A.N. Hi all! This short story is not necessarily the ending to Aqueena, an Elfin Queen so it can be read alone. I wrote this about a year ago, but wasn’t going to post it because of its relation to Aqueena, but since I’m no longer working on that…well here it is! Please read and review!

Aqueena’s End

By: Tate Soyker

The wind swirled around the mountaintop where Aqueena stood alone. Bright, oceanic eyes surveyed the land before her. Bodies, blood, banners broken, war met her eyes. The stench of death burned in her nose, threatening to suffocate her. Bodies of her fair and beloved people lay bloated and rotting under the sun.

A tremble shook her lithe body. Aqueena had led them to this war. She was their queen, their leader, and now they lay dead upon the earth. Some still lived. Much of the Northern Allegiance Army was still strong, as were the East and West who had retreated back to their ships in the harbor. But with the Southern Army she had led the first assault and there were only a handful of the thousands left. The elves could not win this war against evil, not with so many dead.

“You should have listened to me, Queen of the Elves.” A sneering voice met the pointed ears of the she-elf. Turning to face the voice, Aqueena forced her self to stand proud and strong as she looked at the sound of the voice.

A woman robed in black with shimmering silver hair unbound and flowing loose over her shoulders, stood in a calm fury. Bright, blood red eyes full of hatred and anger met the calm blue eyes of the elfin queen.

“You should have listened,” Lea Dairse repeated as she moved to Aqueena’s side. Lea Dairse looked out over the bloodied battlefield. The Army of Darkness, her wonderful followers, they had suffered great loses also.

Treymont, forgive me, Aqueena thought to her beloved husband and king. I love you, and I wish there was another way. But there isn’t and I need you to understand what I have to do. Forgive me, my love. Aqueena had foreseen this moment so many times in her dreams and visions. She knew what she had to do in this hour; she knew every second of what would happen. Yet, fear raced in her veins. It had all happened too soon, there had been no time for good byes.

“You offered me life, while all my people would be enslaved or murdered. I was to rule only as your puppet, with hate and pain instead of justice. Lea Dairse you offered me the slowest form of death possible. Yet, you wonder why I refuse?” Aqueena asked harshly. Then, not waiting for an answer she summoned her powers.

Blue and silver fire danced across her fingertips. Gripping the wrists of the Dark queen, Aqueena sent her power searching for the life source of her enemy. Struggling and withering in pain and anger Lea Dairse fought. But it was too little, too late, for Aqueena’s power had found the power and life source of the dark elf and consumed it.

Pulsing flames of blue and silver raced from where Aqueena’s hands held Lea Dairse’s wrists. Up the dark one’s arms and to her shoulders, boiling, churning, and consuming until Aqueena was no longer holding the body of her enemy but a swirling ball of blue power glowing with a blinding silver light.

Struggling to hold the power together, Aqueena slowly lifted her arms above her head. They trembled with the strain and weight of the power. Pulling all of her power and light source from her core, Aqueena threw the ball of power down to the mountaintop where she stood.

The power crashed to the earth and shot out in all directions in streaks of blinding white light, like the ripples in a calm pool of water when disturbed. Down the mountain, across the battlefield, and further still till it reached the shores of the island. Aqueena still stood, hands held down toward the ground pushing all of her strength and power into the earth.

There was complete stillness. Then, a low rumble began and grew, until it was a deafening roar as the mountain started to crumble and falling away in huge slabs of rock. Quivering and convulsing, the island flattened. The dark fortresses of Lea Dairse collapsed into a pile of rubble, killing her monsters and demons.

Aboard the ships of the elves, people scurried to watch as the dark island began to fall away into the sea. They were safe in their ships even as the waters tossed and boiled at the disturbance. They watched as the island began to fade into the water and disappear as if it never existed. A tall elfin figure, with a cloak of purple tried about his shoulders and a circlet of gold with a shining red stone upon his brow, watched. Tears streaming down his face made him look no less proud and dignified; he was the king of the elves and his wife had been trapped on the island that was falling away.

Aqueena lay upon the flattened ground that was tumbling into the sea, and for the Queen of the elves it was too late. Her body was broken as a result of falling as the mountain collapsed. All of her power had been used in the attack. To weak even to speak she lay still, barely clinging to life, breath coming in short shallow gasps.

I love you, Treymont, she thought hoping he would somehow hear her thoughts. The people love you, rule then well for me, my king.

Upon the ship, Treymont held to the deck, his dark hair veiling his face as he struggled to hold himself up as a sob racked his body. She was gone. Aqueena, his wife, and beloved queen, had sacrificed her life to save their people and their lands. I will rule, Aqueena. I love you so much. Good-bye my darling.