A Kingdom Scorched

by Linn Tesli

  “Haiz,” she called, and the elf turned. “What are these markings?”

  Kenith squinted and moved closer. Niila was right. Large portions of bark peeled away from the white wood underneath and strange markings were carved deep into the trunk. It looked a lot like the markings the Silverling bore, though these depicted a dragon, fire and what Kenith could only guess were spirits. He shuddered.

  “This,” Haiz said as she came to stand next to them. “This is a memory-tree—the Mnèmôsynethé—Oth trè eth sjô forn eth skuld.”

  Niila bit her lip as if trying to remember something. “The tree who sees both past and future. I have read about these.”

  Kenith scratched his neck with the twig he had been nibbling on. “I sure haven’t.”

  Haiz cleared her throat. “There are only a handful of these trees left in Lyconis, and none have been found anywhere else in Aradria. They are more alive than the other trees. Some will show you images of the past, some of the future. They change according to whoever is looking, and whichever mood the Mnèmôsynethé are in.” She patted the tree and sighed. “I for one, I see a prophecy—a young fire born prince in a cave.”

  Niila wrinkled her nose. “I see waves and Sirens, and myself.” She grinned. “And a dragon.”

  A dragon! It made Kenith happy and sad at the same time. She saw a dragon in her future, but a future far away from these woods.

  “You will meet her soon.” Kenith bumped Niila’s shoulder.

  “I know. When the time is right, she will come to me. I know she will.”

  Haiz frowned and began walking away from them again. “No time to waste if we want to arrive before nightfall.”

  The Elementals fell in step, but Kenith could not shake the image he had seen. He was unsure if he had seen the past, the future or perhaps both. Either way, it unsettled him. The image of the dead who had risen from the earth kept pushing to the forefront of his mind. He would have to find a way to send them back. No one, not even his former mistress, deserved to be living but dead at the same time.

  As the light faded in the sky, other sources of light became visible. An array of large cone-like shapes made of vines hung from the trees, and something bright vibrated inside, casting a dim glow onto the path ahead.

  Niila pointed at the closest one. “Pixies!” She giggled with delight. Inside the intricate vine-woven shapes was a small human-like creature with wings. It sat on its knees, leaning forward, looking at them with wide eyes that were not proportional with its lavender-colored body.

  “Hello,” Niila uttered. The pixie backed up, then slowly crawled closer again. “I’m Niila, and I’m very pleased to meet you.”

  The pixie smiled wide, showing a row of tiny sharp teeth and a lilac tongue. The firefly-like wings fluttered behind the pixie’s back, shining more brightly than they had before.

  “Ith eth Miramix,” the pixie said in a softly lilting voice.

  “I hear pixies can sing.” Niila winked.

  The pixie shot up from the cone of vines and flew to the next one.

  Niila shrugged. “Perhaps they will sing next time.”

  “We might be here for a while.” Kenith hugged her. “You’ll hear them sing.”

  Haiz stood square-legged with her arms to her sides. Shadows danced on her face, and Niila and Kenith nodded at each other before continuing forward. As they passed the next cone, a flurry of pixies plunged from the cones, and their voices filled the air. It began as a soft hum, then turned into a crescendo of low and high notes, sung with a mellow timbre. The pixies floated along as Niila and Kenith followed Haiz. The shaman waved a couple of pixies out of her way.

  Niila opened her mouth, but Kenith shook his head. She bit back the protests he knew she had about Haiz’s behavior, but it would not do them any good to get on the shaman’s bad side. She was their guide, not to mention their only protection.

  The song eventually stilled, and the pixies flew off to the nearby cones hanging everywhere among the trees.

  Haiz halted, lifting one fist into the air. Kenith and Niila stopped beside her.

  “We have arrived.”

  - Niila -

  “Halt.” A bright voice issued from somewhere above. An elf stuck his head out from the canopy. “Who goes there?”

  Another five elves emerged from the thicket at various locations.

