The Raiden
Author: Shelley Cass
Date: 2019-03-09 22:00:00+00:00

Table of Contents

Title Page

Map

Locations and pronunciation guide

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty One

Chapter Twenty Two

Chapter Twenty Three

Chapter Twenty Four

Chapter Twenty Five

Chapter Twenty Six

Chapter Twenty Seven

Chapter Twenty Eight

Chapter Twenty Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty One

Chapter Thirty Two

Chapter Thirty Three

Chapter Thirty Four

Chapter Thirty Five

Chapter Thirty Six

Chapter Thirty Seven

Chapter Thirty Eight

Chapter Thirty Nine

Chapter Forty

Chapter Forty One

Chapter Forty Two

Chapter Forty Three

Chapter Forty Four

Chapter Forty Five

Chapter Forty Six

Chapter Forty Seven

Chapter Forty Eight

Chapter Forty Nine

Chapter Fifty

Chapter Fifty One

Chapter Fifty Two

Chapter Fifty Three

Chapter Fifty Four

Chapter Fifty Five

Chapter Fifty Six

Chapter Fifty Seven

Chapter Fifty Eight

Chapter Fifty Nine

Chapter Sixty

Chapter Sixty One

Chapter Sixty Two

Chapter Sixty Three

Chapter Sixty Four

Chapter Sixty Five

Chapter Sixty Six

Chapter Sixty Seven

Chapter Sixty Eight

Chapter Sixty Nine

Chapter Seventy

Chapter Seventy One

Chapter Seventy Two

Chapter Seventy Three

Chapter Seventy Four

Chapter Seventy Five

Chapter Seventy Six

Chapter Seventy Seven

Chapter Seventy Eight

Chapter Seventy Nine

Chapter Eighty

Chapter Eighty One

Chapter Eighty Two

Chapter Eighty Three

Chapter Eighty Four

Chapter Eighty Five

Chapter Eighty Six

Chapter Eighty Seven

Chapter Eighty Eight

Chapter Eighty Nine

Chapter Ninety

Other books available

Acknowledgements

About the author

The Raiden

Book Two – sequel to

‘The Last Larnaeradee’

To those who make me smile – you are the best magic.

Thank you.

Shelley Cass

Copyright © 2019 Shelley Cass

All rights reserved.

Locations and pronunciation guide:

Sylthanryn: (Sil-than-rin). The Great Forest. Where the Lady, or the Mother of Nature, and the Elves and Nymphs live.

Awyalkna: (A for apple-why-elk-nah). A mortal Kingdom under the reign of King Glaidin (G-laid-in) and Queen Aglaia (Ag-lay-ah). The Awyalknian Palace is also known as the ‘Awyalknian Jewel’, and is protected by the internal Gwentorock (G-when-toe-rock) and external Gwynrock (G-win-rock) walls. The lands beyond the City are green and flourishing, with many self-contained villages.

Bwintam (B-win-tam) village was a key provider of Awyalkna’s fresh produce, before it was razed by Krall. Gangroah (Gang-row-ah) and Giltrup (Guilt-rup) are examples of smaller villages, while Wanru (W-an-roo, an isolated, hilly place) and Wrilapek (W-rill-ah-peck, a horse rearing place) are larger and more greatly populated.

Krall: (Crawl). A mortal Kingdom ruled by the immortal Sorcerer Darziates (D-are-zee-eights), who is the heir of the first Sorcerer to have lived; Deimos (Day-moss). Darziates is assisted by the psychotic Warlord Angra Mainyu (An-gra Main-you) and the Witch Agrona (Ag-groan-ah), and is responsible for the genocide of all of the Larnaeradee Fairies (La-nair-ah-dee), the Unicorns and Sprites.

Nature dies around Darziates’ unnatural power, so he forces his magic into Krall’s earth so that a type of growth and food is produced for his people. However this has corrupted Krall’s seasons, which involve intense heat or extreme cold. Sorcery has reduced the land to barren plains of wastelands and desert.

Jenra: (Jen-rah). A Kingdom circled by, and built into the mountains by the sea. The mountain Kingdom is isolated from the rest of the world, and was once known as Karanoyar (Karen-oi-ah), the original home of the Unicorns. It has lush valleys, but the peaks of the mountains are infested with Griffin eyries, and King Durna’s (Der-nah) brother – Warlord Aeron (Air-on) must work tirelessly to contain the infestation.

Lixrax: (Lix-r-axe). A desert nation, with people who have been tempered by the harsh environment. They are skilled survivors, but are a united family because of their surrounds. Their Emperor, Razek (Rah-zeck) regards all of the tribes and Takal residents of Lixrax as his children.

The Other Realm: a separate plain of malicious spirit beings. When King Deimos wanted to unite the world under one kingship, he used a piece of his soul to bargain with the demons of the Other Realm, who gave him powers to help him in his Quest.

He became so powerful that the Larnaeradee Sylranaeryn (Sil-ran-air-in) and her Unicorn Kinrilowyn (Kin-ril-owen) had to deplete their combined magic to defeat him as he faced the Army for the World.

Though he was overthrown by the first Army for the World, he made the first of the experimental Evexus beasts. The Evexus (E-vex-us) are bestial creatures possessed by the spirits of the Other Realm.

Margate Isle: home of the Giants.

Eirian Isle: home of the Dargons (D-are-gone-s) and the Dwarves and Gnomes. A cliffy place of soaring heights and deep, tunneling caves, perfect for creatures of flight as well as rock loving peoples.

Chapter One

“Stop watching me like that Aggy. I can’t stand it.” Agrona’s mother had been brushing her black flowing locks of hair out. Her eyes had been cold as they flitted to the reflection of her motionless daughter – who was lurking at the door, and then back to her own reflection in the lavish dresser mirror.

While her beauty had saved the woman from ruin, the illegitimate child had still become her principal regret in life. Agrona’s real father had been a stranger who had left the cursed place. But that had been a boon, for while he’d been charismatic at first, he’d had strange powers and Agrona had been an unwanted result of the brief relationship before a more normal, advantageous union had saved Agrona’s mother from destitution.

“Your eyes are so dull. You make my skin creep.”

Steel vines had been wrought to frame the mirror. So detailed, that the thorns truly had been dangerous to touch. And the room had looked gloomy – filled only with the stormy light of Krall’s cold season, filtering in through the window.

But the woman, hardly a motherly figure, had held all of her daughter’s attention.

An emerald dress had clung to the noble woman’s slender body, tightly hugging her waist and bosom and sweeping richly to the floor. Emerald earrings and a plunging, glittering necklace had decorated her white throat and had made her severe face even more beautiful as she’d turned at last from the mirror with a sneer.

“Get out!” she’d snarled to get the impassive child moving, glaring until Agrona sullenly stepped back through the bedroom door.

Then the woman had dismissed the wraith from mind, returning her attention to the mirror, dabbing perfume onto her pale wrists and throat.

Stung, and with a dark expression, Agrona had stayed at the door and scrunched her hand into a fist, staring intensely until the little glass perfume vial had shattered in her mother’s hand.

Her mother had whirled in fury. “I despise you!” she’d hissed, and red circles had formed on her cheeks. “Disgusting Witch.”

And Agrona had run through the cold, grey manor, her tears running hot with resentment.

Agrona had herself been a beautiful child. Long, midnight plaits down her back and flawless skin. Deep, dark eyes, almost black.

Her own dress on that day had been grey and starched, but she’d still been uncannily attractive.

There had always been something different about her. Something that others had unconsciously shied away from in fear, even though she was the daughter of a wealthy Lady who had married a Lord.

In the scorching heat of their town in Krall, Agrona had never appeared affected. Her skin had never flushed or changed from an almost lifeless pale shade. Similarly, in the icy cold season, she had never shown as much as a shiver. And she would never laugh, only smiling faintly at unpleasant things that inexplicably seemed to happen to people who were around her.

Even after fleeing the mother who’d despised her, as Agrona had sat by herself with silent tears on the cold, stone step of the manor, a group of muddy, laughing urchins across the street had become silent and had taken flight at the sight of her.

Agrona had watched them scatter, and wiped stonily at the tears that had left droplet marks on her stiff pinafore. Then she’d scrunched her fist again, frowning at the slowest small child who was hurrying down a laneway to escape her presence.

She’d let a little energy go then – and the raggedy child had gone flying, squealing as he’d hit a stone wall.

“Why are you crying?” a calm voice had suddenly poured over her like smooth silk.

And Agrona had stared at the man who seemed to have appeared on the steps beside her out of thin air. She had never seen him before.

He had been young, and yet seemed more self-assured than most gentlemen twice his age. His hair had seemed so light as to almost be colourless. His own skin was as pale as hers. Like flawless porcelain. And his body was strong. The sinewy muscles and his unnatural height and powerful shoulders had made him look as immovably hard as granite.

In the distance, the raggedy boy had started to sit up and was sobbing feebly, but Agrona had forgotten her victim.

“I am not loved,” Agrona had answered, at once coveting this beautiful man. “I am feared, because I am different.”

“I see,” the young man had answered. “Have you considered that being different gives you power? Perhaps these weaklings do not deserve to love one such as you.”

She had tossed her plaits back over her shoulders. “I hate them. They can’t understand or do what I can.”

“Then why do they upset you?”

“I live here. There is nobody else like me, and I won’t be accepted anywhere else,” Agrona’s face had darkened. “I am trapped.”

She’d looked threateningly at the little boy, staggering to his feet and clutching his head as he cried.

“Agrona,” the man’s voice had been like liquid gold as it had rolled over her. “I am like you.”

He’d known her name without being told, and when she’d fixed her dark eyes on his face, he had not shied away from her like the others.

“How are you like me?” she’d questioned in a near whisper.

He’d turned from her and she’d followed his gaze, and then the little boy in the distance had shrieked as he was suddenly swept up by some invisible force, and thrown into the wall again. The crack of bones had echoed back to them and the child’s body had stayed unmoving in the mud.

“What makes us different from other people?” Agrona had asked the man then, her voice coloured with curiosity.

“We can feel the Other Realm,” he’d responded easily. “We can manipulate its energy to use it in this realm. One day you will be so strong that your mind will help you control things like your hands can. You won’t need gestures. And the rest of the world will bow to us.”

Her dark eyes had become livelier than they had ever been. “My mother will respect me then.”

“You do not need this place, or these people,” he’d answered. “You can come with me, and I will teach you.”

“They would not let me go …” Agrona had frowned, for the first time uncertain.

“They would not be able to stop you. And, they hate you.”

At those words the hurt had played across her normally controlled face. “My mother could not let her only child go.”

He had placed his hand upon her bony shoulder and she’d looked at him with awe, feeling as if she had been touched by a God.

“Your mother would have a new child one day. One that behaves like the rest of these waifs. A legitimate child to be her true heir. To her, you are ugly and diseased. As strange and fearsome as the man who fathered you.”

His words had tipped Agrona over the edge. She had long suspected it all herself.

“Will you help me leave here and be strong like you?” she’d asked him hopefully.

His eyes had been like grey steel and his grip had continued to hold her, but she had been held fast by something more. Agrona had been entranced by his power.

“You can come with me. But to be strong, you must give up any weak mortal qualms. Give in to your own impulses. Punish those who have made you miserable. You can’t run away from them in cowardice. They would only hunt us.”

“What should I do?” Agrona had questioned hesitantly.

“Use your power. Feel the dark of the Other Realm, and show them how angry you are. Show me how powerful you can be. Make me impressed.”

“Will you come with me?”

She’d stood resolutely, gazing up at him.

“Of course,” he had taken her hand.

And then Agrona had led the way inside and they had found her mother, now sitting at the long stone dining table with her stepfather.

First her mother’s glittering eyes had appraised Agrona, before sweeping up to look at him.

Her mother had suddenly risen, and her chair had fallen backwards to the floor as she’d registered the enchanting man.

“You!” shock had coloured Agrona’s mother’s face and Agrona’s stepfather had hurried to his wife’s side.

“What are you –”

“Hush,” Agrona’s new and only ally had cut her snarling mother off, and at once the shocked Lord and Lady had been pushed back to the stone wall. Their shoes had scraped audibly across the floor, but they had held their throats silently, their speech cut off.

Agrona had been confused for a moment. Her mother had known this man?

“Agrona, it is time.” His touch at her elbow had cleared her mind.

Raising her fist, Agrona had pictured her mother and her stepfather drinking something poisonous. She had imagined how the poisonous liquid would flow into their organs and blood. It would fill them. Burn their insides. Kill them.

As she’d thought about it, her negligent family had been gripped in horror. They had started to choke and splutter. The poison Agrona had imagined had begun forming inside them. She had created it. She was controlling it.

“Good Agrona.” His voice had been the only supportive one she had ever heard.

A servant had entered the room with a platter, walking in obliviously. But as the servant had let out the start of a scream, with a glance from the strange blonde man the maid’s neck had snapped sideways. Her head had lolled unnaturally and she’d fallen to the floor.

Agrona had felt him do it, as if he had thrown an invisible fist out, but the only physical move he made was when he’d touched her elbow again.

“Don’t be distracted,” he’d encouraged Agrona. “Show us all what you can do. Concentrate harder.”

Agrona had watched as her mother’s beautiful, cruel face had turned black and as her stepfather had begun foaming at the mouth.

Agrona had felt that, inside her two gurgling victims, something like acidic red smoke was hollowing out their organs. And she’d known that it was magic. Her magic.

“Finish it, Agrona. They have hurt you and never appreciated your gifts. This is necessary.”

His voice had taken her over and she had realised she would forever follow its commands as, at last, her mother’s and her stepfather’s eyes had rolled back.

His power had released them, and their bodies had slumped downward.

“Well done Agrona,” he’d taken her hand again. “We might make effective partners.”

She’d smiled up at him.

The Witch of Krall had been only twelve when she’d met Darziates. But she’d already given him her heart completely, so that he could use it as he wished.

And he had used it as he’d wished, forcefully shaping her ever after. Chaining her to his every whim as she had grown more devoted, while he instead had grown to decide that Agrona was never going to be anything more than his greatest disappointment.

Chapter Two

Kiana

My eyes blinked open to a flood of sunlight that was spilling down to blanket me.

I held up a shaking hand to catch the falling golden rays upon my fingertips, but then looked at my bony hand and thin arm with momentary alarm.

My knuckles stood out, with the skin stretched over them. The nub of bone in my wrist was like a boulder, and my elbow was awkwardly knobbly. But I calmed, noticing that there was warmth upon my other hand, which was resting on crisp, white bed sheets.

I peered to my side to see that the warmth was from a long hand covering mine. And it was Dalin’s.

He was asleep, his head tilted to lean back against the white cushioned chair he’d sprawled in so that I could see the scar that ran across his ear and along his jaw line. The chair had been pushed close to the bed so that his hand could still hold mine, and the sun poured over him so that he looked like some kind of Awyalknian Prince.

Though I was aware of the strange room I was in, and remembered snatches of miraculous magical beings who had nursed me, my attention focused on Dalin, who I had always been aware of. How he had cared for me with every particle of his soul – holding strong the fragile thread of my own life. And I stirred as I noticed the shape of a bulky bandage through the pants material over his thigh.

“It’s alright,” he told me softly, sleepily – as he must have woken to croon to me when I’d moved so many times before. “Still here,” he said.

“I know,” I tested the wisps of voice that remained to me. “You were there every time,” I attested. “You were the greatest comfort, and I know all you’ve done for me.”

Slowly he blinked his green eyes and sat forward, more alert now. “You’re really awake this time,” he whispered as if he hardly dared to believe it, and his eyes searched my face in wonder.

“Kiana?” I heard Noal’s tentative voice, and I smiled as I saw him climbing the stairs into the strange room. Shock and joy covered his face as he quickly crossed to sit with me on the bed.

“Gods, it’s good to see you alive,” Noal breathed, and touched my free hand as if it were made of delicate porcelain. “There’s so much to tell you. We’ve been so worried,” he went on earnestly.

“I shall be fine,” I reassured him, already feeling tired again. “When one has had magical beings at their bedside – and has a guardian such as Dalin, there can’t be too much to fear.”

“You remember the Elves and Nymphs,” Dalin affirmed with relief.

“Is there more to remember?” I asked.

“We’ll tell you everything,” Dalin promised. “But not just yet. It’s not urgent.”

I should have pushed the matter with dogged conviction, but I was beginning to feel weighted down with weariness.

“Yes, the most important thing is food,” Noal reflected while I blinked heavy eyelids. “You’ve turned to skin and bone.”

“You’re right,” I nodded drowsily, conscious that my great loss of weight and strength would take time to regain. “I’ll need to get my strength back soon so we can move off again.”

“Move off?” Noal asked.

I frowned. “To resume the Quest.”

“We want you to recover,” Dalin said carefully. “No need to rush.”

“It wouldn’t be today,” I acknowledged, sinking further into the pillows.

“You look in need of rest again,” Dalin patted my hand, green eyes crinkled with concern. I also noticed that Noal seemed less upbeat than before.

“I could still best you in a contest,” I answered, but my eyes had closed before he could reply.

Chapter Three

Noal

“I’m out,” Dalin grimaced, watching as Kiana listlessly took another one of his coins over a game of runes.

We sprawled with her where she was propped up in bed, and though she’d had a few days of rest since waking, her vigour had not returned.

“Evening, my dashing males,” Asha zipped playfully up through the opening in the floor where the stairs began. “And my dear One.”

The little Nymph whizzed across to me and planted her rosebud lips on my cheek. Then she soared over to stand on Vidar’s head as he climbed his way into the room.

Kiana sat up with a little more energy as the insatiable vitality of Asha, combined with the electrical power that surrounded Vidar, seeped into the chamber.

Vidar patiently took hold of Asha’s tiny ankle and let her slide her way down his arm. Then she bounced joyously to the floor and walked, for once, to the bed again. She was tiny at ground level, and when she raised her arms I picked her up to sit her amongst our lost coins and rune pieces on the cover.

“How do you fare today, One?” Vidar asked Kiana as Asha climbed instead into my lap, her gleaming red eyes on the gold that littered the white sheets.

“I am quite improved,” Kiana told the massive Elf, even though the only thing that had improved was that she was awake and eating. “I’m sure Chloris and Frey will ease their frequent examinations of me sometime soon.”

“We did ask the Lady if we could get you out of here for a short spell,” Asha informed Kiana while stretching lethargically against my chest. “But she decreed that you needed more strength first.”

Red Nymph hair tickled my nostrils, but when I tried to wave it aside, it drifted back up into my face.

“However, we would like to invite the Raiden and Noal out to see the City tomorrow,” Vidar said diplomatically. “And to give them their own tree tower of honour.”

“After all, the City is abuzz with desperation to see these two mortals, but all Noal and the Raiden do is rot in here,” Asha added.

“I see,” Kiana nodded, but I detected nothing good in her expression.

“Agrudek was fun to play with at the start, but really, we haven’t been waiting for generations just to see him.”

“Generations?” Kiana asked.

“Do we get any say in this at all?” Dalin enquired, changing the topic. “It sounds like you’re asking Kiana’s permission to take us out.”

“You get no say.” Asha floated out of the chair she’d made of me and pinched Dalin’s cheeks. “See you on the morn!”

She somersaulted her way to the window, waving with little fingers before spiralling out into the night.

“Be well,” Vidar added, following Asha’s lead in bidding us goodnight as Kiana glared at us darkly.

“What’s the matter?” Dalin asked her as she shot us dagger-sharp looks.

“What’s the matter?” she repeated very quietly. “You get to explore an enchanted City. A City not seen by any mortal for centuries. While I can’t rise from bed without collapsing.”

Her voice was deceptively civil, but her eyes held some of their old power.

“Ah, self pity,” Dalin shook his head with mock disappointment.

One of her eyebrows shot up in a dangerous arc, and in a flash she had reached out and shoved Dalin off the bed with a single heave.

“OOF.” He landed with a surprised laugh and thump on the floor.

“And you,” she said threateningly to me as she held her bad shoulder, “are lucky you’re out of reach.”

“Amazingly lucky,” I agreed, feeling a fluttering of hope as she seemed restored somewhat to the Kiana I was used to.

“You know we will gladly stay locked up in here with you, if you wish it,” Dalin told her, gazing up genuinely from his position on the floor.

“I do not wish it. Off with the both of you,” she said with a flutter of her hand as Dalin deigned to pick himself up. “But perhaps after your adventurous day you can return to me, and then we can get back to thinking about the Quest.”

“Perhaps,” Dalin yawned luxuriously.

“See you soon.” I skirted around the bed in case she should make an attempt on my life, which made her smile a little.

“G’night,” she said dryly, beginning to count her winnings as we left.

Chapter Four

Dalin

“Wakey, wakey …” a high voice purred beside my ear, and I felt little fingers peeling one of my eyelids up. “Arise, Sir Raiden …”

I groaned as I blearily took in Asha’s face, just inches from mine, and I swatted lazily at the annoying Nymph. Her flaming hair tickled my skin before she soared in circles across Kiana’s sitting room to where Noal was flopped across a couch.

“What’satime?” Noal moaned as she stood on his chest.

“It is morning time, and moving time, a glorious time at that!” she declared, while Vidar came into view, having waited back more respectfully.

“Good morning friends. Today you shall see some of the wonders of our vast Forest City!” he told us warmly.

“So get up, get up, get up, get up!” Asha sang, again taking flight and doing a loop the loop around the room.

“Gods,” I grumbled, pulling on my shirt and belting on my sword.

“You can leave the shirt if you want,” Asha stopped to consider thoughtfully. “It’s warm out.”

“I’m all set,” I told her sardonically. “With a shirt on.”

“You’re all set?” Asha asked, not resuming her usually endless movements. “You’re not going to neaten up?”

I rolled my eyes and crossed to a dish of water by the window to splash my face and scrub roughly at my hair, finally shaking the drops off while Noal did the same.

“Better?”

Asha observed us critically, floating upside down to scrutinize our scrubbed faces.

“I could do your hair for you,” she suggested at last. “You’d look dashing with Nymph hair.”

“How do you get your hair like that?” Noal asked, interested.

“Ohh, with all of our momentum, our hair simply can’t stay flat,” she explained as she squinted at us, walking upside down a few paces in the air.

“I don’t think I’d have the energy to sustain it,” Noal reflected.

Then Asha clicked her tongue and snapped her fingers, flipping the right way up.

“New clothes! More Elfling ones will do!” she sing-songed, flitting out the window with empty hands one moment, and then zipping up through the stairway hole with garments in her hands the next.

“What’s wrong with these?” Noal asked, pulling at the plain garments he was wearing.

“These are more refined for a grand introduction, my silly dear,” she told him, tossing the silky materials in his face before dumping mine over my head. “The Forest dwellers will want you to live up to their dreams.” She watched us expectantly.

“We’ll wait outside,” Vidar told us pointedly, and he led Asha out by her dangling ankle as she pouted and tugged at a tuft of his white hair.

“Spoil sport,” her sulky little voice rose as they descended the steps.

“These remind me of home,” Noal remarked, examining the simple, yet splendid garments Asha had brought.

I stepped into the trousers, and pulled my arms into the long sleeved, shirt-like vest, marvelling at the silky cloth as I laced the front. The material was smooth and cool to touch, and was light blue in colour, but it shimmered silver like water as it was moved in the light.

When I turned to Noal, I was startled by sudden memories of our old life.

“I forgot you could look so Princely.”

“Why, thank you,” he answered dryly, following me down the winding stairs to the foot of the tree. “It has been a while since you looked anywhere near that yourself.”

We found Vidar and the impatient Asha waiting in the bottommost room, and Asha let out a trilling whistle of appreciation while Vidar herded us through the mighty tree’s doorway.

Yet our light-heartedness was subdued as we ventured further outside, and I was almost struck dumb as we followed Vidar, finding ourselves surrounded by the sensation of a dense, almost crackling atmosphere.

“Gods,” Noal breathed next to me, as if he was tasting a wine better than life itself.

Our eyes were wide as we at last had time to properly try to take in tree towers, vine bridges, the monstrous waterfall in the distance, rock pools, and veils of leaves and flowers – all drizzling like curtains along the cliff walls that protected the City.

And beyond that, our heads turned every which way as all about us magical beings roamed and flitted, the whole place echoing with voices and activity.

To our side there was a particularly raucous burst of laughter as a multi-coloured swarm of Nymphs blurred past.

“You know,” I mentioned to Noal uneasily. “I’m not sure if I can handle a whole group of Ashas all at once.”

Vidar laughed and nearly knocked me over with a friendly pat on my shoulder. “You get used to it.”

Asha smiled a wide smile and I noticed her little pearls of teeth were sharply pointed. “Don’t worry my love,” she purred. “We’re all quite nice when you get to know us.”

Then she gestured to the hordes of magical beings in the area, who had until then been hanging back to watch us curiously.

Instantaneously, we were swamped by crowds of Nymphs who chattered and hovered and hung us off like rainbow ornaments, and I couldn’t help but share in their good cheer.

“Do you have a wench promised to you?” a violet haired little Nymph asked in a baby voice, floating next to Noal and stroking his cheek.

Asha shot the Nymph a withering look and said: “not that one.”

As if Noal was Asha’s property, the violet haired Nymph scowled and fell back, and all of the other hungry looking lady Nymphs who had been eyeing Noal off stopped their flirtatious cooing begrudgingly, while the male Nymphs appeared decidedly relieved.

“Do you have a girl?” asked a bold, blue haired Nymph beside me, and as I gaped at her I noticed that each of the Nymphs had the same coloured eyes as their hair.

“That is the Raiden you are talking to,” Vidar chuckled.

“Perhaps I’m attracted to titles,” the Nymph stated, pressing fluttering lips to my cheek so that I felt as though I’d been kissed by a levitating infant.

We nodded to politely smiling Elves and ploughed through the admiration of each Nymph group that hailed us in greeting, and eventually the little creatures settled into more playful behaviour – shouting to draw our attention to different things and competing to make us laugh.

And when the sun was setting and the floating globes of light all over the City began to glow, Noal and I could not believe how quickly and gaily the day had passed.

We were shown to our own tree tower to share, and we wished Asha and Vidar a good night, reassuring the Elves and Nymphs who were still hanging about that we wouldn’t forget to call at all of their dwellings.

Then we at last explored our very own tower and tiredly found our own beds.

Chapter Five

Dalin

When I woke I dressed in the same outfit as the day before and ventured up to Noal’s room to find him sprawled out on his bed in an immovable condition.

“We said we would visit Kiana,” I told him. “Time to wake up.”

“You go,” he grunted sleepily before rolling over. “I’ll catch up.”

“You’ll be able to find your way to Kiana’s tower in this state?” I asked doubtfully.

“Mph,” he grunted, and waved his arm to shoo me away.

In contrast I felt increasingly invigorated as I stepped out into the early morning. The Forest City smelled fresh and glistened with dew as I guessed my way back to Kiana’s tree, nodding at the pleasant Elves and mischievous Nymphs already out and about.

I found that her door opened as I touched it, allowing me straight in, and I headed for the stairway.

“Kiana!” I called as I wound my way upward, but received no reply. “It’s Dalin!”

I finally poked my head up through the floor of the topmost room, frowning at the lack of response, but found that the room was empty.

“Kiana?” I asked uncertainly.

“There’s no need to warn me of your presence,” her voice carried from the outside balcony of tree foliage and intricately shaped, live branches. “Apparently the doors of these towers only open for the actual dweller, or when the dweller would approve of someone coming in.”

I started moving again from where I had paused. “Oh. Well, why not? If a Willow can talk, why not have a giant tree house decide whether or not a person should be welcome or not?”

Excitement had flooded me as I’d realised she was out of bed, and I crossed to find her leaning out on the branch wrought rails of the balcony, her back to me as she gazed out over the City below.

She was in a fresh, plain white shirt and loose trousers and her long hair was pinned back up against her head so that only wisps played about her neck and ears.

“I’m so glad to see you up,” I said enthusiastically when she seemed unwilling to talk anymore.

But the rush of relief began to fade when she still remained silent.

“Kiana, what’s wrong?” I asked.

She sighed finally, and as if she felt incredibly fragile, she began to slowly turn to face me.

She tightly clasped the branch rail as she moved, and I was painfully aware of how thin her frame had become and how drawn her face was.

I took an alarmed step toward her and then stopped when she looked away from me dejectedly.

“What happened?” I asked as my heart sank.

Hey gaze still wouldn’t meet mine. “I grew tired of being an invalid and decided to at least search my tower, if I couldn’t see the City.” She spoke bitterly to the floor. “I made it down into three rooms before I was depleted of all energy.” Then her eyes angrily flashed up to my face. “I lost consciousness trying to climb back up the steps and Frey and Chloris found me. They had to bring me back up to bed. I couldn’t do it for myself.”

At once fearful memories of the Lady’s warnings that Kiana may never regain her strength raced through my mind, but I pushed them aside.

I saw the hopelessness on Kiana’s face, mingling with hot, angry tears that burned in her eyes and I instinctively moved forward again, reaching to her with my arms outstretched.

She stiffened as though she would draw away, becoming her fierce and independent self again. But then the harsh tension in her face broke and the hot tears escaped to run down her cheeks, and it was Kiana who closed the small distance between us. She buried her face against me and my arms enfolded her.

“I don’t know what is wrong with me,” she whispered against my chest. “I can’t control this and it terrifies me.”

“Just let it all out,” I said softly, holding her shaking frame as the moments passed. “It’s alright.”

Finally her body grew still and her breathing became regular, and I heard her muffled voice from against my chest.

“Most people say ‘don’t cry’,” Kiana sighed. “And for some reason that’s not very comforting.”

I smiled, peering down at her. “My mother is a wise woman,” I explained. “She never used to tell me to stop making a fuss, no matter what troubled me.”

Kiana sagged against me slightly. “It’s just so frarshking hard to be unable to do anything by myself.”

I lifted her chin with a finger. “So what are you doing out here now?” I asked.

She shrugged and then leaned back to look me in the eye, roughly rubbing the tears from her cheeks.

“I couldn’t stand it,” she answered almost defiantly. “I forced myself out of bed and made myself make it out to the balcony. When you came up I was recovering.”

“So it’s not really that you can’t do anything by yourself,” I reasoned. “It’s that you haven’t been pacing your efforts.”

She rolled her eyes as I moved, but she let me steer her towards the bed.

“You can’t expect to regain your strength so quickly. You almost lost your life to Agrona’s poison, and would not have survived but for Frey and the Lady.”

“Yes,” she answered slowly. “But I’ve come to the edge of life in the past. I’ve suffered the effects of cuts from poisoned talons and have had raging fevers, yet I’ve never been left so completely helpless. It’s different this time.” The fear was being restrained from her voice.

“It is different this time,” I agreed. “This time the poison was dark magic, not venom or some worldly toxin.”

She ducked her head. “I’m afraid I won’t get better this time.”

“You will,” I responded, because I had resolved that nothing could ever hold Kiana back. “I’ll be here every step of the way. We need you.”

She gave one of her dry half smiles. “If I’ve got you to help me, I will be unstoppable. And we can resume the Quest as soon as possible.”

I gaped in exasperation. “You’ve missed the point.”

“I understand that I won’t recover immediately,” she placated me. “But I’ll make myself strong again. Day by day I’ll push myself further.”

“Slow sounds reasonable,” I agreed carefully.

“Yes,” she stated. “Just not so slow that we miss the war and end up under Darziates’ control. The Quest must go on whether I am strong enough or not.”

I sat beside her on the bed in resignation. “What’s your plan then?”

Kiana tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, thinking. “Today I got down into three rooms. Tomorrow you’ll help me get through the entire tower and then help me to make it back up.”

“Right,” I agreed. “And from there?”

“We’ll add exercises when I can start getting back up the stairs myself. And after that you’ll be taking me out to see the City,” she said in a way that invited no disagreement.

“Oh joy,” I slumped mournfully. Then I gave her a sharp look. “This will be a frustrating process. You’d best leave your knives up here in the closet.”

She grinned. “I’ll be awake the whole time, and as weak as a lamb. You have nothing to fear.”

I straightened her bed covering as I rose. “Lambs don’t get violent when they are angry and tired. They go to sleep and eat grass.”

Chapter Six

Noal

There were roars of appreciative laughter around the rock pool as Asha told dirty Nymph jokes in her high, soaring voice.

She wobbled where she stood on my stomach as I chuckled, laying on my back beside a waterfall where her friends were diving and splashing in the water.

“No wonder we used to love the mortal race. This one’s a good sport,” chortled one dripping Nymph, Flash, as he slapped the water surface with a small hand.

“We’re a lovable bunch,” I grinned from the grassy bank. “Very likeable.”

“Have you got any mortal gags?” Rebel, an orange haired male asked after resurfacing and floating above the water. “I can store them up to tell Chloris for a bit of a laugh.”

I shrugged unhelpfully. “I’ve got none as sickening as Nymph ones I’m afraid.”

“And it won’t be Chloris laughing at jokes like that,” Flash kicked around in the water.

“It’ll be me laughing at her face when she hears ‘em,” Rebel smirked sinisterly. “But she’s used to it. I do my best to keep her head away from the seriousness.”

“Is she having trouble with that?” rumbled a surprisingly deep voiced little Nymph called Ace, one of the Council members and the Nymph army commander.

I’d thought he was cute at first, but his stout little body, pointed teeth and reverberating voice overruled his enormous green eyes, baby feet and dimpled cheeks.

“With all the excitement of having these humans and the One to take care of, she and Silvanus have been kept lively,” Rebel admitted. Then he snickered. “But I’ll keep the jokes for a rainy day.”

“Frey has been quiet lately, with so much on his mind,” Shiva, with aqua coloured hair and eyes, commented from where he hung. He was upside down in the air, drying off.

“You’d best do something about that,” Flash gurgled from under the waterfall now, poking his head out from behind the falling water to speak. “You know how hard he goes under when the seriousness starts.”

“Sati can fix him,” Rebel stated confidently. “Frey has a soft spot for Sati.”

“So do I,” Shiva sighed dreamily.

“Is the seriousness still that bad?” I asked in surprise. “I thought the coming of the Nymphs, and the Elves taking on a warrior lifestyle ended that problem.”

“Well, we’ve got to do something, so we spend a lot of time making sure all our past hard work on the Elves isn’t wasted,” Asha explained good-naturedly. “It’s our duty to brighten up their sedate lives. But sometimes the seriousness can creep over them again.”

“Once Frey was missing for two days before we found him in the Forest,” Rebel gave an example. “He’d just gone out alone, sat down for a break and started thinking too much. Then he never got back up.”

“So he’d fallen asleep?” I asked.

“No,” Flash shook his head, standing on the water surface as he flapped above it. “He was just thinking. His eyes were open and he was breathing, but that was it.”

“Gods,” I said, amazed that someone could actually die of being too serious.

“We keep an eye on them just in case something like that happens,” Asha explained. “It was worse when the Nymphs first came to the Forest. We often heard of Elves perishing before old age, or being found half starved. Now it’s less common because our dutiful antics help them stay wakeful.”

“For instance, yesterday Flash and I went to see Chloris and Silvanus,” Rebel told me. “We put on an explosive fight for them, right on their kitchen floor.”

“And while Chloris swept around us and Silvanus stepped over us to keep cooking – they were terribly entertained,” Flash added knowingly.

“Irritated, entertained – it doesn’t matter,” Rebel grinned. “Better than a case of the seriousness.”

“Well this morning I helped enliven Vidar’s drills,” Asha told the other Nymphs. “I swiped his spear and had to rush through the City so that it wasn’t too easy for him to catch me.”

“Of all the Elves, Ailill loves it when I visit to help him out,” Flash reflected. “He acts like he really wants to be reading those books of his. And he acts like I’m this big nuisance. But he secretly enjoys me flapping around his healer head, pointing out what’s going to happen in the next paragraph.”

“Speaking of healers and health, how are the One and the Raiden?” Ace growled in his gravelly tones.

“Kiana and Dalin,” I corrected, “are better. Ailill took Dalin’s stitches out and Dalin’s helping Kiana to work toward getting slightly stronger every day. That’s why I’ve been spending my time out here with you lot.”

“Aren’t you invited to their training sessions?” Rebel teased.

I rolled onto my side to face the orange haired Nymph and Asha slid off my stomach with a squeal.

“Obviously with my sunny nature and fabulous humour I would be an asset,” I told the Nymph. “It’s more that I am wise enough to stay away.”

“Ah, yes, I made myself scarce after their first try, when Kiana made it all the way down to the last room in her tower, but couldn’t make it back up,” Asha cringed as she lounged against me again. “I couldn’t endure the daggers of her sullen, blood-curdling stare over the Raiden’s shoulder while he carried her up as I followed behind.”

“Dalin has always been brave hearted,” I agreed. “He endures her sharp barbs when she’s frustrated. He says the two of them have begun light exercises after they walk up and down the tower.”

“She’s definitely got spirit enough to regain her full strength,” Asha laughed as she rose upward now, doing a flip in the air and diving with a dainty little splash into the water. Flash swam over to where Asha had dived. “Every time I fly past, I hear the One cussing something awful at the Raiden,” he remarked, and he put his arms around Asha as she bobbed back up to the surface. “So she’s got the spirit and the swear words to get her through.”

Shiva, the quietest of the males, floated over the water serenely. “My little Sati is quite spirited too.”

Flash rolled his eyes and swam away with Asha in tow, kicking water at Shiva as he propelled. “Why don’t you just mate with her already? Its been a few hundred years.”

Shiva looked mortified.

“He wants Sati to be his life partner, not just to mate with her. They even want to have Nymphlings,” Asha explained patiently, patting Flash’s silver hair and giving him a kiss on the lips. He grinned, satisfied, and swam languidly away while she dived under like a playful fish.

“It’s good to hear of the One regaining strength,” Ace rumbled back to the previous topic. He was every inch a miniature military General, with his straight posture and tough stance while he meandered up and down the pool bank. “The Lady and Council will surely soon wish to talk to the Raiden, the One and yourself.”

I sat up uncomfortably. “About?”

“Your Quest and the prophecy of –”

Asha gave the General a stern stare so that he stopped and cleared his throat with a grunt.

“We’ve explained that we’re not the three you seek,” I told Ace. “And we truly are sorry for disappointing the two races who rescued us.”

Asha zipped from the water quickly to press her small, wet hand to my cheek. “You, my dear,” she purred, “could never be a disappointment.”

“But what if you were the Three?” Flash pushed. “Hypothetically.”

“The One – Kiana – does have a talent for speaking Aolen … the lost Larnaeradee language,” Rebel contributed helpfully. “What if you were all destined to meet and save the world? If every good or bad thing that ever happened in your lives was fate, pushing you on a path to get to here and now?”

It was too much to consider, and I felt nerves bubble up in my stomach.

“If that was the case, what would that mean for us?” I inquired. “Was this prophecy very prescriptive, to help us know how we are supposed to save everyone?”

“Well, if it’s your destiny, you’ll probably just do the right things without realising,” Shiva speculated, tapping a teeny finger against his chin as he mused.

“And seeing as we are most likely not anything beyond three unlucky, hopeful travellers on a Quest, what will we talk about at the Lady’s Council?” I asked dryly.

“The weather,” Rebel supplied with a chortle, and I felt myself relax again.

“Oh good,” I remarked airily. “I do love a good chat about the climate.”

“Sure you do, and out of everyone, the Lady would give you the most informed answers,” Asha piped up easily, toddling back into the water and splashing droplets at me with a little hand. “But before you use the chance of a lifetime to speak with the oldest Lady in the world about that, why don’t you join me for a paddle?” she smiled coyly, her little pointed teeth giving her a sinister look.

“Madam,” I scoffed haughtily, “I am the master of paddling.”

Flash choked on a snort of laughter as I stood regally, and yanked my light shirt over my head to toss it onto the grass, much to Asha’s delight.

Rebel pretended to make room respectfully while I sauntered to the bank, holding my head high as I did professional looking stretches – before delivering a massive flop into the water.

Asha squealed with delight as her pint-sized body was swept easily away in the waves, and Rebel roared with laughter as Flash and Shiva were also enveloped by mini tsunamis.

I swam over to collect Asha from the swirling bubbles, and her little arms hugged around my neck as her hair sprang upright once more and I gave her a ride back to the others.

In this way the day passed quickly, and we carried on together until late afternoon, when I carried Asha out of the water, lounging in my arms as if I were a hammock.

“Should we go to see the little man now?” Asha questioned from where she nestled. “He’s so cute.”

“Yes, we should visit Agrudek in his tree tower,” I replied, heading in that direction.

“I feel sorry for the little man,” she said with a yawn, one leg dangling down to swing out of my arms while we walked. “He’s so timid.”

“He misses his family,” I told her, knowing that nobody could ever really recover from such a loss.

“He is yet another victim of the Sorcerer and Witch of Krall,” Asha snarled suddenly, her pointed teeth gleaming. Then the creases left her face. “Poor little man,” she crooned mournfully, throwing an arm over her eyes.

I sighed. “Yes, I feel sorry for him too. He doesn’t come out of his tower often, and when he does he’s jumpy and nervous. So we’ll visit him to make it easier.”

“Mmmm,” Asha’s eyes were closing, and I marvelled at how Nymphs, after all of their wild trickery and energy, could simply fall asleep for short bursts at odd times and in random places, as if they needed to recharge. Then they would wake abruptly, springing up from wherever they had floated down to rest.

By the time I’d carried her to Agrudek’s tower, where the door opened to us automatically, Asha was dozing like a cherub.

I missed her chatter for a moment, as the atmosphere in Agrudek’s tree tower was hushed and somber – despite the noise of scores of Nymphs pestering their Elves outside, and despite the glorious sunshine pouring through the windows as I climbed.

“Good afternoon Agrudek!” I called cheerfully as my head poked up through the stairway hole in the kitchen floor and I spotted the little fellow in the midst of making tea.

He quickly shuffled around to face me, trying a shaky smile as he reached for a second teacup with his one hand. It rattled on its saucer while his shaky fingers set it down next to his own cup, already waiting on the table.

I despised tea as much as apples, and would have relished even just plain water. But I didn’t have the heart to refuse.

“H-hello friend,” Agrudek smiled. “Please, please take a seat,” he stammered as he collapsed into a chair at the table and I followed suit.

He pushed a warm detestable cup towards me, and while Asha was now snoring softly in the crook of my arms, I resignedly settled the un-stirring little Nymph so that she leaned comfortably against my chest and I could accept the cup.

“I haven't seen you,” I commented conversationally to Agrudek. “I thought I better check you hadn't been kidnapped by lady Nymphs.”

He hiccupped a nervous laugh. “No, no. The wife wouldn’t like that!” Then his eyes grew distant.

“So how have you been spending your time?” I asked hurriedly.

“… Just … thinking,” he answered sadly.

“You shouldn’t do so much of that,” I cajoled. “Learn from the Elves.”

Agrudek tried to smile. “You-you’re a good man … and Dalin and Kiana, tr-truly good people,” he said honestly. “You all did so much, I … don’t deserve …”

“Don’t say it,” I stopped him. “You’ve obviously irked Darziates, so in my opinion you’re as good as a God.”

His eyes lowered and he fidgeted uneasily with his cup. “I - I just worry about my family. I don’t know if they’re alive or … or …” he choked back a sob and quickly took a sip of tea to steady himself. “I would do anything to free them.”

To be polite I took a gulp and set my cup back as the heated liquid was forced down in a torrent.

“You have to believe that Darziates will be brought to justice either way,” I said gently. “That’s what you can try to focus on. Your family would want you to keep going.”

For a moment Agrudek stared miserably down into his cup, pulling at his carrot coloured hair. Then he peered up at me questioningly.

“H-has Kiana looked at the Krall General’s red globe?” he asked.

“No,” I answered gladly, relieved at the change of topic. “I think it’s still out of harm’s way with her other belongings. She hasn’t lifted even a dagger since she woke.”

“And, the Elves and … the Nymphs, they still think you are called the prophesied Three?” he asked then. “They believe Kiana has some kind of … power?”

“They haven't really addressed the issue with Kiana while she recovers,” I told him. “But,” I sighed uneasily. “Their claims are making me slightly nervous.”

“W-why?” he asked curiously.

“Because, our little Quest has received much more attention than it should have. As soon as Dalin and I even set out we were attacked by Darziates’ beasts.”

Agrudek spluttered his mouthful of tea back into his cup. I was too busy letting another gulp coat my throat to really notice.

“That’s how we met Kiana, when she saved us,” I went on. “At first we thought it might have been coincidence that two enemy beasts had somehow found us. But Agrona and those same beasts began to follow our trail, even before that entire Krall troop was sent for us.” Asha wriggled in my arms and rolled over to rest her face against my chest. “I can’t really believe that our Quest isn't somehow important with all of that going on. And when the Nymphs and Elves mention what Kiana could be, I start to fear that we are the prophesied group that the Forest dwellers want.”

Agrudek’s eyes had grown wide, and I supposed he was just as shocked as I was.

“I know,” I agreed to the enormity of such an outcome.

He sucked in a breath of air. “You are the three? The two Awyalknian boys and their saviour …” he gasped.

“It sure sounds like it,” I grimaced. “But I find it hard to believe that I was specifically born to go on a Quest that the world could depend on. I can’t accept it.”

“Wh-what did the beasts look like?” Agrudek asked, and I realised that the ragged little man had finally become lively.

“They were gigantic, pointy, and insect-like. Darker than night, but not beautiful like the Elves. And colder than ice to touch,” I said. “But worse, they were near impossible to wound.”

Agrudek sat back in his chair, as if rocked to his core. “You are the three that Darziates wanted …” he whispered.

I shrugged in bewilderment while Agrudek fell silent.

“It’s not good for you to stay cooped up here so much,” I said after a time, noticing through the window that the outside light globes were glowing to life as dusk became night. “You should come out with the Nymphs and I every now and then.”

Asha chose then to spring back to life, nearly causing Agrudek to fall off his chair in fright. She bounced awake, having hardly opened her eyes before shooting up into the air and around the room.

“Hello, hello Agrudek!” she chirped.

“H … hello …” he managed finally, clutching his chest.

“I am STARVED,” she moaned, coming to tug on my hand like an impatient child. “Noal and I are visiting my friends for dinner. You should come Agrudek, you look in need of a good meal. A whole heap of us will be there, and Vidar’s coming too, the darling. It’s in the vine rooms on the cliff face!”

“Perhaps not … tonight … But I’ll make more of an effort,” Agrudek told her. “Perhaps I will visit Kiana in her tower sometime soon.”

I stood and gratefully turned away from the detestable teacup. “That’s a great idea,” I told him amiably, nearly toppling with Asha’s surprising strength. “Thanks for having us, friend,” I blurted as fast as I could, tripping toward the steps.

And I barely managed to wave before we had whizzed right out of his tower and into the night.

Chapter Seven

Kiana

I sat dourly on my bed, waiting for Dalin to arrive while Chloris readied to leave my room.

“Do not be too dispirited One,” the spectacular, willowy Elf told me kindly. “There is an abundance of time for healing while you are with us.”

“The war will be over before we start off on our Quest again,” I grimaced.

“There is no fear of that,” Chloris replied calmly. “The moment a being steps into the Forest heart, where Sylthanryn City is hidden, time flows differently for them.” Sheets of silken white hair glimmered in the sunlight as she came to sit beside me on the bed.

“What do you mean, exactly?” I asked.

A wisp of a smile touched her midnight lips. “The power of the Lady makes time pass slower here than outside, almost as if the Forest heart is separate to the rest of the world.”

The waves of prickling, dancing energy that emanated from her were enough to mollify me as Chloris’ elegant hand reached out to rest upon mine. My hand looked like a child’s in comparison, but I exalted in the thrill of her touch.

When her soothing voice took up her explanation again, I had to remember to refocus on the words instead of the magic.

“The pulses of sheer life stemming from the Lady hold this Forest and its dwellers in a state of exuberance. It seeps into our own beings, into the very air and earth here. Life is not extinguished so quickly with such an influence. Living is not a rushed experience. It follows its own pace. That is one reason the Elves and Nymphs of the Forest are so long lived, because of all of the magic of both races and the Lady existing in the one spot. It is as if the amount of magic makes both the magical races and the flow of time last longer. And before Darziates came to be, when the magical races were spread throughout all of the lands, this phenomenon of vitality and health was experienced by mortals too.”

“I still feel like I have to hurry,” I admitted, despite being thoroughly intrigued.

“Consider, though,” she appealed to me. “What would be the purpose of hurrying to battle when, while you are here, the battle is as good as years away from starting?” she asked, her deep, brown eyes softening.

“Take your time for as long as time is not a concern,” she cautioned me while she rose, both of us becoming aware of my tower door opening. She gave me one more smile before she descended the stairs, and I felt the thrills of energy that surrounded her receding from the room.

“Kiana! I’m here!” Dalin called up from the bottom floor when she’d left the tower, and I felt a new type of energy within my own self. I resolved to maintain my efforts regardless of Chloris’ warnings, for the sake of my own sanity.

I smiled despite my willingness not to, and despite how slow my steps were as I carefully began my descent to the bottom floor to meet Dalin.

“Good morning,” he greeted me patiently when I finally reached the bottom of the steps.

I grunted at him and determinedly turned around on the bottom step to start upward again. I was getting better at making it all the way up on my own.

“What – no break?” he asked, when I didn’t stop to collect myself like usual.

“No break,” I grumbled. “Today we increase the pace.”

He gambled along behind me, making no comment at the severe lack of increased pace as my energy drained and I got slower.

Eventually we made it to the room beneath the bedroom floor, where Dalin had cleared us a space by pushing all of the sofas to the round walls so that we could complete basic exercises together.

“Today we’ll be doing something different,” I told him, my face and voice controlled to allow no invitation for disagreement. “We’ll push the limits a little more.”

I saw his face fall. “‘Different’ and ‘push’ how exactly?”

“You remember when I trained you in weaponry exercises back in,” I paused, “back in Bwintam?” I managed to get the name out.

“Oh Gods. Do you really think you’re ready to get back into wielding weapons yet?”

I began to stretch, very gently. “Of course not. I wouldn’t be able to handle the weight of the blades yet. Instead we’ll be doing a weapons dance with no weapons.”

“Right,” he agreed despondently.

“Come on!” I urged. “I’ll be taking it slow and easy so all you’ll have to do is copy me.”

He groaned as I took my first position, but he copied.

“Breathe deep,” I said. “And hold your hands as though there are blades in your fists.”

He held himself appropriately so that I was satisfied. “Now move fluidly.”

I moved my arms slowly around my body, stepping carefully into an unhurried lunge as though attacking an invisible enemy – my ‘blades’ slicing across an invisible belly.

I let my breathing and my heart set the beat, and straightened and stepped back on one foot, raising my ‘weapons’ as if to defend from an attack aimed at my head. I moved smoothly, but never left the exaggeratedly slow pace.

I was aware of Dalin getting the hang of it beside me, but heard his left foot lightly brush the plush carpet as he moved it.

“Quietly now, step lightly. Concentrate on every part of your body. Control every muscle,” I whispered, and I felt he was concentrating hard, imitating as I bent backward and pushed my ribs to oblige while I sliced at the air over my chest.

My blood was beginning to pump now, with my heart drumming a little faster, so I picked it up a little and spun slightly more rapidly to parry with the air. I crouched and ducked cautiously, trying to forget the dull ache that never left my shoulder, where the arrow had penetrated.

Dalin was were near silent now – a natural fighter.

With time, my heart beat grew faster and my feet began to move more quickly, the slashes and strokes I made in the air getting to be as swift as my feet. I added kicks and ducks and began to get lower, as if dodging enemies from the sides.

Eventually my side burned and my shoulder seared, but I smiled. Glad to be doing something active again.

“Adjust your footing,” I panted at Dalin when I felt him wobble beside me as we lunged.

“How do you know I need to?” he gasped. “You’re not even looking!”

“You’ll be steadier if you have your toes pointing straight.”

But it was only a small criticism. I was surprised at his ability to keep up so quickly. He was beginning to be able to judge my next move so that instead of copying my positions he was mirroring me and we looked like twins in a dance.

A light sweat covered my body and my breath came quickly. Spurred by excitement, I moved faster again to the rhythm that my heart beat out. I could almost picture the imaginary daggers I held flying through the air, slicing and tearing in a wild, controlled battle, feeling that, finally, I was alive and moving again.

I was burning with life, dancing like a flame, and I was myself again.

Then I thrust my right arm straight out in front of my body as if stabbing an enemy, but drove my imaginary blade into the air with more power than I had intended.

And suddenly I couldn’t see.

My breath sucked itself in, my face contorted, and I only knew agony as my shoulder, my chest, my back, everywhere, was on fire. Molten lava seemed to be erupting beneath my skin, running hot in my veins.

I felt my left hand clutch at my shoulder as my legs buckled and I collapsed to the floor, but I only distantly heard Dalin exclaim and rush to my side.

It seemed as if everything I’d ever known had vanished from my mind in an instant. As if all I had ever been made of was pain that bit and clawed and tore.

At last I was able to feel his firm grip on my arms, and then I was back.

Dalin’s hands were holding me up in a sitting position on the floor, and the hole in my upper chest beside my shoulder felt as if it had been newly opened. But this time by a white-hot stake instead of an arrow.

Dalin was peering into my face and I dragged my wide eyes up to focus on his anxious green ones.

“Kiana?” he asked, panicked. “What in the Gods’ names just happened?”

“It’s nothing,” I said, struggling to focus on just those green eyes. “I had the usual pain in my shoulder. Only worse than it used to be.”

“Nothing?” he exclaimed incredulously, but then stopped when he noticed how hard it was getting to keep my head up. “Kiana?” he asked uncertainly.

All of my energy was gone again.

“This isn’t normal. I don’t feel very well,” I told him truthfully, and sank backward. Only his hands kept me upright. “Can you take me to the bed?”

Chapter Eight

Kiana

Distrustful of training with me again straight away, Dalin had instead suggested I venture into the City for our next activity, and he was now warily waiting for me to be ready to set out.

I stubbornly bent over to slip on my boots, but felt a twinge in my shoulder and I unconsciously drew a sharp, nervous breath.

I suddenly saw Dalin’s hands come into my line of vision, resting on my hunting boots. And I shot him a heated look until I caught the expression of total care in those green eyes. He saw me soften, and then he slid my boots into place for me, lacing them up before helping me down the stairs.

I’d forgotten all worry as we moved together to the opening door, and it was with a sense of long overdue satisfaction that I finally took my first enchanted, unaided steps out into the secret City of Sylthanryn.

The sizzling power in the atmosphere enveloped me, I saw joy on the faces of the Nymphs and Elves who spotted me, and I stepped out into the sublime sunshine with a sense of incredible elation that made me reject all misery.

I turned back to Dalin, who was watching my enraptured face with undisguised gladness, and I held out my hand to him.

I had no need of the support of his hold just yet. But I enjoyed it all the same.

Chapter Nine

Dalin

I left Kiana as the sun went down, whistling cheerfully as I strolled back to the tower I shared with Noal.

However, an odd prickling sensation at the back of my neck gave me pause, and when I heard a shuffling sound in the shadows behind me I whipped around, my hand instinctively braced over the hilt of my sword for the first time since entering the City.

I peered into the shadows and felt my heart quicken as my eyes made out something lurking a short distance from me, just watching.

It was a small robed figure, too small for an Elf, too big for a Nymph, and not Kiana or Noal. That only left …

“Oh, Agrudek!” I exclaimed in relief. “You startled me, why didn’t you hail me down?”

I heard the sharp intake of his breath and I worried that I’d startled him.

“Didn’t want to d-disturb you,” his uneasy voice replied, and he shuffled into the light.

“Nonsense!” I told him. “How have you been?”

“F-fine,” he mumbled, hanging his head so that I at once felt a pang of pity for him.

“Well it’s good to see you outside your tower,” I told him encouragingly. “Where are you off to?”

He twitched apprehensively. “J-just going for a stroll …”

“You were headed toward Kiana’s, weren’t you? You’re a good friend, Agrudek.”

He pulled at his scraggly orange hair fretfully and coughed. “I was going to … to check in.”

“I’ve just left there and she’s retired for the night. But you should come and have a drink with Noal and I in our tower!” I threw an arm over his shoulders and steered him around. “I won’t take no for an answer. Asha, Rebel and Vidar are coming as well.”

“… Really shouldn’t …” he protested feebly, glancing over his shoulder at Kiana’s tower.

“It’ll be fun!” I reassured him, and herded him all the way to our tower instead.

“Fun …” he repeated weakly when we arrived to find that Asha and Vidar were already there with Rebel, and a thronging cluster of Nymphs who had tagged along.

Their laughter and the clinking of Nymph liquor bottles hit us as soon as we stepped inside.

Chapter Ten

Dalin

“Heeeeeellooooooo??” a voice fluttering next to my ear called and I peeled one eyelid open with a massive effort.

A purple haired female Nymph was grinning down at me. Her purple eyes were so close I could see my rumpled features in them.

“Nova?” I grumbled blearily, throwing an arm over my eyes. She was a particularly cheerful and cheeky Nymph. I couldn’t handle such energy so early in the morning.

“Are we feeling delicate?” she asked evilly, and I heard the tinkling sound of her poking at the empty bottles of Nymph liquor littering the floor.

“Gods yes.”

“Well snap out of it,” she declared without sympathy. “After the One’s successful day in the City yesterday, the Lady has called the Council to meet. I’ve been sent to fetch you.” I felt her little fingers pluck at my arm as she pulled it away from my face and tossed it back down to the mattress.

I moaned as the early morning light flooded my blurred vision.

“Come on Raiden, it’s time to rise!” she yanked the covers back. Then she changed her tone. “Why, I could just shower you with kisses!” she sighed appreciatively.

“Mph,” I groaned as she tickled my bare chest. “Gerroff!” I mumbled sleepily, sitting up.

“Dalin!” Noal moaned mournfully, coming down the stairs and rubbing his eyes.

Naira, practically Nova’s twin but with pink hair and eyes, was catching a piggyback ride as he came down, floating behind his neck like a scarf.

“Joy to the world, there’s two of them shirtless,” cackled Naira, releasing Noal and hovering behind him. “With such nice behinds!” she exclaimed as Noal walked ahead of her.

“Hey!” Noal jumped when a Nymph hand pinched him where it shouldn’t.

“It’s heartbreaking, but you’ve got to dress,” Nova informed us, already pushing me to the stairs and towards the washroom.

“Quickly! Quickly!” Naira demanded, whipping us with a towel so that we were scrubbed, dressed and wide awake in moments, and were soon being pulled out of our tower and dragged mercilessly into the heart of the City.

“Is this Council going to be filled with prophecy discussion?” Noal asked Naira as she tugged him along.

“You’re meant to be the one out of the Three to put everything together, so you work it out,” Naira giggled at Noal unhelpfully.

“If you could just go a bit faster you’d get there quicker and see.” Nova batted her purple eyes at me and yanked on my hand, nearly pulling me off the ground.

“How far is it to the Council rooms then?” Noal puffed in annoyance.

“You’ll know the place when you see it,” Naira threw a glittering smile at him while he gave her a disgruntled grimace as we hurried further into the depths of the City, rounding some tree towers. But then our jaws dropped as we understood.

“See what I mean?” Naira asked, observing our faces gleefully.

“That,” Noal gaped, “is the most incredibly gigantic, most tremendous, most colossal tree I’ve ever seen.”

It was taller than all of the tree towers in the massive basin of the City, taller than the cliffs surrounding the basin, taller than the trees growing at normal Forest ground level above the basin, and was so high that it in fact seemed to grow above the entire Forest itself.

Its leaves and billions of branches rose so high above the canopy of the rest of the trees that I could only make out a green ceiling-like blur which sparkled with filtered sun.

“Gods,” I breathed in awe. I could see hundreds of Elves and Nymphs moving about through different diamond shaped windows in the expansive trunk, or resting on ornate balconies. “Can’t believe I missed that.”

“I can almost bet where the meeting room is,” Noal commented, an expression of daunted apprehension dawning on his face.

“It’s the topmost room,” Nova supplied.

“But don’t worry!” Naira laughed when he winced. “This is where the Lady lives.”

“Her power runs through this whole tree and Nymphs and Elves can use it along with our own magic to help us travel through its rooms quickly,” Nova explained. “We zoom straight up as if we were made of air,” she snapped her fingers. “Just like that.”

“Right,” Noal frowned. “But I’m not feeling very magical today.”

“Obviously we have been sent to take you non-magical oafs.” Nova gleefully tugged on my hand to speed me up again. “We’ll channel our power through to you.”

We joined the Elves and Nymphs streaming into the massive tree’s entrance hall, and I felt the overwhelming flow of the Lady’s energy filling the tower.

“What is everyone else doing?” I asked. “What’s here apart from the Lady’s home and Council room?”

“Everything,” Nova said, now pulling us out of the way of the streaming crowd. “Libraries, histories, a school room for the Nymphlings and Elflings.”

Noal spotted a sign with strange runes on the wall behind him. “And what does that say?” he questioned, all curiosity. “It’s not in Awyalknian.”

Nova hung upside down next to the sign. “It’s written in Nylvish.”

“It tells you all the levels so you can find which one you want,” Naira yawned. “But the topmost room is pretty obvious, isn't it? I don’t think we need to look it up.”

“You have a separate tongue?” I asked in surprise. “Why are you speaking Awyalknian?”

“Silly, pretty, young thing,” Naira teased cutely. “The Nymphs remember it from when we lived outside, but many Elves don’t know it.”

“That explains why the Elves are not very talkative,” I realised.

“I just saw Ace. It’s time to go,” Nova interjected, flipping the right way up and brushing her floating hair in my eyes. “Hold tight!” she grinned, taking my hand as Naira took Noal’s.

With a lurch, I felt my boots shoot away from the floor, and I was abruptly sucked upward, whizzing at top speed through floor after floor.

I caught blurred visions of massive rooms, lounges and loud gatherings as I seemed to melt through the roof of each landing. My stomach was screaming as it was squashed down with the pressure and everything became surreal as reality rushed past. Only Nova’s grip on my hand assured me that I was still solid and real.

Then the dizzying sensation was cut off and we stopped our motion sharply, materialising in a grand entrance way.

“Disconcerting,” Noal remarked breathlessly, smoothing his mussed up blonde hair.

“You’re squeezing my hand,” Nova scolded, peeling her squashed fingers free of mine.

“Go on in,” Naira instructed. “We’ll be out here when it’s over to escort you back.”

At the end of the spectacular entrance there were two golden doors that opened onto an opulent, breathtaking chamber. I could see that near the chamber’s high ceiling, with no strings or mechanics to work it, there floated an immense model of rotating art.

Great coloured globes, some small and some large, were floating in circles around a central golden sphere. Some of them had rings encircling them that also spun, and smaller pale globes orbited all of them as they too circled the great golden sphere.

Below this masterpiece there was a circle of chairs in the middle of a gleaming, polished floor that reflected the circling works. There were ten chairs made of shining silver and an eleventh chair with a higher back that was made only of beautifully stained wood.

Behind the chairs was a huge diamond shaped window from which streamed golden sunlight.

“Your jaw is hanging darling,” Nova told me, giving me a little push to get moving.

“What is that wonder?” Noal asked in amazement, his eyes on the rotating globes above the chamber we were to enter.

“It’s a model of our solar system silly, we’re the blue, green and yellow ringed globe,” Naira giggled, and then stopped when she saw our blank expressions. “Gosh mortals sure are slow.”

“Forget it for now. We don’t want to boggle them before they speak to the Council,” Nova told her, and then turned to us. “It’s just a pretty model, now go.”

This time Naira and Nova shoved us both so that we lurched across the entrance hall and finally entered the Council room to find the Lady of the Forest waiting for us.

Asha, Ace, Frey and a small number of Nymphs and Elves we hadn't met before were with the Lady and I was instantly grateful for having spent eighteen years learning protocols and diplomatic practices at home, even if it had been from Wilmont, as Noal and I stepped forward together.

We both simultaneously swept ourselves into low, Awyalknian courtier-styled bows.

Chapter Eleven

Dalin

“Welcome friends.” The Lady’s eyes were as green as emeralds and her skin was as rich and dark as the earth. No jewels decorated her ample, motherly features, and yet she was radiant. She was at once ordinary, yet extraordinary, and she captivated me completely.

“I didn’t realise you had such elegance in you,” remarked a familiar voice as we bowed, and I straightened to see that Kiana had already arrived, and had been standing behind Frey. She was dressed in something similar to her hunter’s garb.

“The outfits help,” Asha commented. “They were a mess before they got to the City.”

“Be kind. The Raiden and Noal have earned their seats in this room,” the Lady said simply, though her presence seemed to fill every inch of the large chamber.

She gestured for everyone to take their respective seats, and I found that since we had last looked, the circle had been widened and three more silver chairs had been added so that we could also be seated.

“You are the first human beings to see our City and to be included in a Council,” the Lady informed the three of us, and though she was small and round looking, at the same time it was like she was bigger and stronger than everything else in the room.

She spoke again in her musical, deep voice. “We have called you here to discuss the threat facing our world, but also to share ancient knowledge that has been forgotten by the human race, so that you can be fully prepared for all that confronts you.”

“We are honoured and thankful,” Kiana responded, leaning back in her chair and resting her elbows on the armrests. Her face was blank and polite, but her glittering eyes betrayed how wary she was.

The Lady inclined her head. “One thing we wish you to know is that the current threat to the world’s harmony was something that was foreseen at the dawn of time. It is I who personally spread the word to all peoples, in the hopes of avoiding all danger. But as hundreds of mortal lifetimes passed the warnings were forgotten by many, just as people gradually forgot that the Elves and Nymphs were real.”

Kiana nodded. “Every child has heard tales of the Army for the World. But they are considered to be nothing more than stories in every land but Lixrax.”

“Lixrax remembers some things, and perhaps our secretive Jenran neighbours do too,” the Lady agreed. “Though only Deimos and his descendant Darziates have ever truly acted on my warnings, with Deimos going so far as to begin the first War for the World.”

My eyes had gone wide. “Your warnings?” I breathed in surprise. “How?”

“I will show you of what I speak,” the Lady said. “Because I have the memory that spurred Deimos into action, the same memory that each of his heirs was passed, and the same memory that caused Darziates to begin his war.”

“The same memory?” Kiana questioned.

“My mind caught it by chance from a dying Sorcerer who had lived in hiding, readying to send it to his son,” the Lady explained. Then she gestured to the space in the middle of our circle of chairs, and I was amazed to see a patch of light begin to break into swirling colours that joined to form the wavering shape of a woman.

I felt sure that the image was that of the Lady, and my eyes were wide as I looked at the real Lady sitting peacefully in her chair, and also the image of her standing in the middle of the circle. However in the image her hair was auburn, she was tall and powerful looking, and her stance was strong.

The Lady of the Forest.

I sat forward in disbelief, staring with complete wonder at the enchanting, dreamlike vision, realising that I’d seen that figure inked carefully across history books, embroidered gloriously on tapestries, and had heard tales of her as every child in Awyalkna had.

“Ohhh … you’re that Lady of the Forest!” Noal breathed incredulously.

The image, or memory, then spoke as if in response.

“At the beginning of time I was created and given the knowledge and the will of the Gods. When I first woke I held in my hands two prophecies that would reveal themselves to me upon my arrival in the new world. The first prophecy was revealed only moments after my arrival, and the voices of the Gods warned that the world’s races would become separate through the ages. The prophecy also told of a deadly threat that will be born into the world at the end of the ninth age. The voices of the Gods said that the world and her many races must be united to survive. If the world does not unite before the beginning of the tenth age, and the threat is able to succeed, the world will be destroyed in a storm of ice and fire. I am now travelling far and wide to spread the warnings of the Gods, so that in thousands of years the world will be ready, and can be saved …”

Before we could ask any questions, the image of the Lady morphed and we sat back rigidly in our chairs, shocked as the shapes of light now formed into the image of a man’s face. The face was unfeeling and its hard eyes seemed to glare out at us.

“Son. I have chosen this as my time to die. In two hundred years I have learned all I must to pass on to you. I have added my knowledge to that of all of our ancestors and you will awaken with this knowledge, your true purpose and identity when this message ends and at the moment of my last breath. You must be rid of your foster family and embrace your destiny from that moment.

“Know that you are the one that the line of Deimos has awaited. You are to be the most powerful of all, and already I feel that your darkness stirs. Know also that the words of the Lady remained unheeded – until the first Sorcerer, Deimos took it upon himself and our blood line to save and unite the world. Through darkness he sought the world’s salvation, and knowing that the ignorant races might seek to ruin him, his heir was smuggled away and that is how our line continued.

“You must grow strong in body, mind and power. Use time to be rid of the magical ones who may seek to stop you, and reclaim our lost Kingdom. You will not age, and have no fear of a mortal’s death. Reclaim our Kingship again, and rise to unite the world.”

The face distorted and the voice echoed away as the solid image broke apart, and I slumped in my chair as if I’d been released from a spell.

Noal let out a stunned breath beside me and Kiana was frowning in thought.

“Deimos and his family began a Quest for dominance of the world, all out of a warped want to save it,” the Lady confirmed. “That memory of myself was centuries old, passed on along Deimos’ line. But the memory of the Sorcerer was the message that turned Darziates into what he is, giving him the same memories, feelings and goals as his ancestors.”

“This is so much more than a war between Awyalkna and Krall,” Kiana enunciated slowly.

“Yes. And Darziates has truly proven himself to be the most powerful of his line,” the Lady continued. “He has now ruled Krall for five hundred years. And he has wiped out the magical races who might have opposed him in the mortal lands.”

“There were others?” Kiana asked, sitting forward.

The Lady was silent for a moment, her emerald eyes almost clouding. “To ensure that none would remain strong enough to again contest his fight for world dominance, he murdered the Larnaeradee, Unicorns, Centaurs, Dryads, Sprites and water deities.”

Kiana’s shoulders dropped, her posture deflated. And I remembered that she’d always wanted tales of the Fairies and Unicorns from her father, and that she still carried the Unicorn figurine.

“So the Sorcerer moves against Awyalkna, will then move on Jenra, and next will cross the seas to take the other magical races,” Ace growled.

“What about Lixrax?” Noal asked with apprehension.

“He already has Lixrax,” Ace rumbled darkly in answer.

“No!” I gasped in dismay. “How?”

“He has forced Razek to ally with him,” Ace explained. “And they have to follow the Sorcerer for the same reason that the people of Krall follow his tyranny without rebelling.”

“Fear?” Noal questioned in a coarse voice.

“Many are controlled by fear,” admitted the Nymph. “The peasants, the powerless, the weak. But an army of such magnitude could stand in revolution. They don’t though, because –”

“They’re as rotten as the Sorcerer is,” I supplied, feeling certain of my response.

“Not everyone can be single-mindedly evil,” Asha disagreed. “The people of Krall were a fair race before Deimos and then before Darziates. They were not warlike and their land flourished.”

“The fact is that any who could stand against him have been corrupted and conditioned into loyalty,” Ace said flatly. “Sorcerers have the power to corrupt even the purest of men to feel hatred and anger. Darziates has ingrained it into his soldiers to be loyal.”

“And Razek was forced to ally with Darziates to avoid a similar fate of mindless obedience for his people,” Asha explained.

“Oh Gods,” I whispered and Noal had become as pale as I felt.

Awyalkna could not stand against the Sorcerer, his Witch, his army of beasts, his thousands of men and now also the elite Desert Storm of Lixrax. Even with the help of the Jenrans, if our Quest was successful and they agreed on an alliance, there was no hope of having enough forces to save Awyalkna.

Noal shook his head in disgust. “Even if the Sorcerer thinks he’s doing us all a favour, how can he be so deluded to think that the entire world will just bow down gratefully and accept his reign?”

Asha crossed her legs where she sat in the air. “The way that he sees it, he’s the only one trying to do something to stop the ‘threat’, and is the only one able. He’s worked hard, but he has made a very big mistake.”

“And what mistake is that?” Kiana asked.

The Lady’s eyes swept over the three of us. “He never heard the second prophecy. It was revealed after I withdrew into the Forest.”

“Then what is this second prophecy?” Kiana questioned, her sharp eyes glinting.

“You,” the Lady answered with certainty. “The Three.”

Kiana said nothing and Noal and I followed her lead.

But we’d all heard that same name before. We’d been called ‘the Three’ by the Dryad spirit of the Willow when she’d saved us from Agrona.

“Darziates thinks that he must be the one to unite the world against the ‘threat’ warned of in the first prophecy. He seeks to end the boundaries between all peoples by imposing himself as the one ultimate King,” the Lady told us. “He does not realise that by spreading his evil and suffering it is he who has become the threat.”

I felt my jaw drop.

Kiana nodded in understanding. “He has become the monstrous event that he seeks to avoid.”

“Yet the second prophecy has revealed that there are to be Three able to stand against this threat and to unite the races against the Sorcerer.

“There is to be one to bring the Three together in their Quest, and to keep the partnership of mortals strong.

“There is to be one to unite the lands of men. To lead all mortals of the world against the Sorcerer’s storm. A King of Kings – the Raiden.

