Like a wispy wraith she floated down through the palace to her throne room were her guess were waiting, As she entered the room, two men bowed down low with their heads down as she floated to the throne and sat down.
"Is everything ready?" She asked.
"Yes my lady." Gorak Ra 'Enar wrapped in his blood red robe called out to her. "My Orcs are ready to attack at your order. No one in New Keanna will escape. No Dragon will live after our attack."
"And you?" She pointed to the second hooded man.
"All goes as planned." He said in a gruff voice. "Tayor Larin no longer controls any of the lands he conquered. Winterhaven is free and ready for us to take back. Prafa and Remis is in our control. He is being hunted by Vampires, Werewolves, Dragons and the Elves. He won't be able to hide for long."
"And when he is found?"
"I have made arrangements my lady." The hooded man assured her. "When Tayor surfaces, we will know immediately."
"Good." Sarella stood and looked down on her henchmen. "There's one more piece I want to add to our puzzle. Come with me."
Floating down, Sarella went to the window and with a wave of her hand it opened. Stepping out on to the balcony, she gazed out at her dead city. There were no lights, no fire only bats mice and dead things. As the wind bellowed all around her, She raised her hands.
FROM THE SHADOWS OF DARKNESS TO THE DEPTHS OF DESPAIR.
I CALL FORTH THE DARKNESS HERE TO REPAIR.
BRING FORTH MY DEAD HORRORS HERE TO BEHOLD.
BRING FORTH MY DARK WARRIORS FOR ME TO MOLD.
INTO AN ARMY SO BLACK AND SO TRUE.
TO REVIVE MY CITY OF DEATH ANEW.
As Sarella finished her incantation and stepped back, lights began to flash in all the buildings through the city. A low rumble started in the center of the city and spread out vibrating all through the ground. Buildings shook and small shops fell. Chucks of stone fell from buildings, crumbled and smashed into the cobbled lanes, In the massive graveyard just outside of the gates, something stirred. The ground began to erupt upward as thousands of dark forms climbed out of old tombs and graves. From the balcony, Sarella watched as a massive horde of dead things marched and lurched through the gates into the city.
With an insane laugh, Sarella turned to her two henchmen.
"My warriors come to greet their Queen. As if now they as dead things, but by morning their flesh will become strong and I will have my army. Keanna is mine!!!"
From the frozen mountains of the far north to the humid hot swamps of the south, dead things began to crawl out of the ground. At first, no one really thought much of it. The dead have walked many times before for many different reasons. But in the past they were usually mindless dead things moving on instinct or because of some curse. These were different. At first they did nothing. Didn't bother or harm a soul. But as time went by the moldy rotten flesh of their corpses began to heal and grow stronger. This had never happened before. The dead were dead and they may be able to be re animated, but healing far beyond the dead. It would take very strong and determined magic for something like that.
The first up was the dead in Fay Shrea. Dead Goblins, Hobgoblins, Gnomes, and Trolls dug their way out of their resting places to sit and wait. When the time was right and their rotting flesh was more stable, they stood and marched out on the different cities if the Fay. Merribell and Oakdown fell quickly while Aillianna and Rose Hollow put up much more of a fight and were able to evacuate more of the people. The Leprechaun city of Brookbarrow surrounded its entire city with a ring of magical gold that none of the dead could cross. The only problem there was that since the dead couldn't get in, the Leprechauns of the city also couldn't get out. All tunnels had been blocked and not even the rainbows magic could get them free.
Aspara Bough with its unlimited army of insect warriors still stood strong. Unfortunately since the magic that give the insects their large warrior forms centered around Aspara Bough, they couldn't march out to help the other fairy cities in Fay Shrea. The furthest they could travel was Eventide and Lake Tarsis.
Since the times of old, the Elven kingdoms had a different way of honoring their dead. With fire they always returned themselves back to nature. That way grave robbers and necromancers could never disturb or hold power over their dead. It didn't matter what station you held in life. King, queen or street sweeper, the family clan was obliged to honor their death with fire. This had saved them in the past from both Polan Dressek and the threats of the mad death goddess Muerte.
