This is the continuing saga of a once lost and orphaned boy—now a Princess in her own right—and her journey to become Queen of the Elves.
Shauna
I come to in my bed—my wonderful bed—in my room in the tree castle. The last thing I remember is talking to Mother after… …the fight… Was it all just a dream?
I get out of bed and see that there are still signs of the struggle on me…a few scrapes and scratches… So, it wasn’t a dream…
I quickly get dressed and go down to the main hall… Mother, Lothi, Miri, and Mori are sitting together at a table and drinking wine. I join them and Miri smiles impishly up at me. She says, “Welcome back to the land of the living Nelle… What kind of Queen will you be if a little singing puts you out for four hours?”
She giggles, but the words sting a little. That IS the question, isn’t it? What kind of Queen WILL I be? I am not READY for this… Just because I have a birthright…
Aunt Lothi gives Miri a stern look and says, “MIRI! You apologize to your cousin, at once! I know it was in jest, but she is the Queen-to-be!” Miri looks crestfallen…
I shake my head and say, “No, Aunt Lothi—she is absolutely correct! How can I be Queen? I barely know how to be a girl, let alone a Princess--and now I am to be a QUEEN? It does not make sense… You, Aunt-of-mine, are much better prepared to lead this Queendom than I—you have already proven that when we were in hiding. And IF I AM to become Queen, I will always want my closest friends and allies to speak their mind—in jest or not… Many heads are ALWAYS better than one!”
At that point, Mother speaks up and says, “You see, Nelle, you are wiser than you think. Your Aunt Lothi will be there to help guide you—and it is not a post she wants. She never has…” Aunt Lothi shakes her head emphatically to underscore that position. Mother continues, “You are right, things are moving along much faster than planned—but we are on the offensive now… And we have to maintain our readiness to both defend ourselves—and ultimately beat Drakyre. Unfortunately, that will require great personal sacrifices from all of us at this table…”
Two days later, I am once again fighting the urge to fidget as I am, once again, being fitted for a coronation gown—this time to be crowned Queen. Melda says, “If Her Highness would stand still, we would be done SO much quicker…” I roll my eyes and stand up straight and still…
Just as she places the last pin for the day, I hear a familiar deep voice, “Where is that daughter of mine?” I jump down from the pedestal, amid curses from Melda and pinpricks from errant straight pins. I don’t care as I rush into my Father’s arms for a hug. We both gingerly extract ourselves from the prickly hug and laugh. Even Melda giggles a bit as she fixes a few things and then rushes Father out of the room so I can change.
Several minutes later, I go to the Great Hall to find Father and Mother sitting at a table holding hands across it. I go and join them as a server bring Mother and a glass of wine and a mug of cold ale for Father. Father looks at my surprised face and asks, “What? You didn’t think I would miss my own daughter’s coronation to Queen did you? Besides, I can escort your Mother back with me, this way.”
I snuggle up against him and breathe in his musky scent… It almost makes all of this worth it—to be together again.
Father then becomes more serious and says, “Your little trick with the tree did not sit well with Drakyre at all. I paid the price of several good men to find out that he is planning on mounting a revenge attack—purely to save face with his own…people… It is rumored that he is once again starting negotiations to form an allegiance with the Dark Elves. If that happens, then we could be in for a much tougher struggle. I am not sure that he will succeed anymore this time than the last several attempts, but just the fact that he is trying is riling up his minions… There have been increasing vampire, wolf, and zombie skirmishes in the borderlands… My people are pulling further and further from the border to the inner Kingdom…effectively increasing the size of the DMZ—but shrinking the Kingdom bit-by-bit… At some point, there could be a shift in the border, since it is becoming harder to patrol the no-man’s land.”
At that point, Mori calls me for my lessons of the day and I leave Father and Mother to continue talking…
I look at Mori, a gleam of perspiration on my brow, and grunt… “This is…hard…it is draining me quickly…”
Mori nods and says, “You are not properly feeding your ward with energy…” She is looking at my aura with that far-away look in her eye… “Here, try this…,” she says as she makes a movement with her hand. All of the sudden, I feel a shift in my energy and the drain slows to a minute trickle. Mori asks, “Do you see what I have done?”
I turn my vision to my own aura and see exactly what she did. “Wow, I never would have thought to hook onto the Darker Elements that way. Is it not dangerous for me?” I turn my vision back to her.
She shakes her head and says, “No. You are not tapping INTO the Dark this way…just sort of feeding your ward with its discarded image. Sort of like holding your hand above a candle… You feel the heat from the flame, but you are not IN the light… Does that make sense?”
I nod and we practice for another hour before she finally calls it quits for the day.
I am out blowing off some steam with Miri. We are playfully competing with each other with our bows and arrows. I am now nearly as good as she is.
Miri laughs as I make a near impossible shot—splitting her arrow into four long slivers. She looks at me and says, “I didn’t mean that the other day, you know. I think you will make a fine Queen.”
I sigh and say, “I know you didn’t MEAN it, Miri—that does not mean it is not TRUE, nonetheless. I don’t know what I am doing…”
Miri looks at me and says, “Nelle, you have Mother and Mori—they will help guide you. It will be fine—the Queendom will be in good hands. I can feel it—and you know that I have…Powers…when it comes to that.”
I smile wanly and say, “Thanks, Miri. It means a lot to me to have your support. Will you be on my Court… As my friend and Head of my Guard?”
Miri smiles and bows to me as she says, “It would be my honor and pleasure, my Queen-to-be.”
I don’t like the formality of that response, but know enough to realize that it is required at this moment. I smile back at Miri and simply say, “Thank you, Miri. For everything.”
I do not sleep well that night… I wake up after only thirty minutes…well short of my usual three hours. I toss and turn… The Coronation is only hours away…
I pace around in my room—I have been doing so for the last hour… The others are not stirring yet—and likely won’t be for another hour. I lay down for a few minutes, trying to get back to sleep, and give up—for the tenth time.
