Demonkin (7 page)

“Are you alright?” he asked with concern.

“Just a little tired,” she smiled. “A little rest and I will be good to go.”

“Will the lake exist after we leave?”

“It will continue to exist for years,” answered the Alcean mage. “Without reinforcing, it will eventually collapse in on itself, but not anytime soon. The water was flowing into an underground river. I had to seal that off with packed sand. Over the years, the water will eat through the wall I created, and the lake will sink into the desert.”

“Then what is the purpose of all this?” asked Garth.

“There is a line of these old springs stretching all the way to the Old Aranak Road,” explained Kalina. “While they may not be in a straight line, they are all within a days ride of the previous one. Garth, if I can revive all of the springs, we have a route for the Occans to travel to the Federation.”

“A highway of sand.” Garth nodded. “The Federation will never be expecting it.” Garth pondered the thought for a moment and then a frown grew over his face. “What if they discover it? The Federation could use it to mount an invasion of the horse countries.”

“That is not going to happen,” replied Kalina. “I can easily destroy the lakes that I am creating. In fact, I would let their army get deep into the desert and then destroy the lakes ahead and behind them. Their army would die in the desert without any need for battle.”

“Can't they do the same to the Occans?” asked Garth. “Surely, they have mages capable of destroying an oasis.”

“Certainly,” agreed Kalina. “That is why we will not reveal what I have done until it is time to attack.”

* * * *

One hundred Federation soldiers marched into the Heart of Elfwoods. Their arrival was unannounced and unexpected. The elven runners, who would normally speed the word of the approaching column to the king, had failed to detect the incursion into the Elfwoods. King Elengal knew that only magic could have allowed so many troops to sneak into the Heart. His eyes panned over the soldiers and settled on the K'san in the center of the group. Next to the tall, black priest were two black-cloaked mages. The elven king nodded in understanding of the failure of his scouts. He marched down the steps of the building and approached the group. K'san and his henchmen moved forward towards the king while the officer shouted orders to the soldiers. Groups of soldiers ran off in every direction until there were only twenty left. K'san halted a few paces from the king.

“To what do we owe the honor of your visit?” King Elengal asked respectfully.

“No one will be allowed to leave the Heart for the duration of our stay,” announced K'san. “Anyone attempting to leave will be killed. See that your people are informed.”

K'san turned abruptly and marched towards the hut of the historian. As curious as he was about the reason for the visit, King Elengal was more concerned about the deaths of his people. He shouted for guards, and when they arrived, he issued instructions to spread the word throughout the Heart. In the meantime, K'san and his mages had forced their way into the historian's hut.

Legaulle's hut was not only his living quarters, but also the only entrance to the archives attached to the rear of his hut. K'san marched through the small hut and smashed open the door to the archives. The mages followed and immediately cast mage lights to illuminate the dark room. A shocked Legaulle stumbled into the archives after the intruders.

“What are you doing?” shouted Legaulle. “This place is sacred. It is the one place in Elfwoods where you are not allowed. Not even our king is allowed in here.”

K'san turned and looked at the old historian with contempt. The demonkin's hand moved so swiftly that Legaulle never saw it coming. The historian's body was thrown across the room and through the wall, coming to rest in his small hut. A curious woman had been standing at the door to Legaulle's hut, and she saw the old man's body fall to the floor and slide into the wall. Debris from the shattered inner wall was still floating in the air as a scream ripped from her throat and shattered the quiet village. Elves ran toward the hut and peered in at the broken form of the historian, but none of them dared to enter. King Elengal arrived, and he did enter the historian's hut. He knelt next to Legaulle, and tears came to his eyes. He rose and exited the hut.

“He lives,” the king said softly to the crowd assembled. “Barely. Get a stretcher and carry him to my bed. Be very careful when moving him. Many bones are broken, and I do not want the short journey to kill him. Someone fetch Eulena.”

“She is not in the Heart,” one of the women replied. “She has gone to visit her daughter, and we are forbidden to leave the Heart.”

