The Elemental Chain Saga: Dragon Flame

Chapter Nineteen: The Last Day

Max sat on the stone steps on the back of the castle as he fingered the hilt of his sword, the starry sheen of the blade twinkling in the dimming light. His thoughts were so jumbled, bouncing from one thought to another, always seeming to return to the woman and almost prophetic foresight. He looked up at the setting sun, admiring the pumpkin orange and hazelnut blends of the sky. The last beams of light that day shined dimly as Copper sat down next to him. "Hey, Max."

Max gave a halfhearted smile "Hey, Coops. Do you need something?"

"Tomorrow's the big day," he said softly. Max nodded slowly in response.

"You ready to go, you know, into battle and stuff?" Cooper asked.

"I don't know, Cooper. Just the thought of killing people puts me on edge. I'm not sure how much I can contribute."

"We all have to do our part. I've never killed anyone but I'm ready to do it for my country," Cooper said it proudly but Max wasn't sure if Cooper would ever be able to deal a fatal blow to someone at his age.

They sat there together, letting the setting sun show their emotions. Day to night; happy to forlorn.

Tomorrow, war was upon Alerdreamia.
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Sybil tried to loosen her bonds as she rolled on the cave floor. It was no use though, her hands were securely tied to a stalagmite. She watched as a large force of Andanobians met in the cave of Colorless Cavern.

The cave was vast, stretching to be at last forty meters wide and thirty meters long. Jagged rocks stuck out from the ground at odd angles, including the one Sybil was stuck to.

There were more than one hundred of them. Or at least that's what Sybil guessed from what she could see of their forces. She listened as they were silenced.

A tall man stepped up onto the raised platform. He was tall but not gangly. His arms were well muscled and he held himself in a way that Sybil knew he was the leader of this group.

"Andanobians," a cowled man announced "the time has come. As you know, we have staged ourselves across the western side of Alerdreamia. This group is the deepest into the kingdom as it stands. We will start the war by attacking Astral Castle unawares. Tonight we strike!" The men roared in approval.

Sybil's blood chilled. Tonight, she thought worriedly. They're a day early. Sybil struggled with her bonds once more. She slumped in defeat as she saw the guards prepare to leave. Please, someone notice, she thought hopelessly.
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Mathias stood before his pacing father. He had just told him the news of Sybil's kidnapping. The blood still soaked Mathias' shirt sleeve and the arrow still protruded from him like a pin cushion. He had yet to see a doctor and he was too much of a coward towards pain to remove it himself.

"Why, Sybil, my sweet princess, did I let you leave my side at these times. How was Abel one of them? He has always been so loyal..." the king muttered under his breath.

Mathias had figured out it was Abel when he saw that Abel was not waiting for them at the hill. Abel's signature shafted arrow stuck in the prince's arm. Abel had betrayed them.

On top of everything else he had gone through, Mathias had found Lloyd's dead body by the river. Mathias had been in complete shock. Then it had hit him that his friend was gone, he had wailed in despair and frustration over Lloyd's dead body, pounding his fist into the sodden ground beside the still figure.

Miranda was beside herself. She wore a mask of blankness, devoid of emotion. She hadn't shed a tear but she shook, letting emotions out in shakes of hysteria.

Mathias' dad continued to pace in vain. After a minute he stopped and looked at his young son. "Mathias, you tried your best to save her. Now it is up the men to follow before her trail goes cold. We will have her back by our side as soon as we can, trust me."

Mathias looked at his father in awe, even in a dire crises as this he still found a way to inspire people.

The king looked at his son's blood stained shirt. "Go to your room. The doctor will be sent to your quarters. Just try to stay calm, kiddo. Your sister will be back before you know it," he smiled warily.

Mathias soon found himself in his room. The walls were lined with pictures of him and Lotus. The floor was strewn with his toys. A desk stood under the window. He glanced at the picture on it.

It was a picture of him and Sybil last year, on his birthday. He was making a face at the photographer and she was laughing at it. Mathias struggled to hold back his tears. I am strong, he thought struggling to reign in his emotions. Strong men don't cry.

His bed was in the far corner and he sat on the edge of it. He looked down at his toy-covered floor and sighed. He was in no mood for fun. All he could think about was Sybil. Hang in there, Sib, he thought. The cavalry are coming to save you.

The doctor showed up and inspected his wound. It hadn't severed any arteries and the doctor pulled out the whole arrow with a yelp of pain from Mathias. He took off his shirt to reveal a thin figure, almost scrawny in appearance. The doctor cleaned the wound, wiping the surface with a wet cloth. Mathias hissed as it was cleaned out with alcohol, pulling his arm away from the elderly man.

The doctor raised a questioning eyebrow, the eyebrow in question raising up beneath his thick, white hair. Mathis mumbled his apologies before the man bound it tightly with a wrapping. The doctor left the room with a bow after telling the boy to take it easy.

The sun was down below the horizon. Mathias climbed into bed after undressing and tried to get to sleep. He couldn't bring himself to stay up any longer. He felt the weight of his sister's disappearance like a hammering in his chest. All he could hear in his ears was Sybil's fearful scream and all he could see as he closed his eyes was Lloyd's bloodied carcass laying idle by the water.
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