There are so many things going through my head. In a few short hours, I will be Queen. Soon after that, Mother and Father will leave for my Father’s Kingdom in the Human Realm—to start the long process of mending relationships between the two races. And, at some point, we will all have to deal with Drakyre—or his minions, at the very least. It is all giving me a headache just thinking about it…
Finally, I hear others start to stir and go down to the main dining hall where I find Mori already sitting. I am quickly served a small breakfast—I am too nervous to eat much. Mother comes in a few minutes after me, followed by Father… Lastly, Aunt Lothi and Miri come in. Mother quickly goes through the events scheduled for the day and I lose all appetite…
We get up from the table after close to an hour and I go to get trussed up in my coronation gown. It takes nearly two hours to get literally sewn into the dress, have the ceremonial makeup applied, and go through the cleansing meditation in preparation for the actual event.
Once I ready, a small procession is formed. Mother is followed by Father and Mori; I follow behind them with Aunt Lothi and Miri carrying my train. It takes us the better part of thirty minutes to make it to the clearing where the Tree of Life stands—a journey that would normally only take about five.
Similar to my last coronation, as Princess, the clearing is surrounded by the Elves from the castle—holding hands and creating a large continuous ring. What is different this time is that there are many more elaborate decorations. There are also many more Elves here—from all over the Realm.
I try to swallow my nervousness as the ring of Elves breaks in one spot and creates an opening for our small procession to enter the clearing. The ring once again closes behind us as we move to the Tree of Life. I look up at it as we draw closer; it is looking much healthier now that the poisonous flow has been stemmed. My heart speeds up as Father breaks away from us and joins a small band of senior male Elves. These Elves—and Father—make a smaller inner circle around the tree and us.
Mother, Lothi, Miri, and I take up positions around the tree at the four corners of the compass. Mori stands behind me. The four us place our hands on the tree and I feel the calming presence…and the wisdom of dozens of Queens before me.
And…Mother starts singing a slow, melancholy song… It is about a tired Queen, ready to move on. The male circle behind picks up on the melody and harmonizes with Mother. That is my cue. I start my song… It is a joyous song: one of power, of peace, and of prosperity. The outer circle picks up my melody and harmonizes with me. Our songs intertwine—Mother’s slowly becoming more joyous; mine becoming more melancholy. It is so loud that I am sure that the perfectly aligned songs can be heard across the Realm—especially since the animals seem to be picking up on it, as well. Birds are chirping along, other animals making their own accompanying sounds—all in perfect harmony.
Finally, the songs are completely reversed. I am singing the sad song in memory of our past Queen, and Mother is singing the joyous song in celebration of the young, new Queen. At that point, the inner circle of male Elves breaks and forms a line that connects Mother, who still has her hands on the Tree of Life, with a string of Elves from the outer circle. This long line of Elves then creates an unbroken connection between the Tree of Life and Mother’s Princess Tree—the one that she had planted when she was crowned as Princess. Another long line of Elves from the outer circle does the same between me and my Princess Tree.
I feel a surge of energy course through us all. Mother breaks her touch with the Tree and I gasp as the Energy now flows into me, rather than through me. Mother steps back from the tree and Mori takes her place—leaving my main Court and I the only ones with direct contact to the Tree. The energy coursing into me reaches the point of almost being painful; then, suddenly—I can communicate with the Tree—with all of the Spirits of Queens gone by. It is amazing—the wisdom, the knowledge.
I feel the tears of awe and wonder flowing down my cheeks as Mother slowly pulls me from the Tree and hugs me. She says, “Queen Nellethiel, you now know the true gift of being Queen—but, you must be careful. It is very easy to get lost in the depths of the Tree. Always have someone with you if you are communing with the Tree and the Spirits—as an anchor to reality… You have an amazing supporting Court; any of them will be perfect anchors.”
I nod, still wide-eyed. I ask, “Mother, does this mean that you can no longer communicate with the Tree?”
She nods and says, “I no longer have access to all of the spirits in the same way that you, the true Queen, do. However, I am connected to the Earth and Forest through my Princess Tree. You will always have access to me—either indirectly through the Tree of Life—or directly through my Princess Tree. Mori, of course has other ways of contacting me that she is teaching you. But, if you need to communicate with me in a manner that none other can tap into—this is the best way.”
And then she removes the Queenly Crown from her head and ceremoniously places it onto mine.
The crowd goes wild…
I am finally getting out of the coronation gown…only to have to get right into a ball gown for the celebration. Miri is in my room with me, laughing at my antics as the gown is literally cut off of me by the seamstress. I find myself continuously having to catch the crown as it falls off my head when I look down.
I laugh and say, “This is going to take getting used to in more ways than one… And it is so heavy… Thankfully, I don’t have to wear it all of the time…and Mother told me there is also a light-weight tiara for daily wear. She never used it much, but says it is much better than the formal crown…”
After I get out of the coronation gown, I wash the ceremonial makeup off and put on the ball gown. Miri and I then walk down to the main hall where the music is already playing full blast. Before I know what is happening, Mother is pulling me over to the side of the room where a gorgeous young Elf is standing.
I blush as Mother says, “Nelle, I would like you to meet your betrothed, Alyan. If we were still following all of the Olden Ways, he would be your future husband.”
Although I had not really thought about English in a long time, my mind automatically translates Alyan’s name—Asher, or Blessed. I can’t believe how gorgeous he is—nor that I think of him that way… There are still enough vestiges of the ‘boy’ left in me that I am still surprised when the ‘girl’ comes out full-force. I am also surprised at the strange pull I feel for him…
Mother continues, “As you know, it is no longer a Queen’s duty to marry her betrothed…but it is still proper etiquette to grant him the first dance of the coronation ball…”
Following the oldest of traditions, I curtsy and say, “May I have the honor of this dance, my fair betrothed?”
We are just getting into the rhythm of the music when it suddenly stops…
I look around to see what is going on—only to find a small band of Gnomes waiting at the entrance to hall, surrounded by Elven guards. Miri and Alyan both step between me and the Gnomes at exactly the same time. Mori already has a blue ball of energy formed in her hands…
I look at the group of Elves surrounding the Dwarves. They are wary, but relaxed. I know there is no way the Dwarves could have made it this far into the Queendom undetected.
