The Shadows of Starpoint Mountain

by Bill Albert

  “Your revelation about the aquilus has caused much concern. Our fear is that the fall of the mountain and the truth about the elves will be too much for our peaceful society to handle at one time. Can you understand what I mean?”

  “Yes, my lord,” she said nodding. She admitted to herself that she had not thought about what could happen when the truth was told.

  “So, for now, please keep your conversation with the dragon a secret. At least until things have settled down and the time is right. Does anyone else know?”

  “Luvin was with me.”

  “Will he tell anyone?”

  “Not without checking with me first.”

  “Good,” he said and smiled down at her. “I trust you can get him to understand the importance.”

  “Yes, my lord,” she perked up. “He should be here soon. There will be a dwarf named Jakobus travelling with him.”

  “Now,” the Third Minister said as he walked in circles around the chair. “There is much to do to keep things under control.”

  “How can I help?” she asked looking over her shoulder at him.

  He looked away from her and smiled as he walked. “By unanimous consent of the Circle of Ministers, I have an offer for you. You have shown strength, cunning, and, most importantly, loyalty. We would like you to become a special agent for us. It’s yours if you will accept it.”

  Gallif felt her heart skip a beat and involuntarily put a hand on her chest. She felt pride and knew that her parents were applauding her. “Of course, my lord, I would be honored.”

  “You will be responsible directly to me,” he said as he leaned slightly towards her. “Other than the Circle of Ministers only a few of my trusted agents will know about you. There are also other things we will give you.”

  “I understand, my lord,” she said with her thoughts racing. “Should I stand?” she asked without really thinking and felt silly afterwards.

  “No,” he smiled softly. “No big ceremonies or formal circumstance for this. Just a personal pledge between the two of us.”

  “Yes, my lord,” she understood.

  “Finding out the truth, and hopefully, releasing the elves will be your first priority,” he said flatly. He could see the excitement rising in her. “We are committed to freeing the elves from this horrible curse. As I am sure you know, it is impossible to remove a curse without knowing the details of the original cast. We have some of our most experienced casters working on the problem, but there is much we need to know. That is where we need your help.”

  Gallif’s pulse was pounding like a thunderstorm in her ears and she was emotionally dancing on his every word.

  “I need you to go to the Dragon Burial Grounds.” He spoke in a whisper as if he were afraid someone other than her would hear him.

  “Those have been sealed for decades,” Gallif said finding it hard to swallow. “The last expedition was the Freemillered party. They never returned.”

  “Officially,” he said.

  “Officially?”

  “Yes, it’s never been publicly announced, but there was one survivor. A female who had been part of the expedition did emerge. She was mad, insane, and told stories of the horrors she had seen in the caverns. That’s why the area was sealed off and heavily guarded. There have been many requests to enter the grounds since then, but all have been denied.

  “I thought there was damage from tremors that made the ground unstable.”

  He bent down and looked her straight in the face. “Officially.” She nodded that she understood, and he continued. “We’ve waited a long time to find someone courageous enough to go back in. You’ve been inside Starpoint Mountain, you’ve spoken with a dragon, and you have a giant’s courage. Will you go?”

  “It is an honor to serve you, my lord,” she said as she stood and looked up at him.

  “There was one thing she told us in her madness that interested us the most. She told of it in such detail it was hard to believe that it was anything but a true experience. She spoke of a library inside the caves. The books, she told us, contain some of the most detailed information on the dragons. Their beliefs, their systems, even their casts. If there is a way to stop this horrible curse it will be there. If you can find them, be careful not to open them. She believes she lost her own sanity in one of them.”

  There was a long pause as Gallif considered all she was being told. This would be more dangerous than even being inside Starpoint Mountain, but the rewards, if she could find them, would set free an entire race.

  “It is an honor to serve you, my lord,” she said again.

  “Thank you,” he smiled and patted her on the shoulder again. “Good girl,” he whispered.

  “How do I start?”

  “First, I have something for you. Perhaps it’s like an old friend.”

  The Third Minister opened the door and one of his personal assistants came in. The man wore strikingly bright colored robes, but not bright enough to take Gallif’s attention away from the flame sword in his left hand. Gallif jumped from the chair and ran to meet him. The man smiled and gently handed her the sword.

  Gallif wrapped her hand around the handle and thought how right the Third Minister had been. It was much like seeing an old friend. She recognized the scratches and stains on the handle and knew this was her sword. She made a few practice swings, the weight and balance was so familiar, and knew the warmth she felt inside was from more than just the flames.

  “I’ll have to find a cast sheath,” she said when she finally looked away from it.

  “That has been taken care of as well,” he said and nodded back to his assistant. If the man had moved, she had not noticed it, but now was holding in both hands a wooden sheath for her to examine.

