The Godling Chronicles (Shadow of the Gods, Book #3) (34 page)

Soon, the light grew brighter and brighter,
until the surrounding area was awash with blue illumination. Gewey
could feel the flow growing more and more powerful with each step.
The light seemed to be emanating from the ground and soon an
immense, fifty-foot high statue came into view. At first Gewey was
unable to make out what it was. The light danced playfully across
its surface, but as they drew closer it was cleared. An elf woman,
in a flowing gown, face upturned, and holding aloft a silver urn.
The urn was tilted forward and a stream of shining blue liquid
spilled out.

When they were only a short distance away,
the ground changed from sand to smooth, polished white marble.
Gewey realized it was part of a massive round platform. In its
center was a pool, one-hundred yards in diameter, filled with the
blue liquid that poured from the statue. The white marble reflected
the light from the water, giving off an eerie, yet calming glow,
and made Gewey think of being within a dream. The flow was so
strong, it nearly entered him before he could stop it.

“
Wait here,” Weila ordered. She walked
around the edge of the pool and disappeared behind the
statue.

Gewey and Aaliyah waited in silence, gazing
into the water. Nearly an hour had passed before Weila returned
carrying a small tan reed basket. Beside her walked a tall, thin
elf woman. Her long golden hair fell loosely about her shoulders
and down her back. Her alabaster skin was made more pronounced by
her penetrating, dark green eyes. She wore a blue satin robe,
embroidered with tiny, intricate silver swirls that interlaced,
becoming one large pattern, and tied at the waist by a silver
cloth. Her feet were bare, and made no sound as they touch the cold
marble. Her ageless features were thin and delicate, yet bore the
seriousness of authority. Just before she reached them Gewey could
smell a salty sweet fragrance, which reminded him of the wild
flowers after a spring rain.

“
I am Lyrial.” Her voice was feminine
and soft, yet commanding. “Weila has brought news that Pali fell in
the Black Oasis, fighting at your side.”

Gewey wasn't sure if he was to speak, so he
just nodded.

Aaliyah stepped forward and bowed. “I
am—“

“
I know who you are,” she interrupted.
“And you know who I am. You are here so I can determine if your
arrival has anything to do with the recent gathering of a Soufis
army. Once I have found the truth of the matter, we will discuss
Pali.”

“
I can assure you, we do not have
anything to do with the Soufis,” said Aaliyah.

“
We shall see.” Lyrial spun on her
heels. “But I am not a discourteous host. You shall eat and rest.
Then we shall talk. Weila will see to your needs.” She made her way
back to the statue and sat cross-legged beside it.

Weila opened the basket and pulled out two
thin blankets, a loaf of bread, some dried fruit, and a bottle of
wine. “You will have a few hours before she will speak with you. I
suggest you rest until then. I will return a shortly before
sunrise.” She turned to leave, then paused. “Don't worry about the
cold. The Waters of Shajir will keep you warm enough.”

Once Weila was away, Gewey and Aaliyah laid
out their blankets and ate their meal. The bread was plain and
tough, but the fruit was sweeter than expected. The wine wasn't as
good as what he’d had in the past, but it went down well
enough.

“
What should we do?” asked Gewey,
leaning back on his elbows.

“
What can we do?” Aaliyah lay down and
closed her eyes. “If we run, we will either be killed or be forced
to kill those who are not our enemy. We will rest while we can and
speak to Lyrial. Hopefully we will be able to convince her that we
have nothing to do with the Soufis.”

“
I may be forced to tell them what I
am, you know.”

Aaliyah opened her eyes and looked at Gewey.
“That is for you to decide.”

Gewey lay down and allowed himself to drift
off to sleep. Aaliyah was right. What could they do?

Chapter 21

Weila woke Gewey and Aaliyah, and offered
them both a cup of clear, sweet-smelling juice, which they
gratefully accepted, though its fragrance did not prepare Gewey for
the sour taste. His face twisted and he nearly spat it out.

Weila laughed. “It is from the fruit of the
ganhi bush. It is sour, but very good for you.”

“
Is Lyrial ready to see us?” asked
Aaliyah.

