Swanheart

Chapter Ten

Revelations

The sun had barely come up as Leigh awoke. After having had dinner with King Mandylor the night before, the Elven leader had insisted that they should get some rest before they would talk about anything. It would have been impolite to object and so the knight and the princess had agreed. They had been led to the guest quarters and as soon as their heads had hit the pillows, they had been caught in the arms of sleep.

Blinking sleepily, Leigh looked around the room she was sharing with Alannah and found her gaze captured by a pair of bright blue eyes that regarded her fondly.

Cerulia sat patiently next to her bed, staring at her.

Leigh threw back the covers and sat down on the rug that had been placed in front of her bed. Reaching out with a hand, she stroked the soft fur of the wolf's head.

The animal snuggled close in contentment.

"Hey, would you like to come with me and check out the gardens?" Leigh whispered, rose from the rug and stepped to the window to have a look outside.

The weather promised that it would be a beautiful day. Robins, chickadees, yellow and green finches, bluebirds and cardinals soared through the air in colorful flocks, chirping and singing, greeting the new day in their own special way.

The sight of the birds brought a smile to her face. "Oh, Alannah is so going to love this."

"I'm so going to love what?" the princess inquired from behind her. Barely awake, Alannah crawled out of her bed, rubbed her eyes and crossed over to the window.

"What do you think of this view?" Leigh pointed outside.

"I love it," the instant answer came forward even though the princess' eyes were still half closed and her voice was a bit scratchy from sleep.

The smile on the knight's face widened to a grin. "I thought as much. How did you sleep?"

Alannah stretched and yawned, her mouth gaping open so far that Leigh was scared she would dislocate her jaw. "Like a rock. What about you?"

"Me too," Leigh nodded.

"I can't wait for Loreen to show us around. Cerulia needs to go outside too."

The wolf's head whipped around as her name fell.

Alannah gave her a hug and a kiss on the black nose. "I bet you are hungry and you want to stride through the woods, right?"

Cerulia cocked her head and her ears twitched.

"Good morning, you two. I'm glad to see you up and about." The curtain, which worked as a door, was pulled aside, revealing Loreen, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as usual. She wore her Elven outfit, something that Alannah and Leigh still had to get used to after years of seeing her in simple dresses. Her long, black hair had been brushed back and braided in the back. The healer now blended in perfectly with the other Elven warriors they had seen and met. "Get dressed, have a bite to eat and then meet us in the gardens." Loreen closed the curtain again to give them some privacy and left.

Alannah wrinkled her forehead. "Is it just me or is Loreen not so perky and talkative today? She seemed tense and as if she is worried about something."

Leigh rubbed her chin. "I guess the sooner we get to the gardens, the sooner we will know what's up. Maybe she feels a bit intimidated among all the other Elves. It has been many years since she was here."

"That's possible."

A short while later, the knight and the princess arrived in the garden, the white wolf on Alannah's side. Four comfortable chairs and one that was larger than the others had been set up in the shade of a group of lime trees on the circular stone terrace, which was in the center of the garden. The bigger chair was occupied by King Mandylor.

Loreen waved them over, indicating for the princess to sit on her right side while Leigh lowered her frame to the left seat.

After a quick command from Alannah, Cerulia lay down in the grass and rested her head on her front paws, her ears up, her blue eyes open and watching.

Loredane, Loreen's cousin, sat on the fifth chair next to Mandylor. His presence at the meeting showed that he held a much higher position than just that of a mere forest scout.

After polite greetings had been exchanged, everybody leaned back in their seat.

Mandylor folded his hands in his lap. His posture radiated a peaceful calmness that had them all at ease. Even Loreen seemed to relax a bit. "Good morning, my friends," the King of the Elven nation began. "I gather that you have rested well?"

Leigh and Alannah nodded. "Yes, thank you," the princess replied. "You have a wonderful home."

"Thank you, Wolfheart. I hope that it will be the home of the Elves for many centuries yet to come. Unfortunately, a dark shadow has been rising and I feel the stirring of great evil. It is not only the world of the humans that is in grave danger. For right now though, we are safe here. You came here in search of help and help is what you shall get," Mandylor said. "Please, explain to me the current situation."

Loreen sat up straight, opened her mouth and was about to say something, but the king interrupted her, raising a hand. "Please, let Wolfheart speak."