“And there is to be the One, to summon and lead the magical races to combine with the mortals led by the Raiden. The One will end the darkness.

“Thus, all races of the world will be united against the threat of Darziates,” the Lady finished.

Asha raised red eyebrows at us knowingly. “You know, there are three of you on your Quest.”

Kiana looked doubtful. “That prophecy could be describing any three people on the planet.”

“No,” the Lady shook her head firmly. “It describes each of you quite precisely. The one meant to bring the Quest together would be Noal. He ensured that after the Raiden was healed you did not part ways, but joined forces. Now he will continue to bring friendship amongst mortals.

“And the Raiden – to be able to rally the faith and loyalty of all men, and to be a ‘King of Kings’, he must have royal blood. He must have the ability to inspire the respect of those around him, and have the power to lead. That is evidently Dalin.”

Kiana folded her arms in scepticism and a knife of guilt twisted in my stomach.

I felt the blood draining from my face and Noal’s eyes met mine.

“And the One to lead the magical races must be magical herself. She must be a Larnaeradee at that, if she is to be a Summoner and able to speak the uniting tongue of Aolen. That is obviously you, Kiana.”

Kiana drew in a deep breath. “I don’t believe that Dalin could be descended from royalty, or that I could be a Fairy without us having realised it.”

I felt sick.

The Elves sat forward in their chairs with the first signs of frustration I’d seen on Elvish faces and the Nymphs buzzed in the air agitatedly.

“There has been much for you to take in,” the Lady at last answered gently. “Much has been revealed that must be processed.”

“Yes,” Kiana agreed diplomatically.

“The afternoon is waning. The Council can end for today so that each of us may reflect and rest.”

“Wait,” I said quietly. “Before we go, can you share any news of Awyalkna? Can you tell me how the King fares on the borders and how the Queen fares in the City?”

The Lady’s eyes fell upon me, filled with empathy, and she nodded at the stout General Ace.

The brawny little Nymph straightened from his mid-air seated position and instead stood above his chair. “The Nymph Squads have collected news that King Glaidin now has all of his troops gathered, and they have taken their first steps into Krall. The Queen has fortified the Palace and the City is full of those who seek its refuge. Some weeks ago Darziates attacked the Palace with two captured Dragons, but the City fought back and survived.”

The Nymph General cleared his throat. “There have also been reports that Darziates has used spirits of the Other Realm again, to fuel his beasts. Beyond that, every day the surviving Krall soldiers continue their search within our own Forest for the One. They have been getting closer to the City, but they cannot find us.”

I felt drained as I thought of the trials that faced my mother, my father, and my Kingdom.

I hardly heard the Lady formally close the Council, or the murmured farewells of respect that I received from the Council members.

I vaguely knew that Noal had led me back to where Nova and Naira waited, and then back to our tower. He sat beside me where I slumped against my bed on the floor as I lowered my head into my hands.

The prophecy seemed undeniably true. Awyalkna looked to have no chance whatsoever of surviving this war.

And it felt that there was nothing I could do about any of it.

Chapter Twelve

Kiana

How could the Lady, all knowing and all seeing immortal of the Forest, possibly be wrong? With that disconcerting seed of doubt, I headed for Dalin and Noal’s tree tower after the Council.

Their moss covered door was already sweeping open as I approached, and I walked right in and across to the winding stairs. Pacing myself, I made my way unaided upwards to find them looking even more disturbed than I was by the Council’s revelations.

Noal was sitting beside Dalin on the floor with an arm draped around his shoulders, and Dalin was slumped with his back against the bed and his face in his hands.

I frowned, that nagging doubt suddenly sharpening with an edge of fear as I lightly scuffed my shoe on the floor to announce my arrival.

Noal looked up, though Dalin didn’t lift his head, and I took an anxious step towards them. What had I missed?

Noal gave Dalin’s shoulders a squeeze and stood, giving me a weak, reassuring smile before he quietly walked past and up the steps to his own bedroom.

Dalin at last lowered his hands to his lap, and I saw that his face was drained of all colour. So pale that the scar along his jaw line seemed vivid as if just freshly healed.

Nerves fluttered in my stomach but I crossed to sit on the floor beside him as Noal had, and I saw him set his jaw and steel himself to face me.

“Kiana,” he at last said, his voice husking.

“It’s alright,” I whispered with a small, encouraging smile. “Let it all out.”

With an anguished moan he took my hands in his, and I felt how cold his skin was.

“We’ll start our Quest once more,” I tried to reassure him. “Those attacks on Awyalkna are exactly why we are on the Quest – whether prophesied or not.”

“There is such little chance for the survival of our country. And now with these prophecies …” he said.

“Don’t worry about the prophecies, we both know I’m not a Fairy and you’re not a King,” I shushed him. “We’ll still do everything we can, as we always have.”

He shuddered. “No … that is the worst of it,” he managed. “I believe the prophecies are true. Because, I have deceived you.”

“What are you saying?” I asked.

His face was pleading for understanding and he gripped my hands desperately.

“I am the son of King Glaidin of Awyalkna. Prince Dalin. Heir to the throne.”

My heart seemed to fall away from my chest. My face had frozen into a mask of shock and a moment of silence passed between us as he searched my face.

“The wealthy clothes,” I said quietly. “The never ending supply of coin, the well bred mares, the Awyalknian search parties. Darziates wanting you both so badly ...”

I realised even Dalin’s grief now – was for his family and his Kingdom.

Gods, I had been an out of touch fool. What Awyalknian didn’t know the names of the Princes? And as a young girl I’d known Prince Noal’s family had been killed by Trune raiders on behalf of Krall. He’d been adopted as Prince Dalin’s brother. I could not believe how spectacularly oblivious I had been.

I pushed myself away from Dalin’s grip and from his pleading eyes.

I stood and stepped back, reeling with sudden anger and … hurt.

“I let you into my heart. Told you and Noal everything as I’ve told no one else,” I said slowly. “Yet neither of you trusted me in return.”

And if the prophecy was true for them …

“Kiana?” Dalin moaned brokenly, throwing himself to his feet and reaching out to me.

But I turned away from him.

Just as I had for the two years before I had met him, I hardened my face, and brought the cold back into my eyes.

“Please Kiana, please forgive me,” he placed a frantic hand on my good shoulder.

But I stiffened beneath his touch. Then I turned my gaze to burn across his face so that his hand slipped from my shoulder, and he took a shocked step backward.

“No,” he gasped. “Please don’t shut me out again.”

I turned my eyes from him, staring straight ahead as I walked away.

“Kiana!” he cried after me, as if he were breaking.

But I didn’t look back as I exited their tower and stormed back to mine, where I retreated to the window seat in my own bedroom to brood while the sky above the treetops filled with a net of stars.

I was still sitting with my chin resting on my knees, glaring outward when I heard the Lady and felt her presence fill my tower.

She swept up the steps and into my room, her power at once spilling beautifully into it. But she was silent and it seemed as if the world had become still and that the stars themselves were breathlessly watching as we both regarded each other.

I was not quite prepared though, when she calmly uttered the phrase: “Unana ren Tru Larnaeradee.”

“Unana ren, Ronden un Sylthanryn,” I responded automatically – before my eyes widened and I gasped.

“What …?” No, I knew what I’d said. ‘Well met, Lady of Sylthanryn.’ But how had I said it and understood it? With a stab of fear I collapsed back onto the window seat’s cushions. “How …?”

The Lady took a step closer and immediately the armchair that had been Dalin’s during my sickness swept behind her as she sat.

“You spoke Aolen. The ancient tongue.”

“No,” I swallowed nervously, my mind stuttering forth from a jarring halt into a whir of uncertainty. “How could I?”

“You are Larnaeradee. But more than that. You are the One,” she said. She was willing me to feel it.

“No,” I repeated bluntly.

“No mortal could speak that tongue or understand it without a Larnaeradee’s power to help them.”

“It was you who said all of the Larnaeradee and Unicorns are dead,” I replied defiantly, but the Lady continued to ponder me, her eyes penetrating deep beyond my outer shell and into my soul.

I frowned under her scrutiny, feeling myself wavering as I was touched by the magnitude of her magic. The raw, savage, beautiful power of all of Nature was harnessed inside her so peacefully. How could she ever be wrong? She was all knowing. Ancient. Wise. A vessel of the Gods themselves.

“Kiana,” she said, her deep gaze capturing my own and sending chills of energy down my spine. “I will tell you the truth of who you are. And if, when I am finished, you still don’t believe, then that is something I shall have to accept.”

I regarded her stonily. “I will listen.”

She relaxed into the chair, her expression sincere. “Then I thank you. And I will begin with what you must already know – that the Larnaeradee and Unicorns were the ‘Summoners’ and creators of Aolen, and were integral in uniting all of the races. But after Darziates’ attacks the last of the Unicorns and their Fairies parted for safety, with the Unicorns fleeing back into the lost Karanoyar and the Larnaeradee becoming wanderers, disguised as mortals.

“It was only very recently that a Larnaeradee descended couple settled in Bwintam, where they lived with their powers dimmed, and used only to cloak their presence. They were the last surviving Larnaeradee family – your parents – and Bwintam was their final refuge, for it was guarded by our sister the Willow, and was close to our Forest.

“When your father Kires first left the village to visit the Forest, there was such incredible joy and celebration. But no amount of pleading could bring him to stay. He and his wife Gwendis were the last of their clans, and they could not bear to step out of the world that they loved.

“The Forest was solemn and quiet as Kires left, but he promised that he would send messages and, as promised, over the years we heard of yourself and your brother. The messages also described how hidden and dormant the talents of your parents were and how safe it seemed. Kires even returned to the Forest when your sixteenth birthday neared so that together we could find your present, though again, Kires was gone too soon and I was not to see or hear from him again.

“When a Nymph Squad found the ruins of Bwintam it seemed that despite all efforts to remain hidden, the last of the Larnaeradee had been slaughtered by accident. But the squad told of the possibility of a survivor. They had felt the faint presence of a magical being other than the Witch, and our minds turned to the prophecy – perhaps it was like a promise that one of you had to have lived.

“I sent my mind out night and day to try to piece together what had happened, and by chance I found you. Huddled in a cave, near catatonic.

“Even then in that weakened state your power kept your exact location hidden and it drove me to exhaustion, but I sent out my voice to spur you to find help. You healed outwardly, made your weapons and began to hunt again. And every now and then I caught glimpses of you on your journeys across the vast lands, until I deciphered that you were withdrawing to a smaller place – heading toward Gangroah.

“I watched over you while you were there, until one day a beast came to your cottage by mistake when it was looking for two Princelings. And I was convinced that the prophecies were true as you came together, the Three Questors the Gods had promised.

“Dalin, a man of royal and honourable blood, revealed himself to be the Raiden. Noal – the one to keep you all together. And you. You are the One of the prophecies, the last of your kind. The One, or Tru, Larnaeradee.”

It felt as if my lungs had broken because my breath was coming in strange bursts. My eyes were wide and staring at her.

“Stop saying these things. I must think,” I whispered hoarsely.

“Qui?” she asked steadily. ‘Why’.

I flinched at how easily I had understood that word, again in Aolen.

Her tale brought terror to my heart. Because I could believe it. I knew it was all true. I had felt the truth of every single word that had passed her lips.

Deep within myself I had known all along that I was different and that my family had been different.

And once again, I felt terribly alone. The last of my kind. Alone within this darkness.

I stood, my face blank of the emotion raging inside of me. I willed my mask to hold for just a few more moments.

“Please leave,” I said in a low voice. “Give me time.”

The Lady rose and looked ready to speak, her lined hand reaching out.

“Please just get away from me,” I almost hissed this time.

Her knowing, caring eyes stayed on me for a moment and then she silently, respectfully turned, leaving as quietly as she had come.

Her presence gradually faded from my tower, and at last I allowed my face to crumple, turning from the chair where she’d sat and had irreversibly changed everything.

My sight blurred with horrible tears as, in a sudden rage, I crossed to a vase filled with flowers that Dalin had brought me in past days – and thrust it furiously from the table. But with that simple, aggressive motion, a familiar nagging ache began once more in my shoulder.

“Frarshk!” I spat, suddenly repulsed and afraid to be trapped in my own skin and in the City itself.

I had to get out. I had to think. I had to burn away this pain, like I always had. With the blade of my sword.

I crunched across the broken vase and threw open the cupboard door, where all of my weapons and clothes and even the General’s stolen globe were stowed.

All I needed was the feel of my sword – the heaviness of the hilt in my grip. And I took it down from where it had rested idly for too long, not caring about the shots of pain in my shoulder as I firmly held its weight again.

For now any weakness was overcome by a burning flood of confusion, hurt, anger and pent-up frustration that made my teeth clench, and with new purpose I turned on my heel.

Quietly, stealthily, I left my tower, and despite the keen eyes and ears of the Elves and Nymphs, not a single being heard or saw me as I grimly flitted through the City and silently climbed the slope to the outside.

I left the City and stepped back into the Forest with my sword as my only companion.

As it always had been before.

Chapter Thirteen

Dalin

“I don’t know if I can be the glorified Raiden, when I hardly measure up as a Prince. And I don’t know if Kiana will ever trust me again,” I told Noal. A great empty chasm inside my chest was widening as our tree tower darkened with the growing night.

“I had a hand in not telling her who we really are,” Noal reminded me.

“But you were following my lead.”

He sighed. “I hate to be predictable. But I might as well say exactly what I was supposedly prophesied to say. We’ll have to find a way to come back together and overcome this. The three of us need each other and the Quest needs each of us.”

“Raiden!” Asha yelled then, crashing at top speed through the diamond shaped window on the opposite side of the room. Her hair was standing straight out from her head, her wide red eyes were flashing urgently and her olive skin was unnaturally pale.

“Asha, what’s wrong?” Noal asked in alarm.

“Have either of you seen Kiana?” she gasped as she tried to catch her breath, zipping around the room as if to find Kiana hiding in some nook or cranny.

“No.” My voice sounded strained. “Not since this afternoon.”

“Oh Gods!” she blustered. “GodsohGodsohGods!” she yanked on her hair in anxiety.

“Asha,” Noal addressed her, fear now edging his own voice. “What’s happened?”

“I don’t know, I don’t know!” she wailed. “I saw the Lady go into Kiana’s tower, and I knew the Lady would force Kiana to confront the truth about being the One … But just now when I went to see if Kiana was alright, her tower was empty. Her cupboard was open, and her sword was missing.”

“Frarshk …” I groaned, feeling my stomach churn. “How long do you think she’s been gone?”

“Her power still swirled strongly about the tower, but I searched everywhere before I came here and I couldn’t find a trace of her. She’s not in the City.”

“She would’ve taken her daggers and bow if she hadn't been planning to come back,” Noal stated quickly.

“She’s gone on a hunt to calm herself,” I agreed, not feeling better at all.

It was Noal’s turn to groan. “Alone, still healing, and still weakened by Agrona’s poison.”

“Right,” Asha said, her mood changing quickly. All anxiety dropped from her stance and she became the Nymph Squad Commander and Council leader, full of confidence. “Calmed down or not we have to bring Kiana back. There have been sightings of the Krall soldiers searching for her, so I’m going to get help. Ready yourselves.”

She whirred at top speed back out of the window.

Noal and I belted on our swords as we thundered down the stairway and out of our tower, to be joined within moments by Frey, Vidar and two other Elves blurring to a stop at our sides. Asha also returned, with Ace and Flash darting out of the trees after her.

“This may be difficult. The One’s magic keeps her hidden,” Ace rumbled.

Frey nodded. “But Agrona’s poison still weakens her power.”

Rebel, Nova and Shiva now burst out of the darkness with another three Elves I’d heard called Alvar, Astor and Quidel in tow.

“Ready?” Frey asked, quiet but burning with energy.

We each nodded in response, though I was hardly prepared for the instantaneous burst of speed that I was swept along by when I took Vidar’s offered hand.

I heard Noal suck in a gulp of air after he too took the Elf Quidel’s hand, and we found ourselves passing through the City in a blur.

Chapter Fourteen

Kiana

“I heard movement this way,” an adamant, gruff voice whispered. “And a cry of pain.”

As I pressed myself against the rough bark of a towering trunk to hide, I knew I had behaved idiotically.

Abruptly, awfully, a burst of pain like the one that had given me away only moments before exploded in my shoulder, and I tried desperately not to gasp. It ebbed for an instant and then shot savagely right throughout my body so that I had to bite my lip and grasp at the tree behind me for support.

I heard a snapping twig to my left and forced my body to lower quietly into waist high ferns, right as a line of figures in spiked armour melted out of the night to unconsciously surround me.

“I swear to the Gods I heard something from this direction,” a burly soldier grunted coarsely, pulling off his helmet and wiping his forehead with the back of his fist.

“Aye,” agreed a second stocky warrior, peering about himself.

“It could be her,” commented another brawny man who squinted around the trees. “Or it could be those things …”

“I tell you they were Elves. They looked exactly like the pictures in story books.”

“And those littleuns with wings? The ones that shot light and fire from childlike fists? How do you explain them?” queried a different soldier.

“Much the same as you do anything else these days,” another said wearily, scratching his beard. “It’s magic. Good or bad.”

The sixteen surviving Krall soldiers had haphazardly encircled me by accident, and I had no way to escape. Yet strangely, as I beheld them now, they didn’t look like the brutal enemies I remembered.

They were formidable, but I could feel nothing foul about them. They were just men, as if they had been transformed or I was seeing them more clearly.

Nevertheless, human or not, they were still after me.

“Well, if we don’t find anything we can rest here for the night,” said the bearded soldier, who looked to be the eldest and the leader.

“And if we do find her?” asked the youngest looking one.

Some of them shifted in what appeared to be uncertainty or discomfort.

“You know any prisoners were meant to come with us to Krall …” the bearded soldier replied, but with lack of conviction.

“We take her back to our King, Darziates? So that he can befoul the only pure thing any of us have ever come across?” the youngest glowered.

Now they were all shifting in nervous unease.

“Enough … we’ve discussed this,” the leader sighed.

“The only way we could get back to Krall without Darziates blaming this disaster on all of us is to have her with us,” finished the youngest for him. “But I know none of us feel any love lost when it comes to the Sorcerer.”

“Shh!” hissed the one with his helmet off, glancing around as if Darziates was listening. “Just because you don’t have family alive for him to threaten doesn’t mean we don’t.”

The younger one stalked angrily away from them, closer to where I stood as it were.

“Thorin, enough,” the leader said again, more firmly. “We catch her first. Then we decide what to do with her.”

I inwardly cursed. As soon as they inspected the area closely I would be found. There would be no chance of me being able to slink away quietly.

There was nothing for it.

Despite nauseating waves of pain, I wrenched myself up from a crouch and into a standing position, my sword raised to readiness while the majority of my would-be captors yelped or growled in startled incredulity.

“Well you’ve caught me,” I told them resignedly. “But last time you had trouble keeping hold of me. Care to try your luck again?”

I was confronted by stunned silence, and when nobody – not even the open mouthed, staring leader moved, I went for the closest warrior. The youngest they’d called Thorin.

Impressively, he was quick to jump to attention and unsheathed his blade when I drove at him in attack. He hastily deflected each of my strokes as I forced him to give ground.

“Don’t hurt her!” the leader roared over the clanging of our blades. “Disarm her!” he shouted at Thorin. “Form a barrier!” he called to the others, placing me in a tighter, more purposeful ring.

Thorin was concentrating hard, but I drilled him with such intensity that he was growing breathless and panicked while he sought only to defend.

I feinted a jab at his ribs and had him disarmed in a moment, and not waiting for him to stop blinking in surprise, I delivered a high kick into his chest that sent him sprawling.

I felt more exhilarated by my situation than I should have, and found that the pain drove me on.

“Your turn,” I told a curly haired soldier, and he had no choice but to raise his blade and engage with me as I stabbed and parried.

I had him disarmed and rolling away from me even quicker than I’d managed with Thorin, and I was grinning wolfishly as I chose my next victim.

I felt good.

Until, when I had engaged my fourth warrior, I felt a burning pang of fire inside and I stumbled.

“Don’t hurt her …” I vaguely heard the leader calling as the agony crashed back over me.

It came clawing through my flesh, my chest, my shoulder, my arms, as if Agrona herself was raking sharp fingernails under my skin.

The tip of my sword dropped downward as my grip weakened with the stunning shock, and my opponent’s sabre nicked my arm.

“Oh! I’m sorry!” he gasped with wide eyes, and quickly flicked his blade away from me in confusion.

The rest of the soldiers had frozen in bewilderment too, baffled by how fast the flurry of my attack had stopped.

“I told you not to hurt her, Phobos!” the leader said accusingly.

“I didn’t mean it, she didn’t block my blow,” my opponent protested anxiously.

A familiar trickle of weakness began to seep throughout my body like a cold draught. My mind whirled and I felt my knees buckle while my sword slipped from my fingers.

Sixteen concerned enemies from Krall came rushing forward as I collapsed, but for a moment everything was gone.

When I opened my eyes, I found Thorin propping me up in his arms. His fingers were pulling at my shirt and flitting over my chest, checking the wound.

Then I heard Dalin roar in outrage from somewhere out of sight.

Chapter Fifteen

Noal

In a blink of time we raced toward sounds of commotion that had broken out in the Forest.

Dalin hardly slowed, even when he broke contact with Vidar to launch himself through the wall of Krall warriors looming over Kiana. I kept by his side and the warriors seemed to give way before our blades like parting waters.

Dalin didn’t risk using his sword against the soldier who held Kiana. Instead Dalin bunched and drew back an infuriated fist, before crunching it into that warrior’s forehead with such a solid impact that the contact was audible.

The warrior slumped backward to lay unmoving on the Forest floor, and Dalin sheathed his sword, letting the Elves and Nymphs pursue the other soldiers while he now pulled Kiana to himself, hugging her warmly.

All around us I heard the Krall warriors being driven off – chased into the trees by explosions of Nymph light while the Elves remained to carefully guard us.

“I’m so sorry Kiana,” Dalin told her as he pulled back to meet her eyes.

“Kiana, why did you go without even a word?” I asked in concern.

She swallowed before she answered. “I … I think the Lady was right,” she whispered at last. “I feel it is all true.”

“What do you mean?” I questioned.

“I think I am a Larnaeradee.” She looked away from us as Dalin helped her to move into a sitting position. “In fact, I’m terrified because I know I am,” Kiana admitted. “It was all too much.”

“Oh Kiana!” Dalin sighed, supporting her gently. “Do you think it really makes a difference if you are?”

She frowned up at him, surprised.

“You’re not exactly normal anyway,” I pointed out, and she glared at me, but with a glimmer of a smile.

“Kiana, it doesn’t matter if you are magical,” Dalin told her seriously.

“It doesn’t matter?”

“No,” he shook his head. “You are still our Kiana. To us you have always been incredible.”

She shook her head in wonder. “It is my turn to apologise,” she said softly then. “I should have accepted you too. Nothing is different between us simply because of your titles.”

Dalin regarded her with relief. “I will never again hide such a thing from you.”

“I should hope there is nothing else so surprising to know about you,” she replied, wincing as Dalin helped her to her feet, wrapping his arm about her waist in support.

“Told you you’re the Three,” Asha purred smugly, whirring contentedly back to hover beside Vidar’s smiling face.

The always fiercely intense Frey stepped forward then.

“One, can you walk?” he asked.

“Yes,” she answered firmly. “And with my returning strength has come my returning senses. I apologise to you all for leaving without thought and dragging you all after me.”

For once Frey’s serious face seemed taken aback. “You have nothing to apologise for, Tru Larnaeradee. You are not a prisoner in our City, but a friend. You are free in this Forest. And we only pursued you to defend and protect you that we love.”

Kiana’s posture softened at the reverent, genuine expressions of all of the Forest dwellers who had joined us.

“I am blessed beyond measure to have such friendship, and I thank each of you,” she told them, mollified as she took Frey’s proffered hand.

“Alvar,” Ace rumbled at the quiet Elf, who was standing over the fallen Krall warrior now as we readied to leave. “Will you carry our new guest back to the City?”

Alvar knelt to bundle the warrior up, hoisting the man over his shoulders with incredible ease, armour and all.

And after Quidel took my hand, in what seemed like a blink we were all flashing through the Forest and coming to a stop near Kiana’s tower. The City continued to buzz with night time activity as if nothing had happened.

“Please don’t go out hunting so late at night again, Kiana,” Asha yawned suddenly, sagging down in the air. “I’m tired all over.”

Flash laughed and whirred through the air to wait underneath her with his arms outstretched. Her eyes closed and she sank down into them, already dreaming.

“She’ll wake in a few moments wanting to do something or other,” he told Rebel.

“We could pester Silvanus and Chloris,” Rebel suggested, and drifted off towards the poor Elves’ tree tower. Flash followed, carrying Asha with him.

“Is all well with you now Kiana?” Vidar asked, standing aside with Frey, Dalin and I as the Krall warrior was carried off and the rest of the group dispersed. “I’m guessing when we found you that you hadn’t been overcome in combat.”

Kiana’s face grew troubled. “You are right. I was revelling in the battle, and it was only Agrona’s poison that stopped me.”

My heart sank at the thought that, while her strength was returning, she may forever be haunted by crippling internal attacks.

“That is one reason that I would like to be taken to see the Lady now. Another is that I must hear everything else that she has to say about ‘the One’ of the prophecies.” She turned to Dalin and I. “And I would like the both of you to be with me.”

“Of course,” Dalin replied at once.

“It is a good idea,” Frey conceded. “The Lady never truly sleeps, and is probably waiting to see you. But you would do well to rest.”

Kiana shook her head. “It is time I heard the full truth and accepted it. I need to do this.”

“Very well,” Frey accepted, offering his hand to her while Vidar offered his hands to us.

Chapter Sixteen

Dalin

The Council room was glimmering with soft golden light and the model of rotating spheres turned continuously above us. The Lady was waiting as we entered the magnificent room, and for a moment I felt as if I’d lost my breath.

I blinked as the dazzling silvery green of her gossamer robes shimmered while she beckoned for us to come forward in welcome, and unlike the short, motherly looking woman we had encountered so far, she now appeared in the form that I had seen inked across many artworks and history books.

Her richly tanned skin glowed as if it held the life of the earth itself, and auburn hair spilled down her smooth shoulders to brush her waist – all trace of silvery age gone. She was suddenly tall. Her stance strong. Poised. And her spectacular green eyes were both youthful and wise, and I felt almost giddy with the feel of the enchanting aura that surrounded her.

“Lady,” Kiana inclined her head respectfully, coming forward. “At last I have come to hear and accept the truth.”

“Welcome once again,” the Lady told us kindly, her musical voice as captivating as before. She stepped gracefully aside and I saw that there were now four cushioned chairs surrounding a merrily burning hearth where the Council had been seated earlier.

Wordlessly we came to take the chairs she offered, Noal and I both trying to remain unperturbed as the timeless Messenger of the Gods took her chair.

“She, in particular, has missed you,” the Lady continued, and Noal guffawed as a hand sized spider pranced quickly up the leg of his chair.

“When you all left Gangroah together I found it almost impossible to trace your steps,” the Lady informed us thoughtfully. “It was Granx who worked tirelessly to follow your progress. And it wasn’t until the Willow sent two messengers that I was even sure the Three were coming to Sylthanryn.”

Kiana straightened where she sat then, her face clearing with dawning realisation. “It is good to see you again Gloria,” she said thoughtfully.

I frowned in confusion. “You’re the eccentric lady who lived in the second Gangroah cottage?” I remembered the old green eyed woman, and realised the Lady’s previous form had been similar – if less human in appearance.

The Lady lifted her shoulders in an elegant admission in return.

“But everyone knew about peculiar old Gloria who lived in the Gangroah cottage!” Noal said in consternation, and then added: “no offense.”

“I recall that we overheard a story about Gloria, and the ‘empty’ cottage, through a green eyed, auburn haired Palace maid,” I turned to Noal, suddenly feeling a rush of awe. “The maid’s chatter was what put the idea of heading to Gangroah in our minds in the first place.”

“So,” Noal eyed the Lady incredulously. “Your youthful self was the one who informed us about your elderly self?”

The Lady regarded him patiently. “Time and place does not restrain me,” she told him. “I can be everywhere, though it is harder outside the Forest now. So while I manifested to present yourself and the Raiden with the idea to Quest towards Gangroah, I also manifested as Gloria to keep watch over the last of the Larnaeradee and to make sure she would be ready and waiting for you.”

“You watched over and felt Kiana to be a Larnaeradee,” I remarked then. “But the Fairies in the stories graduated into a Larnaeradee on their sixteenth birthday, and Kiana has now reached her eighteenth year.”

“Yes,” the Lady acknowledged, watching Kiana attentively as she responded. “While I could feel the magic about her, her earth stone is the key to accessing her wings and powers. And though Kires and I found the earth stone he would present Kiana with for her birthday, I believe he never had the chance to explain the gift to her.”

The colour seemed to have left Kiana’s cheeks as she listened. “He put it in the Unicorn figurine?” she asked, more questioning herself than the Lady.

The Lady nodded. “As ‘Gloria’ I saw the figurine in your cottage, and felt certain that was where it was hidden.”

“Yes,” Kiana was nodding now. “There is a line, like an incision around the figurine’s body, as if it were just a case that could be opened. But nothing I have ever tried has opened it.” Her brow creased with a puzzled frown. “Why has it never opened for me?”

“Your situation is different to that of the Fairies who once lived,” the Lady explained. “You knew nothing of your ancestry, of your powers, of being a Fairy when you were given that figurine. It did not open because you were not ready. It still may not open for you even now, until you have fully accepted who and what you are.”

Kiana sank back in her chair.

“Yet your situation is also different, and quite incredible, as you have already clearly begun to develop your powers, even without your stone,” the Lady reassured her. “Confirming that you really are the One. The most powerful of them all.”

Kiana still didn’t respond, but I was remembering scenes where her powers must have revealed themselves without us having been truly aware.

“You have been able to do things in desperate need,” I reminded her. “When we entered the Forest you escaped the beasts when a flash of light burned them. We thought it was lightning.”

“Your power hides you,” the Lady added. “You were able to wake the Willow, to speak to the Forest birds, and to use Aolen,” she went on warmly. “And you even began to awaken men of Krall, who since birth have been poisoned to be unquestioningly loyal to Darziates.”

Kiana’s face was pensive.

“You can develop your powers further,” the Lady continued. “But this will only be when you have your stone, and are ready for it. Then you will be endowed with the wings and powers of a true Larnaeradee. And only then will your body have the ability to fully heal itself of Agrona’s magic.”

“Gods,” Noal breathed.

“I believe you,” Kiana replied quietly. “I can no longer hide behind being sceptical because I can feel that all you say is the truth. And I think I’ve known something was unusual about myself for a long time.” Then she held the Lady’s eyes with her own. “But I do not understand why, if my family was so powerful, they did not use their magic to defend themselves.”

I saw sorrow etch itself across the Lady’s delicate features. “You were the One chosen by the Gods. Upon their deaths, your parents’ powers and the power of all of your ancestors went to you so that you could gain the strength needed to face Darziates, as the Gods have selected you to do. It is much as Kinrilowyn and Sylranaeryn were destined to give their lives to end the Sorcery of Deimos.”

The Lady seemed to reach toward Kiana without ever moving.

“While your parents did all they could to protect your family, hiding their identities and power so they were not found by Darziates, this left them vulnerable to mortal deaths. And they could not undo what was destined to be done, just as they could not predict or withstand such a surprise attack with dormant powers.”

“It had to happen?” Kiana whispered.

“So that all of their power could combine and become yours. Leaving you to be the One that the world so badly needs as the tenth age draws near,” the Lady affirmed gently. “It is you, Kiana, with the magic of your ancestors alive within you, pure and strong, who can face the evil of Darziates. Not even I could do this as you can, as my magic, and everything about me, is the very Nature that Darziates corrupts. You instead control and cleanse Nature’s pure power, and I am part of that power that you draw upon to add to your own.”

Kiana’s face was very still as she gazed at the Lady. “And so there are no Unicorns left alive either?” she asked.

The Lady was sombre. “No. You are the One, the only one, who can confront Darziates.”

Kiana’s eyes lowered to stare at the flames in the hearth before her. “Then I am alone in many ways.”

“But not in all ways,” Noal admonished her then. “You have the two of us.”

“And you have the love of eccentric old Gloria too,” the Lady added quietly, her melodious voice tender.

“Thank you,” Kiana replied, controlling the emotion in her voice.

“Though no love seems to equal what I am being shown right now,” Noal exclaimed, looking down at the Granx as it hugged its legs around his thigh, blinking its many eyes at him adoringly.

“She was disheartened every time she found you all, only to be sent away,” the Lady smiled at Noal again. “Granx is enamoured by you especially, and is glad to reunite.”

“Why not?” he shrugged helplessly. “It’s understandable.”

“Our days seem to become progressively stranger,” I mused tiredly.

But Kiana straightened with returning vigour. “I would love to reunite with the two messengers you said the Willow sent into the Forest.”

“Who are they?” I asked, while the Lady stood with a smile.

“When they were transported here by the Willow’s magic, they told me their names were Ila and Amala.”

“Gods,” I uttered. “The strangeness continues.”

Chapter Seventeen

Kiana

Amala was breathing deeply and Ila was nickering in her sleep. I was nestled between them, having spent the last hours of the night in the warm space between their velvety bodies.

I’d found solace and a growing sense of peace with my silent companions, cuddling into them as they rested on the grassy floor. And I felt almost accepting of the night’s discoveries as the sun began to cascade down into the City.

Amala stirred into wakefulness first, peering at me with one eye and whinnying cheerfully when she saw that I was really there. Then she carefully picked herself up, waking Ila as she friskily shook her mane.

Ila nudged me with her nose so that I would rub her snout, and then bounded up spryly to trot beside Amala as if they were playful ponies once more.

I rose and ran my fingers over their soft sides as I passed them, and they followed me until I made my way toward the clamber of the Nymphs’ training grounds.

I leaned against the wooden fence that bordered the grounds, watching the Nymph General Ace as he floated along the lines, rumbling his way through a series of drill calls. But he turned in the air when he caught sight of me.

A number of brightly hair covered heads bobbed up from where they had been going through the exercises, and many Nymphs broke from fiercely disciplined stances to shout joyous greetings when they noticed me too.

“Asha!” Ace called, and she toppled out of line to sweep through the air and patrol in his place. Then immediately the coy, cute smiles of the Nymphs were dropped, and pointed teeth were bared as the training resumed.

Ace flew towards me, inclining his head respectfully as he did. “Well met on this morning, One,” he said in the gravelly tone that made him sound like an entirely disagreeable fellow. “What can I help you with?”

“Well met,” I replied. “I have come to ask about the captured Krall soldier.”

Ace crossed his legs and sat mid-air. “He was taken to a holding bay,” he explained gruffly, leaning an elbow on his knee. “We don’t normally have need to take prisoners, with the City being well hidden by the Lady. So we improvised and delved out a room beneath a part of the cliff walls.”

“And?” I prompted him to continue.

“And …” he grunted. “We left him to recover from the headache the Raiden had given him. He has been given food and water, but has refused to talk.”

“He has been questioned?” I asked.

“We mean him no harm,” Ace assured me. Then suddenly a wolf-like smile came across Ace’s face so that his pointed teeth showed. “But we also mean him no freedom until we have established whether Darziates still clouds his nature.”

“I understand.”

Ace’s deadly smile became reasonable then. “We do feel that he is a victim of Darziates, and we hope that since meeting you, Darziates’ hold on him has faded.”

“So it is unlikely that he is a true enemy now, and he will be safe here?” I asked.

The General barked a rough laugh. “The Elves and Nymphs could have torn all of those warriors to pieces if we had wished. In fact it was quite a feat for the Nymphs to restrain themselves once they got the taste of a fight. But we don’t think they are enemies anymore. They are just confused.”

“That’s quite judicious,” I conceded gingerly.

“Very,” he agreed. “We will only war with Darziates’ mortals when it comes to that because they will be serving him against us and we cannot break his hold over them, not because we harbour any true hate for them.”

“Yes,” I asserted. “But in regard to the warrior we hold now, I would like to talk to him.”

Ace stretched his legs out to stand in the air again. “Perhaps,” he said slowly, stroking his wiry green beard. “He may talk to you.”

“I can try. I may be able to help him to see more clearly.”

The General regarded the whirling combat practice that Asha was enthusiastically coordinating for a moment.

“Follow me,” he rumbled at last, leading me away from the training grounds, through a market place and toward the looming cliffs.

We stopped when the rocky wall was in front of us, and I could see three square chunks of the wall missing low down at ground level.

“Those are the cell windows,” he told me, and swept down to tug at the grass a yard from the wall. “Stand here. The entrance will open for you. Hopefully he’ll be responsive.”

“I appreciate it,” I told the stout General, and he nodded before heading back towards the training grounds.

I stepped up to the patch of grass with some uncertainty, but a reverberating sound came from beneath my feet and I felt the ground begin to vibrate as magic danced in the grass underneath me.

I cautiously watched the turf and marvelled as the square of earth in front of where I stood dropped away to reveal a ladder that led down into the ground.

I lowered myself into a small cavernous room, and at the end of the room found a barred door of sorts, made entirely of vertical vines and roots that looked too stiff to move.

I stepped closer to peer through the vines, and found that the Nymphs and Elves had chiselled the cell directly out of the cliff, simply removing a vast cube of the rock to make a room. Though the cell had been made overnight, I also saw that lush green grass had somehow been made to spring up from the rocky floor to carpet it, and the carved out windows I’d seen at the base of the cliff were high in the wall – letting golden light flood over a small, plush bed. A mahogany desk with some books had been set against one rocky wall, with a large wooden basin of water set upon it, along with a platter of freshly picked fruits.

But most interesting of all was the prisoner himself.

Despite his more than adequate surroundings he was miserably sitting on the grassy floor with his back against the wall. He still wore his armour but for his helmet and weapons, and was sullenly staring away from where I stood in the doorway, making a pointed effort to ignore any communication.

While I peered in I heard a whispering rustle, and all by themselves the roots and vines over the door loosened their hold on each other and began to part like curtains so that I could lean against the doorway, feeling the vines sweep gently closed behind me.

“Have you really been in that armour all night?” I asked curiously, an eyebrow raised, and his head whipped up to stare at me with wide eyes.

“It’s you!” he gasped with the rough sounding accent of the Krall brogue.

“You’re right,” I told him. “It’s definitely me.”

I saw the flowering purple bruise across his forehead and inwardly winced at how the pooling blood under the surface of the skin must have been paining him.

“I am Kiana.”

“Kiana?” he echoed me with wonder, as if he’d dreamed of hearing my name.

I smothered a smile. “And I recall that your name is Thorin?”

He flushed. “Yes, Thorin,” he informed me hastily.

He appeared to be a little younger than myself. His hair was a shade lighter than Dalin’s and his eyes were dark.

“Have they locked you up too?” he asked, angered at a non-existent injustice. “Where did they keep you before? Are you harmed in any way?”

I couldn’t help but laugh in surprise. “I’m no prisoner here,” I said as I eyed off his surroundings. “Though it looks like it’d be a relaxing experience.”

He finally sat up properly.

“What do you mean?” he asked with an uncertain frown. “Last night you escaped them and we found you. You were injured.”

I shook my head. “Last night I was rescued by my friends from the Krall warriors who were trying to take me to their King.”

“The strange beings are your friends? How is that so? From the night they took you we have been searching …”

I frowned at how oddly he remembered things, wondering if Dalin’s blow to had scrambled his mind. I crossed to sit on the end of the bed as Thorin’s perplexed eyes followed me.

“So far the only time I’ve been held captive was by the troop you were with,” I told him carefully. “Your General’s arrow wounded me as my comrades and I escaped your camp, and last night what remains of your troop nearly captured me again. The Elves and Nymphs have aided us.”

Thorin flinched and slumped back. He appeared suddenly woozy and pale, as if all of these events were a blur that he had blocked out of his memory.

“But we were trying to find you, you were hurt.” He put his hand to his forehead, his skin growing paler, and I leaned forward in alarm.

“Why do you think you remember things differently to what I remember?” I asked, trying to bring his focus back.

His eyes were confused, almost feverish, and for a moment he was silent and dazed. Then suddenly he looked at me piercingly.

“I know all that you say is true,” Thorin whispered. “We were the ones who hurt you. We were your enemies, meant to take you to Darziates, but then you … you showed us your power. And it was … pure.”

He shook his head, a vague cloudiness again coming into his eyes, and worry started to gnaw at my insides. Something was wrong with him.

“All of us who survived and saw your power at once felt suddenly free, as if the darkness that Darziates has always forced upon us had eased, and we came after you because – we wanted to help you. Or … to give you to Darziates? Or to keep you for ourselves?” his voice trailed off and his body began to shake so much that his armour rattled.

“What’s wrong?” I asked urgently, quickly crossing to crouch beside him. I saw his eyes roll back and all of the blood had now drained from his face.

“Thorin?” I asked, trying to snap him back into wakefulness.

I put my hand to his burning forehead, and the instant that I touched his skin, his eyes flashed open and he lunged forward to grip both my arms. I cried out in surprise as his hands gripped my biceps like vices.

“Get off her!” growled a voice from behind me and I looked over my shoulder to see Noal and Dalin charging through the vines at the door.

“Shush the pair of you,” I stilled them with a glance. “He’s not trying to hurt me, something’s wrong with him.”

They both stopped at my words, but Dalin loomed angrily where he stood.

“Thorin?” I asked. “What is happening to you?”

Thorin fought to keep his eyes open, and was gritting his teeth. “It’s as if admitting the truth is killing me!” he managed to gasp. “But I need to tell you … Each of my comrades have felt the same, each have felt loyalty to you, but because of Darziates they have been too afraid to admit it … This is the first time I have completely admitted what has really happened and look what it’s doing to me!”

I glanced desperately at Dalin and Noal to find that Dalin’s anger was wearing off and Noal now wore an expression of horror.

“I think I’m fighting Darziates’ hold on me! I can feel his fingers around my mind, clawing at my brain, telling me you will only be safe if I take you to him.” Thorin moaned and I felt his hands start to lose strength and slip away from my arms. “Everything feels like it’s fighting inside my head –”

Abruptly his voice broke off into a yell of pain, and then he sank back, unconscious.

My heart was beating fast. “Noal,” I spun around. “Get help.”

“Dalin, pull him up,” I ordered as Noal rushed from the room, and with gritted teeth Dalin stooped to haul the armoured young warrior up and across to the bed.

I tried to check if Thorin was breathing clearly, though in the spiked armour he could hardly even be laid down comfortably.

“This is ridiculous!” I hissed. “Help me get the armour off.”

But Dalin grunted angrily. “This is one of the men who has been trying to kill us,” he reminded me.

“You have seen that isn’t his fault, he is under Darziates’ power,” I retorted as he began to hastily help me unbuckle the armour’s chest plate. “You heard for yourself that Thorin no longer wants to be an enemy.”

“And I pity that he is a victim of Darziates.” Dalin pulled the plate and the spiked shoulder pieces away to begin tugging at Thorin’s chain mail shirt. “I mourn that nearly everyone in Krall is stuck under the Sorcerer’s power, but as horrible as it is – it’s true,” Dalin panted with the effort of helping me. “The people of Krall are under the Sorcerer’s power. And this particular Krall citizen has proven to be a violent warrior. Do you really think one of Darziates’ own soldiers is converted? That he can suddenly be cured of Darziates, as much as he wants it?”

“Didn’t you hear any of what Thorin said?” I joined Dalin in pulling the chain mail over the warrior’s head.

“I heard his confession, but how can we ever trust someone who could be under Darziates’ power? This could all be Darziates’ trickery.”

I heard footsteps hurrying down the ladder outside.

“I’ve never seen you like this,” I said to Dalin then, disconcerted. “I have never known you to be so hard toward another.”

“That was before I had to fight this same soldier to stop him from taking you from me twice,” Dalin answered heatedly.

Chloris and Silvanus rushed into the room behind Noal, then we were swept out of the cell amidst an urgent flurry of movement to revive the fallen warrior.

Chapter Eighteen

Noal

Dalin was pale and fuming when we found ourselves outside Thorin’s cave-like prison. Kiana was silent and brooding with her arms crossed. But almost immediately the tension was broken when Flash and Rebel darted out from the trees dramatically, rushing towards us.

“Is all well?” Kiana asked them, softening her stance as they jolted to a stop in the air breathlessly.

“One,” Flash gasped.

“Raiden,” Rebel wheezed.

“Noal,” they puffed, acknowledging plain old me together.

“We’ve lost an Elf.” Flash’s silvery hair stood on end. “We think it’s the seriousness.”

Dalin’s countenance softened quickly then too.

Rebel raised orange eyebrows in worry. “Bard was last seen leaving the City to hunt, saying he needed to be more active, for he felt too serious!”

“How long ago did he leave?” I asked uneasily.

“This is the second day since he left, and he would normally be back by now,” Rebel answered anxiously.

“Frarshk,” Dalin cursed under his breath. “Did he go by himself?”

“Bard swore he wouldn’t go far in case the seriousness got the better of him,” Flash cringed, wringing his tiny hands. “And usually if an Elf realises they are getting too withdrawn for themselves, they can control it. But we’ve looked around all of the nearest places.”

“It’s all this talk of war and Darziates,” Rebel moaned. “It reminds the Elves of the stifling of Nature that Darziates will cause if he wins, which will kill the Forest dwellers who draw life from it. An Elf can’t help but get serious and want to be close to precious Nature with all of that looming!”

“It’s worse for Bard though,” Flash interjected. “He’s one of the oldest Elves in the Forest. He did not choose to stop at two hundred. So his mind already wanders and he has to stay regularly active.”

“The best hunting would be close to water,” Kiana evaluated the facts.

“So he probably would have stayed in the direction of the river on this side of the Forest, where he exited the City,” Dalin joined her.

“We’ll need a search organised,” Kiana added.

“Is it best not to bring other Elves out into the Forest at the moment, then?” I asked the Nymphs.

Rebel nodded. “We don’t want more wanderers. It’s why we came to you, and why we took such a small group to find Kiana. While most Elves are using the thought of the impending war to spur on their training and to think of action, if they leave the distraction of City life for the depths of the Forest, it could be a challenge.”

“Pick five stable Elves,” Kiana said. “And gather a small troop of your kindred.”

Dalin was nodding in agreement. “It would be best if the Elves you choose also enjoy to hunt so that they can identify decent hunting grounds he could be lost in.”

“As you say Raiden!” the two Nymphs saluted, and made to rush off.

“I’ll be coming too,” Kiana raised one eyebrow.

“But … last night …” They caught one look at her face as that eyebrow slowly, lethally lowered.

“Last night was invigorating. And I owe the Forest dwellers a debt.” Kiana’s voice was steely. “I would appreciate it if you could get a quick Elf to fetch our weapons from our towers.”

“Of course, One,” they backed away obediently.

“Those Krall warriors are still out there,” Dalin frowned. “Bad, or good,” he added grudgingly, “they may not treat an incapacitated Elf nicely.”

“I know,” Kiana sighed and led us towards the ascent out of the City. “We have to find the Elf before they do. Even then, who knows how we’ll revive him if he suffers such a great malady.”

As we reached the path leading out of the City, five blurring, dark forms hurtled towards us and then slowed to lope to a stop.

Vidar was at their forefront, with Asha clinging to his neck like a scarf billowing behind him. Alvar and Astor followed them closely with Quidel and an Elf I knew to be called Rond. Vidar had collected our weapons for us, and quickly passed them over.

“Well met,” Vidar greeted us sombrely.

“We appreciate your aid in this search.” Astor’s gravelly, deep voice was nearly a growl, and was heavily accented with Nylvish. “To lose such a wise member of our kin in such a manner would be devastating.”

“We are pleased to at last be able to help the Forest dwellers,” Dalin replied. “After all the kindness we’ve been shown we are ready to do what we can at a time when it is safer for the Elves to remain within the City.”

At that moment, a multi-coloured cloud broke out of the trees and shot towards us.

Violet, magenta, lemon, amethyst, amber, turquoise, emerald, tangerine – the flashes of colour quickly came to a halt and were identifiable as a group of nine Nymphs ready to join Asha and our search.

Flash and Rebel were at their head, looking determined.

“Right,” Dalin stepped forward then. “It has been decided that the likeliest place to search would be along the river and especially in favoured hunting spots, despite the risk that Bard may have abandoned logic and the hunt altogether. We will alter our search if we cannot first find him in obvious places.” He gestured to our group: “Kiana, Noal and I will go with Vidar, Asha and Rond. The other three teams will be made up of one Elf, who will be under the guidance of three Nymphs each.”

Dalin designated each team to different areas at different lengths of the river, warning the Nymphs that they would need to be in contact with us at regular intervals.

“Remember the men of Krall may still be close,” Kiana added, her hand on her hilt.

“We shall be cautious, One,” Quidel answered gravely.

“With a Nymph by your side, you hardly need caution,” Asha grinned, and the rainbow of Nymphs behind her snickered in agreement.

“Guide the Three well,” Alvar told Vidar and Rond, who inclined their heads.

Rond took my hand and Dalin’s hand, and at once I felt my body start to welcome in the erupting energy flowing from the Elf. It was as if my limbs held more vigour and as if my eyes, nose and ears had suddenly begun to pick up on the world so sharply that it wasn’t the same world I usually moved about in. There were more sounds, more life forms, more colours than I had ever realised.

I saw Kiana take Vidar’s hand before they both burst into the amazing sprint of the Elves, and with Rond’s energy, we followed easily behind.

Chapter Nineteen

Noal

“We haven’t found a single sign. Not even a crushed blade of grass that could signal he passed our way,” a little green haired Nymph sagged disappointedly in the air above us, though she still managed to keep level with us as we ran.

None of the other groups had reported any success either, though the afternoon sun was waning, and as we journeyed into the denser parts of the Forest it would soon become hard to search.

We were running at a phenomenal pace, but the magic of the Elves allowed our vision and thoughts to keep up with our legs and Dalin and Kiana now frowned at each other in helplessness as we ran.

We had long since abandoned the obvious searching places, and had branched out away from the river after filling our flasks. We had gone deeper into the Forest, spreading ourselves out further in a desperate hope to come across the lost Elf.

Vidar drew Kiana to a stop then, and the abruptness of it would have shocked me if I had not had the benefit of feeling Rond’s lightning reflexes. In the blink of an eye we stood, quite untouched by our exertions, watching Vidar curiously.

Asha and the other Nymph had to fly back a distance, as they hadn’t expected our sudden halt.

“I may have an idea.” Vidar’s face showed worry. As though he wished he hadn’t had the idea at all. “Bard may have been drawn in the opposite direction to what we thought.”

“Toward Jenra?” Kiana frowned. “Why?”

Rond drew in a sharp breath and Asha scowled. The other Nymph gulped.

“What is it?” I asked in alarm.

“The Cursed Valley,” Vidar sighed.

“Explain, please,” Dalin requested firmly.

“The Cursed Valley is where the final standoff with Darziates occurred when the Elves and the Lady came to the rescue of the Nymphs.” Vidar grimaced sickly. “The clashes of magic that took place in that once beautiful valley were such that the magic snapped the atmosphere there, and never truly faded away. In fact, the trees and animals there even became confused and warped – controlled by wild magic that was neither pure nor dark anymore. It is the one marred spot within the serenity of this Forest haven.”

“I never heard tell of it, and never came across it when I was exploring or travelling to Jenra,” Kiana frowned.

“The warped atmosphere doesn’t just act upon the animals and trees,” Vidar explained. “Because of our heightened senses, we Forest dwellers can feel both the beauty and corruption of the place, and our minds can be ensnared by the sheer wilderness of it. We avoid the place. But all beings shy away from what their innate senses recoil from. Unconsciously, if you were close to that place, your sense of self-preservation would have saved you before you were drawn too close to the power to be lured in.”

“Bard would not have had his senses about him though,” Rond shut his eyes in dismay.

“Gods,” Kiana breathed.

Vidar straightened his back with a hard expression on his face, clearly believing that this was exactly what had befallen the Elf. “The old ones of our kind are prone to give in more heavily to introspection than the rest of us, even when surrounded by the City. They have lived long and known much, and immersing one’s mind in Nature is their greatest comfort. Bard may have been attracted to the scene in his state. Drawn in by the feel of the wild magic. It may have ensnared his mind.”

“A prisoner of the Cursed Valley!” Rond moaned.

“But, even with your speed, it would take days for us to cross that much of the Forest!” Asha cried, clawing at her cheeks in anguish.

“Perhaps not.” Vidar now appeared hopeful and terrified at the same time. He turned his attention to the green haired Nymph. “Find all of the search groups, and tell them to meet us at this location. We need them.” The Nymph disappeared in an instant.

“What notion do you have?” Rond questioned his friend.

“Only one being has the power to help us in this Forest,” Vidar said quietly. Asha floated down to put her hand on his shoulder in support.

“No, Vidar ...” Rond sounded shocked.

“Stop speaking in riddles!” Kiana exclaimed then.

“I apologise One,” Vidar inclined his head. “It is the Lady who devotes her life force toward keeping this Forest as our shielded haven. She also loves us all as her own children, and would sacrifice much to save even one.”

“So you think her magic could get us to Bard?” I asked.

“She could transfer us through the natural world in a way such that we would barely tread through passing time,” Vidar confirmed.

“What is the problem that holds you back?” Dalin frowned.

Rond was shaking his head in sadness. “The world is failing under the spreading corruption of Sorcery. People are living shorter lives with shorter memories. Trees can no longer flourish to the great heights of these of the Forest. The seasons are changing. And Darziates gains strength in the spreading malice. But the Lady is as one with Nature, and she too is fading. The war decides the fate of all races and the very essence of the world itself. It will mean the life or death of Nature herself, our Lady.”

Vidar winced. “She is still the most powerful being in the Forest. But it is becoming harder for her to stay separate from Nature, which makes up her spirit. It is becoming hard for her to return to her physical body upon calling on the magic. After playing Gloria to Kiana, the Lady was in her own form of seriousness for months. Her skin became translucent, as though she wasn’t really there. Even healing Kiana was a great feat for her, when once she could call upon the health and vitality of the world to heal any hurt.”

Kiana looked stricken and my heart pounded at the implications of the Lady’s condition.

Races may perish in these battles, or be enslaved. But this truly was a War for the World as we knew it. What was a world without Nature? What life could exist?

“So if we ask this of her?” Dalin’s voice was coarse with apprehension.

“She may sever yet another link to her physical form, and be one step closer to leaving our realm,” Rond answered.

“But she would be using our own power as well,” Vidar said then. “She would be enhancing it.”

“What do you mean?” Kiana asked.

“We would have to let her enter our hearts and minds,” Rond explained. “So that we could share power and understanding. Only when there is a link within, can anyone truly control the physical body.”

Kiana nodded thoughtfully as if sharing bodies with a being of far greater power and foreign intellect hardly bothered her.

I cringed at the thought. I was happy in my simple little mind and restricted awareness.

“Would we even survive having such an enormous entity and mind within our own?” Dalin sounded as hesitant as I was.

“The trauma of the contact may mean that your minds reject the memory of it afterwards,” Vidar told him seriously. “Though that would be the only side effect.”

“And our bodies?” I asked nervously.

“We would continue to share our power with you,” Rond reassured nobly. “Nothing would harm you.”

An Elf and a swarm of Nymphs burst out of the trees to join our group then, and the idea was quickly discussed. By the time the Elves had decided that an attempt to contact the Lady for aid would be made, all of the searches had re-joined us, and we were spread out into a circle.

I glanced about myself nervously as I took my place.

The Elves were silent and looming over us, taking deep breaths and lowering their heads in readiness.

“Keep hold of each other,” Vidar warned, and I took the warm, powerful hands that reached for mine. We were all linked now and already tension and energy rippled in the air between us.

“Breathe the Forest in,” Vidar instructed when we were quiet and in place. “Feel its wholesome, unbounded life force inside you.”

I tried to do as he said, and was surprised when I found it much easier than I’d thought, with the radiating, pulsing energy of the Elves and Nymphs sinking into my bones.

It seemed I could sense the Forest’s pulse as we breathed. It was willing us to feel its life, swirling about us in the air, in the water, the rustling leaves, pouring into me.

“Reach out to the Lady with your thoughts!” Vidar whispered intently, the focus evident in his voice.

With my own eyes closed, somewhere beyond us I knew a glimmering droplet of water was rolling slowly down the cool green skin of a nodding leaf. A lithe fox with twitching nose and clever eyes was stepping through the ferns. The wind was whispering through the blue feathered wings of a darting bird. The rich soil beneath me was drinking deeply from the moisture gathered by the plants above. The Forest was rippling with life. I could taste it. Smell it. Understand it.

My thoughts reached out, seeking for the Queen of this Kingdom – for the pure heartbeat at the core of the Forest, and the moment she heard us, I knew.

A collective shiver ran through the circle and rustled through the towering trees surrounding us. Everything seemed to be surging wildly around our group. The Forest had exploded with sound at the touch of the Lady’s magic.

I could feel her – not as the woman that she appeared to be, but as the entity that would live so long as the sun should rise and fall, as the entity that swept across the seas, that danced upon the earth at rainfall, that kissed the petals of every flower open each morning, and that loved all things thriving with life.

I wanted to share my love with her, and so it was very easy to succumb when she settled her magic upon me. It was easy to want to share my own anchor to the world with her. My body almost didn’t matter anymore as my mind was touched by hers, and I seemed to melt away beneath the weight of our embracing thoughts until I was vaguely aware that my physical body was now being carried by an Elf while the rest of me was encased in ecstasy, floating in and out of mindfulness.

When I passed into brief periods of clarity, I saw that trees rushed past so fast that it seemed we were passing through a tunnel of green. Even the Elves could not have made us so light and fleet footed. Though I also saw that white mist clouded everything, as if we were not moving through a world that was entirely our own. Surreal, unbelievable, and yet the most vivid and real experience of my life.

I at one point caught a glimpse of the normally brown eyes of the Elf carrying me. They were a spectacular green, glowing with the presence of the Lady’s spirit.

I wasn’t conscious of when it ended, only that we were all lying upon the grass, and we were all weeping with the joy of what we had felt, and with the sorrow that she had had to withdraw from us.

It was night time by that point and we slept fitfully, mourning what we had lost and knowing that her vivid power had left its mark on each of us.

Chapter Twenty

Dalin

The Lady’s magic had faded from us like receding whispers, until the feel of it was just a hazy flash that flickered on the edge of memory, like a dream upon waking.

When I woke I just sat with my head in my hands for a time while most members of our group stirred sluggishly or sat as I did after such a jarring loss.

Kiana came to lean against my shoulder and I inclined my own head against hers, feeling absurdly flat, but otherwise returned to my normal self.

The Nymphs and Elves had proven to be even less immune to the devastation of losing the wondrous lustre of the Lady’s magic, as their minds had been open while mingling with the vast consciousness of the Lady. We were the ones to rouse them to prepare to leave once more, and not even the Nymphs managed more than sombre expressions.

Although our stomachs rumbled for having gone a day and a night without food, Vidar warned against hunting in the contaminated area, so we all ignored our inner rumblings as we continued the last part of the hike toward the Cursed Valley, stepping through trees that grew in increasingly twisted, grotesque forms.

“The trees here look so ...” Kiana searched for the word, reaching toward the gnarled, blackened wood of a trunk but hesitating to touch it. “Unhealthy.”

“They are all like that. For the entire diameter of the area where the magic of the battle reached,” Asha replied, glaring at the place her kind had been chased to for their stand-off with Darziates.

“I both hope that my feelings to come here for Bard were correct, and also dread that they were,” Vidar said grimly as he walked in the lead with Kiana, Noal and I. The other Elves had drawn their spear-like weapons and were fanned out behind, while the Nymphs flew grimly above.

“We must be careful, and yet we must not tarry. We cannot risk being exposed to the magic for too long, when our minds are so susceptible to becoming drawn in,” Vidar went on.

At that moment a strange, broken yowl echoed out of the trees before a similar shriek rose further away. My heart raced and my hand automatically sought the comfort of the hilt of my sword.

“Condensed in this one area, the magic has had an impact on the life here,” Vidar warned again. “The deformed beasts that have been the result are generally content to stay within these bounds, where they feel strongest, and are rarely large or crazed enough to leave or challenge the might of the Forest dwellers. But we also rarely provoke them.”

“Perhaps they do not like us being here. Or perhaps our presence has awakened them and they have found Bard.” Quidel’s hands were tight on his weapon.

“I can feel the magic both repelling and calling me in,” Alvar grimaced with distaste. “This is a dangerous venture for us. This place plays on our one great weakness.”

“That is why you brought a hunting party with you,” Kiana answered supportively.

“Yes. The Nymphs have long kept guard over you in your seriousness,” Rebel said.

“We are by your sides now,” Flash affirmed, and the other Nymphs bared their pointed teeth in confirmation, ready for battle.

“Come,” I said then. “We have journeyed this far, and will step into this danger together.”

“We thank you friends,” Astor answered solemnly.

It was the first time I had seen the Elves uncertain, and yet they were as steadfast as ever in their honourable courage while we moved further into the odd, looming trees.

A strange tang of bitter sweetness hung heavily in the atmosphere, but there was also a pervading undercurrent of something rotten. Alike to a fruit that seems lush and fragrant on the outside, and yet that is foul on the inside.

The humid air clung to us and was hard to breathe as the gloomy trees grew closer together, even twisting so that their branches were strangling each other while sharp brambles stabbed and clawed at the base of every tree.

At one point a bird that sounded much too large squawked above with a harsh, curdling cry. The tree tops swayed and creaked as the strange bird shifted its weight in the distant boughs out of sight. A cascade of grey leaves rained down on us and they felt cold as they slithered over my arms and shoulders.

Vidar hesitated beside me with an expression of sufferance as the other Elves drew in sharp intakes of breath and the Nymphs hovered protectively near to them – each of them feeling something that my mortal, blanketed senses could not.

I watched Asha put her hand on Vidar’s cheek. “Come old friend,” she said, and he straightened his muscled shoulders and nodded, stepping forward.

“I must let my guard on my mind down so that I am drawn to anything that may have attracted Bard,” he told us.

“I will watch over you,” Asha promised.

“Everyone else should maintain as much control as they can,” Vidar instructed the other Elves, and the Nymphs as well. “Trust in the Three, for they can see through that which we cannot in this place.”

The only brightness in the dense murkiness was the colour of the Nymphs, though even they were not passing unscathed. It seemed that branches caught hold of the flying Nymphs and scratched at them with purpose. Roots that had been invisible upon first look, seemed to suddenly protrude to trip the rest of us up.

A nasty scratch on my forearm had begun to swell and throb and soon we were all covered in stinging scratches from the nettles of bushes.

As time passed we slowed intolerably to avoid treacherous roots and silently listened to the bodiless scuffling, creaking sounds and tormented yowls of hidden creatures.

Tears streamed down Vidar’s midnight cheeks as he allowed himself to feel and hear what we could not. We followed his steps as he listened for the magic that sought to drag him into its traps like an enchanting song and sometimes he would hiss and throw his hands up to his ears. It looked like the effort of lowering them to listen again was agonising.

Many times we heard the snuffling and heavy footsteps of something large stalking us and we cringed whenever we brushed against tree trunks that seemed too cool and too hard. As if they had feelings of their own, and felt hate for us who were not as warped as they were.

Finally Asha and Flash gave a warning cry that sent my pulse racing and made me look up.

Noal and I were on either side of Vidar, and only just had time to catch him as he sank to his knees. We staggered under his weight, and the Elves close to us quickly helped.

“Vidar!” Asha cried in anguish at her friend’s suffering.

For a few moments, he couldn’t appear to hear us as we called for him. But eventually, with an effort that seemed to go beyond the limits of normal strength, he pulled himself to focus, reviving enough to stare at us.

With a shuddering sigh, he made his shaking legs straighten again. “Whatever it is, it’s close,” he said in a thick voice, looking barely fit to stand. “Ahead.”

Something howled loudly from the direction he was pointing toward. A series of answering yammers echoed in response, sounding excited.

It made my stomach tighten in a ball of tension.

“If Bard is ahead, where you sense this power, then he hasn’t got long,” Kiana said grimly, drawing her sword. “That sounds like a victorious hunting pack.”

We followed the tottering Vidar for no more than a few yards before the treetops suddenly erupted with yammering cries. The cries were accompanied by sounds of heavy bodies leaping from bough to bough above us, along with excited chattering and growling shrieks that grew in pitch while we all ducked under further cascades of ashen, icy leaves.

As we got unbearably closer to the shouts, Vidar let out a moan, and nodded ahead.

“We need to fan out and move in a line,” I ordered. “Each Elf is to have his three Nymphs back with him, to keep him safe and focused. We will advance together, staying level. Remain hidden in the trees until we know what we’re up against. For now these things haven’t been interested in us, but that will likely change.”

We began sneaking forward in our line to the dark trunks of a row of trees that appeared to bar the way to a clearing.

“Steady,” I heard Kiana say soothingly to Vidar, who was shuddering with the effort of controlling himself.

As one, we all carefully peered around our trees, trying not to touch their sickly bark.

I heard Kiana draw in a hissing breath when she saw the source of alluring power in the clearing, while Noal stiffened beside me.

“A Dryad?” I whispered in wonder. It appeared as though it had once been as grand as the Willow.

“That Dryad had died before Darziates ever stood here,” Asha scowled. “I know not what possesses its essence and body now.” She was disgusted.

Its repulsive trunk was massive, grey and diseased looking. Yet its leaves were green, and moss and flowers wound their way along the repulsive grey bark. Other trees gave its snake-like roots a wide berth, but they still ringed in together tightly on the edges of the clearing.

There was both a repugnant and beauteous quality to the tree. It seemed symbolic of the clashing powers that had battled here and that still lingered, and my own mind was intrigued by the presence of the towering, majestic nightmare surrounded by the other evil trees. I could feel its allure. Its promise of wild power and unstoppable, unthinkable strength.

I tore my eyes from it when I heard Asha cry out in time for Vidar to move me strongly out of the way. It was very obvious that his sight was consumed entirely by the mighty tree.

“Wait!” Noal hissed uselessly, his hands not strong enough to pull Vidar back.

“Oh Gods,” I heard Kiana breathe in horror, and I whirled around to see what had shocked her.

First, I noticed the shrill increase in the excited shrieks above.

Then I noticed that all of the Elves had stepped out of hiding to stride obliviously into the dim clearing, gazing with blank faces at the once mighty Dryad. Their Nymphs whirred frantically around them, trying to bring them back into control of their own limbs and thoughts.

Next I noticed Bard. Even in the distance, I could see that he was beyond our own realm. He was sitting at the foot of the great tree with straight back and relaxed arms resting on crossed legs. And a strange bestial creature was sniffing at him, though he showed not a flicker of knowledge.

Lastly, I saw more creatures; their figures dropping from the trees like oversized raindrops. The Elves were being surrounded.

Chapter Twenty One

Dalin

More and more ape-like creatures appeared in swarms, climbing down the trees with iron grips.

Their feet resembled hands and, despite being the size of fully grown mortals, they gripped the tree trunks easily. Long tails twitched behind broad bodies that were covered with coarse blue fur, and they were gnashing protruding, wolf-like jaws.

But, oblivious to the creatures dropping from the trees like acrobats around them, the Elves remained sunken down in blank wonder while the Nymphs hissed and bared their own teeth in revulsion and challenge.

Kiana and Noal were by my side, with swords already drawn as we stepped together towards what was sure to be a fight for our lives. Ahead the beasts landed on all fours before straightening at the bases of their trees, quickly moving to surround the Elves and making primal sounds of hunger.

“Nymphs! Ignite your power!” I yelled.

At once, the dim light of the clearing was filled with blazing light as the Nymphs brought burning magic to their fists, ready to defend their Elves.

But while Kiana and Noal ran forward to join the Nymphs’ defence, I heard a sickening snap in the distance and whirled to face where Bard was still sitting.

The largest of all of the monkey-like creatures had been sniffing the prone Elf, uncaring of its pack. But now, with a brutishly strong grip, the beast had decided to test its prey once and for all, and had snapped Bard’s wrist like a twig. It seemed pleased by the Elf’s lack of reaction, and screeched in delight before sinking its teeth into the Elf’s wrist, ready to feast.

I didn’t pause to think. I sprinted the distance to Bard’s side and swung my sword at the creature before it could tear too deeply into Bard’s flesh.

Having sensed my approach, the ape-like brute leapt out of the way with a furious shriek. Blood and skin clung to the fur around its chin and it pulled its blue lips back in a snarl as it straightened to its full height and punched its chest with a fist in challenge.

I tightened my grip on my sword before, with alarming speed, it launched itself from the ground to hurtle into me – wrapping me in a very human feeling strangle hold. I was dragged to the ground under double my weight, and with harsh chest fur pressing into my face.

I tried to roll beneath it, feeling tree roots digging into my back, but the brute was too heavy. It was only by wriggling savagely that I managed to draw my legs up between us, and with a great effort I straightened my legs, levering the beast far enough away that I could pull my free arm out to pound my fist into its ribs.

The warped ape howled and sprang back in immediate release, succeeding in propelling itself all the way to the base of a different tree, and it quickly pulled itself back up into the boughs, hissing as though winded. I pushed myself up and tried to gain better footing amongst the roots, drawing closer to Bard.

I glanced back to see Kiana and Noal defending Vidar, and found that the Nymphs were in an incredible rage.

Asha’s magic had just lifted a creature and thrown it in a ball of Nymph fire back into the trees. I saw Rebel ripping one animal’s head off with a few swift bites into its neck, and then with a wrench from his infantile arms. Most of the Nymphs were wrestling and shredding at their foes with both bloodied teeth and magic so that blue animals were being flung around like dolls. But still, more of the creatures leapt down from the trees to keep the group surrounded.

A sea of the creatures seemed to be above as the treetops rang with chittering voices, and they dropped down endlessly to step over the smouldering bodies of their kin. Flash got crash tackled down to the ground by a leaping blue figure as I watched, but in moments the thing was howling as a tiny fist burnt through its body to emerge at the other side of its back. Many of them skittered around in agitation as the Nymphs set them on fire, and even from where I stood I could smell burning hair and skin.

I ran as carefully as I could over the roots to Bard, who had leaves on his shoulders and legs, and dew wetting his white hair.

“Gods,” I grimaced, examining the mess of where the Elf’s wrist had been mauled.

The Elf’s blood was silver, and it glugged messily from around the broken bone to coat the rent open skin, so I quickly ripped the sleeve of my shirt to bind it. I cast around for a strong branch to support the Elf’s snapped bone, but before I’d found a splint I heard the dull thump of a creature landing behind me.

I raised my sword, letting the shirt sleeve flutter to the ground, and turned to find that the massive primate was back for another clash.

However before I could take a step forward, I felt a new pair of strong, hairy arms grab me round the chest and gasped as I was hoisted upward.

My legs dragged along bark and moss as I hurtled upward and the ground below got alarmingly further away.

The leader primate squealed and howled at my new captor, keeping pace while scaling a neighbouring tree across from my hurtling ascent. And I could see its beady eyes focused on me as it loped along.

At last I was pulled up onto a bough that was strong enough to hold both myself and my new captor, so I took the opportunity to drive an elbow back into its furry stomach. With a winded, keening grunt, the thing released its hold on me as I turned to drive at it with the length of my sword, and my blade managed to slice the creature’s blue chest.

It leapt away and caught itself instinctively in a nearby branch, where it swung and held on with its tail, hissing and baring greying, long fangs in a snarl while I wobbled for balance.

Eyeing me as I teetered, it quickly dove downwards to this time swing on the bough I stood on and, reaching up from below, its human-like hand clamped on my ankle to yank me backward.

“Woah!” I cried out in shock as the ground suddenly appeared to be above me. I hung upside down for only one dizzying moment, before I felt the creature swing me backward and then forward with a mighty screech, releasing me sickeningly so that I was soaring through the air towards the closest tree.

Yelling in horror, I felt my body jerk as one of my flailing wrists was snatched from the air.

The lead ape-like creature had me back in its grips – it had swung out on a vine to catch me, but it immediately tossed me again.

Then I was hurtling back the way I’d come, spinning dizzily through the air. And this time I crashed heavily against the trunk of the looming Dryad tree – skidding down like a sack of bones to smack into a lower branch.

My scrabbling fingers couldn’t get a grip, and I both dropped my sword and plummeted downward again.

My back impacted on the next two branches, which gave way and snapped under my weight, slowing my fall only slightly before the ground rushed to meet my body.

I had the appalling sensation that my nose had been forced to sink into my head as my face collided with the dirt and an explosion of budding red lights filled my vision. I pulled my head back up and immediately a burst of blood spurted from my nose while my addled mind made out the sounds of Kiana’s frenzied calls to me.

“I only broke my nose,” I called across to her thickly and incredulously.

