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Under the Violet Moon - Part 5
The mages slowly filed into the sky chamber– a large room with windows for a ceiling built in the northern corner of the Church of Lunos. It had been seven years since she had her first vision, Lord Lunos, the High Priestess looked up at the horn-shaped moon, Tonight, you’ll walk amongst us. she smiled to herself.
“Mages have assembled,” the assistant to the High Priestess spoke adjusting her violet dress, “It is almost time.”
The High Priestess looked at the sky one last time and ironed out little wrinkles from her Violet robe and got to her feet and took the stage, “Mages of Gaynamede,” her voice thundered through the room, “We’ve worked hard for last seven years. We’ve spent our sweat and our blood, we’ve trained ourselves and perfected our art now the time has come to wake up our Father.
“Now the time has come to walk and live and breathe with our creator… Today, we shall purge the Riara free from the Undead…”
High Priestess raised her hand and balled her fist in the air indicating the start. Mages fell in two concentric semi-circles folded their arms. A couple of women entered the sky room bearing a small metal basket containing golden ambers of coal. The air inside the sky room quickly turned tense as mages moved around in perfect coordination shifting quickly between poses. As the women placed the metal basket in the center of the semi-circle the smoke rose like a pillar.
When the mages turned around on their heels the smoke swirled into a spiral rising upward towards the window. Three young mages broke from the semicircle and slit the veins in their arms and allowed the blood to drip onto the golden ambers. A violet fire sprang to life in the metal basket. The thin, dancing tongue of the violet flame fizzled out the smoke. A single mage dressed in a violet robe took the center and broke into a dance. Her legs glided gently on the smooth floor of the sky chamber.
She dug her hands into the fire and the dancing tongue engulfed it. A moment later she pulled her hands out a ball of fire spinning between them. She turned around to face the mages who stood motionless, holding their breath for what was to follow. With a powerful push of her hands, she thrust the fireball up towards the horned moon. Ten heartbeats later, the silver light of the moon that filtered into the sky room turned a dark shade of violet.
“Lord Lunos,” the High Priestess’ voice thundered, “Lord Lunos, Our Father.”
The door of the sky chamber broke open and the Gaynamede guards clambered in. Their eyes had a twinkle that High Priestess couldn’t explain. The guards gave a chilly smile and drew their sword and slashed it around. The mages screamed as they fell into an attack position. But before they could complete their dance around the fire more soldiers walked into attacking anyone they saw. Their eyes had turned red and had sunk deeper into their skulls.
“What is happening?” High Priestess spoke, “What are you doing? Luthor’s going to hear about this.”
High Priestess ducked an attack and rolled to her sides. She recovered and crouched behind a chair as the guards began attacking each other with a ferocity she hadn’t seen before, What is going on? High Priestess thought unable to process the events.
She got to her feet and dashed towards the unguarded exit. Her run was cut short by a sword that had sliced through her throat sending the High Priestess of the Church of Lunos to her feet. Blood pooled around her wetting the violet robe. Her eyes popped wide as another guard jumped in front of her and repeatedly stabbed her, Lord… Lunos… she thought as darkness engulfed her.
Lyra stood beside Luthor as he sharpened the blade of his violet sword, “It is almost time.” Lyra looked at a device that the Church had given to her.
Luthor looked up and went back to sharpening the blade, “General Edor,” Luthor said getting up to his feet and walking out of the command tent, “Prepare to march.” Edor bowed low and ran to his left. Lyra could hear his orders carrying towards her Luthor sheathed the sword and signaled for his horse to be brought to him.
“Luthor,” Lyra held his hands and leaned into a kiss, “Be Victorious.”
“Tonight, I’ll be the Violet Emperor.” Luthor climbed his great stallion that was covered in a violet cloth. Lyra saw him wheel the horse around and trot to the front line. A group of soldiers wearing Royal Colors of Gaynamede surrounded her and escorted her towards a high ground from where she could see the battle unfold.
“Lady Lyra,” one of the escorts spoke through his helmet, “Would you like a cold beverage?”
Shook her head retreated silently into the palanquin that was brought for her. In the distance she heard Luthor’s voice thundering over the clamoring armor and shifting feet, “Tonight, with Lord Lunos’ blessing, we’ll bring culture to the barbarians of Eos.”
Lyra chuckled to herself, Culture. All we want is complete control of all Riara and securing the future of the Throne of Gaynamede. she rubbed her belly, We’ll leave a better powerful Gaynamede for you, child.
“Lady Lyra,” the palanquin stopped short, “We are here.” She gracefully got off the palanquin and found a small tent erected for her filled with everything to keep her comfortable. I hope the battle ends quickly. she rubbed her belly, I will not let anything happen to you child.
From the little elevation that the mount provide, Lyra saw a battlefield of Red, Gold, and Violet. The men of Gaynamede began marching towards the west where she could see an army of white waiting. The earth beneath her trembled as more and more men began to move forward. Bring him back safe, Lord Lunos, she folded her arms in a silent prayer to the silver moon.
She looked at the small timekeeping device High Priestess had given to Luthor to synchronize the attack, It is about time. she looked up once again at the silver moon, and in a heartbeat, it turned violet, Violet Emperor… he chain of thought was cut short when she heard armor clamoring close to her. She turned and saw the guards charged with keeping her safe had drawn their swords and creep up to her.
“What are you doing?” Lyra asked, “Why have you drawn your sword?”
