by B. H. Savage
"Amadi, did you tell her why we are here?" Anye asked.
"I did, and she has granted us passage to the temple," he answered.
Anye seemed surprised at the quick answer. After the trouble they had been given on the islands only a day or two prior, she expected to have to fight her way there.
"You are the ones we have been waiting for to allow into the temple," the woman said before Anye could comment.
The trio finally reached the woman's tent as she began to explain how they had defended the temple for generations in secret, waiting for the day foretold in ancient prophecy when the youths destined to claim the artifact of the past would appear.
The tent was larger than all the others, made of a brighter colored fabric and decorated with symbols similar to what she saw in the research Lord Taggart had done on Del'Mond.
"Anye, before you become skeptical I proved to them that we fit the description of the youths in their prophecy," Amadi said.
"Amadi..."
"There is a chant among my people, the people of Qul’rah, which we use in times of anguish," Amadi explained. "That saying is in a language unlike mine, yours, or any other known language. It is the same saying these people recite in prayer, it is the words of Del'Mond.”
Anye saw the neatly folded pile of her clothes and weapons at the foot of the village leader's bed and walked towards it quickly. "Amadi, I don't care about these ancient legends, or prophecies, or demon armies. Amador is here, and I need to stop him! That’s what I need to do!"
"What about your duty as a knight?” Amadi asked. "What about preventing any more innocent lives from being lost? What about your honor?"
Anye spun angrily the moment Amadi said that. “My honor? My honor was stripped from me by a man who conspired against the crown and kingdom I swore to serve! That man is here, now, and you want me to forget about him for some quest to save the world from a legend because you had a bad feeling? I entered that tournament so somebody, anybody, would hire me as a sell sword! Not because it was my destiny or some rubbish you think it was!” Anye blurted out. “I took the job your uncle offered me because he paid me well and gave me the information I wanted!”
Anye was fuming. If she could get Amador right then and there, she wouldn’t care about anything else anymore. She wouldn’t feel the need to hide anymore, she wouldn’t be afraid of returning home, she wouldn’t care about any of it.
“The one you seek, this Amador,” the woman started to say. “He pushes even now to try and reach the temple. If you go with this boy to retrieve the divine relic we will not prevent him from reaching the temple. You will then have your chance for vengeance.”
Anye stared at the woman for a moment trying to measure up her intentions. “Why? Why allow him to reach your sacred grounds just for me?” she asked. “You just said only the destined youths of prophecy may enter, yet now you seem so willing to let him trespass just for me. Why?”
The woman shrugged. “Call it a gesture of faith,” she said. “I allow him to reach the temple while you and the boy are there, and you kill him. The siege stops, my people are safe, and our laws are not broken. But do my reasons really matter to you?”
At that point Anye really didn’t care for the woman’s reasons. So long as she got to stick her sword through Amador’s gut, she would be happy. “No, I suppose they don’t.”
______
Anye and Amadi agreed, although through a fair amount of arguing, that they should continue to rest for the remainder of the day and depart for the temple in the morning after they had recovered enough from the incident in the desert. The boy was worried about her, claiming that she wasn’t thinking clearly because of Amador’s presence, a fact that Anye openly admitted and that she didn’t care about thinking clearly.
She did eventually calm down some over the course of the evening while she rested, but the occasional sound of a dragon’s shriek bouncing off of the rocky cliffs reminded her of what had happened to her, something she tried very hard over the past few weeks to try and not think about. There was also the possibility that Glenn was nearby somewhere, but he hadn’t made his presence fully known, at least not to her. She assumed, or rather hoped, that the one helping the tribe defend the temple was him, but she still knew that the chances of it were slim and that there was little reason for him to be there. Lord Taggart’s information suggested he was traveling south as well, not west.
When the sun started to peek again from across the sands to the east, Anye and Amadi were both led out of the village to a mountain path by a guide assigned to them. Amadi had noticed Anye’s significant change in attitude, but he kept his distance so he wouldn’t provoke another argument.
The path leading through the mountains to the temple was treacherous. Sudden drop offs, rock slides, and narrow edges they needed to traverse all hindered their trip, but none of the obstacles outright stopped them. Eventually the trio came to what seemed like the safest part they had seen in the mountain, where the guide suddenly stopped in his tracks and kneeled.
Before them on either side of the path were two worn down and practically shattered stone columns. If an arch had been placed at the top it was no longer present, likely reduced to the rubble and rock that lay around them from the elements. At the end of the path stood a tall round stone tower surrounded by the rocky edges of the desert mountain rising up.
“What’s the matter?” Anye said to the guide.
“We’ve arrived at the sacred ground, I assume,” Amadi commented. “Remember what their leader said? Only the chosen ones may enter.”
“That tower must be the temple then.” Anye stepped forward without a second thought, leaving the guide behind, knowing he wouldn’t follow and likely wouldn’t leave. Those people knew the mountains intimately, and if they had been defending that place from Amador there were probably others hiding in the rocks he would join up with.
Amadi followed Anye closely as they walked down the path. Based on the general landscape in front of the tower, it appeared that at one point in time the entire area was a well-kept garden with statues of monstrous creatures placed in decoration.
