The King's Ring (The Netherworld Gate Book 2)

by Sam Ferguson

  Elroa nodded and looked back to Talon. “Your name is Talon, you are Jahre’s grandson. You may trust that I am telling you the truth because the only reason I have disclosed the location of the ring is because Jahre is here with us now. He is telling me that he still has hope for you, and he has instructed me to tell you where it is.”

  Talon placed a hand over Elroa’s mouth and sat back. He stared hard at Elroa, but he didn’t say anything for the space of a minute.

  “If he wanted me to have the ring, then why not come to you days ago when he died and tell you to hand it over without a fight?” Talon pressed. “Seems like a false friend, if he willingly let you go through all of this when he wanted me to have the ring anyway.”

  Elroa looked to Jahre.

  The sage nodded. “Tell him that the plane of the dead is not the same as that of the living. It took me some time to tend to business before I could return to find you, Elroa. Tell him that there is still good in him.”

  Elroa nodded and looked to Talon. Talon removed his hand.

  “Jahre says he wasn’t able to reach me until now, but that he still sees good in you.”

  Talon shook his head. “Enough games.”

  Jahre stepped in and spoke again. “Tell him that I did not die by the hist rose. Tell him that it drained much of my blood, but in the end it was the fire that took me.”

  Elroa was quick to speak. “The hist rose didn’t kill him,” he said. “Jahre says that while the flower drank much of his blood, it was the fire that killed him.”

  “Let him think on it for a moment,” Jahre told Elroa.

  Talon sat back. “How do you know about the hist rose?” Talon asked. “The plant would have been destroyed in the fire as well, so you wouldn’t have heard it from anyone who found Jahre’s body.”

  “Tell him that the hist rose was latched onto my left hand.”

  Elroa described where the hist rose was placed.

  Talon stiffened.

  Jahre continued. “Now tell him that the hist rose grew upon his mother’s grave.”

  Elroa nodded. “Jahre says that the hist rose grew upon your mother’s grave.”

  Talon clenched his jaw and shook his head.

  Elroa grimaced and arched his back as the knife was ripped out of his hip. A moment later everything went dark for the elf as the knife was plunged deep into his heart.

  “Enough games,” Talon said as he rose from the dead elf’s body. He looked around the room, contemplating whether Jahre was truly in the room with him.

  Talon pulled the list of relics out from a small satchel on his belt and looked at the third item on the list. The Skeleton Key. The simplicity of the name amused him a bit. “First to dig up the ring, and then I’ll go for the key.”

  He slipped out through the window, the same way he had entered the room. As before, he disarmed all of the traps effortlessly. He looked around to ensure no one saw him, and then he hurried out to the forest. He found the bluff and the oak tree easily enough. Digging up the ring was not as hard as he had feared it would be. He removed the dirt from it with his fingers and blew on it before polishing the gem on his cloak. This one appeared to be the genuine article. He fit the chain over his head and tucked the ring under his tunic.

  He then took a moment to think about what had happened in the room at the Golden Leaf Inn. As he thought about it, his hand fell down to rest upon the hilt of Drekk’hul.

  “Don’t listen to those nasty elves,” Drekk’hul chided. “They will trick your mind and confuse you. That’s their way. No honor to fight with steel, so they use guile and cunning.”

  Talon pulled his hand away from the sword. He pulled the list out from his belt once more and looked at it carefully. The Skeleton Key was listed as being held in an old drow castle. The once mighty capitol of King Lemork’s empire was now nothing more than ruins, a shell of the once mighty Sierri’Tai nation that reigned on this island before they were banished.

  He was closer now than ever before. He had two of the three relics needed to release the Sierri’Tai. After that, he would be able to make his move against Basei. He would avenge his mother’s death, and destroy the false god that had answered his mother’s plea with death and blood.

  If he hurried along on his way, he might even be able to get most of the way to the drow castle before anyone ever discovered Elroa’s body.

