Echoes of the Past:Chronicle of the Gargoyle Queen Vol. III
Title: Chronicle of the Gargoyle Queen Vol. III
Author: Queen Zhah
Entry VI – The Cost of Victory
Naxatilor cursed and immediately opened a portal to take us back to the Isle. As we stepped through and returned to the Isle, we all let out a cry of horror. I remember falling to my knees, tears welling up in my eyes. Fire raged across the complex, and the daemons swarmed the area. The Breeding Hall looked as if it were the first to have been assaulted; its roof had collapsed and it was in complete ruin. When I saw this, I felt as if part of my soul had been ripped from my body. All of those children, unhatched, had been slaughtered before they ever had a chance to live. It was a grisly sight which, to this day, hurts me to recall. We tore through the complex with a fury unmatched, killing every daemon that crossed our paths. Our emotion only added fuel to our power, increasing its potency. Soon, the ground was littered with the corpses of our enemies. It was then that the Defiler finally showed himself and the final battle began. At first, we were confident, because we were able to damage him slightly. He was so used to being invulnerable that, when my first bolt of energy hit him, he recoiled in shock when it damaged the shield that guarded his body. We immediately began assaulting him endlessly but, despite being able to damage his shield, we could not destroy it. We fought relentlessly and honorably, and eventually found ourselves at the northern end of the isle. His attacks were vicious, and we were unable to get to a point where we could begin to weave the prison that Naxatilor had instructed. Then, the moment finally came, but at a great cost. Rhista and I had been separated from the other mothers during the battle, so the Defiler was between us. It was a decision made in the heat of battle, confirmed with a gaze between myself and my sisters. They managed to distract the Defiler with their attacks, and Rhista and I immediately began weaving the prison around him. He caught on too late; the prison was forming his movements became sluggish, weighed down by the magic. Raising his arm, he uttered words we did not understand and Rhista was instantly teleported to his grasp. Just as the spell was completing, hardening around him, he had my daughter in his hand. The tendrils of the spell started to extend towards her, writhing up his arm and curling around her. In horror, I watched as my daughter was bound in the prison alongside the foul daemon. She raised her eyes to me one last time, tears running down her face. She reached out a hand to me, and said her last word to me: “Mother.”
Entry VII – From Warrior to Queen
Thus, we returned to the Royal City, triumphant, with heavy hearts. I was in a haze. My entire life had been turned upside down, and I had lost the only family I had ever known. My home was destroyed. I did not know what to do or where to go. I remember as we arrived at the gates of the city, I was practically being carried by Naxatilor, his arm around me. All of my energy had fled from my body with the end of the war. In that moment, Naxatilor whispered in my ear that I needed to gather my strength and stand tall. I needed to show strength, for the people were looking to me for guidance. I was confused, but I summoned what little energy I had left and stood on my own. The Seer took my hand, and raised it with his above our heads. The words he uttered next sealed my fate. Calling for the crowd to be quiet, Naxatilor the Seer issued a decree to all: “Behold your savior, and your protector. In our darkest hour, she came to our aid. Forged in the heat of battle, I hereby declare your new liege: Zhah, the Gargoyle Queen.” There was shock and surprise on all of their faces but it was immediately replaced by a wave of acceptance when they cried out in unison: “All hail our liege and savior, Queen Zhah!!”
Entry VII – Into the Light
Thus, tradition be damned, the Gargoyle people accepted a female as their leader. I ascended to the throne and swore to them all that I would guide them, protect them, and push back the Void. It was agreed that the Challenge rite would be abolished; my reign would last as long as I lived. With Naxatilor supporting me in my early years, I led my people out of the dark and into a bright future. I declared that males and females would be treated equally; they were all one people. With the assistance of the few females that had survived the Isle’s attack, I taught the power of creation magic to the males of the race. In return, females were free to choose their own path, no longer bound by the limited and narrow traditions that had led to our almost complete annihilation. The Royal City was rebuilt, stronger and more beautiful, and a period of peace existed for numerous years. A powerful blow had been dealt to the Void, and it took time for it to recover. We remained vigilant, knowing that the day would come when it would retaliate. When that day finally came, my people were trained in the power that would put them on equal ground against the darkness. Male and female, standing together, my people fought together and the Void was unable to increase its hold on Ter Mur. All of this time, I have continued to sharpen and hone my powers and research ways to increase my ability. I have devoured every text I can find that exists on magic of all schools, hoping to find a way to destroy the Defiler once and for all when he returns to plague the land. My studies have taken me away from the kingdom for days, sometimes weeks, at a time, but I leave my kingdom in capable hands. My people are no longer the dependant, mindless slaves that they used to be. Freed from the social captivity our caste system had inflicted upon them, they exist in freedom and harmony. I know that, should an attack come when I am away, they will not lack for guidance; they lead themselves. Continually, I visit the Athenaeum Isle and hold a constant vigil over the Defiler and my daughter, gauging the strength of the spell. Naxatilor has called me paranoid; the spell has lasted for a thousand years now, and has shown no signs of failing. But, deep down, I know that it will fail eventually. I am prepared to face the daemon, and I know, with my daughter at my side once again, I will defeat him. In the past year, I have discovered a ritual that empowers any spell that is cast during its execution. An ancient text revealed it to me, and I have been traveling the kingdom gathering the massive amount of spell components that the ritual requires. I believe, if I am able to conduct this ritual, a cleansing spell will purge the Defiler of his protective shield. Then, I will eradicate the daemon once and for all. Rhista will be at my side once again, and we will lead our people to freedom. On day, the Void will be defeated and Ter Mur will be whole. I am the Gargoyle Queen, and this I swear to you: we will be free of the darkness.
Back to Echoes of the Past
