DESTRUCTIVE MYTH

Looking out over the table through the double open doors, Dimas could almost see her entire world, so high up in her war room, she felt invincible. She had purposely placed it in one of the high towers for as much silence as she could get.

She took the moment to herself to gather her thoughts, she had been sitting listening to war reports for longer than she cared to and her constant rage lately was draining her strength, the smallest thing would set her off before she had the logic to think it through, she blamed Drathis for her unrest.

“Where was he last seen.” She asked in a quieter, less hair-raising tone returning her gaze to the worn map in front of her, cluttered with stone figurines to display where certain groups of her armies were currently stationed.

Queen Dimas knew all that was happening to have the best warlords at her disposal, but still seeing the activity on the map made her long fingernails tap the table with excitement, after so many countless years of planning she was finally gaining ground.

“Our best guess would be nearing Zitex.” One of her warlords announced clearing his throat pointing at the map, “If he is heading north as your spies and such have suggested then, he will have to stop at Zitex for supplies, it is the last place between him and nothing for months.”

Dimas smiled watching the stone figurines surrounding Zitex, then blinked recalling who was within the castle walls, and dread replaced it.

“Are all these men still active surrounding Zitex?”

“No, your majesty,” The lord said removing three stones out of the eight, “We took a great lose but I still have my men stationed here, and there.” He pointed to the map showing a star formation of the men situated around zitex.

“I thought the city was destroyed, you said so earlier?”

“It has been your majesty.”

“Then why are they not in the city surrounding the castle? The only way to snuff them out is to suffocate them, move your men closer, I don’t want a single horse leaving the castle without my knowledge.”

“We have your highness, every possible entry has been blocked and guarded, no rat leaves or enters the castle without our knowing.”

“Has there been any activity from the castle?”

“Only one carriage with a do-gooder royal,”

Dimas groaned a tired sound, in every war, there was someone that wanted to stand out and be known for their kind heart, for feeding the sick and helping the wounded, pitiful actions wasted on the weak she thought.

“I presume the carriage driver is one of ours?”

“Yes, your majesty, and he was given strict instruction to relay the plans to Galaleiath.”

“When was this?”

“A week ago,”

“He is not one to delay, your spy has been compromised, I have to now assume the message was not relayed.” She groaned again annoyed at yet another delay. “How soon can we get word to him?”

“The castle is still too well guarded, their men crowd every possible wall, we have not been able to gain entry yet, they still stand strong.”

“How long till we can attack?”

“A fortnight if all goes,”

“Why the delay?” She snapped judging the distance on her map.

“Forgive me your majesty the weather has made marching slow.”

“Slow? Unacceptable, push them, a bit of snow will not have me lose this war.”

“Yes your,”

“If word gets out that the castle is still standing, I will lose my advantage, get your men there now, they have a week.”

“What of Galaleiath?”

“He is a big boy, he will figure it out, in the meantime keep tightening the circle around them, I do not want a soul sneaking in or out of there without my know-how.”

“Yes, your majesty.”

“If I know that Elf he is almost there.”

“He would see the aftermath of war and steer clear, we made sure no home was left unscorched,”

“Then you better catch him before he reaches the wasteland, a child can still see the castle is standing, I will take no more chances, you have all failed me before with his capture.”

“My men have been given strict instruction to capture anyone resembling his likeness.”

“Yet no capture has been made, I can’t allow him to enter the castle.”

“He will not get past us, your highness.”

“He escaped my prison!” She snapped standing slowly twitching her hands, her lord watched in slight horror knowing the raw power that could be released with her fury. She took a deep breath raising her eyes from the map to him pointing to a small mountain range near Zitex. “Why is this side not watched?”

“It’s deserted, nothing but abandoned farmland since before the start of winter.”

“Has it been patrolled?”

“Not yet your maj,”

She raised a hand silencing him, from what she had seen so far there was no doubt in her mind that would be where Drathis would sneak in from.

“He is there, find him now.” The room shook with her last words, the warlord bowed and exited the room as she turned her gaze to another retaking her seat.

“How far are they? Are they ready yet?”

“Your highness, if I may, Gorgaknights are a breed not known to many, they died before man roamed the earth.”

“Did I ask for a history lesson?” She snapped.

“Forgive me, your highness, they hard to bring back and your, I mean our magic is limited.” Another added quickly.

