“You don't give our race enough credit, Dragorn.” Elym spoke harshly, but his challenging gaze remained on the tabletop.
Remember your part in all this, Ilargo said.
Gideon took a breath, keeping his tone that of a peacekeeper. “As you like. It’s not my place to tell either of you how to rule or what to tell them.”
“Your advice is that of the dragons now,” Adilandra said before her husband could reply. “It will be heeded as such.”
Reyna stood up, gaining everyone’s attention. “It matters little now. It seems, with all that we now know, our priorities must shift. Destroying The Veil is all that matters. With the threat of the… with the threat of Atilan and the others gone, there can never again be another Valanis.”
“Yes, Princess,” Gideon agreed, standing up to meet her, “The Veil is to be destroyed above all else, but it is my task and mine alone. It should not be put on any other.”
Reyna’s smile was disarming in every way. “You possess The Veil, we possess Paldora’s gem. Since Valanis and the pools of Naius are in the same place, it seems we will all be needed.”
Gideon opened his mouth to argue, but he couldn't find a single word to help him.
“Absolutely not,” Elym protested.
Adilandra raised her hand, calming everyone. “We have everything we need to rid this world of the evil that plagues it, but what we do not have are cool heads. How long has it been since everyone here found restful sleep? Most of the people in this room have been fighting for days. I suggest we take what remains of the day and rest. We can meet back here this evening and choose our next move.”
Asher, perhaps the most mysterious person in the room, cleared his voice. “The Velians believe they have won a great victory here today. In fact, so do all the elves. There’s a garden on a balcony, west of here; I suggest we meet there and leave them to celebrate, together.” The ranger tilted his head towards Elym. “Assuming this alliance is permanent…”
All eyes rested on the king of elves, who looked to his daughter. “We deal with Valanis and The Veil first. Everything else comes later.”
Gideon had never stopped to think what he would do if the elves turned on Illian. Where would a Dragorn fit into all that?
Between the two, Ilargo stated.
Gideon agreed, happy that his side would always have a dragon on it.
“Then let us wake up the king and the Graycoat,” Adilandra gestured to the elders again. “Let’s have them believe we chose rest over debate…”
50
Providence
The sun was waning by the time Nathaniel and Reyna found a moment to themselves. For most of the day, they had sat with Adilandra and Faylen, soaking up every second together, each telling of their separate journeys. The queen had been far more reserved about her own experiences in the land of the Darkakin, but they didn't try to glean anymore than she offered. Discovering that she had periodically looked in on them using Ӧlli had come as something of a shock, but Reyna had appeared more concerned with her mother’s captivity. Nathaniel was just left wondering what she had seen between the two of them.
Most of their conversations had been around the subject of Gideon’s revelations. Reyna was greatly interested in the idea of an unknown pantheon of gods, but Faylen was more curious as to why no one had ever heard from them. Everything came back to the first kingdom of men and the mystery behind The Echoes. Adilandra had little to no opinion on the matter. It was clear that the news had shattered something within the queen of elves, though at this point, Nathaniel realised, it could have been any number of things.
Ultimately, he was just happy that Adilandra appeared to accept the bond that had formed between him and Reyna. A part of him couldn't help but wonder if her acceptance came from the knowledge that he only had a limited number of years left. Nathaniel had tried to shake the thought and squeezed Reyna’s hand, letting her know that he needed her to himself. They still had a conversation to finish after all.
They had briefly met with Galanӧr, Reyna’s betrothed. Nathaniel had done everything he could to appear as magnificent as the warrior elf, but Galanӧr was perfect in looks and physique.
“I don't think there’s going to be a wedding,” Galanӧr had said with a coy smile, his eyes glancing at Nathaniel. “I failed your father and brought disgrace upon the House of Reveeri.”
Much to Nathaniel’s irritation, Reyna placed a gentle hand on Galanӧr’s cheek. “The tale our queen tells will have you heralded as a hero. As her daughter, you will forever have my respect and gratitude for staying by her side.”
