Rojuun

by John H. Carroll

  Chapter 28

  Liselle reassured the boys that she was fine while they hovered around her bed with concerned looks. She had slept a while longer before waking up hungry again. Vevin had brought her more food, which she nibbled on.

  Tathan sat at the foot of the bed. “I’m glad you’re safe, Cousin. A part of me knew you were fine, but another part worried the magic had damaged you.” Liselle saw tears welling in his eyes. His jaw was set in a manly attempt not to let them flow.

  “There’s no damage, Cousin,” Liselle told him softly. “I know you’re worried about me. I worked hard to keep that spell under control and just barely managed. If I had made a mistake, I would have died,” she admitted. “The plants in the cavern are different from plants above. They give their energy differently and don’t have as much care for my well-being.” Liselle held up a drumstick to make her next point. She really liked the drumsticks and eyed it hungrily while talking. “I learned quickly what happened and I will have no problem controlling it in the future. Please believe that this will not happen again.” She chomped on the drumstick that taunted her.

  “I do believe you. You learn magic faster than anyone I’ve known and show intelligence in using it. I feel responsible for you, Cousin. I know you can take care of yourself, but I still feel as though I should look after you.”

  Liselle wiped drumstick juice from her chin with a napkin Vevin handed her. “I look to you for guidance, Tathan. You know the world better than I do. While you look after me, you’ve also been respectful of me, which is nice because it means I don’t have to bonk you in the head.” She stuck her tongue out at him.

  Sir Danth laughed. “Well said, Milady. It is good to see you in high spirits. Have you been given your share of the reward, by the way?”

  “Reward? What reward?” That got Liselle to stop eating for just a moment. “I don’t think I’ve ever gotten a reward before.”

  Vevin brought it out in a beautiful box. “I wanted to wait until everyone was here before giving it to you.” The jewels on the platinum necklace glistened in the light of the room when he opened it.

  Liselle brought a hand to her throat and gasped. She ran fingers over the delicate weave of patterns in the necklace. “It’s so beautiful.”

  “Our actions in the cavern that first day were considered heroic,” Sir Danth explained. “The Rojuun believe that horde of sstejj would have broken through the gate and overrun Garrrn Cavern had we not been there to fight.” He crossed his arms and took a serious tone. “I believe they may be right about that fact.”

  “Oh, that reminds me.” Liselle looked away from the necklace. “Something is driving the sstejj to kill the Rojuun. Something dark and sinister.” Vevin put the necklace back in its box while Liselle grabbed another drumstick and began nomming on it.

  “Something? What sort of something, Milady? Can you give us more detail?” Sir Danth asked.

  “I don’t know. The plants told me there’s something sinister driving the sstejj to kill Rojuun.” She waved the drumstick in emphasis. “They don’t really speak or give me images, communicating in . . . concepts I suppose.” She looked at the drumstick in disappointment, realizing she wasn’t going to get to bite it until she finished speaking. “The creature, whatever it is, lives in the dark depths of the caverns along with the sstejj. They both have an unnatural hunger for the Rojuun and will keep trying to kill them until they’re exterminated.” She pounced on the drumstick that had waited so patiently for her to finish.

  “What do we do with that information?” Tathan rubbed his chin in thought. “We originally came here to get information about the Rojuun for Mother Tree.”

  “I realize that I recently broke an oath, Master Tathan, but I do not intend to stand by and let a noble race, regardless of their misguided opinions about humans, be slaughtered by monsters,” Sir Danth said.

  “Oh no! I like the Rojuun, Tathan.” Vevin stood and nodded his head rapidly for emphasis. “They have beautiful music, paintings and lots of treasure. They’re nice too and their voices are pretty and fun to listen to.” He stopped. “Although I still haven’t had a chance to taste one . . .”

  Liselle chuckled. “I know we work for Mother Tree, Cousin. However, we agreed to get information on the Rojuun, not let them be slaughtered by aberrations.” A sigh escaped her lips. “Besides, I truly believe that if these creatures were to destroy the Rojuun, they would then spill out of the caverns to the lands of humans, becoming a scourge across Ryallon.”

  Sir Danth nodded. “Truly spoken, Milady. Creatures like the sstejj have unnatural hungers that will only die when they do. Besides, I’m having fun killing them. Everyone agrees that they’re aberrations that need to die. Bloodshed and mayhem are always more enjoyable when there is no moral ambiguity involved.”

  Liselle rolled her eyes.

  Tathan grinned at the knight. “All right, so we agree the sstejj need to be destroyed, but at some point, we need to get information to Mother Tree.”

  “We will.” Liselle wiped her fingers on the napkin. “But we’ll do it when we’re able. I don’t think asking to be teleported to Puujan so that we can give information about them to the Mother Tree would be all that good of an idea right now.”

  Tathan chuckled. “I agree. Should we let Marrraa and the Council of Elders know about the thing that drives the sstejj?”

  “We should probably tell them something drives the monsters,” Liselle agreed tentatively. “But I don’t know what it is.”

  “All right then. I’ll go tell Marrraa and see what she says,” Tathan said. He left the room.

  “It is my understanding that you are to rest for a week or two, Milady. You intend to do so, yes?” Sir Danth asked firmly with arms crossed.

  She gave him an innocent look. “But of course, my dark knight. I will rest until I’m better.”

