At the edge of the cliffs, Flreu watched the skies for a sign of Tripha’s return. His spine was straight, shoulders back, and head held high as he watched. Outside, he was the perfect figure of calm. Inside, his heart ached. Today was a day he had both been looking forward to and dreading at the same time. Today he would tell his Grandson, his Grandsons, the truth of the prophecy made about them. Today he would bear his heart and soul and tell them the real history of their people.
For so long he and his people had kept this secret. The oldest among them carried not only the tales, but the memories as well. Even the very youngest were taught of their homeland. But it had been forbidden that they speak of it to any but their own kind. Not even the other races, though their memories were surely as long and as strong.
But prophecy had demanded that this secret be kept until such time as the one true trulion and his warrior baka were born. Not just born, but come in to their powers. There was no doubt now that the time had come.
Flreu sighed softly. The sword Alyck had shown him changed everything. It changed so many rules that had been set in to place. There were things that should not be able to happen. They should not have been able to cross the boundaries to do this thing; to take people and bring them back over the boundary. That must mean that the seals were weakening. There were things in place that were supposed to prevent something like this from happening.
He couldn’t help but sigh again. Should not didn’t mean could not. The fact of the matter was, it had happened. Now he had to deal with the consequences. And the guilt. If he had told Alyck and Brian of this earlier, would they have been able to protect their friends? Had he inadvertently caused this by trying to protect his grandchildren?
“This is not your fault.” A feminine rumble sounded behind him. So lost in thought, Flreu startled at the sound, then chided himself for not paying better attention. He’d been so lost in his own thoughts that he hadn’t heard Alfeera as she’d come walking up to him. She laid on the grass now, her head turning to lie in front of him, looking up at him.
Automatically Flreu folded his legs and sat. To stand while she was below him would have been extremely rude. He folded his hands in his lap, gazing over her a moment more to scan the skies. “Isn’t it though?” Disturbed by his own thoughts, he brought his eyes back to the wise ones watching him. “If I had but told him of this sooner, would he not have been prepared for something of this nature?”
“How could he have been prepared when even you had not thought of this?” Was the immediate response.
“Ah, but I should have. I know what is on the other side of the boundary. I know what is there and the damage that is being done to my home land. I know the words of prophecy that foretell what can happen in the forthcoming days. Armed with this knowledge, shouldn’t I have been able to predict that those he loves are in danger? For if I know that they are the two spoken of in those ancient texts, isn’t it logical that others would know?”
Alfeera blew softly through her nose. Softly for a dragon, though still enough to blow Flreu’s clothes for a moment. “You do not know the exact meaning of this prophecy, King Flreu. The words are cryptic and left to interpretation. The knowledge you had suggested that such a thing as has been done should not be possible. Cast this blame from your shoulders. I agree that you should have told them, but I do not think it would have changed these events.” She locked her bright eyes on him. “What was, was. What is, is. We deal with what we are dealt and that is all we can do with our lives.”
The wise words left Flreu silent for a while. As he contemplated them, finding a small measure of peace in his heart, his eyes drifted yet again to the horizon. At the same time that Alfeera started to stand, Flreu saw them in the distance. He rose to his feet as Tripha flew closer and closer. Ah, the time was upon him.
Even before they landed, Flreu could feel the magic in the air. He felt how tightly Alyck was controlling it. It gave him fair warning on the mood to expect his grandson to be in. That was to be expected. Flreu held his spine straight and his head high, every inch the King he was, as Tripha landed beside his mate. The two greeted one another privately. Alyck and Brian slid from the dragon’s back, landing easily on their feet.
On the outside, Flreu wore his King’s face. On the inside he felt his heart break a little at the anger on Alyck’s face. Never before had that kind of anger been directed at him from his grandson. But he held still, knowing that this anger was justified. “Welcome, honored Grandsons.” He greeted them in a clear, ringing voice.
Alyck walked straight toward him, their eyes locked. Without breaking eye contact, Alyck reached behind him and grabbed the hilt of a sword, pulling it out with one fluid movement. The steel seemed to ring in the air. Only a foot from one another he stopped. Fury radiating from him, he spun the sword point down and slammed it into the earth between them.
Just seeing the sword was hard on Flreu’s heart. So many memories came to life. So many things that he had tried hard not to think about for so long.
“Before we left, I asked you if you were all right.” Alyck spoke suddenly. His voice was low and soft, a sure sign of anger. It had a lethal sound to it. “You told us that, on our return, you would explain the worries on your heart. My own heart tells me that your worries are tied to what happened here. All of which comes back to my heart-song and I.”