The king's eyes scanned the crowd, and they landed on Milashar, one of Prince Saratoma's closest friends. “Eulena will not be able to enter the Heart until the soldiers leave, but someone must get out of the Heart and start her journeying here. Legaulle will not live long without her help.”

“I will bring her back,” vowed Milashar. “Should I also alert the prince to what is going on here?”

“No,” the king said quickly. “It is best if he is kept ignorant of this. Just bring the mage.”

The young warrior nodded as he turned and casually walked away from the crowd. King Elengal watched him depart and hoped that he was not sending the man to his death. The arrival of the stretcher caught the king's attention, and Milashar was instantly forgotten. The king watched Legaulle's body carefully placed on the stretcher and moved out of the small hut. He walked alongside the bearers and saw the historian gently placed in the king's bed. Several local healers were already waiting for the old man, and they began to study Legaulle's condition.

While the healers were crowding around Legaulle, Milashar was climbing a rope ladder to a building nestled in the branches of one of the old trees. The home he reached was the home of a friend, and he borrowed a length of rope from the friend and then continued his ascent to the upper branches to wait for the sun to set. As soon as it was dark, the elven warrior moved cautiously along a branch until it began to bow under his weight. With a small weight attached to the end of the rope, the elf tossed the rope at an adjacent tree. The rope wrapped around a branch, and the elf paused to listen to the sounds below.

When Milashar was confident that no one was below the tree, he deftly stepped off the branch and let his body swing to the other tree. There was a slight rustling sound as the branch he had been on sprang upward, and he vowed not to go so far out on the limb the next time. As his body swung under the new branch, the elf climbed the rope until he reached the safety of the new tree. He untied the rope and paused to listen again. Hearing nothing, he scampered around the trunk and out onto another sturdy branch. Twelve trees later, the elven warrior was far enough outside the Heart that he could climb out of the tree and begin running towards the village where Eulena's daughter lived.

Milashar ran for hours, and when he finally reached the village, the sky was beginning to lighten. He banged loudly on the door to the small hut, and a young woman opened the door. Milashar pushed past her and collapsed on the floor. The woman closed the door and turned to look at the elven warrior. An older woman came through a doorway and stared at the man on the floor.

“He didn't say anything at all, Mother” the younger woman frowned.

Eulena crossed the room and knelt next to the warrior. She cast a generic healing spell on the warrior, and he gazed up at her with a look of urgency.

“Get him some water, Liliana” ordered Eulena.

“The king sent me,” croaked Milashar.

“And you ran all the way no doubt,” replied Eulena. “While I admire your devotion, do not speak yet. Drink the water first. A few moments will not matter much.”

Liliana gave a mug of water to the warrior, and Eulena helped him sit up to drink it. She was prepared to slow him down if he began to drink too quickly, but it proved to be unnecessary. Milashar showed restraint and sighed deeply as he emptied the mug.

“Legaulle has been badly hurt,” Milashar said. “The king ordered me to fetch you quickly. The historian has been moved to the king's bed. It is feared that he might die.”

“Then I shall be off to the Heart promptly,” Eulena declared.

“No,” Milashar said quickly as he grabbed the mage's arm. “There are soldiers there. It is not safe for you to enter the Heart until they leave. The king just wants you close by when they do leave so that Legaulle does not have to wait. I am to escort you back immediately, but we will hide outside the Heart until the soldiers leave.”

Eulena frowned. “Did the soldiers hurt Legaulle?”

“Not the soldiers,” answered Milashar. “K'san threw him through the wall of the archives.”

“Very well,” Eulena said as she rose to her feet. “You are to rest, Milashar.”

“I am strong enough to leave now.”

“No,” Eulena said emphatically. “I want you strong for the return trip. You will sleep until nightfall. Is that clear?”

Milashar started to object. Eulena bent over and placed her hand on the warrior's head and then eased his sleeping body to the floor.

“What is going on, Mother?” asked Liliana.

“I am not sure,” frowned Eulena, “but something is not right. The Federation has allowed us one sacred place in all of Elfwoods, and that is the archives. No soldier or mage of the Federation is allowed in there. Evidently, Legaulle protested, and that protest was not taken well. He is a frail old man. I must go to him immediately.”

