Holland growled as fire began to burn in his belly. The guards and the king took a step back just as fire escaped Holland’s snout, whipping around in a circle, catching the guards one by one until nothing was left but piles of ash and smoldering Shireforth armor. Holland took a step toward Elthion, causing him to trip backward and fall onto his back.
“I’ve got this,” King Osiris stated, putting his hand up to Holland.
Osiris walked forward, wiping the sweat from his brow. He unsheathed his sword and cracked his shoulders. Elthion looked up at the king with pleading eyes.
“Maybe you should have prayed a little more, Elthion,” the king whispered as he swung his sword, meeting Elthion’s neck and removing his head. Blood splashed up from the wound and across the king’s armor. Holland shifted quickly and retrieved the head, placing it in the golden bag that Ardontis had shoved into his hand before leaving Avalon. The king looked down at the bag and then back up at Holland with a smile.
“Not too bad for an old, fat king,” he joked.
“Not bad at all, sir,” Holland replied.
The sound of cheers erupted outside of the gates of Linhaven, and Holland quickly shifted back and lifted the tired king onto his back. He flew to the outer walls, now vacant of any guardsman and looked out over the sea of dust and bodies. The army of Avalon stood in the windy field, their arms raised high above their heads in celebration. As the king slayed Elthion, the army and the Wild had beaten Shireforth into the dust. At the sight of Holland and the king, the army erupted louder in chants, and the king seized the moment to create a closer connection with his men.
He climbed to a standing point on the top of Holland and reached into the blood-soaked bag. He pulled the dead king’s head out by his hair and held it high over Holland’s head. The crowd went silent for a moment and then erupted again, this time chanting Avalon’s name. At that moment, darkness grew throughout the king’s heart, leaving no space untouched. His thirst for blood was now insatiable, and Holland knew this was just the beginning of the new world.
Once the army had settled, Holland dropped the king on the hill and shifted back to his human form. They looked out over the fields as the Wild commander explained again that no civilians had been found and all the crops had been burned. The king gave the word and watched as the Wild lit Shireforth on fire. With the night already around them, the fires blazed high into the sky, sending embers raining down like shooting stars. They stayed standing there until the last bit of Shireforth was nothing more than cinder. The king patted Holland on the back as he moved down the hill to greet the army and prepare for camp. Holland stayed standing there, watching the fires smolder and move across the once luscious grass and out as far as he could see, lighting up the edge of the Fortune Ocean far in the distance.
This was the beginning, and the seven realms now were down to five.
Chapter Fourteen: The Snowcapped Barron Mountains
Avalon would see no wedding as the wars that once were just a thought in the king’s mind were in full force. Avalon had secured Shireforth and Gillian and would go on to fight massive battles with the other four realms left in the keep. When they arrived home victorious from their ventures in Shireforth and removed the flag from the circle, the people of Avalon seemed to come back to life. Though the king had given the kingdom permission to spread out to the newly claimed realms, they were met with disappointment when they realized those, too, were nothing but ash and dust.
As soon as Holland and Osiris reached the castle after their victory in Shireforth, the king sent another letter to the northeastern realm of Hadlow. With Shireforth under their control, they held considerable leverage on the sea ports of Hadlow, the main shipping areas into the seven realms. The main port laid within the capital city of Brierton, and King Odinpath was an older man, with no real heirs to his throne. Osiris saw this capture as a simple one and hoped the old man would concede, though he knew pride had always been one of Odinpath’s downfalls.
Just as he had suspected, word came back quickly of Odinpath’s refusal to surrender. Holland mounted a full-scale attack this time, devouring all the shipping ports along Hadlow’s coast until they reached the capital city. The Avalon army left a wake of firey towns along their path, making sure to keep the ships intact for further trade, as this was an important tactic in their maneuver. However, along the route, it seemed as if the people of Hadlow had just disappeared. Tools lay unused, fires still burned, and ships were tied tightly to the docks. It was an almost eerie feeling as you walked through the ghost towns. The Wild took care of the fields of burning crops but left the ports for the king to decide.
