by Gene Rager
The thought slapped Nathan across the face. When had he wanted to be with Ileana? Since the kiss? When he saw her naked the first night in Santrose? What was he thinking she had choked him into unconsciousness! But she has a hot body underneath all those clothes. Sometimes it didn’t pay to be a teenage boy!
Slowly Nathan got to his feet, he was right she had tied him up. Nathan took a couple steps away from the wall and burned the ropes in half with his magic. His feet betrayed him and Nathan fell to the ground, the dizziness had returned with a vengeance.
He had to get up and see who his fate would be with. Both had their plus and minuses. He might be able to take Ileana to his home, but Lela wouldn’t be able to come. The thought occurred to him and seemed right. Lela was an elf. If he sided with her he would be stuck in this strange world forever, and possibly be used as a weapon. If he took Ileana through the portal she would lose her ability to see with her bow. Would she sacrifice that much for him? Did he love her enough to ask her to? The questions chased around his skull like a dog chasing a cat.
Finally he heard Lela’s calm voice coming out of the darkened hallway. The battle that knocked a hole in the fortress must have been tremendous! Lela sounded so calm it was nearly scary. He had heard that tone of voice from his grandfather when he was on his death bed. So calm as if nothing could harm him, and then he was gone! The lead weight filled Nathan’s stomach, Ileana had killed Lela and she was dying!
“Noooooo, wait!” Nathan broke out of the darkness. Lela was sitting in front of Ileana, her bow sting pulled tight with the anticipation of ending another living being. Ileana’s shoulders were trembling, was she crying?
Ileana released the bow string the arrow sailed through the air striking nothing. Lela looked up at her would be executioner. Tears ran down her face. Lela stayed where she was. She knew Ileana had thrown her shot, she just didn’t know why.
“I can’t do it! Why can’t I do it?” Ileana sobbed. “You ruined my life, drove off my friends and family. My father died because we were the only ones left, and now you offer your life to me and I can’t take it! Why Lela, Why?”
“You only have killed people when you needed too, but you can’t kill me because I offer you my life in payment for all the past sorrow my people and I have caused you. You are a good person Ileana, and you deserve good things to happen to you.” Lela’s words were calm, even as she leapt from the ground and drove her knee into Ileana’s stomach forcing her to fall to the ground.
The dagger was pulled from her belt and Lela held the blade to Ileana’s throat. With a triumphant sneer Lela said “I told you the next time you cross me you would forfeit your life, I think this qualifies!”
With a sly grin Ileana countered, “Watch, both of you as the elf princess finishes me off! She will do it with the ease she cursed Santrose, or helped created the Sevols!”
Lela looked up to see Ileana and Nathan staring at her, Ileana’s eyes glowing red with the bowstring pulled tight.
“I don’t understand how you are in two places at once?” The feel of Ileana’s skin in Lela’s hands changed abruptly scales rippled underneath her touch it was the sesquech!
With blinding speed the sesquech grabbed Lela’s hand and pulled her off balance causing her to fly over its shoulder and slam into the packed ground they were knelt on. The reptilian eyes slits that held back an ancient rage.
“Funny you do not remember me princess! That has hurt my feelings so. However, you were only a little girl when your father thought he had vanquished me! An impudent new being trying to win its freedom! Instead I was hunted down and nearly killed by your kind!”
The realization of what Lela was dealing with crossed her face. Sheer terror gripped her stomach. It was the Splintered! She looked over to Nathan and got out the words “Help me.” Before the boot the splintered had made laid across her throat. The face and body changed to that of a knight in black amour, the spikes that decorated his shoulders reached higher than the helm he wore.
“I think this is a more suitable look for me. It shows power, and vengeance! I was living alone out here princess until those stupid Sevol locked you and the blind girl up in my fortress! Now here is my dilemma if I let you live you will alert the king to my existence and the hunt to end my life resumes! If I kill you in vengeance for all the evils the elves made me do then I will be hunted down and killed again. So, what should I with you?”