Alannah looked surprised from one face to the other. Leigh shrugged her shoulders in a helpless gesture, Loredane and Mandylor gave her an encouraging smile and Loreen leaned back again, nodding slightly. Hesitatingly, the Princess of Chitaan began to talk. "Well, it all began as Ranib and Wyan went out fishing and encountered an unconscious Animorph at the banks of the Kildiv River. They brought her home and we found out that it was Terrulli, the Princess of Ashkyhra. At first she couldn't remember anything. Bit by bit her memories returned. After she linked her mind with mine, we found out that Ashkyhra had been attacked.

My father sent out Saberclaw, his messenger bird, an eagle. We all saw that there was nothing left of Ashkyhra. It was completely destroyed. There were no traces of an army, which we thought was a strange thing, and we began to suspect that a magic-user was behind the attack. Also, nobody was proclaimed new ruler of the conquered country and nobody rose to claim the title.

My father sent out a message to Ranya, the High Sorceress of Urdgard. She came to meet with him.

Later, Goldbeak, the messenger bird from High Sorceress Tanith, arrived. Tanith told us that several refugees from Ashkyhra had turned up in Pavan. Her message revealed more details about the attack on Ashkyhra. It was said that the attacking soldiers had been accompanied by Shadow Warriors, more evidence that a magic-wielder must be involved somehow. The refugees believed that an ancient prophecy has come true, because Ashkyhra's attacker was dressed like the masked sorcerer that is mentioned in the text and he claimed to be the Deliverer of Peace. King Xandir of Ashkyhra was killed. Queen Rovannah and Prince Tyrel are missing.

Faced with this new information, my father initiated a meeting with the High Council in Shircon. All rulers of all the magical countries were invited. He, Ranya and Terrulli went there, while we were on our way to you, King Mandylor.

My father gave me an enchanted scroll for instant messaging. We received news from the Council meeting yesterday. Queen Samira of Slidur brought the news that Pavan has fallen prey to the masked sorcerer. High Sorceress Tanith has been abducted and the Golems, who were protecting Pavan, have been taken over by the enemy. It is feared that Kentaara is in danger to be destroyed next, if it has not been conquered already. Krymm, the leader of the stone country wasn't present at the meeting and everybody is worried.

Ranya, Terrulli and my father are on their way there at the moment to see what the situation is. After that, they want to join us here. That is all we know for the moment," Alannah concluded and gave the enchanted scroll to the Elven King.

He unfolded it and read the words that King Zaylan had written to his daughter, aware that the others were watching him expectantly.

*****

"Come on, come on!" the armored soldier barked, shoving another woman roughly into her place. "We don't have all day to concern ourselves with you sorry wenches! You are worse than a herd of dumb cows! Form a line, I said! And don't talk with each other!"

"Look at them," another soldier said, wrinkling his nose in disgust. "It's a bunch of old, dirty hags."

"Yeah, they stink to the high heavens. Let's make this quick and be done with it. We have war preparations to do."

It took another minute until the frightened, female prisoners were standing in a line. They were scared because they didn't know what fate would befall them next. Helplessly, they had watched as their land was taken over by the black-armored soldiers and as their men were killed. Some of them had seen when their children died or were taken away. A few of them had managed to flee only to be captured later.

Among those was Indira. She and her husband Xeros had gotten away and had managed to inform High Sorceress Tanith of the occurrences in Ashkyhra. They had not thought that their luck would come to an end so soon, but Pavan had been conquered only hours after they had reached it. In the chaos, Indira had lost sight of Xeros and she had no idea where her husband was at the moment, much less if he was still alive.

A gentle hand fell on her shoulder then and she looked right into the bright, ice-blue eyes of a blonde woman. Recognition seized Indira immediately and her eyes widened in shock. Either she was going stark raving mad or her Queen was also a prisoner in this horrible place.

The aura of the woman shone like a beacon even if her hair was greasy and dirty, her dress torn and her face streaked with dried tears, dried blood and dirt.

Indira's mouth opened but she closed it instantly as she saw the other woman shake her head slowly.

A few other women seemed to have recognized the Queen of Ashkyhra as well, because there were now several staring at her.

Indira realized if anybody would give away Rovannah's identity, they all would be lost.

"What are you all staring at?" the first soldier demanded unfriendly. "Did you see your Spirit and think she will come to your rescue?"

All eyes turned immediately to the cold stone floor.

"That's better. And finally you managed to get into a line. I'm truly impressed."

The other man snorted disdainfully.

