Kingdom of Valeria (Book 2)

Chapter 12 The Final Battle

It took all but three days for the team to get to Ember's kingdom. They were all nervous to get his done, everyone except for April.

She knew that everything would be okay and if anything had to happen to her, it would be her sacrifice for the kingdom.

"This is it. It's time." April declared.

"Let's go." Tanya said.

"The three of us should stick together." Cassidy said.

Ember's giant birds were perched on the walls of the castle. As soon as they'd caught sight of them coming near, the birds darted towards them releasing their piercing screams.

"Let's go." Dairon said.

Aaron, Dairon and Livian headed to the front leaving Catherine, Tanya, Cassidy and April a few steps behind. The birds charged at them, but they confronted them steadily.

Aaron was grabbing them with his lianas and dragging them down, Livian were incapacitating them with his water spheres, while Dairon was throwing a rain of rocks at them.

"Quick! We have to get to the throne hall as fast as we can." Cassidy said.

But that was not possible, summoned by the screams of the birds, Ember came out to welcome them.

"You should have let me know you're coming. I would have planned a better welcome. So this is it? Seven of you?" Ember questioned.

"April!" Tanya said.

"No. Stay back. I'll take care of her." April said.

"What?" Catherine was shocked.

"It's alright. April knows what she's doing?" Cassidy said.

April stepped in front of the rest of the others. "Seven is more than enough to stop you." April told Ember only.

"How can you be so sure? I have the sceptre and the medallion." Ember replied and she pointed up at Livian. "I only need the sword for the full package."

"Unfortunately, for you, you would never get your hands on it." April warned.

"Really? The other elf has it. Am I right?" Ember questioned.

"No. I have it." April answered and she took the sword out of its sheath.

April continued. "You see, Ember, unlike me and Livian, Dairon was never connected to the magical object that had been granted to him. He'd always found it dreadful. Yesterday, when I asked for it, he gave it to me without hesitation."

"But you can't use it. You can't access its powers." Ember said.

"And I wasn't planning on using it." April answered back to her.

She threw the sword in the air where Ember was standing, she dashed to catch it but April was quicker. She threw a light arrow and the sword fell on the ground, crumbling into pieces.

"Nooo!" Ember screamed. "Are you aware of what you have done?"

"I did what I should have done a long time ago. I destroyed it." April said.

"But you don't understand how serious this is." Ember said.

"I know pretty well what I did." I said.

Ember fell to the ground, her hand clutching her chest. She could barely stand back on her feet.

That was the only proof that April needed. "I knew it. You're connected to these objects. That's why you want them so bad. That's why the destruction of the sword hurt you."