by B. A. Scott
“And the Caladens?” Kade asked. “What about them? Do the other Enchanters really expect me to—” she choked on her words.
“Breeding with the other nations is forbidden,” said Athiux. “We must contain the situation, Kade, before it gets any worse.”
“But it feels so wrong,” Kade said. “The Humans are our allies. You said yourself, you’re going to aid them in battle.”
“Yes,” said the Sage. “But the purity of our race must be protected. It’s not Gabrel—it’s what he represents. One of our citizens committed the unthinkable, and now, Erygian blood has been contaminated. To make matters worse, Gabrel can wield magic—a gift bestowed to Sages and our people alone. A Human Enchanter! Has there ever been a claim so blasphemous?”
“Maybe it’s a sign from the Goddesses,” said Kade. “A blessing.”
“It’s an abomination,” Athiux told her. “We must stomp these flames out before they spread. Once Gabrel and Kaven get us the information we seek, they will be eliminated. I would do it now, myself, but if their father knows anything, he would be more likely to tell one of them than one of us.”
“Does the fact that they’re Caladens mean nothing to you?” Kade argued. “Their ancestor had one of the strongest bonds with our people in history.”
“Given their lineage, the brothers’ situation is regrettable, I admit. But every Erygian knows the cost of breeding with another race—that they and any resulting offspring will be removed from existence. We are not the only nation that lives by this law, Kade.”
“You confuse me so much,” said the Enchantress. “You gave them the Tears of Life, yet plan to have them killed?”
“Let it never be said that we didn’t hold up our end of the bargain,” Athiux told her. “And the healers of Caleton do indeed need our medicine. Besides, the gesture helped to gain the brothers’ trust, if you didn’t notice. If they ever suspected our true intentions, they’d never tell us anything.”
“How do they not already?” Kade asked. “It’s common knowledge across the world.”
“It’s clear they know very little of the world,” Athiux observed. “I believe they’ve been raised to view breeding with the other nations as something shunned or merely uncommon—an incomprehensible act that simply does not happen, and are completely unaware of the consequences for it. Otherwise, I’m sure they would have said something by now. We must keep them in the dark on the matter, and blind to our deeds, Kade. I will need your help with that.”
Kade thought for a moment. “Gabrel’s using the Tears of Life to save his wife and unborn child,” she said. “His child will be Erygian too.”
“Then its fate will be the same has his,” Athiux uttered.
“Grandfather,” Kade gasped. “Do you hear yourself? How can you be so cold? It’s murder!”
“It’s containment,” said Athiux. “And it must be done.”
“But they’re innocent lives,” said Kade.
“I understand your mind is torn,” Athiux said.
“And yours is an impossible riddle,” Kade snapped, turning away from her grandfather. “You help the Humans, yet you’d slaughter the innocent?”
“I protect our people,” said Athiux. “And as for fighting at Caleton, Daro must be defeated, or he will come to our walls. I’m prepared to do whatever is necessary to ensure that doesn’t happen. As such, there is something I will do in the coming days that I wish the other Enchanters to not be told of.”
“How many of your secrets am I to keep?” Kade asked sharply.
Athiux paused, disregarded her tone, then spoke, “We will take another route back to Caleton.”
“What other?” Kade asked.
“Over the mountains,” Athiux replied.
Kade did not understand. Why would Athiux want this to be kept a secret? It was then that the Sage became very silent. A moment later, Kade’s eyes lit up with a fearful understanding of her grandfather’s intentions.
“No,” she whispered.
“If it would not help them, I would not have considered it.”
“Grandfather, the Enchanters—”
“They must not know.”
“They would never approve!”
“They would tie me down with bonds of Fury, if they knew my intentions. But these are desperate times.”
“That place is cursed now,” Kade said. “And its secret is lost. How do you plan to—”
“It is not lost unto me,” Athiux answered before Kade could finish. “Another reason that I go with you. I hate to put you in this position. But when the time comes, I will need your help.”
