“Good,” Alek said, then he nodded to Lucian. “We’ll prepare the other Warriors. There’s no time to lose.”
Lucian nodded, then went rushing off. He wasn’t the only one; the Warriors almost all headed for the exits of the chamber. I chased after Lucian.
“Lucian, wait!” He stopped only long enough to turn on me.
“Get your chimera to the armorer, Ellia, get her saddled, then be ready on the south platform.”
“But I’m really going to fight?
“You’re a Warrior now, remember?” he said, then he caught up with his second, Gael. It wasn’t moments before Gael ran off, stopping any Warriors he found and warning them to prepare. I was still staring blankly after Lucian.
Luffie roared for my attention. She threw an image of a saddle into my mind. I glanced around quickly to see if I could spot either Minstrel or Estrid, then ran to her.
The armory resided on the ground, so we flew there together. I received Luffie’s saddle with a half-dozen others. It was brass and gold metal, with a solid leather seat. Instead of going over her mouth as with a horse, her bridle wrapped over her head and ears. The thick leather reigns made it easy to guide her, and my small boots fit snuggly into the straps. As far as a weapon for myself, I chose a simple sword. I hadn’t yet discovered what my Cirali weapon was, and I wasn’t going to have time to now.
On our way back to the south platform, I saw Minstrel running up on of the ramps on the lower level. I flew close and called to him. He didn’t seem to recognize me at first when he saw me, then his eyes grew wide and he ran to the edge of the ramp.
“Have you heard?” I asked.
He bobbed his head furiously.
“Hop on,” I told him. I held out a hand for him and he jumped up in front of me.
On the south platform, there were already a score of chimera with riders ready to take off. It was an astounding sight. They were all saddled and armored. Their riders wielding a retinue of weapons, as befit the Warriors of Cirali. I looked for Lucian but could only see his chimera, Arrin, waiting by the edge of the platform. I didn’t know where the first order Warriors were either.
Luffie landed on the edge that looked over the ocean, next to Arrin. Minstrel jumped down first then I did the same.
“Will you fight with them?” he asked.
I nodded.
“I thought so. This will certainly be nothing like the fights we’ve face before,” he said. “You must be careful, my friend. Otherwise…”
“Otherwise, who will tell you what happened so that you can write of it,” I said.
He tried to smile.
I grabbed his shoulders, and pulled him up into a tight hug. “I’ve never been in a battle before, Minstrel.”
“Just remember everything you’ve learned,” he squeaked, returning the hug. For once he didn’t have much else to say.
We both turned at the sound of Estrid’s voice.
“Lucian, it’s my country,” she was saying. They were passing us to reach the front of the platform, Estrid chasing behind Lucian. They both stopped next to Arrin.
“I’m sorry, Estrid,” he told her, then he started to mount his chimera, but Estrid pulled him back down.
Lucian exasperatedly gave a gesture to Gael, who was already on his chimera. Gael called for all of us to mount. As I got on top of Luffie, Lucian turned to face Estrid.
“It’s not my decision. Only Warrior’s fight.”
“But I am a Warrior,” she said. “It’s only your fault that I don’t have my own chimera already.”
There was a sound of loud rushing and I looked up to see another group of Warriors taking off over the ocean from the higher levels.
Lucian used the distraction to climb on top of Arrin.
“Lucian Denathar!” Estrid shouted.
I looked between them. I thought about offering her a ride with me, but I knew that Luffie was too young yet to carry us both across the ocean. Besides that, from the look on Lucian’s face, I wasn’t about to be the one to put Estrid in danger.
Lucian gave the signal and all the chimera took off into the air, even Luffie. She flew out ahead of the others to catch up to the first crowd, clearly excited for the battle—so I couldn’t hear Estrid when she shouted once more to Lucian. I turned my attention to guiding Luffie.
