"Doesn't matter. We'll only be addressing high-ranking officials, and they listen to us anyway. Medallion goes to whatever unfit shite that argues. Here's our story. Laelliandir and his men stormed the castle and invaded the royal chamber. You and the bodyguards tried to fight them off, but there were at least one hundred enemies. Many came in through the hall. But the ones climbing up the wall outside surprised the Overlords on the balcony. After they perished, the bodyguards fled only to find themselves trapped in the main hall near the entrance into the palace. Laelliandir's troops disposed of them for they did not fight back. They watched these rebels kill their only purpose in life, and they are mindless. Laelliandir stayed in the chambers after their death. His mission was over, and he intended to murder you, but I showed up and arrested him. End of story." Lonewolf finished briefing Neighraellium, "A little sloppy but who will ask questions? Nobody of importance and you have a relic of persuasion." Neighraellium didn't respond. He didn't care as he felt untouchable, but he went along with Lonewolf's idea. To his mind, no person in the land could defy him. If the higher-ranking people with power tried, then they would not be high ranking for long. Nobody would spoil Neighraellium's fun.
Lonewolf soon found he had over-thought his elaborate story. Perhaps it was the stress of Bella discovering his secret, or just the monumental importance of the day. Possibly it was a little of both, but as it turned out, there was little cause for worry. Out of the Novanian commanders, only one general and three captains survived the bloody battle and reported directly to the castle. Besides Neighraellium and Lonewolf had well used the last years feeding into the Overlord's paranoid state which had pushed away all others with power except for the villainous duo who now stood ready to claim ultimate power.
When they finally unlocked and opened the gate, they allowed only the head general who had survived the battle inside. No other could pass and focusing on the one man simplified their task. While others saw the fallen bodyguards when the door opened, no answers were given to these lower ranks.
Instead, the general entered the keep with Lonewolf and Neighraellium shutting the doors behind him. They offered him a private tour and led him throughout the bloody keep without even using Neighraellium's medallion. The general who had seen so many atrocities during battle grimaced and nearly vomited over what he witnessed on the tenth floor. He questioned nothing and was infuriated at the sight of the Tragmont flag planted there on the balcony. When he imagined Laelliandir and the Javalla house betraying the High King and Queen, he was livid. As the acting head general, under Neighraellium, he was witness enough.
The general brought in a few soldiers to remove the bodies before anyone else was permitted inside the keep. The rest of the soldiers and guards that lived in the first two floors of the castle were required to take up temporary residence in the city until everything was cleaned up while the servants and civilians that lived in the palace were ordered to help scrub and scour the blood, clean up the rubble in the library, and help remove the bodies. However, the streets of Magwhen were far more devastating than inside the palace. Cleaning up the remains of battle kept everyone busy for days.
There was no coronation or declaration, but Neighraellium assumed leadership, being next in line of power. With no recognized Maelor of importance left, Javalla was the closest name of relative strength. Neighraellium's previous position was reason enough to elevate his rank. He took pleasure in spitting out orders as advised by Lonewolf and found himself unchallenged by anyone. He declared Laelliandir, an off-limit prisoner. No one could see or speak to him except himself and his trusted adviser. Neighraellium envisioned a grand ceremony for Laelliandir's execution once the army returned. Once that was done, Neighraellium would declare an all-out war on Tragmont. The pieces had fallen into place just as Lonewolf had promised him they would.
Both men were impatient where Bella Luna was concerned, though. They did not even wait a full day to collect her from prison and take her to Lonewolf's chambers in the north tower. While the rest of the city's inhabitants were busy cleaning the blood and hauling bodies to be burned outside the gates, the two waited for Bella to awaken as she rested in Lonewolf's bed. The poison rendered her unconscious for nearly twenty-four hours, and it may have lasted longer if not for the two of them trying to wake her. As soon as she stirred, Lonewolf pleaded with Neighraellium to prepare his magical relic. He was eager for her to forget everything she'd heard and seen the day before. He might have tried to convince Bella his actions were for her own good if the medallion didn't exist. As it was, he had mixed motives for insisting Neighraellium use the necklace on her. While his main priority was his selfish and desperate desire to keep his slate clean with Bella, he also wondered if Neighraellium had been right about her having special abilities of her own.
