Vallachia wondered what humans would make of this sight. No humans lived near and none would be this far out of town at dusk. Had they been, they might have assumed it was the end of the world. If the Court failed, it would be the end of the world.
Val gave one last nod to Teller and another to Mary before they broke off from the flock with their respective armies. As they neared the battlefield Val grabbed Mari’s hand and gave her a knowing nod that it was time for her and her archers to branch off. They were to slip around the back of the highest hill. This would give her archers the best vantage point to rain down their arrows on Ramdasha’s army. Then she too was gone. Val’s heartbeat quickened. What if Mari is ambushed? Val had to take several deep breaths to calm herself. She will be fine.
They landed on the outskirts of the battlefield. Their trusty scouts approached.
“All is quiet and clear, My Lord,” a scout informed Elijah. “No sign of Ramdasha and the field is safe. No explosives have been set.”
“That is good news,” Elijah said. His head turned toward the south.
Val could smell it as well — vampires and lots of them. They watched Ramdasha’s army as it landed and march in unison onto the field.
“Here we go.” Elijah took Val’s hand and with the other motioned for their men to move forward. As they drew close to the archery range, Elijah held up his fist. As if they were one massive creature the Court’s soldiers halted.
The Court’s crimson flags with the gold Chastellain coat of arms rippled in the breeze. They were answered by Ramdasha's forest green flags, inlayed with a black tarantula. All else was motionless — the world stopped.
“How many do you think they have?” Val whispered.
“It looks like no more than two hundred.” This confirmed Val’s guess as well. That was more than they had behind them. She was grateful they had more vampires on the way.
“He does have the numbers,” Val said.
Elijah put his hand across her chest to stay her, as he stepped forward. It was all she could do not to move with him. She wanted to be by his side no matter what. Ramdasha stepped from behind his front line, revealing himself for the first time. He had a well-armed woman to his right and a large man to his left — undoubtedly Riddick’s replacement. The fact that the woman stood to his right — giving her more status — indicated that she must be Ramdasha’s wife. They had heard rumors that he had married.
Val searched the front line and spotted Rosalia. Her gaze was intent on Vallachia. She was anxious to get on with the fight. She was more than ready for a long-awaited revenge. Val knew she would not have gotten over the Chastellains killing her love.
Elijah’s voice rang out in the silent night. “While we are glad you are finally willing to face the High Court of Elders like a man, I must warn you that this is your last chance to surrender. You can still avoid a war.”
Ramdasha’s laughter echoed around them. “Today the rule of the High Court of Elders will end.”
This response was not a surprise. Both Elijah and Ramdasha gave a hand signal for their forces to engage. Ramdasha’s front line quickly raised a wall of shields. The Court threw grenades into the shields, which blew them apart. Arrows rained down on Ramdasha’s men. Val was relieved to see this, as it meant that Mari had made it safely to the top of the hill.
Chapter 79 The Alps 1551 A.D
A second round of Samuel’s explosives were thrown into the front line. Elijah seized this opportunity and ran forward with his army behind him. The second blast stopped most of the enemy’s front line.
Ramdasha had quickly retreated when the shields went up. Coward, Val thought. She leapt into the middle of Ramdasha’s army and finished off the wounded, while fighting others back. With a sword in each hand, Val managed to keep her attackers at bay.
A wide circle formed around Elijah, as his lethal whips took off the head of anyone who got too close. In the east, a blood red flag with the head of a dragon flew high in the sky as Teller’s army collided with Ramdasha’s forces. Val glanced briefly to the west as Alexandru’s army attacked from that direction. This was excellent timing as Ramdasha’s forces had pushed the Court’s front line back. This turned the tide of the battle as the enemy had to fight against three different fronts.
