by D E Boske
“Of course,” he replied and the Gor Li’ Khan melted into the background.
“I know what’s happened with Tynuviel, Darian. Why did you not tell us the truth from the beginning?”
“Because it wasn’t your truth to hear. It was hers and I felt she was not ready to hear it. Now that she knows, it is her truth to tell to whomever she wishes.”
“I detect a bit of anger and sadness,” prompted Galavad.
“You are observant,” was all the reply the Mage gave.
“Darian, I am concerned for your well-being. What will you do now?”
“What I always do Galavad. Win,” he said it matter of factly with no boasting. The Monarch wondered what it would be like to be so confident.
“What will you do when you return? Will you seek her out?” There was no need to name names, he knew whom Galavad spoke of.
“I… do not know, Galavad. She does not wish to see me anymore. I have tried to no avail. I don’t know what else to do.”
“I will talk to her for you,” he held up a hand to forestall the Mage from speaking. “I want to do this for you as much as for myself. I need to know why she is so upset. I know that you did everything in your power to save her and that you have done so at great personal cost. What I am trying to say, is that I understand if you find someone else and there will be no harsh words said about it.”
Darian cracked a genuine smile, “Thank you, Galavad. But I must leave so that I can accomplish what needs to be done and get back quickly.
“Darian, where are you off to? What do I tell her should she ask?”
“Don’t worry, she won’t,” the Mage assured, moving to the gate and activating it quietly. He chanted for several long minutes as the gate began to take on a light all its own. Darian sent the Gor Li’ Khan in first and when his time came, he paused, turning to look at Galavad. For a moment, it appeared the Mage would speak, but the moment passed and he was gone. For some odd reason, the Monarch had the strange feeling that he would never see him again.
The appearance of so many elves straight into the larder startled the dwarves and they hastily ran to alert Branson Thundershield because he hadn’t known they’d be coming. The only warning was the gate lighting up, but it had not been there that long so they were still becoming used to its presence.
Kelindril stood watching, awaiting Darian’s arrival. He looked nowhere else, his attention solely focused on the gate. It was left to Kryndale to talk to the dwarf king.
“Branson, it is good to see you once more. I trust you remember me from our last visit?” asked Kryndale, bowing respectfully.
He always was better at that nonsense, thought Kelindril.
“I do… Kryndale ain’t it?”
“Yes, good dwarf, you have a sharp memory.”
“What’s yer business here? I heared no word o’ yer arrival.”
“I am sorry Branson, Darian will be here shortly and perhaps he will be better suited to explain.” As soon as the words left his mouth, the Mage’s form became visible in the gateway.
Darian wasted no time once he was through the gate. He immediately deactivated it so that no one else could come through. He’d spotted Kyler following them and had a feeling the elf would try something rash.
“Branson, I am sorry we came unannounced, but it was important that I got here as quickly as I could.”
“What’s the meanin’ o’ all this Darian. Where’s Kyler?” asked Branson, searching the faces for the elf prince.
“He is not with me this trip. Too dangerous by far. I need to see Morphindinaetlus and quickly.”
“Are ye sure that be wise boy? That dragon’ll tear ye limb from limb. I heared he was plenty sore with ye the last time ye came through. What ye be needin’ to see him fer anyhow?”
“I believe he has information that I need.”
“Ye don’t be lookin’ too good, Mage. Are ye feelin’ alright?”
“No, I’m not. I need a magical item and I believe he knows where it is. If I don’t find it soon…” he let the implications hang in the air because he just didn’t have the energy anymore to say the words.
“Ye be needin’ anythin’?” asked the dwarf. “What ‘ere ye need, ye’ll have it.”
“Thank you Branson, but we must leave at once. There is no time to waste.”
“O’ course. Drago, ye go an take ‘em to the door. An take Grymstone with ye.”
“O’ course me king,” said Drago. They left moments later.
Darian was loathe to stop, but knew they could not go all night. He felt the weight of his burden threatening to overwhelm him. He was awake long into the night, his mind overactive and he could not quiet it.
“Is Ru Nay’ Sha eluding you as well?” asked Kelindril, sitting next to him.
“I am a haunted man, Kelindril. The things that I have been witness to, as well as the acts I have been forced to commit. The blood that stains my hands…” he was guessing that Kelindril’s story was similar, except for the magic. “So, what is the name of the girl who messed you up?” asked Darian.
“What are you talking about?” the elf bristled at the remark because it was too close to home. He had never talked about any of it to anyone. How could the Mage know?
“Look, we’re going to be traveling together for a long time, so you may as well tell me your story. Maybe talking about it will help to bury it in the past where it belongs.” He was too damn perceptive. Kelindril did not like his personal business to be known. He thought he left that part of his life in the past and was not eager to dredge it up again.
“There is nothing to tell. Everyone has a past. Are you eager to tell me about yours?” retaliated the elf.
“Point taken. Why do you and Kryndale hate each other?” If it was possible, this topic upset the elf even more. “Wow, do you have anything that’s not a deep, dark secret? Are we just going to sit around in the dark and not talk?”
