“Is Keira all right?” asked Kat.
“She will be,” he replied. “She is hurt at the moment and needs time to assimilate what is about to happen.”
“And what exactly is about to happen?” asked Ethan.
Instead of answering the question, Lotheri merely turned away and glanced over his shoulder. “Come, Lord Dragonvein. We must talk alone.”
Kat shot Ethan a concerned look, but he simply spread his hands before following the elf away from the camp.
The pair walked in silence until they were well within the surrounding forest and the sound of the two armies was dull and distant. Lotheri sat down on a fallen pine tree and gestured for Ethan to join him.
“Keira tells me that you hold the spirit of Martok the Great,” he said.
Ethan nodded. “He is helping me to learn what I need to know. But I have to admit, it’s not a situation I would choose willingly.”
Lotheri smiled. “No. I wouldn’t think so. I imagine such a thing would be quite unsettling for a human. Elves feel the spirits of our ancestors constantly. But humans…you are solitary beings. That is why we have never fully understood you, I think.”
“How is it you feel them?”
“You will see soon enough. But first I urge caution. Martok was a great mage and a friend to the elves. But he was also ambitious and arrogant. In the end, that was his downfall. I fear that he will try to recapture his former glory through you. Though admittedly, I have no idea if such a thing is even possible.”
“Do your people think we can win?”
“They think that if we don’t try, we will cease to exist. Through your connection with the dragons, I know you can feel their struggle to keep Shinzan at bay – a battle they will eventually lose. But you cannot feel what it is they are fighting to preserve.” He lowered his eyes and rested his elbows on his knees. “Which brings me to the reason I have brought you here.”
Ethan said nothing, but could see the conflict on Lotheri’s face. Whatever was about to happen was weighing heavily on his mind.
“I know that the dwarves have spoken to you about the prophecy they heard after capturing one of my people,” Lotheri continued. “What they fail to realize is that this was garbled and inaccurate. They used magical devises to force the information from their captive. And though it did eventually compel my kinsman to speak, he gave them only an incomplete account. He was driven mad long before divulging everything. At that point interrogation became pointless and they killed him.”
Ethan remembered the circlet they had used on him to gauge whether he was being truthful. It had nearly killed Jonas. “So you’re here to tell me the real prophecy? Is that it?”
“That is partly why I need to speak with you. But only a small part.”
He paused to draw a deep breath. “During Shinzan’s rise to power, he came to our people and offered an alliance. Upon his victory, he would grant us dominion over both humans and dwarves. Our duty would be to enforce his will and rule in his name. In exchange for this, he would bestow us with strength and immortality. Fortunately, our Suldani - what you would refer to as king – was wise enough to see the deception. He refused Shinzan and took up arms against him.
“But not all agreed. For the first time in our history, some among us defied the will of their Suldani. They sought out Shinzan and accepted his offer. This was their undoing. Shinzan did in fact keep his word, but at a cost they could not bear. He ripped them from the bosom of Lumnia, separating them from her presence…and from the spirits of their people. He gave them great power and immortality. But they were slaves to his will. They became what you know as the Rakasa.” Lotheri practically spat the word from his mouth. “The mages killed many of them. And we hunted them tirelessly. Only a few still remain.”
“Hronso,” muttered Ethan.
“Yes. He was the first. And he is by far the most powerful. More than anyone, he is responsible for the fall of the mages. If not for him, they might have prevailed over Shinzan. But as time passed and their numbers diminished, the Emperor grew too strong. In the end, my people fled and remained hidden. That is, until now. Now it is time for the prophecy to be fulfilled and for my people to emerge from the shadows.” He stood and looked down at Ethan. “And I am glad to have lived long enough to see it begin.”
Lotheri closed his eyes and folded his hands. “Just after my people were scattered, a great elf named Yolunia sacrificed her life to journey into the heart of the mother. But before the life left her, she passed on words of hope. We have clung to this hope for more than five-hundred years.”
He began to recite.
“In the time to come, when despair and death spiral around this world in an endless cycle of darkness, five children will arise. The children of the fallen shall do battle with the enemy of life. They will be led by another who has touched the heart of creation and is brother to the guardian beast. He will kneel before the mother and know her will. Through the people of the mother, he will be given her soul. He will see through the darkness and understand. Through his light, all struggles shall end. All doubt and fear shall be erased. He will fight with the strength of true and pure spirit. And his sacrifice shall be held in our everlasting memory.”
Ethan regarded the elf for a long moment, a deep crease on his brow. “Are you sure those are the exact words?”
“Of course.”
“Then we have a problem,” Ethan told him. “There are supposed to be six of us in total. Right now, there are only four. I plan to bring back the fifth, but that still leaves us one short.”
“I only know what it says,” replied Lotheri. “It is clear you are the leader of which it speaks. As for the rest, that is for you to discover.”
Ethan thought on this for several minutes before speaking. “You said the prophecy was only a part of why you needed me here.”
“Indeed. I am to give you something. Something which not even Martok the Great was able to attain. I will give you the true knowledge of what you call magic. You shall be able to understand it in the same way we do.”