  Gallif looked at it closer and realized it was not her original sheath. She was confused by its surface. She could see the grain that indicated a wooden sheath, but as she ran her finger across the length it felt softer, more leathery, in nature. She looked at the assistant and then at the giant. The giant glanced at the flame sword, the sheath, then at her and nodded. She moved the weapon to place it in the sheath, but as it passed parallel the sheath pulled away to reveal the solid backing. She lowered the sword to the backing and the leaves of the sheath automatically wrapped around the sword. The flame vanished and left only a small whiff of smoke that dissipated quickly. Still having a grip on the handle, she pulled the sword up and the sheath released it freely. She repeated the process and found that the casting was astounding. No matter what direction she went, the flame sword was wrapped and unwrapped with ease and she knew drawing faster in combat would give her an incredible advantage. She took the sheath, with the flame sword protected inside, from the assistant and hung it from her belt.

  “Thank you,” she said to the giant softly.

  “As you said,” he nodded down at her smiling and continued, “I owe you a favor.”

  To her surprise the Third Minister himself escorted her to another meeting. She was reintroduced to Tikke who gave her a green and azure talisman that she was to keep secret and only present if there were questions about her credentials. Even then, he warned her to be careful who she revealed her duties to. The Third Minister informed her that he had contacted one of his agents to meet her at the Burial Grounds but would tell her no more. Before she could protest, he escorted her out of the room and they were walking along deserted city halls.

  “You will be able to remove the curse on the elves, won’t you?” she asked as they walked.

  “I don’t know,” he responded without looking down at her.

  “Maybe if you spread the word. It could encourage everyone to start thinking differently.”

  “Yes, my friend, it could, but we need to have proof of this curse before we start letting everyone know.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Gallif, my friend,” he said using her name for the first time. “A change this significant must be handled carefully. There is much to consider.”


  “But why not just tell them the truth?”

  “We do, and we will,” he said impressed, and concerned, by her confidence to question him. He stopped and looked down at her and asked, “Could the dragon have been lying?”

  Gallif’s eyes widened in shock at the thought and she quickly looked away. This had never occurred to her. Her instincts had never given her any reason to doubt what the dragon had said but she could not deny the possibility.

  “The dragon was a thousand years old at least,” the Third Minister continued. “Even the mind of a dragon would start to weaken.” He waited until she finally looked back up at him and said, “That is part of your mission to the Burial Grounds.”

  The reminder of her new status and responsibility energized her and she focused again on what he was saying.

  “The survivor of the Freemillered expedition spoke of a library, somewhere in the caves, where records of the dragons had been kept. If there is such a curse, any written details of it will, most likely, be held there. That is what I need you to find.”

  “Yes, my lord, I will.”

  “Good, my friend, the truth, and the future of the aquilus, is resting on your shoulders. I trust you will do what’s best for the Land of Starpoint and its future.

  “I will,” she said. She took a moment to prepare herself and thought only about what she needed to accomplish her goal when a painfully obvious reminder came to her. “There are two friends I’ve been waiting for. With your permission I’d like to take them with me.”

  “Of course,” he said. “You have total control over who and what you take with you. Once you leave tonight you will be on your own.”

  “Tonight? I’m not sure if I can find them that soon.”

  “No need,” he grinned and started walking gain. “They are already here.”

  ***

  After bidding farewell to Gallif the Third Minister worked his way back to his office. On the way he spent several minutes chatting with an acquaintance in a courtyard and then debated a new sculpture of the King and Queen. The other giant thought it was a stylistic impression of Paleth and Gweneve while the Third Minister believed it was actually supposed to be a pair of trees. He smiled when the other suggested that there may be more similarities between the King and Queen and trees than anyone would like to admit.

  He arrived at his office to find one of his most trusted agents inside. Very few agents were allowed to go into the office without him and only one was allowed to jump cast to the inner sanctum.

  “This girl worries me,” he said as he sat down at his desk.

  “Worries? With all your power and resources, it’s hard to imagine you being worried about anything.”

  “You’ve heard the way people talk about her,” he said more than a little annoyed. “She’s quite resourceful. Even for a human, she’s very good. No offence,” he added without really meaning it.

  “None taken,” the agent said. “I’ve just come from the mines on the other side of the Rainbow Mountains. They discovered a rich vein of ore and mining and construction are going on as planned.”

  “I’m going to increase the schedule. We need them ready.”

  “Because of the girl?”

  “The loss of the mountain was totally unexpected, and plans are changing constantly,” the Third Minister said angrily. “There are also other threats we may have to deal with. I’ll be meeting soon with one of my agents from the north about possible druidic activity.”

  Even the agent was surprised by the mention of druids and took a long time to respond. “Yes, you do have reasons to worry. What do you want me to do?”

  “I’ve sent her to the Dragon Burial Grounds. I told her she might find some secrets of the past there. She needs to be dealt with either way.”

  “You want me to follow her?” the agent asked uncomfortably.

  “Join her,” the Third Minister said forcefully. He knew this assignment was not being well received.

  “Why not just let her go in? Chances are she’ll be killed by what’s in there anyway.”

