The Elemental Trilogy Box Set

by Toni Cox

  “What is the situation on the plains?” her father finally enquired. “Are there still many of them about?”

  “All we encountered were involved in battles with the troops. All have been slain, Vampyres and Werewolves alike. We did not come across any others.”

  “At last, some good news,” Jagaer said, retaking his seat by the fire. “We should get some rest now while we can. Maia, there are some blankets in the corner. Get some sleep.”

  She had been so wound up from the fighting, so cold from the rain, she had not realised just how tired she was. Here, safe and warm in the tent, she felt the weariness in her body and was suddenly too tired to even finish her tea. Gladly she took the blankets, spread them out by the fire and settled herself on them after taking off her boots. She was asleep almost instantly.

  The path was treacherous and the pace gruelling, but Jaik kept pushing. When they watered the horses, he added a few drops of Silva to their water to keep them going, but knew they were as exhausted as he was.

  They had been riding all day, ever since they left Shadow Hall and then met the man from Tarron Heights. They rode through the night and the storm and only rested for short moments to water the horses. Morning was dawning, but with the heavy cloud cover it was still as black as night. They lit torches during the night, but they were running out of fuel and Jaik hoped some light would break through the clouds soon. His eyes were tired from scanning the ground ahead for a safe path. He was sure Firestorm felt the same, but the young mare carried him willingly.

  He chanced a glance behind him and it felt as if a vice gripped his heart as he beheld the sorry sight his men and their mounts made. All were sodden and dirty, the mud caked to their horses’ legs and the men’s boots. There were dark rings beneath their eyes and frowns on their foreheads. He knew they would never complain, they had a job to do, but he felt for them and was sorry to have to push them so hard. At this time, he was unsure if they would make it. It seemed an impossible task.

  “Just a few more hours,” he encouraged them.

  “Aye.”

  “Just a few more.”

  The answers sounded as weary as the men looked. None of them even looked up, but concentrated on the path ahead. Jaik shifted his attention back to the way ahead. He had ridden this path before, but never in these conditions. It was a difficult route to take at the best of times, but this weather made it a murderous undertaking. Water gushed down the steep cliffs to either side, flooding the narrow path. The wind had blown branches from their trees and often they had to dismount to clear the way before they could carry on. Mudslides obscured the path in many places and rock falls blocked their way. During the night, the storm at its worst, they had to make their way on foot, leading their horses, just to make any progress at all. It had been especially difficult for Glark; the dwarf’s short legs making it difficult for him to navigate the deep mud.

  Now the storm had lessened, the rain abated to a drizzle and the wind was not trying to rip them from their saddles as it had during the night. Clouds still prevented the sun from shining through, but the light gradually strengthened and they were finally able to increase their pace. Firestorm perked up at the better weather and easier going, and he suddenly felt it was possible after all.

  The sun rose higher behind the curtain of clouds and slowly the day warmed up. Jaik was reminded that it was summer after all and this storm had been just a freak of nature. He increased their pace and although they had been going for almost thirty hours, their horses responded willingly. He was unsure of the effect of the Silva on the horses. Usually the drink was only used for men; but he was glad for the extra stamina it provided them.

  Three and a half days ago, Tarron Heights was on the brink of being overrun by Vampyres. The chances that Tarron Heights was still under elven control were slim, but it was his job to save as many as he could.

  A ray of sunlight broke through a thin gap in the clouds and, for a moment, the rain-drenched trees around them glistened like stars on a dark night. It was like a ray of hope that brightened his heart. He thought of his sister and his father, riding to war. He thought of his home and his people. They had so much to fight for, so much to live for. This was their planet and he was not going to let another take it away from them.

  When they eventually broke from the trees and into the narrow valley that led up to Tarron Heights, it was with renewed hope that he urged his men forward. The city was built on the cliffs on the other side of the valley and soon its white turrets came into view, surrounded by the deep green of the forest around it.

