EPIC: Fourteen Books of Fantasy (192 page)

Finally Leresy looked at Shari, his older sister. She smirked at him, her eyes mocking, and gave him the slightest of winks. He knew what that wink meant.
I will kill you, Leresy,
she was saying, and he clenched his jaw.

Not if I kill you first,
he thought.

He wondered where his twin lurked on this day. Was Kaelyn hiding in some tunnel, filthy and stinking? Did she run through some forest, dreaming of the day she could strike the capital? Was she bedding that vagabond Valien, the disgraced knight?

One day I will kill you too, Kaelyn,
he swore.
One day I will kill you all—everyone in this damn, foul world.

Emperor Frey raised his scepter, a rod of gold topped with a red spiral. He called out to the crowd.

“Today we join two great houses!” he said. “Today House Cadigus and House Blackrose become one. Today Requiem grows strong!”

The wedding began.

TILLA

S
HE
STOOD
ON
THE
WALLS
, her insignia upon her arms and her banner in hand—a soldier defending her emperor.

The forests rolled into the east, trees still bare, but spring began this day in Requiem, and spring had come to her life. She had arrived in Castra Luna in winter’s cold, shivering and pale in a cart, no better than cattle. She had been frightened, weak, and lonely, yet now she stood in steel, armed with her sword.

I’m no longer that old Tilla, the one who was always so afraid,
she thought.
I am a periva now. I am a soldier. And I am strong.

Behind her in the courtyard the wedding began. Tilla could hear Emperor Cadigus speak of the union, joining two mighty houses. Tilla had been ordered to defend the walls and watch the eastern sky; she could not view the wedding, which pleased her. She had no wish to see Nairi’s power grow. Watching the forest, defending these walls, was the task of a true soldier.

“Bloody Abyss,” Erry muttered at her side. The girl clutched the hilt of her sword. “I was sure we were rid of that gutter stain Nairi. Is she really going to keep commanding us now in battle?”

Mae stood at Tilla’s other side, her pale cheeks pinched pink in the cold. Her lips quivered, and she nervously tugged her golden braid.

“But I don’t
want
to fight battles,” she said. “Now that we’re real soldiers, can’t we just... guard walls? Standing here isn’t so bad. I want to be a guard, not a fighter.”

Erry snorted. “Wobble Lips, you want to spend your five years of service standing on a wall? Not me. I’m going to
fight
. I’m going straight to the front line to kill those bloody resistors.” She snarled. “I’m going to burn them good.”

“Hush!” Tilla whispered; the conversation was growing too loud, and she worried the sound would carry to the courtyard. If it did, they wouldn’t have to worry about any battles; they’d be hanged after the wedding.

She returned her eyes to the east. The forests rolled into distant mist. Many called Castra Luna the most isolated fort in the empire, a single light shining in the wilderness. Tilla wondered where the next five years would take her, and whether she would see Cadport again before her service ended.

And will I see you again, Rune? And if I do see you, will you recognize the woman I’ve become?

Movement on the horizon caught her eyes.

Her thoughts died and Tilla squinted.

Thousands of shapes fluttered in the distant mist like a flock of birds.

“Nairi Blackrose!” the emperor’s voice rose below. “Step forward and hail the red spiral.”

Tilla squinted and leaned forward. Those were no birds. They were too large, too many. She could barely see them through the mist.

“Erry, you’d last maybe five minutes in battle!” Mae was saying, incurring curses from the shorter girl.

Tilla clutched her sword. Fear washed her belly. Whatever was flying ahead was moving fast. She thought she saw orange sparks rise among them. A few of the shapes glinted as if clad in armor.

“Leresy Cadigus!” The emperor’s voice rose from the courtyard. “Step forward, hail the red spiral, and turn toward Nairi.”

Tilla’s fingers trembled around her hilt.

Stars no, stars, it can’t be.

“Wobble Lips, maybe you’ll die,” Erry was saying, “but I’m a warrior. I’m going to
kill
.”

