by Victor Kloss
“Unfriendly? They killed them.”
“We don’t know that,” Ben said. “Natalie just said the diplomatic party never returned.”
“Good point. Perhaps they liked the forest so much they decided to stay.”
“I’m just saying we can’t be sure what happened. I don’t believe my parents would be friends with the wood elves if they really were evil. I also want to know about the spell they cast on me.”
Charlie’s eyes became distant at the mention of the spell. “Natalie won’t go for it.”
“I know,” Ben said with a sigh. “We will have to sneak off without her.”
Charlie’s face pained at the thought, but he offered no argument.
“It would have been nice to have her – for her knowledge I mean,” Charlie said, a little hurriedly. “We will have no idea where we’re going or what we’ll be up against.”
Ben saw Charlie’s embarrassment but ignored it. “She would have been a real help. But don’t worry – the two of us will work it out. I have a plan.”
— Chapter Sixteen —
Elizabeth’s Legacy
Ben woke to the sound of Charlie’s voice. The morning light streamed through the windows and the clock said 8am. Ben felt wonderfully refreshed. His recurring dream had not surfaced, enabling him to sleep right through the night.
“Very clever,” Charlie said.
Charlie was talking to himself unless there was somebody else in the room.
“I see what you’re doing,” Charlie continued. “But did you expect me to do this? I don't think so!”
Ben turned his head. Charlie was not in bed. He sat up and saw Charlie sitting on the couch. His hair was wet and he had a fluffy white towel about his waist, supported by his belly. He was leaning over the table staring intently at what looked like a game of chess, with several noticeable differences: the pieces weren’t familiar, the board was bigger and it had three layers with ramps connecting each one.
Charlie appeared to be playing against an invisible enemy, for as soon as Charlie had moved, one of the opposing pieces (a figure shaped like a wizard) slid forward of its own accord, taking one of Charlie’s pieces.
“What? You can do that?” Charlie asked aghast. He grabbed a heavy manual next to him and hurriedly flipped through the pages. A moment later he cursed.
“Morning,” Ben said.
Charlie was so engrossed in the manual Ben had to repeat his greeting several times before Charlie turned around.
“Ah, you’re up! You were sleeping so deeply I thought maybe you’d gone into unconsciousness.”
“What is that game you’re playing?”
“It’s called 'Captains of Magic’. It’s a bit like chess, but way cooler.” Charlie frowned down at the set. “I told my opponent to play easy, but I’m still being annihilated.”
“What opponent?”
“It’s magically operated,” Charlie said, with such nonchalance that for a moment Ben suspected the real Charlie had been abducted. “I have it on the difficulty level of a Lemming. Unfortunately, it seems even a Lemming is too good for me.”
Ben ran a hand through his scruffy hair in bemusement. “You’re taking all this magic surprisingly easily now,” he said.
Charlie lifted the big manual he had been reading. It was a hardback book with an expensive, red-leather cover. On the front it said “Hotel Jigona Guide” scrawled in elegant hand.
“I’ve spent about three hours reading this between last night and this morning. I can see why Natalie was so excited about this place. Did you know this was the first four-star hotel to run purely on magic? I’m beginning to see how they survive without science. Once the Unseens have infused an object with magic, anyone can use it as long as you know how.”
Charlie pointed to the chandelier hanging from the ceiling; its flames were flickering dimly, the morning light making it surplus to requirement.
“Check this out,” Charlie said.
The flames on the chandelier suddenly flared with such vigour they created a hanging fireball. Ben shielded his eyes, his hand warming from the heat. A moment later the candles dimmed and returned to normal.
“How did you do that?” Ben asked a grinning Charlie.
“It’s simple, just focus your attention on the chandelier and will it to the level of light you desire.”
Ben caught on quickly and spent the next five minutes amusing himself by turning the light on and off. They had a battle of will, with Ben trying to turn it on and Charlie attempting to turn it off. It was as if someone were going crazy with the dimmer, but eventually, with Ben straining every sinew, the chandelier burned brightly.