When Bella awakened, she was drawn in by the wizardly pendant dangling before her eyes. Neighraellium directed her not to acknowledge her surroundings and to clear her mind of thought. He and Lonewolf both dug into her memory, hoping to alter her reality. Unfortunately, they could not be sure of what Bella knew or why she had shown up in Magwhen. Laelliandir would tell them nothing about Bella, so they were left to guess how she joined Laelliandir and his riders. They had to assume she had left Garroth with them. Even though Lonewolf had no idea how tampering with her mind might affect her, he could not stop himself.
"Laelliandir fooled you. He was an enemy of the state, a great threat to all of Divox. He was working for elven enemies who sought to overthrow and take over Divox. Whatever you think you know of Laelliandir's cause is a lie. You don't love him. You are not engaged. You hate him. You hate all Javallas. He was an assassin and nothing more. Lonewolf saved you. I saved you. You never saw Laelliandir's attempted siege. Lonewolf brought you here where you learned how deep Laelliandir's disloyalty really was. You fought for us to defend us from the bad man." Neighraellium told her many things but kept coming back to the same basic story again and again.
"There was no mansion. There was no tunnel. No ambush by me. These memories are false. Rid yourself of them. There is only one man who betrayed you, and that is Laelliandir." Lonewolf also helped, just in case his voice had any impact at all, which it didn't. Bella lay upon that bed for hours, making not a single movement. Her eyes were glued to the pendant as she distorted her own memories and changed her reality, captivating her into a new life, robbing her of her old.
"After Laelliandir's defeat, you live with Lonewolf in Magwhen. You are happy here. You want justice. You hate Javallas. Oh, and that damn minotaur too. That thing is insane. You await your sister's return. You believe in Neighraellium. You trust him. You are loyal." Lonewolf was not pleased that the mad man used the medallion to win over her trust too, but he let it slide if Neighraellium did not overdo it. It wasn't like he was convincing her she was his bride or anything. Lonewolf needed her to wake up to a reality that had her close to him and hating his enemies.
"I call out for you to summon a power or ability that lives within you." After hours of painstaking brainwashing, Lonewolf would wait no longer to find out if his partner was right about Bella. He hoped the technique would work, and he would get clear-cut answers. Even if Bella accessed no special powers, he could not be sure she did not possess them. He did this experiment out of curiosity. "If there is a mystical force in you, summon it. Call it out. Show us. Somewhere deep in your mind, perhaps lost or unknown to you." Lonewolf continued in this vein for a while, and Neighraellium became upset when there was no reaction at all.
"Unknown to her? If it's unknown, it'll never work! You moron!"
"Will you shuddap? The mind is a mystery. It may hold more knowledge than what a person is aware. I've explained this."
"You call me crazy! Mother said she was never sure what this one's purpose was. It was Luminear who opens the sealed gate. Lumi! I've said that too," Neighraellium insisted angrily. Lonewolf shook his head.
"Then we'll try again on her. I would like to see a glimmer of evidence fo
r your claims of these two girls," Lonewolf snapped back.
"You said yourself. My abilities. My pendant…"
"I don't care. We'll see in due time, but until we get to Tragmont, Bella and Luminear are in my care. You aren't doing anything sick or depraved to them," Neighraellium giggled.
"You keep reminding me of this. I keep agreeing. But look at you. You destroy a girl's memories while warning me not to do anything sick and depraved. How very ironic! Just your way of more service pay? I miss the days where you only wanted me to pay you in coin. You complicate my life." Lonewolf grimaced and stood from the bed angrily. He wasn't in the mood.
"We done here?"
"After I clear her mind of just listening to us argue. I'll have her fall back to sleep. When she wakes up, she should be an all-new Bella. She'll wake up to her daily life, believe all of this is perfectly normal." Neighraellium, with the enigmatic smile on his face, returned his gaze back to Bella to finish up their little scheme. "Or you'll wake up with a knife in your back. Who knows? Should work."
