Arkin couldn’t believe what he was hearing right now. But he couldn’t move, and he felt himself dying. She went on. “Here is what is going to happen. Right now there are two dragons and about six Iumenta Venefica headed to meet the heads of House Evindass. They will kill them.” Arkin didn’t want to believe it. He didn’t want to know that it was him who had let this happen. “These men here are going to mess me up pretty bad. I’ll be found and when I am I will spin the tale of your end. You were, well, I suppose still are the most trusted human to the Elves, and I am your mate. Tattered and torn as I will be, and emotional too, who better to put in charge of your organization? They will give me everything you have passed on, and I in turn will pass it to my commanding officers. A lot like that time you picked up those people from Salmont.”
Arkin managed a whisper. “That was you?”
She nodded. “Yes it was. We knew that the ship wouldn’t be able to cause any real damage, but it proved your trust in me, didn’t it?” She ran the back of her hand along his cheek. “But I don’t want you to think that this had anything to do with our relationship. I don’t really feel anything, not just for you, but in general. That being said, did you really think someone as young, beautiful and smart as I am would fall for someone like you?” She looked up, hearing something. “The Ascended are coming, so I have to go now, but do try to enjoy your last few moments alive, and know that once again, House Evindass is headless because of you.”
Arkin felt as thought there was a hole being ripped in his chest. It had all been a lie, nothing was real. He had killed them and all of his people, all of the people in the Empire that would be affected by his actions. How many were going to die because of him? Sickeningly, what tore at him the most was that when he moved his eyes to see the men stabbing and beating Stacy, part of him wanted to protect her. At least for him, the love had been real, and now, even knowing what she was, he couldn’t help but to want to save her. His breathing was becoming more and more labored. His eyes rolled up into his head as little spots formed in his vision. He twitched a few times, and then Arkin moved no more.
* * * * *
Iselin made her way through the cloud that was covering the tops of the cliffs. She couldn’t see anything, but she was still managing just fine. There didn’t appear to be anyone in the area, or at least not that she could find. She closed her eyes, just feeling her way around, when she noticed that something seemed off to her. She couldn’t feel Arkin or Stacy anymore.
“Legon, is Arkin with you?” she asked.
“No, they went off to go find his contact, why?”
“I can’t feel him or her.”
Legon took a moment. “Maybe they had to close their minds when they talked to him. You know, like when he called in to talk to the Elves,” he offered.
She was over the sea now, but still close to the monastery. She decided to fly over it and see if she saw anything. She’d be silent if Arkin’s contact was skittish. He wouldn’t even see her.
* * * * *
Emma was thankful to be at the meeting place. She wasn’t all that into climbing up giant hills for secret meetings in a war zone. Mage was walking around in a circle around her, Legon and Sasha. The three familiars were doing likewise, all in their large forms. Legon’s lion, Iselin’s saber tooth and Mage’s huge fox.
Sasha wrapped an arm around her. “How are ya?” she asked.
Emma responded honestly. “I don’t think this is a great idea. I know you guys think the world of Arkin, childhood mentor and all, but something seems off to me.”
Sasha frowned. “We saw into his mind. He is confident of Stacy. I think he trusts her more than us, to be honest with you.”
“That’s what I mean. I don’t know, just chock it up to me not being used to combat is all,” Emma said dismissively. She heard a thud. “What is…”
“It’s Iselin. She is just flying over the area,” Legon said.
Emma looked behind her. Just a short distance away was a sheer cliff that led to the sea. If she was being honest with herself, that was where her nervousness was coming from. Emma hated high places, and high places that dropped to jagged rocks and surf that pounded you into said rocks…
“LEGON!” Mage yelled.
Emma turned to look away from where the cliffs were to a patch of trees where twelve figures made their way out. Legon and Mage drew their fenna as the three fire animals moved to the front.
Six Iumenta with fenna stepped into their little clearing, accompanied by six familiars. Emma started to move back, but was stopped by Sasha’s mind.
