They lowered their heads as if to honor my presence. They didn’t bow or kneel, but it was clear they knew who I was.
“I can sense the power within him!” one of the male drow exclaimed.
“I can as well,” the other male replied.
The female walked up to me and put her hand on my arm. Her hand lingered there a while. “I can feel it too.”
A sly, almost flirty smile spread across her face. “The sensation when I touch you tingles throughout my body.”
Layla cleared her throat.
She wasn’t the jealous type of girlfriend. Not at all. But I could tell that the way this drow was touching me bothered her. Layla hooked her arm around mine. “We’re together, by the way.”
I raised one eyebrow. I wasn’t sure our relationship status was the most crucial issue at the moment, and Layla didn’t have anything to worry about. Sure, this female drow was undeniably alluring, but a lot of women are attractive. That doesn’t mean I’m interested in them. Not like that, anyway.
“I am Aerin,” the female said. “These are my companions Haldir and Iston.”
The two male drow nodded. I extended my hand to shake each of theirs, but they just nodded again in acknowledgment of my greeting.
“They don’t speak to others unless granted permission,” Aerin said.
“Permission?” Layla asked, raising an eyebrow. “How did you manage that? I mean, I’ve been trying to leash this one.”
I grunted.
Aerin smiled. “The drow operate under the principles of matriarchy.”
I cocked my head. “So, women are in charge?”
“Men are good for only two things: hard labor and providing seed for the womb,” Aerin said. “Though we too have a prophecy that there would be one from the lesser gender, a human who rose to restore the proper order to all the world.”
“To restore order?” Layla said. “Our prophecy dictated that he would save the elves and unify the peoples.”
“Six of one half, a dozen of the other,” Aerin said. “To restore order would unify the races.”
“By order, do you mean…” I started, but she cut me off.
“I’m not speaking of matriarchy, Chosen One,” Aerin said. “We recognize our ways are not universal.”
“But I imagine it is much more efficient,” Layla added.
“Indeed it is,” Aerin said. “Were men in charge, I don’t believe it would have been possible for our kind to have remained in quietude for so long.”
“Egos,” Layla added. “Theirs get bruised, and the next thing you know, they’re fighting with each other.”
I snorted. “Hey, I told you. I’m a lover, not a fighter.”
“Correction,” Layla said. “Most of them fight. Others are just insecure.”
I stared at Layla blankly.
“Relax,” Layla said. “I’m just giving you shit.”
“So,” I said, “you have been on Earth all this time. You can wield Earth’s magic?”
“And we could sense it when another one, the chosen one, emerged and entered into communion with the elements.” Aerin grabbed my hand.
Layla cocked her head and scrunched her brow. For a moment, I’d thought the two she-elves had bonded over their shared belief in female superiority, but the jealousy seemed to be creeping back in.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
Aerin turned my palm over and traced one finger from my wrist to the tip of my middle finger. “Sensing your power. It is indeed destined that we must be together.”
“Bitch, say what?” Layla asked.
“The prophecy is clear,” Aerin said. “That he and I, the princess of the drow, must marry.”
Chapter Two
“The prophecy had to do with me!” Layla protested. “I’m the princess of elves! And we’re already in love!”
Aerin cocked her head. “Your prophecy, your scrolls, the ones belonging to you and the other set given to the elven giants? They are but copies. We retain the originals, written by Taliesin himself.”
“Taliesin?” Layla asked.
“Surely you know of him,” Aerin said. “The druid-bard of the golden brow. The one who wrote the prophecy, the one who guided your ancestors to your world.”
Layla replied, “We never knew his name.”
“As I said,” Aerin continued, “our prophecies are without alterations.”
“Are yours sealed?” I asked.
Aerin nodded. “Indeed, and only one seal remains.”
“See,” Layla said, “the prophecy about being in love with the elf princess. That’s, like, the second one.”
“The third,” Aerin said with a discernible hint of smugness.
“Whatever. The point is that he’s fulfilled the rest after that one. He has the familiar, his cat. He destroyed the Blade of Echoes, and then there was the last one.”
“The last one?” Aerin asked. “The sixth was fulfilled already?”
I nodded. “In New Albion, when I recharged their ley lines, I believe.”
Aerin snorted. “That’s not what the sixth prophecy was about. Do you not know what was written under the sixth seal?”
“Not exactly,” I said with a sigh. Layla gave me the stink-eye. Our ignorance of the precise meaning of the final prophecy that Brag’mok said I was about to fulfill, the one he knew about when he told me to slam my fist to the ground and save New Albion, didn’t say what we’d assumed it did.
If only he’d had a chance to tell us.
“Then how do you know the sixth prophecy was revealed?” Aerin asked.
“One of the orcs,” Layla said. “Elven giants, sorry. He was with us at the time. He said he’d received word of it. We were in the middle of a battle, and he told Caspar what to do next. We trusted him, but we had to flee back to Earth before he had a chance to reveal the contents of the prophecy.”
“Well,” Aerin said, “I suppose it is a good thing we arrived when we did.”
“Why is that?” I asked. “So you can tell us about the sixth prophecy?”
