Elemental Betrayal

by Toni Cox

  Suddenly a large shadow passed over them and Maia felt a shiver run down her spine. She had been so deep in thought that she had not felt Midnight approach. He flew high, so as not to spook the horses and he quickly relayed to her what he had seen so far. In her mind the Yllitar Plains spread before her; the Grildor-Bron Mountains to her right, Greystone up ahead in the distance and the vast, rolling plains stretched before her. As if marked in red on a map, she saw clearly the patches where there was a concentration of life. Maia knew that through Midnight’s vision, she was seeing the land with thermal sensors and the red was the blood pumping through the peoples’ bodies on the ground.

  She gasped as she beheld the picture he showed her. Off to the east, a large force of Vampyres had attacked a returning Regiment; probably that of Braérn. Just up ahead, the warriors of Thala Yll and their dragons were engaged with another large group of Vampyres and their hounds. Midnight thought her father was amongst those fighting there. Further towards the west, a horde was racing to cut off the advance of her brother and his men, who were galloping towards the mountains. At Greystone, everyone was fighting and it looked like utter chaos. Further to the south, there were also small patches of fighting and to the south-west, close to the dark forest, there was another battle in progress.

  Maia gasped as she beheld the enormity of the situation; how could she be in so many places at once? And why was her brother riding for the mountains?

  “Commander Ridgewell,” she yelled over the noise of the running horses. “Call for a halt.”

  “Halt,” he shouted, raising his fist and his order was repeated down the line.

  Their group came to a halt in a cloud of dust.

  “What is it, Lady Maia?”

  “The Vampyres have commenced their attack,” she said and then quickly explained what Midnight had shown her. “Where do we go?”

  Commander Ridgewell only thought for a moment. “I believe that our main aim is to prevent more Vampyres coming through the Gate. Let us assist your father and the people of Thala Yll and then we must ride for Greystone. It needs to be held at any cost. May the Mother be with the rest of them.”

  Maia agreed with the Commander’s decision; they needed to protect their Lord, yet it was also imperative that they protect the Gate.

  “Aye,” she agreed, “we will ride with you. I will send Midnight ahead to assist the others where he can.”

  “Thank you, My Lady,” he nodded to her. “Forward,” he shouted and they rode on with haste.

  He reached the outskirts of Shadow Hall and was immediately confronted by some archers in the trees.

  “Let me pass, I have news for the Lord Regent,” he shouted up to them.

  “State your business to us and we will see it passed on.”

  “No, I need to speak to Lord Longshadow in person.”

  “The Lord has gone to war. The troops left this morning. State your name and we will get your message to him.”

  “I will give it to him myself. Thank you for your help,” he said to the archers, which he assumed to be Sentinels, and took off running.

  I am too late, he thought as he ran through the trees, circling the city. When the alarm had first roused him, he had assumed that Shadow Hall was under attack. It would have been the perfect opportunity for him to show the entire city where his allegiance lay. Now Lord Longshadow had gone to war and Maia had gone with him. The thought of her in danger drove his feet to greater speed.

  He considered his options; he did not want to change into the wolf, because he did not want to be left without his weapons, he could not shadow travel, as he would not be able to track where Maia had gone. He needed to make haste if he wanted to catch up with them; what he needed was a horse.

  He reached the stables and tried to read the signs. Two separate groups had left from here; the first one of about eighty riders had left shortly before the second one. The second one was made up of just over sixty and it was this group that Maia was riding with.

  He fervently hoped that the rest of the armies were still stationed at Greystone and that they would be able to deal with the worst before Maia reached them. Frantically he looked around, but the stables were deserted; every one of their riding horses had been taken. He knew that there were probably more horses somewhere out on the Grazing Grounds, but most of those were mares in foal and definitely not war horses.

  He scanned the surrounding paddocks and noticed a few foals occupying the second last paddock that flanked the ridge. They were all crowding the fence, away from the stables, probably still traumatized from the earlier commotion. One of them whinnied; a small sound, frightened; and it was answered by one of the wildest calls Blaid had ever heard in his life. Curious, he watched them for a moment longer; knowing he should get going, but unable to resist seeing what had made that eerie call.

  Then she stepped out from under the trees and into the sunlight. She was the biggest and blackest mare he had ever seen and she now walked over to the foals; to reassure them he thought; and then nipped them all on their rumps, scattering them all over the paddock. Her teeth were bared, her nostrils flared and her ears laid flat on her neck. She was nasty and she knew it. She was absolutely perfect.

  Without thinking, Blaid grabbed the first saddle and bridle he could find and then sprinted over to the paddock that held the black beast. The moment she saw him she turned and fled to the safety of the trees. The paddock was not large and the fence high; there was no place for her to go.

