Chapter 63

She put her foot into the stirrup and mounted Arion. He turned and she looked around.

"Are you all ready? Are you ready to take back our homes? Then mount up and move out!" she shouted.

Horses began to whinny and people shouted and cheered. They marched out and into the woods. Arion took his time today. The normal forty five minute journey took them four hours. Arriana did enjoy the view as they marched along. The lush green forest was a breathtaking sight. It didn't seem to take them long to reach the perimeter of the clearing. Much quicker than Arriana had anticipated. She sat there on Arion for a few moments, ahead of the group but not talking to them. She was contemplating the battle plans in her mind, again. She must have gone over them a hundred times from when they left the village until this moment. The moment of truth. Finally satisfied with her thoughts she turned Arion to face everyone.

"Cartra, Rotet, I want you to go see if Lucas and his army are here."

"Right away," they said as they took off into the air.

"Alright, Sammie and Rajtan can you circle around and check? If you see anything, hurry back," she instructed.

As they lay in wait Arriana began to panic. Her heart was pounding and her palms were sweating. Lucas was on the move. She heard Edgar screeching and knew. It was time. Everyone looked up toward the sky and saw the sphinxes and gryphon diving toward them. Rajtan and Sammie reappeared within a few moments panting.

"Majesty, they're right beyond the rise. Lucas' army is massive. They far outnumber us. They have these strange contraptions as tall as trees. There are boulders on them and they just do not look good," Rajtan told her.

"Strange contraptions with boulders?" Arriana asked, trying to think what they could be. "Barwick, do you know what they're talking about?"

"No. What were they made of?" he asked.

"I'm not sure. I think wood," Sammie replied.

"Hmm, I wonder, Drake. Do you think you and the rest of your warriors can burn them down once we are started?" Barwick asked the dragon.

"Absolutely," he answered with a devilish grin on his face.

"Excellent," Arriana replied. "You and your clan should get into position."

Drake and his clan flew swiftly through the trees heading toward the Northern Mountains.

"I'm scared," Arriana whispered to Barwick.

"I know so am I," he told her, watching the horizon.

"Really?"

"Of course. I would be crazy if I weren't," he said, smiling at the soon to be queen.

"Okay. As long as I'm not the only one." She focused on the clearing.

After a few minutes she saw Lucas and his men. Lucas sat high atop a golden horse, decked out in black armor.

"Okay guys, here we go. Forward!" She shouted as they all emerged from the woods. Cartra, Rotet, Edgar and the hippogryphs took flight while Arriana led the ground troops. She rubbed Arion's neck and looked behind her at her army. They were following her blindly into war. She was their queen and she would not let them down. She watched as the dragon clan flew in from the north, they set fire to the catapults before rejoining the rest.

Arion marched out and stopped about three hundred feet away from Lucas and turned so Arriana could face her troops. She looked up and down the lines, looked at the sky at the circling mythics awaiting her command.

"Troops! This is the day we have been waiting for! This is the day we regain power of Coresova! We are about to put an end to Lucas' tyrannical rule. Today is a day that will go down as history. The day the Coresovans rose up and fought back. The day we said enough is enough! We will not sit back while you kill our family, our friends and our neighbors. The day we said no more! We will show Lucas we are no longer afraid. We will show him that it is not okay to murder us because of what we are! As you follow me into battle know that once that man is defeated and I regain my father's throne the dark days are over. Your lands will be restored! Your families freed! You will no longer have to live wondering if today is the day he will come to slaughter you and yours! I am proud to be your leader. I am proud to fight alongside all of you. Let us go into battle not with fear but with confidence! Let us go into battle with thoughts of our friends and family! Let's defeat Lucas and his army. Let's do this for Coresova!"

Everyone erupted into cheers. Arion and Arriana rode to the middle of the field and stood, staring at Lucas. A slight wind picked up and whipped her hair around her face. He ran out and met them in the center of the battle field. Arion stomped his hooves and snorted at Lucas who scoffed at them both.

"Well, if it isn't the mighty, mini queen. Are you sure you want to do this? Do you honestly think that you and your peasants can defeat my army and I?" Lucas asked her.

"Lucas, I'll tell you one time. I'm giving you and your men one chance. Step down, forfeit and you won't have to die. If not, prepare to be slain by my father's sword," Arriana calmly told him.

Lucas laughed. "You jest!"

"No, Lucas. I am very serious. You can give up now or die on this field."

