“We shall burn her body in sacrifice to our Dark Lord,” the hooded Shebath worshiper said with a laugh.
“If I wanted you to speak I’d have commanded it!” Anne spat, unleashing her anger on him. She turned to the se’irim. “Toss him over!” she commanded.
“Your Majesty!” the Shebath worshiper screamed as the se’irim grabbed him and threw him over the edge of the cliff screaming all the way to the ground.
“Finally,” she said. “Oh, how he grated on my nerves.” The se’irim laughed.
Chapter 17
Aura shivered as a chill ran through her body. She glanced up realizing that the sun had completely set. She had once again been working with the nephilim at Metatron’s request. She turned to the Keeper.
“I should be going back to Auraehalis,” she said. Metatron nodded and then turned to the nephilim.
“That is enough for today,” he said in a booming voice. It had indeed become later than he had planned on training, the dracen had already returned with Chaundra from their own training exercises and were napping and resting for a late night hunt.
Ashleen sat down upon the stones and polished her sword. She heard her name and glanced up to see her uncle, Caius. Smiling she leapt to her feet and rushed to him.
“Uncle,” Ashleen said with a warm smile.
“Good evening, Ashleen,” Caius said. He reached into the folds of his robe and produced a small piece of paper, folded and sealed. “I have brought you a letter from home.”
Ashleen accepted it gratefully, seeing her name inscribed in her mother’s hand on the front. She flipped it over to break the wax seal, but when she saw the seal of Caerwynspire her eyes rolled back into her head and she had a vision. Her body fell limp and Caius barely caught her before she landed hard on the gray stones.
In her vision, Ashleen saw the fall of Caerwynspire to a bloodthirsty drak army. She saw the kingdom’s betrayal at the hands of Lord Tarlton and she saw Tarlton murder her father.
“No!” Ashleen shouted as she came out of her vision. Everyone surrounded her.
“What is it?” Metatron asked. “What did you see?”
With Caius’ assistance Ashleen regained her feet. “Caerwynspire was conquered!” she said. Her eyes left those of Metatron and found her dracen Faith who was already nearby, waiting for the command she knew was coming. Ashleen pushed past the others and found her Sword of Light. She strapped it to her waist and leapt atop Faith.
“Where are you going?” Metatron asked.
“Where do you think?” Ashleen shot back.
“But you are not ready! More importantly, Faith is not ready.”
“I am ready!” Ashleen heard her dracen answer back.
“They will kill my father!” Ashleen said and with that Faith galloped up the ramp to the roof of the Keep and leapt over the edge. The others sprinted up the ramp after her, watching as Ashleen and Faith flew away.
Aura turned to Terrwyn. “I must warn your brother!” she said.
“My brother?” Terrwyn asked.
“Yes, Taite and the other girls are at the White Fortress!” With that, Aura disappeared in a flash.
“Taite?” Terrwyn cried. Not again! She turned to Metatron but found him already atop Chaundra.
“I will go after Ashleen! The rest of you remain here. You and your dracen are not yet ready for battle!” Before anyone could argue, Chaundra flapped her giant wings and soared into the air away from the Keep. The nephilim watched Metatron and Chaundra fly out of sight. Terrwyn turned to find her own dracen.
“Avon!” she cried and heard the red dragon galloping toward her.
“What are you doing?” Dillan asked.
Terrwyn turned to him. “I have to rescue Taite! I’m going to the White Fortress!”
Dillan shook his head. “Not without me you’re not!”
“I will go as well!” Willem shouted.
“And I!” Eamon joined.
“Wait!” Caius shouted and all eyes turned to him. “I need a ride!” The others smiled at him.
“Come with me cousin!” Eamon said as he climbed onto the back of his dracen, Jade. One after the other the dracen rushed for the edge of the Keep and leapt over flying north to Caerwynspire with Terrwyn in the lead.
Chapter 18
The drakmere scaled the highly polished walls of the White Fortress, ascending toward the soldiers waiting above. Unlike the assaults on previous cities, however, they were making little headway. The immense height of the walls and the number of highly trained citizens raining arrows and hot oil down upon them made the attack precarious. The walls were also too high to launch draks over via catapult as had been accomplished in Avonvale.