As my sight cleared and thoughts squeezed their way in between the throbs in my skull, I laughed at the sight of my sword resting where it had landed, right within reach.

Staggering upright, I waved shakily to Kiana, but she only fought harder through the darting blue bodies between us.

Returning to my original task, I scooped up a couple of branches that had come down with me – perfect for splints. Spitting a globule of salty blood I limped back to Bard again, where he was still blissfully unaware of his situation.

I retrieved the fallen sleeve material and, ignoring the squelching of the Elf’s injury, bound the gaping flesh, then tore my other sleeve to bind a splint on either side of the Elf’s wrist.

“Bard!” I yelled in his face then, shaking his shoulders. “I could do with some help!”

Of course he still did not register my presence. He gazed passively somewhere behind me.

Glancing above I saw two fast, blue shapes making their way back down to find me. One was bounding down the trunk without fear of falling. The other was leaping and flipping from one bough to another.

“Please, Bard,” I shook him again more urgently.

Then I noticed a third creature, jabbering loudly and swinging across from the fight with the others. It had a burnt hole in its forearm, and half its tail was missing. It had clearly come to try its luck elsewhere and it dropped from the branches of its tree like a fur covered dancer, landing on all fours from an impossible height, and sniffing the air.

“Gods, what will wake you?” I cried to Bard, but was distracted when I heard a short, sharp cry of pain from Asha.

I couldn’t help but look to see that she had fallen beside Vidar, and a blue beast was about to bite into her throat.

But, with the sound of her fear, Vidar seemed to have broken back into wakefulness. He sensed the battle at last, and responded to his own danger and the threat to Asha.

With a savage roar, he burst into action, grabbed the large, lithe animal in front of him, and rent its shrieking body in two.

The other Elves began to wake at the sound of his voice, reviving with startled energy that would drive back their attackers for good.

Nevertheless, Bard and I were still on our own. And Bard was now the most appealing Elf morsel in the area. Bigger than most Elves, and definitely not putting up a fight.

The lead ape swung out of the tree above us on a vine, arcing through the air to slam into me then, and we went flying together to land in a wrestling heap again.

Its fur was stifling as we tussled, and sharp canine-like fangs snapped inches from my face so that I had to use both hands on its head to keep those teeth from getting closer.

But I kicked myself free, untangling from its grasping limbs, and its hairy chest heaved as threatening sounds yammered from its mouth and we both struggled to our feet.

Saliva dribbled in strings from its distended maw, but I glanced back to see that the other two apes were approaching Bard.

The leader launched itself at me again, spinning in the air with twisting muscles in a show of flexibility no human could ever achieve, but I turned so that the creature slid past instead of into me.

The thing was quick, and somersaulted upon landing to bounce back up and grab at my waist. It spun us around, and as though I were a discus in a throwing competition, I was launched back across the clearing.

It ran along underneath me, and before I could land, it delivered a spinning kick into my middle. The creature was just so much faster than I.

With a groan I landed awkwardly, back amongst the roots of the Dryad tree, where my nose spurted hotly again.

Wiping the blood pouring over my mouth, I pulled myself up and ran for my sword, scooping it up.

Somehow, between wrestling and flying through the air, I’d formulated a plan. After Vidar had woken when Asha was threatened, I realised I had to hurt what Bard was listening to. So I began hacking at the grey trunk of the Dryad tree.

I drove my blade to gouge the trunk deeply, leaving rent open scratches and chunks of wood on the ground until, as I had hoped, I heard a new voice bellow in rage.

The surprised creatures that had been circling Bard leapt away from him to hang from the branches out of reach, but Bard didn’t seem to register his injury, or the creatures.

He lifted his double edged Elvish weapon from where it had been discarded amongst the roots of the tree at his side. And he rose, ready for battle.

His deep eyes were full of violence as he stepped towards me, for I had awoken him and had brought pain to the magical power he had been listening to.

“Frarshk,” I gasped, and then held my hands up in an effort to pacify him. “Bard, I am a friend.”

Then the lead ape blurred back into my vision, a blue flash of fur and muscle as teeth gnashed and it soared through the air towards me.

Instinctively my blade rose, and I caught my tormentor in the side with my sword while the ape’s beady eyes blinked at me in surprise. It had at last been stopped, mid-air, to slide along my blade.

I quickly withdrew my sword and delivered a death stroke so that, with a clean swipe, the body and head of the leader of the pack of our attackers were separated from each other.

The powerful body sank to its knees and dropped at my feet.

Yet I didn’t even have a moment to rejoice before Bard’s glowing green blade sped into my line of vision.

“No!” I cried, though it made no difference.

Bard was awake and moving, but his senses had not returned.

Our weapons rang together in a harmony of ringing music and the two fine blades of his weapon darted at me, alight with his magic like striking green snakes. My own sword dashed against each blow, sparking from the heat of the magic.

“Bard!” I heard Rond yell across the distance. “Bard! No!”

“Bard, I am Dalin! The Raiden!” I tried to pant to him when he pressed close at one stage. “I came to help!” Gods, people were forever confusing me with enemies when they were delirious.

We whirred around each other in a series of parries and strokes and my sword defended me from every blow, but I refused to attack in return.

I lost myself in the flowing motions and it seemed our feet hardly touched the ground. Somehow I did not miss my footing until, suddenly, a blue shape plummeted angrily from the tree above, and landed on Bard’s shoulders, sinking brutish fangs into beautiful Elvish skin, and forcing Bard to his knees.

It was one of the two beasts that had been sniffing at Bard before, and automatically I launched myself at the creature and stabbed at its clinging hands and feet.

Yowling, it lifted its enraged face long enough for me to sink my sword through its eye and I heard its skull crack before it toppled off Bard. Then Bard looked at me, and truly saw me for the first time.

“Raiden?” he gasped in the lilting accent of his kind.

Then the last of my foes, the one with the scorched arm and maimed tail, tackled me from behind.

Like a weightless toy I was lifted across strong shoulders.

I had killed its leader, it had suffered injuries of its own, and perhaps it did not want the entire venture to go to waste. So it took me as a meal and left the carnage of its pack behind.

It scampered toward the nearest tree, and as I fought to get free, trying to stab at its running legs with my sword, I felt it tense. Readying to jump.

“Frarshk!” I groaned, knowing that I was at their mercy when in the trees.

My teeth jarred together and my head lolled helplessly as we launched from the ground.

But as soon as the creature had touched down on the closest bough, ready to launch off for the next one, I stabbed with all of my might into a hairy blue calf muscle.

The creature yowled in a blood curdling cry and dropped me.

I caught myself with one hand, clasping onto the edge of the mossy wood desperately while my legs dangled in the air, threatening to over balance me and break my hold.

Furious, limping, the creature tried to lash out, but I lifted my sword hand and lopped its blue arm off so that the beast toppled forward with a startled mewl and could not catch itself.

Crying wildly, it fell to the ground below and landed awkwardly in a heap, and while I had survived the same fall once, I wasn’t sure that the Gods would be so charitable as to save me twice in the same manner within such a short space of time.

I gasped helplessly, my arm burning and shuddering under my own weight.

“Raiden!” I heard Bard call up from below.

I groaned in reply. Every breath was an effort that took energy away from my grip on the bough.

“Raiden, I shall catch you!”

“Frarshkkkkk ...” the word escaped my lips in a hiss of rushing air.

Sweat dripped into my eyes.

But Bard was certain of his abilities, and he was an Elf, so I decided grimly, that so was I.

With a grimace, I released my hold.

I toppled through emptiness and waited for obliteration as my body spun of its own accord in a downward spiral.

Then, with a grunt of surprise, I felt Bard catch me easily with his good arm. And when I opened my tightly closed eyes, I was against his chest.

“Raiden,” the Elf repeated. “I thank you, and I apologise.”

“No harm, friend,” I shook my head tiredly as he lowered me to the ground.

“I thought I had lost this realm,” Bard said quietly, as he turned to where the others were finishing their battles with only a few remaining challengers.

“Come,” I told him. “We will be free of this place soon.”

Chapter Twenty Two

Kiana

The Elves were exhausted as we finally staggered from the last trees of the Cursed Valley. They had faced a fierce mental battle to leave the calling of the wild magic.

It was Dalin who asked them to continue on further from that place, when even I wavered in the face of their fatigue. But they unquestioningly followed him as he gently guided them for a distance to separate us from the alluring, repugnant site.

The Elves were too tired to use their inhuman speed, but we worried that reaching for any kind of power at the moment would be too much for the Elves anyway, as they might lose focus and be drawn back into the recesses of their minds, or back to the Valley.

“I think we have come far enough,” Dalin said quietly to me at last. His voice was thick and nasally through what was obviously a broken nose, though he had cleaned the dry blood from his face with water from his flask.

I nodded in agreement and turned to the rest of the group. “We’ll stop here for the night.”

The Elves sank down vacantly so I left Dalin and Noal to strike up a fire, and took two Nymphs with me to hunt for a meal. We came back with nuts, mushrooms and berries, as well as a boar that I had tussled with, and a squirrel and some rabbits found by the Nymphs.

When everyone had eaten I checked Bard’s injuries and cleansed them as best I could to stave off infection. The elder Elf did not even frown at the pain it must have caused.

Then the Nymphs purposefully snuggled into their Elves to keep watch over them lest their seriousness deepen and cause them to wander.

“Dalin’s trapeze fight to kill the king of the creatures, and then his battle with Bard will be a City talking point,” Asha yawned as she nestled into Vidar’s arm.

“I don’t even want to think about it,” Dalin groaned quietly. “Being an ape’s plaything was not a glamorous or admirable way to fight.”

I observed him closely. “How is your nose?”

“The swelling makes it hard to breathe,” he said ruefully. “But at least it’s not bleeding.” Dark circles had formed under his eyes.

“If it were still bleeding, or looked overly crooked and made a grinding sound, I would worry,” I reassured him. “But nothing seems to need to be moved back into place. The blocked nasal passages will clear up eventually.”

“I simply cannot believe how lightly you got out of that fall,” Noal told Dalin in wonder.

“Twice,” Dalin affirmed. “I cannot believe it either. I should have broken my neck falling from that height. Instead I landed on my thick head and broke my nose. Hopefully my luck has not run out.”

“Be careful when you next do battle. Just in case,” Noal advised.

I grimaced. “I just hope the Elves will return to their normal selves soon.”

Asha sat up from where she had been curled on the sleeping Vidar’s chest. “What you witnessed today was nothing compared with what we had to snap them out of when we first met them. They will be much better when they wake tomorrow. Especially because,” she rubbed her hands together with a smile, “Flash and I had an idea earlier that might help them.”

“Oh dear,” Dalin sighed. “Any idea from two such devious minds is sure to involve some kind of risk.”

“Yes!” she exclaimed animatedly.

“What do you mean?” I asked as her red eyes flashed with excitement.

“As Kiana’s strength improves, the Three will want to train,” she explained. “Training with Elves could be a great advantage to you all. And could be a way to also help our serious friends to stay focused!” Asha continued.

“How so?” Noal asked, clearly intrigued by the idea of training with the Elves.

“Well if you’re all as apt as Dalin proved to be against Bard in a real fight, you may actually be able to keep up with the training,” Asha explained.

“No,” Noal laughed without insult, “I meant how would this benefit the Elves as well?”

“This group of Elves alone will need something physical to focus on after this. Concentrating on both fighting and educating you will do that. But there are others around the City who need a cause to awaken them too!”

Noal and Dalin gradually became just as excited as Asha – though she told us with regret that the Nymphs would just have to watch to keep from getting too carried away.

I listened to their discussion with interest. For it was an opportunity I would die for. But I couldn’t help wishing that I didn’t have to fear how my body would react.

When fighting the Krall warriors I had been weakened with pain. Then in the battle with those creatures, I had felt nothing except out of practice. The unpredictability of it had me on edge.

And I felt that all I could do was wait for the next internal attack.

Chapter Twenty Three

Kiana

“Fraaaarshk!” Dalin went flying in a graceful arc away from his fight with Bard to be caught easily by Astor. Astor placed Dalin harmlessly on the ground for the fifth time in a row, but Dalin had already sprinted back into the duel.

Not far away Noal was in a similar situation with a female Elf. She couldn’t speak Awyalknian, but she could make duelling look like an art form, and I watched Noal thud into Quidel’s chest. Quidel was Noal’s catching buddy, and the Elf was having trouble blurring to each spot in time to catch Noal, despite his Elvish speed.

Noal had experienced flight in every direction three times over. Nevertheless, he continued to plough determinedly back towards his elegant opponent and to everyone watching it was clear that the Princes had already been well trained by human standards. But in the days since we had returned from the Cursed Valley, it was also clear that they were beginning to evolve with new strengths and abilities.

They seemed quicker and stronger, and it was not so easy for the Elves to simply sweep them aside anymore.

Upon returning, Flash, Rebel and Asha had taken us around the City on a search for “drowsy looking Elves”. And Elves of all ages and temperaments had been driven from their contemplation by the pestering Nymphs, who were evilly enjoying building their collection of warriors to pit against us.

One Elf had been dragged from the bough of a tree, where he had been playing a hauntingly beautiful lute melody. The tune had been cut off with a surprised choke as Asha had accosted him, though he had begun to play it again now, a distance away from us, after demonstrating his prowess until Asha had been satisfied.

We had been practising for a week in this manner, and the Nymph population had decided that this was a new forum for entertainment, bringing Elves they thought could win with them to send into the arena. The Nymphs were casting bets.

I’d had the opportunity to train in a different type of airborne combat to what the Princes were experiencing, working with Frey on aerial manoeuvres like using an opponent’s body to launch my own and to add power to my movements. Trees, other Elves, and any other environmental factor had been at our mercy as we had whirled around the clearing, making use of anything to anchor or launch ourselves into the air at each other. Some of the bets on us had involved who of the two of us would remain off the ground longest.

But now I sat myself away from the chaotic cheers and duel manoeuvres. My shoulder had not troubled me so far, yet I hadn’t pushed it for long in an effort to avoid triggering the pain. I was content to lean back against the tree trunk I’d chosen to rest for a while.

The lute player’s sweet tune rolled over me like water, and I listened to it peacefully until something glittering caught my eye and drew me to look around.

Then I caught sight of a sparkle of white in a patch of sun through the trees. I saw tumbling auburn hair, eyes greener than emerald jewels, long limbs, and wisdom and wistfulness in a slight smile upon beautiful lips. And I felt such magic.

The Lady of the Forest was waiting for me, and I rose to cross the distance between us with a glad heart.

We walked together in silence for a short while, before she offered me her hand.

Without hesitation I took it, and I smiled gaily as we suddenly swept away from the ground, spiralling upwards and twirling around each other like shooting stars until we landed safely on a thick tree bough.

We could still see the battles below, and hear the lute player’s song, but now we sat side by side amongst the leafy vines, cushioned on moss, and watched the world together in companionable silence.

I followed her gaze toward two elegant Elves stepping quietly through the trees below, away from the training. They were each cradling a Nymph in their arms, and they stepped closely side by side because the Nymphs had fallen asleep with their fingers entwined. I saw that it was Chloris and Silvanus, looking serene as they held the sleeping Sati and Shiva linked together.

“It is bliss to see the cycle of life continuing even in these times,” the Lady said as she watched the Elves carrying the Nymphs home.

“What do you see that I don’t?” I asked her curiously.

Her green eyes were full of warmth. “Sati and Shiva have found such a bond, that they are now expecting a Nymphling.”

The thought that such child-sized beings could even carry Nymphlings was incredible.

“I feel that there is much I don’t know about the Forest dwellers,” I replied while Chloris, Silvanus and the sleeping Nymphs were lost to sight amongst the trees below.

“There is much to know,” the Lady agreed. She placed her warm hand over mine where it rested on the mossy bark of the bough. “I will show you.”

At once I could hear the lute more clearly. It was almost as if I could see the music. The notes swirled and twisted around the trees like smoke. The clang of weapons below seemed to add to the rhythm.

Birds flitted from branch to branch, and everywhere I could hear and almost feel the warmth of life radiating from each leaf, burrow and home in the Forest.

The sun rays seemed to smile and hum as they stroked the flowers and I could feel the clouds rolling above and the breeze playing across the skies. I could sense the life within the tree that sheltered me, as well as the energy surging throughout every other tree.

My thoughts flickered back to Sati and Shiva, and I felt the Lady’s mind embrace mine, as if my soul and thoughts were being physically encompassed.

At once she picked up my stream of thought, and with gentle steering, I was led into her own consciousness. My vision seemed to be one with hers so that I could see what she could in her mind’s eye and could hear her inner voice.

With a flash of colour I saw a memory flit across her mind of a loud swarm of Nymphlings giggling and wreaking havoc around the City. They were so naughty, and so devastatingly adorable, and even though they were few, they were hard to miss.

“Nymphs are like humans in bearing children,” I heard the Lady’s voice as if it were being whispered into my ear, though her lips had not moved.

An image of a tiny newborn Nymphling cuddled against its mother brought tears to my eyes.

“The Nymphs rarely have Nymphlings because they know parenting is not for beings who can be selfish or wild. Nymphs are unable to fathom such a commitment unless totally bonded heart and soul with a life partner.”

My own mind returned once more to the image of Sati and Shiva sleeping peacefully, their hands keeping them linked.

“It is also dangerous for the Nymphs to try. They are so tiny and complications for a Nymph in childbirth, before they came to me in the Forest, were very common.” I shuddered at the thought of the heartbreak that could often replace the joy of birth. As the village healer in Bwintam my mother had experienced much of this.

Like a stream, I felt the Lady’s thoughts flow on, and suddenly I saw a moonlit vision of two Elves I had never met sitting across from each other in a clearing. Their silvery white hair was glowing brighter than the stars above them.

“Elves make their children in a very different way to humans and Nymphs,” the Lady’s voice explained then. “An intense experience that both Elves are only capable of performing once in a lifetime.”

In the moonlit vision playing through my mind, the Elves leaned forward and took each other’s hands.

“It has such risk involved that not all Elves who have chosen to bond decide to do it.”

The Elves both lowered their entwined hands to the ground, and I watched in wonder as the light – sparkling like silver flame from their hair also appeared at their fingertips.

“Physically, they are infertile. But their connection to the world that made them is not. They must put some of their own souls, joined together, into the earth and use their minds to channel Nature into forming a physical entity.”

I gasped in amazement at the cost of making an Elfling child. To risk one’s inner self was the mightiest feat of selflessness and the most monumental gift of life.

“A child may be brought to life with the energy of the earth and breath of the skies,” the Lady’s voice flowed on. “Their skin takes on the colour of the flesh of the world – rich earth. Their limbs are filled with the bounding strength of the elements. And a grave connection with Nature is formed.”

I realised that it was that exact connection that could sometimes cause an Elf to forget their physical self as they delved closer to Nature.

“An Elfling’s hair becomes white with the colour of the spirit given as the most ultimate parental gift,” the Lady’s voice was warm. “And an Elf must be totally sure of themselves, of who they are and what their nature is, in order to withdraw and pass some of themselves on.”

The image of the two Elves pouring themselves into the earth faded as the Lady spoke.

“If an Elf is not completely certain and attuned with their inner self, the transition can be fatal. The spirit may not withdraw properly, or it may not be given fully so that both partners and the forming child perish.”

My vision cleared to behold the present once more and I watched the Elves fighting fluidly far below. They appeared so infallible.

“It takes so much for an Elf to create life that they can’t ever give up more of themselves for a second child,” the Lady went on.

Then the Lady’s mind showed me a flowing image again so that I could see a beautiful female Elf, barely out of her youth, sitting beside a pool. Silken white hair floated in the breeze and long, dark fingers made ripples in the water. A squirrel rested in her lap, as though this were her one friend and I felt sad to think that such youths as this female led lonely childhoods. No wonder they became serious when there were so few other Elflings to play amongst. Even now, I had not seen any of these crafted children, and it was obvious none had been made recently.

“But she is not truly lonely,” the Lady told me, and I knew that the squirrel was a clear display of the Elf’s connection to Nature.

I remembered my own connection to the birds I had recruited when my Princes had been captured. I was not sure I could personally hunt them again for food, yet the Elves were connected with all animals and must surely suffer worse feelings of anguish to hurt them.

In response, an image of a hunting Elf flickered before my eyes. He was young, tall and strong. He was stalking something with serious confidence, and I knew the creature would never get away. But it would also be taken so expertly, that it would hardly feel the pain.

I realised with a start that the vision was of Frey.

“We are all in touch with Nature,” the Lady reassured me with her internal voice. “So we understand its cycles. We understand that all in the world serves a purpose and follows in a chain of sacrifice. We are all linked, and all serve each other. When a being gives up its spirit to be consumed by another, it enables further life. It is the way of things.”

My eyes were drawn to the auburn haired being beside me. “There is much you have known about the cycle of life.”

“My own life has been as expansive as time,” she agreed.

“I wish to know of your life as you have guided mine,” I answered truthfully. “You understand much of me, and like you, I understand what it is to feel separate from those around you.”

She nodded. “Separate in some ways, and yet still a part of the whole.”

Suddenly I felt as though I was no longer myself at all.

My hair was auburn, my limbs were strong with magic, and I breathed every aspect of the world into my being. The Lady and I were one.

As one, we watched as time seemed to blur past. We were no longer sitting together on the bough, but were surrounded by flowers that grew, died and reappeared around us. Countless faces aged before our eyes – so many smiles and tears and friendships cultivated and lost.

Eons of time skipped by until we were back at the start, standing up from where we had awoken. We had just opened our eyes to find ourselves in an empty, raw world, not yet overflowing with colour or life. No structures. No people. No animals.

We were the first. The first to come to the world. We spread the gifts of the Gods and saw peoples and civilisations being born, springing from nowhere while their buildings grew like living things. Wondrous, curious development unfolded with the creation of language, economy, sickness, health, marriage, good and evil.

We recoiled as though a physical blow had pounded into our heart as a dark cloud formed and Deimos gathered his storm of war. We became sick. We became weak.

Our body changed, our appearance aged, as we felt the tragedy make us and the world itself feel old. We were dying. Draining away. And it took a great deal of time, after the angry flame of the life of Deimos had been extinguished, for us to feel glad and strong again.

Then, like a staggering lash across the face, we had felt true horror when we had lit upon the mind of Darziates receiving his father’s memory and power, and we had not recovered fully again.

We had lost the Centaurs, the Larnaeradee, the Sprites, the Unicorns ...

The world and Nature were slipping away from us, and we were barely strong enough to expel the Sorcerer when the Nymphs had arrived needing aid.

But there appeared hope as a second prophecy spoke of Three to challenge the Sorcerer’s threat. And the prophecies had spoken true.

Two Princes, men of bravery and quality had come. And Kiana had been carried into our care. Their arrival had renewed us, and now it was nearly time to face our next stage of life, and to release this physical stage. To embrace our purpose as the Mother of Nature.

The world had hope, and so did we.

There were tears on my cheeks as I realised I was just Kiana again. The Lady’s hand was still on mine.

“I understand you,” I said with a small smile.

“I thank you,” she replied gently, out loud.

I knew she was still keeping track of my mind, or the enormity of seeing the beginning of life itself and of being included in such vast thoughts would surely have overwhelmed me.

“Kiana,” she said softly. “You have done as much for me, as I have for you. I am at peace for the first time in many ages.” Her eyes held mine. “But even before the hope I have felt more recently, I was able to go on in my long life simply because I knew myself and my place in this world. You will feel the same, when you embrace your place in the world. And I feel you are getting close to that.”

I let out a long breath. “I pray to the Gods I am. It would have been so easy when we left the Cursed Valley to ask the Elves to leave us close to Jenra so that we could continue on. I would have pushed through this sickness, and we would have left. But I would have been incomplete and unable to offer everything I can to the Quest.”

The Lady smiled warmly. “You knew your time and learning here was not done. Your journey, your healing, and your friendships here are still unfolding.”

I nodded in agreement.

“When your father came here,” the Lady said tenderly. “He feared much and yet understood his place in the world. Kires explained to me that both his and Gwendis’ own power had become dormant without use and with suppression. They were feeling the loss of never having known their Unicorns. They could feel Nature and see more deeply than humans, but they had to reach for the magic with more effort. Yet Kires told me that he accepted this with gladness, because he understood that for them to survive, such transformations had been necessary. Your parents understood themselves, and their place in the world, and were whole because of it. When you truly understand and accept who you are, and your connection with the world, you will be whole too.”

I inclined my head respectfully. “I cannot thank you enough for what you have shared with me today.”

The Lady paused in replying, her eyebrows slowly drawing close together in a light frown.

I listened and realised the lute had stopped playing, along with the sounds of the fighting exercises.

“I think that you will find there is discord in the heart of the Raiden,” the Lady said then. “He will need time to accept change and to find himself, just as you do.”

The Lady took my hand again and without question I followed her lead and let my body slip forward.

We floated gently back to the ground like drifting autumn leaves, and we swept back to the clearing so that at once I saw what new presence had been the cause of the halted training.

The Krall soldier Thorin had emerged from his rest, and was standing with Frey and Ace on the edge of the clearing, where he had apparently been watching the fights until Dalin had stopped in shock.

Thorin looked uncomfortable at the scrutiny of the Elves and Nymphs. Though the only hostility seemed to emanate from Dalin.

“The training has been spectacular,” the Lady spoke calmly from my side. “And so has our guest’s recovery. Welcome to the City, Krall warrior,” she added warmly.

Our sudden appearance drew all eyes, and the mood at once settled respectfully at the appearance of the leader of the Forest.

Thorin’s mouth dropped wide open and he bowed in amazement.

“Please resume the show of strength,” the Lady said with a graceful gesture, and at once a flurry of movement began again.

Only Dalin moved slowly to take up his position once more.

I felt a light touch of goodbye against my hand, and when I glanced back, the Lady in her glorious white dress, and the feel of her flowing power, had gone.

Chapter Twenty Four

Dalin

“Am I the only one who doesn’t trust that man?” I commented gruffly to Noal, feeling an annoyed flush in my cheeks.

“I don’t mind him,” Noal admitted as we passed the sight of the awkward soldier Thorin being surrounded once again by a cluster of Nymphs. As had become their habit, they collapsed playfully all around him while the Elves nodded and smiled.

“I am certain that he was one of the original soldiers who first ambushed and abducted you and I in the Forest,” I told Noal, feeling my brow become heavy with a surly frown.

“What are the chances of that, when there were so many soldiers?” Noal asked lightly. “And anyway, even if he was, he’s converted now.”

Noal was unconcerned as he stroked the Granx’s back where she was catching a ride on his shoulder while we walked.

“There is no mistaking that I’ve had to fight him off Kiana twice,” I glowered then. “The worshipful way he looks at her is sickening. He could try to take her at any moment.”

“Well the Forest dwellers have accepted him,” Noal said reasonably. “He’s been allowed to live freely with Agrudek in his tower.”

“Has nobody else considered that Darziates could still hold some power over him? That he could still be the enemy?”

We entered our tree tower to put our weapons away for the day.

“Thorin seems to respect rather than detest the Lady. And he seems to respect you too,” Noal told me as we climbed the stairs. “Whenever he comes along to watch our training sessions, he is appreciative rather than threatened by what you can do. He also always listens in awe when the Nymphs recount your heroic battle in the Cursed Valley.”

“He’s probably sizing me up for when we next face each other in combat,” I glowered.

“You’re being unfair,” Noal reprimanded me. “The more people against Darziates, the more people with us. A Krall representative helps us to have collected more races in unity.” I snorted. For once Noal seemed only too happy to be focusing on his role of bringing people together in the prophecy.

“Look,” I said heatedly as I leant my sword against the kitchen wall. “I truly do feel pity for Thorin, for being a victim of Darziates. But the rest of the population of Krall are all victims too, and we will still have to fight them to defend Awyalkna.”

Noal sighed. “It’s a tragedy. I don’t even like to think of the soldiers I killed when we were escaping the camp.”

“Our captors,” I interjected darkly. “Where we were imprisoned.” I stopped scowling as Asha drifted in through the window and kissed my cheek.

“That Granx adores you even more than I do,” she told Noal next, laying herself comfortably in his arms. “If that’s possible,” she added. “Another male I adore, dear Vidar, is waiting outside. You’ve both been invited to come with us for another evening at Rebel and Flash’s home, where there will once again be a great deal of Nymph liquor.”

“Of course,” Noal grinned cheerfully, already following her back down the stairs.

I grimaced and made my way after them into the City once more. And though it was still late afternoon the merry-makers already had the fire crackling in readiness for the food to be cooked, and for the comfort of the Elves and humans who couldn’t fit in Nymph homes.

My mood lifted as I saw the usual Nymphs cackling and play fighting all over the place, and crowds of Elves taking the scene in and enjoying themselves in their quiet way.

Even before we’d managed to approach there was a blast of coloured magic that whirled towards Noal, and Asha caught it lazily before it pelted her in the head.

“Such poor aim Flash!” she told the bright male Nymph reproachfully, then suddenly shot out of Noal’s arms to careen after the now howling Flash who had accosted her.

A horde of other Nymphs all scrambled up to join in with their magical fight, and coloured lights and flashes of magic began to sizzle through the air about us as the little beings did their best to knock their fellows out.

I followed Noal towards the fire and saw that Kiana had already arrived. She was sitting with the Elves. And she was talking to Thorin.

At once my mood dropped again but Noal chose to ignore the return of the dark look on my face, and pushed me to sit on the opposite side of the fire to Kiana and Thorin.

Kiana nodded as she saw us arrive, and Thorin acknowledged us with a smile before returning to his conversation about foreign places she may have seen in his country. His speech rumbled with the Krall accent, which made his voice sound heavy and drawling compared to the flowing speech of Awyalknians.

I tried to clear the scowl from my face and to watch the antics of the Nymphs around us, but I couldn’t help listening to Thorin’s words as he gladly absorbed Kiana’s attention, and couldn’t help noticing how some drunken Nymphs and the Elves about the fire had settled to attentively listen to Thorin speak as well.

“We can all see what it’s like in Krall,” he was saying seriously to his captivated audience. “And deep down I know most of us hate it. It’s as if his darkness has seeped into everything.” Thorin’s face was entirely earnest. “There are stories of Krall once having been a golden Kingdom and of how upon Darziates’ rise the beauty vanished and the kind spirits of the people also faded. Now the harsh land seems as if it has been infected by a sickness. The weather is always so bleak – freezing with ice, rain and mud for one half of the year and blistering with heat for the other half – and the people have been twisted to hate and war monger or otherwise obey out of fear. Nevertheless there are those who have been drawn to Krall because of these things. They actually come to Krall to serve the darkness of the King. People like the Trune raiders,” he said, nodding to Noal. “And warriors like Angra Mainyu.”

I looked to Noal with shock that Thorin had felt comfortable alluding to the Trune raiders and how they had murdered Noal’s family. Noal only confided in his closest friends about that time.

Noal saw my stunned expression and shrugged as he stroked the Granx’s back, while I felt another growing spurt of anger towards Thorin.

“… I am fortunate. I have been so close to your pure magic and I have been freed of Darziates. But the whole of Krall is infected. I don’t think they can be healed so easily in such masses. Even if deep down they know they are being controlled, their fear keeps them quiet and his power keeps them restrained. I think only with Darziates’ death will those who can be healed become free,” Thorin shrugged. “Many may not be healed even then. It is hard to allow light into your life after only knowing hate and darkness.”

There were murmurs and nods of agreement while I stood up unobtrusively, leaving them to their conversation.

As I withdrew from the sound of the gathering I treaded angrily through the grass, kicking at tufts of it with each step. In the distance I heard another party of Nymphs talking about my fight in the Cursed Valley. At a glance I saw that they were flopped all over Bard, who had been dragged out of seclusion regularly recently, but I only waved when he called to me and wandered onward.

At last, watching the sun set, I found myself in a hushed corner of the City where nobody else seemed to be about.

I sucked in a big breath of air and slowly let it flood out of me, remembering Thorin’s face from when I’d had to fight him. I’d fought him the hardest when I’d no longer been able to carry Kiana and we’d been surrounded. Thorin had charged over and over to get to her, but when he’d gone down, I’d relented. And in response he had quickly sat up to slice my leg open, targeting a weakness already there. Only with a quick block with my own blade had I stopped him from hacking the entire limb off, and only with a fast punch had I managed to stop him from getting around me.

How could he really have changed? He was free amongst those I held dearest, free to turn on them should Darziates again transform him into the crazed warrior I’d first seen.

I stopped tensely with that thought, and at that same moment I heard a twig break and felt someone close behind me.

I whirled savagely around to find him standing at my back.

Hardly thinking, I threw out my arm and shoved him backward so that he slammed into a tree trunk and I pressed my arm into his gullet to pin him there.

I glared at his shocked face while he stared at me, trying to get his breath back, but making no move to push my arm away.

I was taller and older than he was. He could probably have overpowered me with his bulk, but I was feeling so savage right then that I knew I would win if he chose to test me.

I pushed my face nearer to his.

“I don’t trust or respect you,” I said quietly. “You may have been ‘healed’, but you have in no way made up for all you have done.”

I felt him swallow beneath my arm across his throat.

“If you hurt any of my friends again, you will have me to face,” I told him, releasing his throat and shoving him savagely so that he slammed back against the tree again. “Understand?”

He nodded.

I turned to walk away as he coughed and leant back against the tree, and I saw Kiana standing just beyond the scene.

She stared at me with startled eyes as I strode darkly past her. But the stony glare I gave her left no room for challenges, and she let me pass her without a word.

Chapter Twenty Five

Dalin

I was sheathing my sword as I exited my tower early the next morning.

Noal had woken me and told me to meet him outside, but now I cursed inwardly when I saw Thorin standing and conversing quietly with Kiana and a group of armed Elves near our door.

Noal approached and was studying my face almost worriedly when Kiana gestured for everyone to gather in close.

I drew in a deep breath and released it, refraining from glaring at Thorin as he stood beside Kiana, though neither of them gave any sign of memory of what had passed between us the night before.

“We are going to catch the rest of Thorin’s men,” Kiana announced bluntly. “I am going to lead four Elves in a search and there will also be another party of four. Nova and Naira will bring messages between the groups. This time we are certain the Elves will not have to go where harm may come to them, as the Krall warriors have simply been circling the City in confusion. And on this occasion we will not take so many Nymphs in case they struggle to contain their joy for battle.”

I recognised a lot of the Elves as strong warriors who had come along to help us in our fixes so far. Alvar, Astor and Quidel were amongst them, and Vidar too.

I said nothing, but regarded each of them as I waited for Kiana to finish speaking.

“We are going to find the warriors in the hopes that they can be cured of Darziates’ hold too, rather than just leaving them to wander in search of the One for the rest of their lives,” Vidar explained.

“Most likely there will be fighting involved, but we want only to stop and bind them so that they are not hurt and can be brought safely back here,” Kiana continued. “Bringing more Elves could mean a real battle. Bringing Nymphs could end in too much death. And Nova and Naira have sworn not to get involved.”

“It’s hard to keep your magic blasts on ‘stun’ when there’s a battle on,” Nova admitted sweetly, stroking Noal’s cheek.

“Especially when we really do get a little blood thirsty at the sight of a fight,” Naira agreed, somersaulting happily above our heads. “But we sure will try to refrain from violence.”

“Thorin is not coming because his comrades would not yet understand his change of sides,” Kiana added, and then she addressed me directly. “Are you in?”

I looked up at her to see all of those around me waiting expectantly for my reply.

“Of course I am. We’re in this together,” I told her adamantly, glancing from her to Noal with a frown.

Noal clapped me on the back and the Elves smiled in appreciation.

“Good,” Kiana answered. “You’ll lead the second party. Noal and Nova will be with you, as will Quidel, Alvar and Rond,” she told me. “The rest will be with me.”

There were nods of affirmation and the small crowd dispersed to complete any final preparations before leaving, and Vidar handed each member enough rope to suit the wrists of a few captives each.

“Cheer up!” Noal said, slinging a comforting arm around Thorin’s shoulders as the warrior watched the preparations glumly. “You can fight your friends when we bring them back if you like.”

Thorin laughed, and I tried not to stare after them, instead turning to Kiana, who was silently fastening a loose buckle on her belt.

“Are you sure you want to fight again so soon?” I asked her quietly when the others had begun to move out of earshot.

“I’m fine,” Kiana replied shortly. Then her face softened when she saw my expression become blank and angry once more. “Really, I am,” she told me.

Vidar came back then and she turned from me. “We’re all ready to go,” he informed her, and she signalled for everyone to get moving.

Kiana and I led the party out of the City and at the top of the cliffs we split into two groups. We would both head in the direction that the Krall men had fled towards after our last encounter, but would both search in different areas to cover more of the Forest.

Chapter Twenty Six

Noal

My stomach was grumbling as the day passed into noon.

“I’m sure someone brought an apple or something,” Dalin told me, even his joke coming out somewhat grimly when I complained of my starvation.

I grimaced with distaste. “I’ve done very well avoiding those things for a while now,” I informed him disdainfully. “I choose to continue to starve.”

“Suit yourself,” he answered distractedly, and fell back to silent watchfulness. “But stay forward with me. Our eyes need to be ahead.”

Dalin had placed Quidel and Alvar at the party’s sides, and had instructed Rond to follow at rear while Nova was to sweep ahead, scanning all surrounding areas.

The Elves he led, who were doubly experienced, more than three times his age, and incredibly powerful, all never hesitated to follow his requests. In fact they looked to him respectfully for direction, though he didn’t seem to think twice about assuming the automatic command of ‘the Raiden’.

I, on the other hand, was patting my stomach wistfully when Dalin held his hand up to stop us, and we heard voices ahead.

Dalin lightly tapped Nova’s foot, hovering by his side now, and she nodded, suddenly all seriousness, and silently flew ahead in the direction of the sound.

She was out of sight for barely a moment before she darted back to report to Dalin.

“All fifteen of them,” she whispered, “armoured up. But not prepared for us.” She grinned with delight. “They’re resting, out of formation, with their focus on their water flasks and their weapons put aside for a moment. I wouldn’t wait, and miss such an opportunity when they stand and regroup.”

Dalin considered this and nodded. “The best way is to do this quickly, quietly, and with the element of surprise,” he said softly. “There are five of us to face the fifteen of them until the others get here, so we must all engage simultaneously to utilize our very few numbers. Remember we are not fighting to harm, but to hold them until we can safely catch and get them back to the City.” He looked to our group calmly. “While I feel that nobody is ever outnumbered when they have Elves on their side, try not to be injured yourselves while focusing on not hurting them.” The listening Elves gave returning grins and Dalin drew his sword from its sheath with a soft shing.

“You have to the count of sixty to spread out evenly in a ring around them. After that count, wait for a further count of ten to make sure we are all ready. Upon ten, everyone plunge in,” he turned to Nova. “You should tell Kiana’s party where we are.”

She saluted with an: “Aye Raiden,” and whizzed off through the air.

He eyed each of us, saw that we had understood and were ready, and he started counting down. We all nodded when we got the count, and he became silent and gestured that we should go to our places.

I took up my position a distance away to Dalin’s side.

The fifteen warriors seated and spread out in the clearing didn’t sense us watching as we counted down.

They went on talking and sipping from their water flasks.

Until we all swept out from the trees in synchronicity – and charged.

Chapter Twenty Seven

Dalin

I easily stunned the nearest soldier before he could even turn where he sat. I tapped him on his curl covered head with the hilt of my sword and he simply fell backward to lie upon the grass.

I saw Noal move to do the same with his first soldier, but as the surprise wore off the next men we encountered had quickly drawn their sabres and were ready.

I saw a massive soldier with a beard going for Noal before he had finished knocking out his first man, and I swung myself into the lunging soldier so that he tumbled at Noal’s feet.

Noal shook his head at how close he’d been to being dismembered before he pushed past me and lunged at a man who had crept up on me as well.

The bearded soldier I’d sent sprawling didn’t rise properly, but instead snarled and pounced forward to tackle me to the grass, immediately thrusting his fist into my ribs while I tried to lever his armoured bulk upward.

It was difficult to manoeuvre around the spikes lining his armour without impaling myself on one of them and as he felt me moving he changed tactics and clubbed me in the face with a huge hand.

In return I aimed a bone cracking punch into his temple and he cried out at the shock of the blow, rolling off me as I shook my throbbing hand and scrambled nimbly to my feet.

Cursing, he threw himself upright and lobbed his sabre towards my face while I skipped to the side and deflected it so that he stumbled around.

Out of the corner of my eye I was aware that Noal was pinning his opponent while he bound the struggling warrior’s hands. The Elves were also each handling a few warriors at a time, simply keeping the soldiers busy until Kiana’s group arrived.

I instinctively caught my soldier’s sabre against my sword as he rushed forward once more, but felt myself stagger back under the sheer power of his arm.

He thundered after me and threw himself into a series of attacks that were each aimed at taking my head off as I strove only to deflect his blade in return.

“Too scared to attack me properly boy?” he growled. “Or do you only know how to defend?”

I smiled politely, spinning his arm into the air when he jabbed at my belly in a flash blow. I circled his blade with my own and pushed it upwards so that he had to scramble to keep his grip on it. Training with the Elves had given my old skills some stunning finesse.

“Perhaps I’m just playing with you,” I answered as he stared at my sudden show of ability.

“Fight me!” he spat. “You know how!” he lunged viciously forward with his blade, aiming straight for my chest, and I quickly dropped to the ground to avoid having to meet the blow with a killing stroke of my own.

He laughed, joking. “You don’t want to hurt me? Is that it?”

We were both puffing for air and sweat poured from his brow to drip from his beard.

“Perhaps I like you,” I said in a tone that suggested otherwise as I ducked another swing of his sabre, and stayed low to the grass.

He aimed a kick at my head and his steel covered boot crunched into the already aching side of my face while I rolled quickly away from him, just escaping his sabre as he chopped up the ground after me.

“I doubt that!” he grunted, pulling his blade from the grass. A piece of my shirt fluttered away from where it had been pinned to the ground by the point.

“You’re right. I do dislike you,” I said sourly as I bounced to my feet and raised my sword again, ready for his next attack. “That was a good shirt.” My face was throbbing and felt slick where the skin had split.

He threw himself at me, aiming shattering blow after shattering blow so that all I could do was defend and deflect, feeling my arms weakening under the strain of stopping his incredible strength.

He aimed to drive me down and to batter me into exhaustion so that he could finish me off, and I was so busy focusing on keeping us both alive, that I didn’t notice him pull a short, curved dagger from a sheath at his hip.

With one arm he lunged with his sabre for my stomach again, and while I was deflecting his sabre he raised the dagger to try to pierce my chest.

Automatically I circled his sabre upward again so that this time the hilt was torn from his fingers completely, and he watched with surprise as his blade flew away and as he was carried forward with the motion of the dagger – stepping straight toward the angled point of my sword.

“Frarshk!” I swore, and quickly pointed my sword down and to the side so that it slid harmlessly against the side of his armour rather than getting buried in his throat.

I felt him topple into me instead of onto my blade and I felt cold bite into my flesh as his dagger sank horribly into my right bicep.

Dropping my sword, I held him up for a moment before he realised he was alive. Then he pulled back and stepped away from me as if he’d seen a ghost.

“Frarshk.” Warm blood was oozing from the open skin around the jagged dagger, trickling in a fast stream down along my arm.

“You really didn’t want to kill me?” the big man’s face was covered in confusion.

I squinted up at him with a frown, half hoping he would just pass out as Thorin had when he’d been confronted with the truth.

“I still really don’t like you.” Now it was both my head and my arm that was pounding.

He sank down with shock.

“You dropped your sword and took my dagger so that … I wouldn’t die?”

He looked at his dagger in my arm.

I was sure it had missed the bone, only just scraping along it, because it had gone right through to the other side of my bicep, having sunken in up to the hilt. I could see the jagged tip of the hooked blade protruding from the other side of my arm.

I took a deep breath and brought my good hand up to the dagger’s hilt.

“You really didn’t want to harm me?” the soldier muttered again.

I growled savagely as I felt the steel scrape its way back along the bone and out of me before I tossed the blade aside while the big warrior watched in utter turmoil.

Then I saw Vidar sweep behind the bearded warrior, quickly binding the man’s hands securely. The warrior didn’t even protest.

“You made it,” I greeted Vidar glibly.

“Are you alright Raiden?” the tall Elf asked when he saw my bloodied shirt.

“I am now,” I smiled at him, feeling light headed. “I just need to bind my arm. Go help the others.” I gestured to the fights that were still going on, and Vidar nodded before dashing off to pull a shouting warrior away from Alvar’s back.

I began to reach to tear a strip of cloth from my shirt, because blood loss was already having its effect.

“Watch out!” I heard the bearded warrior suddenly yell in warning, before I felt a massive pair of hands grab me under the arms.

I was abruptly dragged backward and tossed roughly across the grass.

I blinked up at my new opponent, and he saw that I’d left my weapon beside the bearded soldier.

“Frarshk,” I swore before a fist slammed into my already radiating cheek, and a sabre was raised.

I desperately rolled away from the new soldier so that he stabbed into the ground instead impaling me. Then I turned back the way I’d come, rolling over the flat of his lodged blade so that it was torn from the man’s hand to be safely pinned flat beneath me.

I aimed a kick at his legs that sent him toppling and quickly manoeuvred his blade away from us before I felt his hands come from behind to drag me down and pin my arms.

I swore again.

But then we both became aware of a hoarse voice desperately yelling at us.

It was my previous opponent, lying on his side in a heap of tied bonds and armour.

“Stop!” he growled. “Stop it Nikon!”

Nikon, still on my stomach, stared at the bearded soldier as if he’d gone mad and I took this moment to wriggle my good arm free.

“Don’t worry Thale!” Nikon shouted back to his bearded comrade. “I will free you once I’ve slit this one’s throat!” He drew his curved, jagged dagger – just like the one I’d recently dragged free of my right arm.

“No!” bellowed the leader.

But Nikon ignored him and turned back to face me – and my fist.

I clipped his eye with my knuckles and then quickly caught his hand with the dagger, stopping it in the air.

He growled, instead lifting his free, armoured wrist to my face and scraping the spike lined cuff of his armour down my already ruined cheek.

I nearly threw him off with a furious lurch, but his eyes jumped to the hole in my other arm, still pinned beneath him, and I moaned in agony as Nikon savagely thumped a fist into the wound.

He thumped the stab wound again, ignoring Thale, the bearded soldier busily bellowing for him to stop. And I felt the rip in my skin tear wider.

With a burst of anger and adrenaline I thrust both of our dagger filled fists up into Nikon’s face with a mighty punch that drew a yelp from the soldier.

I shoved him, keeping a hold on his dagger as he sagged, and before he could recover I delivered another huge blow into his temple with its hilt. Finally he laid prone upon the grass, stunned by the impact – but also unfortunately weighing down my still pinned arm.

I groaned as I dragged my injured arm out from under his heavy body, and I felt the spikes along the spine of his armour raking my skin as I did so.

“Frarshk, Frarshk, Frarshk, Frarshk, Frarshk!” I swore darkly, cradling my arm where a series of new gashes had opened around the fast bleeding dagger hole.

I peered around blearily to find my team and Kiana’s team finishing up with their opponents after scuffles that had been drawn out by our need to catch rather than kill the enemy.

Elves were closing in on soldiers who were still loose, approaching them with ropes. But out of the corner of my eye I saw a flurry of movement and heard a curse come from a familiar voice.

I saw Noal being driven to the ground by a warrior twice his size and a furious cry exploded from my mouth. I sprang to my feet with rage as I saw the warrior raise his sabre high to deliver a death stroke.

I sprinted back to Thale and snatched up my blade from where it was still lying beside him.

“What are you doing?” he asked, frowning up at me from where he laid. “You can’t fight Vulcan, you’re about to pass out!”

I gripped my sword as tightly as I could with bloodied fingers. The pain shot from my radiating arm, but I charged ferociously towards the warrior standing over Noal, skidding to a halt and ramming my blade under the soldier’s sabre as he dropped it down.

I shoved my face into that of the startled warrior. “Back off,” I spat, and drove my sword at him so hard that he had to stumble backward and defend.

I continued to pound after him and he had to desperately parry and block, until he stumbled and went down.

Despite the fact that he had been about to kill my brother, I gritted my teeth and didn’t deliver the fatal blow he had expected. Instead I slammed my hilt into his head, sending my fourth opponent into unconsciousness.

I staggered around to face Noal, who was leaning up on his elbows, pale with exertion, and sweating from his close call.

“Are you hurt?” I demanded, worriedly striding back across to him.

“No,” he puffed. “You made sure of that.” I saw him smile at someone over my shoulder and I looked to see Kiana standing there, with a scene of struggling or unconscious soldiers behind her.

“Sounds like you did well,” Kiana told me.

I was feeling sluggish, but I managed a smile. “You took your time getting here.”

“We’d gone further than Nova expected. And I regret that.” Kiana eyed my battered face, which was pulsing with heat. Then her eyes went to my crimson shirt sleeve. “You look a mess.”

“I feel a mess,” I grimaced and extended my good arm to pull Noal to his feet.

Instead, he quickly reached up and put a steadying hand on my chest as I swayed. Kiana rushed forward and I felt her quickly grab me from behind to help me stay upright too.

“Perhaps you’re as bad as you look,” she said, and Noal clambered to his feet to quickly help her.

“It’s a stab wound!” a worried voice called. Thale watched us from where he was bound a distance away.

“Some soldiers just didn’t seem to understand the concept of a good fight without killing,” I sighed and glared at the bearded warrior.

“What exactly happened?” Kiana asked as she helped Noal to lower me to clear ground.

“It was a dagger to the arm, along with some armour spikes,” I admitted as Noal sat beside me. “I was fortunate it was nothing more.”

“My dagger was edged with a toxin,” Thale croaked. He was looking decidedly conflicted over whether he was betraying his comrades by helping us – or if it would betray his conscience not to. “It is a Krall toxin that thins the blood and weakens a foe.”

“Let me see then,” Kiana said, sitting down on my other side.

I wearily closed my eyes while Noal kept me sitting upright with a hand on my shoulder. Kiana unsheathed her own dagger, cutting away the torn remains of my sleeve.

“Oh DISGUSTING!” I heard Nova say and I opened my eyes with an effort to see the Nymph flitting down to sit on the bearded warrior, Thale’s chest.

Kiana and Noal were staring at my arm.

“I saw this one do it,” Naira said matter-of-factly, also sweeping down to sit on Thale. “Then that one finished off the job,” she added, nodding her pink hair toward the unconscious Nikon.

Thale was assuming a green tone.

I squinted at my arm myself and winced at the sight of the torn skin all around the original stab wound. It looked like it had been scraped away with a peeler. Muscle was exposed and the dagger hole had torn wider after my exertions with Nikon. The blood was still leaking down my arm in fast streams, creating an odd tickling sensation that mingled with the hot throbbing feeling.

“Lucky the spike ones aren’t that deep,” I commented. “And lucky the dagger wasn’t very wide, so it’s a small cut.”

“But not so lucky, the dagger was a long, curved one,” Kiana said. “It has gone right through, and has left an uneven trail.” She turned then to the guilty faced Thale. “Is the toxin Krarx?” she demanded of the bearded soldier.

“Nothing so immediately deadly,” the warrior answered quickly. “It’s Kilto.”

“Don’t be too hard on him,” I sighed. “I think he’s going to go through the awakening that Thorin went through.”

Vidar led the other Elves across to us then.

If they’d been in a fight to the death, I was certain that the Elves would have been untouchable and unscathed. But after this restrained battle, I saw that even Quidel, Rendor and an Elf from Kiana’s team had managed to get assorted bruises, scrapes, bloodied noses and slits across chests that bled with a thick, luminescent silver colour.

It appeared that the Krall men had been smart enough to flood such powerful Elvish opponents in groups while Noal and I had faced only independent foes before Kiana had arrived.

“Sorry I won’t be able to help you carry our captives home,” I grinned at the Elves.

Vidar knelt down, examining my arm and face before he lifted my shirt a little to reveal my side, which was scraped raw and already black and blue.

Noal hissed sympathetically. “Perhaps you shall have to be carried yourself,” he told me.

I noticed Kiana was pulling cloth for bandages out of a pack to bandage my arm and exclaimed in surprise. “Is that your healing pack?”

She nodded with relief. “I found it with the rest of their bags. They must’ve kept it for me while they searched.”

I winced as I felt the pressure of the bandages tightening around the wounds, and noticed that I was now leaning almost completely on Noal – my nose inches from his chin.

“Gods,” I heard Thale utter sickly. “I just don’t understand.”

Nova and Naira glanced down at him in curiosity from where they were still sitting on his chest.

“You’re going into shock. It’s something mortals haven’t heard of yet, but they do it all the time,” Nova told the warrior helpfully.

“This will help.” Naira flicked her hand and a globe of light appeared from her palm and floated gently down to absorb into Thale’s forehead so that his eyes closed at once.

I stared at Naira blearily while Kiana wiped at my burning face, but the Nymph just shrugged and yawned.

“We can’t really afford him to blow his top off right now. I just put him to sleep. Deep sleep.”

“Ready?” Kiana asked Noal over my shoulder, who I felt nod.

“Great,” I said wearily, as Kiana got up and took my good arm in her hands so that I could sit forward and Noal could stand as well.

Then together they helped lever me to my feet.

I felt as if someone had packed my arm full of lead, but I stayed quiet as Noal slung my good arm over his shoulder, and wrapped his own arm around me.

“We’re organised,” Kiana told Vidar.

“How exactly are we going to bring everyone else back to the City?” Noal asked, glancing at the soldiers who were littering the Forest floor.

“We’ll take care of that.” Nova stretched luxuriously. Then the two Nymphs shot up from Thale’s chest and whizzed about the clearing.

They first untied all of the bound men, and then they pelted little balls of light into the foreheads of each of the passed out men – and like puppets, the band of soldiers got to their feet.

“Clean up,” commanded Nova, speaking to the unconscious men lolling on their feet, and immediately they began to take shuffling steps, shambling around to pick up all dropped weapons and discarded packs.

“Now follow,” ordered Naira, and at once they formed a line with the two Nymphs as their leaders.

“There’s only fifteen of them, and their minds are blank at the moment,” Nova confided with a pointy grin.

Noal shook his head with wonder. “I’d sure hate to be on your bad side.”

I just concentrated on walking as the party began to leave with the strange procession of sleeping Krall warriors marching ahead of us.

I managed to march for a while, but keeping up became such an effort that eventually I heard Noal call out to Kiana as I finally slumped against him.

“Just need a quick rest,” I mumbled as she ran to my side.

Then I saw Nova bringing a ball of light to her fist.

“No you don’t!” I said, trying to swat her away, but she easily flitted around my arm and pressed the glowing ball to my forehead.

My eyes were closing when I heard Vidar step comfortingly close. “Don’t worry Raiden. With my power I can support you.”

Chapter Twenty Eight

Noal

We found Thorin and a crowd of Elves and Nymphs waiting for us when we finally descended the slope into the City.

Thorin stared at his puppet-like comrades as they paraded past him at Nova’s command, but Asha whirred gleefully up to meet me and showered my face with kisses before contentedly burrowing into my arms.

“They’re fine,” Kiana reassured Thorin as the other Krall warriors were marched toward his original cell – with Naira now perching disinterestedly on an unconscious warrior’s bald head, examining her reflection in it.

“They escaped with only minor bumps, even if others didn’t,” I added, looking back with a frown to where Vidar had paused.

“What’s wrong?” Kiana asked with concern, moving to Vidar’s side as he laid Dalin on the grass.

“He’s waking up,” the Elf replied in surprise, and Asha and her fellow Nymphs noticed Dalin for the first time.

Asha sat up hurriedly in my arms, her face switching from contentment to bewilderment. “What happened to the Raiden?” she asked, eyeing Dalin’s blood soaked shirt as Thorin and our welcoming party came closer.

“He was stabbed with a poisoned dagger,” Vidar explained. “But the Nymphs put him to sleep, and he’s not meant to wake for hours,” the Elf added with raised brows.

Flash and Rebel landed next to Vidar to examine Dalin.

“His broken nose may now have a broken cheek bone added to it,” Rebel observed with a crinkled up expression.

“So Nova and Naira put him to sleep?” Flash asked with amazement. “That’s incredible! Not many can wake up from that before they’re meant to.”

Dalin’s eyes weren’t open but his bruised features creased with a frown. “Oh Frarshk,” he moaned, and struggled to sit up against Vidar.

“What is it Raiden?” Rebel asked with concern.

“It’s not that incredible at all,” Dalin answered mournfully. “Nobody could sleep through all this chatter.”

His skin was so pale that the scar along the un-bruised side of his face stood out and his green eyes were feverish when he blinked at us.

“Well grumpy or not, I’m putting you back to sleep,” Flash told him, and pressed a glowing palm to Dalin’s forehead before he could protest.

“I’ll get Chloris to come to the Raiden’s tower,” Rebel said as Vidar hoisted Dalin back up.

“Do you know the name of the poison on the blade?” Thorin asked while we followed Vidar and made our way to Dalin’s bedroom in our tower.

“Kilto,” Kiana replied while Dalin was set down. “Which I know is not the worst toxin of Krall, but which will need attention.”

Kiana began to unwind the bloodied bandages she’d tied around Dalin’s arm as soon as Vidar had left to report to Chloris.

“What are you doing?” I asked her, pushing Dalin’s hair back from his pale, marked face.

“Chloris will want to inspect and clean it,” she told me, gently pulling the cloth away from the wounds.

Thorin winced when he saw the mess of holes and spike wounds. The skin gaped open like torn meat. “Ouch,” he wheezed in sympathy. “It’s gone right through.”

“Ouch,” I agreed, feeling queasy as I looked at the bloodied mess again myself.

Kiana inspected his ribs and the gashes along his face more closely now. “At least he won’t need stitches for the face.” She lightly drew his eyelid up to inspect his swelling eye then. “And the damage around his cheek shouldn’t cost him his vision.”

Dalin tried to turn in his sleep, but I pressed him gently down to still him.

“Is there anything I can do?” Thorin asked earnestly, but Kiana shook her head.

“I could definitely help to heal this, but Chloris is much more experienced, so I’ll leave him in her hands. It’s fortunate it happened in the Forest. In some less medically able villages, this kind of wound would have become infected enough for the victim to need to lose the arm.”

I shuddered as I was reminded of the struggle Agrudek suffered over the loss of his hand, but turned as we heard Chloris ascending the steps.

“The Three are keeping me quite occupied of late,” she smiled at us as she climbed into the room. Ailill was following her.

“I only just removed the stitches from his leg,” Ailill remarked dryly, and I noticed Thorin ducking his head awkwardly at that.

“More stitches?” I asked, mortified on Dalin’s behalf.

Ailill examined the dagger wound. “Only some,” he told me while Chloris nodded. “To seal up both ends. Now shoo,” Ailill told us. “Give us some peace.”

“Can’t I stay with him?” I asked the Elf.

“We need a sanitary environment,” he remarked with the ghost of a smile.

And when Thorin put a comforting hand on my shoulder to guide me from the room, I followed glumly.

Chapter Twenty Nine

Kiana

“I would have preferred to give them more than a day to settle down,” I told Thorin as Noal, Asha and I led him to the patch of ground that would open into what had once been his cell. “They have hardly started their first night in the City yet.”

“I can’t stand listening to them yell the Forest down anymore,” Thorin said tensely. “They might start to feel threatened enough to actually take their Krarx.”

“You’ll try to make them see the truth?” Asha asked Thorin curiously, swinging from her grip on Noal’s hand while the Granx sat on her forehead. “A mass awakening?”

“I’ll try to settle them and prepare them to hear it from Kiana,” Thorin grimaced. “I don’t think I’m inspiring enough on my own.”

“We need you with us in case we have to put any of them back to sleep in a hurry,” Noal told Asha. “And because we love your company,” he added.

When the patch of grass disappeared to reveal the ladder, Asha, Noal and I waited quietly in the side room while Thorin cautiously approached the vine barred door.

Almost as soon as the vines had parted there were cries of disbelief.

“Thorin!” they yelled, and I heard the sounds of scrambling feet as they ran to hug him and thump him on the back.

“We thought you were dead!” came one voice.

“Where’ve they been keeping you?”

“Are you harmed?”

He cleared his throat with an uncomfortable cough. “I’m not being held prisoner.”

And suddenly the voices of glee and welcome faded to silence.

“You’ve joined them?”

“No. Well, yes. But it’s not like that,” he fumbled to explain. “They’ve accepted me as a friend.”

“You’ve betrayed us then?” one soldier accused.

“No, they wish to be friends to you too,” Thorin explained.

“How can they be friends?” protested another. “We are being held captive!”

I heard Thorin trying to be patient, perhaps remembering his own reaction not so long previously.

“Look around you, this room is more like a Palace bedroom than a dungeon. They’ve given you food and water, they’ve even bandaged your wounds!” he pointed out.

“So they aren’t trying to kill us yet, they’re even feeding us,” argued a voice. “They’re magical beings! Who can say what they’re planning? Perhaps they’re fattening us up like livestock!”

Asha clasped a hand over her mouth to keep from giggling while the Granx waved about on her forehead.

“They’re not farming you all for food,” Thorin managed to sound placating.

Noal was trying to appear serious but he was failing too.

“They ambushed us!” argued another.

“Yes, but none of you are even really hurt,” Thorin countered. “We know that’s strange. An enemy doesn’t pause to kill.” I heard him take in a breath. “Instinctively you know you aren’t in any danger. Otherwise you would have eaten your fatal dose of Krarx, as all Krall soldiers have been trained to do if they have any doubt.”

“Clearly we didn’t think to eat it because we plan on fighting our way free of here,” someone stubbornly replied after a pause.

“You thought you could easily escape the magical beings who have so effortlessly thwarted our every move in the Forest?” Thorin asked dryly this time.

“Well that just reminds me of another reason why they must be enemies,” came another’s voice. “They’ve captured the girl we’ve been trying to rescue for so long.”

I shrugged at Noal and Asha before I crossed to lean in their doorway, finding a much bigger room than before, with many more beds and people in it.

“Actually, I’m not a prisoner here either,” I informed them, and fifteen pairs of eyes flew to the door to stare at me.

“It’s her!” someone whispered.

“Kiana,” I supplied.

“Kiana!” they echoed wistfully, and Thorin blushed, likely recalling that he’d reacted very similarly.

“You’re not being held prisoner?” one soldier asked from where he was sitting on a bed.

I shook my head. “You’re not either,” I told them all. “You’d be freed if you wanted it.”

“What?” Confusion was now beginning to enter their eyes.

“It’s true,” Thorin affirmed grimly.

“And you weren’t searching for me because you wanted to help me. It was because I’d escaped you and your King. It was in fact the Elves and Nymphs who saved me from you and from the arrow wound your General had given me.”

“Stop!” a bald man groaned, growing pale.

“I can’t stand to hear all of this!” one cried fretfully. “I remember all of this but there is something telling me not to believe it!”

Another one collapsed back upon his bed and moaned, his head in his hands.

“It’s all true,” said a hollow voice from a bed by the wall, and I noticed the bearded leader who had stabbed Dalin.

“I feel the same,” cried another man dejectedly, and sank down against the wash stand.

“Why would they bring us to their City if they didn’t want to hurt us?” said another, his face blanched.

“Unless they weren’t enemies,” Thorin finished for him. “And just wanted to help.”

“So … so we are the threat to you?” one asked me, mortified and blinking around at the pale faces of those around him.

“You aren’t the villains,” I said compassionately. “Your King is. Darziates has blinded you, and as his soldiers you had no choice but to obey.”

“I know,” said the bearded leader in a flat tone, eyes on the floor. “I’ve felt that and not admitted it for as long as I can remember. But we had to submit to him … our families …”

The room fell into silence as each man sank into his thoughts.

“For tonight you can sleep here and get used to things,” I told them gently, choosing to withdraw to let them think. “In the morning if you feel up to it you can meet all of the friends waiting to greet you in the City above.”

“Gods,” one of them muttered in disbelief, looking winded.

The vines over the door didn’t close again after I walked through them. After all, these men weren’t really prisoners, and Noal and Asha followed me out.

Chapter Thirty

Dalin

“You’ve been asleep for two days,” Chloris told me. “You must take things slowly Raiden.”

I felt so fragile as I squinted at her with one eye swollen half closed, that even the shine of her silvery white Elvish hair was too dazzling in the sun.

“More like I’ve been made to sleep for a couple of days,” I grimaced as I sat up stiffly.

“Yes. And if you’re not careful of your health, I might call on the Nymphs to send you to sleep again,” Chloris warned.

“I will be entirely careful,” I promised, and waited until after the Elf had left before kicking off the sheets and pulling myself up to face the looking glass in my room.

“Gods,” I muttered, touching the puffy, purple bruises and jagged slices along my cheekbone, and observing the skin stretched over my damaged eyelid. I could only see through a slit in the swollen purple mountain it had become.

I found more bruises in a stunning array of colours when I lifted the clean linen shirt I’d been dressed in, and knew that I wouldn’t be able to tolerate any of the fitted garments I’d been given to wear in the Forest so far.

Instead I foraged around until I found a loose tunic and my weather stained trousers. I managed to pull the pants up and to step into my boots with the aid of my good arm, but I cursed when I tried to dress myself in the tunic and felt my arm throb and burn.

“You know I’m sure Chloris actually meant for you to be careful when she said that you should be careful,” Noal commented from the doorway.

“I’m not doing anything strenuous,” I told him.

“Ah,” he nodded thoughtfully. “That’s why that nasty tunic is getting the better of you.”

I sighed with exasperation. “Are you going to help, or reprimand?”

He grinned. “I don’t know why I bother,” he said as he came across to help me drag the tunic over my head, threading my arms through.

“Did you let Ailill put stitches in me again?” I asked him with distaste as I felt my skin tighten against them with the movement.

Noal ducked his head guiltily. “Your mother always told me not to argue with the healers.”

“That was in regards to you. She never told you not to protest on my behalf.” I shook my head at him, and ran my fingers through my hair to try to bring it into some semblance.

“So what are you planning?” he asked finally when I was dressed and headed for the steps. “Seeing as you won’t stay in bed.”

I buckled on my sword more out of habit than anything else, finding it difficult with one good arm. “I don’t know. I just feel like getting out and about.”

“I shall accompany you out as well as about then, my brother,” he declared cheerfully, following me as I descended.

But I regretted stepping back out into the City immediately, as I at once saw two Krall warriors standing across from our tower, surrounded by a mass of curious Nymphs.

“Seriously?” I paused in shock. “It seems like every time I wake up a new Krall warrior is walking about the City.”

“They’ve all come to their senses much like Thorin did,” Noal explained calmly. “For the past two days they’ve been settling in while you’ve been recovering.”

“Of course.”

“Really Dalin. The Elves and Nymphs have accepted these men and are trying to help them adjust. I don’t mind them.”

“In two days you’ve got to know the people who wanted to take us to Darziates?” I asked wearily. “How about the big one who tried to chop your head off?”

“I’ve talked to most of them,” Noal answered patiently. “And you should too. Then you would feel what I do, that they really are different now.”

“Where is Kiana then?” I tried to change the conversation.

Noal sighed. “Asha convinced Kiana to go with her to her favourite water pool.”

I nodded. “Should we visit?”

“The Nymphs will cheer you up,” Noal answered in agreement, and we made our way into the quiet part of the City where the water pool was.

However, again, I regretted my choice when I found that not only was Kiana there, but also Thorin and four of his comrades.

Asha squealed with delight and whizzed out of the water towards me at top speed. “You’re awake!” she cried, wrapping her little arms about my throat as I caught her one armed. “Your beautiful body is all in one piece!” she crooned. “Though it’s a shame about your face.” She wrinkled her nose at my mountainous eye.

Flash and Rebel shot across and pumped me on the back in a congratulatory way.

“Well done on giving us a challenge in seeing who could make you sleep the longest,” Flash praised my efforts. “It was quite disconcerting every time you woke up a few hours before schedule. Nova may never forgive you.”

“The One might not forgive him now either,” Rebel chortled then, and I looked over to notice that the group sitting on the opposite side of the water had stopped talking, and Kiana had a dark expression on her face.

“Good morning,” I greeted her across the water.

“You were meant to stay in bed,” she replied warningly.

“Perhaps I am sleepwalking,” I answered. “Gods know I’ve been pumped with enough magic to make that happen.” I shot a dry one eyed look at Flash.

“Are you going to swim with us?” Asha crooned. “I’ll help you get your shirt off.” She immediately started unlacing the front of my tunic.

I could see by the startled warriors’ faces that they hadn't yet got used to such actions from this gorgeous, tiny being.

“I wouldn’t,” Rebel warned. “Ailill would just kill you if you wet his stitches.”

Asha, paused, and then exhaled dramatically. “Another day then.” She turned to Noal. “But handsome here has no excuse.”

“Oh all right then,” Noal said with hearty self-sacrifice, and quickly tore off his shirt and boots to chase the squealing Nymphs. He dived like a whale, sending each of the Nymphs tumbling about in the foamed water from the shock waves.

“Well?” Kiana lifted her eyebrow at me from across the rock pool.

“Oh Frarshk,” I said under my breath, and began to walk around to the group.

Kiana patted the grass beside herself at the end of their line along the bank.

“This is Dalin,” she told the soldiers calmly. “The Forest dwellers refer to him as the Raiden.”

For once they were not encased in spiked armour, and appeared more human.

“I’ve got a bruise that says we’ve met, I think,” said one of the men with a wide smile, tapping his shock of curls.

I nodded coolly and sat down, feigning great interest in the playful banter going on in the water as Kiana resumed the conversation she’d been having with them about Krall training routines.

Eventually I laid back upon the grass and closed my eyes, ignoring them completely while my arm throbbed horribly.

“You look spent,” I heard Kiana say, and realised I must’ve fallen into sleep. “You know, your face really is a mess.”

She was leaning over me, shielding my eyes from the sun with her hand, and I frowned at the light.

“It’s afternoon already?”

She nodded. “You might as well have stayed in bed after all.”

“Gods, I’m sick of sleeping, but I can’t seem to stop,” I moaned, pushing myself up with my good arm.

“That’s because you kept forcing the Nymphs to outdo each other,” said Noal, who was now dry and sitting next to Thorin. “They gave you a few really impressive blasts to keep you unconscious.”

“That explains it,” I agreed, sitting forward and rubbing my forehead.

“I could hardly see straight when they put me to sleep just once,” one of the soldiers joined in politely then.

“Yes. Well, I might walk it off,” I said by way of excusing myself, and pulled myself to my feet.

“I’ll come with you!” Asha chirped, kissing Noal on the nose and then flying across to hover next to me.

Kiana stood too. “A walk would be good,” she agreed.

“Are we going to visit the little man?” Asha asked as we began to walk back around the water. “Agrudek seems even more agitated lately.”

Already with some distance from the new invaders, and with chattering Asha and Kiana by my side, my mood was lightening with every step.

Chapter Thirty One

Noal

“You should all stop by at my place tonight,” Flash remarked innocently to the five men of Krall sitting along the edge of the water.

“It’ll be fun,” Rebel encouraged, just as adorable as his mischievous friend.

I snorted and flicked some water at them. “Don’t be fooled by their coaxing,” I warned the warriors. “Whenever I join them I wake up the next morning surrounded in empty Nymph liquor bottles and with a headache like an axe to the forehead.”

“You’ve always had fun getting yourself into that state though,” Flash protested good-naturedly, rolling over to lay on his back with his hands cradling his head in mid-air.

“Have I?” I asked. “I can’t remember.”

“Sounds like I’d enjoy spending time with you tonight,” one of the men grinned at the Nymphs. His name was Tane, and he couldn’t seem to stop being cheerful to save his life. It seemed that everything about him was energetic, even his hair, which was wildly curly.

“That’s my boy!” crowed Flash joyously.

“Actually I am a father,” Tane demurred at the ‘boy’ title.

“Aww Rebel, do you think he’s old enough to drink with us?” Flash asked his orange haired friend.

“Dunno. It’s pretty potent stuff for a child to handle,” Rebel speculated. “But the baby over here survived,” he added on the bright side, nodding at me.

“Child?” objected one called Wolf, looking mildly offended. “Most of us have reached our twentieth year and beyond. Thale has reached his thirtieth year.”

Rebel held his stomach and rolled about in the air laughing. “Flash, do you really think these novices can handle it?” he wiped at his eyes exaggeratedly.

“Novices?” Wolf was hurt. “Now that’s a bit harsh.”

One particularly massive man leaned back on the grass on an elbow. He happened to be the one who had been trying to remove my head before Dalin had fought him off and, after recently apologising profusely, he’d introduced himself as Vulcan.

Vulcan coughed subtly. “I was just wondering,” he said. “If we are so fresh in your eyes, how old does that make the both of you?”

Flash looked him straight in the eye, suddenly becoming serious. “I was in my fifteenth year when Darziates chased the Nymphs into the Forest.”

