chapter 14
To say I was thoroughly exasperated was an understatement. Tonight was the third night since we arrived in Titan, and he still hadn’t made a commitment to joining in the fight against Baal. I didn’t even see my father last night; he spent the entire evening closed up in Titan’s throne room. What the hell was taking so long? That was the million dollar question. When my attempts at sneaking into the throne room failed, I tried bribing Titan’s guards, and when that didn’t work, I attempted to enlist Mikel as my personal spy. Sadly, none of those plans worked either.
Titan was the king of feasts and parties. Even though he spent the evening locked up in his throne room with my father, the courtyard was filled with partygoers each night, and tonight was no exception. I wasn’t sure what annoyed me most; that fact that Titan hadn’t answered us yet, or the fact that everyone in his region partied like they didn’t have a care in the world. Maybe they ,really didn’t have a care in the world? These people probably didn’t even know the truth; that Baal was back and on the rampage.
A devilish, fangy grin crept across my face as I toyed with the idea of telling the truth. Sure, revealing that the deadliest enemy known in history was on the war path would certainly cause a panic, but it was better than not knowing, wasn’t it? I knew I’d certainly prefer it if I were still human. I’d rather spend my time preparing myself than wasting it partying the night away.
“What are you up to?” Arrick asked as he stepped up behind me, pulling my body against his as we stared out the open window.
“What makes you think I’m up to something?” I asked, keeping my tone even.
“’Cause I know you, silly,” he answered, laughing heartily.
“So, what if I am up to something?” I joined in his laughter, stepping away from the window and dropping myself on the bed.
“Well… if you are, then I’d like you to let me in on it.” He winked at me. “I know you’re sick of waiting around, hell, I am too!”
“Then let’s do something about it. Clearly diplomacy isn’t going to work here.” I knew we’d had the conversation a dozen times just in the past three nights, but I was hoping Arrick was getting as fed up as I was.
“What are we going to do, force Titan to join us?” his voice was full of doubt. “That’s not going to work, Claire.”
I folded my arms across my chest and glared at him. Of course I knew that wasn’t going to work. I might not have gotten as far as figuring out how to make Titan do what I knew was right, but there had to be a way. There had to be.
“Listen,” Arrick ordered as he leaned over me, tugging at my pouting lip with his fingers. “Tonight is a big night. I think Cathair is finally getting through to Titan.”
“What’s so big about tonight?” I stirred with excitement. Did Arrick know something he wasn’t telling me?
“It’s the last night of the shifting festival.”
“Yeah, so?” After the first night, Arrick and I curled into bed and talked until we both fell into a deep sleep. He told me that the feast wasn’t just because we had visited Titan. The real reason was because of the shifting festival, which was a celebration in honor of the men and women who were joining Titan’s secret army. An army which we had yet to physically see. I couldn’t help but wonder if it actually existed, and I also couldn’t help but still feel the amount of partying was going a little overboard.
Wow, had I always been such a downer?
“During the last night, Titan chooses who will join his army.”
“And you think after this he’ll decide whether or not to help us?”
“That’s my best guess.” He looked around like there was something more and I raised my brows at him, showing that I wasn’t going to let him go until he continued. “I spoke with Mikel, and he said he overheard a little of the conversations between Titan and Cathair.”
“And?” I kept the sharpness from my voice. I asked Mikel to spy for me and he said he wouldn’t do it! Did he not trust me, or was it just because I was Cathair’s daughter?
“He thinks Titan sounds scared, and that he might be waiting until this festival to end so that he’ll have a larger army before he’s willing to commit.”
“Goddess! What the hell is he so afraid of?” I couldn’t take much more of this, we were wasting time. Any moment now I was going to march into the throne room and demand Titan join us, or he could go to hell. In my eyes not fighting with us was the same as fighting against us. Hadn’t he accused my father of the same thing?
Arrick shook his head, clearly disappointed with my temper. “The last time Titan went full force against Baal, he attacked his wife. I don’t blame him for being afraid. If I were him, I’d be hesitant too.”
I slumped back to the bed with a heavy sigh, Arrick was right. I kept focusing on the fact that Titan hadn’t agreed to help us, that I was forgetting why he was tentative in the first place. No matter whom I asked, no one seemed to want to reveal what happened to Titan’s wife, but if I had to guess… she probably didn’t survive.
“You’re right,” I admitted.
“Now, can you promise to behave yourself?” he teased.
“I can,” I tapped my chin, pondering my answer, “but for how long I have no idea.”
