The moment she passed the lip of the hole she opened her wings and tried to stop her rapid descent. Though unable to fly inside such a confined space, this did manage to significantly slow her fall. Even so, the landing still came with quite a heavy bump. Together with the pain from her earlier fall, she was forced to pause for a few seconds to recover.
With her concern for Ethan still driving her, she set off down the long hallway at full speed, her tiny talons clicking and scraping as she ran. Each turn she made now seemed guided. It was as if someone was constantly urging her in the right direction.
This was confirmed when she heard a sudden series of shouts echoing down the stone walls. The words were indistinguishable, but the voice was unmistakably Ethan’s. There was no mistaking the fury and despair in his cries, either. Panic gripped her and she urged herself to run even faster.
She entered a round chamber. There were twelve recesses in the wall to her left; eleven of these held unusual looking black crystals, the other one was empty. For a moment, all was silence. Then she heard Ethan speaking to someone beyond an archway on the opposite side.
Even the short distance to the next room seemed insurmountably long. And what she saw on arriving there gripped her heart in a cold vice. A pile of ash and scorched stones suggested that magic had been used recently to destroy a foe. Though Markus was nowhere to be seen, Ethan was standing there with his face a mask of torment and indecision. And almost unbelievably, directly in front of him with arms held wide and a twisted scowl on her face was an exact image of herself. Her human self.
Utterly confused, she couldn’t even begin to guess what had already transpired. All she could comprehend was the present. Her doppelganger was daring Ethan to kill her.
“It’s not me!” Kat shouted, but only the dragon’s call came out. “I’m right here! Ethan! Look at me!”
She tried to move in closer, but an unseen force blocked her way. She thrashed and struggled without success. Even an inch of headway felt impossible.
“Ethan! Please!”
At last she caught his attention. He turned his head and looked her directly in the eye, sending fierce elation running through her tiny body.
The force that had halted her was now trying to pull her away. Kat would not be denied. With her success giving her renewed strength, she broke free and lurched forward, constantly calling out a warning. For a fleeting moment, she thought she could feel him reaching back.
In this very instant of triumph, the all-consuming darkness returned.
“You have proved to be quite a nuisance,” a deep, hollow-sounding voice told her.
Kat could see nothing. Even so, she was uncomfortably aware of a malign presence close by. Too close. But she had no way to escape it.
“Who are you?” To her amazement, her normal voice had returned.
“I think you know.”
Yes, she did. And now she understood exactly what had happened. Moreover, she knew how it had happened. It was when she had touched the wounded Maytra. The contact had brought her closer to the power of Lumnia than even Keira believed possible. So much closer, in fact, it had enabled her to reach out across the void separating her from Ethan. She had peered into the heart of Lumnia where he now struggled for his very life…and she had helped him see through Shinzan’s deception.
“Help him? Is that what you think you have done?” snapped Shinzan. “All you have done is confuse him. Your little trick has shaken his very reason. And now he has likely doomed himself…and you too. He will never leave this place, and you can live with the knowledge that you are the one to blame.”
“You’re lying,” she shot back. “Ethan will beat you. I know he will.”
Shinzan sighed. “Poor stupid creature. Like the rest of your pathetic race, you believe that hope can save you. Let me enlighten you, child. Hope did not save any of the other worlds I have destroyed. The millions of other beings who have fallen to my power – they all had hope too. And every single one of them is now dead.”
Though his words struck at her deeply, her resolve refused to falter. “That means nothing. Those other worlds didn’t have Ethan Dragonvein.”
Shinzan laughed. “And very soon, neither will this one. Now, if you will excuse me, it is time this game came to an end. I cannot allow you to interfere any longer.”
A ghostly figure appeared a few feet away. She stepped backed, but the figure then transformed into a column of black flames that raced toward her, enveloping her entire body. Astonishingly, instead of the anticipated heat, it was bitter cold that tore unrelentingly into her flesh. At the same time, it felt as if all the air was being sucked from her lungs. The awful realization then came. Her connection to Lumnia was being torn away. Bit by bit, it was being consumed by Shinzan’s evil.
As much as she wanted to fight, she was totally helpless against the hunger. Yes! That’s what it was – a hunger. Eternal and incapable of ever being satisfied. The thought of Ethan doing battle with such malevolence was terrifying. How could anyone stand against it? In that moment, she understood exactly why he was resigned to his own death: because it was inevitable. There was only one way he could win, and it would take a man with Ethan’s heart to go through with it.
There was hope. But not the kind she desired. That was lost. And there was nothing she could do to change it.
* * * * *
Kat jerked upright, gasping for air. Her clothes were drenched in sweat, and her heart was racing wildly. Gradually, as the memory of what she had experienced entered the fog of her mind, she started to weep.
After a minute, not wanting her father to see her in such a state, she managed to choke back the tears. She could see that Keira was still sleeping soundly, as were her father and the rest of the tent’s occupants. She held out her hands to examine them and then touched at her face, half expecting to feel scales rather than flesh. She closed her eyes. Each second that passed was making her experience seem less real, even though deep in her heart she knew differently.