Purdor, the last warrior of the group by the water, spluttered and Rebel obligingly thumped him on the back. “But that would make you …”

Flash nodded and winked a silver eye. “Over five hundred years old. But don’t tell Asha, she thinks I’m older. She likes older Nymphs.”

There was a stunned silence.

“You hold your age well,” Vulcan complimented him finally in a polite voice.

“You hold your age well?” I echoed him with a chuckle.

“Well what would you say to that?” Vulcan defended. “They look like infants.”

“That’s so that big folk like yourselves underestimate us and wonder what went wrong while we tear you to shreds.” Flash grinned nastily, and his sharply pointed teeth abruptly seemed a lot more sinister.

I remembered watching the Nymphs ripping through the throats of the ape beasts in the Cursed Valley, and the Krall soldiers now glanced at each other with sudden unease.

“We meant no offense, Flash,” Thorin told the child-like Nymph in a placating tone.

And Flash’s expression rapidly transformed again as he burst into peals of laughter.

“See?” he chortled to Rebel, who was guffawing as he circled us too. “This bunch can’t handle us. You should’ve seen your faces!” Flash roared at the soldiers, nearly falling out of the air.

“You should’ve seen yours,” I reprimanded him, swatting at his leg as it dangled near me.

“They know I’d never hurt my friends. We never even hurt them when they were enemies,” Flash complained, floating lazily down to stand on my shoulder.

“Sure we knew,” Tane said weakly, and glanced at the relieved faces around him. “But you reminded me of why I’m so glad we’ve become your friends.”

“Because of my liquor?” Flash asked distractedly, suddenly noticing a golden haired female Nymph in the distance. Then without warning he abandoned us, his eyes fixed on her with delight as he hurriedly shot through the air to get to her.

Rebel chuckled. “Asha will kill him,” then he sat bolt straight, his own eyes becoming big.

“What’s wrong?” Wolf asked him with concern.

But the Nymph didn’t reply before he shot after a second lady Nymph now wandering past where Flash and the golden haired Nymph were in an intimate embrace.

“They’re likable things,” Tane chuckled.

“They certainly don’t waste time in greeting each other,” Purdor remarked, noticing how quickly Rebel and Flash had closed in on their new partners with rather seductive motions.

But soon Flash and Rebel came zooming back towards us, having somehow forgotten their romantic ventures, and having found the time to start a quarrel that involved cheerful play wrestling.

Rebel gleefully pulled Flash into a flip in the air by yanking on his silver hair, and Flash repaid the favour.

“Gods they’re amazing,” Wolf laughed as we watched them whirl themselves into a blur of colour and small limbs. But before more than a few moments had passed, the two Nymphs floated back over to us chattering about the night’s gathering as if they’d never broken from that conversation.

“Well, anyway,” Rebel said as he glided down to the ground next to Thorin. “This infant is ready to drink all of you big manly men under the table.”

Vulcan snorted. “You’re on.”

Rebel smiled fearsomely. “Bet I can outlast all sixteen of you.”

“I’ll round up the lads and bring them to your place and we’ll see,” Wolf agreed to the challenge, rubbing his hands together.

But Thorin was looking at Flash now with a frown. “Is he alright?” Thorin asked and we all followed his gaze to where the Nymph had been zooming about doing crazy somersaults, though now he’d abruptly stopped mid-air.

I shrugged. “That’s what happens. The Nymphs use so much energy all of the time that sometimes they just fall down on the spot and sleep to recharge.”

“Gods!” Purdor had looked down to find Rebel had also stopped and was now snoring gently next to Thorin. “Rebel was just talking to us a moment ago.”

We watched as Flash slowly drifted down from the air, already asleep before he’d reached the ground.

I nodded at their amazed faces. “It’s best to watch where you step around here,” I warned. “If you look carefully there’s often a bunch of Nymphs burrowed in the grass all about the place. And as soon as they’re awake they’ve got double the energy they had before.”

“Are you coming tonight?” Vulcan asked then, sitting up and stretching his arms.

“Course I am,” I grinned. “Drinking with Nymphs is the most fun you’ll ever have, even if they can drink more than I ever thought possible.”

Tane clapped me on the back. “I think we’re going to get along.”

Wolf nodded. “I never thought I’d like an Awyalknian,” he admitted.

“I never thought that Elves and Nymphs were real,” groaned Purdor. “But they’re all around me now too.”

“I never thought I’d be glad to see someone magical,” Thorin mused. “But it turns out not all magical beings are like Agrona and Darziates.”

There was silence for a moment as the tone became serious.

“Come on Thorin, I’m dashing and funny, but I’m not magical,” I said, batting my eyes at him in good humour.

They chuckled and the mood lightened.

“Awyalknians being friends … drinks with magical beings … I guess more bizarre things have happened,” Wolf shrugged.

“It’s true,” I agreed. “I’ve stopped bothering to be shocked these days, after all that’s happened to us so far.”

They looked at me questioningly, but I didn’t explain further about our Quest, the prophecies and why Darziates had sent them to catch us in the first place. Instead, I pushed myself up to my feet and stretched.

“You’re leaving?” Tane asked.

“I’ve got to tell Dalin and Kiana that we’re having drinks with the Nymphs again. You should probably pass the message on to everyone else, seeing as you said you could all beat Flash and Rebel in a drinking game.”

“Would your friend Dalin really want to come?” Purdor asked. “He doesn’t seem to have taken a liking to us.”

“Which is understandable,” Wolf added to avoid offence.

I shook my head. “Dalin will come round. He is one of the best friends you could have, once he sees that you are friends. He’s looked out for me ever since I can remember, and even the Elves and Nymphs trust him as a leader, as young as he is.”

Thorin had become glum.

“Don’t worry,” I told him. “You’ll see a different side of him tonight. He wouldn’t miss drinking with the Nymphs.”

“See you soon then,” Vulcan smiled.

I think he still felt bad about trying to kill me.

Chapter Thirty Two

Noal

I was whistling as I climbed the steps to Kiana’s tower, checking to see if Kiana and Dalin had returned. But I wasn’t expecting to see the cloaked person lurking in Kiana’s bedroom.

I nearly fell backward down the steps when I saw the hooded figure, which was too big to be a Nymph, as well as too small to be an Elf or one of the other men. But I breathed a sigh of relief when the figure whirled around.

“Agrudek!” I exclaimed, skipping up the final steps and walking across to him. “You startled me! I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”

“Didn’t mean to alarm you,” he said quickly.

“Never mind that,” I reassured the poor man. “Are you well? I haven't seen you!”

“Yes – I know.” he said nervously. “Sorry. Should have come to visit ... I heard of all the ... er ... heroics!”

“You must have come to make up for it by visiting Kiana now,” I surmised. “Well don’t worry,” I told him. “You can keep me company while I wait for Kiana and Dalin too.”

I put my arm around his shoulders and steered him towards the steps, propelling him down to the kitchen level.

“Take a seat and I’ll get you something,” I said. “Kiana won’t mind. She’s used to providing food for Dalin and I.”

Agrudek glanced back up at Kiana’s room, but then he crossed the kitchen to put a pot full of water over a hot globe of Nymph light that was always alight in the corner. “Let … me do it,” he said.

“That’s nice of you,” I took a seat at the little table in Kiana’s kitchen while he grabbed a cup and a plate, both with one hand.

When he placed them on the counter I noticed him pulling a pouch out from a pocket in his brown cloak, and then sprinkling some small grey leaves from it into the cup before pouring the warmed water in.

“Oh. Did you bring your own tea leaves with you? Is that tea that you’re making?” I asked with an effort to conceal my distaste.

“Ah … yes,” he answered shakily. “I brought them from my tower. But now they’re just for you.”

I glared up at the heavens as he turned away to stir the hot fluid. The Gods always seemed to find humour in cornering me into having things I hated.

“And we can have an apple each with it …” he told me. “You said – Kiana won’t mind.”

I plastered a smile across my face when he turned back and brought the cup of tea over.

I stared at the tea as he next carried the apple laden plate over and set them on the table, and I noticed that that cup of tea looked particularly nasty and had a potent scent. The grey leaves had turned the water they floated in into a horrible murky colour.

“Are you sure you want to sacrifice the tea leaves you brought, just for me?” I asked hesitantly. “You can have the cup instead?”

“Oh no – I want you to drink it.” He sat down opposite me and fidgeted, seeming even jumpier than usual. “I … I just came to see how Kiana was and if Dalin had … recovered.” His eyes darted to my cup and back to my face.

“It’s good to have you to wait with then,” I told him amiably, trying to postpone having to drink the muck in front of me.

He glanced back at the steps to Kiana’s room.

“You haven’t touched your tea,” he said then, and I inwardly cringed.

I lifted the cup, trying not to appear overly repulsed. “It looks lovely.”

Agrudek watched me as I lifted it with dread to my lips, and seeing as there was no escaping it, I took a massive gulp.

The grey liquid was worse than any tea I’d ever tasted and I set the cup back down. But he was satisfied enough that I’d only had one gulp.

I forced myself to swallow, and with an effort I managed to smile at him. “Thanks. That’s great.”

Agrudek sat back, as if strangely relieved, and watched me intently so that I started to feel slightly uncomfortable.

“How … how do you feel?” he questioned, scrutinising my face.

“I’m fi –” I began, and suddenly stopped to draw in a sharp breath.

A stabbing pain shot through my chest and stomach, as if my insides were coiling themselves into knots. I gasped and doubled over, clutching my stomach.

“Gods!” I cried.

Another blast of agony radiated through my core, and this time it felt as if every particle of my body was screaming with it. I felt my frame begin to shudder uncontrollably, and I slipped sideways off the chair – clutching my stomach and curling up on the floor.

I heard Agrudek stand. “Yes …” he said quietly. “Pain for now, but it will be over quickly. I’m sorry. I have … so little time.”

I couldn’t seem to control my body anymore, shaking all over as I was wracked with searing jolts. Even my heart felt like it was being pin pricked.

Then, with horror, I realised that the prickling was leading to something else. Something worse.

As the sharp pains faded, no feeling whatsoever replaced it. And I was no longer moving at all.

Finally all I could do was lie on the floor and look up in panic.

“I hadn’t planned … I just needed to get … But, perhaps doing this will help me in his eyes …” Agrudek gazed down at me sadly, and then turned and climbed the steps back up into Kiana’s room.

I was struggling to keep breathing when the inventor rushed back down the steps carrying the box that held the Sorcerer’s communication globe.

All I could hear was the blood surging in my ears, and each gulp of breath.

And as everything started to fade to darkness I watched Agrudek hurry past and down the steps to flee Kiana’s tower.

Chapter Thirty Three

Dalin

Asha was asleep in Kiana’s arms as we headed back to her tower, walking together companionably as the sun began to set.

“I feel better,” I told Kiana. “I am glad we walked together.”

“You’re still a battered patchwork,” she replied. “But you seem much calmer.”

I smiled tentatively with sore lips. “Any tension inside me slipped away as we walked.”

“The Forest does that for me,” she agreed.

“You do that for me,” I informed her as we neared her tower door, and I was glad to see her eyes crinkle with warmth.

“Hi!” Thorin’s voice called and I glanced up to see him breaking away from the small group he’d been with at the rock pool earlier, loping across to us.

At once a twinge of annoyance began again in my stomach as he drew level with us and threw a grin at me.

I nodded back.

“Are you both nearly ready?” he asked.

“Ready for what?” Kiana questioned, swaying Asha gently to and fro.

Thorin’s face became confused. “To go to Flash’s place. Rebel bet all sixteen of us that he could out drink us all.”

Kiana gave her half smile. “He probably can.”

“Noal left to find you both a short while ago, to let you know,” Thorin said. “Everyone’s already heading over to get started.”

I sighed to Kiana. “Poor Noal has probably been waiting for us to get back.”

“Poor Noal has probably been eating through my cupboard,” she said dryly. “Come on then,” she told Thorin and I. “We’ll collect Noal and head over together.”

And we followed her as she swept into the tower and began climbing the stairs.

I paused to unbuckle my sword, leaning it against the wall of the sitting room below the kitchen so that I wouldn’t have to carry it at Flash’s party. “He’s probably fallen asleep,” I remarked as Kiana continued up. “It’s so quiet in here.”

“Noal?” Kiana gasped as she peered into the kitchen and I glanced up hurriedly. She sprang up the rest of the steps and into the room above. “Noal!”

“Gods, what’s happened?” I asked, my heart skipping a beat as I crossed the room and pounded up the steps after her to find Noal lying on the floor.

His skin was whiter than bone, his eyes were closed and he was as still as death.

I barely noticed Thorin rushing behind me as I sank to my knees by Noal’s side in absolute terror.

“Noal?” I wailed as if he would miraculously awaken. I touched his hand and moaned. “He’s cold! How is this possible? He was fine earlier!”

“What is it?” Asha asked sleepily, rubbing her eyes and climbing out of Kiana’s arms.

Then she saw Noal and in the span of moments her little face underwent a series of changes from confusion, to fear, and then to rage.

“Who did this?” she hissed savagely, her enormous eyes suddenly gleaming with fury. Her red hair seemed even fierier.

Kiana put a hand to Noal’s forehead and winced as she felt the iciness of his skin.

“Who did this?!” Asha roared, rising into the air like a wasp.

“We don’t know yet Asha,” I told her, barely hearing my weak voice. I held onto Noal’s hand as if I could heat it with my own.

Asha stared at Noal’s still body, his deathly pale face. Suddenly she shrieked in a voice louder and more frightening than thunder.

“I’ll raise the Nymph armies to rip out the heart of the one who hurt him!” she screeched in a voice that echoed with energy, and Kiana and I were nearly blown backward by the force of the animosity as it exploded around her magically.

Cups and plates in cupboards rattled and the table and chairs screeched along the floor with her power, exploding like a furious gale in an electrical storm.

I saw Thorin teeter off balance as Asha whisked to the window and burst out of it, screaming and bellowing furiously for the Nymph armies to rise.

“Noal?” I asked again, stupidly, and clasped his hand in both of mine as Kiana knelt to try to listen for a heartbeat. “Please my brother …” I cried. “Wake up!”

Kiana now searched for any kind of wound or mark to signal what could have hurt him and I closed my eyes and began to pray to the Gods to not take his spirit.

“He is breathing,” Kiana said briskly. “And there is no wound. Nothing.”

“No wound?” I heard Thorin question her, and I opened my eyes as he knelt beside her with a worried frown. He face showed more dread now that he had heard there was no injury.

“What is it?” Kiana asked him. “What are you thinking?”

Thorin put a hand to Noal’s forehead, then to his chest to feel his heart beat. Then he leant forward and smelled the air.

The colour drained from Thorin’s face as he turned to us. “If there is no wound that has caused this,” he said slowly, his voice shaking. “Then it is poison.”

The air deflated from my lungs and I rocked back, winded.

Kiana’s eyes grew wide and she stared at him with understanding. “Krarx?”

Thorin hurriedly stood and swept the room with his eyes. His gaze settled upon an overturned cup on the table and he moved to examine it, again sniffing its spilled contents so that he grimaced.

He lowered the cup back to the table slowly.

“It is Krarx,” he said weakly. “The fatal leaves that Krall soldiers carry in case we are caught and tortured.”

“Gods!” Kiana breathed, slumping backwards to the floor.

My eyes went from Noal to Kiana to Thorin. “Stop!” I cried in a frenzy. “He lives! Surely there is an antidote!”

Thorin gazed at me sickly and I had the urge to shake him, to force him to admit there was a cure.

“There is no antidote,” Kiana said hollowly.

“The Lady then,” I grasped for answers. “She helped when you were poisoned. And the Elves helped to remove the Krall toxin from my wound. We must simply be quick.”

Kiana swallowed her emotions. “I was poisoned with dark magic. The Lady could match it with her own magic. And the toxin you were given can be cured with natural remedies. It is not so with Krarx.”

Suddenly Thorin straightened with a hardening expression. “We don’t know that for sure,” he said adamantly. “We have never properly tried because the poison is only ever used on purpose, chewed as leaves, as a means of consciously choosing death. But I have heard talk that there may be a cure. Thale will know!”

Hardly finishing his sentence, he sprinted from the room. But within moments he was skidding back into the kitchen breathlessly, flummoxed.

“No need to look for Thale, they’ve all come to us,” he gasped. “And –”

A tremendous whirring sound filled the air outside, and there was the noise of a storm of voices approaching.

“What’s happening out there?” Kiana asked, rushing to the window.

I looked beyond her and gasped with shock as I saw the sky about Kiana’s tower unexpectedly filling with teeming, furious Nymphs all screaming and growling savagely over each other.

It seemed like half of the Nymphs in the City were there and Asha was at their forefront.

All of the Krall men who had been celebrating at Flash’s grove had followed the abrupt storm of Nymphs in confusion, but they ducked towards Kiana’s tower as she leaned out and waved urgently at them.

In the air-born scene Ace flew directly towards Asha, and with a commanding sweep of his hand the storm of noise and sizzling, angry power dimmed.

Asha flew into the middle of the scene to meet him, her face creased with a snarl of fury.

“We want the blood of the one who has hurt Noal,” she screeched, and the crowd behind her bayed and hissed.

“You cannot have it,” Ace told her, and she lashed out at him like a tiger. Flash zoomed out of the crowd and caught her furiously struggling arms.

“The Lady has forbidden rashness,” Ace said in a low voice. “We have no facts, and we can’t tear through possible culprits without reason.”

“I will know the facts when I find the traitor!” Asha screeched. “I will punish him!”

“When we know for sure who has betrayed Noal we will decide,” Ace rumbled so that the crowds all heard. “Now is a time for us all to bend our minds and magic toward Noal so that he may recover,” Ace said. “The Lady’s will is already fixed towards him.”

Then, as bewildering and awful as her rage had been, Asha’s sudden ringing cries of grief were even more horrific. The energy seemed instantly to drop from Asha’s body, and she sharply turned and let Flash wrap his arms around her while she wept brokenheartedly.

Much of the crowd, now bursting with grief rather than fury, followed Flash as he led Asha away, and I turned from watching this stunning sight as I heard thunderous footsteps climbing their way up through Kiana’s tower.

Fifteen stunned and overwhelmed warriors piled into the kitchen, with Ailill, Frey and Vidar in their midst.

“We swear to you, we have not harmed Noal,” the bearded soldier named Thale at once burst out earnestly.

“These soldiers were at the gathering,” Vidar confirmed. “Please, help us all to understand what has befallen Noal.”

The three Elves and the soldiers listened aghast as Thorin and Kiana explained.

“But you know that we are not sure if we really have a cure for Krarx poisoning!” I heard Thale exclaim as Thorin got to that part of his story. “We might sicken him further by feeding him experimental concoctions!”

“Surely it’s worth trying,” Thorin argued. “It is that or we allow him to die without any attempt to save him.”

“I can feel that the Lady and the Elves are sending healing magic even now,” Frey said. “Yet without an antidote it’s likely that this will slow the damage rather than restore Noal completely. Perhaps the Lady could have helped before, but she has not been well herself,” Frey admitted.

“Try it Thale,” one warrior encouraged, looking with pity at Noal.

“He does not deserve this death,” another said forcefully. “Especially if we do not at least try to cure him.”

Thale rubbed his brow. “I know, I know, but I’ve only ever heard of things that could work in rumours.”

Their talking washed over me as they bustled about, going through Kiana’s healer pack, and some of them leaving the tower and coming back with plants from the Forest.

I was staring numbly when at last I felt Thorin put his hand on my shoulder and I heard him tell me that I had to come away. To let the other men see what they could do.

Kiana knelt beside me and gently helped them take Noal from my arms, resting him carefully on the floor as Vidar sympathetically led me to the end of the kitchen where I could watch from a distance.

I thudded into the wall and slid down it to sit huddled with my elbows helplessly on my knees, watching while sixteen strange men, three Elves and Kiana gathered around Noal and discussed ideas that could, just possibly, bring him round.

Chapter Thirty Four

Dalin

It was dark outside and the room had cleared until the Elves, Thale, Thorin and Kiana were all who remained in the kitchen with Noal and I.

The other soldiers now waited hopelessly in the room below after having poured different concoctions into Noal for most of the night.

And I had myself almost given up completely before I heard a weak voice.

“Dalin?” Noal groaned faintly, and my head shot up as my heart seemed to constrict.

“Noal?” I cried in disbelief, pitching forward and skidding across the kitchen floor to his side.

Noal’s eyes were open and everyone had sprung to their feet, rousing from their own misery as I clasped his cold hand tightly.

“Brother of mine you gave me a scare,” I admonished him shakily.

The colour was still gone from his skin and it looked as if he was fighting to stay awake.

He tried to say something, then coughed dryly and tried again.

“Agrudek,” he rasped.

I tried not to seem surprised. “He’s not here, Noal,” I said. “But Kiana and everyone else is. Asha nearly started a war on your behalf.”

Noal shook his head. “No.”

“No?” I repeated, puzzled. I didn’t think he was referring to the Nymph war being averted.

He forced each word out as if every single one pained him. “It was Agrudek.”

For a moment I sat in stunned silence. The entire kitchen was still as everyone else absorbed what they’d heard.

And the words echoed horribly in my head, etching their way into my comprehension.

It. Was. Agrudek.

Anger began to throb in my chest. “Can you tell us about it?” I asked softly, my voice low.

He drew a deep breath. “Came here … found him in Kiana’s room, looking for something. Said … was waiting for her.” He stopped and licked his lips, his skin looking as if it had been stretched across his face.

“Made me tea …” Noal grimaced. “Felt sorry for him … But it was horrible … and I felt great pain.” He sighed. “Then Agrudek went back … into Kiana’s room … took Darziates’ globe … and left.”

He seemed to sink into himself when he’d finished. He’d said all he had to and had exhausted himself.

“It’s alright brother,” I told him. “Rest easy now. You’ve done well to tell us.”

Noal nodded gratefully, his eyes already closing as I stared into his face for a moment, but he was now peacefully sleeping.

Then my eyes flashed up to Kiana’s.

Her face was drawn with shock.

“Agrudek took the communication globe I stole from your General,” she said to Thorin and Thale. “And he nearly killed Noal for it.”

“He’s gone to talk to Darziates …” Thale breathed in horror.

“We did so much for that man,” I said through gritted teeth. I carefully laid Noal’s hand down next to him and slowly stood.

“Vidar, will you please help take Noal to my bed and make him comfortable?” Kiana asked the Elf, who immediately moved to oblige.

But I was smouldering inside, and hardly noticed. Outwardly, I felt a mask of calm covering my features. Yet hatred in its purest form was spreading throughout my body and my mind.

I moved to the steps and quietly started to descend them.

“Dalin,” Kiana said in a warning voice from behind me.

All of the eyes of the men in the room below swept to me.

I noted that the room was dark, though none of them slept. They were all fully clothed and sitting about the room, and they’d heard everything. They were as stunned as those in the room above.

“Dalin!” Kiana repeated, this time more forcefully.

My sword was still leaning against the opposite wall where I’d left it what seemed like an age ago.

I was halfway across the full, silent room when I heard footsteps down the stairs, following me.

“Where do you think you are going?” Kiana asked icily.

My eyes were fixed on my sword. Just half a room away.

Once it was in my hands it would help me to remove Agrudek’s traitorous head.

“After we saved his life, he nearly robbed Noal of his,” I said quietly, trying to force the fury from my voice. “He will try to tell Darziates that his men are here. That there are hundreds of Nymphs and Elves helping us. That the Lady is vulnerable,” I couldn’t help it. My voice was full of seething heat. “He will try.”

“You are in no condition to do anything about it,” Kiana said. “You are still recovering yourself.”

“The time for that has passed.” My hands were bunching into fists as I thought about what Agrudek had done. I could feel my stitched muscles and skin throbbing, but it simply didn’t matter. No amount of pain would hold me back. “He left Noal to die. I am going to return the favour.”

The room was tense and I felt every eye upon me as I began towards my sword again.

“Phobos,” I heard Kiana say.

I could hardly believe it when one of the massive warriors nearest me slowly stood up, blocking my way.

I glowered at him darkly. “Step aside.”

Phobos swallowed, and looked nervously over my shoulder at Kiana.

“Raiden,” a new calm voice came from behind me.

I clenched my teeth.

“You would die of infection before you ever found him,” it was Ailill’s voice.

Phobos stood a little more resolutely, and I glared.

“And it is not a good idea to pick up that sword just days after I have put those stitches in,” Ailill continued. “Because if you were even to break just one of those stitches, I would send you to sleep before you even left this tower myself.”

I turned slowly, to Phobos’ relief, and faced Kiana, Thorin and Ailill – now all on the stairs.

“The man that tried to murder Noal,” I began in a low, controlled voice. “Can betray us further. Information costs lives as much as poison does.”

Nobody spoke for a moment.

Then a deep voice spoke from my left. “We will find him,” a large man said resolutely.

I regarded the soldier in surprise.

“It is plain that Agrudek took the poison from one of us. We shall be the ones to bring him back for you.” I recognised him as the one they called Vulcan.

I frowned, taken aback.

“Noal needs you by his side now. He is fortunate to have survived,” Thale said from the steps now too. “Agrudek will not have got far. A party of us will leave before the hour is out.”

I felt a light hand on my good arm and I looked to see Kiana there. “Please,” she said.

And I regarded the men in the room about me, struggling to process their kindness – and to trust their words.

“Leave it to us,” the man called Phobos reassured me, and there were nods of affirmation around the room.

I drew in a very long breath.

“For doing this, I thank you. My friends.”

Chapter Thirty Five

Agrudek had been ready when they came for him. He hadn't even tried to go very far. Just far enough that he would have time to use the scryer globe.

He had taken the smooth, cool stone from its case and held it in his palm. “Engrark.”

He hadn't had to wait very long – the Sorcerer had probably been focusing on this scryer, hoping for it to become active again.

Blood red light had illuminated from the globe within moments and it had stung his palm and sent jarring waves of energy along his arm. Then he’d felt the foul and cruel chill of his master’s magic seeping out into the surrounding beauty of the Forest so that he’d been wracked with shudders. And as the unnatural light had touched his skin he had at once felt as if he was filthy. All of the misery that flooded people who were touched by the power of Darziates had come rushing back.

“Agrudek. You’ve kept me waiting,” a soft voice that sent shivers throughout his body had said, echoing within his head.

Agrudek’s mind had been at once completely captured by the mesmerising voice from the globe.

“I wasn’t sure how long I’d have to torture you with glimpses of your family,” the Sorcerer had said impassively. “… Before you would be ready to contact me.”

“They live?” Agrudek had murmured pitifully.

“For now,” the voice had told him, void of all feeling. “You still hold some use.”

“What can I do? How can I get them back?” Agrudek had whispered, inwardly sinking into bitter sorrow.

“You will be my spy,” Darziates had instructed simply. “You will say I enchanted you. Made you do this. They will pity you.”

Agrudek closed his eyes sadly. “They will take the scryer away when they come. How will I contact you?”

Agrudek knew that Darziates’ magic was weak in the Forest. The Lady weakened it. But the red light around him had swelled for a moment, and he’d felt something cold and heavy grow against his chest.

A necklace now hung about his neck. It had a stone, smaller, but of the same appearance as the scryer globe.

“Do not fail me this time,” the voice had said coldly. “Contact me any time you have something of interest to report on the one called Kiana. And I will make sure your family is fed.”

The red light had begun to fade, eventually dulling until the scryer was just a dark globe again, and Agrudek had let it slide from his fingers.

He’d loathed himself for having allowed his mind to have been teased. But it had driven him insane. He’d been unable to stand seeing flashes of his daughters’ little faces all bloodied and sunken any longer. He’d been unable to bear to hear his wife’s screams.

So, disgusted by his treachery, but once again devoted completely to being the Sorcerer’s slave, Agrudek had sat quietly and waited for the soldiers to come.

These men of Krall had also found joy and love, but were free to keep it. For Darziates did not know – or have interest in which men out of the ambush party had lived to be converted, thus their families were safely anonymous.

Agrudek had looked at the hard faces of the soldiers as they’d come, and he’d slumped down in misery.

One had grimly come forward to take the scryer from where it laid at Agrudek’s feet, and had snapped its case closed around it.

Then without a word, but with hard eyes and hands, Agrudek had been dragged back towards the City.

Where he would have to play his new part.

Chapter Thirty Six

Dalin

“Noal will be well recovered after his long sleep,” Frey reassured me as he finished checking my brother over. “Krarx does not scorch a victim’s insides like most poisons. It numbs the body and one’s consciousness before doing anything else. I believe the Lady may have used her magic to slow time for Noal, keeping him in that stage. For normally the second stage would have shut his organs down. He was fortunate not to get to that.”

I nodded with gratitude, blinking my heavy, or in one case swollen, eyes tiredly.

I’d been unable to find rest even after news of Agrudek’s capture and admission of guilt over taking the Krarx leaves. He’d apparently been entranced into thieving them from Thorin, who shared his tower. And now we knew that he was easily susceptible to being used against us.

“Noal has already slept peacefully for the whole night and well into today, and the One has allowed herself to rest,” Frey said as he moved towards the steps. “It would be best for you to sleep also.”

I sighed as he left, looking to Kiana, who was squashed beside me in the same armchair I’d sat in during her illness. Her arm was linked comfortingly around my good one, and her fingers entwined in mine as she slept, and I was loath to move from my companions.

But I needed to get out of the claustrophobic room, so I wordlessly shifted from the chair without waking Kiana, and ran my fingers through my hair as I walked to the steps, not bothering to test my arm by trying to cover my shirt with a tunic.

As I descended through the kitchen I stopped in surprise at the sound of many murmuring voices still in the room below, and realised that the soldiers must have stayed in Kiana’s tower for all of that time out of care for Noal.

Listening, I heard lazy conversation about weaponry and women, and a couple of others occasionally calling ‘strike’ in a gambling game. Though I also heard Thale talking to Thorin closer to the stairs.

“At least some good came out of all of this,” I heard Thorin say. “We know to watch out for each other should Darziates try to get control again. And we now know there’s a cure for Krarx poisoning.”

I could imagine Thale shaking his head. “I tried so many things to wake Noal that I don’t know which was the actual cure that worked. And I am certain that I felt magic around him – as Ace and Frey said, the Lady and every Forest dweller in the City were bending their will towards helping Noal to recover.”

I continued down the steps to descend into the room where the soldiers were lounging casually. They were spread across the floor, sprawled in chairs, leaning on furniture, sharpening knives, tossing coins into piles of gambling wins, eating fruits, and one was even smoking comfortably in an armchair. But they stilled when I entered, their faces unsure as they regarded me, and I realised they thought I had come with news of Noal.

“All is well,” I told them – reassuring men who had once been my enemies. “I’m going to get some air.”

I saw one of the warriors share a look with his friend and then they both glanced at where my sword still leaned.

I waved a dismissive hand. “I’m not going to take revenge upon Agrudek. I’m just getting out.”

“Do you need company?” one I’d heard called Tane asked, eyeing me as though I were about to fall over.

“I’ll be fine,” I answered the curly haired soldier. “Thank you.” I tried to ignore the oddity of thanking a man of Krall.

I wearily turned and continued down the steps, moving out and through the City until I found a water pool that was quiet and deserted.

With my good arm I pulled my shirt over my head and kicked off my boots.

Under the bandages my bicep throbbed and burned, feeling like it had swollen around the stitches beyond what my skin could contain. But ignoring the searing sensation, I walked out from the trees to the grassy bank and stepped calmly into the water.

Slowly I made my way in deeper, letting the serene surroundings wash over me as much as the cleansing water was, and noticing that the City still seemed oddly subdued after the events of the previous night.

I was careful not to wet my bandaged arm, but I poured the water over my head and let it run down my face so that the cool droplets soothed the aches along my cheekbone. And from the glimmering water I watched the sun begin to lower and set.

At last, feeling reflective, I made my way back to the bank and sat upon the lush green grass to let my trousers dry and watch the sky turn a fiery orange – my mind wandering over all of the trials the three of us had faced on our Quest, and all of the way back to the hurt image of my father’s face the last time I’d seen him.

Gods how Glaidin would have condemned me for leading Noal on a Quest that had put him in such danger, when he could have stayed within the Palace. Yet we now knew that my own mother was besieged within that very Palace.

Was my father and King to die on the frontlines himself?

“You look to be turning over some hefty thoughts,” a voice said, disintegrating the silence. And I didn’t need to turn to know it was the bearded leader of the Krall men, Thale.

I inclined my head in agreement, gazing out at the spectacular colours reflecting on the pool’s surface.

Thale seemed to take that as an invitation, lowering himself down to the grass beside me with a grunt.

Another man sat down by my side and four others, one who I remembered to be Nikon, came around from behind me to sit on the grass as well.

I recognised them, and even remembered their names after having overheard them talking. Cadell, Phobos, Ferron and Phrixus.

“Bad day?” Ferron asked.

I regarded him. “Rough year,” I said, letting a dry smile touch my sore lips.

They were quiet for a moment, unsure of how to approach me.

“I thank you all for what you did for Noal,” I said quietly, staring back out to the water. “I actually cannot thank you enough.”

I felt the tension and uncertainty in the men ease a little.

“We thought we owed it to you after the ambush and capture business,” Cadell answered.

“Also for trying to kill you to snatch Kiana that time,” Phrixus added.

“And for the injuries,” Nikon indicated my arm, but his eyes observed the older scarred marks from the beasts on my back, and the bruises down my side. “Though it looks like you already had some good injury stories. Perhaps they explain why our King was after you in the first place?” he hinted with interest.

“A few good stories,” I agreed, and they waited expectantly. “Tales to tell some other time.”

“Perhaps the next time the Nymphs concoct another party,” Ferron suggested. “I was having fun until everything else started.”

“All of the Nymphs are almost back to normal today,” Cadell grimaced. “As if they hadn't been about to spill into an uprising just yesterday.”

“You look exhausted,” Thale told me then, reminding me of how I still ached all over from the fight days ago, and how my head throbbed from the broken nose I’d received just before that.

I shook my head with the first real smile I’d been able to give to these men.

“I never would have thought that I would have men of Krall, meant to be killing me, mothering me instead,” I said wryly.

“We never thought we’d appreciate an Awyalknian enough to care,” Ferron shrugged.

I let out a big breath, wincing, but feeling more at ease now. “I am fortunate then.”

A moment later we heard calls in the distance, and I turned gingerly to see more soldiers – men that I thought to be named Tane, Wolf, Vulcan, Purdor … and Thorin coming towards us.

“Good news!” Tane announced as they drew closer.

“Noal is awake,” Purdor said.

And immediately the last ounce of tension in my body relaxed.

“He’s definitely recovered,” agreed Wolf. “He was eating a feast with Kiana watching in disbelief when we left.”

I laughed softly.

“Kiana and Noal sent us with a message though,” Vulcan said then, and I glanced at him with the smile still on my lips.

“And what was that message?” I asked.

Vulcan crossed his arms. “Go to bed.”

I raised a disbelieving eyebrow at him. “Noal awoke miraculously, and his first words after rising from near death, were for me to go to bed?”

Vulcan smiled. “Actually he demanded to be fed anything but apples first. And Kiana said ‘tell Dalin to go to bed’.”

I grimaced. “Was there anything else?”

Purdor nodded. “Kiana said to hurry if you want to eat before sleeping. Noal’s devouring all the good stuff.”

“And I would get out of view quickly,” Tane added. “The Elf Ailill bumped into us on the way here. He said when he finds you he will be teaching you some nasty bicep muscle exercises.”

I raised my eyebrows. “I best leave you all then. Or I’ll have Kiana and Ailill to contend with.”

I pulled on my boots and scooped up my shirt from where it lay beside me. Then I put out an arm to push myself up and winced as hot pain shot through it.

I’d used the wrong arm.

“Are you alright?” Thorin asked with concern.

“Fine.”

“Here,” Vulcan said respectfully, giving me his hand and pulling me up with my good arm.

I nodded my thanks and pulled my shirt on delicately, not bothering to lace it back up. “I’m glad we talked,” I told them sincerely. “As you say, perhaps next time the Nymphs are having fun we can share stories.”

“Be glad to,” Phobos replied eagerly, and the others agreed.

Feeling much less tumultuous than when I had first set out, I left them to return to Kiana’s tower.

Chapter Thirty Seven

Kiana

“I feel magnificent,” Noal declared, patting his stomach comfortably. “I want to go and thank the Krall warriors for their help.”

It was dark outside, and Dalin had finally fallen asleep by the bed while I’d watched the miraculously restored Noal ravenously consuming everything in sight.

I couldn’t help but frown in consternation. “I can’t believe how completely rejuvenated you are,” I remarked helplessly. “I can’t find any excuse for you not to go.”

“I feel better than perfectly fine,” Noal shrugged in disbelief himself. “I know that the Lady hasn’t been here physically, but I swear by the Gods her magic has helped to restore me.”

“You’re also upbeat because Dalin admitted he is getting used to the soldiers now,” I commented, feeling relieved myself.

“That is definitely cause for celebration,” Noal said, peeling himself free of the bed while I turned so he could dress fully again.

“I’ll go with you to find them,” I told him as he finished dressing and happily bounced down the steps as if nothing had ever been wrong. “In case you start to feel as someone normally should in your position.”

I glanced back to Dalin’s exhausted, battered figure, resolving not to disturb him now that he had at last settled to rest. Instead I quietly pulled a spare blanket down from my cupboard and gently laid it over his sleeping form.

I stroked his forehead gently, pushing his hair away from the cuts there, and bent over him to softly kiss his cheek where the corner of his mouth was turned down.

Then I lightly kissed his lips.

He sighed in his sleep but otherwise didn’t stir, and I slowly drew away from the warmth of his face in surprise at myself.

“Kiana? You coming?” Noal whispered up the steps, and I quickly turned and followed him down.

“The men are likely still where Dalin said they found him.” I made sure my voice was level as I followed Noal out, quelling the desire to stay in the tower with Dalin now.

“They do seem content to gather and merry make wherever there is space,” Noal commented agreeably while we moved in the direction Dalin had mentioned.

“Noal!” Tane yelled joyfully when he saw us, and there were shouts of welcome and cheer as we were drawn warmly into their circle. It seemed that their group had swelled as all of the Krall soldiers now sat together by the rock pool, and they had made a bonfire.

“Thought you’d still be eating – you were that hungry when you woke up,” Wolf joked.

“I only came out here because I’d eaten everything in there,” Noal confided.

“Where’s the Raiden, as he’s called around here?” Thale asked. “Did you badger him into sleeping?”

I sat amongst them comfortably. “Now that there’s no one left to worry about he could finally shut his eyes.”

Phrixus nodded. “We found him out here mulling over deep thoughts.”

“He had the weight of the world on him,” Nikon agreed, whittling away at a piece of wood with his knife.

“If anything is not well with Dalin’s friends, Gods watch out until he makes it right,” Noal said whole heartedly.

“He did burst out of nowhere and stop my sabre before I could take your head off,” Vulcan remarked to Noal.

Phobos stretched out on the grass, rubbing at his bald head. “I would have preferred to be anywhere else in the world than standing between the Raiden and his sword last night.” Then Phobos flicked a grimacing look at me. “Except then I saw the expression on Kiana’s face, and suddenly wished I wasn’t even in this world.”

I shrugged. “It is a talent of mine.”

Noal grinned. “Dalin’s always looked out for me.”

“You know, Dalin took out Tane, Nikon, and eventually Vulcan with knocks to the head,” Thale began. “But he got me by saving my life.”

There were a few guffaws as the others regarded Thale in astonishment.

“What do you mean?” Noal asked, and I sat forward in interest.

“Well,” Thale coughed. “I saw the Raiden as an enemy trying to capture my men. I wanted his blood, but he made my blood boil as he easily fended off all of my blows without returning any. And because he wouldn’t attack in return,” Thale explained, “I was able to give him the black and blue ribs, the bruised and sliced face, and the knife in the arm.”

“But as you said you knew us as the enemy. You were justified in fighting back,” I reassured him sincerely. “Dalin understood that.”

“Yes, but he just refused to fight back, and it confused and enraged me at the time, as if he were being arrogant rather than kind. So I tried to provoke him, to hurt him and to play dirty. I became so enraged that I made a move that would have turned out to be fatal to myself. And that was when he dropped his blade and let me run straight into him with the dagger. I couldn’t understand why he had done it, and why I’d suddenly begun to change my mind about him.”

“That’s why you kept telling me not to kill him,” realised Nikon, remembering what had happened. “I thought you were insane.”

“Deep down I knew he wasn’t the enemy,” Thale shook his head. “And the wonder of it is that he risked himself despite my actions. All of you did,” he said, looking at Noal and I. “You could easily have just left us to rot in the Forest, or killed us all.”

“No,” I said grimly. “We knew, after seeing Thorin, that you were not really our foes, though you didn’t yet realise that yourselves.”

Noal rolled onto his stomach on the grass, looking enthusiastically at the men around him. “So, we know how many Dalin got. How many of you did I get?” he asked, breaking the sober mood.

Two raised their hands and Noal became crestfallen.

“Well, I don’t really count, because Dalin finished the job,” Vulcan explained pityingly.

“You’re the size of a house. I tired you out so he had an easy job,” Noal protested. “And it took me ages to do that, so I didn’t get to deal with anyone else.”

I snorted. “I’m sure that’s it.”

“We’re glad you all took a chance on us anyway,” Cadell announced, and Ferron, who was beside him, nodded.

“You would not have found such charity from us if this had all taken place in Krall under our King’s orders,” one of the quieter men, Roth, reflected.

“We would have obediently been doing any slight thing that our Lord ordered,” another called Gideon said a little bitterly, looking up from where he was reading a book that Frey had given him.

“Not all of you seem like the typical soldier types though,” I remarked, eyeing two other reserved soldiers called Aiolos and Rendor, who were completely absorbed in books of their own.

“Yet that is what we’ve been made to be,” Phrixus stretched lethargically. “So honestly,” he went on. “These few days in the City, with a clear mind, and with beings who trust us – or who forgive and accept us unconditionally – have been the best of my life.”

“Even the Raiden, who clearly had misgivings, went out of his way to help us. I am grateful to have earned some respect from him now,” Cadell remarked.

“The Raiden still really doesn’t like you though,” laughed Purdor to Thorin. “You must have done something to really get on his nerves before we got here.”

Thorin seemed to physically deflate. “I know. All of you may have gained his trust, but I don’t think I ever will.”

“What’d you do?” Phobos asked.

Thorin sighed, “I was part of the ambush that first caught you both,” he answered, turning to Noal.

“Can’t remember,” Noal shrugged. “I was busy getting knocked out at the time.”

“And when the Raiden was trying to carry Kiana away from us that night, I was the first to charge and continued to charge while trying every foul trick I knew to get around his sword,” Thorin admitted, eyes on me now. “I wanted to kill to get to you, to keep the purest thing I’d ever discovered all for myself. So at one point, when he drove me down again, I pretended to be badly hurt, and he relented. When he was back to facing everyone else, I sat up and aimed at a gash that was on his leg, seeking to widen that gash and saw his leg right off to be rid of him.” Thorin appeared deeply upset as he concluded. “He has seen me at my darkest, and is justified in his distrust of me. I would never trust a former enemy either, especially one who has proven himself to be so crazed.”

“No, I know Dalin,” Noal cut in then. “He doesn’t hate you. He just hates what you seem emblematic of: the ferocious threat Krall poses against Awyalkna and the world. He’ll come to see you as who you really are, and you’ll gain his respect.”

Thorin shook his head. “I wish I could believe it. But I have come to suspect why Dalin has earned such a title and such regard amongst the Forest dwellers. And I have come to suspect why he has the best reason of all to condemn someone that he sees as an emblem of Darziates’ control.”

“What do you mean?” I asked him, sharing a look with Noal.

“While we held the three of you in our camp all that time ago,” Thorin said slowly, “a great friend and mentor of mine, a much older soldier, began to speculate on why two lads of Awyalkna would be wanted by our King. And he remembered the names of Awyalkna’s Princes.”

The group had become completely silent, and even the quieter soldiers had broken from their reading.

I slowly took in a deep breath and let it out. “Yes. Accepting people usually comes easier to Dalin,” I said. “But it is hard for him to accept people from Krall … when he is Prince of Awyalkna, the first place Krall threatens to destroy.”

“He’s royalty?” Vulcan gasped.

Thale slapped his palm across his forehead. “I stabbed royalty.”

“He doesn’t seem cold enough to be royal,” Purdor commented.

“What does that make the both of you?” Tane asked.

“I am his cousin. His family officially adopted me when my parents were killed by Trunes,” Noal answered.

“And I have been a hunter and healer by trade, and saved these two when Darziates sent his beasts after them.”

“Is that why the King was after you?” Phrixus asked in awe – despite only knowing the half of it. “Did the Sorcerer mean to capture the future heir of Awyalkna?”

Noal and I resigned ourselves to patiently outlining our histories and Quest to get to Jenra.

I found it surprisingly easier to briefly recount my own past, and what was expected of me according to the prophecies. I also found the Krall warriors to be surprisingly accepting of every unbelievable detail, but I guessed that in Krall they were more readily exposed to magic and strange happenings.

“And when Kiana was stronger once more, we found you lot,” Noal concluded at last.

Thale’s eyes were wide as he stared at us. “You are showing us incredible trust right now,” he said. “You have shared critical plans and personal information of great threat and value to Darziates.”

“Somehow Darziates seems to have already been quite aware of many of our plans,” I grimaced.

“We’re still honoured,” Wolf said seriously.

“I can’t believe we have been made part of prophecies that originated from the dawn of time!” Tane clapped his hands together excitedly. “I mean, we’ve been saved by two different ancient races, we’ve met the Lady of the Forest, and now we are going to fight for the Three. A Fairy, a King of Kings … and a Noal.”

Noal laughed.

“Fight for?” I raised an eyebrow.

“We have seen the wrath of the Sorcerer and what he can do to the world,” Vulcan said. “We have never had any cause to believe that there was any way to stop him, and just assumed that eventually he would have everything, and everything would die. But now we will fight for you, to save the biggest source of hope for our world that we have ever known.”

There were cheers of approval and agreement, and I realised that once again I was far from being the proficient lone hunter anymore. Now I was a member of a rapidly swelling band of friends.

And I was glad.

Because it felt like this had been meant to happen all along.

As if everything was at last coming together.

Chapter Thirty Eight

Dalin

Feeling stiff and unforgiving, I stood beside Kiana, Noal and Thale as the Lady took a seat across from Agrudek.

We had all been led to his tower to be present when she questioned him, and his skin was ashen and his frame was visibly shaking as he stared miserably at the floor.

He was a piteous creature, reduced with shame as he huddled beneath our gaze.

“Agrudek, you have told us that Darziates drew you into what you did,” the Lady began.

“Yes,” Agrudek whispered, but continued to hang his head and look wretchedly at the floor. “He was driving me … insane.”

Noal watched his face intently, seeming determined to believe that Agrudek hadn't wanted to hurt him. In contrast, the Granx sat stiffly on Noal’s shoulder, and appeared decidedly hostile as they faced the inventor.

Agrudek tugged at his scraggly orange hair in agitation. “I felt I had no choice but to obey Darziates … just as it was during my days of helping the Sorcerer as his scientist.”

Kiana crossed her arms, her face blank.

“Tell us more,” the Lady said.

Agrudek shifted nervously in his chair. “I … I had to do experiments for him … make things, back in Krall …”

“We know,” Thale growled, and then restrained his own suspicion, remembering that he too had been ruled by Darziates. Doing all the Sorcerer bade.

Agrudek flinched and darted a desperate glance at Noal. “You know … those beasts … the ones that chased you?”

“Yes,” Kiana interjected rigidly.

“I … he made me make them … their bodies …”

“What are they, and how did you make them?” Kiana questioned.

Agrudek shuffled his feet sadly. “I made all of his experiments – their casings – and he would bring them to life … Then they would become something more. Take on their own appearance and behaviour. But those beasts he sent after you … they were different … more sinister … smarter. He would fill them with real spirits … icy shadow beings from the Other Realm …” Agrudek whispered the last words and a chill rippled through the room. “And they would come to life, the shells that I had made suddenly becoming like skin, the sockets of their eyes filling with the frost of their presence.”

Every face, even the Lady’s, showed dread.

“He is trying to remake the Evexus of old then,” the Lady stated, closing her eyes and sitting back. “Deimos made these things too. Though making them came at a terrible price. The power it took to bring spirits from the Other Realm into ours and into the bodies he had made for them drained him terribly. He aged and weakened every time he did it. But their power was great – for he gave them parts of his soul to anchor them to this world.”

Kiana had grown pale. “There were five of them chasing us. But I don’t think they were finished.”

The Lady looked to Agrudek to explain.

“It is why my hand was cut off and why my family was taken,” he said quietly. “I-I couldn’t perfect them. It seemed that the process of … taking the spirit from its realm into this one left it reduced. Though I am sure … the Sorcerer has been working to fix that. To find them that … ‘anchor’.”

The Lady was aghast, and for all of her glorious brilliance, she appeared weary.

The little man seemed to be withdrawing further into himself. He was shuddering and looked to be getting even smaller under our scrutiny.

“They are the purest of evil and completely unnatural,” Agrudek whispered at last. “I believe that the darkness and ice that would make up a perfected Evexus … could only be destroyed by the warmth of the purest of magic.”

The Lady stirred after a moment. “It is helpful for us to know these things.”

When she rose to lead us from his tower, Agrudek searched Noal’s face anxiously, but the Granx reared back threateningly and I stepped in front of Noal to cut him off from view, and we left without looking back.

“I feel that he speaks truthfully of the Evexus,” the Lady said as Agrudek’s tower door closed heavily and unmovably behind her, sealed by magic. “But it is impossible to know if he really was under the power of Darziates. I will not enter his mind to find out, as I fear that would break it.”

As we parted from the Lady, Thale turned to us in confusion. “I thought she could do anything,” he commented. “She even made the Forest safe from Darziates’ power.”

Kiana’s voice was quiet and sombre as she answered. “When the Lady was explaining why there had to be Three, and why she couldn’t face Darziates herself, she described that her magic is Nature, and Darziates’ magic is everything unnatural, and kills Nature. And it took all of her might, and the might of all of the Elves and Nymphs, to banish the Sorcerer from the Forest. So perhaps she can’t see through his deceit should it be upon Agrudek.”

“I guess now that I’ve finally had a chance to be surrounded in Nature, and have seen the vibrancy of its life in the Lady and Sylthanryn, I just assumed there wasn’t much that could beat it if the Lady chose to fight,” Thale admitted a little despairingly. “Krall is starved of life, though it goes on living.”

“Let’s find the others,” Noal told him comfortingly. “They were going to spend their afternoon at Flash’s.”

“They wanted to take up that drinking challenge that we didn’t have time for when we were last invited to revel with the Nymphs,” Thale allowed himself to be cheered as we crossed the City.

“Darlings!” Asha’s voice cried out as we drew closer to the vine homes that covered the cliff walls at the edge of the City. She sped out of a tussle she’d been having with Rebel and crashed into Noal adoringly.

“Come and join the fun,” Rebel invited us, now lazily lobbing a ball of light to scorch Shiva as he floated past with Sati.

And as we moved to sit about a fire with the men of Krall, I realised that I really didn’t resent the majority of them anymore. I even felt comfortable sharing words with them as they joked boisterously around us.

It was only Thorin who drew wariness from me now as I listened to him talking to Kiana and Noal with reverence.

“Will you tell us more about your life back in Krall?” Kiana was asking him. “Was there anything there that brought you joy?”

Thorin shrugged, but regarded her earnestly. “Life in Krall was survival and obedience, not happiness. Not for anyone. My own story is that, when I was eight, my father was killed for speaking against the King and for gathering a following of others. My mother was stoned to death to set a further example, and I was scorned because nobody wished to appear traitorous. I lived as a beggar until a warrior called Marn got me off the streets by joining me up with the army. I was ten when I joined, and Marn bribed his General to let me be in his regiment. I in turn helped him as it got harder with his age.”

“Gods,” Noal breathed. “You have been a hardened soldier for seven years.”

“What happened to Marn?” Kiana asked.

“He died a warrior’s death,” Thorin answered proudly. “I believe it was the Raiden’s blade that did it, when you were escaping the camp.”

The breath seemed to leave me, and a weight settled in my stomach even as the other warriors all raised their mugs full of Nymph liquor in respect for my having given Marn a good death.

I tuned their voices out then, reflecting on the many ‘honourable’ deaths of Sorcerer cursed men I had given out that day, and how many more times I might have to do the same.

When Tane began speaking about how his infant son would likely be bound into a life of soldiering too, I quietly withdrew from the group and left to walk by myself.

My wanderings carried me to a private corner of the City, at the foot of the waterfall that tumbled majestically down the cliff.

I pulled myself with difficulty up onto a rocky ledge that jutted out from the wall, sitting by its edge and looking out at the City. I was lost in my thoughts for some time, listening to the musical tune of the rushing falls and staring at the silvery water as it gushed past me.

The sky was darkening when I at last refocused at the sound of someone approaching, and as the figure carefully climbed closer I saw with surprise that it was Thorin.

I regarded him wordlessly while he pulled himself up onto the ledge beside me, then I looked back to the water as he caught his breath.

It was quiet for many moments before Thorin broke the silence, saying: “it is alright, you know.”

I processed the sound of his voice over the rushing water.

“I would have done everything the same in your place. Marn knew, and every Krall soldier you fight knows that death will inevitably come. And dying in battle is the most honourable death, for we are warriors. And war and dying is all we know.”

I could faintly make out his earnest expression in the light cast by the stars.

“In fact, it is I who should feel guilt over the deaths of Krall soldiers,” he said then. “Because I will be by your side next time. Against Darziates’ people, killing my brethren. There is no way to avoid it. They are under Darziates’ power.”

I frowned at him, not understanding.

Thorin sighed. “I know you don’t like me. And I wouldn’t either if our places were swapped. But Kiana and Noal told us everything last night, and we want to fight for you. We … I … will follow you.”

I sat back in wonder, considering his unexpected words for a few moments.

Then stretching, Thorin at last got to his feet. “I shall rejoin the others and leave you in peace,” he said. “Though I mean what I’ve told you.”

But before he could begin to descend safely, I saw him lose his footing as he turned to climb back down from the ledge.

I saw the rock crumble under his feet, and his body start to drop as he lost his balance and swayed forward with a cry over the open air.

My heart felt as if it had stopped as I lunged to my feet and caught hold of a handful of his shirt in a fist, before, with one mighty tug, I hauled him back onto the safety of the ledge, and we fell together to land on our backs across it.

He was panting with shock against me, but I winced and drew my throbbing arm out from under him, sitting up as my own breath came quickly.

“Be careful,” I croaked, speaking to him finally. I flexed my bad arm experimentally, but somehow it felt as if none of the stitches had popped, so Ailill would not have reason for an apoplectic explosion.

Thorin stared at me with wide eyes. Then slowly, a grin spread across his face.

“Thank you.”

I nodded in exasperation.

He held out his hand with a smile and I evaluated it for a moment before I took it in my own and shook it.

“If you can’t manage to find your own way down I’d better escort you,” I said uncomfortably then.

So together we climbed our way back down from the ledge, going carefully in the dark.

Chapter Thirty Nine

Even as a girl with dark, hurt eyes and long plaited hair, Agrona had known that she would kill any who threatened her master and all she had worked for.

“You should not need to make physical gestures for your power to work,” his hard voice had often said. “Your mind is weak, I can read every thought,” his granite eyes had hardly ever glanced at her.

“I love you,” her heart had been completely his all the same.

“Yes.”

“I will be everything you need,” she had always promised.

“Of that I am not convinced.”

Nevertheless he had always been present in her life. And as he had promised, with the death of her parents she had been freed to embrace her powers.

In fact unlike her scornful parents, he had pushed for her to let her powers grow. And the disappointment on his face when she had never achieved as much as he had hoped had only made her yearn to impress him more.

She’d worked harder than any other little girl in Krall, and had learnt a great deal in a short amount of time. But the most prominent realisation for Agrona, even in her youth, had been that she was devoted beyond all reason to Darziates and to his cause.

He had a destiny beyond all others and she was in awe of him. She had bound herself to him totally, and craved above all to be seen as more than just a protégé.

She loved him with all of the passion and demented lust that darkness is capable of.

And the things she had done for him as the decades had spanned by – the blood spilled and the suffering she had relished causing in his name, would surely lead him to one day know that he needed her.

Chapter Forty

Kiana

I easily blocked Phobos’ sword and followed it with a thrust that he in turn blocked, finding our drills simple and invigorating – if less intense than the aerial combat I had practised with Frey.

My eyes flitted across to where Dalin was leaning against the fence surrounding the grounds, talking casually to Purdor and Ferron. Thorin was listening attentively at his side.

Phobos grunted with the effort of keeping up and I slowed it down for him.

I remembered with a pang what it had felt like to brush my lips over Dalin’s. But it was not an unpleasant pang, and as I swept my blade up once more my gaze shifted to Dalin again.

Ailill wasn’t in sight so he was quickly testing out how well he could grip the heaviness of his sword with his healing arm. Vulcan and Thale were refusing to encourage him in case of Ailill’s wrath, but Dalin swung his blade about himself cautiously.

I blinked distractedly when I heard someone say something to me. Then I shook myself back to reality with a shock, startled to see that I was now exchanging blows with Phrixus.

“Sorry, what did you say?” I asked Phrixus.

I forced myself not to look at Dalin again, and became absorbed in the drills instead, later laughing at the surprise on Aiolos’ face as I broke from the routine to make things more interesting.

He was one of the quieter men, but cried out as I suddenly used his lunge as a foothold. I stepped on his thigh, swung myself around his neck and slid down his back.

“Gods!” he gasped as I sprang away.

His friend, Gideon, tried to startle me then, but I easily slid between his legs, and used his ankles to propel myself away.

I smiled gaily as the soldiers around the yard all began to consider the challenge of my new game, and I felt so lively that I wondered if perhaps Agrona’s poison had worn off.

I threw Wolf over my hip and shoulder, then did a safe tumble and somersault away from Phobos to avoid being dragged down by his bulk when he dived in to crash tackle me.

I ran up the length of Thale’s back, and ducked around Vulcan as his big arms made to catch me.

I was laughing with the fun of it as, with angles and leverage, I bested every bulky warrior who tested me, and I was feeling invigorated when I faced Nikon next. But, with just one thrust of my blade, a searing stream of fire suddenly shot from the scar that Agrona and the General’s arrow had left me with.

I gasped and staggered forward and Nikon gave a startled cry, moving his blade away from me as I doubled over, clutching the old wound.

“Are you well?” I heard Nikon splutter, and felt his hands steadying me on my feet.

But I could not reply or even think over the harrowing waves of pain, feeling as if someone was repeatedly pushing knives into my chest, twisting them in.

I groaned and slid down from his grasp, landing on my knees upon the grass.

Then I felt another pair of hands catch me from behind, cradling me as I tried to stay conscious over the lashes of agony.

“All she can do is wait for it to end,” I heard Dalin say, and I felt him draw me close to try to comfort and shelter me.

I vaguely made out Noal crouching beside me and dully heard the voices of the other men bubbling around us, but everything other than the pain seemed suddenly unreal.

For a flickering moment I remembered a flash of a bony white hand slapping my face, heard the shrill cry of a raven, and felt the sickening, rotten, decayed stream of Agrona’s power surging through my shoulder. And I slumped heavily against Dalin as he held me until, finally, it all ebbed away to leave me drained and shivering – the searing bolts of agony dulling to throbbing spasms.

“What was that?” I heard Thale whisper over us, and there were other murmured questions.

“That was Agrona’s poison,” Noal answered blankly, and I felt him put his hand on my leg reassuringly as I tried to regain my breath, my face still hidden against Dalin’s chest.

“But Kiana was fine a moment before,” Thorin fretted.

Slowly, I sat a little straighter and lifted my face. “I am nearly fine again,” I told them, but felt sick just to put effort into speaking.

Noal sighed. “It feels like all the lot of us do lately is get hurt, poisoned, or into trouble,” he complained. “I’m fast tiring of it.”

“Does Agrona’s poison affect you that badly every time?” Ferron asked, pale faced on my behalf.

“Much the same,” I said shakily. “I never know when it’s going to happen.”

“Is there anything that can be done?” Cadell questioned, looking just as appalled.

I shrugged. But I knew that there was something I could try that would help me to overcome Agrona’s dark magic. Something I had to try, if we were ever to be the Questing Three of the prophecies.

“Gods that was awful!” Tane told me reproachfully, and I laughed despite myself.

“You’re exhausted.” Dalin gave me a quick squeeze. “I’ll help you back to your tower.”

I nodded gratefully, and Dalin supported me to stand and to begin to walk back.

“It will be less of an ordeal if there isn’t a crowd of mothers following her,” I heard Noal say good-naturedly, and I appreciated when our new friends hurried to purposefully return to their exercises as Dalin and I left.

Chapter Forty One

Kiana

The Unicorn figurine reared up gracefully from where it balanced on my palm, but I stared at it despairingly as night began to settle over the City outside my tower.

For hours I had grappled with different ideas of how to make that fine incision around its body open for me, yet the figurine was still as whole and solid as ever every time I despondently ran my fingers over the cool white stone.

Finally, when the floating light globes in my room began to shimmer and glow, I shook myself from my useless pondering and rose from my bed. Closing my fingers firmly over the smooth figurine, I descended the stairs to exit my tower.

I waved and smiled at the Forest dwellers I passed, but didn’t stop until Noal and Thorin spotted me.

“Where are you going?” Noal inquired suspiciously.

Thorin put on a serious face and crossed his arms when Noal elbowed him.

“For a walk,” I replied.

“For a walk?” Noal repeated incredulously, as if this were the most preposterous reply he’d ever heard.

“That’s what she said,” Thorin told him helpfully. “A walk.”

Noal took a deep breath, smoothing his golden hair in irritation. “Have you forgotten the severe pain you were in earlier?”

I shrugged. “I need to think and find peace by getting out of the City.”

“And what is it that you need to think about that you can’t mull over in the City?” Noal enquired.

I lifted my hand and opened my fingers to show them the Unicorn, and Noal stared at it with his mouth open, understanding dawning upon his face.

“Is that …?” Thorin regarded it curiously, remembering what Noal and I had said about it as we’d recounted our story to the Krall men.

Noal’s face softened. “You want to see if it will open? Because of today?”

I gave a single nod. “Yes. I’ve got to do it sometime anyway. And you know I am at my best when I am roaming amongst Nature.”

He pinched the bridge of his nose worriedly. “You can’t go out there alone,” he said finally, but I smiled a half smile.

“I’ve been through the Forest many times alone.”

“Plus, we were what made it dangerous for her last time. That’s not going to happen now,” Thorin admitted.

Noal looked at the both of us with the expression of one who was trapped. “Dalin won’t forgive me if anything goes wrong,” he groaned at last.

“And I wouldn’t forgive you if you tried to stop me,” I told him with a wider smile.

“I am not comforted,” he said to my back as I left them. “If you haven’t returned by the time I wake up tomorrow we’re sending a search party!” he called warningly after me, and I waved over my shoulder, not pausing.

Soon I had climbed to the top of the cliffs and could see the City glimmering down below. But I stepped away from the sight and into the moonlit Forest beyond – calmly ambling through the towering trees.

I followed my feet steadily, finding myself surrounded in trunks that were growing to boggling sizes as I stepped deeper into the Forest heart. My skin was prickling as I moved onward, and I began to have the sense that the quiet Forest was alive with an electric energy that seemed to be pulling me along a specific path.

The Unicorn was warm in my hand, and I felt a tingling sensation flowing through my fingertips and tickling their way along my palm.

I listened carefully and was sure that I heard magic all about, whispering on the wind, circling through trees, beckoning to me.

A warm breeze stirred the leaves from the Forest floor about my ankles, and then pushed them along before me as I quickened my pace. Excitement quickened my heart, and the prickling, ticklish sensation spread along my arm.

Without glancing back I followed the power reaching out to me and began to jog while the tingling spread to envelop my entire body. Even my tongue tingled and I felt acutely aware of my surroundings as the leaves danced and flew in front of me, swirling crazily.

The breeze grew and became a gust of wind that seemed to be thrusting me forward. My hair played about my face and with a terrible longing I chased the whispering feeling. Skirting trees and leaping over bushes, I went faster as I felt the magic growing, until the Forest, and my entire being, seemed to pulse with it –

And then suddenly the dense trees stopped and opened into a circular clearing before me.

The wind eased, the whispering faded and the dancing leaves settled the moment I skidded to a halt in the quiet glade.

The treetops parted in a perfect circle above and star light poured exquisitely down from the heavens to fill the clearing, like a basin being flooded with silver liquid.

Beneath the light a round pool glistened, reflecting the glimmering sky while the lush grass grew right up to the rim of the clear water.

I could feel the magic that had been calling to me dancing through the air in this hidden place, caressing my skin like falling snowflakes. But it in particular seemed to be coming from a risen mound of grassy earth on the opposite side of the glade.

Drawn, I stepped slowly around the brilliant pool to stand before the hill, gazing upon a white stone that had been set at the top of the slight rise. The marker of a grave.

Kneeling closer, I wondered who the one entombed deep within the grassy mound had been, and who had knelt many years ago, where I now did, to grieve for them. I wondered if the being who rested before me had achieved what they’d wanted to, before they were blanketed with earth and grass.

The runes written upon the stone were faded and in a foreign tongue, but I leaned closer and looked harder, and felt chills of realisation.

I could read it. It was Aolen.

Unra olen de merdon rendaers,

Silrinae un dera Kinrunda.

Unredon maros, perdu amoeren.

“Here lie the cherished saviours, Silranaeryn and her Kinrilowyn. Together always, forever loved,” I whispered the words to myself in wonder, realising that this glade was where the Larnaeradee and Unicorn who sacrificed their lives to end the threat of Deimos had been brought to rest.

I held my Unicorn tightly, feeling as if I had been invited by my ancestors to come to this site when I most needed to be close to them. When I was to confront the truth and accept what I was.

I bowed my head before returning to sit by the pool, gazing at my shifting reflection and noting how certain I appeared. Then I slowly, unwaveringly opened my tingling fingers to gaze at the Unicorn figurine that my parents had given me on my sixteenth birthday.

“I’m ready,” I whispered.

And it was the truth.

Suddenly, a new tingling burst of energy pelted up along my fingers and I nearly jumped with surprise. But I couldn’t take my eyes off the white stone Unicorn. It seemed to be growing whiter. Or, more incredible still, a faint white light seemed to be emanating from within it.

I watched with wide eyes as a bright globe of light began to form at the very tip of the figurine’s horn as if a tiny star from the heavens had suddenly appeared there.

As I held my breath in complete awe, the tiny spot of light began to move, down along the Unicorn’s horn, running between the ears, then the eyes, then tracing the long nose, the slender neck, the muscular shoulders, across the belly, along the tail and the back, circling the entire figurine’s body.

I was transfixed when at last the light began to approach its beginning point again. This time it climbed the other side of the horn, tiptoeing all the way back to the pinnacle while I stared with anticipation.

Abruptly the figurine began to vibrate in my hands, radiating heat, before – in a single moment – the Unicorn had divided into two perfect halves that laid separately on my palm.

I gasped as the white light that had traced the outside of the Unicorn swelled to envelop something round and no bigger than my thumb that had fit perfectly inside the stomach of the figurine.

The white light began to rise, carrying the small object upward with it until it had reached eye level. Then it simply floated, suspended in mid-air before me.

I lifted my chin to extend my neck and the white light floated closer. My eyes were dazzled by the brightness, but as the incredible light started to fade I felt a slight weight settle against my throat.

A weight that felt natural. As if it had always been meant to be there, as if I’d been missing it all my life.

I blinked back down to my reflection in the pool to stare at the rubellite stone that was now hanging from a faint chain about my neck, resting comfortingly against my skin.

With steady fingers I lifted a hand to stroke it, and I felt a shiver of power dance from its surface to kiss my fingertips.

The Unicorn figurine had fused itself back together as if it had never contained such an incredible secret and I slipped the ornament into my pocket.

I couldn’t keep my lips from smiling as I stood. Because I felt strangely whole, strangely greater in all aspects than before, strangely happier, strangely free. And I drew a deep breath as I realised that I’d been waiting for this moment for all of my life without knowing it.

I focused my mind, visualising the one thing that I now wanted above all else. And there was not a noise in the Forest – as if the entire world was holding its breath in anticipation.

A rush of energy and a yearning to be unlimited even by gravity burst from my core and spread to every part of my body before it surged strongly to my spine and shoulders.

And as simple as breathing, I felt my wings flicker and rise behind me. So light I would barely have noticed them, so right they felt as if they’d been there all along.

The silence of the Forest vanished with a great clamour bursting from every treetop, every burrow, every nest. Birds called ecstatically, small scavengers squeaked, the trees rustled and their leaves danced.

Then with complete exultation, and not one doubt, I sent my newfound wings whirring into action as easily as I would move my hand.

I shot into the air, whirling ecstatically up until I passed the circular opening in the treetops to soar across the stars.

Chapter Forty Two

Eyes like granite flashed open.

The Sorcerer refocused, straight backed, breaking from his meditation.

A strange, painful pulse of power had swept throughout his body and had exploded across his senses.

It was the kind of power that Darziates had felt during his murdering of the Larnaeradee, and that he had felt lying dormant in the soul of a young woman he had never truly met – Kiana.

This power had suddenly awakened, pulsing exultantly to life, and sweeping outward across the lands. And Darziates was certain it had been Kiana, embracing her gifts.

“Master,” he heard Agrona sobbing fearfully – pawing at his door. She had felt the tremors of pure magic as he had.

Impatiently, without moving, the Sorcerer magically pushed her backwards, away from his chamber, so that she fell through walls and floors as if they were nothing, to be dumped back into her own room.

His own darkness ran in her blood, she had grown into the beauty her mother had passed down, and she had become accomplished in her abilities to terrify and control. But, there was no denying now that Agrona was not enough to help him rule an entire world and Other Realm.

To unite the world under his one banner, Darziates would need to truly have the hearts and souls of the people. His influence should be able to seep into their thoughts. But most important of all, his control would need to go beyond physical boundaries, and flow through Nature itself. Yes, he would need someone capable of helping him break even the boundaries of Nature to defeat the threat of the tenth age. He would need the last Larnaeradee to join his cause.

People would need to breathe Darziates’ power in from the air, drink it in the water, see it storming in the clouds, and feel it in their land.

His Quest was not to be just a tyrant ruling over bitter, defeated peoples. But to establish a new leadership, a new way of life. A new world, transformed in a storm of ice and fire.

“Kiana,” he uttered the word reverently out loud.

With her magic, they could thrust their control into every fibre of every being, and every inch of land, sea and sky.

Nature was rejoicing for now, and a faint smile played across the Sorcerer’s lips.

The future beckoned.

Chapter Forty Three

Noal

I woke to Dalin shaking me urgently. “Get up!”

It was still dark and there was a roaring sound rushing in my ears. I frowned groggily as Dalin pulled me up into a sitting position by my shirtfront. He saw I was awake and moved across to do the same to Thorin.

After speaking to Kiana we’d tried to wait up, but had fallen asleep in the sitting room of the tower Dalin and I shared. I blinked blearily and noticed that the loud noises hadn’t just been a rushing in my ears – swells of voices were pouring into the room from outside.

“Frarshk,” Thorin groaned. “I’m off duty.”

“Get up!” Dalin repeated, now trying to pull his own shirt on over his bandaged arm and getting tangled in a rush.

I yawned and rubbed my face as Thorin stumbled up to help Dalin pull it over his head.

“What’s that noise outside?” I asked. “It sounds like the mightiest party in the history of the world.”

“I don’t know!” Dalin cried in exasperation. “I’ve been trying to rouse you two so we can find out!”

“It sounds like every Elf, Nymph, bird, horse and rabbit in the Forest is making as much noise as they can,” Thorin darted me a wide eyed look.

“Oh …” I breathed. “Dalin, last night Kiana –”

“Yes, yes, I’ve already pieced all of this together, let’s just go and see!” Dalin said, herding Thorin ahead of him to the steps as he talked.

“Gods. Do you think …?” Thorin asked as we squeezed our way out of the tower door.

But we stopped in our tracks incredulously.

It looked like it truly was a gathering of every single being in the Forest.

The whole City was full to bursting. Birds rushed around in trilling swarms, and not a single Elf or Nymph seemed to be indoors despite the hour.

The vine bridges hanging over the City were swinging and crowded with dancing Elves while Nymphs drank and laughed wildly on every tree branch.

Every lit up doorstep had someone carousing crazily on it, or magical beings clinging happily together. Some were crying tears of joy. Some shouted jubilantly to the heavens.

“Quaray!” An Elf close to me said when he turned around and saw us standing there. “Quaray un Tru!” he laughed, shaking my hand vigorously, almost making my teeth rattle until Thorin and Dalin pulled me away through the thronging crowd.

They’d spotted the Krall warriors, all bunched together as confused and bleary eyed as we were.

