The Destroyer Book 3

by Michael-Scott Earle

  "It doesn't seem like the Kaiyer I knew." I frowned and took another bite of cake.

  "I'm sure Kannath's warriors explained that anyone who calls themselves Kaiyer is actually not the real Kaiyer. They are merely pretending."

  “Yes, they explained this.” I sighed and looked down at the dessert. “I am not a warrior, nor a member of your race. I knew nothing of these legends until now. It will take me a long time to accept the truth of your story, as it is so different than everything I was taught and grew up believing. I do know that the Kaiyer I know could not have done these things. He was powerful, but he did not murder people or Elvens without cause. He was just. But he did believe he was the Kaiyer you spoke of.” I tried to keep the bitterness out of my voice, but I heard how clearly I failed and saw it in the empress’s reaction.

  “I am sorry for your loss. I have lost loved ones as well, my father and mother were taken from me at a young age. I do know that the accounts were all in agreement. The Destroyer killed many of his own people, perhaps doing more damage to them than the dragons had in the final battle. He was defeated by his generals and killed, over five thousand years ago. The O’Baarni only live five hundred years at the most. The man we know who calls himself Kaiyer could not possibly be the original Destroyer.”

  I nodded and believed she was probably correct. I did not know why Kaiyer would pretend to be someone so hated and feared, but perhaps his memories had been altered by whatever suspended state we found him in. I could not imagine him capable of the atrocities the empress had accused the Destroyer of committing. The man I loved would not have murdered innocent children of any race.

  It no longer mattered who he was or was not. He was dead.

  “After Kaiyer was killed, Nyarathe realized that her people would need Ovules to escape through the Radicle. She did not have any and did not understand how to create them. All she knew was that they required an Elven to sacrifice themselves. She took a grave risk and approached the leaders of the O’Baarni. They came to an agreement to the benefit of both races. Nyarathe would be given Ovules for her research and when she had determined how to use them, she would share the information with the O’Baarni. This created a lukewarm peace and the chance for our kind to escape the O’Baarni.

  "The O'Baarni also began researching the Radicles and Ovules. Malek had been acquiring relics of the past for many years during and after the wars. The pact with Nyarathe gave him hints of how to use them, and by the time Nyarathe figured out how to create an Ovule and use the Radicle, his people had also reached a rough understanding of the same magic.

  “Each race discovered that they did in fact need the other. Ovules could only be made through Elven sacrifice. But the actual crafting of the device could only be completed by a human possessing the power of the Elements. Nyarathe did what she could in the negotiations, but she had little leverage. The O’Baarni had the ability to kill our people to create Ovules. Yet we could not force them to make an Ovule for us.

  “They agreed that as long as the Elvens provided them with a willing sacrifice every year, our people would be granted their freedom and allowed to live. If they required their own Ovule, two sacrifices would need to be provided and one would be returned to them.”

  “That does not sound like a very good deal for the Elvens,” I said.

  "I was not alive during the negotiations," Telaxthe said with a smile. "But I am sure that Nyarathe made the best choices she could, given the circumstances."

  "The treaty has lasted these five thousand years, but the O'Baarni have taken more and more of our liberties away with each decade. They followed our kind's first migration to a nearby world that was sparsely inhabited by humans. We were given small plots of land to inhabit, but the threat of extinction was forever in our minds. Thousands of years passed and my people spread across half a dozen worlds in attempts to escape the O'Baarni. Each exodus proved less effective at gaining us new freedoms. Even attempts at renegotiating with the O'Baarni clans failed. Each new treaty was proven to be a lie. They did not want to leave us alone, they wanted to raise us like cattle and slaughter us for Ovules.

  "When I was born, I felt the same pain and injustice that all of my ancestors carry through the generations. We made mistakes in the past, but we had done our best to follow the wishes of our Gods. I wanted to do everything within my power to free my kind. I knew that if I could just understand our history, if I could grasp the powers of our Dead Gods, or perhaps if I raised an army to fight like Iolarathe, I would make a difference. I know that you can empathize with my desire to save my people." I nodded and realized that I was beginning to feel sympathy for this woman and even the Elvens. My father and Kaiyer were dead because of her. My country had been conquered by her. I reminded myself of what Kaiyer had told me. The Elvens were not victims and were not without blame.

  “So I went to work, starting when I was still quite young. I sought allies on the various worlds we inhabited. I explained my vision to my kin. I told them I wanted a world for us alone, where we could live without interference from the O’Baarni. My vision was so compelling to my people that I gained support and further access to the knowledge of our past.

  “We began training in earnest and word spread throughout our worlds that I was recruiting warriors. We learned how to use our magic and we grew. Then I devised a plan, and after millennia of silence, the Dead Gods once again spoke to us, indicating that I was indeed on the right path, that they approved of my plans.” She paused and cut another slice of cake for herself. She looked at me with a raised eyebrow and then cut me a piece when I smiled back.

  "They spoke? Does that mean they are alive?" I asked.

  "Not quite. We witnessed the birth of not one, but two Singleborns in the same year. It was clearly an omen, since there is no record of this ever occurring in our past." She finished up her glass of port and then promptly filled it. With a gesture she offered to top mine off and I let her, but decided I would not drink anymore.

