Emerald of the Elves (14 page)

“We are very close to the Emerald of the Elves,” declared Arik as he held the Sword of Heavens

“It must be in Elderal,” concluded Alex as Prince Midge soared down and landed on Arik’s shoulder with an acrobatic flare.

“It is Azmet’s army,” reported Prince Midge.

“They must be heading towards Mya,” reasoned Tanya. “Do you think the Army of the West will be in time to help defend Mya?”

“It does not appear that they will be,” frowned Alex. “Let’s hope they are ready in time to help Tagaret. Let’s go visit the elves.”

The Rangers rode down the hill, and Alex halted the group on the trail that they had seen from the top. He had expected to be greeted by elves patrolling the trail, but nobody was visible. He shrugged and led the Rangers into the Land of the Elves. They rode deeper into Elderal for several hours, with Arik checking the Sword of Heavens periodically.

“We passed it somehow,” Arik remarked as he turned around while holding the Sword of Heavens before him. “I did not see anything at all. Could it just be resting on the ground somewhere?”

“Highly unlikely,” Jenneva shook her head. “We will just follow the Sword of Heavens. It will find the emerald.”

“There may be a problem with that plan,” Alex warned softly. “I thought we were being tracked before. Now I am sure of it. They may have thought that we were just passing through, but if we turn around, we must expect a confrontation.”

“But we don’t have any choice,” reasoned Arik. “We must follow the Sword of Heavens. It is the only way to find the emerald.”

“I smell elves,” remarked Prince Darok as his nose expanded as he inhaled. “Lots of elves.”

“They are all around us,” nodded Tanya..

“I suppose you are lost again,” commented a female elf as she stepped out from behind a tree. “Last time you claimed to be just passing through. This time you appear to have lost the trail. By several hours if I am not mistaken.”

The Rangers were confused, but Alex knew that he had met the woman before. Slowly the memory came back to him.

“You were one of the trackers long ago when I was escorting the Children to Cordonia,” remarked Alex. “You gave us rabbits to eat.”

“Garong gave you the rabbits,” scowled the elf. “I told him after you left that we would see you again. I am not surprised.”

The elf whistled and dozens of elves made themselves known as they stepped out of their hiding places. They surrounded the Rangers with their bows drawn and arrows nocked.

Alex looked around at the dozens of elves ringing the Rangers. With their bows drawn and their arrows nocked, Alex knew that the Rangers were in a potentially devastating predicament.

“We have not come here to cause harm,” offered Alex as he made sure to keep his hands in a non-threatening position. “Please send a message to King Galever. Tell him that Alexander Tork wishes an audience.”

“Ah,” the female elf smiled thinly, “I do remember your cryptic departing remark when last we met. It is a pity that you did not stick around long enough to learn that King Galever died years ago. Your attempt at playing us for fools was not as clever as you had thought.”

Alex turned at the sound of someone approaching. He recognized the male elf that he had spoken to on the way to secure the Sapphire of the Fairies.

“What are you about, Rhula?” the new arrival asked. “Have our people lower their bows.”

“Why, Garong?” retorted Rhula. “I told you we had not seen the last of the intruders. This time they are several hours off the trail that separates us from Klandon. Do you still think they are just passing through?”

“I do not know the reason for their presence here,” admitted Garong. “Perhaps we should ask them, but I do not think we need to threaten them at the same time. Surely, they cannot outrun our arrows.”

“Your optimistic ways will be the death of the elves,” argued Rhula. “There are no friendly humans.”

“That is not the way the elves of Sorelderal feel,” offered Jenneva. “Perhaps that is why they sought peaceful refuge far from Elderal.”

“It was not the Elderal they fled from,” spat Rhula. “Speak not of things you have no knowledge of.”

“No,” countered Jenneva, “it was the constant warfare between the Elderal and the Dielderal that made them leave.”

“How do you know this?” questioned Garong. “Is that what the Sorelderal told you?”

“It is what King Galever told us before the Collapse,” answered Alex. “You have my condolences for his death. He was a fine man.”

“Humans did not exist in Elderal before the Collapse,” retorted Rhula. “Why continue on with these lies?”

