“Swift, make sure that everyone has got a weapon,” said John. He looked at her as she finished the last sword. “We need to be ready to leave by sunrise,” he added as the people started to settle down for the night.
“John, we are ready for battle too,” said Zoe with Max by her side both with swords in their hands. “Come with me,” said John, as he took them by their hands.
“Alissa, what are we going to do about this,” John asked, as he looked down at the kids.
“Zoe, Max, I know you want to help but I don’t want you to get hurt. I need you to stay safe and that’s not going to happen on the battlefield, is it?” I asked them.
“But you said you needed us in this fight. You said everyone had their part to play in this battle for peace,” said Zoe, with tears in her eyes and anger in her voice.
“Yes, I did say that and you do have a part in this battle. You two are what gives me strength to fight. All of us are fighting for you to grow up in peace, not having to be afraid of this world. Do you understand?” I asked them. “Just stay here with Doyle, please give me the swords,” I said as I held out my hands to them.
“You will come back for us?” asked Max, as both he and Zoe handed their swords to me.
“I promise, I will come back for you. It will be the first thing I do,” I said, as I knelt down to them. “Now you both need to go to sleep,” I said as they lay down by their fire. “Doyle, come with me, we need to talk,” I said to him. We stood over Zoe and Max as they went to sleep.
“We will just be outside,” said Doyle, as we left Zoe and Max. “I will be back soon,” he added, as he walked behind me.
“Doyle you do know how to fight, don’t you?” I asked him, looking from the stars above me then to him. “Because we are going down to fight Warwick away from our mountains but I don’t know whether Warwick is going to send some of his men here, looking for anyone left here,” I said looking into his eyes. “Alissa, don’t worry about us. John has been teaching me himself how to fight with the sword,” he said. “He is as good as he says he is but don’t tell him that I said that,” said Doyle, trying not to laugh. “We will be fine, just keep your promise to Zoe and Max,” he added as I looked back to the stars. “One last thing, I know you say that you are ready for this battle, but be careful. Don’t fall for any of Warwick’s tricks,” said Doyle as he started to walk away from me.
“I’m ready for anything Warwick might throw at me,” I said as Doyle turned and smiled at me. “Alissa, like you said to the others, we need to rest. Are you coming back inside?” asked Doyle as he looked back at the cave.
“No, I’m going to stay out here for a bit longer,” I said looking back at him.
“Do you want me to stay with you?” asked Doyle.
“No, but thank you. If you don’t mind, I’d like to be alone to think,” I said as I once again looked to the stars that covered Akizma’s night sky.
“As you wish,” said Doyle as he went back inside.
As I now stood alone looking out over all of Akizma, I felt more nervous than what I was letting on.
“You might be able to fool the others, but you and I are more connected than ever,” said Talon as he lay down beside me. “I can feel how nervous you are, Alissa,” he added resting his head alongside me. My power took my spirit back inside of Talon’s body. “I know you are scared, but feel my strength, let it run through your body. My strength will be your strength,” he said. “Just as you can feel my strength, I can feel yours and believe me, thanks to the volcano you are more powerful,” Talon added. “One last thing, we all know you can do this and I’m so proud to have been a part of this quest, my dearest friend,” he said in a soft voice. Then he closed his eyes again and I was back in my body looking up at him.
“Talon we have been through a lot together. It is me who is proud to be a part of all of this,” I said looking at all my people. “And Talon with all my heart and strength, I will bring your brother back to you, as you remember him. Just as I brought Aidan back from Warwick’s control over him and bring Akizma back to the days of peace once and for all,” I added looking back up at Talon’s eyes.
“Talon, I am proof that Alissa can bring your brother back just as she did me,” said Aidan as he walked up to us and looked into Talon eyes then at mine.
“Aidan, what was it like under Warwick’s control?” asked Talon.
“I’m not sure how his power effects your brother,” he said looking at Talon. “But this is how it was for me. When Warwick placed his hand on me I felt the worst pain I had ever felt. My people are taught to bear all forms of pain,” he said as he looked from Talon to me. “My people were the greatest fighters even without our powers,” he said now looking back at Talon. “But you already knew that, didn’t you Talon?” Aidan added. “When the blue smoke died away, Warwick told me to kill one of his own men,” he said with anger in his voice. “I just picked up a sword and ran it through the man’s head. As I did it, in my mind I was trying to stop myself but I had no control over my body. All I could do was watch myself kill this man standing in front of me,” Aidan added, now with a sadness to his voice. “I don’t know why, but I think his power is stronger over dragons because I broke free of his power a couple of times, just as I did the first time I met Thorn. In all the days I have been with Warwick, I never saw Scorch break free,” Aidan said as he looked from Talon to me again. “I remember everything I have ever done for Warwick. Even me trying to kill you. I never wanted to kill you, Alissa,” he said holding my hand in his and he fell to his knees.
“I know that was not you, Aidan. You were not trying to kill me, it was Warwick. It was never you,” I said as I pulled him back to his feet and looked into his eyes full of sadness. Then I just held him close to me.
“It’s alright,” I added as we just looked out over the land and up to the stars together.
“Alissa, Talon, Aidan, you all should get some sleep tomorrow is going to be hard on all of us,” said Linus.
“Linus, how are the villagers feeling? Are they ready for the battle?” I asked him as we all went back inside.
“They are and they will follow you anywhere. They look forward to seeing Warwick’s days of power-hungry ways and all the bloodshed to come to an end. They believe in you Alissa,” said Linus
“We all do,” added Aidan as we sat next to the fire again. As I looked at my people hoping that I don’t lose any of them. Please let everything go our way tomorrow, I thought to myself. As I lay down I could still hear all the words of my people of how they all needed me to give them their world back. My heart was beating faster and harder as I closed my eyes. It didn’t feel like I was asleep long when Thorn woke me up. “Alissa, I need to speak to you,” he said, as I sat up.
