The Rise of the Dawnstar

by Farah Oomerbhoy

  “We have to give the book to him, or he will destroy us,” said Andromeda, her eyes frantic, looking at the elders.

  But the council stepped away from her.

  “We have to,” Andromeda pleaded. “Or she will never leave Elfi in peace.”

  Dark magic crashed into my shield again, and I shuddered with the power it took to hold it. The Drakaar had combined their force and were pounding at it, and it wouldn’t be long before one of them broke through.

  I closed my eyes and tried to summon the dragon. I used every word combination I could think of, but he did not come.

  I gritted my teeth and thrust more power into the shield I was holding. I could not let it fall, not yet. I could hear Lucian and the Drakaar shouting on the other side, trying to break through. Gorgoths flew at the wall of magic, scratching and tearing at it, ready to pounce on the fae when it finally fell.

  And it would fall. I could not hold it for much longer against so much dark magic. It was weakening me, and I needed all my power.

  Without warning the pressure on my magic subsided. I glanced over to Rhiannon. She had stepped forward, her arms outstretched. Magic was swirling around her, and I realized the Dowager Duchess of the Night Court was adding her magic to the wall, helping me, giving me a chance to breathe and leaving my powers free to do what had to be done.

  “The book must be destroyed, Andromeda,” said Rhiannon, moving to stand beside me, trying to reason with the grand duchess. “Now hand it over.”

  Andromeda laughed a feral sound. “There is nothing in this world that can destroy the Book of Abraxas. Except Abraxas himself.”

  “Exactly,” I said to Andromeda. The ring glowed as I spoke. “That is why it is time to call him back.”

  “No!” Andromeda shook her head and clutched the book to her chest. “No one has the power to summon the great dragon.”

  “The Dawnstar does,” I explained as my magic gathered inside me.

  Andromeda’s eyes went wide as terror crept into them. “You have the Dawnstar?” she asked, slowly enunciating every word.

  A hush went over the rest of the council as they waited for my answer.

  “I don’t have the Dawnstar, Andromeda,” I said, in a loud, clear voice that could be heard by all the elders and the fae warriors that stood on this side of the wall. “I am the Dawnstar!”

  “No!” Andromeda whispered. “That’s impossible.”

  My eyes flashed. “Nothing is impossible,” I asserted, as I plunged down deep into the well of unfettered power that lay within me. In my mind stood a great golden door, behind it the magic of the Dawnstar. I knew it was there, waiting to be freed, waiting to rise up and save the world. Gathering my will, I pushed at the door, and it shattered into a thousand pieces. A glow of pure light washed over me as the full force of Illaria Lightbringer’s magic awoke.

  Illaria’s ring glowed on my finger as I pointed it upward, and I knew exactly what I had to do.

  I reached for Abraxas with all the magic I had within me. In a loud, clear voice that echoed across the plains, I cried out to the skies. “Hear me, Abraxas, immortal dragon of Avalonia. Rise and fight! Break the chains that keep you from this world. Join me in this battle for Illaria’s kingdom. The Dawnstar summons you!”

  The wall of magic surrounding us fell as the Drakaar triumphantly broke through.

  A great roar sounded across the lands and the mountains shook with the force of it. A massive shadow descended on to the plain, and the army of Drakaar looked up and screamed as the most magnificent dragon, with a wingspan of two football fields, cast his colossal shadow over Lucian’s whole army.

  “Dragon!” shouted the Drakaar, and all hell broke loose on the battlefield.

  The archmage was standing there with his mouth hanging open, staring at the mighty dragon. The Drakaar summoned more Shadow demons and the gorgoths flew out of the sky, hundreds of them descending on Abraxas. The great dragon gave another mighty roar and dragonfire burned them in mid-flight, but more of them swarmed around him like locusts. He had his work cut out for him, I thought, but I was sure he could handle it.

  I looked around and spotted Andromeda, who had started running toward Lucian as soon as the wall fell.

  “Tristan, she has the book,” I shouted as I drew my sword and ran after her. I had to get it back.

  Erik still defended his queen, but with a great shout he called to his men. “Elite! Defend the Dawnstar!”

