“I can handle this fool,” Hadrin said.
Corin smiled as he took one of his soldier’s swords and then waved them both back to the door. He handed the sword to the Prince before taking several steps back and drawing his own sword. Hadrin’s heart began to beat faster as he held the sword. His hand shook as he attacked the Captain. The other elves laughed as their commander danced circles around the Prince. Obrin continued his pleading as Corin proceeded to toy with the Prince. He stabbed Hadrin several times, but never deep enough to seriously damage the Prince. This continued until they were both distracted by the sound of footsteps. The walking increased to what sounded like a sprint. Hadrin looked toward the sound and saw a man come running out of the shadows. He slid as he closed in on the two elves at the door. His right hand shot out and he knocked the first guard off his feet. The man dug his knife into the other elf’s knee and used it to pull the elf down. He grabbed his opponent’s shoulder on the way down and sprang back to his feet.
“Who are you?” Corin asked as he turned toward the man.
“I am Wrotan, you must be Corin,” the man replied.
“How did you know that?”
“You look nearly identical to the corpse I took this blade from.” Wrotan held Torin’s blade out for the others to see.
The Captain shook with rage as he rushed toward the newcomer. Wrotan knocked his attack aside and elbowed him in the chest. The two continued to exchange blows, the hunter quickly gaining the upper hand. Hadrin waited until he saw an opening and drove his sword into Corin’s calf. The elf cried out in pain as he stumbled to the side. Wrotan took advantage of the lapse in his opponent’s defenses and drove his sword through the elf’s chest. He let his sword drop to the floor with the Captain. Hadrin dropped his sword to the floor and rushed over to his father’s side. The hunter searched Corin and found the keys to the shackled. He threw them to the elf.
“I am Wrotan, I’ve come to repay the King of the evening realms,” the hunter said.
“You’ve done just that,” Erlkan said.
“Wrotan? I’ve heard that name before,” Obrin said as he stepped toward the man.
“You knew my father, Isaack.” Wrotan said.
“Of course, your father is a good man.”
“Was a good man, yes. He passed on three months ago. He told me to come here and repay you the debt he owed you.”
“As my cousin said, you’ve already done that.”
“Then perhaps I can make a request of you?”
“I will hear it, but that does not mean I will grant it.”
“My father told me to come here in search of family. I know not what he meant.”
“Yes, I am sure he did. However, I must ask that you wait on the answer. We need to get to safety first.”
“Where can we go that is safer than your castle?” Hadrin asked.
“The Citadel of the Night. I do hope that none of you are afraid of dragons.”
*
Empress Melisandre sighed as she looked down at the sun dragon. The once majestic beast had lost the ability to fly. She had hoped to find the cure well before things progressed to this state. Unfortunately, none of her magicians could seem to find the source of the scourge. There was only one clue. The scourge originated in the evening realms. Corin was taking care of things on that end. There was always the slight chance that killing the night dragons would rid the world of the scourge, but she needed to be prepared in case that wasn’t enough. She felt a pang of guilt when she thought of Erlkan. He truly was a good man and an excellent commander. It wasn’t his fault that his cousin was aligned with those that caused the scourge.
“Not all men thrive off doing things for their lover, Empress,” Fenzik, the head of the elven schools of magic, said.
“Corin is no lover of mine, mage,” she said.
“What is he?”
“Nothing more than a pawn who jumped at a suggestion. Alluding to something is not the same as actually promising it.”
“You are as cunning as you are beautiful.”
“Not you too,”
“Flattery has its uses.”
“Have we learned anything more about the scourge?” Melisandre asked.
“I do not believe it is natural. Nor is it any form of magic I’ve ever seen. My recommendation would be to seek out the opinion of the fairies,” Fenzik answered.
“Why would I seek their assistance, I very much hate them.”
“They are born of magic or so the legends say. Truth be told, we may be chasing ghosts.”
“Fine then, devote some of our resources into finding if they even exist.”
