by Bri Sailor
Atreyis cleared her throat and lay back down in the grass and lost herself in the stars. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
The warrior leaned over. “You sure?”
The princess let out a frustrated sigh. “He had…a drinking problem. I can’t stand the stuff, never could. It turns my stomach knowing what it does to…That wasn’t the only problem. Occasionally there were other women as well. And, later, a time or two where he…”
Tears welled up in her eyes and she cleared her throat. “I found out the hard truth about some things…”
The princess lay in silence. Ky looked over at her a moment. She opened her mouth to speak but swallowed her words, deciding that it was better to not press.
“Do you think our grandmothers would be proud of us?” whispered the princess. “Mine had been a great ruler, far greater than my father. I feel like he is living in her shadow and that’s why he acts the way he does.”
Ky laid down and put her arm behind her head. “I would hope so. But if I were to be honest with myself, probably not. I’ve killed too many, done too many things that would have broken her heart a thousand times over. I finally see that. The only thing I can do now is try to right some of the wrongs. I look back on the time when I could have just walked away from it all. The only life that I have ever known. But now I’m torn, and I think about everything that could have happened if I stopped fighting.”
“I mostly likely wouldn’t be alive.” Mused Atreyis. “Neither would Ehren. Or any of them. Lusha might have actually succeeded.”
The warrior sighed. “Something to that effect. She probably would have figured out what went wrong by now and had gone back and completely destroyed the Seal. I could’ve tried to stop her. But by then she would be invincible.”
The princess laughed. “So our entire future seemingly rested on your shoulders and you didn’t even know it. Have a bit of an ego do you?”
Ky spit out the stalk of grass. “Sure. Why not.”
Chapter 2
Lusha paced back and forth in her temple. What could all of this mean? She and Saebic were both stricken by whatever had happened. She stopped and flexed her hands. She didn't feel any different. Was it a curse? Could it have been the little priestess? Did she underestimate the Goddess' bitch? No. Not possible. The witch started pacing again. The white silk of her long dress billowed in the air behind her. She wrung her hands, she was powerful but not like that. She rubbed her arms. Her whole body ached. The sound of a door opening broke her train of thought. A weakened Saebic stumbled out of her quarters attempting to put on pants. His whole body felt like it was on fire and everything ached.
“Lusha, my darling...” the relief was evident in his eyes when he saw her. “Thank the gods you are alright. What...what happened? Was it some sort of attack?”
Lusha's eyes glowed white. “No! I don't know what happened!”
Saebic stopped dead in his tracks. “Y-y-your eyes! They're white!”
The witch stopped. “What?”
She ran into her quarters to her mirror. What was looking back at her she didn’t recognize. Saebic appeared behind her.
“What does this mean?” he asked nervously.
“I—I...” started the witch.
Suddenly, a huge rush of power surged through her veins. She let out a blood-curdling roar. Her body could barely handle the sheer force. The ground beneath them began to quake. The priests in the temple were roused from their sleep and began spilling into the main hall. The giant white marble dragon statue that towered over them seemed to glow.
“What's going on?” shouted one of the older priests.
The doors to Lusha's room and her large glass windows to the balcony suddenly blew open with a gust of wind. The witch was enveloped in a bright white aura as she began to float in midair. Her eyes were completely white, a crazy smile crept across her face.
“Can you feel it?” she yelled over the din.
Saebic and the priests tried to hide themselves from the fierce winds and shaking ground. The witch began to laugh evilly as the chaos ensued.
“Lusha!” shouted Saebic as he held on to a temple pillar.
After a few seconds the wind slowed to a stop and Lusha finally descended back to the ground. Her eyes had returned to normal but were now glassy. She was intoxicated on the power that flowed through her veins.
“My Lord has shown favor with my deeds in his name.” she replied in a husky voice. “Don't worry, my Love. All is well. We have not been cursed, but blessed! We shall soon realize my Lord's plans for this world.”
Saebic was in awe. Lusha floated back down to the ground and drunkenly smiled. Immediately, the general swooped her up in his arms and kissed her passionately. A messenger suddenly appeared in the doorway. He cleared his throat, interrupting them. Lusha kicked her legs and Saebic dropped her.
“What?” she yelled angrily.
“I am sorry for disturbing my Lady.” He said meekly. “I bring word from your spies that the twins and the warrior are headed to Thaemo. According to our scouts they are searching for some sort of crystal there.”
Lusha's eyes flashed and she smiled impishly. “So she's let the little priestess take the lead. Interesting...”
The messenger looked at her questioningly. The witch's eyes flashed.
“You are dismissed!” she bit.
The man ran off with his tail between his legs and Lusha slammed the door shut.
“I will send my men after them at once.” stated Saebic firmly.
Lusha straightened herself out. “That won't be necessary.”
