Dark Echoes of Light

by Michael James Ploof

  “If I may,” said Benson.

  “Ye may not,” said Roakore. “Listen, I ain’t got time for this nonsense, ye hear?”

  “We will not be bullied by ye any longer,” said Vergy. “We be standin’ up for ourselves, and we demand that you choose. It be either us or Arrianna.”

  “Now listen here…”

  “Your wives have a valid claim,” said Benson. He rifled through his scrolls, and Roakore suppressed the urge to punch him in the face. “By Raene the Goldenheart’s decree, which you ratified for the Ro’Sar females, a dwarven wife can divorce her husband if she has proof of either mistreatment or abandonment. And, she is entitled to half of his fortune earned while they were married.”

  Roakore cursed under his breath. I should have read that damned decree more thoroughly. Godsdammit, Raene.

  “Furthermore,” said Benson, pushing his glasses up to the bridge of his nose. “The queens shall retain their titles, and they shall be allowed to remarry.”

  “Remarry? Remarry!” Roakore shot to his feet, sending his chair skidding across the floor to slam into the fireplace screen. “Now listen here, all o’ ye. I’ve been through too much these last few weeks to listen to this shyte!”

  “If I may,” said Benson. “I believe that you are making a grave—”

  Roakore grabbed the man by an arm and a leg and lifted him over his head with a growl. He walked over to the window with the kicking and tugging human begging to be let down, and he threw him out the window. He turned, extending his mental grasp, and took hold of each and every one of the man’s scrolls and sent them out the window as well.

  “Ye know what’s been goin’ on in Drindellia?” said Roakore, turning to face his wives. “We had to retreat from the mountain.”

  His wives took in a collective breath, shocked by the news.

  “And as ye might have figured out, me soul be in danger o’ becomin’ chained to that mountain after me death. Aside from that, there be a new breed o’ draggard called the drekkon, and the beasts can use magic! Ye hear me? Magic! They’ve already attacked the human and elf settlements, and they will attack again. And after all this, what do I come home to? A damned mutiny!”

  “Roakore…” Fuchsia began.

  “I ain’t listenin’ to another word from ye backstabbers. I made ye all queens. I raised yer families up, I gave ye everythin’ ye ever wanted. One thing I couldn’t give ye all be me love, and I be sorry for that, but ye all be the mother o’ me children, and for that I be lovin’ ye in me own way. I be only one dwarf, damned ye, and there be only so much o’ me to go around. Bah! What be the point? Ye all seem to have made up yer minds. Well good riddance! I ain’t got time for this petty shyte! But I be warnin’ ye, ye try and get between me and me children, ye try to turn ‘em against me, well then, ye’ll be in for a rude awakenin’. Mark me words!”

  “Help!” cried the lawyer somewhere outside the window.

  Roakore ignored the pleading man. He turned and stormed for the door, not trusting himself or what he might do in his anger. Behind him, many of his wives pleaded for him to come back. He ignored them and ordered guards to block the way when some of his wives came after him.

  Roakore wiped at his itchy eyes as he hurried down the hall, but it seemed that he couldn’t outrun the pleading voices of his wives.

  Chapter 23

  The New Queen of Elladrindellia

  Zerafin looked out over the city of Cerushia and was glad to see that only a few remnants of the wars remained. In some places, the land was still scarred by the dark magic that had been used against them, but even now, elves worked in groups to mend the earth. Lost pyramids and buildings had been rebuilt, the waters had been cleansed, and the earth was on the mend. The thousands of dead who had fought and died for Cerushia, however, remained dead. The elves had suffered terrible losses, it was true, and they might not restore their numbers for years, but they held their heads high, they smiled, and music once again echoed through the city streets. There was laughter as well, and celebration in the midst of loss.

  “Zerafin, I’m sorry to have kept you waiting. Please, come in.”

  Zerafin turned to see his sister, Zilena, waiting for him in the doorway.