Weila nodded, and pointed to the far end of
the pool near the statue. “Go to her. I will wait here.”

“
You're not coming?” asked
Gewey.

“
As I said, this is a matter for the
Amal Molidova, not a Sand Master,” she explained. “Do not worry. We
have spoken of Pali, and she does not hold you to blame any more
than I.”

Gewey and Aaliyah finished their juice, then
made their way around the pool to where Lyrial sat waiting. In
front of her, two flat round cushions had been placed. She motioned
for them to sit. She wore a pair of loose-fitting, cream, linen
trousers, and a matching blouse. Her blond hair was in a tight
braid that fell down her back and wound around her waist, ending up
in her lap, and her bright green eyes twinkled in the blue light
emanating from the water. Her face had the same timeless quality
Gewey had come to know in elves, yet he knew she must be quite
old.

Lyrial's eyes darted back and forth from
Gewey to Aaliyah. “I do not think you are in league with the
Soufis. So do not fear.”

“
That is good,” said Aaliyah. “And know
that we come in friendship.”

Lyrial raised an eyebrow. “Is that so? It is
hard to imagine those who exiled my people so long ago have
suddenly had a change of heart. No. I believe if you desire
friendship, it is out of necessity. Whatever the troubles are in
the west, I think you have brought them with you.”

“
First, I would say that my people did
not exile you,” said Aaliyah, her tone forceful and steady. “My
people are from across what you know as the Western Abyss. But do
not think that is a reflection on the other elves of this land. I
do not believe they even remember you exist. Certainly, those
living today had no part in your exile.”

Lyrial shook her head and let out a huff. “It
would stand to reason that their arrogance and folly would shorten
their memory.”

“
Your kin do not seem to share your
attitude,” said Aaliyah. “Those we spoke to seem pleased that the
elves of the west would come.”

“
It is for them to live and die, free
in the sands,” she shot back. “It is for me to protect that
freedom. Their hearts are not as burdened as mine.” She shrugged.
“They do not read the ancient lore.” She paused and sighed. “Still,
I am not unwilling to welcome them, if they truly wish it. And
stories of the elves from across the Abyss have been told long
before we came here. If your people have returned, then perhaps it
is you who have brought war.”

“
I can only tell you we have not,” she
retorted. “We have been unable to return until now.”

Lyrial sighed. “Very well, then. Tell me your
tale.”

Aaliyah told her story, beginning with their
arrival and ending when they left for the desert, leaving out
Gewey's identity as a God. “I know that Weila told you why we came,
and that we had intended to leave your desert in peace.”

“
She told me what you allowed her to
know,” Lyrial replied. “But you have not revealed all. What is it
you fear me to learn, I wonder?”

Aaliyah stiffened. “I have told you all that
you need to understand that we are guiltless regarding the Soufis.
Anything else is our affair.”

Lyrial placed her finger to her chin and met
Aaliyah’s gaze. “Is that so? You may not have caused the Soufis to
gather, but I wager that whatever it is you fight, did. They are
wretched slavers that plague the sands. And though cunning and
fierce, they would never gather in such great numbers on their own.
They raid and flee.”

“
I will say nothing more on the
matter,” said Aaliyah.

Lyrial and Aaliyah stared into each other’s
eyes, unblinkingly.

“
What she hasn't revealed is me,” Gewey
interjected. “I am what she will not tell you.”

Aaliyah stiffened then folded her hands.

Lyrial threw her head back in laughter. “You?
And what could she reveal about you?”

“
We came here to retrieve what was
guarded within the Black Oasis,” he said. “They were gifts, left
for me by my father...Gerath.”

Lyrial burst out laughing again. “You think a
half-man is something new to us? You think us ignorant fools?”

“
I am not a half-man,” Gewey asserted.
“And it was not Aaliyah that burned the Soufis. I did
it.”

“
I see.” Lyrial stood. “So you claim to
be a God, and not a half-man? That would be something indeed...if
it were true. Of course, such an outrageous claim can be settled
easily enough.” She held out her hand. Gewey took it and she led
him to the edge of the Waters of Shajir. “Do not move.” In a flash
she drew a dagger from her sleeve and cut the back of Gewey's
hand.

