Lady Dragon, Tela Du

by Kendra E. Ardnek

  An immediate cheer rose from the crowd below.

  “Alphego doesn’t always work in the ways we expect or want Him to, but his ways are always best,” she continued. “It would have been my honor to stand before you as your Bookdaughter, but Alphego has different plans for me. I do not pretend to deserve the honor of princess or queen, but I shall do my best to do what Alphego has called of me.”

  “As shall we all,” said Reuben.

  Chapter 11

  “Granite, would you like a sympathetic ear while your wife is away?”

  Granite looked up from his sword, breathing heavily from the routine he’d just completed. Laura stood in the doorway dressed for exercise, a quarterstaff in her hand. It was her preferred weapon, and she was surprisingly good with it, considering her size.

  “I don’t like to speak ill of her behind her back,” said Granite, replacing his sword and selecting a quarterstaff from the wall. “You know that.”

  “Of course I know that,” Laura agreed, walking towards him. “I’m not asking to talk about her, but about you.”

  “Indeed?” said Granite, stepping to meet her and holding his staff at the ready. He shook his head grimly “There is little to be said of me. I’m a shadow lurking behind my wife and nothing more.”

  “You were once greater than that, Granite,” said Laura, tilting her head to the side as she fell into position. “Doesn’t it chafe you to watch her, to know how far the two of you have fallen? No matter what the condition of your heart may be, the two of you stand together. You fell together. She will face a greater judgment, but as her husband, you’ll still be held responsible.”

  “But what can I do?” asked Granite, swinging his staff towards the Doorkeeper. Hers cracked against it. “Amber refuses to listen to either you or me. She applauds herself for being in the right, thinking that we’re too simple to understand. She’s the fool.”

  “I thought you didn’t like to speak ill of your wife?” Laura launched into a spinning attack that Granite hadn’t seen her use before. He was barely able to block it.

  “I don’t, but it’s the truth…” Granite frowned, taking a step backward. “Tell me, Laura, what can I do? We both march all too quickly towards our Final War, and either outcome fills me with dread. I neither wish to win nor lose. She’s not ready for death, but how could I wish her upon Rizkaland for any longer? She won’t listen…”

  “Sometimes, it takes actions, not words, to bring a person to the light,” said Laura. “Perhaps she won’t listen to your words, but is there something you can do?”

  “I’ve done what I can.”

  “Have you done all that you can?” asked Laura. “Amber relies on you so much more than you realize. Perhaps if she were to lose you…”

  “How can she? Our lives are bound together, and our deaths shall be one,” said Granite. “There is nowhere I can go that she can’t follow.”

  “I could open a door.”

  Granite tightened his grip on his staff as he considered. “To another world? Laura, I … I don’t know. Must I? Is it the only way?”

  “Perhaps, perhaps not,” said Laura. “I won’t say that it’s what you’ll choose. I’m just saying that it’s an option you can consider. Think about it. Pray about it. Don’t let Amber know that you consider it, for she will talk you out of it.” Laura made a jab to his stomach that was surprisingly vicious. “But when you make up your mind to do it, don’t hesitate to tell her.”

  “But…”

  “Consider it, Granite, weigh your options carefully, all the advantages and disadvantages,” said Laura. “That’s all I ask. Also, I will tell you that it won’t be an escape from the battle. I will only open the door after it, and therefore only if the two of you are the ones to survive. You know how slim your chances are. You have until then to make up your mind, and you have until then to let Amber know what you decide. She will need to know that she’ll lose the battle either way.”

  Granite was spared the necessity of response as Amber’s dragonfire suddenly burned through him. “She’s returning,” he said, as his heart steadied and slowed.

  “Indeed? Then the final steps are prepared. You have three weeks,” said Laura, firmly. “Now, go greet your wife and persuade her to spare the life of the Bookholder. His death would be the crime from which she cannot recover.”

  “She has the…” said Granite, staggering backward to return his staff to its place on the wall.