After failing to find a spec of evidence that Bella had even a hint of the power that Neighraellium claimed she had, Lonewolf was disappointed but not really surprised. Regardless he anticipated breaking through Tragmont's walls would offer great rewards, but as much as he had invested in Icaz, he now fully expected a gate at the end of their journey. Maybe Luminear was really the key. Regardless they would have to wait until Luminear arrived in Magwhen before conducting this little experiment again.
When Neighraellium finished, and Bella slept, he bid Lonewolf farewell and returned to the keep. He was pleased to call it his castle now and eager for the army to return with their additional soldiers and remnants of the White Turban Rebellion. He had plans to send enough people to Garroth of Gargurthian to bring back his prized Luminear, who was the answer to all his dreams and obsessions. Once this last step was complete, he would not hold back.
Lonewolf remained in his chambers awake all night long watching Bella, wondering if it worked. Would she remember anything and how would she behave? He thought of little else all night. About an hour after sunrise, she tossed and turned in his bed. She moaned and mumbled as she apparently experienced an unpleasant dream until her eyes slowly opened. She stared at Lonewolf dead on, who sat in a rocking chair across the room. He held his breath too scared to do anything but stare back at her. But then she smiled.
"You let me sleep in your room again?" Bella asked him as she stretched and yawned. "I told you my room is fine, but I need a better bed. How much wine did I have last night? I don't remember lying down at all." Bella felt a little embarrassed for falling asleep in his bed. She figured they'd been up late talking and sipping wine again like they got in the habit of doing the last few nights. Lonewolf just smiled, allowing his heart to resume beating at its normal rhythm.
"I'll replace the bed in your room, my dear. I'm sorry, but I've been busy." Bella dropped back and rested her head on the fluffy white pillow.
"On second thought, I could stand to sleep here another hour. This is comfortable." Bella could not remember the last time she had woken up in such a great mood. "Let's catch breakfast?" She rolled to her side and leaned upon her elbow. Lonewolf smiled and nodded.
"Anything you want, Bell. Anything you want."
Chapter Thirty
A Fool's Errand
"T ake this to General Xiahou Ning! I don't care how close they are to Magwhen. They're to change direction to Garroth. The riders are! I'm not risking an escape! If that beast and the White Cat get to Garroth first, they will warn their people. I'm not risking another bloody rebellion. You and Ning hunt for them across the plains, but do not stop until you reach Garroth. I want the House of Javalla wiped out. Except there is a young woman that lives there. Her name is Luminear. She must be found, and I want her alive without a scratch inflicted upon her pretty little face. You bring her back alive and well. After she's safe, you can kill them all. If the people resist, then kill them too. Luminear alive. Javalla dead. Get!" Neighraellium screamed these orders at his head general, Calhoun, as he handed over a scroll his scribe had written for this delivery to the head commander of the rest of the army. "Oh, Calhoun, if you find the White Lion and the beast, I want their heads brought back to me."
While Bella woke to her reality and enjoyed breakfast with Lonewolf, what Neighraellium had discovered sent him into a frenzy. No one had fed or even approached Laelliandir since Lonewolf and he had checked up on him before moving Bella the previous day. While the city was busy cleaning up the mess, burning bodies and preparing the funeral of their former Overlords, Neighraellium brought Laelliandir food. He did so not because he cared, but Neighraellium wanted to taunt him. However, when he came upon Laelliandir's cell, he found it empty. Something had cut through the prison bars unnaturally and Laelliandir had escaped.
After Albatros' memorable performance in battle, the people of Magwhen spread rumors about the minotaur and his unstoppable ax, and since no one found his body in the streets, they guessed he had retreated. Now Neighraellium could be sure Albatros had neither died nor fled, but had somehow freed Laelliandir.
While he could not imagine how the minotaur found his way to the prison or how his weapon had broken through the bars, he knew of no other object capable of ripping through metal like this. Frantic to stop the pair, he ordered an assistant to write his orders and demands to Xiahou Ning, and set in motion a hasty new agenda. A couple of days earlier the army had ambushed the much smaller force of the White Turban Rebellion who were forced to submit and surrender. The army wasn't a day away from home, now looking forward to their return. All of that was about to change for the celebrating hoard of troops, or at least for most.
