by Jordan Baker
Laurana had just finished inspecting the reservoirs, giant cup shaped leaves high up on the trees that towered over the city, that collected rain and supplied the city with water, and she had found that they were only half filled, due to the dryer weather this year. She ordered the elves who saw to such things to work with the trees and ask them to draw as much groundwater as they could, like the trees in the outer forest, that guarded against fire. With that task underway, among others she had set in motion, she made her way back to the palace, to look in on her niece. One of the elves in Laurana's service had informed her that the Kandarans and the Maramyrian commanders had recently visited, and it had taken all of their persuasion to convince Ariana to stay in the care of the healers at the palace. Apparently the princess was proving to be rather unruly in her current state, which was becoming more and more apparent, which had the healers a little worried.
"I see you are resting properly," Laurana said, entering the room to find Ariana sitting up in bed, with a scowl on her face.
"I am not resting," Ariana said. "I am boiling with frustration and doing my best not to burst into flames right here and now."
"I should hope you wouldn't do such a thing," Laurana said as she sat on the edge of the bed.
"I would never, not on purpose anyway," Ariana said, but her face was flushed with anger, almost as red as her hair had become during her time in the dragon lands.
"I know you wouldn't," Laurana said. "It is difficult not to be upset by what is happening, especially being stuck in bed."
"Why must I stay here?" Ariana asked. "The healers tell me that I must, but I don't see why I should. There is much that I can do."
"They are worried for you," Laurana said, looking at the way Ariana's stomach had grown noticeably larger. "It is unheard of for an elf, even a half-elf to mate with a dragon. The closest thing is the royal line of Kandara, but we know very little about the experience of the queens of that land."
"I didn't plan on this," Ariana said. "It is part of the bonding."
"I do know a little of the bonding," Laurana told her. "It is how the dragons ensure that they do not become wild beasts. Borrican told me a little about it, and it was a brave and kind thing you did for him. Was it because of the gift his father gave you that you chose to do this?"
"It was and it wasn't," Ariana said. "King Eric already knew how I felt. He could tell my feelings for Borrican, and I think that's why he trusted me with the dragon gift."
"But he didn't tell you what it was?"
"It is difficult to explain what it is," Ariana said. "I could tell you with words, but you still would not understand. It is like trying to explain to someone who is not elven how the trees can speak."
"I see," Laurana said. She had been concerned that the dragon gift had been some kind of trick. "So you would have bonded with Borrican, even if it were not for the gift?" Ariana's face turned an even brighter shade of red, and Laurana knew the answer. "You don't have to respond to that. I do not mean to pry, but I feel a little responsible for you in place of your mother."
"I am grateful, Laurana," Ariana said, becoming visibly calmer. "I understand your feelings. When you are very close, I can even hear them a little."
"Truly?" Laurana was surprised, and a little taken aback that her private thoughts might be heard by another.
"It is like talking to the trees," Ariana told her, then she realized that Laurana was a little uncomfortable. "I can't tell what you are thinking, only a sense of your feeling, and even that is very faint. It certainly isn't like the dragons. Their emotions are as loud as their bellowing roars, when they choose to share them."
"They are emotional creatures," Laurana said.
"Completely," Ariana told her with a laugh, then she thought of Vale and her mother Vana. "They are also very wise, some of the ones I have met. There are a few I think you would like very much."
"And the other dragons? Some are not so wise?"
"Perhaps not so much," Ariana said. "They are very different."
"I see," Laurana said, though she could only guess at what Ariana really meant.
"Can you tell the healers that I am fine?" Ariana asked. "I am only here because you made me promise to do what they said."
"It is not for me to tell them such things," Laurana said. "They are concerned for you because of how different things are for you. They have never seen such growth in such a short amount of time and they are worried your body might be harmed."
Ariana looked down at her bloated stomach and, other than her breasts being swollen and extremely tender, all she felt at the moment was insatiable hunger.
"Other than being hungry all the time, I feel fine," Ariana said, then she reached over to the small table next to the bed and picked up a piece of bread and tore off a chunk then stuffed it in her mouth. "I feel like I could eat a horse."
"Well, I don't know if the horses would be fond of that idea," Laurana said, laughing. "I will ask one of the hunters to bring some venison for you, if you would like."
Ariana's eyes lit up with nearly wild excitement.
"That would be perfect," she said. "I would like it rare, even raw."
"That must be the dragon gift talking," Laurana said, and Ariana suddenly looked like she might burst into tears.
"Is there something wrong with me?" Ariana asked. "I can't tell if I am happy or sad or angry or, I don't even know."
"And that would be your elven side," Laurana said. "Do not worry, Ariana. It is perfectly normal for your emotions to waver from one extreme to another."
"I know," Ariana said. "I just don't know why I feel different things. It isn't like the dragons, when things are more intense but they still make sense. I feel like I am falling to the madness."
"No," Laurana replied. "This particular madness is very common among our people, and you are handling it far better than most."
"What was it like for you," Ariana asked, and Laurana laughed.
"The healers were in such terror that they had to ask the trees to bind me in hard sap, for fear of what I might do," she said. "After Quenta was born, I spent the next few years making amends with them."
