by Des Pensable
‘What’s that green glow around her?’ he asked.
‘That’s a glamour; it’s a type of illusion commonly used by Elendari women in this world. As constructs you and I can see through it but many people can’t. The women wear them like clothes. In her case it’s some type of disguise. She’s not the prettiest Newman I’ve ever seen. She’s also wearing leather armour and if I’m not mistaken that’s dry blood all over her. She must have recently come from a fight.’
‘Yes and it smells like Crin blood to me. It’s got that strong ant smell to it.’ said Llalorax.
‘Are there Crin on Moonmist?’ asked Aquitain suddenly missing his acute sense of smell.
‘No. She’s more likely to have been through a gate from Mudrun.’
‘I might have a cup of tea. Would you care to join me? There is much I would like to say to you. We can also check out whether any of the magic items are yours.’ said Llalorax looking rather serious and went into the hut and put on a kettle.
‘Thank you, for returning my wife and saving our lives from that rotten spirit creature. I have been a deluded old fool for not recognizing the severity of the threat to our world and not acting sooner. Yllandril knew there was something wrong and in my arrogance and complacency I would not believe her. The fact that the world has felt it necessary to appoint a new Warden shames me.’
‘Thank you for accepting the job although I’m sorry the burden has been laid on you. Yllandril and I will endeavour to help in any way we can.’
‘Yes I’m wondering what value it will be.’ replied Aquitain thinking about the last eight hours.
Llalorax wasn’t listening, his mind was elsewhere then suddenly he said.
‘We need to discuss what’s happened. I would like to hear your story Aquitain.
‘It appears that you may be much more involved with what is happening than I at first thought.’
‘Do you think we’re being observed in here?’ asked Aquitain.
‘It seems more than coincidental that when I left here I was attacked by that spirit and then when I escaped the soul crystal and came in here it followed me.’
‘I suppose that it is possible.’ agreed Llalorax looking around as if to spot anything out of the ordinary.
Aquitain suggested that Llalorax could join into a mindlink with him and Yllandril. That way they could talk without the fear of being overheard. Llalorax agreed and they created the linkup. Yllandril stayed with Dragonfly and listened in making occasional comments. They left Dragonfly out of the mindlink, as there was simply no reason to include her.
Aquitain told Llalorax about how he had become a Llanllean, about the search for the sceptre of lordly might, about his discussion with Llanlorian and his time with Somanller. Fortunately Garret didn’t know of his meeting with Llanlorian and therefore wouldn’t have informed the Queen.
Llalorax was quiet for some time then told Aquitain about the sceptre. It was a powerful artefact that symbolized the unification of the fiefdoms within their kingdom. It had been last seen in the possession of Queen Aurora’s partner, King Thoras, 20 years ago. He was the kingdom’s champion. He had led an assault on a group of rebels that had captured one of the Queen’s strongholds and was killed in the ensuing fight.
A rebel nymph called Snowbelle had captured the sceptre. Since then there had been considerable disharmony among the fief lords many of whom have argued the Queen should choose a new champion. She has said that she would gladly appoint a new champion if one of the Lords would go and get the sceptre off the rebel. To date that had not happened as the rebel nymph was far too cunning and strong for any individual Lord and they were too disparate to form an alliance.
However, if one of the Lords did manage to get it, then its return would change the balance of power within the kingdom and this would neither suit some of the fief lords nor the Queen. She is rather a vain and fickle woman more engrossed in her private affairs than worrying about matters of state. She has given them far too much freedom and they continually flout her authority and even plot to usurp her power. Chief among the malcontents is Lord Darkmantle who was once married to the rebel nymph.
‘Tell me about this rebel nymph.’ said Aquitain ‘She sounds interesting.’
‘It is an interesting tale,’ agreed Yllandril, ‘and you are now involved in it by freeing me from the soul crystal.’