“We did not dwell in Elderal before the Collapse,” corrected Jenneva. “We merely visited. Why are you so hostile towards us?”

“Because you are human,” spat Rhula.

“And because it was humans who killed King Galever,” added Garong. “Explain how you know about King Galever and our ways.”

“Before the Collapse,” Jenneva began, “we discovered that all of the Universes were connected by Junctions. We set about to travel to the Universe called Aquina. Our party included a prince of elves and a prince of dwarves. Those two races were enemies of one another in our own Universe. We had hoped that the trip would prove certain theories dispelling the need for such animosity. It was during that trip that we visited the city of Elderal on the mouth of the river. We spoke to King Galever there and he explained the divisions of the elves.”

“What did you ride into the city?” questioned Garong.

“Unicorns,” replied Jenneva as she told Yorra to show her horn.

The elves gasped when Yorra’s horn appeared. Kaz, Frea, and Chaco also allowed their horns to appear.

“I was but a child at that time,” Garong smiled. “It was the white one that I had the chance to ride. Her name was Yorra.”

It still is Yorra, child of the elves.

“Lower your bows,” Garong demanded of his fellow elves. “These humans speak the truth.”

“That still does not give them the right to trespass upon our lands,” Rhula stated defiantly.

“No, it doesn’t,” agreed Garong as all of the elves lowered their bows except Rhula. “What is the purpose of your travels this time?” he asked Alex.

“The Sword of Heavens defines our path,” Alex said cautiously. “It gives us direction and dictates where we must go. It has brought us here.”

“A magical sword?” questioned Garong. “And why would this sword lead you to our homeland?”

“To find the Emerald of the Elves,” Arik declared.

“That was the wrong answer,” frowned Garong as the elven archers raised their bows once again. “You have just sealed your death with that remark. The Emerald of the Elves is protected by all of us. Your eyes shall never see it.”

“I told you that they were trouble,” scowled Rhula with a feeling of vindication. “Perhaps you will pay more attention to my thoughts in the future.”

“Your council knows about the Sword of Heavens,” declared Arik. “Queen Lyander is expecting us to show up seeking the Emerald of the Elves. She is wrong, however, that we seek to gain it through battle. We have not come to fight the elves. We have come to remove this Darkness,” he stated as he pointed up towards the sky.

“How do you know all of this?” questioned Garong.

“The Sword of Heavens has shown us a vision of the Emerald of the Elves,” answered Arik. “It was in a wondrous glade where Queen Lyander stood in a gazebo. There was a spring-fed pond nearby and a waterfall in the distance. Queen Lyander led the council in reciting the Elven Prophecy.”

“You have heard the Elven Prophecy?” gasped Rhula. “That is not possible.”

Jenneva smiled and recited what she had heard.

  The Emerald green - the Emerald bright

  The elven people shall not die

  Saves us all from eternal night

  Beneath the Dark One’s inky sky

“That was all we heard before the vision ended,” explained Jenneva.

Garong and Rhula exchanged quizzical looks.

“Inform the queen,” ordered Garong. “Ask for instructions on how to deal with these humans.”

“Wait,” uttered Tanya fearing what the response might be. “A question before she leaves.”

Rhula halted mid-step and looked curiously at the human female.

“Who is Valon?” asked Tanya. “Why does the council believe that he has not been born yet?”

“Valon is no business for humans,” scowled Rhula. “You should fear more about your future than you do about ours. I do not think you will be pleased with the ruling from Queen Lyander.”

“Nor will she be pleased if she inadvertently kills Valon before meeting him?” retorted Tanya. “If I am correct, Valon is not the elf that you are expecting. I think he is Valon,” she declared as she pointed to Arik.

“I shall enjoy watching you die,” Rhula spat at Tanya. “How dare you suppose to make a mockery of our prophecy?”

“Take off you tunic,” Tanya ordered Arik. “Do it now before we all die needlessly.”

Arik understood where Tanya was leading. He uttered no objection to her orders as he stripped off his tunic. The elves gasped at the image on his breastplate, but Arik peeled that off as well. As he felt tremors of fear coursing through his body, for once Arik was not embarrassed to show off the mark on his chest. Murmurs rippled through the assembled elves as Garong stepped cautiously forward. He ordered Arik to dismount and then ran his finger over the mark upon Arik’s chest.

