At River's End

by Lana Axe

  “The ocean will help,” he said confidently. “I will have the strength.”

  “Then it’s settled,” Isandra declared. “We will begin preparations immediately. Ulda’s days are numbered.” Though it was unlikely he could be cut down with a sword, Isandra hoped she would have the opportunity to face him personally. There was no one in the world she would rather kill than the man who had laid such an attack against her father and the Spirit.

  “You still haven’t explained to Kaiya and me exactly what it is we’re going to do,” Mel said to River. “It sounded like you had something specific in mind. I might need time to practice.” Knowing he was not as powerful as River or Kaiya, he could be at a disadvantage in this fight. After all, he had never used his powers to harm anything. His years as a shaman focused only on healing the forest and seeing to the needs of his people.

  “You’ll know what to do when the time comes,” River assured him. “It will come naturally to you.”

  Mel wasn’t so sure. With a sigh, he looked at Kaiya. Her face showed the same confidence as River. Maybe she would plant the correct spells in his mind a minute or two before the fight. Still, he didn’t like being kept in the dark. Deciding to remain silent for now, he would demand a better explanation once the army was moving out.

  “We should also discuss what skills your soldiers possess,” Isandra said. “It’s best to decide where to put them while we march in case we are attacked en route.”

  “An excellent idea,” the general replied.

  Lenora jumped to her feet, interrupting the pair. “There’s trouble,” she said, her eyes wide. “Rogin needs our help.”

  Chapter 16

  Standing high upon his lookout in the forest canopy, Rogin noticed a slight movement in the limbs lower to the ground. A faint grunting sound found its way to his ears as he strained his hearing to determine what creature was approaching. What came into view took him by surprise. Not one, but dozens of tall, blue-furred beasts ran through the forest, knocking limbs aside and trampling the earth. Shrieking sounds from unseen beasts pierced the air as Rogin descended from his post. The Vale was under attack.

  The blast of a horn told Rogin that other scouts had spotted the invaders, and his troops were already assembling to defend the Vale. Reaching the ground, he found himself face to face with a black-and-orange-striped creature that was coming through the brush. Drawing back instinctively, Rogin put nearly a foot of distance between himself and his opponent. Swiping its massive claw, it attempted to slaughter the elf before a fight could ensue. Rogin was too fast. He moved gracefully, arching his body to avoid the claws. Drawing his sword, he thrust it at the creature.

  Proving itself an agile opponent, the creature danced around Rogin, avoiding each swipe of the elf’s sword. His back now against the rope ladder, Rogin grabbed on, hoping to gain some height on the monster. Instead of following him, the tiger hybrid crouched low, staying out of the elf’s reach. A low growl escaped its throat as it prepared to pounce.

  Rogin kept a close eye on the creature’s legs as he continued to ascend the ladder. If he could reach the top, he could switch to his bow and, hopefully, take it down in one shot. Unfortunately, he had no idea how high these things could jump.

  As he neared the top, he saw the characteristic wiggle that preceded the pounce. In a flash, the tiger’s massive claws lunged toward Rogin’s face, the full weight of the monster behind them. With little time to react, he reached for the dagger that was sheathed in his belt. In one fluid motion, he drew the dagger and plunged it in the tiger’s throat, spilling its deep-red blood. Rogin hurried down the ladder, which was now slick with blood.

  Keeping low through the brush, the elf moved forward in hopes of uniting with his regiment. Battle cries rang in his ears, both elven and unknown. Continuing at a steady pace, he soon came into view of the battle. In the clearing he saw giant spiders, more of the tiger beasts, and the blue-furred wolfmen he had seen many years before. The continued rustling from the trees suggested more soldiers might be on the way. Positioning himself to join the attack, his attention was drawn by a massive shadow circling above him.

  Looking up at a set of reptilian wings, Rogin’s heart leapt to his throat. Above him was a wyvern with a robed figure seated on its back. Opening its mouth to expose rows of jagged teeth, the wyvern let out a high, piercing shriek. Rogin resisted the urge to cover his ears and instead drew his bow.

