by K T Durham
He nodded. “There is much to talk about.” Nervously, she glanced down at the water.
“Do not worry. Razunok will not disturb us.”
Elly relaxed a little. “But what do I need to do to … to disable the lock?”
Graille swished his tails. “Do not be hasty. I will tell you shortly before the full moon.”
Elly scowled. “But, umm, don’t I need to practise or prepare somehow?” She had little confidence in succeeding, and she hated that the Guardian probably knew exactly how she felt.
Graille shook his head. “No. I would much rather spend the time that we have talking. It has been a long time since I conversed with anybody, so please indulge me.” He smiled wryly. “Even Guardians get lonely.” He beckoned to her with his snout. “Now, come up to this ledge, closer to me. It will be better for us to talk at closer proximity.”
Tentatively, Elly climbed up to the ledge and sat down, wrapping her arms around herself to lessen the shivering. She was now about five feet away from Graille, and now that she was this close up, she could see the fine white hairs of his beautiful coat, and she felt a little dizzy as she looked into the piercing blue eyes that seemed to see into her soul. He had long, lithe limbs, and his nine tails swished gracefully, as if in tandem with his slow heartbeat.
What was keeping Graille locked in? Gripped by curiosity, she leaned over and extended a hand, only to receive a searing shock when suddenly something materialized, transparent and shield-like, crackling inches from the fox’s serene face before fizzling out. She gasped. It was an invisible barrier! She winced and stared at her fingers; they had been slightly scorched.
Graille laughed. “Did you doubt me, Ellanor?”
She ducked her head sheepishly. “It’s not that I doubted you, Guardian Graille. I just wanted to see what’s been keeping you caged in here.” It was then she noticed that her teeth were chattering; she felt frozen to the bone. Her sodden clothes clung to her body, and tendrils of her hair were matted against her dirt-streaked face.
“Ahh, I apologize for not conjuring a fire to warm you up, Ellanor,” Graille said ruefully. “I am quite depleted, you see. I used up much of my powers sending out that signal to Alendria to lead you here. That effort alone took up much of my strength, for I have had to wrestle with the powerful dark magic that fights to suppress my attempts to reach out to the outside world.” There was a pause as he peered at her thoughtfully. “Ellanor, I must inconvenience you with a minor task before we commence our conversation. The necessity of a fire beckons, and it’s not just because your lips are turning blue.”
She looked at him incredulously. “You want me to make a fire?” How in the world was she going to kindle a fire here with dead, petrified wood?
She frowned thoughtfully. Actually, she could possibly kindle a fire with wood that wasn’t petrified. The Vierran had taught her to do this manually, with the wood that she collected in the surrounding forestry of the training grounds in Aranon. She hadn’t known that the first armful of moist branches she’d spent hours collecting were useless, and so she had staggered back into the woods and gathered up the driest ones. Afterwards, it took countless attempts to get a flame going, and by the time she finally succeeded, the skin of her fingers was raw, peeling, and bloodied. But seeing the first flame leap up was well worth all the effort.
“Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.”
Elly blinked and looked up questioningly. “I beg your pardon?”
Graille gazed out at the lake. “Water is a sign of life, Ellanor. Like an oasis in a desert. Did you not think it strange that there is water in this petrified forest?”
She scowled. “Well, yes, especially now that I have a better understanding of what transformed petrified forests such as this one …” Then suddenly, she understood. “Wait. Are you the reason why there is water here?”
Graille smiled. “Ahh, you do not disappoint me,” he said softly.
Elly shook her head in wonder. “But … but how? I thought you said you couldn’t use your powers here.”
“No, I said that the dark magic that governs this forest has been suppressing my powers. Over the past year, I have been fighting to overcome the curse that clings to this place, Ellanor. Fortunately, the Beast is far away, and everything erodes over time. Even magic. The curse over this forest has been weakening ever so slowly over the long years. With my powers greatly suppressed, I fought hard to breathe life back into this place. The first thing I did was to resurrect these waterfalls. Razunok used to lurk in the mountain caves before the water was brought back. Now, it lords over the lake to keep watch over me.”
