by D E Boske
“Since meeting you, I’ve seen how the others revere you. They protect you, even if it means taking a hit for you. This is something I can respect. I feel your power, Mage, and if there is a future for Corillia, it begins with you. I am loyal, though I know that is laughable in the face of my request. Just please don’t reject me without proper consideration, that is all I can ask.”
Darian thought for a long time about Koryn’s proposition and about his reasons. It took stones to approach him and ask to be a part of his team. Koryn didn’t know elvish, nor could he communicate telepathically. Both major drawbacks, but both easily remedied by the young Mage. If he chose to accept Koryn, that is. Should he? Would it be wise to bring a human into their midst? Weren’t they already intermingled? He found Rohn and sent his thoughts.
Rohn, Koryn has offered his services to me. What say you? Should I accept?
Rohn was stunned that Koryn asked to join Darian, but also because Darian had chosen
to ask his opinion.
What? Do you mean to say that he is willing to leave the Knights of Shorlan? Rohn gripped the stone Darian had given him as he sent his response.
Yes, that is what he said.
Rohn could feel the Mage’s displeasure with the question. One that he felt Rohn should have known the answer to. The elf colored in embarrassment knowing the young Mage could sense it.
Koryn is strong, intelligent, and loyal. Sometimes to a fault. He would be an asset on any team lucky enough to have him.
Rohn felt Darian’s pleasure at the response and immediately relaxed.
Turning to Koryn, Darian said, “Are you sure you want to do this? There is no turning back once we begin,” Darian warned, but Koryn was adamant.
Darian went through the list of requirements and gave Koryn the full month’s wages even though it was half over. Koryn stared at the gold in his hand, not quite believing the Mage would pay so exorbitantly.
“Is there something wrong, Koryn?”
“No, I just… this is… a bit much, don’t you think?”
“You want to work for free?”
“No, it’s just…I…”
“Koryn, I care deeply for those who work for me and I take care of my own. Your lives will constantly be at risk and your pay should be equal to that risk, don’t you think?” countered the Mage and the former Knight couldn’t argue with that logic.
The Mage withdrew a small stone from a deep pocket inside his Shryvven and handed it to Koryn. “This will help you to understand elvish and be able to communicate telepathically.”
“Thank you, Darian,” Koryn said, his eyes tearing up against his will. He was overwhelmed. He never expected the young Mage to agree to the proposal. It meant so much to him and he knew Darian was aware of that. Black and red swirled in the hypnotically beautiful stone’s opaque depths. It was warm to the touch and Koryn got the shock of his life when he heard Darian in his mind. The Mage was speaking to him in elvish and he could understand it!
“Koryn, be at ease. You will like Kiri A’ Nouell and I hope you will be happy working for me. I am very demanding, but…”
“He’s also very generous,” Nymdal added and Koryn cracked a grin.
“If you tell anyone, I’ll kill you slowly,” said the Mage, laughter in his eyes.
34
Morning dawned, bright and beautiful, giving the company hope and a sense of peace. Hogun Da’ Ursta had kept his word and each morning brought food to the companions. He left fresh berries, roots, vegetables, and water for Darian and each morning, the young Mage thanked him. This would be the last day they spent in Blavven Krill. The salt tang of the ocean was heavy in the air and they could hear the waves crash against the rocks.
“Many thanks, Hogun Da’ Ursta,” said Darian, as he accepted the food.
“You are welcome. Do not forget your promise, Mage. For I will hold you to it. Your return journey through here will be bloody and death will stalk you, should you be remiss in your word to me,” Hogun Da’ Ursta promised.
“I will not forget what we spoke of, but remember, I made no promises. I will do my best to restore you, but I cannot promise that it can be done. I must first find the Morgannate, learn Dark Magic, and defeat the Dark Mage. Then I will have the time I need to research what can be done, if anything. I will not forget you, Hogun Da’ Ursta. Please do not forget me in the coming battle for Mogan Dar and Corillia. I will need your help before this is all through and if I fall…”
“That will not happen, Mage. We will be by your side as agreed,” Hogun replied, extending his huge appendage. The Mage clasped it and they shook on the agreement.
