taught him how to hunt and track, and Kai and Häkan, who taught him how to soldier and fight.
Thaddeus and Raynor had spent their time travelling from village to village, seeking out those with magical ability, who were either loyal to Kai or keen to see the end of Adriel. They spent their time, teaching and counselling those with ability and sending them to Amalah or Mantor, or wherever Kai needed them to be.
It took six years in all to vanquish the Amalayan Order. In the final days, the Alliance of Nations took back: Santeb; Lansten and Aradene. They then marched onto Amalah and right into Amalah City. Titus and Sarid were killed in battle but Probus, not wanting to face the inevitable mob that he knew would tear him limb from limb; fled in disguise.
The day finally came when the seven: Kai, Häkan, Garrick, Elana, Thaddeus, Raynor and Michael took the city and marched into the palace where Adriel had lived and ruled and to their surprise, he stood alone on the dais of the great hall, where he had massacred the summit leaders six years ago.
The seven approached him slowly, their swords drawn but Adriel simply stared at them, his face full of hostility and contempt.
‘Surrender Adriel,’ Kai said simply. ‘You have nowhere to go and your Order is defeated.’
Adriel threw an energy ball at Kai’s direction but Thaddeus and Raynor deflected it, sending it back to Adriel, who threw it away as though it were a fly to be swatted.
‘It will take much more than my own magic to defeat me,’ he snarled.
‘It’s over,’ Kai repeated. ‘Whether it ends in your death is up to you.’
Adriel smiled but it somehow made his features look ugly and twisted. ‘Do you lowly beings think that I am going to surrender to you?’
‘You have nowhere to go,’ said Häkan. ‘When – not if, we seize you, you may be spared. So if you value your hideous excuse of a life, surrender now Adriel.’
‘Why?’ Adriel snapped.
‘To face justice Adriel,’ said Michael. ‘It has been a long time coming.’
‘And who might you be?’ Adriel asked.
‘Michael, son of Galen. The man you murdered at the summit, along with my brothers and mother who you also had murdered.’
‘So why did I spare you?’
‘You did not – I escaped.’
‘Thank goodness,’ Adriel said as he breathed a sigh of relief. ‘I thought I may have shown some of that awful weakness that most humans posses, by being merciful.’
Michael was caught of guard by Adriel’s response and it was clear that Adriel’s words wounded him, he shook his head with sadness as he looked on the man who had wiped out his family. He had hoped he would see some remorse for those actions, but there was only glee and cruelty.
‘I know not what you are Adriel,’ Michael began; ‘but I struggle to believe that you are human.’
‘Yet you know it to be true,’ said Adriel. ‘I am human, I am just devoid of weakness.’
‘Do you care nothing for what you have done?’ Garrick asked.
‘No,’ Adriel snapped.
‘Then why?’ Elana asked. ‘Why the Order? Why did you cast us into war and bring about all this pain, suffering and death?’
‘Because I could.’
‘Seize him,’ said Kai, shaking his head in disgust at Adriel. ‘We have heard enough.’
‘As have I,’ said Adriel. ‘Did you really think that I would remain here in this place, waiting to be captured? Or do you think I would have contemplated my escape?’
Häkan was the first to react and he threw his dagger at Adriel but he was too late and Adriel simply smiled before he disappeared before their very eyes, leaving the dagger to carry on travelling until it became embedded into a wall.
‘What happened?’ asked Kai. ‘I heard no incantation or saw no potion.’
‘Adriel is in a league of his own,’ Raynor said bitterly.
‘So he escapes justice after all,’ Michael said quietly.
‘We will send the army out to search for Adriel,’ said Kai. ‘We will scour the nine nations. Adriel
Thaddeus and Raynor had spent their time travelling from village to village, seeking out those with magical ability, who were either loyal to Kai or keen to see the end of Adriel. They spent their time, teaching and counselling those with ability and sending them to Amalah or Mantor, or wherever Kai needed them to be.
It took six years in all to vanquish the Amalayan Order. In the final days, the Alliance of Nations took back: Santeb; Lansten and Aradene. They then marched onto Amalah and right into Amalah City. Titus and Sarid were killed in battle but Probus, not wanting to face the inevitable mob that he knew would tear him limb from limb; fled in disguise.
The day finally came when the seven: Kai, Häkan, Garrick, Elana, Thaddeus, Raynor and Michael took the city and marched into the palace where Adriel had lived and ruled and to their surprise, he stood alone on the dais of the great hall, where he had massacred the summit leaders six years ago.
The seven approached him slowly, their swords drawn but Adriel simply stared at them, his face full of hostility and contempt.
‘Surrender Adriel,’ Kai said simply. ‘You have nowhere to go and your Order is defeated.’
Adriel threw an energy ball at Kai’s direction but Thaddeus and Raynor deflected it, sending it back to Adriel, who threw it away as though it were a fly to be swatted.
‘It will take much more than my own magic to defeat me,’ he snarled.
‘It’s over,’ Kai repeated. ‘Whether it ends in your death is up to you.’
Adriel smiled but it somehow made his features look ugly and twisted. ‘Do you lowly beings think that I am going to surrender to you?’
‘You have nowhere to go,’ said Häkan. ‘When – not if, we seize you, you may be spared. So if you value your hideous excuse of a life, surrender now Adriel.’
‘Why?’ Adriel snapped.
‘To face justice Adriel,’ said Michael. ‘It has been a long time coming.’
‘And who might you be?’ Adriel asked.
‘Michael, son of Galen. The man you murdered at the summit, along with my brothers and mother who you also had murdered.’
‘So why did I spare you?’
‘You did not – I escaped.’
‘Thank goodness,’ Adriel said as he breathed a sigh of relief. ‘I thought I may have shown some of that awful weakness that most humans posses, by being merciful.’
Michael was caught of guard by Adriel’s response and it was clear that Adriel’s words wounded him, he shook his head with sadness as he looked on the man who had wiped out his family. He had hoped he would see some remorse for those actions, but there was only glee and cruelty.
‘I know not what you are Adriel,’ Michael began; ‘but I struggle to believe that you are human.’
‘Yet you know it to be true,’ said Adriel. ‘I am human, I am just devoid of weakness.’
‘Do you care nothing for what you have done?’ Garrick asked.
‘No,’ Adriel snapped.
‘Then why?’ Elana asked. ‘Why the Order? Why did you cast us into war and bring about all this pain, suffering and death?’
‘Because I could.’
‘Seize him,’ said Kai, shaking his head in disgust at Adriel. ‘We have heard enough.’
‘As have I,’ said Adriel. ‘Did you really think that I would remain here in this place, waiting to be captured? Or do you think I would have contemplated my escape?’
Häkan was the first to react and he threw his dagger at Adriel but he was too late and Adriel simply smiled before he disappeared before their very eyes, leaving the dagger to carry on travelling until it became embedded into a wall.
‘What happened?’ asked Kai. ‘I heard no incantation or saw no potion.’
‘Adriel is in a league of his own,’ Raynor said bitterly.
‘So he escapes justice after all,’ Michael said quietly.
‘We will send the army out to search for Adriel,’ said Kai. ‘We will scour the nine nations. Adriel
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