“You shouldn’t have any trouble; vampires are unnaturally strong.”
I took hold of the carved handles of the chest and lifted it with ease. I stepped beyond the magical barrier, and looking back, I asked Vistilia, “Are you a prisoner, too.”
She took hold of his hand before answering, “I enjoy his company.”
“I hope you two are not stuck down here for much longer,” I told them.
Vistilia shook her head. “We won’t be.”
I turned and began following the long tunnel to the surface. There were no torches to light my way, but I had no trouble seeing through the darkness. I walked for what seemed like hours, carrying the obsidian chest, but I didn’t tire. It was so quiet that I could hear the slow, rhythmic beat of my heart and the rush of blood in my ears. To break the silence, I began talking aloud.
“If I can feel your presence through the walls of this chest, perhaps my voice can permeate it. My name is Ambros, and I am from a Dark Elf city called Ashwood. And no, I didn’t say ass wood,” I laughed.
I heard nothing from the chest, but that didn’t stop me from talking. I told Arethil everything about myself and all that I had learned on my long journey. I reached the end of the tunnel, but, before stepping out into the sun, I sat the obsidian chest down to pull a hood up over my head and cover my hands with gloves. I carried the chest out onto a hillside, and I took a deep breath of fresh air. On a distant mountainside, I could see the castle where I had entered the dwarven ruins.
I placed the chest on the grassy slope and lifted the lid. Sunlight illuminated the interior of the black obsidian chest and ancient runes became visible along its surface. A fume of smoke rose from the ashes inside, and a fire roared from the center. I fell back from the chest, my eyebrows singed from the heat.
A tiny ball of fire rose from the chest, pulsating like a beating heart. Dust and bones followed and took the shape of a bird around the fire. Extending its skeletal wings, it was eight feet from tip to tip. Burning tendrils grew from its fiery heart, extending throughout its body with every beat. Fire engulfed the skeleton, and I shielded my eyes from the brightness. When the light dimmed, I saw a magnificent bird floating before me. The fire that once burned had become feathers that shifted between red, yellow, and white hues. I kneeled and bowed my head to the great phoenix, feeling a radiance of warmth from her.
“Arethil.”
“There is no need to bow before me, dear Ambros,” the phoenix said to my mind. Its voice was soft and feminine. “I did not come to be worshipped. I came to create and live as one of you.”
Fire, once again, burned outward from her chest, transforming her from a colorful bird to a beautiful elf wearing white and gold clothing. She was as tall as a Light Elf. Her skin seemed to glow from a warm light within. Her hair shimmered in the sunlight, shifting in color like the feathers that had just covered her body, and her eyes were a brilliant gold.
“I do not have much time,” she said vocally, looking at the open chest on the ground next to her. “My absence will soon be realized, and the dragon will call for his servant.”
“I have many questions.”
She nodded that she knew. “You will find the answers to those questions through the drinking of my blood.”
The word itself awakened the dark hunger within me, and I lusted after it. I stood still, resisting it, savoring the anticipation.
“My blood will burn you, but I will not let it destroy you.” She turned her head to the side. “Now come, vampire. Take the answers you seek.”
A slit opened across her neck, and hot, steaming blood oozed forth. I was on her before I even realized I had moved, my arms and legs wrapped tightly around her, constricting like a snake. She stood still, unmoved by my weight. I felt her godly blood burn away my lips and scorch my tongue as I drank it in.
Through her blood, I saw an ancient star that developed a consciousness over billions of years. The star reached the end of its long life and collapsed upon itself, solidifying into a dense stone. It cracked open, allowing the mind to separate itself from the remains.
The tiny star wandered the universe in search of others like it but found no one. In response to the loneliness, the sentient star developed multiple personalities and soon divided into eight separate entities.
Throughout the cosmos, they collected many different elements. They found that a simple combination of them could create life, so they set out to seed planets. Eons later, they returned. To their surprise, not only did life perpetuate, but, on some worlds, it evolved into intelligent life! This was one such world.
The planet had become home to a multitude of organisms, a lush oasis within the cosmic sea. The eight tiny stars circled the world to observe its many inhabitants and soon discovered a beautiful, fiercely intelligent race called elves. The stars took the form of birds to study them closer, but the elves could sense great power emanating from them. They began painting pictures of them and leaving offerings of food and flowers at sunrise and sunset.
After many years, seven of the stars left to visit other seeded worlds. One stayed behind to reveal itself to the elves and live among them. It transformed itself into a beautiful elf and chose the name Arethil.
Little did they know that deep within the earth a terrible race was evolving. Before the elves, giant reptiles ruled the planet. Many preferred living underground and in the oceans. Over the millennia, they grew immensely powerful. While their cousins went extinct on the surface, the intelligent dragons thrived in the underworld until their numbers grew too great. After much fighting, they began exploring the world above. It was only a matter of time before they encountered the equally intelligent but peaceful race of elves. But if they would not bow to their dragon overlords, they would be destroyed!
As the dragons brought death and destruction across the land, one elf stepped forward with a plan to end the war and bring balance back to the world—Ambrosius.
