Fire & Stone_The War for Life

by Luis Robles

  Nuvia replied, “No, father, I’ll leave that until tomorrow when the city is awake.”

  Nuvia then approached Fieera as she stood quietly in the corner of the room.

  “I just want to say thank you for all that you taught me. I don’t think that I would be able to win if it wasn’t for you. Thank you,” Nuvia said sincerely.

  “Don’t let this victory go to your head. You, like I and everyone else, have a lot to learn. The possibilities in your future are endless. I am grateful for the opportunity that I’ve had to be your teacher. But now, I’ve taught you everything I know, and the rest you will have to learn on your own. There is so much more to you than you know. Keep that in mind at all times,” Fieera said as she embraced Nuvia one last time, one last time as her teacher and friend.

  * * *

  After a day of flying further away from the northernmost side of the kingdom, Hellys finally reached the Peaks of Mullata by sundown. The peaks appeared to be a dreadful place where little vegetation grew and animals roamed wildly, untamed. Several fires could be seen dotting the peaks in the darkness. Surrounding the fires were the creatures that inhabited the place. They looked unfriendly and dangerous. Regardless, Hellys passed by them and looked everywhere for the sunflower that will save his mother’s life. As the night progressed, the peaks turned darker; one by one, fires were being put out. Slowly, everything turned into total darkness.

  Fortunately, Hellys was armed with a glowing jar of honey. He continued his search for the sunflower long into the night, searching every peak in sight. As he searched, an uneasy feeling overcame him, like he was being watched, though he continued on his search with full determination.

  Only a few peaks remained for Hellys to search when he came across what was perhaps the only sunflower on all the peaks. The sunflower was tiny and brittle, not at all the typical sunflower; however, it resembled a sunflower just enough for Hellys to recognize that he had the right one. His worried face turned to excitement when he saw the red petals of the flower, illuminated by the light of the moon and his jar of glowing honey. He quickly emptied the jar of glowing honey, wiped it as best as he could with a rag that he produced from his satchel, and placed the sunflower in it along with a fraction of dirt from the peak. Once the sunflower was safe inside the jar, and inside his satchel, Hellys turned around and flew straight back to the Stone Kingdom.

  Flying at full speed, he covered a tremendous amount of ground. As he was leaving behind the peaks, he started realizing that he was not flying alone. When he got to the outer edge of the peaks, he came to an abrupt stop in midair. Five winged dragons were waiting for him.

  These dragons had feathered wings, several large horns sticking out from the back of their heads, a great jaw, mouth filled with sharpened teeth, four strong limbs, and a serpentine-like body.

  The moment Hellys came to a complete halt, one of the winged dragons said in a dark, menacing voice, “What’s the matter, boy? You can come closer, we won’t bite.”

  Another of the winged dragons said with a mocking voice, “That’s if you pay your way for safe passage. Nobody is free to fly wherever they want, whenever they want. There’s rules in place for everybody. If you want to go back to where you came from, you’ll have to pay.”

  Before saying anything, Hellys thought very carefully about the situation, simultaneously simulating in his head every possible outcome. “I didn’t bring any money. if I can’t reason with them, fight is imminent and five against one are not in good odds...No matter what I have to keep the sunflower safe.”

  “Come on, boy, a few gold coins shall do the trick. One for each one of us. You know...It’s for our troubles,” the biggest of the dragons said.

  “I brought no money with me, and even if I did, I am still very poor; I don’t think I’ve ever held a gold coin before. Would you let me pass just this once? I don’t want any trouble. You see, my mother is very sick and I need to get to her fast,” Hellys said, trying to remain calm.

  “Well, you won’t get to her at all of you don’t pay your right of passage. Letting you pass will not do,” the most worn-down of the dragons said to him, and added to his companions, “Don’t let him leave the peaks. Maybe we could ask for ransom.”

