Streaking past a dragon on the back of the mighty bird, Max swung his shining silver hammer. It crashed into one of the many spikes upon the dragon’s back, splintering it into a thousand smaller spikes that rained down through the air. The mighty beast craned its neck and took a large breath of air, but before the dragon could retaliate two other birds came down swiping across its exposed neck. A low moan sounded as the beast tumbled downward through the air.
Max could hear faint cheers from the soldiers on the ground as the first beast fell. Max directed the bird down toward his friends; he knew he would need their help. The bird called out, and several others followed him. Landing before Blaise and his father, the king, Max looked all the part of a heroic knight.
Blaise and the king climbed aboard the other birds. There was no time for pleasantries. The birds kicked up hard into the air, reaching dizzying speeds in only seconds. Into the thick of battle they flew with bolts of flame whizzing all around them. A menacing dragon spotted the trio and moved to take care of them. Blaise broke from the formation and drew the beast’s attention. It took the bait and flew after Blaise. With coordinated randomness the bird flew in short choppy bursts, dodging each strike of fire.
Suddenly the bird banked sharply, wheeling and somersaulting to avoid the flames. Flipping backward the bird darted straight toward the dragon’s mouth. Blaise readied the spear slung across his back. He hefted it in his right hand, measuring the weight, calculating his throw. The dragon opened wide its dreadful jaws and belched forth a cloud of flame. An instant later Blaise cocked back his arm and brought it forward like the releasing of a spring. The wall of flame swallowed the spear, but it emerged on the other side. Red hot metal soared through the air. The dragon still roaring his defiance did not see the threat as the fire dart plunged down his throat. It punctured into the stores of gas the dragons used to produce their flames, and the hot metal caused it to ignite. The dragon exploded in the most beautiful firework of them all.
The flaming carcass fell like a shooting star down to the plains below. More followed as the birds began to gain the upper hand. Too preoccupied with their feathered foes, the dragons left the soldiers on the ground safely alone. The tide was turning as the greatly outnumbered dragons were assailed by continually larger numbers of adversaries.
The panicked cries of the dragons awoke something within the city. Max could feel it stirring, its anger boiling over into action. Just as he felt the emotion coming to a point a monstrous figure emerged from the city. Giant black wings propelled the goliath creature into the air. The dragon was at least thrice the size of any of the others. The spiked plates covered its entire body save its face. Long spikes shot out from the clublike tail.
Emerald green eyes stood ominously against its dark black skin. Its mouth opened revealing several rows of teeth easily as large as a man. A pained roar erupted like thunder from within the beast. It was deepest pain of all. A mother’s pain.
The bird craned its head back and spoke to Max: “She is the queen. The mother of all these dragons. She will avenge their plight with a ferocity you have never known.”
A slight pursing of the dragon’s lips was the only indication of what was about to happen. Orbs of fire shot out with unrivalled speed. Even the dexterous birds were not fast enough to avoid them as Max watched several of the birds explode into flame. Reacting to this new threat the birds dodged and dove. The dragon breathed wide swaths of flame that cut through the air. The massive inferno was impossible to avoid as several birds fell with each breath.
Max pushed out to the front of the group charging toward the flame-spewing titan. He could feel the hair singeing on his arm as the air seemed to blister from the heat. He could hear cries behind him as others fell to the fire of the beast. He could only hope Blaise and the king were not among them.
He rose up on the back of the bird, balancing himself. He felt the weight of the hammer in his hands and it brought him comfort. As they neared the beast, it spewed a river of fire toward them and dove down as the flames soared overhead. Changing directions quickly the bird shot straight up past the flames. The bird flew on a beeline for the dragon’s head. Max leapt high into the air, flipping forward as he soared.
A stream of fire arced up, chasing him. The heat melted the soles of his shoes. The dragon craned its neck upward attempting to scorch the daring warrior that threatened her. Tucking into a forward roll Max dropped onto the dragon’s head.
