by Ed Montalvo
“How are we to face large numbers?” Tatiana asked.
“With cunning, my dear lady,” Dregous realized how he replied. Tatiana’s eyes slightly widened as her cheeks flushed. Tuke and Seeker noticed.
“Is your staff not greater?” Tuke asked.
“As you say, but it draws from me, and I yet to master it. It still has secrets that must be unearthed before we can depend on its power,” Dregous said.
“I thought you discover its secrets in the treasure vault,” Tatiana reminded.
“If you recall, I broke the spell once I discovered what I needed.”
“Can you not see again?” Seeker jumped in.
“I lack the prime component.”
“What is it you need?”
“Quality gem dust.”
“Bear a moment,” Seeker searched and drew a small gem from her little purse. “It is valued over two hundred gold coins.”
Dregous smirked, “That is too valuable.”
“If it gets you what is needed…”
“Forgive me, I cannot take it.”
“See it as an investment… in fact, our lives are worth it, would you not agree?” Seeker argued.
He couldn’t dispute, if he refused, they would suspect something wrong. The prince didn’t want anyone worrying. He was afraid to return to the trance. “As you say, an investment for us,” he nodded knowingly.
***
A sudden fear came over the Grey Elf priestess. She managed to suppress her near panic when she noticed her son, a member of the high guard, “Nad,” she called and waved.
He recognized his mother’s voice, turned and saw something different in her. It was as though she was suppressing fear. It was out of character and made his way over. As he approached, Nad caught a glimpse of something in the distance behind his mother. A soft Ooh, escaped her, followed by a solid thud of an arrow beside him. He glanced at her as she reached behind her arm. The arrow cut her dress sleeve along with her skin. A thin line of blood mixed with an amber taint lightly covered the wound. They made eye contact when her knees buckled and grabbed the railing. She immediately knew it was Drouwen poison. “Mother!” he ran to aid her, then shouted, “Assassin!” Nadefin caught the priestess before she fell.
The powerful poison rapidly took hold. “Poison,” she managed. “Drrr…” Dregous and his party are not far, he may neutralize it, she thought she said, then fainted.
Nad trembled with powerful hatred, “Gods… damn… Drouwens!” he growled. Another high guard came, then a priest.
“What did this?” The priest asked.
His eyes pooled while looking at his mother, “Drouwen poison,” Nadefin growled.
“Gods no,” he murmured, then began a spell to try and neutralize it, or at least slow the spread. The design of Drouwen poison was a sealed, slow and painful death sentence. It was unstoppable, even by magic.
Upon the spell's completion, he waved them over, “Take her to her chambers.”
“No,” Nadefin stated, “I will.”
“As you say. We will neutralize this menace.” The priest tried to reassure him. Drouwen poison was feared because they haven’t found a neutralizing agent.
Nadefin remained silent. The memory of his mother collapsing before him burned into his mind. He was afraid he wouldn’t hear her again. The thought of it stole his vigor of life, his people hold so dearly. His mother will die soon and there was nothing he could do to prevent it.
He carried her to her chambers, she felt so light. Someone barked muffled orders in the distance. Their voices were unintelligible. Every step he took echo in his mind, queuing, she may pass this night.
He laid her on the bed then kissed her forehead. Others stood outside. “I will find that black-hearted…” he trailed, squeezing the tears from his eyes.
More members from the clergy came to tend her as he stepped away. His eyes were void of life, lacking the Elven spark within.
***
Lehoneh had returned to his father and found him contemplating. “My son…” he drifted.
“Father,” he replied, “Mirehnah escorted them to our gates.” He said nothing of his sister bowing before the Drouwen. The prince wasn’t sure of his father’s reaction considering the king's current contemplation.
A muffled clattering came from outside the chamber when a high guard entered. “Our lady…” he began.
“What of her?” the king demanded. Lehoneh stepped aside.
“She was attacked.”
“What? Who would dare?” asked the king.