Gewey winced as blood trickled into the
shimmering liquid. The second it touched the surface of the water,
the ground began to rumble. Beneath the waters, a billowing red
cloud boiled up violently, rapidly covering the entire pool.
Suddenly, a thunderous boom knocked them off their feet, as fire
erupted from the urn atop the great statue, shooting hundreds of
feet into the air. The fire spread out, then fell, raining down
flames that disappeared in a blinding flash, just a few feet above
the ground.

Slowly, the earth stopped shaking and the
blood red water transformed back into its original blue color.
Lyrial sat, eyes wide and mouth agape. Gewey got up and offered her
his hand. She looked at him in awe, then after a long moment,
allowed him to help her to her feet. He held her hand as he walked
her back and sat down. Lyrial looked stunned, unable to speak.

Just then Weila ran over. “What
happened?”

Lyrial motioned for her to sit. “It seems
that this concerns all elves, Weila. You should stay.” She lean
forward and stared into Gewey’s eyes. “How is this possible? Can
the end times be here at last?”

“
I don't know anything about that,”
said Gewey. “But if you will let me, I'll tell you my story as
well.”

Lyrial nodded. “Of course. Yes, please.”

Gewey recounted the events of his life,
beginning with the death of his father. Several times he had to
stop and back track, as he remembered details. Lyrial and Weila
took a special interest when he told of his bonding with Kaylia,
asking him three times to repeat it.

More than two hours passed before he
finished. The light of the morning sun had painted the sky red and
purple. Gewey got to his feet, rubbed his neck and stretched his
arms.

“
Then it has come to pass,” Lyrial
whispered to herself. “Your name...Darshan. We have heard this name
before. It is the name of the one who will herald the end times. It
is said that your coming precedes the reunion of the elves, and the
upheaval of the world. The waging of a great war will remake
creation and reveal to the elves, a new destiny.”

“
I have no desire to involve your
people in any war,” said Gewey. “I only came for the gifts of
Gerath. Now that I have them, I intend to leave you in
peace.”

Lyrial shook her head and smiled, as a mother
speaking to an ignorant child. “The Soufis have gathered for war.
The one you call the Dark Knight, is clearly behind it. He either
intends to make war on us, or to march them from the desert and
make war on you. Either way, we cannot allow it. If they attack us,
then it will be their doom, but if they leave the sands...” Her jaw
tightened. “I will not allow the filth of the desert to visit their
horrors on the rest of the world. And if this Dark Knight would
call on such people to fight for him, he has revealed to us his
true nature.”

“
What will you do?” asked
Aaliyah.

“
We have already begun to gather our
forces,” said Lyrial. “And our scouts are watching every move the
Soufis make.”

“
Then you should take care to watch for
the Vrykol,” said Gewey. “They are powerful and deadly. It was a
Vrykol that killed Pali, and nearly killed Aaliyah. If they are
with the Soufis, you must be careful. They can only die if you
remove their heads.”

“
I will inform my people,” said Weila,
grimly.

“
If the Soufis attempt to leave the
desert, we will stop them,” said Lyrial, determinedly. “Once they
are dealt with we will go west for the first time in many
generations.” Lyrial got to her feet and looked at the statue, her
arms across her chest. “And though this may be our end, we will not
be idle while evil floods the world.”

“
How many are you,” asked
Aaliyah.

Lyrial turned back to Gewey, her chest
swelling with pride. “We can raise an army of twenty-thousand in a
short time. Twice that, if needed. But it would take longer.”

“
And how many are the Soufis?” asked
Gewey.

“
They have three times our number at
least.” Lyrial smiled viciously. “But they could have ten times
that and still they could not hope to defeat us. It is long past
time we dealt with them once and for all. The atrocities they have
visited on the people of this land will finally be
avenged.”

“
I would hear more of your people,”
said Aaliyah. “Your desert is filled with wonders I have never
dreamed of. The scholars of my land could spend generations
studying the Blood of the Desert alone. And this.” She pointed to
the statue. “Who built it?”