Elly glanced back at the silent lake and looked at Graille. “So you could have eventually broken free of this prison, if you had more time to overcome the dark magic?”
Graille shook his head sadly. “No. I have become far too weak, Ellanor. And time is running out.” He continued, “Now, you need to make that fire. Perhaps the dead branches might come back to life once they have been touched by the water.”
She stared at the gushing waterfalls. Graille nodded. “Let’s find out, shall we?”
So she clambered down to the stony trees and examined the branches that hung lifelessly from the equally lifeless tree trunks. Carefully, she broke off one branch with a brittle thwack, spraying a film of grey dust on her hands. She gathered about a dozen smaller but thick branches, and she broke off a couple of pieces from the trunk of a tree. Then she clambered back up to the ledge and dropped them onto the dry ground in front of Graille.
Every few moments she would nervously glance at the water, her heart jumping at every ripple. Perhaps Graille was right. Perhaps Razunok really was deep in its cave licking its wounds and wouldn’t bother her again.
She leapt down to the waterfalls and washed off her ashen hands before cupping them like a chalice. Carefully, she scooped up some water, which felt cool and pleasant on her dry, filthy skin. Then she bowed her head and drank hungrily before she choked and sputtered. She went back up the ledge, hands cupped, and carefully dribbled the water over the branches.
Nothing happened. She frowned and looked at Graille.
“Be patient, Ellanor. Try to kindle before you start doubting.”
She sighed, then rubbed her hands together and flexed her fingers. “Here goes nothing,” she muttered. She wondered how other elves would cope if they were in her shoes? Most of them would laugh at the idea of kindling a fire by hand; one flick of their finger and a murmured enchantment would do the trick. She had never thought that magic was a power that might also become a crutch.
She touched the branches gently, afraid they would disintegrate into a confetti of ashes. But they didn’t, and when she went to grasp one, she was surprised that they felt more solid than she had thought they would. She selected one branch the length of her dagger, and a piece that was flat and wide. As she vigorously rubbed the end of the branch against the one placed flat on the ground to create frictional heat, she started sweating, and her fingers became raw and sore. “Come on,” she muttered under her breath.
Just as she was about to give up, her heart leapt when a trail of smoke snaked upwards to her face and a tiny flame started dancing. She gasped. Graille was right; the water had indeed brought the petrified wood back to life!
She clapped her hands in delight. “I did it!” she said triumphantly, pumping a fist into the air, and Graille laughed and swished his tails.
After a while, a small fire was crackling between Elly and the nine-tailed fox. Exhausted, she sat down cross-legged and put her palms up to the dancing flames. She felt herself thawing out like a block of ice melting under the sun. Then she looked up at the Guardian expectantly.
Graille smiled, pleased. “Well done, Ellanor. We have about two hours before the full moon waxes. But that is all we need.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
The Trap
A
s the fire crackled, Graille sighed contentedly and rested his chin on his front paws, fixing those bright blue eyes on Elly. She took a quavering breath. “Guardian Graille, obviously there’s much that I don’t understand. Isn’t the Beast imprisoned deep in the underworld, beneath the Tree of Alendria? How did the Beast manage to imprison you here?”
Graille’s tails fanned out gracefully, and at that moment Elly thought the Guardian looked immeasurably beautiful. “Listen to me carefully. The elves in Alendria do not yet know of what I am about to tell you.” Graille chuckled as her eyes widened. “The Guardians have not been idle, Ellanor. We have done much of which elves and humans are unaware.” He paused. “Many ages ago, back when Freya graced Gaya in physical form, the Beast was banished to Alendria to be imprisoned by the Tree. I believe you already know of this?”
Elly furrowed her brow, recalling every detail that Grandpapa and the others of the Order had imparted that first night she met them in the Blue Room, shortly after she’d returned from Gaya a year ago. The night she looked into the earlingrand for the first time and learned of the tragic story about Freya, the Maker, and her twin sister Marah, who ultimately became the Beast because of her treachery and desire to dominate and corrupt Gaya, the beautiful world that Freya had created …
Graille continued. “As the Beast was being wrenched from Gaya to be banished to Alendria, it managed to leave a piece of its life force behind. For the sake of convenience, I shall call this secondary life force the Beta. The Beast, the primary life force that resides in Alendria, is the Alpha. Do you understand?”