“I was informed she said a Drouwen…. A poisoned arrow grazed her.”
The king looked at his son. “A Drouwen and your sister wanted me to trust him!” he said loudly.
That made no sense Dregous would act as such. It went against everything he witnessed of the Dark Elf. “Father we cannot be certain it was…” he started.
“Who in the gods' name could it have been, if not him!” he accused loudly. He stepped back to his throne, glanced over his shoulder. “Search the grounds he may still be here,” he ordered gently. “Bring it back by any means.”
He hated Drouwens but couldn’t deny Dregous risked his life for his sister. Why would he save Mirehnah, then kill the priestess… he wondered. Confused, prince Lehoneh bowed, “As you wish.” He exited the chambers and recounted all that happened and realized, Dregous couldn’t have done it, he was with his sister. All the events didn’t add up.
The quick assembly of the high guards surprised him. Nadefin addressed the unit, “That black thing is mine.”
Lehoneh stepped behind him curving his annoyance but held a grim expression. The high guard assembly without his permission was another annoying factor, “Correction, he belongs to the crown,” the prince said, “Where we can get to the bottom of this,” he stepped passed Nad and address his high guards, “Move out.”
He stared at Lehoneh with shock and disbelief as they prepared for the chase. “He killed my mother,” he growled softly.
“She is not dead… and let us not forget, he travels with an Ayrian.”
He glared at his prince with cold steel eyes, “That changes nothing,” and sneer mildly, trying not to insult his prince.
Lehoneh sighed, “Did it occur to you, IF, he poisoned her…” Nad tried to speak, but he raised a finger, warning against interrupting him. “He may have the antidote?”
That sudden realization shocked him, “IT, would save my mother?”
The Elven prince glanced at him as they traveled, “As he saved my sister.”
Nadefin tensed with dissatisfaction and wasn’t fully convinced, “You place much confidence in this Drouwen.”
“Be it so, anything else would be the king’s decision, not mine, much less yours.”
***
Broah-vock glided into the cave with many harpies following. He drifted to his mother’s ledge, where she studied him with a measure of pride, “Ah, you made it home again my…” she started.
“Spare the pretense mother!” he growled passed her. Her personal guards glanced at him.
She followed the prince, “My son, why are…”
He whirled, “You heartless witch!” he hissed. Her guards poised, ready to defend their matriarch.
She slightly raised a hand, holding them at bay, saving their lives against her son. Broah-vock could easily slay them. “Why speak so?” she grumbled.
His stare offered the guards a challenge. With no further movement from them, he addressed his mother, “You wronged me. I gave her my word, she would not be harmed, but that was not enough for you. You had to kill her!”
“I had nothing…” she started.
“Innocent you are not. You had her killed, like the others. She was willing to become a general in the clan… and you killed her. That is unforgivable.”
“But son, I swear to you…” she started again.
“Spare me, I know you… I refuse your butchery. You have lied to me too many times.”
She cursed his father’s noble blood. If this continues, she would have to kill him, “Son, I have my reasons for many things,” she mildly confessed, “Trust me, I do this for you. You are the first male ever born. That makes you special. Believe me, I gave no such command,” she said.
Broah-vock studied her. I will not play her games, he thought, “Swear by your goddess you had no hand in her death?”
“She is your…”
He interrupted, “Swear it,” he hissed, pressing his lips.
She smiled inwardly, “As you say my son, I swear.” She looked passed her ledge to her growing clan triumphantly. “Now where is this defiler?” feinting annoyance. Broah-vock too smiled inwardly and explained the details of his punishment. “Do you not think death was too harsh?” I will not underestimate you again, she thought.
“I did not wish to burden you,” he mused calmly. “Was I wrong?” he asked innocently. “Should I had let her live and give the clan reason for treason?”
Crafty little dung, she thought and batted her eyes with a slight cheek flush. “Of course not my son… you did well. However, I wish you would have left her to me.”
