The Aspect: The Cessation's Harbinger

by Ajax Lygan

  Tempest let out the breath he was holding and laughed, which seemed to spread to everyone else in the room.

  “In fact, I think this calls for a celebration.” Queen Vatia snapped her fingers and several staff, who were standing along the edge of the room, came forward with chilled bottles of wine. They handed a gold encrusted goblet to everyone in the room.

  Queen Vatia raised her glass toward Tempest. “To his Eminence Tempest, the divine’s blessing upon the people of Iðna. May your reign be long, and your purpose be just!” Everyone toasted and drank the fine red wine. After they finished the initial drink, the staff went to each person and poured another glass.

  “This is fantastic wine, your majesty,” Riika said. “If I’m not mistaken, this is from the Firegrove, isn’t it?”

  “Quite right, Lady Treehammer. You have Saïgra to thank for that.”

  “I only felt it was appropriate to send you a gift, to thank you for your hospitality.”

  “If I had known you had this on you, it would have never made it to the castle,” Riika laughed.

  “That’s why I sent it ahead of us before we left the Firegrove,” Saïgra added with a smile.

  “I don’t blame you, Lady Treehammer. I would have likely done the same.” The group shared a short laugh as they each took their time savoring their second glass. The Queen motioned to the table, and the staff assisted everyone to a chair.

  “Oh, your Eminence, would you mind taking the seat next to me?” Queen Vatia asked. Tempest smiled and nodded as he moved to the chair next to the Queen. After he settled himself, Queen Vatia addressed the table.

  “Now, my understanding is that you all would like me to call the IRC to an impromptu meeting given the current events. I…” she spoke, putting her hand on her chest, “am happy to do so. Queen Maileath announcing to take a seat on the table is long overdue and would be more than enough reason to call on the other members. It’s even more so that we have the next Aspect to announce. The heralds will need to begin preparations.”

  “The heralds, your majesty?” Tempest asked, furrowing his brow.

  “The heralds of the Aspect. They are the Aspect’s coadjutors. They have a church on Joromund’s Peak, though I’d be less likely to call it a church and more likely to call it a luxury hotel, at this point,” she said, waving her hand. “The good part about that, is Joromund’s Peak is where the IRC holds its annual meetings. It is part of our tradition.”

  “Well, that’s convenient. How long will it take to assemble such a convocation?”

  “Anywhere from a few days to a week at most,” Queen Vatia said, running her finger around the edge of her glass. “I’ll pass the word tonight and have my staff coordinate with the other representatives of the IRC...Oh.” Queen Vatia trailed off as she peered into the distance.

  Tempest looked at the others in the room before reaching a hand out to the Queen. “Is everything all right, your majesty?”

  Queen Vatia looked at Tempest and her eyes went wide before settling into a smile.

  “Oh, yes. I just realized how hypocritical of me it was earlier, is all. My apologies.”

  Tempest turned to the rest of the group at the table who responded with shaking heads and shrugs.

  “I think I speak for the rest of the table, your majesty. I don’t rightly follow.”

  Queen Vatia chuckled as she adjusted herself in the chair. “I went through that dramatic display of burning the letter and said we would keep the word of you being the next Aspect to the members in the room, but here I am about to announce it to all of the other leaders of the IRC and their staff.”

  Tempest leaned back in his chair and smiled. “Oh, no worries at all, your majesty. To be honest, now that the secret is out, I am looking forward to it being announced to the public. It will be one less thing to worry about.”

  Queen Vatia cocked an eyebrow at him and sat her goblet on the table. She leaned in to whisper so that only Tempest could hear. “Careful what you wish for, your Eminence. Once that knowledge is public, there’s no closing that door.”

  Tempest pursed his lips and nodded.

  “Also,” she continued, “there’s no telling what the IRC will do with this knowledge. Most of the council are not old enough to remember the times of the last Aspect, like I can. You’ll be a conundrum to their normal way of doing things. Many of them may see you as a threat and try to deal with you as such.”

