by H. J. Cronin
Bethegar was taken aback that Sara knew who he was. He bowed. ‘I am sorry about your husband, Sara. But how do you know me?’ he said, and then indicated his companion. ‘This is King Parmeus of the Black Panther clan.’
‘I don’t know you,’ she replied. ‘I have been to the capital many times and once, many years ago, I saw you pass. My youngest son saw you set up camp by the rocks so I went to see for myself and when I saw that it was you, Bethegar, I knew I had to help, because the High Count has patrols in these areas.’
Bethegar paused for a moment, taking in the kindness of this lady. ‘Have the patrols been here?’ he asked.
‘They come regularly, checking for fugitives. They threaten to take my eldest, Eli, once he is of an age. Bethegar, they want to turn him into one of them,’ she said sadly, wiping away a tear.
‘We cannot stay here, it endangers this family,’ Parmeus said, and Bethegar nodded.
‘I must insist you stay here druids, eat and sleep,’ Sara insisted.
‘We will dine here with you tonight and then leave first thing,’ Bethegar decided.
After Sara dressed Bethegar’s wound, they sat at the table and ate with Sara and her family. The youngest son, Jen, was amazed by the mountain of a man with the shaggy beard sitting next to him. They ate beef and potato soup, which was the first cooked meal they had had since the fall of Bemon. The lovely potatoes and the tender beef didn’t last long with the two druids there. Soon they were sitting in front of the fire sharing stories and laughter. Sara told them how her husband was called to arms when the news that High Count Darkool’s army had invaded reached them. He had never returned.
After a long evening of reminiscences they all grew tired and sleep beckoned. Bethegar and Parmeus slept in front of the fire whilst the family retired to their rooms. The morning dawned dimly, and the druids bid their thanks and farewells and left the hut. Standing outside was a small host of High Count Darkool’s troops. There were a dozen vampire soldiers in dark red armour and a throng of skeleton warriors standing silently in their own corroded armour behind them. Bethegar and Parmeus froze.
One of the vampire soldiers stepped forward. ‘King Bethegar, High Count Darkool has ordered your arrest. We have been watching this dwelling for some time. Come with us peacefully and the family will live,’ he bellowed out to them.
Bethegar gestured Sara to take the children inside; Parmeus made to lunge at the enemy but Bethegar stopped him, shook his head and whispered, ‘If we fight then we will lose, and the family will be slaughtered. At least they want us alive.’ Parmeus nodded and stood back. Bethegar then faced the vampire who had called out to them. ‘We will come with you willingly, but leave this family be,’ Bethegar said to the vampire.
‘The family will remain safe for as long as you cooperate with us,’ he said, bowing.
Bethegar and Parmeus apprehensively approached the undead host and were soon bound. As they were held firmly by soldiers, three vampire soldiers approached the house with torches and swords in their hands.
Bethegar realised what was happening and struggled. ‘No!’ he yelled, but there was little he could do except watch as the soldiers entered the house. Bethegar heard terrible screams from within, and then silence. The soldiers left the house with bloodied swords and no torches; it wasn’t long before the hut was ablaze with the family still inside. Bethegar and Parmeus felt great anger build inside them, but before they could take on their animal forms they both felt a hard knock on their heads from a blunt object and fell unconscious. They were loaded into cages, which sat upon a cart drawn by oxen. The party left, travelling south.
3
Escape
Johan, Ardag, and Bry had been in Falantis for four days now. Emperor Alantuas had been extremely hospitable to his guests. Although they had grown tired of seafood after over half a week of eating fish and water creatures, the companions had appreciated the warmness that the emperor had shown them. But not an hour went past when they didn’t think of their elvish friends being kept in the prison. They had worked out a small rescue plan that would put their own lives at risk.
Over the past two days Ardag had felt a strange sensation come over his body, a tingle in every limb. It was a mystical feeling and, suddenly, knowledge of spells and magic flooded his mind; he could only think that something had happened to his father. With his newfound powers, he was able to cast a bolt that stunned his opponent for five minutes; he had tested it on Bry who was more than willing to put herself at risk. They would use this spell to tranquillise the prison guards and thus rescue Lady Lalo and her kin.
