by Toni Cox
She would never marry Aaron, but did not have the heart to tell him. Coward, she thought to herself.
After the war, there had been a moment when she was absolutely certain that Blaid was dead. That feeling, coupled with what Blaid said on the battlefield, had emotionally crippled her for many Moons.
“Your turn,” Jasmin challenged her.
Maia lifted her chin and took confident aim. The arrow flew true. She gave Jasmin a crooked grin as she walked back to the side-line.
Now, however, she believed Blaid to be alive. She could not exactly explain how she knew, but with every passing day the feeling became stronger. Although upset about what he had said, her longing for him could not be denied. It was not what drove her to such competitiveness now on the archery field, but it was one of the reasons she was feeling better.
She felt a level of confidence she had never experienced before. Suddenly, so many factors made sense and she could see how everything fit together. All she needed to do now was to wait for the right moment. She had a job to do. She was Shadow Hall’s Prime Elemental. The fate of her nation rested on her shoulders.
“Well done!” Archer shouted and clapped his hands.
Jasmin’s arrow quivered dead centre on the target.
Maia took her position, raised her bow and took aim. She could see the feathers of Jasmin’s arrow clearly and knew she could hit Jasmin’s arrow out of the target if she wanted to. Letting out a steady breath, she let the arrow fly. It hit the target, a thumb’s width left of Jasmin’s still quivering arrow.
“I won! I won!” Jasmin shouted, and danced around Maia, grinning proudly.
Maia took her hands and danced in a circle with her until Archer came and swept Jasmin up in his arms.
“I know what you did,” Aaron whispered in her ear.
Suppressing the urge to shudder, Maia looked at him. “Did what?”
Aaron smiled and took her hand. His hand was warm, even in the frigid air. “Come,” he said, “let us roast chestnuts over the fire.”
Unresisting, she let herself be led to the Gathering Grounds, where a group of people were making the most of the fine autumn day. The others followed at a distance, giving Maia and Aaron space, as they usually did.
At first, it had annoyed Maia, but now she accepted it. Until the time she could tell Aaron she would not marry him, she had to play along. She felt guilty about it, so never did anything to give Aaron more hope. Defiantly lifting her chin, she stuffed the guilty feeling back down the black hole she had dug for it in the back of her mind.
Storm clouds darkened the sky, intermittently lit by short blast of fire from Midnight, fighting the red creatures from Naylera. Maia looked around at the fighting. Vampyres everywhere. Wounded and dead strewn across the battlefield. The cries of pain loud in her ears.
Then the energy grabbed her. She was now connected to Blaid. He was not with her, but he was close for her to feel his power. Without fear, she stepped forward into the battle, swinging her twin blades, mutilating the enemy as she moved closer to the centre of the fighting. Vampyres swarmed around her in their thousands.
She ignored her own pain. The energy coursing through her was so strong, she hardly felt the wounds inflicted on her. Like the storm raging in the sky, she moved along the ground, destroying everything in her path. Nothing could stop her.
Around her, warriors rallied to her side. With renewed confidence, they engaged the enemy again, this time gaining control. Blood sprayed in all directions. Maia’s vision turned red. Her heart raced. Midnight’s roars of fury accompanied her graceful twirls as she beheaded another Vampyre.
Her people were safe. The battle was won. Exhaustion now took over. She collapsed. Agony shot through her, paralysing her. She needed Blaid. Where was he?
Then her father spoke. She could barely pay attention, drifting in and out of consciousness. Blaid was there. He was leaving. Forever. The pain was too much. Blackness took over.
Screaming, Maia sat up in her bed. Wolf whined and crawled towards her, nudging her hand with his muzzle.
“Just a dream,” she whispered, and wiped the tears from her face. “Just a dream.”
It was always the same dream. She relived the battle almost every night. She should be used to it by now, but it affected her every time. Wolf already knew to come to her and sit with her, so she could hold him, rock him, until her tears dried.
“I cannot do this much longer,” she said to Wolf, still rocking him. “I need to get out of here.”
Wolf raised his head and licked her face. She confided in him every night. He knew her secrets; so did Midnight.
She could not stay at Shadow Hall. The time for her to sit idly by and wait for the Vampyres to attack again had passed. She needed to take action. Over the past two years she had learned that, alone, she was not strong enough to defeat the Vampyres, not even with all the armies of Grildor at her back.
When she was with Blaid, however, she had immeasurable strength. Together, they could defeat the Vampyres.
There were a few minor problems. One, Blaid claimed he did not want to be with her. Two, she did not know where Blaid was. Three, her father did not want her to be with Blaid. Four, she was supposed marry to Aaron in the spring.
Sighing, Maia rose from her bed. She wanted nothing more than to save her people. And to be with Blaid. Both of these desires seemed impossible tasks.
Twice already had the Vampyre army come through from Naylera and slaughtered thousands of Elves. The Vampyres wanted to invade Elveron for its resources, as food was scarce on Naylera.
Some Elves had colluded with the Vampyres, helping them infiltrate Elveron, arming them, feeding them. Most of those traitors had been dealt with, but no one knew the true extent of the problem. How many more traitors were out there?
