Kiril Poth paced around the council room impatiently, the weight of the last two days resting heavily on his mind. The other Elders sat in their seats with grim or lost expressions.
"Have we tried everything?" asked Bithi impatiently. "There must be something that we have missed."
"We have attempted every known way of contacting Nyrune," Vischia snapped. "Clearly something is wrong."
"It is not that something is wrong," cut in Kiril. "Our goddess is gone!"
The other Elders lowered their heads, not wishing to accept this answer. As much as they looked to Kiril as the wisest of the group, they were not willing to give in to the truth.
The doors to the council room slowly creaked open and a mud stained man walked in, closing the door behind him. Removing his helmet, the Elders saw that it was Kilthies.
"What are you doing here?" asked Dietrue, shifting the book in his lap.
"Has Hiethris been lost?" asked Yhu in a panicked voice.
Kilthies shook his head. "The Dargonians have taken control of most of the city, but we still hold a few major points." He paused for a moment. "The fighting is endless. So many of our brethren fall every day that I do not believe the city will hold much longer."
"Then pull back into the surrounding forest. Hold them in the city. Our soldiers will outmatch the Dargonians if they are forced to fight amongst the trees," Velski suggested.
"I have already laid down the plans for our retreat into the forest west of Hiethris. If I return too late, Fliethu will ensure that we do not let them gain any more ground," Kilthies reassured them. "Now I would like to know what in the planes has happened!"
The other Elders looked to Kiril who pursed his lips and motioned for Kilthies to sit. The proud leader of the Thaldun Blades moved to the only free seat and unceremoniously dropped into it.
"You have felt the absence of Nyrune's magic?" Kiril asked Kilthies.
"I have felt the absence of the goddess herself. Do not toy with me," he answered. "Why does she no longer answer my prayers? Why is my magic not returning to me once I have used it?"
Kiril raised his hand wearily. "Forgive me for misjudging your knowledge in the ways of magic. I forget that were it not for your prowess on the field of battle that you would likely be taking my place on this council." He began to pace the room once more. "The boy that you saved from the hands of the disciple Novokai is the cause of this whole disaster."
"Christill, What could he have done?"
Kiril told Kilthies of the events leading up to the destruction of the Academy and then of Christill's escape.
"There must have been a reason that he left," Kilthies suggested.
"There is no doubt to that," Bithi cut in. "The boy obviously has something in mind. He is on his way to the next target."
"How can one boy cause harm to a god?" asked Kilthies, his brow furrowed. "This is impossible."
"It is not impossible," said Kiril. "But I hope that there is another explanation that we have simply missed."
"So where is the boy now?" queried Kilthies.
"We have had our men follow him, but we are not sure of his exact whereabouts yet," Dietrue answered.
Sielvu, who had remained silent, finally spoke. "Let us hope that they find that fiend before he causes even more harm," he commented viciously.
Kilthies cast his eyes to the ground and said a silent prayer for Christill. He knew that what had happened here in Duathnin was going to change the entire world.
Dawn of the Valiant (The Valerious Chronicles: Book One) Page 140