It was on the fifth night that they decided to put their plan into action. They had observed that it was around midnight when there were the lowest number of guards. They left their room and were immediately confronted by the two guards who had been ordered to keep an eye on them. A sudden blue bolt of energy from Ardag’s left hand enveloped the guards and, before they could react, they were on the floor, unconscious.
‘We must hurry!’ Ardag whispered to the other two, and they followed.
They left the guest quarters and made their way through the golden, sleeping city. The usually busy corridors were now silent and still. The companions managed to avoid a number of the blue-skinned alvarian sentries, they passed through the Great Hall and soon they arrived outside the prison on the lowest level of the city. Ardag silenced three guards on the outside and took their keys. The three friends entered the prison, which was very different from the rest of the beautiful city, a vast open space, the walls damp and covered in moss, the floor black and old. The only sounds they could hear were the groaning of the inmates and a constant dripping. They stood at the bottom of a long corridor of prison cells.
‘What are you doing here?’ an unknown voice came from behind. The companions turned around to see two guards standing there with their spear tips pointed towards them. They looked down at their unconscious comrades and then back at the intruders, then walked towards them with their spear tips still raised. Before either Bry or Johan could react, Ardag quickly shot two bolts of energy at the guards, rendering them insensate.
‘We must be quick,’ Johan said, looking around anxiously, realising that guards from the upper levels of the prison would have heard the commotion and would soon be on their way to find its source.
Just as Johan finished speaking another three guards came out from the bottom of a stairwell to their right. Ardag shot a number of bolts at the new threat knocking each of the guards out. ‘We must find them now!’ Ardag said urgently. ‘Those first guards we took out will be awake by now and will have alerted the emperor.’
‘You’re right, Ardag,’ Bry said, and then cupped her hands around her mouth and called out, ‘Lady Lalo, where are you?’ Now was no longer the time for stealth.
After a brief silence they heard Lady Lalo respond to Bry’s call. The rescuers went to the source of the call and found Lady Lalo in a cell alongside Larko and a number of other elves. The other elves were in adjacent cells. It wasn’t long before other inmates were calling out to the newcomers, bidding the companions to free them.
Johan unlocked the door and the elves came out. ‘We must hurry, my lady,’ he said, looking around as Bry released the other elves. ‘The guards will be here soon.’
‘You have made a terrible mistake Johan,’ Lady Lalo said.
‘Come, we must go,’ Ardag interrupted, and the party ran towards the prison door.
When they exited the prison they were immediately confronted by two dozen alvarian soldiers clad in bronze armour, led by an incensed-looking Emperor Alantuas. He turned to one of his soldiers and whispered something to him.
The soldier, along with half a dozen others, approached the companions. ‘Emperor Alantuas orders you to the Great Hall. Any attempt to escape will be futile,’ warned the soldier, and he led the group away.
The emperor sat in front of the four companions in deep thought, scrutinising them. Johan, Bry, Ardag, and Lady Lalo
stood silently, trying not to breathe too loudly; the other elves were returned to their cells. The plan had failed, and now all the companions could do was wait to see what Emperor Alantuas had in store for them; high tension filled the air.
The emperor finally sat back. ‘I invite you into my world, I feed you, shelter you, and protect you from the storm,’ he started, with no hint of emotion in his voice. ‘You have deceived me and attempted to free my prisoners. If you were alvarian I would have killed you on the spot.’ He let the nervous companions absorb this for a moment.
It was Johan who spoke first, ‘Our humble apology, Emperor, we meant not to betray you. The elves are our friends and are innocent of the crimes you condemn them for.’ Bry and Ardag shot him shocked expressions and Johan stopped talking, not wanting to risk upsetting the emperor any more.
‘What Johan meant, Emperor,’ Ardag added, breaking an tense silence, ‘was this: the elves were once a vile and horrible race, they took pleasure in the hurt of others.’ Johan noticed Lady Lalo bow her head in shame at the mention of her kin. Ardag continued, ‘But now there are only a handful of them left. They have changed their ways and work to restore honour to their race.’
