by Gerard Bond
Madeira had to sit back and give that a lot of thought; it was a complicated and involved idea.
“It is true to say that seer stones are of only partial value. That is why I wasn’t so surprised to hear that Drexus threw hers against the wall and shattered it.”
“Okay I see what you are saying, the future is not a set thing then?” Wollfen nodded.
“Yes that is exactly true.”
Madeira felt buoyed. Up to now she dreaded the idea of going back for any reason thinking that Drexus would surely know of her betrayal but now it was different.
“May I make a suggestion?” They all nodded. “I am the second most powerful sorc of the entire clique. Now whether Drexus ever actually had any intention or not of handing power over to me, that doesn’t matter. You see as far as the rest of the sorcs are concerned since I am the anointed one, they naturally will see me as the future of their order.”
Wollfen urged her to go on after she paused,
“The point is, after I got back from my time away in the Kingdom which was over a year I expected my position to be weaker when in fact it turns out it is much stronger.”
They all listened more intently, she had gotten their undivided attention with that last comment.
“It turns out that during that year Drexus had been acting more and more erratic with the anticipation of achieving her goal and many of the sorcs turned to me after I got back to seek guidance. I can say right now, if there is a challenge to her authority many of the sorcs will not support her and if I am the one in opposition to her, they will support me.” Luthein turned to Wollfen.
“It seems a solution to our problems has been handed to us on a silver platter by Drexus herself. We can simply allow Madeira here to deal with Drexus and our problem there is at an end.” Madeira had to interject on that point.
“Wait, I didn’t say I could defeat her. I just said I would get a lot of support, that doesn’t guarantee anything. I would need something much more to make sure we could kill her.” Wollfen spoke up,
“Hang on, no one is talking of killing Drexus here. I am sure she can be captured and brought back to the enchanted lands. Here she could get the treatment she needs to bring her back to health.” The King spoke up,
“She will not be captured and she will not be allowed back into these lands. Madeira is right, Drexus has to be killed.” Wollfen couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“Surely you can’t be serious? We are talking about a woman who was one of your most faithful and through no fault of her own is now injured and lost. She may be doing evil things but she doesn’t know any better. She needs to be helped and nurtured back to health. Why are you considering such a harsh action?” The King looked at Wollfen and spoke once more,
“There are things you don’t know of, Aerassis. You mentioned your concerns about the orcs earlier. I can tell you that we too have many concerns on that matter and that the problems with Drexus and the orcs is directly related.”
“I’m not sure that I understand, how can they be related at all? Orcs have been around for over a thousand years and have never set foot in the lands of Isogorr from what I understand.”
“Yes that is all true, but since Eldoron informed us a few weeks ago of what is happening with Drexus; we have been doing a fair amount of research from our end in the archives and also by chance made some relative discoveries dealing with the orcs too.” Wollfen still wasn’t seeing it.
“I am afraid you will have to go into greater detail on the matter my Lord.” The King looked to Luthein to explain.
“As you know I have been involved with the archival records here for over a hundred and fifty years and I have, with the help of my researchers, managed to piece together some of the puzzle. The original records of the emissaries to the poisoned city have proved to be quite useful of late. It was not until this past year that a pattern has emerged that reflected the original findings.” Luthein paused for a moment before going on, “It has come to our attention that the original orcs that were driven from the city migrated in those first years towards the west, in particular the north west before being driven back into the high mountains where they have stayed the last thousand years. As you know the orcs over the last eighteen months or so have been venturing out back towards the west once more and it just so happens that this correlates with when Drexus set things in motion to attack the Kingdom and drive on to Kassandrea.”
Wollfen felt what they were suggesting was a bit of a stretch.
“You don’t really believe Drexus is responsible for the orcs converging towards the west?”
“No, I am not suggesting that at all, but we have been studying a map of the land and noted all sightings of orcs that we can ascertain and taking their direction into account and marked it down. Then we also marked down the direction of the Isogorrean armies to Kassandrea. When you put the two together, the final destination is Kassandrea. It is too much of a coincidence to believe that both groups are moving towards the same spot at the same time without a common goal.”
Luthein looked to Wollfen who while looking back wasn’t seeing him. He was away in his mind’s eye thinking about what he had just been told.
“If you are not suggesting Drexus is the instigator then someone or something else is. Do you have any idea as to what that may be?”
Luthein shook his head in response and then Wollfen had an idea, he reached into his pocket and took out his original teleporting crystal.
“When I saw Drexus in Isogorr she gave me this crystal to teleport into Kassandrea and find a way down a tunnel to a portal buried deep below it. She also allowed me to search for what was emanating from this source. What you find in here is what she claimed to be her goal. Please take it and test it now Luthein. I will not tell you what to expect for I don’t wish you to be influenced by my words. I want you to make your own observations.”
