Legends of Marithia: Book 2 - Darkness Rising (29 page)

The great dragon bowed his head
slightly. “I truly do not know. What I can tell you, as I have told
you before; nobody, not even I, can predict the future. As our
power grows, visions come to us with greater purpose. There are
also alternate fates as we choose different directions at life’s
crossroads. Not to sound cryptic, but the ancients built
Talonsphere with their understanding of the scrolls of prophecy. It
has been a very long time since the first war with Shindar, perhaps
they have learned more about the prophecy and the weapon. The
likelihood is that we are already living an alternate path of
alternate paths. Our actions have already changed events that were
prophesised to have ended differently. The blood red moon has risen
and so has set in motion the Talonsphere prophecy. Will it end as
prophesised? We don’t know.”

“
Karven, I understand. Time
is short and before I fell into that…
place
that Kassina sent me to, I
think I had a vision or a dream and I’m not sure which. If they
come with purpose, then maybe you should revisit it with
me?”

The great dragon nodded his head and
Vartan lay on the ground in preparation. “My mind is open, do it
now.”

The familiar surge of the dragon’s
connection hit his head before Karven searched through his mind’s
memories until he found the vision.

Dark clouds gathered in a purple
tinged sky blanketing Greenhaven. The sun began to set in the
horizon as the blood red moon rose higher to take its usual place
in the night sky. The city’s people fled the streets for shelter as
heavy rain pelted angrily from the clouds above and lighting
crashed onto the lands. The scattered trees surrounding the
restored fort were set ablaze by the storm.

A knight growled as he furiously
smashed his fist into the wall, leaning his face up against it. He
roughly slid his helm onto his weary head so that only his narrowed
eyes were visible beneath the shining armour.

He marched swiftly out of the city’s
defensive walls to look down upon the lands and the knights below
and yelled in a gruff voice. “The time has come!”

Greenhaven’s knights had already
suited up in their full armour and assembled below in their new
colours. Green, red and blue interwoven patches represented humans,
elves, and dragons, united. They awaited orders behind the lowered
main gate, prepared for battle.

Andrielle approached the knight and
was already in her own suit of armour with her helm held firmly by
her side. Her hair flicked in the wind over her face that bore a
nasty scar down its left side. Although her hair featured slithers
of grey, her age would not stop her from engaging in
battle.

Birds scattered from the
forest nearest to Greenhaven and a dark voice boomed in the
distance. “You
dare
to stand in my way? You will all bow before me as your new
god!”

Queen Andrielle turned to shout
orders. “Raise the bridge! Ready the archers!”

The knight answered, “Of course my
queen. Archers ready!”

The walls rumbled as thousands of the
city’s army ran to the walls of the great city and into their
firing positions. Men stood shoulder to shoulder with
elves.

Continuing his orders he cried, “Raise
the bridge!”

The mechanical sound of metal chains
rattled throughout the city as the bridge was hastily raised and a
heavy shudder was felt under their feet when the gate smashed
closed.

The knight asked, “And the
dragons?”

Andrielle gestured to the skies. “They
are already here.”

Bolts of lightning struck the walls of
Greenhaven. A handful of elven archers were set on fire. Helenia
growled her order from the eastern wall. “Use the gathered water,
quickly!”

Andrielle shouted her order into the
men below. “Catapult crew?”

The many men and women manning the
city’s catapults smashed their fists into their chest plates and
yelled, “Ready!”

Karven and Finn landed on the peak of
two of Greenhaven’s tallest turrets and wrapped their tails around
the golden surface for balance. The remaining dragons circled above
the clouds, waiting for the time to strike. The dragons stared
straight ahead as the immense figure of Shindar marched into the
open from the forest’s edge.

He grimaced through the black
mouthpiece of his horned helm and turned back to raise his fist
high. The sound of horns filled the air and battle drums beat in
unison. The ground rumbled with the sheer number of Shindar’s
forces approaching through the forest.

“
Steady
… Not yet!” cried Andrielle, her hand open flat, signalling
for the archers and catapults to hold their fire.

Shindar’s dark voice boomed
over the lands. “Karven, you
cowardly
reptile
, we meet again. I promise you that
this time… you will not catch me unaware. You may have destroyed my
greatest creation, but do not mistake your little victory for what
it is not. Kassina’s death brought me back into this world and set
the wheels of the blood red moon prophecy in motion. This
world
will
be
mine!.”

Andrielle’s voice raised as beads of
sweat formed on her brow. “Hold!”

The dark army marched into view and
spanned the width of the forest.

“
By the gods!” exclaimed
Andrielle, staring at the front ranks of heavily armoured skeleton
warriors as far as the eye could see.

Shindar halted his forces
and stood still as they awaited his further orders. He pointed to
Greenhaven, spitting to the ground before him. “This
is
your only chance.
Lower your gate and bow at my feet, swearing allegiance only to me.
Then you all shall live!”

He drew his sword and readied it at
his side. “If you will not do so, then prepare to die!”

A quiet moment passed as the gods
above watched the events below them with great anticipation. Only
the sound of rain and rumbles of the storm were heard.

“
Shindar, we will
never
bow to you. We
will send you back to the pit of darkness from which you came!”
screamed Andrielle.