Through Arethil’s blood, I saw billions of years in mere seconds. Unable to drink more, I released my grip on her and collapsed to my hands and knees, overwhelmed by the visions.
I took a few deep breaths before speaking. “What must I do?” I asked, looking down at the blades of grass between my fingers.
“Simple,” she began to answer, reaching down to lift my chin. “Live.”
I stood up, confused by her answer.
To dispel my confusion, she added, “While you live, I know you will do everything that you should do.”
“But what about Shadowrath? Won’t he escape now that you’re free?” I asked fearfully.
“I cannot stay,” Arethil said, shaking her head. “For that very reason, I must return to the void.”
“Can you destroy him, perhaps with the help of the other phoenixes?” I suggested.
“I know that I cannot do it on my own, but I cannot leave to find them.”
“So you’re stuck here,” I stated solemnly. “What about Byron? He will not stop until he has the chest. But he does not wish to free Shadowrath; he wants to take his and your power for himself.”
“The physical aspect of Shadowrath’s form may have been destroyed, but his strength has not diminished. He created Byron, for he feared he would one day require a new vessel to contain his immense power. If Byron thinks he can fool his dark master, he is mistaken. It is the lure of power that controls him.”
Pointing to the lovely form she took, I said, “But you can heal yourself.”
“Yes. I can produce my own physical form when needed, but I cannot take it into the void.”
“That is why your bones were left behind in the chest,” I understood.
Looking up at the bright blue sky, she took a deep breath. “I must return to my prison, now,” she announced and turned to the chest.
“Wait!” I held my hand out to stop her. “Arethil, I don’t want to do this alone,” I told her sadly. “Can you bring Pop back from the dead? Can you bring my beloved Jinxie back from ash? Can you help me?�
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Arethil smiled warmly and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. “I have given you all that you need to continue your journey.”
Asking no more of her, I bowed to bid her farewell. “Thank you, great phoenix.”
“Ambros,” she said caringly. “I know you feel your wish far exceeds your grasp, but you are much closer than you realize.”
I nodded and smiled, for her uplifting words eased the stress weighing heavily on me. She kissed my forehead before transforming from elf to bird, and she disappeared into the chest, the lid slamming shut behind her. I peeked into the chest to find it as before—filled with the bones of a bird.
Sitting in the grass for a long while, I decided on what I should do. I needed to find a safe place to leave the chest. “Safe. Safe,” I repeated before settling on an answer.
CHAPTER XIV
RETURN TO ASHWOOD
I still had a lot to do and a lot of traveling ahead, so I began by following my keen sense of death to a graveyard. I sat the obsidian chest down at the edge of the area before walking among the graves.
“This is no human graveyard,” I said to myself as I looked over the many moss-covered mounds. “Well, whatever’s buried here, I could use some help.”
Concentrating on my hand, a slit opened across the palm allowing blood to ooze out. I pressed my hand into the moss covering one of the graves, letting the blood seep down to the body within. I felt movement. The earth shifted, breaking the smooth layer of moss. I took a step back, clutching my hand to help the dark blood heal the flesh quicker.
Stones that covered the body were pushed aside, and a half-human creature pulled itself free from its grave. Standing over head high, it was the remains of a centaur.
“Oh, it’s one of you. What’s your name?”
In my mind, I heard a series of snorts and grunts. I tried mimicking the sounds, but the centaur only shook his head that I wasn’t pronouncing it right. After five attempts to say his name, I gave up.
“Ah, forget it! Your name will be Horse-Man. No. That’s no good. Man-Horse, um…. Horsem! Your name is Horsem. Now, pick up that chest, Horsem, and let’s get out of here.”
The skeletal centaur plodded over and lifted the chest. I summoned a thick layer of furs to cover his boney back and ribs for me to sit upon before starting the long journey back to Ashwood.
Missing my swords, I thought about how I could recreate their effect. “Pop imbued my obsidian swords with power. I don’t see why I couldn’t do the same with ethereal weapons. I don’t know where to begin with causing madness. Perhaps I should start with Devour,” I said to myself.
So while traveling to my old homeland, I worked to create an ethereal sword with the same magical effect as Devour. I trapped animals to test my weapons on, but I couldn’t recreate the same effect. Adding fire only cauterized the wounds I inflicted.
After a few weeks of slow traveling and unsuccessful attempts, I reached my old homeland. I strapped the chest to Horsem’s back and covered it with furs. I led him to the obsidian door of the city where Torvin and the other elf hunters met me.
“It is good to see you alive, young Ambros,” Torvin said. “Every time you leave, we’re afraid you’ll never return.”
I responded with only an understanding nod.
He placed his hand on the door carved to look like elves, and the two halves stepped aside, revealing the passage through the mountain to the city.
“Would you like us to watch over your, uh…”
“He’s a centaur, and he stays with me.”
“Yes, my lord,” Torvin bowed, and the other hunters followed his example.
I raised a hand to stop them. “Please, that’s unnecessary. I’m not my father. I’m not the guardian of Ashwood.”
“We would prefer one of our own over a serpent as guardian,” Torvin whispered.
