by J. D. Netto
“No, no, no,” he kept repeating in a frantic voice. “The blood-drinkers are waiting for us outside. The riot is only a diversion. Once we leave the castle, they will come for the book.” King Demyon turned to the Wise. “Is there any way to warn Ohmen, Folletti, and Valleree? They will be here soon.”
“Unfortunately, there is no effective way to communicate with them. We are not sure of their location. Even if we send our Watch Birds, they would still not find them,” replied one of the Wise Men. He had eyes the color of honey.
“King, we cannot linger. Is there a passageway that can lead us out of the castle unseen?” Devin asked, his hair dripping with sweat.
King Demyon scowled. “How do we leave the castle when Xylia, Nathan, and Sathees still recover? Do we leave the other servants behind to face their doom while we escape?” He pressed his eyelids together, reaching for the crown above his head. He opened his eyes, setting them on the crown he now held in his hands. “My people have turned against me.” His hands released from their grasp the symbol of his authority, letting it fall to the ground.
Bellatorian soldiers mounted on their horses gathered atop the wall while the remaining warriors grouped at the foot of the gate. The sound of their blaring horns reverberated.
“Then I leave with the book-bearers,” Devin affirmed. “We could take the Road of Ahnor. It will lead us deep into the Weeping Mountains. From there, we might be able to intercept Ohmen, Folletti, and Valleree.”
“That road will also lead us to the Ruins of Madbouseux,” Ballard stated in a worried voice. “We will be walking to our graves if we take that road.”
“We have no other choice,” Devin said, the veins on his neck protruding beneath his skin. “We need to take this chance. If the people make their way inside the castle, you will be the first one to die, Ballard.”
Ballard opened his mouth to contend with Devin but no words came out of him. He knew Devin was right.
“What about Xylia?” I asked, trembling at the thought of leaving her behind. “What are we to do with her?”
“What about me?” I heard her voice coming from behind me. She stood by the doorway; dark circles surrounded her green eyes. There was no color to her lips.
My arms wrapped her in a sudden embrace.
“I am relieved to see you are well,” I said through heavy breaths. My heart hammered beneath my chest as I felt her tender embrace.
“Thank you,” she whispered in my ear. “For everything.”
We explained our current situation to Xylia. Judging by her fallen countenance, she was still tired.
“We leave without Nathan and Sathees?” Her eyebrows shot up her forehead.
“We have no other choice. If we stay here, we will all be killed. Those people are terrified of the blood-drinkers and they will do all that they can to give them the Book of Letters,” I said.
“Sathees protected Nathan and me during the attack.” She trailed her right hand through her flaming hair as she closed her eyes. “I cannot just leave them.”
“They will be safe, Xylia,” King Demyon assured her. “The Wise and I will protect them.”
Xylia lowered her head, walking toward the window.
“Those we were sworn to protect have now turned against us,” she mumbled as her right hand rested against the hazy glass of the window.
“They are afraid.” Adara crossed her arms. “Fear can steal a person’s sanity in a matter of seconds.”
“It would be wise to allow them to leave, king,” one of the Wise Men affirmed. “Let them take the secret passageway. The blood-drinkers will never suspect they took the Road of Ahnor. They do not know you possess the Lion’s Stare.”
King Demyon’s silence made me anxious. He scowled at the rioting crowd while rubbing both of his hands together.
“Follow me,” he said, walking in the direction of the throne room.
We were at his heels. There was fear stamped on all of our faces as we traveled down the halls of the castle.
“What is on your mind, Demetre?” I noticed he had a vacant expression on his face as we walked.
His lips turned into an impassive smile. “I am debating whether it would have been better for us to have stayed in the Wastelands rather than to have returned to Elysium.” He shook his head, letting out a short breath. “At times like these, I wonder if we can indeed win this war.”
“I see the Wastelands as a test of our perseverance. We cannot surrender because the road is getting narrower.” My right arm wrapped around his shoulder. “My friend, we must not lose hope.”