  He placed the saddle over one of the fence rails and then climbed through into the paddock, hiding the bridle behind his back with his left hand. Turning his right shoulder towards the mare and looking at a spot just in front of her feet, he slowly approached her. She stomped her feet and snorted at him. He kept his demeanour as placid as he could as he approached, but she watched him with suspicion. When he was about fifteen strides away from her, she attacked. She came at him with an open mouth and her front legs kicking. Blaid had never before seen anything like it.

  Quickly he turned and she ran harmlessly past him. Upset that she had missed him, she wheeled around and screamed at him, stomping her feet. Blaid stood his ground, but he now knew why this one had not been selected to go to war. She was probably just used as a brood mare and he was sure that she produced quality foals. She was absolutely magnificent.

  “Whoa, there, my beauty,” he said gently and at the sound of his voice her ears shot forward.

  Surprised by her change in demeanour he carried on talking as he approached. She snorted again and took a step backwards, but then she stood still for him. He stroked her sweaty neck and felt the power beneath his hands as she trembled. She was perfect in every way and something within her spoke to him, like no other animal ever had. Somehow, he knew that she felt the same.

  Gently he lifted her forelock to the side and looked into her eyes. The deep brown eyes looking back at him reached something deep inside of him and he knew, at that moment, that she was his horse.

  “I have need of you now, my beauty,” he whispered as he put the bridle on her.

  She champed the bit and shook her head; he was sure she had never worn a bridle before; but then she stood still as he fastened the straps. He walked her over to the fence and gently lifted the saddle onto her back. Her ears flicked back and she snorted, but allowed him to cinch the girth.

  “Come then,” he said as he led her out of the gate, “we have a war to go to.”

  She stood still before him as he put his left foot into the stirrup, but he felt the tension within her. She was tall and strong and her black, damp coat gleamed in the sunlight. She was absolute perfection.

  He swung his right leg over the saddle and gently lowered himself into the seat. Her entire body quivered; never having been ridden before; but Blaid gentled her with his voice. He felt like she had been made just for him; the only other living being that made him feel like this was Maia. Just as Maia was to be his mate in life, so was this horse to be his friend.<
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  “Are you ready?” he asked her and she snorted in reply.

  Without having to ask her, she jumped into a gallop and ran down the side of the paddocks, past the stables and out onto the open Grazing Grounds. He felt her powerful muscles propel her forward and her speed almost took his breath away. She wasn’t running; she was flying. Leaning down low over her neck, her mane whipping into his face, he followed the trail left by Maia and her companions.

  “There is a rider,” Jaik shouted across to his father and pointed towards the mountains.

  Jaik had assembled his Guard, half the Night Watch and just over a third of the Sentinels within minutes of them sounding the alarm. Commander Arkenbay had taken to the skies immediately and Commander Ridgewell had been given orders to follow with the Regiments. In the chaos, he had had no time to speak with Maia, but he assumed she would probably fly ahead with Midnight. At least she would be safe with him. He hoped so.

  Silas had chosen to go with them as well and they had galloped at pace across the flat expanse of the Grazing Grounds and around the last ridges of the mountains before they gave way to the Yllitar Plains. Then, free of the shelter the mountains provided for the Grazing Grounds, they had spurred their horses to even greater speed. They were not only driven by their need to reinforce their troops at Greystone, but to provide them with the support and leadership of their Lord Regent. It gave their forces strength to see their leader fighting beside them.

  They had covered about twenty miles when Jaik spotted the rider galloping towards them from the west. They slowed their horses and let the rider catch up with them. It was immediately apparent that he had been riding hard and for a long time; his horse was almost dead on its feet.

  “My Lords,” the man said breathlessly, “I come with word from Lord Tallson. Tarron Heights is about to fall to the Vampyres.”

  “When did you leave there?” Jagaer asked the man.

  “I left two days ago, My Lord.”

  “You made it through the mountains in two days?” Jaik asked, astonished.

  “Aye, the situation is dire. We cannot hold them any longer. We beg for your assistance.”

  Jagaer looked towards the south, in the direction of the gate and then looked at Jaik. He knew what was going through his father’s head; the enemy was at the Gate and their closest ally was about to fall. Whom to help? They did not have enough forces at their disposal to send help both ways, but they did not really have a choice. Jaik saw it in his father’s eyes when he had made the decision.

  “Jaik, take your Guard and the Sentinels and ride to Lord Tallson’s aid. I will ride with Silas and the Night Watch to Greystone. Make haste, my son, save our friends.”

  “Yes, Father,” he said and turned to give the orders to his men.

  “I am unable to follow,” the Messenger said, “my horse is at its end. I trust you know the shortest way through the mountains?”

  “Yes, fret not, we will get there in time. Rest your horse. There is a Regiment behind us. If you wait here a while, they will be able to provide you with food and water,” Jaik reassured the man.

  “Thank you My Lord.”

  Nodding to his men, he gave the order to move out. He cast one last glance towards his father, but he had already turned and was galloping the other way. Time was of the essence now. He spurred his horse to greater effort and led his men towards the mountains.

