It was like nothing Brian had ever felt before. He kept his arms tight around AJ’s waist as they climbed higher and higher into the sky. To his surprise, none of his fear of heights was there. He’d believed AJ before, back when AJ had explained why Brian wasn’t afraid of the cliffs anymore. But mounting this Pegasus, he had wondered if that fear would hit him midflight.
It hadn’t. God, this was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. They were over the ocean, with the sun finishing it’s decent on the horizon. Brian wondered what it would have been like to do this at midday when the sun would be bright overhead. It seemed that the more his elvish side came out, the more he found himself wanting to be outdoors, in the sunshine. Almost as if it was as important as the air he breathed.
‘Penny for your thoughts, song of my heart’ came AJ’s amused mental voice. Smiling, Brian snuggled in, resting his cheek against the back of AJ’s shoulder. ‘I was thinking how wonderful all of this is. How absolutely beautiful. And wondering what it would be like at noon with the sun bright in the sky.’
‘A sun elf through and through. My, honey, but you’re becoming more and more a part of your heritage every day.’ Left at the end was the silent question of how that made him feel.
Brian stared at the clouds around them. He watched as the sky slowly darkened around them. With a smile still on his face he gently kissed AJ’s shoulder. ‘It honors me to be more like our people. Without knowing it, something was missing in my life. Something not right. When you unlocked my magic for me, I thought that maybe that was the emptiness. But this…this is it. This is who I’m meant to be. This is what I’m meant to be doing. Even with all the pain and trouble that the world is in, I’m starting to find a peace inside of me. It’s like I’ve walked through life as half a man, and now suddenly I’m whole. I wouldn’t trade this for anything in the world, Alex.’
‘Even all of this with me? I know you don’t know the legends of the trulion like I do, but you probably have a general idea from grandfathers actions, and the actions of the other elves. Even with all of that you still want to be here? You still want to be with me?’
AJ’s questions honestly surprised him. He found himself distracted from the beauty of the skies so much so that he even at his head up to look at AJ, who turned his head for a moment to look into his eyes. That gave Brian another momentary pause. He’d grown used to the ring around AJ’s eyes, the green that carried a light in it to match AJ’s mood. The left eye still held a green ring, but the right one had changed, its ring blue now. Blue? He shook his head for a second to clear that thought away. They’d deal with that in a minute. Right now there were more important things to deal with.
‘Alyck Tuian, you listen close to me, and look deeper than just my words when I say this to you so that you know it for truth. When grandfather spoke of the trulion, you and I were linked, so your thoughts on the legends were in my mind as well. I got a better glimpse at it than you realize. Yet still, none of that makes any difference to me. Why should it? If anything, it makes me proud of you. I feel pride that you are considered so highly by our people. Pride that you have such a strong heart and a beautiful soul that whoever makes these decisions has decided that you are the one to be this for us all. How could I feel anything but pride and joy over this? None of it changes my opinion of you, so you get that thought right out of your mind right this instant. I won’t have you doubting us. Think you that I’m the kind of person to run out on you because you have something of honor bestowed upon you? Foolish man.’
AJ’s head turned to face forward again, but not before Brian saw the sheen of tears in his eyes. He felt the wordless burst of AJ’s love and snuggled back against him, content again. He was just about to bring up the change to AJ’s eyes when Zee shifted and started to bring them down. Brian looked around as they broke through the clouds. The sky had grown dark by now, with stars starting to line the skies, yet he found that he didn’t have any problems seeing the mountains as they came to them. They were huge, bigger than anything that Brian had ever seen.
Zee took them down further and further until Brian saw a small trail between the two mountains they were flying through. Zee wound in, eventually taking them down the trail to a ledge. Landing was smoother than Brian had thought it would be. It was almost as if Zee stepped from the air to a cloud, so light was the impact. Then the Pegasus was walking along the ledge, toward a small plateau.