The group curved around as soon as we cleared the isle to make for the northeast. The waves were large again further out. As Lucian flew out ahead of me to join the first order Warriors, I saw the crossbow strapped to his back and the scimitar sheathed at his waist. These were his Cirali weapons. He’d told me when we’d first started training that I wouldn’t get to see then until we fought together. I supposed this really meant that I was going into battle. It was all happening so fast that I didn’t know what to think.
Without having to instruct her, Luffie flew up closer to Lucian and the other Warriors. I was glad I was going to be able to help them with information I’d gained from Uldin Keep, I only hoped this battle didn’t go anything like that one had.
~ ~ ~
CHAPTER TEN
ELLIA:
*
When we reached the Plains of Tel, just west of the city of Karatel, the battle was already raging. Masses of red, yellow, and black mingled with turquoise and green. Black, bat-winged, wyverns dived down upon the armies. Because of the way the city was built, the Akadians had the high ground. Karatel had no wall surrounding it. From what I could see most of their warriors rode horses, but they already looked sorely outnumbered.
I watched the hesitation on the faces of the first order Warriors as they considered the scene. But then the wyverns spotted us and there was no longer time for consideration. I’d told them everything there was to know.
Alek raised his fist in the air, shouting loud over the Wyverns cries. “Remember your positions. First order to the wyverns. Second to the goblins’ machines. Third follow Lucian to take down the cavalry.”
There was barely a moment to register the words, and then we clashed with the oncoming Wyverns. I followed Lucian as he sped down towards the field. There were so many more goblins than men, even more Akadians than Katellians. I held on tight to Luffie’s reigns.
I felt heat above me and looked up just in time to see the chimera shooting off their first waves of fire breath. It was a power so dangerous I hadn’t even seen it yet, but it looked very similar to dragon’s breathing fire. I got a good look at it when Lucian led us past a row of Akadian cavalry. Arrin opened his mouth wide and a stream of hot fire spilled forward. It shot out towards the midst of the horses, doing a good deal of damage where it touched open flesh but many of the soldiers were protected by metal. As Luffie was not capable of breathing fire yet, she picked two goblins up by the head with her talons, then dropped them back to the earth.
I shook my head clear and got a fresh grip on Luffie’s saddle as Lucian led us back around for another pass. He gave the signal for us to split directions. Luffie and I went after Gael, his second in command.
We cleared a whole line of soldiers going across. This time I guided Luffie more carefully so that she avoided the arrows being fired at us from below. The sound of explosions and clashing weapons was everywhere.
As Gael led us back around for another attack, I heard the quick-release of a metal chain. My eyes found the large, black, contraption that had caused it. A harpoon soared through the air, connected by a chain. I held my breath, but luckily it missed any chimera. I couldn’t help but think of the last time I had seen this contraption in action, pulling Scholar Padril’s dragon, Sarx, down to the forest floor.
I looked over the battlefield. There were a dozen of these harpoon shooters. Many of them were being attacked by Warriors already, though their fire-breath did little to melt the thick chains. I knew that my instructions had been to attack on the ground, but I couldn’t help thinking any one of the machines might have been the one that took down Sarx.
With a quick warning to Luffie, I pulled on
her reigns and guided her towards the contraption, away from Gael and the other Warriors. Free of the cover of many chimera, swords and arrows were being shot up at Luffie from all directions, but she avoided them well.
I pulled out my sword as we neared the machine. I used it to strike at the chain connected to the harpoon, but it was too thick to break. The cranks and wheels of the goblin-manned contraption were pulling the harpoon back into itself. The whole machine was bolted down into the ground so that it couldn’t be toppled over. I thought of Sarx flapping his wings against the pull of the chain to no avail, and he was so much larger and stronger than Luffie. I didn’t know what to do to stop it.
I guided Luffie to get a hold on the end of the harpoon where it trailed in along the ground. It was heavy, being made or iron, but Luffie managed to get it with her talons. We started circling the contraption. The goblins manning it had seen us now. They threw weapons towards us. I got out my sword and blocked them. Still there too many. I told Luffie to drop the harpoon. It fell to the ground, flattening a group of goblins below it. We flew up out of the range of arrows.