  Through Midnight’s eyes, the distances had not looked so great, but it was another hour before they came upon the first battle. Midnight was circling overhead, unable to assist, as there was chaos below. Maia was unable to tell the number of Vampyres and Werewolves on the battlefield. It looked like the dragon riders had spent all their arrows and were fighting on foot now. The dragons, too, were mostly grounded and in battle with their teeth, claws, and tails.

  Maia could not see her father in the chaos before her, but she knew he would be right in the middle of it. She asked Midnight to see if he could locate his exact position. It was not long before Midnight confirmed the location of her father, but Maia then stopped him from engaging in the battle. Instead, she asked Midnight to fly towards the mountains to assist her brother. She thought it strange that he be riding that way, but was sure that he had good reason. The group of Vampyres attacking Jaik’s men was large; Jaik was outnumbered at least three to one; Midnight would be needed there.

  She took only a moment to watch him fly off and then she urged Fire forward and into battle. Rothea gave a fierce shout behind her and then followed close behind. The smell of blood all around her turned her stomach, but the adrenaline rushing through her veins kept her from getting sick.

  Commander Ridgewell and his men spread out and started eliminating the Vampyres fighting on the outskirts of the battle raging in front of them. Maia felt the horses’ panic as the Werewolves retaliated. Fire also trembled in fear as she raced past the beasts, fighting her way to the position she knew her father to be in.

  She used mainly her sword, for the longer reach, but often she would employ her magic to keep the Vampyres at bay. She lashed out with her Firewhip; the technique she had developed instead of throwing a fire ball; and it left horrifying burn marks on the Vanpyres’ skin.

  The closer she got to her father, the more crowded the fight became. Fire screamed and kicked at the Werewolves, while Maia battled the Vampyres. Rothea tried her best to keep anyone from reaching Maia, but she was soon swamped by attacking Vampyres and they were separated.

  Soon all Maia saw was the spray of blood and the Vampyres’ grotesque faces as they died before her. Strangely, the sight reminded her of the visions she’d had the day she had come back from Earth. Briefly, she wondered if those visions had been a premonition of just this event, but then the next Vampyre was upon her and she cut his head off in one clean movement.

  “Father,” she yelled as she finally caught sight of him.

  He acknowledged her only with a brief glance; he was beset by three Generals and fighting hard; but Maia knew instantly that he was upset with her. He had always maintained that she should do all her fighting from Midnight’s back, like she had mostly done during the war the previous year, so that she would remain safe. But Midnight fought better and wrought more destruction without her and she believed she needed to fight beside her people. Besides, her fighting abilities were now such, that she was able to compete with the best of them, including her brother.

  Quickly she shook the annoyance at her father’s accusing glance off and rushed in to assist him. He was surrounded by his men, all battling at least two Vampyres at a time. It seemed that these Vampyre Generals were completely aware of whom her father was and that he was to be killed at all cost. Maia now noticed that the lower ranking Vampyres were all on the outer edges of the battle, fending off the dragons and their warriors and all the Generals were here, surrounding her father.

  The fight here was too thick to charge in on her horse, so she jumped off Fire and sent him away. She hoped he would find his way out of the battle by himself and run to safety. Once on the ground, Maia reached for her Twin Blades. No-one, not even Jaik, could best her with this weapon and she now put it to the use it was intended for. Suppressing her nausea, she jumped straight into the fight. Immediately two Generals singled her out and she was hard-pressed to defend herself. Then she found her rhythm and her blades twirled gracefully before her, severing limbs and heads as she advanced, blood spraying around her in all directions.

  The scene was all too familiar; visions of the battle of Greystone came to her mind and how she had fought alongside Blaid. With him, surrounded by their magic, the fighting had seemed effortless. Everything had slowed down and become clearer. She had felt none of the nausea and revulsion and together they had waded through the masses, dealing death as they went along as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Back then, all her thoughts had been focussed on saving her people, and not on the act itself. She had not been afraid for herself, had not been tired or weary and had rev
elled in the power their magic had unleashed.

  Today, things were different. She was all too aware of the strength and speed of the Generals and it took all her concentration to fend them off. Every time her blades hit flesh, a wave of nausea washed over her and she had to fight for control. Soon she felt her arms tire and sweat was dripping off her forehead. The sounds of metal striking against metal were overly loud in her ears.

  “Get her out of here.”

  She heard her father’s command, but was too busy fighting to see who would execute it. Another Vampyre went down before her; she heaved as she stepped over him.

  “Maia.”

  She turned at the familiar sound of Silas’ voice. He was dirty and there was blood on his shirt, but his grey eyes had a dangerous shine to them. She thought it strange to see him like this; he was her mentor, teacher of magic and wisdom. He was older than anyone else she had ever met, yet at that moment he looked like a young man in his prime.

  A sword whistled past her and grazed her sleeve. Quickly she turned and blocked the next slash, but it was Silas who drove his sword through the Vampyre’s neck to kill him.

  “Let us go,” Silas yelled and grabbed her arm, dragging her away.