Balance of the 12

by Ania Bo

  Dwade found himself rolling forward as a Zaend dragon plummeted to the ground and closed its jaws around a screaming Dvay. The sound of bones crunching made Dwade wince, and the enemy looked toward the skies as dragons continued to grab their comrades, fly them high into the air and drop them, letting them fall to their deaths. The screams of the enemy echoed through the snowy valley along with the clang of sword meeting sword.

  As their enemies’ numbers began to decrease, Lucidum lifted his scimitar as if to signal the others. The Zaends looked up to him as a massive dragon that must have been his made a very strange and wild sound that froze the enemy soldiers where they stood. Taking advantage of their momentary pause, the Zaends herded the rest of the Dvay and Jatuk soldiers into two groups where they surrounded them. They pointed their weapons into the circle, creating a deadly barrier they could not pass. Shasta closed her eyes as Rajeeh gave a shout and the dragons descended and killed them off until not one was left.

  When the attack was over, the once white snow had turned red, and the field was littered with bodies. Violen and Shasta were devastated by the cost of the attack, especially Shasta. As Dwade approached her, she didn’t even react. Her eyes were more vacant than a dead man’s, and her skin was far too pale.

  “Shasta?” Dwade asked tentatively as he reached to touch her before he realized his hand was covered in blood. He received no response as she continued to stare at the sky where the aircraft had now flown out of site. “Shasta, this wasn’t your fault. It was my duty to protect her, not yours. You accomplished your destiny once you found her. I am the one who couldn’t protect her. I swear on my life that we will get her and the baby back.”

  “This is my doing,” she replied in a voice filled with sorrow. “I foresaw this. I saw the blood spill onto the white snow. I could have stopped this! It was my task to interpret the visions, and I failed. I listened to my heart, and I failed!” She allowed her tears to fall and didn’t move a finger to wipe them away.

  Dwade hugged her tightly. He didn’t know how to feel, but he wasn’t angry at Shasta, nor did he blame her.

  “Bring the child here,” Lucidum said as he gestured toward Shasta. Violen raised her hand to sign stop to Zaend soldiers and walked up to the two of them and picked up Shasta’s cold hand to escort her to the Zaend leader. He helped Violen place Shasta on the back of Zeorgan’s dragon where she remained sitting in silence. He sat on the dragon with them.

  “The Chancellor is smarter than we thought,” Zeorgan said with a sick laugh as he looked upon all the people who had died that day.

  Lucidum took a deep breath. “Yes, we, unfortunately, underestimated her. Come, we must plan.”

  They flew back to Lucidum’s home. He immediately prepared tea to ease their strained emotions from the battle and the betrayal of their friend. They sat in silence till a strong realization hit Dwade. “You knew the Chancellor was behind this all along?”

  “Not exactly. We had our suspicions, just as you did. I knew the Chancellor was in communication with Han the night of the feast. She reached out to him as he bathed in the hot springs, but it is not our way to interfere with the Balance and the path it has drawn for every living being. Our purpose in life is very simple—protect the Regenerator and ensure the survival of the races. It did not occur to me that Han would have the gumption to betray his friends and steal the Regenerator from right under our noses. But we knew the Chancellor was trying to attack our lands. Zeorgan spent days burying the Reader soldiers on our borders.” Lucidum sounded so calm as he explained it all.

  “What will we do now?” Zeorgan asked.

  “I will go to Atlantis and get the Regenerator back. Alone,” Dwade answered although the question was not for him.

  “Oh yes, Protector. What a splendid idea,” Zeorgan answered with venom. “Go ahead and face the Chancellor’s armies alone, and we will stay here and ready your burial!”

  Dwade was about to defend his idea, but Lucidum stopped him. “The Protector is right.” The others looked at their leader in surprise. “We can no longer avoid war. We will not sit by while the Chancellor steals power that is not hers to command. She has taken the Regenerator and has thus forced us to play a part in this war. She called for war, I will make sure she gets the best one.”

  Shasta finally spoke up in a weak voice. She hadn’t been listening to the others and had been lost in her own thoughts. “But how? How did we manage to pass the tests of intentions?” It was clear now to all that Han shouldn’t have made it through, neither of them should have.