Left cranking its own, the contraption caught up to the circle we’d made around it. The harpoon hooked onto one of the bolts of the machine. The whole contraption jolted. Then it twisted free from the ground and exploded over onto its side.
I gave a cheer and Luffie roared. I looked around. Even less machines were being attacked now. So many of the Warriors were busy fighting Wyverns. There were many more than had been at Uldin Keep, dozens of them, and they were so much larger than the chimera. The nearest harpoon machine was rolling deeper into the front of the battle. Luffie and I headed towards it.
There weren’t so many goblins surrounding this one, but Akadians and Katellians were fighting all around. Most of the Katellians were on horseback. I’d hoped that Luffie and I could use the same maneuver as before, but the harpoon hadn’t been shot out yet, so the chain was coiled safely inside the machine. Three or four goblins manned it. I decided I would have to try and shut it down with the controls.
As soon as the machine stopped Luffie easily knocked the goblins off with her paws. Then she hovered in the air above it. There was a wheel and a set of levers at the front.
Swinging my leg over my saddle, I jumped down from Luffie onto the metal grating of the contraption. A few Katellian horses raced by and kicked up dust that made me cough and cover my mouth. Luffie kept in the air above me.
I headed for the controls.
There were two wheels and half a dozen levers. The first wheel I turned made the harpoon point up. I turned it the opposite way and it started going down. I aimed it at the ground, then reached for the closest lever.
That was when I heard a familiar voice.
I looked past the machine to the only mounted Akadian soldier nearby. From his armor I could tell he was a high-ranked soldier. He was locking swords with a Katellian, but he was also shouting for the soldiers around him to advance. His horse was black, with silver markings, and armor covering its face.
As I watched, unable to move, he planted his sword in the chest of the Katellian. He surveyed the area ahead of him, and then he looked my direction.
If he showed any expression of surprise, I couldn’t read it. His eyes were cold and dark. He looked from me to Luffie, then back at the contraption, then to me.
I had spent the past day telling myself that I wasn’t going to see him here. I had spent the past months telling myself that he would never truly fight for Akadia, that by the time I came to save my people I could save him too. But here he was and as I stared at him I knew that I should have always known it would end up like this.
I heard Luffie cry out. I looked up just in time to see a black figure diving towards her. She flew out of the way just as the wyvern latched itself onto the highest part of the contraption. The whole thing shook. One of the goblins riding the wyvern’s back dropped to the grating. Luffie tried to fly closer to me, but the wyvern batted at her with its free wing then took the air again to chase her.
“Luffie, run,” I cried. “Get away!”
She took off into the crowded sky with the wyvern following after her. With my heart high in my throat, I turned on the goblin and tried to draw my sword.
Before I could even unsheathe it, he knocked me with his arm. It was such a powerful hit that I fell backwards off the machine. My mind was too scattered to remember to disappear. I landed hard in the dirt.
There were soldiers all around me. Akadians fighting Katellians. Two Akadians caught sight of me. I scrambled to retrieve my sword. As we fought they drove me away from the contraption towards the open field. There were many more Akadians than Katellians there. I used my disappearing power to avoid their attacks.
I defeated one, and then the other, but more came. I nearly got run over twice by horses. I couldn’t tell what was going on in the battle. I didn’t have time to check the skies to look for Luffie. It seemed like there weren’t many Katellians around.
An Akadian stabbed at my shoulder and this time when I tried to disappear, I couldn’t. All the same, I got a hit in on his head with the back end of my sword. He fell to the ground. I clutched my shoulder, and then I heard a loud cry.
I turned just in time to see an Akadian with a large axe striking towards me. I tried to make myself vanish, but couldn’t. There wasn’t time to move. There wasn’t even time to realize that this was how it was going to end. I flinched for the strike—
But before he could hit me there was a loud thud. The axe and soldier froze. I quickly moved out of the way and saw a knife lodged in the soldier’s back. He dropped his weapon, then he collapsed to the ground.
