Smart Alec in the Dark Lands

by Donald Wigboldy

  Alec frowned and commented, "But if you can control the water to mask your body, can't you just stop it from going into your shoes?"

  Throwing out her hands helplessly, Shae responded, "It requires thought, willpower, and keeping it under control would be like intentionally holding and releasing each breath we take for hours. It is exhausting."

  "So it's like using your magic, like a simple maintained spell?"

  She nodded.

  "Well, enough about me," the girl said smiling once more as she moved to his side and took his arm with each of her hands. It was pulled to her breast before Shaelamee started to drag him into the room towards the table opposite the one occupied by the others. "What have you been doing all afternoon since I last saw you?"

  Even though she was tiny compared to him, her grip was strong and the tug enough to make the novice follow her. He missed Helios roll his eyes at Shaelamee's antics as he walked beside the girl. After a moment, Alec began to feel moisture coming through his sleeve. Her skin was damp. Moisture glistened on her skin under the flickering light of the chandeliers with their many candle like sconces set upon them.

  "We ate some lunch and I was shown to my room by Helios," Alec replied too briefly in her opinion, if the sudden protrusion of her lower lip in a pout was to be read correctly.

  "Well... that is a boring story," she complained.

  Trying to be properly social, he asked, "How was guard duty?"

  "Boring!" the blue girl seemed to repeat herself. "I only spotted one hollow, but it just kept mindlessly coming towards the wall. You would think after I hit it once or twice that it would get the point, but it just kept walking forward until too many pieces had been whittled away. Then it just collapsed like a puppet with cut strings."

  "Does that happen very often?" He had only just arrived, but already between the ones that he and Helios had fought as well as the one Shaelamee had destroyed, they had destroyed three of the mindless hulks.

  "There are days where we don't see any. Some move towards the walls like they were drawn here, while others just wander past without noticing a living creature." They sat and Shaelamee released his arm as she threw up her hands as if frustrated. "Like I said, it is just so boring. I wish for once there was a little more action."

  Alec mused on the thought a moment and noticed that the look on Helios' face mirrored the girl's this time. "I know it might be dull, but isn't it better than having the hollows wake up and attack the fort with hundreds? I mean, are there even ten of you to defend Naermere?"

  "With you here, yes," Shaelamee replied with a renewed grin. "Maybe you can keep me company and show me what kind of spells you have to get rid of these creatures next time?"

  "Ediyem might have a different proposal," Helios interjected as he listened to the two talking. The silver dragaoin had joined them at the table, even though Alec might have expected him to sit with Nadron instead.

  The novice's eyes flicked to the bronze dragaoin still lost in his book. Nadron hadn't even looked up at Shaelamee's greeting or while they had continued to speak on the way to the other table. Wondering if there was something between the two metallic dragons, Alec held his tongue waiting to see what else he could learn.

  Footsteps at the door made most of those in the room turn. The feet were light, yet determined. He had only heard the sound of those feet once before, but knew that they belonged to Ediyem. Perhaps it was because she was the leader, but even Nadron looked up at the dark elf for a moment to acknowledge her approach. Alec wondered if it wasn't also the Zmaj judging her mood just in case.

  "Glint!" she hollered. "Bring me an ale already!" the woman demanded even before she had truly entered the room let alone found a seat.

  Ediyem's eyes tracked between the two tables wondering if one was more desirable than the other. Probably deciding that the newest addition needed her attention more, the dark elf pulled a chair to the head of their table and said to Shaelamee, "Does it take someone new to make you put on clothing like a civilized being?"

  "Ah, so glad you noticed. I mean, I did it all just because you asked so nicely," the genasi retorted snarkily.

  Alec worried that the fort commander would blow up angrily at the other woman, but strangely the response didn't appear surprising or annoying to the dark elf at all. "I am sure you did."

  Moving her attention to Alec, Ediyem asked, "Helios set you up with a room then?"

  Nodding, Alec replied, "Yes, thank you. Let me know what I can do to repay you for your hospitality."

  "Hospitality by definition doesn't expect repayment; but if you wish to earn your keep, I am certain that we can find something for you to do," Ediyem answered in a neutral tone. It was strikingly different from her attitude from earlier in the afternoon. He wondered what had happened to make her soften as much as she had, though Ediyem would hardly be confused for a soft or gentle person. "I know little of you. What kind of creature are you?"

  "Ah, that's right. You weren't there when Helios asked that question. We call ourselves human."

  "Hoo.. man," the dark elf mulled the word over in her mouth. "The translation spell doesn't adjust for this in our language. It must be unique to your kind as is dragao and genasi for these two," Ediyem added gesturing to Helios and Shaelamee.

  "And they call your kind ciemnosci," Alec replied. "Most of our people would likely call you elf or dark elf, but the name doesn't otherwise translate for me either."

  "And what is your world called?" the woman asked a little too intensely for his liking. While he had told Helios and Shaelamee of the fight with a force led by a dark elf male, the boy kept feeling like it was best to avoid telling Ediyem every detail, especially of the battle.

  "We call it Alus," Alec answered figuring its name couldn't hurt. "I come from a country called Southwall."