Mori keeps her ball of energy at the ready as Miri goes to quietly speak to the head of the guard surrounding the Dwarves. She nods and quickly comes back over to me. Quietly, she say, “It is OK, My Queen. They have come to congratulate you on becoming Queen and would like to talk after the festivities. They have brought you a coronation present.”
She nods and the Dwarf that is obviously the leader comes over and bows deeply at the waist. He hands me a very heavy, ornate box made of gold. I open it and gasp. The largest Ruby I have ever seen—which, honestly is not saying much, I guess, is nestled in the box. It is as big as my fist—and gleaming blood red.
I smile and say, “I am not sure I can accept this. At least not without knowing your name…and what the occasion is. I believe you must be the first Dwarves to set foot in the Queendom in centuries…” Mother and Aunt Lothi nod in unanimous agreement. Mori still has not openly settled down, although, I can tell her energy ball is more for show now…she must not sense any ill will or Darkness coming from the Dwarves, either.
He smiles… At least I think he does. It is not really a pretty sight. He says, “Your Majesty, I am Kir Godgold. We request an audience when you are finished celebrating. We are here to open discussions on a pact between our Realms—if you are interested. Either way, the bloodstone is our gift to you. It is worthy of a Queen, don’t you think?”
I nod and say, “Welcome, Kir Godgold and others. Please join us in the festivities. I am not sure that we have anything fit for a Dwarf, but you are welcome to what is here. We will discuss your proposal in the morning. Miri, can you see to it that Kir and his fellow travelers receive appropriate accommodations?”
Miri goes to talk to the head house keeper and I turn back to Alyan and say, “And I think we have a dance to finish?” I smile as the music starts back up. Alyan and I finish our dance and I excuse myself from him. He smiles and bows.
I go over to Mother and Lothi. They are watching the festivities from a side table, each with a golden goblet of wine. I sit and take a goblet for myself. I look around the room. The Dwarves are not to be seen at the moment. I ask, “What do you make of this business with the Dwarves?”
Both shrug, but Mother says, “We will know more tomorrow. Mori sensed no ill will. Neither did Miri. You obviously saw no Darkness in them either. This could be a very good thing!”
I wake up after a good three hours of sleep. My head hurts… Partly because of the wine from last night—partly because I realize as soon as I wake up in the Queen’s chambers that it was all real.
I get dressed and go down for breakfast. I eat lightly, then go to the audience room to prepare for the meeting with the Dwarves.
Thirty minutes later, they are escorted in. Mother, Lothi, Miri, and Mori are at my side. We sit at a large round table and Kir slides a large bag across the table to me.
He ‘smiles’ again and says, “We know you have gone to a great deal of trouble to get these in the past. It has been a great game for us… You have been the best, so far… A worthy opponent, for sure.”
I open the bag to find enough dried moonfruit to last a year. I look at Mori and she shrugs and smiles.
I say, “Thank you, Kir. I was not aware that you knew it was me. If it makes you feel better, I barely escaped.”
Kir goes on to introduce us to Dike Goblinbreaker, Hesdib Mountainfighter, and Sora Bloodquartz—the others in his band.
I introduce my main court to him and have refreshments brought in. The housekeeper had quickly researched Dwarf desires and needs and accommodated them fully in the refreshments.
Kir is impressed, “I did not expect such hospitality, especially given our past. But, that past is why I am here. I am authorized by the Main Council of Clans to offer a pact between the Realms to fight off Drakyre. He is getting bolder and his minions are encroaching more and more on all of the Realms. To be honest, we also plan to talk to the Humans and offer a Peace Stone to them, as well. Only together, will we be able to hold him off…”
I look at Mother and she nods. I whisper to Miri, who quickly leaves. I look back at Kir and say, “This sounds like a great offer, Kir. I would like to hear more about your troubles and what the terms of this pact might be. We are not having major issues with Drakyre, yet. At least none that we cannot handle; although, I agree he IS getting bolder.” I think of the battle at the Border Tree stemming his vile poison from entering the Realm.
Kir nods and gets ready to respond, when Miri returns. I smile and say, “Kir, I would like you to meet my Father—King of the Humans. Maybe we can just turn this into a three-way talk?”
Kir stutters, obviously taken by surprise, “Your Highness. I have no offering for you. I was not expecting this…”
We spend the entire day talking and planning. In the end, we agree to the pact. Father agrees, but says he will still have to discuss it with his court before he can fully commit. Ordinarily, this would not be required, but he is still trying to gain back the trust of his kingdom after having been gone so long…
We break up the meeting and wearily go to the dining hall for a late supper.
I go to bed soon after that. Tomorrow is when Mother and Father leave for the Human Realm…
My dreams that night are tormented. I dream of impending battles with Drakyr…invasions by his minions into neighboring Realms…the Elven Realm harboring fugitives of all races…
I wake up after my usual three hours, drained… It was not a restful night… The dreams were almost like premonitions, but I have never had such dreams before… What is going on? Just stress from the meetings, yesterday? That must be it… They were just run-of-the-mill nightmares… Yes, that has to be it… Right?
I see Mother and Father to the Golden Veil and send them on their way to the Human Realm to take up the continuing cause of reuniting the Humans and the Elves. Mother, once again Queen…but, now, as Queen of the Humans…alongside Father. Dike Goblinbreaker accompanies them as an emissary of the Dwarves.
I return to the castle and prepare a small pack. Miri, Mori, and I are going to accompany the Dwarves to their realm. It is part of our pact…
I lift the light travel pack onto my shoulders and join the others, already waiting for me. We set off at a slow pace for Elves, but fairly quick for the smaller Dwarves.
