Fire & Stone_The War for Life

by Luis Robles

  “The best is all we need,” Bramma responded, lost in thought.

  * * *

  Two days passed, and the space within the walls was filled with a variety of creatures. Gargoyle soldiers spent their days on high alert as signs of the incoming shadow army grew, and as a long cloud of smoke dotted the horizon.

  The ground began to tremble, and everyone that was able to see the horizon outside the kingdom did not look away.

  “Monsters on the horizon!” a winged gargoyle yelled as he came back from patrol.

  “Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go. The enemy is here!” Hellys yelled at the top of his lungs.

  Panic ensued, but after the message got relayed hundreds of times, however, everyone proceeded as planned. All who could fight will man the walls of the Stone Kingdom, and non-fighters would go to the Stone Keep and Iridium for shelter. Nuvia and Hellys led everyone to the shelters.

  Queen Laila and Hellys’ mother, Arrie, were among the large crowd taking refuge. Not knowing if they will see their mother again, they went on to say goodbye to them.

  “We are leaving now, Arrie, but don’t worry for you will be safe down here. And don’t worry about Hellys; I will take care of him. We will return in a little while, Arrie. Keep these people calm,” Nuvia said to Arrie.

  “Please, whatever you do, please come back. I wouldn’t know what to do without you or my son,” Arrie begged to Nuvia.

  “Mother, don’t worry. We’ll push through this. The war might not even happen. But in any case, you know that I love you, and I will do my best to see you once more,” Hellys said as he tightly embraced his mother.

  Nuvia and Hellys were not the only ones saying goodbye to their loved ones; many gargoyles, many mages, and many other warriors were also expressing last words as the trembles at the ground grew.

  Nuvia held Queen Laila’s hands. “Try to keep everybody calm down here, okay? Everyone needs comfort. We will do everything we can to end this as quick as possible and come back. But Mother, I’ll have you know that I am thankful for my life, for everything you and Father have done for me. I…” Nuvia said as tears began to escape her eyes.

  “Please, don’t speak that way. Don’t tell me what I already know. It makes me feel like you’re not going to come back. Just do your best, and help your father as much as you can,” Queen Laila replied, interrupting Nuvia and wiping the tears out of her daughter’s eyes.

  “Hellys, you better take care of my daughter. You better do everything you can so that I can see you both again. I believe in you and Nuvia. Send that army back to hell,” Queen Laila told Hellys as she wiped some dust off his leather vest.

  “I’ll do whatever is in my power to protect Nuvia and everyone in the Stone Kingdom, my Queen. The army is going to regret ever coming knocking on our doors,” Hellys reassured the Queen.

  Nuvia and Hellys left to the front lines as the King began to speak with an amplification spell. Arrie and Queen Laila waved at them until they were out of sight.

  “Listen closely to my words. This is not the end for us. We are still living and breathing, and this will be our beginning! We will free ourselves from this impending army of shadows, just as we have done before. I assure you that I will do anything within my power to make it so. Do not panic; do not give them the pleasure of seeing fear in your eyes. I shall stand beside you and give my life if necessary. Keep hope alive. We will all live to see another day,” Bramma broadcasted.

  King Bramma, Nimbus, Fieera, and a small group of gargoyles marched outside until they reached near the mages’ barrier. There, they waited for the shadow army to reach them. Following the King’s orders, Nuvia and Hellys stayed behind, manning the main entrance.

  With each minute that passed, the shadow army drew closer to the Stone Kingdom. The shadow army was immense, engulfing the horizon, and in the middle of it all was Obfuscuss.

  King Bramma and the small group of gargoyles held their ground by not backing up a single centimeter as the shadow army rapidly approached. Just outside the main entrance, Nuvia and Hellys braced themselves for the moment the enemy would reach the barrier.

  The sound of the roaring creatures became relentless as they approached. The bloodthirsty shadows began to run towards Bramma and the small group of gargoyles once they were visible.

  “They are not stopping!” a gargoyle within the small group yelled out with panic in his voice.

  “Don’t panic! That is exactly what they want you to feel. Instead, ready for a fight. Let them know what gargoyles are made of,” Nimbus said, standing firm and ready.

