Forest of Kings

by Jack Knight

  “Fire, got it,” Xion nodded.

  The troll had been watching them, but had not moved. It seemed to be waiting for them to act.

  “Okay, so spread out, attack with magic. Laira, stay back,” Xion commanded.

  Laira looked like she was going to argue, but then the troll roared again and started stomping towards them. She bolted back into the trees without a word.

  Xara stayed in position as the rest of them spread out, putting distance between them and the monster. Xion and Sapphire both threw balls of fire at it simultaneously. They hit at the same time, right before the troll reached Xara.

  Angered by the fiery onslaught, it turned around and roared again. Sapphire was the closest to it, besides Xara, so it decided to run at her instead. It had walked rather slowly, but when it ran, it did so with astonishing speed.

  Warren threw another fireball, and Xion shot one right after, hitting the troll back to back. It didn’t cry out in pain, or act like it was hurt in any way, but it did stop charging at Sapphire.

  Xion was not going to let something happen to another one of his friends. When he realized he could not distract the troll, he ran toward it as fast as he could, he drew on his magic to push him even faster.

  The troll swung his arm far back, which was likely what it had done to Xion to slash upward at him. At the same time, Sapphire threw up her hands and he saw the air in front of her ripple, as if she had summoned some sort of shield.

  As the troll’s hand flew down, Xion dove forward and shoved Sapphire out of the way. The shield that Sapphire had created did slow the troll’s attack, but only enough to allow Xion to push Sapphire out of the way. The troll’s claws smashed through the shield and caught Xion’s side and raked upward again. It lifted him into the air, but this time Xion was thrown upward instead of back.

  Xion felt the claws rip into him, digging in passed his scales, he felt the hot blood seep over his side as he crashed into the ground. His head hit first, and his vision went black. It cleared just in time to see a flash of red collide into the troll, and he heard a terrifying screech from the troll.

  Xion tried to make sense of what he saw, but his ears were ringing, and he felt dizzy. He was only mildly aware of how he was positioned on the ground, he assumed he was on his back, because of how his head was angled, but he was not sure. The pain in his side was nearly overwhelming, and he could feel his consciousness slowly slipping away.

  Suddenly, a cord of clarity broke through, keeping him awake.

  Brother.

  Aurum’s voice resounded in his head. Insistent, and unsure of whether to be relieved or afraid.

  Xion wanted to explain that he did not have a brother, but he could not get his mouth to form words. He pushed his consciousness outward, the only thing that he could do in that moment. Aurum was only a few feet away from him, and when his mind reached her, he fell into her body, the same way he had when they had first met.

  Instantly, Xion’s pain was gone, and so was the dizziness. He was standing very low to the ground. His body was a few feet to the left, and the troll was on the ground several yards away.

  Xion turned Aurum’s head to look at himself. Blood coated his entire left side, and more pulsed out every second. His eyes caught his attention, still open, and staring toward the troll, but they were not purple, like they were supposed to be.

  He had been told that when he used magic, his eyes changed. He thought that he had caught a glimpse of it in his reflection once, but he could never be sure, now he knew. There were no whites in his eyes now, just shifting shades of gold, and his pupil was black and slitted. He had seen that exact eye before, on the Blood Orb, when it was revealed that he was a sorcerer. He saw it in one of the trials in the dragon watchtower, only that one had been blue. And, he saw it every time he saw that dragon form of Draxis. The eye of a dragon.

  Ava had figured it out. When they had fought a tribe of orcs. Xion had accidentally used chaos magic, and the orcs had said something about the “ancient ones”. Warren had figured it out after they fought the dragon outside Qua’ke. Xara had tried to mention it several times, but it had not come together until that moment.

  Xion finally realized that he was part dragon.

  Chapter 15: Imprisoned

  “He hit his head really hard,” Sapphire’s said with worry in her voice.

  “He’ll be fine,” Paarathax said, sounding unconcerned.

  “Who are you, again?” Xara’s voice was farther away than the first two.