The Caerwyn people had trained for generations to repel an invasion by Shebath’s armies marching straight out of Abaddock. When compared to fighting shedom and se’irim, drakmere seemed quite pedestrian, mindless beasts climbing the walls to their deaths.
Artur leaned against the battlements, surrounded by Paladin and staring down at the drakmere struggling to assault his fortress. He could not help but chuckle. “Is this their best strategy?” he asked amused. “Is this the army we have so feared?”
“The battle is far from over, Commander,” the King heard Gelispee remind him.
“Of course you are correct,” Artur replied. “However, we have arrows enough to fight a hundred battles. More than enough for every drak in this army. As their forces are depleted they will scatter. Then we will go down and mop them up.”
Gelispee stared out at the horde of drakmere. Was the King correct? Would it be so simple? Was this all of them?
***
Lord Tarlton strode through the tunnels beneath the city of Caerwynspire accompanied by a hundred of his men, all wearing black armor to signify their allegiance to Shebath. There was no need to hide their loyalties any longer. The battle had come to the gates of the White Fortress and it was time for Tarlton’s true allegiance to be revealed.
Tarlton leapt, startled, as a shape stepped from the shadows. He relaxed when he realized it was Ariana. “What are you doing here?” he demanded.
“I am ensuring that you do not have second thoughts,” Ariana replied.
Tarlton sneered at her, annoyed that a woman would dare question him. “You are an arrogant whore,” he spat. He then reached out and snatched Ariana behind the head and pulled her close. “By the time the sun rises on these walls I shall be seated upon the throne. You will be on your knees…” he turned to his men with a laugh “…with your head between my legs.” He and his men chuckled. His humor ceased, however, when he felt a blade against his crotch.
“At sunrise, Her Imperial Majesty shall be seated upon the throne. You shall either be on the ground bowing at her feet or lying dead in a pool of your own blood. Which shall it be Tarlton?”
He glanced quickly down at the knife she held and then released her. She slid her knife back into the sheath on her belt. Tarlton straightened. “I am not afraid of Anne Valestead,” he said in an attempt to save face in front of his men.
Ariana laughed. “You should be. Empress Andalynn is Our Dark Lord’s Queen, ruling in His name. And when she cut the head off of that small pricked, self-proclaimed Wizard, she moved as fast as any shedom.”
Tarlton swallowed hard. “We are doing our part,” he said, his tone changed. “We are here to allow her army inside the gates, aren’t we?”
“Then what are you waiting for?” Ariana asked with raised eyebrows.
Tarlton turned from her with a gruff and continued on his way. Ariana accompanied him. They made their way through the tunnels until they came to the drain pipes where all of the city’s storm water would flow down to the mountains. Heavy metal grates covered the drains and several guards had been positioned there.
“Lord Tarlton,” one of the guards, clearly the Lance Corporal in command, said. “What are you doing here?”
“I’ve brought men to relieve you,” Tarlton lied. “You are to join the King in the battl
e above.”
The Lance Corporal’s hand went to the hilt of his short sword and he drew it quickly. “Then why do you and your men wear black?” The other guards drew their swords as well. The two sides clashed. The fight was fierce, but short. The guards were simply too outnumbered.
When the fight was over, Tarlton wiped the blood from his sword on the cloak of one of the fallen guards. He turned to his men. “Open the grates!”
Men with large axes quickly moved forward and began to pound at the large iron locks securing the grates. After several chops the locks broke and the men swung the heavy grates open. Tarlton leaned over the huge hole in the floor.
“Hello!” he shouted. Suddenly his black cape fluttered in a sharp wind and he turned to see Rayfen standing behind him.
“Well done, Lord Tarlton,” Rayfen said in a raspy voice from behind his skull shaped helmet.
“Thank you, General,” Tarlton said with a nervous bow. “It is my pleasure to serve our Dark Lord.”
