A LEGACY OF LIGHT

VALIEN

VALIEN

The sky darkened into night, clouds brewed into a storm, and Valien flew through dream and memory.

Rain fell in sheets, thunder boomed, and lightning flared. Dragonfire reflected in every raindrop. Smoke rose like demons and blood spilled. All around, through ash and rain, the shadows of dragons spun, rose, fell, and crashed together with bursts of light. Valien flew through a nightmare, a single dragon in a sea of ghosts.

"Marilion," he whispered as he flew, still seeking her. "Do you fly among these ghosts?"

Cannons boomed ahead. A cannonball cut through the clouds and slammed into a dragon beside Valien. The dragon collapsed into human form. The cannonball kept flying; the man fell, limbs torn and tumbling.

Valien snarled.

I've come here to save the living, he thought. And to avenge the dead.

"Resistance!" he howled. "Follow my fire--to the fort! We break through."

He blew a pillar of flame skyward, a beacon for his warriors. Behind him, he heard them answer his call. Thousands of flaming pillars pierced the clouds, spinning and roaring. The rain steamed.

"Claim this fort!" Valien roared and flew forward. "Death to Cadigus!"

He beat his wings madly. He could still see little of the battle; all around, the smoke, fire, and blood curtained the forest. The battling dragons were nothing but shadows and firelight upon scales. Yet Valien drove onward. He could hear the enemy ahead: their cannons firing, their dragons calling, their emperor shouting for the red spiral.

Yes, you await me here, old friend, Valien thought. You who killed my king, who killed my wife. I hear your call, Frey. I come to answer.

He blew more fire, clawed an imperial dragon who charged his way, and kept flying. From smoke and fire, he saw them rising: the black walls of Castra Luna.

Years ago, Valien himself had served in this fort. Back then, the Aeternum dynasty had ruled here. Ivy had covered pale walls. The sons and daughters of Requiem had studied swordplay, dragonfire, and justice. Today no ivy covered the walls, only black tiles draped with banners of the red spiral. Today the youths studied no justice, only cruelty and murder.

Today, Valien vowed, we cleanse this fortress.

Cannons boomed.

Balls of iron flew through the smoke and clouds.

Valien howled, rose higher, and dodged a missile. Behind him, dragons screamed and blood sprayed him. Dark shadows leaped from the walls below, and pillars of fire blazed his way.

"Break down the walls!" Valien cried. "Resistance, follow--take this fortress!"

He swooped, claws outstretched. More dragons flew toward him, their bladed helms engraved with spirals. Valien bathed them with fire, then clawed their blazing bodies. He dived. A cannon fired toward him. He dodged the missile, landed on the gun, and roared his fire. Men burned and fell screaming from the walls. Casks of gunpowder blazed, and Valien soared, the flames licking his feet.

"Slay the enemy!" he howled. "Show Cadigus no mercy."

The Resistance descended from the sky, a rain of scales and claws. Hundreds of dragons landed upon the walls, towers, and courtyards, roaring their flames. Arrows shot from inside the halls and towers. Dragons clad in armor--frightened youths only moons into their service--fought and died.