The Emperor's Shadow War (Tales of Alus Book 2)

by Donald Wigboldy

  "That is why this treasure is so uniquely important. A true dragon, unlike those labeled as such from the North Continent, has powers beyond anything that you could possibly begin to grasp. Only the most powerful of sorcerers or the grandest of seers can even begin to understand the creatures."

  Ralmon scoffed, "Please, seer, do not think to talk down to me..."

  "I do not talk down to you, sir, I merely point out the grandness of these creatures known as true dragons. The lair of one such lies in the mountains aptly named the Dragon's Spine."

  Again the lord interrupted, "If this treasure is so important, then why do you broadcast its existence to us here? I would have thought that you would guard this secret even now."

  "You argue the point to examine me, but it avails nothing. If such a man existed here that wished to find the treasure, he would first have to find it in the multiple spires of the mountain range, then face the dragon. Do you believe that any man could beat a seer to a destination already known to him?"

  Ralmon sealed his mouth tightly and refused to say more.

  "Go on, Gannon," Dante prodded. He didn't like the thought of a dragon, but hoped to know all that he faced before walking blindly into the mountains.

  The seer nodded, "Our main priority is a ring of great power that rests within the dragon's lair. We will find much of interest there, but the ring is our only true goal. It will not be easy, but..." Gannon suddenly chose to not continue and simply shrugged.

  Dante could see that it was all they would get from the man at this time. Lord Ralmon seemed to realize that as well and began speaking of other matters. The lieutenant lost track of just what he said as his mind began to mull over what Gannon had said. A ring? They would risk all their lives for a ring. What power could lie within the circlet that would warrant risking their lives for a single ring?

  Chapter 28- Darius

  The trip north to Willow's Berg had been simple and uneventful this time out. Other than the occasional land travelers or those that they spied upon the river in their ships and boats, there was little to see other than the woodlands near them. No sign of the others from their group was ever found again, though that was expected even if they survived since, if they had followed his direction, they would proceed to the capitol of Alia.

  There was also no more sign of the enemy. This had been his biggest fear, since the group had been weakened and they had picked up people that he felt did not belong in such dire straits. The women had become adequate riders already, but none of the women or the man known as Steith were trained to fight. The former slaves had apparently noticed his worries and he saw that most had convinced one elf or another to teach them the use of a sword. He appreciated their efforts, but knew that their training could amount to little in the face of the vicious trolls, orcs and goblins.

  Darius watched them all as they rode or in the time of rest at each night's camp. One woman surprised him though. Meria, a small red head that seemed shyly quiet as they traveled, had come to Matalchus instead of the elven hunters. The older wizard confessed as much after the second night's camp. It was figured that this day's ride would bring them to Willow's Berg.

  Matalchus had ridden up from behind where Darius and Electra rode together. "Darius, may I have a word with you?" the wizard had asked.

  "Of course, Matalchus, you know that you can always come to me," Darius assured his former teacher.

  "Alone, if you please," he added hinting to Electra's presence before he would go any further.

  Shrugging, the elven woman stated, "I'll go see what Janus has to say."

  With the woman safely away, Darius asked, "What is so important that you need privacy, Matalchus?"

  "You obviously know the woman, Meria?"

  "Of course."

  "It seems that she has had a little training in the mystical arts. She hasn't said just how she came to acquire said training, but the woman seems to think that providence has led her back into the calling of a mage. Last night, I tested her skills and natural talents. The former were meager, but I was amazed at how strong her natural gifts are. She can do little more than a second year trainee can, but I think that Meria has the potential if we choose to cultivate it."

  "Why do you worry to bring this to me, Matalchus? You are a tenured wizard and can judge matters well enough on your own."

  The wizard looked at him sternly. "I may be seasoned enough, but remember that you lead this quest. As leader, you should know of such things and, more importantly, Meria would never dare to train without your permission."