“What is it?” I asked him. “What’s wrong?”
“All I ask of you is when you make Warwick pay for all he has done, let me be at your side, let me show him that I have powers of my own,” he said. “Let me show him that the young boy he let live all those years ago will now watch him pay for what he did to my family,” he said with anger in his voice.
“Thorn I’ve always wanted you by my side on this day, along with Talon, Linus, John, and now Aidan. I said as I led him back to the others. Now as Linus said we all need to get some rest,” I added as I let go of his hands.
“Sleep well, Alissa,” said Thorn as he looked right at me and smiled as he closed his eyes.
Warwick and his men were ready for battle. They were on the move heading away from the castle. “Rydan,” Warwick called out. “We will set up camp here,” he said as he looked at the forest behind him then toward our mountains. “We will kill my daughter and her poor excuse of an army before they can gather their strength from their long walk through their mountains,” he said with evil laughter in his voice.
“Alissa, Alissa wake up,” Talon said in a soft voice.
“Talon what’s wrong?” I asked as I rubbed the sleep from my eyes again. “Alissa, I feel something is wrong. It’s Scorch, he is close. I have always been able to feel him when he is close. He may be working with your father, but he is still my brother and a part of me,” said Talon with sadness in his eyes. “Alissa, if Scorch is here, then Warwick can’t be far away,” he added.
“Talon I have never asked you this before, but where are all the other dragons you and your brother can’t be the only ones left, are you?”
“No, we are not the last of our kind, they are far away from here. They will not fight, they are scared what happened to Scorch could happen to them,” said Talon. “To have our will, our spirit taken away from us, it scares us. But with you Alissa, it’s different we become one with you. The moment I saw you it was like I could see your spirit. You are a legend to all dragons. You are what we call the dragon princess,” said Talon as he lowered his head to me. “I have tried to talk to them but they are just too scared,” he added. “But my dream is to see the sky full of dragons again,” said Talon. “Alissa, Scorch and Warwick are close. I can’t just wait for them. I want to go and see what Warwick is up to,” said Talon.
“I trust you. If you say you can feel your brother and Warwick, then you can and I can’t stop you from going but be careful my friend, don’t be seen,” I said with my hand on his head as he got to his feet. Talon left the cave in the dead of night and I felt so helpless as I watched him disappear into the darkness. My heart was full of fear for him and what was going to happen tomorrow as I stood there alone with my thoughts. I could not go back to sleep. I just stood in the archway of the cave looking out toward where Talon had gone, waiting for him to come back to me.
As Talon flew through the sky his eyes were fixed on the burning and ash-covered villages, the villages that Warwick took so much pleasure in burning to the ground. But as Talon looked away from the village he saw a campsite in the distance. It has to be Warwick and his men, he thought to himself. Just then something hit him from behind him. It was a ball of fire. It hit him so hard that he started to fall out of the sky. As he fell from the sky, spinning faster and faster, he somehow gained control and turned around to see Scorch flying right at him, with blood falling from his wings and head.
“Scorch wait,” Talon cried out to him but it was too late Scorch let out a fireball at Talon. Talon only just dodged out of the way. “I can help you, Scorch. Alissa can help you brother, come back to me again,” Talon cried out hoping that for one moment Scorch could break free from Warwick’s power as Aidan had done.
“Scorch you have done well my pet, now let your brother go,” Warwick yelled up. His voice filled the sky. “Talon I’m sparing your life for now, so you can tell your friends and my daughter to give up this fight. There is no way they can win this fight,” he said as he laughed up at him. Scorch flew past Talon, with hate in his eyes as he looked at his brother. Talon turned away from his brother and flew toward the mountains. I need to get back to you Alissa, Talon thought to himself as he looked back at his wing with blood running in to his eyes. He looked at his wing and he could see and feel that it was torn.
I was still stood where Talon had left me when I saw him coming back to me. My body went cold as he flew toward the cave. Something is wrong. I could feel it and see it. As he flew toward me, he flew slowly. Then he just managed to land hard in front of the cave and fall at my feet.
“Talon!” I cried out as I ran to his side. I fell to the ground beside him. As soon as I touched him I had a vision about everything that just happened to him. But again, what happened to him, it felt like it happened to me. I could feel all the pain that Talon had just been through. I came out of my vision and I was back by his side.
“Look what they have done to you,” I said as I looked at the blood falling from his wounds.
“Linus, help, please help. It’s Talon!” I screamed back into the cave. Linus came running out followed by Thorn, Aidan and John.
“Oh, Talon. Look what he did to you, my friend,” said Thorn as he and Aidan sat next to him and me.
“Warwick, he is camped at the edge of the forest. He thinks you will be too weak from the long walk through the mountains to fight. He can’t—he won’t win this fight Talon,” said with so much pain in his voice and his eyes fixed on me.
“Talon don’t talk, save your strength my friend,” I thought to him as I placed my hand on his face so only he could hear me.
“We need to move now,” said John as he sat next to me and Talon’s side.
“You are right, John. Go and wake the rest up. I will see to Talon,” said Linus. “Thorn I will need your and Aidan’s help to tend to Talon’s wounds,” Linus added looking from them, then back to Talon. “Alissa, we need you to bring your gargoyles back to life,” said Linus.
“Don’t worry Alissa. Talon is going to be okay. We will take good care of him,” said Aidan as he placed his hand on my shoulder. He got to his feet, then pulled me to mine. As I got up with tears in my eyes, I looked at my friend but Talon just smiled up at me through all his pain.