“It’s the same with everything,” Charlie said, wiping his perspiring brow with a white handkerchief. “You can tint the windows, control the hot water and a dozen other things I haven’t read about properly yet.”
Ben spent the time before breakfast indulging himself in a luxurious bath. There was even fresh underwear Ben assumed was complimentary. When he was clean and dressed, he felt better than he had in a long time. Only his stomach had anything to complain about.
“I wonder what breakfast in bed will be like,” Ben mused. “Is there anything in there about it?”
Charlie was still engrossed in the manual searching for an answer when 8:30am arrived.
Ben looked towards the door in anticipation, but a noise from the hearth made him turn. The fire, which was still dancing merrily, suddenly flared. Through the flames two young girls materialised and stepped through carrying silver trays filled with breakfast. They had wings like a butterfly, fine silver hair and innocent, angelic faces.
“Breakfast in bed, 8:30am as ordered,” the faeries said in union. They placed the trays on the low-lying table. “Is there anything else we can get for you?”
“We’re fine, thanks,” Ben said, recovering from the surprise first.
The faeries curtseyed and disappeared back up the fireplace, immune to the heat.
Ben took one look at the breakfast and promptly forgot about the manner in which it was delivered. There were eggs, bacon, sausages, hash browns, beans and piping hot tea. He had never seen anything so delicious.
“I wonder how they knew we weren’t vegetarians,” Charlie mused.
Before Ben really had time to appreciate the food, he had devoured most of it and was lounging back, cup of tea in hand, patting his stomach with great contentment.
“That was amazing,” Ben said.
“The cook is a wizard,” Charlie agreed.
With a full stomach and a proper night’s sleep, Ben felt ready to take on the world. But with a clear head, he also became alarmingly aware how risky yesterday’s idea to find the wood elves was. There was the Institute, who had ordered him to stay in Taecia. There was their “babysitter”, Natalie, who was sticking to them like glue. Then there was the small matter of finding the right group of wood elves and hoping they didn’t kill them like the Institute’s diplomatic party.
Ben sipped his tea. He might need to make a proper plan for once. He started brainstorming when somebody knocked on the door.
He got up and let Natalie in.
“Good morning,” she said brightly.
She had changed into a green dress, which highlighted her eyes; her dark brown hair fell over one shoulder. But it was her waist that caught Ben’s attention. She wore a Spellshooter in a discreet leather holster.
“I have practice today,” Natalie said, seeing Ben’s look. “Are we ready? You both look well fed and rested.”
They left the hotel room and headed towards the lift, but they had barely made it halfway when Ben stopped as if he’d hit a brick wall.
At the end of the corridor was a small group filing through the lift door. Their long silver hair, pale faces and shining swords were unmistakable.
Ben cast Natalie a stunned look, but she didn’t look surprised.
“The dark elves always stay here when visiting the Institute,” she said softly. “I
didn’t want to tell you and create unnecessary tension when I knew we’d probably never see them.”
Ben said nothing. Half of them had already disappeared through the lift door. The leader with the shifting cloak wasn’t there, but he may have already taken the lift.
At the back of the group was a younger elf. He would be the last to go through the door, which meant that for a split second, he would be alone.
Ben’s eyes narrowed. The dark elves were the key to all this. If he could learn the real reason they were after his parents, he might not need to track down the wood elves after all.
“Bad idea,” Charlie whispered. “Terrible idea.”
From the corner of his eye, he could see Charlie’s alarm and Natalie’s confusion.
Ben’s blue eyes locked onto the young elf like a tractor beam. As he was about to pass through the door, Ben gave a very loud, very obvious cough.
The dark elf stopped. His mouth opened in surprise when he recognised their faces.
There was a moment’s hesitation. The elf looked at the lift door and then back at them.
Ben gave the elf the sort of impudent grin that frequently earned him detention; he coupled this with a cheeky wave.
The elf forgot about the lift and started walking towards them.
“What have you done?” Natalie asked, her hand going to her mouth. She went from confusion to shock, and then horror in the blink of an eye.
