Fortress of Radiance

by Marc Alan Edelheit

  Karus returned his attention to the two elves. Neither had moved, but their eyes were upon the dragon. It was then that he noticed the transparent sphere protecting them had returned. Several more arrows were suspended in midair. They were burning themselves up, one after another. A heartbeat later, the sphere disappeared and the ash cascaded downward, as did the metal arrow tips.

  “Did you do that?” Karus asked in Latin to Amarra.

  “Yes,” Amarra said back to him and then hesitated. “At first, I know not how. It come to me, sudden-like. I think High Father show me. Still, magic from wizard surprised when it come.”

  Karus sucked in an uneasy breath and glanced over at her. She turned her gaze back upon the elves. The wizard was studying them curiously now. The hostility had gone, vanished as if it had never been.

  Karus knew he had to try again. He switched back to Common. “We come to speak, not fight.”

  Wizard, Cyln’phax said, you would do well to listen. For if you or your people attempt to harm the revered daughter again, I promise you we shall lose our patience. Doubt not, our will is greater than yours and we’ve been saving it for quite some time.

  The wizard’s gaze slid from Karus and Amarra to the dragon, then back. He turned in a swirling of robes and shouted something out into the darkness. Karus hoped it was an order to stand down. The wizard turned back to them and let out a weary breath that was part sigh.

  “The High Father looks not upon these forsaken lands,” the wizard said in perfect Latin. Karus blinked in surprise. “He has long since turned from us. No longer do my people honor the gods as they once did. You waste your time here, priestess. The gods do not deserve our worship.” The wizard tapped his staff upon the ground and waved his free hand at them in a dismissive manner. “Leave now, while you can. You have no place here, nor are you welcome.”

  “How do you know Latin?” Karus asked.

  “I do not speak your language, human,” the wizard said. “You hear my words and your language because of my will, what your pathetic kind calls magic.”

  The day had been harrowing enough with their escape from the noctalum and wyrms, not to mention the long flight just to get here. He had left his legion behind, something he had been loath to do in the first place. Karus was tired and frustrated, with a mounting anger that was fast becoming a full-blown rage. The world he had known was gone. He was in a strange land with fantastic creatures and beasts that just weeks ago he would never have conceived possible. He was done with being spoken down to and disrespected, whether it was from the smug dragons or these elves.

  “My name is Lucius Grackus Lisidius Karus. By the gods, I am a Roman citizen. I command the Imperial Ninth Legion, Hispana. You shall accord me respect. You may call me Karus or Camp Prefect. You will not call me human, ever again.”

  The wizard studied Karus for a long moment in an unblinking gaze. He waved his staff in the air, the crystal on top flashing brightly once before rapidly fading back to a sullen blue.

  “You are not of this world,” the wizard said, his grip tightening upon his staff. “Both Gates are in the hands of the Horde. Were you of the Horde, I would know it. Tell me, Karus. How is it you came to be here?”

  “Jupiter’s hand brought my legion to these lands,” Karus said, forcing himself to calm down a little. “We have a job to do and part of that is why we have come here.”

  “Jupiter?” The wizard rolled the name over his tongue and cocked his head to the side in an angle that no human could ever match. His eyes slid over to Amarra and then to her crystal staff, which had resumed its throbbing glow. He appeared to consider it for the first time.

  “We call him the High Father,” Amarra said in her own language, and Karus understood her perfectly, as if she had spoken fluent Latin her entire life. “He is our god. He delivered Karus and his warriors. Together we are here to save all who desire it. Though your people have turned away from the gods, it is not too late. The gates of salvation are open to all who wish to enter.”

  “We do not require saving,” the other elf said with a nasty sneer. “The Horde dares not come unto our lands. They have tried. Each time they have paid a heavy price. The warden and our rangers are too strong for them.”