‘The nymph was not always a nymph. She was once a Newman druid woman by the name of Sindel who fell in love with Wyvern, the second son of old Lord Darkmantle. He eventually married her against his father’s wishes. Not long after the wedding, old Lord Darkmantle’s first son died in a hunting accident, making Wyvern the heir to the estate. Within a year old Lord Darkmantle died of a strange illness, allowing Wyvern to become the new Lord of the Manor. Unfortunately, he wasn’t content with just his own estate. He had aspirations of power and started an affair with Princess Gemelica, the Queen’s only daughter.’
‘This is where I became involved. His druid wife heard of the secret affair and was very upset. Darkmantle’s house wizard asked Llalorax if I would come and talk to her, as she was very strong willed, magically quite powerful and he was afraid for Darkmantle. I met her and gained her confidence. She said Darkmantle heard voices and she was worried about his sanity. I suggested a mindlink to check her out first and that’s where the problem started.’
‘I found out she was pregnant and the baby was half Elendari as might be expected. I mistakenly thought her story about Darkmantle hearing voices was imaginary and took no further action. She subsequently ran off not long after the child was born.’
‘What I didn’t realize was that Darkmantle really was hearing voices. I was called in to examine him about three years ago. The voices he heard was from that malign spirit you destroyed. It had somehow without his knowledge managed to invade his body but kept out of sight. It had been making subtle suggestions to him all along.’
‘I suspect that Sindel had unknowingly brought it here. It had possessed her and suggested she leave Mudrun and seek out the Elendari. Through her it had corrupted young Darkmantle into eliminating his brother and probably his father. When he had control of the estate it had possessed him. I know this because it left him and possessed me.’
‘It took me to the crypt area and from there I became a renegade. It began raiding settlements belonging to some of the weaker Lords. They complained to the Queen but she wouldn’t listen. Eventually it moved me into the soul crystal and I heard no more. However, Llalorax has filled me in on what happened next.
While in my body, it kept raiding larger and larger villages and committing terrible atrocities that the Queen had to take notice. Eventually, it must have possessed someone else and left my body behind as evidence that the Llanlleans were involved. When the Queen and the other Lords’ saw that it was my body confidence in Llalorax fell. They probably felt he was somehow involved and began to distrust him.’
‘Further attacks leaving behind other Llanllean bodies has eroded their confidence in him and our people to the present point where he has been imprisoned and our people are being outlawed. All this now makes the Queen and the kingdom vulnerable. Llalorax is afraid they will strike at the Queen at the ball in two days’ time. Unfortunately, he is bound by a geas to abide by the Queen’s will that she has placed him here. He cannot leave except under the most extraordinary circumstances. Consequently, it is up to us to save her and expose the traitors.’
‘That’s great Yllandril but how do you expect to do that?’ asked Aquitain very doubtful about the whole idea of saving the Queen that had imprisoned him and had had his legs cut off.
‘Well I was hoping that you would go to the palace and check out what’s happening while I learn to walk properly and see if I can help this poor Dragonfly girl. Then I’ll join you at the ball and we’ll watch what happens. If the Queen gets into danger we’ll call Llalorax and he’ll come and rescue her. He’s still the Queen’s guardian you know and if she’s in danger that wi
ll override any command from her to stay away.’
Aquitain thought about it for a little while. It might actually work. It would also give him a chance to find out where Miranda and Zephira were. Somebody knew and they were likely to be at the ball. Who knows Miranda and Zephira might even turn up at the ball as well.
‘How would I get around the palace without being seen?’ he asked.
‘That’s easy. We’ll disguise you as a trixie. There are hundreds of them at the palace. They do all the work there. They’ll be busy everywhere preparing for the ball. No one will notice an extra one wandering around. Besides the trixies swore a pact with the last Warden of Moonmist. They will undoubtedly help you.’
‘Tell me about the last Warden.’ asked Aquitain.
