His face turns ugly as he looks behind me to Elainne. Two more men come up behind us and drag her to her feet, throwing her pack at mine as I move towards them, ready to cut their arms off her.
“Get your hands off her!”
“I’m afraid not. While you can claim mage blood, she is an Elf. They aren’t allowed here.”
He says it so calmly. I move forward and invisible ropes bind me to where I am. She looks at me, nothing but fear and death in her eyes. She knows they will kill her. She knew before coming here, she told me so herself. She doesn’t want me to die with her. I struggle. The more I do, the tighter the magic ropes get until I start to lose circulation and drop my sword, unable to hold it any longer.
“She is mine, let her go!”
One looks shocked and drops her arm; she slumps to the ground. The other lets her slide down; not making any effort to keep her still, because their magic has already done so much to her she is just there waiting for it to end.
“Take that curse off her or you will regret it.”
The man behind me - that has done all the talking so far - laughs. He doesn’t think I can do much against the five of them without my magic. Shows what they know.
“She is half-Elf and half-mortal. She is of no use to us.”
“I am her Kemp.”
They don’t look like they know or care what that means.
“If she dies, I go insane and destroy everything in my path. I’m her Elvin champion. Let. Her. Go.”
They are not holding her but they are standing so that their presence looms and shadows over her. They take a step back and I am released. I run to her, dropping my second sword next to her and pulling her close to me.
“It’s okay. You’re safe.”
She doesn’t hug me back or respond at all. She is like a living doll. She is breathing but not responding.
“Elainne!”
I feel nothing from our connection. No fear, no anger, nothing. This can’t be happening.
“Get the curse off her now!”
They shake their heads and the two that held her go to join the others. I turn back to face her and shake her a bit. She is staring blankly ahead.
“She is strong. She is fighting us, in her mind.”
Is that why she is vacant? Is she trapped in there, trying to defend herself alone, without much magic and no help? I am her Kemp, I have to be able to connect to her and help her in some way.
“Stop attacking her, she hasn’t done anything to you!”
“One of our own is in the infirmary because of her.”
“You attacked us! She tried to talk to you but you wouldn’t listen! It was self-defense!”
I had thought her insane, trying to talk to a bear. Apparently, she’d been right. Someone had been controlling the magical excuse for an animal and she hurt him or her in response to my being hurt.
“Let her go! She won’t use any more magic, I promise! I’ll make sure of it!”
They shake their heads and remain standing there, staring at her. She still is not doing anything more than breathing. She had entered my mind to take the curse back; I have to be able to enter hers to protect her
I try to find a way through the bond. How had she done it? I should have paid more attention to her lessons. I don’t remember her teaching me anything like this, but maybe something else will give me a clue.
“She’s not letting you in, is she? She doesn’t want you to feel the assault as well. It’s why her body has shut down. She wants to protect you from us.”
Stubborn woman! I am supposed to protect her!
I try throwing magic at them, anything I can get to come out. They work as one and I am no match. They don’t even stop staring at her - assaulting her mind - to stop me. Just a wave of an arm by their leader. I lay her down gently and grab my sword. The invisible ropes instantly reappeared as they continue to torment her.
I turn and focus on her as well, letting my panic fill me. It works the Kemp bond, opens her to me, and I am able to connect to her. The pain I feel is head-splitting. The buzzing high pitched sound, the pricking of millions of needles into my brain. I can feel she is stopping most of it from getting to me, yet still, I grab my head and drop. No wonder the rest of her body is not working.
“Dammed, stop hurting her!”
The pressure doesn’t stop. I can almost hear the whispers that they put in her mind, their magic preying on her, telling her to end herself. Telling her that she will never be accepted and never be wanted. It is not true, I want her around, always, but I hadn’t ever told her. Now is as good a time as any. I crawl over to her, hugging her to me, trying to find the relaxation that always comes from being close to her. It is not around; I am too worried about her.
“Elainne, don’t listen to them! I meant what I said at your father’s! We will leave and find a place, just you and me! No one to disapprove of what either of us is or what we can do! We can grow our own food, hunt, and live off the land! I know you can and you can teach me! I’ll pay better attention to your lessons, I promise, just don’t leave me! I can’t be without you and I don’t want to be!”
She hugs back and is crying softly. Any response is better than no response at all. I hear frustrated murmurs and I pull back, looking into her face. Her eyes are focused but pained. She is not blocking me anymore and the pain is overwhelming. Her father said Kemps could bear larger amounts of pain than others can. I wish the spell the healer placed on us was still in effect so I could save her from all of it.
“Viktor. Run.”
I shake my head and place my forehead against hers. “Always a team.”
“Need to fight it.”
“Take what you need.”
I am not sure if she can draw from me the way that I can from her. She has the knowledge; I have the mage magic. She cannot give me the instructions, but if she can take the magic, she is welcome to it. She kisses my forehead, which shocks me, and then hugs me close.
“I’m sorry, it’ll hurt.”
