“How could your brother have possibly crossed into Shardizar unnoticed? The border guards would have seen something and sounded the alarm. Crossing into our Kingdom with an army is an act of war.”
“Not if they are coming to aid you against a most formidable foe. I’m certain the King’s seers have already told him that we need Avonry. They are quite adept at their chosen vocations.”
“None of this makes sense. Why is Ulwyn playing with forces beyond his ken? What drives men toward the brink of such madness?” she asked desperately.
“I’d say it’s because he’s evil to the core. There is no reasoning when it comes to that form of darkness, Neri,” Ryn said. “Well, if you’re going to embark on this insane journey, I’m going with you. I’ll be with you to the end and maybe in this form, I’ll actually be able to do some good.”
She hadn’t expected his support and hearing him give it to her made her heart melt. Damn him and those gorgeous violet eyes of his. She inhaled deeply and gave Nell a soft smile. “Farewell, Nell. Your loyalty and bravery means a great deal to all of us.” She embraced the woman quickly and then looked down to the valley where Glynneath Village was nestled. “Stay strong. I won’t let Ulwyn destroy what I’ve come to cherish so deeply.”
Nell smiled at her, wiped a tear off her cheek and then resolutely turned away from them and started her walk back to the village.
“Come on you lot. Let’s go and show that bastard Ulwyn that he can’t think to take Shardizar without one hell of a fight on his hands.”
*****
Lucan stared at the greedy maniacal gleam in Ulwyn’s eyes. He had just about broken through his bonds and would be able to fight his way to the portal shortly. He couldn’t let this madness continue. If he had to give his life up by draining all of the magic within him to shut the portal then so be it. He would not allow Ulwyn to emerge victorious. He’d seen many bad man get their own way in his lifetime and this time around he wasn’t going to let another bastard win.
Light flashed through the castle and he had to blink his eyes against the glare. When his vision cleared, he was met with the cocky smiling visage of his mentor, Sir Algernon.
“Well, lad, you look like you’re in quite the pickle. I brought along some of my old friends to help you out. If the situation becomes too dire, Rhiannon herself shall be down here.”
“Am I dreaming?” he said slowly.
“I was a knight in life, and not much has changed in death,” Algernon grinned widely. “You wouldn’t think I’d abandon you in your darkest hour did you, boy?”
Lucan shook his head. He’d always been able to count on Algernon. Algernon grunted loudly. “I see my cousin over there still hasn’t been able to break free of his bonds. You need to tell your father that the only thing that keeps him tethered to this plane of existence is his own paralyzing guilt. He might think that it’s Ulwyn’s dark magic that is doing it but it’s not. It is all him.
Brandyn always did know how to let his conscience get the better of him. He did wrong by you and attempted to set it right by calling me in to do the job he didn’t have the guts to do. He never should have let his pride get the better of him. You were good enough. Your mother was good enough and his stupid idea that you weren’t is what caused you all a world of grief.”
The sparkling light surrounding one of the Celestial Knights that had returned with Algernon stole his breath. He knew her image. He’d seen it many times during his days as a young man hoping to become a part of the Order of St. Alby. It was Princess Alby herself! He was quite floored by the beautiful sight.
She raised her sword to him, and gave him a wink, then she turned to engage the dark soldiers from Herne that had begun to fight against those who had been sent down from the Heavens.
“Princess Alby is our leader. It’s quite fitting that the fallen members of her Order become her Celestial Knights if they choose to do so, don’t you think?”
Lucan’s loose bonds disappeared and in his right hand was his sword, in his left hand was his shield that Algernon had supernaturally summoned from the Tavern.
“Go for their heart or take their heads. The rest of their body is covered in an impenetrable hide. You’ll only waste precious energy by hitting them anywhere else,” Algernon said.
“I should go to my father.”
“If you wish to do so, Lucan. You have to forgive him eventually, now is just as good a time as any.”
“When everything is going to hell, you mean.”
“If you like.” Algernon eyes twinkled and he turned away from him.
