Jon was a simple soldier who did not have the answers. He had to have faith in his commanding officer.
He said, “Very good, sir. We will resume our search in the morning.”
With that issue settled, Captain Lewis asked, “Assuming we don’t find anything at Endwood to guide our way, where are we to go next, sir?”
General Donell let the question hang in the air for a moment as he gathered his thoughts. He indicated the parchment on the table.
“This is the most recent map we have of the Old Elf Empire, but it is still more than three hundred years out of date. We don’t know much about the current state of the elven empire, except to say that they retreated into the forest three centuries ago and haven’t been heard from since. There are records of a few other towns like Endwood that were founded over the years by Kentar, then subsequently abandoned. Most of the time the reason for the abandonment was not recorded. Most likely it was because the towns couldn’t survive so far from the civilized sections of Kentar, but given what happened to Endwood, it is conceivable that the other townsfolk were forced to flee due to some sort of attack by the elves.
“The truth is that we don’t have much to go on. This map is old and faded. Some areas of the forest are gone and many of the names have worn away, knowledge lost in time.” The General let his words hang in the air for a moment before he pointed at the map with his index finger. “If we don’t find anything at Endwood, then this is where we will go next.”
______________________________________
Calim watched the humans as they moved into the town he and Nero had worked so hard to force them to abandon. He sat in a perch high up in one of the pine trees on the outskirts of town, observing the humans through his looking glass. He didn’t understand how the glass worked; he only knew that it did. From high up on his perch, he could observe the humans as though he were having a conversation right next to them. He couldn’t hear what they were saying, of course, but most humans wore their emotions on their faces. This, combined with the fact that humans tended to point to what they were talking about and where they were going next, meant that Calim had a fairly good idea what was happening.
“What is happening?” a startling, but familiar voice, asked.
“Patience, my young apprentice. You will know when the time is right.”
Naffon, his new Philosopher apprentice, sat on the branch next to him. The boy was young and inexperienced; a raw recruit. Still, one did not get asked to become a Philosopher agent by being stupid. Obnoxious maybe, but not stupid. While he had been looking through the glass, Naffon had climbed all the way up the tree and sat next to him without making a sound or a vibration.
“Who are they? What do they want?”
Sometimes Calim missed Nero. He had been his best apprentice by far, but even more than that, by the end he had been a friend. It was also nice having a more seasoned apprentice, to whom he did not have to explain every little detail.
“These humans are from Kentar. Surely you know what Kentar is?”
“Of course. They are the most powerful kingdom surrounding Glenmyr Forest. They have had a line of unbroken kings for a thousand years. They are a fair-minded people, backed by the Sorcerers Academy. But what are they doing here with an army, pouring over the ruins of this abandoned town?”
“My last apprentice and I drove the humans out of this logging town almost half a year ago.”
“Why?”
“Look around you, Naffon. This is a human logging town inside Glenmyr Forest. We had to destroy the town. We didn’t want to, but the plight of the trees could not be ignored.”
“And how did you do it?”
“It doesn’t matter how we did it. It was an impossible mission and we got it done. Never forget our motto.” Calim turned and looked at his new apprentice, waiting.
Naffon rolled his eyes and said, “No matter the cost, complete the mission.”
Calim brought the looking glass up to his eye and said, “And don’t you forget it. Anyway, we got the job done and didn’t think the humans would return for at least a decade, possibly longer.”
“That explains why they are here, but it doesn’t explain why there are so many of them.”
Calim continued to look through the glass as he responded matter of factly. “It is quite the mystery, isn’t it? But that’s why we are here. If I had to guess, I would say the humans somehow found out we were responsible for the forced abandonment of their town and have come seeking retribution. Now be quiet and let me work.”
“Well that can’t be good for Armena.”
“I would think not, no.”
Naffon said nothing else as Calim looked through the glass for the remainder of the day. Calim watched as the army of Kentar combed through the entire town and set up patrols on top of the palisade. He watched as they set up some sort of command tent in the clearing near the river that divided the logging town in two. As the sun began to set, Calim watched with interest as one of the captains approached the command tent and was granted entry by the sentries.
He watched with interest because he recognized the captain as the same man who led the humans during their retreat out of town so many moons ago. The captain walked up to his commanding officer and saluted. The general returned the salute, then everyone in the tent talked around a table with a worn map of the Old Elf Empire on it. He knew it was a map of the Old Empire because the ruined city of Coria and the collapsed entrance to the Underworld were visible. Both structures sat in ruins today. The old map on the table also showed the Old Empire capital, Myra, as well as the cities of Ash, Coalyn, and Oafan. The cities of Ash and Oafan still existed today, but Myra and Coalyn had been abandoned after the Retreat.
