The Godling Chronicles (Shadow of the Gods, Book #3) (19 page)

Kaylia looked back on the field, to where she
and Gewey had spent their first night truly bonded.

Nehrutu, touched her shoulder. “Your love
will return,” he whispered.

She grasped his hand lightly. “As will
yours.”

Theopolou raised his hand high.
“Forward!”

It was done. The elves now marched to meet
their destiny.

Chapter 13

Gewey awoke to find Aaliyah sitting up
looking down with an expression of both curiosity and
understanding. His dreams had been filled with visions of Kaylia,
and somehow he knew that Aaliyah knew this. “Do you think about
your unorem often?” he asked.

She smiled tenderly. “It was not he who
occupied my thoughts. There was another, years later.”

“
What happened?” He propped himself up
on his elbows.

She thought for a moment before she replied.
“It was best that we did not complete the bonding.” She touched his
cheek. “Sometimes what is in your heart is not what is best.”

“
I don't agree,” said Gewey. “My father
taught me to follow my heart, and so far it has guided me
well.”

“
Ah,” Aaliyah replied. “But your years
are still few...at least in this world. You are a leader of both
human and elf. I think, in time, you will find that you must do
what is best for those whom you care for, rather than follow your
own desires.”

“
I do that now,” he asserted, ignoring
the remark about his youth. “I think that if I follow my heart I
will do right by them.”

“
You may think that,” she said,
withdrawing her hand. “But you have yet to face the burdens of
leadership. You have been the student; but the time will soon come
when the whole world will look to you for hope and strength. When
the day comes, you will understand.”

The camp was already abuzz with activity.
Gewey could see that they were making preparations to leave. A
small group of them, were digging a large hole just beyond the
perimeter of the camp.

“
I wonder what that's for?” remarked
Gewey.

“
We bury anything we leave behind,”
said Pali as he strode up, a small pack slung across his back and a
cloth bundle in his arms. “These will better keep you cool.” He
tossed the bundle to Gewey.

Inside, Gewey found two sets of clothes
identical to what Pali wore. He gave one to Aaliyah and found a
private spot to change. The cloth felt cool on his skin and was far
softer than it appeared, and was much like the elf clothing given
to him by Theopolou.

By the time he and Aaliyah had changed, the
rest of the camp was already gathering. Pali and his mother stood
side by side at the edge of the oasis, speaking quietly. Pali
smiled when Gewey approached.

“
Now you look civilized,” Pali
remarked, approvingly. A moment later Aaliyah appeared. Except for
the headdress, she looked very much like a desert elf. “If you are
ready, we have much ground to cover before sundown.”

Weila embraced her son and bowed to Gewey and
Aaliyah. “I pray you a safe journey. Listen to my son. He may not
be a Sand Master, but he knows the desert. He will guide you
well.”

“
I thank you for your aid and
hospitality,” said Aaliyah. “I hope we meet again.”

Weila smiled and turned, moving slowly toward
the other elves. Pali waved a farewell, which was boisterously
returned with cheers and shouts. Pali pointed them north and in
minutes they were around the dunes and out of sight.

“
Where are they going?” asked
Gewey.

“
They head east to join more of our
people,” Pali replied. “Our business here is done.”

“
And what was your business?” asked
Aaliyah.

Pali unslung his pack and pulled out a thin,
blue blanket. “This.” He handed it to Gewey. “We trade with the
humans in this area for spices and wool.”

The blanket was as soft as silk, and warm to
the touch, as if heated near a fire. “What is it made of?” he
asked, handing it back.

“
The plant is called Trulu.” He shoved
it back in his pack. “It will keep you warm on the coldest night,
though I prefer a fire. Humans tend to be more sensitive to the
cold. You will be happy I brought them come nightfall. With Soufis
in the area, we cannot risk a fire.”

The rest of the day they wound their way
between the dunes. Pali occasionally climbed to the top to take a
look around. The sun was brutally hot, and Gewey's legs burned from
trudging through the soft, deep sand. After only two hours he drew
in the flow to give himself enough strength to continue. To his
great relief, Aaliyah caused a cool breeze to follow them, making
the heat more bearable. This caused Pali to take notice.