After a little less than a day, we cross the Golden Veil into the Dwarves’ Realm…close to where I gathered the moonfruit several months ago. I smile as I look up at the bushes…
We follow a path to the base of the mountains and make camp for the night. We are close to the Dark Realm at this point, only about a fifteen minute walk (at Elven Speed)…and there is no Golden Veil to protect the Dwarf Realm. As such, the Dwarves set up a guard rotation, and Miri and Mori volunteer to be a part of it. The Dwarves will not hear of me participating…
We settle down and I am about an hour into my sleep cycle when I hear Miri shout a warning. I am instantly awake and pulling out my bow…
There is a small pack of werewolves sniffing our perimeter… Further back, I sense three vampires… Even further back, still in the Dark Realm, a band of Zombies—there must be a hundred of them…
Kir lets out a yell and runs at the werewolves with his battle axe raised above his head, closely followed by the other Dwarves. Miri lets loose a volley of arrows at the same time I do. Mori starts volleying blue balls of energy at the vampires further back and gently reminds me to strengthen my wards…
An hour later, the werewolves, vampires, and about fifty zombies are disintegrating into dust on the Dwarves’ side of the line. Even though Miri, Mori, and I stay back out of the pack of nasties, we kill dozens of the creatures and save the Dwarves from certain death numerous times. Finally, the other Zombies abandon the attack…
We sit by the fire and take a breather, with Mori still very much on guard. I walk to a nearby moonfruit bush and pick a handful of the fruit for myself and another for Mori…
Since we are already all awake, we just strike camp and move on… Dawn is not far off anyway…
I look at the entrance to the cavern system. I expected something grand, I guess. It is a small opening… Barely big enough for the Dwarves… The rest of us will actually have to crawl through the opening. I can only hope the tunnels are larger… The opening is secured with a strange metal door…it is silvery and shiny…but, seems to be eerily strong…
We crawl into the tunnels behind the Dwarves who are merrily walking. We have to crawl for about ten minutes until we reach a cavern of HUGE proportions. There is a strangely glowing lichen growing on the tunnel walls that provides a dim but steady glow for us to see by. The cavern is well lit with lanterns. There are at least a hundred different doors in the cavern walls—made of the same strange metal as on the outside. Thankfully, they are taller… we can walk through them, but will still have to stoop a bit…
Kir leads us to one of the doors. It looks no more important the others. He pushes on the ornaments on the door in what must be a special sequence and it pops open. He beckons us in…
I look around the large ‘room’… It is ornately decorated with various metals, gems, and precious stones. I have to stifle a gasp…it is strangely beautiful.
He smiles at my reaction and says, “Welcome to Grimhold. I am the Clan Leader, here. I am also the Head of the Clan Council. That is something akin to a King in your Realm… But, I know you are weary from the fight and the travel. I will have you escorted to your chambers where you can freshen up and rest before we eat.”
I look around my ‘chamber’. It is a smaller cavern with a bed that will be a bit short for me. There is also a steaming pool of water in the floor. I go to it and gaze into it. It has a yellowish tint, but is clear and clean-looking. I dip a finger into it and smile… It is a bit warmer than I would usually want—used to bathing in cold streams, or tubs where the water must be heated. This water is heated by the Earth…and a quick scan shows no dangerous energies… To the contrary…it seems to have healing properties.
I strip and step into the pool. It is shaped to be comfortable to relax in; again, more for someone the size of Dwarf, but I find a comfortable position, none-the-less. After a few minutes, I am used to the heat of the water and smiling as sore muscles relax.
I nearly fall asleep, but Miri comes in and giggles, “I see you found the wonderful pool, Your Highness. My chamber has one, too. I nearly fell asleep, myself. We are expected for dinner in fifteen minutes…”
I sigh and get out. Ten minutes later, Miri and I walk to what we are told is the dining chamber. The Dwarves have done an admirable job of securing food that is palatable to an Elf and we enjoy the dinner.
Once we are done, Kir says, “Queen Nelle, we have set up a small ceremony to thank you and your court for saving us today. It is true that we have a pact, but no one would have known if you had let us perish… You did not have to honor it…”
He escorts us to another chamber. There is an ancient looking Dwarf woman waiting in the chamber. I say ancient-looking… Having never seen a Dwarf woman before, I have nothing to gauge it by…
She beckons me to follow her. Miri starts to rise, but I shake my head for her to sit and follow the woman into a side chamber. She does not tell me her name, but asks me to disrobe. I give her a look, but she just asks, “Is it too cold? I know you are not used to the caverns.”
In fact, it is rather HOT in the cavern, so I shake my head and say, “No, I am fine, but why do you need me to disrobe?”
She smiles… At least, I THINK that is what she does... She says, “You are unique, My Elven Queen. You possess Human magic from your Human heritage. Human magic is unique, in that it stems from the universe as a whole…it is fairly new magic. You also possess Elven magic from your Elven heritage. Elven magic stems from the Earth—but the organic side of the Earth. I want to demonstrate the power of Dwarf magic, which also stems from the Earth—but from the INorganic side… Both Elven and Dwarf magic are OLD magic.”
Not really knowing where this is going I do as she asks, but put my senses on heightened alert. I sense no Darkness about…
She smiles and says, “Good! Trust no one. I sense you scanning me… Tell me, did you have strange dreams the other night—after you received the Blood Stone?” She is mixing up some mud in a small bowl…
I gasp and say, “Yes! How…? The STONE made me have those nightmares?”
She nods and says, “They were not actually nightmares, but visions of possible futures… Nothing will EVER let you sense the REAL future—it can always change. Your consort, Miri, possesses some innate abilities to do this, as well—they are just not fully developed, yet. As for the stone, it only works if it is in close proximity to you, as you sleep…”
She takes a small paintbrush and starts painting a design on my naked back…up my spine—from my bottom, all the way up to my neck.
When she is done, she gestures to a highly polished metal shield. I look at my reflection in the mirror. I have something that look like a mix of Elven (Celtic) and Dwarf runes and floral designs going up and down my spine.
She takes a sponge and dips it into the pool of water in the chamber and squeezes it out. She dabs it up and down my spine and the mud tingles…
When she is done, she escorts me, still naked into the main chamber. She asks me to lie down on a lichen-covered stone slab…that is oddly warm.
I shrug and do as she asks. She takes a small ruby, one that looks a lot like a miniature version of the Blood Stone, out of a golden case. This smaller stone is encased in an intricate web of what appears to be finely spun gold. She places the gem into my naval and starts chanting…
I scream in searing pain and pray to the Goddesses that I will pass out…
As she starts chanting, several things happen at once. The designs on my back start burning…like they are searing into my skin. The jewel in my navel starts to feel hot…like molten lava. Of course, that is why I start screaming. I am completely taken by surprise.