  *****

  Iron shackles bound Kai and Seldaric as they stood in the center of the round room. The marble floor beneath them was patterned with the image of a bright, six pointed star, with the bottom point elongated. The star was gold and set against a plain white background. The outer rim of the floor was dark blue. Ancient runes were emblazoned on the blue stone in silver. There were two doors in the room. The first was just beyond the elongated point of the star. It was a large, arched door, painted black. Kai and Seldaric had entered through that door. The second door was smaller and rectangular. It was situated on the opposite side of the room from the large door. Eight chairs of iron with high backs and slender armrests lined the rim of the floor. Four chairs were positioned to the right of the door, while the other four were placed on the left. The council members had entered from the smaller door and one by one they filtered in to sit in the iron chairs.

  The last person to enter the room was one of the elves from the patrol. He wore gleaming chainmail with a star emblazoned across the chest and a blue sash running from left shoulder to right hip. A golden chain linked across his chest held a forest green cloak on the elf. His black pants were tucked into his polished, high-topped leather boots that clicked every time his heel connected with the stone floor. He strode into the room confidently and moved to stand next to Seldaric. Kai looked to the elf and locked with the elf’s cold, glaring stare. There was no kindness in those black eyes of his. In the elf’s left hand was a rolled parchment, sealed with a silver ribbon around it.

  Kai looked up and noticed the other members of the council wore light blue robes that almost covered their feet as they sat. They each had dark blue sashes that were worn like the patrolman’s. There were no designs sewn into the robes, and no fancy brooches or chains either. Each of the council members looked as grim and plain as their clothes. Their faces were long, gaunt and void of emotion. Kai squirmed in his chair, wishing he could melt and slither away. At last, one of the elves held up an old, pale hand and spoke.

  “Garfule,” the elf called out as he addressed the elf standing near Seldaric. “Name the accused.”

  “The accused will name themselves,” Garfule replied without looking at Kai or Seldaric.

  Kai glanced to his companion nervously.

  “Remember, do as I do,” Seldaric whispered to him before turning to address the council. He had explained the courtesies that were to be observed in front of the council, but now Kai was nervous, and was afraid he had forgotten some of them. Seldaric stepped forward, chains rattling as he moved. “I am Seldaric Gendarion of the house Flinn,” he announced. “I am the former Captain of the Guard of Bluewater. Now I am an agent of Liloriel, priestess of the Svetli’Tai Kruks.”

  “So let it be written,” the councilman said loudly.

  Kai noticed that the councilman seated farthest to the right pulled out a parchment and began to scrawl on it. Then the council looked to him. He knew they were waiting for him to announce himself. He felt very uneasy speaking, but he found his voice and announced himself as best as he could after rising to his feet and offering a slight bow of his head.

  “I am Kai Thendarr,” Kai announced. “I am also an agent of Liloriel, priestess of the Svetli’Tai Kruks. I am here as comrade in arms to Seldaric Gendarion.”

  The councilmen looked to each other and whispered.

  The elf seated on the farthest right pointed a bony finger at Kai. “You claim to be an agent of the Svetli’Tai Kruks, but, you are human.”

  Kai nodded. “I am her agent.” He held his arm out, displaying the magical tattoo upon the back of his hand.


  “What house are you from?” the councilman asked.

  “I am not from any house of consequence, sir,” Kai replied. His words were followed by a moment of tense silence. Kai remained calm in appearance, but he was squirming so much inside that his stomach was doing flips. A thousand thoughts ran through his head at once. He felt as though the old elf’s eyes were boring into his very soul.

  “Whence do you hail?”

  “I was born in Rasselin, in the kingdom of Zinferth,” Kai replied. The councilman nodded his head and again a long pause of silence followed. Finally, the councilman on the far right looked to the presiding officer expectantly.

  “So let it be written,” the councilman instructed. “Kai Thendarr, a low-born human of no house, and with no title, who hails from Rasselin and is now somehow bestowed the honor of being an agent of the Kruks.”

  The junior officer quickly scribbled on the parchment.

  “The council would be pleased to know if the enforcer has verified the identities of the accused.”

