Some bolts found their targets and the painful roar of dragons filled the air.
Vartan recognised the roar of his brother and turned to head down the stairs. Andrielle grabbed his arm tightly and brought him close to her face. “I know you care for the dragons, but whatever has happened cannot be stopped now. All will be lost if we are discovered here.”
He breathed deeply and said, “You are right. Onward!”
They headed deeper into the turret, following each other in single file as the path narrowed. They neared a section of the wall with shiny markings that had been partially blasted open and carefully peered inside. The room was empty.
Stepping inside, Helenia looked around in disgust and stared at the blood stained bed. “This was my room. They defiled it.”
Vartan brought his finger to his mouth to silence her as he heard the sound of footsteps on the other side of the door. Gesturing for Helenia and Andrielle to stay inside, the rest of them prepared to open the door. Crouching down, Vartan peered through the keyhole into the corridor leading to the dining room, where the furniture was hacked to pieces and he saw armoured vampire warriors facing the other wall, cutting wood into bolts and piling them into the corner. The sound of axes chopping and saws cutting provided the perfect cover.
Vartan showed six fingers, dragged his finger across his neck and they nodded in return. Carefully opening the door, he rested his hand on the hilt of his sword. Makya, Dryden and three other elven warriors followed suit and they approached the vampires from behind. They eased their swords out of their sheaths and prepared to execute them.
The moon shone brightly through the dining room’s windows and caught the blade of the nearest elf. One of the vampires noticed the reflection on the wall. Before he had a chance to react, their heads were sliced cleanly off their bodies. They turned to dust inside their armour, and the men and elves quickly changed from their dragon and elven armour into those of their victims.
“This is disgusting,” said Makya, shaking vampire dust out of one of the helms.
Helenia, Andrielle and the remaining warriors entered the dining room, carrying the dragon’s flag.
Vartan turned to speak. “If memory serves me correctly, opening this door will lead us outside and from there; there will be no turning back. When you hear the crossbows shatter, then it will be time for you to join the fight and one of you will need to take this flag to the battlements and signal for the dragons to also join the fight.”
They nodded and Helenia approached her husband, “Be careful.”
The men looked at each other with determination as they each picked up a handful of bolts. Vartan opened the door and proceeded outside, with Makya and Dryden close behind. The vampire army was far greater in numbers than they had imagined and they exchanged concerned looks before staring at the portal in the lower grounds of Greenhaven, unsure of what to do next as the final piece of the artefact slid into place. Vartan nodded and gestured toward the crossbows as they split up, running to each of them and appearing to replenish their stocks.
That doesn’t look good, said Keturah.
I know, but we have to destroy the crossbows first or we don’t stand a chance. We can deal with their artefact later, said Vartan, his inner voice strained.
As Vartan ran to his first crossbow, he stopped in his tracks when he saw Tusdar marching toward him, barking orders. “Take those to the east battlements, now!”
By the gods, Tusdar is a vampire? Thought Vartan, his gaze following his old ally.
Snap out of it! Screamed Keturah.
Vartan responded with a deep voice, “Of course!” and proceeded to the east battlement. Keeping an eye on each other’s positions, they dropped a few bolts at each crossbow and placed a small black orb underneath each one, twisting it slightly to activate the magic within.
Hurry back to me Vartan, said Helenia.
The boy of dragon’s blood had just finished dropping bolts at the last crossbow and placing the final orb, and smiled at their success. Turning to head away from the battlements, he found himself facing Lord Aryun.
“What are you doing? How many times do I have to tell you? We need more bolts! Half of your legion has already activated the portal and here you are in the middle of battle, taking your time to give a small handful to each one. You useless pile of…”
The lord struck Vartan’s helm with his right fist in an emotionally fuelled effort to punish his warrior. The helm flew off his head and landed on the ground behind him. The lord’s eyes widened in shock as Vartan pushed his sword deep through the joints in his armour, piercing his heart.
Aryun screamed as he disintegrated at the hands of Vartan and a nearby warrior rang a warning bell. “Intruders! Our walls have been breached! To arms!”
The dining room burst open as elven warriors launched into battle from below. The sound of clashing metal and battle cries filled the great city. Andrielle pulled her daughter back from entering the fight, yelling at her in annoyance. “Follow the plan!”
Vartan reached down to recover his sword and the sound of Mestal’s primal scream sent shivers down their spines.
“You will die at my hand, human!” she cried, her body blurring as she met his blade on the battlements. Makya spoke the words to activate the orbs under his breath as he spun out of the way of two attacking vampires, slicing their heads clean off with the smooth movement of his own swords.
“Incendia intus vos quod exuro solvo!”
Almost at once, the orbs exploded, disabling the many crossbows inside the city, with the exception of one. The fragments of wood flew around the city, lodging into many vampires and narrowly missing Mestal.
“Damn!” cursed Vartan, kicking Mestal in her chest and leaping off the battlements. He looked around as a swarm of vampires approached him and Mestal was gaining on him. Remembering back to his training at Weeping Falls, he concentrated as his power burst to life within him. Time slowed down as he watched the vampires bearing down upon him and he focused hard. He drove his mind deep into their bodies, finding the water that flowed in their blood. Screaming with fury, he felt his body warm up as he heated the water inside them, boiling the vampires from the inside.