“I know, old friend. I know.” I patted his shoulder and led Horsem into the mountain. The stale air of the tunnel changed to that familiar earthy aroma just before reaching the city inside. Outside, there were still a couple hours more of daylight, but inside, night had already fallen.
The city had suffered minor damage from the war Byron had brought. Many elves still worked to make repairs.
I stopped outside Yndra’s black tower. I pointed at Horsem and then to the spot where he stood, telling him to stay put. I shut my eyes and entered the spirit world. I then passed through the tower door. The large obsidian egg that was broken had been cleaned up and another egg had replaced it.
I needed to kill Yndra, so the Dark Elves of Ashwood could appoint their own leader. I could then take Jinxie’s ashes with me to study in Magestice.
I floated across the room and up the stairs to the second floor to find Yndra standing by a long table with her back to me. Her pointed, black tail swayed calmly from side to side. It protruded from an opening in the back of her crimson dress that complimented her shapely figure.
This was it. This was my chance. I quietly floated up behind her. I could see that she was looking over drawings of the obsidian egg and notes of its construction in a book. The ashes I had given her were in a jar nearby. Various instruments used to study the ashes littered the table.
I didn’t need to waste any more time. I returned to my physical form, and an ethereal dagger took shape in my hand. I raised it to slay the Black Dragon.
“I know you’ve come for more than just your beloved’s remains,” the dragon’s words caught me by surprise. “If you should kill me, the World Council will only send another dragon to govern Ashwood, and one even more sinister than myself.” I could hear her smiling through her voice. “The only difference being, I mean to destroy the dragons, whereas they mean to destroy the elves.”
I lowered my dagger, allowing it to dissipate. “How did you know I was here?” I asked curiously, thinking I was undetectable.
She turned to me, smiling. “I hear more than just footsteps,” she admitted, knocking on her chest. “Not to mention…” She chuckled and tapped her nose.
Closing my fingers into a fist, I scolded myself through gritted teeth, “Smell!”
She walked by me to open her new obsidian egg. “I love it here in Ashwood,” she continued. “The council believes I am loyal to them, but I can work in secret here where I could not at the palace.”
“So you really mean to kill your own kind?” I asked, picking up a jar containing Jinxie’s ashes.
“With only a few copies of myself, I can overthrow the World Council, shifting the balance of power to the elves. With their help, we can track down the great dragon dens and sever their bloodlines, ensuring they go extinct. We may be strong, but our numbers are fewer than most realize.”
“And what if you fail to kill the council leaders?”
“Then it will be no different if you killed me now,” she answered. “At least by letting me live, there’s a chance my plan will work,” she added.
“Where is the other Yndra?” I asked, looking around.
“She tried to save you and your charismatic cohort, but Byron’s pet vampire mortally wounded her.”
“Was she the copy, or are you?” Realizing the rudeness of my question, I quickly asked another to cover it. “I mean, how do you feel?”
Yndra took an emotional breath and covered her mouth, turning away. “It’s like… It’s like I myself died,” she stammered.
“I’m sorry,” I apologized for both her loss and the pain I stirred within her, remembering my own loss.
“Our minds were linked. They worked as one, doubling my intellect,” she continued with her back to me. “When I found your father’s notes, I began to devise a terrible plan to assassinate the council members so that I could rule. But once I had two minds working together, I saw a better world and the path to reach it. My emotions were also broadened. What she felt, I felt. So when she died, I felt myself die.” She turned to look at me with tears falling down her cheek. “It seems we’ve both lost someone very dear to us.
” And then she gasped, realizing I was alone. “Where is Miss Eleanor?”
“She didn’t make it,” I answered sadly.
“I am so sorry to hear that,” she sighed. “She was a lovely human.”
I pinched the palm of my hand and pulled a cloth pouch into existence to empty the jar of ashes into. Clearly, she hadn’t made any progress.
Yndra ran her fingers between her black horns, through her raven hair. “I did all I know to do. I found nothing but common minerals. Not even Ambrosius’ elixir is potent enough to recreate life from it. I’m sorry I could not do more.”
“You’ve done plenty,” I told her, tying the pouch to my belt. “I’ve been going about it the wrong way. Thank you.”
She placed a hand on my shoulder. “Now that you’re home, we could work together to solve this.”
I shook my head and was about to tell her that I had no plans of staying, but she interrupted.
“Imagine what we will accomplish with both our minds and the network of minds we create. We will change the world,” she declared proudly.
I took a moment to think. It seemed she was doing the best thing she could do, but it didn’t feel right for me. I finally told her what Pop told me, “I’m sorry, but my journey lies along a different path.”
Taking hold of my hand, she pleaded with sad eyes, “But I need your help. You must stay. Your kin needs your help.”
“Goodbye, Yndra. I wish you luck on your quest.”
“But you must. You must stay,” she repeated.
Pulling free of her hand, I was about to leave when sharp fingers tightened around my neck!
“I wasn’t asking,” she clarified, her sadness turning to enjoyment. “I know that you are different; I can hear the drumming of your heart. It drums the same beat as the girl vampire, Takara.”
She lifted me off the floor and pulled me close. Her nostrils flared as she smelled my breath. “You did what I had planned to do with that elf girl—you took her immortal blood for yourself!”
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