The Elemental Trilogy Box Set

by Toni Cox

  There was no path and it took Maia some time to find one of the narrow game trails that criss-crossed the forest. Once upon it, she had her first opportunity to take a look around. Although as tall as those at Shadow Hall, the trees here were gnarled and twisted, giving them weird shapes. Their bark grew darker and thicker as well.

  As an Elemental, she was intensely aware of the eerie magic that spread through the forest. When she entered the western part of the dark forest with the warriors of Thala Yll during the first war, she had been unaware of this magic. She now wondered if it had existed then, or she had simply not the experience or power to notice it. It was also possible that the western part was not possessed by this magic.

  She let Midnight know of her findings and they agreed to fly over to the western side to find out. Determined to trust her instincts, Maia wound her way deeper into the strangeness.

  The gnarled trees’ thick canopies let in little light. Not wanting to draw attention to herself, she resisted the urge to take out her lantern. Straining her eyes in the gloomy light, she followed the twisting path.

  The forest groaned and creaked, raising goosebumps on her arms. Opening her senses, she picked up the Eläm of a multitude of animals. She always assumed that the dark forest was almost deserted. Thinking about it now, she could not say where this assumption came from.

  The Elves thought of the dark forest as evil and dangerous. Dangerous to Elves. As she beheld the animals’ Eläm around her, she realised they were healthy and content. She felt no malicious presence, except for the odd noises that accompanied her as she walked.

  Soon, though, she discovered that the kerkerker-kok-kok-kok sound came from a beautiful, purple bird with a long green tail and a blue crest on his head. The bird watched her, flitting from tree to tree as she walked, uttering its eerie sound every time it landed on a branch. Maia reached out to it with her mind, but found herself unable to communicate. She had the feeling that the bird already communicated with something else. A shudder rolled down her back and she tried to ignore the purple feathers that followed her doggedly for most of the day.

  She discovered more unknown species. Most were variations of common animals. She saw a Black-Crested Falcon, except this one’s crest was silver instead of black. Once she startled a Red Deer, but it had unusual markings in the form of dark brown stripes down its back.

  Every time she spotted a new animal, she made a note in her book. She doubted anyone had ever recorded these animals and wanted to find out more about them when she got the chance. She assumed, because no one had entered the dark forest in millennia, people had simply forgotten about these creatures.

  Maia also took note of the thick undergrowth. She was glad for the narrow game trail, as she would have difficulty making her way through the multitude of shrub that grew beneath the trees. She made a special mention in her book that most of the shrubs were either night-blooming or shade-loving plants. She discovered three different types of fern that did not grow in other forests on the Grildor-Bron Mountains.

  By noon, she reached a broader path. Perplexed, she stopped and studied the trampled ground before her. The spoor that had made the trail had almost faded and it was clear this path had not been used in a while. It was also clear Vampyres and Werewolves made this trail. Although worn, Maia could clearly identify the distinct paw print of Werewolves. And Werewolves never went anywhere without their masters.

  Maia looked down the trail to her left. It led south-east and she was sure it would come out on the eastern edge of the forest. She looked down the path to her right. This led deeper into the dark forest, but she could not see far, as the path took a left turn.

  I will only follow it for a short while, she sent to Midnight. I promise to turn around and head back to you as soon as I have seen what is around the bend.

  Midnight’s frustration followed her as she went right. The moment she stepped on the path, the eerie sounds of the forest dulled as if nothing lived along this path. She opened her senses again, but the Eläm she picked up was deep into the forest on either side.

  This path has seen death and torment. It feels strange to be on it. I wonder if this path leads to the Vampyre camp where Blaid went to rescue those warriors.

  Too late. Turn back.

  I will, I just want to follow it around the corner. Maybe I can see something.

  Maia felt Midnight circle over the part of the forest she walked. She looked up, but the canopy was so dense, she could not see daylight. Mixed feelings accompanied her as she walked towards the bend. The closer she got, the more hesitant she became.

