The Veredor Chronicles: Book 03 - The Gate and Beyond (5 page)

Acartor laughed. ‘You are no match for me, Irilian.’

‘We will see!’ said Meara coolly.

A moment later a hundred glowing blue darts raced through the air. The entire bridge lit up with shimmering blue light. Acartor leapt back and used his sword to deflect the darts as he simultaneously dodged others with an awesome display of agility. Several of the darts struck him, but he seemed uninjured. Meanwhile Red got to his feet and helped King Edric away from the confrontation. Acartor then advanced with great speed. Meara lifted her hands and forks of lightning blasted toward the Skathean. Acartor howled and a black smoke gathered around him and protected him from the lightning. Meara lowered her hands and stared at him.

‘What have you become, Acartor? Have you given over everything to the enemy?’

‘I was instructed in the ways of power by the Lord of Veredor. He has given me power beyond anything you can imagine. My power has grown beyond all that men can hope for.’ He slowly approached her.

‘The shadow you have allowed into your heart has taken all your power from you, Acartor. You have allowed yourself to become a slave. You must turn away from the darkness.’

Acartor laughed and mocked Meara. ‘Is this your way of pleading for your life? Do you really hope to save me? Foolish, Meara, very foolish. Know this: I chose to walk into the night. I knew exactly what I was choosing. I am not afraid of the darkness because I am the most dangerous being living in the darkness. I conspired to destroy the last hope of men. I led the Ecorian into a trap and watched him die.’ A shady grin crossed Acartors lips. ‘Now, Meara, I will give you a glimpse of the shadow living within me. In a few moments you will wish you were never born.’ He continued to approach her.

Meara shook her head regrettably. She reached into her cloak and drew forth a bright glowing crystal. The sight of the crystal stopped Acartor in his tracks. He stood and stared at Meara with wide eyes for a moment. ‘The Irilian Star, surely you are not the leader of the Irilians!’

‘Yes, I am. From antiquity the Irilians have prepared the Irilian Star to shine as a light against the darkness. The vision and hope of the Irilian Order stands with me. Your heart lies beneath a veil of shadows. You cannot hide in the shadows forever, Acartor. ’

The bridge started to shake and beams of light rushed up from the cold stones. The dark smoke surrounding Acartor instantly dissipated. Meara raised her hand and a bright blue shockwave blasted forth. Acartor lifted his sword to parry, but the shockwave knocked him over and sent him tumbling backward. He staggered to his feet and stumbled back along the bridge with his sword still in hand. Fear was clearly evident in his eyes as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

‘You may have won today, but we both know that this army of men will never defeat the Prince of Shadows! We will meet again, Meara; then I will repay you for what you have done here tonight.’ He leapt from the bridge into the fast flowing water below and drifted out of sight into the night. Meara watched the water for a few moments and then returned to King Edric and Red.

**

Later in the evening King Edric was seated in the command tent with Red, Stella, Baftel, Meara, Cassiel, Arlen, Mostyn, the Fiorians Clare and Winfred, and several other wizards of the Fire Order. Princess Apherah sat at King Edric’s side. They had been informed that the Fiorian Ronan had died from his wounds.

King Edric had recovered from the ordeal on the bridge. He was battered and bruised, yet he had not been seriously injured by Acartor. The revelation that they had been betrayed had hurt him deeply. A strong anger had taken hold of the King. Red could sense that beneath the anger was a feeling of guilt for allowing himself to be misled and all the lives that had been lost.

‘I have failed my people. From the beginning Acartor has been working against us. I trusted him blindly. He has been serving the Prince of Shadows ever since he first came to Faircastle. He requested that I call a council of all the southern monarchs in order to set a trap. He was never a prisoner in the Dungeons of Zarkanor; he was a co-conspirator and a servant of the enemy. Crescent Bay was a ploy to divert our forces away from Irvaria. His plan was to draw out the Ecorian and to leave our lands defenceless. We have been completely betrayed.’

‘None of us knew Acartor was a traitor,’ said Baftel. ‘His treachery was even hidden from me and I am a seer.’

‘It is likely that Acartor was trained in such treachery by the Prince of Shadows,’ said Meara.

