The Fall of the Elves

by J. J. Thompson

  “I found this on Trillfarness about a month before I made contact with Malfiess,” Diane told them. “I was poking around an old ruin in the southern mountain ranges that I had discovered and unearthed a cache of documents.”

  She glanced over at Malfiess, who was reading in front of the fireplace.

  “Those books that our friend is so delighted with were part of that cache, as was this map. I thought that the two of you might try to update it for me.”

  She pointed at several spots on the chart and Ethmira leaned in closer to look at them.

  “I know for a fact that these towns no longer exist,” Diane told her. “Because I went to them and found only ruins. Would you and Chase do me a favor and correct the map? I'm sure that you don't know the names of every current settlement on the planet, but just fill in the places that you can. I need as much information as I can get to plan for the future.”

  “We would be happy to do that, Diane,” Ethmira replied with a smile. “Rangers are actually required to memorize many names and locations of elven towns and villages, at least within the territories that we are assigned to. I'm sure that Chase knows of settlements that I do not and I have probably visited towns and villages that she hasn't. We'll update the map to the best of our abilities.”

  “I would appreciate that.”

  Diane produced an inkwell and two quills and gave them to the rangers.

  “Old-fashioned, I know,” she said with a sigh as the women looked at the feathered quills curiously. “But they will have to do.”

  She left the rangers with the map and went back to sit with Callius in front of the bookshelves. The two of them began speaking quietly and Chase watched them for a moment before giving Ethmira a wry look.

  “Is she trying to distract us and keep us from becoming bored?” she asked under her breath.

  “Possibly,” Ethmira replied with a grin. “But updating this map is a good idea regardless, so let's do our best, shall we?”

  Some time had passed and the two women were discussing the proper spelling of the name of one small village when Malfiess walked over and interrupted them.

  “Did either of you see Diane or Callius leave?” he asked.

  Ethmira frowned and looked around the hall. Except for the three of them, it was empty.

  “No, I didn't,” she replied. “The last time I saw them, they were deep in conversation together. Chase?”

  “Same. Sorry, but I've been engrossed in this map. When did you last see them, Malfiess?”

  “No idea,” the councilor replied. He held up a thick tome. “I was reading about the formation of the first Council of Elders. Fascinating stuff, by the way. I think I saw the two of them in the kitchen area about a half hour ago, but I could be mistaken. Time doesn't flow here the same way it does on Trillfarness, so I can't be sure.”

  “Maybe Callius got tired and went to his quarters to take a nap?” Chase suggested.

  “But what about Diane?” Malfiess asked. “This hall is her quarters. Where else could she be?”

  “We're talking about a powerful mage here,” Ethmira reminded him. “She could be anywhere. In the Void. On Trillfarness. Even back on Earth. Who can say?”

  “Well, I don't like it,” he stated. “At all. If she was going to leave and take Callius with her, she should have told us.”

  “Why?” Ethmira asked calmly. “Diane doesn't need our permission, Malfiess. She is the leader of our group now, is she not? And she told us that she was going to test Callius' abilities. Surely it would be too dangerous to do that in this place. My guess, for what it is worth, is that she took him to a location where he could not harm anyone inadvertently. If he is as powerful as the goddess intimated, he could do a lot of damage without meaning to.”

  Malfiess nodded slowly.

  “You make a good point. Well, I suppose we'll just have to trust in Diane's methods. Certainly we know that her motives are honorable. The goddess proved that.”

  “Exactly. So relax and enjoy your book,” Ethmira told him with a smile. “I doubt that they will be gone for very long.”

  The councilor sighed and turned away, walking back to his chair by the fireplace.

  “Do you really think that Callius is all right?” Chase asked her quietly.

  “You don't?” Ethmira replied in surprise.

  “Yes, of course I do. I trust Diane. It's Callius' powers that I'm worried about, not Diane's intentions. If he makes a mistake and loses control, he could do himself great harm.”

  “I'm sure that Diane knows that. Let her do her job and we will do ours.”

  She pointedly tapped on the map and Chase chuckled at the reminder.

  “Yes, Commander,” she said formally.

  Ethmira rolled her eyes and then laughed. Both of them bent over the map again and resumed their discussion.

  While Malfiess tried not to worry too much, and Ethmira and Chase concentrated on their task, Diane and Callius were standing in the middle of an ocean of sand dunes. An arid wind blew past their faces and the sun beat down on them, its hot white light baking the smooth sand around them.

  “Where are we?” Callius asked as he turned in a slow circle, searching for any landmarks. Except for sand dunes stretching off in all directions, there were nothing else to see. There were no signs of life and the sky was a cloudless, unending blue. Against the tan color of the sand, his red robe was almost jarring to look at.

  “We are in the one place that I doubt the old gods would look for you, and where they are still relatively powerless,” Diane told him as her white robe fluttered in the moaning wind. It also contrasted with the drab sand dunes around them.

  She held her staff in her right hand, and rested its end in the sand to steady herself in the strong breeze. The gentle slope of the dune that they were standing on offered stable footing, but they had to concentrate on keeping their balance in the gusting winds.