“Emma, stay close. Iselin is on her way, but if this gets bad it’s going to take all of us to hold them.”
How was Emma going to hold anybody? She couldn’t use magic. All she had was a store crystal that Legon and Mage would be using. Where was Iselin? She would be able to pull them out without issue. The thudding of her wings was close now. The Iumenta must have heard it too, because they were looking up to the sky where she was coming from.
As Iselin came into view, two things happened. The first was that Emma heard the roar of three dragons, one from Iselin and another from two other dragons that were coming from the same direction the Iumenta had. The second was that the other dragons were leaching what little light there was in the sky. There was a blot of emerald from one of the Iumenta dragons that hit Emma and her group, but it didn’t hurt them. Instead, she saw the pink of one of Iselin’s wards flash and break. In the next moment, Iselin and the two dragons collided in the air.
Wind buffeted the top of the hill as the dragons fought. Emma watched in horror as the two Iumenta dragons forced Ise away and over the sea. Light filled the clearing and Emma felt heat. She turned to see that the other Iumenta were now attacking.
Emma couldn’t do anything. She watched as Legon, Mage and Sasha tried to hold off the Iumenta. The familiars were trying to hold the Iumenta familiars at bay, but were not having much success. Mage and Legon were doing everything they could to defend the group. Sasha was working on offense, but wasn’t getting anywhere. She sent a jet of ruby to the feet of the Iumenta, freezing the ground. One of them slipped and fell. Legon took the opportunity and sent a shredding spell at the downed Iumenta. His arm ripped to pieces, sending blood everywhere, but the other Iumenta seemed unaffected by their injured comrade.
Mage yelled “BINON!” His fenna burst with odd flames and he sent them whipping out at the Iumenta. Emma thought she could hear the dragons fighting, but she wasn’t positive. She turned then to look into the eyes of a silver haired Iumenta, its blade raised and a ball of blue coming toward her.
This was how it was going to end. This was how she was going to die. Mage stepped in its path, blocking the magic with his fenna. There was a boom and Mage crashed into Emma, sending both of them flying back into some trees. Emma landed hard, feeling her leg give way. She screamed and clenched her broken limb. She looked to Mage, whose head was resting on a rock. He was knocked out. Now Legon and Sasha would be alone. Emma watched helplessly.
She watched as the familiars were keeping close to Legon and Sasha, trying to hold off the Iumenta. Emma watched as a ribbon of red magic lashed out and struck Sasha, sending her to the ground. Emma saw that Sasha’s chest had been slashed open and was bleeding badly. She was screaming and moaning with pain.
“No!” Emma gasped.
She pulled herself along the ground, but she was so far away, and Legon was all on his own and starting to take damage. They weren’t going to make it.
* * * * *
Legon felt Sasha’s injury as if it were his own. He was holding their attackers off with sheer force alone. The two stores were all but gone, and soon he would be overwhelmed. He felt himself losing power. His healing spells weren’t even doing anything anymore. Mage was gone and he could sense that Iselin was about to collapse. She couldn’t take on two fresh Ascended after fighting all day.
He was trying to think of a way out of the situation, but there wasn’t one. His whole body was shaking with the force of his desire to save those that he loved. He glanced down at Sasha. She was pale and bleeding badly. If she wasn’t healed soon, she would die. There was nothing to be done. Legon looked into the eyes of one of his foes to see the ball of yellow coming at his head.
Bright white light consumed his field of view. He couldn’t see anything, and he wondered if this was part of the attack. Tento was no longer in his hand, and he couldn’t feel any of the small injuries he had sustained. He was dead. That’s what this must be. Maybe he would see his deceased relatives. Wasn’t that what was supposed to happen? The light was too bright for that; it hurt his eyes.