‘Yes. What Meara says is true,’ said the Fiorian Clare. ‘Acartor, in turning to the shadow, has joined the Skathean Order, but his powers are beyond that of a normal Skathean. He has been trained by the Prince of Shadows. He was one of the most powerful Fiorians. Now that he has fallen he will be one of the most powerful Skatheans. Deception, lies, deceit; all of this he has learned from the enemy. It is not surprising that he deceived us all.’

King Edric nodded, but Clare’s words did little to reduce his feeling of responsibility. He looked to Red. ‘Sir Red, without you I would be dead. Your bravery saved my life.’

‘I did what I could, but I was no match for the traitor. Without Meara we would both be dead.’

King Edric looked to Meara. ‘What Sir Red says is true, without you, Meara, we would have both been victims of the traitor. I will send several brigades to capture him in the morning. He will pay dearly for his treachery.’

‘Acartor would kill anyone you sent after him,’ said Meara. ‘I doubt any of your men could come close to matching his skills. By now he would be far beyond our reach.’

‘Meara is right,’ said Baftel. ‘Acartor fled quickly into the south. He is making his way to join the enemy army.’

‘Then he will take all our plans back to the Prince of Shadows,’ said King Edric.

‘I can assure you that the enemy already knows our plan,’ said Mostyn. ‘Astarians can see things that are far away as if they were near. Whatever Acartor tells him will not alter the outcome of the battle. The Prince of Shadows already knows we are marching to join with the Ortarians. He knows we plan to make a final stand. Even with all this knowledge he doesn’t doubt his ability to destroy us.’

‘Tomorrow we will join with our allies at Jeriel’s Field,’ said King Edric. ‘Together we will show the Prince of Shadows that we are not afraid.’

**

Red rode with Stella toward the front of the long line of troops. Thick rolling clouds covered the entire sky and a deep gloominess had settled over all the land. King Edric insisted that they keep a great pace. The deepening gloom was taking its toll on the morale of the army. Red could feel a certain sense of hopelessness had been growing throughout the day. They all knew that they were marching to face an enemy army that was far beyond their capability. As the day progressed a song broke out among the ranks. It wasn’t clear who wrote the words, but before long the entire army was singing the song and it brought hope back to all the soldiers.

Even as the night falls, the Irvarians people will stand tall. Even if the sunlight fades, Irvarians will always be brave. Forever let it be known, that we stood tall to protect our home. And even in the darkest night, in our hearts we hold the light.

Late in the afternoon the Irvarian army crossed over a ridge. The Ortarian army came into sight. Jeriel’s Field was a wide meadow, about four hundred yards across, that covered an area at the base of a shallow valley. Only a few old elm trees grew in the valley, and a crystal clear stream wound its way toward the north in the direction of the Adira River. Gradual slopes rose toward two opposing ridges at either sides of the meadow. The Ortarians, Scaldonians, and Empyrian armies had gathered on the eastern rise above the field and had already formed ranks. A sea of red Ortarian flags blew in the gentle breeze. A strong feeling of hope grew among the Irvarian troops at the sight of their allies.

‘Sir Red, Lady Stella, ride with us,’ said King Edric.

King Edric rode out ahead of the army with Princess Apherah. Red and Stella rode after them. They were followed by Mostyn, Meara, Cassiel, and the Fiorian Winfred. King Ignis, in full shining plate armour, rode out across the meadow on a mighty white warhorse. His armour shone against the background of red Ortarian flags. He was followed by Duke Egil of Scaldonia, a group of commanders, and several other warriors who were dressed in the manner of Vastorian tribesmen. As the two groups approached each other King Ignis recognised Red and Stella and smiled happily. He then looked to King Edric and saluted his fellow king.

‘King Edric, I cannot express enough how happy we are that you are joining us in such a dark hour. We face a powerful enemy. My scouts have reported they are almost upon us.’

‘I am honoured you have come here to help liberate us. What are your feelings, King Ignis; can we defeat the enemy?’

King Ignis sternly looked toward the western ridge. ‘It is doubtful. My scouts have reported a great multitude: muckrons, wyverns, and dark shadows that appear in the shape of men. They also have many Skatheans and Northern Sorcerers. We our greatly outnumbered, but my men are ready to fight until the end. The muckron horde is less than an hour from here.’