In Eventiude, Adanar, Emrel, Jayce and Graym had spent days rounding up the dead and giving them over to the traditional Eventide funeral pyres. There were at least a fifty that had died in Talsara and Druda's fight. Each body burned and the ashes prayed over and scattered in the grove of enchanted trees. Emrel, Ariel Allisa and Adanar stopped for a time to mourn their mother Dasyra and Evindal their dead king. A marker for each of them had been placed in the garden the Eventides used to commemorate their deceased ancestor. Dasyra and Evindal's marble post stood there along side King Tanyl, Zaoir and Shael and many other of their ancestors.
"You realize that makes you our king now Adanar." Emrel said from beside him. "You have my full support."
"I know sister." He reached over and took her hand. "There's a lot we have to do. I fear Talsara is not done with us and Queen Nuala messaged about a new threat."
"What now?" Ariel asked. She had had enough of this. All she wanted was to get back home to New Keanna with Toric and rest. Though Eventide was safe for now with two Dragons there to protect it, she still had three more brothers out there to worry about. Ryel and the newly discovered Aron. It was still hard for her to believe that mother had hidden any knowledge of Aron away for so long. But with the prophesy hanging over his head, Ariel understood her parents decision. Better a son in hiding then dead. And she knew Talsara would never stop until she got her hands on him. She only hoped his secret was still safe from the Dark queen.
And what about Cutter, Shayn and Ono? Where could the Academy have taken them? There were more then one hundred cadets missing. Not to mention the teachers, instructors, and staff of the magic school. Jandar and Rage had searched the entire continent of Taggitia and found nothing. But through Jax, they had learned of Alea's prophesy about Shayn and Ono's destiny. Another damned prophesy, she hoped she would never hear another one as long as she lived. But she knew that was just wishful thinking. Sooner or later from who knows where, another one would spring up. All she could do was pray to Rimnar for everyone's safe return.
"Zombies!!" Morganz shouted as he fired bolt after bolt into the horde of the dead hammering at the gate. "What next?"
"I don't know." Pelic said. "But arrows won't work. Nor will swords or any of your warriors."
"Then what do we do?" Marcus asked.
"This is the city of magic." Pelic's voice was deep and strong. "Go round up anyone left in the city with fighting talents. Fire spells, lightning, ice, anything that can be used to blast down at those things down there. Morganz, find oil. We need as much as there is in storage. We're going to have to drop oil pots into the crowd. Set it up all along the wall."
"Look at them." Morganz pointed down at the dead banging at the gate. They had cut down trees and were making battering rams. "How long do you think the gates will hold?"
"Winterhaven's gates can stand up to the battering rams. That's not the problem."
"Then what is?" Marcus asked.
"Those are not your normal zombies." Pelic said. "Look at them. No rotting flesh. They're gray and dead but strong. Someone is directing them. We have to figure out who it is and somehow stop them before they overtake the city."
"Who could it be?" Morganz asked. "Tayor Larin?"
"No." Came a voice out of a cloud of smoke.
As Pelic, Morganz and Marcus turned, Insa boldly stepped out of the cloud along with the tall red haired handsome Jax.
"I know Tayor Larin very well." Insa told them. "We have been fighting for control of this city for years. He is very powerful but raising the dead is far beyond his power. Especially like this. The dead are walking all over Keanna. Someone much more powerful is behind this."
"You mean someone like me?" Jax looked at him a little irritated. "Of my people, there are only a hand full that could do something like this and I am not one of them. And my father has forbidden us from taking a hand in this war."
"And I'm sure everyone will do as he ordered, right?"
Insa and Pelic looked at Jax waiting for his answer. Morganz and Marcus hurried off to follow Pelic's orders and get help at the gate. Jax thought for a minute before saying anything. He knew they were right. There are those who would disobey Rimnar without a second thought. He had disobeyed himself. But who would go so far?
"Aramis and Angela could raise the dead." He said. "So could Nestor and my mother and father. But none of them would do this. None of them would disobey fathers command."
"Is there anyone else?"
"Well." Jax thought for a minute."Muerte, but she's dead, and.."
Suddenly a thought hit Jax. He remembered something. They could see it in his eyes.
"What?"
"What is it?" Insa asked. He looked into Jax's eyes and saw the fire and anger of the god of justice. Just then, thunder cracked and rolled through the clouds over head.
"There is one more powerful enough that would think nothing of defying my father."
"Who is it?" Insa asked.
"The one god that always walks in the shadow of darkness and hate." Jax stepped back from Pelic and Insa. He wrapped his cloak around himself and rose up off the wall. "Extremus, the god of hate and madness!"
