Birkaz pushed his plate away. ‘Not long after, our kind was refused entry onto this world.’
‘You were meant to come here?’ said Thalion.
‘Originally, yes.’
‘You three could have still come,’ said Torgon.
‘Yes, but we had to protect and guide the other goblins.’
Alex wondered how powerful these brothers were. ‘That must have been hard for you not to come here.’
‘At first it was, but then we realised it was the best thing for them,’ said Zakora. ‘On a world where your enemies are ogres and trolls, survival was more important than conquering.’
George rubbed the bridge of his nose. ‘How long did you know about the new worlds before you moved?’
‘About two thousand years, and the sickness happened not long after.’
‘I take it the madness in the goblins lessened in every generation.’
Zakora nodded. ‘Yes, you are correct, a long slow process until it disappeared completely about three hundred years ago. Since then, we have been teaching them the old ways.’
Alex smiled at them. ‘You must be pleased with what you have achieved.’
‘I was very proud of them,’ said Birkaz. ‘I was not needed as a teacher, as my powers were for controlling them for when they moved to the new world.’
Clair pursed her lips as she watched the goblin. ‘How come you never came out of the lake?’
‘As I said, I had a vision to protect the chest.’
‘Yeah, I know that,’ said Claire, with a wry smile, ‘but you could have splashed around for a while to let others see you. Then come out, change back to yourself, and eat and drink before going back in. They didn’t have to see you in there all the time, the fact that you might have been under the water might have been even more frightening.’
‘I had never given it a thought,’ said Birkaz, with the look of disgust, and wrinkled his nose which was big, but small for a goblin. ‘It makes it worse I didn’t help stop Dagur.’
‘How many worlds are there?’ said James.
‘There are many I know of,’ said Zakora. ‘There is a portal for each one on your world.’
‘Dare I ask what is on them?’
‘On all worlds there are many animals as there’s a food chain. On one there are dragons and giants, another is mostly sea and jungles full of serpents, lizards and sea creatures.’
‘I think we should keep it to just the four we know.’
Alex shrugged. ‘I would prefer it to be three, as there’s one I don’t want to go back to.’
‘Not all the creatures on those worlds are bad,’ said Birkaz. ‘They were put there because of the climate they enjoyed.’
‘There is no food chain here,’ said Torgon.
‘No, all who came here were the goodness of the old world, and was not expected to kill anything so it was all provided for you.’
‘What world would we have gone to?’ Fergal asked.
‘At first it would have been with the dwarves, but after what you had done with the pucas you would have come here with them.’
Thalion raised a brow. ‘Surely both dwarves and gnomes should have come here in the first place.’
‘Both honourable races, but both have something in common which they cannot do here, and that is mining.’
‘But we mine for crystal.’
‘The crystals were put here for you,’ said Zakora. ‘As nice as this world is it was also very plain, but your kind made it beautiful.’
‘You can’t argue with that,’ said Alex.
Adair stroked his beard. ‘What’s the Dragon World like?’
James groaned. ‘I knew someone had to ask.’
‘What’s wrong with asking?’
‘It means we’ll end up going there.’
‘Not really, I only ask as I knew a few dragons a long time ago.’
‘Don’t say a word, James,’ said Claire.
‘I wouldn’t dream of it, my lady.’
‘The Dragon World is full of mountains and forests,’ said Zakora.
Birkaz leant on the table. ‘Be warned if you do go there, magic is limited.’
Alex picked up a glass of juice. ‘How come all the portals are on our world?’
‘As I said, all the worlds use your sun, so in one sense we are connected to your world,’ said Zakora. ‘It was the only way the Ancient Ones could create them.’
Torgon raised an eyebrow. ‘The Ancient Ones, you said that before, don’t you mean the Elders?’
‘No, the Elders were powerful wizards who were given the task of the choosing, the ancient ones were the ones who created the worlds.’
‘Are you telling us it was the goblins which chose who went where?’
Zakora shook his head. ‘No, do you know anything of the Elders?’
Torgon shrugged. ‘Only what you have told us.’
‘Oh, I am sorry, I thought you knew more,’ said Zakora. ‘This might be a little hard for some of you to take.’
‘Just get on with it,’ said Birkaz.
‘I told you the Elders died . . . well I didn’t just mean the Goblin Elders. Most of the others died, too. In fact there were only two still alive when the move took place, and they are dragons.’
‘How many Elders were there?’ Torgon asked.
‘Sixteen in all, they were given the task of the choosing and the relocation of all,’ said Zakora. ‘They were called the council of Elders and were very powerful with their magic. Sadly, although they knew what they had to do, only the dragons would make it to the new worlds.’
Thalion scratched his head. ‘Why would only the dragons make it?’
‘Magic has a different effect on them, the other Elder spell casters had to use theirs in making the world right for their own kind, and it took a lot of their life energy. Most of it was used up in taking all the evil ones to the Dark Worlds. They gave everything to help their own kind.’
Marakus paled slightly. ‘Who were the other Elders?’
‘There were the four goblins, two gnomes, two dwarves, two fairies, and the two dragons.’
‘You’re four short,’ said Roscoe.