Tusdar leapt into Mestal’s way, knocking her to the ground and keeping her far from Vartan. “No! Don’t go near him, he will kill you.”
The blood curdling screams escaped the dying vampires; they stripped off their armour and tore at their skin in an effort to cool themselves. This spectacle distracted the other vampires nearby. Dryden took the opportunity to run to the wheels controlling the bridge and began lowering it.
The sound of metal scraping filled the air as the portal was activated and the circles spun to life, bright red light flickering within.
“It matters not! Once the portal is open, all of you will die! Father!” cried Mestal, tears streaming down her face.
Vartan’s glowing blue eyes narrowed as he pushed out his arms and sent the vampires flying into the army around him. He turned back to look at Helenia’s face and yelled, “We have no choice; they cannot be allowed to open that portal. It has to be done now!”
Eleven warriors ran to Dryden’s aid, one of them clutching his throat as it was sliced by an attacking vampire. The other elves dispatched the vampires along the way and began to turn the wheels to raise the gate. Makya growled as he pushed his way through the army’s ranks, tearing through them with each powerful blow. His bloodlust fuelled his anger as he screamed, “Insects! Prepare to die!”
The portal was now fully activated, the red light filling the inner circle and the outer circles locked into place. Shindar’s voice filled all of their minds.
Bow before me!
Vartan cried out at the top of his lungs, “Shindar is coming and we don’t have Talonsphere! Helenia, do it now!”
Helenia shook her head in an effort to rid herself of the demon’s voice. She ran to her old room, throwing off her royal armour and slipping on her lightest blue and white dress.
I cannot run at full speed with my armour, she thought, picking up the dragon’s flag and running out of the dining room with it in both hands. She cast a spell to enhance her senses as she ran directly into the path of the army. “Tendo meus voluntas quod rector mihi per sospes.”
“Helenia, no!” yelled Andrielle, her eyes watering as she watched her vulnerable daughter run into an army of vampires and she sprang into action, shutting her helm and charging into the fight in an effort to keep vampires away from the princess.
Helenia felt her heart beat faster and only heard the sound of her breath as the battle seethed around her. She ducked to avoid a blade and watched its shiny edge cut through the air above her face. Continuing her run, she turned to see Vartan sending vampires flying into the air as they swarmed around him like bees. Looking further to her left she watched as Shindar’s towering size stepped through the portal with armour as dark as the blackest of shade and drew a long black sword engraved with glowing red symbols. His glowing red eyes shone through his fierce helm, shaped like a skull with demonic horns.
He swung his sword through two attacking elven warriors, their screams fading as their bodies were sent flying out of Greenhaven and plummeted to the ground below the castle.
The time has come for your world to be mine!
Behind her, Makya was also being overrun as Dryden turned his attention to defence as the elves continued to open a path for the Marithian army.
I can’t make it to the battlements; there is only one thing left to do, thought Helenia.
She turned back to watch a large bolt rocketing toward her heart and swung her flag to knock it out of the way as she ran further into enemy lines. Vampire warriors near her were confused with the sight of a formally clothed woman running at them with a flag. They watched as she turned toward Greenhaven’s outer wall and leapt through the window and far down onto an outer guard’s tower. She turned east and crouched down on one knee, waving the dragon’s flag above her head before slamming it down into the ground. The flag and her hair flickered in the wind.
The wind changed as a line of dragons rocketed up the east wall of Greenhaven and landed on the battlements and turrets, roaring with fury.
“About time you showed up!” shouted Vartan, pushing his fists forward as another line of Vampires were sent hurtling back into Greenhaven’s walls. Elven warriors charged forward and pushed their swords deep into their hearts.
Now is our chance to save Marithia, with or without Talonsphere, thought Vartan.
The man of dragon’s blood drew his sword and charged at Shindar, meeting his sword with his own. Their swords found each other as they clashed with furious sparks showering around them.
“You!” growled Shindar, stepping out of the way of Vartan’s sword to activate the magic within his own and cast his spell. “Attero viscus pro mihi!”
Shindar’s sword glowed as he pointed it toward Vartan, green flames burst from its tip and sent the prince scraping along the ground.
Vartan rolled onto his feet and winced with the pain. He watched as his body glowed and his burns healed immediately.
Karven landed on a nearby parapet, narrowing his eyes toward the lord of darkness. “Shindaaaaar! You dare step into Marithia on my watch?”
The king of dragons sent scorching dragon’s breath toward Shindar.
“Reptile! You stand in my way yet again,” growled Shindar, putting his left arm in front of him, a piece of his armour sliding out and extending to a large shield. The fire slammed against the shield, bursting in all directions.
Finn leapt from the wall, one of his wings damaged from bolts, and swooped down below, breathing fire on a line of warriors charging at Vartan’s position.
The ground shook as the gate lowered and the Marithian army charged into Greenhaven, pouring in with their blades held high. “For the Queen!” they screamed, bearing down on the vampire army.
