by D E Boske
Darian walked up to the next elf and said, “It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Darian and I hope you will be happy working for me.”
“Darian, I cannot thank you enough for accepting our services. I’m not sure how much longer I would have survived under Thelarki’s rule. My name is Kevelkyn and I am looking forward to working with you.”
“Well met, Kevelkyn. We will go through what I expect once I have met the others.”
Darian shook hands with the other three that had accompanied Kelendiel, Lenarviel, Belarykk, and Zarthys. Darian took them through his requirements and none of them balked. The stark relief on each of their faces twisted the Mage’s gut in knots. The fact that they were this
relieved to be free of Thelarki…
“Darian, Kyler and Nephraete are here,” said Nym quietly.
“Show them in,” replied the Mage.
“Sup with me and we can talk freely,” offered the Mage. The astonished looks on their faces spoke volumes; Thelarki did not associate with them in this way.
“Darian, how are you?” Nephraete walked straight up to the Mage and hugged him, giving him a kiss on the cheek as he bent to take her in his arms.
“I am well, little seer. How are you?” he asked.
“I am well. What’s with all the Gor Li’ Khan outside?” she asked, looking him in the eye.
“They have come to join with me.”
“Seriously? That many, Darian? This is good news!” she said excitedly.
“Do you know any of them?”
“I saw many familiar faces, all of which are loyal. They will gladly lay down their lives to protect you and yours. I am so happy that you are taking them in, Mage. You will be good for them. They need someone who honestly cares about their well-being; someone who ensures they never violate their elven code again. Shenna bless you!” Darian saw tears in her eyes and it deeply touched him. Nephraete loved her people and she had a deep understanding of the Gor Li’ Khan’s torture.
Kelendiel went to his left knee in front of the seer. “Nephraete, we beg your forgiveness. We never should have allowed Thelarki to lock you away from your people. He has abused all of us for too long. Kaleika Bay will be hollow and empty once all loyal Gor Li’ Khan have fled her coral walls. Then Thelarki will rule alone. The human towns will surely overrun our shores and take that which we have held since time immemorial. I do not wish to be here when that happens.”
“Rise, Kelendiel and know that I do not lay blame at your feet. That blame lies with my father alone. Each of you did what you had to do in order to survive and I cannot fault you for that. You will know a good life with the Mage and he will take care of you. I am so happy he saw something in the proud Gor Li’ Khan. Your road will not be easy, for he has many enemies, but I say to you now that he will protect each of you as you protect him. You shall now taste true battle with enemies that deserve death. You will pit your impeccable skills against filthy goblin scum, orcs, fire dwarves and more. The Gor Li’ Khan shall be redeemed!” Nephraete spoke as a true leader and he supposed she was, the princess of Kaleika Bay, and the Gor Li’ Khan paid heed to her words.
Brandiel, Stilhan, and Melanor wheeled in carts laden with food. Darian’s army was growing exponentially and they knew Darian wouldn’t be able to take them all to the Haunted
Lands. They worried over what would happen to them once he left their shores.
“Darian, you cannot possibly search all their minds. It will exhaust you beyond your lim-
its. What do you plan to do?” asked Kelindril after Kelendiel and the others left.
“I don’t know, Kel, there’s too many. It would take me months to accomplish this, months I do not have. I cannot expend this kind of energy and deplete myself right now. I need to keep my strength up. I’ve been working hard each day and have already created several powerful new spells. Renlyss will be good for me. She has a sharp mind for magic and spell components and I will rely heavily on her opinion and expertise.”
“As you should, Darian. It is good to see you happy, my friend. You are good together and Hunter is a good kid. He will grow up strong just like his father,” said Kel, gripping the Mage’s left arm.
“Thanks, Kel. Dalyn is trying to secure us passage across the sea. He says he works with the same captain, so it shouldn’t be too much longer. We have to get this over with. For once, I actually have hope that I will make it out of this alive.”