  Taking aim at what he suspected was the wyvern’s heart, the elf loosed an arrow. The pointed tip found its mark but glanced off against the beast’s ironlike scales. Crying out in anger, the wyvern circled around to get a better look at its opponent. Fixing its talons, it dove from the sky, determined to eliminate the threat below.

  Crouching low to the ground, Rogin waited until the talons were almost upon him before rolling to his left to avoid them. The wyvern circled, spurred on by its master, and positioned itself for a second attack. Rogin loosed another arrow, this time aimed at its head. Before it could hit its target, the sorcerer intervened, blasting the arrow to splinters midair.

  Rogin drew his sword and stood his ground as the wyvern moved in for a third attack. The sorcerer threw a blast of light toward the elf, who barely had time to dodge. Losing his balance, Rogin fell to the ground but quickly righted himself. Flying low, the wyvern targeted the elf’s head with its thick, scaly tail. Rogin attempted to avoid the blow, but he underestimated the width of his opponent’s barbed tail. It hit his back hard, forcing him to his knees and knocking the sword from his hand.

  As the elf reached for his sword, the wyvern swooped again, grabbing his midsection in its grisly talons. Crying out from the crushing pain, Rogin wasted the air from his lungs, allowing the beast to squeeze harder. Desperately trying to catch his breath before the life was squeezed out of him, he pulled at the talons with his hand to free himself. It was no use. The wyvern was far stronger than the elf. Reaching for his dagger, Rogin secured the blade in his hand and plunged it into one of the slender toes. Screeching in pain, the wyvern released its prey, dropping him into the trees below.

  * * * * *

  “We have to go to him,” Lenora insisted, her eyes pleading.

  “I sense it too,” Kaiya chimed in, jumping to her feet. “The western edge of the forest.”

  The Na’zoran general stood and barked commands to his troops. “To your mounts! Make ready to charge!”

  The Na’zorans ran to their horses, dodging the elves who had been listening nearby. Hearing there was trouble, the elves scattered, some of them racing for cover, others racing for their weapons.

  Lenora started to run toward the forest, but River blocked her path. “You must stay,” he said. “We will need your healing skills. I will find Rogin.”

  Lenora did not reply. She stood with her feet firmly rooted to the ground as she watched her life mate heading off through the forest.

  Isandra raised her fingers to her lips and whistled loudly for her own regiment to assemble. Raising her sword high, she didn’t wait for anyone to follow. She dashed off into the woods in search of her brother and the enemies he was facing.

  The Na’zorans charged after her, their horses dodging the thick trees. Hooves thundered, shaking the ground and announcing their impending arrival. Aldryg raised his sword high over his head and then lowered it, ordering his men to charge the invaders. Though he had never observed such creatures before, he did not waiver in his courage. These were beasts of evil, and they had to be stopped.

  Kaiya raced toward the fray but was quickly overtaken by the nimble, long-legged elves who ran alongside her. Mel rushed forward to her side.

  “What spells work against these things?” he asked, breathing heavily. “I’ve never fought using magic.”

  “I don’t know what earth mages do,” she replied, still moving forward. “If you’re not confident enough with magic then find a weapon.”

  Mel stopped in his tracks. Years ago, he had considered himself among the finest ar
chers in his clan. But he hadn’t handled a bow since becoming a shaman, and that was thirty years ago.

  With no other choice, Mel scanned the area, spotting a fallen elf. Approaching the lifeless figure, a sword still clutched in his bloodied hand, Mel reached for the bow and quiver strapped to his back. “Let’s hope I have better luck than you did,” he said.

  Running forward, Mel found a suitable tree that he could easily climb to a useful height. Standing four branches up, Mel took aim at a large spider that was thrashing its massive pincers at a pair of swordsmen. Knocking the arrow to the string, he focused on his target. Holding his breath, he released the arrow and followed its path as it sped toward the spider. The arrow embedded itself between the two largest of the spider’s eight eyes.

  Raising his eyebrows in surprise, he muttered to himself, “I guess I’m not as rusty as I thought.”

