Elwyn, Brethren of Darkness
Desert
Elwyn stood in the cave. The pool of liquid at her feet was as shiny and smooth as a polished mirror. The candles illuminated the faces around her; solemn, masculine faces that stood guard while she entered a trance. They were present to ensure there would be no disturbances, whether inside the cave itself or psychic influences that would try to suck Elwyn’s energy, like a leach drinking the life blood of another. She glanced around at the men, confirming their readiness. When her eyes locked with Draevil, he nodded, indicating it was time to start.
Elwyn was pleased that she finally had a conversation with Draevil, where she shared her insights into finding the crystal and the information she got from her brother. He appeared to openly welcome her input, although, there had been a few moments where she questioned whether he was mocking her or whether he was sincere in his interest. Regardless, he was willing to give her an opportunity to prove herself and had taught her a method for invoking the darkness to learn more. She knew this would be her only opportunity but she was confident that it would work. She prayed that she never crossed Draevil or, at least that he never discovered it. His approval of her was important, just as her father’s approval was once meaningful...before he became a weak-hearted lush.
The Brethren were her family now, especially since she turned her back on her biological family. Her father had become an embarrassment. So had her mother, whom she viewed as meek and spineless, never taking a stance on anything. Loki, her younger sister, was a difficult one to figure out. She was never able pinpoint what made Loki tick but that was of little consequence to Elwyn. Tannis, her older brother...so naïve and gullible...was another matter.
Elwyn found it easy to read Tannis and to manipulate him. It was a simple matter of good against evil that made him so predictable. He wanted to help people, do what he thought was best for everyone, and wanted to rid the world of evil. Elwyn on the other hand, played on his consistency and was preparing to do it yet again. She knew what Tannis was thinking, that there may have been a lake that existed long ago that had since dried up, which meant it was missed by the various searches over the years. She had pulled that thought from his mind, while he slept one night, before he became consciously aware of it himself. As long as she continued to stay one step ahead of him, she could help the Brethren – help Draevil – get the crystal and gain supreme power over the entire region! She knew that’s what Draevil wanted and he didn’t deny it.
He gazed at her and gave the signal to proceed; his dark piercing eyes looked even more mysterious as they reflected flickers of flames from the candles. Elwyn felt under her cloak for the pouch that hung from her belt. She reached inside, pinched some of the powdery substance between two fingers and tossed it into the liquid. On impact, the fluid boiled and sizzled, as though it was angry at being disturbed. She whispered the spell, her hand openly circling above the liquid, enticing it to give her what she sought.
After a few moments, the liquid stopped churning and a vapor appeared above its surface. The swirling mist formed into a panther, slithering upward through the air to meet her. Elwyn rested her arms at her sides and closed her eyes momentarily, while she finished reciting the enchantment. When her eyes opened, they were no longer blue but dark like obsidian and stared straight ahead. The fierce cat circled and prowled through the air around her head. It revealed spiked fangs when it hissed. Then it sniffed in her direction, determining whether she was worthy of its darkness.
As it continued rounding her cranium, a sight appeared before Elwyn and she saw Tannis, leaning over a table, looking down at something. As always, her timing was impeccable! She sensed she was close to getting the information they needed. Her thirst for it was so intense, her mouth watered and she licked her lips. She positioned herself behind Tannis and looked over his shoulder. Suddenly, he turned and looked right at her. Elwyn knew he felt her presence, subconsciously. She was coming on too strong; she desired it too much. She forced herself to pull her energy back slightly. After he glanced in all directions, to ensure he was alone, Tannis looked down at the table and Elwyn had a clear line of sight to the maps.
With her psychic senses, she probed gently into his thoughts. He studied the Northland, the mountains that were home to the Guardians of Light and a number of small villages. Through his thoughts, Elwyn felt herself guided to the various lakes.
All of a sudden, she felt his excitement. Tannis put gloves on his hands and placed them on the map so that he could lean farther over the table to study its details. His finger pointed to a lake that looked, from the topography, as though it rested near the top of one of the shorter peaks on the western end of the Northland. He pushed himself upright and walked over to a map hanging on a wall. His finger pointed to the same area and he studied it closely but there was no lake. Elwyn barely contained her own enthusiasm.
Tannis went back to the map on the table to confirm he was viewing the same vicinity and, once again, confirmed that there had previously been a lake. He searched other areas of the Northland but nothing caught his attention.
Next, he moved farther south on the map, to the Great Mountains. Elwyn knew many areas of the Great Mountains were hardly navigable, with jagged peaks and sharp drops. To her knowledge, they were uninhabitable. She watched as Tannis’s finger traced its way through the mountains, following streams but none led to lakes. She felt confident that he had already found the spot in the Northland, when he slid his finger to the southern flank of the mountains and stopped. Once again, she felt his excitement rise – or was it her own? She hadn’t entertained the idea that there might be more than one lake that had dried up.
Tannis scooted to the map on the wall and tapped the location where the lake had once been. She felt his confidence rise and heard his thought – I knew it!!
Elwyn watched for another moment while he searched more of the map on the table. He stood and removed the gloves. He was pleased with himself and Elwyn felt it. She couldn’t let him get too confident with himself, though. She focused on the back of his head and increased the intensity of her energy. He spun on his heels at the feel of her obscured presence. He looked around, as though he expected someone to be there. Knowing that he wasn’t adept at consciously hearing her thoughts, she sent one to him anyway – Thank you, brother. Again! She knew it would lie just beneath the surface of his conscious awareness and would eat at him for awhile before he could pinpoint the reason for his sour mood.
The others watched the panther retreat from around Elwyn’s head and descend back into the pool. Her eyes locked with Draevil’s and she gave him a knowing look. He motioned for her to follow as he walked out of the cave.
TWENTY TWO
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