by Toni Cox
Mist King’s ears were laid back flat against his head as he raced away from the pine forest and by now Aaron could read his horse so well, he knew the horse was terrified. Aaron looked across at Rothea, who rode her horse hard, looking back every few strides.
Ice cold dread washed over him at the look on her face. Never had her seen her so afraid. He looked back once more, reluctant, not sure he wanted to see what was chasing them.
They were out in the open now, leaving the treeline behind. The cold, winter sun shone its light down on them, clearly showing him the thirty or so Vampyres that raced out of the shadow of the forest and across the valley after them.
“It’s the capital,” Maia said breathlessly. “I have only ever read about it. It is beautiful.”
“That it is.”
“Will we stay here for the night?” she asked. “How far is your city from here?”
“This is my city.”
“This is your city?”
“Yes.”
Blaid’s voice grew ever softer and Maia could barely hear him over the rushing wind and the beating of Midnight’s wings. She tried to read his Eläm, but he had completely closed himself off from her.
“Blaid, talk to me. What is going on?”
Midnight, you can set us down on the field to the right? Let us land before we are seen, Maia heard him ask Midnight.
Banking to his right, Midnight descended. Gently, he set Lilith down on the field, before landing a distance away from the mare. By now, she was so accustomed to the manoeuvre, she simply waited for Blaid to climb off the dragon to attend to her.
Maia knew Blaid would always see to his horse first after landing, but this time she ran after him.
“Blaid, please, you said your father was the Lord of a city in Elbendal and that he could talk to the king about his armies. If this is your city, then who is your father?”
“I am sorry, Maia,” he said as he brushed Lilith down with his hands, checking her for scratches, chafing, or injuries. “I did not want to tell you, as I was afraid of what you would think of me for leaving my family. My father is Lord Elderbow, Lord of Caverna Estralis, and King of Elbendal. I am heir to the throne, absconded.”
Now Blaid’s Eläm shone through and she felt his shame at deserting his duty as heir, but she could also feel he did not regret that decision and he still did not want the position. Speechless, Maia sat down on the dry, winter grass of the field and stared out at the castle in the distance. The sun had now set and the city’s light shimmered in the cold air.
“You’re a prince,” she whispered. “High born. Like me.”
Midnight shook himself, making the packages on his back rattle.
“We better take these off him,” Blaid said. “We can stay here for the night. There is a sandstone cave not far from here. We will be sheltered from the cold.”
“Why did you not tell me?”
“We cannot stay here. Come,” and he reached down to help her up, “let us find the cave and I promise to tell you everything.”
Grumbling, Maia rose and Blaid led them across the field towards a mountain ridge. Even in the grey light before night, Maia thought the area beautiful; similar and yet so different from the mountains and forests around Shadow Hall.
Elbendal was essentially a mountain kingdom. Maia remembered her history lessons on how the kingdom was established many millennia ago. Unfortunately, the lessons had dealt with older history, which was why she had not recognised Blaid’s surname as Elbendal’s current ruling family.
As far as she could remember, Elbendal had nine major cities, all of which were at an altitude of a mile or more. Caverna Estralis was noted in the history books as having one of the few castles in the northern hemisphere, as well as for its multitude of crystal caves. The majority of crystals within Grildor originated from caves around Caverna Estralis.
They reached a clump of hazelnut trees and Blaid stopped to take the packages off Midnight’s back.
“There is a canyon to the east of here where Midnight can hunt and roost for the night. It is almost inaccessible on foot, so he will not be seen.” He loosened the last few ropes and Maia helped him stack their luggage to one side. “The cave is not far from here. I will show you and then bring the rest of the bags.”
Take care, Midnight. Stay out of sight, Maia thought to him as her dragon took off.
No ill intentions. Midnight conveyed to her before he left. Dark-Silver-Moon pure of heart.
Maia stared after the dark shape of Midnight as he took to the air, then picked up what she could carry and followed Blaid through the hazelnut trees towards the cliff. Lilith followed for a while, but then became distracted by the green grass on the edge of stream that ran off the mountain.
“Here we go.”
Blaid moved a blackberry bush out of the way and, behind it, the entrance to a cavern appeared. It appeared forbidding and Maia hesitated to enter.
“It is safe, I promise,” Blaid said with a smile, holding the bush back for her, waiting for her to take the first step into the cave.
Hesitantly, she ducked under the low arch of the entrance and stepped into the darkness. Blaid followed and the bush closed behind him. What little light there had been disappeared. She stood still, her eyes large, as she tried to see in the complete absence of light.
Blaid produced a crystal from one of his bags and it illuminated the space, the light shining off the sandstone walls of the cave. Blinking in the suddenly blinding glow, Maia looked around. Ahead of her, a tunnel led further into the cave, making a right turn about twenty paces in, so she could not see further.
The area around her was no more than a few paces wide, but there were brackets mounted on the wall, holding torches. Blaid now took one of these and lit it.