  With a mighty war cry all the fire-fae warriors rushed into battle after me.

  Shadow demons sprang up around us, blocking the path to Andromeda and Lucian. My sword blazed with silver-fire as I slashed and cut through the melee of Drakaar and their henchmen, but more swarmed. Abraxas was busy fighting the gorgoths and burning Shadow demons to a crisp.

  I had to get closer, I had to get the book.

  My other hand lit up with a ball of silver-fire. I mixed it with mage magic and shot it at the Shadow demons; they screamed and vanished into smoke. But the Drakaar were harder to kill; a sword of silver-fire to the neck was the only way. I twirled around, slicing through a Drakaar’s neck as a black sword came swinging toward me. But Tristan was beside me in an instant, and the Drakaar’s sword clattered to the ground as his head rolled away from his body.

  I nodded at Tristan in thanks, but he was already engaged in battle with two more Drakaar. How many of them were there?

  I rushed forward. If Andromeda got away, we were done.

  I pushed myself faster and practically flew through the raging battle, swerving and slashing as I tried to get closer. I nearly caught up to her when a dozen Shadow demons appeared out of nowhere, blocking my path. Dark magic clawed at my shield as the Drakaar who controlled them converged on me, combining their magic as it crashed into me, pushing me to my knees.

  I could hear Tristan shout my name as he fought, but there were too many of them and he could not get to me.

  I tried to shield myself, but the crushing weight of the Drakaar’s combined magic was immense, shrouding my power in a veil of hopelessness. I screamed in agony as my shield shattered and the Drakaar’s sorcery started to suck my power out of me.

  Flashes of a palace burning and my mother screaming slammed into me as the Drakaar fed me memories of my parents’ deaths. They were feeding on my fear and despair and it made them stronger. Their voices rang in my head as they poured their thoughts into my mind.

  “We were there, fae-mage,” hissed one Drakaar.

  “We killed your father,” said another.

  “And we will enjoy killing you too,” chimed the third Drakaar, stepping forward, his sword of blackened iron gleaming in his hands. “The time has come for you to die, Princess Aurora.”

  I tried to push myself up but there was no strength left, no more magic. I would die here today.

  “Help me,” I whispered in my mind, and I hoped he heard me. “Abraxas, my magic is not enough.”

  “Get up,” ordered the voice of the great dragon. “Faith is the greatest magic of all. It can lift the world out of the darkness and bring it into the light. Be the Star of the Morning, the light that fills the world with magic. Be the Lightbringer, the Breaker of Shadows. Believe in yourself, Aurora Firedrake; believe in the Dawnstar. For if you have faith, anything is possible.”

  My mother’s face flashed before my eyes, giving her life so I could be safe; so I could save her and all of Avalonia. I closed my eyes and plunged down into the depths of my magic, and a wall of darkness rose up to greet me. I pushed at it with all the faith I could muster. I could do this. My kingdom was waiting for me, my people expected me to come home and save them. My mother believed in me and so did Illaria; I was her weapon, I was the Dawnstar. I had to survive; I couldn’t give up, not now, not ever.

  With the last bit of power I had left, I punched at the darkness with my magic and a small spark ignited within. All my fears and doubt fell away, replaced by an overwhelming feeling of hope and courage; of faith in who I was. />
  I started to glow brighter than ever before, pushing myself off the ground slowly, as the Dawnstar arose in a fury of unfettered power; my hands flashed with the magic of the ancients.

  The Drakaar froze. “You should be dead,” said their leader, his black eyes wide. “No fae could survive that.”

  “That’s because I’m not just any fae,” I responded as I stood up. “I am a dragonlord of the ancient house of Eos-Eirendil. I am Aurora Shadowbreaker, I am the Dawnstar; and you, Drakaar,” I growled, “are in my way.”

  I unleashed my magic in a blinding ripple of power that blazed out of my hands. The Shadow demons shrieked in fury and dissipated immediately as the wall of white light reached out to engulf everything in its path. The Drakaar sorcerers surrounding me screamed in fear and tried to get away, but the light pierced through their bodies and swallowed them up as the magic of the Dawnstar cleaved through the darkness and obliterated them forever.