‘The last Warden of Moonmist was created in a time of trouble over nine hundred years ago. His name was Granite and he defeated a great chaotic creature that plagued the land at the time.’ stated Llalorax.
‘What sort of creature was it?’ asked Aquitain.
‘That’s the curious thing.’ replied Llalorax.
‘We don’t know. All the records were destroyed or have disappeared. No one seems to know or care for that matter. You see after he fixed the problem, Granite established the dragon throne to arbitrate problems and ensure that only just people became kings or queens then disappeared. The throne served us well until about fifty years ago when it suddenly stopped communicating on the eve of a Spring Ball.’
’Both my kin and the trixies had a pact with the Warden to serve the throne. The Llanlleans were to be the royal guardians and the trixies the royal servants. In return, the throne would protect and ensure that both the Llanlleans and Trixies were treated as equals and left in peace.’
‘That is why I have served as the Royal wizard for the past twenty-two years and my sister Llanlorian has served as guardian of the first gate. Anllelis, another Llanllean, was guardian of the second gate until killed by the rebel Snowbelle and Yllandril was the royal healer until she became a rebel. The situation has deteriorated since then. Few trust me or other Llanlleans anymore and the Trixies are treated abominably.’
Aquitain was getting a bad feeling about all this. What did they expect him to do? He wasn’t a great fighter. He’d hardly inspire the Trixies to great deeds looking like a toy statue.
‘Don’t you think I’m a bit small to pass for a trixie? They’re at least four times as big as I am.’ stated Aquitain.
‘What about an illusion?’ suggested Llalorax. ‘The magic is so strong illusions are almost real on Moonmist. There will be a lot of wizard familiars around. They often dress like pixies for a bit of fun. So you would appear to be a familiar pretending to be a trixie if anyone sees through your disguise.’
‘But then again maybe it isn’t such a useful idea. Perhaps we should think of another plan.’
‘What’s up?’ said Yllandril. ‘Are you afraid that he might see what’s happening within our beautiful Elendari society? Trixies don’t seem to grow as tall as they once did. In the last fifty years they’ve been getting smaller and many are malformed. No one seems to know why. They’ve also split into factions. Many believe that the pact with the previous Warden of Moonmist has failed and they are being unjustly punished for some misdeed. Some have even gone to join the Hidden ones. However, there are still many that serve the throne.’
‘It is not only the Trixies; a lot of the other magical creatures seem to be changing as well. Some are growing larger; some species are having mainly male offspring, others mainly female. It’s almost as if there was some type of curse on the land. I was investigating some of the problems before the chaotic spirit possessed me. It’s unlikely to have improved in my absence.’
Aquitain thought about what had happened. Llanlorian knew that something was wrong but not what it was. Llanlorian was interested in what he was doing and had provided a minder in the form of Slivver. The Moonmist Collective had tipped him off that something catastrophic was likely to happen soon and had hired Glammer to look after him. They had made him their new Warden of Moonmist. Was there really some type of curse on the land that the Moonmist Collective was powerless to fix?’
‘OK. I’ll do it but let’s see the magic items that you’ve found first.’ he said hoping that some of his teleport rings would be amongst them.
Llalorax agreed and he walked over to the corner of the room and returned with a cloth sack and poured the items onto the table. All of Aquitain’s items were there except for his betrothal rings and his rings of teleport. There were several other rings, some bracers, a couple of magic daggers, a translation crystal, a small pair of golden wings and some potions.
‘You haven’t seen a golden mask that looks a bit like a cat face by chance and two rings, one of emerald and one of ruby.’ said Aquitain.
‘Er .. I might have seen the mask but not the rings.’ replied Llalorax and he walked over and removed it from a drawer. ‘Is this it?’
Aquitain could hardly believe his eyes. He touched it and contacted it mentally.
‘Hello again.’ it replied.
‘You’re the one that threatened to destroy me.’
‘Yes,’ replied Aquitain, ‘but you can rest easy for a while. I don’t intend to destroy you now.’