  Sir Danth stared at her for a moment before sighing. He would rather face sstejj than try to convince a woman to be sensible.

  “Peace, Sir Danth.” Liselle placed a hand on his crossed arm. “I know what my body can handle. I promise to take care of it.”

  To that, Sir Danth nodded.

  The three of them were quiet while Liselle finished her meal. A short time later, Tathan walked in with Marrraa close behind. “The Council of Elders wants to see us right away. They were already in session.”

  Marrraa had a look of worry on her face and she wrung her lower set of hands together. “Yes, this news you bring is troublesome. Please come right away if you are able, Liselle Human.”

  Liselle stood gingerly. She was in a robe made for her by a Rojuun girl who had met Liselle while cleaning the room. The girl liked the idea of making something for a human and the robe was at the base of Liselle’s bed the next day. It had blacks and greys in it and was gilt with silver. Liselle had put it on immediately. The robe had no wrinkles even though she had worn it in bed.

  Marrraa led them to the council chambers where the eight elders sat at their tables. The rows of seating were half-full.

  The companions were given seats while Marrraa explained the bit that Tathan had told her.

  One of the elders in the middle looked to be the oldest with many wrinkles and a slow, deliberate manner about him. He was dressed in a gown of deep reds and golds. “Young Liselle Human, please tell the council of this thing that drives the sstejj.”

  “Yes, Elder.” Liselle considered how best to phrase things. “My magic has an affinity for flowers and plants. I’m able to gather energy from them.” She tried to keep the details as simple as possible, but wanted to explain enough so they didn’t think her merely crazy. “I understand concepts they communicate to me though they don’t speak in words or images.”

  The council members looked at each other with some whispering behind their hands. One on the end asked, “It is rumored that the Druids in that horrifying forest outside Puujan
speak to plants. Are you one of them?” The elders all looked at her with frowns on their faces.

  “No, Elder. I know of Druids and my magic is nothing like theirs. They dance around in the trees and hug them or something.” She giggled and dismissed Druids as flighty in order to belay suspicion of her.

  The elders visibly relaxed and a few even chuckled. “Very well, Liselle Human. Continue with your information,” said the original council member in the middle.

  “Yes, Elder. When I cast fire upon the sstejj, the plants helped me with the energy, taking much of it into their own bodies. That’s how I was able to survive.”

  “Extraordinary,” said one of the elders appreciatively.

  “The plants don’t like sstejj either. They sense within the creatures a hunger to destroy Rojuun. They also sense a darker force driving the sstejj with an unnatural hatred for your race.”

  “What is this darker force and where does it come from?” one of the other elders asked.

  Liselle shook her head helplessly. “The plants don’t communicate beyond concepts I’m afraid. They can only tell me that it is a dark, living force coming from lower caverns.” She held her arms out. “I’m very sorry I can’t tell you more than that. I felt it important to tell you what little I do know so that you may better understand the sstejj’s lustful hatred for the Rojuun.”

  “Thank you, Liselle Human. Please have a seat,” the middle elder said. The council members discussed the matter amongst themselves in low tones for a few moments. They didn’t make the companions leave.

  After a short while, the council turned their attention back to the humans. “There is very little detail in your warning; however, we take it seriously,” the council leader said. “We will be sending word to the Ultimate Council of Elders.” A few of the members nodded in agreement. “This will no longer be your concern unless you should discover more information. You humans will continue guarding the workers as before. That will be all.” With a wave of his hand, the elder dismissed them.

  They went back to their suite with Marrraa tagging along. Once there, she closed the door.

  Liselle got back in bed and Vevin tucked her in.

  Tathan watched him with lidded eyes.

  Marrraa spoke first, “Thank you for all that you are doing, humans. Many servants are lazy, doing as little as possible. However, you go far above and beyond anything that has been asked of you.” She studied them when they didn’t respond. “I have spent enough time with you to learn your facial expressions and body language. You don’t like being called servants.”

  Tathan sighed. “No, but we won’t cause problems about it. Human history has nothing in it that calls for us to be your servants though and we don’t take well to it.”

  “You do not behave as servants,” Marrraa admitted. “In many ways, you are equals, though I won’t admit that publicly. I pity you for having only one voice and one set of arms. You do not seem to see the beauty in life nor do you have ways to express it.” She shook her head sadly. “Even with that, you are strong and capable. You also speak earnestly, with honor and passion, qualities of a noble race.” Marrraa clapped her hands together in a decision. “I will consider you servants no longer. Instead, you will be my friends, yes?”

  Liselle smiled at her. “Yes, Marrraa. That would be wonderful. We already consider you a friend.”

  “Oh yes! You are wonderful and I like you a great deal.” Vevin did a ‘You are wonderful and I like you a great deal’ dance.

  Sir Danth turned from where he had gone to stand by the window. “You would make an excellent knight. I would recommend you if my order still existed.”

  “We’re glad to call you friend, Marrraa,” agreed Tathan. “And we’re happy that you call us friend in return. Sometimes a person needs all the friends they can get to make it through life.”

  “That is very true, Tathan Human. Life is easier with friends. I will see you tomorrow when we return to the cavern. The workers hope to build gates in the next two tunnels as they are very near to each other.” She walked out the door, leaving them to their rest.