“My apologies, Emperor,” the noble said softly. “A supreme officer has arrived and demanded an audience. He says that he carries information from Sordoa that is vital and for your ears only. He said to mention that the nine stars have risen over Sordoa. Shall I send him away?”
Emperor Hanchi’s face clouded over in confusion. “The nine stars?” the emperor echoed softly. “Over Sordoa? Are you sure that was his message?”
“That is what he said to me,” the noble nodded to the emperor’s back. “I made sure to memorize it correctly.”
“Very well,” the emperor decided after a short delay, “send him in.”
The noble nodded to the back of the kneeling emperor and moved swiftly to the door. He exited the garden and closed the door.
“He will see you,” declared the noble. “Your men will remain out here.”
The supreme officer smiled to himself and nodded as he stepped forward and opened the door. He entered the garden and halted as his eyes scanned the enclosure. Eight pairs of eyes stared at him suspiciously. The supreme officer focused on the back of the kneeling emperor and started to walk forward. Two of the guards immediately moved to intercept him.
“You will leave your weapons here,” demanded one of the guards. “We will check to make sure that you obey.”
The supreme officer nodded submissively as he removed his sheath and handed it to one of the guards. He bent and removed a knife from his boot and handed it over as well. The other guard stepped forward and frisked the supreme officer. He nodded to the first guard.
“You may approach the emperor,” stated the guard. “Keep your distance.”
The supreme officer walked forward slowly. He halted several paces away from the back of the emperor. The emperor rose slowly and turned to face the supreme officer.
“Nine stars over Sordoa?” questioned the emperor. “I do not understand. The nine stars are to represent the nine domains of the empire. How can they all be over Sordoa?”
“That is why I needed to see you immediately,” replied the supreme officer. “It should not be possible for the nine stars to appear over Sordoa, but it has happened.”
The emperor looked curiously at the supreme officer. He could not place the man’s face and there were not that many supreme officers in the Lanoirian army. What puzzled Emperor Hanchi the most was this officer’s knowledge of the nine stars tale. It was a tale he had discovered years ago in the temple of Thun in Marchek. He had stolen the book from the temple and had kept it safely hidden ever since.
“How is it that you know of the tale of the nine stars?” Emperor Hanchi asked suspiciously.
The supreme officer felt drops of perspiration dampen his brow, but he resisted the temptation to look at the eight guards in the room.
“It was related to me by a priest of Thun,” the supreme officer said after a moment of hesitation. “Am I wrong to be concerned for your safety?”
“My safety?” questioned the emperor. “The tale of the nine stars deals with the expanding empire of Lanoir. What does the nine stars have to do with my safety?”
The guards tensed at the mention of the emperor’s safety, and the supreme officer tried to appear relaxed.
“It is about the expansion of the empire,” the supreme officer nodded, “but it also tells of a false emperor. As you are the rightful emperor of Lanoir, I became alarmed that someone might seek to harm you and take your place.”
The emperor relaxed somewhat and nodded as he recalled the old tale. Suddenly, the sounds of a commotion outside the door caught everyone’s attention. The supreme officer watched as the emperor’s bodyguards stiffened and turned towards the door. The sound of the commotion outside the door ended abruptly. The guards inched closer to the door, their hands going to the hilts of their swords.
Suddenly, the supreme officer’s hand rose and pointed at the emperor. An icy projectile formed at his fingertips and flew towards the emperor. Even as the freeze ball was on its way, the supreme officer dashed towards the emperor. The sound of movement alerted the bodyguards, and they turned to face the imminent threat to the emperor. The freeze ball slammed into Emperor Hanchi. The emperor turned an icy blue as he instantly froze. The supreme officer sped behind the statuesque emperor and removed a strand of wire from his long braid of black hair. He looped the wire over the head of the emperor and tightened it slightly around Hanchi’s neck. The bodyguards started running towards the emperor.
