“The defenses are ready,” said a soldier to Kat.
Kat did not verbally acknowledge the soldier, for she doesn’t speak unless she deems it absolutely necessary. She just stared into the distance at the hazy cluster of drakes flew within a mile of the wall at midday. Something didn’t feel right. What would they attack in broad daylight? Why wouldn’t they come at night when they are the most dangerous? No, something wasn’t right. As she continued to stare at the approaching wings, she began to realize that the drakes were much smaller than any she has seen before, in fact, they weren’t drakes at all. As they grew closer, she could now clearly see that they were in fact Griffins from the land of the Ela, and at the forefront, flew one of the fabled Angels.
“Stand down men,” said Kat, almost disappointed it wasn’t the Dragonkin, “false alarm. Retreat to the courtyard so that we may receive our expected guests.”
As Kat and her highly trained soldiers retreated to the inner courtyard, Alandra was the first to land her Griffin, with Glammdreing and Krendweil landing behind her with the rest of the party of Skyborns. Alandra quickly dismounted, and walked directly up to the burly woman, and punched her right in the jaw. To receive such a blow from the powerful Keeper would knock any man to the ground, but the massive woman’s head barely turned. As her head came back around, she returned the favor, and punched Alandra equally hard. The Keeper had the same reaction as they both stared into each other’s eyes with intensity. Everyone around them was completely bewildered for a moment, before Alandra and Kat began laughing.
They then roughly embraced as Alandra said, “I see you haven’t lost you strength one bit, Kat.”
Kat replied, “I see that you are still disgustingly beautiful, then again, you don’t age.”
“Trust me, it’s not always what it’s imagined to be,” said Alandra as she slapped Kat on the shoulder. “Come on, old friend, you going to show me to a drink or not?”
Laughing, Kat said, “Like you don’t already know where the bar is.”
“Fair enough,” replied Alandra as she led the way into the castle.
Glammdreing, slightly amiss that he hasn’t been acknowledged yet, he interjected, “The time for such indulgences can wait, I must speak with the Lady of the Castle.”
Kat turned to face the Angel, and replied with a stern look, “You’re looking at her.”
Taken aback, and in no mood for games, the Angel replied, “You? You are Lady Katlyn of Brithehallow?”
“What, am I not what you expected Angel? Are your eyes going to be able to resist my rugged charm?” sarcastically answered Kat.
Alandra shouted back, “Ignore her Glammdreing, she’s just an old bitter sow, you get used to it. However, she is who she says she is, so let’s get on with it.”
Forcing civility, Glammdreing said, “Of course, my apologies milady, after you.”
Cracking a smile, Kat then slapped the Angel on the shoulder, and said, “You know what? I like you and your fanciness. Come on, have a drink with your new friend Kat, for it’s not every day that one gets to meet an Angel!”
Glammdreing was not used to being treated with such lack of respect and disobedience, but knew that now was not the time or place to educate the Lady of the Castle on manners. Instead, he followed silently with Krendweil right behind him. They retreated to a large meeting room towards the center of the castle to prepare for the next leg of their journey while they waited for the Kain’s Guard and the Golden Army to arrive near the end of the day. Meanwhile, not too far away from the castle, an Angel of the Ela stands at the edge of a towering cliff, broken and alone.
As the shades of gray that surround her deepen the drudgery of her attempts to persuade the Jailors for help, Teeca stands overlooking one of the many bottomless trenches of the Razor Hills. Her unmanaged and uncharacteristically frizzled hair wisps around her stoic and blank face as her failure weighs heavy on her heart. She still feels the effects of the Jailor’s power deep in her soul. It was as if the Jailor stole every happy memory or good feeling, and now there was nothing left but sorrow and despair. Memories that she has kept hidden for centuries now arise once again, with one more so than others. She watches as she hands over her baby girl to a stranger of Kain, and with it, her heart. She never forgave herself for giving up the one thing that she loved more than anything else in her long existence, and the pain is now almost unbearable. Could this be it? Could this be the thing that breaks her? She has soared the heavens and walked the earth for almost five thousand years, and now, she has no time. She has fought the wars of the heavens and the earth, before Kranos even rose out of the seas, and now, she has no answers. She was once selected to be the Archangel of the god Eillea, but now, she has no power. Is this how her legacy ends? Bested by the one thing she has no power over… death and shadow. She is so consumed in thought, that she doesn’t even sense the presence of the shade Dreyvan appear behind her.
