Omensent: Princess Of Dragons (Book 5) (50 page)

"We will be successful, my lord," Yrinn assured the dark shadow confidently. "and once our plans are complete, we will turn our full attention to the Dragon Lord and his companions."

"You had better be successful, Yrinn." Hetris warned ominously. "If my children are to flourish, Petra's children must be defeated. We cannot afford to fail now, not when we are so close to dealing the fatal blow."

"We will not fail." Yrinn said to the dark shadow confidently. "Everything is in place. Petra and Her children won't even realize what is happening until it already is too late." His expression became hesitant. "H-Has there been any word from her?"

"Yes," The dark shadow whispered as it drew back into the shadows. "She is prepared for what is to come, and is ready to play her role. She seemed quite excited, in fact."

"Does anyone suspect her allegiance?"

"Of course not. She has always been quite careful not to reveal herself to anyone, not even to your brothers. Only a handful of elves know her true allegiance."

A slow smile spread across the silver haired elf's face. "Good. Very good. With her ready to strike when the time comes, nothing will be able to stop us from taking our rightful places as rulers of the elven people!" He glanced at the dark figure, which had all but vanished in the dark shadows. "And when we are successful, I trust you will live up to your end of the bargain?"

"Of course, Yrinn." Hetris whispered softly. "You shall have all that you asked for, including the queen. I shall marry the two of you myself. But know this," The darks shadow's voice dropped to a dangerous growl. "if you fail me, you will suffer a fate worse than death. I will take you, body and soul, and cast you into the pits of eternal punishment so that you never find reprieve. The gods themselves will tremble at the very thought of your fate."

"I understand, my lord." Yrinn assured him, the color draining from his already pale face. "We will let nothing stand in our way. After tonight, Petra's faithful will be no more. We shall slaughter them all, and purge them from this island, or force them to bow down to you in supplication."

"Go then." The dark god ordered as He disappeared altogether. "It is time for you and your brothers to emerge from the shadows, and strike down our enemies once and for all. Bring Petra to Her knees. Let Her know what it is like to watch Her children as they are slaughtered. Make Her feel the agony that I have been forced to endure for far too long."

"It will be done, my lord." The silver haired elf turned and hurried from the cottage, eager to put his final plan into action.

Chapter 19

"The city is just ahead."
Snowfeather informed Damion as they hurried down the cobblestone road as fast as their tired horses would carry them.
"Something seems to be going on. The streets are absolutely teeming with elves."

"Snowfeather says that something is happening in the city." The huge warrior called to the others as he slowed Storm down to a brisk trot. "The streets are packed with elves."

"Today is the last day of the Spring Dawning." Brody reminded him. "Every elf within riding distance will be in the city to witness the grand joining ceremony. Couples from every part the island wait all year long so they may be joined before our beloved goddess's statue. The entire city gathers to celebrate the new unions. The queen herself will be present to give the couples her blessing. It's really quite something to witness." The elven ambassador's eyes suddenly widened with panic. "Oh gods! That's where Yrinn is planning to strike!"

"The joining ceremony?" Raven asked with an uncertain expression. "Are you that's his target?"

Brody nodded grimly. "I'm sure. All of Petra's most devout followers will be there, including Queen Serena and Ava Delilah. If the blood elves are planning another attack, that will be their target."

They rushed on towards the city, then slowed to a stop as they approached the gates.

"Something's not right here." Brody frowned. "The guards are not at their normal posts."

"There are a dozen elves waiting just inside the gates!"
Snowfeather squawked from overhead.
"It's looks like they're getting ready to attack!"

"Ready yourselves!" Damion warned, yanking the Dragon Sword from its sheath. An instant later, an arrow struck him in the center of his armored chest and shattered.

"Here they come!" Shirk warned, drawing both of his heavy broadswords from their sheaths.

A dozen elves appeared in the gateway with their bows drawn and leveled at the companions' chests. They released their volley with deadly accuracy, sending the arrows whistling through the air, but stared dumbfounded as the huge warrior raised his hand and made a nonchalant gesture, causing the projectiles to stop mid-flight, then clatter harmlessly to the ground.

