"And what did they need the dragon for?" Prince Diruk prompted. "Did they tell you?"
Berla shook her head. "No, they didn't share their plans with me. They just purchased the dragon, as he seemed to like the woman, and went on their way."
"And what of the paperwork you gave us?" Sol asked the gypsy. His voice was under better control now, but red dots of anger still marred his cheeks. "Or have you been bought off to lie about that too?"
Her eyes shifted from the floor to the prince to the Council members engrossed by the scene unfolding before them. She avoided all eye contact with Jordan, Sol and Toth. It was painfully obvious the woman was not a practiced liar. Jordan almost felt sorry for the woman and wondered what Prince Diruk had threatened her with if she did not comply.
"I did provide registration, of course," Berla admitted. "But they asked me to change it."
Sol's eyes nearly bugged out of his head, then they rolled as he let out a frustrated groan. "You've got to be kidding me."
Jordan closed her eyes against the nightmare that seemed to be swallowing them whole. The gypsy was weaving their destruction with every lie that dripped from her lips.
"How did they ask you to change it?"
"They asked me to change the breed from a T.vulgaris to a Predoian Miniature."
"Why would you comply to such a thing? This is illegal," Balroc interjected for the first time. He looked drawn and irritated by the circumstance unfolding in the room.
Jordan was certain he knew just as well as she and Sol did that the woman was lying through her teeth. But a glance at the other Council members said they were buying her story, swallowing it whole, no matter how much Jordan and Sol looked aghast at her words.
"The man," Berla nodded toward Sol without looking at him, "he threatened me."
Sol rolled his eyes skyward again. "What a farce."
"Keep quiet, traitor," snapped the prince. "How did he threaten you?"
"He said he knew where I lived, knew who my children were. If I did not comply, that something ugly would happen to them." Berla's voice broke on the word 'children' and a few of the Councilwomen's faces melted with empathy. There were a couple of nasty looks shot in Sol's direction.
The prince scanned the Council members faces, strutting before the long table. "I can provide more evidence, but I think you've seen plenty. These Strix have worked together to bring an illegal species through the Rodanian border. Jordan Kacy and Solomon Donda," the prince jabbed a finger at each of them in turn, "arranged for the dragon's procurement and smuggled him through using illegal paperwork. As you know, the magic system that protects us relies on our guards to take blood samples and introduce them to the network. Once the blood has been submitted, the being it came from is perpetually permitted entry. Our border guards were presented with seemingly legal registration papers by Arpaks; there is no question as to why they were trusted. Look at them. Do they not look trustworthy?"
"Why would Arpaks betray their own country?" asked one of the Councilmen, a balding Arpak who was wider than he was tall, with thin droopy wings.
"For this man and his kind," Prince Diruk said, now pointing at Toth. "They've been partners in an elaborate scheme this entire time. A scheme to undermine our border system and allow harpies to breach our security and invade Rodania, at great cost of life, real estate and commerce."
"I must be missing something," said Marli, brows drawn and long, slender arms crossed. "Are you accusing them of importing an illegal species? Or sabotaging our system so that harpies could enter at will?"
"Both together." A glittering smile spread across Prince Diruk's face, the proverbial cat who got the cream expression. "What they know that you don't is their secret weapon. I have here one of our eminent scientists to explain." Prince Diruk crooked all the fingers of his left hand at the white-haired Arpak who was hovering against the wall. He stepped forward and passed through the cluster of guards and the bound Strix to stand in front of the table.
"Most of you know me already," he rasped in a reedy voice. "But for those who don't, I have worked at the Rodanian Institute of Biology for the last forty-seven years. My name is Doctor Krost. I would like to emphasize that I am a scientist," he said, putting a hand against his heart. He rotated as he said this, eyeing Toth, Jordan and Sol as well as the rest of the room. "I am not invested in one side or the other of this mess. I am simply here to share facts which will help to enlighten you." He faced the Council's table again and took a breath, seeming to savor the attention now being lavished upon him. "It is common knowledge that the harpies of Golpa are—–"
"Were," said Toth.
