by Sanders, Dan
As he drew closer he saw their anguished faces. Many of the men were older than him and for a brief moment he felt sad for their families at home; many of them would not see their loved ones again.
Further round the lake soldiers laughed at a commotion in their midst.
“What’s going on?” Bevan asked the general as he ran around the inlet, squinting into the mist.
“It’s the Chosen One, Highness. She is talking to the men. I think she is giving them hope.”
Bevan was shocked. Emily had been told to stay inside. As he drew closer he saw the impact she had on the men. They were honoured to meet the Chosen One. Her ears were tall and when she stood, the red from the inside of her long ears flickered off the light of the lake.
Bevan stopped mid-stride and decided not to interrupt. He turned to the general and said, “Where are Lupi and Kato?”
“They are on the battlements awaiting direction, Highness.”
Bevan reached out to both of them through Thoughtspeak, “Lupi, meet me above the battlement. Kato, lead the soldiers into battle. Daimon will protect your flanks.”
Bevan received their eager response in unison, “Yes.”
Turning back to the general he said, “Has my chariot arrived?”
“It is behind the tents.”
Just then two screams ripped across the lake and into the valley. Soldiers gripped their crystal spears and shields. They looked to Bevan for direction.
His throat ran dry. Another death. Swallowing, Bevan moistened his throat and filled his lungs with the crisp morning air. His voice resounded across the crystal mountains, where the trees wedged like ornaments in the magnificent blue and orange stone.
“Get the Chosen One back inside Kalen-Na. General, open the gates. The first battalion must take the crystal shields and drive the enemy back. Tell the archers from the battlement walls to retaliate. And may their aim be true.”
Battle cries erupted, ringing off the mountains. The first beams of morning light broke across the lake and streams of light reflected off the egg building, swinging across the valley in a rotating kaleidoscope of colour. Bevan squinted at the tinted brilliance. Another cheer of hope roared as the gates on the other side of the lake opened and the soldiers filed through the great wall to the battle on the other side.
“Daimon,” Bevan yelled above the stampede of soldiers, “follow me.”
Bevan broke into a run and led Daimon into a large tent behind the front line of tents.
“Are they for us?” Daimon said, pointing to the three sky chariots hovering just above the ground, their sky-blue and gold frames awaiting their riders.
“No time for play,” Bevan said, seeing Daimon’s smile. “They’re meant for competition, but I thought they would be useful now.”
“I’ve never ridden one.”
“They are no different from the Largon sky-carriage you flew before, but much faster, and significantly more agile.”
Daimon nodded warily. He jumped onto one from behind. It wobbled under his weight. He wrapped his hands on the edge of the chariot and said, “There are no controls.”
“You must connect with it, as you do the C'Blade. It gains power and agility from your connection.”
Daimon’s shoulders sank. “But I’m new at this. I’m no good.”
“No time like the present to improve,” Bevan said. “I have seen your speed and power. Besides the crystal studs in your battle armour will enhance your connection. Most of all, trust yourself.”
Daimon closed his eyes in concentration. In answer to the Earthling’s impatient connection, blue crystals in his vest ignited and the waist high walls of the chariot glowed sky-blue. The chariot bobbed around the tent, bouncing off the roof and knocking the other chariots out of the way. Daimon nearly fell out. He groaned under the concentration but quickly brought it under control. He smiled thinly at Bevan, his blond hair poking out from his olive green crystal helmet.
“You did it,” Bevan yelled and jumped on his own chariot, pulled straps over his shoulders and put on his own helmet.
“What are they?” said Daimon, looking down for his own straps.
“You need these belts my boy. They keep you inside when you are knocked about.”
Daimon’s eyes widened. He fumbled with his straps until they were tight across his crystal studded tunic. He nodded.
“You and I will work as a team. We will separate and fight at the front edges on either side of our forces. We will communicate with each other how the other side is faring.”
“How?”
Bevan nodded and reached into Daimon. He Thoughtspoke, “Like this?”
Daimon closed his eyes for a minute remembering how it was done. “Are you there?”
