Mesilithia Page 6

  Katie drops the body of the snite as the soul of Carm stands before her. She smiles mischievously at Katie, "You’re welcome."

  Katie looks at her, one brow raised and confused, but not surprised. "Excuse me? I just released you."

  Carm looks at Katie smiling, "Yeah, but I taught you how to fight. That counts as me saving myself."

  Katie smiles at Carm as she shakes her head, "Be at peace my old friend."

  Carm, still smiling at Katie, burst before her.

  Lithid lets out a growl as a shendoot jumps on his back trying to stab him in the chest. Lithid falls backward to the ground, in a last resort effort to crush the shendoot's body. As he falls, the warrior climbs to the right side of Lithid, not seeing the sharp spikes that stick out of his arm. Lithid then slams his arm across the warrior’s chest. "TRAITOR!" Lithid yells in a rage, as blood spews out of the warrior’s chest and it draws its last breath. Lithid stands, green blood dripping from his snout and red blood covering his black fur from the battle above. Lithid breathes heavily as he looks up, watching the clans killing snites. The trapped souls bursting in mid-air. Lithid looks back at the battle around him, then charges toward a blue dragon with black eyes.

  Zeer stabs a snite in the chest. As she looks behind the snite she sees Katie talking to a soul. Zeer recognizes Carm, and feels a little joy in the midst of the chaos to know she has been released. Zeer hears a wiston warrior yell out as a snite rips open his chest. She soars over, stabbing another snite that crosses her path as she approaches. Zeer stares at the snite, the snite stares back as it transforms into the warrior it had just killed.

  "AAHHGG!" Zeer lets out a yell as she charges the snite.

  The snite draws its sword to defend itself, blocking Zeer's attack. Zeer attacks over and over, full of rage. The snite smiles at Zeer, lunging toward her, stabbing her in the shoulder. Zeer lets out a yell of pain as she tries to hold up her sword, blocking its attack. She tries to push the snite away with her left arm as it attacks again, transforming its face as it tries to reach her chest. As she holds the snite back with her left hand, she searches for the strength in her right. She grips her sword and plunges it into the snite's chest.

  A zothan falls from the sky, nearly landing on Wicket, its heart ripped out of its chest. Wicket looks up to find Katie, but is attacked by a shendoot warrior. The shendoot tries to stab Wicket in the chest and is blocked by his shield. Wicket sees a dragon behind the shendoot, and kicks it in the air. The shendoot goes up into the air as the dragon breathes fire, killing the shendoot. Its charred body lands back on Wicket, he pushes the body off him to the side and stands. He expands his wings as he readies to take off to assist in the air. Before he can take off, he is hit by a dragon’s tail that sends him soaring through the sea of warriors. He slides across the ground, as a cartem comes to his aid. The cartem launches itself and attacks the snite dragon. Clawing at its flesh and biting its throat, the cartem kills the dragon. After the snite dragon falls to the ground dead, its body transforms back into a snite. The cartems fur turns to black as it walks over to Wicket, purring as it rubs it’s head on Wicket’s shoulder. Wicket sighs, “Thank you.”

  Katie puts her sword through a snite's chest, then puts her arm up to shield her eyes as the souls pour out and burst. She looks around the battle to see clans fighting snites, bodies falling from the sky. She looks below to see Wicket get attacked by a dragon. She hears a scream from behind her, and turns around to see Zeer being attacked by three snites. Katie soars through the sky with her sword ready, coming behind the snites. She stabs one in the back and it screams out in pain. She reaches her hand out and grabs another by the throat, pulling it off Zeer, Who stabs it from behind. Zeer pulls the other off her chest, as Katie stabs it in the chest. Katie looks at Zeer and they both breathe a sigh of relief. Zeer pats Katie's shoulder, "Thanks, I owe you on that one." Katie nods, as she looks across the battle below. Many of the snites in the air have taken to land, the clans are dwindling, everyone is fighting more than one snite or shendoot. The clans soar toward the ground attacking the shendoot traitors.