“Stop,” commanded the supreme officer. “Lower your weapons or the emperor dies.”
“You will not leave this palace alive,” threatened one of the guards.
“I have no intention of leaving,” snickered the supreme officer.
The door to the garden burst open, and eight soldiers swiftly entered. They quickly spread out as the bodyguards turned to face the new threat. The eight soldiers acted swiftly. Their hands rose and sent freeze balls flying into each of the bodyguards. Four of the soldiers retreated through the door and dragged the four bodies of the sentries into the garden. They closed the door.
“What took you so long?” asked the supreme officer. “Has anyone been alerted?”
“We had to wait for the noble to leave,” answered one of the soldiers. “Nobody will be the wiser unless the four sentries are missed.”
“They won’t be missed if we act swiftly,” declared the supreme officer as he gazed upward at the sky. “The sun will arrive shortly, and we can leave the garden. Later they will be reported as deserters. Kill them all now, but cause no blood to stain the ground. Find an appropriate place in the garden for the bodies and bury them.”
“What was the thing about the nine stars?” asked one of the soldiers. “I did not understand that.”
“It was just a story I read many years ago,” smirked the supreme officer. “I read it when Mordac had us all out collecting books. I had a feeling that it was a story that would not escape the notice of someone as aggressive as Hanchi. I find it amusing that the story of his expanding empire was also the story of his death.”
The supreme officer cast a spell that enveloped Hanchi and himself. He then proceeded to smother the emperor. With a wave of his hand, the icy statue of the dead emperor fell limp. Within seconds the supreme officer’s body was transformed into an identical twin of Emperor Hanchi. The emperor’s new twin caught the body before it fell and began to disrobe it.
“Should we be assuming the identities of the bodyguards, Dalgar?” asked one of the soldiers.
“Do not call me Dalgar,” scowled the new emperor. “One slip and we shall all die. I am Emperor Hanchi now. Remember that.”
“Sorry,” apologized the soldier.
“Yes,” sighed Emperor Hanchi as he dressed in the emperor’s clothes. “Use Reflecting Pool to assume their identities. Let’s be quick about this.”
Dalgar smiled inwardly as he took the necklace from around the dead emperor’s neck and fastened it to his own. He waited patiently as his Black Devils assumed the identities of the dead bodyguards and disposed of the bodies. They finished burying the last one just as the sun’s rays began streaming into the garden.
“Remember what you were briefed about,” warned Emperor Hanchi. “We only get once chance at this.”
His bodyguards nodded, and the emperor started walking towards the door. Four of the bodyguards hurried before the emperor and slid into the foyer outside. The other four followed Hanchi closely. They left the foyer and followed the corridor to the throne room. Hanchi seated himself on the throne while his bodyguards spread out around him. The noble swiftly approached and halted several paces away. The noble bowed.
“What is it, Za-chan?” asked the emperor.
“I was wondering about the soldiers who visited you,” the noble stated nervously. “I did not see them leave. Was I correct in bringing them to you?”
“Do not concern yourself with them,” replied the emperor. “We have much more important matters to discuss. Order my officers to assemble. The
time for war is upon us now.”
“But we have not crushed the rebels yet,” Za-chan protested meekly.
“They no longer matter,” asserted Emperor Hanchi. “Our army marches to conquer Sordoa. Make the preparations.”
Za-chan bowed and moved swiftly out of the room. Emperor Hanchi signaled for one of his bodyguards, and the man came closer.
“Send a message to Zorn,” instructed the emperor. “Code it as you have been instructed. Tell him to come to Ongchi immediately. I have need of his services.”
* * *
Adan smiled as he saw Tedi and Natia returning from the woods. He spied the picnic basket that Tedi was carrying and could not help feeling happy for his younger sister. As they got closer, he noticed the concern etched into Tedi’s face. He rose to meet them.
“How was the picnic?” the gypsy leader asked.