We laughed our way out of the room, following the servants as they guided us to an outdoor arena. I was so thankful I had Arrick with me to not only to keep my temper in check, but also relax me. With him around I felt balanced. When I was sad he brought me joy, when I was angry he calmed me, and when I was scared he drew out the strength I had inside me. I hoped I did the same for him.
Our walk led us up several dozen stairs along the wall surrounding the citadel. I felt a slight wave of dizziness as we walked the length of the narrow path with only a short one foot wall separating us from a deadly drop. The servants guided us half way around the circle before we reached a catwalk that floated above the city and connected to the outdoor arena on the other end. Blinding lights lit the area, and when we finally reached the other side I sighed with relief. It was totally ridiculous that I was a vampire who couldn’t let go of her human fear of heights.
The arena was set up much like any stadium. It was already filled to the brim with no visible open seats. The capital was big, but I didn’t think there were truly this many people. If this event was as big as Arrick made it out to be, maybe people from other cities within the region came here to witness it.
We entered at the top of the arena with the seats descending below us, surrounding a dirt field that had been raked with perfectly straight lines dragging from side to side. There were five massive rocks placed throughout the arena; two on each end, and one in the middle. The rake lines circled around the stones as if they were being dropped into a smooth lake, and their ripples were bounding outward in flawless precision.
The jubilation of the gathering crowd infected me, and I swallowed back my sour attitude as I took a seat at the head of the arena with my father, Titan, Ronon and Arrick. Banners waved in the hands of the onlookers as they cheered for the event to begin. I could feel the surge of excitement blowing off the people and I felt myself growing excited too. I might have been upset with Titan, but it was evident how much his people enjoyed this festival. It was clearly important to them, and though I didn’t understand it, I had to respect it.
Although I had avoided making eye contact with him as I sat beside my father, I could feel Ronon’s gaze on me. It was that same eerie sensation when you know someone is watching you, and I absolutely hated that feeling. It reminded me of Ana.
Titan on the other hand, ignored me as he usually did; like I didn’t exist. Considering how back-and-forth my opinion of him was, it was probably for the best that he didn’t speak to me. If he did, there would probably be a good chance that I would totally put my foot in my mouth.
“Is there going to be some kind of show?” I whispered to Arrick as the sound of drums began to fill the air, which only made the masses cheer louder.
“Anything but,” Ronon interjected, startling me. I spun around in my seat completely shocked that he had spoken to me. He’d stuck with an awkward stare until now.
“Those who survive will have proven themselves in the final test,” he continued, fully unfazed by the shock on my face. As the applause of the masses grew to an all-time high, I turned away from Ronon to see at least twenty men and women march onto the field of soil. They were laden with leathered armor and gleaming weapons.
“Wait. Are those humans?” I could tell by their movements that there was no way they could be vampires, and when they looked around the stadium their eyes revealed the truth. This event had suddenly taken on a whole different meaning than what I expected. I thought this was going to be some sort of ceremony, but they looked ready for battle.
“Aye,” he answered flatly.
“And you’re forcing them to fight each other?” I spun back around to face him, challenge in my voice. This was utterly barbaric. How could they possibly build an army when they forced their soldiers to fight?
“They have chosen to do this!” his tone rose, clearly insulted by my choice of words. “It is the dream of every citizen to join my father’s army. It is an honor,” he spat the words at me.
I couldn’t stand to see the ire in Ronon’s eyes so I turned away to face the arena. Arrick was distracted by an in-depth conversation he was having with Mikel, and my father was speaking with Titan. By the way he kept glancing at me; I knew he had heard what I said. I could see the disappointment creased into his expression, and I had to do something quick. Ronon was Titan’s son and if I offended him, I undoubtedly offended the king. There was no way I wanted to be the reason they chose not to help us.
I scooted over in my seat so I could turn to face Ronon without having to twist my back. “I didn’t mean to offend you,” I swallowed back my pride, hating to apologize to him. I’d never been good at saying I was sorry, and it was even harder when I didn’t particularly care for the other person. “Can you tell me why they’re fighting?”
“They must defeat a sand sylph,” he answered without looking at me. His scrutiny was locked onto the warriors in the arena.
“What’s a sand sylph?” Now I was curious. I thought that they’d be fighting each other, but if they really weren’t, maybe this wouldn’t be so bad. So they had to fight some sand thing. Didn’t seem like a big deal to me.
