The vibrations beneath everyone’s feet from the rapid marching of heavy boots said that the pair had arrived not a moment too soon. Halvar ordered a nearby soldier to have them escorted to where the archers were positioned.
Kat was saying something to Lynial. The two of them then turned toward the trees and spread their arms wide. Ganix was half-expecting to see something spectacular, but nothing happened. After a few seconds the pair simply spun back to face the mountain and ran at a quick pace up the road. As instructed, the soldier brought the duo to where the archers waited. Both Ganix and Halvar went to greet them. They were joined along the way by Yularian and Keira, then latterly by Lady Thora.
Kat embraced the elf woman fondly. “Where are Asta and Maile?” she immediately asked.
“Safe in the tunnels for now,” she was told, though it was a poor attempt by Lady Thora to conceal her anxiety over being separated from them.
Ganix introduced himself to Lynial and then greeted Kat with a low bow.
“And to think I was resigned to die today,” he said.
“We still may,” remarked Halvar. “The silent ones are the fiercest of opponents.”
“Lynial and I have left them a little present,” said Kat. “It should slow them down a bit.”
“What kind of present?” asked Halvar.
The two mages exchanged knowing glances. “You’ll see soon enough,” Kat replied.
The thunder of boots was now very close indeed. But this time there would be no trumpet call. No war cries. Only silent death inexorably pressing forward.
Halvar excused himself and hurried to the rear line. Much as he hated standing back, if things went as they hoped, he would never get near to the fighting this time. Their battle plan was simple, and able commanders had been distributed throughout the ranks. This would allow them to make any adjustments to their formations immediately should they be needed.
At that moment, the first wave of enemy soldiers appeared from within the forest. For now the trees made it impossible to gauge their exact numbers or their plan of attack. It didn’t matter. Halvar was certain of their intent anyway. No sane army would ever attempt a wide, full frontal assault under these conditions. Even if they were forced into attacking head-on, they would first seek to create a narrow wedge in the defense lines before expanding. But this was not a sane army. These soldiers were not hampered by fear and doubt. They would ram through like some unstoppable behemoth – sapping the courage of all those who stood before them. Even now he could feel the odd effect their presence had on people. But this time he was prepared for it, as were his men. They would not succumb again to their evil influence.
As the silent ones breached the trees, an earsplitting snap caused the defenders to jump. In a flash of green light, the ground beneath the enemy opened up, allowing giant flames to spew forth. Within moments all the trees at the perimeter were blazing, encasing dozens of soldiers in fiery magic. As the fire spread to bar the path of those following, the advance halted for a time.
“A present indeed,” Halvar remarked, chuckling.
Cheers arose from their ranks, but they were short lived. The instant the flames died away, the enemy charged forward. Even many of those who had been badly burned by the fire joined in with the assault. A sizzle of arrows fell from overhead as the elf archers released their missiles. However, unlike the previous encounter, the silent ones were this time all bearing shields. Though some arrows found their mark, many more were deflected.
Kat and Lynial found themselves fully occupied sending fire and lightning deep into the enemy center. Yet even this did not slow their approach. The living merely ran over the dead as if they were nothing more than twigs on the ground.
When the two armies clashed, the ringing of steel was deafening. For a time, it was shield to shield mayhem. In the beginning, the defenders held the advantage of both high ground and strength in numbers. But as a never-ending tide of more silent ones kept pouring out of the forest and pressing in, Halvar knew that this was liable to quickly change. If they were driven back any great distance, the road leveled off for several hundred yards before entering the mountain. That’s when the sheer numbers of the invaders could – or more likely would – overpower them.
Watching helplessly, he could only hope that his people would hold.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Ethan bent down and scooped up a handful of sand. As he watched it slip through his fingers, he thought of all the days he had spent worrying over inconsequential things. If only he had understood how precious each second of life really was. He then cracked a smile as a fresh perspective formed. On the other hand, perhaps it was the wasted moments as much as anything else that molded us. Frivolous pursuits and mindless joys. He brushed away the remaining sand. Well, there would be no more of that for him.
The towers of Shinzan’s palace beckoned. The city surrounding it was filled with the silent ones. He could feel them now; he could feel everything Shinzan had touched. Not that he feared them at all. This fight was between himself and Shinzan. He doubted the Emperor would try to hinder his coming. It would do him no good anyway. Now that he had been touched by Lumnia, dispatching the inhabitants of Noel would be the simplest of matters if it became necessary.
The heat in the pit of his stomach was growing stronger. As well as being his own death sentence, it was also the salvation of Lumnia. The effort to bear it was immense. Constantly it was threatening to burst forth and spill itself upon the tainted sands. But he could not allow it to break free. Not yet.
As he reached the border of the city, he saw the silent ones standing on either side of the road in a perfect line. Their dead eyes and expressionless faces were as soulless as the demon who had created them. Poor bastards. Snatched from their lives and twisted into something foul and evil. If there was anything at all of who they once were left clinging inside, killing them would be a mercy.
