by Toni Cox
Screaming with fury, he unleashed a torrent of fire all around him. The pain was building his rage. He felt his blood dripping off him. The creature on his back still held on, deepening his wounds. The other was making passes, slicing here and there, as it went by.
Midnight, mightiest of all dragons; he who had defeated the Mad-One; would not be taken down by these low creatures. Furious that they had so far managed to get the better of him, he changed his tactic. Just as the second one came in for another pass, Midnight dropped out of the sky. Folding his wings tightly to his sides, he let himself fall. The creature on his back held on, but he could feel its distress.
The ground rose up to meet him. He was so close now. Just before the moment of impact, he spread his wings and turned in mid-flight. It was a dangerous manoeuvre for such a big animal, but it served its purpose. The Lava Bat connected with the ground with a sickening crunch, dislodging it from his back as he soared on back up into the sky.
Quickly he sought out the remaining creature and went on the attack. He did not try to out-fly it; it had much greater manoeuvrability, but rather tricked it into coming to him. Two, three times, it flew past him, opening a new cut with each pass. Then it was his turn. He waited for just the right moment. Angling his wings, he changed his position. Then he spun, slicing his tail through the air as the creature came past and with the satisfying sound of tearing flesh, ripped the creature in half.
Blaid urged his tired horse forward. Lilith had already done so much for him, but she had more to give. They covered the remaining distance to the Gate so fast, he had barely time to take in the scene before him as it came into sight. Shattered stones, almost invisible beneath the heaving and writhing bodies of the enemy scrambling over them. Midnight, concentrating his fire into the middle of the circle, light so bright, that it rivalled even the most brilliant sunrise. Warriors, fighting for their lives and their land, the sounds of their weapons not quite drowning out the screams of the wounded.
He crashed into the outer ring of fighting, swinging his blades. Two, three, then four Vampyres fell in quick succession to his sword. He tried to orientate himself - he had to find Maia - but there was fighting all around him. He fought on, slashing as he pushed forward. Lilith lashed out with her legs, ears laid flat against her head, but Blaid felt no fear from her. She was in her element.
Then he felt it; Maia’s distress. He screamed in rage, taking out a Werewolf that got in his way. Turning Lilith’s head, he headed the other way. He had to get to the other side of the battlefield and the fastest way would be to go around. Beheading two Generals, he eventually broke free of the fighting. He urged Lilith to a gallop, but the scream that washed over the battlefield at that very moment brought her to a quivering standstill.
His heart raced as he watched Midnight rise into the air, fighting what looked like a smaller, red dragon. Although smaller, Blaid could feel the danger from it and Midnight was having obvious difficulties. He put his hand on Lilith’s neck to steady her and then urged her forward once more. Every minute, more Vampyres came through Greystone, bringing their Werewolves with them. In the short time that it took him to circumvent the battlefield, at least a thousand more had come through. With Midnight fighting his own battle in the air, the Vampyres were now free to swarm the battlefield.
Once, he thought he saw Lord Longshadow, surrounded by his Commanders, locked in battle with a number of Generals. He rode past, however, Maia his main concern. More than once, he was waylaid, adding to his frustration. It seemed that no matter how hard he tried, he simply could not reach her. He yelled for her, but the sound of battle drowned out his voice. He needed to get back into the middle of the fight if he wanted to find her.
“Run, my sweet,” he said to Lilith as he jumped off her and gave her a slap on the rump.
She neighed in defiance, but he had already turned and was striding towards the nearest Vampyre. Soon he was in the thick of it and Lilith out of sight. Within moments, he was covered in blood, killing without pausing. The fact that he could not find Maia, brought on his black rage. He tried to suppress it, knowing Elves would pay with their lives if he were to give in to it.
Then, the strangest feeling suddenly overcame him. He still felt the black rage building, stronger than ever before, but it was held in check as if by a gentling hand. For a second, he closed his eyes, feeling Maia within his mind. When he opened his eyes again, they were cold and focussed. He was Death and he had a job to do.
Watching Midnight fight the red creatures, almost brought her to tears. She felt so weak. Fire was gravely injured. Aaron still held her up and Rothea was doing her best to keep the enemy off them. All looked lost; she had nothing left to give.
Then, suddenly, she was angry beyond words. It was a similar feeling to what she had felt during the battle at Shadow Hall where she had slain all the Generals. For a moment, she did not understand, struggling to control the rage. Then it became clear to her and a deep calm settled over her. For a second, she closed her eyes, feeling Blaid within her mind. When she opened her eyes again, they were cold and focussed. She was Life and she had a job to do.
She pushed herself away from Aaron and stepped past Rothea. She did not hear the words they shouted at her, but only saw the battle in front of her. In her mind, she saw Blaid somewhere else on the battlefield, and although they were not physically together, they were now fighting as one.
Like the last time they fought together, the power that now coursed through Maia was too much to contain. She unleashed it upon the foe, unafraid, relentless. Like a tornado, she whirled through the throng of Vampyres, Werewolves, Elves, and Battle Dragons, placing her Twin Blades with such precision that with each swipe an enemy fell.