“That’s because you will. There is no other alternative, Mage. I will not let anything happen to you, none of us will. Nym and I will begin training the recruits so that we can put them to good use in the coming days. I fear for them once we leave these shores though,” confided Kelindril.
“Do you think Thelarki so bold?”
Kelindril laughed, “You don’t know him the way we do. Yes, he is that bold.”
“I must speak with him and get him to see that what he is doing is wrong,” said Darian.
“Mage, if anyone can do it, it’s you. Personally, I never thought it was possible but you’ve changed all of us since we came to work for you. You are definitely a Master, Darian.”
“Let’s go see Thelarki.” The Mage left his room and twenty Gor Li’ Khan followed, blending into their surroundings only leaving Kelindril and Nymdal visible.
Kelindril took the Mage directly to Thelarki’s door and the Gor Li’ Khan stiffened at their approach.
“We came to see Thelarki, is he in?” asked Darian, knowing full well that he was, otherwise the Gor Li’ Khan would most likely not be there.
“He’s not expecting you,” said one elf.
“No, I don’t expect that he is since we just decided that we needed to speak with him. Would you mind alerting him to our presence? I’m sure he’ll want to meet,” said the Mage, firmly in control.
“I told you I didn’t want to be disturbed!” yelled Thelarki as he heard the elf knocking. He
yanked the portal open and found the Mage standing outside and he smiled ingratiatingly at him but the Mage wasn’t buying it.
“Please, come in!” said Thelarki, stepping aside to allow them to enter.
Darian saw a woman rush to close the bedroom door as she was naked. Thelarki showed them into his chamber and bade them get comfortable. The look on Kel’s face told the Mage that this was unnatural.
“Thank you for seeing me, Thelarki,” Darian began and heard the bedroom door open.
Elyssa heard Thelarki invite the Mage in and she rushed to close the bedroom door. She fixed herself up as fast as she could because this was not an everyday occurrence. She wanted to meet the Mage that had caused such a stir. She put on a sleek and sexy dress that showed off her full breasts, fixed her hair, and came out to meet the Mage.
She halted in her steps as she came into the room. He was tall, lean, muscular, sexy as sin and gorgeous! He was talking with Thelarki and his voice was like liquid sex, velvety smooth and sinful. His smile was radiant and only enhanced his devilish good looks. She grew wet just looking at him and when his eyes met hers…
“This must be Elyssa, your consort,” said Darian, rising to take her hand in his. His touch heated her blood and she yearned to taste him. Darian kissed her hand respectfully, but that’s not what she wanted from this Mage.
She looked at the Gor Li’ Khan in the room and… Kelindril! When had he returned? Why hadn’t Thelarki alerted her to remain in her room as he usually did when Kelindril came by? She noticed that he didn’t even acknowledge her and it appeared as if he did not know who she was. She’d heard how broken he’d been after her departure and couldn’t believe he let her get to him that way. What a weakling! She thought. I dodged an arrow on that one, she mused.
She saw no weakness now, however. He appeared cold, calculating, and ruthless. She shivered unconsciously. Had she done this to him? She felt a surge of pride that she had such command over a man.
“You seem to have me at a disadvantage, Mage. What is your name?” she was openly flirt
ing with him and Thelarki was irritated.
“My name is Darian and this is my luscious consort, Renlyss,” he said, taking the elven mage in his arms and brushing his lips on hers. He wanted to ravage her, but now was not the time.
“Your consort? Like the Old Days,” said Elyssa, clearly disappointed. Renlyss was beautiful
and she was instantly jealous. How would it be to bed a Mage of The Order? She desperately wanted to know.
“Kelindril, how do you like working for the Mage?” asked Thelarki, obviously trying hard
to smooth matters between them, especially now that Elyssa had entered the conversation.
“I am honored to be working for such a prestigious individual. He takes care of us and never asks us to do anything that violates our elven code.”
“Why you…” Thelarki moved to strike him but Kelindril never moved. He didn’t flinch, nor did he blink.
