Lord Of Dragons (Book 2) (28 page)

"We need the find the temple high priest to permanently seal the portal," shouted Princess Marei, and she sent another shock wave at a creature trying to slice through her shield with its massive sword. She cast a quick spell and shot the draenyx with a shimmering silver spear that formed in the air in front of her. The beast squealed in pain as the weapon plunged into its breastplate and knocked it tumbling back across the ground.

Tael glanced around for signs of any temple priests but found the square cleared of people except their allies and the sorcerers. He charged over to Princess Marei, and raised Balensaar to block a blow from another creature's sword. Pain swept down his arm from the attack, and he dove forward to avoid another strike. He called out to the Princess, and she turned and stretched out her hand, releasing a shower of blades at the beast's face. The sound of steel pinging against steel rang out, but Tael spotted several small spikes lodged in the eye sockets of the creature's helm as the draenyx warrior fell.

"Where's the high priest?" he said to the Princess, and scanned the temple complex for an opening.

"Behind the portal, there's the high priest's chambers." Princess Marei screamed as a downward thrust from a draenyx warrior's sword shattered the crystal surface of her shield in a bursting explosion. Just as the sword was about to slice her in two, she cast a quick spell and knocked the creature back fifty feet until it tumbled over the edge of the stone railing.

"Follow me," she hissed, and after glancing back and spotting Princess Sebine safe with Master Shalinor and the Hakkadians, Tael trotted off after Princess Marei, once again summoning the shadows around his figure. He told her he was going invisible but she barely grunted in response as if such a thing were expected. She followed and cast a spell over herself until he could only see a ghostly outline of her delicate figure stalking over the stones. They circled around the massive portal and sneaked through a silk red curtain and into a tall, expansive chamber illuminated by flickering candles. At the dais stood a twenty-foot statue of what looked like a god, but a priest's bloody body was impaled and dangled from the god's outstretched sword.

Princess Marei stifled a scream as she gaped at the priest's mangled body, and her voice was barely audible as she whispered something indecipherable to Tael. He sensed her wilting from the shock of the sight, and he rushed over to help her.

"Is that the high priest?" he said, and held her from crumpling to the ground.

"Why were we so stupid? So complacent and self-assured in our illusion of safety? The high priest so often warned us of coming danger. His visions..." Her words trailed off as she mumbled to herself. Tael covered her mouth as he spotted movement on the far side of the chamber. Still invisible, he guided her off to the side of the room where they could inspect the newcomers. Several Vizathian Knights strode into the temple, their eyes beaming in victory.

"We'll soon secure the portal. The few opponents are failing fast again the draenyx." The tall, wiry knight cast a haughty glance at the body dangling from the statue's sword.

"Go and send word to the other knights, kill everyone that you find. Show no mercy. King Braxion has little use for this pompous city after we secure the relics." The Vizathian general grinned as the knight bowed and marched out the room, leaving the man alone to stare at the high priest's twisted body.

"How mighty is your ancient kingdom now?" The general scoffed and spat at the body.

A fury raged in Tael's heart at the cruelty shown to the holy man, and he left Princess Marei alone and stalked over behind the general and raised his sword to strike. The gods demanded vengeance against this man for the brutality he had done again the high priest in such a sacred house. Tael said a quick prayer to Gaa'el and also to the god of the sky, hoping the blood of the Vizathian general was enough to sate the wrath of the gods.
 

Aiming to puncture the man's back between a separation in his armor, the general turned around instead, blind to Tael's invisibility, and his confident stride towards Tael was met with Balensaar's tip thrusting up under the man's helm and digging deep into his neck.

The general gurgled out a curse as he eyes went wide staring at his now visible enemy, and punching the blade even deeper into his brain, Tael spit on the man's face as the knight crumpled to the ground. He ripped the Vizathian general's gold medal of honor from his breastplate, and pocketed the trophy. Despite the small victory, Tael still felt their situation held little hope of success unless they could kill King Braxion himself.

"We've got to go outside and help them." Tael returned to Princess Marei and wrapped his arm around her shivering shoulders and led her towards the exit. "Can you power a shield over the portal to prevent any more draenyx from coming through? We've got to do something to stop them..."