  Haiz rolled her eyes. “If you’re only asking us now, you’re not doing your jobs right.”

  The elf that had first spoken climbed down the stem of the tree he was in and gracefully approached the group.

  “We knew you were here when you first stepped into the tree line. The entire forest alerted us to the prince’s presence.” He chuckled and leaned sideways, away from Haiz. “Good greetings,” he said.

  “Hi.” Niila’s voice was as chipper as always. “I’m Niila.”

  The elf walked past her and knelt before Kenith. The other elves kneeled as well.

  “Welcome, My Prince. We have been waiting.”

  Kenith spit the twig out from his mouth. “Thanks. And you are?”

  “The name is Yarix, and I’m head of the huntsmen. We patrol the forest, hunt our food and keep our kin safe from intruders.”

  “Sounds like important work.” Kenith gestured with his hands for the elf to stand.

  Yarix straightened, towering over them a head taller than Haiz. Elven tattoos covered his olive-tainted skin. The elves behind him placed two fingers on their chests as they rose. They wore strange outfits, made of a combination of thick vines, moss, leaves, and branches.

  Again, the elves ignored Niila, and she didn’t appreciate it. She bumped Kenith in the shoulder and made a grimace she hoped he would understand.

  Kenith cleared his throat. “This is Niila.”

  ”So she said.” Yarix shrugged.

  “Niila is the Elemental of Water, and she’s here with me.”

  “We see that.”

  Haiz turned to the Elementals and lowered her voice. “They were expecting the prince, not Niila, but I assure you we can make room for both. However, as I said before, this is elven land. You are best advised to follow our rules and don’t stray. We have our traditions and our beliefs, and we will practice them as we always have, so don’t intervene and you will be just fine.”

  The group walked onwards, with the elves leading the way. They entered a large, more or less open area shielded by the odd tree in between several hundred dwellings. The shelters looked like tents, made of sticks and branches, and covered in moss. The moss grew everywhere, connecting all the housings and trees to look like one entity.

  A group of children ran past with small bows in their hands and quivers on their backs. Their ringing laughs were a comfort to Niila. She didn’t know what she had expected of this place, though the way the elves looked at her, or rather didn’t, made her uneasy. It was nice to see that there was so much life at the heart of the forest.

  “I smell food!” Kenith whispered in her ear.

  She sniffed the air. A whiff of charred meat and blueberries caught her attention, and the smoke from the fire rose in front of them.

  “They knew you were coming,” Haiz said. “I believe there should be plenty of food to be had.”

  Niila’s stomach yipped. She had not been paying much attention to her building hunger, but she was now.

  Six fires had been made to cook the animals that were mounted above them in the clearing at the center of the elven village. She recognized a couple of boars and deer, though Niila could not determine what the last two had once been.

  Kenith caught her eye. “Rhixonarous,” he said. “I have not seen one of those since I was a boy. I hear they’re delicious.”

  Niila folded her hands together, looking at her feet. “I don’t… I do not think I know what that is.”

  Kenith burst out laughing. “Now that is a first. I know something you don’t.” He gave her a kiss, which placed a smile back on Niila’s face. “It’s fine. I no longer know some
thing you don’t, so there’s that.”

  She laughed. It was silly she should feel ashamed of not knowing about everyone and everything that moved in Aradria, though she had studied the lands her entire life. There was always more to learn, she supposed, which was a good thing.

  She carefully poked Haiz’s arm.

  The elf angled her head down. “Yes?”

  “I was wondering. Do you have a library?”

  It was the first time she had heard Haiz truly laugh. It was loud and raspy, but honest.

  “A library.” Haiz wiped away a tear. “No, young queen, we do not.”

  Niila’s shoulders slumped. Of course, they didn’t. She was in the middle of a forest — what a stupid thing to ask.

  Haiz smacked her lips together. “We do have something. There’s a place where we carve out all the important parts of our history, though it’s not in the village, and it is strictly forbidden for anyone but elves to go there, so don’t test your bounds.”

