by Bri Sailor
The priestess mumbled a few words before projecting a soft pink glow over the people. Immediately they calmed and their fear was assuaged.
“Praise Ailana!’
“Our queen has returned!”
“The witch is gone!”
Shouts of joy rang out and Kova’s chest swelled with pride. She turned to Atreyis as Cora lowered to the ground.
“I am staying here. I want you to return to Dragonhearth and tell everyone what has happened. My people are no longer fractured and separate. I want everyone together. The way it was centuries ago. No more hiding. No more division.”
Kova’s eyes were beaming. “This truly is just the start of peace returning. I can feel it.”
The queen flew off towards the palace. The massive glass dome that capped the throne room had a partially melted area that she gracefully slipped through. Atreyis scrambled over to Cora and in one swift motion sept the priestess off of her feet and leapt into the sky after the rogue queen. The princess saw the same hole in the melted glass and dropped into the throne room and let Cora down. The wide-eyed priestess smoothed her dress.
“Well.” She cleared her throat. “That was quite remarkable.”
Kova sat comfortably on the black wooden throne. A shiver went down Atreyis’ spine. The queen’s demeanor had changed. Her face hardened and an air of seriousness and lethality now hung around her. The princess put on a façade and strode confidently up to her.
“There was no call for what you did.” She yelled angrily. “I understand your anger and frustration but you could have destroyed the entire city! You blindly flew into the situation not knowing if you could control yourself! You could have killed countless innocent people! Your people! I can barely control it myself!”
“Agreed!” shouted Cora. “Behaving in such a manner! Had we not know it was you we would have fallen with all of our forces on the city to protect the people from Lusha!”
“Aren’t you worried that all you did was terrify your people? That they may see you no different than Philgen or Lusha with that act?” asked Cora.
“What my people saw—” Kova said through clenched teeth, “—was their queen fighting for them. What they saw was their hopes and prayers being heard by the Goddess for all of these long years and finally presenting an answer. If we don’t use these gifts that She has bestowed upon us we might as well spit in Her face.”
Cora took a step towards the queen, her eyes narrowed. Atreyis quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her back.
“Let it go. She needs time.” She warned.
Cora refused to break eye contact with Kova.
Atreyis looked at the queen. “We will give you some time to think about what you have done. But mark my words it will not happen again. The only way we will defeat Lusha and Béloneras is if we work together. We can’t have you flying off the handle again. Got that?”
Kova narrowed her eyes and didn’t speak. Atreyis swept up the priestess in her arms before she could protest and took to the sky once more. The priestess was obviously cross with the princess.
“I don’t understand why you just let her go.” Grumped the priestess.
“I know. But remember her actions are no different than what Ky did to Horgath.” Replied Atreyis simply. “And if I have learned one thing from Ky that is to not interfere when rational thought is suspended. I was there when she killed him. I was also there when she spoke to his men in her blood-soaked madness. Kova only has one thing on her mind and she needs time to realize her actions. The last thing any of us need is you two fighting. Darkness in actions like this was part of Ky, it is not something Kova is used to.”
Cora relented. “You are right. At least Philgen is gone. She won’t go hunting him down.”
Atreyis took a deep breath of fresh air and continued back to Dragonhearth. Movement on the ground caught her eye. It was her brother and a hundred mounted soldiers. She quickly fell out of the sky and stopped them, spooking his horse and nearly sending him flying off of his saddle.
“Where’s Kova?” he demanded as he reigned in his horse.
“She’s no longer a dragon.” Assured Atreyis.
Cora put a hand on the prince’s leg. “The damage is already done. Philgen is dead. And her people...” her eyes were slightly downcast and she sighed, “…they are free. I feel that there was a better way. But we are past that now. It’s time to do some damage control.”
The princess looked at Drax. “She needs you I think.”
The large man nodded and raced towards the palace.
Atreyis and Core looked at each other and began walking back towards the hidden city. Ehren dismounted and followed.
“That’s not what I’m worried about.” He said grimly.
The two women looked at him.
“This just proves a theory I had.” He continued. “That all Descended are capable of becoming dragons. Which means what remains of the Black Army and our foes that are Descended are capable of laying waste to entire villages and cities in minutes.”
Atreyis looked at him with a mixture of anxiety and hope. “Have you transformed as well?”
Ehren shook his head. “No. But I haven’t tried. Honestly it scares me. I don’t want to lose control like you did. Like Ky. I’m honestly in disbelief that Kova didn’t level the city.”
The princess nodded in agreement. “I think that it is a good thing. It means that we can have control over ourselves. Honestly, the more I transform even parts of myself, the more in-control I feel. We can use this to our advantage I believe.”
Ehren simply nodded. “I hope you are right.”
