by V. Lakshman
The dwarven prisoner looked away, not meeting his eyes. Then she began haltingly, “You really want me—”
“Just answer,” Arek said more forcefully than he’d intended.
Brianna looked at him and said, “Where I come from, you would have been designated an enemy of the state, a willful collaborator. Your denial would cause the deaths of thousands. As such you would be forced to comply.”
Though he would like to believe he would have welcomed the opportunity to volunteer, to realize that his choice probably would have been nothing more than an illusion rocked him. Perhaps this was why his master had looked ashamed, because of the inevitability of the outcome regardless of Arek’s decision. He remembered the lore father, those hard eyes at the end of the council meeting boring into him. There had been neither remorse nor pity in that stare. The lore father couldn’t have cared less what Arek wanted.
His continued building upon Brianna’s fresh perspective. The lore father would not have left anything to chance and mission protocol would require a backup. Who would carry out the order if his master had failed or refused? He thought through what he knew, trying to tease out the most logical choice amongst the adepts.
When the answer came, it fairly leapt out, it was so painfully obvious—Master Kisan. Had she felt hesitant, Piter’s death would remove any lingering guilt. No doubt she was trailing them at the Far’anthi Tower. Maybe that’s why his master wanted to send him back to the Isle, so that he could hide in the one place they’d likely not look for him? For what other reason than to evade the lore father and any other masters? The fact that Rai’stahn had also tried to kill him . . . Arek’s eyes widened.
He didn’t know much about the dragon-knight, only what he’d been told in preparation for their journey. Yet the dragon made his home on the Isle, and Silbane had remarked that the dragon owed them a favor. Which meant this was not the first time they’d treated with each other. The dragonkind helped in the war against demons, that much was known. Could Rai’stahn have been in league with the lore father too? Perhaps getting rid of Arek had been repayment in full.
Fear coiled in the pit of his belly. So much had been manipulated to use him. A more paranoid thought then made its way to the forefront of his mind. The lore father wanted the gate closed. If Arek’s touch had done it, so much the better. But it hadn’t. That meant they would still try and close the gate, even though he was here. They’d abandoned him in Arcadia, would leave him here to die while they sealed off Edyn. What use was an apprentice who had no power, who’d killed a classmate, who showed no particular talent except to nullify magic? Better for them if he never returned. He looked at Brianna again, warm gratitude in his eyes. He knew the truth—no one was coming to save him.
She thought she’d signed her own death warrant with that bit of honesty, so he gave her a smile meant to reassure, and said, “I’m happy I didn’t kill you.”
“I guess that makes two of us.”
“Right . . . so, shall we keep going?”
When she didn’t respond, he turned and made his way across the lush surroundings, leading closer to Lilyth’s domain, his mind still whirling through the events from his increasingly distrustful vantage. Without realizing it, he was so deep in thought, he covered the remaining distance to Olympious without saying another word to Brianna.
When they were close enough to see the outer walls in detail, his dwarven prisoner tapped him on the shoulder.
“Look.”
Two winged soldiers detached themselves from perches high on the wall and glided smoothly down. They were alabaster white, like living marble, armed and armored. They landed lightly and bowed, then clasped hands to make an archway.
To Arek’s amazement, the air under their archway flexed and became opaque, then a portal leading to another area appeared. Through it they saw Lilyth standing in what looked like a garden, a welcoming smile on her face. Arek breathed out once, knowing he was committing them both, then stepped through with Brianna in tow. The transition was instantaneous, a literal step through a door.
He stood in a garden situated on one side of the main pyramid along a stepped terrace, the grounds extending down three levels like huge green staircase steps. As Arek took in the entire sight, he realized it was a meticulously manicured hedge maze, with walls made of green leaves and ivy, punctuated by small flowers in white, pink, and purple. The soft scents of sunbeam, jasmine, and lilac mixed with the heady smell of freshly tilled soil, lending the carefully tended sanctuary a palpable aura. It felt almost like a monastery dedicated to life and earth. Lilyth stood there, still smiling, alone. Despite his anxiety, an undercurrent of excitement ran through him.
