by C E Johnson
“You can’t be serious,” Crittenden protested. His short ponytail of jet black bobbed as he spoke. He was not only the head of her personal guard, he was the head of all her ground forces, her most trusted advisor. She knew she had to have him on board.
“I’ve been secretly preparing for this eventuality,” Elaina whispered. “I didn’t want to worry you with the possibility until I was certain about it.” She attempted to award Crittenden a gracious smile, but she worried he would see through her attempt at calm. Her heart was fluttering as fast as a bird. An attendant selected a golden ring embossed with the crest of the elves, the Nuwa tree. Elaina put out her hand to accept the ring and she shivered as she stared at the tremble in her fingers.
“How will we get our dragons through Portal Lake?” Victoria asked with a thrill in her voice. She hadn’t battled in the last dragon war. At the time she had been the ambassador to old elven lands, and she had been away imploring the old guard for warriors for that battle. Elaina could easily read the passion vibrating through her soul. There was a wildness in Victoria’s heart, an elation in her attitude, and Elaina knew she was dying for this adventure.
“So, you support this idea?” Crittenden scoffed to Victoria. “This plan is foolhardy.”
“I support my queen,” Victoria retorted. “I will wait to hear the details before I make my final recommendations.”
“We won’t go through Emily’s Portal Lake,” Elaina said, ignoring Crittenden’s protests. She felt herself somewhat caught up in the warm emotions spilling from her dragon-rider Victoria. Her hand felt steady again. “We will go through the portal in the Black Mountain where Ammolite lives.” She glanced to Victoria. “The portal is large enough for dragons to pass through.”
“But we can’t take any metal,” Crittenden protested. His lips curled downward as he exchanged an incredulous look with Elaina at the thought of the mission. He curled his fingers defiantly in his leather belt which was studded with diamond fragments from the dragon war against Samil. He wore leather armor with scattered plates of green mail that were polished to such an extent that the light penetrating the canopy above shimmered on the metal like molten emeralds.
“We will bring our greatest smiths and our stone mages,” Elaina countered. “I’ve already talked to the ones we need, and they’re ready to go.” She attempted to place a confident and knowing smile on her flickering lips to act as if she was showing wisdom, but she was still certain Crittenden understood her charade. Come over to my side, Elaina thought, I need you with me on this. Her attendants brought out smooth white shoes that were as delicate as socks, soft as doeskin.
“Will we take other Acaceans with us?” Victoria asked while fingering a silver brooch in the shape of a dragon on her cloak. “An army from Angkor?” Elaina could see several dragon scales embedded in Victoria’s armor. She had heard Victoria had taken up the finest discarded dragon scales, incorporating their strength as protection.
“We won’t take humans as they will be too weak on Earth,” Elaina answered. She glanced at herself in a mirror and felt proud of the way her attendants had dressed her for this meeting. Her smooth skin shone in the light, and she straightened her back hoping she could convince enough of her elves to follow her into this fight to make a difference. “We will ask Ammolite to come with us leading whatever force of dragons that will come.”
“If we had rogue dragons on board, that would allow us to bring more dragonriders,” Victoria said breathlessly as she paced back and forth. There was excitement in her every movement, and she appeared to be nearly dancing on air. “I’m sure the dragons true to Ammolite would allow our warriors to ride them into battle.”
Crittenden continued to shake his head. “Emily warned us about this, Elaina. She said that Drogor wanted us to come across a portal to Earth. That it’s all part of his plan. We’ll be weaker there, and he will easily defeat us on that cursed planet.” His hand went to a wicked longsword that he carried at his side. He was a master with the sword. Even the metal hilt appeared worn by his daily use. He had his own metal pin on the front of his cloak, a great horse rearing to the heavens, hooves slashing at unseen enemies. He snorted, “Can we even take our horses to that world?”
