by Zora Marie
“As long as they don’t try to hurt you.” Raven purred as she rubbed her head against Zelia’s side, in her best attempt to appear harmless.
“Careful, people will start thinking of you as a clawless cat.”
“Is that such a horrible thing?”
“I suppose not,” Zelia mused.
Koin cleared his throat and Zelia realized she’d been talking in her head for too long. She looked up from where her attention had turned to Raven to find the villagers patiently waiting for an answer to a question she had not caught.
“We understand that King Eadwine is against the use of magic, that is something we have come to discuss with him. Having an idea of what has happened out here in the villages will help us work out a plan of action to protect your families. If you wouldn’t mind gathering anyone who has heard or seen something, that would be immensely helpful.”
A few of the villagers muttered something under their breaths before heading back to the village, leaving three villagers to watch over them. Two of them glared at Zelia and Koin with skepticism, but the youngest seemed curious. Zelia had never been good at judging the age of humans, but he was likely considered an adult in a smaller village like this, even though his eyes still shone with the hopefulness of youth.
“So, you’re really The Phoenix of Hope?” The youngest of the three asked.
“I don’t know about that, but I am the one who fought at The Hold. Koin fought to protect them, too.”
“What was it like to ride a griffin into battle? What about your dragon?”
“Sad, because I knew the griffins wouldn’t live to see the next sunrise. They knew it too, but still chose to fight by my side.” That hope in the boy’s eyes flickered and Zelia sighed. “As for Raven, she isn’t my dragon, you do not own a dragon. I honestly don’t believe in owning animals in general. Raven is my friend, and we love to fly together.”
“Love you too,” Raven said.
“Oh, don’t go getting all sappy on me.”
Raven hummed a note of amusement and Zelia rolled her eyes.
“What’s that about?” one of the skeptical villagers asked.
“Hm? Oh… uh.” Zelia wasn’t sure if telling them she could speak mind to mind with Raven would make things worse or, yeah, telling them probably wasn’t a wise choice. “I was just remembering a conversation with a dragon rider.”
“Smooth…”
Zelia struggled not to smile and she knew she wasn’t doing a good job of it. “Stop it, you’re making this harder than it needs to be.”
“Alright, alright. Wouldn’t want either of us to get skewered with a pitchfork.”
“How about you go look for traces of Fenari portals nearby.” Koin gave her that pointed look that warned her not to argue, because he was throwing her a lifeline out of the situation.
“Just let me know if you need me.” Zelia turned towards the castle and headed into the forest. She would look for traces of portals, but wanted to be able to see Prince Eadwulf coming too. “Why are you suddenly so…” She didn’t know how to describe the light shift in Raven’s demeanor.
“Koin’s advice to you just made me think of how much I miss bantering with my mate. He wouldn’t have wanted me to stop because of him.”
“Then I am happy to banter with you, my giant kitty cat.”
Raven’s amusement hummed in her head again and Zelia couldn’t help but smile. She opened her senses to the energy around her. She loved the green glow that buzzed around each tree, even now in the dead of winter. Part of her wanted to just sit and watch the energy ebb and flow from the roots to the branches, but she couldn’t. She needed to be watching for Prince Eadwulf and his men, or at least she hoped Eadwulf was with them.
Zelia stared up the trunk of a tree just off what seemed to be a main path. The urge to climb up and sit in the treetop as she waited gnawed at her.
“Please wait until you’re with someone who could catch you. You can’t afford to get injured right now.”
“I know.” She sighed and sat at the base of the tree. She hated being stuck on the ground and it was too cold to hope the trees would help her.
“Oh, don’t be so down about it. You’ll be climbing trees again soon enough.”
“Why do I get the feeling that I’m just now getting to meet the real you?”
“Hm, perhaps I’ve been too much of a mother hen to you.”
“Did you just compare yourself to a chicken?”
“Just keep watch,” Raven said, a hint of exasperation in her tone.
“You’re the one who said you wanted banter.”
“Yes, well, I’m also trying to make sure none of these humans attack any of us. They really do not like Elves.”
“It’s magic they don’t like.” Zelia lit a flame and let it hover in front of her to warm her hands. She hoped it didn’t take the warriors too long to get here from the castle. She wanted to get this over with and get back home to Linithion.
28
“You there!” the shout of a man broke her from her daze. Her flame vanished as she shook her head to clear the tired haze that had settled over her mind. She knew better than to let herself get distracted like that.
The thud of hooves warned of multiple riders. She stood as a second horseman pulled his horse to a stop and stayed the others just by raising his hand. “Zelia?” he asked, a puzzled expression playing across his features.
“Yes.” She glanced between the warriors, noting that this one’s armor was of better quality than the others and his blond hair and blue eyes were reminiscent of King Gregory’s boys. “We need to talk.”
“Actually, I could use your help with a drag—”
“You won’t harm her. She is here as my friend and ally.”
Prince Eadwulf stiffened at her declaration, at how she cut him off. “Then why are you here?”