  “Zilena,” he said with a bow. “It is good to see you again.”

  She closed the door behind him and gave her brother a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “Zerafin, I’m sorry to hear of the troubles in the east. How are you holding up?”

  Zerafin laughed to himself; Zilena had always treated him like a big sister might, though he was much older than she.

  “I am confident that we will be victorious against our newest foe.”

  “Ah, yes, confident as always. I always admired that about you.” She led him to the balcony overlooking the city, and together they sat at a small table that grew from the wall of the tree palace, as did the seats.

  “Congratulations on your appointment,” he said with a smile. “I was not surprised to hear that the elder council made you the Queen of Elladrindellia.”

  “Old habits die hard, I guess. Our family means so much to them. Having one of us sitting upon the throne gives them comfort. It creates the illusion of normalcy.”

  “Yes, it seems that our people are sometimes slower to change than dwarves.”

  “I would not go that far,” said Zilena with a musical laugh. “How are Avriel and the children?”

  “They are well protected.”

  “I am assuming that Whill came here with you?”

  “He went through the portal to Uthen-Arden to speak with Governor Blackthorn and Krentz.”

  “And he did not bring his wife and children with him? Surely Drindellia is no place for young families right now. Didn’t you say that the drekkon army was massive?”

  “Yes, but Whill has taken care of them for now.”

  Zilena gave him a disapproving look. “We cannot depend on Whillhelm Warcrown to solve all of our problems for us, brother.”

  “Of course not. He acts on his own accord. You know that.”

  “Brother, do you think that perhaps you acted in haste when you took our people to settle that wild land?”

  Zerafin was surprised. “These are surely not the words of my sister Zilena, she who has acted hastily most of her life.”

  “That is unfair.”

  “Yes, I apologize. You speak the words of a concerned queen. That is all. And perhaps you are right; perhaps my ambition was too great.”

  “The council knows what you would ask of them, and they have decided not to give it to you.”

  “You know this?”

  “I have spoken with them on this matter. They believe that you have indeed been too hasty, and they will not condone giving you more warriors. So many have died already, and Elladrindellia is vulnerable right now. We have not even begun to heal, and already you have found another war.”

  “Zilena, you know that I did not go looking for war, I—”

  “What did you think you would find? A land empty and virgin, ready for you to usher in the glorious days of the past? Eadon and his abominations ruled that land for five hundred years. These drekkon creatures of yours, surely they are just the beginning of the problems that you will find there.”

  “What would you have me do, abandon the homeland?”

  “Of course not,” said Zilena. “But, brother, let us come up for air before you ask us into another war. You told me yourself that these are no mere draggard. You said that they have language and magic. And you know nothing of their true numbers. How will you ever defeat them?”

  “The way we have overcome every obstacle.”

  “With the help of Whill?” said Zilena with a raised brow.

  Anger at the accusation flared in Zerafin, but then he realized that she might be right. For had it not been for Whill, Eadon would have conquered them yet again, and Kellallea would have released the power of the mantle upon the world. Whill had saved them; he had saved them all.

  Zera
fin let out a sigh. “Your words are not meant to sting, I know, but sting they do.”

  “I am sorry to have to say such things, but we must always keep our minds open to the truth, whether we like it or not. Do not get me wrong, we fought valiantly against Eadon and Kellallea and the necromancer as well. And no, the wars could not have been won without our sacrifices, but Whill of Agora has done much for us, and he should not be expected to clean up Drindellia. That is our mess.”

  “I do not expect him to ‘clean up Drindellia,’” said Zerafin, but he heard in his mind the conversation that he had had with Whill regarding the man’s part in the upcoming conflict. Had he been pushing him too far? Did he rely on Whill too much?

  “Listen, brother, I want to reclaim the homeland as much as you do, but I want to do it right. We cannot at this time afford another war.”

  “So, what do you suggest? Wait? Give the drekkon more time to prepare?”