Elaina pounced on the possibilities in his words. “We will take our strongest steeds and see if they are affected by the portal crossing. Emily said animals were not as touched by the crossing.” She went to Crittenden placing her hand on his arm which was strong as steel. Her gown shimmered in the sunlight dazzling the room with tiny facets of light. Leaning in to him she whispered, “We can do this, my warlord.”
“How will we even get to the battle?” Crittenden’s eyes were still hard as gemstones and his mouth was twisting with distaste as he thought of the conflict. He wasn’t giving in yet. “Doesn’t the portal open on an island far from their larger continents?”
He’s weakening, Elaina thought with elation. “Emily said there was a great navy in the area where the portal from the Black Mountain emits. She called the place Hawaii. We will pay for the earthlings’ ships, or we will build our own, or we will steal what we need. Anything to find a way to cross the sea and help her.” Elaina clutched Crittenden’s arm. She stared at her fine warrior, strong as a great cat, with his wise eyes that saw everything and missed nothing. “We can do this, Critt.” Her voice was filled with wonder and possibilities. Heart fluttering, she felt breathless.
“This would take incredible planning,” Crittenden groaned. His expression was still twisted into something painful, but there was a crack forming in his armor.
“I would need wise advice,” Elaina said softly. She felt as if her heart was going to burst because she thought she had him.
“We might not even cross before the battle is over,” he moaned. “As you said, time is different between the planets.” His face was grim, but his voice had softened too, and the sharp edges were gone.
“We might be too late,” Elaina agreed, but she didn’t believe this to be true.
“We will be so weak there,” Crittenden complained. The ice in his words had melted and the sun slanting through the trees above appeared to have warmed his heart.
“We are elves and therefore we will still move faster than their strongest warriors,” Victoria gushed. “We will stream down from the mountains and unleash our dexterity upon their valleys and woodlands. Drogor, Iscar, and the half-deads will shake and quiver upon our approach.”
“It will still be war,” Critt whispered despondently. “There is no glory in war, only death.” A breeze blew into the open-aired entryway swirling around them and scattering papers through the passageway. The sun which had been shining strongly only a moment before became hidden behind a cloud and shadows took up a stronghold in the room.
“I know you’re right,” Elaina spoke sadly. She felt like a helpless child all at once and she knew her decision would mean the demise of most of the elves who would follow her. “Still, time is running out. If we don’t help Emily confront Drogor and Iscar now, they’ll invade our world with inhuman strength from their time on Earth. They’ll run over us without a second thought.”
“That would be the end of two worlds,” Crittenden said with a hard voice. He and Victoria became quiet and solemn. His words were absorbed by each of them and a weariness invaded Elaina’s bones chilling her very soul.
“I don’t want this to be the end of times,” Elaina murmured. Hoping to demonstrate her firm resolve, she again straightened her shoulders. She began to move. Walking toward the stairs that descended toward the council meeting room, she started rapidly down the steps. She couldn’t hear either of her warriors following her, but she wasn’t about to look back. She didn’t want to appear weak in their eyes. Feeling a sudden soreness that was developing in her neck, her hand went to her muscles and attempted to massage away the pain. “We will simply do what needs to be done,” she said in a sad but clear voice.
“Elves never surrender!” Crittenden and Victoria r
oared together. They had appeared beside her. Her two warriors pounded their chests with their right hands closed into a fist. Marching with a military precision, they fell into step just behind her. Elaina glanced at them to catch the expression on the faces of her warriors. They appeared determined, strong as steel.
CHAPTER 14
Milo
The world had become ash and dirty snow as shadows and darkness descended upon the Earth. Lately, Emily’s progress toward New Orleans was slowed to a crawl not only by the weather but also by their attempts to hide their every movement. Even so, each day they plowed steadily along hoping to disguise their path from Wuldur and the survivors from the battle of the bridge. The sun had dimmed, no longer containing the heat it once did as it lost strength with the sheer number of particles in the air from the volcanoes. It was descending now, only a glimmer in the approaching night. The final polished rays around them were feeble. Even the moon was different, its luster was gone.
