by Sam Ferguson
Jonathan entered a wide hallway and saw a pair of guards with robes like the one who was escorting him to the council chamber. The only difference was that each guard held a spear and had a long scimitar hanging from a sheath on their waist. They eyed him warily and he did his best to keep his eyes forward, pretending not to notice them.
When the hallway ended, there was a great room with a black and white marble floor. Along the edges of the room were several staircases that led upward. Jonathan looked up to the ceiling and saw a large, strange orb of gold glowing and giving light to the room. From where he stood, it didn’t look attached to the ceiling, or anything else for that matter.
“Come,” the elf in red said as he pointed to a staircase nearby. Jonathan followed him upward and studied the golden orb, looking for the chain that surely had to connect it to the ceiling, but he never saw one.
“Hurry please, the council is very busy today,” the elf said.
Jonathan nodded and rushed to catch up. When he reached the second floor he turned left to follow the elf through a doorway that led into another chamber in the center of the tower. This one had a floor of green marble. Several golden orbs, like the one on the first floor, but much smaller than that, floated near the circular wall-like sconces, bathing the room in a warm light that helped ease Jonathan’s nerves somehow. There was a large, circular table in the center of the room, and in the center of that was a floating image that Jonathan stared at for several minutes. It floated above the table a few inches, gently turning on an invisible axis. He stepped closer to study it and then realized that he was looking at some sort of magical map. Continents and oceans slowly turned on the image in front of him, as though someone had drawn a map upon a ball of some sort.
“It is called a globe,” a voice said as a door to the left opened up. A tall elf walked into the room. He had long, white hair, skin that matched the hair, and purple eyes that studied Jonathan intently.
The next door on the right opened, and another elf walked in. This one was much shorter, about five and a half feet tall actually, with golden hair, evenly tan, golden skin, and red eyes that seemed to burn like fire. This elf did not speak, but moved to the table and stood behind the chair nearest him.
Jonathan then glanced at the table and realized it was a continuation of the city’s design. Golden strips marked each wedge-shaped portion of the table for the race belonging to the corresponding city sectors outside. Three chairs were positioned at each wedge, except for his section, which had only one chair, making for a total of twenty two seats around the table. Jonathan stood respectfully, waiting for others to enter the room and take their seats. Two more tall elves joined the first with white hair. A few moments later, two more golden-skinned elves entered and flanked the first golden-skinned elf.
After a while, the second door on his right opened and another elf did enter. He was the same height as the golden-skinned elf, but had wider shoulders. His skin was a strange greenish-brown that reminded Jonathan of the forest. The elf’s black, beady eyes flicked up to the boy and then the elf offered a single nod before taking his seat at the table and reaching up to scratch the left corner of his mouth. No other elves came to join him.
Jonathan couldn’t help but notice the contemptuous glances the other two elves shot at the third when he sat down.
“The council is now complete,” the tall elf with the white hair announced. “Please be seated.”
Jonathan waited for them to move first, and then he stepped around his chair and took his place at the table. He glanced around to the four empty sections of the council table and wondered where the others were.
“I will lead the meeting,” the tall elf with the white hair announced. The shorter elf with golden hair nodded, but the elf with the dark skin simply yawned and dug under his left thumbnail with his right index finger. “First, let us discuss the matter of your status,” the elf spoke as he looked to Jonathan.
Jonathan frowned and stared back blankly.
The elf with the white hair pointed to Jonathan’s clothes. Then he remembered he was still wearing the slave clothes Elantra had given him.
“How did you come to escape from the Pes’Tai?” the elf with the white hair asked.
“It’s a long story,” Jonathan said.
“Summarize it, then,” the shorter elf with dark skin said.
The elf with the white hair glowered at the other for speaking out of turn, but the elf simply shrugged and went back to cleaning his thumbnail.
“I was journeying with my friends when we were taken prisoner by the Pes’Tai in Inghali.”
The elf with the white hair frowned. “Well, why did you go to Inghali? Everyone knows they take outsiders as prisoners and slaves.”