“Hello there!” yelled Tane. “Come to join the impromptu party?” he had to shout to be heard over the noise.

“I’ve never been in a place where parties are so frequent!” cheered Wolf whole-heartedly.

“Or so lively,” grinned Vulcan. “Before it’s even first thing in the morning.”

“Does anyone have a clue what we’re celebrating though?” Purdor asked, accepting a mug of Elf ale as big as his head with enthusiasm.

“Not the foggiest!” Thale cried, almost drowning himself in his own mug.

“We can only guess,” Thorin began. “But we think it’s Kiana.”

“She left with her Unicorn figurine last night,” I added with a raised voice.

Ferron almost choked on his drink.

“You mean you think she’s become …?” Cadell asked, thumping a spluttering Nikon on the back too.

“Well, good for her! Now Darziates has got what’s coming to him!” Phobos grinned, sloshing his drink down Lydon’s shirt as he raised it.

“There’s hope for the world!” Phrixus cried, tipsy already and sauntering off to hug a lady Elf twice his size.

They all cheered, thoroughly immersing themselves in the celebrations, and Dalin laughed, accepting three more mugs from a grinning Elf before handing two to Thorin and I.

“Raaaiiiideeeeeennnnn!” Nova and Naira zoomed across to Dalin.

“Congratulations to the Threeee!” they cried drunkenly, which suggested they’d had quite a lot.

Nova kissed Dalin rather passionately and Naira wrapped her arms around my neck, about to do the same.

“I wouldn’t.” A testy voice stopped Naira in her tracks.

I glanced up to see Asha, Flash and Rebel floating above us.

“You’re as … jealous as the Granx!” Nova pouted.

“Kindly remove yourself from my Princes,” Asha said daintily, her sharp teeth glinting.

“Ohhhhh, so now you own both of themmm,” Naira rolled her eyes. She pecked me on the lips and spun away giggling with Nova, becoming a blur of pinks and purples.

Rebel went off in pursuit of the two Nymphs, not complaining as they turned their attention to him while Flash joined the Krall warriors in drinking from a mug over half his size.

“So you’ve heard the news?” Asha chirruped blissfully, taking Naira’s place in my arms and stroking my hair contentedly.

“We’ve guessed,” Thorin answered.

She gasped dramatically, but the evidence of delight to be the news bearer was clear on her impish face. “Kiana has found her earth stone. She’s a Larnaeradee at last!” the Nymph crowed gleefully. “The entire Forest was vibrating with life!” Asha went on. “Every tree, every blade of grass, every insect woke up with joy and shivered with her power the moment that it happened! I nearly fell out of the air with the force of it! I can’t believe you didn’t you feel it!”

Dalin, Thorin and I looked at each other.

“I was pretty tired …” Dalin said weakly.

“I may have felt something,” Thorin shrugged, scratching his cheek.

“I think I do remember waking up feeling hungry at one point,” I reflected.

Asha sighed. “Mortals.”

“So what are we going to do now that it’s happened?” Thorin asked. “Keep partying until she comes back?”

“Oh I think this party will be ongoing for a few days at least,” Asha mused, languishing comfortably in my arms. “This is one of the greatest moments in history. It has to be celebrated accordingly.”

“Of course.” I grinned at the scenes of wild abandon all over the City. “And we’ll all do our bit to help.”

But as the remnants of the night waned and the sky started to lighten, the Elves and Nymphs began to still a little and to look eagerly upward.

Then the first rays of the sun began to brighten the Forest and the Forest dwellers broke out with roaring cheers.

Because with those first rays of sunlight, we finally saw the last, One, Tru, Larnaeradee.

There were cries of hope and overflowing joy as the entire City gazed up at the figure soaring high in the golden sky.

“Gods …” Dalin breathed in awe.

The Krall warriors were speechless, the Elves held each other and the Nymphs hung mid-air, holding their arms out lovingly.

For she was everything good in the world. And her pure magic washed down from where she hovered to touch all of us.

Chapter Forty Four

Kiana

“You look enchanting!” Asha purred with satisfaction.

She was floating above me, her chin propped dreamily on her hands as she gazed at the teal coloured dress Chloris had just helped me into.

The material flowed down my chest in a ‘v’ to a belt of material before the light, rumpled cloth again flowed freely out to an uneven, wispy hem.

My hair spilled in waves down my shoulders, and Chloris pushed a ruby lined flower comb into the hair beside my ear to lightly pin it back.

My own eyes lingered where, on my bare shoulder, the blood red brand of Agrona had become a silvery colour that nearly matched my skin, like a testimony to my transformation. It was now the brand of my rebirth.

And even as I stood still I was sublimely aware that magic now pulsed through my veins, like sparks dancing in my blood that sent wild strength exploding in all of my limbs. The power of my lost kin was alive again within me.

“Lovely,” Chloris smiled as she moved back. “You’re ready.”

“Kiana!” I heard Dalin’s voice call up the stairs.

He, Noal and I had all been whisked away to be dressed ‘properly’ for the occasion, and now the party was building to an even greater extreme outside.

Thanking Asha and Chloris, I descended the stairs to where Dalin was waiting in the lowest room.

“You should see how outrageous it has become out there …” His words petered out as he turned from the window. “Gods Kiana,” he coughed. “You look wonderful.”

I smiled. “You look Princely.”

He truly exuded the image of royalty in the magnificent deep green garb he’d been given, but the green of his eyes were fixed on nothing but me as he came to where I stood on the last steps and offered his hand.

I took his hand in mine and we paused for a moment, before Asha zoomed down the stairs to sweep us back outside into a world of music, dancing and laughter.

“Come on!” she giggled, sending us hurtling forward toward where Thorin, Tane and Noal were waiting outside the tower door, and their eyes widened as they saw us.

“Gods you all polished up nicely!” Tane whistled, taken aback.

Noal was as regal as Dalin, and Thorin regarded the three of us almost hesitantly.

“I’ve suddenly been reminded that you are the heir to a throne,” Thorin commented to Dalin.

But Dalin didn’t seem to notice the effect he’d had upon our warriors, and he slung an arm good-naturedly around Thorin’s shoulders.

“Lead the way,” Dalin said with a grin. “It’s time Noal and I showed you Krall lads how to drink like real men.”

The uncertainty at once dropped from their faces.

“Like real men?” Tane crowed merrily, and he and Thorin bounded off to where the other soldiers had gathered already, drawing Dalin and Noal with them.

Though instead of joining them, I wandered away from the noisy pack of males as they happily sloshed their way through tankards of Nymph liquor and Elf ale.

I sat myself aside with my back against the trunk of a tree, cushioned upon the grass and surrounded by the revelling of those around me.

The sound of the music was so loud that it soaked deeply into everything. The ground shook with the power of it as if the earth was resounding with a heartbeat.

It felt as if my own heartbeat had changed to pulse with the rhythm of the music and the air itself seemed to swirl with the power of all of those gathered in the City.

I felt the energy of every Elf and Nymph igniting the atmosphere, and was aware that my own power rose to join theirs, stirring the air around me so that waves of my hair kept lifting slightly to float in the lightness of the environment.

I ran my fingers over my tourmaline stone, and rested my head back against the trunk of the tree with a smile lifting the corners of my lips.

Chapter Forty Five

Dalin

Phobos, Ferron, Thale, Nikon and Thorin were all lazily offering me advice when Ailill unwound the bandage from my bicep.

Ailill had found Noal and I wearily sitting under a tree with the soldiers, waiting for Kiana after the partying had at last slowed down for the first time in days.

Kiana had recovered as quickly as the Forest dwellers when the City had settled back to normality, and was invigorated while talking with the Lady a short distance away. But we tired out mortals had been sitting in an exhausted, defeated looking circle when Ailill had approached with his healer bag.

“I find it’s best to look away while the healer pokes and prods you,” Ferron remarked sagely as the bandage loosened. “Act as if nothing’s wrong.”

Ailill rolled his eyes.

“No, no, it’s better to look at the wound while it’s being seen to, so you know what’s going on,” Phobos disagreed.

“It’s true,” Nikon asserted. “One of my friends thought he was recovering nicely because he believed the healers when they said he was going to be fine.”

“What happened to him?” Noal asked curiously, stroking the Granx’s back after she’d scuttled away from the Lady and climbed up his leg.

“I attended his funeral pyre very soon after,” Nikon shrugged.

“I don’t think it’s quite that serious in this case,” I informed them all.

“It depends on how I’m feeling towards you today Raiden,” Ailill commented mildly in his willowy voice.

Noal lifted his eyebrows. “Was that a joke from Ailill? I’ll have to tell Flash and Rebel.”

The Elf just sighed, world-weary, and continued to unbind my arm.

“I hope it was in jest, for the Raiden’s sake,” Thorin laughed.

“And for Awyalkna’s, seeing as he’s the heir,” Noal added.

“You could always fill in for me. Wilmont would love to train you,” I told him as he scrunched his nose in distaste.

Finally the bandage came away from my arm and I felt fresh air touch my skin.

“Gods,” Ferron commented, eyeing my healing flesh.

Phobos whistled appreciatively.

I glanced at it and sighed. “Never mind.”

There were six jagged lines running down my arm where Nikon’s armour had torn. The marks were red and raw looking, and spanned diagonally down from just below my shoulder to near my elbow. They’d been stitched back together in the deepest spots.

“You told us you’d only put a few stitches in!” Noal said indignantly. “Chloris agreed!”

“Chloris lied,” Ailill replied with the ghost of a smile.

“She wouldn’t!” Noal said, wounded at the thought of the sweet, kindly Elf who always helped us.

“Told you,” Phobos said logically. “You should always watch what the healer is doing.”

Ailill lifted my arm to inspect the other side of the stab wound, from where the dagger had come out of the other end of my bicep. The cut was about as thick in width as the length of my thumb after Nikon had widened it with his fist, but all of the raw flesh was sealing back together in healing scars.

Ailill wordlessly set to work, and despite his stern exterior, he was gentle.

“You’re lucky this happened in the Forest,” Ailill told me as he worked. “The time flow here has helped you to heal much more quickly than in normal mortal time. Otherwise the muscles inside and the skin on the outside would still need time to knit together.”

“I’m fortunate this happened with so many healers around, because otherwise I never would have thought of this stitching phenomenon,” I corrected the Elf.

Ailill grimaced. “Mortals.” Then he picked up a thin, silver instrument with a sharp tip.

Thale and Nikon were looking decidedly apologetic as they guiltily watched Ailill slice through each knot, and then tug each loosened thread free.

Finally Ailill rinsed my arm before handing me some more bandages.

“You are to be bandaged again when you’ve given it a short rest. But beware,” the Elf glared at me. “The skin is still not strong enough under pressure.” Then he glared at each of my companions.

“What did we do?” Thorin muttered defensively.

“You will most likely be the culprits should his arm burst back open,” Ailill said in a scolding tone. “So I’m glaring at you ahead of time.”

“You are all awfully rough on me,” I agreed.

Ferron hiccupped loudly on a laugh as the Elf brought his glare back to me.

“The skin will regain its strength slowly, so protect your arm from injury.”

I nodded reassuringly. “I’m always careful, never fear.”

Ailill got to his feet. “I only fear that one of these days I’ll be the cause of you needing stitches.”

“Healers aren’t meant to be the ones hurting people,” Phobos reminded him helpfully, before ducking under the Elf’s disdainful stare.

“Thank you. I’d quite forgotten my oath after a hundred years.” He shook his head and left us, muttering to himself as he went.

“I think he deeply likes us,” Thale laughed while I flexed my arm gratefully, glad not to feel as restricted anymore. It only felt a little tight and tender.

“I can finally train properly again,” I said with a relishing stretch.

“Not with us,” Thorin held his hands up innocently. “We’re the culprits who will reliably break you.”

I looked up with a grin as Kiana approached, sitting herself between Ferron and Phobos.

“That’s all healing nicely,” she commented.

“Nicely?” Thorin exclaimed, put out on my behalf. “It’s like he’s been hacked to pieces and slapped back together.”

“Well, it all looks nice considering that, doesn’t it?” she answered him with her half smile.

“What were you talking about?” I asked her, nodding to where the Lady was now conversing with Ace and Frey.

“The Lady was offering me advice,” Kiana replied with relief. “Helping me get to know what I can do now that I have my earth stone.”

She stroked the dazzling red stone at her throat and our eyes were all drawn to it as it glittered.

It was a polished oval shape, as big as my folded thumb, and was vivid and lustrous as it hung from a shining silver chain upon her creamy skin.

“Of course as we already know the greatest thing that the stone has given me is my wings,” Kiana went on. “But the Lady was explaining how I’ve apparently always had magic inside, that the stone now helps me to channel. The wings will naturally appear in whatever shape needed, yet they’re not really a part of me. They aren't hidden anywhere at the moment, it’s more like the magic reacts to my desire, and makes them manifest in reality when I wish it.”

“So they don’t sprout out of your back? And they don’t get stuck in your clothes?” Nikon questioned.

“It seems they just appear at my back, whether there are clothes there or not,” Kiana mused. “But once they are there it’s as if they are a part of me, meant to be there. I control them just like you control an arm or leg.”

“You’d have to be careful then,” Thorin remarked. “That means they can probably be hurt.”

She shrugged. “Probably. But they feel as strong as a shield. I think I could probably decapitate someone with them if I wanted, they’re that tough.”

Thale’s face paled. “Let’s not test that.”

“There you all are!” a cheerful voice called out.

Tane, Cadell and Purdor were wandering out of the trees behind us.

“We’ve been searching for you lot everywhere,” Purdor exclaimed, and then his eyes flickered to my arm. “Gods doesn’t that look …” Cadell elbowed him in the ribs. “… Effective.” He finished with a grimace.

“You certainly have the image of a hardened warrior with marks like that,” Tane told me.

“And all I had to do was have Thale fall on me, and Nikon sit on me,” I teased.

“Perhaps you shouldn’t tell the story quite like that,” Phobos advised.

“So why were you searching for us everywhere?” Noal yawned at the three newcomers.

“The rest of us have all been busy testing our sabre skills against the Elves,” Cadell replied. “Thought you should know.”

“What?!” Thorin whined. “Without us? We’ve been waiting forever to fight the Elves!”

“Yes well, we’ve come to get you so you can be in on the action now haven’t we?” Tane said in a placating tone. “We were startled at how quickly they got through the lot of us. We’ve each been defeated about four times. But it’s fun.”

“Fun?” I repeated. I’d found body jarring defeats against the Elves to be enlightening, but not fun.

“Well, it’ll be better now. They said after they’ve defeated you lot they’ll train rather than fight us. So perhaps we’ll pick up some skills.”

“Gods, learning from the Elves would be priceless …” Thorin breathed.

“Just a moment sparring with Bard changed me forever,” I agreed.

“Can we challenge the Nymphs too?” Thorin asked enthusiastically, but Tane glumly shook his head.

“They only train with other Nymphs. So that they don’t accidentally get carried away and kill us all.”

We all watched as a colourful swarm of Nymphlings zoomed by in a blur, making loud explosions and erupting into cackles of laughter before disappearing amongst the trees.

“Even challenging one of the Nymphlings would mean an epic battle of immeasurable enjoyment. Despite the risk of a horrible death,” Ferron watched after them wistfully.

“The Nymphlings endure few rules and wreak havoc wherever they pass,” Kiana told him. “It wouldn’t be a risk of horrible death. It would be certain horrible death.”

“But we’re definitely invited to challenge the Elves?” Thale questioned, boyishly eager.

Cadell nodded with a gleam of excitement in his eyes.

And within the blink of an eye they had all scrambled up, barely able to contain themselves.

“Are you coming?” Ferron asked Kiana and I as we remained seated.

Kiana shook her head. “I’ll wait and see what else I can find out today.”

I let my breath out in a big regretful gust. “I would hate for any of you to break me and upset Ailill.”

“See you later then,” Ferron replied hastily, and even Noal rushed off as the group almost kicked up a cloud of dust – galloping towards the training grounds.

But I was far from feeling left out when Kiana slid herself across the grass to lean her back against the tree beside me. She gently ran her fingertips along the long red wounds on my arm, and then rested her head against my shoulder contentedly.

“Everything’s different now, but the same too,” she reflected, and I tilted my head to rest mine on hers.

“What do you mean?”

“Well …” she answered slowly. “I feel like my strength has doubled. Like I could lift the world, run for days, battle a Giant. And I feel so much more aware. Everything is more vivid. But I still feel like my normal old self at the same time. I'm still me, even with magic and wings.”

“I knew you would be,” I told her honestly. “Really all that’s changed is that you can now channel your power.”

Kiana nodded. Then a note of pleasure touched her voice. “And I love it.”

“What’s it like?” I asked. “To be so weightless that you can fly?”

“It’s freedom,” she breathed, as if she relished the words. “It’s like nothing you’ve ever felt before.”

I sighed wistfully. “You make me wish I was the One. We could swap. I’ll fly and you can be the future King of Kings.”

She laughed. “Or perhaps I could take you with me one time,” she suggested lightly. “When I’ve perfected my abilities.”

Suddenly Kiana sat forward, turning to face me. She focused for a moment and then I blinked in amazement as, in a silvery flash, her wings had appeared.

I shook my head in appreciation. “It’s incredible,” I whispered, gazing at the iridescent silver wings in awe, and seeing through them.

They were almost as long as the length of her body this time, though last time I had seen them they had been smaller, shaped to be sharp and fast.

She took my hand and guided me to reach over her shoulder and gently touch the smooth, shining wing there. Instantly a tickle of warmth pranced along my fingertips.

“You’re a wonder,” I told her.

“That’s not the half of it,” she beamed as she stood, before suddenly her feet lifted from the ground. With a grin she darted away from me and span at top speed high into the air and out of the clearing.

I was stupefied as she soared across the sky, darting and slicing faster than my eye could follow, and then spiralling elegantly around some clouds in the next moment.

The Lady had finished talking to Ace, who had left, and now she and Frey watched Kiana’s antics as well.

“The One has stunning control already,” I heard the Lady comment. “The skill is natural to her.”

“It is good that she has advanced more quickly than would have been expected of the other Larnaeradee,” Frey said. “It shows she truly is the most powerful.”

“Yes,” the Lady agreed softly. “And she needs such skill now, to be able to Summon the other races later.”

“You both know I have great hearing too,” Kiana spiralled down to where they stood. “I can hear you discussing me,” she said reproachfully. “But your words are comforting, and I’m ready to train to use this great power you keep talking about.”

“To train, you must simply become comfortable in who you are. You already channel Nature’s power of growth, life, rejuvenation and purity,” the Lady said. “It is a wonderful gift. The opposite of every power Darziates has ever known.”

Kiana’s face grew solemn. “Good.”

“Now you must simply learn to allow things to come to you naturally as you need,” the Lady continued. “From any part of Nature that you set your mind to, you can draw energy to help you manifest a thought.”

“Though surely spending time with the guidance of your wisdom will be an advantage to me?” Kiana frowned.

“Your time in the Forest is coming to an end,” the Lady’s voice was almost sad, and I felt my own heart jump a little at the thought of leaving the sanctuary we’d found in the City. “There are not enough moments in the world for me to share with you what I would love to share. But you are more than ready to go on from here and learn as you are tested.”

Kiana sighed. “I’ve felt that things were coming together. Coming to an end.”

“Do not fear One, your time here will never be over. You will always be welcome in Sylthanryn,” Frey answered warmly, but I was growing sadder as I listened myself, feeling as if a stay in the heavens was coming to a close.

When they parted Kiana crossed back to me.

“I know,” she told me wistfully at the sight of my expression. “I’ll miss all of this too. But we have to get back to the Quest. Awyalkna needs us.”

I lifted my good arm and put it around her shoulders as she nestled against my side.

“And so does the rest of the world I guess,” I agreed tiredly.

“Hmmm,” Kiana exhaled gently, resting her head against my chest. “But not right now.”

“No, not today,” I said, now feeling complete contentment.

Chapter Forty Six

Kiana

The sun was setting when I finally forced myself to sit up, looking back over my shoulder at Dalin. “Should we go see how the others are faring against the Elves?” I asked.

“It’s probably best we make sure they aren't tearing each other apart,” he agreed, leaning forward.

“Wait,” I told him, tracing along the line of one painful looking scar and then holding my hand out.

Dalin grimaced and handed over the new bandage he’d been given so that I could carefully bind the fragile skin and pull his sleeve down for him.

“I was so comfortable that even walking to the training grounds seems harsh,” he told me, standing and reaching out to pull me up.

“At least I’m deigning to walk along with you,” I said. “I could just fly over.”

He tightened his hold on my hand instead of letting it go when I was standing. “You could try,” he bantered. “But we’ve just had days of gluttonous feasting. I think I could successfully keep you grounded.”

I felt a little rueful when he released my fingers as we began to walk side by side then, back into the crowded parts of the City and to the training grounds, where we could hear the clang of steel upon steel and the jovial shouts of where the men were having the time of their lives battling each other.

It was now just the sixteen Krall warriors and Noal enjoying the grounds, but Asha was floating at the height of the fence that surrounded the grounds, leaning her head in her hands and watching dreamily as Thorin and Noal wrestled playfully not far from her.

“So much to look at,” Asha told me happily.

I leaned against the fence beside her. “Flash would be jealous,” I admonished her, despite the fact that Flash had no trouble getting along with Noal, who she clearly favoured.

“Raiden!” Tane yelled the title joyously while Dalin put his good hand on the fence and propelled himself over to join them.

“Did you miss me?” Dalin asked, before Wolf grabbed him in a headlock.

“We did miss you, but now that you’re here ….” Wolf began, then wheezed as Dalin spun free and shouldered Wolf to send him sprawling backward.

“Now that I’m here?” Dalin inquired as Wolf chuckled from the ground.

Vulcan wrapped his massive arms around Dalin’s waist then and tackled him to the ground too.

“Now that you’re here, you can join in the fun!” the other, colossal warrior finished.

Dalin rolled out from the big man’s grasp and promptly sat on Vulcan’s stomach.

Vulcan spluttered.

“Yes. I am having fun,” Dalin decided.

“Dalin, we were warned not to break you,” Noal commented, and pulled Dalin up from Vulcan’s stomach.

“At least not on the very same day that Ailill warned us against it,” Thorin resolved.

“Ailill’s not watching,” Dalin protested.

“We won’t test it today,” Phrixus informed him. “There’ll be plenty of chances for us to challenge you in the future.”

Dalin gaped in exasperation at the unyielding men surrounding him. “You’ve all turned soft,” he criticised, throwing his hands up.

“And don’t you love us for it?” Tane joked, pinching Dalin’s cheek and steering him toward Asha and I as the others began packing up to follow.

“Ooooh, did we miss the training?” Nova and Naira drifted out of the trees nearby and stopped to balance on the frame of the fence. Nova’s purple eyes were mischievous as usual and Naira twirled her floating pink hair flirtatiously.

“We would have loved a good physical display,” Nova pouted.

Lydon, Roth, Gideon and Aiolos’ eyes were boggling as Naira puckered her lips suggestively at them. Their even quieter comrade, Rendor, reddened noticeably when she winked at him especially.

“You missed it,” Asha told them curtly as Nova set her eyes on Noal. “Have you a message or something?”

Nova tore her eyes from Noal’s golden good looks to turn to her superior Nymph.

“We’ve been sent to spread the word to Council members and the Three that a final meeting will be held before their departure,” Nova reported.

“It will be tomorrow morning,” Naira informed us. Then added slyly: “and we’ll be escorting the Raiden and Noal again.”

“Message received,” Asha nodded gruffly, and the two other Nymphs lifted into the air with cheeky grins, blowing kisses at the warriors before shooting away again.

“So our stay in Sylthanryn is coming to end,” Noal reflected disconsolately.

“We’ll be back to having the time of our lives, getting chased and hunted on the Quest in no time,” Dalin told him with distaste.

Yet while I was dismayed as I rose early for the Council the next morning, I was aware of how far the three of us had come while in the City. And how ready we were to evolve further on our Quest – beyond the enclosed Forest.

My own progress was clear as I returned to the Lady’s colossal tree tower, which was already abuzz with Forest dweller activity, and was able to use my own magic to travel up to the Council room.

Most of the Elves on the Council could only nod politely with welcoming smiles, being unable to speak the mortal languages, before there was an invisible rippling effect throughout the room and the Lady entered with Dalin and Noal.

She led the way for all gathered to take their seats beneath the great model of soaring spheres, and the Lady let her gaze fall gloriously upon the three of us as we took our seats in the circle.

“Beloved Three,” she began. “The moment is drawing near for you to move on from us, and now is the time to discuss plans to aid you on your journey.”

Dalin looked grim while Noal petted the Granx forlornly as she made her way into his hand.

“We plan to hold to our original course,” I told the Lady. “We will pass through the Forest to reach Jenra and ask for their allegiance, as was our initial Quest.”

The Lady inclined her head, waiting and knowing that I had more to add.

I tried not to grimace. “And I will be continuing on from there alone,” I said carefully.

“Beg your pardon?” Noal spluttered, and the Granx waved its legs indignantly.

Dalin’s composure slipped just a little as his shoulders lowered and his brow furrowed.

I took a deep breath. “I’ve known it was necessary from the moment I held my earth stone and first formed my wings. I am the Summoner, and I must go to the other lands beyond the seas to at least try to gain the support of the remaining magical races. I must seek to give us a chance, and to bind the races in unity as the tenth age and the threat of Darziates approaches.”

“But, Kiana,” Noal said weakly. “We’re a team.”

“Yes,” I nodded. “But I am the only one on the team who can fly across oceans to reach the other races in time.”

Noal slumped back in his chair in surprise, at a loss.

Dalin was unhappy but understanding. “So we will journey to Jenra with you. We’ll hopefully enlist their help, and then split up. Noal and I will lead the Jenrans to join with the Awyalknian armies while you lead the magical races to unify with us.”

“It is the course of action that has the best chance,” the Lady affirmed.

Ace rubbed his green beard. “The Questers have any aid I can give them.”

Frey nodded. “They have any aid that each of us can give.”

Another Elf who had been sitting back thoughtfully motioned as if to speak, but then he leaned back again, knowing we would not understand when, though he could comprehend our mortal tongue, he could not speak it.

I pondered him for a moment, and then I caught his eye. “Try it in Aolen,” I suggested encouragingly.

“I don’t know if I can,” he responded apologetically in perfect Aolen.

The Elf started in shock, his astounded face mirroring everyone else’s.

Dalin turned to me with amazement dancing in his green eyes.

“I understood exactly what he said,” Dalin informed me in flawless Aolen, a smile covering his face now.

Noal’s eyes were wide. “I did too,” he grinned suddenly himself, forming words of the ancient tongue without trouble.

Asha laughed and clapped her hands.

“It is a wonder!” another Elf called gleefully, at last with no restriction in communicating.

“Tree tower! Nymph liquor! Squirrel! Cake!” Ace cheered in Aolen, soaring into the air.

Everyone stared at him and he sank back down, flustered – until abruptly everyone in the circle began to speak and to test the words at once as well.

Finally the Lady held up her hand with a smile, and silence eventually settled.

“It seems the One’s powers are beginning to affect us all,” she spoke in Aolen too. “Now we can spread the lost language of the Larnaeradee all around the City, and like a song it will come back into the minds of all who have forgotten it.”

“What was it you were going to say?” I politely asked the Elf who had first spoken, and he composed himself to return to the serious discussion we’d been having previously.

“I wanted to say that there is at least one way that the Elves can help you on your next part of this journey,” the Elf said, beaming. “We can escort you to the end of the Forest.”

The other Elves nodded.

“It is risky though,” I replied. “For those Elves to run close to the Cursed Valley again.”

“All Elves must be stronger than ever now,” Frey stated. “There are tremendous things calling us forward more clearly than the enchantments of the Cursed Valley and our own internal thoughts. The world is drawing us out, and we must look outward.”

I inclined my head, trusting them. “We accept your offer then, with great thanks.”

“It would be a great asset to have the Elves speed us through the Forest,” Dalin agreed gratefully. “It would reduce months off the journey. And even if time flows differently within the Forest, our own bodies would feel the impact of such an expedition without magical help.”

“I can offer further aid,” the Lady said, settling back into her chair. “I can extend my magic to adjust when in time you leave the Forest to re-enter the world beyond.”

“That would be a mighty blessing!” Noal breathed appreciatively. “We have spent a great span of time here, but if we left the Forest and time had not passed on the outside …”

“The best I can do is to make it so that barely a week has passed beyond these trees. But you must also treat this blessing as a risk and be cautious, because though the storm will have passed, the beasts and Agrona may still have been hunting you a week after you came here.”

The three of us considered her point gravely as the reality of our situation, and the danger we had evaded while in Sylthanryn, started coming back into focus.

“Gods, I can’t believe our time here has ended,” Noal sighed, stroking the waving Granx again.

The Lady regarded him kindly. “The Elves and Nymphs shall not meet with you again for a short time,” she acknowledged. “But when you have rejoined with your Awyalknian forces, our troops of Forest dwellers will be marching to join you. And if you secure the friendship of the Jenrans and the other magical races it will be hard to despair. The Army of the World will again be arising.”

“You will not be coming?” Dalin asked the Lady.

She shook her head gently. “My hand in this has passed. I have done all that the Gods sent me to do, and now my power remains here. I am as much a part of the Forest now as it is a part of my magic. Yet if the world is healed again I will be able to touch every inch of Nature, and be reborn.”

Asha had been quiet for quite some time. “I personally would like to offer my support to the Questers, and have had many Nymphs ask if they could go with the Three when they leave. While I know the Forest dwellers ought not to give away their strength to Darziates until the right moment, is there nothing I can do as we wait?”

Dalin suddenly straightened with an ardent expression. “There is something you could do for us Asha!” his voice now held a keen note. “You could give Queen Aglaia and King Glaidin a message. In fact you could give the whole of Awyalkna a message,” he said eagerly. “You could tell them that we are alive and mean to bring help, for we seek to forge alliances and secure aid. You could give them hope when they think there is none. They’ll believe you, when the words are coming from a being straight out of the stories of old,” he finished enthusiastically.

“I love it!” Asha cackled. “If it’s only me out in the open the Sorcerer will hardly notice. But the Awyalknians have to learn about us before we turn up to help them, so they’re not too shocked to fight when we arrive anyway,” she grinned impishly.

“It’s settled then,” the Lady said, still maintaining an appearance of total calm.

And when the Council ended, with everyone hardly seeming to notice that they were speaking in Aolen as they left the room, the Lady rose serenely before the three of us to offer her farewell.

“Lady,” Dalin said seriously, “we can never truly thank you for all you have done. We will never forget you, and for as long as Awyalkna stands, your memory will live on as freshly and as treasured as it has since the beginning of time.”

He and Noal bowed before her in deepest respect before they withdrew sorrowfully, and I was left with her alone, warmed by her tender expression as she turned to me.

“Kiana, I have just a few things left to tell you,” she said at last. “I want you to remember that you have great power from everything natural around you and you will learn as you have need. Just use your instincts and you will be able to do all that needs to be done.”

I nodded, and she put her hand upon my shoulder so that I felt her magic dance through my body.

“Lastly, I wish also to say that I am already beginning to heal, simply because of your presence. You are everything this world needs, and really are the Tru Larnaeradee. I know that you have the pride and blessings of all who came before you.”

I took her hand in mine, as if reaching for my own mother.

“Thank you,” I whispered before releasing her, and turning to leave the Council room for the last time.

I passed under the swirling spheres and across the glimmering floor to leave the tower of the Lady, and the warmth of her magic, with a feeling of both sadness and acceptance.

Chapter Forty Seven

Dalin

I was sitting across the bonfire from Kiana, watching as she concentrated with all of her might, glaring down at a rock in her palm.

A pensive mood had settled over the three of us after the Council, but we had joined a gathering of the men of Krall outside to inform them that we would be preparing to leave. Now they weren’t making much of a racket either.

“Well, we’re ready to move out when you are,” Thorin had replied – already used to the fact that he was miraculously using Kiana’s gift of Aolen.

“We could never leave all the adventures to you,” Tane had reassured us in the tongue as well, rolling onto his back on the grass with his hands cushioning his curl covered head.

“How long do we have to prepare?” Thale asked, watching Kiana stare at the rock now too.

“A couple of days,” she said gruffly, not taking her eyes from the rock.

“It’s a bit sad,” Purdor commented suddenly. “I’ve never had such fun, or even such stability in my life. Despite all of the uprisings, surprise battles, poisonings and such.”

“That’s because you’ve never been anywhere but Krall and the battlefield before you came here,” Ferron told him, breaking some branches for the fire.

“I was not always completely miserable in Krall,” Cadell noted. “It’s the King who makes the land so rotten.”

“I admit,” Kiana grunted, “the first time I travelled to Krall, I was taken aback.” Her gaze did not waver from the rock. “The borderlands were as barren and foul as predicted. And when I reached the City sectors themselves there was an abundance of soldier patrols and fearful, strained, unhealthy looking citizens. But aside from the fact that I was there in the week of the cycle change, there weren’t lurking villains and dark spirits on every street corner as I’d expected.”

“What is the week of the cycle change?” Noal asked curiously.

“In Krall there are only two seasons,” Phobos explained. “And the change between them occurs in just one week.”

“In a week it changes from bitterly cold, muddy and wet, to sweltering heat, vicious sand storms from the wastelands, and dry earth,” Wolf elaborated. “It’s as if Darziates’ unnatural power has made Nature confused in Krall. The seasons are too corrupt to follow the natural pattern and simply move from one extreme to the other.”

“How does the population survive if the weather changes so much?” Noal asked in perplexity. “Surely agriculture is impossible in such conditions.”

“The land is arid, but not dead,” Thale told him. “And Darziates continuously pumps dark magic into the earth so that it keeps producing.”

“Which is what ruins the natural cycle further,” Vulcan commented dryly.

“AHAH!” Kiana cried abruptly so that our entire party jumped.

“What do you mean, ‘AHAH’?!” Thorin gasped, clutching his chest.

Kiana was grinning as she held her hand out for us to see her rock. Or what had been her rock.

My eyes widened as I saw that it had changed shape to become smooth and pointed. It had morphed into an incredibly well made arrow head.

“Gods!” Phrixus breathed in awe. “You just made that stone into an arrow head with …”

“With my mind and magic,” she finished, now examining her creation critically. “Though I still prefer using my own skills to make them, it will be helpful to stockpile some before we go.”

“If the Elves and Lady are going to aid us by adjusting time, there may not be a need to rush,” Thorin speculated.

“If they are helping us all to exit the Forest at the time when you described, our troop would have been marching into the Forest to intercept the three of you at that point … So will we also be marching into the Forest somewhere else at the same time as we’re leaving it?” Gideon pondered.

Purdor shuddered.

“Best not to think about it,” Kiana surmised.

“We won’t,” Thorin remarked. “At least not once we’ve decided it’s all settled,” he said, looking around at the other men. “Are we all in agreement?”

Thale nodded his head slightly.

“Let me be the first then,” Thorin said, standing up. “To swear my allegiance to this Quest and to pledge to do all in my power to help and protect the Three.”

I was surprised by how formal he sounded, until Tane stood beside him, his usually grinning face now serious.

“Let me be the second to swear my allegiance and pledge my strength,” he said, and then Wolf stood beside him.

One after the other, each of the sixteen warriors repeated the same oath. But when Thale had finished speaking last of all, a noise from the dark bushes behind us made us all look up. And a dark, small figure shuffled timidly out from the trees, his shadow dancing across the ground from the flames – wavering and broken.

“Agrudek …” Thale growled with warning in his voice, for the inventor was meant to remain in his tower.

The little man’s patchy orange beard twitched nervously.

“Please, I,” he sounded close to tears. “I want to pledge myself too … I want to help.”

I glowered at him and his eyes darted away from me, to Noal.

“P-please let me redeem myself.”

Thorin stepped forward angrily. “You cannot be redeemed in this way. Innocent or not, how can we trust you enough to come with us?”

“And what use would you be in your condition?” Vulcan questioned bluntly.

Agrudek flinched. “I-I cannot live with myself. I have to make up for what I did.”

“We would not help you in times of danger,” Ferron told him. “We’d be busy.”

“You’d be a liability,” Phobos scowled.

“No … I would take care of myself … if anything should happen I can simply leave the group. I w-would not stay if I was slowing you down,” he begged, looking haggard.

“Is there nothing we can say or do to make you stay in the City?” Thale asked, knowing the Forest dwellers wouldn’t hold him.

Agrudek appeared unsure of himself, but shakily nodded. “I would follow.”

We were all quiet for a moment, until Noal spoke.

“It is worthy of you to step up,” Noal said quietly. “And we cannot stop you.”

The soldiers stayed quiet, following Noal’s decision despite their darkened expressions and reservations.

I contained my own contempt for Agrudek with a great effort, forcing the anger in my voice down until I could clearly convey my own reply to the scientist.

I leaned forward and he couldn’t help but draw his eyes to me as he felt my stare.

“I respect Noal’s choice,” I enunciated every word distinctly. “But should you ever hurt one dear to me again, you will not be human in my eyes. You will be exactly the beast that Darziates sought to have. And you will be treated as such.”

He squirmed where he stood, licking his lips. But he nodded, and after darting a look at the hostile faces around him, he fled back into the darkness.

Chapter Forty Eight

Dalin

The morning dew was still wet upon the grass and the City had a sombre feel as we climbed our way out along the slope for the last time.

The Krall men were not boisterous now, but had their armour in bundles tied onto their packs, and they had their sabres buckled back in place.

Agrudek kept out of the way of the hulking soldiers – his small legs stepping quickly as he bent under a satchel on his back. His own bags were as heavy as everyone’s, filled with supplies that would not spoil in the damp mountain air.

Ten Elves had come to escort the twenty of us – all Elves who had helped us many times before. And they each offered their hands to two of us at the top of the slope. Then Frey called for the Elves to follow, and he burst into a sprint, burning away the distance so that the City disappeared quickly behind us.

I forced myself to look ahead, and if I focused through our blurring motion, I could make out even the fine hairs on each slender, green blade of grass that rushed past, and it felt as if I was barely touching the ground itself as I moved my legs.

When we stopped at night and the Elves released our hands we all felt an odd mixture of serenity and bone deep weariness after an entire day of enhanced movement. We collapsed around a fire that the Elf Alvar made and ate what Vidar put in front of us.

I dimly heard Frey conversing with Kiana as I stretched out to sleep, and he asked which path through the mountains she planned to take.

“The Midroone Pass?” he repeated her answer. “It is known to be hazardous.”

“In colder months,” Kiana admitted. “But the Lady will have ensured it is still warmer outside.”

“Even in summer the mountains are perilously cold and wet. But you are likely right to take that road,” Frey replied. “It will not be snowed under for much of the way, and the scarcity of growth and shelter on that path deters the Griffins from haunting it.”

“It means that we will have to head in a more westerly direction tomorrow,” said Kiana.

“And that circles us further away from Cursed Valley,” Vidar noted in appreciation.

“Running with Elves is amazing,” Thorin yawned then, sprawling out dreamily near me.

“I certainly wouldn’t mind feeling like that every day,” Tane agreed.

“I’d get a headache if I had that many thoughts and details to register every day,” Thale closed his eyes.

I was starting to fall asleep as I heard Kiana speak again. She was as untouched by the day of running as the Elves were.

“I’m going to see if I can fly and keep up with you tomorrow,” she was saying. “It’ll show me how fast I can travel, and it’ll be good training with quick twists and turns.”

I hadn’t registered passing into sleep, but it seemed barely moments before a deep voice, very different from Kiana’s, woke me.

“Raiden.”

I stirred and blinked up at Quidel’s face hovering in the dark, noticing that his bone white hair stood out against the early morning sky.

He clapped me gently on the shoulder as I nodded and sat up, then he moved on to Noal as the men around us stirred into wakefulness too.

“I heard you say you were going to be flying today,” I commented as Kiana appeared at my shoulder to press an apple into my hands.

“I may tire of keeping up by myself eventually,” she reflected, biting into her own fruit. “Right now flying seems comparable to running, where the wings take energy from the rest of my body just as my legs do. I need to learn to take energy from Nature.”

“All set?” Phrixus asked, scratching his stubbled cheek. “Frey said the Elves are ready when we are.”

“We’re ready,” I said, and took some quick bites to finish the apple before shouldering the weight of my pack once more.

I crossed to Frey, and soon we were all hurtling through the Forest again – but this time with Kiana soaring with ease along beside us at our incredible pace. And I was transfixed as I watched her gracefully glide through the air, spinning easily around every tree and over every hollow log as if she’d been flying for all of her life.

Chapter Forty Nine

Noal

“Oh Gods …” I heard Lydon gasp as we slowed to a halt just inside the last trees at the end of the Forest.

My own eyes were wide as I beheld the dark Jenran mountains, soaring upwards before us like mighty houses of the Gods themselves.

I’d never imagined that Nature could create such massive landforms, and I found myself tilting backwards as my eyes travelled up the stark incline, which started just beyond the trees and ended at last with snow capped peaks.

“No wonder they don’t make contact with the outside world,” Dalin commented, squinting up at the rocky slopes in front of us.

“It’s definitely not as welcoming as Sylthanryn,” Thale said finally, tearing his eyes from the intimidating forms.

“We have to cross those?” Ferron asked incredulously as he blurred to a stop with Vidar and Aiolos. “That’ll take years!”

“We’ll manage,” Kiana remarked, letting her wings disappear.

“Do any of you want to help us to cross those big nasty mountains?” I asked the Elves with chagrin.

“We wouldn’t want to reveal our willingness or ability to aid your Quest yet,” Vidar answered regretfully, and I could see the worry in his eyes as he regarded the brutal, miserable climb ahead of us.

“For now, this is where we must part,” Frey said with a heavy tone. “But we will see each other again.”

“And we can only thank you with our love and friendship in return.” Kiana told the forlorn Elves. “We will miss each of you on this journey.”

“Be well, and I hope we shall meet again,” Thale said huskily to the Elves.

“Be well, and I hope we shall meet again,” Frey told us all.

And I felt a wave of sadness as they hesitantly turned from us, backing further into the trees, until they had disappeared back into the dense Forest.

Silence descended over our glum group as we lost sight of them. But Kiana stepped forward resolutely.

“We can’t remain,” she told us. “We have to be careful and move on swiftly.”

“It is time we set out,” Dalin agreed with growing resolve, and we all turned towards the two of them. “It’s best we head into the mountains while daylight is still on our side.”

“We don’t want to be without shelter when night comes,” Kiana affirmed. “I’ll be leading us through the Midroone Pass, which is a lonely, treacherous passage even in the light.”

“Great,” I shivered.

Despite the sun shining gloriously above, I felt the chill flowing down from the high, snow peaked caps.

“I just can’t wait,” Tane informed Kiana cheerfully as he adjusted the weight of his pack. “You make the climb sound so appealing.”

“It’s even worse in real life,” she said over her shoulder as we followed. “But after I attempted multiple entries when I journeyed here, I discovered it’s the shortest, least Griffin infested path. And we do need to get to Jenra before the tenth age begins.”

“Griffins,” I heard Agrudek almost squeak to himself in apprehension.

“Murderous, winged beasts that haunt Jenra,” Kiana explained.

“Oh joy,” I groaned at my first step onto the slope of the mountains.

And as our hike progressed my calves began to burn while countless loose pebbles slipped under my shoes. I heard some of the men already panting and cursing as they skidded on the wet rocks and slid back down the distance they’d just toiled up.

“Step carefully,” Kiana cautioned as we followed her in a begrudging line. “We can’t afford to be slowed down by one sprained ankle.”

So we all pushed to keep up, placing our feet warily without ever seeming to get closer to even the knees of the base of the mountain.

Finally, in the late afternoon as the shadow of the second mountain began stretching grimly across the mountain we were gradually climbing, we neared the place where the two looming formations joined.

“The Pass is close if I remember correctly,” Kiana said, stepping lightly around a series of boulders and peering at the rocky walls between the two joined mountains.

“We aren’t going through there are we?” Cadell asked, eyeing the dark, narrow gap.

Kiana pulled herself up onto a ledge, frowning through the shadows beyond where she perched. “I can’t see if that’s the path there or not,” she said. “Wait here a moment.”

She expertly slid down the rocks and disappeared behind them, and we heard a light echoing thud as her feet landed on the crumbly, rocky ground on the other side.

Moments later she scaled back up and beamed at us. “We’ve found the beginning of the trail. You’ll have to drag yourselves over. There’s a bit of a slide down to the bottom.”

Dalin was first to grimly move forward to tackle the boulder Kiana had climbed. He manoeuvred his way up until Kiana was within reach, helping him to haul himself over to sit on top of the rock with her.

“Come on,” he beckoned before wiping his brow. “One at a time.”

Thorin went next and Kiana and Dalin helped him before sliding down to the other side, and we each followed the same process of helping the next man.

I waited until last, with only Agrudek left to go up before me, and he thanked me timidly as I helped to boost him upward to Vulcan’s waiting hands, while I tried not to think about the early death that this man had nearly granted me.

Then it was my turn, and I was sliding down the other side of the boulder into the dark to land amongst the rest of the men.

Dalin and Thorin held out their hands and both caught one of my arms each as my feet came upon slippery stones. And abruptly I found myself cut off from outside warmth, surrounded by a dim, roofless cavern.

Impossibly high walls of hard grey rock hemmed us in and the trail ahead ran off into a series of twists and turns so I couldn’t see very far along it.

“Well, this is nice,” Tane commented.

“Who votes on going back into the Forest?” Purdor asked dryly.

But Kiana was already moving forward again and we obediently trailed behind her, walking in single file between the high, looming walls.

“It won’t always be this narrow,” Kiana called softly back to us. “Or this easy to follow the path. Sometimes the trail is wide from storms, snow or floods. Sometimes the whole path has broken away beneath falling boulders.”

“Welcome to Midroone Pass,” Phobos muttered bleakly ahead of me.

“Where boulders can obliterate both you and the solid rock path you stand on,” Ferron added behind me.

“I’d planned on us singing some cheerful marching songs,” I heard Tane remark in disappointment. “But the echo might loosen things up top. What a shame.”

“A tragedy,” Wolf’s voice carried back in a wry tone.

“It’ll get harder than missing out on choirs and symphonies,” Kiana warned. “In fact,” she said, peering the long distance up to where a slit of the sky still showed above us. “We’ll be stopping soon, before the light is even near failing.”

“It’s long before sunset,” Vulcan protested from down the line. “We normally use every moment of light to cover distance.”

“We will need time to ensure we find shelter every night,” Kiana explained. “As we climb into higher altitudes the temperature will drop, and when dark comes it will be near freezing out in the open. We can’t risk being unable to find refuge. I did that once in one of the other passes, and it wasn’t pretty.”

The echoing, crunching sound of our feet was all the response that she was given as an increasingly morose mood fell over our group.

“Tonight and tomorrow it won’t be so bad,” she said in an effort to be reassuring. “We’ll cope with just setting up camp against the walls. After that we’ll need to burrow down.”

Then, just as she’d said, we stopped barely an hour later and began to roll out our cloaks. And even though the sun was only just setting, the light faded fast as it was blocked by the rocky walls – and as the light fled, so did any remains of the day’s warmth.

We shuffled closer together as we chewed unenthusiastically on our dinner, each of us staring about ourselves as night crept through the tunnel-like road. And eventually the darkness was so deep that it seemed as if we sat on a precipice surrounded by nothing.

Adding to the eeriness of the Pass, the wind picked up to whistle and moan through the rocks, echoing mournfully up and down as if someone was crying out. Warning us that we should have stayed in Sylthanryn.

Chapter Fifty

Dalin

In a matter of days it felt as if we’d been surrounded in unchanging rock, falling streams of pebbles, and whining wind for all of our lives.

The monotonous hours felt endless, and our calf muscles strained at the hard and dreary work of following the jagged turns of the winding upward slope. Every time we rounded another bend we found a new length of path identical to what we’d just left.

We had been fortunate each night as, just as we all felt too depleted to continue, and just as we began to worry that we would freeze in the unbearable dark, Kiana would lead us into a shallow nook in the rock wall that she’d sheltered in on her own journeys.

We would rise just as exhausted as we’d been the night before, and each night grew colder than the last as we climbed higher, where the air made our clothes feel constantly damp.

We shivered in the gloom at night, with no comfort against the bitter chill. But then, despite the freezing cold, we grew so hot from climbing during the day that steam seemed to swirl about our bodies.

I was also beginning to feel starved of colour. There were no patches of green and no flowers to break up the sight of grey rock, until finally the narrow path widened and one of the walls declined in a dip so that we could see the sky and the world again.

The sight invigorated us, and the path had opened far enough for us to walk as a group instead of in a line.

But as the days passed, the relief of seeing the sky was almost forgotten as we climbed to such heights that all we could see was mist that swirled through the gaps in the rocks, as if souls from the Other Realm were reaching out with beckoning fingers to claim us.

Worse, we discovered that the twisting and winding road had in many places been blocked by fallen boulders, and time had to be spent climbing over them. Then sometimes deep, bottomless ravines would suddenly open on one side of us as the path fell away altogether, and we had to inch our way over the remaining ledges as they crumbled and groaned beneath our feet.

At one point the quieter soldier named Rendor nearly slipped into the deadly drop and only a lightning fast grab from Ferron saved him from the fall. Then later, while I glumly filled my flask from a trickling trail down the rock face, I felt Thorin roughly push me aside. When I lurched sideways a fist sized rock missed my head to crunch upon his knuckles instead, immediately leaving a flourishing purple bruise.

“Even,” Thorin winced, shaking his already swollen fingers and referring to when I’d saved him from falling from the Forest ledge.

But as we trudged wearily onward it began to feel that memories of the Forest could not truly be real. Surely the entire world was unchanging rock and life was just a series of shuffling feet, cold fingers and noses, white clouds of breath, and saturated faces.

We were hardly surprised one night when Kiana grimly warned that the path ahead would become even more hazardous, and that shelter could become even increasingly rare. After all, there was nothing we could do about it.

Chapter Fifty One

Dalin

“Does she always have to be right?” Wolf groaned as he saw another pile of boulders beyond the pile he’d just climbed. “Frarshk it all to the Other Realm,” he gasped, his hands on his knees, his dark hair scraggly and clinging to his face from condensation.

“How many more obstacles are ahead?” Thorin called, yet to join Wolf at the top of the current climb.

“I could count them for you. But we don’t really have the time,” Wolf replied.

“That many?” Thorin winced.

Then when we’d conquered those countless piles, it felt like only moments of being back on our single file trek along the narrow path before Kiana was stopping us again.

“What is it?” Thale called from the back of the line.

But I was close enough to see that before Kiana’s feet there yawned a massive break in the stone floor where the entire path now dropped down into nothingness, and it was too far to even leap across to the other side.

I heard Vulcan and Phrixus’ echoed curses as word of the problem spread, because we all knew that edging our way all the way back from where we’d come was not an option.

“I’ve got a good length of rope,” Aiolos called.

But Thorin frowned upwards at the rock face we huddled against. “There’s nowhere we could tie it,” he said. “There are jagged rocks jutting out, but they’re all too sharp.”

Kiana had been silent in thought for a few moments.

“I think I can take care of that,” she said at last, dropping her packs to the side and out of the way. “Pass the rope forward.”

Aiolos obliged and we passed it from man to man until it reached her and her wings suddenly appeared at her back to lift her high above us.

We craned our necks to watch as she soared upward and then stopped at one of the bigger rocks jutting out from the wall, which she inspected and ran her fingers along.

Then I heard gasps and laughs as, without warning, the rock she touched began to grow, widening and lengthening outward from the wall beneath her fingers while its jagged edges smoothed and started to curve upward.

Satisfied, Kiana withdrew and the rock stopped transforming at once. She looped the rope over the smooth, strong hook she’d just created so that it was securely bound and dangling down in front of us.

“Kiana, you’re brilliant!” Thorin called up to her.

“If I was confident enough to create an entire bridge, I would,” she admitted. “But what if the rock I would take to make a bridge came from the rock you’re already standing on?”

Tane reached out boldly to catch the swinging rope and caught it in his hands, tying a handhold in its length.

“Wait,” I called, evaluating what strategy would be best for all of us. The rope would certainly hold us, and so would the rock anchoring it. The only danger we would face was the possibility of missing the ledge when we let go.

“Vulcan,” I called down the line of men. “Do you think you could make it up here?”

Vulcan considered for a moment, judging the narrow ledge and the deep ravine that would meet him should his foot slip from it. He was about halfway down the line.

“I can do it,” he answered confidently.

“I want you to get across first. You have the strength to catch us once we swing, so there is no chance of anybody not landing on that other side.” His bulk would also mean he had the greatest ability to launch himself and weight the rope all the way to the other side.

Vulcan nodded, assuring me he could do it. But I held my breath as he sidled away from the wall at his back and carefully began to edge around Phrixus, the first man in front of him. Phrixus, and everyone he passed, pressed themselves as flat as they could against the mountain wall, trying to leave him with as much ledge to balance on as possible.

Vulcan grunted with the effort of squeezing around Cadell’s bulk next, and Cadell took a hold of Vulcan’s belt as he passed, steadying him. Thorin took hold of Vulcan’s belt next, and then the next man copied.

Kiana hovered beside him, so that she could help him regain his balance if needed, until Vulcan finally managed to edge his way to the front. He wiped the sweat from his brow and shook his shoulders to disband the nervous tension from his body before he accepted the rope from Tane.

“Careful,” Tane warned as Vulcan tested the rope and took a deep breath.

Then he leaned back and let his feet launch away from the ledge, grasping the rope grimly as he swung across the deadly abyss and was carried all the way across to where the ledge began again. We all gritted our teeth as we watched him extend his legs to land on the other side, at last standing firmly once more.

Tane glanced back at me, a little pale faced, and I inclined my head. His turn.

“You better catch me,” he called across the gap to Vulcan. “Or you’ll hear me cursing you all the way down. And then I’ll haunt you.”

Vulcan let the rope swing back across for Tane to catch. Then he raised his arms, ready to catch and steady Tane when he came across to land.

“I won’t let anyone drop,” the big warrior told Tane soberly. “Or I’ll go down too.”

“I’m also great at catching,” Kiana asserted.

Tane looked at the rope in his hands, and then stepped up to the edge. “Frarshk,” he groaned mournfully, and let himself swing out across the nothingness.

Vulcan leaned as far forward as he dared and caught Tane firmly around the waist, dragging him onto the ledge beside him.

Tane sent the rope back across to Ferron, who was next.

“Nothing to it,” Tane croaked.

And we swung across one by one, each of us braving the sickening swing across the void to be caught by Vulcan until only Thale and the ever withdrawn Agrudek remained.

“Should I try to swing him across with me?” Thale asked with doubt.

The scientist had been thrown and caught or carried for every rock pile climb we’d faced so far. But the drop beneath the rope was a new problem.

“I can carry Agrudek myself,” Kiana said then, and my eyes shot across to her. “I will fly him over. He’s light and it won’t be for a great distance.”

“No,” Thale argued stoutly. “If he is too heavy for your wings to support then you both could fall. I will carry him.”

Agrudek just stared miserably at the rocks at his feet, clutching a globe pendent around his neck for comfort.

“The same risk applies to you,” Kiana stated. “But if you should fall, you have no wings to save you. And,” she firmly cut his next protest. “We can’t afford to waste more time arguing, or we won’t find shelter before the sun goes down.”

Thale frowned with anguish at the watery globe of light hanging above us through the mist.

“Thale,” I called as he glanced desperately from the sun to the rope. He looked at me. “Swing now,” I told him. “Trust in Kiana. She will take Agrudek.”

His shoulders slumped, but when Vulcan held out his arms for the last time Thale grudgingly swung across the deadly drop below, and we all turned nervously to watch Kiana lightly land back on the other ledge in front of Agrudek.

“Hold still,” she warned the small man sternly. “I’m going to shoot across fast.”

I heard him whimper faintly and saw him squeeze his eyes tightly closed as she stepped behind him and wrapped her arms under his. She braced herself, and then in the blink of an eye she had launched off the ledge to speed towards us.

Agrudek dangled in her grasp, before they appeared on our side of the path in a flash, where Vulcan caught hold of them before they careened into the rock wall.

When Vulcan let them go, Kiana released the stunned, pale looking scientist from her vice-like hold, and he staggered to the wall and clung to it.

Yet Kiana simply floated lightly back, picked up her packs, unhooked the rope, and flew to head our line again.

Chapter Fifty Two

Dalin

“Frarshk. Again?” Wolf’s voice carried downwards. “You’ll never guess what I’ve found now,” he growled, scrambling back up his side of a pile of boulders to shout down to us.

“I don’t think I really want to,” Nikon grunted, hoisting his pack and armour into a less sore spot on his shoulders.

“Surprise, surprise,” Wolf cried sarcastically. “We’ve been blessed with another gap in the path, right at the foot of this pile of boulders. A double catastrophe.”

“Great. So now we get to climb and swing,” Purdor gasped, leaning against the massive boulder he’d just scaled and looking up at the others he had to conquer next. “At least now we don’t have to do them separately. We get to do one after the other.”

Our strength was flagging after being continuously met with one setback after another.

“FRARSHK!” Thorin’s voice rang back to us when he climbed up next to Wolf to observe our next obstacle. “FRAAARSHKFRAAARSHKFRAAARSHK!” we heard his echoes rebounding musically through the mountains.

“You seem disgruntled,” Noal commented blandly.

“The next gap in the road is MASSIVE,” Thorin called down darkly.

Thale sighed. “We all hate the gaps, but we’ve got past them before, and we can again.”

“This one is three times the size of the others we’ve faced,” Thorin continued.

The smile dropped from Noal’s face. “Three times?”

“But this time I can see what’s at the bottom,” Thorin added. “And it’s not very nice.”

We waited for a moment. Weighing up if we really wanted to know ahead of time.

“What’s at the bottom?” Purdor gave in at last.

“Sharp rocks,” Thorin supplied. “Very jagged. Very, very far down. Perfect for impaling warriors on.”

And we soon got to see the monstrous challenge for ourselves, after carefully lowering ourselves from the boulders to gather on the small space of intact road at the edge of the drop.

“The Gods seem set on placing every possible challenge in our way,” Phrixus moaned, but Kiana shook her head.

“I crossed this once, and it has not grown much. It can be done – and must be done.”

“But there isn’t enough rope this time,” Phobos protested.

“We wouldn’t reach the other side. It is too wide to swing across,” Nikon agreed.

“We brought more than one rope,” Kiana scolded our downhearted responses. “And surely if I can extend small bits of protruding rock, I can also create larger protrusions too.”

Her wings flickered and whirred into action to carry her up to the rock wall, and she pressed a hand to the rough surface. As she drew her hand away from the rock it again seemed to follow – bulging and stretching outward towards her fingers.

She swept back down to us, scooped another rope from Roth’s belt, and with a thought, she confidently fused the ends of the original rope and the new rope firmly together as if they’d been one length all along.

Then with only a little hesitation, sweating nervously and praying to the Gods that we would live, each of us again managed to swing across the colossal break in the road before sinking down on the other side as if our bodies had turned to water.

Our nauseous reverie was only broken when Aiolos looked over at Kiana. “Was that really there when you came this way?” he asked weakly, his voice wavering.

The soldier beside him, Rendor, had a green hue to his face.

Kiana, who had already recovered after carrying Agrudek safely across – looked up from where she was sharpening her dagger.

“Yes,” she answered Aiolos simply.

Cadell wetted his lips and focused on her, keeping his eyes from the fall we’d all just escaped. “How did you cross?” he asked. “You didn’t have your wings.”

She shrugged, putting the dagger away. “I climbed.”

Thale choked on the water he’d been sipping. “What do you mean you climbed?” he managed, the water dripping from his beard.

“It was all I could do at the time,” she said, as if that explained everything. “And not crossing was not an option. I was on a Griffin hunt.”

“How could you possibly climb that?” Phrixus husked. “There are no handholds that wouldn’t have sliced your hands to ribbons, and surely it is too far to scale that wall all the way across to the other side …” we were all waiting for some sign that she was in jest, but there was no trace of humour about her face.

“Surely even you wouldn’t survive a climb like that, it would be torture. It would take too long!” Phobos exclaimed.

Now her eyebrow arched. “It wasn’t an easy night.” She showed us the palms of her hands and her fingers, which were lined with the many scars that came with her trade. She calmly traced some of the longer ones that would have been quite deep, but that were now faint upon her skin.

“I had wrapped leather strips cut from one of my packs around my hands to protect them. But after a span of time spent clinging to razor sharp hand holds, the leather wasn’t tough enough to protect me fully.”

We all stared at Kiana in silence before she stood once more.

“Let’s move,” she said then. “Our next challenge will be finding shelter.”

Chapter Fifty Three

Asha stared intently from her perch amongst a cluster of sparse wasteland bushes, forgetting how nauseated she felt within Krall’s borders. Instead, she was enthralled by the sight of so many big people in one location – lumbering about and gathering together in their camp.

They were assembling as a vast group to hear the Awyalknian King, Glaidin, deliver a morale boosting talk. And the Lady had helped Asha to time her arrival so that she could hijack his speech and address everyone at once too.

When Glaidin got started before the massive crowd – all shifting and listening loyally – a glittering grin of pointed pearly teeth covered her face.

She launched herself easily from the bushes and soared effortlessly towards the massive crowd.

Conall was standing at Glaidin’s side as he addressed his men. And with all soldiers focused on the King, Conall was the first to notice the shape hovering over the army.

Glaidin faltered when Conall spluttered, and then the King himself choked on his own inspiring words to gawk upwards.

When the masses cringed and peered skyward though, expecting perhaps that the fabled Agrona had appeared … they found that a small child with floating red hair was flying over their heads.

It was an image of such incredibility, and a being that exuded such wholesomeness compared to the foulness in Krall – that the crowd remained almost stock still instead of bursting into shocked pandemonium.

Asha just adored attention, especially on a mass scale.

“Sorry to interrupt,” the Nymph beamed delightedly down at the mortal King, who blinked back in bewilderment.

She swept down to his level and bowed before she held out her hand for him to take as the mortals did. He automatically raised his own and bent over her tiny one.

“Well met …” he stammered with uncertainty.

“Asha,” she supplied. “Well met King Glaidin. Good choice of location, great audibility,” she congratulated him in the Awyalknian tongue, and then turned purposefully to face the gigantic crowd. “I’ve come with an important message.”

She spoke in her battle field voice, but there was no need, as every astounded man listened raptly.

“You have no need to fear me,” she reassured them unnecessarily, holding out cherubic little palms. “All I ask is that you listen and believe.” The silence continued to grip the crowd of wide eyed soldiers as they hung on her every word. “I am a Nymph of the Great Forest sent as a representative of the Forest dwellers and the Lady of Sylthanryn herself.”

Asha felt divine shock ripples spreading through the crowd, and wonder filled murmurs at last broke the spell of silence.

“Your stories are all true. I am proof that pure magic is real – despite the Sorcerer’s best efforts to drive good magic to extinction. But,” she paused for dramatic effect. “While I represent the beings of the Forest, I have in fact come to you on behalf of another,” she soared a little higher. “Prince Dalin of Awyalkna wanted his people to know that hope is not dead.”

Murmurs grew into exclamations and cries of surprise, as many Awyalknians had come to believe that Darziates’ Sorcery had done away with the heirs of the royal line.

Asha saw the Warlord by Glaidin’s side catch his swaying King. Glaidin’s legs seemed to have lost their strength.

“Prince Dalin and the companions accompanying him have become very dear friends to the Nymphs and Elves. But they have moved on from us now to continue with their Quest, which has been prophesied to be the Quest that will even the balance between Awyalkna and Krall,” Asha continued.

And she went on to revel in the undivided attention of the mortals as she briefly described the Three’s mission. She floated in various positions of comfort before her captive audience, sometimes even elaborating with a show of lights and shapes to depict the scenes she spoke of.

“And so, brave warriors, do not despair for your country. This is not a war you will face alone, because Awyalkna’s victory means the safety of all lands. We will march together with united banners, and, if the Three are successful, Darziates will face a threat as great as his own.”

She leant back in the air to rest then, crossing her legs to await a reply.

And after only a momentary pause, the crowd erupted with feverish, fierce cries of shock, relief and joy that made the entire camp rattle.

Asha turned to the two stunned Awyalknian leaders as the army rejoiced.

“King,” she said. “Speeches make me thirsty. And I have more to tell in private.”

Glaidin straightened shakily. “Of course friend, follow me to my quarters.”

Conall wasn’t entirely sure that this dazzling, babe sized creature was old enough to be drinking a strong brew, but Asha was watching Conall pour her a goblet of wine with anticipation. He was less sure of the safety in denying the request of a magical creature sent by the Lady of Sylthanryn.

He tried not to stare at her as he handed her the cup, but he was greatly disconcerted by the sight of her floating above the chair that the King had pulled out for her.

“You’re just as dashing as the Raiden, even with that stunned expression,” Asha told the King while Conall sat down.

Conall saw Glaidin make an effort to draw himself together to address the Nymph. “Please, if you can pass on any news of my sons, I would be grateful.”

“Oh yes,” she told him knowingly. “I have some incredible things to tell you about those two young men …”

As Asha described the exploits of Noal and Dalin – or the Raiden – Glaidin felt as if his entire world was being rocked. Even knowing they had lived had stunned him to his core, though beyond that, he was hearing tales of his boys that he could hardly process.

“And now the Raiden is leading the Krall warriors with him to Jenra,” she was saying matter-of-factly. “He has earned their respect, and because of the One’s magic, they have undergone a dramatic change.”

“What kind of change?” Glaidin asked in a husky voice, trying to concentrate on the facts at hand.

“They have turned from their King.”

Conall sat forward with wide eyes. “Now that’s a very interesting development.”

“It must be a trick!” Glaidin gasped fearfully. “No man of Krall would unite with an Awyalknian! They are in danger if they think these men are their friends! Dalin is young and too trusting …”

“No man of Krall has had an opportunity to follow his own free will for centuries,” Asha countered Glaidin’s disbelief. “The One’s magic has freed them, and the Raiden’s cause has inspired them to follow him. It is no trick. The Lady of the Forest seldom falls for deception,” Asha reassured him, and the truth of that statement was enormous. The Lady was surely the most ancient and powerful being of the natural world.

“This is not just a war between Awyalkna and Krall anymore,” she told the mortal King. “This is another War for the World. And if we have people of Krall supporting us too, then we may truly be completely united against the threat of Darziates.”

“Friend,” Glaidin at last said quietly. “You have no idea how welcome you are as your kind again comes to share this world with us.”

Conall rubbed his hands together. “Yes,” he grinned boyishly. “You are very welcome, indeed.”

Chapter Fifty Four

Kiana

“Gods,” I hissed under my breath. It was already late in the day, but the hollow in the wall that I’d hoped would serve as our shelter was now filled in with rocks.

I turned to face the trail of glum, exhausted men still catching up behind me, all of them cold and sodden from the damp air and chilled wind.

It wasn’t going to be easy to tell them we would have to keep going. It was going to be even harder to tell them that we might not be able to find anywhere else along this brutal Pass – which could lead to fatal exposure.

“Why have we stopped, Kiana?” Roth panted as he caught up to me. He didn’t seem as robust as the others. Would I be mourning his death by the morning? I swallowed my thoughts sickly.

“Is the shelter close by?” Ferron asked wearily as the group clambered together, bumping against each other blankly.

I took a deep breath. “That was the shelter,” I answered regretfully, gesturing to the build up of rubble now blocking what had once been a sheltered opening in the rocky wall.

I saw shoulders slump and the passage reverberated with their foul words as they grimaced miserably. But I wasn’t confident enough to try to use magic to hollow out a new cavern, when I might cause a rock fall myself.

“We will just have to continue on for a while until we find something else that is suitable,” I told them, as if I didn’t doubt that we would find safety from the freezing night in time, and as if I couldn’t see the worry in their already ragged faces.

They trudged along behind me again, but the day was fading fast and the temperature steadily began to drop as we found nothing but unending jagged walls and were battered by air that was colder than ice.

The thin, watery light of the mountains was waning and as I knew the night would soon be upon us I pressed them on at an even greater pace. They were already shivering as the wind sought to freeze our extremities and as the dark began chasing us down.

The men were starting to move sluggishly, their ragged breaths echoing around the Pass and over the wind.

Purdor fell wearily forward, knocking into Thorin. Thorin had been drinking from his flask, and the water spilled down his chest, but he caught Purdor, who shook himself determinedly and started moving again.

Then the dull light was gone.

“Kiana!” Thale called at last as he helped Tane to his feet from where he’d tripped. “We cannot see.”

“Halt!” I called, and the sounds of the lagging footsteps behind me stopped.

“We don’t have your keen eyes, Kiana,” I heard Noal gasp raggedly, and I could just make out his slender figure stooped over in the dark.

Gods I could see them all swaying where they stood. They were slowly freezing on their feet. They couldn’t go on, but we couldn’t stop without shelter. They wouldn’t live through the deepest part of the night. None of them.

Yet while every part of my body was bitterly icy, my exposed face and hands feeling chapped and stiff, there were sparks of magic in my blood and I wasn’t as dangerously cold as they were.

“I can continue on and search in the dark. I will find what I can and come back for you,” I told them.

“It’s not safe for you to go alone,” Dalin managed through chattering teeth. “If something happened, we wouldn’t be able to find you.” I saw his outline straighten with an effort. “I’ll come with you.”

“No,” I answered firmly. “I can be faster alone. We need shelter quickly. There’s no time for debate.”

I didn’t wait, but turned and jogged away from them. “Stay close together!” I called over my shoulder as I swept away into the dark. “And keep moving your arms and legs!”

“Are you sure we should let her go alone?” I heard Thorin through his shuddering.

“She’ll be fine,” Noal told him between gasping breaths. “It’s Kiana.”

I sped on desperately, but reached out with all of my senses to scan every nook and every cranny, listening to the wind curving around every rock and throwing out my intuition in the hope that I would find something. I gauged the slopes in the path with my feet, hoping to feel a slant that could indicate a hollow.

My hair, which had been saturated by the moisture of the air, was now becoming icy and stiff, and I feared that if I stopped running for too long I would lose any lasting heat in my body, and would end up shutting down myself.

I was becoming frantic when finally some instinct told me to stop. Backtracking, I strained to see if there was an opening in the wall, but everything seemed black. I reached out, wincing with the rough surface’s chill, and forced myself to patiently run my hands along it.

“Frarshk,” I cursed, finding nothing as I made my way back and forth. Gritting my chattering teeth I angrily kicked at the looming mountain, but nearly fell forward as my leg swung crazily out in front of myself, not connecting with anything solid.

With a croak of delight I fell to my knees and inspected the base of the wall, finding a low, arched opening that surely led into a cavern inside.

I laid flat on my back and pushed myself forward, sliding into the dark hole to find myself hurtling down along a short slope to hit a rocky floor below.

“Thank you Gods!” I whispered to the heavens, making out the dark space to be a room-like cave of adequate size. The galling wind did not reach this space, and I quickly felt my way around to ensure there were no other occupants or dangerous crevices in the room.

I quickly left my packs, bow and quiver against a wall before scaling hurriedly back up the slope to be lashed by the cold outside again.

I ploughed urgently back along the Pass to find my group, instinctively vaulting over obstacles, and heard the wheezing of their breathing as I drew close. I rounded a bend and skidded to a halt, nearly sliding right over Nikon, who stirred dully.

I could make out each of their forms, huddled on the rocky path as if they were only half alive, and I immediately stepped amongst them, briskly pulling them to sit up.

“I’ve found a place,” I cried with false cheer. “It’s not far, and it’s warm and dry.”

The air felt as if it was below freezing point, and nobody acknowledged my words.

“Enough!” I snapped like a commander. “To your feet! NOW!” I made out a couple of heads lifting in the dark. “MOVE!” I bellowed, my voice whipping around us in the howling gale.

One figure started to stir, and used the wall to pull himself sluggishly to his feet. Dalin.

He leaned down and pulled the feebly stirring figure next to him up as well. Noal.

I was sure that it was Thorin and Vulcan who helped each other up next, and Wolf pulled the shuddering Agrudek to his feet.

They were rising as if from a deep sleep. As if from death. And after what seemed like an age they were all standing, sagging against each other where they stood, waiting to be told what came next.

“Follow,” I growled. “Do NOT stop!”

I felt a shaky hand on my shoulder as they formed a line and I turned and began to lightly jog back the way I’d come, listening to their stumbling, lurching steps as they held onto each other.

“KEEP MOVING!”

Like marionettes they flopped and dragged themselves senselessly after me.

Thorin collapsed and I had to pause to drag him to his feet and roughly push him on before doing the same for Gideon and Purdor.

“DON’T STOP!” I roared as they began to slow without my direction, and they made a new burst of speed.

My heart was racing as I finally cut them off, holding out my hands and putting my palms on Thale and Tane’s chests so that they slowed, their bodies heaving with the effort to breathe.

The cold felt like knives carving grooves into the lining of my own lungs as, like sheep, the rest of them milled around me.