When the Avalon forces reached the capital, it looked as if Hadlow’s armies had tripled in size since the king’s last visit to the port city. Holland looped around above the armored men, spotting colors not of the Hadlow flag. It seemed that Allenforth had aligned to help the old king of Hadlow, sending troops to their aid. The last three remaining realms–Tripton, Allenforth, and Galeforth, knew how important the coastal city was to the survival of their people and, after hearing of Osiris’ blood rage, put old disputes aside and leant aid to the blossoming city.
This didn’t stop the Wild, however, from turning most of the men to ash before the Avalon troops were able to even wield their swords. The king laughed deeply as he rode atop Holland, looking down at the old, mad king of Hadlow, who had come out dressed in his armor from years before, wielding his sword. Holland couldn’t help but chuckle at the king’s playful, yet morbid taunting, and continued to circle dust around the old man until the king was tired of the games. With one last swoop, the king swung his sword from the back of the commander, rolling the king of Hadlow’s head across the wooden planks of the port’s piers.
Holland and Vitraus, with the king’s knowledge of Tripton’s forces, and the close vicinity of the capital city of Linvinston, decided they should move straight in and take the realm before the king had time to regroup from the losses suffered in Hadlow. Without a letter warning of the impending battle, Tripton was barely ready to even think of taking on King Osiris and his now legendary army of warriors. Tripton all but left the gates unlocked for the king when they arrived. Holland circled the realm watching the armies gather the people of Tripton together. It seemed whoever was stealing Avalon’s newfound citizens hadn’t foreseen this intrusion so quickly, and the land was left untouched. Tripton was rocky, and the soil was partially a mixture of sand and weeds, but it was enough to please the king, and he gathered some of the spoils of war before returning home to Thorn.
As for the king of Tripton, Holland and Osiris found him hanging in the gardens of his castle grounds, his servants slain at his feet. He was not going to give Osiris the pleasure of taking his life, so instead, he sacrificed the entire royal line before he could get there. Osiris laughed at the sight of the un-brave and ordered their bodies be burned in a pit in the center of town as a message to the people of Tripton. They would succumb to the whip’s rule, or they would end up a pile of ash.
It had been nearly a mark since the wars began, and with just two realms left standing, Holland was pleased to return to Avalon before finishing the king’s work. Leonetta kept to herself, when the king and Holland were back, and Holland found himself spending his time sitting on the balcony of his chambers, staring up at the clouded blue skies. The morale of Avalon had increased, despite the probability of a richer life for its people being squashed by the burning flame of the wild dragons. Still, the streets were filled with cheers every time the army returned with another head and one less flag for the circle of seven.
The quiet time for Holland, however, did not last long as Avalon received word that Galeforth and King Levontis of Allenforth had joined forces for one last battle of the seven realms. The numbers of soldiers they would face would be staggering, though much of the magical creatures had disappeared, leaving Galeforth and Allenforth at a disadvantage against the Wild. King Levontis, as Osiris knew, was a smart man and w
ould not give in easy. He knew this battle would be one for the record books.
And that it was. As the Avalon forces met head to head with the droves of soldiers from the two standing realms, blood spilled in rivers across the land. If it weren’t for the dragon’s fire, it might be difficult to see who the clear winner was. Avalon took a great loss in their army, but Holland and the king stood strong above the masses. Flight after flight, Holland swerved low into the crowds of fighting soldiers, throwing large boulders into the crowd. Even from up high in the clouds, the sounds of screaming could be heard echoing through the ash.
In a moment of dire need, Holland dropped the king with the Wild and began to fight in his human form, showing talent he hadn’t realized he even possessed. It seemed that while his mind grew stronger in leadership, his body learned the skill of a mighty warrior. Still, as he swung his sword high, cutting into the bodies of enemy forces, he couldn’t help but think of Leonetta and the love he knew still sat strongly in his heart. He hoped his bravery and dedication would show her his loyalty to her future and the future of her kingdom.
