disclaimer: all the characters belong to J.K.R
Chapter 7
The window was open, and a light summer breeze blew into the room carrying with it a hint of the sea.
The room was large. The floors were of white marble, as were the pillars. Nature scenes decorated the walls and a magnificent red and gold griffin adorned the high ceiling. In the center of the room a large desk made of redwood sat proudly.
A dark haired man sat at the desk, he was dressed in white leggings with a red shimmering shirt above it he wore a thin almost transparent white tunic. Above his heart there was a crest of a red and white phoenix with a crown in red and gold above it. The man was hard at his work and worry lines as well as fatigue were engraved on his handsome face.
"My lord?" came a tentative voice from the door.
The man at the desk raised his head and turned his piercing green eyes to the man at the door "yes Dorien?" he said tiredness oozing from his voice.
Dorien entered the room and bowed to the man at the desk. "I have news, my lord" he offered half heartily.
"Than let me hear it, all of it" the man replied tiredly.
Dorien stilled himself for a moment before launching into his report.
"The battle went gravelly amiss, my lord. We have been betrayed. They attacked at night; all our sentries have been poisoned before so nothing hindered their approach. They slaughtered hundreds before we could fight them efficiently and by then it was too late. Most of the army has been destroyed. All that stand between the Black Army and Lor'Ernas is the garrison at the valley and they will not hold for long".
Dorien said all this with almost one breath, as though too afraid to stop for fear he could not continue to speak, he seemed exhausted.
The man at the desk seemed to be taking all this with a stride, it was as though he already new it was coming and Dorien simply confirmed it.
"How many of my people were slain?" he asked,
"Over thirty thousand my lord" Dorien replied weakly, but than he gathered himself up "about four thousand managed to return with me to Lor'Ernas"
The man's eyes filled with anguish and guilt as grief descended upon him.
"Thank you Dorien" he said heavily, "would you please send word to Rowen and Hermia to attend me"
"Of course my lord" Dorien bowed again and left the room.
The man's head hung between his hands as he let grief wash over him, "darkness will cover Atlantis soon" he whispered, guilt heavy on his voice and soul.
// That battle had been our last chance for survival, but we lost… I should have known somehow about the traitors, I should have done something. Light if only Variaana was here I know I could have done something. But now… now darkness will come and I can do nothing about it, nothing"
"Your majesty?" a feminine voice from the door interrupted his dark thoughts and he raised his head.
"Come in Hermia". A young woman in her twenties entered the room and bowed to the man at the desk, she had long blond hair raised high with a web and brown eyes, "you summoned majesty, and I obey" she said solemnly.
"Why so formal?" the man asked with a smile, Hermia smiled back weekly,
"The situations seemed to demand it Elarion" his smile disappeared "yes the situation is grave but that is one more reason why I need my friends to address me personally while we are alone.
"I guess you are right El" she replied with half a smile on her face.
Just then a second respectful knock was sound. "Yes?" Elarion enquired,
"Its Rowen sire" came a masculine voice from the door. "Enter" was the short reply.
A tall man with blue eyes and a blond reddish hair entered the room and bowed deeply "my liege?" he inquired gently his face solemn and respectful but with eyes dancing with mischief.
Elarion groaned and held his head in his hands muttering darkly about disrespectful friends and their like. Rowen kept his serious expression but a huge grin was threatening to come out. Hermia had long since given up and was smiling openly. The king kept muttering a bit more but then he drew himself his expression growing grim "I assume you two have already heard the news from the battlefield. The smiles were wiped from the faces and the air grew noticeably colder.
"So Rowen" the king continued, "what is your estimation?"
Elarion in the best scenario they will be here in seven days realistically speaking they will be here in five days maybe less if they push the horses. And when they will come here we will loose most of our forces have been decimated in the field, the light and Atlantis will be doomed, curse the betrayer!" anger seethed in his last words.
"Worry not my friend" the king assured him his voice still warped in silk, "he has already been cursed, but this means we have only four days to execute my plan so listen carefully we don't have much time. There is yet chance for victory the price will be terrible yes but should we fail the world shall be launched into darkness.
And they listened, and slowly the grim determination of the doomed, was replaced by the steadily burning light of hope.
* * *
The king gazed on the black army spread beneath the walls of Lor'Ernas. The banners were dark as the starless nights, with blood red serpents crawling on them replaced sometimes by equally red crows. The ground all around the city had turned black with men covering the green and gold fields that used to stretch for miles. Here and there columns of black smoke rose from the field and the wind blew bringing with it the stench of burned flesh and the blood chilling screams of the victims, but worst of all was the crazed cruel malice filled laughter which rumbled in the field
He stood upon the bastion dressed in white and gold, his hand tightened on the hilt of his sword as his face turned grim at the sight below him. Silent footsteps sounded behind him and he called without turning; "is everything prepared Rowen?"
"Your people are ready my liege, and the ships are ready as well" Rowen answered respectfully. "Good" Elarion answered. "My liege" Rowen began hesitatingly "some of your people wish to remain here with you". A tired rose to the king's lips "by my people I assume you mean the phoenix guard and by help me you mean protect me don't you my friend?" Rowen looked up a fierce desperate light burning in his eyes "My lord, we are sworn to protect you and I for one do not appreciate the fact that you shall remain here alone"
"I understand my friend" the king answered him "but this battle I must fight alone, besides I have other, more important tasks for you. He continued speaking authority clearly laced in his voice. "Yes my lord" Rowen replied in a resigned voice accepting his liege command.