I looked around me.
Cyric was standing not more than ten feet away on the top of a ledge. He was down off his horse. His arm was outstretched. His chest was rising up and down. He looked from the collapsed soldier to me.
Though the soldiers raged around us, I couldn’t move.
Suddenly his features contorted. “Behind you!” he shouted, pointing past me.
I turned in time to see another Akadian raising his weapon. This time Cyric threw the back end of his sword into the soldier’s head, so that the soldier only fell unconscious.
A horn sounded and both Cyric and I looked up. Chimera were riding back towards the city, away from the battle. All the Katellians around me were calling for retreat. I didn’t understand what was happening. Everything was falling apart at once.
“You need to leave!” Cyric shouted.
I looked at him in horror. When I didn’t move he cried louder.
“Go! You’ll die if you stay here.”
“I don’t understand. I trusted you. You were my friend!”
I heard a roar in the sky above me and looked up to see Luffie soaring closer. She was no longer being chased, but one of her wings looked injured. As she dropped down beside me, she took one look at Cyric and roared defiantly at him.
Cyric backed away.
“All those things they used to say about you,” I said, shaking my head. “I told them you were different!”
“Don’t talk to me about the past, Ellia.”
“But Shaundakul—”
“I hated Shaundakul!” he exploded. “I’ve always hated it. I’m glad the Akadians destroyed it. I’ve been glad since the day Uldin Keep fell.”
My chest filled with rage. I screamed as loud as I could at him. “Traitor!”
His gaze shifted to the nearby Warriors. Luffie ducked her head under my hand. I could hear the cries of retreat all around me, but suddenly a voice from above called my name.
“Ellia, that’s the call for retreat!” Lucian yelled. “You need to get out here.” He was hovering atop Arrin, with a Katellian soldier riding behind him.
I felt my chest dropping, but I nodded and made to mount Luffie. When I glanced back at Cyric, he was looking up with wide eyes at Lucian. I might have gotten trapped staring at him again for the pain on his face, but Lucian yelled for
me and Luffie took off.
My eyes burned with tears; I could hardly see the ground disappearing beneath me.
Luffie let out a loud roar to rouse me. I searched the skies for signs of the other Warriors. A few of the largest chimera were flying low to the ground, collecting Katellians. The goblins and Akadians were chasing the retreating soldiers straight into the city. Wyverns crooned and screeched in the air over the won field. Lucian led us towards the east where the other chimera were heading, but there were less than thirty.
My body was shaking. I had no idea how we had lost Karatel. Battles made no sense to me, nothing made sense. I had no idea which of the Warriors had survived. The only thing I did know was that my friend was dead.
EPILOGUE
*
So far away, I’m gone
Please don’t follow me tonight
And when I’m gone
Everything will be alright
—I Won’t See You Tonight Part 1, Avenged Sevenfold
*
CYRIC:
*
I ascended the steps of the winding staircase. They were made of white marble, the walls were slate—just as light but less slick. When I reached the top and got my first look at the palace chamber of Karatel, I saw that it was built just the same. A smooth marble floor led to a pair of thrones, and beyond those was a completely open wall that looked out over the city. The walls on either side and two pillars that separated the viewing platform from the throne-room were chalky stone.
I passed a goblin heading out. From his bright sapphire-laden armor, I knew it was the goblin commander, Garagos. I had seen him before the battle. I had also seen him back in Uldin Keep. He met my eyes with his slimy black ones. I tried not to show too much disgust as I walked past him.
Lox was already facing the city, his hands folded behind his back. His armor was as battered from the battle as mine, but he looked calm as always as I approached him.
Though I came to stand beside him, I didn’t look outwards as he was. He glanced at me once, then smiled.
Fallen Prince Page 28