That is all she gets out before I feel her wrest my power from me. I then know what she meant about how I won’t feel the drain because of my dual powers. I feel it now. No wonder she moved so slowly. I feel less than human, and after getting used to her Elvin enhancements that she always shares, it is horrible. The pain stops within a minute though. I sigh and my arms drop from around her as I sink lower to the ground. She stands, breaking contact with my body but not my mind.
“Viktor may not know what to do with his power, but I do. Now it’s my turn.”
She is gloriously beautiful and terrifying all in one. Still, it is five on one; how good can she be? Apparently, it is a dumb question. She turns, facing the east, and I feel blood pour out of my nose. She comes over and wipes it off, but instead of brushing it off, she licks it off her finger. I feel the earth roll beneath our feet.
“You can’t control the collective.”
She smiles and raises her blood-smeared hand, licking the blood then smiling at the mages.
“I can now.”
The winds pick up and she turns the assault onto them. They all grab their heads and drop to the ground. I can feel the collective fighting me, her, us. She is fighting to hold it though and doing a damn good job.
The sky darkens and she turns her attention to the east. The five-stop grabbing their heads and look at their village as lightning stricks all around.
“Elves don’t have the same limits of power that mages do! We have our own power levels! I may be using Viktor’s mage power, but I am an Elf! There is no limit to the amount of your own power that I can use against you! Now drop the assault, or I will kill you all!”
I am not sure if she is bluffing, but they take her seriously. They all drop their magic and the collective sucks back into the village, leaving the sky clear again. She drops to her knees, panting a bit. I feel my power return and feel normal again almost instantly. I rush over to her and kneel. I grab her face with my hands and lift it so I can lo
ok her in the eyes.
“I’m the Kemp; I’m supposed to protect you. Stop making it so obvious that you don’t need me.”
She smiles and grabs my hands with her own, but doesn’t squeeze. She looks tired.
“I couldn’t have done it without you, Viktor. It was your magic I was harnessing.”
I stand, pulling her up with me. She is like a colt shaking on its new legs.
“You can come to the village to meet your grandfather, but she must leave our land.”
“Tell my grandfather that I said, ‘It’s nice not to know you.’”
I turn and walk beside Elainne, towards our packs. Well, I walk and she limps slowly. I am not going anywhere fast in case she falls; I will be here to catch her.
“Wait, Viktor, you can’t just leave! This is your chance to meet the other side of your family!”
I spin around, almost knocking her over. Geez, I could blow her over at this rate. I steady her, leaving my hands on her arms longer than needed.
“If you can’t go, I don’t. That’s the only thing I am unwilling to compromise on.”
She puts her hands on her hips and glares at me.
“Viktor, I want to eventually make you an ambassador if I can make a trade agreement for the kingdom. You aren’t exactly making things easier.”
“I don’t care.”
The mages stand there staring, waiting for our decision. I pick up both packs and start walking. She has no choice but to follow.
“Wait!”
We turn to see the mages walking towards us, slowly and cautiously, but towards us nonetheless.
“She may come if she agrees to a binding.”
I see her physically stiffen. This won’t be good. She nods and I grab her arm.
“What is a binding?”
She is not agreeing to anything until I know what it is.
“They will bottle up my magic. Cap it so that I can’t use it. So that I can’t draw on yours either.”
Why do I sense there is more to it than that? “And?”
“And I won’t be able to ever use it again until they unbind it. Only the binder can undo it.”
“No!”
She turns from glaring at the mages to glaring at me. Why is she mad at me? I am looking out for her. What is she thinking, agreeing to that?
“I will vouch for her, but…”
“We don’t know you. That means nothing to us.”
I now see why she was willing to deal with her father over the summer when we needed help ridding the kingdom of mermen. He is a bastard but he is predictable. She knew what to expect and he would deal with her. These people are ticking me off. I also understand why she called them blasted mages before. Since that is usually as close as she gets to cursing, it leaves an impact.
“She comes with me and I take her magic. That’s the final offer.”
She doesn’t like that idea any more than the last one.
“Viktor, you have no control and…”
I shrug. “We are too far into the mountains to use the Elvin magic, anyway.”
She bites her bottom lip but nods. I feel through our bond. Taking her ability to use magic is harder than using her magic. She doesn’t have much now and I have to figure out how to make her not be able to access it. All I can do is rip it from her. She clutches her chest, screams, and drops. I rush over to make sure I haven’t killed her. It hadn’t hurt for more than a second when she used mine, but she only harnessed it, she hadn’t ripped it away from me.
“Once you know what it feels like to have your magic, I’m ripping it from you without warning.”
I smile. She is using that sassy smirk. She is in pain but she doesn’t hate me. I nod.
“It’s a deal.”
She sighs.
“Good.”
I help her up and support her as we walk towards the village until she is steady enough to walk on her own. Still, she is scared, which surprises me as nothing scares her but me being in danger, and she holds my hand the entire time, squeezing just a bit too tight. I don’t complain. I am squeezing back.