“Let’s ride.” Bevan nodded. The Prince pulled his huge Reven blade from its sheath, and in a flourish tore open the tent roof. Holding his blade high he rose straight up into the morning light, his own vest glowing royal blue in the black night.
Daimon concentrated his mind on his own CBlade. He punched the air when the blade did his bidding and burst into a pulsing sapphire weapon. Wobbling as he rose, he gripped the edge of the chariot and joined Bevan as they flew into battle.
Bevan’s heart pounded in his chest. He had never seen live battle on such scale. Circling the egg-shaped Kalen-Na, he rose high above the battlement wall that separated the Elemental nation from the rest of the world. He waved Daimon to take the left flank of the army while he banked to take the right flank. He was relieved that the boy could connect with the land again. It was like when he was a young one.
The huge gates on either side of the great wall lowered, releasing a flood of confederation soldiers onto the dewy-green Plains of Galdiel. From above, Bevan saw a screen of lime, yellow, blue and white shields bobbing on the horses that carried the confederation protectors into battle.
“Hey there, stranger,” Lupi said as she hovered alongside Bevan. Her worried face told the whole story.
“Did you see it?” she said. “It’s impossible.”
Bevan followed Lupi’s outstretched hand and saw a mass of red swarming towards them. The grassy plains and the river had been swallowed by the red throng of soldiers.
“They’ve broken the river bank,” he said.
“Yes, but the number…” Lupi said. “We’re outnumbered five to one.”
Bevan had already captured that detail but didn’t want to verbalise it. He pushed his sky-chariot harder, his robe slapping in the wind, until he was ahead of his own armies’ advances. Lupi kept Bevan’s gruelling pace. Daimon kept up on the other side of the plains. Bevan glimpsed the orange streak of Kato’s giant form pounding across the plains and was pleased. The four of them were now in front of their own confederation soldiers. He wished Sabina was here. She always knew what to do.
Bevan Thoughtspoke the other Circle of Six companions, “We four must hold their armies back until our soldiers are farther away from the city.”
Daimon said, “How?”
“Lupi and Kato, can you produce a wall of fire that can slow them down?”
“Only for a short time,” Kato said. “The number is too great and it will consume our own energy. This battle is long and we must be preserved.”
“Do what you can,” Bevan said.
The four acted in concert as though the Circle had battled for a lifetime. With the speed of the wind they quickly reached the battlefront of their enemy.
Kato and Lupi acted as one. They stopped just before they collided with the front line of the red uniforms of the CIS soldiers. Kato ran from left to right and back again, so fast she became a blur of orange fire. Lupi followed and fanned the fire with blasts of air, sending a wall of fire reaching into the air. Caught unaware, many rows of CIS soldiers were engulfed and perished immediately. The ranks behind were unable to see the wall that would bring their chase to a sudden stop. They piled into those in front, pushing them into their fiery death.
The Kato and Lupi duo st
opped and retreated from the wall of blackened bodies. Lupi stood on Kato’s back, hands on hips in defiance of the onslaught.
Bevan yelled in Thoughtspeak to Daimon, “Take the edges. Don’t let any soldiers get around the wall.”
Daimon followed his lead.
Bevan gripped the edge of his chariot and dived into the mass of soldiers swerving around the great wall of fire. Wielding his mighty Reven blade, as light as air in his hands, Bevan cut a swathe through soldiers, felling three in a single stroke.
As the squire to an Athenian general, Daimon’s swordplay was faster and more precise than Bevan’s. He bobbed in and out of the soldiers, spinning in his chariot, slicing and stabbing at the swords aimed at taking his life.
Just then Daimon spied a tall man with long red hair and a gold battle spire that rose from his spiked helmet. By his surrounding guards, Daimon recognised he was somebody of importance; perhaps a general. He knew what to do; isolate and remove the general and they will falter. Dodging the mass before him, Daimon lifted his sky-chariot above the red crystal blades of his enemies and into the clouds. He waited until he was behind the red-haired general. With his CBlade in front, he dived out of the clouds, hiding in the smoke. He waited until he was upon the unsuspecting general, ignited his CBlade, and in a beacon of blue vengeance drove his sword into the general’s red battle armour, the splitting of chest bone lost in the roar of screams that erupted from the general’s guards as their leader slumped on his horse.