“It was pleasant,” smiled Natia. “Tedi was teaching me how to use a bow.”
Adan gazed at Tedi and waited for his response. Tedi stared at the ground lost in thought.
“What is bothering you, Tedi?” prompted Adan. “Did my little sister beat you at throwing knives?”
Tedi shook his head and smiled at Adan. “We did not play with knives today,” he replied.
“Well something is bothering you,” stated Adan. “Can you trust me enough to share it?”
“Several things are bothering me,” admitted Tedi. “Have you noticed the northern sky this morning?”
Adan shrugged and looked at the towering peaks of the Southern Mountains. “It is a fine sky,” responded Adan. “I see nothing wrong with it.”
“Exactly,” nodded Tedi. “We should be able to see the edge of the Darkness over the mountains as we have for the past weeks, but the sky over the mountains is no different than the sky overhead.”
“Meaning?” asked Adan with confusion on his face.
“Meaning the Sword of Heavens has received the Dwarven Ruby,” explained Tedi. “The Darkness has been banished to our north.”
“Maybe we were just seeing clouds hanging over the mountains before,” suggested Natia.
“No,” Tedi shook his head. “Even as far south as Lori I could see the edge of the Darkness over the mountains. Being this close to the mountains, there can be no mistake. Yesterday the Darkness was there.”
“So the Darkness has fled to the north,” shrugged Adan. “That is a good thing, no?”
“I guess it is,” sighed Tedi.
Worry crept into Natia’s face as she said, “You are planning on leaving the gypsies, aren’t you?”
“Arik must be in the mountains,” nodded Tedi. “If I don’t meet up with him now, I may never find him again. I must rejoin him.”
“Then I must pack my belongings,” Natia said sadly as she turned and headed for her wagon.
“There is more, isn’t there?” Adan asked after Natia had left.
“Yes,” nodded Tedi. “There are goblin tracks in the forest not far from here. They are not fresh, but they are numerous. In fact, there were hundreds of them, if not thousands. Your people are in danger being this far north. You should move southward.”
“And take Natia with us?” questioned Adan.
“I can probably get through the goblins alone,” sighed Tedi, “but I cannot risk taking Natia with me.”
“Do you love my sister?” inquired Adan.
“You know that I do,” replied Tedi. “How can you ask such a thing?”
“I needed to hear it from your own lips,” smiled Adan. “If you love her, you should take her with you.”
“I have fought goblins before,” Tedi shook his head. “They are evil, vile creatures. I could not stand the thought of them capturing her. She will be safer with the gypsies.”
“Perhaps,” mused Adan, “but she will be miserable. Worse, she will follow after you as soon as you have left. If you seek to protect her, then you must take her with you. Otherwise, she will have to face the goblins alone.”
“That means that I have to stay with the gypsies to protect her,” argued Tedi. “I cannot do that. Surely, you can convince her to stay with you.”
“Hardly,” chuckled Adan. “You are welcome to try to convince her yourself, but we both know your chances of success.”
“You are leaving me in an impossible situation,” frowned Tedi. “I cannot stay, and I cannot go.”
“Maybe there is another solution,” suggested Adan.
“Another solution?” echoed Tedi. “I do not understand.”
“Perhaps it is time for the gypsies to leave Lanoir,” smiled Adan. “The Lanoirian soldiers have grown wise to our methods of stealing their horses. We have not managed to gain any sizeable amount in over a week.”
“You already have two thousand of their horses,” laughed Tedi. “What would you do with more of them?”
“Sell them,” grinned the gypsy king. “I doubt we would be successful selling them back to the Lanoirians, so moving north to Sordoa makes a lot of sense to me. I think the armies up there would be willing to buy them.”
“You are willing to move all of your people north just to allow me to meet up with Arik?” questioned Tedi.
“You and my sister,” corrected Adan. “Once we move through the goblins, the two of you will be free to seek out your friends.”