  Lithid growls as he tries to push the blue snite dragon’s snout away from him, biting at it. The dragon starts to inhale, to preparing to breathe fire. Lithid must kill it, but it’s too large and too strong, the dragon overpowers him. As Lithid looks across the battle, he sees Katie on the ground slaughtering shendoot warriors with a cartem at her side. The cartem attacks a shendoot as it comes up behind Katie. Katie is yelling for Lithid to get up, but he has grown weak. The voices and the sounds of the battle around him start to fade. He has blood gushing from his side as the dragon claws him. The dragon pulls back to torch Lithid, and Lithid knows this is the end. The dragon roars, then... nothing... He looks up, knowing he should be on fire, to see a white shield blocking the dragon’s breath. His energy is coming back, he looks to his right and sees Yem, holding up her hands against the fire. She looks at Lithid, "We will fight!"

  Lithid roars as he stands and feels energized. He attacks the dragon and rips its throat out with his teeth.

  Zeer yells, "Nooo!" She fights off a dragon, her sword has been knocked from her hand. The dragon overpowers her, pushing her to the ground. Then a sword pierces the dragon’s throat. Zeer sees Rud pull his sword out of the dragon’s body as it transforms back into a snite. As she looks into the sky she sees other Zothan come flying in overhead.

  Katie hovers from the edge of the battle to see the Seleen Clan enter from the far end of the lake. As they fly through the battle they spread out, flying next to clan warriors. With one hand they seem to heal or energize the warriors, with the other they place up shields blocking them from attacks. In an instant, they remove the shield, allowing the warriors to attack with a finishing blow. She sees one go to Wicket’s aid as a snite swings its sword at him. She then sees Rud, watches as he takes his sword out of a snite. "AAAHHHH!" Katie screams in pain, and falls to the ground.

  "KATIE!" Wicket screams, as he helplessly watches Katie fall to the ground below.

  David, Selphie, and Loo fly in to see Katie on the ground, as a large snite attacks her. Her right wing is completely destroyed. The snite ripped the feathers off half of her right wing, all that's left is the bone of the wing, which is covered in blood and muscle.

  David screams, "NOOO!" The snite turns toward David as Katie tries to stand and fight. She takes her sword and stabs the snite from behind, then faints from the pain. The Snite pulls the sword out of his body as he picks up Katie, and yells for a retreat. The snite transforms into a wiston and takes off in the sky, taking Katie with it.

  Wicket takes off after Katie, but a red snite dragon blocks his path. The dragon grabs him with his mouth on the shoulder and part of his wing. He whips Wicket back and throws him to the ground. As Rud sees Wicket falling, he takes off to catch him, but he's falling too quickly. Wicket falls.....

  ~Memories & the present~

  "Where am I?" he says aloud as he looks around, feeling as though he is in a haze. He squints his eyes trying to focus. He sees Katie, sitting at the bottom of white steps with a small child. Realizing he is in Zalorthia, he lifts his helmet off. He looks up at the castle, the tall white crystal tower shines in the sun. The aroma from the gardens fills the air; he almost forgot how beautiful it was.

  He sees Katie and the small boy walk toward him. As they come closer, he recognizes the small boy with black wings. He stands at only 3 ft tall, with short light brown hair. The boy laughs and wipes his hair away as it falls into his eyes. Katie is wearing a white, flowing, off-the-shoulder lace dress. Her hair is shorter and the feathers on her wings practically shine. He thinks to himself, "it's a memory, I must be dreaming."

  "Come Lady Katie, he is over here. He is a guard," the boy says aloud.

  "Alright, I'm coming," Katie says smiling for the first time since coming to Mesilithia. The wind blows her hair in her face as she walks with the boy.

  "Father! Father!" The small boy tugs at his armor, he looks
down, not sure what to do.

  "Are you alright? Katie asks him.

  "Y-Yes, I'm sorry, I don't feel well my Lady.”

  “What is it Rud?"

  "Can I go with Lady Katie to the Library? She is telling me all about her world." Rud excitedly explains to his father.

  "Rud, I don't think you should bother her."

