The High Queen's Vow [The Mystic Women of The Realm Series Book IV] (82 page)

The Elfin Force Leader studied the targets, “Any particular order?"

"The outlook tower must be destroyed first. It is then up to you. How do our great flying horses fare against the ravens."

"Only one further loss since they discovered the teaming approach. All the ravens have now returned to the Southern Hemisphere, Highness, so our efforts are more concentrated. And The High Queen's High Council's forces have been most successful. The ravens’ numbers have been greatly reduced. Will you remain here, Elfin Queen?"

"No, Force Leader. You have your mission, and you are now in-charge. I have other duties to which I must attend."

"Please mind to your safety, Elfin Queen. We have great need of you in our new beginning."

"And mind yourselves to safety, Force Leader. You all carry our future within you."

She began to turn so as to move to her next mission, when she heard another voice, “Second."

She turned back, “Meera? Why are you here?"

"I have been assigned to guard you."

"During such a battle as this? How ridiculous. Have you nothing better to do?"

"It was The High Queen's command."

Sle'nel’ studied her friend for a moment, then smiled, “Then come quickly, as we have much to do."

"What is our mission, Second?"

"OUR mission, Meera? So now it is OUR mission? Then so it is. Our mission is to find the Wizard's cloak."

She looked to the Keep, having developed a deep sense of foreboding, “In there, Second?"

She lowered her eyebrows, “Did you expect us to just call to it, and it would come?"

Meera snickered, “No, Second. Nothing we do could be as easy as this. Where do we begin?"

"As soon as Sume’ and Sele’ open the wall, we will enter. From there, let us hope that my staff can sense it. The Realm has great need of this cloak. And I believe that The High Queen will have great need of this cloak in the next moments."

"How do you know of this cloak, Second?"

Sle'nel’ glanced at her for a moment, her eyes twinkling, “A little birdie told me.” Then, as she saw the wall falling, she began to run toward the Keep.

Sume’ and Sele’ were yet working on their part of the wall, “Are you going to use your crystal ball, Aunt High Wizard Sorcerer?"

Sume’ examined the damage they had already done to the wall, displeased, “It would appear that we must do so, Young One, as our prior spells have not performed to our need."

She pulled it out of her cloak, holding it out in one of her hands. She waved her other hand over it and began to chant a spell. Sele’ watched, spellbound, at the image that was emerging within the crystal.

"Is this what you will cast, Aunt High Wizard Sorcerer?"

She nodded, “Watch."

"How did you come to this idea, Aunt Sorcerer?"

"You gave me the idea, Young One."

"Me, Aunt High Wizard Sorcerer? How?"

"You said you could do locusts."

Sele’ looked into the Crystal Ball, shaking her head, “I know not these types of locusts, Aunt High Queen."

"Now you will. Watch."

Sume’ moved her hand slowly back and forth over the Crystal Ball, chanting as she did so. After a few moments, Sele’ clapped her hands as a great swarm of locusts emerged from the Crystal Ball and headed directly for the wall.

"What do you call them, Aunt?"

"Wall-eating locusts.” Sume’ looked down at her and smiled, “Is this not a good title for them?"

They both watched, well pleased in the moment as they saw the locusts go to the wall and begin to eat it. Slowly, the wall disappeared as the gigantic swarm fulfilled their hunger.

As they completed their task, Sume’ frowned, “And here is the downside, Young One."

Sele’ looked confused, “Downside, Aunt?"

"Indeed. We have let these creatures loose in The Realm. Now we must find a way to make them disappear, or they will consume every building within The Realm."

Sele’ smiled, thinking the moment overly humorous, “This is what my teachers try to teach me, Aunt, that there are consequences to the spells of sorcery."

Sume’ didn't look pleased, “Yes. Well, I have not had the opportunity to be trained, Young One. I am making this up as I go. Now, help me."

Erthrn watched as Sume’ and Sele's spells began to break the first portion of the wall. She turned to her forces, “It is the moment, Force Leader. Let loose the boulders, then begin the arrows, once again."

"Yes, Queen Erthrn. Are the others also beginning their attack upon the Keep?"

"They are. It has begun. In half a turn, there will be no wall around this side of the Keep, should luck be with us."

