Omensent: Princess Of Dragons (Book 5)

by Barry Gibbons

  "I have some questions for you, Freedi." The queen started in a cold voice.

  "I would imagine so, Serena." Freedi murmured weakly.

  "That is your queen that you are speaking to!" Gilroy roared at the helpless elven woman angrily. "You will address her with respect!"

  "Please," The elderly elven woman closed her eyes wearily. "Not so loud. My head feels like there is a blacksmith inside pounding away."

  Damarius gave her an shrewd look, then suddenly rose to his feet and went to her side. "It looks like you may have a slight concussion. I have something here that will help." He rummaged in his belt for a moment, then withdrew a vial.

  "Poison?" Freedi asked suspiciously.

  "Of course not." The old wizard chuckled. "It'll just help take your pain away." He poured a few drops into a goblet full of wine, then gave it to the elderly elven woman, who nodded to him gratefully. "It should only take a few moments to take effect."

  "I'm surprised that you would be willing to help me, considering... Well, you know." She took a long drink from the goblet.

  "Considering that you attempted to kill me while my back was turned?" Damarius shook his head. "You're not the first person that has tried to kill me. I'm sure that you won't be the last."

  "It is still unusual to find such compassion in a human." Freedi said with a shrug. "I had always believed humans to be completely devoid of kindness and compassion, but perhaps I was wrong."

  "You were." The old wizard assured her. "When it comes down to it, humans are not that much different than elves, really. We just seem a bit more chaotic than the other races because our lives are much shorter in comparison." He gave her a curious look. "How is your head feeling?"

  "Much better, thank you." Freedi smiled. "It was really bothering me, but the elixir that you gave me seems to have done the trick. It's a good thing, too. When you blasted me across the room, I bashed my head against the floor, and it really hurt. Look!" She gestured to a large purple knot above her temple. "It left a lump on my forehead the size of an egg!"

  "What did you give her?" Dar asked curiously as the elderly elven woman continued to ramble on.

  "Just a little concoction that I whipped up for occasions such as this." The old wizard grinned. "It's a powerful potion for pain that also acts as a truth serum. She'll tell us everything that she knows, and then some."

  "Really?" Queen Serena asked thoughtfully.

  "Oh yes," Damarius assured her with a smile. "She'll tell you everything that she knows, at least until the potion wears off."

  "Interesting." The elven queen turned her gaze to their prisoner. "I have some questions for you, Freedi."

  "I imagine you do, my queen." The elderly elven woman nodded, a slightly glazed look in her eyes. "I attempted to murder a visitor to your court right in front of you. I think that would raise all sorts of questions. But unfortunately," She frowned. "I won't be telling you anything. I swore an oath to never reveal anything to our enemies, and I intend to keep that oath, no matter the costs. I..."

  "Who did you swear this oath to?

  "Why, Hetris, of course." Freedi answered immediately. "Who else would ask me to commit such an act to prove my loyalty. Petra?" She snorted in amusement. "She cares nothing for Her followers. Hetris actually walks among His followers, and He rewards those who prove their loyalty. He..."

  "How long have you been a follower of Hetris?" Queen Serena interrupted the rambling old elven woman.

  "About a year or so," Freedi answered after a moment's thought. "Give or take a month or two. I..."

  "Who introduced you to the dark god?" Gilroy asked in disapproval.

  "I was approached by Yrinn one evening as I made my way back from the markets with some fresh plums for Queen Serena." She told him with a shrug. "He said that he needed to speak with me, and that it was a matter of life and death." She held out her shackled hands helplessly. "I knew that he had been banished from the island over a century ago for attempting to usurp the throne, but I have known him since he was a child. I couldn't say no. He convinced me to hear him out, so I followed him to a secluded area where we talked."

  "And what did he say?"

