by Doug Backus
Abednego was yelling in confusion to his troops trying to get them to retreat to the east. It was utter mayhem. Drops of blood fell through the fog like rain and covered the ground. Palvoy fell back onto the grass and when he looked toward the sky he saw the wings of an angel breaking through the fog toward him. “This is it,” he thought to himself.
Kaelyn ran through the fog toward Palvoy. She could see the Pegapire standing over him. There might still be hope she thought, and hurried to his side.
“I am sorry child. We came too late for Palvoy.”
Kaelyn grabbed her head as if to shake the words from it. She did not want to hear them.
“No, please, the Wall of Solace! We can get him there! He will heal! Please, it will bring him back! It is not his time…our time is yet to come,” sobbed Kaelyn.
“Your time may come Kaelyn, but not in this world. You know as well as I do that the Wall of Solace only heals. It does restore life to the departed. I am sorry,” said Palto.
“Where is Oisin?” cried Kaelyn.
“He is alive, but not well. How long ago was he infected with the Ralcriff quills?”
“Yesterday evening. He has but hours left before the poison takes him…and Jayden as well,” Kaelyn answered.
Palto immediately hailed two other Pegapires. “Solko, Preta. Take Oisin and fly to Solace. There is no time to waste if he is to live. You must get him to the wall.”
Kaelyn picked Oisin up from the ground and using all the strength she could muster, she pushed him onto Solko. They took flight immediately, vanishing in seconds.
“I will kill them for this!” Kaelyn yelled as she grabbed her sword from the ground. She was sobbing uncontrollably. Her chest was heaving and she was struggling to catch another breath of air. She had just lost her only love, for a Lealian only finds love once. She did not know it yet, but this moment in time would change her life forever. Without love her remaining emotions would push her to limits that she did not know she had. It would make her one of the most ferocious warriors in Rhol.
The fog had now lifted enough that she could see the battle that was raging on in the Valley. The Kaltaures army was huge. They used arrows and catapulted balls of fire at the Pegapires while they were in flight. They used their swords when the Pegapires swooped in to fight them on the ground. The Pegapires were extremely fast though, and were, for the most part, able to avoid injury.
Kaelyn had not noticed the Phits before, but they too had joined the fight with the Kaltaures, and were having slightly better results against the Pegapires. They were flying in groups. When they got onto the back of a Pegapire, they had free reign to rip into its flesh with their teeth and razor sharp claws.
“Kaelyn, where is Jayden?” Palto asked.
Kaelyn turned and looked at Palto. “He remained in the tunnel. He refused to leave the other Lealians.”
“What of Roland?” Palto asked.
“Roland was killed during the attack on Leal after saving us. Jayden leads the Lealians now. We forged ahead of them to bring help, but we have failed them.”
“Kaelyn!” Palto snapped. “You have failed no one. You have travelled many miles and fought bravely. Do not dishonor the memory of Palvoy with regret. He would not want that. You found us, as we have found you. We must now join together if we are to win back Rhol.”
Palto regretted the harshness of his tone but it seemed to bring her back to reality.
Kaelyn realized that her anger would solve nothing at this moment. She had not understood her reaction at first. She had seen many deaths over her time, but never the death of someone she loved, someone to whom she would never get the chance to say those words, all because of her pride.
“You are right Palto, I am sorry. You were asking about the remainder of the Lealians. It is my guess that they would be three to four hours from the end of the tunnel, maybe further if Jayden is in the same condition as Oisin.”
“Climb on my back, Kaelyn. We will go now to get Jayden and get him to the Wall of Solace, if it is not already too late.”
Kaelyn shook her head. “I belong here Palto. I would be of no use in the tunnel and would only slow you down.”
Palto did not argue with her and summoned a Pegapire. “Very well Kaelyn. You are indeed a true Lealian. This is Issa; you shall fight with her and she with you.”
Kaelyn felt an instant bond with Issa as she looked admiringly at her.
“I feel it, too, Kaelyn. The bond has existed for centuries between Lealians and Pegapires, ours will never be broken. Now let us join the battle.”
