“Wait, is that Vartan?” Andrielle said
A man with glowing eyes and three companions ran along the ground, in the darkness of Greenhaven’s North-West shores. As they neared, Andrielle saw their grim faces, and they ran as if they were fleeing from something.
Karven said, “Vartan! You found a way? Welcome back.”
Vartan and his group were soaked; they puffed as they approached the wall.
“Vartan is gone. His soul taken by that weapon, and we have all been betrayed by the ancients. The prophecy was never meant to save you, but to slaughter all of you, by their design. I am Mazu, and I come to fight for Marithia, in Vartan’s place.”
Andrielle’s head lightened and she leaned forward to hold on to the parapets. Her hands trembled before she formed fists. She wanted to scream and let out the rage that had filled her to the brim. Her face twisted and she fought back the tears.
Talonsphere took to the skies, beating its wings until it rose into the clouds. As the dragon roared, Andrielle let go. She looked up to the sky and screamed loud enough for the gods to hear her. Tears streamed down her face and she cried out until she had no air left, dropping to her knees.
Kassina stood nearby, accompanied by royal guards, and she approached the elven queen, sitting beside her. The royal guards drew their swords, but Kassina only offer a hand. “We have all been played, Andrielle, and we nearly destroyed each other.”
Andrielle could not stand to her feet, but Kassina helped her up anyway. “Be strong. Your people need you right now, as do mine.”
The queen nodded, wiping her face with her sleeves. “Thank you, Kassina. I will.”
“I can hardly believe it myself, but if it is true, then we are in greater danger than I could ever have imagined. If we have given Talonsphere to the ancients, then we must destroy it. Why would they want a war with Marithians?” Karven said.
“Because I failed to destroy all of you and give their armies an easier battle,” Shindar said, emerging from the North-West corner of Greenhaven’s walls.
Archers screamed as they readied their bows. “Shindar is here!”
“You!” Mazu said, charging toward the hulking demon. Shindar drew his sword, but placed its tip on the ground.
“Wait! He is surrendering?” Karven said.
“Far from it, but if any of us are to survive, then we have to combine forces. Or we fight each other until none of us are left, and the ancients mop up the pieces. But choose quickly, for we don’t have much time to take a stand. Do you want to finish a war of old blood, orchestrated by our puppet masters, or stand together against them?” Shindar said.
The northern archers screamed out. “An army approaches from the north! Demons!”
Skeleton warriors, and a long line of demons, emerged from the beach, marching toward Greenhaven’s walls.
“Halt!” Shindar said, and the army stopped in their tracks.
A thundering roar echoed over the lands, and Talonsphere plummeted through the clouds, heading straight toward Veldrenn.
Never in Andrielle’s wildest nightmares, did she ever see herself in such company, and facing such foes. It would appear that fate had been stabbed by the ancients, thrown its cards in the air, and burned them. She closed her eyes for a moment, knowing what the elven city’s reaction would be. They would open the canopy and be slaughtered.
The base of the mountain flashed, turning night into day for but a moment.
“They would have opened a portal from Daessar. It is a sizeable army, I see them through Vartan’s memories. I can only imagine they are coming, right now,” Mazu said.
Talonsphere sent fiery breath over the Elven Woods, setting a long line of trees alight.
“Dragons, to the skies! Let’s make Talonsphere rue the day it was created and let them know what they are up against,” Karven said.
The long line of dragons rocketed upward, heading toward Veldrenn.
Shindar raised his sword, pointing it at Mount Wayrin. “Forward march!”
The demon and skeleton army followed his order, and Andrielle cried out, “Where are you going?”
“To stop them. Would any of you care to join us?” Shindar said.
Kassina looked to Andrielle and shook her head. The queen agreed; it would take more to trust Shindar.
“We will defend Greenhaven, but I will send a flank of our best to shadow you,” Andrielle said.
Shindar nodded, then carried on. “All right, elven queen. We will see each other soon, and have much to discuss.”
Marithia’s skies burned. Her heart stung at the news that Vartan was truly gone, and the price of his sacrifice was to unknowingly damn them all to a war against the weapon they thought would save them.
Gods above, I pray we survive what comes.
Vartan awoke, but he was not really awake. He recalled his life and was free from the weight of his body. All he could see around him were stars, as if the world had disappeared.
He wanted to bring a hand to his face, but he did not have a human form. What he had left were his thoughts, and a single emotion: love.
Where is Helenia? Are you here?
Nobody answered.
He wondered if he would be stuck in some eternal reality.
Is this my punishment for my failure to see things for what they truly are?
Vartan flew through the stars, watching as they whirred around him, spiralling out of control. Voices were all around him, but he couldn’t make out what they were saying.