  "He told me that he had returned to finish what he had started." Freedi replied bluntly. "He planned to renew his quest to wrest the throne from Queen Serena, and lead the elves into a new era under the guidance of Hetris. And he also told me that Hetris wanted me to become one of His children. Me." Her eyes filled with tears. "I have spent my entire life following Petra, and She never once granted any of my prayers or requests." The old elven woman sneered hatefully. "Not one single prayer! She would never even reveal Herself to me, even after my many centuries of faithful service! Apparently I was not worthy enough to be in Her presence." She suddenly smiled a fanatical smile. "But Hetris appeared to me the very first time that I called upon Him! After performing the ritual of request, He appeared from the shadows and greeted me like a long lost daughter! He actually cares about those who call upon Him, and He is willing to answer His children's prayers!" She sighed in happy contentment. "He promised to grant my fondest wishes in exchange for my undying loyalty."

  "What did you do to prove your loyalty?" Damarius asked curiously.

  "I snuck into my granddaughter's house and performed the ritual of offering."

  "The ritual of offering?" Bellatonia asked with a note of dread.

  "I killed my granddaughter and her children, of course." Freedi shrugged. "Hetris was quite pleased, and immediately gave me His blessing."

  "How could you do such a thing?" Queen Serena gasped in horror. "They were your own family!"

  "It was what Hetris demanded of me." The elderly elven woman shrugged carelessly. "A blood sacrifice is required to prove that you are a true follower. Blood is precious to Hetris, and to perform the ritual of offering using those who bear one's own blood is considered to be the ultimate proof of loyalty."

  "Have you killed any others since?" The elven queen demanded with a sick expression.

  "No," Freedi shook her head. "Hetris commanded that I return to my life as a servant here in the Royal Tower, and to conceal my allegiance to Him until commanded otherwise."

  "And what changed?" Dar asked with a frown.

  "Hetris was extremely displeased with this outsider called the Dragon Lord for killing some of His children, and He wanted revenge. He came to me last night and commanded me to eliminate the old wizard who had accompanied the Dragon Lord, no matter the cost. I was trying to figure out a way to get close enough to him to strike when the queen ordered food to be brought to the throne room. I suddenly found myself within a few feet of my target, and when he turned his back upon me, I saw my opportunity to strike." She shrugged. "I seized the opportunity, and struck. I never expected what happened next, though."

  The door to the throne room suddenly burst open, and Ava Delilah stormed into the room, her expression angry.

  "Oh boy," Freedi sighed wearily, closing her eyes. "Here we go."

  "How could you, Freedi?" Ava Delilah demanded in a shrill voice. "How could you turn your back upon everything that you have ever known?"

  "It was easier than you would think, Delilah." The elderly elven woman replied blandly.

  "But you have been a devout follower of our goddess for centuries! Why would you suddenly turn your back upon Her?"

  "Because She never did anything for me." The old elven woman told her with a scowl. "I was a devoted follower of Petra for centuries, and She never once answered any of my prayers. She never spoke to me, nor bothered to send me a sign that She even knew of my existence. But Hetris revealed Himself to me, and took me into His embrace. He genuinely cares for His followers, and rewards those who please Him."

  "You are a disgrace!" Delilah spat, her eyes blazing in fury. "You have turned your back on everyone who cares about you, all in the failed hopes of earning the dark god's favor!"

  "My efforts here do not matter." Freedi told her, staring up at the priestess disdainful
ly. "My brethren will still continue to slaughter Petra's faithful, and there is nothing that your pathetic goddess can do to stop it. She will continue to grow weaker and weaker, until finally..." She closed her eyes and smiled.

  Ava Delilah stared down at Freedi for a long moment, then, with a screech of rage, she lunged at the helpless elven woman, striking her across the face with a strength born of fury. Freedi crumpled to the floor in a daze, then attempted to push herself back up into a kneeling position, but the elven priestess was beyond control. She lashed out again, and again, and again, until a pair of elven guards finally dragged Delilah away from the old elven woman, who lay still for several long moments before slowly pushing herself back up.

  "Feel better, Delilah?" Freedi asked the elven priestess through split lips. One of her eyes was rapidly swelling shut, and blood flowed freely from her nose.

  Ava Delilah was still being forcibly restrained by the guards, who were struggling to keep the priestess from renewing her attack.

  "Calm yourself, Delilah," Queen Serena commanded the priestess in a firm tone. "We still need her to answer some questions."