Ben was momentarily taken aback – he had never seen such raw emotion from Natalie before; it threatened to breach his confidence. “Don’t worry, I have a plan. We’re just going to talk.”
“Ben, this is not what you think,” Natalie said. Her voice was tense and she spoke quickly, for the elf was quickly bearing down on them. “He might look young, but he is a dark elf. A pack of hungry lions would be less dangerous.”
Natalie’s analogy was hard to fathom. The dark elf was smaller than his fellows, though he was still a good head taller than Ben. His walk lacked a touch of the usual grace and Ben could see a few subtle pimples on the elf’s face. But Ben had no doubt the elf could still use the sword strapped to his waist. He had an ugly, hooked nose, cruel eyes and a sneer that seemed to be his default expression.
“Good morning, Aryan,” Natalie said, stepping forward. Ben was amazed to see how quickly she concealed her fear behind a gracious smile. “I hope you are well?”
“I was well,” Aryan said in a slimy voice. “I was heading down for breakfast minding my own business when I spotted a human sneering at me. Imagine my surprise when I realised it was none other than the Greenwood boy.”
“He is new to the Unseen Kingdoms and completely unaware of the politics, culture and respect your people are accustomed to.”
“That is no excuse,” Aryan sneered. “Your Institute is already in deep water thanks to the Greenwoods and now their son shows disrespect to the very people he should be trying to appease? I should report this to my general. With the treaty on a knife edge, a diplomatic blunder, no matter how small, is the last thing your Institute needs.”
This time Natalie shifted uncomfortably under the dark elf’s onslaught.
Ben had had enough. “I wasn’t smirking, I was smiling. I’m sorry if you can’t tell the difference.”
Aryan looked as though he’d been slapped and for a moment appeared at a loss for words. Ben had a fraction of a second to decide the best approach to take. He gambled and focused on the elf. His intense, blue-eyed stare had opened many secrets before, but never with a volatile, sword-bearing dark elf. “Why are you after my parents?”
Aryan turned and Ben felt the full force of those strange purple eyes. There was anger there. Ben wanted anger.
“Your parents are wanted for treachery,” Aryan said, his voice dangerously soft. “For the murder of Prince Ictid, the king’s only son.”
“Oh, I know that,” Ben said, maintaining his intense stare. “I’m talking about the real reason you are after my parents, not the ridiculous cover story.”
There was a gasp from Natalie and a groan from Charlie. Aryan heard neither; his purple eyes were focused on Ben like daggers, his smirk transformed into a snarl.
“You do not know how close you are to danger,” Aryan said. His hand made a subtle movement to his sword.
Ben did know. He could see it in Aryan’s eyes; he remembered Natalie’s warning and he could sense the power radiating off the elf despite his youth.
Aryan was on the edge. Ben needed him to step over it.
“You’re afraid of my parents, aren’t you?” he said in a teasing voice, narrowing his eyes.
Ben knew immediately he had gone too far. Aryan’s eyes lit up and he hissed, his arm shooting forward. Ben was ready, but Aryan was faster and stronger than he anticipated. Aryan grabbed him by the neck, rammed him back and pinned him against the wall.
Aryan smiled and squeezed his hand. “It’s time you learnt some manners.”
Ben started to choke. He grabbed the elf’s arm but couldn’t move it. Ben kicked out with an urgency borne of panic. Several blows found their mark, but though the elf winced, his grip didn’t yield.
A flash of colour flew across the room. Ben’s vision was blurred, but he could have sworn it was a large cannon ball. With a mighty crunch it smashed into Aryan and sent them crashing onto the vanilla carpet.
Ben rolled and rose in one smooth motion, finding himself between Natalie and Charlie, Aryan picking himself up a little slower half a dozen steps away.
Charlie’s lip was bleeding. He looked dazed, but there was a steely glint in his eye.
The cannon ball had been Charlie.
