“True enough. Everyone move to the center of the room, please,” Simon told the group. “I will use an elven Gating spell to take us to Alderthal. Let us hope that we arrive in time. The infestation might be moving toward the town even now.”
Ethmira and Chase settled their bows over their shoulders and the group moved together to stand in the middle of the hall. Diane looked around wistfully one last time.
“I'll miss this place,” she told Simon. “It's been a good home base for a long time.”
“Don't worry,” he replied with a teasing grin. “I've already built you a house close to my tower. I'm sure that you will be comfortable there.”
Diane stared at him dubiously.
“If you relied on Kronk or Aeris to decorate it, then 'comfortable' is probably the wrong word to describe it.”
Simon laughed as he raised his hand and pulled his hood over his head again, hiding his face from view.
“Feel free to make any changes you like,” he told Diane. “Just remember that Kronk is sensitive. Be kind in your criticisms.”
“Don't try to make me feel guilty before I even see the place,” she warned him.
Simon pulled back his hood for a moment and winked at Ethmira, who grinned back. Then he raised his staff, rattled off a stream of words in the ancient language of the elves, and struck the floor sharply. The group was whisked away in a burst of white light and a faint rumble of thunder.
When they arrived in Alderthal, the group got to work immediately. Diane and Callius took up a position in the center of town, not far from Deakon's inn, and began working on creating the portal.
Chase headed off at once toward the three towers and Malfiess and Ethmira took a few minutes to hurry from house to house, telling the townspeople that they must prepare to leave.
Simon stood silently off to one side of the town square and waited, his hood entirely concealing his features. As he told Diane when they arrived in Alderthal, there was some small chance that someone would recognize him and that could be disastrous to his future plans.
As Malfiess and Ethmira returned to him, the ranger was shaking her head. She looked exasperated.
“Problems?” Simon asked her.
“Not really. But Deakon didn't want to leave his inn, even after I had explained the situation.”
“And did you finally convince him?” Malfiess asked.
“I think so. He may love his inn, but Deakon cares for his family even more.” She smiled faintly. “Plus I pointed out that he could open a new inn on Earth, the first elven inn on that world since ancient times. He seemed delighted by the prospect.”
Simon laughed from within his hood.
“Whatever it takes, I suppose,” he said.
“What is happening with the portal?” Ethmira asked him as she turned to look at Diane and Callius.
The two were standing next to each other, speaking in undertones. Callius was nodding as Diane made graceful gestures with her hands.
“They're almost ready,” Simon replied. “Diane is about to guide our young scryer as he opens a portal between here and the Earth. Once he does that, she will lock it on to the clearing in New Zealand and we can start transporting all of the survivors that we can find back here and they will be sent through.”
“Good. I can almost feel the planet's pain,” Ethmira said heavily. “It writhes beneath our feet, suffering from an infection that it cannot cure. Trillfarness is dying and there is nothing that we can do about it.”
She looked at Malfiess, who nodded sadly in return.
“I know,” he said softly. “I feel it too. I think we all do. That pain will convince our people of their danger far more than any arguments that we can make. The one hopeful thought that I cling to is the knowledge that while this world was a gift from the lords of Light, it was not our original home. Earth was the planet of our birth and we are now returning to it. Perhaps that was our destiny all along. Our many years of peace here on Trillfarness were merely a respite, a retreat from the eternal war between good and evil. Well, that respite is now over and we are called to battle once again. That is what I believe.”
Ethmira nodded thoughtfully.
“Maybe so,” she said as she watched Diane and Callius. “Maybe all of this was inevitable. But it still hurts. Abandoning the world that embraced us for so long, especially as a ranger who swore an oath to protect Trillfarness, is gut-wrenching. But my people come first and that is who I must care for now.”
“Well said,” Simon told her approvingly. “And you are right, Malfiess. The elves, the dwarves, and my people as well, were all created on Earth and now we will all be gathered together again to defend our home world. Your people and the dwarves will have to put aside your ancient feuds if that is to happen. I hope that your Council will be up to the task.”
Malfiess frowned at that comment, but Ethmira looked pleased by the prospect.
“I never had a problem working with Shandon Ironhand, back when we fought the primal dragons,” she assured the councilor. “Whatever those old differences were, their origins are lost in the mists of time. We must forge a new alliance with both the humans and the dwarves, Malfiess, if we hope to survive. Surely you can see that?”
“Of course I can,” he replied. “I am not thinking of myself. I am thinking of the deep-rooted distrust that many elves have of the dwarves. It is not logical or even defensible, but it is visceral and real. We will have to overcome those prejudices if we are to stand with the dwarves in the future.”
“One step at a time, my friends,” Simon told them. “Let's cross that bridge when we come to it. Now we have more immediate concerns. And look, Diane and Callius appear to be ready to open the portal. It's time to get moving.”
Simon was correct. A moment later, Callius turned to face the center of the town square, bowed his head and clasped his hands together as if in prayer. Diane moved to stand closely behind him as the young elf stood immobile with his eyes closed.