Chapter 13
Darkness. Nothing but never-ending black. And cold. She felt icy cold. She willed herself to move but couldn’t feel her body. The silence of the void was deafening. Where was she? How did she get here? Will the cold ever end? She tried fruitlessly again to move. Nothing. She continued to float in the void. Out of the darkness came a pinprick of golden light. She tried to focus on it. The light grew brighter and started to move towards her. She could feel the warmth and life radiating from the golden light. In the intense brightness she could just make out an ethereal feminine form. She reached towards the woman with a translucent hand, leaving her heavy body behind. The woman reached out towards her. Just as she was about to grasp the light being’s hand, hundreds of sharp, deformed, skeletal hands and claws shot out of the darkness and enveloped her entire body. Unable to scream, the hands dragged her down with them into the abyss. The icy cold melted away. Out of the darkness came a dim light. The water-like void suddenly vanished. The warrior tumbled end-over-end as she fell to the earth like a falling star. The concussive force of her crash landing leveled the stark trees around her.
Ky lay in a naked heap nearly a hundred feet down in the newly formed crater. Every bone in her body felt broken. She curled into a fetal position, shivering against the breeze that blew across her bare flesh. A low growl sent her scrambling like mad out of the pit. Her heart stopped as she pulled herself up over the edge. A few of dead, black trees encircled her. No! Not here! Anywhere but here! Another low growl emanated from the trees. Ky desperately looked around for anything she could turn into a weapon. She felt over-exposed and wished with her all that she had some speck of clothing. Suddenly, simple rough linen garments manifested on her body. They glowed ever so slightly of golden light before it faded. She picked at the fabric in confusion. The low growl in the trees quickly turned into thousands of shrieks, screams, and roars that were deafening. Ky crouched low. Her head whipped around in all directions, looking for the threat. From the sounds she could tell she was surrounded. It was no use just waiting for certain death, she picked a direction and ran. The bare branches of the trees scratched and pulled at her skin as she raced through the dense dead forest. The warrior ran for what felt like hours. The trees stopped and she crashed face-first into a black translucent wall. The warrior lay in a daze on the ground. She stumbled to her feet and leaned heavily against th
e glass-like structure as she struggled to catch her breath. She brushed her hand over the smooth surface, something about it seemed familiar. The warrior’s eyes grew wide with fear.
“No no no no no…” she tripped over her own feet trying to get away from the structure.
It was the same temple that Lusha had trapped her and the princess in and attacked them. Ky felt a familiar heat build in her belly. Her eyes glowed a bright red. She bared her teeth and snarled. All of the fear drained away and was replaced by boiling anger.
“Where is she?” she screamed towards the dark gray clouds above her.
“Damn you Lusha!” she spat. “I know you have her! Where is she?”
Thunder and lightning answered her back. Ky held her head as the memories assaulted her. Lusha holding the helpless Atreyis by her neck high in the air and squeezing the life out of her. The shock and pain in the princess’ blue eyes as Lusha drove the dagger into her. Ky could feel a gaping black hole in her heart. She gasped and fell to her hands and knees. The image continued. The screeches rang out around her and the heat inside became unbearable. Atreyis’ lifeless blue eyes stared at the warrior as a small trickle of blood trailed form her mouth.
“Atreyis!” screamed Ky.
The warrior’s teeth sharpened and shiny black scales covered her body. Wings protruded from her back. Her body grew larger and more muscular. She roared and unleashed her fiery fury on the forest. The wood crackled and creaked under the intense heat. The warrior’s dragon form walked heavily through the flames as liquid fire dripped from her gaping maw. Through the smoke Ky could see with her dragon vision the shadows and outlines of the beasts that were hunting her.
“Let them come.” She said through clenched teeth. “I will destroy every last one of them.”
Hundreds of deformed horned beasts covered in coarse hair, thick hides, and some with scales emerged from the darkness. Some had claws, other hooves. All had sickly yellow eyes and sharp teeth. Some had tusks, others horns. One particularly large brute stepped forward.
“Ihöü dëgörg tö üd. Riit’k üd. Belong to Darkness.” He hissed.
“Rëdër! Ih äkt rö dëktöm!” she shouted in a language that was unknown to her, but spoke to a part of her soul. “I am no demon, Mälgrav! Unlike you! Xöüg dëänt!”
All of the beast snarled and bared their teeth. Ky stood up on her hind legs and stretched out her wings and let out an earth-shaking roar. The Mälgrav met her challenge and charged at her. Ky spewed a wall of white-hot flames at the beasts. The first wave was instantly taken out. But before Ky could launch another attack the second wave burst through the flames. They leapt like jungle care and sunk their claws into her scaly flesh. She let out a roar of pain. One by one she reach her neck around and ripped them off using her massive jaws. She whipped her tail and took out several more. More flames spit from her mouth. The Mälgrav shrieked in pain at the dragon fire. The dragon warrior furiously beat her wings, stirring the blazing firestorm around them. She tried to take flight but the demons’ assault was wave after never-ending wave of beasts coming from the shadows. Raw fury kept the warrior going. The clouds above them darkened and an evil wind began to blow. Ky fought viciously. With a final push the beasts enveloped and overwhelmed her. One by one the quickly began to change from physical forms to a black mist.
