The War of the Gilded Beasts Read online

  “All of Aemarr knew. Our mermaid neighbors told us tales of giants of the deep. If everything they said is true then there are larger and more dangerous monsters than these creatures. We should stay alert for the remainder of the voyage. For now, we have nothing to fear from these big oafs,” Thanon advised.

  Suddenly, as if on cue, the Leedsicthys began to panic and swam more erratically. Within moments, the reason for the giants’ fear became clear. One Leedsichtys was violently pushed out of the water by a massive Megalodon shark that bit down on the big fish’s belly. In the distance, another Megalodon assaulted one of the ships, biting into the hull and dragging it into the depths.

  Then things went from bad to worse as more immense predators started to participate in the feeding frenzy. Reptilian Tylosaurs ripped ships and Leedsicthys alike as a crocodile would an antelope. The Tylosaurs looked like a marine mixture between lizards and snakes with jaws as large and powerful as a dragon’s. Colossal krakens wrapped their tentacles around everything that moved before shredding their prey with their sharp beaks. The krakens possessed features from both squids and octopuses and were easily the most aggressive of the marine super-predators. Their tentacles writhed so swiftly that it seemed they had more limbs than they really had.

  The Megalodons, Tylosaurs, and krakens were all as massive as their Leedsicthys prey. Within an hour, the ocean became red with blood and was littered with shredded flesh and splintered wood. A deep sense of despair hung over the Magnus fleet as they were surrounded and attacked with impunity.

  “It seems we can’t turn back now! At this rate, those monsters will destroy the entire fleet! We have to move quickly!” Caelum said.

  “Can’t you use Rhea to burn the super-predators away?” Thanon demanded.

  “I can’t! Our fleet and those creatures are so intermingled that I might destroy more of our fleet than those damn things have!”

  “Then what do we do?”

  Before Caelum could answer, a demonic shriek tore through the air, forcing every Magnus soldier to look up at the sky. Approaching them was a winged figure the size of a dragon, but it looked nothing like a dragon. As the mysterious beast drew closer, Caelum and Thanon recognized it as a chimera. On top of the chimera’s back was a rider clad in purple and gold armor.

  “That must be one of the Sylva High Princes on a chimera! He must be here to wipe out our fleet!” Caelum exclaimed.

  “He must be either very brave or very foolish to come after us alone,” Thanon mused.

  “That’s beside the point! With all of these giant predators attacking our fleet, he won’t need an army of his own!”

  “What do we do then? He’s about to swamp us!”

  Caelum looked up at the sky to Rhea and telepathically reached out to her. Once she received Caelum’s mental command, the white dragon descended to the side of the Phoenix. Hastily, Caelum hopped onto Rhea’s back, and they took to the skies right before a Megalodon tried to attack them from below the water.

  As Rhea carried him higher and higher, Caelum looked down and saw the extent of the sea monsters’ attack on the Magnus Fleet. The massive school of Leedsichtys was so intermingled with the armada that the giant predators could not tell them apart. The carnage could be seen for miles and miles, with sails and masts toppling every hundred yards.

  “What’s the plan, Master Caelum?” Rhea asked.

  “We bring down the chimera as quickly as possible and save as much of the fleet as we can! Now fly hard and fast!” Caelum ordered.

  The chimera released a demonic screech before firing a beam of lighting at Caelum and Rhea, who barely managed to dodge in time. As Rhea flew under the chimera, Caelum called on his Druid magic and launched a bolt of light across the chimera’s underbelly, searing its flesh. Yelping in agony, the chimera briefly spun out of control before regaining its composure. A moment later, the chimera’s rider unleashed a blast of wind from his hand that disrupted Rhea’s flight pattern. Once Rhea stabilized herself, she and the chimera circled the sky as they sized one another up.

  “Stop playing around, Rhea! We have to end this now, while we still can!” Caelum demanded.

  “Easier said than done, Master. These two are strong in both skill and magic. If we attack them recklessly, we might get ourselves killed in the process. We have to find a weakness and then strike,” Rhea countered.

  “The longer we fight these two, the more of our men we lose! Attack! Now!” Caelum commanded.

