“King Mython and his entourage appeared at my border recently and requested an audience with me, which I happily granted,” said King Wenzel, looking at the centaur king across the table. “Once here, he spoke to me in detail regarding the battle of a few days ago, including the appearance of a unicorn and a dragon. This immediately drew my interest. If a unicorn was present, things were indeed as dire as the Tower of Sorcery had claimed.”
“Then you will aid the humans in the north?” asked Kazin eagerly.
“Yes,” said King Wenzel slowly. “But first we must help the centaurs to secure their own lands. The raiders suffered a defeat, but they haven’t been entirely eliminated yet. Roving bands of mercenaries and goblin wolf riders are still on the loose, causing upheaval wherever they go. When the lands to the south are secured, then we will be ready to sail north to assist the humans.”
“That could take a long time,” commented Frosty.
The king nodded sympathetically. “It probably will. There is much territory to cover. I certainly cannot send troops north before things are fully under control down here. I do not wish to leave my lands and peoples open to attack.”
“I wish we could help hurry things up a bit,” said Kazin dejectedly. “Many lives will be lost in the meantime.”
“What if you were given aerial support?” asked Frosty.
King Wenzel smiled ruefully. “I appreciate the offer, but even if you called on your dragon ally to assist you, it could take months to track down all the raiders.”
Kazin sighed and shook his head. “Then it’ll be too late,” he murmured.
Frosty shook his head vigorously. “I wasn’t talking about myself or the dragon. What I had in mind is something far better.”
“What did you have in mind?” asked Wenzel curiously.
“Pegasi,” said Frosty.
Everyone stared at the unicorn.
“But those beings have disappeared hundreds of years ago!” objected the mayor. “No one knows where they went after the last great battle!”
“I do,” said Frosty calmly.
The elven king leaned forward excitedly. “Pegasi could significantly reduce our tracking time and help us to secure the southern lands within weeks! Our forces could then be freed to help the humans in the north!”
“How soon do you think you will be able to send help?” asked Kazin eagerly.
The king sat back and considered. “Four weeks, maybe five.”
Frosty shook his head again. “I’ll give you two weeks. After that, you must send your biggest force north. A token army can stay behind to deal with the remnants of the southern raiders, if any remain by then.”
King Wenzel frowned. “You are hardly in a position to bargain, unicorn.”
“Oh, no?” said Frosty flippantly. “I know where the pegasi are. Furthermore, I know where the portal was that allowed the raiders into the south. I can help or hinder, and you of all people should know that I am a valuable ally. I came here to advise. You said so yourself.”
The companions blanched at the unicorn’s sudden change of attitude.
“You are not advising. You are threatening!” exclaimed the king.
“And you are toying with us!” growled Frosty angrily. “Two weeks is more than enough time to remove any threat in the south, yet you procrastinate, hoping things will settle down in the north so you won’t have to send an army after all! With that attitude, there will be no one left to aid, and no one will be left to aid you as your nation falls to the same evil!”
“You are being insolent, unicorn!” spluttered the elven king. “Do you not realize that I am a king?”
“So am I,” said Frosty calmly. “Since I am the only one of my kind, I am both king and peasant. As a king to a king, I would remind you that a good king assists his allies in their time of need and drops everything he is doing in order to help.”
“But not to the point of leaving my borders undefended against a possible threat!” retorted the king.
“I don’t think you grasp the enormity of the situation,” said Frosty. “The humans are being attacked by more than just minotaurs. There are lizardmages, orcs, goblins, and zombies being controlled by mages. Where they have come from is unknown, but the same forces are at work here in the south. Do not be surprised if there is a more serious threat behind these attacks. Magic is being wielded here that far exceeds our own. Those seated at this table have sacrificed much to close off the threat here in the south, and you owe them more than just a mild favour. You needn’t worry about any further danger to your lands for the moment. After two weeks of being routed, the raiders will no longer be a threat to anyone, least of all yourself!”
King Wenzel said nothing for a moment. When he spoke again, it was with a calmer, more reasonable attitude. “You’re right, unicorn,” he admitted. “The securing of the land can be achieved within two weeks with the aid of the pegasi. It is obvious to me now how dire the situation to the north really is. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be pressuring me so. I will send my forces north in two weeks, and they will support the humans as they did in the great war hundreds of years ago.” He shook his head. “Very rarely have I had to deal with such a head strong creature,” continued the elven king. “It proves the ancient texts were right about you. They state you will have your way during the dark period, and that the elves will be thrust into war. I was trying in vain to prevent my otherwise peaceful people from being subject to the horrors of war. But alas! Sometimes we have to fight to preserve the lands that we so cherish.”
“Then I will hold to my part of the bargain,” said Frosty. “The pegasi will be here in a couple of days.”
“When the threat in our lands is lessened sufficiently,” said King Mython, “my people will add our support to the elves and march north. You and your companions have done much for our people, and we will return the favour.”