The men then sorted through the prisoners, assigning work and tasks to some of them while others were sent back to their cells.

Walking up to Indira and Rovannah, the soldiers eyed them longer than they did the other women. It took all of Indira's willpower not to let her fear show as all kinds of horrific scenarios and possibilities of the men's actual plans raced through her mind.

"What do you think? Kitchen duty?" the first one asked.

The other man was busily leering at Rovannah. "I don't know… this one seems too pretty for that."

Rolling his eyes, the first soldier replied, "You make me sick. Could you for once think with something else but your loins?"

"Have you ever heard of fun? Maybe you should have some, because then you wouldn't be so freaking stiff the whole time." He snorted as his words sank in. "No pun intended, buddy."

Not bothering to remark on the crude joke, the first soldier grabbed the women at the shoulders and shoved them roughly towards the kitchen.

*****

Mandylor refolded the scroll and gave it back to Alannah. "Thank you, Wolfheart."

"Will you please help us?" the princess asked hesitatingly. "I know there have been animosities between Elves and Humans for the longest time, but we all share this world and like you said, it's not only the world of the Humans that is at stake."

The corners of the king's lips curled in a smile. "You have spoken wisely, Wolfheart. And yes, we will help as much as we can to prevent everlasting darkness from taking over Yuron. From this moment on, until the end of all time and beyond, there shall be a treaty between Ilumera and Chitaan. I am proud to fight alongside such honorable people and call them my friends."

"It is an honor to us, King Mandylor."

The Elf looked from one to the other. His eyes stopped on Leigh, who almost squirmed on her chair under the penetrating gaze. "Swanheart, you have grown a lot since our first meeting twenty years ago and as Loreen told me, you have become a skilled warrior, just as the stars foretold."

Leigh grew more and more uncomfortable because everybody was watching her now. "Uh… thank you, King Mandylor. I have not done anything heroic yet…"

The Elf's smile widened. "So, you do not know about your fate?"

The knights hands began to sweat and she pressed her palms tightly against her thighs.

"Your mind is full of questions, Swanheart. I can see it on your face. Go ahead, ask what you want to know, do not hold back. Knowledge is a sword that never needs sharpening. It is an arrow that will never miss its aim. It is a shield that will never break. Knowledge is the greatest weapon in any battle, right along with instincts. They are the two main things that will keep you alive."

Leigh looked at Alannah, who nodded slightly. "I… I do have a few questions."

"If it is in my power I will answer all of them," Mandylor promised.

"I would like to know why you call us by different names. What is the significance of Wolfheart and Swanheart?"

"We Elves share a very close bond with Mother Nature and every aspect of life, however insignificant it might be deemed, is of great importance to us," Mandylor explained. "The energy of life is everywhere, from the sky we walk under, to the ground we walk upon. It is in every drop of water and in every grain of sand. It surrounds us and it is inside us. Animals feel it stronger than we do. Now and again it happens that Humans share a very strong bond with an animal." Then the Elven King directed a question at the knight. "Would you say that Alannah and Cerulia are close?"

The white wolf raised her head as her name fell.

Leigh nodded. "Yes. I would say that it's quite obvious."

"But Cerulia loves you too," Alannah objected, looking at Leigh. "She is also very protective of you, you know that, and she starts looking for you when you are not around."

The Elven King raised an eyebrow. "Is that true?"

Once again, Leigh nodded.

Turning back to Alannah, Mandylor said, "That is very interesting, but your bond with Cerulia is still stronger. It also has something to do with certain characteristics of you."

"That's why you call me Wolfheart, because I carry a wolf deep in my heart and soul?" Alannah asked surprised.

"Correct."

"And you saw that just from looking at me?"

The Elven King nodded. "Yes. There is more revealed to an Elven eye than a Human one would be able to catch without proper training. The fact that you did not wish to part from Cerulia, and she not from you, laid it open too. As for Swanheart…"

Leigh pulled a face. "You already called me that when we met the first time, King Mandylor. I don't think I want to hear that I am an ugly duckling at heart. I'd rather be a wolf too."

"You do know that swans are majestic and proud and can fight like berserkers, just like you," Alannah remarked. "Remember the swan guards in our garden? And you share a close bond with a swan."

The knight frowned. "What swan?"

"Think about Snowfeather," the princess reminded her. "You are the only one that she really cuddles with and she follows you around when we are there."

