The Elven Alliance

by J. A. Culican

  Amazingly, the tilium obeyed her command. Gaber was slumped on the moss-covered ground. Clara was by his side, shaking him in an attempt for revival.

  “It was a trick,” Eva whispered, tears falling down her face.

  “What?” I asked.

  “Gaber was helping you release your tilium.” Eva hid her face in her hands as the tears began to fall faster.

  What have I done?

  Chapter Eight

  Silence surrounded me. I watched helplessly as Clara shook Gaber incessantly, attempting to resuscitate him. Nothing. He lay crumpled and soundless. Unmoving. Why would they trick me? Especially when they knew how unstable I was. I rubbed my temples roughly with my fingers. I had to help Gaber. This was my fault.

  A screech caught my attention. Clara jumped away from Gaber. The water from the nearby stream inched towards him, moving until completely enclosing him. A bright blue glow emitted from the water, making it difficult to see Gaber.

  “No,” Clara sobbed, falling to her knees. “Don’t take him.” Her body shook profusely.

  I shielded my eyes with my hand, attempting to see through the bright glow. The water silently rose and blanketed over Gaber. I squinted as the iridescent water progressively shined brighter. The once-cerulean water now glowed a bright purple as it shielded Gaber from us. Before I could comprehend my actions, my feet moved towards the water. Tiny specs of gold and silver particles floated in the now dark purple liquid. Right before I reached the water that held Gaber captive, a voice spoke.

  “It will be okay, darling Clara,” a woman’s voice echoed around us.

  “M-mom?” Clara stuttered, searching for the source of the voice. “Is that you?”

  A woman looking remarkably similar to Clara flickered between the three of us. Long brown hair, orange gaze and pointy ears, a shadow of a woman stood amongst us.

  “Darling.” She reached towards Clara. “I promise Gaber will be all right.” She assured as her hand passed through Clara’s.

  “What?” Clara looked at her hand.

  “The fates are granting us this brief moment while they tend to your brother,” she spoke softly.

  “You can’t stay?”

  “It has been an honor protecting you and your brother these past hundred years. Even if I could stay, I wouldn’t. It would not be safe for any of you.” She gestured towards the three of us.

  “What do you mean?” Clara asked as she once again attempted to hold onto her mother’s hand.

  “The eldens are near. I fear they will attack soon. My tilium will aid in protecting you all.” She spread her hands wide. “My role is no longer here on Earth as an elf.” She sighed.

  “Your tilium? I thought Eldrick stole it?”

  “He tried. But as with all true elves, our tilium will always find its way home.” She looked behind her as the water began to recede. “I must go. I love you deeply and am always watching.” She spoke as she faded to nothing.

  “Mom?” Clara whispered, staring at the spot her mother once stood.

  On our first night here, I had pieced together that Clara and Gaber’s parents were gone. But killed by King Eldrick, the same elden who had freed the farros and Queen Tana. Tana, the fallen fairy was surely searching for me as we spoke. Tana and Eldrick together. Their power seemed endless.

  “Gaber?” Clara’s voice brought me out of internal panic. “Gaber!” She ran towards him.

  Gaber rolled to his side with a groan, pulling his knees to his stomach. Clara fell to the ground by his side and pushed his soaked blonde hair out of his face. Gaber’s eyes were squeezed shut and his teeth were clamped tight in pain.

  “It’s going to be okay,” Clara cooed over and over as she rubbed his shoulder.

  “We need to get help,” Eva stated. She persisted when she was met with no answer. “Clara!”

  “Gaber will have to release us. He was the one who created our barrier,” Clara whispered as she continued to soothe Gaber.

  I knelt down beside them. Gaber was pale, the only sounds coming from him were moans and groans as he held his knees tight against his chest.

  “This is my fault,” I whispered.

  “No. No,” Gaber moaned.

  “Shh, Gaber,” Clara soothed. “It was the only way. Your tilium is controlled by your emotions, fear being the easiest to trigger it.”

  “But I killed him.” I gestured to Gaber.

  “Not. Dead,” Gaber groaned.

  “Not anymore,” I responded.

