Elements of Glory: The Princess of Nothing

’With the loss of the Weral Kingdom all other Kingdoms of power are strengthened. I do not know what evil lurks in those lands, but I do not care either; for, as long as that Kingdom is dead, we are powerful, and I will use that power to the greatest ends of my ambitions…’

-King Carnasio, after the fall of Weral

John and Samantha stood under the chandelier, arms stretched forward, slender white wands gripped in their hands, chanting, sending powerful Gemgic into the orb that was a part of the chandelier. Clouds churned in the high reaches of the throne room, and lightning flashed as rain poured down.

The Tyrim, the Human, the Stryth, and Thaddeus stood nearby watching, and Thaddeus shouted encouraging words as the two Elements of Glory dug deep into their depths, calling on power they never knew they had until recently, until Thaddeus had shown them. Even Samantha was using her powers, and despite the pouring rain, John could see tears streaming down here face.

‘I’m doing it!’ Samantha cried. ‘John, I’m doing it!’

‘Yes you are!’ Thaddeus exclaimed joyfully. ’Just concentrate like I told you to. Just do as I said, and nothing can stop you!’

John was still aware of the Mugwamps at the throne room doors, splintering them, and breaking them all the more. He knew their time was running out, so, following all the instructions that Thaddeus had given him, he focused ever more on the task at hand.

‘How much longer?’ the Human with the muskets on his hips, growled, his attention turned toward the throne room doors. ‘Those little beggars are almost through!’

‘Hold them off as long as you can!’ Thaddeus told the man.

‘Right,’ he growled. Then, he and the Tyrim hurried forward.

There was a loud crack of a pistol and several screeches as one of the Mugwamps was blasted away.

As commotion went on at the doors, Thaddeus stepped toward John and Samantha. ‘Remember what I told you,’ he said, ’body and spirit, that is the soul, and the soul makes you stronger! Your powers are within you, you command them, you hold them, you master yourselves!’ He turned to Samantha. ’Nothing and no one can take away what you are and what you’re capable of. Only you can stop yourself. You have the power within you. Grab it, open it up, and destroy this prison!’

As if one being, John and Emily grabbed onto more of their power – great depths of power! John didn’t understand fully what being and Element of Glory meant, but he knew great, great power was his birthright!

He didn’t know how he felt about that.

Tremendous snapping beams of blue and white energy poured into the chandelier and the orb, and then the surface of the orb started to crack.

‘It’s breaking!’ Samantha cried.

‘They’re coming through!’ the man with the muskets roared at the door.

’FREE THEM, NOW!’ Thaddeus bellowed at the Elements of Glory.

With primal roars from their hidden depths, John and Samantha blasted the sphere with their crackling power and it shattered. A sudden flash of light blossomed out from the sphere, and, almost instantly, the rain stopped. John blinked his eyes, and the bright spots out of them. He was trembling and he dropped to his knees. When he could see clearly again, he was shocked to find the throne room was filled with men and women, with armoured soldiers, and even some armoured steeds of war.

There were a hundred or more!

Closing his eyes, suddenly, John saw through the castle of Weral, and outside it, as more and more people appeared, and amongst them, thousands of armoured warriors – even a full army, in formation, on the grounds before the castle!

Mugwamps recoiled in shock and fear.

John gasped as he opened his eyes. He almost fell forward, but Samantha caught him and he turned to look up into her blue eyes.

‘We did it,’ she whispered.

Then a voice shouted loud, above all the racket and confused voices of the newcomers. ‘Behold, armies of Weral! Your Kingdom is under attack. Defend it, in the name of Weral glory!’

The hosts in the throne room saw the Mugwamps, and weapons were drawn.

John squeezed his eyes shut again, and he saw the same thing happening in and around the palace.

A roar sounded in the throne room. John opened his eyes as the hosts of Weral charged forward, breaking open what remained of the throne room doors and cutting down vile Mugwamps left and right.

Screams and the singing of weapons rang into the dark and stormy night.

EVERDARK

It was the oddest sort of castle Emily had ever seen before, built as a part of an ancient tree in a thick, gnarled, swamp. Vile creatures that Emily somehow knew to be called Mugwamps stood guard in and around the palace of the Demoness’s Master. Up, up, through winding stairways and twisting hallways, Emily was led. The Demoness said nothing as they marched past old suits of armour and huge paintings hanging on the walls – the pictures depicted gnarled and deformed Mugwamps in regal clothing. Disgusting smiles adorned their painted faces.

Soon Emily and the Demoness marched down a long hallway, toward a pair of imposing black steel doors. Trolls guarded these doors, hunched over. They were ugly, drooling, wearing dark armour and bearing powerful weapons. With a flick of her hand, the Demoness forced the doors to open, and she guided Emily into a dim throne room. At the far end of the chamber, a dark throne stood tall and grim, and sitting in the throne, surrounded by aides in dark robes, and hideous creatures, was a tall being wrapped up in black armour and a hooded cloak. Yellow eyes glowed out from the hood as Emily and the Demoness walked into the throne room. The large, robed, being stood from his throne and stepped away from it, staring at Emily. Then his yellow eyes darted to the Demoness.

