They made their way deeper and deeper into the city as structures became larger and more intricate in their designs. The crowd had grown larger and larger to the point where the horses could travel no farther. The Der’ Tanellian people were hungry to meet the boy, even if for just a single moment. Grand Admiral Song took charge and commanded the ravenous citizens to stand back, saying, “Make way for the great and powerful Shadow Elementalist!” It was flattering to Lenthean to get all of this attention, he could not deny that.
A path was finally cleared for him, so the boy dismounted the horse he shared with another rider. Lenthean looked up and nodded to him. The man from Kethar’s squad nodded back. Lenthean paced past Kethar and Rendall, only to be tugged back by the shoulder of his shirt. Lenthean looked to Kethar, the culprit, as Kethar said, “Remember our deal, Shadow One. I will honor my end if you honor yours.” It was difficult to hear the deep voice under the roar of applause and cheer. But the boy did hear, and nodded to confirm Kethar’s words. The boy freed himself from the grip and Kethar let him walk on with Admiral Song.
“We are here in the royal court now,” Admiral Song said, guiding Lenthean through the many citizens’ hands tugging on him. There was a fountain in the center of the large stone court. Cracked and split, it wasn’t running. The surrounding city was well kept and well lit, but this fountain was decaying.
Admiral Song continued, “And to our right, Lenthean, is our destination. The royal halls of our leadership. Inside is our beloved ruler and his brother. They wait for your company.”
Lenthean nodded and continued through the crowds with Admiral Song.
The throne room was massive. Marble pillars towered hundreds of feet up to the sky. A blood-red velvet rug draped down the steps that led into the open-door halls. Most notable were the three grand sculptures of the brothers—Aderan on the left, Erendar in the center, and the elusive Gargonath on the right. They were intricate in detail, down to every strand of hair on their head. The artist who had crafted these statues made clever placements of lightning around Aderan’s origin, making it look like lightning spat from him even if it was nothing but stone. Erendar’s sculpture had eyes of white and the magnificent Elementalist armor, much like Aderan. Gargonath wielded a large claymore, resting it on his shoulder. The sculptures were proud and inspiring to say the least. Lenthean admired the statues’ massive size as he and Admiral Song passed by them. The boy also found it peculiar that the raging crowds behind him would not take a single step onto the stairs of the royal throne room of their beloved leader. They stopped chasing Lenthean without any guard intervention. They watched as Lenthean vanished into the echo chamber of the throne room.
Pillars lined each side of the throne room. The red velvet carpet was soft beneath his feet. The grand golden chandeliers were vibrant and sparkling with light. Golden candlesticks and guards adorned in red and gold lined each wall all the way down to the throne. The throne was cushioned with red and black velvet lacing. Most notably, the throne was empty. No one sat on it. Above the crown of the throne was a large, perched, golden eagle, at least two stories in height. It pierced down, poised to strike anyone kneeling before the throne—at least, it appeared that way. Aside from the marvelous views, the throne room was just that. Doors to various rooms were on each side wall.
Lenthean spun in place to view all of it. It was all absolutely stunning. That is, until, a peculiar voice called out the boy’s name.
“Lenthean!” it called out. It was so nostalgic, he knew it from the moment the L in his name rung out. It was the voice of his mother, Ayla.
Lenthean shot back over his shoulder to see her standing there before him, arms extended out, tears beginning to flow. “MOM!” Lenthean called out. He darted as fast as he could and fell into a full embrace of her arms. “MOM!” he announced again. They both sobbed as they held one another.
“I’m so happy you’re alive, Lenthean,” she said while kissing the side of his head. “Your markings! The one on your eye, your forearm too. I’m not used to seeing them without their covers! The world knows about you now; you’re the talk of Fredrickstown!”
The boy laughed in the midst of his tears of joy. “You would not believe what I have been through since I left, Momma.”
She pulled away and held his face with her hands. “I’m sure it’s a wonderful story, Lenthean.” She smiled. It was so happy and bright, a sight for Lenthean’s sore eyes.
“What happened?” the boy pressed. “Did they hurt you? Why are you here in the heart of Der’ Tanel?” It was then the boy realized she was in a royal white gown of sorts adorned with precious jewels across the torso. He hadn’t noticed the gown before; he anticipated she would be a prisoner to the Der’ Tanel rulers. But there she stood before him without a scratch, hair done with a royal tiara resting comfortably on her head.
“I’m fine!” she said. “They found out where we lived. It was only a matter of time, Lenthean.”
“What are you doing in this gown?” Lenthean asked.
“Well, the Der’ Tanellian soldiers came knocking on my door several weeks after you left home. I thought that was the end of me. Much to my surprise, they offered me a royal carriage with the fastest horses in all the land. They promised me a life of security and riches untold. The soldiers were even nice enough to give me a few days to think about it. And now, here I am!” Lenthean’s mother said to him.
Lenthean asked, “Why do they want you here? In such good care?”
“Hello, my dearest friend.” A bold male voice spoke from their side. They both turned. Lenthean’s heart stopped. Tall height. Aryan complexion. Pointed ears. Structured face. White Hair. Elementalist armor. It was none other than one of the famed Der’ Tanellian leaders, Erendar—the Soul Elementalist.
