by K. A. Lentz
Tahlan limped along behind the small group, watching as the shadow-elf’s arm gradually grew back, until they passed the stout little tower still snoring along the hillside. With haste he diverged from the group and headed into the fortification. Foregoing any formalities, he took the reins of an unsaddled horse and mounted up without hesitation. In moments he was weaving through allied forces toward the open field, readying to race hard for the reaper’s nearly conquered frontline. He passed a few minor skirmishes along the way, yet pressed onward toward his goal. Keeping Kaiyssa entirely apprised of his progress, Tahlan routed around a small group of enemy troops defending their weakened line and rode hard for the private-lands beyond.
Meanwhile Kaiyssa firmly gripped Megoth’s shaggy fur, riding backwards, as she allowed the griffon to use his mental ability and see through her eyes. To and fro they zoomed; zigging and zagging around the dragon’s colossal head, trying to out maneuver the creature through agility rather than speed. The construct’s massive bulk refused to allow for such feats of aerial acrobatics and so the cunning griffon was able to keep Kaiyssa from jaw’s reach while waiting for Tahlan to get into position.
Pushing his horse, begging it to use every scrap of energy it possessed, Tahlan crossed into the horrorlands. Entering a land thought by many to be a gateway of death, Tahlan didn’t look back as he regally rode into the private domain of a reaper. Immediately the land began reacting to his intrusion. The ground had turned soft as dry sand, forcing his mare to struggle while hosts of earthen constructs began sluggishly crawling from below the surface. Not sparing them a glace, Tahlan pressed on.
“There, my love, there!” Kaiyssa’s voice echoed as if a loudspeaker from within his mind. Pulling hard on the reins, Tahlan dismounted but held tight to his nervous horse. Turning around to face the battlefield, he noticed an imposing rider charging forward with hard determination. Squinting through keen eyes, Tahlan made out Dominus’s figure quickly covering the ground between them. From behind, the dragon’s massive shadow loomed over the battlefield once more as it followed Kaiyssa and Megoth back the direction it originated. As the aerial struggle drew closer, Tahlan could see Megoth’s outline mirroring the images flowing into his mind from Kaiyssa’s. Diving and climbing, the agile griffon wove a web of tricks leading the dragon to its end.
Returning focus to events taking place on the ground, Tahlan was a little startled when Dominus was beside him once more. Turning his horse to face the horde of earthen constructs slowly trudging toward them, the eager swordsman asked, “Why are you not astride your mount my friend? We’ll need them to make a quick getaway.”
Tahlan shook his head and informed the warrior otherwise, “No, we shall not be making our escape that way. Sadly, we may need to sacrifice them in the hopes of buying time. Fight from atop your mount if you like, however when the dragon is upon us… you will need to be at my side, feet upon the earth.”
Dominus looked at the mob closing in on them and sobered a little at the sheer quantity of foes. Drawing both swords from behind his back, the warrior readied himself to face the onslaught. Tahlan brandished his weapons as well, yet his eyes remained glued to Kaiyssa and Megoth beginning their ascent.
Surprising the dragon with his sudden change of course, Megoth gave everything he had to each flap, hoping to gain a comfortable lead as they retreated into the clouds. Higher and higher the duo climbed until the air began to thin. Holding her breath, Kaiyssa clung to Megoth and waited for their moment to arrive. Like a shark swimming up from the depths of the ocean, the great crystalline dragon began exerting genuine effort to its climb; excitement for the kill growing within its bloodthirsty mind.
Now, Kaiyssa silently said to the ready griffon and he obeyed. Pushing off from the giant, stony maw rising up from the clouds, Megoth tucked his wings close up to Kaiyssa and dropped into a free-fall. The siren’s would-be executioner had been expecting the chomp of victory not the emptiness of escape. Unprepared to miss its mark, the construct floundered for a few seconds while struggling to adjust its massive bulk to follow. Properly aimed, the dragon mimicked Megoth and shot like a bullet toward the waiting party below.
As Tahlan had predicted, Dominus became keenly aware of their need to sacrifice the horses. Slapping both fated mares on the rear, the fighting duo was relieved to see a large group of elementals break from the crowd to chase the terrified horses. No longer fighting soft bodied undead, both warriors used the hilt of their blades to bash scores of fragile rock geists leaping in for a bite.
