Kingdoms of Caelum; Autumn of the War Queen

Chapter 43

Across the many seas and waters, over treacherous mountains and deserts, in snow, sun and rain, a powerful shift, so strong, blew upon the wind. The tree spirits which had lain dormant for many years awoke to the shift and whispered to the wind. The wind blew their voices to the sands and snow, and the Volvian spirits screamed into the ears of the few in Caelum that could still hear them.

Ragan was one of those now, although he didn't realise it. His Blood Stone and new found magic amplified the spirits noise and the strange, meaningless whispers buzzed around his ears. For a moment he saw nothing, felt nothing and could say nothing. He only felt the whispers that clouded his sensations, and then as quickly as they came, they were gone. He brushed off the strange moment and continued on his way.

Lubon was another awoken from a deep slumber in the bed he shared with Anisana. Throwing their furs aside, he leapt naked out of bed with fear and terror gripping his soul. He had heard the Volvian spirit voices only once before, and he knew the cries implied terrible things. Stepping lightly over the cold stone floor he walked to the window where it rested, and picked up the magnificent sword that held the Blood Stone. It gleamed in the moonlight, and he swallowed hard. Something was coming, something bad.

The Silver Waters was a vast expanse of choppy, clear sea. It ranged from the southern tip of the Vale of Pelyn for hundreds of miles until it came across the NautaIslands. The NautaIslands were the most central point of Caelum, harbouring the gentle people who resided here, people who spoke to the spirits often and paid tribute to the silver moon and salty winds. Most people in Caelum had never travelled this far before. It was here a young boy sat amongst baskets of ripe fruits and berries, a strange looking boy with bright golden hair, who laughed in the golden sunlight with the other children. He heard the Volvian cries and suddenly stopped laughing. His spectral blue eyes glazed over and he clasped his hands on his ears as he listened to every word, which was as clear as his fluent tongue. The other children stopped laughing as the boy dropped to his knees and began to scream.

But the most prominent person affected by the shift was Maffitati. The Queen of the Rakshasha had just made her blessing to Yotella. Bare footed, she stood on the cold marble steps and felt it coming with the breeze. She held her head high toward the setting autumn sun as it hit her. Intertwined by magic and spirit she heard the cries, crisp and as clear as running water. Horrorstruck, she dropped to her knees, screaming and screaming. The pain of the words seared through her blood, and tore into her soul ripping it apart.

"GAZENA!" she howled, the anguished voice echoing over the Kingdom of Lieulf. One by one the Rakshasha froze and turned their heads up towards their Queen. Maffitati screamed and screamed until tears of bright red blood fell down her cheek. Her only daughter was dead. Her Gazena. In over a hundred years she had not shape shifted into her tigress form, but now she did. Queen Maffitati was the largest of all the Rakshashas, with blood red fur, and sharp black markings. She jumped gracefully from the white steps and up onto the roof of the temple. From there she let rip a chilling, blood curdling roar that echoed across all the Realm of Sephian. At that moment, she vowed she would rip out the hearts of all those who opposed her revenge and that Caelum would scream in mercy before she had finished. Maffitati had declared war on all, and nobody was safe.

to be continued ...