We’re all alone here,
Tilla thought.
Alone in the wilderness. The emperor. The prince and princess. And us upon the wall.

The horde flew from the east, and Tilla heard their distant cries.

“Dragons,” she whispered, voice shaking. “Thousands of them. The Resistance.”

“Exactly!” Erry said. “Tilla understands. I’m going to kill thousands of Resistance dragons, and—“ The young woman gasped. “Stars, Tilla, what the Abyss is that in the east?”

“Your chance for battle,” Tilla whispered.

The eastern dragons roared, and vaguely upon the wind, Tilla thought she could hear their words, just a hint of sound:
For Aeternum! Death to Cadigus!

“Join hands!” Frey announced below. “Nairi Blackrose and Leresy Cadigus, I now—“

Tilla spun around toward the courtyard, raised her standard high, and shouted over the emperor’s words.

“Dragons! Dragons fly from the east!” She waved her standard. “The Resistance attacks!”

LERESY

L
ERESY
STOOD
FROZEN
,
HOLDING
HIS
new wife’s hands.

“The Resistance!” Tilla was shouting from the walls, waving her arms. “We’re under attack!”

Leresy blinked. He could not move.

He looked up. His father met his eyes, then shifted into a golden dragon and flew. Shari too took flight, a blue dragon blowing fire. The axehands shifted as well, and hundreds of dragons rose. Roars and thuds of wings filled the air.

Leresy could not move. He only stood, clutching Nairi’s hands.

“Are we... married yet?” he said.

Nairi pulled her hands free.

“Damn it, Leresy!” she shouted, shifted into a dragon, and took flight.

“The Resistance attacks!” Lord Herin Blackrose was shrieking, circling above the courtyard, a wrinkled dragon with no scales. “Axehand—battle formations, surround the emperor!”

Leresy looked to his right. Nairi was flying above the walls, shouting for her phalanx.

“Black Rose—behind me! Assault formation, shift, fly!”

The hundred soldiers of her phalanx, Tilla among them, took flight as dragons. Thousands of the other legionaries were doing the same, grouping around their own commanders.

Leresy cursed, shifted too, and flew.

He had no phalanx of his own. He was not sure where to go. He soared higher than the others, so high that the thin air spun his head, and stared east. He saw the enemy there, and he snarled.

“The Resistance,” he hissed.

Thousands of them flew from the east, roaring and blasting fire. They wore no dragonhelms or armor. They were feral beasts, unwashed and wild. They flew in no formations, but as a single rabble, howling and wreathed in flame.

Fear—stabbing, pulsing, all-consuming—washed over Leresy.

“Death to Cadigus!” the resistors were howling. “Slay the emperor and his children!”

They’re coming to kill me,
Leresy thought, staring at the horde. His wings shook. His smoke blasted uncontrollably.
Oh stars, they’re coming to slay me upon the walls of my fort.

Tears stung his eyes, and fire flared inside him, and Leresy soared higher.

“Into the barracks!” he howled at his troops. “Retreat! Retreat into the halls, lock the doors, man the walls! Defend this cast—“

His father roared, soared from below, and slammed into him.

The blow knocked the breath out of Leresy. He tumbled, and his father cudgeled him with his tail. Lersey spun in the air, fell a hundred feet, and barely righted himself.

“Assault formations!” Frey Cadigus shouted to the troops around him, his voice deep and steady. “Axehand—man the walls and await my orders. Dragon Legions—prepare for aerial battle. I will lead the charge.”

The phalanxes began to take formation. These dragons had been soldiers for only several hours, but had trained well enough to form ranks quickly. Frey flew to their lead, then looked over his shoulder at Leresy. Disgust filled the emperor’s eyes.

“Go defend your castle,” he said, then turned and began flying east. “To war! To glory! Dragon Legions, fly!”

Thousands of dragons howled and flew behind the emperor. Shari flew at her father’s side, roaring flames. Nairi flew ahead of her phalanx, shouting orders. They charged over the forests toward the Resistance.