  The two leaned back in their chairs. Tempest scratched at his stubble as he thought about the Queen’s words. All of a sudden, a sensation of dread fell over Tempest. The hair stood up all over his body as a result of the perceived threat. It felt like the winds shifted in the room, flowing in the opposite direction and dropping the temperature twenty degrees. Tempest turned in his chair to look out the window to the right.

  “You noticed it too, didn’t you?” Queen Vatia asked, standing from her chair.

  Tempest nodded as he jumped up from his chair and they both jogged to the balcony. The height of the tower gave them a view tall enough to see above the thick clouds of the overcast day below. Off in the distance, a pink light of sparkling energy protruded from the clouds like a fishing bobber floating on an endless, gray sea.

  “What is that?” Tempest asked.

  “I don’t know,” Queen Vatia said, crossing her arms. “But it’s coming from The Academy.”

  Queen Vatia clapped her hands, and one of the staff attended to her immediately. “Cladius, please send for...Ah, never mind, here he is.” Off in the distance Tempest could see three avians approaching. They landed on the balcony and bowed immediately before the Queen. “Captain Refero, what is your report.”

  “It’s The Academy, your majesty. Something terribly wrong has happened.”

  “I can clearly see that, Captain Refero. Get the rest of your scouts to The Academy as soon as possible and tell General Eldrict I want him to get a platoon of men to The Academy as well. Have them equipped for fire suppression and healing. I’ll meet you all there shortly.”

  “Yes, your majesty.”

  As soon as the scouts took off, Queen Vatia turned toward the group and sighed. “Unfortunately, since King Orum and Queen Kasta are dealing with other important matters, I must leave you here to address this.”

  He noticed the Queen look behind him and he felt a blowing rush of cool air against his back. He turned to see nothing in his immediate vicinity. Brushing the sensation off, Tempest spun his swordstaff behind him and brought it to his side as he took a step forward. “How can we be of service, your majesty.”

  Queen Vatia shifted her weight onto her back leg and smiled. “It’s nice to see you’re an Aspect of action, your Eminence. I would be lying if I said I don’t want to see what you can do. Is your team ready?”

  Tempest looked back at his group. Ella had everything she needed, but Riika had no armor or weapons. Her armor no longer fit, and she kept her weapons with her armor. Tempest turned back toward the Queen and pointed behind him. “We actually haven’t had the opportunity to get Riika refitted for new armor and weapons. That was one of the first things we’d planned to do.”

  Riika took a step between the two. “I don’t need armor; just give me a weapon and I’ll be fine.”

  “While I appreciate your fervor, Lady Treehammer, I would feel responsible should you get injured on my behalf, without taking the proper precautions.” Queen Vatia snapped her fingers, and Cladius, once again, returned to her side. “Cladius, please take Lady Treehammer here to our armory. Get her outfitted with whatever she wants.”

  Riika’s eyes went wide, and she bowed deeply. “Thank you, your most gracious majesty. I promise I won’t let you down.” Riika began jogging down toward the entrance, shouting at Cladius to pick up the pace.

  As Tempest watched Riika leave, Saïgra approached him from the other side. He noticed her fidgeting with her arm as she stared first at the Queen and then back at Tempest.

  “I-I am coming too.”

  Quee
n Vatia pursed her lips and cleared her throat, trying to neutralize her expression. “Oh, Lady Saïgra, I didn’t realize you were a warrior as well. My apologies for assuming otherwise.”

  Tempest took a step behind Saïgra and rested his hand on her arm. He pulled her in close to whisper. “Saïgra, you don’t have to do this. You can stay here, where it’s safe.”

  Saïgra pulled her arm away and stared at Tempest with large eyes. “I can’t just stay back and do nothing. I already feel ashamed by what happened last night. Let me prove to you that I can help. I promise I won’t get in the way.”

  Something about those words felt familiar to Tempest. He could relate to the feeling of shame, having to have others fight his battles. If this was what she wanted, he wouldn’t stand in her way.

  “All right,” Tempest said, smiling. He turned back toward Queen Vatia, who was rotating her shoulders. “It seems we’re all going, your majesty.”

  Queen Vatia smiled as she turned toward the balcony. “Good, I have a feeling we’re going to need the extra help.”