“
My mother would be very displeased,”
he remarked. “But I must admit, it is a useful skill.” He glanced
at Gewey. “Though I was unaware that humans could steal life from
the earth. Or perhaps humans of the desert have forgotten such
things.” Receiving no reply and seeing Gewey's sudden unease, he
shrugged. “It matters not.”

They stopped only once to rest and did not
eat. By sundown, even using the flow Gewey could feel the tightness
in his legs. He almost dreaded the evening when he would release it
and the pain would set in. They found a high dune and climbed up
onto it once night began to fall.

Pali distributed the blankets and some dried
meat. “I know you may be accustomed to more frequent meals, but in
the desert, a full stomach will cause your gut to knot.” He smiled
at Aaliyah. “Though, with such a soothing wind at our backs,
perhaps tomorrow we will have a small midday meal.”

Just as Gewey feared the moment he released
the flow the pain in his legs struck hard. He moaned with
discomfort.

Pali laughed. “It will take some time to
build your strength.”

Aaliyah leaned over and placed her hands on
his aching legs. Gewey could feel the flow rush in and the pain
immediately subsided.

“
Thank you,” said Gewey. For once he
did not feel shy at her touch. “My father told me stories as a
child of terrible creatures that roam the desert. Some I can hardly
believe.”

Pali tilted his head and grinned. “There are
all manner of beasts on the sands. Most leave you alone, as long as
you do the same.”

“
What about the giant lizards?” asked
Gewey.

“
Your father must have listened to an
elf lore master to have heard such stories,” said Pali. “If they
exist, they must be in the North West canyons, where no human or
elf roams. I have never seen such a creature here...and there are
few places among the dunes I have not traveled.”

Gewey couldn't help but be disappointed.
“What about wolves?”

Pali nodded. “They are very real. Though not
as perilous as people believe them to be. They will not trouble you
as long as you are not alone, and even an elf does not wander
alone. Not even a Sand Master.”

They stayed up and talked for another hour.
Aaliyah kept quiet, preferring to listen. Gewey found the blanket
to be more than adequate for keeping out the cold. The wind brushed
across the dune rhythmically, and soon Gewey felt himself
drift.

No sooner had his breathing grown deep and
steady, he was awakened by a low grumble. He quickly rose to see
Pali and Aaliyah already on their feet, weapons drawn. Gewey
reached down, freed his sword, and filled himself with the
flow.

“
What is it?” Gewey
whispered.

“
Wolves,” Pali replied, in a low
tone.

“
I thought you said they didn't bother
people,” said Gewey. He closed his eyes and listened. At once he
sensed them. Six beasts, large as ponies, were slowly circling the
dune. The feral growls rose, causing the hair to stand up on the
back of his neck.

“
They don't,” said Pali. “There's
something wrong. I have never heard of them preying on anything but
a lone traveler. And even that is rare.”

“
Do not fear,” said Aaliyah. She drew
in the power of the air. A small ball of flame burst to life above
her head. “I have faced fierce beasts in my lands, yet I still
live.”

“
They go for the throat,” warned Pali.
“Stay low.”

No sooner did he speak than all six rushed up
the hill at once. Their speed made a Vrykol seem slow by
comparison, and their immense paws appeared to glide effortlessly
across the sand. The flame above Aaliyah flew down and exploded,
engulfing a wolf in white-hot fire. It let out a high-pitched cry,
and tumbled down the dune. Gewey caused the sands beneath another
to heave skyward, but to his dismay the wolf fell back, only
stunned. Another jumped at his throat, and he just managed to duck
away in time. The wolf slid to a halt and turned, its teeth
gnashing. Gewey quickly glance over his shoulder. One wolf lay dead
at Pali's feet, and he was keeping another at bay with his long
scimitar.