The streets of Noel were immaculate, as were the buildings. Sterile. Yes, that was an accurate description. Without life or substance. None of the flavor that normal people gave to a place. New York might have been dirty and often smelled terrible, but it had character. Even the dirt and grime was somehow a part of its charm. It was evidence of life. He had never looked at his home city in this way before. His mother had complained constantly about the filth. But his father…he’d loved every inch of its streets. Here in Noel there was nothing; the place had been scrubbed clean of its soul. Ethan considered what this said about Shinzan. Why would he prefer this to a city teeming with life? After all, life was what he fed upon.
“He hates it,” he muttered to himself. “That’s why. He hates his need for it.”
The promenade leading to the palace’s broad staircase was guarded by a line of men in gleaming gold armor, each one carrying a silver-tipped spear from which hung a small banner bearing the Imperial crest. As Ethan drew near, they parted to either side with military precision. It looked like he was being given an honor guard. If the situation had not been so utterly dire, he would have laughed out loud.
A man in tattered white robes came down the steps to greet him. His haggard appearance and sagging shoulders told of someone who’d suffered many years of constant abuse. Not surprising at all. Shinzan would be sure to have kept at least a few unaltered humans around to torture. Creating untold sorrow and anguish meant nothing to him, it was merely a way to occupy the hours. Not for the first time, Ethan began to wonder how such a despicable being had come into existence. Surely Shinzan had a beginning – a birth. Were there others like him? Somewhere in the far reaches of the stars, did an entire world of such foul and unbelievably powerful beings live? The thought was truly terrifying.
The man bowed. “Greetings, Lord Dragonvein. I am Vraylic. The Eternal Emperor Shinzan has been eagerly awaiting your arrival and has sent me to guide you.”
“Is that right?” remarked Ethan. “Where is he?”
“In his throne room,” Vraylic answered. “You will be with
him soon. I am to ask if there is anything you require before your meeting. The Emperor was quite insistent that you be well rested and comfortable before your business with him is concluded.”
Ethan sniffed. “How kind of him. But I am rested enough. It’s time to get this over with.”
“Very well.” After bowing once again, he led Ethan up to the main entrance.
The doors were swung wide open, revealing more golden clad guards standing to attention on either side.
“You are Shinzan’s servant?” Ethan asked, as they twisted their way through the labyrinth of chambers and hallways.
“Yes, My Lord,” he replied. “Very regrettably so.”
“How did you end up here?”
“I was an officer in the Imperial army.” He gave a lopsided smile. “Nothing more than a clerk, really. I joined to curry favor with the Emperor in the hope of raising my family’s status. But as you can see, it did not work out the way I had planned.”
“I’m sorry.” In spite of the fact that this man had chosen to serve Shinzan, Ethan felt genuine pity for him. “What will you do once your master is gone?”
Vraylic huffed a laugh. “I have not thought about it, to be honest. And I doubt it will do me any good to think about it now. I know who you are and why you’ve come. But regardless of how powerful you are, you are no match for him. No one is.”
“Don’t be so sure.”
“You are very brave, but also very foolish. Don’t misunderstand me – I would love nothing more than for you to destroy Shinzan. And if you do succeed in this, no one will be more indebted to you than I. Nonetheless, I greatly fear that this will be your last day in this world. You just don’t know what he is capable of. The things I have seen are beyond description.”
Ethan dismissed the warning with a flick of the hand. “Let me worry about what he is capable of. Still, one thing does surprise me. You say that you want him dead out loud. Aren’t you afraid of what he’ll do to you if he hears you?”
Vraylic shrugged. “I have nothing left but my life. And if he wants that, let him take it. He knows full well how much I hate him. I couldn’t hide it even if I wanted to.”
“Then why haven’t you tried to escape?”
“I have my reasons.” Vraylic halted and pointed to a tall staircase. “The throne room is on the other side of the archway at the top of these stairs.” He started move away. “Good luck, Lord Dragonvein. I truly mean that.”
Ethan nodded his appreciation. “Have faith. I may surprise you.”
Ethan turned toward the stairs and took a long breath. He knew he should have been nervous and afraid. Instead, all he could feel was a sense of peace washing over him. His heartbeat slowed to a steady rhythm. The heat of Lumnia’s power dwelling inside him was now stronger than it had been even only a few minutes ago. Soon it would be completely beyond his ability to contain. Somehow, though, he would hold on to it until the moment was right. He had to.
The archway was familiar, as was the throne room itself. Martok had projected himself here just after helping Ethan to escape the palace dungeons in what now seemed like such a long time ago. He stopped beneath the keystone. Everything was the same as before. He regarded the dimensions and spacing between the massive columns, all of which might possibly be important features during the impending fight. His eyes then shifted forward.
At the far end of the room, sitting with one leg tossed carelessly over the arm of his throne, was Shinzan. Still in the body of Jake, his hair was oiled and pushed well back, and he was wearing a casual-looking blue shirt together with black trousers. A sword with a jewel-encrusted scabbard leaned beside him. With a small flick of his hand, he produced a cushioned chair a few yards in front of the throne.
“Unless you are in a hurry, do please sit,” he called.
Ethan crossed over to the chair and examined it carefully.
Shinzan laughed. “There is nothing to fear…yet. I am not so foolish as to think simple tricks would work on the likes of you.”