"You are right," Leigh agreed. She was still unsure if she liked it or not, deciding to contemplate it later. "But Snowfeather likes you too. You were the first one she took a treat from and she lets you touch her as well."

"Indeed?" Mandylor asked. "Tell me, do Cerulia and Snowfeather get along?"

"Yes," Alannah nodded.

"The wolf is not chasing the swan and the swan isn't bothered by the wolf's presence?"

"Not at all. They greet each other in the mornings with touching their heads together."

"Truly interesting and very unique," the Elven King mumbled.

"Is that considered a bad thing?" Alannah inquired, a little bit worried.

Shaking his head, he replied, "Oh no, no, far from it. It's actually a very wonderful thing."

Facing Mandylor once more, Leigh asked, "When we arrived here with Uruth, you mentioned that he has returned with the saviors in his wake. What did you mean with that?"

"You have not been told?" The Elven King asked and exchanged a quick look with Loreen, who shook her head slightly.

The movement didn't go unnoticed by Leigh. The knight turned to the healer. "Ever since we began our journey toward Ilumera, Alannah and I had the feeling that you know more than you told us. It wasn't a coincidence that King Zaylan chose us to go to the Elves, was it?"

Loreen cleared her throat, averting her eyes.

"Loreen, please tell us what's going on," Alannah pleaded.

"I was asked not to reveal anything until the right time," the Half-Elf admitted. "You were supposed to grow up without worries and have a carefree life."

"Who asked you not to say anything? My Father?" the princess inquired.

Loreen nodded. "Yes."

"Are you saying that King Zaylan also knows more and he kept it from us?" Leigh asked, not knowing what to feel. There was a little bit of anger, disappointment and confusion, but also the will to listen to everything else Loreen might have to say.

"Please, don't be upset, my Princess and Leigh. You both know that Zaylan would never wish for you to be harmed in any way. He loves you both dearly and he just wanted to protect you for as long as he could. It hurt him that he had to lie to you. But now that the prophecy has come to pass…"

"Wait a minute," Alannah interjected. "What are you trying to say?"

"You are our saviors," King Mandylor said in Loreen's place. "You will destroy the masked sorcerer and bring peace back to the country."

Alannah's mouth gaped open, too shocked to say anything.

"If this is a joke then it's definitely not funny," Leigh sputtered, her heart pounding strongly.

Loreen rose from her chair and knelt in front of the young woman. Her eyes were full of compassion. "It is no joke," the Half-Elf said. "You are the Chosen of the Spirits. You will help to unite Yuron and you are the Deliverer of Peace."

"And there is no mistake?" Alannah asked. The disbelief was clearly audible in her voice and visible on her face. She was still trying to comprehend what she had just heard. She was more scared for Leigh than for herself and the same could be said for the knight.

Loreen slowly shook her head, her eyes not moving from the young women's faces. "I am afraid not." Her heart was aching for them as she saw the conflicts of emotion on their features. Zaylan and she had known that it wouldn't be an easy revelation and had planned on telling them carefully, but now that danger was so close there was no other way.

"But how can you be sure that we are the right ones?" Leigh asked. "From what I understand, this prophecy is ancient and was done a very long time before we were born."

"When you were born, my friend, the stars foretold your fate. Great things will come from you, Swanheart, and also from Wolfheart," Mandylor announced.

"Oh, so why was nobody there in time to save Alannah's mother or my parents? Or did the stars not foretell that?" Leigh snapped, furious. "Why did the stars not foretell when exactly the masked sorcerer would start trying to conquer Yuron? Why don't the stars tell us who it is so that we can finally do something about him?"

"You are angry, I understand. Nonetheless, you cannot escape your destiny."

"How are we supposed to stop him?" Leigh cried outraged, pulling her hair in despair. "He commands an army that grows daily and a troop of Shadow Warriors! He destroys whole countries with a snap of his fingers, magical countries that have had the powers of the Spirits no less!" With each word the knight's voice became louder. She had leapt from her chair, curling her hands to fists so hard that her knuckles turned white. "I may be a knight but I have never been in a battle before! The prophecy must be wrong. We can't be the saviors. I can't be the Deliverer of Peace. It's impossible! If we truly are the only hope, then we are doomed!"

Alannah reached out and placed a hand on the knight's back to calm her.

"Is the daughter of Marnoc and Shonara lacking self-confidence?" Mandylor asked.