She did not see the stunned faces of the warriors around her, nor did she notice how they rallied around her. All she felt was Blaid in her mind and all she saw were targets. Tirelessly, she fought on and on, slaying the Vampyres by the hundreds. How much time passed, she would have been unable to say. Nothing else mattered, but to save her people. She cared nothing for the small cuts she received from passing blades, nor did she care about the gash on her forehead from a club. She felt no pain.
The sun rose higher into the sky, now peeking through the cloud cover in some places, shining bright spotlights down upon the battlefield. It was grotesquely beautiful; the sunlight illuminating the bloodied and mutilated bodies left in Maia’s wake. Those who watched Maia dance through the scant sunlight, dealing death as if she were born to it, were left feeling awed and somewhat richer for having been allowed to witness it.
By noon, the Vampyre army was decimated. What was left of them, were either desperately fighting to escape, or had surrendered and were huddled amid the shattered stones. Slowly, Maia came back to her senses, the danger over. For a moment, she stood, in a pool of her own blood, surveying her surroundings. The stench of blood and gore was suddenly all she could smell and the familiar feeling of nausea settled over her. Fatigue draped her like a heavy blanket. Her multiple injuries pained, as if she were receiving them anew. She gasped as the senses overwhelmed her and with a long, rasping sigh, she collapsed.
For a while, all she felt was the pain. The world around her did not exist. She did not hear, nor see, so she was oblivious to the commotion around her. However, after a while, the shouting became louder, intruding even through the heavy fog of pain.
“… ever touch her.”
She was not sure if it was her father who had spoken, but the anger in the voice was unmistakeable. She drifted off again for a moment.
“… not here while she was fighting,” she was sure it was Aaron who was speaking this time. “Maia was the one who won this battle for us.”
She felt nauseous. The world spun behind her closed eyes. The pain burned within her like fire. For a while, the ringing in her ears prevented her from hearing more. Then she heard her father speak again.
“You have done this to her. Look at her,” he shouted. “She is almost
dead because of you. I hereby banish you from Grildor and forbid you to see Maia ever again. Leave at once. Do not ever come back. I shall put a price on your head should you ever step foot in our country again.”
Maia wanted to sit up to find out what was going on, but she was unable to move. She tried to lift her head, but to no avail. She tried to speak, but no sound came out of her mouth. She was so tired. So sore. She felt herself drifting off again and fought it with what will she had left. She must have failed though, because what she heard next was only the end of a sentence, spoken by Blaid.
“… then I will leave and never bother your clan, or Maia, ever again.”
She thought it would have been impossible for her to feel more pain, but as she heard Blaid utter those words, her heart ripped asunder and her world shattered. How could he leave her? She was only whole if they were together. She needed him. The sob stuck in her throat and she felt the salt of her tears sting the cuts on her face. Finally, tired of fighting the pain and exhaustion, she gave in to her weakness and drifted off into a feverish sleep.
A Moon had passed since they defeated the Vampyres for a second time. Many had given their lives for the victory. Lord Longshadow had decreed that day an official day of mourning, which he added to their calendar and it was to be observed every year from now on.
The twelve traitors had been sentenced to imprisonment. Many had voted for them to die, but Jagaer hoped to get as much information about the Vampyres from them as he could. The threat of the Vampyres remained.
Maia was unable to attend the burial of their own fallen, due to her injuries. Silas and Luke treated her in the cave, with her family and Aaron, Jasmin and Rothea often sitting by her side. They were worried, as she was taking too long to get better. Although some of her injuries were severe, with the medicine administered by Silas and her own healing powers, she should have been back on her feet within a few days.
Yet, day by day, she lay on her cot, feeling like the world had ended. She had no motivation to get better. Blaid was gone from her life. He would never come back.
At first, she did not even speak to anyone, but, as she started healing, she could not avoid it. Everyone came to visit her. Family, friends, the warriors whose lives she saved.
And Aaron. He was with her every day. Sometimes the entire day. As she got better, she also noticed that Aaron and her father became close and they would often sit around the fire in the cave, deep in discussion.
Yet Maia cared little about what was happening around her and it was many days before she spoke in more than one-word answers.
“It is time for you to get up,” Silas announced. “You have been here for a Moon already and there is nothing further I can do for you.”
He sat by the fire, his back turned to her, and had not even looked up to speak to her. His back was hunched and he looked old and tired. She knew that her state of mind weighed heavily on him, but she could not change it. Her heart was broken and no herbs or powders could heal it.
“And you should really see to Fire,” he added. “We have done what we could for him, but without your magic, I don’t believe he will ever be the same again.”
Maia frowned. She remembered the horrific injury Fire sustained during the fight. A Werewolf slashed his rump and the flesh had hung off his rear, bleeding profusely. A rush of adrenaline shot through her at the thought that she had forgotten about her horse in her misery. And Midnight? She knew he had been injured during the fight with those red creatures, but he had not mentioned anything to her during their mind links while she had been in the cave.
She asked him now and, although he assured her he was fine, she could tell he was hiding something from her. She probed his mind, but he shut her out.