  "My permission?" with the idea being somewhat of a surprise, he asked. "Why mine? I do not own her or any of them. She has freewill to do as her heart desires. If you want to teach her, what is it to me?" he replied feeling the strain of leadership once again. Darius was to the point of wanting nothing to do with leading anymore.

  The older wizard shook his head disappointedly. "Come on, Darius, don't act like you are still my student. I know you are wiser than that. These people owe you their freedom whether you appreciate that or not. The others seek to learn how to fight because they can see that you worry over them still despite yourself. Meria has talents that could serve better as an apprentice, but she will not allow me to teach her unless you give your permission."

  "The others didn't ask me if they should learn to fight. Why does Meria think that I would mind?" he asked seriously puzzled.

  Matalchus shrugged, "As I said, she wants to serve your best interests. I also think that perhaps her youth is another reason. Meria is the youngest of those that you saved. The girl is only sixteen and has led a rather sheltered life on her family's farm until recently."

  "And so now I serve as parent to a girl only a few years younger than myself?" Darius replied with a sigh. "Fine, then. If it's up to me, then I say if you want to train her you may. Having an extra apprentice could be helpful though I doubt that she can be of any true help to us in a battle. Of course, the others won't be much help as warriors either, I suppose?"

  He had meant the last as a slight joke, but Matalchus answered seriously, "Actually, we might find Meria an asset much sooner than the others. My tests of her indicated both a talent of magic and a great quickness of mind. The girl could prove quite the wizard one day."

  Darius had looked back to the riders behind him and found the girl talking with Tate. "Apparently, Tate has noticed some of her other assets, too," he stated with a smile.

  Willow's Berg appeared before them that afternoon. The capitol sprawled to either side of the great river joined by a single stone bridge crossing nearly a hundred feet above the flowing water. It was anchored at either end by a pair of enormous towers. Each tower had several smaller towers and guarding walls making two fortresses of the single castle. No docks lay near the castle of Alia's king save one small pier that held the royal flagship at the ready.

  Darius wondered at how such a magnificent structure could have been built. The river was still at least an eighth of a mile across even between the twin towers. He gave in to staring at the engineering marvel until they reached the south gate for the eastern half of Willow's Berg.

  As they entered the city, they were surprised by a voice near one wall of the entry gate. "Darius, Master Matalchus!" the voice of the apprentice Xarien called out as the man rushed to greet them through the small crowd of people entering and leaving the city.

  "Xarien," Darius greeted with a handshake upon touching his feet to the ground. "I see that you are well. Where is everyone else?"

  "Fioren and the others are awaiting you at the inn where he obtained rooms for us. Where did you get all those horses?" the apprentice questioned the air rhetorically. "I suppose that we should bring them to a stable. Do we have the money for that?"

  "We'll only stay briefly, Xarien, so I'm sure that we can afford the lodging." Darius fingered the laden gold pouch absentmindedly as he answered. The motion didn't attract the apprentice's attention, but the wizard quickly stopped it as he noticed h
imself. "You know where a stable can be found?" he asked moving back to their need.

  "Of course, that is where we keep the two horses from our party now. If you'll follow me...," Xarien said as he led them off to a side street not far from the gate.

  As they walked, Darius questioned the man, "Did you manage to find anyone else on the trip north?"

  "I'm afraid not, Darius, but you apparently have. What is with the ladies?"

  "It's a long story involving a few of our elves and a slave trader," the wizard replied glibly. "So no word of Palonius or the missing elves? Then it was as I was afraid that we have lost some of our comrades to the flooding river."

  Feelings of great sorrow swept through him, but the man could not allow himself the time to fully deal with his loss. Instead, he dealt with the stable owner and went to the inn. The wizard led the others stoically allowing no dark emotions to ever be known even to himself.

  At the inn, they found Fioren and the three elves sitting off to one side of the eating room. The light was less direct and it would take more to notice the unusual looking elves, he thought immediately.

  "Greetings, fellow travelers," Fioren toasted with a mug of ale as he rose. "We were beginning to wonder about you."