Kaiyssa knew the next part of their plan required her to go alone. Megoth knew it too, but refused at first. It was only by Tahlan’s encouragement through Kaiyssa’s open mind that he finally gave in. Breaking away from each other mid-fall, the pair sped off in different directions. Bringing her hands together overhead, the gutsy elf dove without fear toward the unforgiving ground below.
Heart pounding like thunder, Tahlan temporarily lost his battle-focus while watching his mate separate from Megoth and there-by unwittingly allowed his enemy open season. Slashing a deep gash along the side of his right cheek, a pair of geists nearly felled the preoccupied wood-elf. Feeling the shift in weight at his back and catching a distinctive whiff of elvish blood, Dominus turned in time to crush one of the elementals winding up for a bite into his new ally. Tahlan quickly crushed the second. Yelling to his companion, he warned, “My friend, I must ask that you defend us both as I hope to save us all.”
Dominus spared not a moment in taking point. Swinging the hilts of his weapons around like a metal dervish, the warrior deftly fended off an ever-replenishing horde. Closing his eyes, Tahlan kneeled down to the earth and spread one palm over the landscape’s confused surface. Calling upon an ancient gift unique to his people, the powerful forest-lord focused his will into an exhausting spell. Moments passed before the air began to vibrate and coalesce around the wood-elf, creating a mystical aura. Tahlan opened his eyes to the skies above and leveled his green-glowing gaze upon Kaiyssa. Dominus looked down at Tahlan and was caught off guard by the storm cloud of magic that churned around the wood-elf before it funneled into the ground beside his hand. Briefly distracted by his amazement, the warrior lost a measure of his own battle-focus and missed the geist leaping in for a bite. Quickly snapping back to task, Dominus let out a roar as he crushed the elemental attempting to sink its crystalline teeth deep into his forearm.
Ignoring the events around him, Tahlan watched and waited for the moment when his mate would impact the earth. Kaiyssa kept her trusting eyes locked on Tahlan’s as she approached. Sounding out over the din of combat, Tahlan roared, “Take a deep breath, NOW!”
Faster than the eye could discern the ground rose up to gently catch Kaiyssa, just before all three were collectively plunged into a deep pool of velvety, liquid earth. Like elevator doors slamming behind its occupants, the earth above the trio fused into a thick stone slab, marbled with veins of metal and columns of gem. Unable to stop in time, having never planned to do so in the first place, the enormous dragon ran headlong into the waiting blockade. Shattering in cascading bursts down the length of its towering body, the reaper’s construct was vanquished with the explosive grace of a dismantled skyscraper.
Shielded from the dragon’s massive impact, the small party rode safely within a river of mud flowing toward the newly conquered reaper-front. Caught along with Dominus in the initial dunk, a small group of rock geists swam hard to remain within the mudflow as Tahlan worked just as hard to exclude them from it. Calculating their location, the forest-lord pushed his party up through the earth’s surface, and then turned the ground solid as before. No longer able to move, the pursuing geists were trapped within a prison of their own element.
Covered in mud, Kaiyssa ran into Tahlan’s equally dirty embrace. The loving pair held each other tight as Dominus announced their identities to a group of riled soldiers closing-in, weapons drawn. Kissing the crown of her head Tahlan smiled inwardly as he noticed two mares running hard ac
ross the distant battlefield. Unable to hide his amazement any longer, Dominus approached the elvish couple and said rather breathless, “What just happened!?”
Tahlan laughed as he replied, “Well for my part, it is the gift of my people and the knowledge of trees. Many of my kind are able to direct the earth and forests. As for Kaiyssa…”
She smiled. Giving her mate another nuzzle before letting him go, she looked up at Tahlan and soberly stated, “I had no notion this battlefield still held such a curse. I have sung on others throughout the land and not a one produced any trouble.” After pausing for a moment to recall the last time she had seen such a spell, Kaiyssa continued her thought, “Cladessa was the last I saw to incur any response over a thousand years ago. I am sorry my actions caused such a deadly consequence, but I couldn’t stand by and watch you get ambushed by a third shadow-elf. It was surely seeking to end you my love.”
