The Godling Chronicles (Shadow of the Gods, Book #3) (35 page)

Lyrial sat and crossed her legs. “It was here
long before we arrived. The legends say it was built by the Gods.
As far as our tales…it will be a pleasure to tell you of the
desert. For all my people's merits, they care little for my
stories.”

“
That's not true,” Weila protested,
jokingly. “I have listened to you ramble on for six-hundred years
and never complained.”

This made both Aaliyah and Gewey's eyes shoot
wide.

“
How old are you?” asked
Aaliyah.

Lyrial smiled. “I am seven-hundred and four.
But Weila is far older.” She could see the confusion in their
expressions. “This surprises you?”

“
Indeed,” said Aaliyah. “I am nearly
three hundred. The elders of my land rarely see six. How is it that
you live so long?”

Lyrial thought for a moment. “Perhaps it is
that we do not steal life from the earth. Perhaps that power
shortens your own life.”

Aaliyah looked closely at both Lyrial and
Weila. “That may be. Or perhaps it is the desert itself that
extends your life.”

Lyrial nodded. “That could be. It is said
that the power of the Creator first gave life to the world here.
And that it was here that the Gods were born. It could be our
legends are more than just stories.”

“
If it is the desert that extends your
life,” said Aliyah, “then I fear what will happen if you try to
leave it.”

Lyrial pondered this for a moment then said,
“I cannot allow this to concern me. My people will not be trapped
by our own mortality. We will know soon enough if what you suggest
is true.”

“
But—” started Gewey. Lyrial held up
her hand, silencing him.

“
There is nothing to discuss,” she
asserted. “Our course is set. I will not dwell on it. Now if you
still would like to hear stories of my people?”

“
Of course,” said Gewey.

For the next few hours, Lyrial told them of
how her people were exiled for protesting the enslavement of
humans, and how they came to live in the desert. She spun tales of
adventure, tragedy, and joy. She told them of their fight with the
Soufis, and their protection of the humans from slavery. Weila
looked bored and began dozing.

“
Your people have lived a noble life,”
Aaliyah remarked, once Lyrial had finished. “That you were exiled
for objecting to the subjugation of humans connects with our own
history.”

“
A story you can tell me another time,”
said Lyrial, rising to her feet. “I will not delay your mission any
longer.” Weila handed her a small silver flask. She walked to the
pool and filled it. “Take this.” She handed the flask to Gewey.
“The Waters of Shajir are powerful. Their healing properties are
unmatched. A single drop will heal the deepest wound.”

“
Thank you,” said Gewey, bowing low.
“It will serve as a reminder of your kindness.”

Lyrial bowed in return. “Once we have
defeated the Soufis, I will march my people to the western edge of
the desert. There we will await word from you. Weila will take you
to the shore.” She smiled at Aaliyah. “I look forward to our next
meeting. Please tell our kin that we are overjoyed to reunite with
them.”

Aaliyah nodded. “I will. I know they will
feel the same. Your friendship will be of great value in the days
to come.”

Lyrial took one last, long look at Gewey,
then smiled. Gewey watched as Lyrial turned and walked away.

“
Come, Darshan,” said Weila. “If we
hurry, we can have you back to the shore by nightfall
tomorrow.”

“
I wish we had more time,” said
Gewey.

“
I agree,” said Aaliyah. “We should
send an envoy here as soon as possible.”

“
But what if you're right?” Gewey
couldn't help but think about what would happen if the elves left
the desert. “What if it's the desert that lets them live so
long?”

Weila stopped in her tracks. “My people will
not sacrifice their honor for a long life. Do not think on it any
longer.”

“
How long do you live?” asked
Gewey.

“
Our elders see nine hundred years or
more,” she replied. “But think on this. I heard your story. You
have lived more in your short life than any elf that walks the
sands. I would give all of my years to live a life of substance,
however short it may be. If we step off the sand and perish, it
would be better than to have hidden ourselves away in fear and
dishonor.”