Jonathan shook his head. “We didn’t. We were told that someone else we were looking for was there, so we went to find him.”
“Who? Another slave?” the elf asked.
Jonathan shook his head. “A drow by the name of Larkyn.”
The elf raised his right brow and leaned back in his chair as he took in a breath. “That is interesting indeed,” he said. “We will speak of Larkyn in a moment, but first, tell me how you escaped the Pes’Tai.”
Jonathan nodded. “Two of my friends were chosen to fight in the arena. I was with Elantra…” he tried to think of her last name, but frowned when he couldn’t. “Sorry, I don’t remember her last name.”
“Eofuld,” the greenish-brown elf said as he moved his thumb up to bite on the nail.
“Must you do that here?” one of the other white-haired elves asked.
The greenish-brown skinned elf sighed and folded his arms reluctantly.
“Go on,” the leader of the council said.
Jonathan nodded. “To make it short, my friends were able to collapse the pillars supporting the balconies in the arena, and the building fell down.”
“This was during the fight?” the leader asked.
“Yes, it was during the last fight with the champions.”
“The arena would have been full,” the golden-haired elf commented.
“Only a few made it out, I think,” Jonathan said.
“You being one of those few,” the leader surmised. “Impressive. And your friends?”
Jonathan shook his head. “They were buried in the rubble.”
There was a silence in the room as the elves across the table turned to speak quietly amongst themselves. Jonathan glanced to the greenish-brown skinned elf, but then looked away when the elf arched a brow in such a way that almost made it feel like a threat.
“We never rejoice in the bloodshed of our kin,” the council leader said. “However, we are not surprised that the debauchery the Pes’Tai are so infamous for has finally brought upon them a terrible judgment. It will take them a long time to recover from losing the leaders of the five houses. Likely, they will scatter in the winds now, or perhaps turn to fighting amongst themselves for supremacy instead of continuing their never ending campaign against the Kratii in Scale Valley.
“You should know that you are safe now. The Pes’Tai abhor the inner forest, and will not venture into Tanglewood to follow you. They left the council long ago, eons before you were ever born, and it is prophesied that they shall not return to the heart of Tanglewood until the end times, which are still thankfully a long way off from now.”
Jonathan nodded as if he understood, but the elf’s words did little to comfort him.
“Now, what is your business with Larkyn?”
Jonathan reached into the satchel and removed the onyx sphere, setting it upon the table.
“How did you come by one of those?” the elf asked.
Jonathan ignored the question, and instead explained everything he knew about Larkyn and Nebenuk’s amulet. He told them about how he found the amulet on a troll king in the Murkle Quags and that Raven suspected it was forged with elven magic. He told them of the trolls that had taken over Vizendel and the disappearances. He told them that Raven
had gone to find the truth behind the amulet, but had never returned. The more he spoke, the deeper the frowns became on the elves’ faces. They listened to him with great focus, and then when he finished, they sat silent for several minutes until the leader of the council reached out and held his hand with the palm facing the sphere.
As if obeying some unspoken magical command, the sphere flew up and landed in the elf’s hand. He turned it over, looking at its sides and then he let go, allowing it to hover in the air before him. He spoke words that Jonathan couldn’t understand and then the sphere began to glow, only this time it had silver and blue light running through and around it. The sphere then opened and swallowed the entire room, complete with the table and all of the elves in the council.
A moment later, the same scene Jonathan had watched before played out on the center of the table as the spinning globe momentarily faded away so as not to obstruct the disciplinary record. When it was finished, the orb turned dull and the room was as it had been before the leader had activated the orb.
The leader turned to the first golden-skinned elf that had entered the chamber and sent the sphere magically floating to him. “Isylian, do see that the record is kept in our vault here, for safe keeping.”
The golden-skinned elf nodded and tucked the sphere away in his robes.
“I think I have seen enough,” the leader said. “Allow me a moment to confer with my other council members, and then we shall issue our verdict.”