I turned to Tane. “Get on your back. Lay with your feet pointing to the wall.”

Unquestioningly he obeyed, just dropping down and folding in on himself.

“Trust me,” I told him sternly, and knelt to put my hands on his shoulders before thrusting him towards the wall.

I heard only a few interested stirrings from the others as Tane seemed to disappear into the wall, sliding down into the cavern, and I turned to Thale.

“You’re next,” I instructed.

His chest was broader than Tane’s and he almost didn’t fit, but he scraped through with my help, and I pushed man after man down into the hole, hearing them collapse inside when their feet touched solid ground. I had to give Vulcan a more forceful shove, and then it was just Dalin and Thorin.

“Come on Raiden, it’s not the Palace, but it’ll do,” I teased, and he slid down into the cavern as well.

Thorin didn’t move to follow him immediately though, standing against the wall with his head back and his eyes closed.

His breath was wheezing and rasping, his chest fighting to rise and fall in a more extreme way than I’d noticed with the others.

“We need to get you inside, right now,” I told him as he opened his eyes and I pulled him to lean against me. His stocky build dragged along with me as I walked him to the gap and helped him to lie before it and slide in.

I heard Vulcan catch him and whisper with an effort up to me that the slope was clear.

I slid at long last back into shelter, but in the darkness the sound of everyone’s laboured breathing seemed loud and ghastly.

“Please Gods,” I mouthed silently, “let me be able to give them heat.”

I cast my eyes around the darkness uselessly, wondering how I could make fire without anything to burn. Unsure, but determined to at least try, I picked my way over and around the heaving, shuddering bodies scattered across the floor, and found a clear spot in the middle to sit in, thinking furiously.

I closed my eyes and tried with all of my might to will a fire into existence. Even just a small flame at least. Yet nothing appeared.

Perhaps I couldn’t create fire without anything to build off, I considered despairingly, thinking of how I could make rock change shape simply because the rock already existed. How could I muster heat to work with?

Then an idea took shape and I frantically felt the ground around myself to find two pebbles, which I hastily beat together so a little flicker of light sprang up in a flash between them. I beat them together again, but this time I pictured the spark growing, and the flicker of light seemed bigger. Eagerly, I beat them together one last time, now picturing that spark exploding into a flame, and I jumped when a burst of light and heat exploded from the clashing rocks in my hands.

This time it didn’t fade, but stayed stretched between the rocks as I held them in a small, flickering ball of white flame.

Some of the men were rousing at the sight of the small light, and I pulled the rocks away and set them on the floor while the flame globe stayed up in the air where they had been, levitating and creating a floating light in the middle of the cave.

I focused on the white brilliance and pictured in my mind what I wanted it to do, before it obediently swelled to more than double its size. Now all it needed was:

“Heat,” I whispered to it, and suddenly I felt radiating warmth touch my cheeks as I beheld it.

Warmth trickled tenderly through the cave, settling upon the hushed, shivering figures like a comforting blanket and I put my hand out to touch the flames with my fingertips, feeling nothing but waves of comforting warmth.

I took a handful of it and it sat on my palm as if I held a light globe from Sylthanryn City. Then, with a sense of new confidence, I sent out a new thought. At once some of the swirling light broke away into pieces to cross the room and float at intervals along the walls of the cavern.

Able to see clearly at last, I dragged all of the packs and bundles of armour to a spare space and left them there. Then I rustled up some frugal snacks despite the fact that we’d already eaten that day’s ration, and put a touch of my newfound skill with heat into each portion.

Some of the men were stirring and a lot of them were sitting up by the time I was passing the snacks around, which they quietly chewed while they recovered their senses.

Vulcan was the first to speak, croaking to Thorin that he should be making an effort to get up too, as Thorin was the only one who hadn't sat up yet. But the young warrior didn’t respond.

Vulcan frowned and nudged his friend, who was lying motionlessly next to him.

“Thorin?” Dalin asked, who was on the soldier’s other side. He took hold of Thorin’s shoulder and gently rolled his friend over onto his back, gasping when he saw that Thorin was not conscious, though his purple lips were parted and his teeth were bared with the rasping effort it took for him to breathe.

“What’s wrong with him?” Vulcan cried, and scrambled to pull Thorin into a sitting position against himself, away from the icy rock floor.

I lurched fearfully across to Thorin’s side and took his face in my hands, feeling that it was freezing to touch before I examined Thorin’s tunic in consternation.

A thick layer of icicles lined his collar and was growing down along the material across his rasping chest. It was much thicker than the dusting of frost that everyone else had already shaken off.

“There’s ice all down his front that hasn’t melted,” I said in confusion. “How did that happen? No one else got that icy did they?”

“No,” Dalin said. “None of us got wet enough for the cold to make the ice that thick.”

Suddenly Purdor gasped. “Oh Gods! The water!” he cried in horror. “I fell against him and he spilled his flask! His chest was wet the whole time we were out there!”

Thorin’s clothing and chest had been slowly freezing for that whole time.

“Will he live?” Wolf asked apprehensively.

“Are his lungs still working?” Thale asked, his face drained of colour.

“He didn’t complain. I didn’t even notice,” Tane said guiltily.

I brushed the ice from Thorin’s shirt.

“Dalin, get the shirt open and tell me the damage. Vulcan, keep him warm,” I rose and scooped up my healing pack, rustling around in it.

“It all seeped through to his skin,” Dalin gave a commentary as I dropped down and began hurriedly chopping ingredients. “His throat and chest are blue all over.” His voice was hard, trying not to panic.

I nodded. “How blue?”

Noal was crouching by them now. “Not as blue as Dalin looked in your cottage after the Evexus attack,” he responded, guessing what I was going to try to do.

“Alright,” I replied. “I don’t think there will be permanent damage as I can still hear him fighting to breathe. But we need to warm him up.”

Dalin rubbed Thorin’s hands and chest, trying to bring heat back into his skin. “You’re going to give him that fire drink you gave me?” he asked as the soldiers watched tensely and I mixed ingredients furiously in one of the bowls from my pack.

“It worked for you, it’ll work for him.”

I used my new talent to send heat through the bowl and warmed the liquid up so that it bubbled thickly.

“Get his mouth open,” I ordered, rising with the concoction and crossing back to them.

“It won’t hurt him, will it?” Vulcan asked uneasily over Thorin’s head.

“I sure hope it does,” I told him seriously. “It’s got to be hot enough to heat up his blood and organs.”

Vulcan let Dalin take Thorin’s jaw in his hand to open his mouth. “Sorry Thorin,” he told his friend.

I poured the drink down Thorin’s throat, massaging it down until it was all gone, but nothing happened and Thorin didn’t twitch.

Dalin started to rub Thorin’s arms and hands in his own again and I followed suit, now trying to put my hands over his chest and sending waves of magical heat from my own body into his.

“Come on …” I muttered as everyone else held their breath, watching for any sign of movement.

Then he spluttered weakly, and stirred in Vulcan’s arms.

The men let out a series of whoops and cheers, and Thorin blinked.

Then he raised a shaking, unsteady hand to his throat. “It feels like I’ve swallowed lava.”

Vulcan squeezed his comrade tightly in relief as Dalin and I sank back in euphoric, dizzy exhaustion.

“Just wait until Kiana gives you a second dose,” Dalin told him.

Chapter Fifty Five

Aglaia was beside her young soldier, Elan – or Friendly, in a dining hall brimming with other volunteers who were counting out rations for the City’s midday meal.

“Majesty?” a page boy’s soft voice said from near her elbow, and she peered down with a start from where she had been levelling off a cup of grain.

“Yes?” she asked kindly.

“A royal messenger from King Glaidin has arrived.”

Friendly paused in his carrot chopping as her cup titled and the grains spilled.

The Queen lowered the cup to the bench.

“The messenger just rode in. He’ll meet you in the private council chambers,” the page continued.

Aglaia nodded. “Thank you.” She swept immediately away from her chores, with Friendly keeping pace beside her. The Queen didn’t stop until she had crossed the throne room to the door of a small council room attached to the great throne hall.

She pushed the door open, stepping inside with Friendly behind her, but the first thing she saw was Wilmont standing over the messenger, who was slumped in a chair at the table.

“I asked you a question,” Wilmont hissed, leaning over the exhausted messenger. “The rumours from abroad, are they true?”

“My message is for the Queen and her Generals,” the messenger replied, then his eyes flickered to the doorway. He fumbled to put down a flagon of water and quickly tried to rise. “Majesty!” he greeted her respectfully.

“Stay seated,” she instructed the tired man. “You have travelled far and I can see you are fatigued.”

He sank back with relief while she turned a frowning gaze on Wilmont, who was suddenly back to oily composure.

“Wilmont, why are you interrogating my messenger before I have spoken with him?” she asked the frilled, powdered man with anger seeping into her voice.

Wilmont lowered his head in deference, as if ashamed. “I beg forgiveness your Majesty,” he said silkily. “I had hoped to deal with any painful news before you had to.”

“Do not make such assumptions again, Wilmont,” Aglaia warned. “No matter the intentions, you have overstepped your authority.”

His ringlet framed face became drawn. “Of course, my Queen.” His voice simpered, but his eyes were penetrating and she felt the already tense frame of Friendly behind her stiffen further.

“Leave now,” she told the unlikeable official.

“Majesty …” Wilmont began to protest, raising hands surrounded in lace cuffs.

“Now,” she said firmly. She felt the gold band she wore on her finger digging in as her fists bunched by her sides.

“Very well,” Wilmont replied more tersely. And he gave a slight bow that was more like a jolt before sweeping past them and out of the room from a second exit, where he had to squeeze past one of the Generals who had also just arrived.

“Well handled,” rumbled General Sumantra from where his barrel-like frame was almost completely filling the doorway. He moved into the room, followed by the other three Generals left in the City. The archer Dren also entered with the Generals, for Aglaia had been becoming aware of the brilliant people at her disposal, and had begun to be more inclined to choose loyalty, trust and talent over titles and rank when it came to advice.

“I’ve never really found that fellow endearing,” Dren commented to Friendly as they watched Wilmont skulk away and closed the doors to the room.

Aglaia turned once more to the messenger. “We are glad to see you, despite Wilmont’s less than welcoming reception.” She seated herself at the head of the table and gestured for the others to sit. “Please proceed with your message.”

He took a deep breath. “King Glaidin said that he knows this will all be very hard to believe, but that every word of it is true …”

“So the Princes are alive,” one of the Generals uttered when the messenger had been taken to find rest.

“And they are Questing to form alliances amongst mortals and – immortals …” Aglaia had remained outwardly calm as she had heard of her boys, but she knew that Glaidin would not have sent such news unless he was certain of its validity.

Sumantra stabbed an eager finger into the surface of the table. “If it is true that Jenra and these so called magical races might be coaxed to join our numbers, Awyalkna just might have a chance. It is a slim chance, but better than what we all had up to an hour ago.”

“Lucky the Princes came across the last Larnaeradee and became part of these prophecies,” Friendly said, and then blushed when his superiors shifted their gaze to him.

“Thank the Gods they’re all right. Thank the Gods they made friends with the right people,” Aglaia nodded.

“Or the right creatures,” Sumantra chuckled. “I always did like Fairy stories when I was a lad.”

Dren rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

“What is it?” Sumantra asked him, a little more soberly this time.

The archer leaned forward and looked the General and then the Queen in the eye. “I’m going to be leaving you.”

“What do you mean?” Aglaia asked in surprise. “We need you here. You comfort the people. They see you as their hero.”

Dren shook his head. “Both Sumantra and yourself have made this City one of the safest havens in the lands of men.”

“You want to join Glaidin on the frontlines?” Sumantra asked gruffly.

“I mean to fight for our country, but first I intend to search out Prince Dalin and offer my services to the Raiden, as he is now known, on his Quest. I am almost certain my four friends will want to join me,” Dren said, referring to the other Dragon fighters.

Aglaia felt torn as she regarded the archer. “The only way I could bear to lose such a talent would be for my sons. There is really nothing more I could have hoped for you to say.”

Chapter Fifty Six

The mountain air tore in stinging blasts, ripping at her wings. Shredding her feathers.

But Agrona sliced through it, fighting it gladly, releasing her anger, and her fear.

Quicker than she could keep up with, all of the things her visions had warned her about were coming true.

The three had escaped into the Forest, and her beloved Sorcerer King had turned from her. He had heard from Agrudek, and he had ordered her to resume her search over the accursed Forest and mountains, to look for the Awyalknians. Because he wanted the girl.

He had turned from his Witch towards the one she’d been warned of – Kiana.

Agrona’s fury and desperate terror swelled and bubbled inside like a diseased growth and she craved Kiana’s death with her entire being. Just as much as she craved her King. Her master.

But now, bitten by icy wind, and driven by malicious, demented jealousy, all Agrona could do was gnash her beak and search.

In a fit of wrath, the raven let loose a horrendous screech that cut across the wind, and she felt Griffins shuddering all throughout the mountains as they recognised the unnatural sound. Even all the way down in their mountain eyries, they cowered low and stayed hidden while Agrona swooped over the jagged peaks. But she found it easy to smell out the vile odour of one of the festering Griffin packs, and she followed the nasty vermin scent all the way to where a reeking den was.

Then she blasted her way through a rocky wall to land before a nest of hissing, winged beasts. Knowing they were a treacherous kind, she burned their dirty minds with images of the group she was after so that they knew what power she had to hurt them, and how they had no choice but to help her.

Agrona screeched and the Griffins scrambled back away from her. But she was satisfied. No magical shield could hide Kiana if she wandered into a Griffin’s plain sight. And with any luck they would gouge Kiana’s eyes out.

Agrona swept back out and over the mountains. Sending out her anger and hate to fall upon every Griffin and every mortal in the mountains. She may not have been able to find them, but her magic could still seep beneath Kiana’s shield. She could still do damage indirectly.

She would send enough malice into the mountains to make Kiana and all of her cronies cower under barrages of their own self-doubts and worst memories.

Chapter Fifty Seven

Noal

Thorin was playing with a little ball of flame that Kiana had given him to keep heated as we walked. He threw it casually from hand to hand as if holding fire was a normal thing to do.

Nothing else seemed out of place, and none of us were expecting Kiana to abruptly halt in her tracks – with Tane almost colliding with her back. She narrowed her eyes, glancing around the tops of the rocky walls that framed our Pass.

“What is it?” Dalin asked her, skirting around Gideon and Lydon to come to her side.

“There is a nasty scent on the wind,” she answered quietly, though when I sniffed the air I could smell nothing, and ahead of me Purdor shrugged apprehensively at Phobos.

She stepped forward, lowering her packs and taking bow and arrow in hand.

“Hands on weapons,” Thale whispered, and the soldiers all took on more ready stances.

“We’re going to have company,” Kiana warned over her shoulder, and her wings blurred into shape at her back.

Then out of nowhere the air above us suddenly burst with shrill, echoing screeches.

“Griffins?” Thorin rasped, clutching his ball of fire in shock.

We squinted upwards but the amplified sounds were disembodied and we could see nothing.

“Kiana!” I heard Dalin call as she lifted into the air, though all we could do was clasp our ears in a desperate attempt to block the growing nightmarish noises out.

She spiralled upward and soon vanished beyond the top of the rocks and we all listened with dread as the keening screeches rose in pitch when she was spotted.

We heard the distinctive twang of her bow before abruptly the screeching of one of the creatures was cut off. A choking, gurgling sound replaced it, before there was a thunderous crunch as a body that had been airborne hurtled down to land somewhere on the rocks above.

The squawking of the other invisible beast amazingly managed to increase with fierce intensity and there was the sound of rushing air under massive, swooping wing beats.

I heard Kiana curse, but then there was a second howl of furious animalistic pain, and another horrific crunch of a plunging body impacting upon rock. Then the Pass was almost quiet again, except for the wind.

“Gods that was quick,” Wolf whispered.

Dalin and Tane stepped back as Kiana dropped expertly back into our midst, hauling two massive carcasses with her.

“Gods!” Cadell cried at the sight of the corpses as Kiana heaved the weighty Griffins up by their tails for us to see.

Dead or not, they were fearsome things to behold. Not animals or magical creatures, but a blend of the two. And in the tales of old, they had allied themselves with Deimos of Krall, delighting in war and in feasts of mortal flesh.

“There were only two of them?” Phobos exclaimed. “It sounded like an army!”

“That croaking is what they do to scare and stun their prey,” Kiana answered.

“It was working!” Phrixus groaned rubbing his ears.

“Frarshk, they reek,” Ferron complained, covering his nose.

“Are you in one piece?” Dalin asked Kiana grimly.

“Of course. These are some of the smaller kind, but they can do as much damage as the large ones,” Kiana replied. “I am hoping that these two scouts did not sound off long enough to let any lurking hunting parties know of us.”

Tane coughed in shock. “Those are the small kind?”

The two bloodied bodies were over an arm span long, and their eagle-like wings were double that in length. They each had vicious, sharply hooked beaks and talons, and the ears and matted body of a lion.

“The bigger kind are less common,” Kiana told him, hoisting them over to a rocky wall and dropping the rancid bodies before putting her hands to the rock. “The larger breed are huge creatures that could easily carry someone as big as Vulcan back to their lair for dinner. Very strong.” The rock began to ripple around Kiana’s hands, dipping inward a little.

Vulcan swallowed uneasily as she pushed the bodies into the space and began to seal the rock back over them. “Nice to know,” he managed as the pungent smell dissipated slightly.

Kiana brushed her hands together in distaste. “I hope that their scent can no longer be traced and we can move off without drawing further attention.”

“I pray never to smell such things again,” Phrixus said, revulsion on his face as Kiana picked up her packs again. “Those things were festering long before you killed them.”

But we walked on for only a short while before Kiana held up her hand in an indication that we should halt once more.

She craned her neck and peered sharply up through the great distance to the opening of the Pass above us again, scanning the sky.

“Stay calm,” she said simply. “We are about to get more visitors than I can stop in time.”

Then immediately four expansive shapes swooped with thundering wings over the lip of the cliff and plummeted down towards us. Horrific, airborne predators – two of them pounded along the rocky wall, loping easily on a vertical path, their sharp orange eyes fixed keenly on us.

Three of them landed heavily on the road just beyond us, lashing their tails alertly as they blocked our path. The other one was clearly one of the large Griffins, and it sank in an almost graceful way down to perch on a shaft of stone that extended from the rocky wall a few yards above us.

It was so enormous that if it had reared up it would have been twice as tall as Vulcan, and probably powerful enough to carry a small army home for dinner. But I was alarmed to see that it observed us intelligently, its bright, unfeeling eyes sweeping over our faces.

“Are you going to speak or just sit there like a dumb animal?” Kiana asked it, her voice sounding foreign as she broke from Aolen.

“Just seeing what all the fuss is about,” the large Griffin replied conversationally, its hissing yet human voice making the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

Agrudek let out a fearful squeak.

“Oh?” Kiana asked sceptically. “What kind of fuss?”

A hungry gleam was in its eye as it looked her over. “You only recently killed two of our kind. We fuss because we are upset.” Its beak clicked menacingly as it spoke.

Kiana laughed brazenly. “Please. You’re always killing each other off. What’s the fuss really about?”

Its tail lashed behind it.

“Griffins have been searching all through the mountains and have found not a trace of your large group until now,” it purred. “Which is curious. Seeing as we can catch the scent of food from miles away.”

“So your sense of smell is dying,” Kiana scoffed. “Why are we being sought?”

It clicked its beak and made a croaking sound that could have been a laugh. “A raven told us to look out for you.”

Instantly dread nibbled at my insides, Dalin’s face paled and I heard the men shifting uneasily behind me.

Kiana’s voice became colder, her face hard. “Is that so?”

“I was interested in the challenge of seeking such a well hidden group. A group that has survived this altitude when even the elite Jenran guards must train to do so. And a group that has piqued Agrona’s interest.” The Griffin eyed us beadily. “And now I see I’ve found weary soldiers with a female who is more than she seems. I feel the magic around you, saving you. It’s disgusting.”

Kiana gave her half smile and the massive Griffin ruffled its speckled feathers.

“And what do you intend to do now that you have so bravely inspected us for yourselves?” Kiana enquired. “Flap back to the Witch? Or attack us for her?”

Its orange eyes flashed, the elongated pupils sharpening. “We will not get ourselves killed for the Witch just yet. It is best we do not involve ourselves until we have learned what we can win and lose.”

“How very noble,” Kiana remarked dryly.

It shook its feathered head and crunched the rock under its feet, readying to take off once more. “It is in our nature to be anything but noble. Agrona knew there were no guarantees we would serve her when she ordered our kind to find you.”

Kiana gazed stonily back at the horrible creature, her hand on the hilt of her sword.

“We can see that you are not a very good food source, and it would be unwise to tamper with whatever power you have before we are ensured that we will win,” the Griffin leader finished.

“So you will leave us alone on this Pass?” she asked it in a low voice.

“For now,” it croaked, stretching wings that would have been longer in span than my own body. “But you will probably see us again. We do live for battle, and there’s a lovely war coming up that the Sorcerer has invited us to.”

Kiana scowled. “Bloodthirsty self-serving wretch.”

It squatted on its hind legs and lifted itself off into the air, the fetid wind from its wings sweeping around us.

“Yes,” it uttered languidly, and then swooped back up the mountain wall and out of sight.

Its silent cronies followed suit, now hissing and spitting at us until they disappeared, leaving our stunned silence behind them.

“So Agrona has found us?” Thale asked, rubbing his beard with worry.

Kiana shook her head. “No. She sent those things to find us because they are the best scavengers of the mountains. All she knew was that we would be in the mountains and would have come from the direction of the Forest.”

“But those things will tell her where we are. They work for her,” Nikon grunted in frustration.

“They work for none but themselves. They will only fight for Darziates because he looks the most powerful and war means food. They are treacherous. We can believe the Griffin’s statement that we are not yet in danger – not if it might mean harm to itself. It won’t be hasty in taking a risk either for or against the Witch.”

“So we’re safe for now?” Dalin asked.

“From Griffin attacks, because they fear my magic as a threat that might be comparable to the Witch’s. But now we know that Agrona is closing in again. We don’t have long.”

For the rest of the day we trudged on grimly, with that very thought making us fear every shadow and making us jump at every birdcall from high above.

Chapter Fifty Eight

Noal

The carriage was bumping peacefully along the winding road, and the sun was strong and bright. It sparkled on my mother’s honey blonde hair, and glinted in my father’s sandy beard.

My sister was teaching me the runes to spell my own name, marking the funny lines on parchment with charcoal.

I was eight, she said. Time I spelt at least my name right. Then she looked up from the parchment spread between us in surprise.

I heard a cry and a thud from the driver from outside, and the cart veered off the road while the horses panicked.

My father put his arm out to steady us, but then his eyes widened as he stared past my mother to the window behind her.

“Thalia!” he cried in warning, and his hand went to his sword hilt. Up until then it had only ever seemed like a part of his clothes. But he didn’t have time to draw it before my mother screamed and was dragged by her lovely honey hair through the window of the carriage. Then my father roared as he was torn away from my sister and I.

“Do what the Trunes say,” my sister whispered to me. “Be a good boy and you’ll be safe.”

I felt her tears on my cheek and her arms around me. She was breathing fast in gulps and sobs. Then they took her from me too.

I cried as they kicked me down the steps of the carriage and I fell onto the dirt road.

A heavy boot crunched into my back and pinned me to the ground.

“Watch.” The owner of the boot had told me with a bark of laughter.

And I watched as blows and blood made my mother’s honey hair turn red. I watched as a quick slit silenced my sister’s cries. I watched as my father was felled.

I was struck mute and the boot in my back moved and kicked my face down into the dirt.

My wrists and ankles were bound tightly while the murderers were hacking the heads from the bodies of my loved ones, before the Trunes kicked the heads across the dirt into a pile in front of me.

The face of that Trune, who put the letter in my pocket, was smiling. And when they all left I still did not roll away from that place, away from the heads. I just laid there and gazed at the faces of the ones I had lost. I stayed frozen and bound, crippled by the horror.

“Noal! Noal wake up, you’re fine!”

I woke with a violent jerk to Dalin and Thorin leaning anxiously over me.

Everyone else was awake already. The howling of the wind outside our shelter seemed even more foreboding than usual.

My head sank wearily back down to the ground and I held my brow with a shaking hand.

“Are you alright?” Thorin asked.

I nodded. “Just a bad dream. Sorry if I woke everyone up.”

But I noticed that Nikon, who had been sharpening his blade during first watch as I’d fallen asleep, was now releasing his hold on Thale. Thale sat up, pale and shaken.

“If it was just a dream, then everyone had it. All of you started moaning and thrashing about at once, and I nearly sharpened myself instead of my blade,” Nikon grunted.

I took a long breath. “Everyone had a night terror?”

I saw Dalin glance at Kiana, who was stony faced and dangerous looking. She shook her head and focused her eyes. “These weren’t ordinary dreams. What I just experienced was nothing like the nightmares I used to have. It was like reliving the attack on Bwintam, reliving the death and fear. Every sensation, everything was the same. As if I was back there again.”

“Aye,” Thale said in a low voice. “I was reliving the day that Angra Mainyu forced my troop to surround, trap and watch as he burned an entire field full of rounded up villagers he said were plotting against the Sorcerer King.”

“And I was back to the day my parents were taken and I was cast out into isolation,” Thorin told us grimly.

I noticed that Agrudek huddled, haunted and withdrawn, behind Thorin.

“Mine was simply a parting argument with my father over my level of competency,” Dalin shrugged grimly. “But it seems somehow our worst memories or insecurities have been used as weapons to hurt us.”

“I think,” Kiana said slowly. “That this is our second warning that Agrona is on our trail, and isn't wishing us well.”

Chapter Fifty Nine

Dalin

“I am so sick of these accursed mountains,” Thale muttered to Thorin and I after a particularly hard climb over a massive fallen rock. “It feels as if I’ve been wet and tired and surrounded by howling wind for years.” He wiped at drops of misted rain that had begun to cling to his beard like ornaments.

“I swear I’ll turn into a rock if I see nothing else for much longer,” Thorin groaned.

“You’d make a lovely boulder to sit on while we eat lunch,” Noal told him.

“Believe it or not,” Kiana said, “we have only a few days of this rock left before we see Jenra.”

Tane frowned as he slid down the boulder Thale had just struggled with. “Shouldn’t we be starting to descend soon then? It doesn’t feel like we’re going downward. The easing pain in my buttocks muscles would surely tell me.”

“Midroone Pass keeps climbing until the very last stage before it opens to Jenra,” Kiana answered. “When that happens you’ll definitely feel the downward slope.”

“Gods,” Phrixus moaned. “There’s no relief in this place. It goes from one treacherous extreme to another.”

“Yes,” Kiana agreed. “An incline up for the entire climb, and then an extreme slope down at the end.”

“I don’t even have the energy to be excited that this will end,” Purdor said gloomily.

“Because there’s no sign that it really is going to,” Phobos answered as he caught Agrudek effortlessly. The scraggly scientist had just tumbled down the boulder. “Every rock looks the same.”

There were sour mutterings of agreement all round, and our group’s mood was morose as we toiled along the dreary path until Kiana led us to settle into a melancholy camp in a cave for the night.

But despite the dreariness and exhaustion, after the previous night’s dreams I laid listening to the others breathing deeply instead of settling for myself.

“Can’t sleep?” a soft voice caught me by surprise in the dark. I hadn’t noticed Kiana crossing to kneel by my side.

I regarded her ruefully. “Perhaps I am too tired to sleep.”

She held her hand out from where she crouched and I took it, allowing her to pull me up.

“Why aren’t you resting?” I asked curiously.

“Perhaps I am too magical to rest,” she teased. “Here,” she wrapped my cloak around my shoulders and clasped it at my throat. She had been so quiet that I hadn’t even heard her draw it from where it was drying beside my pack.

“Where are we going?” I whispered, though I knew I didn’t care.

“To be awake together,” she smiled, and I followed unquestioningly.

Wolf was puffing away on his dwindling stash of pipe weed. He was wrapped up like a swaddled babe, keeping watch at the entrance, but he nodded quietly to us with a small smile as we stepped past.

I shivered the moment we were outside, feeling my face become pinched in the harsh chill straight away, and I rubbed my hands together roughly.

Then a warm hand rested on mine and I stopped.

Kiana entwined my fingers with hers and she watched my face expectantly.

At first I was simply gratified by the gesture. But then I felt my mouth become an ‘o’ of amazement as a tickling sensation started in my fingertips.

It moved up to my elbow, spread across my shoulders, and bloomed throughout my core so that heat swelled through the lengths of my legs, and blushed warmly in my cheeks and ears. Even my damp cloak suddenly felt as if it had been touched by the sun’s rays.

“Kiana,” I breathed in wonder. “You are a treasure.”

“I’ve been wanting to try this,” she told me. “But don’t let go of my hand,” she warned. “The wind is less mournful tonight. But if our connection breaks, you’ll freeze.”

“I won’t,” I assured her contentedly, and followed her as she led me along the path we would continue on tomorrow.

For once we were high enough in the cliffs to be close to their peak, and their walls did not tower high above us tonight.

“The stars have missed seeing us,” Kiana said quietly, gazing at the glittering, silver fires – burning almost within reach.

“I’ve missed every part of the world beyond this Pass,” I answered.

“Well wait until you see what else is out there.” She pulled me along more quickly until we crested a steep slant in the path and found ourselves at an opening in the cliff face.

It was as if a portion of the cliff top had fallen away from there, and now there was just a yawning dip in the rock. A window in the cliffs.

“Oh ...” I was breathless at the sudden appearance of the world beyond the encasing of the rocky walls, and could not take my eyes from the great, incandescent moon that soared magnificently before us.

Beyond the gap in the cliff, and below the moon, there was a fatal drop. But the drop was obscured by the swirling mists of the clouds hugging the mountains below. The mists looked like a stretch of endless, rippling water – as if we could plunge in and swim across the white tendrils, weightless and free.

“Spectacular,” Kiana breathed softly.

I could imagine what our two figures would look like standing there. Dark, small shapes surrounded in the glory of the moon, hand in hand.

“It’s like we’re on the edge of the world. As if we could just step away into the mists and be amongst the Gods,” I smiled and turned to Kiana. “But I wouldn’t want to lose my life in the process.”

“Oh there’s worse ways to lose your life,” Kiana shrugged. “There is a war coming up,” she reminded me.

“This world is worth fighting for,” I answered, pulling her down to sit, our legs dangling over the edge so that the mists seemed to swirl beneath our boots. But I felt completely calm and safe with Kiana by my side, and we held each other steady.

“Tomorrow as we get closer to the top, things will be harder.” Kiana leaned her head on my shoulder. “I can’t yet spread my warmth to everyone, and there will be ice to make the paths even more hazardous. Perhaps even snow.”

I rested my cheek against the top of her head. “I should be frozen right now. Somehow you’ve kept me alive. You always look after us.”

Kiana was quiet for a moment. “The cold won’t be the hardest part. Once we’ve finished the climb and descent, we face the real task. In three days we face our original challenge.”

I took a deep breath. “Jenra.”

The idea of coming upon a new civilisation beyond the rolling mists seemed surreal.

“Imagine we have come all of this way, and are not able to convince the Jenrans to form an alliance.”

Kiana squeezed my hand. “We already have the Elves and Nymphs. That’s better for Awyalkna than when we first started.”

I frowned. “But not quite the full unity of all races that the prophecy asks for.”

“I have every faith that the Jenrans will follow you,” Kiana answered simply. “You are a Prince after all.”

“I can impress them with all of my protocol and training,” I smiled.

“Perhaps a nice courtly dance?” she suggested.

“Well, my dancing method is quite polished,” I agreed.

“Oh of course.”

“Don't believe me?” I teased, pulling her up with me again, away from the edge.

With trained upright posture, I launched her away from myself in a twirl and pulled her back so that she was tucked in my arms, and for a moment her face was surprised. Then she laughed lightly in delight.

Her hand was still in mine and my other hand rested on the small of her back.

“Amazingly graceful, Your Majesty,” Kiana smiled and moved in to rest her head against my shoulder again.

I held her gently and we moved slowly to a silent tune that only we could hear, relishing the simplicity and peace that came with there being just the two of us.

“What do you miss about home?” Kiana asked me quietly after a while, and I thought about it as I turned us gradually.

“I miss my land. The green planes of Awyalkna, and the energy of the people before all of this happened. But if you were to ask me what I miss about my life,” I winced. “There wouldn’t be much to say.”

“Your family?” Kiana regarded me now with concerned eyes, her face close to mine as I looked down.

“I love them. But my life was politics and expectations. I was an orphan to Council Halls and Wilmont’s training. I was too immature or there was never time to discuss the important things, and I was surrounded in officials and servants.”

“Now you’re the Raiden,” Kiana said.

“I have become the self I want to be,” I affirmed. “Anywhere the Quest has taken us has become home.”

She came in closer, sending thrilling pulses of magic throughout my core. “I’m glad we have found home together then.”

I hugged her gratefully, but then noticed the shapes that had just begun to dance in the air. “Look,” I told Kiana in fascination.

Tiny white flecks were dancing about in the night. Floating slowly, as if the Gods had sprinkled little pieces of the clouds over us.

They landed on our eyelashes and in our hair, tingling on my skin in contrast to the warmth from Kiana.

Already they were starting to fall more quickly.

“Tomorrow promises to be harsh,” Kiana observed in a low voice, seeing through the beauty of the moment to the bleak challenges that snowfall would cause for our path.

“But we love the Quest, it’s our home,” I reminded her, trying to break her seriousness.

“Shall we return to our physical home for the night?” she asked.

Wistful that our escape was over, I bowed as our dance ended, and allowed her to lead us back to where sleep beckoned.

It was almost heart breaking when our hands parted and the full force of the mountain’s chill came rushing back as we moved towards where Phobos was on watch now.

Chapter Sixty

Noal

“Gods … snow on the Pass…” Ferron sat back in astonishment when Kiana and Dalin described how the snow would add a slippery, deep coating to our upward path.

“So there is likely to be a deep layer of it?” Purdor mulled the news over slowly.

“Probably deep enough to sink in as we walk,” Kiana affirmed grimly.

“And it is going to be all cold and white?” Wolf questioned.

“We’ll be even colder, wetter and more miserable than before,” Kiana admitted. “It’ll be hard to see snags and rocks in the road.”

“So this is going to mean a lot of breaks and rest stops?” Phrixus was rubbing his hands together.

“A lot of time will be wasted,” Kiana sighed apologetically.

“Right.” Thale looked serious as he thought.

“We’ll follow your lead,” Tane encouraged his bearded leader, putting a hand on the grim warrior’s shoulder.

“Whatever you decide,” Thorin added his support.

“Yes,” Thale frowned as if he was feeling the weight of a terrible decision.

“I know it will be hard, but I am positive I will be able to find our way through,” Kiana promised them in concern.

“We don’t doubt you,” Cadell told her reassuringly, but then turned back to Thale expectantly.

“We will split into two teams. Nikon will lead one and I will lead the other,” Thale declared at last. “The winning team gets out of the watch tonight.”

“What in the Gods’ names are you working out?” I interrupted in perplexity.

Kiana appeared as confused as Dalin and I as she spoke again. “We can stick together and all make it.”

Tane snorted. “Oh we would never let one of us die, this is all in good fun.”

Dalin gaped at him. “I don’t think I fully comprehend how you feel about the snow.”

Phobos was grinning. “We’ve never seen real snow. When the Sorcerer’s snow does fall it is filthy and becomes like mud immediately anyway.”

“So of course we must pit ourselves against this challenge, and test our strength against the snow, the cold and each other alike,” Vulcan explained.

“We must battle in an epic snow fight,” Nikon finished for him.

They looked at us excitedly, waiting for the enlightenment of the venture to dawn on us.

Kiana had her hands on her hips.

“Certainly, it will only occur during breaks and when it is safe,” Thale implored her.

“Please Kiana!” Tane begged. “It’ll break the monotony!”

“Fine,” she granted with a roll of her eyes. “I’m sure I’ve developed my little fires enough that they can dry everyone off and prevent harm.”

“Hooray!” Wolf exclaimed gleefully, and our group preceded to break camp more quickly than ever before.

We soon lumbered out into the blistering ice and calf deep snow, which was deepening as white flakes fell to blanket the path – and the men bounded about joyously.

“It’s so white!” cried Ferron.

“Dazzling!” Thorin laughed.

“Duck!”

Thale yelped as a white missile struck him in the forehead. “I didn’t say we could start yet!” he growled in protest. But Nikon was already scooping up a new snow ball.

“You’re like a bunch of children,” Kiana scolded their antics. “Somehow the altitude has made you all soft in the head.”

But by the second rest stop she was calling out tactical advice to both teams and criticising their more foolhardy moves.

Later, when Tane had fallen down ‘dead’ from a snowball to the head, she sent a white globe of heat floating his way. “You’re going to have a wet behind,” she groaned.

He spread his arms and legs out to leave an imprint of himself in the snow before the white globe thudded into his chest. He sat up to take hold of it gratefully.

“My boy would love this,” he said then, his curls sticking to the back of his head as he tossed his little ball of magic from hand to hand. “I wonder if he will ever see the beauty of Nature like this. Rather than the unnatural wasteland that the Sorcerer has made out of Krall.”

“What is your son like?” I asked Tane.

“Locke’s like me,” Tane laughed. “If he ever falls over he shall bounce back up with his curls.”

“You’d be worried if he didn’t have curls,” Thorin teased, coming over to huddle next to us after his own snow fight demise. He was dusting the ice from his own hair.

“I’d never be worried,” Tane grinned. “How could my Milara ever love another man after being married to the likes of me?”

“How does Mil not, after being married to the likes of you?” Thorin jested.

“If Locke’s anything like you, that’s great,” I told our most cheerful soldier. “The world could do with more Tanes in it.”

Tane’s face became serious for once. “I pray to the Gods he doesn’t need to be exactly like me. Forced into soldiering.” Tane grew wistful, stroking the handful of fire with a finger. “Locke wasn’t even a year old before I was called to go. Mil was so upset. He hadn’t even called me father yet. I’ve never heard it.” He passed his magic globe to Thorin. “When I go home, after we win this war, I’ll hold them both, knowing that we stand in a safer world. I’ll know then that this lost time has been worth it.”

“That child is the luckiest little one in the world,” Dalin replied. “He misses you now, but he will live without fear in the future because of it.”

We became quiet for a moment, watching Vulcan and Nikon battle for the winning position of the latest snow war while the rest of the men cheered them on.

And finally a white, wet ball engulfed Vulcan’s left ear, and because it would have been a debilitating war wound Nikon’s team roared victoriously while Thale and his men scuffed at the snow glumly.

“I think it’s time we get moving again,” Kiana announced. “The day can’t only be about fun and games after all.”

Chapter Sixty One

Dalin

The men had exhausted themselves after two days of snow antics, and were now lying about in wet heaps, each with their own little globes of white magic.

Phobos looked the most comical, spreading his like a lit up snow hat over his bald head.

Even Noal had tired himself out, having joined Nikon’s team, and he had somehow emerged as the victor.

Agrudek had wandered a distance away to a protected spot, and Kiana and I hadn’t joined their most recent manic battle. I instead sat calmly cleaning my sword, making sure no trace of rust could form on the blade in such a damp atmosphere.

“Join me?” I looked up to find Kiana standing over me. “We can wander and scout ahead. It’s early enough in the day that the others can catch up.”

I took her offered hand and stood, sheathing my blade.

“We’re going to scout ahead,” I repeated, for the benefit of the prone figures sprawled about in the snow.

“Whatever you say, Raiden,” Wolf replied lazily.

“You all have to catch up when you’ve found your warrior strength again,” I warned.

To that, I only got a tired wave from Noal.

Kiana shrugged. “That covers it.”

I followed her lead and we moved off down the trail at a more relaxed pace than normal.

“Are we looking for anything in particular?” I asked her as the others were lost to sight around a bend.

“The end of the path and the edge of a cliff,” she responded easily.

I grimaced. “Are they the same thing?”

“The path ends with a cliff face,” Kiana affirmed. “We’re going to need to scale it without mishap.”

The path closed in again, becoming a winding trail as we followed it, and the cold rock walls pressed in.

I shivered as a cool draught sent radiating chills throughout my body. But then I felt Kiana’s hand take my own again and a smile spread across my face despite the thought of the horrific descent ahead.

Heat rushed from her hand and into mine, spreading along my arm and warming every inch of me.

“You’re ever so kind,” I told her appreciatively.

“I know.”

Kiana squeezed my fingers, and her hand fit comfortably in mine as we walked side by side, our footsteps playing out an echoing rhythm. She began to hum softly in a tune that danced before us as well, and I found myself becoming increasingly enamoured with the idea of the two of us just continuing to walk without finding any fatal drops leading to Jenra.

But much too quickly, we simply rounded a bend that looked like any other, and suddenly found that there was no more path to follow.

“Oh Gods!” I gasped at the sudden lack of ground, and Kiana hurried to pull me backward as I regained my balance.

My breath came in ragged gasps and I heard cascades of stones and snow falling from where they had been loosed by my boots, sent to hurtle down along a cliff face.

“I thought we still had a few more turns to go,” Kiana mused. “It’s fortunate we’d kept our wits about us.”

“Fortunate ...” I agreed weakly, my head swimming as we stood on the brink of the monstrous cliff.

“It’s an even bigger drop than I remember,” she commented, leaning over the side and peering downward. “It’s fortunate we didn’t come upon this bit when we were stumbling around nights ago.”

“Yes ...” I put a hand to my forehead, swallowing thickly.

Kiana turned to face me. “Look beyond the drop,” she urged. “Look at Jenra!”

Screwing up my face in an effort to make my head stop swirling, and clutching her hand tightly, I stepped back toward the edge and peered out.

“Fine,” I admitted, calming a little as I was drawn by what I saw. “Apart from the lethal fall beyond our toes, the view that has so suddenly opened up is breathtaking.”

“I feel as though I stand before one of the most detailed paintings ever created,” Kiana replied appreciatively, eyes on the sprawling valleys of glorious green, and towers that sprang majestically from the mountain peaks themselves. And beyond the City towers that had been carved into the mountains, there was the expansive blue ocean, rolling and lashing in the distance. It looked as though it would reach to the ends of the world, and I could only just make out the surging white foam of the waves.

I felt Kiana’s hand pull at mine, this time more gently, and I tore my eyes from the land to focus on her smiling face instead. She beckoned for me to sit with her, and we both slid down with our backs against one of the rock walls.

“Can you see those people farming below?” Kiana asked after a moment, and I strained my eyes to pick up on any moving shapes.

“I can’t see anything that suggests the mountain City holds life,” I said in consternation. “What can you see?”

“I can make out lots of specks working away down there,” she answered.

“Sharp eyes,” I complimented her in surprise.

Then I noticed an expression of curiosity cross her face, and that was the only warning I was given before a shot of tingling magic surged from her grip, bolting up my arm and seeming to shoot straight up to my head.

In a dizzying, abrupt lurch, my eyes felt as though they were exploding and burning, and my vision seemed to refocus so that everything became sharper, brighter and closer, and my eyes picked out movement as I saw people moving below.

“Woah!”

In confusion, my head whipped back, connecting with the rocky wall, and I dropped Kiana’s hand as if I had been stung.

At once my vision snapped back to normalcy.

“Kiana!” I groaned, clutching my head to still the sickening spinning.

“Dalin, I’m sorry!” she gasped, sounding truly aghast.

I felt her fingers rub the back of my head, but I was focusing on stifling sick waves of nausea that had begun to grip me.

“Dalin?” Kiana asked more quietly, and I forced myself to peer at her through my fingers.

“It’s alright,” I mumbled dazedly. “Just a surprise. I had your eye sight for a moment. You let me see them.”

“I promise I will not experiment on you again without your permission,” she told me earnestly.

She held out her hand, and I gingerly took it in mine once more.

“Definitely not without warning,” I chided.

“Definitely not,” she affirmed with a gentle half smile that played subtly on her lips and that warmed her brilliantly blue and gold flecked eyes.

I floundered for a response and again felt quite breathless. Our faces were incredibly close together, and I hardly registered myself impulsively leaning forward to swiftly press my lips against hers and then away again.

Then we both stared at each other. Our eyes were wide and my mouth tingled from the contact, prickling with her magic.

I tried to make myself breathe properly as she looked away from me with raised eyebrows, but she kept my hand firmly in hers, continuing to keep me warm.

“Kiana ...” I said softly. “I am sorry ... I … I promise I will not experiment on you again without your permission.”

She regarded me for a moment, and I waited in distress for her answer.

Then finally: “definitely not without warning,” she chided.

“Definitely not,” I affirmed with a grin.

But then she leaned forward. And this time it was Kiana that brushed her lips against mine – before, in the distance, the sound of our approaching comrades carried along the path towards us.

Kiana pressed my hand and released it before standing as the Krall warriors, Agrudek and Noal rounded the bend in the path.

“Hello lads,” she greeted them, her voice steady, and I stood too, dusting the damp from the seat of my trousers.

“Did you find something?” I heard Thorin call from the back of the crowd.

“Not another gap to swing across?” Tane’s voice carried forward too, full of disdain.

But the men at the front had stopped short, taking in the epic descent and the City below with gaping awe.

“We’ve found the end of the Pass,” Vulcan exclaimed to the men at the back. “To get down though, it looks like we have to freefall from the top of this cliff.”

“Oh.” Tane’s voice was a little more subdued this time.

“Welcome to Jenra,” Kiana told everyone. “The next stage in our battle with the Jenran mountains is about to begin.”

Chapter Sixty Two

Noal

The path had opened up to give us a spectacular view of green valleys at the basin of Jenra, and the wide open ocean beyond the mountains on the other side. The City itself was also colossal – with spiralling towers of rock built into the mountainous cliffs opposite to us, their pointed tops making a jagged outline against the clear blue skyline.

“Gods,” Tane breathed through chattering teeth, breaking our stunned silence as we stared at our first view of anything other than mist and stone.

“Imposing,” Thorin commented with an enormous smile. “I like it.”

“We’ve got to climb our way down there?” Thale swatted the snow from his beard in agitation as he glanced down from our great height. Cadell stood beside him and he had a decidedly green pallor.

The quieter group of the sodden soldiers – Rendor, Roth and Aiolos, grew even quieter after having peered down too. While Gideon and Lydon had simply chosen not to look.

“I feel so well prepared for such a descent,” Nikon commented sarcastically, his clothes saturated and his heavy pack making him hunch.

“I feel the opposite of ready,” I grimaced, trying to shake the snow from my trouser bottoms but instead feeling the wet material clinging back to my backside.

“This kind of feat is becoming daily routine though,” Phrixus hit me across my wet back with a friendly, loud slap.

Purdor paused in biting his nails. “Kiana, this is impossible,” he said fretfully. “We don’t have wings if we fall.”

Kiana was unbothered. “I managed to scale my way down before I had wings. But you will all have me hovering close in case you need catching.”

“We’re not you,” Nikon told her seriously. “I don’t think we can do it. Not with our packs, with our little skill in scaling, and with so few safe handholds. We just won’t be able to hold on for so long.”

“Plus,” Phrixus groaned as he flexed his fingers, “I’m so frozen I won’t be able to grasp the rocks.”

Kiana regarded us all earnestly. “I’ve been contemplating this part of the journey carefully. And I believe I can make it possible for everyone to make it.” She lowered her packs to the ground and let her wings appear so that her feet lifted effortlessly from the path. “We know I have some ability to manipulate rock, so I can make handholds and ledges in the rock face for you to use. But not only that,” she lifted higher into the air, her hair being plucked at by the wind as she closed her eyes in concentration.

Then suddenly her hair became still.

The wind stopped tearing at her and instead buffeted us as a satisfied smile played across her lips and she opened her eyes, having somehow changed the direction of the gale force gusts. “I’ll make this wind act like a support for you, so you can practically float all the way down.”

There was an uncertain silence as we all apprehensively contemplated the drop.

“I swear I will catch anyone who should fall,” Kiana promised, her face unflinching.

“Alright,” Thorin told her begrudgingly. “We trust you. You’ve got us this far.”

And there were groans of both assent and dread as everyone resigned themselves to the impossible task.

“Good,” Kiana smiled. “Now you need to flex your fingers, kick the snow out of your boots and warm your arms and legs up,” she ordered before disappearing downward to examine the cliff side.

As we all obediently began performing half hearted stretches and nervous flexes, Vulcan approached Agrudek. “I can carry you down,” the large warrior gruffly informed the quivering scientist.

“Th … thank you,” Agrudek replied warily.

So while Kiana was working her way down the cliff wall, creating hand holds, Thorin and I used Aiolos’ length of rope to tie Agrudek to Vulcan’s back. The tiny man was barely the height of Vulcan’s waist, and he could have been mistaken for a bag.

The rest of the men began bundling everyone’s packs together with another rope so that Kiana could bring them down after us if we managed to survive.

“Right,” Kiana shot back up, panting slightly. “I’ve created handholds for about a quarter of the way down, and then made a massive ledge at the end of that where you can rest while I start on the next quarter.”

Wolf’s shaggy hair was wind swept as he peered over the edge nervously. “How long do you think it will take before we make it to the first ledge to rest?” he asked.

Kiana’s expression softened. “You’ll be too busy concentrating on your hands to notice. And you won’t take as long as I did because you don’t have to search for places to grip, and it isn’t dark. We’ll get this done.” She regarded us a moment. “I’ll be ready when you are.” Then she launched herself a distance away from the cliff lip and hovered in the air as we milled towards the edge in a nauseas looking bunch.

“I’ll go first,” Dalin said resolutely, and made his way forward.

Chapter Sixty Three

Dalin

The palms of my hands were prickling as I stood at the brink of the cliffy mountain, and then, praying silently to the Gods to let us survive, I lowered myself over the edge of where the Midroone Pass ended.

“Be well everyone,” I said gruffly, and then gripped the first perfect handhold, lowering myself down along the mountain wall.

I gritted my teeth against the first burst of wind that tore at me and huddled into the rocks, but then the air seemed to settle around my form as Kiana fought to stop the wind from tearing me off the mountain while I descended.

I immediately followed a rhythm to lower one foot down after another, and moved one sweaty hand after the other. I refused to think about how the only thing keeping me from plunging into oblivion were the little rock holds and kept my eyes on the rough cliff surface in front of my nose, only glancing up once to make sure Noal was above me. When I saw his ankles I quickly refocused on the descent.

“Frarshk, oh Frarshk, oh Frarshk,” I heard Thorin above Noal as he began his descent too, and already my own arms and fingers felt tortured.

I paused momentarily to wipe the sweat from my eyes and felt my innards leap with fright when I accidentally caught sight of how far we still had to go before we met solid ground. The grassy Jenran plains were still so far away that they swirled blearily in the distance and my stomach churned. But I forced my mind back onto moving, swallowing my terror with a great effort.

“Dalin?” I eventually heard Noal’s thin, wavering voice carry down to me.

“Yes?” I panted back.

“You remember climbing down the Gwynrock Wall on that rope?”

“Yes … I do.”

“Well,” he grunted with the strain. “This is worse.”

“This isn’t so bad,” I lied, flexing my stiff fingers.

“I’m trying not to lose my lunch,” Noal’s voice groaned mournfully.

“Keep trying,” I wheezed up at him testily. “I’m right below you.”

Then everyone froze when we heard a sudden cry from above.

My eyes whipped upward as I registered sickly that the voice had been Tane’s.

My dread only eased when I realised the cheerful warrior hadn't yet plunged past me, and at last I heard his voice.

“Thanks Kiana,” he called in a croak. “I was cramping and lost my balance.”

As we continued grimly on, fearing that every slip of a finger would be the last mistake we ever made, I felt Kiana softening the blow so that the wind hardly plucked at us, and when I lost my balance once, it seemed as if the air was pressing me back towards the wall so that I soon recovered.

“Your feet are just about to touch down on the first ledge,” I heard Kiana call out at last, just when I was beginning to fear that my arms would rip away from their shoulder sockets.

I let go of the last holds and muttered “thank the Gods,” as I sank against the wall.

My limbs were shaking erratically and my vision swam as I took deep breaths to steady myself on the platform Kiana had made, which grew out of the mountain so that we could all fit comfortably on it with no risk of toppling.

I caught Noal as he skidded the last couple of steps down to me, and he slumped joyously down onto his back. Thorin rejoiced loudly as he touched down, lying next to Noal with a million promises to leave tributes to his Gods when he got home for keeping him alive.

“My hands are numb. My arms will never function properly again,” Purdor gasped next with wide eyes. “Must we really do that again?”

Gradually everyone except Vulcan laid in moaning heaps on the ledge. But Vulcan had to remain upright because Agrudek had passed out and now hung limply against his back.

Kiana only joined us after she had continued downward to make the handholds for the next quarter of the descent. When she landed on the ledge beside me, she had a bottle containing an elixir of her own making. It was an energising draught that she had given Noal and I once while we were being chased by the Evexus, and she passed it around the group until everyone was able to sit up once more.

“One quarter down,” Kiana said then. She held out one hand to pull me to stand.

“You are ruthless,” I told her ruefully, though I was aware that she looked as strained as the rest of us.

I lowered my protesting body back down to find the first foot hold and began the dreadful process again. And despite having been bolstered by Kiana’s drink, the next part of the journey was even less pleasant.

This time Kiana had to steady both Ferron and Phrixus at different points, both of them narrowly missing a fatal fall. Purdor also suffered a finger popping out of its socket under the pressure of his grip, and Kiana had to force it back into place.

Ignoring her own fatigue, Kiana’s focus seemed total. She was aware of every finger, every slipping foot, every buckling arm, and she was there beside us in a flash with a steadying hand when needed. She was pale and sweating when she sank down beside me at our next stop, collapsing down to rest just as everyone else did.

She only rose to crawl to the edges of the ledge, forcing them to curve upward so that a sort of basin was formed around us. She created a floating ball of heat that hung over our group like a lantern, and we stayed where we had laid from when the sun finished setting, until it rose the next morning.

“We are only midway through the descent,” Wolf rasped when Kiana smoothed our ledge once more. His body was shuddering despite the night’s break.

“Also, I think I can see movement out there,” Vulcan tiredly motioned across the valley below, and I blinked as I noticed a band of dust travelling across the plains towards us.

“Are we going to have a welcoming party when we get to the ground?” Thale asked in exhaustion.

“Don’t fear,” Kiana answered, forcing herself to remain upright. “They won’t launch arrows at us because our party is too small to be an attack and too big to not be of interest.”

“A stroke of good fortune,” Vulcan sighed, rubbing the raw marks left across his shoulders and chest from the ropes once again keeping Agrudek on his back. “So they didn’t shoot at you when you came here last?”

Kiana used the wall to support herself. “They didn’t see me. I kept hidden to study them, their ways and their land. They don’t get very many visitors from the outside.” She reached for my hand to pull me up again. “Time for the next descent.”

And, by the time we lowered ourselves, shaking and gasping, onto the last resting platform, we could make out the approaching Jenran horses and their riders in the distance below.

“We won’t start the last part of the descent until we can hold ourselves together and present a show of strength for the Jenrans,” Kiana informed us, and sprawled between Noal and I while we all battled to breathe regularly once more. It was an effort to even raise a finger without it wobbling erratically.

I turned my head and found Kiana’s eyes as she settled at my side. I could see her lethargy as she gazed back and I reached out to take her hand in mine once more.

“Who knew that your hand could warm me just as mine does yours?” she said quietly. Then she smiled her slight smile and closed her eyes.

Chapter Sixty Four

Dalin

“This last stage is going to be tricky,” Kiana told us once we had roused ourselves and struggled to our feet, groaning and pale, but determined nevertheless.

“The rock slopes at such an angle that you won’t really be climbing from one handhold to the next so much as sliding,” Kiana continued, wiping a sheen of sweat from her face.

“Won’t that be faster?” Ferron sounded slightly relieved. “It’ll take the constant pressure from our hands and arms.”

Kiana cocked her head to the side and sighed. “It’ll be faster to descend from one spot to another, but you’ll have to be careful that you don’t accidentally slide too far and lose control. You’ll also have to be careful not to damage your hands or loose a barrage of stones upon the men below you.”

“At least the wind is weak at this height, so you won’t have to save us from getting plucked off the cliff,” Thorin croaked, trying to flex his stiffened hands.

“Yes. Which is fortunate,” she answered. “Because I don’t want to hover about too obviously for much longer.” Kiana glanced at the now ever closer Jenran party. “Soon the Jenrans will be able to see us clearly, and I want to keep my identity a surprise for now.”

Suddenly Thale smiled with chapped lips. “It’ll gain their respect further if they think we conquered their mountains without magical help.”

“I recommend wrapping your hands with any cloth you can spare,” Kiana suggested tiredly. “Then get started so that we can all reach the ground before the sun sets and with enough time to straighten ourselves out before they reach us.”

She squared her shoulders and her wings flickered back into a whir of action. “Be cautious,” she told us, and then shot upward, away from the ledge. “I’m going back for our bags.”

We feebly picked the most ragged cloaks between us, shredding them for hand coverings, and Kiana quickly soared upward out of sight.

“Alright,” I announced at last. “I’ll go first again.”

And with curses, rocks raining down on our heads, and flesh scraping away from our raw, scrabbling fingers, we each slid in skidding bursts down the slope of the cliff, catching ourselves on the outward jutting handholds at each interval.

“Sorry!” Noal called down apologetically when he faltered and a fist sized rock hurtled down to hit my cheek bone. He corrected his course, but a constant stream of loosed pebbles dribbled down the cliff from above and ran past and over me.

At one stage I saw Kiana lowering our packs to the ground far below, holding onto the ropes we had bundled them together with, straining against the weight, and I longed to get down to the ground with her.

I was beginning to feel that somehow the ground had fallen away and that I would be sliding down rock forever, until finally I saw the earth rushing towards my feet.

I quickly propelled to the next handhold, and letting out a whoop of joy I launched myself downward, ignoring the last hold and almost free falling along the angled cliff for the last league until my boots made contact with solid ground.

My legs gave way with the impact and exhaustion, but I let myself flop to the ground.

I rolled along the grass, getting out of the way as Noal did the same thing – laughing all the way down to thud into the grass at the base of the mountain.

Thorin pushed himself away from the rock while he slid so as not to crush Noal, then rolled gleefully to the ground.

“Grass!” he sang ecstatically. “Not blasted rock! It’s grass! I thought I’d dreamed that green things ever really grew in the world!”

We all sprang up and moved as Vulcan hurtled into our midst, having slid the entire distance on his front to save Agrudek from being torn to shreds and flattened.

Soon the full band of Krall soldiers were lolling about with exclamations of love and declarations of devotion toward whatever blades of grass happened to be sprouting where they’d landed.

A faint smile touched Kiana’s lips as she took in the sight of the blubbering pack of warriors before her, until the fast approaching group of Jenrans in glittering mail released a mighty blast from a battle horn – and we all froze.

“We have little time before they are upon us,” Kiana said then. “There are at least thirty of them. Time to look tough.”

“We are tough,” Tane demurred, daintily picking pieces of grass and a wild flower out of his hair as we all dragged ourselves up again.

“Yes. We are already considered worthy of attention,” Kiana whispered triumphantly as the Krall men assembled behind Noal, Kiana and I. “They have sent their Warlord, Aeron.”

The noise of their approach grew and we made out the solemn, intent expressions of the riders for ourselves before the dust of thundering hooves whirled around our group and the muscular, panting bodies of thirty or so mountain guard horses surrounded us.

At a fierce cry from their leader, the entire troop reined in and fell silent, ending the confusion of dust and sound.

Encircled, our group stood tall under the scrutiny of every hostile Jenran eye.

Most fierce of all, the unrelenting gaze of the stern soldier who seemed to be the Warlord peered out from under his heavy helm. In his black beard there was also silver, and lines furrowed his face so that he seemed particularly foreboding as he studied each of us with intensity.

Kiana boldly stepped forward from her place between Noal and I, but their eyes were all that moved – and they regarded her with interest.

She gave a slight bow before fearlessly looking up at the leader, who was towering on his steed above her.

“Larn une Vendara.”

I started as Kiana spoke, but a flicker in the proud Warlord’s eyes was all that betrayed his own surprise as she spoke what must have been Jenran.

“Ge rev a Awyalkna ra Krall. Ge ush vo presa vo gesh Maelgon,” she finished, and then bowed slightly again.

The leader leaned forward, his sharp eyes not leaving her face.

“Gresha,” he said then, his voice deep. “Gresha os sphita.”

Then he steered his mighty horse around and the other Jenrans stirred into motion.

“I introduced us, asking to see the King, and he answered: ‘come. Come be tested’,” Kiana explained in a low voice. “Stay in your formation. They are going to escort us to the gates of the Jenran City. No outsider openly enters Jenra without being tested. And no living Jenran has seen such a test.”

“A test of arms?” Nikon asked, hand on his sabre hilt.

Kiana shook her head. “We must answer questions correctly. I will speak for us all. But if in the heart of anyone of our group there is the wrong answer, we will face retribution.”

“How can they tell what’s in our hearts?” Noal asked.

Kiana frowned. “I don’t know how, but the Jenrans must have some form of magic.”

“Magic?” Wolf was perplexed. “As long as it is not Sorcery.”

“Try not to worry for now,” Kiana told us. “For now we simply march to create distance from the eyries of the Griffins. Tomorrow, when the whole City is awake to witness it, we’ll learn what magic they have.”

“Oh Gods,” Cadell muttered. “Challenge after challenge.”

Chapter Sixty Five

Kiana

In the isolated Jenran basin, the night sky seemed vast and the world felt untouched.

Our escort hadn’t lit any fires, for even small campfires, if lit so far from the rest of the civilisation, would serve as beacons to hungry Griffins.

The Jenrans themselves sat alertly in small groups. They were straight backed, dark silhouettes against the starry night, hemming us in even though I was the only one of our group still awake.

Dalin slept beside me, his skin like marble in the moonlight, and he truly did look Princely. Ready to be introduced to Jenra, and to re-enter the world as the Raiden – heir of Awyalkna. Untouchable and surrounded in his true identity.

I turned away with a quick pang of wistfulness and rose to my feet, the wary eyes of the Jenrans following me while I stepped amongst my unstirring soldiers.

“You do not sleep.” A gruff voice spoke quietly from the darkness.

“Nor do you,” I returned in Jenran as I discerned that I’d drawn close to Warlord Aeron.

He inclined his head, the picture of stern grace, and gestured for me to be seated beside him where he had been quietly watching the skies.

I unobtrusively took my place at his side, dwarfed by his height even as he sat.

“You are very young,” he spoke in his quiet voice again.

“In years,” I answered. “But I have seen and lived through much.”

“You are not afraid,” he asserted, making an evaluation rather than asking a question. “You are surrounded in foreign warriors,” he said. “But you are no captive and you have no fear.”

I mimicked his perfect posture. “I have no need for fear at this time.”

“You are in a fierce land, at our mercy,” he reminded me. “Perhaps you should be afraid.” His words were not unkind.

“Only those who cannot defend themselves, or who are of dishonest intent should be afraid of you,” I replied. “I am neither.”

Aeron turned to appraise me more directly. “Perhaps it is I who should be afraid,” his stern voice was unwavering, but it still pulled a smile from me.

“Definitely. But not of us,” I dispelled any threat.

“I do not feel danger from your group,” he agreed. “I feel only curiosity.”

“We are a curious group,” I affirmed. “But for tonight I will answer only questions you have for me personally. All other questions will be answered in your King’s test.”

“Of course,” he acquiesced sombrely.

“What would you ask of me?” I questioned.

He considered for a moment, before he slowly asked: “what kind of life have you led?”

I kept my eyes on him as I answered. “I am a hunter and a healer. I have both ended and saved lives in my time.”

Even in the dark I could see that the answer surprised him, though I was sure his keen eyes had already picked out my bow and arrows, the dagger hilts protruding from the sheathes in my boots, and my very apparent sword.

“I have experience in such a way of life,” he commented. “What do you hunt?”

I made an effort to loosen my shoulders as I felt tension seep into my stance. “The Sorcerer King of Krall has long sent unnatural beasts to torment not only Awyalknians, but those of Krall too, and any innocent person who has happened to cross such a beast’s path. I made it my focus to end such creatures.”

“Where are your family?” he asked. “Why hunt?”

“They were ended by the war,” I answered simply, looking out across the plains to where the figures of the Jenran horses grazed.

I felt a moment of yearning for Ila and Amala, but my mind cleared when Aeron held his bunched fist out and then unfurled his fingers gracefully. I nodded my gratitude, recognising a gesture of condolence.

“Where are your family?” I asked him, realising that I had only ever learned of Aeron’s professional prowess rather than his personal life when I had secretly visited the City before.

He gestured to the men around us. “They are my family when I am on hunts of my own.”

I nodded again. “Will you share your knowledge of hunting?” I asked.

The shadowy face of Aeron looked as if a slight smile was forming beneath his beard then. “You must first share with me,” he answered.

I felt my brow rise. “I am a novice compared to you. But I can see that the test starts before I even reach the City.”

Any stories I told would allow him to easily judge the truth in my claims to be a hunter. And beyond that he might evaluate my history, my strengths, my attitudes, possibly my role and my ambitions in his country. “Let me think.”

I recalled a number of memorable hunts out of the many blurred and savage ones I had experienced and Aeron waited while I gathered my thoughts.

“The villagers I helped in Krall always stand out in my memory,” I began reflectively. “Their own ruler creates the beasts that threaten them, and they know that no help will ever come from their Sorcerer King or his army.” My mind was stung by images of haggard peasants begging for help.

“I remember finding one obliterated village on the outskirts of Krall,” I went on. “I came across structural and human remains. Thrown about in the dirt, broken into pieces, gnawed at and played with by what could only have been a massive beast. A beast that would be sure to get hungry and come back. There was only one barn left standing in the whole area, and I found four people still alive and hiding in it.”

“They had stayed in the village?” Aeron asked.

“With no protection for miles, and certainly no welcome from neighbouring villages, they could only wait and hope the danger had gone,” I replied. “And the family could not have survived fleeing through the border lands – a worn grandmother, a desperate couple and a young man who had been ripped open across his middle.”

I inwardly winced at the memory of the stench coming from their hiding place, and how their desperate, skeletal fingers had clutched at my clothes when I’d first walked into the barn.

“Their dirty faces were gaunt and wasted. And they had such hungry eyes as they clung to me for help,” I recounted grimly.

“Yet you would have had little time for comforting or soothing them,” Aeron reflected.

I inclined my head. “They probably found me to be distant and cruel. But the heat of the afternoon was waning, and with the cool night, the mysterious beast and its appetite would awaken and crawl out of hiding. So I did my best to futilely bind the wounds of the young man, and ordered the others to make a bonfire outside with the wrecked wood, away from the barn that could be brought down on top of them, or that would be needed by them for shelter if they survived.” I sighed, thinking back over the hollow cries of fear that had escaped the grandmother’s lips as I had gestured for the group to huddle near the flames. “Admittedly, I believed a fire as well as the people around it would attract the beast’s attention and draw it out. But I was also sure that the creature wouldn’t wish to be too near the flames, and I knew I could keep the beast’s focus on myself.”

“So you preferred to announce your presence and let the animal come to you,” Aeron commented.

“In this instance, yes. Because it seemed this thing was brutish and predictable. I could have tracked it down and tried to surprise it, but I was just as successful waiting for a confrontation in the location of my own choosing.” I shook my head, reliving the amazement I had felt at the sheer size of the thing.

“The thing was not subtle when it arrived,” I went on. “It seemed that Darziates had warped a bald, mole-like creature into something that was easily the size of two loaded carts. But it snuffled towards us noisily and bumped into the wreckage it had left previously because the three eyes in its pink skinned forehead were so ridiculously small as to be useless.”

“That explains the destruction and sloppiness in its previous attacks,” Aeron surmised.

“And faulty eye sight also meant it shied away from the firelight and couldn’t stand to even look at the villagers,” I agreed. “However I foolishly took for granted that the beast would be quick to slaughter. My arrows did sink into its hide, but I could leave no fatal marks and before I knew it the beast had charged me and I was trying to get a grip on its pink, wrinkly skin.” I shivered. “I was trampled by some very hefty hooves and pin cushioned by a boar-like tusk before I realised that no matter how many times I stabbed the beast, I had to find its heart to do true damage. Thankfully, like a boar, I at last discovered that the heart was behind the beast’s thick shoulder.”

“And the villagers?” Aeron asked.

“The young man had passed away while I was engaged, and I left them to their mourning so that I could mend my own injuries without imposing on them. I had to be swift, as I had already heard rumours that a reptile of some kind was feasting on villagers to the south.”

Aeron’s broad shoulders rose and fell with a large breath. “The people of Krall suffer.”

“They have little way of surviving off the land,” I said. “But they have been exposed to horrors for all of their lives and are more miserable than shocked by it. In contrast, when these beasts started appearing in Awyalkna, the Awyalknians reacted with terror, but also with disbelief and indignation that such a disturbance could happen in Awyalkna at all. Many times when I saved Awyalknians, they would pile me with a list of complaints instead of thanks.”

Aeron chuckled gently beside me.

“What of your own experiences?” I prompted him then.

“Oh, Jenrans do not suffer as those of Krall do,” Aeron answered. “Yet Jenrans are not dissimilar in their reactions to danger. When word spreads of Griffon attacks, people shake their heads. But it is simply an unavoidable factor of our lives.” Aeron’s tone was quiet and calm as he spoke. “The Griffins can be sly,” he continued. “They sometimes try to take people through windows or balconies. But the guard is always on watch and the Griffins rarely attempt something so risky unless they are starved. It is mostly the valley farmers who face regular abduction or slaughter.”

“How do you target the Griffins?” I asked. “I doubt your soldiers are purely defensive.”

“No. We are hunters too,” Aeron explained. “The Griffins are vermin. If we are not careful, and do not cull, they will not only kill us by their violence, but through their germs and diseases. So we often leave scrap heaps of rotten fish about the mountains, and lure in starving, desperate fiends. We also stalk out the nests of their Kings.”

My eyebrows rose at the thought of such an adventure. Breathing would be hard at such altitudes, and one would have to be nimble and cold resistant to reach the heights of those nests. “Hazardous,” I commented, approving of the idea of such a venture entirely.

“Only the most hardened squads attempt it. The men must be unnaturally good climbers, and are trained so thoroughly in group tactics that they think as a team. No one man could take on the King sized Griffins alone. Especially when faced with the King Griffin’s nesting partners as well.” Aeron straightened as he sat, as if remembering an ailment in his back as we talked about such challenges. “Stealth is key. We must wait for the wind to carry our scent in the opposite direction to our prey, so that we do not become the hunted. And we also use tactics in likeness to your own.”

“What do you mean?” I questioned.

“Using human bait,” Aeron elaborated. “Groups of soldiers put on their brightest uniforms and ‘search’ the mountains for trouble – parading through the most Griffin infested Passes to tempt the enemy to come to us.”

“Are your measures effective?” I questioned.

“Each week at least one hundred Griffins are slaughtered. Yet each day a new litter of Griffins is birthed. The cycle will never end. We simply maintain their numbers for them, to make our own lives safer.”

“Are injuries common?”

“The men are trained to handle shields and short swords, but death is not uncommon. The snap of a Griffin beak can easily be the slice of a vital artery or the fatal crack of a bone. Or one misplaced step can mean a nasty tumble out of an eyrie. Though even scratches or gashes have caused many soldiers to sicken and die.”

I winced at the thought, though I was also aware that Jenra was one of the most developed nations of men in the discovery and treatment of different illnesses. Likely prompted because of the hygiene and health issues associated with plagues of Griffins.

“Lady Amarantha, Jenra’s leading healer, is revered amongst our people for her research and methods of sanitation. She has saved countless lives from infection,” Aeron told me, as if reading my mind. He began to rise as faint touches of light returned to the sky. “Lady Amarantha is perhaps our greatest warrior against the winged fiends, because of her efforts.”

He towered over me as he stood, and I noticed his soldiers purposely rising too, following his lead.

“It has been a pleasure talking to you, friend.” Aeron concluded our swapping of information, stretching his stiff muscles. “I thank you.”

“I was glad to have shared the time with you,” I replied, standing as well.

“May I ask,” he started, and then cleared his throat. “How is it that you know the Jenran language?”

I smiled a slight smile, aware that he wanted to know if I had ventured as far as Jenra before, without their knowledge. Perhaps he thought me to be a skilled spy, for nobody should be able to enter Jenra without having passed the unknown test.

“You are evaluating me again,” I said, inwardly ruminating on my lengthy, secretive stay in Jenra, where I had been a hidden presence in their midst, taking note of their healing practices and even harvesting some of their exotic ingredients for my healer bag. “I simply feel it is courteous to know the language of those you wish to speak to.”

“Of course,” Warlord Aeron answered slowly. “And soon, in the test, you will be heard by our entire nation.”