  You elves can cower all you want, Kordem said. When the Horde finishes with the rest of us, they will come for you and your people. They will root you out of your precious forests, warden … no warden. Your rangers will fall one by one until you have none left. You know this to be true. It has happened before and it will happen again. Do not pretend to act otherwise.

  The elves regarded the dragon for a silent moment.

  “You come to enlist our aid, is that it?” the wizard said. “Others have tried. We stand apart.”

  “We come to speak with the Elantric Warden,” Amarra said. “Enlisting your aid as an ally is a discussion for another time.”

  “You want Rarokan,” the wizard said, his fingers idly tapping the shaft of his staff where he gripped it. “You want to take the dread sword from our keeping?”

  “I do,” Karus said.

  “Long ago, when the weapon was entrusted into our care, such a coming was foretold,” the wizard said, eyes squarely upon Karus. “Many have believed that they were the ones portended. If you are not the one it was meant for, all that awaits you, like so many countless others, is a soulless death.”

  “The High Father sent me to retrieve the weapon,” Karus said, not liking the wizard’s words. “We were led to believe it can help our cause.”

  “If you are lucky, it will decide to help you. If not …” The wizard trailed off, and then abruptly turned to the other elf and said something quietly in his own language. The elf bowed gracefully to the wizard and stepped away, moving off into the darkness.

  “We shall see if the Elantric Warden will agree to speak with you,” the wizard said. “You will remain here. If you leave the confines of this square, you shall be killed.” The wizard’s eyes shifted from Karus and Amarra to the two dragons. “All of you, no matter how strong you feel your will to be.”

  It is not wise to threaten us, elf, Cyln’phax growled. A small jet of flame escaped her mouth.

  “You would do wise not to test us, taltalum.” The wizard tapped his staff upon the stone paving. There was a flash of light, followed by a loud crack, and he was gone, as if he’d never been. Wispy tendrils of smoke rose from where he had been standing.

  That went better than I expected, Cyln’phax said, sounding satisfied with herself. I thought we would have to kill a few of them, just to get their attention. I concede it is possible in the long years since we’ve dealt with their kind, the elves may have finally developed some common sense.

  Our arrival certainly got their attention, Kordem said with amusement. Karus could almost hear the dragon chuckle in his mind.

  The elves have always acted as if they were the superior race, Cyln’phax said. It’s been a long time coming, but they needed to be put in their place.

  Both dragons bubbled over with amusement. Karus looked up at the red dragon, thoroughly disgusted.

  “We have to work on your communication skills,” Karus said. “It would’ve been nice to know in advance what you were flying us into.”

  Now where would the fun be in that? Cyln’phax said, laughing in Karus’s mind. A jet of steam escaped from her snout. It came out almost as a snort. You should have seen your face.

  Kordem joined in the laughter.

  Feeling frustrated and helpless, Karus glanced over at Amarra. Her face hardened. She turned to the dragons and spoke rapidly in her own language, her voice trembling. Her speech was so fast he could not understand much of it. Then it hit him. Without the wizard present and his power, he had lost the ability to fully understand her. Amarra smacked the butt of her staff hard on the paving stone. The staff flashed brilliantly and the stone paving split in two with a solid snapping sound. Both dragons ceased their laughter. The sense of amusement drained away and they turned their g
azes upon her. After a moment, they bowed their heads respectfully.

  Forgive us, mistress, Kordem said. It shall not happen again.

  “What did you say to them?” Karus asked.

  “I say what you say,” Amarra said, eyes flashing with heat as she gazed back at him. “But I angry. Real angry. I tell them this no game.”

  Both dragons appeared sheepish, looking away. Then Kordem lifted his head and gazed intently out into the darkness. Cyln’phax did the same, a growl-like sound coming from her. Karus turned around, scanning the square. From out of the gloom and darkness came a number of what Karus took to be warriors. They moved with a lithe grace that told Karus they knew what they were doing and were deadly competent. Each held a bow in one hand and a handful of arrows in the other. Karus counted thirty as they spread out around them in a loose ring.