Jonathan balked at the word “verdict” and wondered what that meant. Were they deciding about telling him where Larkyn went, or were they deciding on a punishment for the catastrophe in Inghali?
The golden-skinned elves conferred amongst themselves while the white-haired elves whispered in their group. Again, the greenish-brown skinned elf sat quietly, twiddling his thumbs and yawning.
A moment later, the other elves all turned around and faced him once more.
“Have the Svetli’Tai council members come to a conclusion?” the leader asked.
The golden-skinned elf with the fiery red eyes stood up and nodded. “We vote to help the boy in his quest.”
The white-haired elf nodded and turned to the greenish-brown skinned elf. “Has the Korr’Tai councilman come to a decision?
The elf turned to look at Jonathan and nodded. “I agree, we should help.”
The white-haired elf tapped the table a couple times with his finger, obviously disturbed that the single Korr’Tai councilman was not standing and observing proper etiquette. He glared at the elf for a moment, and then finally rose to deliver his verdict as well. “We also agree that we should help you.”
Jonathan smiled and nodded happily.
The leader continued. “Larkyn often visits his ancestral home in Tomyn. If you wish to find additional clues to your friend’s disappearance, we suggest you look there. However, do not confront him if you can avoid it. He has a reputation for hiring mercenaries as guards, and is extremely ill tempered. He will not lose any sleep over murdering you and your friends.
“Furthermore, if you find Nebenuk’s amulet, the council must ask you to return it to us. It is our duty to protect such items, and we must ensure it does not fall into the wrong hands again.”
Jonathan shook his head and blurted out what he was thinking. “But, if Larkyn already stole it from you, how will you ensure no one else can get it?”
The Korr’Tai on Jonathan’s right slapped the table and let out a belly laugh. “I have decided something else,” he said with a great smile. “I like this human!”
“Be silent!” the leader bellowed, his words bouncing off the walls in a lasting echo. He then turned to Jonathan and nodded his head once. “I admit, mistakes have been made, but if Larkyn stole the amulet, you can bet he had help from a nefarious source. It is not unheard of for the drow to dabble in the darker arts, or perhaps seek help from demons. You undoubtedly saw this yourself while watching the disciplinary record, for the three elders there chastised Larkyn for working with necromancy.”
“If he is as bad as all that, why don’t you send a patrol or something to help us find him and bring him to justice?” Jonathan pressed.
The elf drew his brow into a tight knot and glanced at the others before responding. “Perhaps if you had proof that Larkyn was behind these disappearances, we might have more of a cause to act in that way. Or, perhaps if you had proof that he did in fact take your friend, Raven, or even if you could get him to admit that he was working with the troll king who had the amulet. But as it is, there is not enough evidence.”
Jonathan sighed, feeling utterly defeated. What good was the council? All they had done was given him a clue to help find Larkyn, but they wouldn’t do anything themselves. He shook his head and began to push his chair back from the table. He was done.
“We can take them to Tomyn,” the Korr’Tai said as he stood from his chair.
Jonathan froze and turned back to the elf.
“I have many warriors here with me. I can lend them to the boy if the council is unwilling to act officially. This way, it will appear as though my warriors are helping to escort a group of travel-weary humans southward, ensuring their safety through the woods.”
“He has a point,” the Svetli’Tai council member named Isylian said. “Or, perhaps we could send one of my patrols with them. I have more scouts at my disposal.”
The leader nodded. “Very well, but let’s send a mixed escort. Three of my warriors shall accompany however many you both wish to send. I cannot spare more than that, however, or it will look as though the council has decided, rather than a couple of elven nobles.”
“Agreed,” Isylian said. “I have nearly thirty warriors I can spare. I shall ensure that the elves we send are from my own personal retinue.”
The Korr’Tai laughed and shook his head as he held his arms out to his sides. “I am the only Korr’Tai noble left, so I will join the boy along with seven of my warriors.”