The queen said nothing but the room shook slightly at the almost insult.

“How long till I can have my winged hunters back in the air, they almost had him once, they will not fail me again.” She was still amazed that they had lost him in the forest and off the cliffs.

“Another month,”

She stared at him in disappointment about to skin him alive when a cry echoed through the closed door, she turned her head listening carefully as it continued, her heightened hearing was nothing more than torture when babies wailed.

“Is the formula for the kids ready?”

The crying was driving her insane, they needed to grow faster past all the tears.

Her note to the kingdom requesting a child had somehow unleashed a plague of children on her, from newborn to eight years of age, each family desperate for riches, she had accepted ten girls so far but the line at her gates waited with hundreds.

“Yes, it will be by the day’s end.”

“Good, I need them to all take it, the faster they grow the more useful they are to me.” She looked back at the door as another cry made its way up, “Go look why they are not being handled and shut it up before I do.” She snapped at the soldier guarding the door, who nodded and ran out.

Unmarried and not willing to share her throne the only logical thing to do was to raise one to be an heir, none would question her. She didn’t want boys they thought with the wrong head and acted impulsively. But girls, they could grow to become masters of manipulation, wars throughout history had been over beauties such as these. Her method was to grab them as young as she could before permanent memories sunk in of family and freedom, grooming them to be the perfect lady, knowing the proper manners for all occasions, a picture of perfection and grace, secretly powered with outstanding deadly skills, skills that could change the course of the war, kill without blinking, spies and sleek seductive machines trained in the dark arts to wield magic and potions as their queen saw fit.

Dimas tapped her fingers again waiting for a child’s cry down the hall to silence, she had never been one for patience and most babies brought to her had failed, the conflicted parents and villages had fabricated stories that all chosen by the Black Maser were lead to live lavish lives serving the queen or neighboring kingdoms as handmaids or cultured woman to please kings and noblemen.

Truth be told, if the child broke under the intense training it was drained of its life force to strengthen Dimas powers. either way, she won, the girl either grew to be the perfect weapon or sucked out to benefit her adding a few extra years to her life, none made it to live a long life, the strong ones that managed to leave to do her bidding were either compromised or had a worse fate.

She had released four into the world only a couple of months ago, out of thirty that had set missions she needed accomplishing, out of the four she only expected two to not be caught.

This fresh batch pouring in was to be drilled the same way with one massive difference, one with the most promise was to be named her heir and to be married off to Avon in hopes of creating an alliance, they royals of Avon had just recently celebrated the birth of their next king and Dimas had smiled as the pieces fell into place, she knew they would not dare deny her request to join the kingdom’s, rejecting her meant risking war.

Avon was a wealthy kingdom and knew it, showing off and bosting most of the time. Arrogant, unnerved, and lazy, Dimas knew its weak points well.

The one she named her heir would be taught all needed to bring it to its golden knees and into her hands.

She supposed that was why the offer of children this year had been expediential, somehow word had leaked.

She would have to stop that too in case rumors reached Avon.

The crying suddenly stopped and the pounding headache eased instantly, and so did the tapping of her fingers bringing her to another thought.

“I have changed my mind on Ashleigh.” looking at the map now and following Drathis tracks it was inevitable he would end up at Talgrim, the impregnable kingdom furthest north, what he wanted there she couldn’t grasp.

“Send Ashleigh to Talgrim, I don’t care how just get her in there, I will relay her new mission soon.”

“Yes, your highness” Another bowed to take her leave, not so much a warlord but indeed one of her best wizards who oversaw a large part of the girl’s training and assignments.

“Do not fail me on this one, Ashleigh needs to be there, I do not care what is required, do you understand me?”

“Yes your highness” She repeated a flicker of fear crossing over her eyes understanding the deadly warning in her voice if she failed her life would be the price, she bowed leaving the room to track down Ashleigh.

Dimas smiled thinking back to the promising student; dark, long, and rich chocolate curled hair, large hazel eyes, perfect figure and a mind as sharp as knives, this seductress of hers would do well to seduce Drathis if all else failed.

Kazan was Ashlieah’s original mission, Kazan was collecting slaves at an alarming rate to be an unstoppable human army against something, she wanted to know what, but as it seemed to pose no threat to her yet, Drathis would have to be wooed before the Kazan king.

