The Nameless Queen
Raziel heard the news. He was immediately consumed by stress. His small town was under attack, or at least that was what he had been told.
Lorenx, his trusted fae horse, was taking him as swiftly as she could to check on his people. Raziel held on to his reigns, white knuckled.
Taleriansk was a hard six days of travel from their current location, and Raziel wished more than anything that he had teleportation magic at his disposal.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the rugged landscape. Elrian slowed his mount.
“Raziel, our mounts need rest.” Elrain looked at him worried.
“Fuck, I… I Know. Let us camp for the night.”
The air was cool, and the distant sounds of nocturnal creatures began to fill the silence.
Raziel and Elrian took their tents and supplies from their mounts packs. Together they set up their camp. When Raziel was finished he could not stand still. He paced back and forth, his mind racing with worry and fear for his loved ones.
Elrian watched him with a sad, but stern expression. “You will have to accept whatever fate has befallen if you cannot make it there in time. But you are only stressing yourself out,” he said, his voice calm but firm.
Raziel’s silver eyes sharpened as he turned to face Elrian. “That is easy for you to say,” he snapped, his voice tinged with frustration and desperation. “You do not have someone you love that is in danger!”
Elrian’s gaze softened slightly, “You think because I am a crystalline knight I hold no care or feelings? Part of our dynamic is that our Goddess Lyra, crafted us with a heart Raziel.
“When the starshard binds with an organic life instead of a temple. We feel everything our host feels. I operate off your mana, and your magic.
“What you don’t know, is when you lay with your wife, when you cry for your friends, when you help bury their dead, I feel what you feel.
“Do not take my solemn, seemingly disconnected advice as a lack of care. Because I love everything you do. I know you are worried, Raziel. But you must conserve your strength. We have a long journey ahead, and you will need all your energy to face whatever awaits us in Taleriansk.”
Raziel took a deep breath, trying to steady his racing heart. He knew Elrian was right, but the thought of his loved ones in danger was almost too much to bear.
He sat down by the fire, staring into the flickering flames, his mind filled with images of his people, he has come to care deeply about them.
Raziel bowed his head and rested it in his hands. He rocked back and forth. He took a deep breath. “Thank you Elrian. I am sorry I should not have spoken so harshly. I grateful for your support.
“I could not even think about doing this alone. When I think of all the things I have put you though. Goddess, I have been so stupid.”
He looked at the bracer on his wrist. “This cursed thing, I should have listened to Elderak. I can only deny its possession because of you and the starshard.”
“Raziel we will face whatever challenges lay ahead together, I told you. I am here to protect you in whatever you choose to do.”
Raziel’s heart swelled with pride. “Thank you.” He stood up and looked out over the horizon. Even though he did not feel as stressed, he began to pace back and forth. Until a man appeared in front of him.
“FATHER!” Raziel rushed up to him and threw his arms around him.
Issac looked at his son in shock. With caution he wrapped his arms around his son. “I…I was not sure how you would feel about seeing me. I mean after what I did the other day, I am sorry. I came to help you. I know you need to get home.”
“Father, Shit happens. I told you I owe nothing to my Fae heritage. That you are the only father I will count as mine.”
Issac’s heart swelled. He smiled and embraced his son. “I love you Raziel.”
“I love you to Father.” He pulled back with extreme concern on his face. “I do! I have heard that Xanther is going after my family because I won’t yield the staff to him. I NEED to get to Taleriansk, NOW.”
Issac only nodded. He did not hesitate. With a wave of his hand, he began to chant an incantation, the air around them shimmering with arcane energy.
The ground beneath their feet glowed with intricate runes, and a soft, blue light enveloped the group. The sensation was like being wrapped in a warm blanket, and in an instant, they were transported Taleriansk.
Fear took over his heart as he saw the dragons flying above his head. “Fuck, These are not Eriksons.”
The buildings were on fire. But the dragons were not actively attacking so he decided to let them live.
With worry he scanned the scene. He walked through the main road. These buildings were beyond repair, and anyone inside would be dead. He shook his head. The despair and pain of his people filled his heart. He heard his name called.
“MY KING! OVER HERE.” Phalentine was kneeling on the ground over someone.
Raziel raced over to where he was. Ice filled his veins as he realized his Queen was laying on the ground, dying.
Raziel in a panic turned and yelled at his father. “Issac, do you have any healing spells?” Raziel had tears in his eyes.
Issac only nodded and he rushed over. He stood above DeLarian. He closed his eyes and focused on her heartbeat. Her wounds healed. But there was something wrong. She was not waking.
Issac looked at Phalentine with worry. “Who injured her?”
Phalentine’s eyes filled with worry and fear. He stood up. “Xanther.”