Dominus looked from one to the other, bewilderment pasted across his brow. Tahlan kissed the top of Kaiyssa’s head once more before explaining, “You are right my love, it was indeed after me… waiting for the opportune moment. Dominus came to my aid, as well as boasting its capture. The mages should have it subdued at the top of the hill by now.”
Dominus took this moment to step into the conversation, “Yes, they should be waiting for us at the stable-tower. I stayed behind long enough to ensure the foul thing had been bound. Our mages have been well trained through experience at such a spell, it takes them only a minute to complete.”
Nodding, Tahlan made the quick decision to get back to that tower and learn why the shadow-elf was hunting him. Kaiyssa heard his thoughts yet worried over Megoth’s continued absence. Both sets of eyes darted to the sky in unison, yet neither elf could detect anything soaring through the clouds above.
At the allied front, they pictured as one. Dominus stood and watched the couple stare at one another in silence and wondered what they weren’t telling him. Without warning Tahlan spoke, “We must get back to that shadow-elf, my friend, and see if the creature holds any answers. As Megoth is not in sight, it would be best if we started back now.”
Using action as agreement, the warrior fell into step beside the elvish couple and began the long walk back to the victorious frontline. When they finally arrived, Megoth was nowhere to be found. Kaiyssa rapidly passed by worry and stepped through the doorway into controlled panic. Compelled to go and look for her friend, Kaiyssa was stopped by Tahlan’s hand on her shoulder. In a whisper he said, “We will search quickly, however I do not want the shadow-elf to sit long under the care of humans.”
Kaiyssa didn’t want to waste a single moment of her allotted time and trotted off without a word to search for Megoth. Tahlan followed suit, running hard the opposite direction as his keen eyes scanned the landscape. Dominus stood a bit bewildered by their sudden departure, yet quickly overcame his surprise and went in search of Aginaeus.
It took them a little less than an hour to find him. Dangerously close to the reaper’s private-lands, Megoth had been pinned between two weighty, mineral blocks originally belonging to the shattered dragon. Struggling and clawing, the proud griffon silently endeavored to free his back leg from between the two stone slabs. Spotting his frantic movements, Kaiyssa sent the image to her mate as she rushed over to help the trapped beast. Without missing a step Tahlan altered course and sprinted across the littered battlefield. When he finally arrived his mate was tight to Megoth using what limited forest-magic she possessed to remove scrapes of rock from around the griffon’s immobilized leg.
Walking up behind her, the forest-lord touched Kaiyssa lightly on the shoulder and inwardly thanked her as she hurriedly stepped aside. Trusting the elvish couple long ago, the helpless griffon went completely still and patiently waited to be set free. Tahlan positioned himself alongside Megoth’s trapped leg before digging into the top boulder with his bare hands as if it were made of nothing more than stale cake. In moments the forest-lord had removed enough rock to help pull his friend’s leg free. Limping badly as he moved to stand before the pair, Megoth bowed with as much grace as the pain would allow. Kaiyssa ran up and hugged him tight as she whispered with tears welling in her eyes, “I’m so glad you’re okay!”
Tahlan gracefully returned Megoth’s gesture and said with deep appreciation, “Thank you for returning her to me safely my friend. I am forever in your debt.”
Looking around at the inhospitable landscape, none in the small party wished to linger any longer. Megoth was unable to walk long distances and requested the pair quickly mount up. Tahlan and Kaiyssa agreed without complaint and did as asked. By the time they arrived at the stable-tower only the young horse-master was present. Hoping Aginaeus would trust a stable hand with her whereabouts, Tahlan didn’t hesitate to ask were they had gone. Shy, but quick to respond the girl replied, “Yes, Sir, I do. They went back to the supply camp in order to begin the interrogation.”
Tahlan was direct with his request, “May we gain two of your fine horses to return to camp and help the commander?”
The eager assistant turned at once and retrieved the two remaining horses snoozing in the back of the structure’s paddock. Kaiyssa thanked the horse-master for her kindness and mounted up beside Tahlan. Calling for a clear path, both elves rode hard with hopes of returning in time to extract all their needed answers. Unburdened by riders, Megoth wearily kept pace from above as they progressed back to camp.
