Traitor to the King

by Clare SM Keating

  “Mmm…” The king muttered softly at first, as if preparing his dried mouth for the labour of speech before he turned his head towards the body being tended to on the floor beside him. Somehow the fact the eyes were still showing gave Zehna some kind of hope that his unfavoured son would be healed in time by the gods and permitted peace. But Otzell pondered over Leridan’s strange attitude for a moment as his mind searched deeply within for the right kind of answers and the story that he would feel suitable enough to tell. Finally he opened his mouth with a soft sigh, drew in air and then spoke with a gravity that would be noted for the ages. “Did I know? No… Not really… I had suspected but I had not believed the truth would have been revealed so early into our time together…”

  The words were left to hang and had been chosen very well as his long experiences in such matters proved time and time again. He knew the words would keep everyone quiet and every eye turning away from the creature and towards his proud form, in fact it was almost enough to make him give a smug chortle to see how predictable each generation of mages was from the next. Their eyes were glittering with wonder, because his words had them pondering just what he knew about this angelic being and just what they had been involved in together – how could a king even know what an angel was thinking?

  “You say that as if you have communed with the angel… is it using a vessel?” Master Highgate stated in a nervous shudder as he lifted his hands from his eyes to look towards his king, his body bathed in the red waves of light from the being and shimmering with his fear and excitement. The mention had the other mages whispering to each other, questioning what was meant and pondering whether or not their king would be so glorious as to have met with an angel and spoken to it soul-to-soul. It pleased Otzell to hear it, indeed it filled him with great glee to think that the love his people held for him would lead to such a firm belief in his possible divinity and proof he might be a being of prophecy, but of course there was far more to it than that and Otzell had to choose his next words carefully and keep humble.

  “No… it comes in its true form… but I cannot say what that is or Nabuto may be furious. What I can say though, is that I am quite sure that I have the only way to keep our saviour at our beck and call.” Otzell stated, gently tapping his heart with his long fingers before flicking at his eyelids and lifting his hands upward in a gesture to say ‘Nabuto knows what is meant by my heart’ and remove all thoughts of arrogance or insolence. The gesture and the words urged the mages to give more sounds of delight and praise to their wonderful king, but Highgate suddenly appeared concerned by the thought. Indeed his eyes darted to Zehna who was listening but still staring out at the creature beyond. He looked as if he might be about to spill out into tears, but all Zehna could do was manage to wheeze a simple sentence of concern that was easily swatted away.

  “That sounds dangerous my liege…”

  Perhaps it is… perhaps I am playing with fire; but no other king has such a creature at their disposal and I will have no choice if the stones are not found. Otzell thought in response.

  Damara could feel the earth vibrating about her, but her ears were pinging with pain and her eyes were watery and burning as she lay upon the ground with a whimper. She could not see what was going on around her past the blur of red light and she was desperate to find out what was happening to her sister. The only sense bar touch she could understand was the sense of smell and she gave a shudder of disgust at the scent of blood. There was such a strong smell of blood and Damara stretched out her seemingly numb hands to grab at the very stone of the ground and try to figure out what was going on. Her hands felt oddly warm as she groped the stone and she felt a strange sensation within her body as soft breaths of gentleness swept over her with a soft smile. She was not sure whether to keep grasping the stone for foundation or just accept the beautiful waves coming through her body.

  “Anouk… Karayan… where are you?” Damara murmured gently in search of any kind of coherence although she could not even hear the words escaping from her mouth, let alone feel the movement of her tongue. She was confused and concerned but at the same time she could feel a need for her to relax and just let things… happen. Damara wanted only to give a scream for someone to come out to her and touch her, to tell her that it was going to be alright as she kept blinking her eyes to try and see things properly. She gave whimpers and groans against the need to be calm as she felt something liquid nearby before she paused and began to grasp about the pool for something more real. She was happy when she managed to grip what felt like the freezing cold arm of someone she knew very well. “Anouk?”