"You are the one who is going to die, like you should have with your filthy parents. Then I'm going to kill everyone in that village of yours," he told her with a malevolent look on his face.

Never wavering she looked at him. "You are a despicable man and I'm going to enjoy the moment you die like the pig you are."

Arion turned and began to trot back to the troops.

Arion turned back towards Lucas, Arriana smiling all the while.

"Now we can begin this battle," she said.

"You'll regret your decision!" He turned to face his troops. "Charge!"

His army broke out into screams as they ran forward, Arion ran back to the Coresovans. Arriana nodded and they began their march forward. Arriana nudged Arion on. The rest of the men and women followed suit. Arriana pulled out her sword, held it above her head and swung down at the first man Arion came into contact with. Within minutes the two armies were intertwined. Marc gave the cue to the archers who fired into the battle. Arriana kept her army far enough back so they weren't hit but Lucas' second and third lines were taken out. Arriana slid off of Arion's back and made her way to the center of the battle. A rather tall, burly man saw her and swung his sword at her.

She saw it just in time and ducked while driving hers through his belly. He dropped to his knees while she drew it back out and kept walking. Once she was in the center she held her sword in both hands and above her head sending a red streak of lightning out of the tip. With the signal let loose, ten of the archers mounted the pegasus' and took to the air. They flew toward the lightning, firing arrows into the mass of black armor. As the archers did their jobs Arriana and the other magicals began to form a semi circle around Lucas' army.

The non magical fell back behind them as they held their swords above their heads, Lucas' army was startled and watched, not knowing what was about to happen. The row of witches and wizards began to glow various colors of blue, green, orange, yellow and red. They lowered their swords and pointed them at the black clad army and let loose a massive energy shield that threw them backwards. Arriana sheathed her sword and ran forward, yelling. She lifted her hands in front of her face and produced an energy ball, lobbing it forward she knocked three more men down. The other witches and wizards followed their queen.

The non magical warriors ran behind them, wielding their swords and taking out more and more of Lucas men. Deacon ran up beside Arriana and nodded at her. He then moved forward throwing his energy balls and swinging his sword, a mighty warrior indeed. Henry was right behind him. The lightning that expelled from his fingertips dealt more damage than anyone had anticipated. Arriana looked around, watching her army. They fought with grace and pride. It broke her heart though to see that the black armored men were not the only ones falling.

The potions, they must work!

Arriana looked around trying to find Lucas. She couldn't find him. She ran through all the men and women, searching.

"No! Lucas, where are you? Coward!" Arriana shouted into the mass of people.

"Who do you think you are calling a coward?" She turned to see Lucas standing there.

They stared at each other for a few moments. Arriana could hear her heart pounding even harder now. She drew her sword and poised it in front of her.

"So, you're ready to die now?" he asked her, mimicking the movement.

"No, but it appears you are." She rushed at him.

Their swords met with a clang of metal on metal. Remembering her training she kept on the defense, only striking after he had and was vulnerable. As Arriana swung her sword at him she felt it catch on his side. He screamed in pain but continued to fight. His next swing caught Arriana in her shoulder. She felt a hot, searing pain shoot through her body. Her first reaction was to grab at her arm, but she resisted. Instead she swung at him again. She missed, only hearing the screech of metal against metal as her sword slid across Lucas' chest plate.

As he leapt backward, out of the way, he reached for his belt, brandishing a small dagger. Throwing it at her, the dagger hit Arriana in the side where the gap in her armor was. She reached for the knife, yanking it out. Grimacing she looked at the blood soaked blade. She knew her time was running out. She had to act fast otherwise he was going to kill her. Trying to ignore the pain of the wounds he had delivered her, Arriana tucked the knife into her own belt. Lucas was now close enough to bring his sword blade down, this time at her head. She ducked and rammed hers upward. She felt the crunching of metal and heard a screech as it pierced through. She looked up, from her kneeling position and saw the shocked look on his face. She got him. Arriana pulled her sword out and watched as Lucas sunk to the ground.

"No!" a woman's scream bellowed from behind.

She saw a raven haired woman run past and to him, along with Noni and Ferrtharo. "You will regret this!"

"How did you get here? I closed the ingression!" Arriana shouted at the woman.

It was Theresa. Arriana was frozen to her spot, staring in bewilderment and horror.

How is it even possible? I thought that I was the only one who could open and close the ingress!