“I’m here because of the Fenari. Koin is with us, may we please go join him?”
“Koin is here? You know neither of you should be here. My Father will have you both killed.”
“That’s actually part of why we’re here. Please, come with me.” Zelia turned and headed back towards the village.
“Just a second,” Eadwulf said and let out a series of sharp whistles.
“I take it you found the prince.”
“Yep.” Zelia entered the clearing a little way from where Raven sat. Those three villagers still stood there with pitchforks in hand.
“Prince Eadwulf,” the older of the three said and they all gave him a quick bow. “These three trespass on our land and refuse to leave. We are not harboring magic users.”
“It’s alright, John. The three of you may return to your work.”
Prince Eadwulf’s horse brayed nervously and Zelia stroked his forelock, cooing to him, “Sshh, Raven won’t hurt you. We are friends.” The horse blinked once and calmed, though he still took a step back from Raven as Eadwulf dismounted.
“So, why this ruse to draw me out to a village?”
“Gregory advised that I approach you before your father. I owe my apologies for startling your people, but we got news that your people have suffered attacks by the Fenari.”
“Yes, two villages so far. There was no one left by the time we got there.”
“And the fields around the villages were dead,” one of the warriors added and dismounted to stand beside Eadwulf. “So, are you going to introduce me to Zelia, or do I have to do it myself?”
Prince Eadwulf rolled his eyes. “Zelia, this is Luxly, my second, for now.”
“Oh dear, whatever would I do if you replaced me?” Luxly mocked. “Nice to meet you, my lady.”
“It’s Princess Zelia to you,” Donequen said as he rode up on Koin’s horse.
“Princess? Of what kingdom?” Eadwulf asked.
“Several apparently, and would you not tell people that?” Zelia asked Donequen.
“Sorry, couldn’t resist the opportunity. Besides, I did receive an hour lecture on ho
w to properly introduce you before we left.”
“Only an hour?” Koin asked, then turned to Pattron. “Thank you for getting him here, you can return to the others if you like.”
Pattron nodded, dismounted from his barebacked horse, and walked back across the snow.
“Um…” Luxly blinked and stared after Pattron.
“I figured you would be in a hurry to return to the castle, so I thought we would ride back with you and talk on the way,” Koin said to Eadwulf.
“Yes, I do need to get back before Father sends more men after us. But what about,” he pointed to Raven.
“I’ll go fish. Just let me know when it’s safe to meet you, or if you need me.” Raven nuzzled Zelia, the heat of her scales making Zelia shiver. “Try not to get too cold, alright?”
“Will do. Try not to scare anyone.”
“I’ll try.” Raven turned away from them, then leapt into the air.
“I take it you can talk to her as you did the griffins and the phoenix?” Eadwulf asked.
“Sort of and how did you—”
“We talked after the battle. You were unconscious at that point,” Koin said.
Zelia nodded slightly and forced herself to focus on the task at hand. “I hate to be blunt, but your father has to accept our help, or you and your people will die and take the rest of us with you.”
“We wanted to meet here so we could ask you to help us convince him,” Donequen added.
“And if he cannot be swayed?”
The weariness in Eadwulf’s gaze made Zelia look away. The act of killing was easier than threatening to kill someone’s family, yet she had to be honest with him if she wanted him to be on their side no matter the outcome.
“I’ll be forced to replace him with someone else. We cannot afford for the Fenari to gain a stronghold here, especially one as fortified as Coridale. The other royals, members of the guild, and I hope you would take his place if it comes to that.”
“Other members of the guild? I didn’t know you were considered a wizard, too.”
“Well, Donequen can give you my formal introduction if you like.”
“No, you can save that for my father.”
“Good, because it’s not exactly short.” Donequen grimaced.
“You should probably practice, actually,” Zelia teased and hoped he didn’t take her seriously.
“Don’t trust that I can remember it all?”
“I like these two,” Luxly said.
“Yes, well, I take it I don’t have a choice in any of this?” Eadwulf asked.
“I’m afraid not. I didn’t fly all the way here from the Drakeon Empire to let Coridale fall.”
Prince Eadwulf stared off across the field at the few villagers who still watched them warily. “Alright, I’ll do my best to help you convince my father.”
“And if…” she trailed off, unwilling to admit that the real reason she was there, was to be the executioner if things came to that.
“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.” The downward cast of Eadwulf’s tone showed his uncertainty about his ability to convince his father to accept magic. “You do know why he has banned magic here, right?”
“Gregory told me about your mother and sister. Xander ruined a lot of people’s lives,” Zelia said.
“Wulf,” the squire said, “we should start back if we don’t want your father to send more men out after us.”
Eadwulf sighed. “Jones, what did I tell you about calling me Wulf in front of others?”
“Right, sorry.” Jones ducked his head, though he still smiled faintly.
“It’s alright. Just don’t do it in front of my father.”