“Go, Alissa. I will be fine,” he said as his eyes closed. I went into the cave where the piles of rocks lay on the ground. As I looked at the rocks, they started to move and rolled up on top of each other until they all took shape and then where the rocks stood, now there my gargoyles were standing, looking down at me. I looked up at them, they all looked bigger than the other. I looked at them, my gargoyles that once were piles of rock, now had hard flesh, almost human looking. They all took a knee in front of me. “We live to serve you, Alissa and this land,” they all said.
“I did not know they could talk,” said Linus.
“Neither did I,” I said as I looked from Linus then back to the gargoyles. “It must be that my power over them is stronger now,” I said. I looked around and saw the survivors of my father’s evil ways. As I looked at every one of them gathering their weapons, they did not just look like survivors or villagers they looked like a nervous army but somehow they looked ready for the battle that lies ahead of us.
“Max, Zoe, Doyle, it’s time. Remember what I said to you a while ago. Look after each other, okay?” I said to them as I knelt down to them.
“Don’t worry, Alissa. I will look after them,” said Doyle as Max and Zoe wrapped their arms around me.
“Come on, you two. I will come back soon I promise,” I said as I looked at them, as they got up and stood next to Doyle with tears falling down their cheeks. We went outside to see if Talon was alright. There was a white light coming from Linus. It covered Talon’s wounds.
“It is Linus power healing Talon,” said Thorn. As I looked at the light, I saw the cuts start to close his skin pulling itself back together. Then the light started to fade away. It went back in to Linus’ body.
“I have done all that I can for now. Talon is not fully healed,” said Linus.
“We have to leave this place,” said Talon as he opened his eyes again. “Talon, are you alright?” I asked. As I looked into his eyes I could see he was still in some pain. “Do you think you are able to fight?” I added, still looking into his eyes and placed my hand on his cheek.
“Don’t worry, I have waited for this day for a long time,” said Talon, as he got to his feet trying to hide his pain and looked down at me. We all looked down at the mountain path that we must take. I felt cold just knowing that this day was here. Talon and the gargoyles took to the sky flying high above us keeping a look out for Warwick’s men. As we all stood still, looking down at the path, I took one last look at our cave then back to my people.
“Warwick thinks we are weak. This long walk we must take will weaken us even more,” I called out for all to hear me. “But he does not see you as I see you. I have seen the fear you all had for my father turn to hate then it turned to the strength that runs through your bodies now,” I said looking all my people as they walked past me. “Weak? We will show him how weak he is,” I added as I looked to Linus, Aidan, Thorn and John now standing beside me. The air filled with the cheers of my people as they walked past us. As we walked down through the mountains the sun was high in the sky. I looked at Talon and the gargoyles still flying above us.
“I still can’t believe how much stronger you have become since coming back from the volcano. What happened to you, Alissa?” asked Linus he walked beside me.
“When we got to the top of the volcano, I heard a voice calling me to it,” I told him. “It was like the volcano was calling me to the edge. It felt like I was in some sort of trance. You saw me falling into the volcano, but what you did not see was I fell into the lava, but it did not burn me up,” I said looking at Linus as I remembered it all. Then I looked to Aidan who was walking next to me. Their eyes were fixed on me in shock. “I know this all sounds impossible,” I said. “But under the surface I heard that same voice that was calling me again. I thought that I was in some sort of shock that I was not dead. Then as I looked around at the lava all around me, it flowed like water,” I said as we kept on walking down the mountain pass. “I looked all around the lava then I saw a strange figure swimming in the distance. It was coming closer and closer, all the time it was calling out my name. Then it swam right up to me. It told me that he was the spirit of the volcano. Linus, it was a dragon made of lava. His name is Rage,” I told them as they looked in shock at what I was telling them. “Rage told me how he is a part of this land. As I placed my hand onto him, we became one just like me and Talon. His power ran through my body and he told me, as we became two beings again, that I have his power over fire. And now that I have his power, my powers will grow in strength. You know the rest, Linus. You saw me come back to you from the lava,” I said looking all around at everyone.
Everyone was looking at me, looking amazed at what I went through to have this power. Talon landed in front of me the ground shook again with his landing.
“Alissa, we are almost out of the mountains,” he said looking down at me.
“I think we should camp here, the sun is going down, we will take watch through the night, all of us,” said John.
“Right, we move out at sunrise,” I added. “Talon and gargoyles form a circle around us until sunrise,” I said as the giant gargoyles landed beside Talon. As they did, I watched the gargoyles turned back into piles of rocks around us, but as I closed my eyes, I knew when I wake up they will come back to life. Everyone went to sleep in the stone circle. All but Thorn, he took first watch. Everyone knew they were safe, at least for the moment. They all lay next to the fire.
It didn’t feel long that we had been asleep, when we felt the sun’s warmth on our faces. As soon as I opened my eyes, the rocks around us became the gargoyles once again.
“Everyone up, up, up, up,” Aidan and John called out at to all of us. “On your feet everyone,” Aidan added.
As we made our way through the last part of the mountains, we stood in the meadow that separated us from the forest where Warwick and his men were camped. We could see Warwick’s men moving around in the tree line. I looked up to Talon flying above me.
“For your mother, Alissa,” his voice filled my head. “And Akizma, my friend,” I thought to him as I looked back to the trees. As we walked to battle, in the distance we could see and hear Warwick’s men coming through the forest where Thorn had first taken me to hide from Warwick’s men. Now as I looked at the trees my heart was beating faster than ever, partly from fear but more from anger and hate. The trees moved side to side with Warwick and his men pushing past the lower branches. Look at them we are outnumbered, I thought to myself.
