Enchantress (The Evermen Saga, Book One)

by James Maxwell

  "I asked you a question," he said.

  She looked up at his face again. His eyes were different, she realised. Where before there had been a mischievous twinkle, a reckless daring, he now seemed more serious. He looked at her with a more steady expression, as if really seeing her. She didn’t know what had brought about this change. She didn’t even know if she liked it.

  Ella’s story about being madly in love stopped in her throat. It seemed too trite all of a sudden.

  "I came to get back our Lexicon. It was my fault you got into the Crystal Palace, my fault you stole our most precious possession. My brother is fighting out there. People are dying. Please, Killian. I want it back."

  She waited for him to burst out laughing. Instead he simply shook his head. "You need to understand. Your people are squandering the knowledge, Ella. Lore shouldn’t be kept secret and fought over. It shouldn’t define a group of people, causing them to identify with it and raise arms against anyone who is different. Lore should be shared amongst everyone. When the houses are one, don’t you realise the things we can do?"

  This was the real Killian. Ella realised she was seeing him for the first time. There was a strange fervour to him. It reminded her of the white priests. "What are you talking about? Are those your words, or the words of someone who put them in you?"

  He sighed. "It doesn’t matter. If you even saw the things we have already accomplished... But no mind," he shook his head sadly. "I believe you, but I can’t believe you would be so stupid. Who else is with you?"

  "No one."

  "Who else!"

  Seeing Killian angry suddenly made Ella aware of just how vulnerable she was. If he was going to hurt her, if he was going to do anything to her, he would have done it, wouldn’t he?

  "No one," she said softly.

  Killian visibly calmed. He gathered himself for a moment. He seemed less confident. More unsettled than the Killian she had known before. "I should kill you now, but perhaps you’ll be useful in case your High Enchantress shows up. Here," he tossed her a length of twine. "Tie this around your wrists."

  Ella tied it loosely, but he came and checked it and then tied it tighter. He seemed strangely afraid to touch her skin. The few moments his hands touched hers his breath caught.

  "Put your boots on," he said. "Here’s your shoulder bag. I’m taking you with me."

  ~

  KILLIAN took them back onto the road. He said there wasn’t much point in keeping to the back country now; they would make better time on the road. Besides, he now had a bargaining piece in case any pursuers caught up to him.

  Ella still couldn’t believe what had happened to her. To come all this way, to fight extraordinary beasts and cruel bandits, only to get caught so easily. It was heart-breaking.

  Worst of all she’d lost her essence and her tools. She was in a strange land, being taken the Skylord-knew-where by a man she knew nothing about. She only prayed that the High Enchantress would catch them before Killian took her to whoever it was had sent that eldritch.

  Killian was silent for a long time, a silence Ella didn’t want to break. He seemed lost in thought. His breathing was heavy. She noticed that he occasionally winced when he took a step with his left leg.

  "Are you in pain?" she murmured.

  He grunted in reply, "It’s nothing."

  The continued on for some time more. The afternoon wore on. The sun cast its setting rays from behind them, illuminating the barren land. Rocks and boulders were strewn everywhere, and a haze of dust rose from the earth in all directions. The colours of rust and tan were prevalent, with every shade in between. Even the occasional copse of trees or distant forest was tinged red.

  It seemed the Petryans’ chosen colour of red meant more to them than elemental fire. It was the colour of their land.

  "How about you, are your hands tied too tightly?" Killian said suddenly.

  Ella started; they’d last spoken so long ago.

  "A little," she said.

  "I will look when we camp for the night," Killian said.

  The earth turned a deeper shade of red as the sky darkened. The moon rose above the horizon, tainted crimson by the dusty haze in the sky. Stars began to show, first one, then another, until there were hundreds of stars visible in the twilight.

  "So many stars," Ella said.

  "Your people use too many nightlamps in Sarostar, with your Crystal Palace radiating colours and all your enchantments. You miss the stars. You should see…" Killian trailed off.