“Yesss…” they hissed. “Fight it! Give in to your anger! You resist and become ours!”
Ky let out one final roar before the black mist completely swallowed her up. This mist suddenly dispersed and extinguished the flames. The evil wind continued to howl and blow. A scream was carried from off in the distance. The large black dragon staggered to her feet. A large explosion some distance away caught Ky’s attention. She quickly vanished into the trees heading for the source. She blasted head-first through the branches, not feeling a thing. In her periphery she could see more Mälgrav racing towards the same direction. She came to a halt. She stomped the ground with heavy footsteps and let out a low, feral growl, daring the demons to try and attack her again. The beasts stopped and snarled at the red-eyed dragon. Ky let out another rumbling growl. With steady, heavy steps she inched closer to the source of the explosion. A clearing came into view and in the center was a crater. The dragon stepped to the edge and peered in. A pair of familiar blue eyes stared back in fear. Somewhere deep within her soul, Ky felt a familiar sense of knowing. The girl stretched out a shaky hand. Before the dragon could respond the girl was suddenly enveloped in a bright gold light.
“Ky!” she screamed.
The black dragon paused a moment before flying up into the air and looking around. Behind her, what brilliant sunlight was left quickly dimmed as dark gray clouds filled the sky from horizon to horizon. A palace lay in ruins. The ground quaked and an icy wind blew madly from the largest mountain peak. A deep, evil voice rumbled from the mountain.
“At last we meet. Rë k’tëët.”
Tangible fear and terror blanketed the landscape.
“Ihöür Göddën kän gönt. Though I could not have both of you I will settle for just as magnificent a prize.”
The Mälgrav within the forest turned to black mist and raced for the mountain.
“I have taken this world, nörtäg, and will finish yours.”
Frozen with fear, Ky tried pitifully to spit flames but nothing came.
The evil voice laughed. “Döügën. Without your soul your powers mean nothing.”
The dragon let out a half-hearted roar that sounded like a cry. The evil voice laughed deeply.
“You didn’t actually think that you defeated my demons did you? What they have set in motion cannot be stopped. Your soul will soon be mine to do whatever I want with. Körërgën. You are but a shade. A shell. Cursed to walk these lands forever! Sürnëd.”
The evil voice laughed again.
“Don’t worry. You won’t be alone for long. She has something that is mine. Ih riigg röt dë dëttëm ähä’ihr! And I will have HER! Kër döüg iid niirë!”
Chapter 14
Arainya stood staring at the statue of the Goddess. The bejeweled eyes shimmered in the light of the flickering sconces.
“Please keep her safe…” she said softly to the statue. “I know your strength is waning and I thank you for bestowing your gifts. But I pray that it is not your final act. Even with all that my daughter and Cora possess, I fear that without Ky we will fail. We will fail you.”
The queen was getting choked up as she tried to fight the tears.
“My husband and I fought for so long to keep Atreyis safe, and now there is nothing more we can do. I see now, after all these years why you so graciously saved my baby girl. I can finally see the strong, beautiful, determined woman she has become. I see the true meaning behind her words. I feel so ashamed that it took a war and her dying to see past my own fears and projections.” She sniffed and bowed her head a moment before wiping away her tears. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, much less admitting it to myself, but Ky is the best thing to happen to my daughter. She saved her life. Saved my people. And she opened all of our eyes to what has really been going on with this war. And she has proven that there is still Light that can be found in Darkness.”
Arainya held her head high and squared her shoulders. “I thank you, Ailana, for everything. I pray your strength holds and we are able to defeat the Darkness. And wherever Ky is, please keep her safe.”
Toran stepped out of the shadows and hugged his wife. “We will get through this. As long as we have strength to fight, so does the Goddess.”
Arainya turned and kissed him. She twirled her fingers in his dark curly locks.
“I know.” She sighed. “But I can’t help shake this feeling of dread. Even if Atreyis did see Ky, Cora wasn’t able to bring her back. What does this mean? Surely, Atreyis can’t do this on her own. We don’t even know what she or Ky is supposed to do to end this war. Kova proved that with her transformation.”
The somber king touched foreheads a moment.
“I’m not sure. I still have faith. The Goddess has saved Atreyis from death twice. There won’t be any need for a third. I’ll be damned if I let you or our children die. One way or another we will end this.”
The king hugged his queen again when something flashed out of the corner of his eye.
“What was that?” he mumbled, letting Arainya go.
“What?” asked the queen.
Toran stepped closer to the statue of the Goddess and studied it. “I could swear I saw a flash of light come from over here.”
His eyes were drawn to the massive diamond in the center of the Goddess’ chest. There was something odd about it.
He rubbed his chin. “Doesn’t that gem look like it is not quite in place?”
“What do you mean?” asked the queen.