  Xion struggled to open his eyes. His head was in Sapphire’s lap, and her hands were on either side of his head. He saw the light coming off of them out of the corners of his eyes. The ringing in his ears slowly faded as he looked up at Sapphire’s face. She looked at his eyes and smiled when she saw that they were open.

  “Finally,” she sighed. “I was worried you were going to sleep for another week.”

  “Yeah, I’m supposed to be the lazy one,” Warren laughed. “You’re taking away the only thing that I’ve got.”

  Xion sat up, with Sapphire’s help, and slowly pushed himself to standing. He looked for the troll and saw that most of its body had been burned black. It lay completely still, the hair all over its body gave off a horrid smell, but Xion was relieved that it was not moving.

  “That was stupid,” Xara said, tapping the point of her sword against the ground repeatedly.

  “What was?” Xion asked, rubbing his head.

  “You could’ve died trying to save Sapphire, you idiot,” Xara scolded him.

  “That wasn’t stupid,” Sapphire argued. She smiled at him and said, “I really appreciate it.”

  Paarathax interrupted saying, “You could have created a stronger shield. You could have pushed her with magic. Why would you have to do it physically?”

  Xion glared at him. “I didn’t think about it, okay? I just didn’t want her to get hurt.”

  “And, what would’ve happened to the rest of us if Paarathax hadn’t showed up?” Laira demanded. Xion was surprised at how angry she looked.

  Xion did not want to talk about any of this, none of it mattered. Paarathax had showed up, they were safe, the troll was dead. Ava was still in danger, and Xion had finally realized what his bloodline was. What did it matter that he had protected Sapphire?

  “Can we just talk on the way?” Xion demanded.

  “On the way where?” Paarathax asked.

  “Our friend was captured by The Hand of Dreskar,” Warren answered. “We aren’t super happy about it.”

  “I don’t understand,” Paarathax looked around at them. “Why would the Hand take your friend?”

  “Draxis believes she’s the key to opening the portal to the Five Hells,” Xion told him.

  Paarathax furrowed his brow in confusion for a few seconds, and then his face went blank. “She’s got demon blood.” It was not a question, he had figured it out.

  “It doesn’t matter,” Laira insisted. “All that matters is that we get her back.”

  Paarathax nodded. “We’ll talk on the way.”

  They continued across the open space between the trees, and into the forest on the other side, with Tenebris leading the way. Xion noticed the difference between the two forests immediately. The trees were more spaced out, the leaves above could not block the rain from falling on them, and the smell was more like the forest Xion remembered from where he had grown up. The scent of flowers and fruit was left behind and replaced with damp earth and the scent of the vegetation and trees all around.

  As they began to slog through the mud, and step around the tree roots, Paarathax asked, “Have any of you seen a young man recently?”

  “I saw someone in a black cloak before the troll showed up,” Xion answered.

  Paarathax shook his head. “That doesn’t sound right, anyone else?”

  “Why?” Warren asked. “How many people are running around in the forest?”

  “Not as many as I would hope,” Paarathax answered cryptical
ly in a low voice, almost as if he were speaking to himself.

  “What are you doing here?” Xion asked.

  “Xion,” Sapphire chided, “he saved us.”

  “Not that I don’t appreciate it,” he added.

  Paarathax smiled. “I’m looking for someone, he was supposed to find you days ago, the fact that he never did is troublesome.”

  “Xorn, you mean?” Xion wondered.

  Paarathax looked at him in surprise. “How did…” and then he sighed. “You have The Eye.” He grinned to himself.

  “Duh,” Xara laughed. “We both do.”

  Xion looked at both of them, confused. “The what?”

  Paarathax appraised Xara for a moment, and then asked, “Past, present, or future?”

  Xion hated not understanding when people spoke. Paarathax was always dodging questions when they had met before, and Xion was not happy to see that he was at it again.

  “Past,” Xara answered cheerily. “My mom had the same thing.”

  Paarathax’s face went blank before he asked. “What was your mother’s name?”

  “Xana,” Xara smiled at him.