The Warrior Woman of the Sword Force Leader raised her arm to her forces, then lowered it. The planned ruse had worked—Sle'nel’ had supplied a spell of displacement, making it seem to the Wizard that The Realm's forces had collected boulders on a different side of the Keep. It was on that side that the Wizard's forces had built up the Keep's wall in preparation of the boulders being let loose upon them.

As the force leader had given the signal, her forces nodded, then cut the ropes. Within a brief moment, hundreds of boulders hurtled down the small hill, meeting directly with the wall. Erthrn watched the boulders, amazed that the plan was working. The boulders hit the wall one-by-one, gradually breaking its integrity until finally, the wall gave way. Then, as more boulders came, more of the wall gave.

"Send in the forces, Force Leader."

The Force Leader gave another hand command, and the Women of the Sword went charging into the Keep, readied for hand-to-hand combat. Queen Erthrn led them, raising her sword in a blood-curdling yell, killing many in her wake, but taking serious injuries as she did so. As they entered into the Keep, they met even stronger and fresh defenses that had been waiting. As Queen Erthrn rode into the middle of the plaza, her Force Leader saw her go down, then could find her no more.

"What angers you so, Wizard?"

She looked at her would-be lover, “Your forces. They have found a way to enter my Keep. What can you do to halt them?"

San'lr'in’ looked surprised, “Me? I am nothing but a traitor to them. Why do you not use your great powers?"

The Wizard paced about the room, thinking hurriedly of what she might do to halt The Realm's forces. She waived her hand in dismissal, “I will, of course. I just didn't wish to enter into this battle. It begins to look like both of us must."

Once again San'lr'in’ tried to look surprised, “Is this urgent? Are we in danger, Wizard?"

The Wizard examined her for a moment, distracted by The High Queen's beauty. While she was concerned over the battle, she felt no great anxiety over its outcome, fully knowing she would win, “No, not really. They are merely pests that are ruining my Keep, but it can be rebuilt, and they will be made to do the rebuilding. It needs some updating, at any rate. But for the moment I should be concentrating on you, my compelling one."

"You are not worried about them entering into your Keep?"

"No. My forces will be able to hold them. We yet have a few surprises prior to me needing to enter into the battle. Come to me. Entertain me. I have waited long for this moment."

San'lr'in’ saw the look in the Wizard's eyes, and knew it well. She knew she needed to fully compel the Wizard to her this moment, as the battle would soon draw the Wizard's powers into it. And The High Queen well knew that if the Wizard entered into the battle, The Realm would lose. She went slowly to the Wizard, returning the knowing glance to her, sounding most seductive, “You quite like your moments of danger, Wizard. I like this in you. You are indeed strong."

As San'lr'in’ approached her in a most alluring fashion, the Wizard grabbed her and brought her to her roughly and with great urgency. She kissed her, forcing herself onto San'lr'in', regardless of her desire. San'lr'in’ placed her hand on the Wizard's breast, “You have waited long for this moment, Wizard."

The Wizard moaned as San'lr'in’ forcefully squeezed her breast. Instead of answering the statement, the Wizard brought San'lr'in’ more violently to her, beginning to rip her garments away from her, “I need you. This moment. I can wait no longer."

"Wizard. Careful. You show your need overly. You will display your weakness should you continue."

The Wizard leered at her, then physically moved her to the rug on the ground. It was the moment San'lr'in’ had been waiting for, while yet hoping against it. She struggled to regain control of the moment, needing the Wizard to be the one receiving the advances. Slowly, she did as needed, laying on top of the Wizard, and touching her so as to tease her.

The Wizard was gasping her desire, “I need you, San'lr'in'thel'ineln'. I have waited eons for this moment with you. Make me stronger through your touches."

San'lr'in’ raised an eyebrow and smiled knowingly at the Wizard, “Then prepare to accept the strongest power in all The Realm, Wizard."

So as to distract her fully from the ongoing battle, The High Queen began her aggressive physical advances onto the Wizard, while also beginning to chant a spell softly under her breath. She knew the moment would be difficult in many fashions, but also knew to remain alert to her red-stoned heart, and alert to the Wizard's moment, not allowing her any rest.