“Quite the demonic army,” Anye sarcastically commented.
Amadi was not amused by the joke. “You have no idea,” he muttered as they approached the tower.
The two continued in silence until they reached the massive doors at the tower’s base. As old as the area appeared, the tower itself was surprisingly well preserved. While simple in design, Anye hadn’t seen architecture quite like it anywhere before. The stone that comprised the tower’s main body had been visibly worn down by years of exposure to the wind and sun, but there wasn’t a single piece that had fractured and fallen away. There were no visible windows along the walls rising into the sky, so Anye questioned whether anything living actually waited inside for them.
“Well, let’s see about getting this door open then,” Anye commented as she walked towards the structure. She was interrupted before she reached it by another shriek of a dragon, this time much closer than before.
“Anye, get down!” Amadi yelled at her as he turned around and raised his staff in the air.
A blue light shone from the gem in his staff when he held it high, which spread wide to block the stream of fire that came down at them along with the cry the two had just heard. Anye didn’t waste any time and drew her swords.
When the fire stopped Amadi lowered his staff, and the two watched as a black scaled dragon landed on the ground with at least fifteen more of the creatures behind it. The ground shook slightly as each one landed, threatening to throw the pair off balance, but they remained upright while the dust settled.
“Now this is a surprise,” Anye heard from in front of her. “Lady Anye Everdyne, you were the last person I expected to see here.”
As soon as he was visible, Anye glared right at the man who had wronged her; Amador Astley, still riding his black dragon and now in command of Delrich’s Dragon Knights. Quick observation sho
wed that he had also changed weapons, replacing the usual issued lance from the castle’s armory with a custom weapon crafted out of a black metal with a slightly warped shape. The bottom of the weapon’s main body was given two small blades forming a fork, likely for tactical reverse strikes, but the most drastic difference from the usual lances was the blade at the top. Instead of a cone shape, which the user would use to skewer their foes, this weapon had a blade shaped like a black dancing flame, sharply edged all around.
“Amador, you bastard!” Anye yelled at him. “I’m glad you’re here! You’ve saved me the trouble of having to sneak back into Delrich to kill you!”
“I’m here on His Majesty’s orders,” Amador replied. “Although I did not expect to find you for some time, your being here has saved me the trouble of having to hunt you down like the traitor you are.”
“Me!? A traitor!?” she blurted out. “It was your hand who pushed the blade through the prince’s heart!”
Amador laughed from his mounted position. “And who do you think the people will believe? The noble knight who ousted your dear, sweet friend, Sturmwind, and brought home the prince’s murderer? Or the traitorous, rebellious runaway with no honor who fled from justice?” he asked tauntingly.
Anye yelled in frustration at him, but Amadi kept a hand up to hold her back. “Anye, do not let him bait you! That is what he wants!”
“I don’t care!” she yelled. “I’m going to tear off his head and cut out his vile heart!”
Anye pushed past Amadi’s arm and rushed towards her foe without another word, using her rage to fuel her magic, and move like the wind was at her heels.
Amador pulled back on his dragon’s reigns, prompting the creature to rear up on its legs and breathe fire in the woman’s direction. The movement of his spear prompted the soldiers under his command, all of whom with dragons as well, to take to the skies and prevent Anye and Amadi’s escape.
Anye’s magic enabled her to cut through the fire as she ran, leaping up towards the dragon’s neck and grab on. The creature roared in anger at the unwanted rider and swung its head violently to try and shake her off. She held tightly until it tired and she pulled herself closer to Amador, who was waiting with the blade of his lance pointed at her.
The grin Anye saw on Amador’s face was maddening, as if he was enjoying the fight or was insane. He stabbed at her a few times, but the dragon’s movement kept him from aiming properly and he eventually struck the creature itself when Anye moved away. The injury forced it to jerk back and knock both rider and attacker to the ground as it took to the sky.
Anye rolled to her feet as Amador did the same. They each held their weapons towards each other while the remaining riders circled around like buzzards. Amadi used his magic to take out a few of the riders, but their large number made it seem like he had barely put a dent in them.
“So, this is how you want to play!?” Amador yelled as he jumped towards the woman. “You think you can best me!?”
Anye avoided the initial attack and countered with her own swings, each deflected away as well. “Of course I can!” she yelled in his face. “You’ve always been a show off and a pushover with no talent, hiding behind your family whenever things went wrong!”
The two battled, each using their anger and hatred towards one another as fuel for the fight. Anye wasn’t even paying attention to anything around her, leaving her only hints to Amadi’s state being the sound of another dragon or rider falling to the ground in agony.
Eventually the two duelists came face to face again as they pushed against each other’s weapons. “You know, putting the blame on you for that pompous little brat’s death was just the start,” Amador told her. “Now getting Sturmwind out of the way, that tasted sweet!”
“What have you done to him!?” she shouted.
The two broke away from each other and Amador jumped away to avoid a blast of magic coming from the side, the force of which hit Anye and knocked her off of her feet. The impact knocked her new sword out of her offhand and out of reach, and she struggled to breathe as she recovered. Whatever had hit her was powerful and very fast.