“He shall attain the power of another,” Aerin said, the cadence in her voice indicating she was reciting it from memory. “And with it shall come not peace but a sword, and more blood shall be shed upon the worlds than has ever been in a single day since the worlds were hewn from the abyss.”
I snorted. “Well, that doesn’t sound good.”
“I don’t understand,” Layla said. “Why would Brag’mok believe that justified you refusing to give the ring to my father and using it to recharge the magic of our world instead?”
I shook my head. “You said it yourself, Layla, when all this shit started. It’s why you didn’t want the Blade of Echoes to fall into the hands of the elven giants.”
“Because they’d restore magic to New Albion,” Layla said. “And with magic available again, the wars would continue.”
I nodded. “Exactly.”
“And now,” Aerin said, “it seems that their war will soon spill over into our world. We must ensure that you are prepared, Chosen One. You must come with us.”
Layla stamped her foot. “Come with you? Like hell!”
“You may join us as well,” Aerin said. “That he and I are married does not exclude the possibility that you could use him for your pleasures, should I allow it.”
I cocked my head. “Hold on. I’m not being used by anyone for any pleasures.”
Aerin looked at me blankly. “You mean to tell me that you object to the idea of serving the desires of two female elves?”
“Well, when you put it like that…”
Layla backhanded me on the arm and continued to stare intently at Aerin. “He already fulfilled that prophecy, if I must tell you again, with me.”
Aerin smiled. “What must be, must be. Either way, we must work together if he is to be prepared to defend this world.”
“We’ve been doing just fine,” Layla said.
“Have you?” Aerin asked. “Tell me, Chosen One,
with which of the earthen elements do you find the most cohesion?”
“The elements?” I asked. “I just focus and connect myself to the magic I sense all around.”
“Because you were trained by one who learned to use magic in an alien world,” Aerin said. “Here, the magic coheres to the five elements: air, fire, water, earth, and aether.”
“Aether?” Layla asked.
“Spirit,” Aerin said. “It is funny that the element you’ve engaged our chosen one in learning is the element you couldn’t name.”
Layla huffed. I couldn’t blame her. This Aerin chick was, if nothing else, blunt. And she was overextending herself. I didn’t care what she thought the prophecy said or how the drow understood it. From what I’d been able to tell, three races possessed these prophecies, and so far, not one of them shared a single understanding about what they meant.
It’s not all that surprising. From my background studying theology, there were about as many different interpretations of the book of Revelation as there were denominations. Everyone had access to the same book. Everyone was convinced their interpretation was the right one.
At least as far as the Bible was concerned, all I knew was that good would win in the end. That was enough for me to find reading it worthwhile. I mean, in the real world, the good guys don’t always win.
Read a little history. We are often left with the impression that good has typically triumphed over evil, but that’s because the victors write the history books.
When it came to the elven prophecy, it struck me that all of them likewise agreed that somehow I would help forge a better existence.
Yeah, little ole me, who can barely convince church authorities to see eye to eye on much of anything. I was supposed to unite the peoples, all the races, across different worlds.
I’d seen enough to be convinced that I was the chosen one of the elven prophecies, but I was still a thousand percent clueless when it came to how I was supposed to do it. At least the drow wanted to help.
If they had a better grip on how to wield magic on Earth than Layla did, who were we to refuse their help because this drow princess was a little too forward about her intentions?
“We’ve come bearing gifts,” Aerin said. “Artifacts set aside by the ancestors. Our people were charged to guard them with our lives until the chosen one was revealed.”
“What sort of artifacts?” Layla asked.
Aerin looked around. “This crowd, they mean well, I think. But what we have to give is not for their eyes. And before we grant these gifts, we must put our chosen one through many trials.”
I cocked my head. “What kind of trials?”
“Magical tests,” Aerin said. “Meant to reveal for certain that you are indeed the one we have been waiting for. The trials correspond with each of the five elements and are conducted on separate nights.”
“And what if I fail?” I asked.
Aerin shrugged. “Then I suspect we will all be quite disappointed. The signs are clear: the chosen one has risen. But all prophecies must be tested, for if these artifacts fell into the hands of anyone other than the one who was prophesied, it might mean the end.”
“The end of what, exactly?” Layla asked.
“Of existence. Life itself. Not just the end of humanity, but the destruction of both of our worlds.”
I nodded. “Good. So, no pressure, right?”
Layla put her hand on my back. “You’ll be fine.”
“And once it’s confirmed,” Aerin said, “we will be married.”
“Like hell, you will,” Layla said. “Over my dead body.”
Aerin tilted her head to the side. “I hope it won’t come to that.”
“Suppose I’m not inclined to participate,” I asked, “What would happen then?”
Aerin stared at me blankly. “If you refuse to undergo the tests, we will not give you the artifacts.”
“Yes,” I said. “I get that much. But what would the consequences of that be?”
Aerin said, “Without them, you will be ill-prepared to defend this world from the war that is coming. I hope you won’t be so foolish.”
I took a deep breath. “Good to know. What do these trials involve, exactly?”
