Legon Restoration (42 page)

"I can't seem to remember why Sasha and I have to go again," Edling said.

Emma smiled comfortingly, "We can't take chances, jump crystals are tough, Legon and the others won’t have long, and you have the best knowledge aside from your wife."
 

He nodded. He knew why he had to go. He tried to tell himself that everything would be ok. If he was being honest what had him bothered the most was that Sasha was going and he wouldn't even be with her to protect her. Not that he could protect her if he was with her anyway.

"You protect me," her mind interjected in his.
 

He was about to answer when he felt Legon's mind touch his, "Edling get ready, I'm going to fly over."
 

Edling walked away from tents and looked towards the dome. Elves were flying in and out of it, ground units climbing the sides, but it still shone alabaster in the night. Legon's form came toward him. Edling glowed lavender and he flew up in the air with a jolt. Legon passed under him. Edling landed on Legon's shoulders, sticking in place. Wind blew through his hair pulling at his clothes. He'd been on a dragons back before but not a fully armored one that had been fighting for a week.
 

The metal of Legon's armor was dingy and scratched, blood stained it in spots and Edling could make out scorch marks.
It's amazing what they can live through
he thought. Legon turned in the sky, heading back toward the dome. As he did so Edling felt Legon connect him with the rest of the Ascended. His head hurt with the noise of dragons yelling orders and reporting in. It was hard to make out what was going on but from what Edling could tell the Iumenta lines had split and they were scrambling to reorganize themselves.
 

Despite the still raging battle Legon flew toward it. Edling looked behind to see Cynta carrying Sasha. He looked forward, gripping onto Legon's neck. They didn't meet any resistance as they passed over the dome. The Elves were pushing the Iumenta away.
 

Sydin's voice boomed, "Legon I need to stay here and command the Ascended in the area."

"Right, I'll take command," Legon said and then spoke to the Ascended assigned to the mission. "This is Legon of House Evindass I am assuming command of this mission. Squads report in."
 

As the dome faded behind them Edling watched as Ascended formed up behind Legon. The precision in which they flew inspired him.
 

"Edling, you remember what we are doing?" Legon asked.

"Yes I do. I am to assist you in taking out a jump crystal." He sighed and thought of his wife being across town doing likewise, he wished Legon was with Sasha.

"You worry about her."

"Don't you?" Edling asked.

Legon took a moment, "Yes I do. I'm going to be honest with you Ed, there is a very real chance that we won’t survive this. We have to take those crystals out at all costs...if it makes you feel any better the Iumenta will likely target me, as I'm a class eight."

"So we are the ones that are most likely to get killed?" Edling asked, oddly feeling better.

Legon was close to the hills and Edling could start to see the horizon glow orange. They were close to the city now, it wouldn't be long. Edling thought about what needed to be done, thought about everything that they had learned about the Iumenta crystals. Sasha had proven that they knew how to break them effectively. But this time it would be Edling in a building with hostile Iumenta and Ascended flying all around him.
 

They crested a hill and Bailaya came into view. The city sparkled even at the late hour. Edling heard the sound of air raid sirens. Ascended filled the sky. The Capital had a small contingent of Ascended to guard it, on top of that the sky was flashing as new Iumenta jumped into the city’s air space.
 

"Hold tight!" Legon said.

Umbra and a group under the command of a red dragon named Lamma took the lead with a few others. Legon bid fair well to Cynta. Edling closed his connection completely with Sasha; if something happened to one of them the other couldn't have it affecting their part of the mission. Edling felt weak. Legon's mind joined more fully with his and instantly he felt his confidence bolster. Sasha told him this would happen connected with Legon; he was a natural born fighter and leader.
 

Edling braced himself as Legon veered toward the north end of town. Lamma and her squad rushed forward, sending magic at the Iumenta coming to meet them. Legon's guard came in tighter. The air rent with the sound of magic on ward. Edling's confidence vanished as Legon swung in the air dodging magic. It didn't seem to affect him. Edling's mind was a buzz of the talking from the other dragons, "Up up up!", "To your left!", "Fade back..." he tried to block the voices.
 