  Reluctantly, Rhea obeyed and swiftly flew towards the chimera and its rider. It immediately became clear that the High Prince had the same idea and steered his mount towards Caelum and Rhea in a brash disregard for their own safety. Caelum called upon his Druid magic and Rhea prepared to breathe fire while the High Prince summoned his own sorcery and his chimera charged up a lightning bolt in its mouth. Then all four combatants collided with one another in a blinding explosion of mystical light that lit up the night sky with the intensity of the sun. As the overwhelming power washed over him, Caelum felt like all of his senses were being overloaded and his mind torn asunder.

  In his dazed state, Caelum lost track of what was taking place around him. As he regained his awareness, Caelum’s surroundings appeared to slow down like a glacier sliding down a mountain. He could see himself falling off of Rhea’s back while Rhea herself had her chest blasted open. The High Prince also fell from his mount with his cloak on fire while his chimera had most of the flesh on its abdomen and face burned off. Even though Caelum was pleased that the High Prince and his chimera were defeated, the worst possible sensation enveloped his psyche when he saw Rhea’s falling carcass.

  The empowering link Caelum shared with Rhea was severed. When the link was in place, Caelum possessed a sense of invincibility, like his mind was expanded beyond human understanding. His emotions were so amplified that he could experience all of the world’s passions to the fullest. In addition, the memories and feelings that Caelum could sense from Rhea were also extinguished. Now, Caelum felt as weak and insignificant as any other mortal. It was the most intolerable and nihilistic experience Caelum ever had and it left an all-consuming void in the core of his soul.

  Time seemed to return to its original speed when Caelum hit the water. A deep vastness surrounded Caelum as he floated beneath the surface. Several yards away, he saw Rhea, the High Prince, and the chimera’s corpses splash into the ocean before the colossal predators converged on them. A kraken snatched the High Prince’s body with its two feeding tentacles before bringing him to its beak. Two Tylosaurs ripped the chimera’s carcass in half, one half for each Tylosaur. Caelum’s heart split in two as he watched Rhea’s body torn to shreds by a passing Megalodon.

  With the sea teeming with massive predators, Caelum was so certain he was next. All-consuming fear froze his chest as much as the cold water. It was so murky that Caelum did not know where a sea monster would strike. It was an unpredictability that was as unsettling as the carnage taking place in the distance. Looking up, Caelum spotted a large chunk of hull floating on the surface. Desperate to escape the swarm of teeth and tentacles that surrounded him, Caelum swam to the wreckage as fast as he could. His lungs felt so strained that they could burst at any moment.

  When Caelum breached the surface, pure relief filled his lungs as well as fresh air. Swimming with what was left of his strength, Caelum reached the piece of hull and stiffly climbed on. Finally feeling safe, Caelum clung to the highest section of the wreckage and wept as he fully assessed his situation. Within an hour, Caelum fell asleep.

  CHAPTER 19

  The great hall of Magnus Keep was alive with activity as Ymir watched from the lord’s table. Representatives of barony in Umbran had gathered for a grand feast. Sitting with Ymir were her sisters-in-law, who were a few months pregnant, and Regan Baal. Everyone was smiling and laughing as bards and minstrels played powerful songs that echoed throughout the chamber.

  With everyone settled, Ymir stood up and banged her chalice against the t
able. Once all eyes were on her, Ymir announced, “My lords and ladies, thank you for coming. I have gathered you here because we have a special occasion to celebrate. Today is my sixteenth birthday! In addition, my sisters-in-law are all pregnant with my nieces and nephews! I’m going to be an aunt!”

  Everyone in the hall cheered at the news. Lyra and Mya seemed embarrassed by the attention, but Yarma and Freya welcomed it. Regan smiled slightly and never took his eyes off of Ymir.

  “Also, I received word that my brothers have wiped out half the Imperial Army and conquered Waes! It is the beginning of a glorious victory for the northern kingdoms! Rejoice!” Ymir added gleefully.

  After those words, the entire hall was in a joyous uproar. Freya and Yarma were very enthusiastic, Mya remained politely stoic, and Lyra bowed her head. As Ymir sat back down, she noticed that Regan’s chalice had neither wine nor mead, but water. In addition, Regan and some of the barons were exchanging nods as though signaling each other.