  Three of the five winged dragons moved towards Hellys with speed and the intent to bring him down. The dragons were big, strong, and fast creatures. A normal gargoyle would not stand a chance in an attack of this scale. However, Hellys knew more about the dragons than they themselves did. Hellys stood still as the dragons approached him with tenacity; he waited until the last possible moment to get out of the way. Hellys started using the dragons’ movements and speed to his advantage, bouncing off them as they fought amongst each other to get a clear bite or claw at Hellys. Looking for an opening on each dragon, and concentrating, Hellys managed to land a finishing blow on each of the dragons’ weak spot. A winged dragon’s weak spot lay underneath its jaw where the neck began. Three of the five dragons fell from the sky.

  As Hellys turned around to face the remaining two dragons, two fireballs were well on their way, and it was too late for Hellys to move out of the way.

  Fearing for the safety of the sunflower more than his own, Hellys wrapped his wings around his body, hardening them and waited for the impact.

  When the emotions of a gargoyle run strong, he would be able to channel those emotions to any part of his body, adding strength, speed, or durability. This was possible due to special emotional veins called Emoree, which ran through a gargoyle’s body. These special veins would lit up orange or red. A gargoyle would also be able to create a layer of stone over their skin. This layer would then be shed off when no longer necessary, or could also be destroyed with a great enough impact.

  The fireballs exploded into a large cloud of smoke when they hit Hellys head on, and bit of stone and debris were visibly falling towards the ground. The dragons started laughing in a deep, evil way. The worn-down dragon said in a mocking manner, “That is what happens when you don’t pay.”

  “Sir! I don’t see him,” the younger winged dragon said as the cloud of smoke was clearing. For a moment, both dragons stood still, tilting their head and unable to believe their eyes.

  “Look for him, you idiot! Don’t let him escape,” the worn-down dragon yelled.

  Both winged dragons were unable to find Hellys until the younger dragon said, “He’s over there, and he’s getting away fast!”

  Hellys had exited the cloud of smoke as soon as he was able to fly again. By the time the two remaining winged dragons were able to spot him, Hellys was already near the outer edges of the peaks.

  The two dragons pursued him furiously through the sky as he was heading back towards the Stone Kingdom. Frustrated and angry that they could not catch up to him, the older dragon said, “What kind of gargoyle is he? No gargoyle should be able to fly that fast. We are the kings of the sky, and no one else.” The two dragons roared and increased their speed to get closer, but they were still unable to catch up to Hellys.

  With wounded wings, Hellys was flying in pain, but he knew that once he reached the Stone Kingdom he would be safe. Dawn broke and the giant stone wall was almost in sight. The winged dragons knew that they were running out of time.

  In the final moments of the pursuit, the worn-down dragon said, “Let’s hit him with all we’ve got. He won’t survive this time.”

  The winged dragons summoned up all their strength and hurled two fireballs towards Hellys. Soon after, the dragons were unable to fly as they had depleted all their strength, and they began falling from the sky. The fireballs were so fast and massive that a collision was imminent.

  “Not again,” Hellys said, grinding his teeth as he looked back and feeling the heat of the two massive fireballs. Hellys had read before that there was no escape from flying dragon’s fireballs. Even if he were to maneuver in the air, the fireballs will always find their target; they were imbued with powerful magic.

  He settled for trying to use c
over as much ground as possible before impact. The fireballs had hit Hellys just before he reached the northernmost outer wall of the Stone Kingdom. The force was great enough to knock him out in mid-flight, forcefully throwing him further away towards the center of the kingdom.

  As the two dragons fell upside down, they were able to see that the fireballs had struck him; he was unconscious and descending rapidly towards the Stone Kingdom.

  “Surely, he won’t survive that fall. I have never heard of a gargoyle being able to harden his skin while he sleeps. I think this fall will be worth it,” the older dragon said in a victorious voice as he fell, unable to move his body.

  “I’m not sure about that. The ground looks hard,” the younger dragon said as they fell to their end.

  Hellys too was falling to his grave.