  "Oh he is fine, he has become my best friend here." she looks down at Rud while holding his hand, "I would love for him to go with me. I enjoy his company."

  "Please Father!"

  He sighs. "Alright mind-" he pauses as he notices the sky turn gray. Everything starts to fade from his vision.

  "Wicket.... My Lord, can you hear me?" a voice calls out to him, bringing him to the present.

  "...Rud..."

  "Yem, he's waking up!" Rud yells.

  "Lord Wicket, can you hear me?" Yem asks as she lands on the bed, standing next to his arm.

  "Rud."

  "Yes, My Lord."

  "...mind your manners when Lady Katie takes you to the library...." he trails off in a mumble.

  Yem looks at Rud confused as she lets out a slight giggle, "Is he dreaming?"

  Rud appears to be just as confused, "I think he is remembering...." Rud tries to recall it, "I think it is when we first met Katie. I was a small child then." Rud says smiling, "I talked with her about her world and books. Then we walked over to Wicket. He was a guard." Rud holds Wicket's hand, "Father.... please wake up."

  Wicket awakens to the smell of water, rock, and....Loo.

  "My Lord, are you awake?" Loo asks bent across the bed with his face in Wicket's.

  "Yes." Wicket replies pushing Loo away, slightly disgusted by Loo's sour breath.

  "RUD!" Loo yells, "He's awake!"

  "What happened?" Wicket asks as he starts to sit up. "Where is Katie?" He snaps at Loo and Rud.

  "They took her," Rud replies.

  "Why aren't you out looking for her?"

  "My Lord-"

  "RUD, YOU JUST LET HER GO!" Wicket yells angrily at Rud.

  "Father," he exclaims. "They were after you. They're not going to kill her. It's you they want."

  Wicket stares at Rud as his anger subsides, "Why?"

  Rud and Loo explain to Wicket what Josque had told them about the Snites’ plan. Then Wicket proceeded to ask how he got to Gorath.

  "Loo caught you in the air on his pegasus," Rud explains.

  "Lord Wicket, I healed your wounds, but they were so deep that your body required rest." Yem adds in explanation as to why he slept for 3 days. "Was anyone else killed or hurt?" Wicket asks the room.

  No one answers.

  "Who?" Wicket asks as he turns to the side of the bed, attempting to stand.

  "Lady Zeer passed. She went after Katie also," Yem says aloud.

  "We lost many other men. Girk." Rud adds as he silently recalls informing Nena that her father had been killed.

  "I'm very sorry Sar," Rud apologizes as he hands her Girk's helmet. "Girk was like my brother. He was killed saving my life."

  Sar silently weeps as she looks up at Rud, "How?"

  Rud looks at Sar, he had hoped she wouldn't ask but knew she needed the closure. "I killed a dragon snite that was attacking Lady Zeer. Moments after, Lady Katie was attacked and Lord Wicket took off after her. I was turned watching Lord Wicket fighting a dragon snite, when I took off. I hadn't realized it until after Lithid told me. A snite had snuck up behind me, and was in position to pierce me in the back with its sword... Girk had seen him just in time, he moved in front of the snite and took the blow. Lithid said Girk didn't have time to even draw his sword." Rud looks down trying to hold back the tears, "He sacrificed his life for mine. I am so sorry."

  Sar smiled at Rud, tears streaming down her face. "He knew you would be a great King someday. He always told me that if he died protecting you or Lord Wicket, that he died a good death."

  Nena, who has been standing next to her mother, takes Rud's hand, leading him to the balcony. "Rud, look," she says as she points up to the night sky.

  Rud looks at Nena confused, "The stars?"

  "Father always said that no matter what, he would be in the stars watching over us." Nena says smiling as she looks at the starry night sky…

  Rud looks to see a star soar across the sky, stopping near a moon. It shines brighter than the rest for only a moment. Rud bends down next to Nena, pointing at the particular star. "I think that one is him, it's new."

  Nena looks at the star as she hums a beautiful lullaby her father sang her.

  Sar walks up and stands behind Nena, "Let's go rest."

