“What are you thinking about?” Amber asked.
Tig looked up, cocking his head to the side, still lost in his gloom. He tried to focus on her face but couldn’t even remember her question.
“Tig, you look upset. Did something happen?” she asked.
Tig took a moment and finally responded, still standing in the doorway, “No, nothing like that. It … it … well … it just feels so unfair. Why us? We didn’t ask for any of this. Why did my dad have to get hurt? Why did we almost get killed by a psycho? How can we get home? I don’t even have a home anymore, they destroyed it!” Tears rolled down the side of Tig’s face and he sagged into the door frame.
Amber walked over to the smaller boy and hugged him warmly. Tig stood awkwardly, not comfortable with her physical closeness. After a few moments, Amber released him, only to pick up his hand. She gently pulled him back to the couch where they sat quietly. Tig’s breath was ragged and his thin frame shuddered as he drew breath.
Sam placed the book he’d been reading quietly on the table and sat back in his chair.
Tig continued, “I’m sorry, guys. I just feel so lost. I’m no hero. I’m the one who gets pounded by every bully in the school. You guys are great, but face it we’ve been lucky.” Tig shuddered again. “What happens when we aren’t lucky? What if the castle hadn’t sent the lions and gargoyles? What if Filbert hadn’t dive bombed that demon? What if …”
“Tig,” Amber interrupted.
He stopped.
“You have a right to be angry, we all do. We don’t have to do anything that anyone says. Don’t let what Glavious said mess with you. We take things one step at a time and look out for each other. That’s what family does.” Amber’s voice was level and determined. “If you look at the whole thing, it’s too much.”
Sam added, “I think we need more information. Like what is the link between Blackhall and the Parnassus who was with him. I’m not sure we even know their first names.”
“Lyka. Lyka Parnassus is my cousin. And Finias Blackhall is the guy who tried to kill us.”
“Right. So, what is so important that they have to kill us? Why not just pop through the portal and be done with it. Like we’d have followed them if we didn’t have to? And then, what about this Kestra chick, all mysterious and tattooed? First she’s a bad guy, then she saves Mom and Bert. Then she also shows up just long enough to kill a couple of thieves on the road and disappears again. Did she even talk while she was with us?”
“What are you getting at, Sam?” Amber asked.
“I think we’re running around because we just don’t know any better. We don’t know why people are doing things. Like why did Glavious help us? Why did the elves help us? Why were the gnomes helpful, but the Gnome Council seemed like they would rather we turned into toads or something?”
“I don’t think this is helping,” Amber scolded softly.
“No, it’s okay. I’m okay,” Tig said quietly. His eyes were still puffy and red. “You’re both right. No matter what we do, we have to have a plan, but it has to be our plan. No more bouncing around doing what everyone else thinks is a good idea. He tried to lighten his voice, even though his heart felt dark. “Are you getting anything from those books?”
“No, they’re mostly junk. Before modern presses, books were commissioned by wealthy people to make themselves look good. I think they’re on the shelves to help put people to sleep.”
“Could I see that?” Tig put his hand out and Sam handed him the book he’d been reading.
“And you can read this?” Tig asked as he thumbed through the book.
“Yeah, it is badly written, like someone’s version of a romance novel.”
Tig handed the book to Amber. “Does it look like English to you?”
Amber thumbed through the book and looked up at Sam.
“No, I suppose it isn't English. I hadn’t really thought about it. But now that you point it out. I suspect it's some sort of dwarven writing.”
“Huh? How do you figure?” Tig asked skeptically.
“Well the ‘maiden’ in the story is described as having eyes that glitter like the gold beneath the mountains.” Sam reached for the bone case at his side, muttering, "I wonder," as he did. On the small table, he stretched the map out and peered at it intently. “Wow!”
“So all of a sudden you can read the writing on the map?” Amber asked.
“Yes, I concentrated on the words and they started to make sense. How awesome is that?”
