by Toni Cox
She felt warm and safe. The reassuring motion of Midnight’s flight kept her in a semi-sleep for a long while and it was only when she felt Midnight descend, that she fully woke up and wondered what was going on.
She was being held. Tight. Yet she did not feel restrained, only safe. She could feel the sensation of soft leather rubbing against her cheek where she leaned her head against his chest. She blinked. His chest? That’s when she noticed his smell. It was the most intoxicating scent, masculine and dangerous, with underlying notes of leather, forest, earth and fresh water. Not even the smell of sweat and blood of battle could hide his true smell from her and she knew immediately who it was that held her.
Immediately, her body reacted. Mostly in unexpected ways that she cared not to think about. Her heart pounded and blood rushed to her ears. She felt her panic rising. Then, the soothing thoughts of Midnight gentled her own and she calmed down long enough to wonder why Midnight would allow him to fly with him. Visions from Midnight of the slaughter by the altar flooded her head and she saw how Death had come into the melee just when it looked like the Vampyres would overpower them all. Midnight showed her, how Death had saved her not once, but many times during the fight and how he had finally lifted her and taken her out of the forest to be with Midnight. She knew her dragon felt gratitude for what Death had done, which was why he was allowing him to ride with him. But there were other thoughts too. Thoughts that Midnight quickly hid from her and she wondered about it for a moment.
Death shifted slightly, aware that she was awake. Her heart beat faster again and she became acutely aware of where their bodies touched and how warm his felt against hers.
“Good morning Maia.”
His voice had a deep timbre. Warm, yet strangely threatening. It caused her heart to skip a beat. Then she looked up at him and stared into his incredibly blue eyes. No, she thought, not blue, but violet.
“Who are you?” she managed to say through her bewilderment.
“I’m Blaid,” he said simply, but it caused her heart to flutter once more.
Jaik watched Maia take flight on her dragon and stared after her for a moment. He did not want to let her go, but he knew it needed to be done. If those Vampyres were, indeed, heading into the mountains, then they had to be stopped. He sighed, then took command of his Guard and marched forward with the rest of the army. They had already battled and overcome a host of twenty-five thousand; what was another five hundred compared to that? It made him wonder why they would send such a small force as a rear guard and it made him weary. Something was going to happen, he could feel it.
They marched for another two miles or so before they came upon the next wave of Vampyres. What he saw as they crested the ridge, surprised him. The Vampyres stood facing them in a long line, each next to what looked like a catapult. Jaik heard his father call for a halt and he repeated the order down the line. They had lost most of their horses and, after a brief count confirmed it, almost six hundred warriors. Nonetheless, their number still stood at just over nine thousand, so a force of just five hundred should not prove difficult. However, as he watched, the Vampyres busied themselves with their machines.
“Shields up!” he yelled.
“Shields up!” came the repeat.
He turned Stormborn and cantered down the line to his father. He nodded to him as he reined his horse to a stop.
“This does not feel right, Father. I have a bad feeling about this.”
“As do I, Son. They must have brought the machines while we were engaged with the first battle. It makes me wonder what else they are bringing through. They have us at a disadvantage. While they delay us here, their reinforcements can come through unhindered. We need to break through this barricade with haste.”
Jaik nodded, then watched as a Scout came running down the line and then stopped before his father.
“Lord Longshadow.” He bowed. “As requested, I have looked at their weapons. Some of them are catapults, the others are large, mounted crossbows. The crossbows are fitted with long, barbed spears. I believe those to be for the dragons. Unfortunately, I was unable to establish the ammunition for the catapults. They have caches of ball-shaped objects hidden beneath heavy tarpaulins, but I could not see what they contain.”
“Thank you, Vandamar.” Jagaer nodded to him.
“My Lord,” Vandamar replied, “there is more.”
“More?”
“Indeed, Sire. It seems that these Vampyres are different from the ones we fought this morning. They are taller, stronger and faster. I watched them for a while and I believe that these are either Commanders or maybe Generals. Their beasts, as well, are bigger and stronger.”
“Very well,” Jagaer sighed, “run down the line and spread the word to our Commanders. I will give the signal to advance in a moment.”
Vandamar took off at a run. Jaik could hear the commotion through the ranks as the news spread. He conferred briefly with his father, then rejoined his Guard. His heart beat loudly in his chest while he waited for the command to march. Then they were moving. The horses snorted, armour clanged against armour and the dragons flapped their wings as they took to the air.
Immediately, the Vampyres sprang into action. Jaik watched with fascinated horror, as the first few spears flew overhead with a strange whistling sound and then screamed for the men to get out of the way, as the first dragon plummeted to the ground.
More spears followed and more dragons fell. Still their army marched forward. As they came closer, Jaik noticed that the catapults were being loaded with the round objects Vandamar had seen. He sent a caution down the line and then the first ball was in the air. As it neared, he noticed a small tendril of smoke coming off it. Then, it hit the front line and the ball exploded, spraying red-hot lava in all directions.