“Legend says they were once a race of beautiful women,” he started, pulling his eyes to mine. Waves of nerves washed over me, making me shift nervously in my seat. “They floated down from the heavens like angels, watching man from above. The women fell in love with a band of soldiers who prayed to them before every battle, pleading for victory. The sylph watched the men in fight after fight, falling in love with their strength. Years passed and the soldiers were emboldened by the connection they felt with the spirits. Thinking they could destroy their adversary once and for all, the soldiers attacked their enemy stronghold.”
I felt myself pulling forward as he told the story, every word drawing me in. I no longer avoided his stare, but gazed into his eyes, falling into their limitless pools. He had a way with words, speaking them with such passion that I almost believed he had witnessed the legend being born.
“Did they win?” I latched onto the back of my seat, eager to hear the rest of the story and completely forgetting how much I didn’t like Ronon. The sound of the warriors in the arena introducing themselves to the crowd was nothing more than a whisper in the back of my mind.
“They were nearly defeated,” Ronon shook his head. “The sylph cried for the loss of their loves. Their tears were boundless, pouring down from the heavens like an ocean in the desert.” I gaped at him, utterly fascinated. His tale was more than some history lesson, it was an epic love story and I tried to picture how it would end. Would the sylph bring their soldiers to live in the heavens with them? Would they become human and live happily ever after. Goddess, I was a sucker for a good love story.
“That is how our oasis was born.” Ronon waved his arms around to emphasize the very place we were.
“You mean here? The citadel?” He nodded.
“Their tears soaked the barren earth, and brought forth life giving power to the land.”
“That’s a beautiful story,” I smiled at him, but quickly hid my grin when I realized I was being nice. I mean, he hadn’t exactly proven he wasn’t a total jerk, so there was no reason I wanted to show that we could be friends. All he had really done was tell me a sweet love story.
At that thought my brows creased and I gave him a quizzical look. Okay, he told me about some nice angels who fell in love with human soldiers, but what did that have to do with the battle that was about to happen in the arena?
“And you’re wondering what that has to do with tonight?” he flashed me a brilliant smile that I hadn’t been prepared to witness. Until now he had held a permanent glare, mixed with a deadly scowl, but to see the softness in his face was breathtaking. For a moment he actually looked like he wasn’t ready to tear my head off.
“Well, yeah,” I answered as the crowd chanted the names of their favorite warrior. I heard Arrick clapping and cheering beside me.
“That is where the beauty ends, young princess.” Ronon’s deadly countenance returned, matching the sinister turn his tale had taken. “Hanging on the brink of death the soldiers retreated. They dragged themselves through the dunes until their eyes caught sight of the oasis. As the soldiers sought refuge, the sylph visited them. That night they lay with the wounded soldiers, binding themselves through love, magic and lust. The sylph gave the soldiers strength and power so they would never be defeated in another battle.”
Hmm. That’s not at all what I thought would happen. The sylph and the soldiers get busy, and the sylph make sure they never lose any of them in battle again. Kind of like a twisted, insurance policy.
“What happens next?” Okay, so the story wasn’t turning out to have the happy ending I thought it would, but I still wanted to know what would happen.
Ronon’s father rose from his seat and began addressing the crowd in a booming voice. I felt Arrick squeeze my knee as I leaned in closer to hear the rest of Ronon’s story.
“They don’t lose. They win every battle, even when the odds are against them. As time passes the haze of victory consumes them and they forget the night they spent with the sylph. The soldiers lay with other women in the cities they recapture from their enemy, and the sylph grew jealous. As the men age from young soldiers, to veteran men they marry and plant their seed.”
To hear him speak those last three words I didn’t know whether to laugh hysterically or cringe. It was just awkward, and to be honest, I wasn’t sure I’d ever heard anyone referring to getting a girl pregnant as planting their seed. It made the girl sound like she was some garden pot or something. If a guy ever told me he wanted to plant his seed I’d tell him to get lost. Then again, being a vampire I would probably never have that problem… unless of course Nyx decided she wanted to work her magic. That thought did make me cringe. I wasn’t in any way ready for a kid, but you had to have sex for that to happen so I was safe for now. Arrick and I might sleep together, but that’s as far as it went. For now.
“The soldiers no longer prayed to the sylph at night, and settled into their lives as husbands and fathers,” Ronon continued, completely oblivious to my inner monologue. “Enraged by this, the sylph abandoned their posts and returned to the land once again. They soared down from the heavens to avenge their broken hearts, but their revenge was short lived. Because the sylph blessed the soldiers, they were no match for them. Even though time had aged them, the soldiers fought the sylph with immeasurable power. Many human and sylph died in the battle. The fallen sylph fled in defeat, but the heavens would no longer allow them to return. The gods punished them for their sins, turning them into monstrous beasts; banishing them to the sand for all eternity.”