By Order of High King Neighraellium Javalla:
Take your riders to Garroth. We captured the rebel leader, Laelliandir Javalla, but he escaped with the minotaur Albatros Javalla. Hunt them along the way and take their heads if you find them. They must not reach Garroth. The remainder of the troops may march to Magwhen. The dragoons are to be delegated the task to Garroth. In Garroth a girl is living in the castle with Lady Laella. Luminear Javalla is her name. Your troops must bring her to me unharmed. There is nothing more important than this. Get the young woman and make sure she is safe. Afterward, kill all the other Javallas. Burn the city for all I care, but you bring me back the girl and kill Laella and any other Javalla traitor. Laelliandir moved against the throne. General Calhoun will brief you on everything that has happened. Make haste. Remember Laelliandir, and the minotaur are likely heading to Garroth. I want their heads if your paths cross. All of Divox will have its revenge.
With the scroll in hand, General Calhoun set off to complete his task. Still incensed with Laelliandir, the General wanted to cut the traitor down himself. Once he'd delivered Neighraellium's message, he intended to join the rank of riders headed to Garroth. He'd share his rage with Xiahou Ning and the horsemen, and with any luck, they'd find the turncoat and bring him to justice.
∞ ∞ ∞
Near the end of the siege of Magwhen, Albatros broke away from the fighting and followed where he had last seen Laelliandir and Bella. However, by the time he made his way into the castle, he had no trail to follow, so he kept to hiding in the lowest quarters within the keep. Eventually, the minotaur found the prison and Laelliandir, but he saw no sign of Bella, who had already been taken by Lonewolf and Neighraellium. Knowing time was of the essence, he lugged an unconscious Laelliandir out the window nearest to the mountainscape in the back of the castle. In the night, he packed Laelliandir up into the high southern peaks, taking cover under a sizeable rigid cliff where he started a small fire. Laelliandir awoke in the night both confused and furious. It took a while for Albatros to calm him and explain what had happened.
"We must go back," Laelliandir insisted as he shivered and hugged himself next to the fire. Albatros sat upon his knees across from him, not bothered by the chilly winds. The cliffs over Magwhen were bitter cold and t
he only place in Divox that ever saw snow.
"We can't. As soon as it's realized you are gone, a massive hunt will be launched. Of that, you can be sure."
"We leave Bell there to die? No! Unacceptable!"
"Lonewolf will not let her die. She might be held hostage, but she wasn't in the jails. Bella loves you, and she's found you before. She's cunning and bright. When given a chance, she will find a way out." Albatros’ argument rang true, and Laelliandir knew he was right, but still, he wanted nothing more than to go back and save her.
"She came to me. And now because of me, she's captured. There has to be a way." If there was one, neither of them could see it. Behind them, they left a city in disorder wanting their heads. Albatros alone was an easy mark, and likewise, Laelliandir, by himself, could see no way left to save his love.
"You have to let her go for now. Lonewolf won't harm her. Go back there, and you are dead and dead men can't do anything. No, we leave and climb the mountain after you've eaten. We need to finish the mountain, cross the plains of Neweora eastward until we reach the forests of Aurora. There we can take cover in the forests and use them to cross into Odros in a couple weeks."
"Odros? Why would we go there? Where is your rhinoceros? We can't get anywhere fast on foot." Then Laelliandir remembered Garroth and realized the peril the rest of his family faced. "Garroth. They're in trouble too. We should take the northern slopes through Neweora to Nyflia. We need a steed to grant us haste." Albatros feared he would suggest this path.
"My rhinoceros companion fled. I have not seen him since the siege. We are on our own, and Garroth is not an option. If there is a way to send them warning, then I urge you do so as soon as you can, but on foot, it will take us a month to reach them. By the time we get there, the only thing waiting for us is a trap. They'll expect us to take that route. We should go east, cross Odros and reach the safety of Lamisdoria. Maybe we can figure a way to go back for the others. Send an envoy to Magwhen to bargain for Bella. I will plead with my queen for the aid of my people. Queen Offedius and safety of my homeland is our only option now I fear." Privately Albatros doubted Offedius would ever meddle with the affairs of her mortal neighbors again, but he needed Laelliandir to understand it was over. The young man's attempts were in vain.
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