by B. T. Narro
“What are you doing here, Reela Polken?” Allephon asked.
“I believe you already know we’re here to get the akorell from Basen.”
Allephon didn’t sound surprised. “And what do you plan to do with it?”
“Nothing yet, but we must keep it from you.”
“You might be with the Wind Knights, but you are also citizens of Kyrro. The same laws apply to you as anyone else. You will obey your king or suffer the consequences. Have your people bring the akorell out here. Set it on the ground, then move back. I don’t care where Basen Hiller goes afterward. He won’t be pursued so long as he doesn’t show up in Kyrro. This includes Kirnich Chalder, Desil Fogg, and my sister, Beatrix. They are to leave with Basen. His wife can choose whether to leave with him or stay, as can his daughter. If Leida Hiller remains here, she and Adriya Polken will be permitted to fight in my army until the war is over, then return to the Academy without punishment.”
Beatrix moved forward to join Reela. “You plan to pin the murder of our father on me if I run. I refuse. You know it wasn’t me. That’s why you unlocked the door to the castle keep. Don’t pursue this, Brother. Focus on the real person responsible.”
“I was wrong to give you a chance to escape.”
Jimmin added, “To avoid further bloodshed, we will allow you to leave this kingdom with Basen, but only if you choose to do so now. If you go against us, you will die the next time we see you.”
Normally, no murderer of the king would ever be allowed to leave the territory. It was the obvious solution to the problems Beatrix would cause Jimmin and her brother if she remained here without capture. She was never supposed to escape that torture room alive, and now they would have to make sacrifices to silence her, like letting her leave the continent, which they wanted for Desil as well.
He wasn’t going anywhere.
Desil knew Basen wouldn’t leave unless it was the only way to save others, but Beatrix certainly wouldn’t go under any circumstance. It was pointless even to threaten her. She chose not to reply. So Reela spoke.
“If you manage to find enough of the eppil vines to produce an explosion with this akorell metal, what will you use the explosion for?”
“To end this war swiftly,” Allephon replied.
“How?”
The king gazed at the ground between them as if judging the distance. “I will destroy Tenred’s outer wall when no one is around it.”
“There will always be men guarding it,” Reela argued.
“When there are no troops of Kyrro around it,” Allephon specified. “But only after I warn Hawthen to give up under the threat that I will destroy his wall. I want this war to end swiftly, but also with as few casualties as possible.”
“Then allow Tenred to own and maintain half of the Academy like Hawthen proposed,” Reela said. “Your troops have been questioned about this. All agree that if it would end war between our territories for good, then it is the choice they believe in.”
“They’ll believe in any choice that promises that.” Allephon sounded perturbed. “If that’s the way you phrased the question, then I should relieve you and your husband of your official duties, for you clearly aim to turn my troops against me! I will allow you to retain your position so long as you immediately return to your post outside Tenred and ask my troops a real question: Would they wish for Tenred to occupy and maintain half of the Academy when there is no evidence that it will prevent future war? Let them think about what would happen if we let the siege come to an end and allowed Hawthen’s troops to occupy the Academy, and then Hawthen started the war again. We would be in a position so disadvantageous, there would be no hope of winning. Thousands would die.”
“Have you not received our message, my king?” Reela waited, but he did not reply. “Hawthen brings water to his people somehow. The men we captured have attested to this under the scrutiny of psyche.”
“You will find his source of water and dam it like you have dammed the others.”
“Cleve and I have doubts we can. It’s probably an underground source, through the mountains where we cannot reach it. Hawthen prepared for this siege more than your father realized. He even has something planned that will turn the war in his favor. The Tenred troops we captured all speak of this.”
“So make them tell us what it is.”
“None of them know.”
Jimmin spoke up. “Hawthen must’ve told them this knowing they could be captured. It is a bluff designed to scare us into accepting his proposal for the Academy, nothing more.”
“I believe it’s not,” Reela insisted. “As I said before, he has proven to be well-prepared for this siege. Perhaps he wants our army to be right where it is, outside his wall where we cannot see some of his territory.”
“We have scouts on the Fjallejon Mountains who can see all.”
“Not all, my king. And word of what they can see still must be relayed to our army. As you know, that can take half a day.”
“You are a mile from the wall. You are safe.”
“This conversation must continue at another time,” Jimmin interrupted. “If I may say so, Sire.”
“My adviser is right. We came for the akorell. After we obtain the eppil vines, all worries about the war will no longer be relevant. Bring the akorell to us now, or I’ll send my men in to take it forcefully.”
“You wouldn’t kill your leaders and your strongest fighters,” Reela challenged.
“If it’s to obtain the akorell, then we will do as necessary,” Allephon threatened. “Read my psyche to confirm the truth.”
The Wind Knights’ pyforial mage hustled through a hole in the wall to join Reela and Beatrix. Desil started to move to join him, but Basen put up his hands from the front of the jumpy group. “Hold for now.”
“What’s Neeko doing?” Cleve asked.
“Something that might benefit all of us,” Basen answered. “Or it might do nothing, but it was his decision to act.”