“I barely know you, so excuse me if I don’t open up right away and tell you everything. When’s the last time you had a soul cleansing talk?” Darian’s silence was all the confirmation he needed.
“I’m not the one that needs it Kel. Me, I have made peace with my ghosts and skeletons. There is nothing hiding in my past that I care about,” he lied easily. But more importantly, he was convincing. Even Kyler who knew him best could not tell when he was lying. Not when Darian did not want him to.
“I thought a Mage of The Order could only sleep with the sterile whores they provide.” Darian was sure he was trying to goad him into replying. “How is it that you can sleep with others?” asked Kelindril.
Darian knew communication went both ways. Maybe if he opened up about some things then Kelindril would feel comfortable enough to do the same. “I have always been a bit of a rebel. I tend not to follow direction if I think it stupid or if I just don’t want to. Anyway, did you get a look at her? She is beautiful. I have a thing for women, I love them and what they can do for me. But I figured something out,” he left his words hang there because he knew Kelindril would want to know, whether he would admit it or not.
“What’s that?” asked the elf after a few moments.
Darian smiled to himself in the dark. “That as long as you are good to them, they will give you anything you want. But you also must show them that you won’t put up with any nonsense. Some, not all, will push the boundaries. And if you let them, then you are lost. Most of the girls in Piri-Tuma are badly mistreated. I would spoil them a bit when they were with me. It’s the only happiness they knew. I bought them small gifts, remembered their birthday, little things like that. It made a big difference to them. They never refused me, and they did whatever I wanted them to.”
“Didn’t they have to anyway? I mean, that’s why they are there.”
“Yes and no. They cannot refuse our advances, but they do not have to do anything we say. The Mages are not supposed to force them to do things they don’t want to do.”
“I thought that’s
why they were supplied to you. To do anything you want.”
“Within reason, yes. Some Mages like things that are… let’s just say unclean. They cannot force the girls to
do it, but they do and they have. If the girl refuses, they have them beaten. Or they beat them themselves.”
“Darian, why did you leave Mogan Dar?” asked the elf, curiously.
“Well, I thought I should see the world and experience life beyond our walls before they killed me,” he said without humor.
“Why are they hunting you? From what I’ve seen and heard, you are neither dangerous nor mad. The Order has sent out warnings about you with a rough sketch of you. They say that you are not to be approached because you are extremely dangerous and borderline insane. This is not true. I see intelligence in your eyes. You are sharp, quick and dangerous, but not in the way that they describe.”
“Is this the reason you chose to be a part of my personal guard?” Darian asked.
“In part, yes. I wanted to get to know the Mage that The Order searches for.”
“I’m afraid that cannot happen without paying a heavy price. Are you willing to pay it, Kelindril?” asked the Mage.
“What is the price?” he returned, clearly interested.
“The price is me getting to know you. A sharing of information. There are limits however. There are certain things that I cannot speak of, for The Order’s sake and my protection as a Mage. However, you have no such limits. Do you agree?”
Kelindril thought for a while before answering, “I agree.” He clearly had reservations. He would have to live with that. Darian intended to get to the bottom of Kelindril’s bloodlust.
“Good, you can ask a question, then I ask a question. Sound fair?”
“Yes, that’s fair,” agreed the elf.
Darian knew he would have to give up valuable information, but he believed it would be worth it to gain Kelindril’s trust. Maybe he could get him to return to the way he used to be so long ago. Kryndale obviously had known him in different times. Darian did not think he was always like this. Something had to have been the catalyst.
“Why does The Order hunt for you?”
Damn! It would have to be that question, thought Darian. “They search for me because there is one among them that wants to see me dead. He would take my staff for himself. What is the story behind you and Kryndale?” He felt, rather than saw, the elf flinch.
“That is a long story.”
“We have time,” the Mage quipped.
“So we do. Many years ago, Kryndale and I worked together in the same unit. He was in command at the time. This was before Thelarki…” he drifted off, as if he’d just caught himself before saying something forbidden. For now, Darian let it go because it was not what he was after. “We were on a mission that had lasted far too long for all our tastes. We’d been working together for over twenty years. I began to think that I should be able to take over my own unit. I was Kryndale’s second in command and I had plenty of experience. Thelarki kept denying me my requests, saying that he felt I was not ready.
“What it comes down to is this, a disagreement over how things should’ve been handled. I thought my way was better and of course he felt his plan was better. I took a few that were loyal to me and agreed with my way of doing things and moved. Kryndale was furious, but had no choice but to follow me to back me up. The whole thing blew up in my face and our whole unit ended up dead. We were the only two that walked out alive. But we bathed in blood before we did. When we returned home, Thelarki gave me my own unit and separated us. Ever since, we have not spoken to each other.”
“That had to be hard on you both,” observed the Mage.
“It was. I still feel so guilty. It was my fault they died. I should have listened to him. It haunts me to this day, their blood stains my hands. What was it like in Piri-Tuma? I’ve heard the stories of the women that are thrown at the Mages.”
“Since you do not partake, why would you want to know?” asked the Mage curiously.
“I was not always the way I am now, Mage. The women?” he prompted.