Screams, and the smell of burning flesh, filled the air. Ball after ball followed the first one, almost slowing them to a stand still. Some of the Dragon Riders managed to get their Battle Dragons behind the enemy line and tried to destroy the catapults, but they were attacked relentlessly by this new breed of Werewolf and were soon unable to continue. They retreated into the sky and their riders shot arrows down upon the Werewolves, all the while trying to avoid more spears.
It was evening by the time they finally managed to overrun the catapults and full night by the time they had killed the last of the Vampyres and Werewolves. Their losses to get to this point, had been heavy. Stormborn had been hit by a spear and he had fallen dead instantly. Twenty-three dragons had lost their lives, as well as fifteen of their riders. Jagaer estimated their total losses at over a thousand dead. Their army was exhausted, injured and demoralised. Jagaer knew, he should be pushing on through to Greystone. They were so close now, but his people needed to rest. Silas did what he could for those that were injured, but Jagaer now wished he had not sent Maia away.
During the night, Jagaer got word from the Dragon Rider Maia had sent. He was worried that his daughter was also chasing this stronger, more skilled, type of Vampyre.
Scouts kept coming back with new information as well. The Vampyres had set up a defensive ring around the Gate, about a mile in circumference, but the Scouts had not been able to break through it. From a distance, they had watched the activity around Greystone and estimated there to be another large force gathering. It pained Jagaer not to be able to stop them. The longer he waited, the more would be able to come through, but without rest, his people would not be able to fight for much longer and then all would be lost.
Jagaer rested little and Jaik conferred with him many times during the night. A group of fifty or so men were sent back to Shadow Hall. Their injuries too grave to carry on. With them had gone ten horses and men to guide the stretchers. Jagaer was concerned about their diminished numbers, but at least the men had gotten some rest.
An hour before dawn, he roused his men. They had waited long enough. If what the Scouts had reported was correct, then a force almost as large as the first had made it through t
he Gate during the night. Most of these were the Generals, as they had come to call these stronger, more experienced Vampyre warriors.
As the first rays of sunlight broke over the horizon, Jagaer urged his charger, Cloud, forward and his men followed. It was a good day to go into battle. The air smelled fresh, with a bit of rain on the breeze. Birds were singing and darting in and out of the long grass, as they made their way through it.
Midnight descended and they now flew just above the tree tops. Alongside was Evan, as well as seventeen others, who had survived the confrontation in the forest. The other dragons were flying riderless, often voicing their sorrow in a plaintive bugle.
“We are almost there,” Evan shouted across to them. “Do you know what is happening ahead?”
“Many are fallen, and the rest are faltering even as we speak,” Blaid said before Maia could reply.
She shivered in his warm embrace.
“How do you know?” she asked.
He looked down at her with his violet eyes and she almost forgot what she had asked.
“I can feel it. We must hurry if we are to help them in time.”
Adrenaline surged through her body then and her tiredness was instantly forgotten. She struggled into a more upright position on the saddle in front of Blade. The position presented itself with another problem that made her blush, but although she was aware of it at the back of her mind, she was now thinking of the battle ahead.
“Evan, follow us as fast as you can.”
He nodded his understanding and then Midnight was away. Maia did not need to tell him to hurry. He flew as fast as he could and only moments later, they were over the battle field. Tears filled Maia’s eyes as she beheld the carnage. Horses and Werewolves, Vampyres and Elves, all lying together. Bleeding, torn open, beheaded and stabbed.
Every now and then, she saw a downed dragon. Some had broken wings, but most had long spears sticking out of their bodies like they were some grotesque pin cushion. In places, Vampyres were feeding on the fallen.
She shook with fury at the senseless killing and she felt something deep inside of her ignite. Blaid gasped at the same time that she caught her breath. Energy surged through both of them in such quantities, the sheer force of it brought Midnight to the ground. He landed heavily and stumbled, grunting as he landed on his knees.
As one, Blaid and Maia jumped to the ground and drew their weapons even as they ran. Up ahead, she could see her father. A little to her left, was her brother. Within moments, she had memorised the locations of all her people and counted the number of Vampyres and Werewolves on the battle field. Her brain briefly registered that they were hopelessly outnumbered and that it was a miracle her father’s army had lasted this long. Then she was upon them and without thinking, she laid into the enemy force, killing without mercy, swinging and twirling her blades faster than should be possible. Next to her, Blaid laid waste to everything that opposed him. This time, Maia could see that he too, fought with two blades, but his movements were still almost too fast for her to follow.
Together, they whirled through the enemy force like a tornado, hacking and slicing. Quick, clean kills. The men rallied around them and re-joined the fight with new-found purpose. Evan and his Regiment also joined them and the Battle Dragons that had lost their riders sought vengeance for their losses.
At one point, Blaid got attacked by a horde of Werewolves and Maia lost sight of him. She faltered for a moment, panic rising within her, but then he emerged from amongst the shaggy beast in his wolf form. She was surprised to see that he was even taller than the Werewolves and he now laid into them, ripping out their throats and slicing open their bellies. Maia felt another surge of energy course through her at the sight of him and she attacked fearlessly, relentlessly and killed without remorse, until no Vampyre and no Werewolf still stood.
