“I’m convinced you are following the path of your vision. Eagle’s lesson is obvious in every step that you take.
“And now I really understand why you were so angry with me when I killed that man. I wonder now if I did the right thing. Perhaps we could have convinced him and he would have helped us. It was a reflex. I’ve been hunted for so long that violence is the only way I know to protect the people I love. That’s still no excuse for the way things went. I can’t turn it back, but your sharing your vision with me is a gift, because you taught me the lessons you learned.” Lumea was relieved that he understood her.
Elion felt her calm down with every breath, and he continued, “Do you remember what you told me underneath the willow? About why the elves had forgiven the humans, or why else would they allow themselves to be treated like that? It’s that same peaceful road. That is not something the gods taught you, it’s always been inside of you. The gods only clarified it for you.”
He was silent for a moment, but when she kept crying he tried to find more words to comfort her.
“And here I was, thinking you couldn’t teach me anything because I was far older than you and so much more experienced.”
This made Lumea laugh. She sat up and looked at him. He had told her what she wanted to hear, even though she had known it all along.
“Thank you, Elion.”
“I should be the one thanking you. It’s very special that you wanted to share your vision with me.”
While they talked about Lumea’s Ankéabi, she noticed how he kept rubbing over the scars on his hand.
“Do they bother you much?” she asked softly.
He looked at her uncomprehendingly.
“Your hand...”
He studied it for a moment, because he had not realized that he had been rubbing it. “It’s stiff, and there are times that it hurts quite badly. Usually I use an ointment to keep the tissue flexible, but unfortunately I don’t have any with us.”
Lumea took his hand carefully in hers and massaged his wrist. When she was done she ripped a bit of cloth from her skirt and drenched it in water. She secured it around his hand and wrist. The coolness alleviated the pain only a little, but it was all she could do for the moment.
22
Lumea left their hiding place late in the afternoon in order to seek out some plants that she thought must certainly grow in the area. She had seen Dark Cranesbill growing under a nearby tree, its buds on the verge of bloom. It had miraculously survived the sudden shifts in the weather. Plucking off the buds, she muttered, “Cranesbill, please give me your buds, and let me help Elion with their healing power.”
She made sure to leave enough buds on the plant so that it would survive to bloom again. Once she had collected them, she decided to go farther from the hiding place than she had dared before. She had to if she wanted to find the other plants that she needed, which she knew grew on open plains. Before leaving the safety of the trees and stepping out into the field, she looked around carefully, ready to turn back at the first sign of their pursuers. There were no humans in sight, though, so she took the risk. She kept a watchful eye on her surroundings, while the other eye scanned the different plants growing in the field. At times she bent over and rubbed a finger over green leaves, but they were not the plants she was seeking.
Then her heart leaped when she spotted a few Aloe Vera plants growing close to each other. That was exactly what she needed! Again she asked the plants for their permission, like her grandmother had taught her, before cutting a couple of the fleshy leaves. The juices immediately dripped out, so she quickly turned them upside down in order to preserve the precious liquid. Then her eye fell on a low plant growing next to the Aloe. When she rubbed it, it spread out an overpoweringly fresh scent.
It was the last ingredient she needed, a mint, so when she had picked it and added it to her growing supplies she turned back towards their hiding place. It was nearly nightfall by the time she got back. Elion made a remark about how he had hardly seen her all afternoon. She answered that she had needed some breathing space, though she did not tell him exactly what she had been doing.
That night, while Elion was asleep and Lumea was watching over Siard, she squeezed the juice from the Aloe leaves into an empty bowl that she had salvaged from the wreck. When they were empty, she added some of the leaf tissue and created a paste that could be used as a poultice. She chewed the buds of the geranium and the leaves of the mint to a pulp, adding both to the paste. Rubbing it between two fingers, she nodded, satisfied with the result. Then she ripped another band of cloth from her dwindling underskirt, neatly rolled it up and put it next to the bowl, in a corner of the hiding place that the lantern’s light did not reach.
When Elion woke up the following morning, she reached out and took his hand. She noticed how he hesitated, though he did not pull back.
“Please be careful, it’s really hurting again.”
She nodded comfortingly and took up the bowl with the ointment. She applied a thick layer of it on the scar tissue, covering it so that it had a chance to soak in. Elion was obviously surprised.
“Where did you get that?”
“I made it last night, from the plants that I gathered yesterday. It’s made mostly from Aloe Vera; it will make your skin less dry and tight.”
“It’s soothing, too.”
“That’s because of the mint I added. And the geranium buds will hopefully make the stiffness subside. It’s the best I could do, considering. I hope it works.”
The ointment proved powerful, and around the same time, Siard’s status began to improve. His wounds were healing, and every now and then he moved. Lumea was relieved that he was not lying so motionless any more. They started talking to him, but it was some time before his situation improved further.