Also, they had learned that not only Grildor was in danger. Thus far, the Vampyre attacks had centred around Greystone, the Gate in Grildor, but the Vampyres planned to attack on multiple fronts. Blaid and Maia had extracted much information from the traitors they captured and her father got more out of them while they were imprisoned.
There were five different Gates on Elveron. If the Vampyres were to attack all five Gates, Maia did not know if the elven race would survive. The Vampyre race was far more populous, outnumbering them almost ten to one.
Her father and the Elders, as well as all the leaders from around the globe, spent the past few Moons strategising, trying to find a way to avert another war and protect the people.
It was futile. The Vampyres did not want to negotiate. They kept sending raiding parties of warriors on their Werewolves to terrorise smaller villages, decimating the elven population one by one.
Three times already there had been an attack on Shadow Hall, Maia their target. They knew who she was and how important she was to her people. With every attack, people died because of her.
Grildor’s army was severely depleted after the last war and every Commander now attempted to rebuild their forces. Grildor needed help, but the neighbouring nations were either too scared to assist, or did not believe the severity of the threat, as they had not been affected by it yet.
A plan formed at the back of her mind. It was still in its infancy and not well developed, but every day it grew and Maia grew restless. She needed to leave Shadow Hall.
She put on her boots and coat and headed downstairs. The embers from last night’s fire were cold and dark, the common room chilly. Her skin prickled as she headed for the door, her home seeming unfriendly.
Shaking the feeling off, she stepped out into the frigid night air, Wolf at her heels. She let Midnight know she was on her way. Her dragon acknowledged her briefly.
“Come, Wolf,” she whispered, “let us hunt.”
Maia ceased hunting a couple of years ago, as the killing sickened her. As a Life Elemental, she preserved life. She did not terminate it. Now, however, she had these sudden urges to go hunting and did not have the inclination to stop herself. It fe
lt like a primal need and she suspected it had to do with Blaid.
The Night Watch nodded to her as she passed them at their posts, but did not stop her. They would report to her father in the morning, as she was not supposed to be out at night due to the attacks. For now, though, no one got in her way. They had tried once and incurred her wrath.
Finally, she reached The Crags, the odd-shaped granite formation Midnight used as his roost. Maia looked up, but was unable to see Midnight’s black form in the dark of night. Then, she heard the distinct rustle of leathery wings as Midnight took flight. He flew off towards the north, knowing the direction Maia was heading.
The forest here was thick and Midnight could not penetrate it. He was simply too large to fit between the trees, and their branches would lacerate his wings if he tried. He had only recently fully recovered from the Lava Bats’ attack.
Midnight flew overhead, circling from time to time. Maia ran. The forest was dark and, with Vampyres lurking all over Grildor, dangerous. But so was Maia. She was confident in her ability to defend herself, and she had Wolf running at her heels.
Finally, they came to a large clearing. Not so long ago, Maia had been attacked by a bear within these woods and it was in this clearing that she had skinned the bear and then given the carcass to Midnight to eat.
Once she was out of the trees, she slowed to a walk. The meadow was grey in the moonlight and the large lake to her right shimmered eerily.
The stillness of the night was interrupted by the sound of large wings and then the dull thud of Midnight landing. His heavy dragon smell wafted over her as he folded his wings and lay down on the ground so she could reach him.
Maia jogged the last few steps towards her dragon and leant against his chest. She could have sworn he had grown since last winter, but he was already so large, it was difficult to tell.
Her head vibrated as Midnight made a rumbling sound in his chest and she felt his thoughts in her head. They mostly communicated with their thoughts and feelings and there was no need to talk, but Midnight enjoyed the sound of her voice and she often spoke to him.
“I know you are only two hundred and ninety-six years old,” she said in answer to his thoughts. “Still a baby dragon,” she teased him, knowing full well that dragons were considered mature and ready to mate at the age of fifty.
Smoke curled out of Midnight’s nostrils and Wolf whined behind them.
“It is not an insult,” she defended her comment, although not hiding her internal laughter. “You said you never stop growing. Soul Dragons live even longer than Elves. If you are this big at barely three hundred years old, how big are you going to be when you turn five thousand?”
Another puff of smoke rose into the cold air, this time accompanied by a feeling of pride. Soul Dragons could live to eight thousand years, if they did not die in a fight with another dragon, the main cause of a dragon’s death.
“Or drowning in quick sand,” Maia teased him, reminding him of how they had met.
This time, Midnight rumbled dangerously and Maia had to step away as he shifted his weight.
“Yes, yes, I know you could crush me whenever you wanted to,” Maia said, stepping closer to him again and leaning against his foreleg, “but you would miss me too much.”
Insolent, indolent, arrogant.
“Now, what’s this, Midnight?” She frowned at him. He had not called her such since the first time they met.
Quickly, a series of images, thoughts and emotions played through Maia’s mind as Midnight let her know his thoughts. When he was finished, she felt winded, but not shocked by his thoughts.
“I know,” she sighed, “I have not been feeling myself lately and I feel, the longer I stay here, the worse it will get. I cannot help my people by hiding within the city. As a matter of fact, remaining here endangers them even more. I become more frustrated by the day.”