  “What do you suggest, brother? Running headlong into this unknown danger? Sending more warriors across the sea and leaving Elladrindellia defenseless? Agora is in ruin. Kingdoms have fallen, hundreds of thousands have died. I believe that we must put out one fire at a time.”

  “We are not as weak as you think, Zilena. There is still great strength in the elves of the sun. Agora holds no more threats for us. The dark elves and the draggard are practically extinct. But there is a real threat brewing in the east.”

  “They only know about us because you decided to go there. You have awakened the beast.”

  “Then it is my fault. Think of it as you will. But how long would it have taken for them to decide to explore the world? How long would it have been before they landed upon our shores and began a new war with Agora? Perhaps finding them now is a blessing, perhaps not. All I know is that they exist, and they are a threat, and that threat must be dealt with immediately.”

  Zilena looked out over the city.

  “You know, I used to be so jealous of you and Avriel. You were always so close, and always off on some amazing adventure together. The two of you found the chosen one, you avenged our father, you avenged Drindellia. I wish I could have been there with you, but my path led me down different roads.” She wiped at her eyes, looking embarrassed. “The queen in me warns caution, while the warrior in me wants nothing more than to go with you to Drindellia and wipe this scourge off the face of the earth.”

  “Then come with me. Fight with me. Help me to convince the council of what must be done. For I fear that if we do not deal with them now, then we will live to regret it. We once hid from Eadon and the dark elves, but in the end they found us.”

  “We hid, and we gathered our strength, brother. If we had turned around after only a few years and attacked the dark elves in Drindellia, we would have been wiped out.”

  “I once believed that, but I believe it no more. Eadon was weaker than we thought near the end of the war. I have since learned that we had greatly thinned the draggard numbers, and the dark elves numbered less than five thousand. We were so close. But we ran, and we gave Eadon five hundred years to rebuild his army.”

  “Yes,” said Zilena. “But you say that the drekkon are not weak. You say that they are strong, and they are many, while we are still licking our wounds.”

  “You spoke of Whill,” said Zerafin. “And perhaps we have depended on him. But he was the chosen one, and now he wields the power of a god. I do not intend to let this advantage go to waste. Once again, the humans, elves, and dwarves will rise up and fight a common enemy, and we will do it with or without you or the council.”

  “You see how easily you push me aside? I may not agree with you on everything like our dear sister Avriel, but I am still your sister.”

  Zerafin could see the old scars, he could sense his sister’s hurt. “Zilena, you know that I love you. What you do not know is that I always spoke in your favor. Mother and I argued over you more times than I can count. I do not know when we grew apart, but I lament that day. For I would see our family strong, as I would see our people strong. We cannot be divided on this, Zilena. Please, help me. Come with me to Drindellia, and let us spill the blood of these demons, these abominations of Eadon who defecate in our halls and make nests of our once great cities. Come with me, and let us end this once and for all.”

  Zilena stared out over the city for many long seconds. “You are a hard elf to say no to,” she told him at length. She sighed and turned around, chin high and eyes hard with determination. “So be it. Let us go together and speak to the council.”

  Zerafin and Zilena met with the council the following morning; however, the meeting did not go well. The council was adamantly against any war efforts in Drindellia. They had even gone as far as to suggest that New Cerushia be abandoned until a proper army could be raised.

  Zerafin was fuming, and he did not speak a word as he and Zilena made their way back to the palace. His sister knew him well and let him have his space. As angry as he was, however, he forgot it all when he saw Zilena’s best friend coming their way. He had not seen her in so long that he stopped in his tracks, his heart aflutter.

  “Ninarra,” he whispered.

  She wore gilded armor, dented and scorched and bloodstained. Her once long blonde hair was now short and spiked, but it did nothing to take away from her beauty. Her smooth skin and blue eyes were just as Zerafin remembered, and as she walked toward him, he was struck by the memory of her grace, and how that body had moved beneath him…

  Beside him, Zilena smiled mischievously. She left Zerafin red-faced and rushed to her oldest friend. “Ninarra! I’m so glad to see you.”