The sticking spell was getting a work out and Edling used magic to steady his gut. He opened his eyes to a collage of color. His vision flashed purple as Legon took hits. The big dragon wasn't affected. Legon tilted in the air and Edling almost screamed as an Iumenta collided with them. Legon batted the Ascended away, resuming his original course.

Edling could see where they were heading. The building looked nondescript, all in all a very good hiding spot.

"Take the air space," Legon said.
 

Umbra and Opes moved over the building, effectively making it so the crystal could no longer bring in reinforcements.
 

"Here we go Edling!" Legon said diving at the building.

Legon and the others fired spells at it. The air around it lit with wards that soon broke under the onslaught.
 

Edling was concerned by the large group of Iumenta on the roof, though this didn't seem to bother Legon in the least bit. As he came to the roof his familiar detached from behind his horn to be joined by the familiars of all the other Ascended. Legon breathed straight fire on the roof, burning the wooden structure. Under the dilapidated wooden building stood a sturdy stone one and Legon landed on it, his tail blade glowing. He hit the building, opening it up. Edling saw the jump crystal inside, bringing him clarity.

Legon tore his way in the building and on top of the crystal. Edling cleared his head, guiding Legon in how to best use his magic to break the crystal apart. There was a great crack. Edling watch the crystal split.
More, it needs to be broken more!
Legon's claws flashed amethyst as he dug them in. Chunks broke away as Legon poured energy into breaking the crystal. Finally with a snap it broke in two. Legon jumped from it, hovering. He sent more spells to break it up.

"It's done, it's done!" Edling yelled out loud.

"You're sure? We don't get another chance at this," Legon said.

Edling thought for a moment "OK, well I guess it wouldn't hurt to break it up a bit more or maybe burn the place to the ground."

Legon didn't give a sarcastic remark but spewed a river of lavender flames. Edling heard the crystal shattering into a thousand pieces as the building began to burn. Legon launched into the sky. Edling hadn't been paying attention to the sky. Now that he did he wanted to go back to the jump crystal. Several of the Elves had perished, holding off the Iumenta. Edling knew that Legon had used a lot of power already and he didn't know if he could fight. Edling yelped as he was sent flying from Legon's back to rest on that of Iselin's.

"Sorry Edling," she said dodging attacks. "I'm more nimble, you'll stand a better chance with me."

He looked to see Legon crash into a large Iumenta.

* * * * *

Sara sat on the edge of the cot checking her patient’s vitals. His eyes fluttered open and she smiled at him, "Welcome back, it’s been a while."

He started to sit up but she pushed him back down, he put his hand on his forehead. "Wh-what happened" Barnin said in a rough voice.

"You were stabbed in the gut. It's a miracle you lived, honestly," Sara said. "That was five days ago," she added.

His eyes widened, "I've been out for five days?"

"Sorry, we could only use magic to make you stable, we've had a lot of injured people thank you very much," She said tartly.

"Sara I need to get up, we have to take that dome out..."
 

* * * * *

Barnin eyed Sara. "I'm missing something," he said.

"Well you see...about the dome, it's kind of already fallen," she said, "and I think it's safe to say that Bailaya is about a day away from that as well. So you see there's no reason to rush yourself, the war is very nearly over," she said brightly.

Barnin looked up at the ceiling, a thousand questions in his mind, "What happened?" he asked.

Sara adjusted herself, "Well, Sasha found a way to defeat the dome. You should have seen it Barnin, I've never seen anything like it. All the dragons attacked the dome and then when it fell Legon took a bunch of Ascended to the Capital to take out the jump crystals."

"But how has the Capital almost fallen?" he asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Sara said. "The Iumenta had nearly all their ground units at the dome. When the dome fell and the Capital lost its jump crystals all of the Iumenta Ascended rushed back to protect the Capital. Their armies have almost no air support."

Barnin closed his eyes. He could see it in his head. Even the Dark Warriors wouldn't last long with no air support. They'd be forced to run the twelve miles back to the Capital, the whole time being worked over by the Pawdin Ascended. "How many made it back to the city?" he asked.