  Gaber attempted to sit up, only to fall back down. He released his legs and sprawled out on the moss, staring at the trees that covered us.

  “Mom was here?” Gaber quietly asked Clara.

  “For a moment.” She paused. “Eldrick doesn’t have her tilium.” She sighed.

  “And Dad?”

  “I don’t know.” She whispered.

  “Help me up.” Gaber reached his hand towards me.

  “Maybe you should rest. I mean-.”

  “Now.” Gaber wagged his hand at me.

  I wrapped my hand around his long thin fingers and helped him sit. His pain seemed to be dissipating rapidly, considering he was dead just a few moments ago. I shook my head at that thought. This place truly was magical, just like Eva had said earlier.

  “This wasn’t your fault,” Gaber said gruffly. “It was my choice to egg you on. Now, we must get going. I’m sure the elves are in a tizzy since their Prince just died.” Gaber snickered and grabbed his side in pain.

  “Maybe you should take it slow,” I stated.

  “Nah. Never felt better.” Gaber heaved himself up to a standing position, leaning on me for support. “Let’s go.” He pushed off me and stumbled towards one of the tree-lined walls.

  “Let him walk on his own.” Clara grabbed my shoulder as I began to follow Gaber to help. “He’s stubborn, refusing to ever show any weakness. The fact that you’re stronger than him bruised his ego for sure.” She shook her head as she followed after him.

  Gaber held his hands on the wall, once again whispering words I couldn’t hear. Eva came up next to me as she, too, watched in awe.

  “You okay?” Eva asked, looking over to me.

  “I don’t know,” I paused as the wall shimmered but stayed solid. “I mean,” I gazed down at my hands, “the tilium. It killed him. If he weren’t an elf or-.”

  “I know.” The wall shook a bit as Gaber smacked it angrily with his hand. “The fates saved him.” Eva shook her head. “Their parents were killed.” She whispered.

  “By King Eldrick.” I added.

  Finally, the wall shimmered and dissipated. Gaber sighed in relief. Yellow lights met us from the other side as what seemed like hundreds of elves swarmed around Gaber. Questions flew from their mouths as they tried to explain what they felt.

  Gaber raised his hands and all noise ceased. It seemed even the birds stopped chirping and the toads stopped croaking. “I’m all right. Princess Clara is all right. The Keeper of Dragons are safe.” Gaber gestured towards us as his voiced boomed across the jungle.

  The elves parted for Clara as she strolled to Gaber’s side. She held her head high, her orange gaze penetrating the elves around her. Once they were satisfied she was also unharmed, their golden gazes landed on Eva and I. The elf closest to us snarled, leading the rest to follow suit. Growls echoed through the air. Eva grabbed my arm as she pulled herself closer to me. Creatures not much shorter than me with pointy ears and golden eyes began to creep towards us.

  “Enough!” Gaber’s voice roared. “You will not harm the Keeper of Dragons.”

  All eyes turned towards Gaber and Clara as I exhaled in relief. “It is because of them my mother, Queen Clarena, was able to warn us of grave danger,” Clara stated.

  “The Queen? How is that possible?” A black-haired elf standing as tall as Gaber asked.

  “The fates saved your prince and sent your queen to warn us about the eldens. So, as you can see everything has happened for a reason. Do not ever
doubt the fates,” Clara said with conviction. “And trust in the Keeper of Dragons.” She gestured towards us. “For they will save all true beings.”

  “How do you know this isn’t another trick by the eldens?” the same black haired elf asked. “I can feel the darkness within him.”

  “He is the reason the farros no longer hold any tilium.” Gaber pointed towards me. “Trust his strength in protecting you. Trust your prince to protect you.”

  “Of course, Prince Gaber,” the elf replied as the others echoed their agreement.

  “Let’s go then.” Clara waved her hands. “Back to work.”

  The elves climbed the trees to the huts above, but the black-haired elf stayed behind.

  “Keeper of dragons,” Gaber grabbed our attention. “I would like for you to meet my second in command. Bran.”

  I nodded my acknowledgment. The elf reminded me of Jericho. He frightened me instantly.

  “Care to explain what you did to our prince?” Bran sneered, his bright gaze dark as he awaited an answer.