Brian stepped up to stand beside Alyck, one hand on the small of his back. He said not a word, but his eyes were locked on Flreu.
Still in that low voice, Alyck continued. “You have withheld information from me. Information that I believe directly concerns my baka and I. Now our friends, our family, have been taken from us. What is being done to them we do not know. Where exactly they are we do not know. But I think that you do. You recognize this sword. You recognized it the instant I showed it to you.
“I will not tolerate evasions any longer. I cannot grant you clemency because you are my Grandfather, nor because you are King. I will have this information from you, make no mistake on that. Sit. Explain to me what this sword is, what it means to you. Tell me what it is you have been keeping from me. But hear me now, King Flreu, I am done with the evasions. I am done with the secrecy. I do not ask as Alyck for this information. As trulion, I demand it.”
Even as his heart ached, it swelled with pride at the man his grandson had grown into. Flreu gestured to the ground before folding his own legs and resuming a sitting position. Once Alyck and Brian were settled, Flreu prepared to speak of things he had not spoken of in years longer than these two could know.
“I do recognize this sword, trulion. This sword belongs to the rightful King of my home. I do not speak of my home here, at the castle. But of my true home. The true home of all beings of magic. But to properly explain to you, I must go back a ways, beyond this time to a time long before. Are you prepared to hear this all?”
“We are listening.”
“So shall it be.” Flreu stared at the sword as he started to tell his tale.
“Our people did not always live in this castle in this world. In years beyond counting, back in the history of our people, we lived in a different place. There is another world that we call home. Not a planet like the scientists here study. The best description that I have ever found to describe it in the human tongue would be almost along the lines of another dimension. To me, it is simply my home. The world I was born into and raised in.
“This land was called Nellador. Large, like the earth here, but different. We were not touched by these modern marvels that Earth carries. Ours was a land of magic. From the beings that lived in our seas to the ones that lived in the forests and the mountains and the valleys. We had none of this electricity or guns or metal buildings that stretch to the sky. We were a land of magic and nature. Everything that we all stand for now.
“Though the lands were vast, and more were found beyond the ocean, I grew up in the main city, the heart of Nellador, in a city known as Lutha. This was the very heart of Nellador. This is where the King and Queen of the elves ruled from. Rulers that were chosen by magic more ancient than any who lived. The castle was the head of Lutha, sitting atop the hill and overlooking the city and fields and forests below. All were welcome to visit the castle, for it was open to one and all.
“The people there lived in peace. Occasional wars flared here and there, yes. For there are always going to be disagreements between people, both inter-racial wars as well as wars between the races. But they were always brought down. Each race had their King or Queen, or both. All the royals were connected to one another, their duty to keep the world and the races peaceful.”
Pausing, Flreu raised his hand, unable to keep from briefly stroking the hilt of the sword. “This sword belonged to the King of the Elves. King Falra, my father, was the last King our people had.” For a moment emotion clogged Flreu’s voice. His eyes closed as images of his family sprang to life. “He was chosen when I was a child. The honor was great. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was only seventy five years old, still but a child. My father had always been a sort of leader to the people around him, a proud leader among our warriors. I remember waking beside him one morning, stretched out in the field. We had fallen asleep there discussing the stars and their patterns.
“I looked over and saw that my father was already awake. He held something in his hands, something that put a look of awe upon his face. That was when I noticed the tattoos on his legs. Two on each calf, on the outside.”
Opening his eyes again, Flreu traced the symbols inscribed into the metal of the sword. He pulled it from the ground and held it out for his grandchildren to see, tracing the symbols with his thumb.
“This, the symbol of air. This, water. These, fire and earth. All four elements, to mark the King and show that he is chosen by powers greater than he. From that day forth, my father was King.”
Questions burned in both Alyck and Brian’s eyes. Ever so gently, Alyck raised a hand and traced his finger over the symbols that Flreu had just shown him. Flreu watched the light glow behind Alyck’s eyes as he traced those symbols. “I always knew there was something more to our people.” Alyck whispered. His eyes seemed to be seeing something beyond the sword, beyond anything around them. “As if there was something that was missing in the histories. Yes, this makes things much more clear. But, there’s more to this story.” Those deep eyes lifted to Flreu, and in them he could see an ancient look; wisdom and age beyond what one so young should possess. “What happened, King Flreu?”