  "Ask until you are blue in the face." Freedi spat hatefully. "I will tell you nothing."

  Damarius and the others exchanged an amused look.

  "How many more blood elves remain loose in the Royal Tower?" Dar asked, his expression worried.

  "I do not know. Hetris wanted me to remain apart from the others so I could not reveal any of their identities, nor they mine."

  The childlike sprite frowned. "What were you supposed to do once you killed Damarius?"

  "I was to make my escape, and then hurry to Oakenvale. Once there, I was to lay low for a while. When the coast was finally clear, I was to perform the ritual of request so I may be rewarded."

  "Is Yrinn still here on the island?" Gilroy asked the elderly elven woman, who suddenly looked exhausted.

  "I'm not sure." Freedi murmured in a tired voice. "I think so, but I have not spoken with him since we had our discussion and he revealed how to summon Hetris. He could be anywhere." She suddenly blinked, and then began to look around with a frown.

  "I think the potion is beginning to wear off." Damarius warned them, watching as the elderly elven woman continued to look around in confusion. "If you have anymore questions, you had better ask them fast."

  "Do you know if there are any more attacks planned against Petra's faithful?" Delilah asked, the two elven guards still maintaining a firm grip on her arms to prevent her from renewing her assault. "Is Yrinn planning to disrupt the Spring Dawning?"

  "O-Of course there will be more attacks." Freedi answered, her expression still confused. "I..." She suddenly stopped. "W-What is going on here? What is happening?" She turned to look at Damarius, who sighed heavily. "What was in that wine? What did you give me?"

  "A truth serum." Dar answered truthfully. "And a powerful one, at that. You have answered every question that we've had, and then some."

  "I did?" Freedi suddenly looked horrified. "No!" She began to look around in panic, her eyes filling with tears, then she suddenly began to struggle against her chains. "No! No! No!"

  "Hetris is certain to be angered by your betrayal, Freedi." Delilah taunted the distraught woman in a hateful tone. "He is going to realize almost immediately that you betrayed Him, and then you shall face His wrath." She smiled savagely. "I wouldn't want to be in your shoes when Hetris finally rewards you for your actions here today."

  Freedi didn't reply, but instead, began to weep uncontrollably as she continued to try and escape her bonds.

  Queen Serena watched the elderly elven woman for a long moment, then gestured to the guards who were still restraining Delilah. "Take her back to her cell. I'll decide what to do with her later."

  The guards quickly unshackled the distraught elven woman from the floor and removed her from the throne room.

  "That was certainly enlightening." Vlane murmured with a worried expression. "It seems as though the Dragon Lord has managed to get Hetris's attention."

  "Yes," Dar agreed. "And it appears that He was hoping to repay Damion for killing those blood elves who murdered that elf in front of Petra's statue."

  "Would the loss of two followers really anger Hetris so much?" Anallia asked in a doubtful tone. "It seems a bit extreme to want revenge for their deaths."

  "The gods draw their strength and power from their worshippers." Delilah informed her with a frown. "The more worshippers that a god has, the more powerful they are. The worship of Hetris has been outlawed on this island since Ramon the Elder first led us here over two thousand years ago. The dark god couldn't have but a handful of followers compared to Petra. The loss of two of His faithful would be quite a blow against Him and His blood elves, and would be ample reason for Him to want revenge against those who committed the act."

  "That's means that the Dragon Lord and his companions are in grave danger." Anallia said in concern. "We need to get a message to them before it's too late."

  "Don't worry about Damion and the others." Damarius assured her with a dismissive wave. "They can take care of themselves. I'm more concerned with the safety of the queen."

  "Me?" Queen Serena asked in confusion.

  The old wizard nodded, causing his brow lock to fall into his eyes. "With this attack, the blood elves have proven that they can get close enough to kill you if they want. We must make sure that never happens again."

  "I agree." Gilroy murmured, drawing a sour look from the elven queen. "The queen's safety must be our main priority."

