened to its natural grumble. All she could hear was her ragged breathing, her body still shaking. She clutched him and buried her face in his bloodstained clothes. Elle looked into her father’s staring eyes realising with a heart wrenching sob, she had lost him forever. He had fallen.

  7– AYDA

  The storm had taken its toll on them. Ayda’s cloak was soaked through and clinging to her frame, water running off the light armour beneath. Syren’s red hair was darkened with water and stuck flat to her body. Their horses were broken, exhausted from the hard ride through the dense forest that surrounded the First Wall of Myrliar. The wall was now visible, the storm had finally cleared as quickly as it had raged. The rain and winds had been heavy when she had left Niall, but that storm had turned deadly and angry almost instantly, as if the Elder’s themselves had conjured it. The clouds had thundered in black and dark, haunting the world. Ayda had not slowed despite the danger, she was desperate to get her little sister to safety. The treachery of her comrades clung painfully at her heart, she would mourn their friendship later, for now, she had to get to Elle.

  ‘We can’t just walk into the City, someone clearly wants you dead.” Syren said quietly to Ayda.

  ‘We have to find a way in and quickly,’ Ayda insisted, attempting to hide the panic in her voice, she could not bear to think what could be happening to her family, they could already be dead. No, she thought, I cannot think like that. Hiding their weak horses in the brush, Ayda and Syren slowly approached the First Wall, hiding behind a cluster of trees, they scoured the wall. The Wall towered above the ancient trees of the forest. Small, iron barred windows were dotted along it, figures of Guards and Soldiers could be seen moving from window to window carrying out their daily duties. Ayda was grateful for her training, as a Soldier of the Golden Army she knew the First Wall and the Barracks within very well. If they were careful maybe they could sneak through unnoticed.

  ‘They’ve closed the gates!’ Syren whispered urgently. Ayda’s eyes snapped to the entrance of the Wall, the huge stone and steel gates were down and sealed, shielding Myrliar from any unwanted visitors. Ayda sighed, the situation had gone from difficult to impossible. The gates of the First Wall were only ever closed at time of war with the Humans, in her lifetime, she could not remember them being sealed once. Were they keeping her out, or her family in?

  ‘What do we do?’ Syren asked, still crouching low behind the trees next to her. Ayda looked around helplessly for inspiration, she felt the panic rising, she had no idea how they could penetrate a wall that an Army could not bring down. She considered scaling it, but the white stone was so smooth they were not going to get a foothold. ‘I could always try to sneak in, the Guards are looking for you not me.’ Syren suggested. The thought had occurred to Ayda, but she had no idea how her friend would explain being without the Patrol, they must know they were close sparring partners. It was too dangerous. She relayed these thoughts to the red-haired elf.

  ‘So, we can’t climb, dig or walk in.’ Syren muttered, kicking the dirt in frustration. Ayda ignored her friend. A sickness had crept to her stomach and was threatening to pull her on all fours. Her little sister was so far away from her. Ayda had been able to fight her way out with help from her friends, but Elle was so small, so weak, she would stand no chance of getting away from the Army. Then there were her parents, the King and Queen of Myrliar. Had they lost power? Had someone risen and removed them from their Throne? Was anyone in that Castle fighting for them? Ayda felt helpless, she had ridden hard against the ferocious storm to help her family, but she was still no nearer to holding her little sister. Syren, spotting the look of defeat on Ayda’s face moved forwards.

  ‘I’m sure she is safe, no-one could deem your sister a threat, Sir Rakel or Sir Morcei would have got them out, I’m sure of it.’ At the mention of Sir Rakel, a spark ignited, fighting the deep despair in which she had begun to drown. He was a lifelong friend of her Father, no matter what, he would be standing with her family. She smiled weakly at her comrade.

  ‘I thought you two would be in and out by now!’ Someone called to them close by. Three men climbed through the thicket towards them. The leader walked lazily, swinging his arms with a carefree look on his face. The two men behind looked much less at ease, both with their hands firmly around the hilt of their favourite blade.

  ‘What are you doing here?’ Ayda spat at Niall.

  ‘That is not nice.’ Niall jested, ‘I thought Princesses were supposed to have manners.’ He dipped quickly into a bow with a smile on his
face, the handsome young man to his left smirked.

  Niall clapped his hands together carelessly. ‘So, what’s the plan your Highness?’

  ‘What?’ Ayda asked confused.

  ‘How are we getting in there to get the little Elf?’ Theo asked enthusiastically from Niall’s left. Ayda blushed, embarrassed. She had no plan. She had absolutely no idea how to get into her own home. Niall laughed loudly. Karl smacked him on the back with a firm ‘Quiet!’ which silenced him momentarily. ‘The Princess doesn’t know her own home Karl – it’s funny.’

  ‘What are you going on about?! Do YOU know how to get in? You’ve never even been here before.’ Ayda spat angrily at him for mocking her. Niall shrugged.

  ‘Here’s the deal. I’ll get you in that Castle, get your little Princess and then we take our horses back.’ Niall said simply. Ayda felt a slight annoyance at the bargain. So, he had not come back to help her, he just wanted what was his.

  ‘Fine.’ She snapped. Niall grabbed her hand and shook it so excessively, she knew he was playing with her. She was not in the mood for his games, she wanted to see her family so desperately she would do anything it took. Niall gestured for them to follow him. Ayda followed him and his friends at a slight distance, she heard him complaining to Karl about the smack he had received and rolled her eyes.

  ‘Where do you think he’s taking us?’ Syren whispered to her as she walked close by.

  ‘I have no idea. He seems to know where he’s going though.’ Ayda replied quietly.

  ‘I think we should get rid of them. It’s the law, I don’t trust them.’ Syren said, her voice full of loathing. Ayda knew her friend would be distrustful of the humans, Syren didn’t have any kind memories of any that she had encountered, all she saw was pain and years of hate. Ayda looked at the young man prancing in front of her. Niall was certainly the boy she had met when she was a child. He was still naughty and mischievous, she was curious as to his sudden knowledge of Myrliar. Ayda had not been too happy to see him, memories of her old friend had resurfaced upon seeing his face, a past she wished would stay in the shadows where it belonged. How annoying that Niall should save her life not once – but twice! Niall continued leading the way, she knew they were following the outer wall round as the five of them traipsed through the forest surrounding the Stone City. They grew closer and closer to the Pearl Mountains.