In a perpetual land of darkness, four winged nightmares winged their way across the sky as they waited for the call into the nightmares of the living. On the ground, slimy creatures slithered and crawled out of dark holes to attack each other. This was the land of Nightmares where everything out of ones horrors could be found. Tall trees that could pulled themselves from the ground and chase and scare. Vicious beast of all different sizes and shapes lurked attacking and fighting in a eternal war. These were the things that lived in Nightmare ruled and controlled by one mad being. Extremus the god of nightmares and madness.
In his obsidian castle, Extremus sat and watched as the war on Keanna went on. From the beginning it had been his hands pulling the strings of Tayor Larin and Talsara Darkshade. Not to say either one's ambition would have led in and any other direction, but it was Extremus had the power to block mind speak. And Extremus whose nightmares had the Dragons and kept them in their dreams. And lastly, it was him who provided both Tayor and Talsara with enough power to continue the war. But now he was getting bored. With a few whispers in Sarella's ear he put her on her road to revive her dead kingdom. They would be the perfect vassals of nightmare to populate the world he planned to make over into his own private land of madness and horror. A new world were things like love and justice would have no place. There would be no right or wrong, only madness and hate. Rimnar and the other would all have to bow down to him.
As Extremus stood up and stepped down from his black ash throne, pain ripple through his crooked back. Unlike the gods of Fortis, Extremus was not a tall glowing handsome god. He didn't rule over anything beautiful and he didn't want to. He was short and bald with a hump on his back that sent stabbing pain all through his body. He could hide his hideous image with illusion but it wouldn't change who and what he was. He was the god everyone feared even more then death. He was pain and horror, he was fear and loneliness and in his mad mind, he loved and hated every second of it. But here and now it was his time. He was in control and he wouldn't stop until he had Rimnar at his knees kissing his deformed feet and soon he would return to Fortis for just that. To kill and drive the High gods into madness.
As Tayor Larin appeared in his study in his manor in Winterhaven, he thought back on recent developments. His had lost control of all the lands he had taken and his army was now under the command of someone else. Sarella. Why had he put so much trust in her? That was not like him. It was as if someone else had been guiding his hand somehow. Tayor walked over to his desk and sat down. All had been going so well. He had taking the Vampire lands, Winterhaven and almost everything north of Fay Shrea except Tir Na and New Keanna. He still had hopes of breaking the spells in Vasagi. He just hadn't had a chance to study the spells and get a crack at them himself. And now the betrayal of Sarella. He had know she had been a strong sorceress in life. He had known all about Kyan, her dead city. But he had no idea she had a way to resurrect the city. Once the city was back to full strength, she would be unstoppable. Where could she be getting such power?
As Tayor sat deep in thought, smoke started seeping in from under the door. From every crack and open window lite gray smoke boiled into the study. It moved slowly so as not to attract Tayor's attention until the smell filled the room. Jumping from his chair, Tayor grabbed his cane and turned toward the door.
"Insa!"
Standing at the door in flowing gray robes and a cloud of smoke, the smoke dragon Insa stared back at Tayor in his human form. He took a step into the room before speaking.
"So the Lord of the manor is home." Insa's eyes smoldered with a yellow glow. "If your thinking of trying to take back the city, think again. I'm here and awake."
"Wintehaven doesn't interest me right now. I have another target in mind."
"And that would be what?" Insa asked.
"Sarella." Ashura appeared between them. She pushed the hood back off her head. "Sarella has taken his army from him and all the lands he conquered. The Banshee and the Dark queen have made an alliance. One that put Lord Larin on the outside."
"One that will be the death of both of them." Tayor yelled at them. "They think me powerless. They think I haven't got a way to get everything back, but they're wrong!"
"Beware Tayor." Insa warned. "Sarella and Talsara aren't fighting alone. There is someone even more powerful behind them giving them power."
"It's that damned death goddess Angela." He ranted. "She hates me and wants her revenge. Well fuck her! I don't need them or anyone else. I have something that will give me all the power I need! I will bring them all under my heel before am done!"
"No Tayor. Angela has nothing to do with this." Insa said. "It's..."
"LIAR!!!" Tayor slammed his cane against the floor causing a small earthquake. Insa jumping into the air and shifted to a smoke form and surrounded Ashura lifting her up off the floor shielding her. "You can tell her for me that I am coming and all they're time will be over. Mark my words. Keanna will by mine or I will destroy it!!"