Leigh crossed her arms in front of her chest and shook her head stubbornly. "No." The whole time, she had wished that they would stop talking and stop analyze everything over and over again. But that the princess and she would be shoved into the center and that all the responsibility would now come to rest on Alannah's and her own too small back was a lot to take in. She felt as if a millstone had been placed around her neck and its weight was dragging her to the ground. "There is a difference between self-confidence and simple self-deception. How shall we even attempt to stop this powerful wizard?"

Mandylor got up and walked over to the knight. Placing his slender hands on her shoulders, he looked deeply into her eyes. "You are scared and it is alright. You are not alone in this. Your friends will fight alongside you. The unity between all countries of Yuron has already begun. While we are standing here, I know from King Zaylan's scroll that Samira of Slidur and Nirios of Livos are forging treaties with the non-magical countries. The whole Elven nation will join you in battle. We all might be doomed if we would continue to live as we did in the past, only being concerned about ourselves and our own matters. But the change has started with you coming here to ask us for help and also due to King Zaylan insistence at the Council meeting to involve every country."

Leigh sank back on her chair, burying her face in her hands and releasing a deep sigh. "This is too much," she whispered.

*****

After scrubbing floors all day and peeling barrels of potatoes, she was completely exhausted. Though the work was hard, Indira was very glad that she had been assigned to kitchen duty. It was better than staring into the impenetrable darkness of the hole, which was called a cell. There was also another advantage to it as she had come to find out. Bits and pieces of conversations reached her ears and she stored them safely in her mind to analyze them later. The soldiers, who were talking and bragging, didn't pay any attention to her, believing that she was just an imprisoned servant, who was posing no threat. Little did they know that she was gathering as many information as she could.

"You can leave for today," a man told her.

She bowed submissively and retreated to the tiny chambers that she was sharing with her Queen.

Rovannah was already stretched out on a sack of scratchy, smelly straw, her legs covered by a moth-eaten blanket.

The sight of the noble woman brought tears to her eyes. Lowering herself to her raw knees, Indira looked at her and the tears trickled down her cheeks. "My Queen, please forgive my next words, but it is so good to see you. I do wish the circumstances were different, but it is such a relief to see you alive."

Rovannah took the other woman's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I agree. It feels good to see a familiar face among all the horrors we have to face."

"After the battle, my husband and I were looking for you, but we were unable to find you. We fled to Pavan and the High Sorceress Tanith took us in, mere hours before the masked sorcerer came to conquer that land too. Who knows how many more countries have been raided until now. I heard the soldiers talk. Kentaara has fallen and they are preparing to lay siege on Urdgard. If only I could find out where Xeros is, we could come up with a plan to stop them. My Queen, can you use your magical powers?"

Rovannah used a thumb to wipe Indira's tears away. "I am honored by your strong belief in my magical abilities but I alone am not strong enough to fight the masked sorcerer. Until now he has managed to get his greedy hands on two sacred gemstones. Even though he doesn't have the one from Ashkyhra, he is much more powerful than he was when he conquered our country and then we couldn't defeat him either."

"That's because we all were taken by surprise when he appeared out of nowhere to attack."

The queen nodded. "That is true, but to tell you the truth I don't think Xandir and I could have defeated him had we known he was coming. He is in cohorts with some ancient dark powers…"

Indira interrupted her. "But with the magic of the gemstone you could have…"

"No," Rovannah replied. "I heard soldiers talk about the conquering of Pavan. Tanith used the stone of Pavan and still it wasn't enough. I think the only way to defeat him is to combine all seven jewels. Our countries would have to unite and center their powers, aiming it at the dark wizard all at once."

Indira rose. A new strength had entered her. "Hope is not lost. All we have to do is steal the gemstones he has, break out of this place and unite all countries of Yuron against the masked sorcerer," she said forcefully and determined.

A small laugh escaped the queen's throat. "When you say it like that, it doesn't sound as hard, but unfortunately, I think it's impossible."

Indira had begun to pace the room. It only took her four big steps to cross from one side to the other. "What we need is help. We need to find out where they keep High Sorceress Tanith locked up. I know they took her prisoner, but I don't know where they put her." Indira watched the other woman and felt a painful tug at her heart.

Rovannah was looking at her hands with a very sad expression.

"My Queen, what is it?"

Rovannah sighed. Teary-eyed, she regarded the woman in front of her. "Do you really believe that we will find a way?"