Nathan took a step closer to the black knight now holding Lela to the floor. The knight’s helm quickly turned to Nathan.
“No closer mage! You are not immune to the treachery the elves are capable of either. Let me make a guess, ever since you came into your powers all you have heard is how the Dark Queen is coming to kill you. Is that about right?” The knight rumbled.
Nathan stopped in his tracks. How could he know about all his drama right now? Unless, the thing could read his mind? The knight chuckled because of the perplexed look on the young mage’s face.
“Did I read your mind? No! I merely regurgitated the same lies the elves told me in my fledgling years! It has been the same throughout the generations. First there was me then there was the Sevol, and finally the mages of Orlon!”
“That is impossible you are lying! It would take a creature of great cunning to keep that lie going. We met the Sevol!”
“You have met the splintered too, and the one common thing the Sevol and I have is our hatred of the elves! I warn you now mage no good will come of being around these filthy forest dwellers! You will regret it! One day they will ask you to do something you will not be able to bring yourself to do, and they will turn on you!”
“Maybe, but I will deal with the consequences when they arise!” Nathan shouted.
“My decision is made princess!” The knight said.
His cold metal clad hand grasped Lela by the neck and hoisted her into the air. Lela became airborne as the knight threw her at Nathan who caught her. The force of the throw pushed Nathan off balance. He and Lela both fell into a puddle of water. When they looked back at the knight, he had vanished. Lela and Nathan both looked at Ileana.
Ileana’s bow crackled with magic, her eyes were rubies of rage. Her shoulders trembled from holding the bowstring with a bolt ready to fire. Through clenched teeth she mumbled to Nathan “How could you try and save the person responsible for destroying my village? The same person who only moments ago was ready to kill me!”
“Ileana, I was only trying to…”
“No! No more trying, no more anything Nathan now you have to choose me or Lela!” Ileana was enraged, Lela had nearly slit her throat, and by the tone in her voice with some amount of satisfaction! Galvin was right the elves were evil, and Nathan would be used as a weapon by them!
Nathan was torn he could go with Ileana and possibly live a great life here, but he would never find a way home. Then there was Lela, he could be happy with her, but she seemed a little too ready to kill Ileana. But there was a possibility that he might find a way home. But would the elves let him use it, or would they ruin any chances he had of going home? It wouldn’t be so hard if he knew how Lela really felt about him.
“Lela how do you feel about me, do you care about me at all, or am I just a weapon for your people to be used and thrown away?”
“Nathan why bother to ask her? You know how I feel towards you. I have done nothing but throw myself at you since we first met. I cooked for you and tried on numerous occasions to be intimate with you. I want you as a wife wants her husband. Don’t you understand I love you Nathan!” Ileana said as she slowly relaxed the bow letting the arrow fade into nothing.
She crossed over to Nathan and knelt down to look into his face. She could tell her words had hit a cord in Nathan because he was blushing. Could it be that she was his first serious relationship? That had to be it! He hadn’t been rejecting her all this time he just wasn’t sure. Ileana grabbed Nathan’s face and kissed him full on the mouth. The kiss lingered for what seemed a lifetime.
Lela screamed in rage, and pushed Ileana away from Nathan. Why had she done that? Nathan had to make this choice. Finally stilling herself Lela began to answer Nathan’s question.
“I don’t know how I feel about you Nathan. It is all so confusing. I can’t stand the thought of you being with another woman, but I really don’t want you for a mate. It would be ridiculous. You would die within what my people consider a short period of time.”
“I told you about Santrose the night before we got there, and of the guilt I have carried ever since that fateful day. I didn’t know about the Sevol or the splintered being weapons. I was always told that the mages and elves were friends because of magic. None of what has happened here today makes any sense to me. I have needed to talk to a friend of mine. But we would have to go back to the elven castle to do that. I don’t think you would trust me long enough to make the journey back. Maybe you should go with Ileana; she can give you the love you deserve.”
