by Kyle West
“Novans,” I said.
It was hard to get the full scale of that army, but I knew it had to be massive. They were further north than I had first guessed, opting not to push into Makai territory. Unless I missed my guess, they were on a route to either Colonia, or even the major population centers of the Xenoplain, the northern end of which being bordered by the Grand Canyon and the Annajen capital of Haven.
There was no telling what they would be up to, but as high as we were, we were most definitely safe from detection. Even if they did see us passing over the face of the moon, there was nothing they could do about it. I thought of the irony that Isaru, their former ally, was now flying over them. I wondered how they would react to the news when it finally reached them. Would they continue their assault on the Elekai and Colonia when they learned that Isaru no longer was on their side?
That would have to wait, however.
Over on Falling Star, Isaru was now stirring. He wiped his eyes and looked over at me.
“Any idea where we are?” I asked.
He looked at the hundreds of campfires below. “The Novan force. They were marching north to besiege Colonia from the south, using the farmlands of the Xenoplain to resupply. Assuming they are on schedule, then they are fifty or sixty miles from Colonia, by my guess.”
“We’re not far at all, then. Perhaps an hour.”
“We will see the city soon,” Isaru said. He gazed off to the south. “No sign of Odium.”
“How did you gain control of these dragons, when Rakhim was controlling you? Would it work the same for me?”
“My memory of the event is hazy,” Isaru said. “All I can say is you must trust in yourself and the power you hold. You are Elekim. If you give commands with the weight of your authority behind it . . . they will be obeyed.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“This is the turn of the tide,” Isaru said. “These dragons will become your Army of the Dawn.”
With the dragons, I’d have all the power Isaru and Rakhim had possessed. I could unite the Red Wild, gather everyone to form a resistance against Odium. Even if our power paled in comparison to the invading force, it might at least stand a challenge.
“I think I see something,” I said. “The Colorado River.”
Off in the distance was a shimmering line, the silvery sheen of the river reflecting the moonlight. At the extreme northern end of that line, hugging both ends of the banks, were buildings tiny with distance. As we neared, the wall next became discernible, along with the larger of the lights, including the campfires of the besieging Annajen force.
Isaru angled Falling Star down, and I followed him, asking Flame to go that way with my thoughts.
But as we drew nearer to the city, I could sense that something wasn’t right. I could see shapes flying above the buildings, unseen before because of the darkness. There were high screeches that could only come from dragons flying amok.
“They are Mindless,” Isaru said. “Just as I thought.”
I reached out with my own mind, looking to make a connection with any of them. I sensed madness, anger, and wanton violence. So many were already dead. They would destroy the entire city if it were in their power to do so.
I need the power to stop this, I thought. Grant it to me.
I flew straight for the city, feeling my hold on Silence deepen. I sensed something new in the chaos; recognition of my presence. I felt every latent mind, waiting to be awakened.
Connect, I thought. I have the power to do this, as impossible as it seems. I must believe.
There was a lull in the carnage, and the dragons flew upward into the night sky. They were waiting in expectation for one strong enough to lead them.
Connect, I thought again.
The dragons hovered, sensing that something was about to change.
This will end, I said. All of you will follow me now.
Every dragon in and around the city screamed, either in protest or in agreement. I flew forward on Flame’s back, going into the middle of them all.
Either I died here, or I came back with the army Anna had prophesied so long ago.
Fight for me!
We will not fight for you, Old One, came a voice, from the dragon closest to me. Your power is great, but the power of the Dark is greater.
I didn’t know what the title “Old One” meant, but I assumed it has some importance. The dark isn’t greater. Fighting with me is what you were born to do. This world belongs to the Elekai, not to the usurper!
There was a moment of hesitation. Isaru said to believe in my authority and my power. It was hard to do that against an army of dragons who said they would not obey my authority.
I am Elekim! I said. You will bow to me.
Make us, then.
At that moment, every dragon in the city flew straight for me. I wanted nothing more than to tell Flame to turn around and flee. It was one against two hundred.
There was no way I could win.
Run, while you still can.
Never.
You will die, Elekim. You will die terribly.
You are wrong.
Fool! There is no escape for you.
I saw that whoever was speaking to me was right. The black dragons that had been of Isaru’s old swarm now formed a cloud around me. Though close, none made a move to attack me.
You will die soon.
I’m waiting, I said. Kill me if you can.
I felt Flame’s thoughts connect with mine. Elekim . . . goading them on isn’t wise.
The Mindless continued to circle around me, and in the furious cloud, one dragon lowered itself and flew in front of me, hovering with me above the city. Its great white eyes stared out from a sharp, ebony face, and its mouth opened to reveal long, yellow teeth. It let out a horrendous scream, but its next move was one that was unexpected.
It flew away, and the dragons flying around me trailed after it in a black stream.
What are they doing? Flame asked.
I watched, unsure of that answer. I was unsure until they turned around, until I felt their minds calm. As they waited for me to say something next.
They are obeying, I thought in realization.
