The Fires of Starpoint Mountain

by Bill Albert

  “We have to find Lincilara then, as soon as we can,” Jakobus said. “Then I must take her to Novelevon,” he added and stopped at the sharp glance from Gallif. “You have to trust me on this.”

  Gallif resisted thinking of her parents in the fire and her suspicion about its origin.

  “I’ve seen that look in your eyes before, Gallif,” Jakobus said as he stepped closer to her. He took her hand and pressed it against his chest over his heart as he looked into her green eyes. “I told you of the wicked ways of my youth and you suspect I started the fire that killed your family.”

  Luvin gasped in shock and took a step forward to protect her. Rosario grabbed him tight and urged him to wait.

  “I don’t think it was your fault,” she said troubled. “I don’t think you meant to do it,” her voice trembled often sorrow.

  “No that’s not it,” Jakobus pleaded with her. “You and I, individually, have much in common. We both know the difference between right and wrong. We both want the elves freed and an end to the Giant Lords tyranny. We fought together, and seen those that we love die, but you are forgetting we are not the same. We dwarves live much longer than humans. The evil actions of my youth, the fire, were over long before you were born.”

  Tears flowed from Gallif’s eyes despite the joy of realizing how wrong she had been. She was also reminded of how seductive those old habits still work.

  “I’m sorry, Jakobus, that my trust in you failed.”

  “As you should be,” he said with a glimmer in his eyes to let her know she was forgiven.

  “So how do we find this fairy?” Rosario asked.

  “We don’t,” Luvin informed her flatly. “We just need to find a place to hide for a while and she’ll find Gallif.”

  “Come with me,” Rosario said, and they all ran off after her.

  ***

  Rosario led them to a chamber deep inside the catacombs of the city. The chamber was filled with rusted and collapsed rocks, chairs and tables and they surmised it had been used for combat training. When they found the room there been webs covering every inch. They had used torches to burn away just enough space so they could meet in private and left the torches burning to keep the fist sized or bigger spiders away.

  Mekon was here along with three other Giant Lords agents. Each of them had been carefully threading through the ranks of the Giant Lords in finding those they could trust.

  “We have spoken with most of the healers at the caregivers,” Cokinis, a human female with dark hair said. “They are pretty ambivalent about what happens in politics these days. They really seem to think if there is no one for them to heal it’s not of their business. They won’t help us in a confrontation, but they won’t work against us either. I think as long as it’s on their territory they would heal us when necessary.”

  “I’ve spoken with a few of the casters, but it made little progress. Many of them are happy and loyal to the way things are and don’t want any disruptions. I suspect that when every thing’s done, they will side with the Council of Ministers and the Giant Lords. We’ve had to work slowly,” Tuttrup, a giant, who had been working inside Spring Field added.

  “I been very careful in sounding out the militia,” Claman added. “Their dedication is to the Giant Lords, they don’t want to turn on them,” she said and there was an unsettling rumble from the rest of the group. Having once been part of the hobgoblin militia herself she had risked a great deal even broaching the subject. “Despite that they are neither blind nor dumb. I’ve spoken openly with a few, very few, and asked them the right questions. They’ll need a good reason to go against the giants.”

  “They’re going to have one,” Rosario said as they made their presence known.

  “Gallif,” Mekon smiles. “You look well for someone was supposed to be executed a few hours ago.”

  “To tell you the truth I haven’t figured out why I wasn’t executed yet. I thought the third Minister may have done it but I’m not sure.”

  “I must admit that it was me,” Jakobus said. Before anyone could speak, he opened his palm and showed them a blue glass token cylinder with wavy lines engraved around it.

  “I don’t understand,” Mekon said in confusion. “Dwarves generally don’t approve of jump casting.”

  “There was no other way I could get back here and save her,” Jakobus nodded. “This token was a gift of goodwill from Novelevon.”

  “Who?” Claman asked.

  “A caster involved with the Others,” Jakobus said then added, “among other things. Unfortunately, my experience is still limited. I could use it to pull Gallif from one end of the jump as long as I could see where she was. The other end of the jump was unpredictable but Novelevon guaranteed me it would be somewhere safe.”

  “And somewhere very important, as well,” Gallif added. “He must be a very powerful caster.”

  “Amongst other things,” Jakobus said and made it clear that was all he was going to say.

  “I have a question,” Claman said pointedly. “You said you didn’t believe the Third Minister was the one who jump cast you away. Why did you suspect that?”

  “He wouldn’t have put me someplace where I could move about freely. Also, when Luvin and myself showed up in his office he was very surprised.”

  They all looked at her wide-eyed and waited for her to continue.

  “I have something he wants. He’s going to have to make his move as soon as possible if he wants it. My hope is to force him to go when he’s not ready. Before he has all his agents in place.”

  “So, we just have to wait. We’ll have to keep an eye on the Council of Ministers,” Mekon said. “Whatever he does he’ll have to do it there.”

  “Good,” Tuttrup said. “They are easy to follow with her entourage and status. It won’t be difficult or unusual to keep track of them.”