Rayfen turned to Ariana. “Her Majesty will be pleased to see that you are alive and well,” he said.
Ariana curtsied. “I am honored Her Majesty would even think of me.”
Rayfen then turned and shouted something none of them understood and soon the sounds of scratching metal could be heard emanating from the pipes. Ariana smiled at Tarlton’s discomfort when the first drak heads appeared.
Rayfen turned to Tarlton. “Take us to the King!” he hissed.
Chapter 19
Erec sat up in bed as he heard a gentle rapping against the door to his room. He still slept in his old room, unable to will himself to move into the King’s bedchambers—his father’s bedchambers. Erec threw off the blankets and pulled on a pair of pants that lay at the foot of his bed. He left the shirt off as he hurried to determine the emergency that necessitated his being awakened in the middle of the night.
Erec crossed the room and opened the door expecting to see Lord Galt or one of his manservants. He was quite surprised to find Sephene standing in his doorway. She smiled gently and his surprise gave way to attraction at seeing her clad only in a light gown with her arms bare.
“Sephene, what is wrong?” he asked, certain that her visit could only be due to some terrible trouble.
Sephene shook her head and he saw a redness rise in her cheeks. “Nothing is wrong…I…” but she didn’t finish. Her eyes drew to his bare chest briefly before returning to his face. “May I come in?” she asked.
Erec nodded. “Of course,” he replied as he stepped aside to allow Sephene to enter. Sephene gently crossed the threshold into Erec’s room walking past him before turning to face him. Erec left the door opened, uncomfortable about being enclosed in the room with Sephene. “What is it?” he asked.
“I’ve been lying in bed for hours, staring at the ceiling thinking. I finally got up the courage to speak to you and came down here, but it was not until I knocked on your door that I realized how late it had become.” She glanced at his unmade bed. “I am sorry I woke you.”
“Do not be,” Erec said with a smile. “Sleep can wait. Now what did you need to say that necessitated such courage?”
Sephene drew in a deep breath. She had rehearsed this over and over in her mind, but now that she stood before him, it was very difficult. Finally, after a lengthy pause, she willed herself to just come out with it. “I would make a good wife,” she said, taking Erec aback and causing his eyes to widen in surprise. She looked away, now embarrassed that she had said it.
Erec cleared his throat. “I know that you would Sephene,” he said softly.
This statement, no matter how innocent, gave her the courage to press on. She rushed forward to Erec, emboldened now. “I love you, Erec,” she blurted out as she stepped close to him and gently brushed his chest with the tip of her fingers.
“Sephene, I…” Erec began, but she cut him off.
“I know you don’t love me,” Sephene said as she looked down at the floor. “I know you love the seraph.” Erec’s eyes turned away at the mention of Aura. “But you know that you cannot marry her.”
“Yes,” Erec said as he stepped over to a chair and sat down. “I do know this.”
Sephene flew to him kneeling in front of him and leaning against his legs. “I would be a good wife to you Erec. I would be a good mother to your children. I love your sisters dearly.” She swallowed before continuing. “And I could please you. I know that I could.” That statement caused Erec’s face to redden. “I know I am not as beautiful as she…” Sephene began but let her words trail off.
Erec looked down at the woman kneeling before him, staring up at him adoringly, much like Ella used to do. It was true that she was not a beautiful as Aura. In fact, the rising sun would be envious of Aura’s beauty, but Sephene was quite attractive. “I do have feelings for Aura, it is true,” he began. “And I…I mean we, Aura and I…” he started to tell her something else but stopped and looked away, embarrassed.
Sephene’s eyes widened with sudden realization. “You’ve been with her,” she said. It was not a question. She felt a flash of jealous anger, though she had no right to be angry. She quickly calmed herself and turned her eyes upward. “It is alright, Erec. I would not have expected to be your first, though you would certainly be mine.” She took his hands in hers and gently kissed his fingers. “You could teach me,” she whispered as she rose to her feet.
