Lord Of Dragons (Book 2) (32 page)

The battle was over.

"Seal the portal," shouted one of the wizards of Shaar'el, and several of elders of their cabal flew down to the temple complex.

A grimace formed on Tael's face as the pain from his shattered nose and injured groin surged through him. Sebine rushed over to help, her eyes both concerned and proud, and in that moment he realized that all the struggle to save her life was worth it. He truly loved her and cared for her more than anything else in this life.

"You could have gotten yourself killed." Sebine raised a handkerchief to wipe the blood from his face.

"I failed." Tael squeezed his eyes shut and willed the shooting pain to go away. "A few inches closer and I would have landed a killing blow. Why do I always screw things up?"

Sebine placed a hand on his arm and cuddled close to him. "Look, you were amazing. At least they've left us and we don't have to worry about the draenyx army killing us and ravaging Shaar'el. I destroyed the amulet that protected him, and with the blessing of the gods, he will hopefully die from the wound."

A sigh escaped from Tael's mouth as he studied Sebine's face for signs of hope. She seemed inspired by his look and continued on with a determined voice.

"We've won the day and you fought the King very well. You beat him and would have killed him if the draenyx hadn't have dragged him away. And because of your battle we have hope for our long journey ahead. Don't you think we did better than we expected?"

Tael couldn't help but grin at her contagious smile. "We did all right, I suppose." He looked down at the mob of soldiers and sorcerers surrounding the temple complex, and inhaled a deep breath of relief at spying the now closed portal. They were safe, at least for now. "Considering that we're still alive and Shaar'el is intact, that is a blessing indeed."

"And we have you to thank for saving us. My magic was completely drained after battling the sorcerers and keeping the draenyx warriors from harming us. If you hadn't have severely wounded the King, we'd likely all be dead now. So keep that in mind when you talk foolishly of failure."

At her playful prodding of his side, Tael leaned in and raised an eyebrow suggestively at her, wanting nothing more than to find a quiet place and be alone with her. Their journey and the battle with King Braxion had drained him to the point of exhaustion. Now at least Tael was sure they'd find the full support of the Malathian royal family. Already war drums sounded across Shaar'el, and for a city unused to war and bloodshed, Tael could feel the electricity crackling in the air. The Malathian Kingdom was a place of peace no more. War was coming.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

IN THE MIDST of a fever dream where Sebine traipsed through a room of sleeping men and women lying naked in a room covered with silk pillows and discarded jugs of wine, she found the smell of roasted meat inciting a hunger in her growling stomach. She wasn't sure how she'd arrived in the strange room filled with debauched and drunken people, but then again, wasn't the dream world filled with bizarre things beyond all recollection and imagination? Compared to the empty world of heaviness and sorrow, the world of dreams offered tantalizing glimpses of unrealized desires and hidden fears.

She moved to a bedroom dimly lit with a waning candle, and at the smell of sex in the air, Sebine's eyes fixed on the writhing shapes underneath the bed. Her trepidation immobilized her for a moment, but finally her curiosity overpowered her hesitation and she pulled back the covers to find Tael undressed and entangled with the witch from Glar Bay and Sebine's lady's maid Eloise. He lay on his back while Eloise straddled him and ground her generous hips into him like a fiend. Her gloating eyes taunted Sebine and she moaned in rapturous releases from her gaping mouth. The witch's claw-like hands raked across Tael's beautiful flesh as she offered a nipple to Tael's eager lips.

Sebine found rage bursting up inside her chest and she reached around for a weapon, craving nothing more than to murder the two harlots. Her hand found a dagger—the same blade as she used to destroy the King's amulet—and she stabbed down into Eloise's pale white skin until a beautiful shower of red erupted from her neck and chest and stomach, until Tael and the bed was wet and stank with the smell of coppery blood. As the witch went to speak, Sebine punched the blade over and over again into her open mouth until the witch's body finally lay limp, her eyes staring lifeless at the ceiling.

Tael stared at Sebine with euphoric eyes, as if all the violence meant nothing to him. He stretched his bloodied arms wide to her as if expecting an embrace. The scene was so horrible and pathetic and confusing to Sebine that she just turned aside and ran and ran outside into the blackness of night, until all the running and all the tears exhausted her fury. She collapsed beside a small pool reflecting the light of the full moon and wondered why she was so foolish in trusting Tael with her love and her body. He didn't deserve her.

Something in the surface of the mirror-like pool caught Sebine's attention, and she fixed her gaze at the eerie stillness of the sky reflected in the water. The shining, silver face of the moon studied her with ancient eyes filled with wisdom and malevolence. A shiver ran through Sebine as the moon darkened to blood and shadows, and soon the once placid face distorted to an expression of pure evil. To her horror, the face spoke to her.

"I am the one called Prince Xanthes, the son of a god, and lord and master to legions." The shadowy face narrowed its eyes at Sebine. "The world of light awaits my arrival. At last I am free. And from what I understand, I have you to thank for my freedom, as you were the one to hand over the final relics to that disappointing grandson of mine. Poor King Braxion, he did his best but he got himself beaten by a boy. All this foolishness will change once the world of light greets my army and me. The draenyx were toy soldiers compared to the creatures of Naverstrom now freed from their prison. It would have been better if you were never born to this world of pain and sorrow. Weep and pray that your death comes swiftly..."