  However, today it was not the city’s beauty that made him rein in his horse, but the dark columns of smoke that rose from every corner of the city. Even from this distance, he could see where the outer wall had been breached and where the Vampyres had gained access.

  “Herrod,” Jaik said to the Commander of the Night Watch, “take six of your men and scout the perimeter. There might yet be Vampyres hidden in the forest.”

  “Aye, My Lord.”

  “Archer, Munnar, you’re with me. Fili, you take the rest and scout along the city wall. Make sure the perimeter is secure, then meet us at the breach.”

  The group split up. Herrod and his men rode out into the forest. Filithrin and the rest of the Guard and Night Watch rode for the city walls. Archer, Munnar and Jaik made straight for the breach in the wall.

  They were out in the open now and, if anyone cared to look, they would surely be seen. The sky was still hidden behind thick clouds, but it was light enough to see clearly. Jaik kept checking the wall for archers as they approached, but the city seemed ominously quiet. All his senses told him that something was not right. They approached with care, but eventually reached the breach in the wall unmolested.

  It seemed the Vampyres had used some incendiary method to breach the thick stone wall. The white stone was charred black, cracked, and crumbled. The gaping hole was large enough to admit four riders abreast.

  Jaik signalled for his men to dismount. They left their horses in the shade of the wall and carefully stepped through the breach. The streets beyond were wet and strewn with debris, but were otherwise completely deserted. Quickly they checked the surrounding houses and secured the area. By the time Filithrin and the others joined them, they had searched a large perimeter and found nothing, not even dead bodies.

  “I do not like this,” Archer said.

  “Let us proceed with caution. There are Vampyres in the city; we just need to find them.”

  On foot, they made their way through the forsaken streets. Arrows, broken weapons, baskets, clothes, and all manner of things littered the narrow passages between the houses. Broken windows and splintered doors adorned every home. The smell of death hung over the streets and the whitewashed walls of the houses were splattered in blood where the rain had not been able to wash it away.

  Jaik knew the city well. Each street formed a semi-circle around the citadel, which was built into the cliff face. He knew there to be twenty-three rows of streets, each connected to the next semi-circle by a series of passageways. The distance from the outer wall to the citadel measured roughly half a mile as the crow flies, but the way through the streets was considerably longer.

  Their progress was slower than he would have liked, but he was taking no chances. In the maze of the streets, they could easily fall prey to an ambush. Yet, as they went deeper and deeper into the city, they encountered no resistance. On occasion, they would come upon a slain Vampyre, crows already picking at its rancid flesh. The signs of struggle were everywhere.

  “Jaik, listen,” Munnar suddenly whispered.

  They all stopped and strained their ears. Without the sound of their footfalls, they could now hear sounds, not far away. They were now two streets down from the citadel, the residence of Lord Tallson and his family. Silently they moved along the next passageway and into the last street before the citadel. The sounds were louder now. Keeping close to the walls, they crept along, following the
noise.

  “There,” Archer said, pointing towards what looked like a trading store.

  The store was positioned directly opposite the entrance to the citadel. The building was large and it was dark inside, so Jaik was unable to tell how many Vampyres occupied it. From where they stood, they were only able to see eight Vampyres standing guard at the citadel’s gate, as well as four pacing back and forth in front of the store. It was clear from the sounds coming from the building that more Vampyres were inside.

  Jaik and his men were well hidden behind a low wall, but to attack the Vampyres, they would have to step out into the open. They would lose the element of surprise. He frantically thought about the passages that led into this street, but could not think of another approach. Without knowing the exact number of Vampyres in the building, it would be foolish to attempt an attack. They needed to find another way.

  Suddenly there was the soft sound of wings and Jaik had only a moment to react and to raise his arm, before the hawk landed on his gloved fist. The bird cocked its head and looked at him with dark eyes.

  “It is carrying a message.” Archer pointed to the tiny scroll fastened to the raptor’s leg.

  Carefully Jaik undid the string that held the scroll. Once the paper was loose, the bird took to the air again and was soon out of sight. Quickly Jaik unrolled the small piece of paper and read. He smiled.