“My uncle told me he had spent much time with your people trying to achieve that.”
“He did. And he could have spent many lifetimes trying without ever being successful.”
“And why is that?”
Lotheri’s countenance darkened. “Because of the cost. There is only one way to see Lumnia as an elf sees her. It cannot be learned or taken. The sight must be given.”
“And you’re going to give it to me?”
“I am. Though not without reservation. Once done, it cannot be undone. And no human has ever beheld our world in this way. The cost to me is great. But the cost to you might be even greater.”
Ethan frowned. “What cost? I don't understand.”
There was an enormous sadness in Lotheri's eyes. “I must pass on that which dwells within me. Once this is done, I will be as the Rakasa – stripped from the mother - only much weaker. Thankfully, unlike them, I will not be immortal.”
Ethan shot to his feet. “You mean, you've brought me here so you can die?”
“I have brought you here so that the world might live. Human magic is powerful. But it will not be enough. Even if you find a way to destroy Shinzan's body, you must still destroy the source of his power. If not, he will simply occupy another body. To achieve this you will need to touch the true spirit of Lumnia.”
“But you’re the king…Suldani…whatever you call it. Why are you making the sacrifice? Don’t your people need you?”
“I would never ask this of any of my people. It is for me, and me alone, to do. And there are plenty among us who would make an equally wise leader. My absence will only be felt by those closest to me.”
He let out a high-pitched whistle. A few seconds later Keira appeared from the trees, her face grief-stricken and tears pouring down her cheeks. Lotheri took her hands. “Thank you, my daughter. I would not have had the courage to do this alone.”
She refused to look di
rectly into her father’s eyes. “I am begging you to reconsider,” she sobbed. “What if you are wrong?”
Lotheri lifted her chin. “I am not.”
Ethan backed away. “I'm sorry. I can’t let you do this…whatever this is.”
His words passed unheard. Keira and Lotheri were oblivious to all but each other. With foreheads pressed together, they stood in complete silence for more than a minute.
“It is time,” Lotheri finally whispered.
He turned to Ethan, who took another step back. “You must trust me, Ethan Dragonvein. Very soon you will understand that what I do is for the good of us all.”
Ethan gazed at Keira. Her tears had ceased, but her face was still a mask of pain.
“He is right, Ethan,” she said. “This must happen.” She gave Lotheri one final lingering embrace. “I will miss you, father.”
“And I you, daughter,” he replied softly.
Ethan opened his mouth to object, but Lotheri’s hand shot out, seizing his wrist in an iron grip. A wave of energy immediately surged through him, causing his legs to wobble. Then another came, this one much stronger. So much so that he was driven to his knees. Three more waves followed in rapid succession, each one more intense than the last. Finally, unable to withstand it any longer, he let out a primal scream and collapsed completely onto the forest floor.
Bolts of pain coursed through every inch of his body as he struggled to remain conscious. He could see Lotheri kneeling beside him, gazing up at Keira with pleading eyes. In response, she bent down and kissed his cheek, her tears once again in full flow. Ethan then watched in horror as she drew a knife from her belt. He knew what she was about to do, but was powerless to stop her. An instant later, she plunged the blade deep into her father’s heart.
As the life force ebbed from the elf leader, he smiled up at his daughter in gratitude.
The last thing Ethan saw before passing out was Keira standing over her father's body. Her head was thrown back and she was screaming at the sky.
* * * * *
A soft warm breeze brushed against Ethan’s cheeks, carrying with it the scent of pine and wild flowers. Though he could see nothing, he could feel the warmth of the sun on his flesh. There was also the ripple of a tiny brook flowing swiftly nearby.
“Where am I?” he asked.
All around him, from dozens of different voices, came the sound of musical laughter.
He blinked hard, but there was still only darkness. “Who’s there?”
“He can’t see us,” said a childlike voice.
“He will in time,” another, slightly more mature one, called back. “This is all new to him.”
“Can he do it?” asked a second child.
“The mother says he can,” answered the older voice.
“But she is so weak. How can she know for sure?”
“Enough out of you,” the senior voice scolded. “The mother knows. It is not for you to question.”
“Who are you?” asked Ethan. “Where am I?”
The voices offered no answer. Instead, a tiny point of white light appeared in front of him. At first this seemed to be a long distance away, but gradually, it moved closer, steadily increasing in size until he felt as if he could reach out and touch it.
“Child of Earth and child of mine.” The voice that came to Ethan this time was that of a grown woman. It was soft and fluid, yet commanding and strong. “Why have you come here before me?”
“I don’t know where here is. Or who you are.”
“Of course you do,” she told him. “You just have to look deeper within your soul. Do so and all will become clear.”
Ethan considered her words and then focused his thoughts inward, just as he had done when calling out to Martok. In a flash, understanding entered him, causing the darkness to vanish. He found himself standing in the heart of a lush forest. Thick vines climbed their way high up into the tree canopy, and everywhere he looked, soft moss and thousands of delicate flowers carpeted the ground. Just as he'd heard earlier, a swift flowing brook was only a few yards away. The light remained, only now it had taken the form of a woman. He tried to make out her features, but could not penetrate the brightness sufficiently to see any more than that she was indeed female.
