“We have learned that it may have been the Enshadowed who set the gurvani on their quest to restore Shereul, in the first place,” I informed her.
“That would make sense,” she nodded, as if I’d just fingered the neighbor boy for stealing pies. “The Enshadowed have never enjoyed popularity in our councils, even at the peak of their power. To further their aims, they often used the servitor species in their plots: as labor, as soldiery, as slaves. Using the gurvani in such a disgusting manner is well within their ideology,” she said, distastefully. “It’s something for which they are known.”
“And humans?”
She looked even more disgusted. “To the Enshadowed, you are no more than animals with which to be experimented!”
“Isn’t that what you are doing?” I countered.
“Of course not!” she snapped. “I am doing observational science, not experimental! Well, outside of a few pet theories, nothing invasive, I assure you. Not so those fanatics! The Enshadowed may be purists, but they are also determined and opportunistic, justifying nearly any horror in their pursuits. If they felt that using humanity against itself – and against the Council – would aid them, they would not hesitate. You are not even worthy of their consideration.”
“I am planning a foray against Olum Seheri,” I told her, thoughtfully. “For many reasons, but now it seems as if I have the most compelling reason of all: to save both our peoples from the wrath of the Vundel.”
“In doing so, you may incur it yourself, for the temerity of using the Celestial Mother like some puppet vassal,” she pointed out, warningly.
“We’ll cross that ford when the road does,” I dismissed. “If we can avoid their notice, perhaps we can keep Korbal from gaining their attention. I’ve dispatched a squadron of warmagi to scout the island,” I added, “my most trusted warriors. If they return with good intelligence then we shall prepare a full assault.”
“Against the might of Korbal?” she asked, skeptically.
“And Shereul, if need be,” I nodded. “We have no choice. And if Anthatiel is where this Handmaiden is hidden, then before we deny Korbal the use of the lode we shall find it and remove it,” I vowed.
“That may be far more difficult than you imagine,” she said, uneasily.
“I imagine it’s impossible,” I countered. “More difficult than impossible is my specialty.”
“You are bold and audacious, Spellmonger,” she said, shaking her head in admiration.
“I am desperate and committed,” I corrected. “My wife’s mind is at stake. As well as the fate of all the peoples of the Dry lands. I don’t have a choice, Lilastien.”
“You very well may die, if you go to Olum Seheri, Minalan,” she said, sadly.
“I will certainly die if I don’t. Of heartbreak, if not by the hand of the enemy.”
“Enemies,” she corrected. “There are those on the Council who would seek to slay you merely for speaking to me.”
“Then it is time to address that,” I decided. Lilastien had given me the faintest, most desperate hope. I wasn’t about to let a little thing like politics taint that. “Can you be spared from here, for a while?” I asked. “Will Alya be all right without you?”
“What?” she asked, surprised. “Of course, but... Minalan, I am under arrest! I am not allowed to leave here, by the law of the Council! I cannot pass the barrier, I cannot use the Waypoints here, I cannot—”
“There have been some changes,” I said, simply, as I rose. “Give me your hand,” I insisted, holding mine out. She looked hesitant and doubtful, but she sighed, stood, and put her tiny hand in my palm. I reached out, and before she could object I pulled her through the Ways toward a very particular Waystone.
A moment later we were staring down at Raer Haruthel, high lord of Carneduin, one of the final great fortresses of the Alka Alon.
I never knew Alka Alon took hot baths. Or how much they valued their privacy while doing so, A moment later we were in the anteroom to Haruthel’s chamber, waiting until his two young attendants were finished with the job.
“All right, that did not go as smoothly as I imagined,” I said, apologetically, as we sat on a bench.
“He’s gotten so old,” she smirked. “I thought I’d aged, but Haruthel... Minalan, how did you get through the barrier?”
“The Alkan Ways,” I supplied.
“The Ways into my realm were blocked,” she said, shaking her head.
“I brought my own Waypoint,” I said smugly. “They didn’t think of that.” I explained about the Waystones, and how I’d traded a few for a fortune in irionite. “So, once I got back inside your Sartha Wood, I made sure I could get back out without taking the long way. Magelord’s prerogative.”
“That prerogative does not extend to unannounced interruptions, my boy,” Haruthel said, as he entered the room wrapped in a towel. “I know your people have very casual ways, but the Alka Alon value their privacy at such intimate moments,” he lectured.
“My apologies, Raer,” I said with a bow. “I had a matter that would brook no delay in my mind. I should have contacted you first.”
He glanced from me to Lilastien, his green eyes thoughtful and troubled. “If the matter involved Elre, then I can see why you hesitated. Good morrow, Lilastien,” he said, with a bow.
“Good morrow, Haruthel,” she said, returning the bow with just a hint of sass. “This was not my idea,” she began.
“I didn’t think it was,” Haruthel said, looking back at me. “Magelord Minalan, I assume your impetuosity has merit?”
“As hasty as my people are, my lord, I rarely act without cause,” I pointed out. “I wish to speak to the Council concerning parole for Lilastien.”
