Dwarven Ruby (16 page)

“Let her be,” Jenneva said softly. “She has been pushing you on this since we met her. Let her think about it for a while.”

“I cannot,” Alex shook his head. “I do not care to have her bring this subject up, but it is not fair for her to suffer for not understanding what it is like.”

Alex strode into the woods and found Tanya crying near the stream. He sat down beside her and put his arm around her.

“How can you comfort me after the way I have treated you?” sobbed Tanya.

“Because I know how you are feeling right now,” Alex answered. “Nobody should ever be put in the position that Jenneva described. I was, and I have hated myself ever since. The funny thing is, I would hate myself no matter which choice I made. Jenneva is right about that. The worst part is that I really did not have a choice at all.”

“What do you mean?” asked Tanya.

“Our child was taken when we weren’t at home,” explained Alex. “I went to Cordonia to find her, but there were no leads to follow. Even if I made the choice to let the world destroy itself, I still would not have found my child. I hope that you never have to make a choice like that. Nobody should have to.”

Tanya wrapped her arms around Alex and hugged him.

“But isn’t that what you are telling Arik that he must do?” sobbed Tanya.

“It is,” nodded Alex. “I hope that it never comes to that for him, though. I fear what it may do to him as a man. The best advice I ever gave to the men I trained, was to never look back on your decisions. I have tried to follow that advice myself. That is why it hurts so much when you bring it up. It resurrects the pain, and it is a pain that never stops hurting.”

“I will never bring it up again,” promised Tanya.

“If you do,” chuckled Alex, “I will get very angry with you, just before I forgive you.”

Arik called a halt as he approached the ruins made up of great white stones. As far as his eye could see, giant pieces of white stone littered the ground. Long pieces of metal were strewn about. The pieces of metal were rusted and misshapen. Ancient bridges were cracked and sticking half out of the river. He looked down at the ground and saw vast paces of white marble squares with weeds protruding between them. The most striking ruin was a massive white tower, which had fallen to the ground and splintered into thousands of pieces. It stretched out farther than Arik could see.

“This must have been an ancient city of some type,” remarked Arik.

“This was Sorelderal,” replied Jenneva. “The most magnificent city ever built. It was the home of the peace-loving elves.”

“That fallen tower before you was the Tower of Peace,” added Alex. “It was a project to promote peace between the elves of Sorelderal and the dwarves of Dorgun. It took over a hundred years to build.”

“I guess you have been here before,” smiled Wylan.

“In a way,” nodded Jenneva. “We were in Sorelderal when it existed in the Aquina Universe. That Universe was the original home of the elves. It is so sad to see what has become of it.”

“Standing on top of the Tower of Peace was like standing atop a tall mountain,” added Alex. “Those rusted metal rails used to take a wagon that would hold twenty people up to the top. It was a marvel of design and a testament to the ingenuity of the elves.”

“Where are all of the elves now?” asked Tanya. “Did they all perish in the Collapse?”

“I do not think so,” answered Jenneva. “They may have decided that their destroyed city was no longer located in a peaceful place. In their Universe, they were known and respected. Who knows how they were accepted in this one?”

“They were not fighters,” commented Alex. “They believed that all problems could be solved peacefully. That sounds idyllic in this world, but it worked in theirs.”

“It is a nice thought,” frowned Arik. “I wonder if we can ever achieve that here.”

“Perhaps you are wise enough to ensure it, Prince Arik,” smiled Alex. “Let’s take a meal break here. We are not far from Dorgun now. You can explore if you want. We meet back here in half an hour.”

Arik and Wylan headed straight for the Tower of Peace. They entered through a crack in the tower and started exploring. Tanya climbed up the outside of the prone tower, while Prince Midge flew before her. Alex and Jenneva walked towards the palace lost in the memories of a once splendid city that had been so full of life.

Alex stopped to examine the base of the Tower of Peace, but Jenneva kept walking. When he turned to find her, he saw her standing before the remains a small cottage. He knew why she had gone there and decided to leave her alone.

Alex entered the remains of the palace. The walls were stripped bare of the paintings and artwork he remembered. The library archives were also empty. He smiled and nodded with the thought that the Sorelderal elves had probably migrated peacefully. Still sad about the destruction of the city, Alex left the palace. He gazed towards the cottage and saw Tanya heading for Jenneva. He quickly moved to head off any altercation that might occur.