“Maia,” the voice called again, but she did not hear it.
“Maia.” This time louder. Someone shook her shoulders.
“Huh?”
“It is over,” Silas said gently and laid his hands on her arms that were still holding the Twin Blades, dripping with blood. She dropped them to the ground.
Horrified she looked at the battlefield around her. What had she done? Panic began to rise within her and she started to tremble. Silas put his arm around her shoulders and led her away.
“It is done now. You have done well. The enemy is defeated.”
She nodded.
“But I am afraid your work is not done yet.”
Maia looked up at Silas questioningly.
“We need to see to the wounded. I cannot help them all. I need your help.”
This was something she could do. This would make her feel better. She poured herself into the gruesome work of extracting the injured from the dead. Everyone else who was still able to stand, helped.
The dead were burned on the field. The Guard erected a makeshift hospital with spears, robes and blankets. Jaik brought her medicine bag and she worked tirelessly for the rest of that day. She set bones, mended cuts, sealed wounds of lost limbs, reduced swellings, bumps and bruises. She went through her stock of Datura at an alarming rate, but some of the injuries were so severe, she did not dare to operate without it. More often than not, especially for internal injuries, she had to solely rely on her magic. By the time the sun set behind the mountains to the west, she was simply too exhausted to carry on.
Warily, she dragged herself to her tent. Someone brought her a bucket of warm water and she took off her blood-stained clothes and then washed the blood and gore from her body. She felt sad for the people that had lost their lives during the last two days, but she felt better for the many she had been able to save today. Most of the ones she had seen to, would be able to carry on leading normal lives.
The threat was gone. The enemy was defeated against all odds. She wondered at how they had managed it in the end. They had been so outnumbered. Then, as she gratefully climbed beneath her blankets, she remembered Blaid and what he had done for them. Smiling, she felt into an exhausted sleep.
She woke slowly. It was dark in her tent, but she could hear the soft sounds of the camp around her. Quiet conversations, someone putting another log on the fire. She was not sure how long she had slept. It was either late at night, or very early morning. She felt safe and warm and had no reason to be up. Silas had said he would call her, should he need her help with any of the injured.
She closed her eyes again and reached out with her mind, searching for the soft glow of the Eläm of the men and women around her, to see if they were in any pain or needed her assistance.
Her eyes snapped open instantly. She was not alone in her tent. The glow of this particular Life-Force was so strange, so dark as to be almost imperceptible, and yet so familiar. Her body reacted as it always did. Her heart fluttered, an electric tingling ran through her limbs and her breathing sped up. She sat up and as the blanket slid down, she realised she was still naked. Hurriedly, she pulled the blanket back up and she heard him chuckle. She turned towards the sound at the same time that he leaned towards her. With their faces only inches apart, she could clearly see the deep violet of his eyes through the gloom. Her heart stopped for a moment.
“Where are your clothes?” she whispered huskily.
“Torn off,” he said, his voice ringing like a bell in her head.
An image of him emerging in his wolf form during the fight sprang into her head.
“You have no others?” she whispered, even softer.
“I don’t need any tonight.”
“Oh,” was all she managed to say.
“Maia.”
His voice was thick with emotion when he said her name. It touched something deep inside of her and she felt herself inexplicably drawn to him. Without realising it, she leaned closer. She could feel his breath on her face. Heat radiated from his body and she was acutely aware of that intoxicating masculine smell, that so set him apart from any other man she had ever known.
; Gently, he pushed her unresisting body down onto the bed. He watched her for a moment, then leant down and lightly kissed along her collarbone, then up along her neck. Shivers ran down Maia’s body and she closed her eyes.
“I thought I would lose you today,” he whispered.
She felt him tremble.
“I can never, never lose you!” he said, before he kissed her on her lips.
She tensed only for a moment, unsure of what to do, but his warm lips on hers triggered something like a memory and she felt herself respond to his kiss, slightly parting her lips, tasting his breath. She reached for him, touched his cheek and then wound her fingers through his thick, dark hair. He moaned and kissed her more urgently.
Suddenly, she wanted him more than she had ever wanted anything else before. When he slid onto the bed beside her and removed the blanket from her body, she felt a moment of hesitation. Then he looked at her again, his eyes so full of emotion, and there was nothing she wanted to do to stop him.
Gently, he kissed her again. She closed her eyes and felt the shivers down her body as his hands touched her. Softly he stroked along her arm, then onto her flat stomach and then higher until he cupped one of her firm breast in his hand. She felt her nipple harden under his touch and a moan escaped her lips.
“You are so beautiful,” he whispered close to her ear, before he took her earlobe in his mouth and gently bit down on it.
He then kissed along her neck, down to her collarbone, onto her breast and she gasped when he took one of her nipples in his mouth. He sucked softly, all the while caressing her body with his hands.