Kelindril was more than astounded by this turn of events. Blavven Krill had always been
a place that filled them with dread. Entering it was a must if they were to complete their missions, but there was not a Gor Li’ Khan among them that looked forward to passing through Blavven Krill.
Learning what the Dark Mages did to them helped to shed light on why the creatures that inhabited the pass were so intent on keeping outsiders out. The elf, after hearing their tale, couldn’t blame them for their hostility. They could ill afford to trust anyone.
They ate with Hogun Da’ Ursta and once breakfast was completed, they were on the move once more. The rocks were jagged, sharp, and deadly. One misstep would ensure their demise. Blavven Krill seemed to be impassable unless you knew the way. Kelindril and Kryndale were in the lead, picking the safest way for them to exit the treacherous pass.
Long ago, the Gor Li’ Khan had found the way through, but many had died in the pass. Over time, as the Gor Li’ Khan became legendary, the pass became easier to navigate, but no less
deadly.
Sometimes, as with Kelindril’s passing, the creatures remained silent and refused to show themselves. It still perplexed the assassin, but he surmised that the creatures could sense their deadly skill. Kryndale’s group had not been able to escape unmolested, however.
The sun was setting as they finished descending the pass. The sky was a cloudless blue, the setting sun splashing pink, gold, and orange across her canvas. Nephraete was not eager to return home; was not eager to be reunited with her father. She had no intention of remaining here and she knew the elves and Darian would stand with her on this.
Kelindril had mixed feelings as the shores of Kaleika Bay became visible. His chest tightened in dismay and yet, the smell was comforting. He realized his only real connection to this place were the sights and smells. His home was in Kiri A’ Nouell now, with Darian. He had no desire to be here, but would not desert the Mage.
The sand was white and soft to their feet after the jagged rocks of Blavven Krill and it still held the heat of the day in its crystals. The water was crystalline, shimmering myriad shades of blue. It was a stunning sight for those who had never seen it before.
The silence of the moment exploded as Gor Li’ Khan appeared around them swords drawn. Darian warned them just before they appeared. The Mage was surprised and a bit perturbed that they were greeted in this manner, as many of their number were natives of this land.
“You will state your business!” demanded the Gor Li’ Khan in the lead.
“Put down your weapon, you imbecile!” ordered Kelindril. “We are Gor Li’ Khan!”
“You’ve been gone many months now, Kelindril. Much has changed.”
“Apparently manners are no longer used,” he retorted, not backing down. “I was under Thelarki’s orders, Kelendiel, you know this.”
“And are you now?”
“Take me to see Thelarki,” demanded Kelindril.
“Take us to see Thelarki,” corrected Darian in elvish and Kelendiel turned a surprised glance Darian’s way. “Yes, I speak your tongue. Now please, take us to see Thelarki.”
Darian noticed that all the Gor Li’ Khan were male. There were no females counted among their ranks. Hmmm, interesting. Like the Mages, he thought.
Kelendiel nodded and Thelarki’s Gor Li’ Khan s
urrounded them, leading them to the Coral Palace. It sat high on the cliff, overlooking the open ocean and the surrounding beaches. It looked as if it erupted out of the depths of the ocean, so beautiful and perfect it was.
Carved into the very earth, was a narrow, steep spiral walkway, rising to the top and providing a perfect, defensible position. The elves would easily overcome any attack, forcing the enemy to rapidly retreat.
“The Mage is the one The Order seeks, is he not?” asked Kelendiel, but Kelindril didn’t answer.
“Is he sane, at least? A Mage of The Order has not been seen outside of Mogan Dar in too long a time,” Kelendiel tried, but still Kelindril made no move to respond.
“You are no longer Thelarki’s, are you, Kelindril? Has the Mage tempted you with riches? What was the price of your betrayal, I wonder?”
Kelindril remained silent and Darian watched closely from a safe distance. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Kelindril, but the elf was back home among things familiar. Darian resolved to keep a close eye on him.
It took them about an hour to make it to the palace, but the view was worth it. Even though darkness had descended, the moon hung heavy in the sky, providing plenty of light to see by. The view when the sun arose would prove to be breathtaking.
