Legends of Marithia: Book 3 - Talonsphere (38 page)

The march of the ancient army resonated through the lands.

“It cannot be undone, and it seems we have all been fooled. Vartan paid the ultimate price, and we have to get to Greenhaven to warn them,
now!
” Dryden said.

Dryden nearly jumped out of his skin as Vartan coughed, rising to his feet. Vartan’s eyes were strange. Only his iris glowed.

“Mazu! I am so glad you are alive,” Losa said, running to hug Vartan’s body.

“I live, but only for as long as Vartan’s body allows it. We have much to do. This war has reached levels that are far greater than we could have predicted, and it will be up to all of us to stop the ancients from wiping out Marithia,” Mazu said.

Dryden’s elation dropped. Vartan was truly gone.

Losa shook her head and rubbed her eyes. When she opened them, Dryden knew that Anakari had returned. Her eyes widened as she surveyed Daessar and the growing dragon. “What happened?”

Dryden looked her in the eyes and placed gentle hands on her shoulders. “Talonsphere is activated. Vartan is gone, and Mazu has taken his place.”

“But why are we running away?” Anakari said.

“Because it would appear that the ancients are the true enemies of Marithia. I heard Talonsphere’s voice. They do not mean to save Marithia. The fire that Talonsphere brings to the night, will be meant for all of us,” Mazu said.

“Oh no. I should never have brought Vartan here. This is my doing. I have doomed us all,” Anakari said.

“No! This is nobody’s doing but the ancients’” Dryden said, leading the way toward the entrance to Daessar, hoping that they could make it back to Greenhaven.

“Come as fast as you can. We have to somehow cross the ocean to make it to Greenhaven, and there is something I must do,” Dryden said.

“Don’t worry. I will get us all there, and fast. The ancients are at war with the gods now. More of us will come, and there will be no greater fury.” Mazu said.

Nathalia swam so fast that her face strained against the pressure. Fish could not keep up with her, but a hammerhead shark kept her company. She reached over and pat the shark’s head, feeling safer in numbers. It was not much further to the home of the sea serpents. She swam over a thick mound of coral, then saw the entrance. Three sea serpents circled over the mouth of the underwater cave.

She burst through the opening, her chest heaving and heart thumping. There they were, most of her people. Jasmine swam to her, embracing her in a tight hold. “Mother, I feared you were dead.”

Nathalia laid her head on her daughter’s shoulder. “Far from it. I feared the same of you, and of all of our sisters.”

The mermaids gathered, forming a circle around them.

“We nearly swam into Shindar’s demon army. They marched along the sea floor,” Jasmine said.

Nathalia’s smile dropped.

“Some of us had been slaughtered along the way, I know. From what I had seen of their bodies, they did not die without a fight,” Nathalia said.

I have to find out how Shindar discovered Alyanti. Very few carry the knowledge of its location
, Nathalia thought.

The mermaids surrounded her in a large circle, waiting for her command.

Jasmine leaned into her mother’s ear. “Where is Raehar? Did he make it?”

Nathalia shook her head, then drew a deep breath of water. She knew her daughter well, and Jasmine would be shaken up inside, but she hid it well.

There is the strong woman I raised
, Nathalia thought.

“Sisters, the long awaited time has come. We can only assume that Talonsphere may rise at any moment. We all know what is coming, and we want to be nowhere near Marithian shores when the ancients march out of Daessar. Our agreement has been met. We are now free. We will be spared the ancients’ wrath in the war to come.”

The mermaids clapped their hands and smiled. Nathalia raised her hand.

“But all is not as simple as it seems. The gods will not look kindly at our choices, and we can only hope that they will be too busy fighting the war to save Marithia, to worry about us. We must head deep into the ocean, to build a new home. But first, I have been long awaiting the day that we could leave Alyanti, in full force. We have heard the stories of our taken ones, and the monsters they have been turned into,” Nathalia said.

The water filled with murmuring, and Nathalia raised her trident. “For many years now, our sisters have been captured, and suffered unspeakable acts to be turned into floating ships. They live their new life without any knowledge of who they truly are. Many of you have seen them first hand, when we saved Jasmine from suffering the same fate.”

Nathalia pulled her daughter close to her. “We lost many lives in that battle, and it is time the price of blood is paid. The ones responsible, who many of you fought recently, are the Pirates of Grenlees. Let’s go pay them a visit, on the way to the deepest blue, and make them regret the day they crossed our paths!”

The mermaids cheered, and then the ocean floor rumbled loudly around them.

“It would appear that Talonsphere is already here. We leave,
now!
”

Nathalia held her daughter’s hand, and rocketed in the direction of Grenlees. The other mermaids and sea serpents followed behind her.