  Listen to your instincts.

  Maia opened her senses fully, searching for the pinpricks of Eläm all around her. They were all faint, and well off the path. They belonged to animals, nothing for her to be afraid of. There was nothing on the path as she began to round the corner, although the forest appeared to be more … she struggled to define it. Alive was not the right word. The forest was simply more and, although afraid, it intrigued her.

  The next fifty paces were the most difficult she had ever taken. She felt both drawn and repulsed by whatever was around the corner. She had never felt anything like it. Her skin crawled with premonition and Midnight’s warnings resounded in her head.

  Can you not identify what is there?

  Cannot see. Only forest. It is the fear in you I am afraid of.

  Maia ground her teeth and pushed on. If Midnight could not pick up anything with his senses, then it was unlikely there was anything at all around the corner. It was simply her irrational fear of the unknown that had him worried. Determinedly, she pushed on, rounding the bend with caution.

  Her relief, and disappointment, was tangible when there was nothing to see but more path. It carried on for about a mile in the same direction, before it turned to the right and she could no longer see along it.

  !!!

  Midnight’s warning rang loud in her head and she instinctively took her fighting position, drawing her Twin Blades. I do not see anything.

  I can see it through your eyes. Midnight retorted, calmer than she felt. Look with your soul.

  Maia blinked, still crouched, holding her swords. She strained her eyes, but saw nothing. She opened her senses, but saw nothing. Scared, she took two shaky steps back. At exactly the same time, it moved.

  With her heart hammering wildly, she stared at the indentation in the sand not even ten paces ahead of her. At first she thought it was invisible, but then, as it moved again, she realised it was exactly the same colour as the path and forest around it.

  She could not see its Eläm, any Eläm, and this frightened her more than anything. Midnight roared overhead, the sound muffled by the canopy of the forest, but it made the creature look up.

  RIVEN! Maia screamed to Midnight, and her dragon roared more fiercely.

  The Riven moved again, coming closer. Maia could now clearly see its shape. Or so she thought. She saw multiple shapes, all blending in with the colours of their surroundings. Its arms, or wings, moved, and Maia had seen enough.

  Without even sheathing her Twin Blades, she turned and ran back the way she came. Terror gave wings to her feet as she hurtled down the path. Midnight screamed again and she knew he flew overhead, keeping pace with her. She felt his frustration at not being able to help her, but she did not even glance back to see if it was following her.

  Her rucksack banged painfully against her back as she ran. Her blades hindered the motion of her arms. She felt as if she stood still, ran through mud. Sweat dripped off her forehead and into her eyes. Her vision swam, seeing only the vague outline of the Vampyre path ahead of her.

  She hoped it was the shortest route out of the forest and carried on along that path until she finally saw faint daylight ahead. When she reached the treeline, Midnight was waiting for her. Without missing a stride, she ran up his outstretched leg. He was airborne before she had even settled in the saddle and she clung to him, swords in her left hand, her right arm draped
around a neck spike.

  With a mighty roar, and a terrified sob from Maia, they flew north to their campsite.

  Only once Maia had a fire going and had made herself tea, did she relax enough to shake the feeling of being followed, and finally stopped quaking.

  Four days. That’s how long he lasted. Aaron paced in front of the stout oaken door to Jagaer’s chamber at the Hall of the Guardians, fidgeting nervously with the collar of his coat.

  He had requested a meeting with Jagaer after spending the last four days thinking about what he could do to fix this situation. Maia was gone. Silas said Maia was on a quest to find answers to their problems, but not even Maia’s parents believed that.

  Aaron was sure Maia left because he had refused to agree to the termination of their engagement. She ran away from him and he felt it was his duty to bring her back. He still wanted to marry her, but if the only way she would come back was to terminate their engagement, then he would give his consent. Just to bring her home. He could work on their relationship anew and, maybe in the future, they could renew their engagement.

  “You may go inside now,” the guard at the door finally said, pushing the door open to admit him.