Sebine found her body paralyzed as she tried to flee. She closed her eyes, not wanting to see the disfigured face of Prince Xanthes. A desire to sing and drown out his wretched words filled her mind until her hand covered her ears and she screamed and sang with all her heart. She rocked her body back and forth, willing herself to wake from this nightmare.
 

When she hoped and prayed that she'd eradicated the Prince from her dream, she glanced around and realized that she was now lying in bed with Tael in their room high above Shaar'el. His peaceful form sleeping next to her brought a wave of comfort that washed over her mind. Her hand stroked along the long locks of hair covering his beautiful face, and she found the feeling of his skin against her fingers eased the shock of the nightmare until it soon faded away.

But the same hideous voice invaded her ears. "Your father is a loyal dark elf," Prince Xanthes said, and Sebine stifled a scream for fear of waking Tael. "Jolrath will join my army, and if you are a wise and obedient daughter, you will join us as well."
 

No, it was all a lie, she told herself, refusing to believe another word the dark Prince said.

"I'm sure you've already felt the dark power flowing through you while you wear the Ring of Galdora." Prince Xanthes released a rumbling, hideous chuckle that sent a wave of nauseous rising up Sebine's throat. "Imagine how you'll feel someday very soon, when you are reunited with your father and grandfather... Be well prepared, make yourself ready, for the day is coming soon."

Chapter Thirty-Eight

"WE'LL NEVER NEED to take all these supplies," Prince Jaraz said, and pressed his hands on his hips as he studied the contents of their expedition lined up next to the dragon packs. "My father's expeditionary force will arrive in a week's time to the Saarian ruins." Tael wasn't sure how much they'd need to bring, but he did know the dire consequences of running out of water and food.

"And you're sure you can lead us to the oasis near the ruins?" Tael said, wondering if the Prince was really as good of a guide as he claimed. Likely he was just trying to impress Sebine.

Master Vhelan strolled up to them, flanked by four of his elder sorcerers. His eyes held the look of someone irritated and dissatisfied with life. "We need leave within the hour. I have made contact with our spy in King Braxion's army and it seems that the King has recovered and is building an armada of ships in Cranth to bring his army to Erelim. It will likely only be a matter of weeks before they arrive at the gates of Shaar'el."

Princess Marei rested her hand on Tael's arm, and cast him a cautious glance. "You need not worry about my brother. He will guide us there safely. I've been on many journeys with him to the desert, and each time he navigated us well. And water is quite plentiful in the north. So we really only have to bring water for several days at the most."

Tael couldn't help but notice the look of jealousy that Sebine sent Princess Marei at her touch, but quickly a devilish smile crept over her face. "And who will travel together on our flight? Tael and I each have our own dragons." Tael was pleased to see that Sebine's dragon, Alyxaria, and his dragon, Kraithen, seemed eager to be reunited at catching sight of them.

"Why doesn't my brother ride with you?" Princess Marei cast mischievous eyes at Sebine. When Sebine nodded in affirmation, she glanced quickly at Tael, then over to Prince Jaraz. "And I'm sure that young Tael would be most pleased have me along as a rider, don't you think?" Again she gave Sebine a significant look and the girls giggled together wickedly.

Soon they were joined by Master Shalinor and Princess Theria, and a group of Malathian wizards and witches, and soon the cheerful mood turned somber at their concerned faces.
 

"We've just heard word from the high elves that Khalas Dralorn has been looted and burned to the ground by Jolrath and his army of dark elves," Princess Theria said. "It is a mournful day for the Kingdom of Drazal'tan. The oldest city in the world has been demolished and tainted by elves. It is unthinkable."

Princess Theria's eyes beamed a fury so strong that Tael found himself taking a step back from the high elf. "The dark elf necromancers have even cast spells over the slain elves, and brought them back to life as undead slaves for their masters. And even the once magical forests of our kingdom are infested with an expanding blight. I fear that soon their will be no more hope for us, nor will their be any place safe from the malevolence reaching out over the world. Whatever lies buried there in the northern steppes, I pray to the gods for us to find something of value to aid us in the coming war."

"Will the high elves come and join the battle if we discover some hidden knowledge or powerful artifact in the Saarian ruins?" Master Shalinor studied the Princess with cautious eyes. "We will need soldiers and magicians and strategists to fight the war. Will they return?"

"Where there is hope for this world whether here or to the lands of the east where my father has gone," said Princess Theria, "then my people will always fight for what is true and good. We will not hide and allow evil to corrupt the whole world. We've been scarred by that old mistake with the Princes of Naverstrom. This time we will not chain them in some deep and dark place to fester and grow, we will rise up and slay them, and summon our gods to fight against their nameless god. We will destroy this evil."

Tael wanted to believe the words of the elven princess, but as he stared out east across the desert, he could feel a tide of evil growing and rising, an insurmountable crest ready to crash down and eradicate all semblance humanity and civilization from the world. What were the aims of the Princes of Naverstrom? Could revenge linger in their minds for so many years?

"There is hope for us to the north," Sebine said, and gave him a reassuring smile. "We have to believe that we will find a way to defeat King Braxion and Princes Xanthes. Please don't ever lose hope. Now we are together I believe we can survive and win against our foe. But you must believe..."