“But you just told Milashar to rest until nightfall.”

“So I did,” smiled Eulena. “I can enter the Heart much quicker without him. When he wakes, explain that I have gone on ahead, and he is not to enter the Heart until the soldiers leave. Tell him no more than that.”

“Why do you hide your powers from your own people?” asked Liliana.

“I do not hide them all,” shrugged Eulena. “I am known as a great healer, what more can my people ask of me?”

“Yet you are capable of much more,” retorted Liliana.

“As you will soon be,” smiled Eulena. “Until the Dielderal are free from the Federation, you will find it wise not to draw attention to yourself. The emperor will crush anyone who he thinks has too much power. Remain indistinct and live long.”

Eulena moved to the door and stepped outside. Liliana followed to say goodbye to her mother. The two women embraced and then Eulena turned to leave. She halted after two steps and turned around with a worried brow.

“Do you remember the friend you met in the reeducation center?” Eulena asked. “The one you keep saying that you would like to visit?”

“Yes, Mother. Why do you ask?”

“I want you to visit her as soon as Milashar leaves for the Heart.”

“Why? What do you know that you are not sharing with me?”

“I know nothing more than I have said,” answered Eulena, “but I have a strange sense of foreboding. Promise me that you will leave here tonight.”

“I promise, Mother.”

Eulena smiled and walked into the trees. When she came to a small clearing away from the village, the elven mage transformed into a dove. With a flap of its wings, the dove leaped into the air and winged its way towards the Heart. The flight over the trees of the Elfwoods was swift and accomplished in a fraction of the time needed on foot. When the bird neared the Heart, it flew cautiously, purposely avoiding the area around the archives. Eventually it glided through the trees and landed on a platform high in one of the trees of the Heart. The dove hobbled along the platform and leaped up onto a window ledge of the small house on the platform. It jumped through the window and landed on the floor.

A moment later, Eulena exited the door of her home and descended the rope ladder to the ground. Keeping her hood pulled forward and face looking downward, the mage headed straight for the king's chambers. A group of elves stood on the stairs of the king's building, but Eulena pushed through them without a word. When she entered the king's chambers, King Elengal looked up in surprise. His mouth opened to ask a question, but the mage spoke first.

“Do not waste time on idle questions,” she scowled. “Anyone who is not a healer must leave the room immediately. That includes you, King Elengal.”

The elven king was not used to being spoken to in such a manner, but his concern for Legaulle was greater than his demand for respect. He quickly joined the others in moving out of the room. When everyone except two healers was gone, Eulena closed the door and locked it.

“How is he?” Eulena asked as she bent over to examine the historian.

“He is dying,” said one of the healers. “He has numerous broken bones, and he is bleeding internally. We think one of his lungs has been punctured as well. Maybe more. We are not healers of your caliber, Eulena. We have not been able to do much for him.”

“You have kept him alive so far,” Eulena smiled thinly. “Do not belittle your skills. I am going to need both of you to get through this, so if you need any time for yourselves, take it now.”

Neither of the women moved to leave, and Eulena closed her eyes and placed her hands on the historian's body.

Outside the locked room, King Elengal retreated to his office. He slumped into his chair and stared at the desktop. Eventually, the strain took hold of the elven king, and his eyes closed in a fitful sleep. Some time later, a guard came into the office and loudly closed the door. The king woke with a startled look on his face.

“How is he?” the king asked.

“The door is still closed,” reported the guard. “I came to tell you what is going on with K'san. The soldiers have seized three women from the Heart. They are currently looking for Eulena.”

“Eulena?” the king echoed with alarm. “For what reason?”

“They have not said,” answered the guard.

“Do they know that she is in the city?”

“No,” replied the guard. “I told them that she was off visiting her daughter. They asked where the daughter lived, and I told them. I am sorry if this was wrong. I fear lying to K'san.”

“You did right,” said the king. “If they have access to the archives, they can easily find out the village that Liliana lives in. Did you get any idea of why they are searching for these particular women, or what they plan to do with them?”