  “Of course not. I remember what you said before, and I promise to behave accordingly.”

  Haiz dismissed her and walked over to talk to Yarix.

  Kenith took Niila’s hand. “They love me here,” he said.

  She could feel him flexing his muscles as she took his arm. The elves around them were all gesturing at Kenith in the traditional elven manner. A couple of boys walked up to them, pulling at Kenith’s trousers.

  “Are you the prince?” the youngest of them asked.

  “I sure am.” Kenith was strutting with pride.

  “Welcome home,” the older boy said.

  “Home?”

  “Of course. Elfen Lyconis is home for all wild elves, even those with just a hint of elf in them.”

  The boys laughed and ran off.

  “What did he mean?” Kenith asked Niila.

  Yarix approached them. “What he meant is that the prince here has elven blood in his veins. Did you not know?”

  Niila gasped. Elven blood? But how? And how much? Would this be yet another complication regarding their relationship?

  Kenith sat, his fingers laced in the moss on the ground, and Niila joined him.

  “I have elven blood in me?” He shook his head.

  Yarix sat opposite them. “You do. We can smell it across a field. I’m surprised no one has mentioned this before. I understand you were an orphan, though you have been traveling with elves for some time.”

  Niila sucked on her lips. She had so many questions, though they were not hers to ask.

  “I was left at an orphanage as a baby,” Kenith mumbled. “I never knew my parents, but I always thought they were Lycobrian commoners.”

  Yarix chuckled. “You’re an Elemental. Do you really believe Mother Nature would trust the element of fire with any random commoner? Vaedex was part elf, too. That is the main reason the elves are on your side. That and the dragon, of course. Once you’re king, the elves will finally be able to bear full-blooded children yet again. It is foretold.”

  Niila leaned into Kenith, who put his arm around her.

  “Why do you care so much about the dragon?”

  “We never approved of what the Elementals of Old did to the dragons, and when the dragons slumbered, so did something in us. The elves could no longer bear full-blooded children. The return of the ruby dragon has given us hope, and we want our people to be as strong as we once were.”

  It was a lot to process.

  “I think we should eat, then turn in for the night if that is fine with you. It’s been a trying journey so far.”

  Kenith simply nodded.

  “Of course.” Yarix stood. “I’ll make sure you’re accommodated, and we can talk again in the morning.”

  “Wait,” Kenith said. “I need to know more.”

  “There’s not much more I can tell you.”

  “Then take me to someone who can.”

  Yarix folded his arms over his chest. “There’s not much more any of us can tell you, though I can take you somewhere that will show you all you need to know.”

  “Please!”

  “We can go first thing tomorrow.”

  Kenith stood and offered his hand to Yarix.

  He hesitated. “She can’t go there.” His brows were raised at Niila.

  “But…” Niila began.

  “Humans are not allowed. I already told you.”

  Niila closed her mouth shut, gritting her teeth. They had just arrived. The elves were less than friendly toward her, and now Kenith would leave on some quest for something none of them knew anything about.

  Kenith squeezed her hand. “Will you be all right if I go? I feel like I need to do this.”

  She wanted to say no, but instead she breathed deeply and said, “If you need to go, then you should.”

  “She will be safe here?”

  “As long as she abides by our rules, she will be perfectly fine,” Yarix said. He turned away to make the final arrangements for Niila and Kenith.

  Another elf brought them a couple of plates made from bark only moments later.

  They ate in silence, surrounded by a multitude of elves. The elves were laughing, some danced and some sang. One elf was playing the flute. The music reminded Niila of a lullaby her mother had sung when she was just a toddler. It was one of her last memories of her mother.

  Kenith was laughing, too. It was a long time since she had seen him look this carefree. The fire inside was always present, but his skin wasn’t as hot as it had been the past few weeks. He was more relaxed. Meanwhile, Niila felt herself tense up. The elves appeared friendly enough to him, though she knew they had a reputation. They were relentless, they were hunters, and their traditions were known to be brutal.