“Nature is changing,” Isabelle said uncomfortably. She pointed out aspects of the outdoors to Emily and Elizabeth. The three young women were crouched on the ground together staring into their black surroundings. “I’ve noticed that the number of animals around us is decreasing daily,” Isabelle continued. The chill in the air danced around the three, taunting them with random blasts of cold. They were next to the stagnant water of the swamps. The green of the blades of grass had turned to gray and white and the usual burnished glow of the evening was gone forever it seemed. The smell of bitter sulfur hung in the air and storm clouds hovered faintly above.
“You’ve become an impressive indigo mage,” Emily responded with great respect for her friend’s talents concerning wild things. Emily surprised herself at times. She had found small changes in her personality since she had started incorporating Shadoe. She was more complimentary of her companions and she found herself immersed in promoting their inner strengths.
“It’s so windy,” Elizabeth said with a shaking voice. Sweeping over the water and the land, the wind washed over them suddenly adding to their discomfort. The girls wrapped their cloaks around themselves tighter, but otherwise they barely moved a muscle in the face of the small gale.
“Are you sure you want to keep using your magus for this?” Emily asked while peering uneasily into Isabelle’s face, raising one eyebrow higher than the other. “I can tell you’re getting tired from keeping the animals away from us during the day. How much reserve do you have to do this each night also?”
“I’m learning more about my powers every day,” Isabelle said with a forced smile. Emily could see the toll the spells were taking on her. Isabelle pursed her lips together tightly and continued, “I just wish I had a bondsmate to augment my powers.”
“That would really be something,” Elizabeth gushed. Her eyes widened, and her lips curled into a hint of a smile. In the cold and crisp air, there was a pink flush to Elizabeth’s cheeks giving her a vibrant countenance make-up could never achieve.
“I can’t stand that Anna and Luke have a bondsmate and we don’t,” Isabelle breathed fiercely. She was attempting to appear proud as she spun around to look Elizabeth in the face, but jealousy was plain in her face. “I’ll keep doing this spell each evening until we have success.” Her face was puckered in an annoyed expression. All at once, her features softened. She glanced to Emily hesitantly. “Unless you think we’re doing something wrong.”
“Actually, I think your plan might work,” Emily said quietly. She not only hoped to give Isabelle encouragement, but she truly believed in the plan. Adjusting her cloak yet again, she put her hood up against the breeze which continued to attempt to turn her muscles to ice. “Just remember, I think you need to look within the animals and pull by quality, not by quantity.”
“I’ve been searching for the inner spark you’re describing,” Isabelle agreed with Emily. “I can see it in some of the animals and I’m now only pulling those to us.” She bit on her lower lip determinedly.
“Perhaps tonight is the night,” Emily whispered hopefully. Emily pulled out Cadux and lightly lit the region. The sheen was just sufficient to illuminate the area where their project would take place. There was a light fog swirling around the swamp as the water was still warmer than the air. Only momentarily clearing when the wind gusted powerfully, the cloudy mist obscured their vision after a short distance.
“I like the concept too,” Elizabeth said softly, “but we’ve tried this quite a few times without success.” She wrinkled the freckles on her pert nose while wearing a crooked smile that revealed her skepticism. She glanced back toward their camp where Luke had a fire blazing. The flames were in a pit hidden against their enemies, but they were close enough to allow them all to see the warmth beckoning to them with open arms. “Whatever Luke and Anna are cooking smells pretty darn good,” she said slowly.
“I can see Elizabeth would rather go have some food than help her friend,” Isabelle taunted gently, “even though something she’s probably dreamt of her whole life might be about to occur.”
“Elizabeth isn’t going to move a muscle because she knows Isabelle is so crazy with jealousy that she’ll attack us with a vengeance if we raise a finger in the wrong direction,” Emily quipped softly. She found herself grinning as she teased Isabelle and her friends giggled at the notion. Emily’s headaches had lessened over the last few days, and her mind no longer felt as if it were packed with cotton. Her magus was steadily returning, and she was feeling like a new magician, especially after talking with Malachi and Hadrian. Using strength from her magestones to augment her healing spells, she drew power from them daily now.