Indira nodded. "Yes, but I feel that is not what has you so worried."

"I was wondering about my children. I hope Terrulli managed to get to safety and that Ashkyhra's gemstone is well out of reach of evil. And what of Tyrel? By Axana, I wish I knew where they are and if they are well."

"When I was peeling potatoes earlier I heard the cooks talk, mentioning something about a boy, who is locked up. They were cracking fun about what a stubborn little fellow he is. Maybe you can reach out with your mind and see if it is him?"

"That is very dangerous. The dark wizard knew when we used the mind-link at the castle. If he detects my presence, he will kill me instantly," Rovannah replied. Everything inside her screamed to throw caution to the wind and find out if the boy truly was Tyrel.

Indira rubbed her chin in thought. "I guess we will wait then until the masked sorcerer leaves his layer. When he is gone it is safe to try the mind-link."

*****

A few moments in silence had passed. A gentle wind made the leaves of the lime trees rustle.

Leigh was staring unseeing at the floor, thinking about the revelation. Then she raised her head and her eyes traveled from Alannah to Loreen and finally stopped at King Mandylor. "Did you already know about my fate when we met for the first time?" she wanted to know.

"Yes."

The knight nodded slowly. "I wish somebody would have told me sooner so that I could have prepared better. Why did the Spirits choose me? There is nothing special about me."

"You are so wrong in that," the Elven King responded. "Every living being is special in its own self. You might not have discovered your worth yet, but others did."

"What is expected of us now?" Alannah inquired. She appeared to have gotten over her first shock, though inside her emotions were whirling and she was just upset as Leigh. The princess wished as well that her father or Loreen would have told her sooner. Now she understood why the Half-Elf had been so reserved in the morning when she came to tell them about the meeting.

"There is nothing expected that you won't be able to fulfill." Mandylor answered.

"Please, no more riddles and keeping us in the dark," Leigh said, demanding. "Do you know how we can stop the masked sorcerer?" She rose again from the chair and began to pace, her mind working feverishly. "The Spirits used the holy gemstones for good purposes and there is no saying what these jewels can do if they are used with dark magic. I know that we have to keep him from gathering more pieces of Asram's stone somehow.

We know for sure that he has the one from Pavan and therefore he has control of the Golems and the dark forces of earth. We think that he has the one from Ashkyhra in his possession because that was the first country he attacked, meaning he could have unlocked the dark powers of the air. We don't know what happened to Kentaara yet, but if he conquered it, he might harbor the dark powers of stone. Anyway, assuming the worst, he has gotten three pieces of Asram's Stone of Creation and he wields powerful dark magic.

Fire, water, wood and metal are the four stones, which are still safe at the moment. They need to be protected. But in each conquered country they were guarded by High Sorcerers and they were unable to stop the dark wizard from taking over.

He has a way to get unseen into the countries to conquer them before anybody knows what's going on. We have to find out how he does that."

Leigh's face turned grim. "And last but not least, he is commanding Shadow Warriors. I have no idea how we can stop these."

"There is a weapon," Loredane chimed in, unexpected. He had been quiet the whole time, just listening and watching.

All eyes turned to the Elven scout.

Leigh blinked. It seemed that this day was just full of surprises. "There is a weapon that can defeat Shadow Warriors? Why has never anybody heard of it before?"

"Paquin, the Lord of the Mermen keeps it hidden. I can lead you there, if it is your wish to retrieve it."

*****

High Councilor Naphtalon leaned back in his armchair, brushing his fingertips through the long strands of his white beard. His eyes were fixed intently to a scroll. He looked up as he heard knocking on the door to his private chambers. "Enter," Naphtalon called out.

The door opened, admitting High Councilor Arida, who supported herself on a staff.

Naphtalon leapt off his chair and crossed over to her with a few quick steps. He held out one arm to the crone and guided her helpfully to a vacant seat.

"Would you like something to drink?" he offered politely.

She shook her head, declining. Arida lowered her frame cautiously to the chair, her bony fingers keeping their hold on the gnarled wooden staff. She groaned slightly as joints and bones popped and cracked.

"You should have a healer look at that," Naphtalon said, after sitting down opposite her.

Waving a hand dismissively, she responded, "I already know what they are going to tell me. There is no cure for old age. Soon enough I will see the Different World where all pain is coming to an end. Besides, my health is not the reason I'm paying you a visit."

"I figured that. What news do you have?"