Of course, it was easier to say that to him than to believe it. In my heart, I struggled to maintain the hope living inside of me. Could we really keep the darkness at bay?
I avoided looking at Nylora’s decomposed body once we stepped inside the throne room. I knew the lifeless corpse would be a reminder of the confusion that stirred within me.
“Help me move the throne, Devin,” said King Demyon, grasping the left side of the throne with both of his hands. With a confused look, Devin walked up to him. They both dragged the throne from its place, revealing a hidden stairway that led down an obscure path.
“Go down the stairs and follow the passageway. At the end, you will see the ocean. Follow the trail through the cliffs. It will lead you to the Road of Ahnor.” King Demyon frowned, using the back of his hand to wipe the sweat from his brow.
“I will watch over them.” Devin’s lips pursed into a thin smile. “Thank you for everything.”
King Demyon’s glistening eyes trailed across the room, looking at each one of us. He struggled to catch his breath.
“Come on, all of you.” He beckoned for us to go down the stairway. “You must all leave.”
I bowed my head, paying respect to the man who had shown us all great devotion and courage.
“Be brave, young ones.” His voice was brittle. “The task that rests upon you is dangerous. Do not lose heart.”
Tears strolled down King Demyon’s cheeks as he saw us disappear into the darkness. I knew in his heart he did not know whether he would see us again. In his mind, he probably wondered if he was going to survive this attack.
“Farewell, book-bearers,” I heard him whisper as we walked away.
VIII
I shivered as I felt a cold air blowing inside. I rubbed my arms against my body, trying to make myself warm. Small torches lighted the passageway; their flames burned low.
Despite the poor lighting, my eyes did not miss the writing on the walls. Etched into the stones, the mysterious words were similar to the ones I had seen in the Chamber of Bellator. Throughout the passageway was also the symbol of the white dragon I had seen on the flags hanging inside the castle.
I heard low sobs coming from behind me. I saw Petra weeping as his body sagged against the wall.
Devin looked over his shoulder. “Petra, we cannot linger.” He made his way to him.
Petra slid his body against the wall until it reached the ground. He embraced his legs with his arms and continued to cry, ignoring Devin’s remark.
“Give him time,” Demetre said, looking at the others.
Adara strode her way to Petra, kneeling at his side. She rested her hand on his head. “We are all afraid,” Adara said in a whimpering voice. “But we cannot allow this fear to stop us.”
“That is easier said than done.” Petra lifted his face to her. “Don’t you think?”
She narrowed her eyes. “Yes, but we must still fight against our willingness to give in to fear.”
“Isaac,” Petra said in a broken voice, wiping his tears with his wrists. “Can you answer me one thing?”
“Yes,” I responded, fearing his question.
“Do you fear the outcome of our journey?” He pressed his back against the wall, standing back on his feet. “You have returned from the Wastelands of Tristar with Demetre. One would assume fear would be a foreign feeling to you by now.”
I looked at all my companions.
They watched me with fervent expressions, waiting for an encouraging answer.
“Fear became more imminent after our return,” I declared. “In the Wastelands, minutes are like days, and days like years.”
“How did you both manage to return to your human bodies?” Adara fiddled with her fingers.
The horrific memories flashed through my mind. I glanced at Demetre, waiting for him to answer the question.
“The last image we saw before we returned to our human bodies was of a white-winged lion with eyes as red as blood.” All gasped the moment Demetre mentioned the animal we had seen. “It let out a mighty roar, creating a crater in the ground. We fell and, as fast as rays of light hit the earth in the early hours of the morning, returned to our bodies.”
“You mean to say you saw the Creator, Demetre?” Petra asked in a surprised tone, taking a step in his direction.
“Yes,” Demetre answered. He looked at every single one of their faces. “Have you not all seen him before?”
“No,” Devin replied. “Only Isaac and Petra have seen the Creator in the form of a white lion.”