“But, my queen, do you not want the twins? And what of this crystal that they are searching for? What if it could be used against you?”
The witch merely laughed. “I know of these crystals. I have read all of the scrolls and books on them. My powers have far surpassed anything they could have ever dreamed. What they fail to realize is that they are useless against me now.”
“What are the crystals for?” asked Saebic with genuine concern.
Lusha went into her open closet and came out with a stunning wine-colored silk dress. “They are useless trinkets created by ancient priests long dead that were to be used against my Lord if he were to ever return.”
“What do you mean?” he started dressing as well.
She sighed half-annoyed. “They are to be used to imprison my Lord, or in the least, attempt sever my connection with him.”
“Then let us find these crystals and destroy them at once!” he stated confidently.
Lusha's eyes flashed white and she glared daggers at him. “I told you. My powers have grown beyond such petty trifles. You need not concern yourself with them.”
Saebic stood his ground. “Then what of the twins? We still need them to complete the ritual.”
Lusha closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. “It's not them.”
He couldn’t believe what she was saying. “Impossible! They fit the prophecies. It has to be them. The Ones born royal of the Sun and Moon! ”
“It's not them!” she countered. “I can feel it.”
“Then who?” the general crossed his arms.
Lusha threw her discarded silk robe. “I don't know. I can just feel it within my soul. It's not them. But yet, it is. It's as if their blood is calling to me. I can feel their energy, even now.”
“I don't understand. Is it them or is it not?” He pulled back his blonde hair with a thin strip of cloth.
“Both!” bit Lusha, her eyes suddenly turned dreamy again. “It's all so hazy. So fresh. Like a childhood memory that is just out of reach.”
“So what do you want to do, my queen?” Saebic said through his teeth.
“Your scouts are to maintain a safe distance and keep an eye on them. If they are truly headed to Thaemo, we must get word to Horgath. He is more the capable of dealing with them. Tell him that he is not to engage. He is simply to keep them within his walls until you arrive.” said Lusha.
; “Me?” asked Saebic.
“Yes.” stated Lusha. “You are to negotiate their terms of surrender. They won't come easily, but if I know Ky, she won't be able to resist the opportunity to come face to face with me. She made that explicitly clear at Stone Shield. That will be her undoing. She won't be able to resist and her little friends will come after her and try to stop her. It will be quite the spectacle.”
“And what exactly are these terms?”
Lusha threw open the large doors to their chambers and strode confidently into the large temple with Saebic right behind.
“Tell her that I am willing to meet her on the battlefield face-to-face. Just the two of us. In exchange for her life she is to hand over the twins. As a show of good faith I won’t wipe Thaemo from existence.”
A frustrated Saebic studied the ground. “And what if she doesn’t hand them over? From what I witnessed at the palace the princess seems to have taking a liking to the traitor. She even went as far as to attempt to break her out of the dungeon.”
Lusha sat down on her large black marble throne that overlooked the entire temple. She studied the massive marble statue of Béloneras that seemingly stared her down.
“Interesting.” She mused. “It doesn’t matter though. It will all end the same. I get what I want and Ky will be dead.”
The general stepped forward. “If I may, my queen. Why don’t we simply kidnap the twins when they enter the city? If we are patient they will walk right into our hands. Then Ky will be distracted and you can end her miserable life once and for all. One could say that you could even use it as an example for what happens when one defies your empire. Perhaps it might even quash the spirit of those Xaemoan rebels.”
Lusha arched an eyebrow and grinned evilly. “Yes. That will do. Send word to Horgath and let him know of our plan. Do whatever it takes to get them but make sure to keep quiet. I don’t want Ky to know what happened until it’s too late.”
Saebic bowed curtly. “Yes, my queen. And what of their compatriots? The guard, the ranger, and the priestess?”
“Kill them.” Said the witch with a flick of her wrist. “It will enrage Toran and draw him out. He will not only come to avenge his children but his precious High Priestess. Losing three precious gems in one fell swoop will destroy him and allow for me to finally consolidate my power over the kingdoms. As much as I hate to admit it, the priestess is quite powerful, more so than any other pathetic mewling whelp of…hers. Taking out such a pawn would prove most beneficial.”
The general’s face contorted into an evil smile. “It shall be done, my queen.”
Lusha smiled evilly, pointing to a quivering priest. “You! Come with me! I think it’s time I paid a visit to our magnanimous leader and inform him of goings on.”
#
The barely risen sun cast a soft pink light along the mountains and evergreen forests. Two men stood guard at the top of a crow's nest hidden amongst the trees. Both were dressed in plain armor with red silk sashes around their waists. They looked at each other as ground beneath them had stopped shaking. Their gaze was drawn towards the mountains.
“Did you feel that?”
“Yes.”