But the Princess only stared blankly at the god's statue, and Tael was forced to guide her outside and away from the murdered high priest. When they returned to the square, they were greeted by the loud booming sound of something splintering the stone shield from the inside. Princess Marei was weak and delusional, and Tael knew he had to do something to save her. They had to escape and regroup and craft a plan to defend the city.
 

Already Princess Sebine and Master Shalinor flew back out of reach from the twenty or so draenyx jumping and slicing and flapping their small wings, trying to intercept their departure. The sorcerers had mounted their dragons and flew high over the temple complex, releasing waves of fire and acid and ice at the creatures. After each dragon attack, the draenyx crouched down and shielded themselves from the blow, and later stood triumphantly, brandishing their swords at the dragons, armor barely affected.

Tael tightened his grip around Princess Marei and tried to fly, and with a shock of fear discovered that the flying spell no longer worked. He heard a shattering sound from behind, and glancing back he noticed the stone shield over the portal had been broken by a battering ram. He called out to Sebine and she turned her sight towards him and cast the spell. Soon he carried Princess Marei and they flew over to Sebine and his grandfather. A battle cry could be heard from the portal and more draenyx spilled through the ruined stone shield. Soon Tael spied rat-faced King Braxion strutting through the portal with a squad of Vizathian Knights, his eyes triumphant. Would Shaar'el survive the onslaught?

"Retreat," shouted Master Shalinor, and they soared higher and higher towards the top of the city. They were greeted by the stunned faces of the King and Queen of the Malathian Kingdom, and Prince Jaraz and the other royals stared down at them from the railing. Tael couldn't help but feel a sense of arrogance at seeing their illusion of invulnerability shattered in their vacant gaze. Now they too would feel the ugliness of death and war.

"Did you close the portal?" Prince Jaraz said, and darted over to retrieve Princess Marei from Tael's arms.

Tael shook his head and glanced at the worry in Sebine's eyes. "We found the high priest slain in the temple of the sky. But I murdered his killer, a Vizathian general, part of the vanguard that has come to conquer your city. King Braxion and his army have just arrived through the portal, and it remains open to his entire army. Now do you believe the threat is real?"

"It's impossible!" declared the King, and he sought assurance from his wife but only found her dazed visage. "How could they have broken through our portal? We set unbreakable codes and only the very highest-ranking priests and wizards know how to unlock the portal. Gods! They brought dragons to kill me?"

The King cringed at the arrival of Master Vhelan's dragons, and he retreated away from the railing as several of the great beasts landed on the massive patio. The King look around as if trying to find a weapon, but soon was assured by Master Shalinor's voice.
 

"They are our allies, and they aided us in the defense of the portal."

"Hakkadians?" cried Prince Jaraz. "Our allies? But they work for King Braxion. They unleashed magical attacks against my sister and our group in Trikar!"

"No longer," said Master Vhelan, bowing in respect to the King. "We have separated ourselves from the corrupt king. But he has followed us here to Shaar'el. I had hoped for Jolrath and the dark elves to engage him farther away from Khalas Dralorn, but little did we know he had breached the city as we were leaving through the portal to your illustrious city. You have my humble apologies."

"And how exactly did you manage to use the portal?" The King studied the old sorcerer with contempt.

"Quite easily, I just asked the high priest in Khalas Dralorn to request the portal activated. He was most helpful, as he knew I was working to secure the safety of the Mirror of Halien'shur from the reach of King Braxion. Unfortunately I seemed to have lured our enemies a bit sooner than I had anticipated..."

"I should have you tortured and killed," the King bellowed, but when he went to strike the sorcerer, he found Master Vhelan had flown away from his reach.

"King Braxion is after all four of the ancient relics?" Prince Jaraz said, ignoring his father's angry outburst.
 

Master Vhelan nodded to the Prince. "King Braxion has or has destroyed two of the relics, and seeks out the elven and Malathian relics. I possess the Mirror of Halien'shur, and I suspect the Malathian relic lies hidden in Shaar'el? If you do not surrender the relic to the King, I fear he will raze your city to the ground and murder all your citizens. I've witnessed the destructive power of the draenyx army, and now that they are armed with dwarven swords and armor, they are doubly deadly."