  Nena looks up at her mother as she shakes her head in agreement. As she turns to follow her mother, she pauses, looking up at the star.

  "Goodnight father."

  Rud watches as Nena follows her mother into the caves. He continues to watch the night sky, wondering if it really was possible.

  "After I caught you, Lady Zeer transformed and took off after the dragon. She was already badly injured. It snapped her neck rather quickly." Loo explains.

  "We need to inform the rest of Mesilithia what is happening." Wicket states.

  "I have already called a council meeting." Rud leans on the doorway, "They should be here by morning."

  "I need to speak with David about the situation, and stretch my wings. We need to set out soon to find Katie." Wicket ponders aloud as he stands and walks to the gold mirror that hangs on the wall.

  ~ZALORTHIA~

  "aahh..ugh....," Katie says as she awakens laying on her stomach on a cold hard floor. She is facing what is left of her right wing. The bone is bare and exposed, bloody. The pain reminds Katie of when she got her wings. The pain then was so unbearable she fainted. She attempts to move it, only to yell out in pain again. Katie attempts to look around slowly as she sits up, trying not to move her wing. She is in a cell lit by one torch. She recognizes this cell. She has been here before. She is in the dungeons of Zalorthia, the floating kingdom. Zalorthia was once the kingdom of the Zothan Clan, her parents’ kingdom.

  Katie stands on a chair that is against the back wall to look out the window. As she looks out, she sees ice everywhere. She tries to seek anything that would tell her location. She sees the sky is dark and the stars are out. Wondering how long she has been there, she slowly turns, looking at her cell. In the corner is a shendoot, its body covered in bruises from being beaten, with a chain around its neck. Katie looks down at her leg, feeling something heavy pull on her, she sees a chain clasped around her ankle.

  As she looks out again, she can only see the sky and the ice below. Katie had only been in the kingdom’s dungeon once before, but was unsure of her exact location. Lost in thought, I hope Wicket and David survived the attack. Why haven't they killed me? I'm not much use to them alive, they certainly had an open opportunity.

  The shendoot in the corner moves his head as he wakes up. Katie sits there staring at him, awaiting a reaction. The Shendoots betrayed the Zothan Clan, but she is unsure if this one is aware of what has happened. The warrior looks at Katie, "I tried to clean your wing, but they beat me for it." The warrior explains in a low deep voice. "I was brought here a nyia ago, tortured for information. I know what has happened."

  Katie speaks out softly, the pain of her wing in her voice. "How could you know? It only happened..."

  "My Lord Josque told me," he explained pointing to his brain. "Right before he died."

  "That's right, you can speak telepathically." Katie looks at the shendoot warrior, "Tell me, can you hear each other’s thoughts?"

  "No, it is actually quite exhausting to contact each other through our minds over long distances. We only do this when we have no choice. We can contact specific shendoots as long as they have developed the skill."

  "Is there anyone else you talk to? Someone who could tell the others where we are?"

  "I'm not sure if we can trust my people anymore..." the shendoot sadly explains.

  "How are you called?�
�� Katie moves close to the shendoot.

  "Casque, my Lady"

  "Why didn't Josque tell us you were here? We could have tried to rescue you."

  "I asked him not to," Casque looks down in shame. "I am ashamed. A snite in a shendoot form lured me into giving them information about the clans. I was tricked to coming here."

  "How have you survived being out of water so long?"

  "Every few days, they pour a bucket of water on me to prolong my suffering. I would contact Josque every full moon telling him what they asked me."

  Katie, feeling pity for Casque, "Casque you should not feel ashamed. You are very brave."

  "Thank you Lady Katie, your kind words warm my heart." He says resting his head against the wall.

  As the sun begins to rise, Katie thinks about the battle, trying to remember everything. "Casque, it was only those of the lake that betrayed Josque, right?"

  "I'm not sure, I have not contacted anyone. He said the lakes." He looks at Katie curious to her thoughts, "Why?"

  "The Shendoots of the great water may not know."

  "I have a female friend I could try to contact. Although it will be dangerous for her to show up at Gorath, they will kill her."