Kaelyn did not need to be convinced, and climbed onto Issa. Before they flew off into battle Kaelyn looked at Palto, “He will not be easily swayed into leaving his people to save his own life. He is stubborn.”
“Then I will just have to be convincing, won’t I?” Palto said before flying toward the tunnel.
Chapter Twelve
The night had fallen as Phanthus flew closer to his destination. He was in no hurry. He was not looking forward to meeting with Solharn, and quite enjoyed the freedom that only the night provided him. Phanthus had perfect vision at night, and with the cover of darkness he could easily maneuver through the sky unseen.
Phanthus was well over two thousand years old, and was the last remaining dragon in Rhol. His soul was filled with anger for many years ago he had watched as the people of Rhol needlessly hunted and killed all the dragons for mere sport and to garner prestigious titles, all except for him that is. Yes, of course he had occasionally burned and destroyed their villages, but this was so that he could gather food to avoid starvation. He would have never thought to wipe out an entire race.
Phanthus hated them for it and his hate only grew more with every lonely year that passed. As far as anyone was concerned on Rhol, dragons no longer existed. Phanthus made sure their beliefs never wavered. He hid in his lair during the day, and went out only at night. He would sporadically pick farm houses or very small villages to attack and would always make it look like an accidental fire caused by the villager.
That all changed when Solharn turned against the Creator and became consumed with destroying the balance of the five worlds. Solharn came to Phanthus and promised him that if he fought with his armies, he would let him have Rhol to do with what he wanted, including what was left of any inhabitants. Solharn was confident that after Queen Elissa was defeated Rhol would be helpless, and Phanthus could get his revenge for the destruction of his kind. Phanthus liked the thought of this, and reveled in the idea of becoming the ruler of Rhol. It was why he had agreed to join Solharn’s armies.
As with everything, it was not as easy as it had sounded. Solharn had underestimated the inhabitants of Rhol, in particular the Lealians and the Pegapires, not to mention Queen Elissa.
The first battle was the beginning of a war that would rage on for a decade. It was in this battle that Solharn realized his plan would take much longer than he anticipated. The battle itself took place in the Valley of Solace, which was widely thought to be the most beautiful place in Rhol. With the Lealians and Pegapires on her side, Queen Elissa was winning the battle.
Phanthus laughed remembering the shock on the faces of her army when he flew at them from behind, reducing several hundred soldiers to ash with one breath of fire. They had thought he was extinct, and were not prepared. Elissa had immediately used her powers to create a field of light that kept her armies temporarily safe from Phanthus. In doing so, she gave them a chance to regroup.
Solharn responded by using dark magic; he created black spheres which formed in midair between his hands, and he hurled them toward the light causing pockets of the shield to rupture. This allowed small contingencies of both armies to continue fighting. The conflict continued for days, during which Elissa and Solharn exhausted much of their powers over the prolonged period of battle, and it weakened both of them. In the end many lives were lost, but neither side, thanks to Phanthus, had gained much ground.
Solharn, surprised t
hat Elissa’s armies had held his at bay, retreated to adjust his strategies and replenish his weakened powers. Solharn’s new approach was slower and more methodical, taking years to execute. He created the plague to weaken his enemy, he fought smaller battles utilizing Phanthus, and he always attacked when Elissa was not around to defend them. He was also able to sway the Phits to join his armies.
The Phits were nasty beasts who were native to the swamps that surrounded a large portion of Rhol. A fully grown Phit ranged in size from four to six feet with arms and legs that were thin and wiry. They had flaps of skin that joined the arm and leg on each side of their scaled bodies making wings that allowed them to fly long distances. Their claws were sharp like the blade of a knife, and their teeth were long and pointed like needles. As if that wasn’t enough, they could breathe both in and out of water.
It had not been difficult for Solharn to persuade them; their relationship with Elissa had always been rocky at best.
