Eternal Forest: Savage Rising (31 page)

Zehlyr and Viyana moved in unison out from each other. With their swords outstretched, they each swung at the demon’s legs in a single, coordinated strike. The legs broke free like chopping down a burning tree, causing the creature to fall forward. Once grounded, the other soldiers went to work hacking its body to bits. There was a cry of triumphant joy amongst the army, but a deafening roar from high above quickly drowned it out.

Down on the ground, the soldiers stopped and looked up through the foliage. High above them, a creature soared through the clear sky. Its shape was hard to tell through the canopy, but it was massive enough to block the sun over the battlefield completely. Its mighty wings flapped downward, sending it higher into the sky while pummeling the battlefield with a gale-force wind.

With the creature rising, Zehlyr, Azalea, and Viyana moved to an area where the canopy was thinner. With a window to the sky, they got a fleeting but terrifying look at the creature above.

This new demon was shaped like a dragon, but nearly the size of a mountain. It had a long neck and broad head. Four clawed feet were tucked in tightly under its body and its long tail whipped back and forth behind it. Its wingspan was as wide as its body was long.

“Lady’s grace! What is that?!” Viyana shouted.

Gawking at this new demon through the trees, Azalea was able to spy a small creature clinging to the back of its neck just below the head. It was difficult to see, but she was just able to make
out the familiar face of Lord Killika riding high in the sky atop his monstrous creation. “It’s him,” she said.

“It’s who?” Zehlyr asked. Another demon came charging towards him around a wide oak tree. He stepped out of the way, its claws passing inches from his face. A low sweep of his sword cut off the creature’s foot. It crashed to the forest floor and slid through the dirt towards Viyana, where she was ready with her blade to impale it through the neck.

“Killika!” Azalea responded while pointing up towards the beast.

“Killika is
riding
that thing?!” Viyana shouted in disbelief.

“How will we ever stop him now?!” Zehlyr shouted. Things now looked truly hopeless. Their target was now well out of reach and riding a beast that could win this war all on its own. There was no chance of victory now. They were finished.

The creature swooped down as a deafening roar shook the trees. From out of the sky came a cyclone of flames. The fire crashed down into the muddy ground, igniting all the trees around it in an instant.

“Leave him to me,” Azalea said, her steely gaze still fixed on the sky.

“What?!” Zehlyr called out in disbelief. “What are you going to do?!”

She quickly spun around to face him. Without allowing him a moment to respond, she
grabbed his collar and pulled him in close. Their lips locked for a fleeting moment before she pushed him away again. “I love you,” she said boldly. “Always remember that.”

“What are you doing?” he questioned.

Ignoring his plea, Azalea turned towards the nearest tree and dashed up the side of it with unnatural speed and grace. Like a tiny squirrel, she hopped from branch to branch until she was standing atop the tallest portion. From here, she could look out over the entire canopy. The massive demon circled overhead, casting an enormous shadow upon the ground. Its head lowered down, allowing another cone of fire to extend down from its throat and into the trees. The foliage ignited instantly, sending another roaring fire racing through the forest.

Still determined, Azalea rose to her feet. She tossed off her polished armor and extended her arms out to her sides. At the top of her back, two, small bulges began to push against the fabric of her shirt at her shoulder blades. Once the cloth could no longer contain them, it ripped free, revealing two, slender tree branches growing rapidly. The branches curved as they continued to elongate, branching out into smaller limbs that traveled down towards the ground. These branches grew full, thick leaves in a peculiar pattern. The leaves grew overlapping each other like the feathers on a bird.
Little by little, a pair of massive wings began to form. Once completed, they were each twice as long as she was tall. She flapped them twice, kicking up a strong wind and lifting her feet off the branches below.

As the wings took shape, a pair of long, thick branches grew out from her wrists just below her palms. As they grew, they widened and flattened, becoming razor thin at their forward edges. Along the back of each branch, a beautiful braid of ivy vines crept along the spine.

