To Find a God

by Mary Hamilton

  The frost elf leader turned to Lar’donal. “And from a scouting perspective, what do you say?”

  The young frost elf finished chewing a mouthful of roast stag and then wiped his lips. “I agree with Andu’lar about one thing. Nothing these men do makes sense. If they came to conquer us, they came in an effort designed to fail, given the size of their force. If they came to scout, they are poor scouts indeed. They engage in fighting when there is no need. It would be far more productive to gather intelligence and avoid contact. If you want to know what the future holds, I recommend that you try to find out more about their purpose here.”

  Elondiel turned to the final member of his entourage. “Brysten, you have held your words. What counsel have you to offer?”

  The woman who had been watching the scene unfold without comment, put her eating utensils on the table. “My lord, the others have detailed the range of options along with the advantages and disadvantages of each. I fear that my voice would simply serve as a repetition. I will defer to your good judgment.”

  Corhymin turned and stared, fire in her eyes, at Elondiel. “Father, I urge you to consider the effect of this on our people. If you spare these invaders, you will signal that our laws mean nothing. It will make you look as though you have placed yourself above our system of rules or, worse, make you appear as weak. This is not who we are.”

  “Thank you. And thank all of you. I am grateful for your help.” He wiped his mouth with a napkin and stood. “Now, if you will excuse me, I shall retire and consider the issue. Please finish your meal in good spirits and have a restful sleep. We will reconvene in the morning and I will render my decision.”

  Before he could leave, a dull green light flashed in the room and the air began to crackle. Near the door, a cloud of green smoke gathered.

  Chapter 70: Marzi

  The room exploded with noise and green smoke. Out of this appeared a thing. Larger than the largest elf by at least twice, its green eyes shone with a light that withered Marzi as she looked upon them. And it was a she. She had flowing hair that draped over her shoulders with part flowing down her back and the rest over her chest nearly to her waist. The ears, which protruded from her hair, extended to a point and were larger and more pronounced than any of the elves. And the smell—the odor was unlike anything she’d ever experienced, although it reminded her of rotten eggs.

  “I have arrived barely in time.” The female voice was raspy and guttural.

  The elves around the room, both frost and dark, stood staring in silence.

  The being floated to the middle of the room and turned so that she was facing a point between Marzi and Elondiel.

  The frost elf stepped forward and muttered, “Valyn?”

  But this wasn’t Valyn. Marzi had seen and spoken with the true goddess.

  “And who else would it be? Had you and your people not forsaken me, you might have recognized me. I might have returned sooner.”

  Elondiel looked as though he wanted to reply. His eyes cast downward, and his lips moved silently.

  The dark elves backed up against the wall.

  “You are contemplating an action that would be a tragic mistake for all of the elven people.”

  Something within Marzi snapped. “This is not Valyn!” She faced the entity with a combination of rage and fear in her heart. “I don’t know who or what you are, but the Valyn that I have seen is not foul. She is not full of hate.”

  “Silence!” The dark being bellowed the order at Marzi. “The company of humans in your custody have come here with malice. They brought their violence and death to your very doorstep. They attacked and slaughtered your elven brothers to the south. They kill without remorse. And yet you consider pardon, in violation of your laws and all you stand for. That is beyond irresponsible. I tell you true, elves of the Quel’dethain Mountains, these intruders must be destroyed as should any that come after them.”

  The Azyrean stared in disbelief. If this was not truly Valyn, how did she know so much about what was going on? How did she magically appear out of green smoke?

  “As for the larger human population outside your world, they are no concern of yours. They fight with their eternal enemies, the ogres. It matters not to the ancient and noble elves who wins. Ignore the conflict. Tend to your land. Keep your children safe with you. That is the charge I give you.”

  And this was not what Valyn had told her. In fact, it was the exact opposite. Marzi felt sick to her stomach. Her eyes teared up from the acrid smoke and her breathing became labored.