  “Bran,” Gaber said. “That was my doing.”

  “You chose to die?” Bran questioned. “I felt it all. As did the rest of the tribe.”

  “His strength exceeds my initial expectations,” Gaber countered. “And as Clara already explained, without my death, the warning of the eldens would not have been made. My mother, your queen, gave it to us.”

  “The eldens are always a threat. We did not need your death to tell us that,” Bran disputed.

  “Enough,” Gaber said. “We will no longer discuss my death.” His voice rose. “We need to heighten our security. Make contact with the dragons.” Gaber sighed. “And the fairies.”

  “Sir?” Bran questioned as his eyes left me to settle on Gaber.

  “The fates would never have sent my mother if the threat wasn’t real. Different than normal,” Gaber stated. “We need to be ready.”

  “Of course, sir,” Bran replied.

  “Now,” Gaber turned towards Eva and I. “Let’s go make contact with your dragon guards.” He clapped his hands.

  “Do you think they felt what happened?” I asked Gaber.

  Gaber laughed. “No idea. We have shields up. But each being has its own connection to each other.” He shrugged. “What do you think? Do your guards know you killed me?”

  I hung my head. My guess? Yes.

  Chapter Nine

  “We’re leaving,” snarled Jericho as we appeared before him back on the coast. The water crashed against the rocks below. It looked like a storm was near.

  “It is imperative that we continue his training,” Gaber said with an eye roll. Jericho paced in front of us, hands and teeth clenched.

  “Imperative?” Jericho bellowed. “There is no saying what damage your games will have on my Prince. How could you put the Keeper of Dragons in danger?”

  “Your Prince?” Gaber laughed. “It was me who was damaged.”

  Jericho snarled. I saw the first signs of smoke escape from behind him as his nose flared in anger. “You placed the Keeper of Dragons in grave danger. You deserved the pain.”

  “Wait just a minute,” Eva said, stepping between Jericho and Gaber. “Cole needs to stay. This incident only proves that further.”

  “No,” Jericho growled. Smoke billowed behind him in waves; his fiery eyes pierced at Gaber over Eva’s shoulder.

  “I’m staying,” I stated; Jericho turned his gaze on me.

  “No. I’m in charge of your safety. Anything could have happened and I had no way of getting to you,” he roared.

  “Why not let Jericho and Cairo through your wards?” Eva asked Gaber, but she glared at Cairo as she spoke. “That way they can see with their own eyes that we’re safe.”

  “No,” Gaber replied. “Absolutely not. You two were the first dragons to ever enter our home, and only because you are the Keeper of Dragons.”

  “Then we leave,” Jericho stated; smoke now surrounding us.

  I was pinned between the most stubborn creatures in existence. On my right, Gaber smirked, which only promoted Jericho’s scowl to deepen. On my left, Eva and Cairo were glaring angrily at each other. What was going on?

  “I thought we were all on the same side,” I huffed.

  Four sets of eyes turned my way. “Same side?” Jericho shook his head.

  “We’re on your side, Keeper of Dragons, not theirs.” Gaber pointed to Jericho and Cairo.

  “That doesn’t make sense. I mean, I’m a dragon, and so are they.”

  “You are special. The Keeper of Dragons exists to protect all true beings. The two of you are a neutral party that represents all true beings,” Gaber explained. “The dragons protect all, but ultimately protect themselves.”

  “That’s rich coming from an elf,” Cairo growled. “When was the last time you protected anyone but yourself?”

  “You know nothing of the elves,” Gaber said, stepping closer to Cairo.

  “And you know nothing of the dragons,” Cairo stated.

  “I know your cowards, hiding away in your island in the sky.” Gaber’s voice rose. “You forgot your oath. The treaty we all agreed upon. You deserted us for hundreds of years.”

  “Let’s all take a breath,” Eva said, placing a hand on each of Cairo and Gaber’s chests. “Let’s focus on now.”

  Gaber turned his orange gaze on Eva, casting an unnerving glow around her. “And forget all that has happened?”