The General’s command staff talked for some time. The captain he recognized gave some sort of report, then the General gave a lengthy speech. Calim wished he could hear what they were saying, but in the end, it did not matter. The General brought his hand up to his chest, formed a fist, and shook it out of determination. He swept his hand around the command tent, being sure to include everyone, and then he thrust his finger down on the map. The location the General indicated was none other than the city of Ash. Calim had to admit it made perfect sense. Ash was the closest city to the abandoned logging town. Unfortunately for Calim, the city of Ash still existed today as the westernmost city of Armena.
The General lifted his finger, said a few more words, and dismissed his men. The soldiers dispersed back to their tents for the night. Calim put down the looking glass and turned to Naffon.
“I have a critical mission for you. In fact, I would say there has never been a Philosopher apprentice as young as you to receive a mission so critically important to the future of Armena.”
“What is it?”
“I have to stay here and monitor the human army’s movements. You need to make your way to Bethel as quickly as possible and talk directly with King Jalid, bodyguard Holidor, or Shane.”
“What’s the message?”
“Do you hear me? You can only talk with those three. No one else. Do you understand?”
“What’s the message?”
“Tell them that a Kentarian army of eight thousand, backed by the Sorcerers, is going to attack the city of Ash in five days’ time.”
Naffon nodded his head and said, “Yes, master. I will leave at once.”
He climbed silently down the tree and was gone.
Calim nodded his head with approval. He was a good student and he would make a fine Philosopher agent one day. If they all lived that long.
Chapter 100: The War at Home
Shane was in bed with the Queen Mother when the messenger arrived. The knock came softly in the middle of the night, waking them both from an otherwise restful sleep. Coreena covered herself up and moved to the door, only to find the messenger already inside the room. The visitor uncovered a lit candle and moved into plain view.
Coreena was startled beyond words. The secretive elf walked forward and said, “I
am sorry I frightened you, my lady. I come with urgent news for Lord Shane.”
Shane threw back the covers and lunged to his feet. “Why do you invade our privacy?”
“I’m sorry, my lord. I have an urgent message that could not wait until morning.”
“And how did you know where to find me?”
“I was told to give my message only to General Holidor, King Jalid, or yourself.”
“That still doesn’t answer my question.”
The messenger sized Shane up for a moment and then answered the question. “My organization values our anonymity. We do not wish to be seen traipsing around the castle. General Holidor is out on assignment, and you are far easier to gain an audience with in the middle of the night than the King.”
“And how did you get past the Queen’s guard outside the door?”
“I could have snuck past the guard, but there was no need. I showed the guard my pass to the castle and told him that I had an urgent message for your ears only. That, combined with a small incentive, and here I am.”
Shane was impressed, in spite of himself. “A bribe, then.”
“Nothing so crude. I was given a mission and I saw it successfully completed. The guard was not at fault.”
Shane new exactly who this was. Only a Philosopher would be so bold as to enter the Queen Mother’s private chambers to deliver a routine message. His anger grew, but he kept it in check. These Philosophers had too much power and needed to be brought down a notch. He only hoped that he would be the one to teach them some humility.
“What is your name, Agent?”
The elf looked at the Queen Mother and hesitated. “I am called Albie, my lord.”
From the way he looked at Coreena, it was plain to see he had given a false name. “And your message.” It was a statement, not a question.
The Philosopher Agent looked at Coreena and then back at Shane. He remained silent for a moment before apparently deciding that the Queen Mother could be trusted with what he had to say.
“I went straight to my superiors, and then I came to Bethel.”
“Continue.”
“The human logging town that was abandoned half a year ago has been reoccupied by an army from Kentar.”
“What? Your organization assured us that the humans would not return for several years.”
“We do not know why they have taken such an interest in this town, or why they have come in such large numbers.” The agent paused to recover his thoughts. “My master thinks the humans must have discovered our involvement in the forced abandonment of the town and have returned seeking answers.”
“And did they find any answers?”
“Not as of yet, my lord. My master stayed behind to watch their movements, but he sent me here to tell you the human army will advance on the city of Ash next, and that they will be there in three days.”
This was bad news indeed, but not entirely unwelcome. Shane wondered if perhaps there was a way to turn this to his advantage.
“I thank you for bringing this message to me, Agent Albie. We will place this matter before the King immediately.”
“Then my job here is finished.” The Philosopher agent bowed his head and made to open the door.
“Where do you think you’re going? You’re going to be with me when I present this message to the King.”
The agent looked concerned. “But my lord, it is imperative that my role go unnoticed.”
“And so it shall. You will be but an insect on the wall, unnoticed and unremembered, unless I have need of you.”
_______________________________________
Early the next morning, Naffon stood in the shadow of one of the wooden statues that adorned King Jalid’s throne room as members of the elven court filled the room. The room was huge and made entirely out of polished oak, with ornately carved wooden pillars holding up the ceiling. The King was already on his throne, with the Queen Mother on one side and Shane on the other. The Queen Mother looked comfortable, bred for royalty, and Shane looked immensely pleased to have some measure of power over everyone in the room. It was King Jalid who looked most uncomfortable on the raised platform with his subjects looking up at him, waiting for him to speak. By now the young King had been told about the human army approaching his borders, which could be another reason why he looked so hesitant.