  10

  Falling

  Unconscious, and with his back facing the Stone Village, he was rapidly falling towards the center of the village. Villagers from around the small towns who saw a green silhouette fall from the sky did not seem to care. Random dismissive comments came out of their mouths, nonchalant.

  “Well, what is Hellys up to this time? He never seems to stop, does he?”

  “There goes that kid again. He’s going to get hurt one of these days. He’s probably too lucky to get hurt, so never mind,”

  “I don’t understand why he is so different from the rest of us. Why can’t he be normal, civilized gargoyle? I should have a talk with his mother one of days before he gets hurt...Or maybe not. Oh well.”

  Princess Nuvia had woken up in a very happy mood that day since she was going to be able to explore the Stone Kingdom on her own. She was running throughout the Stone Keep, wishing everyone a good day before she left towards the main wing. Once she was outside the west terrace, she stretched with a big smile on her face, ready to take on the world.

  Nuvia was planning to jump from the castle’s terrace on towards the city. As she was taking her first steps to gain momentum for the jump, she noticed a shadow out of the corner of her eye. She quickly turned her head to see that a green-clothed gargoyle was falling, unconscious, from the sky. Without giving it a second thought, Nuvia launched at full speed to try to rescue that falling gargoyle.

  She ran quickly and with all her strength jumped towards the falling gargoyle. She managed to reach him just in time and pulled him towards her, embracing him in midair.

  The castle’s terrace was twenty-eight meters above the ground, surrounded by some of the tallest buildings in the Stone Village. Summoning up most of her strength and directing it towards her feet and free arm, Nuvia hardened her gargoyle skin and braced for impact. As she steered closer towards the tall building, she dug her hand and feet deep into the building wall, slowing them down. The building’s wall was not long enough or strong enough to completely break their fall. Nuvia and Hellys hit the ground with force; the impact caused a large cloud of dust.

  The force of the impact woke Hellys up abruptly.

  “Are you all right? Do you need a potion? Hello? Can you hear me?” Nuvia asked, worried.

  “The flower, where is the flower? The sunflower? I can’t, it can’t...” Hellys yelled as he looked for the sunflower in his satchel.

  As the dust settled, Hellys was able to see that the sunflower had survived, along with the jar, which only had a tiny crack on its upper side. He let out a long sigh of relief and took a few seconds to gather himself. Unaware that the Princess of the gargoyles was sitting next to him, and without turning to look at her, Hellys said in grateful voice, “You saved my life, but more importantly my mother’s potion ingredient. Who are you?”

  “You don’t remember me?” she replied with a big smile on her face as she was able to see his face for the first time since they fell.

  As he turned to face her, there was instant recognition. However, for some moments, Hellys thought that he had suffered some kind of concussion and he was hallucinating. “Is it really you? Really...really?” he said, in shock to see her again.

  “Yes, it’s really me. However, I think I am the only one gargoyle with the red hair you will find in this entire kingdom, so that might be a dead giveaway,” Nuvia said, blushing and smiling.

  Stricken by the beauty of her face and her presence, the only words Hellys managed to whisper were, “You are still beautiful, just as I remembered.”

  Unable to hear what Hellys murmured because of the falling debris from the building, Nuvia asked Hellys, already blushing as if she knew, “What did you say?”

  “Nothing of importance. I have to take this jar to the potion blender near the gate of the village’s wall,” he replied nervously as he tried to get up, though failed due to his extensive injuries.

  “You know, I was beginning to think that I was never going to see you again,” Hellys said.

  Nuvia caught him as he was falling back to the ground and took the jar from him before it slipped from his fingers. Hellys looked at her, confused and still dazed, but somehow still handsome. Hellys was a handsome gargoyle with almost a perfect body; his skin was gray with only a hint of blue. He had green hair and bright hazel green eyes.

  “Taking this flower to the potion blender must be very important to you. I’ll help you get there, just tell me where to go,” Nuvia said with a kind voice.