  "South, then there must assuredly be something to the north," Ediyem reasoned. "Are all your lands filled with people like you?"

  "People like me?" he questioned curiously. The fact that he also didn't feel like he trusted Ediyem with very detailed information of his home added to discretion.

  "Your kind, the humans, you don't just live in this Southwall."

  Hoping to disparage his world enough to keep her from wanting to know much more; Alec replied, "There are mountains and ice mostly to the north. There are a few other countries and the empire of the Dark One."

  "Who is this Dark One? I think that translated accurately."

  "He is a would be conqueror from another world. Though he brought a vast army, our people fought him off and built a wall to keep his monsters out. My people don't bother venturing that far beyond the wall anymore because of them."

  "But your people fought him off. Why not go finish him, if you are so powerful."

  "It is more of a stalemate, I suppose. Neither side feels strong enough to change the advantage, so they remain to the north and we hold the south."

  Again the boy only told a partial truth. There were other countries north of the wall, though more to the west and east as well. The Dark One's armies did hold the mountains and plains north of the wall, but there were tribes of men in the plains also with some allegiance to the Dark One it was believed. He just hoped that he could make his world sound unappealing enough to this dark elf that, hopefully, she wouldn't entertain following him there if she decided to help him go home at all.

  "It is a hostile world filled with mountains and ice?" she questioned and Alec could tell that she suspected that there was more.

  The boy just shrugged failing to commit to an actual answer this time.

  "And what is your world like?" Alec countered.

  "It is a place with many wonders. Magic runs it and the greatest wizards and sorcerers can reshape the world with their power. They've altered other worlds as well. Those that joined us have been treated well, while those which sought to resist have ended up more like this place," Ediyem finished gesturing towards the far wall, but he understood that she meant all of Atropos.


  "Atropos is mostly destroyed, but I am told that there is still life clinging on here. These hollows sound disturbing though."

  Grimacing at the thought, Ediyem replied, "The hollows are just a strange side effect from time dust released here. They are a unique oddity, however, since I have not heard of it happening anywhere else.

  "As to life remaining here, well of course there is. We don't wish to kill a world after all. It is better to cultivate it, but like with many plants, sometimes you need to prune it back. After time, what looks ruined or dead will return strong and alive. Unlike plants, a world like this doesn't have short seasons. It takes many rotations for the land to become vibrant to the eye once again."

  "So there is life or the potential for it just beneath the surface?"

  "So to speak, yes," the dark elf replied appearing a little guarded at his secondary question as if she was suspicious of why he might ask such a thing. "Not everything was reduced to bare stone anyway. Some places never were touched by the dust at all, so life will spread out from those places along the surface while the magic remaining inside will grow greater adding to the health of the land that we can see.

  "It is a process."

  Alec noted guarded looks from the others listening to them speak. Helios in particular was forced to hide a frown. Guessing that the Zmaj didn't approve of the pruning that had been done to Atropos, the novice could assume that listening to Ediyem's glossing over of the destruction done to his world was rather grating to him as well.

  Shaelamee almost looked sickened by the idea of nearly killing a world to bring back strength of magic in this way. If Alec understood everything correctly, the boy had to assume that this death dust had removed nearly every living thing here. Even if Atropos recovered, the dead flora and fauna could never be replaced fully. Certainly the dragaoin race had suffered near extinction from a war that they couldn't win. How could they fight this dust if it was so powerful, Alec wondered?

  While they were talking, Glint came through the doors with two carts laden with food. Alec tested the meal tentatively, but everything seemed good enough for the human to eat. Some tasted familiar, while other bits were new to his taste buds.

  The food reduced the talking in the room, but some questions were still sent his way mainly from Ediyem. Trying to answer without giving away too much about his home, Alec did his best to keep the dark elf happy. It was walking a fine line between sharing and over sharing, but eventually the meal was over and those not on watch started to head to bed.

  "You can only dodge her questions for so long, especially if you wish to return home with her help," Helios spoke into the relative silence in the hall as they neared Alec's assigned room. They had both been quiet having little productive to say. The dragaoin seemed sparing in his words anyway, the boy noticed slowly over the hours of the day since they had met.

  "I spoke the truth," Alec replied glancing to the silver scaled creature with his eyes without turning his head towards Helios.

  "The truth or a version of it more likely, often what is omitted clouds the truth however."

  "You could have shared what I told you earlier, if you had wanted," the novice noted to the dragaoin wizard.

  "I could have, but it is your truth to share not mine. If you believe it wise to keep things from Ediyem that is for you to decide; though you will have to contend with the possible consequences should she not appreciate it later."

  "Her people destroyed your world. Would you tell one of her kind everything I told you and Shaelamee earlier?"

  Vibrant blue eyes closed as the other wizard considered the idea closer. After a minute, Helios reopened his eyes and gazed at the smaller boy beside him. "You shared what happened with me, because there were none of my people with this war band that appeared in your world. Shae's people were also not in this group, but our people are allied with Ediyem's now. If you could confide in us, do you think that you can't trust her?"