“Come, the sleeping quarters are further in. It looks like no one has been here in a while, so it may be a bit dusty. For that I apologise; you will sleep more comfortably tomorrow.”
Maia was still upset with him, and did not respond. Blaid put the crystal away and then, holding the torch high, led the way down the tunnel. After the turn, the tunnel carried on for another thirty paces before it opened into a large cavern.
In the centre, there was a fire place, with a neat pile of wood stacked alongside it. Four chambers of equal size had been cut into the sandstone walls of the cavern, which Maia assumed to be used as beds. On the far side of the cave, another tunnel led even further into the mountain. The dark, gaping hole of the tunnel made her shiver.
“Master Margoth used to read to me around this fire when I was a child,” Blaid said as he deposited the bags he carried next to one of the sleeping chambers. “I spent a lot of time here after he died. It was my second home.” He laughed. “It was furnished, once. You would have liked it.”
Maia put her own bags down, and went over to the fire place. Although she had never had a fear of caves - after all, she spent most of her own life in Silas’ cave - this one unsettled her more than she liked to admit and she quickly got the fire burning.
“I will fetch the rest of the bags. Are you going to be all right?”
Maia nodded and sat back on one of the low benches around the fire pit. Blaid turned and left. She watched him go, wrapping her arms around herself. Once he was out of sight, she knelt closer to the fire, appreciating its warmth and light.
She didn’t know why this cave made her feel uncomfortable. Maybe it was only because she was upset. Why had Blaid not told her he was a prince of Elbendal? She thought back to what exactly he had told her. She knew his father was the lord of a city; he had not lied. He said that his father could persuade the king to send his armies to Grildor. No. That was not what he said. He said the king could be persuaded to help them; he left out the part where the king was his father.
If she thought about it, Blaid had never lied to her. He had also been upfront with her about how he felt about his family and that they did not get along. He even told her, because of what had transpired between him and his paren
ts, he did not like to talk about it.
Huddling even closer to the fire, she conceded she had little reason to be upset with him. So he was a prince. Was she not a princess? This could be a good thing. Maybe the people would be more disposed to allowing them to be together, knowing that Blaid was a prince, fit to marry the princess of Grildor.
By the time Blaid came back into the cave with the rest of their belongings, Maia felt somewhat better. Blaid had promised to tell her everything now that they were here and, by tomorrow, she would get to meet his family and plead with the king, his father, for his assistance.
“When I was born it was not immediately apparent that I was a Prime,” Blaid said after they finished their meal. “I was a quiet child and preferred to play by myself. It was Master Margoth’s keen senses that discovered my abilities and he approached my parents to train me. Of course, they were proud and I was immediately put into apprenticeship with Master Margoth. It was only much later, when I was already an adult, that my parents realised that being a Death Elemental might interfere with me being the heir to the throne. They put a stop to my training and ordered that I spend more time at court to learn the ways of ruling over the country.”
Blaid finished scrubbing the dishes, then rose to make their beds as he spoke. “I was resentful, but I obeyed and learned the ways of the court. It did not stop me from training with Master Margoth, though. Every night I would leave the castle to see him and to continue my training. When my parents eventually discovered it, they were upset at first, but then decided to allow it because it did not interfere with my duties in court.”
Maia helped Blaid arrange their sleeping mats within the chambers in the wall, listening to his story in fascination.
“By the time it was required of me to travel to other planets for my training, they had already put plans into action to combine my training with matters of state. Most of the time I was on Karakrr, I spent in the presence of kings, establishing trade agreements for Elbendal. Nevertheless, I learned what was required for my elemental training and Master Margot was happy with my progress. Then, it was time for my final test. Because of the change and what the final test entailed, my parents could not use me as an ambassador for Elbendal, so were therefore not happy with my prolonged absence.”
“But the final test is the essential part. Did your parents not understand this?”
“They understood,” Blaid said, “but did not like it. They said I had a duty as heir to the throne first and being a Death Elemental was an added bonus that should take second place after being a prince.”
“It is an honour to be chosen by the Mother. You would not have been able to change who you are even if you wanted to.”
“That is what Master Margoth told them as well.” He sighed. “I left for my final test, knowing my parents were unhappy with me. Going away, not remembering who I would be, sounded like a great idea at the time. When I came back, however, things had changed in Elbendal. There had been attacks, people had died, and my father said that the deaths could have been prevented, or at least their suffering, if I had been present during that time.”
“Attacks?” Maia asked.
“That is a story for another time, but I promise to tell it,” he laughed. “So, with my father blaming me for the suffering, he refused to hold an official ceremony for me to become the Prime of the people. Master Margoth eventually took me away into the mountains, gathered some Elders who were well disposed towards me, and held a private ceremony for me there. I was angry with my parents for depriving the people of our city the honour of having a Prime Elemental in their midst, so I did not return home for many years. I lived in the mountains with Master Margoth and continued learning, even after my ceremony. The only time I went into the city was in my duty as a Death Elemental. This duty eventually took me to other cities within Elbendal and I travelled a lot. Master Margoth continued to live in the mountains by himself, but, without the company, he steadily declined.”