Elves who were gathering around the edges of the square were whispering to each other as they watched Callius. Ethmira gauged their expressions and nodded in approval.
“They all look frightened, but the townspeople do seem to be convinced of their imminent danger,” she told Simon and Malfiess. “If Callius can get that portal open and if Diane can lock it down, they will use it. You can see the acceptance in their faces.”
“Especially those with children,” Malfiess said as he saw a number of young elves clinging to their parents. “Their futures are what is most important now and their mothers and fathers know it.”
A rumbling under their feet caught everyone by surprise and the hushed conversations ceased as the elves looked around fearfully.
“Is something wrong?” Malfiess asked Simon nervously.
“No. The pure ley energy that Callius is calling upon is very scarce now,” the mage replied softly. “Whatever is left is buried deep, concentrated around the core of the planet. The shaking of the earth is just the ley responding to his call. Be patient.”
A moment later a beam of pure blue light, very much like the light that had engulfed and destroyed the Mad King, burst from the ground in front of Callius. The young scryer immediately spread his arms wide and then clasped his hands in front of himself again. The light coalesced into an intense blue oval about seven feet high and half as wide.
Diane smiled as she placed her hand on his shoulder and raised her staff. The portal flickered and sizzled for a moment and then, with a loud thump, it settled down and stabilized. In the center of the oval a scene appeared that made everyone watching gasp in delight and wonder.
A sunlit field of waving grass was revealed, as if a door had been opened on to a new world. High, snow-topped mountains loomed in the distance and between the fields of grass dotted with yellow flowers and the mountains were miles of forests, tall trees that stood proudly under a clear blue sky.
“Oh, it is beautiful!” one elven woman exclaimed with delight.
“I'm glad that it isn't raining in New Zealand right now,” the ranger said with a chuckle. “It's as if the Earth herself is welcoming our people home.”
“Maybe she is,” Simon told her. “Welcoming her lost children back to their birthplace. Now, while we have our chance, we have to get moving to save as many of your people as we can.”
He hurried forward, his robe sweeping the ground as he joined Diane and Callius. Malfiess and Ethmira followed him.
“Diane, is the portal stable?” Simon asked her.
“Thanks to Callius, it is,” the mage assured him. “But the ley lines are twisted and they are in danger of being corrupted. We can't wait any longer.”
“I agree. Callius, can you hold?”
The young elf kept his eyes on the portal. His fists were clenched tightly at his sides, but he nodded at Simon's question.
“Yes sir, I can. But I don't know how long the ley energy will last. Please hurry!”
“We will. Ethmira, to me please. Malfiess, with Diane. Callius, when Chase returns tell her to get everyone through the portal immediately. We cannot take any chances.”
“I will, sir.”
Simon raised his staff and turned his cowled head toward Ethmira.
“Ready?” he asked her.
“Do it.”
The mage grounded his staff and the two of them disappeared in a flash of light.
Diane looked at Malfiess, who moved closer to her.
“No need to ask,” he told her. “I am ready too.”
“Good. Stay strong, Callius,” Diane told the scryer. “We'll be back soon.”
He nodded silently and the mage opened a Gate and whisked herself and Malfiess away.
Chapter 26
The next few hours were a blur of frantic activity. Soon after the mages had left Trillfarness, Chase returned to the center of town with a group of elves led by Amelda, the head of the Council of Elders.
Apparently the ranger had been very persuasive, because all of the councilors and the elves who had served in the towers were carrying packs and bags filled with their personal belongings.
Kallistra led a small group of keepers along with the others. She encouraged them quietly, but remained in the background.
Amelda boldly strode past the nervous elves, her deep blue robe fluttering as she moved. Her white hair and deeply wrinkled face were at odds with the energetic way that she moved.
The townspeople were standing around hesitantly, afraid to approach the portal, and they watched her closely.
“So this is the new world?” she asked Chase as she moved to stand next to Callius. “It is lovely, I must admit.”
The scryer remained silent, keeping his focus on the portal.
“Yes, Elder,” Chase told her. “And we have a limited amount of time to get our people through the portal to safety. Even now, evil forces are moving on us all around Trillfarness, even here in Alderthal.”
Amelda was clutching a small knitted bag close to her chest. She sighed tiredly and looked at the ranger.
“I'm too old for this,” she said softly. “To leave my home for another world is...”
“Necessary, Elder,” Chase told her firmly. “You are a symbol to the elves. Our people follow your example. Please be the leader that we need you to be. If we hesitate now, we are all lost.”
“I know.”
Amelda turned to look at the families who were watching her all around the square. Her stiff expression softened as she saw the children holding on to their parents. She smiled as one little girl clutched her mother's leg and stared wide-eyed at the view through the portal.
“What are you all waiting for?” she asked loudly. “We are standing on the brink of a grand new adventure. We have lost our world, yes, but our ancient home, the Earth, is waiting to welcome us back again. Look at it. It offers us shelter and a new beginning. For the sake of your children and our future, you must go now.”