  Zeorgan looked at Lucidum and waited for him to explain. “You all didn’t make it through. Only you and Dwade were supposed to reach the Regenerator and us, but Dwade was smart enough to drag all of you in with him. You, Shasta, saved Han when you pulled him through the mirror, Dwade saved him when he was about to drink the tainted water and when he was stuck in the cocoon. Han should never have made it past the maze. He was possessed by the Chancellor.”

  Dwade and Violen looked at each other upon realizing Lucidum witnessed their entire struggle, but they decided not to comment on it as it did not matter now.

  “It was all because of me,” Shasta whispered, continuing to blame herself. “I brought the enemy here and gave him everything he wanted—the Regenerator, my heart, your freedom, everything!”

  Lucidum pitied her and reached back to caress her hair. “He is not a bad person, Shasta, don’t blame yourself. He chose poorly is all, trusted the wrong people. He doesn’t have a bad soul, just a weak one. The Chancellor is a cunning woman, and I’m certain she used your innocent attraction to her advantage which is why she chose Han to accompany you.” His tone changed from soothing to a voice strong and sharp. “But now is not the time to cry or feel sorry for oneself. It is time for war! Rise, my little friend,” he said as he lifted Shasta’s head.

  “Where do we begin?” Violen asked Lucidum. She seemed full of revenge. The Chancellor was right about one thing. Once a Reader wasn’t stabilized, he or she could be powerful and dangerous. They had the power to decode molecules, but smart ones could find a way to move them as well. That fire burned in Violen’s eyes.

  “We will give the Chancellor the war she wants in her own home.”

  Dwade smiled with joy. “You will attack Atlantis?”

  Lucidum nodded. “She dared to come to our home and lay her hand on our precious one. It would be rude not to pay her back in kind.”

  Violen was uncomfortable knowing her home would be under attack, but as her leader was the one who had betrayed them, she had no right to protest.

  A renewed strength filled Dwade. He looked at Shasta. “You see? We will get her back.” But Shasta appeared to no longer be listening, and there was something off about her. He was about to reach out to her when Lucidum stopped him.

  “She is on the edge, and soon she will fall. Then she will become what she is meant to be. Leave her be. Let the Balance recreate her.”

  Again, Dwade felt Lucidum knew more than he told, that was certain.

  “Zeus and his troops should already be preparing for war. Shall we let him know?” Zeorgan asked.

  “I can go to the UtsuHapok,” Violen said. “I can easily slip under the Chancellor’s radar. She’ll be too preoccupied with Shasta and Dwade. If Zeorgan would be kind enough to lend me his wings, I can warn Zeus and then join you in Atlantis.”

  Lucidum tilted his head in thought. “Yes, good idea.” Then he turned to Zeorgan. “You should leave now, old friend. We will begin our trek to Atlantis tomorrow.”

  Zeorgan nodded. He and Violen left the others in Lucidum’s home, and with a whistle from Zeorgan, his dragon came to the closest suitable area. After a few minutes of walking, they reached it. Zeorgan allowed Violen to climb on the back of his dragon one more time. Knowing this time nothing would ever be the same again, he carefully looked at his lands as if he were saying goodbye.

  When Violen and Zeorgan were about to take off, Dwade called out, “Violen!�
� As she turned to look, Dwade ran to her and lifted himself onto the dragon before he kissed her, a brush of his lips against hers. Everyone watched, but he didn’t care. “Be careful,” he warned her.

  Violen was all red, and managed to clear her throat enough to say, “You too.”

  Zeorgan smiled at the two and rolled his eyes as he gave Lucidum a knowing glance. “Humans,” he murmured. Zeorgan cleared his throat, indicating that Dwade should return to the ground, and he reached into his sack attached to his dragon’s saddle. He pulled out an odd suit along with a pair of gloves that he passed to Violen. She didn’t even notice that Zeorgan was trying to hand her anything as she was still gazing at Dwade.

  “Here,” Zeorgan said gruffly.

  Violen stared at the suit with uncertainty, unsure of what to do with it.