  "No need to worry over us, Fioren," Darius replied with a tired smile.

  "Nor to let yourself drink into oblivion," Matalchus added grumpily from behind him. "You are a wizard, boy. Show yourself to be the honored man we gave the position to ten years ago."

  "I am not that drunk," Fioren retorted with a slight slur. "In fact, I have been using my talents to garner information of the road ahead. Ask the elves, if I haven't."

  "Fioren!" Matalchus reprimanded.

  "Bah!" the wizard scoffed. "These people don't care. Now let me tell you what I found." Suddenly Fioren tipped slightly off balance. Seco stood to catch the man.

  "He did find out a lot, actually," Tavarsh put in from where he sat against the wall on the bench alongside of the table. "A city known as Montieth is on our way if we follow the river north. The rains that separated us also created a lot of flooding around the island city. The travelers from there say that there is a lot of marsh land up there normally, but now half the county is under a foot of water or more. It was recommended to use the plains to cut inland if we still wish to follow the water course."

  "I see no problem with that," Darius replied. "The river was only for use as a guide anyway. Its shores are also much safer than the forests are usually. Taking the Alian Plain is fine enough from here. We may even be able to shorten the trip by cutting across the plains, though I think that we will wish to use the river to skirt the northern forest."

  "Didn't I do as well as I said?" Fioren asked from where he was recuperating from the liquor.

  Matalchus ignored the younger wizard as he asked Darius, "Perhaps we should gather up these men and push onward?"

  Darius nodded, "We'll have a lunch first before continuing though. Everyone have a seat and I'll get the serving woman."

  As he started for a barmaid to alert the server of their needs, Janus surged past him. The elf walked straight towards a pair of men seated at a table. The wizard caught an arm stopping his charge.

  "What's wrong?" he asked quietly.

  "Dwarves," the elf hissed angrily. "How could they be here? They have no magic. I must find out."

  Darius maintained his hold and shook his head, "No, Janus, I'm sure that they're just dwarven men. Our race do give birth to them sometimes. Now don't make a scene here."

  The elf turned to face him with eyes flashing angrily, "No, Darius, these are true dwarves. I know what they look and smell like. Those are dwarves," he insisted gesturing to his flaring nostrils as if the gesture should mean something to the wizard.

  "And what is it you plan to do, my friend? Are you going to attack them for their presence here?"

  Janus' eyes narrowed even tighter in his acerbity. "How can you be so calm about such an intrusion? Consider the fact that these people have invaded your world and tell me how you can be so calm."

  "Invaded? You mean like your people?" Darius nodded for effect. It was not completely lost as the heat of Janus' argument deflated from the elf.

  "It's not the same," he complained.

  "I tell you what, Janus, let's get the serving woman to start taking the orders from the others and you and I will go over to the dwarves and see. All right? Can we do this calmly, Janus?"

  "Do not treat me like a child, even if you are a wizard," the elf complained, but agreed with a nod of his head.

  Darius released the arm and they had the woman go to the tables occupied by the band of men and women, then he led the elven knight over to the small men. "Excuse me, sirs," the wizard interrupted the two men, "might my friend and I join you a moment?"

  "Why?" one asked gruffly. Both men seemed to focus on Janus. The other man started to scratch his arm nearest the elf absentmindedly.

  "See?" Janus said pointing to the dwarf's arm. "Their kind are completely the opposite of my kind. Where the elves are magic, the dwarves are like unto anti-magic. That's why they are starting to scratch. My skin feels nearly the same in their presence, but less so than most meetings."

  The first dwarf that had spoken had begun scratching slightly at his hand. "What is this man going on about? Has he been drinking?"

  "No, sir," Darius said as he had to take Janus’ arm before the elf could attack the small man. "He seems to think that you are not human. Have you ever heard of a race called elves?"

  The second man shrugged as he stopped scratching. "My mother used to tell me of these strange creatures known as elves, why?"

  "Was there a specific thing that she mentioned concerning elves?" the wizard asked without reply.