‘What are you doing?’ asked Llalorax watching curiously.
‘The mask was made by a mind wizard. It can understand mindspeak commands and answer simple questions about itself. It was used to cause a lot of trouble on Mudrun. I have the feeling that it was bait to get me there, although I’m not sure why.’
He then asked the mask the question he should have asked before.
‘Who made you?’
‘Sol Theolaur made me.’ replied the mask.
‘And when did you last communicate with him?’
‘When I was last used to dominate some beasts.’
‘Was it before or after I last talked to you?’
‘It was before we talked.’
‘Do you contact him every time you are used?’
‘Yes.’ said the mask. ’If I have enough charge.’
‘How do you communicate with him?’
‘A Sending at local midnight.’
‘That’s my Granddad.’ thought Aquitain.
‘The cunning old fox! He just has to know what’s happening all the time. No wonder he knew where to send me to find the mask. He just waited for a sending then scried the mask’s location. He even gets a fix on the local time. He must be getting a bit worried by now as it hasn’t been used since we were on Mudrun. He won’t know where we are. Ha. That’ll annoy him. No wonder no one’s showed up to rescue us yet.’
‘What is it saying?’ asked Llalorax.
‘It seems that it subtly tracks the user informing my Grandfather when and where it’s being used. However it hasn’t told him that it’s on Moonmist yet.’
‘What are you going to do with it? ’
‘Take it back I guess. Although not until after I sort out the current situation.’
After checking the magic items, Aquitain decided take the ring of illusion. He could create an image of a Trixie around himself without using any of his own power, which might be needed later.
A little later, Llalorax and Yllandril helped him create a reasonable illusion of a Trixie and teleported him to the palace with the name of a trixie he should meet.
**
Miranda sat on the grass outside the wooden hut. She was disoriented. It was a terrible nightmare. She had just been released from the malign spirit’s prison cage and led to this place by a kindly old Elendari man that had the bearing of a wizard.
She was still haunted by the illusion the spirit had shown her of her own hands choking the little girl to death. Her home had been invaded and looted by Darkmantle’s people. They had captured, maimed or killed many people and creatures that had been her friends.
Where was her mother? Had she been killed? No, that’s not possible. She had been waylaid or tricked
somehow into staying away while they attacked. She had to save the survivors or she could never live with herself.
Yllandril used her healing magic to put Miranda to sleep. The girl was exhausted and needed rest above all. Later she might have to look into her mind to see what damage the possession had done.
Miranda vaguely noticed that a stone spider was minding her for the wizard. It talked into her mind. She was safe now. Soothing thoughts. Rest. Sleep. You are safe. She dozed off and awoke several hours later lying on the grass with a blanket over her.
She felt rested and considerably fresher but the terrible thoughts of the destruction of her home hovered in the back of her mind. She had to atone for what she had done. Darkmantle had to pay. She wanted vengeance. She sat and meditated for the first time since the Huntmaster had captured her. She needed her strength and magic back for what she had to do.
Yllandril spent hours practicing controlling her legs and working on orienting her new vision. She discovered something special about her new vision. By carefully filtering the light entering her body using the ability Aquitain had taught her, when she looked at people she could faintly see their spirit auras. She had heard that a few master healers after a lifetime of work had claimed to be able to do this.
It was exciting. She was a new person and motivated as never before. It was hard at first, as she had been locked away in the soul crystal for almost three years with total sensory deprivation. Many would have gone mad. Her will was too strong for that. It gave her time to think about her life, about her world, about what she would do when she got out. She was a healer. They needed her. She never gave up hope that someone would rescue her.
To meet Aquitain spirit to spirit and have him, a Newman, share his deepest thoughts, experiences hopes and desires with her, a Llanllean, was a blessing she would always be thankful for. To be given a body, freedom and a new life by him was beyond belief and he had asked nothing in return. He was her personal hero.