  Jagaer’s large desk dominated the chamber. Two upholstered chairs stood in front of it and Jagaer sat on an ornate, throne-like chair behind it. He currently had his back turned to Aaron, studying the expansive map of Grildor that took up the entire back wall of Jagaer’s council room.

  The guard closed the door behind him with a soft wumpth and Aaron stepped up to the desk, studying the map as he went. Grildor was a large country. A million square miles, the size of Alaska, of mostly wilderness. His heart sank.

  “My Lord,” Aaron greeted Jagaer.

  Jagaer turned in his seat. His dishevelled hair and deep frown made him look as if he had aged at least a hundred years over the past four days.

  “Aaron, please, sit,” Jagaer said, gesturing to one of the chairs.

  Taking a seat, Aaron said, “Thank you for taking the time to see me. I know you have a busy schedule, but I feel this is important.”

  “If it is about Maia, I am afraid I cannot help you.”

  “It is about Maia, but I am here with a suggestion of how I might help you.”

  “I am listening,” Jagaer said, leaning forward over his desk and clasping his hands in front of him.

  “Maia came to me the day before she left, asking me to consent to terminating our engagement.”

  “Yes, I am aware. She spoke to us before she went to see you.”

  Aaron clenched his jaw. In retrospect he could not say why he thought her parents had not been aware of it. Now he felt stupid. He cleared his throat and ploughed on. “I did not agree to the termination and I believe that she left as she saw no other way out of the relationship.”

  Jagaer nodded, making Aaron feel worse.

  “I feel responsible for her leaving. Selfishly, I did not want to let her go and it drove her even further away. If I convince her that I am willing to terminate the engagement, I believe she would return to Shadow Hall.”

  “We do not know where she has gone, Aaron, or the reason she left. I am sure this is not your fault. You have no reason to feel guilty.”

  Determinedly, Aaron shook his head. “No, I am sure of it. I saw her face when I declined; saw the despondency in her eyes. She is gone because of me and it should be my responsibility to bring her back. If you will allow it, I would like to search for her.”

  “Aaron, even we do not know where to start looking. She took Midnight and, for all we know, she could be out of the country already.”

  “I am aware of that,” Aaron said, “but I don’t believe she has left the country. I think she left only as an escape from me. She is hiding somewhere, biding her time. Are there any places you can think of where she could hide out for a while without being noticed? The Hollow Tree, maybe?”

  “She is not at the Hollow Tree or at any of the other stopover points in the forest, or guesthouses along the Trade Route.” Jagaer sounded despondent.

  “Then I will look for her in the mountains, and in the forests, and on the plains. I will do whatever it takes to bring her back, I promise. But I cannot do this alone, which is why I have come to you. I will need a horse and another for provisions, as well as the provisions themselves. A map of Grildor would be helpful, too. Can you spare this for me?”

  “Aaron, I cannot let you ride out to look for Maia. There are Vampyre attacks in the country almost every day. What you are proposing is far too dangerous. Besides, you do not know our country, or how to fend for yourself. Please, do not be offended by my words. You have come a long way since you first came to Grildor and you are now more Elf than Human, but I do not think you are ready to take on such a quest by yourself.”

  “Then give me people to accompany me. Two or three men from your Legion. Someone who can handle a sword and knows the country. They can guide and protect me, if necessary, but I have honed my own fighting skills. I am proficient in the use of the sword, as well as the crossbow. Jaik will attest to that. He has seen me fight.”

  Jagaer brushed a hand through his thick hair, and closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, Aaron thought they were moist.

  “I cannot consent to this right now. Let me discuss it with my Commanders and I will call for you once we have made a decision.”

  “Thank you, My Lord.”

  “It would be a futile mission, Aaron; you do understand that?”

  “If there is even a remote chance I might find her, then it is not futile. I believe I have an advantage, as I have known her as a Human. She might not be thinking as an Elf. I do not think she would abandon her people in this time of need, which leads me to believe that the Life Elemental within her is being suppressed by her more human qualities.”