‘We are the last hope of mankind in Veredor,’ said the Fiorian Winfred. ‘Only the Iril Fortress remains in the
Far Western Lands. We are all that stands in the way of the Prince of Shadows completing his conquest of Veredor.’

‘Then we will show him how brave men can be,’ said King Ignis boldly. ‘Many have already died fighting. Word reached me in Ancora that Eben was the last Ecorian. I can’t express how much this surprised me. I accepted the news joyfully. Then word reached me that Eben had died fighting our enemies in Everdon. I still feel the grief deep in my heart at losing Eben. Upon hearing about Eben’s death I decided to cross into Vastoria and follow the muckron army toward Irvaria. I believe we must be prepared to sacrifice ourselves to save our world as Eben did. We will show the Prince of Shadows the meaning of bravery.’

CHAPTER SEVEN

Red, Stella, Cassiel, and Meara had joined the Ortarian army and stood beside King Ignis. The Irvarian army had moved up beside the Ortarians and Empyrians. The entire force had formed ranks facing the opposing western ridge. Several thousand Ortarian heavy cavalry had moved to the front. King Ignis had positioned the archers to the rear. The infantry made up the majority of the army and formed ranks just behind the cavalry and knights.

‘I am very glad we are all together again,’ said King Ignis, looking kindly toward Red, Stella, and Cassiel. ‘I will fight for Eben. I believe the Prince of Shadows will want to be here today to witness his victory over men. There may still be hope. All the muckrons and monsters serve the Prince of Shadows and will scatter if he falls. If we could focus all our remaining strength on him we may still be able to win today.’

‘He will be well protected,’ said Meara.

‘I’m sure we can fight our way through anything,’ said Red.

‘Slaying the Prince of Shadows may be our only hope,’ said King Ignis.

Suddenly a hideous moan echoed out across the valley. A lindworm dashed over the opposing ridge and stopped halfway down the rise. Its green scales glimmered in the faint sunlight.

‘Urs-shaka, Urs-shaka, Urs-shaka!’ cried the muckron horde in the distance.

‘They are coming,’ said King Ignis.

All the men watched as the enemy army appeared at the top of the opposing ridge. The muckron horde poured across the rise and formed ranks. Thick lines of muckrons flowed like rivers of monsters. Before long it was clear that the monstrous horde was far larger than the army of men waiting at the eastern side of Jeriel’s Field. Dozens of wyverns flew in circles above them, and clusters of lindworms were gathering at the front of the enemy lines. A feeling of impending doom struck the army of men.

Red scanned the army of monsters. He was looking for the Prince of Shadows, but he saw no sign of the evil leader among the muckron horde. A shadow fell over the battlefield as the clouds above darkened. The gloom shrouded the entire army of men. Red could see fear growing in the eyes of the soldiers who surrounded him. The sun faded as more dark clouds rolled over the sky. Hope faded with the coming of the shadow.

‘This is the evil of the Prince of Shadows,’ said Baftel. ‘He is destroying the light of our world. He is near, but he remains hidden from my vision.’

Red, Stella, Arlen, and Meara kept searching the enemy ranks, all of them hoping to see the Prince of Shadows.

‘What exactly do you see, Baftel?’ asked Meara.

‘I see a shadow gathering that is darker than the darkest night. It moves through the clouds above. He is watching us.’

They looked up at the swirling clouds as the light continued to fade. King Edric rode over from the front of the Irvarian army. He met with King Ignis at the front of the Ortarian army. A few moments later Duke Egil rode over and joined them. Red and Stella watched as the two kings and Duke Egil decided on a plan of attack with their commanders. King Ignis turned his white warhorse and looked sternly toward his army. King Edric was at his side, and the two kings drew their swords.

‘For truth and light!’ cried King Ignis. The kings then turned their horses to face the army of monsters. King Ignis pointed his sword at the enemy army. His warhorse leapt forward. The cavalry and knights charged after their king. The horns of the Ortarian army sounded across the field.

Red looked to Stella. ‘Stay with me, Stella.’

‘Forever,’ said Stella, a single tear rolling down her face. They gripped hands for a moment and then rode forward together. Cassiel was riding close beside them. Meara and Arlen were also nearby. The Ortarian cavalry advanced quickly across the field, and the howling monsters waited for them at the base of the opposing rise. Red drew his sword.