  Xion could not discern Paarathax’s expression. After several moments, he looked toward Xion again. “The Eye is a magical ability, a gift of subconscious divination. Some, like your mother, see into the past. Some see the future. You and your father share a gift for the present.”

  “You have dreams like I do?” Xion asked Xara. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  Xara shrugged. “I thought it was obvious. How else could I know so much about my mother?”

  “I assumed Agron told you,” Xion admitted.

  Xara shook her head. “Nope, he never talked about her much.”

  “And,” Xion asked Paarathax, “my father can see stuff that’s happening far away, like I do?”

  Paarathax nodded.

  “So, Xion’s a Seer?” Sapphire asked.

  “No,” Paarathax said quickly. “Seers have a gift of Prophecy, they see the future in metaphors and images, that’s why prophecies come out so unclear. The Eye is much more exact.”

  “Is it a dragon thing?” Xion asked, looking at Paarathax for his reaction.

  A small smile touched Paarathax’s lips as Warren shouted, “You know?”

  “Oh gods, tell Ava I wasn’t the one who told you,” Xara pleaded. “She’ll assume it was me.”

  Xion ignored them and waited for Paarathax’s response. “It is present in a few magical creatures, but the ones I know about are dragons, yes.”

  “So, you knew I was a dragon, too?” Xion clarified.

  Paarathax nodded. “I did.”

  “And, that must mean my father is an elf,” Xion guessed.

  “Why an elf?” Sapphire asked, looking between Paarathax and Xion.

  “Paarathax told me my parents knew I would be halfborn three times before I was even born,” Xion explained. “Xara looks human, I look like a half elf, so my father had to be an elf.”

  “Close,” Paarathax answered with a smile. “Your father is half elf, and half dragon.”

  “Whoa,” Xara chuckled.

  “Wait, so that makes Xion half dragon, right?” Laira asked.

  “Wait! Xion has more dragon blood that I do?” Xara complained. “Not fair.”

  “Again, regular human chiming in, none of you have a right to complain,” Warren interjected.

  Xion did not say anything. It made sense. Xara’s scales, when her arm had transformed, had had only black scales. Xion’s had been black and gold. Two different kinds of dragon.

  Aurum ran up behind them. Xion could not see or hear her, but he felt the bond between them grow stronger as she approached. Once again, a word rang in his head in Aurum’s voice.

  Brother.

  This time more urgent, like she was trying to get Xion to understand something, but he had no idea what it was.

  “What about this portal,” Xion asked, trying to force himself to stay focused on saving Ava. “What all do you know?”

  Paarathax sighed. “Well, I know that it was dangerous the last time it opened. Demons came trickling out for weeks before anyone knew what had happened. Draxis was trying to build an army.”

  Xion nodded. Draxis was doing the same thing now, it made sense that this was not the first time.

  “Last time, a half demon had been on this plane for a long time. Venetia was her name. Amazing woman. She had learned so much about the portal, just in case it ever opened again. She knew how to close it.” Paarathax continued.

  “How?” Warren asked. “Maybe if Draxis does open it, we can close it again.”

  Paarathax gave a grim smile. “There lies the problem. The portal has to be closed from both sides, trapping someone in the Five Hells.”

  Sapphire grabbed Xion’s arm tightly. “No,” she insisted.

  Xion could not help but laugh, he did not understand how she had known so quickly. As soon as Xion heard the words, he was ready to volunteer to be the one to close the portal.

  “If it isn’t opened, it won’t be an issue,” Xion told her. To himself, he decided that if it did open, he would have to close it. He would not lose anyone else.

  “There’s more,” Paarathax said darkly. “Your friend is going to be used as a key, the same way Venitia was.”

  “Why does that name sound so familiar?” Laira mumbled.

  Xion ignored her. “How?” he asked.

  “The portal stays in one place, a weakness in reality that is the thinnest point on this plane, it is where our world and the Five Hells touch. If demon blood, something that should not exist here, is spilled near the portal, it will open. That’s why your friend is the key.”