*
Wrotan knelt down and picked up a small bit of dirt as they exited the castle. He rubbed it between his fingers before letting it fall to the ground. The others looked to him, but he shrugged. There was something different about the soil, but he couldn’t tell what it was. The little specks of violet were somewhat off-putting, but they seemed to have little effect on grass or trees. He wiped his hand off and followed the others. The elves that they met on their way out of the castle seemed as surprised to see the two Kings as they were to see a human. One of the Captains stepped forward as they approached the outer gate. She held up her hand so that they would stop. Hadrin looked first to his father and then to Erlkan.
“The Empress said not to let the royal family leave the castle for their own safety, sir,” the Captain said.
“They are under my protection, Alandra,” Erlkan said.
“No disrespect, your majesty, but I would be happier to see you with an escort. It will only take me a moment to gather the troops.”
“We should be fine. The lands are not that dangerous and we won’t be going far,” Hadrin said.
“I am coming with you and that is that,” she said.
The hunter looked to the others for an explanation, but none offered one. He knew that some of the elves were on their side and others weren’t, but he had no way of knowing which ones were friendly. His companions seemed to share his skepticism, but they weren’t letting that change their actions. The Captain returned with a handful of elven soldiers and escorted them outside of town. Everyone remained quiet as they continued out away from the castle. Wrotan tapped Hadrin on the arm, but the elven shook his head. He looked to Erlkan and saw that the elf was warily eying the guards. Alandra motioned toward the closest patch of forest. She waited for the others to enter before looking back at the castle.
“Corin seeks your head,” the Captain said as she turned to Erlkan.
“If only it were that simple,” the sun King replied.
“What do you mean?”
“Melisandre sent him here. It was her wish that I die, not his. Not that he seemed to mind.”
“Your wife? Why would the Empress want you dead?”
“Your aunt is under the impression that my cousin knows why the dragons are scourged. She suspects that he is trying to subvert her wishes.”
“Are there any elves that are not related?” Wrotan asked with a bewildered look on his face.
“We do live longer and have fewer children than humans. You’ll find that when an elf is granted a position of power, their friends and family are often elevated with them. Sometimes out of their own schemes, other times because people promote them to look good in the eyes of another, few times they are granted their title because they deserve it,” Obrin replied.
“Who is this?” Alandra asked.
“Wrotan saved us from the dungeons and killed Corin in the process. His adopted father was an old friend of mine. You can trust him.”
“He killed Corin? We are all as good as dead if we stay with him. Torin won’t rest until his brother is avenged.”
“He put up a decent fight, but it wasn’t something I couldn’t handle. I doubt he’ll do any serious avenging anytime soon,” Wrotan said.
“What have you two gotten yourselves into?” Hadrin asked as he turned to his father and Erlkan.
??
?Not now, we need to get to the Citadel of the Night. Even with Wrotan, Alandra, and her soldiers, we are not safe here,” Obrin replied.
The elf Captain sighed as she nodded. There was no denying the potential danger they would be facing if the rest of the elves loyal to the Empress were to find them. Wrotan kept his hand on the hilt of his sword as they exited from the woods. There was no sign of anyone following, but that could change at any time. The Citadel of the Night was atop one of the taller mountains within the evening realms. By the hunter’s estimation, it would take a few days just to reach the base of the mountain. He fell in behind the Prince as they set off toward their destination. Alandra and her warriors hesitated a moment before following the others. Wrotan was unsure whether or not they could be fully trusted. He couldn’t help but feel that it was dangerous to bring their opponent’s niece along.