  "I came to her with the hope of returning home, but what if it is better that I never return after all? At least, maybe it would be best to avoid letting her people send me home anyway because that would give them another opportunity to attack my world." Alec suddenly yawned and he realized that he was beginning to feel exhausted. The day had been busy. First there had been the battle and being kidnapped into the storm gate. Then he had fought the hollows before walking to Naermere.

  It had been a long day since he had last slept.

  Helios took in his questions without a hasty answer. Finally, he replied, "The Ciemnosci fought my ancestors who refused to give up. Then the black dust ruined much of this world. While they had their reasons for it, they started a war which my people couldn't win. Most of the ancient cities and nations that fought back were targeted in particular. Other areas were spared the death dust because as it spreads and reacts with most materials it gets used up. Those with magic could also protect some places, but in the end when the Ciemnosci offered peace my people took it.

  "Those who remained alive were taken to Cenestraya and other worlds that they control. Now we work with them, live alongside them, and just generally go about our lives."

  "And your wizards work with them as well."

  "We have many that joined their army. For most of us, it is the best living we can hope for."

  Alec felt like he should ask more, but could also feel Helios wanting to stop. "And now you're here and you're stuck taking care of me," the boy chuckled trying to sound amused though he hardly felt that way.

  "Yes, but Ediyem will likely want you to earn your keep. You have magic, so your talents should prove useful. Get some rest. I will return to let you know when it is time for breakfast."

  The boy realized that they stood in front of the door to the room he had been shown earlier. Chosen to be his quarters for now, Alec nodded and turned the handle before entering. It was dark, but Helios cast a quick spell lighting the lamps inside.

  "I assume that you can light your own lamps from now on, but I doubted that you knew where they were," the silver dragon man stated with a nod before moving away down the hall.

  Alec paused only a moment before going inside. Sitting on the bed, he found it harder than the one in White Hall; but they had been sleeping in tents for over a week so it was still an improvement over that. The boy had to count himself lucky that he had a bed or even a room. Helios and the other residents had taken him in rather easily. He had a place to sleep and food to eat. Worrying that this treatment was only given in the hopes of retracing his path back to Alus to attack it kept the boy from appreciating it more.

  Sighing at the thought, Alec pulled off his boots and white novice shirt. The latter he lay over the back of a chair. He wondered if they had a laundry. Remembering that his pack contained the remainder of his clothing and that it had been left behind in the camp in the Dimple Mountains, Alec wondered if he should really be asking if there was anyone who could tailor something for him. He would need more clothes than those on his back, especially if he couldn't return home any time soon.

  He was about to put out the lamps using the simple spell taught to him on his first day of school when suddenly a bit of silvery mist appeared before him only a moment before a blue girl seemed to pop out of nowhere. Perhaps she came from the mist, Alec thought in that split second after he nearly jumped up defensively.

  Shaelamee glanced around looking at the room before her attention focused on the boy in front of her.

  "Alas, Helios has left you alone and never even tucked you into bed. A good host would make certain that you were comfortable," the young woman said smiling at him happily. He felt like she was teasing him. While she didn't really look that much different from the girls that were novices and apprentices, at least from her apparent age anyway, Shaelamee was most likely at least a few years older than he.

  "I'm old enough to go to bed without help, Shaelamee. Thank you," Alec said trying to be polite, even though he was pretty confident in his belief that a good h
ost would not in fact try to tuck him into bed.

  Pouting at his rebuffing of her half proclaimed proposal, Shaelamee folded her arms in that way which helped remind him of her breasts. At least they were covered by her cloth top, even if it left her back mostly bare. Her skirt was almost as distracting as it stuck to her legs thanks to the moisture which the genasi seemed to have to live with at all times.

  "My friends call me Shae, Alec. I think we're friends already, don't you?"

  "Sure," the boy replied looking at her green eyes even as he remained sitting on the bed. She was too close to him to actually stand without pushing her back to do so, but the girl was short enough that he wasn't looking up too much as he inclined his head.

  Frowning at his abrupt answer, Shae tried again, "Well, since we are friends, we can certainly help take care of each other."

  The frown flipped to that teasing smile of hers once more.

  Without intending to, Alec suddenly yawned covering his mouth with his hand and turning to the side.

  "Oh, you really are tired, aren't you?" the blue girl realized aloud and suddenly appeared more concerned with his health than trying to tease him. "Well, I guess that we can always work on our friendship tomorrow."

  Taking a step closer to him in spite of her words, Shaelamee placed her hands on either side of his head touching his hair with her fingers. With such a close view, Alec noted her blue skin which looked like someone just stepping out of a shower. He could smell the freshness of her scent. Like smelling a lake on an early summer day, the boy closed his eyes surprised by both her touch and scent.

  Shaelamee's lips touched his forehead before the young woman stepped back again. With his eyes closed, Alec heard the soft pat of her feet with each step and opened his eyes once more.

  "Good night, Alec. Sleep well," she said and blew him a kiss across the palm of her hand before turning her back to the boy. Alec barely caught the sight of her skirt plastered to her back side before the genasi disappeared in a last bit of silver mist.