Haruthel looked at me with a mixture of skepticism and curiosity. “This old prisoner? Why?”
“Because I need her,” I declared. “We need her,” I corrected. “With Korbal’s rise, we find ourselves challenged on new fronts in new ways. Undead are beginning to infiltrate human society. His possession of Anthatiel gives him tremendous advantage. I need all the resources I can muster, to deal with the threat.”
“Have we not provided enough irionite?” he asked, cautiously.
“For now,” I conceded. “But this war cannot be won by power alone. In just a few months we’ve seen how quickly Korbal’s minions have acted on his behalf, and how insidious even their clumsy moves have been.”
“They fight a war, like any war,” Haruthel agreed.
“No, not like any war,” I countered. “My lord, fighting Shereul dictates that we use power and armies to counter him. With Korbal, the pieces are different. If we try to fight a traditional war against such an insidious foe, we will lose before we begin.”
“Korbal’s machinations are legendary,” Haruthel conceded, leading us to a smaller chamber where chairs and cushions had been prepared for us. “He fought a long war against a superior force and held out for years. And that was without support from anyone but the Enshadowed.”
“With Sheruel’s aid, and the defenses of Olum Seheri to hide behind, he will be far more secure, this time,” I proposed. “From what we’ve seen he has mixed the fanaticism of the Enshadowed with the villainy of humanity, and begun using his disciples – in the bodies of humans – infiltrate southern Alshar. If they are successful, they will use the Duchy’s resources to prosecute their secret war against the rest of humanity.”
“You think he would waste his energies on mere humans? No offense,” he added.
“None taken. But yes, I think he would. He already has, based on what we’ve learned. Pitting us against ourselves to weaken us, while Shereul waits his chance to descend on what’s left. When they’re done with us, they can march their slave armies on the Alka Alon citadels with impunity. Sheruel’s powers were bad enough... combined with Korbal’s sorcery and human ingenuity, how long until they fall?”
The idea made the tiny Alkan lord shudder. “Little has changed,” he said, shaking his head.
I suppose Briga made me particularly persuasive, that day, or perhaps Raer Haruthel was simply anxious to finish his bath... but he finally nodded.
“I see your point, Minalan,” he nodded. “But of all remedies to apply to this grave situation, why... her? ” he asked. He didn’t look at her with disgust, as much as disregard.
“Because in this new phase of the war, I will need guile. I need wisdom. I need intelligence. I need resources that span our two civilizations. Gods, I’ll need more than that. I will need someone who can look askance at the board and find ways to gain victory where others would only see their own rigid perceptions. In short, my lord, I need a rebel. Elre .”
He snorted, which looks particularly funny on an Alkan, but I didn’t laugh. “Her? The last time she knew your folk, Perwyn was sinking below the waves. Humanity is entirely different, now,” he dismissed.
“Bullshit,” I said, quoting my father and shaking my head. I wished I knew the Alkan word for “bullshit”, but as I didn’t I used the Narasi term. “We haven’t changed, not that much. Our civilization may have fallen but we’re still the same species, with the same strengths and weaknesses that we brought with us from the Void. No one knows humanity better among your people than Lilastien – unless you disagree.”
“I am the last surviving member of the Callidore Colonial Medical Association, board certified in nine different specialties,” she informed him. “By their own, best accounting, I am an expert in human biology.”
“And you think that would be helpful?” he asked, doubtfully.
“With Korbal using our bodies and souls like kindling wood? I dare say,” I nodded. “I need her. We need her. Whatever crimes she may have committed have long lost their relevancy.”
“Such a decision would require the acquiescence of the full Council,” he said, skeptically.
“A council you invited me to,” I reminded him. “I am willing to plead my case before them all, if you wish. I will reveal all I have learned to them in the process, including my conclusions about our fortunes in the war.” That was a bold move. Haruthel was generally friendly toward me, as a representative of human civilization. He’d sponsored the proposal to include me in the Alkan council, arguing that our common foe required closer cooperation, after the disaster at Anthatiel.
But this wasn’t me being the helpful and stalwart human ally. This was me being a pain in the ass, and we both knew it.
Thankfully, Master Haruthel also knew me well enough to know I wouldn’t make such a push unless I was certain of it. I hadn’t tried to extort more weapons or more resources from him, during our association. I had given a corner of my lands to Lord Aeratas to act as a base for his exiled people. I’d been on my best behavior – considering the more conservative Alka Alon on the Council saw me as yet-another barbarian warrior-prince.
“You make some valid points,” he sighed. “I will contact the rest of the executive council and see what their thoughts are. I warn you, they may call you to make your plea in full council, as you say. They may refuse outright – you made many enemies, Lilastien,” he said, reprovingly.
“Many are apparently now in the faction of the Enshadowed,” she pointed out. “Or dispossessed. Would they really use their old grudges to doom us all?”
“You think yourself so important, Elre?” he countered.
“I think that you’ve all let things go to shit while I’ve been locked up,” she accused, hotly. Haruthel backed up. “The Council was designed to bring order and harmony to the realm, and you’ve used it to keep the humani ignorant of their heritage and their potential!”