  “The Mother favours us this day,” he said. “Lord Tallson and the rest of the city have taken refuge within the citadel. They took heavy losses during the fighting and only half his Guard remains. They are out of arrows and most of their warriors are injured.”

  Archer frowned at him. “That does not sound like the Mother favours us.”

  “Aye, but Lord Tallson also said there are only about thirty Vampyres left. They are all within that building. They appear to be out of arrows too and are not accompanied by Werewolves. We are almost evenly matched. Aari, go back and fetch Herrod,” he ordered. “Once they join us, we attack.”

  Jaik took the time to study the layout of the street and its buildings while they waited for Herrod and his men to arrive. This street was wider than almost all the rest of the streets of the city. It was the main trading street, lined with shops, stalls, and warehouses. On a normal day, it would be bustling with people flitting from stall to stall, going about their business.

  The entrance to the citadel was always open. Visitors were always welcome, and he had never seen the gates closed, nor ever noticed that they were made, not out of wood, but stone. It looked like quartz, but he could not be sure. Sunlight sparkled off the doors as if it were studded with diamonds.

  The street was cobbled, smooth from millennia of feet passing over them. Last night’s heavy storm had left them slippery and half the path was still covered in water. Even as he watched, the water slowly drained away, flowing down channels along the side of the road and then down into the ground. He knew from previous visits that Tarron Heights had an extensive underground drainage system that managed not only the rainwater, but also their waste. He wished he knew more about it, considering for a moment that it might be used as an escape route for the people of Tarron Heights. Then, he dismissed the idea. If it were possible for the people to leave the citadel by any other means than the main gate, surely they would have made use of that option.

  As afternoon turned to evening, the street grew dark. The Vampyres did not light lanterns, nor did Jaik see light from the citadel. The moons were hidden behind a thin cloud cover and it drizzled again. He did not mind fighting in the dark, nor the rain. Herrod and his men had arrived and it was time to make their move. He gave the signal; they all knew what to do.

  Silently, Jaik and Archer crossed the street about two hundred strides from the trading store. There were no stalls on this side of the street; only the high wall that surrounded the citadel. Archer shot an arrow with a hook and rope attached to it over the wall, hoping it would catch on something on the other side. It struck something, making a dull clanging sound and both cringed, hoping the Vampyres had not heard. After a moment, they yanked on the rope until it was taut and then quickly climbed the wall.

  Once balancing on the narrow precipice, Jaik took a moment to look across the street. In the darkness, he could barely see the other eight men he had sent to climb the roofs of the buildings opposite. They were all up and stealthily moving along the rooftops towards the trading store. He nodded to Archer and they moved along the wall. Then they were in position. He heard an owl hoot to his left and knew the rest of his men had also made their way to their stations. It was time.

  Suddenly, the deathly swish of arrows filled the air. Jaik and Archer had fired at the same time, taking out the four Vampyres guarding the storefront. His eight archers on the rooftop had loosened their arrows at precisely the same moment and the eight Vampyres patrolling the citadel gate now lay dead and silent.

  He heard a commotion from within the trading store, but it was too late. The rest of his men moved in from either side of the street and stormed the entrance to the store. Jaik and Archer abseiled from the wall, while the others climbed off the rooftop. Quickly they entered as well and now the silence of the night was broken by the sounds of swords clashing and Vampyres screaming.

  All in all, there had been nineteen Vampyres in the store. They had been at rest, not expecting an attack, their weapons resting against the wall. It was over within minutes, the Vampyres slain, lying in pools of their own blood.

  “Jaik, look,” Archer said, pointing to the far wall.

  Besides them, one of the Sentinels retched.

  “There must be at least ten of them in here,” Jaik replied in horror.

  “Looks like they drained them and then ate their hearts and livers first.” Glark observed, kneeling next to one of the dismembered Elves stacked in the corner.

