Dawn of the Valiant (The Valerious Chronicles: Book One)

by Julian Saheed

Dievu grasped his chest at the point were his heart had momentarily stopped and fell to his knees. He had heard of hearts seizing before, but this was different. He looked around him and throughout the city people had fallen to the floor with the same condition. Something was not right. Cries soon filled the cool night air and Dievu rushed to his feet and headed for the Academy.

  He passed amongst people who were still lying prone on the floor, holding their heads. It seemed to have affected everyone. Young and old, the people of Karmena had all endured this terrible pain. That was the only way that he could describe it. Yet there was something else attached to it that he could almost identify. A sense of loss had passed through him as he felt the forceful pulse leave his heart.

  "Dievu, what has happened?" called a voice to his side.

  "Mandigal!" replied Dievu, feeling slightly relieved to see the Honour Guard. "Did you feel it as well?"

  "No. I was in the Hall of Knowledge speaking with a messenger and he fell to the floor in a heap. When he came to, he was weak and could barely stand." Mandigal watched as a few Karmanians who had not been as badly affected moved to help those recovering. "This seems to have hit only the Karmanian people. I passed Friedrich on my way here and he was fine. I sent him ahead to the Academy to see if they need help."

  "Could this have something to do with Christill?"

  Mandigal placed his fingers to his temple and shook his head. "I could not see how he could have caused something like this. It is unprecedented and on too grand a scale. There may be a greater meaning to all of this, something to do with the strange magic of the bridge over Lake Moonsong."

  "We need to find the Elders," said Dievu. Mandigal agreed and they began to speed through the forest city.

  As they came upon the Academy, Dievu stopped in his tracks and held his breath, for he saw that the building had cracked in two. With every passing second greater fissures were expanding along the stone structure. The replica of the forked tree in Nyrune's shrine was swaying from side to side, ready to fall. From the entrance the disciples and acolytes ran to the safety of the outside clearing.

  "What could have caused this?" asked Dievu, utterly awestruck.

  "A powerful magical force," answered Mandigal with a stern face. "Unlike anything that I have seen in my long years."

  Then the building fell. The right side of the Academy buckled one final time and the entire bulk came crashing down in a great rumble and smash. A blinding cloud of dust exploded into the clearing and Mandigal and Dievu rushed to find cover as vast chunks of the building struck the ground.

  After the cloud had cleared, they rushed to the rubble to aid the Karmanians that had been injured by the falling stone. Mandigal found Friedrich and Vrill lifting a large wooden beam off a young student.

  Dievu passed among the injured, using his magic to seal bleeding gashes and mend broken bones. As the magic flowed from him into the bodies of his hurt brethren, Dievu felt his body growing weaker. He paused and found himself drenched in sweat and his muscles aching. "What is happening to me?" he whispered.

  "This is chaos, Mandigal!" cried Friedrich. "There are too many injured."

  "Do what you can," instructed Mandigal. "I need to find the Elders. Hopefully they are still somew…" Mandigal froze and gazed at the remains of the Academy.

  "I can sense it as well," whispered Dievu, his voice fearful.

  From the midst of the wreckage came a faint green glow that grew brighter and brighter.

  "I have never felt so much power," muttered Mandigal as they watched the light.