"The team of linguists that you put on the case of the accursed mirror…"

Naphtalon sat up straight. They had been waiting a few days now for information concerning the artifact of dark magic that they had found in the chambers of Ciem. "What's going on? What did they find?"

Arida released a deep breath. "Take all scary speculations that were voiced at the last Council meeting and multiply them with a thousand more."

"You are speaking in riddles, my dear," he replied.

"I know. That is what one of the linguists told me when he showed up in my study earlier. They believe that the dark force Ciem was serving was no other but Cerrn."

It was so silent in the room one could have heard a needle drop.

"Disbelief is a rather unusual expression for your face, Naphtalon," she remarked.

"I'm sorry… I just… Cerrn? And there is no doubt?"

"Not as far as the linguists are concerned," Arida declared. "The runes and signs speak for themselves, revealing that Asram's dark brother is at work."

Naphtalon wiped his face, which had become pale. "So, the greatest of all evils has found a way to enter Yuron and the hearts of people. May the Spirits help us."

"Unfortunately, I think we are on our own and we have to help ourselves. Something major will have to happen or Yuron is lost."

Considering the last statement, Naphtalon rose and began to pace. "If only we knew what Ciem has told his master? Our hope is resting on alliances with the non-magical countries and the Elves to prevent the masked sorcerer from getting access to more pieces of Asram's Stone."

Arida stared at him, her fingertips tracing nervously over the bumps and unevenness of her staff. "Did you receive word how successful King Nirios and Queen Samira are in recruiting helpers, or if King Zaylan found anything in Kentaara and is now talking with the Elves?"

Naphtalon shook his head, sighing. "No, not yet. My fear is that no matter how huge of an army we will have, it won't be enough to stop the masked sorcerer. And now that we know for sure that there is dark magic involved…" He sighed again, more heavily. "The chances to come out of this unscathed are dwindling with each passing second."

"The most important thing is that there is still hope. As long as we hold on to that, there is always a way. Are we willing to walk it, even if it might be hard and demand all our strength? That's the question."

He turned to look at her. "What if we waited too long and it's too late now?"

Arida raised an eyebrow. "It is never too late for changes. We need more information on the prophecy. I am sure there are different ways to read it and maybe we will find another solution. Please, see to it that a messenger is sent to Chitaan, informing King Zaylan of what we found out." Though her bones and joints were protesting wildly, the crone rose and slowly shuffled out of the room.

*****

Grinding her teeth in frustration, Tanith tensed her muscles and pulled with all her might at the restrains that kept her bound to the wall. The shackles and chains rattled, but held. Cursing, the High Sorceress sagged back. It was of no use. The enchanted metal drained all the magic from her small body and they could not be broken. Tanith bit down on her lower lip to keep from bursting into tears. Though it would be tears of rage, crying would do no good in this situation and she didn't want to give her enemy the pleasure of seeing her weak. She was still trying to figure out why he didn't kill her after he had taken the holy gemstone of Pavan. Instead, he had locked her up and was keeping her alive.

Clicking and rattling came from the locks that kept the cell's door closed. It swung open and Tanith squeezed her eyes shut as the dark room was suddenly illuminated by a torch.

The tall man with the pock-marked face and the clean-shaven head entered, holding in his arms the frail body of Tyrel.

The boy was barely conscious. His face was pale and glistening with sweat.

"What did he do to him?" Tanith cried out, horrified. She wanted to rise and take the prince from the filthy paws of the soldier, but already the first attempt to get up failed. The High Sorceress was still too weak after she had channeled all her energy to break the bonds. Nonetheless, she tried and struggled to get on her feet, her eyes never leaving the soldier.

Burak crossed over to the second pile of straw and slowly lowered the boy's body to it. He tried not to look at him but he was helpless. His hand came up to wipe the beads of sweat from the feverish forehead, but stopped, hovering a mere inch over the skin.

"What kind of monster are you?" Tanith shouted. How she wished he would finally go. "Leave him alone! Can't you see that he's been through enough, thanks to your Master?"

Burak rose to his full height.

Suddenly, two small hands came up and took a surprisingly strong hold of the soldier's armor. Tyrel's eyelashes fluttered open and his eyes fixed on the man's scarred face. "Please… please… leave… the torch…" he croaked in a scratchy voice. "I… I don't want… to be… in darkness anymore…" His fingers lost their grip as the boy's eyes closed again.

