At the sound of a knock on her door, Kalika hopped off her sleeping mat. She knew who waited there—an aging, dark elf with a plate of wonderful fruits and breads. “Come in, Mama,” Kalika said, drawing her mother inside.
The woman entered and stroked Kalika’s long, ebony hair. “How I have missed your lovely face, Daughter. Leave the battles, marry, and fill this home with children.”
Kalika sighed, taking the plate from her mother. “You know I can’t do that. I don’t want to do that.” Kalika turned to the small window and gazed out over the lush forest, as she tasted the tart sweetness of a ripe, red berry.
“Do you know what your name means, my daughter?” her mother asked, the lines around her eyes crinkling with age.
“Yes, I know, Mama.”
“Your father named you. I’ve always feared what your name would bring.”
“I know, Mama.”
“I’m tired of hearing ‘the dark one’ did this for the Legion, or ‘the dark one’ did that. I don’t want to hear of dangerous missions and terrible assassinations.” Her mother moved to stand behind her, stroking the silky lengths of her hair.
“This is where we live, Mama.” Kalika turned to her mother with pained eyes. “The Warlord rules this land. I have no choice but to obey. We are the dark elves. This is what we do. I do it for you… so you can live in peace.”
“I would rather have grandchildren underfoot,” her mother said with a sad smile.
“I know, Mama. Maybe someday.”
Back at the inn, I sat at a table, rolling bandages with Flitwicket. She was teaching me how to make my own, because in most circumstances they worked better and faster than a wand.
Zach walked up to us with our new friend in tow. “Flitwicket, this is Kirth,” he said, introducing her to the pixie at his side.
Flitwicket stood and bowed reverently. “I am honored, brave one. I have heard of your valiant deeds for the Guild.”
Kirth nodded his head in return. “And I yours, Flitwicket, dryad priestess.”
“You’re making bandages?” Zach asked, poking his finger onto the clean white cloth. I slapped his hand away and nodded.
“A noble endeavor,” Kirth said, inclining his head toward me. “And how are you this fine afternoon, Lauren of Light?”
I giggled at the fact that he used my title. I think it irked Zach just a little, since he didn’t have one, which I relished for a moment—having something he didn’t—but since I was trying to be nicer, I didn’t say anything to him about it. “I’m good, thank you.”
“Yeah. Noble,” Zach agreed. “So… now we have four people for our quest!”
The moment of truth had arrived. It was time to start our quest for the Eye of Tanúb, because we couldn’t go home until we got it for the magistrar. There was a minute of uncomfortable silence as we all waited for someone else to speak.
“So… I was hoping to get Dardanos to help, but he’s being difficult.” Zach said cheerfully, trying to lighten the somber mood.
“Dardanos?” Kirth tapped his mouth in thought. “I know a Dardanos—a warrior.”
“Yeah! That’s him!” Zach exclaimed.
“Yeah, he’s a real winner,” I mumbled under my breath. Sure, he was super good-looking, and had a rockin’ hot body, but he was prideful, rude, and… well, a snob, if you asked me.
“Hmm. We could use his brawn,” Kirth said. “I’ll speak with him while you three get our supplies ready. Let’s meet here at the end of the day to discuss our plans. We can leave in the morning.” Kirth turned and waved goodbye, his oversized, drooling spider trotting behind him.
“Well, that thing is disgusting,” I said, referring to Kirth’s battle companion, and trying not to frown at his taste in pets.
“It’s just a spider,” Zach said.
I rolled my eyes in irritation. “I know that. It’s just a little unusual to see one of that size, don’t you think?”
That evening, all five of us sat around a table in the dining room in silence, staring at one another. No one spoke, and I worried that no one would. I didn’t want to, and hoped Kirth would take charge as he had earlier. I had a feeling he would become our quest leader, since he was so experienced and all.
Dardanos sat rigid, his hand on the hilt of his broadsword. Anger radiated from his body in waves, dampening the once jovial ambiance. He was definitely a wet blanket. “I don’t think we should go marching into enemy territory for a trinket,” he said finally. “It’s too dangerous and unnecessary.”