“You ask far too much of me,” the Enchantress steamed. “This violates so much—laws, codes, vows you have taken yourself! You preach to me about the consequences of breaking our laws when you plan to do the exact same thing! Why are you permitted to break them at will without repercussions?!” When Athiux didn’t respond, Kade turned to the open window behind her, and placed her hands upon its sill. She eyed the streets of Allestron below. Was it worth it, she pondered. What if it were her people that needed help? Would she still be so reluctant to take such a chance? “I hope you know what you’re doing,” she told her grandfather at last. Athiux put his hand on her shoulder.
“The morning brings tomorrow, and tomorrow brings today,” he said. “This is all we can ever really know.”
Kade closed her eyes, trying not to think about what Athiux was planning. Then, a less favorable thought entered her mind and wouldn’t leave. Can I do it? She wondered. Can I do what must be done?
* * * * *
Dareic followed closely on Treäbu’s heels as they raced through the massive, widely spaced trees. The sheer speed at which they traveled was astounding, Dareic thought. And surprisingly, his energy had not subsided in the least since leaving Arey’n’s sanctuary.
“We have entered the realm of Skaelwood!” Treäbu yelled as they dashed through the scenic wood. Not a moment after, Dareic noticed large, grey stone totems amongst the trees. Each was adorned with relief carvings of Skaelar figures, and graced with a full-sized stone statue of a Skaelar warrior, poised upon its apex.
“We’re close!” Treäbu said. He ran wide around one of the trees’ massive roots, but when Dareic turned the same corner, he lost sight of the Skaelar completely.
“Treäbu?” he said. “Where’d you go?” No answer came, so Dareic continued forward. Then, something caught his eye, moving swiftly through the trees.
To his left, an armored Skaelar warrior kept perfect pace with him. Dareic then looked to his right, and saw two more spear-wielding Skaelar flanking him. Up ahead, he noticed a mass of the statue-topped totems amidst a thinning of the trees. There have be hundreds of them, Dareic thought, then slowed his pace, fearing he would crash into them if he maintained his speed.
From between the totems ahead, scores of Skaelar suddenly emerged.
“Uhh, Treäbu?!” Dareic yelled to see if his Skaelar companion was still running near him, but no response came. He skidded to a stop just after he breached the mass of totems, then turned in a full circle to discover that armed Skaelar warriors completely surrounded him with blades ready and arrows drawn.
“Wait!” he told them as they inched in, looking as though they were about to attack. Then, the top of the nearest totem drew Dareic’s attention, for the stone statue that graced its summit turned its head to look down at him.
“Be still,” it said. Dareic’s jaw dropped. He stood in astonishment as the stone warrior rose from its crouch, and leapt to the ground, making hardly a sound at all upon its landing. Then, Dareic watched the texture of the statue fade slowly into the dark, leathery green skin of a Skaelar male. It had tendrils twice as long as Treäbu’s, and an older face.
“You’re not a statue,” Dareic told the warrior, as if it were not already aware.
“I know,” it replied. “Be silent, Human.”
“If you’ll just listen, I can explain—” Dareic started, but the gre
en warrior whipped his blade into a downward swipe, and stopped it within a hair’s breadth of Dareic’s face.
“Hold your tongue,” he ordered. But Dareic refused to be silenced.
“Is this how you treat every Human who comes to you for help?” he asked for all to hear. “Is this how you treat an ambassador?!”
At this, the warrior’s ears perked, and he lowered his blade from Dareic’s face. “Ambassador or no, we’ve had our share of attacks these days past,” he said. “Primen, wearing the skins of those you call ‘Human.’ Clever devils they are. Tell me, how is it that a young ambassador such as yourself has traversed the land unscathed, horseless and alone? You’ve come to Skaelwood without so much as a single escort.”
“I did have an escort—one of you!” Dareic said. “He just… seems to have disappeared at the moment. Perhaps you know him. His name—”
“You shall go no further,” the Skaelar interrupted. “Turn back, ambassador. Leave this realm at once. Go back to where you came from and never return. If we see your face again, we will kill you.”