Zakora looked at the four elf lords, two sets of brothers who were cousins. ‘I’m sorry you didn’t know . . . they were your parents.’
There was silence, until Alex stood up and shouted. ‘CELEBRATION.’
‘What?’ said Torgon. ‘You want to celebrate the deaths of our parents?’
‘No, I want to celebrate their deeds, anyone who gives up their life for others should never be forgotten,’ said Alex, as he didn’t want to give them time to feel sad about it. There would be time for that later and somewhere more private.
‘They should have special days named after them,’ said Paige, as if she realised what Alex was doing.
Torgon shook his head. ‘I don’t think it is appropriate at the moment.’
Alex stood and put his arms around the two brothers. ‘You mourned the death of your parents over two thousand years ago, and now you find out they were heroes. It might be a shock to you now, and you don’t have to celebrate tonight but you will soon.’
‘Who the hell are you?’ said Thalion. ‘One minute I want to sit here feeling depressed, and now I want to party.’
‘A friend,’ said Alex.
‘Tonight we will celebrate those who died in bringing us here,’ said Torgon. ‘We will have a celebration every year at each kingdom in memory of them, like the Lady Paige has suggested. In the last few months since we met our new friends, life has changed for all of us, and I for one do not regret one moment of it.’ There was a huge roar from the elves.
Alex spent the afternoon with the children talking of emotions, and how they should react to them. The hardest part was trying to tell them not to look with their mind as they couldn’t understand why. ‘Sometimes when I’m sad, I just want to be on my own.’
‘But why, Papa, when you have us?’ Sarin asked.
‘You
’re my beautiful angels, and I don’t want you to see when I’m sad.’
Adhara rubbed her right ear. ‘But how can we not help you if you don’t want us to?’
‘OK, it’s not just about me. Some of the people here don’t want to be disturbed when they’re sad. It’s about privacy, and you must never look. If you’re worried about someone, go and knock their door.’
‘But we felt many were sad last night.’
‘When you get older you get sad over the silliest things, you can always ask, but never spy on them.’
Adhara folded her arms. ‘We were not spying.’
Alex raised an eyebrow. ‘What would you call it then?’
‘Watching the ones we love.’
‘It’s the same thing, sweetheart. As I’ve said, I don’t watch you all the time.’
‘Don’t you love us then?’
‘I love you more than anything, and it’s because of that love that I don’t continuously watch you. I always know your safe, because of House, but he doesn’t tell me everything.’
‘Why’s that, Papa?’
‘Because he doesn’t need to, like my surprise party I would have known about it if he had told me.’
‘So we are not to look then?’
‘No, honey. If you’re worried about anyone in the mansion, just ask House, and he will put your mind at rest. Not all emotions are real, as you can have them from happy dreams or even bad ones,’ said Alex, as he got to the part that worried him the most. ‘Dreams are private and you should never look, and the worst thing you can do is look when anyone is in bed.’
‘Sorry, Papa, we’ll ask House from now on.’
‘Never be sorry to me.’
Blaze walked over to them. ‘Have you thought about what his punishment is yet?’
Shaula’s eyes grew big. ‘Yes, we want him to spend more time with us, and he has to take us on an adventure.’
Alex rubbed his chin. ‘How am I going to do that?’
‘We don’t know, but you always think of something.’
‘You sure you don’t want a present instead.’
‘No, you would buy us anything we wanted anyway.’
Michelle laughed. ‘She has you there.’
Sammy grinned. ‘Give them an adventure, it could be fun.’
Alex glanced over at her. ‘Do you have any idea on how?’
Sammy shrugged. ‘Nope, not a clue.’
‘Thanks,’ said Alex dryly.
‘Don’t you want to take us, Papa?’ Alhena asked.
‘Of course, but where?’
‘You better get thinking,’ said Claire.
‘Yeah, you’re right, so I’m going to ask some intelligent people,’ said Alex, as he put Talitha down and walked away from them.
Michelle stood. ‘And what’s that supposed to mean?’
‘I’m going to ask some men,’ said Alex, and stepped into the party room, where he casually walked past those inside.
They are coming after you, said House.
‘I thought they might be . . . could you take me to the Elf World?’
I don’t know as you were mean to them.
‘It’s all part of my plan.’
Well, if it is a plan, then OK.
~~~~
Claire stepped outside first and saw Alex vanish. ‘House, where did he go?’
To the Dark World where it is much safer, said the spirit.
‘Is that a lie?’ said Michelle.
No, it is a joke, and I thought it was funny. He went to the Elf World.
‘Are we going after him?’ Skye asked.
‘No,’ said Michelle, ‘we’re going to prove him wrong and find an adventure for the children.’
~~~~
Alex found some men chatting with a few of the women outside a tavern. He wasn’t there to talk about the children, but about Dagur.
Luella smiled at him. ‘You’re not here for the party already are you?’
‘No, I was running from a bunch of mad women,’ said Alex, as he sat down.
‘What have you done?’ George asked.
‘Nothing, I’m completely innocent. Anyway, have any of you thought about what Dagur said?’