“Alissa, we might not have as many people, but we are stronger all together as long as we have you by our side,” Talon thought to me. But then something strange happened as I looked at my father from under my hooded cloak. Talon’s brother landed in front of Warwick. Scorch flapped his wings hard. The wind from his wings blew my hood down. The horses were looking at me and began to panic. They went up on their hind legs and threw the men from their backs as soon as they saw me.
“What’s happening?” I asked, looking to Linus.
“I think they can sense the new power you own, Alissa,” he said as he stood by me. The horses ran away from Warwick’s men. Now at least they are on foot like us, I thought to myself.
“Think girl, do you really want to do this? So we don’t have the horses. But we still outnumber,” you said Warwick, as he looked from his men to me with cold dark eyes.
“Are you willing to let your people die this day, at my hands?” Warwick yelled out. He got to his feet with an evil laugh as he looked to Rydan.
“Maybe you should follow your horses, Warwick. They can see the power within me now,” I called back at him. “Not only will you see my powers, you will feel them at their full strength for what you did to my mother, for what you have done to my people and for what you have done to this land,” I yelled out to him. “I will bring you back to your brother, Scorch,” I called out to the evil looking dragon who had not taken his eyes off me. “This will end badly for you!” I screamed out to Warwick and for all of his people to hear me. “In fact, if you look up, you will get a taste of how powerful I am. Look up!” I called to him.
“All I can see is your half-beaten dragon. How about you, men? See anything that should have you running home?” he said with a smirk on his face.
Talon landed beside me. The ground shook again. His eyes were fixed on his brother and Warwick.
Then Talon let out the loudest roar I had ever heard.
“You should keep looking, Father,” I said as I thought harder to call my gargoyles to come to me and land alongside Talon. As they landed beside me and Talon, the look of arrogance left Warwick’s voice. The ground was shaking still after the gargoyles landed.
“Alissa, look. See how Warwick’s men are losing their nerve at the sight of how powerful you have become!” said John as he looked at me, then back to Warwick’s men.
“I see you have freed Aidan of my hold over him. Don’t worry Aidan, you will once again be under my power again—if I am feeling forgiving, my friend,” Warwick called out at him.
“Never!” Aidan yelled out with so much anger in his voice, his eyes fixed on Warwick. “Now is the time, Alissa, give the signal to attack!” Aidan said, now looking at me.
“Attack!”
We heard Warwick’s voice fill the air around us before I could say another word. As I looked, Warwick’s men were running at us across the meadow. I looked to the sky. Scorch took to the sky and behind him were the stone dragons.
“Alissa, look at them!” said Thorn as he held his sword up to Warwick’s stone dragons. As I looked at the dragons I knew that his power to keep his stone dragons was weaker than mine and, like Linus had said, Warwick would not be able to keep them alive for long.
I thought to myself.
“No one is to touch Warwick! I want to be the one to deal with him myself,” I cried out to my people as I looked from Aidan, then John, Thorn and Linus, then back to Warwick again. As we ran across the meadow to battle it was like everyone around me was moving in slow motion. Warwick’s men got closer and closer, then all around Warwick’s them and my people smashed together, and now everyone was moving fast as their swords and shields crashed together. The sound of metal hitting together was deafening, I thought to myself. The screaming dragons and gargoyles were battling it out in the sky above us, teeth and claws ripping hard flesh away from each other. I could not help but look up to see how Talon was doing as I kicked one of Warwick’s men to the ground with one of the fighting move that Aidan had shown me back at our cave. The downed man tried to push his sword up at me but I pushed mine down through his chest. As I looked down at the man blood ran out of his lips. I cannot kill you but your father will bitch he said then spat blood at my face. Not today I said as I pulled my sword out of his chest with one last scream he died. Before I came to this world I had never been in a fight before but thanks to Aidan and John I now know how to use a sword and even how to fight without a sword I thought to myself. One of Warwick’s men came at me, waving his sword. My sword and his came together over and over again—then, when he took his sword high above my head, I ran my sword through his chest. He fell to the ground with blood running down his body as I pulled my sword out of him
Rocks started to fall out of the sky all around us; smoke and dust flew up all over. I could not see if it was my gargoyles or Warwick’s stone dragons that fell around us.
“Alissa, look!” yelled Aidan as he ran his sword through one of Warwick’s men who was about to put a sword through my back. As I looked at Aidan, he pulled the sword out of the man’s stomach and he pointed to the only patch of sky we could see through the dust. “It’s Talon!” he called out as he fought off more of Warwick’s men. No matter how many of Warwick’s men came at Aidan he fought them off, with no trouble at all.
As I looked from Aidan up to the sky, Talon was being chased through the sky with fireballs hitting his body over and over again. Even in so much pain, Talon turned around with blood running down his back; he flew straight at Scorch and ran his claws down his much-loved brother’s back.
“Forgive me, brother,” I heard Talon cry out as his claws ripped through Scorch’s skin. “If you can hear me, Scorch, stop fighting me; come back to me—please, brother, come back to me,” Talon added as he turned to face his brother again.
“Talon, you are weak, brother—can’t you see Warwick has set me free? This is who I am, who I was always meant to be!” said Scorch as he looked at the blood now falling from his torn-up back.
“No, Scorch, that is not you talking, it’s Warwick! They are Warwick’s words; he has turned your heart and spirit cold and dark, just like his own!” Talon yelled out.
“Keep telling yourself that if you want, brother,” Scorch called out and again, fire flew from him and hit Talon. More screams filled the air as I looked up to the sky.
“The gargoyles, look!” cried out Aidan as one of the gargoyles smashed into the stone dragon.
“Noooo!” I screamed as some of the gargoyles fell from the sky and landed at our feet. As I looked around, there were bodies on the ground, bodies of my people and of Warwick’s people, blood pouring out of their wounds. I looked over to Warwick. I could see that losing his men meant nothing to him.