“Amadi!?” she coughed as she turned her head in the direction of what hit her. Who she saw wasn’t the boy who had traveled with her from Belrun though, but a woman she hadn’t noticed that was strikingly familiar to her.
“Poor little Anye,” Amador gloated over her. “No matter how hard you try you won’t win. Give up now and maybe I’ll let you live long enough for His Majesty to behead you himself.”
“Yes, you’d like that…”Anye replied as she got to her feet. She was missing one of her swords, but she was used to fighting without two anyway. If anything, she was a more effective fighter with only one blade. The second weapon’s main purpose really was to help prevent people from finding out her identity. “Too bad that’s not going to happen!”
As she tried running towards her opponent she felt her body become frozen in place against her will. Her feet had been fastened to the ground and her arms were as flexible as stone. The only part of her body she could move was her head, and that couldn’t swing a sword. She was helpless.
“Did you really think I would let you do that?” the woman said as she approached.
Anye turned her face to look at the familiar, young looking woman. She was dressed in a hooded black robe with ornate gold and silver jewelry, and her long blonde hair rested over her shoulders and down over her chest. “You…I know you…”
“It’s so nice to see you again, Lady Everdyne,” she said. “I do hope you’ve been well.”
Amador continued to grin madly as the pair approached the helpless woman. Amadi had disappeared somewhere in the chaos of the dragons surrounding them, possibly dead.
“Now, Kiya, don’t waste your breath on her,” Amador commented. “She’s beneath us.”
“But she’s so helpless, my sweet,” the woman replied. “Just look at her, she’s simply frozen with fear.”
“Kiya?” Anye asked. The name brought back the memory of who the woman was. Kiya Sturmwind…you’re Glenn’s…”
“Yes, I am…or was,” Kiya confirmed to her as she placed a hand on Anye’s cheek to look at her face. “Hmm, I can see why the fool was taken with you, though. You’re quite pretty.”
“What? What are you talking about?” Anye replied.
“Enough, Kiya,” Amador growled. “Finish her off and let’s get on with it. I need that seal broken.”
Kiya smiled lightly and gave a soft laugh. “As you wish, darling.”
“Darling? You betrayed Glenn for him!?” Anye tried to yell. “Why!?”
“Dear, Glenn is a foolhardy weakling with a false sense of honor and pride,” Kiya told her. “I’ll send him your way soon!”
“I would doubt that!” Amadi shouted from beside them just before launching a boulder at the woman with his powers.
Kiya had to stop what she was doing and get away from the flying rock unless she wished to be flattened on the spot. Anye still remained frozen and helpless though, unable to fully see what was happening. Amador saw the opportunity to strike down the red haired woman once and for all fading though, and rushed towards her. The spell binding her broke soon after he began his sprint due to Kiya losing her concentration, and she was able to parry his lunge in time.
Anye felt her anger boil to the point that she started attacking without reserve, or mercy, channeling magic in to her body and increasing her strength and speed. It wasn’t the same as Enlightenment, but it felt similar. Each swing of her sword bounced harder off of Amador’s lance as she drove him back. She noticed him starting to become confused at the sudden change of strength and speed, and that served to her advantage.
Amadi had a mages duel with Kiya off to the side, exchanging volleys of magical energy with the woman and keeping her away from Anye and Amador. The unit of lancers under Amador’s charge had either been defeated by Amadi as they circled around or fled in fear for their lives. Either way it was only
the four of them who remained in front of the colossal ancient tower.
“What is this!?” Amador yelled at her. “You’re not a battle mage! You shouldn’t have this much power!”
Anye concentrated to the point that her magic began to enter the enlightened state, making her eyes glow faintly. The power was intense but she hadn’t been able to master controlling it like she needed to, and it felt unstable. What she did have control over looked like it would be more than enough to deal with her adversary, though.
The pair exchanged attacks back and forth for a time with sword and spear, but even with Anye’s increased strength Amador continued to prove to be difficult to cut down. She wasn’t sure, but it felt like there was something guiding his hand not unlike Anye’s newfound abilities. That made using the magic more strenuous, and she found herself commonly using protective spells if Amador started gaining the upper hand. The entire experience proved to be draining, and the moment she started displaying signs of fatigue was when Amador pushed his offensive even harder.
“Why won’t you die!?” Amador lashed out at her.
“Because a bastard like you doesn’t deserve to kill me!” Anye replied.
“Bah!” Amador pushed back from Anye unexpectedly and jumped up towards the tower away from her.
Anye was confused but the moment of pause let her hear Amadi as he shouted painfully after what sounded like an explosion of some kind. She turned her head quickly to see the smoke rise from what was assumedly a fire spell, and Amadi tumbling to the ground with Kiya standing triumphantly above him.
“Amadi!” she shouted, but before she could do anything Amador used the distraction to leap back down next to her and hit her with a hard knee to the gut, knocking the wind out of her and breaking her concentration to the point that she lost control of the magic she was using. Not a second later, he stepped back and kicked hard with the bottom of his foot to her chest. The force of the impact caused her hand to release the grip on her remaining weapon and she tumbled towards Amadi, landing near the boy in excruciating pain.
