Page 61
Story: Fate Calls the Elf Queen
Odd choice of words,Layala thought.
“I hope this is to your liking, Mr. Black.”
Hel finally tore his gaze from Layala and tipped the wine back. It was gone in moments. “It is.” Then he pushed Piper off his lap and stepped away. His hand ran through his dark, shaggy hair and shoved the empty glass at the tailor.
Layala watched him carefully, his tense shoulders, the slight narrowing of his eyes, the hard line of his lips. He was upset, but why? Maybe it made him think of who she was and the goddess he lost.
Still smiling, Mr. Drenovan said, “I will have the dresses packaged and sent to the castle at once.”
“Thank you, Mr. Drenovan,” Hel said and headed toward the exit. Hopefully he’d keep walking and leave them alone. The door opened with the chime of a bell, but he paused in the doorway, looking over his shoulder. “Get changed, ladies. We need to get back to the castle. I’ll be waiting outside.”
* * *
THANE
Thane satat the desk in his office, leaning over the book he discovered behind a hidden bookshelf in his father’s old bedroom. It was the first he’d found with tales of the gods and goddesses of Runevale.
The curtains were pulled wide, allowing an abundance of light into his office. The smell of fresh-cut lemons for the tea in Fennan’s hand lingered in the air. Fennan sat in a leather chair with his feet propped up on the side table and a book in his lap, a white teacup in one hand. The final matches for the new group went well. Most of the recruits were ready to go out and join the ranks save for a handful. So, the three of them bathed and changed into fresh clothes filling the room with a variety of fragrant soaps.
“What if we put a large dose of katagas serum in his drink? The smaller doses on the barbs aren’t enough but something more?” Leif asked as he paced back and forth. The sound of his boots hitting the floor had become calming rather than irritating. “And we want him dead, right?”
Thane looked up from the page. It would be difficult to explain to them why they couldn’t kill him in a way they would understand. To them he was the Black Mage, the creator of the pale ones. To him, Hel was his family.
Fennan scoffed. “Of course, we want him dead. What kind of question is that?”
Leif stopped at the window and sat on the ledge. “What if he dies and magic disappears entirely from everywhere?”
“I don’t think that’s how it works,” Fennan argued. “He’s given the title because that’s his affinity, not that he created all magic.”
“You don’t know that,” Leif fired back.
“I believe Fennan is right in this regard,” Thane said, rubbing his scruffy chin. He needed a shave. “Mages can use his spells but not everyone can. He isn’t in charge of who is born with magic and who isn’t, but he can gift magic to others. Hence the runes.”
“So, when he died, elf mages stopped being born?” Leif crossed his arms.
“That’s part of our curse,” Fennan said. “The Maker took away our magic for what we’ve done. And we thought Layala and Thane were mages, but they’re not, are they? They’re elves with the power of gods.”
“Yes,” Thane agreed. “But I think it would have been the All Mother who took magic away, as she is the balance in all things. It wasn’t Hel’s doing even if he played a part. The large dose of katagas serum will not work. Besides, trying will only anger him enough to kill someone I care about, and at this point he’s playing nice.”
Thane glanced back down at the page.Only two weapons can kill a god of Runevale, a dagger known as Soulender, and the Sword of Truth. Soulender was given to the Drivaar from the All Mother and the Sword of Truth to the Primevar gifted by the Maker to keep the balance between the two sides. During the wars the Primevar attained both weapons, effectively calling a treaty between the sides where peace lasted until the Great War of the Realms and both went missing.
Thane’s body stiffened. Hel was looking for something. Something Valeen had… Did she know where one of these weapons was?Was that why the assassin wanted her dead? Another thing Thane couldn’t figure out was how the gods were able to end their lives the first time. It was evident the gods didn’t use either weapon or Layala, Thane, and Hel wouldn’t be alive here and now. They’d have been gone for good.
“Listen to this,” Thane said. “Remember I told you he wants to go back home and that he was being punished. This says it right here, “and Valeen, Hel, and War had their immortality bound up and were slaughtered for their mutiny, murder, and crimes against the council, forever punished to live and die as mortals but never go to Serenity, the realm of everlasting peace where souls go to rest. Never privileged to be gods again,” he held up his finger, “Unlessthey prove themselves worthy.”
“According to whose standard? What is worthiness?” Fennan asked.
“It doesn’t go into more detail,” Thane said, and leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and got lost in what felt like a dream…
The Past
A single tear rolled down Valeen’s flushed cheek. She was on her knees before the eleven council members, and he, beside her. Rows and rows of levels went up toward the golden, domed ceiling where people from all over Runevale hung over railings to watch their demise. It was unprecedented to see gods being punished, and to have a primordial goddess bound by magic and on her knees was unheard of. His mind raced on how they could get out of this. Every exit was covered by guards. Hundreds surrounded them in the rows of benches and even people standing in the aisles. If he had more time he would work his way out of the bonds around his neck, wrists, and ankles.
War turned his head slightly to his father standing in the front row to the left; not a member of the council but they wanted to vote him in to take the place of a member Valeen had killed weeks prior.Look at me, Look at me.But Balneir wouldn’t meet his eyes.Don’t let them do this,he silently pleaded.
War leaned forward slightly, to peek at Hel on the other side of Valeen. Hel’s spine was erect, his chin held high. Not an ounce of remorse or fear showed in his features but when did he ever show how he felt? If anyone could get out of these bonds and escape it would be him, but it wouldn’t matter. He wouldn’t help War or Valeen, not after everything…
“You will answer for your crimes,” said Percillia, the council leader. “You were ordered to stand down. Your wars spilled over into Ryvengaard, Adalon, and Vangra, not to mention the chaos and destruction you have caused here in Runevale. You were ordered to hand over Soulender and you refused. All three of you are sentenced to exile by execution.”
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61 (Reading here)
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119
- Page 120
- Page 121
- Page 122
- Page 123
- Page 124
- Page 125
- Page 126
- Page 127
- Page 128
- Page 129
- Page 130
- Page 131
- Page 132
- Page 133
- Page 134
- Page 135
- Page 136
- Page 137
- Page 138
- Page 139
- Page 140
- Page 141
- Page 142
- Page 143
- Page 144
- Page 145
- Page 146
- Page 147
- Page 148
- Page 149
- Page 150
- Page 151
- Page 152
- Page 153
- Page 154
- Page 155
- Page 156
- Page 157
- Page 158
- Page 159
- Page 160
- Page 161
- Page 162
- Page 163
- Page 164
- Page 165
- Page 166
- Page 167
- Page 168
- Page 169
- Page 170