"Excuse me?" the doctor turned to find the speaker.
"The harpies of Golpa were," repeated Toth. "The dragons and my Strix warriors have exterminated them."
Doctor Krost looked momentarily stunned by this. "Can this be true?"
"It's true, although there may be stragglers," Toth nodded. He spoke with such an unruffled calm that Jordan's deep respect for the Nycht mercenary swelled. "I have assigned warriors to hunt and exterminate them, as well."
"Job's done, then," barked Prince Diruk. "You no longer need them, since you've now positioned yourself as Rodania's savior." The prince gave Toth such a look of utter contempt that Jordan wanted to scream and hurl herself at the monarch, to rake his face with her nails.
Toth just gazed at the prince, his icy eyes cool.
"You seem awfully cocky for someone staring excision and a trip to Trevilsom in the face," Prince Diruk said.
"Truth will find its way out," Toth replied calmly.
Prince Diruk looked discomfited for the first time since entering the room, like a bad smell had assaulted his nose. He sniffed and beckoned that the doctor continue.
"If this is true, then it is a remarkable feat," the doctor added. At a deadly look from the prince, he cleared his throat and went on. "Harpies are a result of an abominable cross between the Greater Vultures of the Northern Conca, a grotesque breed in their own right, and the dragon species known as T.vulgaris."
There was a murmur among the Council members at this, and it was clear for whom this was new information and who had been aware of it already.
"T.vulgaris is characterized by a form of telepathic pack-mentality we call a superconsciousness."
Jordan might have given a delighted gasp at this information had the situation not been so dire. It made perfect sense to her that Blue and Red shared thoughts, and that their appearance in the skies over Rodania during the worst of the harpy battles had been so timely.
"The harpies inherited this from the T.vulgaris, and it is what makes them able to hunt so efficiently in packs when they choose to. They are able to, on some level, talk to one another. We suspect that the older the harpy is, the stronger her mental energy, and the more she is able to dominate and direct the others."
"It still doesn't explain how the harpies breached our borders in the first place," said Marli.
"Yes it does," said a voice from the door.
The room turned to see a tall, slender Light Elf with strange markings on his face enter the room.
Behind him, was Eohne.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
"Who are you?" Prince Diruk demanded, his eyes flashing to his Nycht and back to the Light Elf. His look was slightly reproachful, as though the mountainous Nycht male should not have allowed anyone in the room that the prince himself hadn't approved of. The Nycht looked mildly dazed at the appearance of the two Elves.
Jordan's heart leapt for joy to see her friend’s face, and wondered if perhaps the Light Elf had dazzled his way past the Nycht with magic.
"My name is Linlett," the Light Elf said cheerfully. "Hello, Balroc!" He waved to the blue-winged Arpak, who nodded back with a close-mouthed smile.
Jordan thought Balroc looked as though he was hopeful that the tides were about to turn, but wasn't sure of himself—–not by a long stretch. She imagined that the bringing in of the Elves was a stab in the dark
; after all, they would know more about the border magic at this point than anyone else.
"Did you know there is quite a gathering of warriors outside?" Linlett said to the room, his tone downright jovial. "They seem very interested in what is going on in here. Some of them seem rather put out, to put it delicately. Your guards at the outer doors have their hands full, and I'm not entirely sure there isn't going to be some sort of riot."
Prince Diruk looked alarmed and glanced at his brutish cohort. He opened his mouth to speak, but someone else got there first.
"Allow no one else inside unless they have permission from myself or a Member of Council, please," Balroc called to the guards at the door. "Tell them their captain and their colleagues are unharmed, and we are in session." He nodded to Linlett. "Go ahead, please."
Linlett smiled. "Very well. Hello, Councilpeople, what a pleasure to meet you all. I recognize some of your faces and, of course, how could I not recognize the Heir Apparent," Linlett said smoothly, with a flourishy bow to the prince.
Prince Diruk glowered.
