Author's note: Well, I am back. And I am going to update this story regularly for the time being. Thanks to all my reviewers, followers and those who liked my story. We've reached 500 reviews and that's amazing. I never would've made this if not for you guys. Thanks again and let's get on with the story.
Chapter 40
When the moon sets
Freya was with her mother-in-law when Roy came in telling them that Natasha was waiting for them at the arch of communication. It seemed that the spy wanted to tell the queens something urgent. The queen of Elmet had thought that Natasha was going to give them the news about the fall of Amata.
But unfortunately, it was another news entirely. When Freya and Hunith entered the arch room, a blue light was hovering beneath the massive arch indicating that a mage is waiting for permission at the other side to initiate conversation.
" Reveal yourself, Natasha. What news do you have for us? I hope you will give us some good news. " Queen Hunith said.
The hovering blue light transformed into the figure of a woman. She gave a short bow towards the queens and with a grim face, she said, " I am afraid I cannot give you any good news, your graces. In fact, I have to be the bearer of an ill news. "
Freya frowned upon hearing the spy's words. ' What ill news could it be ? ' She thought. ' Did the plan not work? '
Her thoughts were disrupted when her mother-in-law spoke up from her side. " What is it, Natasha? Tell us. "
Natasha, from the other side of the arch took a deep breath and said, " Let me be blunt, your graces. The king has been captured. He is now at Sauron's dungeons. "
What?
Did she hear right?
Merlin got caught.
Her husband, the greatest warlock of this land has been captured.
" Impossible. Merlin is the most powerful man of all Albion. He is impossible to catch. " Freya said out loud.
Natasha shook her head. " I am sorry, your majesty. But I've seen his grace in magic binding chains with my own eyes when he was dragged through the streets of capital. And there's something else. King Arthur is with him too. I have heard rumours that the king was captured while arguing with the king of Camelot in the campsite. "
" Damn you, Arthur. So, that's where you've gone missing. " Freya murmured.
" But that's not all. "
" What else? " Freya could bet that her mother-in-law was gritting her teeth while asking the question.
" The king looked very young. Almost half of his true age. He looked like a boy in his mid teens when I saw him. "
" Magic of Raenurhyt. " Freya whispered.
" What? " Hunith asked.
Freya looked at the queen dowager.
" It's the youth magic of Raenurhyt. Legend has it that eons ago, in the long lost land of Raenurhyt far to the north was a spring of everlasting youth. The archmage of Raenurhyt found a way to brew a potion from the water of the spring which would cure any disease as well as retain one's youth. The potion of Raenurhyt was a prize so valuable during the mythical era that kings would decimate kingdoms to get their hands on it.
But the doom of Raenurhyt buried the land beneath the lava of Mount Alherun and the potion of Raenurhyt was lost to humankind ever since until... "
" ... until today. " Hunith said in a calm voice finishing Freya's line.
The queen of Elmet had to admit that both she and the queen dowager were surprisingly calm despite the graveness of the situation. Maybe being a queen for three years had made them like this.
" Still the legends of Raenurhyt is least of our concern. We have to rescue Merlin immediately. Thanks for sending us the message, Natasha. Continue doing what you were doing. Keep an eye on Merlin as well as King Arthur. " Hunith said in her commanding voice.
" As you wish, your grace. Be safe. " With that Natasha disappeared and the bluish light of the arch vanished with it too.
Hunith and Freya looked at each other.
" We need to call the Elder council. " The queen said.
" I agree and Aithusa should be informed too. " The queen dowager said.
" We'll save him, won't we, mother? " Freya asked.
Hunith gave a soft smile and placed her hand on Freya's shoulder.
" We will, dear. And we'll crush our enemies. We are the dragon royals and they'll know what happens when you anger dragons. "
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
" What is the meaning of this, Aithusa? What's he doing here? " The queen of Elmet yelled at the white dragon. They were in the middle of the council discussing about what they should do about Merlin when a student of the academy brought news to the elder council that the great dragon Kilgharrah had landed on the learning grounds.
So the entire council had come to the learning grounds with the two queens to see for themselves and they found not only the golden dragon but also the white dragon too. It seemed that it was Aithusa who had requested Kilgharrah to come to Arcaenia.
" Why did you bring him here? Didn't you know that Merlin ordered him to stay away from us. " Freya yelled again.
Still, Aithusa didn't speak up. Instead, it was Kilgharrah who spoke up.
" And yet, I am still here. Do you understand the graveness of this situation, my queen? " The great dragon's voice boomed across the learning grounds.
" What are you implying? " Hunith asked.
The great dragon looked at the queen dowager and it was evident that he too looked very worried.
" Merlin is my dragonlord. I am bound to obey his every command. And yet, I am disobeying one of his direct commands. Which means... "
" Merlin has become too weak to command the power of the dragonlords. " Alator said in an alarming tone.
" Exactly, priest. That's why I've come. To save him. To atone for my wrongdoings. I will go back to my exile once Merlin's safely back to Arcaeina. " Freya could sense the dragon's sadness in his voice but she didn't feel any sympathy for him.
After all, this dragon had almost ruined her beloved's life before. Still, it would be folly not to take help when they all were badly in need of it.
" What do you suggest? How can you help us? " Freya asked.
" My queen, is that really a good idea? " Gilli asked unsurely.