  “Who else would deserve her especial attention on a day like today?” asked Laura. “Aye, she has Ritis. Ice is permitted, but not death. He must survive the war.”

  Granite nodded, slowly. “Very well. I shall diffuse what I can.”

  Laura’s words haunted him as he made his way through the halls. He arrived at the courtyard just as Amber did. She had two elderly men in her claws. One was Marno, a young man who had grown old while working for them; and the other was a man Granite didn’t recognize, but guessed was the Bookholder that Laura had warned about.

  Amber set them both down gently in the courtyard and resumed her human form before either could run. She turned first to Marno, her smile menacing. “I like you, Marno. Hurry to work. If this doesn’t happen again, then there will be no further consequences.”

  Marno was a smart man who could take a hint. He fled.

  “Who have you brought today, my dear?” said Granite, stepping from the shadows before Amber could sink her claws into the poor Bookholder – metaphorically, at least. She’d already had the opportunity to do it literally.

  Amber turned to Granite with an arched eyebrow. “Look who’s feigning an interest today.”

  “I always have an interest,” Granite answered. “I just usually choose to not get involved. I asked you a question, Amber, and you avoided it. Who have you brought today?”

  “The Bookholder,” said Amber. “Ritis. Ah, but it’s been a few years since we last had the pleasure of talking – well not with him in full remembrance. Isn’t that right, Ritis?”

  The Bookholder stared Amber straight in the eye – not an easy feat, as Granite knew well. “It seems that you earned Rizkaland’s fear quite well without my help.”

  Amber sneered. “You were always full of yourself, Bookholder. Alas, but it is your downfall.”

  “As yours is trusting too much in your own wisdom,” said Ritis. He glanced between Amber and Granite. “Ah, but the resemblance is uncanny.”

  “So, you’ve met the Tela Du?” asked Amber. “Or are you talking about her twin sister? Your own wife?” She laughed as Ritis drew back. “Oh, I know about her true identity – I killed her, after all. Why do you think you had to forget her?”

  Ritis’ expression darkened. “My pain amuses you, Amber? You are not the kind soul that you pretend to be.”

  “And you do not have the advantages that you pretend to have,” spat Amber. “I know that the Tela Du is here and that you’re hiding her somewhere. Unless you want to share the fate of your wife, I suggest that you start giving me answers. No more of your insolence, Ritis. You might be an old man, but your life has been a passing breeze compared to mine. Give me the information I seek.”

  “Even your life shall come to an end, Amber,” said Ritis.

  This infuriated Amber even more, and Granite was frankly amazed that she was able to keep her human form, so hot was the fire burning in her. “Don’t place such faith in her. She is but a child. I have seen six thousand years. I have a thousand powers at my disposal besides my dragon fire. Tell me, who is most likely to win this battle?”

  “She is the Queen of Eliue,” said Ritis.

  Something in the word caused Amber to draw back and consider a moment, narrowing her eyes. “I don’t care where she’s queen of, a child is a child.”

  “Eliue isn’t a where, it’s a what,” Ritis said calmly. “Have you truly lived in our world so long and not learned our language?”

  “You have two,” Amber answered. “I don’t see the point in learning Rizkan
when you also speak the language I already know.”

  “Eliue is not a word that exists in the other tongue,” Ritis answered. “It’s a powerful word, though, and you have reason to fear its queen, for it means that she is your queen as well, Amber. Eliue is all to whom Alphego gave a soul, and you have one, even if it’s as black as night.”

  “I did not bring you here for a language lesson, Ritis,” said Amber, sharply. “You will do well to remember what happened to your wife when she refused to answer questions.”

  “Amber!” said Granite, remembering Laura’s words. “He is the Bookholder. He is also husband to the sister of the Tela Du. Spare his life, if only so you can use him as bait. Don’t be rash.”

  Amber drew back and regarded Granite carefully. “I suspect that your words are a trap, but I do see wisdom in the plan. Very well, take the Bookholder to an appropriate prison, Granite. I shall deal with him later. And you.”

