“And you love his food as much as the rest of us do,” Ethmira teased the councilor.
Malfiess grinned roguishly.
“Guilty as charged,” he replied lightly. “And since we won't be staying here in town, I am not afraid of over-indulging in a few sweets.”
The others laughed at his admission and even Callius managed to smile. And as if on cue, Deakon and his daughter entered the room from the kitchen carrying trays loaded down with steaming plates of food.
They served the group with broad smiles and everyone began eating. Mirran quietly urged Callius to sample everything and the young elf did his best.
Chase ate with relish, but she also watched the scryer from the corner of her eye. She was concerned with how fragile the young elf appeared to be. Could such a delicate person actually aid them in the battles to come? She was unsure of his ability to do so, even if he proved to be able to tap into the deep ley lines the way that Diane could.
“You look a little distracted,” Ethmira whispered to her, leaning closer to Chase. “What's wrong?”
“Nothing really,” Chase replied softly. “I'm just a little unsure about Callius, that's all. He looks so young and so vulnerable. Do you think he will actually be able to fight, should it come to that?”
Ethmira looked across the table at the scryer, who was staring down at his plate and picking at his food with little enthusiasm.
“Don't judge him just yet,” she told Chase. “Remember, he has just lost his entire world. His mentor, whom he obviously cared for deeply, is dead. So are all of the other members of the Circle. He is alone now, or so he believes. He must have some time to grieve and to come to terms with this new reality. And as he does, you and I, and Diane and Malfiess, must be patient with him and support him to the best of our ability. When he has recovered, then we will see.”
Chase nodded and bit into a fruit pastry.
“Agreed,” she said after she swallowed. “I assume that Diane will take him back to her home in the Void to keep him safe and test his powers. We will be able to give him the time he needs once we are there.”
“Exactly. So eat up and practice patience,” Ethmira said with a smile. “We will learn more about him and our next moves very soon. Don't waste Deakon's good food while you can still enjoy it.”
Chase chuckled and began eating again. As every ranger knew, home-cooked meals could be rare and should be savored when possible. And so she tucked in and did just that. The future would take care of itself.
After the meal was concluded, the entire group walked upstairs and gathered together in Ethmira's suite. Mirran spent a few minutes fussing over Callius, making sure that he felt well enough to travel and warning him not to overdo things until he was feeling better. Then she stepped away and looked at Diane.
“I am guessing that you are not leaving Alderthal on foot,” she said with a smile.
“You're right,” Diane replied. “We have a long way to go and time is of the essence. I want to thank you for your efforts to help Callius. And learning that you and your fellow healers can detect and cleanse those who are possessed by dark energies is going to be very helpful in the days and weeks ahead. Please watch over the inhabitants here while we are away. I will check in on Alderthal periodically to make sure that you are all safe.”
“Ah, that is good to hear, Lady,” Mirran said happily. “I know that you will be asking other healers to assist you in finding victims and I know that they will also do their best to support your efforts.”
She bowed to Diane and the others, patted Callius' cheek affectionately and then left the room.
“Let us hope so,” the mage muttered as she watched the healer leave. “Callius, I'm sure that you have used the keepers' portals before. What I am going to do is Gate us all to our destination. The sensation is quite similar to traveling by portal. Are you feeling up to it?”
“Yes, Lady Diane,” he replied nervously. “I am feeling much better now.”
“Good. I'll tell you when to hold your breath. It will help.”
Diane looked at her companions. All of them were carrying their packs and they watched her with eager expressions.
“You all know where we are going. I didn't want to say anything in front of Mirran. I trust her discretion, but better to be safe than sorry. Are you ready?”
Ethmira looked at Chase and Malfiess.
“We are quite ready, my friend,” she told Diane. “I'll feel a lot safer when our young scryer is away from here.”
“So will I. Now hold your breath, Callius. We're leaving on the count of three. One...two...three!”
Callius was amazed when he found himself standing in the center of Diane's home. He looked around the large room wide-eyed, staring up at the domed ceiling for a long moment, and the others smiled at his slack-jawed expression.
“Welcome to my humble home,” the mage said as she watched the young scryer. “I hope that you will be comfortable during your stay here.”
“Lady, this place is...amazing!” Callius exclaimed. “But where on Trillfarness are we?”
Malfiess grinned at Diane.
“Good luck explaining that one,” he said jovially. “I'm still trying to work out how this place even exists.”
He walked over to the fireplace, slid a chair over to the front of it and sat down with a contented sigh. Chase followed suit, pulling up a chair of her own.
Ethmira watched them both and then rolled her eyes and looked back at Diane.
“Before you answer Callius' questions, I have one of my own.”
“Which is?”
“If we are going to be staying here for a period of time, where will we all sleep? You have your own bed over there, but you now have four guests. Do we just curl up on the floor or...?”
Diane laughed and shook her head.
“Of course not. After I explain things to the newest member of our merry little band, I will expand the accommodations to make room for everyone. In this place, manipulating matter and energy is easy for those who know how.”