I couldn’t believe Kirth had talked him into joining us. He must have bribed him with something huge, like a new magic sword to kill people with. I sat there watching Dardanos from the corner of my eye, not wanting him to notice, and even though he was a total jerk, he was so nice to look at, from his full lips to the shallow scar to the side of his right eye. His nose was perfectly straight, and his hair hung in soft waves, resting on his shoulders. I’d looked away if I got even an inkling he’d glance my direction.
Kirth leaned forward, his words intense. “I’ve spoken with the magistrar; the pendant is vital to this quest. This boy must have it back, and we must get it before we search for the Eye of Tanúb.”
I shifted uncomfortably in my chair. This was all mine and Zach’s fault. All because we’d wanted to play in the battlegrounds, exploring our new talents, and Dardanos used every opportunity to point that out. I felt like he hated me, looking down at me from the lofty heights where he dwelled. What a snob.
“I’m sorry, everyone,” Zach said humbly, embarrassed. “I really screwed up.”
“Don’t be sorry, Zach. Fate has brought us together,” Kirth said with a reassuring smile. “This mission is important for each of us. We don’t do it just for you. We all have reasons to be here, and we will be rewarded for our success.”
Dardanos continued to glare in silence.
“We’re ready, and the supplies are packed,” Flitwicket said. “We can leave whenever you suggest.”
“Good. We’ll begin at first light.” Kirth smacked his small hand down on the table, making everyone but Dardanos jump in surprise. “See you all in the morning.”
We went our separate ways, Zach and I heading up to our room on the second floor of the inn. Zach unlocked the door as I waited, shaking my head. “Is there some reason why we have to share a room?” I asked, eying the twin beds.
He stopped with his hand on the door’s handle. “To save money. Duh. We don’t know how long we’ll be here, and who knows if we’ll have any more gold mysteriously appear in our pockets?”
“Whatever. I’m too tired to argue.” I pushed the door open and fell face-first onto the closest bed. “I can’t believe how tired I am.”
“You better get to sleep then.” Zach fluffed his pillow and climbed under his blankets. “I have a feeling we’ll be jogging quite a ways tomorrow.”
“The jogging is doing you good,” I mumbled without thinking. “You look so much better.”
He snorted at my comment. “I just love it here, you know?” he said into the darkness. “Being a maverick is changing me, changing my life, and I’m not sure I want it to end. Why not stay where we feel strong and confident? Why not begin a new life here? This is the most exciting thing to ever happen to me.”
“Mmm hmm,” I moaned, barely listening. I was too dead to care about what he said, or to make a decision either way. At the moment, I just didn’t care. My eyes were heavy, and I just wanted him to be quiet, so I could go to sleep.
“Lauren?”
I completely ignored him.
“I don’t see the Big Dipper out the window. Not even Orion’s belt. I think we’re in a completely different galaxy.”
He was probably right.
A brisk breeze blew that first morning out, and I felt the chill slither through my new cloth “armor” with icy fingers. My fingers were so stiff and frozen, I could hardly lace up my new boots.
“Thanks for the new clothes, Flit.
Too bad I can’t wear chain mail,” I said through chattering teeth as I adjusted the silky belt around my waist, happy to be wearing something made of high quality… finally. I couldn’t believe Flitwicket had given these clothes to me. They must have cost a fortune.
She smiled. “It’s no problem. You know, only priestesses and sorcerers wear cloth armor. The others can wear leather and chain mail. I don’t know how that came to be, but it is.”
Zach had explained it to me, that it was because of a rule of the game, but I didn’t say anything about that. None of these people knew they were fictitious characters in a computer game.
I glanced at Zach as he fidgeted with his new leather armor with a satisfied smile. It gleamed brilliantly, brand new, and had been recently oiled by Kirth, who’d bought them for Zach. Those two had become close in the last couple of days, and I was glad Zach had someone to hang out with besides me.
