Dragonvein - Book Three (22 page)

“Lord Dragonvein makes a good point, Your Highness,” Filial said. “We should not allow our fury to blind us.”

“There will be no retreat,” Halvar insisted.

Ethan shook his head. He may not have been an officer. But any combat veteran would say that allowing your enemy either a means of surrender or retreat was essential. If you want to discover just how fierce a soldier is, all you need to do is put his back up against the wall. But he could tell that any further objections from him would fall on deaf ears.

It was decided they would march in two days’ time. Scouts had reported that the Imperials were showing no sign of movement. Presumably they were waiting for more soldiers to arrive. But Ethan wasn’t so sure.

After the meeting was over, Halvar returned to his people while Ethan took a moment to speak with Kat alone. They found a quiet spot in the gap between the two armies and sat down.

“Something isn’t right about this,” Ethan said. “It feels like a trap.”

“Why do you say that?” Kat asked.

“The Imperials have to know they're outnumbered. Why sit there and wait to be destroyed? It doesn’t make sense.”

“So you think they’re trying to lure us out?”

Ethan nodded. “I do. And I think that if King Halvar isn’t careful, a lot of people are going to die.”

“You should speak with him.”

“Halvar will not listen,” the voice of Lotheri called from behind. “His mind is set. He has redirected all his fears and hatred toward the Emperor and those who serve him. I have watched him over the past several weeks. He does not believe his people will survive this. So he will cause as much harm to his enemies as he can while he possesses the strength. I’ve seen him reading the journal of King Vidar. And with each reading, his heart has grown darker.”

This did not come as a great surprise to Ethan. Halvar had never been entirely optimistic about their chances.

“I too am apprehensive about the coming battle,” Lotheri continued. “As you have remarked previously to Filial and my daughter, Shinzan is not a fool. And I do not believe his commanders are either. Whatever is coming, it will be bloody.”

“Is Keira all right?” asked Kat.

“She will be,” he replied. “She is hurt at the moment and needs time to assimilate what is about to happen.”

“And what exactly
is
about to happen?” asked Ethan.

Instead of answering the question, Lotheri merely turned away and glanced over his shoulder. “Come, Lord Dragonvein. We must talk alone.”

Kat shot Ethan a concerned look, but he simply spread his hands before following the elf away from the camp.

The pair walked in silence until they were well within the surrounding forest and the sound of the two armies was dull and distant. Lotheri sat down on a fallen pine tree and gestured for Ethan to join him.

“Keira tells me that you hold the spirit of Martok the Great,” he said.

Ethan nodded. “He is helping me to learn what I need to know. But I have to admit, it’s not a situation I would choose willingly.”

Lotheri smiled. “No. I wouldn’t think so. I imagine such a thing would be quite unsettling for a human. Elves feel the spirits of our ancestors constantly. But humans…you are solitary beings. That is why we have never fully understood you, I think.”

“How is it you feel them?”

“You will see soon enough. But first I urge caution. Martok was a great mage and a friend to the elves. But he was also ambitious and arrogant. In the end, that was his downfall. I fear that he will try to recapture his former glory through you. Though admittedly, I have no idea if such a thing is even possible.”

“Do your people think we can win?”

“They think that if we don’t try, we will cease to exist. Through your connection with the dragons, I know you can feel their struggle to keep Shinzan at bay – a battle they will eventually lose. But you cannot feel what it is they are fighting to preserve.” He lowered his eyes and rested his elbows on his knees. “Which brings me to the reason I have brought you here.”

Ethan said nothing, but could see the conflict on Lotheri’s face. Whatever was about to happen was weighing heavily on his mind.

“I know that the dwarves have spoken to you about the prophecy they heard after capturing one of my people,” Lotheri continued. “What they fail to realize is that this was garbled and inaccurate. They used magical devises to force the information from their captive. And though it did eventually compel my kinsman to speak, he gave them only an incomplete account. He was driven mad long before divulging everything. At that point interrogation became pointless and they killed him.”

Ethan remembered the circlet they had used on him to gauge whether he was being truthful. It had nearly killed Jonas. “So you’re here to tell me the real prophecy? Is that it?”

“That is partly why I need to speak with you. But only a small part.”

He paused to draw a deep breath. “During Shinzan’s rise to power, he came to our people and offered an alliance. Upon his victory, he would grant us dominion over both humans and dwarves. Our duty would be to enforce his will and rule in his name. In exchange for this, he would bestow us with strength and immortality. Fortunately, our Suldani - what you would refer to as king – was wise enough to see the deception. He refused Shinzan and took up arms against him.

“But not all agreed. For the first time in our history, some among us defied the will of their Suldani. They sought out Shinzan and accepted his offer. This was their undoing. Shinzan did in fact keep his word, but at a cost they could not bear. He ripped them from the bosom of Lumnia, separating them from
her
presence…and from the spirits of their people. He gave them great power and immortality. But they were slaves to his will. They became what you know as the
Rakasa
.” Lotheri practically spat the word from his mouth. “The mages killed many of them. And we hunted them tirelessly. Only a few still remain.”

“Hronso,” muttered Ethan.

“Yes. He was the first. And he is by far the most powerful. More than anyone, he is responsible for the fall of the mages. If not for him, they might have prevailed over Shinzan. But as time passed and their numbers diminished, the Emperor grew too strong. In the end, my people fled and remained hidden. That is, until now. Now it is time for the prophecy to be fulfilled and for my people to emerge from the shadows.” He stood and looked down at Ethan. “And I am glad to have lived long enough to see it begin.”

