Legends of Marithia: Book 3 - Talonsphere (2 page)

“Let us be frank with each other. Start explaining,” Vartan said.

“I suppose I’ve earned your anger today. But did you ever really think I’d do anything without good reason?”

Vartan stared down at the damaged forest trail as they continued through the skies at amazing speeds. The elves were busy casting spells to grow new trees at an accelerated rate.

“I overheard you at Greenhaven. It must be difficult to imagine that the queen of the underworld shares our blood. How did you find out about Kassina’s heritage?” Karven said.

“Does it really matter? To be honest, I am equally disgusted as well as furious.”

Vartan allowed himself to ease the tension. In spite of what was happening, it was enjoyable to not have a destination to rush to. He closed his eyes to enjoy flight, and the wind blowing through his hair. He knew he was safe.

“No, I guess it doesn’t. Kassina didn’t start out with an evil heart. As much as I wish to bring about her end, I saw her when her soul was pure, and there was much potential for her to do well in this world.”

“She’s strayed too far from a path of redemption.”

“Vartan, I would not expect her to be redeemed, but to defeat our enemies, we need to understand them.”

Vartan recognised the wisdom in the dragon king’s words, and wondered if he could find any sympathy for the queen of the underworld. He shook his head at the thought of Kassina doing something kind. For his entire life, he had only known her as an apprentice of pure evil.

In a moment of silence, they passed over Veldrenn, its canopy magically opened to make the most of the glorious day. Vartan watched the elves practicing on the training grounds, and listened to the symphony of weapons clashing. This was a song he grew all too familiar with.

Vartan said, “It all happened in our visit to the seer, Kai’En. The mystery surrounding Anakari’s life appears to have some answers. The entrance to Daessar that we’ve been searching for is in Mount Wayrin, but I don’t know exactly where. It also happens to be a realm, not a location. I then found out that Kassina is your granddaughter. Why didn’t you tell me?”

Karven turned to the left, toward the lowlands and Kassina’s tower.

“I didn’t know that about Daessar, but we’ll discuss it when you are ready. I’ve made many decisions to protect you and ensure you follow the correct path; a path befitting the Talonsphere prophecy.”

Vartan had never considered that Karven would think him capable of evil.

“You were afraid I’d follow a path to darkness?”

The decayed lowlands came into view in the distance, and Karven transformed his scales to hide them from any prying eyes. Kassina’s black tower was under gathering storm clouds. Mount Wayrin was far on the horizon to their right and Vartan took in the immensity of its size.

“You’ll discover just how fragile even the strongest can be, and that nothing is guaranteed... even if it was once foreseen. Did I worry about you? Of course I did, and I still do. To protect Marithia, I made some difficult decisions that may prove unpopular if they are discovered.”

Karven turned toward the sea, leaving the darkness of Kassina’s tower behind them.

“What decisions?”

“Many aren’t important. I kept Queen Andrielle from knowing of your needed sacrifice, until the time was right. Your marriage was vital to break the alternate future in our visions.”

Vartan saddened at the thought of what he must do to activate Talonsphere. He had not truly come to terms with that sacrifice, even if he kept telling himself that he was ready.

Karven continued.

“I know I’ve never shared my history, but it’s not what it seems. Nymira and I made the choice to live our human lives many years ago, and once we found each other, we settled and started a family. We had one child, Niesha. She was so beautiful and talented, gifted by our blood, and became a powerful sorceress. We had no idea that she had fallen in love with a vampire, Danton. She hid her relationship from us, and broke the sacred laws by bearing his child. Kassina is my granddaughter.”

The names sounded familiar, as Vartan had heard whispers in many taverns of the day that the queen of the underworld was created.

“So, it really
is
true.”

“Yes, it is. Kassina was the subject of the Blood Red Moon prophecy. With her birth; the lord of darkness simply waited for the right opportunity. It came when my daughter and Danton were murdered by a foolish king.”

Karven slowed and Vartan sensed his disturbance.

Rolling waves glistened on the horizon.

“But you could have saved them!” Vartan said.

Karven blew jets of fire. “Bah! As humans? Stripped of our powers? We were weaklings and could do nothing but watch as our daughter’s life came to an abrupt end, and our granddaughter was taken into the grip of darkness.”

“How long ago was this?”

“Close to a thousand years ago.”

They broke free of land, soaring over the moving blanket of water.

“Karven, where is your daughter, Niesha? She would’ve been reborn?”

“You were always perceptive. Indeed, she
was
reborn. She never forgave us for not saving them, even though we were powerless to do so. Her heart darkened, and regardless of all of our efforts, she resisted our attempts to redeem her. When she came of age, she fled. I’ve never seen her since.”

Vartan’s eyes watered at his words, remembering his own loss of his beloved mother at the hands of the queen of the underworld.

Keturah’s voice entered his mind.
He speaks the truth, Vartan. I sense sadness in his heart, as well as yours.

They circled around Greenhaven as if they were tethered to it by an invisible line. Vartan marvelled at the speed of Karven’s flight.

“I am sorry. I shouldn’t have reacted like a child. I don’t know what came over me.”

“All is forgiven. What worries me is that you may have been overheard earlier, and rumours can spread like a sickness in a city’s soul.”

Vartan breathed deep and stared at their stronghold; the castle built to the size of a city. He remembered when the city prospered with its many trade routes. As a child, he could only view it on the horizon from his family’s farm.

How times have changed.

“You’re right, and if a sickness presents itself, then we will cure it. Tell me, is this why you fight? You feel responsible for all of this darkness?”

“Do I feel responsible for Kassina turning out the way she is? In a way, I suppose I do. But I never regret the day our daughter was born, and her choices were her own. I often find myself wondering, where could she be hiding?”

“Have you ever searched for her?”

