Fallen Star

by Steven Drake

  “I don’t intend to give him a choice,” Darien said. “Besides, if you’re really going to make a serious challenge for the crown, we need to keep him in custody for some time.” Zitane turned red and looked away.

  “You are?” Mirisa asked.

  “I don’t have much of a choice,” Zitane said. “After everything I’ve heard from Elira, and what Zandrek told us, someone has to do something. I may not be the favorite son, but I can’t watch my brother lead the entire realm to ruin.”

  Mirisa smiled. Zitane would make an excellent king. He was patient, measured, clever, and diplomatic. He simply lacked confidence. If King Ezmir were to fall, the choice between Zitane and Zandrek was an easy one. Relying upon Zandrek as a guide, though, was a decidedly less promising prospect.

  “So there it is,” Darien said. “To be honest, when the Shades find out I’ve interrogated him, and they will find out, his life will be in danger. If they decide he’s too much of a risk, they can easily be rid of him, especially if the king is enthralled to them. He won’t be safe unless we keep him with us.”

  “It’s too late in the season for travel,” Elira said. “I didn’t much care for Zandrek’s decision to come here this late in autumn, but going farther north seems foolish. Could you not wait until spring?”

  “Traveling in winter is difficult, not impossible,” Darien countered. “As I understand, you first found the ruin during a wintertime hunt, yes? And no, I can’t, because when spring does come, you will need to begin your campaign, and I intend to be involved, unless you’ve changed your mind about accepting my help.”

  Zitane mumbled something unpleasant and nodded reluctantly. “Well Mirisa, what do you think? Do you want to go?”

  Mirisa did not have to think for very long. The moment Zandrek had uttered the name Algalon, something had stirred in her. Now, for some untold reason, Darien had taken an interest in it as well. She looked to him. He seemed to almost be pleading with his eyes, but he need not have bothered. She wanted to know more of herself, if there truly was anything to find.

  “I want to go. I’ve never known much about who I am and where I came from. Of course I want to know,” Miri said firmly. “Besides, if Darien thinks it’s important, I trust him.” And I intend to find out exactly what happened to change his mind since last night, Miri added to herself.

  “How do you plan on getting Zandrek to help you?” Elira added. “Even after what he’s done, I can’t let you keep dominating his mind.”

  “That shouldn’t be necessary. Now that he knows I can invade his mind, I doubt he will risk deceiving me in any meaningful way.” Darien said. “There are many less extreme ways to encourage cooperation. It will take a few days, but I’ll come up with something.”

  Chapter 28: The Gate

  ‘Something’ turned out to be a pair of enchanted bracelets that got both painfully hot and unbearably heavy whenever anyone got too far away from Darien’s control talisman. The bracelets might have helped, but probably were not necessary. Since the interrogation, the prince had been terrified of Darien, and probably would have agreed to anything without much argument.

  Miri had begun to appreciate the way Darien used fear and threats to control and manipulate others. No matter how harsh or ruthless he seemed, he always had a purpose. Darien intimidated individuals to get what he wanted without having to use force. Having lived many years in Exire, Mirisa had befriended others who seemed far more unpredictable and dangerous, yet even they were not truly evil, not completely anyway.

  Garok insisted on coming, and Darien raised no objection. Elira sent several of her Falling Leaves to accompany the group as well, and they set out about a week after their decision to leave.

  The journey was cold and windy, but otherwise unremarkable. The snow proved less difficult than Miri had anticipated, thanks to Darien’s magic power. When the snow got too deep, he melted and moved the snow aside. It was terribly convenient, and Miri considered how much easier winter travel would be with even a few mages to clear the roads. After a few days, Miri managed to convince Darien to let her help, which slowed their progress somewhat. Miri could move the snow easily enough, but it would shift quickly back into place whenever she lost focus. Darien let her flounder for a bit before he explained that he had actually been partially melting the snow then refreezing it in a new location. The half-elf had found that just terribly amusing, and had even coaxed a laugh out of Garok at her expense. Once Darien explained properly however, Miri mastered the technique, though she could not use it as quickly or effortlessly as her teacher. Miri relished each bit of magic she mastered, as every spell made her better prepared to help her brother and everyone else.