  Kaiya blasted a path between the enemies using energy attacks to fling them out of the way. A red-robed sorcerer focused on her location, sensing her immense power. Knowing her essence would make a fine prize for his master, the sorcerer turned his mount to intercept her.

  Three tiger-striped beasts turned their attentions to the dwarf as well. They leapt with fearsome power, baring their fangs and readying their claws. Kaiya was prepared. She reached into her magic and threw out her hands, shielding herself from their attack. Each glanced off her energy shield, falling to the ground stunned. Before she could block again, the sorcerer unleashed a fireball that narrowly missed her, landing with great force at her feet. She stumbled, losing her balance and hitting the ground.

  Mel caught sight of the fireball and Kaiya scrambling to her feet. Above was her attacker, readying another fire attack. An orange glow emitted from his hand, and he pulled it back to launch it. Mel reacted first, firing his arrow straight through the sorcerer’s hand. Pulling on his mount’s reins reflexively, the sorcerer sent the beast hurtling through the air, trying to regain its balance.

  It was the opportunity Kaiya needed. Sending lightning from her fingertips, she blasted the beast, charring it. The rider tumbled to the ground, flailing his limbs as he fell. Striking the forest floor below, the sorcerer did not move again.

  Kaiya glanced back to view the archer who had bought her the time she needed to defend herself. Spotting Mel perched high on a limb, she gave him a nod of thanks. Mel responded by firing off two more arrows, both of which found their targets in the hearts of wolfbeasts.

  River moved slower than the others but found his way to the battle nonetheless. By taking the side path, he avoided the majority of the enemies and focused his own magic to finding his injured son. Though he was still not well, he pulled at the magic within himself, forcing it to guide him through the trees.

  Stepping carefully among the roots and twisted vines, River moved closer to Rogin’s lookout post. A feeling hit him hard, nearly doubling him over from its intensity. His son was near. Scanning the branches, River’s eyes searched the leaves. Clinging to a wide branch was Rogin.

  River did not hesitate. He reached into the water within the earth and projected his magic toward his son. Rogin floated down to his father’s side, gently cradled on a bed of water. He was barely breathing, and his hand covered a deep puncture wound on his side where the wyvern’s talons had pierced him.

  Nearly exhausted from the spell he had cast, River knew he would have difficulty getting his son home. His senses weakened, he did not hear the blue-furred wolfbeast approaching. The snapping of a twig under its heavy foot caught River’s attention, and he turned in time to see it leaping toward him. Raising an arm instinctively, he reached for his magic but found it too depleted to cast another spell.

  There was no need. From behind a tree, Alyra jumped out, a small dagger in her hand. Without a hint of fear, she stepped between her father and the beast, burying her dagger in its midsection. She stared at the beast’s black eyes as it yowled in pain. Swallowing hard, Alyra continued to stare at the creature as it crumpled to the ground.

  River grabbed her arm and spun her around. “You shouldn’t be here!” he shouted. The wolfbeast flailed, attempting to sit up and continue the fight. River grabbed a fallen limb and brought it down hard on the creature’s head. “Go back to the village, Alyra!” he shouted.

  “You need my help!” she replied defiantly. Grabbing at her brother’s feet, she attempted to drag him away from danger.

  River placed a hand softly on his daughter’s arm. “I will carry him,” he said. Stooping low, he mustered his remaining strength to sling the injured elf over his shoulder. “Let’s go,” he said. Struggling under his son’s weight, he slowly made his way back toward the village, his young daughter leading the way.

  The battle continued to rage behind them, with Isandra wildly swinging her sword at the invaders. Kaiya fought her way to the elf warrior’s side, continuing to summon energy from the air.

  “Can’t you hit them all with lightning?” Isandra called over the noise.

  “There are too many of our own soldiers in the way,” Kaiya replied, blasting at a massive spider.

  Mel hopped down from his tree and rolled across the forest floor to stand beside the dwarf. “More are headed this way,” he said. “I saw them from the treetops. At least a hundred foot soldiers. Probably more.”

  “Call to the forest,” Kaiya said.

  Mel didn’t understand. Wrinkling his brow, he waited for an explanation.

