The Elf King (28 page)

By mid-afternoon Tane was
growing restless and was tired of the silence. Shadox directed them
over to a small outcropping of trees nestled around a small pond.
Leaving the horses to feed and water themselves, Shadox walked over
to a log and produced a pouch of water, handing it to Tane as he
sat beside him. Shadox then produced some dried meat and offered it
to Tane as well. The questions began immediately.

“
How did you know my
father?” Tane did not seem eager, more of a casual wonder as he
chewed the chunk of meat.

“
I knew him since he was a
young boy, and I was still very old.”

“
Did he know that I
existed? He never sent word to me.”

Shadox chose his words
carefully. “Your father had not married yet. Your mother had been a
servant to the Andellines. When she discovered she carried a child,
your mother left the city. She was young, probably scared. I do not
know great details about her decisions or any further matters with
this issue. A time later, word reached the House of Cillitran that
your mother bore a child. The King sent messengers to see the
truth, but were told that the baby did not survive birth. The lie
was told to keep you with her. A boy, a prince, would have been
taken to the castle, to the throne. And your mother’s fate in all
of this would have been very uncertain. The rumors were silenced,
and the story forgotten. Again, I tell you I have no details on
your mother’s reasoning.”

Tane shook his head sadly.
“She should have told him the truth.”

Shadox shrugged. “I’m sure
it was not an easy decision for her to make.”

Tane said nothing; his mind
still having so much to consider that it seemed not even the
answers to all his questions would put him at ease. “It all seems
so odd. My mother never spoke of him. When I was younger, and it
was apparent that I was not a full elf, I asked her, and all she
ever said was that he was out of my life. I assumed that he had
died. Why would she have me believe otherwise? Why hide it from me
for all this time?”

“
Whatever your mother’s
reasons were, they have kept you alive. And that is what matters
most right now.”

Shadox handed Tane another
piece of meat, their eyes not meeting as the offer was taken, Tane
still too upset and confused to do anything other than stare at the
pond and wish for things that will never be.

“
Did you trust your
mother?”

Tane looked up at the
sorcerer, thinking it was a foolish question. “Of
course.”

“
Then trust her now. Be at
peace with her decision, knowing that she made it with the best
intentions.”

“
For who? I have lived all
of my life without knowing the truth. And my father never even knew
I existed.” Tane was a mix of anger and mourning, resentment and
hollowness. “She should have told me.”

They were silent for a few
minutes. Tane tried as best he could to reason it out, to try and
see things from his mother’s perspective, to understand what it
meant for her also. She was a loving woman, he knew. She did all
she could to protect Qenn and himself in every circumstance. Why
was this any different? Still, he would have liked to know his
father, regardless of who he was.

“
I’m afraid I cannot
explore into your mother’s scheme of things. Her decisions were
hers alone, and that is what you must live with. I cannot answer
for her.”

Tane stared at the sorcerer
briefly, choosing what he was going to say. “If I am to trust you,
I want to know everything that you know.”

“
And you will, Tane. First
let me—”

“
Start by telling me how
you knew I existed. How did you know that my mother did not have a
daughter, as everyone had believed.”

Shadox hesitated
unexpectedly. His eyes flashed reluctance for a second, before he
began to speak. “Tane, I knew of you when you were a young boy,
after Turyn had taken Sienna as Queen.”

He wanted to let the matter
drop, but could see by Tane’s reaction that it was going to
conclude. Tane stared at him for a few moments, saying nothing. He
gave a look of bewilderment.

“
When Qenn’s father had
passed, a man came to the house. He offered our mother a large sum
of money. A debt, he called it.” Tane shook his head in disbelief.
“That man was you, Shadox. I vaguely remember it, but it was
you.”

Shadox said nothing for a
moment, as the two stared at each other. “Even an unknown son of
the King, should be looked after, Tane.”

“
You knew even
then?”

“
No. It was not until then
that I realized what had happened.”

“
And you said
nothing?”

“
It was your mother’s
wish.”

Tane stood, feeling so mad
he could not control it. All his anguish and frustrations were
surfacing. He picked up a large fallen tree branch and began to
swing it into a tree with a menacing force, screaming his rage,
cursing his feelings of abandonment, until nothing remained of the
branch. Screaming until he could not any longer, he turned to the
sorcerer and pointed his finger.

“
What else?! What else are
you hiding?!”

Shadox motioned for him to
return and sit. “We have much to discuss, Tane.”

Tane stood his ground,
feeling his anger dissipate, his fists relax, his heartbeat slow to
normal, then walked over and took his seat next to Shadox
again.

“
Tell me about this sword,
this power.”

Shadox smiled. Tane would
be a good king, he thought. And his questions, or the answers he
needed rather, were nothing more than what he himself would require
under the circumstances. He was a strong man; the people would
listen to him. Shadox thought briefly about what he was going to
tell Tane, then all at once he began to talk, not at all thinking
about keeping a perimeter on what should be said. Tane would be
king and he should have an open, trusting, relationship with him.
For now, he was the only person Tane Andelline had on his
side.

“
Long ago, decades passed,
an allegiance between the race of Elves and Man was formed. The
Andelline family and the Estrial family put their differences aside
and joined hands for a common goal. That goal was to drive out the
Mountain Trolls destroying everything from the Spira to the Caltar
Mountains. The Trolls were vicious. They killed many men from both
Races. So, the allegiance was formed, a war was started, and
together they fought the Trolls out of the region, back across the
Spira where they had vanished into the Shard Peaks.”

