Teliko Mageia: Curse of the Frozen Flame

by A. J. Carbonell

  “For Malevolentiam!” all the mages chanted, and they pounded the table and cheered.

  After the meeting was adjourned, Jael was summoned by the Queen, whose gentle face was sobered with empathy. She reached empty hands to him in reassurance as though to offer comfort to a child. “I heard your companion Frekkis died in your previous battle. I want to express my grief for your loss,” Queen Jeannah stated.

  “Thank you, my queen. Everything happens for a reason,” Jael replied, heavily.

  “If Rohan is saved, your past will be unveiled. I believe you will find your parents. They must be proud of what you have become,” Queen Jeannah said.

  “Thank you, my queen,” Jael answered, because any more complex words were too much to muster through his throat, choked by the grief. Already he had cried enough that his eyes burned, and every source of light wore a salty halo. He left the room, his hands clenched behind his back, trying not to let the ache show. Nothing he found could ever repay what he had lost; no family secrets could fill the hole left by Frekkis’ loyalty.

  At last he sat down in a small sitting room, alone, quiet, not knowing what to do with himself. Helena came in, and asked awkwardly, “Is this a bad time?”

  He looked up at her, expression blank. “No, not at all.”

  “You said you would relay what happened to me personally,” she said, and stiffly sat beside him. It seemed that comfort was something that did not come as easily to her tongue as the Queen, whose heart was pure and gentle. Still she tried and gingerly patted his knee as he narrated the events that had led to Frekkis’ demise. When it came time to say those fateful words, he choked up, and Helena said quietly, “There, there; she died a noble death. Should we all be so brave as to die to save our most beloved companions? You were ready to do the same yourself, only that fate intervened. If this war does not give us all die heroic deaths, you will rest knowing you have never known a greater love.”

  He continued on to tell her about Artemia, and in the silence that followed, Helena said, “Your life is a strange one. I, um, I think I know enough of you now to guess that training will at least take your mind off?” Jael nodded. “Follow me. I will find you something to do rather than waste away in grief.”

  Not only Jael, but the whole castle of Krimmirr made busy training, preparing for the impending attacks by Malevolentiam. Reighild ordered many of the knights, and anyone else able-bodied, magickally gifted and ready to protect the kingdom, to take defensive postings. Krimmirr’s population was cut down by a third as a wave of occupants left, occupying towns and cities to defend in case of attack.

  In the heart of Krimmirr, the queen’s most gifted strategists still met, consulted, and planned. “My queen, we need to face Malevolentiam head on. If we only defend, they will not stop. We may hurt their army but still, they will attack again. We must destroy them. We need to take on their leader, the Dark Mage, Dio,” Mikhal suggested.

  “You have a point, but we can’t just attack without forethought. We must plan everything,” Queen Jeannah replied. “Please, rest my friend. Your spells will be very useful in these coming days.”

  Nightfall had come and gone. Jael, Vaan and Draken still carried on training. Jael wiped sweat from his forehead. He’d thought he was using training as an excuse to not think about things, but Draken hadn’t stopped to meet with the queen.

  “Hey, Draken, shouldn’t you rest more?” Jael asked. “There is such a thing as too much training.”

  “I have fully recovered. I need to train more to make sure that Zaac is defeated!” Draken replied furiously, the flashback of the tragedy running through his thoughts. “My mother, she was gentle and loving. I see her as a faultless woman. Everything she did had the best of intentions. Truly, she was kind and wonderful. My father, he was strict yet responsible, understanding and wise. My sister, she was pure and innocent. She was the joy of the family. He took everything. He took everything!” Draken said and his anger grew, flying to new levels of rage. His eyes blackened and around him the air pulsated with the incoming rush of dark shadow magick gathering about him, which released suddenly. Jael stumbled back; though undamaged, he was shocked.

  “Draken, that’s enough!” Jael shouted. Draken didn’t budge.

  “Draken, stop this nonsense! If you use up all your magick here and now, you won’t be able to fight Zaac head on!” Vaan explained, and Draken’s eyes came back to grey, cooled down, he breathed heavily and fast. Vaan seized his shoulders and looked the boy in the eye. “Draken, you need to control your anger. Yes, anger can make you stronger but it doesn’t make you any wiser. Wisdom is much more powerful than strength. Always keep that in mind.”