Decades ago after a prolonged war over territories, Queen Elissa convinced them to sign a treaty which handed over sole ownership of the swamps to them. In turn they agreed not to harm or steal from any inhabitants of Rhol outside their boundaries, but over the years the Phits did not always abide by the treaty. This resulted in high tensions between the Phit’s and the other inhabitants of Rhol.
As time passed Solharn also learned that it was better to attack a person’s soul, and so he sent many paladins to the abyss. It allowed him to use that energy for his own purposes; what remained was a person with half a soul. They would become trapped in the world where their soul was taken. In time they turned completely mad, which only assisted Solharn’s cause.
These unfortunate souls became widely known throughout Rhol as the Pintante. This derived from the ancient Lealian language meaning ‘no core’. They had no allegiance to anyone; even Phanthus found them revolting, and whenever he had the chance he would disintegrate them. He was not very pleased when Solharn ordered him to stop.
To Solharn, the Pintante were his prized creations. In a short twenty-four months they would turn into vile creatures devoid of any reasonable thought process. They would become pasty white, all of their hair would fall from their body, and their eyes would glaze over turning a purplish grey color. Their teeth would either turn black with rot or simply fall out, and their nails would grow thick and long. Their rancid smell was a blessing, as it was a warning that they approached. They thought nothing of maiming or killing anything that crossed their paths. Even after death their soul was unable to join with its counterpart and move on to the eternal life. It simply lingered in the world it was lost in, causing mischief and havoc wherever it could.
The Pintante were indiscriminate in their attacks. There was no reasoning with them and so they killed both Solharn’s and Elissa’s soldiers. However, Solharn knew that the Pintante had a far greater effect on Elissa’s armies. The mere look of these creatures, and the thought that they themselves could become one, spread fear among her soldiers.
Solharn’s new strategy had worked. Over several years he had been able to drastically reduce Elissa’s armies, and only then did he plan the attack on Mount Kartago.
Solharn had thought this would be the battle to end all battles and came well prepared. He strategically surrounded the mountain with thousands of Kaltaures, and thousands more Ralcriff. Solharn used every creature in his army whether it had been forced or willingly fought for Solharn’s cause. His army was given little resistance as it advanced destroying anything that stood in its way.
Phanthus was suspicious of how easily their armies had infiltrated, and believed they were walking into a trap. Under Solharn’s orders he flew around Mount Kartago looking for any signs of Elissa’s armies. He found none, only Elissa sitting on top of her bastion surrounded with a small shield of light.
He returned to Solharn and reported his findings. He and Solharn agreed that her armies or traps lay within the castle itself. Solharn ordered the attack and his armies converged on the castle. Phanthus breathed streams of fire toward the castle, and used his tail to crumble its elegant brick. Kaltaures used ropes and grapples to scale the walls. Ralcriff upon Ralcriff charged through the smoldering wooden gates which Phanthus had burned, and the Phits flew in and around the castle at will. Still they met little resistance.
Solharn cowardly watched from the shadows. When he had seen enough, he soared to the top of the castle followed by Phanthus. Elissa was waiting for him there, protected only by a small orb of light which surrounded her. She said nothing and simply stared at Solharn in disgust.
Solharn spoke to her in his drawl bleating voice, “It is fitting that you sit before me defeated, Elissa. Perhaps I overestimated you.” Elissa continued to stare at Solharn; she remained silent. The contempt on her face said it all.
“Shall we end this quickly? Your armies have abandoned you, as I am sure the Creator has as well, after observing your pathetic plight. You know what I am here for, so hand over the amulet and bow to my rule. Perhaps I will let you suffer less than you have to.”
Gazing at Elissa, Phanthus observed her smile and listened to her speak for the first time. She had such an alluring voice, so soft and enchanting. He was instantly drawn to her. “No one has abandoned me Solharn; they have simply retreated on my behest. You will find no fight here, no armies, only me.”
Solharn’s long black wings flared as he angrily glared at Elissa. “You are as pathetic as they are Elissa. You would sit here and lose everything for this world, a world infested with ignorance, one which is unworthy of the Seraphim. You, the next eldest to me, should know that the Balance of Five would have been lost long ago if not for us. They do not pay us the respect we deserve.”