Before anyone could respond, Amelda stepped up to the portal and glanced around one more time.
“I will show you the way.”
She stared at the portal for a moment and then lifted her head proudly and walked forward.
The portal remained stable as Amelda entered it and the watchers gasped in awe at the Elder's boldness. She could be seen clearly through the opening as she stopped and turned in a slow circle. A wide smile broke over her face and she breathed deeply. Then she looked back through the portal.
“It is glorious!” Amelda exclaimed. “The air is sweet and warm and it feels like the world that I knew as a young child. Follow me, my friends. This is our new home.”
After another moment of hesitation, the townspeople began to approach the portal from all sides. Following Amelda's lead, the other council members entered the opening and the elven families did the same.
Chase watched them leave with a relieved smile on her face.
At least some of my people are safe, she thought. I only hope that Ethmira and Malfiess can convince others to leave as well. I feel time slipping away from us.
Chase need not have worried. Every town and village that Diane and Simon Gated to was already in a panic. The dense forests and wide plains of Trillfarness were twisting and heaving with corruption. Massive vines covered with slime and tearing thorns groped across the land, consuming every living thing they encountered. Trees, plants, animals and elves alike were engulfed and the evil growth seemed to gain both strength and speed with every death.
The first village that Diane brought Malfiess to, the small settlement of Handor, was roiling with fear. The village was located on a hill overlooking fields of grain.
A dozen adult elves and a handful of children were gathered in the center of the village, watching in disbelief as they saw thousands of nightmarish tendrils rapidly crawling over the fields toward them on all sides. As Diane and Malfiess appeared on the edge of Handor, the elves stared at them in shock for a moment before an old townsman lowered the rusty sword he was holding and hurried over to them.
“Who are you?” he asked Malfiess breathlessly. “Are you here to help us? We are trapped here by those things.”
He pointed at the distant corruption moving at horrific speed toward the village.
“By the Mother, Diane,” Malfiess exclaimed fearfully. “Look at it.”
“I know, Malfiess,” the mage replied, her expression grim as she watched the approaching wall of vines. “Quickly, tell the people what we want to do. We cannot stay long.”
The councilor began speaking to the old elf, who introduced himself as Dacius, the leader of the village. He told the headman that he was a Council member and explained that they would take all of his people to Alderthal.
“We are leaving Trillfarness,” he told the elf. “All of us are going to Earth. There is a safe haven there where our people can rebuild and start over.”
“Earth?” Dacius said in confusion. “But how can we leave our world? Trillfarness is our home!”
Malfiess shook his head as he gestured at the approaching threat.
“It was our home,” he said sadly. “But it has fallen. If you want to save your people, this is their only hope. But you must decide quickly. Other villages are threatened as well and we have little time to reach them.”
Dacius stared at him and then turned to Diane. He looked at her staff and her robes and nodded as if confirming something to himself.
“You are a mage, Lady?” he asked her respectfully.
“I am, sir,” she replied. “I can transport your people to safety. Will you come?”
The old elf sighed and stared at the group huddled in the center of the village.
“Yes, of course we will. What choice do we have? Please give me a moment to explain things to the others. They are very frightened, but they are not fools.”
“Go ahead, Dacius,” Malfiess told him. “But please be quick.�
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The headman nodded and trotted back to his people. They gathered around him, all of them speaking frantically at once.
Dacius calmed them down and spoke quickly for several moments while Diane and Malfiess watched the distant infestation approach the village.
“If it is moving this quickly, is there any hope for the other towns and villages that we have to visit?” the councilor asked Diane.
“There is always hope, my friend,” she replied with a wan smile. “But you're right. I hadn't realized just how fast the infestation was spreading. It is obviously following the corrupted ley lines deep below the surface of the planet where they crisscross the entire world. This is a lesson to all of us who fight the dark gods. They are clever and devious. They infected this world right under our noses and we never even knew it. The failure is ours, not yours and your people's. They are the victims here and I will save as many as I can, no matter what.”
Malfiess smiled at her determination.
“I know you will, Diane. Your dedication to my people gives me hope.”
“Councilor!”
Malfiess turned at the shout and he saw Dacius waving at him.
“Let's find out what they've decided,” he said to Diane.
Both of them hurried over to the headman as the villagers standing behind him watched them nervously.
“We can see that our village is lost,” Dacius told Malfiess. “And we will not stand by and wait for our children to be consumed by that filth,” he added, nodding at the distant writhing wall of vines. “We will go with you.”
“Thank you, Dacius,” Malfiess said. “My friend here will take us to Alderthal. There is a portal there waiting to transport all of you to safety. Diane?”
The mage smiled at the elven children who were watching her in wonder. Obviously they had never seen a human before.
“I am ready,” she said. “Everyone move closer to each other and hold your breaths. This won't hurt.”
Dacius nodded at her and she raised her staff. A globe of energy appeared around the entire group and then, with a thump of imploding air, they were gone. The deserted village of Handor was left to face its gruesome end alone.
The Fall of the Elves Page 33