The Staff of Power

by D E Boske

  It was dark and quiet. Chamlen got a window open and they crawled through. The halls were empty and silent. After much difficulty and searching, they found the door leading down

  to the dungeons. Locked of course.

  Chamlen could tell the lock had seen recent use. Someone had oiled it not too long ago. When he picked the lock, it made no sound. They descended the steep stairs quickly. Tireniel drew back his bowstring, letting an arrow fly taking a guard in the throat.

  “What the…” another guard began, but Asa was already behind him, slitting the guard’s throat. They were hired mercenaries, not Mages, and this struck them all as odd. The Order would not use mercenaries, having no purpose for them since The Order prided themselves for their magic and cunning.

  They searched quickly, but Darian was not here. The cells were empty and long out of use. Why would they be guarding an empty dungeon?

  “I know he’s here… somewhere,” Nephraete sent her thought to the other elves.

  “Yes, I feel his presence as well,” sent Tynuviel.

  “Over here. There is a door concealed by magic leading to a lower level. It’s complex. It will take a while to unravel this,” sent Lorin.

  They all stood by waiting. Trighton closely watched Tynuviel, but she would not acknowledge him.

  Shaz watched them. It was obvious that Trighton wanted more than friendship with Tynuviel. He loved her and resented the Mage. She loved the Mage above all and thought she had lost him for sure now.

  Something had changed between Kyler and Nephraete, neither seemingly aware of the other’s feelings. He wondered if it began on their excursion. The Monarch had been pissed!

  Shaz decided he liked it here after all. The elves were great hosts and quite friendly, once you got to know them. He was well aware that it was extremely rare to allow outsiders into their homeland.

  The women were perfect, each one more beautiful than the last. He had not had sex since coming to Kiri A’ Nouell, but was hoping on the return trip for better luck. He had seen no action for far too long and he was growing irritable.

  Now he knew how Darian felt every day. Now there was an idiot. He had a stunningly beautiful woman hounding him for sex and he continuously turned her away. Maybe he likes boys, thought Shaz with a shudder, feeling sick to his stomach at the thought. He actually missed the Mage and the banter between them.

  What he missed more though, was the feel of a good woman. Just thinking about sex made him stand at attention! When they found the Mage … if they found the Mage, he would knock some sense into him. If he let Tynuviel go, he was a bigger fool than Shaz thought, and Shaz thought a lot.

  The bounty hunter knew nothing about Tireniel, had only met him as they departed Kiri A’ Nouell. Now, he was a chick magnet. He had long blonde hair, ice blue eyes, was tall, lean and had smooth, perfect features. Tireniel had tiny braids in his hair and they swayed to and fro’ as he shook his head. If he didn’t know better, he’d swear that they were communicating somehow. That just wasn’t possible… was it?

  He tried to stay close to Chamlen. Shaz was a good tracker, but he knew he was out of Chamlen’s league. He could learn a lot from the elf. Chamlen read the signs effortlessly, sometimes without stopping. The elves were very light on their feet, sometimes seeming to glide over the ground. Only a superior tracker could follow the elves’ trail.

  Shaz’ gaze flicked to Kiel, an elf he knew next to nothing about. He was tall, lean and handsome, as all elven males were. In his time in Kiri A’ Nouell, he had not seen him outside of the council chambers. Kiel and Kyler were looking at each other and Kiel nodded his head. Shaz was sure now that somehow, they were communicating. How, he did not know. Their lips and hands never moved. That left… No! It could not be! He would talk to Kyler as soon as was possible.

  Light washed the room, shifting through the color spectrum. Apparently, Lorin had done it. Around the door was a magical arch, complete with ancient runes and symbols. The color of the arch changed every couple of seconds.

  “Kyler, it’s ready. We must be careful. Only on blue should we enter. Any other color means disintegration. One at a time, and make sure you don’t touch the light or…” Lorin cautioned in low tones. Kyler motioned them all close.

  “Lorin you should be last, to help make sure we all get through safely.” Lorin nodded.