She moved the Wizard forward quickly in her need, holding her need to the highest edge possible so as to keep the Wizard's senses fully engaged. She monitored her own heart, avoiding any detection of it, as she continued to softly chant the spell. Even given the Wizard's urgent desire for the diversion, San'lr'in’ well knew that the Wizard might detect the deception at any moment, so remained fully on guard. She heard the Wizard gasp her need, but kept her mind focused to her task.

After a few moments, but far, far longer than The High Queen had desired, she finally sensed the Wizard fully consumed in her physical need. Making a silent wish of desperation, and saying her own farewell to The Realm, she chanted the spell's final words.

As she spoke the spell's last word and as she was finally allowing the Wizard her well desired physical release, the great Red Stone of Power moved out of her and entered quickly into The Wizard's heart. After all her planning and patient waiting, San'lr'in’ sensed the moment was successful and sighed a moment of relief, even as her own unbearable pain grew blazingly within her.

The Wizard's eyes widened in great horror at the painful realization of the moment, “What have you done to me?"

She was gasping her great pain, unable to breathe. Her hands flew to her chest, trying to hold back the now enormous pain that was consuming her body, “YOU HAVE BETRAYED ME!"

San'lr'in’ saw that the Wizard's eyes were frantic, and saw that the Wizard knew she was now being destroyed by the Red Stone, as was the plan. San'lr'in’ could do nothing but watch though, as her own pain began to destroy her own body. It was the risk she had chosen to take, knowing that to rid The Realm of the Wizard, she would have to place the Red Stone of Power into the Wizard's heart, while also knowing that to remove it from within herself would be certain death.

The Wizard struggled to fight back against The High Queen, but as she did, the pain took over and made her to fall back to the ground. She knew the Red Stone was killing her, but was gladdened to see that her traitor lover was also dying, “You have also undone yourself, my traitor. My advisor was correct. All this was a trap."

San'lr'in’ sat upon the ground, trying to hold herself up, but losing to her pain. She laid herself down on the woven rug, trying to give her body what rest it might know prior to her death, as she kept watch on the dying Wizard.

As the Wizard became consumed by the Red Stone, her words were no more than mere whispers of her once great powers, “You hid this power well, but it will cost you your life. So I die knowing that at least you die with me."

San'lr'in’ had no strength in which to answer the Wizard, but struggled within herself to make certain that the Wizard died before her. She thought of Sle'nel’ for a moment, saddened in knowing that she would never see her again, but gladdened in knowing that she had saved The Realm.

As the Wizard closed her eyes, unable to halt the Red Stone devouring her body, San'lr'in’ crawled near her, focused on accomplishing her one final act for The Realm. Slowly, she crawled hand-over-hand toward the Wizard, wracked in her own pain, trying not to cry out, but groaning at every move. Her body was dying, but her mind was well motivated in the moment, urging her body forward.

As she reached the Wizard, she felt the Wizard's hand grab her. Her eyes opened and connected with The High Queen's, “We would have been the greatest and strongest rulers ever, High Queen."

In truth, Wizard, I am sorry to have done as such to you. Seer Roen was correct. You are much greater than we believed, and far less evil. I am sorry, Wizard.

She saw the Wizard look confused, then looked saddened as she slipped into unconsciousness.

Feeling the intense sadness of the moment, yet ignoring the tears that now fell unchecked on her cheeks, The High Queen took what strength she had remaining and began her chanting once more. It took every last effort she had to do as such, but forced herself to the task. Slowly, she removed the Red Stone of Power from the Wizard, finally killing her as she did so, removing all the powers that the Wizard had ever held.

For The Realm.

As the stone emerged, she placed it into her hand, placed it against her own chest, then lay back down upon the floor.

Remain with us, High Queen. Fight against this death you now move toward overly quickly.

No strength left.

You hold the Red Stone of Power. Use it.

Weak...

Student, OBEY ME!

Ann'wn looked over the battlefield, “We have finally breached the Keep's wall. Have the Mungardies move in. Where are Queen Erthrn's forces?"

"Queen Erthrn's forces have already entered the Keep, Force Leader, but we can no longer find Queen Erthrn. We believe her to be dead."