“Welcome to the Caucasus Mountains in Russia, song of my heart.” AJ said softly as they reached the plateau and Zee stopped. “Home to the dwarves of this area.”
Brian looked around, trying to figure out why Zee had stopped. This looked like any other part of the mountain. There was nothing that he could see special about anything. Before he could ask, he heard AJ’s chuckle. “Don’t worry, babe. I couldn’t see it the first time I was here, either. I had to be shown. Once you’re shown, you’ll be able to recognize it. Dwarven magic is very different from ours.”
Something must have caught AJ’s attention because he stopped and tipped his head as if listening. Then he sighed. ‘There’s going to be a spot of trouble, Brian. I can feel then coming out toward us, which is why I’m not showing you the door yet, cause that would piss them off. From what I feel, I don’t need to do anything to piss them off any more than they already are.’
It took a second for Brian to remember why they would be pissed at AJ. Then it came to him. Oh, yeah, duh. Everyone still thought that AJ had abandoned them. Each new race they went to see would think that until AJ could explain himself. For a moment Brian felt sympathy fill him. How hard it must be to have to keep explaining your actions to each one you come across in an effort to justify why you abandoned them. ‘Is there anything I need to do or not do?’
AJ’s reply was instant. ‘Maintain respect when speaking to any of them, just like you would with the elves. In their eyes I’m a part of their culture, and by being with me as my partner, that makes you part of theirs in a way. But on the same note, that makes my shame yours as well. Just, let me do the talking at first, but don’t ignore them if they speak to you’
Then there was no more time for thoughts or words. The face of the wall in front of them seemed to almost melt away, revealing a cave entrance. Twenty dwarves stood there, with one at their lead. It was the first time that Brian had ever seen a real, live dwarf. They were like what he had imagined, and yet not at the same time.
All of them were men, and all carried the long beards that dwarves of mythology are famous for. They weren’t as short as everything portrayed them to be, though Brian estimated that most would reach no higher than his shoulder. All of them had their beards flowing free, but the hair at their back braided down to their bottom. Their faces were hard like the stone around them with eyes as bright and sharp as emeralds. Thick, muscled bodies were covered in simple pants and jerkins, but each worse a belt that carried a hammer much like the kind you see in a smithy.
“Hail, Durga!” AJ called out, raising one hand into the air.
The one at the front stepped forward, one hand resting on his hammer. “Give us a good reason to let you live, Alyck.” He responded. This one must be Durga then, and some kind of leader, at least of this group. He spoke for them all. No one questioned his words or made a move to step up as well. They stood at the mouth of the cave, hands on their own hammers, watching and waiting.
“What happened to the honored greeting that the dwarves of clan Steelhammer are famous for?” AJ’s voice was polite and respectful. Brian doubted that anyone but him heard the light note of stress underneath the words. Very gently he squeezed AJ’s waist where he still held on.
“Honored greeting? We do not honor traitors!” Durga spat on the ground, his hand tightening on his hammer.
AJ’s body went tense. “Traitor? You had better have a way to back that claim, Durga. That’s not an accusation to make lightly!”
“We don’t make it lightly, traitor Alyck. Clan Steelhammer is no fool! We saw beyond your treachery to the heart of it, and rooted out your nefarious plot before it could destroy our home. You hold no more honor among us.” At those words, Durga’s hammer cleared its loop on his belt.
In one fluid move AJ was off of Zee and on the ground facing Durga. “I have the right to know what took my honor away.” He told them in a voice gone soft. The softness of it was a warning to anyone who knew that AJ’s temper was preparing to boil. “What is it that makes you so foolish as to challenge a mage outside of your home with only your hammer in hand, Durga, son of Tedor?”
Durga’s face darkened and grew harder, if that was possible. The dwarves behind him moved forward, forming a guard behind them. All of them now held their hammers in their hands. One of the dwarves raised his hammer and called out “He is not alone to face you, traitor Alyck! You have no honor, and therefore no right to demand anything of us!” He spat, landing it at AJ’s feet.
