I need you to speak my words, she continued.
What . . . what do you want me to do?
Repeat to the court exactly what I say, and keep your eyes closed. Do you understand, child?
Yes.
Braxton took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and waited for Serene’s words. The court continued on around him, the king’s rich voice periodically rising above the others. Brax listened quietly to events he didn’t understand, wondering why he was there. He’d saved his mom and was eager to spend time with her back at her tree. He asked Serene what to say, but she wouldn’t respond, and he just kept thinking about his mom or returning home with Phinlera, sitting beside him.
“Our scouts have reported large groups of Mins massing in the western Dunes,” Kael was saying. He was the Blademaster, Bendarren had explained, the finest swordsman in all of Arbor Loren. He strode around the court, confidently addressing the king and the council members.
“Many of our flyers have not returned,” he said, “and I fear they’re being shot down. Patrols were sent out, but only one of their number returned. He says they were attacked by Mins armed with ballistae and flocks of vipers coming off the peaks at Ben-Gar.”
“This is a significant change in the Min attitude,” Illian, the general of the elven army and a man of high distinction, stated. “First an attack on the Gates in the western lands, and now the massing of armies on our eastern border. Clearly the Mins are preparing for war.”
“Why the sudden show of strength?” the king asked. “After centuries of peaceful coexistence within the Dunes, what has changed?”
It is the work of the Dark Child, Serene said. Tell them, she added to Braxton when he didn’t respond.
Brax stood up, took a deep breath, and spoke Serene’s words aloud to the court.
Everyone stopped and turned in shocked silence. A murmur rippled through the elves, an obvious combination of offense and surprise reflected in their quiet voices.
“You dare to speak at our court?” Kael retorted. “By all rights you shouldn’t even be here. And what does a half-breed human boy know of such matters anyway?”
I know a great deal more than you, Kael Illyuntarie, came Serene’s response, which Braxton relayed nervously, trying to steady his hands by holding them behind him. Interrupting the court was clearly an affront to the elves and one that Kael took personally.
“I should kill you where you stand for this disgrace!” the Blademaster snapped, moving quickly across the platform to Brax. “You’re the son of an outcast woman who forsook our people’s deepest customs, insulted our honor by marrying a human, and dirtied our blood. Her half-breed child dares to return, carrying her essence, and he has the indecency to stand here in our court and speak aloud like an honored guest!” Kael drew his sword. “I claim the right of Emari,” he cried, turning toward the king and bowing deeply.
Eilandoran nodded slowly. The Blademaster stood right in front of Brax.
“This is a fight to the death, boy,” he said flatly. He was so close Braxton could feel his warm breath on his face. “I hope you’re prepared to die.” He strode over to the right side of the court and waited.
Draw my sword, child, came Serene’s calm guidance.
What? I cannot possibly defeat him! He’s an elven Blademaster! He’s way beyond my skill.
Yes, child, he is, but he is not beyond mine. Draw my sword, and step aside. This is something I will do.
Braxton took another deep breath, trying to steady his nerves. He reached a shaking hand over his head and grasped the handle of the Unicorn Blade. Kael chuckled at the sight of his nervousness. But as Brax’s grip tightened, a massive rush of spirit magic flowed into him. Serene came forward into his consciousness so completely that she took over his entire physical form, beyond anything she’d done before. It was a strange sensation, as if a much larger and greater being had suddenly stepped right into his body. He pulled himself aside awkwardly in his mind, allowing her to take control.
His body straightened to its full height, which seemed small in comparison to her overlaying presence. The power of her energy flowed through him, awakening every muscle to her magical form. All fear, all doubt, all apprehension fell away like sand to a rushing wave, and the calm, euphoric feeling embraced him completely. His eyes stayed closed as she lifted his head and drew the sword. A ringing echoed across the court as the blade was released, silencing the assemblage. For a moment nobody moved, and Braxton could hear the blood pumping in his ears.