The men simply continued to walk towards her. Their rasping breath was suppressed by loud roars of battle charges and swords clinking together, It has begun… she glanced over her shoulder to see the battle progress and was shocked to see men in Red, Gold, and Violet attacking each other mercilessly as if consumed by bloodlust. Her horror only escalated when she heard a loud scream and found one of the guards had approached within a hacking distance.
“Die,” he screamed as he swung the blade ripping a huge chunk of mass from her shoulders. Lyra collapsed to her knees instantly and the guards surrounded her and began stabbing her brutally with their swords, Child… Luthor… the twinkle in her eyes extinguished as she fell motionless to the soft earth.
Tamisus had a strange, powerful feeling as he wrapped his fingers around the Violet Sword. Sigmor stood in the corner watching the events unfold from under his hood, “For Eos. For Ierai.” he thrust the Violet Sword upward. The human soldiers clapped their spears against their shields. In the distance, the horns of Gaynamede blew and their great Gaynamedian host began to march towards Eos.
Tamisus looked at the Necromancer who shook his hooded head and made a sign in the air. The Undead army that nestled away from the Gaynamedian host rumbled and slowly they began marching. Waves of skeletons and rotten corpses swarmed and crossed the Eos. Just as I wanted. Tamisus saw his army tremble the earth beneath his feet as they dashed toward the enemy at the gates.
This feels… Tamisus looked at the sword, Powerful. he sheathed his sword and got on his destrier and joined the battalion of human Eosites, “Today, we’ll show what Eos stands for. Today we’ll destroy the haughty Gaynamede.”
He spurred his horse towards the battlefield. Silver moonlight gave it an ethereal feel as if he was fighting at the gates of heaven. He looked at his sheathed sword and heard a faith whisper in his mind, Kill. Kill. Kill. The voice grew stronger, coaxing him to wield the magical sword. Kill. Let the Blood Flow. Tamisus felt his hand slide towards the hilt of his sword. The Silver moonlight had turned Violet and the Voice inside his head had grown louder, sinister Kill. Kill. Ripe their throats. Stab their hearts. Kill. Kill.
Tamisus pulled the sword free from its scabbard. Kill them all. Eosite, Gaynamedian, Undead. There’s only you. There’s only self. You are God. You are the creator. You are the destroyer. The voice seduced him. Tamisus couldn’t look around him, Kill them… the voice urged, You are supreme.
Tamisus finally gave in and swung his sword over his head and found an Eosite soldier. The blade was dotted with red droplets that trickled towards the point, Kill them. the voice now had total control over him, To your left. Tamisus wheeled his horse around and swung his sword at the same time. A soldier raised his shield to block his strike but the Violet Sword shattered the sword into a million pieces and cut the man’s hand free.
Kill them all. The voice commanded and Tamisus obliged, Kill the one to your right. Kill the man in Silver armor. Kill the man with the beard. Kill the man with the hood. Kill the Necromancer. The voice ordered.
Tamisus took a hit to his side, a large chunk of his body was ripped free. Tamisus glanced down and saw his guts spilling but he kept going, Kill them. Kill them. the voice, controlled him. He felt no pain, he felt no sorrow. He felt no guilt in killing his own men. He couldn’t listen to anything but the voice that had controlled him. He could see the Violet moon from the ground as he kept swinging his sword.
The voice had weakened now, Tamisus could feel a tingling sensation in his guts. The Moon was slowly turning silver and Tamisus felt unbearable pain in his gut. Kill. the voice inside his head faded. Tamisus looked at his sword drenched in the blood of Eos. Ierai… I failed. Ierai, finally we’ll meet. Pain was so great that the darkness engulfed him the moment his will to live died.
The saline wind suppressed the smell of rot and blood. Alera bent over the rails along the port side looked towards the east. The sun was just rising over the horizon changing the color of the sky from deep black to a darker shade of purple. I saved a few souls… Alera regretted, I could have done more… she thought. She looked up and saw the silvery horned moon hanging farther than it usually was.
“Captain,” a woman wearing an orange tunic and polished steel armor spoke in a solid voice, “we are approaching the coast of Gaynamede.” Alera had struggled to form this military unit. When the Gaynamede was recruiting men to fight a lost war, Alera relentlessly traveled every city, every village, every kingdom to find women bold enough to wrap their fingers around a sword.
“Hmm.” Alera nodded to her. I’ve worked hard to save these women from death… Alera thought to herself as she let the warm breeze soothe her, I shouldn’t be so hard on myself.
“Lieutenant,” Alera called softly, “What are you going to do when you land?”
The woman in the orange tunic leaned over the rails and allowed the saline air to fill her lungs. She thought for a moment and said in a calm voice, “I’m… I don’t know, I’m going to find someone who can teach me how to perform surgeries…”
“Everyone…” Alera choked slightly, “Everyone on Riara is dead…”
“Captain,” the lieutenant turned, “I’m sorry, but I think humans are capable of surviving, even in the harshest situation.”
“I admire your optimism,” Alera said.
“What are you going to do Captain?”
Alera turned to face her lieutenant, “I’m going to take over the throne of Gaynamede.”
“Will people accept us?”
“We will be their hope,” Alera said, “And if anyone wants to pick a bone, we have the strongest army.”
“What will you do when you become Queen Alera, Captain?”
“Find every stupid book that contains references of Violet Moon and burn it. I’ll also make sure the Violet Moon doesn’t slip out of common knowledge. And yes, I’ll make this world more just and fair.”