“I saw the animal you speak of in a dream,” Ballard contested. “But never have my eyes gazed upon him.”
I was surprised at this newfound information. Could there be a particular reason why only Petra and me—and now Demetre—had seen the Creator with our own eyes?
My body grew numb with fear as I felt the ground beneath my feet tremble. Moments after, shouts, growls, and screams echoed from above us.
Petra widened his glistening eyes. “They have entered the castle grounds. We are doomed.” He pressed his hands against his head.
“They do not know where we are,” Devin asserted in a strong voice, looking at the roof of the passageway.
“We need to continue.” I put my left hand on Petra’s shoulder. “Now, more than ever, you need to be brave. We must leave this place.”
“Find them!” I heard a strong voice echo from above. “They have the book the red-eyed killer wants!” Raging shouts followed; the strong stomping of their feet caused the roof to shake.
Our pace quickened as the blatant shouts of the angry crowd loudened. Amidst so much peril, I still needed to remain focused on our goal.
There was a drastic change in temperature; the walls of the passageway were now covered in a thick layer of ice. As we continued on, a dim light appeared ahead.
“That must be the way out!” Demetre shouted between heavy breaths.
The bitter cold cut through my skin. The wind’s chill felt like knives entering through my flesh. I realized Demetre’s assumption was correct as we approached the light.
We slowed down our pace as we tried to catch our breaths. With careful eyes, I surveyed our surroundings, ensuring that we were not followed.
From the corner of my eye, I noticed Devin approaching the gap that led to the ocean. The look on his face shot a cold chill down my spine.
“What is it, Devin?” I asked, bending my body forward, my hands resting on my knees.
“The tide is rising.” His voice was a low whisper.
My throat closed once I heard his statement. I walked to him and glanced down the gap, shivering at the sight of the furious waves that crashed against the rocks. The others approached me, standing by my side. I looked to my left and noticed that the only sight to be seen was that of a cliff that towered above us.
“Where is the path that will lead us to the Road of Ahnor?” Xylia asked, probably expecting the worst answer imaginable.
Despair settled in once we realized the path was nowhere to be seen.
“We should fly, Isaac,” Devin suggested, looking out into the ocean.
“They might see us, Devin,” I said, struggling to hide the fear in my words. I narrowed my eyes, looking out into the raging ocean.
The crashing sounds of the waves were drawing nearer. Despair found its way into every single one of us.
“We climb.” Ballard pointed to the cliff. “It is not that far.”
An unsettling silence lingered for a while. There was fear in all of our faces.
“We will be going to our death.” Adara shook her head, pressing her hand against her forehead.
My shoulders shrugged up. “Are we not already fighting for our lives?” I turned my gaze to hers. “We must be brave.”
I marched to the edge of the cliff. Without much thought, I grasped one of the rocks to my left; my body hung in mid-air as my right hand struggled to find a safe grip.
For a couple of seconds, I stood still—my eyes danced as they studied the cliff. The clashing sound of the furious waves caused my heart to beat faster as I inhaled the frigid air.
“Come on!” I beckoned them to follow me. I glanced down, realizing the water was still rising.
My hands latched onto the rocks around me as I attempted to make my way to the other side. Some of the rocks were as sharp as shards of glass, cutting the palms of my hands. I had to ignore the sharp pain, knowing that if I let go, I could fall to my doom.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Demetre, Petra, and Ballard already climbing their way across the cliff.
I was startled by sudden abrasive shouts resounding from above.
“Where are they?” I heard the faint voice of a man.
“We must find them or the blood-drinkers will murder us all!” a female voice cried in response.
I panicked. It was not going to be long until they found us hanging on the side of a cliff.
“Isaac!” I heard Demetre scream. “We are not going to make it.”
I looked over my left shoulder, realizing that Xylia, Adara, and Devin had not yet begun to climb. The sea was an arm’s length from reaching the passageway.