  One by one, the elves went through the portal, making it look easy, so swift and silent were they. That left Shaz, Kyler and Lorin. Kyler turned to Shaz.

  “Bounty hunter,” Kyler said. “Are you ready?” Shaz nodded. He was ready. He had been watching the pattern of colors for a long time as each elf jumped through. Just as the color shifted to blue, Shaz leapt.

  On the other side of the portal was a long flight of stairs. Kiel held a magical stone that bathed the small area in soft white light. The air was stale, close, and stank of waste and death.

  Kyler emerged through the portal, followed a few moments later by Lorin. They all awaited the elf prince’s signal. No one was sure what they would find. Tynuviel in particular was on edge. She was worried that Darian may have perished. It certainly smelled as if somebody had.

  They descended the stairs in single file with Kyler in the lead. It was a very large dungeon with only one room. Manacles and chains hung from the ceiling attached to the walls and floor. Bones littered the area. A whole skeleton lay sprawled in one corner. After careful inspection, there was only one person left alive, and he just barely.

  Darian was completely unrecognizable. Only his filthy, soiled clothing gave him away. Shaz gasped in shock. He never thought Darian could be so vulnerable. His shirt was grimy and torn, leaving his sunken ribs exposed. He had lost much weight since being captive. Weight he could not afford to lose.

  Tynuviel cried out, running to his side. His once handsome face, now badly bruised and cut, was unidentifiable. Both of his eyes were swollen shut, his mouth a torn mess. Chamlen came forward and Kyler eased Tynuviel out of the way. The elf tracker climbed a stack of crates to examine Darian’s shackles. After a few moments, Chamlen stepped back, shaking his head.

  Lorin climbed up to examine the chains. Darian hung suspended from the ceiling, several inches off the ground. His chains would not open with a key. The locks were magical in nature.

  “This will take a few moments. The locks are complex.” Lorin sent his thought to Kyler.

  “Do it as quickly as you can. I fear our time is running short,” Kyler sent back with a sigh.

  At last, the locks released their captive, and he fell into the waiting arms of Kyler and Shaz. Tynuviel took him in her arms, cradling his head in her lap. She went through her pack, looking for one of the healing potions that she’d found in Darian’s rooms. She cracked the wax seal and held it to his lips. He tried to open his mouth, but was unable to. She let a few drops fall on his lips and watched as they healed.

  His smile lit the fires of her heart and she kissed him softly on his newly healed mouth. She held the bottle to his lips again and he drank greedily. She knew he would need at least one more potion of healing before being well enough to move. Nephraete handed her another vial. Most of the cuts and bruises healed now, but some of the more serious injuries remained. He was well enough to stand on his own with a little support, but Tynuviel clung to his side anyway. Nephraete came to Darian, put her thumbs on his eyelids and uttered an arcane phrase.

  Everything came rushing back to him then. The vision he sent to Nephraete. The spells he cast on himself. The contingency spell that made him forget almost everything, including his love for the elf that held him so close.

  He put his arm around her waist, holding her tightly. He cast a minor cantrip to clean him and his clothes and took Tynuviel in his arms. She looked into his eyes and a tear ran down her cheek. His mouth was on hers, entwined in an erotic dance that made her weak in the knees.

  “Thank you,” he whispered into her ear. Then to the rest, “Time to go. Our welcome has just run out.”

>   Slicing his finger in the air, he opened a gate and they stepped from the dungeons of Mogan Dar to the elven forest. Once there, Darian collapsed, and again Tynuviel ran to him. In

  his weakened state, transporting all of them had been too much for him.

  “Lorin! Darian’s collapsed, see to him now!” She barked the order, her tone brooking no argument.

  Lorin sprinted lightly over to them, extracting a magical stone and chanting in low tones as he passed the stone over the Mage’s body, healing all of his extensive injuries. Before her very eyes, Darian’s swollen face returned to normal. Muscles and broken bones knitted themselves back together. Lorin was thorough and made sure he missed nothing. When he was finished, he gave them their privacy.