Thelarki stood outside the palace, his eyes scanning those cresting the walkway. It was obvious he was looking for Nephraete. He saw his Gor Li’ Khan first, and then a Mage of The Order? Could this be the elusive Darian Brade? The one The Order was searching for? The one they were so desperate to find that they asked for the Gor Li’ Khan’s assistance? When the other Mages came into view, Thelarki nearly fainted. What were they doing here? Why had they come? To steal my land! His eyes turned hard and he noticed Kelindril, Kryndale and their underlings surrounded as well. Had they turned their backs on Kaleika Bay?
The next to surface were a few Knights of Shorlan, which was perplexing. This was a mixed hodge podge of a group. How did they make it so far such as they were? Nephraete was the next to surface, Calisha by her side. He restrained himself from running to her. It wouldn’t do to appear weak with so many Mages present. He noticed elves from Kiri A’ Nouell, one of which was holding his daughter’s hand. He could not keep the shock off his face. This must be Kyler Brighton, son of Galavad Brighton, Monarch of Kiri A’ Nouell! His daughter would not look at him and there was a part of him that wanted to punish her for her behavior.
When the next elf became visible, Thelarki could not hold himself in check. “Rohn!” he cried, running to greet his son and crushing him in a bear hug.
“Where have you been, son?”
“Al-Dan-Tir, father. I was a Knight of Shorlan.” Thelarki stiffened and broke contact with his son.
“Why, Rohn? Why did you not return home?”
“Return home? This is no longer my home, father. My home is Kiri A’ Nouell now. I cannot
live under your tyranny any longer.” Thelarki’s face burned with rage, but he restrained his temper. Now was not the time to get into tender subjects.
“Nephraete, won’t you greet your father?” he asked, holding out his arms to her. She came reluctantly, but Calisha was beside her and she knew he wouldn’t let the king lock her away again.
“How are you, lass?” he asked, holding her tenderly. “I have missed you, Nephraete. I have wronged you and I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive your foolish father. I thought you loved Kryndale, I didn’t mean to make you flee the safety of my walls.” He felt her relax into him and his hands stroked her hair.
“Who is this with you? Is that Kyler Brighton, Galavad’s son?” he asked, not really expecting an answer.
“Yes, father,” she said meekly. She held her hand out to her lover and he stepped up immediately.
“It’s good to meet you,” he bowed respectfully. “I am Kyler Brighton, son of Galavad, Monarch of Kiri A’ Nouell,” said Kyler, with the proper amount of respect. After all, he was a prince and deserving of respect as well. Kyler needed to show Thelarki that he was not afraid of him.
Thelarki noticed several dwarves amongst them and a few humans. He wrinkled his nose in distaste at the sight of the Ni’ Kulana, but there was nothing he could do. He bade them to follow and took them inside the palace. He assigned them each a room to themselves, but Kyler stayed with Nephraete, refusing to leave her side.
“We will speak in the morning, over breakfast. Rest well, no harm shall befall you here.”
Kelindril, Nymdal, Brandiel, and Rohn stayed in Darian’s bedroom, while the rest remained in the outer chamber should the need arise. They refused to leave, saying that Thelarki may send others to restrain him. They would take no chances, they’d said. He’d acquiesced because he was too tired to argue. He lay down and quickly submitted to Ru Nay’ Sha.
He dreamt of Renlyss. How he missed her! It had been weeks since he’d seen her last and he needed to feel her in his arms once more. He missed Hunter, too. He wondered how much he’d grown while he’d been away. How much had he missed?
Darian. The Mage heard Delvishan’s voice in his mind.
Yes?
Let Tynuviel go, Darian. You cling to a past that is gone. If you are to have a future, let her go. Lay your love for her to rest. Renlyss loves you. She will be faithful and provide you with strong, Mage children. But you cannot have both. Right now, you walk between two different worlds that can never intersect.
I… I can’t let her go. Please do not ask this of me.
You must do so. Do you think it’s fair to Renlyss to hang onto the tattered remnants of Tynuviel’s love for you? It will always get in the way of your happiness, Darian. Let. Her. Go. The
god of Mages commanded and Darian struggled for a long time.