Ethan took a seat, his arms folded across his chest. “So you want to talk first?”
“I want to savor the moment,” he corrected. “This will be the last time I am faced with a challenge.”
“You’re about to be faced with more than that,” Ethan retorted quickly.
Shinzan smiled. “Yes. I was hoping you would come to me unafraid. It will make your fall that much sweeter. And I am impressed by how well you did when confronted by my spiritual self, even though in truth it has never been my best attribute. Sadly, it was necessary to divide myself in order to consume the energy of this world. I won’t bore you with the details. Not that you would understand them anyway. But Lumnia has put up quite a bit of resistance. You are her final bid for survival.”
“A shame I wasn’t her first,” said Ethan.
Shinzan tilted his head. “Why so angry? This is what you wanted, is it not? A final confrontation between good and evil. A battle to the death for the lives of all the people of Lumnia. In a moment, you will get what you have been seeking. That should make you happy.” He rubbed his chin. “It makes me wonder what goes on in that mortal brain of yours. Revenge, for sure. And fury, without question. But there is something else, isn’t there?”
“You wouldn’t understand what I’m thinking, even if I told you,” Ethan replied. “I know who and what you are. You think you’re the first person to think they’re a god? You’ve convinced yourself that you’re immortal, and you use it as an excuse to be cruel. You think power gives you the right to do whatever you want to people. But I can see through you. I may not be the brightest man in the world, but I know exactly what I see when I look at you.”
Shinzan scowled and flicked his wrist. “You could not possibly fathom the depths of my existence. I have seen things that would drive you to madness. You are a mere speck in the ocean of time. What could you possibly know about me?”
“I know that someone has hurt you. And whoever it was, you want revenge. More than anything, you want to hurt them back. But for whatever reason, you can’t.” Ethan wasn’t quite sure from where this sudden insight had sprung, but seeing the change in Shinzan’s expression told him that he had struck home – and hard.
“Maybe you’re not strong enough,” he continued. “Yes! That’s it, isn’t it? Someone hurt you, but instead of moving on like normal people, you hurt others to try and make yourself feel more powerful. That way you never need to feel weak…like you did when you were hurt.”
He shook his head. “You’re no god. I can see it now. You’re nothing but an abused child who grew up filled with fear and hate. And no matter how many people you kill or how many worlds you devour, that’s all you will ever be. Even if you kill me, that won’t change. Tell me. Who was it? Your mother? No. It was your father, wasn’t it?” He could see Shinzan’s fists clenching. “That’s it. You want revenge because your father hurt you. I’m right, aren’t I?”
With tiny veins bulging from the brow of his inflamed face, Shinzan glared at him for a second. A single word then flew from his mouth like a frenzied scream.
“Enough!”
In spite of his goading, Ethan was still astonished at the violence of the reaction. He had been talking purely on instinct, but it was now obvious that he’d come at least somewhere close to the truth. He leapt from his chair.
Shinzan was on the attack almost before the sound of his scream had faded. A great serpent appeared at Ethan’s feet, hissing loudly and rising up ready to strike. He responded by giving a smart slap to the snake’s body that immediately froze it into place, while at the same time using his other hand to send a violent blast of air at the Emperor’s throne, completely upending both it and its occupant.
His opponent was back on his feet in an instant, snarling and with black flames erupting from both extended arms. Ethan threw up a quick protection spell just before they would have struck him dead on. The serpent was consumed in an instant, and despite his protection, Ethan still found hims
elf sent flying more than twenty feet across the marble floor. The force from this attack was far more intense than anything he had experienced in their previous fight – no doubt because of Shinzan being so close to the source of his power.
He needed to get close; that was the uppermost thing on his mind. Springing up, he made a dash toward a huge marble pillar, with Shinzan’s attacks chasing him the entire way. Once behind this, he pressed his back flat and waited for a moment. As expected, the column quickly began to crumble from the top. He spun and waved his arms in a wide circle. The falling hunks of rock halted just above his head.
“You can’t hide, Dragonvein,” roared Shinzan.
Ethan stepped back a couple of paces and concentrated in anticipation of what he felt sure must be coming next. He was right. The remainder of the column now exploded apart, throwing a huge mass of jagged rock directly at him. Only a few small pieces were able to penetrate the wall of force he had erected in front of himself, but still they hurt, digging deep into his legs and shoulders – the weakest points on his defense. The vast majority either passed harmlessly by or were captured in the mass already trapped overhead, adding more ammunition to his gambit.
“Larz Fyzal!” he bellowed.
In a sudden reversal, the chunks of marble raced straight toward Shinzan, who instantly threw up his arms, causing a protective barrier of violet light to appear around himself. However, just before the onrushing rocks reached this barrier, they transformed into a cloud of blue mist.
This was the moment. Ethan’s legs burst into life and he ran headlong at his foe. As he advanced, the mist began to ripple and bend, so creating tiny sparks that shot out from within to repeatedly attack Shinzan’s protection. He tried to urge his legs ever faster. A mere second or so longer of this distraction – that was all he needed.
Dragonvein Book Five Page 29