Astounded, Elly nodded slowly. The memory of those slitted, blood-red eyes came rushing back to her, and she clasped her hands together to stop them from shaking.
Graille continued. “As the Beast was being wrenched from Gaya, whatever power it managed to leave behind was just a fraction of itself but still enough to wreak havoc in small degrees.” He sighed. “The Beta stayed dormant for a very long time, waiting for the opportunity to start a chain of events that would ultimately lead to our destruction. For many long years, the Guardians, including myself, did not suspect a thing, much to our regret.”
Elly gawped. “Where has this…Beta been hiding?”
“We discovered, much too late, that the Beta had been hiding up in Northern Europe. For a long time, the Guardians had sensed a dark energy around that area. But as there are countless dark forces in the world, we did not immediately suspect that dark energy had anything to do with the Beast. We were wrong, of course.”
Elly bit her lip. “What do you mean, the Beast left a piece of its life force behind? How does one be at two places at the same time?”
Graille laughed. “Mere mortal beings are not capable, of course. You must realize that Freya, whom we revere, possesses powers far beyond your reckoning. The same with the Beast. They were sisters, after all.” He paused. “Freya created the Four Guardians along with Gaya. We have been the stewards of Gaya in the four corners of this world. I was based in Asia, and the others were assigned to other places over the realm. But over time, as a result of increasing pollution and industrialisation, we all shifted to quieter, safer, unspoilt locations.”
Elly pondered on this. Papa had once said, “There is so much we don’t know about this world, and no matter how much we’ve learned, how long we’ve lived, there are bound to be more things to be discovered, and there’ll always be things we can never fully understand.” She was beginning to appreciate his words.
Then she looked up at the fox, who was regarding her with some amusement as he read her mind. “Guardian Graille, I hope you don’t mind my asking, but … how did you end up trapped in this forest?”
Graille looked up wistfully for a moment, lamenting that he could not see the light of the stars. The shaft of moonlight that penetrated the forest – which he had had to fight for – offered some solace. “I have been residing in this part of Gaya for thousands of years, Ellanor. China, Japan, Vietnam, India, Indonesia, the Philippines – I have dwelled in all these places and many more. At times, I assumed human form and walked among humans. As you might have read, the kumiho can shape-shift into a beguiling woman. I suppose they mistook my long hair and androgynous appearance for female.” At this, Elly cracked a smile.
He chuckled and continued. “Occasionally, humans cited me in my fox form, and as you might be aware, I have become somewhat of a dark legend in these parts of the world. Much of it is man-made, of course. It is unfortunate that most humans fail to see through such ridiculous rumours and are far too willing to listen to what other people say out of ignorance. For one, I don’t eat the hearts of handsome young men, and I certainly don’t steal and feast on little children.” Elly made a face as she recalled all the gruesome descriptions about the kumiho documented in Jong-Min’s textbook.
Graille sighed. “Because of the gothic intrigue that surrounds my legend, I have often been feared and shunned. On the few occasions I encountered humans in my fox form, I was treated as a thing to be hunted and killed. You would find that kindness is often the exception in this world, Ellanor. There is much that is ugly and dark, more than I would care to admit.”
“But there’s a lot of good in this world, too, and it’s worth fighting for!” Elly said passionately, thinking of Horace and Miriam, Lily, Maddy and Teddy, Jong-Min and his grandmother. They were flawed, wonderful people whose kindness had gotten her this far. A lump formed in her throat. Would she get out of this place alive and see them again?
Graille read her mind and was touched by her youthful naiveté. “Yes, you have had the good fortune to come across the exceptional, Ellanor – kind people who extended their better selves in your hour of need.” He smiled sadly. “People are the same everywhere. Humans, elves, dwarves – nobody is above reproach. It has always amused me that some, especially those in positions of power and material wealth, often delude themselves into thinking they are superior and more worthy than others. How pitiful they are.”