She pulled him up from his seat and pressed her body close. Erec placed his hands on her hips as he leaned forward, kissing her gently on the lips. He moved his left hand up to the back of her head as he pulled her toward him. She released a moan as he kissed her deeply. Both of them forgot that the door was still open until a light tapping called their attention to it.
Erec turned toward the door as Sephene leapt away from him. Standing there, clearly embarrassed and uncomfortably staring at the floor, was Lord Galt.
Erec cleared his throat before speaking. “Yes, Lord Galt?”
“I am very sorry to disturb you, Your Majesty, but General Aura is here,” he said causing Erec and Sephene to glance quickly at one another. “She is anxious to speak to you. She insists that it is a matter of great urgency.”
Erec nodded. “Thank you, Lord Galt, kindly inform the General that I shall be there directly.” He turned to see Sephene and corrected himself. “That we shall be there directly.” Sephene smiled at him.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Galt said with a bow before spinning on his heel and walking away.
***
Aura stood still and stoic as she awaited Erec. She was dressed as usual in a short, white, sleeveless dress which fell to about mid-thigh. Over the dress, she wore a silver breast plate that shimmered brightly in the candlelight. Golden sandals adorned her feet with straps that circled in criss-cross patterns up her calves until secured just below the knee. Silver bracelets protected her wrists and a silver headband encircled her golden hair which was woven into a braid down the back of her neck.
“His Majesty will be just a moment more,” Galt said, clearly nervous about keeping the seraph waiting.
Aura gave him a slight smile. “Thank you,” she said. Soon she heard footsteps and brightened when she saw Erec enter the room. Behind him was his cousin, the Lady Sephene.
“General, I am told that you are here regarding a matter of some urgency,” Erec said.
Aura was taken aback by his formality. The last time she had seen him things had not been formal at all. She noticed Sephene staring at her, fighting to keep anger and annoyance from her eyes. Then she realized what was happening. Erec and Sephene. She had to admit it made sense. Besides, there was no time for the weakness of human emotions now. They had much more important matters to attend to.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Aura said equally as formally, but the urgency was still apparent in her voice. “I have learned that your cousin, Anne, has marched her army of drakmere to Caerwynspire.” Erec’s eyes went wide.
“Merdith and Taite…” Sephene e
xclaimed, worried for the safety of her sister and cousin.
“And Tallah,” Aura reminded her.
“Fetch my armor and sword!” Erec shouted to the servants.
“You must protect them, General!” Sephene said and Aura saw tears in her eyes as her demeanor changed from insolent toward Aura, to pleading.
“I intend to,” Aura replied, then her eyes leapt to Erec’s. “That is the only reason I am here.”
Chapter 20
Where did these draks come from!
Not long before, King Artur had been boasting that the battle was going well and that they would crush this would-be empress and her murderous army of drakmere. Now, somehow the city was crawling with draks. Where had they come from? His soldiers fought them in the streets, many forced to abandoned their positions along the wall to do so. This made it easier for those draks assaulting the wall.
“Has the wall been breached?” the King asked, a panicked tone ringing in his voice as he attempted to determine where the assaulting draks were coming from.
“It appears so, Commander,” Gelispee replied.
At Auberon’s command, highly trained archers on the castle walls and towers began to loose arrows at the draks in the streets. It was dangerous, however, because of the large number of Caerwyn soldiers also in the streets. Thus, the archers were unable to loose arrows in the volume needed to turn back the tide of drakmere.
“Gather the forces awaiting inside the castle!” Artur shouted. “We shall meet the beasts in the streets and drive them back over the wall!”
“Commander, is it wise for you to abandon the safety of the castle?” Gelispee asked. “The Paladin can lead the charge!”
“I am a Paladin, am I not?” Artur asked as his eyes showed the insult he felt. Gelispee simply nodded. Artur turned to Auberon. “You will remain here to coordinate the battle.”
“Yes, Commander,” Auberon replied obediently, but the tenor of his voice betrayed his disappointment. He was a warrior and wanted to spill drak blood with his blade. Leaving a handful of Paladin with Auberon, the King and the remainder of his knights abandoned the wall to organize the forces staged inside for a charge.
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