Foremost on his mind was how he and Niall had appeared here, far from Lilyth’s domain. Trying not to sound accusatory, he nonetheless asked, “Why did you send us to the elves?”
Lilyth arched an eyebrow at that, then said, “Be welcome.” She ignored Arek’s question, instead nodding to Brianna and following that with, “I see you’ve brought a guest.”
Arek realized his error in decorum, and though his mind was still full of questions he decided to take a breath, letting the calmness of the garden lend him some of its strength. The cool air felt good, replenishing him in wholesome way, as if this place was health and vitality incarnate.
With a newfound sense of peace, he gestured with his hand saying, “I present the Lady Brianna of . . .” He looked at her realizing he did not know from what House or family she hailed.
Lilyth smoothly covered, giving Brianna a regal tilt of her head. “Be welcome, Lady Brianna.”
Brianna for her part looked even more uncomfortable, giving an awkward curtsey as if remembering it from a play she’d seen. Not knowing what to do or say next, she remained still, a hulking figure that became even more noticeable because of her size and her clear desire to remain unnoticed.
Arek looked back at the demon queen and demanded again, “Why abandon me and Niall to the elves?”
Lilyth looked at him, her face set in a soft smile. “You glibly accuse me, as though I did so knowingly. While I was right that your powers would not close the gate between Edyn and Arcadia, where and when you appeared was less predictable than I expected.”
She paused, then stepped forward and took Arek by the arm, carefully grasping his uniform, perhaps so that no bare flesh touched. “I’m sorry for the loss of your friend to Valarius and his elves.”
Arek looked at her without blinking and said, “He chose to go.”
“Really?” Lilyth inquired with a raised eyebrow.
“He could have stayed with me, but instead he went with Gabreyl.”
Lilyth was quiet while it seemed she was considering what to say. When she finally spoke, it was with soft reassurance. “We each must choose our own path. I said he would be a boon companion to you, and perhaps his choice opened the door to another friend.” She paused, looking meaningfully back at Brianna, then carefully asked, “And how is it you escaped the elves?”
Arek looked at her with surprise. “I thought you’d know,” he said. “Something called nephilim attacked us, turning anything they touched into one of them.” His eyes grew distant as he relived the memory, inwardly feeling the heady rush of energy as he consumed the dark elf. When he opened his eyes he caught the merest hint of something in Lilyth’s gaze, something he couldn’t identify before she quickly looked away.
He masked his own thoughts carefully and continued, “Two armored angels appeared, fighting their way to us. In the confusion one of your men, Cainan, rescued me.”
“And where is Cainan now?” Lilyth asked.
Arek thought about how to answer that. She’d said he was a prince, so were not her men under his command as well? Should he tell her the truth or keep his actions to himself? Caution won out as there seemed no tactical advantage to baring his heart. Despite her claims of his special birthright, his time here in Arcadia had eroded some of the awe he’d felt when she’d first appeared. It was
slowly becoming clear to him the only person without an agenda would be his dwarven prisoner, and again he found himself thankful for his decision not to turn her.
Still, staying close to the truth was probably most advantageous, so he said, “Cainan and I came across some others holding Brianna prisoner. I ordered him to help me free her. A struggle ensued and Cainan fell.” He looked at Brianna, catching her eye enough, he hoped, to command her silence. Whatever she saw must have worked, for Brianna said nothing.
Lilyth looked at him, patiently waiting for more. When Arek did not respond she sighed and asked, “Were there any survivors?”
Arek shook his head. “Why did your men imprison her?”
“A pity.” Lilyth looked at the two of them, then continued her walk through her garden to a small cove where she gestured for each of them to have a seat before continuing, “We found Lady Brianna in a metal tomb embedded deep within Olympious. We could not decipher the markings. It seems she had been inside it for a very long time.”
