by K Fisher
“Dark magic has been used here. I remember hearing a story when I was growing up about ending up in a dark warlock’s jar if you were bad. They keep these things for spells I believe,” Dora whispered toward Alni, feet splashing on the ground as she approached the table next.
“Elves can’t use magic anymore,” Alni responded, voice barely audible. “The only warlock that resided in the castle was Mallor, right?”
“I think this is an apothecary of his or something. I believe someone or some being is pretending to be him and haunting me. I followed it here after it kept me up for the past few nights with nightmares and whispers. It’s either a spell left behind or…I don’t know.” Dora was aware her voice sounded helpless and tired, frantic and panicked as her wide eyes searched the room for anything that might jump out at them.
When she reached the table she tore her eyes away and grabbed for the books there, tucking them against her side before looking back at Alni hovering in the middle of the room. For a moment all of her panic was erased, the calm his shape produced provided a welcomed break from her distressed last few nights, which was a surprise considering the darkness had tried so desperately to make her doubt his intentions. A high stress few weeks, really, plenty of nights she had found herself wishing she hadn’t asked him to follow Bethinium on his journey away from her.
But he wasn’t hers, and keeping him behind selfishly when he yearned for knowledge and adventure was not something she had been willing to do.
“I wish I wasn’t so far away, could do something…”
“You have to help Bethinium. You have to find Taber or come to some conclusion and return here with a settled mind. You’ll be back, I’ve got things taken care of here.” Dora waved her knife in the air for a moment in his direction as she adjusted the books propped on her hip. “Besides, I can’t and won’t ask you to leave a task unless it’s absolutely necessary. You still owe me for dragging you along on the first adventure when we met, remember?”
“You’re the best adventure I’ve ever been on, my journey is with you. Tell me when you need me back. If this is a way I can communicate with you, you better believe I’ll be doing it again soon,” Alni responded. “Now go back where you are safe, please?”
Dora opened her mouth to respond, then closed it, his words rendering her speechless as she grappled with what he had told her and the emotions behind it. “Wasn’t that romantic. It seems, despite my best efforts, it worked as well on my poor cold heart. I’m going back now and…It’s really good to see you, Alni. This magic thing looks good on you. It’s so good to hear from you… I know it will probably be a while until we can once more.”
Amethyst strands of power formed into a smile on his face. But a moment later, the magic flickered, dimming until he was only a shadow of what he was before. All around her the remaining light was dying as the spell started to fade and plunge Dora back into darkness. She scrambled forward towards the stairs, taking them two at a time until she reached the top just as the last of her light dimmed to nothing. Pushing upward slowly, the stone gave way, swinging up to allow her to hoist her body into the hallway once more. Once she was safely there the stone was lowered back into place, masking where she had just been.
Grabbing for the books, Dora lifted them into her arms and snuck her way back towards the safety of her bedroom. This time, however, she was not lucky enough to evade the guards. Dora froze when she heard their footsteps coming around the corner towards her. Ducking against the wall, Dora held her breath and waited until the footsteps echoed down the opposite corridor before breaking from the wall and heading towards her bedroom.
Opening the door and slipping inside, she left naught but two wet footprints on the stone outside the passageway. No one was the wiser and she had obtained some secret books that she hoped held some wisdom for her. The shadow had not hurt her and she was starting to wonder if it had the power to do so. If these were spell books in her hands, they would surely illuminate the situation she had found herself in and perhaps show her what the thing was and how it had been conjured to torture her.
Dora dropped the books on her side table, crossing the room to lock the door to her bedroom as she stripped off the wet and dirty cloak and trousers from her body and lit a lantern, taking several minutes to bathe the disgusting remnants of the mysterious liquid from her body. Although it took a few scrubs, she seemed satisfied it was no longer on her skin and put on her nightgown. She went to her bed and lifted herself into it, keeping her knife close as she reached for the books. Dora dragged them across the sheets towards her face, the lantern light shining down upon the old, wrinkled pages. The covers of the books were plain and worn, tearing at the edges and heavy. The paper was cream-colored and thick, eloquent writing and drawings spanning each page in an erratic pattern that left her mind dizzy almost instantly.
With a controlled and strong breath, she began to read the notes within.
~
Alni’s eyes opened slowly, the darkness and his whereabouts beginning to come back into focus as he processed what had just occurred. He had taken some of the mushrooms Bethinium brought with them on their travels, the ones that had allowed him to jump into Mallor’s mind before the war of the castle. But Alni had snuck them and didn’t want to wake Bethinium up from his restful sleep, not quite remembering how much to take to ensure the spell would be cast correctly.
It had been a small dose, but clearly enough to bring him to her to some degree. He could still see the wild, powerful look in her golden eyes as she moved with quick reflexes, insisting on the solo adventure even with her new title as Queen. His excitement over seeing her had marred his focus on the spell and and situation at hand, as well as the words that spilled from his mouth it seemed.
With a grumble, one hand moved upward to pinch the bridge of his nose, lifting his tired body from the bed for a moment as he listened to the crickets just outside his window. What was happening to Dora? Even with the flickering image of the… Whatever it was coming towards her and the scene around him, Alni could see the exhaustion and frustration on her heart-shaped face. It made him want to return to the castle all the more.