  “You will return to me as soon as you can?” Niila whispered.

  “Of course I will. I’m only sorry you can’t come, though we’ll be together again soon, and we can begin to devise a plan for taking Lycobris. Besides, I need to find my dragon, and I don’t wish to be parted from my queen any longer than necessary.”

  His last words sent a shiver over her chest, and her heart felt lighter.

  “We have tonight.” She kissed him on his shoulder.

  “You’re right. We should find out where we are spending it.” He winked, hugging her closer.

  She kissed him, and he kissed her back. It was the kind of hungry kiss that made her toes curl and her mind drift. She would worry more in the morning.

  18

  SUMMONING A DRAGON

  - Gaija -

  The strong wind carried the wretched stench of sulfur and scorched earth. Gaija adjusted her body on the uneven mount of stone. The steam below spilled out of the fumaroles to drift across the rough ground. Spikes and cracks on the surface of the stone dug into her skin, but she eventually found a spot where she could rest almost comfortably. The throng of Vulkan eagles was resting quietly. They didn’t bother her as long as she didn’t bother them. A pair of sharp claws folded over Gaija’s thigh.

  ”Now?” Rhastoc asked.

  ”Now!” Gaia wiggled her eyebrows. She retrieved a shell from the haversack by her side and opened it. The large pearl inside reflected the reminiscence of water into the sky, illuminating the darkness.

  All they had to do now was wait. It didn’t take long.

  A large shadow entered the light before the dragon’s body emerged completely and hovered above it. He slanted his colossal head at Gaija as if asking what she wanted.

  ”Remember me?” Gaija asked.

  Fyrax bridged his wings and allowed the wind to push him closer. Their eyes met, and a puff of smoke escaped his nostrils. ”Shaman. I should kill you now.”

  Gaija folded one hand around the hilt of her blade, pursing her lips. ”You should not. I’m here to help.”

  ”I remember how you helped before.” Fyrax snorted. ”You were the one who helped the Elementals steal my spirit, binding me to lie dormant for an entire millennium.”

  ”If I had not, they would have kill
ed you instead. Would you rather I had let them do that? I had a vision that you would return, although I never thought it would take this long. I wish to become your confidant and help you restore your bond with the new King of Fire.”

  Fyrax chuckled, banking sideways. ”No need. We are already bonded. I don’t need, nor wish for, your help.”

  Bonded? Gaija scratched her head. How could that be? She had left Kenith and Niila in Elfen Lyconis only two days past. There had been no time for them to meet and forge a bond within the space of a couple of days. The dragon was madder than she had thought.

  ”I think you’re mistaken,” Gaija said. ”I’m talking about the new king, not the old. His spirit has been reborn in another.”

  ”Do not play games with me, shaman. Zarcos and I are one now. Bother me again, and I will incinerate both you and that rodent hiding behind your back.” Fyrax spread his wings, folding them back to meet the surging wind. He spun backward and shot through the night sky as he returned to Vulkan Mountain.

  Gaija was left stunned. Why would Fyrax be in an alliance with that vile Silverling? It made no sense. None at all. How could she have missed this? Gaija recited the ancient words in her mind to put her in the familiar trancelike state she often went into. She reached for Zarcos, then Fyrax. The future revealed nothing but a dark void, suddenly consumed with fire. Gaija bounced back, shaking her head. There was nothing to discover in Lycobris’s future. Her previous visions of the dragon’s return had vanished. Death and destruction were currently the only possible outcome. However, Gaija knew more than anyone that the chain of events might very well change what was to come. She had to believe that Kenith would prevail, no matter how unlikely it was.

  First, though, she had to find out why Zarcos was suddenly somehow bonded with the ruby dragon. A slight pain stung her thigh, and she looked down. Rhastoc had poked her with a claw.

  ”There you are,” he said. ”Had you completely deserted yourself this time?”

  Gaija shook herself. ”Was I gone long?”

  ”It’s almost morning,” Rhastoc said. ”This does not bode well, does it?”