I hate him—he doesn’t care about his men! He is losing, I thought to myself but I knew his men to him were expendable. Their job is to kill anyone who threatened their so-called great king even if they have to die to do that. But I could feel my anger and hate for him running though my body.
"Father!" Krista screamed out. Her father Seth had been struck down by Rydan.
“You are weak, old man! You really think a girl can help you?” said Rydan as he stood over Seth. Rydan started laughing as he looked down at Krista looking up from her father at him. Rydan looked over to Warwick with an evil smile on his face. Warwick nodded his head to Rydan as he took his sword out of Seth’s now still, bloody body. He raised the sword above Krista. Krista was still trying to get Seth to his feet. In her shock, she could not see that her father was dead. Rydan’s sword had passed through Seth’s heart. As I looked at them, it felt like everything was in slow motion again.
“Nooooo, Krista!” I cried as I pushed through Warwick’s people and some of my own out of my way. Two of Warwick’s men knocked me down to the ground. The two blood covered men seemed to fall in front of me as I looked around to see what could have made them do this. It was Aidan, looking down at me with one hand outstretched to me and the other hand pulling out his sword from the back of one of Warwick’s men.
“Go, Alissa!” Aidan yelled out as he pulled me to my feet. I ran past the two men and as I did, I couldn’t help but look back.
“Aidan!”
The other man was on his feet again and with one hand, Aidan held the man by the throat. He lifted the man and sent him flying through the air. The man’s lifeless body hit the ground.
“Keep going, Alissa!” Aidan cried out.
Rydan’s sword was about to hit Krista’s neck.
“Krista!” I yelled out and Rydan spun around and our swords hit together again and again.
“Impressive! You fight well for a little girl,” said Rydan with a smirk as he looked at me. “But I can feel you getting weaker,” said Rydan as he hit my sword out of my hand.
“Oh no! Now what, little girl? What are you going to do with no sword?” he added with an evil laugh in his voice.
I looked over to Aidan; he just smiled at me as I raised my hand above my head. Aidan stretched his hand to my sword and looked at me. My sword flew into my hand.
“How did you do that?” Rydan yelled at me. “How did you get that power? Even the great king has no such power…” he added.
“I don’t own it,” I said as I looked at Aidan; he ran his own sword through more of Warwick’s men. “That is his power, not mine… but he has taught me to how to fight,” I said as I kicked him away from me. Again and again our swords crashed together with the sound of the bloody battle all around us.
Rydan knocked me down to the ground and placed his foot on my back, pushing me face down into the dirt. His blood fell down on to me from where my sword had cut his face.
“Like I said; you fight well, Alissa, but did you really think that you could win this battle?” said Rydan as he knelt down to me. “Just think how well I will be rewarded by your father for killing you, the girl of legend, the one who would bring an end to him, the greatest king alive!” he said, still with that evil laugh in his voice, as he kicked me over to look up at him. I could smell his breath on my face. As I looked up at him, he now stood above me holding his sword with both hands.
He cried out as two blades flew into his back straight through his heart.
He looked at one of the blades as it went straight through his body. He fell to his knees; blood fell from his mouth. His eyes were still fixed on me as he fell to the ground beside me. His cold, dead eyes looked into mine.
I looked up at the sky, now full of dark clouds as it started to rain down on me.
“Come,” Linus said with one hand outstretched to help me up and a dagger in the other as he pulled me up and wrapped his arm around me. “Alissa, are you okay? You’re not hurt, are you?” he asked as he let me go and just looked at me.
“I’m fine, Linus, but… those daggers, that was you?” I asked, now looking down at Rydan’s body.
“Yes, Alissa. I should have told you; I’m not just a sorcerer,” he said as he pulled open his cloak. As I looked, all I could see were daggers sewn into his cloak. I looked into his eyes. He just smiled at me, back at me.
Screams filled the air all around us again. As Linus and I looked up, we saw Talon and the gargoyles fighting hard against Scorch and the stone dragons.
“Alissa, he is heading toward us! Look!” said John as him, Aidan and Thorn stood next to us.
“Still you cannot face me without your rebels and traitors!” said Warwick as he looked at Aidan. “Don’t worry, Aidan, you will soon be back under my control again,” he said as the blue smoke came from Warwick’s hands.
“I will kill you first!” said Aidan as he looked at Warwick. Warwick just laughed and then looked away from Aidan.
“Oh wait, it gets even better! You brought me my fool back too? It’s been too quiet in the castle without you, John,” said Warwick with his evil laugh in his voice. “Aidan, are you sure you are happy now? You turned away from my power—as I said, you know I can always bring you back,” he said with an evil smile on his lips. “I can bring you all under my power!” he added as the familiar blue smoke came from Warwick’s hands. He went to place his hand onto Aidan, but as soon as he got close to him the smoke could not touch Aidan; it just faded away into the air as it came out of his hands.
“No, how can this be?” Warwick yelled out over the screams of the wounded as he looked at me.
“If you ask me, Warwick, what you did to Aidan. My power gave him back his life and my power will never let you control him ever again,” I said as I walked through the rain to be at Aidan’s side. “Unlike you, Father, my people are fighting with me to bring peace back to Akizma, the way it once was, without you,” I said as the rain hit my face. I kept my eyes on him.
“I am proud to be that person to give peace back to these people, and I am proud to fight alongside them. I would die for each of them, unlike you!” I shouted at him as I stepped away from Aidan toward Warwick.
“Why fight me, Alissa? We could rule over this world together. I am your father, damn it!” Warwick shouted at me with rage in his voice. For the first time he let it show that I am a bigger threat to him than he could ever believe.