A strange golden glow emanates around the old woman and me. Miri rushes towards us, obviously intent on attacking. Mori is standing there, blue balls of energy at the ready—but she hesitates. As do I. I could easily take out the old woman—but I still feel no ill-will or Darkness coming from her.
Miri and Mori are effectively cut off by the glowing ‘shield’. If anyone is going to do anything, it will have to be me. I decide to wait and see what happens—and motion for them to stand down.
The pain subsides into a strange creeping-crawling itch. I split my focus between monitoring the old woman and myself. It feels like there is something crawling through me, starting at the jewel and then following the paths of my bones and the designs drawn on my back.
After several minutes, the old woman stops and ‘smiles’ at me. She steps back from me--out of the golden shield; THAT seems to be coming from me.
Miri is giving the old woman a severe look. I sit up. Mori is still standing at the ready and gasps when she sees my back.
I feel different.
The old woman hands me a robe and speaks up, “I am sorry, Queen Nelle. This ritual has never been performed on a non-Dwarf before. I knew it would be safe, I did not, however, know how you would react. Let me further explain what just happened…”
She gestures to one of the attendants to bring some sort of hot beverage…a tea of some sort from the lichens growing in the caves. She tells us it is completely safe, although we may have to get used to the taste. THAT is an understatement. It tastes like bat dung…well, what I would THINK bat dung tastes like, anyway…
I let my cup sit in front of me as she continues.
She comes over to me and gently runs her hand down my back. She says, “The jewel is now a permanent part of you. The special golden web that encased it has entered your body and fused with all of your bones. It then followed the special mud designs on your back and became a part of your skin. It is a metal tattoo, of sorts. All of this means that you are now One with the Earthen magic of the Dwarves. You now have access to both sides of the old Earth magic. Together with your inherent Human magic, you are a very formidable person to be reckoned with. With practice and guidance, you will be able to stand up to Drakyre, himself.”
My head jerks up at that one. I had been focusing on the cup of bat dung tea until then. I give her an inquisitive look and ask, “And why not Mori? She is of the same basic heritage as I am and already knows MUCH more of the Magics than I.”
The old woman sighs and says, “The ritual is very hard on the bones. They must be young and strong. Not too young, they should be fully grown, but as young as possible. Older bones are more brittle and don’t survive the process. You see, when the special Golden Web fuses with your bones, it is magically transformed into a very special metal. You may have noticed the fortified doors around here? It is the same metal… It is very strong—it can withstand the attack of an Ogre…even of Drakyre’s new minions. It is also magically inert. Your skeleton is as near to invincible now as it can be.”
I am still surrounded by the golden ‘shield’. I gesture towards it, “And this?”
The old woman shrugs and says, “It is your shield. It is an instinctive combination of all of your Magics. It draws on your Human spells, Elven wards, and new Dwarven energies. It is golden because that is how you are used to seeing such things…it is your mental interpretation of how it should be projected… It looks like your Golden Veil surrounding your Realm. With practice, you will be able to manipulate how it looks...including being invisible. You will also be able to strengthen it, stretch it to include others over long distances and more. As with any Magic, there are consequences, but since you are drawing on so many sources, that used properly, complement each other, you have near unlimited protective powers. We MUST, however, train you to avoid using powers that are antagonistic to one another… You would die very quickly…”
After our discussion, it still took a while for me to get Miri to back down. She was still mad that the old woman had given no one any warning…and she still did not trust her. Of course, she does not have Mori’s and my ability to sense Darkness.
In the end, I order her to come with me to my ‘chambers’ and to help me take a bath. I don’t need help, and that is not Miri’s job, but any cavern in a storm…
She is washing my back and running her fingers over the designs, “They are raised, like there is a thin strand of metal running under the skin… And there is this…tingle…”
I shrug, “You know as much of this as I do… I can tell you that my senses are now greatly enhanced…in strange ways. I can…feel…the rocks… I can tell you exactly where there are gems or precious metals through that wall there… It is like how I can feel the plants and animals of the forest with my Elven magic…I can now feel the rocks. I am still learning to tap into the Elven magic and have learned so much… I am almost afraid to know what I can do with training on using this magic…
The next week is all about learning of my new abilities. It is all about tapping into the Earth’s energies…sort of like grounding myself in the Earth. With the Elven magic, the energy is around you, as long as there are clean sources of plant or animal life. With this, as long as I am on Earth, I always have access to the energy.
The energy is particularly useful for protection; and one of the first things the old woman teaches me is to manipulate my shield. I can make it invisible, or blood red. I can make it black as night, effectively hiding me in the dark. I can shrink to a second skin, or expand it to several hundred paces…all without the old energy drain I am accustomed to.
Being able to identify particular jewels or precious metals from great distances and guide myself straight to them is awesome and has to be the ‘best’ part, from a purely female point of view. By the end of the week, I have a fairly large bag of rubies, diamonds, and emeralds that I find as part of my training; I also have a fairly large bag of gold.
Kir takes the jewels and gold at the end of each day and hands them to one of the attendants to be taken to some hold, I am sure.
By the end of the week, I am better versed in the use of my new magic source. The old woman wants to keep training me, but I need to get back to my own Realm to take care of business there. Aunt Lothi is handling it perfectly, I am sure; but I don’t want to shirk my new duties as Queen.
We are packed and ready to go. We crawl back out the tunnels and I breathe in the fresh air in large breaths, as I shield my eyes from the bright light.
Kir and a small band of protective Dwarves escort us to the border, this time without incident, and we are about to step through the Golden Veil when Kir speaks up, “Queen Nelle, I want to present you with one last present as a token of our commitment to the pact.” He takes out a beautiful golden tiara; but enchanted gold, like the doors. It is dainty and very elegant…and sparkling with jewels. He places it on my head and says, “It is made from the gold and jewels you found over the past week. It is enchanted and has some powers of its own…powers that only someone with YOUR powers can use. You will have to come back for more training…”
He bows and the band of Dwarves turns and heads back into their Realm. I reach up and touch the tiara…I can feel the power in it…
We step through the Golden Veil and go home.