  She stared down at the man she loved. He was so handsome, but he badly needed a bath and a shave. The beard he had grown while being a prisoner most certainly did not look good on him. As he lay unconscious, she bathed and shaved him, careful not to nick him. She put him in clean clothes that she retrieved from his pack. They could not leave until he was better, they needed him and he needed rest. They would be safe here. The magic of the elves protected them.

  With her tasks complete, she kissed his lips tenderly, whispering in his ear that she loved him. She covered him with a blanket and went to find her brother.

  Trighton watched her go and he gritted his teeth in frustration. He would lose her to the Mage, he had no doubt. He could not let that happen, he loved her. He thought about stabbing the Mage to damn death, but Tireniel and Kiel were ever watchful.

  “Trighton, are you alright?” asked Tireniel, following his gaze. “She sure is beautiful, isn’t she?”

  “Yes, she is. I love her Tireniel, but I fear I will lose her to the Mage.”

  “She has loved him for a long time, Trighton. If he is her choice and he makes her happy, isn’t that what really matters?”

  “He’s not an elf. She should be with an elf. She should be with me.” Trighton growled.

  “Well, it’s her choice, not yours, and you shouldn’t interfere. You might anger Kyler, that’s his friend and his sister.”

  “I know, we used to be close until he showed up,” he said, pointing at the Mage.

  “Darian’s a good man. Have you even tried to get to know him?”

  “No, and I don’t want to!”

  “Jealousy doesn’t become you Trighton. Be well.”

  “What was that about?” Kyler asked from behind him.

  “Your sister and the Mage,” snapped Trighton, rounding on Kyler.

  “Tynuviel was afraid that you’d react like this. She doesn’t want you interfering with her life. She loves Darian, always has, and you know it, Trighton. Telling her your feelings has not changed things. It’s just made things more complicated.”

  “You think I shouldn’t have told her? I love her Kyler. We used to be friends, you and I. Then you let him in to replace me. We barely speak now. You’re always off somewhere with the Mage.”

  “Trighton, we never stopped being friends. I asked you to travel with me. You chose not to leave the forest and I do not begrudge you that. My sister does not want to be with you. I will step in if I have to. Please, for the sake of our friendship, Trighton, let her go. When you come to your senses, come see me.” Trighton left, deflated, angry and sick at heart. Worst of all, he knew Kyler was right.

  ﴾﴿ ﴾﴿ ﴾﴿

  The thief and the bard did not stop the horses until they were well beyond the elven forest. They stopped at a frequently used campsite and rubbed the horses down. They fed and watered them, then began to prepare their own meal.

  “What happened back there? A dragon, and not just any dragon, Morphindinaetlus! What in damnation is going on?” the bard asked. He took out his lute and began to play a song. It helped to relax him, and the thief liked it as well.

  “I don’t know, but I do know that elusive Mage is at the heart of it all. Damn! We were so close! I could feel him… smell the magic. Somehow, I feel our roads are tied together. Eventually, we’ll meet up with him. Why don’t you sing one of those bawdy songs, huh?” said the thief.

  ﴾﴿ ﴾﴿ ﴾﴿

  Darian woke in the middle of the night, asking for water. Tynuviel held the leather water skin to his lips. After a few swallows, he lay back down, slipping into Ru Nay’ Sha once more.

  Many days passed in the same manner. They all watched over Darian, making sure he was getting better. Except for Trighton, who secretly hoped the Mage would take a turn for the worse and just die. He kept his distance from all of them. One evening, he could bear it no longer and seated himself next to Tynuviel.

  “I miss you. I still love you, you know.”

  “I know Trighton, and I’m sorry. You know that I’ve always loved him. I haven’t kept it a secret, everyone knows.”

  “I thought… I hoped that we could be more than just friends.”

  “No Trighton. I just don’t see you that way, I’m sorry,” she replied.