  The vile creature focused a cruel smile on Marzi and continued, “But that is not your largest problem. You have in your midst a being from another world. She has come here uninvited to sow the seeds of war and death among your people. You have opened your doors to her, much as the elves of the Bough and the cliffs did. And in both of those groups, she brought only death and sorrow. She violated their trust and their rules with no thought for anyone but herself. Now she is here to do the same with you. This Marzi Gloam of Pangrove must suffer the same fate as the human warriors. You must put her to the knife so that she does not bring your people to ruin. Listen to my words, elves of the frost. Pay heed or you will surely perish.”

  The smoke disappeared and, with it, the being that was not Valyn. Everyone in the room stared at the empty spot from which she had vanished. No one spoke.

  At least until Elle broke the silence. She screamed at the top of her lungs, “No! You will not harm Marzi.” She flung herself at Elondiel and would have toppled him over had not Rintaur reacted immediately and pulled her back. The screams morphed into sobbing as she struggled against the lord consort’s grasp.

  As Rintaur held Elle close, he turned his head toward Elondiel. “I am at a loss for an explanation, but I can assure you that Marzi is no threat to your people, any more than she is to mine.

  Elle twisted loose and rushed the frost elf, followed by Ryshara and Ran, all looking intent on a fight. Two of the frost elves stepped in front of their leader and intercepted the trio.

  Elondiel held up his hand as though calling for silence. “Peace, please. Let us, none of us, do anything that we would all regret.”

  The lord consort nodded his head. “Yes, I agree. The situation calls for calm rationality. Please understand, cousin, we cannot allow Marzi to come to harm, no matter what that being said.”

  “That being was Valyn. I was given to understand that your people still worship her. Or is this worship selective? Do you follow those dictates that suit your preference and ignore the rest?”

  Marzi summoned all the courage she could muster and repeated her previous assertion. “That was not Valyn. I don’t know who or what it was, but I have seen and talked to the goddess, and that was not her.”

  Brysten, who had been notably quiet in all of the meetings, interjected, “If I may ask, how would you know the difference between a true Valyn and a false one? You are not an elf. Even if you tell the truth as you know it and you believe what you are saying, how can you guarantee that whatever you spoke with was truly Valyn?”

  Corhymin hurled the next accusation, “And what Valyn said is true, is it not? Since you came, death has visited the dark elves. You have, as I understand it, violated the rules and dictates of the Bough and clashed with the leader of the cliff elves. Everywhere you walk, you bring discord and destruction. And now you are at our door asking us to spare those vile creatures that would kill us.”

  Marzi’s three friends tried to push past the frost elf guards to reach the accusing woman but Marzi spoke to stop them. “No. Don’t. Much of what she says is true. I have caused nothing but trouble since I arrived. I don’t want anyone else hurt because of me.”

  Elle screamed again, “No! Marzi! No!” And burst into more sobbing, falling to her knees.

  Marzi turned to Elondiel. “Please, do what you will with me. I am tired and just want it all to end. But please spare my friends. They have done nothing but protect and help me.”

 
Elondiel’s gaze seemed touched with sadness. He nodded. “Take her to a cell below.” He turned to face the dark elves. “There is nothing more to be done tonight. We can speak in the morning. Again, I urge you all, let us not do anything that will make this situation worse.”

  Two frost elf guards took Marzi, one holding each arm, and escorted her from the room.

  Chapter 71: Tovi

  Tovi felt the shaking on his shoulder and heard the sound before he opened his eyes. “Wake up. It is time. We must go.”

  His first inclination was to push his sister away. But he quickly remembered his situation. “Okay. I’m up.” His eyes fluttered open. The light in the cavern seemed to have diminished quite a bit. “What’s wrong with the crystals?”

  “I don’t know, but they seem to be dying. Come, we need to move quickly before we find ourselves in the dark.” Klunk stood and shouldered his pack.

  “Which way do we go?”

