Author: Jacob Andrew Bower

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Selosa suddenly sat up high upon Grald, “Now is the time, flank them, flank them.” She drove her heels into Grald’s side and charged, the rest of the cavalry moving with her. I spurred Dwell on, doing my best to keep pace. Dwell responded to all my movements and pride welled up in me for the beast, “I will make a war steed of you yet.” I cried over the crashing hooves.
The riders in front of me crashed into the enemy first, breaking them like water upon rocks. I saw none of those our stampede trampled. Suddenly I found myself at the head of the column of riders and I pulled from the ground, a great swirl of water that charged ahead of me and Dwell. I yelled as we struck hard into the line of infantry. Shruda’s flew in front of me, crashing into our enemy while my wave threw others off their feet. I had never killed before, but I felt no shame in that moment. Blood lust filled me as I heeled Dwell to go faster. It seemed to me that maybe our cavalry charge would win the day, but a horn call signalled our doom. We were charging headlong into the cavalry of Melkin. Two speeding walls approached eachother, neither able to turn aside. The thud as brokin hit brokin was horrendous. Horn’s ripped skin or knocked rider from steed. No weapons were used, our brokin were our weapons. Steeds doomed to die.
I hit the line late, and my water pummelled into a brokin, knocking it aside and toppling its rider, who screamed as hooves surrounded him. Then I suddenly lunged sidewards. I stared into the face of my enemy, mad rage in his golden eyes. Before his bone shruda could strike, I formed fire in my hand and the bright burning spear split his mouth.

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Kindness.” Agral spat, his eyes burning with rage, “Look at me.” Krim did and his brother’s repulsiveness shocked him. Haggard, rotting, skin hung off his bony frame. His hair was falling
out in clumps but still Krim pitied him, “You took all the power for yourself.” Agral continued,
“We were meant to be equal, but you stole everything from me.”
“And so you took my wife from me?” Krim became like a flame then, heart kindled with rage and
his power overcame Agral. A healing power Krim sent and at once his brother changed. He grew
tall and strong, with skin of perfect white scales and his pupils receded, showing brilliant golden
eyes, “See what you could be brother.” Krim begged, “Call back your forces, relent from this
venomous dream and be as a brother to me again.”
The sight of what he might have been only enraged Agral more and as his dark power once again
overcame Krim’s, he was more gruesome than ever. He drove forward and such rage was in his
spirit, that no power of Krim could stop him and he drove his sword between his brother’s breast
and the blade broke at the hilt.
The skies wept for the passing of Krim, and his forces were swept away by the hordes of Agral.
The banner of Gadrika returned on a swift breeze and lay upon the body of Krim. A light blinded Agral and as he pulled the cloak away, Krim was no more.

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He had heard rumours of Lucarnia and had seen her once as a child but in her womanhood, no story could convey her beauty. Her skin absorbed the red light of the moon and gave it back in greater beauty. Un-like Morelin, she had no red scales but instead lines like roots came down from her eyes and clung delicately all the way down her cheeks. She was slender like a flower in spring, but Morelin could feel the strength of the trees in her.
A wind rose around Morelin and seemed to flutter around Lucarnia. He watched as a smile crept onto her lips. She sang again and a beautiful red flower bloomed. Her gaze fell suddenly towards him, “Come out fair lord and bask in the light. Umoria will soon come across the glade and their light will mix. Come and see the flowers, you are upsetting the trees.”
Nervously Morelin stepped into the glade. He bowed slightly; his hand pressed against his forehead. She did the same, “Hail lord of the Ilma.” Her eyes went to the silver flower pin on his shoulder, “You are of the house of Mina?”
Morelin stared into her piercing green eyes that seemed so strange from the golden irises he was used to, “I am Morelin Diactra.” He said in a shaking voice, “From the town of Minagrin.”
“It is a pleasure.” She said as she turned back towards the flowers.
“You must be Lucarnia Bitaran, daughter of the wood king.”
She nodded and Morelin stepped closer to her and as he did, Umoria moved across the sky and gave its silver light to the clearing and it mingled, as she had said, with the light of Aradtoria.
“Tell me wood daughter, how did you know I was here?” He asked.
“You said it in the name you give me. We who live in the wood, hear the trees and many do not like the hearts of the Ilma, who chop them down for their machines of war.” She laughed like it was some joke, but Morelin hesitantly looked towards the trees, his power reaching out to silence the wind that blew through them. His eyes then went down to the flower, “This is livora.” He said, “That grows only on the lands where the kin of Drage have lived.”

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A quick turn took them into a wide passageway. It led off into darkness and Suda guessed that its path led to the frozen chasm and beyond that to the high pass. Its walls were roughly hewn and many of the scratches were fresh. A group of soldiers stared at them as they entered the passageway, and seeing in the clear light, the groups original armours, they charged, heedless that they faced Ilma.
A flaming brand appeared in Suda’s hand, and such power was in it from his grief that the Graul could not withstand him. He moved like a snake, his brand felling Graul or throwing them to the company, where they were quickly broken.
Suda stopped as the last Graul fell. The passage was filled with the smell of burned flesh. Shouts could be heard all around now. Choosing the eastward way, Suda led the company down the passage. Ordin charged past him as they came to a large hall, the sound of soldiers coming from within. He charged into it, heedless of any threat and there he was caught. Stone grabbed at his foot and as he lunged, a sickening crack echoed through the hall. As it incapacitated him, the stone continued to climb up his body. The others entered more slowly, and they saw there one of the Ilma, his hand outstretched, calling the stone up Ordin’s body. Suda charged at the Ilma and his hold on Ordin was broken. Ogra cracked the stone and dragged Ordin to safety while Suda launched fire into the waiting Ilma. Loxa and Dusan followed on from Suda’s barrage and a great wind lifted Sirgrin into the air. Loxa and Dusan launched fire, merging with Suda’s but a great slab of stone burst upwards to block it.

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I searched for the white fur of Grald and Selosa amidst the chaos. A shadowed loomed above me and my eyes turned skyward. One of the wind riders was stalking, his face showing that he was of the Ilma and in his hands he wielded fire.
instinctively my water struck him, and he went limp in the air. He came down with a sickening crash and I lost him in the foray of brokin and Graul. My heart skipped several beats at that. Killing one of the Graul was fine, but one of the Ilma, one of the chosen people. That was something dark, works only Agral could sow.
In that moment it seemed like more of the Ilma joined the battle and one pressed me hard. Fire, wielded like a whip, cracked in my direction and all I could do was bring water from the dead around me to block the blows. Steam surrounded the battlefield and I lost sight of my enemy for a second. A glint of bone was all I saw, and I screamed as it skimmed against my cheek. Rage filled me again and in a sudden wind the steam cleared. The Ilma was charging, shruda in his hand but I was quicker. Water crashed into his stomach, and I ripped the shruda from his grasp. I collapsed on top of him, screaming in my blood lust as I thrust again and again.
By the time I moved the battle had passed me by. To my left stood the un-used ranks of Melkin and to my right, the battle raged on. Again, I heard the twang of arrow fire and the earth lifted to protect me from that volley. Thuds echoed into my barricade and as the earth fell, I stared at the next line of cavalry, charging swiftly towards me. Fire formed in my hands, ready for death that rode on galloping hooves. Suddenly I ducked as hooves came from either side. Cavalry in the orange of Carano swept passed and in another thunderous charge they collided with the armies of Melkin.