When they had grown to their limit, Azalea snapped her hands down onto them, breaking them free from the rest of her body. The swords she carried looked too large for her to handle, but wielding them felt as effortless as waving her arms. Battle-clad and ready, she flapped her new wings and took off into the air. She would not let Killika have the victory this day. She would save her friends, and she would save the forest, no matter what the cost.

Chapter 31

             
The fire spread rapidly as Azalea soared into the bright sky on her leafy wings. The storm days ago had been strong but brief, and conditions were still quite dry in the forest. Her eyes remained on the monstrous dragon demon as she climbed, but her ears were bombarded with the sounds of crackling flames, splitting timbers, and painful screams. Billowing plumes of black smoke raced past her on their way into the sky, filling her nostrils and making every breath feel like choking.

             
Perched atop his massive demon, Killika sat proudly. He carried no weapon, for none were needed with an entire army catering to his every thought. They were an extension of his will, existing only to carry out his sinister task. He was in the sky, riding a moving mountain. He was invincible, and eliminating this last stand of the Tribes of Order would be a small task indeed.

             
As his dragon descended towards the forest floor once again, the sight of a large bird caught his attention. Upon further inspection, he was able to make out the familiar face of his former slave. Her wings were enormous, but they weren’t the only change he saw. He laughed as the dragon demon rained fire upon the trees once again.

             
“Dryad, you’ve returned to me!” he bellowed. “Care to finish what we started?”

             
“You’re destroying the forest!” Azalea shouted through the air. “What will be left of your new world after you burn it all to ash?”

             
“You are the reason it has come to this!” Killika cried out. His scaly finger pointed to her accusingly. “My victory would have come either way. Now, every tree that falls, every river that dries up, is on your head!”

             
“Not if I kill you!” she retorted, her magical swords held out proudly in front of her.

             
Killika laughed as his demon reared its gigantic head back. Azalea tucked in her wings and dove out of the way as the demon’s jaws came rapidly closer. Its teeth smashed together just a few feet from her body, smoke escaping between them like steam from a hot spring. Though the creature was large, it was slow, and this was where she had the advantage. Unable to change its momentum quickly, the head of the demon continued downward. With swords outstretched, she followed it. Her blades slashed deep into its neck, sending off chunks of ash and glowing coals.

             
The beast seemed not to notice it had been injured. As Azalea finished her attack, it began to climb back towards the sky again. There was no cry of pain, no roar of anger. Her attack amounted to no more than a tick bite upon a bear. The creature rolled to the side as it climbed. With its belly turned towards Azalea, its forward legs kicked out.

             
With barely enough time to react, Azalea wrapped her wings around her and tucked in her legs. Her body passed between the creature’s clawed toes, each as tall as a maple tree. Her feet landed on its leg and kicked off, sending her back into the sky. Using the momentum, she streaked upwards through the sky and stabbed her blades into its hide below the right wing as deep as they would go. Once again, a spray of cinders filled the air, but the demon showed no sign of slowing down.

             
“It’s futile!” Killika shouted triumphantly. “You are no more than an insect to me now, dryad!”

             
Azalea groaned as she realized he was right. Her attacks against the dragon demon were doing nothing, and only her power could even reach it to do damage at all. It descended again, bathing the forest below in fire once more before sailing off towards the lake. She took up her swords again and gave chase through the sky. Not all hope was lost. She could not hurt the creature, but she could still hurt the rider who controlled it. All she had to do was get close enough to slay Killika, and the demon could possibly cease its attack altogether.

             
With blades outstretched, Azalea zipped off across the creature’s back. She flew as close to the surface of its skin as possible, eliminating its massive reach from the equation. The heat radiating off its hide baked her skin. Ash and smoke were all she could smell. Her target was in sight, sitting proudly just behind the head. She was close to delivering the deathblow when the dragon suddenly rolled to the right. She climbed in reaction, but the left wing was already right on top of her. It struck her in the side, making her body roll off its surface as it pushed her downward.