The meeting seemed about to begin as the last of the elves finished their small talk and approached the throne. At this early hour there were a large number of nobles present, but it was obvious to Naffon that the throne room usually held a great deal more. He got the distinct impression that, late hour or no, if there wasn’t a war going on with a second about to begin, the throne room would have contained many times the number of elves currently gathered. No doubt many of the nobles were out in the field leading their forces, scouting enemy positions, or were already among the honored dead.
Shane rose to his feet and raised his right hand to silence the din of conversation that saturated the room.
“We have gathered here to discuss a matter of grave importance to Armena. We have received a credible report that a human army from the Kingdom of Kentar is marching on Ash.”
Shane continued to speak, but anything else he said was lost amid the immediate uproar of the court. Naffon knew from his studies that the Kingdom of Kentar had not seen an elf for more than three hundred years. The time when man and elf traded freely was so far removed from any living human, that the mere existence of the elven race had passed into mythology. Fortunately, the elves of Armena were not so ignorant. After the Retreat the elves that remained to form Armena sought solitude in the center of the forest, but remained aware of what happened around them by way of the Philosophers and the Border Rangers.
Shane continued, “We all knew this day was coming. We all knew it was only a matter of time before one of the human kingdoms rose up to challenge us. The human army will reach the city of Ash in less than three days’ time. We need to decide here and now how to handle this threat. Delay is not an option, lest Ash fall to the enemy solely because of our inaction.” There was more murmuring, but Shane was able to speak over the noise. “Due to the urgency of the situation, the King ordered the wizard Adel bring General Holidor back from the Underworld, where he has been leading our troops to victory against the Krone. General?”
Naffon looked around for a moment until he saw a tall, burly elf ascend the steps and stop before the throne.
General Holidor said, “If the first-hand report is to be believed, the humans have eight thousand soldiers, backed by healers and wizards, at their command. Our army is large enough to destroy this threat, but we will need to commit every soldier we have to the defense of Ash. This will mean completely abandoning our campaign in the Underworld against the Krone.”
Another elf of the court asked, “How goes the war against the Krone?”
Holidor did not turn to the speaker, but rather directed his comments at the King. “The war against the Krone is going well. We have managed to destroy three major Krone cities in the Underworld, but there are still three remaining, including the City of Evox, which is the strongest of them all. Our losses have been severe, but their losses have been much worse. We are on the verge of wiping out their organized resistance.”
The Queen Mother asked, “So in your estimation, what would happen if we continued to attack the Krone?”
“We would take heavy losses, but we would destroy all of their major cities. They would not be a threat to us for at least a thousand years, maybe more.”
Every surface elf grew up hating the Krone. Legend had it that Invictus and Evona had been lovers since the dawn of time, but that Evona tried to kill Invictus and take control of the elven pantheon for herself. For her crime, she was cursed with black skin and thrown into the Underworld, along with all of her followers. A steady state of war had existed between the surface elves and the Krone since that fateful day thousands of years ago. There were times of truce when an entrance t
o the Underworld collapsed and the two races could not reach out to kill each other, but it was war none the less. Every elf in the throne room knew what Holidor was offering – the complete destruction of the elf’s most hated enemy.
Someone off to Naffon’s right yelled out, “Death to the Krone; only then may the joy of life begin anew.” A cheer went up and rippled throughout the room. The entire court took up the cheer.
Naffon remained silent. He knew the sacred words of Venal. He felt their draw and understood their meaning, but something did not feel right. What gave them the right to exterminate an entire race? And what would happen to Armena if they did?
Shane seemed to have the same doubts. He raised his hands in the air and waited for quiet. “My fellow countrymen, I too feel the weight of Venal’s words. I too want nothing more than to wipe the blight of the Krone off Tellus for all time. What would happen to Armena if we did? It is for certain that Ash will be destroyed by the humans; but what if they don’t stop there? We have no idea how long it will take to bring the Krone to their knees. What if the humans make it all the way to Bethel and beyond? What if there is more than one human army on the way? Are we willing to sacrifice all that we are just so we can destroy an enemy?”
The nobles fell silent. Some of them nodded their heads. The King finally spoke amid the silence that fell across the throne room.
“What do we do? What do I do? We have an opportunity to destroy the Krone, but the humans are on our doorstep. Our little kingdom can’t take these kinds of assaults.”
Shane said, “Your Majesty, we must pull our army back from the Underworld and defend what is ours.”
King Jalid shook his head, “Fighting the Krone is one thing. They started this newest wave of violence, but we have been at peace with the humans for more than three centuries. My father would never have used naked force against them. He would have found another way.”
Shane turned to the King and spoke with force. “He did try to find another way and now your father is dead, and the humans of Kentar are coming for you. If you don’t act, you will be dead as well, along with all of Armena. You have a duty to protect your people, with force if necessary.”
Do the Gods Give Us Hope? Page 28