  “I’m sorry... got carried away. I’m in a state of shock…”

  “We understand, Draken… but you must be careful not to lose control now,” Jael said. They continued to train until Helena, Alexa and Cassandra joined them in the training arena. Then Jael stopped and made introductions, introducing Draken to them personally. Helena gave a quick cold overview to the city and its rules. Draken however had his mind set on one thing: dealing with this crisis immediately. Revenge.

  “Are we going to deal with Malevolentiam tomorrow?” Draken asked.

  “Don’t be hasty. Depends upon the Queen’s decision,” Helena replied.

  “May I ask that I may be the one to face Zaac?” Again, Helena answered, “It is not for you to decide.”

  Draken slammed his fist into a punching bag. “I hope I get to meet him. I want to avenge my family. He murdered my family and he must pay for what he did.”

  “Draken, remember you are not the only one who lost a family to Malevolentiam,” Jael said.

  “Please let me have the honour of defeating him.”

  “Very well, if the Queen decided for us to go fight him, then I will let you face him, we will not interfere,” Jael replied.

  “Thank you,” Draken said.

  In the fortress, Dio made his preparations. “Zaac, rally your mages! You shall attack Zebu at midnight. Do not destroy it. Wait until the Queen’s army arrives, then strike with everything you have. I know you’ve been eager for a fight–tomorrow you will have what you desire,” the Dark Mage said.

  “Thank you, my lord,” Zaac replied with a huge grin on his face. At last, I get to avenge Chollo, he thought. They will pay.

  The City of Zebu, at the heart of Bristal, was the oldest city in the whole kingdom. It held the kingdom’s most famous museum containing the artefacts showing the history of Bristal. Zebu was also the birthplace of the first king, King Maximo Bristal.

  Hours before midnight, Zaac and the whole Terra army left Excauhalt. Upon arriving at the City of Zebu, they immediately surrounded the whole city and patiently waited for Zaac’s signal to attack. At the stroke of midnight, Zaac shouted, “Mighty Terra! Attack Zebu!”

  “Huhhhh!” the Terra mages shouted in unison, and they started to destroy the walls and went in the city.

  A sudden flare was seen atop the City and one of the guards alerted Krimmirr at once. “Malevolentiam is here!” the guard reported using the transmitter. The city guards and some soldiers dispatched by Krimmirr defended the city at all costs. Unfortunately, they were overpowered by Terra. Some Terra mages fell but there were more to come. The guards and the soldiers were eventually defeated by Terra and they lay on the city ground.

  “Take everything you want! This city is ours for the taking until the knights of Bristal come. Prepare yourselves! We will have bloodshed in this very city!” Zaac shouted and all the mages were psyched up.

  Meanwhile, a blaring horn could be heard throughout the whole castle, alarming everybody to be on the lookout with the attack. A soldier rushed toward the Queen’s quarters and reported, “My Queen! They are currently attacking Zebu!”

  “Gather everyone in the Throne room at once!” Queen Jeannah exclaimed, as she went straight to the throne room.

  Reighild was already there when the Queen arrived. “My Queen, I think it w
ould be best if we send all the regiments except me and the First Regiment. It is my utmost duty to guard you, thus, I cannot leave your side with such harsh circumstances,” he said. “Malevolentiam might be occupying the neighbouring towns and if we send away just one regiment, they might be ambushed and might be defeated on the spot. We still do not know how much force Malevolentiam have and we cannot afford to lose a single knight.”

  “Very well, you are the war strategist of Bristal,” Queen Jeannah replied.

  As soon as the Master Knights and the others arrived at the throne room, the Queen immediately ordered them to dispatch to Zebu. Without hesitation, the four Master Knights and their respective regiments departed. Jael, Vaan and Draken joined in as well, and Draken looked downright thrilled. “At last, I get to face Zaac,” he stated. There was no trace of fear in his voice.

  “Don’t rush to him, Draken. Let the Master Knights handle the situation first,” Jael reminded him.