Lenthean sprung into a fighting stance. Ayla shouted, “Lenthean! No! Erendar is a friend!” Lenthean raised an eyebrow at Erendar.
“That’s right, my son,” Erendar said. “I am pleased that you were gracious enough to accept our invitation.” Erendar stepped up to Lenthean and dipped his head. Lenthean did not mimic the Soul Elementalist. Instead, he asked, “What do you want?”
Erendar laughed softly. “Come now, Lenthean. It’s a joy to have you here in the Der’ Tanellian people’s throne room. You will be delighted to try the food of our finest chefs in the nation. Or to witness the racing sports, or the—”
“I have no interest in what you or your people do,” Lenthean interrupted.
Ayla grabbed her son’s arm. “Lenthean, please, let Erendar speak. He really has been kind and generous to me during my stay. He’s given me a life I never knew could exist!”
Lenthean growled the words, “They have shown me what they are made of. They can’t be trusted.”
“Now why is that?” Erendar asked the youth.
“Well if you’re even remotely like your brother. . .” Lenthean started.
“Who, Aderan?”
Erendar erupted into hysterical laughter.
Lenthean and Ayla looked at one another, then back to Erendar.
“Look, Lenthean. My brother Aderan was a bit of a . . . well . . . let’s face it. Nationalist? Wouldn’t you say?”
“A bit more than that,” Lenthean stated. “He was a maniac. He killed so many—” Lenthean was spilling words quickly from his mouth.
Erendar cut him off quickly, “Aderan was a very. . . extreme person . . . and became quite emotionally invested in what we, the Der’ Tanellians, truly strive for. Unfortunately, in his passion, he lost sight of what the Brotherhood is really about. I certainly hope you will reconsider our nation and our nation’s people.”
“Not quite,” Lenthean said.
“I understand, Lenthean,” Erendar said. “Aderan must have twisted your mind in his efforts to show you how great a nation Der’ Tanel has become. But no matter, I will show you how great we have become.”
“You won’t have a chance at that, Erendar. I came all this way for my mother. I was under t
he impression you had kidnapped her. Now that I know she is safe, we will be on our way.”
Erendar laughed once more. “Why, my son, I would never do such a thing as kidnapping your mother to coerce you into attending a royal dinner with me. I am not a barbarian, you know. You both are free to leave at any time.”
Lenthean’s mother agreed. “Lenthean, he didn’t kidnap me. You must’ve gotten bad information. I was never harmed, not once. I’ve been treated like royalty since they arrived at our home in Fredrickstown.”
“You manipulative piece of . . .” Lenthean started.
“Before you say too much,” Erendar interrupted, “your mother signed a deal with me.”
“What deal?” the boy asked.
“I told her if she could convince you to stay with me and learn about who our people really are, I would grant financial and physical protection to both her and your Uncle Zuthar, who still resides in Fredrickstown. It would be a free pass in a world of war. Harm would not and could not befall them.”
“It’s true,” Ayla agreed. “I won’t leave, Lenthean; I just won’t. This man has shown me how wrong all of the history books have been. How great their cause is—it’s really something special! And if we stay for just a few weeks, he promises that we won’t even want to leave! And not only that, he’ll pay us to live happily forever in Fredrickstown if we do choose to leave! Just in my month or so of being here he has gained my trust, Lenthean. He truly has!” Ayla exclaimed.
Lenthean was puzzled. He didn’t know what to make of all of this.
“Is this true, Mother?” Lenthean asked. “You are not under fear of this man if you are to say something he would disagree with?”
Erendar covered his eyes and turned his back to them. “You may leave now!” He said sarcastically with a lifted hand. “No one is stopping you, I won’t see you go.”
Lenthean looked at his mother. “Mom, is this really what you want to do? To stay here?”
“At least for the few weeks, like he asked. Maybe he can teach you a thing or two about being an Elementalist! I promise, it will be worth it.”
Lenthean turned his head back to Erendar. “Don’t expect me to be thrilled or to fully trust you right away. But I trust my mother’s intuition. We will stay. But we will leave once our deal is up.”
Erendar turned around with a smile. “Splendid.”
30: The Grass Is . . . Greener?
“Rise and shine!” Lenthean’s mother said to him. She was standing above him. They had shared a bedroom the night before. Her bed was on the other side of the room. And directly beside it was a pillar of light from the tower’s windowsill. Lenthean lifted his head off of the plush pillow. He rubbed his eyes and sat on the side of the mattress. “Come now, the breakfasts are so elegant!” his mother said. Lenthean nodded.
Ayla scurried out the door and down the twirling staircase. Lenthean, on the other hand, stepped toward the window and peered out. With just a brief glance, he could see pointed rooftops with steeples and red and gold flags. They all fluttered in the morning wind. Below, the boy could make out what looked to be crowds at the castle to celebrate Lenthean’s arrival to Der’ Tanel.
Why is this so weird? Lenthean thought. This whole situation just feels so . . . odd.