The queen roared in protest but was powerless to remove him. As the flames cleared nothing remained but ash floating in the air. The bird had made the ultimate sacrifice. The necessary evil. Max bowed his head in mourning for his friend before raising his hammer high over his head. He spread his legs, poising himself for a powerful blow.
He felt something. A slight echo reverberated from the dragon through Max. He knew the pain of the beast. He could see it acted not out of hatred but out of love for its threatened children. Its actions were no more evil than Max’s own.
Still Max knew what his actions must be. He knew they were neither good nor evil but they were necessary. To find the true evil he needed to fight his way to its source.
He tensed his muscles, preparing for the blow. He whispered words of apology before he brought down the hammer crashing onto the head of the dragon. With a dull thud it landed on the skull plate. The dragon wailed a soft moan, almost a sigh of relief. It could feel itself released of the pain. Slowly the wings stopped beating. The muscles relaxed and the giant creature plummeted to the earth.
Max grabbed onto the spike plates that grew above dragon’s eyes. He held on as the whipping wind assailed him. At this speed each gust felt like a punch aimed into his stomach. More than once he reeled over, gasping for breath, but still he did not let go.
The dragon impacted with a mighty crash and the earth shook from the collision. Mountains of earth were thrown aside as the dragon’s body dug into the ground. Max held on for his life as dirt and dust kicked up and swirled around him, robbing his sight.
As the dragon came to a halt, Max bowed his head and climbed down to the ground. Now there was only one final test. One last person standing in the way of the truth.
Chapter 19
Max embraced Blaise as Blaise praised him for his bravery. They clapped each other on the back, joy running through them that the other had emerged alive and triumphant. For a brief moment the coming confrontation with Hunter was forgotten and the joy of camaraderie brought bliss.
Blaise’s father joined the two men, smiling brightly as he walked. He was closer now to the majestic king Max had seen than the disheveled man he had met at the swamp. His skin seemed to glow in an almost otherworldly way.
“You have both done more than I could have ever asked. I’m so very proud of you. Though I have only fathered one of you I hold you both as my dear sons and hope you shall look upon each other as brothers.” The king smiled weakly and stumbled a bit, exhausted from the battle.
“You have fought for me as if I were Lady Justice herself, as if my motives were always true. I fear dear sons, I have deceived you.” Tears welled in the eyes of the King.
“Father, what do you speak?” Blaise asked, his voice heavy with concern.
The king opened his mouth to speak but his strength left. He fell quickly forward. Blaise reached out and broke his fall, bringing his gasping father into his arms. His left hand was slick and wet. He pulled it back to see it covered with crimson blood.
Frantically he ripped away the outer cloak his father wore. Beneath, a deep red stain was spreading on his white shirt. Grabbing a knife he cut away the shirt. A large gash ran horizontally across the king’s stomach. It penetrated deep into his abdomen.
Blaise shouted wildly for a medic, his voice breaking with anguish.
“Please forgive me, son,” the king croaked as blood trickled from his lips.
“Father, do not leave me!” Tears flooded down Blaise’s cheeks.
Max watched in utter agony.
He felt his heart being torn away as the king struggled for life. He wanted to turn away; he felt as if he was intruding upon some personal moment, but he knew he was meant to be here.
Blaise could still be heard shouting for the medics, who were rushing to the scene.
“Hold on, Father!” Blaise’s voice was frantic with terror.
“Forgive me.” As the king spoke, the light faded from his eyes. His breath ceased and his head flopped lifelessly to the side. Blaise collapsed in despair on his father. He heaved in great sobs. He wished to give in to his despair, but he felt a voice speaking within him. It was the voice of his mother, which was now a part of him.
He felt a piece of paper brushing against his hand. Looking down he saw a letter clasped in his father’s dead grip. It was sealed with the king’s seal.