Commander Aginaeus stood patiently waiting outside the same tent Kaiyssa and Tahlan had occupied only just this morning. Silently inviting her guests to join the shadow-elf’s questioning, she held aside the tent-flap illuminating both occupants within. Tahlan ducked through the entrance immediately. Kaiyssa elected to hang back for a minute and get Megoth some much needed medical assistance. Aginaeus responded with the reflexes of a well-seasoned general. Calling out to a pair of nearby soldiers, she ordered one to fetch the camp surgeon and the other to lead Megoth into the healer’s tent. Wings tired and leg throbbing, the grateful griffon heavily limped after the soldier tasked to be his guide. Kaiyssa wasted no time following her mate.
Bound by heavy ropes, infused with a powerful binding spell, the shadow-elf sat alone in the tent’s center gnashing and spitting at Dominus quietly looming nearby. Most of the furniture occupying the spacious room had been unceremoniously shoved into a far corner, leaving only a few chairs scattered about for use. Tahlan was busy settling himself into one of them when Kaiyssa and Aginaeus pushed the tent-flaps aside. Upon seeing both females, the shadow-elf ceased its fuss and focused all attention on the three newcomers. Muttering in a barely audible hiss the creature taunted, “Try, but fail fleshlings.”
Dominus chose this moment to hastily exit without a word. Quickly returning with a menacing smile, he swirled a vial’s thick contents around before handing it over to his commander comfortably sitting in a chair beside her prisoner. As she uncorked the bottle, Dominus rounded behind the hissing shadow-elf to force its head back and mouth wide. Unable to struggle with its body, the imprisoned creature could do no more than screech its protests as Aginaeus seized her opportunity to dump the flask’s viscous fluid down her captive’s protesting throat. Choking on a potion of truth, the wretched creature instinctively tried spitting it back up, but Dominus was prepared for such a tactic. Without hesitation he brutally forced the shadow-elf’s jaw closed and slapped his other hand over both nose and mouth until he heard the telltale sound of an unintended gulp. The shadow-elf screeched in fear and disapproval as Dominus freed it from his bellicose strangle-hold. Immediately the vile creature tried regurgitating the concoction. Commander Aginaeus cracked a swift, hard punch across its slimy cheek to stop her prisoner’s protest before the potion had a chance to work.
A vast change overcame Dominus’s countenance upon seeing the shadow-elf’s exposed face. Simmering with obvious anger, he quietly sat perched like a gargoyle on a chair in the corner. Aginaeus knew it would be a short wait for the elixir to take effect.
Talking over her prisoner’s growing racket, she asked Dominus to keep his charge from losing its stomach and requested the elvish couple follow her outside. Tahlan and Kaiyssa happily obliged. As the trio exited into the mid-afternoon sun, Aginaeus stopped, abruptly turned, and asked, “I received the warning from King Elvor that a shadow-elf appears to be on your tail, have you seen evidence to this fact in your travels?”
The forest-lord was quick to answer, “One of my cousins is missing and the other is dead, killed within the capital city of my people. Since we left on a quest for King and Council, two different scouting parties have attacked us along the way. Also, there is the simple fact this wretched elf waited to ambush me… alone. Granted, it could have just been waiting for any opportunity, but I do not believe this to be a case of ill luck.”
The commander nodded and said with authority, “I give you leave to question it. I do, however, have one request; when you’re finished, allow me the chance to extract a few answers of my own before you execute it.”
Tahlan nodded his agreement. Not one to linger on formalities, Aginaeus evenly stated, “It should be any minute now. Our mages don’t make accurate truth potions, so we’re forced to wait and watch.”
Having been reminded of his king’s message, Tahlan inquired in a tone to match the commander’s, “The soldier that relayed the news of our kin informed me that you possess the echo crystal containing my king’s message. Is there any chance it is still within?”
Aginaeus heavily sighed as she gave him an apologizing look, “I’m sorry Tahlan, there was a message sent from my captain… not long before I left to assist the frontline, I’m afraid it’s lost; speaking of which… one moment please.”
Gaining the attention of a nearby soldier, she promptly informed him to call up the evening guard early for their nightly defense of the frontline. Turning back to Tahlan and Kaiyssa she stated, “I shall go check on the elixir’s progress. Tahlan, would you like my doctor or one of our mages to have a look at your injuries?”