  “Thank you, I don’t think I can make it on my own,” he replied as he turned to look at her.

  Nuvia held him firmly by his left upper arm, taking a lot of weight off him, and they started walking. He was surprised at just how strong she was.

  “So, what happened? It’s not every day that gargoyles fall from the sky,” she asked curiously.

  “Yeah, just like it’s not every day that you see the Princess of the Gargoyles outside wondering the village. But it’s a long story. So long that you wouldn’t be interested in it, trust me,” Hellys replied with half a laugh.

  “Yeah, and this is gonna be a long walk...we have time, and I am interested,” Nuvia replied with a smile as she looked forward.

  Hellys started telling her the story of why he ended up falling unconscious from the sky. When Nuvia learned the reasons why the sunflower was so important, she carried even more of Hellys’ weight so that they could move faster towards the potion blender whom Hellys wanted to see.

  Once they got the sunflower blended from the potion blender, they headed towards Hellys’ home. When the Princess passed by the workshops and small trades in the outer side of the village, she could not believe her eyes. The gargoyles there looked sad, tired, and unresponsive to their surroundings. The buildings surrounding the area were in less than great shape: cracked slabs of stone were everywhere. Some were even walking without proper clothes. In her eyes, it seemed as if they had gone back one hundred years.

  “Why is this part of the kingdom like this? What’s going on?” Nuvia turned to ask Hellys with alarm.

  “Well, this is how things have been in the Northernmost Village for quite some time now. The marketplace is worse than this. People work very hard for the majority of their lives, but they can’t get enough money to get food and good supplies for their trade at the same time. Some people can’t even afford to have meal as a family; they have to choose whose turn is it to eat. Things are too expensive, work pays too little, and taxes are too high. If your bloodline is not a wealthy or strong one, it’s very hard to make a living in the city. Things aren’t right,” he replied.

  “Does my father know about this? How come nobody told us? I had no idea that things were this bad,” Nuvia said in disbelief.

  “I’ve tried to contact the King through the lords and bureaucrats, and so have several business owners from around here that I know of. However, somehow the messages get lost somewhere along the way. All we have ever asked for is for the King himself to come see how things are. We don’t ask for much,” Hellys said as he too looked around.

  “I have to do something about this. Things can’t continue like this. I just never thought…” she
said, determined.

  “I hope those aren’t just words. These people really need help. I’ve never thought of the King as a cruel man,” Hellys replied with a smile.

  “My father is the bravest and kindest person you’ll ever meet. He won’t stand and let this happen,” she replied, filled with hope.

  “We’re here. My mother is inside, want to come in?” Hellys said bashfully.

  Often, winged gargoyles were the first responders in the Stone Kingdom as they could move freely through the sky. Most of the winged gargoyles lived in the outskirts of the villages, near the outer wall. As the villages expanded, many winged gargoyles relocated with each expansion. Hellys’ family ended up living in the Northernmost Village. Even after Hellys’ father passed away in the war against the shadows, his mother followed the same practice over the years.

  Hellys’ home was small but cozy, with colorful scarves and paintings hanging everywhere that brought life to the home.

  “Does your mom make these? They are beautiful! I’ve never seen scarves this pretty. Those paintings are so colorful,” Nuvia said as she noticed the scarves and paintings.

  “Yeah, my mother makes both, but the scarves are a family business since my father passed away. It’s too bad that they are only worth a few coins of silver in this part of town,” Hellys said, looking around at the beautiful pieces.

  Coughing echoed through the house and Hellys, now worried, rushed with Nuvia towards the last room of the house. His mom was lying down on bed, coughing, but as soon as she saw Hellys, a big smile appeared on her face. Nuvia handed the potion to Hellys, and he got on his knees next to his mother’s bed to administer it.

  “Who may this lovely lady be? Is she your girlfriend? You never told me you had a girlfriend…” his mother asked aloud in between coughs and sipping potion. Hellys and Nuvia blushed and looked at each other.