Battle of Lies

Chapter XVI

Nadine stood in the clearing with her bow and arrow ready. She could tell that she wasn't alone but there was no one in sight and no one jumping out of the trees to attack her.

All was quiet for a few minutes, then she heard voices. They were getting closer. Six beings came into view. Two were clearly magical while the other four seemed human.

All of the beings saw her at the same time, like they were one being split into six bodies. They each drew their own weapon. The half-elf drew a sword that caught on fire. Another girl turned into a dragon.

That is terrifying, a half-dragon. Wow, Nadine thought.

One boy began chanting in an unrecognizable language. The other three drew swords.

"Who are you, where do you come from and what are you doing here?" the half-elf asked.

"My name is Nadine Freman. I am from the city-state of Awlera. I have come to save magic."

Five of the beings relaxed. The sixth one, a girl, didn't.

"A seventh? That wasn't in the prophecy," Jordyn muttered. Only Nadine heard what the girl muttered, "What do you bring that could help?" Jordyn asked, a little suspicious.
"Knowledge and hope," Nadine said with confidence hoping that this girl wouldn't kill her.

Jordyn lowered her weapon and introduced herself and the others, "I'm Jordyn. That's Chase, Silus and Leon. Over there that's Rodalya and Omsya." Jordyn pointed at each person one at a time hoping Nadine would catch on.

"What knowledge do you bring us?"

"My brother is going to fight for the other side. I know his weaknesses and I could be of use to you because of that."

"Could you tell me what one of his weaknesses are?"

Nadine nodded, "I am."

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Callum stood in a line of army recruits. He was the only one who wasn't from Luxilios but thankfully no eyes were drawn to him.

"I knight thee Sir Peter," the knight commander of the Luxillian army said. He was knighting all those who had trained to fight in the upcoming battle and Callum knew that the knight commander had no plan of losing.

"I knight thee Sir Callum," the knight commander said, reaching Callum and knighting him.
Callum was the last to be knighted, so as the knights rose the commander introduced the monarch, the one leading all of this madness.

"Please welcome Monarch Nix Morte," the commander said, as a man with a shortcut beard and medium length side swept brown hair walked into the courtyard. The commander bowed and so too did the knights.

Callum watched as the monarch walked in front of the newly knighted, surveying them. Nix Morte stopped at the end of the line in front of Callum.

"What is your name?" Nix Morte asked.

"Callum. I come from the kingdom of Blayris. I was in the Blayrisian army until I heard about what Luxilios was planning for the last of magic and its kin."

"Interesting. So that means you have seen most of Æshenoia?"

"Yes, sir."

"Commander, I no longer have a need for your services. You are dismissed," Nix Morte said, never taking his green eyes off of Callum, "Callum, I knight thee, Commander Callum."

Callum watched as Nix Morte knighted him once more.

Nix Morte walked through the tunnels underneath the castle. He was nearing the portal he held together with his very mind.

He stumbled through the portal. One of his thellika, a short girl with big eyes and big cat-like ears, was waiting for him. No thellika could be a boy. All short girls with big eyes and cat-like ears. The thellika, who was waiting for Nix, was wearing a long blue dress. It was meant for a teenage girl not a girl that was as tall as a toddler.

When Nix saw the dress, he was angry.

"Ti-ti, you aren't supposed to be wearing that dress!" he shouted.

"Why master?" Ti-ti asked innocently.

Nix realized how quickly his temper was rising. He stopped and took a deep breath.

"Just go change and leave that dress on my bed. Then come back in and help me to the prisoner's cell."

Ti-ti did as her master told her. She went back to the portal room to find her master sitting on a chair with his head resting on his hands.

"Master, are you all right?" she asked.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine. Take me to our guest."

Ti-ti nodded and took her master's hand leading him to the dungeon and prisoner even though he already knew the way.

Ti-ti opened the dungeon door and watched as her master walked through the dungeon door. Nix Morte made sure Ti-ti had left before he started taunting Tyrun.

"Poor Tyrun. All alone trapped by me!" Nix Morte said, gleefully.

Tyrun scowled.

"Oh, poor thing. Nadyn thinks you are dead along with her darling step-sister and your beloved."

"Emali and Nadyn were never step-sisters. They were sisters and you are so blind by your hate for magic that you can't even see the hope and love they shared for each other."

"Blind? I wouldn't call myself blind. Magic took my family! Magic is what blinded me, not hate. I have never been more able to see."

"If you hate magic so much, then why do you use it?"

"To make it pay."

 Through the entirety of the conversation, Nix Morte stood outside Tyrun's cell.

"Oh, and by the way I know who Nadyn is and I plan to make her and her newfound friends pay."

Tyrun paled but didn't say anything. He was waiting for Nix Morte to elaborate.

"She is Jordyn Kott, isn't she?"

"Yes," there was no point in denying it, so Tyrun stuck with the truth.

"Now we are getting somewhere!" Nix laughed.

"You can't touch her!" Tyrun snarled, as Nix Morte stepped into his cell.

"Are you sure? I believe she is fully a part of this world. Maybe even more than those who have been alive for eleven hundred years."

Tyrun struggled against his chains. He wanted to punch Nix Morte square in the jaw and see who was laughing after.

"Now, now calm yourself. I won't hurt her."

"LIAR!!!" Tyrun felt a growing rage in himself but much to his dislike the cell he was in prevented him from taking his rage out; from transforming into a beast and killing Nix Morte with a single blow.

Nix smirked and walked out of the cell. He hadn't been lying. He wouldn't hurt her but his army would.