Kael rushed forward with incredible speed, striking a decisive upward blow that Braxton knew, alone, would have ended his life. But Serene had already raised her weapon, even before the attack came, and calmly deflected the strike, angling Brax’s body sideways to the elf. Surprise rippled through the court as Kael’s forward momentum moved him past his opponent. Braxton felt as if the whole world stood still. Then the Blademaster turned and struck again, moving his sword at lightning speeds—above, below, across—but each time, Serene deftly blocked his efforts. The two blades rang out across the awestruck audience. Repeatedly Kael attacked, darting left and right, swinging low, then overhead. He danced around Braxton in a blur to the wide-eyed Phinlera, watching in fear. But Serene continued to block his strikes as the two opponents maneuvered about the platform.
“Enough of this!” The words burst from Braxton’s mouth after several more minutes of Kael’s offensive. Then Serene struck back. She moved Braxton’s body forward, his arm swinging so fast that Kael could barely deflect her attacks. He stumbled back from the onslaught of Serene’s superior skill. After a half-dozen more strikes that pushed the elf completely across the court, Serene flicked Brax’s wrist and Kael’s sword flew from his hand, sliding away across the wooden floor. The Unicorn Blade ended with its point pressed against his throat.
“I am Elhunarie.” The words came out of Braxton. “And this half-breed boy, as you call him, is my Chosen. I expect your loyalty and your counsel. Or has the Dark Child’s influence so overshadowed the elven people that you forget your place?”
The silence was beyond anything Braxton had ever heard, as if the entire forest had suddenly been stilled; even the birds and insects were quiet. He could feel every eye staring at him, there within the calm serenity of Serene’s protection.
“Now, listen carefully,” she said, removing the spirit sword from Kael’s throat and turning Brax to face the council members. “The Min gathering is not by chance. It is the work of the Dark Child, guided by the Witch Sisters of Dahgmor. They have gathered the tribes together and united them under a single banner, their banner, with the intent of destroying the elven people.
“The attack on your Walking Gates was intended to disrupt the western lands, causing each to close its borders to one another—a clever plan that has achieved its goal. The Dark Child knows this and is preparing for war. You have little time left before the full onslaught and power of the Min army is brought against your eastern border, and they are a number far beyond your reckoning. You cannot hold back this storm when it comes, and it will break upon your forest with a ferocity that even the feil cannot protect. You have this one chance. Attack before their army is at full strength. If not, Arbor Loren will fall. Even now you cannot defeat them, for they already outnumber you many to one. You need help. Call upon the allegiances of old. Only together can you hope to stop this tide.”
She turned Braxton to face the Blademaster. “I require your assistance, Kael Illyuntarie. In exchange for attacking me today, you will train my Chosen, for he will need to face the Dark Child before the end, and he is woefully unprepared. I put him in your charge now. Make sure he is ready when the time comes, for I will not be able to aid him again as I have today.
“You have much to do, children of the forest,” she said, moving Braxton to look at the council again, “and little time in which to achieve it. Heed well my words, or the beloved Arbor Loren will fall.”
Serene pulled back then, her essence receding complete
ly from Brax’s body and the spirit magic dispersing as quickly as it had come. He convulsed, opening his eyes and dropping to his knees. Looking down, he retched onto the platform. Shivering uncontrollably, his body continued reacting to the unexpected energy change.
Phinlera ran to him and wrapped her cloak around his shoulders.
“You all right?” she asked, concern reflected in her voice.
“Get him some broth to drink,” Bendarren shouted. “Quickly!”
He heard movement, and the elves handed him a small bowl of warm liquid.
“Drink this.” Phin helped him raise it to his lips.
Braxton drank slowly, trying not to spill its contents with his shaking hands. The warmth of the broth soothed him, relaxing his body, allowing his energy to return.