‘We were just talking about that,’ said Joseph. ‘Do you think we will be going on another search?’
‘I hope not, I’ve enough about thinking of an adventure for the children.’
‘Why do you want to do that?’ Luella asked.
‘Part of the punishment.’
‘Best of luck with that,’ said James. ‘Does it worry you who this master is?’
Alex shook his head. ‘Not really, I just want to know.’
Torgon picked up a drink. ‘He must be someone or something he met after Dagur was banished from here.’
‘I doubt it would be a troll,’ said Thalion, ‘I’ve never known any to have power, or a great deal of intelligence.’
‘Maybe it’s a demon,’ said James.
‘I thought about that,’ said Alex, ‘but wouldn’t it have come here with the others?’
‘Depends if it has bigger goals,’ said Joseph.
George nodded. ‘He would have let the others do all the dirty work.’
James leant back with his arms behind his head. ‘You don’t think it has anything to do with this Final Destiny?’
Alex shrugged. ‘I’ve no idea.’
‘What is the Final Destiny?’ said Torgon.
‘We don’t know,’ said Alex. ‘Some on our world, who appeared possessed by something, have mentioned it.’
James narrowed his eyes. ‘They never just mentioned it . . . they accused you of trying to stop it.’
‘Whatever it means,’ said Joseph, ‘we have not been able to find out anything about it.’
The celebration was not just for the elves who had given their lives, but to all the Elders, and many dwarves attended as did a few goblins. The elf leaders received many unexpected gifts for what their parents had done for their kind.
Alex approached them. ‘Are you happy or sad?’
‘Both really,’ said Torgon. ‘I’m happy that we can celebrate their lives, but sad they never got to come here after all they did for us.’
‘They would be proud of what you achieved, they’re probably watching you now,’ said Alex. ‘Do elves say that?’
‘Yes,’ said Roscoe, ‘we do, and it would be nice to think that.’
Thalion grinned, as he had drunk a little too much. ‘What I can’t understand is the meetings the Elders must have had.’
‘What about them?’ Torgon asked.
‘I just see them sitting around a table discussing it, but two of them are very large dragons.’
~~~~
Claire sat with half the women from the mansion. ‘What would you class as an adventure?’
Sammy put her fingers through her hair. ‘Well, you have to travel somewhere.’
‘That doesn’t sound like fun.’
‘Yes, but it would be a long trip which includes stopping at night.’
Michelle scratched her head. ‘Stopping where?’
‘Anywhere you could, especially if you had tents with you?’
Skye smiled. ‘Now that’s an idea.’
‘Where would we do it?’ said Paige.
‘Here,’ said Sammy, ‘with some help from the elves. We could get the children to do a task or something.’
‘I love it,’ said Skye.
Michelle looked up. ‘Watch out, he’s coming over.’
‘Do we tell him?’ Skye asked.
‘No,’ said Sammy, ‘let’s work on it some more first.’
Alex approached their table. ‘Ladies, how are you this evening?’
‘You’re brave,’ said Claire.
‘Not really, as I know you will behave at such a celebration.’
Paige looked up at him. ‘Well, the children are upset with you.’
‘Yeah,’ said Claire, ‘they now believe you think they’re stupid,’
&
nbsp; Alex smiled. ‘I best go and tell them they were not included.’
‘Don’t push it.’
~~~~
Alex found them in the garden area not looking very happy. There were the seven of them, and a few pucas who didn’t understand why. ‘What’s wrong?’
Alhena stared up at him with folded arms. ‘You said we were stupid.’
‘I did no such thing,’ said Alex.
‘Yes, you did,’ said Adhara.
‘No, I didn’t as children were not included as the adventure is for you.’
‘But you made it sound like girls are not very clever.’
Alex smiled. ‘No, I never said that.’
Adhara’s eyes grew large. ‘You mean girls are clever?’
‘Of course, your teacher’s a girl, and she’s very clever.’
‘It’s nice to be appreciated,’ said Sally, as she walked over.
‘How are their lessons going?’ Alex asked.
‘They’re not, as it’s the summer holiday.’
‘And what about when they’re not on holiday?’
‘Very good, even if we don’t do normal school hours.’
‘As long as they’re learning, I’m not bothered.
‘You do know I have four gnome children and many pucas in class, too.’
Alex smiled. ‘Do you want a pay rise?’
‘No, I love it.’
The celebration lasted well into the night, and Alex couldn’t get drunk, or even close to it. The dwarves were very blue in their stories and very funny. He had not seen much of Carrie, and decided to take the children home. They insisted on playing a few games on the machines, so he sat on the edge of a pool table and watched. From the corner of his eye he saw Carrie step out of the salon and walk over to the sofas. She never said anything to him, but he heard other voices. He turned and saw Donna and Livvy.
‘How are our great ladies?’ said Carrie, which made Alex smile.
‘Very happy,’ said Donna, but not sounding convincing, ‘and we feel so powerful now.’
‘Can you do many things now you’re a white witch?’
‘Yeah,’ said Livvy, ‘and we might even be able to find a woman for you.’
The Final Destiny: Vesta Mansion Trilogy - Book Three - Fantasy Page 12