  These are the famous elven rangers, Cyln’phax said, no hint of the recent amusement in her tone. They are respected masters of the forest, unconventional warriors of skill. Should the warden decline to speak with you, we will need to kill them.

  “I guess it’s too much to hope that they would just let us leave?” Karus let out a heavy breath. He already knew the answer.

  We desire to travel to the Fortress of Radiance and retrieve Rarokan, Cyln’phax said. Without the warden’s permission and blessing, we would have to do it by force, killing the elves who stand guard over the relic. She will know this and seek our deaths to keep us from ever making it to the fortress.

  “The Warriors of Anagradoom are elves?” Karus asked.

  They are, Kordem confirmed. The elves gave over the best of their warriors to the task of guarding Rarokan.

  “Why would the warden keep us from the sword?” Karus asked.

  Why indeed? Kordem said. Elves do not always think like the rest of us. If you believe we are frustrating, try working with an elf.

  Karus glanced around at the elven rangers. He rubbed his jaw as he considered them.

  “Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse,” Karus said quietly to himself.

  Human, it can get a lot worse than this, Cyln’phax said.

  Karus let out a long breath. There was no doubt in his mind that Cyln’phax was correct. He turned to Amarra.H

  “Let’s get the packs down,” Karus said. “There’s no telling how long we will be here. We should eat, while we have the chance.”

  She nodded and moved off toward Kordem. He watched her, hoping and praying that things would work out with the warden. Karus turned to Cyln’phax, ready to climb back up for the packs. All they could do now was wait.

  Chapter Eight

  Karus figured over an hour had passed. The moon bathed the square in a muted but pale light. The dragons had seemingly gone to sleep, as if the presence of the elven rangers bothered them not in the least. Karus stood there in the darkness with Amarra. They had eaten and were now just simply waiting. The rangers had not moved. However, they had lowered their bows, some even slinging them over their shoulders as they silently watched the intruders.

  Karus had long since mastered the skill of waiting. The army was great at teaching a person how to properly wait for someone else to do their job. It had occurred to him more than once that he’d spent more time waiting and cooling his heels over the years than actually doing something. He was accustomed to waiting, usually patient as could be, but now he was becoming aggravated. Perhaps it was this strange elven city that surrounded them? Or maybe it was the threat of the rangers standing watch around them? Karus did not know, but somehow it seemed like things were slipping out of control. No, that wasn’t true. He had already lost control. It was as if he were on a runaway cart, charging down a steep hill from which there was no return, the reins having slipped from his grasp.

  He glanced over at Amarra. Under the soft moonlight, her snow-white dress made her appear almost as if she were one of the marble statues standing a few yards away in the fountain. She was a rock, with a core inner strength and faith he could well respect.

  She knelt down on a paving stone and laid her staff to her side. She bowed her head and began praying, offering up a silent devotion to their god. The staff throbbed dully, as if it, too, were bored and tired of the waiting. Karus watched her for a time, saying nothing. She eventually finished and clambered back to her feet, picking the staff up. Her dress showed no sign of wear. There were no wrinkles and it was free of even the tiniest hint of dirt. Karus wondered again how she had managed that, for his armor badly needed attention. After their stop in the forest clearing, it was due for a good cleaning.

  Amarra caught his look and broke the long silence that had grown between them. “The warden will see us.” She seemed calm, thoroughly collected, as if her devotion had given her peace. She touched her chest. “The High Father means us to be here. I feel it.”

  “The elves don’t want us to be here.” Karus glanced over at the nearest of the rangers. He wondered if they were impatient as well. “That much is apparent.”

  “Elves need us. High Father sends us to show them need. I feel truth.”

  Karus regarded her a long moment. He wondered how she could be so sure about the elves. She seemed certain. He supposed it boiled down to faith. Just a few weeks prior, he would have had his doubts. That had been before being personally visited by the great god of Rome and set on a quest.