  “Or she might actually find the library. The power there would be beyond anything we giants could muster. If she finds anything make sure she doesn’t survive to tell anyone and bring it to me.” After a pause the Third Minister added, “Surely, there shouldn’t be a problem entering the caverns with her and her party.”

  “Of course not,” the agent said through clenched teeth.

  “Don’t worry, my friend, this is a win situation. No matter what happens we will prevail. She’s becoming a real-life hero. She is helping with the final solutions concerning the elves. Once and for all we will be rid of them with her help. She will be loved. What is one thing more valuable than a live hero?”

  “A dead one,” the agent said. “Her death will hurt so much more,” the agent said understanding what the full plan was. “She’ll be killed by the aquilus?”

  “Officially,” the Third Minister said with a smile. “The hatred and fear of the beasts will solidify the land.”

  “And the power of the Giant Lords.”

  “Of course. Go now. Get ready for her.”

  There was a knock at the door and the Third Minister’s attention was briefly shifted. When he glanced back the agent, and any sign that anyone else had been in the room, was gone.

  “Come,” he called quickly. The door opened and he was glad to see who entered. “Mekon,” he said as they shook hands. “I’m glad you made it,” he said as he closed the office door.

  “Thank you, sir,” the giant, part of an elite group, said. “I’m sorry it took so long. Tremors from the fall of the mountain were felt as far as the Stack Black Mountains. There is also a great deal of confusion on the northern roads. Before the rains came in much of the dirt in the air was blown in that direction.”

  “Have you seen much destruction?”

  “Sadly, yes, I have,” Mekon spoke with a heavy voice. “I have also heard rumors that Hedle City was severely damaged.”

  “You’ll be relieved to know that those rumors are false. We received a message from the Fifth Minister this morning. He has scouted the city and it is fine.”

  “Thank goodness,” Mekon said.

  “Yes. Would you like something to drink?”

  “No sir, but may I sit down?”

  “Of course,” he said and led Mekon to a comfortable chair before returning to his own behind the desk. “Tell me, my friend, what is the news from the north?”

  “I’m afraid only bad. One of my teams came across an abandoned camp. Normally it would have been passed over, but it was very deep in the forest, in a place so thick it was very difficult to travel. It looked as if the area had just been cleaned out and replaced by younger trees and fresh grass,” Mekon said.

  The Third Minister nodded as his shoulders dropped. The ability of the druids to create such areas in the forest was legendary. It wasn’t done with any particular casting but their deep connections with nature.

  “There was nothing else left in the camp.” Mekon continued. “Luckily they did find and follow a trail to a large caravan.”

  “Were they druids?”

  “Yes, I’m afraid so.”

  It took the Third Minister several minutes to process all the information. As he sat several plans were being changed and important decisions were being made. “Did you capture any of them alive?”

  “Three,” Mekon said as he looked down in regret. “Only two of them were killed during the combat and the others managed to escape beyond a river. The team that encountered them was almost completely destroyed. Only two of eleven survived. I’m afraid the legends of their fighting ability are true as well.

  “Did those that were captured tell you anything?”

  “Yes, they didn’t seem to feel at all worried. They told us a lot but left out any details.”

  “Are they coming back in force? Do they plan to reclaim the throne?” the Third Minister said brushing away the sweat that was breakin
g cross his forehead.

  “No, the one who spoke to us said they had no intentions of reclaiming the kingdom at this time.”

  “At this time? That is barely reassuring. What did they want?”

  “Well,” Mekon said and swallowed hard before answering. “They said that after they left the kingdom they spread out in different directions. Something’s happened that makes them believe it was time to bring them all together. What was found here was a search party.”

  “What are they looking for?”

  “Not a what, sir, but a who. They are looking for a descendant of the royal family that ruled Starpoint Mountain. They believe there is a druid princess somewhere in the Land of Starpoint.”

  SEVEN: DISTANCE

  Despite her new status Gallif was not yet allowed to travel through the capital alone. Tikke had decided to keep an eye on her himself and escorted her to where the rest of her own equipment had been stored. She finished gathering her belongings and threw the backpack over her shoulders. With the flame sword on her right, the ice sword on the left, and everything else now in place she stood and boldly walked among the halls. It was still exciting for her to see giants and she was thrilled every time her path crossed one of theirs. At first, she was worried that she might stand out as she had when she visited Atrexia after Festival Day, but soon realized it would not be a problem. Giants went about their business and rarely looked at anything other than another giant.

  Just as she was getting used to the odd feeling of being ignored her heart jumped when she realized that a giant had actually stopped to look at her. She tried to hide her worry when she realized it wasn’t just a giant studying her. It was the Second Minister.

  “You must be Gallif,” he said. Tikke confirmed to him that she was, and the giant smiled at her. “I’ve been hoping to meet you soon. We still know so little about you.”

  “Thank you, my lord, I am honored.”

  “You are welcome. Some of our ambassadors who travel across the Land of Starpoint have reported hearing stories about you.