Amber’s eyes twinkled. “Couldn’t have happened to a better book nerd.”
“I’ve an idea,” Tig said. “Only one of these problems is ours to solve. We need to figure out how to get home. We can see what Glavious knows about that. If he doesn’t have a solution then we go back to the Wizard’s Tower and look for answers.”
“Anyone want to take a walk?” Amber asked. “I think better when I’m moving.”
“I’ll go,” Tig said.
“I’m out,” Sam said. “I’ve got a pile I want to get through.”
Answers and More Questions
When Tig and Amber returned, Sam wasn't where they'd left him. They walked down to the loft where they found Glavious gesticulating wildly to Sam as he finished his sentence: “Then the whole durn thing just started caving in. We was trapped for near ten days! Had to dig ourselves out, but it was worth it. The size o’ that ruby! Big as my fist.” Sam and Glavious looked up with big, stupid smiles on both their faces.
“Welcome back, youngsters. I was just regaling young Sam with a few tales of my own youth. He’s an accomplished listener.”
“Mr… er… Glavious, some things aren’t making sense. I was hoping you might have some ideas.” Tig said.
“Shoot. I got a few things been rattling around my brain too.”
“Okay, so, I just can’t get this. What would Finias Blackhall be doing with demons? Aren’t they dangerous to him too?”
“I dun know. It does seem risky, demons are treacherous. People, ‘specially humans, don’t seem to understand that everything has a cost. So, I think the question is: what does he have to offer ‘em that they couldn’t just take from him? This isn’t the first time them Blackhalls been involved with Kaelstan.”
“How’s that?” Tig perked up.
Glavious was unbelieving, “You really have no idea? I can’t believe yer family didn’t pass this down to you. Up until the last two centuries, there were two primary families in power on this continent; Parnassus and Blackhall. Parnassus controlled everything between here and the sea,” Glavious pointed to a river in the middle of the continent, “and Blackhalls controlled everything from there to the east. Except for the mountain territory where us Dwarves lived and further over the mountains where the Goblins of the Targ live. This is just a general sketch mind you.
“Every year or so all the heads would get together to hammer out trade agreements and treaties and the like. It was called the Council of the Six, which was; Parnassus, Blackhall, Elendahl, Fenhall, Drenaux and Shoth. And before you ask, no, wasn’t me. I am about as far down the pecking order as a dwarf can be.
“At any rate … giving you the short version here, mind you. Two centuries ago, bad things cropped up ‘round here. People were dying, but there was no one to blame. Entire villages would be wiped out, left burning. Bodies disfigured, partially devoured … you get the idea. It was real enough too. I happened ta run across it once. I’d signed up as a young buck to go hunt down whatever was out there. It was awful. There isn’t much that makes a dwarf sick.
“That’s when they started the council. Liet Blackhall, the King of the House of Blackhall, lobbied to bring all six houses under the control of a single house. He made a pretty convincing case that it was required for the security of all. It was to be voted on at the following year’s council meeting. They agreed to see if things got worse or better. You can guess the story. It got worse. Murder and mutilation rose to new peaks. None was left alone; deep in the tunnels o
f the mountains a band of Dwarves would be butchered, a few nights later far away on the plains, a village of elves would find the same fate and whole coveys of gnomes would simply disappear.
“In that very same year, someone found how to open a portal from this world to the one where you came from. Parnassus and Blackhall both sent envoys into your world, finding it to be relatively untamed. At the council meeting that year, they made their decision and 'twas agreed upon unanimously by all of the houses. A single house would be elected to rule all of Gaeland. In the beginning, all of the houses would be responsible for donating troops to the common effort.
“Again, the votes were unanimous and Parnassus was voted to be leading house of the Council. For nearly a score of years, things seemed to get better. There were still attacks, but nowhere near as many as there had been. It seemed that both houses were preoccupied with settling into their expanded territories through the portals. And then just as it had before, the attacks started up again in force. Worse than before.