The dragons circled above the city, keeping Flame and I in the center. I urged Flame to join the stream, flying faster than the rest to get to the head.
Follow me! I sent the call backwards, so that it would reach every dragon.
Without waiting to see if they would follow me, I flew outside the city limits. Looking back a few minutes later, it was to the sight of an army of dragons. In the east, unknown to me while I was dealing with the dragons, the sun was beginning to the rise.
Isaru’s voice entered my mind. It looks as if you’ve found your Army of the Dawn.
I realized he was right. Yes. But the question is, what to do with it?
Isaru flew up from below, where he had been watching from a distance. Flying toward the sunrise above the distant Red Wild, I looked back to see the dragons following without any sign of protest. In fact, I felt a collective eagerness from the entire host. I had never seen so many at once . . . there were more than even when Isaru controlled them.
I had proven myself to them by not fleeing. They knew that they were following Elekim.
We need to secure the city, make things as right as we can. We need to give the Covenant a chance to join us.
They will blame you for the attack, Isaru said. And of course, they will blame me as well.
All the same, they deserve an explanation. They are alone, and Odium will destroy them if they don’t have our protection. They are people too, Isaru.
I’ll follow your lead, then.
* * *
Isaru and I flew our dragons down, landing them by the Annajen army. Most of the men were already up and preparing for battle. Several lay dead north of the city, mauled by dragons in these same sands that were not two miles from where I’d grown up. The Mindless had not been discerning in who they had at
tacked.
“This will be difficult to explain to the troops,” Isaru said.
“Explain it as best as you can,” I said. “You are their king, and they need you. The real you, not the king they feared.”
We landed our dragons on the sand next to the larger tents, while the rest of the dragons found a landing spot further away from the camp. The men gathered from all around, prostrating themselves before Isaru, begging for his mercy and favor.
In all, it was only yesterday since they had seen him . . . yesterday since the dragons had gone Mindless. I was surprised that the damage wasn’t more severe, given the circumstances.
“Rise,” Isaru said. “A new day has dawned, and everything changes today.” He turned to me. “This is Annara Reborn!” he called out, loud enough for all to hear. “She is the one who saved you from the dragons, and she is the rightful leader of the Elekai, returned from the days of old to lead us against the Radaskim. That is the real war, men. Already, an army of Radaskim dragons has landed in the south, beyond Sylva, and will be here soon enough.”
More men had gathered by this point, several hundred. All of them stared at their king in shock, as everything he was saying was the opposite of what they had been told. I had gone from being a criminal in their eyes to a savior. The dragons had gone from massacring them, to being on their side.
“The coming days will not be easy,” Isaru said. “But as king of the Annajen, I recognize before all of you the return of Annara to our world. Annara, the leader of the Army of the Dawn! As king of the Annajen, I pledge fealty to her,” he continued. “All the domain of my family and heirs are yours to command.”
The men were looking at Isaru as if he were insane. But looking at those dragons behind us, they knew better than to argue.
“I do not wish to fight any of you,” I said, raising my voice. “Everything King Isaru has told you is true. I am Annara, and I have the power to command dragons and the Xenofold. I’ve returned from the past to lead you all against the Radaskim. You are not the first to join me, but with you, our numbers are much greater and we stand a much greater chance at defeating what’s to come.”
By now, more troops were gathering, hundreds of them by now. They would relay my message to the rest who couldn’t hear.
“As your king has said, the Radaskim are here. You must have seen the fires falling from the sky last night. That is our world being invaded from above. That is Xenofall, a sign of the Second Darkness and the end of the current age. If we don’t rise to defend what is ours, there will be nothing left to call ours.”
All of the men were watching me, and listening. Not a word could be heard among the mass of hundreds.
“From this day forward, men will no longer fight each other so long as it’s in my power to stop it. From this day forward, Elekai and non-Elekai will work together for the good of all. Even the Novans, who you hate, will be persuaded to join us. Indeed, they will be the first ones attacked. If we focus on our differences, I guarantee you none of us will be alive a year from now.”
The men began to murmur at this, but I continued nonetheless. “Right now, I can only ask you to trust me. You may think I’m crazy, as well as your king. Maybe that’s true, but also remember that these dragons are following me. These dragons know what’s coming. When they broke free from Isaru, remember that I was the one who tamed them.
“Any man who doesn’t stand with me, will end up standing alone and dying alone. With me . . . at least we may fight, at least we may have some say in the matter, and with luck . . . we might even win.”
I looked out at the crowd. Every face was blank and impossible to read. What were they looking for in me? Did they really think I was insane? Would they even believe me, or did they think that I was the one ordering the dragons to kill them?
“I’m sure you’re wanting to know what this means for you. What our next steps are.” I paused, realizing that even I didn’t know that. “This pointless war with Colonia will be drawing to a swift close. I intend to speak with the Colonian government for terms of peace, and hopefully, of friendship and alliance against the threat to the south.”