“The wretch required punishment on the spot. Besides, she may have made an attempt on your life,” Broah-vock replied with a glint in his eye.
“You done well, regardless,” she reaffirmed.
He followed her in. “I am pleased you approved.”
She smiled, “Our forces grow strongly,” she said.
“As you say mother.”
“Hmm, while you were conquering the other clan, I received word from your father.”
He slowed his pace. She sensed it and smiled inwardly, “What has he to say?”
“He refuses to accept you as his son,” she mused.
The words pinged his heart painfully, “Why so?” he asked indifferently.
Unfeeling… how curious, she thought. “Uncertain, but we will meet on neutral grounds, except for me of course.”
“Of course, however, your word must have value to build trust,” he commented.
“Cute,” she snarled lightly, followed with a smile. “We meet in three days, where we first met.” Broah-vock arced a brow. Her past deceptions made him cautious.
“When do we depart?”
“First light. I wish you to make a favorable impression,” she flicked her wing against his butt.
***
The priestess addressed the assassin scout, ‘They found the crossbow and the poison container,’ she signed.
Two Orks squadrons occupied the area, some milled about while waiting. The Elves' light feet hid them from the Orks. They didn’t notice they had already reached them.
‘And?’ Tahnni signed back.
‘Too many Elves scour the woods. Something is amidst.’
A few Orks watched the women seemingly just staring at one another. ‘Explain.’
The priestess focused on danger while signing Tahnni. ‘Over a hundred Elves search the woods, I guess for the prince’s assassin,” the priestess signaled with emphasis.
‘I see,’ she faced the direction they fled from, then glanced over her shoulder and signed, “Take them and go. We meet at the appointed place.” Tahnni started back to spy.
The priestess addressed the Orks, “Pss,” she hissed softly and waved them. They quietly fell in behind her.
Tahnni gingerly jogged between the trees, when she reached the area, over a hundred soldiers were searching. She scaled a tree opposite the Elves, ensuring no one saw her.
A blanket on the ground had an Ork crossbow and a container. She almost missed a wet spot on the far side of the blanket and guessed it must have been the Orks blood.
Tahnni saw an Elf grow upset with another. He spoke loudly, “We know not if the Drouwen is responsible!”
Drouwen… responsible? Great divine queen, she thought. If that stupid Ork didn’t shoot Dregous, who did he hit?
The Grey Elves expanded their search. Tahnni focused on a levitation formula to drift pass the tree canopy to mask her heat signature. Then conjured a message spell, ‘Leave, they head your way.”
The priestess and the Orks hastened their Northeast march. She clasped her hands overhead as she whispered a chant. Her muscles flexed while pressing her palms tighter and groaning deeply. Energy slightly formed, when she lowered her arms and waved them side to side, like the rhythmic movement of a snake. All traces of them began to vanish.
Tahnni followed until they entered an area she hasn’t seen. She hoped her longtime partner evaded pursuit.
The priestess continued erasing their tracks for another five hundred meters. She rushed to the front to prevent the Orks from grunting their march song. She warned Grey Elves were about. They continued cautiously when the priestess spotted a small group heading to the mountains.
She signaled the brutes to stop, then spied on the small group. They crossed a clearing hastily. One had wings, another dressed strangely, two in armor, and one in a robe. The priestess watched them closely. The Robed one stopped, then suddenly got an uneasy feeling. It was as though someone was watching her. It addressed the winged woman. The priestess noticed the cloak, it was Drouwen design. By the Abyss, he lives! How she wondered.
Dregous stared in her direction. She remained motionless a few moments then peeked again. The prince was talking to the woman in leather armor. She handed him a small object.
The priestess cast a silence spell, in the form of a narrow corridor to enable her and the Orks to go unnoticed. The Grey Elves closed in from behind, the prince and his friends ahead. She led them over and along Dregous’s tracks, then cast another clear path spell as they continued on their way. A distracted tracker would assume they met, and pursue the party or joined them.