A loud explosion came from the rear of the Court’s army. Val’s first thought was of Lord Chastellain. Elijah and Val glanced back to find that across the rear of their army there was nothing but black smoke and debris. Elijah turned and blocked an attacker by twisting one whip around the man's sword. He severed his neck with the other whip. Val took flight. She had to find Lord Chastellain. But a sword cut through her wing shearing it from her body. As she fell to the ground she cut the leg of her attacker with one sword and when he fell to his knees she cut his head from his body with the other sword. She hit the ground sending a fresh shock of pain through her back. A scream escaped her lips.
“Vallachia!” Elijah yelled. In an instant he stood over her, keeping the attackers at bay with his whips.
Val managed to get to her feet. “I’m fine,” she said, as she swung her swords around readying them. Elijah nodded and moved to attack and to get her out of the way of his whips.
Val quickly scanned her surroundings. Teller had fallen to his knees. She ran for him. It looked as if he was in pain, yet she could not see any wounds. He quickly stood and shook his shoulders as if to shrug off the pain. Teller gave Val a brief nod before turning to attack. Once Val was sure Teller was well, she charged after her enemy.
Riddick, Samuel, Abdullah, Teller, Elijah and Val formed a circle covering each other’s backs. “We have to find Ramdasha. It is the only way to end this,” Elijah yelled over sounds of metal colliding. This was intermixed with the occasional grunt, moan or wail of pain or grief.
Ramdasha's men were numerous and well trained. It was difficult to tell which side was stronger. This could go on forever or until everyone is dead, Val thought.
Several knives flew in Val’s direction. She knocked one away with her sword. One knife glanced off her arm. The cut was deep but she had to ignore it. She fought the desire to see if the lord was well. Elijah is right; we must focus on killing Ramdasha. It is the only way to end this.
“There,” Teller yelled. They followed his gaze. He had spotted Ramdasha.
Out of the corner of her eye, Val saw an arrow heading straight toward Teller. She threw her sword up knocking it aside before it hit his leg — her sword narrowly missing his leg. He gave her a quick nod of thanks.
“Stay in this circle and move as quickly as possible toward Ramdasha,” Elijah ordered.
They fought their way toward him. He had surrounded himself with his best fighters. His wife — if that was indeed who she was — was nowhere to be seen. As they approached Ramdasha, two of his men charged and Elijah swung his whips wrapping one around each neck and with a flick of his wrists their heads fell to the ground.
“Surely you are man enough to take me on, Ramdasha?” Elijah taunted.
No, Val thought.
Ramdasha glared in response.
“Only the weakest of rulers hides behind his men,” Elijah continued. “Have you not seen enough bloodshed for one day? Let us end this now and the winner will rule the vampire world.”
If Ramdasha wished to save face in front of his men there was no way he could refuse. “Very well but it must be a sword fight. You must get rid of those whips.”
Elijah let his whips slide out of his hands. They coiled on the ground as he crossed his arms drawing two swords from their sheaths at his hips. He spun the swords around, pointing them at Ramdasha. This happened so quickly that the human eye would not have been able to make out what had happened. The swords would have looked as if they appeared in Elijah’s hands.
Elijah expression said, Come on.
No, Val thought. For some unknown reason she looked to Teller.
He gave her a reassuring nod.
Val hoped he was right — that
Elijah would win. He had wagered everything on his ability to beat one man.
Ramdasha stepped out from behind his men with his sword drawn. Val was relieved to see he only had one. This would give Elijah an advantage. Elijah attacked fast and hard. Ramdasha was able to avoid or block his blows.
One of Ramdasha’s men moved to attack Elijah from behind. Riddick threw a knife into the man’s throat and sped toward the would-be attacker. As Riddick removed the knife from the man’s throat, he severed his head. Holding the head up by the hair, Riddick pointed at the enemy in warning. “Back off cowards. This is their fight!”
The fighting around them slowed as it became apparent that the two leaders were fighting for the title of victor. Elijah was more skilled. He cut Ramdasha’s arm. He hit his breastplate several times but Ramdasha kept his neck well protected.
Val screamed as pain shot up her leg.
This distracted Elijah. Ramdasha swung hard, aiming for Elijah’s exposed neck. Elijah threw himself back, the sword leaving a gash across his neck.