“We’ve done nothing of the sort!” he said, putting his little hands on his little hips. “We allowed them to develop naturally – as you advised, if you remember!”
“Develop, yes! Suffer in ignorance and squalor? No! Now look what has happened,” she continued, circling him. “Our own sins have returned to curse us threefold! The gurvani! Korbal! And allowing the humani to devolve so badly!”
“I’d think an Avalanti would appreciate the value of the simple life!” he snorted. This time I probably smirked, but I didn’t think he’d noticed.
“Don’t use that old ‘rustic simpletons’ stereotype on me! ” she retorted, heatedly. “If the smug superiority of the Versaroti hadn’t tried to undermine the purpose of the Council in the first place for their own ends, half of the realm wouldn’t be in ruins!”
“This is hardly the time or place to revisit old arguments,” I said, trying to be the voice of reason. Me. “I think its best if we focus our efforts on our highest, most critical priorities. I want to win this war more than anyone,” I promised. “I’ll do it with or without her, if I have to. But I think it will be easier with her. I’ll do it with or without you , too,” I suggested to Master Haruthel. “But I think it will be easier with you.”
“Minalan,” he sighed, shaking his head, “I appreciate your eagerness and commitment – I really do – but this goes beyond mere politics and old loyalties. Lord Aeratas and his Tera Alon have scandalized many of the wider council, and his abrupt change in position after his devastating loss caused many to re-examine the situation. Indeed, we have done little else. We understand this is a crisis,” he said, sadly. “One with far greater potential for disaster than you realize.”
“Extinction seems sufficient motivation,” I replied, drolly. “Need I another?”
“I do not doubt that we need a fresh perspective and new resources,” Haruthel agreed, reluctantly. “But it will be difficult to convince the others that Elre has sufficiently paid for her crimes... or is no longer a danger.”
“Then set her parole,” I suggested. “Give her a few years to work with me, and if she performs in good faith, perhaps you will reconsider. What can it hurt?”
“It does seem petty, in the face of the danger ahead,” she encouraged. “Not that I am uncomfortable in my prison, Haruthel. I will grant you that.”
“You would have been far less comfortable, had the gods not intervened,” he countered with a hint of scowl.
“They were grateful for my service to Perwyn,” she said, angrily. “I did not ask them for their interference.”
“Yet their interference inflamed the opposition you face upon the council!”
“Then the Council needs to come to terms with that... as well as a good many other things! This poor boy has risked his life a dozen times to defend your people and his, and what have you done in return? Not even gone to the aid of your kinsmen in a time of need? Have you sent word to the other realms? Have you mobilized our defenses?”
“You are not in charge of the Council, Lilastien!” he snapped back. “Nor were you ever! There are a great many things to balance, here, as you well know! We proceed with caution and diligence, lest we overstep and find ourselves in lasting peril!”
“We’re in bloody lasting peril!” Lilastien said, rolling her eyes. “Do you think I want to get involved in another war? One involving gods? Worse, one involving gods of our own creation? I’m an old woman used to a quiet life, content to my studies in my own – very well protected – land. But I’ve invested too much time and energy into the humani to see them destroyed so casually, when they are willing to fight. And I’ve more pride in my own race than to stand idly by when good people are damned by our mistakes.”
“They were not our mistakes!”
Haruthel exclaimed, defensively. “We did the best we could, at the time, under those circumstances. The very best we could!”
“Then do that again,” Lilastien insisted, poking him in the chest. It was like watching an old, cranky and very short married couple fighting. “The very best we can includes letting me help this poor boy in his mad quests to save our own kindreds, as well as his people. If my old, enfeebled mind is all the help you can offer him, then why do you resist?”
“Enough!” he said, throwing his hands up in despair. “I will contact the others, and we will make an emergency ruling... for your parole, not your freedom!”
“If that’s all you can do...”
“Lilastien! Enough! ” I snapped. “Know when you’ve won!”
“She knows neither defeat or victory, only chaos!” the master of Carneduin complained. “Bide here. I will return,” he said, and slouched off.
“You really pissed him off!” I whispered, when he was gone.
“He’s actually not that bad,” she conceded, sulkily. “He argued for mercy, during my trial. But he still voted for house arrest!”
“I’m sure he felt very bad about it, afterwards,” I soothed.
“Regardless, I’m impressed with what you’ve done, Minalan,” she replied in an answering whisper. “A bold move, and presumptuous. One guaranteed to rile certain parties.”
“Hopefully, it will compel them to action,” I said, hopefully. “Beyond that, I found having such a resource as yourself constrained, when I have need of it, an obstacle to my goals. If the Council really wants me to sit as a member as humanity’s representative, then it needs to get used to such action. Or else find them a new wizard.”
“Well said, young man,” Lilastien said, approvingly. “You remind me of another human boy who was a friend of mine, back in the last days of Perwyn: Aaron.”
“A wizard?”
The Spellmonger's Yule: A Spellmonger Series Short Story Page 9