             
She finally broke free, but was worse for the wear. Contact with the demon’s hide left her skin blackened in spots. Several of the leaves and flowers growing from her body had been burned away, leaving only tiny stumps protruding from her skin. As she paused to collect herself, the demon sailed off towards the lake.

             
“Don’t think it will be that easy, dryad!” Killika called out.

~~\*/~~
 

             
“Retreat!” Viyana called out over the chaos. Caked in blood and soot, the Lady of Meadowgold waved her sword high in the air. What little clean surface of the blade remained brightly reflected the swirling flames dancing all around them. “Fall back to the Temple! Retreat!”

             
What was left of the Lady’s army turned and fled through the burning forest as the demons and balisekts gave chase. Branches covered in flames came crashing down from above. The spring foliage was fully engulfed, making the sky itself seem to be burning. The army of demons had proved overpowering enough for the otherwise strong army, but the addition of the dragon demon and its fire breath quickly made the entire campaign a futile endeavor.

With the world burning all around them, their only hope of protection was the lake. The demons would not follow them into the water. Killika’s army would take the Temple, but the surviving soldiers could swim across the lake to safety and disappear into the Savage Lands south of Tranquility. It felt cowardice, but with victory now completely out of their grasp, survival became the only thing for which to strive.

Flaming trees and shrubs became treacherous obstacles to face as the army ran back towards the Temple, but there was no time to find the safest path around them. Uninhibited by the fires, the demons crashed through the trees effortlessly. Many of the fleeing soldiers were caught and devoured by the terrible creatures as they worked to navigate the flaming maze.

With weapons in hand, Zehlyr and Viyana crashed through the flaming tree line and into the
small clearing near the Temple Bridge. Hundreds of soldiers were already in the water, swimming for the other side of the lake as fast as they could. They stopped there, trying as best they could to aid their defeated army to safety. Soldiers poured from the burning forest with blackened skin and bleeding wounds. Some held pressure to large gashes where limbs had once been attached.

Zehlyr watched as a young, elven soldier came stumbling out of the forest. With skin covered in soot and blood, the boy was barely recognizable. His long, braided hair was singed, and a large gash above his forehead was pouring blood down his face. Zehlyr reached out for the youth, trying to coax him towards the water, towards safety. The boy took one more step before falling to his knees. He was too exhausted to go any farther, even with safety a mere few feet away. Zehlyr scrambled over to the boy, hoping to get him back to his feet, but a demon crashing through the trees behind the soldier got there first. Powerless to help, Zehlyr watched the creature tear the boy to shreds.

Viyana grabbed Zehlyr by the shoulder and pulled him back towards the shore. Sunrise was there also. He and the other acolytes were lined up along the shore, using their spells to dispatch enemies at long distances and give the soldiers a chance to reach the water. A cluster of balisekts turned as they broke free of the burning forest and made their way towards the bridge. Sunrise and a fellow acolyte cast their lightning bolts at the balisekts, striking them down just as their feet touched down on the stone surface.

“They intend to take the Temple!” Sunrise yelled. “We have to get the Grand Seryan out!”

“We’ll come with you,” Viyana declared. A cat-like demon came charging towards her from the woods, knocking down fleeing soldiers in its path. The Lady of Meadowgold ducked down as it leapt toward her. She thrust her blade up into its abdomen and pushed off once it was clear over her head. The creature splashed down into the lake with a loud, steamy hiss and a cloud of smoke.

As the soldiers continued their retreat, Zehlyr, Sunrise, and Viyana made their way across the shore to the Temple Bridge. More balisekts were charging towards them, hoping to reach the edge first and flank them. It was a race for the high ground as each group ran as fast as they could towards the Temple.

