by MJ Schutte
‘Nobody threatens Lilian’s life! For that alone, I am going to destroy you,’ Brighton hissed, his anger boiling over.
Zaconis’ shoulders dropped a little, a small sigh escaping him.
‘So be it. If you won’t join me, you and the witch have to die.’
A huge ball of fire shot from his right hand but Brighton had already erected an energy barrier around him and Lilian. The fireball hit the barrier with a deafening thunderclap sending sparks flying everywhere. Zaconis retreated slowly as he continued throwing fireballs at Brighton’s defensive shield.
Pandemonium broke out. The elves shot with deadly accuracy, killing scores of enemy troops before they had a chance to react.
‘Alexi, organize the troops and kill those people. I will take care of Imlan and the witch,’ Father instructed his second in command.
Alexi dashed towards the elves, shouting orders at the troops around him.
‘Brighton, the bracelet…’ Lilian said through clenched teeth.
She knew that the bracelet would not open until she was a corpse.
Brighton maintained the protective barrier around them as he knelt next to his wife.
Zaconis continued to assault the barrier with everything he had, but he could not break through.
Brighton tugged on the bracelet trying to open the clasp, but to no avail. Lilian tried pulling it off her arm but her hand was just too big.
‘Lily, this is going to hurt,’ Brighton said as he took her hand in his.
‘No more than it already does,’ she croaked out.
A cry escaped Lilian as Brighton crushed her hand, breaking most of the bones. He pulled the bracelet off and shoved it in his pocket before he took Lilian’s broken hand in his and let healing energy flow into it.
‘It is fine now, thanks. Let’s get out of here,’ Lilian said after a few moments.
‘I have to take care of Zaconis first,’ Brighton replied as he got up.
‘No, Brighton. Let’s just go. There is no need to fight this man. Protect us and the elves and let’s run,’ Lilian pleaded.
The conversation with Dina replayed in Brighton’s mind. He desperately wanted to do as Lilian asked, but he knew he had to face Zaconis first.
All Brighton ever wanted was to live in peace with his wife, but he knew Zaconis was doing evil things and had to be stopped, even if it meant putting his own life in danger. He never wanted to interfere in matters that he thought did not concern him, but suddenly realized that he was the only one that could stand up against Zaconis.
This must be the difficult choice. I once took down an evil tyrant and almost turned evil myself. Perhaps Lilian will not be there to save me if this happens again. I will lose her forever he thought.
‘Brighton, I have traveled far to find you. Please, let’s go,’ Lilian pleaded as the tears rolled down her cheeks.
Brighton closed his eyes. He knew what he was supposed to do, and losing Lilian in the process cut through his heart like a white hot blade.
He opened his eyes.
‘Go to the elves. Protect them,’ Brighton said as he turned around to face Zaconis.
‘Brighton, I will not be part of this any longer!’ Lilian cried.
‘Go Lilian! Get the elves out of here!’ Brighton commanded, planting the sword in the ground.
Lilian grabbed the sword and rushed down the hill. Seeing that the enemy troops were closing in on the elves, she weaved a black energy shield around them for protection.
Only one man broke through the shield. Alexi’s sword flashed twice and two elves died.
Goralt and the rest of the elves retreated but Alexi kept coming. Three more elves died before they could get out of his reach. Although he did not wear any armor, or even a shirt, the elves’ arrows simply bounced off him like he was made from steel.
Lilian tried attacking him from behind with an energy ball but it had no effect. As she raced up to him, she landed a vicious blow to his back with the sword. He spun around but not before Lilian saw the scales under his skin. She instantly knew he was the same as the beast they fought on their way to Palentis.
Alexi swung his sword at Lilian but she anticipated the move. She ducked under the blade and raced past.
‘Arrows won’t harm him! Retreat! Run!’ Lilian shouted at the elves.
Goralt withdrew his last arrow from the quiver, thankful that it was a small headed one. He knocked it and pulled the string right up against his cheek. He watched Alexi hack away with his sword, killing three more elves with a single blow. Patiently he waited for an opening.
