by Toni Cox
Aaron did not know exactly how many solar systems there were in the Milky Way, but he learned from the Elves that eleven of them were home to Life Planets, like Earth and Elveron.
The more he learned, the more fascinated with it he became. He could now hardly imagine life back on Earth; the daily rut, traffic, smog, crime. He could go on endlessly about the mess Humans had made of Earth. It saddened him that his species was so … he could not really put it into words … human.
The Elves had adopted a completely different outlook on life. Life, in itself, mattered more than anything else, and had to be preserved, in all its various forms. They never killed senselessly and, although there had been wars fought during Elveron’s history, those had always been as a last resort and, even then, the aim was not necessarily to kill as many of the foe as one could, but to simply better them in battle.
Elves also only ever reaped what they needed from the land and took great measures to replenish what they had taken. He marvelled at the intimate relationship the Elves had with nature and tried hard to emulate them. He was getting better at understanding that relationship, and the evidence of that was now even visible in his home. After he understood that his house would not be invaded by unwelcome creepy crawlies, he was more lenient with the ones that decided to live beside him. A pair of birds had made their nest in his eaves; a small family of squirrels lived in the trees his house rested on and often came to sit on his window sill to watch him, and all around his house climbing plants had attached themselves and were not only securing his home into place, but also making it look more beautiful the more they grew.
His collection of plants, flowers, and mushrooms that he had collected to study were flourishing under his care and now decorated every room of the house. Silas had opened his library to him and he now avidly read everything he could, from the composition of the universe, to the biodiversity of Elveron and all the histories of the Elves. He had even taken to reading the elven poetry he had thought so strange in the beginning. Now it all made sense and, looking up again at the stars, he was reminded of one of his favourites.
The songs of the stars
Hear their silent voices
Gaze upon the endless dance
See their eyes glitter in the sky
Stars vanish in the morning mist
Playing behind a veil of twilight
The moons as their companions
The creatures of the night as their choir
Soft clouds as their blanket
Hidden flowers become a secret perfume
The silent grace of a cat
Its eyes memorise the stars
A painting of the cosmos
Can you still hear their songs?
Not only was he enjoying his studies, but he also noticed, the more knowledge he had, the easier it was to talk to Maia. Often in the past he had not understood why the Elves would elect a certain path of action, or why Maia would be upset or happy about a certain event. As he learned, he began to see, and understanding Maia, what she stood for, and also the weight she had to carry on her shoulders, made it easier for him to get closer to her. The more he learned about her, the more he thought of her as the most wondrous being he had ever met. He was blind to everyone else when she was in the room and, besides his studies and work, Maia was the ultimate driving force of his existence.
Silas had never given up on trying to understand what Maia did to bring them here and, although they were no closer to them home, which he was thankful for, Silas said he believed Maia’s magic had been so strong and so precise that she had inadvertently, not only brought them here, but turned them into Elves in the process. It was only a matter of time before the Humans were human no longer and Silas also believed there was no danger of any of the terrible effects of Soul Reaping.
There was one problem understanding the world of the Elves brought. He finally fully understood the terrible danger the Vampyres posed and how dire the situation was. It had been traumatic; his first year on Elveron, ripped from his home and then thrown into the turmoil of a war; but the Elves had sheltered the Humans from most of it and he had not been completely aware of the dangers, nor the horrors committed. Now though, being one of them in all but species, he was kept informed, received the same training to defend his home and was invited to attend all the open meetings held at the Elder Hall. It was as much his duty as the Elves’ to protect this place he now called home.
So, having already had some training with the sword, he began to attend more of the training workshops. He was already faster and stronger than he had been at Spring Feast. The sword did not feel as heavy in his hands anymore and he wielded it with much more accuracy.
Spending time on the Sparring Grounds had also given him a chance to watch Maia train, which she did a lot of not so long ago. More recently, she spent most of her time with Silas and he knew she was making the Elves’ energy potion and then she spent a lot of time studying and practicing her magic.
Sometimes he wished he could just sit and watch her during those sessions; he was fascinated with magic. But Maia did not like spectators and those training sessions were always held in secret and away from prying eyes. During the evenings, however, Maia was now more inclined to sit with them around the fire. It was a recent development and, although Jaik had expressed some concern over it, Aaron thought it was wonderful.
Maia and Jasmin spoke about magic most nights and Maia would often demonstrate to Jasmin how to hover this and float that. Jasmin had become so proficient with her Water magic that she was even allowed to assist Maia and Silas in making the potion. But it was not just the talk about magic that he enjoyed. The mere fact that he could sit around the fire with Maia, talk to her, engage with her and simply be near her was wonderful. She no longer shied away from him or tried to cut the conversation short when he spoke with her. He had no illusion that she suddenly fancied him, but she had accepted him as a friend and, for now, that was worth more to him than everything he had ever possessed.