A small lump built in Flreu’s throat. This was the part of the story that would hurt the most to tell. Memories swamped him. With the strength he had learned so long ago, Flreu pushed the pain down so that he could put the story into words. Much as he wanted to reach out, to hold Alyck’s hand as he brought these painful memories to life, Flreu simply laid the sword down and folded his hands in his lap. By Alyck calling him King Flreu, it signaled that this audience was still formal. This was the trulion wanting answers. Until Alyck broke that formality, Flreu could not act as Grandfather to Grandson. He must act as King to trulion.
“We were at our castle one afternoon. Our urtdh, the highest mage in the Kingdom, told my father that he sensed something in the waves of magic. Because of how powerful he was in magic, this man had been relegated to the highest magical position in the Kingdom, just underneath my father. A urtdh is to be the most talented, the most powerful mage, signed on to serve the King so that he may better protect the Kingdom. Our urtdh was one by the name of Llwy. He was a quiet man of few words and somber expressions.
“My father bade me wait for him in his room and headed off to the top of the castle with Llwy to see if, together, they could see what this trouble was. I was still young, but cocky by then. Being Prince had given me some ideas about my own self-worth. I had yet to truly learn humility. I had never known strife. We had lived in such peaceful times that I did not believe it could ever be any other way.
“Annoyed with my father for leaving me out of something that I felt was important, I followed behind them, making sure they could not see me. I snuck to the top of the tower with them, hiding behind the door and peeking out.”
Flreu took a deep breath. He stared off at the ocean for a moment, seeking calm. But nothing could take away the ache inside of him. No matter where he looked all he could see was the top of his father’s castle; Llwy and King Falra standing at the edge of the tower top.
“I watched them as they joined hands, like they had so many times before. I could feel the magic in the air building and building. Overhead, dark clouds seemed to boil to life, darkening out the sun. My heart was beating faster, but not yet out of fear. Out of excitement. Something huge was happening, this I knew. But something about the magic in the air changed. I didn’t recognize it then for what it was. I watched as suddenly my father’s body grew stiff, seeming to turn to stone. Llwy released his hand, yet still my father was immobile.
“Llwy pulled something from his belt pouch. It took me a moment, as the sky had turned so dark and full of clouds that it gave the illusion of night. In Llwy’s hand was a dark stone, black and purple. When I saw what it was, my heart froze in my chest. That was the dark stone that my father had kept in the magical store room, under tight guard. Part of being King meant guarding certain objects of magic from the rest of the world. This stone, my Father had told me, was one of darkness and evil. Made by evil mages in a time long before me, wrought in the dark of night with magic of pain and death and despair. It was said to grant untold power to one who would wield it, but it could only be used at a price. No one of good and pure heart and soul would be able to use this, for it would turn them to evil, putting a darkness on their heart that would not be set free.
“My heart thudded inside me as thunder started to rumble, seeming to shake the very foundations of my world. Llwy held the stone before my father and I heard his voice, deep and clear. ‘Your time is ended, my King. This world has become soft and weak, filled with the disgusting light of your Goddesses. I bring new times. I bring change. The world has been promised to me, to be born again with the night. I will be King not of just your pitiful kingdom, but of all. I will be ruler here. I will be a God.’ Then he thrust the stone forward and used its power to take my father’s soul.”
Tears built in Flreu’s eyes, running down his cheeks. His breath shuddered out of him as yet again his gaze dropped to the sword his father had once held.
“Without a soul to inhabit it, my father’s body was nothing to Llwy. He thrust it from the castle top. Then, in a swirl of darkness so deep my vision was lost for a moment, he rose in the sky. Lightning struck the ground, and where it struck, creatures formed. Sha’darth, the dark dragons, and the ni’shia you both know, formed all over. Thousands upon thousands of them. Alu, the same creature that took the life of your Isleen, also came to life. Creatures of darkness were everywhere. They ravaged the city.
“I knew I was no match for this being. I ran down the stairs and found my mother already dead, as well as my sisters and my brother. One of the guard remained, a man named Vyln, who had been loyal to my family for a long time. He grabbed me and snuck me from the castle.”
Yet again Flreu made himself push the pain away. He pushed the memories back inside. The story was almost done. With pride straightening his spine he forced himself to look up and into Alyck’s compassionate eyes. To look to Brian and see the tears that poured down his cheeks. These two that he loved so much.
“As many of us as could make it, escaped. But everywhere we went, these beings were there. Whole cities were slaughtered. Villages were nothing but dust. It wasn’t just our home, but our whole world that this was happening in. Somehow, all of the races managed to connect, to send out secret warnings and messages and finally gather in the home of the dwarves. Cursha was King there. We knew that there was no force that we had that would be able to stop this. Even the dragons, in all their wisdom, knew that this was not something we could fight alone. We had to accept that our home was lost to us for now.