Pulling a tiny mirror out of my pack, I smoothed my long hair, and then decided to pull it back in a braid. I’d always taken pride in my platinum-blonde hair that glowed like sunshine, but ever since I’d been here, it had only been in the way. No wonder Flitwicket always had hers in beautiful designs that kept it out of her face.
Gazing into the mirror, I was surprised at my reflection. I’d worked hard to be beautiful, doing everything I could to have “model” looks and style, but something had changed, and I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. The rough edges and angles around my face had somehow softened; my eyes didn’t seem so… so… okay. Cold. Are you happy? I didn’t look so angry and cold anymore. It must have been something in the air here, because I had to admit, I looked better. Just like Zach did. Maybe it was the training. Maybe becoming a priestess had softened my soul. I laughed at the thought.
“Everyone ready?” Kirth asked, patting his spider gently.
We all nodded.
“We’re off, then.” He led the way with Zach following, me next, and Flitwicket and Dardanos coming in last.
Dardanos hadn’t said two words to anyone. His lips tightened as he looked ahead, his back ramrod straight, but I was glad he had come. We would need his muscle in the coming days… and his sword.
I didn’t know what it was, but I kept sneaking peeks at the well-muscled warrior behind me. It was like I was drawn to him. Maybe even fascinated. Never had a guy ignored me so thoroughly, and I’d learned he wasn’t as old as I’d thought. Maybe by only a couple of years older. Kirth had said something about it, something about Dardanos joining the army young, and that he was only nineteen years old or so.
“Hey, Zach,” I called as we jogged. “Do you know where we’re going?”
Zach slowed, so I could catch up. “Yeah, we’re heading to an area called Palanthar. It’s Legion land. We have to go through it to get to Ellithanar, the dark elf territory.
“How long will it take?” I asked, already wanting to stop. I’d eaten some magic food, but it had worn off, and what I had left had to last for three days. I didn’t want to go through it all on the first morning. No one else seemed to need more yet.
“Who knows? On the computer, about fifteen or twenty minutes. In real time… a few days maybe.”
Zach and I reclined against our packs and peered at the starlit sky, exhausted. We’d finally stopped for the night and laid our blankets under a lone tree. Shifting, I punched my pack to make it more comfortable.
Kirth plopped down next to us and peered intently into Zach’s eyes. “Zach, I want to ask you a few questions.”
“Sure. Go ahead. You want Lauren to leave?”
I snorted and gave Zach my best scowl, because I was comfortable and didn’t want to get up. I was probably too tired to even move. Luckily, Kirth said I could stay, so I closed my eyes and pretended to ignore them.
Taking a deep breath, Kirth began. “You say you appeared in this world magically?”
I hadn’t expected this line of questioning, so I rolled over and waited to see what Zach would say. He smiled at the memory. “Yeah. It was totally cool, but weird. We floated in a cloud and fell through the sky.”
“Was there a catalyst?” Kirth asked, leaning forward.
“A catalyst?” Zach never was very good at vocabulary. I tried to hold in a chuckle.
“Something that triggered your journey,” Kirth explained patiently.
“Well,” he hesitated, glancing at me, “Lauren and I were fighting over my ruby pendant, and then we disappeared from our home.”
I wondered if Kirth would believe him. It was an impossible tale, even if it was the truth. Even I had a hard time believing it, and I’d experienced it myself.
Kirth placed his hand on Zach’s arm, peering at him. “What does the pendant look like?”
Zach bit his lip and thought. “Well, it has a thick, gold chain that hangs down to about here.” He pointed to the middle of his chest. “And the medallion is about this big—he made a circle with his fingers—with a huge ruby at the center. It feels hot sometimes, and looks ancient, but not. It’s hard to explain.”
“Vintage,” I said, piping up. “It looks vintage or antique.”
Kirth closed his eyes and bowed his head, silent for a moment. “I know the pendant you’re describing.”
“You do?” Zach and I said at the same time.
Kirth nodded and sat back. “If I’m correct, it was my grandfather’s.”
Zach perked up at this new information. “Are you serious?”
