by Jack Porter
Raven shook her head. “We eat together every night, but not always at this table. And the ritual isn’t something we do all the time. However, tonight we are bonded together as one. You have seen our queen, and therefore you are part of us now.”
“Bonded?” I asked.
“Like a blood pact?” Ilana asked, looking horrified.
“Do not be alarmed,” Raven said. “It is not like the horrible oaths the Wraith King makes his slaves swear to him. We do not ask an oath of fealty or a commitment of any kind.”
I was feeling good, and Raven’s words made complete sense. After all, I hadn’t promised to do anything at all for the wood elves.
But I wanted to.
“I will go get her,” I said.
27
The words came out of my mouth naturally, and I wasn’t even surprised when I said them. No, they didn’t have anything to do with my current quest for the prophecy, but I didn’t have any leads for that anyway.
And besides, I wanted to. There was something about these elves that I felt connected to, and it had nothing to do with their pretty faces and beautiful bodies. Although I didn’t mind those either.
Sarina had turned and was looking at me calmly but with narrowed eyes. She was almost resigned to this, as if she had expected me to volunteer. Ilana didn’t even bother to look at me, but she picked up her goblet of poison and took another sip before eating some more berries. I didn’t know if it was because she wanted to feel closer to the elves, or if she just wanted to enjoy the high. It was a slightly odd thing for her to do, but then she was a succubus, and prone to exploring her wild side.
Wren, however, was staring at me with an open mouth, and I could see the surprise on her face. She didn’t say anything yet, though, and I knew she didn’t want to openly question me in front of the other elves. It was something I appreciated, but didn’t see the need for. Because even though I couldn’t explain it, I trusted Raven implicitly.
Although, maybe I was still just high.
A few of the other elves murmured their surprise, but Raven withheld her opinion for the time being.
“Is this what you wanted when you had me complete the ritual with you?” I asked.
“No,” she said. “There was no subterfuge or ulterior motive. If you feel the need to risk your life to go after Kali—because risking your life is exactly what it would be—then that is the work of the goddess, not me. However, if you are serious about doing this, I will give you all the aids that I can.”
“That would be much appreciated,” I said.
At some unseen signal, the evening meal seemed to be over. The elves slowly began to leave in clumps of twos and threes. I saw several looking back at me, and their voices came in hushed tones. I caught some of them, but they were merely words of surprise and maybe hope.
However, I didn’t know how I was going to march back into Maelon’s camp and get Kali. I could go in with lightning blazing from my fingers, but somehow I thought I would have trouble getting so close to Maelon this time. It was still a puzzle as to why he let me go so easily, and I couldn’t help but wonder if he was just dicking with me.
Raven gestured for us to leave the table, and we followed her as she led us back to the chamber we had used earlier. The large bath had been removed, and more blankets and pillows had been left on the bed.
“We will hold a council tomorrow,” she said. “And we will determine a course of action.”
She turned and touched my face, her fingers running through my beard. “You are a brave man, Jon. And although I see darkness in you, I also see much light.”
After getting naked, we all piled onto the bed, Wren included. The drug-induced euphoria was fading, leaving me pleasantly sleepy. But I pulled Ilana close anyway, wrapping my arms around her waist just underneath her wings, and kissing her on the lips.
“What do you think about all this?” I asked her.
She smiled. “About you rushing headlong into danger? That no longer surprises me, Jon. Have you thought anymore about what I said? About doing something for yourself?”
I smiled. “I admit that I haven’t. Unless,” I kissed her again, “you count my time spent with you and Sarina.”
The succubus breathed on me, and I registered that strong, heady, and erotic scent that always seemed to emanate from her. My dick stirred against her, but I was almost too tired to do anything about it. It was the first time in a long time I could say anything like that. And while it may have been an alarming development, I felt at peace in her arms. Ilana seemed to know and recognized that I was perhaps going to sleep dreamlessly for the first time in months, and so she wrapped herself closer to me, pressing soft kisses to my chest until I fell asleep.
The only time I woke that night was with a hard-on that I finally couldn’t ignore. And since Ilana was still in my arms, I took advantage of our proximity. Our lovemaking was sweet and slow, and it was fun to try not to disturb the others. Sated once more, we spent the rest of the night alternately sleeping, fucking, and sleeping again. And although it couldn’t have been said to be my most restful night, it was certainly the most peaceful, for not one dream or vision plagued me.
28
“This is what we know,” Raven said.
It was the next morning, and we once again sat at the table, only this time with fewer elves. The early light of dawn was filtering through the boughs above us, and the flowers on the vines were once again releasing their sweet aromatic scent.
Raven, along with two female elves and two male elves, sat on one side of the table, and I sat on the other with my companions.
“Maelon is not afraid to practice blood magic when he needs to,” Raven said. “I do not know exactly what he is capable of, because he often practices in secret. But you must be prepared for anything when meeting him.”
I nodded. “Does he fight with magic?”
“Yes, I believe so.” Raven stood and began pacing behind her elf companions. “The last time we went against the Deceiver in battle, he cast dark spells on us that were similar to those that a mage might use, and while riding that Hellpig of his. He is a formidable force.”