What happened next was such a blur that Brian almost missed it. With one swift move AJ had the scimitar drawn and pointed at the dwarf. Somehow he had moved forward so that the point of it was resting against the hollow of dwarf’s throat. Rage crackled along his skin. “Still your tongue before I remove it from your head. Speak not of what you do not understand, child.”
All eyes were on the scimitar in AJ’s hand. None of them moved. For a moment Brian was afraid that AJ’s threat would entice them to fight. He prepared himself to gather magic and defend if need be. But then he noticed that, if anything, the scimitar seemed to have calmed them all. Many hammers were being sheathed.
“There is more to this than meets the eye.” Durga spoke solemnly. He gestured with a hand and the others around him fell back. “I’m afraid that my own honor might be lost, for one who carries that sword would not do the dishonorable things that have been done. Only a true trulion would dare carry that sword.”
After a moment’s hesitation AJ sheathed the sword again. He took a step back so that he was facing Durga again, but his hand stayed on the pommel of the sword. “I ask again, Durga, what it is you think I have done so that we might correct this and move on to more important matters.”
“What know you of a man named Rothalo?”
If AJ had been angry before, he was livid now. Brian felt an echo of it as well. Everywhere they went Roth was messing things up for them, making it as difficult as possible. Couldn’t they get a single break anywhere?
“He’s the evil that I come to speak about. What has he done?” There was no doubt that AJ didn’t ask this question as Alyck, a concerned friend. Even Brian sensed the authority and command in AJ’s voice. Just as he had back in the elves gardens, AJ was assuming command of the situation. There was enough power in his words and his eyes that, like in the garden, no one dared refuse what he said.
Durga let out a hearty sigh. “He opened our doors here, something that only those close to us know. When we met him here, he said that you had sent him to speak with us, and told him how to find us because it was important. But we didn’t trust him, so we told him to pass his message along to us. He said that he was told the message was only for the king. Finally word was sent to the king and he agreed to meet with Rothalo here. The dark mage did not realize how our magic works, and almost instantly tried to slip a spell at our king. We deflected it, and drove him from our caves. Before we could attack, he cursed at us and took to the skies.”
“So you assumed that I meant to kill the King.”
“He said that he was sent by you, and none of us have seen hide nor hair of you for nigh unto one hundred seventy five years, Alyck. We will take you to the King so that you might tell him your tale and provide evidence against this. I myself will vouch for your entrance till we get before the king.”
AJ didn’t speak as he turned back toward Brian and Zee. Just as gracefully as he’d dismounted he rose again and mounted in front of Brian. “Lead on, warriors. There is much to tell, and you’ve no idea how short the time is.”
Seeking to comfort, Brian slid his arms back around AJ’s waist, resting his hands on his lovers stomach. Things looked to be interesting, that was for sure.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sweet mother of God but he was getting sick and tired of this happening everywhere he went. Anger simmered low in AJ’s stomach. Among the dwarves, it was one of the highest dishonors to have someone publicly spit on your honor the way that warrior had. He’d had to fight to control his temper and keep himself from defending that honor.
Atop Zee’s back he rode into the dwarven kingdom. His eyes scanned the tunnel as they rode further in. When the door shut behind him, he conjured up a globe of fire to light the way so that he wouldn’t run into any low rock formations.
Once the cave widened and opened to the main city, AJ let the fire go. He felt Brian start in surprise as they entered the main structure of the dwarven city. It looked almost exactly like a human city, albeit one from hundreds of years ago. Yet all the houses were made from stone, lining not only the ground of the cavern, but built into the sides, up and up. It was like a giant, hollowed out bowl. Trails wound all over, filled with dwarves of all ages, genders, and size.
They took the main road down which would lead them through the city and up towards the largest building, which would be where the King lived. It wasn’t a castle or a palace, simply a two story home, but it was by far the largest of all of them.