“That’s so sad.”
Maybe it really was a love story after all? The sylph probably shouldn’t have gone on a scorned massacre, but I was still on their side. They left the heavens for these guys, fell in love with them, helped them win every battle and then the soldiers just totally forgot about them and moved on. What did they expect to happen?
Titan finished his speech and the crowd died down to a slightly deafening roar as the warriors took positions around the arena. During my conversation with Ronon, weapon racks had been placed variously throughout the stadium and several of the warriors were searching through them for more armaments to have during the battle. If they needed even more sharp steel than what they already had, then this evening was going to be much different than I could have ever imagined.
My mind wandered back to what Ronon had originally told me. He had said that these warriors were going to fight a sand sylph. Did that mean they were going to fight one of those fallen angels? That couldn’t be right, could it? I mean, that was just ancient folklore; a tale told to frighten children or for pure entertainment.
“They aren’t fighting one of those women, are they?” I asked, totally confused.
“Yes,” Ronon answered, the dramatic tone he used to tell the story completely gone. “That was what I was doing when you first arrived here. The sand sylph we used in our last arena festival was killed. We needed another one.”
His words were so flat and void of emotion that all I could do was gulp loudly and turn around in my seat. I still wasn’t sure what a sylph really was. Did this angelic creature still come down from the heavens, or did he mean that there really were monstrous creatures that were thought to have once been human? Stuff like that didn’t exist, did it?
My question was answered all too soon. The ground began to quake, rattling the foundation of the stadium as an enormous gate at the far end began to open. The emotions of the crowd began to mix with horrific fear and mounting excitement as something stirred in the darkness behind the gate. Two massive claws peeked from the shadows, followed by a grotesque body carried by eight legs reaching nearly fifteen feet off the ground.
My instincts reacted violently to the threat my eyes beheld, forcing me back against my chair as my fingers clenched the armrests with enough force to begin splitting the wood. I was as afraid as if I were down in the sand with the rest of the warriors in the arena. What would stop this thing from crawling up the walls of the stadium and snapping us all in half with its giant, snapping claws?
The sand sylph stepped further into the stadium, allowing the light to reflect off its armored body. My initial reaction completely overlooked the fact that the monster before me appeared to be glowing. All I could see were its claws and salivating mouth. Sadly, my fear was only amplified when the creature made its full entrance. A long curling tail revealed itself, hovering over the monster; a deadly spear on its tip. As if the razor sharp claws weren’t enough.
“What in the goddess’ name is that?” My voice was panicked as I latched onto Arrick for dear life. This thing could give Baal a run for his money. Hell, why didn’t we just sic one of these bad boys on him? The war would be over in seconds!
“It is a creature of the old world. A place where the gods were not as forgiving as our own,” Arrick answered in complete awe. Maybe he was braver than I, or maybe it was just because he was a guy, but his comfort with the situation unnerved me.
"How can they kill something that big?” The fear I had for myself disappeared as I watched the humans in the arena prepare to make their first attacks. They remained in their positions and the beast didn’t seem to realize they were there. It made a hissing sound, clamping its claws open and closed with a loud clap. I couldn’t stop from jumping in my seat as the sound echoed around the arena. The crowd was eerily quiet, not wanting to draw the attention of the mammoth monster in our midst. I was even tempted to hold my breath, fearful that it would hear my ragged breathing or even the racing of my heart.
I was so focused on the monstrosity in the sand that I didn’t see the bravest of the warriors make his first attack. His battle cry sprang from the depths of his soul as he ran head on toward the sand sylph. The creature flexed back on its legs, snapping its claws as the warrior got closer, its speared tail bobbing forward and back. What was this guy doing? I felt myself wanting to shout at him, tell him that a frontal attack was probably the worst thing he could do, but I remained silent. I didn’t want to interfere, but I also didn’t want to draw unwanted attention to myself. How fast were these beasts anyway? Could I make my escape before it reached the top of the stadium and stabbed me like a kabob?
The sand sylph raised its tail just as the man was steps away from its claws. I watched while in slow motion he dodged the grasping claws as the tail descended from above. I closed my eyes knowing what was going to happen and not wanting to witness it, but the cheer of the crowd made me open them. At the last minute the warrior had dropped to the sand and slid underneath the beast. Its tail speared the earth where the man should have been before it shrieked with rage, clearly disappointed that it had missed its mark.