Sarina leaned forward, placing her elbows on the table. “How did you defeat him then?”
“It was less of a victory and more of a hunt through the forest. He disappeared just as we were closing in on him.” Raven looked bitter at this.
“What is his weakness?” Sarina asked. “All warriors have one.”
“Maelon’s biggest weakness is that he is arrogant,” Raven said. “And as such, you would think he would make mistakes. However, he is also very intelligent and manipulative. And if he has made mistakes, we have not spotted them or he has been good at hiding them.”
I ran my hand over the smooth the table, marveling at the wood grain and how finely polished it was. Like everything in this hall, it felt both ancient and young, with a freshness that was rarely found in Hell.
“There was a woman we were to meet a few days ago, at a water sanctuary in the Slavers’ Bowl,” I began. “When we got there, she had been slaughtered along with everyone at the sanctuary. And when we tracked down the rogues who did it, they pointed us to a seer in the forest and the warlord.”
Raven paused and turned toward me. “Is this why you want to go back and talk to her?” she asked, and her voice held a tinge of anger.
“No,” I said. “What I told you was true. I feel a connection to your people, and I want to help. However, I can’t help wonder why Kali, if she is the seer, would order such an attack. Or why the warlord would order an attack on her word.”
Raven nodded. “It is true that he has been using her abilities to raid people in the plains. But as to your question, I do not know. Perhaps he only said it was on her orders and perhaps he had other reasons for attacking that sanctuary.”
I sighed. “It would be nice to think so, and yet the circumstances are too, well… circumstantial. That she was killed the very night we were to meet her.”
“May I ask this woman’s name?” one of the other elves asked, a male. He looked at me openly and honestly, and yet I couldn’t help but wonder how much he actually trusted me.
“Ferlenna. Does that sound familiar?”
When none of the elves seemed to recognize the name, I stood. “Then I’ll just have to ask Kali when we find her. However, I’m beginning to think that particular mission of mine has no end. And now that I’ve learned about the attack on Crowmore, I’m going to have to return there to help the Dark Elves. Soon.”
Raven’s eyes seemed to glitter and glow blue again for just a second as she regarded me, and then she began her pacing again, only to turn and circle the table completely to meet me on the other side. “What is it that you seek?” she asked.
I considered her for a moment. “Maybe I will tell you some day. But right now,” I said, “we are losing daylight and Maelon isn’t going to free Kali without some persuasion.”
Raven nodded to me. “I have a suggestion.”
“Yes?”
“If you are truly not afraid to meet him one-on-one, then perhaps that is our answer. Perhaps you should challenge him to combat, as equals, and in a tournament in which no one else can interfere.”
Sarina stood up sharply and put her hand on her sword. “Jon’s life is too valuable to risk that!”
I put a steadying hand on her arm, but she jerked her wrist out of my grasp. Then she turned to me. “No, Jon, this is foolishness. What will happen if you die on this mission? What will happen to the people who are counting on you?”
I was a bit shocked, and at first I thought Sarina was talking about herself. Standing, I tried to turn her so she would look at me. But the redhaired woman took a few steps away, only to turn and glare at us all. “I am sorry for the loss of your queen,” she said to Raven. “But Jon cannot be spared. He is not a champion for those in need.”
“But maybe that is what I am, Sarina.” I looked at her, into those now glistening green eyes that were packed with so much feeling. “Maybe that’s all I’ll ever be here.”
We stood there looking at each other for some time, and I could tell that she was trying to will me into changing my mind but wasn’t going to actually ask it of me. I felt chafed to the soul, as if she had betrayed me. But then I also felt as if I had betrayed her. Because she was right. If I died, what would happen to her? What would happen to Ilana?
Wren could perhaps find a way. But the other two were bound to the Wraith King in some way, and without me, they could be forced to go back to him and to eternal torment. And after promising Sarina we would find a way to free her from her bond, I had done nothing about it.
So it was with a heavy heart that I spoke the next words. “Do you wish me to hole myself up in a cave somewhere or castle tower where I won’t be any good?” I asked. The words seemed to stick in my throat, because I knew I was slicing directly into Sarina’s heart.
A single tear fell down her cheek, the first time I had ever seen her shed one. Ilana and Wren remained silent, as did the other elves.
“By the goddess, Jon,” Sarina said quietly. “Do you think I am weak? Do you think I am without courage? I would think that I have proved myself to you over and over. But without you, we cannot win this fight. And to sacrifice your life for someone who has already thwarted your plans seems to be foolhardy at best.”
“You don’t think I can win,” I said.
Sarina laughed, but it was humorless. “I have seen you do many wonderful things, and many feats of strength that outshine that of any human or elf. But this warlord—there is power in him. As there is in you. I think it is folly to go against him untested.”
As if suddenly remembering that they were there, Sarina looked at everyone else at the table. She angrily wiped the tear that had dropped to her chin, turned on her heel, and walked away. I was left standing there, feeling uncomfortable and slightly angry at her outburst. In fact, it seemed slightly out of place for her, but I resolved to go talk to her about it later.
Turning to the others, I said, “One-on-one combat sounds like our best bet. Do you think he will answer it?”