With that, Tayor disappeared in a flash of darkness.
After rising high over the remains of Larin manor, Ashura gazed down at the destruction Tayor had caused. His manor and all the grounds around it had been destroyed like a great hand had hammered down and crushed it. The rest of the city had been shaken up but the wall still stood. The dead outside had been scattered be they had not found a way in.
"This is not good." Ashura said. "Tayor's mad! He's crazy!"
[I know.] Insa sent. [We have to find out what power he was talking about.]
"He's not going to trust me, so if you don't mind, I have something else important to take care of."
[More important the the fate of Keanna?]
"Trust me Insa. It's a big part of the fate of Keanna."
[Just get them home safe please.]
Ashura didn't know what to say. She wasn't sure what Insa meant. Did he know her secret, who she was? Did he who what was going on in Darkshade? Could he help her?
[Ashura.] He sent. [You have all the help you need. Trust in your friends, they will not fail you.]
With a nod, Ashura cast her spell and was gone. Insa floated off to the wall where he took off to find Jandar and Rage. He had a feeling he would be needing their help pretty soon..
From Winterhaven, Tayor cast himself out to find a place where he could think. On a mountain top to the far west of the Durmista moutains, Tayor found a cave warmed by deep volcanic chambers below and stopped to think. Sarella and Talsara had both betrayed him. Tabor was still missing and Youron was dead. All his allies were gone and he had no one left he could count on but he was far from done. There was another way, a way he didn't want to use because he didn't trust the power. But he needed that power now. It was the only way he could get back at Sarella, Talsara and those damned dragons.
As Tayor stood up he conjured a door into a pocket dimension and pulled from there a blue jug type bottle. It hovered in the air in front of him, then settled down of the cave floor. As he took a step to reach for the bottle, a hot breeze blew through the cave.
"Stop!" Avirex called. She flew out in front of him. "You have no idea what your doing."
"Get out of my way." He grabbed the jar. "I know what I'm doing."
"You have no idea what your doing!" Her hood slipped back revealing the horror that was her face. Quickly she pulled it back to cover up. "You were always so sure of yourself. You never cared about what could happen if you failed, and look where that has gotten you. Your home is gone, they hunt you all over Keanna. And where is Tabor? You made an agreement, so where is he?
"I will honor that agreement when the time is right." Tayor screamed up at her. "But until then, you are still bound to me and I will use you as I please."
"Unfortunately, I will always be bound to you." She said coldly. "What is it you want from me?"
"You have power over the dead." Tayor picked up the blue bottle she had given him. "Sarella and Angela are organizing against me. I want you to stop them."
"I would fight Sarella for you." Avirex said as she floated to the cave entrance. "But I will not go against Lady Angela. Fear is your problem and you will have to fight it alone. But listen to my last warning. Do not forget our agreement or your soul will be mine and you will wish for deaths sweet kiss."
"You will get what you want." Tayor spit at her as he held out the bottle and gazed at it with wonder. "You take care of Sarella and I will deal with the death goddess. Even she can't stand against a power such as this."
"You." Avirex said as she left. "Have no idea what you hold in your hand."
The skies were gray and dark when Jax appeared at the gates of Fortis. For the first time in his life, Jax felt cold here. No warm comfortable breeze blew through the Fortisian temples. No hints of the sweet tunes of Jatan the god of music could be heard. But comfort wasn't the reason Jax had returned to his former home. He had to find out the truth.
At the gate he was met by Ludis, the guardian of the golden city dressed in his silver battle armor. As he watched Jax approach, Ludis raised his hand in salute to the son of Fortis and the gate opened and the golden bridge slid across the great divide allowing Jax to cross and enter.
"Hail Jax god of Justice." He smiled warmly. "May Rimnar always walk at your side."
"I hope he does Ludis my old friend. "Jax reached out and they clapped each others wrist. "I could use the good fortune."
"What brings you back home?"
"There is great trouble on Keanna." Jax said. "Trouble that may come from godly intervention."
"That's not possible." Ludis frowned. "Your father forbid all of us from taking a hand in the problems on your world. I have been watching. No god of Fortis has stepped foot on Keanna except for you."
"Are you sure?" Jax asked. "Are there not a few gods that even your great sight can't see?"
"Well I can't see into the Underworld." He said. "But surely you don't think Nestor or Alea would disobey your fathers wishes?"
"Is there not another you can think of? One who's hate is that strong?"