Chapter Sixty Six

Noal

I woke to Thorin gruffly nudging my shoulder. Every single part of my body ached. I could’ve sworn that every follicle, every cell, every tendril of hair, was throbbing.

“Agghhhh –”

“We’re trying to look formidable, remember?” Thorin whispered, interrupting my moan. “You need to put your alert face straight back on,” he prodded me in the ribs.

I lifted my head off the ground and saw Thale waking everyone else while our Jenran guards watched on.

“Gods,” I gave a muffled whisper back. “Right. I can do tough.”

I immediately pushed myself up, flexing my arms and stretching, looking for all the world as if I had awoken refreshed and ready to face a whole new nation.

I scooped up my pack and swung it cheerfully across my shoulders, as if it didn’t feel like a sack of stones.

“Good job,” Thorin commented, resting his hand almost carelessly on the hilt of his curved sabre – back to the image of a warrior.

Kiana and Dalin joined us and our group came together as the Jenrans mounted and the march began again.

Our escorts remained largely silent as we stepped through wide grassy fields that were sprinkled with yellow, bobbing flowers. And we too remained quiet and fascinated as we drew closer to the Jenran City carved from the mountain and cliff faces.

We only started when our peace was broken by a great boom of noise that suddenly thundered across the countryside. The sound reverberated across the wide landscape, making pebbles on the ground shudder and birds lift off from trees with cries of surprise. Only moments later the boom of noise rumbled around us again, sounding louder than the heartbeat of a God.

“What is that?” Nikon asked Kiana disconcertedly. We all glanced about in search of the source of the sound while still trying to appear undaunted.

“Calm yourselves,” Kiana said. “I’ve read of this. It is the sound of the Jenran drums calling any who would come to witness our testing.”

“I hope that’s what it means,” Ferron exclaimed. “It sounds like we are being led to some kind of sacrificial ritual.”

“That ground shaking racket comes from drums?” Tane asked incredulously.

“Big drums,” Kiana reassured him. “Very big.”

“And they are being used to summon the Jenrans to watch us?” Thale asked nervously from behind Thorin. “I’d prefer not to have a nation sized audience.”

“Be flattered,” Kiana told him. “Those drums are ancient and only used for such occasions as the crowning of new Kings and Queens and the call to war. Or,” she added, “the testing of strangers.”

“So not very often then,” Purdor winced, not looking flattered or comforted at all.

As we drew closer to the looming gates at the base of the cliff carved entrance, the booming beat of the drums became so powerful that I felt as if my teeth rattled.

“Oh Gods,” I heard Phrixus utter, gazing upward.

Between the many towers and rocky peaks there were countless walkways and halls that had open windows and sweeping balconies. And, filling every spare open space – spilling around every doorway and gap, there were swarms of people. So many thousands in each space that they looked simply like a shifting sea of shapes.

We were close enough now that we could hear the roaring anticipation and cheers of the crowds over the drum beats, and the sound formed a roar that was almost as deafening.

Gideon swallowed nervously. “They are very excited to witness what will happen to us.”

“Because we are the first visitors they have ever seen,” Kiana replied calmly.

My heart raced as Dalin and I at last approached the moment that our original Quest had been focused on, and as I saw in the distance that the richly dressed figure of a crowned man, with archers at both of his sides, had stepped up onto the walkway at the gates.

When we reached the foot of the great gates the thunderous drumming stopped and the tumultuous storm of voices ceased while the atmosphere seemed to tremble.

The King atop the gates stepped closer to the edge, and then he spoke in a deep and booming voice that carried down to us with words delivered in the Jenran language.

“You have come to Jenran land, strangers,” Kiana whispered in translation for us. “But before you may enter into our halls you must first be proven friends. You must pass our test. If you refuse to take the test you will be escorted out of this land. If you fail this test you will live no longer. If you pass this test you will be welcomed forth, as dear to us as our own kin.”

The King paused, his gaze boring into us even from the distance. “Do you agree to take the test?”

Kiana stepped forward, unflinching under the eyes of so many. She raised her hand, held in a fist, to her chest and gracefully bowed before straightening. “Randaer tren Maelgon. Ge una vo opok gesh sphit ra vo ata lo forvoners,” she called in her clear, carrying voice.

There were muffled exclamations and the crowds shifted. But I couldn’t make out if the man above was surprised.

“What did she say?” I asked in a whisper.

To my astonishment the leader of our guards, the Warlord who sat upon his horse beside us spoke in a low voice. “Your companion has just greeted our King, mighty Durna,” he explained in a thick accent. “She said: ‘Hail great King. We agree to take your test and to accept the consequences.’ ” I raised my eyebrows.

So he had known how to speak to us all along.

The King addressed us again, and Aeron translated once more. “Will you speak for your group?”

“U des.” Kiana affirmed. ‘I will.’

The King raised his hands and a servant came forth, opening an ornate box for Durna. Upon a cushion in the box there sat a spiralling, sharp tipped rod of gold, and with reverent hands the King accepted the spectre-like ornament.

“Beware that no lie is in the hearts of any of your group when you answer. For the golden horn will shine red,” Durna declared, and his voice seemed to project even further, as if the object had increased his personal power.

Kiana was gazing at the ‘golden horn’ in his hand intently as she answered. “We will answer with truth and honour.”

I noticed Agrudek clinging nervously to a pendant around his neck, enfolding the flashing red jewel in his hand as if seeking reassurance and comfort from it.

Then the King asked his first question and I focused back on the Warlord as he translated.

“Do you mean harm to the people of Jenra?” Durna questioned.

“Lin.” No.

I held my breath along with every Krall soldier and every Jenran above as the ‘golden horn’ judged each of us based on Kiana’s unfaltering answer, and was stunned when the horn in the King’s hands burst into a blindingly pure, golden light.

I found that I couldn’t look away. Wonder and joy flooded me as I gazed, open mouthed at it, realising that I could feel the pure warmth of magic radiating from it even from here.

Only when the wondrous light faded was I able to shake myself out of my stupor, and the entire Jenran population broke into deafening outpours of cheering until King Durna raised the horn again, ready for the next question.

“Do you serve Darziates, his Witch, or any other evil?”

I heard the men shifting uneasily behind me and I was aware that Agrudek held his pendent more tightly, but not a shadow of doubt crossed Kiana’s face as she answered.

“Lin.” No. Each of the Krall warriors had pledged themselves to the Three, to our Quest. I thought I saw a glint of red out of the corner of my eye from Agrudek, but my attention was absorbed again as the horn burst forth with brilliant and enchanting light.

“Who are you?” Durna asked next.

“Representatives of Awyalkna, Krall and the beings of the Forest.”

This time there wasn’t such rapture and intent focus on the horn as it glowed gold. Instead there were unrestrained gasps and exclamations that seemed to ripple up and down the mountain as word of what she’d said spread.

There were disbelieving calls and the recognisable words of “Krall?” and “Sylthanryn!” But the truth of that simple statement had been proven by the horn’s glowing light.

Finally the King asked: “Why have you come?”

Kiana remained bold and confident. “We have come to speak with you, King. To ask for the renewal of the ancient alliance between our lands, so that we may triumph over the evil Darziates has brought to this world.”

This time there were so many exclamations and outbursts of chatter that hardly anybody noticed the horn anymore and it took the King a number of moments to achieve silence before he asked his final question.

“I see a troop of Krall men marching with Awyalknians in friendship and co-operation,” the King stated. “And your group presumes to evoke the alliances of old to bring Jenra into the war,” he said seriously. “Tell us. Why should we listen to you?”

I held my breath as a hush descended over the scores of people along the mountain kingdom as they watched Kiana and waited.

She took a step forward and peered up at the crowds keenly.

“The Lady of Sylthanryn prophesied that the world’s races would become separate and that a deadly threat would be born at the end of the ninth age. She warned that the world must be united to survive, and that the war is not just between Awyalkna and Krall. Darziates’ Sorcery is in fact a threat to all races. But,” Kiana took a deep breath. “The Lady has also foretold that there are to be Three to lead the world to stand against this threat, and to unite all races against the Sorcerer.”

Total focus fell upon Kiana as the Jenran masses strained to hear her.

“I have travelled with Noal, Prince of Awyalkna, and Dalin, heir to the Awyalknian throne. We have crossed Awyalkna amidst constant threat from Darziates’ creatures, and gained the allegiance of his sixteen warriors. We have crossed the largest Forest in this world, and met the magical beings dwelling within. We have gained the allegiance of the Elves, the Nymphs and the Lady of Sylthanryn. And we have traversed the Jenran mountains to seek allegiance here too. For we are the Three. And we mean to unite the mortal and magical races of this world to end the threat of Darziates in another War for the World.”

Kiana paced back to me, putting a hand on my shoulder. “One to bring the Three and their allies together in their Quest,” she called, and a shiver ran down my spine as her words were translated. Then she stood by Dalin. “One to unite the lands of men, to lead all mortals in this war. The Raiden.”

Then she took her place in between us. “And I,” she called calmly – this time using Aolen, “am the One. The One to summon and lead the magical races to combine with the mortals led by the Raiden.” She stepped forward. “I am the last of the Larnaeradee.”

Aeron’s translation stopped and he gaped in awe, looking as if it was the first time in his life that anything had ever taken him by surprise.

I felt a sudden rushing of rippling air before Kiana’s wings had appeared and were lifting her so that she hovered on an equal level with King Durna and his astounded archers on the gate to the City.

I could feel her magic raining down upon me, and it was almost as if I could see it beaming like the rays of the sun upon every person that beheld her.

“We have come to ask if Jenra will rise and unite with us, so that the threat to our world can be ended.”

The whole of Jenra was struck mute as the unmistakably glowing golden horn shone with a light even more brilliant than before. It throbbed and sparkled as if the power in it was somehow rejoicing too.

Then as the light faded, the City erupted with a cacophony of almighty cheers that seemed to shake the mountain even more than the drums had. Even if people didn’t appear to be using Aolen yet, it was clear that they had understood the message.

Kiana lowered back down to earth, settling between Dalin and I as Durna raised his voice once more.

“Welcome to Jenra!” he called. “We have much to discuss, but let it be known that the Three and their comrades are as kin to our people and free to roam our halls!”

More cheers punctuated his announcements.

“Enter our City, friends. For we have long awaited you!”

Chapter Sixty Seven

Dalin

I felt my stomach lurch at the King’s words.

“What?” Tane asked in confusion. The King and his archers were quickly disappearing from the top of the gate and there was the groaning sound of its mechanisms while it was pulled open.

“There is another population that has ‘long awaited’ us?” Noal exclaimed over the thundering crowd. “I thought only the Lady and the Forest dwellers knew about the Three.”

Thorin was frowning up at the City as if the Jenrans were all mad. “We just delivered as much ghastly news as good news. You’d think mention of war would result in a more subdued response.”

Kiana simply shrugged. “The King did announce that there would be much to discuss. We must wait and learn.” She started toward the fast opening gate as the vast City of Jenra opened before us and we followed her while our Jenran guards dismounted and fell in at our sides, guiding us through the gates like a royal procession.

The gates hulked over us for a moment, before we passed into the incredible mountain kingdom, and were instantly overwhelmed by the sheer size of the endless cavern before us.

The mountain’s interior appeared to be made up of a number of expansive, hollowed levels of cool, artfully shaped rock. Light poured in from large balconies and windows in the mountain walls, illuminating the level we were on, which spanned for as far as the eye could see. There were sprawling markets and village areas, dwellings, gardens, stone fountains, stalls, sheds and workplaces all built inside.

And everywhere people were crowded, craning to see us, their voices intensified and echoing excitedly under the high roof. Our Jenran guards parted a clear way for us, and soon the multitudes of voices began to quieten – with people clearing the way and bowing as King Durna approached.

I noted that he was taller than the Jenran officials flanking him, with a frame that suggested he was a man of strength. His dark, short beard was flecked with silver and covered a strong jaw, but despite his steely looking exterior he greeted us with a wide, welcoming smile and the people he passed looked upon him with respect as he drew to a stop before us.

Our guards bowed and Noal and I swept ourselves into a similar stance that the warriors of Krall quickly copied. But as we straightened from our bow Kiana was already stepping forward.

“Before we begin, you have heard and understood Aolen, but now I will also give you the gift of being able to converse in the language,” she said to the King, her voice carrying across the now hushed crowd. I felt the power laced within her musical words and felt the magic as if it were plucking at my soul, pulling me to step close to her. “Now you may remember the language of your forefathers and spread this gift to others.”

By pouring power into her words, it seemed that her magic was spreading outwards in an expanding blanket as the people closest to us shifted and murmured in amazement, and the people beyond them slowly began to react too. I saw a young girl nearby clasping her ears in shock, as if she’d suddenly been granted the gift of hearing, and King Durna’s eyes widened along with those of the officials behind him and the guards around us.

“I thank you,” the King gasped in halting Aolen. “You can truly perform miracles if you are able to so quickly teach a nation a forgotten tongue.” The King gazed at Kiana with admiration while the people around us seemed entirely enchanted by her. “Your presence lightens our hearts,” he told her, the shock still hardly concealed on his face as he spoke in a new language. “And you are all most honoured guests in Jenra. You will be treated as kin here and will be taken to rooms where you can rest.”

“We thank you for your hospitality,” Kiana answered. “And will look forward to meeting with you to begin our deliberations before we must cross back through the mountains.”

“After today’s undisturbed rest the discussions will begin,” Durna promised. “Then, perhaps, there will be little rest for any of us.”

Durna gestured to Aeron then, who stepped forward.

I couldn’t fail to notice the striking resemblance between the King and his Warlord, and realised that they must be siblings. “Warlord Aeron will show you to private quarters that are already being prepared so that you may have peace. I myself will eagerly wait to speak with the Three in Council tomorrow morning, and in the night we will ease our minds from meetings to feast in celebration of your coming.”

I noticed Aeron’s men ringing us in more closely when the King smiled and farewelled us before turning to make his way back through the crowd with his procession. Then I immediately felt the eyes of every member of the public fall upon us once more. There was the deafening sound of everyone beginning to speak animatedly at once again as every citizen in the market place eyed us in fascination, or tested out the Aolen tongue.

We unquestioningly followed the looming Aeron’s lead through the thronging, gaping crowds, moving towards a section of the mountain wall that had a lavish stairway.

I noticed that long ladders ran up the wall that we were drawing closer to, and I craned my neck to see that those ladders stretched so high upward that they disappeared through faraway openings in the roof, continuing into the level above us. I realised that there were confident, flitting figures of different Jenrans on those ladders, and they scurried up and down them without fear now that the show was over. In the distance some people had even stopped to have casual conversations with those on the ladders neighbouring them.

“I’m glad we’re taking the stairs,” I murmured to Thorin, who was cringing as he watched a child sliding down a nearby ladder to the floor. “I’ve had enough of heights and scaling.”

“What are those?” Noal asked with wonder, and I diverted my attention toward what looked like a cage. It was being lifted up toward another hole in the roof by a series of incredibly thick, oiled ropes. It looked like heavy cargo was inside the cage and there were similar cages all along the wall, getting pulled upward or downward with their burdens.

“Elevators,” Kiana said.

“What are elevators, then?” Noal asked. “How are they going up and down like that?”

“A pulley system lifts them up and down. They hold things that are too heavy to carry up to the highest levels of the mountain,” Kiana explained as we reached the foot of the smooth stone steps.

There was a short flight of stairs that led to a wide, upward slanting passage looking out upon the market level on one side, and also looking out toward the valleys on the other side. The passage was like one giant balcony winding up the mountain, carved into the inside of the mountain itself.

“Even though it’s inside, this City seems like such a wholesome one compared to the cramped living in Krall,” Phrixus commented, wide-eyed as he stared down into the spectacular market.

We reached another spurt of steps and Cadell ran his hand along the cool, neat stone of the balcony ledge. “Everyone lives together inside one giant mountain palace, and even the lowest ranking people appear to have clean water and paved streets. Did you see those fountains?”

“The King probably lives separately in the highest rooms of the mountain, but he came down to the lowest levels and walked among his people comfortably,” Tane added with an impressed tone. “I think he will be a reasonable leader to meet with.”

“It would be nice to have a King like that,” I heard the reserved voice of Lydon from the back. “I didn’t have such a pleasant experience when I was once in a crowd that happened to be where King Darziates appeared out of thin air.”

“Did you all get blasted out of the way?” Thale asked sympathetically.

“No,” Lydon answered bleakly. “He didn’t need to use magic to clear the way. The automatic surge of people running for cover cleared the market quickly enough, and a few people were crushed in the stampede.”

“Which sector was this in?” Aiolos asked.

“South Krall Domain,” Lydon replied, still looking aggrieved at the memory.

“In North Krall Province, when I was a child,” Aiolos started a memory of his own, “it was rumoured that Darziates would disguise himself and spy on citizens, listening for betrayal.”

“Who knows if that’s true,” Rendor added beside him. “But unexplained disappearances were common enough that people kept to themselves and kept their mouths closed.”

“There were similar stories in Western Sector,” Wolf said.

“And in the Eastern Region,” Roth affirmed, breaking his usual silence.

Purdor spoke up then. “I never heard of him checking up on the border villages though. Those people are too exhausted to think up ways to betray the Sorcerer.”

There was a mollified silence for a few moments as we all took in the clean, well cared for society blossoming on the next level that we passed into.

“That’s the kind of life Darziates hopes to impose on every other land as well,” Vulcan said at last. “Gods, I hope the Jenrans agree to an alliance.”

“Well,” Kiana sighed, “absorb all you can about the way this nation functions anyway. Because you are the only people of Krall to have seen that there are other ways of life. You are the ones who have to carry word back home.”

“I’m no good at explaining politics,” Nikon shook his head.

“We’re warriors, not ambassadors,” Phobos agreed. “And no Sorcerer infected citizen would listen.”

“Nevertheless Krall will need all of the help it can get,” Kiana answered.

“Relax comrades, old Wilmont ensured that the Raiden and I are well trained for such tasks as setting up a country’s ruling system,” Noal announced. “We’ll help.”

“Oh Gods,” Tane remarked.

Jenrans that we passed as we climbed stared and politely bowed or curtsied as we reached higher levels, but most traffic still seemed to take place on the ladders and at one point a loudly mooing cow swung upward past the balcony in one of the elevator cages.

Each level we wound around was lined with indoor streets just as busy as the last, though the levels finally began to grow steadily smaller and were filled with grand homes and offices, along with people who were each officially or ornately dressed. And then at last the hallway opened out and stopped at a level that was simply made up of a circular room. There were four stairways leading in different directions.

“No wonder the Jenrans are so fit looking,” Noal commented to me quietly. “With so much climbing.”

“We’re not even anywhere near the peak,” Kiana told us with her slight smile. “Or we would be freezing and struggling to breathe.”

“I do have a stitch in my side,” Thorin puffed.

“Your rooms are on the southwest stair, overlooking the valleys,” Warlord Aeron said, breaking his silence and leading us to that stairway. “The other stairways lead to the rooms of Council members, the King’s offices and quarters, and homes of high ranking soldiers.”

We started up the southwest stairs where there were no longer the sweeping windows, but doors to rooms instead, and we all stopped with relief as Aeron halted at these doors.

“These are the apartments of the Princes and Princesses from generations past, but King Durna has no children,” Aeron informed us. “You, as our honoured guests will have these rooms as your own. Lady,” he said to Kiana, “I pray you find this chamber comfortable.” He crossed to one door and opened it for her so that I caught a glimpse of a wide balcony and silk decorating the room’s roof and walls, shimmering gold and red.

Kiana smiled. “I thank you Warlord Aeron. At last some privacy and a bath.”

For her, his serious face seemed to relent, producing a smile.

“This quarter can be for Your Majesties,” he said, turning to Noal and I while opening the door to the next room so that I saw another elaborately decorated space.

“And for the Krall guardians of the Three, each of you may choose to share any of these other chambers, with four beds to a room.”

We all thanked the Warlord before he descended the steps, and then at last we were alone again – all twenty of us, and we allowed ourselves to droop our shoulders and sag with the fatigue we felt.

“Rest time,” Kiana stated, before wearily stepping through to her spectacular room and closing the door.

“Agreed,” Thale muttered, trudging towards the closest door and already loosening his roll of armour. A few others followed him and the remaining men began to choose rooms of their own.

Noal and I entered our own chamber, where red silk adorned the golden painted walls and red and gold cushions covered two majestic beds. Wooden doors behind golden, veil like curtains led out onto a glorious balcony, and at the base of one wall there was a small, pristine pool lined with sparkling blue tiles.

However Noal and I regarded our surroundings with only dull wits, dropping our bags onto a plush, crimson rug before we both sprawled luxuriously on the beds.

Chapter Sixty Eight

Dalin

My eyes opened to see the blazing sun setting through the open doors to the balcony.

I blinked as I remembered where we were, and squinted across the room to find that Noal still slept contentedly.

I rose from the bed stiffly, and followed the warm sunshine out to the balcony that continued around to Kiana’s chamber.

I found that the doors to her own balcony were open and Kiana was sitting on her bed, combing her freshly washed hair with a golden comb that matched the spectacular dresser against one of the walls.

The red jewel at her throat glittered magnificently in the light as she glanced up with a smile while I leaned in the doorway, watching her movements.

“Did you sleep well?” I asked when she put the comb down.

“Almost as well as I used to in Sylthanryn,” she answered, looking resplendent in the golden light as she rose to lead me out to the balcony ledge. “There is a different kind of ancient magic here that I can feel running all through this mountain. It makes me feel safe, and as though no malice could live in the City because of it.”

“I wondered if somehow this whole place had been made by pure magic,” I answered, leaning against the balcony beside her. “The mountain City is too colossal and too impossible to be of mortal make.”

She nodded, and I relished the warmth and the slight ticklish tingling of her power dancing from where her arm made contact with mine.

“I am sure the golden horn that tested us is a clue,” she mused, now leaning her head upon my shoulder to gaze at the meadows below in the late afternoon sun.

“You seem to be gaining greater understanding of your own magic,” I commented and felt her nod.

“The effort of channelling the power from the atmosphere and earth became a tiring task as we descended,” she stroked her tourmaline stone. “But I think as long as I am surrounded by the elements I will be able to channel their power. The greater the energy around me, the greater I will be able to achieve, and perhaps it will be only the limits of my own mind that gives me any obstacles.”

With that, she reached out her hand, and suddenly an orange ball of wispy fire was flickering upon her palm, not seeming to burn her skin at all.

My eyes widened. “You have only ever made spheres of your own magic with the help of a spark or another flame,” I gasped. “You are progressing quickly.”

With a flicker of her fingers the flame extinguished. “The tiniest bit of the heat of the atmosphere and the light of the sun were all I needed. And at night I’m sure the heat of rubbing my hands together or breathing into them would be enough.”

I leaned forward and gingerly put my hand into hers where the flame had been, and her brilliant blue eyes were on mine. But we stirred when there was a drumming knock on the heavy door to Kiana’s room.

After a pause Kiana broke away from me and crossed back into the room to find Thale at the door.

“I hope you are well rested,” Thale greeted us rather politely, appearing pensive as Kiana invited him in. At once I joined Kiana in sitting on the silk covered bed, both of us watching Thale questioningly.

He cleared his throat and rubbed at his beard, his deep brows almost meeting. “The lads and I, we’ve all agreed, that now that the Three are revealed, and are obviously so revered in Jenra … Well we’ve all decided that we will be your guards. In fact we are adamant about it. We wish to be aware of everyone around you from now on, because you are too important, we owe you, and we like you too much to let anything happen to any of the Three.” Thale now faced us squarely. “From now on there will be a guard when you are in your rooms, and when you leave those rooms more of us will accompany you without question. We will take shifts and keep each other updated. I wish to hear no objections.”

He stopped then and straightened his shoulders with a hardened expression as he awaited our reply.

“It sounds like a good idea,” Kiana answered simply.

“It’s an honourable and appreciated idea,” I confirmed. “There are no others I would trust as highly to guard my back.”

Thale’s face broke into a beaming smile. “We were concerned you would reject us. Of course none of the Three are inexperienced or helpless, and the Gods chose you for a reason, but we couldn’t allow you to face possible danger alone.”

“So the men all sent you in here to order us to accept your protection,” Kiana smiled her faint smile.

“That is the crux of it,” Thale nodded. “Except for Agrudek, who has been muttering over his necklace as if he has been driven to the edge of his wits.”

Before I could feel my face darken at the scientist’s name, we heard a clatter echo from mine and Noal’s room.

I laughed. “Poor Noal’s probably awoken only to fall over with hunger.” I stood to check on him.

“Raiden, this could be my first mission,” Thale suggested. “I could check on him and you and the One could continue your time together.”

I felt warmth touch my cheeks and was suddenly glad that I remained unshaven, but Kiana’s expression simply appeared entertained.

“I’ll go settle him back down,” I reassured Thale, quickly leaving for the balcony once more.

“And, I may have to speak to you further about your guard duties,” I heard Kiana begin to deliver a shattering contradiction to Thale’s proposal as I left.

“I will be practicing the art of flight while I am here,” I heard her say calmly. “And there is no way I’m going to carry a group of big men along with me. Or at least not just yet.”

“Ahhhhh ...” I could just imagine the defeat on Thale’s face. “But Griffins …”

I grinned, knowing she would always have some excuse to allow herself independence.

Chapter Sixty Nine

Noal

I woke suddenly with the feeling of being watched.

I at once tensed for danger, but instead found a pretty young blonde woman gazing at me.

She jumped, startled by my quick waking, and slammed a tray of food down on the table in a rush.

I shook myself alert and rushed to sit up, holding my hands out in a placating gesture.

“Sorry!” I told the wide eyed beauty. “I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

She quickly curtsied and spun on her heel to devote herself to wiping at a spot of ale that had spilled from the two tankards on the tray.

“My apologies, Your Highness,” she said hurriedly in a sweet, nervous voice. I thanked the Gods that Kiana’s close proximity meant the maiden already seemed fluent in Aolen so that I could understand her.

In a flurry of movement she began to set the table for a meal. “I shouldn’t have woken you. I didn’t mean to look.”

She sounded mortified and I blanched at the formality in her address.

I smoothed my hair and noticed that I’d fallen asleep fully clothed, even my sword still belted uncomfortably at my side. But I hardly worried at it.

“What is your name?” I asked her with fascination.

Long wisps of blonde hair fell in waves down her back and over her shoulders and she wore a simple, grey maiden’s dress with a white apron.

“My name is Noal,” I prompted.

“… Prince Noal,” she corrected me absently, and then whirled back around with a horrified expression to have contradicted me.

“It loses effect if people have to use my full title all of the time,” I grinned at her, and saw the wariness fade in her stiffened posture. “Imagine if even my closest minders had been forced to shout: ‘Your Royal Majesty, Prince Noal, put down that frog!’ ” I mimicked an admonishing carer for her.

A wavering smile broke out across her sunny face. “I hardly think I would need to tell you to leave frogs alone at your age,” she ventured, and my grin widened.

“You have no idea the kinds of things I have to tell him to put down, even at this age,” came a friendly voice at the door, and we both looked to find Dalin stepping off the balcony and into the room.

She turned quickly, at once curtsying formally to him. “Raiden,” she murmured with reverence, then she scurried to the door and disappeared without having told me her name.

I sighed disconsolately.

“Sorry to have spoiled your conversation,” Dalin said as he walked across to me, taken aback. “I didn’t mean to scare her away.”

I nodded. “You can’t help the way people react to you,” I told him glumly.

“She actually looked even more like an angel than you do,” Dalin replied, taking a seat at the small table to begin the dinner she’d laid out for us. “And obviously she had enough of an effect on what is normally your immediate appetite.”

“She was lovely,” I said honestly, joining him without enthusiasm.

“She will probably be the one to come back for our dishes, and I will likely be gone to visit with Kiana again by then,” Dalin said tactfully.

And my spirits lifted enough for me to properly enjoy our first quality meal since Sylthanryn as the food disappeared from our plates.

I tried not to rush Dalin out of the room as he took a painstakingly long time to bathe and to scrape away his stubble before it was my turn to bathe, dress and shave.

Then when a faint knock came at the door I had enough time to swiftly pat my face dry as the maiden slipped back into our room, this time with a flaming torch in her hand to light our torches. She curtsied shyly, but with a smile.

“You’re back,” I said, trying not to sound too joyous.

“I pray you enjoyed your meal,” she returned politely, beginning to light the torches.

“Not at all,” I sighed, and lowered myself into a red, cushioned chair.

She paused and frowned with worry. “You didn’t?”

“No,” I shrugged sadly. “You never told me your name. I was too upset to enjoy the food.”

She laughed a light, clear peal of laughter. “I could get you something else to see if you enjoy that better,” she tried.

I shook my head. “It won’t do any good. I need just one word and my heart and appetite will be healed,” I informed her.

She crossed to my side of the room to light the last torch. “I am just a maid, you have no true need for my name.”

“Well,” I reasoned, “you know my name.”

“Yes. Everyone knows your name,” she rebutted.

“I did also go to some effort for you, so that my appearance might frighten you less than before.” I folded my hands in my lap, reasonable and business-like. “It’s only fair you show me kindness in return.”

“I don’t think you could ever look frightening –” she began, but then blushed furiously.

I grinned and she relaxed again. “What else could I do then, to earn the knowledge of your name?”

She put her free hand on her hip. “You are a Prince. You could order me to tell you.”

I changed to an offended expression this time. “Abuse my power when I’m having so much fun charming your name out of you? I don’t think so.”

Her features had softened and she became more at ease. “I can think of nothing else, and I have finished lighting the torches, so I must clear your dishes and leave you.”

I put a hand to my heart with a pained expression. “You would leave me in torment?”

“Torment?” she asked. “You have only just met me and I am just one of many maids. You may not even see me again after this.”

“All reasons that I should know your name and treasure it.” I paused. “Will I really not see you again?”

She relented, pleased. “I have been assigned to your rooms. You will see me.”

I brightened. “Then wouldn’t it be pleasant if I could greet you by your name?”

“If I were doing my job correctly, I would be unobtrusive enough that you would not notice me,” she winced.

“How could I not notice you?” I asked. “And I don’t see that your occupation should be a barrier to me behaving kindly towards you.”

She smiled hesitantly. “Kindness is always appreciated,” she said. “I am Maeve.”

“Maeve,” I breathed the name. “Thank you.”

She swept across the room, took up the tray of our dishes, and crossed back to the still open door. “I will see you tomorrow.” She cast deep brown eyes over me with one last smile. “Goodnight.”

Then she was gone again and I flopped back happily in my chair. “See you at breakfast,” I announced optimistically to the spot where she’d been standing.

“Oh dear,” Dalin remarked dryly when he returned later and caught a glimpse of my face. “Does that expression warn me I should make myself scarce after every meal now?”

I nodded. “You would really only be in the way if you were here,” I told him winsomely.

He dropped down across his bed. “It is fortunate that I asked Kiana if I could join her for breakfast,” he mused.

“Yes!” I exclaimed eagerly. “Very fortunate!”

And Dalin was still rumpled from sleep and squinting against the light in only his hurriedly pulled on trousers when I propelled him down to Kiana’s room the following morning.

“I feel unfortunate,” he grumbled unclearly as I tossed his shirt to Kiana while he groaned and sank down onto her bed. He assumed much the same position he’d been in before I’d rolled him off his own bed.

“You’re lively this morning,” Kiana told me as I skipped back onto the balcony. Then I heard her say to Dalin. “But you’re not.”

I was tactfully leaning on the balcony when I heard the faint knock and Maeve’s light footsteps.

“Good morning, Maeve,” I couldn’t help beaming when I saw her, and her own smile in return made mine grow wider still.

“Did you sleep well … Noal?” she asked in her melodious voice as she set down the tray for breakfast.

“Not at all.”

She gave a good-humoured gasp. “And why ever not?”

“You have told me nothing but your name. I couldn’t sleep from wondering about you.”

“Ahh,” she pondered. “Never fear. You will have a long, tense day today. That will tire your mind for tonight.”

I shook my head. “What if wondering about you distracts me from my prophesied duties? It could put the world’s fate in jeopardy.”

Maeve tapped her high cheek bone with delicate fingers. “After facing the Sorcerer’s creatures and travelling all the way here on your Quest, you would let yourself be distracted by a desire to know more about me?”

“It seems a shame,” I nodded, half mesmerised. “But you must see that it’s critical you tell me about yourself when there’s so much at stake.”

“It wouldn’t be a fair exchange,” she reasoned. “I – and everybody – already know all about you. An adopted Awyalknian Prince, part of the Three.”

I grimaced. “You know some things, but none of that really describes me. However it does mean you must provide me with some superficial details about yourself until we’re even.”

She looked intrigued. “I would be interested to learn what more there is to you than all that.”

I grinned. “To help make us more even, I need just one fact about yourself for now. It will keep me going through the day so that I can be the prophesied Prince you know me to be.”

“One fact?” her petal-like lips quirked up thoughtfully.

I nodded. “For today.”

She tapped her fingernails on the table she’d set the breakfast out on before her face brightened.

“One fact is that I will be helping the other maids to make the beds of every room on this level when you are out. I have a very different role in life to you.”

I crinkled my nose. “That’s not the kind of fact I meant,” I protested.

“It’s a fact all the same,” she told me. “A fact of life.”

“Is that part of your daily routine then?”

Maeve held up a finger. “No cheating,” she admonished. “You said just one for today.”

“Yes, but I’m expanding on that one fact now. That’s well within the rules.”

“Is it?” she laughed lightly. “Well in that case, yes, I do that among other things each day.”

“What other things?” I prompted her audaciously.

“Other things … like picking out what lovely garments you will be wearing to the feast held in your honour tonight,” she said. “So if you cheat too much I may have to pick you something with Griffin feathers.”

“Griffin feathers?” I asked weakly, “I’d die of the stench.” I felt my shoulders droop slightly as I realised that a feast for dinner meant I probably wouldn’t see her again for the rest of the day.

“You must have your breakfast then,” Maeve pulled out the chair I was meant to be sitting in pointedly. “You’ll need your strength.”

Every sense within my body was aware of how close she was as I moved to be seated in the chair she stood behind, and she leaned across quickly to straighten the cutlery.

“Just one more fact?” I pleaded, gazing up at her face.

Maeve slowly picked up her tray again, and I felt sure she wished she could stay with me in that moment too.

“I love flowers.” She withdrew from the table. “Despite the risk outside, I travel down the mountain every day when my noon chores are done just to roam the valleys for a short while.”

“And now, I will be able to get through today,” I told her confidently.

Maeve smiled warmly before she made her way to the door once more and was gone from the room.

At once the grand bedroom seemed suddenly less brilliant, and I felt an odd tugging in my chest that suggested I was in trouble. It suggested that perhaps from now on everything would be less brilliant whenever Maeve had to walk away from me.

I forlornly poked a berry with my fork, and when I bit into it, its juices were not as sweet as usual.

Chapter Seventy

Noal

Thorin and Thale flanked us as we followed Warlord Aeron back down the mountain, descending along the stairway that overlooked the cliff and sea.

We trailed the Warlord quietly until we reached a lower level door that led us through a watch tower and then on to outside.

A fresh breeze carried the scent of salt to my nose and I heard the thunderous crashing of waves and the rushing of the wind even before we had left the tower stairs to stand upon sand.

“Gods,” I uttered under my breath, forgetting the stitch in my side as I stood next to the equally stunned Dalin, Thorin and Thale. We were dumbfounded by the expansive, shifting water before us, and had to stop to at last properly behold the wild, rolling ocean up close. “It’s like a bathing pool for the Gods.”

“Its size seems an impossibility, yet it is part of reality all the same,” Thale shook his head.

“Everything in Jenra seems to exist on unbelievable scales,” Thorin agreed, watching while waves lapped against a wide strip of dazzling white sand that sparkled in the early morning sun. “It is incredible.”

The sand stretched along the bottom of the mountain cliff, but ahead of us the water appeared to reach further than the sky did – the amazing blue-green mass melding with the horizon.

“It’s dangerous,” Kiana warned, and I noted how in the distance there were large waves crashing and breaking in tumults of white foam, a sign that the splashes lapping at the shore were but mere demonstrations of the power of the ocean.

Small fishing boats navigated their way along the coast, but I doubted that the Jenrans had ever developed larger vessels to explore the furious seas, because no stories of mortals finding the lands beyond had ever been told.

We all tore our eyes from the spectacular view only when Aeron cleared his throat. “It is certainly wondrous and treacherous at the same time,” he said, and then gestured for us to follow him down a long pebbled trail at the base of the cliff wall, only stopping us as we approached a large cave opening in the rock face.

“These are the ocean caves of Miridoon,” Aeron said in his deep voice. “Only Jenran eyes have seen these caves for generations. They are one of Jenra’s greatest secrets and it is only under these special circumstances that today our Council will be held here. Before entering Miridoon, you must pledge to never betray this secret to anyone beyond the rest of your party, who have all passed the test. The power surrounding this place will make your pledge binding, and will also impact on your comrades.” He paused, regarding each of us. “If you are willing to pledge, you must simply say: ‘I shall never divulge the secret of Miridoon’, and you will be allowed to pass inside.”

Kiana didn’t hesitate to pledge confidently, and each of us repeated the pledge before Aeron nodded, satisfied, and again gestured for us to follow.

I felt bubbles of nervous excitement as we stepped into the cool darkness of the cave, and then a strange tingling crossed my skin.

We found three archways to different tunnels and followed Aeron to where a flickering golden light glimmered through the entrance to the middle arch. The middle arch opened into another cave-like room carved out of rock and adorned by countless stalactites and stalagmites.

King Durna and eleven of his twelve Council members were seated in what appeared to be an ancient ring of rock chairs circling a perfectly rounded and smoothed rock table.

But it was the walls of this cave that caught my attention because, filling every spare space on the rocky surfaces, there were dazzling images. They were artworks in such vibrant colours and drawn in such detail that they seemed real, and could not possibly have been drawn by mortal hands.

I shivered as I saw that in many of the images there were three figures. The three of us.

Aeron took his seat as the twelfth Council member and I tried to refocus.

“Welcome,” Durna said with as serious a face as his brother and Warlord usually had, “to our ocean caves. Where we must hear all facts and must debate before tonight’s feasting and before the fate of Jenra will be decided.” He motioned with outstretched arms at the artistry around us. “As you can see, there are many things to discuss.”

He gestured then to three empty chairs that had been added to the circle and the three of us silently took our places while our Krall guards took posts at the walls behind us.

“All secrets spoken within these caves are kept hidden by the crashing of the waves on the shore,” Durna went on. “And the artworks of the caves themselves are known only to Jenrans. In daylight we watch so that none come from the sea or air to steal this knowledge, and at night the caves are sealed when the tide comes in.”

I saw that water still dripped from the walls and puddles had been left across the uneven floors as King Durna turned to our real business.

“I must begin by explaining, in a very short time, things that no one outside of Jenra will have heard. I believe once that is done it will be easier for you to share your tale, and then for us to form resolutions together.” The King straightened his shoulders, his eyes keen. “The Jenrans have known of the prophecies and the Forest dwellers even without the Lady of the Forest being aware that it was so. We remained silent lest any messages between the mountains and the Forest should fall into the hands of Darziates.” Again he gestured at the wondrous works of art upon the cave walls. “The prophecies, and more, have in fact been laid out for us in these images of the past and future, and were given to us by an ancient race that once called this place Karanoyar.”

I heard Kiana’s intake of breath, and Durna nodded.

“This was where the original Unicorns first lived. And where the few surviving Unicorns returned as their last hiding place after Darziates’ massacre. With them came many of our forefathers, a host of mortals who could not bear to lose the last of the Unicorns. Jenra was but a small Kingdom before they arrived, but in appreciation for the shelter that was offered, those Unicorns used their power to create our City so that we could be safe. Before the remaining Unicorns dwindled further and weakened with age they used their power to create these images so that we would always remember the prophecies and what was to come.”

“The golden horn that tested us?” Kiana asked.

“Was the horn of the last Unicorn to have lived,” Durna supplied. “She gave it to the line of Jenran Kings as her parting gift so that it might help us. And though we mortals cannot use it for much, finding the truth is but a trifle of what it can do.” King Durna paused. “For example, the horn can allow us to easily find our way through the mountains. With the horn we have access to the tunnel that runs right through the heart of the mountain you climbed, the very tunnel the Unicorns first used to get into Karanoyar and again to leave it when Treyun met Farne the Larnaeradee.”

Awe and relief flooded the features of the three of us as we processed how quickly the brutal mountains could be traversed if there was no need to climb them.

“We kept this secret jealously guarded against Darziates or any strangers, and aside from your party, it can also never be spoken of to anyone else while the threat to the world remains. Your pledge binds you to silence on the matter,” Durna said, and we all nodded our acceptance. “Yet, though we do not often leave our home, there are those who are sent outside of the mountains to collect information. So we have heard news of happenings in the other mortal lands, and had in fact already held talks over whether the time has come for us to leave our safe mountains. We have feared that Darziates might do to me what he did to Razek, and trap me into an alliance with Krall rather than with Awyalkna. So our thoughts have already been heavy with notions of war and questions about leaving,” Durna explained. “But now I think the rest of the story is yours to tell.”

Kiana recounted our story in full detail for them, and I was aware of the eerie fact that as she described each of our pasts and our journey, the eyes of the Council members moved from her to cave drawings that depicted the very events she spoke of.

There was an image of Dalin and I in the woods when we met Kiana, an image of Kiana speaking to the Willow, of Dalin defending Kiana from sixteen Krall warriors, of the Lady and the Forest dwellers. And a particularly spectacular depiction of Kiana with her wings.

“And that is where the tale halts for now,” Kiana said finally. “We are here at last to seek your help.”

They were all silent for a moment, and Durna sat forward thoughtfully. “Yes. That is where it halts for now,” he looked to his Council. “We have long debated our reasoning for and against rejoining the world, and now have heard the words of the Three to help guide our decisions further. While I suspect that most are ready to vote now, I ask all members of the Council to think carefully and to take time to reflect. After our feast tonight we will come together once more tomorrow to decide on Jenra’s fate. Much is at stake over our decision, no matter what way we decide.”

Chapter Seventy One

Kiana

I was peaceful as I soaked in the sparkling bathing pool, watching the sun set in a blaze of oranges and pinks through the doors to the balcony.

A fleet of birds dashed across the sun and I considered what it would be like to join them as I let the dripping spout of water trickle droplets down my spine. The drops danced and shimmered on my nearly transparent wings like crystals and I traced a finger over the little blue tiles beneath me, thinking of blue open skies.

Then at last I rinsed the perfumed soaps from my body and stood, and was drying myself when an almost imperceptible knock came at the door.

“Yes?” I called, drawing a light cotton robe about myself.

The door opened and a pretty face peered cautiously around it. “My lady … One,” the young maid began hesitantly. “We have come to help you dress, if it pleases you.”

Her face was sweet and honest, and golden hair seemed to float in wisps around her face. This must be Maeve, I thought, based on Dalin’s descriptions.

“You may come in,” I told her warmly. “But I’ve been able to clothe myself since early childhood.”

She stepped nervously in through the door, carrying an extravagant red gown in her arms, and an equally young and meek second maid followed her inside, closing the door.

They both curtsied daintily, but I shifted uncomfortably under their reverent stares and quickly allowed my wings to disappear so that I might appear more normal.

“Perhaps I will need your aid if I am to dress in something of that scale,” I admitted at the sight of the magnificent gown.

“One,” Maeve shook herself back into action. “My name is Maeve and this is Kerrin. Kerrin picked this dress from the seamstress for you, and is very good at delicate stitching and refining. She’ll make it as if the dress was made exactly for you. I’m very good at arranging hair, so I’ll help you to prepare in that way.”

I cleared my throat. “It is very nice to meet you. Please call me Kiana. I shall follow your lead obediently.”

Maeve set the sweeping red dress down on my bed and then approached to take my cotton robe.

“Every woman in Jenra is going to envy you,” Kerrin said shyly as she came forward with the underclothes.

“In a dress like that,” I shrugged.

“It’s not the dress,” Maeve corrected. “You’re quite impressive.”

I was abashed for a moment, unused to such conversation with other females. “There are too many scars and muscles for this body to be impressive,” I told them then in what was my honest opinion. Though at least Agrona’s brand was less grotesque, having turned silver.

There was a tut of disagreement as I let Kerrin guide me into the complex layers of underclothes.

“Scars are the patterns of survival,” Maeve told me. “Yours are decorations of a life bravely lived.”

I was quietly, surprisingly, relieved and pleased by their words, and was not uncomfortable when they began to work around me. I relaxed and let them do as they pleased until, after a session of hair brushing, light powders being puffed across my face, perfume dabbing and lip painting, they stepped back.

“You are flawless,” Maeve told me while I peered into the looking glass to admire how she had swept my hair up.

Kerrin had also stepped back from the now perfectly fitting, striking dress that was so closely matched to the colour of my earth stone they almost looked as if they’d been made together.

The material of the gown was heavy and flowing. The bodice hugged across my chest down to my navel, where it bunched and wrapped around my hips. From my hips the skirts swept outward and downward to the floor, and the whole image I now presented was one of extravagance and elegance. Something that I had never expected to experience.

I thanked the two maidens whole heartedly as they led me from the room, where I was met with an abrupt silence as the banter that had been raging in the corridor cut off.

It appeared that Thorin and the other warriors had been out of their rooms heckling Dalin, Noal, and the selected Krall guards who would be attending the feast with us, about their refined appearances.

“Stunning!” Cadell commented hoarsely after a moment.

Suddenly there was a rush of similar comments, but I noted Dalin’s speechlessness.

“These two sure look like Princelings,” Tane gestured at Dalin and Noal. “But Kiana, you are a Queen.”

I smiled. “Maeve and Kerrin were kind to me,” I said, watching Noal’s eyes flicker toward the stairway she’d just disappeared down. Both he and Dalin were resplendent in golden brocade vests, shimmering with precious red stones, and tightly fitted maroon trousers. They looked like Jenran lords in the cultural colours.

“Gods, I feel overawed just to stand behind the Three of you,” Phrixus swallowed nervously. “Does anyone want to swap for my shift of guard duty tonight?”

“No thanks. The only times I’ve been in royal halls was when I had armour on and my biggest task was to stare straight ahead and avoid the Sorcerer’s notice,” Wolf grimaced.

Purdor and Ferron, for all their finery, seemed as tense as Phrixus at the idea of their duty at the feast.

“There’s no reason to fear,” Dalin reassured them. “At these kinds of events your greatest challenge will be to maintain a politely interested expression.”

He moved to my side and held out his arm, covering my hand warmly with his own when I allowed him to escort me.

“Well anyone would be able to maintain an attentive expression with Kiana by their side,” Ferron smoothed his hair shakily as we moved upward and joined the crowds flooding into the grand hall a few levels above ours. “But I’m stuck with Krall soldiers.”

“Feel free to take my arm,” Noal offered, straightening his tunic with a dashing grin. “I can escort you if you need support.”

However the three of us were very quickly drawn into conversations with different high ranking officials and wealthy or important citizens who were curious about such momentous newcomers.

Unlike the boisterous festivals I had grown up with, at this function there was polite laughter, gently played music and soft lighting. My Princes were perfectly at ease, formal and gracious as we were swarmed with admiring crowds while our Krall guards were trying to be obscure in the background, blending in with the other Jenran guards stationed along the walls.

After some speeches of greeting I watched Dalin and Noal gradually become surrounded by a swarm of eager listeners. But I withdrew from the crowds – if not from the many intrigued, indiscreet eyes that followed me.

“You must forgive us all for being so obvious in our fascination of the Three,” a deep, musical voice spoke from behind me, and I turned to find a beautifully adorned woman sitting at an impressive table by the wall. “Not many of us have seen outsiders. Especially outsiders so long awaited.” She held herself gracefully and with dignity, and despite a lock of white amongst her black, pinned back hair, her beauty was profound. She offered me the seat beside her.

“Such fascination is understandable,” I told this charismatic woman, taking the chair she had offered.

The distinguished looking lady nodded. “And it is good that people wonder about you rather than their fate and the horrors that may await Jenra in war.”

I inclined my head, regarding her respectfully.

I knew by my past travels to Jenra that she was the nation’s formidable leader of healing, and I was honoured to be conversing with her.

“I am called Amarantha,” she introduced herself, deep brown eyes washing over me. “And my husband, a Council member, spent a great part of this afternoon telling me every detail of your story.”

I felt my eyebrow arch and she gave a quick, melodious laugh.

“It is allowed for a wife of a Council member to know her husband’s mind and choices. After all, the same details will soon be all over the City, twice as embellished. And no husband in his right mind should make any life altering decisions without the adept counsel of his wife.”

She looked over at a group of young men approaching our table bravely. When caught under her gaze they decided to sidle the other way.

“I simply wish to say,” Amarantha continued. “That we are grateful you have come and that we believe in what you represent.”

I lowered my eyes, moved. “Thank you, friend,” I told her.

“One,” a male’s voice spoke in greeting, and I glanced up to find a beaming Council member standing by Amarantha’s chair. “Please excuse me for taking my Lady from your company. But tonight of all nights, above all I wish to dance with my wife.”

I gave him an honest, heartfelt smile. “Such beauty should not be left to sit at a table in the shadows.”

He nodded happily as Amarantha rose, giving me a final smile of warmth before he led her through the crowd.

When they were gone one of the young Jenran nobles bolstered his courage once more and advanced to the table again.

“You know you were right,” he said, stepping in front of where I was sitting. “Such beauty should not be left to sit at a table in the shadows. Could I tempt you to dance?”

“I thank you, but I desire to rest here peacefully for now.”

His smile dimmed slightly. “Please do not be shy, I will ensure you are swept away into gaiety.”

“Thank you,” I said firmly. “But if I wanted to be swept away, I could just fly.”

“Ah,” he said, appearing wounded. “But one dance –”

“No.”

When he withdrew, and I sent the next few jaunty young men to try away, I gazed towards where Noal was now surrounded in the wealthy daughters of the high ranking citizens he’d been conversing with earlier. But as they vied for his attention, the distant expression on his face showed that Maeve had left him unreachable.

Dalin was also nodding graciously at a group of well-bred, high class young ladies, but I found that his eyes sought mine too. I watched him courteously conclude his conversations and withdraw, instead crossing through the crowds to reach me.

And as he held his hand out to me I felt a sudden change of heart about dancing, and allowed myself to be swept out onto the dance floor.

“Remember when we danced together in the mountain Pass?” he asked me, leaning in closer than the dance required.

“Just the two of us. It was nice,” I smiled a half smile.

“It’s just you and I again right now,” he whispered, his green eyes fixed on my face.

“I remember another time of dancing and music, but I did not yet know you,” I told him as he drew us around in an arc. “You were just the green eyed noble at my stage.”

His brow furrowed and then smoothed. “You remember me from the festival? It was so long ago.”

“I never forgot.”

“I’m glad I know you and that there’s no stage between us now,” he told me, and pulled me in to dance more closely, as if we were hugging instead.

I hardly noticed that time had passed with Dalin, until the musicians had stopped for the night and he was bowing over my hand.

Chapter Seventy Two

Kiana

I dreamed of green eyes and woke to Dalin tapping mournfully at the open doors to my balcony.

“G’morning,” he mumbled as I waved him in. He stumbled past where Maeve and Kerrin had draped my dress after returning to free me from it the night before, and he threw himself onto the bed beside me, embedding his face in the sheets.

“Good morning,” I answered. “Why so early today?”

“Mmmmmmmmm,” he moaned and rolled over to face me. “Maeve must have decided to arrive earlier to give Noal more time to talk before her next duty.” He closed his green eyes, ready to resume drowsing. “I had to tactfully make up an excuse to remove myself.”

“That was good of you,” I told him.

He shrugged one shoulder. “Now you get caught with me instead.”

“Are you going to fall back to sleep?” I asked him, tickling his arm by tracing down one of the jagged scars on his bicep with a fingertip.

He shivered and a smile curled drowsily up in one corner of his mouth. I saw goose bumps rise across his chest but he kept his eyes closed.

“We’ll have to rise soon,” I reasoned, tracing my finger along the scar that ran over his jaw line this time.

He caught my finger with one hand and cracked an eye open.

“I might smother you in the sheets to keep you from disturbing me.”

I wriggled away as he made as if to roll over to flatten me under his weight.

“You know I can wrestle out of any grip you get on me.”

Dalin laughed, and laid flat on his back. “You’re right of course.”

I laid my head on his chest as he settled an arm around my shoulders. “You seem to have awoken properly now anyway,” I commented.

“Alas,” he agreed, and I peered up at his face from where I laid.

I could see that, with wakefulness had also come worry.

He lifted his head to look down at me. “Kiana, do you think, if the Jenrans vote in our favour, that we truly stand a chance?”

“I think,” I replied honestly. “That if this vote passes and Jenra joins us in war, then we may at least survive. But if we are able to gain the aid of the rest of the magical races as well, we might even win.”

My head rose and fell with his chest as he let out a big pent up breath.

“That would mean you leaving us.”

“For a while,” I agreed.

Dalin dutifully rolled over and closed his eyes then so that I could rise and ready myself for the day.

When we had eaten together I joined him as he returned to his own room, where we found Noal looking stricken to have bidden Maeve goodbye once more. I patted his golden hair down reassuringly before we headed out to follow Warlord Aeron back down the mountain, back to the glorious coast, and into the dark caves.

Again Durna and his Council were awaiting us and we were seated as Durna distributed two stones to each member of the Council.

“Today,” Durna began the ceremony, “I call upon all Council members to cast their vote on behalf of Jenra. Your vote must reflect the course of action that you feel best serves our people. There will be no judgement or shame in any choice that you make in serving your country. You must place either a red or blue stone upon the table, red being a vote for war and blue being a vote against it, and the majority will decide the vote. The final outcome is to be accepted without question, but if somehow there are six stones for and six stones against war, my thirteenth stone will decide it.”

The King paced to his seat. “Warlord and Council member Aeron, on behalf of the officers and soldiers you represent, I call on you to cast your vote.”

Warlord Aeron stood before his brother and King, and lifted his hand to show a red stone sitting upon his palm.

“I vote we join the war,” he stated in his gruff, low voice. “The army is fit and driven to end any darkness that threatens their land. They know that the Three have been sent to us by the Gods, to lead us in a march to battle. The Unicorns told us of their coming, of their pure cause. The Three’s path is Jenra’s path.” He leaned over and firmly set his red stone down. With a bow to his King and then to us, he was then seated.

Dalin and Noal sat beside me with straight postures and Thale was tugging at his beard as he nervously watched from the background with Phobos, Vulcan and Thorin.

My heart was throbbing as five more members, each representing different sectors of Jenran society, all set their red stones beside Aeron’s. But inevitably one older Council member eventually held up a blue stone.

“War is havoc and misery,” he said. “Apart from depleting resources, straining production and straining the economy, war would mean shattered lives for families left behind and death for those that go.”

The next man held up a blue stone as well.

“I also say no to war,” the Council member announced. “So far Darziates has not turned his eye to us. He has left us alone even after troubling Razek and Glaidin. Perhaps we are removed enough that he will continue to leave us alone, and so we need not risk the survival of Jenra in Awyalkna’s war. But, if he doesn’t, Jenra is safe in the mountains. We can defend from the upper ground against any siege.”

I kept my face blank as my mind argued that the upper ground would be fine against mortal armies, yet useless against a Sorcerer and a Witch.

The following Council member rose, showing no expression as to which way he would decide.

“I,” he said slowly. “Vote for the war.” He held up his red stone. “We must do our part in the War for the World, for everyone’s survival, including ours. We have an army for this exact purpose. They are fine fighters after a lifetime locked in battle with the Griffins. They are ready, and they understand the risks. We must follow the Three, for they are this world’s best chance.” His red stone joined the others.

I remained outwardly calm as I watched the last voters all place their red stones down on the rock table.

Then Durna stood again. “It is hardly necessary for me to add my vote. But as it is,” he held up a red stone also and positioned it in its place. “We will aid Glaidin and the world against the threat. Jenra has never cowered in hopes that danger will pass before. And we will not cower from darkness now. We will follow the Three.”

With that Aeron stood as well. “Then I pledge the army to this cause.”

The man beside him also stood, and pledged for the merchants and farmers he represented.

One by one each of them stood and pledged for those they represented. Even those who had voted against joining the war pledged without any hesitation until finally Durna announced: “and I, as King, pledge the entirety of Jenra as a united whole to this cause.”

“So let it be,” each of them intoned simultaneously, and with their words our original Quest was fulfilled.

“Jenra will be going to war,” said Durna, looking neither pleased, nor upset. “Tomorrow the drums will sound and I will announce the decision. After tomorrow, we prepare.”

Chapter Seventy Three

Noal

The Council disbanded quickly so that each leader could start their preparations before the entire population was informed. The day was still young for us, however, and Aeron left us in the hands of a young peasant man only too glad to stop work for the day to show us around.

Our escort’s name was Gern and he thought it would be a good idea to begin on the ground level, back in the bustling village complex, as he wanted to take us through the water feature areas and to homes of the villagers while the market was quiet with everyone out in the valley working.

Yet we’d barely greeted the few people milling in the markets, before everyone working outside or inside the gates seemed to have heard of our presence. Soon it felt as if every farmer, blacksmith and washerwoman had stopped work to come and meet us.

Gern was deeply distressed as a horde halted our progress, but Kiana graciously waved at people who were calling out to her and who were craning for her attention while Dalin and I shook hands with a few wide-eyed farmers.

After a while the excited crowds stopped pressing in and we were able to be drawn excitedly from one place to the next with a growing mob gathering behind us. Only at one point did an elderly woman manage to truly get close to Dalin, past our Krall guards.

He had rolled up his sleeves with the heat of so many people pressing in, and the beginnings of the gash scars on his arm were visible.

“Well met,” she told Dalin in Aolen. Then the woman grasped his scarred bicep and turned to the rest of the yearning crowd, declaring in Jenran: “Lo Raiden ge e gendaren. Ro des hund ni vo lo fatalem a lo Scaren!”

The crowd cheered rapturously and she bowed respectfully to Dalin before returning back into the swells of people.

Dalin looked faintly bewildered, but managed to keep up his smile. “What did she say?” he asked Kiana out of the corner of his mouth.

Kiana smiled slightly in return. “She said, with incredible confidence: the Raiden is a warrior. He will lead us to the downfall of the Sorcerer.”

Many of the people around us already appeared confident to switch in and out of using Jenran and Aolen after Kiana’s gift to Durna had spread. The ability to use the new language seemed to have passed throughout the nation like wild fire, and many voices continued to ring around us until, at last, after being shown a multitude of different homes, shops and features of the market and village area, we began to lose some of our followers as we moved to explore the next level.

“There are so many people!” I exclaimed tiredly as we climbed the sloping walkway. “It seems as if Jenra has a bigger population than Awyalkna!”

Then we stepped out onto the second floor and realised that the population of this area had heard we were coming, and were now all rushing to meet us too.

“No,” Kiana told me as I gaped ahead. “It’s just that Awyalkna is spread out. Here the whole population is condensed into one place, as big as this place may be.” Her voice was nearly drowned out by the onrushing masses, all vying for attention.

“Either way, we are at risk of dying under a pile of adoring fans before we ever get to the frontlines,” Phobos asserted dryly.

Gern was obviously frustrated that his tour was being ruined, and as we proceeded onward we could hardly hear his informative details while he made grand gestures towards buildings or historical monuments. He finally conceded defeat and was placated when a tavern keeper offered us ale and lunch so that we could sit to meet people less formally.

In that way people swelled in and out cheerfully and Gern was pacified with enough ale to get a loud drinking song going so that it started to sound like everyone on the level was making vaguely musical roaring sounds.

It was late in the afternoon when we eventually left the crowds behind as they cried out in Aolen for us to visit again. And we were in good spirits as we ascended to our own rooms for the evening meal. Just in time for Maeve to arrive.

Chapter Seventy Four

Kiana

I rolled over to face the side of the bed where Dalin had laid that morning, and found my thoughts lingering on him until at last I threw the covers off and padded out of bed to where my packs rested in the corner of the room.

I pulled my own travel trousers, shirt, tunic and boots out, dressing quickly and sliding my hunting knives into my boots.

Then I took a deep breath, and ran at the open doors, leaping over the balcony railing to plunge in a free fall down the mountain.

I was exhilarated by the drop and allowed myself to hurtle for a few moments before I let my wings burst out and catch me. I flipped to face the cliff wall, braced my legs, and kicked away from the mountain so that I tore through the whistling air like an arrow.

I was dashing across the plains so fleetly that the grass rushing by below was nothing but a dark blur, but I pushed my wings to sear through the air faster so that I could hear them whirring close by my ears, just silvery glints of colour as they flashed with action.

Testing myself, I suddenly jerked to a stop and, quicker than the reflex of blinking, my wings had caught me in mid-air.

I launched back into flight, soaring higher and higher while noticing that somehow my eyes weren’t streaming with the stinging air and my flesh wasn’t stinging with the chill of the wind. My body seemed to have made adjustments to enable flight, and I whirled through the air in delight, calling to a tree full of curious birds as I passed and hearing their returning chirps of joy.

I only sobered when I realised how close I was getting to the watchtowers and, with a swift sweep, barely a moment later I was landing on the ledge of one watchtower.

I crouched in front of the five startled archers on duty so as not to lose my balance with the wind.

“Well met friends,” I said politely.

It took a few moments before one of them was able to bumble a greeting out.

“Is everything alright, One?” the archer asked uncertainly, eyes wide.

“All is well,” I reassured them. “I have decided to practice the art of flight while the skies are clear and was hoping that you could pass word along so that your archers do not mistake me for a Griffin.”

They all visibly paled at the thought of firing on me.

“Th-Thank you for the warning, One,” a guard stuttered.

“Thank you for ensuring that I won’t have to dodge arrows,” I smiled in return. “Carry on your fine work guarding Jenra while she sleeps.”

Then I plunged off the ledge and let my wings carry me over the glorious landscape, until I was close to the beach. Then I simply let myself drift down to where only a thin strip of sparkling sand remained with the risen tide.

I sat for a time on the cool, soft sand and watched the waves surging and glimmering in the silvery light, swashing forward and washing back away.

Soon I would need to cross those dark, surging expanses of water, I considered. Soon I would be truly tested.

Chapter Seventy Five

Noal

I dreamed of a cave where stalagmites and stalactites rose and fell from ceilings and floors like works of art. I dreamed of a picture in that cave where I was not part of the Three’s Quest, but was living a golden fantasy – settling down in Jenra as a happy farmer, or even as an Awyalknian ambassador. With Maeve.

Startled by some noise that was not part of this unattainable dream world, I opened my eyes and stared about the bedroom, which was lightening with the coming of morning.

Dalin was already sitting up in bed, gaping with wonder too. For Kiana had opened the doors to our balcony with a soft push of magic, sending her power swirling about our room like an enchanted breeze, and now she swept gracefully down to stand in the open doorway.

The silk drapes stirred against the walls, the light material floating about her as if she was appearing to us out of another dream. And as I blinked a swarm of overjoyed birds burst in to circle her form in a mini whirlwind before bustling back out of the room to return to their own play.

“Kiana,” Dalin gasped, peering at her face. His voice trailed off as we both noticed how changed her features seemed while she gazed back at us.

She looked exotic and wild. Her flashing blue and gold flecked eyes had become somehow sharper and fiercer, like the eyes of a bird of prey. Her wings were translucent silver, yet were longer than I’d ever seen them, ready to slice through the air, and possibly other things too, at great speed. But as we watched, Kiana put a hand to her chest and winced, as if things were changing inside too. Then the pupils of her eyes slowly shrank back to normal, her wings disappeared and she was standing before us like normal. All traces of the wild Larnaeradee hiding once more.

“Good morning,” she told us with the glimmer of her smile.

“Were you flying all night?” Dalin asked, still shocked and mussed up in bed. “You looked …”

“I was. And the native Jenran rinx birds already pointed out the illogical physical changes my body undergoes to keep me airborne,” she answered. “My lungs altered so I could breathe the thin air, my eyes sharpened for greater sight and against the wind. Even my heart worked harder to keep my blood warm.” Kiana came to sit on the end of Dalin’s bed. “The rinx birds were impressed that magic allowed me to keep my body mass in the air without tiring, when their entire anatomy is developed to help them do as much. But without my earth stone channelling Nature’s power, it would not be possible.”

“You’re a wonder Kiana,” I told her in amazement.

“Yes,” she smiled again and stood. “And you’re going to run late so it is fortunate I woke you.”

I tensed. “What do you mean? Maeve normally wouldn’t be here for a long while.”

“Today isn't a normal day,” Kiana reminded us. “The whole City is already awake and abuzz. Everyone has risen early to hear the announcement. Many people are already beginning to line the outer walkways on the valley side so that they are able to see King Durna while he speaks. The drums to summon everyone will soon be starting.”

“Oh Gods!” I exclaimed. “I haven't bathed or shaved!” I hurried out of bed at once.

Chapter Seventy Six

Dalin

The mountain shuddered and reverberated with the colossal sound, and it felt as if my pulse had changed to beat along with the tune of the drums from the sheer force of them. The drums had the strength to overpower even the rhythm of my own body.

But as soon as we had stepped out onto the walkway of the gates into the blinding sun the drums stopped, and over the ringing in my ears I heard the great uproar of the gathered crowds begin.

I felt miniscule as we squinted up at the sight of the entire Jenran population filling every open space throughout the City, and their waves of sound surged down the mountain to greet the grim faced King Durna as he stepped out into the light with us.

After taking the golden horn presented to him once again, Durna turned to speak to his people, and in an almost instant, dramatic change – all of Jenra stopped to listen to his magically amplified voice.

“The Three have come to give us hope and direction against the Sorcerer’s threat. But amidst the joy and wonder of this there also exists a great burden. For Jenra has had to decide if she shall join the long awaited Three in their Quest against the darkness.”

Even the crowds gathered so high above that I could only make out the blurred colours of their clothes were still, though surely his voice only carried up to them as a faint whisper.

“The Three have now spoken with your representatives, and we have considered and voted. So now I stand before you to make known the choice of your Council.”

He looked at the thousands before him, all waiting in suspense, and he had the weight of having chosen the fate of his people written upon his brow.

“Jenra is going to war,” King Durna declared. “We will join in the fight against Darziates to rid this world of the evil he has spread, and the threat he poses to our land.”

There was a barrage of noise with the sudden release of many voices intermingling and lapping over each other, but when Durna gestured for quiet it again came almost instantly.

“Now,” he called, “is the time for preparation. While we have long bolstered our own City defences in the face of this threat, and have done much to organise ourselves already, we must further prepare for many of us to leave to join Awyalkna in their march through Krall. And we must do it within fourteen days.”

Now the people’s voices rose in earnest, this time a little higher and more urgently.

Two weeks was a very short amount of time to finish readying a whole nation for war, even if it was one that they’d foreseen. It took a few moments longer for the public to quieten before Durna spoke again this time.

“Our ranks of healers and the army itself are strong and ready. But any citizen who wishes to join their comrades in protecting Jenra must enlist with Warlord Aeron’s or Lady Amarantha’s assistants. Families to remain behind must ready themselves to farewell their loved ones. But we all have extra work ahead to ensure our people are armed, stocked and as safe as possible, whether they are staying in the mountains or marching away from them. Much is to be done, and much is to be gained if we prepare properly. Take the time given to you and use it in service of your nation.”

When Durna had finished it took a great deal of time for all of the crowds to slowly dissipate and to begin facing the consequences of the decision.

We launched straight into our own preparations by accompanying Warlord Aeron to a meeting in one of the rocky watchtowers. He was to decide how many soldiers would be required to stay behind to ward off Griffin attacks or worse.

“The towers are positioned so that every inch of the mountain and below it can be watched and covered by arrows at all times,” one of the guards explained for our benefit. “We can watch for Griffin assaults and pick them off in a particularly ferocious attack, hopefully stopping them from getting away with too many people or livestock from the valleys. They very rarely come close to City windows and walkways, or to the towers themselves,” the guard continued. “Our aim is true, and the towers are built so that there are no surfaces for a Griffin to easily find purchase on. The towers themselves cannot be breached from outside. They are secure.”

The cold wind whirling inside the round tower room was stinging my face and hands. My nose felt numb and my cheeks felt chafed, and Kiana’s hair was blowing about crazily, even in its tie. I wondered how the soldiers could bear standing watch for hours on end.

“However, beyond the security of the towers,” another guard addressed Aeron then. “We are the reason that people aren’t plucked from their balconies. We keep the valleys safe and watch the skies and the seas. At least five guards are needed in each tower at all times to continue to maintain the security of the City overall. Five per tower should be enough though, if just a small number of elite ground guards continue to patrol as a deterrent, as we predict that many Griffins will also probably be leaving for the battlefield.”

It wasn’t until late afternoon that we’d worked out how many men would be needed to stay behind with all of those who wouldn’t be coming, but Aeron’s satisfied expression indicated his estimations had been accurate as we wound our way back down the tower.

“Aeron,” Kiana asked as we approached the stairway that led out to the beach. “While you report to King Durna, I feel it is time for the three of us to inspect the ancient wall pictures in the Miridoon caves.”

He nodded gravely and walked us out to the peaceful strip of sand before returning to his own tasks. And, with only Thorin and Nikon waiting outside for the three of us, we became quiet as we withdrew from the City and entered the dark caves.

At once Kiana lit up the middle cave with her luminescent globes of light, letting them bud to life at her fingertips before sending them to different positions around the room, and we each gazed at the scenes that had been depicted about us before we had ever been born.

They filled nearly every spare space on the rocky walls, and were such dazzling artworks that it looked as if each picture was a window looking into the very event taking place.

I stepped over puddles on the floor and shivered at how disturbingly accurate and freakishly lifelike the out of sequence images were, feeling as if stepping too close to them could lead me to fall right through and back to that time.

When I came upon scenes I did not recognise, a scene I was yet to live, my skin would prickle and I could not look too closely for fear of seeing something in my future that would terrify me out of acting when the real moment happened.

Stepping away from one such image about Noal – where he appeared to be surrounded in an odd cloud of red smoke, I crossed to Kiana’s side instead and found her looking at a picture of what could only be herself locked in a skyward battle with a Griffin.

“Perhaps this is you battling those Griffins in the Pass?” I asked her softly, feeling the need to be quiet in the eerie, echoing cavern.

“No, there’s something in that Griffin’s talons. I’m fighting for whatever it’s holding,” she replied thoughtfully.

“It looks like a bundle of washing,” I frowned. “But I doubt you would be provoked into mortal combat over some bed sheets.”

She pointed to the next image and I shuddered.

“No one would have understood the outcome of what was going on in this one until they’d lived it or had it explained to them in great detail,” she answered. “So I won’t understand the portrait of the Griffin battle until I’ve lived it either.”

Noal came over to join Kiana and I in viewing the almost nightmarishly lifelike picture of Agrona attacking us beneath the Willow in Bwintam.

Noal cleared his throat. “There’s so much detail in these things, I’m lucky they didn’t paint me in a bad moment.”

“Scratching yourself somewhere you shouldn’t?” I asked, turning my back on the event.

Kiana moved on to keep gazing at the images left by the Unicorns while I sat on one of the flat rocks at the foot of a glorious, if indecipherable picture. It was of an incredibly huge being linking hands with a tiny, winged, future Kiana while a light surrounded them. Beside that image was a horrific one that portrayed the slitted white eyes of an Evexus peering out of some trees while a raven perched behind it. I gave up mulling over them and waited for Kiana to finish.

“You should go,” I told Noal when he sat in a Council seat. “You should spend the afternoon as you want to, in the company you wish to, while you can.”

He regarded me with hesitation. “Kiana is enthralled here. You’ll be amongst these unnerving pictures for a while.”

“I’ll be spending my time in the company that I wish to, while I can,” I answered him, and he smiled slowly with understanding and nodded.

“Maeve spends her free time walking through the valley flowers in the afternoons,” he replied, and stood eagerly. “I’ll be with her if you need me.”

When Noal had gone I returned my eyes to Kiana.

“Is that him?” Kiana asked in a low voice.

I locked eyes on the dreaded picture she referred to, of the most hated man amongst all races.

Piercing grey eyes that were as hard as granite seemed to fall on us. Those eyes showed the unnaturalness existing within him, as if they had been carved out of a wise and evil creature, containing endless chasms of enormous power and malice, to then be melded into the face of a beautiful young man.

“Yes,” I told her, coming over and glaring up at the towering, white-blonde being. “That is the Sorcerer.”

In the picture a storm so unearthly that the sky flashed red and purple was raging behind Darziates, and in the distant sky – lit up by a fork of lightning, flew the raven that was Agrona. “Noal and I have seen his likeness drawn on scrolls or reports in the Palace at home.”

Kiana’s face was hard and her body was tense as she frowned up at him, and I reached for her hand.

“Perhaps it is time to look at more lovely pictures, where we can treasure the memories we have made,” I told her, and she allowed me to pull her away towards an image of when she’d descended into Sylthanryn City after she’d first found her wings.