The next weeks are all about ‘being Queen’. Not only am I new to the job, but I now possess Dwarven magic, on top of my Human half; that makes me more than just a little suspicious to the very tradition-oriented Elves.
I look at Miri and sigh. I really want to scream, but I stay ‘calm’ as I say, “I don’t know what to do with them; I did not ASK for this…and they didn’t object during either coronation!”
She shakes her head and says, “Give them time, Your Majesty. They were willing to accept you as your Mother’s Daughter, since she was a trusted Queen—even though she did go a bit rogue and marry a Human in their eyes. When you came back from the Dwarves with new powers, it made them even more wary. I think it is understandable. You just must remain patient and show them that you only have the Elves’ best interest at heart.”
Aunt Lothi nods her head and adds, “Miri is correct. I have also explained that you did not ASK for the Dwarven powers. Unfortunately, that has made some even more suspicious. They say that you can’t be trusted, since we really don’t have a full grasp of what was done to you. It is old magic, which makes it both very powerful and very mysterious.”
Mori speaks up, “I can’t even begin to fathom it. You are now completely shielded from me, unless you intentionally open yourself up to me. It is both disconcerting and very comforting. I do not believe that even Drakyre will be able to ‘scan’ you. That does make you appear to be a threat to many, though. How do they know you won’t become as bad as he is…? I am not saying I believe you will, you understand…”
I fight back tears of frustration. It is SO unfair! I only want to be a good Queen, not that I WANT to be Queen… I take a shaky breath to settle my nerves and nod to my closest friends, family, and advisors. It is time to hold audiences and court to settle disputes.
As we walk to the audience room, Aunt Lothi says, “The very fact that this IS bothering you, speaks volumes. Give them time…”
We enter and I sit for my first ruling of the day…
After three weeks of this, I can’t take it anymore. I need a break…
I summon Aunt Lothi and say, “Lothi, I am taking Miri and Mori on a small trip to the borderlands. I have been practicing all brands of my magic…and need to put it all to the test. I want to be away from here to do so; to keep rumors down… We should only be gone a week or two. Please take care of business for me while I am gone.” I hug her and go to gather Miri and Mori.
A day later, we are camped right on the border to the Bufferlands and the Dark Realm—I am fairly sure that no Elf will come here.
The first day, Mori and I spar magically. Miri and I spar physically and have an arrow-shooting competition. It feels good to just unwind. An hour after dark, my whole body begins to tingle…and I get the vision of a band of vampires just on the other side of the Golden Veil. Startled, I look at Mori and she nods that she had sensed them, too.
I say, “I have never sensed them like this… I can actually ‘see’ them.”
Mori says, “I have heard of such. It is an ‘old magic’ ability. Some Elves can tap into the forest and ‘see’ things, using the plants’ and animals’ energies. Since you have not exhibited this ability before, it must have something to do with the Dwarven magic.”
I nod and concentrate. It does not take long for me to identify the source of the ‘vision’—the very Earth itself; more specifically the river sand that the vampires are standing on.
I decide to try an experiment. Both Miri and Mori attempt to dissuade me, but I remain firm in my resolve. I turn my protective shield pitch black, tap into the Earth for reserve energy, and turn my shield up several notches. I cross though the Golden Veil into the Bufferlands and walk the several hundred paces to the river that the Vampires are sitting by. They are technically still in the Bufferlands, but very close to the Dark Realm border.
It is unusual to find more than one vampire in one spot. Here, there are five! I find this very disconcerting—something is up to make them gather into a band this way. I try and listen in on them, but they seem to communicate telepathically. There is absolutely no indication that they realize that I am here; even though, I am within ten paces of them.
Five rapid-fire, dragon-blood tipped arrows later, the vampires are ash settling on the ground. Ash that I can now sense. I pick up my arrows and slowly walk back to the Veil.
Mori and Miri are beside themselves, especially since I was very clear that they were NOT to follow me through to the other side.
Mori asks as soon as I come through, “What happened to them? I no longer sense them.”
I reach out and feel the Dark Energy draining from the ashes—leaving behind only the true essence of the original Humans from before their change. I tell Mori and Miri what I know.
Mori says, “I found it disturbing to sense a band of them, as well. You say there were five and they were getting along?”
I say, “Getting along is maybe too generous, but they were not going after each other’s throats… If Drakyre is expending enough energy to make vampires peacefully coexist, there MUST be a reason. And why so close to the Elven Realm?”
The next night, there is a large pack of werewolves not far from where the vampires had been the previous night. I repeat my performance of the night before, including the warning body tingle.
There is not anything particularly disturbing about werewolves being in a pack, but the fact that they are in the same spot as the vampires were—sniffing as if they are looking for them—is VERY disturbing to me.
I cross over into the Bufferlands and make my way to the pack, once again shrouded in complete blackness. There are fourteen wolves one minute and fourteen piles of ashes the next.
Almost predictably, the next night there is a band of zombies milling around the same spot—seemingly confused that they are alone. There are way too many for me to stealthily dispatch myself, so I stretch the boundaries of my black shield to be large enough to include Miri and Mori. I wait a bit to see if I can hold the shield and barely notice the extra energy drain.
We cross over into the Bufferlands and quietly walk together to the spot the zombies are conglomerating in. There is enough time to see the confused look on the last of the zombies as arrows and blue balls of energy shoot from seemingly nowhere. The look does not last long, since they are quickly dispatched to dust.
Miri and I gather our arrows and we all cross through the Veil into our own Realm.
We sit and discuss theories as to what may be going on. Of course, we have no idea…
The next night, my body starts tingling so strongly I nearly pass out. I look at Mori; she is deathly pale. Even Miri, who has some developing new Elven powers of her own, is very disturbed by something.
Then the ‘vision’ comes to me of a very handsome, but very cruel-looking, Human on a black stallion. He is so consumed by Dark Energy that he is nearly total blackness to my senses. He is approaching the same spot on the river.