Emperor Alantuas laughed at the last comment. ‘Honour?’ he said sarcastically. ‘Elvish honour is to kill the innocent and rape this world of good.’
‘I must object, Emperor Alantuas!’ Johan suddenly blurted out, and Bry placed a comforting hand on his shoulder to try and calm him. He composed himself and carried on, ‘For whatever dreadful crimes the elves have committed, Emperor, let them make up for it, let them work hard so that they can be reborn.’
‘He is right, Emperor,’ Bry suddenly added. ‘I did not want to give them a chance at first, but they have helped us. They have changed my mind – give them the chance to change yours.’
The emperor sat back and was lost for a moment in thought; he stroked his blue chin and his pitch-black eyes stared into Lady Lalo’s beautiful green eyes. He considered: if he were to let the elves go and his fears came true then this threat from Wilmurin would not be the only threat to his world. But if he did let them go and the druids were right then the supposed evil from Wilmurin could be stopped. If he kept them in Falantis then he would not be responsible for the fate of his world.
He made his decision. ‘The elves will stay here in Falantis and Ardag, Johan, and Bry will be asked to leave,’ he concluded.
Ardag stepped forward. ‘I beg you, Emperor, let the elves go. Let their fate be my responsibility. If you are right and they mean to deceive us then the fault will lie with me, not you,’ he said confidently.
‘No, Ardag, the matter is done,’ Emperor Alantuas said, waving his hand dismissively.
Lady Lalo stepped forward and placed her hand on Ardag’s shoulder, and he stepped back to his original position. Lady Lalo stood in front of Emperor Alantuas. Her long, beautiful, golden hair hung down, which made her pale green skin stand out even more. Slender and elegant, she stood in front of the emperor defiantly and proudly.
‘You have something you wish to say, elf,’ the emperor said, emphasising the last word coldly.
She closed her eyes and in her soft voice said, ‘Flames and darkness will engulf this world. The dead walk and the living suffer. No living creature is safe, not those underwater or on land. High Count Darkool sits upon his dreadful throne flourishing from the screams of his slaves. His hordes have left Wilmurin and devastate the known world, from the high and cold north to the hot south. Every day his numbers grow, Falantis is eventually destroyed and is forgotten. The alvarian race is now as extinct as the elves. High Count Darkool does not stop until the world is dark, until the birds stop their songs and the sun forgets to shine.’
She stopped and let the words sink in; she noticed the emperor shudder while her companions stood silently. When she was ready she carried on, ‘My father had the gift of foresight, a gift he passed on to me. This is the future I have seen. Whatever quarrel the alves and the elves share must be forgotten. This is more important than that. I have with me the one person who can stop High Count Darkool, the one person who will stop the destruction of our world, not just Wilmurin. If you can’t allow me and all my kin to leave Falantis, then at least let my son travel with the druids, they need as much help as they can get.’ The companions were shocked by the request but the emperor sat in silence.
The emperor was obviously disturbed by the future that Lady Lalo had just revealed. Again he thought for a moment, not losing eye contact with the elf. When he finally spoke, it was in a milder, but still harsh tone, ‘A dark future you have seen. If you see the future then you already know the fate of Johan.’
Lady Lalo kept her back straight and stood defiantly, not moving an inch. ‘My gift is to see the fate of the world if the road is left unchallenged. I cannot see the destiny of individuals. So no, I do not see Johan’s fate, only what will happen if he does not succeed,’ she said boldly.
‘Sadly, I have no such power, Lady Lalo,’ the emperor sighed. He then stood up and approached the elf. He held out his hand and she placed her own on his; he looked into her eyes and smiled. ‘You know I can’t let you and your kin leave Falantis, Lady Lalo. I would never forgive myself. I do however, grant you your wish, and I will let your son travel with this group as a representative of your race.’
Lady Lalo bowed her head and spoke softly, ‘I see I cannot persuade you to change your mind, but I thank you for your kindness and for letting Larko leave.’