“Why can’t Princess Alby shut the portal?” Lucan asked.
“None of us that have returned from the Heavenly Otherworld can shut the portal, Lucan. You have to be alive at the time of doing it and you have to be willing to sacrifice your life. That is the cost, my boy. Nothing else will do. As we no longer have mortal lives to sacrifice none of us can do it.”
Algernon studied him closely as a myriad of emotions washed through Lucan.
“Now, son, you get those thoughts out of your head. It’s not your course. It’s not your fate. You will live to be an old man and sire many children with the woman of your dreams. Your time is far from here. You should realize that you will always live to fight another day. No, this responsibility falls to another who has always known in their heart what they had to do—what they were always meant to do. You go and say hello to your father while I go and take out a few of those bloody bastards!” With an excited battle cry, he rushed into battle doing what he’d always done best in life. With his health restored and now forever young, Algernon was the warrior he had been when he and Lucan had first met.
Lucan’s heart sank. His thoughts immediately went to Neri. Neri would get it in her fool head to sacrifice herself and he wouldn’t allow that to happen. He would make his peace with his father, make sure that Ryn was able to usher him into the Heavenly Otherworld and then, he would do what had to be done. He would sacrifice his life so Neri could live.
*****
The demonic soldiers that Ulwyn had summoned now came screaming out of Wythley Castle. For one brief moment, Neri was afraid. They were the embodiment of everything that had always haunted her nightmares. Their eyes glowed. They were red and black and were filled with ferocity. They let out inhumane growls and their leathery skin made her skin crawl.
“Take their heads or go for their heart which is roughly in the same spot as ours are. Don’t bother hitting them anywhere else, Neri. You won’t kill them,” Ryn advised.
Blinding light illuminated the Inner Bailey as heavenly warriors materialized around them.
“Now this is more like it,” Ryn said. He was bathed in light as well and when the light dimmed, he was outfitted as a true warrior Seraphim could be dressed.
“You’ve never looked better,” she said, her heart welling with love for him.
“We can’t let them get past us alive, or they will raze the village, and without the reinforcements, Nell and her children will be as good as dead,” Mother Spratt said.
The three of them clustered together and she marveled at Mother Spratt’s ability as a Templar Mage. She was killing without compunction, having magically transformed her staff into a wicked looking sword that gleamed with the arcane light of her golden coloured magic.
Neri knew why she was killing with such abandon. She had no guilt when it came to taking these demons lives. She truly was an instrument of destruction, more so than Neri, who felt awkward wielding a blade. She’d never been that adept at this kind of battle, she’d always relied on her feline magic or the ability to change into her cat forms to get herself out of dire circumstances.
The whooshing noise that the Royal Flying Ships made carried to them even over the din of the raging battle.
Relief washed through her. There was hope for them yet! She smiled as she met another demon soldier in battle.
“My brother is here. Can you hear the reassuring roars of his troops?�
� Ryn asked, giving her a jubilant smile.
Rhiannon was close. She could feel her presence and she didn’t know if she should be happy about that or frantic with worry. She didn’t want Rhiannon seeing this kind of horror—if it scared the wits out of her, how was her baby girl going to react?
In her moment of distraction, one of the enemy’s swings hit home and sliced into her side. She grimaced as star streaks of pain crashed against her vision.
“By the Gods, that smarted,” she cried out, finishing off the demon. Fortunately, when they struck the killer blow their bodies disintegrated into black ash, and so therefore would be saved having to dig mass graves.
Ryn turned his attention to her, and his eyes widened. “Damn it, Neri, you’re gushing blood,” Ryn muttered.
Mother Spratt looked at the wound and her eyes widened with worry. “You need help, Neri. Looks like you need to fall back to the Tavern.”
“I can’t leave. Lucan needs me.”
“He doesn’t need you that much. Off with you now,” Mother Spratt said, gesturing to her. She used her spritely magic and transported Neri back to the Tavern.
Neri opened her eyes and was met with an organized sort of chaos. Nell was intercepting both Ryn’s brother and Grifon and doing it quite well.