Finally, he accepted that Delvishan was right. He couldn’t hang on to his love for Tynuviel any longer. He’d already destroyed her life. The best thing he could do for her was to let her go. And he did. With one last shuddering breath, he let go of his love for the beautiful elf that he’d always imagined ending up with. Tears streamed down his cheeks as the sense of loss overwhelmed him and plunged him into darkness.
“What was that about?” asked Brandiel and Kelindril shrugged, but kept a close eye on the Mage nonetheless.
In the morning, the sun awoke Darian as it rose over the water. The sound of the waves crashing against the shore was relaxing and he chose to remain in bed for a while. The memory of the late-night conversation propelled itself to the forefront of his mind and he ached with loss. He was a Mage of The Order and loss was something he was all too familiar with. He could survive even this. He threw the covers off and rose to bathe. The air was humid already and the sun was barely in the sky.
“Did any of you rest last night?” he queried, looking to Kelindril, who shook his head no. Darian frowned, but said nothing. He bathed, dressed, and pushed the memory of Tynuviel out of his mind. He concentrated on Renlyss and Hunter, who undoubtedly were worried about him. They had not seen him in weeks. Now that they were in Kaleika Bay, he would bring them to his side soon. They would be safe here and he missed them terribly. He thought about those feelings and smiled. Though the ache of Tynuviel was still prevalent, he hoped it would fade in their presence. A knock on the door brought him around and Kelindril answered, Nymdal close on his heels.
“Good morning. I trust you rested well?” asked Kelendiel, as he ordered trays of food to be brought into the room. “I knew you wouldn’t leave the Mage’s side, so I took the liberty of having all your meals prepared together.”
“Thank you,” said Kelindril.
“Won’t you join us?” asked Darian, walking to the door and holding out his hand to the elf. Kelendiel took it in his own and shook it. The Mage had a firm grip, but so did he.
“Thank you…”
“Darian,” said the Mage and the elf bit back the ready reply. He’d had a feeling that this was the elusive Mage The Order sought. Why was Kelindril protecting him? It was clear the Gor Li’ Khan in th
e room were his personal guard. What could make the volatile and unpredictable Kelindril switch sides? If he no longer served Kaleika Bay, it made Kelendiel wonder who else had deserted. Turning Kelindril could not have been easy, either. How had the Mage done it?
“Darian,” repeated Kelendiel. “My name is Kelendiel.”
“Pleasure to meet you. Thank you for the food. Please, join us,” Darian held his hand out toward the table and the elf couldn’t refuse without looking incredibly rude.
“Thank you,” he said, seating himself at the table.
Kelindril made eye contact with Darian and nodded his acceptance; an unspoken conversation between them.
“Are we allowed to move freely while we are here? I would very much like to see Kaleika Bay. It’s beautiful. Are there shops we can visit? We have stores to replenish, for we still have a long way to go,” Darian began, keeping the conversation away from what he suspected the elf really wanted to talk about. He knew the elf had to be curious how he was able to turn Kelindril, but the truth was, Kelindril turned himself. Darian had helped indirectly.
Kelindril offered his services to him freely and Darian accepted because he’d been curious about why the elf was so wicked. Over time, their relationship evolved and they became friends and Darian was thankful he’d accepted Kelindril’s offer.
Kelindril’s approval of Kelendiel was a sign to Darian that he would not ignore. He would turn Kelendiel too, but he must do it slowly and make him think it was his choice. He needed allies and the Gor Li’ Khan were resourceful and deadly. He would need them in the coming fight for Mogan Dar and The Order.
“Do you prefer coffee or tea?” asked Darian, serving him.
“Coffee please,” responded Kelendiel, shocked that the Mage was serving him. Darian fixed him a plate and then made his own. Then he offered the others to come and sit with them. Kelendiel saw how they deferred to Darian and he could see the respect in their eyes and that said a lot. Especially where Kelindril was concerned. Kelendiel vowed to learn as much as he could about this Mage before they left. He suspected it wouldn’t be easy. A Mage of The Order was ever secretive, but he would ask questions and see what happened.