  The High Father had given him his marching orders directly, and Karus intended to follow them as best he could. Amarra was the direct conduit to their god. She seemed to have some sort of a special connection to the High Father, to feel his intentions and wishes. It was something Karus was struggling to understand, but if she said it was so, then he accepted it as truth.

  “Will the elves listen?” Karus asked.

  Amarra let out an unhappy breath that was part frustrated grunt.

  “I pray and hope they do,” Amarra said and then looked about them. She pursed her lips. “Something not right here. Something is wrong.”

  “What do you mean?” Karus asked, looking around, alarmed. Nothing he could see had changed. The rangers were in the same positions they had been in moments before. There was no hint that they were preparing to attack or take any sort of action. The dragons were still seemingly asleep as well. “I don’t see what’s wrong.”

  “We are here to help,” Amarra said. “Something is not right with elves. We need to fix.”

  “We came for the sword,” Karus said, not quite understanding what she meant and reminding her of their goal. “That is all. We get it and go as quick as we can.”

  “That too,” Amarra said, returning her gaze to him. “But we have, how you say … more to do?”

  “What do you mean, more to do? You need to explain.”

  “Elves are, uh … hard neck?” Amarra asked. “That right words?”

  “You mean stiff-necked?” Karus asked, to which she nodded. “They certainly seem more than a little difficult.”

  “Yes,” Amarra said. She ran her hand slowly down the crystal shaft of the staff. The glow brightened around her fingers and trailed after where they had been. “We come for sword, but also I think to help. High Father tell me.”

  “He told you? You mean he spoke to you again?”

  Amarra said nothing as she gazed at the nearest ranger.

  “They may not want our help,” Karus said. “Have you considered that?”

  “I have.”

  “How can we help them? Getting them to join our cause? By the gods, we need allies, but they don’t seem terribly open to that idea.”

  Amarra gave a slight shrug of her shoulders. “I not yet know how to help, to fix.”

  Karus rubbed at his jaw, feeling the growing stubble with the palm of his hand. Helping the elves or not, he understood that even with the dragons, they were in a precarious position. He suspected that, should it come to a fight, their chances were questionable at best. The wizard was no charlatan, plying cheap tricks and using sleight of hand for entertainment or coi
n. He had command of frightening powers Karus could not even hope to begin to comprehend.

  Amarra’s staff was clearly powerful. She had stopped one attack from the wizard. Karus suspected the wizard was capable of much more than he had shown. There was no telling what he was truly capable of when pressed. Would her staff prove enough to hold him off?

  Karus doubted he would be able to adequately protect Amarra should things go balls up. That frightened him more than he cared to admit. He did not know how he could guard her against magic, other than attempting to stick the bastard with his sword.

  “What else can your staff do?” Karus asked.

  “High Father show me how to stop”—she gave a frustrated scowl—“how you say?”

  Amarra made a flying motion with her hand. Using her index finger pointed straight outward, she sailed it through the air in an arc. She made a slight whistling noise for effect.

  “Arrow?” Karus said and mimed shooting a small bow.

  “Yes,” Amarra said. “That it. Arrow. When I come to you by fountain, I feel High Father. He show me what to do to protect us. It more feeling than words. I do. It stay hidden until they shoot arrow.” She paused and looked at the staff in her hand. The staff strobed briefly with increased light, almost as if it were following their conversation and was pleased it had helped. “That all I know of staff.”

  It had grown somewhat cool with the onset of night. Karus breathed in deeply. The air smelled strongly of trees, moss, decaying leaves, but also woodsmoke. He could smell something delicious wafting through the air. Someone out in the city was cooking a nightly meal. He turned his eyes up to the lights in the canopy. They twinkled back at him as a light wind stirred the leaves of the nearest trees. Karus wondered how many elves lived in this city.

  “It seems the High Father was looking out for us,” Karus said, letting the breath out.