  There was no sound from the figure, no sensation of warmth or breath as Damara stretched her hands out in search of her sister’s mouth and instead found more of the damp sensation. She could smell blood was still around her as she stretched her hands about to touch her sister’s body and feel for any signs of life. The liquid she knew was obviously blood seemed to lead her fingers towards Anouk’s chest where there was a deep, damp place and Damara began to give a whimper. She knew very well that there was an obvious injury and that her sister was seriously hurt, but when she tried to call out to Anouk and ask the Karayan for help, she realised that nothing was going to happen, and she started to cry, hoping that someone would indeed help her out. But before she could pull herself up and cuddle at the body of her sister, she felt the sudden burst of something wonderful hit her body and make her drop down onto the ground again with a grimace. As she managed to roll and look upwards, she could see the form of something wonderful and beautiful above her.

  This new blast seemed to knock them all out onto the floor and Damara gave a gasp of surprise to feel such a thing as she seemed to be exploding with pleasure. She could not explain it when she was so afraid for her sister’s life, but the blast seemed to be healing away all the upset and fury within her body as she tried instead to be focusing on what was going on with her sister. But she could feel her senses returning, save vision and could feel that the liquid was dribbling back into her sister’s body and the skin was starting to become warmer! Damara was not sure what to do or how to react, only that she could not stop a smile from gripping her face as she moved her hands to cover her eyes instead, trying to avoid viewing the great and beautiful spectacle above her. She wanted to make more sounds, to question if now her sister was reacting, but when she finally managed to drop a hand to feel for her sister, she could feel one of Anouk’s hands stretching out to find her. When their skin touched the fear Damara could feel was trying to break through was finally squashed and they gripped one another tightly and realised that they were both alive and they were both together.

  As they held one another Damara could feel her body fading away but her mind stepping into memory and seeking the most joyous moments she could recall. Whether it was the moment she could first remember seeing the smile upon their father’s face, the cooing and fussing of her mother… they were all happy and yet in truth so generic. It was only when she began to recall the things her sister had done for her that things really did change, with the earliest memory of a terrible storm rattling through the household and no one waking for her but Anouk. It was then the red head had appeared beside the crib, stretched her fingers out and tenderly stroked Damara’s young face… she had no earlier memory of Anouk save that and had been quite sure that her sister had been wanting to avoid her for years, but that was what surprised her most in the memory. She could swear to have seen her sister’s face for the first time and to see tears dribbling from her sister’s eyes before she had heard the words that she had never remembered hearing before.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t come to you before… but I will protect you, I won’t let anyone steal you away.”

  It was a very strange thing to hear perhaps but more than anything it made Damara ponder her own memories and indeed what her sister had meant. She hoped that with this strange healing and this good luck, perhaps some of the damage done to Anouk’s nature would be healed a
nd her rebellious nature might be curbed. She gripped her sister as tightly as she could, pressing her body to the still cold one, hoping her warmth would help her heal and keeping her blue eyes tightly shut as the battle raged on above them. She could hear soft gasps coming from her sister’s body and was glad her senses were returning as she pressed closer and tried to whisper comfort to her. She began to mutter to herself, calling out prayers to Nabuto though she could not hear her words as she asked for safety and preservation for the king, for Virenheim, for her friends and for her dear beloved sister.

  The words seemed to float from her form in little blue wisps, hooking into the form of the great red object as it pushed back against the demon and became stronger. None of the elves could see it, but as each of them began to pray to their beloved great god they sent more of these little wisps to sit over the wings of the great creature and give it power to beat them. The creature continued to wrestle and when the great blue lines had outlined wings akin to some great mountain bird, the objects squeezed open with a gasp as if a thousand beings had held their breath in preparation for something powerful. As the great wings opened out, stretching their length but pinching together at the back of the being, their shadow encompassing the length of broken wall and dam, the monster gave a roar. The roar was not horrendous like that of the Archdemon but more like a roar of happy laughter brimmed with tears for some unknown joy. With this roar the archdemon dropped its mace, cringing and stepping back away from the wall as best it could whilst still stuck and onto the other side of the chasm, clenching its teeth and giving clacking sounds of discomfort like some deranged bird as the wings seemed to suddenly stop stretching and quiver.

