The Reborn King (Book Six) (11 page)

“Then why are you doing this?”

“Because I must. There is no one else who could succeed. Kaylia must not be left in the hands of our enemy. She could be used as leverage against Gewey, or perhaps even worse. And besides, she is my friend.  I will not abandon her to the cruelty of the Vrykol.”

Aaliyah gently touched Basanti’s shoulder. “And I am your friend also. When this is over we will find a way to repair whatever damage is done.”

Basanti reached up and took hold of her hand. “It doesn’t matter anymore. I only regret that my time with Felsafell has ended. But I suppose I must be grateful for what we've already had. It was far more than any mortal could hope for. Yet far less than I imagined in my dreams.”

“Why must it end? Will he not still accept you?”

“As I said, I will be as my brother was. Once tainted, violence and death will follow me always. I will no longer be the person he fell in love with. And I cannot put him through such torment. His love for me would keep him by my side, but he would be forced to watch as I descended into darkness.” She shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. “Much better that he live with a memory of who I was before.”

“I think you wrong,” Aaliyah said, wiping away Basanti’s tears as they began to fall. “He would rather be with you, regardless of what you have done or might become.” She choked back her own tears. “Do not give up hope.”

Basanti embraced Aaliyah tightly. “I…I will try.”

After a few seconds, Aaliyah took a step back. “I know I should have already asked,” she said. “But do you really think you can defeat so many?”

“I’m as sure as I can be,” she replied. “Once I cause death, a force will be released inside my spirit that I have kept contained for thousands of years. Though I doubt its full strength will last, for a time I should be as mighty as Felsafell, maybe even more so.” Her face stiffened. “But after that, I will not be myself any longer. When Kaylia is free I will leave you…and you must neither attempt to dissuade me, nor follow.”

“But I thought you agreed not to lose hope?” Aaliyah countered.

“And I will keep my word,” she said, smiling. “I hope that when heaven is open, Pósix will take pity on me and release my spirit from this body.”

Aaliyah glared with sudden frustration and anger. “That is not good enough. There must be another way.”

“I wish there was,” she admitted. “But regardless, until the gods are free I will be a danger to all those around me. Until then, I must stay hidden from both the enemy, and my friends.”

Aaliyah searched hard for a convincing rebuttal, but could not overcome Basanti’s logic. If she would jeopardize the safety of the people she loved, then there truly
was
no other choice.

“Then let us get this done,” said Aaliyah. She drew her blade. “But know that if I must petition Pósix at the very gates of heaven, you will
not
spend the rest of your life in exile.”

“I think we should wait until the dawn breaks,” Basanti responded. “Until then, I would ask you to sit beside me and tell me more about your home. Your stories make it sound so remarkable.”

Aaliyah sheathed her sword. “Of course.” She smiled lovingly, knowing that Basanti was asking for visions of places she believed she would now never get to see for herself. A final request from a condemned woman.

They found a patch of soft grass and sat together until the sun was nearly upon them. Aaliyah regaled her with tales setting forth the majesty of her lands. The dense jungles that were home to birds of such brilliant colors that one would catch their breath at the very sight of them. The mountains of the far west where the great cave bears roamed and hunted, some of them so massive and strong that they could fell a fully grown pine tree with a single swipe of their paws.  There were also the tall redwoods where she was raised, many of them towering so high that on certain days their tops would be hidden by the clouds.

“It all sounds wonderful,” Basanti sighed. “I could spend a thousand years exploring such a place. And Felsafell…” His name stuck in her throat and her voice became a whisper. “He would have loved it too.”

For a moment she was totally lost in her thoughts of peace and love. Then, a sudden transformation took place. The song of steel sang out, slicing through the cool morning air. Basanti no longer appeared awkward with the weapon in her hand. The instant her eyes gazed upon the gleaming steel blade, her normally compassionate features became hard and unyielding.

Aaliyah knew exactly what to do and drew her own sword. Giving only a sharp nod, she sped away toward the Vrykol camp. She vanished in an instant through the dawn mist.

Basanti forced any lingering thoughts of her love and hopes into the recesses of her mind and focused on the task ahead. For thousands of years she had kept herself pure – untainted by blood and death. Now she would unleash a torrent of unbridled fury. All she held sacred would be washed away in a single act.

A heat began to rise within her chest, rapidly spreading throughout her entire body. Her face twisted into a snarl and she knew she was ready.

Swiftly, she set off to follow Aaliyah’s trail.

Linis hissed a curse while treating his wounds with the thick pungent salve given to him by Therisa. Throbbing pain had set in from the dozens of tiny scratches caused by the jagged thorns of the dense
barble bushes
surrounding Theopolou’s manor. The barbs bore a mild poison that, though not strong enough to kill, was sufficient to cause severe irritation, as well as a nasty infection if left untreated.

Normally he could have easily navigated his way through the thorny gauntlet without injury, but found it impossible to do so while carrying an infant in his arms. Speed was essential, and the quickest way to Valshara was through a forest that had been specifically cultivated to keep away unwanted visitors – mainly humans who were not as agile and would certainly suffer tremendously should they try to get through. Unfortunately, this same deterrent had clearly not been a hindrance to either the elves or the Vrykol.