The camp was quiet. It was still early. How long had she been asleep? She knew she had stayed up late talking with her father about the good times he was planning after the war. Most of it centered around travel and leisure. Fantasies, really. As king, most of his time would be consumed with repairing the terrible destruction caused by the conflict. There was also the inescapable fact that half of Lumnia still supported the Emperor. They would somehow have to find a way of restoring good relations without plunging the world back into more endless battles: a challenging task, to say the least. That would be the reality of their post-war days. Still, it had been nice to dream for a short time.
With a sigh, Kat rose and crossed over to the tent’s exit. A stiff breeze blew in when she lifted the flap, causing her to wrap her arms around her chest. She hadn’t realized it was so cold outside, but now she could see that a light snow had blanketed the ground. In the dim predawn light, everything around her radiated softly with a mystical glow, bringing an instinctive smile to her lips.
Returning to her bedroll, she put on her boots and draped the blanket over her shoulders. There was no chance she would fall back to sleep, not with the strange images still so fresh in her head. After stepping outside, she began walking aimlessly about the camp. The brisk air felt cleansing, as if it could help to rid her of evil thoughts and foul deeds.
After a short time, she came across King Halvar. He was sitting on a stool beside the remnants of a campfire, poking at the embers with a stick. He looked up as she drew close. “I see I’m not the only one unable to sleep.”
“Bad dreams,” she explained.
The king rose with a heavy grunt. “I can’t abide the cold. Just another thing I miss about my home. No foul weather there.”
“This isn’t so bad,” Kat told him. “Wait until you see a real blizzard.”
He chuckled. “I hope I never do. I prefer the depths of the mountains to all this…openness.” He gestured for her to join him as he began walking along at
a leisurely pace.
“I imagine this is difficult for your people,” Kat remarked.
“Actually, I’m surprised how well many have adapted to the change,” he replied. “As you know, we didn’t always live underground. I think for some, being outside has stirred feelings that have lain dormant within their hearts. A sense of freedom, perhaps.”
Kat could hear the melancholy in the dwarf king’s voice. “Does it bother you?”
“In a way...yes. I can already see that the way of life I was hoping to preserve will soon be gone.” He gave her a sideways smile. “You and your people – and the elves – have all seen to that. It will be hard for old relics like me to find their place in the world once the war is over.”
“I don’t think you’re a relic.”
“That’s because you have a kind heart, my dear.” He looked at her and laughed softly. “Do not be concerned. I have come to terms with it. I know that what lies ahead is better than what we have now. I will continue to lead my people, but only for a time. It will be the next generation, not mine, that defines what a dwarf is to become in the future.”
He ceased walking for a moment. “And that’s for the best. Until you and Ethan came, I had never known a single day without the yoke of Shinzan around my neck. The children of the new world will not be burdened with such tragedy. They will be free to explore and grow. Free to form new bonds of friendship with all the peoples of Lumnia. For that, I am truly happy. By then, I will no longer be needed.”
Kat touched his shoulder. “Don’t say that. Your people love you. Besides, not everything will change.”
“Yes, they love me,” he agreed. “And I have no doubt that I will be remembered. But it will be as a warrior king, not as a wise ruler. The songs about me will be of the battles I have fought and of the bravery of those who fought by my side. I must be contented with this.” He took hold of Kat’s hand and they continued walking. “There are worse fates, I suppose. To be remembered at all is a gift. One that few receive.”
They moved on until reaching the edge of the camp where the sentries were keeping a vigilant watch. Kat paused to look out over the snow-dusted hills. Halvar’s melancholy words had made her start to wonder about her own future. Ethan would prevail; she was still sure of that. And when he did…what then? She had no desire to inherit the throne of Ralmaria, even though she knew that was precisely what her father would be expecting.
The rapid beating of hooves snapped her back into the moment. One elf and two human soldiers were already gathering close to her and the king, while six dwarves hurried out to meet the approaching rider.
It was one of the many scouts sent to spy on the movement of the Imperial army. Since the first battle it had been difficult to anticipate what they might do. Their march was relentless and swift. And though they had more than enough men to turn and fight, they had chosen to stay well ahead. What’s more, the distance between the two armies was growing. None of the allied commanders believed they were fleeing. But their objective remained a mystery.
The rider jumped from his saddle and bowed, then held out a folded note.
“This is from Queen Berathis, Your Highness,” he said.
Halvar read the message immediately. A smile quickly formed. “Her army marches to join us,” he said. “And Lynial rides with them.”
“There is more,” said the messenger. “I spoke to Lady Keira’s scouts. They wish me to convey that the Imperial army has now split in two. The silent ones continue marching north, but the rest of their force has been left behind.”
The implications of this were immediately apparent in Halvar’s expression. His smile faded. “Come,” he said briskly to Kat. “We must rouse Keira and your father at once.”
Chapter Eighteen
Ethan gazed down from the hilltop, horror struck by the devastation stretching out before him. As far as the eye could see, not a hint of life was visible, not even the ruined stumps of trees or the bones of the animals that had once roamed the forests. The destruction was absolute.