Leresy hovered in midair, panting and trembling.

Before him in the east, the two armies crashed with exploding fire and blood.

Leresy stared, jaw open.

He had never seen so much blood.

One of the resistors, a burly beast of chipped scales, flamed a young periva. The dragon screamed and returned to human form, flesh peeling. Another resistor, a black demon with flaming eyes, lashed his claws at another dragon; this dragon too returned to human form, clutched spilling entrails, and tumbled to the forest below.

Do you fly here too, Kaelyn? Twin sister, do you howl with this mob?
Leresy’s eyes stung.
I always protected you, Kaelyn! When Father beat you, I always comforted you! Now you come to kill me?

Leresy could not breathe. He could barely flap his wings. He let out a howl—he meant it to be a battle cry, but it sounded more like a wail.

“The prince!” roared a burly, silver dragon missing his left horn. “Leresy Cadigus, there! Slay the prince!”

Hundreds of resistors looked up, eyes blazing and fire burning, and began to fly his way.

Leresy screamed, spun around, and began to flee.

“Axehand!” he shouted as he flew. “Into the barracks! Into the hall! Defend the gates—defend your prince!”

The sky burned. Howls shook the walls. Leresy screamed and panted and landed in the courtyard. He shifted into human form and ran, arms pumping, into the grand hall of Castra Luna.

“Axehand! Into the hall—defend your prince!” His voice cracked. “That is an order!”

Outside the doors, fires blazed, and thousands of wings hid the sky.

Leresy panted, fell backward, and felt warm liquid trickle down his leg.

TILLA

B
LOOD
,
SMOKE
,
AND
FIRE
RAGED
around her.

Thousands of dragons, soldiers and rebels of Requiem, covered the sky. Claws slashed. Fangs bit. Jets of fire howled. Dragons burned and bled all around. In death, their magic left them; they tumbled to the forest as humans, armor shattered, flesh charred, and limbs torn.

Terror. Terror clutched Tilla like claws. Her head spun. Ice filled her belly. Her wings could barely flap.

How could this be? I’ve only just received my rank! I can’t—

“Assault formation, damn it!” Nairi howled, streaming before them, her gray scales caked with ash. The lanse roared fire, burning a resistor who swooped toward her. “Black Roses, form ranks—rally here! Charge!”

Tilla bared her fangs and growled.

No fear now. Just fire.

“Erry, to my right!” she cried. “Mae, my left! Soar!”

Roaring, Tilla beat her wings and flew after Nairi. She blew her flames. She howled her rage. Her flight crew flew at her sides, their horns at her shoulders in defensive positions. Around them, the other flights of the Black Rose flew, roaring and blowing flames. Above them, hundreds of resistors swooped, fire raining and claws stretched out.

“Hail the emperor!” Nairi shouted above... and the sky exploded.

Fire rained onto Tilla. She shut her eyes, screamed, and blew her own flames. A great weight slammed into her. She peeked to see scales and claws slashing. She howled. She thrust her horns. She bit into flesh and tasted blood.

“Soar!” Nairi shouted above. “Break through their lines—arrow formation, after me, fight!”

Tilla howled and rose through flame. Fire swirled around her. A dragon’s head burst through the inferno, fangs biting, and Tilla slashed her claws. Blood rained and she kept soaring. Her flight crew screamed at her sides, blowing fire over her shoulders, clearing a path for her. A triangle of dragons, they rose after Nairi. Behind and around them, the rest of the Black Rose flew, a spearhead driving upward.

They burst through the rebel assault. Clear skies opened ahead. Tilla looked around, panting. The battle covered the sky. Bodies lay strewn over the trees. All around, dragons were battling. The Legions flew in phalanxes, lanses leading perivas. The Resistance flew as a mob, a wild mass of howling beasts; they seemed to have no ranks or formations, only their rage. Flames and blood showered. Tilla could barely even see the fortress, though it lay only a league away; smoke and blood curtained the sky.