Tusdar ran as fast as he could down the stairs, pushing the stones to open the wall and led Mestal out the secret entrance, running toward the gorge.
A… T…. Gr… said Kassina’s voice in their mind, disrupted by Anakari’s spell.
“This is cowardly, we should fight until death! Shindar is here!” cried Mestal.
Tusdar grabbed her and spat out his words. “And so is the entire Marithian army, we would die! You don’t understand who Vartan is and what he is capable of. We can go back to Zhendur and build an army worthy of Shindar.”
Mestal hesitated before nodding. “Okay.”
Clasping hands, they jumped into the river below.
Karven breathed fire over a battlement full of vampire archers. They dropped off the walls like flies and rolled around the ground in an effort to put out the flames and were quickly beheaded.
Shindar growled as he distended his shield and returned his attention on Vartan. The boy of prophecy tried desperately to find water in Shindar’s body but was unable to focus on anything beneath the armour.
“Redimio vestri viscus quod permoveo haud magis,” cast Shindar, extending his hand and releasing a fiery ball within it. The ball exploded out into a glowing net that enveloped the king of dragons.
Karven fell to the ground, struggling within the burning enclosure.
“I have waited a long time for this moment!” he shouted, charging toward Karven, raising his sword high. The ground shook with his every step.
Andrielle activated a gem inside her armour and its surface moulded into the shape of dragon scales. She leapt in front of Karven and swung her sword at Shindar.
She managed to land her blow, knocking him back toward the portal but his blade connected with her helm. It cut a large gap into the side, blood splattering to the ground from the wound. Dryden ran in between the lord of darkness and the king of dragons to move the queen well out of his way.
The pounding sound of Shindar’s army marching toward the portal was getting louder by the second. The demon stepped back toward the portal to protect it.
“No! Shindar’s army is approaching!” cried Helenia.
Nymira landed near the last crossbow and crushed it with her tail, flicking out her spikes at its tip and pounding it into a nearby warrior, watching them turn to dust. The dragon queen charged toward Shindar, swinging her tail into his side and knocking him off balance. Unleashing her own dragon’s breath, Shindar again extended his shield toward his right.
“Vartan, whatever you can do, do it now! You are our only chance,” cried Nymira.
His heart pounding and watching in slow motion as Shindar began to distend his shield, Vartan panicked as he struggled for any ideas on how to entrap the lord of darkness. Expanding his focus, his powers pulsed through his body as he felt the water in everything surrounding him. Pointing toward one of the last remaining legions of vampires fighting for their lives, he pulled them toward him and watched their bodies fly through the air in his direction.
Screaming with the power surging through his veins and almost bursting through his skin, he narrowed his eyes and pushed his fists toward the incoming bodies.
Shindar turned to watch as a group of vampires hit him with immense force. He screamed as his body was sent roughly through the portal, his sword’s hilt crashed through one section of the rings, breaking the portal into pieces.
As the light diminished on top of the broken portal, their minds filled with the growl of Shindar’s fury.
Makya turned away from Greenhaven and stepped outside the gates to see a figure standing on the other side of the bridge near a horse made of bones, she was tall with dark boots and her hooded cloak flickered in the wind. An army of skeleton warriors were far behind her, awaiting her orders. Her eyes glowed white with power and rage. Her gaze landed on the trader and then behind him at the downed portal and the battle within Greenhaven. It was clear to her that the last remaining vampires would soon be defeated.
Makya held his blades by his side and stared her down, respectfully bowing at the warrior before him.
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She nodded and flicked her wrists, releasing two long blades that slid out into her hands.
Makya charged at her position and her hood fell behind her head as she ran to meet him in the middle, her pearly fangs extended with the excitement of battle.
The trader fought with strength, blocking her blades and landing kicks to her ribs, pushing her backwards.
She growled as she flipped backwards through the air, digging her blades deep into the ground and using them as leverage before landing on one knee and flicking her arms out with frightening speed.
Makya heard the ringing sound of the silver daggers flying through the air and used his swords to block both of them, the daggers falling to the ground beside him.
He laughed and said, “Is that all you’ve got, Sorceress?”
She stood and pulled her blades from the ground while staring at his stomach.
Makya’s adrenaline subsided as he felt the scorching pain within his abdomen and looked down to see the shiny silver extending from his stomach.
“Yes, that is all I’ve got,” she snarled, readying for another attack. Looking over his shoulder again and saw that only a few vampires remained and Dryden was coming their way. Kassina grimaced before she covered her head, sheathed her swords and mounted her horse, disappearing into the night.
The last vampire was run through by Vartan’s hands as a singed Karven, his wings emitting smoke from the burns landed on Greenhaven‘s ground with Helenia on his back, one hand holding the dragon’s flag to her side. She dismounted and handed it to Andrielle, who climbed on top of a large pile of dead vampires and raised it high.
“Victory!” she cried.
Andrielle’s salty tears of joy stung as they streamed into an open wound on her left cheek and her blood dripped from her chin.
The army raised their swords and chanted, “Victory! Victory! Victory!”
Legends of Marithia: Book 2 - Darkness Rising Page 21