"I don't know, not many. Most are pinned down in the hills in between the city and the dome. It’s made for slow moving for our ground units but I don't think it's going to matter. The Elves have been attacking the Capital with Ascended twenty-four hours a day. I guess at first the Iumenta held fast, but...there's more Elves aren’t there and the Iumenta can't get reinforcements, so they are dying off."

Barnin chuckled, "I missed the end of the war, fantastic." Then he remembered something, "Hey, thanks for saving me."

Sara patted his arm. "What are friends for? Now wait a bit longer and I'll see if I can finish healing you," she said.

* * * * *

Neelya walked out onto a balcony overlooking one of the Palace’s gardens. She felt tense, would she be found out? She didn't know why she'd hidden the group of servants, she should have killed them as ordered but she didn't. Somehow it just seemed so...wasteful.

The Queen stood against a rail in light armor, her finger absently running along her Fenna. Neelya felt afraid for other reasons. All around her smoke rose, making flakes of ash like snow. The ever present roll of thunder and flashing light didn't unsettle her so much anymore. But seeing it get closer did.

"My Queen," she said bowing.

"Hoelaria now, I think," she said.

Before Neelya could say anything a runner came up, "My Queen a message from the front."

"What is it?" Hoelaria asked.

The runner looked up, "I regret to inform you that Parkas has just been killed. He was in the hills slowing the Pawdin forces..." he trailed off.

Hoelaria nodded deftly, "That will be all."

Neelya stepped up next to the Queen, "Hoelaria?"

"All of the Heads of Province are in the city...only a few have tried to leave on Ascended and of those none have survived." The Queen turned to her, "Have the servants been taken care of?"
 

"Yes," Neelya said.

Hoelaria didn't question her. Neelya asked about the fenna, the Queen held, "Are you going to fight? Do you suppose they won’t let us surrender?" she asked.

"They want us to certainly, however I, as have every other Head of Province, swore on our lives to protect the Empire. No, none of us will surrender; we will fight no matter how low our chances are."

Neelya touched her own blade. She was a class five with the possibility to Ascend; she'd die alongside the Queen. "It will be an honor to die with you my Queen," she said.

In the near distance she could see one of the Great Houses under attack. Neelya wasn't sure if she was ready to die.

Hoelaria looked into Neelya's eyes intensely, "You will not die today, all of our staff will die fighting or be executed for war crimes; but not you."

"I don-"

"Shhh," the Queen said placing an envelope in her hand, "we don't have time. You are my messenger, you will carry my last communication to the Pawdin Empire, this will spare your life." She turned Neelya to the city, "Do you see what has happened here Neelya? My arrogance has brought the end of the Impa Empire, with the deaths of the Heads of Province Civil War will breakout. It will be as it was before the Empire existed." She turned her back toward her, Neelya feeling a very genuine fear now. "Our Province will be destroyed out of spite for what we brought on. Neelya, you will be the only Iumenta to witness for today. I fear the day will come when it will be up to you and your generation to save our people. You cannot die!"

"But if our Province..." Neelya started.

"Sue for asylum, beg if you must. Agree to tell the Elves whatever they want to know. Someday you will be able to return to our home lands."

"That's treason," Neelya said backing away. She felt her eyes,
tears?
She didn't cry, she was Iumenta.
 

Hoelaria grabbed her shoulders, "Not treason, what I have done is treason. I chose you Neelya to be my servant because I saw in you myself; you too can do great things someday. Please Neelya, when you do those things, let it be for your people and not for revenge. Promise me!"

Neelya had never seen the Queen show emotion like this, she didn't even know her, "Yes Highness I will do as you ask."

There was a crack of a ward. Neelya saw the Palace grounds light up. She dropped her fenna and rushed inside with the Queen.

* * * * *

Legon looked down on Bailaya as it burned. The Iumenta set most of the city on fire as they left areas but Legon hoped that at least a few humans would live. As for the Impa leadership, he had low hopes of them surrendering. Thus far all had fought and died; Legon was flying on to the Palace personally and hoped that he could persuade Hoelaria against suicide.