Onyx Dreams Ch. 28

Her only answer was a flare of angry energy that roared along the link the two of them still had as she flew toward the swamp and safety. He slammed his mental barriers down in time to deflect the blow, but it still rocked him, she had gotten stronger since they last met, another strange event.

Suddenly Kaie appeared in the air above him. ~Did she hurt you?~ she demanded angrily as she landed by Cyrus. Looking up at Kaie he raised an eyebrow and smiled somewhat. ~Nothing a new set of boots won't fix. We have the portal, did you kill the witch?~

Kaie gave a disgruntled snort in the direction that Brenna had departed before focusing on Cyrus. ~Yes, MY rider. I killed the witch. We still need to get the high priest and his successor but for now having her gone shifts the balance of power in our favor.~

~No, it doesn't. They still have a high priestess, and this one has access to the full archives of dragons. The only way we can truly shift the base of power is to diminish the ones who matter. The ones who are the next generation.~ He looked towards the smoke clouds of the still smoldering villages. ~They'll be looking for a new site for the villages. they know the current sites are no longer safe. They can't keep those spells up forever. Send scouts out to track where the new villages will be built. Then find their supply stores and incinerate them all. Start with the fields first. We'll starve them out as a backup plan. There's no greater tool for rebellion than hunger.~

Kaie purred and rubbed her head against his body. ~I love the way your mind works, Overlord.~

He let his hand rest against her snout a moment, still puzzled by Brenna's rapid improvement. ~What happened to me being a king? Overlord sounds more like your puppet. Tell me Kaie, how was Brenna able to become so strong so quickly?~

~Overlord is greater than a king. All will bow before you--human, dragon, unicorn and griffin. Everyone will quake before you.~ She paused. ~What do you mean stronger?~

~She was able to scorch my clothing, even though I was a good 5 feet from her flame. The air around it was super heated. I was unaware there were unicorns and griffins in our realm.~

~I do not know. My sibling was never strong in her powers which is why the king of the dragons picking her was stupid. The unicorns and griffins share the realm with the dragons. You will be lord over both realms.~ Kaie assured him as she swung her leg around for him to climb up.

He climbed up upon her back once again, feeling the scales rubbing against his armor. ~I see, well it is a mystery, to go along with another we have. How do we get either the king, or the seer to let us into the realm? They have a protective barrier over the portal preventing anyone from entering. It ripped Brenna's scales off like they were paper.~

~That means Hayden is anticipating our moves with the help of the seer. Though I didn't think he had it in him to injure his mate to keep you out. That is food for thought.~ Kaie took to the air, her powerful strokes sending them skyward.

~No...if he didn't want me in he'd have been waiting for it to open with 100 dragons to barbeque me like a chicken. Either he thinks I can kill his entire army by myself, or there is something more to this than meets the eye.~

~Hm, perhaps you are right. We must return to the cave and celebrate our success. And make more plans. The portal will last another two days before it closes. If she wasn't able to get it to open fully, Hayden may not sense it at all and we will have the advantage.~

~No, this was more than your average two day portal. When I was at the monastery I felt portals being summoned. This was something different, it has a lot more life to it. I'm guessing it'll last a month. That'll give us the time we need to fortify our army. We need to make them an unstoppable force to smash through the Riders.~

~I bow to your wisdom in such things. Now, enough talk about my sister and portals. It is time to rejoice!~

He nudged her with his heels to get her attention, ~No, this is not a victory, this is just another step in the plan. If we celebrate now we leave ourselves wide open. We need to work out a way of getting through that portal.~

~As you wish rider. Those not on patrol are returning. Katherine and Julian should be there as well.~

~Oh yes, Katherine. That reminds me, we need to have a chat with those two. Something suspicious is going on.~

Kaie said nothing as they headed for their cavern to rejoin the rest.

* * * * *

Anthony and Elizabeth looked around the small hovel they'd been led to. Running for their lives was not something either was used to doing. Elizabeth was fretting over Kennice but Anthony knew his daughter was safe. King Hayden might be a young draconic king but he had never, ever, not kept his word. When this dragon king promised, he delivered. "What are we going to do? Cyrus wasn't joking when he said he come burn our home to the ground," Elizabeth snarled, slamming her fist down on the table. "And what of my baby? What if he's harmed her? How will we live with ourselves knowing he could be raping her or worse?"