He fell to his hands, digging them into the soft dirt. He looked up. There was a figure in the light, just above him. He squinted, seeing two blue circles come into view. They focused into eyes. Around them were white diamonds that shimmered, creating light. They looked like scales that ran down to a nose, and a mouth with pearl teeth and a dragon’s head with horns made of solid gold. Then, with a shift in his vision, the rest of the White Dragon came into view. And he realized that it wasn’t that the dragon had come down to his level, but rather that he was taller. He felt the dirt with his fingers again—no, not fingers, but talons.
“Am I dead?” Legon asked.
The dragon chuckled and responded in a deep voice that touched Legon at his core. “Far from it, my child. Though had I not interceded, you would have been.”
“Why did you save me?” Legon asked, and why did he think he even had the right to address the White Dragon?
“Because you know that you are mine, and that you have nothing to fear from me. That is why you feel no fear. I saved you because you still have much to do. You are the Everser Vald, if you’ll recall.”
Yes, yes, he did know that he was supposed to be that. The dragon went on. “You have done well.”
Legon felt shame creep in. “How come I saw your brother so much?”
“He would have liked to have you, yes, but you were always mine. How could you not be with Sasha at your side? Now, enough, our time is short here. Know this: you have my support.” And with that the dragon leaned in and touched his nose to Legon’s. He felt more power than he thought possible rush into his body. He felt everything—his wings, his tail, his whole being—course with energy.
The light dimmed, and Legon was back in the real world again. On all sides of him were enemies, but enemies that now looked scared. He felt Sasha’s pain and felt her dying. Rage filled him as he looked at the Iumenta. As naturally as taking a breath, Legon opened his mouth and roared, sending a torrent of lavender flames to engulf the Iumenta. Energy rushed up his throat and felt wonderful. He stopped the fire, seeing only burning trees in its wake.
He was standing over Sasha. He moved and craned his head down over her. His heart tore with each beat. She was pale. Blood no longer ran from her body, and her breath was almost nonexistent. Her body all but dry. Even now, if the wound was healed it was too late. Great tears rolled down Legon’s nose and his mind reached out to hers.
* * * * *
Sasha was in pain, so much pain. She could feel her life running out of her, and she welcomed it, anything to stop the hurting. There was a bright light from Legon and then standing in his place was a giant purple dragon. It was larger than any she’d ever seen. It roared and burned the men that had attacked them. It was looking at her now. Her mind was fuzzy. She knew she didn’t have long. The dragon’s beautiful eyes filled with pearly tears that ran down its nose.
Legon’s mind pulled at hers. First to go was her physical pain. When the tears hit her they stopped the pain and she felt calm. His mind pulled all of the sadness she’d ever felt away. All the worry and sorrow of her life was gone. No more was even the memory of a dull day. All she felt was joy. This was not such a bad fate, she thought. Her body was even feeling it. She felt more alive than she ever had before. She wanted to laugh. How odd it was that this was the best moment of her life. Her eyes filed with the most wonderful tears of joy as she looked into her brother’s eyes. As the image faded, she rejoiced in the knowledge that never again would she suffer an episode. With that wonderful thought, she closed her eyes.
Thank you for reading Legon Ascension by Nicholas Taylor. We hope you enjoyed the book. If you are interested in finding out more about the Legon Series, other books by Nicholas Taylor or to contact him please visit his website at www.NicholasTaylor.co, or connect with him on
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Sample of Legon Restoration
Prologue
Introductions
"Appearance is just that; what we see, not what is. Still, that is how we are placed in society. If one can master the way others see them, they can then master society and therefore the world they live in."
-Rivulets of Time
Neelya placed her bag on her new bed in the Palace. She was to be Queen Hoelaria's new assistant. This was a great honor and credit to her. To be selected by one so esteemed was no small feat. She took in the room which was much finer than that of her last home. The workmanship was a little spotty but she didn't judge that, after all this was an ape built structure, the first she'd lived in. She walked to a window overlooking the Capital. Blue skies fell on green hills. Only a few clouds were visible. She opened the window. The sharp and offensive scents of the city assaulted her and she shut it again, deciding that she preferred the sweet smell of her room.