The look in Basanti’s eyes just before she had departed on her mission was still uncomfortably vivid for Linis. Never had he seen someone so utterly tormented by the inevitability of their own future. He had wanted to comfort her, but could find no words that would do anything more than cause her pain to sharpen.

He glanced down at the precious bundle beside him. Jayden was staring back, sucking on three of his tiny fingers. Linis had never been responsible for the care of a baby before, a fact that had only occurred to him once beyond the manor grounds. He chuckled softly to himself.

“I have faced down the Vrykol and armies of evil men,” he said, reaching down and touching the child's cheek. “But you cause me more fear than all of them combined. Will I be so frightened when I care for my own children?”

The thought of Dina scolding him for even thinking such thoughts brought forth a sudden burst of hearty laughter, quickly followed by a deep longing to be with his wife.

“At least when we get there, someone will know how to care for you properly,” he said softly.

Jayden smiled and kicked his legs.

Sighing, Linis rose to his feet and began gathering wood for a fire. Not willing to let the baby out of his sight, he made do with a few twigs and thick branches that were scattered nearby. Soon a small fire crackled and popped. Linis knew this risked drawing the attention to any pursuers, but the night air carried a chill that was unhealthy for an infant. Or in his mind, that seemed to be a reasonable assumption. Besides, if elves or Vrykol were in the vicinity, the sound of a baby would be enough to give away their location. And any humans who might have ill intent would be sure to make plenty of noise and give him ample warning.

He withdrew the milk bladder from his pack, hoping that the contents would be enough to last the full journey. After spreading a blanket on the ground, he took Jayden in his arms and drew him close. Linis had heard that babies would cry if away from their mothers for too long, but up until now the child had seemed to be perfectly content.
If only this will last until we arrive
, he thought. Soon after being fed, Jayden fell into a peaceful slumber.

After laying the baby down, taking extra care not to jar him awake, Linis ate a meager repast of jerky and flatbread. He could hear rabbits scurrying through the underbrush not far away and longed to hunt. The thought of fresh rabbit and wild herbs made his mouth water. But that would have to wait for another time.

The kitchens in Valshara produced wonderful elf dishes these days, but Linis was a creature of the forest. Simple meals and open spaces were far more to his liking. Memories of wandering the land with his group of
seekers
washed over him, followed by melancholy as each face – all of them now dead – flashed up then slowly faded. Those days were behind him. And even if the tragedy of betrayal had not befallen his fellow
seekers
and dearest friends, his life had moved on.
He
was different. The elf tribes no longer needed his kind to act as their guardians. And though his heart would certainly continue to linger on days past, he now had a more important role to play. One that in time, would be far more demanding…and rewarding, than any he had taken upon himself thus far.

He watched Jayden sleep for a time, then spent the rest of the night listening intently for any hint of enemies. Once he thought he caught the sound of distant footfalls, but even with his finely
tuned skills he could not be certain. A
seeker
perhaps? He hoped not.

Jayden woke just once during the night, but after a quick feed went immediately back to sleep. By the time dawn broke, Linis was packed and ready. He had constructed a makeshift sling in which to carry the baby, so as to leave both hands free should he need them in an emergency.

“Let us hope I do not,” he whispered.

Gently, he slipped Jayden inside the sling and tied it securely before starting out. The air was unusually cool, with a thick fog covering the base of the trees. Linis did his best to keep Jayden’s exposed face dry with a strip of cloth, but it was a never-ending task. In less than an hour, his own clothes were soaked and droplets of dew were dripping from his hair. Thankfully, Jayden was faring a little bit better. The sling had been made from a piece of elf blanket, and so possessed some resistance to moisture.

Fortunately, the heat of the day soon arrived. By mid-morning the fog had lifted and his clothes were dry. The sunlight, split by the high branches, was a welcome friend and lifted his spirits somewhat.

By noon there was still no sign of enemies. Regardless, Linis was careful to continue making his trail almost impossible to follow. Even a seasoned
seeker
would need to slow his pace considerably in order to notice that anyone had passed. He drew in as much of the
flow
as he was able to, sharpening his already acute senses. His training with Nehrutu enabled him to utilize more power than ever before, though still not as much as Kaylia, and nowhere near as much as Nehrutu himself. Aided by this extra ability, the details of Linis' surroundings now burst magically into life, and he spent the next few hours singing songs to Jayden. The child certainly appeared to be enjoying the entertainment, laughing and cooing with each new verse, and even looking unhappy when the singing stopped.

The day was so pleasant, Linis wasn’t even annoyed by the frequently needed stops for feeding and changing. In fact, by late afternoon, he found that he was actually enjoying caring for the child.

This is something I will definitely tell Dina
, he thought with a smile.

Suddenly, he was more than grateful for this opportunity to experience a few parental responsibilities – regardless of the dire circumstances. Until now, ‘Linis the seeker’ had been more than wary of becoming ‘Linis the father’. And though Dina was not yet with child, each time she had brought the subject up, he would feel even more inadequate than on his first day of
seeker
training under Berathis’ critical eye.