“They’re going to overtake us!” Viyana declared. As the balisekts pulled ahead, Heeska leapt from the cluster of fleeing soldiers and barreled head-first into them. Caught unaware and unbalanced, three of the five balisekts toppled to the rocky ground. Heeska rolled to his feet just as the other two reached for him, barely escaping their clawed hands. With their enemy surprised, Zehlyr and Viyana charged into the chaos. With a mighty swing from each sword, the standing balisekts fell in a spray of blood. The three on the ground tried desperately to get up, but the trio fell upon them. With swords and claws together, they dispatched the enemies in a unified strike.

As more soldiers gave chase, the four friends raced up the bridge to the temple doors. They were shut, but no guards stood watch. Zehlyr and Sunrise’s hands fell hard upon the golden surfaces and pushed them open with a loud groan. As the others hurried inside, they tried to shut them back behind them. The doors were heavy and more balisekts were charging up the bridge. Luckily, the doors closed with an echoing thud just before the first soldier could burst through. A beam was placed across the doors, holding them shut as they retreated into the Temple.

Silvermist was sitting at her table at the far end of the room. A single, elven guard stood to either side of her. The blank look of dread on her face showed them she needed no update on the battle. A loud thud sounded from the doors and echoed in the stone room as they continued to retreat towards the table, but she simply sat there.

“Grand Seryan!” Sunrise shouted. His face was towards the door as he approached the table. “We must get you out of here. Tranquility is overrun.”

“The soldiers are fleeing across the water,” Viyana exclaimed. She paused at the center of the room, taking a moment to grab the urn of Ashes and clutch it tightly to her chest. The Temple would be taken, but at least this sacred thing could be saved. “Is there a back exit to the Temple?”

“Two hundred years,” Silvermist said softly to herself. “Two hundred years this Temple has been the house of the Lady. If she allows it to fall, what does that say of us? What does that say of our devotion?”

“We don’t have time for this,” Heeska reminded. Another pounding at the door rang through the room, followed by a loud crack as the beam began to split. The door wouldn’t hold much longer. “We’ll have to break out the back window and—”

“There is no point!” Silvermist shouted as she slammed her hands down on the table. “This is Her will. If She wishes for Her temple to be overtaken, then clearly She has forsaken us.” Another pounding on the door finally split the beam. Balisekts and demons alike came pouring into the room. The large, flaming creatures toppled statues as they bounded past them, smashing them into pieces on the marble floor.

Zehlyr tossed his sword into the massive window against the back wall. The colorful glass shattered, letting in wide beams of bright, unfiltered sunlight. He and Viyana leapt out the window together, plummeting twenty feet down before splashing into the lake below. Heeska followed after them. Viyana kept her hands held down tightly on the top of the urn, keeping the water from mixing with the sacred Ashes.

Back in the Temple, Sunrise tugged frantically at the Grand Seryan’s sleeve. “Great one, we must escape!” he shouted. He couldn’t tell if she couldn’t hear him or if she was ignoring him. Either way, she stood still as the trees with her eyes up towards the stone arches above her head. The balisekts were ascending the rear stairs, approaching the Seryan’s table with their swords drawn. “Grand Seryan!” he shouted again.

“How could you let this happen?” she said softly towards the sky as a tear rolled down her face. The lead balisekt made its way around the table. Its blade was inches from Silvermist’s neck when a bolt of lightning sailed down from the sky and struck it in the chest. As the creature fell backward, toppling two more soldiers behind it, Firefly dropped like a stone from the ceiling and landed hard atop the long table. A trio of soldiers attempted to leap over the table, but she met them with a wave of her hands. A strong wind sailed across the table, sending the soldiers flying back down the stairs. Two of them landed on the backs of their own demons, shrieking as the flaming hides burned their scaly skin.

Firefly turned, staring into the Seryan’s eyes coldly. “You want to honor the Lady? Stop fighting to save a building of stone and iron as Her forest burns!” The faerie flung her hands forward again, sending a shower of lightning bolts across the marble floor and into the charging soldiers. It hindered them once again, but the onslaught kept coming. Frustrated, she turned to Sunrise. “Would you just throw her out the window already?!”