Ludis opened his mouth to reject the idea, then stopped. There was someone who's dark name rang in the guardians mind.
"Does your father know of this?"
"I don't know." Jax shrugged. "That's why I'm here."
"If what you think is true." Ludis put a hand to Jax shoulder. "Then we may all be in trouble. Go see Rimnar. You have my support."
"My thank old friend."
From there, Jax moved on through the gleaming city in the heavens. Pass the temples of lesser gods like Onnus the god of dusk and Willa the goddess of the hunt to a higher lever where stronger gods like Gabreilla the goddess of hope and her new husband Kearn the winter god lived in their beautiful palace of ice.
From there Jax passed through a gate into the part of Fortis where the higher gods, Jax's brothers and sisters lived. He passed the homes of Alee and Alea gods of the sun and the moon. He passed the palaces of Sazar the god of war who waved at him from his practice field where him and Edarus the god of victory fought a mock battle.
In the next level Jax passed his own empty palace and that of Aramis and Angela the gods of life and death. He missed his brother Aramis and wanted to stop but the dark clouds that rumbled over the last palace at the top of the hill made him think he better hurry.
At the top of the hill in front of the most beautiful of all the palaces there, Jax met Karis Rimnar's messenger.
As Jax looked around he realized there wasn't anyone else here which was strange. Rimnar's palace was usually the most busy of all places in Fortis with many young gods vying for the high fathers attention. As he approached, the nervous Karis stepped out.
"What are you doing here?" He asked. "You should be back on Keanna with your Dragon friends."
"I need to speak to father."
"Why?" Karis asked. "He won't help you. I'm not sure if he can right now."
"What do you mean?" Jax asked. "Of course he can help. He could put an end to this whole thing if he wanted too"
"No." Karis shook his head. "You don't understand."
"I don't understand what?" Jax said impatiently. "What goes on here? Where is everyone?"
"Calm down Jax! Everything will be fine. Rimnar is just under the weather right now."
"WHAT?"
"He's sick!" Karis shouted losing control., "Your father is sick!"
With a quick shove, Jax pushed Karis out of his way and ran into the palace. With a wave of his hand, doors opened and he rushed through the palace. At the hall where Rimnar and Saila usually held court, two guards stood barring Jax from entering . With a wave of his hand the doors opened and he sent the guards sailing backwards out of his way.
As he entered the dark quiet room Jax saw his father laid out on a huge lavish bed with his mother Saila beside him holding his hand weeping.
"Oh no Father!"
Saila turned and saw him standing there. She held out her hand for him to come join her. As Jax approached he looked down on his unconscious father .He was pale, the golden godly aura that usually surrounded him was not there. He looked old and weak.
"Mother." Jax hugged her. "What happened? What's wrong with him?"
"We don't know." She said crying. "He was fine, staring off into the other worlds when suddenly he stood up, grabbed his chest and fell to the floor. He had this horrible look on his face. I sent for Aramis at once but he seems to be in the same condition as your father. I don't know what to do."
As Jax held his mother and she cried, his anger went through the roof. He knew what was going on. This was an attack on the High Father himself. It could only be...
"Extremus."
"What?" Saila pulled back. "What did you say?"
"This is an attack by Extremus." Jax told her. "I was coming to see if father knew what that black hearted bastard was up to on Keanna. He's behind all of this."
"Then you're the only one who can stop him." Saila stepped back and stood beside Rimnar. "Aramis is out and none of your brothers or sisters are stronger enough to battle Extremus. It's up to you to save Fotrtis."
"How mother?" He asked. "Extremus is one of the most power gods. Almost equal to father, how am I to defeat him?"
Saila reached out and took her sons hands and held it with Rimnar's. "You fight for us and you fight for all of Keanna. All your friends and the people you have met, loved and protected. They all count on you now."
"And you think I can do this?"
Saila smiled. "We have no doubt.You my son are the god of justice and justice is a powerful. Much more powerful than hate will ever be. I will restore to you your full godly power, Use them wisely."
As a golden glow encased Jax, he felt his power as it ran through his body. He felt warm and confident.
"Mother." He said. "If father and Aramis are like this, then Nestor and Angela must be in the same condition."
"Yes my son. You will have to win this fight on your own. You can do this Jax. All of Keanna is counting on you."
"I will do my best." Jax kissed her hand then faded away. [Farewell Mother.]
"Good luck my son."
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