With a sigh, he rose from his chair and averted his eyes from the spectacle of stars in the sky. He would look upon them again tomorrow night. For now, it was time for him to rest; it was only another four hours till morning; but it was all the rest he needed.
“You are still awake,” he said in surprise as he walked into the house and found Luke sitting at their dining room table.
“I am taking stock of my medicine bag,” Luke replied. “Silas and I have been discussing the coming war and they are taking everyone who has some healing experience with them to Greystone. I will be the only Healer left at Shadow Hall during that time and he has charged me with keeping the people safe.”
“That is a big responsibility,” Aaron nodded, “but I know you are ready for it.”
“I should be able to manage,” Luke said. “Silas does not have the exact number of people who will stay behind, but it should not be more than about three hundred. Unless we are attacked here, my job will be simple.”
“Let us hope then that it won’t come to that. How is your training with the sword going?”
“Not as well as I had hoped,” Luke said. “I simply do not have a talent for it, but Jasmin has been teaching me to shoot and, if necessary, I would be able to wield a crossbow.”
“You know you will not be able to save anyone if you are not able to save yourself,” Aaron said, a frown on his face.
“I am aware of that,” Luke sighed. “But I have you and Jasmin to protect me,” he added with a grin.
“Yes, your sister has become quite the warrior. Working for the Hunters has really improved her confidence and now that she can add magic to her repertoire I don’t think there is anything that can stop her,” Aaron said with pride.
“I have seen you fight, Dad. That sword,” Luke nodded toward the tall sword hanging in its sheath from the hook by the door, “has become an extension of your body when you wield it. I would dare say you are as good as those training partners of yours from the Legion.�
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Aaron gave a wry smile; he did not think he was that good yet. He still had a long way to go before he could best an Elf.
“Thank you, Luke. I appreciate your encouragement, but maybe you need to have your eyes checked. Are you sure you can still see clearly without your glasses?”
Back on Earth, Luke had worn glasses to correct his short-sightedness. The glasses were lost when they came through the Gate to Elveron, but Luke did not need them anymore, able to see perfectly well without them. That had not stopped Jasmin from making fun of him every time she disagreed with him about something, reminding him that he could not really judge as he was missing his glasses.
“Oh, Dad, not you too,” Luke laughed.
Aaron gave him a brief hug. He had never been this close to his children before and he loved it.
“Good night, Son,” he said.
“Good night, Dad.”
Somas’ death had been difficult for her. It was days before she was able to pull herself out of her depression. But, in the end, his death had reminded her of what they were fighting for and she remembered the feeling she had when she gave that speech during the memorial at Thala Yll. It was her duty to protect her people and she now knew that she would not be able to save every single one, but she could protect her people as a whole.
Things were suddenly so clear and, with this clarity, her confidence grew. There were strengths within her she still had to discover, but now she was no longer afraid to try.
Somas’ return and death had upset not just her; his ominous statement that the Vampyres were coming had brought forth frantic activity from all leaders and the armies were now scrambling to come together.
What they really needed was concrete information. All the hunting of Vampyres within Grildor had led to nothing and Somas had died in his quest for information. Blaid had not returned from whatever it was he was hunting and she could not expect any help from him. So now it was her turn to do something for her people.
She had to bide her time. She was being watched; closely. Ever since the incident with Blaid in the forest the security around her had been tight, but after Somas’ death and her reaction to it, her family and friends had stepped it up another notch and made sure she was never alone. Strangely, she didn’t mind, she enjoyed the company. She also realised that spending so much time with everyone not only gave her strength, but she was also able to access information she would not have been privy to hiding in Silas’ cave. Teaching Jasmin and helping her control her magic added to Maia’s confidence and opened her eyes to untapped powers of her own.
Every day she looked out for her opportunity. Time was not a luxury she had, but she had to get the timing right. All armies marching from their cities had been diverted straight to Greystone and the first should reach it within the next few days. The army of Tarron Heights, as well as Shadow Hall’s advance guard, was already encamped there. She had to act as soon as possible.
Making her preparations over the next few days was difficult, as neither Riker nor Rothea ever left her side. She had never had to be this secretive and had not realised how hard it was. But she was determined to follow through with her plan; it could prove the difference between life and death.
Finally, during the first Quarter of Bright Moon, she made her move. It was the middle of the night. Rothea was asleep on her cot in Maia’s room. Riker was on night duty, sitting around the fire in the common room. Her parents were asleep in their room and Jaik was away on another mission. This was her chance.
As quietly as possible she rose from her bed. She wore only light under clothes, but she had made her preparations. She tiptoed to the open window and climbed through it. It was a leap of about four strides down to the nearest branch. She balanced at the edge of the window and then pushed herself off. The branch dipped and creaked as she landed, but then all was still again. She stood there for a moment, listening. Nothing moved. With her arms outstretched, she walked along the branch until she reached a fork. There she stopped and retrieved the pack she stashed there two days before. It contained her boots, battle leathers and weapons. Quickly she dressed, balancing precariously on the narrow branch as she pulled on her boots. And then she was ready.