“What do you think?” Shinzan was standing beside him, now in the form of his father.
“What am I seeing?”
“This is what your world will soon look like,” he replied. “This is its fate.”
“Not if you’re dead.”
Shinzan shook his head, chuckling. “You still think you can defeat me. After everything you have seen, you still cling to that sliver of hope. I will admit that you have given me more trouble than most. But in the end, your efforts will be useless. Worse than that – they will be forgotten. That is the measure of your worth, is it not? How long you are remembered? I, on the other hand, do not care about such petty concepts.”
“You think I care about who remembers me?”
“No. You are not like the rest of your feeble race. You would sacrifice everything for the sake of lesser beings.” Shinzan huffed a laugh. “Actually, that is even more pathetic.”
“In your eyes, maybe. But all you do is torture people, ruin lives, and spread pain and death. What’s more pathetic than that?”
Shinzan shrugged. “A mere distraction. Nothing more. Mortal lives are inconsequential. I am eternal. I will never cease to be. When I kill your kind, I do nothing more than cause the inevitable to happen a bit sooner.” He gestured to the ruined landscape. “Not even Lumnia is forever. Had I not come, it would still end as you see it now. Is it not better to have served a purpose? One that will endure forever?”
“You really think you’re immortal?”
“Of course I am. I have watched the birth of stars and then watched them die a million of your mortal lifetimes later. I have traveled distances so vast that your tiny mind could not possibly fathom the concept. The ocean of the cosmos is my true home, and I shall return there when I am done with this world. All trace of you and your people will have disappeared. It will be as if you never existed. Only I will remember you, and for that you should be grateful. At least there is one place that you will endure for eternity.” He tapped his head with his finger and smiled.
“You are not God,” Ethan retorted. “You may think you are. But to me, you’re just a disease. One I intend to cure.”
“God?” scoffed Shinzan. “The primitive notion of an all-powerful creator has always amused me. Why do some mortals cling to such ridiculous ideas?” He let out a sigh. “Comfort, I suppose. To give your life meaning when none exists. If there were a God, would it not stop me?”
Ethan gave him a sideways glance and grinned. “Maybe God is stopping you.”
“Then it must truly care for Lumnia above all other worlds, for I have never been stopped before.” Shinzan gave a flick of the wrist. “But why waste time? I did not come here to debate with you. Nor to convince you of what you already know in your heart to be true.”
“Then why are we here?”
“You will see.”
* * * * *
“Please,” begged Kat. “You have to stop this.”
Ethan was standing inside a large chamber. A circular table in the center had various maps and other random papers scattered about its top. Sitting around this, in addition to Kat, were six men all bearing the crest of Ralmaria. Five of these he did not recognize, though King Yularian he most certainly did. He was facing his daughter, red-faced and furious.
Shinzan was alongside Ethan. “Don’t worry,” he said. “They can’t see us.” He leaned slightly forward to look at the empty space on Ethan’s far side. “Isn’t that so?”
The same young woman he had seen at the gate before entering the heart of Lumnia appeared beside him. She wore an expression of great anguish, with eyes downcast and hands folded inside the sleeves of her gown.
“She does not enjoy speaking to me,” Shinzan added with an almost boyish smirk.
“What is this?” Ethan demanded.
His enemy did not reply. Instead, he pointed over to the scene unfolding before them.
Yularian responded to his daughter’s plea. �
��I have no choice, Katyana.”
“Yes, you do,” she contended hotly. “You can give Ethan a chance to negotiate.”
He sniffed. “Ethan has betrayed us once already. I will not allow him the opportunity to do so again.”
“He was only trying to prevent a war,” she said, tears beginning to well in her eyes. “You must know that.”
“And he does this by killing the King of Kytain? Tell me, how does murder prevent war?”
“It wasn’t murder,” she shot back. “He had no choice. King Jadris had already attacked three elf settlements. And he was planning to do the same to a fourth.”
“There is no evidence of this. Only the word of the elves.”
“And mine,” she added.
Yularian sighed heavily. “I know you love him. Believe me, I wish more than anything that things hadn’t turned out this way. But there is no turning back.” He reached over to place his hands on her shoulders and then sighed when she leaned away. “I’m sorry, Katyana. My decision is made. Ethan Dragonvein has been declared an enemy of Ralmaria, and soon Al’ Theona will join with us in our cause.”
“Lynial will never go along with this,” she said. “He’ll never fight his own cousin.”
“Lynial Dragonvein will –”
The general just to his left cleared his throat, stopping the king in mid-sentence. “I think that is perhaps a matter best discussed later, Your Highness. Don’t you?”
Yularian flashed an angry glance at the man. Then, after a moment’s reflection, he nodded. “Yes. You are right.” He turned back to Kat. “I ask that you do not return to Kytain. I want you to stay here until this business is settled.”
“You know I won’t do that,” she snapped. “I leave first thing in the morning.” She rose sharply and headed toward the door, pausing just as she touched the knob. “And Father…if you go through with this, I swear you will never see me again.”
Dragonvein Book Five Page 24