Alexi’s head came up, looking for more elves to slaughter.
Goralt slowly let his breath out and calmed his mind and body before letting go of the string.
The arrow flew straight and true.
Alexi’s head snapped back as the arrow slammed into his left eye and penetrated his brain.
‘Run!’ Lilian shouted again.
She and the remaining elves rushed downhill towards the forest, Lilian still keeping the protective barrier around them.
Brighton let his sense go wide. He felt every living thing around him. He became aware of every heartbeat of every soldier on the battlefield, but ignored all of them. He felt the familiar magic in his cane. A single thought from him and the cane came hurtling across the field towards its master. Brighton stuck his hand out and snatched the cane from the air. His focus shifted to the man in front of him.
Zaconis was still assaulting his energy barrier with a variety of attacks, but still could not break through.
Brighton rushed forward. Zaconis erected an energy barrier of his own but with one mighty swing, Brighton broke through the barrier. The oak crushed Zaconis’ left arm just above the elbow causing him to lose concentration and his barrier disappeared. Two more swings and both Zaconis’ knees were shattered. The old wizard crumpled to the ground.
Brighton dropped his own shield and grabbed Zaconis by the throat, yanking him up.
‘You might be a powerful wizard, but you are still only human,’ Brighton spat at the old man.
Zaconis immediately established a link to Brighton’s mind, trying to destroy his memories again. Brighton did not fight against it. Instead, he opened his mind to the old wizard, sharing his memories with him.
Zaconis, expecting Brighton to resist, was caught off guard and his mind opened up to Brighton.
Brighton read the old man’s memories, seeing every event flash before his eyes.
He learnt that Zaconis was his father and Erostagnos his uncle. He saw how Zaconis tried to find the woman he impregnated, but that the unborn baby, Brighton, hid them from the wizard’s sense.
Brighton learnt how the daraghna came into being. Zaconis loved his mother so much that he could not bear to see her die, so he kept her alive with his gift. Realizing that this could not go on forever, he experimented with his gift and accidentally created a beast that thrives on magic and human flesh. Seeing this, Zaconis’ father tried to kill the newly created daraghna, but the beast overpowered him, feeding on his magic until he was all but dead. She then gave him some of her own life and he was also turned into a daraghna. Zaconis traveled far and wide to find magically talented people to bring to his parents in an effort to keep them hidden from the world. He even started breeding magically talented people to have a constant supply of food for the daraghna. The two beasts took up residence in a large cave and soon babies were being spawned. Zaconis saw that the daraghna was growing stronger than he could ever have imagined and decided that something needed to be done. In desperation he experimented on his own children. Alexi was perilously close to turning into a beast similar to the daraghna, but without the constant hunger for magic. Knowing that one man could not defeat all the daraghna, he went in search of the son he had lost more than two hundred years ago. By chance he found his brother, Erostagnos, but he was too proud to admit what he had done and ask for his brother’s help. Instead, they got into an argument and Zaconis, in his ang
er, destroyed Erostagnos He desperately wanted to turn his remaining two sons, Fayet and Al’taish too, but a promise regarding Al’taish had already been made to another so he had to be content with only Fayet.
‘Now you see,’ Zaconis said through clenched teeth.
Brighton understood everything. He knew that the daraghna was virtually unstoppable and Zaconis was trying his best to rectify his mistake. He also knew that Zaconis had deceived the daraghna into believing he was more powerful than them, but it was not the truth and they were on the verge of realizing this.
‘Why did you not simply ask for help?’ Brighton asked.
‘I did, but you refused to join me. Would you have agreed to continue sacrificing people to the daraghna until a solution was found? Would you have willingly let me turn you into a beast?’ Zaconis replied.
Slowly Brighton shook his head.
‘Fayet is dead. Alexi is dead. The daraghna cannot be stopped,’ Zaconis sighed.
A large shadow passed over them.