Mori mutters, “It is one of Drakyre’s Twelve—a Dark Rider…”
The Dark Rider pokes around the ‘camp’ and puts out tendrils of palpable Dark energy—obviously in search of the minions that are no longer there. He stiffens in one spot where the minions’ Dark energy has not completely dissipated from the ash…and seems to actually notice the ash for the first time…
He turns to look at the Veil and I can ‘see’ his blood-red irises even from this far, his Darkness is so strong…
He mounts his steed and starts riding towards to the Golden Veil. I unconsciously reach out and strengthen it in the area that we are in, so that he cannot see us—with his eyes, at least. I have no idea what his capabilities are of sensing us… We, of course can see OUT.
I stretch out my shield and engulf all three of us, ratcheting it up to a very high level…at this point, I am well-tapped into both Earth and Forest Magic…but at this level, I can still feel the slow drain of my own energy.
The Rider arrives at the Veil and reaches out to touch it. It sizzles as his fingertips barely poke through… We all jump. He is NOT supposed to be able to do that. He pulls his hand back and kisses his fingers…they are slightly burned. His eyes bore into the Veil; in an obvious attempt to see through…or sense through it.
Finally, he jerks his horse around and rides slowly off…
I follow his progress with my Earth ‘sight’ and once he has crossed the river and is well on his way back into the Dark Realm, I slowly let the power drain from my shield and compress it back to just me… I sigh audibly and feel faint.
Mori hands me a handful of moonfruit and I greedily gulp it down. After a few moments, I ask, “What in the darkest level of the Underworlds WAS that thing? I have never sensed anything that BLACK before.”
Mori and Miri sit next to me and start preparing our meal.
Mori says, “That was one of the twelve Dark Riders—Drakyre’s personal guard. You WON’T ever sense anything blacker—until you sense Drakyre himself. With the Riders, it is like a complete ABSENSE of Light—most minions have at least a little Light left them—not the Riders. With Drakyre, it is like he is SO Dark that he pulls the Light FROM you…like he is eating it. Or, so I have heard anyway. Not many have sensed it and lived to tell… Or they have been turned into a minion and CAN’T tell…”
She busies herself more with preparing the meal and Miri says, “That was quite the shield you put around us. Don’t do it again. Even I could feel your drain towards the end…”
Mori nods grimly, but remains silent.
I sigh again and say, “I had to make sure he did not get the idea that we had anything to do with his minions being gone… Even so, I am afraid that we have not seen the last of him…or his minions…”
The next weeks are boring relative to the events of that day. I am back to ruling on disagreements and settling disputes. I practice using my different Magics every day, and am getting more adept at combining them into new uses that have, to date, never been possible…
I feel myself getting stronger…and start to get the feeling of, well, invincibility… Not in a creepy way, you understand…not like Drakyre… No, I don’t want to take OVER the Earth…but I DO feel like I could take ON the Earth…and WIN…
That is why it comes as a complete shock to me when I am in the middle of a practice session with Mori and I simply go limp and collapse…
The world is suddenly dark…I feel weightless…like I am floating… No, maybe flying is the better word…
Things come back into focus and I am in the Dwarve’s cavernous castle…the Old Woman is there…alone…
She speaks, “Hello, Queen Nelle, I have summoned you so that we may speak. Do not be alarmed…only your Magical aura is here—your body is safe at your home, fully protected by an Earth-Magic shield. The Dwarves have been attacked by a Dark Rider and leagues of minions…we need your help…”
And, with that, I come to in my own body again. Mori is leaning over me, not able to touch me because of my shield. I blink, release the shield, and say, “It is OK, Mori… I mean I am OK…I think…”
I tell her about my experience and she frowns. She says, “I was afraid of something like this. She has a power over you that you cannot control. We will have to find a way to protect you against that…now that we know it exists… What do you want to do about the Dwarves? Let them rot for deceiving you?”
I shake my head and say, “No, I don’t think so. First, I made a promise…and…second…who knows what she can or WOULD do to me if I don’t come. I am not allowing anyone else to come with me, though. You and Miri need to stay in the Queendom—if a Dark Rider is attacking the Dwarven Realm, it is only a matter of time before they attempt to test our defenses again.”
Miri is having a fit, “Your Majesty, I CANNOT allow you to go alone!”
I give her a stern look and say, “Miri, this is a direct order from your Queen. You and Mori will remain behind to protect Lothi and the Queendom. I will move fast and assess the situation with the Dwarves. I can handle myself; you know that… But, I am not going to have ALL of us go into a trap…”
She bows her head contritely and says, “Yes, Your Highness.”
I grab my pack and quickly disappear into the forest. Several hours later, I am at the junction of the Elven and Dwarven Realms, and Borderlands to the Dark Realm. I raise the level of my shield and stretch my senses. I ‘see’ a large encampment of Dwarves on the Dwarven side…but pulled way back from the border. I also ‘see’ a black ‘hole’ where there is a large mass of Dark minions and their leader…already well across the border… The Rider is going from injured Dwarf to injured Dwarf on the battlefield and touching them… They are turning into horrible creatures…
I shake my head and say to myself, “He is turning them into trolls… Humans become vampires, werewolves, or zombies… Dwarves become trolls… I don’t want to find out what Elves become…”
I watch as the newly-formed trolls join the ranks of the minions, obviously still confused. The other minions are feasting on the dead bodies of the fallen Dwarves.
I shudder and circle back around so that I cross into the Dwarven Realm well behind the ‘new’ border to the Dark Realm. I have my shield at a very high level, but since it is just me under it, the drain is negligible. I enter the Dwarves’ camp unnoticed and make my way to the rear center, where I can see that the command tent is set up. I enter the tent and lower my shield, effectively becoming visible to all in the tent, but not unprotected from the weapons raised at me by the surprised guard.
Kir jumps and then ‘smiles’ when he sees me. He motions for a goblet of wine for me and says, “Welcome, Queen Nelle. I was not sure whether to expect you, or not. How many Elves are you bringing in your command?”