  With a warning glare, she turned and stormed out of the courtyard, her dress billowing behind her dramatically.

  “You’re facing your own death, too,” said Ritis, as soon as Amber was gone.

  “I know,” said Granite, sighing heavily. “Such was the way for the kings and queens of Luna. I have long since resigned myself to my own death. My regret is that she isn’t ready to face eternity.”

  “The Tela Du did not come alone,” Ritis continued. “Her friend, a young man named Reuben, came with her.”

  “So it is to be Reuben?” Granite slowly nodded. “I’m not surprised that they came together. Tell me, are they just friends?”

  “They were Tied yesterday,” Ritis answered.

  “Ah, still at the beginning. May their life together be as sweet as Amber’s and mine was when it first began, but untainted by the poison that has come between us.” Granite sighed again. “Come now, Bookholder, I must take you to an appropriate prison. Tell me, would you prefer a tower or a dungeon? Either way, we will face a good many stairs.”

  “Well, if I only have to take them once, I think I can handle them,” answered Ritis. “I thank Alphego every day that the Bookholders are blessed with a trifle more endurance than most elves. Is there a window in any of the towers?”

  “In a few of them,” Granite answered. “But those are the ones with the steepest climbs.”

  “For the promise of light, I’ll endure some stairs,” said Ritis.

  “Then follow me.”

  Granite hated doing this to the old Bookholder, but how could he do otherwise? Amber had given her order, and the Bookholder had made his choice. Granite could do nothing about it.

  “Amber said that your wife was the Tela Du’s sister? Sarah?” Granite said in an attempt to make conversation as he led Ritis through the halls.

  “Why, yes,” Ritis seemed surprised. “How do you know her name?”

  “Their brother, Tyler, and Reuben’s sister, Summer, are in this very castle,” Granite explained. “They’re safe for now, and I assure you that I’m doing everything in my power to keep them that way. Laura brought them to us, but I can only guess at why she placed them in so dangerous a position.”

  “Laura has her reasons,” said Ritis. “While we can only guess at what the future holds, she knows it well. I suppose that if their presence here is her doing, then we can trust that she knows best.”

  “I’ve often found it to be so,” Granite agreed. “I have never received bad advice from the Doorkeeper. If only Amber would still heed her. I – I am terribly sorry about what my wife did to yours. If only I’d been able to stop her!”

  “Granite,” said Ritis. “You’re a better man than most. It’s easy to love a woman who’s kind and good, but a woman like Amber…”

  “I love the girl she once was,” said Granite, with a shake of his head. “I love a ghost. I’ve hoped against hope that someday she might be restored before it’s too late, but I fear that the hope is in vain. After three thousand years, three weeks won’t make much of a difference.”

  “Three weeks?” Ritis repeated.

  “Laura informed me that we only have that long before we face the final war,” Granite explained.

  “I do hope that Reuben and Petra are ready by then.”

  “As do I,” said Granite. “This is one fight that I do not want to win. Tell me, you described Petra as the Queen of Eliue. What does that entail?”

  “To be honest, I have little idea,” said Ritis. “They only just started exploring the power Alphego gave them, and they didn’t share their discoveries with me.”

  “That is probably just as well,” said Granite. “It means that there is less information about them that Amber can force out of you.”

  Conversation ceased as they entered the Hall of Blood, a ghastly place that Granite didn’t care to explain. Then the poor Bookholder was incapable of conversation as they made their way up the twisting staircase.

  Granite made the elf as at home as he could, given the circumstances. He feared that it wouldn’t be long before Amber turned Ritis to ice, however, so the accommodations probably wouldn’t have to last for very long.

  Then Granite went in search of his wife to report what he’d done with the Bookholder and hear what she had to say to him. He found her in her study, scratching at a sheet of paper with her favorite pen. Well, she could be doing worse.

  “Granite,” she said without looking up, as soon as he walked in. “I’d like to speak with you about the interference you made just now.”