“You killed my mother. You killed Thorn’s family. You killed all of Aidan’s people and took away his free will, and made him kill my people, just as Scorch is doing right now!” I screamed at him. “How dare you think I would ever think of you as my father? You are nothing but a monster!” I screamed out to him again. “And if you have to die for peace to come back to this world then just know that that is what I will do; kill you and no tears will be shed over you!” I screamed out with more anger in my voice than ever before.
“As you wish, Alissa,” said Warwick as he looked up to the sky. One of his stone dragons landed beside him the ground shaking with its landing. Warwick looked into its eyes, then to me; the dragon let out a deafening scream and charged at us, and with one flick of its tail; it sent Linus, Aidan, John and Thorn flying through the air. I looked around to see if they were alright as they all slammed into the mud; the stone dragon grabbed me, holding me tightly in its claws.
“Noooo!” cried out Aidan as I looked down to see him and the others get to their feet, looking up at me as the stone dragon took me high into the sky.
Warwick was nowhere to be seen.
Higher and higher the stone dragon took me. I couldn’t see what was happening on the ground any more. It was getting harder to breathe.
We stopped going up higher. The stone dragon looked down at me with his cold eyes.
“Alissa, you are no threat to me. You never were,” said the dragon—but it was Warwick’s voice coming from the dragon. It let out an evil laugh with fire coming from its mouth. Then the dragon’s claws opened and it released me. I fell down through the dark, stormy sky. I looked up to see the dragon, but it was now just rocks falling past me.
Warwick cannot keep his dragons alive for long, Linus’s words ran through my mind as I fell faster and faster. The dragon’s roars still filled the sky around me.
“Talon, help me!” I called out to him in the distance. He can’t hear me, I thought; him and Scorch were still fighting. “Help me, please! Hear me,” I thought to him. I must be too far away, I thought to myself.
“Alissa! I hear you. Hold on, I’m coming,” I heard Talon’s voice inside my head. I looked around to see him. “Hold on,” said Talon again, but then Scorch slammed on to Talon’s back, pushing him out of the sky.
“Talon!” I screamed out as I watched them fall out of the sky. I could feel all of Talon’s pain as if it was mine, just like last time.
“I am not going to die like this,” I thought to myself as I fell faster. Then I saw the trees below me. As I looked at the trees, my power over them started to come to me. I looked at one of the trees and its branches started to reach up into the sky, growing up, faster, shooting up toward me as I fell faster toward the branches—until the branches were all around me. I landed into the safety of the tree. It was just like every other time. The wind pushed me around and the branches moved to where I was falling, ready to catch me. As I looked around, the branches were pulling me back down to the battle.
“Alissa, what happened to you? Are you okay?” asked Thorn with Linus and Aidan by his side.
“Linus, the power over trees that Warwick ’thinks is a useless power… it saved me! The tree saved me,” I said as I looked to the sky, searching for my gargoyles. “I need the gargoyles that are left to help the others on the ground. Now. We don’t need to worry about the stone dragons,” I said as I closed my eyes and called them to me. It did not take long before ten of the gargoyles landed beside me; again, the ground shook when they hit the ground all around us. “I need you to help our people on the ground now, keep them safe,” I said. The gargoyles looked to our people fighting as hard as they could, then the gargoyles ran into battle, sending Warwick’s men flying through the air.
“Not so easy to kill me, unlike my mother, am I, father?” I screamed out as I saw Warwick in the distance.
Warwick turned to face me, first with a shocked look on his face; then anger and hate filled his eyes as he looked right at me. I knelt down, placing my hand on the ground.
“I feel strange, Linus,” I said as he looked down at me.
“What is it?” asked Linus as he placed his hand on my forehead. “Alissa, you feel hot… and getting hotter; how do you feel?” asked Linus.
“I feel like I’m back inside the volcano; it feels like my blood—it feels like the lava is running through my body, but it does not hurt. It’s like I’m surrounded in lava,” I said as I got back to my feet.
“Alissa, look at your hair; it’s getting brighter! It looks like fire,” said Aidan, looking at my hair.
“No; it looks like lava,” I said as I ran my hand through my hair.
“Look at your hands; they are glowing just as red as your hair,” said Thorn.
As I looked down at my hands, the red glow turned to fire. It came from under my skin. As I stood up tall, the fire grew higher and higher as it raced along the ground and around me and Warwick; forcing Linus and the others outside the circle of fire, leaving just us two on the inside. The fire grew higher than the trees around us. I could not hear anyone fighting over the sound of the flames.
“Linus, what do we do?” cried out Thorn
“There is nothing we can do now; she is on her own,” said Aidan, looking around at our people. Warwick’s men just stood still. No one was fighting anymore; they just stood looking at the fire and wanting to know what was going on the other side of it.
“Now do you see the power you could never own, Warwick?” I said as we circled the wall of fire slowly, not taking our eyes off each other. Warwick took his bloody sword high above his head and ran toward me.
“Join your mother!” he yelled out at me as his blade came down at me. I grabbed the sword with both hands and the blade burned as red as my hair, and as hot as lava the heat ran down the blade.
Warwick screamed as his sword burnt his hands. He fell to the ground at my feet, holding his burnt hands.
“How can this be you, you who should have been killed at birth?” he said as he looked up at me with hate in his eyes. “You think you can bring an end to all of this? End me? It can’t end like this; it won’t end like this!” he cried out in pain at me as he got to his feet. I kicked him back to the ground with one foot like Aidan showed me. As I looked around, I saw a root of a tree that had come underground under the fire. I looked at the root, then to Warwick. The root did what I wanted it to do; it moved across the ground and wrapped itself around Warwick’s body and pinned him to the ground.
I knelt down to Warwick as he struggled to try free himself from the root as it got tighter around him.