  "Should see what?"

  "Nothing," Killian said.

  "You don’t give much away, do you?" Ella said.

  "We’ll turn off now and find a place to camp for the night. We won’t use any nightlamps. A heatplate would be welcome though. Is that one I saw, in your satchel?"

  Ella had renewed the simple stone device, since the disaster at the waterfall. "Yes," she sighed.

  They made camp in a clearing under the stars. Killian eased the bonds on Ella’s hands but would not free them, making all of the preparations for the camp and meal himself. He rested a small pot on the glowing runes and filled it with water, then added a few teaspoons of powder to the pot.

  Ella smelled the aroma. "Cherl!" she exclaimed with a smile. It reminded her so much of home.

  Killian smiled slightly, "One of the few Alturan foods I can’t do without."

  While the water was heating he stretched and placed his travel bag against a tree. The edge parted slightly, and Ella could see part of a green cover.

  The Lexicon! Her breath caught. Killian’s back was to her, she wondered if she had the strength to…

  He turned and saw her gaze. "Don’t even think about it," he said in a grim voice. "You touch me, or steal from me, or try to escape, and I’ll tie you up here and leave you for dead."

  It was spoken so matter-of-factly that Ella felt a chill. She wondered again about this strange man, his peculiar name and distinctive looks. She supposed he worked for the Emperor.

  He handed her a mug of cherl, deactivating the heatplate. They drank together in darkness.

  Then he came over to her, breathing heavily, and for a second Ella felt a qualm in her chest, but he just had a length of twine in his hands.

  "Get comfortable," he said gruffly. "I’m tying your legs, so don’t expect to be able to move much."

  He was surprisingly gentle as he tied Ella’s legs, before he went to sleep himself.

  She lay still, listening to his breathing. He tossed and turned, trying to get comfortable. She heard him moan in pain several times, as he rolled onto his back or his leg.

  It served him right, she thought. At least he wasn’t tied up.

  Any moment now the runes on the Alturan Lexicon would fade. Renewing them was a skill that Ella simply didn’t possess. Perhaps if she read the book, she could understand how to renew the runes, but even so she had no essence.

  Ella sighed.

  She thought about Miro, so far away, fighting for his life. Fighting for Altura and freedom. There had to be something she could do to get the Lexicon back to Altura. She thought about Amber and her marriage to Igor Samson. Was Amber happy? Layla’s drowned eyes came to her mind, looking at her reproachfully, her skin wrinkled. Last of all she thought about Brandon.

  Then she slept.

  ~

  SHE woke in the morning feeling cramped but refreshed. Killian was asleep, with the heatplate separating the two of them.

  Ella tested the twine carefully. It held her hands tightly bound together, the wrists facing opposite directions. There was no chance of escape.

  She felt like she’d lost all circulation in her hands and feet. She started rubbing her hands against her body.

  "I know how to tie a knot. You won’t break through it."

  She quickly looked up. Killian was sitting up, looking at her. She glared at him.

  "I wasn’t trying to escape. My hands are completely numb. I’m probably going to lose them to gangrene."


  He snorted, "You’re not going to lose them to gangrene. Here."

  He came over and, watching her carefully, loosened the twine around her hands, leaving her feet tied. He rubbed her hands gently between his own, the colour slowly returning.

  His touch was so gentle.

  "Please," she spoke so low she almost whispered, "can’t you let me go?"

  "Without the Lexicon?" he said.

  "No, not without the Lexicon!" She pulled her hands away in anger.

  He shrugged and tied her hands back up again. He then untied her feet, working on them in silence then leaving them untied.

  He stood up, "We’re leaving."

  ~

  THIS was not the clear day the previous one had been. Winter came back for a time — not in the way it chilled the air, but in the clouds that turned the sky a sullen grey.

  Ella felt well-rested, but Killian looked as if he had been through a night of complete misery. His blue eyes were bloodshot. His back and leg obviously pained him terribly. He set a determined pace though, the dust kicking up from his boots under the white priest’s robe. Ella had no choice but to keep up.