  “That’s not-”

  “While the dragons were licking their wounds, forgetting all that relied on them, the eldens and the farros raged a war amongst all true beings who still stood against them.” Gaber turned to Jericho. “Where was the Woland guard then? It was your responsibility to come to our aid, just as we had come to yours before. But instead, you deserted us.”

  “We had just lost a great warrior. Our Prince!” Jericho shouted.

  “And we lost both our King and Queen to the eldens,” Gaber whispered. “You ignored our cries for help. The lives of all elves were forever altered with their deaths, and the dragons were nowhere.” Gaber met Jericho’s eyes; orange flames danced with hatred. “And yet, you ask for help, and here we are, upholding our oath.”

  “Is this true?” I asked, searching Jericho and Cairo’s eyes for answers.

  “Yes,” Jericho growled. “For two hundred years we stuck our heads in the sand. The dragons had never felt such a loss.”

  “Excuses, excuses.” Gaber sneered, turning away from our group. “The impact of losing two royal elves was devastating. Only three royals remain. Three beings who hail from the first. Without our tilium, all elves will parish.” Gaber hung his head. “And now the Keeper of Dragons are here. Which means the chances of losing another is good.” Gaber looked over his shoulder. “Who will care for my elves when their tilium is gone?”

  “We won’t let that happen.” Eva broke away from Cairo and walked towards Gaber. “We will fight to the death for both dragons and elves.”

  “Your elf has already made that oath,” Cairo interrupted. “He promised to protect the two of you to the death.”

  “Why death? Can’t we just stand together, united? Why must everything be to the death?” I asked.

  “It’s the way of our world,” Gaber answered with a shrug.

  “Maybe it’s time to change that world,” Eva stated. “We need to work together or the eldens and the farros will win.”

  Gaber turned to face us. “We stand with you!” Gaber exclaimed.

  “We also stand with them,” Jericho stated. We all turned to face him. The smoke that trailed behind him had thinned, and the fire in his eyes had weakened. “Which means we stand with you.” Jericho stared at Gaber.

  “It doesn’t mean we trust you.” Gaber rubbed his hands together. “The wellbeing of all elves is in my hands-”

  “Our hands,” Clara walked from the tree line and stood beside Gaber. “We carry the struggle together.”

  Gaber nodded his head. “An alliance, then.
” He looked towards Jericho and Cairo. “Dragons and elves together.”

  “An alliance,” Jericho agreed. “Someone should contact Queen Annabelle.”

  “Ah, yes, the fairies will want in on this,” Gaber stated. “We have already made contact with her; she will arrive tonight.”

  “Does this mean you are going to open your home to the dragons?” Eva asked.

  “It means,” Clara paused, glaring at Jericho, “we will open a portion of our home, away from the rest of the elves.”

  “Thank you, your highness.” Jericho bowed his head.

  “I’ll be watching the two of you closely. One toe out of line and you will never be granted access to our home again,” Clara warned. “Understand?”

  “Yes, your highness.” Jericho and Cairo said in unison.

  “Now, for the ground rules.” Gaber clapped his hands together, venturing close to the cliff overlooking the ocean.

  “Ground rules?” Cairo asked.

  “House rules?” Gaber suggested.

  “Continue,” Jericho demanded, shaking his head at Cairo.

  “One, you go nowhere without myself or Clara. If you suddenly find yourself out of our wards, you will not be allowed back in.”

  Both Jericho and Cairo nodded.

  “Two, I am in charge of training the Keeper of Dragons. You are welcome to watch, but do not interfere. Not for any reason.”

  “Unless he is in danger,” Jericho added.

  “No. He was in no danger today and he will be in no danger tomorrow,” Gaber stated. “And three. If I tell you to do something, you do it. No argument.”

  “Excuse me?” Jericho asked.

  “You heard me. You are here to protect the Keeper of Dragons, nothing else. This is my home. If I tell you to do something, it’s for a reason. I will not waste my time arguing with you.” Gaber turned fully towards Jericho. “Got it?”

  “Yes,” Jericho answered through gritted teeth. The smoke that had begun to disappear mere moments ago was now back in full force.

  “Good, now go shift. Your dragon breath stinks.” Gaber wrinkled his nose.

  In a blink Jericho was in the air and out of sight.