  “Put it on. We’ll need to fly high up to avoid detection. I don’t want you to freeze up there and use those straps on the side of the saddle to secure yourself. We’ll be traveling a bit faster than the time before,” he told her. Violen nodded and did as she was told. “We have a day and a half till we reach the Immortal Savannah where Zeus’ army has made camp,” he warned. “So use whatever ability and power you have to withstand this long journey. We can’t stop on the way.”

  Violen nodded again, though she didn’t know how a dragon could fly nonstop for so long. She gave one last look and a wave toward Dwade and Shasta. Dwade returned her wave, but Shasta still sat behind Lucidum numb and unmoving. Violen tried to hide her concern for her fellow Reader as the dragon readied itself for takeoff.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  The dragon took off from the ground with a loud whoosh leaving the others behind, and it didn’t stop its ascent until they were high above the clouds. Up there, the sun was fully visible and bright, and Violen squinted as she looked at it and the golden glow the light cast on the fluffy clouds. Here the world seemed to be flawless, and she enjoyed the view as the dragon’s pace slowed slightly, and it smoothly glided through the air.

  They continued flying like this above the clouds until night had fallen, and all the bright stars and the moon shone down on them.

  “Are we close?” Violen asked. She was becoming hungry, and her backside ached from sitting on the dragon for so long.

  “We should reach them by dawn. You may rest a while if you wish.”

  Violen took advantage of Zeorgan’s offer, and she awkwardly tried to lay her head down on the dragon’s back. She was so exhausted from the battle that it did not take her long to fall asleep.

  The light from the sun woke Violen hours later. After stretching and rubbing her eyes, she looked down to the ground below. There she saw a huge dark patch she quickly identified as a marching army. As her eyes adjusted and Zeorgan directed the dragon to drop to a lower altitude, she vaguely made out the many dinosaurs marching along the savannah.

  “Jatuks,” she said, and Zeorgan confirmed her thoughts.

  The Jatuk soldiers were using colihum, massive beasts that stood high above the trees with long necks stretching into the sky, for transport—both for their soldiers and their supplies. The huge, wild animals had been enslaved. Each of them was ridden by three Jatuks. They were fitted with a saddle that consisted of three different parts. One Jatuk was able to sit on the head of the dinosaur, one on its neck, and the other on its back. Violen felt sorry for these gorgeous animals forced to fight in battles that were not their own. Surprisingly, the Jatuks were able to capture several Agilens as well. They flew just above the army, their legs chained to large cages which held a few stone boulders. The dinosaurs were so despondent they didn’t even notice the dragon that flew above their heads.

  There were more armies traversing through the Immortal Savannah. Not long after they passed the Jatuks and their dinosaurs, Violen saw the sun reflecting off multiple objects that gave the illusion the plains below them sparkled. The light was enough to cause her discomfort, but she forced herself to see what was reflecting the sun’s light. She soon realized the sparkles were hundreds of arrowheads and shields that belonged to the Baresm. The female warriors of the forest marched resolutely toward Zeus’ ranks to join them in the coming fight.

  As they neared their destination, Zeorgan flew higher to avoid the Dvay army up ahead. They soared over them cautiously, hiding behind the clouds, before they reached the borders of Zeus’ lands and found his army just beyond.

  The Savannah was so full of soldiers that Zeorgan found it difficult to choose a safe place to land, finally deciding it would be best to set down near the perimeter of Zeus’ army. But the sentries on duty were not expecting a huge dragon to land within their midst, and its presence made them sound the alarm. As soon as Violen and Zeorgan landed, a group of Hikar and Baresm soldiers circled them.

  Zeorgan and Violen slipped off the dragon slowly to appear harmless. Once the soldiers caught sight of Violen and saw that she was a Reader, they became relieved, for at this point the armies were unaware of the Chancellor’s betrayal and continued to see the Readers as friends. Nevertheless, they kept their eyes trained on Zeorgan for they were unsure where his loyalties lay.

  “I am Zeorgan of the Zaends. We need to speak immediately with Lord Zeus. I have a message for him from our leader.”

  The soldiers looked at one another in surprise. No Zaend had ever joined them in battle before. The female commander of the Baresm, who hoped the message would contain good news, stepped forward to address them. “Follow me but leave your dragon here.”

