1 State of Grace

by John Phythyon

  The thought of his impending popularity made her smile. She saw all of Alfar in this beautiful youth. He was budding and had a bright future before him. Just like his homeland. With elves coming together like this, she knew things would get better.

  ***

  Wolf heard the clock tower ring, signaling the start of Revelation Day. Knowing what he did, it sounded like a death knell. He wanted to spur the horse faster, but there were thousands of people in the streets. They all faced the temple and threw their hands into the air. They prayed and gave thanks. And the closer to the temple he and Honeyflower got, the thicker the crowds became.

  Despite his atheism, Wolf admired their devotion. He’d never found anything in his life to give such faith to, and he was a little jealous of those who had. Nevertheless, he found himself cursing them. If they didn’t clear a path for Honeyflower and him, this might be the last Revelation Day they celebrated.

  ***

  Gerarden Merrydance tried to hide his disgust. As part of her great “show of unity,” President Spellbinder had arranged for a joint Freyalan-Shendali celebration of the Feast of the Revelation. He supposed it was better than the Shendalis not being able to use the temple at all, but the ridiculous number of blessings the Freyalans performed not only made the service tedious, it was just plain silly. Never mind they almost completely ignored Shendal in their readings and their prayers. Still, the Shendali priest would take care of that.

  The most disgusting part, though, was the fact they allowed a woman to officiate. He supposed that was to be expected given that Alfar allowed a woman to be president. Not only was a female officiating, she wasn’t properly covered. None of the Freyalan women were, and, in fact, many of the Shendalis weren’t either. Such was life in Alfar. Women displayed their hair and their features as though they belonged to anyone. He wouldn’t live to see it, but Gerarden was looking forward to the new day when Jifani standards were the rule for all elves.

  “God bless our children,” the priest intoned. “They are our future. It is in their faces we truly see the message of Frey and the destiny of elfkind.

  “God bless the flowers. They bring beauty to our eyes and fill the land with the scent of joy.”

  Would she never stop? Gerarden stroked his wand again. He wished she’d hurry it up. He had a mission to execute. The longer she talked, the more desperate he became to fulfill it.

  ***

  Aurora Spellbinder smiled. The blessings were her favorite part of the ceremony. They always made her happy as she thought about the little things in life she tended to miss on an everyday basis. She remembered a time when the blessings called children the “destiny of Alfheim” rather than the “destiny of elfkind,” but all that changed after the war. It saddened her.

  However, she saw happy people everywhere in the temple she looked. She was confident everyone was enjoying the joint ceremony. Each faith got to learn a little about the other. Everyone here could see they are all elves, and that meant they had common ground. They were a single people, and that meant they could act as one.

  Presently, the blessings were finished. The Shendali priest came forward.

  “And now a reading from the Testimony of Shendal,” he said.

  Aurora tried not to roll her eyes. “The Testimony of Shendal.” More like the Testimony of the Hanger-on Who Took Credit for Things He Never Did after Frey’s Death. Ah, well. She supposed she had to let the Shendalis have their moments too if this was truly to be a joint celebration. It would be over soon enough.

  ***

  Wolf and Honeyflower at last made it to the temple. Like most of the buildings he’d seen in Alfar, it was carved wood. It was made so flawlessly, so artistically, Wolf couldn’t be sure if it had been assembled from multiple parts or carved from a single, massive tree – a Drasil tree perhaps. It had multiple spires that rose to the heavens. The double-door was enormous and rose well over Wolf’s head, even mounted, and peaked in a point that matched those of the spires.

  Wolf had never been to an elfin religious ceremony, so he had no idea how much time they had left. His heart was pounding as he dismounted.

  “Owleyes,” Honeyflower said, addressing one of the soldiers at the temple door. “Open the doors and let me in at once.”

  She cut an imposing figure, still mounted on her black stallion. Owleyes looked impressed but unmoved.

  “I’m sorry, Captain,” he said. “I have orders not to permit anyone to enter the temple until the ceremony is over.”

  “I’m countermanding your orders,” she shouted. “Let me in.”

  “I’m sorry, Captain,” he said, sounding less sure. “My orders are very clear. Under no circumstances is anyone to enter the temple. It’s a security issue with the entire government inside.”

  “Damn it, Owleyes!” she practically screamed. “That’s why I need in! There is an assassination plot in full motion now. I need to stop it.”

  Owleyes looked troubled. He obviously wasn’t sure what to do.

  “I’m sorry, Captain,” he said after a moment. “I’m not supposed to let anyone in or out.”

  Wolf dismounted and approached the elf. He stopped short of grabbing him, but he put his face right in the guard’s.

  “Listen, Soldier,” Wolf said. “If you don’t let us in, no one is going to get out.”

  Owleyes stared at Wolf. Wolf saw the conflict in his eyes.

  “Oh, to hell with this,” Honeyflower said. “You two better get out of the way, if you don’t want to get hurt.”

  She pulled hard on the reins of the horse, causing it to rear up. A moment later, Wolf realized what she meant to do. He grabbed Owleyes and pulled him out of the way as Honeyflower brought her horse’s hooves crashing down on the temple’s giant wooden doors.

