Lingaria gathered a sphere of magic above the wizard’s head. Svana watched as it grew larger and larger until its red flame was twice as large as her head. He aimed it at the wizard, and it hit him hard in the back, igniting his long gray hair into a swirl of flames.
“Arrrrrrgggghhhh!” The man cried out angrily, robes and hair flaming.
He turned around slashing his blade at the dragon. Lingaria tried to escape, but the tip of the weapon slashed against the dragon’s underbelly. With a terrible screech, Lingaria tumbled to the ground, panting loudly. Lingaria tried sitting up, but weakened, the dragon collapsed onto the ground, his head slamming into the dirt, causing a cloud of dust to expand around his small frame.
The wizard grinned as he rushed after Svana, his sword poised above his head as he aimed the tip of it at her chest. Svana raised her sword to deflect his blade, but the anger in his eyes was too unpredictable. When he brought it down on her, she was not strong enough to fend him off, and the blade tore into her flesh, cutting through her stomach like she was a pig on a chopping block. Unbelievable pain tore through her. Her entire body throbbed and shook. He winked at her, and pushed the blade deeper, until his face was mere inches from hers.
She grabbed his blade, dropping her own, and cutting her hands. Pain seared through her, blood pouring from the entry of the sword. She held tight onto it as she sunk to the ground. The wizard quickly ran over to her sword, hoping to steal the weapon for himself, but the electrical shock it gave him sent him flying across the room and against the wall. Growling, he instead yanked his sword out of Svana’s exposed stomach. The light of the sun streamed through the window across her unmoving body as the wizard stood over her, his sword held high.
“This, Svana of the Sword,” the wizard whispered. “Is where your story ends.”
51
Hekla
Discrimination is a horrible thing. It should not matter where we come from, or what race or species we are. All life is precious, and all life is worth saving. No one person is better than another. We’re all worth saving, and the sooner we get the ill-conceived notions of one of us being better than another, the better all our lives will be.
Eonnueth, The Clever, Sixth Dragon Elder, Seventh Age of Verdil
“I cannot march on Telluris without my people,” Hekla said. “I know that my sisters need me, but what good would I be to them, if I came alone?”
“What good would you be to them, lugging a half-dead guy around and a bunch of untrained soldiers?” Speltus said, as he flapped impatiently near her.
“Jakobe is not half-dead, and Jetevius and Echtelion will make sure that the Aequorans will be ready.”
Using her magic, she lifted Jakobe’s resting form into the air as she walked along the shore, making her way toward the Aequoran soldiers. It took much longer than she had hoped, but they finally came into view and it took everything in her not to run toward them. She lowered Jakobe back onto the ground, knowing that the levitation spell deprived her dragon of much needed energy.
“Jetevius, Ecthelion… are they ready to march?”
“Are you serious?” Jetevious watched her warily, his eyes wandering from her to the resting man she had left lying on the shore. “Who is that?” he pointed to the man.
“His name is Jakobe. He is someone that the Aequoran king tried to kill, and someone who is very important to my sister. I couldn’t leave him behind.”
“You’re going to get us all killed,” Ecthelion said, shaking his head.
“Why would you say that? Because I saved a man’s life?” she rested her hands on her hips, glaring angrily at them both.
“No, because you said yourself that King Renault wanted him dead, and yet you bring him here with us. You are endangering all of our lives.”
“Ecthelion, he is innocent! I will not let an innocent man die. This battle, this war we march into… I do not take it lightly. I realize that innocent people will die. I had hoped that there would be another way around this, I tried to get through to King Renault, but he’s…” Her voice trailed off as she stared down at the shore, watching the waves growing wilder as the they lapped against the beach.
“He’s what?” Ecthelion pressed, his eyes widening.
“I don’t know, but the man I talked to didn’t sound like the king I met before. He seemed… different,” she said, against her better judgement.
The Aequorans were still wrapped up in their fake battles as they practiced against each other.