"Though I haven't met many of you, you'll know already that I was sent by the Light Elves to assess and repair the damage to your magical borders, if any was found. This is my partner," he gestured to her, "Eohne, of the Charra-Rae Elves."
Eohne nodded to the Council members and to the prince.
"My colleague has made some very interesting discoveries recently, which have bearing, I understand, upon the fate of these Strix who stand accused." Linlett nodded to Eohne, encouraging her to take the floor.
Eohne stepped into the circular space in front of the table of Council members, flanked by Strix both in chains and out, by the scientist, and by Berla the gypsy.
Jordan's mouth went dry for her friend as all eyes fell on her. Prince Diruk's eyes were narrowed and hard as he watched carefully, his arms folded over his chest and his wings tight behind him. Jordan was reminded of a cobra standing up, his hood open in consideration of a strike.
She thought Eohne had never looked stronger. Her iconic scythe-shaped blades were hooked to her back, the grips protruding from behind her shoulders, ready to fall into her palms at a dizzying speed. The fact that she still had her weapons was proof enough to Jordan that she and Linlett had passed by the Royal Guard using magic. Her dark hair was pulled back and up in a line of tails down the center of her head, giving the fierce effect of a mohawk. In short, she looked ready to do battle, and yet, her hands hung relaxed at her sides and her face was serene.
"What you say is true," she began, nodding at the scientist. "The harpies and the T.vulgaris do share the superconsciousness and pack mentality. The border magic recognizes the life force of an individual when blood is introduced. But what even the Light Elf engineers could not have foreseen when they developed the magic was that a group telepathy of this nature would be recognized by the system as a single life force, rather than multiple."
"So, you confirm it then," Prince Diruk said with a smile. "The illegal introduction of the dragon Blue allowed for the harpies to enter as well." He nodded at the Council members. "This is what I have been trying to show you all along," he spread his palms, "she only validates their guilt."
"No," Eohne contradicted. "The introduction of the dragon did not spontaneously permit harpies to pass through the border, only other T.vulgaris; the red dragon who arrived in time to save us all is proof of this."
"Then how did the harpies get in?" Balroc asked.
"There has been sabotage," Eohne spoke slowly and clearly, as calm as a winter's night.
The room was filled with murmurs, and Prince Diruk visibly stiffened. His eyes darted around the room, falling on the huge Nycht at the rear momentarily, before finding Eohne again.
"But it had nothing to do with the dragons," Eohne spoke loudly enough to be heard over the din. The crowd quietened to hear her speak. "Each incidence of blood in the system results in the production of a magic filament. Each filament is linked to the being whose blood it came from, and thickens over time. By measuring the thickness of the filament, we are able to determine with pinpoint accuracy, the day it was created."
Prince Diruk's mouth opened, and he seemed about to speak, only nothing came out.
"There was a single introduction of harpy blood made, before Blue the dragon ever entered the system. The magic cannot be wrong in this for there is no way to manufacture a filament. Someone introduced harpy blood one time," she raised a single finger to emphasize, "and by doing so, gave all of its kind permission to enter forever after."
"This is enough to dismiss the accusations that these Strix," Balroc gestured to Jordan, Toth and Sol, "are responsible for the harpy threat." He turned to his colleagues. "Do you all agree?"
"Wait!" Prince Diruk said sharply. "The Nycht has motive to sabotage Rodania, and make himself into a hero in order to sway our upcoming vote. He may still be the one who sabotaged the system."
"Seems a bit absurd to me, after all the trouble he went to to save Rodania," Balroc replied. "Do you know he lost his brother in battle? Along with many of his friends?"
"Loss of life does not affect his kind. It is a small price to pay to win a kingdom," Prince Diruk snarled.
"Surely the border guards have all been interviewed," added Marli. "Have they not been able to pinpoint a saboteur? Perhaps one of them was in on it? Or threatened if they did not comply."
Balroc opened his mouth to answer to this, when a small girl's pale face appeared between Toth's wing and side. Her appearance was so unexpected and comical that some of the Council members laughed.