Val had been focused on Elijah and had not noticed a group of Ramdasha’s men sneaking up from behind. Val slowly pulled the knife out of her upper leg. She barely had time to block Rosalia’s blow.
Rosalia and her comrades forced the Court leaders to resume fighting and they could no longer protect Elijah from Ramdasha’s men. Val blocked swing after swing. They were not the blows of a mindless soldier. They were determined and full of hatred. Val could see that Rosalia was a tormented soul, her eyes were wild. If only I could help her.
“Rose, stop!” Val blocked another blow.
“Only friends call me that. You are not my friend.”
“Rosalia, please! I did not want them to kill Orrick.”
“Save it, Queen Chastellain. For all I know it was you who killed him.”
“I didn’t but he did try to kill me.” Val tried to reason.
“Shut up, Queen!” She said the word queen as if it were a curse word. “I have been waiting for this moment for a long time. Let us see how the North does without their precious Queen.”
Val shook her head in sorrow and whispered, “I’m sorry.” Val knelt down on one knee, trying to ignore the searing pain in the back of her leg. She drove her sword up under Rosalia chin. As Rosalia fell Val removed her sword and stood in one movement. Val swung with her other arm which held the knife she had removed from her leg. Rosalia’s head rolled away from her body, bringing an end to her physical and emotional pain all at once. Val reunited Rosalia with her beloved. It was the least Val could do.
Val searched for Elijah and the others. A knife glanced off her breastplate as she ran toward Elijah. Ramdasha’s sword slammed into Elijah’s breastplate and threw him back. His feet came off the ground from the force of the blow. Elijah reflexively brought both swords forward removing Ramdasha’s head from his body. Elijah landed hard on the ground.
A man attacked Elijah but Val was there to stop the sword from going through Elijah’s neck. Val flicked the sword from the man’s hand and placed her blood-soaked weapon to his neck.
“It is over.” Her voice was dark. It frightened her.
The man put his hands up in surrender.
Elijah leapt to his feet and grabbed Ramdasha’s detached head by the hair. Holding the head up high, he echoed Val’s words with a roar, “It is over!”
Chapter 80 The Alps 1551 A.D
Time stood still as Vallachia surveyed the battlefield. Slowly they regrouped and the fighting halted. Without their leader, Ramdasha’s men lost heart.
What now? Val thought. They had planned, trained and prepared endlessly for battle but what happened afterwards? She had no idea what to do, so she tore off the bottom part of her breeches from her injured leg and tied it around her bleeding wound.
Val was grateful when Elijah took control. He was a true leader and forced himself back into action.
“Capture every last one of them. If any try to run, kill them!” Elijah commanded.
Some of Ramdasha’s men did run and they were beheaded. The rest were shackled with heavy iron restraints and made to kneel. Elijah gave a knowing nod to Riddick, then to Val he indicated with his head that she should leave.
Val gladly limped away. The pain in her back and leg was tolerable because of the relief that filled her. A huge burden was no longer — Ramdasha was dead. They had won. After hundreds of years it was finally over. That was all that mattered. She did not stop to think about what Elijah and the others were about to do. All she cared about was finding the ones who matter to her. She was half in a daze as she searched.
Val found Mari first. Mari ran to her and they embraced. They nodded to each other, as an indication that each was alive — not well — but alive. Mari headed for Samuel, who was a mess, and went to work tending to a deep cut on his arm.
In the distance, Val overheard Elijah, “No one wages war against the High Court of the Elders and lives to tell about it. You all know full well the penalty for challenging us. You are to be executed.”
Val did not watch, as she knew Elijah meant they were to die straightaway. Val had seen enough death for one day ... no, for a lifetime ... no, for many lifetimes. She was grateful that he was willing and able to finish the job. She didn’t think she could have. The Court could not let them go. They would regroup and another leader would rise. Elijah was finishing this now so they would not have to fight again; at least not anytime soon. The human race would be safe for many years to come.