“Are we done here?” She sighed looking at the remaining subjects present, they looked amongst themselves deciding who would be the first to speak.

“Just one more, situation your highness.”

“What?”

“The line at the castle gate.” They said softy avoiding her eyes, the crowds of parents waiting had not decreased despite the cold and snow that had started to fall, they stood there waiting for her to choose more.

Dimas sighed rubbing her temples, after hours of this she wasn’t in the mood for more endless sniveling humans.

“Tomorrow, now leave.”

They got up in unison bowing and exiting with such speed she almost laughed at it.

Rising from behind the table finally alone, she glided towards the balcony looking out as far as she could see taking in the vastness of her land and all it offered, her father would have been proud.

“I see no broken furniture; I take it the meeting went well?”

A sudden drop in temperature and mocking voice could only be one of the gods she had grown to hate more than the rest.

“Velda, do you not have someone else to bother,” Dimas grumbled not turning to see the god take human form behind her.

“Oh, I do, don’t hold yourself so high dear, I just had to check up on the developments with the elf you recently lost.” She mocked appearing alongside her on the balcony.

Dimas hissed, they had fought for countless centuries, Dimas had tried almost everything to destroy her and gain godly power but she was hardly a match, and Velda had constantly rubbed it in her face learning to quite like Dimas’s prickly nature.

It was one more thing that drove Dimas mad, if there was a way to bring them down, she would find a way, no one was perfect.

Turning her gaze to the now human form of Velda, she watched the sly smile on her face, then it dawned on her.

“You have seen him haven’t you.”

“He may have passed through my mountains a while back.”

The room shook as Dimas gripped the railing; her rage barely suppressed. “You knew he was mine, why did you not stop him.”

“And miss this?” She laughed watching Dimas’s fight for control. “Besides, it’s not our place to interfere, things need to run their course, if you were meant to stop him, you would of by now.”

“He is mine, I own him.” She growled spinning away from the balcony storming back inside.

“He is not a potted plant that someone stole, you do know the difference, right?”

Dimas slammed her fist into the desk causing the carefully placed stone figurines on the map to bounce.

“Why are you here?”

Valda sighed, “You are no fun when you get like this,’’ She entered scanning the map till her eyes fell on Zitex. “Does he know who is in there?”

“No, I hope to capture him before they both meet, obviously.” Dimas hissed, putting up with any of the gods was a full-time job, they demanded, they poked, they tested, they took their time, and were so dam nosey yet knew everything, it was infuriating to her.

Was nothing of hers private?

“And they still don’t know the other is alive?”

Dimas didn’t answer, she knew Velda already knew the answer.

An amused laugh rolled out of Velda “It’s fascinating to watch the last few Elves left fight amount themselves, ever considered the possibility that the brothers may team up against you? Together they could actually win.”

“It will never happen.” Dimas snapped turning to face Velda picking up on the use of words in her statement, “Last few?” She enquired fascinated by the statement.

Velda stilled for a brief moment then changed course.

“You don’t believe blood is stronger than the power you offer?”

“Galaleiath will not choose his brother.”

“You sound so sure? Killing you gives him more than what you could offer.”

The room shook again and Dimas took a deep breath in determined to get an answer.

“Velda, why are you here?”

They stared at each other a long moment,

“You need to delay your siege on Zitex for a little while,” Velda said watching Dimas go from rage to curious conniving cat, the sudden sparkle in her evil eyes was just what she was going for.

“Why?”

“I have something inside the castle I need out before it’s destroyed.”

“Something or someone?”

“Does it matter?”

“Oh, yes it does, especially when, as you stated before, gods don’t interfere.”

“If you delay or not, it will not change the outcome of your war, I need only get something out.”

“Fine,” Dimas said silkily crossing her arms leaning a hip against the table, “You have a fortnight.”

Velda winked then vanished into thin air.

Dimas stared at the now empty spot racing through every single rumor and history she could recall of Zitex trying to place what a god would want but drawing a blank.

She needed to know, she had to get it first.

Any leverage against a god was a weapon she needed.

Velda smiled dissolving from the shadows once more, she had stayed just out of sight to catch Dimas begin to fuss.

Tempting the queen into thinking there was something there. had served its purpose, it would give just enough time for events to unfold naturally within the Zitex walls.