A moment later the knights and cavalry crashed into the front line of lindworms. The howls of the lindworms were hideous; knights were thrown from their horses, men cried in pain, and many horses were crushed into the ground. The second wave of cavalry struck an instant later. Red caught sight of a lance piecing a lindworm’s neck. The beast howled in pain and fell to the ground. The pig headed muckrons then entered the fray. Almost instantly Red and Stella were among the enemy lines. Red swung his sword and a muckron fell under his blade.

Stella cut down a muckron. Her horse whirled around as a wave of muckrons charged toward her. Red rode forward, cutting down several muckrons as he moved his warhorse toward Stella. He didn’t want them to be separated on the battlefield. There were monsters everywhere. Stella stabbed out again and again as another crowd of muckrons charged at them.

Meanwhile Red kicked out at a muckron, knocking the monster down as he thrust his sword out at another beast. A smaller muckron leapt at him from behind and bit into his horse’s side, its flaring snout was hideous to behold. Red rammed his sword into the monster.

He turned to see Stella stab her sword at a lindworm. The beast raised its claw in defence and then struck back. Stella was knocked from her horse and fell into the grass below. Red jumped down to help his wife and found the lindworm was instantly upon them. He stabbed forward, but the scaly beast was too quick. It dodged, snapping back with its huge fangs.

A blue beam of light struck the lindworm before the bite could be finished. Cassiel raised his hands and dozens of glowing blue darts blasted into the scaly beast. The lindworm struggled for a moment under the attack and writhed around in pain. Red then leapt forward and hewed down with all his might, his blade cutting deep into the lindworm’s neck. The beast fell and lay dead on the ground.

‘Watch out!’ cried Stella.

A group of muckrons were advancing directly at Red. A moment later Cassiel was at his side.

‘Watch this,’ said Cassiel as he lifted his glowing hands. Forked lightning blasted from his palms, and the monsters were stopped in their tracks and scattered. Stella gathered herself and joined them as another wave of muckrons approached. The flow of muckrons from the western rise was relentless. The cavalry advance had been halted. The Ortarian infantry then smashed into the enemy lines, and the enthusiasm of the men pressed the monsters back across the field. Red cut out again and again, but he found for every monster he defeated another two appeared.

‘Red! The King! He needs us!’ cried Stella, pointing through the throng of monsters.

Red turned to see that King Ignis was being pulled down from his warhorse by a group of muckrons. He grabbed Cassiel by the shoulder and the three of them dashed across the battlefield. They furiously fought their way forward. King Ignis wasn’t going to give in easily. He swung his sword wildly and held the monsters at bay. Red and Stella were the first to reach him. Red stabbed out and a muckron fell as Stella cut down two. King Ignis turned to face them and smiled.

‘Always there when I need you,’ he said with a relieved laugh. His shining armour was battered, but the look of determination in the King’s eyes was intense.

Together they pushed into the muckron ranks. Wyverns swooped through the air above, blasts of green lighting lit up the battlefield, and riders were being torn from their horses. The howls of the muckrons never ceased.

King Ignis led the way, but as they progressed across the field they found that the lines of muckrons were increasingly difficult to hold back. Red looked ahead through the fray and saw the muckrons were allowing something to pass through their ranks. They all witnessed the sight of a ghoul walking across the field toward them. Intense darkness surrounded the spectre like swirling smoke. Its red glowing eyes were staring directly at King Ignis.

‘What is that?’ asked the King, his eyes wide with shock.

Cassiel lifted his hand and a bright blue beam of light shot across at the creature of darkness. The ghoul recoiled and then grew larger. An instant later it bounded toward them. Red dashed forward, cutting down with all his might, but his blade struck the ground. Instantly he felt himself being lifted up by the icy grip of the evil being. Red could feel the cold grip was burning his skin like fire.

‘I take your light from you,’ hissed the ghoul.

‘Never!’ cried Red as he reached out and grabbed the ghoul’s shadowy neck.

Instantly a powerful beam of bright white light struck the ghoul. Red fell to the ground and away. Stella took his arm and pulled him back. Arlen stepped forward and stood before the ghoul. He lifted his hands and a light shone forth that was as bright as the sun. The shadow recoiled, and the muckrons surrounding them fled in fear. Arlen reached out to grab the ghoul with his glowing hands. The spectre fell back and cowered on the ground.