As I looked at him I placed my hand on his birthmark.
“Don’t move, Warwick,” I said as my hand touched his skin. His evil eyes burned into me with such hate. As soon as I touched his face, I went into some sort of trance again. I looked at my hand but I had no control over it or what it was doing.
“Stop, what are you doing to me?” Warwick yelled up at me with fear in his voice as he tried to pull away from my hand.
“I feel cold. As cold as your heart is, Warwick,” I said as I looked at him.
It’s your powers; you love to use them to hurt my people, I thought to myself.
I felt his power leaving his body and coming into me.
“No! You can’t take them away from me! Stop!” he cried out as he tried to break free of my touch.
“Can’t you feel it? You are losing this fight, Warwick,” I said as I looked down at him. As I looked at him I could see his ’powers coming out of his birthmark; the blue smoke ran up through my hand but it went from blue to red; as red as my hair, right in front of my eyes. As soon as my hand stopped glowing I knew I had taken all of his ’powers away from him. I felt hot again, so I took my hand away from Warwick’s face. As I took my hand away from him, I felt Warwick’s heart slow down.
He looked up at me still with hate in his eyes, then he closed his eyes and slipped into a deep cold sleep. His heart and breathing is so slow… I thought to myself as I got up.
As I looked from Warwick’s body to the fire, the last four gargoyles that were left walked through the ring of fire to me.
I looked back down at Warwick’s body; still the root of a tree wrapped around him. Then as I looked at the root, it lifted the unconscious king to his feet. The gargoyles turned to face me, then bowed to me then they turned to Warwick and walked away from me. Step by step, they got closer and closer to Warwick until I couldn’t see him anymore.
As I looked to where Warwick and my four gargoyles were, now just stood one large rock. The gargoyles encased my father. As I came out of the trance, I stood alone as the fire slowly died down around me. As the fire died away, I looked around to see Warwick’s and my people stood still looking at me and at the large rock in the middle of the circle where the fire used to be.
“You all know who this girl is. She is the daughter of Warwick and Serena,” called out Linus. “And you all know her story; to bring peace to Akizma,” he called out again for all to hear him. “She has done all the things you have heard about her—well, almost everything. Now is your turn to be a part of Alissa story, and help her rebuild this land to what it once was,” Linus added.
He looked from me to Warwick’s men. Everyone looked at each other all beaten and bloody. Suddenly, a loud scream filled the air all around us.
“Alissa, look out!” cried Aidan as he pulled me out of the way of the fire that fell from the sky. Aidan and I looked up to the sky as we got back to our feet.
“It’s Scorch! His battle is not over yet,” said Aidan as our eyes were fixed on Talon and Scorch racing through the sky with fire filling the sky. All I could see was the two dragons tearing each other apart and blood pouring off their bodies.
“Talon, Scorch, please stop! The battle is over. Warwick is gone!” I screamed up into the sky. Talon got away from Scorch and landed at my side. But then Scorch slammed down on top of Talon’s back, still clawing at his brother’s flesh.
“Stop!” I cried out to the fighting brothers. “Help me stop this, someone!” I called out, looking from the dragons to my people. Then as I looked back to the dragons, Scorch now floated above Talon; he could not move.
I looked to Aidan. He had his hands out straight. He was using his power to keep the dragons apart.
“Alissa, I don’t know how much longer I can keep him like this,” Aidan called out, looking to Scorch, then to me. I looked over to the trees and thought of how I wanted the roots and branches to hold Scorch down like they did Warwick. The roots came across the ground and reached up to Scorch. The branches came through the air until they wrapped around the dragon in the sky where Aidan was holding him. The branches and roots dragged Scorch away from Talon. Talon’s blood and flesh fell from Scorch’s claws as he went through the air then the tree’s roots and branches pinned him to the ground.
“It’s okay, you can let go now, Aidan. He cannot break free,” I said to him as he lowered his hands and fell to his knees. “Are you alright?” I asked as I gave him my hand to help him to his feet.
“I’m fine… he is the biggest thing I have had to use my power on; I didn’t know whether it would work,” he said with one arm around my shoulder, holding himself up.
“Thank you, Aidan,” said Talon as he looked from him to his brother, with blood still running down his back. “Alissa, can you help him?” Talon asked, now looking at me.
“It’s going to be alright, Talon. I am going to bring back your brother. I promise,” I said as I placed my hand on his leg and looked into his eyes. “Linus, Thorn, tend to Talon’s wounds, please,” I asked, still being stared at by Warwick’s men.
They did not move; they just stared at me. I didn’t know why Warwick’s men were not fighting, or trying to stop me; maybe Linus’s words got to them.
As I took my first steps towards an angry and hateful Scorch, I felt Aidan walking beside me.
“No, Aidan, stay here. You need to rest,” I said as I looked at him, then back to Talon and Linus.
“Alissa, just because he is pinned down doesn’t mean he can’t still hurt you. Look at him,” said Aidan. As I turned to look at Scorch, he let out a loud roar. He was still trying to break free from the tree. But with every move he made the roots and branches got tighter. All the time he kept his evil eyes on me.
“See what I mean?” said Aidan as we walked over to Scorch. As we got closer I knelt down beside him and placed my hands on his skin.
“It’s like Talon said, I cannot hear his thoughts. He is keeping them from me. I can’t hear him at all, I can only feel his hate,” I said as I looked away from him up to Aidan.
“You are strong, Alissa. You can get through to him. I know you can break Warwick’s hold over him, like you freed me,” said Aidan as he knelt down beside me. I looked away from Aidan and placed my hands on to Scorch’s head again. He tried to pull away from me and let out a loud roar with his eyes fixed on my hand.
