Fan Fiction ❯ The Ever Burning Flames ❯ The Evil One Returns ( Chapter 5 )

5

The Evil One Returns

Astrono hovered in the air, looking down at Estral as citizens scrambled to get out of the city, using secret passage ways, hidden within the wall that surrounded the city. Creatures of destruction entered the city and flames devoured it. Nadroms armed with random weapons, and three Farefors (giant turtles mostly the size of a two story house with cannons on its back and a snake for a tail) patrolled the city, destroying buildings, crushing innocent people, blasting everything in their way, and destroying to their hearts' content, but two large beasts, they were of a specie of the Long Forgotten Ages of the world. Astrono's great eagle-like eyes adjusted to the long range and he saw that they were Goftros, specie that looks a lot like a Tyrannosaurus Rex with long, deadly, bull-like horns, spikes all along its back and a long tail used for balance and battle, for it may topple a small mountain or hill, even though they weren't very much taller than the Farefors they were much harder to defeat with skin almost as hard as Dragons' Hide and they are able to spit acid at their foes. The Goftros were released at different parts of the large city, while the Nadroms moved in swiftly through the city toward the large castle at the end and the Farefors crashed and blasted their way through the city, already two giant aircrafts were released at the top of the castle, one was most likely a decoy.

"Ugh, they beat me here," Astrono looked away as the people ran for their very lives, entering escape crafts to save all the people who could make it. He folded his wings to gain great speed as he descended down to the two large aircrafts that have left the castle; he came along side the one in the front.

"I am Astrono, Lord of the Unicorns and King of the Horses. I must speak with your King, is he presently aboard this craft?" Astrono yelled to the pilot through the small, open window. The pilot nodded and a door opened in the side of the craft, a long walkway protruded from it. Astrono landed on the walkway, folding his wings as he entered the craft. His wings melted into his body as men ran left and right in a panic turning corners like mice in a maze along the hall giving Astrono only a glance and an occasional wave. Astrono stopped a familiar face.

"Where are your Lord's quarters? I must see him, Valendor, I have urgent news for him," Astrono said calmly.

"Ah Lord Astrono! Glad you are alive and well, I hope. Ah yes Milord is this way, follow me and careful of the men, don't run over them," Valendor said leading Astrono through the passage in front of them. Passing several passages leading to other doors or halls, but without turning, they came across a large wall. Valendor placed his hand on a panel in the center of the wall before them. The wall vanished and Valendor entered and knelt down upon one knee before a large throne at the end of a long red carpet. In the throne sat a King in his late forties with small streaks of aged white in his brown hair sitting straight with a magnificent crown on his head, his eyes were calm, and gentle but if you looked closely you would see the slight signs of grimness deep in his blue eyes. Next to the Lord of Estral sat a young man at the fairly young age of 18, the Prince of Estral.

"Milord, Astrono, Lord of the Unicorns and King of the Horses, has come to speak with you," Valendor said straightening up before the King.

"Ah, send him in," the King replied. Valendor came back into the hall and bowed for Astrono to enter. Once Astrono was inside, Valendor placed his hand on a panel on the sidewall and the wall was once more in its place.

"I bring terrible news I'm afraid, King Lornadro, sire of Prince Nordo," Astrono said after bowing his head to the King and the Prince. The Prince bowed his head in acknowledgement to Astrono.

"Say no more, I already know the Demon Lords have escaped, for my city was the first they sent their beasts to," Lornadro got up from his throne and walked to a window looking out to his burning city and castle as roars from Goftros rang in the air with blasts from the Farefors. "Long I have deemed this would happen but never I have known that it would be true so soon, I wonder, perhaps it was an evil force that released the Lords from their prison in that Palace of Hell. I am afraid that not even I know. How has this happened Astrono? Do you know?" He looked at Astrono; his soft gaze was almost like he can see right through him, into his very soul.

"It is hard to say…" Astrono muttered with some hesitation, bowing his head. "We don't have time to stand around thinking about it though, we must take action. Do you know what their next target is? Take what is left of your army and join forces with the next target perhaps then you will be able to defeat them."

"Aye, Lord Astrono, but I deem the next target would be your own Kingdom…" the Prince spoke for the first time seeing his sire's hesitation. Astrono jerked his head up.

"We must hurry! They might already be there!" Astrono exclaimed. "How much of your army do you have left?"

"Hmm…about a half survived the attack…" Nordo said getting up and walking down in front of Astrono. "And I deem after they attack your kingdom…then they'll go for Maerdya…" Astrono stared into the young Prince's eyes.