  “Were forgetting one thing,” Cokinis said. “It’s not just the Third Minister and his own troops to consider, nor is it the rest of the Giant Lords, but the people of the Land of Starpoint. They worship the Giant Lords for two centuries. They will have to be dealt with as well.”

  “It’s already happening,” Gallif informed them. “There is a growing number of people out there having doubts about some of the Giant Lords.”

  Despite everything he knew Tuttrup still had to fight the urge to resist to Gallif’s open defiance of the Giant Lords. They had spent so much of their lives trusting the Giant Lords it was a difficult habit to break. He fought back the temptation but still had questions for.

  “Solely based on your activities?” Tuttrup challenger.

  “No,” Gallif said matching his tone. “My actions started it, but it would’ve been forgotten by now if it hadn’t been for one little girl who had a powerful weapon on her side. She asked questions. She made people think. Ask the right questions and you can change the world.”

  Tuttrup knew she was right but couldn’t let her off the hook that easily.

  “Will it be enough?” he asked.

  “Yes. I know the people out there. I grew up with them and I know what’s in their hearts,” she said calmly. “There’s something else we have on our side. Something so secret I haven’t even told you yet,” she said to Mekon.

  Unsure of what she meant, but still trusting her, Mekon rose to his feet and looked down at her.

  “Then it’s time we all know just how strong we are.

  “I need you,” Gallif called looking at the air above Cokinis.

  Lincilara became visible but zoomed in so fast it was hard to see anything more than a streak of light. The others jumped back thinking someone had fired a flaming arrow at them but Gallif stood still. Lincilara flew around Gallif three times before coming to a stop directly in front of her. With tears of joy streaming down her cheeks she kissed Gallif and the four head then gave her a warm hug.

  “I was scared for you!” Lincilara spoke so quickly she was stumbling over her words. “I had to come see you.”

  “L
incilara, I’m okay now, were safe here,” Gallif said gently trying to get her friend to calm down. “What happened with Blinks?”

  “Well, we made it to the outposts but there was no one there! We were worried. They were inside the caves, but didn’t move like statues, then attacked us. We hardly had any trouble getting to the library,” she said flying in circles, “but it was torn up. It was really bad.” She stopped spinning and continued to tell the story not realizing that she was now upside down. “And Marassa was there and she destroyed so much, but we went in any way to find a book then POW!” She said swinging her fists and imaginary enemies as she relived the adventure. “Then she tried to pretend it to be Angelia butt Blinks, he’s really smart, knew who she was and SMACK! So, she was gone. No more,” Lincilara said throwing her hands up in victory. “That did it! I think Blinks has a crush on Angelia, but he won’t say anything, because she had to stay in the library so we could leave and he looked really sad,” she finally finished and frowned. “We didn’t find a way to free Morris though,” she said winding down and her green fairy shine him from sadness.

  “Lincilara, it’s okay,” Gallif said gently. She cupped her hands together in the ferry gently sat down in her palms, her wings folded behind her. “Lincilara, we know how to free the other fairies from the cells. Jakobus found a way to do it back in the swamps.”

  Renewed with energy Lincilara jumped up and stood on Gallif’s crossed fingers.

  “There is a way to do it,” Gallif assured her. “You are the one who can do it?”

  “Me? How? When?”

  “You,” Jakobus said coming forward and smiling at her. “You can communicate with the other fairies. There are casts that will let you talk to them and teach them how to get out.”

  “Really?” Lincilara looked from Gallif to Jakobus and then back again and sheer disbelief. “You promise?”

  “Yes,” Gallif said, absolutely sure.

  Lincilara nodded and smiled. The glow from her own body increased and they all felt the confidence of pure joy around her.

  “What do I have to do?” Lincilara asked.

  “You have to go with Jakobus, back to the swamps, he’ll introduce you to a man named Novelevon and he will teach you what to do.”

  Lincilara blinks rapidly trying to deal with conflicting emotions. She asked, “but who will take care of you?”

  “Luvin is here. He’ll watch my back.”

  Lincilara looked at Luvin with a smile and blew him a kiss. He blushed and nodded back at her.

  “Rosario is here. I trust her like a trust you,” Gallif said.

  Rosario step forward, kissed the tip of a finger, then lowered it to the ferry who slowly bent over, sniffed it, then kissed the human woman’s fingers as well.

  “She smells really nice,” Lincilara giggled and Rosario couldn’t help but laugh.

  “There’s more of us now,” Gallif said nodding to the those still watching from the back of the area.

  Lincilara looked at them, wrinkled her nose and shrugged, then jumped out of Gallif’s hands, walked up her arm, and kissed her on the cheek. Then she gently fluttered to Jakobus, landed on his metal plated armor, and sat down.

  Though she had not noticed them they had definitely noticed her. Tuttrup stood in shock unable to deny what she saw. She knew it wasn’t just the giant world that was going to change. Everything was going to be different.

  Claman shook her head thinking of the number of discussions she’d had with casters about the possibilities of what the fairy’s powers had been. There was going to be so much to learn.