The king. Blaise stopped as he realized that was now he. He had never pictured his ascension to the throne in this manner. At times he had doubted the king would even name him to be heir. Hunter had been the favorite of the people, and it was rumored that he would be named heir. How distant that memory now was.
He studied the folded letter he held now in his hand. The tan parchment was colored in places with his father’s blood. Perhaps an even truer seal. Scribbled in hurried writing was his own name. He felt a sense of dread as he unfolded this final correspondence.
“Dear Blaise,
I beg now for your forgiveness. I was blinded by ambition as many men before me have been. I believed I acted for good but I see now I acted only for my own selfish desire. My own hand planted the seed that has begotten all the problems that we must now face.
It was oh so clever when I first thought of it. I could unite the kingdoms and I would rule them. So I must now confess to you, my son, that it was I that stole the alphabet from its rightful place. With greed and hunger in my heart I wrenched the people’s rightful property from them. And in so doing I set in motion a chain of events that stretched farther than I could see.
I myself was unable to do it alone, so I enlisted the help of a few close councilors. They were only too eager for the nefarious plots. And so with the greatest degree of secrecy our plan was executed. Once we had captured the letters, we set about to bend them to our will. I had not foreseen the trouble in this, as they were stone willed and I could not break them.
Then my true oversight was revealed. The councilors betrayed me to the king of Oudan. They are fickle and seek only to do evil, so once they had served me in this plot they set about to undo it. And so the king sent to me an invitation knowing that I would not be able to respond. He did not truly wish for my attendance. He wished only for a reason to attack that wouldn’t cast him as the aggressor.
In my worry and obsession with the looming attack I allowed the letters to be stolen from my guard. The Merchant knew at what price he could sell them back to me. His spies made away with them and we gave pursuit. There were battles and skirmishes and so the letters were scattered to the places that you found them.
Once the plague began to spread throughout the kingdom with people unable to speak I knew I must take some action, or at least appear to. And that is why I sought out Max from the orcs. I knew what he wasn’t; a Tenton Knight, but I didn’t know what he was. And so I sent him off with you to buy myself time so that the populace would not revolt against me.
There is a second heinous confession that I reveal here to you. I chose you not because I believed you more capable than Hunter but because I did not expect those whom I sent to return. I did not want to lose my youngest son, the one I held most dear. The one who would be my heir.
I again implore you to forgive my folly. I counted you a lesser son, but I have seen that you are greater than myself. I cannot know now by what event this letter has come to your hand. Perhaps I am dead, and perhaps it has been by your own blade. Have you struck me down in anger after learning the truth? I cannot hold such hatred against you. But I beg you to realize I am truly sorry for what I have done.”
Chapter 20
Blaise stood before the door to the throne room. He struggled to control his breathing as he collected himself. The battle through the city to the palace had been easy enough. They met only scattered resistance, most of which surrendered to them without hesitation. It seemed that Hunter had released them from his service.
Blaise had taken the best of his soldiers up to the palace for a final confrontation with his brother. Max stood beside him, unspeaking, but still his presence gave Blaise great support. He was a brave warrior and a great friend. Blaise considered himself lucky to have met such a man.
Inside the throne room it was dim. It was the same trapezoidal chamber Max had entered when he had first met the king, but this time it was devoid of either life or feeling. There was a void echoing through the air. The benches against the wall were empty. On the throne sat hunched a figure who seemed to give no notice to the presence that entered into the room.
The clicking of boots against the marble floor was the only sound in the otherwise silent chamber. No one dared speak or even breathe too loudly for fear of breaking the stillness in the air. As the group stopped at the foot of the throne the room plunged into an even greater silence.
The figure on the throne raised his head, looking with tired eyes on those who stood before him. His mouth hung open and tired breaths rasped from within. His face look pale and sickly while his eyes were bright red and bloodshot. It was the face of Hunter worn beyond its years.
“Who do you bring before me, my dear brother?”
“Please Hunter, I know now what has pushed you to your ends. But you must see the evil in your ways. Turn away now, my brother before, it is too late,” Blaise pleaded.