Silently, with all eyes on them, the procession marched down the road. AJ felt the curiosity in some gazes, and the hostility in others. He paid them no mind, keeping his eyes forward. Then the whispers started. Dwarves were catching sight of his sword, and word of it was spreading through them like wildfire. Still he ignored them.
Durga and his troops led them straight to the kings home. Outside they waited while Durga knocked on the door. He stepped inside to speak with someone for a moment. AJ stayed atop Zee, his head held high and proud. He had nothing to be ashamed of.
Suddenly the door burst open, and out flew Cursha, King of the Dwarves, and onetime friend to AJ. Now, the king looked ready to chew rocks. “What is the meaning of this? How dare you march into my kingdom as if you have all the rights in the world!”
“Since when is King Cursha a fool?” AJ snapped out. He ignored Brian’s warning squeeze, and the voice in his mind that told him to keep his temper in check. Underneath him he felt Zee tense and paw at the ground, nickering at him. He dismounted, putting one hand on Zee’s neck for a moment to calm him.
“You dare?” Cursha shouted furiously. “You dare to come here and call me a fool? You sent an assassin after me!”
“If I sent an assassin after you, King Cursha, you would be dead.” AJ turned to look at him. He knew his gaze was sharp and bright. The hard words had those around them falling silent. “If I wanted you dead, I would have come to kill you myself, or allowed the Krutas to do so. You have been blinded by evil. For that I can forgive you, for you are not the only one he has tricked. Even I fell under his tricks for a time.”
While he had the kings attention, AJ knew he needed to say what he came for. He drew himself up proud and straight, glaring down at him. In his eyes he could feel the magic glowing. Could feel it running along his skin. Power filled him. Not just the power of his magic, or his anger, but a power nonetheless.
“Hear me well, King Cursha. Hard times are upon us, and we need all allies that we can. I have come to you today to warn you, not fight with you. The man who came to you is Rothalo, and he is evil of the worst kind. He has done magic darker than you could ever begin to comprehend. He sought to kill me before I was made. He sought to destroy my partner there before he could be turned. He tried to kill the faeries Great Tree. There is much that he has done that he will be called to account for.
“But most heinous of all is what I come to warn you about. At the elvish holiday, the celebration of life, Rothalo plans to use that time when the wall between worlds is thin to resurrect Twyla and fuse their souls as one so that he might destroy the world and remake it in his image with he as God. I came here today, not as Alyck, but as trulion, to warn the people of the evil that will befall us all if he is not stopped.”
AJ’s voice was ringing in the cavern. He used a small amount of magic to make sure that it carried to all who were present. No one would miss hearing what he had to say. He drew the sword from its scabbard and held it up into the air.
“This was given to me by Flreu, King of my people, father of my mother. To the last they have all sworn to follow where I lead in this final battle. There is no room for indecision or doubt. You are either for us, or against us. We fight not the small battles, but the battle for all that is right and good. We fight to stop this evil before it devours us all.”
The point of the scimitar lowered, pointing directly at Cursha. “This battle comes to every doorstep. There is no hiding from it. Already Roth has come to try to destroy you. He sought to turn you against me. He did not want to kill you, King Cursha, for if he did you would already be dead. He commands magic no one should ever know. No, instead, he sought to turn you against me, and thus weaken the resistance. I am here now to bring this truth before you, and to ask you, where do you stand? Will you allow him to turn you against one you have known and who has proven his honor? Will you hide in your caves as the fate of the world is decided? Or do you stand with us?”
The cavern was silent. Then Cursha knelt down on one knee and bowed his head so that it rested directly under AJ’s sword point. In a loud, clear voice he spoke the words that sealed their fate. “I pledge my life and my cause to the one true trulion.”
As had been done with the elves, now that the king had spoken, each and every one of them knelt down and echoed his words. Even up on the highest part of the cavern AJ could hear them speaking the words.
He sheathed his sword and stared at the head of the King. “I accept your pledge. Rise, King Cursha. There is much to be done.”