“Fascinating. Then I will leave you to it and join Chase and Malfiess by the fire.”
With a smile at Callius, Ethmira walked over to the others, pulled up a chair and sat down next to Chase.
“Where are we going to sleep?” the younger ranger asked her softly. “It's a decent-sized place for one person, but...”
“That is just what I asked our host,” Ethmira replied with a chuckle. “She said that she will make the place big enough for all of us once Callius is settled in. Patience.”
“Huh. How is it that I keep forgetting what Diane can do?”
“Probably because she is unpretentious,” Malfiess suggested as he watched the mage and the young scryer speaking together. “If I didn't know what she could do, Diane would simply look like a typical human. At least I assume so. I'd never met any until that fateful day when she knocked on my door.”
“That's true enough,” Chase told him. “Both Ethmira and myself have known many humans and Diane, while quite attractive and obviously intelligent, seems rather ordinary, if that makes sense.”
Ethmira watched the flames dancing in the fireplace, her eyes misty with memories.
“It makes sense,” she said softly. “Simon was exactly the same way. When I met him the first time, I saw a young man who appeared frail and unsure of himself. I was actually taken aback by him at first.”
She smiled at her companions.
“This was the great wizard that I was sent to make contact with? This boy? It was only as we spoke that I learned that he had been quite old, for a human, before he Changed after the dragons returned. But the older man that he had been must have been a very modest and retiring person, because that was the same personality that shone through when I met the new version of Simon O'Toole. Diane is like that.”
“Is it a human trait, do you think?” Malfiess asked her.
“No. I have known arrogant humans. Prideful humans. Evil humans. No, Simon
and Diane are simply good people. And thank the gods for that. Because I shudder to think of the damage they could do if they weren't.”
“It might also be an insight as to why the wizard was drawn to Diane and took her under his wing,” Chase observed. “They think alike. Maybe they aren't typical humans, but perhaps the Change that they went through was only gifted to them by the lords of Justice because of their basic goodness. I cannot believe that they would offer such power to evil people.”
Ethmira stared at her for a moment, looking surprised.
“Now why hadn't that ever occurred to me?” she wondered. “That must be it. The evil old gods ripped a tiny hole in the membrane between the Void and the mortal realm to give life to the dragon queen, which is how everything began. And while that small tear lasted, the gods of Light were able to reach out surreptitiously and Change some humans. They could only touch a small number of people in that brief moment, so of course they would choose humans of good character. It just makes sense.”
Chase grinned at her.
“Maybe you never saw the pattern because you have been too close to the humans involved?” she suggested. “You and Simon became friends. You fought side by side with him against the dragons. When did you ever have time to analyze the circumstances of how and why he became a wizard?”
“She has a point,” Malfiess told Ethmira. “We have time now, while Diane tests Callius, to think about such things. But for whatever reason, the humans that we have allied with are good people. So at least we know that we can rely on them.”
“Let's hope they know that they can rely on us as well,” Chase said as she watched Diane speaking with Callius. “Trillfarness is our world, after all, and Diane is putting herself and her life on the line to help us defend it. The danger that she faces cannot be overstated. She faces the wrath of the gods if she makes a mistake. Let that sink in for a moment.”
“I have,” Ethmira replied with feeling. “As rangers, you and I have sworn to give our lives to protect our people. Diane has made no such vow. But then, neither did Simon when he came here to fight the brown dragons. And yet he did so. You probably don't know this, Malfiess, but Simon actually died after he battled the primal brown dragon back on Earth.”
“He did what?” Malfiess asked faintly.
“He died, apparently for the second time, if you can believe it. And he was brought back by one of the old gods. Who she was is still a mystery, but she told Simon that such a resurrection could never happen again. And what did he do after coming back to the mortal realm? He kept fighting! Knowing that another fatal injury would mean permanent death, he fought on anyway. It is that kind of courage that I aspire to emulate. In my darkest hours since, the one thing that has inspired me to keep going, no matter how bleak things appear to be, is Simon O'Toole's example of courage.”
All of them paused for a moment and Ethmira went back to staring at the dancing flames, lost in old thoughts.
“You all seem to be having a very intense conversation.”
The three elves looked up to see Diane smiling at them. Callius stood behind her, staring at them curiously.
“I've explained a few things to our young friend here,” she continued. “But there is much more to tell. For now, though, I thought that you might all want to check out your new quarters and get settled in. We may be here for a few days or longer, so I want you to be comfortable.”
“Um, what new quarters?” Chase asked her with a puzzled frown.
Diane laughed lightly and turned around to point at the far side of the room. A large, iron-bound wooden door was set in the wall there, a door that definitely hadn't been there when the group had Gated into the place.
“If you go through that door, there is a hallway behind it that leads off to several individual living quarters. You may each pick whichever one you want. The chambers all have a sitting room, a bedroom and a lavatory with bathing facilities. I hope that you will find them to your liking.”
Diane's four guests stared at her in amazement and her face lit up with amusement.