“You must face each of the trials without any time to prepare, lest you find a way to manipulate the events and make yourself merely appear to have succeeded.”
Layla grunted. “So, he just has to trust you blindly and accept that what you’re telling him is true?”
“To be fair,” I interjected, “that’s what you were asking me to do when we first met.”
Layla shook her head. “That was different, Caspar.”
“How was it different?” I asked.
“Whose side are you on, anyway?” Layla shot back.
“Whose side?” Aerin interjected. “Why should you presume we are on different sides? Unless you, elf, are more loyal to your kin than you are to our hero.”
“I’m always on your side, Layla,” I said, “but Aerin is right. We have enough enemies as it is. Shouldn’t we at least give this a shot and see if what she’s telling us is true?”
Layla sighed. “I guess. Dammit, Caspar. Why do you have to make so much sense?”
I laughed. “What harm can come of it? If I fail their tests, it doesn’t change anything. If I pass, maybe we’ll be better equipped for when the elf shit hits the fan.”
“Elf shit?” Layla asked, raising an eyebrow. “Isn’t everyone’s shit pretty much the same?”
“Your dad’s shit,” I said. “You know what I mean.”
Aerin cocked her head. “You’re a bit odd, aren’t you, Caspar?”
I smiled wide. “You have no idea.”
“For the record,” Aerin said, “Drow shit glows in the dark and smells like cinnamon.”
“Seriously?” Layla asked.
“No,” Aerin said. “I’m fucking with you.”
I laughed out loud. “See, Layla, she does have a sense of humor.”
“Yeah,” Layla said. “She makes poop jokes. She’s a regular comedian.”
I smiled and looked at Aerin. “So, these trials. How should we begin? I mean, presuming we agree to go along with your proposal?”
“We must begin in haste,” Aerin replied. “Time wasted deciding to begin the trials is time lost in training you to wield these artifacts, and with them, the magic of the elements.”
“And by haste, you mean what?” Layla asked. “Tomorrow? Next week? When?”
“The first trial must be conducted immediately,” Aerin said. “It would be wise to prepare yourself. You need to be calm of mind. Clear of focus. Do what you need to do. We’ll begin tomorrow.”
I nodded. “Does it need to occur at any particular place or time?”
“Let us reconvene here tomorrow night an hour before midnight,” Aerin answered.
“That late?” I asked.
“The drow revere the moon,” Aerin stated. “We believe it offers protection to those who honor the elements. It is to your advantage if we conduct the trials at night.”
“Protection?” I asked. “What sort of danger are we talking about here?”
“That depends,” Aerin said. “If you are the chosen one, you will endure.”
“And if by chance I’m not?” I asked.
Aerin pressed her lips together. “Then at least we’ll know.”
I nodded. Aerin hadn’t answered my question. I’d asked what would happen if I failed twice. If I wasn’t the chosen one, at least as the drow defined it, it wouldn’t be good. I mean, if being the chosen one meant I would endure, then if I wasn’t the chosen one, it could only mean one thing.
The trials would probably kill me.
Chapter Three
“What a ho,” Layla said as we left the meeting. The Order of the Elven Gate had recently purchased an old, defunct church building. I had to admit they’d fixed it up nicely. I’d never been in this particular church before since it used to be a Baptist church
, and my denomination wasn’t keen on interdenominational activities. Hell, it had taken a minor miracle to get my local church council to approve a partnership with the Methodists to operate an inner-city soup kitchen.
I laughed. “I don’t think Aerin is a ho, Layla.”
“Do you think she’s pretty?” Layla asked.
“Of course not!” I said. “She’s hideous.”
It was a lie, and Layla knew it. I had over-corrected myself—I mean, Aerin was stunning—and Layla saw right through it.
“Shut up. You’re attracted to her, aren’t you?” she asked.
“Layla,” I said. “Where is this coming from? Of course Aerin is pretty. So what? There are a lot of pretty women in the world.”
“But not all of them want to marry you.” Layla huffed.
I grabbed her hand. “I don’t care what she said, Layla. I love you, okay? I don’t love her. I just met her. And you need to at least consider this situation from her perspective.”
Layla rolled her eyes. “What perspective could justify—”
“Think about it,” I interrupted. “The drow have spent centuries guarding these artifacts for a time when a prophecy they’d held since ancient times began to be fulfilled. They see it happening, and they have their interpretations of what the prophecies mean. Aerin doesn’t want to marry me for romantic reasons. She thinks she has to because her version of the eleven prophecy dictates it.”
Layla sighed. “She could have been less direct about it.”
“She thinks it’s urgent, and she isn’t wrong. We don’t know how much time we have to prepare for whatever your father is going to do next.”
“Hopefully, the Night Legion will buy us time,” Layla said. The Night Legion was what the elven giants, who the elves disparagingly referred to as “orcs,” called themselves on New Albion.
“Hopefully, they will,” I said. “And since the fairies are on our side now, maybe they’ll be able to stop your father. But if the sixth prophecy indicates that a war is coming and more lives will be lost in a single day of it than all the wars fought for centuries between the elves and giants, then what?”
Three Dogma Night (The Elven Prophecy Book 3) Page 2