"He doesn't have her, trust me on that wife. We do need to figure out what has gone wrong. I know he was angry about us keeping Kennice and him apart but I never thought he had hatred that deep. I fear something else has happened in the years since we last saw him. Something Erykia has not told us." Anthony paused and tilted his head as if listening. "She's coming this way. Maybe we can get some answers." They both turned to the door and waited for Erykia to enter.

The door swung open and in strode the imposing form of Erykia. The cool breeze blew in the smell of burnt fabric and on closer inspection it could be seen that she was indeed mildly singed at the edges but other that that none the worse for wear. She glanced from Anthony to Elizabeth with a slightly annoyed look on her face. "As you no doubt already know, the plan to capture our little warlord has not gone as it should have."

"Obviously." Elizabeth gave Erykia a scathing glare. "Just what is going on High Priestess?" Anthony said nothing, content to let his wife speak as he mulled over the implications of Cyrus escaping yet again.

"Clearly he has learned things we did not expect, Elizabeth. he is an anomaly, few have ever had the ability to escape that trap unscathed like him. I believe he has even acquired himself a portal to the dragon realm. It is sealed right now but nevertheless it is open." She turned away, going to the window, worry flickering over her face for a split second. How could that little wretch have escaped her again? Only a high priest had ever had the power to escape her grasp and only then it was never more than once. This was the second time he had done so now. Where was he getting such power?

Anthony's gaze sharpened. "He opened a portal? Only the King dragon, the seer or a member of the royal family can do that. And none of them would aid him."

"Unless one of them was as naive as we are old, Anthony!" She snapped at him over her shoulder. She could feel it now, in the back of her mind, the constant calm was fraying at the edges. The only way he could have such power was either if he had gotten it from another source, such as Erykia or Anthony, or was born with it.

"But none are that naive are they?" Elizabeth demanded of the two, her eyes going first to Erykia and then to her husband. "Actually, there is one that would be that naive. But I just can't see that dragon assisting Cyrus. Not after the way he behaved these last few days."

"Her heart is weak and almost crushed. he is her partner, her connection to this realm. If he dies then she will lose part of herself. That is how far their bond goes. That is why she helped him." A memory flashed through her mind, a time that seemed almost eons ago...before she was high priestess, before she had grown cold inside. His face flashed before her, the man who had sworn to love her, the one she had given access to her heart...before he had torn it out from her chest.

"Then this bodes ill for us. I did not think she had that kind of power yet. If she manages to breach the barrier, there will be no stopping Cyrus." Anthony's shoulders slumped. "Where did he get this power? How come we've never seen him wield it before? This makes no sense to me! That boy had some power true but not nearly the amount he's throwing around liberally while handing us our heads on a silver plate! Well, High Priestess? You have some clue, don't you? My husband is as confused as I am and I don't like to be confused." Elizabeth's hands went to her hips and she glared at Erykia hoping that the games the High Priestess was always playing were not coming back to haunt everyone she held dear.

Erykia drew in a long slow deep breath, it was true the only two people he could have gotten such power from were standing in this very room, no dragon would grant any mortal such gifts willingly. No human would be able to handle such strength. "There has been only one man in the last one thousand years that has been able to wield such strength. Cyrus appears to be following the same evolution that he did." A single tear ran down the side of her cheek, "If he is what I fear he may be, then we cannot stop him alone. He will destroy us all, even the dragons, without the help of other beings of that realm."

"Of what are you talking about? I've never heard of anyone having that kind of power," Anthony countered. He was now focused fully on Erykia. "What secrets have you hidden from me and why do you shed a tear?" The tear startled him for he had never once, in his long association with Erykia, seen her be sad about anything.

"Because myself and the Former Dragon king swore never to speak of it again unless absolutely necessary. The man I speak of is the man talked about in dark legends and prophecies that no one other than the Dragon Seer may view. To view them is said to have your mind torn apart a billion times. The man I talk of, is Skarl the Dark, or more commonly known as Overlord Skarl."

