of time before we can no longer guarantee your life. With all due respect, my Queen, put on your armour and ride out of the city as fast and hard as you can, before I drag you out of here myself. I don't want to desert my men. We will hold them back for as long as we can, and will fight to our very last breath. A messenger has already been dispatched to warn the elves of your journey. There is no time to waste-now go!”
A loud shudder reverberated through the city as the main drawbridge was lowered viciously and slammed into the ground, the force of it sending huge chunks of earth crashing into the flowing river below it. Andrielle was quickly aided into her reserve armour and onto her waiting horse before turning to address the guards. “Brave men of Greenhaven, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. If the city is beyond all hope, and you can make it out with your lives, find your way to the Elven Woods, where you are all welcome to find a new home with us. There is no shame in saving your lives.'
Aidan raised his sword in the air and they all shouted together, “Long live the Queen!”
Andrielle and Helenia turned and rode hard through the main gates, and Aidan returned his attention to the guards under his command. “We know what we have to do here tonight. The city is not lost until we say it is. For the memory of our King Arman!” he yelled.
Aidan raised his sword high in the air as the roar of the guards momentarily drowned out the horrific screams from the city. The gathering shapes of shadow demons could be seen with each bolt of lightning as they took formation at the other end of the city, and they began to move slowly towards Greenhaven’s final line of defense.
As an almost blinding flash of lightning struck the earth near the shadow demons, she finally arrived in Greenhaven. Her form slowly revealed itself through the dispersing smoke, and Kassina stood with small bolts of lightning coruscating into the ground from her fingertips. Her dark laugh echoed eerily throughout the entire city. “My sweet Derian, we’ve done it! Greenhaven, their shining jewel, is ours for the taking.”
Aidan marched into the front line of guards, aimed his sword forward, and readied his shield by his side. “Don't listen to that witch and her drivel. Is this really the best that Kassina can throw at us? Men of Greenhaven! Let’s show these pathetic demons that it is our blades that they should fear. Charge!”
Kassina's pointed at the charging guards and snarled, “Kill them-kill them all, my sweets!”
Her hair was whipped around her face from the sheer force of her dark army charging past her position.
The guards ran ahead at full speed, as the demons increased their own pace between the shadows. As the gods watched the glowing city from the stars, the forces of light and darkness collided in a fury of blades, shields and claws.
The war had begun.
Chapter 4: The Aftermath
“Bring me another cup please, innkeeper, is that really too much to ask?
Life is so sweet, but ever so sweeter with the aid of an honest drink. I have travelled far and seen much, even though I don’t remember a lot of it… I’m sure that it was full of experiences worthy of a songstress!
I may not be so young anymore, but worry not, as I’m sure that one day I will rise to be a great man, and shall be etched into the history books.
Yes! They will say, ‘We all remember the master thief who could outdrink any man, or woman, for that matter.’ Actually, that’s not what I was thinking at all. Pour me another cup!”
She sat quietly on her sleek throne, tapping her long fingernails with boredom. Patience was not one of her strongest points, and she grew tired of the glacial progress of Shindar's plans. Immortality comes at an immense cost to a woman who craves continual excitement and attention.
Kassina was blessed at birth to be an incredibly beautiful woman. Her glamorous features were enhanced by her exotically pale skin. It was not difficult to understand why so many had fallen for her charms and paid dearly with the price she demanded for fulfilling their wishes.
Her feminine body was barely covered by an intricately woven dark blue dress that hugged her generous curves. She was pure darkness, wrapped neatly within a deceptively attractive shell.
The prince wants an audience with me? This should prove to be an amusing distraction, she thought.
Around the perimeter of the room were countless slaves who were chained harshly to its sleek walls. They sat naked, shivering, on the icy-cold floors. Their foggy breaths provided a sickly calming ambience to the room. Some of them lay almost lifeless with fresh bite marks on their necks, but clung to their humanity with whatever strength they had left.
Standing and marching around the room, she toyed with her captives and playfully tapped their heads as she made her way around. 'Teenie weenie little crow, catch my meal by the toe. If she bleeds, let her die slow. Teenie… Weenie… Little… Crow…'
Stopping in front of a naked young woman that was barely past her teens, she cocked her head and smiled. 'It looks like you will be graced with my attention today.'
The woman shook her head, beads of sweat forming on her skin as she scrambled to the wall, cowering. The woman sobbed, 'No, please!'
Kassina laughed as she crouched down on front of her victim. She looked her over and reached down between the woman's legs, forcing her fingers inside her and concentrating as she dug deeper. 'Well what do we have here? You are a special treat. Let me guess, you probably have never been kissed, have you…'
The woman cried out at her sudden push and Kassina brought her bloodied fingers to her mouth, sucking them clean. The vampire's voice whispered with a purr, 'I don't usually play with my food, but how can I resist? Do you know what I like more than the blood of a virgin?'
The woman's teary eyes peered over her shoulder and she shook her head.
Kassina brought her seductive mouth by her ear and whispered, 'Nothing.'
Her sharp intake of breath filled the room as Kassina's head blurred and her fangs sunk deep into the woman's flesh. Her cries filled the room as the deep sounds of her blood being swallowed and the vampire's satisfying moans accompanied her in an intimate symphony of death.
When her body was near depleted and she let out her final breath, she twitched with her last signs of life before Kassina stood, stretching out with her replenished power. Her eyes closed, she ran her slippery tongue around her plump lips and fangs. Her legs slid as she slowly returned to her throne, her movements vacant as if her mind had travelled far from her tower. She sat down gently as if she were a falling leaf from an above tree, her lips quivering with the aftershocks of pleasure.
With a satisfied grin, she ordered, “I think he has waited long enough. Bring him inside, and don’t hurt him, as that privilege is always solely mine.'
Two skeleton warriors opened the heavy iron gates, and she snarled wickedly as Prince Derian strolled inside. The prince's face contorted as he looked around the room at the many victims dead or dying.
As Kassina sent souls to Shindar’s grip in the underworld, skeleton warriors were created from the rotting bones of the fallen and used as reinforcements for the Forces of Darkness. The bones contained the souls of men and women who now found themselves trapped inside this new form. Shindar sent their souls back from the underworld, after they had been enchanted by magic. These souls were not aware that they had died, and fought for Shindar blindly, obeying Kassina's every command.
Kassina managed to control her anger as she laid eyes on the half-breed son of her oldest enemy. “Prince Derian, what a surprise. What brings a spoilt heir like you to a desolate place like this? Tell me, is there one good reason why I shouldn’t just kill you where you stand? It would save me a lot of time. Please enlighten me, while you still pique my curiosity.'
Derian stopped in his tracks, held up a partially ripped dusty scroll, and threw it to her with a swift twist of his arm. He grinned and approached her confidently. “This is why you won’t kill me, sorceress.'
Kassina raised one hand at him and her other hand to stop the scroll mid-flight and eased it open in the air. It