Quietly jumping from branch to branch, she eventually reached the ground. Hiding behind the trunk of the tree, she looked around for the Night Watch. They patrolled every path, every night; her father was leaving nothing to chance.
She sent a brief nudge to Midnight to let him know she was ready and for him to wait for her by the mighty oak where the rivers joined. She did not want him to land too close to the city and arouse suspicion. Convincing Midnight of the wisdom of her decision had taken some time, but he believed in her and, although he did not like it, conceded it might be necessary.
Now she closed her eyes and channelled her energy. They had practiced this, but it was not something she had completely mastered. Bending the air around her to make her invisible was the easy part and, almost immediately, she was gone from sight. She felt the dizziness set in as her body disappeared and she seemed to be floating in mid-air. Walking was difficult, but she had a few miles to go to the tree and she hoped this would be practice enough. Carefully she took her first step and immediately tripped. She gasped, caught herself and carried on; it was going to be a long walk.
The other issue she had was hearing. She did the magic so well, it muffled all sounds. It had become a little better and she was now able to pick up some sounds, but not enough to warn her of the silent approach of the Night Watch that had just turned the corner down her path. She stopped and held her breath as he walked past her. He was so close she could have reached out and touched him.
Carefully she continued. Hearing was a problem for what she intended to do; she needed information and for that she needed to hear. As she walked, she concentrated on thinning the air marginally to allow sounds to penetrate the barrier. It kept her occupied the entire way and before she realised it she had reached the tree. Midnight was alert, awaiting her approach, but he had not noticed her. She sent him a mental image of where she was and he lowered his head, huffing out a cloud of smoke. It coiled around her for a moment, highlighting the spot where she stood and she made a mental note of it; something like this could prove fatal where she was going.
Midnight lowered himself and she ran up his leg, before settling in the crook of his neck. Without waiting for further instructions, Midnight rose into the air with a few powerful strokes of his wings. Buffeted, she had to concentrate to keep herself cloaked in invisibility.
Midnight flew straight and it was not long before they reached Menandril Fields. She had chosen this spot as Midnight could safely land behind the little forest without being spotted by any of the men already at Greystone. From here, it was only about an hour’s walk to the stones and, thanking Midnight, she set off. His thoughts of concern and encouragement followed her.
Soon she reached the first camps. She was surprised at how many had already encamped around Greystone and carefully picked her way past tents, camp fires, watchmen and horses. It was another half hour before she reached the stones and there she found that a perimeter fence had been set around the circle. She walked around it, looking for a way in. The fence was made from wire and she could have easily climbed it, but it had bells attached and she suspected even the slightest tinkle would alert the men.
She contemplated for a while and then tried something she had never done before. She already had a cushion of air around her, so now she channelled more of it towards her feet, hoping that it might lift her. At first, nothing happened, then she started to wobble. She lost her concentration and almost fell. Breathing harder, she steadied herself before trying again. This time she tried to keep the concentration of air constant on all sides and just increased the pressure at the bottom. She was sweating, even in the cool of the night, but soon she hovered steadily above the ground.
The feeling was even stranger than walking without seeing your feet and it took all
her concentration. She increased the pressure marginally and she rose higher. She milled her arms as she wobbled again, but then she was steady and rising. She tried to judge where her feet were as she reached the top of the fence, but lifted her legs for good measure. Soon she was on the other side and carefully she lowered herself to not make a noise when she landed.
This was it; she was in the circle of stones; there was no going back now. Once she activated the energy to take her to Naylera, the men around her would know someone went through the Gate, but by then it would be too late.
She stood at the centre and closed her eyes. She had never been to Naylera and did not know what awaited her on the other side, but she was determined to follow through with her plan. She called forth the energy, concentrating on her destination, and the last thing she heard before the energy took her was the alarm that went through the camp.
He spent days spying on the camp and gathering as much information as he could. He was ready to kill them all, Elves included. They were scum to plan such atrocities as he had heard mention here and it made him sick that his own kind could conceive of such things. There was a total of twenty-nine Elves allied with the forty-three Vampyres in this stronghold. They were biding their time, waiting for a signal that was to come sometime in the near future, but Blaid had as yet to determine that date.
But he had learned enough to be worried. This was not the only stronghold. There was a total of five around Grildor and he believed this particular one to be the smallest. The bigger ones were situated closer to Greystone, with the largest hiding within the dark forest where he had rescued Maia last year.
One of the main missions of this stronghold was to take out as many military personnel as possible, which was why the delegation from Stoneloft had been completely wiped out. Another group had been in charge of killing Maia and he now realised that most of the Vampyres he had been following earlier in the year were of this group. As their mission had failed, an unnamed man had volunteered to take the matter into his own hands and it was this mystery man that Blaid had followed to Shadow Hall. He now wondered if it had been wise to leave Maia.