But he had made a promise to her and a promise to Bethinium, in a way. One that he had to finish now that he knew the dangers that would be revived if Taber was able to bring his mother back from the dead, there was no way he could go back yet; a conversation he had desperately wanted to have with Dora, but couldn’t keep the magical connection long enough.
The magic he had used was wearing on his unpracticed mind, and his body felt heavy as it dropped forward over his knees. Wrapping his arms around his legs, Alni sat there for a few moments longer, remembering the dark room and the evidence of dark magic in the very castle she was living in. He tried talking himself down from the worries that he could not stop from crawling into his mind. Was Mallor somehow still alive, or was it truly just a spell left behind? Surely it could not be something from beyond death that fought through the laws of Desin. That was unheard of.
But of course, Alni had not thought the idea of bringing someone back to life was even a possibility and that necromancy was just a rumor or something that no longer existed among them until he saw Eve in the spell.
He needed rest, needed to think on what had to be done and how closure would be obtained so he could return to Castle Herrick and the Elven lands as soon as possible. Closing his eyes, Alni’s breath began to return to normal, finally deepening as his exhausted body forced him back to sleep and away from his troubled thoughts.
~
Dora ignored her exhaustion as she rose the next morning and made her way out to the main throne room. She was promptly greeted by Marianne, her scheduler and primary ‘handmaiden or something’, as Phillip had so politely put it.
The young elven woman may have been only a decade older than Dora but she was far wiser than first observed and held more discipline in her small body than was even fathomable. She was just another person in the long line
of subjects Dora did not want to disappoint.
Marianne’s light blue eyes scanned the Queen’s outfit slowly before they rested on Dora’s face, blinking once slowly with a quirked brow. “I suppose this is better than what you were wearing last night,” she said wistfully, looking down upon the parchment in her hands.
“How did you know what I was wearing last night?” Dora shot back, but her mind immediately went to the elven maiden who had seen her with the nightdress and trousers.
“I have eyes everywhere, my Queen. Now, we have a line of townsfolk here with questions and requests. I have already asked the kitchens to begin preparing something for you to eat - we all know you’ll take some convincing so I assured them gravy would help.” She stopped speaking when Phillip entered the room behind them, adjusting his armor as he observed the two women.
“She shouldn’t have to deal with the townsfolk like this day in and day out,” he grumbled.
“This is a beautiful way to show how dedicated she is to the throne and to the people. Besides, it was her idea you giant oaf. So you better-” Marianne stopped speaking when Dora grunted.
“Enough, both of you. Let’s just dig right in,” she said softly, stepping towards the giant wooden doors before them.
Phillip said nothing as he brushed by Marianne and to the doors, opening them for his Queen and reluctantly holding the doors for the scheduler. Once they were inside the massive throne room Dora made her way to the meeting table placed in front of the old stone chair the Kings before her had sat upon. Dora didn’t like the way she felt in the massive chair above her people, insisting that she sit at the same table as they sat when listening to their troubles and assisting as best she could. Taking a seat, she moved her green floor-length dress to the side and crossed one leg over the other, leaning forward in exhaustion.
She had only a few minutes before the first of her people would enter the doors and tell her the troubles they faced. Just a few minutes before she would call upon the last of her energy so she could be alert and focused when she assisted them. This was just a minor break before it was time to put the work in. Work that was terribly boring and horridly beyond what she had imagined, but it was work she would do nonetheless. This was her throne now and she would not let her people down.
Sitting beside her, Marianne extended a hand and messed with a strand of Dora’s dark hair, tucking it back. “We must let this grow out, it’s crazed!” she cooed.
“Marianne…”
“I know, I know. We will leave your hair.” Marianne waved off, a smile at the edges of her full lips as she left Dora’s hair alone and began adjusting her own.
Marianne looked proper and put together at all times, her dark hair pulled into a tight bun atop her head. She refused to wear a dress despite insisting Dora have an entire closet full of them, instead she would run around in full black trousers and blouse, parchment beneath her armpits. She was always in a hurry, organized, and a lifesaver. If she knew about Alni coming to Dora the previous night through magic and the things she had discovered in the walls of the castle, she would probably quit or lock Dora in her room. It was not something she wished to gamble with.
“Alright Marianne, let’s bring the first one in.”
Chapter Eight
“Alni, it’s time to wake up!”
Bethinium’s singsong voice reigned down on Alni like a bucket of cold water, breaking through his deep slumber. Emerald eyes opened and fixed on the white beard dangling down near his face, the strands almost close enough to tickle his nose as the warlock peered over at him. The old man was leaning tediously, cloak already wrapped around his body and pack already at his side. Clearly they were not going to be enjoying a slow breakfast before leaving for their next destination.
“I’m awake,” Alni murmured, rolling to his side and whipping the sheet off his body before reaching for his tunic and warm cloak. Already the room was icy, his breath coming out in a cloud before his face. Surely outside would be far worse.