  He caught her look, "Did you hear it last night?"

  "No, hear what?"

  "The screams."

  Ella shivered. "No, I didn’t hear any screams."

  He looked back over his shoulder. "There’s something following us, I can feel it. I don’t know if it’s your High Enchantress, but there have been noises at night, noises that chill my blood."

  Ella thought about her first night in Petrya, frightened and alone in the red forest.

  "I know what you mean. Shrieks."

  He looked at her quickly, "Yes, that’s it. Do you know what it is?"

  "No," she looked at him in return. "Do you?"

  "No."

  They walked along in silence.

  If anything the sky grew darker as the day progressed. Ella couldn’t even tell where in the sky the sun was. It was all the colour of smoke.

  "Tell me then," Ella said suddenly.

  "What?"

  "Tell me. Tell me the part you play in this, why you think it’s so necessary to attack my people."

  He paused for a long moment. She thought he wasn’t going to reply. When she was about to open her mouth he spoke.

  "Let me ask you some questions first. What are the raja?"

  "The houses? They are peoples, nations. Governed by a High Lord and with individual customs, attitudes and culture."

  "And lore?"

  "Yes, and with their own lore."

  "What is the Emperor’s role?"

  Ella felt like she was in class at the Academy again. "The Emperor’s role is to govern the relationships between the houses, and to facilitate commerce and trade. He keeps the peace and prevents war."

  "And how about the Assembly of Templars?"

  "The priesthood? They are there to teach us our history. About the Evermen and the origin of lore. As children we learn morality and a code of ethics. We learn to treat others as we wish to be treated ourselves. The Primate also has the role of administering disputes between the houses — even disputes involving the imperial house. He facilitates communication between the houses."

  "What about essence?"

  "Well, the Primate oversees the distribution of essence. The Assembly possesses no lore of its own. They have no need or use for essence. The templars are specially trained priests who help produce and guard the essence. If one house, even the imperial house, were to try to take essence by guile or force, the wrath of not just the houses, but the templars too, would rise against the offending house."

  "Good, good," Killian said. "That pretty much sums it up. Do you think it’s a good system?"

  "Good? It’s not perfect, but it works — to a greater or lesser extent."

  "Do you think it could be better?"

  "There are probably things I’d like to improve — but I’m not a High Lord so I’m not really in a position to do so."

  "So you think a High Lord is in the best place to make improvements?"

  "Only for his house. The Emperor should be able to make greater changes to the conditions of everyone. More healers, perhaps. Or a universal set of rights and responsibilities."

  Killian’s eyes lit up. "See! You think it too. Don’t you think it’s terrible that some people have wealth while others starve? Or that here in Petrya the High Lord can execute a law-abiding citizen for no greater reason than that he wants to?"

  "Yes I do," Ella said. "The Emperor..."

  "The Emperor!" Killian said. "Seranthia is a cesspit of corruption, I know, I’ve been there."

  Ella nodded, "My brother Miro said the same thing."

  Killian nodded.

  Ella took a breath. "So what do you think the solution is then? To steal Altura and Halaran’s lore and kill their young men in battle?"

  "It’s regrettable, but..."

  "Regrettable? Regrettable! My brother is there!"

  Killian fended off her arm as she moved to strike him. "Listen to me! The time of the houses is over. It’s time for a new start, a new change. One nation, with no corrupt Emperor, no random executions, no petty wars, no essence rationing. Don’t you see, Ella? The Lexicons were never intended to be separated! They are all chapters in the same book! My master..."

  "Your master? Who is your master?"

  Killian suddenly stopped talking.

  "Listen to me," Ella said with venom, "and you listen well. I don’t care about your ridiculous ideals. My people are being forced to submit. We are being attacked at war. Your thievery will see the end of everything I hold dear. Noble ends don’t justify vicious means. Remember that, Killian. Remember that."