Raziel’s eyes turned Red. He growled. The bracer on his left arm began to glow. “Xanther is going to feel my wrath father. He will be banned from here.”
A man in dark robes came walking through the town road. “Young Raziel, I will heal her if you give me my staff!”
Aurelian hummed with great power upon his back calling Raziel to use him.
Raziel smirked, “That would be too easy Aurelian. I am sorry but I am going to use his ‘Staff’ against him.
Raziel turned and started walking toward Xanther. As he got closer, Xanther paused. The power that was radiating off this Fae, sent a chill down his spine. There was something ancient brewing around him.
The Fae King summoned the Staff. “This is what you want?”
Xanther’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “It is. Give it to me and I will heal her.”
Raziel’s laughter dripped with venom and malice. The amulet around his neck began to pulse. “You will not heal her. You will never come near her again. She is mine Xanther. This staff is MINE. You cannot have it. I will not allow you to win. You. Are. A. Monster.
“Then you have asked for this.” He took out a whistle and summoned an army of armored knights. “I shall send them to kill your people. But you can save them by yielding the staff.”
Raziel laughed. The staff began to glow. Xanther took a step back. Raziel’s eyes pulsed with power, undead power. The crystal in his right hand pulsed with energy. The fae stopped and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath. Raziel began a prayer. His left hand came up and touched his glowing amulet.
“Diaglo, I call for your assistance. I need you to reverse his poison and save my Queen. I call upon your power to break his control.
We will:
Fight the light,
Fight the control,
Revel in free choice
Raziel closed his eyes and focused on those words, chanting them as if it was a spell. A spell to raise the dead. His breath becoming labored.
A dark aurora pulsed from the staff. Raziel stopped the chanting and opened his eyes, one was red, while the other was pulsing with silver stardust. He laughed with malice. “You have gone too far Xanther. I will ensure your demise.”
A shadow of a daemon appeared, “I answer your call young King. I will help you in your quest today. The Cemetery began to rumble.”
The staff began to glow brighter and brighter. Waves of darkness pulsed off it. Raziel turned to Issac and only nodded.
With a wave of his hand Phalentine, Issac, and his Queen disappeared.
Raziel turned back to Xanther. The ground began to crack and break open. The Dead began to rise.
Fear filled his eyes as he watched the dead crawl out of their graves and summon swords. But what almost stopped Xanther’s heart was when a portal opened and Vorthak exited.
Raziel smirked. “How far do you want to take this Xanther?”
Xanther frowned and took a step back. He took a whistle and called upon Angelo.
A man knelt before him. “Angelo, I demand that you summon the army of ages.”
“Forgive me my King, I cannot.”
“Why the fuck not!”
Angelo looked up at Xanther with sorrow in his eyes. “Because Talveran has forsaken you.”
Xanther growled, he gritted his teeth and began a summoning spell. He summoned the nameless Queen. Dark swirls filled the air, and a woman stood before him. “Yes Xanther? What can I do for you?”
Her hair wispy and wild. She looked around and saw Diaglo, Raziel and an army of the dead rising. She turned back to Xanther. “It seems you are desperate to call me.”
“No shit.” He snarled. “I need your assistance.” He gritted his teeth at those words.
She laughed, a sound haunting and devoid of humor. “You do not deserve my help, not today. You have made a mistake going against the one who wields my husband’s magic.”
Xanther took a step back in shock. “He has the shield?!”
She laughed, “How do you think he is raising the dead?”
Xanther shook his head, he pointed to Diaglo. “But why is he here is he not raising the dead?
Her laughter brought the chill of a bitter icy storm. “Diaglo is preventing him from losing his soul to Felendor. He is not raising the dead.”
Xanther swore, “Fuck.” He took a step back. But then dug his heels into the ground. “I will not yield to this. That staff will be mine!”
She chuckles. “Not today it will not be. Xanther you are here by banished from this planet.
Xanther screamed.
He was forced off the planet. She turned to the Fae and let her wicked smirk grow.
Raziel let tears drop from his glowing red eye. He knelt before her. “I fight for free choice; I fight to resist the control the light forces upon us. But most of all I will not yield to Xanther. But I am also not willing to yield to the Litch King. He cannot have my soul, and I refuse to use his power again. I will remove his shield even if it means I must cut off my own arm.”
“Well, there is another option. I will allow you to become my warlock. I will grant you use of my perfect necromancy.”
“But that would make me a slave to you?”
“Of course it would, but would that be so bad? I will give you freedom to fight the light as you see fit. Xanther will hold no power over you, and you can do almost anything you desire, unless of course it goes against me.”
He fell to his knees. “I… I do not know.”
She smirked, “You are running out of time. Your Queen and son’s life hang in the balance. If you become my Warlock, I will save them. If you refuse, they will die. What is your final answer my puppet?”