Andrielle ran to Greenhaven’s parapets, wearing hastily donned armour. A crowd had gathered, and even dragons had awoken to the sound of the deafening roar. The scaled ones sat in a long row, beside the west wall. Far in the distance, Mount Wayrin had erupted. Ash and fire spilled into the sky, raining down on the surrounding lands. The projectiles were near Greenhaven, but not close enough to do damage. She’Ma’Ryn and Veldrenn were directly in the volcano’s path.

“By the gods! Is that what I think it is?” Karven said, sitting a short distance in front of Andrielle’s view.

A giant dragon climbed out of the volcano, screaming as it sent chunks of earth flying, then spreading out its enormous black wings. The dragon was three times the size of Karven.

“Talonsphere is here! We are saved!” Andrielle said, crying out her message to the people of Greenhaven. The city erupted in cheers.

“Wait, is that Vartan?” Andrielle said

A man with glowing eyes and three companions ran along the ground, in the darkness of Greenhaven’s North-West shores. As they neared, Andrielle saw their grim faces, and they ran as if they were fleeing from something.

Karven said, “Vartan! You found a way? Welcome back.”

Vartan and his group were soaked; they puffed as they approached the wall.

“Vartan is gone. His soul taken by that weapon, and we have all been betrayed by the ancients. The prophecy was never meant to save you, but to slaughter all of you, by their design. I am Mazu, and I come to fight for Marithia, in Vartan’s place.”

Andrielle’s head lightened and she leaned forward to hold on to the parapets. Her hands trembled before she formed fists. She wanted to scream and let out the rage that had filled her to the brim. Her face twisted and she fought back the tears.

Talonsphere took to the skies, beating its wings until it rose into the clouds. As the dragon roared, Andrielle let go. She looked up to the sky and screamed loud enough for the gods to hear her. Tears streamed down her face and she cried out until she had no air left, dropping to her knees.

Kassina stood nearby, accompanied by royal guards, and she approached the elven queen, sitting beside her. The royal guards drew their swords, but Kassina only offer a hand. “We have all been played, Andrielle, and we nearly destroyed each other.”

Andrielle could not stand to her feet, but Kassina helped her up anyway. “Be strong. Your people need you right now, as do mine.”

The queen nodded, wiping her face with her sleeves. “Thank you, Kassina. I will.”

“I can hardly believe it myself, but if it is true, then we are in greater danger than I could ever have imagined. If we have given Talonsphere to the ancients, then we must destroy it. Why would they want a war with Marithians?” Karven said.

“Because I failed to destroy all of you and give their armies an easier battle,” Shindar said, emerging from the North-West corner of Greenhaven’s walls.

Archers screamed as they readied their bows. “Shindar is here!”

“You!” Mazu said, charging toward the hulking demon. Shindar drew his sword, but placed its tip on the ground.

“Wait! He is surrendering?” Karven said.

“Far from it, but if any of us are to survive, then we have to combine forces. Or we fight each other until none of us are left, and the ancients mop up the pieces. But choose quickly, for we don’t have much time to take a stand. Do you want to finish a war of old blood, orchestrated by our puppet masters, or stand together against them?” Shindar said.

The northern archers screamed out. “An army approaches from the north! Demons!”

Skeleton warriors, and a long line of demons, emerged from the beach, marching toward Greenhaven’s walls.

“Halt!” Shindar said, and the army stopped in their tracks.

A thundering roar echoed over the lands, and Talonsphere plummeted through the clouds, heading straight toward Veldrenn.

Never in Andrielle’s wildest nightmares, did she ever see herself in such company, and facing such foes. It would appear that fate had been stabbed by the ancients, thrown its cards in the air, and burned them. She closed her eyes for a moment, knowing what the elven city’s reaction would be. They would open the canopy and be slaughtered.

The base of the mountain flashed, turning night into day for but a moment.

“They would have opened a portal from Daessar. It is a sizeable army, I see them through Vartan’s memories. I can only imagine they are coming, right now,” Mazu said.

Talonsphere sent fiery breath over the Elven Woods, setting a long line of trees alight.

“Dragons, to the skies! Let’s make Talonsphere rue the day it was created and let them know what they are up against,” Karven said.

The long line of dragons rocketed upward, heading toward Veldrenn.

Shindar raised his sword, pointing it at Mount Wayrin. “Forward march!”

The demon and skeleton army followed his order, and Andrielle cried out, “Where are you going?”

“To stop them. Would any of you care to join us?” Shindar said.

Kassina looked to Andrielle and shook her head. The queen agreed; it would take more to trust Shindar.

“We will defend Greenhaven, but I will send a flank of our best to shadow you,” Andrielle said.

Shindar nodded, then carried on. “All right, elven queen. We will see each other soon, and have much to discuss.”

Marithia’s skies burned. Her heart stung at the news that Vartan was truly gone, and the price of his sacrifice was to unknowingly damn them all to a war against the weapon they thought would save them.

Gods above, I pray we survive what comes.