  Xion nodded. “That’s why Draxis is working with The Hand. They get to hold their trial, and when it’s over, Draxis gets his portal opened.”

  “I really don’t like these guys,” Warren commented.

  “The last time it was closed, Ava’s mother disappeared,” Laira said suddenly. “Venitia was Ava’s mother!”

  Paarathax nodded. “She is.”

  “Is?” Sapphire asked. “Isn’t she… didn’t she…?” Xion could tell that Sapphire did not want to say the words out loud.

  Paarathax smiled. “I was on this side of the portal when we closed it last time. Venitia was on the other.”

  “Do you think Ava’s going to be happy, or upset when she finds out?” Warren joked. “I put three silvers on upset.”

  Xion was going to tell Warren that it was not a time to be joking around, but just then he heard a sound in the distance. It was the exact same sound that he had heard in his dream, a crowd of people yelling all at once.

  All of them broke into a run at the same time, Tenebris bolting ahead faster than any of them could follow. It only took a couple of minutes for them to start to see the bodies of the crowd. The ground sloped downward just before the treeline broke, so they could crouch down, hidden in the forest, and see over the crowd to where Dario, Ava, and Draxis stood, only feet away from the stone building.

  Ava was bound, with a piece of cloth in her mouth as a gag. Torches had been set in the ground, forming a large circle with two triangles inside that met in the center, forming a shape Xion did not recognize. It almost made it look like a tall, skinny “X”.

  “... today, she will be judged by the god himself!” Dario finished, and the crowd roared.

  Draxis stood with his arms crossed over his chest, watching the proceedings with a small smirk. Dario shoved Ava roughly into the center of the shape made by the torches and ripped the gag from her mouth. She spat at him as he backed out of the circle, smiling.

  “God of Darkness, hear our words,” Dario called, and the crowd around the torches fell silent. “We try this betrayer in your name. She fled from our ranks and besmirched your grace. She abandoned her oath and helped your enemies.

  “Our blessing makes us immune to the poisons in your domain, we call on you to judge whether she is deserving of your for
giveness.”

  Dario reached into his pocket and pulled out a small vial of green liquid. He pulled the cork from it and slowly walked back to where Ava stood.

  Ava was not fighting or trying to run. She stood tall, with her chin raised and her eyes narrowed, as if challenging them all at once.

  It took Xion a few seconds to realize what was going to happen. “They’re going to poison her?” Xion demanded in a whisper. He started to stand so he could run into the crowd of people, but Paarathax grabbed him and pulled him back down.

  “Don’t,” he whispered.

  “She’s going to die!” Xion insisted, trying to keep his voice down.

  “Nah, she’ll be fine,” Warren said, his tone unconcerned.

  Xion looked at him like he had lost his mind. “What are you talking about?”

  “Demons are immune to poison,” Warren explained. “Even Ava should be fine.”

  “Should be?” Sapphire asked, sounding worried.

  “She will be,” Paarathax assured them.

  Xion felt the fire inside him blaze. His blood burned with magic fighting to get out. Only his bond with Aurum, who was standing only feet in front of him, kept the magic from bursting out. It took all of his self control not to run out and try to save Ava. He did not think he would be able to live with himself if, for whatever reason, the poison killed her, and he had just sat there watching.

  “Open,” Dario commanded coldly as he lifted to vial to Ava’s lips.

  She opened her mouth obediently, and did not flinch as the poison was poured in. She swallowed and stood defiantly as the crowd watched and waited.

  “Are we ever going to try to save her?” Xion demanded, his voice came out louder than he meant it to, but nobody in the crowd seemed to hear.

  “Not until it seems necessary,” Paarathax said evenly.

  “They just poisoned her,” Laira said, her voice high and quivering like she was about to cry. “Why wasn’t it necessary then?”

  “Watch,” was Paarathax’s only reply.

  Xion watched, with his heart racing and his blood burning inside his veins. He was terrified that any second Ava was going to fall down, and be lost to them forever, but what happened next was even more terrifying.