Kirth nodded again and met Zach’s eyes. “Yes. He used it a long time ago to bring another here from your world.”
“He did? How long ago?” I asked, excited.
“It’s been three hundred years, and he’s still here,” Kirth answered, scowling.
I frowned. “Still here? Alive?” Did that mean Zach and I would be stuck here forever too? The magistrar said we’d be sent home after acquiring the Eye of Tanúb. But what if she didn’t really know?
Kirth leaned against a rock in contemplation and continued his story. “This man, when he came, was adopted into a royal family, loved and adored. They accepted him as their own. He was made a prince.”
“Wow,” Zach said, getting into the story. He was always one for a tall tale. I listened, but a bit more skeptically. I still wondered if this was all a dream, and I was lying safely in a hospital bed, stuck in a coma. I was sure I’d wake up soon.
Kirth hesitated, silent for a moment. “I didn’t used to talk about this much, because I didn’t want people to know. I wanted to be known for my own merits, and not my family’s.”
“We won’t tell anyone,” Zach said fervently. Meaning every word. He glanced at me to make sure I would keep the promise too.
“Of course,” I said. “We won’t tell anyone.”
“It doesn’t matter that much anymore, but I know about it… because… it was my family who took the man in.”
I remained still, waiting, and then it hit me. “Wait a minute. You… you’re royalty?”
Kirth smiled and nodded. He sat up and crossed his legs. “Yep.”
“Wow! That is so cool. So, you’re a prince?” Zach said. “I can’t believe we’ve been hanging out with a real live prince. So, what’s the other guy’s name?”
“David. I was very young when he became my older brother. He shared many secrets with me, filling my mind with wonderful stories about the distant world he came from. My grandfather trained him in the ancient arts of magic and wisdom.”
Zach sighed and took a deep breath. “I would love to do that.”
Kirth nodded in understanding. “Yes, but David rebelled, unhappy that our other older brother was given the mantle of leadership. He raged at what he perceived as unfairness. David and his followers battled against my brother, Garith, killing him. David left after that, and I haven’t seen him in a very long time.” Kirth sighed and gazed out over a herd of bovisaurs munching the rain-dampened grass nearby.
My mind reeled. I thought about David and how he had killed Kirth’s b
rother. That must have been terrible, and such a betrayal. Where was David now?
Kalika sat up with a scream lodged in her throat. Darkness evaporated as a full moon penciled in the faint lines of her loft’s walls. She wiped a sheen of sweat from her brow, regaining control of her breathing.
She’d had the same nightmare for as long as she could remember, but as a child, her mother was always there to comfort her. As a soldier in the Legion army, there was no one to do that. Kalika lay back down, her arm thrown over her forehead, the nightmare still clear.
After taking a deep breath, she peered out her window, trying to judge the moon’s position. This always soothed her and calmed her racing heart. There were still a few hours of night left, but she’d never be able to sleep now. She got up, strapped on her leather armor, and tiptoed down the long, narrow ramp to the ground.
All was quiet, the village slumbered, and the forest beckoned. She wanted to run, hard and fast, her pent-up frustration and energy needing release. Her footfalls padded over the soft, green moss, making no sound. She’d learned as a child to move silently through the forest, even at top speed.
The wind whipped her face, and the moon lit her way. After an hour at breakneck speed, she came to a rushing lavender river. It ran the whole length of the continent like a snake conquering the land. It passed through Guild land as well as Legion and had been a causeway for good and evil for as long as she could remember.
Kalika bent forward, cupped her hand, and drew the liquid into her mouth. No water was more refreshing or more healing than the Crystal River’s.
Kalika heard a rustle behind her. She didn’t move or act like she’d even noticed the disturbance, but stood quietly, appearing to leave. All at once, she sprang for the intruder, pinning him to the damp earth, a knife pressed to his throat.
“Kalika, it’s me!” the frightened voice barked.
“Urd?” She pulled back, studying the luminescent face. “What are you doing here?”
The Eye of Tanub Page 9