“I am sorry,” said the teen, “I thought for sure the Jailors would help, this is all my fault.”
Teeca, now aware of his arrival, turned around, and said with heavy words, “Do not trouble yourself with such convictions young one. I too was confident in our plight, though now I see that I was wrong to assume so much, and realize so little. Your heart is already burdened beyond its capacity, and there is simply no room to add this on top.” She then walked closer to his translucent body and raised her hand to his cheek. Though she could not feel it, she gently brushed it as if it was real. “I wish I could help you, but I don’t have the power to change anything it seems of late. I would have you returned to Aya, so you may forever walk the white beaches of the endless sea, or climb the golden stair until you sit with the gods themselves.”
Dreyvan smiled at the Angel’s words, then said, “What if you did?”
Teeca said nothing, and just falsely smiled back.
“What if you had the power to? You said that you don’t have the power to help me, but you can.”
Not fully understanding, Teeca asked, “How do you mean?”
Dreyvan hesitated for a moment before he replied, “What if I was able to give you the power to control the shadow? Then you would be able to defeat the Shade Lord, and set us all free.”
Intrigued, but cautious, Teeca responded, “Look, I know you want to help, but the Jailors were our only hope. There is no other that can control the shadow, not even someone as brave as you.”
“No, there IS a way, for I am shadow myself!” he insisted. “The Shade Lord was the one that brought me back to this world, so a part of him is inside of me. My body may be long gone, but yours is not.”
“I don’t understand,” replied the Angel.
Slightly apprehensive to say his offer out loud, Dreyvan continued, “If I allowed the Shade’s power inside of me to be absorbed into you, then you would be given a part of his power, and I know that you are wise enough to know how to wield it.”
Teeca was taken aback by the suggestion, and asked, “Even if this was possible, what would happen to you?”
Emotion filled the teen’s face as he answered, “It would mean the end of me, for my soul is entangled in his power. Without it, I cannot hope to stay in this world.”
Teeca shook her head as she said, “No, I couldn’t possibly ask you to do that, for it could mean that you will never rise to Aya where you belong.”
Dreyvan smiled sadly as he replied, “I truly thank you for your kindness, I don’t believe that I would have received it from anyone else, but I have spent more than ten lifetimes waiting to be released from the hell I was sent to. Now that I have, all I wish for now is to be at peace. Allow me to rest, once and for all. Just promise me that you will destroy the Shade Lord, and if you get the chance, let Alvane’s treachery be known to the other gods. Maybe my people will yet one day see the white beaches you speak of, or climb the golden stairs. I shall now rest with that beautiful thought as my last. Farewell, kind Angel of Aya.”