Suddenly, a strange call sounded on the air. All heads jerked upwards toward one of the nearby trees, though not a thing could be seen amongst its branches, save for a few fluttering birds. After a few moments of silence, Dareic watched as the form of a Skaelar stepped away from the massive trunk, out onto one of the high, thick limbs. Treäbu’s skin was not only the color of the trunk it had just been pressed against, but it had taken on the texture of the tree’s bark as well. When at last Treäbu knew that every eye was upon him, his skin faded back to its natural leathery green state.
“Sha’viéle dus sec’du’aumor, Skael’adar! Senche dus mentes ni caleva!” he called down to the other Skaelar. The warriors sheathed their blades and lowered their bows. Treäbu crouched, then pounced off the tree branch, somersaulted in the air, and landed inside the circle of Skaelar. When he rose, face-to-face with Dareic, he was not surprised to see his Human companion well beyond flustered.
“After all we’ve been through just to get here,” Dareic scolded him, “you’d let them run me through?”
“You needed to understand just how unwelcomed you are,” Treäbu said. “Your reception within will be no different.” Then, he spoke to the Skaelar around him. “Desh mi’ele dus áve senbellin, ae’o Skael’akron savéche vacen,” he said, placing his right fist over his heart. When the other Skaelar returned the gesture, Dareic gave Treäbu a face that begged to know what he had just told them. But all Treäbu said in response to it was, “Let’s go.”
Treäbu motioned for Dareic to follow him, leading him through the trees and totems in silence. Then, as if he had stepped into another world, the Skaelar domain of Skaelwood Forest opened up before his eyes.
The first things he noticed were vines, branches and roots, formed into walkways that spiraled around the massive trees, bridging the housings high about their trunks. It seemed the vines had grown out of the ground in such a fashion, somehow controlled and shaped into the winding paths.
“Did they grow like that?” Dareic asked Treäbu.
“Not naturally,” Treäbu said. “The Sages have worked hard over the generations.”
The Skaelar people eyed Dareic maliciously as he passed through their domain. The men wore breechcloths or pants of dark brown animal skin. Like Treäbu, their clothing was minimal. Also, each had tendrils different from the next. Some Skaelar women had tendrils that hung to their lower backs. Others had obviously groomed them shortly. Dareic saw stylings such as mohawks and thick braids, though nothing more common than simply letting the tendrils fall as they may.
“Most live outside the Temple Fortress,” said Treäbu. “The Skaelar inhabit the realm for many miles.”
The Skaelar children, abundant in number, darted between the adults. “Even the young ones are fast,” Dareic remarked. A number of great lizard-like beasts caught his eye as they strode elegantly through the distant trees. The creatures bore brown leather saddles for riding, and stood upright on their hind legs—some reaching a height greater than two men. A few were being tended to by the Skaelar, while others were being ridden about.
“Peletors,” Treäbu told him. “The fastest creatures in all of Adoran.”
“Pretty handy in a fight, I’d imagine,” said Dareic.
“Very handy,” Treäbu assured him. “But unfortunately, we find ourselves coming upon the end of their breeding season. They can be quite unpredictable. Taking them into battle now would be unwise.”
Dareic also noticed that throughout the forest, torches bearing green flames were lit, even in the light of day. Some jutted out from tree trunks.
“Fire so close to trees?” Dareic asked Treäbu. “How has the forest not burned to the ground?”
“Plenteous Stemlight—a strain of Green everfire,” said the Skaelar, as if it was something Dareic should already know.
“What’s that?” Dareic asked.
“Have you never seen a flame that promotes growth? I hear the gardens of Caleton are filled with it.”
“No, I haven’t,” Dareic said. “I thought fire turned things to ash.”
“Some does,” Treäbu told him. “But all the different strains of everfire are forged from magic, and are most unlike any common flame. This kind gives life, as it is fueled by Verdure—the power bestowed by the Fountain of Skael’demále.”
“Quite a place you have here,” Dareic said. “So, where are you taking me?”
“To the Skael’akron.”