  On the other hand, she had no luck whatsoever getting Darien to explain why he wanted to visit this place. He evaded every question, but perhaps more disturbing than that, he never showed the slightest irritation. Darien showed few emotions at all, but irritation was by far the most common, and on this topic, he seemed tolerant far beyond what Miri had observed before. After a few days, it got so disturbing, Miri actually stopped asking. It frustrated her that he still kept so many secrets, but she remained patient. She would peel back the layers slowly, one by one, until she got to the center. Whatever mysterious force that had moved Darien to seek the secrets of her origins, it was buried too deep, for now.

  Traveling with Zandrek was the worst part of the journey, but he had been reasonably polite. Whether it was fear or pragmatism that had effectively calmed the prince, Miri was glad of the change. Still, she caught him staring hungrily at her more than once, so she kept away from him, and stayed close to Darien. She found herself grateful for the ruse of their engagement, as it allowed her to sleep in Darien’s tent, where, despite his insistence on being as far apart as physically possible within the confines of the tent, she felt completely safe.

  On a clear and chill winter’s day, some two weeks after leaving Exire, they arrived at the valley where Zandrek claimed the cave lay. Despite Zandrek’s many faults, he possessed a sharp mind and an excellent memory, so he functioned as a competent navigator. It took a further two days of searching up and down the valley for the cave itself. They found the opening on a snowy slope at the northernmost fork of the valley, an opening nearly perfectly circular. By the time they found it, night was falling, so they decided to make camp in the cave and begin their explorations in the morning.

  As soon as Darien set foot in the cave, however, he stopped short. Miri ran to catch up with him, and as soon as she stepped inside the entrance, she felt it too. A subtle energy all around her, a sense of clarity that pervaded the area. The air itself seemed unnaturally crisp and fresh. Every facet of the cave seemed perfectly well defined, sharpened to the minutest detail. Even the smell of cold stone and cave moss seemed to fill her nostrils with sharp and clear definition. She took a step forward, and the sound seemed louder than normal, but not painfully so. Rather she heard it almost perfectly.

  “What is this?” Miri asked.

  “I’m not sure,” Darien said. “This entire cave is radiating magic, like it has its own aura, but I only felt it when I stepped into the cave.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “I don’t know,” Darien said. “It’s meant to be hidden, and to hide something this strong… I’ve only felt something like this once before, something I encountered when I stayed with the elves of Kadanar, but that was faded with the passage of many centuries. This feels almost new, and that’s obviously impossible. I don’t know what it means, but whoever made this place had at least as much skill in magic as the ancient elves.” Darien turned and looked out of the cave, where Zandrek and his guards were following several yards behind. “You didn’t notice the magic here when you came here the last time?”

  “They didn’t let me go inside the cave.” Zandrek said. “They were more concerned with draining my blood. We were camped here for two weeks, and every day it was the same thing, leeches, leeches, and more leeches. I must have
been half dry by the time we left.”

  “What did they use your blood for?”

  “I have no idea.” Zandrek said. “Like I said, they didn’t let me get near the entrance.”

  “Zitane said the spell that woke me up took his blood, too.” Miri said. “He didn’t know why.”

  “Yes, he told me about that.” Darien said. “Blood is thick with a mage’s aura. It carries a mage’s energy even outside the body for a time, so it’s often used to enchant items. I used just a drop on those bracelets Zandrek is wearing. However, I’ve never heard of any spell or enchantment that used someone else’s blood. I don’t understand why Zitane’s blood triggered your awakening, but then, this magic is well beyond my skill. Perhaps we’ll find the answers tomorrow.”

  Darien took a few steps into the cave to investigate the perimeter. He stopped at a section of the rear cave wall, which he examined thoroughly.

  “Did you find something?” Miri asked.