  I scanned the battlefield—Andromeda had nearly reached Lucian. The archmage strode forward, his hand outstretched. “Give it to me.”

  I ran toward her. The book!

  Andromeda stopped. She clutched the book to her chest.

  “What are you doing?” screamed Lucian, his eyes swirling with dark magic. He flung power at Andromeda, but her shield deflected it.

  “I don’t trust you, Archmage,” said Andromeda. A portal beside her opened, and Skye stepped through.

  The archmage faltered. “Give. Me. The Book,” he shouted, gathering more magic.

  “I will give Morgana the book myself,” offered Andromeda, flashing me a dark grin and turning toward the portal.

  “No!” I screamed, flinging magic at her.

  Andromeda took Skye’s hand and stepped into the portal just as my magic struck. The portal shut behind them.

  The Book of Abraxas was gone.

  27

  The Rise of the Dawnstar

  I stood in the midst of the still-raging battle, numb. I had failed.

  “This is all your fault,” screamed the archmage as he stretched out his hand and blasted me with dark magic.

  I vaguely felt his power hit me but I didn’t flinch as I turned my gaze on him. Lucian’s magic could not penetrate my shield. It had become so strong nothing could get through.

  From the corner of my eye I saw Tristan charging at the archmage, his gleaming sword raised. Before I could do anything, he swung his sword and brought it down on Lucian’s neck, severing his head from his body. It rolled toward me with a thump as the lifeless body of the Archmage of Avalonia fell to the ground.

  The remaining Drakaar, realizing their commander had fallen, started to retreat. The field was streaked with blood and black ash, and the terrified screams of death resounded in the air as the fire-fae warriors and Abraxas drove the rest of the Drakaar and their demons back through the pass.

  I looked down at Lucian’s headless body and felt sick. Momentarily frozen with the sight of it, I fell to my knees. Lucian was dead, the battle was over, and Elfi was safe.

  But we hadn’t won yet, not by a long shot. Andromeda had the Book of Abraxas, and it was only a matter of time before she gave it to Morgana. I had failed to protect the book and the world would have to pay. I tried my best, but it wasn’t good enough.

  Rhiannon and the elders came forward to reinforce the wards around the kingdom until my grandmother had recovered fully. The rest of the army was assisting the elite warriors in hunting down any stragglers left this side of the mountains.

  There was a beating of massive wings as Abraxas flew out of the sky and landed beside me.

  “Thank you, Aurora Shadowbreaker.” The great dragon bowed his head to me. “I will not forget what you have done for me, and for this world.”

  A gasp went up from the Elder Council. For a dragon to bow to a dragonlord was unheard of.

  The rest of the warriors had started milling around, trying to get a closer look at the legendary Elder Dragon.

  “Do not despair,” said Abraxas, still talking to me in my head. “What you have achieved here today was an impossible feat. No dragonlord in five thousand years has been able to break the chains on my prison. We may have lost the book, but Elfi is still standing, and Silverthorne still has his key, so we do have hope. You are no longer alone in this. I am here now. I will guide you in the battles to come. If you need me, all you have to do is call.”

  “Wait! You’re leaving? I thought you were going to stay with me,” I pleaded in my mind.

  “I’m a dragon, Aurora, not a pet,” said Abraxas in his deep voice, which reverberated in my head as the others looked on silently. They were probably wondering what we were talking about. “You have the ring. Use it. You can speak to me whenever you wish. I will hear you wherever you may be.”

  “But what about the book? We still have to destroy it and free my mother from the dagger.”

  “And we will,” answered Abraxas, his purple scales glistening like amethysts in the sunlight. “This is not the end, heir of Illaria Lightbringer. The battle may be over, but the war for Avalonia’s freedom has only just begun.”

  The great dragon roared, a sound that touched the furthest reaches of the fae kingdom. He spread his massive wings, casting an enormous shadow over the fae army, and pounced into the brightening sky.

  I turned to my grandmother and the Elder Council. They were all lined up and looking at me with awe and a newfound respect on their immortal faces.