  “I was still new in my role, with only a few thousand loyal Elvens committed to my cause. The birth of the Singleborns united the rest of my people, especially as the Singleborns matured and joined my army. I had cultivated a talented group of Elvens. Men and women of the highest caliber of skill and intelligence. I based the organization of my army off of what I had learned of the Destroyer, with generals commanding smaller units.

  "The O'Baarni had a tradition of contests they held amongst their kind every ten years. Most were battles of strength and endurance that rewarded families descended from the original armies of their great generals. We prepared and trained, and then asked to be allowed to compete."

  "They didn't think you would win, did they?" I smiled and the Elven woman matched my expression.

  "No. They had not been paying much attention to us for the last twenty years. I used my best negotiation tactics and managed to convince them to let us participate if we gave them a few more sacrifices during the year."

  "Isn't that a steep price to pay just to enter a contest you could have lost?" I asked.

  “Yes, but the only other option would set the plan back decades. We had volunteers for the additional sacrifice, we always did. Our elders, most of whom had grown brittle with age, were happy to help their people.” I nodded at her words and the beautiful woman continued.

  “We won the first set of Games. The O’Baarni clans were outraged, but we had played by their rules. The winning clan is traditionally granted a boon by the other clans, and would be trusted to carry the Betrayer’s cursed armor for the next ten years, until the next competition. I, however, wanted nothing to do with the armor, but instead asked for my people to be given our own world, far removed from the root network of the Radicles.”

  "This world. My world," I said with undisguised venom.

  "Yes. You see Jessmei, not only is your world very far away from the rest of the O'Baarni planets, it only has four Radicles connecting it. Most other worlds have over twenty." She had not touched h
er third slice of cake yet and took a delicate bite before continuing.

  "There is one on the border of Timata and the Ice Lands. This is the door my army moved through. The second is in your Teeth Mountains. The third we believe to be where you found Kaiyer, somewhere in the south, however we are unsure of its precise location. The fourth is actually right beneath this castle."

  "So that is why you want to be in Nia."

  "Yes Jessmei. Originally, when we first planned to come here, I had intended to destroy the Radicles to prevent the O’Baarni from following us here as they have done in the past. But as we did more research, we realized that there were other methods we could employ. We guessed that some of the humans on that world might be descendants of the O'Baarni that were so skilled at using the doors. People who might not know the Elements, but would have a connection to the Radicle through their blood. Their heritage carries magic that could be more powerful than the Elements." She smiled at me and the realization struck sharply.

  "Me? You think I am one of these descendants?"

  "I am positive that you are one. You possess a power that you haven't realized. Your brother has some too, but in all honesty," she smiled at me and leaned back, "he has no discipline and would never be able to master the magic. I also find him lazy and repulsive." I tried not to smile at her words. Nadea and Kaiyer did not care for Nanos, but it seemed that everyone else adored my brother and let him bully me.

  "Your uncle and cousin might also have the same powers dormant inside of them. I will be meeting with them as soon as I can." I nodded and leaned back in my chair. My head was spinning but not from the alcohol. I wondered how long Nadea had been here and if she was okay. I wished more than anything to see her right now and wrap my arms around her. Of course Nanos had been lying about her death.

  "I hope that explains some of my actions toward your people. Even after we prevailed in their ridiculous Games, the O'Baarni did not grant my request. We had to wait forty more years, and win the next four Games, before it became such an embarrassment to them that they had to grant our wishes. When they finally did, we rejoiced, but knew that our real work was just beginning. I needed to migrate an entire species of people from various worlds to this one. Then we quickly had to take what resources we needed and either destroy or control the Radicles.

  "Our initial scouts found that the humans on your world believed a twisted history of the conflict. Their language matched the one we had used since just after the time of the Destroyer, but your people thought that the Destroyer fought a group of Ancient conquerors. We took the name, hoping it would inspire enough fear in your people to quell resistance. It did work and I feel that less blood was shed this way."

  I disagreed with the empress's opinion on the amount of blood that was shed, but I realized that this wasn't the time to argue with her.

  “This is why were so infuriated with the man you knew as Kaiyer. The O’Baarni had promised not to interfere with our migration, yet he is here on this world. I will admit that perhaps I took the wrong approach with him, but I am pleading with you to try to understand my perspective. I am sure you can see how frustrated we are and why?”

  “Yes. I can understand how that would be upsetting,” I said softly, choosing my words carefully. “My heart still aches when I think of him. And every time I close my eyes, I see your sister cutting off his head. The thought of him gone from this world makes my heart weep. I wonder if he ever knew your side of the story. He claimed you were the ones to enslave his people and had committed horrible atrocities. From what you have just told me, it sounds as if there have been generations of malice between your races.”

  “Yes, there is blame on both sides, to be sure.” She nodded and sighed. “And I hold my sister accountable for her actions, but I understand why she lost control. I am also to blame. Before they departed, I spoke to Kaiyer for a few hours, on matters unrelated to you or Nia. My sister had asked about our conversation and I dismissed her rather rudely. I believe she carried that anger and resentment and your friend paid the price for my mistake.”