Ethan looked down, suddenly realizing that he was completely naked. And yet he did not care. It was as if in this place, to be otherwise would be unnatural. “You are…her. You are Lumnia.”
“In a way, yes,” she affirmed. “I am her voice.”
“Am I…dead?”
Her laugh was melodic and soothing. “Not at all. Your body is exactly where it was. Lotheri has given you the power to hear me.”
A vision of Keira thrusting the knife into her father’s heart flashed through his mind.
“Do not weep for Lotheri,” she said, sensing his thoughts. “He is with us now. His daughter ended his life before his spirit could die.”
Though Ethan didn’t entirely understand what she was saying, her words eased his troubled mind. “So what happens now?” he asked.
“Now you must rid this world of the pestilence that plagues it,” she replied. “And through Lotheri’s sacrifice, you can now do so.”
“How?”
“You must find Shinzan’s source of power and destroy it.”
“I already know that,” he said. “But what I don’t know is how to fight him.”
“Yes you do. You have the knowledge within you. But only you can find the strength to use it.”
“Will you help me?”
She moved forward, her body floating just above the ground, and placed a hand on his shoulder. Her touch was warm. “Yes. But my help will not be as you imagine. Nor will it come without a price. In the end, you must be the one to decide whether or not to accept it.”
Having told him this, she backed slowly away and her form began to dim, along with the surrounding forest.
“Will I see you again?” Ethan called out.
Her laugh sounded once more. “When you wish to see me, all you need do is simply open your eyes.”
The light continued to fade until he was left in total darkness again. For a short time, it was as though he were suspended in a void. Then, little by little, he began to realize that he was lying on his back and someone was holding his hand. When his eyes fluttered open, he saw Kat kneeling beside him.
He blinked. “How long have I been out?”
“An hour or so,” she replied. “Keira told me where to find you.”
Ethan sat up and took a close look around. There was no sign of Lotheri’s body. “Did she tell you what happened?”
“Only that her father was dead. And that you should join her once you woke up.” Kat frowned. “What happened? Is her father really dead?”
Ethan nodded, then recounted the experience.
“How does it feel?”
“Strange,” he replied. “A bit like when I bonded with the dragons, but more distant and scattered. I can feel the energy coming from everywhere. I can almost see it. But it’s all out of focus…like seeing something through ripples in the water.” He spread his hands in a helpless gesture. “That’s the best way I can describe it.”
“Has it made you any more powerful?”
“I don’t know. I guess we’ll find out soon enough. One thing is for sure. I can feel the elves. If I concentrate, I could possibly even tell you where each one is standing. And I understand their connection to Lumnia now. It’s like they’re not really separate, and yet at the same time, they are. They can hear its will and feel its pain.”
He pushed himself to his feet. “Whatever all this is, I hope it was worth Lotheri giving his life.”
“And I hope Keira can forgive you,” Kat remarked. “She looked really upset.”
“I know. I can feel it. She misses her father terribly, but she doesn’t blame me. In her heart, she knows he did what he felt he had to do.”
Kat took his hand and they started back toward the camp. Once they
were in sight of the dwarf army, King Halvar came striding out to meet them.
“What is this I hear about Lotheri being dead?” he demanded. “They are saying that you had something to do with it.”
“I was involved,” admitted Ethan. “But I didn’t kill him, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“I am most happy to hear it,” Halvar growled. “This alliance is fragile enough without that.”
“This alliance is stronger than you think. The elves won’t break it.”
“And how do you know this?”
“I just do.”
Still not entirely convinced, Halvar summoned four of his guards to accompany them before moving on into the elf camp.
All eyes fell on Ethan as they threaded their way to where he knew Keira was waiting. She was standing at the far edge of the camp, a wooden bowl in her hands. Beside her stood three elf women, each of them dressed in white robes with silver stitching that formed interlocking circular patterns down the front. Keira regarded him for a long moment, then closed her eyes. Behind them, the elves were gathering in reverent silence.
“What is she holding?” whispered Halvar.
“Her father’s heart,” Ethan replied.
A horrified expression crossed the king's face. “You mean she…cut out her own father’s heart?”
“Their ways are different,” said Ethan. “But I understand them now.”
He stepped forward until he was standing directly in front of Keira.
Her eyes snapped open and she spoke in a loud clear voice. “My father gave his life so that you can understand the mother in a way no human ever has. You have become a part of her…and a part of us. And though I have lost a father, I have gained a brother.”
She cast her gaze over the crowd. “As have you all. Through our kinship, we shall defeat the evil which has plagued our world for far too long. Still, my soul is in pain. Lotheri was more than just my father. He was a wise and strong leader. His absence will be keenly felt. But we must press on and choose another to lead in his stead.”
Dragonvein - Book Three Page 20