The remainder of the day passed uneventfully, raising Linis' hopes that Kaylia’s kidnappers were being truthful over their willingness to leave Jayden alone - also, that the elves who had attacked Theopolou's house had given up their mission in light of the slaughter unleashed upon them by the Vrykol.

The next morning, he arrived at a point where the forest started to thin and the ground became ever more rocky and uneven. The sun glared down, but a cool westerly wind blew dry any hint of perspiration forming on his forehead. Jayden seemed to remain in good spirits too. He certainly wasn’t crying at all, which as far as Linis was concerned, was confirmation that all was well.

So far they hadn’t encountered anyone. There had been sounds of a few wandering humans off to the north, but they seemed involved with their own affairs and posed no threat.

During a brief halt, Linis’ mind wandered to the beginning of the second split. Back then, he and his
seekers
had been outcasts and renegades, constantly on the move in order to remain free from the vengeance of the elders. But these days it was those who sought to destroy the peace between human and elf who had become the outlaws. And even if Gewey were to fail and the Reborn King unleashed his power upon them all, for a brief moment, the future of both races had been bright.

He glanced down at Jayden, whose eyes were fixed on his own. “But your father won’t fail. He will triumph, and you will grow up free from hatred and fear.”

At that moment, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Elves, more than a dozen of them, were closing in less than a mile ahead. As quickly as he could, he bundled Jayden and turned to backtrack. But after only a short distance he sensed more elves coming from the other direction. A chill shot through him. They were surrounded. But how? How could he not have noticed?

They must have known…or guessed...where he was heading. If they were seekers, and Linis thought they must be, they would know how far away to stay in order to avoid detection.

He assessed the situation. There was no way to fight, nowhere to run, and no place to hide. He pulled his long knife free and waited. The moment the elves came into view, he nodded a greeting, but none returned his gesture.

“Who among you leads?” shouted Linis.

All but one halted their advance.

“I lead,” shouted back a tall, red haired
seeker
. “I am Tallio. And you Linis, can go your own way in peace…if you leave the child to us.”

Linis sneered and spat on the earth. “You would harm an innocent baby over your bigotry and hatred?”

“I will do what I must to preserve the honor of our people,” he replied.

“Then you disgrace the name of elf with such bile in your heart. And you know nothing of me if you believe I would abandon Jayden to you.”

“I did not think you would do so,” Tallio replied. “And I would have you know that, in spite of your crimes, I still hold you in high regard. Only Berathis was your better. And only he, more widely known among our people.”

Linis could hear the ominous creaking of bowstrings being drawn behind him. His mind raced, but he could see no way out.

“I would not have you shot down like an animal,” Tallio continued. “Give up the child, and you may yet live. Or at least, be given the opportunity to die with dignity.”

“So you wish to challenge me?” Linis asked. A small hope sprang.

“I do,” he answered with a slight bow.

“And if I prevail?”

“Then you will live.”

“And the child?”

Tallio shook his head. “The child’s fate is sealed. Only
you
have hope for life.”

“Then there is no hope for either of us,” Linis shot back fiercely. “Once Darshan finds you, he will flay you alive, then hang your bleeding carcasses from the walls of Althetas.”

Tallio shrugged. “Perhaps. But I think it more likely that the Lord of Angrääl will dispatch him. And even if I am wrong and Darshan prevails, one thing we have learned is that he is not invulnerable. He may kill some of us. But we will find a way to slay the so called
god
. Of that you can be certain.”

“You are a fool,” Linis scoffed. “A delusional fool. Your small band that attack
ed Lord Theopolou’s manor was slain by a mere shadow of the power Darshan wields. He will look into the mind of every living elf and rip the identity of the culprits from their very spirits. He will be upon you, and all those who follow you in your folly, before you even know he is there.”

Fury burned in Tallio’s eyes at the mention of his fallen comrades. “They were slain by the creatures of the Reborn King – not the feeble defenses of a dead traitor. And if Darshan chooses to let loose his rage over the death of his son, he will quickly find his mindless worshipers turning into determined foes.”

Linis sniffed. “So is that your great plan? To bring down death upon our people in order to turn them against Darshan? Or do you even have a plan worthy of the name? Could it be that you are so blinded by hate, you have forgotten what it means to be a
seeker
and an elf? We never act impulsively or rashly.”

“My plans are my own,” snapped Tallio. “And they are far beyond your understanding.” He took a menacing step forward. “I have wasted enough time on fruitless banter. Will you face me or not?”

Linis guessed that Tallio’s plans must have fallen apart when his attack on the manor failed. Now he was acting out of sheer fury and vengeance. But this only made him more dangerous. Under the circumstances, there was only one thing left to do. Run and pray.

His muscles tensed, but before he could take a single step, the snap of a bowstring sent an arrow thudding deep into his left thigh.

Grunting under the impact, Linis dropped to one knee. He clutched Jayden close to his chest with his left hand, while still gripping his long knife in the other. He would fight to the very end.

Every elf but Tallio charged at him. The instant they were within reach, Linis slashed and hacked for all he was worth. But the disadvantage of holding a child, combined with his injury and
the skill of his many foes, made it impossible to inflict more than a few minor wounds before being overcome.