Neeko shouted, “All of you blindly following Allephon need to make a choice for yourself for once. It isn’t Beatrix who’s responsible for the death of Fernan Estlander, it’s Allephon and Jimmin. And Basen only aims to stop this war peacefully. He’s no enemy of Kyrro. Look at some of the men you are standing beside and question your loyalty to them again. Erwal is a troubled mage who harasses young women. Next to him is Micklin, who thrives on murdering and getting away with it. You especially disgust me, Micklin. You’re a waste of talent. I never should’ve taught you a damned thing about pyforial energy.”
“You speak as if you’re better than me, Neeko. You’re not, and I’ll prove it. Duel me right now.”
“I will do so, but without joy. I’m not sick like you are.” Neeko walked forward.
“Basen, you knew they would fight?” Cleve asked with a heavy tone.
“Neeko knew Micklin would challenge him.” Basen took a breath. “We’ll all be better off not having to worry about Micklin.”
“If he wins,” Cleve added worriedly.
The younger pyforial mage emerged from the group of Allephon’s troops. He took to the air as if an invisible hand had swept him up. Neeko rose quickly to match his height.
“Elves!” Kirnich shouted. He pointed north, where an army larger than Allephon’s marched downhill and straight into the flat Kreppen encampment. They showed no signs of stopping as they headed toward Desil and the others.
“What do you know of this, Reela?” Allephon yelled to the half-Elf.
“Nothing. Basen?” she shouted behind her.
“I haven’t had any contact with them since Kanoan. They’re probably here to look for the akorell. Except…why would they bring this many troops?” Basen cursed. “No, they knew we were here with it and have come to take it.”
“Micklin, get back here now!” Allephon ordered.
“You as well, Neeko,” Basen called to him.
Both Micklin and Neeko settled back to the ground and returned to their armies.
His voice gave Desil chills. It’s him.
Leida grabbed his hand. He could feel her arrive at the same conclusion. They recognized something about this Elf from dealing with him in the other plane. It was something beyond the sound of his words, but Desil was too filled with terror to figure out what.
Basen yelled back to the leader of the Elves, “Fernan has been killed, Fatholl, but his son Allephon is here.”
“Then I will speak with him and you. Come forward.”
Basen had mentioned Fatholl in one of the memories Desil had experienced in Kanoan. He’d described Fatholl briefly when talking about another Elf, Rhy, who’d been sent with Basen’s group to Kanoan. The only way the Elves would give Basen a boat to Kanoan was if Rhy went with him, and the Elf eventually discovered the same thing Basen did about how the Marros produced their explosions. Basen had said they would need to suffer the consequences of Fatholl at a later time, but he must not have known what Fatholl was ultimately capable of. This was certainly the man from the other plane. There was no telling what he could do here if he had that much power there.
Desil felt Fatholl reaching toward his mind like the claw of an Lmar. He pulled Desil out of the physical plane with ease, holding him firmly above the ocean of energy. “We finally meet,” said the familiar voice. “You’re younger than I imagined. What are you? A mage? A psychic?”
Desil didn’t answer. He felt full of fear, as if about to burst or die, his heart unsure which to choose as it raced like a fleeing horse. “I will keep you and Basen’s daughter here until you answer me. Who are you!” There was fury in his unspoken voice, but it seemed controlled, akin to a man ready to exact vengeance.
“desil fogg.” He felt his own voice to be that of a weakling. It was an embarrassment, but he was too afraid to find any strength. “i am no one.”
“You are not no one if I can find you here. Why do you help Basen?” Fatholl didn’t seem to want Desil to answer as he ruffled through Desil’s mind. It felt wildly uncomfortable, as if he’d been stripped naked in public. He didn’t know what Fatholl found, but the Elf soon told him, “I see. You have qualities of strength, but you were born of the wrong race. No choice was given to you, so you had to create your own opportunity.” Was it possible Fatholl spoke of Desil’s recent involvement with Basen? He didn’t see how Fatholl could figure that out.
“I will offer you a choice because you are different: You can die here with your humans, when Basen refuses to hand over the akorell, or you can join the Elves and I will shape you into a true hero. You don’t know your strength. You might never without my help. Leave the plight of the humans behind, and I will show you what you can become.”
There was a lurch back into the physical world as he released Desil. He found himself gasping, waiting for the terror to leave him. Leida was on her knees beside him, panting as well.
“What did he tell you?” Desil asked her.
“He’s going to kill us all if my father doesn’t cooperate.”
“That’s all he said?”
She nodded.
This fear was unnatural. It had to be an effect of whatever Fatholl had done to him in the other plane. Desil had no intention of joining the Elves. All he could think to do was flee. If he turned and sprinted away, no harm would come to him today. He might even be able to leave all of this behind.
What was he thinking? It was the fear speaking for him. He started to muster up his courage, but Fatholl announced something that broke it.
“Desil Fogg, come out.”
“How does he know your name?” Basen asked.
“I had to tell him just now.”
“It is him entering the other plane with you and Leida.” Basen sighed. “I had a feeling, but I didn’t want to suggest it until I knew for sure. I didn’t want to…scare the two of you. Obviously it’s too late for that now.”