My wings slithered beneath my skin for a couple of seconds. The moment my hands released the rocks, they sprung from my back. I was aware of the risk of having the blood-drinkers see us if we were flying, but that was a chance I was willing to take at this moment.
In a matter of seconds, I clasped Demetre’s and Petra’s hands, carrying them toward the sky.
“Isaac, what are you doing?” Petra shrieked as I continued to fly.
“Improvising!” I yelled with a smirk on my face. “Hold on to me.”
I flew beside the rocks of the cliff, struggling to hold on to my companions.
“What about Ballard?” Demetre shouted. “We cannot leave him.”
“I will return for him as soon as we land.” My eyes searched for a landing spot. It was not long until I caught sight of a valley located a safe distance from the riot.
I felt my eyes throbbing as I neared the valley. There was a sharp pain spreading throughout my body. Flying still took its toll on me.
My legs were immersed in the snow when I landed. My body was relieved when I released Petra and Demetre from my grasp. They trudged through the snow, sitting on the scattered rocks. The valley was quiet; the pine trees stood tall, surrounding us like monumental walls.
“Is that Devin?” Demetre narrowed his eyes, looking to the sky.
My chest tightened as I realized he only carried Adara and Xylia. I marched to him once he landed; his dark wings retracted, resting behind his back. Adara and Xylia rubbed their hands against their arms, trying to remain warm.
“Where is Ballard?” My heart hammered inside my chest.
Deep creases appeared on his forehead.
“I did not see him when we were flying,” he said. “I thought you had brought him with you.”
“We must go back,” I declared, my mind already crowded with thoughts of what might have happened to him. Had he fallen to his death? Had he been found?
My feet left the ground, and Devin followed.
The crowd’s ravenous cries intensified. As we ascended, I could faintly see Bellator as it sat hidden behind a cloud of smoke. Monuments and houses burned like torches. We decreased our altitude, flying beside the cliff, looking for Ballard.
“There!” Devin pointed to the ocean;
his dark wings maneuvered his body down.
Despair took me once I saw Ballard—his body floated atop the violent waters, his arms and legs spread wide.
Devin grasped his right arm, pulling Ballard’s body out of the frigid waters. His lips were a shade of purple; his skin had lost its vivid pigment and his arms and legs dangled lifelessly.
We rushed our way to the valley. Despite the speed with which I had gotten to the valley previously, the present situation made it feel as if this was the longest journey yet. Was Ballard dead? Had the waters taken him? I thought as sorrow and rage crept their way inside of my heart.
“Hold on, Ballard.” I watched him as we flew.
The incessant shouts of the crowd continued to ring through the air. I wondered if they had entered the castle. Had they killed King Demyon? Were the blood-drinkers still amongst them?
We plunged down toward the valley at full speed. My companions wore death-stare expressions when they saw Ballard.
“Give me your coat, Demetre” Devin demanded the moment his feet sank under the snow. “We need to warm his body.”
“What happened to him?” Adara rushed to my side. “Is he alive?”
“I don’t know.” I bore my eyes into hers.
“Let’s lay him over there.” Adara pointed to one of the rocks.
“Use the coat to cover the rock, Demetre,” Devin ordered while carrying Ballard’s body.
Demetre removed his coat, laying it on top of the dark rock. Ballard’s brown hair looked like thorns covered in ice.
Devin laid him on the rocks and wrapped him with the coat. He bent his head down, laying the right side of his face on Ballard’s chest.
“I feel his heart,” Devin remarked. “It is weak.”
“His breathing is frail,” I murmured as I saw the almost non-existent movement of his chest.
“Why did you leave him, Isaac?” Xylia exclaimed in rage. “Could you not have—”
“Could I not have what?” I felt my heart thundering in my chest. “If I had helped him, Demetre and Petra would have fallen. I had not the strength to carry all three.” I stomped my way closer to her as anger burned inside of me. “You and Adara were the ones that could not even climb your way out of that cave. Don’t you dare presume to tell me what I should or should not have done.”