Nathaniel couldn't say he understood the torment that Galanӧr wore so openly. The warrior was certainly different to what the knight had come expect from the elves, especially having met High Guardian Varӧ now. He wanted to like Galanӧr, but his previous connection to Reyna made it irrationally hard.
Galanӧr stepped aside. “I will leave you to it. I can see there is much you need to discuss.”
The elf left them in the corridors of the palace. They had all been permitted to stay on the top floor while the lower levels were turned into bays for the wounded. Nathaniel suspected Rengar had opened his home up to the injured in a bid to impress the elves, King Elym specifically. If only he knew Elym’s real nature, he thought.
“Are we really that obvious?” Reyna asked, her fingers entwining around his.
“Well you elves are very perceptive, you know.” Nathaniel smiled and bent down to kiss her.
Reyna fumbled for the door handle behind her, refusing to take her lips away from his. They both pushed into the room, losing any sense of their surroundings.
“Wait.” Reyna pulled away. “Didn't you have something to say to me?”
Nathaniel smiled from ear-to-ear. “I -”
“I love you.” The princess beat him to it with a grin equal to his own.
It was sometime later when the pair came back up for air. Nathaniel looked beyond the bare hips of Reyna, disbelieving of what pulled at his attention. The sun was kissing the horizon, a beautiful vista compared to that which lay beneath the balcony of their room. The battlefield was still a mass of casualties and dead bodies, but thankfully, the people of Illian now had an alliance with the elves, a race who knew a thing or two about magic.
He hoped that something of the Graycoats survived, though he was at a loss for the role they would play in this new world. From what Adilandra and Reyna had said about Gideon and the possibilities of more Dragorn, there wouldn't be much need of the knights.
“What could possibly distract you from me?” Reyna asked, stroking a line across his chest.
Nathaniel knew what he was really doing. He was trying to think about everything but Asher.
“He’s still alive…” he said.
“Valanis?”
“It’s up to Asher now,” he continued. “I had hoped that he would be spared the confrontation. Now it’s inevitable.”
Reyna cupped the knight’s cheek. “We will face him together. All of us. Asher’s already used the gem to kill Alidyr. When the time comes, we’ll help him use it against Valanis.”
Nathaniel knew the truth. He was desperate to say something of what he really witnessed on the king’s platform, but the ranger had lied for a reason. He needed to see Asher.
Reyna’s head twitched towards the door a second before they heard a knock. The call beyond came from Faylen. Nathaniel managed to pull up his trousers before Reyna opened the door and greeted her mentor. The expected expression of disappointment was, instead, one of bemusement.
“Your mother has called for the council before we all meet in the gardens,” Faylen explained. “She has asked for both of us. Not Nathaniel,” she added apologetically.
Reyna looked to argue but the knight found his words first. “That’s fine. I’ll go find Asher.”
Faylen’s apologetic expression fell into one of concern. “I haven't seen him since the meeting. He can vanish better than a ghost.”
Putting on the clothes he had worn during the battle wasn't pleasant, but the knight had nothing else to wear. It dawned on Nathaniel for the first time in his life that he didn't own a single possession. He would have once called his coat and his sword his own, but the blade was lost in the rubble of the main gates and he had given up the coat of his order willingly. Now he had the leathers given to him by Russell Maybury in the Pick-Axe and the bow lent to him by Asher.
Navigating the city wasn't any easier than it had been before the battle. Refugees still filled the streets, only now they shared them with Velians who had lost their homes to flaming catapults. The dead were being sorted, making it easier to identify those who were Velian, Karathan, and elven. From what he had heard, the Lirians had only taken a handful of casualties with their flanking attack. The folk of the woods now helped their cousins by the sea in treating the wounded.
The Namdhorian bodies were treated with the same disrespect as the Darkakin. Both were piled onto carts and pulled out of the city where they would all be burnt no doubt. Only time would tell how the land lay from here on out. The people of the north were without a king, a king who sired no heirs, and their army had been decimated. Everyone in Namdhor and even the towns that fell under its banner would be subject to persecution for the choices of their ruler.