Shadox looked to Tane, who
said nothing, just sat listening with a blank expression. “In
celebration of this, Lord Estrial, at that time, wished to bless
his new found friendship with King Andelline by a gift offering.
The King was a swordsman, a sword collector. So, Lord Estrial
forged a sword for him. A unique sword. One made of magic and fire.
And Andelline blood. The magic was infused into the blood and from
that a sword was forged of great power. He gave the sword to the
King for his family to use against other evils that would threaten
them. His family alone could use this remarkable gift, as it was
made out of Andelline blood. Only an heir could unlock its power.
Its name is Issilix Delsoue—which is Elven for Flame of
Blood.”

Shadox remained staring at
Tane as he paused, seemingly in no hurry to finish, allowing time
for Tane to take in the information. “The sword was kept on display
in the castle. From time to time, it was moved from one location to
another, to keep it safe from the thieves that thought they could
unleash its power, or sell it, whatever their cause. Eventually the
King removed it all together from sight, placing it in a safe-hold
within the castle. But as the years passed on, and there was never
a need for its use, never a real threat that demanded its power,
the sword was all but forgotten.”

“
But what of the power held
inside the sword?” Tane’s words were laced with uncertainty. Magic
was something he could live without.

Shadox nodded. “The power
is something that I cannot explain. I have not seen it in use, nor
do I recall it ever being used. But I believe it is a very great
power. Elven magic is strong. It will stir within you, Tane. It
will circulate with your blood and you will feel it there. I
believe Issilix Delsoue will draw from your emotions. A binding of
your will and the magic, acting as one.”

Tane did not feel any more
comfortable. The sorcerer’s lack of input only made him more
cautious. “I’ve never seen magic in use. I know nothing about it,
Shadox.”

Shadox smiled. “Before
there is knowledge, there is vagueness.”

Tane took a moment, staring
at Shadox for a few seconds further, reading the conclusion in his
dark eyes. Even in the daylight, the sorcerer appeared to be dark
and powerful. Tane looked away, inwardly sighing. He knew what the
other wanted. He knew what he was asking, what the sorcerer was
telling him without having to say the actual words. He began to nod
his head with acceptance and surprised himself with how scared he
wasn’t.

“
I am to find this sword,
and we are to fight the demons. I am the last of the Andelline
blood. That is why you came to me.” He turned to Shadox, not
expecting anything from him, merely wanting the other to see in his
eyes that he was ready for what lay ahead. “This is what must
be?”

Shadox’s blank expression
did not change. “The sword is yours. Only you can wield it,
Tane.”

“
And
the
Mrenx Ku
would use this weapon?”

Shadox shrugged. “I am not
sure. The potential it has is unrecorded. Its power unlimited.
The
Mrenx Ku
might see it as a threat. It might think that it could devour
the Flame of Blood and become something else. Its intentions, I do
not know. Only its actions.”

Tane nodded, thinking it
through. “Even though I have never been to Cillitran, never heard
of this sword, or anything much at all about the Andelline family,”
he paused, turning away from the pond to stare into the dark pools
of Shadox’s eyes, “I believe you. I’m not even sure why I do, but I
do.”

Shadox smiled. “You believe
because it is in you.”

Tane looked back to the
pond and wondered what his brother was doing. His heart ached doing
so. He forced his thoughts aside. “I am only part Man. I have Elven
features, as you can see. How will the people believe what you have
told me? Especially if no one knows that I even exist.”

“
It is not theirs to decide
who you are. And if we do not act quickly, there will be no people
left anyhow.” Shadox rose, stretched, then walked over to the pond,
dipping his hands into the blue water then rubbing them across his
face. He sat at the edge of the water for a few seconds, his mind
focusing on the tasks that will come in the near future. He rose,
walked back to Tane and offered a faint smile. “We must
continue.”

Tane said nothing in
response. He stood, stretched his back and legs, then walked with
Shadox over to the horses. He wasn’t ready to leave. He wanted to
keep any conversation going, anything that would keep them at the
pond’s clear water and the plain’s quietness. It may be the last
peaceful moment he would enjoy for quite some time, he thought
bleakly.

Again he wondered how Qenn
was doing.

As they reached the horses
and were about to mount, Tane turned to Shadox in time to see the
strong sorcerer’s face turn instantly bathed in lines of anger and
pain, falling to his knees, one arm still holding the leather
harness, the other in the dirt for support. Tane was at his side
immediately.

“
Shadox!”

“
No. I am fine, Tane.” He
resisted the other’s help, pushing himself up, propping his body
against the horse. His eyes remained closed, his face still
wrinkled.

“
What is it? What’s wrong
with you?”

“
They are here,” he spit
viciously.

Shadox rose fully, turning
to a small grove of trees at the far end of the pond, one finger
pointing into the shadows.

Instantly Tane’s heart
pounded, his blood pumping much faster than he could handle, his
body turning cold all over. They had found him again. He turned to
stare into the trees, following the direction of Shadox’s index
finger, but failed to see anything. Shadox never moved, never
suggested that he had been wrong, eyes still focused hard, face
still angry.

“
I should have sensed them
earlier.” Shadox cursed to himself, watching Tane look away from
the hillside to himself in question. “Prepare yourself, this is
what awaits us. This is our war.”

Tane turned. Across the
horizon, along the slope of the hill marching down slowly was a
line of black cloaked demons. A dozen, if not more. Tane swallowed
hard, watching them reach the bottom of the hill and disappear into
the woods. In a few minutes, they would be on them.

Tane scrambled to mount his
horse. “Let’s go! We have time yet!”

Shadox moved away, eyes
still staring into the trees, waiting for the
Takers
to emerge. His voice was
angry. “Let them come.”