When the last of the enemy had been extinguished, what was left of the Avalon Army moved into the capital city of Galeforth, where King Levontis and King Tavaris watched the ensuing battle. Holland shifted back into his dragon, his human form more exhausted than he realized, and retrieved the king. The two flew up into the towers of the castle inside the capital city of Crownwell. They searched the empty halls of the castle until they found the grand throne room. The two were surprised to find the kings unguarded but that didn’t stop them from raising swords and battling until the floor was covered in Levontis and Tavaris’ blood.
Though King Osiris had once thought of Levontis as a friend, his refusal to become one of his men and give Allenforth over created an animosity in his heart. When he took the king’s head, he was swift but forceful, and Holland could see the anger covering Osiris’ face. With that, the realms had fallen, and the Wild searched Allenforth for any further defiance before returning back to Avalon to organize. Though the realms now all completely belonged to Osiris, Holland couldn’t help but feel something incomplete. The disappearance of so many almost created a void in the lands that now belonged to the king. There were no bowing subjects, except for those captured from Tipton, and the docks still sat eerily still, the wooden bows of the ships dipping and diving in the waves of Fortune.
Avalon was alive, though, and the sounds of cheers and celebration filled the city for many nights. The king had gone from the enemy to the hero in just a little bit of time, and the people of his kingdom really didn’t know why, but they knew any news outside of taxes was good news. No matter how many cheers erupted, the fields were still dry, and the cinder still plagued any hope of future growth. Holland, exhausted from the mighty war, took time to relax in the kingdom, bathing, and grooming until he looked somewhat like the man he did before the wars began.
It was late in the evening just two days after Holland had returned, when he was summoned to the garden to meet Leonetta. He donned his finest leather clothing, brushed his hair back into a ponytail, and followed Ashia down to the covered terrace he had taken Leonetta to what seemed like a lifetime ago. Ashia excused herself as he entered and found Leonetta sitting daintily on the yellow cushions, now worn from the weather. She smiled and moved gracefully across the flowering floor of the garden. It was strange, but it seemed as if an essence of rebirth followed her in every movement, and Holland blinked unbelievably as flowers blossomed wherever her feet touched the ground.
She moved close to Holland and placed her hand on his cheek, tilting her head and leaning in for a kiss. Her lips were soft and subtle, just as Holland had remembered. She pulled back, and Holland noticed her eyes were no longer a subtle color, but instead glowed bluer than the oceans of fortune.
I have brought you here because I want to tell you something. Leonetta spoke through her mind, not wanting anyone to overhear their conversation.
What is it, sweet queen?
A change is coming. You will know when your eyes waken to the sun in the morning. But before that happens, I want you to know you have done well, and you have honored me the best way your fragile mind was capable. My heart will forever belong to you, no matter what.
Leonetta, what are you saying?
Tomorrow you will be forced to make a choice. I pray that choice leads us back into each other’s arms. However, if it does not, always remember that I am with you, even if we face each other in anger or turmoil. My love is everlasting and stands the test of time.
You are scaring me slightly, Your Grace. What is going to happen tomorrow?
Leonetta smiled and touched Holland on the forehead. Waves of calm floated through him, and though he knew it was nothing more than fae magic, he didn’t fight it. It was the first sense of calm he had felt since before becoming commander. She leaned in, kissed once more on his lips, and slid past him, leaving him in a slight haze. The smell of lavender filled his nose, and a feeling of exhaustion came over him. He walked over and laid down on the yellow cushions, his eyes finding the door of the secret garden. Leonetta stood there, smiling calmly at him as he drifted off to sleep.
When Holland’s eyes opened again, he heard the chirping of the birds, and the light hit his eyes through the cracks in the flowered canopy. He had slept all night in the comfort of the garden. He sat up and shook the haze from his mind. Whatever Leonetta had done made Holland wonder if it were all a dream. But if it had been, why would he be waking up in the garden?