  “I have verified part of their claims,” Garfule reported. “I sent a falcon to Bluewater. It was confirmed that Seldaric is on assignment to track down the assassin who killed Jahre the Wise. The human, Kai, is his charge and comrade in arms. However, Liloriel has not responded as of yet.”

  “Have you sent a falcon to Rasselin?” the councilman asked.

  “I have not,” Garfule replied. “I thought the reply from Bluewater was sufficient to vouch for the human, until we have word from Liloriel.”

  “Very well,” the presiding officer replied with a grim nod. “Seldaric, where is Liloriel now?”

  “She is here on Selemet,” Seldaric said with a deferential nod of his head. “She should be here in Telshir soon.”

  “She should have announced your presence upon arrival,” the councilman said. “Better yet, she should have notified us in advance.”

  Seldaric kept his gaze averted to the floor, but did not reply to the councilman.

  The councilman sighed and motioned to the record keeper. “Let it be written that the identities of the accused have been verified by the council, pending confirmation from Liloriel.”

  The junior officer again scribbled quickly.

  Kai had tensed at the prospect of a bird being sent to Rasselin, but he felt the pressure inside him unwind when the council decided it was unnecessary. He felt much safer knowing that the council had not, and would not discover his past. Despite Liloriel’s assurance that agents were above the law, there was nothing that had stopped Garfule from arresting them on the road. Even after he saw the marks on their hands, Garfule was quick to put them in irons and drag them into Telshir.

  “What charges are laid against the accused?” the elf to the presiding officer’s right asked.

  “There are three charges against the accused,” Garfule replied ceremoniously. “If it pleases the council, I shall read the charges.”

  “It pleases the council,” the presiding officer stated with a slow nod.

  Garfule pulled the silver ribbon away from the rolled parchment and read from it. “The charges are listed in order of severity, starting with the least serious crime. The first charge is trespassing on Selemet Island without proper notification or papers. The second charge is theft. The third charge is several counts of murder.” Garfule rolled the parchment back up and held it to his side. “How does the council answer the charges?” Garfule asked.

  Kai glanced from Garfule to the council and back to Seldaric. His companion said nothing and stood still. The presiding officer rose to his feet and held his right hand up in the air.

  “The council has decided…”

  “You can’t decide without hearing our side of it first!” Kai bellowed. His words echoed off the halls as he spoke. “That isn’t right. We told you we are agents of the Kruk priestess. Furthermore, we didn’t murder anyone!”

  Garfule crossed over to Kai and punched him hard in the stomach. Kai flinched and fought the urge to cry out in pain when the elf’s fist slammed into his burn injury. He was not going to give the elf the satisfaction of vocalizing the pain.

  Garfule stood in front of Kai and glowered at him. “You will hold your tongue, human, or I will have it wrenched from your mouth with a pair of tongues fresh from the smith’s forge. Do you understand?”

  Kai returned the stare, but said nothing. The rage was boiling in him. He wished his sword was with him, then he would show this elf some manners.

  “Thank you, enforcer, the council would resume if you will retake your place,” the presiding officer said calmly. Garfule growled menacingly and moved back to where he had been standing. “Selemet is an elf nation, human,” the officer said. “We hold our courts in accordance with the laws that have been passed down to us by our ancestors. While I know you may do things differently in your homeland, the wisdom of our predecessors has been tried and tested for centuries, even thousands of years. I remind you that one hundred years after you are dead and returned to the dust, I will still be sitting on this council. My eyes see with wisdom such that you, as a human, will never come close to grasping.”

  Kai clenched his jaw and was about to say something, but then an odd thing happened. The elf smiled at him. The smile appeared surprisingly kind, merciful even. Kai nodded and remained silent.

  The presiding officer’s smile lingered on his lips as he resumed his declaration. “The council finds the accused guilty of trespassing on Selemet. The High Council of Selemet should have been notified. However, since the accused claim to be acting under direct orders of a Svetli’Tai Kruk priestess, this can be overlooked. This council has been notified of Jahre’s death, and attacks in Medlas and Bluewater. Therefore, there appears to be sufficient evidence to dismiss the first charge.”

