The Beginning Chapter 5

Chapter Five.

 

Hate and Fear.

 

Eldest paused. “I don’t know about you humans, but I could do with a drink. My throat is getting very dry.”

Princess Jasmine nodded. “I’ll go back to the Castle and fetch something. They’ll be wondering what’s happening, we’ve been on the beach for ages.”

She turned to go, then hesitated. “Er… what do dragons drink?”

Eldest smiled. “Plain water for me.” The smile faded. “And remember, no guards. If I see a single soldier, I fly back to the Islands and you will never hear the end of the story.”

“I promise,” said Jasmine.

It did not take her long to return with a picnic basket and a small barrel of water.

“Father has nearly worn a hole in the carpet pacing up and down,” she giggled. “He was very relieved to see me. I didn’t tell him anything. He’ll have to wait until the end.”

Eldest neatly removed the end of the barrel and poured the water straight down his throat. “That’s better.”

He waited until the others had finished their picnic, then continued.

“Alphaz and the Fire Demon left the hot southern lands. The spell Alphaz cast on the air and ground worked exactly as she promised, and the Fire Demon nodded his approval.

Alphaz had no real idea how she was going to find the Evil Ones. She hoped they would find her.

The Sea Dragons followed her and the Fire Demon at a safe distance. Whenever they came too close, the Fire Demon sent out a wave of heat that drove them back.

Alphaz led the way to her old village. ‘This is where they began,’ she said. ‘So, I hope this is where they will find me. Please wait here while I fetch the Ice Queen.’

She left the Fire Demon amusing himself by setting fire to some of the huts.

 ‘Serve them right,’ sniffed Alphaz.

She travelled quickly to the edge of the Northlands. The Ice Queen was waiting. Wrapped in a cooling spell, the Queen came south with Alphaz.

The Royal Dragons followed at a safe distance. If they came too near, the Ice Queen sent a blast of cold that forced them back.

Alphaz brought the Queen to her old village. For the first, and probably only, time, the Ice Queen and the Fire Demon met.

The Evil Ones were nowhere to be seen. The Ice Queen amused herself by freezing the ashes of the huts the Fire Demon had burned.

 ‘Serve them right,’ muttered Alphaz again.

They waited. To Alphaz it felt like hours. The sun began to set, and the ruined village sank into gloom.

 ‘You must do something to bring them here,’ said the Fire Demon.

 ‘If they feed on fear and hate, then that is what you must use as bait,’ said the Ice Queen.

Alphaz stood still and let her mind return to her childhood. She remembered her parents’ cruelty, the villagers’ laughter at her twisted body, the stones thrown at her whenever anything went wrong. Anger and resentment boiled up inside her.

She remembered hiding from her father’s belt. She remembered the bruises. She remembered the terror of running into the Dark Forest alone. Fear rose in her like a tide.

The Evil Ones slithered out of the mud around her feet. In the darkness she could not see them clearly, but she felt their hunger for her fear and hatred.

She could not move. They slid closer.

A blast of freezing cold halted them. The Ice Queen stepped between Alphaz and the Spirits. ‘Get hold of yourself,’ she commanded. ‘Or these things will destroy you.’

The Fire Demon moved to block them as well. ‘They cannot harm us, we do not fear or hate, but we cannot hold them forever.’

Alphaz shook herself and cast a protective spell. The Spirits recoiled from the Queen and the Demon and sank back into the earth.

 ‘We must draw them to the Door between the worlds,’ said Alphaz.

She moved away. The Spirits did not follow. She tried again. Still, they did not move. They circled the place where she had stood.

 ‘They cannot sense you with that spell around you,’ said the Fire Demon. ‘You must remove it.’

Alphaz obeyed. Immediately the Spirits turned toward her. This time she held her fear tightly under control. With the Ice Queen and Fire Demon beside her, she began the long walk toward the Door.

She tried to use magic to move faster, but the Spirits could not keep up. As soon as she vanished from their sight, they stopped and circled aimlessly. With a sigh, Alphaz realised she would have to walk.

It was a strange procession that travelled through the Forest that night. Alphaz led the way, followed by the Ice Queen and the Fire Demon. The Evil Ones slithered behind them, and overhead flew the dragons.

It was early morning when they reached the Door between the worlds. Alphaz looked through, no one was there.

She explained to the Queen and the Fire Demon that Zaleph was bringing his Evil Ones to the Door so they could swap worlds.

 ‘There must be an exchange,’ she said. ‘I hope he has succeeded. I cannot hold mine off much longer.’

The Evil Ones crept closer. Even the Queen and the Fire Demon struggled to keep them back.

The dragons swooped down, trying to drive the Queen and Demon away.

Fortunately, the Royal Dragons could not breathe fire on the Ice Queen, and the Sea Dragons had no water to hurl at the Fire Demon. All they could do was swoop close.

They endured the attacks only a few minutes before Zaleph appeared in the Door.

 ‘My Evil Ones are following me!’ he shouted over the screeching dragons. ‘They will follow me into your world. Will yours follow you?’

 ‘I think so!’ Alphaz shouted back. ‘They are very close. Be quick, I cannot hold out much longer!’

She rushed to the Door and stepped through. She felt Zaleph pass beside her. In his world she fell as her magic vanished.

She scrambled up. The Evil Ones had followed her. One reached out with its mind. She flinched, but the touch was weak and harmless.

She turned. Zaleph stood in her world, barely upright. Alphaz stepped back through. Again, she felt him as they crossed.

Her power returned at once. Zaleph straightened as his own strength came back.

 ‘My Evil Ones have lost their power in your world,’ he said. ‘I hope yours have too.’

 ‘They tried to destroy me in your world, but couldn’t,’ said Alphaz. ‘I think we’ve done it. They’re still alive, though. Try a spell. I’ll do the same.’

They cast their spells. Nothing happened.

 ‘Still magic beings,’ said Zaleph. ‘Weaker, but not gone. A pity.’

Overhead the dragons stopped swooping. They circled a few minutes, then all but one flew away. One Royal Dragon hovered over Alphaz.

 ‘Those creatures can no longer command us,’ he said. ‘We are free. Thank you. Now we will find a place to live.’

And he turned and flew away.”