  “There is nothing we can do for them now,” Jaik said. “Let us free Lord Tallson. He will be able to give these poor souls the burials they deserve.”

  nauseated, they made their way across the street. Jaik had seen victims of Vampyre attacks before, but to see them so meticulously dissected for their parts was unsettling. He wished he could erase the sight from his memory.

  The thought that their entire country might fall victim to a similar fate frightened him. He wondered how his father was faring. Had the Vampyre army breached Greystone? He was glad he had been able to help here, but at the same time, he cursed the fact that he was not there to lend his strength to Grildor’s forces at the Gate. Intense worry beset him. He had been gone for two days. For all he knew, Grildor could have already fallen.

  “Lord Tallson,” he shouted up at the solid stone gate. “It is safe. You may open the gate.”

  For a few minutes, nothing happened, but Jaik had the distinct feeling that they were being watched. Then, with a dull grating sound, the two halves of the heavy gate were dragged open. Lord Tallson, followed by what was left of his Guard, stepped through to greet them.

  “Jaik.” Cinaed Tallson embraced him with relief, then remembered whom he was addressing. “My Lord, we cannot thank you enough for what you have done.”

  “I am only sorry we could not have been here earlier.”

  “Up until a few hours ago, there were about two hundred Vampyres at our gate,” Lord Tallson said. “Had you come earlier, you would have been outnumbered.”

  “What happened here?”

  “The Vampyres laid siege to our city a few Quarters back. Most of our Legion and Regiments and whomever else we could spare had already left for Greystone, so we locked all the gates and defended the city as best we could. It seemed a fairly simple thing to do. We had the Guard, most of the Night Watch and the Sentinels. We were about evenly matched and we held them off with few casualties. Then, four nights ago, a small group of Vampyres arrived from the east. It was not long before they had set up some kind of device at one of our outer gates. The thing exploded with such force that it blew a sizeable whole into the wall and the ci
ty was breached. The Vampyres stormed us. My men fought bravely, but they were no match for the vile creatures and their hounds.”

  “Aye, we know how difficult it is to fight them.”

  “We retreated to the citadel, hoping that its thick walls would withstand a blast such as they had used on the outer wall. The Vampyres surrounded the citadel for three days, firing burning arrows over the wall. We retaliated as best we could, but eventually ran out of ammunition. All we could do was wait it out.”

  “So where did the rest of them go?” Jaik wanted to know.

  “They left just before noon today, marching towards the dark forest. Only these thirty or so were left behind to guard the gate. I have too many sick and injured inside to have risked an attack. Then I saw you in the street and I knew our messenger had gotten through.”

  “Do you have medicine to see to your injured?”

  “Yes, now that we have access to the city again, we will be fine.”

  “Cinaed,” Jaik said, using his first name, as they were not only allies, but also friends, “there are some of your men within that trading store that will require a burial. Send only your strongest in there to see to them, they have been badly mutilated. I am sorry, my friend.”

  “Thank you, Jaik. We will rebuild the wall and secure the city as best we can. Has there been much fighting elsewhere?”

  “We were riding for Greystone when we came across your messenger. We believed there to be an imminent attack. I do not know what has happened in the meantime, so we will not stay. Our horses had a few hours’ rest while we were in the city and they should be strong enough to carry on. We will follow the trail left by the retreating Vampyres. I have a feeling, if they moved off towards the dark forest, then they were probably being recalled to the main fight.”

  “Aye, we will give you what provisions we can. Please send my regards to your father. May the Mother ride with you.”

  After some quick refreshments, food for their horses and a brief farewell, Jaik led his men away from Tarron Heights. His anxiety grew. Two days had passed since they left. Two days in which the Vampyres could have killed everyone he loved. He knew it was madness to ride through the night yet again, but this time they were following the Vampyres’ trail and they seemed to be sticking to the main Trade Route for the time being. Even once they reached the edge of the dark forest, it seemed the Vampyres had not entered it, but had chosen to stick to the Trade Route. It seemed speed was more important to them now than stealth.