  "She told me they were a nasty sort that would feed on children, when I was a child. As an adult, I realized that it was a silly thing to fear, since none exist to threaten anyone. They are just the stuff of nightmares for children."

  Janus tensed next to the man. "You are wrong dwarf," the elf stated through gritted teeth. He laid a hand on the smaller man's shoulder. Darius had been too slow to stop him this time.

  "Hey!" the dwarf cried out. Janus withdrew his hand almost immediately and the look on his face betrayed confusion. The dwarf itched the spot on his shoulder for a moment as he eyed the elf. "What was that for, bud?"

  "I..." Janus began in confusion, "I don't understand. On my world, there is often pain when our two races touch. The clash of magic and anti-magic can be most unsettling, but all I received from this creature is the tingling that he's felt since I neared them.

  "Dwarf," the knight demanded as he turned on the men again, "How have you changed yourself so? Has your race begun to gain the magic?"

  "What are you talking about?" the first dwarf demanded as he stood fingering his blade menacingly despite his short stature. "What magic are you speaking of?"

  Darius laid a hand on Janus' shoulder forcing the elf behind him. "Where are you men from?" he asked.

  "Tolmona, why?" the small man asked eyeing the two carefully.

  "Are there a lot of dwarves in Tolmona that you know of?"

  "We have our share. Are you getting to some kind of point here?" the dwarf grunted as he squinted his eyes in an attempt to look menacing.

  "Tall people live among the short ones as well and maybe even marry and have children?"

  "What is your point!" the dwarf hollered angrily.

  Darius looked to Janus instead, "Their race is mixed, elf. If a human and your race had children slowly the lines would dilute unless special efforts were taken to stop it. I would guess that maybe you are right that some of the dwarven race came here but not recently. I would guess that there was an opening ages ago. These men are a product of generations of living with the human race surrounding them. Perhaps when we reach Tolmona we can find out more." He turned to the dwarves and apologized, "I'm sorry, sirs. We didn't mean any offense. You see the legends are actually truer
than anyone believed."

  "Great, bud, now bugger off, eh?" the first dwarf added in retort.

  Darius ignored the insult and led the elf back to the others. Janus seemed genuinely stunned by the results of their conversation. Electra looked to Darius briefly before asking, "What is wrong, Janus?"

  The holy knight seemed unwilling to speak at first, but finally he responded glumly, "The dwarves came to this world before us, but they are already changing."

  "We don't know how long their race has been here," Darius suggested. "It may have been centuries or millennia ago."

  "Either way that means my race will change then as well here," Janus retorted somewhat heatedly. "We must defeat the Dark Emperor or our race will be forever changed."

  Electra shook her head sadly and addressed the holy knight, though her eyes strayed to Darius often as she spoke, "Surely you are not suggesting that the elves are in danger here?"

  "Either by their world or these humans," Janus replied glaring at the woman. His thoughts of her relationship with Darius were plain as his glance slipped to the wizard during the look.

  Darius could almost hear the woman's jaws grinding her teeth in frustration.

  Matalchus piped in without truly looking at any of them, "Perhaps we're the bridge that your two races need, elf."

  "What do mean, wizard?" Janus snapped.

  "Exactly what I say," the man snapped back. "Your races have hated each other to the point that your hatreds would see both races lost to this Dark Emperor rather than join forces against him. Perhaps the fact that the humans are somewhere in the middle, gives us the ability to bring the elves a little anti-magic and the dwarves a little of the magic without truly changing either race.

  "Think of the possibilities, elf. Maybe your races could actually tolerate each other for the first time in your history. You might actually find that you like each other."

  Janus frowned at the idea, but refused to continue the argument and so he chose to eat his meal before him. Darius ate as well and let his eyes sweep between Electra and the holy knight. At one point, the wizard noticed Janus' eyes straying to the dwarves again. This time there was no animosity in the elf's eyes, merely curiosity. Darius smiled slightly. Apparently, Matalchus had hit home with his comments.