Phanthus looked toward Elissa. He yearned to hear her voice again. “Unworthy of the Seraphim, Solharn? It is only you who is unworthy. Your obsession with power has driven you mad. You have become an angel with no soul, and darkness fills that empty void. You are indeed tormented, fixated on leaving a trail of destruction and despair in your path instead of instilling principles and beliefs. You should be healing lost souls, not destroying them. These are the very foundations of what the Seraphim, stand for.”
“Principles? Beliefs?” Solharn scoffed. “You are indeed a devoted pawn to the Order Elissa and for all your efforts you will be destroyed along with the rest of them. You are the beginning of the end of the Seraphim and the end of the Balance of Five.”
Although Phanthus could see a single tear flowing down Elissa’s cheek as she spoke, her voice never wavered. “Your words illustrate your ignorance Solharn. All that you speak of are things that you don’t understand; or refuse to understand. There is no single solution to the way things work, or will work. It must be done as a whole. Only then will the balance become one.”
Phanthus would hear her soothing voice only one more time before the orb of light surrounding her finally vanished. “You have only deceived yourself if you think this to be the end Solharn. It is only the beginning.”
“Not for you Elissa,” Solharn screeched, watching as the last of her powers dissipated.
A dark cloud streamed from his mouth and surrounded Elissa. Phanthus heard the screams from her angelic voice as the evil within the cloud consumed her. The cloud lifted her high in the air for several agonizing minutes before releasing her to fall to the ground writhing in pain and gasping for air.
Solharn approached her and wrenched the amulet from her neck. He leaned in close to her as if making sure she could hear, “That was but a taste of what is to come, Elissa; an eternity of darkness, an eternity of pain.”
Elissa could say nothing as her body stretched and quivered in obvious agony. Phanthus never saw her again after Solharn carried her away that day in a cloud of darkness.
Solharn’s pleasure at obtaining the amulet was short-lived. Try as he might, he could not use the amulet to his advantage because he had taken it. In his hands it became a mere rock devoid of any powers. In frustrat
ion he tried to destroy it but could not, so he threw it in the Blackpool sending it to another world, so that it would never be used against him.
Following this Solharn turned his mind to the Lealians and the Pegapires, but found that Elissa had used all of her remaining powers to create protective fields around their villages. Fields that could not be broken or undone by any powers he possessed.
Solharn was infuriated and took his frustrations out on the remaining inhabitants of Rhol, though many of them had already found refuge in Solace. Solharn knew now that Elissa had sacrificed herself by drawing his armies to the castle, and stalling him while as many of her people as possible could find refuge.
He knew that even though he had defeated Elissa, and was now in control there were still unanswered questions. He kept his promise to Phanthus and left him in command, but he warned him that any changes to be acted upon were to be reported to him immediately. Phanthus was instructed by Solharn that he would contact him when required, and with that he left.
Solharn communicated with Phanthus regularly in his dreams, or nightmares as he now thought of them. Solharn had done just that the night before last. He had informed Phanthus that a boy would appear near the Valley of Solace, a boy who was in possession of the Sacred Amulet of Rhol. This boy’s appearance would cause the protective fields surrounding Leal and Tamon to be dispelled. Solharn had instructed Phanthus to send a Kaltaures army to Leal, as it would be the perfect opportunity to attack the Lealians. Solharn believed they would be oblivious to the fact that their protection was no longer in place and would be taken by surprise. Phanthus was to go to the Valley of Solace, destroy the boy at all costs and retrieve the amulet. He was then to report back to Solharn the following night at the Blackpool.
This was what Phanthus was doing as he reached Mount Sibileo, and slowly glided over Charn landing at the base of what was once Shimmer Lake. Phanthus had come to this lake more times than he could remember over the past centuries to gorge on the abundance of fresh fish, or at times on the animals lingering around the water’s edge quenching their thirst.