Daimon Thoughtspoke Bevan and said, “I felled one of their generals.”
Bevan lifted into the air and looked across the mist of flying swords and spears and arrows. Daimon pointed in the direction. Bevan’s eyes were wide.
“That is no general,” he Thoughtspoke. “That’s Darius, Overlord of the entire Jalpari nation and leader of the CIS.”
Daimon smiled and ran his fingers over his CBlade.
Distracted by his victory Daimon didn’t see the swell of soldiers that pressed on him for revenge. A soldier grabbed Daimon’s leg from behind and pulled him from his floating chariot. As soon as Daimon’s foot left the floor of his hovering ride, the sky-chariot automatically shot into the air and out of reach, leaving him to a scream of victory. Bevan lost sight of Daimon and yelled out to Lupi.
“Lupi, save Daimon, he has fallen.”
With her arms outstretched, Lupi rose over the top of the fire and dived into the piling soldiers. Blasts of air shot from her wildly swinging hands, discarding soldiers like table scraps. She emerged from the fray towing Daimon’s leg as he swung his fists wildly at the soldiers below.
“Careful fella, you’ll get me,” Lupi Thoughtscreamed.
“My sky-chariot, quickly,” Daimon screamed back.
Lupi dropped the blackened Daimon into his sky-chariot. Without a blink he grabbed the rim of the chariot wall and dived into the soldiers again, a fierce battle cry exploding from his lungs.
At first Bevan’s strategy was succeeding. His confidence rose. He pushed harder into the enemy lines and soon was on the other side of Kato’s wall of fire. The red blur of CIS soldiers faltered under the onslaught from this unlikely quartet. As Bevan looked into the eyes of his enemy, he saw the possessed faces of the CIS soldiers, ready to throw their lives without thought or regard. What could cause such possession?
The four fought for their lives for half a morning. Bevan’s confederation soldiers had finally reached the fiery battle-lines, and engaged with ferocity. The undulating plains filled with the sounds of crystal blades and shields clanging in a deathly singsong. Smoke from the fire filled their lungs. Was victory possible?
It was not to last. The sheer numbers of CIS soldiers swelled around the coloured shields of confederation soldiers, threatening to trap them from behind.
Bevan’s throat was dry from fighting in the heat. He rose high above the battle and signalled for Daimon and Lupi to join him.
“Kato, release the Treebith, now,” Bevan said.
Kato rose on her hind legs and roared across the plains and into Havendel itself.
“Look,” Daimon said in awe, “here they come.”
Across the plains came an impossible sight, a shaking forest that vibrated the hilly grasslands with each tree-step taken. As they drew closer, the rumbling pounded in Bevan’s ears.
“How did you get the Exotics of Earth Lore to agree to fight?” Bevan asked as Lupi joined him in flight.
“It was Emily,” Lupi yelled. “I think they felt guilt at what they put us through.”
They watched as the Treebith fortified the rear. As the enemy CIS soldiers filed around the bank of confederation soldiers, they were faced by giant moving trees that stomped them underfoot. Soon, however, the CIS soldiers surrounded and struck at each of the Treebith as groups. The Treebith, with millennia of life in their limbs, struck back, strangling the life out of the surprised enemy.
Bevan was impressed by the power of the reclusive beings. The trio of fliers touched down on the ground with Kato.
“What now?” Daimon said, wiping blood from his blue blade.
Bevan said with relief, “We hold them back. If we can keep this position for the rest of this day and this night, Emily can fulfil her destiny on the rise of the morrow’s sun.”
Kato growled, her honeyed voice dark with foreboding. “This has been too easy. The Melders have yet to arrive. And the Paytah? And where are the Faoir?”
“Clouds alive, Kato, that’s a bit grim. Perhaps they couldn’t breach the river. As you said, they hate crossing water.”
“Fear will not stop them,” Kato said. “They are possessed by a power greater than fear. It is only a matter of time.”