  “You would have killed the Bookholder, the chosen messenger of Alphego,” Granite answered. “How could you possibly justify that?”

  Her lips pinched as she met Granite’s eye. “I was making threats. Threats are not actions.”

  “I felt your fury. Threats turn into actions.”

  “He has information about the Tela Du,” Amber countered. “Information I need.”

  “Information that will do you no good if he is dead,” Granite answered. “Amber, how can you justify actions like this? You never accepted such actions from Push or any of the other dragons.”

  “Where did you put him?”

  “In the second tower,” Granite answered.

  “In the Hall?” Granite felt her discomfort, but she quickly recovered and found her fury again. “Granite, the stairs in those towers! He’s an old man and an elf at that! You dare to speak to me of justification?”

  “Ritis asked for a window, and those are the only prisons with windows,” Granite answered. “I was careful not to let him overexert himself during the climb.”

  “Fortunately, I don’t plan on moving him anytime soon. A word, though, Granite.” She looked him straight in the eye, lips pinched together again. “No more meddling, not at this delicate time.”

  “I am your husband, Amber. I’ve stood back in hopes that you’d come to your senses for far too long. In this delicate time, it is my duty to meddle.”

  With that, Granite turned and left her study.

  Laura stood outside. “You’re heeding my advice?”

  “She is out of control,” Granite admitted. “I’ve not decided what course of action I shall take, but I do know that I need to curb her evil as best I can.”

  “She took your advice.”

  Granite’s heart sank. “What do you mean?”

  “About using bait to draw the Tela Du,” Laura explained. “She also realized that we’d let Summer and Tyler know the truth behind her façade. They’re now in adjoining cells in the dungeon.”

  “What! She – I!” Granite balled his hands into fists. The woman went too far sometimes.

  “Summer and Tyler must have a taste of her fury,” said Laura, shaking her head. “We will leave them be for two weeks before we free them and send them with an invitation to the Tela Du to meet Amber in battle.”

  Chapter 12

  Petra paced the room, her mind churning, unable to relax after the events of the day. She was dead tired from all of the people she’d had to interact with that evening, but the
re were so many thoughts she had to sort through that sleep was only a distant hope. Everything was happening too quickly. It was all too strange and yet too real at the same time.

  She stopped short when she realized that Reuben stood in the doorway to his room, watching her with his arms folded over his chest. She glanced at the open door behind him.

  “I … thought I locked that.”

  “You did,” he admitted, glancing back at it. “I unlocked it.”

  “Oh.”

  “So, what’s wrong?” he asked, dropping his arms to his sides. “You’ve been pacing for almost an hour now.” He took a step towards her.

  She took a step backward as she realized that he was very much shirtless. “You’re up too,” she pointed out.

  “I’m awake because you won’t let me sleep.” He advanced again, but this time, Petra refrained from taking a step backward, not wanting to act like a frightened animal.

  “Go … go put on a shirt!”

  “You need a hug.”

  She put up her arms with intentions of protest but found them around his neck instead, his arms tight around her. As was becoming far too familiar, his mind touched hers. She heard no full thoughts, but a sense of peace oozed out of him, and she felt herself relax.

  Enough now, she thought at length, pushing him away. “I’ve been hugged,” she said aloud. “You can put on that shirt now.”

  “It’s too hot for a shirt tonight,” he protested, shrugging. “Besides, haven’t you seen me shirtless before?”

  “Yes, swimming, outside doing work, in your own house - not in my bedroom demanding hugs!” Petra countered. “And just how did you unlock that door? Last I checked, you weren’t a master picklock.”

  “I’m still not, cool though it’d be if I were. The door unlocks from either side,” said Reuben. “Come see.”

  He piqued her curiosity, so she did come see and found that the locking mechanism was indeed on both sides. It could be unlocked from either side, no matter which side had done the locking.

  “Okay,” she said at length, slamming the door shut. “I give up. What’s the point in a lock that doesn’t actually lock?”