Weila led them ten miles, to a similar rock
formation that they had seen on the journey to the Waters of
Shajir. This time the trip seemed to pass by much more quickly.
Weila regaled them with tales of the desert with ceaseless
energy.

“
I noticed that during your recount of
events you spoke very little of your homeland,” Weila said to
Aaliyah. “Surely there is much to tell.”

“
There is,” she replied. “More than
could be told in the time we have.”

“
Then tell me of your village,” said
Weila.

Aaliyah laughed. “Well, my village is a city
of more than one-hundred thousand elves.”

Gewey cocked his head. “Then, that's
something I'd like to hear about, too.”

“
Very well,” she said, laughing softly.
“My city is called Parylon. It is on the shores of what you know as
the Western Abyss, though on the other end, and many leagues away.”
Her voice became distant. “To put is simply, Parylon is beautiful.
Tall silver spires that glimmer majestically in the sunlight,
dwarfing the redwood forest that border it to the east. Between the
spires are lavish homes and stunning gardens. Halls of learning and
meditation are built from the finest marble, and adorned with
sculptures and reliefs lovingly carved by the greatest artisans the
world has ever seen. One could spend a hundred years wandering the
city and never see them all.

“
The streets are paved with polished
green slate that reflects the light of the noonday sun, making the
whole city look as if it were an extension of the Creator's grace.
In winter, when the sea churns and foams, the spires cast a green
shadow, transforming the coast into an emerald field of waves and
sand.

“
Each afternoon, the city fills with
music and laughter. We boast six schools where the finest musicians
study, teach, and compose. Each afternoon, the students take to the
streets so the world can listen to what they have learned. In the
evening, the masters give concerts in the city square. As a girl I
would wait for hours and hours for the song masters to arrive, and
listen until my mother would find me and take me home.”

“
At night, the glow of a million lights
shine more brilliantly than the stars in the heavens. In the
spring, the moss of the listorlia grows on rooftops in infinitely
intricate swirling patterns. In the light of the full moon it glows
softly, and releases its snow white spores into the air, covering
the streets in a blanket of sweet smelling wonder.”

She paused and sighed sadly. “I do miss
it.”

“
How could anyone leave such a place?”
asked Weila. “Why would your people have come here to begin with,
when such magic exists?”

Aaliyah smiled. “I look at your desert home
and see far more magic. For all our accomplishments, we have
nothing like the Blood of the Desert, or the Waters of Shajir. And
our life is not without peril. I tell you of the best we have to
offer. These are the things I love, yet not all there is. Beyond
our borders live a brutish race of foul creatures. We call them the
Morzhash. Though only the Creator knows what they call
themselves.”

“
What are they?” asked
Gewey.

“
We do not know for certain,” she
replied. “They are twice the size of any human, stronger than any
elf, and covered in thick black hair. Their faces are twisted and
flat, with a swine like nose and narrow red eyes.”

“
Are they intelligent?” asked
Weila.

“
They are cunning to be sure,” said
Aaliyah. “And deadly, though, I do not know that they possess
anything more sophisticated then a club or spear. They do not work
metal and live in make-shift huts, as they hunt and scavenge the
forests and jungles. Occasionally, we will find what remains of a
camp, but we have never found any permanent settlements. As far as
we know, they live a nomadic life.”

“
It wouldn't seem like they could
trouble your people too much,” said Gewey.

“
For thousands of years they have been
little more than a nuisance,” she replied. “They raid a village, or
attack a traveler. We have captured a few. But have never been able
to decipher their crude language. In fact, until the time of my
grandmother, we had no idea they even had a language.”

Gewey tried to picture the creatures in his
mind. “You say they raid your villages? Why?”

Aaliyah shrugged. “There is no apparent
reason. They take nothing. They simply kill and destroy.”

“
Why not hunt them down?” asked
Weila.