  The wings seemed taut, ready to be unleashed to beat in some strange mechanic motion as the red figure stepped into the centre of the river’s chasm, the water below mirroring its calm form as the blue turned a soft shade of pink all along its length. The waves of healing from the being were filtering into the water, healing the very depths of the city walls and cleansing the water from the bodies that were littered within as it flushed through the Rice Paddy’s sunken form and the prison mud pools towards its northern exit. The archdemon looked weaker, smaller, its whole form shrinking down in size as if the power that had fed it was now running away and anyone watching who knew the stories could recognise the fear within the creature’s form at the presence of this figure. Then, when it seemed to look at its weakest and no taller than a stone house, the wings suddenly released in a thunderous clap that smashed everything ahead of the red figure. The very earth was forced into the air and burst a great gash through the clouds of spores that burnt on contact and flew off on the wind. The light of Nabuto poured through the gap and bled onto the forms of the orcs, demons and the Archdemon that remained, yet when it hit the red figure the creature seemed to turn into a large mirror and bounced the brilliant light off its outstretched wings and into the darkness to boil away all enemies.

  The light was too intense for any from Virenheim to be able to hold their heads to look at it and even in North City, twenty leagues away, the light encouraged the surface dwellers used to the sunlight to shrink in surprise. Along the road to that city, those beings that waited for news to return to Virenheim collapsed in their camps and hid beneath their cloaks for the burning pain caused by the brightness. For all who turned to look towards the great mountains and the only defence in the north against the Orcreich, they could all see the great light and knew something amazing had happened. Those who did not know of Virenheim could only imagine some great treasure existed that way or some great omen had come to their lands, but for all that did know there was only fear to be had… for what great monstrosity would be the cause for such a terrifying weapon?

  The light continued to burn the beings of darkness away to ash and even burnt a few of the spore trees in the forest beyond the swamp, cleaving a great wave of purity to the old stone and the old boundary of Virenheim. The stone walls reformed and the world of the Deep Elves of Virenheim seemed to start to return as the light suddenly began to fade. The spores began to shrivel away in the sky, burnt with their poisons dead and only a nutritious ash remained to fall on the torn meadows and aid the crops in growing once more. The sun broke through the last remaining patches of darkness and the pain of what they had seen, and the loss of sensation faded away as the demonic forces were scattered. Only three beings sat in the courtyard that appeared as smooth and brightly polished as it had been the day before… one of them grasping the Sacred Stone that swirled blue with joy and happiness to be out in the sunshine that was fuelling it.

  All the figures that remained alive shifted upon the walls and stared at their bodies in confusion and relief. They shielded their faces behind hats and scraps of cloth from the sunlight but peered out against its glaring beauty to see Olbeck, the first, and Kraskord, second dam restored, the Rice Wall rebuilt, and the paddy still filled with water and looking fertile. The Kadigak was also back to normal with the Nobody Inn sitting calmly in the centre of it as if the owner had decided to give it a clean at last! Everything looked fresh and new above the surface, but beneath the surface some areas were still in rubble, such as the prison and the kennels and all the outlying areas that were too far from the touch of the waves… such as the Benaga household. Out in the world Alard and Ling saw the light fade and knew it was time to return to Virenheim and try to get Anouk free. Within the sanctuary far away from the main caves they had all felt the strange tingling in the air of joy and Saravona was urging everyone to start thinking of returning. Otzell stared out at the healed world and then turned to the stunned expression upon Zehna’s face before producing a soft little chuckle.