Raven blinked, as if she had forgotten what we were talking about. “Yes, I believe so,” she said. “Especially if you are careful to challenge him in front of his warriors. He will not risk losing face in front of them.”
“Okay then,” I said. “Where do we go from here?”
29
We didn’t want to give Maelon a chance to refuse, so we didn’t send an envoy out with an official challenge.
Instead, we were going to assemble a party and personally deliver the challenge. Raven wouldn’t leave the city unprotected, but she was going to gather forty capable elves—archers and spear maidens—who could go with us. She would personally lead them, and the rest would stay in defense of their homes in case the warlord sent someone to attack during our duel.
“What would happen if he does that?” I asked Raven as I was checking on my horse. I was going to have to leave the mare there in the city where she could be taken care of, as it didn’t make any sense to take her into combat just yet. Not within the trees.
Raven was letting my as-yet-unnamed mare nuzzle her neck. “If the attack is too much, we can retreat into the cave systems,” she said. “But we haven’t had to do that since the necromancer rose up against the deities.”
“What happened then?”
“Death. Much death. Our people tried to fight him at first. We had many sword maidens and swordsmen who fought his first wraiths and Hellhounds. Most of them died. And then, when the gods and goddesses fell one by one, we tried to remain true to them. And then, there was only one left. Then the necromancer had a hold on everything.”
She paused for a moment. “So we came here, in the sanctuary of her ancestors. For some time, we hid our elflings in the caves and our elderly watched over them as we guarded the forest night and day. After that, the caves just became a way of life, and our homes rose up around them and outside them. We thought it best not to try to attract attention to ourselves, and more and more we sought the solitude of this forest. And so here we are.”
“But not all of you stay here,” I said. “What about the elves who are part of Maelon’s harem? Or the elves I’ve seen in Crowmore?”
Raven let go of my horse’s head and patted her on the neck. “Some do not wish to stay in the forest because they feel it is restrictive. And we let them leave if they want to.”
Wren walked up then, bringing grain for the horses. She saw me talking to Raven and smiled. My mare whinnied when she saw Wren and moved over to her voluntarily.
“And what about the half-elves?” I asked. “Why are they abandoned?”
Raven watched Wren interact with the horses and then said, “The lives of half-elves are not easy. I admit that my people have not always been welcoming toward them. I have sought to change their treatment, and I know Kali did before she was stolen from us. But Maelon is the one you really need to watch out for. He and his rogues are the ones responsible for abandoning half-elflings in the forest, and sending out the giant Hellpig to hunt them down. Your friend’s escape is rather miraculous.”
Wren looked over at us, and the smile slipped from her face. “You don’t think…” she began. Then she shook her head and turned back to the horses.
But I knew what she was thinking. She was thinking, or rather hoping, that Maelon wasn’t her father. I didn’t think he was old enough, but some of his men might have been.
Raven seemed to sense what I was thinking as well, for she didn’t ask any further questions. Instead, I left them and went to find Sarina.
When I arrived back at our quarters, Ilana had beat me there and was in a spectacular fight with Sarina. I had never seen them go at each other like this before, but they were standing close, glaring at one another, and if their eyes could throw daggers, they would have.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“Ilana is having an i
ssue with me,” Sarina said.
“I have an issue with the way you have treated Jon,” Ilana said. “What’s gotten into you?”
“I do not have to explain myself to you!” The fierce redhaired woman turned and walked over to a table and poured herself some water. “I already said how I feel at the table, and I don’t care that the elves heard.”
“And I heard you,” I said, my anger starting to take hold. “And I can’t exactly explain it, except that I feel this is the right course of action. Do you think I want to delay going back to help the elves? Do you think I want to let the war fester any longer than it has to?”
Sarina turned to me. “Then why are we?” she asked scathingly.
I ran my hands through my hair, and found that it had fallen out of its ponytail. “You don’t have to go,” I said. “Neither of you have to go. I don’t… I don’t want to risk your lives, and while I’m grateful that you’ve been at my side this far, I don’t expect you to follow me everywhere.”
Sarina jerked back as if I had stung her, and maybe I had. I hadn’t meant to, but it was the way I felt. I didn’t want to endanger them anymore than they already had been.
Ilana laughed again, and then she turned to look at me and suddenly I felt a shift in the room as if both of them were suddenly united against me. “Jon, where else would we go? Do you expect us to run back to the Wraith King? To live here with the elves? We’ve already established that no one wants us, and now the one man who does is telling us he doesn’t care if we leave.”
I shook my head. “That’s not what I meant and you know it. I’m only concerned about your lives—”
“And I’m concerned about yours!” Sarina shouted. “How dare you suggest that you care more for us than we do about you!”
I didn’t know what to say that. And so, I decided not to address it at all. “I only meant I don’t want either one of you to feel bound to me by duty or by any sense of necessity. I don’t think we’ll ever come to peace, and somehow here they have a little bit of it. The wood elves have been less prejudiced against you than any other people we’ve met, so I’m only suggesting that if you want to stay behind, you could, and maybe protect them here if needed. But I hope it doesn’t come to that.”