  Once the shadows were a couple of meters away from the small group of frontline gargoyles, they launched a ferocious attack. The shadows sprang several meters up in the air with their paws wide open, extending their razor sharp claws. However, before they could even land close to where the frontline gargoyles stood, shock-like energy repelled the shadows away from the barrier, sending them far back into the army. Attack after attack, the barrier held strong, repelling every type of creature Obfuscuss’ army had. A few minutes passed before they stopped attacking the barrier, and a clear four-meter line was formed between the barrier and the shadow army. The creatures were enraged, roaring at the strong barrier.

  Seeing what happened, Obfuscuss walked his way closer to the barrier; the shadow army began to quiet. The dragon walked calmly, towering over most of the creatures. He was unsoiled and wearing a two-piece crown that hung from his horns, along with a dark, unscratched cloak. Calmly, the dragon broke the four-meter line and walked in the direction of King Bramma and the small group of gargoyles. As the dragon got closer, the powerful electric-like magic began striking him. However, the dragon did not cringe or flinch at the barrier’s attempts to drive him back. He continued to walk up to King Bramma until he was face to face with him, with only the thin invisible film of the mages’ barrier setting them apart.

  Bramma could not believe his eyes when he saw the face of the dragon commanding the shadow army.

  Looking directly at King Bramma, Obfuscuss said, “This is quite a barrier you have here. If I did not know any better, it might have stopped my army. The end of the world is inevitable; I will finish what has been started.”

  “Stop this madness! You are Arimus the Watcher, a name given to you by non-other than Bliss! You are supposed to be the savior of the world, not its destroyer. Bliss and I believed in you; everyone grew hope and faith with you. Please don’t do this, Arimus,” King Bramma said, looking up at the towering dragon as he was being held back by magic.

  “Arimus is dead for a long time now! All that is left is me, and I am Obfuscuss, your end! Give her back to me, and I will consider stopping this,” the dragon said, growing irritated.

  Everyone that had a clear view of the occurrence were astonished with the power of the barrier but bewildered when all that power did not even scratch the dragon’s skin. Each time the electric-like magic struck the dragon’s cloak, part of the cloak was destroyed. However, with each few seconds that passed, the cloak grew back.

  “Give her back? How can you ask that from me? I don’t know what happened to her. No one knows what happened to her. If anybody knew, it would be you!” Bramma exclaimed.

  With each second that passed, Nuvia grew worried for her father. She turned to Hellys and asked, “What should we do?”

  “By the way the dragon is speaking, he’s not going to stop. The dragon is sure he can break the barrier. Call Tunco over; I have new orders for everyone,” Hellys said as he turned to Nuvia, trying to keep calm.

  Surreptitiously, Nuvia called the jackrabbit over. In just a few seconds, Tunco was in front of Nuvia and Hellys. Hellys then looked down to the jackrabbit as Nuvia kept her eyes fixed on the dragon and Bramma.

  “Tell the warriors that the barrier will be breached soon and to get everyone behind the walls. Leave the bottom door open, which is where we will try to bottleneck these monsters. Only the strongest of warriors should remain outside the wall, only the o
nes willing to take on the first wave. Go now,” Hellys firmly said to Tunco in a low voice. With a blink of an eye, the jackrabbit disappeared from in front of them.

  Nuvia looked at Hellys in disbelief and with worry all over her face. She gripped the stone mallet tighter.

  “If the dragon so much as moves, I’ll get the King. The barrier will be strong enough to stall the dragon for a few seconds,” Hellys said as his eyes were pasted to the frontline.

  Fearing the worst, Hellys turned to Nuvia and kissed her slowly on the lips. Realizing that it might be the end for everyone, tears started running down Nuvia’s face.

  “Ease your worry, my love. That was for good luck. And whatever you do, stay close to me at all times,” Hellys whispered to her, trying to comfort her.

  Then, the dragon took a step forward, approaching Bramma, not minding the barrier.

  “Now!” Hellys yelled at Nuvia as he flew as fast as he could towards the King.

  As soon as she heard this, Nuvia readied for battle.