  “This is the illusionary wall Zitane spoke of.” Darien answered. “but I’ve encountered those before, and this feels different. It’s subtle, but it’s there. Hmmm…”

  Darien reached out to touch the rock. His hand passed through the stone for a moment, but something suddenly changed. Miri felt it before she saw anything, like a sudden gust of wind that came from nowhere. The magical energy in the cave gathered itself into the spot where Darien’s hand had penetrated the wall. Then the gathered force rose up in front of Darien and lashed out violently. She started to cry out, but it was already too late, a swirling gray fog appeared out of nowhere just where the cave wall had been and sent out what Miri could only describe as a tendril of raw power. It struck Darien in the chest before even he could react. That single blow carried such immense force, it knocked Darien away, sending him flying through the air and out the mouth of the cave. He landed a dozen yards down the hillside in the snow.

  Miri ran to him, and quickly laid a hand on his chest. He was unconscious, and his heart was racing, so fast it seemed to flutter. Without a thought, Miri released her power into Darien, and after a few terrifying moments, his frenzied heart slowed. After a few seconds, he opened his eyes, blinking.

  “Are you alright.” Miri asked. “What happened?”

  “It was a guardian ward.” Darien said. “I’ve encountered them before. I was taught to lay simple wards myself.” Darien then stopped speaking suddenly and shut his eyes. Miri wondered what he was thinking, but before she could ask, he resumed. “This one was exceptionally well hidden, and I’ve never seen one that physically attacked before. It seemed to draw on the magic of the cave.”

  “Can we get past it?” Miri asked.

  “Maybe. I have an idea.”

  Darien quickly got to his feet and strode back into the cave, where Garok and the others had been watching silently, too stunned to move.

  “Are you alright?” Garok rumbled.

  “I’m fine.” Darien said. “Wards can’t usually inflict physical harm. That was unexpected.” Darien then turned to Zandrek with a serious look. “Now you try.”

  “Absolutely not.” Zandrek said. “I’m still the Crown Prince, and Elira expects you to bring me back, alive. That thing could kill me.”

  “It could.” Darien said, “but I don’t think it will. Zitane gave me his account of what happened when he found Mirisa. He passed through this wall, and it didn’t kill him, or Mirisa when they passed it a second time.”

  “So what?” Zandrek fumed. “I led you here. I think I’ve helped you enough, so do it yourself.”

  Darien cracked a wicked smile and drew the control talisman for his bracelets from a hidden pocket. “Garok, how far do you imagine you can throw this?”

  The ogre cracked a toothy grin. “Quite far. I was always the best of my brothers at tossing stones.”

  “You wouldn’t” Zandrek said. “You three.” Zandrek turned to the soldiers Elira had said. “Stop them, I command you.”

  The leader of the three Falling Leaves Elira had sent, a medium sized elf man with deep blue eyes and light brown hair named Gilitor, simply sighed and shook his head dismissively.

  Darien handed the talisman to the ogre, who focused his eyes down the hillside and prepared to throw.

  “Fine. I’ll do it.” Zandrek finally conceded. “Damn you to the void if it kills me.”

  They all turned back into the cave, and Zandrek slowly, reluctantly, moved towards the spot where Darien had been attacked. The magic in the cave seemed perfectly still again, just as if nothing had happened. When Zandrek got close, within a few feet, he turned to Mirisa with pleading eyes. After everything he’s done to me, how dare he expect me to help, Miri thought as she turned away and crossed her arms. After this final rebuff, Zandrek finally crossed the last few feet and stretched out his hand. When he touched the rock, his hand passed through easily, and nothing happened. No force opposed him. The magic in the cave remained still.

  “What does this mean?” Mirisa asked.

  “This is a gate.” Darien said, “I believe it’s meant to let certain people pass, and refuse anyone else.” Darien shook his head. “This is more sophisticated than anything I’ve encountered, even in Kadanar. I can’t create anything remotely like this. I don’t know anyone who can, either. This must have taken a lot of work. Miri, you try it now.”