Everything stopped and he found that he was surrounded by stars once more, but before him was a gigantic owl. Its wings were spread wide, but remained still. The stars of the universe were reflected in its huge, round eyes.
“You are not being punished, and there is no success or failure. There is only purpose,” the owl said.
Who are you, and why am I here? Vartan thought.
“I am known by many names, and have taken many forms. I am the creator. I brought you to me, because it is not often that the plan I had for a mortal, is shaped by another. You were not meant to be here yet,” the owl said.
The ancients.
“Ancient by their own reality, yes. They are playing with powers they cannot understand, and have begun a war that the gods cannot allow them to win.”
Helenia.
“Is waiting for you, and she is in a lot of pain. Unlike you, her soul is bound to Marithian earth. She does not know of your death, as her vision of the world does not extend to Daessar.”
You know of Daessar?
“I know of all the places, in all the worlds. Which brings me to why you are here. What has happened to you is a violation of the way things are, and I cannot let that be. You could have been sent to Mother Dragon, as they call her. She is a god, not of my creation, but her heart is pure and that is what matters most to me.”
What do you want of me?
“Me? I want nothing from you but to give you the greatest gift I can: happiness.”
How is that possible?
“My child, you will one day see that anything is possible. When you wake, do not fear. I am sending you to a new world, one which is similar to your own, but it has its own differences. You will be accompanied by the one you love most, Helenia. There are no others there, and you can live out what should have been the rest of your life, with each other. There is no war, sickness, or pain in this new world. I will watch over you both, until the day you die of old age. Then, and only then, will you truly be ready for your next life.”
Thank you.
“Enjoy the rest of the life that you should have had.”
Wait. There is something I need to know. What will happen to Marithia?
“I cannot truly say for certain, but you need not worry about that now. There is nothing more you can do for them.”
But you can.
“My child, I already am.”
Vartan wanted to ask more, but with a blinding flash of light, he woke up in a large field of flowers, drawi
ng a first breath as he sat up. The weight of being in a body again was an initial burden. He coughed as he rubbed his eyes and looked at his legs. This body was familiar, and as he raised his hands to his face, he knew that he was back in his own, although not the same. He had no scars, and his skin was flawless.
He rose to his feet and drew a sweet breath. Vartan was surrounded by mountains, a waterfall, and it was a sunny day. He noticed that he had two shadows, and as he turned around, he saw the second sun.
The sky flashed, and he was momentarily blinded. His vision soon cleared again. Laying on the ground, a short sprint away, was Helenia. Like himself, her body was flawless.
He ran to her side, picking her up in his arms as his eyes watered. “Helenia, wake up!”
Her eyes opened, and she blinked many times. She beamed as she wrapped her arms around him. “Vartan! I cannot believe it; I thought I had lost you forever.”
“You also met the—” Helenia said.
“Creator? Yes.”
He helped her to her feet, and although they were both naked, he didn’t care. It was a new world and a future that he had always wished for.
He held his wife’s hand, and led her down the field, wondering what joys this new world would give them.
Now I have my peace.
To be continued...
ISBN-10: 1477508724 ISBN-13: 978-1477508725
ISBN-10: 1467948551 ISBN-13: 978-1467948555
Peter Koevari is a writer that holds fantasy dearly close to his heart. From an early age, he was immersed in all media of fantasy that he could get his hands on. Memories of movies such as The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, Star Wars, Conan, The Last Starfighter, The Princess Bride, and many more are cherished memories of fantasy nostalgia.
Peter’s hunger for storytelling was growing from a young age. Feeding off movies, video games, and books, the hunger had never been quenched. There was a yearning for something, as if he was enchanted by a spell and did not know how to release it.
The worlds held inside his imagination had to be shared with readers of the world.
It took over 10 long years to unlock the doors to worlds such as Marithia, and to pen them into books to share with anyone willing to travel to his worlds, but once he found the key and began to write… everything made sense.
Peter’s writing will surprise you, may shock you and take your emotions by its talons, but will transport your mind into a world of fantasy like you have never read before.
www.peterkoevari.com
Meet the artist: Nathalia De Matos (http://www.behance.net/NathaliaDeMatos)
Nathalia is a freelance illustrator based out of Bethel, Connecticut. Born in the cloudy and overpopulated city of São Paulo, Brazil, her focus mainly reflects current political and environmental issues. Nathalia is currently pursuing an Illustration degree from Western Connecticut State University and plans on focusing her skills to contribute to newspaper editorials and book illustrations once she completes the program.
Legends of Marithia: Book 3 - Talonsphere Page 27