“Your help is greatly appreciated,” said Milena, speaking at the table for the first time.
King Wenzel seemed to notice her for the first time. “You are a druid?” he asked.
“Yes,” she responded.
The king nodded at the centaur king. “There is your answer to the wolves, Mython. If anyone can create a barrier for wolves, a druid can. They have the power to turn trees into men.”
Mython looked at Milena. “Is this true?”
Milena nodded.
“Then my special thanks to you for giving us the head start that we needed to escape.”
“My pleasure,” said Milena.
“Do you think you can assist us with the wolves for the next couple of weeks?” asked Mython. “They are our greatest threat.”
“I’d love to but I can’t,” said Milena. “My obligation to the company I travel with is vital to their success. I have to keep them in good health during the long days ahead, for, if they fail, we will all fail.”
“I understand,” said Mython, but he looked at her cryptically.
“Fear not, Mython,” said King Wenzel. “Our archers and swordsmen will help you take care of the wolves. Without the goblins to control them, the wolves will eventually retreat far to the south.”
“What of the dragon?” asked the mayor. “Can he not aid in our cause?”
Wenzel looked at Frosty.
“Oh, he is,” said the unicorn, looking knowingly at Kazin. “In his own way.”
King Wenzel caught the look and gave a short gasp. “Of course!”
“What?” asked the mayor, confused.
“Later, Ralbert,” said the king, waving his hand dismissively. “Let us put aside this talk of war and celebrate our guests’ success of the other day! They must be famished after their long journey!” He clapped his hands and elves carrying trays of fresh fruit, bread, and meat entered the hall. Large pitchers of cold milk were also brou
ght out and poured for each of the guests.
Della took her glass and drank with her eyes closed, savouring every gulp.
“I wonder if this milk came from my dad’s cows?” whispered Sherman into Kazin’s ear.
Della, who sat on the other side of Kazin, overheard the comment. “You have cows?” she asked the warrior.
“My parents do,” said Sherman. “I grew up on a farm.”
“It must have been wonderful!” exclaimed Della. “Why would you leave when you could have fresh milk every day?”
“I never thought of it that way,” said Sherman. “I always viewed it as a lot of hard work.”
Della gave the big warrior a strange look.
Part VII
The Election Battle
Chapter 50
So this was a royal visit?” asked Kazin.
“Yes,” answered Della. “I’m just surprised at how fast King Mython and Perenia got here.” She walked casually beside the mage. It was night-time, but some shops in the square were just closing up. They did not want to miss out on the business generated by the elf king’s visit and the many elves thus attracted from smaller communities in the area.
“I think the centaur king acted mainly on Perenia’s insistence,” mused Kazin. “She knew where we were going and what we were trying to do, and she probably felt that she owed us for what we did for her father and her people. Without her presence here, it would have been harder to convince your king that things were as bad as they seemed. The centaur king’s capture and subsequent escape were fresh on the elf king’s mind when we first arrived. That, more than anything, was enough to get us started on negotiations.”
“I’m glad it worked out,” said Della. “I guess your decision to go up into the mountains was the right one after all. I doubt Frosty would even have convinced my king of the danger otherwise. Even if my king were convinced, he would have been bottled up with the raiders threatening here in the south.” She looked up at the mage with a smile. “You sure fried them but good! I wish my arrows made half as much damage as you did!”
“Your contribution was more important—and more hazardous,” countered Kazin. “We needed the enemy to wonder what was happening at first so that Zylor and Harran could do their job. If I had flown in there outright, the enemy would know where the attack came from and would have acted accordingly. The mages would have combined their magic against me, and any archers would know exactly what to do. With you, Perenia, and Frosty, it was a gradual escalation of chaos. The enemy was too busy looking for other attackers to know it was just you three causing all the confusion. You were in more danger than I was, charging through the enemies’ midst the way you did!”
“You were in even more danger than I,” argued Della. “That demon was everyone’s biggest threat.”
“That’s true,” said Kazin. “I certainly didn’t count on meeting one of those. It’s a good thing Frosty knew how to deal with it.”
“Did he kill it?” asked Della.
“No,” said Kazin. “He used his horn to send it back into the netherworld.”
“I hope it stays there,” said Della, shuddering.
Kazin removed his cloak and put it around her shoulders. At first she looked up questioningly but then she turned away and hid her smile. In so doing, she spotted someone she knew hurrying across the square.
“Father!” she cried suddenly and sprinted away with Kazin’s low-hanging cloak flying out behind her. She ran across the square and literally pounced on an elf, giving him a huge bear hug. Kazin shrugged his shoulders and allowed the elf to reunite with her father. He walked slowly along the shops on his side of the square and looked with detached curiosity at the vendors’ displays in the torchlight as they were closing up. With one eye he watched Della and her father.
When Della finally released her father, Kazin heard him say, “Della! I’m glad you’re back! Did you see the king—?” He couldn’t hear the rest but could well imagine what the elf would have to say regarding their recent adventures.