  Cokinis took a long slow look at Lincilara in thoughts of an upcoming war faded away from her. She knew it was possible, just barely, that what she was looking at now was peace.

  Mekon took a deep breath, step forward, and leaned closer kissing and holding out his finger trying hard to prevent tears from dropping down his cheeks. When she kissed his fingers and smiled, he felt like the most powerful giant in the world.

  “I would be honored to call you my friend,” Mekon said. When she smiled and waved back at him, he could no longer stop them from flowing. “We must keep going.”

  They all knew what he meant and Jakobus prepared to leave.

  “Do I need to hang on?” She asked him.

  “No,” he said with a chuckle. “It’s a very smooth trip. Good luck, my friends and companions,” he said to the rest of. “I will pray to Ha’dar that we will all reunite safely sometime soon.”

  “We will, Gallif said brightly. “Take care of your passenger.”

  “I will,” Lincilara said.

  Jakobus took a few steps away then drew the token Novelevon had given him. He whispered something and slowly waves the token in a circle around him. There was a light, a brief shimmer, and they were gone. Gallif watch the empty space for almost a full minute before turning to the rest of them.

  “I think we should make our move and confront them with everything we have as soon as possible,” Gallif said.

  “Yes,” Mekon added in his most commanding voice. “But first, I must know, how you came to be so close to a fairy.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE: BLOOD FRENZY

  The First Minister sat alone in the Council Chamber. It was just after midnight and it was the anomalies in the landscape that causes attention. The temple was placed at this point in Spring Field not just to have an open view of Starpoint Mountain, or the twin towers of rock that remained of it, but to see directly outside the giant wall. From here was possible to see the big events, awards, celebrations and executions during the day and the peaceful grace of night. This night was unusual. Despite the failure in the scheduled execution several hours ago there were still lots of people hanging around. He counted at least 40 campfires very close to the main gate. He suspected there were more that were too small for him to see our watchers who had decided to stay in the dark. Usually they had dispersed by now on the landscape was empty.

  The state of affairs made him feel uncomfortably like they were being watched. They had lots of questions and were not going to leave until they got some answers. Normally the King or some other official would have spoken to them and encourage them to go home. They waited and from this height he could sense their curiosity, distrust, and more importantly, anger.

  This is something that the Giant Lords would have to deal with soon. It would not go away.

  Where was Gallif? That would be one of the first questions they wanted answered. He had to admit he would like that answered as well. Where could she be and who was it who took her? He had, like many of the others on the Council, suspected that the Third Minister was behind it but after watching him during the Council he doubted it now. The Third Minister had always been difficult to read, he had no tics or any mannerisms that gave his true motives away and did not appear to be guilty. He looked to justice surprised and concerned as the rest of them.

  He had hoped that if the Third Minister had not have taken her that perhaps the Second Minister and the Sixth Minister had but he ruled them out as well. The Sixth Minister was easy to decipher with his habit of stroking his beard as a clear sign he was worried about something. He did not know where she was.

  The disturbing thought of it possibly being someone other than the Giant Lords had also crossed his mind. The situation was bad enough as it was without a third-party getting involved. There had been rumors that the Druids were searching for lost Princess who may have been here. If that were true and the Druids had taken her then the situation would be worse. It would be bad enough with two giant factions to deal with, but a third-party invasion would be devastating not just for the Giant Lords but for everyone. How could the Giant Lords protect them from invaders when they couldn’t keep one human girl hostage?

  He looked down at the fires and hoped that there was someone strong and reasonable and each of them. Someone who would prevent things from getting out of hand.

  He had sent Kellis down there to investigate and expected her back in a fe
w hours.

  ***

  Around one of the campfires 30 citizens of the Land of Starpoint Mountain sat quietly. They had been close enough to the stage to see Gallif disappear as the axe fell and had spent a great deal of time debating exactly what it happened.

  Theories were as wild and rampant as a grass fire on a dry day. Some believed that the entire event was an illusion and Gallif had never been there at all. Others believed the redhaired girl had been so wicked that daimons themselves had reached up and grabbed her. Still more thought that the condemned had been innocent and her own God had taken her to safety. One person had even proposed something much simpler than that. She had proposed that there was some hidden trap door in the stage and Gallif had escaped at the last second and was now traveling amongst them.

  “Where would she be,” Arlo, a halfling boy, challenged his sister Arlis. “She got out of the bottom of the stage, past all the guards, and loose into the forest with us now? Don’t be stupid.”

  “Just because you’re 17 now that doesn’t mean you can be mean to me!” Arlis protested by batting his arm.

  “Since you are only 13 is still allowed,” he scoffed back at her.

  “Is not!”

  “Is to!”

  “Is not!”

  “Is to!”

  “Says who?”

  “The Giant Lords said so!”

  Arlis’s shoulders slumped at the news. She couldn’t help but feel guilty because, if the Giant Lords and said it, then it was okay for him to be mean to her. Sadly, she bit her lips realizing she was just going to have to put up with it.

  Sitting next to the brother and the sister were two elderly human males who looked at each other and smiled.

  “Were we ever that young?” Harlan, a chubby man with very little hair left on his head asked.