***
The Drouwen prince ground the gem while chanting the identification charm. When he completed grinding it into a fine powder, Dregous sprinkled and rubbed the gem dust onto his staff. In his minds’ eye, the misty energy swirled. Like before, images of fire, stone, lightening, spiders appeared before him accompanied by strange words.
More things paraded before him. Ghostly images floated between worlds. Each image whispered a magical name as it formed in the mist.
His casting revealed the staff has great power. Greater than his wand. With it, he could do profound things. He had the power of high-grade mages. Dregous didn’t realize how powerful his staff was. Soon he would be able to return and help defend his home, he thought.
The others watched Dregous form a thin smile. “Dregous?” Tatiana stretched.
He opened his eyes, “Angel.”
“Is he well?” Seeker jumped in.
The princess studied Angelique warmly, wondering the depth of her concern for Dregous. “Well sweetie…” Tatiana slipped and blushed, “…You are smiling… I take it there is something good?”
Tuke grinned, he sensed Tatiana’s discomfort of Seeker. She masked her jealousy. Seeker double glanced the princess.
“I learned much of this staff,” Dregous said as they listened intently.
“Such as?” Seeker asked.
He gave her a wolfish leer. “Time will demonstrate,” while signing with facial gestures, ‘You should know better than to ask,’ he reminded, “I will say this, my wand is infinitesimal by comparison.”
“Woo,” Tatiana whispered.
“That sounds powerful,” Tuke replied. He couldn’t imagine anything more formidable than his wand. Rem was oddly silent by the fire.
Dregous's smile faded as he looked passed the earth. He sensed something in the air. Seeker glanced about as well.
“What is the matter?” Tatiana asked.
“That was odd.”
She drew her sword while scanning, “Explain.” Tuke followed suit with his mace and readied a prayer. Rem rested his hand on his pommel.
“It is… as if danger lurked, then vanished,” Dregous said.
Tuke reaffirmed his shield. “Perhaps we should do the same.”
“Agreed,” Tatiana said, “Let us leave before it returns.”
They gathered their things as Rem wiped away any trace they were there. Dregous walked ahead when a sudden doom came over him. Seeker felt the same, glanced over her shoulder and spotted the Grey Elves.
***
The Elves closed in as a scout studied the tracks and realized, they marched along with the party. Veered off then vanished, leaving the group’s prints to continue alone. The scout reported his findings. Lehoneh listened when he saw the brown female pointing at them.
The prince realized Nadefin readied his bow, “No harm to the Drouwen,” he hissed.
“The Ork tracks lead to him! What more proof do you need?” he argued.
“The scout says otherwise,” Lehoneh said. Nadefin waited impatiently, the memory of his mother dying made him blind to his prince. He looked carefully and spotted Dregous. His impatience prevailed and quickly took aim.
The Elf prince saw Nadefin release his arrow.
Chapter 18
Could one good deed from a Drouwen make a difference? I asked myself this question frequently when I first met the Grey Elves. Had I known now what I knew then, my answer would have been different. Yes…, much different.
Dregous, the lost years.
“What are you doing?” shouted an abusive female sub-commander.
Ti’er gave a slight bow, as Tha’taliah stepped behind him, eyes down. “Forgive me, I am instructing a new servant…” he started.
“Explain,” she hissed impatiently.
“She was bound for the kitchens,” he answered.
She studied him and noted the minor defensive posture he took before the servant. It was typical of males, though he slightly gestured her behind him as if to protect her. The sub-commander glared at the male, “You like this thing,” she mused sarcastically, opening her senses to detect any deception.
His new sub-commander was predictable. He expected her to detect deception, “As you say… I do,” he answered. Tha’taliah controlled her concerns. She knew his deception would be detected.
The sub-commander sensed nothing, then mildly studied the servant, “Tell me my dear. Do you wish him?”