“
We have tried,” she replied. “For all
their size and girth they move through the forest with amazing
speed. And they disappear long before we can track
them.”

“
Still, it seems like a minor problem,”
said Gewey.

“
Until the past few years it has been,”
she said. “But lately, their raids have become more brazen. They
have begun to invade deeper into our land than they ever had in the
past.”

“
You think it is because of what's
happening here?” asked Gewey.

“
It may be linked somehow,” Aaliyah
replied. “The Morzhash would certainly make formidable allies
should the Dark Knight find a way to control them.”

The thought of massive savage beasts fighting
on the side of the Dark Knight sent chills down Gewey’s spine. The
Vrykol were bad enough, but should these creatures reach their
shores, it could cause fear and panic across the land. “Let us hope
the two are not related.”

Weila laughed, shocking Gewey out of his
morbid thoughts. “Beasts or no beasts, I intend to see your city,
Aaliyah. And may the Creator help any pig-nosed oaf that tries to
stop me.”

Aaliyah smiled. “I would not worry. My city
is one of three, and by far the oldest. The lands around us would
burn to cinders before we let it fall. Though we did not come in
great number to these shores, should the Dark Knight think to
extend his grasp to my home, he will find that only the humans of
this land could raise a larger army.”

“
Your words give me hope,” said Weila.
“I must admit, the elves of the desert have been alone for too
long. Your arrival, Darshan, has brought us the hope of kinship.”
She folded her hands and bowed her head. “I think that perhaps your
arrival has saved us. A people cannot live without moving forward.
We have become too set in our ways.”

Gewey reached out and touched her shoulder.
“Darshan is a name given to me by a God. And yes, I am his son. But
my father was a human. He raised me, and taught me to be the man I
am. He named me for his father...Gewey.”

Weila’s face twisted as she tried not to
laugh. “Gewey is a silly name for a savior.”

“
Gewey is a human name,” he countered.
“It will be the human in me that fights the Dark Knight. And I will
either defeat him, or be destroyed. And should I win. If I somehow
find a way...nothing will change. Your people will still be in the
desert.” His gaze shot to Aaliyah. His passion swelled. “Your
people will still be across the sea. The world will still be the
world. Humans, elves, and even the Morzhash. Nothing will change.
Once there is victory...what then? What will you do with the world
you are given?” The flow was raging through him as his voice
roared. He calmed his spirit and closed his eyes. His frustration
and anger grew. He reached out desperately. Aaliyah was there. His
spirit had flown straight to her.

“
Calm your storm,” Aaliyah whispered.
“I am here.”

Gewey shot an accusing glance. “You—I—” His
eyes fell. “I don’t know why I said that. I suddenly felt angry. I
am sorry.”

A tear spilled down Aaliyah's cheek. “There
is no need to apologize. I could feel your passion. Your true
nature is beginning to assert itself.”

“
What do you mean?” he
asked.

“
You are what your nature has made
you,” she explained. “Your human side is only one part of you. The
Gods are the most powerful beings ever created. And their feelings
are equally powerful.”

“
This is true,” agreed Weila. “Even in
our stories, the anger, love, hate, and desire of the Gods are far
beyond that of mortals.”

“
Are you saying I am becoming
more…God?” The idea frightened him.

“
Perhaps,” Aaliyah replied. “I cannot
say for certain. But I feel that you are changing.”

“
What do you mean you feel it?” asked
Gewey.

“
When you saved me, it created a bond
between us,” said Aaliyah, smiling sweetly. She touched his cheek.
“I knew it at once. I am surprised you did not.”

“
But...but,” Gewey stammered. “What of
Nehrutu? And what of Kaylia?”

“
What we share is different,” she
explained. “When you touched the essence of my spirit, I became a
part of you.” She could see Gewey’s discomfort. “Do not fret. As
far as I can tell it has not interfered with your connection to
Kaylia. And as far as Nehrutu is concerned, that time between us
has passed.” The mention of Nehrutu brought sadness to her
voice.