At that moment, he remembered Leonetta’s words from the night before and quickly stood, making his way out of the canopy and toward the castle. There seemed to be an unusual hustle and bustle of the servants, and Holland flinched slightly as the wild dragons flew quickly overhead, away from the castle. His body had not yet recovered from the last mark of war, so he held the stone railing as he walked toward the throne room doors. As he entered, he heard the crashing of plates and the yells of King Osiris. Osiris turned toward Holland and held out a parchment of paper.
Holland stepped forward through the servants and guards and took the letter from the king. He recognized the handwriting immediately as Leonetta’s, and he stepped into the light to read the glowing blue ink. As he pushed the words through his mind, he was met with confusion.
Father,
You have been misled, and by that of someone you know does not share your blood. I have watched you bring the seven realms to its knees, but not once did you reach out to help those in need. I told you I was determined to be a strong and rightful queen for my people, and that I shall.
I leave you with the dust and ash you have created, taking your people to safer places, and taking myself home where I belong. My mother’s life lay in your hands, and if we are to meet again, I promise you will join the thousands of others in the pits of hell where you came from.
Leonetta
Holland handed the parchment back to the king and watched as he stormed from the throne room. None of this made any sense; this was Leonetta’s home and people. And what did she mean by her mother’s life? Holland, realizing he needed answers, chased after the king.
“Your Grace,” he yelled after Osiris, “what does any of that mean?”
“Sit down, Holland,” he said, walking into his chambers and shutting the door behind them. “There is much you don’t know. Long ago, when I took Leonetta’s mother as my wife, the fae king told me that fae women cannot hold the child of a mortal man. I needed an heir to my kingdom, so part of the agreement was that she be impregnated by that of a noble fae. The king, feeling this decision of grave severity, gave of his own seed.”
“Wait,” Holland interrupted. “That would make Leonetta…”
“Queen of the fae,” the king said, taking a large gulp of wine. “However, when the agreement was made, the fae king felt that this union and child could bring Avalon and the fae together, uniting the realms across the seas. The fae are a dreadful kind, moc
king our mortal nature, so, when the time came, Leonetta’s mother gave her life to keep the fae from joining Avalon.”
“Gave her life?” Holland said, standing, not wanting to believe what he was thinking. “You killed her.”
“It had to be done,” the king screamed. “Avalon will never join with the Vale. Besides, Leonetta was never supposed to know. The only other living soul that knew of the queen’s death was Ardontis, who magically left before we returned.”
“Wait,” Holland said shaking his head. “So, by her people, she means the fae, not Avalon.”
“She destroyed us,” the king shouted. “She let us destroy all of the seven realms and left for the Vale. I will find her, Holland. And when I do, she will be the last fae to ever rule.”
With that, the king stormed from his chambers, anger filling the once calm halls of Avalon. Holland stood and raced out into the garden, looking for any sign of the wild dragons, but they were all gone. He shook his head, tearing his shirt from his body and shifting into his dragon. He let out a roar that shook the walls of the castle. Now he had to choose–a life with Leonetta, or his Kingdom.
***
As the wind whipped through Leonetta’s hair, she looked down at the waters of Fortune flowing quickly below her. She reached up and grabbed the charm around her neck, feeling a burning sensation from where it sat. The sounds of Holland’s dragon rung out over the tumultuous movement of the ocean. He had found out.
She took in a deep breath and looked out ahead, unable to see any land in front or behind her. She knew her love of her people and her need to rid the world of Osiris had grave consequences. As Leonetta moved toward the west side of Fortune and to her home in the Vale, she could feel the coming days creeping over her like the snow atop the Barron Mountains. There would be war, and if she knew King Osiris, he would bring it right to her doorstep.
***To Be Continued***
War of the Realms Box Set Page 12