Toth looked down at the girl, his eyes expressing something positive for the first time since he'd been brought into the room. Jordan thought she'd never seen a more beautiful look grace the mercenary's face. His expression was radiant with delight and love.
"Tashi!" he said, his voice full of surprise. "What are you doing here?"
The girl did not answer, only reached for Toth's face.
"Hey! Child! Get away from that prisoner!" It was the voice of Prince Diruk. "Guards! How did she get in here?" There were footsteps on the floor as a guard approached.
Reflexively, Toth bent down toward the girl. Tashi placed her fingertips on his temples. As her fingers touched his skin, Tashi and Toth froze. A blue orb of rippling light wrapped itself around them.
The guard reached for Tashi, and there was a sizzling sound as his knuckles bumped against the blue ball of light. He snatched them back with a yelp. "Damn thing burned me!"
There were cries of surprise and dismay. Everyone got to their feet and craned their necks to get a better look at the light surrounding the child and the chained Nycht. Their forms were visible inside the orb, but unmoving, still as porcelain sculptures.
"Move back," said a sharp voice, and the guards stepped away.
Marli came around the table and walked toward the blue orb. The glow reflected in her face as she approached with curiosity. She looked to where Linlett and Eohne stood.
"What is this magic?" she asked. "One of you Elves must know."
"I do," replied Linlett, his voice soft. "The girl is of The Ash."
Immediately there was a reaction. People mumbled to their neighbors, and there were some murmurs of understanding. Clearly, 'of The Ash' was a term which was not completely foreign to some in the room. Prince Diruk's face was unmoving, his eyes flinty.
"Rodanian intelligence is under the impression that the People of The Ash are extinct," Marli said in a hushed tone.
"Apparently not." Linlett waved a hand at the blue ball of light enclosing Toth and the girl. "That orb is impenetrable. No weapons in this world, or in any other that I know of, could destroy it. There is nothing to be done but wait until she is finished."
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Toth was lost in a world of particulate grays. He blinked rapidly, trying to clear his vision, but color did not return, and his view did not sharpen to his satisfaction. The world around him was made of small, shifting pa
rticles in gray scale, everything moving like softly drifting sand. The edges of everything were slightly blurred, as though an artist had used ashes in shades ranging from near-white to soot-black to paint a scene on a canvas, outdoors, in a gentle breeze. It was difficult to lock in detail, but the overall image was plain.
Toth looked around. There was a mountain range on the horizon, but before it was the edge of a cliff, which disappeared from view. Snow-dusted rocks spread out around them. It looks like the terrain around Golpa. The scream of a harpy made Toth wince and look up. Three harpies winged by overhead. He instinctively reached for a weapon before reminding himself they couldn't be seen. There was no clink of metal as he moved, and he looked down to see that he was no longer in manacles.
A wind blew, lifting dry snow and dust particles into the air, but the Nycht felt nothing on his skin. The temperature had not changed from the room in Rodania. He looked at his hands, holding them out palms up. His skin had color, as did his clothing. He himself was not drawn in ashes, just his surroundings.
"Tashi," he whispered.
His voice echoed as though he was inside a cave, and he looked around with a start, remembering the last thing that had happened was her face appearing beside him, and her fingers reaching for him.
He found the girl standing just behind him. She too was in full color. She stepped close and looked up at him, her face calm. The wind did not lift her hair or shift her clothing.
"You're of The Ash," Toth said wonderingly.
Tashi nodded.
"Is this your memory? Or someone else's?" Toth asked.
People of The Ash had the ability not only to share their own memories, but to acquire, store and replay the memories of others. Toth had never met anyone of The Ash—–at least, not knowingly. They were reclusive and rare, and many even believed them to be extinct.
Tashi walked forward and stopped at the edge of the cliff. She looked back at Toth, pointing down.
Toth came to stand beside her, where they had a view of the cave. The last time Toth had seen Golpa, black smoke had been billowing from its mouth, and soot staining the rock of its upper edges.
Transcendent: The Revelations of Oriceran (The Kacy Chronicles Book 4) Page 18