  Chapter 41: Time to be Elves

  Alexei Petrovic lay gasping for breath on the ground of the Urlish base. An arrow pierced his side, collapsing his lung. He was bleeding profusely from the wound, and he knew he would be dead soon.

  As expected, the Phrygian strike team was overwhelmed. Worse, the Urlanders were better organized than they planned. The initial attack succeeded admirably, but, once Alexei and his men penetrated the compound, they met stiff resistance.

  Even so, they’d managed to do some harm. He thought they must have killed or wounded several hundred Urlanders, and they’d caused a lot of chaos. The special elfin bombs had wreaked havoc, and the base was still burning in some places. His men might all be dead, but the Urlanders were going to have a hell of a job cleaning all this up.

  Several Urlish soldiers ran to his location. One bent down to examine him.

  “This one’s not dead, sir,” he called out.

  A moment later, a large man was standing over Alexei. His uniform indicated he was a general. He met the description of the commander of the Urlish forces in Alfar: General Edmund Blackstone. The new arrival snorted.

  “He won’t be alive for long,” he said in a gruff voice.

  “No, sir,” the soldier said.

  “Thought you could catch us unawares, eh, Comrade?” the big man said, switching to Phrygian. “Thought you’d surprise us, eh? Well, we were ready for you, you communist pig. We got a little tipoff. You hear that, Comrade? We knew you were coming. And if we didn’t, a pitiful force like yours wouldn’t have been able to do anything to us. Did you really think you would be able to cause any real damage with a team the size of yours?”

  Alexei said nothing. General Blackstone had a reputation for arrogant ignorance, and he seemed to be living up to it here. He didn’t understand what was about to happen. That seemed to indicate the mission was a success. The giant Urlander kicked Alexei.

  “Hey! I’m talking to you,” he said. “I asked if you thought you could really hurt us. I expect an answer.”

  “Da,” Alexei rasped. It was getting harder to breathe now.

  The Urlish commander threw back his head and laughed. His soldiers joined in.

  “You Phrygians
are even stupider than I thought,” he said. “We’ve got thirty thousand soldiers deployed here in Urland, and a third of them are on this base. You sent – what? – a hundred guys? You really thought that was going to be enough to be effective?”

  Just then, the clock tower bell began to chime. Alexei listened to it. Its ominous dongs signaled the beginning of Revelation Day. He smiled.

  “Da,” he said, answering the Urlander.

  It was too late now. The Feast of the Revelation was beginning. The Urlanders would not be able to stop Operation: Hammerfall. By morning, he would be a hero of the People.

  ***

  Aurora Spellbinder looked over the faithful and smiled. This was the big moment.

  “My people,” she said, “what an honor it is to address you on this, the holiest day of the year. We give thanks for the teachings of Frey, for the blessings of the land, and for our families.

  “It has been a hard year for us all. It has been a number of hard years for Alfar. Our land is dying around us. Violence rocks our streets. Elf turns against elf.

  “This is not the legacy of Frey. It is not what he intended for his people, nor is it how God intends for us to act.

  “My people, we are all elves. First and foremost, we must remember that and understand it. Our skin is black or brown. Our ears are pointed. Our names are tied to nature and are a source of great pride to us. We are a race of magic and a race of the Earth. Can there be any more poignant illustration that we have lost our way than the decay we see around us? Alfar and Jifan are rotting because we have forgotten we are one people. We have forgotten we are all elves. We are so concerned over whether Freya or Shendal had the correct interpretation of Frey’s teachings, we have lost the message altogether.

  “My brothers and sisters, it is time for us to stand together. It is time for us not to be Freyalans and Shendalis, not to be Alfari or Jifani. It is time for us to be elves. We must be unified. We must declare as one we will not stand for tyranny, we will not stand for terror, and we will not stand for hatred.”

  To her surprise, the temple erupted in applause. Aurora was accustomed to giving speeches and getting a certain amount of acclaim for them. But she wasn’t expecting that sort of response in a temple. She thought she was giving something akin to a sermon, not a political speech. Perhaps she’d been a bit naïve. She smiled. Perhaps she was going to achieve what she hoped.

  ***

  Gerarden Merrydance wanted to vomit. The president’s sappy “we are all elves” speech was one of the most sickening things he’d ever heard. We might all be elves, he thought, but some of us are better elves than others.

  He couldn’t wait for her to be finished. Not only did he not want to have to listen to her simpering crap anymore, he wanted to silence her forever. Please, God, he prayed, let her be done.

  ***

  “My people,” Aurora continued, “the message of Frey is not that Freyalans are better than Shendalis. It is not that Shendalis are better than Freyalans. It is not that elves are better than humans, or that humans are worthless.

  “Frey’s message is very simple: elves are God’s chosen people. We are to be his shepherds on Earth. We must use our magic and our insight to bring all races closer to God. Freyalans and Shendalis have more in common than in contrast. Let us embrace our similarities and forget our differences.