“Please don’t say anything to them, I don’t know how they’ll react. I just know that what I experienced there, in Aequoris… it wasn’t Renault. He was talking about people taking his treasure, and that’s all anyone wanted was his gold, and he… it was just so off.” Hekla didn’t know how to explain it any other way.
“So, what do we do now?” Jetevius folded his arms across his chest and watched her closely.
“I can tell you don’t trust me. I know you think I’m some kind of… I don’t know, but you must believe me. Jetevius, I care about Aequoris as much as you do, it hurts my heart that against my better judgment, we must fight Tellurians and I know that more people will die. Also, Jakobe… if he dies, my sister will never forgive me. I was supposed to take care of him. To make sure that he would be cared for until he was well.”
“I’m doing fine,” a gruff voice said behind her.
Hekla turned to face him, her face paling when she saw him. “Jakobe, what are you doing up and on your feet? How do you feel?”
“As good as to be expected, but I suppose that has something to do with you,” he said.
Hekla nodded. “I used magic, that’s all.”
“Nonetheless, you saved my life and you saved me from being executed, and for that I am grateful.” He smiled kindly at her. “Now, Svana… how is she? Is she well?”
Hekla shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know, we’re marching on Telluris today.”
“Then I shall fight with you,” Jakobe responded.
“No, that’s crazy! You nearly died… twice. I can’t let you fight!”
“Well, I can’t stay here,” he argued with her.
“Just let him fight and prove his worth,” Ecthelion argued back, throwing a sword at him which Jakobe caught by the hilt.
“I’d be happy to.” Jakobe frowned. “Though, this sword is a bit unbalanced. It could use a little more metal on the lower half.”
“Next time… bring your own sword,” Ecthelion snapped.
Hekla looked the other way, away from their argument and took off toward Telluris. The others had no choice but to follow her.
“Hekla, please wait up!” Jetevius called after her.
Jetevius’ feet pattered against the ground as he struggled to catch up with her. The group of soldiers that had been training were completely miffed by the whole thing and hurried to collect their weapons and armor so they wouldn’t be left behind.
She ignored him, anger flaring, knowing that to march on Telluris with Jakobe having barely healed could put him in danger. Jetevius and Ecthelion were being difficult, and she didn’t trust herself not to say something she wouldn’t regret. She had to get them to Telluris as quickly as possible. Besides, she knew that Svana and Astrid needed her, and if there were a battle already breaking out, her healing powers would be needed to stop the amount of death that could occur at the hands of the oversized angry Tellurians.
Jetevius tried to get her attention again, but she ignored him. The castle walls were up ahead, and the gate was down. The angry Toverak outside roared furiously, fighting against his chains as they tried to break free. Hekla could not allow herself to be distracted for any reason. She rushed on ahead, and the soldiers stayed close behind. What they saw inside the castle walls was a battle for the ages. Caelestans fought against Tellurians. Astrid and Svana were nowhere to be seen, but the large wood doors to the main hallway of the castle stood wide open, surrounded by Caelestans who refused to let a single Tellurian soldier inside.
Hekla shook her head, smiling to herself. How had the Caelestans managed to overtake the castle and force the Tellurians to remain on the outside? Where were her sisters?
Seeing her, cheers went up as she approached with her people. She fought her way through the tangle of men fighting against each other, the Aequorans behind her fighting just as vigorously. Hekla stopped only a few times to heal those who looked like they needed it most. She was surprised that there was not more bloodshed, but from her vantage point, the Caelestans were merely on the defensive. Using their blades and shields to deflect and knock aside advancing soldiers. Hekla hoped that this was the influence of her sisters, that somehow Astrid and Svana had managed to talk sense into all the soldiers. She hoped they had been convinced that their enemies were not each other but were instead the king of Telluris.