  “I can’t bear to be away from you and I cannot stand to see you with him,” he sneered, hatred twisting his handsome features.

  “I’m sorry Trighton, really I am. I never meant to lead you on. It’s always been Darian.” She knew she hurt him, she could see the pain in his eyes.

  “What if he doesn’t love you? What if he never… Will you spend the rest of your life mooning over him or will you choose to be with someone who loves you?”

  “These are decisions I am not prepared to make right now. I know Darian cares for me. It’s as if something always gets in the way. Whenever we start to get intimate, something stops him. I know he… I don’t know why I’m telling you this. You don’t want to hear it anymore.”

  “Tynuviel, are you alright?” asked Nephraete from behind them. So silent was her approach that neither heard her.

  “Yes, Trighton was just leaving,” she said coolly. That she dismissed him in such a manner made him angry, but there was nothing left to say right now.

  The two girls sat quietly for some time. Tynuviel liked Nephraete. She was beautiful and yet seemed blissfully unaware. The seer had a good heart, always trying to do what was right, even at the expense of her own feelings. She thought they would be great friends. Finally, Tynuviel broke the silence.

  “I never meant for any of this to happen. How could I have been so stupid? I’ve been in love with Darian since the first time I saw him. I’ve messed everything up.”

  “Why do you blame yourself for other people’s actions? How could it be your fault that Trighton fell in love with you?” Nephraete asked.

  “I’m as much to blame. I knew he was beginning to have feelings for me.” Tynuviel hesitated for only a moment before telling the seer everything that had passed between her and Trighton.

  I’m afraid I’ll lose the man I love once he finds out what I’ve done. Though, we’ve never been together anyway. How can I miss something I never really had? I must sound hopeless.”

  “Not at all. You sound like a woman in love. A woman who loves a man who loves her but cannot seem to get free of his past. Darian’s problem is that he loves you and is worried you may get hurt. He thinks if he keeps you at a distance, it may keep you alive. That is not what is in his heart.”

  “How do you know all this?”

  “When Darian sent me those visions, we formed a kind of bond. I was deep inside him and could see some of his innermost thoughts and desires. His one and only desire is you. He tries to keep up a harsh façade, but for you…

  “He is a formidable enemy, but a good man. And a trusted companion. Give him time and he will come around. He does not want to lose you.”

  She made Tynuviel feel better with her soft, comforting manner. They sat for some time, talking and laughing like old friends.

  “I like you Nephraete, I think we’ll be good friends,” Tynuviel said. “I should go and check on Darian. See you later?” she asked.

  “Yes, I’d like that,” replied Nephraete. She li
ked Tynuviel as well.

  “Is this seat taken?” At the sound of Kyler’s voice, her heart began to race. She smiled up at him disarmingly.

  “No, please,” she motioned.

  “I see you and my sister get along well. To see you together, you’d think you were old friends.” He smiled at her and she felt warm inside, a tingling sensation spreading through her body. She shivered involuntarily and he put his arm around her, pulling her near.

  “Are you alright?” he asked.

  “I’m better now,” she said, smiling up at him. Awareness tickled the edges of his consciousness and he wondered how much of what Tynuviel told him was true.

  ﴾﴿ ﴾﴿ ﴾﴿

  In Kaleika Bay, things were quickly getting out of control.

  “Thelarki, do you know where she is?” asked Kryndale, the elf who was promised Nephraete’s hand. He was tall and imposing, lean yet muscular. His hair was raven black and his grey eyes were captivating.

  “I do not know. The last time I saw her, she was in her room. We were going to begin the plans for the wedding. She’s been acting strangely, distant and removed. I took it to be nervousness about the wedding and the wedding night.”

  “Did she have another vision? Did she say anything that might lead us to where she is?” the elven assassin asked worriedly.

  “No, no, nothing. She seemed upset at first when I announced you asked for her hand. She knows you’re the only choice. You have always cared for her, why should she fear you?”

  “I will gather the Gor Li’ Khan.”

  “Do you really think that’s necessary Kryndale?”