Lotheri closed his eyes and folded his hands. “Just after my people were scattered, a great elf named Yolunia sacrificed her life to journey into the heart of the mother. But before the life left her, she passed on words of hope. We have clung to this hope for more than five-hundred years.”

He began to recite.

“In the time to come, when despair and death spiral around this world in an endless cycle of darkness, five children will arise. The children of the fallen shall do battle with the enemy of life. They will be led by another who has touched the heart of creation and is brother to the guardian beast. He will kneel before the mother and know her will. Through the people of the mother, he will be given her soul. He will see through the darkness and understand. Through his light, all struggles shall end. All doubt and fear shall be erased. He will fight with the strength of true and pure spirit. And his sacrifice shall be held in our everlasting memory.”

Ethan regarded the elf for a long moment, a deep crease on his brow. “Are you sure those are the exact words?”

“Of course.”

“Then we have a problem,” Ethan told him. “There are supposed to be six of us in total. Right now, there are only four. I plan to bring back the fifth, but that still leaves us one short.”

“I only know what it says,” replied Lotheri. “It is clear you are the leader of which it speaks. As for the rest, that is for you to discover.”

Ethan thought on this for several minutes before speaking. “You said the prophecy was only a part of why you needed me here.”

“Indeed. I am to give you something. Something which not even Martok the Great was able to attain. I will give you the true knowledge of what you call magic. You shall be able to understand it in the same way we do.”

“My uncle told me he had spent much time with your people trying to achieve that.”

“He did. And he could have spent many lifetimes trying without ever being successful.”

“And why is that?”

Lotheri’s countenance darkened. “Because of the cost. There is only one way to see Lumnia as an elf sees her. It cannot be learned or taken. The sight must be given.”

“And you’re going to give it to me?”

“I am. Though not without reservation. Once done, it cannot be undone. And no human has ever beheld our world in this way. The cost to me is great. But the cost to you might be even greater.”

Ethan frowned. “What cost? I don't understand.”

There was an enormous sadness in Lotheri's eyes. “I must pass on that which dwells within me. Once this is done, I will be as the Rakasa – stripped from the mother - only much weaker. Thankfully, unlike them, I will not be immortal.”

Ethan shot to his feet. “You mean, you've brought me here so you can die?”

“I have brought you here so that the world might live. Human magic is powerful. But it will not be enough. Even if you find a way to destroy Shinzan's body, you must still destroy the source of his power. If not, he will simply occupy another body. To achieve this you will need to touch the true spirit of Lumnia.”

“But you’re the king…Suldani…whatever you call it. Why are
you
making the sacrifice? Don’t your people need you?”

“I would never ask this of any of my people. It is for me, and me alone, to do. And there are plenty among us who would make an equally wise leader. My absence will only be felt by those closest to me.”

He let out a high-pitched whistle. A few seconds later Keira appeared from the trees, her face grief-stricken and tears pouring down her cheeks. Lotheri took her hands. “Thank you, my daughter. I would not have had the courage to do this alone.”

She refused to look directly into her father’s eyes. “I am begging you to reconsider,” she sobbed. “What if you are wrong?”

Lotheri lifted her chin. “I am not.”

Ethan backed away. “I'm sorry. I can’t let you do this…whatever
this
is.”

His words passed unheard. Keira and Lotheri were oblivious to all but each other. With foreheads pressed together, they stood in complete silence for more than a minute.

“It is time,” Lotheri finally whispered.

He turned to Ethan, who took another step back. “You must trust me, Ethan Dragonvein. Very soon you will understand that what I do is for the good of us all.”

Ethan gazed at Keira. Her tears had ceased, but her face was still a mask of pain.

“He is right, Ethan,” she said. “This must happen.” She gave Lotheri one final lingering embrace. “I will miss you, father.”

“And I you, daughter,” he replied softly.

Ethan opened his mouth to object, but Lotheri’s hand shot out, seizing his wrist in an iron grip. A wave of energy immediately surged through him, causing his legs to wobble. Then another came, this one much stronger. So much so that he was driven to his knees. Three more waves followed in rapid succession, each one more intense than the last. Finally, unable to withstand it any longer, he let out a primal scream and collapsed completely onto the forest floor.

Bolts of pain coursed through every inch of his body as he struggled to remain conscious. He could see Lotheri kneeling beside him, gazing up at Keira with pleading eyes. In response, she bent down and kissed his cheek, her tears once again in full flow. Ethan then watched in horror as she drew a knife from her belt. He knew what she was about to do, but was powerless to stop her. An instant later, she plunged the blade deep into her father’s heart.

As the life force ebbed from the elf leader, he smiled up at his daughter in gratitude.

The last thing Ethan saw before passing out was Keira standing over her father's body. Her head was thrown back and she was screaming at the sky.

* * * * *

A soft warm breeze brushed against Ethan’s cheeks, carrying with it the scent of pine and wild flowers. Though he could see nothing, he could feel the warmth of the sun on his flesh. There was also the ripple of a tiny brook flowing swiftly nearby.

“Where am I?” he asked.

All around him, from dozens of different voices, came the sound of musical laughter.

He blinked hard, but there was still only darkness. “Who’s there?”

“He can’t see us,” said a childlike voice.

“He will in time,” another, slightly more mature one, called back. “This is all new to him.”

“Can he do it?” asked a second child.

“The mother says he can,” answered the older voice.

“But she is so weak. How can she know for sure?”

“Enough out of you,” the senior voice scolded. “The mother knows. It is not for you to question.”