It seemed that King Armand was behind everything, though Hekla suspected now, King Renault played his part too. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed that each of the kings were acting oddly the last several years according to their people. Was King Bertram, the king of the sky people also affected in such a way? Hekla would have to confront Astrid about such a thing. For now, there was no time for that, she had to make her way into the castle to find her sisters, who she assumed were already inside.
The entire atmosphere was consumed in the sound of battle.
Even though it seemed many were convinced that King Armand was behind much of the distress of Telluris, not everyone did, and Hekla did still have plenty of opposition as she entered the city. However, Tellurians feared the magic she wielded, and only a few men remained to fight her as the rest saw her magic. She didn’t do much harm to the soldiers opposing her. Her scepter held tight in her hands, she summoned winds to guide her as she directed her magic toward the soldiers who rushed after her. Hekla used the wind to toss them away. It wasn’t harmless, as she didn’t have the faith that they wouldn’t come back after her from behind but compared to what she could have done to them—their injuries were light.
Hekla used her scepter to push the wind against the soldiers who rushed at her, and she slid them into buildings around her, rendering them unconscious as their heads struck the alleyways and buildings around them. It used the least amount of energy, and it allowed her to save her energy for things more important to herself, like healing those who were in need. Hekla preferred saving lives rather than taking them.
Clanging metal echoed throughout the battlefield as blades hit against shields or other swords. Sparks scattered all around Hekla as blades struck other blades or shields. Men yelled out battlecries as they attacked one another. Some of them she recognized as Caelestan, while others came from behind her of the Aequorans. The Aequorans behind her rushed ahead as they fought against the Tellurians who threatened the Caelestans or Hekla. Though the people fighting had increased, the battlefield itself grew smaller as more and more soldiers fell.
A small squad of Tellurians flanked Hekla from the side. She didn’t have enough time to focus her defensive magic to use the wind to toss them away. Instead, she had to think quick. With the wind spell still fresh on her lips, she shouted it as the four Tellurian soldiers nearly reached her. They flew straight up into the sky, not too far, but a few feet above Hekla’s head, before she used the wind again to push them back down. The four soldiers crashed onto the ground all around her. It winded them all, but they tried to quickly get to their feet—not giving up yet. Hekla, however, didn’t waste any time as she used her scepter as a staff rather than a magical director, and smacked it into the forehead of each once before slamming it harder into each of their temples.
Smiling to herself, she stepped over their bodies as they were near unconsciousness. She didn’t have to do any more as the Aequorans behind her finished knocking the four Tellurians out.
We’re winning! Hekla thought jubilantly, as she pushed forward, making her way into the castle. She didn’t know where to go and she paused as she looked at all the hallways. A Caelestan soldier rushed past her.
“Excuse me! Where are you going?”
“To the dark tower, its why we’re not letting the Tellurians in. The red-haired one and the green-haired one are there as well. Hurry!” The Caelestan was like an angel, taking long elegant strides down the hallway before turning left down an unmarked corridor. Hekla followed dutifully behind, scepter tightly in hand as she processed all that had happened so quickly.
An injured soldier lay in the hallway, and she stopped momentarily. “Hold on, I need to help him!” She bent down, waving her scepter over his body as he groaned in pain. There was blood around his back, and Hekla was afraid to move him for fear of causing more damage. He was Tellurian, but by the pull of his life force she knew that he was going to die, and she couldn’t let that happen.
Concentrating all her energy on the man, she closed her eyes, holding her scepter horizontally.
“Enviduium, Verilium, Enchantum, Ehealium.” She spoke the most powerful spell she knew, hoping that she had reached him in time to save him from death.
He groaned louder, and she wished she had thought to grab some of the aquaberries before leaving Aequoris, but it was too late for that now. Her words and magic would have to be enough. As the blue sparks flowed from the orb of her scepter, she could feel the power flowing through it. It covered his body like a gentle blanket, and she breathed in deeply, opening her eyes. Watching the magic dance over him like a million light fairies healing him from the inside out.