“So who is it Nathan?” Ileana demanded.
“I want to find a way home to my world. But who do I choose for that? The elves probably won’t let me leave. If I find a way home while with you Ileana, you would want to stay here because in my world your bow wouldn’t work and you would never be able to see again.”
“Why couldn’t you stay here with me Nathan? I could make your days here soooo pleasurable.” Ileana said in a husky voice.
“Okay stop with the pulling back and forth, both of you! I need to talk to someone about how I am to get back home. The problem is, I don’t know if anyone in this world can help me. Lela this friend of yours that you want to talk to, does she know magic?” Nathan asked.
“Yes, she is studying to be a high priestess; they use dangerous magic and have to be trained to receive their title.”
“So she might know how to get me back to my world?”
“Maybe, but it might be beyond Ezra’s knowledge.”
“Nathan you would forego any pleasure I could offer you to go home? Am I not beautiful enough?” Ileana began pouting.
“I have to try to get home Ileana, but if I am to be stuck in this world I would want to be here with you. Lela is right even if she had feelings for me it would not work she would out live me in what would seem to be a blink of an eye to her. I need to try to get home; if I cannot do it then maybe we can pick up where we left off?”
“So I am to be second in your life is that it! You would gladly go into who knows what with this filthy murderer of villages if it means you possibly getting home! I…I cannot believe I am losing to a possibility of you going home! The elves would never allow it, she would never allow it!” Ileana pointed at Lela with a shaking finger. The grip on her bow had turned her hand white from lack of blood flow. Her voice sounded like breaking glass as she fumed.
“You are a fool to think this will possibly end well Nathan! They will manipulate you until you do something horrible, so horrible you will never be able to go home! Look at how many times you have nearly killed for this pointy eared harlot! You nearly killed me once, or have you forgotten when we first met?”
“I have not forgotten and it was because I thought you had killed Lela!”
“You do care for her! So go with her! Though she will never love you, go with her!”
It was too much Ileana began crying. How had she lost Nathan? She had tried to seduce him, he cared about her, he brought her back to life when the plant sprayed its poison in her face. He had shown her his world, though she could never see it. He had felt passion when they kissed she was sure of that! So how had she lost him so completely? She heard him coming forward. She pulled her bow string, her eyes seared through the darkness to see Nathan walking to her.
“Stay back Nathan.” Ileana sobbed. It sounded weak even to her.
Nathan kept walking forward. His arms stretched out.
“Please, I don’t want to hurt you.” Ileana begged.
Nathan’s hand touched Ileana’s hand and the arrow faded to nothingness again. Nathan wrapped his arms around Ileana and held her. Ileana began trying to break out of his embrace. After a few moments she sunk into the warmth his body gave off. Ileana felt the loneliness of her existence weigh in on her soul. This felt so right, how can she lose him now? Ileana twisted around in Nathan’s arms and kissed him once again. Her body became a hot pool of desire, how could he pass her by, her need for his touch was so apparent.
“You are right Ileana, you could make the rest of my days very pleasurable.”
“You would be mine forever Nathan, as my husband and lover.” She stated.
Lela’s stomach clenched. He had chosen the human, but wasn’t that what she wanted? Didn’t she push him towards her until it was a certainty they would fall for the other?
He had said he loved her in the tent the night the curse found him sleeping. Why did she keep pushing him away? It didn’t matter now. He was Ileana’s now. So why was she crying? When she felt them looking at her Lela wiped the betraying tears away.
“I take it you won’t be coming to the castle with me then Nathan?” Lela asked.
“I will be leaving with you Lela.” Nathan said flatly.
Ileana crumbled, the elf woman had won! She turned and ran from the fortress before either of the two could say a word. Nathan turned to talk to Ileana finding only the empty space where she had been standing.
Lela and Nathan walked out of the fallen fortress. Nathan had felt bad about leading Ileana on, but he didn’t love her. He hadn’t known how Lela felt until he saw her crying. Lela had been crying over losing him. She might not admit it, but she cared for him. The two walked until it started to get dark. Nathan half expected to see Ileana following them, but there was no sign of her.