“We had only a few choices. To stay and fight and pray that we might be able to win, or to retreat and build our strength before one day coming to take our home back. We prayed to the Goddesses for wisdom and advice. They came to us and showed us the way. We were told that, if we fought, we would lose. They said that we needed to leave this world, and go to another, a world that was not accustomed to magic. That we would have to hide ourselves so that we would not be detected. That we would wait for a day when one born true would come to us with the strength to free our world. So a portal was created, from there to hear, and we escaped through with as many as we could save, though that was not all of us. Some were left behind. Others chose to stay, to rally together and try to find a way to survive until we could return.
“That is why this castle is built where it is. This is our end of the portal. I was charged to guard it. The only other existing portal from there to here is at the main castle. Where that one lets out, we do not know. But the Goddesses worked to seal it, hoping that it would not be able to be broken by evil. But with this, now I know in my heart they have broken the shields. They are coming for us, to lure us back and destroy us, or to come here and destroy this planet as well. They will seek to destroy the ones spoke of in prophecy, the ones who are destined to save two worlds from darkness.”
With a trembling hand, Flreu touched the sword. “I have waited long for this day. Both with hope and with fear. Events have fallen into place and the first stone has been cast. The one born true, and the warrior at his side, have been born. Have awakened their powers. We have waited in time longer than you know for those to come. For you two.”
“Us?” Brian whispered brokenly. “You think that we’re the ones to save this world?” He sounded terrified and shocked by the story.
But it was Alyck to whom Flreu was looking. Again, he saw the ancient look in the eyes of the trulion. “Yes.” Alyck said softly. “Everything is clear now. I understand. This is our destiny.” He turned to look at his baka. The two conversed silently for a while, leaving Flreu with a moment or two to regain his composure. To calm himself until he yet again had the face of a King.
When Alyck turned back to him, his wore a serious look. “I understand why you waited to tell us of this. Learning something like this too early, too young, would have been wrong. We needed to be ready in mind and in spirit before we learned of this. After seeing what we have seen, and living through what we have lived through, how now would we be able to say no? Not just because of our friends, our family, but because this is the right thing to do. This is what we are meant to do. This purpose is what the trulion and his baka are born for.”
Pride lit Flreu from the inside out. “The words of prophecy have been remembered, to aid you in this that you seek to do, trulion.”
“Gods, no!” Alyck cried, turning suddenly from the serious trulion back to Alyck once more. “I understand that prophecy is important, but I don’t want to hear it. It’s enough that we know what we need to do and that we seek to do it. You know my opinion on prophecy. There’s no point in hearing the words. Each person who hears it will understand it a different way, for they’re always cryptic, and not a one of them may end up understanding it right. I prefer to simply live my life. If it matches later with prophecy, so be it.”
Unable to help himself, Flreu smiled slightly. He and Alyck had shared many conversations concerning prophecy before. Alyck did indeed have strong views on it. More than once, Flreu had seen Alyck’s views be proven correct. People who heard a prophecy did not always understand it correctly and, through their misinterpretation, actually caused more harm than good. “So shall it be.” He replied.
Rising to his knees, Alyck touched Flreu’s hand, the one that was still resting on the sword. Those bright eyes of him seemed to age again, the rings faintly lit. “You have done right, Flreu of the Elves. You were right to withhold this knowledge until now.”
That simple pronouncement seemed to shake the weight of guilt from Flreu’s shoulders. He found his pain easing under Alyck’s gaze. “Thank you.”
A sudden impish smile lit Alyck’s face. “I should apologize for the uncharitable thoughts I had toward you, Grandfather. I was quite spectacularly angry.”
The switch from formal to casual allowed Flreu to let his grin spread in return and the tension ease from his spine. “I imagine you were, grandson. Though I see by your auras that young Brian here helped to calm it down a level or two.”
“To say the least. Ruined a good temper, I’d say, but I have to admit that what we did was much more fun.”
Laughter echoed through the air. Without warning, Alyck pulled on Flreu’s hands, bringing him up to his knees before hugging him tight. Flreu wrapped his arms around Alyck and clung. “I am so sorry for your loss, Grandfather. I will do everything I can to not only help us all, but to avenge our family’s honor. I give you my word.” Alyck whispered in his ear. All Flreu could do was hold on and thank the Goddesses above that they had granted him such wonderful grandchildren.