“Don’t fight me, Scorch,” I thought to him. “I know you can hear my voice. I want to help you; just let me help. Let me in,” I added as we became one with each other. I felt my heart beating fast again and I felt his heart beating just as fast as mine and his breathing slowing down. “Scorch, please let me help you,” I asked him again.
The next thing I knew, I was inside of him.
“We are now one,” I thought to him. “Scorch, you have made the first move by letting me in,” I thought to him as I felt his body shaking still trying to fight me. But I felt cold, just like I did with Warwick. Then I heard a voice deep and full of anger.
“What makes you think I want to go back to how I used to be, weak just like my brother?” he thought to me. “Scorch, you did not always think like this; your words are not yours. They sound more like my father’s words. He has twisted and filled your mind with hate,” I thought to him.
“What would you know?” he yelled at me, more angry at my words.
“I have seen you and Talon before Warwick did this to you, Scorch. Let me remind you,” I called out to him.
Scorch closed his eyes and with a flash of light we are seeing the day when Warwick called Scorch down from the sky and into the woods.
“Look how happy you and Talon were, just play-fighting together. Feel the warmth of your love for each other,” I think to him. “This is how your life was always meant to be I think to him again. Now look at the forest below us, Scorch. You have to feel that just flying over the forest feel how cold the air has become how dark it is,” I think to him again. “I know you can feel the evil I think to him as we land in front of the forest. Scorch, please hear my voice; whatever Warwick tells you, it is evil. Twisted and cold as the air around us and as dark as this forest, his heart and spirit everything about him. It’s all these things. It’s Warwick evil power,” I think to him as we walk into the forest. Then as we walk past the trees, we see Warwick standing in front of us.
“Scorch, this is it. You have to make your decision again. Please make the right one,” I think to him as we look down at Warwick.
“Now all I could do is to watch and hope I have made you see how much happier you once were with your brother and the people of this land, and I hope I can call you my friend after this. Don’t give in to the dark and cold; stay in the warmth and love of your brother,” I think to him.
“Linus, do you think it’s working?” asked Aidan as he looked from Scorch still fighting against the roots and branches.
“All we can do is hope that Alissa can get through to him,” said Linus as he looked at the cold sweat run down my face.
“She’s ice cold,” said Aidan as he placed his hand on my forehead. “She is pushing this power hard. We just need to be ready when she comes out of this. I have a feeling she will be very weak,” said Linus as he took Aidan’s hand away.
“Scorch, I have been watching you and your brother, and how he thinks you are weak. He thinks he is better than you,” said Warwick with his hands on Scorch’s chest, his evil power going into Scorch’s body and into his heart and spirit. I could feel the coldness of Warwick’s power in Scorch’s body. But then I started to feel warm and full of hope, pushing the coldness out of his body as Scorch looked down at Warwick.
“Nooooooo!” Scorch yelled out as he pulled away from Warwick’s hands and ran from the forest as fast as he could.
“That’s it, Scorch, keep fighting! Don’t let him win,” I thought to him.
“Linus, what is happening?” asked Talon as he looked around to see Scorch crying out and again pulling against the roots.
“I don’t know,” said Linus as he looked at me with tears coming from my eyes and blood coming from my ears.
“Linus, what do we do? She’s hurt. We have to try and bring her out,” he said as he went to take my hand away from Scorch.
“No, we can’t; we have to believe she can do this,” said Linus as he and Thorn held him away from me.
I can hear everything that is happening with my friends on the outside and will them not to bring me out. I can feel my power working harder than ever. I am bringing Talon his brother back to him; I know it.
“Alissa, hold on! Come back to us,” I heard Linus in the back of my mind. I looked around.
I was no longer inside of Scorch but on his back.
“Come back here!” cried Warwick as he tried to use his power on Scorch again. This time, the power hurt Scorch; the pain ran all through his body and again. This pain felt like my pain.
“Don’t stop, Scorch!” I screamed out loud. “Keep fighting him,” I called out for all to hear. But it was too late for Warwick; his power and our pain faded away as Scorch and I took to the sky and flew alongside Talon.
Talon could not see me; I was as a ghost in their past.
“What happened down there?” asked Talon as he looked at his brother in the eye.
“Nothing. I just want to get away from this forest,” said Scorch.
As Scorch opened his eyes I could feel the fire running through his body like Talon’s once more.
“Oh Alissa! I remember everything! How could I have done all these evil things… how can you, my brother and all the people of this land forgive me?” he said with tears falling down his face. I did not want to do as Warwick told me to I could not stop myself he added in a soft and sad voice with tears falling from his eyes as he looked at me and Aidan sat by his side.
“Scorch, it is going to be okay. You remember me, don’t you?” asked Aidan. “I was under the same power that Warwick had you under and Alissa freed me as she has you,” said Aidan. “We had no control over our own bodies we must live on for the victims of Warwick. One day at a time,” said Aidan as he looked from Scorch to me.
“Aidan is right. Warwick took your free will away from both of you. Now you have it back and, Scorch; Talon loves you. All he wanted was you back,” I said as I looked to the tree as it released him. “Now all of these people are all going to begin a new chapter in their lives, and so are you,” I said as I wiped the blood away that was running down my neck. “This is a new start for all of Akizma and we all need you both to be a part of this new beginning,” I added as we walked to our friends.
As we got closer all around Linus, we were not just my friends, but what was left of Warwick’s men also stood with my people. Everyone looked tired from the battle, with blood and dirt covering them. “All hail the queen!” Linus called out and everyone called out the same thing as they knelt to the ground. As I looked to Talon, he lowered his head as he looked from Scorch with a smile on his face, then back to me. Scorch did as his brother did and lowered his head still with tears in his eyes.
“My queen,” Aidan said as he knelt beside me.