  Klunk pointed across the cavern at the barely visible shapes of the two dogs. “Growl and River know the way. We follow.” He strode across to join the animals.

  Tovi took a long drink from his skin and then stowed it in his backpack. “Okay, then.” He followed his friend.

  And so the day began—down this corridor into another large open cavern only to move into another passageway, always moving downward. And to make matters worse, the crystals continued to grow dimmer. After several hours, it was almost as though they didn’t exist at all. The pair could barely see a meter in front of them. Growl and River ranged ahead but continually returned to connect with their masters.

  After what seemed like hours, the tunnel they were in took a sharp turn to the left and dropped abruptly onto a small stone-covered area. In the nearly non-existent light, a glimmer of water next to them signaled a pool. “Stop here. Fill your skin.”

  Even as Klunk spoke, the area brightened, although the light was not the now-familiar purple associated with the crystals. Instead, it was an ochre-orange, like that of the ogre ghost—Mugrok. Klunk took his club from its sling on his back. Tovi stood against the wall watching. But rather than Mugrok, a different, unexpected visage appeared—Kharla, or at least what looked like a spirit version of her.

  Klunk took a step forward. “Kharla? Is that you?”

  “It was me.” The sadness in the voice matched the look on her face. “I am no more.”

  “I don’t understand. Where are you?” Klunk reached out to touch her but his hand swept through her—she was a vision with no substance.

  “I have gone. You left me to die.”

  “No, Kharla. We did not leave you. You left us. Remember?”

  “We had a duty. And you refused. You forced me to go alone. And now I am dead.”

  Tovi looked more closely at her. Something was off. It was the eyes. They seemed sad but, just beneath the sadness, he caught a glimpse of red, just a brief flicker. “That’s not Kharla.”

  Klunk seemed not to have heard. He tried to move closer to the vision.

  “Klunk, stay away from it. That’s not Kharla. That’s Mugrok. I can see it in the eyes.”

  As if on cue, the vision changed into that of the ogre ghost. “Yes, I am Mugrok. You failed me. You failed Kharla. Now I am dead, and she is dead. Soon you will be dead. And for what? All because you are loyal to the false words of Myhrren. You have destroyed all that is good.”

  Klunk moaned. He shook his head and fell to his knees. “No, it is not true. It cannot be.”

  “Klunk, don’t listen to it. Mugrok is not an ogre spirit. It doesn’t talk like an ogre. It is something else. It is not telling the truth.”

  The being’s eyes flashed brilliant red and its form changed again. This time to a deep scarlet cloud, which flashed to a brilliant white light. “You will die, just as Kharla died, and just as all of your people will die.” And with that, the light went out.

  At the same time, the purple light of the crystals increased in intensity until the space was completely illuminated.

  At first, Tovi had trouble adjusting to the brighter light and couldn’t make out anything. As his eyes searched the perimeter, though, he saw a form lying on the floor by a far wall. “It’s her. Kharla!” He bolted across with Klunk following close behind. When he reached her, she was lying on her side, knees pulled to her chest and head down against her knees. She was sobbing uncontrollably.

  Klunk knelt beside her, putting his hand on her shoulder. “Kharla. You are safe now. Tovi and I are here for you.”

  She continued to cry but didn’t move.

  Klunk dropped to a sitting position beside her and remained quiet. Tovi eased over and sat down on the other side. The two dogs took up position about a meter away, their keen eyes trained on the three.

  After a few moments, Kharla raised her head and rolled to her back. Tovi could see the anguish in her eyes, which shined with tears.

  She shook her head as she spoke. “He has it all.”

  Chapter 72: Tovi

  “Have a drink of my water.” Tovi handed Kharla his skin. Her pack and all of her supplies were nowhere to be seen. He dug beneath a cloth sheet he used to cover with at night and brought out the last of his topar nuts and the only remaining strip of dried meat. “Here.” He held them out to her.