Then he came across an herb shop whose owner was lazily going about closing his shop. Kazin drew near and the elf looked up.
“Can I help you?” he asked.
“Perhaps,” said Kazin. “I’ve been all over, but I can’t seem to find a special herb to deal with an upset stomach.”
“What is the nature of your ailment?” asked the elf. “I have magical expertise that may help ease the problem without the use of herbs.”
“My problem is not one that can be healed,” said Kazin. “It is a burning in the stomach that returns without warning.”
“It is a common problem,” said the elf. “Are you sure—?”
“Mine is more serious,” interrupted Kazin. “I’ve had many clerics make the attempt, but none have succeeded.”
“Have you tried the clerics’ tower in your lands?” asked the elf. “Surely they have the power to heal you with their combined magic?”
Kazin nodded. “I’ve tried there. My problem is more—magical in nature.”
The elf considered Kazin’s words carefully. “Is it a curse?” he asked.
“Of a sort,” said Kazin evasively. “Listen, if you don’t have—.”
“I’ll be right back,” said the elf quickly. “Just wait right here.” He ran off into the back of his shop.
Kazin breathed a sigh of relief. He knew the elf was merely trying to help, but the questions were unnerving. He didn’t want to give away his alternate identity just to purchase some herbs.
He turned to watch Della and was surprised to see that she was pointing in his direction. She spoke excitedly with her father and he frowned as he looked at Kazin, his face looking rather gloomy in the torchlight above him. When Della stopped talking, he turned back to her and shook his head. He started to say something but Della cut him off.
“How could you say that?!” she exclaimed. Then she lowered her tone and spoke angrily, her father answering in angry tones as well. It was clear to Kazin that they were talking about him.
He turned back to the shop owner as he returned from the back.
“I’ve got just the thing for your condition,” said the elf jovially. “I thought I had run out, but luckily I always pack spare supplies.” He handed Kazin a rough pouch containing a leafy material. “It’s hard to come by down here, but it’s effective. Don’t take more than three leaves every two hours, though. It’s poisonous in large amounts.”
“Poison?” asked Kazin.
The elf nodded but then grinned. “Don’t worry. You’re human, so you won’t die from the stuff. It’s only poisonous to elves. If you overdo it, you’ll only go blind.”
“Blind?” asked Kazin. He didn’t like the sound of that any better.
“There’s a positive side effect if you use it conservatively, though,” continued the elf. “You’ll temporarily be able to see much better in the dark.”
Kazin gaped. “You mean—?” He opened the sack and poured some of its contents out on the counter. It was wildhorn leaves.
“Careful with that!” said the elf anxiously. “I told you these leaves are hard to come by!”
“How do I know these will work?” hedged Kazin. “The clerics in the Tower of Hope have relatively easy access to these leaves. If they work for my condition, why didn’t they try using them?”
“Have you ever seen a human cleric using wildhorn leaves?” asked the elf.
Kazin recalled the days he spent in the Tower of Hope. “I can’t say that I have, but—.”
“They know that wildhorn leaves enhance the vision temporarily,” interrupted the elf. “They also know that the leaves can blind or kill in large doses. Why use an herb to enhance eyesight in the dark when a staff will do the job? Similarly, why use an herb that can potentially blind or kill? It is for that very reason
that they have overlooked its other qualities.”
Kazin considered. Perhaps the elf was right. It all made sense. On the other hand, maybe he was being scammed. He thought not. The elf was trying to help. What harm was there in trying? “How much?” he asked.
“One silver,” said the elf.
Kazin knew it was a lot to pay for a pouch of wildhorn leaves, but considering how hard it was to find in this area, it was reasonable.
He paid the elf, thanked him, and turned to leave. Della was waving him over. Her father had a resigned expression on his face.
Kazin walked across the square and greeted Della’s father with a good-natured smile. “Hello. I understand you’re Della’s father?”
The elf, who looked no older than Kazin, nodded. “Yes. Greetings, human.”
“Father!” chastised Della. “I told you his name was Kazin!”
Her father nodded but said nothing.
There was an awkward silence.
“My father has a temporary shop set up around the corner,” said Della. “He’s selling more of his homemade flutes.” She pulled out the flute she had played on several occasions in the company of the companions. “He made this flute,” she said proudly. “It was his best one!”
Kazin already knew that—she had told him about it often—but took the cue and gasped. “So it’s you who made that flute!” exclaimed Kazin. “It’s the most wonderful instrument I have ever seen or heard!”
Della’s father’s face softened somewhat and he nodded shyly. “It’s a talent I seem to have,” he said.
“You are too modest!” said Kazin. “Your talent is beyond compare!”
Della’s father’s eyes narrowed. “It probably looks that way to you because you don’t know how talented elves are in general. In your human world, you know nothing of detail and precise craftsmanship in the creation of various things, however delicate.”
Kazin's Quest: Book I of The Dragon Mage Trilogy Page 51