  They hugged, and Ninarra looked to Zerafin, who finally found the use of his legs and, straightening his long robe, greeted her with a bow.

  “Ninarra, it has been so long, yet you are as radiant as ever.”

  “Zerafin,” she said, and she melted into his arms, surprising not only him, but Zilena as well.

  Zerafin hugged her, and she placed a soft, slow kiss on his lips. “It is good to see you, my king.”

  “I am the king of Elladrindellia no longer.”

  “Ah,” she said playfully. “But you are the king of New Cerushia, and so you are my king.”

  “What took you so long?” Zilena asked as the three began walking toward the palace together.

  “There were more dark elves in the southern seas than we first thought. And sea battle is a long, arduous game of cat and mouse, but in the end, we found them and sent them to the bottom of the ocean.”

  “I’m sorry that I could not be at your side,” said Zilena.

  “Don’t be a liar. They’ve made you queen—I doubt that you have missed the sea much.”

  Zilena gave a small laugh. “It is true, I did not miss it, but I missed you. I have wished that you were here with me more times than not. I could use your council now more than ever. She glanced at Zerafin. “We both could.”

  “What trouble have you gotten yourself into this time, Zerafin?” said Ninarra.

  “A new breed of draggard has been discovered.”

  “What makes them new?”

  “They can speak,” said Zilena.

  “And they know magic,” said Zerafin.

  Ninarra stopped and regarded them both with disbelief. When they did not waver, she shook her head. “Well, it seems that I have hung up my sword too early. When do we attack?”

  Zerafin smiled at her, shaking his head.

  Chapter 24

  The Caverns of Olgen’Dy

  When the mounts returned from their hunt, Raene, Azzeal, and Ragnar mounted and flew north toward the white-capped mountains. The weather was getting colder with every passing mile, and soon Raene was shivering in her saddle. Even with her robe of silver hawk feathers, she was chilled to the bone by the cold air and constant wind, but to her relief, Azzeal put down five miles from the mountains in the foothills.

  Here the land was much more barren and rocky than it was in the south. It seemed that spring was slow to
bloom in these parts, and Raene likened it to the climate in northern Agora. The climate was not where the similarity ended, for indeed the two lands were quite similar. Like Agora, this was a land of rolling hills, sprawling plains, white-capped mountains, and tall green forests. It was said that the land had been killed by the dark elves, but Whill had helped it to heal when he released a great surge of power after defeating Eldarian. Indeed, the land, water, and forests seemed virgin. The ruins of yesteryear were now covered in vines, hidden beneath the canopies of new growth.

  “Raene!”

  She jumped, turning her head from the mountain. “What!”

  “Azzeal asked you a question,” said Ragnar.

  “What?” she asked the elf.

  “I thought that perhaps you could listen to the stone, tell us what you might learn.”

  She nodded, wondering why she hadn’t thought of that. She bent, putting her right ear to the cold stone. Her father had taught her how to listen to the vibrations in the stone and how to decipher them as well. She listened, but Ragnar’s big boots grated the stone as he shifted his weight around, and she hissed at him to stay still. When still the smallest movements from him were too loud, she told him to go stand on a stump. Azzeal did the same, and Raene closed her eyes and plugged her other ear.

  The vibrations came to her through the stone faintly at first, but she listened closer, and closer still, ignoring her own heartbeat and focusing on the distant something that murmured through the rock, echoing between the fissures and leading like roots to the heart of the mountain. There were many creatures below ground, hundreds, no, thousands of them. They were large creatures, but they stepped lively. Voices came to her as well. They were much too low to make out the words or even the language, but they were there, a chorus of voices repeating a chant.

  “There be many voices. They be drekkon, I be assumin’.” Raene looked to Azzeal. “But I can’t make out what they be sayin’. All I can tell is they be chantin’.”