  She wiped her eyes with her sleeve. “Thank you.” She took a small sip of water and tore off a small portion of meat, handing the rest back to Tovi.

  Klunk sat beside her, his arm around her shoulder. “Are you all right? Are you hurt?”

  She shook her head and chewed slowly on the piece of meat.

  Tovi stood facing her, his face level with hers since she was sitting. “What do you mean, ‘he has it all’?”

  “The pieces of the altar. He has them. And the crystal, too.” The cavern fell silent for a moment. Klunk and Tovi, along with both dogs, stared at her.

  With only the occasional sob, she continued, “I wanted to do right. I wanted to defend our people and avenge our dead. He promised to help me.”

  Tovi had, over the past weeks, watched the chasm widen between the two ogres. Both had tried to maintain civility, to respect each other. But still their differences had grown. And this seemed to be the end result. He wanted to shout at both of them, to point out how their arguing had brought this. But, seeing Kharla’s tears and Klunk’s kind patience, he knew better.

  She continued, “He showed me where the pieces were located. I picked them up and took them to this large area, someplace we’ve never been. But it was close to the outside. I could see a little bit of light. Once I had all the pieces, he told me how to put them together to make the altar.” Her eyes grew wide and her voice animated. “Once I fit them in the right places, the entire thing glowed bright purple for a just a minute or two. When the light faded, all of the parts had been made into one as if by magic.”

  Klunk shifted positions so that he was gazing into her face. “Where did you place them? Can you take us there?”

  Another sob. “No. Once the altar was put together, he guided me deep down into the cave, through a lot of tunnels, into this area that had hundreds of crystals. He showed me a really big glowing white one. I took it up and mounted it on the altar, like he showed me. And when I put it there, it started to glow, a very bright blue.”

  “Blue? That’s the color of the moonbeam I rode that brought me here. It was a blue moonbeam. I wonder if that’s important?”

  Kharla seemed not to have heard him. “After that, he got kind of different. He seemed really kind, gentle for a few minutes. He told me that he would take me back to you. But once we got down into the tunnels again, he changed. He turned into this horrible red cloud and laughed. He said that you were dead. But because I helped, he wouldn’t kill me but would leave me in the tunnels to die naturally. Then…” She paused and shook her head, “This rockslide fell down and blocked the tunnel so that I couldn’t get back to the altar. And he disappeared, and everything was dark. I felt my way along and came here.”

&n
bsp; Tovi nodded, things were beginning to make sense. “The tunnel where we were was blocked by rocks, too. We can’t get out that way either.”

  As if reading Tovi’s mind, Klunk assessed their options. “The rocks in the tunnel back there are too big to move. And I didn’t see any way to get past them.”

  Kharla added, “The same where I was. I looked at the pile, but I couldn’t move even one of them.”

  Tovi thought back on what Mugrok had told them. “Is he going to use the altar to cross over into his next life, or was that a lie?”

  Klunk shook his head. “I think we must say that everything about him was a lie.”

  “Then what is the altar used for?”

  “That I cannot say. But I am sure that it is not to make life better for the ogres.” Klunk’s slight smile was tinged with bitterness.

  Tovi glanced from Kharla to Klunk, looking for some kind of solution. “What do we do?”

  Both ogres remained silent.

  The Azyrean sat and focused. The way they had come in was blocked. The possible way out that Kharla had seen was blocked. Where else could they go? Surely these tunnels had some purpose—they must lead somewhere. After all, the crystals mounted on the walls were put there by someone or something. And then it struck him. He knew where they had to go.

  Chapter 73: Tovi

  The tunnels and the caverns they connected at first seemed confusing. But Tovi quickly figured out that, if they followed the paths that led downward, they avoided walking in circles. They came to new caverns and, continuing down from those, even more new areas.

  “Are you sure about this, Tovi?” Klunk seemed hesitant. But this was the first time that Tovi had actually led the way to anything.