Storm suddenly let out a fierce whinny of anger and charged towards the elves, who stared in disbelief as the massive warhorse crashed into them without slowing, riding several of them straight into the ground, and knocking the rest from their feet. The huge brute slid to a stop, then whirled around and lashed out with a powerful kick, catching one of the elves full in the face as he attempted to regain his feet. The force of the kick reduced his face to jelly, and sent him hurling back into the heavy quartz wall with bone crushing force, where he collapsed in a twitching heap.

Damion began laying about with the Dragon Sword, chopping several of the elves down with lightening quick blows, leaving a trail of carnage in his wake. One of the elves somehow managed to regain his footing and withdrew a wicked looking dagger, then charged towards the huge warrior with a roar of rage, but suddenly stiffened as one of Raven's arrows struck him in the back of his head with a meaty thud.

Shirk joined in the fray, swinging his broadswords in wide arcs that cut down two of the elves as they attempted to flee from the chaos, then he drove the point of one of his blades directly into top of a third elf's head, causing him to stiffen horribly for several long seconds, and then collapse twitching to the cobblestones.

Raven and Brody made quick work of the last few elves, then they all gathered amidst the carnage, ignoring the growing crowd of onlookers who had appeared to investigate the disturbance.

"Yrinn and his blood elves must have already reached the city." Brody murmured with a frown. "It looks like they left these elves here to try and slow us down." He looked to Damion with a panicked expression. "We need to get to the temple before they are able to strike!"

"How will we know which elves are blood elves, and which are Petra's faithful?" Raven asked in concern.

"We'll worry about that once we get there." Damion replied, driving his heels into his huge warhorse's flanks, and setting off towards the temple. "Let's just hope that we arrive before Yrinn and his blood elves attack."

***********

"Everything is almost ready, my queen." Vlane reported to Queen Serena as they waited for the gathered crowd to settle down. "The brides and grooms are preparing to take their places, and then Ava Delilah will begin the ceremony.

"Wonderful!" The queen said in a delighted tone, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "I have been waiting on this moment for ages!"

"The people certainly seem excited." Damarius noted, watching the crowd as they continued to gather around the edge of the temple plaza in the hopes of getting a good view of the ceremony. "It looks like the entire city turned out to watch."

"That's because it's a very special ceremony." The elven queen explained. "And this year may prove to be one of the most memorable!"

"What do you mean?"

"You'll see." The queen promised with a mysterious smile.

"Here comes the brides and their handmaidens." Dar pointed towards a group of twenty or so young elven women who had entered the temple plaza through a large, ornately decorated archway.

Each bride was dressed in a flowing white gown of silk and lace, and was accompanied by a young elven girl dressed in dark green dress who hurried ahead to toss flower petals at their feet. The brides slowly, but gracefully, made their way into the temple courtyard with nervous expressions, while the gathered crowd watched in anticipation.

"And there are the grooms." Dar gestured to the right side of the courtyard, where twenty or so elven men were entering the plaza through a similar archway.

Unlike the brides, the grooms were all dressed in a variety of clashing colors, each more gaudy than the last. Each of the grooms was accompanied by a young elven boy dressed in a dark brown hose and vest, who also rushed ahead to drop flower petals at their feet. The two groups came to a stop in the center of the courtyard, then turned and stared up at the massive golden statue of Petra, which seemed to stare down at the assembled with a loving smile.

They stood waiting before the massive golden statue for several long moments before Ava Delilah appeared from behind the statue wearing an elaborate silver gown which had been trimmed in golden lace. Her expression was soft and loving as she stared down at those gathered before her, then she held her arms open wide, and began to speak in a strange lyrical language that seemed to have an almost hypnotizing quality about it.