When he looked up at the court, his eyes met stunned faces. The shock of what had occurred, and the warning that had been given, still overwhelmed the elves. It was Kael who spoke first.
“I owe you an apology,” he said calmly, towering over Braxton and extending his hand. “My honor blinded me, and for that, I am truly sorry. I accept the charge from the one who walks with you and take responsibility for my actions. I vow to train and protect you.”
Braxton smiled, took his hand, and shook it weakly.
“Thank you. I am honored to learn from a Blademaster.”
“The honor is mine, young Braxton Prinn.”
He walked over to a small table to the left of King Eilandoran, opened its single drawer, and withdrew a long piece of red ribbon. Kael stood there for a moment looking at the silk cloth. Then he turned toward the court and tied it around his right bicep.
There was an outcry from the elves.
“No, Kael, you cannot!” General Illian came to his feet. The council members voiced their agreement, and a murmur of discussion broke out.
Walking to the center of the platform, the Blademaster held up his hands for silence. “In response to my recent actions and foolish heart of late, I accept Balen-Tar.” He tore the symbol of the golden eagle from his left breast and dropped it to the wooden floor.
The court erupted in protest. All of the gathered elves standing now, loudly voicing their disapproval.
“Be still!” King Eilandoran rose, silencing the court and the considerable crowd that had gathered from the forest. He turned to the Blademaster. “Kael Illyuntarie, long have you served Arbor Loren with grace, courage, and distinction. The elven people do not agree that you have been dishonorable, and neither do I.” The crowd agreed. “However,” Eilandoran went on, quieting his people, “this choice is yours alone to make.” He paused to emphasize his words. “I ask you then, do you call Balen-Tar freely upon yourself? And I urge you to carefully consider the weight of your response.”
“Great king of Arbor Loren, gathered council members, and honored guests to our kingdom.” Kael walked around looking at those assembled. “Long have I served you, risked my life for you, and defended our homeland. And I believe I have done so with honor.”
The elves murmured their consent.
“However,” he continued, raising his voice above the court, “I cannot deny that which my heart now recognizes has brought shadow upon my actions. I therefore accept discommendation freely and will wear the cloth of Balen-Tar by my own choosing.”
Surprise and disagreement broke out among the elves again. The king raised his hand, forcing silence. “Kael has made his decision. The family and bloodline of Illyuntarie shall henceforth bear the mark of dishonor.”
Kael nodded, walked over to Braxton, and smiled at him weakly. “May the deeds of my future be greater than those of my past.”
Then he turned and left the court.
Chapter 23
King Eilandoran dismissed the court shortly after Kael’s exit, directing them to ready their armies and prepare for war. The elven kingdom seemed to come alive to Serene’s message, focusing on the preparations for what lay ahead.
Bendarren, however, led Brax and the others to a small glade, where long, intricately carved tables had been arranged beneath the giant oaks. As they sat together, an elven attendant brought them a silver platter filled with fruits, pies, and warm cakes.
“Couldn’t you find any meat?” Ruskin grumbled at noticing the lack of venison in the elven diet.
Brax and Phin, though, enjoyed the woodland fare and drank cool water from wooden goblets that never emptied.
“When Serene spoke to the council today,” Brax said to Bendarren, “she mentioned she is Elhunarie. Can you tell me what that means, for it’s a word I’ve not heard before?”
The elven master looked at Braxton and he felt a brief connection between Serene and the elf.
“Eons ago,” Bendarren replied, “there were no trees or mountains. No animals or birds or people. Indeed, there was no life. No world. Not even the sun or the stars.” He gazed up at the sky as if to emphasize his point. “There was just an endless void stretching on forever.
“Then a thought sprang from the darkness. The very first expression of life, and where it touched the void, light was created. And as the thought recognized its own self-creation, its own conception from nothingness, it grew in understanding of who and what it was. As it did so, the light expanded and became the great central sun.”
Bendarren poured himself a drink from an elaborate silver decanter an elven maiden had just set down, before continuing.