Tanith feared the worst. "By Leydara, Tyrel? Tyrel? Tyrel, please say something!" She called his name several times, trying to rouse him.

Burak swallowed hard. "He is fine. He just needs to rest."

Not in the slightest bothered about any consequences it might cause, Tanith glared at the soldier. Anger burnt in her guts with a passion that it was scary. Pulling hard at the chains, the High Sorceress managed to gain footing and watched in great satisfaction that the man retreated a few steps. "Get out, you bastard and return to the monster that you call Master!" she screeched at the top of her lungs.

"I… I'm sorry," Burak mumbled. He placed the torch into the iron ring on the wall and left the cell. The Commander came back once more to leave them a tray with some dry bread and cups of water. "I really am sorry… I…"

"Save it!" Tanith snarled. "I don't want to hear anything from your lying mouth. Nothing you have to say could make up for what he is putting us through. And you are just as bad because you help the evil one. This boy might die because you don't help him instead!"

The man looked at her as if she had just literally slapped him hard across the face.

Her voice took on a different timbre. It was gentle and as the words floated around him it felt as if they were caressing him. "I can see the doubts in your eyes. I know that deep down you see that what your Master does is wrong."

Burak shook his head. "No, no! You are just trying to manipulate me! The Master will deliver peace to Yuron and unite all the countries."

"You can't bring peace through violence, destruction and fear wielded by a tyrant, who is suppressing the people," the High Sorceress remarked.

"Things will change. This is just the beginning to establish a base control."

"Do you actually listen to yourself when you talk? He is the one who's manipulating you. He doesn't want to deliver peace. He wants to unite Yuron under his horrifying rule! What did he promise you that you would join his ranks? Was it a piece of the big cake? Did he say he would give you a nice house that you could call home or was it the control of a country after he reshaped the whole of Yuron to fit his needs and twisted point of view?"

Burak stared at her silently and she could see his resolve wavering.

"Think what you want, but mark my words," Tanith replied indifferently. "You better live your life to the fullest and when we meet again in the Different World, I will make you pay for each and every living being that got hurt either by you or by the Master you love so much. I will haunt you for eternity, Burak."

"Have you gone completely crazy, wench?" he sputtered exasperated. Walking over, he roughly grabbed her chin, using just enough force to inflict pain without leaving bruises or breaking her jaw. "How dare you threaten me like that?"

Her brown eyes blazing fiercely, she pulled again at the restraints. "Are you scared I will turn your Afterlife into hell? You already are hovering over an abyss. The question is, are you going to jump to be consumed by the darkness or will you find your way back to the light?" The shackles tightened around her wrists even further and she felt herself growing weak in the knees. It wouldn't be much longer before her legs would give out under her and she would drop ungracefully back to the pile of straw. "What are you going to do, Burak? Would you beat up a woman, who is in chains and unable to defend herself? I don't think your Master would like that. He has plans for me as he put it, before I was shoved into this stinking cell. I've got nothing to lose." For a brief second she was really afraid that she had gone too far and that he would hit her as she saw his free hand curl into a fist.

The Commander felt her fingers fumbling at his hip, trying to get a hold of the bunch of keys that hung from his belt. "Nice try," he growled and shoved her away from him.

Her back collided with the stone wall and she hit her head so hard that she saw colorful sparkles explode in front of her eyes. The breath was knocked from her lungs and she sank to the straw gasping and groaning in pain.

"Eat and look after the boy," were the final words Burak spoke, before he left the cell.

Tanith kept her sprawled position until the sharp pain had subsided somewhat. "It wasn't one of my brightest ideas to gauge him into a fight. But the keys were so close in reach like never before. Well, this plan failed, I have to come up with something else."

Tyrel stirred on his makeshift bed. His body curled into a fetal position and he whimpered.

Gingerly, Tanith sat up and then slowly moved over to him. She reached out with one hand, meaning to stroke his face and back in order to soothe the boy, but due to the chains, the sorceress only managed to touch her fingertips to his. "We will find a way, Tyrel, don't give up," she told him.

"Mother… is… here… save… us…" the Prince of Ashkyhra mumbled.

"What? Tyrel, what are you saying?"

The boy whimpered again, his eyelids fluttering. "Mother… Mother… save… us… Mother…"

Tears welled up in Tanith's eyes and she felt a glowing dagger pierce her heart. "He's gone mad with grief and he lost his mind due to the bastard's mind-probing."

*****

Continued...