  Jagaer looked at him strangely, narrowing his eyes.

  “Please, I mean no offense,” Aaron added quickly. “All I am saying is that she might not have thought this through and, if I find her, I would know what to say to her to bring her back.”

  “Very well, Aaron,” Jagaer said, rising from his chair. Aaron did the same. “Let me talk to my Commanders. You are not the only one who wants Maia back. I have had other requests. I will send for you once we have reached a decision.”

  Jaik buttoned his vest, and then donned his Commander’s jacket. He looked at himself in the mirror, but did not recognise the person staring back at him. On the outside, he looked the same. It was the eyes that were different.

  Maia leaving had been a shock. The fact that she had not confided in him hurt him more than he liked to admit. The last two nights he had been plagued by terrible nightmares and knew they were related to whatever Maia was doing. She was in trouble and there was nothing he could do about it.

  She had her reasons for leaving. His sister never did anything without a purpose. He just wished he knew what she was up to. He feared for her.

  The day they discovered she was gone, he attempted to contact Midnight with his thoughts. The dragon had not answered. They were either too far away, or the dragon had closed off his mind to him. Jaik wished he could communicate with his sister the way she communicated with her dragon.

  Silas came to their home that day to tell them Maia was on a quest to save their people from the Vampyres. They knew the statement was no lie, but they also knew it was not the whole truth. No matter what they said to Silas, or how they pleaded with him, the old Healer would not tell them more. It frustrated Jaik that Silas potentially knew something that could help them find Maia and had tried on numerous occasions to get information from him. Whatever Silas knew, he kept it to himself. Silas maintained that he did not know where Maia went, or to what end, only that it would help their people.

  Most of Shadow Hall was aware of Maia’s disappearance. The news had spread quickly and now it was time to contain the rising panic.

  Jaik put on his coat over his Commander’s jacket and then left the
house for the Elder Hall, where they would hold the briefing to inform the people of Shadow Hall of what was happening.

  Between Silas, his father and himself, they came up with a story, as close to the truth as was possible, without spreading fear or worse. Maia was their Life Elemental, their protector. It was Maia who had rallied the warriors during the last moments of the battle to win the war. The people looked to Maia for protection as much as they did to Lord Longshadow, or even himself. With Maia gone without reason, the people would feel vulnerable. They needed to be convinced that she left for their benefit.

  Jaik hoped no one would ask too many questions. He could explain her absence with the reasons Silas had given him, but if asked a direct question, he would not lie.

  His breath formed silvery clouds of steam as he strode across The Median towards the Elder Hall, Wolf at his heels. The wolf had not left Jaik’s side since Maia left and he knew the wolf missed her as much as he did.

  “You would tell me where she is if you could,” he said to Wolf. “She probably told you, didn’t she?” Regretfully, Jaik shook his head. “Even if you could tell me, I would not be able to go after her. I have too many responsibilities here. The war is far from over and I am needed. I cannot run away from my duties.”

  Wolf looked up at him, his dark eyes shining in the moonlight. Jaik ruffled the wolf’s shaggy head, and then took the first step of The Elder Gate up towards the Elder Hall. A crowd had gathered outside and their muffled voices carried down to him.

  Wolf whined once, licked Jaik’s hand and retreated a few steps to turn onto The Arrow and lope away from the gathering crowd and noise. Jaik wished he could do the same.

  “My Lord,” Commander Ridgewell greeted him, “your father is waiting for you.”

  “Aye, let us get this over with.”

  Together, the two Commanders pushed their way through the crowd. The people fell silent as they walked by and the eeriness of their stillness gave Jaik cold shivers.

  Once inside the Elder Hall, they had to push through more people. Jaik had never seen the Elder Hall this full. It was a large structure, sturdily built and supported by many trees, yet the oaken beams creaked with the weight of that many squeezed inside. His cold shivers turned to sweat.