“You know the treachery of our father and still you stand beside him? Where is he? Can he not face me himself?” Hunter hissed.
“I do not stand by him for he is dead. And I do not stand by his actions. I stand by the kingdom. You must repent your evils or suffer my justice.”
“Dead?” Hunter stopped. His face was blank as he contemplated this development. “Good,” he finally spoke, “his plan has bought his own end. So very fitting.”
Hunter rose slowly from the chair. Even in his withered state he still stood with an unquestionable authority. His eyes lit with an intensity that made Blaise wish to look away. At his side hung the dragon-hilted sword. Once Max had viewed the blade with awe; now it only filled him with dread. He had seen too many killed by its flaming hunger. He hoped he would see no more.
“Do not think to fight us, Hunter,” Max spoke, “You will find no victory against so many.” Max’s hand wandered to the handle of his silver hammer.
Hunter spat with disgust. He puckered his face as if a bad smell assailed his senses. “Who are you, boy? You are nothing to me. I have fallen farther than you could possibly know. In the darkness I have found tools of horrific power. I have emerged from the shadows a mightier man than those who now stand before me. If you are foolish enough to challenge me I will burn your souls from your bodies.”
Hunter’s words seemed to carry a force with them that pushed all those listening back a few steps. The soldiers clutched nervously at their weapons. Some prayed silently, begging for deliverance. Only two men stood steadfast and unbending: Max and Blaise.
Blaise withdrew his sword from its sheath as Max hefted his hammer with both hands. Blaise swung his sword through the air, testing its balance. “Stand with me now, my brothers. Stay strong and we shall triumph.”
Hunter smiled. “Your men shall turn against you, brother, and upon each other.” A strange rhythmic humming began to emanate from Hunter’s lips. It seemed to flow like a river down into the ears of those present. Poisonous thoughts flooded their minds as they struggled to stem the flow. As the humming stopped several men stood wild-eyed with feral looks upon their faces. They leapt with fury at Blaise and Max.
Max swung his hammer low, sweeping the feet from under two of the men. Blaise moved forward, knocking the r
emaining two to the ground. The other soldiers fell on top of the possessed, subduing them. The struggle slowly ceased as Hunter lifted the spell with a wave of the hand.
“I must admit, that was not quite the reaction I was hoping for. It seems most of your men are strong willed.” Hunter brandished his sword. It burned bright as flames wrapped around it. “But it is no matter. I have less subtle ways to end you.”
Two soldiers rushed in haste toward Hunter. They swung wildly, one high and one low. With a single downward swipe Hunter blocked both blows and sent their swords clattering across the floor, severed in two. Two swift punches sent the men crashing into the walls on either side, unconscious.
Two more soldiers rushed the prince, bearing their shields for protection. With a satisfied grin Hunter slashed across both shields, splitting them in two. The stunned soldiers had no time to react as Hunter swung his blade again, decapitating both.
Max charged Hunter. At the last second Max slid onto the ground as Hunter’s blade whizzed above him. He crushed the hammer into the stomach of the prince and sent him tumbling backward. As he regained his footing a look of pure hatred covered Hunter’s face.
He charged Max, his eyes burning with fire. He swung down with all his might, not wishing just to kill the boy but to destroy him. In desperation Max lifted the hammer to stop an impossible blow. There was silence in the chamber except for the clattering of metal as the sword bounced harmless off the hammer. Hunter was stunned.
“Impossible.” He gasped. “Nothing can stop it.”
“Must be faulty.” Max spoke as he swung the hammer. Hunter blocked it and they exchanged a rapid series of attacks and blocks. Each man gasped for breath as they traded blow after blow. The other soldiers stood in awe of the ferocious duel that seemed locked in a dead heat.
Tiring of the stalemate Hunter struck out with his foot, knocking Max backward. Hunter stood for a moment drawing deep ragged breaths.
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