by Jake Yaniak
Thus Natham had only the idea of his beloved's suffering and affliction before him, leading him into the traps of Marin. 'Wilt thou swear allegiance now to the Queen Marin?' the lady Nerria asked him in Kollun. 'Wilt thou march against those who would commit such outrages? For Dadron's sins pile up to the sky, blotting out even the sun. Now is the hour of its downfall. No longer shall its lords abuse their neighbors in such a manner without answer.'
Natham fought within himself, half of him wanting to call the heavens above upon his head in witness of his oath, the other half remembering the advice of his Master: 'No one, by swearing, makes themselves an ounce more honest; any more than a man makes himself wealthy by counting his gold. Oaths may make a liar a liar yet again, having lied about the oath as well. But it cannot alter the worth of an honest man's word, save to make a distinction between that spoken in sincerity and that to which he gives little heed. But an honest man, if we are to consider him to truly be such, will speak no such idle words.'
'I swear nothing,' he answered. 'All I say is this: I will fight until the honor of Lyris is restored to her, and against any who set their will against me. No oath need I to keep my word.'
Against Dadron the Great
The chief strongholds of the elves in Tel Arie, or of the Ancients as they are called in Weldera, were Dadron in the North, Malgier in the South, past the Gilwela Marshlands, and Holon in the drylands south of Amlaman. Holon, as I mentioned before, was destroyed utterly by Xanthur in his war against elvendom, never to be rebuilt or inhabited. Malgier was hidden in such a remote place that even some of the elves in the days of their ascendency openly doubted its existence. High in the mountains, past a massive festering swamp, and beyond a maze of perilous canyons and cliffs, the Kingdom of Bralahi in Malgier was safe from all of its enemies; and all of its enemies were, in turn, safe from the Kingdom of Bralahi.
Luma, the greatest city in Illmaria, which lies to the south of Weldera, was, of the elven cities, the fairest, the oldest, and the most populous, but it was not well fortified. All the elves looked to Falruvis, Highlord of the Argent elves, for their security and defense. Indeed, on many occasions he gave them great reason to place their hope in him. But a record of the victories of Falruvis would be superfluous here, as they were by this time long passed into history.
Dadron the Great! Built when the world was young, it's walls have stood firm now for over three-thousand years. As one may well imagine, this is no easy feat. The genius that crafted those five high walls of stone has not yet been rivaled in all the works of the world, save perhaps in the great tower of Lapulia, where men study magic and devilry. Beyond the first wall is a place called Dusktown, for there the sun only shone at high noon; the second wall rose so high above it that all morning light was shut out. In turn the eastern wall was so tall that it forbid even the waning western sun from lighting the fields there. The elves, in the days of their wealth and happiness, had put great lights, burning throughout the day with the oil of Aguians, those great fish that men call whales.
Above Dusktown was built Dadron City, where the greater part of the nobility dwelt. There the schools were built to educate the high-blooded elves and the libraries were built to safeguard the knowledge of the Ancients. Yet another tall wall separated Dadron City from the Farmlands, where much of the food of Dadron was grown. Here the land was flat for many acres and received more sunlight than the other levels of the city. Most of these farms were owned by the noblemen and scholars who lived in the City, though they were almost all worked by the lesser elves of Dusktown (who would be locked out of the higher portions of the city at night).
Beyond the Farmlands was the City of the King, where Highlord Falruvis and his kin once dwelt in splendor unrivaled. The great palace of Dadron was built there with many tall towers, reaching for the heavens, even as the people of Dadron reached for the skies with their might and wisdom, ever grasping at higher things. But this was not the highest level of Dadron. Beyond even the glory of Falruvis was the Temple of Pelas, which was built out of pure white stones, quarried only in Dadron in the days of old. Here a great statue of Pelas was made, as I have described in another place. In the shining light of this temple the whole land of Falsis seemed to bask, giving the city of Dadron its name, the 'City of God', or the 'Fortress of Pelas' and many other such titles. Here the elves worshipped their lord with subtle but mysterious rituals, ever officiated by the Highlord, who alone among either mortals or immortals seemed to be able to commune with Pelas. Thus he became the High Priest of Pelas and the High King of all Elves, ruling from the pinnacle of the world, it seemed, in the unconquerable Fortress of Dadron. Truly in all the history of Tel Arie there had been no greater king than Lord Falruvis the Ancient.
It should not then surprise my readers to discover that Lord Falruvis had his share of enemies. Such opulence does not, as it were, spring forth from the ground upon command. Though he was undoubtedly kinder than his mortal counterparts, and though they abhorred the word and the idea, even the High Elves of old had their slaves. They did not keep them in Dadron, as many of the barbarians of the human lands kept their slaves bound within their own domains. But they kept them nonetheless. Their constant demand for more wealth, the constant threat of their invincible army, and their great horde of slowly accumulated wealth and wisdom made many of those in Weldera and Kollun, and even some in Olgrost and Dominas, into their vassals and servants. A vampire they seemed to such people; they could not believe that all the toil and labor that they undertook on the great city's behalf was well deserved, and many among them grew weary and disloyal. Rebellions broke out here and there, and Falruvis' army was quick to stomp them out, only fueling further the resentment of his distant subjects. It became a saying in the East, that 'You cannot see the light of Dadron from Lapulia,' a phrase that is commonly attributed to that great rebel Xanthur himself, though it is almost certain that the phrase came from a much later age.