The Court did not have enough dungeon space to lock them all up. Plus feeding them would be a problem. They were not willing to do that to humans. They are better off dead. At least this was what she told herself. Of course, in her heart she knew not all of them were bad. Some of them only followed Ramdasha because they knew no better and believed his rhetoric against the Court or they were scared to cross him. Locking them up would allow them — well Val mostly — time to determine who should live. She could save some of them that way. There could be others like Sonia and Aaron — good vampires who lived under Ramdasha’s rule. She had saved many of them over the years. She shook her head, No; it is too late. Let this end now. She was tired and the pain from her injuries was growing more intense. This made her content with the safest and easiest path.
Val limped up to Mary. Mary was trying to splint Elizabeth’s leg. Lord Alexandru and Hector were holding Elizabeth down as she screamed. Her leg had been almost completely severed. Val did not think she could possibly feel worse but the helpless feeling that overwhelmed her at the sight of Elizabeth was indeed worse.
“If we can hold the leg in place it will heal on its own. I’m sure of it. It has to.” Mary cried. “She needs something to ease the pain, so that we can hold her still and properly stabilize her leg.”
Val ordered a woman standing nearby to find one of the doctors.
The woman ran off straightaway.
“Vallachia!”
Val turned to find Sonia racing toward her. Aaron was at her heels. They were blood-spattered and bruised but well enough. Relief flooded through Val as she moved to embrace them. My friends are alive, she thought. We made it!
The look on Sonia’s face said otherwise.
Val’s heart skipped as it leapt into her throat. “Where is he?”
“You must come ... now,” Aaron said.
In a flash they were gone. When they reached the back of the Court’s army, blood ran down the back of Val’s leg. Her running had reopened the knife wound but she did not care. ...
Laying before her was the charred form of Lord Chastellain. His head lay not far from his body. “No, no, no!” She fell to her knees and let the tears flow. She thought they might never stop as the reality of this dreadful day overwhelmed her like a waterfall beating relentlessly down on her. There was no way to escape the endless bombardment. She was drowning. War is truly the most dreadful thing on earth.
It was not long before she heard Elijah. “Father! No!” He fell to his father’s
side across from Val. Elijah put his head in his hands. Then he let out another furious scream. His suffering sent a fresh round of grief over Val. It was now a sharp physical pain through her heart. She didn’t know how long they stayed there like that but it seemed forever.
Once again time stood still, as the survivors took time to mourn their losses.
“Your wing,” Elijah whispered.
Val had forgotten about it. She did not care. A numbness had fully consumed her.
“What about her wing?” Mari asked.
“It was severed from her body,” Teller answered.
“What are you saying? That she will never fly again?” Mari said this as if it was the worst thing in the world, as if Val might as well be dead.
Never fly again. Never fly again. Never fly again ... The words echoed in Val’s head. Death would be better than all this.
Mari unfastened Val’s armor and gasped at the sight of all the blood. She lifted the back of Val’s tunic. “It is difficult to tell through all the blood but there appears to be a long cut down your back where the wing used to connect.”
Val pulled her shirt down and looked at Elijah. “I will be fine.” Then she looked to Mari. “I’m fine.” Only this was not convincing.
Val shook her head. “There is much work to be done.” It was her turn to take over. She had to stay busy or go mad. “We do not have time to worry about petty things like a missing wing. Tents need to be set up in the adjacent clearing. We can rest for a couple of hours. Then Ramdasha’s men must be gathered and the bodies burned. Our soldiers must be prepared for burial here. We must move forward and honor our fallen.”
With this, the men went to work. Riddick led the way, he was content to have work to do. Elijah moved to Val’s side and put his arms around her. She ventured a glance at his storm-filled eyes and looked away. His eyes had not looked this troubled since the day she agreed to marry him. They had been happy for a long time. She could not stand to look into the endless greyness of his eyes, so she buried her head in his chest.
Of Princes and Dragons: Book 2 (Lords and Commoners) Page 32