There was still so many things T
eeca wanted to say, but the overwhelming emotions of it all caused her tongue to become silent. All she could do was look into his hazy tear-filled translucent eyes. Then, his see-through body blurred and broke apart until he was no more than a black cloud of smoke surrounding the Angel of the Forest. She could almost hear the word ‘farewell’ echo through the haze as it slowly began to seep into her soul. The residual darkness that remained from the Jailor’s power was replaced with a new darkness, one she has never felt before. She did not feel hatred and death as she did before, but instead a sense of goodness and purity from the Drykan’s soul, mixed with a new sensation of power. Her tattoos turned from purple to black, and her skin grew paler and porcelain. As the infusion continued, she revealed her wings, which also began to transform. The deep purple feathers that made up her wings singed away, and were replaced with a nearly invisible illusion of them. Her new wings held the same hazy appearance of the shade teen. Even the dress and armor she was wearing changed to a brooding black and grew more weathered and worn. As the transformation was nearly complete, Teeca held up her hand and looked at her three rings. They appeared as if they were melting and forged themselves into a new unified piece of jewelry that covered her entire hand, almost like a glove. Solid black and as shiny as Shadestone, it was just as beautiful and elegant as the rings, but held a more commanding presence. Teeca both feared and revered her transformation as she felt her new power over the shadows. Just as she was able to feel the good, whether it be in the trees or the life around her, she now also felt the pain and sorrow in the same things. The time for learning the full extent of her new powers, however, must wait, for now was the time to finish what she started. Now was the time to kill the Lord of the Shades, and rid the world of his poisonous reign… forever.
It is nearing sundown at Brithehallow as Kalorah and the King of Kain arrive, followed by the Golden Army and the Kain’s Guard. Alandra and Glammdreing have spent the past several hours going over everything the scouts of the castle have discovered. The migration of Drykans have been taking the coastal road to avoid interference from the Kain. The scouts reported several hundred, if not thousands of Drykans traveling from Drokkin to the claimed former capital of Kain. The Kain and Ela’s army will stay at Brithehallow to gain as much food and sleep as they can, for on the following morning they will be traveling to the outskirts of Menethiel to prepare their attack. According to the scouts, the road north is clear of Drykan presence. The company will sleep well tonight in the safety of Brithehallow, for it might be their last. They all chose to mentally prepare for the battle to come in their own way, whether it be praying, or simple reflection on their life so far, making the thought of dying easier knowing that their life brought them and others fulfillment. As the alliance of Kain and Ela rest, Bargokk returns to the fallen capital after he successfully gained the Krocklin’s allegiance.
It was nearing dusk in the city of Menethiel. The clouds above the city grow dark, blanketing the sky. No moon can be seen this night. The Red Dragon gracefully descends upon the city and lands on the large oval platform outside the Throne Room. As he lands, he transforms into his human form. He walks towards the Throne Room as Calthrog opens the doors and walks outside to meet Bargokk as he approaches.
“Welcome back,” Calthrog said to Bargokk, “what news do you bring of the Krocklin?”
“It is good to be back,” replied Bargokk, “and I bring good news with me. The Krocklin fell for your offer. They agreed to attack the Mines. They should be nearing them as we speak.”
Calthrog smiled and said, “Well done my brother, well done. Our plan is almost complete. Come, let’s take council.”
Bargokk followed him as they walked towards the newly renovated Throne Room.
As they enter through the double doors, Bargokk says, “So, what is the status of the city and the assault on the Kain? Any news from the Shade or Lorkath?”
“We have received no news of Krin and his party,” replied Calthrog, “but Krog and his charge have taken over most of the villages to the west. Every day, more and more captured Kain arrive at the camps. On the matter of the Shade or our risen King, however, I’m afraid I still have no news… none.”
Bargokk grew in frustration as he said, “I told you from the beginning that the Shade was not to be trusted. This just proves my…”
“…Proves your what?!” suddenly came a dark voice from behind them.
The two Generals quickly turned to face the voice as a thick black cloud spiraled and conformed into a tall being, but it was not the Shade Lord… rather the risen King, Lorkath.
The two Generals were left speechless at the King’s sudden and unexpected arrival.
“Did you honestly think that we would abandon our plight to destroy the world of Kain?” said Lorkath as he slowly walked towards the Generals.
Calthrog finally replied, “No, it’s just that we haven’t seen or heard from the Shade since the capital fell, nor from you. You cannot expect us to think anything else after his unannounced departure.”