“And before you ask, no I didn't just create a new extension to my home with a wave of my hand. I planned for future visitors when I designed the place, but until they were needed, I did not invoke the new rooms. But they are available now and you are welcome to them.”
“It is a day of wonders, Lady Diane,” Callius told her. “To know that you have a home in the midst of the Void, that you can manipulate ley energy, and that you came to our world at the behest of the legendary Simon O'Toole? It is...extraordinary.”
“Take your time,” Malfiess advised him. “And let it sink in. It took me a while to absorb the truth of it as well. In the meantime, let us take up our host's offer and check out our new rooms, yes?”
He stood up, as did Ethmira and Chase, and they headed across the large room, the young scryer dutifully following along behind them.
“Take your time,” Diane told them. “I have a few things to do before I can begin testing Callius, so I'll be away for a little while. Get comfortable and I will see you soon.”
Before any of the elves could reply, the mage's form blazed with blue fire and she disappeared in a flash of light.
Callius gaped at the spot where Diane had been standing and Malfiess patted his shoulder and grinned.
“She does that. Just accept it and move on. That's what I do.”
“Yes, Councilor,” the young elf said weakly. “If you say so.”
Chapter 18
The elves opened the door on the far side of the hall and walked through it, looking around curiously as they went. They were standing in a wide corridor with a high ceiling. The walls and floor were carved from smooth, pale stone and a dark blue rug ran the length of the corridor. A half dozen doors led off of both sides of the hallway. Heavy iron lanterns hung on chains from the ceiling, brightly lighting the entire area. The elves were taken aback by how much larger Diane's home was than they had realized.
“How big can she make this place?” Chase wondered.
“My guess is that there is no limit,” Malfiess replied as he looked up at the glowing lanterns. “She said that Simon O'Toole lives in a large world of his own design, along with a band of heroes. And the tower that he lived in on Earth. Apparently the Void is so vast that constructs like this one can be as large as their creators want to make them. It's fascinating.”
“We can speculate all we want to later,” Ethmira told them. “Let's see what the accommodations look like.”
They walked to the first wooden door that they came to, on the right side of the hallway, and opened it. Inside they were greeted by a large, comfortable sitting room. Stone walls were covered in beautiful tapestries depicting scenes of nature; forests, mountains and lakes. A small fireplace on the left side of the room held a stack of firewood ready to be lit. A comfortable couch and two chairs sat across from the fireplace and several throw rugs covered the floor. Candles burned on the mantelpiece and in sconces on the walls, filling the room with warm light.
“Delightful,” Chase exclaimed with a smile. “If I didn't know that we were in the Void, I would think that this was someone's home on Trillfarness.”
Malfiess walked across the room to an archway and peered through it.
“There's a bedroom in here,” he told them. “Nicely laid out. And another door that I assume leads into the lavatory. Looks very comfortable.”
“Diane has laid out the place very well,” Ethmira observed. “I'm guessing that every suite is pretty much designed like this one, but let's find out. Then you can each choose one for your own quarters. Shall we?”
It only took a few minutes to discover that the ranger was correct. Except for different scenes on the tapestries in each sitting room, all of the living quarters were exactly the same. There were six suites in all and everyone chose their own without any arguments.
Standing in the hallway once again, Ethmira told all of them to settle in and get used to their temporary homes.<
br />
“Callius, I know that Mirran healed you and that you got some rest, but you are looking a little too pale for my liking,” she told the young elf. “Relax and get some sleep if you can. If you need anything or you want to talk, you know where we are.”
“Thank you, Commander,” Callius said shyly.
“It's Ethmira,” she told him with a smile. “We are companions now and none of us stand on formality.”
“Not even me,” Malfiess assured him. “Leave the titles behind, Callius. We may be together for quite some time, so try to get used to using our names. It will make things easier for everyone, believe me.”
The scryer blushed but nodded his understanding.
“I understand...Malfiess,” he replied hesitantly.
“Better,” the councilor said with a chuckle. “It will take some practice, but you will get the hang of it. Anyway, I agree with Ethmira. You look exhausted. Your ordeal has taxed you more than you might realize. So get some sleep. Remember that for the moment you are safe from our enemies. That may make it easier for you to rest.”
Callius nodded and thanked them again. He disappeared into his quarters and closed the door behind him.
The three elves exchanged concerned glances.
“Do you think he will be all right?” Chase asked the others.
“He's young,” Malfiess replied. “And the young are able to bounce back from injuries that would devastate someone older. I think he will be fine. As Diane told us, we have time here. Time for Callius to recover and time for our host to discover exactly what makes him different from the other scryers.”
“And hopefully use that knowledge to aid us in the battles ahead,” Ethmira added. “But all of that can wait. Let's unpack and get settled in. We'll meet out in the main hall later. Hopefully Diane will be back by then and we can plan our next moves. Rest well, both of you.”
“And you as well,” Malfiess told her with a smile. “See you soon.”
The Fall of the Elves Page 23