“The little fat boy wants a lesson as well?” Aryan asked. He raised a hand, his palm pointing at them. “My father told me humans have a remarkably poor tolerance for pain. Let’s find out, shall we?”
“Aryan, please!” Natalie begged. “These boys are under the Institute’s protection. If you injure them, I will have to report you.”
Aryan smiled. “You can’t get me in trouble. Now, watch as I make your friends cry.”
Aryan’s palm started to glow purple until it was engulfed by a pulsing ball of energy. Ben tensed himself. A streak of purple lightning shot from Aryan’s hand. Ben never came close to dodging it; he barely had time to thrust his arm up in a futile act of self-defence.
A shimmering crescent shield materialised in front of Ben and deflected the lightning bolt into the wall.
There was a moment of shock as everyone stared at the scorch marks along the hallway.
Aryan turned to Ben as if seeing him for the first time. “Elizabeth’s legacy,” he whispered. “So it is true.”
“Sorry?” Ben and Charlie said in synchrony.
Aryan drew his sword with a flourish. “I wonder, does Elizabeth also protect you from the lick of a blade?”
Ben raised his hands in surrender. He didn’t like the confident manner in which the elf held his sword. “Okay, I think we should all take a deep breath. Surely you wouldn’t kill me just because I smiled at you?”
“Who said anything about killing?” Aryan said, a modicum of annoyance in his voice. “Pain is all I want, as punishment for your insolence. A bit of blood will suffice.”
Aryan stepped forward, sword raised.
“What is Elizabeth’s legacy?” Ben asked.
Aryan didn’t respond or halt his advance. Ben cast a desperate sidelong look at Charlie and Natalie. They were making subtle nods towards the lift door. Could they outrun the long-limbed dark elf? Ben doubted it, but what other options did they have? He certainly couldn’t rely on the elf’s sword being deflected as his spell had.
Ben was still mulling over the options when Aryan attacked.
The sword thrust at him like a lizard flicking his tongue. Ben side-stepped and the sword grazed his side, ripping into his shirt. Aryan seemed surprised that his sword had not found its target, but Ben knew the next thrust would be harder to dodge; the elf now had a measure of Ben’s ref
lexes.
Aryan feinted, throwing Ben off balance and then struck again. The blade was a blur. Ben twisted as hard and fast as he could, but he knew this time he was too slow.
A mighty crash came from Ben’s right and a nearby door burst open. Thomas the troll was still wearing his tuxedo, but the genteel look was gone. With speed to match Aryan’s blade, Thomas grabbed the elf by the scruff of the neck and held him aloft.
“What’s this?” Thomas said, in his trombone-like voice. “A hotel guest trying to kill another hotel guest? That’s not polite.”
“Put me down, you lumbering oaf,” Aryan said. He tried to strike the troll with his sword, but Thomas held him at such a distance that the sword only swished air.
“Happily, once you remove that murderous look and stop trying to kill your fellow guests,” Thomas said reasonably.
“I wasn’t trying to kill them. I was teaching them a lesson.” Aryan was starting to sound like a spoilt child.
“Wonderful. I also enjoy teaching, though I’m unfamiliar with the technique of running at pupils with a sword.”
“I was provoked.”
Thomas nodded. “I’m sure you were. If I catch you brandishing your sword in this hotel again, regardless of the provocation, you will pack your bags. Are we clear?”
Ben hoped he would protest so that Thomas might bash him about a bit. Unfortunately, Aryan nodded and was released.
“This isn’t over,” Aryan said, pointing a finger at Ben. “Watch your back.”
Aryan disappeared through the door to the lift.
“That was good timing,” Ben said, turning to Thomas.
“I can smell magic. I came as soon as I caught a whiff of the spell.”
“You saved us,” Natalie said, giving Thomas a radiant smile.
“Always glad to be of assistance to my guests,” Thomas said with a bow. “I shan’t ask what happened here because I don’t particularly want to know and I expect you would be reluctant to tell me. Don’t worry about the damage to the wall, I’ll fix that. And now I think I will get back to work, please excuse me.”