  “That is the mission of the coalition government – to bring Freyalans and Shendalis together to govern our people, to build that state of grace Frey instructed. I pledge to you that this government under my leadership will reach out to all elves, regardless of faith or nationality, to better the life of all Alfaris. I ask you to join us in this task. Reach out to your neighbors, your friends, and your enemies. Bring elves together. I charge you to stop being a Freyalan or a Shendali; I charge you to stop being an Alfari or a Jifani; I charge you to be an elf!”

  There was another round of thunderous applause. Many of the faithful stood up from their prayer mats and cheered. Aurora couldn’t help but smile. This was the elfin spirit she loved and understood.

  As the applause died, though, she heard another sound. It was a thud, and it came from the doors of the temple. Those in the back heard it. The rest were largely unaware. But it happened again.

  Now everyone stopped and turned to look. The doors shook with the impact of whatever was causing the sound.

  A third thud resounded throughout the temple, and the doors burst open. A great, black stallion was reared up in the threshold. Its hooves came down with a clatter, and its rider drove the beast into the heart of the Temple of Frey. Elves scattered before it, causing a panic. To Aurora’s great surprise, the rider was May Honeyflower.

  “Everyone, listen to me!” she cried. “I want you all to stand and file orderly out of the temple at once.”

  ***

  Gerarden froze. The arrival of the Captain of the Elite Guard caused a problem. First, the temple doors were now open, which would allow people to escape, especially since the mounted soldier was calling for an evacuation. Second, if she was here, she likely knew about the plot.

  “Just a minute, Captain,” President Spellbinder said. “What’s this about?”

  “Madam President, you and everyone here are in mortal danger,” said an Urlander who rushed in behind the Captain of the Guard. “Everyone needs to move away from the pillars immediately.”

  Gerarden cursed under his breath. These fools were going to ruin everything. He looked to his fellow martyrs. Uncertain what to do, most of them were complying with the request of the Urlander. Gerarden reflected they didn’t have much choice. The elves they’d been using for cover were moving away from the columns. To remain there, would have exposed them. Gerarden thought they should have committed the act now. They could still kill almost everyone. But he couldn’t communicate that to his co-conspirators.

  With people moving and there still being general confusion, Gerarden took the opportunity to inch his way towards the dais. He might still be able to carry off the most important part of the plan.

  ***

  “Ambassador Dasher?” Aurora said. What was he doing here? “This is extremely unusual. What are you doing?”

  “Madam President,” Dasher said, “there is a plot to assassinate the entire coalition government right here.”

  Aurora’s voice caught in her throat. She wanted to reply, but the claim was extraordinary.

  “Madam President,” Lumendrake shouted, “we were agreed you were going to condemn Urland for sending this infidel to us in the first place. His presence here is an offense before Frey and God. I demand he be removed.”

  “Madam President, Minister Lumendrake,” Honeyflower said. “Mr. Dasher’s claims are factual. If we do not evacuate the temple immediately, there is a very real chance all of you will be killed.”

  Aurora stared at her for a moment. It was obvious Captain Honeyflower was serious. She was the head of the Elite Guard, which was charged with internal security.

  “Perhaps we’d better listen to the captain,” she told the coalition. Then she addressed the congregation again. “Everyone, I want you to follow Captain Honeyflower’s orders. Everyone is to file out of the temple quietly and orderly until we can get to the bottom of this threat.”

  Most people didn’t need to be told twice. They turned and headed for the exit immediately. They were anything but orderly. Aurora feared it could turn ugly quickly. Honeyflower seemed to agree with her.

  “Stop pushing!” she commanded. “Walk quickly but orderly out of the temple. I don’t want anyone trampled.”

  The captain’s commands did little good.

  ***

  Gerarden no longer thought about what he came here to do or how the Captain of the Elite Guard had ruined it. He was focused solely on salvaging the objective of the mission.

  Honeyflower might have been saving hundreds of lives, but she was undermanned, and chaos was starting to take hold of the situation. This was the perfect opportunity. As the
commoners tried to get out of the temple without killing each other, they bottlenecked the door. The government officials were effectively trapped inside. If he could just get close enough, the mission wouldn’t fail.

  ***

  “Madam President,” Lumendrake was saying, “this is outrageous. There has been no benediction. The service isn’t finished. Shendalis are not permitted to leave the temple until the service has concluded. It’s very clear in the Testimony of Shendal. You cannot permit this.”

  “Would it be better to permit them to die in whatever disaster is being plotted, Minister?” she said, turning on him savagely.

  He withdrew a little. Aurora smiled. He’d never heard her speak to him like that. Maybe it was about time.

  “Besides,” she continued, “I’ve no intention of letting the ceremony fail to conclude. After we have this sorted out, we’ll reassemble everyone and finish the service.”

  Lumendrake spat a curse at her, but she didn’t catch it. Too many people were shouting at once, and she remained worried something bad was about to happen.

  ***

  Wolf was getting swept up in the wave of elves trying to get out of the temple. He fought against them, pushing his way against the current.

  Somewhere in the temple were the Sons of Frey. There were twelve pillars, so there had to be twelve assassins. But they had all abandoned their posts. No one stood near the columns that held the roof aloft. Wolf suspected they were filing out with the rest of the faithful. They had to be found. If they weren’t and President Spellbinder elected to resume the service, they could return to their posts and still kill everyone.