The emperor nodded and then faced the companions. ‘You have brought shame on yourselves for going against my will, and you have insulted me. You will leave with Larko now. We have protected your ship from the storm so your belongings are still intact, you will go to the Swim Bay and I will send for some dolphins to take you to the surface,’ he said, and paused to allow for a response.
Ardag knelt on one knee; Bry and Johan followed. Ardag started, ‘I thank you for your mercy. I fear that if our goal had not been so imperative you would have had our heads.’ Seeing the expression that Emperor Alantuas gave him, Ardag knew his statement was correct. ‘All I can do is apologise. I thought we were doing the right thing for our friends. We take our leave and again we thank you for your hospitality.’
‘I accept your apology, Ardag,’ the emperor replied, and he walked over to Ardag and shook his hand. ‘You are right though – I am not always so forgiving. Go now and finish whatever task you have at hand. May my gods and yours be with you.’
The companions turned to leave, but before they were escorted away Johan turned to the emperor, smiled, and said, ‘Good luck to you, Emperor, I hope you find it within your heart to accept the elvish race.’
The emperor bowed. ‘Do not hope for such an understanding. Go, and follow your destiny Johan, our paths may never cross again,’ he said, and then looked at Lady Lalo. ‘You may accompany your friends to wish them farewell, but you will then be immediately returned to the cells.’ The emperor ordered his guards to release Larko, turned and then walked away as the companions left in the opposite direction, under escort.
Lady Lalo, Larko and the three companions stood in a huge dome which had four large pools around its centre; in each pool there were a number of dolphins. The Swim Bay was where the alvarians entered and exited this part of the city. It was larger than the one they had entered through on the south side of the city. The northern Swim Bay was the largest of a number of them that were dotted around the city. A dozen guards stood watch over the companions, half would escort them upon dolphins to the surface. Emperor Alantuas had ordered the half dozen to help the companions sail as far as Jotun.
‘It troubles me greatly that I must go alone, Mother,’ Larko said to Lady Lalo. He was young for an elf. He had pale green skin and short, golden hair with five short twigs protruding from his scalp.
‘You will be a great help to the druids in their quest,’ said Lady Lalo, and the others smiled.
‘They do not trust me,’ he replie
d, looking over her shoulder at the companions.
‘We do,’ Ardag cut in. ‘We will trust you with our lives and we are honoured to have an elf travel with us.’
‘He speaks the truth, we are blessed to have you aid us,’ Johan added, and all four of them looked at Bry who had been standing silently. She had been most unwelcoming to the elves when they had first met.
She shrugged her shoulder and simply said, ‘Four is better than three, and we know we can rely on you in a fight, so considering those things – I’m happy with the arrangement.’ Larko smiled and bowed his head in response to the comments from the friends.
Johan looked at Lady Lalo and felt sadness as well as pity for the elf lady who had saved him and his friends. She would have been a great mentor and a greater friend, but she was to spend her days underwater in that horrible prison.
‘Are you unhappy, Johan?’ Lady Lalo asked, sensing his uneasiness.
‘I am well, Lady Lalo, I simply fear for you,’ he said looking down at the ground.
She smiled and placed her hand on his cheek, and suddenly he felt calm and his anxiety left. ‘I will not come to harm, Johan, I promise. My time here will not be in vain, I will work on the emperor. He needs to be persuaded that his large army could make a huge difference in this war, the war that will come to him,’ she said.
‘Do you think it will work?’ asked Bry.
‘Only the gods know, Bry. Now I believe is the time we must bid farewell to each other. For now,’ she said looking each of them in the eye in turn.
‘I thank you for your assistance, my lady,’ Bry said first and bowed her head; Lady Lalo returned the courtesy with the same bow.
Ardag took her hand, kissed it, and said, ‘I am eternally grateful, Lady Lalo, you are a light in an ever growing dark world.’
Lastly she came to Johan who was obviously fighting back tears. He embraced her and she kissed him on the cheek. ‘Is there no hope of you and the others coming with us my lady?’ he asked in a broken, sad voice.