The queen drew her sword and aimed it
forward. “Now!”

Karven and Finn breathed out a steady
stream of flames that created a tunnel of fire. Thousands of arrows
and catapult missiles were launched into the air and set alight as
they passed through the dragon’s breath. The weapons flew through
the rain-speckled sky, lighting up the dark clouds.

Tempus stamus alembicum
sicuti ambulamus anteactus
, cast
Karven.

Vartan watched as his vision froze as
if time stood still.

What just
happened?

This rarely ever works and
time is short so let us use it wisely. This is indeed a vision, but
I can tell you that this is a version of the future that has been
changed.

Karven… how can you be so
sure? Who was that knight? I never saw his face.

Vartan felt himself be pulled toward
the knight who was frozen in his mind. He stared into the eyes of
the knight and realised the answer before Karven spoke.

That knight was you.
However, much has changed since your vision entered your mind, I
can sense it. You did not have the power of Mazu within you, which
either means that you sacrificed it for Talonsphere or had not
attained it. I do not see Talonsphere in this vision, nor do I see
the royal armour fit for a prince. In this vision, you were not
married.

Vartan felt his mind snap back to
reality and stood warily, regaining his vision. Trisa was staring
at him furiously. The sounds of a city full of movement and
shouting orders filled his ears. It was night time and he saw the
elven army was assembling for duty.

“
What in the name of the
gods happened to the two of you?!?” yelled Andrielle.

“
I... I’m sorry Queen
Andrielle, this was my error. I cast a spell that unfortunately
carries certain side effects.”

“
So be it, you are still in
time. Get to your quarters Vartan and suit up your armour
immediately,” snapped the queen.

“
What is happening?” asked
Vartan, still confused.

“
Our scouts returned with
the news that the Vampire army, in numbers unseen on Marithian
soil, is marching to Greenhaven. What is happening?
War
, we are going… to
war!”

Chapter 24 : A Haven
Besieged

“
It is not uncommon in war
to walk on well-trodden ground and it will bring me great pleasure
to return to Greenhaven, but even more pleasure to reclaim
it.

I look forward to crushing anyone who
stands in our way of what is rightfully ours.”

(Sir Dryden – Knight of the
Elves)

Blood rain pounded heavily
on the walls of Greenhaven and the smell of it from the growing
puddles was overwhelming to the senses. Wumvarn retreated inside
the castle and made her way to the former king’s bedroom. She
stared out the dusty window and watched as the moon’s red glow
along with flashes of thunder lit up the clouds. She breathed
deeply and stretched out her long body; every cell of her being
felt electrified and
alive
since her power was replenished.

“
Damn those boned freaks! I
should have never trusted those simpletons to realise that
I
am who is worthy of
being followed, not Shindar.”

Wumvarn’s dark reflection
spoke to her from a nearby vertical mirror. “They could have proved
useful. I
told
you time and time again to lower the gate and raise the
bridge. You have become careless.”

Her anger toward the soul
in her reflection subsided as she realised that the floor was
rumbling. What concerned her was that it rumbled in a rhythmic
beat. She forced open her window and the rhythmic sound and beating
of drums flooded into the room. “What is that? It surely can’t be
the storm… it can only be…
No!
”

Her face paled and she kicked off her
heels to descend the stairs as fast as she could run, slipping on
some of the wet stairs and balancing against the wall to stop her
from falling over. “It can’t be… I watched as Kassina and her
forces lost in the battle of the Elven Woods. What would they want
with Greenhaven now?”

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, she
rushed to the main gates… only to see that the army had already
begun to march over the lowered bridge. Cursing to herself, she hid
behind the wall and her heart pounded in her panic.

I could never defeat that
many
, she thought.

The sounds were getting closer and she
heard Lord Aryun’s order. “Forward! Destroy this demon and anyone
who follows her. In the name of Lord Shindar!”

The ground shook with the charge of
the vampire army and her face turned serious when she devised her
cunning plan.

Good thing I had all the
prisoners separated before those useless warriors
escaped
, she thought, laughing
wildly.

She fled to the dungeons
and arrived at the many cells containing hysterical prisoners,
begging to be saved. She quickly cast a spell. “
Caligo cella quod incidere sicco totus lux lucis pro obscurum
vadum comitatus nos!
”

The room was filled with a shadow as
if it were completely underground. She fumbled her keys until she
yanked open one of the cell doors. The sickening sound of a woman
loudly choking silenced the prisoners momentarily. It was followed
by the heavy thump of a body falling to the dungeon floor and odd
noises of watery flesh. The last sound they heard was the sound of
a key turning in a cell door.

The prisoners screamed in fear and
rattled their cages wildly. They heard a vampire shout, “Down
here!” The stairs echoed loudly with the noises of their
descent.

Heavy breathing was heard all around
them as they arrived and knocked into each other in the pitch black
darkness. The spell’s power began to fade as the red moonlight
filtered light into the dungeons. Vampires came face to face with a
long line of prison cells. The floor was filthy and lined with
blood and rotting bits of flesh. Tusdar arrived in the dungeons
holding a lit torch and a large scroll with a picture drawn from
Kassina’s description.