A brisk rushing of fabrics was sounded behind him and both men turned to the sight of a rushing Hermia excitement written all over her face. "Your majesty" she exclaimed "I have it the last part of the spell, but…" she continued more slowly doubt creeping into her voice "it will take a terrible toll of the caster and the consequences will be dire…" she paused for a second then continued
"And, my liege only one person can cast it, and no magician strong enough has survived" doubt growing ever larger. "Yes" the king answered quietly "no magician strong enough has remained accept one"
"What do you mean" Hermia interrogated "the only one left is" you could practically hear the wheels turning in her mind "is…"
"Me" yes I know the king answered "that's why I shall be the one to cast the spell and that's final and I don't wasn't anymore arguments from both of you now go to your duties" he said in a brief commanding voice that brook no room for arguments.
A small course of "yes your majesty" was sounded and after brief desperate looks were exchanged they dispersed.
Elarion turned his gaze back to the walls and the land, dire consequences he though grimly that was certainly the understatement of the year what a laugh… The spell would destroy the enemy true but the power needed shall destroy the caster and then all the land seeping the life-force from the very foundations of this land Atlantis will be destroyed yes, but that's a small part to pay in exchange for saving the world from darknes.
* * *
Elariostood at the white tower balcony facing the sea and the ships that even now were disappearing in the horizon. Scenes were flashing in his mind his last goodbyes to his friends
He remembered Hermia coming to him after she found out about the cost of the spell she was trying to convince him to give it to someone else, to come with them, and he remembered vividly what he had said to her.
" Great power comes at a great cost and carries with it always great responsibility that cannot be ignored, I will cast the spell because it is my responsibility and suffer the consequences for that is the price I must pay. But Hermia fear not, for from the ashes of this a hope shall be born that shall be the everlasting symbol of all we fought for.
Remember Hermia Hope shall ever be reborn rising from the ashes with a fire to ignite the hearts again. There is always Hope Hermia always. And he hugged her close letting her and him cry but finally she stood straight and proud and was ready to return to her duties
Ah hope… yes there was always hope. Hope was the sight of the ships in the horizon, in the face of the now fearless mothers and it was in Rowen and the task he and the white order have been given. The scene flashed brightly in his mind.
"Listen well Rowen" he had said to him "you are the commander of the order and I have a task for you and the order"
"Anything, my lord" was the fervent answer.
"I have sent the Aesh Haneshama stones to the mainland I need you to find the stones and guard them until the right man shall come to you, the warrior of light. I shall tell you this you will have to wait for a long long time for the warrior shall not come at your lifetime. Nor shall it be in your son and grandson's time. Eras will pass and the world will change before the time will come and you and you descendants will have to stay true to this duty could you accept it Rowen?
"Yes my lord I will accept it" such simple words to seal the faith of a man.
"Good my friend but I have another task for you and the order, you must protect my people in the new land and be an ever watchful guard against the dark"
"I will do it my lord, I pledge here to you that I will dedicate my life for this and I shall not waiver nor rest until the task would be fulfilled. I pledge my soul to the light" a fierce light shone in his eyes at this last words and Elarion experience for a moment the strange sensation that he had seen it before but he soon dismissed the thought. And then he raised Rowen and pulled him for a last fierce embrace Knowing it will be the last they would see each other and then Rowen departed and left with the ships.
A rumble below returned him to reality and he knew it was time.
He started gathering his power until he was ready to burst and then he reached out and drew on the land. The power flowed to him feeling him swirling inside him trying to find a way out it was excruciating to say the least but still he drew more until there was nothing left.
He could feel the groaning of the land as it lost power and knew there was not much time left. He raised his hands they ere crackling with power and still the power swilled inside him tearing things down then building them again and then it reached his soul and opened the door inside him wide allowing the power to sip in to warp his soul in power.
He started reciting the incantation slowly at first but growing faster and faster. The power was leaving him all but the power that still warped his soul. And the land shook as lightning descendent from the sky turning into a sea of holy fire that rolled upon the enemy sinking him deep into the pure abyss, it was a purging fire called to purge the earth from the aberration that crawled on it.
And then there was no more a silence descended as the smoke cleared to reveal than nothing of the enemy was left. Then a deep sound was heard like the echo of distant drums the land was twisting and turning. The sound was drawing close and he could see the rip in the land that moved toward him, Volcanoes were erupting all around him and the sea was rising and still the rip grew ever larger. The lava mixed with the water to raise great columns of steam to the air. And there was a great shaking in the ground as the land started sinking. Elarion's eyes were turned to the east were the sun rose after that long night and he fell to his knees hand resting on his chest as almost unconsciously he started speaking: As the light of the day touches my body, so let it touch my soul.
As the light in the world shields my body, so shall I shield the light with my all.
I pledge my life for the fight of the light; I pledge my soul for the on going fight.
I shall never waiver and I shall never fail, until the light shall prevail
Wherever I go, wherever I will lie, my soul shall belong to the light
Whenever I will live, whenever I will die my soul will belong to the light.
My soul belongs to the light.
And with a great roar the mountains started crumbling.
* * *
The great column of black smoke rising and the ash-full wind was all that was left of Atlantis.
Then from the sooth the surfaced the water a shine was seen it rose with the smoke until it was free and spreading it's magnificent gold- red wings the first ever phoenix flew toward the mainland.
Hope had been reborn from the ashes
A/N:
Yes I know it took a long time I'm sorry but there is nothing to do about it I'm simply too busy But I'm trying to continue the story. I don't intend to quit anytime soon.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on the story.