“What are you staring at?” asked Tanya as she arrived at Jenneva’s side.

“Just a cottage,” sobbed Jenneva.

“Then why are you so sad?” pressed Tanya.

“I was staying here when I found out that I was pregnant,” sniffed Jenneva. “It brings back strong memories.”

“I am so sorry,” Tanya said softly as she put her arm across Jenneva’s shoulder. “Not only for your loss, but for the way I judged you without understanding what it must be like. I hope you can forgive me. I guess there are still lessons of life that I need to learn.”

“I understand,” sobbed Jenneva. “Even though you push too far at times, I know it is because you do not understand. If we ever do find our daughter, I hope she is just like you.”

“That is the nicest thing that anyone has ever said to me,” sniffled Tanya. “Especially after the way I treated you and Alex. I know he would like to kill me at times.”

“You know no such thing,” Alex said softly as he put his arms around both of the women. “I happen to agree with Jenneva. I could not ask for more in a daughter than the qualities you have, Tanya. In fact, you have become much like a daughter to me already.”

Tanya turned and hugged Alex. She wiped her tears away and then hugged Jenneva.

“I think I should run along and let you two be alone,” Tanya said softly. “I will just leave you with my feelings. No matter how terrible I have been in the past, I have always admired your skills. Since I began traveling with you, I have learned to admire you as people. There were some things, which I did not understand, that I do now. I am glad you straightened me out on those. As for being your daughter, I would be proud to have you as my parents, even if it is just until we find your real daughter. And trust me, we will. I am willing to devote my life to helping you find her after we take care of Sarac.”

Jenneva and Alex were speechless as Tanya skipped away.

“That was most unexpected,” Jenneva smiled through her tears.

Alex wrapped his arms around Jenneva and kissed her.

“And what was that for?” laughed Jenneva.

“Just for being you,” grinned Alex. “I just have to remind you once in a while that I still love you.”

“What did you do to them?” quipped Arik as he saw Tanya coming.

“What do you mean?” retorted Tanya as she turned around and looked back towards the cottage. “Oh that,” she grinned. “I had nothing to do with it.”

“I guess we might be here a little longer yet,” remarked Wylan. “Think we should use this meal break to actually eat?”

“A good idea,” laughed Arik as he rummaged through his pack.

“I think Alex and Jenneva must have fond memories of this city,” commented Wylan.

“A city of peace is what they deserve after what they have been through,” frowned Tanya.

“Peace is not something that is readily available today,” chirped Prince Midge as he soared downward and landed on Arik’s shoulder. “That is why we follow the Bringer. He shall bring peace to the world.”

“You two should eat,” remarked Arik as he watched Alex and Jenneva coming towards them holding hands. “Alex and Jenneva are returning.”

Wylan and Tanya dug into their packs and ate quickly. Alex and Jenneva arrived before they were done.

“The Sword of Heavens is almost uncontrollable,” declared Arik as he held the ancient sword tightly while waiting for his friends to finish eating.

“That is because it is only a short distance from here to Dorgun,” announced Alex. “I suspect that is where the ruby is. I do not know what their reaction to us will be. I will lead, as they have at least seen me before.”

The Rangers mounted and rode northward. They continued to ride through the devastated remains of the elven city until the trail started to rise into the Southern Mountains. Alex looked up and saw the Darkness hanging over the mountain range. The Rangers had come to the end of the clearing created by the addition of the Diamond of Edona.

Alex heard the noises of the dwarves before he saw them. On each side of them an occasional rustle of the bushes gave the dwarves away. He casually made a hand signal to the rest of the Rangers to alert them that they were being watched. As they approached the area where the entrance to the mine was, Alex halted the Rangers.

“We come to speak with King Tring if he still lives,” Alex announced loudly. There was no answer.

“I am Alexander Tork,” Alex tried again. “I had the pleasure of meeting King Tring and Queen Trana before the Collapse. We come in peace. We will move forward towards the entrance to the mine.”

Alex led the Rangers forward. The trail turned sharply, and Alex halted the Rangers at the entrance to the Dorgun Mine. Dwarves were present at the entrance and were also posted higher up the mountainside. They were all heavily armed.