"So, the Evil One has joined forces with the Demon Lords, I was going to Maerdya how else would they know to attack Maerdya and my Kingdom so I'll have to be in two places at once…" Astrono's voice was low, but his frustration grew. "Well, take what is left of your army and hurry to my Kingdom I must go to Maerdya. Once at my Kingdom gather the Horses and the Unicorns. You may ride the Horses, but the Unicorns will fight alone. Mix yourselves so there aren't two Unicorns together because they'll absorb the other one's magic if they aren't at least two horses/men apart." Astrono quickly gave quick instructions to how to get to his Kingdom from where they are.

"I must go to Maerdya now I pray we meet again and I hope you get there safely…" Astrono was cut short for just then the aircraft shook as if something large and powerful had just slammed into the side of it. Nordo looked out the window his eyes widened.

"Oh my dear lord!" Nordo exclaimed. "It's the Evil One! He's trying to ram us out of the sky!" Astrono made for the door.

"I'll try and stall him, alert the pilot and try to keep the ship steady!" Astrono yelled as Nordo placed a hand on the panel in the middle of the wall-like door and the door vanished Astrono ran through the hall and reached the door leading outside. With a few words the door opened and a walkway protruded from it. Standing on the walkway, Astrono's wings burst from his shoulders and he took flight.

Astrono flew up over the large air craft looking for the Evil One, though it didn't take long, he found him smashing into the side of the craft where the King's chambers was. Astrono glared at it and there was a flash of light as an electrical energy surrounded his horn. That flash caught the Evil One's attention and he landed on top of the aircraft. Astrono landed a distance from him and still the electrical energy surrounded his horn as he powered himself up. The Evil One let out a roar and grinned a toothy grin to show his mouthful of sword like teeth.

"Ah Astrono so we do meet again," the Evil One laughed. "Ah, are you intending to fight me Astrono, you break my heart. I thought we were friends. But ah yes I remember, you betrayed me Astrono! And for that you shall pay, you shall pay if it is today or next century you shall pay for what you have done to me!" The Evil One laughed loudly.

The electrical energy around Astrono's horn stopped glowing. A ball of a blue icy substance floated, suspended in the air in front of Astrono. It grew rapidly until it hid Astrono's face, then with a loud neigh; Astrono reared up and smashed his head against the ball. After hitting the ball Astrono was blown back just barely a few inches because of the after shock of the impact. The ball of ice magic blasted toward the Evil One it was barely a flash and when it hit his stomach had frozen over. He scratched his belly and laughed.

"So you're trying to hurt me now are you?" he laughed with an amused grin. "Well it's not working Astrono, what are you going to do now? Hmm?" he laughed some more. But his laughter stopped when he heard Astrono's amused laughter fill the air.

"You do not understand do you Evil One?" he said with a stomp of his hoof. "Look at yourself! I hope you're feeling the cold by now." The Evil One's eyes widened and he looked slowly down at himself and a horror filled his eyes. The ice on his stomach was moving up around him freezing him, it crawled up his body, first he couldn't move his legs, soon he couldn't feel his tail, and his hands stiffened. He would melt the ice but the more he melted it the thicker it got. After mere minutes he was almost completely frozen. The intense cold froze his insides, all heat drained from his body, his eyes rolled back and he shook his head wildly side to side in agony and rage. And through these minutes the agonized screams of the freezing Dragon echoed in the air and Astrono had to look away when the Evil One turned his head to him. He glared and said his last words; "Curse you Astrono! I will return to hunt you down I swear it…" By this time he was completely frozen. Still the same glare of hatred in his eyes, his dead eyes. Astrono came closer and nudged him off the aircraft and the Evil One, the frozen Dragon, Dremon's brother…was no more than a pile of broken ice…or so he thought.

Astrono looked over the side of the aircraft at the shattered Dragon. His head and neck was whole, and so were his legs and tail, but his middle was in pieces. The blood was frozen and none moved…but suddenly the head moved slowly and glared at Astrono before the aircraft moved out of sight. Astrono stared long at the sky as clouds moved ever slowly. Astrono sighed and looked easterly in the direction they were going.

"He will return…I can feel it," Astrono muttered darkly to himself. "He has gained more power than expected…no matter what I do alone, he will return, after a while…"

Astrono fell silent and let the breeze calm him. He stretched his wings and took flight, flying along side the aircraft. Something disturbed him in the back of his mind, and he flew next to the pilots' window and calling out to the open window he said:

"How long will it take to my kingdom?"

"About a week at full speed," the pilot shouted back.