  My grandmother stepped forward to stand beside me and addressed the fae. “People of Elfi,” she began in a clear voice, the voice of an immortal queen. “For five thousand years we have waited for the heir of Illaria Lightbringer to return and lead us out of the darkness that has descended on our world. Now we are finally on the cusp of a new age, an age where darkness has no place. The war has only begun, and I choose to align myself with Aurora Shadowbreaker, Bringer of Light, true queen of the kingdom of Illiador and the Heir of Elfi.” She paused, folding her hands together. “Prepare yourselves for the battles to come, for there is hope for this world yet. The Age of the Dawnstar has begun.”

  There were cheers and delighted cries from the crowd as the word spread through the army. And then the most unexpected thing happened.

  My grandmother, the dowager, and the whole Elder Council, including Tristan’s father, bowed their heads to me. Behind them, the Elite led by Erik bent their knees, and the rest of the army of fae warriors did too.

  I was overwhelmed, but I held back my tears. I couldn’t cry in front of practically the whole fae kingdom. They would think the Dawnstar was a blubbering idiot. So I steeled my face and hoped they noticed how truly humbled I was by their acceptance and respect.

  Tristan accompanied me as we rode back to the Crystal Castle in a convoy flanked by Erik and the Elite as Snow flew on overhead. We had just received news. Penelope had managed to stop Skye from getting her troops into the castle. But I knew Skye had escaped. Now Andromeda and Skye had the book and Morgana was in an much stronger position than before.

  The first thing I needed to do was to get my granduncle out of the dungeons and away from the Blackwaters. His key was all that stood in the way of Morgana opening the book and releasing Dragath on the world. Once we had the key, we would search for the book and destroy it.

  The road to my mother and my throne still seemed endless, but at least I had hope.

  When we got back to the castle, I went to meet Penelope. She was lying on her bed, her face pale, her blue eyes dim as if the life had been sucked out of them.

  “What can I do?” I asked, horrified as I ran to her bedside and knelt down beside her.

  She could barely speak, and shook her head slightly. “You cannot heal me, Aurora. I am weak because most of my magic is gone.”

  “But you will recover?”

  A faint smile. “I hope so,” she replied. “But it may take a while to regain my powers.”

  “What happened?”

  “While I was busy clos
ing the portal, Skye attacked me,” Penelope wheezed. “Tristan had sent reinforcements and I let them into the palace as soon as the wards were down. Night Court warriors drove Andromeda’s soldiers back through the portal and secured the city in Izadora’s name.” Penelope turned her head to the side, away from me. “I should have been able to stop her.”

  I put my hand over hers. “It’s okay, Penelope, you did more than enough. If it was anyone’s fault it was mine. I should have been here.”

  Penelope held my hand in hers and squeezed it gently. “You have to stop blaming yourself, Aurora. Not everything that happens is your fault. You cannot be in two places at once. You did your best, and that is all any of us can ever hope to do.”

  The door opened and Kildaren walked in, but this time he left his guards waiting outside.

  I stood up. “What do you want?”

  “I came to apologize,” Kildaren answered, to my surprise.

  His sapphire eyes looked troubled.

  “For what, exactly? For trying to get rid of me, for putting Penelope in the dungeons, or for colluding with Andromeda to kill my grandmother?”

  Kildaren shook his head. “I didn’t know Andromeda was the one who planned to have Izadora killed. I only agreed to go along with her to get rid of you, but I made a mistake.”

  He came closer and, to my surprise, knelt down next to the bed and took Penelope’s hand in his. “I should never have mistrusted you, Penelope, and for that I am truly sorry. When I didn’t hear from you for so many years, I thought you had forgotten me. I was so angry I wanted to believe you were a traitor, although I knew you could never be one.”

  “I could never forget you, Kildaren,” said Penelope softly. “I had to leave, and I could not tell you where I was going for a reason.”

  This was awkward. “Um, I’ll leave now,” I murmured and started backing away toward the door. There was obviously some unfinished business there, and it wasn’t my place to interfere. I shut the door softly behind me. I would have a chance to speak to Penelope later and ask her about it.