Elly was silent for a long moment. Graille gazed at her. “You must relay to the Order all that I tell you when you return home. The Guardians of Gaya have not been ignoring Alendria. The truth is that we have been greatly encumbered. If the Beast managed to keep me imprisoned here for this long, the other Guardians would not have been spared. In fact, I have not been able to communicate with them in the past year. I pray you can find them.”
Elly bit her lip. “Do you think the other Guardians have come to harm?” She thought of the Beta biding its time in Gaya, and the Alpha languishing in Alendria, and shuddered.
“I pray not.” He sighed. “The humans have no idea how much we have done to protect Gaya against all the horrible damage they’ve been inflicting on Freya’s beloved creation. All that garbage they pour into the oceans, bury deep in the earth … killing forestry, spewing poison into the skies, choking and smothering the lands with radiation … If it weren’t for us, the Guardians, this planet humans call Earth would be uninhabitable by now.” At this, Elly’s eyebrows shot up, and Graille nodded. “Oh, yes. Along with the other Guardians, I have done what I can to care for this part of the world. But alas, even with our powers we cannot undo the grievous damage that has already been done.”
Elly stared at him. “What does that mean for the humans?”
“We have been delaying the process of decay and destruction. But one day, Gaya will be so severely contaminated that it will be uninhabitable.” Graille gave a rueful shake of his head. “Elves feel the contamination much more keenly. That is why, without manna, elves cannot dwell in Gaya for many days at a time without falling horribly ill.” He narrowed his eyes. “Except you. Which is one reason why you have been sent here to restore the poisoned luthains.”
“You sure know a lot for someone who has been held captive for the past year,” she murmured, taken aback that Graille knew about her immunity. What didn’t he know?
He shifted slightly. “
The Beast has long been brewing plans to destroy Alendria and the elves, once and for all. It made numerous attempts to sabotage the Tree in the past. But recently, there was a breakthrough.” He paused. “Gutz is the first goblin to acquire shape-shifting powers and successfully infiltrate Alendria as an elfling in disguise, which ultimately led to the poisoning of the four orbs of power.”
At the mention of Gutz, Elly winced. Graille continued, “The Tree has never been compromised so severely. But even goblins cannot survive long in Gaya without manna. Gutz must have stolen manna from the healers’ reserves, which accounts for how he managed to stay in Gaya long enough to entrap me.”
Elly cried out. “No! Gutz was the one who entrapped you?” Her heart clenched. How could the goblin have teleported to Gaya? And how could the goblin have so easily stolen manna? She felt sick to her stomach, and she swivelled around, afraid that the goblin could be lurking in the dark shadows, spying on them. “When did this happen?” she asked shrilly.
Graille nodded solemnly. “This took place almost a year ago, a couple of months after you repaired the portal with Organoth blue amber and teleported back home to Alendria.”
Her heart was racing. “But how is that possible? How could that goblin have gone through the white dome and used the portal without Sir Jarome noticing?” What about the anti-goblin enchantments inside the dome? It just didn’t make sense … unless …
Graille fixed her with a level stare. “Because there is a traitor among you in Alendria. That traitor has been helping the goblin.”
She clutched the front of her coat. “Traitor?” she whispered, aghast. Who could it be? Then it dawned on her that whoever the traitor was, that person must have helped Gutz locate and poison the orbs a year ago. That traitor must have been the second accomplice …
Graille continued. “Gutz carries out the orders of the Beast, who is trying to ensure that the poisoned orbs can never be restored, thus destroying all chances that the Tree can be saved. Gutz was supposed to compromise all the Guardians in some way.” He swished his tails. “Take comfort in the fact that the goblin, so far, has not been able to pass back into Gaya since its last visit. I would have alerted the High Council of what had transpired had I not been trapped in this forest. But thankfully, the healers noticed that manna had been stolen from their reserves, and the High Council has since suspected there is a traitor among them. All the cross points have been sealed off with powerful enchantments. Even the guards and protectors have been put under heavy surveillance, for trust is something they cannot easily afford in such dark times.”