  3

  The Power of The Hydra

  Riika sprinted in from the hallway, rejoining the group on the balcony. If it wasn’t for her exposed midsection and lack of a helmet, Tempest would not have recognized her.

  She wore bright silver armor from head to toe. She shined like a newly minted coin, catching a reflection of every light source in the room. The breastplate, adorned with an image of a golden dragon, only covered her upper chest, leaving her well-defined abdomen exposed. However, what was most impressive was the double-edge sword she had resting on her plated shoulder.

  The blade was almost as wide as Riika’s arms and nearly as tall as her. It had an ornate draconic design. The tail of a dragon was on the hilt with the wings acting as a cross guard. A sky-blue hue shimmered on the silver steel of the sword.

  “Riika!” Ella shouted, wide eyed and stomping her way towards the huntress. “Just because they offered to equip you, doesn’t mean you should take advantage of their hospitality!”

  Riika’s quick speech and panting breath did little to conceal her excitement. “I couldn’t help myself. They have everything in there, Ella. I’ve never seen so many swords, axes, knives, bows, maces…”

  Ella just shook her and grabbed the underside of Riika’s Breastplate. “All right, all right! I get it. Just calm down, we’re getting ready to leave.”

  Riika nodded and took a deep breath. In the second she exhaled; it was like she’d forgotten what was just said. “Oho, Ella, look at this sword though. When I touched it, this symbol lit up. It’s super sharp and shines blue like me.” The pair looked up as the Queen’s voice commanded their attention.

  “You have good taste, Lady Treehammer,” she said with a smirk. “You said a symbol lit up when you touched this sword? Show me.” Queen Vatia walked toward Riika from the balcony. Her golden eyes constricted as she remained focused entirely on the blade.

  Riika swallowed hard, while the Queen’s expression slowly softened as she approached. She extended her arm in front of the Queen, holding the blade horizontally so her majesty could see the runes etched down the fuller. Riika watched as the Queen’s eyes lit up in surprise as she gazed upon the glowing rune. The Queen stared at the sword for a few seconds, leaned back with one hand on her hip and the other stroking her chin. Finally, she looked up and smiled.

  “This is Lightning Breath. It was a sword the elves of Aerlanthir made for my father before the founding of Halairim.”

  As the Queen spoke, looking at the blade, Riika watched Ella’s head slowly turn, giving her a look that Riika was sure would burn through her skull if she stared too long into her lover’s eyes.

  Riika finally mouthed, I didn’t know, as the two listened to the Queen.

  “There are three runes along the fuller of the blade. The first one enhances the blade’s edge, making it capable of slicing through almost any material. The second rune imbues the weapon with electricity, filling a foe with enough magical energy to fry them on the spot. Finally, the third rune allows the wielder to send out electrical arcs from the blade, just like my father’s draconic breath.”

  Riika’s lips fluttered as she tried to speak. Her eyes shifted quickly between Queen Vatia and Ella, trying to come up with anything she could say to get her out of this predicament. “I-I’m so sorry, your majesty,” Riika said, letting out a nervous laugh and wiping away a bead of sweat from her forehead. “I had no idea this was your father’s. I-I’ll go put this back where I found it.”

  As she turned to head back toward the armory, Riika felt a hand pull on her elbow.

  “On the contrary, Lady Treehammer. No one has been able to activate that blade—except for my father and now you. Myself, King Orum, and Queen Kasta have all tried for years to no avail. Yet you happen across it in the armory, pick it up, and the first rune activates. Quite curious, indeed.”

  Riika rubbed the back of her neck as she looked at her companions and then back at the Queen. “So, should I keep it or…”

  Queen Vatia’s laughter echoed into the open air. “Yes, I think that would be for the best. Even though I’m sure it’s going to frustrate King Orum, it seems the sword has chosen you to be its wielder, at least for now.”

  Riika smiled and clasped the sword onto the back of her armor.

  Queen Vatia called back as she stepped onto the edge of the balcony railing. “Oh, but Lady Treehammer, please keep in mind, and I mean this with the utmost respect, should you lose my father’s sword, I will sever your neck from your body.” She winked as she said those last words and took a step off of the balcony railing.