  “Why do you not drink with us, Regan?” Ymir asked, sipping from her cup.

  Shrugging, Regan replied, “I only drink when I don’t want to celebrate. This is an occasion I want to celebrate, which requires my wits to be sharp.”

  Raising an eyebrow, Ymir said, “That doesn’t make sense to me. Oh, well. Do whatever you want.”

  Clearing his throat, Regan said, “I will. In fact, with your permission, I have an announcement of my own.”

  Waving her hand dismissively, Ymir said, “Sure. Get on with it.”

  Regan rose from his seat and declared, “My lords and ladies, I wish to make a toast to the late King Numen Magnus. Eighteen years ago, he defeated my father King Robar and brought peace and stability to Umbran. I served as King Numen’s enforcer and spread his will for all to hear.

  “I wanted to say . . . all of that is treasonous rubbish! All I ever was to Numen the Usurper was his hostage and pet dog! He killed my father and stole my birthright! Now, I want it back! All of it!”

  Shocked by Regan’s words, many of the barons stood up in protest, shouting, “Traitor!”

  At a loss, Ymir asked, “Regan, how can you say that after everything we did for you? You’re spouting treason!”

  Regan glared at Ymir and gave her a sadistic sneer, saying, “You want to talk about treason? How about the fact that your father bedded a Welt whore and gave us a half-breed dynasty that we all have to kneel to? Or the fact that he overthrew the true dynasty of Umbran and made me, the true heir to the throne, his pawn? As far as I am concerned, everyone in this room is guilty of treason against House Baal! And I am tired of it!”

  Suddenly, just as the castle guards attempted to arrest Regan, dozens of armed soldiers stormed into the great hall and slaughtered every Magnus guard in the chamber. The skirmish was brief and brutal as some guards died after landing in platters of food on the tables. All of the barons shrieked in alarm as they struggled to process what was happening. Eventually, most of the barons, Ymir, and the other princesses were held at swordpoint.

  Five of the barons emerged from their seats and knelt before Regan, shouting, “Long live the king!”

  Snarling, Ymir demanded, “How could you, Regan? I thought you were loyal to my family! When did you turn into a traitor? We trusted you!”

  Smiling cruelly, Regan bitterly countered, “Aye. You did, which made you all quite easy to manipulate. I decided to reclaim my birthright when I was thirteen, after the last uprising. With so many people dying for me, I just could not let their deaths be in vain anymore. While ‘quelling’ dissent, I collaborated with the remaining Baal loyalists, and we spent six years planning for this coup. We even invented a countermeasure against your dragons, but now that most of the dragons are gone, seizing the throne will be a relatively easy task. We may have supplied token forces to the Magnus army to avoid suspicion, but we kept the bulk of our forces in Umbran for this occasion. You, your sisters-in-law, and the rest of the barons will be taken as hostages to ensure Umbran’s loyalty and keep your brothers at bay. The barons will be kept in the dungeon while you and your sisters-in-law will be confined to the highest tower.”

  “I loved you! I wanted to marry you! You won’t get away with this, traitor!” Ymir spat, a sickening feeling building in her stomach.

  “Oh, you will marry me. After I have consolidated my hold on Umbran, I will marry you to further legitimize my claim to the throne. You say I can’t get away with this? I already have!” Regan boasted, laughing maniacally.

  After those words, Ymir and her sisters-in-law were taken away by Regan’s men.

  ______

  After being thrown into the highest tower of Magnus Keep, they sat in frightened silence as they processed the magnitude of their situation.

  Furiously, Lyra turned to Ymir and demanded, “How could you not have seen this coming?”

  Baffled, Ymir replied, “I couldn’t. Regan has never displayed any ambition to seize the Umbran throne before and has always been loyal to my father. There was no way I could have foreseen this! I swear I am going to mount that traitor’s head on a spike!”

  “Good luck with that, former Princess of Umbran. Your so-called faithful servant has staged a coup. We are essentially hostages to keep your brothers and the rest of the northern kingdoms from retaliating. I cannot see a way out of this!” Mya said bitterly.

  “Can’t you summon your dragon to break us out?” Yarma asked Ymir.