“A long time?” He looked at Brianna again. Though the woman was larger, in age she looked younger than Master Kisan. The comparison suddenly reminded him appearance and age weren’t necessarily tied together, as Master Kisan was well into her ninth decade of life.
He shifted his attention back to Lilyth and asked, “What makes you say that?”
“Her tomb was found encased in rock beneath the surface of Olympious. We found it encrusted with the hard minerals that grow within caves. I do not know how long it lay there before being brought to light by some unknown cataclysm. Centuries at least by our account.”
“Centuries . . . ,” breathed Brianna softly. She began to look slightly sick.
“We did not imprison her,” Lilyth continued. “She was disoriented and phasing in such a way that we feared she would be lost. The collar that she wears was for her own protection.”
Arek couldn’t tell if Lilyth was being truthful, but her demeanor certainly seemed forthright.
He turned his attention back to Brianna and asked, “What’s the last thing you remember?” He’d wanted to press Lilyth more about his arrival, and more importantly, about meeting his father. The fact that this man existed felt somehow more palpable and real, a specter given life by Lilyth’s words. Yet something about Brianna’s plight pulled at him. She looked so alone.
The dwarven woman rubbed her face in her hands, blinking to clear her vision. Had those been tears he saw? Then she seemed to regain her composure and looked at the two, forcing a halfhearted smile.
“I don’t remember a thing,” she brokenly said, laughing past a small sob.
“Do not despair. You have only just awakened,” Lilyth said. “Perhaps your memory will return with time and rest.”
The Lady’s sapphire gaze seemed genuinely sympathetic, but Arek remembered the barb in her voice when dealing with Niall. He knew Lilyth’s mood could be mercurial, able to turn in an instant from kind to cruel, so he kept his face carefully neutral.
He would speak with Brianna about her plight later when they were not in front of Lilyth. He had a feeling that perhaps Brianna’s origin should remain a secret for now. In order to deflect Lilyth’s interest, he switched the topic to one he’d already intended on pressing.
“You said I’d meet my father.”
Lilyth looked back from Brianna to Arek and said, “You will.”
“When?”
Lilyth seemed to consider her answer before speaking. When she did, it was undercut by a conspiratorial urgency, as if the information was for his ears alone. “He has set himself to find you. He did not know you would make your own way here.”
Before any more could be said, one of the alabaster angels appeared, stepping from thin air. It waited for the demon queen’s acknowledgement and permission before saying, “Visitors, my lady.”
Lilyth’s eyes went distant, as if she looked at something they could not see. Then a small smile appeared on her lips. She looked back at Arek and said, “I will answer your questions to your satisfaction. Now, however, we have guests.”
Niall? Though he didn’t like the interruption, finding the missing prince was worth any delay in speaking to Lilyth. He remained where he was, keeping near Brianna as much for her benefit as for his own. At first he thought they’d remain here while Lilyth went to get Niall, but he was anxious to be reunited with his friend, so he looked around expectantly for a way back to the main hall, or wherever Lilyth greeted guests.
He was surrounded by nothing but carefully sculpted shrubs and bushes. Tall hedges made sharp turns, green mixed with pink and purple flowers. A soft breeze wafted through, lifting his hair like an invisible hand brushing it out of his eyes.
“Are we—”
He heard Lilyth move, a rustle of a sleeve as she raised a hand, and a portal opened to what looked like an audience room. She smiled and gestured, allowing Arek and Brianna to go through first. He hesitated but she said, “It is safe. No harm will come to you here, my son.”
Something in her gaze reassured him, though he did not know why. He glanced at Brianna, who looked happy to be moving rather than sitting still with her thoughts. Then he steeled himself and stepped through the portal and into what looked to be Lilyth’s empty throne room. Nothing moved, and at first he thought perhaps this had been a trick.
“Arek!”
The shout came from behind and when Arek spun he felt rather than saw someone leap and crush him in a bear hug. His arms fumbled to figure out what was going on when the figure dropped out of his grasp and held him at arm’s length.
Yetteje!