“Rumors spread like wildfire. There was talk about how the Parnassuses were so preoccupied with their new world that they weren’t really trying to protect the citizens of Gaeland. A motion was raised to replace the Parnassus house as the leading house of the Council. The vote was successful and rule changed over to the Blackhalls. The attacks slowed but not to their previous lower level. Liet Blackhall insisted that it was necessary to levy a tax to fight this still unseen menace. The fact was that when he got more money it seemed like he was making progress.
“It was about this time that Tillie and I met. I was part of the Council’s forces and my company was dispatched to defend the area around Gestal, only then it was called Faire. And fair it was, the city has surely changed a lot since then, it was once a thing of beauty.
“Well I dun mind telling you that a petite little dressmaker elf and a gnarled dwarf warrior aren’t often seen together. But we fell head over heels. There was nothing we could do. Both of our families were completely against it. ‘An unnatural union’ is what my father said. I never did hear what Tillie’s parents said, but I’m certain it was just as strong. We were young and life was dangerous, so we didn’t care what they said.
“At some point thereabouts, Tillie came to be at the camp where our company was stationed. Ah, she was so beautiful in her riding outfit. I still remember the dark green trousers and cream colored robes she wore. Tillie has always been able to turn the head of any man. And I never understood what she saw in me. Oh, off track there a little. Anyway, she had something that couldn’t wait.
“It turned out the Parnassuses were moving their holdings from this land through the portal and into the new world. Not everything would go but everyone was asked to go along. Moreover they were bound to silence about the entire event. Now, you have to understand elves and dwarves are much the same when it comes to binding agreements. There is just no breaking them. Tillie had to explain it to Gelasius Parnassus herself that she would be telling me and that she would bind me to silence as well. Tillie wanted me to come along. I agreed, I couldn’t bear to think of life without her and it was a new world to explore and discover.
“Everything was set. I was done with my term in the Council’s militia. Tillie had already found a fine spot in Virginia, not far off of the new Faire Town where we’d build a home together. You see, we planned to be married in this new world.
“Thing was, I couldn’t help but feel we were running away from a problem and it bothered me tremendously. Finally, a couple weeks before we were to go through, I brought it up with Tillie. She took it real serious. She knew I wouldn’t be able to live with myself. I hadn’t even figured that out yet, but she just knew it. She took me to meet with Gelasius Parnassus, the heir apparent to the House of Parnassus.
“The Princess was almost as beautiful as Tillie and kind beyond explanation. She bound me to silence. I was not to speak ‘bout it to anyone beyond the Parnassuses. I am breaking that oath today by telling Sam and Amber, but I believe I’m in the right.
“Somehow the Parnassuses discovered the Blackhalls were behind the attacks. The Blackhalls had been dabbling in demon magic and something had overtaken Liet. I couldn’t believe it. It was too much to imagine. I didn’t like the Blackhalls, but they were working as hard as anyone to find and destroy those beasts. Often their losses were much higher than the other companies.
“She explained that the Wood Elves had actually seen Liet transform into a demon and destroy his own camp on more than one occasion. I wanted to know why the Parnassuses were still leaving. Why not deal with Liet directly? Her answer was she didn’t know how much control Liet actually had. One house couldn’t straight on attack another house if it came to that, even if he was the problem. She felt it would unravel the very fabric of Gaeland to have this type of inner war.
“The plan was that after the Parnassuses moved out of Gaeland, they’d wait for Liet and the rest o’ his family to pass through to this new world. When this happened they’d close the portal forever, trapping them in the new world. It’d be the final sacrifice that would free Gaeland from the menace.
“The plan just about worked like it was laid out. Only when it came time to pass through the portal, it wouldn’t let me go. Tillie’s free to pass through, but I just bounced off. It was terrible. I was frantic to get to her, but no matter what I tried I just couldn’t. Finally in the end, Tillie decided she’d rather live a life away from her family than apart from me. I tried to talk her out of it, but she wasn’t having nothing to do with that. I’ve always felt real bad about doing that to her.