*
Finrul patted the sun dragon on the head. He could see the bewilderment in the majestic creature’s eyes. Melisandre had contacted the magician as soon as the scourge had started to affect the dragon. He been fortunate enough to have seen how the night dragons reacted to the scourge, but it did little to help him with the sun dragons. Their reaction to the scourge was unpredictable and, at times, dangerous. Many of the lesser sun dragons had been significantly weakened. The Empress’ theory that the scourge was created by the night elves to bring down the sun dragons seemed to fit well with the situation. Finrul always tried to stay out of any squabbles between the elves, but if the night elves were really sabotaging the sun elves he would have no choice but to side with the sun elves. It would be a shift from the usual rivalries among elves, but not completely unheard of. The magician sighed as he looked down at the dragon. All of his attempts to reverse the spread of the scourge had failed.
“Any news?” Melisandre asked as she approached.
“Nothing at all. They are still getting the negative effects of the scourge and it continues to spread. I’ve done everything I can and, much like with the night dragons, it has had no success,” he replied.
“We must be missing something. Is it possible they enlisted the help of a human?”
“I cannot tell for certain, but I would not be surprised. The humans that have embraced magic have done so in such different ways than the elves. We elves do not need to worry about our longevity as they do. It is possible that, in seeking a longer life, they unlocked some of the secrets of death.”
“Are the humans capable of such a thing?”
“There is a wide gap between what some humans deem acceptable and what elves see as an abomination. I cannot guarantee that this is a human driven scourge, but it is certainly not elven in nature.”
The Empress nodded before leaving. Her visits were often short and full of questions. At times, Finrul found it rather difficult to answer all her queries. She had a thirst for power, yet it seemed tempered by a thirst for knowledge. Her ambitions were far greater than those of the common elf. Finrul rarely questioned his allegiance to her, but when he did, what he saw often frightened him. She was the sort that would kill to get her way. Her intentions had always been good, but her methods could be questionable. The mage dismissed the thoughts. He was an impartial observer, nothing more. His information could prove valuable to the elves as a whole.
“I’ve come to take over, brother,” Fenzik said as he approached.
“That isn’t necessary, I’ve got several good hours left in me yet,” Finrul replied.
“Then let us work together. We have a knack for solving things together. If only father could see us now.”
“Can I ask you a question, brother?”
“Of course, you know that you always can.”
“Have the Empress’ actions of late seemed worrisome to you?” Finrul asked.
“Yes, I’ve seen it as well. Her theory is a sound one, but the idea of Obrin and Erlkan uniting against her has her on edge,” Fenzik replied.
“It feels good to know that I am not the only one who sees it.”
“Indeed, do you think we should discuss it with her?”
“Yes, but only out of concern. If she is acting this way on purpose, then it is not our place to meddle.”
*
Wrotan bent down and examined the tracks. There was no doubt that they were made by wolves. He could recognize their paw prints in nearly any terrain. The shadows danced on the edge of camp as the fire swayed to and fro. It was almost mesmerizing in a way. The scourged tendrils were unaffected by the fire, but it kept them warm and kept the animals away. Wrotan redirected his focus to a nearby plant that had been infected with the scourge. He rubbed one of the leaves between his fingers. The feel was much the same as an unscourged leaf, but there was something about it that made him want to investigate further. Where the normal infection would render crops inedible and plants damaged or destroyed, the scourge seemed to have the opposite effect on the health of the plant.
“This is most strange,” he said as Hadrin approached.
“What is it?” The Prince asked.
“The plants, they are not affected by the scourge like they should be. You see, they seem to grow larger due to the tendrils. One would expect them to be weakened or dying, but that is not the case. Changed, yes. Dying, no.”
“But the elves are dying, how can it have a different impact on different living things?”
“I do not fully understand the scourge, but it seems to be different from the scourge you carry. These plants are stronger, you and your people are weaker.”
Their conversation was interrupted by a low growl. Wrotan’s hand dropped to his sword as he turned toward where the sound had originated. Hadrin let out a quiet shriek and fled back toward camp. The hunter shook his head before returning his attention back to the beast. A massive wolf stepped out of the woods with a snarl. Wrotan’s eyes were immediately drawn to the deep black substance that seemed to permeate the wolf’s fur. The scourge had grown the wolf beyond its normal size and had taken away any fear that the creature might have had for elf or human. There was little doubt that this wolf was the leader of a pack. The hunter had faced off against wolves on multiple occasions and one of their moves was to draw out an opponent while other members of the pack struck from behind. He drew his sword in his right hand and a hunting knife in his left hand.