“We need to go to the castle, and stop the invaders before they get to the village,” Ava said. “Neri,” Ava cried out, finally noticing her. “Come on over here and let me heal you up before you bleed out that must be a deep wound.”
Rhiannon rushed toward her and enveloped her in a tight hug. “You’ll get my blood all over you,” Neri said, hugging her back.
“I don’t care, it will wash out,” Rhiannon said, her eyes so like Ryn’s filled with love. With a supportive arm around her, Rhiannon walked slowly with her toward Ava.
“Neri, it’s good to see you again,” Ryn’s brother, King Aedan settled his dark gaze on her. She suddenly felt so much younger—and so much more vulnerable.
“Your Majesty,” she said, inclining her head to him.
“You don’t have to be so formal,” he said, as Ava gently moved aside her hunter’s cloak and administered her healing magic. Instantly, the pain receded and she felt stronger.
“You might not be as strong as you usually are so don’t strain. For now, you’ll be fine, but I want you to rest up once the battle is over, and I don’t think you’re ready for combat again.”
“I’m going back to the castle, Lucan needs me.”
“Who is this Lucan,” Aedan asked, looking between all of them.
“He is the man that Neri thinks she loves,” Ryn said, as he materialized next to Rhiannon. Rhiannon’s eyes nearly fell out of her head as they finally came face to face.
“You are, you are…”
“That’s right, I am your father,” Ryn said, finishing what Rhiannon couldn’t quite bring herself to say.
“That’s a shame. I was hoping to bring you back to Avonry with me as my new wife and High Queen,” Aedan said, his eyes sparkling with mirth.
“You can keep your grubby hands to yourself, brother mine,” Ryn said, his possessiveness rearing its ugly head again.
“I only thought it fitting, given that Rhiannon is my heir,” Aedan said. “You needn’t set your knickers on fire, Ryn. Even in death, you still have an issue with anyone else desiring Neri.”
“Can we not talk about that right now? It seems to me with black mist billowing around the castle that we have other more important issues to consider. Specifically, the demon forces up there gaining a foothold on Shardizar.” Rhiannon’s voice was strong and determined and Neri had never been prouder.
“Rhiannon is right,” Ava said. “We need to mobilize our forces and take that castle.”
“They have a portal opened to the dimension of Herne. We have to shut that portal,” Neri said.
“Well, who wants to draw straws,” Aedan said sarcastically.
“I don’t follow,” Ava said.
“Someone has to get the short end of the stick, Princess,” Aedan said.
Grifon groaned. “He’s right. Princess Alby died as a hero closing the last portal that was opened to the demon world of Herne.”
“No, her sacrifice was the thing that called upon the Goddess Rhiannon to come and help Shardizar drive back the darkness.”
“Sometimes, legends take on a life of their own,” Grifon mused. “The truth of the legend is this—Rhiannon had already come to Shardizar upon the portal opening. She knew we would not be able to take on the demonic soldiers alone. When it came time to close the portal, Princess Alby sacrificed herself to save her Kingdom, and in doing so, died a legend and forever became remembered as Saint Alby. I am her descendant. Trust me, I know the real story.”
Neri swallowed heavily against the awful truth. “We are all agreed that my Rhiannon isn’t going to be that person.”
“Mother,” Rhiannon muttered, her cheeks going red with her embarrassment.
“We are agreed,” Ava murmured. “None as young as she should even be considered.”
“Not to mention the fact that she’s my heir. I don’t want anything to happen to her, either,” Aedan said.
Neri didn’t like his reasoning behind keeping Rhiannon safe but she didn’t really care, she just didn’t want her daughter facing such a dangerous darkness.
The ungodly chanting of the demon soldiers up at the castle finally carried their way. Neri shut her eyes against the horrendous sound. “Trust me, Rhiannon, you don’t want to be up there. I commend those who are knowingly going into battle against those monsters.”