‘You can no longer hide in the shadows,’ shouted Arlen. ‘Show yourself!’ The shadows gradually dissipated, and the ghoul curled up. The ghoul’s faint red eyes stared up at Arlen in terror.

‘It is too late,’ hissed the ghoul in a thin and trembling voice. ‘He is coming now. There is nothing you can do.’

A powerful howl blasted down from the clouds above and resonated across the battlefield. Every creature looked up to see the origin of the mighty roar. Red lifted his eyes to see the dark shape of a massive dragon swooping down toward the battlefield. Its dark scales shone like polished metal, and its huge batlike wings cast a shadow over the land below. From head to tail the beast was at least a hundred yards in length. The dragon’s entire back was covered with sharp horns that rose like large spears. Its head was the size of a wagon, and hundreds of giant fangs protruded like blades from its gaping mouth. The fierce face of the beast drove fear into the hearts of all below.

Atop the dragon was a rider who was adorned in dark armour. Several horns rose from his helm and a menacing metal visor covered his face. He sat just behind the dragon’s head, and he stared down at the battlefield below. In his hand he carried the Sword of Darkness, and a misty shadow swirled around him.

‘The Prince of Shadows,’ gasped Stella.

The dragon swooped over the battlefield and moments later smashed into the army of men. Men and horses scattered before the beast. Red, Stella, Cassiel, and King Ignis watched on as the men backed away; their courage fading at the sight of such an enormous and powerful creature. Scorching flames blasted from the dragon’s mouth and incinerated several lines of soldiers. Hundreds of soldiers fled from the flames. Many horses threw their riders and galloped from the battlefield.

The Prince of Shadows halted his mighty beast. The entire battlefield fell eerily silent as all eyes looked up at the great enemy. A heckling laughed rang out across the field. The Prince of Shadows then lifted the Sword of Darkness above his head.

‘Kneel!’ he howled, his deep voice resonating over Jeriel’s Field. The command was followed by deathly silence. For almost a minute not a single soldier or monster moved. All the men and muckrons stared up at the Prince of Shadows in terror.

A single rider then left the ranks of men and rode out across the field. Her armour was shining in the faint light of the shadowy day. Her large white warhorse held its ground before the face of the hideous dragon. Princess Apherah lifted her sword defiantly and looked up at the Prince of Shadows. ‘We choose freedom!’ she cried.

For a few moments the Prince of Shadows stared down at her in silence before answering. ‘There will be no freedom in Veredor!’ His voice reverberated across Jeriel’s Field. Suddenly the dragon leapt forward. Apherah turned her warhorse and galloped across the battlefield as flames burst forth from the dragon’s mouth after her. A group of brave men charged forward and were met by intense flame; they were all incinerated. The Ortarian archers started to shoot at the dragon, but their arrows bounced off the thick dark scales of the beast.

‘Come on!’ shouted King Ignis as he ran forward toward the dragon.

The battle erupted once again. The muckrons were given confidence by the arrival of their leader. Red and Stella ran after King Ignis. Cassiel fell behind and started to battle the muckron horde alongside a group of Irvarian soldiers.

Red focused his full attention ahead at the massive beast as he charged toward it. He lifted his sword as a group of muckrons crossed their path. The grass around them was burning brightly. The heat was becoming unbearable, and the smoky haze made it difficult to see.

Red hewed down a muckron and cleared the path to the dragon. Stella was by his side, but King Ignis had fallen back. Dozens of muckrons surrounded them. Suddenly a rider came into view and charged through the smoke and flames. Red looked up and saw King Edric holding a lance and galloping toward the dragon.

The dragon whirled around to face the King. Its massive horned tail smashed into King Edric’s horse. The King fell and crashed heavily to the ground. His warhorse lay lifeless. King Edric’s leg had snapped and blood flowed from a wound in his chest. The Prince of Shadows directed his dragon forward. Red and Stella dashed across the battlefield. Together they stood in the dragon’s path and held up their swords. The Prince of Shadows stared down at them.

‘Kneel before me!’

‘Never!’ cried Red as he lifted his sword and pointed the blade at the Astarian.

The Prince of Shadows halted his dragon for a moment and stared down at Red and Stella. Thousands of muckrons gathered behind the dragon. The courage of the army of men was lost save for a few brave soldiers.