“Funny how things work out. I’ve always thought I’d been rejected by the portal ‘cause of being a dwarf. Faerie magic is pretty picky, makes an old man wonder …”
Tig waited while the old dwarf reveled in his memory and finally asked, “But what about the attacks? Did it work?”
“Worked perfectly! Gaeland lost its best and brightest, but along with it the evil that had plagued us. For nearly two hundred years we’ve had peace in Gaeland. The price wasn't well considered, however. The loss of the house of Parnassus left Gaeland missing most of what’s good. The few humans who’d been here have thrived, but not in a good way. They dun have any belief in Faerie and the magic has turned its back on ‘em. This city used to be beautiful and now it stinks like a sewer.”
Sam pressed, “So is it like it was before? I mean are the demons attacking like they were two hundred years ago? And just for the record, we’re not done talking about my dad. I think you just told me he’s over two hundred years old.”
“Aye, that he is, Sammy boy. And yes, the attacks have started again. A few years back we started hearing word. Nothing big; a family farm here, a group of travelers there, things that could be easily dismissed. It hasn’t been until the last few months that we’ve heard reports of a demon roaming the plains to the east.”
Sam moved with agitation, “What’s at Piet Wallow?”
Glavious considered him for a moment and answered, “A great demon war was fought more than a couple millennia ago. There aren’t too many who even know about that war. I’ve just heard about it in songs of my clan. How do you know about Piet Wallow?”
Sam spread his map out once again and pointed. The map zoomed in on a town to the southeast of Gestal. Glowing letters in a language that neither Tig nor Amber could decipher read ‘Piet Wallow.’ “I knew I remembered that name. That’s where those demons came from.”
“Yah be right ‘bout that being Piet Wallow. But, I don’t know about the rest of it.” Glavious looked skeptically across at Sam.
“No. You don’t understand what I’m saying. I know they are there. I saw them while we were running for our lives. I can see them when I wind-walk.”
Glavious sat back in his chair. “Anyone else say that to me I would think them crazy. But your words make sense. Piet Wallow is where Liet Blackhall ruled. If one of his children returned from your world to Gaeland, you can bet that’s where they went
.”
From Bad to Worse
The next morning they rejoined Glavious for breakfast. Sam, who’d borrowed a few of Glavious’s maps, was poring over them and muttering to himself.
Tig finally broke the contemplative mood of the group, “I think we need to head back to Parnassus Castle.”
Sam stopped what he was doing and looked up with interest, but before he could say anything Amber challenged, “What are you hoping to do there?”
“To be honest, I just want to go home and help my dad. But, I also think that if Gaeland is about to face a huge war and we can do something about it, we have to. Can you imagine what would happen if one of those demons got loose back home? This is bigger than us.”
Amber shook her head sideways. “What does that have to do with the castle?”
Tig looked to Sam for support.
Sam jumped on it, “Easy, Bert. If we are gonna do something, we gotta figure out where those demons are coming from. The Wizard’s Library was trying to tell us about this whole deal and we just couldn’t figure it out. I want another crack at it.”
“Guys, we’ve been lucky. Those demons nearly killed us three different times. I hate to be a wet blanket on this, but seriously!” she said.
Tig replied before Sam could, “Amber, don’t you remember? They were after us anyway and they wanted to kill us. It won’t take them long to figure out we’re here and when they do …”
Amber tried to withhold a small shiver and she finally continued, “At least the castle is safer than being in town, so I guess I don’t mind going back.”
“Good, then it’s settled,” Glavious said hastily. “We leave for Castle Parnassus first thing tomorrow morning and I’m coming. I can’t have you kids traipsing all over Gaeland by yerselves. I already talked to Tillie ‘bout it.”
The three of them exchanged a glance, nodding in acknowledgment of their decision.
Tig responded, “Love to have you along, Glavious.”
Lesser Prince (Guardians of Gaeland Book 1) Page 27