  “Fall back now!” Bramma managed.

  The dragon passed through the barrier as if nothing was there, unsheathing his sword as he took another step forward. In one swift movement of the dragon’s sword, the small group of gargoyles including Nimbus and Fieera were slain.

  If it were not for Hellys pulling back Bramma as the dragon’s hand swung his sword, the King would have surely died. The sword lacerated Bramma across his chest and arm, causing him to leave the stone mallet.

  Irritated with Hellys’ speed and the barrier, the dragon stepped back and shouted, “Fuego imenso!” Powerful flames swiftly appeared everywhere around the barrier, engulfing it within seconds. The enemy did not hesitate to sprint wildly and enraged towards the Stone Kingdom.

  Meanwhile, Hellys managed to put Bramma safely behind the walls within a matter of seconds. The moment that the King touched the floor, Hellys turned around and flew towards Nuvia; she was running as fast as she could towards the entrance with her stone mallet in hand.

  The nearby potion mixer ran to the aid of the King.

  “All that are ready, on me!” Hellys yelled as he flew next to Nuvia.

  A brave group formed just outside the entrance and was led by Hellys and Nuvia. Mages, giants, Nulians, and gargoyles were lined up outside the wall, ready to face the shadows. There were about a group of twenty gargoyle warriors and a variety of creatures including humans that did not seem to fear death. They had a few seconds before the shadow army reached them.

  A few meters out front and the center of it all is where Hellys and Nuvia stood by themselves. Emorees on Nuvia’s hands started to show, radiating a deep red.

  Hellys tried to ready everyone by screaming out with the entire breath of his lungs, as every Emoree in his body lit up in incandescent orange, “Ready yourselves, and give it all you’ve got for as long as you can. This wall will stand!”

  The cluster of warriors outside the wall let out a booming scream.

  Gargoyle warriors held tight to their various weapons as Emorees appeared in their bodies. Humans and the rest of the creatures prepared for battle by sharpening their weapons.

  “You attack with the mallet as hard and as fast as you can, and I’ll defend. I’ll make sure that all these creatures stay off you,” Hellys commanded.

  “I’m with you until the end,” Nuvia said.

  “And I with you,” Hellys replied.

  15

  The Onslaught

  Shadows clashed with the warriors outside the colossal walls. Mages used magic explosions and miniature barriers that dissolved in seconds. The gargoyles teamed up, working together to take down the giant-size shadows as they tried to bring down the colossal walls. Humans and the rest of the creatures had their hands full against the enemy as well, doing whatever was in their power to fight the enemies. Some humans threw explosive potions at the foes, rendering them inert, while others teamed up five against one. Experts with the bow and arrow, some humans were at the top of the wall, aiding the team of gargoyles against the massive shadows.

  Many of the brave warriors did not make more than a few minutes into the fight, and losing a limb was the most common way of defeat.

  Nuvia and Hellys were in a league of their own. Instead of simply holding back the attack, they were advancing. Each time Nuvia managed to strike a shadow with the stone mallet, that monster would be sent into nothingness. The stone mallet was striking the creatures with immense force; Nuvia had absolute control over the stone mallet as well as her body. Many monsters from the shadow army tried to attack her from within her blind spot. However, she had the best guardian of them all: Hellys did not let any attack get close to her. He was swiftly managing to eliminate Nuvia’s attackers by putting them in the stone mallet’s path. Even as they were losing, the warriors from outside the wall were encouraged and grabbed strength from Nuvia and Hellys’ efforts.

  Shadows were falling left to right, one after another, as Nuvia and Hellys gained momentum. The shadows stood no chance against them even with their massive numbers; all that Nuvia and Hellys needed was time.

  More and more warriors made it outside the wall, screaming their lungs out, ready for a fight. Whenever any gargoyle would get tired, they would fly back behind the walls, and others would replace them. The same was true for the mages, humans, and other creatures. Thanks to the magic Nuvia and Hellys inherited from Bliss on the day of War’s death, they had stamina for days on end.