"I know we've mentioned he might be an Overlord but what does being an Overlord have to do with the dragons? As far as I know, Overlord Skarl was a brilliant if misguided and cruel dictator who crushed his enemies without mercy and did so with amazing strategy." Elizabeth was confused and having Anthony uncertain scared her. She didn't like the fact that Erykia was harboring some big secrets.

"That my child is only what the scribes of history were allowed to write. The rest of it is hidden in secrecy and shrouded in shadows. The title Overlord spans not from skill of mind or strength of body, but from strength of dark gifts. As High Priestess and High Priest are given to those strongest in positive powers, healing, earth connections, fertility. So the title Overlord is given to those strongest in negative powers, destruction, pain, deception. If history told of what he truly was then we would be up to our necks in pretenders." She raised her hand to her forehead for a moment and pinched the bridge of her nose, getting them to understand what had happened so long ago would be a challenge she was unsure she could face right now.

"I do believe I understand. It does not mean I like it nor approve," Anthony rebuked, his eyes on Erykia. He knew he had not been the choice for High Priest all those years ago but the council had felt differently and their wisdom had proven true time and again. He felt his wife's unhappiness and he sent reassuring thoughts, pondering on a way to explain it to her. Elizabeth had never been a complicated woman, which was one of many reason's why he had fallen in love with her.

"It was not your right to approve and neither was it the council's. They were not the ones forced to endure the horrors he wrought upon this land a thousand years ago Anthony. They were not the ones who opened themselves up to someone they believed to be good and true only to find out they are the Messenger of Death!" Her eyes had widened slightly, dampening once more, the edges were fraying more, her normal iron grip on her emotions clearly beginning to shatter.

Elizabeth was openly staring. "How do you know what they felt a thousand years ago? None of us were there! You only have what you were told. You know the saying, to the victor goes the spoils and the chance to write history as they see fit."

"I know what happened Elizabeth...because I was there. The most advanced gift of a High Priestess is from the king of dragons himself. The gift of long life. We were hardly the victors, Skarl by the end had lost much of his Bloodlust. There was no one left that he saw as a challenge and that gave us an opening to end him."

"I think I need to sit down." Elizabeth's thoughts were in a whirl. Erykia was a 1,000 years old! Then it struck her. If Kennice became high priestess, she too would live that long. She would definitely outlive all her family. Elizabeth knew a parent should not outlive their offspring but to be alive that long....

"Erykia, why was the gift not given to the high priest as well? Is it because of Skarl?"

"The gift is only bestowed to those that the King of Dragons feels deserving of such a prize. As I said, Skarl was not a High Priest. He was an Overlord, the most deadly being to have walked this land in over one thousand years." She walked to the window and stared out in the darkness, watching the dark smoking clouds in the distance. "High Priests are granted the gift of knowledge, able to use skills and spells of all races. Skarl ended him within minutes with simply his raw strength. That is the difference between the rulers of light and dark. Light normally has strategy and dark the power. Skarl unbalanced this delicate system by knowing how to out maneuver us."

"And now Cyrus is following in his footsteps? But once again that begs the question, how do they come by these powers?" Anthony was growing more unhappy with the situation. He didn't like feeling hopeless.

"That is a question I have been asking myself for centuries, Anthony. it seems to be an almost random anomaly. There is one thing common in all of them however. They all end up feeling we have turned against them. Even if we have not."

"Well that would explain the rage. If a person's rage is hot enough, nothing can stop them from wrecking vengeance. I regret trying to keep him from my daughter. I was just concerned about their age. Now look at the mess we are in. I'm surprised he still loved her even after the years separating them. The last time he saw her, she was getting lashed for sneaking off to see him. Since then no contact. So why would he rage now?"

"That is something that you must be informed of. There have been some...events since that time. Things have not gone as was planned in the beginning." Closing her eyes for a moment, she took a breath and turned, beginning to tell them the long, complex and sometimes confusing tale of Cyrus's descent into madness.