Lorkath stared at the Generals for a moment, and then shook his head as he walked over to the Throne. “I guess I cannot. With that being said, I think you will be pleased with what I have to tell you.” Lorkath then sat down on the Throne as he paused.
Bargokk said impatiently, “Well, go on then. What news do you bring? Where is the Shade?”
The risen King took a moment before he spoke, as if to grow the anticipation. He finally said, “Archimus destroyed the Golden Oak of the Ela, and killed the Keeper of the Staff. Shortly after that, he raised an army of shades to attack the Ela and bring destruction upon their precious forest. He also gave life once more to my dear Overlords. He has given me the power to defeat any foe that may threaten our rightfully acquired new capital. With me, I bring an army of shades that will quickly squash the resistance that is coming our way. The White Queen has joined with the King of Kain, and believes that her Golden Army will be strong enough to defeat the Dragonkin, but she is a fool to believe so. No one is more powerful than the Dragonkin, and soon, we will prove that with the swift justice of our might!”
The Generals were speechless as they gazed upon their King with a long-forgotten sense of pride and respect, but also doubted his words of the Kain and Ela’s union.
Calthrog swallowed and cleared his throat as he replied, “If what you say is true, my King, I apologize for my doubt. He has done a great service to the Dragonkin, and it will not be forgotten. As a reward, he may have claim over the lands of the Ela once they are defeated. Where is Archimus now? I would like to confirm your words.”
“He resides in the Black City for fear that the Jailors will be convinced to side with the Angels,” answered Lorkath. “I do not know what his future will hold, but we must now focus on ours. There is no lie in my words… the resistance will attack soon, and we need to be ready.”
Calthrog replied, “So… King Daane has joined forces with the Angels and wishes to reclaim his fallen capital and give unjustified justice for his people. If he thinks that our mighty army can be so easier overrun, then he is mistaken.” He then turned to a nearby squire and said, “Go, young man, find the Lieutenants so that they may prepare the forces for an attack. I don’t care if it takes all night, our defenses must be prepared. GO!”
The scout quickly bowed in submission, and though exhausted, ran out of the Throne Room to deliver the General’s command.
Calthrog then turned back to Bargokk and said, “This is it brother, the time has finally come for the Drykans to show their true might!”
Bargokk grabbed Calthrog’s hand tightly as he replied, “Yes, it is… let them come! Let them come to their deaths!”
Lorkath then rose from the Throne and said, “This is only the beginning my friends of old. Soon, my kingdom will be restored, and all will bow to me!”
The sky turned black, as day faded into night, but there was light within the capital of Menethiel. Hundreds of torches burned throughout the city as t
he Dragonkin organized their forces in preparation of the assault to come in the morning. The Dragonkin used the Kain’s forges to craft weapons of newly forged steel. They scavenged enough plate armor to completely gear their entire force. The army was divided into quadrants, which were each governed by a separate squadron leader. The wall on the lower level of the city was completely covered with perched drakes. The gates were guarded by massive rock trolls which arrived from Drokkin just days ago. Firedrakes flew back and forth in formation near the outskirts of the city and the harbor in patrol.
The Generals of the Dragonkin walked down the cobblestone streets as they descended into the lower levels of the city. The streets were lined with armed Drykan soldiers. They all bowed as the Generals walked past them. After they passed, they turned and followed the Generals to the lower level of the city. Once there, the Generals stopped.
Calthrog then said, “My brethren, look at what you have accomplished. Look at what you have become. No longer will you have to suffice with mere fish to eat, for you can now feast on whatever you want. You can choose where you live freely, and conquer whatever your heart desires. This dream is but one challenge away. We were successful in claiming lordship over these lands, and your freedom lies but on our doorstep. The only thing in the way of that freedom now marches towards us as we speak. Are you going to let them take away all that you have accomplished?! Are you going to let the fabled Angels of Ela send you back to the barren and fruitless lands from which you came?!”
The Reclaiming: The Keepers Saga: Volume Two Page 26