  Obfuscuss was growing impatient, standing in the same spot where he had slain the small group of gargoyles moments earlier. Seeing that his army was slowly failing because of the gargoyles’ superior tactics, the dragon slowly started to move towards the kingdom’s outer walls.

  Having all five original Gate creatures living within him, the dragon was able to call forth an illness using Malady’s powers. A green, tenebrous toxic creature emerged from the ground, awaiting orders from the dragon.

  “Get rid of them now,” Obfuscuss commanded.

  The toxic creature turned into a fast-moving, tumultuous cloud. It took the cloud of toxic smoke a few seconds to reach the battlefield. Once there, it launched straight towards Hellys as he was wielding the powerful stone mallet and crushing opponents at a supreme rate.

  Somehow, the toxic cloud managed to break Hellys’ defense, consuming him slowly. Incredible illness struck him as soon as the toxic cloud touched him. Hellys began coughing and was struggling to keep Nuvia safe from all the attacks. Slowing down by half the speed, pure luck was keeping him alive. When Nuvia saw Hellys’ condition, the trembling hands, the sweating face, she worried and her attacks against the shadows slowed.

  “No, don’t look at me! Focus on the enemy, I’ll be fine!” Hellys yelled at her, knowing full well that he was lying to her.

  Nuvia’s heart did not allow her to listen to Hellys; with each moment that passed, she grew worried for him. Tears ran down Nuvia’s face as she saw Hellys slowly dying in front of her. He pushed hard, he pushed with all he had as his Emorees burned a bright orange, but it was obvious that he was losing the battle.

  All the nearby shadows attacked Hellys at once; they knew that this time, there was no way Hellys was going to be able to repel their attack. When Nuvia saw the shadows heading straight for Hellys, she abandoned her position to go and aid him. A few minutes passed and, one by one, the sixteen shadows disappeared into nothingness as they were slain by Nuvia. Knowing that they were losing, and knowing he could no longer keep up, Hellys pushed his body to the absolute limit; Hellys managed to grab Nuvia and put her behind the safety of the walls.

  “Are you ok?” Hellys asked her once they were behind the safety of the walls.

  “I’m so sorry, Hellys, I did the best I could...I’m sorry I let you down. I will always love you, and that will never change even if they took my life away,” Nuvia responded with a broken voice, with tears rolling down her face.

  Battered and slowly dying, Hellys looked at Nuvia’s beautiful body only to
find a wound near her chest. The wound that Nuvia had suffered was a mortal one; there was no magic and no potion powerful enough to heal her. Realizing that he only had a minute at most with her, Hellys embraced her, putting her head next to his own. As the rest of the gargoyles and creatures behind the wall realized what was going on, a prevailing silence spread among the crowd.

  “You have never failed me, nor will you ever. All these years by your side have been the best in my life. I’ve enjoyed everything we’ve done together, everything we are. You have been the only true blessing in my life. If I could, I’d do it all over again with you...I love you, Nuvia,” Hellys spoke softly into Nuvia’s ear as the life in her body slowly disappeared.

  Nuvia’s passing body managed to squeeze Hellys one last time, and in the faintest voice she said, “I love you…”

  Knowing that those were Nuvia’s very last words, Hellys’ spirit sunk into the deepest, darkest abyss a soul could ever reach. He wanted to die; he did not have the will to fight any longer. The toxic illness was now rapidly consuming his body and mind, blocking his will to live.

  “You must live. You must go and defeat the dragon. Don’t let all the people from this world die. You know they are counting on you,” Nuvia’s voice said inside Hellys’ head. Even after death, their bond was strong.

  Hellys awoke, breathing heavily as a big chunk of the outer wall fell and made a loud noise; King Bramma was holding Nuvia in his arms. He was devastated to see his only daughter without life. Summoning up most of his courage to speak, Bramma said to Hellys, “Are you all right, son?”

  Shaken and building up anger, Hellys faced forward towards the incoming dragon and said, “She told me to go; she told me to do the best I can, to protect the most I can. I will go!” Hellys’ body was flooded with strong emotions of anger, resentment, and vengeance. Emorees on his body began to light up in bright yellow streaks as he got up. He grabbed the stone mallet and started walking towards the dragon.