  “Go now and help our people… also tell them all that Alagpo’s family will be under arrest upon their return, round up any here now that are not in need of healing…” Otzell stated as he noticed the way Zehna was staring at the missing stone sitting within the Karayan’s clenched claws as he sat against the wall, still bracing himself for danger. Otzell chuckled at his master mage and gently tapped at Zehna’s shoulder before breathing a soft sigh of pleasure as he looked towards the relief upon the faces of his people. “Do not be afraid Zehna… I feared someone would take it so I made a fake one and gave the original to the one person I knew could not be involved in all of this… it was just between me and my general. Oh… and inform all that due to the rules over the prison, Lord Anouk Benaga is reprieved from all crimes and will return to her rightful position.”

  “Of course, my king…” Zehna bowed but he felt his body was still rattling from the dazzling light and the sun was shining down on the dome to make him and the other elves feel too hot and sore. Automatically he flicked his fingers for the shield of coloured oils to roll over the glass of the dome and block out the intense rays of the sun as his fellows began to gather the books of healing spells. They prepared to meet the wounded in the Great Hall of the tower where they would be brought and blessed by their king. All of them kept turning their heads out toward the scene on the courtyard where the figures were just starting to return to normality along with the rest of the world and the most visibly active of them all was Damara shuffling around the body of her sister.

  “ANOUK! ANOUK SPEAK TO ME!” Damara practically hollered down the pointed ears of her sister and she watched in stark disbelief as her sister spun around to glare at her viciously before snatching her by the ear and barking back in response.

  “IS THAT LOUD ENOUGH?” It was loud enough people recovering on the walls paused to stare down at the situation, only to see Damara suddenly burst into tears and fall into her bald sister’s lap. Anouk sat on the ground with a vicious scowl upon her face, she’d never thought she could ever be so cross with Damara in her life but she was fuming. Not only had her little sister been ridiculous enough to get involved in this nightmare but she’d failed to listen when she’d been ordered to and worse still she’d almost gotten herself killed. Anouk was furious and more so she had been scared about de
ath for the first time she could recall. Nothing else had phased her stern face until that moment when she had felt something lunge forward and stab its way into her chest, she could hardly believe it had even happened but for the dried blood and the ripped hole upon her prisoner’s garb. With a soft sigh she stroked her sister’s back to ease her sobbing before turning her head to stare at the Karayan, who was propped up against the wall looking dazed. “You alive over there big guy… or are you in the middle of some secret warrior meditation cycle?”

  “I’m quite alive… but like you two I think I need to check with a medical professional. My chest feels like that monster stood right on my heart… I don’t think I’ll be able to move for a while yet. What about you two?” The Karayan groaned gently, stretching up one of his clawed hands to clasp at the minute pieces of shroud still clinging to his most private areas. As he stroked at the strange form, it shuddered softly with a curious squeaking sound of delight that made him sigh in relief to know that he had not lost what could only be described as his oldest friend. As he finished stroking at it and the shroud began to stretch out to cover his body some more and tend to the great red wheel that sat within his chest, Anouk stared at him curiously for a few moments and blinked hard. She could hardly believe that she was looking at the same being she had just witnessed… her mind was still a blur but she gave a sigh of relief to see him alive and the Karayan gave a soft sigh. “I take it we managed to do something to fight that thing?”

  “I don’t know what it was, Karayan, but why are you holding a stone?” Damara questioned nervously in surprise as she pulled herself up from Anouk and strolled towards her friend. He stared down at the glowing blue object within his hand for a few moments before turning to Damara with a soft chuckle. The Karayan had almost forgotten he had been carrying the stone, but he was glad of it as everything calmed and the world seemed to focus on him and it. He could tell that Damara already believed that the creature to have come to save the day had been summoned by the power of the stone and that was a much safer way to think on the matter. Damara though squatted before the stone and it seemed to turn the same shade of purple as her hair, perhaps even recognising her and reassuring her it was friendly. “It was so hard to believe that the stone I was grasping for was real… it didn’t feel right and… and I don’t know how to explain it, but the stones have a familiarity about them.”