“Then the thought looked out across the void and perceived that it was alone. And so it pulled from deep within itself and created shards of radiant energy that it sent out into the darkness—Children made in its own image, lesser thoughts born of the One. These great beings traversed the void, their light calling back to the source, saying, ‘Father, there is nothing.’ And the One heard his Children and conceived that there should be light to guide them. So he sent out smaller suns, great stars created to brighten the darkness and further separate the void.
“And some of the Children called back to their Father again, saying, ‘Send forth a place where we can further your work.’ And the One heard their call and saw that their intentions were good, and he created giant balls of fire from within his own expanding form, radiant spheres that burned in his own brilliance. These he sent out to touch the cold of the void. As they did so, their outer shells cooled and hardened to form great orbs of rock that held the fire of life deep within them. And the One said to his Children, ‘Use these as your canvas upon which to create.’
“The Children worked with the rock, molding it into mountains and valleys. And where there were spaces left hollow, they filled them with water, cooled from the void. They pulled trees from deep within the life of the shell and set grasses and flowers to grow in abundance upon their surfaces. Then to their creations they sent forth animals and birds filled with tiny sparks of life taken from within themselves, just as the One had done, each giving willingly to serve their Father. And all that they created was beautiful and strong and abundant.”
Bendarren stopped to take a drink from his goblet and eat one of the warmed cakes. Brax and Phinlera sat quietly, eager for him to continue. Ruskin, however, appeared disinterested in the elf’s story and consumed large quantities of ale he’d discovered in the silver pitcher, stopping only to stuff more honey cakes into his mouth.
“Then,” their elven guide said, “some of the Children desired to see what it would be like to walk in the valleys, to visit the trees and the animals, and to experience all that had been created from the power of the One. And so they divided themselves into twelve smaller forms of the Children they once were, lesser gods that could exist within the constraints of a physical world. These came down to walk upon the earth for the first time, calling back to the One and telling him of all that existed. How beautiful and plentiful it was. And the One was pleased with his Children and said to them, ‘Create life that can walk upon the world to enjoy what has been created, and let it carry my seed, that it may know from whom it came.’ And the lesser gods li
stened to their Father and toiled long and hard, pulling from the light within themselves, given by the One, working with the greater Children who’d remained above, and together they formed the races of the world.
“The first of these were the elves and dwarves, created to care for the forests and the mountains. Then other pure forms, like giants and dragons, were given to serve the land and the air. All carried within them the knowledge of their god parents and the abilities that had been given to them to care for the world they loved. And for centuries, the various races lived in peace and life existed in balance.
“Then a few of the lesser gods wanted to create a life that would grow more rapidly and experience a broader range of what the world could offer—lives that would evolve from a tiny existence into a great awareness, and that would traverse the world to experience all that the One could provide. And so they created humans. These they formed in small tribes that were primitive at first, but that had the ability, more than others, to grow and evolve. To ensure that they focused on their lives and world alone, undistracted, the gods hid from mankind the knowledge of their parents and their descendant from the One—blocked from human consciousness but kept alive deep within them, that they might discover it for themselves.
“Finally,” Bendarren said, “the Children who had split into the lesser gods departed from this world, leaving it to grow on its own, watching it from the spirit realms, adjusting and aiding where needed. And for thousands of years, it flourished.
“Eventually, though, one of the lesser gods who’d helped create life thought that the human race needed guidance, as it had grown too rapidly and too wildly. And so he called together his brethren, and they pulled again from the light within themselves as their Father had done, and they sent forth another new life to walk upon this world. To these they gave full knowledge of the One, authority to rule over all other races, and the ability to understand and guide them, to counsel their need, and to vary creation so as to allow it to continue to grow. These that came were the Elhunarie—great masters sent by the lesser gods who split from the Children, born of the One.”
Cathadeus_Book One of the Walking Gates Page 14