  "What else do you propose we do?" Vlane asked helplessly. "We've already taken every precaution that we can to keep her safe! The problem is that there's just no way of knowing who may secretly worship Hetris! Anyone could be a blood elf, and we would never ever know it until it was already too late!" He sighed heavily, then shook his head. "Short of locking the queen away from the rest of the world, I'm afraid there is little that we can do."

  "I will not allow the blood elves to scare me into hiding myself away from my own people." Queen Serena declared in a fierce tone. "Petra will keep me safe from the dark god's minions."

  "Well, I hope that She doesn't mind if we lend a hand." Dar told her, his tiny face serious. "I think that Damarius and I will continue to remain at your side, and we'll have the guards begin searching the visitors and staff to ensure that they are unarmed when they come before the throne."

  "Why not ask Captain Harper and his men to assist us?" Damarius said, his eyes narrowed in thought. "As it stands, we can't trust any of the elven guards right now. There's no way of knowing if any of them secretly worship Hetris. But we know that Captain Harper and his men can be trusted."

  "That's a good idea." Dar agreed with an approving nod. "I'll let him know that we need he and his men's assistance. I'm sure that he'll be happy to help us protect the queen."

  "The people won't be happy if we surround the queen with even more outsiders." Gilroy frowned in disapproval.

  "How the elven people feel about outsiders doesn't really matter right now." The childlike sprite told him with a serious expression. "The only thing that matters is making sure that the queen remains safe. There's no way of knowing who may be a blood elf, so until they can be stopped, all of our efforts need to be focused on ensuring that they are unable to get close enough to try something like this again."

  "Are you sure that we can trust this Captain Harper?" Vlane asked with a reluctant expression. "I was down at the harbor and saw him and his crew as they lounged about the wharf. They look more like pirates than they do sailors."

  "They may look like pirates, but Captain Harper and his men are some of the most dependable fellows that we could hope to have aiding us." Dar assured him with a smile. "I'll go down to the docks and explain the situation to them myself."

  "And then what?" Bellatonia asked worriedly.

  "Then we wait for Damion and the others to track down Yrinn and the rest of the blood elves, and put an end to all
of this mess."

  Chapter 12

  "How much further is it until we reach Oakenvale?" Shirk asked Brody as they made their way along the well kept cobblestone road at a brisk trot.

  "Another day's ride." Brody answered absently. "We should arrive sometime tomorrow evening."

  "Is the entire city really built in the trees?" Raven asked with a look of wonder in her eyes.

  "Most of it, yes." The elven ambassador nodded. "There are a few buildings on the ground such as the livery, but everything else was built high up among the branches. The view at sunset is truly something to behold."

  "Why build a city among the trees?" Damion asked curiously. "Wouldn't it have been easier to build on the ground?"

  "Of course, but when Ramon the Elder first decided to establish a temporary settlement in Oakenvale, he began exploring among forest, and concluded that it would be wrong to cut any of the ancient oak trees down." Brody explained in a scholarly tone. "The legends say that he decided to climb one of the giant oaks in an attempt to locate a suitable area which was already clear of trees so they could avoid damaging the forest, and was struck by the breathtaking view. He remained in the tree for three days and nights, until he finally descended and announced they would build the city amongst the branches above. Oakenvale was built soon after."

  They continued along the cobblestone road for another hour, then Brody called for them to halt. "It's getting close to dusk. We should probably find somewhere to set up camp for the night. There is a clearing hidden in a thick grove of trees to the east that has a small stream running next to it. It should provide enough cover to hide us from any prying eyes."

  They followed the elf through the gentle countryside and away from the road until they reached a thick grove of trees.

  "I have camped here numerous times in the past as I was making my way to and from Oakenvale." Brody told them as he slipped down from his saddle. "My father and I camped out in this clearing during my very first journey to Oakenvale. He took me to the city in the trees when I was still a young child, and I was completely captivated by what I saw." He smiled. "When you are on the forest floor below, everything is quiet and serene. You wouldn't even know that there was a bustling city hidden in the branches a few hundred feet above your head. But when you ascend into the trees, a marvelous sight awaits you! Ever since that first visit, Oakenvale has held a special place in my heart." He smiled sadly. "I still visit whenever the opportunity permits, just to feel the same enchantment that I felt as a child."