  Miri gulped and walked confidently toward the door. Her sense of the power in the cave gave her ample reason to be afraid, despite Darien’s confidence. Still, she was determined to show more courage than her adoptive brother. She put on a strong face, walked up to the wall, and quickly shoved her hand through. Again, nothing happened.

  “So it lets me and Zandrek through, but not you?” Miri said. “I wonder why.”

  “Who knows. You’re both elves, for one.” Darien said. He then turned to Gilitor and the other elves of Catarina. “If one of you wants to try, it would be helpful, but I won’t demand it of you.”

  Gilitor agreed and went up to the gate, then gingerly reached out his hand. As his hand passed through, Miri felt the force rise up once again. Again, before she could cry out a warning, the gray cloud appeared and struck Gilitor in the chest. Instead of flying out the cave, however, Gilitor simply staggered backwards a few feet and shook his head. Miri felt just a fraction of the force that had struck Darien.

  “Well, that didn’t work.” Darien said. “There must be some other factor that determines who can enter.”

  “It was weaker that time.” Mirisa added. “It knocked you unconscious and out of the cave, but it barely hurt Gilitor.”

  “Perhaps it recognizes royalty.” Zandrek cracked a vicious smile. “You’ve come all this way, and you can’t even get in. Too bad for you.”

  Darien didn’t react to the taunt, but continued scratching his chin. Then he cracked a smile. “Perhaps you’re right.” Darien then walked over to Zandrek purposefully. The prince started to scuffle away, but a stern look for Darien stopped him. Zandrek’s eyes went wide with fear. Miri could tell the insult didn’t bother Darien, and that he had no intention to hurt the prince, but Zandrek didn’t know that, and Miri enjoyed watching her overzealous suitor cower.

  Darien grasped the prince about the shoulders, then whirled him around and grabbed his shirt just below the neck, then lifted him up and started towards the wall. He held the prince close in front of him, and charged quickly through the gate. The magic in the cave stirred, but quickly quieted again. Darien had passed through. He returned a few moments later in the same fashion.

  “You did it.” Miri smiled at Darien. “How did you figure it out?”

  “Well, we have the prince to thank, don’t we?” Darien said. “His childish insult gave me an idea. Since the two brothers could go through it, perhaps it recognizes the blood of their family. Perhaps it was designed to permit the royal family of Catarina to pass, for whatever reason. That would explain why the Shades needed Zandrek to bring them here. His blood would carry his aura, but not for long after it left hi
s body. The Shades must have used it to go back and forth through the gate, taking more as they needed.”

  “But I’m not their sister by blood.” Miri added.

  “Perhaps not, but you were found here, so perhaps the gate recognizes your blood separately. Then again, you may be more closely related to your brothers than we thought.”

  “This place.” Garok spoke slowly as he sniffed the air. “It feels familiar, like I have known it a long time, it feels like Princess Mirisa herself.” Garok laid a hand on the stone. “Even the stone seems to speak of her. If that is so, then this is a good place. I think I will sleep well here.”

  “Let’s make camp then.” Darien said. “We’ll explore in the morning. I’d take you with us, but I’m afraid you’re too large for the passageway.”

  Garok nodded almost sadly as he and the rest of the group turned to the task of setting up camp.

  Chapter 29: Secrets Shared

  The magical aura that permeated the cave pricked at Darien’s senses, a subtle pressure that made it impossible to sleep, difficult even to keep his mind calm, so he simply laid quietly, slowly breathing in and out, trying to answer the frustrating riddle of this place. The power that pervaded the place could have only been laid by the ancient elves, centuries ago, but all enchantments faded subtly over time. One could always estimate the age of an enchantment by reading the extent of this fading, yet this place felt relatively new, perhaps just a few decades old. This place seemed to defy all he knew about magic, but then so did Mirisa’s abilities.

  After some space of time in the darkness, Mirisa unexpectedly stirred, sitting up on her bedroll and pulling her knees to her stomach. Darien silently rose as well, though she seemed not to notice.

  “Not able to sleep?” he said.

  Mirisa’s head lurched towards him, and her entire body jumped at the surprise. “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.”