"It's ancient elfish." Vlane answered the old wizard's unasked question. "It's rarely spoken anymore." He shook his head sadly. "Many of the younger generation do not even know how to speak the old language. It's a shame, really. I've always thought it was such a beautiful language. Now its usually only used during the various ceremonies held in Petra's honor."

"What is she saying?" Damarius asked as the high priestess of Petra continued to speak in the strange lyrical language.

"She is asking our goddess to leave Her place in the heavens, and inhabit Her likeness so She may witness the joining of these couples." Queen Serena informed him, gesturing up at the golden statue of the smiling goddess, whose eyes had begun to glow with an unearthly light.

Ava Delilah finished her appeal to the elven goddess, then watched as the grooms hurried over to stand next to their brides, while the young girls and boys who had carried the flower petals quickly scurried off towards the back of the courtyard. Once they had all taken their proper places, she paused to stare out over the assembled crowd.

"My dear friends," She started in a clear voice which carried throughout in the suddenly silent courtyard. "We have gathered here in the sight of Petra to celebrate the most joyous of occasions. Our loving goddess teaches us that sharing our lives with someone that we love is the greatest way to show our devotion to Her, and to our people as well. As you say your vows, your lives become one, and together you shall start anew, continuing in the footsteps of your ancestors, and carrying on the lines of your noble houses for another generation."

"Where are your men stationed?" Damarius asked Captain Harper quietly as the elven priestess continued to lecture the couples about the responsibilities that came with marriage, and the obligations they would have to one another as they went forth in their lives.

"They're spread throughout the crowd to keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary." The extravagant old sea captain whispered, his expression tense. "I doubt if it's going to help much, though. With a crowd this size, it would be fairly simple to remain hidden until the time was right to strike."

"Just keep your eyes peeled for the slightest hint of trouble." The old wizard warned as he scanned the crowd of excited onlookers. "If anything happens, get the queen back to the Royal Tower, and don't look back. I'll do my best to cover your escape."

They listened as Ava Delilah finished her speech to the young couples, though they continued to glance around for anything suspicious.

"Now," The elven high priestess started with a solemn expression as twenty or so silver robed priestesses, each bearing a long thin golden chain, appeared from behind the massive statue of Petra and hurried up to the assorted couples. "As you are bound by these chains," The priestesses began to wind the chains around the couples' hands. "so are you now bonded together, for better or for worse, until the day our beloved goddess calls you to Her side." She smiled, then looked out over the crowd. "May our goddess shine Her love down upon these newlyweds!"

The crowd let out a tremendous cheer, and began throwing thousands of flower petals into the air, where they rained down upon the happy couples.

"Now, my dear ones," Ava Delilah continued once the cheers had died down. "to give her traditional blessings to the newly joined couples, our dearly loved sovereign, and ruler of the elven people, Queen Serena!"

The crowd let out another cheer as the queen, her eyes sparkling with excitement, stepped forward to stand next to the elven high priestess.

"My dear friends," She started in a clear voice that carried across the courtyard. "We have gathered to celebrate the joining of these young couples, who, in the sight of Petra, have chosen to take one another as elf and wife."

Another happy cheer went up from the crowd, and many of the couples waved to their friends and family.

"To see so many young elves declaring their undying love for one another fills me will such happiness. Even in these trying times, to see such devotion," She smiled down at the couples. "You truly embody everything that Petra expects of Her children. May She always shine Her warming light upon you and your loved ones!"

"Yes," A male voice suddenly mocked in a soft tone that somehow seemed unnaturally loud in the crowded courtyard. "May She, who has watched over our people for all of these many centuries while we suffered and died at the hands of our enemies, bless these happy unions." An older elf with shoulder length silver hair suddenly strolled out of the crowd with a calm expression, and slowly began to make his way towards the upraised platform. "
Beloved
Petra," He spat with a sneer. "She who refused to aid us when the Etazk drove us from our ancestral home of Elhenia. She who refused to lift a finger as we were forced to exile ourselves to this island prison. She who cares about nothing for our people, save for the prayers that She requires from Her faithful which keep Her strong."