The Sevols’ messenger broke through the forest to look upon Dark Hold, the Dark Queen’s castle. The castle was built from black granite, twin spires reached to the heavens with dark defiance. Dark Hold had only one way in, a draw bridge over the mote. Carg’s fur pricked at the site of the foreboding shadows surrounding the castle. Orcs could be hiding anywhere in those shadows, Still his queen had ordered him to let the Dark Queen know the Sevol had the mage.
Carg mustered up his courage to approach the castle when he was tackled! Carg and his would be captor rolled in the forest line. Carg kicked free, and roared with his claws extended! The other Sevol had done the same.
“Narg? Why did you stop me from following our queen’s orders?” Carg asked, “If you had told the Dark Queen we had the Mage she would have hunted us down mercilessly when she discovered the mage had escaped!” Narg said.
“When did he escape?”
“During the night watch, the Queen ordered our people to pack up what we needed and move to a new place. I was sent to get you.”
The two Sevol quietly crept back into the forest where they began their long journey to the new Sevol village.
Chapter 32
The Sun broke over Cravenwood. Lela emerged from the tent, and inhaled the morning air. She coughed because she had inhaled smoke. Smoke!
“Nathan get up!”
“What is it Lela?” Nathan answered groggily.
“Something is on fire!”
Nathan sprung up, where they under attack? Where was the fire? Exiting the tent Nathan caught a whiff of the smoke, quickly scanning around he saw no flames.
“Where is the fire Lela?”
“I don’t know, but we need to find it so we don’t get trapped in here by it.”
The two began searching the forest skyline when Nathan saw the thick billow of smoke rise into the sky like a giant snake ready to strike.
“Over there Lela, hey isn’t that where…?”
“Santrose is!” Lela finished for him.
They ran through the forest with abandon, Ileana had taken quite a blow to her ego last night, and now it looked like she was under attack. They cleared the last set of trees to find
Santrose entirely engulfed in flames. Nathan ran forward only to have Lela grab his
arm and spin him around. The look on his face was one of guilt.
“If she is in there Nathan you can’t help her!”
Nathan struggled in Lela’s iron grasp.
“Stop it Nathan! You can’t save everyone! You are only one person!”
“She is our friend Lela!”
“No Nathan, she was wanting you as a husband.” Lela stated quietly.
The statement sunk in. He had told her he chose Lela, but Ileana didn’t even know why! A great roar escaped into the air that dulled into a moan, a few seconds later Nathan realized the sound had come from him. Nathan fell into Lela and began to cry. Of all the stupid things he had done in his life none would ever compare to this! She had died alone in a fire she had no knowledge of! Another wave of guilt crashed over the sobbing form held by the elven princess. He had done this! If he would have chosen Ileana she would still be alive! They could have fought off the attackers. They would have had a great life together. The small voices in his head replayed the moment he broke Ileana’s heart, and showed him a picture of her screaming his name with her last breath! It was too much to bear. Nathan collapsed to the ground he couldn’t move! The sorrow was too powerful!
“I could have saved her if I had chosen her.” He sobbed.
“No Nathan you could not. In this world you have to learn that people you care about sometimes have bad things happen to them. It wasn’t fair that Zorn died so young, but he did doing what he thought was right. It was that quality in him that first drew me to him. I cried for days after he died. I refused to eat or drink. I thought I could have saved him if only I had been stronger, faster, or more powerful. After that I became a scout for my people, it required me to learn to be alone, self-reliant, and stronger. Nathan, I know you were torn when you had to choose, but I am glad you chose to be with me.”
Nathan looked at Lela, was she using his feelings to manipulate him, or did she really mean what she said? It was so confusing, but he had decided to go with Lela and even now he felt he had made the right decision. He would morn Ileana’s death for the rest of his days, but he would find his way back home, but before he left he would find out who had killed Ileana and make them pay!