One morning, Lumea was awoke by Elion, who was talking loudly. When she sat up, she saw the elf sitting on his knees next to Siard, addressing him earnestly. The woman came closer and saw that the young man’s eyes were open. He looked dazed, Elion’s words did not seem to register and his eyes were glazed over. All day long Lumea and Elion tried to get through to him, but improvement was slow.
At one point he actually seemed to see them, but he did not really react. Sometimes his eyes were closed for a while, but only when he was slept did Elion and Lumea stop talking to him.
After a long time he was able to sit up by himself and eat, but he remained in a fugue-like state. Lumea was glad that he was improving but she had not imagined that things could be quite this bad. She was worried about how they could go on. How much more would he improve? Their quest was hard enough without an injured man, and yet they could hardly leave him behind, could they? She tried to find clues about what they were to do in Elion’s face, but it was etched with worry as well.
Then, unexpectedly, the healing process leaped forward. As Lumea sat in the dark, she heard a voice.
“I’m... thirsty.”
The voice startled her, it was not Elion’s and it had been ages since she had last heard Siard speak.
Only when she heard “thirsty...” again did she jump up and light the lantern, quickly grabbing the water bag. Siard was sitting up and he took the bag with a grateful nod. Lumea watched fearfully while he took a sip, as she held the bag for him.
“Do you know where you are? Who you are?”
He thought for a second, but his answer was certain. “Siard. I’m in Hydrhaga.”
“And do you remember what happened?”
“Boat... smashed... on shore.”
Convinced that everything would now be all right, she laughed exuberantly. She gave Siard a hug. Still not fully recovered, he could only put a weak arm around her shoulders.
“Is there anything else I can do for you?” she asked.
He shook his head and lay back down. The woman tucked him in and soon he was asleep again. Then Lumea turned towards Elion, wondering what to do. He was sleeping peacefully, but he had been worried about Siard
as well, so she woke him up. Elion was relieved when she told him what had happened.
From that moment on, Siard’s condition improved rapidly. He refused help, though in the beginning he was very shaky on his legs. He wanted to know everything that had happened after the wreck, and though there was not much to tell, he praised Lumea’s inventiveness. He was also the first to remark that it was a pity they had lost the boat as he had hoped to use it during their probable flight, but that was out of the question now. Elion and Lumea had not thought about that yet, for they had been too worried about their companion.
Not long afterward, the majority of Siard’s strength was regained, and they decided to move through the forest. As soon as they reached the forest’s edge, on the side of the Thuranc’s building, they would decide what to do. At the same time it was a test to see how hard Siard could push himself. There was no trouble, and he seemed to be very much like his old self again. All there was to remind them of his condition was the bright red scar on his forehead.
The following day they stood at the edge of the field that they had to cross to reach the building. Gulls had taken over Hydrhaga, showing off their acrobatics as they floated on the howling wind, which muted their screeching calls. In front of them they saw the heart of Hydrhaga rising up from the plane. It looked vaguely like a fortress, with a large central dome, on top of which a tattered banner flapped in the wind.
They saw the building as the sun set behind them, stretching their shadows on the path before them. The afternoon was running on its last legs. They decided to risk the crossing since the first part of their journey would be concealed by the greenery.
Night had truly set in and a veritable choir of crickets was producing an entire symphony by the time they reached the lower grass. As they neared the building’s perimeter, they were startled by a guard dog. The animal barked once but he was quickly silenced by Siard’s dagger. The three of them stayed quiet for a while, tensed, as they expected a guard to have heard the noise, yet nobody came. They pressed on, only this time they were more cautious. Behind a stained glass window they could see the silhouettes of men moving about. They angled left in order to avoid passing too close to the window. Their nerves were stretched taught, slowing their movement to a crawl.
Finally, they reached the building proper, near a large, unlit window. Elion quietly opened the window and slipped through. He soon returned and helped the other two inside. The first part of their mission was a success.
23
The Hosts were extremely worried when they failed to find the fugitives. Some of them struggled through the worst possible weather for days on end, while others pretended they were too busy perfecting the Thuranc. They were slowly starting to believe that the three really had died out there. The Swintheri were growing exhausted, so Gîsal pulled them back before they became completely useless. He increased the amount of guards around the laboratories, certain that at some point the three would show up near one. The rest of Hydrhaga was slowly cleared of all activity, so it did not really matter to him what they discovered there. His priority now was to make his army. He wanted his revenge.
Host and soldier alike were relieved when they heard the new orders. They had not relished being out there in small groups, where they could be ambushed at any moment. Now the Swintheri could just sit and wait for the runaways to come to them, and they felt safer in the large group. The Hosts returned to their easy lives.
The number of guests in Hydrhaga rapidly dwindled as well. Large groups of them were led to the laboratories for all kinds of tests. Gîsal could be found there every day, although he did spend a lot of time with Ward, who seemed to know whenever his visitor was there. The leader’s presence confused him, and the fear was evident in his eyes. There were times when he had tried slipping out of bed, which only resulted in his crashing to the floor, screaming in fear and pain. Gîsal usually enjoyed the enormous power he had over Ward’s mind, but today, he was in a great mood. After all the worries from the past few weeks, the tide was turning in his favor, and that made him happy.