“Speaking of which, I’ll go and tell my warriors that they are to work with your Knight Mages, Prince Grifon. We are allies in this battle.”
“Thank you, King Aedan.”
Aedan bowed his head to Grifon in respect, and then cast her one longing glance. Neri looked away. She couldn’t continue looking at the man who reminded her so keenly of Ryn. Even though Ryn was here by the Graces of the Gods and Goddesses she could not spend the rest of her life with him—and she wasn’t certain if she was worthy of Lucan’s love and loyalty when she had such dark desires in her heart.
“My brother’s troops will turn the tide of this battle. They are worthy of your respect, Prince Grifon.”
Grifon nodded his head. “Thank you, Prince Ryn. I think I should go and be with our warriors as well. I look forward to spilling the blood of our enemy.”
“Mine has already been spilled,” Neri said, wincing. She felt ashamed to know that her huntress blood was so weak. She should have given them a better fight.
“You were courageous to face such an enemy, Neri. Be proud of yourself,” Ava said, her eyes shining with warmth.
This was why so many across Shardizar would give their allegiance to Grifon and Ava. This is why so many would follow them toward whatever kind of hell came their way. This is why Grifon and Ava would make such a good King and Queen, and she knew that once Rhiannon ascended the throne of Avonry, they would be wise counsels for her should she ever need their assistance.
From this day forward, Avonry and Shardizar would be true allies, and their bond would continue to flourish during their reigns.
No matter what happened in the future, Rhiannon would be fine. That comforted her as they looked at their darkest hour.
“I need to go and be with Lucan,” she said, a slight ache still reverberating in her side where she’d been slashed.
“There are other healers to do what I can do here at the Tavern, I’m going up there with Grifon. I shan’t leave him to face the demons from Herne alone,” Ava declared. Neri wanted to tell her that they would need her fighting skills. Ava was a warrior to be reckoned with—unlike Neri she had truly inherited the Hunter talents.
Grifon looked like he wanted to argue but knew he would get nowhere fast with Ava. “I still don’t want you to take the chance of coming with us into battle if you’re insistent, then you’ll stay with us, Neri.”
&nb
sp; “If it’s as bad as they say up there,” Rhiannon started, “don’t go. I’ve seen the warriors that Uncle Aedan and Prince Grifon brought. They don’t need you.”
She smiled at Rhiannon. “They might not need me,” she murmured, “but Lucan does. If I don’t at least try to help him, I’ll never forgive myself.”
“I agree with our daughter,” Ryn said. “I don’t want you going back up there. You can’t fight like Princess Ava. I hate to break that awful truth to you, sweet one, but you are not the warrior that even our daughter is.”
She swallowed thickly, and took the goblet of water that Nell wordlessly handed her.
“I might not be the best, or possibly even the bravest. Nonetheless, I am determined. I will go back up with Ava and Grifon and show Lucan that I will stand by him.”
Pain flashed across Ryn’s face. She could see that every time she spoke of Lucan she drove the dagger in deeper. Despite all of that, Ryn had to rise above it all. He was no longer prone to the perils of a mortal body. He had to have an enlightened state of mind now that he had an enlightened state of body.
“Then, I go where you go,” Ryn said.
Pulling Rhiannon in for another hug, she held her close and savoured the moment. “I will always love you, darling daughter. Remember that,” she said, kissing her and pulling away.
Rhiannon clung to her and pulled her back. “I don’t like the tone of your voice, Mama. You sound like you’re going to your end.”
“No matter what happens, this will not be our last meeting,” she said, caressing Rhiannon’s hair.
“I don’t want to stay here, my talents could be utilized best up there with the rest of the fighters,” Rhiannon said.
“No, you stay here,” Ryn said, authority thick in his voice.
“Your father is right. You remain here with the rest and help with the wounded. And if any of the demon soldiers find their way down here you will be able to help Nell and the rest of the healers. Think of yourself as the last line of the defense, the last one to protect this village. This is your home, Rhiannon. I know I can trust you to make sure it doesn’t burn.”
The Forgotten Page 19