Chapter Four
Elainne
When we arrive at the village, many look at Viktor in awe and make signs to warn against evil while glaring at me. Viktor happens to notice and his face goes from curious to a scowl. He puts an arm around me and pulls me close, likely feeling all the anti-me feelings going around. He will be on high alert the entire time that we are here because no one will like me, trust me, or want me anyway but dead.
“Why are people so stupid? I thought mages lived longer than normal humans do. So why are they so blasted retarded?”
I can’t help but smile and shrug a bit. Not enough for him to think I want his arm gone, but enough to answer him. “Perhaps they haven’t liked Elves since your grandfather got placed in a dungeon.”
“You weren’t even alive then. It’s not your fault.”
“No. It’s my father's.”
“Why do you have to pay for his sins?”
Viktor
She smiles at me and shrugs, seeming nonchalant about it, but I can feel the sting it causes. The whole world is full of bastards.
“I think we should take a vacation once I’m trained up. We can magically spar, you can teach me all of those special Elvin things you had to learn, we could live off the land. It’ll be fun.”
She laughs. It is the single greatest thing I have ever heard.
“You have an interesting idea of fun, Viktor. If aunt and uncle approve of it though, I would be glad to.”
Blasted royals get in the way of everything good. “It won’t happen if that’s the stipulation.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Your uncle hates me and they are looking for suitors for you. It would hardly do to send you off alone with me.” Is that overly honest? Is the jealousy I feel able to be heard in my voice?
“Perhaps we shall just sneak off and leave a note then.”
I hug her and nod. “That sounds good.”
“Viktor, are you afraid?”
“For you.”
She nods and pulls away a bit, putting an arm through mine but still clutching it. She can sense it also. All of the evil thoughts being shoved at her for no reason other than her birth.
We stop in front of a man that has my mother’s mouth, chin, and high forehead. He only looks about mid-forties, his hair still mostly black with only a little bit of gray. In his eyes, I see my own. This is my grandfather.
“I am told you have come to train. You are my grandson?”
I nod, speechless.
“You would have a very small amount of mage blood in you. It is unlikely you would have any powers.”
Still speechless.
“We went into the cavern of waking dreams and found the orb. He offered the guardian freedom in exchange for a wish. He wished us both to be able to use the magic of our blood to their full extent.”
Elainne holds herself like a princess even though here she is nothing.
“A wise wish. You are?”
“I am Elainne. The Elvin king is my father, estranged, but father nonetheless. The Queen of the human realm is my aunt, on my father’s side, and the king is my uncle, by my mother who was his sister.”
“A complicated family tree.”
She laughs and nods.
“It can be rather taxing on a resting mind. Mine never rests, however, so I never seem to notice.”
“You are with my grandson, why?”
“Well, that is a bit complicating. You know something of our ways…”
He nods and looks her in the eyes. He even refrains from making a sign to ward off evil as he converses with her. He might not be a lost cause. I am not holding out any hope for the rest of the village though.
“…he is my Kemp. My Elvin champion. Trust me; we are as shocked as two people can be. He is only a quarter Elvin, his father being entirely human and I am only half. I didn’t think it could happen to anyone who’s
not a full blood.”
“I heard it said that only those who were to have great power, responsibility and destinies received Kemps.”
She tilts her head and loosens her grip on my arm. At least someone can talk to my grandfather without sounding like a dolt. It sure as hell is not me. Not that I have said anything to make me sound stupid, especially since I haven’t said even a syllable so far.
“I’ve never heard that but then I haven’t read up on it much; being shunned by the Elves, I wasn’t really allowed to participate. Viktor has received some books on it from my father but he wouldn’t hand over everything, hoping to entice us over.”
Wait, what? “He has more on the subject?”
How sad that the first thing I say is to her? She looks at me as if I am being rude. Who cares? I am here for training so I can better protect her, not to have a big, happy family reunion.
“Of course, Viktor. Not giving them all to you will make you want to return, and of course, I will have to go as well. Then he gets his way.”
“You have come into your magic so now he wishes to be a part of your life.”
Elainne smiles, inclining her head in acknowledgment and respect.
“Yes, sir. He spent over sixteen years not accepting me, now I have magic and a Kemp, so of course, I must return upon his bidding. Only, Viktor and I answer to no one and go where we please. He needs training, so here we are. He keeps setting fires. I can teach him the Elvin magic, he is doing well. However, his mage magic is melded and I can’t teach him that. Also, he fears fire of any kind and has no control over it at all.”
“It flares when he is angered?”
She nods. Well, don’t they just understand each other so well?
“Yes. I’m afraid the cavern lived up to its name. His vision had lots of fire; he used it after first getting it and lost control because he pulled from my magic as well, to protect me. I was in a coma for a week and in recovery for another couple of weeks after. Because of those things, he can’t harness the power and control it. Such a shame. He does so well with the others, especially healing. His grandmother’s specialty, if you remember.”
Champion Complete Series Page 25