"Wait a minute! You mean to tell mean that while she was training with you, not only did he see her, but he was the one who took her virginity in the fertility rite!" Elizabeth yelled.

"Yes, that is true. However it seems it was fated to happen. Their powers joined that night, High Priestess and Overlord. The land was rejuvenated more than I have ever felt it so. But now it is gone. Unwittingly he has snatched away the good he did this land in his quest to 'settle the scores' as he would say."

"Enough. I've heard enough! We cannot undo any of this harm without Kennice. I feel deep inside that the dragons have her safe. We have to stop Cyrus now before he gets too powerful for us to even manage. Our land would not survive the bloodshed. No battles or wars have been fought in centuries. We are a people of peace." Anthony ran his hand through his hair and paced.

Erykia stood up sharply, her face growing dark once again. "I have already told you Anthony, he cannot be stopped by us alone. He is too far gone, he has at his command the entire forces of the dark in this realm. Let us be thankful he has not tapped into things worse than this."

"Yet...That's what the problem is, isn't it? He might still do it. What does he need to do it?" Elizabeth yelled shrilly, surging to her feet.

"Something that has, until now, been hidden and locked away beyond the reach of mortal man, but with this portal now having been opened, that seal has been breached. I fear Brenna's portal has led to the place even I fear to tread--to The Trails."

"The Trials? That can't be good. What can be found in that place?" Anthony was curious as well as fearful.

"It is the last place remaining connected to the Netherworld, the place where the old gods of ancient times look into the heart of those strong enough to venture there and destroy them from within. They use their own feelings, emotions and memories against them, only those who have no regrets at all can hope to even escape that place alive."

"Who doesn't have regrets? Even madmen in the secret places of the hearts have regrets," Elizabeth countered.

"that is where Overlords surpass even the greatest heroes and most deadly villains. Those who earn the title Overlord have no regrets, they make a decision based on what they believe is right. Their moral compass is focused on the larger picture of right and wrong." She walked over to the dull book case, picking out an incredibly aged children's storybook, one that could be found everywhere. "To fully understand such legendary creatures as Overlords, we make them into tales based on their most prominent origin. For an Overlord, their origins are from the old god of Truth." She flicked to the story and began to read aloud, her voice taking on an ominous tone. "No matter whether the deed is good or evil, the children of Truth will walk the path that is necessary, exposing the deeds that hurt this world with their deception. Many think the gods of Truth and Justice are the same, but only Truth will kill his best friend to stop true evil."

"How do you combat someone with no regret? We must contact King Hayden and ask for his help. We also need to find Brenna and convince her that her rider is no longer worthy of her bond." Anthony stated firmly, walking toward the door, his mind already planning several courses of action.

Immediately a barrier erected itself before Anthony, preventing his departure. "No, Hayden is doing all that he can. he is a wise king and is no doubt negotiating with the other creatures of their realm. Brenna will no doubt be in the care of another rider by now, licking her wounds. I doubt Hayden will let anyone near her while she is in such a fragile state. We must focus on what pricks Cyrus's temper most. if he is angry, he will not be thinking straight. Clouded thoughts will hinder him through The Trials, and if we are lucky, cause him to perish inside."

"If that is the best course of action, then we will follow that plan. Now, my wife and I need to rest. We have much to do tomorrow." Anthony took his Elizabeth's hand.

The barrier dropped as Erykia nodded, turning once again to the window, looking out at the dark night, memories beginning to flood back to her as the pair left her. If only they knew what was coming. Everything has a dual connection to this realm and the Trials were no different. As fertility ceremonies required high priestess and a powerful male, and dragon summoning required high priestess and high priest, so the Trials required a High Priestess and an Overlord. What Anthony and Elizabeth could never know was that those chosen for High Priestess were the Children of Justice, the opposing god to Truth. Both fierce and strong in their beliefs, they support and destroy each other at the same time. One cannot fully exist without the other. Her powers had been much greater a thousand years ago, but now they were a mere flicker. The yin to her yang had been dead for all that time. Kennice however was on the verge of unlocking the fearsome forces at her command. Thoughts full of regrets and anguish, Erykia left to find the errant Rhys.