A flash of light illuminated the dune, and
Gewey heard another wolf cry out. By then the first wolf had
recovered and reached him. It didn't go for his throat as had the
first one, instead ran straight at him, its cruel teeth gleaming.
Gewey brought down his blade in a narrow arc, splitting its skull
in two. Its body slammed into him, knocking him from his feet. The
other wolf was on him the second he landed, bring its deathly maw
down hard at Gewey’s neck. He raised his sword and the sound of
fangs on steel rang out. He pushed hard with the flow and sent the
wolf sprawling. It landed a few feet down the side of the dune,
turned and stopped. Gewey struggled to his feet. Aaliyah and Pali
were already next to him. Pali's left shoulder hung loosely at his
side, soaked with blood that poured off his fingertips. The beast’s
black eyes suddenly glowed with an unnatural green light, then it
slowly backed away and disappeared into the darkness.

Pali stumbled and collapsed. Gewey caught him
and gently lower him to the ground.

Aaliyah knelt down and ripped away Pali's
shirt. Blood poured from a vicious bite. The teeth had sunk deep
and nearly pulled his shoulder from its socket. She closed her eyes
and directed her power at the wound.

Pali tried to push her away. “No,” he
protested. “You cannot.”

Aaliyah did not yield. “I swore an oath to
your mother that you would return unharmed. I intend to keep it.”
She looked up at Gewey. “You must help me.”

Gewey placed his hands on Aaliyah's and their
spirits combined. The flow rushed through him, and for the first
time he drew both air and earth together, as she guided his energy.
Pali struggled at first, then gasped, arching his back. Gewey could
feel the wound close as the flow surrounded it. He had healed
before, but Aaliyah's skill astounded him. In less than a minute,
the wound had closed.

“
We must help him recover the blood he
has lost,” she whispered. She sent the power deep inside Pali's
body. It expanded and pulsed, saturating him completely. Finally,
she lifted her hands and smiled. “It is done.”

Gewey stared at her in awe. He understood
now, just how much he still had to learn.

Pali sat up, his face twisted in anger. “What
you did is forbidden. You had no right—”

“
I had every right,” snapped Aaliyah.
“I made a promise to your mother, and even had I not, I would not
allow another elf to suffer death if I have the power to prevent
it.” She rose to her feet. “I need not justify myself to you. If
you prefer death, seek it somewhere else. And if you must leave us,
so be it.”

Pali glared for a long moment, then closed
his eyes and lowered his head. “I will not leave you. I made a
promise as well.” He looked up at Aaliyah and rose to his feet. “I
will guide you. But we must leave this place before the scavengers
catch the scent. They can be far deadlier than wolves.”

The heaping bulk of the slain wolves were
scattered across the top and sides of the dune. The glow of the
wolf's eyes still burned in Gewey’s mind. Pali led them east for
about an hour before bringing them atop another dune. They all
wrapped the blankets tightly around themselves, and stared into the
darkness. Gewey reached out with the flow and to his great relief,
heard nothing.

“
I am sorry I was angry,” said Pali,
after a time. “You saved my life. But you must understand how we
feel about such things.”

“
I do understand,” said Aaliyah. “And
had there been another way, I would not have gone against your
wishes. But I will not return your dead body to your mother if
there is a way to prevent it.”

Pali smiled and chuckled softly. “No. I
suppose I wouldn't want to do that either, if I were you. And if
you knew her better, that feeling would become even stronger.”

“
You said that you'd never seen wolves
attack like that,” stated Gewey.

“
No I have not.” He looked sideways at
Gewey. “Nor have I seen their eyes glow green light. Something evil
has entered the sands.” He pulled the blanket closer. “Perhaps the
Creator had you save me to find out what it is...and destroy
it.”

“
Perhaps,” Aaliyah agreed. “Still, I
will not have you go beyond the border of the Oasis. From there we
go on without you.”

“
I go where I please,” said Pali.
“Besides, it seems to me that it is unwise to camp alone. If the
wolves will attack the three of us, they would certainly attack a
single elf.”

Aaliyah thought hard on this. “Perhaps you
are right. But the dangers within the Black Oasis may be far worse,
if what your mother says is true.”

“
Whatever dangers are out there,” said
Pali. “I would rather face them with friends at my side.” He smiled
at Gewey. “Even if those friends are human. Though I must admit,
you fight like no human I've ever seen. I am grateful the Soufis
are not as fierce as you.”