"But I heard the Vizathian general ordering his men to kill everyone in Shaar'el," Tael said, finding the words difficult to say to the horrified faces of the Malathian royals. "He said that King Braxion ordered it, as he has little use for the city other than to retrieve the relic."

The group went silent at Tael's words, and even Princess Marei seemed to sober up in realization of what this meant for her city. Even in such a tense moment, Tael found her pale beauty intoxicating and was unable to take his eyes off her. He discovered a desire to help her growing inside of his heart. Was he feeling this way because he had saved her life? When her eyes met his, they shared a long moment filled with tenderness, like the look between lovers when they realize their world is coming to an end.

"If we surrender the relics to King Braxion, then how can there be any hope for humanity?" The Queen's plaintive voice held the depths of sadness found only in those mourning the loss of loved ones. "Prince Xanthes will be freed from his prison and a dark, destructive wave will wash over the whole world! How can we ever relinquish our hold over the relics to such a monster?"

"You may not have a choice," said Master Shalinor, who stared over the railing at the draenyx pouring out of the portal like angry hornets. "Not if you value your citizens and the continuity of your civilization. Possessing the relic puts you in a position of negotiating with King Braxion for the lives of your people and the sanctity of your city. You could take the relic and flee Shaar'el and come with us to the north, but this would only ensure the wrath of King Braxion."

"We have to fight them," said Prince Jaraz. "We're wasting too much time talking, it's time to organize our army and wizards to resist the invaders!"

Master Vhelan released a long, heavy exhalation and shook his head at the Prince as if he were an ignorant fool. "Your city is wide open and perfect for assault by the draenyx. They can easily fly from level to level and will likely conquer Shaar'el within hours. I organized the defense of the dwarven subterranean city of Magrad, a supremely defensibly position with only one main gate to defend and fortify. The loss was swift and shocking to both the dwarves and myself. If they failed so easily, how do you ever believe you'll effectively defend your city? Tell me, what's your plan?"

The Prince looked dumbstruck as he scowled at the wizard, wringing his hands in frustration. When he failed to issue a retort, Master Shalinor pointed at the dragons. "With those beautiful beasts lies our only hope. Only a small party can flee the city and journey north to the Saarian ruins. I warned you before and now you can see for yourself just how real the threat is to both your city and to the world."

The King glanced at the Queen and a look of resolve hardened his face. "We will negotiate with King Braxion. How do you propose we go about it? We've not much time to stop the slaughter."

"Where is the relic?" Master Vhelan said, a sly smile forming on his face. He displayed the sacred elven tome to the group. "Here is the Mirror of Halien'shur from Khalas Dralorn."

"Do you swear to help us protect our city? And do all in your power to help prevent further bloodshed?" The Queen studied the Hakkadian sorcerer with a hesitant look.

Master Vhelan raised a hand to his heart. "I swear by our ancient Hakkadian gods to help aid your people. In my research I have discovered that our peoples are connected through a common bloodline, an ancient line going back ten thousand years to the Saarian Empire. But we must act quickly. I have an idea that requires us to get close to King Braxion."

"We must not risk the mission to the north." Master Shalinor studied Tael and Sebine, and looked back at Master Vhelan. "Most of our party should leave immediately and venture north. We will confuse our enemies and fly south and circle back around to the north."

"But who will stay and help us?" said Princess Marei, her gaze on Tael clearly indicating whom she wanted to aid her. Sebine caught the girl's gaze and an expression of jealously marred Sebine's pretty face.

"I only trust Princess Sebine or young Tael to deliver our relic safely to our enemies," said Princess Marei. "They both have saved my life. Father, you mustn't allow anyone else to hold the relic. There is too much at stake."

"Then I will go and parlay with King Braxion," said Master Vhelan. "I will have him cease his assault under risk of losing the relics forever." The sorcerer flew back to his dragon and swooped down towards the temple complex.