Luthein took the crystal offered to him and sat back in his chair. He felt it for a bit then closed his eyes. They all watched on as he sat there silently and unmoving. It seemed like ages before his eyes flickered open again and he made a small exclamation.
“Lord Vincent?” Luthein turned to his King and Queen. “I get the distinct feeling that this is a portal of the Gods and that for whatever reason Lord Vincent, one of the creators of this world resides there still. He has not passed all the way over.” Luthein turned back to Wollfen now. “Was Drexus able to shed much light on this?” Wollfen shook his head.
“No not really, she simply stated that I was the key to opening the portal and setting him free.”
Wollfen reached into his pocket once more and took out a small scroll,
“While I was in Kassandrea I did some research on the origins of the city seeing if I could glean any information on a staircase below it. I came up with this.”
Wollfen handed over the handwritten note that he had jotted down when in the library of Kassandrea. Luthein accepted it and read it out loud for all to hear.
“Down, down, down, dark is the way and sure is the path for here lies the way of the ancients, hearken all mortal souls for travel within will spell your doom.
Let it be known for only those blessed with the blood of an angel may tread and be free, all are blessed but only few are guaranteed. Find ye the stairs near the waterless flow, do not hesitate in passing from in to out for only from in may you pass.
Take no heed of the dragons bite in the night sky and you shall see its reflection on the face of your desire.”
Luthein gave it serious consideration.
“This is not of elven origin. It is human speak, but where would they have gained such knowledge? Elves are the first of the races on this land and I cannot recollect any such verses in our own archives.”
“If that is true Luthein, then the record was removed,”
Wollfen knew the seriousness of what he was saying. All elven records were sacrosanct and it would have meant high treason to tamper with the historical records in
any way. But it had to be said. Luthein shook his head,
“I cannot believe that it would be so. I have a number of protege’s that I will set to task immediately focusing on the oldest of our records to seek out any reference to pathways to the gods. If there is anything at all we will find it.” The King bade they return to the task at hand.
“This is something that can be dealt with in due course. For now let us focus on the question of Drexus. You Aerassis are against Drexus being killed and in view of this information you have given us, it does give us pause to consider different possibilities in dealing with her.” Luthein added his bit too at this point.
“We have been considering the possibility that whatever destroyed the enclave in the east and from what the orcs originated from may well be the being that has influenced Drexus to date. As you have mentioned she has an injury to the mind. This may be the path by which that entity has managed to gain access.” Wollfen still wasn’t buying it.
“It seems to me that any being that can create such creatures such as the orcs would not be interested in seeing a being like Lord Vincent released into this world. He would be a foe vastly more powerful than any being seen in this world since its creation.” There were nods all round, they could see the logic of his reasoning. Luthein went on.
“It does make sense that the one thing such a creature and its minions would avoid is seeing the release of Lord Vincent. But I just had a thought. The goal may not be to release him, but maybe to destroy him. I shall explain. It is quite possible that the Lord’s presence even in his trapped state may be stopping the being from having free reign in this world and if that is true then yes it would focus on doing away with him.” They all considered his hypothesis. Wollfen wondered if such a thing was possible.
“How does one destroy an agent of the gods? Why would any being of the spirit world want to upset the balance?”
It was then that an old memory came to Wollfen.
“Wait, I just thought of something. At the beginning of the war I found myself under attack by an unknown presence. It proved to be quite powerful but somehow inexperienced and I was able to drive it off very effectively. Since then I have not sensed its presence and quite frankly had totally forgotten about it.” Luthein questioned Wollfen.
“What did you sense of its essence? Was it of good or evil?” Wollfen thought back to that time so long ago. Was it only eight months or a little longer?
“I do remember that what struck me was the fact that it did not have either nature. It was not of good but it wasn’t of evil either. It was a nothingness almost. It is very hard to explain. It seeks destruction to an ultimate level, an obliteration I guess is the best way to put it.”
Luthein was an elder of the elven race and also considered its wisest counsel. Now he understood more of what was going on.
“What you speak of Aerassis is something outside the scope of existence, good and evil are part of the greater whole and are necessary for the development of the spiritual to higher levels of enlightenment. But what you speak of is the total destruction of all that, it is the elimination of any chance for spirituality to grow. It is the destruction of everything including the afterlife, leaving nothing but a void, nothingness absolute.”
They all took stock of what Luthein was saying. He hadn’t said much but it spoke volumes on their existence, why worlds existed and the ramifications of the loss of it all. They turned to Wollfen when he spoke next,
“Then our greatest and most important goal in all of this, beyond the consideration of the saving of some souls, beyond the right of nations to exist. We as this group here must focus on that one point. If anything in this world is to have any chance to continue on at all. That I say, is the destruction of this entity that has revealed its existence, for if it gains ascendancy here, then all our labors, all our hopes, our dreams, our desires, all that we hold precious will be as nothing. It will be the greatest destruction of all.”