“He means to kill all of us, Father,” Leida said. “Can you make a portal yet?”
“He continues to block me. We need some way of distracting him. Is there anything you and Desil can do in the other plane toward that end?”
“I don’t think so,” Desil said. “He’s too strong.”
“He is,” Leida agreed.
“Allephon Estlander and Basen Hiller!” Fatholl yelled. “Unless you want to face my army, the two of you will come forward now and bring Desil Fogg.”
Allephon already was a few steps ahead of the rest of his men, glancing toward Basen, who gave another sigh before heading for the Elves. Desil tried to ignore his fear as he walked behind Basen. There seemed to be no other option. There were just too many Elves, many of them probably psychics.
“What does he want with you?” Basen asked.
“I have no idea,” Desil said. It wasn’t a complete lie, for it seemed equally possible that Fatholl wanted to kill him rather than recruit him. Perhaps Desil and Leida were a threat to the Elf after all.
“If you can’t be honest with him, then don’t speak,” Basen advised, “He angers easier than Kirnich.”
Fatholl met them between the three armies. He addressed Allephon first. “You’re the king of Kyrro for now?” He spoke common tongue without any trace of an accent.
“Permanently.”
The leader of the Elves had straight gray hair that somehow looked youthful, sleek even, as it fell down his back. There were but a few wrinkles around his eyes and across his forehead, shallow as if fading rather than forming. His eyes were sharp and cunning, intimidating Desil to the point that he dreaded they would look his way. He knew this fear to be manufactured by the psychic, for Desil could scale mountains with his heart remaining calmer than this, but that knowledge didn’t do anything to help alleviate the terror.
Fatholl looked at Allephon with a tilted head as if he didn’t believe Allephon would be king for long, or perhaps the Elf just wanted to make it obvious that the human was of little importance to him. He looked at Basen next, but the headmaster spoke first.
“I was hoping it would be years before we met again. What brings you here?”
“I’d rather not see you, either, but akorell has led me to this spot. It’s unfortunate for you that you got to it before I could, but you can survive this if you leave the akorell behind and take a portal elsewhere. Then I promise you’ll never see me again.”
“You’ve already proven that you can visit me whenever you want.” Basen tapped his finger against his temple petulantly. “So it doesn’t seem to matter anymore if you’re here or in Merejic.
“You will be left alone, I swear.”
“Tell me again why I would give you the akorell.”
“You’re not giving the Elves the akorell,” Allephon said adamantly. “With their alliance with the Slugari, they are more likely to find the eppil before we do.”
Fatholl raised one of his gray eyebrows. “You don’t have eppil yet?” He pointed at Allephon, then Basen. “And you work together now?”
Basen shot Allephon an angry look before glancing back at Fatholl. If the headmaster was at all afraid, he didn’t show it. “I will be forced to ally with Allephon and his army to fight against yours if you don’t leave.”
Fatholl stroked his hairless chin. “What do the two of you plan to do with the explosive once you can use it?”
“We have different plans on how to use it to end the war,” Basen said. “But neither of us have any intention of getting involved with Elves. Your people will be safe.”
“For generations, yes,” Fatholl agreed. “But eventually humans will come for us as they have in Greenedge. You cannot promise what your grandchildren will do with such power. The only way I can ensure my people will be safe is to control it myself.”
“Until you decide that Ovira is better without humankind, and you come for our people,” Basen said.
This was exac
tly what Desil’s mother had said about Fatholl. The leader of the Elves had led an army that killed thousands of humans in Greenedge, even managing to slay kings. No one could stop him, so many joined him instead, and eventually his plan came to fruition. He’d left that continent afterward to come here, and many people, like Desil’s mother, had been nervous about what he’d been planning.
Reela approached. “Where is my brother?” she demanded.
“Vithos wasn’t going to cooperate with us, Reela, so I made him stay in Merejic.”
“And Rhy?” Basen asked.
“He’s behind me with many others who are ready to kill your people if you don’t give us the akorell.”
“There has never been a battle between humans and Elves on this continent,” Reela said. “Don’t start one now.”
“That choice is up to you and the humans.” Fatholl finally looked at Desil. A needle pricked his heart. “And you have the choice, Desil, to die with them or join me. I can feel that you want everything to change. That’s what I want too.” He suddenly sounded friendly, and Desil realized his fear was gone. “Your talents will go to waste without proper guidance. Return to Merejic with me. In just one week you’ll see what you’ll eventually be capable of accomplishing. If you still wish to leave after that, you are welcome to do so.”
Although curious, his now clear thoughts made Desil remember how important the task at hand was. “Nothing will take me away from this until it’s over.”
“Foolish but admirable. You can wait to die with the others. Go.” He shooed Desil with a swat of his hand.
Desil looked to Basen, who nodded. But as Desil turned, Basen leaned over and whispered.
“Find some way with Leida to stop him from blocking me. The only way out of here alive is with a portal.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Leida asked Desil as soon as he returned, “What did Fatholl want with you?”