" It's the best way, I assure you, Gilli. Otherwise I wouldn't have taken it. " Freya said confidently.
And as Hunith seemed to agree with her too, no one in the council argued with the queen about it.
When all the commotions died down, the great dragon spoke up again.
" Aithusa told me that King Sauron had erected a magical shield around his capital banishing any of Amata's enemy from the vicinity. Right? "
" Yes. And Merlin was captured while trying to neutralize the barrier. " Hunith said.
The dragon huffed. " As reckless as ever. If only he had summoned me, all of this would've been avoided. "
" How? What could you have possibly done to stop all this? " Councilor Aachen asked doubtfully.
" There's another thing other than alteration magic that could neutralize such kind of barrier. "
" What? Come to the point. " Freya's patience was wearing thin.
" Dragon fire. But not just any dragon fire. Ancient dragon fire . In another words, Aithusa's fire would be useless against the barrier but on the other hand, my fire... "
" ... will be able to dismantle the Amatan shield. " Aithusa spoke up for the first time since all of this had first started.
" So, what will it be, queens of Dragons? " Kilgharrah asked.
" Please, agree with him, your graces. I know you don't like him. But this is the easiest way to rescue father. " Aithusa pleaded fervently.
Freya knew what would be the right choice. She knew agreeing with the dragon would the best course of action. But still, she had a deep distrust towards the dragon etched inside her mind.
In the end, all it had taken her to agree with the dragon was a simple nod of approval from her mother-in-law.
" Alright, Kilgharrah. Bring death and destruction to our enemies. "
The two dragons roared to the sky and the young members of the council gave out a warcry.
Freya had always hated bloodshed and warfare. It had always brought death and misery. But this time it was different. This time, they had hurt her family. And she would hunt them down and take back what is hers.
Because she made a promise. She would keep her family together no matter what the outcome might be. She would burn Amata to the ground if she had to.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Wherever you go, the moon sets in Irythil.
Wherever you are, Irythil is your destiny.
Those were the words that kept haunting him through the night. It was always the same for five nights and the king of Saxony couldn't sleep well at all.
Several days had passed since the departure of his son and the woman he considered as his second daughter from the capital city of Cologne and now the time had come to leave this city for him too. But he had to do it permanently.
For he needed to fulfill a promise he had made several years ago.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
[ Flashback Start ]
No. No. No.
This can't be happening.
The royal physician said that he wouldn't last the night but he refused to believe it.
This war had cost him his younger son, Fredreich. Now it had come to claim his elder son too.
Max. His son. His beloved son. The son of his beloved Ditto. His life was ebbing away and he, the mighty king of Rhineland, East Gaul and Sudetanland couldn't do a thing except holding his burning hands.
Why?
Why life is so cruel ? What sin had he ever done to deserve such a cruel fate?
" I can help you if you want. " A young woman called out and the king jumped up in surprise.
She was standing there at the corner of the chamber, her face covered by a white veil. How she entered such a tightly guarded room was a matter of surprise to the king. But that's beside the point. The thing what made the king more curious was what she had said just now.
" I can help you if you want. " The woman said again.
" Help? What help? "
" What help do you want? " The woman asked.
" You know what that I ask. Heal my son. "
" I can do that. "
" Really? " The king couldn't believe his ears. Was this a dream? No. It wasn't. It's reality. The heaven had finally smiled upon him.
" Yes. But if you have your wish, then give me mine. " The woman's voice become much deeper and the king felt a sense of sudden fear gripping him.
" And what is that? I can give you anything you want. Lands, money, power. You name it. " The king said. His voice so full of hope.
" I need you to touch the coiled sword at the kiln of the old flame. "
" Huh? Is that all? " The king frowned. He knew the place. It was at the ruined city of Irythil, a city of now perished fire worshipper clan of the mythical era. He didn't understand what would she gain by him touching a mythical sword.
It didn't matter. All that mattered was that it would save his son.
So, he said the words.
" I promise. Now heal him. "
The woman gave a mysterious smile and said, " Remember. You break your promise and your son dies. "
With that the woman disappeared and Max opened his eyes.
" Hello, father. "
[ Flashback End ]
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
He had said his goodbye to her daughter. She had wanted to come with him but he had stopped her saying that there must always be a Nassau at Cologne.
And now he was off towards south to the old city of Irythil where the moon glows brightest for the time had come to fulfill his promise.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
It was just like he had seen in his dream. A coiled sword buried in the middle of a field filled with ash and ember. He thought it might have been an arduous quest but everything had gone so smoothly.
What was that woman thinking? What's so special about this sword? Something's not right here.
And the king was right. For when he touched the sword, he instantly went up in flames and his body turned into cinder.
The blue moon sets in Irythil and a wolf howls from far away.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
From the flames, they rose. Accursed people from a forgotten era.
They all bowed before their master when he came out of the burning lord's body.
" Oh. Our gracious lord of darkness, make us whole. " Their prayer was almost a whisper.
The lord of darkness, the cursed one smiled at his devoted followers.
" It's time for darkness to rise again. "
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
The moon has set in Irythil.
The flame is rekindled.
But soon it will fade.
And only dark will remain.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
So, what do you think? Drop me a line, will you? I really want to know what you think. For those who are confused about what happened, there's going to be a detailed explanation in chapter 42. Well, have a good day. And be safe.
Adios.
- Assassin of Syria.