She smiled at me quickly.

“This one is a very lovely memory,” I told her. And I didn’t let go of her hand.

Chapter Seventy Seven

Noal

Only Nikon’s quick reflexes and strong grip catching my shoulder stopped my euphoric exit of the Miridoon caves.

“Bleh!” my excited running turned into a startled grunt as I was caught and jolted back.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Nikon drawled, releasing my shoulder. Thorin straightened from leaning against the rocky cave entrance.

“I’m afraid I’m in a terrible rush and can’t chat.” I made to move off again, and this time it was Thorin’s quick reflexes that broke my euphoria. His hand shot out and caught my collar, and as easily as if I were a child he towed me back towards them.

“What’s the terrible rush?” he asked.

I sighed. “Maeve. She goes down into the valleys at this time between her duties every afternoon and today I want to join her.”

Thorin’s face softened with a grin.

“Noal,” Nikon growled. “We are here to guard you. Wait until Kiana and Dalin are ready so that we can accompany you. We must leave soon so that we’re not caught by the tide anyway.”

I shook my head. “I mean no offence, but I don’t really desire a bunch of chaperones as well as Kiana and Dalin all trundling along behind Maeve and I.”

Thorin’s grin grew wider. “I’m highly insulted,” he stated, not looking one jot upset. “I never trundle.” But he let me go and smoothed my collar.

Nikon raised his eyebrows, but followed Thorin’s lead.

“Fine. But,” Nikon warned. “If you get yourself hurt, in any kind of trouble, lost, or are too late in returning to your quarters, we’ll tear the mountains apart looking for you, raining destruction upon the Jenrans and likely ruining any alliances.”

“Understood,” I affirmed, straining to go. “Don’t make the soldiers testy. Keep the allies happy.”

“And …” Thorin added. “Enjoy your time.”

“Thanks!” I called over my shoulder as I immediately sped off along the sand.

I moved so quickly through the lower levels that no one had time to notice me, and in barely moments I skidded out into the valleys from the City gates, spotting her floating golden hair glimmering in the sunlight as she followed a trail through the fields.

I didn’t pause, but almost soared across the distance between us to close it.

Chapter Seventy Eight

Dalin

I walked Kiana back to her chamber and then instead of retiring myself, I followed along as Nikon sauntered back to his room, shared with Thale, Vulcan and Phobos.

We heard roars of laughter and cheers that were coming from further along the corridor, and Nikon paused to listen.

“What’s the commotion?” I asked, seeing that Lydon and Roth had their door closed after having spent the night on guard duty. They were probably holding their pillows over their heads, trying to catch up on sleep.

A wide grin spread across Thorin’s face. “Some games are afoot,” he told me, and I realised that it was Wolf and Phrixus that I could hear from their room further down the hall.

They were singing drinking songs and the fact that Aiolos and Gideon’s voices could be heard singing along with their roommates as well meant that there must have been quite a quantity of alcohol consumed. And the piping music accompanying their sorry excuse for a choir suggested that Rendor, a quiet and creative type of man, was lending a hand in producing a tune in a more constructive manner than those using their vocal chords.

I followed Thorin and Nikon down to the chaotic room and found Ferron, Purdor, Cadell and Tane lounging in the apartment while Wolf and his musical group performed.

But, ignoring the loud songs, Ferron’s auburn eyebrows were knitted together in concentration as he tried to work out Tane’s next move in a game of runes.

“Come on, take your turn,” Tane was smug as he plotted Ferron’s downfall. He already had a small pile of Ferron’s coins gambled away beside him. “Don't you worry about me, I’m your friend!”

“Of course, don’t worry Ferron,” Thorin mocked Tane as we flopped down on the empty beds. “Tane is too sweet to have sly strategies up his sleeve.”

“Much too sweet.” Ferron glanced darkly at the coins he’d already succumbed.

Cadell was polishing his armour on the balcony, and all of the different pieces normally assembled together were spread out in the sun. They gleamed brightly. “You know Ferron,” he said. “If in doubt you could always call for a slip.”

Rendor’s piping music cut off on a shrill note and Wolf tripped over Aiolos and Gideon so that the three of them fell in a heap. Phrixus shrugged and sat himself down too, tired from his out of tune exertions.

“He’s going to call for a slip?” Wolf’s muffled cry came from under Gideon’s armpit.

“Never!” Ferron answered, completely aghast.

“But it would mean you got half your money back,” Cadell reasoned.

“Come on, I’ve seen him worse off than this,” Tane laughed as Ferron made his move. Tane flipped his own next rune over and Ferron groaned, giving him another coin and taking a big drink from the deep mug of Jenran ale beside him.

I noticed that there were many empty mugs beside him, and only three beside Tane.

“We’ll have to send for some more soon,” Tane commented evilly as he noticed that Ferron’s mug was emptying again.

“Slow down on the ale and you might win one,” I recommended to Ferron. His cheeks were becoming as ruddy as his hair.

“I can’t, that’s the point,” Ferron hiccupped. “The more you lose, the more you drink.”

“What’s this slip thing you can do then?” I asked sympathetically.

“When you call for a slip, you are admitting defeat to both the liquor and the other player’s talent,” Cadell informed me. “The superior player then usually takes pity on their tottering, unskilled opponent, and gives half their winnings back.”

“I guess you could say it’s like admitting you made a slip in judgement by playing at all,” Thorin explained with good humour.

Purdor shrugged from where he had been rocking back in a wooden chair at the table, eating fruit from a platter. “We’ve all had a slip when playing Tane. Most of us have learned from it.”

“But, most of you have not actually verbally requested a slip,” Tane seemed to enjoy reminding them.

“How do you request a slip in any way but verbally?” I asked curiously.

“You pass out,” Thorin laughed.

“I would love to see you beat Kiana,” I remarked thoughtfully. “She would be hard to beat in a thinking game and a drinking game.”

Tane suddenly became very eager. “I’ll have to challenge her to a round!”

“No, that would be unfair, she’s probably never played Krall’s version of rune gambling,” Purdor said with his mouth full of grapes.

“I bet she knows most gambling games, but if not, I don’t think it would matter,” I told them. “It might actually give Tane more of a chance.”

“Oh this afternoon could be interesting then,” Tane crowed in delight, right as Noal came trudging miserably into the room.

“How was Maeve?” I asked him cheerfully.

“Beautiful,” he moaned. “She had to resume her tasks.”

“She’s probably got to relieve the other maid,” Cadell stated. “That one’s exhausted from having to fetch Ferron more ale all of the time.”

“Because she was in a rush, she had to use the ladders. I didn’t like watching Maeve run up those ladders so quickly, holding her skirts and a basket of flowers,” Noal told us mournfully.

“Don’t look up a lady’s skirts,” Thorin admonished.

“I miss her already,” Noal sighed, stricken.

“Oh, poor man,” Tane tutted. “My wife had the same strange power over me when we first met.”

“She still does,” Thorin told him. “I’ve never seen a grown man so meek and so adoring. You’re like a little lamb for Mil.”

“Just you wait,” Tane warned us all knowingly. “Women all have these strange powers.”

“Very mystical and frightening,” Purdor agreed.

“Good luck to the Raiden then, seeing as Kiana truly does possess actual powers,” Phrixus commented woozily from the floor beside his sprawled out comrades.

I felt no need to contradict him, but rose to put an arm around Noal’s glumly drooping shoulders.

“Come on,” I said. “Let’s cheer you up.” I steered him towards Tane and Ferron’s game and beckoned to the others. “I’ll go get that powerful One now, and we’ll see if we can do better against Tane with her playing along.”

However it was not long before Noal was actually cheered more by the idea of saving his coins and withdrawing to encounter Maeve at dinner time once again.

In contrast, those of us who had stayed long after the sun had gone down were surrounded by piles upon piles of ale mugs. And most of Tane’s money, most of Ferron’s money and most of everyone else’s money was being counted out by Kiana. She’d been drinking too, but only for the fun of it, or she would have missed out.

Even Phobos, Vulcan and Thale had joined the party when we’d begun to outdo the noise coming from their rooms but, surprisingly, Phobos had been carted back out to his own bed, being the first one of us to ‘slip’ unintentionally, despite his hulking size.

Aiolos, Gideon and Rendor had admitted defeat early, after already having had a big afternoon of drinking songs. And Agrudek had never surfaced from his rooms while Lydon and Roth had had the sense to stay out of the game to hold onto their coins for another night.

“I feel as though I have been educated,” Tane said, from where he was slumped tiredly over the table amongst the messy masses of scattered runes.

His battle with Kiana had been an epic one that had lasted long after everyone else had bowed out.

“A very worthy adversary,” Thale burped into his beard, congratulating Kiana.

“And now we know to avoid both Tane and Kiana,” Wolf puffed some smoke out of his pipe from where he lounged against the balcony.

Cadell was only now putting his polished armour away after having been distracted from finishing it all afternoon.

“I feel better that Tane lost my coins again. Even though he didn’t lose them back to me,” Ferron chuckled. He was collapsed on his own bed, unable to stand or even sit up straight after having lost so many times and having had to drain so many mugs.

“Poor Tane,” Purdor laughed. “Even your curls look weary.”

Phrixus leant over from where he was sitting at the table between Kiana and Tane, and pulled one of Tane’s locks. Instead of snapping back into a spring like usual, his hair drooped limply.

“It’s strange that someone so small could outwit the lot of us,” Vulcan teased Kiana. “I have more muscles than you have height. But I can’t fight you with runes.”

“I’m not positive that you could really outdo my strength either,” Kiana commented slyly. I felt a sudden rush of her magic, and the massive man was lifted from his feet and swept into an armchair across the room. She hadn’t lifted a finger. “Whether I use magic or arms.”

The others broke out into guffaws of laughter.

“I dare not even think of trying it,” Vulcan responded, bowing to her from where he sat. Then he settled back into the chair – taking the opportunity to get comfortable.

“Perhaps we should play again?” Thorin asked everyone. “Kiana might not be able to do it a second time?”

“I definitely could do it a second time,” Kiana replied. “But you could try me.”

“Count me out.” Nikon stretched and made to leave. “I want to be able to see straight in the morning when we go out to help the Jenran working groups.”

“I agree,” Phrixus yawned. “Don't want the Jenrans to think we’re useless.”

“I’m sure they already know you’re useless,” Wolf bantered.

“But what about the rest of us?” Cadell joked, having finally tied his armour into a neat bundle.

“Apart from all that,” Thale said. “I want to both win the war, and go back to Krall with more than an empty purse to my name.”

“Fine, fine,” Thorin sulked. “Bunch of cowards.”

Chapter Seventy Nine

Asha’s stomach suddenly curdled with nausea and she gasped.

Something foul drew near.

“What is it Asha?” Warlord Conall called up to her, wheeling his horse around below in concern when she halted abruptly in the air.

Ace had sent five other squad Nymphs to follow Glaidin’s army – just enough to be helpful, but also few enough to make it seem that the Forest dwellers had continued to dwindle after the Sorcerer’s attack. She saw that those five other Nymphs dispersed throughout the ranks had also drawn to a stop and were glancing about themselves in uncertainty.

Then the air around the army seemed to shift and warp, as if it were melting.

“AMBUSH!!!!” she roared at the top of her lungs, hearing her one word echoed by the other five.

Then, as the march faltered and waves of soldiers drew to a stop to blink up at the Nymphs, a sudden onrush of violent earth tremors began. The mortals lurched as they lost their balance, and there were cries of fear. Mounted soldiers fought to rein in their skittish, prancing horses and to gather the ranks they led into organised lines again.

“Is Darziates making the earth quake?” Conall shouted over the deafening noise of the tremor wracked ground as it cracked and shuddered.

She arced down to him, gnashing her pointed teeth.

“Darziates has done more than that,” she scowled across the vast dusty land that now rumbled so much that buckles on packs and saddles jingled and bounced. “He has sent us some terrible opponents.”

She heard shouts and cries of alarm from the soldiers at the head of the march as the cracked dirt ahead of them trembled and surged violently and massive mounds of earth began to rise and bubble out of the dust. It looked as if the ground of Krall was breaking out in foul boils and blemishes.

Asha brought flares of magic into her fists and sent a light show into the air for attention. Her magic then amplified her voice as she soared so that everyone could see her.

“HOLD YOUR POSITIONS!” she bellowed, and the nervous clustering stopped immediately as she startled thousands of men into remembering they were soldiers, not fearful sheep huddling together. “PIKEMEN MOVE FORWARD. PROTECT THE FRONT LINE!”

In a flurry of movement the pikemen at once moved to get through to the front.

“HEAVY CAVALRY FOLLOW BEHIND!”

The heavily equipped, lance wielding riders readied and began pushing their steeds to the frontline to stand behind the pike men.

“Netuno!” the other Nymphs cried as they appeared beside her and the mounds of earth began swelling into hulking body-like forms made out of dirt and rock.

“What are they?” Conall barked.

“Oh Gods,” she heard a soldier whimper as the dirt beings grew wider and taller, casting the army in shadow.

“Rucksha,” she growled. “Bouldermen. Your people used to call them Ogres in your stories. They are spirits that make themselves bodies out of rock and earth. Darziates has awakened these ancient beasts from their resting place in the desert for the first time since the failing of Deimos.”

Conall paled.

“They are indestructible earth shakers, but for the failing of the dark magic that roused them from their sleep. When Darziates is ended, they will rest once more. But they can be stopped and sent back temporarily by brute force.”

“We’ll do that then!” boomed one soldier beneath her, and there were cries of agreement.

“Yes we will,” she said grimly.

“We have updated the other commanding mortals,” the aqua haired Shiva, bonded life partner at last of Sati back in Sylthanryn, informed Asha.

“Then come with me,” Asha told him. “We’ll try and blast the leader before he can form properly.”

“There are four of them,” the indigo haired female, Catori, said. “Adahy and I will take the second one.”

The male beside her nodded.

“Take some axe men each and do your best against enemy three and four,” Asha told the males Tate and Dyami.

“The only contest for these things would be a Giant or Elves who can smash them back into the earth. They could be slowed by water to make them heavy, or by fire. But we don’t have much of either right now,” Catori surmised curtly.

“We must bombard them with our fire. Otherwise too many men will be crushed under their stampeding before we can break them up,” Asha said. “Friends, know that I am honoured to fight with each of you by my side.”

The five gave Nymphish salutes before speeding out to the roiling mountains of dust and dirt, which had steadily grown upward into hulking forms.

Conall was riding up and down the lines to keep them in order and Asha sped towards the tallest, thickest boulderman pile with fire snaking through her fingers. With a nod at Shiva, they both began throwing heat into what was becoming a face in the dirt.

The rocky head swivelled and jolted on stone shoulders, but despite the intensity of the Nymphs’ blasts the Rucksha began to assume its basic features.

She released one blast after another, yet soon the head turned to stare at her with two small holes made in the dirt of its face. It looked as if fingers had poked and scraped away some dirt where eyes ought to be.

Then it opened a gaping, jagged hole for a mouth, dribbling cascades of dirt and pebbles.

“Go back to sleep!” Shiva yelled, and zoomed in close to send a handful of fire right into the thing’s mouth.

It coughed dust, and then it at last lifted its heavy, yet now mobile, limbs to swat at them.

The two Nymphs ducked just as the group of bouldermen – all four of them – started to move their feet and detach their crumbling limbs from the dirt.

The leader lifted its colossal foot and then stamped it back down.

There was a mighty boom and the army teetered as the whole world seemed to shake under the weight of its dense earth body.

“We accept your challenge, desert fiends! We will send you back into useless slumber!” Asha screeched, and she heard brave calls from the masses below her.

“Heavy cavalry!” Asha raised her arm. “CHARGE!”

And the thundering of the horses’ hooves rattled the ground almost as much as the Rucksha had.

The lead Rucksha released a shattering bellow, and then the bouldermen all waded into the charging lances like Jenran children meeting the onslaught of a large wave at the beach.

In moments twenty of the lance men were unhorsed and hurtling through the air, bashed from their saddles. The Rucksha were momentarily slowed, but then the beasts began crashing through horses and men, tearing at them with brute force or simply stepping on them and hurtling forward.

Those lance wielders still in their saddles needed time to turn and charge again.

“We need swords, maces and axes!” Asha yelled, and despite their terror, hordes of soldiers burst past the protective border of pikes and charged out to group around each of the Rucksha, battering the rocky pillar-like boulderman legs as best they could.

Chunks of rock and dirt were chipped out of the bouldermen in cascades and clumps as swords and axes struck heavy blows, and the bouldermen were slowed enough for the cavalry to regroup and make a new, powerful charge.

“INFANTRY!” Asha bellowed to the men chipping away at the Rucksha as the cavalry thundered back. “WITHDRAW!”

Lances skewered the four beasts deeply this time and one of the Rucksha tumbled to the ground, nearly exploding back into a heap of dirt. Another Rucksha’s leg broke off and crumbled back into the earth, and immediately the infantry swamped the two fallen bouldermen again, hacking at them with all of their might.

But the other two remained largely intact and ploughed through the swarms of horses and men with catastrophic results.

“PIKE MEN READY!” Asha roared.

At least two Rucksha would be crashing their way through the army’s ranks soon, though behind the protective pikes the lines of soldiers were determinedly readying for close quarters battle. The archer lines had also been building pyres to light burning arrows that might crack the dirt of Rucksha bodies, large groups of mounted men were preparing to take charges, and there was a defensive ring of soldiers growing around the healer and supply wagons.

“We got one!” sounded a chorus of cheers as one boulderman disintegrating beneath the beatings it had suffered.

But the other fiends were recovered and charging along at a great pace towards the army.

“KEEP STEADY!” she called. “DON’T BREAK THE LINE! DON’T LET THEM THROUGH!”

And she and Shiva redoubled their efforts to throw fierce explosions into the lead boulderman while men wielding swords and axes again ran forward to hack at the beast’s knees.

Nevertheless the lead boulderman stampeded on towards the front lines.

The monstrous advance shook the ground so much that the pike men had trouble not tumbling or dropping their weapons, but they braced themselves so that the Rucksha skewered itself on a dozen pike blades.

Frustrated, the Rucksha tried to keep pushing forward and the heels of the men holding the pikes dragged into the dirt as they were pressed backwards. The Rucksha thrust one pike away and took another from its stomach easily, snapping it like a twig with a grumbling sound like a rock slide coming from its mouth.

Now it lifted its rocky fist to deliver a fatal, shocking blow to one pike man still courageously forcing his weapon into the brute.

With a snarl Asha hurtled at breakneck speed towards the thing’s face, colliding into its rocky cheek with a force that knocked the Rucksha off course. Shiva was quick to throw himself at the boulderman’s other side before it could lash out at Asha, and a gravelly grunt crunched from the thing’s gaping mouth hole as it rotated in irritation.

Men dove to avoid getting trampled while Shiva darted at the Rucksha’s eyes and Asha pelted a golden globe of light that could normally roast a whole horse into the thing’s forehead, leaving a great scorch mark that blackened its face.

It roared in sudden agony as tiny pressure cracks formed in its dusty forehead but Shiva was already pelting his own inferno globe into the back of its knee. Asha continued blasting it in the head and back to keep it from getting any good swipes in at Shiva while he aimed to wear away its legs.

A crash and a bellow a short distance away told her that Tate and the men helping him had brought down another one of the fiends. She looked over to see some fire archers launching burning arrows into the growing dust heap, embedding them into its arms and flailing legs. Tate made the little fires burst into explosive flames. Axe and sword men were also hacking at the thing’s limbs so that they couldn’t reform.

She refocused on her battle when she heard a man below howl in agony and glanced down to see that a soldier who had been helping Shiva had not ducked quickly enough. The brute had clasped its massive fist around the soldier’s whole arm.

Asha lunged at the giant fist in a state of battle fury that sent the fire spreading from her hands to envelop both of her little arms. She latched onto the stony, oversized fingers clutching the man’s arm and her fire spread so that the Rucksha leader bellowed. She scratched and gouged at the dirt making up the fingers and they started to weaken and crumble.

For a moment the great brute howled as two of its massive fingers completely broke away into ash and dust so that the soldier slipped from its grasp. But then the enraged beast struck out at Asha, knocking her from the air so that she crashed down.

A spatter of blood erupted from her mouth as two of her ribs snapped and her arm broke in a few places, and she had no time to recover as the Rucksha lifted its disintegrating leg to squash her. It stamped down so that Asha was suffocating beneath the rough surface of its foot and she heard her ribs and arm crunch as her face was ground into the dirt.

She also heard Shiva roar in rage and Asha reeled with shock as she felt a tsunami of his magic obliterate the leg that had pinned her.

Asha knew that when such burning rage overcame a Nymph, Nature’s power could no longer be contained within their little bodies. When that happened their fire could do near anything. But it was rare, and often extinguished the Nymph’s own soul to leave only a shell.

“Don’t!” she rasped, reaching little broken fingers out. “Sati waits,” she tried to tell Shiva.

But through billowing dust Asha saw Shiva, his pointed teeth bared as he lifted his arms in terrible defiance. Suddenly the flame that had been enveloping his arms exploded to consume his whole body, until he looked to be surrounded in golden, burning light.

His aqua hair and eyes glowed brilliantly with gold, as if he had somehow become possessed by the powers of the Gods.

With another roar Shiva surged his fire towards the core of the beast. The beast shrieked in agony as it was rammed backward, colliding heavily with the earth. Cracks appeared in the ground beneath its struggling body and all of the men and horses for about a hundred yards toppled over.

Furiously the Rucksha dragged itself forward, ignoring its fast dissipating limbs, and it lunged for Asha and Shiva again with its one good arm, propping itself up on the stump of the other.

Shiva caught its arm with his flame, and for an intense, agonising moment there was a furious standoff between the tiny Nymph and monstrous desert beast.

However the Rucksha groaned and managed to push forward with all of its ferocious might, ignoring the rocks and sand pouring away from its burning arm even as its face caved in and most of its core was whittled into a hollow, burnt out cavity.

Then the Rucksha’s eroding arm managed to snake right through the fire thump Shiva out of the air.

The creature ignored the agony of the flame, its body fast breaking away, and it focused solely on pinning Shiva while the Nymph fought furiously.

Asha tried to sit up and stir her own Nymph fire, but moving caused more blood to spurt from her mouth.

Before she could do anything else a brave soldier managed to creep in close enough to get to her, quickly lifting her from the ground. Her hand flailed weakly as the soldier fled with her cradled in his arms.

Over his shoulder, getting further away, Asha watched the other bouldermen finally collapsing back into the earth to return to Darziates while the other squad Nymphs now sped towards Shiva. But the largest boulderman simply let what was left of itself fall backwards into the earth, burying Shiva in its remains.

She heard the other Nymphs screaming in the distance as Shiva sank down under cascades of rock and dirt, being sucked into the earth until the flame covered Nymph disappeared within the fast receding dirt pile.

And then the wastelands became still.

Chapter Eighty

“The world is biting back,” the Sorcerer’s heavy breathing, loyal lapdog – Angra Mainyu glowered at his King. “That Frarshking inventor is only telling half truths!” he spat so that globules flung from his dirty lips. “The world is turning on us. Let me tear it all apart. By myself. I’ll go.”

Darziates regarded the eager, sweating Warlord with more patience than he offered all other mortals. Mortals were unimportant, momentary parts of the world. They passed through life so quickly, barely leaving an imprint to worry over. Yet Angra Mainyu’s particular brand of cruelty left him practically inhuman, and made him very useful. Darziates frequently drew on the state of the Warlord’s soul for inspiration. And as a resource.

“I’ll track the traitorous soldiers with the Three, and snap their necks,” Angra bunched grimy fists passionately. “And I’ll succeed against the ‘Three’ before they can even become the threat to your cause!”

“Hush,” Darziates let the word issue from between his lips slowly, and obediently the hulking, unstable Warlord hunched himself into silence.

The Sorcerer wasn’t concerned about any of Agrudek’s reports. He was certain that the Krall soldiers he had lost to the threatening ‘Three’ would easily be swayed when within his reach once more. Just as all of humanity would be swayed when he willed it.

He’d also largely dismissed Agrudek’s vague information that some Elves and Nymphs would be lending their support to the Three, for the dying breeds were either too serious or self-absorbed, or too haphazard and chaotic to ever organise properly.

Even the fact that Jenra was now prepared to leave its own seclusion to fight against his cause hardly displeased the Sorcerer. If the Jenrans wished to deplete their forces, the Jenran kingdom itself would fall under his command just that much more easily.

“I want to tear. To rip. To feel the slick of hot blood in my hands,” Angra whined after a moment. “I could slaughter even just Agrudek if you just sent me there, and then disappear before anyone even knew.”

Darziates really only wanted little Agrudek alive to satisfy his own want for information on the Larnaeradee now. He was restricted to obtaining only snatches of information, so that she did not feel the dark magic and suspect. But those snatches gave Darziates new purpose. And a slight thawing feeling at the pit of his numb conscience, similar to times when he had felt traces of human emotion in the beginning.

In an uncharacteristic motion Darziates touched a hand to a vague ache in his chest as he thought of her.

“Or I could join the Evexus as they go to search out the place where the Jenrans will appear!” Angra launched off again excitedly. “I could go instead of the Witch,” he almost snarled. “We both know she is hardly fit to serve you. Weak. Failing again and again.”

“Angra,” Darziates said softly, and the Warlord stopped ranting once more. “Have I not already given you much?”

Angra’s shoulders slumped. “Yes,” he growled sulkily. “You’ve given me war.” He nodded to himself, an eerie red glint in his eyes. “I do like that.”

Darziates glanced past his Warlord then, towards the door to the throne room as he felt Agrona’s approach.

She flinched at his hardly perceptible look of mild annoyance, feeling the true power behind it as she stepped through the doors.

“Yes?” he saw her shiver at having been addressed.

“My King, the Rucksha have returned,” she told him.

He’d already felt that and dismissed it unconsciously for himself.

“And,” she smiled, hungrily eyeing him. “They’ve brought something back.”

“Well? What is it?” Angra burst out impatiently, throwing more spittle in her direction.

Her expression became poison as he polluted her moment with the King.

“It’s a Nymph,” she informed Darziates.

Darziates reached out with his mind to pin point where the being was.

Agrona was brimming with self-importance. “It’s hardly alive after being dragged through the earth in the arms of the boulderman,” she crooned. “It’s being kept under guard near the training grounds where the Rucksha resurfaced. But all of its magic is going into breathing at the moment.”

With a withering look to silence her, Darziates took a claw like grip around her arm and blurred them through the Other Realm to cut out the time it would usually take to walk to the training grounds – a feat she was hardly capable of without his support.

Angra roared in jealous anguish as they disappeared through a portal of fire and menace, but the Sorcerer had forgotten him a moment later when he and Agrona arrived in the midst of a small group of curious soldiers crowded around the tiny, prone figure struggling to breathe in the dirt.

“It feels so … pure …” one of the men was saying.

But in the instant that the darkness of Darziates touched them again, the group of soldiers assumed blank expressions once more, lowering their eyes and stepping out of their King’s way to reveal the Nymph.

It was nearly completely crushed by its journey through the solid earth, already practically dead, and it had hardly any recognisable features left.

Agrona stared up at him expectantly.

“This thing is useless,” the Sorcerer stated blankly. “It has only moments left, and hardly a flicker of magic.”

“No!” Agrona cried. “We can get some information from it to please you yet!”

Red smoke curled about her fists and, with a blast, she forced her magic into the Nymph to make it wake.

Its body became rigid, and with a great effort the Nymph’s eyes opened as wide as narrow slits. The thing’s whole dust covered face was blown up disproportionately with swollen bruising and cuts.

At once it let out a rasping moan and only the Witch’s magic kept it from going into convulsions of shock and back into unconsciousness.

“You waste my time,” Darziates rebuffed the Witch. But without so much as moving a finger, Darziates swept the Nymph’s broken body up into the air so that they all heard the loose bones rattling together inside its skin.

“Welcome back to the outside world,” he calmly addressed the tortured Nymph then, while Agrona scowled sullenly. “You should have stayed hidden,” he told it. “But instead you will perish as an example to those who threaten our world. An example to demonstrate that no force can make my Quest falter. Especially not the force of a Forest dweller’s pure magic.”

With that, the Nymph was released from his power to hurtle down to the ground again, snapping its neck. Which had been one of the few intact parts left in its body.

Darziates turned and blurred back through time to be seated in his throne as if he’d never left.

He found Angra Mainyu growling and spasmodically ramming his head into a wall – releasing pent up frustration. Losing pieces of his soul was taking its toll.

“I intend to send another Dragon to Awyalkna Palace,” the Sorcerer interrupted his Warlord.

“May I go with the Dragon? Hurt Queen Aglaia? You’ve sent so many and they haven’t done true damage!” Angra mumbled, sagging forward against the stone wall.

“No.” The Sorcerer almost showed the flicker of a smile in the very corner of his mouth. “We want subservience, not complete destruction.”

“Arrhhgg!” Angra clubbed the wall with both fists and his forehead.

Chapter Eighty One

“Coming close to catching that last Dragon with those steel nets was a stroke of genius Your Majesty.” Wilmont’s voice seemed somehow slippery as he approached her throne when the citizens’ reports were finished.

“I wonder though,” he mused. “How would we fare against more than two of Darziates’ Dragons, now that Dren and his Dragon slayer archers are gone?”

Aglaia noticed her body automatically angling away from where he stood to the side of her throne, and she realised that he set her nerves on edge even more than the regular attack alarms did.

“So far, fortunately, the Dragons have been content to focus on battering the City rather than completely destroying us,” Aglaia responded after a moment.

“Yes,” Wilmont smiled silkily. “Let us pray to the Gods that they do not become more serious in their intent.”

She gripped the armrest of her throne. “As always Awyalkna will fight for survival,” she told him. “Thank you for your concern, and your visit.”

She turned her attention to the soldier Friendly then, who always stood guard at her side.

“Of course, Your Majesty,” Wilmont made a slight bow and retreated.

“You have developed sound strategies to cause the Dragons as much pain as they cause us,” Friendly told her, frowning at Wilmont’s embroidered back as he left the hall. “Beyond that, the entire population is doing its best to fortify the Palace.”

“You are quite right, Elan,” Aglaia smiled, and she leaned back into her throne, twisting a golden, ivy design ring around her finger as she thought. “And the wildly spreading stories of the ‘Raiden’, Noal, the ‘Larnaeradee’, and magical ones who could be helping Glaidin’s army, have all fuelled the energy of the Awyalknian people.”

Even as she began to feel somewhat reassured, a panting sentry crashed through the doors and ran across the hall towards her as if Darziates himself was following.

The sentry came to a skidding halt just before the dais and clutched at a stitch in his side at the same time as hurriedly bowing.

“Majesty …” he panted laboriously. “Word from …” another big breath. “The Gwynrock Wall …” and another big breath. “They said … there’s something … that wants to see you … They couldn’t stop it …”

“What is this ‘it’?” Aglaia questioned alertly. In such strange times it could be anything.

But suddenly there came startled exclamations from the men guarding the hall doors.

Then a voice, almost like a child’s, carried into the hall to answer Aglaia’s question.

“It,” the voice said, “is a Nymph. And,” it continued, “its name is Asha.”

Aglaia, Friendly and the sentry watched open mouthed as a childlike being with flaming red, floating hair came into view – flying through the hall doors.

“Gods,” Friendly uttered as Aglaia rose.

Aglaia could already hear a babble of voices from the many onlookers outside who had spotted this creature flying across the City to the Palace. And now, in the blink of an eye the creature had whirled to a stop, hovering just above the head of the amazed sentry.

Asha ignored him and gave a delicate bow to the Queen. Despite the traces of many bruises across her enchanting features, the Nymph emanated such an indescribable feeling of goodness that nobody questioned if she might be a creature of Darziates.

“I have been sent by King Glaidin with news, as I’m faster than normal messengers,” Asha spoke then. “The King also thought that seeing a Nymph would give your Kingdom further hope.”

Aglaia blinked and removed the stunned expression she could feel covering her face.

“Well met Asha,” Aglaia told the little being. “You are very welcome here.”

“My thanks,” Asha replied. “I hope you don’t mind if I make myself at home then. I’m exhausted.”

The Nymph promptly buzzed toward Friendly’s chest, and he automatically caught her as if she had been thrown at him in a game of catch.

“I just need a brief sleep on the way to your conference room to recharge,” she explained, squishing the muscles of Friendly’s arms in a satisfied manner and resting her head so that she looked like a babe in a cradle. “Might as well nap with something handsome to wake up to.”

“Of … course,” Aglaia agreed as Friendly gaped at his Queen and then at the cherubic looking, infant sized being.

“You are Queen of a land absolutely brimming with gorgeous men,” Asha informed Aglaia, closing her eyes. “Wake me when your Council are gathered,” she added, and then abruptly fell into what seemed to be a deep and peaceful sleep.

Friendly gave Aglaia a bewildered look, and Aglaia couldn’t help but laugh at the strangeness of it all.

Chapter Eighty Two

“You’re that old?” one of the Awyalknian Generals asked in shock when Asha had finished speaking.

“And Darziates harmed your people too,” Asha’s man-bed, Friendly, commented solemnly.

“Those … Ogre things,” another General gasped. “Four of them, really killed or wounded one hundred and ten men and thirty horses, wrecked a wagon, and took one of your own kind?”

Asha’s red coloured eyes were hard. “As I said, minimal damage considering the circumstances.”

Everyone around the table flinched then when the Nymph suddenly shot into the air, leaving the nest she’d made against the chest of the startled Friendly.

She hissed through pointed teeth, and the burly Generals gaped at her while she hung in the air as if listening to something. Then she brought her red eyes back to the captivated gathering.

“I seem to be becoming a regular warning system,” she said in a low voice. “But you have an enemy on its way.”

“A Dragon?” Sumantra asked urgently.

Asha nodded. “You have only moments.”

“Let’s move!” Sumantra galvanised the room, and at once there was a flurry of action so that soon the Palace guards were sounding their horns and the City was full of people racing through the descending night.

Asha rode with Friendly as they galloped at breakneck speed through the City towards the Gwynrock Wall, and she saw ordinary citizens helping to stretch nets out between streets or putting catapults into position.

She saw Aglaia tense as the City was rocked even by the distant roaring of the fast approaching Dragon.

With growing resolve Asha broke from where Friendly held her before himself on the saddle and hurtled up into the air to see the Dragon become visible at last. Like an immense shadow from the Other Realm, swooping quickly forward.

It careened closer and released a plume of explosive fire into the Eastern Gate, and Asha heard the distant yells of those who had been thrown by the force.

Asha frowned as she watched her fellow air treader rampage onward, because she knew that the corrupted Dragon could easily have torn apart the entire City. Instead it simply antagonised the people and left a trail of damaged rubble, a mindless beast twisted by Darziates to forget all wisdom, its clan, and its allies.

The Dragon roared as a flaming arrow grazed its wing now, and it swerved to avoid getting scratched by the new spikes lining the Palace towers. Instead it thumped its tail into the pavement below and sent a dozen citizens, who had been hauling rocks at it, flying through the air.

The Dragon seemed to like that, and flew low along the pavement, swiping at screaming crowds with its claws. But it got a surprise when suddenly a thick, steel woven net was pulled up and stretched between two buildings in front of it.

It couldn’t stop in time, ploughing straight into the trap and getting entangled.

It snapped its jaws furiously, tearing at the net to get free as people rushed forward to swarm it, jabbing with weapons that enraged it further.

Asha winced when an impatient burst of flame obliterated two men and a young woman in a moment and the Dragon gave up thrashing violently, seeing that the net was too strong to break free of. Instead, the beast began walking forward so that the net stretched and then tore away from where it had been tied to the two buildings.

Some people were crushed under its feet and those not fortunate enough to have let go of the net when it came loose suddenly found themselves being dragged into the air as it stretched its wings under the loosened steel weaving. It lifted off and then shook itself free of all hanger-ons.

Asha spotted a soldier manning an unloaded catapult, and flew in a blur of speed towards him.

“Are you very good with this thing?” she asked, and her fast arrival seemed to surprise him and the men stationed at the catapult more than the presence of the Dragon did.

He quickly nodded. “Aye, but I can’t shoot boulders at the Dragon until it flies higher and past the walls, or loose rocks will fall into the City.”

“I’m not a boulder,” Asha grinned. “This catapult could throw me into the Dragon with a greater ferocity than I could achieve by myself.”

The soldier was taken aback. “You would be killed. I won’t throw you.”

She crossed her arms as, in the distance, a giant fireball caused an explosion amongst three houses. Flaming people ran from the area with echoing screams.

“Shouldn’t we give anything at all a try?” Asha turned back to him. “More Awyalknians will be killed if you don’t. And besides, I’m stronger than I look.”

The soldier watched in horror as next a horse was ripped from a stable and tossed into the air, before the stallion was caught in savage jaws to be chewed up loudly.

She didn’t give the man another moment to think on it. Instead, she flitted to his weapon belt and took the sharp dagger hanging at his hip. With no effort whatsoever her Nymph fire exploded to life in her palm and licked along the blade. “I’m not going to ask again,” she told him.

He nodded and swallowed, beads of sweat forming along his brow.

“Aim for its wing the next time it flies by,” she ordered the soldier grimly, settling into place on the massive siege weapon. “I’ll do the rest.”

And it was only moments before the beast began circling back towards them, this time with a man dangling from its teeth by his leg. The man shrieked as he was carried upside down over the City.

“Good fortune!” Asha heard the soldier call mournfully to her, and an instant later she felt the catapult release and she was being flung at top speed towards the oncoming beast.

She forced her body to tear through the air without spinning, holding her arms and the fiery dagger out before her head so that she was like an arrow launching towards the outstretched Dragon wing.

She took a great breath in anticipation before colliding with the leathery flesh of the underside of the wing. She impacted where the wing attached to the Dragon’s body, and she embedded the soldier’s blade into the meaty joint so deeply that smoke issued from the wound.

Only her magic had enabled the blade to pierce the thick flesh at all, and the Dragon dropped the screaming Awyalknian man, roaring so thunderously in agony and surprise that Asha felt her eardrums pop warmly in her head.

Asha grimly forced the blade in deeper and then kicked her feet away from the colossal, scale covered body so that her weight tugged against the dagger and the fiery blade dragged along the inner wing flesh, slowly slicing through the wing’s length.

She could vaguely make out the great noise that the Dragon was making, but her ears hadn't healed yet, so the deafening sound was muted. However she could most definitely feel the violent air acrobatics the Dragon was now performing to throw her off.

The City blurred sickeningly and Asha caught flashing glimpses of starry sky, buildings and then ground as the Dragon spun desperately to loosen her grip.

Asha clung on determinedly, her Nymph fire curling up from the blade to circle her arms, and she allowed the Dragon’s own motion to pull her further along so that the dagger burned its way to the tip of the now split wing.

Then with one more jerk Asha and her dagger were dragged free, and Asha was sent spinning away from the Dragon in a ball of her own fire.

She was caught across the chest by a lash of the seething beast’s tail as she whirled away, and her fire went out as she smashed into the rock of the Gwynrock Wall – landing conveniently close to where the Queen of Awyalkna and her soldier watched on in horror.

Aglaia rushed forward, her lips moving, and Asha heard two popping sounds and shook her head as her ears burst back into the action.

The Queen’s Friendly soldier scooped her up with an aghast expression on his face, and as he lifted her she saw the now lopsided Dragon disappearing into the darkness as cheers rose from the City below.

“You are one brave, crazy Nymph!” the burly General called Sumantra cried. “Listen to them down there! This will inspire hope if nothing else does!”

Asha gave a smile that showed all of her bloodied, sharp teeth. “Perhaps before I return to Glaidin’s march I can tour the City with you, and help you strengthen your defences with magic.”

Sumantra looked keenly interested as they walked along the Wall, not even noticing all of the soldiers and citizens clapping him on the back and celebrating around him. “And how exactly will your magic be able to aid us?”

Asha settled back into Friendly’s arms. “I will help to strengthen your traps so that next time they won’t be pulled from where they are tied. I will make water rise from deep below the earth to create more natural wells. Then the crops beyond the gates will be safer and homes all over the City will have more water against the fires. And anything else you can think of when you see the extent of this one little Nymph’s power.”

Sumantra had grown uncharacteristically excited. “Tomorrow will be a very enjoyable new day.”

Chapter Eighty Three

Noal

After seven days of preparations and meetings with Durna and Aeron I had even started dreaming of attending conferences. Discussing carts and weapons, tools and canvas marquees, food rations, armour, healer materials, numbers coming, and numbers staying.

I was glad of the relative break offered as the Three of us were at last free to join the Krall men, who had already been volunteering their physical labour for days.

Kiana had stayed with us all at first, showing herself to be truly content and capable in the valley fields after having been raised in a major harvest village. However she had been quickly sought out by the owner of a smithy inside the City, who had heard of her talents in the forge. Her face had lit up and she had immediately disappeared with him, rolling her sleeves up in anticipation.

Dalin’s motivation for the outdoors had waned a little then, though I had spent the day happily in the fields, helping to load bundles of harvested goods into carts – and watching for the moment that Maeve would appear at the gates.

“I think you’ve earned your break,” Dalin informed me as he wiped his brow and we both caught sight of Maeve.

“I quite like working in the fields,” I grinned at him, dusting my hands.

“Personally I’d prefer to find myself work in a smithy tomorrow,” he told me.

“Yes. Fields are rather convenient for me. Not so for you,” I told him as Maeve approached, and I could make out a coy smile on her delicate lips.

“You and Maeve have been seeing a great deal of each other,” Dalin commented wryly, alluding to how he’d fallen asleep at Kiana’s table the night before, waiting for us to finish conversing.

“She’s swapped to make our room her final duty, so she can stay a little longer to talk,” I informed him happily. “We talk about everything now. Last night she talked about the machinations of the Jenran City and how a piping system runs through the entire mountain to carry water to every pool and fountain. Apparently at the top of the main mountain the peak has been flattened into a magical, water holding basin by the Unicorns.”

“I bet you don’t care what she talks to you about,” Dalin laughed, and waved at Maeve as she drew closer before he moved off.

And he was right. I kept her talking just to hear her light voice and to keep her with me.

But we had both also shared much about ourselves that was more intimate than even some of my most open conversations had been with Dalin or Kiana. And as she’d come to know my deepest emotions over my past, Maeve had held my hand and I had for once focused more on the person beside me rather than the memories themselves.

Maeve had also described her own past, and that she too had been orphaned at a young age when her parents had been taken from the farming fields by Griffins. Maeve had herself been left on the edge of life as she had received scratches on her arms that had become infected with the filth of the Griffins.

While she had been recovering, Maeve had befriended the head healer of Jenra, Lady Amarantha, who had already established strong charities and mentoring systems for victims of Griffin attacks. With Lady Amarantha’s help, Maeve had been given her indoor job and in return she had often volunteered her time to help in Amarantha’s wards.

“I did not wish to scare away the Raiden.” Maeve’s face was like sunshine as she reached me at last. I couldn’t help but reach for her hand.

“If you hadn’t, I would have,” I told her warmly. “When we talk time already melts away too quickly before you have to leave me. I can’t afford to share you.”

We both left unsaid the painful fact that we had only seven more days before I would have to be the one to leave for good.

Chapter Eighty Four

Dalin

I watched Kiana send sparks flying into the air as she wielded a mighty hammer with unbelievable strength and precision, somehow creating a delicate curve in the metal she worked upon, rather than a dent before she set down her tools.

“It’s definitely not the quality I would like usually, but it’ll do for the amount of time that we’ve got to make so many,” she was saying now to a smithy as she scrutinised the helm she had just finished.

He appeared every bit as impressed as every other blacksmith she’d worked with after word of her talent had spread.

In contrast, I was leaning my chin on the handle of a scratchy broom, after having been relegated to an out of the way corner. I was quite inept as a farmer – only being useful for heavy labour. And I was even less useful in a forge.

While Kiana set her tools away, the burly blacksmiths who had watched her work appreciatively for most of the day seemed almost wistful for her to be going. But nobody minded too much when I leaned my broom in a corner and left the shop with her as well.

“I’m tired,” I yawned at her as we moved towards where we had said we would meet Noal after another of his walks outside.

“Oh dear,” Kiana remarked sympathetically, wiping at the sweat and smudges upon her brow. “Holding up that broom was a challenge.”

“Simply dreadful,” I agreed.

“There’s Noal,” she commented, her sharp eyes picking him out from the crowd.

“Does he look sorrowful again today?” I asked.

She nodded. “Poor mite.”

Noal hardly even greeted us as he dolefully clutched a vibrant flower that Maeve had surely picked for him.

“Well …” I said. “Perhaps we should head back up the mountain to wash away the grime of a hard day’s work before dinner.”

Kiana raised an eyebrow at my almost grime free appearance.

Noal managed to smile. “You don’t really look like you’ve had a hard day this time.”

I grinned. “I think my broom gave me a splinter. Perhaps you should carry me up the mountain in case it’s serious.”

Kiana tapped her chin. “I could always try flying you both up there …” she offered. “But I haven't tested how much weight I can really carry yet.”

“You’re too kind,” Noal declined politely. “But I would rather carry a thousand heavy Dalins up twenty mountains than be dropped mid-flight.”

“Heavy?” I asked, wounded.

Noal laughed. “I meant muscular.”

“Kiana!” we all glanced up to see Thorin fighting through the crowd, his expression betraying true exhaustion after he and some of the others had been recruited to spend the last few days giving Aeron’s soldiers insight into Krall fighting tactics. His hair stuck to his forehead and his shirt clung to his body.

“Kiana,” he panted again when he reached us. “I'm meant to tell you that Lady Amarantha has some maps for you from her Council member husband …” he took a breath. “She’s just finished a healer training session in a courtyard near the market place. I passed her on the way in.”

“My thanks,” Kiana clapped him on his shoulder, and it was my turn to feel a little doleful as she immediately left us to flit her way through the crowds.

“Gods I’m tired,” Thorin grimaced as she left.

“Now you actually look like you did a hard day’s work,” Noal replied.

“Noal, you may have to carry him up the mountain instead of me,” I commented as Thorin almost sagged on the spot.

“It’ll be a heroic effort to carry that big lug,” Noal considered the idea.

Thorin tiredly jerked his head towards one of the ever rising and falling carriages being pulled up and down the walls of the mountain. “Or we could catch a ride on the cable systems.”

I squinted upwards. “Those things are for transporting heavy goods like cattle,” I said. “I am not a cow.”

“Definitely not a cow,” Thorin reassured me. “But look at the cables running in between those used for raising and lowering big goods,” he persisted, pointing out another set of cables with a smaller carriage attached.

“They’re usually used for smaller goods, or by the elderly, the sick, or any injured soldiers. They carry people up to where they need to go so that they don’t have to climb,” Thorin continued. “And the way I see it, it’s not so embarrassing if we use those things, seeing as we aren't used to climbing mountains every day.”

Noal and I were quiet for a moment.

“That’s not embarrassing at all,” Noal agreed.

“We’re very official people,” I agreed further. “We don’t have time to walk for ourselves!”

We were already making our way across to the now overly appealing cable system for the elderly or infirm.

“In fact I am very upset to only be finding out about this marvel four days before we leave,” Noal complained as the wiry looking master who manned the elevator waved us in beside a carriage load of bleating sheep.

“Well this is nice,” Thorin stated smugly.

“Thank the Gods my legs aren't climbing,” I agreed, and we all reached our rooms in a much more timely manner than usual.

However I was disappointed that, when I left our room for Noal and Maeve to have their time as the sun set that night, I found Kiana still wasn’t back.

Chapter Eighty Five

Dalin

A strange sensation, a tingling, ticklish feeling, seemed to be flowing into my fingertips and then into the veins along my arm.

My mind woke to the sensation, but I didn’t open my eyes for a moment as I let the simultaneously serene and energised feeling ebb from my shoulder and into my chest.

A fresh breeze brought the scent of flowers with it – such a sweet smell, and I registered that it was close. So I turned my head towards it and then opened my eyes.

Kiana, stunning beyond all words, was leaning over me. Her half smile played across her lips and her hand had covered mine, but now she entwined our fingers together so that I felt suddenly very dazed. Almost breathless.

Starlight filled the room, its silvery beams illuminating her wings and making the blood red stone upon her throat seem dazzling while her eyes were exotic and wild again.

Kiana squeezed my fingers and the prickling, tingling warmth of her magic danced further across my chest and into my other arm, twirling its way past my elbow.

It at once felt as if my arms were stronger, somehow more incredible than the rest of my average anatomy, and my eyes widened.

Kiana straightened, drawing me up to stand beside her before she spoke, and I tried to shake myself out of complete mesmerism.

“I’ve had an idea,” she said softly, “that I was hoping you might agree to try.”

Right then I would do anything she ever asked of me.

“I remember what a shock it was for you when my magic touched your vision last time. I swore to get your permission before trying something like this again,” she continued.

“What is it?” I asked huskily. “Tell me and I’ll do it.”

She smiled again as my body seemed to lose touch with mortality. “I want to see what it would be like to fly with someone else. Properly. Not just carrying them in a short burst.”

I swallowed hard.

“I want to know if your body can adapt and survive just as mine can. If my magic can help you to do that.”

“I am glad to be the one you want to try this with,” I told her, my gaze held firmly transfixed by her wild, bright eyes.

“You’re sure?” she almost whispered.

“I trust you,” I answered firmly.

Kiana lifted her free hand to rest it against my chest. “Then don’t fight my magic,” she warned as the wondrous, weightless, bursting feeling erupted to spread rapidly through my core, down my spine and along every nerve ending.

It felt as if the power of the Gods was being poured into my ungainly body until everything about me had been heightened and enhanced.

The stars seemed brighter. The sound of the breeze in the trees of the valleys far, far below became suddenly clear. The scent of the sea became stronger.

I gasped as I felt the pupils of my eyes readjust themselves to suit a creature of flight, and winced as I felt my lungs change too, but Kiana’s steadying hand kept me calm and I peered up to find her smiling widely.

“It worked,” she whispered contentedly. The red jewel at her throat glittered.

I shook my head dizzily, disappointed. “I have no wings.”

“But look,” she breathed. “I am your wings.”

I followed Kiana’s eyes and gasped again as I saw that together we had lifted from the floor.

My heart pounded with elation. I had never felt so indestructible and free.

“Show me the wonders you have found outside,” I said with longing.

She tightened her hold on my fingers again. “Don’t let go,” she warned, and she guided me across the room – my body somehow floating along beside hers towards the balcony.

I wanted to see the mountains from above. To gaze down on the bobbing yellow flowers of the valleys. To fly above the crashing waves. I wasn’t even nervous as we flew together to hover above the railing of the balcony, and looked beyond and below the great mountain. Then with a gentle push, we were floating slowly away from the security of the stone walls, gracefully treading the air as if it were water.

The cool wind didn’t sear my face or lash at my eyes. I felt no paralysing fear. And we were synchronised as we dipped and soared and somersaulted, our bodies entwining over the monstrous height as if we had been doing it for all of our lives.

“Is this how you felt when you first got your earth stone?” I asked Kiana.

“This is how I feel every time I use my magic to fly. It is as if I am made whole,” she replied. “It is good to have someone to understand that with me.”

I listened but couldn’t understand when a cloud of birds swirled about Kiana, chattering so that she laughed.

“They’re picking out what they seem to think are your faults,” she told me.

“And what are my faults?” I asked.

“No feathers,” she said with amusement. “A flat mouth. You wouldn’t be able to provide me with the grubs or worms that they could.”

“I see,” I replied. “Tell them that they aren't the ones you’re holding hands with.”

“They have no hands,” she pointed out with mirth.

I smiled. “Exactly.”

And when we started drifting easily back toward the mountain, I still hardly felt ready to let her go.

Chapter Eighty Six

Kiana

The sharp cry of the hammer gripped in my warm hands beat the tune of every smithy. The taut feeling of the muscles burning between my shoulder blades, along my neck and through my triceps, was a nostalgic familiarity.

My cheeks radiated with the hotness of the fires and the metals heating. I gritted my teeth and made another strike against the sword on the anvil, sending sparks dancing, and all around me there was the song of the smithys’ hammers and the hissing of glowing blades as they were plunged into water.

Steam rose from our bodies as well as our creations while we followed the rhythmical routine of our toil, and I felt incredible peace in the mindlessness and precision.

Until I saw Dalin day dreaming out of the corner of my vision.

He had come to find me after having spent his time training with the Krall and Jenran soldiers. His narrow chin rested on top of his hands as he leaned over an unused work bench and gazed at the flurry of action about the shop. And his green eyes seemed to flash as the fires flared in the dance of the blacksmiths to the song of their tools. He watched as they instinctively wove and dipped around each other.

I would miss those green eyes.

I would miss Dalin.

And all of my men.

When I finished at the smithy Dalin was still waiting, and we walked together quietly for some time, in no rush to return to our rooms.

“What do you want most in the world, right now, apart from our Quest to be successful?” I asked him after a while.

I waited while he was thoughtfully silent, before he reached for my hand.

“To have you all to myself,” he said in a candid tone. “Like last night.”

I regarded him for a moment before I pulled him to a stop beside a wide window in the walkway that overlooked the valleys. Nobody was about as the sun began to set and people returned home.

“Very well,” I said. “Then that is what you shall have.”

His eyes widened and a smile played about the edges of his lips as I let the magic that swirled within me now spread outward to flow through him.

It wasn’t uncomfortable. Not like I was losing or completely giving myself over, but simply like expanding my living being and awareness. As if I was pouring a second self, my shadow, into another so that I could share for a time.

The shapes of the green in his eyes sharpened and we both stepped up onto the wide window sill together as my wings flickered into sight at my back.

“What would you have wanted?” Dalin asked me, as we gazed down from the great height and felt the wind plucking at our clothes.

“Oh …” I smiled. “It was definitely you.”

I leant forward to draw a lingering kiss from him that made the magic dance more furiously between us.

Then I launched us from the window’s edge, and we soared upward, spiralling around the watch towers and racing along the rocky walls.

I slowed our progress for just a moment when our eyes, sharpened by the magic, found Noal and Maeve at their balcony in the distance. I could see their features changing with disbelief as we drew close.

“Dalin …” Noal coughed in shock. “You didn’t tell me you could fly.”

Dalin shrugged. “I only just learnt.”

“You can learn too if you like,” I offered.

But both Noal and Maeve eyed our dangling feet as we hung suspended above the mortifying drop and shook their heads.

“Thank you, but perhaps another night …” Maeve managed politely.

I laughed gaily and allowed the wind to sweep Dalin and I away once more, pulling us upward and then gusting us in the direction of the ocean.

We clung together and spun through the air with abandon until, in exhaustion, we stopped to watch the night deepen together from the beach.

The salty breeze played through our hair and the cool waves swirled and tickled about our ankles, refreshing us right down to the soul. The sand shifted beneath our feet, ever changing, and the stars glittered their reflections upon the surface of the sea, as though apparitions of billions of lily flowers were floating on the waves.

“Thank you,” Dalin told me after a while, stroking my hand with his as he looked out. “This was exactly what I wanted.”

I put my free fingers on his scar lined jaw and turned his face to me. I let my lips gently caress his again, our kiss slow as he moved his arm to hold me closer.

And it was my heart, this time, which took flight.

Chapter Eighty Seven

Noal

The tavern on the lowest level of the Jenran mountain was bursting with raucous gaiety after Kiana had tired of pouring over ancient maps for the day. The maps simply guessed at where the lands of the magical races might be, and offered no way of navigating the sea with any certainty, so Kiana had left them upstairs and rounded up every Krall soldier so that we could all spend our second last afternoon together properly.

“I can’t believe you convinced my mistress to excuse me from all duty for tonight,” Maeve whispered into my ear.

“And tomorrow,” I reminded her. “Though for a moment I thought nothing would sway your hard faced mistress to agree.”

“How could she not obey the request of one the Three? Prince Noal. And the Raiden impressed her to. You went above and beyond to secure me a break,” Maeve added.

“I guess Dalin can be impressive when he stops slouching and puffs himself up,” I grinned, looking over at where he was sprawled out on a large armchair, roaring with mirth at Tane and Thorin’s ale racing antics.

I felt Maeve’s small hand slip into mine under the bench. “I am glad to spend time with you.”

“Gods know it is all I’ve craved,” I assured her, and she rested her head on my shoulder to watch Ferron and Phrixus arm wrestling over a mead barrel nearby.

When we all at last bundled back into the room I shared with Dalin, continuing the merrymaking from the tavern in there, I felt incredibly natural as I sat with my arm around Maeve’s shoulders. We sat together on my bed, our backs against rich red cushions, while the men perched anywhere they could. Any warriors who didn’t fit inside the room spilled out comfortably into the hall, revelling just as easily from perches on the floor.

It was only when Kiana had retired for the night, and when we heard her voice carrying from where she sang in her room, that the men began to quiet down.

She sang the ‘Isilia Isiltha’ – a song about great journeys and courage, and Tane sighed and shook his curl covered head when she got to the part about sad partings.

Wolf groaned from where he was dangling on the edge of a sofa that was already being accosted by Thale and Vulcan’s weight.

“I am going to miss her,” he said ruefully.

“We pledged to follow the Three,” Purdor agreed in exasperation. “It doesn’t bode well to see one of the Three journeying far from our aid.”

“Do not fear,” Dalin told the subdued soldiers solemnly. “Noal and I are actually the hopeless ones out of our group. We need your aid more than Kiana does.”

“We know,” Thale reassured him, rising to move to his room. “We’ll have a great task ahead of us.”

The room began to empty out as Gideon and Lydon stood too, and others began to gradually wander off to find their own beds after that.

“But, I’m not tired enough to sleep yet,” Thorin complained as he watched them go. He turned to Dalin. “How about some friendly gambling?”

Dalin sat up from where he had stretched out on a rug and shrugged a shoulder. “Friendly, you say?”

“We’re up for that!” Ferron cried, dragging a merrily humming Phrixus up with him and gesturing to Phobos so that, in a matter of moments, the eager hubbub of men exiting our room had finished, and Maeve and I found ourselves in peace.

She gazed up at me with a smile at their energy, and, emboldened, I cupped my hand under her smooth chin and gently brought her face up to mine.

Then I stole a kiss.

And after a moment of hesitation, she kissed me back.

Slowly we pulled away from each other, but her face stayed close to mine and I could see a tiny furrow in her brow.

“What’s wrong?” I whispered, tracing her lips with my fingertip.

“We … can’t be together,” she said. “Even if you stayed here as an ambassador and took me for a bride, people would be disappointed that a more advantageous pairing had not been made. We are not an acceptable match.”

I grinned. “You’re right.” I stroked her hair. “You are much too good for me.”

I hugged her close, and after a faltering moment, this time she took my face into her hands, kissing me harder, as if we could keep ourselves from being dragged apart by the war.

My heart was racing and I was sure hers was too as our embraces became more fervent. More desperate. More intimate.

We found ourselves kneeling up together on the bed. Holding each other tight, our lips dancing together. I felt her hand on my chest and my own hands stroked her neck and back, then bunched her golden hair.

My lips began to move down her throat and she held me close, her hands warm and tight around my arms.

Then I felt her fingers pulling the tie of the front of my shirt loose just as my own were fumbling at her blouse.

I was hot and cold all over and her lips fluttered over my chest and back to my mouth.

I pulled her closer to me. Hugging her. Wrapping her in an embrace as if I would never let go while I ached at the knowledge that I would have to.

I had never wanted to tell a lady that I loved her. Until that very moment when I knew I meant it. That I was in love with Maeve. And I kissed her even harder, her body pressing against mine.

My heart was speeding up, and this time I felt hers pounding too because our chests were pressed together.

I leaned forward, pushing her backward, holding her suspended underneath me with one arm while pressing my lips to hers. I was about to lower her down to lay on the bed.

When Dalin and Thorin walked back in to find us.

Maeve’s lips sprang away from mine and our heads whirled to stare at them, both of us caught with sudden awareness of the gravity of what we had been doing.

Dalin quickly apologised and dragged a stunned Thorin out by his collar, shutting the door.

And Maeve muffled a cry, pressing her face into my chest for a moment before she wriggled free and our bodies parted.

Maeve was off the bed in an instant, quickly readjusting her dress and tidying her hair, her face pale while I stayed rooted where I was in shock.

“We’ve only known each other for a short time …” she was saying faintly as she bustled about and wrung her hands. “I have to do something …” she turned to me abruptly. “I have to go.”

She was gone before I could apologise for my foolishness. And before I could admit my true feelings for her.

Chapter Eighty Eight

Noal

I cringed to think of what I had nearly done to the girl I loved, and while Dalin mentioned nothing of it in the morning, my misery over Maeve and what was ahead for the Three surrounded us as we spent our last day with Kiana.

We were mostly quiet, wandering along the beach at the bottom of the cliffs and dawdling peacefully in the valleys. And the guilt and disappointment bubbled in my stomach as the usual time of our walk passed without a single glimpse of Maeve.

I was feeling so wretched that I parted with Kiana and Dalin to return to our rooms, and I was staring glumly at my feet as I reached the door and didn’t see the Jenran in my way, bumping into the maiden.

“My apologies, miss,” I mumbled dejectedly as I passed.

There was a soft, familiar laugh. “I forgive you.”

I spun around in my open doorway.

“Even though I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”

“Maeve!” I breathed in disbelief, standing frozen where I was.

“Yes.” With a smile she rushed towards me, flinging her arms around my neck, and propelling us into the room.

“I’m so sorry!” I gushed at her, holding her tightly. “I should not have let that happen, it was not the time, we may never meet again,” I gulped. “I could have ruined you,” I groaned remorsefully. “I don’t want that life for you. You deserve someone that can take care of you, not soil your reputation. Gods, I feared I wouldn’t get to say goodbye!”

Maeve looked up at me with her little frown, and put a hand over my lips to shush me. “Last night,” she began meaningfully. “I wasn’t upset about that, not really.”

The air rushed out of me. “Then, why didn’t I see you today?” I asked in confusion.

She pulled me gently to sit on my bed beside her. “I was upset that I would be losing you. It was obvious you felt as seriously for me as I do for you. I would do anything not to lose you,” she smiled. “And you didn’t see me today because I had something very important to do.”

The swirling mass of nerves began to dissipate from my stomach. “What did you have to do?” I was ecstatic as I stroked her golden hair, drinking her in.

“I had to speak to Lady Amarantha,” she told me. “But it is nothing for you to worry about.”

“Gods, I am just so relieved to see you,” I groaned, pulling her into my arms.

We sank down to lie on the bed, glad just to be together, refusing to let go of each other even when night began to set in.

Chapter Eighty Nine

Dalin

The dawn had not yet come and a chill hung in the air from the night.

A white cloud of mist erupted from my cold lips, with each breath making vapour in the dark.

Though the Jenrans were massed at the base of the mountains the many voices around us were muted as sorrowful partings were made and brave faces were assumed. Subdued soldiers pulled carts into place and joined their ranks with resolute postures, ready to leave their homeland – possibly forever.

I waited near where the hidden mountain tunnel was supposed to appear, standing out of the way atop a jutting rock while the crowds gathered quietly to farewell us on our Quest.

Our starting signal was to be the breaking of dawn, and I could see Noal, quiet and grimly focused, standing in wait with Thorin and Thale a small distance away.

I could also see Kiana conversing quietly with Durna and Aeron. She was sombre and dressed for travelling.

I sighed, with more white mist erupting from my lips into the dark, but held up the brave face of the Raiden.

I scanned the Krall men, who were forming their ranks directly behind Aeron’s elite team in places of great honour. They were hulking and intimidating again, carrying their spiked armour, and only Tane’s face still managed to show cheer.

He seemed to be telling Phobos to put his helmet on so that less moon would be reflected from his head.

The little skulking figure of Agrudek was hovering by itself on the edge of the crowd, nervously clutching his little ball pendant. But I ignored his piteous form, and instead looked to the slowly lightening sky.

I found no comfort there either as I saw that, at the peaks of the mountain we gathered below, there appeared to be countless numbers of strangely shaped shadows.

I strained my eyes to pick out one large shadow in the distance and started in dismay.

“There are hundreds of Griffins up there,” Kiana’s voice affirmed for me. “Just watching and waiting.” She launched herself up lithely to stand beside me on the rock.

“Watching and waiting for what?” I breathed in horror.

“They are going to see how good the defences we left are. If they find a weak spot, they will aim to make the entire City their Griffin dinner.” She glared upward. “But Aeron, Durna and the Council have prepared well. The moment one Griffin leaves its perch on those mountain peaks to swoop above the valleys, a hailstorm of expertly launched arrows will fell as many of them as is possible.”

“They’re not witless,” I croaked. “Why would they even try when they must realise great consequences await their attack?”

“Because even if they aren't daft, they are hungry and greedy. It is within their nature to send their smallest and weakest to at least test the remaining defenders before they rule out the possibility of a Jenran meal. Such a meal would almost make leaving for Krall’s battlements pointless.”

“Sacrifice their most useless brothers to test us out,” I shook my head in disgust.

“Aeron seems to think the Unicorn horn will addle their memories and motivation,” Kiana mentioned with interest. “So they won’t remember the opening of the tunnel and pass the information on.”

I moved my eyes from their foreboding shadows to look at Kiana. She carried only a very light pack and her daggers and sword so that she wouldn’t be weighed down on her great journey. She had left her healer bag and her Unicorn figurine in my care while her bow and quiver remained back in her Jenran chamber.

A sudden wistful desire to kiss her just once more burned through me, and her sharp blue eyes flashed to my face, feeling my scrutiny.

She raised one perfect eyebrow and then smiled faintly, as if she had understood my thoughts.

Kiana wrapped her arm lightly around my waist and I rested mine about her shoulders, and with the rest of Jenra we watched the first rays of the golden sun lightening the sky.

Chapter Ninety

Darziates had called!

His magic curled around her limbs and dragged her out of that plane of existence. With glee Agrona morphed into her beautiful female form as she sailed through time and space, buffeted by the evil of the Other Realm.

It burned and stung, and she would have been reduced to ashes without his guidance, but if he was pulling her to him, then surely the Sorcerer had missed his Queen of Darkness!

Agrona felt herself blurring into existence again, re-materialising triumphantly, only to find herself summoned into the planning room, where her Sorcerer was in conversation with Angra Mainyu.

Agrona had hoped for their reunion to be more intimate. Or that her master would at least glance up from his discussion with the inferior, crazed mortal. But instead, it was Angra Mainyu who stared up from their battle plans to rake her body appreciatively with his red tinged eyes. Then even he turned back to the plans and she was left neglected, waiting for them to finish.

The Witch inwardly glowered until Angra had been dismissed, and then she waited hungrily for Darziates to acknowledge her. Though for an agonising amount of time, the Sorcerer – his dark power swirling about him like a storm – remained outwardly passive. He simply continued to observe the parchment he held, leaving her to hover near him like a starved child staring at a banquet.

When he at last rose and turned, she waited expectantly for his greeting.

“Agrona,” he said in his deep velvety voice, and her breath was held abated. “You have work to do.”

She stepped closer and was bold enough to take his hand, grovelling over it, and he did not draw it away. “My Dread Lord, I shall serve you in any way you wish.”

He had no idea how far she was willing to go.

“Agrudek has spoken to me. I want you and the Evexus to go out on the hunt. The Three will soon be out in the world again.”

“Of course, master,” she crooned. “The Three will be no more.”

“No.” He shook his head slowly and spoke softly. “Bring them to me. Bring her to me.”

Agrona felt as if a sharp hook had just been tugged through her insides. It was the feeling of the realisation of her visions.

The forces beyond the physical planes – the Gods and Demons of the Other Realm, had chosen to warn her. Had chosen to reveal that the wretched Larnaeradee would do this.

Why? Simply to torment the Witch? To tell her to give up on Darziates? Or to tell her to rise up as her own kind of force to be reckoned with?

Agrona felt herself harden inside. She drew a cloak of red magic about her feelings and her mind. And for the first time since she had met him as a child, Agrona was able to shield all thoughts from the Sorcerer.

She had to help Darziates. His mind had been corrupted by pure magic, and he needed her loyal aid to ensure he was able to complete his Quest before the tenth age.

The Three had to die. Kiana had to die. And the magical races of the world had to be completely destroyed. Only then could life begin anew – rising from the ashes with a new world belonging truly to Agrona and her King.

It was up to her to help him to preserve his ideals, when his own mind had become clouded.

“I will serve you to my very best, and to my very last breath,” Agrona replied.

“As I expect,” the Sorcerer told her, before pushing her back through the fiery flares of the Other Realm, and thrusting her out into the wastelands where the Evexus waited.

After so long in ill favour and isolation, Agrona at last flew proud in the sky once more while the magnificent Evexus ran below her – their design now perfected as powerful Other Realm spirits seethed like acid beneath their skins.

They spoke intelligently together in their forbidden, foul language, now clever as well as cruel.

They would not fail. And she would not fail against that savage little Larnaeradee this time, so that her King would have no one to love but her, for saving his great Quest.

A viciously exultant screech rent itself from her beak, to be echoed back up from the Evexus listening below.

The Three did not stand a chance.

The Evexus were coming.

Agrona was coming.

Other books available in this series:

Book One – ‘The Last Larnaeradee’

Book Three – ‘The Army for the World’

For more information on novels written by Shelley Cass visit:

http://shelleycass.com

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I am so thankful for the friends who understand me and embrace who I am.

I am so appreciative of my work family, for being my silver lining even on the most stressful days.

I am so appreciative of Wendy – the greatest neighbour to have ever lived, and Linda – the greatest mother to have ever lived. Your patience with reading my novels when they are still rough, clunky, colossal things is indescribably helpful.

I am so grateful for an extended family of extensive love: the bubbly and boisterous Brittinghams, Burkes and Rigbys, and the gracious, gorgeous Tangees, Lennens and Plants. My grandparents too, though lost, are such a special part of me.

I am so thankful for Linda and Robert, a mum and dad who would move heaven and earth to make us happy.

For my sisters and best friends, Melissa and Leigh.

For my brother (in law), Andrew, and the lights of my life – Jack and Elyssia.

For the love of my life, my sunshine, Jarryd.

And for the little year eight version of me, who first picked up that pen to write.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I was an awkward, reserved year 8 student – totally in love with the escape and comfort offered by the novels I read. I could hear the voices of the authors’ characters, I could tune out my stresses and uncertainties as I journeyed with each protagonist through their own troubles. And then one day I could hear the voices of characters who hadn’t been written yet, in places that hadn’t been created, and I decided to write my own world.

It took a quest of over fourteen years to get that world perfected in three novels – because of course the real world kept getting in the way.

In the real world I became a high school teacher, and still face the epic battle of staying afloat in all the papers I must assess. And in the real world the magic has also sometimes been hard to find. Stress and disunity surface like cancer – making the nightly news too hard to watch on most days.

But in the real world there has also been inspiration – incredible students, loved ones, golden memories, growing up, warm hugs, big laughs and good people.

So I wrote of the things that threaten the world, and of the things that save it. I wish for a real world where the air is clean, the trees can grow without concrete borders, the darkness can be cured with the switch of a light, and the people can all have long days and happy lives.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Title Page

Map

Locations and pronunciation guide

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty One

Chapter Twenty Two

Chapter Twenty Three

Chapter Twenty Four

Chapter Twenty Five

Chapter Twenty Six

Chapter Twenty Seven

Chapter Twenty Eight

Chapter Twenty Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty One

Chapter Thirty Two

Chapter Thirty Three

Chapter Thirty Four

Chapter Thirty Five

Chapter Thirty Six

Chapter Thirty Seven

Chapter Thirty Eight

Chapter Thirty Nine

Chapter Forty

Chapter Forty One

Chapter Forty Two

Chapter Forty Three

Chapter Forty Four

Chapter Forty Five

Chapter Forty Six

Chapter Forty Seven

Chapter Forty Eight

Chapter Forty Nine

Chapter Fifty

Chapter Fifty One

Chapter Fifty Two

Chapter Fifty Three

Chapter Fifty Four

Chapter Fifty Five

Chapter Fifty Six

Chapter Fifty Seven

Chapter Fifty Eight

Chapter Fifty Nine

Chapter Sixty

Chapter Sixty One

Chapter Sixty Two

Chapter Sixty Three

Chapter Sixty Four

Chapter Sixty Five

Chapter Sixty Six

Chapter Sixty Seven

Chapter Sixty Eight

Chapter Sixty Nine

Chapter Seventy

Chapter Seventy One

Chapter Seventy Two

Chapter Seventy Three

Chapter Seventy Four

Chapter Seventy Five

Chapter Seventy Six

Chapter Seventy Seven

Chapter Seventy Eight

Chapter Seventy Nine

Chapter Eighty

Chapter Eighty One

Chapter Eighty Two

Chapter Eighty Three

Chapter Eighty Four

Chapter Eighty Five

Chapter Eighty Six

Chapter Eighty Seven

Chapter Eighty Eight

Chapter Eighty Nine

Chapter Ninety

Other books available

Acknowledgements

About the author