“How old was he?”
“He had just celebrated his three thousand five hundred and eighty-third birthday when I helped him cross over into the afterlife.”
Maia’s eyes widened. “That must have been hard for you.”
“It was the hardest thing I have ever had to do,” Blaid confessed. “Master Margoth had been more of a father to me than my own father and I did not want to let him go. Without Master Margoth I was lost for a long time. I left Elbendal, wandering the lands to the far west for close on twenty years before I eventually returned home.”
“What did your parents do when you came back?”
“They welcomed me home, but it was never the same again. My father had disowned me as heir and I stayed at the castle as a guest. They tolerated my presence only because I was a Death Elemental and I could still be useful to them in other ways.”
“I am sorry, Blaid.” She rested her hand on his arm. “You parents do not sound like nice people.”
“My parents are kind and fair rulers of Elbendal. Their country and its people is what matters most to them, for which I cannot fault them. They only wanted what was best for their people and could not see how a Death Elemental fit into the plan they had for their country. It was hard living under their roof, knowing I had disappointed them, and I was about to leave again, when the attacks started anew. My father asked me to do my duty and deal with the threat, but once I was made aware of what was happening, I refused to help him in the way he wanted me to.”
Confused, Maia cocked her head, trying to understand. “Who was attacking? Why did you not want to help?”
“I did not believe the threat to be what my father thought it was. I tried to prove to him that he was wrong, but he did not want to see it. He accused me of letting his people die and, after several more attacks, called me a killer and exiled me from my home.”
“Oh, Blaid.”
“I left, retreating to the mountain home I had shared with Master Margoth. It hurt to return, but I had nowhere else to go. When I eventually noticed the pull you exerted over me, I was only too happy to leave here and never to return.”
“My parents have always been proud of me and honoured to have a Life Elemental as a daughter. I cannot imagine how it must feel to have parents that do not accept you for who you are.”
“Do you see now why I was hesitant to tell you about it? Not only is it a long story to tell, but it is hard to tell as well. I vowed never to come back here, but I know the kind of ruler my father is and he will help you; not just for the people, but also to further his standing amongst the other countries. He would be happy to form an alliance with Grildor and the nations affiliated to it. Elbendal has seen its fair share of wars in its history and has always had an army larger than most countries. With only the armies of our two immediate neighbours, my father could put together an army as large as a hundred thousand to come to Grildor’s aid.”
“Thank you, Blaid. In light of what you have told me, I am surprise you suggested coming here.”
“You were desperate to find help for your people and,” he hesitated, turning towards her, “I feel that Grildor has become my home, and I want to do everything in my power to help you. But that is not the only reason,” he admitted. “We know the Vampyres plan to attack the entire planet and, whether I like them or not, they are still my parents and I owe it to them to warn them.”
“You are right, of course,” Maia said, slightly uncomfortable with Blaid standing so close to her. “Your people have a right to know how real the threat is. Even with the Sirens activated, most countries have not taken the threat seriously. Only those countries that have been attacked have responded to my father’s plea to gather their armies. I still wonder sometimes why my father does not enforce the Rule of Grildor. He has been asking our neighbouring countries for assistance for two years now and no one has come to help.”
Blaid frowned. “We discussed this before we left the dark forest. You said Silas had advised your father to do it.”
&nbs
p; “Yes, but he had not acted on it.”
He shook his head, taking her hand and making her sit on one of the beds. “Do you remember when Belura came to tell us about the happenings at Shadow Hall?”
She nodded.
“I think maybe we understood the information differently. I understood from what Belura said, your father left to visit Grildor’s neighbouring countries. That can only mean he is seeing them as King of Kings and he is enforcing the Council of Kings.”
“How could you possible come to that conclusion from the little Belura managed to find out?”
“Your father left Jaik in charge of Shadow Hall, which means he is planning on travelling for some time. No king would leave his country during times of war unless he was gathering armies to help him win it. I believe your father took Silas’ advice.”
“I hope so,” she smiled now. “If all the nations agree to send their warriors, and if your father agrees to gather his armies, we could have as many as five hundred thousand warriors standing by the Gate when the Vampyres come through once more.”
“Have hope, Maia,” Blaid said, stroking her cheek. “Our people are not that easily beaten. We have always been resourceful and we shall overcome even this. We have until the spring to gather our armies and get ready for the war. We might, by then, even have learned to harness the power within us to use at our command. Besides, we have a Soul Dragon and now also a Riven fighting on our side. We shall win this war and the Vampyres will return to where they came from.”
“You make it sound so easy. I hope you are right about my father. I also hope you are right about yours.” She shifted away from Blaid, sitting further back on the bed. “If I am to convince your father to help us, then I think I should get some sleep now.”
Blaid grinned ruefully. “Rest now, for tomorrow you shall be a princess. There is a river that runs through the cave further down the tunnel. You will be able to bathe in the morning before we go to court.”
He went to stoke the fire before retiring to his own bed.