It was a very somber moment. Wollfen’s words fell heavily on their ears and they realized that right now the future of the entire world may rest on what decisions they made. Finally the King spoke,
“This has proven to be a very fruitful talk even if what we have heard is something that we find in some ways unimaginable. We all here understand what we face now even if we don’t know how to fight it. But fight we must for the future of all depends on it. With that in mind, right now I believe it is best to retire for the evening and give serious thought to all that will need to be done. In the morning we can confer some more.”
They all nodded and paid their respects to each other and left.
Madeira walked beside Wollfen considering the ramifications of their discussion. It occurred to her that they would have to come up with some sort of united effort to deal with what was gathering. That meant elves and humans cooperating, much more than what she had seen to date.
“Wollfen?” He looked and nodded for her to go on, “If this being is in this world right now, what could Lord Vincent be possibly be doing to hold it back?”
Wollfen sighed, he had been thinking about that great unknown all along. He really was having trouble coming to grips with forces of which he had no idea.
“I really can’t say. Whatever magical or spiritual forces are in play at the moment I have not been able to detect or become aware of them. Maybe now that I know something is there it will be a bit easier to find, but I cannot feel anything out there, it is a total puzzle.”
They entered their room designated to them by an aide and Wollfen walked over to a window. Sitting on the ledge, he looked out over the canopy of trees and contemplated just how serious things really were. The issues that had come to light in that short meeting proved to be far larger in the scheme of things than the war. Madeira came over and sat on the other side in the same window frame. She placed a foot beside Wollfen’s thigh and he held it. Giving her foot a squeeze he looked to her now.
“You know I never did ask you how you have been going these last couple of months?”She smiled.
“Oh aside from the situation changing regarding the politics and power struggles of the clique, I would have to say that I have found a new calm within me. Iris has noticed too but I haven’t revealed as yet the full extent of my new knowledge. It is still too soon, but I think she suspects that I am no longer so devout. That’s not such a bad thing really. She was always a bit of a rebel and I think she will handle the changes to come a lot easier than I did.” Wollfen gave her foot a shake.
“That’s not answering my question and you know it, tell me, are you happy Madeira?” She smiled at him again,
“Yes, I have been happier these last few months than ever before in my life. I really do feel like I belong to something of substance now. I feel it at my core. I didn’t know what it was to feel that until it happened.” She watched his reaction and he smiled a little. “I know you probably don’t want to hear this part though. Now that I have been here with you the last couple of days, I have been happier still.”
He looked at her but didn’t give any of his feelings away. She leaned forward close to his face and looked deep into his eyes then gave him a warm soft kiss. He didn’t resist but didn’t encourage it either.
“You are a very attractive woman Madeira but I am dedicated to one person and that is Dark as you know. I am sorry.” She continued to look at him and then finally replied.
“That’s okay, I think I’m still working out how things work too. It is not my intention to try and steal you. Is it okay to hug?”
Wollfen nodded and she snuggled in against him. She felt a whole lot better in his arms and it felt safe. He gave her a squeeze but already his mind wandered to other things, so much of what was discussed affected every plan he had.
King Elyssur looked to his Queen the following morning at breakfast.
“Do you suppose Aerassis is affected by his past in dealing with Drexus? After all it has been over a hundred years.” Queen Elaterriel couldn't say f
or sure,
“He is human and it can be said that their emotions are far more extreme than anything we are used to, but at the same time he is far older than any elf. We have known him all our lives, he has been the one constant never changing.” She hesitated in thought, “I am sorry my dear but after careful thought I cannot say.”
The King nodded. He would have to ask the man directly. They needed to know how he would react when it came to facing Drexus. They couldn’t afford to have him hesitate when it became necessary to kill her outright.
The King had decided that Drexus would still have to be dealt with the same as before and with Aerassis being the most capable magic user of them all he would be a necessary part of their plan.
As he thought of these things, he saw Madeira and Wollfen would be returning soon from addressing the troops below. Wollfen was down there informing the commanding officer of what to expect and who to contact in Kassandrea.
Wollfen finished talking to the officer and turned away after saluting. Madeira fell in beside him as they moved off. Wollfen was feeling a big load lift from his shoulders and he realized all of a sudden that the stress of Kassandrea’s dire situation had been weighing him down greatly without him being aware of it.
The knowledge that the Elven army was vastly superior to anything else that could be put on the field by any others was a great comfort. Wollfen felt that the Isogorreans would be in for a nasty surprise in five weeks. Things would not go their way at all now. He turned to Madeira and looked into her eyes.
“I just sent out an army that will help devastate the Isogorrean army at Kassandrea. There will be heavy casualties in that battle. I am wondering how that makes you feel?” Madeira didn’t hesitate in her reply.