Could she feel any worse? Not only was her heart broken, but now the guilt of neglecting the ones she still had in her life and loved dearly, completely overwhelmed her. She started to cry.
“Maia,” Aaron said gently and sat on the bed next to her, draping his arm around her shoulders.
She leant her head against him and let herself cry. She had not shed a tear since she overheard her father speak to Blaid. The pain had been too much. However, the thought of her neglect was finally bringing it all to the surface. She let it out, letting Aaron hold her. She did not know for how long she cried, but felt better for it.
Finally, she rose from the bed.
“Thank you, Silas, for your care. I will be a burden no longer.”
She nodded to Aaron and then packed the few things that had been brought to the cave for her. Whether she liked it or not, she was still alive. Life had to carry on. Somehow.
Aaron accompanied her out and they walked together to her home. He carried her satchel for her. It was a beautiful day, so very different from the storm that had raged during the days of the battle. Sunlight dappled through the trees, birds flitted about in the canopy above, the stream gurgled to their right and she could hear singing from somewhere across the Gathering Grounds.
Along the way, people stopped and bowed when they saw her, a look on their faces she had never seen before.
“They revere you,” Aaron said to her. “You saved us all.”
“I did not do it alone,” she replied.
“Our armies were losing, Maia. Had it not been for you, the ending would have been much different.”
She wanted to tell him that it was Blaid who had helped her save the people, but the words stuck in her throat. She could not bear to think of him.
Her home was empty and they dropped the satchel on the stairs and headed for the stables. Aaron told her that Rothea was with the Regiment, for the moment taken off guard duty. Her mother was probably in the pottery workshop and her father had his affairs to tend to. She felt relieved that she did not have to speak to anyone.
It felt good to be walking in the fresh air, but when they reached the point where, but a few Moons back, Maia and Blaid had made love in the forest, she almost lost her composure. Aaron was quickly at her side, assuming it was fatigue that made her stumble. They walked the rest of the way with Aaron holding her. She did not mind; his calm demeanour made her feel better.
They eventually reached the stables and she went straight to Fire’s stall. Her stallion whinnied when he noticed her and limped over to the door. She caught her breath at the sight of him and tears rolled down her face.
“Silas and Luke, with the help of some of the Horse Masters, had to cut off a fair amount of flesh, before they were able to sew the wound closed,” Jaik said behind her. “They are still treating it every day to prevent infection.”
“Jaik,” she said and he opened his arms for her.
It felt good to be in his embrace. No one else could make her feel this way; he was her brother and they had a connection so deep, it could never be shaken.
“See to him first, then we can talk,” he said, and kissed her on the forehead.
With shaking fingers, she opened the latch to the door. Fire immediately came to her and stuck his head under her arm. She rubbed his soft nose and stroked his neck, and then went to see his hind leg. She moved her hand over the deep indentation, his skin puckered and still crusty in places. Fire twitched and she knew it was still sore. They did what they could for him and he would live, but he would never be able to run the way he used to. There was little she could do for him now, except finish the healing and take away his pain. Even she could not grow back what had been cut away.
She concentrated and let the energy flow out of her. After spending a full Moon in bed, she had plenty to spare. Maia talked to Fire quietly while she healed him as best she could. From time to time, he snorted, but he stood still for her until it was done. She was crying again. He was a magnificent stallion and could still be used for the stud and produce beautiful offspring. However, he would never be able to gallop over the Grazing Ground or round up his herd of mares.
“I am sorry, Fire,” she whispered before she closed the stable door behind her.
T
hat evening they gathered at the royal home. Her entire family was there, including her great-grandparents and grandparents. Aaron and his children were there, as was Archer. Rothea had come and so had Silas and his life-partner, Becci.
Maia understood they were trying to help her cope with what had happened, but it was difficult for her to smile for their benefit. The only time she felt truly interested was when Jaik told her of his adventure at Tarron Heights.
“Once we had secured the city, we rode immediately for the Gate. I had a terrible feeling that something had gone wrong, which, of course, was confirmed once we arrived there.”
“Were you there during the fight?” she asked, unsure if she had seen him during the battle.
“No, we were still at Tarron Heights while you were fighting,” he said. “We only arrived two days later and helped dispose of the dead. By that time, you had already been taken home. We rode as fast as we could, but then came across the rest of the Vampyres that had attacked Tarron Heights. We managed to kill most of them, before some managed to escape. We lost five good men in the process, including Munnar.”
“I am sorry, Jaik.” Maia took his hand, knowing how much each of his Guard meant to him.
The evening progressed and they ate dinner and then had tea around the hearth. Maia was quiet as she listened to her family and friends. She loved them all dearly and she realised how lucky she was to have them in her life. They were the ones who made her who she was. They were the reason she fought, they were the reason she was. She was their Prime.
Nevertheless, the heartbreak gnawed at her and she wished she could still it. It was like a black serpent that slithered its way around her soul, devouring her happiness. Without realising it, she leant against Aaron for comfort and he cradled her in his arms, his tenderness comforting.