“Some of the most beautiful girls for humans. They bring them in young and are broken in by high ranking Mages.”
“Broken in? Does that mean what I think it means?”
“If you are thinking that they are taken from home at a young age, usually before their fourteenth year, brought to Mogan Dar and forced to have sex with high ranking Mages, then yes, you are correct.”
“That’s repulsive, Darian.”
“Yes well, they are Ni’ Kulana, so it should not matter to you anyway.”
“Have you ever broken one in?”
“I believe it was my turn. And yes I have. When was the last time you were with a woman?” asked Darian.
“Over a decade ago. Did you break them as harshly as the others?”
“A decade! By the stones! How do you do it? And no I did not.”
“I just don’t crave them. How did you do it then?”
“I remember a time when the head of my order sent this young girl to me. She was a pretty thing. She was young, curvaceous and very scared. I tried to imagine what it was like to be her. Her whole life had changed abruptly and now she was forced to sleep with a bunch of men that she did not know. She did not know that this life awaited her. The Order sends out Mages to search for new girls once or twice a year. Only the heads of the different orders are allowed to break in the girls.
“She was hesitant of course because by now she understood what was going on. When she saw me, I could see the desire in her eyes. I wanted her to feel comfortable around me, it makes things so much better when they want to be with you versus when you take it by force. I courted her for days. We talked, she told me about her home and her favorite things to do. She loved books. She told me her favorite book was The Mage and the Dragon. I happened to have that very book in my library.
“The next day when she came to me, I had the book wrapped up for her. She knew it was a book of course, but she did not know which book. When she saw what it was, she threw herself in my arms. I could feel her young breasts against my chest, firm and soft. I guess she was a bit embarrassed, but that didn’t stop her from kissing me.
“I could tell she’d never done it before, but it was nice, innocence with a taste of curiosity and playfulness. We spent a lot of time just kissing and touching. I wanted to take it slow with her because I wanted her to enjoy the lovemaking when it happened. Every day she came closer to initiating contact. I knew her life would be very different when her time with me was up, so I was patient. After a week and a half we made love for the first time. I kept her around for over a month before I let her go. I heard she hated me for it. I guess she thought she’d be with me always. When was your last relationship?”
At the Mage’s question, Kelindril visibly tensed. He obviously did not want to talk about it and that was precisely why Darian had brought it up.
“A very long time ago. I was young, too young I guess. I fell in love and we were together for over a year. She knew what I was and that I had to be away from home a lot. I decided that I would ask her to marry me. I had a mission, thankfully, not too far from home. I was only gone for three weeks and I bought the ring from an elven jeweler on my way back. It was perfect, I knew she’d love it. When I got home, she was gone. All her things… gone.
I found a letter in the bedroom. I didn’t want to read it.”
“What did it say Kelindril?” asked the Mage. Darian could tell he did not want to relive the memory.
“She said that while I was away, she fell in love with someone else. And to please forgive her. Please understand, she said. Who does that? I wasn’t gone that long. How do you fall in love in three weeks? Anyway, after her I swore off women. I have not had a relationship since.”
“That’s not exactly something to be proud of, Kel. You know that not all women are like her, don’t you?”
“After her, I didn’t dare trust anyone. She hur
t me deeply, Darian, and I cannot believe I’m telling you this. I’ve never spoken of this to anyone before.”
“Do not worry, Kelindril, I will not break your confidence. What you tell me will never go any further.”
“It had better not, Darian. I do not trust easily, Mage.”
“So, why let it get to you? Find another, there are plenty, believe me,” the Mage said with a smile.
“I have come to understand that I do better on my own. Then my judgment is unbiased. And I no longer miss it,” the elf replied.
“Really?” replied the Mage knowingly. “Then why do you stare at Kylee?” asked Darian and was rewarded by a strangled sound coming from the elf.
“I do not stare,” said Kelindril quietly. “I admire. She is beautiful, Darian.”
“Yes, I know. I have pursued her myself to no avail. She is looking for a meaningful relationship. Something she knows I can never give her. She’s waiting for the right elf to come along. Are you the right elf, Kelindril?” asked the Mage slyly.
“No. I am not interested in her.”
“Then why go out with her at all?”
“How do you know about that?” asked the Gor Li’ Khan, shocked.
“Mage,” responded Darian, pointing at himself.
“She asked and I found I couldn’t say no to her. But once we were alone, I became very uncomfortable and restless. I didn’t want to be there anymore, so I just disappeared.”
“In time, it will become easier for you. I think she would be good for you, Kel. She’s been hurt too. It’s been a long time since she was in a relationship as well. But for some reason, she sees something in you. Do not take that lightly. I can see that you are attracted to her. Take a chance and live once more, Kelindril. Put the past to rest for good.”
“No. I cannot, Darian. The things that I have done and seen, no girl could forgive me for. The blood that stains my hands… It is unforgivable. There are things that we were made to do. Horrible things. Innocent lives have we taken. I see those images whenever I close my eyes. Most nights, Ru Nay’ Sha escapes me. I lie awake quite often these days, Darian.”