  “Welcome to Earth, young scryer,” she said with a smile. “More specifically, welcome to what was once called the Rub' al Khali desert. It is one of the most inhospitable places in the world.”

  “Earth?” Callius said in wonder. “We're on Earth? Lady, this is remarkable! I never dreamed that I would see it.”

  He frowned and squinted in the bright sunlight.

  “But why are we here, in this barren place? Surely there are more pleasant locations on your world?”

  “Many,” Diane agreed. “But unfortunately goblins have taken over a lot of them now. And the new dragons have claimed many more. Once I would have worried about red dragons living in this area. They loved hot, dry places. But they died out when their primal fell in battle, so that's one less thing to concern us.”

  Callius' long black hair blew across his face and he tucked it irritably behind his high, pointed ears.

  “The red dragons are dead?” he asked, startled. “All of them?”

  “All of them,” Diane assured him. “Once a species of dragon loses its primal, all of that primal's spawn die with it. The leader of the red dragons foolishly attacked Nottinghill Castle and a brave paladin, Liliana Travnikov, sacrificed herself to destroyed it. It was one of the most selfless things that I have ever heard of. Her deed inspired my people like nothing else could and they have held strong against many goblin attacks ever since.”

  She smiled bitterly as she looked off to the horizon.

  “A side benefit of that incident was that the other dragons have avoided humans ever since. Happily, they despise goblins as much as we do, and I have been told that they attack those evil creatures indiscriminately wherever they find them. So I suppose they are actually working for us now, in a way.”

  “Astonishing,” Callius sighed. “There is so much that I am not aware of. So much that my people should know.”

  “But why?” Diane asked him. “Before the incursion on Trillfarness and the attack on Othallis, the only danger that faced the elves from the ancient gods were the brown dragon attacks. And after they were defe
ated, your world was safe again. Until now, that is. I can certainly understand why your people remained ignorant of the threats against mine. You were living on a planet that exists on a totally different plane, after all. Not a lot of news travels back and forth.”

  She added that last line as she gave Callius a teasing smile and the young elf chuckled in return.

  “No, I suppose not,” he admitted. “Well, we're a lot closer now, in more ways that one. The fact that you can just pop back to this world proves how close Earth and Trillfarness have become.”

  “It isn't quite that easy,” Diane disagreed. “It takes a lot of concentration and effort to move between the Void and the mortal realm. But you're right. Our worlds are now linked in time and space and what affects one will inevitably affect the other. If I needed an added incentive to aid your people, Callius, that would be it.”

  She looked up the long shallow slope toward the summit of the sand dune they were standing on.

  “Come with me,” she told her companion. “Let's climb up to the top. We need some room to work and I want an unobstructed view of our surroundings.”

  Callius nodded and followed Diane as she slowly began to ascend the slippery sands. He began to sweat, but the air was so dry that the moisture immediately evaporated off of his skin. He licked his lips constantly as he struggled to keep up with the mage.

  A few minutes later, the two of them reached the top of the sand dune. All around them were countless rolling hills of sand, all of them hundreds of feet high. It felt like they were standing in the middle of a shifting, moving mountain range. As they stood on the peak of the dune, the wind grew even stronger and Callius had to brace himself against it.

  “Is this the best place to do whatever we are doing?” he asked loudly over the constant moaning of the wind.

  Diane remained silent for a moment and the young scryer realized that she was scanning the skies and searching the distant horizon for any threats. He turned slowly in place and did the same.

  “Even here, in the midst of this place devoid of life, I can feel the pulse of my world,” the mage said softly.

  Callius strained to hear her and he watched her face change. An expression of sadness passed over her features for a moment and then it was gone. She looked at the elf and smiled self-consciously.

  “Sorry,” she said. “I can't help but feel a visceral connection to my planet. It is under constant assault now by a group of selfish and very powerful beings who don't give a damn that they slaughtered billions of my people just so they could reenter this realm. Sometimes the grief for my race is at war with my rage. It is difficult to keep that anger under control all the time. But emotions interfere with my ability to use my powers. Remember that, Callius. If you can also use ley energy as a weapon, please try to be mindful of that fact at all times.”

  “I understand,” Callius assured her. “Part of the training for scryers teaches us to subsume our emotions when we touch the ley lines. We use their power to see over vast distances and a calm state of mind is necessary for our work to succeed.”

  “Yes, of course,” Diane replied. “That makes sense. Ley energy is volatile and not easily tapped into unless one is focused and controlled.”

  She scanned the horizon one final time and then turned to face Callius.

  “You don't know how you survived the attack on the scyers' tower and neither do I. So we will have to test you to discover this. Out here, in this vast emptiness, you will not be able to harm anyone or anything should something go wrong. That is why we are here.”

  Callius squinted as a burst of wind slapped his face and tiny bits of sand tickled his skin.

  “Ah, so that is why we are here,” he replied. “Of course. It's a relief, actually. I was worried that I might accidentally do damage to your home or to my fellow elves, assuming that I can actually use the ley energy for more than scrying.”

  “We'll find out,” Diane assured him. “Now let's get started. The longer we linger on Earth, the more chance there is that we will be discovered.”