“Nathaniel!” Tauren called from across the street.
The knight waited for the cart of bodies to roll by before he crossed the street and grasped the southerner’s forearm. Tauren wasn't one to shy away from a fight and his face was a testament to that fact. His entire body was a canvas of a living based around violence. What was left of his White Owl persona remained to be seen, but his leathers appeared beyond repair and his white cloak was anything but white anymore.
“Well met,” Nathaniel said. “I’m sorry I missed you after the meeting. It’s hard to believe but there was still a lot more catching up to do.”
“I can imagine,” Tauren replied with a cheeky smile.
“Not you as well…”
Tauren laughed. “I am pleased for you both. I would pray to the gods that I find myself such love in this world, but I wouldn't know who to pray to…”
Nathaniel nodded his agreement. Only a few were privy to the ancient secrets of the Dragorn, but a lot of it went over the knight’s head. He was just happy they had all survived this long and still had each other.
“How fare your people?” Nathaniel asked.
Tauren sighed, his eyes searching the chaotic streets. “The folk of The Arid Lands are scattered inside these walls. We’re slowly bringing everyone back together, but it isn't easy. Many cannot speak the basic language of the north.”
“What will you do now that Karath and Calmardra are gone?”
Tauren looked to the palace. “We will seek refuge back in The Arid Lands, where it’s warmer. I have already arranged with the king to send word to Tregaran and Ameeraska for help.” The young man dropped his head in sorrow. “They are all that remains of our home.”
“The empire can be rebuilt,” Nathaniel offered, hoping to cheer Tauren up.
“But should it?” the young man countered. “An empire is not the vision I have for my people. Nor is one of kings and queens.”
Nathaniel raised an eyebrow. “Then what?”
Tauren smiled. “I'm not sure yet. Something a little more honest, perhaps.”
“Your people are lucky to have you, Tauren.”
The southerner held up his hands. “I'm not their leader. That's the problem. I still have the slave masters and governors in Tregaran and Ameeraska to contend with.”
Nathaniel patted him on the arm. “Well if you ever need an extra sword to help you deal with the slavers, you let me know.”
“Thank you, Nathaniel. It’s good to know I still have allies in the world.”
The knight offered him a warm smile. “Friends, Tauren. You still have friends in the world.”
Tauren mirrored his expression. “I think I prefer that. Are you attending this secret meeting in the garden?”
“Yes,” Nathaniel replied, turning to leave. “I'm just looking for Asher.”
“I'm sorry, I haven't seen him.”
Nathaniel waved the apology away. “I think I know where he is…”
It didn't seem to matter which street or alley he chose, every available space was taken up by the wounded and the survivors. Nathaniel weaved his way through to the western edge of the city, where the stables were located. Largely abandoned, the stables were cool, with only a handful of horses inside their pens. In the far corner, there was one familiar horse who could be seen through the damage between the pens. Nestled in the corner, Asher was sat stroking Hector, who lay quietly beside the ranger.
“I thought I might find you here.” Nathaniel leaned against the post. “You’re saying goodbye, aren't you?”
Asher continued stroking the horse’s side. The ranger didn't look great, with a dirty, red cloth around his eyes and a face of dried blood and dirt. His broadsword and silvyr blade rested beside him, making an odd sight of the man who always appeared strapped with weapons.
The ranger sucked in a breath and stroked Hector’s face. “He can't follow where we’re going. Regardless of what I do with the gem, there’s a good chance I won't return, or any of us for that matter.”
Nathaniel couldn't argue with that. A part of him wondered if there was any way he could prevent Reyna from searching for Kaliban. Vengora, the slumbering mountains, was no place to go exploring without a map.
“I was thinking of giving him to Tauren,” Asher added. “They already know each other, but more importantly, this one hasn't tried to run away from him.” The ranger ruffled Hector’s mane. “You big coward…”
“You lied,” Nathaniel stated bluntly.