“It’s just for the rest of this day,” Daimon suggested hopefully, “and we felled Darius.”
“That bodes well,” Kato said, “but our true hope comes from the Agramond and the Styx—if they arrive.”
Lupi sniffed the air and said, “There is too much death filling my senses. I cannot see how far my Agramond are from us.”
Daimon said, “I just hope Magas is having luck with the Styx.”
Bevan nodded as he drank deeply from a water skin. He hoped Sabina would see sense and make it in time. He wiped blood and soot from his eyes and refocussed on a blue buzzing coming from being the enemy lines.
“Is that the Agramond?” Daimon said, also seeing the sky being filled like a blue and gold blanket being pulled over them.
Lupi gasped. “It’s… the Esa.”
“What are they?” Daimon said, igniting his blue blade again.
Bevan answered, “They are the giant dragonfly. And they are carrying soldiers.”
“They have the Faoir with them,” Kato said shaking her whiskers.
“We must help our soldiers.” Bevan swung his humming sky-chariot into the air.
Bevan was no longer afraid. He decided he might die here on this field fighting for this new purpose in his life; to protect the land which gave life to all. That was what the Lore was for, he thought: so they could devote themselves to tending that of which they were a part.
At first Bevan could not make out his enemy’s strategy. And suddenly it hit him. The Faoir, tenders of the Fire Lore; Exotics and sworn defenders of the land, were using their great power to cast fire blasts into the leaves of the gentle Treebith.
When the first Treebith burst alight, the others stopped in their tracks, bewildered. A cry ripped from Kato as she also realised what had happened.
“Lupi, blast them away,” Bevan screamed as he attacked the first of the Jalpari soldiers on the giant dragonflies.
Bevan continued in a blind rage as he felled a giant Esa, watching it spin from the sky. He struck another, and another. “Kato, intercept the Faoir blasts, protect the Treebith. Daimon, find the leader. He is controlling the Faoir.”
“What… do I… look for?” Daimon replied, his Thoughtspeak coming in panted bursts.
“I’m not sure. You’ll know,” Bevan replied.
> When Bevan saw the beauty of the Esa, he suddenly realised he could not bring himself to harm such a beautiful being again. Their ornate long tails dangled, their huge wings buzzed and their bulging saucer eyes smiled eternally at all who gazed on them. Then he saw that their red eyes were possessed. What could cause such darkness to strike at the hearts of Annwyn’s peace keepers?
Tears burned his eyes as he stopped striking the Esa and focussed on the red battle-suits of the CIS. Striking each solider individually took much longer and yielded less success, as the soldiers quickly saw Bevan’s self-imposed limitation and began hiding behind their Exotic carriers.
And through the dust an even greater horror filled his ears. A swarm of clicking and whining suddenly bit at his nerves. Across the river came the round black bodies of the giant fire-ants. Once they landed on this side, their speed surged on the solid grassy plains of Galdiel.
Bevan left his battle with the Esa, realising they were only a CIS distraction. The Paytah were always their objective.
With the breath of the Esa near his back, Bevan flew lower, hovering over the soldiers until he came upon the first wave of the Paytah. From the corner of his eye he saw Daimon draw alongside.
As tall as a house, the Paytah towered over their prey, casting shadows on the afternoon battlefield. Giant mandibles, the size of a carriage, rocked from side to side, two curved scimitars slicing soldiers caught in its grip. Flames spurted from the centre of its facial crevice where blackened bodies, sometimes two at a time, were devoured.
Although his arms ached from tiredness, Bevan wielded his blade relentlessly, crushing the scaly skulls of the bleating beasts. He had no time to think. The menace controlling the ants had turned them on him. One ant after another attacked him. He was their only threat. Daimon jumped by his side. The young soldier manoeuvred his sky-chariot like a Grael champion.
A Paytah bore down on Bevan from behind. Daimon saw this, and keeping one hand on the chariot he jumped onto the fire-ant and slid his CBlade into its round shell. In a blaze of blue power the shell cracked like an egg. As the ant toppled on the ground, Daimon leapt back into the chariot, slicing the head off the next fire-ant rising on its spindly limbs.