‘That is my father, your grandfather, coming to take your precious wife from you. They will feed on her and turn her into one of them. You should have fled with her when you had the opportunity,’ Zaconis said.
Brighton stuck his hand out and threw a thick lightning bolt into the air. It struck the flying daraghna on its chest but had almost no effect.
I chose wrong. I should have gone with Lilian, flashed through Brighton’s thoughts, panic rising in his mind.
‘Help me,’ Brighton said as he released Zaconis and focused on the daraghna circling above them.
‘No. I am tired of searching for a solution to an impossible situation. I am going to the spirit world now. This is no longer my problem,’ Zaconis said calmly.
Brighton spun around and grabbed the old wizard by the shirt.
‘You have to help me!’ he yelled at his father, but the old man just smiled as the life drained from his eyes.
Brighton’s head snapped up again. His eyes followed the daraghna as it went into a steep dive.
The soldiers noticed the beast and scattered, screaming in fear.
‘Lilian, watch out!’ he shouted but she could not hear him above the panicked soldiers.
With the cane still in his hand, Brighton ran towards his wife, knowing that it was already too late. He watched in horror as the daraghna scooped her up in his arms, the sword torn from her grip, and took to the skies.
Brighton, a voice drifted into his mind.
‘Dina?’ Brighton said as he slowed down.
Yes, it is me.
‘Dina, please help me! That thing has taken Lilian,’ Brighton pleaded.
Dina materialized a few paces in front of him.
Brighton skidded to a halt.
‘The destruction of this world is inevitable. I have seen it in a vision. Please, come to our world before it is too late,’ Dina begged.
‘No! I have to go after Lilian,’ Brighton replied.
‘Zaconis was on the verge of finding a way to destroy his creation, but you interfered and now the daraghna will become unstoppable. This world is doomed, but perhaps you can still help the spirits,’ Dina pleaded.
‘Zaconis captured me! I never intended for any of this…’ he said but decided that arguing about who was responsible for the situation was worthless.
‘Dina, I am going after my wife and there is nothing you can say that will make me change this decision,’ he said defiantly.
He moved around Dina but another, very familiar voice rang in his ears.
Pappa, we need you. Please listen to Dina.
Brighton stopped again. He had not heard his daughter’s voice in many years.
He finally understood the difficult choice Dina spoke about earlier.
Although he was desperate to go after Lilian, he could not ignore Clarissa’s plea. Never in his life had he felt this torn between two people he loved more than life itself.
‘Please, dear angels, let Lily survive,’ he whispered.
Turning back to face Dina, he said, ‘Tell me what you saw.’
‘Normally when I have visions of the future, there are a few possible results depending on the actions of certain people. The last vision I had was simply one of this world being destroyed,’ Dina said.
‘Then what is the point of even talking to you?’ Brighton frowned.
‘There might be a chance to save the spirit world if you and Zaconis can find another source of energy for us,’ Dina explained.
‘How do we do that?’ Brighton asked impatiently.
‘I don’t know. All I can think of is for you to come to our world and speak to your father. Perhaps the two of you can find a solution,’ Dina replied.
‘Why don’t I simply go after the beasts now and destroy them? I am powerful enough,’ Brighton said, a determined look crossing his face.
‘It is that kind of arrogance that got you killed once,’ Dina retorted.
Brighton opened his mouth, but the events of more than two hundred years ago flooded into his mind. He remembered when he thought he was unstoppable and Lilian ended his life to prevent him from becoming an evil dictator.
Slowly he closed his eyes, casting his sense out one last time before he left this world forever.
A sad smile crossed his lips as he felt Mischief’s familiar energy under the flying daraghna, moving almost as fast as the beast.
Al’taish knocked on the door impatiently.
An old woman opened and said, ‘Good day to you.’
‘We need some shelter, please,’ the young man said.
‘How rude. Perhaps you should greet before making demands,’ the old woman smiled.