"I hope I haven't offended the healers who are tending to me," Ariana said. "They watch over me diligently, and I can tell that they truly care about their work."
"I have heard no complaints from them," Laurana said. "If I do, I shall let you know so you can apologize to them later."
"I will do my best to make sure it isn't necessary, but I still don't see why I have to stay in bed like this." Ariana sighed. "What if I promise not to get involved in any fighting?"
"Hopefully there won't be any fighting here in the city," Laurana said. "Quenta is leading thousands of elven warriors to stop the enemy as we speak."
"I hope they succeed and that they save the forest," Ariana said. "There is a tree that I know far to the southeast, where I lived with Keira when I first came here, and I would be heartbroken if he were harmed. I feel just as protective toward all the trees, and I am furious at what these creatures are doing."
"The people are confident that the enemy will be driven from the forest," Laurana said, and Ariana looked at her, tilting her head a little.
"You do not seem so sure," she said.
"I am responsible for all of the forest and its many people," Laurana said, pushing aside her doubts, since she knew Ariana could sense them. "I will feel better once the forest is safe once more."
"I will feel better when that that Calexis is dead and the throne is restored to me," Ariana said. "Then you can be sure that Maramyr will no longer makes war against its neighbors. It was a peaceful land before my uncle and that priesthood took over."
"I know this to be true," Laurana said as she took Ariana's hand for a moment. "And I am sure it will be again."
"I promise it will be," Ariana said. Laurana smiled and rose from the side of the bed.
"Rest now," she said. "I will speak with the healers. Perhaps they will relent and allow y
ou to walk around a little."
"Thank you, Laurana," Ariana said and Laurana smiled, then she turned and made her way to the door as Ariana called after her. "And the hunter, don't forget about the venison. Please and thank you."
Laurana left, and Ariana sighed, then she laid her head back on the mountain of pillows against which she was propped and she stared that the ceiling and rubbed her tight, swollen belly. With everything that had happened and in her worry and her anger about the forest, as well as the frustration at hearing that the elves had refused the help she had offered, she had tried to ignore the strange feelings in her body, even when they had become obvious, both physically and now with her odd behavior. Ariana suddenly realized that she really was uncomfortable and that she did hurt all over, no matter how hard she tried to pretend otherwise. Without raising her head, she reached over and grabbed the remaining piece of bread from the table and stuffed it in her mouth, chewing on it and hoping that someone would bring her something more substantial soon, and preferably something raw and bloody.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Calexis cut the meat with her jeweled dagger, then she stabbed the bloody morsel with the sharp point and took it between her teeth, staring at Aaron the whole while. He sat, unmoving, at the far end of the long table in the vast hall, which she had redecorated after the fight between the finalists of the tournament. Now the carved, wooden panels and stonework were shades of black with highlights of grey, and heavy, wine colored window coverings, which made the room very dark, almost like night, even though it was still light outside. Flames flickered upon an elaborate candelabra that sat upon the table between them, and Calexis was sure she could see the power glimmering in Aaron's eyes as he watched her eat.
"It is a shame you are not hungry," she said. "The meat is truly delicate, and the wine is worth dying for." She picked up a goblet and swallowed some of the rich, red liquid, then she smiled. "Well, perhaps not, but it is quite good."
"It is strange, but I no longer need food or drink," Aaron told her. "I do enjoy it, but I would much rather break bread with friends and people I care about."
"You wound me," Calexis said as she sliced another piece of meat, and popped it in her mouth with her dagger. "We could be friends, the two of us, or allies if you prefer. I would like that very much. Perhaps you would at least consider it?"
"Why would I agree to align myself with you?" Aaron asked as Calexis poked her dagger into a piece of fruit that lay in a bowl atop the table.
"It would be much easier than the alternative, don't you think?" Calexis flicked her dagger and sent the fruit flying across the long table and Aaron caught it in one hand, without even taking his eyes off her. She picked up her wine and took another sip, while shaking her head. "You really must relax, my young man. We are simply talking. Talking is useful, if we are to find some solution to our little problem."
"A solution?" Aaron was skeptical.
"Well yes," Calexis replied, staring down at her plate and toying with the cut of meat and the blood that pooled around it. "It is very troublesome that you continue to resist me and I would rather not force you to my will, for it would be such a bother. Perhaps there is something I can offer you in exchange for your help."
"Do not listen to her, Aaron. Her every word is a lie," Stroma echoed.
"What is that?" Calexis asked, looking up, her eyes blazing.
"What is what?" Aaron asked, and Calexis leaned forward, with her hands on the edge of the table.
"I recognize that voice," she hissed. "It is one I know all too well."
"What voice is that, your own?" Aaron asked.
"Do not think I don't know," she spat, glaring at him angrily and leaning forward even more, as though she might leap toward him. "It is Stroma."
"Stroma is already dead," Aaron told her. "His thoughts might linger, but he is gone."
"Oh?" Calexis said and she leaned back again, sitting down and regaining her calm. "Stroma speaks to you, does he? And what has he told you?"