  The group ran to the balcony’s edge and peered over as they watched Queen Vatia fall toward the ground. They shielded their eyes as a bright light filled the horizon, like the blooming of a newborn sun. When their vision returned, a colossal golden dragon hovered where the Queen’s humanoid body had been.

  The group gripped the edge of the railing as a seismic vibration shot through the spire’s floor when the Queen flapped her wings. The Queen’s roar was even more intimidating than they had imagined it would be, sounding like a waterspout tearing through an entire dock full of ships.

  It echoed throughout all of Halairim and made quite a deterrent for any small-time criminals. The group watched as the Queen plunged above and below the cloudy horizon before turning back in their direction. They raised their arms before their faces in unison as Queen Vatia’s massive claws clamped onto the spire, sending a gust of wind that caused several of them to slide back a few feet along the smooth stone surface of the balcony.

  “Gods…” Riika whispered as she looked up at Queen Vatia’s giant head.

  Her teeth were as wide as a bearin. Her tongue was as long as a lamia. They had to brace themselves for each breath she took, for if she wished it, she could blow them clear off of the tower. Her voice was similar to her original form, but was now so deep, Riika felt it vibrate through her entire body. Her mind took her to a place that probably wasn’t appropriate to be wandering in the presence of a Queen, and it wasn’t until she heard Ella’s shouts, that she snapped out of it.

  “Riika, stop daydreaming and get on.”

  Riika rubbed her eyes and looked over at Ella, Tempest, and Saïgra who were sitting comfortably in Queen Vatia’s open palm. She took a step back as her brain deduced what was about to happen. Chuckling, she pointed behind her as she slowly backtracked towards the hallway.

  “I’m going to grab Crux and meet you guys there.”

  “Riika, we don’t have time for this!” Tempest shouted. “Climb into Queen Vatia’s hand.”

  The Queen snorted through her sinkhole sized nostrils as she leaned in toward Riika. “Is the famous huntress scared? I promise I won’t drop you.”

  “I hate heights!” Riika shouted.

  “Oh, is that so?” Queen Vatia said, grinning like a predator about to devour its prey. “Well then, I guess you must return Lightning Breath. My father
would never have let a coward wield his blade.”

  Riika’s lips furled and she clenched her jaw. She unhinged the blade from her back, staring at its magnificent blue shine and pristine edge. She took a deep breath, then took a few steps and jumped into the Queen’s massive talons.

  The group gasped as the Queen clamped her other massive hand over top of them, and they felt a bit of weightlessness for half a second. They could hear the thunderous flap of the Queen’s wings and the high-pitched whistle of the wind flowing through the cracks of the Queen’s scaled-covered hands. The makeshift cavern lit up as Ella shook one of her vials, producing a bright blue hue. The blue light shined off of the golden scales, creating a serene facade reminiscent of Iðna’s starry lit night sky.

  “This actually isn’t so bad,” Riika said, resting Lightning Breath across her thighs. “It’s actually kind of nice.”

  Ella leaned over to catch Riika’s attention, her lower eye twitching as she looked at the female orc. “What is wrong with you?”

  Riika turned toward Ella with a blank face. “What do you mean?”

  “The Queen, in her philanthropic grace, sent you to get some gear, and somehow you just end up with her father’s sword? I’m sure it wasn’t just sitting on the shelf like the rest of the weapons, was it?”

  Riika looked up and rolled her head. “Well, no, not exactly…”

  “Right, and I’m sure it wasn’t even a choice they gave you, was it?”

  “No…”

  “Then why, in all that is holy, would you take it?!”

  “Well, the Queen said to give me whatever I wanted.”

  Ella scoffed. “Riika Treehammer, always the joker.” Ella shook her head and leaned back on her arms. “Your armor looks ridiculous, by the way. You look like you tried to squeeze into a toddler’s breastplate.”

  Riika’s upper lip curled as she tilted her head to the vulpine next to her. “And you look like some slimy salesman with your pockets full of potions. What are you trying to sell me now, ma’am?” Riika heightened her voice and pressed her hands to the front of her breastplate, trying to give her best saucy wench impersonation. “For only three coppers, this will give you that beautiful bosom your man has always dreamed about.”