“It’s a good thing you didn’t eat all those mushrooms, Alni. Do you have any idea how hard those are to find around here? Far too cold, especially this time of year. I’ve been thinking all night and I believe I have a small issue with our travels…”
“Sorry I took them. Thinking all night? More like snoring. What’s our issue?” Alni hopped onto an opposite leg, struggling as he pulled up his trousers and secured them with his worn, leather belt.
“So,” Bethinium continued on, a smile lifting the sides of his beard as he left the side of Alni’s bed and began pacing near the frosted window. “When I buried Ravena, I did everything in my power to ensure her body would not be disrupted. I knew the dark powers she had obtained could ultimately keep her alive if she did rise again somehow, I hoped she would be trapped.” His brow furrowed, clearly displeased with his own words, yet he continued.
“When I traveled, long before I was employed by the King, I met a few dwarves around these parts. After taking care of one of their big issues, they offered me a favor. When it was time to take Ravena’s body far away, I asked that they build me a coffin. Wonderful forgers, dwarves are, wonderful. There is only one copy of the key that unlocks that impenetrable coffin. The dwarves have it.”
“But why didn’t you keep it with you? Keep it close? And truly, you had to attack me with all this before we’ve had some food?” Alni said with a small smile, shrugging on his cloak as they both headed towards the door to their room.
Alni reached the door first, opening it inward as he allowed Bethinium to leave before him, unable to resist sweeping into a bow before following suit, rewarded with a soft chuckle.
“I had thought her death was the hardest thing I’d ever have to go through. It wasn’t, it was the days after. With each passing day I fought the urge to succumb to the dark magic to bring her back myself, struggling with what I had done and wanting to right it. Like a thirsty man reaching for a drink with a shaking hand, I yearned to find a way to stop the nightmares. Making things right with Taber is the only good way to end this, for bringing her back would only bring the nightmare into full fruition.”
Alni took a deep breath and nodded, unsure how to respond and figuring it was better to be silent for the moment and not wake the sleeping patrons. The two cloaked warlocks made their way through the quiet and dark hallway of the inn, exiting into the icy early morning. Their boots crunched against the ground, the morning light was still the bright blue hue of night that brightened their way, but still kept them in shadows. The Nevina forests reached for them with dark branches, growing ever larger as they reached the edge of the woods. From the darkness within, two oval, crimson eyes opened and focused on the two of them, glowing brightly. With each step they took towards Silthia, the red of her eyes bled back to the amethyst of the Mystic Dragon’s, a unique change Alni had been keeping close note of as he tried to assess what she was going through the previous weeks. The Mystic Dragon had brought her back from the dead before his very eyes and, in that gift, had placed some of its magic within her. There were times lately when Alni was left unsure of who he spoke with: Silthia, or the Mystic Dragon.
Alni felt a wave of relief wash over him the moment he was near Silthia once again. Propping out an elbow, he leaned against the side of her large body that had been perfectly hidden just within the forests. Her long neck curled around, stopping when her nostrils were right before his face. The side of her mouth curled upward as she spoke, “What is the plan?”
“No pleasantries, first?” Alni prodded, one hand reaching out to poke at her scaled head. Her eyes narrowed and her head cocked to the side before returning back to look at Bethinium. A large dragon eye-roll if he’d ever seen one.
“I had several rabbits, I left nothing to share,” she rumbled, voice edged with a chuff of laughter.
“You wound me. Anyway, about the plan. According to Bethinium, there’s some key that his son doesn’t need to have. Is it right to assume we are now going to get the key?”
Bethinium nodded, pulling his cloak tighter around his body as a gust of cold air broke through the protection of the thick tree trunks. “Taber is getting stronger and stronger, I can feel it. If he knew we were coming, it’s only a matter of time before he realizes he needs the key as well, if he hasn’t already. I do not know what Taber has seen, but I know he has close eyes on us and I cannot assume he doesn’t know about the key. We need to ensure it’s in our hands before he obtains it. He will need it no matter what magic he possesses and I’d rather he be forced to find us to retrieve it.”
Silthia’s eyes looked upward to the shadow of the High Mountains before them, clouds cutting off her ability to see the top as they scattered along the middle of the mountainside. “Alni, dragons cannot fly to the dwarves. As you know, the dwarves do not trust magic and dragons are considered the most powerful connection to the magic of Desin. The dragons once sought refuge in the mountains during the coldest times of the year and quickly found they could not, so that is where the dwarves hide. The air is too thin for me, my wings would freeze against the biting winds. As such, I cannot necessarily stalk up the thin pathways that lead to the dwarves. If it’s them you seek, I must meet back with you when you return.”
Bethinium’s silence was enough of an answer for Alni, the warlock’s dark brown eyes watching him expectantly as he patiently waited for the half-elf to decide what it was they were going to do.
“I don’t want to split from Silthia, but I can’t leave you to climb the mountain alone. Still, there’s a bond that was instilled between the two of us, one that I haven’t exactly tested. I’m not breaking the Mystic Dragon’s wishes.” But, in a way, he was breaking Dora’s by even insinuating he leave Bethinium’s side before this quest was done.