Leave now, seek what you desire.
“I cannot leave now. Winter is almost upon us. We would travel through snow storms and blizzards. Besides, we do not even know where to go, or where to start looking.”
Listen!
“Listen to what?”
The wind.
“You are not making sense, dragon. What does the sound of the wind have to do with where we are to go?”
Listen.
Wolf cocked his head, ears erect, listening intently. The wind sighed around them, whispering through the trees. Nothing out of the ordinary. Yet, Wolf suddenly rose, focusing on the treeline. Midnight gave her a mental nudge and, her curiosity piqued, she strained her ears and listened.
At first, all she heard was the sighing of the wind. It truly did sound like whispering and, the longer she listened, the more she thought she could understand what the wind was saying.
She shook her head. “You are teasing me, Midnight. Now my imagination is playing tricks on me.”
Listen with your heart.
Wolf suddenly howled, then lay down and put his head on his paws, looking sad.
Frowning, Maia pressed closer to Midnight’s warm body to ward off the chill night air, closed her eyes and concentrated on her hearing.
At first, all she heard was the sound of moving air. Then, concentrating, she began to distinguish between the sound of air through trees, air through bushes, air over grass, air over rocks. Never before had she paid such attention to the sound of the wind and she was astonished by the differences in pitch over diverse surfaces.
Finally she heard it. She gasped out loud.
Listen.
She closed her eyes again, intrigued and also a little scared.
The wind had spoken to her.
Silas nodded as he took a sip of the tea Maia prepared for him, appreciative of the herbs she had chosen.
They sat around the fire of Silas’ cave. Maia could not think of a more comfortable place. Silas had been her mentor since she was born and the old Elf understood her better than anyone, even her parents.
“I am glad I cannot see into your head,” Silas suddenly said.
“Why do you say that?”
“You have a lot on your mind. I do not wish to be in your position. The worries of Prime Elementals would be too much for an old man to bear. Yet, if you wish to talk, I am always willing to listen. It might make it easier for you.”
Silas had tried to make her talk about her worries since the war. She remained tight-lipped. There were things she could not share even with Silas.
“You know what troubles me,” she said evasively. “I worry about Fire. He is only twenty-six years old. He is too young to retire. Especially being a Midland Swift. That breed is known to live to over a hundred years old. Fire should be enjoying his youth. Yet, here he is, put out to pasture because of my negligence.”
“Fire got injured in battle, same as you. There was hardly anything you could have done about it.”
“You know that is not true, Silas. Do not patronise me. Had I not wallowed in my own self-pity for Quarters after the war, I could have healed him.”
“You were ill, Maia.”
“I was stupid, you mean. I am a Life Elemental. I should put the wellbeing of others before my own. You cannot deny, had I the will, I would have had the power to heal not just myself, but Fire, Midnight and all the wounded warriors as well. All of them had to suffer because of my selfishness.”
Silas finished his tea and put the cup down on the wooden table beside his bench. The candle on the table flickered with the passing of his hand.
“I cannot deny the truth of your words. You do have the power to heal and many of the warriors could have healed faster with your help. Still, no one died and everyone, even Fire, has been able to resume a normal life. You have learned your lesson and you should stop feeling guilty about it.”
“They all have scars because of me,” Maia grumbled.
“Scars they are proud of.”
“Midnight, maybe,” Maia conceded, knowing her dragon was proud of the scars he carried, “but the men a
nd women are forever disfigured because of me, and Fire … “ she swallowed hard, “Fire will never be the same horse again, let alone lead a normal life.”
“Stop it, Maia,” Silas said forcefully and rose from his seat. “You have since seen to everyone who was injured and you know their scars are minimal. Fire is happy. He does not know his rump is disfigured and it does not hinder him from doing his stud duties. As a matter of fact, I believe he rather enjoys them.”
Maia blushed slightly at the thought of Fire’s sole purpose in life being to make foals.
Silas carried on, pacing in front of the fire. “I also know these issues are not what keeps you awake at night. Will you not speak to me about the real reasons you have these rings under your eyes, have lost so much weight and why you suddenly eat meat again?”
Maia looked at him, shocked. She didn’t think anyone had noticed.
“I also think you should tell Aaron that you will not marry him. It is unkind to let him think he has your heart when even I know it belongs to another. Maia, I am tired of waiting for you. You will not open up to me, so I will tell you what I think.”
Maia looked up at him with dread.
“I cannot fathom your reasons or understand the Primes phenomenon. I do know, however, the only man you ever think of is Blaid. I have not told your father, or your brother. Their feelings about Blaid are quite clear. I may not like it either, but the ultimate decision rests with you. Only you know what is best for you and I think it is time you listened to yourself.”
Speechless, Maia stared at him. Silas was the only person who knew about what had happened between her and Blaid after the first war. He was also the only one who knew about the incident in the forest. He did not approve, but he had never reprimanded her for it. Sexual contact between unmarried couples was forbidden by law. Sexual contact between Primes, married or not, was not only forbidden, but seen as an act of abomination. If her people ever found out, they would surely shun her. Disown her from their clan. Disavow her as their Prime.