They crossed an open field, and came to an enormous wall of gray stone. Before them, two great wooden doors, intricately decorated with gilt vines, slowly swung inward. They walked through the enormous entrance, and when Dareic finally stood inside the outer wall of the Temple Fortress, he saw a massive domed structure, at least a mile in the distance, faintly faded by a thin screen of mist.
“Come on,” Treäbu urged him. As Dareic anxiously eyed the grand structure, the great wooden doors slowly closed behind him.
Table of Contents
Chapter 13: Confession
Miles away to the south, the gates of Allestron closed behind Dareic’s older brothers. Gabrel, Kaven, Athiux, Kade and twelve Erygian warriors watched on horseback as the two large doors came together with a deep, reverberating clunk.
Earlier, Gabrel procured a suit of Erygian armor for his return journey, using the gold Doniel gave him as payment. Opposed to donning the minimal dressings the other warriors bore, he’d requested a full suit— what the Erygians referred to as their “winter” armor.
“So, you’ll be returning with us as well?” Kaven asked Athiux, surprised to see the Sage with them again.
“Indeed,” said Athiux. Then, he rode closer to the brothers. “Ambassadors,” he spoke in a tone of grave importance. The Sage, like his granddaughter, had donned armor, and his voice was hushed, so as not to allow the Erygian warriors the ability to overhear what he had to say. “We will take another road for our return journey—a more useful road. And one less likely watched by Daro’s patrols.”
“Is it a longer path than the one from Trendell?” Gabrel asked.
“Only just,” said the Sage. “But much less traveled. It should be safer.”
“What did you mean when you called it ‘more useful?’” asked Kaven.
Athiux had been expecting the question. “All will be made clear in time. Until then, I ask for your trust.”
The brothers eyed Athiux, then looked to each other, both curious as to what intentions the Sage held. They turned their horses, and began the long ride back to Caleton.
They traveled west, against the evening sun. Upon seeing Kaven rub the hem of Kiara’s dress between his fingers once more, a lingering thought grew in Gabrel’s mind. After a while, he chuckled to himself, almost pitifully.
“What’s so funny?” Kaven asked.
“I was just thinking,” Gabrel said, “if I can wield magic, does that mean I could forge my own Tears of Life—in case C
aleton needs more than I brought?”
“Well, yes,” Kade said. “But you’d need rare and uncommon ingredients, not to mention powers from fountains you’ve never sipped from, and an Erygian willing to share the secrets of its creation.”
“Well, thought I’d ask,” Gabrel mumbled.
“Athiux,” Kaven said. “You mentioned this road should be less traveled by Daro’s demons. Why is that?”
“Because it is far less traveled by men,” said the Sage. “Even so, be on your guard.”
The group traveled northeastward, and the massive Mount Breyen grew ever larger before them. When they stopped for the night, one of the Erygian warriors prepared a fire while everyone settled into the camp.
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Gabrel asked him. “Fire, with Daro’s patrols about?”
“The Enchantress placed a veil around the camp,” said the Erygian. “We’ll be fine.”
Gabrel didn’t understand what the warrior meant, nor did he necessarily share the same assuredness. Nevertheless, he approached Athiux, who was tying his horse to a tree.
“Excuse me, Athiux,” he said.
“Yes, Gabrel, what is it?” asked the Sage.
“I’d like to know, what can I do with my magic? Will you teach me something?”
“Ah,” Athiux said. “Eager to learn, are you?”
“I’m just curious,” said Gabrel. The Sage studied him, considering the request.
“I’m tired, Gabrel,” Athiux said. “And the journey is long before us. I’ll teach you another time.”
“Please,” Gabrel said. “All I can think about is my wife. How much pain she must be in. What condition she’ll be in when I finally arrive. This would help take my mind off things.”
“Leave me to my rest,” Athiux told him. “And bother me no more about it.”
Gabrel didn’t respond again. Instead, he found Kaven sitting by the fire, and plopped down next to him. To his surprise, not a moment later, Kade’s voice whispered in his ear.