Lenthean did eventually follow his mother’s path down the narrow stairway corridor. He emerged at the bottom to find his mother eating a frosted pastry.
“Lenthean!” his mother exclaimed. “Try this one! It is a raspberry croissant!”
“I am not hungry,” Lenthean said.
“Well you certainly must make room for this. It’s like nothing you’ve ever tasted before; look!” Ayla took a bite of the gooey pastry. “See, it’s delicious!”
“Mom, I—”
She interrupted him. “Look! If you don’t like that, they have some scrumptious rolls! With the finest salt in all of Zanvia to caress it with its delicate flavor!”
“Mom, I think you’re a bit—”
“A bit what?” she interrupted.
“A bit . . . enthusiastic about all of this. Did they do something to you? I just find this all so hard to believe . . .” Lenthean tried his best to be delicate with his mother.
“Well, to be honest with you, Lenthean, it really has been to my surprise. These people are not the way the world makes them out to be. They’re nice, genuine, and—shockingly—above all else, they’re incredibly efficient! Their roads, their jobs, their food, all of it is wonderful here! You’ll see!”
“Are you sure that you aren’t just accustomed to Fredrickstown? So much that living here is simply, I don’t know . . . a culture shock?”
Ayla looked concerned. She placed a hand on his shoulder. “I understand your worry, Lenthean. But as much as I hate to admit this, I’m getting old!” She threw her arms out. “I know this world! Before Fredrickstown, I lived in many places. I know what other places are like, and Der’ Tanel really does have it made here! The whole world misunderstands what they’re doing. They really do.” She handed him a croissant. “And that is why I am so enthusiastic. It is pleasantly surprising to me,” she said with a smile.
“Hello, my son!” Erendar stepped into the room. Lenthean and Ayla turned to him.
“Having any breakfast this morning?” the Der’ Tanellian ruler asked Lenthean.
“No, I am not hungry,” Lenthean answered.
“What about you, Erendar?” Ayla asked. “Will you eat a pastry with me?”
“Certainly.” He replied. Erendar reached across the table to a lone breakfast loaf on a golden plate. No other pastry looked like it anywhere else on the table. “Mmm. Apricot.” He enjoyed.
Lenthean eyed Erendar. Erendar was in his Elementalist armor as he had been the night before. It was intricate and detailed as were the other armor sets he had witnessed on other Elementalists.
Erendar looked puzzled, but continued with focus. “Well, that’s quite all right. Come, you must see something, then,” Erendar motioned. Lenthean did follow, albeit with hesitation. He weaved through the many chefs in white aprons running around cleaning off the masses of food due to Lenthean’s disinterest to the breakfast.
Lenthean and Erendar made their way down the long corridor of the throne room. A rumble of cheering people was becoming more audible as the two paced for the grand golden doors. Erendar placed both hands broadly on the crest of the doors. “Are you ready to witness something spectacular?” Erendar asked.
Lenthean did not respond, so Erendar pushed the large gold doors open.
The crowd outside the castle went berserk. Screaming, cheering, and worshiping took place at the sight of Lenthean and Erendar. Erendar grinned once the sunlight met his face. Lenthean was in awe but refused to show it in his face. Army ranks as far as the eye could see spanned down the straight street that paved directly away from the castle’s origin. They all marched in unison.
The music began to sound—trumpets and flutes and strings and . . . bongo drums? Lenthean noticed tall lizard-like people playing bongo drums. They littered the streets with their instruments and danced in a tribal fashion. “Who are those people?!” Lenthean asked.
Erendar boastfully answered the boy’s question, “That, young Shadow Elementalist, are the Drakonas, lizard people of the east. Their nation immediately became aligned with us when we, the Brotherhood, took charge of this fine nation. They see the benefit our societal structure brings. It’s spectacular, is it not?”
Bouquets were thrown and cluttered the red velvet stairs that Erendar and Lenthean stood on. In all of the glorious chaos, Lenthean couldn’t help but notice that Erendar, to some extent, was right! Lenthean’s mother was too! The people here seemed happy. Especially compared to those the boy had met in Darthia. The people treated him like rubbish there. Here, the people loved him! They all looked well-kept, smiling, with families.
The armies chanted the following in song as they marched.
Tuhk mehn nah tu kah lah!
Take us to our
king!
Da verah verah meh tu keh lah!
Our mighty, mighty rulers!
Duhk nera temp na veh della lah!
Nothing can triumph our love for our leaders!
Tee ovah neh te khan melah ver tekne ve ah!
The only thing that stands between us and freedom is . . .
Tee ahverne’ k char teh neh ma lay!
The oppression of character that we here possess!
Mahk vee ahk mah verrey teh mu-teh-la ke mah day!
May we share this care with all the world and may it be saved!
Buhk na ve Deh meh lah!
Long live the Brotherhood!
“Do you see, my son?” Erendar asked. “Do these look like the faces of people who go hungry? The faces of people who seek violence in the world? The faces of people who despise their leadership? Here we are, without a word spoken, and they chant our names. Why do you think that is, Lenthean?”
Elementalist: The New Inheritance Page 19