I take a small sip from proffered goblet and say, “It is just me, Kir. When I was somehow kidnapped from my own body, only to appear in front of your sorceress, to be told that you needed help…well, I am sure that you can understand my reservations. I needed to see what was going on for real…and whether this sorceress has any OTHER unbidden control over me… This is not the best way to foster trust between us Kir…”
He pales and says, “I had no idea she could do that… I thought our messenger had arrived and informed you… He left days ago…”
I shake my head and say, “I have not heard from your messenger; it seems he did not make it… Now, tell me what the situation is…other than ‘grim’, obviously…”
Kir tells me that a large band of minions arrived at the border to the Dwarven Realm several days ago, which seemed very odd to the Dwarves that they would join together that way. Then a Dark Rider arrived and the attacks began…
He says, “It is not as if they are really trying to invade as much as the Dark Rider is trying to injure us and turn us into his minion creatures… Bloody trolls…”
I nod and take another sip of wine. Then I say, “I saw that happening. The question is why does he want Dwarven minions…? Another Rider arrived at our border several weeks ago; in similar fashion. We were lucky and were able to turn back his attack…” I intentionally leave out the details. “I wonder if he was after the same thing? Elven minions…?”
Kir says, “Well, from this attack that would make sense; although, I don’t have an answer to your larger question… Why?” He takes a gulp of wine and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. Then he says, “We can’t kill the damned things. Our axes are indestructible and are immune to their magic, but they don’t seem to hurt them. They cut them easily enough…but they don’t kill them unless we are lucky enough to cut off a head…and sometime not even THAT works…”
I ask simply, “Are you using Dragon’s blood? My arrows are tipped with it… It is the only thing that I know of that will surely kill them…”
His eyes get big and he says, “How…how…? I don’t even want to know… No, we are not. It is not something that is just lying around in every cave, you know… We will have to secure some, though. Thank you for the information…”
At that moment, one of Kir’s officers comes in and says, “Sire, the Darklings…they are retreating… They are just leaving!”
I look at Kir and we both look back at the messenger.
Kir is obviously as baffled as I am, more probably, as he says, “Retreating? Wha…? But, all they got were a few dozen…”[/color]
“…Dwarves…” I finish his sentence. I look back to Kir and ask, “Do these Trolls that were created have any special properties? I am not really familiar with them…”
Kir looks thoughtful for a minute and says, “Not really… Like the other…Human…minions, their strengths lie in the night, but they can function in the light—just at a much reduced level. They are of Dwarven origin, so, they have many of the same strengths, only enhanced by the Darkness, itself…”
The Old Woman ‘appears’ in my mind… She says, “It is the difference in Magics… The Trolls are more resistant to Dwarven Magic designed to protect the race from other races. Just as the Human minions are more resistant to the Human Magic…and Dark Elves are to Elven. With an army of minions from all three races, Drakyre has the ability to thwart all types of defense Magics… He must have needed more Trolls for something, which does not bode well for us Dwarves, because that would indicate a more serious attack is in the making—one that will not only be after more minions…”
I sigh and say, “I really wish she would not do that…although, I suppose it has its uses.” Kir looks at me strangely and I explain how the Old Woman appears to me…and repeat what she just said.
“Dark Elves? This Dwarven oracle thinks Dark Elves are involved?” Aunt Lothi is clearly disturbed.
I nod and finish telling her about the attack and how I had rushed home so that we can strengthen our defenses.
Aunt Lothi continues, “If it is true that Drakyre has aligned himself with Dark Elves, then we may truly be in for a nasty battle…or war. Unlike the other minions, the Dark Elves are not created by Drakyre, although I suppose he could create some perverted resemblance of one. These are creatures that are nearly every bit as Dark as Drakyre himself, but that we have been able to maintain a tenuous treaty with, over the centuries. We haven’t gotten to that part of your history lessons, yet, but before our truce, there were very bloody battles between them and us. I find it hard to believe that they would align themselves with Drakyre, though. They are very distrustful…and will bow to no one…they don’t even have a leader in that sense… It is difficult to explain and even more so to comprehend how they survive as a loose band of…beings…”
I let that sink in, then ask, “And our defenses…? The Veil?”
Aunt Lothi shakes her head and says, “The old Dwarf is right… It is designed to keep other races out…and the Dark Elves, Dark as they may be, are Elves…
The next several days are filled with a huge flurry of activities from me.
First, I gather Miri, Mori, and Aunt Lothi and go to the Tree of Life. I want to commune with the Elders from LONG ago and need a rock solid tether to reality. Once I am sure that mental lifeline is secured, I touch the Tree and ask for permission to commune…
I feel myself drawn deep into the roots and up through the phloem system of the tree…. I lose all sense of direction back to reality… But, finally come to where I need to be… A series of ‘lights’ appear and I am with the Elders.
I ask as many questions as I can about the Dark Elves and the wars from long ago… What our best defenses…and offenses were. I also ask about ways to strengthen the Golden Veil, the fact that Dark Rider was able to get through even a little bit still frightens me.
I learn so much and want to ask more, but feel the tug of my lifeline and myself being pulled back to reality.
I am surprised to find that I was in communion with the Elders for three hours…the maximum allowed time for the safety of the Queen.
After that, I sit with my Court and make plans to strengthen our defenses. As with everything there is a cost, and strengthening the Golden Veil comes with one. It is a matter of balance. For centuries, now, the level at which the Veil has been maintained by the Tree has been more than sufficient. It had noticed the intrusion of the Dark Rider and automatically increased the strength of the Veil. The level of Energy needed to do that, however, cannot be maintained for long periods of time. A sustained level of attack at that magnitude would cause the Veil to fail.
The Elders did, however, feel that, with my unique combination of Human, Elven, and Dwarven Magics, I can do what has not been possible before.
But, it will take careful preparation…and time to gather what I need…
I am in an exhausted sleep. I am thirty minutes into my three-hour sleep cycle, when I start dreaming… I feel the pull of the Magic from both of my Dwarven rubies… I know this is not just an ordinary dream…
A huge Darkness is descending on the Veil, at the same time, it is descending on the Human and Dwarven Realms… Four Riders each, with vast armies of minions, are descending on the three Realms…
Drakyre is coming…sometime in the very near future…
Author’s Note: This is the end of the first Trilogy. As soon as I fulfill some promises on other stories and series, I will start the second set of books in this series. I hope everyone has enjoyed it so far and is interested in more.