“And you let me…” Asher replied.
The knight stood up straight and crossed his arms. “Because I assumed there would be a reason. A damn good one. But I see now that you intend to use the gem on Valanis regardless of what it does to you. I don't accept that.” The ranger didn't appear to be taking any of it in. “You can't use the gem, Asher.” Nathaniel said it as plainly as he could. “I mean that in every way. Even if you somehow managed to gain more control, it won't be enough to kill Valanis before the gem kills you. Why would you lie to them?”
Asher tilted his head towards the knight. “If they knew I couldn't use it, the elves would take it from me, hide it away, and make sure it never saw the light of day again.” The ranger shook his head. “We both know it’s the only thing powerful enough to defeat him. I'm the only one who can wield it. Besides, it’s all about The Veil now. If we’re lucky, I can distract Valanis long enough for Gideon to the destroy it.”
“What do you think will happen when the gem kills you before you kill him?” Nathaniel asked pointedly. “You’ll leave us to fend him off and destroy The Veil?”
“That won't happen…” Asher replied.
“You can't know that!” Nathaniel snapped, irritated as he was with his friend’s attitude towards sacrifice.
Asher sat back against the wooden panel. “I know how to use it now.”
That stopped Nathaniel from continuing his argument. “Between your fight with Alidyr and now, you’ve discovered how to use the gem without it killing you,” he stated skeptically. “What’s changed?”
Asher answered with two words. “The pools.”
“The pools of Naius?” Nathaniel echoed.
Asher stood up and began strapping his weapons on again. “When I used the gem to kill Alidyr, it didn’t just grant me more power, it drained him of his own magic.”
“Almost at the cost of your life,” Nathaniel pointed out.
“When Valanis entered the pools he became more powerful than anyone. The pools offer an abundant supply of magic.”
“Too much magic,” Nathaniel added. “Valanis is an elf and he can barely contain it all.”
�
�That’s why he wanted this.” Asher gripped the pouch on his belt. “The pools will offer me the strength to wield the gem, and the gem will allow me to drain the magic from the pools, giving me control. They’re both needed to make the other work.”
“In theory,” Nathaniel pointed out. “Valanis is an elf. As we discovered today, they were born of magic. For all we know your body could explode if you enter those pools.”
“We also discovered that they were made by a human, not a god. We don’t know everything. I’m sure the pools are the key to using Paldora’s gem. As long as I have the gem, I have control.”
“You’ll have to keep that gem on you for the rest of your life. Besides, Valanis could still kill you before you even get near the pools.” Nathaniel felt obligated to remind him of that.
“You’re forgetting our greatest advantage,” Asher replied. “Paldora’s gem gives me resistance to any and all magic. If he wants to kill me, he’ll have to do it with his bare hands.”
“And you’re forgetting that he almost did. If Ilargo hadn't shown up when he did, Valanis would have choked the life out of you.”
Asher placed a heavy hand on the knight’s shoulder. “There is no other way.” The ranger tugged on Hector’s reins and led him towards the stable doors. “I wouldn't worry, Nathaniel. There’s a very good chance I’ll have died from old age before we discover Kaliban’s location.”
“That’s true, though I'm surprised you haven't died already, old man.” The knight wondered if Asher could sense his cheeky grin.
“Watch it, kid. This old man could still knock you into the next world.”
Nathaniel laughed. “You’d be too afraid of what Reyna would do to you.”
Asher smiled. “You’re damn right; that woman scares me. Have you two had time to, you know…”
Exasperated, Nathaniel could only offer a groan.
Faylen couldn't help but fall back into her old ways; head down, lips sealed, and always behind Reyna, never beside her. For months she had presented herself as a strong individual, above all that she met in Illian. Though her view of humanity had changed drastically in that time, she had always felt that as an elf she was superior. After Mӧrygan had died, Faylen had taken advantage of that freedom and even enjoyed being away from the hierarchy of her kin.
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