“Inform Queen Lyander now,” ordered Garong. “Quickly.”

Rhula nodded as she dashed through the trees. Garong took a leather strap off his belt and bound Arik’s hands behind his back. He ordered the Rangers to dismount and proceeded to bind each one of them. Prince Darok grumbled when it was his turn to be tied, but the Rangers did not resist. Rhula returned shortly after the last of the Rangers were bound.

“Queen Lyander has ordered them brought before her,” reported Rhula. “The way is open so be quick about it.”

Garong nodded and instructed the Rangers to follow him in single file. Arik went first. Arik sensed nothing as he followed Garong, but he was amazed by the sharp demarcation in the forest. While the ground under foot was dry and starving for water, the forest floor before him was lush and green. He felt the sponginess of the green grass under his feet as he stepped across the line of demarcation. He thought it was akin to stepping from a stone floor onto a plush carpet. The birds in the new forest were also happier as they sang out songs of glee.

The roar of a distant waterfall filtered through the chirping, and Arik saw the scene in the vision unfold before him. He felt as if he were returning to a place that he had been before as he looked upon the gazebo and the beautiful woman standing in it. As he was led forward, Arik bowed awkwardly to the queen. She ignored the gesture and proceeded down the steps of the gazebo to stand before Arik. She ran her finger over the mark on Arik’s chest as the rest of the Rangers were lined up beside him. Hundreds of elves gathered around to hear what the queen would say. A surreal calmness invaded the hidden glade. Even the chirping birds seemed to realize that it was not a time for songs. The only sound was the distant plunge of the waterfall. Finally, Queen Lyander spoke in a soft lyrical voice. Her whispering voice needed no amplification to be heard by all.

  The Emerald green - the Emerald bright

  The elven people shall not die

  Saves us all from eternal night

  Beneath the Dark One’s inky sky

  Valon bears a dragon’s wings

  And snake emblazoned on his chest

  He brings to us the Book of Things

  Discovered on his sacred quest

“Have you brought the Book of Things, Valon?” she asked of Arik.

“I do not know of such a tome,” Arik shook his head. “Tell me where it can be found, and I will retrieve it for you.”

“Without the Book of Things,” the queen shook her head, “one can only assume that you are the prophesized Valon. Maybe you are, and maybe you aren’t. Your actions will determine the truth of the matter.”

“Do you have histories that we might peruse for clues as to where this book might be?” asked Jenneva.

Queen Lyander turned and stared at Jenneva. It was as if she had just noticed that there were others standing before her besides Arik.

“Untie them,” ordered the queen. “We offer you our hospitality for the short duration of your stay with us,” she said to Arik. “I fully expect your people to obey our laws. If not, they shall be punished according to our rules. Have I a pledge from you vouching for their behavior?”

“We will do nothing to betray your hospitality,” agreed Arik. “Should any of my party knowingly violate your laws, I will stand in their place for whatever punishment you deem necessary.”

“Well spoken,” nodded the elven queen. “As for our histories,” she said to Jenneva, “the ancient histories would reside in Sorelderal. Do not bother to search them. My people have already done so. There is no mention of the Book of Things that would lead you to it.”

“Rumors?” questioned Jenneva. “Songs? Children’s stories? Anything that might give us a clue as to where to search for this book?”

“Nothing,” declared the queen. “The finest minds of Elderal have already tried what you propose to do. If there was any hint of where the Book of Things is hidden, my people would have already found it.”

“That is not very encouraging,” sighed Alex.

“It would hardly be a sacred quest if you had directions to the Book of Things,” smiled Queen Lyander. “You are welcome to rest here tonight before you begin your journey onward. You must notify me before you plan to leave, however.”

Queen Lyander turned and strode up the steps of the gazebo. Most of the assembled elves drifted off into the forest surrounding the glade. Garong stayed behind, and he walked up to Arik.

“There is a nice grassy spot on the other side of the pond,” suggested Garong. “Perhaps you would care to refresh yourselves there while I arrange for a basket of food.”

“That is kind of you,” nodded Arik. “What of my clothing and our mounts?”