"May I come into the vessel? I must speak with King Lornadro and Prince Nordo,"

The pilot nodded and the walkway protruded from the side of the aircraft. Astrono landed and his wings melted into his body as he walked in, the walkway closing behind him. He walked slowly toward the Counsel room where the People of Counsels always are. The halls were still filled with men, in a more orderly fashion, like a traffic zone, one side going one direction, the other side the other direction. Still it was a crowd and turning could mean injury, but finally he made it to the large gold, silver door to the Counsel room. Already there were seats occupied by Generals, Battle Masters, Captains, Nobles, and the Strategic Masters. One particular place next to King Lornadro was set for Astrono, and below the King sat the Prince Nordo, along with his sister Princess Arafamaria (more commonly known as Warrior Ara). Below the Princess and Prince sat in a long row the Generals and Battle Masters, below them sat Captains and a few selected from their army with about three Strategic Masters of the Strategy House (the ones who select a certain strategy for survival, the route which they should take, battle strategy, battle formation with the Generals, etc), and below them sat the Nobles (People from rich families, that should have a say in a conversation such as this). They all talked to each other as Astrono had entered the room.

Astrono made his way up the stairs and stood next to the King who sat in his high throne at a long desk that reached from one end of the room to the other. Like a meeting room except with rows, more like a theater except curved; the highest-ranking person/lord is at the very top row and moves down to the lowest, which would be the Nobles. There were stairs on either side of the room so that people may move to their seats. Everyone was silenced when Lornadro stood up.

"We have gathered here today, to discuss that of which has happened, and that of which must happen," Lord Lornadro started, looking across the room as many of them nodded. "I assume most of you already know what has happened. We are now recovering from a brutal attack on the ship's quarter side (the throne room), the rest area (the area where everyone sleeps), the recovery area and partial damage on the engine was our cost for being careless and not using our defense shields. We are now heading toward Lord Astrono's Kingdom of Fanastia, Land of the Unicorns and where the Great Steeds of War dwell. I would like a word of advise to what route we shall take or what we shall do before hand and after hand." Everyone was silent for some time as Lornadro took his seat once more.

"Perhaps, we should recover from the brutal attack first," spoke Gartor, one of the Strategy Masters, as he stood from his seat a man in his forties, gray streaks in his brown hair, his eyes shining hazel. "Milord, I deem we land and set camp, I dislike wandering the skies with battered aircrafts. Mayhap, we will be better off." There was a murmur of voices; some nodded their agreement, while others sat in thought. Gartor resumed his seat just as a Nobleman stood.

"Impossible!" shouted Tron, a rich, survival skilled Nobleman of thirty or so, his black hair slightly covering his brown eyes. "If we landed the craft would surely be attacked. The monsters and beasts in these here parts are incredibly strong! It would be too hard to defeat them with so many injured. I deem we keep moving until we find a safer spot." To this most of the Nobleman nodded their agreement, some Strategy Masters shook their heads, Gartor jumped from his seat.

"There is no safer spot than here!" Gartor shouted his argument. "If we kept going we would find no safer spot. Further down would be more Hell Troops and steeds that would make you fall to your knees at the very sight of them. The beasts ahead are monstrous and vicious; those foul creatures would eat you alive and hang your bones on their walls for decoration! Don't be a fool Tron of the Noblemen; for I know more of survival and the land than you will ever know. Take you're seat lowlife!" Tron growled and remained unseated slamming the bottom of his fist on the desk, so to Gartor remained on floor. Suddenly, there was a burst of uproar many taking the floor and shouting of an outrage. Lornadro stood and tapped the end of his long staff against the desk and called for silence. Immediately the hall rang with silence, everyone except Gartor and Tron seated.

"I say Gartor is right for there are more dangerous monsters ahead," spoke Lornadro looking left at Gartor and then right at Tron. "Then again Tron is partly right that we shall go on for a few miles until we are at the area between the mountains. Now, about the wounded folk, how many healers survived the attack?" Stran, one of the Generals (youngest at his age of nearly 18), stood, his head bowed making his blond hair cover his blue eyes, and spoke softly:

"Only three healers have survived the attack," Stran spoke in a quiet voice but all could hear. "And the wounded are one quarter of my respected army, a quarter of General Nrudor's army, and two fifths of General Saynor's army. Three quarters of my army was slain, and two fifths of Saynor's army was also slain, while Nrudor's army has two quarters slain. In all we have four thousand, six hundred wounded, seven thousand, nine hundred slain, and out of our total army size of one hundred forty-eight thousand, only two thousand, three hundred are unwounded…" there were horrendous gasps and shocked looks on everyone's face including a slight flicker of grief on the Lords' faces. Stran regained his seat.

"This is terrible," Gartor spoke with his head bowed. "We must land and get the healers to work immediately. Some of the warriors must leave the crafts to hunt, but other than that we must remain inside the safety of these crafts as much as possible." Gartor regained his seat and so to did Tron, as Lornadro stood.

"Then it is done, when we reach the area between the mountains we will land and rest, stay inside at all times, and only warriors will be permitted outside the crafts. If a beast finds its way inside none will worry for the wounded will be kept in the Recovery room, and everyone will be in their quarters." So ended the counsel…