Zelia couldn’t help but smile at Wulf’s mocked exasperation. It was clear he didn’t really care that Jones had called him Wulf, he just seemed obligated to scold him in front of her.
“How about we just agree to drop the pretense of formality until we reach the castle?” Zelia suggested. “I don’t think any of us are really that into it.”
“Speak for yourself,” Koin mocked and sauntered toward the horse Pattron had left. He didn’t look back at them until he was mounted. Then stared at them expectantly.
29
Prince Eadwulf seemed lost in thought as they rode back towards the castle and Zelia let him have his space. She needed him to come to this decision on his own so as not to risk having him rebel later. Besides, riding in front of Koin as though she were a small child again was awkward. It was one thing to ride a horse with Linithion or even Alrindel while injured, but riding with Koin was just too much like the past.
While she was happy to be quiet, Luxly seemed happy to talk their ears off. “So…,” Luxly paused and took on a more series expression, “do the Fenari have any weaknesses?”
“Rune blades and extremely hot fire.”
“Rune blades?”
“Here.” Donequen pulled a rune dagger from his belt and handed it hilt first to Luxly. “Careful with it, it’s spelled to cut through a Fenari’s skin.”
Luxly examined it, tilting it in the midday sun. “Just looks like fancy little etchings to me.”
“Yes, well, those fancy little etchings are marks of power.”
“And you know this how?” Luxly returned the blade to Donequen.
“A few centuries of training on Hyperia.”
“What? You don’t look like a god.”
Donequen snorted. “We’re not gods, just different from you.”
“Still, you didn’t say you were from Hyperia.”
“You didn’t ask.”
“Hm, I guess we didn’t ask who you were.”
“He’s a member of the guild, appointed by Yargo and Zivu themselves,” Zelia said.
“So, if they are not gods, why do they get to appoint members of the guild?”
“Because they created the guild to both protect humans and to protect the peoples who moved to Mineria from Hyperia millennia ago. The guild was meant to dissuade the Fenari from attacking,” Donequen said.
“But Xander compromised the guild and we’re having to rebuild. We hoped the Fenari wouldn’t notice for a while so we would have time to get things in place,” Zelia added.
“But they did notice, didn’t they?” Prince Eadwulf asked, speaking for the first time since they had set off.
“Yes…” And they had paid for it with Erolith’s life. Zelia stared off into the snow and ice covered forest. She could only hope that Linithion was coping on her own. Her gut told her that Linithion would throw herself into her work, yet her heart still worried.
“What’s happened?” Eadwulf asked.
“Linithion’s father, King Erolith is dead. The Fenari killed him during a rescue mission to retrieve someone they took.”
“So, the villagers could be saved?”
“No. We’d be foolish to try it again. You’d be sending someone who could defend the people still here to certain death.”
“You can’t know that for certain.”
“We only got out because Erolith scarified himself to distract them. We have a better chance of protecting those here if we stop throwing lives away for those who are already gone.”
“If they’ve been gone for more than a day, any human would already be dead. I’m sorry, but Zelia is right,” Donequen said.
“I don’t like it any more than you do, but I can’t save everyone,” Zelia said.
“If they are vulnerable to fire, why haven’t you just taken your dragon and burned them if you can go there?”
“Because it’s not that simple. I take it you haven’t faced them yet?”
“No and there’s never anyone left alive to even describe them. We always find those who fought the day after the attack. It’s like they’ve been watching our movements, know where we will be.”
“How many attacks have there been?”
“Three so far, two south of the castle and one west of here. Each time there are more bodies.”
Koin’s breath tic
kled against the side of her head and she knew he was refraining from telling Eadwulf that being dead was better than being taken. The Prince already seemed to blame himself for the loss of his people, he didn’t need to know the particulars of how the Fenari seemed to drain people of their mind, soul, and energy until there was nothing left. Suddenly something clicked in her mind and she realized where the Fenari had been drawing power from in their own world. They didn’t have a capsule or power stone, instead they were drawing power from the people whose minds they’d stolen.
“There’s nothing you could have done, not without the proper tools and training,” Koin said.
“If we can burn them, then we don’t need rune weapons. We don’t have to convince my father of anything.”
“I wish it were that simple, but the Fenari can predict your movements. You have to learn how to work around that in order to beat them,” Zelia said.
“And fire only works effectively when fueled by magic,” Koin said.
“How could you know that for sure?” Eadwulf asked.
“I fought them in my youth. I’m only alive today because of an elder wizard who sacrificed himself to save all of us in Elyluma. That’s when the power passed to Eleanor and the same happened with her brother in the Drakeon Empire. Starfer, Vainoff, and Multly also got their power around the same time. Those years were difficult, with the loss of so many good members of the guild.”
Koin stiffened as though surprised or struck by something and Zelia opened her senses to the energy around her. The energy of the trees and air was drifting forward, towards the castle.
“Fenari?” Zelia dreaded the answer she already knew.
“Several if I had to guess.”
“Raven. The Fenari are here.”
“Coming. Where should I meet you?”