  She reached out across the table and laid a smooth hand on mine.

  "I am so sorry. I made horrible decisions once I came to your world. I will do better, with your help." I wanted to pull my hand away. More than anything, I just wanted to see Nadea again.

  "If I agree to help you. What does that entail?"

  "I have the knowledge to lock the doorways of the Radicles, but I need you to do it. It will take a few weeks, perhaps a month or two, for you to learn how. Then, they will simply require maintenance every few years."

  "You would prefer this over destroying them?" I thought about what she had told me. I guessed there was more information she was holding back. If she really wanted to be done with the O'Baarni, then I reasoned that she would want the Radicles gone forever.

  "Yes."

  "What are you offering?" I asked as calmly as I dared. I had never tried negotiation, I had never needed to, but I had been around my mother and father enough to grasp the concepts.

  "I am offering a truce between our people. We have magic that can be shared with you and your family, and we are skilled craftsmen. Both of our kind will benefit from a peaceful coexistence."

  "But you will control the country? You have the powerful army and magic." I asked the question and tried to listen to her answer while my mind spun. I recalled the conversation around the campfire with Iarin and his kin. They had said that this world offered nothing of value to them, so there was no reason for them to aid us in fighting the Elvens at this time. I wondered how valuable the skills the empress was offering would be to them. Would I be able to enlist their aid once I had mastered these doorways? Perhaps that could be the catalyst that might convince some clans to destroy the Elvens once and for all. If I could teach them to move through the gates without Ovules, they would not need to rely on the Elven sacrifice every year.

  I remembered Kaiyer’s words and believed them. As pleasant as the empress was being now, as sympathetic as her plight sounded, I did not trust her and I would not accept that her people would be here forever. I did not believe they would maintain this truce and allow us to live freely. I would have to agree to her terms now, but my ultimate plan would be to remove her and every member of her entire race from my home by whatever means necessary.

  "No, of course not." She smiled and released my hand carefully. "You currently have a Council of nobles that supports a single ruler. There are votes for major issues. I would like a seat on the Council with either you, your uncle, or your cousin on the throne."

  "Nanos would be next in line for the throne. It flows from firstborn to firstborn. My uncle cannot serve as king."

  “These things can be changed, Jessmei. We do not have to abide by the old rules. It would be beneficial for us to determine who the best person to serve your country is, regardless of the past and your rules. I am asking you to consider a friendship between our people. I know I have wronged you, but can you bring yourself to forgive me on behalf of my people?” She seemed sincere and I knew that her story had some truth in it. I imagined that she had no need to come to us with a peaceful proposition. If she wanted, she had the power to enslave all of the humans on this planet and coerce me into helping. Still, Kaiyer’s words sounded in my head and I feared trusting her completely.

  In any case, what she was proposing was better than the alternative. I imagined she would torture me, Nadea, Greykin, and my uncle until I agreed to help her. If I went along with her under the guise of friendship and cooperation, I might be able to learn enough to make a deal with the clans later and avoid violence for now. I had little choice. Kaiyer was gone and without him we were powerless against these Elvens.

  "I want peace, Empress."

  "Excellent!" She clasped her hands together and smiled, just like Nadea. "This will herald in a golden age for our races. I am delighted." She raised her glass of port to toast and I smiled and matched her cheer.

  "I envision
us as partners, sisters even, working together for the benefit of our people," I said.

  "Your words match my heart, Jessmei," the empress said with a sigh of relief. "I am glad we could come to this point."

  "I am worried that some of my people might not accept this peace, especially after what has happened.” She frowned and nodded at my words.

  "I cannot be confined to my room during my stay here; it sends the wrong message to my people. Can you provide me with one or two of your best guards as an escort? Then I would feel safer in my home." I tried to summon a relaxed smile. I wanted to visit Nadea and my uncle, but I doubted that Telaxthe would let me roam around the castle alone this early in our negotiations.

  "Gladly. I have one in mind that I believe you will like. I will have her come see you once I leave. Speaking of which." She looked over her shoulder at my balcony. The day had changed to dark night, and the wind was now a chill whisper. "I would have liked to speak to your cousin Nadea privately, but it must wait until tomorrow. I feel I have been rude to her since she arrived earlier this morning and I have been keeping her waiting." Telaxthe stood up from the table and I rose from my chair. "I will leave you for the night. We can speak more tomorrow. Would you be available for lunch?"

  "Yes of course, lunch would be wonderful. Thank you for visiting me," I said and I remembered my manners and produced a curtsey for the Elven woman. She matched it with a bow and then pulled me to her chest with a warm embrace.

  I was surprised by the movement, but her warmth comforted me. I hugged her back and tried not to let my mixed emotions come to the surface. My heart should hate her, but it didn't. I felt empathy and sadness that her history forced her to come to our world seeking blood instead of peace. We parted and then looked at each other again. I smiled at her and blinked to keep my eyes from becoming too moist. I felt as if everything really would turn out for the best. If it did not, I'd learn what I could from the woman and then use my magic to strike a deal with the clans.