Of the fall of Dadron, I will have more to say in due course. For now, however, I must simply explain that even in its fallen state the walls of the city were yet impervious; and the gates, though worn and battered by time and war, were still strong. It was still the greatest fortress in the known world. There was also a great mystery that seemed to be bound up and buried beneath the Temple of Pelas. The stones themselves would be worth more than can be imagined. It was inconceivable that there was not some secret trove of wisdom or wealth hidden under Pelas' throne by the cunning Falruvis in the days of his glory. It was widely believed, by those who lived without the walls of Dadron, that some great secret lay buried beneath that great Temple, though the people of Dadron themselves had no notion of such a thing. Suffice it to say, however, all men of means and influence wanted Dadron for themselves, whether they would ever dare to make an attempt for it or not. The lust for the might and mysteries of the City of God were most keenly felt, if history is any proof, by the Queen of Marin, the King of Amlaman, whoever he may be, and the Mages of Lapulia who by some trick of Fate do not enter into this tale. It was a league of just these foes that brought about Dadron's fall in the days of Galvahir and the Heroes of Noras. But their disappointment did not seem in any way to have lessened the credulity of their descendants, who once more seemed poised to bath Weldera in blood for the sake of the splendor and rumor of this ancient city.
To this end was Natham deceived, that he might set his strength against the mighty city for the aggrandizement of Marin and her allies in the west.
Charade
The ancient error had always been to start the invasion of Falsis from the east, near the sea of Kollun. Kolfa, the old elf port that was built upon the sandy shores of the Falsi River Delta, had been sacked more times than it would be honorable to record. But save for that final war against Dadron, when Falruvis at last met his end, the wars had never gone much further. Beyond Kolfa the invaders would be forced to defend and maintain the occupation of every major city for almost five hundred leagues. When at last this had
been accomplished they must retain enough strength to lay siege to the Lord of all Fortresses, Dadron the Great. It should not surprise my readers to know that this strategy has always ended in defeat. It was only when the might of Amlaman, Olgrost and Dominas alike were united under Czylost (combined also with certain internal conflicts, as I will later describe) that at last the ancient elf fortress was taken. The Titalo invaders, who later became known as the Daeveron, were only successful in their conquest of Falsis because they did not even for a second consider challenging the might of Dadron. They took the land of Falsis from the ancient Noras and left the King of the Elves in peace.
Marin was not planning to make that ancient error in its conquest of Dadron. The first warships arrived, not in the east near Kolfa, nor even in the Bay of Falir, which lay on the northeastern shores of Weldera, but in the frozen north, where the Northern branch of the Coronana mountains finally ended. They landed in a place called 'Isroc', and sent their troops along difficult roads to an encampment just twenty leagues from Libraeva, a city of the Daeveron. In any other age this would have been folly in the highest degree, for it was too close to that dark forest where the remnant of the Noras lived in great strength. But Marin had little to fear from the Galvahirne; for their strong men were perished, she believed, in battle with goblins in the Coronan mountains, and their lord had been dispossessed of his authority. All that remained of that noble house was now locked away in the Fortress of Dadron, where the armies of Marin and her allies would soon find him. Desiring the might of the Monster of Vestron, Marin meant to lead Natham into the war on her behalf by blaming Lord Biron's nephew Olver with the kidnapping of Lyris. 'This love of his,' Marin said coldly to her captains, 'however unnatural and strange, is a thing of great value to us. See to it that no hint of our plan is revealed to the monster. We must march as though our every deed is on behalf of this woman Lyris. To this end you must declare it to our soldiers, that they fight not for glory or conquest, but for the honor of their sister warrior Lyris, who has been apprehended by this rebel brigand of Dadron.'
And so it was that even the soldiers who fought beside him had the same delusion in mind, that the war was to free Lyris from her imprisonment in Dadron, and to avenge her maltreatment by the hands of Fell Olver the Rebel.
Natham, as he was in Vestron, was not willing to shed blood without cause, nor did he take any liking to the destruction of innocent life. Therefore he insisted that a message be sent, warning this Chieftain of Dadron that the consequences of his deeds would be severe if he refused to release the lady Lyris to her people. Furthermore, he had a message sent to Libraeva, Daeva, Celesh, Mor and Solibree demanding that they 'set their wills against this brigand Olver until he has released his captive and returned her to a place of honor.'
These messages were indeed sent, but none of them ever reached their destinations. The messengers to Libraeva, moreover, did not return, and a message was sent to Natham saying, 'Return to the sea, dogs, for we fear not the girls of Marin, who hide their ugliness behind the thick armor of men. We will not betray our lord in Dadron, nor will any captives be set free on your behalf. The land of Daevas belongs to the men of Daevas, not to the women of Olgrost.'