"Do you honestly think you are the only one who can open it? Don't worry, you will die. Just not today," she said, waving her wand, emitting a cloud of grey, black smoke.

When the cloud dispersed Arriana was still staring in disbelief. They were gone. All four of them. Anger began to push out her confusion as she realized she hadn't killed Lucas yet. Would he be brazen enough to return to the castle in his weakened condition without his army?

"No! This can't be! I was about to kill him! Where is that bastard?" She ran to where Lucas had fallen.

Looking around her in confusion, he was nowhere to be seen. Vanished.

"Barwick! Lucas is gone. Theresa took him!"

"Theresa? How did she get back here?" he asked, looking confused and ducking under a sword.

"I don't know but she waved her wand and there was this smoke and they all disappeared."

"Who are they all?" Barwick asked her.

"Noni, Ferrtharo, Theresa and Lucas. I stabbed Lucas. My sword pierced his armor and he went down! I was about to kill him! His army is going to be weaker now. They have no leader," she explained as she swung at an approaching attacker.

"Yes, now is the time."

The Coresovan army surrounded what was left of Lucas' army. The dragons, sphinxes, gryphon, hippogryph and pegasus' landed helping to box them in. Arriana stepped forward looking at the now frightened men and women. Her army had swords drawn and were closing in. Ready to deliver the final blows, ready to kill the rest of them.

"Stop," Arriana commanded them.

"What? Why?" Deacon asked.

"I want to talk to them first. Nobody strikes unless I tell you to," she told them all.

She stepped toward the cowering people, who still held their swords out. Smiling at them, "Please, lower your weapons. We are not going to hurt you. I don't want any more bloodshed on this field or anywhere in Coresova. Look around you. You numbers have dwindled down to a few hundred. Where is your leader? He has abandoned you and left you to die. He did not stay here once I was about to finish him off. If he had been the one to capture us, do you think he would show us mercy? No, he wouldn't. He would murder us where we stood. I am not going to do that. If you swear you allegiance back to the crown, the rightful heir of the throne. If you denounce Lucas you shall live. You will have your lands restored. If you do not, you will join your buddies in jail. You have about, oh I don't know, a minute to decide."

She watched as many of the men and women dropped their swords, removed their armor and stepped forward.

"Do you promise not to kill our families? We can really have our homes back?" One man asked.

"Yes. All will be forgiven. You can go back to life as it was before Lucas ever took over." She told them.

"Okay," he said.

"No. I will not denounce Lucas! He is the rightful ruler of Coresova! You freaks don't deserve to live!" another man shouted.

"Why don't we deserve to live? Because we're not like you? We don't fit into your idea of what a Coresovan is so we have to die?" she questioned.

"Yes. You're freaks; Coresova needs to be rid of the freaks!" another shouted.

"Do you not remember what it was like when King Charles and Queen Anne were alive? Don't you remember the kindness, compassion they showed for each and every person they ruled over? They were generous and righteous. They did not judge anybody based on what or who they were. Each life was as valuable as the next. Does Lucas do this for you? Does he treat you all as his equals like the Bawors have always done?" Barwick asked, stepping forward.

"It doesn't matter. You're a bunch of unnatural, disgusting creatures. You should all die," the man said.

"Who are you?" Arriana asked the man, walking through the crowd to the man.

"I'm Leonard," he replied, shrinking back just a bit.

"Hmm, Leonard. How old are you Leonard?"

"Thirty."

"Ahh, thirty. Well my friend, you can join the others in prison," Arriana stated calmly.

A smile broke out on her lips as she turned and walked away from the defiant man, whom she left with his mouth hanging open.

She walked to Caleb. "Do you have the potions?"

"I do."

"Yes, wonderful. Give it to all who are still alive, both our army and theirs," she instructed.

"Are you sure Arriana?" Zoe whispered.

She looked around at the bodies lying on the ground and nodded her head. "Yes. This is not how I want to begin my reign. Not with this much death and dying. Save those you can. Explain to them what is going on. If they agree to denounce Lucas great, if not place them under arrest and they will be going to jail. Barwick, Marc and Henry take a few troops and clear out our castle. Zoe, I want you and the other archers to ride the pegasus' back to the village and tell everyone the good news. Have them pack up, we are moving out of hiding and back to our kingdom. I will also go to the castle. Deacon, I need you and your unit to remain here with the prisoners."

She divided the orders and mounted Arion heading towards the castle. Arriana was reclaiming her throne; this would be the final battle of the day.