‘You did it?’ he asked.

The Demoness bowed. ‘Yes, my Master, though, I regret to inform you that the Dooys were destroyed.’

’WHAT!’ the master barked, stepping toward the Demoness, his fists clenched.

’I burned them,’ Emily enlightened, and the Demoness’s Master turned to face her, his glowing, yellow, eyes filled with wonder.

’You what?’ he asked.

‘I have awoken her powers,’ the Demoness hissed at her master, ’as a gift to you.’

The Master stepped away from the Demoness and toward Emily. The Princess of Nothing stared at this being, and tried to see the particles that made him up, but he was even harder to discern than the Demoness. He held great power, terrible power, and he was darker, darker than anything she had ever been near before.

’Your powers… you control them?’ the Demoness’s Master asked.

‘I do,’ Emily responded. ’I destroyed all of my companions before I came to you,’ she said, and slowly bowed her head.

‘Show me, what you can do,’ the Dark Master snarled eagerly.

Emily looked past him, toward the creatures that were gathered around his throne. Holding out both hands toward the monsters, she simply twitched her wrists and the host collapsed into piles of ash.

The Dark Master turned to watch it and he laughed, tilting his head back. Then he turned to face Emily again. ’Never before have I seen such power… but when the rest of the Elements of Glory are destroyed and their power is transferred to me… then we will be full equals, and we will rule the worlds together!’

Emily bowed her head. ‘Yes, my Master,’ she crooned.

WERAL

John and Samantha ran through soldiers and Mugwamps inside the Weral castle, as the warriors of Emily’s Kingdom cut down the beasts and sent others running. On and on John and Samantha ran, taking refuge inside a large chamber – it looked like a bedroom. There was a massive, tented, bed, and some large wardrobes. Across the room was a window that reached from floor to ceiling. John slammed the door closed behind him and Samantha and locked it.

Together they stared across the room and at the window. Slowly they walked to the window and looked out it, gazing over the castle, to the grounds before the palace where the Weral army was laying to waste Mugwamps, driving large portions of the army back, toward the forest.

‘They’re beating them!’ Samantha said, smiling.

John nodded, glancing to her, and he smiled too. ’I can’t believe this is actually happening… I can’t believe we did this!’

Samantha chuckled softly. Slowly she looked down at her hands. ‘I couldn’t feel my power… I couldn’t feel it until Thaddeus told me the only thing holding me back was my own fear… my own disbelief in myself.’

‘And now?’ John asked.

Samantha looked at him. ’I feel it,’ she said, tears running from her eyes. ’I feel it all, and it’s wonderful.’

John grinned at her, and together they looked out at the battle again, watching the Weral send the Mugwamps running. John couldn’t believe how far he’d come, from planning to make a fort with Samantha, to… well, to this! He felt Samantha’s hand touch his, and then she took it. He looked at her, but she just stared out at the battle.

John squeezed Samantha’s hand, and he smiled.

John jumped when there was a loud banging on the doors of the largest wardrobe. He and Emily turned to it quickly, and watched the doors suddenly burst open. A golden key went spiralling away from the lock. Drawing forth the white wands Thaddeus had given them, John and Samantha pointed them at the wardrobe and waited.

A moment passed. Then, to John and Samantha’s surprise, Wuzzul and Whirligig leapt out of the wardrobe, followed closely by the Griffin King, Siri, and Aragam the Wasgician.

John and Samantha ran toward their friends and were first hugging Wuzzul and Whirligig before turning to look at the others in wonder.

‘Where did you lot come from?’ John demanded.

It was then that he realized everyone looked supremely sad and worried. He glanced around and noticed that Emily was nowhere to be seen.

‘Where’s Emily?’ Samantha asked before John could.

’I think she saved us,’ Aragam whispered, sounding dreadful.

‘Mmm hmmm,’ Wuzzul said, big tears running down his furry cheeks. ‘Pretty lady sent us here, and went with the Demoness.’

John and Samantha exchanged dismayed looked and then turned their attention back to the others.

‘What are you lot on about?’ John demanded.

’She saved us,’ Aragam whispered, leaning up against the wardrobe and placing a hand on his forehead as tears streamed down his face. ’She saved us… and she sacrificed herself.’

John shook his head, still confused.

‘I’m getting Thaddeus,’ Samantha said and she started toward the door of the bedroom.

‘Thaddeus?’ Siri asked, her eyes wide with surprise.

‘Yeah,’ John said, drawing the hag’s attention, ‘a lot has happened since you guys left.’

‘Indeed?’ Grijyn asked, leaning forward. ‘Do tell, John.’