  Chapter 21

  After spending some time speaking to Callius about the scarcity of Earth's ley energy and how far he would have to reach to tap into it, Diane stood back and watched him closely.

  The young elf closed his eyes and clasped his hands together. He frowned in concentration and his lips moved silently.

  “Tell me when you have calmed yourself,” the mage told him.

  “I am ready,” Callius muttered.

  “Good. Now reach down beneath your feet, go deep below the surface and find the ley lines. Remember, they are remote and thin compared to the lines beneath Trillfarness, but they still pulse with life and are untapped by anyone except me.”

  Callius' frowned deepened and his slender body trembled inside of his robe as he made the effort. Diane made a subtle gesture with a forefinger and a tiny symbol, shaped like a triangle with a glyph inside of it, appeared in the air before her. It glowed with blue flame and she watched it closely as the scryer made his attempt.

  “Don't rush, Callius,” she warned him. “If you overexert yourself, you will lose focus and we'll have to begin again. Just let your instincts and training be your guide. The lines are there, never fear. They are simply located deeper than the ones that you are used to working with.”

  Callius exhaled slowly and nodded, his eyes still tightly shut.

  “Understood,” he said.

  Diane looked at the floating symbol and smiled as it brightened in the sunlight.

  “Good,” she said encouragingly. “You are getting closer now. Feel the warmth of the ley energy. Feel the life force of this ancient world, its power and permanence. Don't fight for control, not yet. Just allow it to flow through you for now.”

  Callius raised his hand and touched his forehead. He swayed alarmingly for a moment and then smiled, just as Diane's symbol blazed brightly and then disappeared.

  “I am there,” the young scryer said. “Ah yes, I am in contact with the ley.”

  “How does it feel?” the mage asked him.

  “Familiar but strange at the same time,” Callius replied.

  He moved his hands as if touching something only he could see.

  “It is not hostile to me. It is not rejecting me. Oh, how lovely.”

  Diane smiled at the elf's expression of delight.

  “That's good, Callius. I have never been sure whether the ley energy is sentient in some way, but a planet is a living thing. Of that I have no doubt. And if that life accepts you, it means that we can move forward. Are you ready?”

  “Yes, Lady,” Callius replied. ”But what do I do? How do I use the energy the way that you do.”

  “You don't,” Diane told him.

  Callius opened his eyes and blinked in the sunlight as if waking from sleep.

  “I don't?”

  “No. I have spent the last decade learning to manipulate ley energy, using spells and incantations to direct that power. You used it instinctively in the tower when you and your fellows were attacked. That is the key. Your connection to the ley lines is more direct, more personal, than mine is.”

  “So what do I do?” Callius asked in confusion.

  “You must be a conduit for the power. Shape it. Mold it. Think of it as a malleable extension of your will. Simply picture in your mind what you want the energy to do and allow it to do it.”

  Callius looked skeptical.

  “Just like that?” he said.

  Diane grinned at him.

  “Just like that. You are connected to the ley lines in a way that I never have been. I suspected that was the case when we found you safe and unconscious in that tower. Something inside of you reached out and touched the ley and it responded by saving you. But now you can direct it as you see fit. So go ahead and try it. See what you can do.”

  Callius nodded and looked down at his long, thin fingers.

  “But what should I try to do first?” he asked her.

  “Start sma
ll. Don't attempt to do anything too grand. Just use the energy gently to get used to it.”

  Callius raised his hands and turned his back on Diane. He spoke softly, words that the mage couldn't make out, but it sounded like he was asking a question of someone or something that only he could see.

  A dozen feet in front of the scryer, the sand began to swirl. A small cyclone of gritty particles began to rise from the ground. It swirled and danced as it grew and the sound of its whirling sands became louder.

  The cyclone grew until it was as tall as Callius. And then it grew some more. And some more.

  “Don't overdo it,” Diane exclaimed sharply. “Stay in control, Callius!”

  “I'm trying!” he exclaimed. “It's feeding on itself, channeling ley energy through me. It's as if the ley is eager to break free. I can't stop it!”

  Diane sprang forward and grabbed Callius by his shoulders. She spun him around and shook him, hard.

  “Break the connection!” she told him. “Now!”

  The elf's eyes were glazed and unfocused for a moment. Then he blinked several times and appeared to see Diane clearly. The cyclone, now at least twenty feet high, collapsed immediately.

  Callius swayed weakly and then shook his head as if to clear it.

  “Sorry about that,” he said with an embarrassed look on his face. “The ley energy is so powerful. It's like a bottomless pit, an endless font of power. It may be thin, but it extends throughout the entire planet.”

  Diane released his shoulders and stepped back. She smiled at the young elf reassuringly.

  “Yes, that is exactly what it is. A well of life energy. Something that is anathema to the evil that we are fighting against. That is what Simon believed would aid me in my mission when he sent me to your world. The dark gods can impede the flow of magical energy because they are its source. But ley energy is not magic. It is primal, born at the heart of planets and suns. And the gods have no defense against it.”

  “Truly?” Callius asked in wonder. “But surely the old gods created the mortal realm. How could they not have power over all of it, including the ley lines?”