Having built up their courage, the rest of the warriors ran toward the creature, their weapons at the ready. They easily dodged its tail as it pierced the earth with every blow. A gasp escaped me as I watched several humans get flung across the arena by the sand sylph’s claws. Two landed several feet away on the sand and they quickly got back up, while the other two who landed on a rock didn’t. They were still for several minutes and I was sure they were dead, but they slowly rose to stand on wobbly feet before they rejoined the fight.
Three of the burliest in the pack had managed to lasso the sylph’s tail and were tugging on it to keep it from impaling any of their group. At least they were working together. I imagined it was probably the only way to beat this thing. It reminded me of our plan to defeat Baal. The only way to win was to work together.
More of the human warriors joined together, tugging on the beasts’ tail to control its movement. I latched onto Arrick’s arm as the suspense of the battle rattled my nerves. A ruby-haired warrior woman climbed atop the nearby boulder, her massive great sword raised above her head. Nearing the edge of my seat, I watched as she screamed a battle cry before leaping from the rock and slicing straight through one of the sylph’s claws. The creature shrieked an ear piercing bellow as ooze spewed from its wound.
At the sight of the sylph’s injury, the warriors joined in a cheer, renewing their hopes for victory. Losing its claw only made the sylph angrier, and its screams only grew louder. I almost felt sorry for it; knowing the tale of its existence. Maybe they were true, maybe this creature was once a beautiful, fairy-like angel, or maybe it was nothing more than a nightmarish fiend.
With seemingly little effort, the fighters made quick work of the other claw. Leaving it a mangled mess that hung on by oozing sinew and bits of the beast’s hard exterior. Having only one weapon left in its arsenal the sylph swung violently around, flinging the men who lassoed its tail across the area. They flew like dolls, landing in a heap beside the interior wall of the stadium.
In mere seconds I thought the battle had taken a turn for the worst. With its tail free, the sylph stabbed at the nearest warrior. His reflexes were just seconds too slow, and the barb pierced the flesh of his thigh. A shout of rage and pain ripped from the man’s lungs as the sylph thrashed him about. I closed my eyes, turning my head away. I couldn’t watch, but the cheer of the crowd yanked them open again. The injured soldier had managed to latch onto an abandoned spear and rammed it into the sylph’s pincered maw. I looked closer, seeing that the end of the spear had penetrated straight through the sylph’s head.
As the beast lay dying, twitching weakly; the others helped free the warrior. The woman who had made the first mortal injury to the sylph raised her mighty sword and hacked off the barbed tail, freeing the warrior. With a comrade under each arm, the man hobbled on one leg while the other dripped with blood.
The warriors began lining up in front of Titan. Blood splattered the broken and bruised bodies, but still they bowed, waiting for his judgment. No one paid any attention to the crew of aids that helped the fallen warriors placing them on stretchers. My guess was they wouldn’t be joining Titan’s army, but I prayed that they’d at least be okay.
“You’ve all fought bravely!” Titan decreed in a thunderous voice. The crowd cheered at his words, and the warriors slapped closed fists against their hearts in salute. “You honor me with your victory and your dedication to our land and our people. It is with great pride that I accept you into my blood.”
The warriors congratulated each other, tears of joy streaming down their dirty faces. The uproar of the crowd grew loud again as another gate to the arena opened and a group of people marched out. They carried shimmering banners, and others carried massive torches as they strode out into the arena and began to circle the dead sylph.
I was about to turn and ask Ronon what was going to happen next, when two dark figures breezed into the stadium in a flurry of speed. The arrival of Ronon and Titan on the arena floor silenced the crowd and the cheering warriors fell to their knees.
“Rise!” Titan commanded, brandishing a massive sword nearly as wide as his shoulders. The warriors obeyed, standing before their king with their heads held high.
“Recite the oath of the warrior, and accept your duty.” Ronon stepped forward, imposing his formidable glare on the men and women before him.
“I give my blood to my king,” Ronon exclaimed in a deep vibrato that carried throughout the stadium. The small group of warriors repeated his words without pause. “And my life to the people of Titan. I will shield our kingdom from all enemies, for I see what others cannot see, I act when others cannot act, and I fight without mercy. I swear my fealty to my king. This oath is binding until death wishes to break it.”
As the warriors spoke the last words of the oath, the crowd applauded and Titan’s voice thundered through the shouts of praise. “Welcome to the Army of Titan!” A massive blaze erupted behind him as the torch bearers lit the sylph’s body on fire. The flames danced wildly across the monsters carcass, as the warriors and the crowd cheered.