“We’re almost ready, Ward. The researchers tell me that the Thuranc is greatly improving. It looks as though, very soon now, it will be the soldier that I had in mind. Although there were times when it seemed like all of this would amount to nothing, my army is now reaching its completion. Maybe it was meant to be, after all.”
Gîsal bent towards the Host and whispered, “There were many times I regretted having to find my stock from elsewhere, but the Omnesians grew too suspicious. They didn’t want to come any more. Perhaps my decision to send invitations to the more eastern countries was not such a bad one after all. This Lumea woman started all of the trouble, but now I feel that I should be grateful to her. Without her, the Thuranc would not have been finished so soon.”
When he sat back up, his cheerful laughter bounced around the small room.
“To think that the day I’ve been living towards for so long is finally at hand!”
He then looked back at Ward. The man had admittedly made many mistakes, but in the end those mistakes had sped up the research more than any other variable, and now he was lying here in a hospital bed, with his gaunt cheeks and dry lips. Gîsal put a careful arm around Ward’s shoulder and helped him into an upright position. The Host started to panic, but Gîsal shushed him.
“It’s okay, I won’t harm you. Let me help you.”
As soon as the man was sitting up, the leader took the glass of water that stood on a side table and brought it to Ward’s lips. The Host drank deeply. When the glass was empty, Gîsal put it back and tenderly wiped the spilled water from the man’s chin. Then he helped him to lie back down and tucked him in.
In a confidential tone of voice he continued his story. There was no bitterness as he looked back on his past.
“All I ever wanted in my life, I had in Arminath. I wanted it to be a city that the elves could be proud of. A center of knowledge, where every skill reached its apex of potential, a place where everyone could develop as the gods wished. That was my dream. As magistrate, I was closely connected to the daily governance of the city. My riches made many changes possible. In turn, the elves thanked me by electing me to the office of senator, time and again. I could complete the reformations that I had started. Whenever I walked through the streets I saw the prosperity that I had brought to my people. They surrounded themselves with things as beautiful as they were.”
He was silent for a moment as he stared into his memory.
“But there was nothing more beautiful than her. She meant everything to me, my fiancé. I was overwhelmingly, intensely happy whenever she was near. We knew so many beautiful moments together. With her, I could forget the world around us. She was the most beautiful creature I had ever known, and not just physically. Her heart was pure, and it had chosen me to love. I saw her every day, and we’d meet near one of the fountains and dream of our future together. We walked through the streets of the city and barely noticed the rain falling upon us.”
With a smile playing around his lips he looked at Ward again.
“Very soon now, everything will go back to the way it used to be. Once Omnesia falls, I will find the right place to build a new city. I will try to capture my love’s beauty within it, so that this new city will be even more beautiful than Arminath ever was. The elves will be able to gather there and restart their old lives. They won’t have to hide any longer. They will prosper once again and recover their pride. I don’t think I will ever forget everything that happened, but the younger generations have a right to the future that only I can give them.”
Gîsal stood up and straightened the blanket that had slipped off Ward’s shoulder. He left the Host there, lost in confusion.
In the following few days, the Thuranc underwent test after test. Groups of drugged guests were repeatedly brought for the tests, but still, he was not perfect. Gîsal stood in the middle of one of the laboratories, satisfied with the news he had just heard. The workers had
told him that development was in the final phase. He had ordered one last test to be completed, hoping that it would be the last. If the Thuranc passed the tests, production could begin in earnest, and then it would not be long before he had his mechanized army.
Through a window, Gîsal could see into the testing room, where a group of unsuspecting guests was led inside. Gas was released into the room that neutralized the effects of the drug that kept them docile. The prisoners looked around, blinking in a daze. Some of them tried to find a way out, eager for freedom. They were not given much time to wake up, though, because Gîsal pulled the lever that opened the doors to the Thuranc’s chamber. The humans gathered together, as if they knew what was about to happen, and then there it was, the Thuranc, more life-like than the first model, less mechanical in its movements and so much more threatening. It looked like a living monster as it stepped into the test room, and that was just the result for which Gîsal had hoped.
He could not help but be satisfied with his creation. The effect it had on the humans was spectacular. At first they huddled together, utterly frightened. Then some of them fell down on the floor, begging to be let out. Others ran about the room, banging on doors and windows, but it was to no avail.
This was the first test with humans who were actually awake, and the creature did even better than Gîsal had dared hope. It walked through the room at great speed, killing everything in its path in great, sweeping blows.
Within moments there was not one living soul left alive in the testing room. Gîsal’s laughter echoed throughout the laboratory. It was just perfect! Omnesia did not stand a chance against his creations. Soon now, there would be nothing left of the city but ash. All of the humans would be dead, doomed to the same fate as Gîsal’s people had been so many years ago.
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