At first there was applause, and then a halting of that applause as the second point of my statement was considered. The Colonians were the mortal enemy of the Elekai, a hatred nursed by two centuries of war and misunderstandings.
“Yes, the times are changing,” I said. “So, we must change, too. We must become who we always were, and what we’ve forgotten. We are Elekai. Our lineage is of the stars, and this is our home. We will fight to defend it to the last man, because the Radaskim will not stop until there are no more men, Elekai or not.
“When we have made peace with the Covenant, we will return to Haven.” The men cheered this. They quieted quickly so I could continue. “We will do everything to gather as many men and dragons in one place, to challenge the power of the Radaskim. There are threats, internal and external. We will be fighting a war on many fronts. An impossible war, perhaps. We will fight all the same, even if the fight is hopeless. We will find hope in hopelessness. There is no other reason to draw breath, no other reason to call ourselves human.
“Perhaps you don’t believe me, or don’t think that any of what I said is possible or true. If that’s the case, then I will be proven right, more quickly than you realize.” I gestured to the dragons behind me. “These dragons are no longer Mindless. Their attacks yesterday were due to the Radaskim entering our world, but I have gained control of them and they will never do such a thing again. I regret that stopping the attacks was impossible. But we must move on, such as we can. Bury our dead, and consolidate ourselves for the next test. Because that test is coming soon. To make the Mindless have a mind is the power of Elekim, a power I inherited from the Xenofold. If nothing else, let that be my proof to you.”
I found that I had nothing left to say. If what I said didn’t help my case, then nothing else would.
Seeing that I was done, Isaru stepped forward. “You may return to your duties. Ready yourselves as if for battle in the next hour.”
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
THE ARMY MARCHED TO THE Wind Gate in the north of Colonia, and messengers were sent with a request for talks of peace. One half of the dragons flanked the army, while the other half flew above as a display of power Colonia could not hope to match.
The old men of the city came out, richly robed with long, gray beards. The Grand Pontifex Valerian, looking older and fatter than ever, was carried on his sedan chair by four servants, while the Grand Council of the Nine High Priests joined the retinue, along with a retinue of some two hundred red-caped Peacemakers bearing their characteristic staves.
All the men’s faces were grim as talks began under the warm desert sun, with Isaru, his captains, and I on one side, and the leaders of the city-state on the other.
Colonia was to agree never to threaten the Red Wild with war again.
Colonia was to enter into a treaty of friendship with the Annajen, in defense against any and all threats to the sovereignty of both nations.
The Annajen would make restitutions for the damages caused to the city by the dragons as a token of friendship.
There were no other terms, and despite words of friendship, everyone remained stern and unfriendly. Forced friendship was not truly friendship, but even the leaders of Colonia would be fools not to see that the war was pointless, even if it was started by Isaru. All the reasons why Isaru started the war had to do with being controlled by Odium, which was probably beyond the priests’ comprehension.
However, Odium had done well in driving a wedge between disparate people, which would make his attempt to conquer Earth all the easier.
Among the priests I caught Hunter Valance’s cold, blue gaze. The man said nothing as he walked away, and there was no hint of superiority in his demeanor. It was strange how little more than half a year could change the balance of things.
“It’s a start,” I said to Isaru when the Colonians had withd
rawn behind their walls.
“This is no friendship,” Isaru said, quietly. “They will stab us at the first opportunity.”
“Not if they want to survive this,” I said. “I think I explained the threat of Odium and the Radaskim well enough.”
“Yes,” Isaru said, “but will they listen?”
I was quiet, because I didn’t know the answer to that question. “Time will tell.”
* * *
That very afternoon, the Annajen army was on the march back to Haven, to garrison the city and its surroundings before the inevitable invasion. Whether that invasion would first come from the Novans, or the Radaskim, I couldn’t say.
Isaru and I entrusted the army to its leadership as we flew back to Sylva, where we found the half-burned city as we had left it. There was mass panic as people realized a swarm of dragons was descending on their city, and outright confusion when they did nothing more than roost in the giant Silverwood trees to Sylva’s west.
Isaru and I found our friends and explained everything that had transpired in Colonia. We found out from them that King Arius was alive, and they were doing all they could to prepare a defense in the forest while rebuilding their treetop city, the proceedings of which had been interrupted by the panic caused by the dragons.
They also informed us that there had been no sign of Odium or the Radaskim, which left us with the crucial decision of what do next.
“There’s Kalear up north,” I said. “Lord Harrow must be ordered to stand down, and he won’t do that unless Isaru orders it.”
“I’ll give him the same speech I gave the army outside Colonia,” he said. “Having his forces join up with yours at Kalear, and then coming down to help King Arius and the Makai, might be the best move. If the Novans aren’t willing to negotiate . . . and something tells me they won’t . . . then their army will be caught between the Annajen army in Haven and our other forces in the south.”
“It does put us in a good position,” I said. “But all of it means nothing if we fight the Novans and Odium comes to clean up the scraps. Even the Novans can be brought to see that the Radaskim are the main threat.”