“Excellent,” the white-haired leader said with a smile directed at Jonathan. “Then it is settled. We shall send warriors along with you under the guise of escorting you southward. As Tomyn is nearly directly due south from here, we can use the pretense as a perfect reason to construct a meeting between our warriors and Larkyn and his mercenaries. May the Gods watch over your days and the stars guard you in your sleep.”
CHAPTER 11
Within two hours, Jonathan was rejoined with the others and a group of forty elven warriors were with them. Koanin, as the Korr’Tai councilman was called, set the forty warriors around the group and charged them with ensuring that each human was protected for the duration of the trip. Afterward, he had his seven warriors follow him with gifts wrapped in green blankets carried in their arms.
Koanin walked before his soldiers and addressed Ziegler first. One of the warriors, dressed in leather armor that matched the leaves of the forest, handed Koanin something long, wrapped in a brown blanket.
“Unlike some of my elven cousins, I am not big on pomp and ceremony,” he said. “However, I wanted to present you with gifts. It is improper that a captain should be without a suitable weapon. To you, I present Aeolfang, a longsword forged in Tyrwyn by the master sword makers.”
Ziegler bowed his head and reached out to take the proffered weapon from Koanin. He removed it from its sheath and held it up in front of him. For the first time since news of Moose and Bull’s death, Ziegler smiled. “It is a fine blade, many thanks.”
Koanin bowed his head and then he turned to Ruben. A second warrior rushed forward with a small, wooden box. Koanin took the box from the warrior and then offered it to Ruben, opening the lid on its hinge and allowing the wizard to see inside. “Even the masters at the College of Mystics do not have a ring like this,” Koanin said. “This is my father’s ring. I find it appropriate that it now aid a druid in his work.”
“How did you know I was a druid?” Ruben asked.
Koanin smiled. “Korr’Tai are closest with Tanglewood F
orest, the trees told me.” He nodded to Ruben and the wizard took the ring and slipped it onto a finger. “It will help augment your druid magic, and signifies to the trees that you are their friend. May it help you in your times of need so long as you stay close to the trees.”
Koanin then moved toward Miranda and smiled. Jonathan expected another warrior to come up with a gift, but no one moved. Instead, Koanin stepped close to her and gently took her right hand in both of his. “It is rare, even in Tanglewood, to find a rose so beautiful. I have a special charm for you, my dear.” Koanin let go of her hand and pulled up a silver chain from around his neck. Hanging at the bottom thereof was a large, purple stone. He smiled and then stepped behind her. Miranda moved her hair of the way and bent down slightly to accommodate him as Koanin fastened the clasp around the back of her neck. Miranda centered the stone on her chest while Koanin walked back around her and smiled. “This stone augments your focus, and helps you cast more concentrated magic.”
Miranda nodded. “Thank you,” she said.
Koanin bowed his head and then moved to Jason. A warrior rushed up with a slender, long item wrapped in a blanket. Even before it was unwrapped, Jonathan had guessed it was a sword. Koanin took the weapon in hand and pulled just a few inches out of the sheath so the sun could shine upon the black metal. “This is Drek’noyn, forged by the same masters in Tyrwyn, but it is made of a rare metal called Telarian steel. It is strong enough to withstand a dragon’s breath, and will never lose its edge.”
Jason nodded and took the weapon happily. He pulled it out of the sheath and the silver runes etched in the middle of the blade glimmered in the sunlight. “It is an honor,” he said.
Finally, Koanin moved to Jonathan. He reached out and placed a hand on each of Jonathan’s shoulders. His black eyes scanned Jonathan’s clothes and he smiled wide. “First, let’s get you some better clothes!”
The elves around them all laughed, and then a stout warrior came forward and presented Jonathan with square packet that had been wrapped in such a way as to make a forest scene appear seamlessly across the many folds that held the wrapping cloth securely in place. When Jonathan opened the packet he found that the forest scene that had been visible when the cloth had been folded had been replaced by a battle scene set among the young trees of an ancient Tanglewood Forest.