  “Yeah, of course. But I’m still gonna face him,” Draken insisted.

  “Whatever you say, Draken. Just… don’t do anything rash,” Vaan said.

  Helena hurried up, gesturing for them to come with her. Jael thought she’d come a long way from the first time he’d bumped into her arrogance. Clearly his service to the queen had nudged him up a few levels in her eyes. He wondered if it was enough to finally arrange for that date. Later, though. After they’d saved the world. “Jael, you and the others may board my valkyrie,” Helena offered, and they went on with her.

  Most of the Master Knights made their way to Zebu, leaving the palace somewhat unattended. It was in this absence of bodies that a strange explosion was heard from the western quarter of Krimmirr. One of the adjacent towers collapsed with a loud rumble. The royal guards remaining, and a handful of brave able-bodied servants, rushed out to investigate. The palace was left eerily empty, Marvel thought, as she walked along the hallway. She thought she heard something and opened a door to check. There was a fwipp, and she gasped, then slumped unconscious to the ground.

  Elsewhere in the palace, the remaining royal guard alerted the queen to the explosion. “My Queen, an explosion has gone off in the western tower. Sir Reighild is already there, investigating the explosion.”

  “What? Call him at once!” Queen Jeannah exclaimed. “Yes, your Highness!” the guard replied, and fled.

  A few moments later, Reighild hurried up to the queen, gave a half bow, and reported the incident. “My Queen, it seems a bomb was planted in the tower. It doesn’t appear to be an ordinary bomb mechanism. Looks magickal. A mage must have planted and detonated it.”

  “Malevolentiam must be behind all this,” she assumed. “What’s important is nobody was harmed,” he said.

  “Contact the Fourth and Fifth Regiments. Order them to return immediately. Let Helena and Orevlatef’s team handle Zebu. We may soon be assailed again by the enemy,” Queen Jeannah replied.

  At once, Reighild issued the orders given by the queen. Regiments reversed their route and returned to Krimmirr. All of them wondered why such a command had been given. Upon arriving Krimmirr, the question was quickly answered. The west tower lay in ruins, its once grand conical roof shattered into hundreds of pieces across the grand lawn. The side of the palace lay wounded, gaping and bare, and the once white walls blackened in a radius from the explosion. A visible scar that would remain long after the hole was patched. All were terrified by the sight of the destroyed west tower.

  The Queen immediately summoned them all to the council chamber. “It appears Malevolentiam knew most of you were going to defend Zebu. They struck the west tower. No signs of enemies have yet been found,” Queen Jeannah reported. “I want all of you to be alert and investigate what has happened.”

  Gabriela ran in, her eyes wide in shock. She stumbled to the door of the room, bowed dizzily, and reported, “My Queen! My Queen! Marvel, she is missing!”

  “Search the castle! The enemy may have infiltrated!” Queen Jeannah shouted.

  Everyone combed the castle in search of Marvel, but she was nowhere to be found. The answer grew daunting and large in the Queen’s mind. There could only be one reason Marvel was gone. Malevolentiam now had the young woman. “I do not understand. If they infiltrated the castle, then why would they take only Marvel?” Diurus asked.

  “They want to revive Falakh. They must assume the only way to make Rohan break and reveal the secret of the Tablet would be to threaten Marvel,” Queen Jeannah said grimly.

  “We can’t leave the Queen now. Malevolentiam might attack once more. We cannot let them capture or harm the Queen,” Reighild stated.

  In the dark shadows of Excauhalt, Marvel was presented to the Dark Mage, trembling and scared. She stood unbound in the middle of the room, arms wrapped around herself, visibly shaking. He surveyed her with amused interest. This would be easy. “Welcome to Excauhalt, young girl. Do you know why you were brought here?” the Dark Mage asked.

  “P-p-p-please don’t hurt me,” Marvel replied in a frightened voice.

  “That’s up to your adoptive father. If he doesn’t cooperate with us, well, then we might be forced to hurt you,” the Dark Mage explained.

