The War of the Masters

Terra looked into the eyes of her eldest brother, a sinister smile forming on his lips. Riding atop his black dragon, Lozarrik had her wrapped in the crook of his powerful right arm. Nightmare emitted the last particles of the black fog from what appeared to be vents in his scales. Darting across the sky, they reached the highest mountain top on the island.

Lozarrik threw her to the ground while they slowed to a hover. Terra landed face first, skidding across the rocky earth. Wind whipped at her clothes from the expansive wings of the black dragon as he flapped twice more, then landed.

Fear flooded through Terra’s mind, but she forced the insecurities out. Pushing herself to her feet, she felt her blood, marred by dirt, trickle down her check and roll off her chin. Terra turned to face her brother, the man who had badgered them relentlessly since her birthday. Lozarrik sat on his dragon, his hands nonchalantly folded in front of him.

“Baby sister! How nice it is to see you again.”

Terra collected her nerves. “Yes, big brother. But a simple knock on the castle door would have sufficed.”

Lozarrik let out a short laugh, then swung his right leg over Nightmare and slid down his scales. “You say that as if I need your permission.” He looked down the mountainside at the black fog. “No, I take what I want. And I want to talk to you alone, without your pesky little slaves bothering me.”

“They’re not my slaves, remember? They’re my friends.”

Lozarrik smirked. He took a step forward and placed his hand on the hilt of his claymore. Slowly he unsheathed it from his side.

Terra’s eyes went wide with fear. Her heart hammered in her chest.

Gradually walking forward, Lozarrik tilted his head toward the castle. “Look at them, baby sister. They’re so helpless.”

Lozarrik swung his sword. Terra instinctively recoiled, but the blade hadn’t been meant for her. A shock wave erupted from the tip of his claymore, shooting down the mountain side and pushing away the black fog with the intensity of a gale force wind. A wide trench formed in the ground where the shock wave hit, only twenty feet from her friends.

Lozarrik looked at Terra and smiled.

Terror clawed at her heart like an icy talon. She swallowed hard. That’s not even his power; just the sheer strength he possesses.

Her eldest brother walked around her and leaned in close over her shoulder. Terra felt her entire body trembling. A bead of sweat trailed down her forehead. Casually, Lozarrik held his sword out in front of them, extending the blade so the tip pointed at one of her friends by the castle. Terra strained her eyes to see who it was.

A lump formed in her throat. The person Lozarrik singled out was Cyrus.

“They truly are small. Like tiny . . . little . . . ants.” Lozarrik flicked his sword over the image of Cyrus, causing Terra to flinch.

I can’t let him intimidate me, she thought. There must be a reason why he hasn’t killed anyone yet.

“Why are we here, brother?” Terra asked through clenched teeth. “If you wanted to kill us, you would have done it already.”

“You’re right.” Lozarrik walked out from behind her and smiled. “While our siblings have massed armies for a war they can’t win, I have had the foresight to see the end game. Once the dust settles, and I claim victory over your dead bodies, there is still one obstacle in my way.”

“Our father,” Terra noted.

“Exactly. He killed our mother and exiled our grandmother in fear for his throne. I see no future in which he follows Candorian law and abdicates his reign to the victor. That’s why I’m here. I want you to help me destroy the Savage King.”

Terra shifted uncomfortably. “Why come to me?”

Lozarrik tilted his head. “Who says you’re the only one I’ve talked to? Besides, I know the secret you’ve fought so hard to keep from us all these years.” Lozarrik leaned forward. “I know that you’re a telepath.”

Terra’s eyes went wide. “How?” Though no one else was around, her voice was barely more than a whisper.

“That doesn’t matter. Dameon’s attempt on your life was merely a test. I wanted to see what you were capable of. Had you failed, Niadus would have taken your powers and those of your pitiful friends.”

Terra felt like iron shackles had been attached to her lungs, making it hard to breathe. “Then what now?”

“You serve me willingly.”

In another situation Terra might have laughed, but she was careful to keep her expression neutral around her brother. “What makes you think I would do that?”

Lozarrik smiled and shook his head, as though amused. “Baby sister, when will you learn? The strong take what they want.” He took one menacing step toward her, and for a brief moment his eyes were filled with hatred. Then, it was gone, and his grim smile returned. “And the weak can do nothing to stop them,” he concluded.

Despite her fear, Terra held her ground. “Killing me won’t help you.”

The Prince snorted. “Why kill you? No, Terra, I will kill your friends, one by one until you agree to my terms.”

The trembling in Terra’s chest ignited at the mention of her friends, spreading a fire through her veins. She raised her head slightly, staring her brother down under a furrowed brow. Then she set her jaw, and projected her next words straight into Lozarrik’s mind.

I will consider your offer. But you’ll get my answer at the family meeting. Until then, if you even so much as touch a hair on one of my friends I will turn your mind into mush, so that you won’t even know when you’re wetting yourself.

Lozarrik looked taken aback. Then he let out a short chuckle.

Not exactly the reaction I was hoping for, Terra thought.

“Well, well, look who’s got some teeth.” Lozarrik folded his arms. “I like that; we’ll need that fire to stand against father. Very well, I will wait until the family meeting. I want you stronger for the confrontation anyway.”

Lozarrik turned away from her and sauntered to his dragon, climbing onto Nightmare’s broad shoulders.

“But I warn you: if you reject my offer, or if you’re still too pitiful to help, I won’t hesitate to kill you. And then your slaves . . .” Lozarrik smirked, “. . . will become my slaves.”

Nightmare extended his black, bat-like wings and flapped twice, lifting them into the air.

“See you in six months, baby sister.”

The black dragon took off like a rocket, breaking multiple sound barriers as it flew through the sky.

Terra watched until they disappeared from sight. Then the fire within her subsided, and she collapsed to the ground trembling, her head in her hands.

What am I going to do? If I take this deal, it will be like shaking hands with the devil.

The faint sound of her name caught her attention. Terra looked up and saw most of her friends frantically running across the island looking for her. Cyrus was on T’Saunté’s back, zipping across the sky and shouting her name.

Reaching out with her power, she felt the familiar minds of Cyrus and T’Saunté, and sent them a mental beacon. The dragon veered, abruptly changing course. In a few short minutes, they landed beside her.

“What happened? Are you all right?” Cyrus asked as he slid down T’Saunté’s shoulder and ran to her.

Terra couldn’t move. Sitting with her knees pulled to her chest, she opened her mouth to reply but no words came out.

Cyrus knelt down beside her. Without a word he put his arms around her and wrapped her in a comforting embrace. T’Saunté transformed into his smaller size and snuggled against her other side. Terra felt a wave of emotions overcome her, forming tears in her eyes. She was together with her two closest friends—exactly where she needed to be right now.

“I’m . . . I’m all right,” Terra finally said, wiping her eyes. “Lozarrik just paid me a visit.”

“Lozarrik . . .” Cyrus hissed. Although she couldn’t see his face at the moment, she could sense the indignation in his voice.

“Yes,” Terra said. Pulling back, she looked both of them in the eye. “And I’m afraid we have a terrible decision to make.”