“Ever? I watch for signs every day. There are guilds specialising in this, but I’ve been unable to approach them, and it’s too late. Whenever a shadow is cast by a dragon, I look up with hope. Whenever I take to the skies, I try to
feel
her presence. Truth be told, she could be anywhere or nowhere.”

Vartan turned back to see Shanka struggling to keep up. The skies were tinged with scarlet. Night was coming. He stifled a yawn. “It’s been a long day, and we have much to do. Let’s get home and rest tonight. I’ll need to gather everyone to discuss our plans tomorrow.”

“Of course. What are your thoughts?”

The dragon king descended toward the stronghold’s streets.

I’ve been following this prophecy blindly, trusting in the fact that my fate was being foretold. But I’ve seen too much for myself and I am starting to believe it. Our people crowned me as their prince. I have to prove myself worthy of the crown. I will show them what a real prince can do.

“Tomorrow, we discuss finding Talonsphere, and when we journey to discover the ancients’ realm, Daessar.”

Chapter 2 : Thirst Escapes Me

“The balance of souls has been disturbed and the loss of Greenhaven is a setback. It matters not. They managed to wipe out an entire vampire army, but they’ve seen nothing yet.

I cannot take Vampires’ souls and could sure use their reinforcement. Their deaths in Marithia only serve to weaken our power. We’ll regain what we lost, and bring their realm closer to merging with the underworld, where I will crush them under my fists like the ants they are.”

(Shindar - Lord of the Underworld)

C
rondor, a town ravaged by a history of gruesome deaths, had far more graves than homes. It was known as a ghost town for more reasons than the lack of inhabitants. Vartan’s old ally, Tusdar, fled to this town in the hope of finding safety after the defeat of the vampire army and the failed attempt to keep Shindar in their realm. Since Tusdar had been turned by the now last of vampire royalty, Mestal, his heart had slowly darkened. At times, he felt his chest to see if a beat would waken him from the nightmare of his new existence.

His life had changed more than he had ever expected, and in a direction he could never have foreseen. He wasn’t a towering man, built for battle, or born of noble blood, but being turned granted him more power than he could have imagined. He had been built for speed and stealth, his thin body perfect for a thief’s life. It had been a life that he had mastered. It mattered not anymore, as his powers changed his abilities. His pale skin was the only obvious change to his appearance, at least, when he was hiding his true self. His jet black hair complimented his skin tone beautifully, and he wondered why it had stopped growing.

After a while, he accepted what he had become and resigned himself to fulfilling the role he had been fated with. He was Mestal’s chosen, and since proving his loyalty to Kassina, he was marked by Shindar himself. His grand plans of a life of kindness had been stolen from him. All he had left was to make the most of whatever existence he had, and that existence had its benefits.

What if there is no such thing as evil, only difference?

The abandoned house was littered with dusty furniture and wispy cobwebs. Beams of light shone through structural gaps. Tusdar paced beside their barred door. He listened intently to the hustle of Crondor’s people finishing their day. He rubbed his tired eyes and breathed deep before puffing out his frustration. Walking into a spider web, he grabbed the jet black arachnid and threw it to the ground, crushing it under his heel to a symphony of pops and crackles. The pleasure of taking life was something he had missed while on the run. As the spider’s insides trickled across the floorboards, he smirked and wondered when they would get their next feed.

Mestal’s voice snapped his mind back to his task. “Did you hear anything useful?”

Tusdar leaned against the wall, staring at his love, wondering when he would have the strength to tear her clothes from her and quench his hunger for her pleasures. He remembered when he first met her, and how her muscular body and strong features only barely hid her raw beauty and seductive nature. Her cherry lips and long black hair accompanied her bright, silver eyes.

There was a concern in those eyes like he had never seen before. He pursed his lips as he considered the best way to speak his mind. “I’ve heard a lot of useless talk in the last few days. As if I care about the stupid lives of these maggots. What worries me is the talk of a messenger dragon. They’ll send reinforcements. Towns are now under the crown’s protection. It won’t be safe for us tonight, and I fear that unless we leave here soon, we may not make it out.”

Mestal nodded and wiped a black tear from her eye, understanding that she needed to grieve. It pained him to see her upset, but since he murdered his best friend, sympathy was an alien emotion to him. He was glad that he could still love, even if nobody would understand why he loved her so much. Tusdar ducked under a dimming slither of sunlight, making his way to sit beside her on the rusty bed. It creaked under his weight.

Rubbing his shoulder, he marvelled at his newly-acquired powers of healing. Their escape from the battle of Greenhaven had resulted in a breakneck dive into the shallow Tr’Arch River. Only a vampire could survive such a fall. It was one of the defining moments that brought him joy for becoming a creature of the night. He brought his hand to his face and watched his fingers blur in and out of focus.

“We need to feed and have hardly rested in days. This stupid town. I’m sick of being here. Nobody comes out after nightfall except the warriors. We wouldn’t be a match for them like this,” Mestal said, wiping her nose with the musty blanket.

Tusdar kissed her head and drew her to his chest. He may have lost sympathy, but not for her. She was the only one that mattered to him now, and he understood her pain. She did well to try to hide it, but he knew she grieved for her father. When he watched Vartan dispatch him, and Mestal’s attempt to engage him in battle, he only wanted to save her. He couldn’t lose anyone else, not again.

“I know what it’s like to lose your parents. Your whole world crashes down around you. You’ve got to fend for yourself. But you’re not alone and I’ll never let that happen to you, okay? You are mine, and I am yours.”

She dug her face into his chest, wrapping her arms around him. “I know and your words mean much to me, but I miss father. I know he was rough, but he loved me, even if he didn’t show it. That heartless coward took him from me. Why didn’t you let me fight him? I could’ve avenged my family.”