  The unknown woman, completely clad in the very darkness that enveloped Excauhalt, tittered and leaned over to say to Dio. “Oh, she is such a young woman. It would be a shame to tear her apart. I really hope that Rohan will finally cooperate with us.”

  Marvel said nothing, her mouth frozen with fear. The Dark Mage waved a dismissive hand and his guards stepped forward, seizing her arms once more. “I will deal with you later, young girl. We have business to attend to,” the Dark Mage said and Marvel was immediately taken away. “Now, I shall show Bristal my might. I am certain that Krimmirr is in chaos right now!” Dio laughed.

  Rohan reeled in shock. “Marvel! What are you doing here?!” The small woman was thrown inside the cell alongside Rohan. The guards slammed the door, and he heard the click of the key turning in the door, locking them both into the tiny, stark-black cell and that infuriating drip of water. He reached a gentle hand forward and placed it on her trembling shoulders, trying to not let the seeping dread show on his face.

  “Master, I do not know! I was walking inside, then there was a giant explosion by the west tower of Krimmirr, and then I was shot with a tranquilliser. The next thing I knew, I was in front of the Dark Mage,” Marvel explained, tears streaming down her cheeks.

  “Do not worry, child. The Queen will find a way on how to free us. And I will not allow anything to befall you.” He comforted her, but he did not believe it himself.

  “Ready yourselves! Here they come!” Zaac shouted, excitement on his face. Down below, the Terra Mage forces waited in grim eagerness. Immediately the valkyrie rocked, struck with magickal attacks left and right. Most of the Terra mages attacked the two valkyries while they were still in the air. Much more would send them spiralling into a crash.

  “There! Land the valkyrie now!” Helena screamed.

  They tried to land. While the valkyrie was coming down, a massive hit rocked the entire ship. There was a horrible crunch, and the ship tipped and rocked violently. Helena whipped her head over to see the right wing go flying off and strike a hillside, exploding in a puff of dirt and metal. It had been completely obliterated by one of the Terra mages. “Hold on! We’re going down!” the pilot shouted. Everybody held on, bracing as the valkyrie of the Third Regiment descended roughly, and crashed into the city wall. With a metallic groan, the valkyrie toppled over to its side, throwing its inhabitants askew. Anything not nailed down was a projectile, and any weak attempts to hold steady were futile.

  Helena saw stars, back slammed onto the window, she thought, it might have been, some ridge of metal digging uncomfortably into her spine. She pushed herself weakly to her knees and rubbed the sparks from her eyes. Someone summoned up a blast of magick and ripped the side of the ship off. Light poured in, and everyone stumbled off board.

  “Everyone all right?” Helena
asked. She turned to drag a wounded man out behind her, and everyone else on their feet moved to do the same.

  “Daros is dead!” one of the knights shouted. Daros, the pilot of the Third Regiment valkyrie had died on the spot. Helena took stock. A few other knights had sustained injuries, but it was nothing that couldn’t be treated. The loss was sobering, but it was likely not the first that would happen this day.

  “Jillian, Haddin and Garrith, bring everybody out and treat everyone with healing mystos. When you guys are ready, help us in fighting the enemy,” Helena said. “Let’s move out and face those fiends!”

  Shortly after, the Second Regiment’s valkyrie landed and disembarked. “Helena! Are you all right?” Orevlatef asked.

  “Yes, but I have several casualties already because of the crash,” Helena replied.

  “Let’s give them what they deserve–a swift, cold death,” Orevlatef stated.

  By now the Terra mages were closing in, as well as a familiar face: Zaac. He seemed merely amused by the wreckage, not even pleased so much as smug. “Welcome to Zebu! Oh, it’s you again. It seems it’s my lucky day. I get to face the people who defeated my comrade, Chollo. Now I will avenge him!” Zaac exclaimed.

  “Why would you avenge Chollo? He turned on all of you in the end,” Helena answered.

  “Hah! Much as we turned on him! The traitor had his throat slit for crossing us–nobody leaves Malevolentiam. But he was my friend before his downfall, and I will avenge his defeat!” Zaac replied.

  Then a sudden storm rose, the winds beginning to whip around and thunder rolling. “Another storm mage?” Vaan wondered aloud.