  “No offense has been found?” Garfule asked.

  “No offense has been found,” the councilman clarified. “Does the enforcer wish to challenge this finding?”

  Kai fought the urge to glance over at the heavy handed enforcer.

  “The enforcer agrees with the finding,” Garfule replied evenly.

  “The council finds the accused innocent of the second charge. They were not found carrying items that had presumably belonged to the dead men found in the forest and on the road. By the enforcer’s own report, the wagon was intact, and the accused carried only weapons and provisions for food. A horse was presumed stolen, but it was not found with the accused. The second charge is dismissed.”

  “No offense has been found?” Garfule asked.

  The councilman shook his head wearily. “No offense has been found,” he sighed. “Does the enforcer wish to challenge this finding?”

  “The enforcer agrees with the finding.”

  “Finally, the council has decided to dismiss the third charge altogether.”

  “For all counts?” Garfule asked.

  “Yes, for all counts,” the councilman decreed. “According to the report, there were two bodies found near the wagon. The bodies had been ravaged by carrion beasts and the cause of death was undetermined. The other four bodies were discovered shortly after their demise during a battle, presumably with the accused.” The councilman turned to Seldaric. “I am guessing that the two of you were on your way to Elroa’s tower, am I right?”

  Seldaric stiffened, but he said nothing.

  The councilman rubbed his forehead and then took in a deep breath. “Seldaric, I am inclined to dismiss the charges against you, but you must assist me in return. Were you traveling to Elroa’s tower?”

  “With respect, that is a question I am not allowed to answer,” Seldaric replied. “Only Liloriel may disclose the nature of our assignment.”

  The councilman sighed and shook his head. “Did you know that the tower was destroyed two days ago?”

  Seldaric’s stoic expression broke and he glanced to Kai.

  “There was some sort of attack there. Elroa’s body was found this morning in the Golden Leaf Inn, after the innkeep
er went to bring Elroa breakfast in his room.” The councilman folded his hands together in his lap and leaned back in his chair. “If you were trying to save Elroa, you failed.”

  Seldaric bowed his head and his shoulders slumped. Kai frowned, now knowing with certainty that it was the assassin who stole the horse from the men with the wagon. That was the only way he could have been so far ahead of them.

  “In light of these other events, the council believes you innocent of all charges. I don’t know what the four men near the wagon were doing, but for the moment they are not my concern. It would appear as though we have a person or persons who are bent on murdering elves. I need them stopped.”

  Kai sighed heavily and looked to his comrade. Seldaric raised his head and watched the council.

  “The council is under the impression that whoever is responsible for Elroa’s death, is the same party responsible for Jahre’s death and the attacks in Medlas and Bluewater. Can you confirm this?”

  Seldaric shook his head. “I am not at liberty to discuss the details of my assignment.”

  The councilman huffed and slapped a hand on his knee. “I grow tired of the Kruks and their presumptive authority.” The elf rose from his chair and approached Seldaric. When the two were nearly nose to nose, the councilman whispered harshly. “I am well aware that the Kruks guard the three relics to open the Netherworld Gate. I know that whoever is behind these attacks is seeking the relics. It is not difficult to figure out. However, let me be clear. The Netherworld is an unforgiving plane. There is no possibility that the Sierri’Tai sent to that realm would have survived. That is why the council banished them there in the first place. We let the Netherworld fight the war for us. With its volcanoes, its monsters, and its demons, the council has wielded the Netherworld like a great, fiery sword. Mark my words, there are no Sierri’Tai left to fear. Even if a few did survive, there could only be a few left, and they would pose no threat to us now. We are strong. Our islands and cities are rebuilt. The Kruks are the last vestige of a dying tradition started by elves who had become afraid of their own shadows. What I do care about, are the real world attacks carried out against elves and elvish cities. I want the responsible party brought to justice, do you understand?”