“You take a chance announcing your intentions so loudly,” one dwarf said gruffly. “Have you no nose for goblins?”

“Apparently not,” frowned Alex. “I detected men on each side of the trail as we came up the mountainside, but I assumed that they were dwarves.”

“Of course they were,” scowled the dwarf. “You would not have gotten this far if they were goblins. Word has been sent on ahead. We will be informed shortly if you will be admitted into the mine.”

“Thank you,” nodded Alex. “What happened to the elves of Sorelderal? Was it the goblins that forced them to move?”

“Your questions are best answered by the royalty,” replied the dwarf. “Until then, we shall wait quietly so we can listen for goblins.”

Alex nodded. A few minutes later a dwarf runner appeared out of the tunnel.

“Does Alexander Tork vouch for each person in his party?” asked the runner.

Alex nodded and the runner signaled for the Rangers to follow him. The Rangers dismounted and led their mounts into the tunnel. As Alex’s eyes adjusted to the darkness of the dimly lit tunnel, he saw dozens of battle-ready dwarves lining the sides of the tunnel. The silence in the tunnel was thick and foreboding. It was not until they were deep within the mountain that Alex heard the working dwarves singing. It brightened his spirits somewhat.

The runner led the Rangers into the circular chamber that the vision of the Sword of Heavens had shown. It was the chamber of King Tring that Alex and Jenneva had visited in the Aquina Universe. Alex instructed the Rangers to sit on the stone benches, while the unicorns stood in the aisle with the horses. Prince Midge popped out of Arik’s pocket and perched on his shoulder. Within minutes, King Tring and Queen Trana arrived. Their faces betrayed a dour mood.

“How ironic that you two survived the Collapse,” King Tring stated as he took his place upon one of the thrones. “What have you come here for?”

“I sense hostility,” remarked Alex. “What have we done to upset the dwarves of Dorgun?”

“You sense hostility, do you?” retorted King Tring. “And what did you expect to receive by coming back here after the damage you did to the world?”

“Damage to the world?” echoed Jenneva. “If you are referring to the Collapse, you are mistaken to lay that at our feet. We are working to reverse the damage. Surely you do not think we created this problem.”

“It was you and your party who liked to skip through Junctions as if you were out for a lark,” accused King Tring. “You were warned of the dangers of Alutar before you left Sorelderal. And now you have the nerve to return here after you have destroyed the peace and tranquility that took generations to build. Why should I let you out of Dorgun alive?”

“You are mistaken,” asserted Jenneva. “Alutar was not released by our travel. Sarac released him before we ever left Sorelderal. The Mage bade us to return to our own Universe and imprison Sarac. He also ordered us to secure the Sword of Heavens, which will ultimately lead to Sarac’s death.”

“Surely you must have heard of this from King Solva?” questioned Alex. “We spoke with him before we left Sorelderal.”

“King Solva died shortly after the Collapse,” scowled King Tring. “He was murdered in one of the goblin raids. The elves of Sorelderal were not warriors. They had little knowledge of fighting and no concept of defense.”

“Is this true?” asked Queen Trana as she placed a calming hand on the king’s arm. “Did King Solva really know of Alutar’s escape before you left Sorelderal?”

“I spoke to him personally,” nodded Alex. “The Mage spoke to Jenneva and I about the Ancient Prophecy. He told us that Alutar had already escaped. He also told us of our role in fulfilling the prophecy. I went to discuss our leaving with King Solva immediately after the Mage left. The king already knew. The Mage had been to see him as well.”

Queen Trana made a hand motion, and a dwarf runner ran over to her. She whispered into his ear and he departed quickly.

“Assuming this is true,” continued Queen Trana, “what has brought you to Dorgun at this time?”

“Are you aware of the Ancient Prophecy?” asked Jenneva.

“Vaguely,” nodded the Queen. “I know that the Dark One can only be killed by a special sword wielded by his descendant. I am afraid that is the extent of my knowledge.”

“There is more to it than that,” replied Jenneva. “The special sword that you speak of is the Sword of Heavens. You are accurate on how it is to be used, but it must be made whole again before it can be used to kill the Dark One. There is another requirement as well. The true King of Alcea must assume his throne before the Dark One can be killed, even by the Sword of Heavens.”