  “I can’t do this,” the dwarf said. “You must.”

  Still not knowing quite what she wanted, Mel let out a deep breath. Closing his eyes, he focused his energy into the earth, grasping at the magic inside. Drive them away, he commanded with his thoughts. It was the same technique he used when commanding a tree to heal or grow strong. He wasn’t sure if it would work, but he had to try something. Reaching deeper into the earth, he commanded it again. Drive these enemies away.

  A rumble sounded from deep in the earth, and the ground quaked beneath them, knocking most of the beasts and elves off balance. Branches and leaves began to move, swaying and rocking. The dryads released themselves from their havens inside the trees and joined their allies to defend the forest.

  Hundreds of dryads emerged, projecting a bright green light in their outstretched hands. Focusing the beam at the invaders, they blinded the twisted creatures, driving them away from the elves. Stumbling and falling, the creatures hurried to escape the attacking dryads, retreating westward to the ships that had carried them to this land.

  General Aldryg didn’t waste a moment. Summoning his troops to his side, they reformed the charge and set off after the attackers. Colliding with the backs of the retreating beasts, the horses crushed them beneath their hooves and continued running. Ahead were the soldiers Mel had seen. They would not be spared.

  Only a few of them managed to make it back to the ship. Running as fast as she could, Kaiya emerged into the clearing in time to see the Na’zorans celebrating and the ship pulling away from the shore. Rushing to the water’s edge, Kaiya summoned her energy and called upon the heavens. From high above, a wide bolt of lightning split the sky directly above the ship. Bringing the bolt down on its hull, it burst into splinters, sending all of its passengers into the water below.

  Turning away from the destruction, Kaiya felt the cold stare of eyes watching her from afar. Ulda’s malice cut through her, chilling her to the bone. Defiantly she held her head up and projected a message back to him with her mind: You’re next.

  Chapter 17

  With a heavy swipe of his hand, Ulda knocked the orb from its stand. His soldiers had been defeated by those disgusting elves and their Na’zoran pets. Only his own presence could have prevented the loss. Burning with frustration, the sorcerer regretted not having traveled to the Vale. The wizards he had sent in his place had proved themselves incompetent. His opportunity to bind the essences of the most powerful elves in the world had been lost.

  Now what would he do? Without those souls, he might not have
the power to defend himself from the counterattack that would surely follow. The elves and Na’zorans were working together, and that didn’t fit into Ulda’s plan. He intended to take each land individually, marching on them in turn with his full strength. Instead, he would have to wait for them to come to him. He must be ready.

  Retrieving the glowing orb from the floor, Ulda cradled it momentarily in his hand. Kaiya’s eyes stared back at him, issuing a challenge. Smirking, he placed the orb back on its base. What could one dwarf possibly do to him? True she was powerful, but he would have her in his collection sooner or later. She was no match for him, and she was certainly aware of it. Ulda gave her credit for her bravery, but she had no idea what she was up against. A quiet laugh escaped his throat as he turned away from the orb.

  Focusing his attention to the pile of scrolls on his desk, he searched for the one recounting the details of his most recent research. Finding it, he clutched it in his hand and squeezed it to his chest. This will keep the balance, he thought. It is nearly ready. With both water and wind combined, he knew the elf-dwarf pair might pose a threat to him. River was weak, but he could recover, especially if he made the trek over the ocean.

  Ulda’s failure to capture River’s mate had left him determined. Had River lost her, his mind would be too clouded to lead the armies against Ral’nassa. The matter was now more complicated than Ulda had anticipated. Finalizing his darkest research would have to take top priority. Once his new enchantment was ready, he would render his army invincible, and no one would be able to break the line. Ulda’s ultimate success would be assured.

  * * * * *

  Prin raised his hand near his forehead to shield his eyes from the sun. A dark figure approached, moving fast upon the wind. As it came into view, he recognized the shining violet scales of a wyvern, a dark-clad figure sitting upon its back. Holding his breath, the servant realized what had happened. A single survivor had escaped the battle in the Vale. Where the others had either fallen or fled, this one returned home to his master.