When he started to breathe more regularly, and she could see his color return to normal, she stood up to leave.
“Will you be all right?” she asked.
“Why did you save me?” the man asked weakly.
“Because you are one of my people, just as the Caelestans and Aequorans are. I do not wish death on you, or any of the kingdoms. Only peace, and that is why I am here.”
With that, she caught up to the Caelestan soldier who she had been following, a little surprised that he had stopped to watch her as she helped the Tellurian soldier.
“Well, if I wasn’t convinced before, I am now.” The Caelestan soldier smiled kindly at her.
“Convinced of what?” Hekla asked, confused.
“Convinced that peace could be achieved. Our kingdoms have been at war with each other for so long, I was sure that we would just continue to live and die by the sword until a final battle killed us all.”
Hekla shook her head. “No, my sisters and I…. we could never let that happen. We will do everything in our power to help restore the kingdom.”
“Arrrrgggghhhhh!!!!!” a voice shouted from up the stairs.
Hekla glanced back to the Caelestan soldier. “Stay here, guard this room.”
Without waiting for a response, Hekla barreled forward, running up the stairs as fast as her legs could carry her. At the top a door blocked her path with small bursts of purple lightning trickling from all sides of the door. Hekla bit her lip as she steadied her scepter in front of her and muttered the word to undo the hinges of the door. It collapsed in front of her as she kicked it with her foot.
Hekla’s eyes bulged as she saw a man in dark robes standing over a crumpled body. Her body stiffened as she recognized the body on the ground. It wasn’t just anyone. Svana laid on the ground, and she was injured. The man standing over her glanced over his shoulder, his dark black eyes meeting Hekla’s for an instant before he turned back around to look at Svana’s form. A sword was in his hands, reached far above his head, and he brought it down—prepared to slam it onto Svana’s helpless form.
“Noo!” Hekla yelled.
She took a step forward, her scepter aimed at the dark form. Her mind searching for anything she could use to stop him, but she didn’t have time to think of anything complex, and so she shouted the first thing that came to mind.
“Aquum Purum Orbium!”
An orb of water soared from her scepter to crash into the man. It knocked him away fro
m her sister, and he crashed onto the ground, sliding to the other side of the room. Hekla rushed forward, desperately trying to reach her sister. The man stood. Hekla passed, her feet digging into the ground as she stopped to gape at him. Her spell should have rendered him unconscious, or at the least—stunned him. Whoever this was, he was powerful… and most likely magical. He no longer held his sword, as she had blasted it away when her water orb slammed into him, but he lifted a staff. A molten black liquid oozed from its tip before flying toward her.
Hekla froze. Not a single counter spell hit her lips. Instead, she was flabbergasted that someone else had used magic… and against her. The black liquid slammed into her face, twisting her neck at an odd angle, and hitting her with such an impact that she crashed onto the ground. She tried to get up. She tried to move. But her body wasn’t responding. And the black ooze was beginning to cover her entire body.
52
Astrid
Loss is often too hard to bear, especially when it comes to someone you love. It is hard to let go, and even harder to move on. But you must remember that with every heartache, every heartbreak, and every hard obstacle you face—it makes you stronger, and more of the person you are meant to be.
Reidlesiul, The Bravest, Seventh Dragon Elder, Eighth Age of Verdil
Astrid glared at Cayden as he knelt on the floor next to the injured woman. She didn’t know who the woman was, but it was clear she was important to the Tellurian king, which meant her sister Svana may know her. However, her irritation was focused on Cayden. He hadn’t told her about his sister, and he should have. Out of all the random facts he’d confessed, his sister would have been the most important. Svana knew he used to be the captain of the king’s guard, but he didn’t mention his sister was still in the Tellurian capital. All she knew of his family was his mother died when he was born, and his father died when he was eight. He then told her that he and his brothers had turned to thievery, and eventually, the king took pity of him and took him in, but not once in their conversation had he mentioned his sister.
Dragon Bow Page 33