“Go ahead. Hit me again, Thelarki and it will be the last time you lay hands on anyone.” Kelindril’s voice was cold, ruthless and promised certain death should the Monarch strike him.
Elyssa had never seen him like this. He wasn’t afraid of anything. Her nipples puckered and pressed through her dress but Kelindril never looked at her. She knew she was beautiful but neither Darian nor Kelindril acknowledged her and it kind of pissed her off.
“Thelarki, that’s enough!” said Darian, angrily. “This is not the way to treat the people that work for you. I told you this once before. If you want respect, you’ve got to earn it. You cannot beat the Gor Li’ Khan into submission and expect them to love and protect you in return. This is not the way. You must rethink the way that you have been leading. Can you not see this is why the Gor Li’ Khan flock to me?”
“Don’t speak to me as if I am an imbecile! I am the Monarch of Kaleika Bay and you are nothing but a Mage of The Order,” said Thelarki, coldly furious.
“A Mage of The Order should be a highly regarded guest. Mages have been consulted on matters of extreme importance for ages. We have been advisors to Kings…”
“All that is in the past and you know it, Mage,” snarled Thelarki. “Do not come to my chamber and disrespect me so or you will live to regret it.”
“Hm somehow I doubt that,” said Darian, dismissing him outright and Thelarki grew red with rage. He glanced at the Gor Li’ Khan but they did nothing to interfere. They stood stoic and silent, watching the scene unfold.
“Can you not see this is why they flock to me? I am trying to be a friend, Thelarki. Heed my words before it is too late. You must change the way you rule. Would Mishtari approve of the way you treat the Gor Li’ Khan? Her daughter?”
“Thelarki, he’s right. Listen to him, please,” said Elyssa. “What you did to Kelindril was wrong. What we both did,” she immediately corrected. “If you don’t change, you’ll end up alone. Is that how you want to live your life?”
“Shut up!” he slapped her across the face and she ran into the bedroom.
“Do you see how you treat those around you? It’s no wonder Nephraete and Rohn left. Rohn faked his death to get away from you. That should tell you something. You’re a tyrant.” Darian began using his magic subtly, weaving it into his words because he didn’t think words would be enough with him.
“Get out!” shouted Thelarki.
Darian and the others left and went back to the Mage’s chamber. Elyssa was humiliated and wouldn’t come out of the bedroom the rest of the night. When Thelarki came to bed, she went to the couch and stayed there. She didn’t speak to him the rest of the night. She was angry, hurt, and disgusted. The Mage had put things into perspective and she didn’t understand why she hadn’t seen it before.
She feared the Gor Li’ Khan would leave by the thousands, leaving Kaleika Bay unprotected. Thelarki better see reason soon or he wouldn’t have a kingdom to govern. She seriously considered leaving him. He wasn’t loving or affectionate. The only reason she went to him in the beginning was power and money. He wasn’t even that great a lay.
“I’d say you hit a few nerves back there, Darian,” said Kelindril with a grin.
“You think?” asked the Mage, sharing a smile with his friend. “Now I understand why so many are leaving him. Why Nephraete and Rohn… Why can’t he seem to see sense?”
“I don’t know. He’s been getting gradually worse since Mishtari’s death,” said Kelindril.
“Kind of puts things into perspective, doesn’t it?” asked the Mage, looking pointedly at Kelindril.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” retorted the elf.
“I think you know,” said the Mage, eyes glittering dangerously.
“I’m nothing like Thelarki, Darian,” he said in a clipped tone.
“Oh really? Let’s examine: since Elyssa walked out on you, you haven’t been the same. She was the catalyst for you becoming the bloodthirsty killer that you are. After Mishtari’s death, Thelarki became somewhat of a recluse. He’s a tyrant, banning the elves from entering the water. You are volatile, even now, months after coming to work for me, you still cling to old ways. Thelarki is the same. Both of you have become something more than what you were and it did not happen overnight. You cannot change overnight, either. But you must want to change and at least I can say that all of you do. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be here with me, you’d still be working for Thelarki.”