  Maintaining their silence, Violen and Zeorgan walked into the camp under the protection of the soldiers. After a long trek surrounded by troops, they reached a tent so large it could have easily fit two mammoths inside. The soldiers guarding the tent looked at the Baresm commander in surprise.

  “A messenger from the Zaends wishes an audience with Lord Zeus.” The soldier nodded in acknowledgement and entered the tent. He emerged a moment later and held the entrance open with one hand. “Leave your weapons here,” he said and motioned them to go inside. Violen gave up her weapons reluctantly, and Zeorgan relinquished his short sword and staff.

  The giant tent was full of impressive furniture, not what one would expect in a makeshift tent. Zeus sat near the back on a gold throne embedded with jewels. Two soldiers from the race of giants stood on either side, their heads almost touching the top of the tent. Violen looked fearfully at their large hands and thought about how they could squash her head as easily as she could squash a grape. She was glad they were on her side.

  When Zeus recognized Zeorgan, he rose from his throne and said, “Zeorgan, my old friend. It is so nice to see you. I hope you bear good news. Has Lucidum, that old goat, finally decided to get his hands dirty?”

  Zeorgan lowered his eyes to the ground, and Violen stood quietly beside him, her heart racing. This was her first time being so close to the magnificent Zeus. It pained her to know this powerful lord would be betrayed by someone he considered to be his closest ally and that her own race was behind the betrayal. Zeus’ grin slowly faded to a look of suspicion as his visitors remained oddly quiet, and Violen saw the fatigue in his tired blue eyes.

  Finally acknowledging he could not postpone the inevitable Zeorgan stepped closer and bowed his head solemnly.

  Without saying a word, Zeus snapped his fingers, ordering his soldiers to leave the tent then waved Zeorgan on.

  “I would’ve liked to bring you good news, my friend, but instead I have come to warn you. We have come to warn you,” he corrected. “There is something this young Reader needs to tell you.”

  Zeus’ eyes landed on Violen, and she looked at Zeorgan mortified. He had never given her any indication she’d be expected to speak. How was one supposed to address one of the most powerful, and most terrifying, leaders of their world? Violen did her best to force words out of her mouth.

  “Greetings, Lord Zeus. I am commander Violen of Atlantis. The Chancellor sent me with the Protector and Visionary Reader to find and acquire the R
egenerator. Our mission was to identify her then transport her back to Atlantis.” She paused as she came to the bad part. “Our Protector decided the Regenerator should stay with the Zaends as their land is safer.”

  Zeus cut across her words with his laugh. “Of course it is. Why would the Chancellor want her to be in Atlantis? We are at war!”

  Violen gulped, trying to clear her throat to keep talking. “The Protector thought so too, and he refused to return to Atlantis. But we were betrayed by one of our own. My fellow soldier kidnapped the Regenerator, and she is now in the Chancellor’s possession. We have been deceived, my lord. The Chancellor does not wish to stop the war; she is after the child that will be born once humans are no more. We can no longer trust her or the Readers that are loyal to her. I am sorry, my Lord.” She bowed her head in shame. Her blood was pumping painfully loud in her ears as she waited for Zeus’ reaction.

  Zeus collapsed back onto his throne. He remained silent as he tried to take in what Violen had told him. “How can it be?” he finally said as he directed his gaze toward Zeorgan.

  “Defeating discontent is the greatest challenge the Balance can give us, and Amel has failed, and we will all pay the cost along with her,” Zeorgan commented.

  “What do you expect me to do? There is a contingent of Readers six hundred thousand strong just a mile away from here, and just as many are on their way. If what you say is true, we sit like fools between two enemies, and the battle begins tomorrow,” Zeus desperately confessed.

  Violen tried to offer some form of hope. “We will find a way. I’m certain the Readers will not betray the Balance. Once they realize the Chancellor is a traitor, they will support you.”

  Zeus only smiled at her sadly. “Having an army turn on its leader is more difficult than you may imagine. As you are here, I assume the Zaends will help us. With your numbers and power, we may stand a chance.”