‘I’m sorry. We are being followed by soldiers intent on harming us and need a place to hide. Please help us,’ Al’taish pleaded.
‘Come in, quickly,’ the old woman said, her smile disappearing.
She led them into the kitchen where an old man was sitting on a chair.
‘We need to hide these young people,’ the old woman said.
The man immediately got up and shifted the table out of the way. He lifted a small trap door in the floor and said, ‘Quickly, get in there.’
Al’taish went down the ladder first and then helped Angelina down. The trap door closed leaving them in total darkness.
‘I’m scared,’ Angelina whispered.
‘So am I,’ Al’taish admitted.
He stuck his hand out and concentrated. A small energy ball jumped up from his palm and floated just above his hand, providing some light. Al’taish noticed a candle standing on a table. He used the tiny energy ball to light the candle.
They were in a smallish room furnished with a single bed, a table and a chair.
Angelina watched Al’taish, wringing her hands together. It made her very nervous that she was unable to read his emotions.
‘Don’t be afraid, please,’ Al’taish said upon seeing Angelina’s nervousness.
‘I’m not,’ she lied.
Al’taish saw the lie but decided not to press the issue. He gestured towards the bed and said, ‘Why don’t you lie down for a while and regain some strength.’
Slowly Angelina sat down on the bed, then swung her legs up and lay down. She put her head down but kept her eyes open a sliver, watching Al’taish.
He sat down on the chair and waited.
After some time, he heard someone knocking on the door. He quickly gestured to Angelina to remain quiet, but she was fast asleep.
Al’taish listened as the old woman spoke to the soldiers, telling them that there was no one in the house but her and her husband. He heard the soldiers walk through the small house and then one of them said, ‘It looks like she is speaking the truth. Let’s go.’
Al’taish breathed a sigh of relief.
After a few more moments the trapdoor opened.
Al’taish quickly put his finger to his lips, gesturing towards a sleeping Angelina. The old woman smiled and nodded. She passed down a plate of food and
two mugs of water.
‘Rest here for a while longer. The soldiers might come back,’ she whispered before closing the trapdoor again.
The woman walked to where the old man was sitting.
‘Our work here is done, Thomas,’ she said.
‘Yes, it would seem so, Carmen. Let’s go back to where we belong,’ Thomas smiled.
Slowly they faded away.
Chapter 23
Brighton was floating in mid air, nothing but white light around him.
He struggled to see exactly what was going on through the blinding light, so he closed his eyes and concentrated.
When he opened them again, he was standing in the clearing near Clareton where he always brought the goats. A slight breeze pushed from the mountain, carrying the smell of fresh snow with it.
Slowly he looked around him, drinking in for a moment the beauty of it all.
Zaconis was standing some distance away, arguing with Dina.
As he jogged closer, he heard his father say, ‘It is his fault. He and that witch of his should have let me finish my work, but instead…’
‘Please calm down. Talk to your son. If you combine your magic, perhaps there is a chance for us,’ Dina pleaded.
‘Why should I help him?’ Zaconis spat.
‘If you don’t, we all die,’ Brighton said flatly.
‘Do you believe what this woman is saying?’ Zaconis growled.
‘Yes, I do. We have to put our differences aside and work together,’ Brighton replied.
Zaconis folded his arms across his chest, glaring at his son.
‘Dina, please tell us in detail what you see in your vision,’ Brighton requested.
Dina closed her eyes and said, ‘I have never had a vision as clear and detailed as this one. In the coming days, the daraghna ravishes the world, first destroying all the magically talented people and then the general population. Eventually, when there are no more people, they start feeding on animals. It takes a bit more than a year, but eventually there is nothing more for them to feed upon and they turn on each other. Zaconis, when only your parents are left, your mother will realize she can feel a unique link to you since she gave birth to you and, in a way, you are her creator. She kills your father and, desperate for more energy, she finds a way of entering the spirit world. Her hunger reaches the point where, no matter how much energy she consumes, it is never enough. She destroys us all.’