Kelindril was quiet, contemplating everything Darian had said. He hated to admit it, but the Mage was correct. They were more similar than he thought. But if he could change, then so could Thelarki.
“Don’t give up on him, Darian. The Gor Li’ Khan are depending on you,” said Kelindril and Darian listened.
“I have no intention of giving up, Kel. He only made me more determined. He needs to see
that he’s effectively destroying everything he’s built. The humans will not be content to remain
behind their borders if they sense the turmoil in Kaleika Bay.”
“This is what bothers me, Darian. Though I believe he is getting what he deserves with the Gor Li’ Khan leaving, I do not want to see Kaleika Bay fall.”
“That won’t happen, Kel. If there is anything I can do, I will. You know this. How’s Kylee?” he asked to change the subject and see how Kelindril would react.
“She’s good,” the elf responded but didn’t elaborate.
“When did you see her last?” Darian pressed.
“Two days ago. I was going to ask her to breakfast tomorrow.”
“Excellent!” said Darian happily.
“Can I ask why it matters so much to you?” asked Kelindril.
“Because I care about you. You’re my friend, Kel. I thought you knew that.”
“We decided to take things slowly and see how it goes. She was gracious enough to give me another chance and I will not squander it even though I am terrified at the prospect of falling in love again. I like being with her and I like the way I feel when she is near.”
“What about you, Nym?”
“I don’t want to be tied down right now, Darian. I want to enjoy life and women,” Nym responded.
“What about Shaveil?” asked Kelindril.
“Nah, I asked her to come with me when we set out for Kiri A’ Nouell, but she refused. I slept with her the other day but I’m not asking her again. She did me a favor. I just didn’t know it at the time,” said Nym.
“Well, if that’s what you want, Nym, then good for you,” said Kel, clapping him on the back.
Kelendiel saw how they deferred to Darian and how he honestly seemed interested in their personal lives. He wasn’t used to this as Thelarki never got close to his guards, nor did he care about them. He was glad the Mage had given them a chance because he wasn’t altogether sure he would have if their positions were reversed.
42
Weeks passed them by and still they heard no word about passage across the sea and Darian became increasingly suspicious. Dalyn had not seen the Captain in port for some time and though he preferred t
o work with him, he asked around but found no one who was willing to carry them to the Haunted Lands.
Darian visited Thelarki every day and they spoke at great length. The elf seemed to be coming around to the Mage’s point of view but Darian couldn’t be sure if he was doing it for show or if he was really changing. Only time would tell.
“Thelarki, I really must get to the Haunted Lands. Is there no ship willing to carry us?” asked Darian one day as they sat enjoying a cup of tea.
“I have asked but so far no one is willing to travel there. I told you it would be difficult to book passage. These things just take time.”
“Time is a luxury I cannot afford right now, Thelarki,” said Darian, upset.
“I will continue to reach out to the shipmasters and see if anyone is willing to carry you there,” said Thelarki.
Soon after, Darian left, irritated that it was taking so damn long. He needed to get this over with before the Dark Magic chewed him up and spit him out. He wasn’t even sure anymore how often it happened. It could be happening every day and he may not be aware.
“Kelindril, take me to the human towns. I would like to look around and talk to a few of the ship’s captains. Let’s pick up Dalyn too, he may be able to assist,” said the Mage.
“Of course,” said Kelindril.
“Kel, have you seen me acting off lately?” asked the Mage. He figured Kelindril was always watching so he should know if something was wrong.
“No. Not since that one evening when I woke Renlyss,” stated the elf, who swore the Mage looked relieved.
“Good. From now on, you will alert me any time you think I am not myself. I need to keep track of how often this is happening to me.”
Kelindril nodded his agreement. He was worried about the Mage. If something happened
to him, where would they all go? None of them wanted to return to work for Thelarki. Kiri A’ Nouell then? The thoughts were unsettling to Kelindril and he didn’t want to think more on it.
“What’s wrong, Kel?” asked the Mage, acutely aware of the elf’s mood change.