"He has told me enough," Aaron said. "I can tell you that he does not trust you, nor do I."
Calexis sighed and she cut another piece of meat, this time letting the dagger scratch against the plate.
"It is true," she said. "We have had our differences in the past, Stroma and I, but with him gone and the other gods weak and ineffectual, there is nothing that threatens me, so what reason would I have to lie to you?"
"Perhaps you don't even know whether your words are true or not," Aaron suggested.
"Whatever do you mean by that?"
"The shadow already destroys you." Aaron watched as the dark energy flowed around her, slowly consuming her essence, even rotting the food she ate. "It is madness to allow yourself to be consumed by such a power."
"The dark power is mine to control," she said, her voice suddenly loud and powerful, echoing in the cavernous hall. "It flows within me as your power flows within you. I am the shadow and I am the darkness. Do you understand?"
"It will destroy you," Aaron told her again. "And when you have destroyed all life, what will it feed upon then?"
"There will always be power in the world," she said. "The difference is there will be no willful beings and creatures to deny me what is mine, to deny my hunger."
"And when will you be satisfied?"
"I just told you," she said. "When all life is subject to my will, then I will be pleased, for what purpose is there in the existence of the weak but to serve the will of one who is greater? The purpose of life is to die, and all light will eventually succumb to darkness."
"Will it?"
"It is the truth," she said. "The light is nothing without the darkness."
"Or is the darkness nothing without the light?" Aaron asked.
"You wish to play a game of words?" Calexis laughed. "How amusing. We can pretend to be mages and quibble over how many spells can be cast all at once from the tip of a finger."
"There would be no point," Aaron said.
"Well spoken," she replied. "My, you are a clever one."
"I do not think of myself that way," Aaron told her. "I simply try to do what is right."
"As do I," Calexis replied. "I do what is my right."
"If it is your right, then you can choose to do otherwise, can you not?"
"Of course," she said. "I can choose to do whatever I want."
"Then you could choose to stop this madness."
"What madness is that?"
"The destruction of life," Aaron replied. "There is no reason for it."
"Is that what you want?" Calexis asked, her voice turning to honey. "Tell me, who is it that you want to live?"
"Everyone," Aaron said, and Calexis burst into laughter, and she took another sip of her wine before responding.
"Everyone will die," she said. "Even gods can die. You said it yourself. Stroma is dead."
"Why not let people live out their lives as long as they can?"
"You wish for me to wait?"
"What does it matter?"
"I have waited long enough, and I will not be denied," she said, her tone turning harder. "It would be easier if you would simply accept your role in this."
"What role is that?" Aaron asked.
"You would make a fine consort," she said. "With your power and mine, we could rule the world."
"Only to destroy it?"
"To take power. It is a glorious thing, to drink it in," she said, then she fingered the stone on he pommel of her dagger. "I noticed you carry a godsword. What do you think is its purpose? Why do you think the gods of old created such weapons?"
"I know what they did," Aaron said. Stroma's memories had shown him the visions of the wars that had been waged over such power. "Many of them also gave up these weapons and sacrificed themselves to stop the shadow."
"Stroma has shared many things with you," Calexis commented.
"A few things he did not intend," Aaron said. "You did not know of this?"
Calexis hesitated a little
.
"Of course I knew," she said. "I am a god, and soon I will be the only god that remains. Then my power will be unchallenged."
"And then, the shadow will destroy you," Aaron said.
"The power of the shadow is mine," Calexis said, her eyes flashing once more. "Perhaps you are not as clever as I thought."
"I already said I do not think of myself that way," Aaron replied.
"It does not matter," Calexis said. "I can find cleverness elsewhere if I should desire it, and I find it often becomes tiresome, a mere display, and nothing more."
"Then why all this?" Aaron asked, looking at the table and the untouched feast before him.
"It is my will," Calexis said, smiling with her eyes half closed as she sipped her wine. "I was curious about your mind, and now I am no longer, though I am curious about the rest of you. It will be interesting to see how long you can resist my power. I can already tell that you can barely help yourself." Calexis stood and, with one hand, she knocked the dishes and food from the table, then she crawled up on top, placing her wine down next to her. "Come, Aaron. Use your power against me. Let us do battle, you and I, and then, when you have fallen, I will take you as my slave, and you will worship me for eternity."
"I worship no one," Aaron replied with an edge of steel in his voice.
"You will, my sweet, foolish boy," she said, and her skin began to shift and her teeth became sharper as she crawled toward him.
Calexis knocked the candelabra from the table and the room became much darker. An instant later, she was directly in front of him, her tongue licking his lips as her dagger thrust toward his neck. Aaron released the power in his body, sending a wave of energy toward her, and throwing her tumbling backward. Calexis landed in a crouch upon the table, hissing at him with a reptilian tail twitching behind her, then she smiled and leapt toward him again. This time, Aaron dodged, sliding his chair back from the table and half drawing his sword as her dagger stabbed at him. The silvergold blades sparked and Aaron pushed her away once more and pulled his sword free from its scabbard. Calexis landed on her feet this time and the two of them stepped slowly around one another, moving out into the open floor of the room, walking circles in the dark.