“They’re much larger than the average wolf and we can expect them to be smarter as well. We will need to act fast before we get surrounded,” he said to nobody in particular.
Alandra snapped out of the daze and joined Wrotan. The wolf pack leader rushed forward only to be driven back by the hunter’s expert use of the knife. He continued to use the knife to force the wolf to defend. Unless he was mistaken, the wolves would need their leader initiating the attack for it to be as much of a success as they needed. He continued his attack until the storm surrounded him. The six wolves came to the aid of their pack leader. Alandra did what should could to stop their attacks, but eventually the wolves would wear her down as well. Wrotan and the pack leader circled one another, each trying to gain the upper hand. The hunter used both his weapons in conjunction to attempt to take down the wolf leader. His knife attacks failed to hit his opponent, but he had managed to graze the wolf’s side with his sword. The pack leader pulled back ever so slightly.
“They aren’t attacking anymore, why not?” Wrotan asked as he stood side by side with Alandra.
“I don’t know, they seem different now,” she replied.
“It is the scourge. They can recognize it within me, much like I can recognize it within them. We may be able to use this to our advantage,” Obrin said.
“What do you need from us?” Erlkan asked.
“Do not make them feel threatened. They think of us as an extension of their pack now. We cannot tell them where we are going, but I do believe they will see us safely out of their territory.”
The wolf pack leader stood tall and looked at Wrotan. He gave the wolf a shallow bow and it returned the sentiment. The
hunter glanced over at Alandra and saw that she was as surprised as he was. He had encountered wolves on a consistent basis back home, but never had he seen one act in such a way. King Obrin motioned for the others to follow him as he began to head into forest. Wrotan opened his mouth to say something, but decided against it. He grabbed a piece of wood from his pack and wrapped it in a soaked cloth before dipping it in the fire. Alandra put out the fire before falling in line behind him. They walked through the night until they reached the edge of the forest. The morning light brought with it a view of the mountains in the distance.
Dragons and Knights
Kade pulled the glove over his left hand with a frown. The small spot that had appeared on the back of his hand had grown over the past week. He knew nothing of its origin or nature, only that it caused his hand to tense up once or twice a day. So far, no one had noticed it. There was little doubt that Julian and Amber would take notice of his glove. He took off at a sprint, eager to visit the city proper. His mother called out for him to be back before they closed the gate and he raised his arm so that she would know he heard. The outskirts of Reddington stretched out for what seemed to the young man to be miles and miles. Julian and Amber had agreed to meet him at the crossroads just outside the eastern gate. He slowed down as he spotted the two of them talking at the crossroads. The other two waved him over when they spotted him.
“The festival is in two weeks, you know what that means don’t you?” Julian asked as he approached.
“Sure do. Merchants will be testing their wares, cooks will be testing their food, bards will be testing their songs, and the storytellers will be priming us all for their epic tales,” Kade replied.
“Nice fashion statement,” Amber said as she pointed to the glove.
“Your sarcasm is not appreciated.”
She laughed as she started toward the city. Julian and Kade followed quickly behind. Their clothes pegged them as peasants, but this was one of the few times of year that everyone treated each other equally. As always, Amber got more attention than the other two. Her long blonde hair was a rarity in the borderlands. Most people had dark hair like Julian and Kade. Some kept it short as Kade did and others preferred it long like Julian and Amber. The streets closer to the city were far more crowded than those near the crossroads. People were excited for the coming festival. The three made their way to the gate and were waved in by the guards. Things were even more crowded inside the city walls. Julian took the lead and cut down a nearby alley. The other two followed as he wove his way through the back alleys, eventually coming out next to their favorite inn.