“By the gods, you’re alive!” she exclaimed, evidently caring little that more than one of these “gods” was in the room with them.
He stood there dumbfounded. What was she doing here? Finally, he managed to say, “Tej?”
“We’ve been looking for you since you disappeared!”
“We?” he asked, numb.
She nodded, beaming from ear to ear. “Your masters and Ash, we’re all here looking for you and Niall! I’m so sorry for being angry at you before.”
Arek didn’t know what to say. He hadn’t been abandoned? Or were they still on their mission to use him here in Arcadia? Those worries and more spiraled around until he saw the princess, her face so close to his, her amber eyes glowing with joy. Before he knew what he was doing, he’d grabbed Yetteje and kissed her on the mouth.
She was caught off guard but let the kiss linger. It even seemed to him that she fell into it a bit before pushing him back and saying, “Er . . . good to see you, too.”
Arek, red-faced, stepped back and said, “I . . . I’m sorry. It’s just—”
Yetteje laughed, apparently enjoying the effect she had on him. “Don’t worry, I get it. You’re glad I’m here to rescue you.”
Arek nodded, feeling even more stupid. Then he looked around, his eyes falling on two armored angels in silver and gold and a man leaning on a staff, who strangely reminded him of a gaunt version of the lore father. These were not the masters, though they looked to be part of Yetteje’s party.
Rather than guess, he asked, “Master Silbane?”
Yetteje’s smile melted away. “I’m not sure. There was a skirmish with . . .” The princess looked quickly around her, then cautiously finished, “We got separated.” She looked at him then and asked, “Where’s Niall?”
“Same.” Arek couldn’t help but look glum as he added, “He went with Valarius and his elves.”
Yetteje was quiet at that. She glanced back at the old man and pursed her lips. “I’d heard, but was hoping it was a lie.”
Then her smile slowly reappeared and her eyes almost glowed with happiness. “Well, you’re okay, and at least Niall’s alive!” She looked at him, her tawny gaze searching his face as if trying to read the events of the past few days there.
Finally, she gestured to her companions and said, “These people were kind enough to bring me here.”
“Princess Tir is v
ery persuasive,” commented the dour man with the staff.
She rolled her eyes a bit at that, then said, “Let me introduce you. These two are the Watchers Orion and Helios,” she said, pointing to the silver and golden angels, who bowed in response. “And the man with the staff stuck up his—”
“Keeper Thoth,” Lilyth finished. “Welcome back to my humble abode. We have much to discuss, you and I.”
The room seemed to grow colder, but Thoth stepped forward and bowed. “Yes, my Lady, we do indeed.”
The Giant’s Step
A few folks stay late,
probably to avoid the drumming
they’ll get at home from the missus.
My advice has always been to take the small spats,
Before they build into something you can’t fix.
- Alain the Farflung, A Guide to Westbay
B
ernal’s party left the medical station and supply room without incident, having replenished their supplies. None of the weapons here would be of use against the Aeris, but Sparrow had commented on the abundance of herbs and other necessary aids, as if she’d been surprised Edyn even had such medicines.
To Bernal her attitude appeared to be that of someone visiting a backwater town without modern amenities. Just a quick glance would’ve shown her winter’s birch bark, yellowed pollen, even honey, all of which were not only hard to come by, but spoke to Bara’cor’s commitment to the best medical practices. Why, he’d even brought the best doctors from Koorva to teach his physicians, and outlawed blood leeching. He snorted in disgust at her nose-up demeanor, and turned his attention to the fortress itself.
To his great sorrow, nothing seemed alive. The hallways sounded dead, as if Bara’cor herself had become possessed along with her inhabitants.
He looked at the firstmark and said, “It’s odd . . . the lack of survivors or bodies.”
“They’re part of Lilyth’s army now,” replied Malak, his face troubled.
That brought to mind Sergeant Stemmer’s fall, and Bernal knew what the firstmark meant. Baalor had shown him the dead of Bara’cor earlier.