The wind gusted again, and they caught a greater whiff of the stew their friends were cooking. “Let’s get this show on the road,” Elizabeth encouraged Isabelle. “Try your spell again so I can think of something else besides my stomach growling.”
Isabelle nodded with a last laugh. She closed her eyes and spoke the words of her spell, “Domina ferinus.”
“Your indigo aura is increasing in power,” Emily murmured as Isabelle’s aura sprang into her vision. She slowly ran her fingertips over new scars that had formed on arms and legs since the battle on the bridge. The swamp was a still mass of mist, but new flittering shadows appeared almost instantly. Without warning, shaggy mink, opossum, and bobcats began to slink out of the bushes. They glanced at the three girls once before retreating back into the fog, alternating positions with other creatures. Deer, squirrel, rabbits, and bears moved into the light before disappearing back into the dark. New rounds of animals came forward in a steady progression—snakes, armadillos, and scores of birds.
“It’s all so fascinating,” Emily whispered, not wanting to ruin Isabelle’s concentration or the moment she was experiencing. “I can’t believe there’s this number of animals right around us.” She glanced into the eyes of the animals which appeared as wise as men as they seemed to know exactly what they were doing under Isabelle’s commands. Raccoons, turtles, and alligators darted forward and then were gone.
“What are the odds?” Elizabeth whispered doubtfully. She shook her head and her golden ponytail swayed back and forth in a small dance. “It all seems so random.”
“Actually, Dr. D believes there are multiple animals on the two worlds that could be our bondsmates,” Emily said in a low voice. She studied an alligator with particularly large jaws that came into the light. The beast looked like it could effortlessly snap a man’s arm in two. “A lot is about timing. I really think this will eventually work.” The alligator circled around and departed back into the shadows.
“I’m beginning to tire,” Isabelle whispered as she glanced at Emily, her eyes gleaming with hope but also with exhaustion. “There’re only a few more with the spark in their core in this area.” She was still kneeling on the ground swaying slightly with her effort. Her breath began to come ragged and she began gasping for air with large inhalations.
“Stop, Isabelle,” Elizabeth urged, brushing curling
ringlets of hair out of Isabelle’s face and placing them behind her ears. “We need to eat and rest.” She turned from the animals and lightly ran the back of her hand along Isabelle’s cheeks. “You’re doing too much. We can try again tomorrow.” Isabelle’s aura died away instantly, and her gulps of air stopped as her breathing began to steady. Elizabeth hugged her appreciatively. The night became still for a time as Elizabeth, supporting Isabelle slightly, stayed in close contact. There was the smallest of sounds in the clearing where the animals had come, and all at once Elizabeth whipped her head around. An ocelot cat sat by herself in the center of the clearing looking for all the world like a small jaguar. Her fur was a creamy tan with yellows and blacks intermixing with a faint gray, and she appeared to weigh thirty to forty pounds. There were black spots on her limbs, head, and back, and there were a few stripes of onyx running all the way from her neck to her tail with patches of white by her neck and inside her legs. Her round ears twitched as she regarded them, but her eyes were what caught Emily’s attention. They were amber, glittering with a golden light as they reflected the glow from her staff.
Elizabeth and the cat fell to the ground in tandem convulsing at a rapid speed. A warm breeze arose from nowhere, and the flocks of birds that Isabelle had called began to trill around their position while the other animals created a symphony of bestial noises. Emily imagined she could hear Xena and Rune howling with the rest. A satisfied smile appeared on Isabelle’s weary face as she watched the vinculum in action. “I knew we could do it,” she said breathlessly.
“You did it,” Emily whispered, flashing Isabelle her own triumphant smile. Her heart was thundering excitedly in her chest. She moved to Elizabeth cradling her head in her lap until the process was complete.