  Swallowing hard, Ymir answered, “I am hesitant to. Regan said he and his conspirators built a countermeasure against dragons. If I summon Faxia, I might put her in danger.”

  “Your birthright is in danger, Ymir! If you don’t do something soon, you and your brothers are going to lose everything!” Lyra pointed out, fuming.

  “Besides, dragons are the mightiest beasts to ever exist. What countermeasure could possibly harm them? Do you honestly believe the word of a traitor?” Mya asked.

  After thinking for a moment, Ymir declared, “I will summon Faxia. Once she breaks us out of here, we will formulate a strategy to get back at Regan and everyone who stands with him.”

  Ymir entered a meditative state as her sisters-in-law anxiously watched her. Calling upon her Druid magic and the link that bound her soul to Faxia’s, Ymir reached out to the furthest corners of Umbran. For a while, there was no sign of the dragon, until Ymir found a familiar sensation radiating in the far north.

  ______

  Regan stood in frustrated silence as he watched his men try to break into the Magnus Trophy Room. The men-at-arms pushed against the oaken doors as hard as they could, but the threshold refused to open. What was even more fascinating was the fact that the doors did not even budge at all.

  “What’s taking so long, you scum? It’s only a bloody door!” Regan snarled.

  One soldier approached Regan and reported, “Your Majesty, it’s no use. The door can’t be opened by the likes of us.”

  “Then take some hammers and axes and smash that door down! My father’s crown is in there!” Regan ordered.

  The men-at-arms hastily picked up a collection of hammers and axes and struck the door with all of their might. However, with each strike, the weapons shattered like glass and the door itself remained undamaged. Some of the shrapnel lacerated men’s faces as they flew through the air, leaving them crying and bleeding on the floor.

  Regan released a scream of rage before concluding, “I see now! Numen’s Welt whore was a Druid! She must have placed a powerful magic on this door to protect the Magnus family’s trophies! There must be some special way to open it!”

  “What if only someone with Magnus blood can open it, Sire?” one soldier suggested.

  Sneering insidiously, Regan ordered, “Bring me Ymir! She will open it for me!”

  ______

  Ymir and her sisters-in-law looked out the window of their tower, searching for a sign that Faxia was coming. For several moments, there was nothing in the sky but the moon and the stars.

  “Are you sure she
heard you?” Lyra sighed impatiently.

  “I am certain I made a connection with her. She should be arriving at any moment. We just have to wait a little longer,” Ymir urged.

  “What should we do when we get out of here?” Yarma asked.

  “I say we seek out Ymir’s Welt cousins. From what I hear, they are just as fierce in combat as anyone in Storuuk,” Freya suggested.

  Scoffing, Mya asked, “You want to put the future of the northern kingdoms in the hands of a bunch of savages in a forest? You must be mad!”

  Suddenly, before Ymir could protest, a loud noise came from the roof of their tower. Then the ceiling collapsed just outside of the door, revealing a green, scaly tail that slithered to the floor. Ymir was not shocked, but her sisters-in-law screamed in surprise as Faxia breached the tower.

  “Climb up my tail, now!” Faxia ordered from the roof, waving her tail.

  Hastily, Ymir gave each of her pregnant sisters-in-law a boost as they climbed up the dragon’s tail. Once all of her sisters-in-law were secure, Ymir herself ascended up Faxia’s tail. Below her, Ymir saw someone was banging against the chamber door, but the debris Faxia created was blocking the threshold. Eventually, Ymir and her sisters-in-law clung to Faxia’s back as the dragon took flight.

  “So where do you want me to take you?” Faxia asked as she flapped her mighty wings.

  All of a sudden, before Ymir could give Faxia instructions, the dragon released a shriek of pain and shook violently as though something struck her. Ymir looked over Faxia’s side and saw a large spear-like projectile lodged under the dragon’s armpit. Angrily searching for the source of the bolt, Ymir spotted a large ballista stationed on the battlements of Magnus Keep.

  Was that the countermeasure Regan talked about? He really wasn’t bluffing! Ymir thought frantically.

  Within moments, Faxia started to descend rapidly, even though Magnus Keep was quickly vanishing behind them.