“You don't think...”
“Oh, I know. It was her.”
“We better get the men together.”
“Quickly! We haven't much time.”
With dimly glowing red eyes they each grabbed a rope and leapt from their posts. They swung from the ropes and landed on the forest floor, taking off in a dead sprint for the city of Óhn.
#
Lusha, drunk on power, proudly rode her white horse through the city, watching the people cower in fear at her very presence. She was on a mission. Nothing would get in her way. As she, and the priest following her, rounded a corner they could see the palace. It was a single tower made of light gray stone that reached into the sky with its peaked roof. Waiting for the witch was an enormous obstacle in their way. A small army of approximately five hundred soldiers in plain armor with red sashes around their waists blocked the main gate of the palace. They stood with one hand on their swords and the other wielding a spear. Lusha arched an eyebrow, intrigued at this unusual presence. She rode up confidently to the front line. A man with black hair and ebony colored armor with a red sash came forward.
“You shall go no further, witch.” he commanded as he stood his ground.
“And just who are you to speak to me, your Empress, in such a manner?” she said condescendingly.
“I am the leader of this army. And you are not my Empress.” replied the man confidently.
Lusha laughed. “What army? This bunch of rags in tin? Seems more like a bunch of street rats thinking they could organize themselves, with feeble minds soaked fermented grains feigning as courage.”
The man visibly bristled at her words. “I'll give you one more chance, witch. Turn around and leave this city and never return. We are here to free King Ultrek from your evil grasp and rid our kingdom of your influence.”
Lusha laughed again. The priests behind her smirked some. She looked the man over once more.
“You seem familiar. I have seen you before. But where?” she mused.
The man simply stood gripping his sword.
Suddenly, her eyes widened in recognition.
“Ah,” she purred. “Now I remember, the deserter. You were Ky's mentor, Vex. Hmm…this is quite interesting. It would seem that the teacher has learned from the student. You both seem to have a flair for thinking that you are above those around you. You forget who has the real power. Very interesting indeed.”
Vex's jaw clenched. “Speak no more witch! Leave our city!”
Lusha laughed maniacally. “Oh my dear, pathetic mortal, you have no idea what you are up against. Even your precious student was unable to best me in combat. What makes you think that a mere mortal, a mere human, could even touch me?”
Vex drew his sword and ran towards her, yelling like a madman. The troops behind him followed their leader with spears and swords at the ready. Lusha simply sat atop her horse, unmoving. The priest behind her began to squirm in his seat. Was his empress as powerful as she said? Vex was nearly within reach when suddenly Lusha's eyes turned white. She threw up her hands over her head and created a ball of energy. Vex and his soldiers stumbled at the sudden gesture. In a flash, Lusha brought the ball crashing down on herself and the priest. They were gone! Horses and all! Vex came to a halt, his eyes darting around trying to find where his prey had escaped to. The street was eerily silent. Suddenly, the main gate to the palace blew open and a voice boomed from the palace.
“Ihöü xöög’d! You fools! If you think you can stop me, then come and try! Ii äkt iirdiimsiid’gë!”
Vex turned around and faced the palace. He strode with deadly intent towards his troops. They parted, allowing him a straight shot for the doors. The general's stomach clenched and his better sense told him to turn around, but his ego forced him to ignore the pleas. He had heard what had happened at Stone Shield and how Ky fought bravely against her. He knew he had done the right thing all those years ago by planting the seed of uncertainty in the warrior; the Goddess had granted him a vision of the destruction to come. But now it was time to take matters in his own hands. He couldn't sit idly by while the witch destroyed everything he loved.
The giant metallic doors of the palace were wide open, taunting him. A great hall opened in front of him. Dark stained wood beams crisscrossed the high ceilings. Along the sides were wide wooden balconies on each floor that overlooked the hall. Traditional dark red banners hung from the balconies, untouched by the black stain that Lusha had brought to the palace. Lining the great hall before him were shallow cauldrons of long dead embers that suddenly roared to life, lighting the way to the witch. Dark clouds began to gather above the palace. Vex and his army marched right into the palace.
“Lusha!” roared Vex. “Show yourself!”
The palace stretched above them into a vast cathedral ceiling. High over
head was a large balcony on the third floor. Lusha appeared and leaned over the edge.
“So nice of you all to join us, General, on this special occasion.” She purred.
King Ultrek appeared at her side, his eyes were glazed over in a vacant stare. The cowardly priest was next to him.
The hair raised on the back of Vex’s neck. “Release him now you vile demon!”
Lusha merely laughed and looked over at the priest. The man cleared his throat and spoke with a shaky voice.
“By the grace of the Gods we consecrate these two souls and the journey they are about to embark upon. By the power of the Great Dragon these two are to be bound together in this world and the next.”