Ollitov, the queen's husband, was in the camp to oversee the war, and it was he that showed this message to the monster. 'What shall we do then?' he asked. 'For they mock us, even as we offer them peace.'
Natham's rage burned within him. 'If they are not of a mind to surrender the girl to her people, then I will go to Dadron and rescue her myself.'
It is certain that no such message was penned by the men of Libraeva. In later years it was shown that at no time in all the history of Weldera did the men of Daevaron refer to themselves by the name 'Daevas'; this was the term used in Olgrost, and in Kollun. But Natham, as I said, knew very little of the ways of this land, though even many wiser men may have been led astray by this charade. The messengers were certainly not slain, as it was reported to Natham. But who can search out every rank and file of the Marin host and discover where these messengers were reassigned? Who can find the truth in a mountain of lies?
Natham took up his spear and his shield, rallied the soldiers of Marin to his side, and many more hirelings besides, and marched to war against Daevaron.
Libraeva and Daeva City
On the sixth day of Florhus, the town of Libraeva was taken by the warriors of Marin. The men of that town fought bravely, but the terror of the monster was overwhelming and it was not long before they threw their arms to the ground and surrendered to the eastern warriors. An attempt was made to rescue the town by a great host from Daeva, and the armies battled on the northern banks of the Daeva River, which flows east from Lake Libros. But the might of Natham, the skill of the Marin soldiers, and the sheer number of the hirelings soon sent them back to Daeva in retreat, where they were greeted with mourning and trembling. Messages were sent to their neighbors, men rushed about, preparing for war, and all the country was alerted to this strange threat. Much to their dismay, no help would come from Noras. Cheft Ponteris now ruled over the forest as if he were a king, and he flatly refused to send any aid, 'No shaft of arrow shall leave this forest,' he said coldly to his servants, 'for the troubles of these yellow-haired brigands concern us not. It was they,' he reminded them. 'who once upon a time conquered our kin in the days of old, while we suffered under the darkness of Agon.'
Another force of soldiers from Marin arrived on the shores of Celesh, razing much of that city to the ground. Lady Nerria the Renowned commanded them, and they made short work of the people of Celesh, and, a little later, of the people of Mor in the dark forest which bears their name.
By the middle of the month of Ninus, as summer began to fade into a cool autumn, Natham led the army of Marin to victory in Solibree. Through all of this, there was no word from the forest of Noras. Cheft Ponteris kept his part of the bargain well; 'Do not allow the men of Noras to march in war against the armies of Marin,' he had been commanded by that Dark Knight of Amlaman, the one they called Lord Havoc.
'But how shall I restrain the brave men of Galva-la?' he asked.
'Fear not,' he told him confidently, 'I will deal with the sons of Galvahir.'
'But what of the sons of Biron?' Ponteris asked, trembling.
Havoc laughed heartily, drawing his long sword from its sheath. 'Have you, in all your years, my dear Cheftan, seen such a blade as this?'
'I assure you that I have not,' he said in amazement. The blade shone in the firelight like a star of heaven, seeming to steal the very light of the fire for itself, darkening the room and drawing the eye ever to its keen edge.
'This blade, which is named Thosclay in the west, is more ancient than even that blade upon which the house of Biron is founded, and greater too, for it is older and of better workmanship.
'But what of Dynamis?' Ponteris said, 'it is said that of living men there are few greater warriors.'
Havoc laughed again, 'It is said? It is said? We will see, then, my dear Cheftan. But I assure you that my blade has been tested against many mighty men, among whom the whelp of Biron would be ashamed to show his face.' The meeting thus ended with Ponteris being assured that no peril would come to him from the sons of Biron. 'All you must do, my friend, is hold back the might of Galva and of the Noras; do not let them march to a war that concerns them not. Do this, I say, and the land of Noras will forever be wrested from the brutish hands of the sons of Galvahir.'
Though now only one hundred and fifty leagues lay between the army of Marin and the Fortress of Dadron, it was not yet time to set their blades against it. Nonetheless, a watch was set upon the city, lest its armies should pour out and come against them at unawares. It seemed for the time being, however, that the lords of Dadron were mustering their strength against a siege and gathering the fleeing refugees of Daevaron within their walls. They were not prepared to march out to war.
The next task of the army of Marin was to come against Kolfa, from whom they wou
ld face considerable danger should they rise up against them from the east while they battled Dadron.
As if to confirm the political criticisms of Natham, the Democracy of Kollun did nothing to stay the ambitions of Marin, even allowing them to pass their troops through their waters, docking at times at their northernmost port city of Poula. These soldiers came at last to land just south of Kolfa, from whence they began their assault upon the sandy city. This was in the middle of Morest, when the snow first began to fall. Kolfa withstood them for less than a month before it surrendered.
Ollitov marched with Natham through the woods of Rauv and came upon the city of Lak, which lies upon the Falsi river east of Dadron. Their heroes poured out to challenge the invaders, but Natham made an end of them all. 'For what does this beast so rage?' was the lament of all the people of Daevaron in that time. And ever the beast would answer, demanding the release of Lyris from Dadron. But no answer could be given him, for his beloved was not in Dadron.