  There was silence for the rest of the day.

  ~

  THAT night they went through the same routine of food and camp, speaking only when necessary. Ella felt uncertain and adrift. Killian seemed equally confused, as if wrestling with inner turmoil.

  After they ate they both sat in stillness.

  Killian looked up. "It says so, in the book, you know."

  "What do you mean?"

  "About lore. In the Lexicon. They all say it."

  "Show me." Ella held her breath.

  Killian went to his bag, gently taking out the green-covered book. He held it in both arms; it was a precious thing. He took a nightlamp and activated it at the lowest setting, then squatted down next to Ella. She could feel his closeness. His smell came to her.

  The Lexicon of Raj Altura! Ella couldn’t believe she was next to it. She had dreamt about seeing it her whole life. She longed to touch it, but she knew he would never let her.

  "See?" Killian said. "The number one," he pointed at the rune on the cover.

  Ella looked intently at the number rune. It hardly glowed at all. She tried to judge it. The rune would fade in perhaps a week. At that point, every seeker, every nightlamp, and every zenblade would fail. Back in Sarostar, the invisible arch of the Runebridge would disappear. The Crystal Palace would cease its display of colours.

  And as soon as the enemy realised what was happening, the Alturan army was doomed.

  Not noticing the desperation in Ella’s eyes, Killian opened the cover. The pages were made of some strange metallic fabric, remarkably thin. The book contained a great deal more pages than it seemed from its girth.

  There was a message on the first page, written in a graceful flowing script.

  "To the common people of Merralya, one and all, I give you this, the first volume in my Tomes of Lore. Evrin Evenstar."

  "Evrin Evenstar," Ella started.

  "Does that name mean anything to you?"

  "No, no. I just knew someone with a similar name. That’s all." She thought of the old animator.

  Killian turned the page. A title was embossed, the colours leaping from the page with incredible beauty: "The Lore of the Enchanter."

  Ella felt goose bumps rise on her skin. She couldn’t believe she was here, seeing this bo
ok. She wished she held it herself.

  "That’s it," Killian said. He closed the book.

  "Please, can I see some more?" Ella couldn’t believe she was begging.

  "No." He saw her expression. "I’m sorry."

  "Well what does it say?"

  "I don’t really understand any of it. I only know one matrix, and that I have to copy."

  Ella’s interest was piqued. "What is it?"

  He grinned. "I’ll tell you another time. Tish-toklur," he deactivated the nightlamp.

  Ella could only just make out his figure against the roiling black sky. There were no stars tonight. No moon to light their camp.

  "I’m not going to tie your legs. I didn’t like the sound of those sounds last night, whatever they were, and I’m not going to risk some animal taking you while you lie there helpless."

  Ella shuddered at his description. She was still helpless enough with her hands tied. With some beast out there in the dark, she knew she wasn’t going anywhere.

  ~

  "WHAT was that?"

  "Quick, get the nightlamp on! Lord of the Sun, can you hear it?"

  "Tish-tassine."

  The camp was suddenly lit with warm light. Ella’s eyes reflected the yellow glow. Her face was pure white with fright.

  Killian stood, shirtless, cudgel in hand. The snarling sound came again, from a different direction this time.

  "It’s not far away."

  "What do we do?" Ella asked. "Do we stay here or do we leave?"

  "We stay here," Killian said. "Once we leave it can herd us or pick us off, whatever it is."

  Something black passed between some trees, only paces away. Ella screamed.

  "Here!" Killian threw Ella something. It was one of her enchanted stones. It fell to the ground beside her. He hadn’t thrown them all into the river after all!

  "I can’t move my hands!"

  "Oh."

  The snarling sound came from the trees right in front of them. Killian quickly knelt at Ella’s back, cutting through the bonds in seconds.

  She picked up the stone. "Tuk-talour," she activated the runes, she threw the stone in the direction of the sound.

  "Look away!" she cried.