“We cannot move two thousand horses and all of these wagons quietly,” stated Tedi. “The goblins will surely notice us. What happens when the goblins attack the tribes?”
“Then we shall teach the goblins that gypsies are not to be trifled with,” grinned Adan. “They will learn that lesson the hard way.”
* * *
Arik reached into his pack and withdrew the envelope from King Devon. He handed it to King Tring.
“I was asked to deliver this message to the dwarves,” declared Arik. “It is from King Devon of Tor. He gave it to me in the Castle of Man.”
King Tring accepted the envelope and broke the seal. He removed a sheet of paper and stared at it for several long moments before speaking.
“This is something that I must share with the dwarves of Lanto,” declared the dwarf king. “It seems the humans of the Castle of Man have apologized for their ancient treatment of dwarves. Perhaps you do herald in a new era for all people, Garala. This is something that I had never expected to see. Even though the atrocities at the Castle of Man are newly known to us, those old scrolls had caused quite a bit of resentment towards humans since they were read.”
“Many bad things have occurred in the past among all of the races,” interjected Jenneva. “Most of them were due to misunderstandings caused by passing through Junctions. I think our visit to the Castle of Man has made the humans at Tor look at things differently.”
“The Garala’s visit here has caused us to look at things differently as well,” offered Queen Trana. “We always thought the Garala would be a dwarf. I think we should accept the apology in the spirit it was given.”
“Let it be so then,” agreed King Tring. “We have gathered many weapons for the use of the humans at Southland. They are mostly swords, as we understand that humans do not handle axes well. Our people are currently busy making more swords and armor. How are we to deliver the wagons? Will the humans at Southland accept the presence of dwarves bearing gifts?”
“Show the banner of Garala, and they will welcome you as brothers,” offered Tanya.
“We can also make your allegiance known to them,” added Alex. “The weapons and armor that you supply will help them greatly.”
“We will be proud to make up banners for the Garala,” smiled Queen Trana. “Are you leaving now? Is there anything you need for your journey?”
“We have all that we need,” assured Arik. “We will be leaving as soon as the sun sets.”
“It is close to that time now,” declared Boris. “I will travel with you to the mine entrance and then head off to check on Bin-lu.”
“Will you also find Tedi?” asked Tanya. “I am worried about h
im.”
“We will find Tedi,” nodded Master Khatama. “We shall bring him north with us.”
“Are you sure that is wise?” asked Jenneva. “I mean about you traveling north. The clear skies will not last all of the way to Southland. I think you should avoid being under the Darkness.”
“The Darkness begins around Dubar,” chirped Prince Midge. “I checked on it while you slept.”
“Traveling north would be one way to test your theory, Jenneva,” stated Master Khatama. “Whatever is causing my problem, I must deal with it. I cannot do that by avoiding it.”
“You also cannot deal with it if you forget what the problem is,” frowned Tanya. “Please be careful, Uncle Boris.”
“So I shall,” smiled Master Khatama.
“I will take care of Master Khatama,” offered Niki. “He will be alright with me along.”
“Are you prepared to go, Prince Darok?” interrupted Alex.
“I am ready,” assured the dwarf prince. “I even managed to procure a horse to ride, although that will be one of the more unpleasant tasks required for the journey.”
“You will grow to like it,” chuckled Arik. “Riding may well save you a pair of boots.”
“I trust my legs well enough to get me where I need to go,” retorted Prince Darok, “and boots I know how I repair. Still, I am ready for a grand adventure.”
“Good,” smiled Alex. “Let us begin this adventure then. Prince Darok, lead us out of the mine. I would like to use the dark of night before the moon rises to move away from the mountains. I suspect that Sarac’s Ravens will be waiting for us.”
“Then we shall create a diversion for them,” grinned Prince Darok. “I will send a party out before us. While Sarac’s people track dwarves, we shall slip away into the night.”
Emerald of the Elves Page 4